At the same time, in a hidden underground fortress somewhere in Tokyo Metropolis.
ZECT's supreme command center.
The office had a cold, futuristic aesthetic, with no unnecessary decoration. Thick, armored blast walls shut out every sound from the outside world.
Click.
The office's heavy pneumatic door slid open.
Mishima Masato stepped inside, dressed in a fresh, neatly pressed suit, though large patches of gauze still covered his face.
Despite his best efforts to maintain his usual mechanically indifferent expression, the slight limp in his stride betrayed the internal injuries that had yet to fully heal.
Behind the broad, curved desk, an elderly man in the commissioner general's deep black uniform stood with his back to the door.
Kagami Riku.
The man who held actual control over Japan's entire police establishment and its covert armed forces held a cup of warm tea, his calm gaze fixed on the enormous surveillance hologram of the Shibuya meteorite zone on the wall.
"I've read the report on the incident in Shibuya."
Kagami Riku did not turn around. His low, aged voice echoed through the spacious room, carrying the steadiness and authority unique to a man in power:
"The Kabuto Zecter deviating from its course without authorization, a scene attacked by an unmolted Worm... and an entire squad of ant troopers taken down with ease."
The old man paused, then turned, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's. "Mishima, you've always been known for precision and efficiency. The way you handled the aftermath this time was hardly your style."
At his superior's questioning, a flicker of fear flashed deep in the eyes of the normally cold and ruthless Mishima Masato, despite his desperate efforts to conceal it.
He drew a deep breath, placed an encrypted black tablet on the desk, and spoke in a dry,