Kibishi's POV

  We all had our breakfast after successfully setting it up all morning. The rice with chicken David made turned out to be a smashing hit! The Founder even suggested that he might lower the time of their punishment. Maybe. It was still up in the air, so not even I knew for sure.

  At any rate, after stuffing our faces with our homemade meal, the rest of the supernaturals were supposed to meet up by the meeting area.

  It seemed like The Founder wanted to talk about something with us...

  What that something was, I wasn't sure myself.

  But we couldn't disobey on our first day, technically, so I had better attend this meeting without causing any trouble. One by one, the supernaturals put their ptes into the sink, which Riley and David had to do now since they couldn't eat until everyone was done. While I felt bad about that on its own, I couldn't do anything more than what might lead them into trouble. They would have to pay for their actions, after all.

  At any rate, I started moving toward the exit of the cafeteria and headed to the meeting location.

  Meeting Area

  I slowly walked into the room with my hands inside my jacket. I got a bit jumpy when I saw more people inside the room, though. A couple of adults that I assumed were scientists, some doctors, etc., etc. I awkwardly bowed at them and slowly headed toward Tao, who had an empty seat for me. I hovered downward and rested my butt on the soft cushion on top of the chair. I noticed that there was also a cushion on the back of the chair. I saw The Founder fixing his tie as a young dy with a bck office suit, orange hair, and green eyes handed him some papers.

  Not only did I see Mato, Kujira, Yosei, and Kuma, but also a few others that I barely recognized.

  "Alright then, now that everyone is here, we can start the meeting. First things first, a bit of an introduction." The Founder pced his hand on his chest. "I am The Founder of the organization. While the title isn't 100% accurate for this current turn of events, let's just say there were others before me that truly held that title properly."

  Others before him, huh. I wondered who the original founder was if this current one wasn't.

  "Our goal is a simple one. It's to free mankind from the clutches of the seven yers. The yers are what we call 'home' right now after the capture." The Founder continued with his expnation.

  "This seems more than an introduction, but allow me to continue from there." Mato added.

  Mato pced his hand under his chin with a straight face.

  "Now, as you all know, our main goal is to escape the yers and live on the surface once more. But there's more to it than that." Mato turned serious and crossed his arms. "The human race was taken into this world for a reason, I assume. Otherwise, they would've wiped us out a long time ago."

  "Right, that part still gets me. I'm not so sure why the human race was captured in the first pce..." Tao scratched her head as she put her opinion out there.

  "It's most likely what makes the human race a very fwed species. We don't understand the true meaning of our capture until it's too te. Just like anything else that's beyond our concept." Yosei stated while pcing her hands on the table.

  "That can't be the only reason for the capture. Otherwise, it would make the most sense to just capture a few and kill the rest." Kujira added while tapping the table with her index finger.

  Which reminds me. I still need to apologize for being rude yesterday. She kind of brought it on herself, but I still need to be the better person since we had only just met the other day.

  I shook my head and got back on track with the others.

  "All of these theories can't be proven at this point in time, so we should just move on for now." The Founder announced as he fixed his colr.

  "The Founder's right. Let's move on for now." Mato smiled at us. He then turned serious once more. "Finding the reason isn't necessarily the main goal, but it's always good to keep in mind."

  Mato swiped the air and revealed a projection with the word 'H.U..I.T.Y.' in bold, with periods after each letter.

  "The main goal is to free the human race from its cruel fate. This organization was created 10 years ago, a week after the capture. Many lives were taken from us to reach this far, but it's not over yet. As you can tell, we name ourselves as representatives of the whole human race, to show the beings of this world that we aren't going down without a fight."

  Mato swiped and showed another image. It dispyed a few pictures of some of the creatures from back then. The first one was the wolf with snake skin and tail. The second one was the jellyfish-like being.

  "The ones that attacked us were beings called 'Creatures.' They were the ones who started it all."

  "H-hold on, Mato. Wasn't it the Forbiddens that attacked us in the cells?" I asked, since I was kinda confused when he mentioned 'creatures.'

  "Yeah, I'm confused." Tao added.

  "They're two different types. The 'creatures' are the low-ranking species that can be killed with modern weapons." Kujira mentioned with a calm expression.

  "Right. Creatures are the most common ones and can kill a human being due to how 'strong' they are. But if you have weaponry, then you should be okay if it's not a massive group." Kuma said as she smiled at Tao and me.

  "For example, the wolf with snake skin can vary. There are some that take a few bullets from regur guns but are weak against knives, bdes, and even a staff. You just need to remember that not all of them are the same. You can also say the same for the jellyfish-like creatures. All in all, as long as someone has some knowledge of this, then a whole group of soldiers can follow them."

  Mato tapped the table and then raised his left brow. "Though, I would recommend being cautious at all times. Please, do not rely too much on one person. It's a team effort, so don't do anything reckless."

  "Of course, that applies to both you guys and the soldiers in training, but mostly for normal humans that don't have any powers." The Founder added.

  "Mind telling me why the soldiers we saw are mostly teenagers and some adults?" Tao questioned The Founder. The Founder simply smiled and nodded.

  "Simple. Most adults that join as soldiers end up dying out there. The teenagers are backups and don't go into dangerous territory. For example, the teenagers that picked you two up were getting help from Akuma. Without her, we wouldn't have sent them to you."

  The Founder snapped his fingers.

  "And before you ask, yes, there are more adults coming to join the teenagers as soldiers. So it won't be only them." The Founder added, followed by a smirk at Tao. He also tapped on the table, almost as if he was losing interest in all those questions that might dey the meeting.

  "What about the supernaturals? I don't see any adults for them either." I chimed in, curiosity hinting in my voice.

  "The supernaturals are... very 'rare.' A grown adult having such power isn't impossible, but very unlikely. Adults aren't like teenagers, you know. While you have that creativity and thoughtfulness, we adults ck those to a certain extent. Meaning that an adult who's a supernatural must've had the power for a very long time."

  The Founder rested his fist on his face and used his free hand to tap the table even slower than before.

  "We did our research, and we can say for certain that what we say are facts. To prove that they are true, however, those are highly cssified and won't be made public to the world."

  The Founder closed his eyes and stopped tapping the table.

  "And before the newcomers ask, no, I don't pn on sharing it with you all anytime soon." The Founder stated firmly.

  "How is that fair? If we don't track down the origin of the power source, then how are we supposed to know where they come from?!" Tao stood up, her fists clenched in frustration.

  "..." The Founder remained silent.

  "Why are you being silent—?"

  "Taoreta. The prisoner who was in the lower-yer prison. A girl who's friends with Kibishi, another 'gift' that we found. As The Founder and the head commander of this pce, I suggest that you step down now. We don't want to waste any more precious time with your annoying questioning. Please save that for another time." The Founder demanded, authority cing his voice.

  "That's—!"

  "Come on, already. Enough of your childishness. Are you really that curious about the origin that you'll interrupt not only the meeting but question my authority? One more word, and you're out of this room!"

  "N-ngh!" Tao closed her eyes in shame. She slowly sat back down, whimpering in sadness.

  "S-sorry for being rude..." Tao said softly, which made my heart ache.

  "As long as you understand. Honestly, children should listen before questioning the unknown."

  Ba-bump!

  Hearing that tone—no. Hearing someone try to threaten Tao made my blood boil. Tao was already sitting down, listening to him, and he wanted to finish her off by belittling her?!

  If that was how he wanted to py it, then two could py that game.

  "But Founder, isn't it normal for us newcomers to ask a lot of questions to gain your trust?" I said with a bright smile, despite faking it.

  "Excuse me?" The Founder stared daggers at me, seeming more annoyed than ever before.

  "I mean, come on now." I stood up with confidence. "You can't expect us to follow along just because you say so, right? We all know that we're supernaturals, but where did our power source come from? Don't you think it's a tad unfair that you're making fun of a girl for asking honest questions, Founder? Or... do you simply not care about the people who are supposed to risk their lives while you sit on your ass?"

  I heard the crowd whispering at my comment.

  I could see the shock on Tao's face when I didn't hold back any of my words or opinions.

  That's right, I can be an ass, too.

  Mess with Tao, and you'll find out.

  The Founder stood up as the projection disappeared. "Are you questioning my authority, young man?"

  "Your authority? No."

  I pointed at him with a serious look.

  "I don't mind having an adult be responsible and try to keep things in order. But what I don't like is the idea of you talking to Tao like she was some gum on your shoe."

  Mato stood up now.

  "Hey, guys. Let's not try anything funny. Kibishi, apologize to The Founder."

  "Not until he apologizes for making Tao sad just now!" I shouted, anger fring in my voice.

  "..." The Founder continued to stare at me with a strong aura that could only be described as someone who could take me out at any time he wanted. Not physically, but thanks to the power of authority, he could do what he pleased.

  And I wasn't going to back off just because of that!

  "Apologize to Tao! Now!" I shouted at The Founder, then gritted my teeth.

  "Mister Kibishi! You're being disrespectful right now!" A scientist shouted at me while pointing.

  "If you think you can get away with this, then you're sadly mistaken." Another scientist said.

  "..." The Founder slowly closed his eyes, almost as if he was thinking. But the longer he remained like that, the more I wanted him to apologize.

  No matter how many seconds passed, he wasn't even going to apologize to Tao? Why was he so stubborn?!

  "Founder—!"

  "Interesting. So this is how you are when it comes to Taoreta's insubordination, huh?" The Founder began speaking once more. He then slowly opened his eyes and smirked at me.

  "Very interesting, indeed. I'll allow it." The Founder announced, which shocked everyone, including me.

  "Founder?" Mato widened his eyes.

  "I take it back, Taoreta. Thanks to you and your personal experiences, we have someone who won't back down no matter what, like Kuma. I respect that."

  The Founder tapped on the table, but this time with excitement.

  "Hahaha! How interesting! Never change, Kibishi!" The Founder then snapped his fingers. A scientist brought some papers. The Founder took a page and slid it toward Tao.

  Tao slowly took it.

  "Only you and the other supernaturals can read this. Those who see this and spill the beans will be banned from this pce." The Founder announced as he pced his hands together.

  "H-huh?" Kujira was stunned by the turn of events.

  "..." Yosei stared into space while pcing her hand under her chin.

  "Whoa..." Kuma said, amazed at the turn of events.

  To be honest, though, this was going way too fast for me. Before I could process more of this, I heard The Founder once more.

  "In all my years of this experience, I have never seen such hope for another human being. Kibishi. You shall have my permission to visit me anytime with your orange-haired friend. I shall allow it."

  The Founder closed his eyes.

  "If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them. I shall answer them if I can. Of course, high-level secrets aren't allowed. However, this is only allowed whenever I have free time."

  The Founder seemed satisfied with that and ughed once more. The rest of the group was very confused—not only them but me as well.

  First, he wanted to move the meeting along, and now he was acting like this? The Founder wasn't someone I would've thought would switch up just because something amused him. I guess you never truly know someone.

  But even still...

  He hadn't apologized to Tao.

  "You still haven't apologized to Tao, Founder." I said in a deep tone.

  "Yes, yes. I shall double your time so that you two can sleep happily for the next two weeks. How does that sound?" The Founder gave such a strange suggestion.

  "Hey! Stop dodging—!"

  "How about giving them an allowance to have a sleepover instead?" Yosei jumped into the conversation.

  "What?!" The adults in the room screamed.

  "Hmm... very well. As long as Akuma, Kujira, and you are there with them. Anything to keep such an intriguing duo." The Founder said casually.

  "Founder!" A scientist shouted.

  "So it's a deal?" Yosei asked.

  "A deal? Well, since you put it that way, why don't we save that for after finishing the first yer?" The Founder pointed at Yosei.

  "Sounds good to me!" Yosei smiled.

  "H-hey! Wait a minute?! Are you SURE that's a good idea, Yosei?" Kujira asked, sweating.

  "I'm sure." Yosei nodded.

  "K-Kuma? How about you?" Kujira turned toward Kuma.

  "I don't really mind. I'm just gd that these two aren't in trouble, as I originally thought at the beginning of the meeting."

  'Plus, what Kibi did was very wholesome and cute!' Kuma's expression said it all—a hint of a blush, her eyes narrowed a bit, then a few nods after speaking.

  Kujira deeply sighed and gave up altogether.

  The Founder continued to tap the table with his fingers, his smirk never leaving his face. "Hehehe."

  That ugh still made me wonder about The Founder's true motives.