The restaurant was warm and lively, filled with the scent of rich soup and quiet chatter. Inside, six figures sat together at a round table, steam rising from their bowls.
"Phew... I'm stuffed," Alex exhaled, setting down his sixth empty bowl. "I could use a nap after this."
Kazuki raised an eyebrow, a half-smirk tugging at his lips. "Took you long enough to fill that bottomless pit."
Kinto leaned forward, teasing with a grin. "Honestly, I almost thought you had a well in your stomach. Who drinks six bowls of soup like it's nothing?"
Before Alex could reply, a loud clang echoed across the table as Baraka accidentally dropped his bowl.
"You guys heard the news?" Baraka asked, eyes wide.
Kinto blinked. "First off, you almost broke a bowl. Second of all,What news?"
Baraka leaned in. "Mori's back. You know? The kid who was a prodigy back in the academy?. He just returned from his three-year mission."
Kinto groaned, visibly uninterested. "Tch... I was hoping that guy would stay gone for good. Why did it have to be now of all times he came back.?
Serena looked confused. "Who's Mori?"
Sukuna, abit excited, jumped in. "Only the guy who made it to C-rank at age nine! He was a prodigy. You've never heard of him?"
Alex looked unimpressed. "Sounds like a big shot. Unfortunately its not my interest"
Baraka nodded. "He's one of the most skilled young assassins in the city—master of hand-to-hand combat, a tactical genius. He made it too C-rank.at 9. Both himself deo and another girl named runo who sukuna and the other girls are familiar with"
"Tch. I never liked him. He was somewhat arrogant and looked down on others in a way." Kinto muttered.
Kazuki stood up, brushing off his pants. "Couldn't care less. I'm heading out."
Alex stretched and got up as well. "Yeah, I'm full. I'll get some fresh air."
Outside, in the lords office where kojin was, Kojin sat behind his desk, arms folded. The door opened.
"Mori," Kojin said with a calm smile. "Welcome back. How have you been?"
Mori, a kid with blue hair, a blue short sleeve shirt that seemed like that of a school uniform, and dark trousers stepped in, composed and cold. "Mission completed. The threat to the city has been neutralized. Took me three years to get it done but.... whatever"
"Good to hear," Kojin said. "You've earned a break. You can finally stay in the city and handle local missions."
"I prefer working alone," Mori replied without hesitation. "I don't need lower-ranked assassins getting in my way. If I go on a mission, I'll pick my usual team"
As Mori exited the office, Kojin sighed and leaned back in his chair.
"…Things aren't going to go well with that attitude of his."
Meanwhile, on the street, Mori walked with silent steps. A familiar voice called out.
"MORI!!"
He turned slightly to see Deo waving from across the street. The two met halfway, falling into stride together.
"How've things been?" Deo asked casually.
"Difficult, but the mission's done," Mori answered "The scumbags that call themselves the black moon cult weren't shit.
"Things here have been crazy too," Deo said with a grin. "We went on some wild missions while you were gone."
"What about the other assassins?" mori asked
"Most of them are D-rank, but their strong, and they're slowly reaching C-rank" Deo replied. "Besides me and Runo."
Mori scoffed. "Kojin's sending D-rankers on serious missions? Unbelievable."
Deo laughed. "You wanna meet them? Although, some of us wont rock with that arrogant attitude of yours."
As they walked, Runo a girl with darl long hair and a white track suit ssuddenly leapt out from behind a streetlight, grinning like a child.
"MORIIIII!! How have you been?! It's been three years!"
Unfazed, Mori stared at her. "You haven't changed huh."
"Not that much. But im still the same in a way" Runo chirped.
Deo smiled. "I was about to take him to meet everyone."
"Then I'm tagging along!" she replied.
By the riverside, the rest of the group relaxed by the water. When Runo arrived with Mori and Deo, Sukuna's eyes lit up.
" Hey runo. MORI?! Yo, it's been too long!"
Alex leaned over to Kinto and whispered, "So that's the Mori everyone's been talking about?"
"Yep, but you might wanna Keep it down. He tends to get slightly violent with people who aren't on his level.," Kinto whispered back.
Mori's sharp eyes caught the exchange.
"And who are those Weaklings?" he asked coldly.
Alex looked at him with slight annoyance. "Who the hell are you calling a weakling you blue haired fucked?."
Mori stepped forward, he started to have some rather violent intent. "What did you just call me? You third string. Want to die that badly?"
Without hesitation, Alex stood up calmly and shoved him back and grabbed his collar. "I was talking to you. You arrogant idiot", he said this to mori with his annoyance growing wilder. Runo exclaimed "Hey you both, cut it out." Deo added with a nervous smile "Yeah mori, you just got back. And you too alex, please calm down. Would you? He's abit arrogant, sorry bout that."
Alex replied deo while holding Mori by the collar "He's an arrogant prick alright!"
Mori got annoyed while pointing a dagger at alex with murderous intent slowly developing "You better let go before i stab you" Alex replied with the same violent vibe "Let's test that out."
Alex raised a fist, but Kinto immediately grabbed his wrist. "Alex. Chill."
Kazuki, already standing, muttered, "I'm going home to train."
"Yeah… same here," Kinto said, dragging Alex away with him.
As they walked, Alex growled. "Why'd you stop me?"
Kinto sighed. "That guy's dangerous. He's been fighting since he was nine. He's stronger than you and i individually. And he's C-rank for a reason. Skilled with blades more than you are, he almost has more battle intellect than me.He's not someone you can punch and walk away from."
"I don't care how strong he is," Alex snapped. "He reeks of pride. Thinks he's better than everyone."
"I hate him too. People who look down on others are scum of the earth," Kinto said quietly. "But you should know—he's hurt Raquel more than anyone."
Alex froze. "Raquel? What do you mean?" Kinto told alex "His clan and raquel's family are close. Raquel is the daughter of the leader of the Attack Clan. Mori is the son of the family he's from as well. They both have had lots of encounters. And mori.... used go treat her like trash without her being able to fight back properly"
This statement from kinto made alex pauses with shock on his face. "No way."
Kinto nodded grimly. "He's bullied her since they were kids. Called her weak. Beat her up for no reason sometimes. He did that a few times in the academy during sparing sessions"
Alex clenched his fists. "How didnt i know this." He started to remember raquel smiling at him, " If I ever get the chance… I'll beat that bastard until I'm satisfied.", he said with annoyance.
Kinto looked up at the sky. "Heh. I figured you'd say something like that."
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Mori walked silently through the streets "Tch. Are deo, runo and I the only young assassin prodigies in this city? Whatever, I've got to visit sughi sensei. Haven't seen him in ages"
Bump!
A girl fell to the ground.
"Hey, watch where you're go—" She looked up. Her eyes widened.
"…M-Mori…?"
He stared down at her, cold and unreadable. "Didn't expect to see you here."
Raquel's body froze. Her breaths came short and fast.
Later that evening, around 6 PM, Alex entered his home. A strange smell hit his nose.
"…Did I leave the gas on? Ahhh. One of these days, I'll get my ass killed for being so careless in my own house."
He sighed and made his way to the kitchen. A humming voice echoed from within.
"That voice…" Alex exclaimed in shock.
He rushed into the kitchen and opened the door, he stood in shock.
"Grandpa?!"
A man in his late 40's turned around with a warm smile, wearing an apron.
"Yo, Alex. Been a while. How've you been, kid?"
Alex's eyes widened, his shock melting into joy.
"Grandpa…"
End of Episode