Dr. Kimich stopped in front of a reinforced steel gate at the end of the corridor and placed her hand against the biometric scanner.

  A soft mechanical tone responded instantly, and the heavy gate began to open with a controlled metallic hum.

  Light from inside the strike force room spilled into the darker hallway, revealing the figure of a man standing just beyond the entrance.

  He stood calmly, his posture straight, his presence steady and composed.

  Dr. Kimich stepped forward slightly and said in her usual calm tone, "From here, Captain Sopee will explain everything."

  She did not wait for a reply. Her job was complete. She turned and walked away, her footsteps fading into the controlled silence behind them.

  Reistu remained at the entrance for a moment, silently observing the room. It had only been three years since he retired, yet everything already felt different.

  The structure, the personnel, the atmosphere. Order had not remained still during his absence. It had evolved.

  The man stepped forward and spoke clearly, "I'm Sopee Akirason."

  Reistu’s eyes shifted slightly. "Akirason?" he repeated.

  Sopee gave a small nod. "Erick Akirason is my younger brother."

  The connection settled immediately in Reistu’s mind. Before he could respond, Sopee turned and said, "Enough talking now. Let me show you the real situation."

  Reistu followed him deeper into the strike force room. Several agents stood across the chamber, their conversations fading as soon as they noticed him. Their eyes fixed on him openly, some filled with curiosity, others with quiet disapproval.

  "Old man making a comeback, huh?" a female voice said casually.

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  Reistu turned his head slightly and saw her leaning against a console, arms crossed, her expression openly unimpressed.

  Sopee spoke calmly, "Zoya Cihse. Task force sniper." Reistu gave her only a brief glance before looking away again.

  That alone irritated her. "Hmph," she muttered quietly. Sopee gestured for Reistu to follow again. "Come."

  They left the main strike force chamber and entered a reinforced steel tunnel that led deeper into the facility.

  The air grew colder, and the walls became thicker, designed for containment rather than comfort. Eventually, they stopped in front of a large sealed chamber.

  Sopee looked toward the containment unit and said, "This is Devil 809. Slingshooter." Reistu observed it silently.

  Sopee continued, "We are going to transfer the power of this Devil to you." Reistu immediately turned toward him. "What do you mean by that?"

  "Calm down," Sopee replied. "It's temporary. The power of a Devil becomes far more effective when used by someone whose natural abilities align with it.

  You are a sniper. Slingshooter possesses weapon manifestation and extreme precision. In short, its power will be significantly more effective if you use it."

  Reistu remained silent for a moment. His thoughts drifted briefly to Nao. He quietly said, "Okay. I'm ready."

  Then under his breath, barely audible, he whispered, "This is for Nao." The procedure began immediately. The needle entered his arm, and pain exploded throughout his body without warning.

  His muscles tightened violently as the foreign anomaly force spread through his bloodstream. His vision blurred, and his breathing became unstable.

  For a moment, it felt unbearable. Then suddenly, the pain disappeared. Relief replaced it. His breathing stabilized, and his vision returned with unnatural clarity.

  He realized he could adjust his focus freely. His eyes could zoom in and out at will, observing details far beyond normal human capability.

  "What is this..." he whispered quietly. Sopee watched him calmly. "Adaptation." Thirty minutes later, Reistu stood inside the underground training chamber.

  The wide reinforced space was designed specifically for anomaly testing. Above him, behind reinforced glass, members of the task force observed.

  Zoya stood among them, her arms crossed tightly. She clicked her tongue. "Pff. It should have been me, not that old man."

  Rika Aio, standing beside her, smirked. "Aww, someone is jealous." "I'm not jealous!" Zoya snapped immediately.

  Rika laughed softly. "You sound jealous." "I'm not!" Zoya repeated, turning defensive.

  Urie Yapie, standing nearby, spoke calmly without looking at them. "You two keep quiet. I want to see how he performs."

  Fyumi leaned slightly forward, observing Reistu below. "He's only twenty five," she said casually. "He's the same age as us."

  Zoya said nothing, but her eyes remained locked on Reistu.

  Below, Sopee spoke clearly, "Visualize the weapon. Imagine it forming on your arm."

  Reistu inhaled slowly and focused his mind. White mist began forming around his wrist. It moved unnaturally, swirling and condensing until it solidified into the shape of a long rifle attached directly to his arm.

  Reistu stared at it in shock. "What the..." Above, Fyumi smiled slightly. "Not bad." Zoya clenched her teeth.

  Sopee continued, "Now visualize firing. Focus." Reistu concentrated, imagining the weapon firing. Seconds passed. Nothing happened.

  Above, Zoya began laughing. "Hahahah, I knew it. Old man can't even—" BOOM.

  A powerful beam of light erupted from Reistu’s arm, striking the far wall with explosive force.

  The entire chamber echoed with the impact. Zoya froze instantly, her mouth slightly open.

  Sopee immediately shouted, "We don't need explosive power! We need precision! Silent Sniper, not a cannon!"

  "Alright, alright," Reistu replied calmly. "I'm adjusting."Above, Rika turned toward Zoya with a grin. "Go on. Laugh now."

  Zoya said nothing. Her eyes remained fixed on Reistu. For the first time, she wasn't mocking him anymore. She was more frustrated.