The tension inside the warehouse could've cut steel.
Beneath the rusted steel rafters and hanging floodlights, a large black table sat at the center of the concrete floor. Around it stood two forces: Shin Kratos and his entourage. Across from them stood Code Number 5, Riku Kanemura, flanked by his harem's inner circle.
Their eyes locked as Riku's handshake lingered.
"You've made quite the reputation already," Riku said, forcing a friendly smile.
"And you've done well to survive without one," Shin replied coolly.
Both men sat down opposite one another at the table. Their respective attendants stood behind them. Rei and Misaki at Shin's flanks, while Yuna stood just behind with her arms crossed. Riku's own women remained standing, a mix of military discipline and visible tension in their eyes. One woman behind Riku never took her eyes off Shin. Another kept glancing nervously between the two men.
Shin leaned back in his chair, legs wide, relaxed.
"You asked for a meeting, Riku. Let's not dance around why you're really here."
"Why's that?" Riku asked.
"Because you need me more than I need you. You're looking for protection… and you know damn well that if Code Number 3 or someone worse shows up, you won't be able to handle it alone."
Riku's jaw twitched, but he didn't argue.
Shin could feel it. The nerves behind the smile. The unease in his body language. Riku respected him. Maybe even feared him, just a little.
Shin smiled.
"Let's make this interesting," he said.
He pulled out a small box from his pocket. Inside: a deck of sleek black playing cards. He unwrapped them with a flick of his thumb and shuffled them with practiced hands.
"One round. No chips. Texas Hold'em. Winner takes control of both harems."
Yuna arched an eyebrow. Riku blinked.
"Control?"
"If you win, I serve you. My harem submits to yours. If I win," Shin leaned forward, voice dropping to a whisper, "your harem pledges loyalty to me. Then your territory becomes mine."
Riku sat back, eyeing the cards. For a moment, it looked like he might decline. But then he nodded once. He knew he couldn't win against any physical challenge against Shin. Riku was also fairly confident in his poker abilities. He felt like he could be lucky.
"I've always been good at cards. Physical fights, not so much."
"Perfect," Shin said.
The bodyguards stepped closer, silently forming a perimeter. Doctor Yuna tapped her tablet and began logging the game, her eyes never leaving the table. The cards hit the surface like bullets.
The game was tense. Shin played loose and casual like it didn't matter. Riku was calculated, keeping track, pressing when needed. Every glance between them carried unspoken tension. Rei whispered something to Yuna, but neither woman interrupted. The air was still. The final round came. Riku stared Shin down. His hand was steady. Confident.
The river was dealt. It all came down to luck now.
Riku showed his hand. Three of a kind.
"Strong," he said. "Let's see you beat that."
Shin's smirk never faltered.
He laid down a full house. Aces over kings.
The crowd gasped softly. Even Yuna blinked. Riku stared at the table. Then at Shin. He had no idea he'd been outplayed or, more accurately, cheated. Shin's sleight of hand was so good nobody noticed it.
"Damn," he said after a long silence. "Guess I was wrong about who the best gambler was."
He didn't argue. Didn't fight. Just leaned back and sighed.
"A deal's a deal. My harem… and my territory, are now yours."
Shin clasped his hands together.
"You can still manage it. You're not my servant. But you'll operate under my banner from now on and do what I say when I want something from you. I get it, Riku. I won't prevent you from mating or spending time with them."
He stood.
"You can keep your girls. You've earned that much, but if any of them want me—" his eyes flicked to the blushing brunette behind Riku, "then they are mine for the taking."
Riku didn't even look back at them. Just nodded.
"Understood."
"Where is your base?"
"Koto Research University," Riku said. "It's one of the older UW-sponsored hubs. Pretty well fortified."
Doctor Yuna pulled up her tablet again and nodded slowly.
"It's only a few zones over. We can arrange helicopter travel between campuses."
"Make it happen," Shin said.
Yuna sighed, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
"You're expanding faster than I expected."
One of the UW soldiers nearby muttered under her breath, "What the hell kind of alliance was that…?"
Yuna didn't flinch. "The kind that will keep everyone else in line."
Shin and Riku both chuckled.
"Reito would be horrified," Riku said. "He's still chasing a cure like it's going to fix the world."
"And Code Number 1?" Shin asked.
"Hino? He's too busy with his personal harem to give a damn. I doubt he even remembers what year it is."
They shared a quiet laugh. Tension broke. The moment didn't last long though. Doctor Yuna stepped away and made a private call. The line was secure and so important it was triple encrypted. The Japanese UW logo flashed on her phone screen.
"Director Sayuri Tanaka," Yuna said as the screen lit up.
Sayuri's image appeared, arms folded, face unreadable.
"Report."
Yuna hesitated.
"Shin won the alliance meeting. Riku Kanemura pledged loyalty. His harem is now under Shin's jurisdiction."
There was a pause. Then a long sigh from Sayuri.
"So… the board was right to worry about Code 6's ambition."
Yuna kept her voice even. "It will stabilize the numbers. The alliance prevents internal collapse before others awaken."
Sayuri rubbed her temples.
"Fine. I'll authorize limited access. Shin and his team are approved for travel to Koto Research University. This expansion stops here... for now."
"Understood."
Sayuri narrowed her eyes.
"Don't let this spiral."
The line cut.
Yuna turned to Shin.
"She approved it."
Shin smiled.
"Good. I'm ready to meet my new territory."