In the trenches, Kenji put on a numb exterior - one he wore everyday as the head of the eastern octopuses. It was the best way he knew of to withstand the stress that came with the job. And in recent weeks, he’d been under a lot of stress. His vulnerable side had only ever been shown to the people he trusted, which were not many to begin with. And this arrangement worked well enough for him to never contemplate on changing.

His numbness projected a firm and tough exterior, one that had always been responded with efficiency and near-perfect delivery of tasks from his subordinates. Like Sush, he wasn’t...