Shards of War: Eclipsian Secrets

Chapter 62

As Matsu and his sisters made their way back to Kenzo's office after their rounds, Yumiko was the first to speak, her voice bright with amusement. "Blaze and Wally really did look surprised to see us. I almost felt bad for them."

Matsu chuckled. "They're good at acting. They knew we were coming but still managed to keep up the whole 'shock' routine."

Iyomei, who had been quiet for most of the visit, added in her calm voice, "He's right. Their body language gave them away. They weren't surprised at all."

Khamenei looked over at Iyomei, curious. "How do your aura abilities even work, sis? You always seem to pick up on stuff we don't notice."

Iyomei smiled softly, always patient when it came to explaining her abilities. "I amplify all my other senses besides vision. It lets me create a mental map of the people and environment around me. I don't see details, but I can sense outlines—like the shape of the room, where people are standing, and their movements. Body language is just a matter of interpreting how their auras shift."

Matsu nodded in approval. "It's incredibly useful. I rely on my aura sensing too, but Iyomei takes it to a whole new level. You can't hide anything from her."

As they walked down the hall, Khamenei leaned back slightly in her wheelchair, looking impressed. "That's pretty cool. I wish I had that ability. All I get to do is roll around and be sassy."

Iyomei chuckled. "You're good at that too."

Reaching the familiar door to Kenzo's office, Matsu gave it a light knock before stepping inside. Kenzo was seated at his desk, looking over some reports, but his face lit up the moment they entered.

"Ah, there you are," Kenzo said, pushing aside his papers and standing to greet them. "How did the inspections go?"

Matsu gestured for his sisters to take a seat while he moved toward the desk. "Overall, things are running smoothly, but there are a few departments we need to keep a closer eye on. R&D, as always, has its hands full with prototypes, but Blaze and Wally have everything under control. However, the marketing department looks a little too relaxed for my liking, and I'm seeing some inefficiencies in the logistics floor that need addressing."

Kenzo nodded, making a few notes on his tablet. "I'll follow up with the heads of those departments and make sure we tighten things up. Anything else you noticed?"

Yumiko leaned forward. "Blaze and Wally were definitely expecting us, though. They acted surprised, but Iyomei picked up on it right away."

Kenzo raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Iyomei, did you see something?"

Iyomei shook her head slightly. "Not see. But their auras didn't shift the way they would if they were truly caught off guard. They had been preparing for the visit in their own way, which is smart."

Matsu smiled, crossing his arms. "They're resourceful, and I'm glad they're on their toes. But it's good that we caught them off-guard enough to keep everyone on their best behavior."

Kenzo laughed, clearly amused. "Good to know. It sounds like things are mostly in order then."

Khamenei, always the practical one, chimed in. "So, when's our next surprise visit? These inspections are kind of fun."

Matsu grinned, tapping the side of Kenzo's desk. "We'll give them a break for a while. I don't want them to think I'm lurking around every corner. But next time we'll aim for a floor that's not so prepared."

Kenzo stood, stretching a little before leaning on his desk. "I'll keep the blockers up for a bit longer until you're officially out of the building. That should keep everyone from figuring out they've been inspected. We'll have IT say it's a system update, like you suggested."