I was on my phone when I first read it and immediately went to my PC to reread and say this:
CARAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACAL (probably? pls be Caracal.)
Could also just be Ideal's leader coming to Japan, since he potentially got the password for the account with the 50 billion in it, so he might want to play/negotiate with Baku or Leader to also have a shot at surpassing the leader. But the weird part would be the line "I've been waiting for you", if that's the case. I wouldn't believe that he was alive, I swear if the author is baiting me...Kudos to the guy who was skeptical, even if it's kinda BS from the author, I didn't think he'd push suspension of disbelief this far, but oh well, I'd let it slide for Caracal (if it's him). Other than that, it seems like Baku knows what's going on and is planning to strike while Kakerou is vulnerable (and even if he doesn't rn he still "grasped all the things" he needed for surpassing the leader (unless they really figure out the newly changed password and he doesn't catch on to it). I wonder if Karl really died? Leader's sidestep was hilarious, and his ability to think fast on the spot is insane (also love how he has basic info of people saved so that he can remember if he forgets, and how he immediately got rid of the cellphone after so they couldn't track him); I wonder what he will do now, it'd be weird if he decides to just never come back to Kakerou, that'd be weird. Like, when he finds out that Eba is dead (and his father as well) why would he go on the run forever and leave this organization that he's been a part of for a long time just because of that? He'd probably decide to confide in one of his most trusted referees (who would probably know his secret anyway) and come back, instead of just running away forever, maybe? Anyway, fun chapter to start off the new batch. Super excited!