Attack Of Parasites

Migi stretched his finger, which formed a Dobby-like eye, toward Izumi's face and said seriously, "If he learns about this weakness, we don't know what he might do!"

Izumi returned to the university building, particularly near the classroom for the third grade, to stay close to Murano in case anything happened. He lost himself in thought, gazing out the corridor window.

"What should I do if he really wants to coexist with humans? How can I trust him? I can't fight him without knowing his intentions. I need to come up with a clever solution… They are ruthless; some of them are incredibly intelligent, devoid of emotions. How can I forget what they did to my mother? I will eliminate every monster that appears nearby. I'll expose their story to the world someday," Izumi thought to himself.

His inner voice involuntarily translated into a grim expression on his face. He clenched his teeth in intense hatred, his features contorted into a terrifying glare. Unfortunately for him, just as he decided to walk away, he found himself face-to-face with Murano. A face like that would make anyone want to flee in fear.

Izumi quickly regained composure and changed his terrifying expression. "Hello, about the puppy…"

It seemed it was too late; Murano took a step back, looking tense. "It's okay," she said.

"I'll talk to you later," Murano said as she left.

"What terrible luck; I scared her," Izumi muttered.

The school day ended, and Kana was waiting for Izumi in a nearby alley, practicing how to recognize him among hundreds of students. She waited for his arrival to surprise him.

"I have a superpower that helps me sense my soulmate," she said, eyes closed, standing at the end of the alley.

Joyful, Kana opened her eyes, ready to surprise Izumi as she confirmed his arrival. "Here he comes..."

"Hello!" she said with a broad smile on her face.

The wrong person. It seemed Kana had misidentified Izumi this time; it was Shimada.

"What?!" Shimada exclaimed, surprised.

"I'm sorry, I made a mistake. I thought you were Izumi. How strange," Kana said, embarrassed.

"Izumi? What do you mean by that?" Shimada asked.

Receiving no response from Kana, he continued, "When we mistake someone for another, they should look somewhat similar, right? I don't see that in myself compared to Izumi."

"In what way do you think I resemble Izumi?" Kana asked.

"I've already lost track," she replied.

Suddenly, they heard a loud voice nearby. "Let go of me! Leave me alone..." Izumi, who was close to the scene, recognized the voice.

"That voice..." Izumi identified it and rushed towards it.

"Let me go!" Kana screamed loudly.

"I just want to talk to you for a moment," Shimada insisted, pulling Kana along with him.

"You! What do you think you're doing?" Izumi said sharply as he arrived a few meters away.

Both Shimada and Kana turned to Izumi. Seizing the moment, Kana managed to slip from Shimada's grip and ran towards Izumi, calling for help.

"I only wanted to talk to her," Shimada said, keeping his nerves steady.

"It seems she has sharp instincts; that's interesting," Shimada added.

"Don't get near the people I know, or I'll kill you," Izumi warned.

"Do you think I can't handle that?" Izumi added after Shimada fell silent.

Shimada smiled at Izumi and calmly said, "You're scary."

He turned and continued walking away, saying, "I've told you many times that I don't intend to fight you, so don't insist on it."

"What's wrong with him?! His eyes seem to be complaining about something," Kana said, addressing Izumi.

Shimada walked away with heavy steps.

"I didn't sense his presence, as if his right hand was emitting a weak signal. Is that true, or did I just imagine it?!" Shimada thought to himself.

In an attempt to exploit the moment, Kana exaggerated her gratitude, wrapping both arms around Izumi's and pressing her body against his, her gaze focused on his facial features, showing her interest.

Murano passed by them without noticing their presence, but Kana seized the opportunity to tease Murano, saying in a voice louder than usual, "Izumi, can you accompany me to the train station? I'm afraid that person might follow me there."

"Of course," was Izumi's only response as he agreed to her request.

As Izumi turned to walk with Kana, he found Murano in front of him, watching the scene. Izumi was surprised to see Murano, not knowing how long she had been watching. Here was the person she was supposed to love, caught in an intimate moment. Silence enveloped the area for a brief moment; Izumi struggled to find the necessary words, while Kana couldn't hide her smile, celebrating her small victory.

Murano quickly left, and Izumi's discomfort was evident on his face.

"What's wrong?" Kana asked.

"Let's go," Izumi replied.

Since bad luck seemed to follow Izumi concerning his relationship with Murano, he wanted to gain something useful during his walk with Kana—specifically, to understand how her superpower worked. He hadn't forgotten Migi's warning about her.

"Spiritual telepathy?" Izumi asked.

"Yes, it's the ability to transmit thoughts and emotions over distances. I can sense your presence, but I don't know why I mistook you just now; I thought you were Izumi. But it's okay since I didn't completely miss, as you appeared right away," Kana explained.

"I don't think that's a good trait, but it does have a positive side," Izumi said, trying to downplay her ability.

Surprised by his comment, Kana awaited an explanation.

"What you're sensing could be danger waves emitted by dangerous people like him," Izumi said.

"But that means you're a dangerous boy too?!" Kana responded, using Izumi's logic.

Without hesitation, Izumi replied, "Yes, I am."

"So, whenever you sense someone, stay away and don't approach the area," he added.

**Hunting Time**

In the heart of the city, where everyone comes out to enjoy themselves—bars, nightclubs, amusement parks, and cinemas—Shimada wandered through the area, eyeing advertisements and anything that caught his attention, regardless of its nature.

He stopped in front of a massive billboard featuring a person promoting a soda.

"I think I'll use this face as bait today," Shimada said, transforming into the person on the poster. With the ability to change his appearance in the blink of an eye, all it took was a few seconds in front of the person he wanted to mimic to copy them and roam around in their form.

Shimada stood at the corner of one of the bars, watching passersby, or rather, carefully selecting his prey.

He spotted a young girl—of average height, with short black hair and fair skin. She wore a short skirt that highlighted the sparkle of her legs, fresh and tender skin... Unable to resist the girl's beauty, who was waiting for someone at the opposite corner, he decided she would be his choice among the crowd. A sumptuous meal to reward himself after a long day at the university.

"Are you lost?" Shimada asked the girl as he crossed the road to her side.

"I'm…" the girl's cheeks flushed as she replied shyly.

"My phone battery is dead, and I need it…" she added.

"I can help you if you'd like," Shimada said politely.