Attack Of Parasites

Izumi jumped from one of the third-floor windows when he felt himself cornered by Shimada. Morano screamed in terror—a deadly leap for any ordinary person. Izumi dashed toward the university walls, making another leap over the barrier separating the campus from the main street.

He sat down against a car, breathing heavily. Morano shot him strange looks, but she said nothing. She understood that what Izumi had done was extraordinary, but as long as he was her savior, she refrained from asking, "Are you really Izumi?"

"We're out of the danger zone; we'll be safe here," Izumi reassured Morano.

"Izumi, I..." Morano's eyes reflected her weakness.

"I know; anyone would be terrified witnessing a massacre before their eyes," Izumi interrupted her.

Morano erupted into tears, and Izumi embraced her, trying to calm her down.

Izumi, along with Murano, approached the university gate where a crowd had gathered, each person there for their own reason—police, paramedics, journalists, and more.

Izumi parted ways with Murano after escorting her to an ambulance for her safety. He bid her farewell and pretended to leave the area. "I have an obligation I must fulfill," Izumi thought aloud.

He wanted to return and enter the university building, but it was impossible from the front gate due to the police barring everyone's entry, and he didn't want Murano to discover his return. He considered using a small gate behind the building, but when he arrived, he found police officers stationed all around the university.

"We can't get in with all this police presence," Izumi said after stepping back from the scene.

"You still intend to go back and confront him," said Migi.

Izumi raised his right hand to eye level and said, "We were aware of Shimada's true nature. We knew that his talk about coexisting with humanity was false. We left him and did nothing at that time. We are responsible for how things have turned out here; getting rid of him has become our duty after everything he has done."

"You're back to spouting strange ideas," Migi replied.

"Let the police handle it. In the end, they will prevail against him under these circumstances," Migi added.

A large number of police officers entered the university building after confirming the presence of a monster made of parasites, fully mobilized to capture it alive if possible.

Shimada, on the third floor, moved with ease towards an unknown destination, disregarding the officers and their weapons. Anyone he encountered—whether an individual or a group—was swiftly dealt with; some froze in place, unable to even pull the trigger of their guns, while others fired shots that were ineffective.

"They're shooting at him," Izumi said as he heard the gunfire.

"A few bullets won't kill him; they need to sever his neck or destroy his heart completely. Still, he will die soon after losing so much blood," Migi replied.

"He's heading across the roof," one of the police officers reported over the radio.

"Do not approach recklessly; maintain your distance," the captain responded.

"Migi, do you think Shimada is guilty?" Izumi asked.

"Guilty? That word doesn't exist in the logic of our kind. It depends on the moral framework that humans use to make such judgments," Migi said.

"Excuse me, officer, are you close to catching him?" Izumi asked, hoping to get an update from a nearby junior officer.

"Well, we have a better chance when he reaches the roof of the building," the officer replied.

"I think we need to settle this before he's captured in a weakened state (dying)," Izumi recalled the police plan he overheard during the investigators' visit to his father. They needed to capture one of the parasites alive and, through examinations and studies, determine how to distinguish them from ordinary humans, which was not in his favor.

"How?" Migi asked.

Izumi picked up a medium-sized rock from a nearby construction site that was being rehabilitated.

"Like this," Izumi said, showing the rock to Migi.

"Alright, we need to stay at least 300 meters away; that's the distance at which Shimada won't be able to sense our presence," Migi advised.

"Let's go," Izumi said.

With his usual speed, Izumi moved several city blocks until he chose a tall building. He climbed to its roof, waiting for Shimada to appear on the university building's rooftop.

"Shimada, this isn't just about you; it's also about who sent you to chase me—Tamiya," Izumi thought aloud as he anticipated Shimada's arrival.

Unable to ascend any faster, Shimada's heavy footsteps echoed; some parts of his head drooped, dragging on the ground. His end was near after losing so much blood. Finally, he reached the rooftop, putting him within Izumi's sights.

"Combine your strength with mine now," Migi urged as soon as he spotted Shimada.

"Yes, you know where to aim for," Izumi replied, referencing the heart, and grasped the fist-sized rock in his right hand.

"Of course," Migi responded.

Izumi's right hand stretched and transformed into a larger muscular form, sharp claws at the fingertips gripping the rock tightly. He stepped back slightly to prepare for his shot and then quickly moved forward a few rapid steps. The rock flew from Izumi's hand like a bullet from a sniper rifle, and Shimada didn't realize until it pierced his heart, passing through his body and damaging the wall behind him.

The lethal shot Izumi fired ended Shimada's life instantly. As he fell, one of his eyes caught sight of Izumi on the rooftop.

"Izumi," were his last words, as if thanking him for being the cause of his demise. Shimada couldn't have imagined dying at the hands of a human not on his level.

The numerous police officers who had ascended the building were bewildered by the manner of the monster's death. They hovered over the body on the ground, scrutinizing the large hole in his back.

Izumi heard the sound of a police fighter jet arriving overhead and quickly disappeared from sight.

As the unknown man had advised, Tamiya began her journey to recruit a select group of individuals—those who had been wronged in one way or another, those whose genius had gone unrecognized by the state, and anyone with a grievance against a certain entity, awaiting a chance for revenge.

All of this aimed to tilt the scales and render the state's mission impossible, which had only been difficult due to the reckless parasites.

After encountering several candidates, it was Albert's turn. Following a social search based on the parents of students she had taught during her time at the university, she identified the father of one of her students, Dekim (Albert), as someone who met her criteria—a genius in his field who had been fired from his job.

Tamiya headed to Albert's home to discuss the possibility of him joining the elite group they planned to establish. How would she succeed in this?

She knocked on the door. After a moment of waiting, it was opened by Albert's wife, who greeted her coldly.