In the living room, the atmosphere was slightly heavy.
Two people, a man and a woman claiming to be from the Public Safety Special Division, sat on the sofa. The man had a short ponytail and a stoic gaze, named Hayakawa Aki; the woman wore a black eyepatch, adding a touch of mystery, named Hino. Both wore crisp black suits and had a professional aura that felt out of place in the everyday atmosphere of this ordinary residence.
After a brief introduction, Hayakawa Aki got straight to the point of their visit:
"Kuchiba Hiro, the purpose of our visit is to formally invite you to join our Public Safety Special Division."
Kuchiba Hiro was wary in his heart, but showed nothing on his face, simply listening quietly.
Hayakawa Aki continued to explain, "Due to the influence of the light screen in the sky, the existence of 'Transcendence' is on the brink of exposure, and the 'veil protocol' that maintains social stability is in jeopardy. To keep this play going and avoid large-scale panic and social unrest, we need your cooperation."
He looked at Kuchiba Hiro and emphasized, "We don't need you to participate in combat or perform dangerous missions. The only requirement is—you need to 'act' as an ordinary person. That is to say, in public places and in daily life, you cannot use your superpowers."
After listening, Kuchiba Hiro's first thought was to refuse. Restricting his use of abilities? This was equivalent to a covert buyout of part of his freedom. But deeper doubts followed—did this have any actual binding force? The abilities were his own; could they remotely monitor or forcibly seal them? A simple "not allowed to use" sounded pale and weak, as if they were treating him like a fool.
He didn't immediately reveal his thoughts, but instead took a more cautious strategy, asking the core question directly: "What do I get?"
Hayakawa Aki seemed prepared and answered smoothly, "Safety. You and your father will be included in Public Safety's priority protection list. Your personal safety will be fully handled by Public Safety. We can guarantee that whether it's from other Transcendents or any potential organization, no one will dare to touch you easily." His tone carried an authoritative weight unique to the Authorities.
On the surface, Kuchiba Hiro pretended to be considering, his fingers tapping lightly on his knee as if weighing the pros and cons, but internally, alarm bells were already ringing.
"Safety? Fully handled?" he sneered in his heart. "It sounds nice. But understood the other way, doesn't it mean 'your lives are also completely in our hands'?"
His gaze swept over the standard contract already prepared on the table. The terms were clear, the promises generous; signing his name seemed like it would grant him the massive umbrella of the Authorities. Yet, he still felt an indescribable sense of dissonance.
"Rules are always static, and contracts on paper are for show." Kuchiba Hiro judged others by his own standards; he was not a rule-follower himself and knew that for a truly mature "hunter," so-called rules and contracts were often useless in the face of sufficient profit or threat. He didn't think a mere signature could have much binding force on him, at least not enough to stop his determination to use his abilities at a critical moment.
'Thinking about it the other way, signing doesn't seem like a loss? At least on the surface, I'd have an official identity and protection, which could save a lot of trouble. If I don't sign, their attitude is unclear; who knows what means they'll use later to 'persuade' or restrict me?'
In a flash of thought, he made a seemingly reasonable decision.
"...Alright, I agree," Kuchiba Hiro said, seemingly having made up his mind as he reached out to pick up the ordinary-looking pen on the table.
Hayakawa Aki and Hino exchanged a look, appearing slightly relieved.
The tip of the pen slowly descended, about to touch the paper at the signature line—
At that very instant!
A sudden, intense sense of crisis, without any warning, shot through Kuchiba Hiro's entire body like high-voltage electricity! His pupils contracted sharply, and the hair all over his body stood on end in an instant!
"Swish!"
Like a startled venomous snake, he lunged up from the sofa, his body instantly entering a state of high alert. His back was ramrod straight, and his sharp gaze swept through every corner of the living room like a searchlight, not even missing the slightest movement on the ceiling or windows!
This sudden, violent reaction startled Hayakawa Aki and Hino as well. Both stood up almost simultaneously, instinctively assuming defensive postures, their eyes warily following Kuchiba Hiro's gaze.
"What's wrong?!" Hayakawa Aki asked in a low voice, his hand already pressed against his waist where a weapon might be hidden. "What did you find?"
Hino's single eye also narrowed, her body emitting a faint, dangerous aura.
However, Kuchiba Hiro did not answer. A trace of cold sweat even broke out on his forehead.
Something was wrong!
Something was very wrong!
His danger perception ability had never encountered a situation like this! In the past, whether it was an ambush, a trap, or latent killing intent, the perception would clearly point to the direction, nature, and even the approximate intensity of the danger. It was a precise, radar-like warning.
But the feeling at that moment... was completely different!
There was no specific direction, no clear form of attack, no locked-on target... It was like a silent, deadly mist permeating every inch of the air, or like the seemingly solid ground beneath his feet had suddenly turned into quicksand that swallowed everything!
Especially the moment the pen tip was about to touch the paper, that premonition of danger reached its peak! It was as if the pen and paper were not just that, but the positive and negative poles of a magnet, creating a massive, lethal repulsive force!
Danger... originating from that contract? Originating from... the act of signing itself?
Although he couldn't understand the principle behind it at all, relying on his countless experiences of trusting his danger perception and his almost animalistic intuition, Kuchiba Hiro reached an absolutely certain conclusion—
This paper, he absolutely could not sign!
Signing would bring about unimaginable, unknown, and immense danger!
He forced down the turbulent waves in his heart, slowly put down the pen in his hand, and managed to squeeze out a slightly stiff smile to the two Public Safety officers standing ready:
"No... it's nothing. Maybe I'm just too nervous, a bit... paranoid."
He sat back on the sofa, but his body remained tense as he gently pushed the contract a little further away.
"Sorry, regarding the matter of joining... I think I still need to consider it more carefully."
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