Hayakawa Aki watched as Kuchiba Hiro pushed the contract away, his expression showing little surprise. He spoke calmly, his tone still devoid of any ripple, carrying a sense of businesslike persuasion:
"Student Kuchiba Hiro, please don't be too nervous. This contract is intended for cooperation and protection; it won't truly restrict your freedom." He slowed his pace slightly. "If you have any doubts about the terms, or if there are other additional conditions, we can discuss them. As long as it's within a reasonable range, we will consider it as appropriate."
On the surface, Kuchiba Hiro appeared to be lost in thought, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the sofa fabric as if he were truly considering the other's words. However, his mind was racing, attempting to analyze that inexplicable sense of danger.
'Signing would be dangerous... exactly what kind of danger?' he wondered to himself. 'What kind of tactic is this?'
He realized his understanding of the transcendent world was far too lacking. Although the light screen had showcased powerful individual combat strength, it mentioned very little about various eerie abilities, contracts, or the operating rules of the entire transcendent system.
It made sense; information regarding the essence of power and means of constraint...the truly core secrets, would surely be trump cards held tightly by major factions. How could they be easily made public? Just like Artoria in the light screen—her power was incredibly formidable, yet once a cognitive weakness was found, a few words could make her collapse.
His gaze fell upon the contract once more, this time examining it more closely, scrutinizing the terms word by word, especially regarding the obligations and restrictions he would need to follow. He found that the terms were not entirely rigid; they also mentioned that "in emergency situations endangering life or significant public safety, the use of supernatural powers for self-protection or necessary intervention is permitted."
"It's not a total ban... so where does the danger come from?" He guessed wildly in his mind. "Is it some kind of curse? Or a magical contract? Once a true name is signed, would one be bound by invisible shackles? Or... is it something even more mystical, involving fate, karma, or the like?"
He firmly kept in mind the point that "signing might involve unknown supernatural constraints." Although it sounded mystical, his own danger perception was an instinctive ability in itself, and he chose to believe his intuition unconditionally.
To verify a key hypothesis, he decided to conduct a simple experiment.
An embarrassed expression appeared on his face as he gently pushed the contract and pen toward his father, who sat beside him, remaining silent but watching him with concerned eyes.
"Dad," he said, making an excuse, "I... my handwriting isn't very good, it's a bit embarrassing. How about... you sign it for me?"
The years of tacit understanding between father and son manifested at this moment. Although the father didn't know exactly what was happening, he instantly caught a certain warning from his son's violent reaction earlier and his current gaze. He didn't ask questions; he just gave his son a deep look, then slowly reached out and took the pen.
His movements were slow, very slow, as if the pen weighed a thousand pounds. Holding the pen, the tip slowly, bit by bit, moved toward the blank space for "Party B's Signature" on the contract.
Every nerve in Kuchiba Hiro's body was tense, all his perception focused on that tiny pen tip.
At the very moment his father's pen tip was about to touch the paper—
"Buzz!"
That familiar, sharp, yet unexplained sense of crisis stabbed into his mind like a needle once again! Although the intensity seemed slightly weaker than when he held the pen himself, it was definitely there!
"Wait!" Kuchiba Hiro cried out almost instantly, while simultaneously reaching out to snatch the contract back from under his father's hand, his movement so fast it stirred a gust of wind.
He understood things a bit more clearly now.
"As long as the name 'Kuchiba Hiro' is written, or rather, as long as it's a signing action bound and confirmed to 'me' as an individual, it triggers some mechanism..." he analyzed quickly. "Moreover, it's likely that I must personally 'subjectively consent' and perform the signing action myself (or authorize a close relative to sign on my behalf) for the contract to be established. Otherwise, they could just forge my signature; why bother insisting I sign it in person?"
This speculation made his heart sink. The other party's ability or method, it seemed now, was highly likely a contract-type ability based on the principle of "voluntary consent." As long as he did not nod in his subjective consciousness and complete the signature (or give clear authorization), he wouldn't fall into this "trap."
Having figured this out, Kuchiba Hiro became even more determined not to sign. Putting on an apologetic and perfectly timed nervous look, he said to Hayakawa Aki and Hino:
"Um... you two, I'm really sorry. This matter is a bit... too big for me. I want to discuss it properly with my father and think it over carefully. Could you... please come back next time?"
He acted like an ordinary student intimidated by the presence of The Authorities and needing a parent to make the decision.
Hayakawa Aki and Hino glanced at each other, exchanging looks for a moment. No disappointment or any other emotion could be seen on Hayakawa Aki's face; he simply nodded and replied readily:
"Alright. We understand that you need time to consider."
He stood up, took a business card with only a phone number from his suit's inner pocket, and placed it gently on the coffee table.
"This is our contact information. Please give us an answer as soon as possible; I hope it won't be too long." His tone remained steady, but the last sentence seemed to carry a faint, imperceptible warning.
Without any extra pleasantries, the two turned and left Kuchiba Hiro's home decisively.
The sound of the door closing was like a switch, allowing the stagnant air in the living room to flow again. Kuchiba Ta's tense shoulders relaxed slightly. He immediately turned to his son, brow furrowed, and asked in a low voice, "Son, what exactly was that just now? That contract..."
Kuchiba Hiro took a deep breath and briefly told his father about his guess that signing triggered his danger perception, as well as his inference that the other party's ability might be based on the principle of 'voluntary consent'.
Listening to his son's narrative, Kuchiba Ta's eyes twitched involuntarily, and the corners of his mouth followed suit. He couldn't help but grumble in a low voice, "Just signing a name can trap someone? This ability... is simply too surreal and shameless!" This was completely beyond the scope of knowledge he had accumulated over decades of ordinary social life.
Lamenting aside, Kuchiba Ta's social experience and life wisdom were far richer than his son's. He pondered for a moment, his face turning serious as he began to analyze the current situation:
"Son, according to the rules of our ordinary world, a mature power often distinguishes clearly between 'face' and 'lining'." He gestured with his hands. " 'Face', is what's on the surface—bright and beautiful, emphasizing rules, procedures, and decency, not allowing a speck of dust. The 'lining' is what's hidden in the shadows, responsible for doing the dirty and hard work to maintain the stability of the 'face'. If something happens to the 'face' ,the 'lining' has to clean up the mess; that's the norm".
He changed the subject, his eyes sharpening. "But the transcendent world... I don't think it's necessarily so. From what was shown in the light screen and the situation you just encountered, that world is likely more direct and primitive—whoever has the bigger fist makes the rules. It's very possible that from start to finish, inside and out, it's all 'lining', following the purest law of violence. The so-called rules are just shackles forged by the strong".
He looked at his son and shared his judgment. "The fact that they didn't resort to force today and only used inducements and persuasion—what does that mean? It means this is likely just a test, or a relatively 'civilized' warning. They might have concerns—perhaps about the attention the light screen brings, or they don't want to completely burn bridges, or... they haven't figured out your background yet and don't want to pay too high a price."
"So, there's no need to worry too much for now.... that they'll resort to extreme measures immediately," Kuchiba Ta analyzed, but then his tone became incredibly solemn, even carrying a hint of resolve. "However, son, remember your father's words—"
He looked directly into Kuchiba Hiro's eyes and said word for word, "If—and I mean if—you encounter a similar situation next time where they lose patience and plan to use force, or use me to threaten you..."
Kuchiba Ta's voice was resolute, carrying a coldness born of life experience. "Don't hesitate, just fuck 'em up! Don't worry about my life!"
"Throw one punch to open the way, and you'll save yourself from a hundred more!" he said, quoting an old proverb, his eyes flashing with the ruthlessness of a father willing to do anything to protect his child. "In a place where power is the only thing that talks, once you show weakness and take a step back, what awaits you is likely being pushed further and further until you're completely devoured. You must show enough strength and determination to let them know the price of touching you is one they cannot afford! Only then can we be truly safe."
His father's words struck Kuchiba Hiro's heart like a heavy hammer. Looking at the unquestionable resolve in his father's eyes, he understood this wasn't just talk out of anger. It was the only way to survive in the cruel transcendent world that his father, after calmly analyzing the situation, had pointed out for him—meeting violence with violence, meeting hardness with hardness, to fight for a chance at life.
He nodded heavily, carving his father's words deep into his heart. At the same time, he realized more clearly that his peaceful daily life was likely gone forever.
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