Chapter 307: Weak as an Ant
The sea breeze was humid, yet the sunlight was somewhat fierce.
The weather in Binhai City at this time of year couldn't exactly be described as beautiful.
Mizuki Akiyama, wearing a sun hat, stood by a shipping container, watching her master lead a group of people to inspect the cargo ship and storage units that had arrived from Japan.
Her skin was fair—almost dazzlingly so under the sun. Judging by her appearance, she didn't look like a police officer capable of field duty at all.
The young man in charge of warehouse registration was distracted, glancing frequently at Mizuki. He didn't even hear Inspector Sato's reminders several times.
Snap.
A sudden explosion rang in his ear. The young man in work clothes whipped his head around, looking at the dark-skinned detective, and lowered his head in embarrassment.
"Sorry, Officer. I'll implement this regulation right away. Binhai City Customs and Warehousing will prohibit the entry of any old-style videotapes!"
Sato frowned tightly and turned to leave. This flustered the young man, who thought his performance just now had displeased the officer. He wanted to explain, but saw the other man wave his hand with his back turned.
Sato was used to this kind of thing. He frowned only because he had subconsciously snapped his fingers against the air just now, creating a sonic boom.
He was becoming more and more accustomed to this superman-like body, and moments of inhuman behavior were occurring more frequently.
Sato worried about this.
If an official Reincarnator like him was like this, the situation for those 'wild' Reincarnators hiding in various parts of the city would only be more severe.
As the Reincarnators' strength increased, this group would become increasingly unstable.
No law or moral code could permanently restrain a group that wielded supernatural power—especially a group of superhumans who never knew when they might die.
Mania was an incurable disease among these people. When they felt their lives could not be guaranteed—whether erased by the Nexus for a violation or killed by plot characters and other Reincarnators in a mission world—what difference did it make?
Sato, brows furrowed with immense pressure, returned silently to his apprentice's car. He said nothing, his mind still pondering how Dongxia could maintain stability under such circumstances.
He had contacted several Title-level Reincarnators in the Nexus, but none had stated their position. The only thing that comforted him was that [Azure Sky] had given him a promise not to allow Reincarnators with excessive destructive power to use their abilities within Dongxia.
But that person hadn't told him what the standard for 'excessive' was.
"Master, the higher-ups suddenly ordered a total ban on the circulation of old-style VCRs and the confiscation of all old videotapes on the market. Is it because of that incident in Japan..."
Mizuki asked tentatively. She knew her master couldn't speak clearly about many things, and she was strictly forbidden from getting involved.
But she wasn't stupid. The timing of the two events was too coincidental. Furthermore, her family had connections reaching the heavens; she knew that in Japan, rumors of a cursed videotape circulating in the shadows were spreading. Dozens of people had died in just two days.
Sato sighed, rubbing his temples. The pressure of executing missions in the Nexus, combined with the increasingly severe Reincarnator situation in the real world, was making him feel overwhelmed.
Yet, there were fewer than a hundred officially registered Reincarnators in Dongxia. This number was completely insufficient to handle incidents that could occur across such a vast territory.
For now, he could only hope that the various high-tech weapons being developed by the military would be put to use soon. At the same time, he hoped to recruit more Reincarnator teams within the Nexus to stand on the side of maintaining order.
"Yes. Someone activated a very dangerous item in Japan. It could cause a disaster on a global scale at any moment."
"Moreover, such incidents easily generate negative influence, causing many ill-intentioned Reincar—ill-intentioned people to commit copycat crimes."
Perhaps the pressure was truly too great, as Sato rarely revealed his inner worries to his apprentice.
Mizuki sat in the car, not starting the engine. She recalled internal news she had seen recently; it seemed terrifying events were happening all over the world.
There had been a horrific explosion in Australia, where several high-ranking national officials were reportedly killed. Australia was now listed as a high-risk area, and Dongxia had issued evacuation notices to its citizens on the continent.
Southeast Asia was also in chaos. In Northern Myanmar, it was said that rioters had brazenly occupied large sections of blocks and towns, openly killing peacekeepers.
"Myanmar... that seems very close to Teng City..."
For some reason, Mizuki thought of that person again. She occasionally recalled their first meeting, the clean look of him standing by the window, turning back to look at her.
He had a face completely at odds with his upbringing.
It took Sato a moment to remember the young man named Kaito Shirogane. associating him with that highly unusual resume, he was certain that if that guy entered the Nexus, there was a very high probability he would thrive.
"Student Shirogane went to work in Teng City, right? You might as well remind him that something big might happen in Myanmar soon. Tell him he'd be better off returning to Binhai."
"If he really needs a job, we can... no, you can arrange one for him."
Sato shook his head, dismissing his own thought of proactively finding a way to send the other party into the Nexus. Most Reincarnators were short-lived creatures.
Dongxia's current secret project, the [South Heaven Gate Project], recruited soldiers from the military elite under the name of a [Suicide Squad]. Every soldier who signed up did so for the greater good, proactively risking life and death.
He couldn't drag Kaito Shirogane into something like that.
Mizuki nodded, half-understanding. She prepared to organize the information properly. She absolutely had to make Student Shirogane understand just how dangerous and terrifying Myanmar was right now.
"Oh, oh, is that so? Thank you so much, Officer Akiyama. I hadn't even heard that such a thing happened in Northern Myanmar..."
"Mm, yes. Killing peacekeepers and several armed soldiers in the camp? That's truly too dangerous. I will definitely be careful."
"Return to Binhai? I can't go back for the time being. Mm, my boss values me highly; I have to wait until the project is finished before I can return. Don't worry, I will definitely be careful."
Lin Qinfu and Du Enqin stood at the door of the presidential suite, heads bowed low, their faces somewhat pale.
In their eyes, Boss Shirogane, who was speaking in such a gentle and polite tone, was currently methodically examining a human head wrapped in white cloth.
Unwrapping the cloth and looking at the dead Grandmaster's head while speaking on the phone in that tone... it truly sent chills down their spines.
Kaito hung up the phone. He had managed to glean a bit of useful information from that sweet, naive police officer, even if she hadn't been very clear.
Combined with her mention that something terrible was going to happen in Myanmar soon, Kaito already had a guess.
Lately, more and more Reincarnators were beginning to attack the existing order. In times like these, the true behemoths controlling this world were bound to make a move.
Wearing a bath towel, Kaito tossed the phone aside, picked up the aged head again, and threw it back to the woman.
"Du Enqin, you did well. Since this old guy was stubborn, we might as well get a new Grandmaster."
"Tsk. Called a Grandmaster, yet no different from a mortal. truly disappointing."
He saw nothing miraculous or distinct from ordinary people in this head. There were rumors in the Nexus that the real world also harbored hidden supernatural powers, but clearly, this Grandmaster was not among them.
Du Enqin had followed Kaito's order to persuade her master to agree to the [Paradise Project], but the nearly centenarian monk clearly couldn't understand what 'Paradise' was. He rejected Du Enqin's goodwill.
Knowing Boss Shirogane's cruel nature, Du Enqin believed that if her teacher opposed the Boss, he would likely be killed soon anyway. Perhaps to avoid punishment for incompetence, or perhaps to earn merit, she directly killed her own teacher.
And brought the Grandmaster's head back to the hotel.
Kaito wouldn't waste thought on such trivial matters. He waved his hand, signaling the two could leave.
"Later, have those old guys from the local tribes sort out the relationships in this area. I want to know exactly who is standing behind these factions."
Lin Qinfu nodded hurriedly. On the surface, he was the initiator of the [Paradise Project] and the 'Big Boss' who currently occupied over half of the Wa State.
He possessed power, but behind that power lay Kaito's terrifying deterrence.
He answered to no one, but if Boss Shirogane was dissatisfied, he could be eliminated at any moment. This intertwining of power and pressure made the pain in Lin Qinfu's broken leg and arm seem to vanish.
His efficiency was higher than ever before.
After the two left, a cleaner soon arrived, head bowed, to replace the bloodstained carpet for Kaito.
The cleaning woman bent over to roll up the bloody carpet, backing up until her hip bumped into Kaito's leg where he stood.
She took the opportunity to fall, turning her head to look at Kaito with a shy expression. The face revealed from beneath the navy blue work uniform was unexpectedly delicate and pretty.
Glancing at Kaito's face, the blush on her cheeks deepened.
"Sir, I didn't expect you to be not only powerful but also so strikingly handsome~"
The woman's voice was soft, like a murmur, filled with a shyness that seemed to hold back words of desire. Kaito shook his head and chuckled.
In the split second Kaito shook his head and looked away, the shy woman instantly pulled a black pistol from her bosom.
Bang!
The bullet struck Kaito right between the eyebrows.
Joy flashed across the woman's face, but in the next instant, she felt an unbearable burning pain all over her body.
Whoosh!
Brilliant flames ignited. Kaito watched the woman, whose flesh was splitting open in the fire. He laughed—naturally not because he was moved by her performance, but because he realized that facing these so-called professional killers now, he only felt they were ridiculous and laughable.
Whether it was her heartbeat, breathing rhythm, or the draw itself—it was all too slow, too weak.
Tap tap tap, Bam!
Hearing the scream, Du Enqin, who had just gone down the stairs, ran back in panic. This hotel was now her property; terrified of being blamed, she ran more desperately than anyone.
But pushing open the door, she only saw Boss Shirogane standing by the window with his back to her, seemingly admiring the view. In the room, a woman engulfed in flames was rolling on the floor, wailing, before quickly falling silent.
"I'm sorry, Boss Shirogane! I'll handle it immediately. I'll investigate everyone in the hotel right away. I will definitely find the mastermind!"
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