In the instant the Devil Hunter's arm was about to make contact with Kenji, the power, dormant for six years, was violently triggered by a primal, sharp instinct for survival.
There was no explosion, no physical destruction, yet an utterly frigid azure light suddenly radiated from the small boy's body. The power to warp the rules of localized space flowed outward.
The two Devil Hunters charging Kenji didn't stop immediately, but their movements visibly slowed, as if they were pushing against invisible, immense resistance. Every step, every arm swing, became impossibly difficult. The gear and weapons strapped to their bodies instantly came loose and clattered to the floor, yet no one was harmed by the action itself.
"What the hell is this!? Is this... !?" The squad leader's eyes went wide with shock. The power wasn't destroying; it was slowing motion to a near standstill.
Kenji remained in his parents' arms, his azure eyes blazing as the pure power was unleashed. However, his small body began to shake violently. Dark veins bulged beneath his delicate skin, and a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth—his human frame was visibly failing to withstand the power that transcended mortal limits.
The Capture
As Kenji's strength began to wane, the slowed Hunters started to regain their full speed. The squad leader realized the power had a direct limitation.
"Cease fire! Secure the parents! Hold the hostages! The child's power is tied to his consciousness!"
Keisuke and Mai were quickly yanked away by the remaining Hunters. They struggled and screamed hysterically but were instantly manacled to the wall with steel chains. The terror for his parents' fate was the last thing Kenji registered.
With his parents secured as collateral, Kenji's consciousness shattered. The physical and mental strain caused the azure light around him to immediately extinguish. Kenji collapsed to the floor, unconscious, blood leaking from his nose and mouth.
"Confirmed! He's past his limit! Apprehend the Anomaly!" the leader ordered.
One Hunter donned special reinforced gloves and approached Kenji, lifting the unconscious, bruised boy into his arms.
"Hirashi Keisuke! Hirashi Mai!" The leader turned to the shackled, weeping parents. "Your son is a threat that cannot be left in the hands of ordinary people. You will both be detained for further investigation."
Keisuke screamed, "No! You can't do this! He's just a kid! He's human!"
"He is an Abnormality possessing terrifying power," the leader replied, his voice chillingly flat. "And from this moment on... he will be handed over to the appropriate department, to be accountable for this nation's survival."
The Devil Hunters carried Kenji's body out of the ruined house, leaving the parents to their despair. The couple was roughly put into another vehicle, leaving behind only the emptiness and silence of what was once their ordinary world.
Makima's Offer
At the Public Safety headquarters in central Tokyo, Kenji was brought into a special holding cell designed to contain dangerous entities. The walls were made of a unique alloy, fitted with complex brainwave monitoring equipment.
Makima walked into the control room overlooking Kenji, who lay on a metal cot in the holding cell behind reinforced glass.
"Great power, yet a frail body," she remarked to the monitoring officers. "A uniquely fragile and valuable weapon."
She walked to the cell door and calmly typed in the entry code, her demeanor relaxed, as if visiting a sick younger brother. Every officer watched her with a mixture of reverence and dread.
Makima stepped quietly into the cell. Kenji was still unconscious and worn out, but his azure eyes fluttered open slightly, sensing her presence.
She knelt beside the cot, looking down at the exhausted boy.
"Hello, Kenji... we finally meet."
Makima reached out and gently stroked his snow-white hair, but her gaze was cold and calculating.
"You were abandoned by your parents, captured by the government, and your body can't even handle the immense power you hold... What a pity."
She smiled cryptically before extending an undeniable offer.
"But don't worry, Kenji... I'll give you everything you lack."
The Proposition
Makima leaned in, whispering with a voice full of authority and promise:
"Come work for me. I'll provide you with true security—the kind no one will ever dare breach again."
"I'll teach you how to control this power so your body never has to suffer again. I know how."
"You will receive a special status. Not as a prisoner, but as the most vital personnel—above every Devil Hunter."
"Most importantly... I'll give you a reason to exist. I'll assign you the grandest missions, so you can finally feel like you matter in a world that fears you."
Makima's smile widened. "But there is only one condition, Kenji... You must obey me completely, and do everything I instruct, no matter how small or great the task."