In the instant the Devil Hunter's arm was about to touch Kenji, the power that had been sealed for six years was suddenly activated by a sharp, instinctive urge for survival.
There was no explosion, no one was destroyed, but suddenly, an icy azure light radiated from the small boy's body. The power to distort the rules of an area pulsed outward.
The two Devil Hunters rushing Kenji did not stop immediately, but their movements became visibly slower, as if they were fighting an invisible resistance. Every step, every arm swing, became incredibly difficult. The weapons and equipment on their bodies suddenly loosened and dropped to the floor, though no one was injured by the action.
"What's happening! This is... !?" The team leader's eyes widened in astonishment. The power didn't destroy, but it decelerated objects until they completely stopped.
Kenji remained in his parents' arms, but his azure eyes were shining brightly. As this pure power was unleashed, his small body began to tremble violently. Dark veins bulged on his delicate skin, and some blood oozed from the corner of his mouth—his human body was utterly unable to withstand this power beyond the human scope.
Capture and Interrogation
As Kenji started to weaken, the decelerated Devil Hunters began to regain their mobility. The team leader realized the power had a limit.
"Cease attack! Secure the parents! Hold the hostages! The child's power depends on his consciousness!"
Keisuke and Mai were quickly pulled away by the remaining Hunters. They struggled and screamed frantically but were immediately pinned against the wall with steel chains. The fear for his parents' fate was the last thing Kenji perceived.
With his parents taken hostage, Kenji's consciousness shattered. The physical and emotional stress caused the azure light around him to vanish instantly. Kenji collapsed onto the floor, unconscious, with blood leaking from his nose and mouth.
"It's done! He reached his limit! Apprehend the Anomaly!" the team leader commanded.
One Hunter, wearing specialized gloves, approached Kenji. He lifted the boy's unconscious and bruised body into his arms.
"Hirachi Keisuke! Hirachi Mai!" the team leader turned to the shackled parents, who were weeping in despair.
"Your son is a threat that cannot be left in the hands of ordinary people. You will both be taken into custody for further investigation."
Keisuke screamed, "No! You can't do this! He's just a boy! He's human!"
"He is an Anomaly with terrifying power," the team leader replied coldly. "And from this moment on... he will be handed over to the appropriate authority to be accountable for the survival of this country."
The Devil Hunters carried Kenji's body out of the ruined house, littered with debris and dropped equipment. The parents were roughly led to another vehicle, leaving behind only emptiness and silence in what was once their ordinary world.
A Proposal from Makima
At the Public Safety Headquarters building in downtown Tokyo, Kenji was taken to a special containment room designed to hold dangerous entities. The walls were made of a unique alloy, and sophisticated brainwave monitoring equipment was installed.
Makima walked into the control room overlooking Kenji, who lay on a metal bed in the containment cell, through a reinforced glass window.
"Great power, but a weak body," she said to the officer monitoring the room. "A fragile and extremely valuable weapon."
She walked to the containment room door and calmly and naturally entered the code to open it, as if visiting a sick younger brother. Every officer in the control room watched her with respect and fear.
Makima quietly walked into the containment room. Kenji was still unconscious, his face marked by exhaustion, but his azure eyes fluttered open slightly, sensing her presence.
She knelt beside the bed, looking down into the boy's weary eyes.
"Hello, Kenji... We finally meet."
Makima gently reached out to stroke his snow-white hair, but her gaze was cold and calculating.
"You were abandoned by your parents, arrested by the government, and your body can't handle the great power you possess... How pitiful."
She smiled slyly before extending an offer he couldn't refuse.
"But don't worry, Kenji... I will give you everything you lack."
The Offer
Makima leaned down, whispering in a voice full of authority and promise:
"Come with me... I will give you the true safety no one else can harm you with again."
"I will teach you how to control this power so your body no longer suffers. I know how."
"You will be given a special status, not as a prisoner, but as the most important asset, ranking above all other Devil Hunters."
"Most importantly... I will give you a 'reason' to exist. I will assign you the greatest mission, so you can feel that you have meaning 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 command, no matter how small or great."