In the light screen, the footage of Kuchiba Hiro controlling forest creatures in an almost fantastical way, annihilating the Public Security forces with overwhelming force, and finally even pushing the command vehicle off the cliff triggered a tidal wave of discussion across the globe.
The previous discomfort and fear regarding the bloody violence were now replaced by a more primitive awe and longing for "power."
"Holy sh*t! This esper ability is too damn cool! He's basically using an all-map hack plus a summoned beast army!"
"Incredible! (Voice cracking) One person counter-killing a squad of special forces! This is practically a real-life version of Rambo + Druid!"
"Mom asked me why I'm watching the sky on my knees..."
"Who said he was a goner before? Why don't you come out and take a few steps? With this level of strength, it's not certain who's killing whom!"
Amidst the wonder, a deeper, more unsettling question began to go viral across all social platforms and forums:
In this world, are there actually any other espers?
The discussion quickly split into several camps:
The "Rarity Faction" believed: "This kind of ability must be one in a million! If many people had it, it wouldn't have been kept a secret for so long!"
"Agreed, there are probably only a few dozen in the whole world at most, and their abilities might be weak, not broken like Kuchiba Hiro's."
"With such small numbers, they won't amount to much. The modern military is no pushover; planes and cannons will teach them a lesson, not to mention the ultimate deterrent like nuclear bombs. They're hiding for their lives, how could they possibly step out?"
The "Conspiracy/Control Faction" proposed an even more chilling conjecture: "You're too naive! How do you know there aren't hidden espers among the big shots currently on stage?"
"Maybe they've long since taken control of the world in secret, and we ordinary people just don't know it! The top of the power structure is itself a filter!"
"Look at Kuchiba Hiro! Doesn't his ability just look like talking to animals? How'simple'! But the result? In a specific environment, the intelligence advantage and tactical possibilities brought by this ability are overwhelming! If he wanted to assassinate a politician, it might be simpler than an ordinary person going out to buy groceries!"
"There's no need for high destructive power; as long as one can covertly acquire information, manipulate from the shadows, and perform precision decapitations like him, it's enough to pose a fatal threat to any organization or even a nation! No matter how few they are, they are a grave threat!"
At this time, a netizen who proposed "Power is Authority" saw the "Nuclear Bomb Theory" refuted by the "Rarity Faction" and merely gave a disdainful, calm reply:
"You've watched too many movies and anime. Real power has never been about who can cause a bigger explosion, but about who can more precisely and covertly control information, resources, and people's hearts. A nuclear bomb destroys a city; an existence like Kuchiba Hiro can have you bitten to death in your sleep by a venomous spider that 'accidentally' flew in, or have all your secrets transmitted to the enemy through your pet cat. Which one... makes you feel more fear and helplessness?"
This sentence plunged countless people into deep thought.
Indeed, Kuchiba Hiro's ability seemed "gentle," lacking dazzling special effects, but the permeability, stealth, and lethality it displayed in actual combat were terrifying upon reflection.
If there were espers with similar or even more bizarre abilities (such as reading memories, influencing thoughts, or changing appearance), why would they need to step out and claim kingship? They could completely lurk at every level of society, even holding high positions, silently twisting the direction of the world in a more 'elegant' and terrifying way.
The "Seclusion Faction" proposed another possibility:
"Maybe they're like the vampires or werewolves of legend, with their own circles and social rules, deliberately avoiding the world?"
"Or maybe their abilities have huge limitations or costs and can't be used at will?"
"Maybe they have internal conflicts and keep each other in check, so they don't have time to come and rule us ordinary people?"
Kuchiba Hiro, above the light screen, with his cruel and efficient performance, forced open a gap, making the global audience seriously consider a question that once belonged only to the fantasy genre: If supernatural powers truly existed, how would they reshape our perception of power, society, and even our own safety?
The discussion grew more intense, but there were no answers. The only certainty was that after this scene, no one would easily view Kuchiba Hiro as a "pitiful," "impulsive" vengeful youth again.
He was a dangerous variable, a walking natural disaster, an existence that might signal the hidden existence of entirely new rules behind the world.
(The footage on the light screen followed Kuchiba Hiro, focusing on the heavily deformed armored command vehicle overturned in the stream.
The stream gurgled, washing over metal fragments of the vehicle body and faint traces of blood.
Kuchiba Hiro expressionlessly stepped into the cold stream, the water rising above his knees. He approached the twisted vehicle door step by step, cautiously leaning over, trying to see the situation inside through a crack.
Suddenly!
Bang!
A muffled gunshot erupted from inside the vehicle! A bullet struck the inner wall of the door hard, sparks flying; it failed to penetrate, but the loud noise was exceptionally frightening in the silent valley.
Kuchiba Hiro instantly retreated half a step, his gaze turning even colder. He moved sideways along the vehicle body, finding a larger gap torn by the impact. He took a deep breath, suddenly thrusting one hand into the metal crevice while his other hand gripped his pistol, ready to fire, and then he pulled with sudden force!
Creeeak—Clang!
The twisted lower half of the door was torn off by him by sheer force and slammed into the stream, splashing a large amount of water.
Almost at the exact same moment the door hit the water!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Several panicked, consecutive shots immediately rang out from inside the vehicle. The bullets hit the interior blindly; clearly, the person inside was scared out of their wits and was just firing on instinct.
"The person inside," Kuchiba Hiro's voice drifted in through the opening, calm without a hint of emotion, "As long as you tell me what I want to know, I won't kill you."
The only response from inside the vehicle was heavy, terrified breathing and suppressed whimpering.
Kuchiba Hiro frowned, lifted his already tattered black trench coat, and quickly waved the hem at the opening.
Bang! Bang!
Two more shots! The bullets accurately struck toward where the hem of the coat had waved.
Kuchiba Hiro lost his last bit of patience. "I'll count to ten." His voice suddenly became bone-chillingly cold. "If you still don't come out, I'll fire blindly into the interior until all my bullets are gone."
He began to count down, each number like a cold hammer striking the heart of the survivor inside the vehicle.
"Ten."
"Nine."
"Eight."
...When he reached "seven," a sound of breakdown mixed with pained groans and struggling came from inside. Then, a figure crawled out of the opening with difficulty and tumbled into the stream—it was Kazami Yuya. He still clutched a service pistol tightly in his hand, but his eyes had completely lost focus.
Kuchiba Hiro didn't hesitate for a moment. He stepped forward and accurately kicked the gun out of his hand, then grabbed his soaked collar and lifted him out of the water like a tattered sack before slamming him hard into the middle of the stream.
At this moment, Kazami Yuya was wretched to the extreme. The violent rolling and collision had broken an unknown number of bones; his face was covered in bruises and gashes, with blood seeping from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. His expensive suit was in tatters, soaked with stream water and blood.
He thrashed weakly in the knee-deep stream water. After a while, he barely managed to prop up his upper body with his still-movable arm, coughing violently and spitting out blood-streaked water. He looked up and saw Kuchiba Hiro approaching step by step. His eyes were filled with primal fear, and he tremblingly raised a hand, pleading in a faint voice, "Don't... don't kill me... please... I'll... everything..."
Kuchiba Hiro's response was to raise his foot and, with his mud-caked sole, step directly onto Kazami Yuya's face, then relentlessly applying force to press his entire head firmly into the stream water!
"Gurgle, gurgle..." Kazami Yuya's body struggled and twisted frantically, his hands clawing futilely at Kuchiba Hiro's pant legs as a string of desperate bubbles rose from the stream water.
Feeling that enough time had passed, Kuchiba Hiro released his foot, leaned over, grabbed his collar, and lifted him out of the water.
Kazami Yuya gasped for air like a fish out of water, then erupted into a heart-wrenching cough, as if he were about to cough up his lungs.
Once he had caught his breath slightly, Kuchiba Hiro pressed the muzzle of his gun against his forehead and spoke coldly: "I ask, you answer. Don't try to lie to me. Understand?"
The half-dead Kazami Yuya had only the instinct for survival left and nodded with difficulty and a tiny movement.
"Who is the person who ordered you?" Kuchiba Hiro asked the core question.
Kazami Yuya's eyes flickered. Enduring the intense pain and fear, he almost subconsciously blurted out a name—a big name frequently seen in financial news—and even stutteringly added a few plausible-sounding identity details, trying to bluff his way through.
However, at the very moment the words left his mouth—
Kuchiba Hiro didn't even have a moment's hesitation or judgment; as if seeing directly through the lie in the depths of his soul, he raised his pistol without a second thought!
Bang!
The bullet accurately shot off Kazami Yuya's left ear! Blood instantly gushed out!
"Ah—!!!" Kazami Yuya let out a pig-like wail, clutching his mangled ear base as he trembled in pain on the ground. "I'm telling the truth! It's really him! Please believe me!"
Kuchiba Hiro's expression didn't change at all. He merely uttered three words in a tone of chilling certainty: "You're lying."
Bang!
Another shot; the bullet pierced through his forearm.
Kazami Yuya's screams became even more shrill. His psychological defenses were rapidly being crushed by the immense pain and the fear of the other's "omniscience." He was still making a final struggle, crying and swearing that he wasn't lying.
Kuchiba Hiro completely lost his patience. He once again pressed the hot muzzle firmly against Kazami Yuya's brow, his voice low and lethal: "Three."
Kazami Yuya's pupils suddenly constricted.
"Two."
The shadow of death completely enveloped him. He realized that the other person wasn't bluffing; he really could see through lies! His job, his loyalty, and even the so-called national interest suddenly became meaningless in the face of life and death.
"One!"
At the very last moment before Kuchiba Hiro pulled the trigger, Kazami Yuya's psychological defenses completely collapsed. Using his last ounce of strength, he shrieked a name:
"Yota Yukinoshita! It's Yota Yukinoshita!!"
The moment the name blurted out, Kazami Yuya seemed to be drained of all strength, slumping into the stream, leaving only desperate gasps and whimpering.
And Kuchiba Hiro remembered this name.