Tozaki's Offer of Cooperation, Sato Calls

In the bustling park.

A black figure that seemed utterly out of place with the whole world sat curled up alone on a bench.

It was Nagai Kei.

How could those Puyong villagers possibly keep up with him? After successfully luring them away from Mountain Granny's cottage, he found an opportunity to shake them all off.

At that moment, Nagai's heart was filled with a jumble of emotions. He hated this damned world, and he hated his own weakness.

He knew that going to Mountain Granny might bring her trouble, so why had he done it anyway?

Why couldn't he hold himself back?

He was someone the world had rejected.

Nagai gave a bitter smile, but he could not even choose the last refuge granted to the weak.

Because he couldn't die.

He was an Ajin who should have died, yet fucking couldn't die no matter what!

Just as Nagai was lost in thought, he suddenly felt someone watching him.

It was a very familiar gaze.

Whoosh!

Little Black appeared.

Every muscle in Nagai's body tensed. He sprang to his feet, already prepared to fight.

Meanwhile, Tozaki Yuu, standing barely twenty meters away, made no move.

Only Shimomura Izumi, who had been following him all along, stepped in front of him and summoned a Little Black as well.

"An Ajin?"

Nagai Kei froze.

He had never imagined that an Ajin could live openly beneath the sunlight, let alone follow at the side of Tozaki Yuu, who was as terrifying as a demon to every Ajin.

"Calm down, Nagai. If I bore you any hostility, SAT would have come for you, not me."

In the instant Nagai was stunned, Tozaki Yuu seized the opportunity precisely.

He spoke, showing his sincerity.

But Nagai still could not trust him.

"What do you want?" he asked coldly.

Tozaki Yuu gave a soft laugh. "Compared to Sato, your ability to hide yourself is so crude it's laughable.

If we didn't lack absolute certainty, we would have captured you long ago.

But rest assured, that option has now been discarded. I came this time seeking cooperation."

"Cooperation?" Nagai was dumbfounded as well.

Tozaki Yuu, the head of the Ajin Research Management Association, the mastermind behind live Ajin experiments, a man who never regarded Ajin as creatures worthy of equal communication.

And now, he was actually bringing up the word "cooperation" with him?

If Sato had been here, he probably would have laughed outright.

But Nagai was not Sato. Instead of laughing, he asked curiously, "What kind of cooperation do you want?"

Seeing that there was room to negotiate, Tozaki Yuu gave a light wave of his hand. Shimomura Izumi withdrew her Little Black and returned to stand behind him.

Nagai gave her a puzzled look. He knew this woman was Tozaki Yuu's trusted subordinate.

But he had never expected her to be an Ajin hiding among humans!

Even less did he understand why she was willing to work for Tozaki Yuu.

But now was not the time to investigate such things.

He shifted his gaze to Tozaki Yuu, who was walking toward him.

This was quite a risk for him as well.

According to the evaluations of the Association's psychologists, the chance of Nagai Kei suddenly attacking and killing him was infinitely close to zero.

But it was not completely impossible.

If Nagai Kei chose to attack, Shimomura Izumi alone definitely would not be able to stop him!

Yet Tozaki Yuu had still come.

Not only because of the pressure Sato exerted on him, but also pressure from other sources.

"Help us deal with Sato. Once it's done, I guarantee that you'll regain your freedom. I'll give you a peaceful life, and no one will ever bother you again because you're an Ajin.

If necessary, I can even create an entirely new identity for you."

Tozaki Yuu did not beat around the bush or play games.

He laid out the request and terms directly.

Nagai Kei's heart skipped a beat upon hearing them!

A peaceful life, far from all this trouble and strife.

Wasn't that exactly what he had always dreamed of?

Tozaki Yuu was skilled at reading people. One look at Nagai's expression told him what he was thinking.

He immediately pressed the advantage. "What Sato is doing is pushing Ajin completely to the opposite side of humanity.

No matter what advantages Ajin may possess over humans, this world is ultimately controlled by humans.

Once the two sides become completely opposed, only destruction awaits Ajin.

Ajin may be impossible to kill, but there are many ways to imprison them without killing them!

I believe you don't want to see that happen either, do you?"

After pondering for a moment, determination flashed through Nagai's eyes.

He looked up at Tozaki Yuu. "I accept your proposal, but understand this: I'm not doing this for you, nor am I doing it for Ajin. I'm doing it to save the innocent people who might die at Sato's hands!"

Tozaki Yuu could not help but freeze.

He had been confident in his negotiating tactics. Not only had he offered an irresistible temptation that Nagai could never refuse.

He had also made the stakes clear. After all, as an Ajin, Nagai would never stand by and watch Sato drive the entire Ajin population into the abyss.

Yet he had not expected Nagai to care less about his own interests than about people he did not know at all, people who might even harbor hostility toward him.

In truth, Tozaki Yuu had simply judged Nagai by his own standards.

Nagai did not feel much sense of belonging toward his identity as an Ajin.

And there were not many Ajin in this country to begin with.

He did not even know a single member of his own kind well.

Why would he think so far ahead and concern himself with the future of all Ajin?

What had truly affected him was the sight, over these past few days, of people thrown into panic and riots because of Sato.

It had left a deep impact on him.

If society remained in chaos, more and more innocent people would only be killed or injured because of this turmoil.

And the only way to quell the chaos was to eliminate its source.

Sato!

Under Tozaki Yuu's guidance, Nagai's previously confused heart gradually became clear.

He understood that if he truly wanted to return to a normal, ordinary life, running away would not solve anything.

He had to face it!

Besides, if he could help Tozaki Yuu deal with Sato, he could also establish a new identity for himself.

Then, as long as he moved to a new city where no one knew him, he could begin a new life.

Ring ring ring!

At that moment, Tozaki Yuu's phone suddenly rang.

He frowned slightly, unable to understand who would call him at a time like this.

Especially when he saw that the caller ID was unknown, he became even more puzzled.

But he still answered the call.

A familiar voice came from the other end.

"Moshi moshi, may I ask if Nagai is nearby?"

Tozaki Yuu's eyes widened sharply. "You!"

Sato!

His visit to find Nagai had clearly been kept secret.

Yet before he had even finished speaking with Nagai, Sato's call had already come!

His gaze instantly turned toward Shimomura Izumi.

"Don't make wild suspicions, Tozaki. This time, I'm not looking for you. Please hand the phone to Nagai."

How could Tozaki Yuu possibly comply?

Given the current situation, Nagai was his only means of dealing with Sato.

How could he casually let the two talk? If an arrangement that was nearly certain fell through, he would suffer a huge loss!

At that moment, a hand reached out before him.

"Let me talk to him."

Nagai's physical abilities had long surpassed those of ordinary people. Even though Tozaki Yuu had not put the call on speaker, he could still hear every word clearly.

Tozaki Yuu's expression was extremely unpleasant.

But there was nothing he could do. In the end, he could only hand the phone to Nagai.