The God Named Sawai (1/2)

The fallout from Sanada Ryosuke's actions was severe. The incident was so serious that Director-General Sawai even returned from overseas.

Fortunately, Sanada Ryosuke still had a conscience and hadn't harmed anyone else. He had used only his own data, but the disastrous consequences of human experimentation that turned people into monsters couldn't be undone.

The cost of the damage to buildings was so enormous that even if Sanada Ryosuke worked for a hundred years, he would still struggle to pay it off.

The injuries people sustained when he drained their electricity were also an undeniable fact.

Horii dragged his exhausted body into the Command Room. As everyone inside watched him, he spoke.

"After we reduced the electricity, the cells in Ryosuke's body lost their activity. If we keep the power at this level, he shouldn't die."

"I'll develop a piece of equipment that will allow him to live."

Director-General Sawai gave a slight nod, indicating that Horii had done well.

There was a hint of fatigue on the old man's face. He was no longer young, and he didn't have the energy he'd had in his youth.

But it wasn't time for him to retire yet. Director-General Sawai narrowed his eyes for a moment, then once again became the spirited Sawai everyone knew.

"Then, please bring him here." Director-General Sawai's words jolted everyone awake as if they'd been pricked by a needle.

"No way!" Director Yoshioka nearly snapped his beloved folding fan in half. "Sawai, absolutely not."

The GUTS members also thought it was inappropriate, both in terms of the location and the person he was meeting.

"It's too dangerous, Director-General." Megumi Iruma summed up everyone's concerns.

Director-General Sawai smiled, stood up, and pressed a hand against his old friend's shoulder, pushing him back into his chair.

"I'm just an old man who wants to have a good talk with this child who went astray. Surely he won't resort to violence just because I'm too long-winded."

"But..." Director Yoshioka started to say more, but Director-General Sawai cut him off.

"Besides, after Horii reduced the power, there's no guarantee he can still transform into a monster."

"At the very least, we have Zhou Hong here," Director-General Sawai said quietly.

Director Yoshioka knew all about the formidable man at headquarters—his own pride and joy, one of his subordinates.

The story of the brawny man who chased aliens down and beat them up was widely known throughout TPC headquarters. In this turbulent era, it gave people an indescribable sense of security.

That was why the support staff might grumble, but they were always quick to handle repairs afterward.

The medical department had also been asking about the Rookie Squad more often.

It was said that after the Crow Man incident came to light, the staff at the entire TPC Far East Headquarters had started exercising.

Their training included, but wasn't limited to, idly picking up a big wrench and swinging it around a few times.

Director Yoshioka turned to Zhou Hong. "Are you confident?"

Zhou Hong flashed a bright smile. "No problem. Just tell me whether to keep him alive or kill him."

"After beating him up once, I've got a rough idea of how much he can take."

Director Yoshioka secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Since that was the case, he had no reason to stop Director-General Sawai.

"Hmph. If you're determined to get yourself killed, Sawai, go ahead. Just don't expect me to help you."

Director-General Sawai knew his old friend and rival well. Yoshioka was such a classic tsundere.

He smiled and told Horii to bring Sanada Ryosuke over.

But there was no need for Zhou Hong to serve as backup. Even Sanada Ryosuke lowered his head in Director-General Sawai's presence.

After meekly greeting him with "Director-General," he shifted uneasily on his feet, his body and legs fidgeting as though he wanted to flee the Command Room.

"You don't have to be so tense. Sit down." Director-General Sawai kindly pulled over a chair and then pressed him into it.

Sanada Ryosuke didn't resist at all. He was afraid that if he got worked up, he might hurt the old man.

Director-General Sawai returned to his own chair and began the conversation.

"I've already heard about your situation from Horii."

When facing Horii, Sanada Ryosuke had stubbornly insisted that he didn't understand. But in front of Director-General Sawai, he could only lower his head in shame.

"No one can be number one forever. Take me, for example. I've never been as good at shooting as Yoshioka."

"Hmph! You've never beaten me." Director Yoshioka protested. "You make it sound like shooting's the only thing I'm better at."

"I'm old now, and I can't even match Zhou Hong's physical strength."

Zhou Hong flexed his biceps. The muscles bulged with his effort, making Sanada Ryosuke's eye twitch.

Those muscles had left him with some unpleasant memories.

"Which are you really pursuing: being number one, or love?"

Sanada Ryosuke himself didn't know. His distorted upbringing and smooth-sailing life had made him question the meaning of his existence as soon as he encountered even the slightest setback.

Director-General Sawai didn't expect to correct a personality shaped by a misguided upbringing in such a short time.

"You can't walk out of the shadows alone. If you have time, you can come talk things over with this old man."

"Don't dwell on things by yourself. I think an old fellow like me can still point you in the right direction."

Sanada Ryosuke nodded and was about to say something when his face suddenly twisted in pain and he clutched at his chest.

Zhou Hong was about to step in, but Horii reacted faster, jabbing him with a stun baton.

A jolt from the baton always brought Sanada Ryosuke back to his senses.

"Sorry," Sanada Ryosuke apologized sheepishly.

Director-General Sawai had seen all kinds of things, and merely nodded calmly.

"There's something I still have to tell you in person. You need to prepare yourself."

Sanada Ryosuke had already guessed what Director-General Sawai was about to say.

"We haven't told the families of the people you killed the exact circumstances. You have a duty to tell them the truth."

"That is your responsibility. No matter what they decide, TPC won't hold them accountable."

"You need to understand that."

"Yes." Sanada Ryosuke said he understood.

After he'd been knocked unconscious, he'd had many dreams. Once he woke up, he'd thought about a lot of things. His mind was a mess, but he'd already been prepared for this.

"Then I also have a job to entrust to you."

"You've seen the consequences of human experimentation. I don't want to see anything like this happen again in TPC or anywhere in the world. Can you do that?" Director-General Sawai's expression was grave.

"You'll never see anything like it again." Sanada Ryosuke stood up and bowed deeply to Director-General Sawai.

Sanada Ryosuke was a man, too. After leaving the Command Room, he immediately went with Horii to the homes of the victims' families.

Their anger was impossible to contain, and their blows were naturally hard.

As a result, he spent more than half a year lying in a hospital bed.

The moment he was discharged, he threw himself into the work Director-General Sawai had assigned him, giving it his all.