Anomaly Investigation Division

The Parasyte World

"Welcome back!"

As usual, Shinichi Izumi returned home from school.

"You're home so early today. Didn't you have club activities?"

Shinichi's mother asked with a smile.

"I'm a little tired today. I didn't feel like going."

"It's good you came home early. It's dangerous outside these days. There was that earthquake and those monsters last time. Don't go wandering around."

Seeing the worry and concern on his mother's face, Shinichi felt the immense unreality that had weighed on him these past few days gradually fade. A deep sense of contentment and happiness washed over him, as if all his fatigue and unease had vanished.

"Okay, Mom. I'll make sure to stay safe and protect you all!"

"Our Shinichi's grown into a real man."

After dinner, Shinichi returned to his bedroom and sat quietly, thinking.

Three days had passed since the last supernatural incident.

That was right. The authorities in countries around the world had labeled the series of events as the "Anomaly Beginning."

The official explanation was that, for reasons unknown, the planet's natural ecology had undergone changes, triggering a series of natural disasters and the birth of mysterious giant beasts. The specific cause remained unclear and was still under investigation.

As for the Reincarnators who had descended, they were explained away as members of the various countries' secret forces. All information about them was classified and could not be made public.

Naturally, the public didn't believe an official explanation that said nothing at all.

People took to the streets to protest, demanding that the government reveal the truth and disclose how humanity could become supernatural.

Various cults also seized the opportunity to muddy the waters, using slogans like "God has descended," "Secrets of supernatural cultivation," and "Hidden supernatural organizations."

Faced with the chaos, governments around the world united and crushed the unrest without mercy. They arrested those who needed arresting and killed those who needed killing.

They didn't bother clamping down on the wild speculation spreading online, though. It was simply impossible to keep up with it all.

Anyone in the Parasyte world could open the internet and visit any forum to find countless posts analyzing the events. Each one sounded convincing, proposing everything from the revival of spiritual energy to invasions from other worlds and visits from aliens. The theories grew more outlandish by the minute, leaving the public unsure what to believe.

There's no need to go into detail here. Friends in the Parasyte world can look it up online for themselves.

The chaos just beginning to emerge, combined with the shock of entering the Main God Space three days earlier and having his worldview turned upside down, left Shinichi, a newly minted Reincarnator, feeling somewhat lost.

Just then, a text message arrived on his phone.

"Shinichi, you left so early today. Are you feeling unwell? From: Satomi Murano"

Seeing his girlfriend's concerned message gave his gloomy, weary heart a burst of energy, and he felt a little better.

He immediately reassured her that he was just tired and told her not to worry.

"Shinichi, I'll do my best to stay by your side and face everything with you!

"If—if I put you in danger, don't hesitate. You have to leave me behind and save yourself!"

After reading her message, Shinichi lay back on his bed, sinking into the soft covers as he stared blankly at the ceiling.

Right... Satomi knew all about this. She'd known ever since I chose to revive her in the Main God Space. After all, she was a Reincarnator just like me!

After her revival, everything had been reset. She had skipped the Novice Mission and become an ordinary Reincarnator.

But because she hadn't received a Novice Mission reward, she hadn't undergone any enhancements. Her next mission would probably be hellishly difficult...

As her boyfriend, Shinichi couldn't just stand by and do nothing. So he gave up his first enhancement and went straight to exchange for a Small Team Contract, binding their next reincarnation mission together.

After witnessing so many terrifying monsters, all Shinichi wanted was to protect the people around him. He didn't want to let them fall into danger, even if that meant putting himself in greater danger.

But what was the point of being a man if he couldn't protect the woman he loved?

While Shinichi was thinking about how to prepare for his next mission, someone knocked on his bedroom door. His mother's voice came from outside.

"Shinichi, two police officers are here to see you. They said there's something they'd like to ask of you."

Half an hour later, in Shinichi's bedroom.

After talking with them, Shinichi learned that they were members of Tokyo's Anomaly Investigation Division. On paper, the Division fell under the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, but in practice, it was directly overseen by the highest levels of the cabinet. It was responsible for investigating supernatural and other anomalous incidents, and wielded tremendous authority.

They had come to invite Shinichi to join the Anomaly Investigation Division as a special member.

The main negotiator was a strikingly poised female police officer named Saeko Nogami. She had been a detective with the Metropolitan Police Department, but her exceptional abilities had earned her a transfer to the newly established Division.

"Mr. Izumi, you're a supernatural being. The people of this country need your strength!"

Saeko Nogami bowed deeply before Shinichi. Though she was known as the Metropolitan Police Department's fox and excelled at hand-to-hand combat and firearms, she still had to humble herself before a man several years younger than she was.

That was because the country's military had analyzed information from various sources and concluded that Shinichi Izumi was very likely a newly awakened supernatural being with ties to outsiders!

Shinichi gave a wry smile. He wasn't afraid to fight monsters, but he found it hard to let go of the feelings he had for other people. The government had sent a beautiful police officer to recruit him, and appealed to his sense of duty toward the people of the country, because they had their eyes on him as a newly awakened supernatural combatant.

Of course, Shinichi wasn't going to join just to be used as a tool. Reincarnators had to face many powerful enemies. If he could rely on the government's resources, perhaps he could avoid a lot of trouble early on and grow stronger faster.

After giving it some thought, Shinichi nodded in agreement.

"Wonderful! You'll be glad you made this choice!" Saeko Nogami let out a long breath. Only she knew how much pressure she had been under.

It wasn't just the demands and pressure from her superiors. She had clearance to access some of the information and knew how strong the young man in front of her was.

If this high school student in his teens wanted to, he could kill a whole classroom of people in seconds. In complicated terrain, he could even take on a fully armed Tactical Squad!

Fortunately, the country's leaders had managed to recruit Shinichi by sending a beautiful police officer and offering him various benefits.

"It seems the personality profile the experts provided wasn't entirely useless after all," Saeko Nogami thought to herself. She briefly explained a few more things to Shinichi, then arranged to meet him at the new office the next day.

The next morning, Shinichi arrived at a secret military base. After passing through a series of strict checkpoints, he entered the facility.

A staff member led him to a conference room.

Saeko Nogami was the only one there. She handed Shinichi a document she had prepared in advance.

"This is a taijutsu training method that came from the higher-ups. Take a look. We want you to assess whether it's genuine, and it's also one of the rewards we're giving you for joining the Anomaly Investigation Division."

A taijutsu training method?

Shinichi took the document skeptically. The title, printed on the A4 sheet, read Basic Taijutsu Training.

It described ways to use basic equipment to train the body. At first glance, it seemed much like ordinary exercise, but some unusual techniques gave it a certain air of legitimacy.

Shinichi had a thought and queried the Reincarnator Assistant System in his mind:

[Can I upload this Basic Taijutsu Training method?]

The Assistant System promptly responded:

[This secret method has already been uploaded by another Reincarnator. You cannot upload it to earn points.

Would you like to exchange 300 points for the D-rank ordinary enhancement: Basic Taijutsu Mastery?]

[No exchange.]

Shinichi's eyelid twitched. He hadn't expected this basic taijutsu training method to be real, or that it would cost 300 points.

It only trained the body and granted no other supernatural powers. At most, it could take someone to the low level of the first tier. Even so, anyone who mastered it could easily beat elite soldiers and martial arts experts.

But where had this come from? Before I encountered Migi, our world was clearly an ordinary technological one. There shouldn't have been any training methods like this. Did another Reincarnator provide it? A flood of questions rose in Shinichi's mind.

"Well? From your expression, I take it it's genuine?"

Saeko Nogami smiled confidently.

"Several experts have already examined this information. In theory, it can be practiced. But many of the methods require exceptionally high levels of physical fitness—so high that they're practically inhuman. An ordinary person couldn't train this way."

"Where did this come from?"

Shinichi asked bluntly.

Saeko Nogami didn't answer right away. She just smiled and handed Shinichi another document.

Shinichi took it and turned to the first page. The moment he saw the title, his eyes widened.

Six Powers: Moonwalk!