Network

As the Host of Parasites, Shiraishi Wataru could utilize the parasites to negate the negative side effects of his abilities. This meant he could enter the state of the Firework Knight at any time, though the consumption was extremely high and he could not sustain it for long. If an Ultraman lasted three minutes, he was equivalent to about twenty Ultramen.

These two abilities left Shiraishi Wataru quite satisfied. Therefore, even though he was slightly displeased with Ito's "lack of ambition," he was in no rush to step in and guide him.

He gave him the ability to [Conceal] as a backhand, allowing him to lay low for the time being.

In this regard, Shiraishi Wataru still possessed a shred of benevolence, however little it might be.

Withdrawing his attention from Ito, he had to busy himself with practicing multitasking. Manipulating two or even three parasitic bodies simultaneously was something he felt would eventually come in handy; he could not simply avoid it just because it was difficult!

"This is unlikely to be a normal natural gas explosion. Look, the flames first appeared on the sixth floor—these few frames here—and in less than a second, they surged to the seventh floor. Three seconds later, the twelfth floor, and then it shot past the roof. The overall shape was like a pillar of fire, reaching a height of seventy or eighty meters. Even with a flamethrower, the flames would diffuse over such a distance. This footage looks as if there is some force I cannot explain, tightly controlling the flames in the center. I would rather believe this is a movie special effect."

After listening to the expert's analysis, William nodded and patted the man on the shoulder. "Thank you for your explanation; it is a great help to us."

"I'm glad I could help."

After seeing the expert off, William dialed Noguchi Yuji's number, relayed the information discovered here, and stated his own suspicions.

"You suspect this is related to extraordinary powers?"

"Yes. Although there isn't much footage captured, it has been confirmed as authentic. Which department is in charge of this incident? I would like to request to intervene in the investigation on behalf of the task force."

"It's under the First Investigation Division, usually handled by Koizumi of the Special Crimes Investigation Division 3. I'll have a word with him so you can intervene directly, but it's best not to interfere with their investigative direction."

"Good. Since he is your former subordinate, that makes things much easier."

"If you need any help, I can have Toyokawa Jousei dispatched at any time."

"If it truly becomes necessary, I will not stand on ceremony."

Not long after, while William was still studying the video, Koizumi of the Special Crimes Investigation Division 3 sent him several files via the internal communication system.

[This is the current assessment report of the scene, along with suspect files and testimonies.]

[Thank you!]

William had his subordinates print the materials, intending to give each of them a copy to brainstorm together.

"The only suspect currently unaccounted for: Ito Seigo."

"Ito Seigo!"

The landlord, currently staying in a hotel due to the fire, snapped out of his deep contemplation and slammed his hand against the edge of the bed. No wonder he felt something was wrong the more he thought about it.

Ito had been acting suspiciously on the night of the fire, his phone had been turned off for the past few days, and the police had asked many questions about him. Most importantly—the fire had started and spread from his unit!

A terrifying hypothesis began to take shape in his mind. He quickly opened Twitter, found the trending topic regarding the fire that day, clutched his chest, and, filled with resentment as he thought of his newly renovated apartment, posted the theory he had just concluded.

[White Dragon of the Fire? An arsonist!]

[Ito Seigo. I believe many people are unfamiliar with this name, but those who browse the internet often should have seen this picture. That's right, it's the 'White Dragon of the Fire' who was very popular over half a year ago! He was discharged from the hospital a few days ago, and because I had a good impression of him, I ignored my family's objections and rented my six-story apartment to him. It was the Kamizakura Apartment that caught fire the day before yesterday. Do you think it's a coincidence? Anyone who has watched the fire video knows that the fire started on the sixth floor.

That night, I ran into Ito rushing downstairs. I was relieved he hadn't been caught in the disaster, but he claimed he was going to the hospital because he was injured. Although he didn't even look like his clothes were dirty, I didn't have the time to think about it then. It wasn't until I watched the video later that I realized: if the flashover started in his apartment, why was he able to walk downstairs without a scratch? Even his mask was still white! And the strangest part is that since that day, I haven't been able to contact him at all. Then the police asked me a lot of questions about him. Add in the fact that he lost his parents and was disfigured in a fire—you tell me, is there a possibility that Ito Seigo is taking revenge on society? (Attached: photo of disfigurement)]

The tweet began to ferment over time.

The trend, which had already begun to cool down, once again attracted attention.

News practitioners saw it immediately: a former hero firefighter turned arsonist demon—a perfect, explosive contrast. Such news would never go out of style.

Information began to spread, and by evening, many victims' families and sympathizers had gone to the Metropolitan Police Department, demanding that a warrant be issued for Ito Seigo and that he be brought to justice as soon as possible.

The Metropolitan Police Department issued a statement confirming that Ito Seigo was indeed the only suspect not yet apprehended, that a warrant had been issued, and advised Ito Seigo to surrender as soon as possible.

The next day, the situation intensified.

Ito Seigo's ex-girlfriend had her true identity dug up by self-media; she was cyberbullied and threatened to the point where she didn't even dare to go to work. A single sentence she posted on Twitter, "The person I knew is not that kind of person," drew countless insults, forcing her to close her comment section.

The landlord was also heavily criticized, with people claiming he was indirectly responsible for the deaths of the other tenants in the apartment.

Even the graves of Ito Seigo's parents were exposed. Within half a day, victims' families posted videos of themselves splashing ink and leaving messages on the tombstones. The comment section was divided.

Those who scolded them felt it had gone too far, asking how this was any different from collective punishment, especially since they were punishing the dead.

Supporters retorted, "Do not preach kindness if you have not suffered their pain." If their own relatives were on the death list, they would do even worse—smashing the monument and scattering the ashes. It was only because burial wasn't common now; otherwise, they would have dug up the graves and whipped the corpses three hundred times.

Some were inspired and announced they were heading out right then.

"Send people to monitor the person who posted the video, and place the cemetery under surveillance. Do not allow anyone to approach or vandalize it." William rubbed his temples, not knowing how to evaluate the situation.

He had delved into Ito's background and speculated that he was likely not the type to commit arson intentionally; it was more likely an accidental loss of control over the flames. Of course, human psychology was complex, and his hypothesis would be adjusted at any time based on real-world intelligence.

"Major, we've checked all the surveillance near the park. Only this convenience store has anything of value."

The subordinate played the video, which showed a person in a hoodie and mask entering the convenience store.

As the door chime rang, William frowned and rewatched those two seconds of footage.

"A customer walked in, but she didn't even glance at her."

As the video progressed, William guessed something. And when Ito entered the convenience store a second time, only to leave after glancing at the surveillance camera, he became even more certain of his theory.

"Go find this clerk and confirm these questions with her."

After giving instructions to his subordinate, he raised his hand and clenched his fist.

He hoped it wouldn't come to a fight.