Golden Flames

William kept a constant watch on news related to Ito Seigo, especially after receiving a report that Ikuta Ichicho was likely dead.

He said "likely" because all that remained in the man's room was a pile of ash that had lost all discernible shape.

However, surveillance footage had witnessed Ito's visit and the subsequent destruction.

It was now ninety-eight percent certain that the man was a superhuman.

Without hesitation, William immediately requested that Noguchi Yuji dispatch Toyokawa Jousei to assist him, while also asking the other party to help implement certain measures.

But before he could even organize his thoughts, a subordinate reported that another important video concerning Ito had surfaced.

After watching the video of the Fujiwara family, even a man of William's composure couldn't help but gasp.

I thought Ikuta Ichicho was invincible, but I didn't expect someone to be even more ferocious. Whose subordinate is this?

And is the whole family this bold? They really went all out, didn't they?

Is living not good enough for you?

Why must you insist on joining the fray? Are you looking to enjoy a free cremation by Ito?

This won't do. There are too many incompetent teammates. I truly miss the days of handling matters with Noguchi and Kuroki.

William could sense that Ito's mindset was shifting. If the fire at the apartment and the resulting deaths hadn't been his original intent, he now had no qualms about killing.

One should never test someone who has suddenly gained superpowers while harboring a heart full of complex emotions.

A change in personality can happen in an instant, sometimes even catching the person themselves off guard.

William himself only possessed the most basic reinforced skin defense, yet even that often made him feel a sense of superiority over ordinary people—let alone Ito, whose abilities appeared particularly formidable.

He exhaled a long breath, suppressing the myriad thoughts in his mind.

"Send the Fujiwara family to the investigation team and keep them under tight protection. Two people must monitor the cameras at all times. The moment the suspect appears, notify your colleagues immediately. From now on, do not trust your own eyes; use cameras to replace your vision."

"Yes!"

Most members of the investigation team were men of action, and under his order, they moved with rapid efficiency.

William led a team to the apartment where the Fujiwara family resided, meeting up with the arriving Toyokawa Jousei.

He was the same boy who had suffered from persecutory delusions.

William had been the one to negotiate with him back then.

"What do we do?" Toyokawa looked at the empty space around them and frowned.

"If we can communicate, we should try. Fighting is the worst-case scenario." William offered Toyokawa a gentle smile.

"Ha, if I were the enemy, I'd tear your mouth off first." Toyokawa gave him no face at all.

William didn't mind. "Oh, that is the highest praise I could receive. I have always preferred to 'let a gentleman use his words, not his fists'."

Toyokawa stopped talking, picked up his phone, and scanned the surroundings, remaining vigilant.

"Major, target spotted. He is walking toward the main entrance, approximately one hundred meters away. Over."

"Copy that." William's smile faded. "First Squad, what is the status of the Fujiwara family?"

"Report, they are heading downstairs. Over."

"Are there any other escape routes from the apartment?"

"Let me check—they can exit from another direction via the underground parking lot."

"Good. First Squad, maintain your original mission but exit via the underground parking lot. Second and Third Squads, evacuate all residents of the apartment through the underground parking lot. Fireteam, check your safeties."

Ito had driven there, but since he had parked some distance from the apartment, he was walking the rest of the way.

"Mr. Ito."

Ito stopped in his tracks, looking at the strange combination before him.

A blond, blue-eyed foreign man and a frail-looking boy who didn't look a day over fifteen.

"Official personnel?" Ito wasn't overly surprised that they could see him; after all, the weakness of his ability to lower his presence was quite obvious.

"You could say that. Now, can we talk?"

William smiled broadly and gestured toward a table and three chairs that had been set up at some point ten meters away, complete with juice, coffee, and tea.

Ito stood his ground. "Talk to you so I can be surrounded, and then wait for you to secretly relocate the Fujiwara family?"

"Communication can solve many problems; we are sincere about that. As for the Fujiwara family, as citizens, we have an obligation to protect them. This is not an obstacle to our dialogue. If Mr. Ito minds that there are too many of us, I can have my squad leave first."

William said this with genuine sincerity.

"We also have a lot of intelligence that might interest you, such as the Holy Infant, or perhaps, the Holy Son Pill."

Under William's probing, Ito remained unmoved, staring at him for a few seconds. "I don't think you are ordinary people. Why don't you let me see if there is any need for communication first?"

William sighed and shook his head.

"Since when did you Easterners become so fond of physical communication? Am I the only gentleman left?"

BOOM!

Ito didn't waste any more words; flames erupted from his body!

William was sent flying several meters back, rolling across the ground a few times before he managed to steady himself.

He could not afford to reveal that he possessed abilities yet, so he left the close-quarters combat to Toyokawa while he provided support with the fireteam.

"Open fire!"

The nearby high ground immediately unleashed a hail of ammunition, and Ito was suddenly trapped like a rat in a jar.

"#!#@, you could've at least told me about this plan beforehand!"

Seeing the gunfire erupting from all directions, Toyokawa felt goosebumps rise all over his skin. Terrified, he immediately entered his void state; even with his Steel Body, he had no desire to test the taste of heavy firepower.

Ito braced his hands, and flames swirled through the air, propelling his body forward like a projectile. In the blink of an eye, he was upon William.

William reached out to block Ito's punch. Thanks to his Steel Body, he wasn't broken immediately, but he dared not maintain contact for too long, lest his defensive capabilities draw suspicion.

"Toyokawa!"

William shouted.

The youth suddenly materialized behind Ito, wielding dual blades and looking exactly like a rogue from a video game.

A pair of flaming wings erupted like molten lava, slamming directly into Toyokawa's face and singeing his eyebrows off.

Having only recently finished training and lacking experience, he was stopped in his tracks, and Ito seized the opportunity to accelerate his assault on William.

"You picked the wrong target!" William flared with anger. "Have you ever seen American-style Iai?"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

No one saw when William drew his gun; by the time they reacted, he had already fired three shots.

The powerful Magnum rounds pierced through the flame barrier and tore into Ito's body.

Ito's face twisted in pain; his weakened flame barrier had failed to stop these high-caliber rounds at such close range.

His physical defense did not seem particularly strong. William immediately noted this information.

Meanwhile, Toyokawa had already lunged back into the fray.

The dual blades were reflected in Ito's pupils.

So, he wasn't as powerful or unique as he had imagined.

Not only could bullets hurt him, but blades could as well.

"If I die in such a minor skirmish, I'll have to slap myself twice a day in hell out of regret."

"So, it's my turn to play!"

In a fleeting instant, the red flames in Ito's eyes shifted into golden ones.