News of the superhumans who had appeared in the Cherry Blossom Country had been circulating in the intelligence reports of major powers for some time, and had begun spreading beyond them, deliberately or otherwise.
For mercenary organizations around the world, detailed information on superhumans was hard to come by.
Every country kept its records on superhumans strictly classified, but this time was an exception.
That was because the superhumans in the Cherry Blossom Country had made no attempt to conceal their intention to found a nation.
Every part of a superhuman's body was a treasure. A few cells or strands of hair-or, better yet, some blood or flesh-would be enough to keep someone fed and comfortable for a long time.
Hoping to strike it rich, quite a few private mercenaries and assassins set off for the Cherry Blossom Country.
Yet half a month passed without a word from them.
No one saw them alive, and no bodies turned up.
According to "leaks" from certain unnamed intelligence organizations, the superhumans in the Cherry Blossom Country were not particularly powerful.
They merely had basic physical enhancements, though no one knew how those enhancements had been achieved.
Uncovering that secret might even reveal a way to extend human lifespans.
In short, rumors flew everywhere. True or false, they all drew the attention of anyone with standing toward the superhumans in the Cherry Blossom Country.
Even Nick Fury, who had been running around pulling strings for the Avengers Initiative, attracted little attention.
Of course, some clever people claimed that these so-called superhumans were nothing more than a lie concocted by certain organizations.
It was all a ploy to lure them over.
Not many people believed that, though.
For a time, the Cherry Blossom Country became the center of attention.
Within the Cherry Blossom Country,