The wind no longer howls.
The sunlight regained its proper warmth.
The citizens on the ground, who had been holding their breath, erupted in a cheer of relief, as if they were shouting out the fear and despair that had been building up for weeks.
The suffocating feeling that weighed on everyone's hearts, like the end of the world, vanished completely with the self-destruction of that devil.
Everyone looked up at the top of that skyscraper.
Hope is rekindled amidst the ruins.
People began to chant that legendary name.
" The Unforgiven!"
"He did it! He did it all by himself!"
In the public's perception, this was a victory for free will.
A lone wolf, unbound by any organization, shattered the nightmare that shrouded New York.
He proved that heroes don't need certification, much less be locked in a cage called "regulation".
Yasuo took a step forward.
He stepped into the empty void.
It did not fall.
An invisible wind supported his body, and he descended slowly from a height of nearly four hundred meters, step by step, as if there were invisible steps beneath his feet.
The crowd instinctively parted to the sides, creating an open space.
Yasuo's figure landed lightly in the center of the square.
Dozens of spotlights, which had been prepared in advance, lit up simultaneously from the tops of the surrounding buildings, turning him and the small area beneath his feet into a blindingly bright stage.
The crowd was astonished to discover that while they were cheering for the mysterious swordsman, a frighteningly efficient team had silently completed the setup of the entire scene.
The cordon was re-erected.
This time, it wasn't the New York police separating the crowd, but security personnel dressed in Vought tactical uniforms and armed to the teeth.
A mobile press conference stage was quickly pushed in front of Yasuo.
The Vought logo above gleamed with a metallic sheen under the spotlight.
The entire process was seamless, like a meticulously choreographed performance.
A woman dressed in a haute couture suit and wearing ten-centimeter high heels, exuding an aura so powerful it seemed to freeze the air around her, walked to the front of the stage.
He was the deputy head of Vought's Public Relations and Brand Management Department.
Miranda Priestly.
She glanced at the countless cameras and bewildered faces below the stage, then gave a formulaic smile.
"Ladies and gentlemen, citizens of New York."
Her voice, amplified by the loudspeakers, resonated clearly throughout the entire square.
"As you can see, the crisis that loomed over our city has been averted."
She turned to the side and pointed to the silent man beside her.
"And all of this is thanks to our man beside us, the Unforgiven, Mr. Yasuo."
Reporters from other newspapers and news stations finally recovered from their shock, with a reporter from the New York Post launching the first attack.
"Ms. Priestly! Is this the Unforgiven a hero of Vought? Why has his file never been released?"
"When did Vought International contact him? Why did they wait so long after the crisis began, and after the citizens of New York had paid such a heavy price, before finally getting him to take action?"
"Does this mean that Vought was already aware of the existence of Deconstructionist, but deliberately allowed them to create panic in order to achieve some ulterior motive?"
Miranda's smile remained unchanged.
She raised her hand and gently pressed down.
I know you all have many questions.
She turned to Yasuo and asked softly, in a tone that seemed to invite her:
"Mr. Yasuo, before answering questions from the media, would you like to say a few words to the citizens of New York who have just experienced hardship?"
Under the Center of Attention, Yasuo nodded.
He walked to the microphone, his worldly-wise eyes sweeping across the room, and uttered only one sentence. "The clamor has subsided."
After saying that, he took half a step back and fell silent again.
Miranda took the microphone, her face showing admiration.
"Thank you for the summary, Mr. Yasuo."
"Now, I will answer your questions."
"First of all, ' The Unforgiven ' is not a hero in the traditional sense of the Vought International. He is a reclusive master, a practitioner who has long since transcended worldly conflicts and is pursuing his own 'Tao'."
" Deconstructionist represent an unprecedented threat. Against this enemy, conventional physical attacks are not only ineffective, but will actually accelerate the spread of their power."
She paused slightly, her gaze seemingly casually sweeping over the few "street hero" survivors in the crowd.
"This has been painfully proven by the previous... regrettable acts of courageous but reckless street vigilantes. Their sacrifices were meaningless except for creating chaos and exacerbating panic."
Her words mercilessly rubbed salt into the wounds of those fallen street heroes.
" Vought's threat assessment department determined immediately that only experts with similar capabilities could eradicate this disaster at its root."
"Therefore, we mobilized Vought International's global intelligence network and paid a heavy price to finally find and persuade this reclusive the Unforgiven to come out of retirement and cut this blow for this city."
This statement disguised Vought's "inaction" as "deliberate planning" and "precision strikes."
Their slowness can be interpreted as a process of searching for the "optimal solution".
Whispers began to circulate among the crowd.
This explanation sounds... very reasonable!
The New York Post reporter persisted, asking, "Does this mean that the Unforgiven's actions were just a one-off? Will he leave after this? What should we do if a similar threat arises again? Should we wait for Vought to spend weeks searching for him?"
This question reflects the sentiments of everyone.
This is exactly the problem that Miranda was waiting for.
Good question.
"In fact, after in-depth communication between the senior management of Vought and Mr. The Unforgiven, he himself also felt deep concern about the potential threats facing our city."
" The Unforgiven believes that it's better to quell the wind's source before it even forms than to try and cut it down after Stormfront's already arrived."
"Therefore..."
Miranda's voice suddenly rose in pitch.
"It is my honor to announce to you all!"
"This master swordsman who wields the Law of Wind, the Unforgiven Yasuo, has officially accepted the invitation from Vought International!"
"Let's work together to safeguard world order and peace!"
Everyone was stunned.
That symbol of freedom, that legend of unbridled spirit, that lone ranger representing the spirit of rebellion...
Joined Vought?
This is the collapse of a spiritual idol.
The young man who had just been shouting " The Unforgiven " gaped, his fervor turning into a comical blankness.
The aggressive reporter dropped his recording pen with a "thud" to the ground.
Their newly ignited hope for "heroes of freedom" was extinguished by a bucket of cold water.
Lynn watched the grand performance he had personally directed on the screen and nodded in satisfaction.
"They cheered for the lone wolf, but they didn't understand that only sheep herded by sheepdogs can survive the winter safely."
He raised his glass and gave a slight salute to the solitary figure on the screen, surrounded by countless Flash.
"For the sake of order."
Motoko Kusanagi stood beside him, as calm as ever.
"Boss, the plan is in its final stages. The passage of the amendments to the ' Mandatory Superhuman Regulation Act ' is a foregone conclusion."
" Vought will gain unprecedented law enforcement and oversight powers, becoming the sole architect of order."
All of this was part of his plan.
At the press conference, the noisy crowd gradually calmed down.
Miranda has silenced all doubts with her impeccable logic and powerful presence.
People are beginning to accept this reality.
Perhaps, the hero of freedom is just an unrealistic fantasy.
Perhaps, those who bring safety are the true heroes.