The time shifted to half an hour earlier. At the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Headquarters.
Superintendent General Hakuba was meeting with his son, Hakuba Saguru.
Since Hakuba Saguru spent most of his time studying in England, father and son did not have many opportunities to be together.
Though the last time Makoto had returned to reality and gone on a killing spree after obtaining the Eternal Mangekyo, the main battlefield was still Tokyo, Hakuba Saguru, who was far away in England, had also seen it.
After all, the live-streamed video of Makoto instantly annihilating two US Navy Aircraft Carriers with his Complete Body Susanoo had already gone viral online.
Hakuba Saguru, whose personality was similar to Shinichi's, also felt restless after learning about this matter. He returned to Tokyo from England to discuss with his father, the Superintendent General, what should be done.
"You want to stop him?" The Superintendent General Hakuba, sitting in his office chair, glanced at his precious son.
He then moved the tablet on his desk in front of his son. On it were scenes of Yu, Reze, and others wreaking havoc at major US military bases.
Leaving aside the all-female team led by Megumi and Utaha, the two individuals, Yu and Reze, were unquestionably on a rampage.
"Nishikawa Makoto hasn't even made a move yet," Superintendent General Hakuba reminded him.
Even though Makoto had already displayed god-like power once before, there were still many within the Metropolitan Police who wanted to oppose him.
After all, Japan had a long-standing tradition of 'gekokujo'.
Furthermore, after Megure Juzo's death, his former subordinates, especially those led by Sato Miwako, harbored intense hatred towards Makoto.
There were not a few who had considered methods like assassination.
However, after witnessing the performance of Yu, Reze, and the others—
Even people like Sato Miwako, no matter how much they hated Makoto, had to abandon their thoughts.
Damn, if even his subordinates were that strong, how formidable must Makoto himself be?!
Hakuba Saguru frowned as he watched the two who had become Weapon Humans on the video. "I didn't see these two the last time Makoto caused trouble."
A few months ago, when Makoto first publicly demonstrated his power in the real world, although there were also many superpowered girls fighting alongside him, these two were clearly not there.
Moreover, the ones who participated in the battle then, like Kasumigaoka Utaha and the Aizono sisters, were less fighting alongside him than simply following behind Makoto to pick off easy targets, with Makoto handling 99.9% of the offensive power.
But this time was different. Not to mention that the strength displayed by Megumi, Utaha, and others was incomparable to last time,
Yu and Reze were truly carrying the fight.
"I've already had people investigate," Superintendent General Hakuba said. "The male is named Ishigami Yu, the youngest son of the president of the Ishigami Toys Group. He was a third-year middle school student at Shuichi'in Academy. He has a past experience of being falsely accused. Later, he switched allegiance to Makoto and awakened superpowers. There is no information on the female at all… we suspect she's an unregistered resident."
As he spoke, Superintendent General Hakuba handed a file on Yu to his son.
After taking it and quickly flipping through it, Hakuba Saguru frowned as he looked at Yu, who had transformed into the Gun Fiend and was rampaging through the US base like a devil descending from hell.
The file indicated that Yu had been extremely introverted until a few months ago, a marginal figure at school, which was completely opposite to the current image of him laughing maniacally while slaughtering US soldiers.
But more than his personality, Hakuba Saguru was curious about his superpowers.
'Did latching onto Nishikawa Makoto grant you superpowers?'
'Was it really that easy?'
Guessing his son's thoughts, Superintendent General Hakuba pointed to another corner of the live stream screen: "Look at this."
Hakuba Saguru turned his head to look. In another scene, there was a female student in a school uniform. Her current state was strikingly similar to Yu and Reze in the previous two scenes.
Her head had transformed into a weapon.
For the first two, it was a gun and a bomb, respectively, while for her, it was a sword.
"Katsura Kotonoha, the eldest daughter of the Katsura Food Group," Superintendent General Hakuba continued. "Her personality is similar to Ishigami Yu's… she was also quite timid before. She recently obtained superpowers."
"According to our investigation, some time ago, Makoto took her alone to the Totsuki Culinary Academy's infirmary. When they came out, she had gained this power."
Hakuba Saguru's expression changed.
"The infirmary?!"
"Father, could it be... was this Katsura Kotonoha's body modified?!"
For a long time, the whole world had been very curious about how Makoto and his group awakened their superpowers.
Some countries had also apprehended mutants like the Crab Monster that had appeared worldwide.
Through interrogations, they learned that the individuals themselves didn't know the reason… often, they would just wake up one day to find their bodies had changed.
This led officials to generally speculate that the abilities of Makoto's group were also natural awakenings.
However, hearing about Kotonoha's experience, Hakuba Saguru felt it seemed much more like human modification!
After all, if you didn't have superpowers before, and then Makoto took you to the infirmary and you had them afterward?
And the fact that it was specifically the infirmary… how could that not make people think in that direction?
"Father, so you intend to..."
"I think we need to at least investigate how Nishikawa Makoto and those around him obtain their superpowers," Superintendent General Hakuba replied. "If Nishikawa Makoto truly has a method to grant superpowers to others, I believe we can utilize that."
Hakuba Saguru frowned. Before he could speak again, the office door behind him suddenly opened.
Hakuba Saguru was startled and instinctively looked back—
There were not many people in the entire Japanese police world who could enter his father's office without knocking.
And when he saw who it was, Hakuba Saguru's expression changed slightly—
The arrivals were two middle-aged men. Hakuba Saguru recognized their identities at a glance.
The Superintendent General of the Osaka Prefectural Police, Hattori Heizo.
The Chief of the Criminal Affairs Department of the Osaka Prefectural Police, Toyama Ginshiro.
Before going to study in England, Hakuba Saguru had met them a few times, as they were both at the pinnacle of the Japanese police world, like his father.
"Uncle Hattori, Uncle Toyama, why have you come to Tokyo?"
Hattori Heizo said, "Naturally, to discuss with your father how to deal with Nishikawa Makoto."
At these words, Hakuba Saguru was first surprised, then pleased.
Even if adding the Osaka police force was still insignificant compared to Makoto, having a few more allies was naturally for the best.
Toyama Ginshiro added, "Although that guy is strong, he's too temperamental. Having him as the ruler of this country is too dangerous."
"Then, Uncle, what do you think should be done?"
Hakuba Saguru already had a faint idea of what the three were thinking but still asked.
As Hakuba Saguru expected, the three spoke in unison:
"An undercover agent."
That's right. Confronting Makoto head-on would be suicide.
Not to mention Makoto himself… even the Japanese police couldn't handle his subordinates.
Thus, only one path remained.
Hattori Heizo crossed his arms and said in a deep voice, "This should be the best way to uncover the secret of how Nishikawa Makoto and his group awaken their superpowers."
Toyama Ginshiro added, "If we're lucky, we might even gain Nishikawa Makoto's favor and awaken superpowers ourselves, like that girl named Katsura Kotonoha."
Hakuba Saguru nodded, also finding it reasonable. Suddenly remembering a key question, he asked, "Then who should go? Me?"
The three old-timers, whose combined age totaled 150, couldn't help but laugh.
"You?"
"You'd probably be shot by Ishigami Yu the moment you were brought before Makoto."
"Kid, haven't you noticed what Nishikawa Makoto likes?"
Toyama Ginshiro asked with a knowing smile.
Hakuba Saguru was stunned for a few seconds, then suddenly said, "Women!"
That's right. Although there were now men like Yu and Beam by Makoto's side-
From the moment he first appeared in the public eye, there had been a constant stream of women around him.
From the Aizono sisters to Megumi, then to Utaha, Yui, and now Reze...
One woman after another.
"Then, then who will go? To win Nishikawa Makoto's favor, she can't be bad-looking, right? And she has to be someone trustworthy..."
Hakuba Saguru searched his mind but couldn't find a suitable candidate.
Suddenly, Hattori Heizo and Toyama Ginshiro looked somewhat conflicted and called out towards the door, "Come in."
Immediately, a man with a scowling face… oh no, just a high school student with very dark skin, walked in.
Hakuba Saguru recognized him. Hattori Heizo's son, Hattori Heiji, was hailed as the best high school detective in Osaka, often compared to Tokyo's Kudo Shinichi.
However, Hakuba Saguru believed he was superior to both Kudo Shinichi and Hattori Heiji.
Following him, a beautiful woman pulled a female high school student in a sailor uniform into the room.
Hakuba Saguru recognized the woman: Hattori Heizo's wife, Hattori Shizuka. But the girl beside her, Hakuba Saguru did not know.
Toyama Ginshiro introduced her: "My daughter, Toyama Kazuha."
Hakuba Saguru understood.
'I see. If she was the daughter of the Chief of the Criminal Affairs Department of the Osaka Prefectural Police, then she was indeed trustworthy.'
And Hakuba Saguru admitted that Kazuha was good-looking. Although she might not be top-tier compared to the women Makoto already had, there should still be a chance.
"What a joke!?" Heiji exploded. "Using this kind of sexual espionage, do you have any pride left as police officers?!"
"Shut up."
Hattori Heizo showed no mercy towards his son. "Heiji, do you have a better idea?"
Heiji clenched his fists tightly but said nothing.
Hattori Heizo turned to his wife: "Shizuka, take Kazuha to Totsuki. The helicopter is ready."
"..."
Shizuka nodded, taking Kazuha's hand again. "Kazuha-chan, let's go."
Kazuha had remained silent throughout, only giving Heiji one last look before leaving.