Back at the Kendo Club, Silvain grabbed another full-length sword, wrapped it in black cloth, and stuffed it into his backpack. He wasn't there to train anyway. Last night, he'd poked a hole in the bottom of the bag. Although carrying a long item on his back looked a little suspicious, it was still better than holding it in his hand.
"This fusion speed is really frustrating."
[Transformation Talent Fusing, Current Progress: 19%]
Silvain pulled out his phone and started searching for good food nearby. The world was vast, but for Silvain, satisfying his taste buds was top priority. Of course, if he happened to run into another Parasyte or two along the way, that would be even better.
"It's a shame I can't use the Analyze function until the talent is fully fused. Otherwise, I could check whether other Parasytes have developed sensory abilities."
Thanks to helpful netizens, Silvain soon found a solid oden shop. The flavor was excellent.
The only downside was not encountering any Parasytes who might be following him.
…
The next day, the auditorium at West High was packed with second-year students.
A middle-aged man in glasses stood on stage, with faculty members lined up behind him.
"Good morning, everyone. A few days ago, Mr. Matsuyama was hospitalized due to a traffic accident and won't be able to continue teaching. Next, I'd like to introduce your new substitute math teacher." He turned to the right. "Ms. Tamiya, please."
A woman with a striking figure walked to the front of the stage. She wore a light blue, open-necked trench coat.
Her face was calm and expressionless as she introduced herself: "I'm Ryoko Tamiya. Please take care of me."
Interesting. So she finally appeared. While Shinichi grew visibly nervous after realizing her true identity through Migi, Silvain remained composed.
He vaguely remembered that she was a leader in one of the Parasyte organizations.
And ultimately the one who created the monster known as Gotou.
"A true genius among Parasytes." Silvain's gaze toward Ryoko Tamiya was filled with appreciation.
However, she didn't notice him at all. Her attention was focused elsewhere.
As expected, after the math class, Shinichi Izumi was called alone to the career guidance office.
"What a charming beauty. Congrats, Shinichi. I'm honestly jealous. You get a private tutoring session with such a gorgeous teacher." Silvain raised an eyebrow teasingly.
Shinichi reacted with unusual intensity, lunging at Silvain and shouting, "What are you even talking about?! You don't understand what I'm feeling right now!"
"Relax. Things are never as bad as you think." Silvain leaned against the desk behind him and replied calmly.
After Shinichi walked out of the classroom, Migi popped out of his collar again. "Actually, he's right. Things might not be as bad as he fears. At the very least, I don't sense any killing intent from her."
"Wait. Someone's following us."
Migi told Shinichi to look back, and he spotted Silvain exiting the classroom as well.
"Don't mind me. I just need to use the bathroom."
"No, he's lying. The bathroom's the other way," Migi whispered.
"It doesn't matter," Shinichi muttered, suppressing his nerves as he approached the career guidance office and opened the door.
After Shinichi entered, he quietly shut the door behind him.
At the same time, Silvain arrived at the door. He smiled at the slightly ajar window, then leaned against the wall. His right ear stretched like rubber, allowing him to hear the conversation inside clearly.
"Please sit."
When Shinichi didn't move, Ryoko Tamiya continued, "Izumi, you know my true identity, don't you?"
"Yes."
"Yes? Is that how you talk to a teacher? No need to be so tense. Your right hand should know I have no intent to kill."
Ryoko stared at Shinichi and went on, "Besides, if we fought at this distance, we would both suffer fatal injuries."
"I still have a lot I want to ask you. Can we talk again after school?"
Before Shinichi could respond, his right hand answered for him.
"What if this is a trap? I don't want to go with her," Shinichi said quickly to Migi.
"Why are humans so irrational? If I wanted to kill you, I already would have. I'm simply very interested in your case. I've never encountered someone like you before. I want to collect your data, exchange information, and maybe even collaborate in the future."
Click. The door opened.
Silvain stepped in and smiled at the two. "I think it's best to include me too. I'm quite interested in your information."
Silvain's sudden entrance triggered an instant wave of killing intent from Ryoko Tamiya. Cracks formed across her right cheek, and razor-sharp blades sprang from the fissures.
"Silvain-kun! Get out of here, now!"
Shinichi didn't hesitate to stand in front of Silvain, urging him to leave.
"You've been eavesdropping this whole time? Foolish human," Ryoko said coldly, her appearance now twisted and feral.
"That's right." Silvain admitted it casually. He stepped forward from behind Shinichi and raised his right hand, now transformed into a sharp blade. "But I'm not human. I'm also a Parasyte. Same kind as you."
The statement nearly made Shinichi's jaw hit the floor.
"Impossible. I can't sense your presence," Ryoko responded immediately.
Silvain gave a faint smile. "You can't sense me, and I can't sense you either. If Shinichi's situation is a first for you, then who's to say mine isn't also new to you?"
His bluff was surprisingly convincing. And more importantly, the transformation ability he displayed left Ryoko with no choice but to believe him.
"Your case is certainly unusual. Could there have been an error during parasitism, causing you to lose the ability to detect others… But then why can't I detect you either?"
Ryoko Tamiya was genuinely puzzled.
"What's more, I have an overwhelming urge to eat you… the same feeling I get when I face a human."
In response, Silvain simply shrugged. "I don't know what's going on either. But out of so many Parasytes, isn't it normal for one or two anomalies to show up?"
"That's true. You really are a rare case." Ryoko stared at Silvain. Though she appeared calm, her thoughts were in turmoil. She had long been curious about the relationship between humans and Parasytes, and how the latter could integrate into human society. Now, Silvain might hold some of the answers.
(To be continued.)