The reporter's question left Silvain speechless for a moment.
Fortunately, several uniformed police officers arrived in time. The leading officer stepped forward, holding up a document. "The details of this incident are classified. You're not authorized to know. If you want to ask questions, please choose another topic."
With that, the reporters had no choice but to shift their focus.
"I heard your swordsmanship is exceptional. Someone even saw your sword at the scene of the suspect's death. Did you defeat the attacker with your swordsmanship?" a reporter asked.
"That's an exaggeration. At most, I'm only slightly skilled with a sword."
Seeing that Silvain didn't deny defeating the assailant with swordsmanship, the media immediately perked up. It was a headline-worthy scoop. They began to probe further, bombarding him with questions, which quickly annoyed Silvain.
"Sorry, I need to rest," Silvain said, directly signaling for them to leave.
"Are you sure? We'll pay you a manuscript fee."
Still unwilling to give up, the reporters handed him business cards as they exited. One whispered, "Mr. Silvain, if you have any exclusive news, please consider us. Money is not an issue."
Once the reporters had left, a police officer immediately locked the door behind them.
The lead officer sat down in front of Silvain, opened a file bag, and laid out a stack of photos. "The person you killed was named Masashi Makino. He used to be a renovation worker from Osaka. His family reported losing contact with him after he came to Tokyo. These are photos from the scene."
Silvain examined the images. They showed the remnants of the battle with Mr. A.
"It's clear this level of destruction is beyond what humans can do. These are autopsy photos of the corpse. His abnormal cranial structure shows he was no longer human. His body had been taken over by a creature we refer to as a Parasite. We're here to ask how much you know about them."
It was clear from the officer's words that Parasites had come under police scrutiny, and they had gathered considerable information.
"I'm sorry. I don't know much. Killing him was just dumb luck," Silvain replied, shaking his head.
"Actually, while you were unconscious, we reviewed your X-rays. You're human. The wounds found on the body match your sword. We're just curious—can a human really fight something like that?"
Silvain smiled. "They're tough, yes. But parasites are still parasites. If the host body takes enough damage, they die instantly."
"All right, that's all we needed. There's 1.3 million yen on this card. It's a combination of official reward and public donations. Rest well. And please keep our conversation confidential." With that, the police exited the room.
As they left the hospital, a young officer asked, "Chief Fujita, there were signs of a third person at the scene. I think he knows a lot more about the Parasites. Why didn't we press him?"
"If he doesn't want to talk, we can't force him. Plus, the media's focused on him right now. If we mishandle this, it'll trigger a media storm," Fujita replied as he climbed into the police car. "Right now, what matters most is finding a way to quickly identify Parasites. I heard HQ is sending a biology PhD to help. Let's hope they can solve it."
…
Not long after the police left, the principal of West High arrived with several teachers and students to visit Silvain.
Silvain, already used to this kind of situation, greeted them with a smile and accepted the gifts. "You're too kind, really."
"The school might close for a while. Once classes resume, I'll have Teacher Tamiya contact you," the principal said before quickly departing, clearly swamped with school-related issues.
"Silvain-kun, I'm so glad you're okay." After everyone left, only Shinichi Izumi remained.
"Other than low blood sugar, everything's fine."
Silvain unwrapped the gift and grabbed some snacks, stuffing them into his mouth. They were definitely high-end. The flavor was excellent, and the sugar rush made him feel fully alive again.
"Want some?"
Silvain pushed the pastry box toward Shinichi.
Shinichi watched him eat with wide eyes, subconsciously swallowing, but quickly declined. He handed Silvain a bottle of water instead and twisted the cap open.
"If everything goes well, I should be discharged tomorrow."
"By the way, why did you leave me to take all the credit? You know how annoying those reporters are," Silvain said as he drank the water, squinting and leaning back comfortably.
Shinichi looked a bit awkward, but Migi popped out and said, "Shinichi and I aren't suited for media appearances right now. He's not as good at pretending as you, and to be honest, he's indistinguishable from an ordinary human."
"I'll take that as a compliment." Silvain peeled an orange, tossed a segment into his mouth, and chewed slowly. "What about Ryoko Tamiya? Why didn't she come?"
"She probably had something come up. But she asked me to pass you a message. She said she'll give you the remaining information at the old meeting place after you're discharged. Think of it as compensation for what happened," Shinichi explained.
They chatted for a while longer.
Migi, however, was filled with questions. It couldn't understand how Silvain had such incredible regeneration. Could it be that the Parasite in his body had fully assimilated him? Otherwise, reattaching a severed arm should have been impossible.
"Maybe it's a gift. Who knows?" Silvain shrugged. Rather than fabricate a flawed lie, it was better to just leave it at that.
"Then I'll get going. Silvain-kun, take care of your health."
(To be continued.)