In the taxi, Shinichi Izumi sent a message every five minutes, only feeling slightly relieved each time his mother replied.
"Driver, please hurry. I'm in a rush."
"Sorry, there are a lot of traffic lights on this road. This is already as fast as I can go." The driver continued listening to the radio, calmly driving.
Shinichi grew frustrated with the driver's lack of urgency. Just as he was about to argue, Silvain reached over and held his shoulder.
"If you can get us there in under an hour, I'll give you 50,000 yen. For every ten minutes you shave off that time, I'll add another 10,000."
The middle-aged driver with glasses narrowed his eyes, reached forward to switch off the radio, and looked back at Silvain. "You serious?"
Silvain opened his wallet and flashed a thick wad of cash. "I prefer to pay in cash."
"I like you. Back in the day, they called me the god of car of Akina Mountain!" The driver adjusted his glasses, straightened up, and slammed on the gas. A violent jolt slammed Silvain and Shinichi back into their seats.
In that instant, the blue-and-white taxi became a streak of blue lightning, weaving madly through traffic.
Outside the window, the scenery blurred and receded rapidly.
"To unleash such power instantly... Is this driver also a special kind of human?" Migi, now a small eyeball, clung to Shinichi's ear and asked with concern.
"No, he's just doing it for the money." Shinichi, watching the taxi rocket forward, responded irritably.
There was no denying the driver had skills. Barreling down the crowded streets of Tokyo with fearless momentum, he fully lived up to the title of the god of car of Akina Mountain.
"Emergency broadcast: a taxi is reported to be severely speeding. Please intercept immediately. Suspect vehicle plate number is..."
"The police are on us," Shinichi said, glancing at three police motorcycles flashing red and blue behind them.
"What's the panic? We're about to hit the mountain road. They'll never catch me there." The driver now resembled a professional racer, even lighting a cigarette mid-drift. "Sorry, hope you don't mind me smoking."
"It's fine. Go ahead."
Seeing more and more motorcycles giving chase, Silvain couldn't help sweating for the driver. He wondered if the money would even cover the fines.
The driver seemed to notice. He grinned, pulled a few wires from under the dash, and said, "When the time comes, I'll claim brake failure. The fine won't be much."
Silvain was speechless. Honestly, the guy deserved a medal.
A dozen minutes later…
The driver slowly eased off the gas, performed a perfect drift, and calmly brought the taxi to a stop. He glanced at his watch. "Total time: twenty-three minutes."
"Here's your fare." Silvain, who was rarely carsick, staggered out of the vehicle with his stomach churning.
Shinichi was in even worse shape, barely able to walk.
"You alright?" Silvain asked.
Shinichi stood still for a few minutes, catching his breath. "Let's go."
Meanwhile, the driver was already surrounded by four police motorcycles. He stood beside the officers, bowing and nodding repeatedly, no trace of the God of Akina Mountain left. "Sorry, sorry! The car malfunctioned. I really didn't mean to!"
"He's so committed. He should be crowned the god of taxis," Silvain muttered as he caught his breath.
Suddenly, Migi on Shinichi's right hand twitched. "Shinichi, I sense similar brainwaves nearby—about 400 meters out. They're filled with murderous intent and are preparing to strike."
"What? There's really a Parasite here?"
Without even thanking Silvain, Shinichi bolted in the direction Migi indicated, his heart pounding with urgency.
"Shinichi, he's noticed you. His speed is increasing," Migi warned.
Silvain followed, but without the enhancements of a Parasite, he couldn't match Shinichi's pace.
At that moment, Shinichi's parents stood by the sea-facing cliff, admiring the blood-red sunset. They hadn't yet noticed the figure rapidly closing in.
"This sunset is beautiful," said Nobuko Izumi.
Her husband nodded. "Yeah. Totally worth the taxi ride out here."
"I wonder what Shinichi's up to, suddenly asking for our location."
"Maybe he's planning to surprise us," Nobuko said with a happy smile.
"Seems like even if you're thinking of Shinichi, he's thinking of you too," her husband replied warmly.
Suddenly, a sinister wind swept across the cliff.
Shinichi's voice rang out in a panic. "Mom! Get down!"
Nobuko turned her head at the sound, just in time to see a tentacle slicing through the air toward her. Her husband reacted quickly, pulling her out of the way just in time.
The blade meant for her neck struck her left arm instead.
Puchi! Blood spurted as her slender arm was severed.
Enraged that it missed its mark, the Parasite sent another tentacle lunging for her throat.
At that moment, both Nobuko and her husband froze.
But Shinichi charged forward with everything he had. He dove in front of his parents, shielding them with his body.
The sharp blade pierced his chest.
Blood gushed, but Shinichi managed a faint smile. Looking at his mother, he whispered softly, "I'm glad... I made it in time."
"Shinichi!" Silvain arrived a moment too late and witnessed the horrifying scene.
The Parasite glanced at Silvain's distorted arm and immediately abandoned the idea of fighting. The body it was controlling couldn't withstand another battle.
Without hesitation, it leaped off the cliff.
Silvain rushed to the edge, but the Parasite's figure had already vanished.
"Decisive... It has intelligence on par with a human."
Turning back, he saw Shinichi slumped over Nobuko Izumi, his vital signs fading fast.
"Call an ambulance now!" Ignoring her own injuries, Nobuko fumbled for her phone with trembling hands. Her tears kept falling onto the screen, causing her to misdial repeatedly.
Her voice cracked with anguish. "Shinichi, hold on... please, just hold on a little longer."
(To be continued.)