Morimoto Chiyoda took the electric train home. She preferred to leave work during off-peak hours, when the most seats were available. She never stood on the train; not because she was delicate, but because for a beautiful woman like her, being without a seat was extremely dangerous. Japan's punishments for perverts on trains were quite severe. However, there was always a group of people who liked to defy the law. Morimoto Chiyoda didn't want to become a target for such brazen individuals, nor would she give them the opportunity. She had to have a seat on the train, and she never chose one in the middle, always preferring one by the side. It was convenient for leaning and allowed her to think.

Until she arrived home, her mind was consumed with work. Chasing Superpower Users—to say she wasn't curious would be a lie. According to the information compiled by the special task force, some individuals had a certain probability of awakening as Superpower Users when facing danger, but the risk of failure and death was very high. Mayers was a good example. Suzuki Kojiro could also be considered one. The latter was deeply in debt, and his girlfriend was secretly making adult films without his knowledge. Initially, she claimed she wanted to help Suzuki Kojiro through his crisis, but she gradually became immersed in it. She didn't break up with Kojiro, simply finding that having a boyfriend made it more thrilling for her. In a sense, the danger Suzuki Kojiro faced was no less than the life-and-death peril Mayers had encountered. All of this was still speculation; however, some information was one hundred percent confirmed.

Based on the bullet holes, projectiles, and other marks on the walls of the Motomura Group's premises, the special task force had essentially confirmed they were all caused by the handgun damaged by the sniper rifle. What puzzled the task force was how a handgun could achieve the firepower of a submachine gun. And why did Hawkeye fire three consecutive shots just to deal with a handgun? The first was even a special tranquilizer round. Using a tranquilizer on a gun was obviously abnormal. Could it be that Hawkeye perceived the gun as a person? An illusion-based superpower? Furthermore, the bullet holes and projectiles in the van were also from Koichiro Motomura's handgun, for reasons unknown. How did Hawkeye manage to shoot himself with his own sniper rifle? Judging from where the gun fell and the computer-recreated scene, Hawkeye should have been aiming the sniper rifle at Dio. But the bullet that blew his head off seemed to have come from the front, inconsistent with his firing stance. Could bullets curve? That seemed to be the only explanation.

The more Morimoto Chiyoda reviewed the case, the more she realized that trying to predict the actions of Superpower Users using ordinary common sense was undoubtedly a thankless task. She gave up thinking about those things. Beyond Dio, the special task force currently faced another critical issue: the CIA's branch in Japan.

That morning, CIA personnel had very aggressively demanded to take all related materials. They had received information about Dio. Knowing the CIA's methods, they would naturally launch a series of investigations. But Morimoto Chiyoda didn't think they would find any useful information. The reason was simple: the special task force had already investigated everything they could. What they couldn't find, the CIA wouldn't be able to find either. What Morimoto Chiyoda truly dreaded was the CIA's vast surveillance network—The Five Eyes Alliance. They could monitor the electronic devices of anyone in Japan, including the Prime Minister, without exception. They didn't even need to worry about the task force's counter-surveillance sweeps and could monitor them overtly. The task force could say nothing and could only endure it. It wasn't just the task force; even the Prime Minister and other Ministers had to accept the reality of being monitored. Thinking of this, Morimoto Chiyoda felt a surge of frustration, but there was nothing she could do. After all, the CIA had the United States backing them. Looking on the bright side, the task force was essentially serving the CIA directly, bypassing the Prime Minister and the others. She chuckled self-deprecatingly and got off at her stop.

「At this moment, on the thirty-first floor of the Shinjuku Central Building.」

Jack stood before the office's floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the cityscape. Those buildings that looked so tall from the ground appeared tiny from his vantage point; the streets and people below seemed like ants. From this day forward, this would be the office for the Special Intelligence Investigators. The importance their superiors placed on Dio, and on Superpower Users in general, had caused Jack's authority to skyrocket overnight. Correspondingly, his budget had increased, and he no longer needed to be holed up in that small office. In the future, never mind brandy once a week; he could have whiskey or wine, rotating them daily if he pleased. Of course, Jack was no longer fixated on alcohol. Power was more intoxicating than any fine liquor.

His gaze shifted from the view outside to the people behind him. Thirty-six newly assigned agents, plus the original two, totaled thirty-eight. All were in suits and ties, standing before him. In the past, these were agents far beyond his station, the elite of the elite. Now, they were all under his command. Whether he could continue to command these people, or even more, would depend on his own abilities. The winds of the era had already lifted him, this pig, into the air. If he couldn't manage to fly now, he could no longer blame fate or others.

Jack sat in his swivel chair. "Robert, I hear you were the team leader for the Dio case. Please share what you know about Dio with everyone."

A gentle smile touched Robert's lips. "Regarding Dio, we actually don't have much information. Previously, we treated him as an ordinary person, so all investigations followed standard procedures. Before the transfer orders came, we were monitoring the Yasuda Family and investigating potential connections between the victims—for example, whether they had bullied the same person, or if their paths had crossed somewhere, things like that. But we found nothing."

After hearing this, Jack breathed an inward sigh of relief. Excellent. If even the CIA's elite knew little about Dio, then his own previous lack of results was perfectly understandable. He was well aware of his own capabilities. Making an enemy of a Superpower User sounded incredibly dangerous. But doing nothing wasn't an option. If he did act, he had to tread very carefully.

"From now on, we conduct full surveillance on the special task force. See if they find any clues. Also, the six major financial groups, the Phoenix Academy, the Prime Minister, the Ministers of State, and the Police Director—monitor all of them. Ensure no intelligence is missed."

Just from Jack's orders, Robert guessed that his superior likely had no effective plan to find Dio. He offered gently, "Minister Jack, should we assign someone to monitor Yuzuki Suzuko?"

"Yes, it's necessary to monitor her." Jack stroked his chin. "She was the sole survivor of the hunter-killer squad; that's unlikely to be a coincidence. Do you have any other suggestions?"

Robert considered for a moment. "Could we perhaps find a reliable Yakuza member for surveillance, to see if Dio approaches them?"

"Inappropriate." Jack immediately shook his head, recalling how the hunter-killer squad had perished. Although the special task force's files indicated Dio didn't kill innocent people, could CIA agents truly be considered innocent? Jack felt that was impossible, a no-brainer. The CIA in Japan wasn't as active as its counterparts in regions like Africa or the Middle East. Nor was it keen on promoting democracy and freedom only to then twist their definitions to achieve its own ends. But the CIA in Japan was hardly a flock of innocent doves either. Jack knew in his heart that the CIA was, in essence, Japan's largest Yakuza Organization. If they proactively sought out Dio, wouldn't that just be adding to the body count?

"We just need to observe and wait for developments," Jack stated. "We absolutely must not be rash." Having lived as long as he had, if there was one lesson Jack had learned, it was not to attempt things beyond his capabilities. He just needed to ensure his report reached CIA headquarters slightly ahead of the special task force's or anyone else's; that would be his greatest achievement. If no one had any intelligence, on what grounds could his superiors deem him incompetent? Jack understood perfectly: in bureaucracy, simply working hard wasn't enough to get ahead.

「At Brilliant High School, inside the Kendo Club's changing room.」

The air was thick with the smell of men's sweat. Once you got used to it, you wouldn't notice the odor unless you deliberately tried to smell the protective gear.

Ishigami Kenta, the club captain, spoke. "Aozawa, there's something I want to discuss with you."

Aozawa handed his protective gear to a first-year junior and turned his head. "What is it?"

Ishigami Kenta said, "We have a friendly match on Sunday at eight in the morning. I hope you'll be there on time."

Aozawa looked surprised. "Captain, are you joking? Why would any school want a friendly match with us?" Friendly matches like that, between Kendo clubs, are usually exchanges between strong schools. As for Brilliant High School's Kendo Club—it wasn't that Aozawa looked down on them—but in Kendo, effort alone didn't guarantee results.

Ishigami Kenta was clearly aware of this too. A helpless expression crossed his face. "They're mainly looking for you. Aohana Vine, as Tokyo's representative team for the national tournament, has a monstrous first-year as their ace. Their coach reportedly has high hopes for him and wants him to test his skills against Sunaga Takashi. They heard you've fought Sunaga Takashi, so they want you to have a match with that first-year rookie."

Aozawa asked doubtfully, "Captain, you knew they were just using us as a whetstone, and you still agreed to this friendly match?"

Ishigami Kenta looked somewhat resigned. "It was Teacher Taizo's decision. He's good friends with the coach of the Qinghuateng Sword Department, and apparently, a sushi dinner was all it took to sell us out."

"That guy really has no backbone," Aozawa complained internally. Brilliant High School's Kendo Club did have an advisor, a so-called guidance teacher. However, he was completely useless, almost never showed up, and was just coasting by in his roles as both advisor and teacher. Thirty-six years old and still single.

"Well, since Teacher Taizo agreed to it," Aozawa said, "we have no choice but to accept the challenge. Let's show that junior what his seniors are made of." Since they wanted to use him as a whetstone, they couldn't blame him for turning the tables and giving them a taste of a senior's true strength.

Ishigami Kenta scratched his head. "Aozawa, don't push yourself too hard. That first-year rookie is a genuine monster."

Aozawa smiled. "Hmm." He then walked out of the changing room.