A crossover anime/manga story, set in everyday Tokyo, but within a loop of a game.

Page 105

As a demi-human who has experienced countless deaths, Sato was able to roughly assess his injuries based on his own pain and bodily reactions.

Internal organ rupture and severe internal bleeding are fatal injuries, but not the kind that will lead to rapid death.

"So that's what this guy was after all..."

Facing the approaching Asagiri, Sato did not launch an attack. Instead, he reached into his robes without hesitation and pulled out the pin of a grenade.

"Ding, ding..."

As the morning mist retreated, the human demon blocked his path, and the next second...

"boom!!!"

In the flames caused by the explosion of the several grenades Sato was carrying, Sato died instantly, his body blown to pieces. But then, the scattered remains on the ground began to reassemble, and with the appearance of black particle-like objects, Sato's body was restored to its original state.

After regaining consciousness, Sato realized one thing.

He can't win.

No, that's not right. Rather than saying he couldn't win, it's more accurate to say that he and the player wearing the dark gray mask were simply not on the same level.

The opponent must have been encountering a demi-human for the first time, yet every action they took was extremely professional. The goal of all their attacks was to incapacitate them without killing them immediately.

Sato knew that his combat skills, honed by military training, might be superior to his opponent's, but when the numerical difference was too great, skill became meaningless.

His physical abilities were on a completely different level from the guy in front of him. Moreover, after the self-destruction, he had no weapons left except for the mobile combat suit stored in the player's inventory.

In the blink of an eye, Sato had made his decision.

The black, particle-like substances that appeared when he was resurrected reappeared and quickly condensed into a black figure with six fingers.

Inside the command center, Shimomura Izumi, also a demi-human, saw this scene on the surveillance camera and immediately whispered to Tosaki Yu beside her.

"Mr. Tozaki, Sato has summoned his own IBM."

Upon hearing this, Yu Tozaki looked at the surveillance footage on the screen, raised his hand to push up his glasses, and frowned.

"Is that guy in the hat finally going to go all out...? Who will win in the end..."

Just as Tosaki Yu was speaking, he saw Sato on the screen do something that no one in the command center expected.

After summoning his IBM, he didn't hesitate at all, turned around and ran away quickly.

"It...it escaped? That hat...it actually ran away?"

Yu Tozaki looked on incredulously, hardly believing what she was seeing.

Who is Sato, who is referred to as "the hat"?

Extremely powerful, ruthless, and brutal terrorists.

In other words, Sato is a war maniac.

Yu Tozaki originally thought that the other party summoned IBM to fight a life-or-death battle with the player wearing the dark gray mask. However, he did not expect that IBM was just a cannon fodder used to delay time, and he himself chose to run away.

"Mr. Tozaki, Sato's IBM..."

Shimomura Izumi, being a demi-human, saw the human Shura rush towards Sato's IBM and then pin him to the ground.

Although the two looked somewhat similar, their strength was clearly not on the same level. Sato's IBM was like a fragile doll, struggling incessantly but unable to break free from the suppression of the human demon.

At that moment, the entire command center fell silent.

However, Asagiri on the screen did not chase after Sato directly, but instead picked up the tactical helmet of a member of the Death Mobile Squad.

Then, his calm voice came through the public communication channel.

"Let's talk."

Upon hearing Asagiri's voice, everyone in the operations room changed their expressions. Seeing him look up and stare directly at the surveillance camera, even though they were separated by a screen and knew he was several kilometers away, they still felt a sense of unease and fear, and even subconsciously avoided his gaze through the screen.

For a moment, the entire command and control room fell silent.

"Turn on the communication and give me the headset."

Upon hearing Tosaki Yu's order, the technician nodded, immediately turned off the speakerphone, and handed the headset connected to the tactical helmet's microphone to Tosaki Yu.

"I am the head of the Ajin Countermeasures Bureau."

"Oh, Yu Tozaki."

Upon hearing Asagiri call out his name directly, Tosaki Yu's expression changed. Just as he was about to say something, he heard Asagiri continue.

"Shut up and listen to me. The conditions are very simple."

“The group of people who were with me just now, you need to use the central control system to ensure that their path to the archives is unobstructed and that they do not encounter anyone, so that they can safely obtain the experimental data stored there.”

“Sato is my enemy, but he is a demi-human. I haven’t found a way to kill him directly yet, so I will capture Sato and render him unable to resist. As for what you do with him afterward, I don’t care.”

"These are the terms of the deal."

41

Chapter 41 The Weaknesses of Demi-humans.

"trade?"

Upon hearing this, Tosaki Yu frowned and said in a deep voice.

“To us, you are the same as Sato… no, you are a much greater threat than him.”

"Is that true?"

Asagiri knew Tosaki Yu's personality well. As she walked to the side of the human Shura, observing the black figure that was being pressed to the ground and struggling, she spoke in a calm tone.

"No matter what, I am still human. Even if I possess power beyond the imagination of ordinary people, I am still human. But Sato is an Ajin. Ultimately, as the head of the Ajin Countermeasures Bureau, isn't your highest priority task to solve Ajin-related incidents?"

Asagiri's words truly resonated with Tosaki Yu.

His position is the head of the Ajin Countermeasures Bureau, and controlling Ajin-related events is his primary and only task.

As for the group of humans with supernatural powers, that's a matter for the Minister of Defense and the Public Safety Commission to consider. He has already reported this to his superiors, and even if these people cause trouble or escape, the responsibility will not fall on him.

However, if Sato, the leader of the demi-human faction with extremely strong persuasive power, who once broke into the research club and successfully took away a demi-human, escapes, or even successfully rescues Nagai Kei this time, then Tosaki Yu, as the person in charge, cannot escape blame.

"You're right."

With that in mind, Yu Tosaki made a decision.

“I will make sure your companions get to the archives without any obstacles and that they don’t encounter any enemies along the way, but you must take Sato with you…”

"I don't need you to remind me, I will never let my enemies go."

Asagiri interrupted Tosaki Yu directly, changing the subject.

"Send your demi-human subordinate to speak with me. I have something to ask her."

Upon hearing this, Tosaki Yu's eyes trembled slightly, and her palms became sweaty with nervousness.

How did the other party know Shimomura Izumi's true identity?

Aside from Yu Tosaki himself, only a few high-ranking officials at the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare knew about this information. There was no written record of this matter, and Yu Tosaki had all of Izumi Shimomura's past files deleted. How did the other party know about it?

That's what he thought, but Tosaki Yu suppressed his shock and gestured for Shimomura Izumi to take the communication headset.

Without wasting any words, Asagiri went straight to the point.

"Is there a way to completely kill demi-humans?"

"A way to completely kill demi-humans...?"

Upon hearing this question, Shimomura Izumi first frowned slightly, then shook his head.

"As far as I know, there isn't one. We've tried nuclear radiation, corrosive liquids, and vacuum sealing—all the technological means we currently possess. There is indeed a way to control demi-humans, which is to keep killing them. But to prevent the resurrection of demi-humans from the root is impossible."

"So, in a physical sense, there's no way..."

Hearing Shimomura Izumi's answer, Asagiri was not surprised, as he had expected this answer.

only……

In a world where no supernatural power exists except for demi-humans, demi-humans may indeed be immortal, but this is not physically possible and does not mean that demi-humans are indestructible.

Although demi-humans can be resurrected, they are not immortal. Their bodies grow and they die when their lifespan reaches its limit.

Because of the unique nature of this constitution, most demi-humans do not know that they are actually demi-humans until they die of old age. Only those who have a demi-human constitution and die before reaching the limit of their lifespan for some reason will discover that they are demi-humans.

Moreover, if the soul or spirit is completely destroyed, even if the demi-human's body continues to exist and can be resurrected, it will only be an empty shell.

As for the method to completely destroy the soul of a demi-human?

This ability may not exist in the real world, but it is possible for players to possess it.

Asagiri's Persona Alice and the prototype Mita, which causes enemies to lose Sanity, can both directly attack and even destroy the enemy's soul.

From the very beginning, Asagiri had no intention of letting Sato go.

This guy is extremely dangerous, and unlike the players, Sato has no human moral compass. After all, he doesn't consider himself human at all. Moreover, due to his violent and warlike nature, even if there is no benefit to it, Sato will actively attack the players just to pursue the thrill of battle.

This kind of time bomb must be eliminated.

“Give me directions.”

"Okay, I see."

Upon hearing Asagiri's words, Shimomura Izumi glanced at Tosaki Yu beside her. After seeing the other nod in agreement, she immediately used the surveillance cameras inside the research base to point out the direction and route for Sato's escape. In the process, she also explained some information about the abilities of demi-humans.

IBM is short for Invisible Black Monster, which is a clone-like entity controlled by a demi-human.

The IBMs summoned by different Ajin have different appearances, but they are all humanoid figures wrapped in black cloth.

Ordinary people generally cannot "observe" IBM, but if they experience strong emotional fluctuations, they may be able to "observe" IBM's existence.

It is important to note that IBM is not a kind of idealistic power like the Persona, but is composed of the black particles that appear when demi-humans are resurrected. Although ordinary people cannot see it, it is a physical entity and has the ability to speak, and it will act according to the commands given by the demi-humans.

Although the black particles that make up IBM are very strong and cannot be penetrated by bullets, they are not stable. IBM will continue to collapse and dissipate in about five to ten minutes. IBM communicates with demi-humans through a special electromagnetic wave, which is the so-called communication of thoughts.

After delivering this information, Shimomura Izumi hesitated slightly before handing the communication headset to Tosaki Yu, who then spoke in a deep voice.

"There's one more thing to note. When we captured a certain demi-human before, whether by coincidence or something else, when he died, he summoned a large number of IBMs, causing a phenomenon we call the 'Black Flood.' So when you encounter Sato later, try not to kill him."

"'The Black Torrent'..."

Asagiri has just tested Sato IBM's strength through the human Shura.

Assuming the strength of a human Asura is 10, then the strength of an IBM is at most 3. As for physical strength, it depends on the type of attack. If we take physical attacks such as gunshots as an example, the strength of a human Asura is 10, while the strength of an IBM can reach 7 or even 8.

IBM alone is no match for the Human Asura, but it would take the Human Asura a considerable amount of time to destroy IBM directly. If Sato really triggers the "Black Torrent" phenomenon, then the situation is hard to predict.

Asagiri remembered that in the original Ajin story, the Ajin named "Nakamura Shinya" was first approached by the Ajin Countermeasures Bureau and shown his head, which he had left at the scene of his death. Only then did Nakamura Shinya realize that after he died with his head separated from his body, his head had regrown back, and he himself had never realized this.

Then, his best friend took a bullet for him and died in front of him. Finally, when Shinya Nakamura died, it triggered a "black torrent" that killed all the demi-human countermeasures bureau agents present and disappeared without a trace.

Asagiri pondered the causes and consequences of this incident, trying to glean useful information from it.

Judging from Nakamura Shinya's situation, the death of the demi-human himself was not the key to triggering the "Black Torrent." After all, Sato had just committed suicide in front of him without triggering the "Black Torrent." Moreover, judging from Sato's choice to flee, he either did not know about the "Black Torrent" phenomenon or was unable to use it.

The condition that triggers the "Black Torrent" is that the demi-humans' spirits collapse and become extreme, but the cause is not important; what matters is the meaning that the "Black Torrent" represents.

In extremely dangerous situations, a person's heart rate increases and adrenaline surges, resulting in an explosive burst of power or speed. This is similar to the "black torrent," meaning...

"Black Torrent" is an unconscious defense mechanism that emerges from demi-humans capable of resurrection under extreme circumstances.

Based on the reasons for this phenomenon, Asagiri drew a reasonable conclusion.

If the demi-humans' minds break down, it means the end. That's why the "black torrent" appears, driven by the biological instinct for survival, to prevent the demi-humans from losing control of their minds.

Whether this inference is correct or not is another matter, but to cause a demi-human, especially Sato, to have a mental breakdown is truly an impossible task.

Sato's innate personality is cruel and tyrannical. He has no family, no lover, and no friends, which means he has no weaknesses. Furthermore, during the period when his demi-human identity was exposed, he was captured and used as a scientific experiment subject for several years. It can be said that after experiencing those things, Sato is completely immune to so-called physical torture.

The special notifications given to Kato Megumi and Iwanaga Kotoko by the system also proved that Sato's mental strength far exceeded that of ordinary people, and was even much higher than that of Iwanaga Kotoko, who was a sorcerer.

How easy is it to drive someone like that to a mental breakdown?

"But it's precisely because it's challenging that..."

Asagiri smiled slightly and murmured to herself.

"That's what makes it fun!"

……

On the other side, after Shimomura Izumi pointed out the area where Sato was located to Asagiri, Tosaki Yu signaled the technician to mute his microphone first, then looked at Shimomura Izumi and slowly spoke.

"You...go to the research base now."