章 14: Chapter 13: I Am Like You, a Special Existence
"What information do you want?"
The sudden appearance of Cyrus left Tamiya Ryoko feeling as if she were shrouded in fog. All of his abilities were hidden beneath his exterior. If he hadn't revealed his true identity, she would never have guessed that Cyrus was a parasite.
"We are completely different. I have no interest in humans; rather, I am very curious about parasites."
Cyrus returned his right hand to its normal form and continued, "You must have some dissection data on parasites, right? I hope to obtain all the data you have."
Cyrus's demand irked Tamiya Ryoko.
Since becoming a parasite, it had been a long time since anyone dared to speak to her in such a manner.
Her killing intent resurfaced. "I do have quite a bit of data on parasites, but why should I give it to you?"
"Because I have value as a collaborator, don't I?" Cyrus smiled at Tamiya Ryoko.
Tamiya Ryoko stared at Cyrus's face for a long while before finally nodding. "Congratulations, you've convinced me. After class, come find me with Shinichi Izumi. I'll give you what you want."
With that, she turned and left the counseling room.
In the empty room, Shinichi looked at Cyrus as if seeing him for the first time. He pressed his lips tightly together, his expression dark as he asked, "When did you become a parasite?"
Facing Shinichi's angry questioning, Cyrus smiled and tapped his forehead.
"How do you know I am definitely a parasite? Or, if your definition is that any creature taken over by a parasite becomes a parasite, then let me ask you, are you a parasite?"
After hearing Cyrus's words, Shinichi was momentarily at a loss for words.
Migi, on Shinichi's hand, answered for him, "I am in a symbiotic relationship with Shinichi now, and I didn't take over his brain. He still has his own consciousness, so he's still human."
"Yes, I'm still human, definitely not a parasite!" Shinichi asserted firmly, but his reaction made him seem a bit insecure.
Cyrus turned away and muttered to himself, "What if the parasite that tried to take over my body lost consciousness in the process? Does that mean I, retaining my human consciousness, am no longer human?"
"Are you saying the parasite in your body turned into a vegetable?"
Shinichi asked in shock.
Cyrus didn't answer his question but instead said, "I am like you, a special existence."
With that, he left the counseling room and returned to the classroom.
Shinichi stood in place, watching Cyrus's departing figure, lost in thought. "Migi, could what he said be true?"
Migi wiggled its large eye, saying, "It's possible. In any population, there are always one or two unique individuals. He might be one of those special cases."
"No, he's telling the truth," Shinichi said with a smile.
Migi was surprised and asked in its emotionless tone, "Shinichi, how do you know?"
"Because I saw something in him that parasites lack."
"What is it?"
"Guess," Shinichi replied, teasingly.
…
Later, after school, the two took the bus to the café where they were supposed to meet Tamiya Ryoko.
On the bus, Migi kept its little eye out, continuously observing Cyrus, curious about what he possessed that parasites did not.
But even after they arrived at the café, it couldn't figure it out.
In contrast to the reserved Shinichi, Cyrus casually dropped his backpack at his feet and took a sip from the coffee cup on the table.
"Shinichi, roll up your sleeves," Migi noticed two others of their kind approaching.
"Weren't we supposed to avoid fighting?" Shinichi asked as he rolled up his sleeves.
"Because there are two of them now."
"Don't worry. If it comes to a fight, I'll help," Cyrus said, holding his coffee.
Soon, Tamiya Ryoko arrived with another man and stood before the two.
The man had an expressionless face and dressed like an ordinary office worker.
"Sorry for the wait. Let me introduce him. This is Mr. A," Tamiya Ryoko introduced.
Mr. A glanced at the two and sensed something unusual. He addressed Shinichi first, "What's going on? Is this guy considered an ally? Also, why is there an ordinary human here?"
"A, don't worry. I will explain the situation to you," Tamiya Ryoko said, sitting opposite Cyrus and Shinichi.
"Here are the documents you wanted," she said, handing a file folder to Cyrus.
Cyrus took it and immediately opened the folder, looking through the text and image data inside. There wasn't much, indicating Tamiya Ryoko hadn't given him all the information.
Looking at the anatomical images of parasites inside, Cyrus's progress bar in his mind jumped forward.
"This can't be all of it, right?" Cyrus raised his head and asked with a smile.
"Since we are cooperating, I can't give you all my cards," Tamiya Ryoko replied.
"These are impressive." Cyrus put the documents back into the folder and then into his backpack. "So, what's the plan for our cooperation?"
At this point, Tamiya Ryoko took out a stack of photocopies with information on individuals.
"This parasite is not under our organization's control and has caused several incidents in Tokyo, attracting attention from society and the police. I need you to take care of her."
Cyrus took the photocopies, which included a woman's picture and maps of recent localized appearances.
Is she trying to gauge my strength? Cyrus put away the photocopies, lips stretching into a wide grin that revealed his sharp teeth. "No problem. I'll take care of her promptly."
"Are you also a parasite?" Mr. A frowned.
Cyrus's smile at that moment was chilling. "What? Doesn't look like it?"
Mr. A remained silent, but Tamiya Ryoko interjected, surprising Shinichi next to her.
"Now that our cooperation is settled, let's discuss other matters."
"Shinichi, in your eyes, what exactly are we?" she asked.
"Monsters that eat people," Shinichi hesitated. "Actually, I'm not sure what to call you."
But Tamiya Ryoko's next words startled Shinichi.
"I'm actually pregnant, with Mr. A's child."
Even the approaching waiter dropped the coffee cup in shock.
"What a shame to waste two good cups of coffee," Cyrus reverted to his normal appearance, wiping his mouth with a tissue in regret.
"So, Shinichi, is the child in my belly now human or a parasite?"
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