Chapter 18: Take Care of Yourself

The reporter's question left Cyrus momentarily at a loss for how to respond.

Fortunately, a group of police officers arrived just in time. They approached the reporters, and the officer in charge, holding a document, said, "The details of this incident are classified. You are not authorized to know more. If you have questions, please ask something else."

With the police intervening, the media had no choice but to back off, though they quickly shifted the conversation.

"We’ve heard your swordsmanship is exceptional. The students at Nishitaka High call you the ‘Sword Saint,’ and someone spotted a sword left behind at the scene of the assailant’s death. Did you defeat the intruder using your sword skills?" one reporter quickly asked.

"I'm far from being a 'Sword Saint.' At best, I've achieved a modest level of skill in kendo," Cyrus replied modestly.

Seeing that Cyrus didn’t deny using a sword to defeat the attacker, the reporters’ eyes lit up. This was a scoop they could build a story around. They began to bombard him with more questions, prying for any bit of information, which quickly wore on Cyrus's patience.

"Sorry, I need to rest now," Cyrus finally said, effectively dismissing them.

"Are you sure you don’t want to say more? We’re willing to pay for your story," a reporter persisted, but seeing that Cyrus remained silent, they reluctantly left. As they did, each one handed Cyrus a business card. One of them whispered, "Mr. Cyrus, if you have any exclusive news, please consider us. Don’t worry about the price—we’re very flexible."

Once the reporters had all left, one of the officers immediately locked the door behind them.

The lead officer then sat down in front of Cyrus. He opened the file he had brought and pulled out a stack of photographs. "The man you killed was named Masashi Makino, originally a construction worker from Osaka. According to his family, they lost contact with him after he came to Tokyo. These photos were taken at the scene."

Cyrus took the photos and saw the evidence of his battle with the parasitic creature.

"It’s clear that this level of destruction isn’t something a human could achieve. Here are some autopsy photos. From the abnormal structure of his skull, it’s obvious that he was no longer human but had been taken over by a creature we’ve named 'Parasitic Beast.' We came today to ask you how much you know about these creatures."

From the officer’s words, Cyrus realized that the Parasitic Beasts were already on the radar of the Japanese police, and they had gathered quite a bit of information.

"Sorry, I don’t know much about them. Killing him was pure luck," Cyrus replied, shaking his head to indicate that his knowledge was limited.

"In fact, while you were unconscious, we examined your X-rays. We can confirm that you are human. The wounds on the corpse also match the sword you used. But we’re curious—can a human really stand up to those creatures?" the officer asked, clearly intrigued.

Cyrus smiled and said, "They are tough to deal with, but parasitic creatures are still parasites. Once their host body is damaged, they die just like anything else."

"Alright, that’s all we needed to ask. This card contains ¥1.3 million, which includes both an official reward and donations from the public. Take your time recovering. And remember, our conversation today is confidential." With that, the police left the room.

As they exited the hospital, a young officer couldn’t help but ask, "Chief Fujita, there were clear signs of a third person at the scene. Plus, I get the feeling that this guy knows a lot more about these creatures than he’s letting on. Why didn’t we press him harder?"

The chief replied, "If he doesn’t want to talk, we can’t force him. Besides, with the media’s attention on him, any misstep could lead to a public relations nightmare."

Chief Fujita opened the police car door and sat down. “The more pressing issue now is finding a way to quickly distinguish between ordinary people and Parasitic Beasts. I’ve heard that a biologist from headquarters is on his way to help with this.”

……

Not long after the police left, the principal of Nishitaka High arrived with a group of staff and students to visit Cyrus.

Handling such situations was second nature for Cyrus by now. He accepted the gifts from the principal with a smile, politely declining to make a fuss.

“The school might be closed for a while. If classes resume, I’ll have Teacher Tamiya notify you,” the principal said, clearly overwhelmed by the situation and not staying for long.

“It’s a relief to hear you’re alright, Cyrus,” Shinichi said, staying behind after everyone else had left.

“Other than a bit of low blood, everything else seems normal,” Cyrus replied as he unwrapped the gift and popped a small pastry into his mouth. The high-quality treat was delicious, and as he ate, he felt more alive.

“Care for some?” Cyrus offered the pastry box to Shinichi.

Shinichi watched as Cyrus devoured the sweets, swallowing hard. He quickly declined but handed Cyrus a bottle of water, which Cyrus gratefully accepted.

“I should be able to get discharged tomorrow if everything goes smoothly,” Cyrus said, finishing the water and leaning back against the headboard with a contented sigh.

“By the way, why did you leave me to deal with the media alone? Those reporters are really a nuisance,” Cyrus continued, his eyes narrowing in enjoyment.

Shinichi looked somewhat embarrassed, but Migi, who had been lurking, spoke up. “Shinichi and I aren’t exactly suited for media appearances. Shinichi can’t disguise himself as well as you can, and he’s not as good at blending in with ordinary humans.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Cyrus said with a grin, peeling an orange and munching on the juicy flesh. “What about Ryoko Tamiya? Why didn’t she come with you today?”

“She must have had something urgent come up,” Shinichi explained. “But she asked me to give you a message: the remaining documents will be given to you at the usual place once you’re discharged. Consider it a gesture of compensation for everything that’s happened.”

The two continued to chat casually.

Migi, however, had many questions. It was curious about Cyrus’s remarkable self-healing ability and wondered if the Parasitic Beast inside him had somehow fully assimilated him, which might explain how Cyrus could reattach his severed arm.

“Maybe it’s just a special talent. Who knows?” Cyrus shrugged. It was easier to keep quiet than to invent a convoluted story.

“Well then, I’ll be leaving for now. Cyrus, take care of yourself,” Migi said before departing.