Chapter 37: Goto
Under Migi's command, Shinichi Izumi escaped into the nearby woods. Facing Miki's continuous attacks, Shinichi Izumi could only rely on the trees for cover.
"Use the trees as cover, move up, down, left, and right, dodge its attacks, maintain a certain distance, and let the opponent adapt to our attack rhythm." It must be said, Migi's combat awareness was quite terrifying. Under its deliberate guidance, Miki's attacks became simple horizontal slashes.
"Just controlling two Parasytes was already making the opponent struggle."
"Now!"
Suddenly, Shinichi Izumi rapidly approached Miki, passing directly through the opponent's tentacles, and cut off Miki's head with a single slash.
As the head was cut off, Miki's corpse slowly knelt down with its back to Shinichi Izumi, and a large amount of blood gushed from its neck.
Just as Shinichi Izumi thought the plan was successful.
Migi said in disbelief, "How can this be? It can still do this!"
Only to see the corpse, with its back to Shinichi Izumi, actually lift its right arm. Immediately after, the right arm gathered at the neck like melting liquid, forming a deformed flesh sphere. Several eyes drilled out from the surface of the flesh sphere, and it calmly said, its mouth splitting open, "Exchange fighter."
At the same time, it said to the head on the ground, "Miki, come back."
"I'm really sorry." Miki's head bounced back to Goto's side like a rubber ball.
"How embarrassing. I think it's better for you to stay put on the right arm."
Miki didn't speak, but fused with Goto's severed arm.
Seeing this scene, Migi suddenly realized and said, "It can control the entire body in an instant and become a complete form. It wasn't three Parasytes originally. Just now, I sensed five consciousnesses from it. That means there are a total of five Parasytes inside it."
"There are five?" Shinichi Izumi was in disbelief.
Migi continued, "The reason I only sensed three from it before was because it hadn't managed to unify the other few Parasytes."
"Exactly. Only Miki and I can command them, and only I can fully unify them into one body." Goto turned and looked at Shinichi Izumi.
Migi understood that now was not the time for exclamation and surprise. Facing the complete form Goto, Shinichi Izumi didn't even have the ability to resist.
As expected, before Goto's agile movements, the woods that were originally used to restrict Miki instead became an environment that restricted Shinichi Izumi.
In just a few attacks, wounds were left on Shinichi Izumi's body.
At this moment, Shinichi Izumi's only choice was to escape! He fled onto the road and happened to see a small pickup truck passing by. Migi immediately extended its arm, grabbed the front of the pickup truck, and pulled Shinichi Izumi into the truck bed.
Shinichi Izumi slumped in the truck bed, gasping for air. His stamina was basically exhausted.
"Damn it!" Just as he thought he could leave smoothly, he saw Goto running towards him with a blank expression.
His speed was no less than the moving pickup truck. He could see him getting closer and closer to the car, until he was level with it.
Migi didn't hesitate and suddenly launched an attack, but this failed to delay Goto.
The sound of collision from the back of the car immediately attracted the driver's attention. Looking at the monster-like Goto through the rearview mirror, he said in shock, "This is 60 kilometers per hour! Is he a monster?"
Seeing the monster chasing relentlessly, the driver gritted his teeth and floored the accelerator.
Seeing this, Goto extended his tentacles and hooked onto the railing beside the car.
Seeing this, Shinichi Izumi's heart grew more anxious. If this guy got on the car, it would be over.
Boom! A heavy truck coming from the opposite direction drove past the pickup truck. The front of the truck instantly knocked Goto flying.
Shinichi Izumi thus escaped Goto's pursuit.
"He must be from the Parasite Organization sent to kill me. Could Xia Shang also be under attack?"
Inside the truck bed, Shinichi Izumi dialed Xia Shang's phone.
......
"Goto appeared after all." Xia Shang murmured softly after hearing about Shinichi Izumi's encounter.
"What did you say?"
"I said everything is normal on my end. You be extra careful."
Xia Shang put away the phone and went to the window to look outside.
The pedestrian traffic on the Street was less than half of what it was before, looking slightly deserted.
A few days later.
The Parasytes' retaliation gradually ceased, as if everything had returned to normal, but the atmosphere in Tokyo remained oppressive, seemingly brewing an unprecedented storm.
At this moment, Reiko Tamura sent him a text message. The content of the text message was very simple.
"I have been discovered by the Police. Please fulfill your promise."
Xia Shang didn't intend to save Reiko Tamura. To be honest, with her strength, if she wanted to escape, the Police alone couldn't catch her.
This was her own choice. Perhaps at the moment the baby was born, she sensed her final fate.
In a Park, Reiko Tamura, wearing a white mermaid dress, held a sleeping baby in her arms. She looked at Shinichi Izumi in front of her and slowly began to speak. "I led you here. Actually, there are some things I want to tell you. Due to special reasons, I'll make it brief."
"To this day, I have killed a total of thirty-eight humans. I hunted them for food. But I can say, this number is considered small among my companions... These past few days, I've done a lot of research and have been thinking about what we are to humans."
"What humans are to us. And I've come to a conclusion that can be summarized in one sentence: We are all children of Earth. We were born because of you, you created us. And, we are far more fragile than you think."
Shinichi Izumi couldn't understand what Reiko Tamura said. He frowned and retorted, "What? What are you talking about? Don't mess with me."
"Do you know a person named Mitsuo Goto?"
"Is it because of the environment?" Shinichi Izumi had seen Mitsuo Goto on TV before. He was a popular candidate whose policies were all related to the environment.
When Reiko Tamura mentioned him, Shinichi Izumi immediately understood that Mitsuo Goto was someone from the Parasite Organization. Connecting this with Reiko Tamura's previous words, Shinichi Izumi instantly understood why she said they and humans were both children of Earth.
"Let me give you another piece of news. The person who has been chasing you these days is called Goto. Remember, don't fight him. If your opponent had been Goto from the start instead of Miki, you would have died long ago."
"Although he is one of the fragile companions I created through experiment, he is invincible."
Such contradictory words made Shinichi Izumi very confused.
Just as Reiko Tamura was about to say something else, a group of Police surrounded them. The person leading them was named Hirama.
Seeing the Police, Reiko Tamura didn't seem surprised.
She walked towards Shinichi Izumi. Seeing her unusual actions, Migi quickly reminded him, "Be careful, get ready for combat."
"Stop! Stop!"
Reiko Tamura ignored the Police and continued to walk towards Shinichi Izumi.
"Fire!" To prevent further casualties, Chief Hirama shouted loudly.
With a few gunshots, to Migi and Shinichi Izumi's surprise, Reiko Tamura didn't dodge or block, but let the bullets pass through her body. Soon, splashes of blood bloomed on her white dress, a shocking sight.
"The baby in her arms is human! Stop shooting!"
Shinichi Izumi shouted loudly at the Police.
Hirama, who had dealt with Parasytes before, was very surprised to see Reiko Tamura not resisting, so he ordered his men to stop shooting.
Finally, Reiko Tamura held the child and came before Shinichi Izumi.
She gazed at Shinichi Izumi. For some reason, in Shinichi Izumi's eyes, her face gradually overlapped with his Mother's.
"I've always wondered why I was born into this world. After solving one question, the next one follows. Bitterly pursuing the origin, and constantly exploring the termination." Reiko Tamura said, blood dripping down the hem of her skirt. "Perhaps these things don't really matter. It wouldn't be bad to just stop."
"Even if you find the answer, you'll just think, 'Oh, I see,' nothing more."
"However, today I've solved another question. Shinichi Izumi, in the end, I didn't use this child for experiment." Reiko Tamura mentioned her child, and her gaze slowly softened. She handed the child in her arms to Shinichi Izumi: "He's just an ordinary human child."
"A human child should be raised by humans."
Shinichi Izumi took the child from her hands and promised, "Okay, don't worry."
"Thank you." Reiko Tamura smiled and fell backward, as if released from all restraints.
West High School Gate.
Xia Shang and Shinichi Izumi stood silently. They looked towards the Classroom direction together, remaining silent for a long time.
"She came to me before. She gave me the child's birth certificate and asked me to change the child's identity." Xia Shang suddenly said.
"Actually, she must have been tired of this kind of life for a long time."
Shinichi Izumi looked at Xia Shang and extended his right hand: "Give me the certificate. My Mother will adopt him."
Xia Shang carefully took out the folded birth certificate from his pocket and placed it in his hand. Xia Shang smiled: "Perhaps that's not a bad choice."
Reiko Tamura's death didn't cause much of a stir.
The Police's annihilation plan was still ongoing.
Fujita said that the Police had found the Criminals, who was reportedly able to identify Parasytes.
Xia Shang had some impression of the Criminals. He seemed to have antisocial personality disorder and had killed many people. He never expected the Police to cooperate with the Criminals. Thinking about it, it was quite ironic.
Just as he was about to go out for dinner, Fujita called him.
They had confirmed the location of the Parasite Headquarters. They invited Shinichi Izumi and Xia Shang to participate together in the Police's final annihilation plan!
"Three days from now? I'll be there on time." Xia Shang hung up Fujita's phone. It seemed the real highlight was coming.
He hoped that the innate ability on Goto would give him a surprise when he was about to leave.
(end of chapter)