Chapter 41: 40 Aihara Ryu

Mingnan asked curiously: “Reward?”

Qi Ming pulled out a piece of paper: “Here are the key points for the upcoming pop quiz. If you memorize these, you’ll ace it and make everyone look at you differently!”

To a top student like [Dr.], this would be instantly recognizable as nothing more than a summary of Qi Ming’s lecture material.

But to Mingnan, the paper seemed like a secret martial arts manual, filling him with excitement and the illusion of a shortcut.

Just imagining his parents’ approval and his classmates’ astonishment at a high score filled him with boundless energy.

“Go! And don’t tell the other students.”

“Yes, Teacher, you can count on me!”

Thus, the problem student was dealt with.

…………………………

On the other side, Nami Nishijo, on leave, arrived at a TPC detention facility to visit the Umeda siblings, whose parents had been killed by the Kaitel aliens.

Outside, reporters thronged, all eager to get firsthand information.

One face made Nishijo frown: “Hirakawa? He’s here too?”

Even she had heard of this filthy, unscrupulous reporter.

If he got near those two children, he’d rip open their wounds for a sensational story, inflicting fresh trauma on their souls.

“Watch out—keep a close eye on reporter Hirakawa. Don’t let him get inside.”

She instructed the guard at the entrance, who bowed in response.

Standing before the Umeda siblings’ room, Nishijo—always fearless—hesitated for the first time.

As a child, she had witnessed her parents murdered by a “strange figure.”

The specific memories were hazy, yet the fire of hatred within her burned steadily, carrying her to this day.

That strange figure was either an alien or a monster disguised as a human.

That’s why she always charged into battle against monsters and aliens, hoping one day to avenge them herself.

But yesterday, due to her misjudgment, these two children lost their parents just as she once had—she bore undeniable responsibility.

What could she possibly say to them now?

Would they forgive her if she told the truth?

“No!” The next moment, the shattering of glass and a child’s scream shattered Nishijo’s inner turmoil.

She realized something was happening inside!

Nishijo yanked the door open to find a man standing there—his head like a crow, dressed in a suit, holding a gun.

This was the “Crow Man” Qi Ming’s team had mentioned!

Inside, a terrified little girl trembled before the Crow Man.

She had just watched him suck her brother away.

“Shhh!” The Crow Man aimed his gun at six-year-old Umeda Kaori and pulled the trigger.

A green beam shot out, shrinking Kaori’s body and pulling her into the gun.

“Son of a bitch, daring to snatch people here!” Nishijo roared, reaching for her waist—only to find nothing.

She was on leave; she couldn’t carry the Victory Hyper Gun.

“Ji ji…” The Crow Man let out a mocking screech at Nishijo and aimed at her.

Nishijo dropped flat, dodging the shot.

Seeing her skill and guards rushing in from afar, he chose to retreat, fleeing out the window.

Nishijo’s face darkened as she pulled out her PDI communicator and hurried back.

…………………………

“What? The Umeda siblings were taken by the Crow Man?”

Qi Ming, returning from school, stared in disbelief.

Parents killed by Kaitel aliens, children snatched by the Crow Man—what a perfectly tragic family.

Qi Ming: “Let’s hope we find their nest before the Crow Man leaves Earth.”

Nishijo gritted her teeth: “At any cost, we must rescue those two children!”

Qi Ming asked: “And how exactly do we pay that cost? Kill Yamana and offer him as a sacrifice to beg the gods for guidance?”

Yamana nearly wet himself: “Hey!”

Nishijo fell silent—they had strength but no leverage.

Moroboshi quietly pulled Qi Ming aside, asking if his calm demeanor meant he had a plan.

Qi Ming: “None at all. I’m just good at fighting—I’m not omniscient. All we can do is wait for them to slip up and give us a trail to follow.”

Moroboshi gasped: “Then how can you still joke around?”

Qi Ming paused two seconds: “Because I’m standing here talking without any skin in the game.”

He wasn’t Hohara from [Leoh], and to him, these two siblings were just two ordinary victims—no different from any random bystanders.

Moroboshi’s face turned green.

That day, not a single clue about any alien was found.

The next day, Qi Ming’s Star Grant points reached 6.

Meanwhile, Chief Kento’s confidante, Saeki Rika, entered the command room with a grim expression—she was here to deliver orders.

The staff officer is deeply dissatisfied with the Victory Team's recent performance.

“Why can others mount effective counterattacks while you remain helpless? Is Victory Team slacking off?”

“Look at this report—how does this make society view TPC?”

The rising frequency of disappearances and traces of multiple aliens had finally drawn media attention.

Some reporters, desperate for clicks, began fabricating stories.

Qi Ming picked up the newspaper: the front page reported that an officer named [Aihara Ryu] had killed a Crow Man last night.

The name made Qi Ming frown; he instinctively glanced at Yamana.

“What?” Yamana tensed.

Qi Ming: “Nothing. I just suddenly realized you’re not entirely unpleasant. You’re almost human.”

Yamana: “?”

Are you seriously saying you only barely consider me human? Is that a compliment?

Yes, it was.

Without comparison, there’s no contrast. Though Yamana had flaws, compared to Aihara Ryu, he was tolerable.

Not to mention his infamous scene in [Mebius]’s first episode—his performance in every early episode was a disaster, worse than Ishida Yamato from [Digimon] at breaking up the team.

He’d fly into rages at new recruits just because he had seniority, driving everyone away. When Amamiya tried to mediate, he shoved him to the ground.

Every time, Hino Mirai had to clean up after him, coaxing the hurt recruits back.

In episode 17, Hikari asked him to watch over Mebius; in episode 18, he screamed, “That guy is unforgivable—he’s not our teammate!” because Mebius struck a meteor first.

And shooting the second-generation Metz alien during peace talks? That was the ultimate classic.

Is this guy even in this world? Thank goodness he’s not on our side.

(End of Chapter)