The Hunt Begins

"They will never learn, will they? This isn't just another joint development program!" Hina stated in frustration,

"Still, they have a suspicious amount of information on it. The term 'immune' isn't even in use outside of Serpentine." A woman with blonde hair pushed up her glasses as she spoke.

"Isn't it obvious, regional director? Someone is feeding them information from the inside." Hina snarled,

"Then it's a leak we need to plug." Regional Director Kiritsu responded,

"Easier said than done, we have all of our employees monitored. Whoever is leaking information is good at their job, and is being well-concealed by J&R." Hina entered the room,

"Security Director Hoshida," Kiritus turned towards the new arrival with a hint of surprise, "You're still here?"

"The Chairman has allowed me to shift my operations to Kotono to maintain watch over our Immunes." He said simply, "I'll be here for the time being."

Kiritsu nodded, having both the Research Director and the Security Director in her area of operations meant a significantly greater amount of pressure on her, but if she was bothered by it, she didn't show it.

"But shouldn't you be escorting Sekai?" Hina cocked her head curiously,

At that, he shrugged. "He'll be fine, I have Lieutenant Mamoru escorting him back."

"Mamoru...she's one of mine, isn't she?" Kiritsu stated,

Hoshida nodded, "Most of our more professional officers are deployed elsewhere, so I took the liberty of restationing your own security forces."

'I still would've appreciated being told...' The woman thought to herself but didn't express her thoughts to her superiors.

"So what did you tell them anyway?" Hoshida turned to Hina,

Hina grinned, "Well..."

⸻

"They refused our offer." The Handler spoke into a phone, standing outside a van that was in sight of a certain home. "With some pretty clever language."

"I see." The voice on the other end sighed, "Well, I see no reason to continue this charade any further. I give you permission to gain us a living example of an Immune, just don't draw any attention to our operations."

"You got it, boss." The Handler stated, barely able to contain his excitement as he returned to the van.

Inside the back of the van, the Handler's partner leaned against the walls of the van, their face and small body covered by a mask and suit of black bulletproof armor, clutching their anti-material rifle as they continued to sleep.

⸻

The rest of the day passed as a blur for Sekai, and the first thing he did that following morning was attempt to use his powers.

Focusing on his hands, he reached out for the familiar cool feeling of the white material coating his hands.

'Now that I think about it, I haven't named this ability, have I?' He thought to himself, it felt awkward simply referring to it as a 'white material'.

'Maybe something ice-related...Cryokinesis? That's already a thing though...and I don't think my ability can be defined as 'ice' per se.' Sekai then remembered Kassandra's words to him.

'Shape a new world with my own hands...Shaping Matter? Too bland. No, - something capable of ruining the existing world...'

"Ruinous Matter." He said aloud, "It's called Ruinous Matter."

He stood up, and smiled, gazing out at the rising dawn beyond his window.

⸻

When he woke up, he surprisingly only found Antei waiting for him.

"Our moms are out shopping." Antei explained, "So they left me here to wait for you."

Sekai nodded right as the smell of steamed rice and natto suddenly hit his nose.

"Hungry?" Antei smiled, and Sekai nodded, and his stomach rumbled as if to agree, causing her to sigh and place plates of breakfast on the nearby table.

"Thank you," Sekai smiled, "You know, you wouldn't make a bad housewife."

Antei almost choked upon hearing that, "I-Idiot!" She snapped at him, "W-What makes you say that?!"

"...Well, you're a really good cook, and you're kind too." Sekai continued, "Honestly, I'm surprised you don't have a boyfriend, most guys in school trip over their own feet for you."

Antei looked away from him to hide her tomato-red face. "I-I'm going to the bathroom!" She exclaimed, standing up and rushing out of the kitchen.

'Idiot...don't say things like that...!'

⸻

From a nearby rooftop, a duo of Serpentine mercenaries observed the house they were tasked to watch over.

"Why are we stuck with the boring job..." One of them groaned, "It's not like he is going to flee from his own home."

"Yeah, but I heard J&R might try something." Their comrade warned, "Besides, we are bodyguards, not his keepers."

The pair fell silent, observing a black van pulling up along the street

"Hey, Keita...something doesn't feel right about that van..." The second Serpentine mercenary stated,

"No kidding," Reaching down towards a duffel bag at his feet, he pulled out an M24 sniper rifle and clicked its bipod into position.

Right as he squatted down to lay flat on the rooftop and begin gazing through the scope, a brief wooshing sound rushed past his ear as he heard the telltale twip~ of a bullet meeting its target.

He turned his head to the side slowly as out of the corner of his eye he watched his partner fall.

"Shizue!!" He barely managed to roll to the side and pull his partner under the meager cover of the parapet.

"Shit!" Keita reached for his torso-mounted radio, "Serpentine forces- come in!" He activated the radio and was only met with almost painfully loud static.

"Jamming...!" Keita snarled, 'Whoever these guys are are clearly professionals...!'

"The van..." Shizue breathed heavily, "We need to...get to the van...stop them..."

"I know that...!" Keita hissed,

"Leave me..." She stated,

"Not a chance in hell," Keita stated, "We're going to make it out of here...and stop those bastards!"

⸻

Unaware of the situation outside, Sekai was left alone in the kitchen with his own thoughts.

'Did I say something wrong...?' He wondered to himself,

He sighed, standing up to begin to wash his and Antei's plate, when he suddenly heard knocking at the door.

'Who could it possibly be...?' He wondered, were his parents back early?

His thoughts were interrupted when the knocking began again, this time much louder.

"Coming! Coming!" He called, approaching the door, he opened it.

"How can I help-" Sekai began but was cut off by the sound of a silenced pistol going off.

Sekai staggered back in surprise, his mouth forming an O shape as he tried to process what was happening even as his vision began to blur.

"Handler, I've done as you asked..." Those were the last words Sekai heard as the fog of sleep descended on his vision and he passed out, unconscious.