I am not the enemy!

[Main room of the Black owl base]

Yuichi knelt in the center of a spacious, high-tech room, his hands bound tightly behind his back. The walls were lined with large monitors displaying various data and maps, while the floor was made of polished steel.

At the front of the room sat a massive table, surrounded by seven people wearing specialized military attire. They all wore stern expressions and looked down upon Yuichi with contempt.

Shinra and Kira stood at opposite ends of the where Yuichi was, their eyes locked onto the huge men in front of them, with a mixture of curiosity and anticipation.

"Lieutenant Colonel Shinra," The man spoke with a stern and aggressive tone, " We demand an explanation from you".

Shinra stood tall, his expression unwavering. The atmosphere was tense, and everyone's attention was focused on Yuichi, who was kneeling with his hands bound behind his back.

"I believe you have all heard about the Human Xynoin?" Shinra asked, his voice calm and collected.

"Of course, that's exactly why we are asking," A female high-ranking officer interjected with a raised voice, "Why would you bring such a dangerous creature into the military base?"

The room fell silent as Shinra took a deep breath, preparing to give his explanation.

Shinra responded. "I understand your concerns, but this is a unique opportunity to study the Xynoin virus in a controlled environment. This Xynoin's transformation is one of a kind, and we could learn a lot from it."

"Even if you are right, you are telling us to run experiments on this? We are better off giving it to a bigger organization, Don't you agree, Lieutenant?" One of the officers exclaimed in disbelief. "What if something goes wrong?"

"We'll take all necessary precautions," Shinra replied calmly. "And we won't be doing anything that could put Xynoins life in danger, at least not to a point that it would want to hurt anyone. We just want to observe the effects of the virus on a human body and gather data that could be useful in future operations against Xynoins."

"But what if the virus mutates and becomes even more dangerous? Do you know how many valuable lives were lost before we could figure out the Grades for the Metas?" Another officer asked. "We can't risk that kind of outcome."

Shinra leaned forward, his voice becoming more firm. "We can't ignore the potential benefits of this research just because of hypothetical risks. We've been fighting the Xynoins for years, and we still know very little about them. This could be our chance to gain a better understanding of their biology and behavior".

The room fell silent as everyone considered Shinra's argument. Kira spoke up for the first time, "I agree with Lieutenant Colonel Shinra. As long as we follow proper safety protocols, this could be a valuable opportunity for our research."

Some of the officers still looked hesitant, but after a few more minutes of discussion. The female among them suddenly spoke out.

"I am still against this Lieutenant".

Shinra cleared his throat and leaned forward, his eyes scanning the faces of the higher officers in front of him. "Gentlemen and ladies, I understand your concerns. But we have a bigger picture to consider here. Project Xh2 is of utmost importance to our country's safety and security"

"You've made progress on Project XH2?" Asked a gruff, older man from the back of the room.

Shinra smiled slyly. "That, Major General, is classified information. But I can tell you that it has the potential to change the course of history."

Several of the officers murmured amongst themselves, looking uneasy. "And you think this boy can help you with your project?" Asked a woman with a sharp, authoritative voice.

Shinra nodded. "We believe he may have unique abilities that could prove valuable to our research".

The room fell silent for a moment as the officers contemplated Shinra's words. Finally, a man in the front row spoke up.

"I understand your point, Lieutenant Colonel. But the safety of our soldiers and civilians must come first. We cannot risk an experiment on this Xynoin boy, especially when we know so little about its condition".

Shinra sighed, crossing his arms. "I understand your concerns, sir. But we have taken every precaution necessary to ensure the soldiers safety. We have the best doctors and scientists on the project, and we have even brought in a team of Xynoin experts to help us with the research".

The officers continued to argue and debate, with some still skeptical and others more willing to take the risk. But Shinra remained confident in his plan, convinced that the potential rewards outweighed the risks.

Meanwhile, during the discussion, Yuichi's heart was beating fast as he knelt on the cold ground, his eyes wide open with fear as he stared at the ground.

He felt small and insignificant in front of these powerful men, their stern gazes fixed on him. He had never met them before, but he could sense their authority and it made him tremble.

Despite the fear, Yuichi tried to listen closely to their conversation, hoping to understand what was happening to him.

As Yuichi's fear continued to build up, he could hear a voice in his head, one that he had come to know all too well. It was the voice of the Xynoin inside him, Outcast, speaking in a low, almost menacing tone.

{What the hell are you doing?} The voice asked, its words echoing through Yuichi's mind.

'Shut up.' Yuichi responded, his eyes darting nervously around the room.

{I can taste your fear,} Outcast continued, {and I'll tell you I hate this emotion. I promised to give you power, so why are you still holding back?}

Yuichi gritted his teeth, trying to block out the voice as the discussion continued around him, 'Just, Shut up already'.

{Look around you Yuichi, these people don't care what they do to you, they are selfish like every other human.

What was it again, ahh yes… A Xynoin. They called you a Xynoin, they called you a monster… Quit acting like a weakling and prove them right!}

"Ahhh! Shut up!" He yelled, his voice filled with a mixture of fear and rage. He began smacking his head on the ground, desperate to silence Outcast's voice.

"Just shut up!"

Blood began to drip from his forehead, staining the floor beneath him. The soldiers in the room watched in horror as Yuichi's forehead was dripping with blood while he still kept banging his head on the ground..

"Dude, stop!" Kira rushed towards him, trying to stop him from hurting himself any further. The other soldiers looked on with a mix of concern and confusion, unsure of what to do next.

Yuichi suddenly pushed Kira away before standing to his feet, looking directly at the higher ranking people in front of him, "No, now you listen to me … I'm bot your enemy!".