Auto Hunting

No. 106

Japan Police Department Public Security Department.

The Department’s Special Unit 2 was in charge of international security measures. This was where Yoo-seong was currently being detained.

‘I’m hungry,’ Yoo-seong thought as his stomach grumbled. He hadn’t eaten anything since he had arrived in Japan. The bus he had been riding in had just stopped in front of a legendary dumpling restaurant in Tokyo when the chaos erupted.

According to his original schedule, he should begin his business in Japan after lunch.

However, things hadn’t gone as planned.

‘When will I get to eat?’

At that moment…

Beep-!

The door of his detention room had opened, and there wasn’t just one person who came in.

There were ten people, armed with bulletproof equipment and special shock rods. They separated into two groups of five and flanked Yoo-seong left and right.

Then a man in plain clothes walked in.

He was very tall and appeared to be in his late thirties. He wore a dry-fit top that hugged his upper body, making his muscles stand out. His hair was beginning to thin, and he wore a long beard as if to compensate for it. His bulbous nose was almost the size of a finger.

Rimless glasses accentuated his looks, somehow giving an air of intelligence to his brutish appearance.

‘He’s not a hunter,’ Yoo-seong decided.

However, it was obvious that the man was a CE user.

‘What do they call it… a Sheriff?’

This was a word unfamiliar to the general public.

In fact, it wasn’t even the position’s official name. It was just something that hunters called them.

Even among hunters, it was very rare to encounter a Sheriff because hunters had no reason to break the law. If ever a hunter or CE user got involved in a criminal offense, suppressing him would be difficult for the police. Therefore, law enforcement needed superhumans who could suppress other superhumans who had committed crimes.

Hunters called them Sheriffs.

These were superhumans whose prey was not monsters but fellow humans. They were trained to do covert work for the state.

To many, the sheriff was an invisible entity. Most of the hunters who had encountered them were now in prison.

Kruuung-!

The middle-aged man dragged a metal chair in front of Yoo-seong and sat upon it. One of the armed personnel on Yoo-seong’s right moved closer.

He assumed that this one was going to serve as their interpreter.

“My name is Atsuro Oda. You don’t know me.”

Despite the interpreter’s clear and emotionless translation, it was obvious to Yoo-seong how Oda felt. His voice was full of hostility.

“You have no right to hunt in this country.”

Yoo-seong nodded. He had no reason to deny it. However, this only seemed to anger Oda further.

“Do not just nod; speak, Oh Yoo-seong.”

“Sure.”

“Do you know who I am?”

Yoo-seong felt puzzled. It was a direct contrast to the first thing the man had told him.

“Well…. are you famous?”

“To those who need to know me, I’m pretty well-known.”

The eyes behind the rimless glasses were cold as they stared at Yoo-seong. The cold gaze then turned to the meteor.

“And those who need to know me are those who visit this country without a clear purpose, Oh Yoo-seong.”

As Oda spoke…

Go-oh-

Aura exploded around Oda’s body. Based on its quality, it was obvious that his core was at a higher level than Yoo-seong.

Besides, it wasn’t just Oda.

The armed troops in the room, including the interpreter, charged their Aura in unison. Although their level was clearly lower than Oda’s, their combined power couldn’t be ignored.

“I hate violence,” Oda murmured, “but the things we do are fundamentally no different from hunting. If it’s for the general public’s safety, we have to do the best we can.”

Yoo-seong was in an enclosed space, and he was outnumbered. Most serious of all, there was a master holding an enormous amount of CE leading the pack.

It was the perfect hunting operation.

“Of course, if you answer my questions to the best of your ability, we could resolve this smoothly.”

After all, hunters were humans. Unlike beasts, you could negotiate with them.

“My question is simple,” Oda said. “Why did you come to this country?”

Yoo-seong’s expression was unreadable. “Vacation.”

Oda’s eyes widened. “How dare…”

“I’m here on vacation. You asked why I’m here. I’m on vacation.”

“I will ask you again…” Oda clenched his fist.

“Then why don’t you stop using an interpreter?”

Oda felt stunned by that.

Yoo-seong kept going.

“You obviously understand what I’m saying. However, when you talk, I have to look at his emotionless face to understand what you said. Psychological disconnection by talking through a third party… I don’t need it. I haven’t done anything wrong.”

Yoo-seong scratched his nose before continuing.

“I don’t even know the reason I was brought here. International special defense provisions clearly state that, in the event of a disaster that could directly impact civilian lives, the use of force purely for life-saving is allowed.”

It was a law that was followed in every country.

Oda touched his lips. Yoo-seong was right about the interpreter. Now that he’d been exposed as being able to speak his prey’s language, should he pretend ignorance and continue with an interpreter?

Or should he adjust to his prey?

When he spoke, it wasn’t in Japanese.

“So you think you did nothing wrong? Do you think a hunter can simply use Aura in the middle of another country, then immediately use a few lines of an international treaty to save himself? Do you think you can bluff with just that?”

Oda smiled mischievously after saying it. However, Yoo-seong didn’t seem to be worried.

“I’m guessing you are thinking the same thing, else you wouldn’t have brought just that.”

He pointed at the shock rods the armed staff had brought.

“Those rods. They are good equipment. However, if you really thought I violated your laws, you wouldn’t have come here with just those.”

A rogue hunter posed a huge risk to civilians and property. It had to be a priority to subdue a rogue hunter no matter what it cost.

At the minimum, high-powered Gellar guns should have been aimed at Yoo-seong, not shock rods. The only reason for this that Yoo-seong could think of was that they didn’t have a basis for recognizing him as a real threat.

In fact, there were a lot of witnesses to what he had just done on the street.

At this, the room fell silent, though not just from the obvious loophole that Yoo-seong had pointed out. It was because the armed forces were feeling the effects of Aura exhaustion.

Everyone, including Oda, had maintained a high display of Aura throughout the interrogation. Some of the armed personnel were already sweating.

However, while their foreheads were lined due to their intense concentration, Yoo-seong still seemed as relaxed as ever. They found it extremely annoying.

“Of course, not everything is certain yet. It was necessary to gather evidence such as witness testimonies, CCTV footage, stuff like that. However… I don’t know if there is a need to create this kind of atmosphere right now.” Yoo-seong shrugged.

“Hey!” Oda stood and leaned close to Yoo-seong’s face. “I judge what’s necessary or not.”

He stared into Yoo-seong’s eyes. “I know people like you well. I promise you; you won’t walk around in this country for long.”

“Well… do you mean you’re going to deport me?”

“That will be if things work out well for you. But, of course, we will act depending on what you do. We are elite at hunting guys like you.”

“Ugh. I’m scared.” Yoo-seong smiled.

Suddenly…

Ta-ang-!

Yoo-seong’s feet were now on the table between him and Oda. “First, let’s have some lunch. I didn’t even have breakfast yet.”

Upon being faced with this display, Oda tried to keep his composure. He could have ignored Yoo-seong’s provocation with a cold attitude. But somehow, this foreigner got on his nerves.

“Handcuff this man!” he yelled out.

However, even after he gave instructions, no one moved. “What are you…?!” Oda raised his voice and turned his head toward the personnel.

He tried to turn his head, rather, but found that he couldn’t.

A keen pressure near the nape of his neck prevented him from doing so, and it wasn’t just his neck. Somehow, his legs, arms, and torso felt as if they were bound by an invisible thread. It was clear that everyone in the room was suffering from the same predicament.

“If you’re going to tell yourselves that you are elites,” Yoo-seong said, “you should at least know what kind of characteristics your prey has.”

Of course, this was their fault.

Yoo-seong had been alone for almost an hour in a small room of merely ten meters.

Spiders never rested.

“It’s a technique that I’ve even shown the world before!” Yoo-seong shook his head in disapproval.

Oda felt embarrassed and angry at the same time. “What are you doing? We represent the state! You just attacked us.”

Oda’s eyes caught the CCTV in the corner of the detention room.

It was the police department’s eye to see what’s happening inside. Someone was definitely watching them right now.

“You will be responsible for this. You have just become a criminal.”

“Want to make a bet?” Yoo-seong said, looking straight into Oda’s eyes.

“What?!”

“I will never become a criminal. No one will care about what happens to you.”

“You’re dreaming…”

“I’m not done talking.” Yoo-seong brought his feet down from the table.

“In twenty… no, let’s say thirty minutes, the Superintendent will arrive here. I haven’t eaten anything since morning. I’d like sushi, gyoza dumplings, and soba served on a tray.”

“Of course,” Yoo-seong paused for effect, “each of them must be from the best restaurants in Tokyo.”

Yoo-seong’s mouth watered as he thought of it. “Then I’ll let all of you go, and I’ll talk to your chief while eating.”

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

It was not Oda who shouted this but one of his men. “Does the Japanese Police Department look easy?!”

“You are done!”

The subordinates were all screaming in succession. Inside their bulletproof helmets, their faces were red with anger.

Yoo-seong had just stepped on the state’s pride. Besides, they all knew about Nakai’s embarrassment on social media because of this hunter’s post.

“You are… a crazy guy,” was all Oda could say.

Suddenly, the door to the detention room opened.

Everyone who was yelling insults at Yoo-seong shut their mouths and looked toward the door expectantly.

They hoped that the police force’s troops would come in and punish Yoo-seong. However…

Rattle-!

What they heard approaching wasn’t a command or angry footsteps.

Rattle-!

It was the sound of plates and bowls on a metal tray.

The General Superintendent – he was the top rank in the Japanese Police Department.

He wasn’t someone you’d expect to bring dishes on a tray.

“Nice to meet you,” the General Superintendent greeted Yoo-seong.

“Nice to meet you too.” Yoo-seong stood from his chair.

Although his greeting was polite enough, his eyes were on the food, not the Superintendent.

The Superintendent placed the tray gently on the table. Oda and the armed personnel could only watch.

The pressure from the thread that bound them was gone in an instant.

“How could this be…” someone muttered desolately.

There could be only one answer.

What Yoo-seong had told the CCTV was exactly what happened. The Superintendent had followed his orders and brought the food he wanted in just twenty-six minutes.

“Uh, how about letting everyone go, Chief?” Yoo-seong asked.

The Superintendent nodded.

“Everyone out!”

Despite an order directly issued by the general manager of the Tokyo police, it took quite a while for his subordinates to move.

“Head out!” The Superintendent raised his voice, and the startled men began to move.

As soon as the door closed, Yoo-seong reached out to the tray and dragged it toward himself.

“I will enjoy this food,” he said out loud.

Things were happening faster than he’d expected. So far, Yoo-seong thought that it had already been a very productive trip to Japan.

‘Although,’ he thought, ‘I have just begun.’

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