Chapter 36: You're Just Making a Scene

"Don't be afraid, I'm not a bad person."

Honestly, those words carried no conviction whatsoever.

The security guard who answered the call was so frightened, his face turned pale. The scene before him was like something straight out of a horror movie—a person had crawled out of a PAD screen that was clearly too small, smiling as he steadied the guard who was so weak in the knees he nearly collapsed.

Landing on the ground, Yuki caught sight of the guard reaching under the desk for what looked suspiciously like an emergency alarm button. Without hesitation, Yuki lifted his foot and kicked the PAD lying on the floor, sending it flying into the guard's outstretched hand.

"Please believe me, I'm not a bad person. Don't make this harder for me."

"You... you..."

Clutching his throbbing wrist, the security guard curled up on the floor like a shrimp, pressing his forehead against the tiles. Within a few breaths, his wrist had swelled dramatically—likely fractured. When the first wave of pain ebbed, a strong grip seized his shoulder, pulling him upright. Only now did he have a moment to scrutinize this 'ghost' who had crawled out of the screen.

Well, he wasn't translucent. He seemed like a living, breathing human.

There was something oddly familiar about the young man—more precisely, about the blue uniform he wore.

"Are you... with Aegis?!"

Wasn't this the bodyguard the institute director hired? He'd accompanied the director here for a tour just yesterday!

Yuki pulled out Officer Sakura's badge from his pocket, flashed it before the guard's eyes, and quickly stowed it away. "Foreign Affairs Division, Department of Unknowns."

The guard gaped, the elements before him too bizarre to process. His brain struggled to make sense of the information: a man crawls out of a screen, then produces a police badge claiming to be an officer.

Was this some variety show or an elaborate prank?

"In any case, please cooperate with the police. Obstructing official duties carries a three-year sentence. Thank you."

Yuki did his utmost to play the part of a lawful, neutral officer, his tone as gentle as possible. Perhaps his youthful appearance lacked authority, but he did his best to hold steady. He truly didn't want to fight his way through, turning a covert operation into a bloodbath, leaving every witness unconscious or battered.

He didn't have the time for that, anyway.

Yuki unclipped the security badge from the guard's neck, nodded in gratitude. "Thank you for your cooperation."

With that, Yuki turned and dashed out the door, racing along the route he'd memorized during yesterday's tour toward the launch control room. He couldn't be bothered to dodge the cameras anymore; he couldn't rely entirely on the guard not to trigger the alarm. All he could do was add speed, accomplishing everything before the staff at the launch facility could react!

Sure enough, within minutes, the wail of alarms echoed across the base. Yuki frowned, unsure whether it was the guard who had sounded the alert or if his reckless dash through the surveillance field had triggered it.

...

Wait.

Yuki stopped in his tracks, holding his breath, listening intently to his surroundings.

Apart from the deafening alarm, there was no sign of anyone running in the corridor—no converging footsteps, no encirclement.

Could it be... this wasn't an intrusion alarm.

It was the rocket launch warning!

At this thought, Yuki glanced at his watch. There were precisely five minutes left until the scheduled noon rocket launch, as the director had announced. The alarm sounded on the hour, confirming it was indeed the pre-launch signal!

He hurried his pace, crossing a skybridge toward the adjacent Building B.

The launch control room was housed in Building B, the entire third floor dedicated to its core control area. As he ran, Yuki contemplated whether he should storm the core area to find the person in charge, to inform him that the institute had issued a notice postponing the launch and urge him to abort the countdown.

If the supervisor wasn't present, or refused to cooperate, or offered any plausible—or utterly absurd—excuse that the launch couldn't be halted, then he would simply teleport to the silo and forcibly disconnect the rocket's cables, stopping the launch with brute force.

Such actions would make the aftermath complicated... but, honestly, he'd already assaulted an officer, trespassed, injured someone—what difference did a little more trouble make?

...!!

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a wave of discomfort that crashed over him.

At full speed, Yuki's stride faltered, nearly dropping to his knees. Luckily, the skybridge wall was within arm's reach, and he leaned his entire body against it, barely managing to stay upright.

The backlash after using Grimmd's power was overwhelming, coming on suddenly with no warning. If he'd been caught in a fight at that moment, he would have died—no question.

Yuki pressed his swelling forehead, the voice in his mind now distorted, like an old recording, began its incessant murmuring.

"Can you be certain the rocket will collide with the space station?"

"Is it really just because you saw the 'future'?"

"And how will you prove it? If you alter the future you foresaw, there's no evidence you possess precognition—isn't that so?"

"You predicted the rocket would crash into the station, and then you rushed about, eliminating the possibility. What everyone sees, in the end, is—the rocket did not collide, your prediction was wrong. Perhaps it never would have collided... perhaps you're just making a fuss."

"You are merely squandering the credibility 'Yuki' has accumulated through the years."

"There will come a day when it runs dry, a day when it is overdrawn."

...

"You will become a rambling lunatic, and no one will believe you."

"Wouldn't it be better to let things return to their original course..."

...

Yuki leaned against the wall, face ashen, and it took several seconds after the voice faded for him to regain his composure.

"Can't you ever finish your sentences in one go?"

Cold sweat had soaked his collar.

He wiped his face, pushed off the wall, straightened up, and resumed his run toward the end of the skybridge.

That 'voice' had babbled on, as usual, and Yuki had always told himself not to pay it any mind. Its logic was flawed, its words mere amplification of his own inner darkness—nothing but empty air.

But now, his mind felt ignited, every neuron ablaze. It was a sensation hard to describe, as if his brain had betrayed his will, spinning out of control despite his efforts to rein it in—how could one restrain their own mind? There was nowhere to exert force. His thoughts whirled, linking the recent events together, replaying them like a carousel in his head.

At last, the vision settled on the figure seated behind the desk, coffee cup in hand—

In an instant, his mind cleared.

Again, hard to describe, but if he had to, it was like a vision—a shining droplet falling into a mirror-like pool, dark and deep beneath the surface, the sound of its plunge echoing.

The calm water rippled, spreading luminous rings, jolting Yuki from his chaotic thoughts.

He snapped back to himself, and in that fleeting interval, focused all his attention—he held off the surge of confusion.

He began silently reciting the digits of pi.

3.1415926535...

If he couldn't stop the rampage within his mind, he'd compete for processing power!

Recite a hundred digits of pi, then move on to the periodic table—these things were etched into his soul, and he could recite many, many more!