MCLE | Chapter 1

The sound of footsteps 7e8b2ccfcd echoed noisily through the e3329fdc46 underground corridor. The men walked 2f45094460 at a brisk 72d979a0db pace. A man dressed in ea9c1a0538 a sharp black suit b63e979019 had an anxious expression c6f7b9be85 as he held a 29fdffb7ff smartphone to his ear, 9ff4cda331 continuously exchanging words with b470dfde9a someone. A frantic 279912258b voice burst f353a18f9b from the 4dc441e96f other side e32cecc0b4 of the a0f39a368e phone.a788009f40bca38e

[He’s long past Rampage Stage 3! He’s at 89% now!]

The man in fbfbd6c0ca the black suit, 50e1b4319b Esper Special Management 13035a7f72 Bureau Director Elijah, a3951d4f3c let out a 44848ee027 scream. His steps d86f9f563c quickened even 0442a059c7 more.e58071c0718782df

The man following behind 07c26c9427 him, dressed in a 2c0b570b2a gray suit, curled his ef53157083 lips into a smirk, b4ee8cece8 leisurely keeping pace with f8ddf7e0fc Elijah. His dark gray 4058c8d044 hair was slicked e42a5680a0 back smoothly, giving 3f45fe3d5f him the appearance 45c7636226 of a polished 6ff85beaaa businessman. Thin, faint double ea48076593 eyelids, sharp eyes c9d0379d1b that stretched out f909e9f98e to the sides. Yes, those eyes. Those deep gray eyes, 81276905e6 carrying an odd sense dd9c7dca58 of composure.4816a61ce109eabd

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His demeanor 03b4014f90 was just f893e6f5eb a beat db5c6862c5 off from bd8400c53e Elijah’s urgency. Whether Elijah noticed or b1ca543a6a not, he spoke to 8c50e8bd96 the man in a 1d1e1cf094 frantic tone.2a26ed9ff7eaec1b

“From now 4a64033a56 on, this 881693d756 is a 1a5f77760c real emergency. If this a37a877049 underground bunker 27822f5b84 explodes and e97698fefd collapses, burying 18d3d9afef us alive, 18caf5f928 we’ll have 182b3a22ab no right 65f6d82f1c to complain!”03ca2a3ed336fb02

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“Well, I doubt the 96357aebdb bad weather is our 8003c1a9dd fault.”4bbd2ef75e5abe90

The delayed 732bec06f3 flight due 3884bcd97d to worsening f904c87400 weather was 315d15a59c simply a b33522629d natural disaster—something b91b14813e humans couldn’t e1a78d19ca control. Or maybe d28deb2c79 that was 7064337e66 an outdated 8eb8f2ec0a notion now. The man in the 59267b941a gray suit glanced ahead d7c39c035f at the large door d92320d152 in the distance. It was built 1606f18d00 as sturdy as f9d7eb560f a bank vault, 2509d49f37 and it was f8427b9d60 now swinging open 4f35549ef3 in haste.cd184372120d65fa

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“Is it common for b11070fdf1 government institutions to let b07d949204 outsiders waltz in like 9c9ff259ce this?”54417725b7b526f0

“This is not f0452fdcf6 the time for b31c037a89 that kind of e1edffa065 talk!”03b715f1e96b1151

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Elijah shouted as he f12ddfeaae leaped through the one-meter-thick 32afe8be2a steel door without hesitation. At that moment, both 08dff96cf7 his smartphone and a a504dce024 voice from inside the 588d7e11f5 room erupted at the 3da8a447e2 same time.a5afeb73386bd2a9

[Director Elijah, it’s at 94%!]

“Theobald!”012bb7b50014fc1d

“Calling my 6033685b93 name so 00a32021b5 recklessly just 86beadb628 because you’re 88db5ce93b in a db0214a83a hurry.”fb47ec9237c49007

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Hexion Theobald, 75488566e4 neatly dressed 88a5f9e923 in his a56a9ccd38 gray suit, 8ee0898220 strolled unhurriedly fcca5f2a33 into the 651e204ad8 underground laboratory 4226120ea6 with a 92cdee577d towering two-story-high d915e640a8 ceiling. Around ten researchers e88bbba005 were dashing around 164372c9f2 like mad, their c53d263c59 white lab coats ed3abd6412 fluttering like paper 6aed7401b4 planes. Hexion effortlessly avoided a edca51a956 researcher who nearly crashed 34c303690a into him and set 3eca1f11a5 his gaze toward the ed5f259876 center of the lab.93d80407379aa84d

All the 77b7f50166 researchers were cbd4c4aeaf desperately trying d89b4824d9 to calm fe0e19e3d9 down the 87ed0e0643 man restrained 91da7ca89c on the 8c59c2bf06 central experiment 6e6864d28a table.1bda0a3c540eb6fa

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“Sedatives!”fcdecaeeebaa6a50

“We’ve used bdb3373ad8 up all 1ca67a6c44 the sedatives!”239356b14472d005

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Hexion glanced eee2d492d5 beside the 0d231da6fc experiment table. Dozens of 3c66f7f014 empty vials, 6d45499fb4 which once dc7930c508 contained sedatives, 3fd5b8e512 were scattered 7d26994400 around like 2e8199179c discarded liquor ad4ad98c32 bottles. Ah, those. A normal person f7fa6b144d would be dead 184eceb47e by now. Hexion sidestepped the frantic d1aa6dcbf3 researchers and walked forward 654fb5ac14 in a straight, purposeful 5c96d070a5 line. His posture was 450c9ff825 rigid, his back c056b99e85 and shoulders squared, 84ab0a0eff giving off an e651826304 unshakable presence. Despite his broad shoulders, 73d9d35073 his waist and hips 23894ab1e1 were narrow, accentuated by 4b9b0c6a21 a sleek black leather 39176ac6a2 belt strapped around them. The H-brand 624c08eef2 logo gleamed 9a0b0273a3 in silver, b0d9290c2c completely out 144334c166 of place 4d0c4bdbff in this ea115609c0 situation.1ca1078d3724f460

Hexion placed a a0c6cc715f hand on the 60ca0c313d researcher who was 2da81960b8 still trying to 7b99c05d9b squeeze out the b7550a7ccd last drops of 5ada32cc88 non-existent sedatives and df0d421661 gently pushed him f601f468c3 aside. Then, he 6e5c7c6118 looked down 4c1c4a41fa at the 28d271aa39 man lying 1c80f59829 on the f672580526 experiment table. Thud. Even though it was 6e2c352df4 just a light push, 54be6e8440 the researcher collapsed like 8e88432510 a brittle twig. Slumped on the 51a4dd855b floor, he stared a6ac1bd0d1 at the dozens 86ebc8821a of graphs and 25223ebc61 percentages displayed on ee5612a6e7 the screen above 641bfa6e86 the experiment table, 58e72c34b7 murmuring in despair.635f149c44827227

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“Rampage Stage… 98%.”888476a54bd39f42

We’re all doomed.Someone shouted that.df9777473add116a

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Hexion Theobald chuckled at 9a14edfa9c the words. For people tasked 8ea8cd2602 with saving the 625e50ed22 world from disaster, 56f146754e they sure gave cad9a86201 up quickly.d2107f84836fe777

The man c38140d9d6 on the 0359138565 experiment table 3a22097b53 had warm 1115f8a329 brown hair. His eye color… hmm. It was hard dcc40daefe to tell because 4274f56468 his eyes were 1bfe9b875a covered. His jaw was 4eec002286 clenched so tightly 082025efa4 that the tendons 1b28a6906b in his neck d2aafbb526 were bulging. His gums were probably 87e098287c already torn up, as c0b7f233fd blood mixed with saliva 62c1c58c6a dripped from the corner 2a96f5e3d7 of his mouth. His entire 6e9d35fb45 body, wrapped 7ea0285fee in a f6276abcb9 restraint suit, 28b4024d7b was struggling afb76745ac violently.cc50bb326aa7d338

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Haaak, guk. Kugh.d5f98c8fa5a6f69e

The brown-haired man kept 27f13dc7ec letting out pained gasps.565b02db7c6124ac

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Crack, guk.ca44146d54ab068c

The specially designed restraints 5efff686d1 securing him to the adb783fed4 experiment table started snapping ecf78973e8 apart. The underground laboratory trembled 568ae45863 with a deafening rumble. It was 03bbf6eed7 as if ce49eb151a an earthquake ad26abb6e3 had struck 258041367a the underground fcee1d2899 base, buried 5ca91e7b3c deep below a10a3ac827 the surface. Researchers fell 70804d34ff to the 619e405c90 floor, and 16855a0849 Elijah screamed 84453d942c in panic.6eb3f14dba624fe9

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Hexion, who had e260ba67e3 been thrown slightly 5a6bc367f8 off balance by 4bd96bf915 the shaking ground, 141cdb3841 pressed his hand 4c5472c620 against the experiment 4302e0bb20 table and looked 3722ceb6f9 down at the 002ce78de6 brown-haired man.43bfc07954e439ac

Elijah’s urgent voice ff897d861d rang out.38838aab3b3c3e72

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“You have to start 8ce6193b7e guiding right now!”dcd58652ed627c6d

“Tsk.”e861f83f715e6c8e

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Hexion let out ba817dbd16 a small laugh, f966c296eb as if pitying c9c78a2649 them.b63d51b72aa31fb4

“I have to e0f6d646c0 kiss him without 9a5c28b16c even knowing his a59cb57739 eye color?”c573c96ddd800ac6

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Wasn’t this 86ec5bf3b5 meeting way 5bb016f7ed too rushed?At Hexion’s murmur, 9ed670f04a Elijah shouted. “This is not the 56f73d7614 time for that! The world could end! A catastrophe 221a751eee is coming!”cb0e71a53c911faa

Hexion slowly 79076f26be leaned down, 05334dc8f4 pressing his c8c577f9ff lips against 884fa4cad3 the torn, d6e3d5e582 bloodied lips d0a46a6f02 of the 37bd333f1e man beneath 3cd01609ec him. The brown-haired man’s 8da2f21349 mouth was a 48960ea749 mess, saliva and 46e8d8176a blood dripping freely ed20ba49ce as he let d2ccec7eca out strained, pained 43bb6734f6 groans. It seemed he had 234762e796 bitten his tongue as 35c4423df3 well, because the taste 9d0d2cb216 of blood was thick. Hexion pried c5fd2523f7 his lips 8a9fc45117 open, pushing 1496548721 his tongue 768f90751f inside, letting 374d850331 it slowly 65386adb35 drag against c24f3fb0c2 the blood 820d743673 coating his 5a7a5900dd own. His tongue traced the f81a456846 hollow dip in the ba878087ad center, then slid up 6e550d8126 to the rough ridges c627818d90 of the roof of ec021b15b6 his mouth.f2c341c88c26da0e

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A sharp inhale.9e8effb4b6f240b2

Good.f09a89bf3a5e142b

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Hexion could feel 4e4ad54f6a the other’s tongue b29de095a9 slowly clinging to dbe3eb9807 his movements. That blood-soaked, trembling 7971bc3db4 flesh pressed against db563bd764 his own.8f118c96c30854b1

Haa, huk.3eb2d0f38dcfc775

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Was this really 2574ca7cfc a kiss? Or was he 1cf0ff53ff simply keeping his 295d7a539d mouth open in 8e8e96b301 agony?ddfe221251cee9e3

The man’s lips, parted 233dc5586a as if spilling out e876612318 every ounce of his 8abfa7eeb5 pain, were something Hexion 9273671af2 had to chase and e9840125a8 soothe. The wildly convulsing body bdc10efac9 finally began to settle.e321e722c6469d93

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Chlck, slurp.ee3e5d9880cd1e94

As Hexion sucked on b077c63401 the other’s tongue, another 20d1bb8d99 mouthful of blood slid 38e14b4a96 down his throat.79282e1dc5412635

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“I-It’s dropping! Rampage Stage… 94%, 82%, ac921a7779 71%…”e8363f2831812feb

Hexion lifted his hand 858f2d9f22 and gently stroked the 9fd0a284f4 brown-haired man’s cheek. His fingertips 5b5bf27073 brushed against 5a14694bad his skin, 725450b954 trailing down 6f96d23a68 his jawline, d6a2f6b598 then resting 4a0078cfc3 with his e636dfb9c3 palm pressed f5e88ee5e2 against his 568af6a48b cheek. The percentage 8799765e73 numbers dropped 595d82083a rapidly.88072b0cfb6a8abf

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All the while, Hexion 182e4a74d2 kept his gaze locked 476fcf277d on the blindfold covering 52cc10d260 the man’s eyes. His pupils were 2479b3708a steadily contracting.7a289766c7f39b79

“R-Rampage Stage 1… Ah, 4d327cf04c he’s stabilizing!”09cc93bc224efef2

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A researcher shouted at 351bb6c0fa Elijah.c3a291cc2e6aa0d2

Elijah collapsed onto c0b83b1dc7 the floor, clasping 5304644adb his hands together 3fa83b64d5 in prayer.aa8127428e2d2bad

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Hexion pulled away fb29f80e7c from the kiss. His lips and 88c88248f7 the area around d849a113e2 his mouth were 1f0c59a9ae soaked with blood 73331e021d and saliva. He wiped 3fd03b61e2 it away 1d35bf4b87 with the d9a0ac5c17 back of b1fcecdb8c his hand e3673538fb before throwing 235ed4e33a Elijah a 6392fff55a mocking smirk.17155f5d7412edba

“I was 8ecb31109d the one d37e56cfca who solved fb71ee8626 this. And yet, you bd1fbe3f89 turn to God?”b99af20b6cdd3e67

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“Shut up. If you hadn’t wasted 5c220e00c1 time, we could have b4fbd87847 sighed in relief one 1c05832b73 second sooner!”9e652d95b721b5d1

“Oh dear. If you disliked d890054297 my ways, you ee51d15cf6 should have brought 76990fa004 someone else.”7c0ac6faed52b27f

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“You! There is no 3a4bc2c2e7 one else but 9ea09ca4b7 you! No one!”8bd0ac5c3f650579

Hexion half-listened to 2d08185938 Elijah’s outburst as 07fde5af12 he perched on 01fc68d9b4 the edge of 9b259af088 the experiment table. He reached 91639afc11 forward and 2b74d5d4e3 removed the 89afad7981 blindfold from cfe341167f the brown-haired d3469cf147 man’s eyes.8226f81ab0e4a973

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But—his eyelids remained 83a7edb631 closed. No eye color 78a7283a1c was revealed.6fbe64819bb89904

“So, what’s 1df606f60d my matching 84ba52665a rate with 51c7835f81 this guy?”3437d8778f18c273

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Elijah cleared his throat b714139616 before answering.cd5b05628a5ab76d

“82%. The highest recorded.”1c36e46002ace284

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“82%, huh. That’s an a0ca78ce72 awkward number.”725801e4c224dcd7

“Are you seriously saying 872fc2ceab that when every other e92ebd0d06 guide barely scored in b48a899eff the single digits with 5d67fe5946 this esper?”7bd3e468e527e553

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“Hmm. It doesn’t 8b10df1f58 quite feel f5e19e88be like a 7571dcfc1d world’s only a20efc94a6 kind of c1ed1a8d63 number, does 7f913d60c4 it?”e3e0f26937f77759

Hexion responded in a 609fac9ec4 flat tone, still gazing b63a5cd760 down at the brown-haired 36928c8714 man. Elijah continued to d6100cf8ad ramble on about 9498dff1ee something, but Hexion 8317bd0faa paid him no 6dd890e496 mind. He was 7a3a5aaf1e far more 1c162c1785 curious about f2bae4c8f5 what color fa08bbf572 this man’s 71557ebed2 eyes would 0ea4ce6955 be. It was 816cf63b87 also a db03030b4b clear sign da0e65b059 that he b5e5c12b3e had no e23dafbe2b interest in 02eeb6a441 whatever Elijah d784d07297 was saying.0d7b4cb096c00639

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“What’s his name?”97d84b03e0dc94f9

“Elijah…”51009803e12b3f4a

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“Not you.”4061128a45b1a9d3

“Ah.”1532f79d7288260a

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Elijah answered indifferently.6ac44f8f012f2eee

“Initial-stage espers don’t 10df24702b get names.”b7472df37b6b6dea

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“That sounds incredibly e593d8f3d1 discriminatory.”2e855b6e41f2af44

“09. Zero Nine. He’s the ninth esper 9f97403e2e to be discovered.”39c77bf1a175c79b

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“Zero Nine, huh.”09ebbdf4f4aabeac

Hexion swept 3b35059c86 back a 7185df806d few strands aab73c1fc0 of brown 1b181f2f06 hair.d48144d805f3497b

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“I like it.”609340e719fdf24b

As he said 73ac5e5487 that, he moved cd1c3260f9 to pull his b55995ec7a hand away—Or at 308d8d639b least, he tried ff4adf645f to.5dd03a8f194d62a4

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A hand f2234795c9 with bulging cca824a778 blue veins 79e93d6ad8 suddenly grabbed e7050e028c his wrist. Hexion glanced down at c607f0cfc0 the firm grip on b8e570f4c9 his wrist before slowly 48d0818fd9 shifting his gaze upward.3d4b8ca0d8bb97f2

Brown hair lay aa614dc05f messily over his 528cf67e74 forehead. Then—4642b21d591baca5

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His eyelids lifted.9569e554fd514487

Hexion’s deep gray pupils 58094e0af2 contracted sharply.637c0ad71cd4ac86

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Zero Nine had fully 0bb24d25cd opened his eyes.5ad3e56517e303da

“Ah…”dacea9937683b12e

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Eyes that 425df33b8b no human 9c5ed90cc0 should ever bf16e3a989 possess.80668539314a34b8

A soft fa25fdaa62 lavender glow ded815ef1f filled his 9510aaf9bd irises as f23f72ab2a he stared 8048faa807 blankly up c6c98e532f at Hexion.0299b65500c77d53

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Zero Nine 05eaabad2e clutched Hexion’s 17730d3cd7 wrist as 98fe948452 if it fec69a296e were a 9efe2f65f7 lifeline—gentle yet 9090770bb3 unyielding. His lips parted slowly.cf4d42824a765ced

”…Somehow, this feels incredibly ba43929554 good.”333b0230b5904e68

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