A Month of Silence

  A month had passed since the incident, and the world was reacting vehemently as news of Hiro, the Born Executor, spread. The Born Executor was supposed to be the pinnacle of humanity, someone with extraordinary abilities. Yet, the first Born Executor from Asia, Hiro, found himself in a deep coma, his condition a mysterious puzzle that defied explanation.

  – Hahaha, this is priceless, the best of the best is in a coma.

  – If that’s the savior of humanity, I’m not so sure.

  – It doesn’t matter, as long as D13 is here, you have nothing to fear, you weaklings.

  – What did we expect from Asia, really?

  – Isn’t that a bit racist, dude?

  – No, but in five centuries, Born Executors have appeared on every continent except Asia, it does make you wonder.

  – Because of this pathetic guy, assholes like you are talking bad about my country.

  The global social networks were buzzing, but in the wrong way. Speculations ran wild, with some condemning the situation and others demanding answers. However, the Japanese authorities had decided to keep the matter under wraps, offering only fragmented information.

  ---

  In a room at Keio Hospital in Tokyo, Hiro lay in a medical bed, surrounded by high-tech equipment. Machines beeped softly, indicating that he was still alive, but his condition remained precarious. Four healing-type Executors stood around him, constantly casting buffs in an attempt to stabilize his condition. These healers were among the best in the country, but even they seemed out of their depth.

  One of them, a woman with a focused expression, murmured:

  “How is this possible?”

  “I still can’t understand… How can someone be in such a critical state?”

  The other healers nodded silently, unable to answer the question. No matter how much they tried to treat his internal organs, within minutes, everything would revert to an unrecognizable state. The injuries seemed to regenerate in strange, incomprehensible ways. And the worst part was, they didn’t even understand the nature of his suffering.

  “If this is the cost of his system, then his special abilities must be on another level, right?” suggested one healer, his face marked by frustration.

  A heavy silence fell over the room, everyone waiting for an answer, but none had one.

  Suddenly, a faint sound broke the tension. A barely perceptible movement of Hiro’s hand. Then, slowly, almost imperceptibly, his eyes opened.

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  What... where am I?

  Hiro was waking up gradually, his senses still numb from the long coma. All he could see were blurry figures. Fragments of conversations reached his ears, but everything seemed unreal, as if the world around him no longer made sense. The pain coursing through his body was so intense that the thought of death almost seemed preferable.

  “The Minister… contact him…”

  “He’s finally waking up…”

  The voices merged, indistinct. Hiro could only focus on one thing: the pain. The excruciating pain that consumed every fiber of his being.

  ---

  The commotion in the room increased. The news that Hiro had finally woken up spread like wildfire. There was no doubt about Hiro’s importance—he was humanity’s hope. But for him, the reality was very different. He was a prisoner of his own pain, and all he wanted was for it to stop.

  Two hours later, in the same hospital room, his father, Mr. Ishida, and his sister, Marine, rushed in, visibly shaken. The Minister and other officials were gathered around his bed. Hiro, still stoic, showed no emotion. He seemed present, yet absent at the same time.

  Marine rushed to him, crying uncontrollably:

  “Hiro... Hiro...”

  She sobbed, unable to hold back her grief. Hiro looked at her, but all he could feel was the pain.

  His father, on the other hand, remained frozen, his gaze vacant. He didn’t move, as if his soul had left his body. The others, concerned, watched the scene in silence, but none truly understood what was happening in Mr. Ishida’s mind.

  Hiro focused on his own suffering, trying to hide it from everyone. But the screams in his mind wouldn’t stop. The internal pain, the incurable illness, all of it swirling into a vortex of agony. His thoughts turned to the one thing that kept him alive: his sister.

  Marine...

  He thought of her, his sister, the only person he had left. She was his strength, the only reason he hadn’t succumbed to the pain. Although his father was present, he felt, in some way, that he would never see this man again.

  The Minister, having observed the heavy atmosphere, stepped forward and spoke, his usual smile still present, though less sincere.

  “Hiro, you seem to be getting better, despite everything you’ve been through.”

  Really? thought Hiro. He forced himself to nod, trying to respond with simple words while concealing the pain that bubbled inside him.

  The conversation began, but it only added to his agony. The Minister, aware of the situation, finally asked the question that burned on everyone’s lips:

  “Hiro, what happened that day, during your awakening?”

  Hiro forced a faint smile, hiding the pain that consumed him. This is where it all ends.

  He explained, in excruciating detail, what he had experienced. His words struck the others like a thunderclap. Marine, the Minister, and even his father were left speechless, their eyes wide with shock. Hiro’s revelations were so unbelievable that none of them knew how to react.

  Marine had her hands over her mouth, sobbing. After hearing Hiro’s explanation, she understood that her brother was currently suffering with every fiber of his being. What was most bewildering was that Hiro showed no signs of pain, he just appeared a bit tired.

  His father, meanwhile, had wide eyes, but his overall expression was still vacant, even though tears streamed down his face.

  One of the officials, visibly shaken, nervously intervened:

  “No, there must be a mistake, a red system? There’s never been a case like this before… Maybe… yes, maybe this involves a special class in...”

  He didn’t have time to finish his sentence before the Minister, now visibly calmer, interrupted:

  “Sakura, check this.”

  Sakura, the head of the Rose Guild, was known for her ability to analyze hunters’ abilities with 99.9% accuracy. Needless to say, she was reliable. She stepped in front of Hiro and activated her power.

  Her eyes widened as she scanned Hiro’s data. What she saw left her speechless. Every detail she analyzed matched Hiro’s words. No special abilities. Instead, there were horrible, devastating penalties. The young woman felt an overwhelming sense of unease.

  Then suddenly, her eyes snapped away from the screen.

  Cold sweat dripped down her forehead as her legs trembled, seeming ready to give out at any moment. A hesitant and tense expression appeared on her face, as if she had seen something she shouldn’t have.

  “Ugh…”

  The Minister, clearly unsettled, approached her.

  “What... what happened?”

  Sakura, her voice trembling, handed a tablet to the Minister.

  “Look for yourself.”

  The Minister took the tablet and scanned the report. Within minutes, his expression changed dramatically. The smile had vanished, replaced by an icy coldness. The atmosphere in the room grew heavy.

  He looked at Hiro, then slowly turned his gaze toward Mr. Ishida, whose gaunt appearance only heightened the discomfort.

  ... The Minister looked at his luxury watch, which could easily be worth millions of yen, then turned and walked, dignified but cold, toward the exit of the hospital room. He whispered softly, but loud enough for everyone in the room to hear:

  “Waste of time!”

  So, this was the value of a Born Executor without powers... A waste of time.

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