Chapter 118: The Windbreaker

"America?"

Manami Mizuhara’s pupils constricted instantly. It was only then that she noticed the faint, persistent trembling beneath her feet. She had previously assumed it was the result of some experimental equipment or the nature of the facility. But after receiving the information from Lieutenant Colonel Darcy, she understood: she was standing inside a ship, and this vessel was currently sailing across the vast, boundless ocean.

Manami’s gaze swept cautiously around the seamless cabin. The shock of the revelation faded into a cold, collected composure in an instant. Perhaps it was because she had already endured too much in the past.

"America—I don't recall ever changing my nationality."

"Miss Mizuhara, you would do well to accept reality. Every year, nearly half a million international students from the Dragon Kingdom compete for an H1B visa with a success rate of barely five percent, and that is merely a visa. As for green cards or immigration, the difficulty is even higher. At least five hundred million people worldwide dream of squeezing into this beacon of light, yet you have stepped into it without the slightest effort. You should feel fortunate."

"...Besides, things have reached a point where you no longer have a choice. I advise you to be sensible. America might show a shred of compassion toward its own citizens, but for uncooperative foreigners, we have many ways to handle things. For instance, your parents..."

Lieutenant Colonel Darcy’s arrogant voice boomed throughout the cabin via the loudspeaker. After he finished speaking, the young girl lowered her head, seemingly lost in thought. Just as Darcy prepared to press his advantage, Vargos tugged at his sleeve and switched off the speaker.

"Colonel—this is the most precious experimental subject in human history. She might be even more valuable than the small batch of enriched uranium extracted during the Manhattan Project. Could you show her a little respect?" Vargos sounded flustered, yet he forced a stiff smile at Darcy.

"...Dr. Vargos." Darcy lifted his chin, his expression cold and rigid. "I lack your research capabilities; I know nothing of non-human phenomena or the principles of matter. But I have served in the USMC for twenty-five years and spent ten stationed in Japan. If we are talking about an understanding of human nature, especially the Japanese, then our levels of expertise are reversed."

Vargos was left speechless. Darcy shifted his gaze back to the surveillance monitor.

"The Japanese people are like their samurai swords: very sharp, but also prone to rusting—and once they encounter a superior force, they are shattered completely and submit entirely to the other side." He looked at the girl on the screen, his tone cool and detached. "...Therefore, when dealing with the Japanese, one must completely suppress them. You must excise any sign of instability from their hearts from the very beginning. Only then can you earn their loyalty."

Vargos remained silent. *Isn't that just Stockholm Syndrome...* he thought to himself. He looked at the monitor as well, watching the silent, head-bowed girl, and a flicker of doubt crossed his mind: Could Lieutenant Colonel Darcy actually be right?

Just then, the girl looked up at the camera. For some reason, her expression was now calm, as if she had reached a decision. A glint of resolve shone in her eyes.

"You mentioned my parents just now. Where are they?"

Lieutenant Colonel Darcy narrowed his eyes and switched the speaker back on. "They are on this ship and will be sent to America with you—provided you cooperate well in the future, you will certainly have many chances to see them..."

"I want to see them right now." The girl cut through his threats and inducements, staring unblinkingly into the camera lens with bright, unwavering eyes.

"..." Although he knew she couldn't see his face, a menacing chill radiated from Darcy’s eyes. The researchers beside him, who had been about to speak, fell into a terrified silence upon seeing his expression.

"I want to see them right now... otherwise, I will never cooperate. You should know that you want me, you want to study me, but only I can unlock the mysteries left behind by the 'Suien Minato-no-Mikoto' wood carving. I have many ways to sabotage your plans—for instance, suicide."

Across the monitor, Darcy engaged in a one-sided "stare-down" with the girl, his face turning grim. After a long moment, seeing that she remained standing there like a rock, exuding a resolute will, he slammed his fist into the air. Suppressing his anger, he spoke.

"...Fine. I will arrange it. But this meeting will not last more than ten minutes!"

He switched off the speaker, turned, and walked out of the monitor room with a face like thunder. As his figure vanished, Vargos’s sardonic voice echoed in the room: "Wow, the Stockholm plan is a total failure~"

...

Lieutenant Colonel Darcy did keep his word and arranged a meeting between Manami Mizuhara and her family. However, the way he kept his promise was a cruel trick.

Though Manami was moved to a shipboard conference room under the escort of armed guards, her parents were not there in person. Instead, there was a tablet. On the screen, Darcy and a group of soldiers stood in the background, while her parents appeared in the foreground.

"...Mami?" her mother, Makoto Mizuhara, looked at her daughter on the screen, feeling both lost and bewildered.

"Mom." Even though less than a day had passed since she last saw her mother before leaving for school, Manami felt a lump in her throat, as if half a century had gone by. "Mom, are you okay? Where is Dad?"

Makoto and Shingo Mizuhara exchanged a look. Both offered tired smiles. Their clothes were neat and tidy; aside from the psychological trauma, they appeared physically unharmed.

"...We are fine," Shingo said with a forced smile, looking at Manami with worried eyes. "Mami, are you alright? I heard the Americans talking; you..." He left his words hanging, but Manami understood instantly.

"Yes, Dad... I’ve encountered some strange things. You know how I’ve always loved the supernatural, but I never imagined I’d end up in the middle of it."

Shingo was silent for a moment. Finally, he said to her with firm conviction, "It doesn't matter... No matter what, Mami, you are our daughter."

...

The ten minutes passed in the blink of an eye. The meeting ended, and the tablet went dark. Sitting in the conference room chair, Manami let out a heavy sigh and covered her face with her hands.

A soldier approached, intending to lead her away.

"I'm sorry, could you give me a moment?" she said, her voice muffled and tinged with sorrow. "...Not long, just a dozen seconds... There. That’s enough. Lieutenant Colonel Darcy didn't lie... they really are on this ship... I've found them."

Manami’s voice grew hard. At that same instant, the soldiers' eyes widened. With swift tactical movements, they disengaged their safeties and raised their rifles, aiming them at Manami!

But in that split second, their muzzles lost their target.

Manami Mizuhara had vanished like a gust of wind, transforming into a whirlwind that swept through the conference room. In the next heartbeat, she burst out of the room, moving at a deafening, thunderous speed, charging toward the direction she had sensed!