(The next morning, the atmosphere on the outskirts of Aokigahara Forest was so heavy it was almost suffocating. Due to the limitations of light and terrain last night, the Public Security forces did not rashly enter the forest. Instead, they chose to establish a blockade on the perimeter and wait for dawn.
As day just began to break, a large number of reporters, having caught wind of the news, had already set up their long lenses and cameras, pointing them at the entrance of the blockade.
An 18-year-old high school student brutally murdered two police officers and fled into the suicide forest—the elements of this case were so shocking that they instantly ignited the curiosity and fear of the entire society; no media outlet was willing to miss out.
Various sensational headlines and emergency news had already spread across the country via television and the internet: 'Cold-blooded High School Student Murders Police Officers, Flees into Aokigahara Forest!', 'The Most Evil Juvenile Offender in History? Police Launch Large-Scale Manhunt!')
As the highest commander on the scene, Kazami Yuya had to bite the bullet and accept interviews to control public opinion. The reporters questions were each sharper than the last, like sharks smelling blood.
"Mr. Kazami! What specific crimes did the suspect Kuchiba Hiro commit? Is it solely because of the murder of the police officers?"
"There are rumors that this case involves high-level secrets. Is that true?"
"Why are the police mobilizing such a large force for a high school student? Is there a hidden story behind this?"
Kazami Yuya's face was tense as he avoided the core issues. He didn't mention the absurd 'Sarin gas' accusation (which was just a random excuse that wouldn't stand up to scrutiny), and he dared not touch upon any clues regarding the end of the world. He simply emphasized repeatedly: "The suspect Kuchiba Hiro brutally murdered two police officers performing their duties. The evidence is conclusive; he is an extremely dangerous criminal with an antisocial personality. We will certainly bring him to justice, uphold the dignity of the law, seek justice for the victims, and put the public's mind at ease!"
He even deliberately mentioned the distorted 'indecency' case from Kuchiba Hiro's middle school years, attempting to paint him as someone with a prior record and an inherently evil nature.
After solemnly declaring that 'justice will prevail,' the operation officially began.
Fully armed Public Security special forces, in two-man teams, cautiously cut into the dense forest in a fan-shaped formation. They were well-equipped, their tactical movements professional, and they maintained contact via radio as they pushed deeper into the forest step by step.
However, this sea of trees seemed to have come alive, filled with malice. They quickly discovered some subtle traces deliberately left by Kuchiba Hiro — a broken branch, a patch of trampled moss—but the price of following these traces was an endless stream of traps..
Cleverly disguised snares suddenly snapped up, hanging men upside down in mid-air; pressure-triggered wooden stakes shot out from beneath fallen leaves; there were even simple crossbows made from elastic branches which, though not lethal, were enough to cause injury and strike terror into their hearts.
The team members occasionally let out muffled groans of pain and angry curses, and their pace of advancement slowed down significantly.
They did not know that their every move was being clearly transmitted to Kuchiba Hiro's ears through the cawing of the crows overhead.
He was like a spider hidden in the shadows, calculating every vibration on the web, possessing a complete understanding of the situation on the entire 'chessboard.'
After mapping out the positions and status of all the teams, the hunt began.
He did not reveal himself directly. Instead, he summoned his helpers.
Swarms of hornets like black clouds launched suicidal charges at specific teams like miniature bombers; then, venomous snakes slithered silently from the leaf litter, suddenly biting at defenseless ankles; various unnamed poisonous insects also harassed them as if under command. The forest turned into a giant nest of venomous creatures, instantly triggering panic and chaos.
"Ah! What is that!"
"Snake! Watch your step!"
"Damn it! It's hornets! Get away!"
Professional formations were broken, and soldiers scattered in flight, frantically swatting at the insects and snakes on their bodies. The radios were filled with panicked screams.
At the very moment this chaos reached its peak, Kuchiba Hiro moved.
He flashed out from behind a giant tree like a phantom, targeting the nearest team whose attention was distracted by fending off the hornets.
His movements were so fast they were just a black blur. His left hand covered a team member's mouth and nose, violently dragging him into the bushes, while the dagger in his right hand precisely slit the throat; the entire process made almost no sound. Just as the other team member sensed something and turned around, a cold flash arrived—the dagger pierced the side of his neck, blood spraying onto the ancient tree trunk.
He took their weapons and equipment, and his figure merged back into the shadows.
The next team heard a strange noise from the nearby bushes and nervously raised their guns to approach. Suddenly, a figure dropped from the canopy above. Kuchiba Hiro swung down using a vine, his legs locking around a team member's neck, and with the force of the fall, he gave a violent twist—a clear bone-cracking sound rang out. Simultaneously, he raised the gun he had just seized and fired two shots at the other team member—one to the chest, one to the forehead—clean and efficient.
He was like the ultimate apex predator in the jungle, utilizing every inch of terrain and every shadow. Sometimes he launched surprise attacks from behind trees, sometimes he burst out from under piles of fallen leaves, and sometimes he used seized weapons for long-range sniping.
His combat techniques were simple and lethal; every swing of the dagger and every shot went straight for a vital point, wasting not a shred of energy. The dense trees became his best cover, while for his enemies, they were deadly obstacles.
Inside the surveillance van, Kazami Yuya watched with a pale face as the signal points on the screen vanished one by one, and the graphs representing vital signs turned into cold, flat lines one after another. Cold sweat soaked his back.
"Team Two! Team Three! Enter for support immediately! Move!" He barked orders into the communicator, his tone slightly frantic.
Outside the blockade, the reporters saw the second wave of standby forces suddenly mobilize and surge into the forest at a near-sprint, instantly realizing that the situation had changed.
"What happened?!"
"It looks like things are going very badly in there!"
"Could it be that high school student... instead..."
All sorts of terrifying guesses and mental scenarios began to breed wildly in the hearts of all the reporters. An ominous premonition hung over everyone.
The forest seemed to have transformed into a giant maw, silently devouring lives. And the one they originally thought was the 'prey' had already become the true master of this domain of death.)