Between the two men, with a legion of robots in between, it appeared they were simply staring each other down. But that wasn’t the truth.

In the invisible realm that human eyes couldn’t perceive, a fierce territorial battle was raging. The only indication of their struggle was the flickering and flashing lenses of the robots standing between them. Some androids even lay on the ground, limp like puppets with their strings cut.

“Damn, damn, damn—!”

Eight watched with a smirk as Meister shouted in frustration. Meister seemed to have been giving it his all from the start, but he had yet to wrest control away from Eight.

In truth, every time Meister snatched control, Eight’s AI would instantly reclaim it. The difference was that Meister was exerting his own power, while Eight could leisurely observe, leaving everything to the AI.

‘Pathetic.’

Eight had already analyzed everything—how Meister controlled the androids, the structure and method of his ability to manipulate machines.

Meister emitted a faint electromagnetic field from his body, barely detectable by machines, yet somehow enough to seize control. It was an irrational, illogical power unique to supernatural abilities. While Eight couldn’t fully understand how the field worked, he could mimic its characteristics.

‘Copying has always been humanity’s forte.’

Detailed principles or theories weren’t necessary. Humanity had long dealt with things they didn’t fully understand. The job of sitting around and defining theories was for tedious scholars. For those on the front lines, what mattered wasn’t how it worked, but how effectively it could be used.

“You… You’re the one who made the AI.”

“Hm? When did I ever hint at that?”

“Hah! Of course! There’s no way there could be two people in this world with such impossible technology!”

Meister, leaping to conclusions through intuition, deduced Eight’s identity—the mysterious scientist behind Evilus Agent, the demon of wisdom who changed the world overnight.

He had traveled to this city in search of that scientist, eager to understand the principle behind an AI that could resist even his power.

“Glad I came! I never thought I’d meet someone else like me!”

Meister’s eyes glowed with excitement, a wide grin spreading across his face. But Eight frowned at the last comment.

Someone like him? As if they were equals? Unacceptable.

“Someone like you?”

“Don’t deny it! You have the same kind of ability to control machines, don’t you? That’s why my power doesn’t work on your AI, why you’re able to wrest control of my androids!”

“An interesting theory…”

“Did you enjoy deceiving people with your powers? That won’t work anymore, not with me around!”

Meister shouted with confidence, convinced his assumption was flawless. Eight felt an urge to cover his ears.

Whether intentional or not, Meister’s tone was irksome. Had Eight truly been a supernatural being, he might have fallen for Meister’s taunts.

“Is that all you have to say?”

“Haha! Right, words won’t do us any good here!”

“Then let me say just one thing.”

With a congenial smile, Eight increased the power of his electromagnetic field. More androids fell under his control, and Meister’s face paled as he realized it.

“If you have any hidden tricks, now’s the time to show them.”

“What…?”

“If you’re planning to evolve like a comic book character, do it now. If you need time to transform, I’ll wait.”

The villain blinked in confusion, seemingly unable to comprehend what Eight was saying.

“Bring out everything you’ve got. Because if you don’t…”

Bang!

One of the androids fired at Meister. He was momentarily unable to react, his control forcibly taken from him.

Meister grabbed his bleeding ear, glaring fiercely, as Eight delivered his final judgment.

“You’ll die.”

“…Damn it!”

In the next instant, their territorial battle grew even fiercer.

Meister fought back impressively, pushing himself despite the injury from the bullet graze, even if it was minor. With every increase in Eight’s output, Meister raised his own, as if spurred on. Having never met anyone with similar powers, his once-stagnant ability was evolving at an astonishing rate.

The very kind of power evolution one might see in a comic book.

“Hrk, urgh…!”

But unfortunately, the outcome of this fight had been decided from the beginning. In a battle between a living being and a machine, a living being could never outlast a machine. Over time, a living being would wear down, while a machine would not.

Eight had even prepared, hiding countless devices throughout the city just in case he couldn’t defeat Meister with what he had on hand. Should the need arise, the entire city could turn against him…

Thankfully, he hadn’t needed to use them.

Slowly, Eight approached Meister, who lay sprawled on the ground.

“It hurts, doesn’t it? Maybe you shouldn’t have looked into it.”

“T-That just now…”

“That was the origin of a technique that copies your ability.”

Gazing into the infinite binary of 0s and 1s, as well as the hidden numbers between, had left Meister’s brain in shambles. Blood was streaming from his nose.

His brain couldn’t withstand the overwhelming flood of information, causing his blood vessels to burst. Clicking his tongue, Eight pulled out an ampoule from his pocket and plunged it into Meister’s nose.

“Ugh—!”

“Hold still. You’ll die if I leave it untreated.”

The gas from the ampoule surged into Meister’s brain, patching up the damaged areas. After a moment, Meister coughed up a significant amount of black blood. Reeling from dizziness, he bashed his head against the ground in an attempt to regain his senses, then looked up at Eight in horror.

“You, you…!”

“Realized it, did you?”

“You! How did you… take away my power?”

After having the ampoule inserted into his nose, Meister was shocked to find his power no longer worked. He glared at Eight with bloodshot eyes. Eight feigned surprise, then knelt to meet him at eye level.

In this world, the powerless were considered as good as disabled. For Meister, losing his power was as terrifying as having his limbs amputated or his senses cut off.

“Don’t worry. It’s not gone.”

“T-Then…”

“I’ve just sealed it. You won’t be able to use it without permission.”

The initial relief that had flickered in Meister’s eyes quickly turned to despair. Perhaps he’d realized that Eight had no intention of allowing a dangerous power like his back into society.

Seeing Meister’s despairing gaze, Eight pulled him to his feet. Meister looked at him, as if to ask what his intentions were, and Eight met his eyes with the same piercing gaze his old professor once had.

“I’m not going to send you off to some containment facility, so don’t worry.”

“…You’re not sending me to a containment facility? Then where—”

“You’ll be coming with me to my lab.”

Gulp!

A shiver ran down Meister’s spine, though he didn’t fully understand why. But Eight tightened his grip on Meister’s shoulder, fingers digging in with a strength that didn’t match his slender frame.

A grip that was possessive, as if he had no intention of letting go.

“I’ll start by teaching you the basics.”

From one to ten.
Yes.
So that you can become just like me.

It was a decision he’d made ever since the first time someone called him a fraud.