Humans never hide their desire for flight, and of course, he was no exception.
Why do birds fly?
Because flying is the enjoyment of freedom.
“Ha, hahaha—” After the initial clumsy stumbles, Shiro was already immersed in this freedom that broke all shackles.
He completely let himself “fly” and laughed heartily, his brilliant smile like that of a happy child.
He was no longer limited to the classic flying posture with both fists raised above his head; he switched to flying on his side, propping up his head with one hand, his posture quite flamboyant.
Flying standing up, flying lying down, flying with hands behind his head, flying cross-legged…
Even if witnesses saw him, so what?
He was a Superman now.
If a young man isn’t arrogant, can he even be called a young man?
While enjoying his flight, Shiro mused that there didn’t seem to be many experts capable of flight in Zenless Zone Zero.
Even a powerful Void Hunter like Hoshimi Miyabi had to use supports when chasing Niniveh.
Vivian relied on a device under her skirt to float, and Rina hovered without her feet touching the ground…
There were very few people who could actually fly, though there were plenty of Ethereals that could.
Right, New Eridu has so many Thiren.
Are there bird-men?
No, bird-Thiren?
“In your heart~ flying freely~” Enjoying his free flight, Shiro hummed a pleasant tune and suddenly accelerated, the intentional sonic boom bursting forth.
…
At the Sixth Street video store, the Cereal Siblings’ equipment still had its system compromised by a hacker.
“Phaethon, hand over that safe!” the hacker said in an unceremonious, piercing tone.
The Cereal Siblings were stalling.
Facing a hacker, this wasn’t their field of expertise, so they could only act as the situation developed and counter each move.
“A hacker?” Shiro was adapting to his Super Hearing when he happened to hear it, a playful smile appearing on his face.
Jie jie jie…
It would be difficult to quickly confirm a hacker’s location through normal means, but Super Hearing directly locked onto the source of the sound.
The hacker’s smug, arrogant laughter was crystal clear.
Popping the champagne early; he’s celebrating a bit too soon.
Good, I’ll send you to prison right now.
Remember us at 101kanshu.com “Knock, knock, knock.” Shiro’s flight speed was incredibly fast, and he soon arrived at the door of the hacker’s hiding place, knocking quite “politely.” “Who is it?” Hearing the knock, the hacker’s voice rang out, tinged with wariness.
He hadn’t ordered room service?
“Open up, Superman is here to deliver some warmth,” Shiro’s calm and composed voice drifted inside.
“Get lost!” The hacker took it for ordinary harassment; people from the Public Security Bureau wouldn’t talk like that.
He barked out a harsh rebuke.
At the video store, the frazzled Wise and Belle exchanged looks upon hearing that familiar voice.
They knew who it was, and their eyes instantly lit up, their hearts finally at ease.
It’s Shiro, my Superman!
“Creak—Boom—!” The sturdy security door suddenly groaned under the strain, unable to offer even a hint of resistance as it was ripped clean from the wall.
As the most law-abiding person in New Eridu, Shiro was careful to handle things gently, leaning the security door against the adjacent wall.
“Wh-who are you?” The hacker was startled into a standing position, pulling out a dagger and pointing it at Shiro with trembling hands.
Tearing a security door off with bare hands was enough to make anyone’s skin crawl; an ordinary Public Security Officer couldn’t possibly do such a thing.
“I’m just a passing-by Superman, remember that.” “Surrender now and go to prison quietly.” “If you resist, I’ll send you straight to the Hollow to dig up potatoes.” Shiro didn’t think this hacker could escape.
This was the sixth floor; did he have a parachute on him?
“You want to be a superhero in New Eridu?
Fighting crime?
Don’t you think that’s ridiculous?” The hacker froze for a moment, then sneered.
“Wake up.
New Eridu is a chaotic mess, filled with deception and exploitation.
The one thing this place doesn’t need is a meddling superhero.” Shiro nodded.
Strictly speaking, he had a point; the darkness in New Eridu ran deep.
For instance, Twiggy and her Silver Army, the filthy black markets for organ trafficking and human smuggling, and those “people” who didn’t treat ordinary citizens as human beings.
The hacker’s eyes lit up as he extended an invitation: “So, join us.” “You might have misunderstood something.
I’m just doing this for fun.” When little ‘me’ saw superheroes punishing evil and helping the weak, I really wanted to put myself in their shoes and experience what it felt like to be a hero.
It wasn’t about anything complicated; it was just pure, hot-blooded excitement.
Now that he had the power of Superman, he naturally wanted to fulfill that childhood wish—not to mention the hacker was threatening his friends.
“In that case, I won’t just sit here and wait for death!” The hacker charged, lunging at Shiro’s chest with the dagger.
In a situation like this, he could only take a gamble and hope for a miracle.
However, while the idea was good, reality was cruel.
“Crack!” “Ah!” When the dagger struck Shiro’s chest, it snapped into two pieces.
The hacker cried out in pain as the impact tore a gash in the web of his hand holding the weapon.
“Pfft?” Shiro found it amusing.
His Super Brain had indeed calculated the possibility of this outcome.
But facing someone who could tear down a door with their bare hands, he charged forward to stab him with that little fruit knife.
Instead of choosing to flee, he proactively closed the distance.
Challenging the impossible?
You could go sit at the same table as Danzo, the “Pot Shadow” who tried to stab a Susanoo with a kunai.
“Slap!” With a single slap, Shiro sent the hacker into a baby-like sleep.
His control over his super strength had reached a point where he could use it with ease, ensuring he wouldn’t accidentally turn someone into a blood mist.
“Ahem, Phaethon, you wouldn’t want the fact that you browse adult websites to get out, would you?” Shiro plopped down in front of the hacker’s computer, his teasing voice reaching the video store.
[Gwah!
Onegai!
Please don’t let it out!
My brother will do anything!] Knowing Shiro had dealt with the hacker, Belle’s voice was light and cheerful as she joked around.
Wise: “?” It’s not that I’m weird, it’s you who’s weird, Belle!
Why didn’t you say you’d do anything?
I feel like I can’t keep this sister anymore.
Shiro was momentarily speechless.
I can be Superman, I can be Homelander, I can even be Ancestor-man, but I’m not going to be a Chengdu Superman.
“I’ll see you when I get back.
You decide what to do with the contents of that safe.” Shiro cut the connection with the Cereal Siblings and called Zhu Yuan.
“Hello, Zhu Yuan.” [Shiro?] [You’re back?!] Zhu Yuan’s surprised voice rang out, her joy evident.
Shiro raised an eyebrow; after two and a half years, he did miss her.
She probably got a promotion by now.
“I’m back, and I’ve brought you a criminal hacker as a gift.” Shiro glanced at the hacker, who was still “sleeping soundly.” For a Public Security Officer, a criminal is a decent gift.
Hacker: Why me…?
Am I just a part of your roleplay?
[Huh?] Zhu Yuan was completely baffled.
What did he mean by using a criminal hacker as a gift?
She had never heard of such a thing in her life.
Isn’t this kind of gift a bit too hardcore?
“Pfft.
Zhu Yuan, let’s go meet this shopkeeper.
I’m quite interested,” Qingyi said leisurely while sipping tea.
Zhu Yuan nodded.
This was the first time she had encountered something like this, so she was also somewhat interested.
[Shiro, give me the address.
We’ll head over right now.] Shiro gave Zhu Yuan the location and waited for the Public Security Officers to arrive.