"Fujino." The burly men parted as Kumano Hyoe stepped forward. His head and hands were still bandaged.
"Fujino-kun, get inside the precinct!" Sanomiya Tsubaki cried out urgently upon hearing Kumano's voice.
"Nani? Run? If Fujino dared strike me, he won't run," Kumano Hyoe declared arrogantly, lifting his chin. "Didn't I tell you?"
"I remember you were only injured on the head," Fang Zuo said with a light laugh. "How did your hands get hurt too?"
"Training!" Kumano snapped.
"Liar! Kumano-kun, you just said you rolled off the hospital bed in your sleep!" Sanomiya Tsubaki stated righteously. Her severe nearsightedness blurred her vision, but her hearing was sharp.
Kumano Hyoe gave an awkward laugh, waving his hand dismissively. "Let Sanomiya Tsubaki go. Now that the main attraction is here, no need to fear her blabbing." The large man behind him released Tsubaki's wrist.
Sanomiya Tsubaki scampered towards the blurred figure she recognized as Fang Zuo.
"Ack!" Her left foot tangled with her right, sending her stumbling. The blurred man caught her easily.
"Sumimasen... Fujino-kun... get inside the station, quickly! They can't touch you there!" Tsubaki urged, pushing at him while breathing in his scent, flustered.
"It's fine," Fang Zuo said, pinching Tsubaki's pale, delicate cheek lightly. "That dress looks nice on you today, Sanomiya Tsubaki-san." He glanced down. Her simple, modest white bra supported plump, ample curves beneath the dress fabric. The line was perfect, suggesting astonishing elasticity.
He leaned close to her ear, whispering low enough for only her to hear: "White bra today? I prefer lace trim."
"Su... sumimasen!" Sanomiya Tsubaki flushed crimson, automatically reaching to push up non-existent glasses. Even the faint down on her small ears turned pink.
"No need to apologize," Fang Zuo said, giving her cheek a light pat before placing her protectively behind him. His attention shifted to the group.
"Frankly, I'm curious. You lot call yourselves human-demon hybrids, but why is his demonic aura so strong?" Fang Zuo pointed to a small, unassuming man standing behind the burly figures. "Yours? Barely a whisper. Negligible."
"Because my constitution is superior! I can absorb more demon souls and demon blood! I am closer to the Perfect Vessel!" The short man, wearing traditional martial arts attire, stepped forward defiantly. "Kanamori Eimon. Kumano Hyoe's senior disciple. Kenbu Shinto of Ōmi Hachiman."
"So," Fang Zuo shook his head with disdain, "your 'hybrid' method involves grafting demon souls and blood into humans, like stuffing Shikigami into spirit artifacts? Utterly preposterous."
"Do you even realize you possess a rare Golden Body constitution? Had you solely focused on Kenbu Shinto, your future achievements would have been vast. But now? You've traded potential for instant power. Achieved through stolen souls." His gaze pinned Kanamori. "You've inverted priorities. Severed your own path forward."
Kanamori Eimon froze momentarily before sneering. "Baka! I have no idea what nonsense you're spouting!" He raised his fists. "Whatever damage you inflicted on my junior disciple? I'll inflict worse on you!"
Sanomiya Tsubaki hid behind Fang Zuo, nervously clutching the back of his shirt.
*THUD*
A sound like a heavy sack hitting concrete echoed.
Fang Zuo turned back to Sanomiya Tsubaki. He tapped her cheek lightly. "Work now."
...
Sanomiya Tsubaki sat at her desk, pushing up her thick-framed glasses. She tilted her head, utterly bewildered. What had just happened?
She'd heard a single impact, then cautiously peeked out from behind Fang Zuo. The terrifyingly large men who had surrounded them moments before were now sprawled on the concrete garage floor, groaning in pain.
The ambulance that arrived took one look at the pile of injured men and the absence of any obvious perpetrator, panicked, and actually called the police. The confused Tokyo Metropolitan Police, realizing the incident occurred literally at the doorstep of the Exorcism Defense Team, simply rerouted the report back to them.
And that was that. The matter was closed. Silence descended.
Is Fujino-kun... incredibly powerful? Tsubaki thought. Though just a clerk for the Exorcism Defense Team, she often overheard the officers talk. They spoke of Ōmi Hachiman's Kenbu Shinto with reverence, calling it peerless, invincible. Yet, Fujino-kun dispatched them all... instantly.
Scowling in concentration, Tsubaki pulled out a pastry cookbook and began meticulously taking notes. Thanks to Fujino-kun, no one forces extra work on me anymore. I finally have time to focus on baking!
A sudden memory flashed: the warmth of his hand on her cheek, his words. 'That dress looks nice on you today.'
She tugged at the hem of her skirt, looking down. Her gaze drifted to the neckline of her dress, which she subtly pulled open to glance inside. She had always taken pride in her figure... the generous curve of her bust beneath the simple white bra he'd seen...
Did he... really mean it about the lace? Her face burned anew.
...
Fang Zuo was en route to Adachi Ward in Tokyo.
Sakura Momo had messaged him: another incident. A young woman found dead.
A responding officer reported discovering, within a hidden room at the crime scene, a shrine identical to the one revealed by Fang Zuo's Water Mirror Technique.
To prevent complications and mindful of Fang Zuo's strict warnings, Sakura Momo had issued an immediate directive precinct-wide: Do not approach these shrines. Do not touch them. Report the sighting immediately and secure the perimeter. The officers at the scene had cordoned off the location.
As Fang Zuo paid the taxi driver and stepped out, he saw several uniformed officers maintaining a cordon around the entrance of a dilapidated apartment building.
One woman stood vehemently arguing with an officer just outside the tape barrier. Dressed in grey yoga pants and a cropped sports top, she revealed a toned, flat stomach. Fang Zuo recognized her: Minami Kyouko. Anchorwoman for NHK, Japan's national broadcaster. She'd famously interviewed both Shiraishi Nagiso and Abe Nasuzume on television.
"I may be technically on leave," Minami Kyouko argued passionately, frustration sharp in her voice, "but I am still a journalist! You have no right to impede my access to a public scene!" Her sharp reporter instincts had kicked in while she was exercising at the gym across the street. The sudden arrival of police vehicles without media circus? This felt significant. A breaking story, and she was on the ground before anyone else.
The officers, however, cited crime scene preservation protocols and her lack of official press credentials.
This time, however, the standing orders from HQ were different – crystal clear. Secure the scene. Evacuate ALL non-essential personnel immediately. Every officer present understood the gravity of such orders. It meant one thing: whatever was inside wasn't just dangerous, it was beyond ordinary understanding. Something they weren't meant to see. They held their ground, staying well outside the building.
Their eyes, however, weren't focused on the threat within, but rather glued to Minami Kyouko. Encased in skin-hugging grey yoga wear that might as well have been painted on, her tall figure was breathtakingly defined. Every curve – the subtle arc of her back, the firm plane of her abdomen, the swell of her thighs – was immaculately outlined, leaving nothing to the imagination. Though not excessively large, her breasts, clad only in the thin sports bra, formed soft peaks under the fabric; her yoga pants revealed the subtle, perfect contour of her pelvic mound. Years of dedicated yoga resulted in seamless lines – smooth, athletic, devoid of awkward bulges. Utterly flawless.
"Detective Fujino. You've arrived," an officer near the tape greeted, relief evident. "Sixth floor."
Fang Zuo nodded, clipped his badge onto his shirt, and moved toward the entrance.
"Chotto matte, Detective!" Minami Kyouko swiftly blocked his path, holding out a hand. "Minami Kyouko, NHK News! I demand access to accompany you inside! Press freedom!"
Fang Zuo simply swept her outstretched arm aside with effortless strength and proceeded toward the staircase without breaking stride.
"Bakamono!" (Idiot!) she hissed. Seizing the moment, Minami ducked under the yellow tape and sprinted after him up the stairs.
The officers yelled but didn't pursue further, the memory of the terrifying scene above chilling their resolve.
Fang Zuo reached the sixth-floor landing just as frantic footsteps pounded up the stairs behind him. He turned.
Minami Kyouko doubled over, gasping for air on the grimy landing, her skin glistening with sweat after the six-flight sprint in the summer heat. Her grey yoga top was soaked through, turning significantly darker over her breasts and under her arms, creating starkly defined patches. A distinct dark line traced the generous curve beneath each breast where sweat had pooled most heavily. A large, dark stain spread across her back between her shoulder blades. Panting heavily, she straightened up, catching Fang Zuo at the door, and grabbed his sleeve.
"Detective... please..." she gasped, sweat trickling down her temple. "...I need... to see... this scene..."
Behind Fang Zuo, the door to the apartment burst open, revealing the dim interior and, within, the unmistakable, sinister, looming presence of the shrine.