Taitou District, Housakura Girls' School.
"Why is she here?"
Under an umbrella, Akihito Sora exited the school gates and immediately noticed Nao Iai standing beside her brother. Her expression turned cold.
"Ahem, Nao brought me over using her umbrella," Souta Kiryuu quickly spoke up, trying to defuse the tension by recalling their past 'conflict.'
"One umbrella is enough for just me and you!"
Sora grabbed her brother's arm and pulled him toward her. Although Sora lacked the strength to actually move him—especially with Souta protected by his magical powers—he didn't resist. Instead, he gave a brief apologetic glance to class rep Nao and moved under Sora's umbrella.
"Souta, Sora, and Nao-chan, we'll head out first~~"
As she was pulled into a sleek black luxury car by her elegant classmate Nagisa Ichiyo, Ayame waved at the trio from the window.
"See you tomorrow," Souta said, waving goodbye to the two sisters before turning back to Nao.
"Let's walk home together."
"Eh? Can I?"
Surprised, class rep Nao looked up, while Sora's face grew even darker. Souta confidently waved his hand.
"Of course."
"Brother, that woman has done terrible things in the past. Why are you still hanging around her?"
Back at the Akihito residence, Sora—who had been holding it in the entire walk—finally exploded.
"That was years ago. Besides, I don't mind."
"I mind!"
Realizing her tone, Sora snorted.
"Anyway, don't associate with that kind of woman again. We have our own problems. What if the police show up?"
To calm her, Souta waved dismissively.
"Relax. They're just a few low-level thugs. The police don't bother with scum like that."
And besides, the police were about to get 'busy.'
——
"Time to move."
In a deserted apartment, Tanimura Wataru opened his eyes from where he'd been resting against the wall.
As the saying goes, "With the birth of transcendence, the world seems boundless." Ever since obtaining demonic energy—and especially after killing multiple enemies last night—Wataru's entire mindset had shifted.
Now, breaking into private apartments didn't even make him nervous. Compared to what he was about to do, this was nothing.
"Someday, even my soul will probably be devoured by this stone..."
Touching the fragment of the Killing Stone on his forehead, Wataru forced a bitter smile and stood up to leave.
Click.
Just then, the sound of a key turning echoed from the front door. A moment later, an office worker stepped in.
"Huh?"
After changing shoes, he glanced suspiciously at the fluttering curtain.
"Did I forget to close the window?"
Was it a burglar?
"No way."
He walked to the window and looked down, chuckling at his ridiculous thought.
This was the fifth floor, and as a rental unit, there wasn't anything worth stealing except basic furniture.
Below, a young man wearing a baseball cap walked away slowly.
Flap-flap-flap~
A crow glided silently from the rooftop.
Tokyo's city greenery supported vast populations of crows. Parks provided shelter, and the abundance of trash served as food. Though most people disliked crows—believing their cries brought bad luck—they wouldn't harm them, considering it inauspicious.
Even the government's "Crow Management Task Force" only aimed to control numbers, not eliminate them. So seeing a crow in flight? Nothing unusual.
Elsewhere...
Bunkyo District, Jippo Temple.
"Yes, Mom. I'm at Jippo Temple. I'll come home later. Don't worry. Take care."
Kishida Jun stood among the gravestones, ending his call.
Before him stood a traditional-style tombstone.
Here lay his regret. His first love.
Miyashita Ryoko's Grave
"Ryoko... I don't know if what I'm about to do is right or wrong, but—"
"I want you back by my side, sharing this umbrella with me."
He ran his hand over the small bear-patterned umbrella and his gaze hardened.
"Even if I must descend into hell... I'll pay the price. Forgive me."
With that, Jun turned and left, the smiling photo of a girl on the tombstone silently watching him go.
——
"Target spotted!"
"There's a... dog with him?"
"A Shiba Inu. Probably to help him blend in."
Inside the Tokyo Metropolitan Police's Special Operations Room, rows of endless monitors displayed surveillance footage from across Adachi Ward.
Over a hundred undercover officers were scattered throughout Ayase Town, forming an intricate surveillance web.
Countless drones also hovered silently over the city.
Finally, they had eyes on Wataru: baseball cap, face mask, leash in hand.
"Target moving toward Kita-Senju."
"Two Black Fang distribution points there: one in a bar in Block 1, the other—"
Even though Wataru had ditched all his electronics and disguised himself, in the face of a fully mobilized state apparatus, he was as exposed as if naked.
In the modern world, if the government really wants to find someone, even ashes won't hide you.
The so-called "most wanted criminals" usually only dealt with individual departments. Deploying two full squads was rare. Jurisdiction disputes, delays—typical bureaucratic nightmares.
But this time was different.
This was transcendence.
Unprecedented. Japan's leadership had never seen anything like this.
Mobilize the whole nation. Search land and sea. Unless the suspect was someone like "Mr. Three"—a ghostly, unknowable entity—no one could vanish without a trace.
"Execute Plan A!"
With Director Takegasa's order, commands rippled through the electromagnetic network to frontline agents.
"Move out!"
——
"Hmm?"
Walking his Shiba Inu through the glittering city, Wataru narrowed his eyes.
He believed he'd been granted 'wolf demon' powers by a mysterious entity—making him a classic half-demon from anime.
But truthfully, he was still fully human, just one with magical power.
He had inherited the secret techniques of the Inuzuka clan from The World of Fire.
These secret arts weren't far removed from traditional ninjutsu but were more complex.
The Inuzuka not only commanded dogs but could transform into them. The Four-Legged Technique allowed one to take canine form.
Though Wataru imagined himself as a wolf.
With his powers, his 'werewolf form' could crush ordinary armed forces.
And since his ability came directly from Souta—the new 'Datongmu'—he didn't even need hand seals.
Also—
Removing his mask, Wataru sniffed the air.
His sense of smell had become highly enhanced. And now, he caught whiffs of something... off.
"Target has stopped moving."
"Did he notice something?"
"Watch closely—based on his supernatural profile, he likely has hyper-scent."
In Chiyoda's Special Operations Room, elite analysts quickly connected the dots.
If the plan can't keep up with reality—
"Inspector Iori, move in now!"
"Y-yes, sir!"
In Kita-Senju, Block 1...
Wearing a leather jacket and military boots, Iori Ichika scratched her head in frustration.
She had just been reinstated, even promoted two ranks. Now she was a full Inspector.
At just 27, it was practically a rocket ride.
An ordinary person would never reach this level in a lifetime.
But that kind of promotion came with risks. When things got hard, she had to be on the front lines.
"Well, if it isn't little Wataru."
?
As Wataru sensed danger, a laid-back voice called out.
"Officer Iori?"
Seeing the familiar woman waving at him with one hand in her pocket, Wataru smiled, but his body tensed.
He smiled because he knew her—she'd helped him before. But he was tense because she was Public Safety. Technically, his enemy now.
"What's with that getup? Social anxiety mode?"
She slung an arm over his shoulder like an old friend, making everyone watching through surveillance hold their breath.
Thankfully, Wataru didn't lash out.
"Come on, I'm buying you ramen."
???
"H-huh? Officer Iori, what's this about—"
"Hahaha! I got promoted. Let me treat you! C'mon."
She dragged him into a nearby ramen shop. Wataru wanted to resist, but in the end, he gave in.
After all, Officer Iori wasn't just any cop—she was a real fighter, constantly clashing with the underworld.
Slurp~ A good person?
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"
Slurping noodles, Iori glared at him.
"I became a cop to use violence legally. My Inspector badge? Won it at an international martial arts competition."
"Beating up scum is my joy. I'm no saint or 'good cop.' Don't get it twisted, kid."
Her bluntness actually made Wataru chuckle.
"In my eyes, you're a good person. And congrats on the promotion."
Iori put down her chopsticks.
"All thanks to you."
?
"Because this morning, I cracked a case in Ayase Town, Block 3."
?!
Crash!
Wataru shot to his feet, muscles tense, demonic power surging. His presence transformed!
So strong...
As a former karate champion with a gold medal promotion, Iori instantly felt suffocating pressure—as if she were face-to-face with a bloodthirsty tiger.
"Relax, Wataru."
She slowly turned to him, calm.
"You're collecting souls, aren't you?"
Bingo.
Though Wataru didn't answer, his expression gave him away.
"No need to go through all that trouble."
"If you want souls—prisons are full of them."
???
Wataru blinked. Was she serious?
"What I mean is—why not cooperate with the government?"
Iori stood up, hands raised to show no threat.
"I got promoted just for a gold medal. You could surpass even the Prime Minister."
Her voice echoed back to HQ through comms, embarrassing many middle-aged officers.
"With your power, you'll be unstoppable."
Seeing no resistance, Iori pushed further.
"Worried about being dissected? Come on, you're more valuable than the PM! No one would dare suggest it."
Only in trashy sci-fi do people keep shouting about dissection. A living subject is infinitely more valuable than any corpse.
Any scientist who even suggested dissecting Wataru would be drowned in spit.
While his freedom might be restricted, his life was untouchable.
So that's what it was!
Wataru realized—what he had smelled earlier was gunpowder! They had him surrounded!
"I need the restroom."
"Go ahead."
Iori gestured toward the back of the shop.
She knew Wataru wasn't some psycho. He'd be back.
Minutes later, he emerged with a blank expression, holding his Akita dog.
"Let's go, Wataru."
Though his face looked grim, Iori didn't mind. Her job was done.
"Inspector Iori! Hurry!"
"America's agents are here. Get the target out!"
??