Thump thump thump thump...
Bang bang bang bang...
Slap slap slap slap...
After a busy day, Chef Ye, having finally caught a suitable prey, began his cooking.
The sharp Onimaru Kunitsuna now served as a kitchen knife.
The blade emitted a pleasant metallic ringing, seemingly unconcerned with how it was being used, content merely to be wielded by its master.
Watching the vibrating blade of Onimaru Kunitsuna and the increasingly rapid metallic ringing, Mai Sakurajima, Miko Yotsuya, and Rio Futaba, who were not far away, couldn't help but blush.
This scene... why did it feel a bit like they were doing that sort of thing?
Is this Onimaru Kunitsuna even a proper sword?
Meanwhile, Soichiro Yagami stared at the scene before him, utterly dumbfounded.
In front of Mask was a pitch-black tabletop.
It was completely empty.
But whenever the Mask slowly lowered the Onimaru Kunitsuna in his hand, an invisible 'something' lying there would let out agonised screams, their fingers clawing at the ground, leaving several bloody marks, clearly enduring unimaginable pain.
However, in the eyes of the psychics Mai Sakurajima, Rio Futaba, and Miko Yotsuya, the scene was entirely different.
It was the same pitch-black table, the same Ye Xing holding Onimaru Kunitsuna in his right hand.
The difference was that his left hand, hidden beneath his large sleeve and glove, had transformed into a black ghost hand, its five fingers clutching a mass of black, human-shaped mist.
That thing was none other than the soul of the Sunny Doll Killer.
The sharp blade of Onimaru Kunitsuna descended unhurriedly, at an extremely slow pace, starting from the feet, as if slicing ingredients into thin shreds, gradually carving apart the soul of the Sunny Doll Killer strand by strand.
"Shouting?"
Ye Xing seemed deaf to the agonising screams emanating from the Sunny Doll Killer as his soul was slowly carved apart. Instead, he smiled softly and whispered.
"Shout louder. Let me feel more pleasure, let me enjoy this more thoroughly."
Nearby, the TV reporter and cameraman paled upon hearing these words.
The two realised they had misunderstood something.
Among those present today, the most dangerous was not the Sunny Doll Killer.
It was Mask.
Just then, Soichiro Yagami approached them and spoke in a low voice.
"The live broadcast has ended. You may leave now."
"Y-yes."
The reporter and cameraman were eager to get into their vehicle and flee this dangerous place.
As they reached the car door, Soichiro Yagami meaningfully added.
"Oh, one more thing."
"Some matters can be reported, while others... you should consider carefully."
Soichiro Yagami stepped behind them and spoke softly.
"Mask's actions fall outside the Metropolitan Police Department's control. It would be best not to report or describe anything that happened today. Wait for the Metropolitan Police Department's official announcement, then use that as your reference. Understood?"
With the continuous agonised wails ringing in their ears, the reporter and cameraman trembled and stammered their reply.
"U-understood."
They scrambled into the media van, practically flooring the accelerator as they fled the scene.
They couldn't comprehend what had transpired today.
How could someone's body suddenly swell to five metres tall?
And what was that black and white headless monster!?
What was happening to this world?
As professional media personnel who had seen their share of dramatic events, they understood the suggestion in Soichiro Yagami's words.
The first layer of meaning:
If you report recklessly and Mask causes trouble for your TV station, the Metropolitan Police Department can't help you.
The second layer:
If you report prematurely and your coverage conflicts with the Metropolitan Police Department's case announcement, you'll face consequences as well.
Watching the TV station's media van speed away, Soichiro Yagami sighed helplessly.
"This guy, making the Criminal Affairs Director clean up after him. He certainly has some nerve."
He turned and looked at Mask, who was still engaged in what was called "preparation" but appeared more like using some special method to torment the Sunny Doll Killer. With a complicated expression, he approached Mai Sakurajima and the others, hesitating as he spoke.
"Regarding his methods... do you... have any objections?"
"None."
Miko Yotsuya, wearing a white mask with pale golden patterns, shook her head and replied calmly.
"As companions, we each have our differences in thoughts and actions. But maintaining the principle of not interfering even when we don't agree is the correct way to handle things."
Seeing the other two shared this attitude, Soichiro Yagami couldn't help but sigh in resignation.
In the end, he couldn't resist approaching Mask, hesitating before speaking up.
"Since we've already caught them, there's no need to resort to vigilante justice, is there? You're playing the hero today, so there's no reason to engage in actions that wouldn't be considered righteous."
"Vigilante justice?"
Ye Xing's movements didn't falter in the slightest as he continued slowly carving the Sunny Doll Killer's soul amidst the man's agonised, distorted screams, merely responding indifferently.
"I actually feel that merely subjecting him to this torment is still somewhat insufficient."
Then Ye Xing turned his head, gazing directly into Soichiro Yagami's eyes, his expression completely emotionless as he stated flatly.
"As for heroes? Justice?"
"When a person becomes constrained by the title of hero, bound hand and foot, he ceases to be a hero."
"When justice requires others' approval, it ceases to be justice."
Hearing these words, Soichiro Yagami felt complex emotions stirring within him.
Just then, Ye Xing suddenly shifted his tone, his voice regaining its playful quality.
"Besides, the man himself emphasised that no method could make him feel pain, so he's not actually hurting at all."
Soichiro Yagami stared blankly, pointing at the Sunny Doll Killer rolling on the ground, screaming in agony, his fingers scraping bloody marks on the floor, his expression complicated.
"This doesn't look like 'not hurting' to you?"
Ye Xing waved a hand dismissively, chuckling lightly.
"Ah, he's just a kid having fun shouting, perfectly normal."
"This..."
Ye Xing sheathed Onimaru Kunitsuna and patted Soichiro Yagami's shoulder with his now-free right hand.
"I say, Soichiro, where's the trust between people? Even a criminal who committed such horrifying crimes needs others to trust him sometimes. So when he said he wouldn't feel pain, someone simple like me chose to believe him, giving the criminal a chance to reform."
Hearing this, Soichiro Yagami didn't know where to begin his retorts.
Was trust between people meant to be used like this?
Simple personality?
Believe?
Reform?
"OK."
Seeing Mask stand up straight, Soichiro Yagami glanced at the Sunny Doll Killer lying nearby—though his face was contorted in pain, he was at least still alive—and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Since you're finished, I'll take this guy back to headquarters..."
"Finished?"
Ye Xing interrupted Soichiro Yagami's words, smiling.
"We've only completed five percent. Ninety-five percent remains."
"Let me show you, Soichiro."
Saying this, Ye Xing casually waved his hand. Dozens of differently shaped tools materialised instantly on the black tabletop, formed from evil spirit power that could directly damage souls.
"These are the wonderful tools I'll be using later."
Soichiro Yagami examined them carefully, puzzled.
"This... why are there small millstones... and nail clippers?"
"That's rather difficult to explain. Use your imagination."
As he spoke, Ye Xing suddenly reached out and snatched the pistol from Soichiro Yagami's hand before the other could react.
"By the way..."
He then walked over to the Sunny Doll Killer lying on the ground and, without hesitation, pulled the trigger, shooting through the man's forehead.
The Sunny Doll Killer's body twitched once before losing all signs of life.
"You can have this back."
Ye Xing lifted the Sunny Doll Killer's corpse with one hand and tossed it before Soichiro Yagami as if discarding rubbish, then threw the pistol over as well, chuckling lightly.
"Director Soichiro Yagami of the Metropolitan Police Department, single-handedly confronting a serial killer and successfully eliminating him. Quite an impressive achievement."
"This..."
Soichiro Yagami stared at the bullet hole on the Sunny Doll Killer's corpse, which wasn't healing as before, and hesitated.
"This guy... is he dead?"
"From a physical perspective, he's dead."
Ye Xing glanced at the table before him, picked up a small object resembling nail clippers with his right hand, and looked at the twisted black soul he held in his left hand, speaking with a light laugh.
"As for the torment of his soul, that's far from over."
...
Two hours later, at Mai Sakurajima's home.
"Finally... It's over."
Rio Futaba took her glasses out of her pocket and put them on again, letting out a long sigh of relief.
Mai Sakurajima and Miko Yotsuya also appeared equally relieved.
"Well then..."
Rio Futaba looked towards Ye Xing, sitting there.
"What's the next plan? Captain?"
Ye Xing took a sip from his coffee cup and replied casually.
"Let's suspend operations for now and see how the Metropolitan Police Department responds."
Mai Sakurajima nodded in agreement.
"I think so too. At this stage, we haven't discovered any other evil spirits posing a significant threat to humanity or areas containing Gates. This time is different from before - we appeared publicly on live television, which will definitely spark public discussion."
"Although we haven't committed any serious crimes, as a law enforcement agency maintaining social stability, it's hard to say whether the Metropolitan Police Department might launch a full investigation into us because of this incident."
"Until we confirm this, it's better to maintain a low profile."
Miko Yotsuya nodded slightly: "Agreed. If we're too mentally exhausted, it could affect our performance in combat. Safety should be our top priority."
Rio Futaba said thoughtfully: "But there's one thing I'm quite curious about."
"This evil spirit should have come through from the Reverse World, but how exactly was it formed? This is the first time we've encountered something dominated by a twisted human soul."
"Oh, about that..."
Ye Xing spoke with complete nonchalance.
"This evil spirit was probably formed from Kyoto residents' negative impressions of rainy weather."
"Eh? How do you know that?"
"Tasted it."
"Tasted..."
Rio Futaba and the others wore complicated expressions, unsure how to respond.
You can determine that by tasting it?
What kind of evil spirit connoisseur is this?
Speaking of food...
"What should we do about Dango?"
Hearing this question from Mai Sakurajima, Rio Futaba, and Miko Yotsuya exchanged glances, sighed simultaneously, and then turned their intense gazes towards Ye Xing sitting there.
The latter still wore his frivolous smile and said casually.
"Why are you all staring at me?"
"Didn't you say it yourself?"
Rio Futaba pursed her lips, not hiding her jealous expression as she spoke with slight displeasure.
"To combat the strange phenomena in this world, capable members must be closely connected, forming what is known as bonds."
"Now that Dango has awakened as a psychic, and her true soul form appears to be quite useful as well."
"So..."
Mai Sakurajima, Rio Futaba, and Miko Yotsuya spoke in unison.
"We'll leave it to you, Captain."
"Fine then."
...
The next morning.
"Regarding yesterday's city-wide sensational Sunny Doll Killer incident, the Metropolitan Police Department has issued a case closure announcement today."
"The suspect was shot dead on the spot at 9:45 PM yesterday by Soichiro Yagami, Director of Criminal Investigations at the Kyoto Metropolitan Police Department."
"Hair matching the DNA of all five victims and bloodstained clothing belonging to the victims were found during a search of the suspect's residence. With a complete chain of evidence, it has been confirmed that this was the Sunny Doll Killer himself."
"Hereby, Director of Criminal Investigations Soichiro Yagami once again solemnly promises to all citizens."
"The Kyoto Metropolitan Police Department will never let any criminal escape justice."
"That is all."
"That serial killer has finally been eliminated."
Marin Kitagawa, curled up on the sofa, couldn't help but smile as she watched the news broadcast on television.
"This is great news. We won't have to live in fear every time we go out now."
Saki Kawasaki, looking at Ye Xing sitting beside her with his calm expression, hesitated before responding.
"Y...yes."
Keika Kawasaki, however, showed no restraint, puffing out her cheeks in frustration.
"The news report didn't mention Mask's name at all, even though so many people saw him in yesterday's live broadcast."
Marin Kitagawa nodded, sighing with emotion.
"Yeah, Mask isn't just an urban legend after all. Was he there yesterday to capture the Sunny Doll Killer? It feels kind of cool."
Hearing this, Keika Kawasaki nodded repeatedly, her little face filled with agreement.
"Right, right? Big sister Marin also thinks Mask is cool, don't you!?"
"Yeah..."
Marin Kitagawa looked thoughtful as she murmured.
"Though the outfits of those three mysterious people with him looked quite elaborate, too. Maybe we'll see people cosplaying them at the next comic convention."
After saying this, Marin laughed cheerfully.
"But that has nothing to do with us ordinary high school students anyway. We should think about where to go during this summer vacation instead."
Watching Marin's innocent and cheerful demeanour, Saki Kawasaki, who knew the truth, couldn't help but sigh.
If the other girl ever learned the truth and joined their club, she could form an airheaded duo with Yui Yuigahama.
Couldn't Marin feel how strange the atmosphere in the room had become when this topic came up?
But then again...
If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, Saki Kawasaki wouldn't have believed it either.
That Mask was sitting right beside her.
"Ye Xing."
Yukino Yukinoshita stood up and said calmly.
"I need to talk to you."
"Alright."
After entering the study, Yukino Yukinoshita frowned slightly and spoke softly.
"Is the Sunny Doll Killer really dead?"
Ye Xing smiled.
"How would I know? I wasn't at the scene. Anyway, that's what the Metropolitan Police Department's announcement said."
Yukino Yukinoshita stared at Ye Xing's face, as if trying to find any flaws in his expression.
But in the end, she only noticed one thing.
He...
Was actually quite handsome.
Beyond that, there was nothing else.
Yukino Yukinoshita had never been able to read Ye Xing's thoughts before, and that remained unchanged now.
"Since the Sunny Doll Killer is dead, then..."
Before Yukino could finish, Ye Xing nodded.
"Oh, right, I'd forgotten about that. You can move back home now."
"Eh?"
Yukino blinked in surprise, pursing her lips slightly.
"Yes... Yes, after informing my mother, I... can move back to my own home."
After saying this, Yukino's expression became complicated.
"About what you mentioned before - that you'd tell me the truth about the world after the investigation into the Sunny Doll Killer case concluded..."
"It hasn't concluded yet."
Ye Xing shook his head, looking directly into Yukino's eyes as he spoke with a smile.
"Yukinoshita-san, what are your thoughts on the fact that the Metropolitan Police Department's announcement made no mention whatsoever of Mask and the others who appeared during the live stream?"
"Is this another test?"
"You can take it as one."
Yukino remained silent for a while before speaking slowly.
"I believe this represents the Metropolitan Police Department's internal attitude toward Mask and the others."
Ye Xing asked noncommittally.
"What attitude would that be?"
"That there is no attitude."
Yukino spoke while thinking.
"As an official institution, once they mention Mask and the other three mysterious individuals in their announcement, it would be equivalent to acknowledging their existence."
"If they acknowledge their existence, then, facing unidentified individuals operating at the edge of the law - regardless of whether the public supports or opposes them - the Metropolitan Police Department, as an institution maintaining stability, would have no choice but to take one approach: issuing arrest warrants for Mask and the others."
"Judging from the current online buzz, due to yesterday's live stream and Mask's statements, the support rate for Mask among Kyoto citizens has reached over ninety percent."
"Because of the Sunny Doll Killer incident, the Metropolitan Police Department's credibility among the public has already significantly declined. Now that they've finally killed the criminal, they have an opportunity to regain public trust."
"At such a time, sticking rigidly to regulations and showing hostility toward an unidentified individual who, while breaking the law, has become a hero in the public's eyes, would only provoke public dissatisfaction."
"Therefore, the Metropolitan Police Department chose to ignore them."
"As long as they don't acknowledge Mask's existence in official announcements, they can maintain an ambiguous attitude and avoid having to take a definitive stance."
Here, Yukino paused before giving her final summary.
"But everything I've just said only covers what's apparent on the surface."
"As an official stability maintenance organisation, following the Metropolitan Police Department's usual practices, it would be impossible to adopt such unconventional measures unless someone strongly advocated for them against the majority opinion."
"This sufficiently proves..."
Yukino Yukinoshita looked directly into Ye Xing's eyes and spoke slowly.
"...that within the Metropolitan Police Department, there's a high probability of a Mask supporter in a high-ranking position with significant influence, or even..."
"An accomplice."