Later that day, in an office on the third floor of Kyoto Metropolitan Police Department headquarters.
Soichiro Yagami looked at the computer screen, which displayed various conspiracy theory news reports about today's incident, rubbing his temples. His face appeared to have aged considerably.
"These media outlets are really going too far..."
Soichiro Yagami sighed helplessly.
What power struggles within the Metropolitan Police Department? The experienced and prime-aged Seishu Akoya disobeying his leadership? That he, having secretly collaborated with Mask, wanted to eliminate the other party to silence him?
And what about the claims that Seishu Akoya uncovered the dirty secrets between Mask and Chief Soichiro Yagami, leading to his silencing...
Isn't this pure nonsense?
Soichiro Yagami was rendered speechless by these foolish remarks.
With Mask's abilities, if he truly wanted to eliminate Seishu Akoya, would it really have to happen on the streets? He could have done it silently without a trace. These media outlets truly lack brains - when praising him, they treat Mask as a deity, but now, when slandering him, they completely ignore logical inconsistencies and spout such nonsense.
Of course, based on Soichiro Yagami's understanding of Mask, or rather his understanding of Ye Xing as a person, the other party wouldn't care about external evaluations at all.
The problem was that, as the public face of the Kyoto Metropolitan Police Department, the pressure he faced was too great.
Just as the Supernatural Society members had anticipated, Soichiro Yagami now faced a choice.
Should he conceal the scandal of internal strife within the Metropolitan Police Department, maintain the credibility and public image of the Kyoto Metropolitan Police Department, and label Mask as a vicious criminal? Or should he make Akoya's crimes public and maintain Mask's heroic status?
Actually, what Soichiro should be considering most right now was his own future.
If he weren't Mask's accomplice and didn't have such a strong sense of justice, this wouldn't really be a difficult choice.
The pressure faced by one person at most, plus the unidentified accomplices around him, and a few people's public opinion pressure, compared to that of the Kyoto Metropolitan Police Department, was simply insignificant.
But Soichiro Yagami felt it shouldn't be like this.
A hero who saved innocent people shouldn't become the target of public attacks.
"What a dilemma..."
Soichiro Yagami sighed.
Mask hadn't contacted him, and the Metropolitan Police Department's higher-ups had asked only a few questions before handing the decision-making power to him. They hadn't even subtly expressed their opinions, leaving everything to his discretion.
"Maybe... I should flip a coin..."
Soichiro Yagami took a coin from his pocket and tossed it into the air.
But when the coin fell, he didn't reach out to catch it. Instead, he let it fall to the floor with a crisp sound, stood up directly, without even glancing at it.
"Which answer to choose... I'm already very clear."
Soichiro Yagami put on his suit jacket, directly left this temporary office, pressed the elevator button, and arrived outside the Metropolitan Police Department headquarters building.
As soon as he stepped out, he could see small groups of reporters gathered outside the main entrance. Even though it was nearly eleven o'clock, they were still waiting for the latest news.
"Chief Yagami! Chief Yagami has come out!"
Seeing Soichiro Yagami emerge from the building, the previously bored reporters instantly perked up, crowding together outside the main entrance, competing to ask questions.
"Chief Yagami, what exactly happened in today's incident?"
"Chief Yagami, the citizens of Kyoto are very concerned about the case progress! Is Mask a criminal?"
"Chief Yagami, are you secretly cooperating with Mask?"
"Chief Yagami..."
Listening to the reporters' clamouring questions, Soichiro Yagami simply raised both hands, signalling for everyone to quiet down. After taking a deep breath to calm the emotions in his chest, he finally spoke in a deep voice.
"Everyone, regarding today's incident..."
Soichiro Yagami's face showed determination as he spoke each word with forceful clarity.
"The criminal Seishu Akoya, while wearing a mobile combat suit and carrying firearms, forcibly broke into the Metropolitan Police Department headquarters building and killed several police officers. It was Mask who appeared in time to stop him. Although I personally disagree with his extreme action of killing the criminal on the spot, there's no doubt that what Mask did was heroic!"
Every word Soichiro Yagami spoke carried weight.
"Criminal... Seishu Akoya?"
"Is this... serious?"
"Thinking about it carefully... when Seishu Akoya appeared on the streets, he was indeed wearing the mobile unit's combat suit... it really does seem like he had malicious intent..."
"Mask... is indeed a hero!"
"But the Metropolitan Police Department's commander killing his own colleagues? That's just too..."
Soichiro Yagami ignored the reporters' confusion and continued speaking in his deep voice.
"The Metropolitan Police Department will make public the surveillance footage of this incident, the testimony of officers who were in the building at the time, and the records of Seishu Akoya's requisition of combat gear and firearms."
Before the reporters could react, Soichiro Yagami suddenly spoke again.
"And this will be the last decision I make as the Criminal Affairs Director of Kyoto Metropolitan Police Department and head of the Special Operations Group."
"Failing to detect Seishu Akoya's mental issues in time, allowing such a person to serve as the mobile unit commander - this is my failure, Soichiro Yagami's dereliction of duty. I won't shift responsibility to anyone else."
"After making all the evidence public, I, Soichiro Yagami, will take full responsibility for this incident and resign from my position."
With these words, Soichiro Yagami turned and left the scene without looking back, leaving the reporters standing there looking at each other in confusion.
...
The next morning, outside Setsuna Ogiso's home.
"Ahem."
Setsuna Ogiso's father watched his daughter chatting cheerfully with Kazusa Touma nearby, then gave Ye Xing a meaningful look before speaking in a low voice.
"Is this Touma-san your girlfriend?"
"Mhm."
Ye Xing nodded, then followed with a shocking statement under Ogiso's father's incredulous gaze.
"Kazusa is one of them."
"One... of them?"
Setsuna Ogiso's father froze for a moment, his brow furrowing as he grew serious.
"Listen, that Touma girl is a nice young lady, quite pretty too - she should be good enough for you, right? If you're secretly two-timing her, you'll regret it later!"
Facing this warning, Ye Xing smiled and waved his hand.
"You've misunderstood."
Before Ogiso's father could sigh in relief, Ye Xing continued.
"I'm not just two-timing - and it's not secret either. Kazusa knows all about it; she's even acquainted with the others. My approach is completely open and honest."
Hearing this, Ogiso's father's jaw dropped in stunned silence. After a long pause, he finally spoke, his expression complicated.
"You... from a man's perspective... I almost want to say well done... but you... you're not planning to... never mind, I should probably stay out of you young people's affairs."
Setsuna Ogiso's father sighed and patted Ye Xing's shoulder.
"I heard that the hot spring inn is out in the suburbs? Be careful. Even Criminal Affairs Director Soichiro Yagami had to resign over this mess, ah..."
Seeing the other man's expression, Ye Xing asked curiously.
"Are you... perhaps a fan of Mask?"
"Huh?"
Ogiso's father frowned slightly at this and waved his hand.
"Mask is... alright, I suppose. I'm past the age of idolising that kind of hero. But... I'd consider myself somewhat of a supporter of Director Yagami."
"Oh? You're a fan of Square-face?"
Hearing this, Ogiso's father shook his head with a wry smile.
"What 'Square-face'? I don't know about other things, but Director Yagami has been serious and responsible since taking office, maintaining a strict stance against crime. Every promise he made - whether reducing Kyoto's crime rates, capturing the Sunny Doll Killer, or rescuing hostages - he delivered on them all. He's a capable man. As a Kyoto citizen, of course I support having him lead the Metropolitan Police Department to protect the city's safety."
Ye Xing nodded slightly, thinking this made sense.
Soichiro Yagami's current fame was truly immense.
Kyoto Tower, the train malfunction, Kyoto Municipal Kindergarten, Toyogasaki High School, the Sunny Doll Killer...
In every incident, Soichiro Yagami served as the field commander and achieved perfect results, leaving no room for criticism.
The resulting boost to his reputation was easy to imagine.
This morning, Soichiro Yagami held a press conference where he publicly disclosed the surveillance footage from the incident, testimonies from all police officers who had heard the radio transmission, and Seishu Akoya's equipment and firearm requisition records, forming a perfect, indisputable chain of evidence.
Subsequently, he publicly resigned to take responsibility, bearing all the blame himself.
This wasn't an impulsive decision but one Soichiro Yagami had reached after careful consideration.
Although senior officials hadn't blamed him, as long as he remained in the positions of Criminal Affairs Bureau Chief and head of the Special Operations Group, suspicious individuals would continue to speculate whether this was a conspiracy orchestrated by him and Mask to eliminate rivals.
Under the evidence chain, perhaps no reasonable person would believe such claims, but Soichiro Yagami understood the power of public opinion. Rather than leaving such an opening for enemies, it was better to resign proactively.
After all, he hadn't returned to Tokyo for over a year, so this was a good opportunity to spend time with his family.
"Then today must be your lucky day."
"Lucky day?"
Before Setsuna Ogiso's father could process this, he suddenly saw a black car stopping in front of his house.
As the car door opened, a square-jawed middle-aged man he knew well from countless television appearances and had just seen at the recent school festival stepped out.
"Mr Ogiso, hello."
"Chief Yagami? How did you..."
"No need for such formality."
Soichiro Yagami waved his hand, his typically stern square face showing a rare smile.
"I'm no longer chief - you can call me Soichiro."
Soichiro Yagami looked toward Kazusa Touma and Setsuna Ogiso, who were still chatting, and said,
"You two, take the back seats."
Hearing this, Setsuna Ogiso's father was taken aback.
"Chief Yagami... no, Mr Yagami, you're driving them? This is too much..."
"It's fine. I was planning to drive directly back to Tokyo anyway - it's on my way."
"Well... thank you then, Mr Yagami."
Kazusa Touma and Setsuna Ogiso placed their luggage in the boot, both girls taking the back seats while Ye Xing sat in the front passenger seat.
Just as Soichiro Yagami was about to get in the car, Setsuna Ogiso's father suddenly spoke from behind.
"Chief Yagami."
He turned to see the other man bowing slightly, his expression complicated.
"Thank you for everything you've done for Kyoto during this time."
Soichiro Yagami's expression similarly grew complex, eventually settling into a smile and a nod.
"Well... thank you for your support."
After getting in the car, Ye Xing turned to Soichiro Yagami in the driver's seat and said lightly,
"If you want to cry, go ahead. It's not shameful."
Soichiro Yagami had actually been moved nearly to tears, but upon hearing this, he held them back and shook his head with a wry smile.
"With you saying that, even if I wanted to cry before, I can't now."
"Good. I've no interest in watching a square-jawed middle-aged man weep."
...
Two hours later, at the entrance of a hot spring inn in Kyoto's outer suburbs.
"This is the place."
After Kazusa Touma and Setsuna Ogiso got out of the car, Soichiro Yagami stopped Ye Xing, who was about to exit, his expression complicated as he hesitantly spoke.
"Before I leave, there's one thing. Though I've already guessed it, I still want confirmation."
Soichiro Yagami took a deep breath and slowly said.
"You... are you Mask?"
Ye Xing didn't answer immediately. Instead, he glanced at Setsuna Ogiso, who was walking towards the hot spring inn with her suitcase, accompanied by Kazusa Touma. Only after confirming she wasn't looking this way did he turn back.
When he turned his head, Soichiro Yagami saw dark flames suddenly covering the other's face, forming a pure black mask.
"So it's true..."
Finally seeing it with his own eyes, Soichiro Yagami breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.
"Now I can leave Kyoto without any regrets."
"Chief Yagami."
The black mask on Ye Xing's face dissipated into flames. He opened the car door and, before leaving, spoke softly in a tone quite different from his usual flippant manner.
"Thank you for your help during this time."
Watching Ye Xing's back as he walked towards the hot spring inn, Soichiro Yagami removed his glasses, wiped his glistening eyes, and murmured to himself.
"That boy... only at the very end did he finally say something so touching..."
...
Meanwhile, Setsuna Ogiso, who had just completed the check-in procedure and arrived in their room, examined the traditionally styled accommodation with excitement.
"Wow, this room is so spacious! And there's a private hot spring right outside the room, so we don't have to worry about awkward encounters with other guests. Coming all this way was definitely worth it."
Kazusa Touma nodded and smiled.
"I'm glad you like it. By the way, I only booked one room."
"Eh?"
Hearing this, Setsuna Ogiso couldn't help but pause.
"Only one room... then when we sleep at night..."
Kazusa Touma replied matter-of-factly.
"We'll sleep together. As you said, the room is spacious enough for three people without any problem."
Setsuna Ogiso showed hesitation on her face, her lips parting as if she wanted to say something, but she hesitated and couldn't find the words.
"Setsuna."
Kazusa Touma walked up to Setsuna Ogiso and placed her hands on the other's shoulders. Being naturally taller than Setsuna, she now looked down from a commanding height, making Setsuna Ogiso feel pressured as if her inner thoughts were being seen through. She forced a smile.
"Um... Kazusa, what is it?"
Kazusa Touma looked directly into Setsuna Ogiso's eyes and spoke word by word.
"Setsuna, I confessed to Ye Xing, and he accepted."
Setsuna Ogiso hadn't expected the other to choose this moment to lay everything out. Resistance flashed in her eyes before she forced another smile.
"Is that so... congratulations... I always thought you two..."
Before Setsuna Ogiso could finish, Kazusa Touma interrupted sharply, her attitude quite firm.
"How long are you going to keep forcing yourself!?"
"I..."
Kazusa Touma gave Setsuna Ogiso no chance to evade, going straight to the point.
"We all agreed we'd stay together as three, but do you think I haven't noticed? These past few days, you've been suffering, yet you keep putting on that gentle smile. You'd already sensed it before I said anything, hadn't you?"
Faced with Kazusa Touma's questioning, Setsuna Ogiso remained silent for a moment before her expression darkened, tears even glistening in her eyes.
"I... I don't want it to be like this either... But in this kind of relationship... staying together forever as three... is impossible... I'm the one who doesn't belong..."
Kazusa Touma responded noncommittally.
"Staying together forever as three is indeed impossible."
Setsuna Ogiso showed a bitter smile.
"Right, so..."
"Because there are too many people."
"Eh?"
These sudden words - 'too many people' - directly interrupted Setsuna Ogiso's sorrowful mood.
What did she mean by too many people?
What could 'too many people' possibly mean?
Kazusa Touma patted Setsuna Ogiso's shoulder, showing a gentle smile as she said softly.
"Just tell me, do you want the three of us to stay together forever?"
Setsuna Ogiso hesitated: "I do want to, but..."
"Then stop worrying about it."
Kazusa Touma wore an expression brimming with confidence.
"Just leave it to me."