The police had arrived.
Officers from the Toshima Precinct cordoned off the fourth floor of the apartment building, going
door to door to question residents.
Even for veteran cops, the sight of the bloated, half-decayed corpse lying in the corridor was
almost too much to stomach.
"A supernatural incident, huh…" one officer muttered. "Dead for about a week, drowned, and
somehow the corpse walks two hundred klicks to harass a random girl—only to get its chest
blown open by some pink Fall Guy. How the hell am I supposed to write that in a report?"
The lead investigator sighed, rubbing his jaw as he plucked at his stubble—a nervous habit that
left tiny bald patches along his chin. The sharp sting helped him stay awake.
"Ridiculous," he grumbled. "The higher-ups'll think I'm on something again."
His name was Kume Ryuichi, Inspector of the Toshima Police Department—middle-aged,
career stagnant, nerves shot.
He already had enough trouble with his rebellious daughter—the rising idol Kume
Chinatsu—and now a supernatural homicide on his floor? Perfect.
As he scanned the hallway, his gaze landed on a girl being questioned by one of his
subordinates.
She couldn't be much older than his daughter—maybe younger.
She stood by her apartment door, wrapped in an oversized coat over her pajamas, trembling as
she spoke. Her small voice wavered as she recounted what had happened.
Kiryu Huaiyin.
Delicate. Pale. Fragile-looking to the point of pity.
Her face was the kind that disarmed suspicion on sight—soft features, downcast eyes, a quiet
sadness that made her look more like a victim than anyone else here.
Outside, rain began to fall. Though the rainy season had long passed, Tokyo's fickle weather still
liked to set the mood.
Ryuichi caught a few hushed voices from further down the corridor.
"Hey, what if we post that Fall Guy video online? Bet it'd blow up."
"Idiot! The Fall Guy already has his own site. But… yeah, if we upload eyewitness
footage, the legend might go viral! Maybe we can even monetize—"
His head snapped toward them—a flashy young man and a heavily made-up girl, both exactly
the type who took selfies at midnight cafés in Ikebukuro.
Their words caught his attention. He strode over. "What did you just say?"
The boy froze, instantly pulling his girlfriend behind him. "O-Officer, we didn't say anything!"
"I heard you mention the Fall Guy's website."
Ryuichi flipped open his notebook, pen clicking sharply. "Tell me what you know about him."
The boy stammered, rubbing the back of his neck. Ryuichi didn't press—he was too old and too
tired to bully witnesses. But the mention of that "Fall Guy" stirred something: curiosity, maybe
irritation.
A living urban legend on his turf?
After a moment, the young man said, "We don't know much, sir. Just that there's this
channel—'Fall Guy.' All the videos show that pink thing exorcising ghosts or fighting monsters.
We haven't followed it, though. Just heard about it."
Ryuichi kept his expression neutral. "And how do people access this website?"
The boy hesitated. "We… don't know."
Ryuichi studied them for a moment, then closed his notebook. "Alright. Thank you for your
cooperation. Leave the rest to the police."
He turned away, heading back toward Huaiyin's apartment.
One of his officers was still questioning her, but Ryuichi gently placed a hand on the man's
shoulder. "How's it looking?"
"According to the neighbors," the officer replied, "the corpse was the one banging on her door
before collapsing. Miss Kiryu doesn't seem to know the victim. We've identified him—a truck
driver missing for two weeks. He disappeared over two hundred kilometers from here."
"Two hundred kilometers…" Ryuichi frowned.
That didn't make sense. He glanced at the trembling girl again.
She stood there like a frightened rabbit, hands gripping her coat tightly, voice barely above a
whisper.
"Where's your guardian?" he asked.
"My family… it's just me and my brother," Huaiyin said softly, as though rehearsed. "He stayed
out last night with his girlfriend. He hasn't come home yet."
"And your parents?"
She hesitated, then lowered her head. "They… passed away last year. An accident."
"…I'm sorry."
The apology was automatic, hollow—something said out of reflex more than empathy. "This
building doesn't have security cameras, so we'll need to rely on testimony. Do you know why
this man came to your door? Any strange incidents lately? Someone following you, maybe?"
For reasons he couldn't explain, Ryuichi felt uneasy.
The girl's answers were perfect—too perfect.
Behind those trembling lashes, there was something else. Something quiet, calculating, and
old.
"I don't know," Huaiyin whispered. "I've never seen him before."
Just then, footsteps echoed on the stairs.
Two figures appeared—Lu Zizhen and Kiryu Doutang.
Zizhen looked half-asleep, leaning against Doutang's arm.
Doutang, by contrast, was perfectly awake, composed—almost too composed.
Ryuichi stepped forward. "Excuse me, you are—?"
"I'm her brother," Doutang said smoothly. "Kiryu Doutang. This is my friend, Lu Zizhen. We were
together all night."
Did I ask? Ryuichi thought dryly, tugging at his chin again before stepping aside.
The rest unfolded by the book.
The officers promised to increase patrols and keep an eye on the area.
Forensics arrived, zipped up the bloated corpse, and carted it away.
As for the "Fall Guy" rumors—Ryuichi said nothing, but his face made his disbelief obvious.
When the police finally left, Zizhen collapsed onto the couch and passed out instantly.
Doutang took a slow look around the apartment.
No serious damage. No spiritual residue.
But something was missing.
He crouched by the front door and lifted the mat.
The blue Fall Bean he'd hidden there was gone.
He stood silently for a long moment, expression unreadable.
Then he exhaled softly and raised his hand.
Time to open the system.
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read 50 chapter ahead on P@treon if you're interested: patreon.com/FicBridge