Chapter 141: Episode 3 · Remaining Sense Of Pain (Part 2)
In the Movie
After bidding farewell to the mysterious girl, Kokutou Mikiya arrived at Aozaki Touko's office and was surprised to find Ryougi Shiki already there.
"Huh? Shiki, what are you doing in a place like this?"
"Saying 'a place like this' is quite rude, considering this is where you work, Kokutou."
On the other side, Aozaki Touko sat silently in her seat and spoke up:
"You're early. Didn't I tell you there were no cases recently and to come in the afternoon?"
"Boss, I hate to bring this up right after arriving, but could you pay me my salary?"
"Kokutou, the issue is, I have no money right now. Sorry, but can I delay your salary until next month?"
"What? You're joking, right? Didn't you just rent a piece of land from the Asakami family yesterday? That must have cost a lot."
"Yes, which is why I have no money left."
"This..."
Touko's reasoning was so straightforward that Kokutou Mikiya didn't know what to say.
"Fine, then, to manage my expenses for this month, I'll need to leave early. Is that okay?"
"Sure. By the way, Kokutou, there's another favor I'd like to ask of you."
"What is it?"
"Could you lend me some money? As you can see, I'm completely broke."
"..."
The fact that his boss had to borrow money from him left Kokutou Mikiya speechless. Taking a deep breath, he decisively shut the door and left the room.
After Mikiya left, Touko looked up at Ryougi Shiki and said:
"Even though you just got out of the hospital, I need to ask for your help. Being strapped for cash is something that can happen to anyone. For the sake of this office, I really need you to take on this commission."
"Is this about last night's case?"
"Yes. The client knows exactly who the murderer is. Your job is to protect the murderer as much as possible, but if they resist—eliminate them without hesitation."
"Is it really okay to kill them if they resist?"
"If you kill the murderer, they'll cover it up as an accidental death."
"That's convenient."
Without hesitation, Shiki started to leave.
Seeing her urgency, Touko couldn't help but comment:
"Why the rush? You don't even know what they look like. How can you find them?"
"No need. That person is definitely like me. So, we'll start fighting the moment we meet."
With that, Ryougi Shiki left the room.
.....
After the scene ended, the viewers began to discuss the film.
"Judging by the timeline, this should be right after Shiki Ryougi was discharged from the hospital. Her arm is still intact, so this must take place between Murder Speculation and Overlooking View."
"How did Shiki Ryougi meet Touko Aozaki? Was it through Mikiya Kokutou?"
"And what about Shiki's alternate personality? We didn't see Shiki's other self in Overlooking View. Did Shiki's other personality not awaken?"
"More than that, I'm curious about the previous girl. Someone hired Shiki to protect her but also said she could kill her if she resisted. Isn't that contradictory?"
"There are so many strange points."
With the limited plot revealed, widespread discussion couldn't be sustained. People could only patiently continue watching the story unfold.
…
After leaving Touko Aozaki's office, Mikiya Kokutou met with an old friend from his student days, clearly intending to borrow money.
Upon learning Kokutou's purpose, his friend made a request in return.
"Of course, you can borrow money, but you should return the favor."
"Oh? What's the trouble?"
"I need you to find someone."
"Tell me more."
"That guy's name is Keita Minato, a former underling of mine. He's not a good person, but not truly bad either. Recently, he fell in with a group of thugs. Last night, he was at the scene of that gruesome murder. Though he survived, his behavior has been strange since then. He's too scared to go home, acting as if he's terrified of something."
"Is he on drugs?"
"No, those killed were the ones using drugs. Keita is very timid and doesn't dare to do much, which probably saved his life."
"Alright, I'll look for him."
Kokutou's kind nature prevailed, even as he ventured into the darker side of the world. He couldn't stand by and ignore someone in danger.
.....
A day passed.
As Kokutou searched for Keita Minato, three more gruesome murders occurred, all victims with twisted limbs and horrific appearances.
Shiki Ryougi, after receiving Touko Aozaki's assignment, wandered the city and accidentally encountered Kokutou's sister, Azaka Kokutou.
In the past, when Shiki Ryougi visited Mikiya Kokutou's house, she met his sister, Azaka Kokutou. The two didn't get along at all, with Azaka viewing Shiki as a sort of rival in love.
At the same time, Azaka was accompanied by her friend, Fujino Asagami, the purple-haired girl Mikiya had previously brought home.
"You—don't feel pain?"
Shiki's sudden question startled Fujino, who clearly hadn't expected such a query.
In this situation, it was Azaka Kokutou who stepped in to smooth things over, giving Shiki Ryougi a hard glare.
"Fine, I have something to take care of, so I'm leaving. Oh, and Shiki, can you pass a message to my brother for me?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"Tell him, 'Brother, please break up with this woman as soon as possible.'"
"Got it."
Shiki turned to leave.
However, as she walked away, the image of Fujino Asagami lingered in her mind. She sensed something unusual about the girl.
After some thought, Shiki decided to turn back and quietly follow Fujino.
Following her parting from Azaka, Fujino wandered into a dark alley known for its shady characters and found a young thug.
"Do you know where Keita is?"
"No, I haven't seen him lately, and I can't get in touch with him."
"Do you know his hiding place?"
"Hiding place? What do you mean hiding place? Did that guy get into some trouble?"
The thug, irritated by Fujino's strange questions, remembered that she used to be a plaything for Keita's gang. He then leered at her and said:
"Forget it. Since you came looking for me, you must have had this in mind from the start, right? Want to come to my place, or do you prefer doing it here, Miss Prissy?"
Ignoring his comments, Fujino quietly asked again, "Where is Keita?"
"Idiot, stop making excuses. How would I know where he is?"
Fujino lifted her head, and the thug noticed something unusual about her eyes—spirals glowing in the darkness.
"Where is Keita?" she demanded.
"Crack!"
The thug's wrist twisted on its own, his elbow bending at an unnatural angle, until the joint shattered.
"What the—!?"
Unable to comprehend what was happening, the thug screamed in agony like a wild beast.
"Help, help, help me…!"
In the next instant, his body lifted slightly off the ground, and his right leg twisted below the knee.
"Splat!"
Blood splattered across the ground like water from an overturned bucket.
Throughout the ordeal, Fujino watched with gleaming eyes, unmoving.
...
The shocking scene left the viewers stunned.
"What was that?"
"She didn't even touch him, and his arm just twisted?"
"What kind of magic is this?"
The display exceeded the understanding of even the academy's mages, leaving them all in wide-eyed disbelief.
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