Chapter 9

New Tokyo.

Chiyoda Ward, Kasumigaseki 2-chome.

This area is the gathering place for important departments of the Land of Wa. To the east, across the street, is the Ministry of Justice. To the south of the Ministry of Justice is the High Court. To the west is the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. To the south is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and a little further south is the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. To the north is the Sakurada Gate of the Imperial Palace of the Land of Wa.

As for the building in the center with the cherry blossom emblem, it is the Metropolitan Police Department, which has appeared in morning dramas and various manga and film works in the Land of Wa.

.....

Third floor of the Metropolitan Police Department.

Office of the Chief of the First Investigation Division.

"Your meaning is... since September this year, that is, two months ago, there have been dozens of cases of missing teenagers in the city?" A tall, thin young man in a dark blue windbreaker, different from the regular police uniform, with silver-rimmed glasses, had a somewhat unfriendly look in his eyes.

Sitting in front of him was the Chief of the First Investigation Division, Ishikawa Masahito, a 39-year-old police inspector, whose rank was the same as the young and capable captain of the 13th Squad of the Third Investigation Division, Sugita Shiro.

Facing Sugita Shiro's aggressive questioning, Ishikawa Masahito calmly picked up his insulated cup, took a sip of water, and then looked into the other's eyes, "No... to be precise, it started in early September, and it has been three months now."

"Three months, so many missing cases, and not a single one has been solved?" Sugita Shiro slightly lowered his head, "I understand your pressure, but... isn't this a bit too much?"

Ishikawa Masahito shook his head, avoiding Sugita Shiro's gaze, "I don't think it's too much. In this line of work, you should know that millions of people go missing every year around the world. A few dozen people are just a tiny fraction of that."

"They are not just numbers." Sugita Shiro's tone was slightly cold.

"They can only be numbers." Ishikawa Masahito raised his head.

He silently stared at the police inspector who was almost ten years younger than him, then sighed, "Captain Sugita, you should know that the order and stability of the Land of Wa are built on a certain foundation. Many unsolved cases are not unsolvable, but they cannot be solved. The waters run deep..."

"I understand."

Sugita Shiro nodded, interrupting him, then shook his head and said in a stiff tone, "But that doesn't mean I accept it. From now on, all missing cases will be sent to me, and the 13th Squad will take full responsibility for the investigation."

Ishikawa Masahito was taken aback.

After a moment of silence, he suddenly looked up at Sugita Shiro and asked, "What about your superiors? Does Chief Tokugawa know about this?"

Tokugawa Rikko.

The Chief of the Third Investigation Division.

Rank: Police Inspector General.

In this world, ability users are divided into nine ranks. The lower three ranks are ordinary ability users, the middle three ranks are super ability users, and Tokugawa Rikko is a seventh-rank, fourth-stage absolute ability user!

Moreover, he is the wielder of the天赋序列号25【金刚】ability.

It can be said that he has established the status of the Third Investigation Division in the Metropolitan Police Department through his powerful personal strength, and even in front of the highest-ranking police inspector general, he has significant influence— in other words, as long as Sugita Shiro brings up this mountain of the Metropolitan Police Department, Ishikawa Masahito of the First Investigation Division would definitely not say anything more.

However, Sugita Shiro shook his head.

"Chief Tokugawa doesn't know."

Tokugawa Rikko is someone he respects, and his character means he is not the type to use others as a shield.

After a moment of silence, Sugita Shiro said, "But what I am doing is to uphold Chief Tokugawa's belief— the sword of justice, free from any shadow."

Justice?

Ishikawa Masahito stared at the promising young captain in front of him and suddenly smiled, "Captain Sugita really reminds me of a friend of mine from back then. Sigh, it's a pity he has already left the police force, but if I have the chance to introduce you two, I think you would get along very well."

Knock, knock, knock!

Suddenly, there was a knock on the office door.

"Come in."

Ishikawa Masahito said casually.

The door opened, and a police officer ran in with a file, stood at attention, and glanced at Sugita Shiro sitting beside him. With Ishikawa Masahito's nod, he reported:

"Chief, another missing case occurred in Okaicho, Edogawa Ward, yesterday. The reporter is a single father, and the missing girl is six years old and in school..."

"A six-year-old girl..."

Ishikawa Masahito listened to the report and subconsciously glanced at the photo frame on his desk— in the photo, he was wearing a handsome police uniform, and a five or six-year-old girl with a bright smile was nestled beside him. After divorcing his wife three years ago, he is now a single father.

If his daughter ever went missing, there is no doubt that he would go mad, digging up the entire New Tokyo to search every corner.

"I think I understand Captain Sugita's determination."

Then, Ishikawa Masahito said to his subordinate with a joking tone, "Starting from the case in your hands, let's relieve everyone's stress. All missing cases involving teenagers in the city will be transferred to the 13th Squad."

"Ah? Yes!" The subordinate was taken aback but still obeyed the order and handed the file to Sugita Shiro.

Sugita Shiro took the file and glanced at the balding middle-aged man behind the desk, holding an insulated cup— in his memory, this guy was known as one of the most seasoned and unapproachable figures in the Criminal Affairs Department of the Metropolitan Police Department, immune to all influences, and had remained unscathed in recent internal struggles within the department.

Before entering this office, he had prepared to leave without achieving his goal, but the outcome was unexpectedly different.

"Thank you."

Sugita Shiro nodded.

With his goal achieved, the decisive young man turned to leave.

"Don't thank me."

Ishikawa Masahito shook his head and, as Sugita Shiro was about to leave, added, "You should have guessed who is obstructing the investigation. Be prepared for the pressure."

The World Government of the Celestials?

Sugita Shiro silently repeated the name, his eyes turning cold, but he did not stop walking and left the office.

One minute later...

In the building of the Metropolitan Police Department in Chiyoda Ward.

The Third Investigation Division's 13th Squad, from top to bottom, was like a sleek and efficient machine that had been turned on, with gears meshing and operating at high speed.

.....

At the same time, a black limousine drove into the gate of a villa in the Minato Ward of New Tokyo.

This was a standalone villa by the sea, with no other residences around, which should have been desolate, but in fact, from the second-floor floor-to-ceiling windows, one could see both of New Tokyo's iconic landmarks, the Tokyo Tower and the Rainbow Bridge, at once.

At night, when the lights were on, the Rainbow Bridge and the Tokyo Tower were particularly dazzling, and the gentle waves quietly lapped against the coast of Odaiba.

The atmosphere was peaceful and serene,

beautiful enough to heal the heart.

.....

Suddenly,

a girl's sobs echoed from inside the villa.

At the entrance to the basement of the villa,

a high school-aged girl, wearing a dark gold collar around her neck, was about to enter the basement elevator with a girl in front of her who had a blank expression.

The moment the elevator doors opened, she suddenly turned around, her face smeared with snot and tears, trembling as she knelt on the ground and pleaded to a burly man behind her, "Please! I don't want abilities anymore, let me go back! Please... I want to go home!"

The man had a flat nose with two prominent black stripes on either side, extending from his eyes to his mouth, and a pair of light brown cheetah-like ears on his head.

He looked at the girl on the ground with a sinister smile, and a sturdy whip appeared in his hand.

Snap!

The whip cracked in the air!

In an instant, the girl's clothes were torn to shreds, revealing a shocking blood mark, and she collapsed on the ground.

"I told you... to shut up! Inferior fool, it was you who came to me initially." The man said with disdain, and seeing the girl lying motionless, he raised the whip to strike again.

Suddenly, a hoarse but magnetic voice came from behind him, "Dick, have you forgotten the punishment the boss gave you yesterday? These are our precious 'exhibits.'"

Dick, the man of the Celestial Leopard Clan, turned his head sharply, his eyes meeting the slender figure of a man in a white lab coat, wearing a hat and a mask, with the reflection of the glasses obscuring his eyes.

Dick's face darkened, then he shrugged indifferently and threw away the whip, "Doctor, you know... I just wanted to teach these inferior races a lesson, that's all."

The man called "Doctor" did not look at him but quietly stared at the girl lying on the ground...

One second, five seconds, ten seconds...

Suddenly, the girl's body convulsed violently, then she flipped over, and the collar around her neck began to flash wildly.

"Has it started?"

Dick's eyes lit up with excitement.

But the "Doctor," who had been calmly observing, shook his head and turned away indifferently, "No, it's already over."

As he spoke, the girl's legs twitched a few times, her pupils dilated rapidly, and then she suddenly went still.

Everything was silent.

The collar around her neck stopped flashing.

The "Doctor" casually picked up a tablet from a nearby workbench. The home screen read "Sigmund International Trade Company," with a logo of a globe encircled by two intersecting arrows.

He unlocked it with his fingerprint, scrolled down a few times, and calmly tapped the "X" next to a smiling girl's profile—deleting all related data and observation records.

After deleting, he returned to the home screen and pressed the call button.

Soon, two Celestial men in black suits entered the villa silently, skillfully placing the girl in a body bag, zipping it up, and carrying her out.

Her final resting place would be in the dark, quiet depths of Tokyo Bay, transforming from a precious "exhibit" to insignificant waste...

in an instant.

.....

"Tsk, tsk, tsk... humans...

are such a weak race."

Dick licked his lips, glancing disdainfully at the direction of the villa's underground storage room, and asked the "Doctor" beside him, "In this period... less than twenty, right?"

"Um, it's a matter of probability."

The "Doctor" said casually, but his gaze was on the smooth, plump oranges in the transparent glass cabinet on the lab bench, his face genuinely admiring:

"But they are also a very intelligent race, to have developed these ability fruits that can compete with the 'gods' for talent. Every time I see them, I am truly amazed."

Dick sneered at this.

"What's the use? They developed the fruits, but few humans can successfully transform after eating them. Otherwise, we wouldn't have spent so much time preparing for this year's 'Exhibition.'"

Speaking of the "Exhibition," the "Doctor" also frowned slightly, as the guests of the "Exhibition" come from all over the world.

Some are not so easy to deal with.

"It's Friday today, right..."

The "Doctor" muttered to himself, "We need to speed up. Should we notify Woolley to shorten the observation period a bit more?"

Woolley is a Celestial of the Eagle Clan, awakened with the talent sequence 38, the "True Sight Eye," and is one of the "Executive Directors" of the Sigmund International Trade Company's New Tokyo branch.

"Haha, he would be more than happy."

Dick mocked, "Last time, he lost a hybrid woman of the Tiger Clan, and the boss had to use his connections to get her out of the Metropolitan Police Department. If he makes another mistake this time... it won't be so simple."

As they spoke, the elevator had reached the third basement level. The fluorescent lights on the ceiling illuminated the area like daylight, but the scene inside was shocking.

Cages... cages... more cages.

Young men and women, around eighteen or nineteen years old, stood, squatted, or lay in the steel cages, their faces numb or terrified, all wearing dark gold collars around their necks and electronic tags on their ankles, indicating their age, race, talent ability, and growth potential.

Although the people in the villa called them precious "exhibits," at a glance, they looked like livestock in a chaotic market, waiting to be casually selected...

In a corner, a five or six-year-old girl curled up on the ground, hugging a teddy bear tightly, her breathing rapid and disordered, her face pale.

However, although she was confined in a cage, it was the first time in her life that she had seen such a spacious and bright house.

If this were really "home"...

the little girl thought.

.....

Afternoon.

Past three o'clock,

Bamboo South Private School.

Today is Friday, and after the practical training class, Higashinohara packed up and prepared to go home.

Speaking of which, the atmosphere has been a bit strange since yesterday's practical training class—many people in the class have been secretly discussing Higashinohara's training methods and considering whether they should also run a few laps on the playground every day.

As for Sakamoto Hikaru, who was scolded yesterday, he is definitely not convinced.

But in a super ability school, strength is paramount.

Yesterday, even after deploying a second-rank technique, he was easily broken through by Higashinohara. Despite his dissatisfaction, he doesn't have the confidence to challenge Higashinohara again to save face, so he can only temporarily hold his breath.

There's plenty of time.

After all, everyone is only in their first year.

Additionally, it's rumored that some "enthusiasts" in the class, after seeing Higashinohara's performance yesterday, have set up a betting pool to bet on whether this famous "three-time veteran" of the first year will pass the exam and advance to the second year next year.

The stakes are not large, and many people have joined in for fun.

At this moment, Aida Yuta, who was sitting behind Higashinohara, poked him and asked, "Higashinohara, do you have any plans for the weekend?"

Oh, right, the one who set up the betting pool is this guy.

"Working."

Higashinohara didn't even turn his head.

"Besides working?" Aida Yuta asked.

"Of course, still working."

Higashinohara said irritably.

"Hey, Higashinohara, do you have to be so hard on yourself?"

Aida Yuta couldn't help but complain.

"Didn't Mr. Nakazaki say in today's practical training class that your strength is already at the second-rank, second-stage? If you work a bit harder and advance one more stage, you can pass the exam to the second year next year, and then you can get the dormitory subsidy and free lunch back. Why are you working so hard to earn so much money now?"

"Haha."

Higashinohara laughed, turned his head, and asked, "What's the current housing price in New Tokyo?"

Aida Yuta's parents are in the real estate business, so he answered without hesitation, "Around 8.5 million yen per square meter? It's a bit cheaper in more remote areas. What's up?"

"Then think about it. If I want to buy a 50-square-meter second-hand apartment in Tokyo after graduation, it would cost 42.5 million yen. At the average annual salary after graduation, it would take about 12 years of living frugally to afford it."

"And at my current part-time job rate of 1,000 yen per hour, I would need to work over 40,000 hours in the same place to buy a small second-hand apartment."

After saying this, Higashinohara smiled at Aida Yuta, "Now, do you still ask me why I'm working so hard to earn money?"

Aida Yuta was stunned.

He had lived in New Tokyo for many years, and although he occasionally worked part-time, it was just to earn some pocket money for things like mountain bikes or game consoles. He had never thought about this issue.

Higashinohara smiled, feeling a bit helpless and also couldn't help but complain that since he had been transported to this world, why wasn't he born a native of New Tokyo, at least he wouldn't have to worry so much about staying here in the future.

Shaking his head, he bid farewell to Aida Yuta and took the train home.

Although working is a means of living, he also knows what his foundation is in this world, and he will not neglect his daily training.

.....

Back at the apartment, Higashinohara had been thinking about the missing Shimamaru Mili and couldn't help but go to the third floor to ask the detective, Arakawa Satoru, about today's progress.

The result was... still no news.

Perhaps seeing Higashinohara's disappointment, Arakawa Satoru patted his shoulder and smiled, "Don't worry, the Metropolitan Police Department is now taking these missing cases seriously. The files have been transferred from the First Investigation Division to the 13th Squad of the Third Investigation Division. My daughter says the captain of the 13th Squad is a reliable