บท 43: Chapter 65&66
Chapter 65: Arahabaki
"Boss, could you refrain from talking behind people's backs?"
As Koyo Ozaki and Ogai Mori were talking, the door to the Boss's office swung open. A man in a black coat entered, his disheveled orange hair messily held down by a black bowler hat. Though not particularly tall, he carried an aura that warned others not to cross him.
"How could it be badmouthing? I was merely stating a fact," Ogai Mori responded, teasing as he looked at the newly arrived man. "Isn't that right, Mr. Arahabaki?"
Arahabaki, also known as the Wild God, is a formidable yokai from Japanese lore a monstrous spider sealed by onmyoji along the coastal regions after refusing to submit to the imperial court.
But, unlike other famous yokai like Shuten doji or Tamamo no Mae, Arahabaki is obscure, remembered only by a handful of coastal dwellers.
However, eight years ago, the name Arahabaki resurfaced, gaining renewed attention.
A black shroud descended over Yokohama's outer districts, triggering earthquakes and tsunamis, forcing thousands from their homes.
The shroud consumed the land, buildings, and people, leaving a crater over a hundred meters deep. People claimed it was the awakening of Arahabaki but in reality, the creature that emerged was Chuuya Nakahara.
"This nickname was something bored people decided on their own. I never accepted it," Chuuya grumbled, glancing at the fine wine on the table where Ogai Mori and Koyo Ozaki sat.
His eyes brightened. "Hey, Boss, what's the occasion? You're actually drinking such good wine today?"
"A fine wine remains a fine wine regardless of timing; help yourself if you want," Mori replied casually. "And since it's rare for the three of us to gather, why not enjoy a glass?"
"Smells great. Koyo, mind pouring me a glass?"
"Forget it. I don't trust your drinking habits one bit," Mori interjected. "The last thing I need is you asleep or worse, wreaking havoc when I confront Tokisaki later."
"Tsk, am I that bad?"
"You're just slightly better than Akutagawa."
"Don't compare me to that lightweight!"
"Fine. But once you've completed your duty and after Tokisaki leaves, the bottle's all yours."
"You better keep your word."
"Of course. I don't go back on promises."
With Mori's promise, Chuuya's mood lifted. Knowing Tokisaki could arrive anytime, Koyo Ozaki, recognizing she would be out of place in the impending confrontation, drained her glass and exited the office after a respectful bow.
Once Koyo had left, Chuuya turned to Mori, slightly concerned. "Boss, you didn't give Koyo a hard time, did you?"
"Of course not. I only offered a light warning. I'd be reluctant to drive her away," Mori replied. "After all, it took considerable persuasion to bring her back into the fold after her disillusionment with the organization. Losing her would be a significant setback."
"Good. Koyo and I go way back. If you truly planned on doing something, that'd put me in a tough spot."
"As your boss, even as a courtesy, shouldn't you say you'd support me unconditionally?"
Mori swirled his wine, somewhat resigned. But what could he do? Chuuya was one of the strongest, second to none in the organization. His subordinates all of them were troublemakers. Yet, the organization needed each of them.
"So, we're preparing for that Tokisaki woman, right?" Chuuya clenched his fists, clearly eager. "I've been itching for a chance to take her down."
Although this was Chuuya's first official meeting with Tokisaki, her reputation had already soured his impression.
During her first mission, he had witnessed her method of slaughter in a drug factory.
Though no outward violence or visible pain had been inflicted, the victims had died silently, almost as if devoured in their sleep. While hard to describe his feelings, Chuuya knew that seeing her handiwork had left him with an irrevocable disgust for her.
"Wait, don't make any trouble for me," Mori quickly added. "Your job is to protect me. I need to negotiate with Tokisaki first. If things break down, then you can intervene. I don't want us to be the ones instigating any conflict understood?"
"Eh? You haven't already burned bridges with her?"
"If we had, I wouldn't be meeting her at all."
"Then again, with her stealth skills, meeting her might not even be up to you."
"Well, in that case, I'd replace all lights in HQ with shadow-free lamps. Without shadows, even Tokisaki's powers couldn't penetrate here."
"Seriously? I never thought of that!"
"Anyway, no attacking before negotiations break down. Clear?"
"Since you're ordering me, Boss, I'll go along with it. But if we lose because I didn't get the jump, don't blame me."
"You think you'll lose?" Mori raised a brow, amused.
"Heh."
Chuuya smirked. "Let me rephrase: while I might not win, I definitely won't lose...as long as you're covering the cost of HQ repairs."
"No problem."
"Then I've got nothing to worry about."
Chuuya cracked his knuckles, his grin growing fierce.
"Now it's up to Tokisaki to decide whether she wants to become our enemy."
Chapter 66: The Approaching Time
Five minutes later.
As usual, the girl in the black and red dress emerged from the shadows of the room. However, the moment Tokisaki Kurumi spotted the two figures waiting inside, her body instantly tensed.
"Nakahara Chuuya? Why is he here?"
Seeing him standing by Ogai Mori's side like a bodyguard, Kurumi's mind raced with calculations. A faint feeling of regret crept into her heart.
It seemed that Ogai Mori was already prepared for a complete breakdown in negotiations. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone to the trouble of having someone as busy as Nakahara Chuuya at his side as a deterrent.
"I miscalculated. I should've sent a clone to negotiate." Kurumi thought with regret. "If I have to fight this monster, I don't stand a chance."
In terms of combat power, both Kurumi and Chuuya were monstrous in the eyes of ordinary humans—each capable of threatening an entire nation. But if the two were to fight one-on-one, there was no doubt that Chuuya would emerge victorious.
Kurumi's abilities were indeed formidable, allowing her to store time and become nearly immortal if she had enough reserves. Yet, most of her abilities were more suited to support and survival, not causing massive direct damage. Her only real offensive capability lay in her spirit bullets.
But against Chuuya, even an army of her clones wouldn't be able to scratch him.
Moreover, her strongest attack spacequake was off limits. Spacequakes were created by clashes between adjacent realms and the real world, forming spatial fissures. But this world lacked an adjacent realm, rendering her unable to summon a spacequake by will.
As for City of Devouring Time, while incredibly effective against ordinary humans, it had far less influence on the gifted. Her recent experiments on Kyouka Izumi had shown that those within the City of Devouring Time's range experienced minimal effects still having time drained but without the forced sleep effect.
Chuuya, not even truly human, would likely be even less affected.
[Random Task Initiated]
[Task Directive: Defeat Nakahara Chuuya and make him admit defeat to complete the task.]
Just as Kurumi was about to begin her negotiation with Ogai Mori, her system suddenly chimed in after a long silence. Kurumi's eye twitched.
Nakahara Chuuya's ability, Corruption, enabled him to manipulate gravity, making every attack akin to an explosion. Anyone touching him or his clothing would instantly have their gravity nullified, becoming a plaything under his control.
If Kurumi and her hundreds of clones attacked with bullets, they'd all likely end up redirected right back at her.
Though few gifted individuals posed a threat to her, Chuuya was undoubtedly one of them. Her spirit bullets couldn't penetrate his defenses, she couldn't use spacequakes, and her City of Devouring Time was ineffective he was her natural nemesis.
And now, the system wanted her to defeat him?
"System, if you want a new host, just say so. No need to beat around the bush."
Internally cursing the system, she maintained her calm and poised exterior. Stepping out of the shadows, she curtsied slightly. "I have come as summoned, Mr. Mori."
"No need for pleasantries. Let's get straight to the point," Mori replied, reclining comfortably in his chair with the formidable Chuuya at his side, a symbol of his confidence. "Why won't you complete your mission and capture Atsushi Nakajima?"
Having anticipated his question, Kurumi showed little surprise. This was exactly as she'd expected; Mori wasn't someone who would be easily fooled.
"The Armed Detective Agency is not to be underestimated. I wanted to make thorough preparations to capture him in one go." Kurumi smiled calmly. "After all, repeated failures would only make them more vigilant, which would be disastrous."
"If that's truly your intention, then why did you make a private deal with Koyo Ozaki to receive your reward in advance?" Mori pressed further.
"I have urgent matters to attend to, and the sooner I locate Sakaguchi Ango, the better for my plans moving forward."
"Plans?"
"I understand that you're curious, but I have no intention of sharing them with anyone. I hope you can respect that."
"Heh. Very well." Mori, seeing that she wouldn't budge, did not press further. "Now that you've received your reward, you won't abandon your mission, will you?"
"Of course not."
"Then can you bring him to me by the day after tomorrow?"
The day after tomorrow?!
Realizing she had been given a final deadline, Kurumi sighed inwardly.
"Ogai Mori, you're really trusting me with this."
At this point, she had no excuse to stall. If she tried to procrastinate further, she'd likely have to face Chuuya in battle. Though unreasonable, it wasn't impossible with her abilities. Mori had indeed done his homework; he wouldn't make such demands if he weren't certain she was capable.
"I have no choice but to agree and adapt as I go." Kurumi thought, resigned.
Since the Syndicate's orders, the first operative, Ryunosuke Akutagawa, had made several attempts but had consistently failed over a span of about three weeks. Kurumi had then taken over the mission and had spent about two weeks on it. Combined, it had already been over a month.
Perhaps another week or two, and the Syndicate would've come to Yokohama themselves. However, it was clear Mori wasn't willing to wait any longer.
"Understood. I will capture Atsushi Nakajima by the day after tomorrow."
"Good. I'll be looking forward to it."
The conversation concluded, and Kurumi had no reason to remain. She melted into the shadows, disappearing from the office.
After she left, Chuuya, who had been acting as Mori's bodyguard, finally relaxed.
Just as Kurumi had been on high alert around him, he too had been wary of her. With their talk ending peacefully, his tense expression softened.
"Boss, looks like your guess was wrong she's not trying to stall until the Syndicate shows up in Yokohama."
"Oh? And why do you think that?"
"If she really wanted to delay until the Syndicate's arrival, why would she agree to capture Atsushi Nakajima by the day after tomorrow?"
"No, her agreement only confirms my suspicions."
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Chuuya began to think deeply, wondering what he'd overlooked. Soon, realization dawned on him.
"I see…" he murmured. "Boss, you intentionally set an urgent deadline, and her agreement proves she has the ability to capture Nakajima quickly, implying she's been stalling."
"People assume you're straightforward, but you're pretty sharp, Chuuya-kun."
"Boss, you're as crafty as ever."
"Thank you for the compliment."
"So, my guard duty ends here. May I take this wine with me?"
As Mori and Chuuya continued to converse, a faint ripple appeared in an unnoticed shadowed corner of the room.
"Mori… not only did he see through my stalling, but he also deduced the reason," Kurumi thought, exasperated from her hiding spot.
"Hurry up, Syndicate…"
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