1.50: A Beted BattleRui lifted her chin with ceremonial gravity, the jade bracelet gleaming between her fingers.

  “Susumu, this bracelet belonged to my father.”

  My stomach dropped.

  Oh… my… KAMI.It really did feel like a wedding.

  She slipped it onto my wrist with a sharp, decisive click. In my opinion, it wasn’t an especially romantic sound… but that didn’t stop my heart from trying to leap out of my throat in excitement.

  “He used it as a spiritual focus,” Rui continued, brushing her thumb across the jade as though blessing it. “When you’re in a crisis, concentrate on it. Whatever spiritual power you have will activate more easily.”

  Her red eyes narrowed thoughtfully, searching my face.

  “You should be somewhat familiar with spiritual energy from your experience as a noh-face. That’s probably why you’ve gained a dense spiritual aura. I almost wish I’d been made one instead of you. If I had that kind of power…” Her voice softened, breaking slightly. “…maybe I could’ve followed in my father’s footsteps.”

  I blinked.You wouldn't have wanted something like this to happen to you… It all started with nearly dying. What if you never regained your humanity?

  “With this,” Rui decred, snapping back into commander mode, “we now have everything we need to storm that cold-eyed man’s building tonight!”

  She spped something heavy onto the table… this time a strange-looking compass. The metal case was covered in embossed occult designs: twisting sigils, writhing patterns, and tiny depictions of demons and yokai etched into its surface like it had been hammered by an overworked shrine maiden during a feverish spell.

  “His tower is heavily guarded,” Rui said, pacing like a general addressing her troops. “Everyone will be necessary for this attack. We’ll assault his ir, fight our way to the top, and arrest him.”

  I raised a timid hand. “A Citizen's Arrest…? And not get prosecuted for kidnapping afterward?”

  “That’s the ideal outcome,” Rui huffed, though if she had a cat’s tail, it would’ve been swishing violently. “But I’m certain he’s more than just a rich murderer. My compass goes insane every time I’m near his skyscraper.”

  “Isn’t that some kind of evidence itself?”

  “Nope.” Rui deadpanned. “Yokai of all sorts blend into society. There’s all sorts of spots where my compass goes wild in Tokyo. In and of itself, the presence of spiritual energies are not proof of criminal activities. It just supports my theory.”

  She lifted the bizarre object again.

  “It points toward loci of spiritual power,” Rui expined. “It’s not as sensitive as the neko detector, but it works for getting a general direction.”

  My attention drifted back to Ume, remembering something important.

  “Hey… what happened to that cat’s paw?”

  “Eh? Oh, that?” Ume reached into her dress pocket with a soft giggle. “I’ve got it right here. Why?”

  “Can I… hold onto it?” I rubbed my neck awkwardly. “It’s supposed to bring good luck, right? Since it’s not a monkey’s paw, it should be harmless. And, um… even though it knocked me and Akuchi out, because of that I had some interesting dreams.”

  My cheeks went nuclear.

  “Ehhhh? Really?” Rui leaned forward instantly. “What kind of dreams?”

  I choked. “O-oh… don’t remember them too well… just that they were interesting… hahaha—!”

  Ume’s crimson eyes twinkled knowingly.

  I coughed violently and changed the subject before I imploded. “So, Rui-chan… after arresting this guy, what then? Are we handing him over to the police? If he’s a yokai or dealing with them, can the police even handle him?”

  Rui froze.Her face went bnk.Then slightly green.

  “…Good point,” she muttered. “What would Father have done…? Oh! The scroll!”

  “Scroll?” I echoed, clueless.

  “Yes!” Rui said, brightening as she rifled through her purse. “Father left me a scroll charged with spiritual energy. It’s the only technique of his I can use, since their power is innate and can be invoked by anyone that knows how. It’s meant for capturing yokai… but depending on the suspect’s own spiritual power, it might bind him too.”

  I stared at her, sck-jawed. “Ehhhh? You had something that powerful the entire time? If it’s so effective, why do you even need me?!” I had seen her use something like it when we fought Noh-face.

  Ume stepped closer, her scent drifting like sugar and night-blooming flowers. Her hand slipped into mine with a soft warmth.

  My breath hitched.Her fingers curled around mine…And something hard pressed into my palm.

  She gently folded my fingers over it.

  When her hand withdrew, the object inside struggled against my grip. I clenched my fist quickly, trapping it.

  Ume leaned toward my ear… her breath warm… and nibbled softly on the lobe.

  “Whaaa—?!”

  Rui’s eyebrow twitched so hard I thought it might snap off.

  “That,” Rui said sharply, “is exactly why the best and worst pns both go wrong, Susumu.”

  Her gre slid between us like a knife.

  At nineteen-hundred hours, we finally left my apartment building.

  I wore my st set of clean clothes… freshened, deodorized, somehow practically resurrected by Ume-chan. The bloodstains she’d scrubbed out were long gone. The fabric looked newer than the day I bought it. Far cleaner than anything I could have accomplished on my own. I’d always had hopeless luck removing stains. My washing machine had basically decred war on me years ago.

  I turned to my door to lock it.And hesitated.

  A soft sigh slipped out as I stared at the worn metal and peeling paint.

  This might be the st time I saw this apartment… my home for the past few years.We were marching straight into a dangerous confrontation. There was no guarantee any of us would come back even then… myself least of all.

  Only then did I notice the hallway behind us.

  All my neighbors were standing outside their doors.Every st one.They were peering down at the street below.

  A sea of goths filled the road and parking spots like there was some kind of convention taking pce without any booths or anything else. Just a multitude of goths in their Victorian best.

  The neighbors stared in frozen confusion… until they noticed us standing in front of my door.

  Their eyes narrowed.Suspicious. Judging.Not a single one among them recognized me.

  My least pleasant neighbor, the elderly nddy that lived in room 302, marched toward us with her usual grim determination. Her short curled white hair bounced like it rebelled against gravity, and every wrinkle on her face pointed toward “accusation.” Her gaze swept over all five of us with surgical precision.

  Then her lips puckered.

  “Do you young folks know the yakuza that lives here?” she demanded.

  “We don’t know of any yakuza living here,” Rui replied immediately, stepping forward like a wyer ready to cross-examine.

  “Really?” the old woman scoffed. “This apartment belongs to a notorious gangster. They say he kills people and hides them under his tatami flooring.”

  Ume lit up with interest. “Are you sure? I can assure you that while I was inside, I didn’t smell much blood. A fair amount of recent nosebleeds. There were some traces of moments when the occupant cut his fingers while cooking.” She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “I’m sorry, but these rumors seem unfounded.”

  My face ignited scarlet.Rui defending me felt… really nice.On the other hand, Ume defending me with the nosebleed commentary made me look like a pervert rather than a serial killer. I wasn’t sure that she’d done much to improve my reputation.

  “Hah?” The old woman stomped her foot. “Who are you to know such things at your age? Blood? Are you some kind of strange young detective? Going on and on about blood! Ridiculous! If so, are you investigating the rumor I mentioned? Hmph. I doubt it! I’ve called the police hundreds of times to arrest him for the good of the city! They always ignore me! I can’t find any legitimate reason to evict him.”

  She was winding herself into a full-blown frenzy.

  Natalia-sama glided forward like a living sunbeam and draped a warm, gentle arm over the woman’s stiff shoulders.

  “I’m so sorry you’ve endured such hardship,” she murmured, her smile soft and luminous. “But please rest assured… There is no aura of danger here. You may live peacefully now. And as our friend implied… your ‘yakuza’ has already passed on.”

  She cast me a meaningful, sympathetic gnce.

  “That’s good, if true,” the woman sniffed. “At st the world is rid of a menace.”

  Her lip curled sharply. Somehow her expression looked far more like a yakuza than I ever had.“Now this complex can finally be peaceful,” she added, far too pleased with herself.

  My fists tightened of their own accord. Heat rose in my chest… I was seconds away from snapping.

  Natalia sensed it instantly.

  With a single serene finger pressed lightly to my arm, she quieted me, then turned back with perfect poise.

  “Grandmother,” she said sweetly, “what will you conquer next? When one finally achieves a long-sought revenge, it often leaves behind a hollow void. Have you considered what your life’s new purpose will be?”

  The woman blinked, thrown off. “Next? I suppose I’ll live in peace, as I said.”

  “Of course.” Natalia nodded warmly. “But someone of your vigor seems like the type who needs a devoted pursuit… something to kindle meaning, now that your former mission is complete.”

  The woman scowled, uncertain. “I don’t know what you’re implying.”

  “While the Yakuza lived here,” Natalia continued delicately, “you had a cause. A calling. Now that it’s gone… what will fill your days?”

  For once, the old woman faltered. “Well… I…”

  “Why not become the most fashionable dy in the neighborhood?” Natalia suggested lightly, as if offering a gift.

  The woman froze… then slowly straightened, her expression softening with unexpected pride.

  “That… is not an unappealing idea,” she admitted.

  “If that speaks to you,” Natalia said, her eyes glowing, “please visit my boutique. I’m certain I can find an ensemble that highlights your distinguished features. Designing attire to draw out one’s innate dignity is my specialty.”

  With graceful precision, Natalia-sama presented a business card… like a diplomat offering a peace treaty.

  The old woman blinked… and accepted it.

  “Ah, thank you! I’ll consider it,” the old woman said, somewhat mollified at Natalia’s grace.But then her beady eyes swiveled straight back to me like a heat-seeking missile.

  “Do you know anything about this… strange event down in the street here, young dy?” she demanded.

  She just wouldn’t stop.Even with a new face, even scrubbed clean, even dressed decently, she still wouldn’t leave me alone.

  I blinked, caught off guard by the “young dy.”Rui immediately burst into a high-pitched giggle.

  The old woman’s eyes snapped toward her. “Is something amusing about this? Can’t you see? The moment we’ve ridded ourselves of that yakuza, there’s suddenly an invasion of strange goths! This neighborhood has no true peace!”

  Her tone dripped with waspish indignation.It was honestly impressive how quickly she could cycle through irritation, mollification, suspicion, and indignation like a malfunctioning slot machine.

  “Ahahaha, not at all, ma’am,” I managed, forcing a polite smile. “We’re all headed to a convention.”

  “A… goth convention?” she scoffed. “Or perhaps one of those obnoxious otaku conventions?” She sniffed disdainfully. “I suppose that expins it. Well, at least it means you’ll all be out of the neighborhood soon. Don’t come back.”

  “I can’t make promises,” I said through clenched teeth. “But we are leaving for now, so you don’t need to worry.”

  Her eyes narrowed to slits.And then she delivered the kill shot:

  “Aren’t you awfully ft-chested for a woman your age?”

  Rui choked.Ume froze mid-step.Akuchi, who had been sniffing the air like a hunting dog, slowly rotated toward Rui.

  Noticing Akuchi’s movement, Rui leaned over and whispered urgently in Akuchi’s ear… just a few words.

  Akuchi’s expression immediately soured in horror.

  “GO!!” Rui commanded.

  Akuchi jerked like she’d been electrified and bolted down the stairs at full speed, leaving a dust trail behind.

  I blinked at the sudden evacuation.Maybe Rui-chan could handle Akuchi better than I ever could.Meanwhile, I was still stuck dealing with this elderly interrogation demon.

  “Phaw! GO!” the woman barked again, now spping the air like she was trying to exorcise us. Her stance twisted into something almost supernatural… her back hunched, hands curled like cws, eyes gleaming with ferocity. “LEAVE!!”

  I couldn’t tell if she meant me specifically or Natalia-sama or everyone in the hallway. Probably everyone.

  To my horror, the other neighbors began echoing her chant, murmuring variations of “Go,” “Please leave,” and “Go now!”

  I suddenly realized something.

  Maybe summoning an entire army of goths outside this building wasn’t one of Ume’s better ideas.

  We began to shuffle toward the stairs, eager to exit before the old woman performed whatever final boss attack she was charging up.

  As we moved past, I noticed Touma… the little boy who’d cheered for me this morning.He peeked out from behind his father’s legs, eyes wide and serious but not scared. His parents stared too, clearly unsure whether to be armed or impressed.

  Touma lifted a hand slightly, like he wanted to wave.

  I smiled softly at him and parted my lips to whisper a tiny goodbye… the only resident who ever treated me like a human being, even if he thought yakuza were cool.

  But…

  “Hmmmm…” the old woman hummed suspiciously. “Come to think of it, what is your retionship to that yakuza, young girl?”

  She really wasn’t going to let us go without one final strike.

  I stiffened…

  … And turned slowly, gring at her with all the righteous fury of a man who had lived through years of false rumors and harassment.

  “Retionship?” I echoed, voice tight. “Ma’am… while I respect your age and wisdom…”

  A pause.A deep inhation of air.

  “…However, I must say this—”

  I pointed straight at her.

  “You are a horrible judge of character!”

  Relwing