Tokyo: Rabbit Police and Her Evil Partner

Chapter 586 The meaning of life

Let's rewind to a dozen minutes earlier.

Fushimi Shika put a noose over the heads of all the hostages, warning them not to make any rash moves, and that he would follow them all the way out.

"If anyone dares to warn the police, don't blame me for pulling the pin, and we'll all die together."

Fushimi Shika made a series of ruthless threats, then found one of the weaklings, namely Takeuchi Hon, the head of the traffic department, stuffed a cell phone that was on a call into his coat, and forced him to walk at the front.

"I'll be watching you from the back. You'll go wherever I tell you to. If you dare disobey, I'll detonate the bomb and we'll all die together."

After saying that, Fushimi Shika opened the conference room door, pushed the hostage out, and waited for the hostage to go downstairs. Then he used the phone to give instructions to Takeuchi Fan.

As expected, Kujo heard his threat and loudly warned the assault team, claiming that the kidnappers were mixed in with the hostages and trying to escape.

Takeuchi Fan and the others believed it to be true and dared not make any rash moves, for fear of being blown to pieces.

After they were on the bus, Fushimi Shika saw that it was about time and that the surrounding assault troops had been mobilized. Only then did he ask Takeuchi Fan to drive the car during the phone call.

Before coming, he had looked at the city map. The map of the Metropolitan Police Department building was top secret and could not be found in the library.

However, the streets surrounding the building are transparent, especially Tokyo's sewer system, which the Japanese government proudly promotes as a model for developed countries. Only outstanding developed countries could undertake such a challenging architectural project...

A wise man doesn't fight a losing battle; when Fushimi Shika was planning his escape, he used the sewer entrance as his starting point.

There's no other way. When you're causing destruction all by yourself, you can't care about appearances anymore. You can only turn into a ninja turtle or a sewer ratman and resort to guerrilla warfare or something.

He plunged into waist-deep, foul-smelling water with a splash, untied the grenade hanging from his waist, and made a makeshift trip rope in the well using fishing line.

Having done all that, Fushimi Shika hurriedly waded into the open sewer area.

……

Meanwhile, inside the command center.

The injured were all covered with blankets and taken to the hospital for emergency treatment.

Kujo was unharmed and immediately took over the command center to begin implementing the manhunt plan.

The Special Operations vehicle convoy spread out from the Metropolitan Police Department building, blocking the entrances and exits of the wells within a five-kilometer radius.

Swimming through the sewers on two legs is naturally not as fast as a car traveling on the road.

Before Fushimi Shika could escape the encirclement, the Special Vehicle Team was already in position.

The assault team was tasked with dropping tear gas into the various wells in an attempt to deplete the oxygen in the sewers.

For a time, in residential buildings, hospital wards, university dormitories, and major shopping malls, the toilets on the first floor were constantly bubbling and churning, emitting a small amount of tear gas.

The municipal government's complaint hotline kept ringing, and they could only try their best to appease the citizens and urge any witnesses to report the suspect to the police and provide clues.

Kujo Yui was truly enraged this time and was serious about taking action. When the city government called, she simply refused to answer and unilaterally declared a state of war in Tokyo, extending the citywide curfew from 12 hours to 24 hours.

The assault troops patrolled with live ammunition, donned gas masks and thermal imaging cameras, and entered the sewers to carry out the arrests.

Given the presence of thermal imaging and crossfire, Fushimi Shika wouldn't attempt to slash bullets with his knife and risk suicide. He had prepared a gas mask beforehand, but it didn't seem very effective; he guessed there was a difference between civilian and military gas masks.

He slowed his breathing, bent over and pressed himself against the water's surface, occasionally listening for footsteps against the well wall.

As time passed, the encirclement gradually tightened. The sky was already bright, but it was still pitch black underground.

Can't stay here any longer.

Fushimi Shika underestimated the speed of the assault force's reaction, and now he has to pay the price for his mistake by fighting his way out.

He took a deep breath, his nasal cavity felt like it was on fire, and his lungs were filled with tear gas and sewage fumes.

There are no underground shelters, so let's go up first; street fighting is more advantageous.

Fushimi Shika climbed up the well and peered out through the hole in the well cover.

He was lucky; there was no one guarding the area, which means that this backup escape route was still usable, and it's highly likely that this sewer access cover wasn't marked on the city government map.

There is an illegal structure here. The outer wall of the courtyard of a self-built house encloses the road and includes this sewer, so much so that it was not included in the municipal map when it was re-surveyed later.

Fushimi Shika lifted the well cover, peered through the crack to look around, and only after confirming it was safe did he roll over and crawl out.

The yard was quiet, and there was a faucet and water pipe in the corner of the house, which looked like it was for watering flowers.

Fushimi Shika went over, turned on the tap, and rinsed off the dirty water.

Suddenly, the sliding door to the courtyard was pulled open.

The homeowner poked his head out and looked at Fushimi Shika.

……

Ogasawara Toshima was released from the detention center this morning.

Obstructing official business is a troublesome charge; to file a case, at least a dozen documents and procedures need to be prepared. His possession of the videotapes at home is at most a violation, not a crime for the time being, because the parliament and the State Department have not yet passed a temporary emergency bill to formally establish the Cat Island videos as contraband. So strictly speaking, his behavior is not illegal.

In short, as long as the video recording is destroyed and the person is found to be innocent, they can be released.

Kato Touma, who gave the order, was blind and probably didn't care about investigating them. The chief, on his own initiative, sent all the suspects away to avoid any further complications.

Tokyo is currently under martial law, and since everyone's precious video recordings were destroyed, they had no interest in wandering around and went home.

Before leaving, Oda Takama looked bewildered and kept muttering, "And then? Was that person caught?"

"Probably not yet. Once they catch him, martial law will be lifted..."

"That's true. Why do you think he dared to do something like that?"

"Perhaps he's not afraid of death."

“I’m not afraid of dying either,” Oda Takama said.

“That’s probably something I don’t care about,” Ogasawara Shunma said dismissively. “I’ll go that way. I’ll contact you again when I have time.”

“Oh,” Oda Takama said thoughtfully, walking toward another forked street. “Goodbye.”

Ogasawara Toshima walked home. Schools were closed for the holidays, and companies had switched to working from home, making the streets unusually quiet.

As soon as he entered his home, he turned on the TV to check on the aftermath of the Metropolitan Police Department's terrorist attack, but Fuji TV was just playing commercials and other channels didn't have any new news either.

"What's happened to that guy on the radio who called himself Fushimi Shika?"

"Could he also be a victim of Cat Island? Otherwise, why would he do those things..."

Ogasawara Toshima kept changing channels, searching for relevant information, when he heard the sound of rushing water coming from the yard.

He peeked out and found himself face to face with Fushimi Shika.

The air in the courtyard froze for a second. Fushimi Shika's first thought was to silence him, but he didn't act; instead, he waited for Ogasawara Toshima's reaction.

"come on in."

Ogasawara Toshima lowered his voice and waved to Fushimi Shika.

Fushimi Shika remained silent and went into the self-built house. Ogasawara Toshima gave him clean clothes and suggested that he use the bathroom to wash up.

There seemed to be no ambush inside the house, and the surroundings were relatively safe. Fushimi Shika was indeed tired and needed to rest. She bowed her head and thanked him, then used her maxed-out social charm to win his favor, chatting with Ogasawara Toshima through the bathroom door:
"Wouldn't it be strange if a stranger suddenly appeared in your backyard?"

Listening to the sound of running water behind the bathroom door, Ogasawara Toshima confirmed that the guest was taking a shower, and inexplicably felt as if he had also done something along with them; his heart pounded.
“I know you…you’re the guy who broke into the Metropolitan Police Department…”

Ogasawara Toshima took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down: "I have a lot of questions I want to ask you... Is this a convenient time for you?"

"Sure, is that convenient? What would you like to talk about?" Fushimi Shika used his shower gel to wash his body.

The grime in the sewers is absolutely disgusting. If you don't scrub it clean, walking on the street will make you look like a human biological weapon and will definitely attract attention.

"Hmm... Do you know about Cat Island?" Ogasawara Toshima asked.

“Yes, I know. I’ve been to Cat Island.” Shika Fushimi said truthfully, “Have you seen the Dog-Headed Man special? That Dog-Headed Man is me.”

"Huh?!" Ogasawara Toshima was shocked. "Really? You really killed so many cult members? That's amazing! We were all talking about how the 'Dog Head Man Special' was like a Kamen Rider special..."

“It’s true, but it’s not something to be proud of,” Fushimi Shika said.

“How is it not honorable? Just because the Ministry of Education said the video is banned? What do they know! If Mr. Oda knew, he would definitely ask you for an autograph,” said Ogasawara Toshima.

Fushimi Shika was stunned for a moment, and suddenly felt a sense of empathy with the people of his homeland. He had worked so hard to hide his true identity, only to find that everyone liked to associate with villains.

He influenced Minamoto no Tamako, and Minamoto no Tamako also subtly influenced him.

“I’m glad you think that way,” Fushimi Shika said.

"You're welcome. A hero like you deserves respect," said Ogasawara Toshima sincerely.

"I am not a hero."

After washing up and drying himself, Fushimi Shika changed into some old clothes that Ogasawara Toshima had prepared in advance—a slightly faded red T-shirt and a pair of jeans. He looked like a stay-at-home dad who hadn't left the house in a long time.

He pushed open the bathroom door and saw Ogasawara Toshima sitting by the door: "I'm just an executioner. You should be afraid when you see me."

“I don’t care anymore,” Ogasawara Shunma said softly, picking at the rough edges of the tatami mat. “Right now, I only have one thought keeping me going: to find my daughter… Without that thought, there’s no difference between me being alive and dead.”

Fushimi Shika sat down beside him, a move that helped improve their social standing: "You think she went to Cat Island?"

"I don't know, I've looked everywhere," said Ogasawara Toshima.

"Have you reported it to the police?" Fushimi Shika asked.

“I reported it, but missing persons cases are generally not handled,” said Toshima Ogasawara. “I even spent money to have a short commercial on TV, only three seconds long, which cost 400,000 yen, but it had no effect.”

"Four hundred thousand for three seconds? Is that expensive?" Fushimi Shika asked, stroking his chin.

“Yes, it’s a TV station after all.” Ogasawara Toshima sighed deeply. He felt that Mr. Fushimi wasn’t as ruthless as he appeared on TV; on the contrary, he was a very gentle man, which made him feel much more favorably toward him. He took the initiative to change the subject, saying, “Let’s not talk about me anymore. Mr. Fushimi, why did you do that kind of thing? What are your plans for the future?”

Fushimi Shika leaned against the wall, thought for a moment, and said:

There is a Chinese idiom called "hating evil as if it were an enemy," which means "hating evil deeds as if they were enemies."

"Does he resemble a swordsman or knight-errant from ancient times?" Ogasawara Toshima asked.

“I don’t have that kind of idea, I have no intention of being a chivalrous knight, I don’t want to pat myself on the back, and I don’t like to boast,” Fushimi Shika said frankly, “I just don’t like them.”

"So you did that kind of thing?"

Ogasawara Toshima felt he had done the right thing, but dared not speak of the atrocities directly, instead using the idiom "that kind of thing" to refer to them.

“Yes.” Fushimi Shika nodded.

"What will you do then? Don't you want to live anymore?" This was what Ogasawara Toshima was most curious about.

"I do." Fushimi Shika laughed. "If I didn't want to live, why would I run away?"

"Is doing that kind of thing more important to you than living?" Ogasawara Toshima asked.

Fushimi Shika didn't answer, but patted him on the shoulder and whispered in his ear, "Life needs to be shouted out."

Ogasawara Shuzhen was startled.

He didn't understand what those words meant, but his head suddenly felt numb.

Suddenly, there was a rapid knocking at the door: "Police! Special search!"

Ogasawara Toshima jumped up in a panic: "Oh no, quick, hide..."

"No need. I've troubled you for too long, so I won't stay any longer." Fushimi Shika picked up the remote and switched the channel to Criminal News for him. This was the channel that Yazaki Momo was in charge of: "See you again someday."

"Where are you going?" Ogasawara Toshima asked.

"You'll find out when the time comes." Fushimi Shika didn't reveal anything to avoid subjecting Ogasawara Shunma to torture.

He pulled open the sliding door, leaped up, grabbed the eaves with both hands, and pulled himself up.

Ogasawara Toshima hurriedly followed, looking up at his own rooftop, but saw no one else.

The knocking at the door grew more and more aggressive. Once Ogasawara Toshima was certain that Mr. Fushimi had gone far away, he feigned impatience and went to open the door.
"What are you doing! It's so early in the morning, can't you let people sleep..."

Without a word, the guards pushed him aside and rushed in. After searching carefully, they found no one there. They noticed the bathroom was wet, but Ogasawara Shunma didn't look like he had taken a shower. So they questioned, "Where is he?"

“Who is it? I live alone,” said Ogasawara Toshima.

"Then who was taking a shower just now?" the guard captain questioned.

"Nobody showered, so I washed a cup after I finished." Ogasawara Toshima had no shame whatsoever.

The guards sized up Ogasawara Toshima, perhaps due to a stereotype about his appearance, thinking that such a person was indeed capable of doing such a thing. They exchanged glances and then left.

Ogasawara Toshima closed the door, let out a long sigh, and his back was soaked with cold sweat.

He sat down in front of the television, thinking he should take a break, when the station switched to a frontline report.

Momoyasaki, accompanied by a photographer, aimed at the wall of the Metropolitan Police Department's conference room.

The moment he saw the blood-red words "Divine Punishment," Fushimi Shika's words echoed in his ears:

'Life needs to be shouted out.'

(End of this chapter)