Tokyo Unnatural Forensics

Chapter 522, Mai Arrives!
The sniper position was located on the top floor of an unfinished building at a higher elevation, offering a panoramic view of the killing spree that had just taken place.

The sniper, codenamed "Black Scorpion," couldn't suppress the upward twitch of his lips, forming a smile that was a mixture of smugness and cruelty. Through the high-powered scope, he clearly saw Mai Shirakawa's head explode like a watermelon, splattering red and white fragments everywhere.

"What Kanto chief priestess... Hmph, in front of the 'God-Breaking Gun' bestowed by Nishita-sama, she's nothing but a pretty face." He chuckled softly, slowly releasing his finger from the trigger, feeling the reassuring recoil lingering on his shoulder.

Everything was within Ni Xiayang's calculations—using that squad as bait and a probe to force out her movement patterns and defensive habits, then using him, the last pawn hidden in the game, to deliver the final blow with a specially made sniper rifle bullet infused with the power of the underworld.

He could almost picture the approving look in Ni Xia Yang's eyes, and his own rising status within the cult.

The immense sense of accomplishment made him somewhat complacent.

However, just as he was about to confirm the results of the battle through the communicator and begin disassembling the sniper rifle to prepare for withdrawal, the scene in the sniper scope froze the smile on his face instantly, and his blood seemed to turn cold in an instant.

The "corpse" on the balcony did not bleed profusely as expected; instead, it began to shrink and deform rapidly! The splattered flesh and brains vanished like phantoms, replaced by a crude shikigami substitute with its head blown apart, lying alone in a pool of blood... No, that pool of blood was also rapidly evaporating, leaving only a small stain.

On the chest of the shattered, burning shikigami, a talisman with the character "butterfly" written on it spontaneously combusted without wind and turned to ashes.

"No... Impossible!!" Black Scorpion's pupils dilated as he growled in terror.

What kind of bizarre substitution technique is this? It even managed to fool the "God-Breaking Gun" bestowed by Ni Xia Yang, which is specifically designed to target both spirits and bodies?
A chill ran down his spine and up to the top of his head.

If the first shot misses, the position will be exposed, and given the opponent's reaction and capabilities...

Escape! We must escape now!
Fortunately, he had already planned his escape route...

He abruptly dropped the sniper rifle and tried to turn and run away.

But it's too late.

A clear, cold voice, like ice water dripping onto jade, sounded almost right behind his ear, carrying a faint sigh: "Not bad marksmanship, but your performance ends here."

Mai Shirakawa had appeared behind him like a ghost at some unknown time.

She was still wearing that well-tailored suit, spotless from head to toe, not even a single strand of hair was out of place. Her flawless gray silk arches were slightly raised from her bright red suede high heels, as if the thrilling high-altitude assassination just now was nothing more than a trivial stroll to her.

The black scorpion was completely stiff, unable to move even a single finger.

It is not a physical constraint, but an absolute suppression originating from the depths of the soul, in the face of a higher-dimensional being.

He could feel a slender, icy finger gently touching the back of his head, precisely where he had just shot Shirakawa's double.

There were no hand seals, no chanting, not even the slightest hint of killing intent. It was as if a speck of dust had been brushed away.

Mai Shirakawa's fingers simply pushed forward lightly.

"bang—"

There was a muffled sound.

The black scorpion's entire head, from the back of its head to its forehead, collapsed and exploded inward as if struck by an invisible hammer, centered on the point of contact with that fingertip!
Skull fragments, brain tissue, eyeballs, blood... sprayed forward in a more gruesome and realistic manner than what was seen through the sniper scope, turning the expensive scope and the concrete wall in front into a chaotic abstract painting.

However, just as all the filth was about to touch the area in front of Mai Shirakawa, it seemed to hit an invisible wall and slid off.

She stood there, her suit skirt blocking out the sky, and the white shrine maiden's robes peeking out from under the tattered hem of her clothes were as pure as snow, creating an extreme and eerie contrast with the surrounding bloody hell.

Just as the headless corpse of the black scorpion collapsed limply, a wisp of extremely pure, yet warm-colored azure aura rose from the pool of blood that was spreading and mixed with brain matter. It condensed in the air into a blurry, elegantly dressed humanoid figure.

The phantom's face was indistinct, but one could sense a knowing, smiling gaze that seemed to see right through people. It bowed impeccably to Shirakawa Mai, a gesture that was ancient and solemn.

A gentle, pleasant male voice, as elegant as that of a Kyoto nobleman, resonated directly in Shirakawa Mai's heart:
"As expected of the sole successor of the 'Eastern Heaven Pavilion Style,' Chief Shirakawa. This 'Substitute Shadow Burning' technique is almost divine. I admire you, I admire you. I never thought that you, who haven't even ascended to the throne yet, would possess such a technique?"

He paused, his voice carrying a perfectly balanced mix of regret and understanding.

Mai Shirakawa looked very serious as she stared intently at the illusory figure, ready to pry open its appearance at any moment.

"It seems that with a guardian like you in Kanto, and this time it has indeed been verified that the 'Current Human God' family still has divine artifacts protecting them. It would be best if I, with my meager achievements, went to bother you."

Please forgive my abruptness today.

The phantom bowed slightly again, its tone light as if it were merely discussing the weather.

"Wishing you and your Chief Uesugi... happiness every day from now on."

As soon as the words fell, the illusory figure vanished like wisps of smoke in the wind, instantly purifying the warm, moist aura emanating from the pool of blood on the ground. Throughout, Mai Shirakawa's expression remained icy. She stared at the direction the illusory figure had disappeared, her eyes devoid of any emotion.

The retreat of the Kansai Shinjin was within her expectations.

Not every new god enjoys or excels at combat, and the other side was clearly afraid of death, so they didn't dare to come to Kanto at all.

This wasn't the first time they'd tried to probe her. They'd lost an ordinary squad, an elite squad, and a sniper in succession, yet they still hadn't been able to truly figure out her and Uesugi Muneyuki's backgrounds. All they'd done was confirm that her strength far exceeded expectations.

This new god is very cautious. Knowing that there is indeed a deeper forbidden power in Kanto (the current human-god family), choosing to temporarily back down is the most rational course of action.

The phrase "Wishing you happiness every day" is less of a blessing and more of a playful, acknowledging-a draw signal of truce.

"A cunning old fox..." Shirakawa Mai scoffed inwardly. She knew this was far from the end, but rather the beginning of a deeper game. The Kansai New Gods' infiltration capabilities and their eerie power were not to be underestimated.

And there was something that struck her as odd: normally, beings in the underworld would do everything in their power to protect and conceal themselves, but this one... seemed to have quite a few underworld subordinates?
She didn't linger. She turned around, her figure disappearing into the shadows of the building as if she had never been there, leaving only a deathly silence and bloodshed on the top floor, silently recounting the brief but deadly confrontation that had just taken place.

When Mai Shirakawa's figure appeared quietly like a midnight orchid in the otherwise pristine conference room, the support forces of the Kanto Shrine Alliance arrived just in time.

Several senior priests and directors, led by a group of security personnel from the Kanto Shrine Alliance, arrived one after another, dressed in special uniforms and armed with stun guns and pepper spray. They were initially fully armed and tense, preparing for a fierce battle. However, what they saw before them left them stunned and speechless.

The lobby was eerily quiet, with only the low hum of the central air conditioning. Mai Shirakawa stood alone in the center of the empty lobby. The last rays of the setting sun shone through the glass curtain wall, gilding her with a cold golden edge. Her suit was still impeccably tailored, her face still flawless, and even her breathing was so steady it was unsettling.

Contrary to the fierce battle scene imagined by outsiders, the only "traces of battle" on her body were perhaps the lingering killing intent, like the frost of the twelfth lunar month, in her cold eyes.

"Chief Shirakawa!" An elderly priest was the first to react, quickly stepping forward and bowing respectfully, his voice trembling uncontrollably. "Are you alright? The attacker..."

"It's already been taken care of." Mai Shirakawa's voice was flat and emotionless, as if she had just casually swatted a few flies: "The rooftop and the balcony of the building across the street need to be cleaned."

Her words were like ice water poured over everyone's hearts.

"Dealt with?" "One person?"

The palace officials and abbots exchanged glances, all seeing utter shock and deep-seated fear in each other's eyes. They vaguely knew that this young chief was exceptionally powerful, but they had never imagined he had reached such an unbelievable level. This absolute difference in power instantly vanished any sense of superiority or secret rivalry they might have previously harbored, leaving only heartfelt admiration—and a barely perceptible sense of awe.

"Yes, Your Excellency! We will handle it immediately!" the crowd responded in unison, their attitude more respectful than ever before.

Mai Shirakawa nodded slightly, glancing at them again, and walked straight towards the door: "You are responsible for negotiating with the authorities regarding the follow-up matters. I'm tired."

She missed Uesugi Muneyuki even more.

Hmm, number of exercises +1 +1 +1 +1...

Almost at the same time that Mai Shirakawa left, Inspector Kosaka from the First Division of the Metropolitan Police Department's First Investigation Division arrived at the scene with a group of detectives. However, when he tried to take people upstairs to investigate, he was politely but firmly stopped in the lobby by the council members of the alliance.

"Inspector Kosaka, thank you for arriving in time. However, this incident is not an ordinary criminal case." A director said with a standard social smile, but his tone left no room for argument.

"Not a criminal case?" Kosaka frowned, pointing upstairs. "We received a report of an explosion and gunshots here! Could this be..."

“This is an ‘accident’ involving a confrontation between religious forces.” The director interrupted him, his words cautious and subtle: “An unrecognized religious group in Kansai attempted a terrorist attack on the head of the Kanto Shrine Alliance. You should understand that this involves the Religious Corporations Act and… deeper stability issues. Ordinary criminal investigation procedures are probably not appropriate.”

Inspector Kosaka's expression turned serious. He understood the implication: this matter involved a powerful religious force and might even touch a sensitive nerve at the national level. The Kanto Shrine Alliance wielded considerable influence in both political and economic spheres, and they clearly did not want to be drawn into a vortex of controversy and repeated investigations because of this attack.

After thinking it over, Shinichiro Kosaka could only call the head of the First Investigation Division, Ukyo Sugishita, who would then call Eiji Watanabe.

Sure enough, after a while, news came from Sugishita Ukyo's side.

He listened to the phone call, his expression changing several times before finally settling into a helpless sigh.

“I understand… Yes, sir.” After hanging up the phone, he waved to his subordinates: “Dismissed. The police will take over here.”

Public security police are responsible for handling cases involving national security, large-scale terrorist activities, and extremist ideologies.

Their taking over the case signifies that it has been officially classified as a "special incident" that far exceeds ordinary criminal cases.

However, the Imperial Palace bombing occurred shortly after the attack on the first shrine of the Kanto Shrine Alliance.

Inspector Kosaka also sensed a different atmosphere.

Are these two cases related?
Is the Public Security faction about to rise again?

(End of this chapter)