Tokyo: After years of stagnation, the heiress of the yakuza arrives.

"Well done, Da Mei! That's it! Hug her, hug her tightly, and punch her!!!"

Deep within the Jingu family mansion, in Daimi's luxurious private room.

Shingu Miko was holding a pair of claps she'd somehow acquired, clapping them loudly to cheer on the fancy rats on the training platform in front of her. Her voice was high-pitched and her emotions were running high, as if she were directing a battle that would determine the future of the Shingu family.

Short-haired woman: "..."

She's used to it.

Desensitization training has been going on for over ten years. If you're still not used to it, then you've just practiced more... and become compliant.

Da Mei stood on a small training platform, her front paws adorned with two specially made miniature boxing gloves, frantically pounding away at the defense pose figure fixed to a small wooden stake in front of her.

"Squeak squeak squeak squeak!"

Ora Ora Ora Ora!

Although the fancy rat can't speak human language, the frequency of its punches and its expression inexplicably give people the feeling that it is indeed playing Euler.

Shingu Miko's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Yes, that's it, Daimi. Imagine that what's standing in front of you isn't an ordinary defense, but that defense with the big black note stuck on it, that evil black rat that stole your attention, Shido!"

Da Mei: "Squeak!"

The punching speed has increased.

It's unclear whether the fear of Dahei is greater or the flames of revenge are stronger. The terrifying sight Dahei gave me in the hamster wheel hasn't completely erased my psychological trauma.

Great beauty remains silent, only throwing punches!

The best way to deal with fear is to conquer it!

Awesome!

squeak-

Short-haired woman: "..."

I don't know if it was just her imagination.

Today, Da Mei's punching speed was indeed much faster than before.

In the past, Daimei's training was more about making Jingu Miko happy. It was like she would throw a punch, glance at Jingu Miko to make sure she was happy, then throw another punch and continue to peek to see if there would be a delicious reward.

To put it more objectively...

Actor Rat.

It knew its real job wasn't to win the defense, but to make Miko Kamiya think it had.

But today is different.

Today, Da Mei's eyes are shining.

Although this light may just be a physiological reaction stimulated by the special training supplement that Jingu Yoshiko had just fed her.

The short-haired woman's brows gradually furrowed.

When did the changes begin?

No, not yesterday.

It wasn't there the day before yesterday either.

The only difference today is...

Her gaze slowly moved, finally settling on the small bowl next to the training table.

There was also a strangely colored residue inside.

That was a special training supplement that Miko Kamiya personally prepared this morning.

Do it yourself.

The short-haired woman's pupils contracted slightly.

Could it be that……

Does the head of the family really have this kind of talent?

The short-haired woman gasped, and for the first time, she began to seriously reassess Jingu Yoshiko's so-called "Muscle Potion No. 1".

No way?

Can it really work?

Jingu Miko was still passionately instructing from the side: "Very good, Daimi, left hook, right hook, takedown! Don't give it a chance to breathe. The defense won't fight back, but Dahei will. Dahei is a hateful and cunning black rat!"

The short-haired woman paused for a moment, then reminded him, "Master, Da Mei and Da Hei have never officially met."

Jingu no Miko didn't turn her head.

"They've met on a fateful level."

Short-haired woman: "..."

That was too sophisticated a statement for her to handle.

Da Mei swung her fists for a while longer, but finally ran out of energy and lay on the training platform panting. Her little belly bulged, and the boxing gloves were still hanging on her front paws. The whole mouse looked like it had just finished the Tokyo Spriggan Underground Boxing Championship.

Jingu Yoshiko quickly picked up a small towel and wiped its sweat.

"Da Mei, you've worked hard! You're one step closer to defeating Da Hei today!"

Da Mei: "Squeak..."

All it wants to do is sleep.

The training continued until noon.

The short-haired woman went from being empty-headed at the beginning to being silent later, and finally actually took out a small notebook to record the number of punches Da Mei threw in each set and the rest time.

outrageous.

But if this stuff really works, maybe we can compile a pet fitness training report.

The Jingu family is not short of money.

There is no shortage of researchers.

The only thing lacking is the rationality of the head of the household to not raise the fancy rat like a protagonist in a hot-blooded shonen manga.

Unfortunately, it's severely lacking.

Looking at Daimi on the training platform, who was clearly more energetic than in the morning, Jingu Yoshiko was extremely satisfied.

She put her hands on her hips and smiled.

"That's about it."

The short-haired woman felt a pang of anxiety.

She usually knew that something bad was likely to happen when she heard the head of the family say "that's about enough".

Yoshiko Jingu picked up her phone.

"Call Shido over here and have him bring Daikoku over as well."

Short-haired woman: "..."

really.

Jingu Yoshiko's eyes grew brighter and brighter: "Let's start with a preliminary match. It doesn't need to be too formal, just a friendly competition to test Daimi's current strength and reaction speed!"

The short-haired woman remained silent.

Click till.

Fancy mice and black rats.

Preliminary rounds.

Sometimes she really wanted to ask, are there any normal people left in the Jingu family?

But after thinking about it, the short-haired woman gave up.

Even the young lady, Aoko Jingu, isn't exactly normal.

Needless to say, the head of the family, Jingu Miko.

She herself was standing there diligently recording the data from the rat boxing training, and didn't seem to have much right to judge others.

Jingu Yoshiko dialed Kuroba Shido's number.

beep--

beep--

……

At the same time.

In an apartment in an upscale residential area, Shido Kuroba is continuing his tour of the house under the guidance of Kiyoshi Miyazaki.

After introducing the living room, kitchen, and study, Miyazaki Kiyoshi opened one of the small rooms.

"This can be used as a storage room, or you can create a separate area for your mice to roam."

Kuroba Shido paused in his steps.

"Minister, what did you just say?"

Miyazaki Kiyoshi said calmly, "A rat."

The Black Feather Warrior said, "..."

Did she include the entire Dahei family in the list?

not good.

How did the wedding dress end up on my body?

Could it be that the Minister is actually the main character in the game, and he's the one being pursued?

Then unlock the defeat CG and stuff...

Kiyoshi Miyazaki: "..."

This guy is definitely not human...

Just as Shido Kuroba was about to mentally raise his captain's tsundere rating from 9.1 to 9.3, his phone suddenly vibrated.

buzzing.

He glanced down at it.

Caller ID.

Miko Jingu.

The Black Feather Warrior said, "..."

When was it saved?

How come he has absolutely no recollection of this?

Miyazaki Kiyoshi looked over: "Who?"

Kuroba Shido remained silent for two seconds.

Between answering the phone, hanging up, pretending not to see it, and dying on the spot, he very calmly chose the fifth option.

Shut down.

The screen went black.

The world is peaceful.

Shido Kuroba put his phone back in his pocket, his expression calm as if nothing had happened.

Miyazaki Kiyoshi looked at him.

"Who called?"

The black-feathered warrior said, "He sells insurance."

Kiyoshi Miyazaki: "..."

She stared at Kuroba Shido for a moment, then remained silent for two seconds.

"Did you turn off Aunt Miko's phone?"

Shido Kuroba was shocked.

"Minister, it's really impolite of you to spy on others like that."

Kiyoshi Miyazaki: "I wasn't peeking, you're just being too noisy."

The Black Feather Warrior said, "???"

What kind of victim-blaming is this?

Miyazaki Kiyoshi continued, "Why didn't you answer?"

Kuroba Shido said seriously, "Because I am currently participating in club activities, and as the only member in Miyazaki-san's club, I must respect the club president's arrangements and not be disturbed by irrelevant phone calls."

Miyazaki Kiyoshi looked at him.

"to be honest."

"That's the truth."

"Splat!"

"That's the truth."

"Splat—"

"Because I love you so much, Minister, I can't bear to leave you. If I leave you for even a second, I'll explode and have trouble breathing..."

Kiyoshi Miyazaki: "..."

She suddenly didn't want to ask anymore.

Seeing her silence, Kuroba Shido immediately added, "Captain, you see, this is my loyalty to club activities. I even dared to turn off the phone at the Jingu family's house just to visit the club's welfare room!"

Miyazaki Kiyoshi said calmly, "You're just looking for an excuse."

The Black Feather Warrior said, "..."

Why do you need to say it out loud when the minister already knows?

……

The Jingu family mansion.

As Yoshiko Jingu listened to the notification tone coming from her phone, her expression gradually froze.

The number you dialed is currently unavailable.

She slowly put down her phone.

A short-haired woman stood to the side.

Da Mei was lying on the training platform, her boxing gloves still on, drinking water.

An eerie silence fell over the room.

Yoshiko Jingu: "Is it off?"

Short-haired woman: "Yes, as indicated by the notification tone."

Jingu no Miko blinked: "Why did Shido turn off his phone?"

The short-haired woman did not answer.

Because she didn't know either.

Logically, the phone might be out of battery.

According to Shido Kuroba's logic, he might be deliberately refusing to accept the offer.

According to Yoshiko Jingu's logic...

The short-haired woman suddenly had a bad feeling.

Yoshiko Kamiya suddenly stood up.

"I see!"

Short-haired woman: "..."

Master, you'd better not know.

Jingu Yoshiko gripped her phone tightly, her gaze gradually sharpening.

"Shido is deliberately ignoring my calls!"

The short-haired woman whispered, "It could just be that the phone is out of battery."

"impossible."

"The kind of person who'd stretch a hundred yen to the limit, how could he allow his phone battery to drop to zero without warning? This isn't an accident, it's an attempt to avoid trouble!" said Yoshiko Jingu.

Short-haired woman: "..."

In some ways, the judgment was quite accurate.

Yoshiko Kamiya continued her derivation.

Why is he avoiding me?

The short-haired woman did not answer.

Jingu no Miko's eyes brightened: "Because I feel guilty!"

Short-haired woman: "..."

coming.

Jingu Yoshiko grabbed her coat, turned and rushed out, her legs leaving afterimages... The cat and mouse meme materialized at that moment.

"Let's go find Xiao Qingqing!"

"Master, the young lady should be dealing with documents right now," the short-haired woman said hesitantly.

"Perfect, let her handle the family crisis."

The short-haired woman's heart skipped a beat; she had a feeling the head of the family was going to be beaten to death...

A few minutes later.

The door to Aoko Jingu's study was pushed open.

Jingu Aoko sat behind the table with several documents in front of her, her face indifferent. When she heard the noise, she looked up and saw Jingu Miko rushing in. There was no surprise in her eyes, only the familiar indifference.

"What's wrong now?"

Shingu Miko looked grief-stricken.

"Little Qingqing, something terrible has happened!"

Aoko Jingu: "Get out."

"Your man is cheating on you!"

Short-haired woman: "???"

Aoko Jingu: "..."

The study was quiet.

Aoko Jingu stopped writing.

She slowly raised her head.

"What did you say?"

Jingu no Miko clutched her chest, her expression one of utter anguish: "Shido isn't answering my calls, and his phone is off. What does that mean? It means he's doing something he can't let us know!"

Aoko Jingu looked at her.

"so?"

Jingu Yoshiko's tone grew increasingly agitated: "So he must be with another woman!"

"For example?" Aoko Jingu raised an eyebrow, looking at him properly for the first time.

"For example, Xiaoqiqi is very likely. Xiaoqingqing, to be honest, your head is getting greener and greener lately. You can call me Daqingqing from now on..." Jingu Miko said confidently, completely unafraid of being beaten to death.

Completely oblivious to the increasingly dark expression on Aoko's face...

Short-haired woman: "..."

Shut up, Master! If you keep this up, you'll disappear!

……

Amamiya Kaoru's apartment.

A crackling sound came from the kitchen.

It looks like someone is cooking.

It's like someone is engaged in close combat with pots and pans in the kitchen.

Shimotsuki Airi sat at the dining table, her small face serious, her hands on her knees, her posture upright as if she were waiting for a trial.

On the other side of the table, the Big Black family of three squatted next to the cardboard box.

Big Black poked its head out.

Big Black's wife quietly looked towards the kitchen.

Little Black followed behind, trying to climb up from the edge of the table leg, but was gently pushed back down by Shimotsuki Airi.

"Little Black, you can't."

Little Black: "Squeak".

In the kitchen, Kaoru Amamiya peeked out.

"Ellie, just a moment, it'll be ready soon."

Shimotsuki Airi looked at the speck of black ash on her face and remained silent.

"Xiaoyu, are you sure you can cook?"

Amamiya Kaoru: "Of course!"

This statement demonstrates great confidence.

If you ignore the black smoke that just rose from the pot, the credibility will increase by about three percent.

Kaoru Amamiya has lived alone for so many years, so it's not that she can't cook at all.

She can cook noodles.

Hui Hot Convenience Store Bento Boxes.

They know how to use a microwave to turn cold rice into hot rice.

Even with perfectly matched ingredients and a suitable pot, they can only manage to make something that is barely edible.

The problem is, the ingredients aren't working out today.

The pot wasn't cooperating either.

The cooking time was also not right.

With an elementary school student and three mice watching, the pressure doubled.

A dozen minutes later.

Amamiya Kaoru came out carrying a plate.

There was a dark, murky thing in the plate.

Judging from its shape, it may have once been a fried egg.

Judging from the color, it may have undergone cremation.

Shimotsuki Airi stared at the black object in front of her, remained silent for a long time, then picked up her fork and poked at it.

Soft.

But I'm not entirely sure if it's food.

"Light rain."

"Um?"

"Have I done anything to offend you before?"

Amamiya Kaoru: "???"

Her face flushed instantly.

"No, how can you say that? This is a breakfast I made especially for you with love."

Shimotsuki Airi looked at the plate.

"It doesn't look like breakfast."

"What's different about it?"

"None of them seem like it."

Amamiya Kaoru: "..."

Why do elementary school students say such hurtful things?

She forced a smile and said, "It just doesn't look good; the taste should be fine."

Shimotsuki Airi did not move.

Looking at her cautious little face, and then at the big black dog peeking out from the side, Kaoru Amamiya suddenly had a brilliant idea.

"Look, Big Black will definitely eat it. Mice have the best noses; if there's a problem, it definitely won't eat it."

Big Black: "???"

It was just passing by.

Why did I suddenly become a poison tester?

Amamiya Kaoru picked up a small piece of black object and placed it in front of Daikoku.

Big Black sniffed.

Take half a step back.

Amamiya Kaoru: "..."

Shimotsuki Airi looked at her.

Kaoru Amamiya stubbornly replied, "It might not be hungry."

Big Black's wife suddenly pushed Big Black from the side.

Little Black also made a "squeak" sound.

Big Black: "..."

Tell Shido, it's not a coward!!!

Dry!!!

It lowered its head and took a small bite.

chew.

one second.

two seconds.

three seconds.

Big Black suddenly stiffened.

The next second, it closed its eyes, kicked off with its four paws, and fell straight down on the table.

A little white foam was coming out of his mouth.

Amamiya Kaoru: "???"

Airi Shimotsuki: "..."

Big Black Wife: "Squeak?!"

Little Black: "Squeak—!"

The air was quiet for a second.

Then, Kaoru Amamiya let out a sharp, explosive sound.

"Aaaaaah!!!"

"Big Black!!!"

……

Bulgari Hotel.

Ritsuki Sawamura sat on the bed, holding her phone, her face gradually turning pale.

She just called Shido Kuroba.

the first time.

Shut down.

the second time.

Still turning it off.

the third time.

Still switched off.

The phone notification sound was cold and devoid of any emotion.

Ritsuki Sawamura stared at the screen, her mind automatically replaying the few words Shido Kuroba had replied to last night.

Weekends are fully booked.

Next week is fine.

I have time Monday evening.

And then today.

Shut down.

Yoshiko Sawamura was lying on another bed, her face still covered in dark circles, and she was holding a tablet with the video paused on a tutorial on "how to protect your head when being pinned down".

She glanced at Ritsuki Sawamura's expression, and her mischievous instincts began to awaken.

"Little pink-haired girl, did he block you?"

Ritsuki Sawamura: "???"