An infinite journey starting from paradise

A room on the fourth floor of the Haido Municipal Hotel in Tokyo.

Okinawa TV's field reporter, Ie Taira, was lying on her back on a yoga mat, with her legs raised high, doing a cycling motion.

Due to the murder at the seaside hot spring bath, the crew's filming plan was forced to be interrupted. At the same time, in order to cooperate with the police investigation, the crew members were stranded in Tokyo and lived in the temporary residence prepared for them by the kind-hearted Mr. Hayashi Naoto.

The rest of the crew didn't take the deaths of their two colleagues seriously, and even after the police questioning, they continued to explore Tokyo like ordinary tourists. Except for Taira Ie, who, claiming to be feeling unwell, locked herself in her room and practiced yoga, hoping to calm herself.

"Breathe in... breathe out..."

The round buttocks rise and fall with the rhythm of breathing, and the elastic thigh muscles and thigh muscles emit sexy vitality.

There was no doubt that this healthy body with wheat-colored skin contained enough vitality to make most men excited. But at this moment, the owner of this body was filled with melancholy.

Death once again befell the people around her, which made Taira Ie, who had always been condemned by her conscience, even more negative. She could only do meaningless exercises constantly to keep herself from thinking and exhaust herself.

"Surrender yourself? Or commit suicide?"

Taira Ie wiped the sweat off his face and walked towards the balcony of the room.

"I heard a bride died in this hotel a few days ago, in the pool downstairs. If she jumped from here..."

"Bang bang bang!"

There was a rapid knock on the door.

"Is anyone in there? Please help me! Please, call an ambulance for me!"

The woman's cry for help sounded very urgent.

Taira Ie came to her senses and quickly opened the door, only to see a long-haired woman with a panicked expression and tears in her eyes standing at her door. Not far away was an overturned wheelchair and an old man lying on his back with his eyes rolled back.

"What happened?!" asked Ie Hira.

"My father suddenly fell ill. I didn't bring my cell phone and can't find the room card... Please, help me call the hospital and call an ambulance." Xinming Xiang Baoli said anxiously.

"Ah, I'll be right there... Please come in and use the phone first. I'll check on the old man. I've learned first aid!"

The sudden emergency made the originally emo and resentful Taira Ie temporarily forget his worries, and he hurriedly checked the condition of the newly named Rentaro who was lying on the ground.

What Taira Ie didn't know was that her fate would be completely changed because of this accident.

……

On the other side, the Nagato family mansion.

With Hayashi Naoto in charge tonight, even though the Shinigami Elementary School Student and the two heroes of the Mori clan were present, the Nagato family dinner ended smoothly without any loss of life.

However, the saga of the Shinigami pupil was not without its rewards. While enjoying a feast, Maori Kogoro met diplomat Tsujimura Isao and his wife Tsujimura Kimie. Both of them were troubled by their son's love life and happened to meet the renowned detective Maori Kogoro at a dinner party. They took the opportunity to ask him to investigate the identity and background of their son's girlfriend.

This leads to the subsequent "Osaka Black Chicken's first appearance, Conan's size changes at will." Of course, this is a later story.

Now let's turn our attention to Lin Shangren and Lai Shenglei. After several rounds of verbal battles at the dinner party, both of them were confident that the other had taken their bait.

From a practical point of view, due to the huge information gap, Operation Tears of the Next Life had always been part of Lin Shangren's plan, and she should have been the one to take the bait. From a subjective point of view, Lin Shangren felt as if she had also been hooked by the Tears of the Next Life.

Lai Sheng Lei was wearing a white dress at this time. Her skin was as white as snow, her figure was charming, her delicate features were matched with the big waves that only a bad girl can have, and she had the temperament of a mixed-race beauty, elegant and charming. Even in Lin Shangren's harem full of beautiful women, Lai Sheng Lei was a great beauty that could outshine all the others.

However, Lin Shangren's gaze did not stay on Lai Shenglei for too long. His attention was on a male waiter in the banquet hall, his eyes firmly fixed on "his" buttocks and thighs.

Don't get me wrong, Lin Shangren didn't develop any misguided hobbies. He just noticed that there was something wrong with the male waiter. His walking posture was a little stiff, as if his thigh was injured, and his stride and hip movement were not like those of a normal man.

"A woman dressed as a man, and even used a disguise technique. This walking posture seems familiar."

Lin Shangren activated the shadow touch and sensed the true appearance hidden under the human skin mask on the man's face.

"The waitress at Cat's Eye Cafe, I remember her name was Aso Kasumi. What was she doing here?"

Lin Shangren controlled the shadows to sweep over every part of Aso Kasumi's body, and then discovered that she had hidden a lot of jewelry and watches in her clothes. What surprised Lin Shangren even more was that the Karlsruhe sketchbook he had given to Pisk was also in her possession.

"You stole something from me, you're asking for trouble."

Lin Shangren did not hide his intentions and walked straight towards Aso Kasumi, who was dressed as a man. Aso Kasumi, who had been vigilantly observing her surroundings, immediately noticed Lin Shangren and quickly ran towards the exit through the guests in the banquet hall.

"Damn it, he was discovered after all. But since we already have the stuff, I'll let him go for now."

Fleeing into the corridor, Aso Kasumi opened the window and leaped from the fifth floor. She then swung a grappling hook from her sleeve and fired it at the rooftop. Using the grappling hook's momentum, she leaped upwards, shedding her disguise and revealing her true form. She also stowed the loot from this operation into the small lambskin pouch tied around her waist. All she had to do now was equip the hang glider she had prepared long ago on the rooftop to successfully escape.

However, before Aso Kasumi's feet reached the roof, she saw Lin Shangren already standing there.

As Aso Kasumi saw Hayashi Naoto, Hayashi also saw her true face clearly with the moonlight and his keen senses. It was indeed the black-haired beauty he had seen at the Cat's Eye Café that day, but what surprised Hayashi Naoto was her attire.

"My goodness, is it fashionable for thieves to wear sexy bondage outfits these days?"

Only two strips of cloth and a short skirt covered Aso Kasumi's private parts: a narrow strip of cloth stretched across her chest, revealing not only her cleavage but also her breasts. Another narrow strip of cloth draped diagonally from her left shoulder to her right waist didn't cover much of her torso, creating a hazy, almost revealing effect that only heightened her reverie. The skirt barely reached her lower body, dropping to just enough to reveal her groin, highlighting the delicate curves of her waist and hips, while her legs were completely exposed.

This outfit makes her look more like a signature dancer in a strip club than a thief, and the two white cloths are just right for holding the money given by guests.

Before Lin Shangren could even begin to complain, the two strips of cloth suddenly unraveled, revealing the two pink spots on her chest and the dark hair beneath her belly. The strips then multiplied into more strips before tightening, wrapping Aso Kasumi's body tightly. This, in turn, highlighted her curvaceous figure, making her look like a captivating mummy.

"Ah, this... Kuroba Chikage?"

Lin Shangren was stunned by the sight of the lady thief wearing the same outfit. The demon hunter emblem vibrating in the shadowy space reminded him that the lady's disguise wasn't magic, but rather sorcery. It seemed this thief also had many secrets.

"In that case, don't even think about escaping!"

Before Lin Shangren could make a move, Aso Kasumi struck first. Two bandages flew out from her arms and tightly wrapped around Lin Shangren's arms. She pulled hard, using the momentum to kick her legs hard, heading straight for Lin Shangren's chest.

"You're overestimating yourself, pretending to be Spider-Man in front of me?"

Lin Shangren's hands shaped the surrounding darkness into two massive claws, clamping down on Aso Kasumi's kicking legs. However, the bandages on her body seemed to have life. The moment she sensed danger, the bandages on her back quickly latched onto the roof railing, forcibly pulling Aso Kasumi back. While dodging Lin Shangren's claws, two suspended bandages extended from her chest, curling into drills and targeting Lin Shangren like two venomous snakes.

"Oh my god, Zhu Boyilulu! It seems that you are not imitating Spider-Man, but Tianyinjin."

There was no BlazBlue in this world, and even if there was one, Kasumi Aso, who had never played video games, wouldn't know who Lin Shangren was talking about. She simply stared warily at the giant black shadow claws covering Lin Shangren's hands.

"Who the hell are you?!"

"This is the question I want to ask, Miss Thief." Lin Shangren's figure suddenly disappeared, and his voice sounded directly in Aso Kasumi's ears.

"!"

"when?!"

Aso Kasumi was startled, but the bandages covering her body had already taken action. The bandages suddenly exploded like a burst of air, revealing the delicate figure beneath. At the same time, the expanding bandages also forced back any enemies who suddenly approached.

Unfortunately, the person Aso Kasumi met tonight was Hayashi Naoto.

The exploding bandage not only failed to repel Lin Shangren who teleported behind her, but was instead swallowed up by the shadow covering the surface of Lin Shangren's clothes.

"Cure."

The shadow swamp solidified instantly, locking the bandages swallowed into it tightly. The reaction force of the bandages' retraction also pulled Aso Kasumi to Lin Shangren's side, and her back was pressed tightly against Lin Shangren's chest. The only way to escape was to cut the bandages or take them off.

"Okay, Miss Thief, you are arrested." Lin Shangren said.

But Aso Kasumi will not surrender so easily.

Chapter 302 Kasumi Touch

"open!"

Aso Kasumi raised her arm and elbowed back with all her strength, and the bandage wrapped around her elbow curled up and drilled into Lin Shangren's chest.

This time, Lin Shangren did not liquefy the black shadow on his chest, but took the blow head-on.

"It can take shape like the Venom symbiote, and it can be both soft and hard, but its hardness and strength are a bit lacking."

The moment Aso Kasumi's elbow struck Hayashi Naoto, her forearm suddenly trembled—the reactionary force impacted her ulnar nerve, commonly known as the "nerve muscle." The excruciating pain temporarily disabled Aso Kasumi's right forearm. But her counterattack didn't stop.

While elbowing Lin Shangren in the chest, the bandages on other parts of Aso Kasumi's body began to wriggle and float up like tentacles, stabbing, whipping, or binding and entangling Lin Shangren.

As the bandages attacked, more and more parts of Aso Kasumi's body were exposed, until her upper body was completely exposed, and only two band-aids remained on her lower body under her miniskirt. The narrow bandages were tied into the crotch, half covering her pink lips and anus.

"It's really rare, big black hair with bun petals, the contrast is so cute, right?"

Before Lin Shangren could get a good look, his vision was obscured by bandages. The bandages that had been attacking him from all angles suddenly shifted, completely detaching from Aso Kasumi's body like an unfurling spider web and enveloping Lin Shangren completely. With a deft roll, Aso Kasumi completely freed herself from the bandages, freeing herself from Lin Shangren, who was bound like a cocoon within them. The three remaining bandages around her waist and legs began to regrow, wrapping around Aso Kasumi's body at a visible speed.

"solve."

Aso Kasumi clapped her hands and used her fingers to hook the sheepskin bag hanging from her waist. When she was about to turn around to look for the hang glider hidden on the roof, she turned around and found Lin Shangren standing not far behind her, looking at her with a smile.

Before Aso Kasumi could react, the bandages wrapped around her body began to attack. Two bandages rolled into drill shapes rushed towards Lin Shangren's face, but stopped before touching the tip of Lin Shangren's nose.

"How can it be?!"

Aso Kasumi turned around and tried to escape, but the originally soft bandages on her body became as hard as steel, binding her in place like a cage, making her unable to move at all.

The sudden change caught Aso Kasumi off guard. She tried hard to calm herself down, when she suddenly discovered that the originally white bandages on her body were stained with a layer of black. The tiny holes in the linen bandages were completely filled with a black substance, which was wriggling like countless tiny tentacles.

"Powered by psionic magic, it can consume psionic energy to increase its own power, and can also change its form and hardness to protect the user. Although it lacks intelligence, it can react instinctively before the neurons in the cerebral cortex react. It's a good thing, but that's all it is."

Lin Shangren raised his hand, and the nearby bandage cocoon shattered. The bandages fluttered to the ground, slithering towards him like a venomous snake. Then, the bandages and the materialized shadows wove together to form a Virgil-style chair behind him. Lin Shangren sat on it and crossed his legs.

"Putting aside other shortcomings, the biggest flaw of your thing is that it is too easy to be controlled by others." Lin Shangren continued.

As if to confirm Lin Shangren's words, the bandages on Aso Kasumi began to "riot", loosening and tightening, and the naked body underneath also appeared and disappeared. No matter how hard the bandages and Aso Kasumi struggled, they would eventually be suppressed by the black shadow attached to them.

"Come closer."

Lin Shangren controlled the bandages and extended four bandages like Doctor Octopus's mechanical arms from behind Aso Kasumi, bringing the bound rapist in front of him.

Then, the bandages binding Aso Kasumi suddenly shifted. One bandage stretched straight, inserted into the ground, forming a frame. Six bandages bound her wrists, ankles, and thighs, suspending her from the frame. Her arms were suspended high, while her legs, held in an M shape by gravity, were held in place by the force of gravity. This wasn't the end of it. The bandages on Aso Kasumi also unraveled and reassembled, ultimately transforming into several hemp ropes. The ropes continuously crisscrossed her delicate body, eventually forming a set of diamond knots. Two hemp ropes tightly encircled her breasts, then split into several strands, twisting back and forth, and finally passing between her legs, wedging into the sides of her buns, and then tying into a single strand, wedging into the crack of Aso Kasumi's buttocks.

In this way, the captured female thief Aso Kasumi was dropped in front of Lin Shangren in this humiliating posture with her door wide open.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Looking at you, I just remembered a little game I played on 9877 when I was a kid. And your name happened to be Kasumi, so I couldn't help but tie you up like this." Lin Shangren said.

It's undeniable that Kasumi Aso's look at this moment—her bangs, high ponytail, and expression of shame and resignation amidst humiliation—resembles the charm of Kasumi from the classic flash game Kasumi Touch. However, Kasumi Aso's skills are still far inferior to those of the leading female protagonist of Dead or Alive. With her greatest support being controlled by Hayashi Naoto, she's powerless to resist.

Aso Kasumi said with all her might: "Don't come over here, don't mess around! I admit that I stole something, and it's in that bag. I surrender, put handcuffs on me..."

Lin Shangren didn't react, just looked at her quietly.

Aso Kasumi was getting anxious. She continued in a panic, "Let me go! Otherwise I'll scream for help. There are so many people downstairs. I don't mind being seen naked, but isn't Officer Lin afraid of damaging his reputation? Ah! Ah~ Hahaha..."

Aso Kasumi, who was originally holding on, suddenly couldn't help but scream, and then laughed uncontrollably - the black shadows on the bandages that bound her body began to wriggle, and the tiny black tentacles scratched every part of Aso Kasumi's body like fluff, making her itchy.

"Next, I'll ask you questions and you'll answer them." Lin Shangren said calmly, "Confess and you'll be treated leniently; resist and you'll be treated severely. Otherwise..."

The tiny black shadows instantly transformed from tentacles into tiny spikes, piercing into Aso Kasumi's skin like ant bites.

"Ah! Stop it! Stop it now! I say!"

……

On the other side, Beihu Central Hospital.

Shinna Kaori sat outside the emergency room anxiously waiting for the results of the operation, with Taira Ie, wearing sweat-soaked yoga clothes, by her side.

Thanks to her timely first aid, the dying man was able to hold on until the ambulance arrived. Taira Ie also followed him to the hospital.

"This... maybe it can be considered as atonement..."

Taira Ie wanted to comfort Shinna Kaori, but she didn't know how to start. So she chose to stay by her side so that she could take care of her if anything happened again.

"Miss Niina," Taira Ie asked, "do you have any relatives or friends living nearby?"

"Ah...this..."

Shinna Kaori looked up blankly, and after a moment's pause she realized what Taira Ie had just said. "No... Dad and I moved to the Haido City Hotel to write in peace because we were afraid of being disturbed by acquaintances. Dad's acquaintances and relatives all live in Shizuoka... Wait!"

A beautiful figure with a high white ponytail suddenly flashed through Shinname Kaori's mind.

Fuyushi Aoki is the acting director of Kuchikikan, the security director of Seven Stars Entertainment Co., Ltd., and the fiancée of Inspector Hayashi Naoto. Although they've only met a few times, they've become close friends. More importantly, Fuyushi Aoki once mentioned a potent medicine to her father's condition. However, while the drug has passed clinical trials, Aoki doesn't have the authority to give it to Shinna Kaori.

"Fuyushi, she's my only friend in Tokyo. She should be able to help me. Ms. Taira, do you have your cell phone? I..."

"Give."

Taira Ie handed the phone to Shinna Kaori.

……

Under the coercion of Lin Shangren, Aso Kasumi quickly revealed her identity and purpose of this trip.

What disappointed Hayashi Naoroto was that there was no organization behind Aso Kasumi, and she had no other purpose in stealing from Nagato's dinner party. She really just wanted money.

However, Lin Shangren did not gain nothing, at least he knew the origin of the magical bandage on Aso Kasumi. And this bandage was inextricably linked to Lai Sheng Lei's father and Kuroba Chikage's grandfather.

Got killed by overnight fried chicken, and stayed for a day

As the title says, I ate two pieces of leftover fried chicken from last night this morning, then ran all day. I'm currently still on a drip. I'll skip today and try to make up for it tomorrow.

Chapter 303: Playing the long game to catch big fish

"The world is being destroyed."

Seven years ago, Aso Kasumi wasn't called Aso Kasumi, nor was she the phantom thief she is today, a master of disguise and theft. Back then, she was seventeen years old, still called Romula, an immigrant orphan raised in the Gypsy colony of Florence.