Tokyo bombing incident Nth time

Yuri's careful precautions were completely in vain. He didn't see anything that could be called a threat along the way, not even a single person who could see him. He could easily avoid the camera—the camera was installed at a blind spot directly below it. Although it was actually a reception desk, whether Yuri used his advantage as a spirit to climb over the reception desk or crouched down and crawled in front of it, he could avoid the camera's observation angle.

At the same time, Yuri did not sense any spiritual power; the place was so ordinary that it was as if no supernatural beings existed in the world.

Focus your attention; if everything goes smoothly along the way, the most likely source of the problem is inside the boss's office.

As it turned out, nothing went wrong. He passed through the boss's office and encountered nothing that would make him want to flee immediately. Just like outside, there was no spiritual energy here, and Yuri confirmed that there was no one else around.

The office contained many electrical appliances, including a computer, fax machine, and landline telephone that Yuri recognized, but no cell phone. Of course, the cell phone must have been taken out with him.

The unnamed intruder, surnamed You, corrected his mistaken impression in his mind; this was just an ordinary office, nothing special.

So what? Where should we start looking?

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Yuri first tried using a landline phone.

The phone looked quite modern, meaning it had a call log function—Yuri, confirming there were no cameras in the office, quietly appeared, went through the call log line by line, and memorized all the numbers. —Although he didn't yet know who most of the numbers belonged to. Most, not all, because Hojo Rei's cell phone number was among them, although it had only called once the day before yesterday and for a short time.

It seemed the newspaper owner hadn't bothered to answer her.

The number of times other phone numbers are dialed varies, and while one might be able to deduce specific meanings from the frequency, it's hard to say. The most frequently dialed numbers aren't necessarily the most important; they might just be calls to a secretary.

Then came the computer. Yuri fiddled with it for a bit and turned on the screen—then the computer asked him for a password.

This is where magic comes in! If magic can't solve the problem, then the problem remains unsolved!

About five minutes later, Yuri admitted his failure. He thought that the computer had been on for so long, and it wasn't that there was no response at all, but it felt like he was challenging something far beyond his ability.

Activating the backup plan also failed. He stared at the keyboard for a long time, trying to figure out which keys had been pressed in quick succession... He couldn't tell at all, except that the Enter key was used the most frequently.

It seems my magic is still too weak, or I'm using it incorrectly. Unfortunately, now is not the time to improve my power.

He then searched the office for ten minutes, looking through everything that looked like a note, even reading through all the scraps of paper in the trash can, but found nothing that indicated a password.

They did find this... In the originally locked cabinet, Yuri found a stack of carefully folded papers.

The paper was ordinary, the same as the stack next to the fax machine, and folded in the same way as the other folded papers—it seemed this person always folded it this way. However, only a few sheets were specially kept in a locked drawer; most of the others were ready to be crumpled up and thrown in the trash at any moment.

Yuri quickly skimmed through the above content.

Each sheet of paper contained only a short paragraph, with most of the space left blank, and the content... was extremely important. The most recent sheets, the newest ones, read things like, "Suppress the police killing incident." "Focus on reporting food safety issues." "Don't follow up on the body dumping in the sewer." "Minimize the fire incident." These were roughly the kinds of statements, delivered in a commanding tone.

Some of it seemed to be parts that Yuri knew. Then... on the fax machine, Yuri also found a piece of paper with the same format, which looked like it had just been printed out recently: "The epidemic is just a mixture of the flu and an unknown attack."

Unfortunately, there was also absolutely no sender information, and the fax machine did not display the source of the email.

If he had a camera, he should have taken pictures of them and brought them back to the reporters. Now he can only rely on Yuri's brain... but that doesn't seem likely.

Maybe he could use the photocopier to make a copy and take it with him. As long as he did it cleanly, he shouldn't be caught, since there are no cameras here. Yuri thought of the office outside. If he could just take these few sheets of paper, make a copy, and take it away when no one was looking.

Yuri materialized again, sneakily peeking out of the office door. Once he was sure no one was paying attention, he materialized again and slipped the papers under the door.

He went through the door, followed the usual routine of infusing the paper with spiritual essence, gently moved it to the photocopier, placed it inside, and then concentrated his mind to activate the photocopier's button in his thoughts.

Soon, a new copy was generated. Yuri hid the new document in the corner of the table; with so many people around, no one should notice the extra sheets of paper. Next, Yuri simply put the original back in its place. Both the original and the copy inevitably suffered some slight distortion, but it should be within tolerable limits.

There are quite a few people inside the newspaper office right now, and people are constantly coming and going at the entrance. Although Yuri felt he could easily take the photocopies out like this, it might be better to wait until they get off work.

Yuri had heard that most people get off work at 5 p.m., but seeing how these people were still working intensely at 4:50 p.m., perhaps their workday ended at 6 p.m.

Yuri can afford to wait that long.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

...It was a miscalculation. Yuri looked at the clock on the wall, which had already ticked past 8 p.m., and felt a pang of regret.

Although some people left during this period, others arrived, so the office was always kept relatively busy.

If the Rat King incident hadn't been so disastrous, greatly increasing Yuri's patience, he probably would have given up long ago.

Of course, he wasn't completely idle; while he patrolled to protect his copies from being treated as waste paper, he also tried to glean information from the editors' casual conversations.

The conversation mentioned Hojo Rei several times, suggesting that Rei wasn't exactly a complete novice in this line of work; she did have some skill—it's just that she was often out of touch with the times and frequently clashed with her superiors, so she never ended up in a good situation.

According to these people, Leahy's edges have not yet been smoothed out, and she still has the adventurous spirit unique to young people, which may make her very promising, but she is also more likely to run into setbacks everywhere. If her abilities were combined with those of several other journalists who were slightly less capable or less enthusiastic but obedient, she might soon become a well-known journalist.

However, since she herself doesn't care about this issue, others are too lazy to worry about it either.

Another valuable piece of information is that it seems the boss and editor-in-chief said in advance that they would not be back until eight or nine o'clock today. These people are either trying to make a good impression or they really have something to discuss with the boss.

Having waited this long, Yuri might as well wait a little longer and see the boss in person... With this in mind, Yuri remained in the corner of the office, hiding behind a cabinet, making sure that even if the boss could see the spirit, he wouldn't be able to spot him the moment he entered.

About twenty minutes later, around 8:35, a slight commotion signaled the return of the newspaper owner.

Yuri peeked out and took in the man's appearance... There was something off about him.

At first glance, this man in his twenties or thirties seemed to be on the rise in his life, full of energy and not particularly robust... or rather, quite thin, but with a healthy complexion. He might not exercise often, but he didn't look sickly. He was neatly dressed and had a serious expression. Although Yuri never sensed any superior aura, it wouldn't be too surprising to say that this man was the company boss.

But there's still something off, like something's not quite right about this person.

Yuri crouched down and slowly moved closer to the other person, appearing in front of the window—behind and to the side of the other person, ready to jump out at any moment—he had just hidden the photocopy under the cabinet, so he could come back for it if he escaped this time.

The other person was initially discussing something with an employee, but as Yuri approached, their speaking pace changed. When Yuri was extremely close, about a meter and a half away, the other person finally reacted, turning towards the window with some confusion.

Yuri suppressed the urge to jump out the window and escape immediately. He then saw the other person turn around, return to their original position, apologize to the employee, and continue the previous discussion.

The adventure was quite successful. The boss—or, by the name he'd heard, Sanji Ishigami—did not directly see Yuri's abilities, although his performance suggested he could sense the presence of spirits to some extent.

Its sensory abilities may be slightly inferior to Li Hui's, but it still has them nonetheless.

Once again, it's confirmed that he's not the mastermind, but merely someone being instructed. He shouldn't have any deep connection with supernatural matters... Is that really the case?

Yuri boldly followed the stone shop owner, while simultaneously enhancing his magical vision in hopes of finding the source of the initial sense of disharmony.

From any perspective, Ishigami Sanji looked like an ordinary person, but Yuri felt that he was shrouded in a thin layer of spiritual light... Some kind of supernatural effect was influencing him, and it was different from before.

Of course, almost every supernatural effect Yuri encountered was different from the previous ones, but this time it seemed to be an effect from the inside out. Something existed in his body and could continuously have some kind of effect on him... Most of it should be a beneficial effect, but the rest is hard to judge.

This substance circulates in his body with his blood, enhancing his vitality to a limited extent, halting his aging, and possibly even boosting his inspiration. However, it seems that this substance hasn't integrated into his body to become a part of him, but rather operates independently; given its location, if it were to cause damage, the consequences would be unimaginable.

It's difficult to discern exactly what this substance is through the body, but judging from its movement, it's probably some kind of liquid. Otherwise, if a solid or gaseous substance entered the bloodstream, there would be no talk of enhancing vitality or preventing aging. Furthermore, to be specific, what Yuri sensed wasn't a single point moving within the body, but rather a fluid-like substance that had spread throughout his entire system... Removing it would likely require a special method, perhaps some kind of medical technology that could filter blood? Yuri wasn't entirely familiar with this.

In short, this is an outsider that doesn't integrate very well with Mr. Ishigami. It can provide some benefits, but it is also a threat (although Yuri is not sure if it can be used in this way, he thinks there is no reason why it can't be).

Perhaps asking Akemi would yield more results, Yuri thought. He observed Mr. Ishigami for ten minutes, until he returned to his office, sat down, entered the password asdfgh123456 into his computer, and began browsing various websites—Yuri found nothing new.

It's time to leave; it's already past nine o'clock.

Since the other party couldn't see the spirit, Yuri's actions became much easier. He pulled out the photocopies from under the cabinet and gradually slipped away around the employees who were starting to doze off. Finally, after paying the price of having his foot stepped on while he was moving the photocopies, leaving a shoe print, Yuri successfully took the papers out.

At least Yuri was very prescient in making sure the back was facing up.

Perhaps I should take these papers to see Mingmei first; the current information is still somewhat insufficient, and it's not easy to explain myself.

115 Epilogue - Murakami Akisa

Yuri leisurely returned to Akemi's residence.

As soon as she pushed open the door and entered the house, before she could even say hello, she was caught red-handed by Murakami Akisa.

Yuri instinctively struggled to free his gripped left arm, but failed. Murakami Akisa's strength seemed no less than Akemi's.

"What's going on, Akemi?" Yuri immediately looked at the third person in the room. Akemi, what are you doing? Why aren't you moving? Help her!

“Auntie said—” Mingmei sat on the sofa, spreading her hands as if she was helpless, “that she can’t let you run away again. Actually, she was having a heart-to-heart talk with me before you came back.”

Upon closer inspection, a section of the sofa that was originally used to store miscellaneous books had been cleared out, indicating that Murakami Akisa had been sitting there before.

Then Yuri walked straight into the encirclement.

"Wait a minute, I think we can talk this out—"

Before Yuri could finish speaking, Murakami Akisa opened the door. "I'll definitely return him to you in relatively good condition tomorrow." Then she grabbed Yuri and rushed out.

Did she just say "relatively complete"?

Yuri was quickly dragged downstairs, and then Murakami Akisa let go of his hand, glaring at Yuri menacingly.

Only then did he have a chance to take a closer look at the werewolf in front of him. Mingmei's aunt had changed her clothes; they were no longer her previous sportswear, but rather a cotton-padded jacket... a down jacket, or something like that. It didn't look very suitable for sports, much less for fighting, and she didn't look like she was ready to kill him.

The ears on her head didn't stand up, and her expression wasn't as angry as expected. On the contrary, while Yuri was sizing up the other person, Murakami Akisa was also sizing up Yuri.

By the way, it seems that werewolves only have one pair of ears.

After about a minute, Murakami Akisa spoke again, "Are you feeling guilty?"

Of course he felt guilty. Seeing someone who was expected to come after him rushing towards him like a hungry tiger, it would be strange if he didn't feel guilty.

"Yes, your movements startled me."

"Want to go for a ride?" Murakami Akisa pointed to another motorcycle parked next to Akemi's. It looked to be a similar model (Yuri couldn't tell the specific model or type either), but the main difference was the color.

"Hmm..." Yuri glanced at him, sensing that the person in front of him didn't seem to be willing to accept a refusal. "Okay, but I can't ride a motorcycle, so I can only sit in the back."

"Okay, get on." Murakami Akisa started the motorcycle on her own.

Yuri hesitated for a moment, but in order to preserve his nearly depleted spiritual essence, he decided to materialize and sit in the back.

Besides, there's no rope here to hang him up.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"........."

"........."

For the first few minutes, neither of them spoke, seemingly testing their patience. Fortunately, this was the thing Yuri learned the fastest during this period.

During the drive, Murakami Akisa never showed any hesitation. Either she didn't intend to go to a specific place and just randomly chose a fork in the road, or she had planned this winding route in advance, not knowing where it would eventually lead.

Although a few minutes is only enough time to take a short detour, in that short time, the two of them had already walked a U-shape.

"I heard from Akemi that this plan was your doing, Yuri." These words suddenly came from the front.

“Yes, that’s how it is. Mingmei provided a lot of information, but most of the plan was my idea.” Yuri became more vigilant.

"What is your own assessment of this plan?" Murakami Akisa continued to press, "Not at the time, but after everything is over, looking back on the past."

What is she trying to ask by rambling on like this?

"To be honest, it was too reckless. The plan had many flaws, and it succeeded only by chance—not to deny my or Mingmei's efforts, but even if we had made up for all our mistakes, it would still have failed if the other side hadn't made any mistakes." Yuri didn't want to admit this, but he felt guilty if he said anything too grand. "Why are you asking this? Do you have a different opinion?"

“…I thought you would have a higher opinion of this plan.” Murakami Akisa paused for a moment before responding to Yuri. “If it were me… my sister, at Akemi’s age, she would have given this plan a very high evaluation, just like the other werewolves.”

"What do the other werewolves think?" Yuri really wanted to know the answer to this question.

“Well… first they checked to see if anyone had gone to see the Moon Mother in this plan… no disrespect intended, then they checked to see if the plan’s objective had been achieved—obviously, there were no deaths this time, and the Rat King was indeed rebuffed; his plan to spread the plague in Tokyo had failed—” Murakami Akisa’s voice was somewhat downcast. “Then they laughed and thought it was a very good plan, that Akemi was better than they had expected, that the incident had ended smoothly, and that they could celebrate.”

"It seems like Akemi mentioned something like that," Yuri said, recalling past conversations. "So, if the outcome is good, then everything is good?"

“That’s right,” Murakami Akisa’s sigh was mostly drowned out by the sound of the motorcycle. “They don’t care about the risks in the process, but they value the final result more. They live quite happily, humph.”

"You don't quite agree with this, do you?" Even Yuri could tell that Murakami Akisa didn't support this view. "Your opinion is similar to mine?"

“…Actually, it’s a bit higher than yours. I think if our side can make up for all our mistakes and act in the best possible condition, we don’t need to gamble on the opponent making mistakes—at least that was the case before you said that.” Yuri couldn’t see her expression, but it was obvious she was shaking her head. “However, you’re the one who’s on the front lines. If you think the other side made bigger mistakes, then you’re probably right. And Akemi…”

Yuri didn't speak; he was also curious about Akemi's attitude.

“Aminmei’s attitude wasn’t as good as the other werewolves, but she didn’t think the plan was that dangerous—she thought the most dangerous one in the plan was you, while she herself was in a safe environment, so she felt a little guilty towards you.” Murakami Akisa’s voice lowered. “She thought the plan might fail, and she thought you would be in danger, but she didn’t realize the danger she was facing.”

"..." If it were beforehand, Yuri would have refuted it without hesitation. He did think that Minmei was not in danger at the time—but now that things have come to this, it seems a bit too much to pretend that she is unaffected by the Rat King as long as she is separated by a wall.

In this encounter, Yuri did not witness the full extent of the Rat King's abilities, but if the Rat King had not directly targeted Yuri, but instead focused on Minmei instead... or if it had directly ordered the Rat Spirits to launch a targeted attack... either way, Minmei would not have been safe.

"Are you accusing me of putting her in danger?" This was the only reason Yuri could think of... If Akemi's elders used this reason to condemn him, he felt he couldn't refute it.

“I don’t deny that there was that element, but actually I should thank you for taking on the most dangerous task yourself.” Murakami Akisa slowed down the car so that her voice could be heard more clearly. “As far as I know, if you hadn’t volunteered to charge, the child would definitely have gone herself—and this time, no matter how dangerous her position was, it was definitely safer than yours.”

Yuri had indeed planned this escape route beforehand, but he still felt somewhat uncomfortable using it in practice. Furthermore, he wondered, if this wasn't the main objective, then what was it?

Yuri wasn't sure if his question had been conveyed, but he could sense that the other person was preparing to say something.

"What I really want to say is, Yuri, as Minmei's friend, you don't want to see her get hurt, right?"

"Of course." That's beyond doubt.

“She’s not very willing to listen to me, but you’re her friend, and I hope you can guide her to safe places rather than dangerous environments in the future.” Without giving Yuri a chance to reply, Murakami Akisa continued, “If you really are her friend, you should do that, shouldn’t you?”

“Of course I would try to do that, and bringing my friends to their deaths is not in any way in line with my mindset… but…” Yuri looked at the back of Murakami Akisa’s head and the two animal ears standing up on it, “but I’m not sure if I know what I should know.”

It seems that a great person once said that human knowledge is like a circle; the more you know, the more unknowns you encounter.

Yuri's knowledge is not extensive, but his knowledge of the unknown is overflowing, which may indicate that his knowledge presents a strange linear shape with a very large surface area.

"Speaking of which, Yuri, do you really know what your situation is?" Murakami Akisa quickened her pace again. "Do you really know what you are?"

Yuri had thought about this problem before, but he hadn't come up with a solution.