Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Headquarters, Criminal Investigation Division.
Miwa Sato, who had just returned to work, was a bit absent-minded, recalling her experiences of the past few days.
In the mine shaft beneath Mifa Park, apprehending criminals, and later being taken away by that witch, Koizumi Honoka, because of the Killing Stone, drinking all sorts of strange medicines every day.
Now, thinking back, she felt her stomach churning. It was just too disgusting!!
“Sato-san, I heard you took a few days off sick. Are you alright now?”
A voice suddenly rang out in the office, startling Miwa Sato out of her reverie. She looked up and saw, oh, it was that kid, Takagi Wataru.
“I’m fine.”
Miwa Sato waved her hand casually, not paying much attention to the kid’s fawning.
She was a flower of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, and there were just too many people fawning over her every day.
“Miwa-ko-san.”
Miwa Sato had just thought that when another annoying guy arrived.
Wearing a light blue suit, a beige tie, dressed very handsomely, Shiratori Jinsaburo confidently walked in, a bouquet of flowers in his hand.
“Miwa-ko-san, these are for you. I hope you’re feeling better.”
“Haha, no need.”
Miwa Sato smiled awkwardly, hurriedly dismissing the guy, and then went to the meeting room of their team.
“Miwa-ko, you’re here.”
Detective Mouri glanced at her, continuing to assign tasks: “Due to the Divine Tree incident in Kyoto Prefecture, Inspector General Hakuba has requested that our Criminal Investigation Division investigate all the shrines and temples near Tokyo.”
“Our team has also been assigned some tasks.”
“Ah?”
The police officers in the meeting room all looked troubled.
“Detective Mouri.”
Shiratori Jinsaburo, who was also a police superintendent, cleared his throat, with a serious expression, “Then I’ll take charge of the temple on Dero Mountain with Miwa-ko-san. If I’m not mistaken, it’s quite a distance away.”
“That’s fine.”
Mouri could see through the guy’s intentions, but he was from a wealthy family and was his peer, so he didn’t bother to care about these matters.
“Next, we’ll start assigning tasks.”
He assigned the dozens of shrines and temples to his team, then rushed out. A murder case had just occurred in his jurisdiction.
Seeing him leave so quickly, Miwa Sato put her hand back down, looking at Shiratori Jinsaburo with a fierce glare:
“Let’s go. I hope you’ll still be able to smile so happily later.”
“Of course.”
Shiratori Jinsaburo smiled triumphantly.
…
“Ugh—!”
Two hours later, the police car, which had been speeding all the way, stopped at Dero Mountain in the outskirts of Tokyo. Shiratori Jinsaburo got out of the passenger seat, his face pale, kneeling on the side of the road and vomiting profusely.
“That won’t do, Shiratori. The man I like has to be stronger than me.”
Miwa Sato got out of the car refreshed, looking at Shiratori Jinsaburo, who was in a sorry state, and let out a cruel laugh.
“Miwa-ko-san, you just have an upset stomach from eating something bad today.”
Shiratori Jinsaburo gritted his teeth, getting to his feet, indicating that it was nothing.
“Alright.”
Miwa Sato gave him a thumbs-up and strode towards the mountaintop temple, Sandeiji.
“I can’t give up.” Shiratori Jinsaburo cheered himself on, forcing himself to endure the dizziness as he followed.
…
Sandeiji Temple was located on the outskirts of Tokyo. The temple wasn’t very large, but because there was a spectacle of cherry blossom petals flowing into the waterfall every year when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom, there were always some tourists visiting.
Shiratori Jinsaburo had deliberately chosen this place to confess his feelings.
But now.
His pathetic performance had completely dashed his confession plan.
“Miwa-ko-san.”
Catching up with Miwa Sato, Shiratori prepared to showcase his other strengths.
But at this moment.
Miwa Sato placed her finger on her lips, signaling him to remain silent.
“What’s wrong?”
Shiratori stopped.
“It’s too quiet around here.”
Miwa Sato’s expression was serious, and her eyes subtly transformed into the vertical pupils of a fox.
This was the ability she gained after merging with the Killing Stone.
Not only had her physical fitness and reaction speed greatly improved, but there was also a violent energy within her body,
At first, this energy almost exploded Miwa Sato’s body.
However, after Koizumi Honoka fed her all sorts of weird potions, the situation gradually stabilized.
Miwa Sato was now able to mobilize it slightly.
“Hope it’s someone I can handle.”
Taking a deep breath, Miwa Sato gestured for Shiratori Jinsaburo to follow behind her.
“That won’t do.”
Shiratori felt that doing so was too unmanly.
He drew his gun, taking the lead, carefully approaching Sandeiji Temple.
“Heave—!”
Within the small temple, there was a heavy, animal-like gasping sound. It was quiet all around, and the insects seemed to have sensed danger.
“Damn it, did we encounter a spirit?”
Thinking about the recent frequent incidents in Tokyo, Shiratori’s face turned pale, but he still maintained his manliness, walking at the front, muttering:
“Miwa-ko-san, I investigated before coming. This Dero Temple only has the head priest and three young monks.”
“Hmm.”
Miwa Sato’s ears perked up, paying attention to any rustling sounds.
She could hear more sounds than Shiratori could.
At this moment, there was only one living person inside Sandeiji Temple, and his heartbeat had far exceeded the normal human range.
“Wrong!!”
At this moment, sensing the howling wind approaching, Miwa Sato suddenly pulled Shiratori Jinsaburo away.
Boom!!
An elderly monk, his entire body covered in strange, black curses, suddenly burst through the door, his dark eyes filled with vicious malice.
“Bang—bang—!”
Shiratori fired his gun in a moment of crisis, but his aim was terrible. None of the five bullets hit the target.
On the other hand, Miwa Sato drew her gun and hit the target every time.
But the opponent’s body only swayed slightly, and the bullets wriggled out of the wounds.
“How weak.”
The head priest, who had been corrupted by the Heavenly Curse, looked at the two police officers in front of him, a ferocious smile on his face, sighing, “Only after swallowing the finger of Ryomen Sukuna did I realize how weak humans truly are.”
As he spoke, he ripped off his monk’s robe, revealing his upper body, covered in black curses. He opened his hands with a dazed expression.
Rumble!!
With the ground violently shaking, a giant beast resembling a deathworm emerged from the ground, opening its bloody maw full of sharp teeth towards Miwa Sato and Shiratori Jinsaburo.