Not a detective

Page 100

But all of this was "real" to Riku Asakawa.

It was as if they had engaged in a battle of wits, something that happened in that instant.

He witnessed Kirisame Aoi draw her sword and slash at him, aiming to decapitate him and cut his body in two with incredible speed and astonishing swordsmanship.

Asakawa Riku underestimated his opponent's speed. He barely managed to dodge two strikes before a cold, overhead light shattered his vision, splitting his eye from left to right...

I could even feel the skin cracking open; the pain and bleeding were incredibly real sensations.

He looked as if he had truly been beheaded... died once!

"That's amazing." Asakawa Riku exclaimed sincerely.

Those three slashes were completed in a mere 0.5 seconds, and they even fooled Asakawa Riku's precognitive abilities, causing him to subconsciously perceive them as real events.

Whether it's the skill of swordsmanship or the simple moves, it's already at an amazing level. This kind of invisible sword in imagination is even more surprising to Asakawa Riku.

"You didn't have a knife."

"Can't you cut without a knife?" Kirisame Aoi smiled and slowly opened her right hand, which indeed had no weapon on it. "Is a knife such an inconvenient thing?"

Asakawa Riku seemed to see a transparent knife taking shape in her hand.

"I'll take this commission..."

Asakawa Riku pondered for a moment, "But I have one condition: can you teach me this move?"

"That probably won't work. This is a family heirloom skill, unless..."

Kirisame was interrupted halfway through her sentence.

"That's okay, I'll learn it myself."

"That's really domineering."

"I have another question. Are all the people in the Inspection Department as capable as you?"

"The title of 'Demon Exorcist Expert' in the Inspection Department is a special one. Including myself, there are only four people in the entire Tokyo who hold it."

"That's good."

That gives me a reason to contact the Ministry of Supervision. It seems the world isn't as boring as I imagined; there are still interesting people out there.

He decided to take on this commission as a stepping stone, and thus agreed to Kirisame Aoi's request.

But before leaving, he remembered something and said something else:

"Oh, right."

"That was just a hypothetical scenario. If it happened in real life, you'd better not do it."

"Because if the knife hits my head, it will break open."

Spring of Events: Chapter Seven - Painkillers

After asking Kirisame Aoi to leave, Asakawa Riku and Shinonome Suetsuki discussed the commission.

After all, this firm still belongs to her.

"I dont go."

Before he could even finish speaking, this guy had already predicted what Asakawa Riku was going to say.

"Why?" Asakawa Riku frowned. "You're the detective, aren't you? We can't do without you when it comes to solving cases."

“I’ve already said I won’t go to the scene to investigate. That’s something weirdos do. Just come back and report any evidence you have. That’s what an assistant should do.”

Mo Yue was simply being lazy; she was dozing off on the table, completely disregarding her image.

This was in stark contrast to Kirisame, who had just been sitting upright like a javelin.

"Is this really going to work? I don't have much experience, and I'm not sure if I can find the clues you want."

Asakawa Riku was somewhat perplexed.

This was his first time conducting such a formal homicide investigation, a commission involving the police and professional organizations, and to be honest, he felt a lot of pressure.

Compared to last year's surveys, which were basically just about "club activities" with Chizuko-senpai, this time it's a huge leap forward right from the start...

"It's okay, she just tested your strength, not your reasoning ability. Maybe she just needs some thugs this time."

Moyue made an unexpectedly insightful analysis.

Asakawa Riku thought it seemed reasonable, but there was still a problem: "Would the Inspection Department lack thugs? How ruthless must the criminals be? Speaking of which, that woman from earlier wasn't bad either..."

Kirisame Aoi's combat power should not be underestimated. Perhaps there is still a gap between them, but it is unknown whether the opponent has any hidden trump cards.

Moreover, the opponent wasn't carrying a knife this time; they had only mentally prepared a few moves, so their true skill level is still unknown.

If she needed reinforcements... Asakawa Riku himself felt a little nervous.

But having accepted the commission, he was bound by his word and couldn't go back on his promise. So he asked the detective opposite him:

"Aren't you able to predict the future? Could you do me a favor and see what happens in this event, and what I should be aware of?"

Although Shinonome Suetsuki is physically weak and lacks combat abilities, her superpower is quite remarkable. She can not only see past events but also foresee the future, making it a perfect superpower for a detective. She has inadvertently revealed many important predictions, such as warning Asakawa Riku in advance that "the spider's nest is dangerous"...

Looking back now, that statement may have had another meaning; it was truly visionary, and she even foresaw her own assassination, successfully rewriting that future.

Looking at it this way, this ability is really amazing. Asakawa Riku wants to use her help to avoid misfortune and make the right choice.

However, the last month did not provide any important revelation as he had expected:

"Didn't see it."

What does "I didn't see" mean?

"It doesn't activate every time; you can only see some blurry fragments. Otherwise, wouldn't it be enough for me to just tell you about the culprit and the method?"

Mo Yue rolled her eyes: "I had a really long dream last night, so I might not be feeling very well... I'll sleep some more, and maybe I'll be able to see it then."

It seems that although her abilities are strong, there are certain limitations to their activation... Asakawa Riku was helpless; he couldn't force her to make any prophecies.

"Okay, I'll go check out the scene first and then I'll tell you when I get back."

He then packed his things and prepared to leave, while Wu Yu Kui was still waiting downstairs.

Before leaving, I inadvertently saw that Dongyun Sueyue took out that transparent medicine bottle again and slowly poured out two or three pills into her palm.

"Wait a minute," he reminded him, "You've already eaten this morning, haven't you?"

It's only been less than half an hour, do I need to take the medicine twice?

"Oh it's all right."

Mo Yue showed no intention of obeying; she swallowed it whole, without even using coffee to wash it down, instead chewing it up and swallowing it directly.

Every time I see her take her medicine, my throat tightens.

Asakawa Riku asked in confusion, "I've wanted to ask this for a long time, what kind of medicine is it?"

He was initially worried about privacy issues, but since the two had become more familiar with each other recently, he asked anyway.

Although I've seen her take medication more than once, it seems to be happening more and more frequently lately. Could it be that her condition is worsening...?

Painkillers.

Mo Yue shook the half-empty medicine bottle and then tossed it back into the drawer.

Asakawa Riku frowned instantly: "...You're not...addicted, are you?"

He had heard that painkillers can be addictive if taken in excess.

“I have a doctor’s order. The prescription says I can arrange the dosage freely. It’s fine if you let that woman check me.”

“For a rich person like you, bribing a doctor shouldn’t be difficult.”

"Don't make me sound like some rich kid who abuses drugs."

Mo Yue seemed a little unhappy, but that was her usual sour face: "Using too much will hurt, you can't not take it."

She pointed to her eyes.

"So that's how it is..." Asakawa Riku slightly opened his mouth: "I'm sorry."

He finally understood that this was actually a side effect of Shinonome Suetsuki's superpower.

In this world, every ability comes with a price. For example, Chizuko lost an arm and a leg, her father lost an eye, and Yukie suffered from the side effects of split personality and uncontrollable power rampage. So Shinonome Suetsuki should also have the same. It seems that using those "eyes" too much will cause pain.

If medication is the only option, then there's nothing that can be done. At the same time, Asakawa Riku also thought that her usual excessive sleepiness might be due to this reason.

"It's alright, this is the mission and responsibility that detectives must bear."

Seeing that guy's smug and narcissistic look, the slight feeling of guilt that had just surfaced vanished instantly.

But before leaving, Asakawa Riku turned back and said something earnestly:

"At worst, I'll just use my abilities less. Health is important; don't ruin your eyes. I don't want to become a crutch for both you and my senior; even if I were split in two, it wouldn't be enough."

"Even if it's a walking stick, I want to have it all to myself!"

It seems this guy isn't listening at all, and is instead waving his hand to urge Asakawa Riku to hurry up.

Having said all that was needed, and with no point in saying more, Asakawa Riku could only sigh and walk out of the office.

He thought that if he had time, he would ask Xingyu to see if the detective's daily dosage of medication was normal, and whether it would harm his health or cause problems...

After all, this guy is still his boss, the one who pays his salary. It wouldn't do if something happened to her... That's all for this reason.

He went downstairs and saw an eye-catching Porsche 911 parked right in front of him on the roadside.

"Hey, get in the car."

The woman leaning against the door was named "Mist Rain Sunflower," who gave a stylish greeting.

Spring of the Years: Chapter Eight Gentian

This 911 is dark blue, officially called "Gentian Blue". It's a convertible GT, accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just over 3 seconds, and has a top speed of around 300 km/h.

Asakawa Riku wasn't particularly knowledgeable about cars, and he hadn't even reached the age to get a driver's license in his previous life. However, this car was a dream car for many people, especially with its streamlined body and two-seat design, making it an absolute luxury sports car. So even in the bustling downtown streets of Shibuya, it attracted a lot of attention, with many people secretly taking pictures and stopping to watch.

This is Tokyo, after all. A single sports car shouldn't be able to create this kind of effect.

Wu Yu Kui leaned against the car, seemingly unconcerned about the stares around her. She wore a dashing long trench coat, her height and figure perfectly suited to the occasion, and her neat short hair added to her cool and stylish look.

Porsche should really pay this guy some endorsement fees, since he's like a model.

"You embezzled public funds?"

Asakawa Riku stopped, not going over, his face full of disdain.

"What are you saying..." Wu Yu Kui laughed, but wasn't angry: "The benefits in the Inspection Department are pretty good. When you complete enough missions, solve many thorny problems, and save many lives, you'll naturally earn money. I'm single and don't have many hobbies, so I'll reward myself."

“They’re civil servants, after all.” Asakawa Riku frowned. “Isn’t going on a mission like this too conspicuous?”

He felt that Kirisame Aoi and Shinonome Sugetsuki's character settings were reversed; compared to the real rich kid, this guy was much more extravagant.

"Well, I usually ride a motorcycle myself, but today I'm using such a grand ceremony to welcome you."

Kiri Aoi said with a grin, pointing to the passenger seat: "This is the first time anyone has sat here. Only you have the right to do so."

Asakawa Riku was speechless. He realized that whatever he said, the other party could retort with even more shamelessness. This guy was full of nonsensical nonsense.

Is this what a "socialite" is like? He's still too young; he was even a little embarrassed by what they said, so he could only open the car door and get in.

"Let's go..."

"Next time you like sitting on the back of a motorcycle, you can hold onto my waist too."

Wu Yu Kui hadn't stopped talking yet, she smiled subtly, twirled the key between her fingers, and then slipped into the driver's seat.

"Please shut up!"