Not a detective

Page 221

This guy... really only trained for three years?!

Martial arts training is basically a process of training from childhood. If you don't temper your physique from a young age, and you start training after your body stops growing, you won't make any progress, but at least your potential will be lower.

Asakawa Riku himself was like that, but Kirisame Aoi's story gave his worldview a shock. He thought she had also started training from a young age, but it turned out she had only trained for three years.

is it possible.

Although Kiri Aoi had studied for a while when she was young, she said she hadn't practiced seriously until she went back home at eighteen and finally decided to practice diligently.

Can hard training really achieve this effect? ​​Asakawa Riku wondered to himself. Just a few exchanges had shown that Kirisame Aoi's strength was not low.

He even picked up a knife; I wonder if he could match his skill level.

...This is a bit hard to accept. If it were superpowers or Yin-Yang magic, or if it were a monster, its powerful strength would be understandable.

Despite losing out to someone else in martial arts, Asakawa Riku was still not entirely reconciled.

He couldn't help but ask:

"I have a question... well, you don't need to answer if it involves your family's secrets. By the way, is your swordsmanship a kind of [superpower]?"

"Well, it's alright to tell you. But you have to keep it a secret for me."

Kiri Aoi hesitated for a moment, then changed the frequency of her voice, lowering it to speak only in a voice that the two of them could hear:

"According to the research of the Supervision Department, this should be considered a kind of [bloodline]. Unlike superpowers, which are ubiquitous and highly random, superpowers generally appear without any pattern and are all different, with no two abilities being exactly the same. [Bloodline], on the other hand, presents a concept of abilities that are roughly the same within a certain lineage. Occasionally, these abilities may disappear or mutate into new types during the process of inheritance. Since ancient times, many talented people have inherited their abilities through family lineages in this way, and our family is probably like that as well."

She explained, “Our elders say that we are the descendants of a great swordsman from ancient times, but to avoid persecution in ancient times, we adopted the surname ‘Kiri-same’ to continue our lineage.”

Asakawa Riku suddenly realized and nodded:

"So that's it."

Now I feel a bit better.

It sounds like the concept of "bloodline" doesn't seem like a superpower, but rather more like the concept of Onmyoji like Chizuko-senpai.

It is passed down from the family, and the power is inherited from the bloodline. The family is probably a system, with only slight differences between individuals.

It seems this is also a kind of extraordinary power.

No wonder.

Asakawa Riku was secretly delighted, which proved that he was still a unique martial artist, at least his strength was accumulated bit by bit.

No, no, that's too naive of me to think like that.

"Thank you for trusting me. I will keep this a secret."

On the surface, Asakawa Riku remained serious and earnest.

Just then, a coffee shop employee walked over and poked his head in, saying:

"Um...you two guests, what just happened?"

They were all taken aback.

Asakawa Riku was the first to realize that, although he had tried to keep quiet during their "exchange," it still felt somewhat abrupt in the quiet coffee shop.

It might have caught the attention of the shop assistant or other customers, so they came to ask. After thinking for a moment, he said:

"Excuse me, could you please get me the same milk tea as hers, with less sugar? Thank you."

It's never good to cause trouble for the shop, so Asakawa Riku still ordered a drink.

The milk tea was served shortly afterward. He prefers a milder flavor and dislikes sweetness, so the light milk tea suited his taste perfectly.

This brand makes exquisite and thoughtful cups. The porcelain feels very comfortable to the touch, and it's much better than ordinary plastic cups.

After he took two sips, Wu Yu Kui across from him couldn't help but ask:

"Asakawa, you didn't come to see me just to have a simple spar, did you?"

"Um……"

Asakawa Riku put down his cup, and after exchanging pleasantries, he stopped being coy and stated the purpose of his visit: "Yes, I came here to find traces of Asukai Shi."

Perhaps that girl has disappeared, vanished from the evidence of her existence in this world, including the books she wrote; all traces and memories she left behind are gone.

But the only remaining hope is the Mist Rain Sunflower.

The conversation just now gave Asakawa Riku a lot of confidence and surprise. Sure enough, she still remembered the past, the past memories, and the past "real culprit".

"Even if everyone in the world forgets her, perhaps only the two of us will remember what happened back then."

Asakawa Riku said. Only they would hold a grudge about what happened three years ago, remember it vividly, and never forget it.

"Yeah, I still remember."

Wu Yu Kui hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "I just didn't know she had this name... nor did I know she was that famous writer... or her identity..."

She picked up her phone to search, but Asakawa Riku didn't interrupt her. Instead, he said:

"It can't be found anymore."

“Really…”

Wu Yu Kui was speechless, looking at the empty records on the webpage, including the incident around the campus three years ago, which had no webpages or news anymore.

"Nue no Natsu" currently only exists in their memories.

"It's so good that you still remember. Otherwise, I would have really thought that I had a memory lapse or mental derangement. Now I've finally found my companion."

Asakawa Riku sighed sincerely, finally managing a smile. After a whole summer of searching, he truly felt like he was going against the grain of the world.

Now, Kiri Aoi's words have given him great comfort.

"Of course, I'll still ask for your opinion this time. If you really don't want to think about the past or face Uta Asukai again, I won't force you. Just pretend I never made this suggestion. In any case, this reunion is already very difficult, and I hope we can become friends, true friends."

Asakawa Riku said sincerely.

However, Kiri Aoi, standing right across from them, subtly narrowed her eyes:

"You mean... you specifically sought me out to find another woman?"

The Autumn of Orochi: Chapter Five - The Inspection Department

Now Riku Asakawa was truly drenched in sweat.

Actually, that's not the case. In his heart, Kirisame Aoi and Asukai Uta were neither superior nor inferior, and he didn't think either of them was more important.

One could even say that, compared to the mysterious and unknowable poetry, the sunflower gives him a more anthropomorphic feeling.

This is not only because of the incident three years ago, which creates a childhood sweetheart-like filter, but also because of the current Kirisame Aoi, who is able to spar with him.

We haven't seen an opponent like this in a long time.

Most of the girls Asakawa Riku knew before were the type who used their brains, and he had tried his best to keep up, but they were still not the same type.

Now that I've met a fellow martial artist, I suddenly feel much closer to him. We're both very interested in discussing common topics and exchanging techniques to improve our skills.

He really wanted to explain, but he felt he was bad with words and was afraid that he would make things worse. He just stood there with his mouth open, not knowing how to put the right words into his speech...

"Ha ha ha ha--"

Seeing his dazed expression, Wu Yu Kui burst into laughter.

She laughed for a while, then wiped away her tears while clutching her stomach, before resting her chin on her hand and smiling at Asakawa Riku:

"You know, Asakawa. Back then, when I first saw you, I thought you were an older brother, because you're so tall. Later I found out you were actually a junior high student, younger than me, and I was totally stunned, just like your expression. Now that I see you like this, I'm sure you really are the little brother~"

He's already a man...

Asakawa Riku was a little unconvinced. After all, he was a transmigrator who had lived for two eighteen-year periods, but since he needed someone's help, he didn't refute it.

"That matter..."

"Okay, I was just joking. I'll help. After all, you saved me back then, and since you asked me for a favor, I certainly won't refuse."

Kiri Aoi said cheerfully, tossing her head, her hair twirling lightly:

"Besides, I practiced my sword so hard so that one day I would be able to take revenge myself. If I could, I would like to defeat her with my own hands and ask her why she lied to me."

"That's great." Asakawa Riku was overjoyed. He hadn't had high hopes before coming today, but things had gone so smoothly.

I thought that Kiri Aoi might have some lingering trauma from the past, since she had run away from it all back then. However, the two of them were surprisingly aligned in their goals and aspirations, both wanting to find Shi.

The only hope brought the only good news.

“Then let’s go back to the Inspection Department later. If even the traces of her existence have disappeared… I’ve thought of a way that might help us find her.”

Kiriyu Aoi also said that she had come up with an idea.

"no problem."

Asakawa Riku nodded; this coincided with his original plan.

After all, he might not be able to find Asukai Shi with just his own efforts and the help of a few friends, but with the power of the entire organization, there might be a way.

Finally seeing a glimmer of hope, their mood lightened considerably. Asakawa Riku and Kirisame Aoi quickly finished their milk tea and, without further ado, prepared to head back.

Asakawa Riku paid the bill and they walked out of the coffee shop together. Just then, Kirisame Aoi suddenly spoke up:

"Uh, wait a moment at the door, I think I left something behind, I'll go back and get it."

She quickly turned around and went back into the coffee shop.

Asakawa Riku said "Oh," not finding it strange at all. He probably just accidentally left it on his seat during the fight. Anyway, it would only take a little while.

...

After Kiri Aoi re-entered the coffee shop, she did not go back to the seats they had just been sitting at.

Instead, he went straight to the front desk and found a staff member:

"I was just a customer. Could you please bring me those two cups from the table by the window? I'd like to buy them."

"……Well."

The waiter seemed startled and stammered an explanation:

"Guests, although these are cups you have used, we generally do not sell them to the public."

Without the slightest hesitation, Wu Yukui simultaneously took out her police ID and a 10,000 yuan bill from her wallet and slammed them on the table.

"Necessary for case handling."

...

A few minutes later, Asakawa Riku saw her come out, but he had no idea what had happened in the store.

Kiri Aoi was carrying a bag that looked like it contained something and had the café's logo printed on it; it appeared to be a plastic bag for takeout.

"Are you buying desserts to take home?"

he asked casually.

Kirisame Aoi smiled but didn't answer, only saying, "I bought a souvenir~"

"Oh."

Although Asakawa Riku was curious, he didn't pry. So the two walked along the street and returned to the Inspection Department.

Their "date" hadn't gone very far, just a short distance from the bottom of the building. Now, after walking a few more steps, they were back at the place they had arrived at that morning.

Non-World Inspection Department.

It's a mysterious organization located in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, but the building's exterior doesn't give off any sense of mystery or sophistication.

It's just an ordinary commercial office building, without any special structure or signage, and the doorplate doesn't even have the words "Ministry of Supervision" on it.

Perhaps this is the feeling of a mysterious organization that "hides in plain sight," but when Asakawa Riku first saw it, he was quite disappointed.

As a mysterious organization in charge of supernatural powers, shouldn't it be like in novels and movies, with a huge underground cavern or something, to make it look impressive?

He even fantasized about a particularly futuristic and innovative base. The branch in Kyoto seems to be even more advanced than this one. How come?

That makes sense, after all, this is Tokyo. If it were made to be particularly eye-catching and prominent, it would have already attracted curious onlookers.

Perhaps they are a very low-profile organization, or perhaps they don't have much funding.

Looking up, there seemed to be scaffolding and construction marks on the exterior of the building, remnants of the previous breach...

The memory of Kirisame Aoi leading him on a forced prison break is still vivid, yet it's only been about six months.

It has only been barely repaired and restored to normal now, so the efficiency is not very high.