Reliable Adult Office Worker

Uesugi Tetsu withdrew his gaze from the window. Unbeknownst to him, a light drizzle had begun to fall outside.

Normally, no one should appear outside a third-floor window, nor could he see what was outside while also being vigilant of the hallway.

But in this world, there were always those who defied the norm.

Take, for instance, the Wet Oni floating outside the window, dripping wet, its curves prominent.

Or Uesugi Tetsu, who had drawn the eyeball of a Hundred-Eyed Demon.

[Hundred-Eyed Demon's Single Eyeball]

[Quality: Excellent]

[Use 1: Equip onto a Demon Incarnation]

[Use 2: Use directly, occupying an equipment slot. If there are insufficient equipment slots upon use, it will continuously consume the user's Spiritual Power.]

[Current Equipment Slots: 1/1]

The large eyeball of the Hundred-Eyed Demon was very useful.

Not only did it provide excellent vision, but it could also move freely within a radius of about fifty meters centered on him, rotating its viewpoint.

Furthermore, the eyeball's stealth effect was quite good. This was evident from the fact that the Wet Oni hadn't yet discovered it was being spied on.

The drawback, however, was that a new perspective would suddenly appear before his eyes.

This meant Uesugi Tetsu could only use it when he was still; as soon as he started moving, he would feel an inexplicable nausea, much like motion sickness.

As for Use 1, he couldn't test it yet.

"Is this Wet Oni an Onmyoji's Shikigami?"

Uesugi Tetsu listened to the footsteps clearly approaching in the hallway, and couldn't help but "show a look of fear."

Before he could deduce further, the footsteps outside the door stopped.

Uesugi Tetsu took a deep breath at the opportune moment, and under the Wet Oni's silent gaze, tightened his grip on the thorny wooden stick in his hand.

Then, the instant the door was pushed open, he roared and unleashed the "Turtle Club Technique"!

"Get lost!"

Under Uesugi Tetsu's "terrified" gaze, a rough, large hand steadily caught the wooden stick, followed by a muscular body that seemed on the verge of bursting out of its police uniform.

However, this physique, comparable to a bodybuilding champion, had a strikingly incongruous sunny boy's face.

"A demon! It's a demon!"

Uesugi Tetsu "scared" himself right onto the floor.

But then he seemed to remember something and said, with feigned ferocity, "I won't let you pass!"

The bodybuilding boy sighed helplessly, skillfully pulled out his identification from his suit's inner pocket, and flashed it before Uesugi Tetsu's eyes.

--[Special Police: Hasegawa Ken].

"Police?"

Uesugi Tetsu lowered his outstretched arms and said blankly.

Hasegawa nodded at him, flashed a toothy grin, said, "Leave it to me," and then asked, "Sister Nanjo, there's one more?"

Before Uesugi Tetsu could answer, a cold voice came from the radio on the other's chest:

"He's lying behind the kid in front of you. Also, remember to use ranks when on duty."

Uesugi Tetsu's pupils constricted.

Without a doubt, this "Sister Nanjo" was the master of the powerful Wet Oni outside the window!

Hasegawa: "Roger, Roger, Younger Subordinate Lord."

With that, he patted Uesugi Tetsu's shoulder. "If you still have the strength, go carry your friend and leave here with me."

"Officer, I have a few more friends..."

"Don't worry, they'll be taken care of too."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Wet Oni from outside the window silently floated into the room, sending a chill down Uesugi Tetsu's back.

Shikigami are considered people too, that makes sense.

As an ordinary person, Uesugi Tetsu was silent for a good while under the combined gaze of Hasegawa and the Wet Oni before he perked up, patted his cheeks, and "laboriously" picked up the unconscious Ririko.

The first sensation upon picking up Ririko was that it was lumpy.

It wasn't heavy, but Uesugi Tetsu suspected he might have put her on the wrong way.

Before long, the group arrived at the outskirts of the abandoned campus.

A minivan, obeying traffic rules and with its hazard lights flashing, was waiting there.

Uesugi Tetsu hesitantly asked, "Officer... don't you think something's a bit strange?"

"What's strange about it?"

"It's been raining continuously, yet we haven't gotten wet..."

Hasegawa: "That's rain from Miss Hiyori Bō. They say it brings good luck."

"Hiyori Bō?"

Before Uesugi Tetsu could finish his question, he saw a weather doll, about the size of a palm and dressed in a light blue skirt, slowly fly towards him. It finally landed gently on his head and stayed there.

Instantly, he felt a gentle warmth rise from within him.

Hasegawa looked astonished: "Miss Hiyori Bō is actually very shy. She usually hides when she sees strangers."

"--That means he has the potential to be an Onmyoji."

It was the female voice from the radio!

Uesugi Tetsu subconsciously raised his gaze.

What met his eyes was an adult woman with a blank expression, her arms crossed.

Her neat, short hair, meticulous attire, and the ID badge hanging on her chest all indicated she was a seasoned professional who had been working in the field for many years.

However, the curves of her front armor were a bit too eye-catching, her black tie was maliciously bent, and even her white shirt was stretched taut, with the second button strained as if it were about to cry out.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Nanjō Emi."

She didn't extend her hand for a polite greeting, only saying, "You're safe now."

A great sense of security washed over them.

Even Uesugi Tetsu's body relaxed, and he almost dropped Ririko.

After a moment of stunned silence, Uesugi Tetsu finally stated his name.

Nanjō Emi nodded: "Get in the car."

The van had been modified, with few seats but a surprisingly spacious interior.

Besides the driver and front passenger seats, there was only a single row of connected seats in the back—Uesugi Tetsu climbed in after carefully laying Ririko down inside.

He gazed at the girl's bare skirt hem, then at the rearview mirror that offered a clear view of the back, then at the Wet Oni sitting in the trunk, and the seiten dōji above his head.

After thinking for a while, he decided to take off his jacket and cover her with it.

The child was growing up; it was best to preserve some privacy for her.

"Uesugi-kun, your composure is truly remarkable," Nanjō Emi, sitting in the passenger seat, praised when she saw this. She took out her laptop: "Could you tell us what happened from the beginning?"

The van continued to drive slowly through the night for some time.

After clicking "Save," Nanjō Emi closed the document. She took a deep breath, and the ID badge hanging from her neck swayed: "I understand what happened. You'll give a statement later, and then forget about today after a good night's sleep."

"I assure you, you're safe now."

Hearing Nanjō Emi's assurance, Uesugi Tetsu looked at Ririko, who had somehow flipped 180 degrees and was now using his thigh as a pillow.

"What about that Ouija board?" Uesugi Tetsu asked. "That thing was very strange."

"It was probably deliberately circulated by the Friendship Club..."

Nanjō Emi immediately realized she had said too much. She shook her head: "What happens next is no longer your concern, Uesugi-kun."

"How is it not my concern?"

It wasn't Uesugi Tetsu who spoke, but Tokugawa Ririko, who had opened her eyes at some point.

Ririko reached out and cupped her empty chest, as if the pendant around her neck was still there: "Kumamoto, Aofuji, and Takahashi are all my friends..."

"It's too dangerous."

Nanjō Emi interrupted for the first time, staring at Ririko with a blank expression: "Ordinary people shouldn't be exposed to this."

"But we should have some right to know," Ririko said, her expression unchanged, but her tone somber: "At least, I don't want to be speechless when their parents ask me why."

"I apologize."

Nanjō Emi's voice remained flat, like a robot programmed for a standard response.

Her extensive and repetitive experience told her that a simple apology and silence were the best course of action at this point; she had already made a serious professional mistake.

Her fists clenched.

Ririko's fists clenched.

"My employee number is 2-009-xxx."

Nanjō Emi lowered her head slightly and skillfully handed over a copy of her ID badge:

"If you have any dissatisfaction or suggestions, you can file a complaint with me immediately after completing your statement at the Special Affairs Division police station tonight. Staff will respond to you within three business days."

Seeing the atmosphere turn sour, Uesugi Tetsu had a thought and poked Ririko's clasped hand: "Tokugawa-san, what have you been holding in your right hand?"

"Oh, this is a Kendo pendant, it doesn't do anything..."

Before Ririko could finish speaking, she realized her hand was actually empty.

The pendant was gone.

The girl's mouth opened, and the dam of "Kendo" in her heart crumbled.

Her small face flushed visibly, and then she curled up, trembling all over, hugging Uesugi Tetsu's waist tightly, and cried out loudly:

"I thought I was going to be eaten by that terrifying Brahma, sob sob sob!!!"