For example, there was a "god" at the bottom of the lake, and the person who rescued her was a powerful Onmyoji.
As for the details of the "sacrificial ritual" and Koyasu Tsubame being chosen as the sacrifice, Kashiwagi Masao had naturally concealed them selectively.
Even so, it was enough for Kashiwagi Nagisa to confirm one fact—
Kira Yoshikage was a powerful Onmyoji who had killed the god worshipped by the Shinomiya Family and the Kashiwagi Family for hundreds of years.
Shijo Maki silently lowered her head and scrolled through short videos on her phone.
She acted just like an ordinary female high school student.
To avoid attracting attention, she had even changed into another school's uniform.
Koyasu Tsubame suddenly spoke:
"Maki, move two seats to the right."
"The camera's blocked. I can't see Kira-kun."
Shijo Maki reluctantly shifted two seats according to the instructions in her earpiece.
"Hm?"
Beside Shijo Maki, a girl who had already changed out of her Bunny Girl costume and into a Shuchiin Academy uniform blinked.
"So, are you following someone?"
The girl muttered under her breath, but Shijo Maki seemed not to hear her and continued playing with her phone, head lowered.
Chapter 55: The Runaway Girl
Okura Tokyo Hotel.
Shijo Maki stood at the hotel entrance and looked up at the forty-one-story skyscraper before her, murmuring in confusion:
"Why would he come to a place like this?"
According to the school records, Kira Yoshikage's address should have been in Ota Ward. A five-star hotel like this didn't look like somewhere he would come at all.
Her question was soon answered when Koyasu Tsubame's gentle voice came through the Bluetooth earpiece:
"Kira Yoshikage probably came here to work part-time. After all, it's a five-star hotel, so the employee benefits should be much better than those of ordinary part-time jobs."
Shijo Maki remained silent. She had also seen Kira Yoshikage's records and knew about his family situation. Although she was born into a noble family and admitted that she had been spoiled since childhood, she wasn't some sheltered young heiress who knew nothing of the world.
So when she saw Kira Yoshikage's records, she found it difficult to imagine how he had managed to endure everything...
"Hurry up and follow him, Maki!"
Kashiwagi Nagisa's urgent urging rang in Shijo Maki's ear.
"Ah, I know. Honestly!"
Shijo Maki muttered a complaint, but her body honestly carried her into the hotel lobby, where she happened to see Kira Yoshikage waiting for the elevator. Shijo Maki instinctively tried to squeeze into the elevator after him, but a synthesized mechanical voice soon came through her earpiece:
"Don't follow him. Go to the front desk and get a room."
"Walnut?"
Shijo Maki froze slightly, but quickly understood and walked straight to the front desk as instructed.
While speaking with the receptionist, the girl's peripheral vision fell on the elevator that had already closed.
The number above the door kept rising until it stopped at 41.
"Angel Ladder?"
Shijo Maki was somewhat surprised, while Kashiwagi Nagisa and Koyasu Tsubame also cried out in surprise at the same time.
There were many five-star hotels in Tokyo, and Okura Tokyo Hotel was only one of them. It couldn't even rank among the top ten. On the other hand, thanks to the hotel's successful marketing strategy, the Angel Ladder on the top floor of Okura Tokyo Hotel was actually quite famous among high society.
Although most of its guests were still from the middle class, genuine wealthy families occasionally came here for entertainment. Some even rented out the entire Angel Ladder specifically to hold banquets.
Since they were in Tokyo, they had heard of it even if they had never been there.
Kashiwagi Nagisa murmured softly:
"If Kira-kun works at Angel Ladder, should I buy this hotel?"
"No, you can't."
Koyasu Tsubame thought about it seriously before gently shaking her head.
"Okura Tokyo Hotel belongs to the Yukinoshita Family. I don't think they'll sell it."
The Yukinoshita Family was merely a small family from the countryside of Chiba. They couldn't even be considered a wealthy family locally, let alone here in Tokyo. In the eyes of true elites, they were still country bumpkins.
For a small family like that to enter Tokyo's upper society, it had to own an industry in Tokyo. The only industry the Yukinoshita Family had that was worth mentioning was Royal Okura Tokyo Hotel.
If they sold the hotel, the Yukinoshita Family would have no way to establish a foothold in Tokyo!
By then, Yukinoshita would only be able to retreat to the countryside outside Tokyo. Wouldn't that make their trip to Tokyo pointless?
Kashiwagi Nagisa snorted softly:
"If they refuse to sell, that only means the price isn't high enough!"
Unlike Shinomiya Kaguya, as the only daughter of the Kashiwagi Family, she was destined to inherit the family business in the future—unless her father gave her a younger brother, or had an illegitimate child outside the family.
But it wasn't so easy for an illegitimate child to inherit the family business. And if he wanted to have another son now, it would be more than a decade before that child could compete with her. As far as Kashiwagi Nagisa was concerned, although she couldn't do whatever she wanted solely through her family's wealth, she could still act recklessly without any problem.
Shijo Maki complained quietly:
"Is that really necessary? Rather than buying the hotel, wouldn't it be better for you to come here directly?"
After taking the Room Card from the receptionist, Shijo Maki walked straight toward the elevator.
"Don't follow him so closely."
Kashiwagi Nagisa hurriedly reminded her.
"I'm not stupid."
Shijo Maki muttered under her breath and waved the Room Card in front of the Hidden Camera on her chest.
Her room was on the thirty-first floor, so taking the elevator was perfectly reasonable, right?
As for the forty-first floor, of course she would go there—but not now, and not today.
After all, she wasn't the one pursuing him. Her only purpose was to confirm where Kira Yoshikage worked. Everything else was none of her business. If they really wanted to go to the forty-first floor, Kashiwagi Nagisa should make the move herself. She couldn't have her best friend pursue a man on her behalf, could she?
Inside the elevator, Sakurajima Mai, who had been following Shijo Maki the entire time, wore a somewhat peculiar expression.
"So, the person you're following is actually Kira Yoshikage?"
Sakurajima Mai thought it was quite a coincidence. Because she was probably, perhaps, maybe also following Kira Yoshikage...
Although she had been "forced" into it, when all was said and done, her actions could only be described as following him.
Did this count as arriving at the same destination by different routes?
Still, Kira-kun should have noticed them. It was impossible that he hadn't.
After all, Shijo Maki's tracking skills could hardly be called impressive, while Kira Yoshikage was a man capable of killing gods!
Setagaya Ward, LycoReco.
A mature woman with long, curly brown hair, red-framed glasses, and an attractive face slid open the Shoji and asked impatiently:
"Kurumi, is it done?"
On the tatami, a blonde little girl sitting with her legs tucked beneath her raised her head hesitantly.
"I don't have any problems on my end, but are you sure you want to do this?"
"Of course!"
Nakahara Mizuki confidently swept back her long hair and struck a coquettish pose.
"Once I make my move, I'll definitely succeed!"
Kurumi looked at Mizuki, who was preening herself, and complained speechlessly:
"Aren't you afraid Chisato will shoot you to death?"
Mizuki patted her chest confidently.
"Relax! Chisato never kills anyone!"
"That was before."
Kurumi's words were sharp.
"She'd kill you without hesitation now."
"And there's Takina, too. Chisato might still consider your past relationship, but Takina will definitely mow you down with a machine gun!"
Nakahara Mizuki remained full of confidence.
"It doesn't matter! As long as I succeed, I'll be their sister-in-law."
"Even if they want to kill me, they'll have to get past Kira-kun first!"
Kurumi hesitated, not knowing what to say.
Are you really that confident you'll succeed?
What if you fail to seduce him and get blown to ashes by Kira Yoshikage instead...
And besides.
If you really had that much experience, you wouldn't still be single—or still a virgin.
Kurumi sighed and solemnly declared:
"Anyway, you forced me to do this. It has nothing to do with me!"
Even if they were discovered later, she would definitely put all the blame on Nakahara Mizuki.
She had to cut ties in time and make a clean break, or Chisato and Takina might shoot her to death!
It wasn't that she was afraid. She was merely trying to ensure that someone would be left to collect Nakahara Mizuki's corpse.
Chapter 56: Do You Really Need a Gun for a Greeting? Hey!
Eight o'clock at night, Okura Tokyo Hotel, Angel Ladder.
Ding-dong~!
A mature woman with long coffee-colored hair and an extravagantly styled appearance stepped out of the elevator. She spotted that familiar figure almost at once, her eyes lighting up as she strode toward the bar on sexy legs wrapped in black stockings.
Nakahara Mizuki plopped herself onto a high stool at the bar and said with a bright smile:
"Yo~ handsome~ Get me a Long Island Iced Tea."
Kira Yoshikage, who had been wiping a glass, glanced at her. Without saying anything, he took out the ingredients and began mixing the cocktail.
Nakahara Mizuki read the name tag on Kira Yoshikage's clothes aloud:
"Kira Queen?"
"That name is surprisingly identical to that of an old friend of mine~"
Nakahara Mizuki smiled brightly as she looked at Kira Yoshikage.
"Is that so? What a coincidence."
Kira Yoshikage's expression didn't change as he casually pushed the finished cocktail over to her.
"It really is a coincidence."
Nakahara Mizuki took a sip of the drink, her eyes glinting mischievously.
"Not only are the names identical, but you even look exactly alike."
Kira Yoshikage didn't respond. Instead, he asked: