Powerless Mortal

"Who's there?"

The commotion from behind caused the mature police officer, Fuji Seiko, to glance back quickly while keeping her gun trained on the 'flaming skull'.

What is this?!

Within the mist behind her, a 'figure' holding an umbrella walked forward.

That's right, even though they were only a few meters apart, the mature policewoman still couldn't tell if the person was male or female, or even if they were human at all.

This was because the figure was surrounded by swirling currents of water. These ceaseless streams encased the newcomer, and through the ripples, one could only make out a general human shape.

The stranger did not answer the policewoman's question, instead raising a hand and pointing it toward the fire hydrant that had been knocked askew by the police car.

With a clawing motion of five fingers!

Creak, creak, creak.

Amidst the sound of twisting metal, the fire hydrant was suddenly burst open by an inexplicable, immense force from within!

BOOM—

The next second, water erupted from the damaged hydrant like a giant dragon breaking free from its shackles, soaring into the sky.

"A dragon."

In the shocked eyes of the policewoman, Fuji Seiko, the reflection of a long, lithe, and ferocious figure appeared.

The water gushing from the hydrant did not fall or scatter under the influence of gravity.

Instead, it condensed into the image of an Eastern dragon: mouth agape, whiskers flying, with ripples outlining shimmering scales; its sharp claws and fangs were lifelike, and its majestic head carried an air of both dignity and benevolence. White mist swirled around its body, refusing to dissipate.

The wind follows the tiger, the clouds follow the dragon!

"Hiss—"

Facing this 'giant dragon' of water, the flaming skull's jawbone snapped open, emitting a fearful roar that made the policewoman's eardrums ache, and it raised both arms:

Individual 'fireballs' the size of human heads appeared out of thin air!

In the center of these fireballs, 'human faces' emerged—men, women, old, and young—as if they were being ruthlessly roasted; the moment they appeared, they lunged impatiently toward the figure under the umbrella.

Go, dragon.

The hand beneath the umbrella pointed forward, and the giant water dragon roared, charging to meet these 'human-faced' fireballs.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

In a series of explosions, the water dragon and the flaming human faces collided violently.

Shockwaves rippled outward, and steam billowed in all directions. The aftermath of the collision forced the mature policewoman to shield her face with her hands and curl up behind the police car.

Before the high-temperature steam had even faded, the policewoman looked up to see that the water dragon was tattered and broken, while the flaming 'human faces' had almost vanished.

It seemed they were evenly matched?

No!

Water extinguishes fire.

As the water continued to jet from the hydrant, the broken dragon was immediately replenished, recovering visibly to the naked eye.

"ROAR~~"

With another roar, the water dragon lunged at the flaming skull, which appeared withered after releasing so many 'human-faced' fireballs, coiling around it and trapping it.

End this quickly.

Kishida Jun, beneath the umbrella, channeled the 'yokai power' within his body and clenched his five fingers toward the 'flaming skull'.

"AHHHHHHH!!!"

The water dragon suddenly constricted its body, intent on strangling the flames!

The mass of the flaming skull thrashed wildly within the water, but it could never break through this watery cage; amidst the rising billows of high-temperature steam, its body was continuously dissolved.

It's over.

As the flames were completely extinguished, Kishida Jun's gaze sharpened.

A fragment of stone, no larger than a fingernail, floated in the spot where the flaming skull had been.

With a flick of his finger, the water carried the stone back to him.

Grasping the fragment of stone, Kishida Jun felt a "demonic aura" emanating from it—faint, yet potent enough to make his entire body tremble as if he were standing before an absolute superior. Far from feeling fear, his face lit up with joy.

Sessho-seki!

The task given to him by that White Ghost Messenger was precisely to collect the Sessho-seki.

Kishida Jun didn't need the other party to explain the reason; he could guess it himself. After all, the Sessho-seki was the remains of that great demon, or perhaps, a means for its resurrection.

Even the Underworld, which governed life and death, feared that great figure who had crossed the sea?

With this thought flashing through his mind, Kishida Jun stowed away the Sessho-seki and prepared to leave.

"Stop right there!"

A sharp reprimand came from nearby, causing Kishida Jun, who was holding an umbrella, to turn his head slightly.

"I don't care who you are, you must stay and assist with the investigation!"

As Fuji Seiko shouted the words ingrained in her bones, she wanted to slap herself.

She was dead!

Given the power the other party had displayed, he could kill her with a mere flick of his hand.

Especially since her service pistol was now empty.

But as her gaze swept over the ruined houses nearby, her junior officer lying in a pool of blood, and the police uniform she wore, she knew she could not turn a blind eye.

However, the other party did not attack her. No, this "figure" under the umbrella didn't even look at her directly. He simply stepped forward, and the surrounding fog surged toward him like foot soldiers escorting a samurai, vanishing from the scarred street in the blink of an eye.

"What on earth am I doing?"

Lowering her arms, the mature policewoman, Fuji Seiko, bit her lip.

"Is anyone there?"

"Someone is hurt here!"

?!

A pained cry for help drifted from the mist, snapping the dazed policewoman back to reality.

Save them!

"Mai,"

She rushed to the back of the patrol car, popped the trunk, and grabbed the first-aid kit.

Dashing to the side of her fallen colleague, the mature policewoman began to administer emergency aid to her junior, who lay in a pool of blood.

Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.

As the largest municipal police force in the world, the Metropolitan Police Department was a behemoth overseeing more than 46,000 officers.

It was precisely because of this massive force of nearly 50,000 that Tokyo's public safety was maintained at a relatively acceptable level. Unfortunately, in the last few days, the authority of the Metropolitan Police Department had faced a series of severe challenges.

"Hello, hello, Machiya, Arakawa Ward...?"

"This is the Metropolitan Police Department."

"An earthquake? What, a giant black fish? Sir, please calm down, take a deep breath first."

"This is Fuji Seiko, Patrol Sergeant of the Adachi Ward Police Station, badge number XXXXXX!"

Amidst the chorus of incoming emergency calls, one caller identified herself directly.

"An earthquake disaster has occurred in Machiya 6-chome, Arakawa Ward. Please send rescue teams immediately. Yes, there are over a dozen casualties at the scene!"

"No, it is not a natural disaster."

"The disaster was caused by monsters, by yokai."

"I am perfectly calm. My body camera is currently recording. Please send rescue teams immediately, and be quick!"

Wooo-wooo-wooo~~~

Patrol cars, ambulances, and even armored vehicles roared toward Arakawa Ward from every district.

The flashing lights atop their roofs and their cold, hard metal armor forced vehicles along the way to scramble out of the path. Whether they were ordinary citizens or corporate presidents, no one dared to utter a single word in the face of the menacing state apparatus.

Helicopters followed one after another in the sky.

This display made pedestrians and drivers alike wonder what could have possibly happened to warrant such a massive mobilization of the police.

However, there was something faster than even the swiftest vehicles.

Earthquake scene.

Shocking, a fish swimming on land?!

A flaming skeleton? Pictures or it didn't happen--

<Strange, thick fog appears in Machiya 6-chome, Arakawa Ward, shrouding the earthquake zone.>

Although the earthquake and the "battle" were confined to just a few streets near Machiya 6-chome, the sight of that giant black fish, burdened with a torii gate, crushing buildings and "swimming" through the earth was witnessed by many, captured on camera, and uploaded to the internet!

In the lives of modern people, a smartphone was almost never out of reach.

When encountering something strange or bizarre, the first reaction was to pull out a smartphone:

Then post it to Line, Facebook, or YouTube.

However, these messages, along with their images, vanished from the internet with incredible speed. Not to mention other countries, even the locals in Arakawa Ward didn't have time to react.

Immediately after, news reading: <A sudden earthquake has occurred in Arakawa Ward. The government is conducting full-scale rescue operations; please cooperate, citizens.> rapidly occupied the phones, computers, televisions, and every means of digital communication for all residents of Arakawa Ward.

A massive number of armored vehicles sped in, sealing off every major traffic artery!

Ambulances and police cars, sirens wailing in a continuous stream, rushed toward Machiya 6-chome in Arakawa Ward. As for what they were going to do?

Only the elites at the very front knew.

The supernatural.

It had appeared again!

Adachi Ward, Suimi High School.

"Huh?"

"Chiyoda Line train service suspended for emergency maintenance."

Amame Ei, walking out of the school gate with her companions, looked at the notification popping up on her phone with a puzzled expression.

"What is this? Doesn't that mean we have to take a long detour?"

"It is an antique built fifty years ago, after all; it's quite normal for accidents to happen," Akihi Yu said calmly, without the slightest self-awareness of being the 'culprit.'

"It's only been fifty years," Amame Ei retorted, though since the Chiyoda Line was impassable, they had no choice but to take a detour.

"Amame-san, and Nao, if it's inconvenient for you, you can head back first."

Akihi Yu needed to go to Bunkyo Ward to pick up his younger sister, Akiyu Sora.

As for Amame Ei, she had previously mentioned she also needed to go to Bunkyo Ward because her older sister, Nagisa Kazuha, would accompany her to clean the shrine every day after school.

Judging by the posture of the other party's driver yesterday, that young lady likely wouldn't be able to leave the house freely for some time.

As for the class representative, Ai Nao:

"I'm fine with it, Yu."

Having finally managed to draw closer to her childhood friend again, Ai Nao wouldn't give up the chance to spend time together. Besides:

"I don't want to go home right now, you know that, Yu."

Ah~~

Rubbing his chin, he recalled that in his memories, Ai Nao's parents had been in a cold war for over a decade, reaching the point where they 'loathed the sight of each other,' and had even nearly come to blows a few years ago.

That was why Ai Nao had joined the school's swimming club, staying out until dark every day before returning home.

It was all to avoid facing her parents as much as possible.

"Then, let's go."

The three switched to the Namboku Line to take a detour toward Ousakura Girls' School in Bunkyo Ward.

"Wow, this is really~~"

When the three arrived at this elite girls' high school, what they saw was:

Luxury cars!

All kinds of luxury cars.

Although they didn't recognize the emblems, the models of these vehicles, along with the drivers in black suits, sunglasses, and gloves, all radiated the aura of 'old-money aristocracy.'

There were even helicopters constantly taking off and landing on the school playground, picking up one young lady of high status after another.

"What is going on?"

Amame Ei looked at the scene before her—exceptionally busy yet devoid of any shouting—and wondered if she had come to the wrong place.

Akihi Yu, who knew the truth, shrugged.

"Who knows?"

"Maybe these rich people are just in a hurry to get home for dinner?"

"Ei,"

At the school gate, the high-and-mighty young lady waiting there, Nagisa Kazuha, hurried over and took the petite girl Amame Ei's hand.

"Come with me, to my house."

"Eh,"

"Eh?!"

Even the lively and cheerful Amame Ei was left with nothing but astonishment for a moment.

"The three of you, would you do me the honor of visiting my humble abode?"

Noticing Akihi Yu, Akiyu Sora, and Ai Nao, the young lady Nagisa Kazuha extended an invitation.

"No, we'll just—"

"Then I'll also—"

Seeing that Akihi Yu was preparing to refuse, Amame Ei also subconsciously prepared to decline.

"No!"

The young lady Nagisa Kazuha was clearly anxious.

"Things over at Arakawa right now... In short, just come with me, please?"

"Eh? Why? This..."

Amame Ei subconsciously turned her head to look at Akihi Yu, and after thinking it over, Akihi Yu, who already understood the reason behind it, replied:

"In that case, we shall impose upon you, Nagisa-san."

?!