The police officers finally left.
Only when the scent of all four officers had completely faded did Souta Kiryuu breathe a sigh of relief.
"Mmmph! Mmm!"
The girl in his grasp began struggling again, but with her ordinary human strength, she wasn't even comparable to a kitten in front of Souta.
"Listen, I'll let you go," he said.
"But you must not scream, understand?"
The girl, her mouth still covered by his hand, nodded. Souta released her as promised.
"Haa... Huff, huff..."
True to her word, she didn't scream. Instead, she turned her head in shock toward the window.
"This is the third floor! How did you get in?"
Hey, is now really the time to ask that?
Faced with the girl's surprise and curiosity, Souta was speechless.
She rushed to the window, poked her head out, and looked around.
"No ladder... So strange..."
Shing—
Just as she turned back, razor-sharp claws, gleaming like daggers, halted right before her eyes. Her words of excitement got stuck in her throat.
"Curiosity killed the cat," Souta said coldly. "Did it never occur to you that I might kill you?"
Watching the girl stiffen and tremble under his threat, Souta sighed inwardly and slowly lowered his hand.
"This world isn't as pretty as you think it is. Seeking thrills will only end in your body being smashed to pieces."
"Forget everything that just happened. What you should be doing is studying."
"Jeez, you sound just like my dad," she muttered.
Souta's expression shifted subtly at those familiar words.
"I'm sorry!"
Seeing the gruff-looking man's face darken, the girl with the traditional hime-cut hairstyle quickly clasped her hands together and bowed.
"Do... do you want money? I only have a few thousand yen in allowance."
Realizing the man before her might not be a 'good guy,' she awkwardly fumbled through her pink wallet.
"...No. You don't need to apologize."
"And I don't want your money."
With eyes lowered, Souta's voice softened for the first time since he had gained his 'demonic power.'
She looked so much like her.
The girl before him resembled his sister, Akemi Kiryuu, far too much.
Of course, as her older brother, Souta could still tell the differences between them at a glance.
But her tone, her gestures, even her carefree attitude — they were all identical to Akemi's.
"I was the one who intruded into your home. I should be the one apologizing."
He walked toward the window but paused in his steps.
The tall, burly Souta Kiryuu turned around once more.
"Tokyo is going to be unstable for a while. Don't go out at night, and keep your windows shut."
Swish—
After saying that, he leapt from the window again, landing lightly in the alley below. Adjusting his hood, he vanished into the shadows.
Whether the girl would report him or not, Souta honestly didn't care much.
To be blunt, he only avoided the police because he didn't want the trouble — not because he feared them.
A standard handgun couldn't hurt him anymore.
"What a weirdo," the girl muttered, peeking out the window with her traditional princess cut hairstyle.
Still, she obediently closed the window and sat back down to study.
She looked like a typical high school girl — at least from Souta's hidden vantage point.
Enjoy your youth.
Girl who resembles Akemi.
———
"Alright!"
"Step one of the plan succeeded!"
In an office on a certain floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department in Chiyoda Ward, Director Takemasa pumped his fist.
On the surveillance footage, the departing figure of Souta Kiryuu was clearly captured — including his final glance back and the silent movement of his lips.
This office had been specially set up for the "Collar Project," with every staff member thoroughly vetted: three generations of ancestors born in Japan, no ties to foreigners — especially Americans.
The team included psychologists, micro-expression specialists, and lip-reading experts.
They had only one mission: to analyze Souta Kiryuu's every word and movement, build a psychological model, and predict his next steps.
"Don't celebrate just yet, Director," said Iori Ichika from the side, raining on his parade as usual.
"This was merely the first contact. We're still far from success."
"Ichika, has anyone ever told you that if you talked less, you'd be promoted by now?"
"Yes. You said that last time — when you demoted me."
The biker-gang-style woman named Ichika replied without hesitation, causing her boss to shake his head.
Though he acknowledged Ichika's abilities, her mouth... yeah, that demotion was earned.
"Regardless, Akemi's successful contact with the target — without being killed on the spot — is undeniably a major victory. That's thanks to you, Ichika."
"You're too kind, Director."
Ichika glanced around at the walls plastered with countless photos of Souta Kiryuu, the numerous surveillance feeds tracking his movements across the city, and the image of the girl — 'Akemi' — now diligently studying.
Even as the architect of the plan, Ichika couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the sheer power of the state.
Yes, it was all a carefully staged performance by the police department.
Whether it was the trapped gang members, the utility workers 'repairing the sewers,' or even the patrolling officers — every part had been orchestrated.
All to create a fated encounter between the two 'main characters': Souta Kiryuu and 'Akemi.'
The real Akemi Kiryuu was dead. That was a fact.
But finding a girl who looked 70%, or even 90% like her? That wasn't a problem.
When the machinery of the state was fully mobilized, they scoured the entire nation and quickly found a girl with similar facial features.
Driven by national duty, the girl accepted her role, and then came the intense rehearsals and briefings.
From a professional standpoint, her acting had many flaws. But her opponent wasn't a seasoned actor — just a college student who had suddenly gained supernatural powers.
"Maybe that raw performance felt more real?"
"True. Too much polish would have seemed fake."
Several acting consultants debated the matter. Since being assigned to the project, they had cut all contact with the outside world and fully grasped the mission's gravity.
After all, they were dealing with a youkai — no, a supernatural being.
If he went rogue, the damage would be catastrophic.
They couldn't afford to overlook a single detail or expression. Their goal was to gently bring him under control.
The girl — 'Akemi' — was the government's chosen 'collar' for Souta Kiryuu.
Given Souta's current distrust and hostility toward the authorities, direct contact would only lead to conflict.
If force didn't work, then they'd go for his weakness. And his weakness, without a doubt, was his sister.
The real Akemi was gone.
So they'd create a new one for him.
"Souta Kiryuu has returned underground," someone reported.
All around the manholes of Adachi Ward, emergency cameras had been installed.
During the battle at Kita-Senju Town 1-Chome, Souta's blood trail had vanished at a sewer entrance. The government didn't chase him then — they were waiting for him to surface.
Now, they didn't just want to bring Souta under their control. They also wanted to use him to investigate other supernaturals hiding in Japan.
In Kita-Senju, seasoned experts had already discovered a second battlefield — signs of combat between Souta and another supernatural.
Initially, the government assumed the mist-wielding entity was Souta's ally, helping him escape.
But based on the evidence, the opponent had actually been targeting Souta — and badly injured him in the process.
Combining this with the crash of the American Black Hawk helicopter, it was likely there had been more supernaturals involved on the scene.
With that, their mission had become even more urgent.
They needed to uncover what these unknown supernaturals were planning.