Demon Capital Slayer

Chapter 102 Strange Things Hidden in the Wall
"So, you're childhood sweethearts?"

Yuki Amami, who had flown back onto the sofa, was hanging upside down when she asked a question with a pout.

Faced with his irrational manager, Mitsurugi had no choice but to use his little finger to throw her onto the sofa with the Natural Rishin-ryu Special Technique, just as he had done before.

I don't even dare to use an extra finger, otherwise the cushioning of the sofa might cause me to get hurt, like breaking two ribs or something.

"Yes, yes, I never expected to meet you again in this way. It's such a pleasant surprise," said Akemi Hayashihara with great interest.

"It's really quite amazing..." Yuki Amami muttered to herself while petting the dog.

"Well, since these strange and wonderful things really exist, having an acquaintance who's a medium isn't a bad thing. Wait, could the trouble that Akemi encountered also be related to that?"

"Mr. Milo?" Yujian looked at Inugami, who had been watching the whole thing from the sidelines.

"Ahem, that's most likely the case. According to my boss's judgment, there must be something hidden in the places Miss Hayashihara frequents. That's the culprit behind the problem."

Previously, Toshio had investigated the office building where your company is located, but found no relevant items; they are most likely hidden in a private residence. Inugami Milo briefly explained the current situation.

"What exactly is the reason? Why can't Akemi sing suddenly?"

“We’ve suspected it might be a curse, but we can’t rule out the possibility of Southeast Asian witchcraft. We’ll have to see what the medium we find is.” After saying that, Milo started sniffing the ground.

"Don't we need to wait for other mediums?" Yuki Amami couldn't help but ask.

"Ah, I'll look for it first, and if that doesn't work, I'll trouble other colleagues," Milo replied, neither too firm nor too soft.

Yujian, standing to the side, could tell that the competition among mediums was fierce. The fact that the Breeze Detective Agency had set off early was probably to get the case sorted out before the others arrived.

The flying dog god Milo represents mobility, coupled with the dog's naturally excellent sense of smell. Saying that he can only get some unpopular commissions is ridiculous when he clearly has a huge advantage in niche tracks.

The adult world is indeed treacherous.

Thinking to himself, Mitsurugi turned his head and saw Hayashihara Akemi secretly poking his cheek with her finger. With a swordsman's senses, he was naturally not fooled by such a small trick, but the action brought back a lot of childhood memories.

Back then, because Little Swordsman was always running around with his parents, it was difficult for him to get to know other children his age, let alone make friends.

He only met a guy like Lin Yuan who was very outgoing; otherwise, he probably would still be friendless.

Wait a minute, he doesn't seem to have many friends. He did have a group of subordinates who participated in racing duels with him, though... could they be considered friends? Maybe...

"Little bangs, little bangs, hehe, I didn't expect you to grow up to be such a handsome guy. Do you have a lot of girlfriends?" Lin Yuanmingmei teased while poking Yujian's face.

"That's not true," Yu Jian denied categorically.

"Wow, so innocent." For some reason, Akemi Hayashihara smiled even more happily.

That overly familiar feeling... it really is that guy.

Memories flooded back: fighting over game controllers, resorting to real-life fighting when we couldn't win in a fighting game, making plans to take turns helping each other eat vegetables we didn't like, and all sorts of other things that happened in the summer.

With a sigh, Yu Jian naturally wouldn't reject these things; they were also his life, or at least a part of it. He just hadn't had time to sort them out yet. Forcing them into two parts would only make him more prone to mental breakdown.

"Speaking of which, why did you decide to become an idol, Miss Lin? You used to find even dresses too troublesome and didn't like wearing them," Yu Jian asked curiously.

"Well, I originally accompanied a friend to a talent show during high school, but somehow I was the one who got selected. Then I met Amami-nee, who took good care of me, so I thought I'd give it a try and put in a little effort." Hayashihara Akemi gestured a short distance with two fingers.

"Then, I discovered that singing is quite enjoyable and can give courage and strength to people in need, so I've kept going until now."

"That's it."

Success is never that simple...

Yu Jian thought this to himself, but didn't say much on the surface. He just secretly decided to get rid of the curse as quickly as possible.

It's amazing how much a girl can change without anyone noticing; no wonder there's a saying that a girl changes drastically at eighteen.

After transforming from Kobayashi Asuka to Hayashibara Akemi, she not only grew her hair longer but also started wearing skirts. She no longer resembles her original tomboyish self, which explains why she wasn't recognized when glimpsed on TV or magazine covers.

"How did you come up with the idea of ​​using 'Hayahara Akemi' as your stage name?" Yujian couldn't help but ask.

"..." Upon hearing this question, Akemi Hayashihara suddenly stared at her intently.

"Oh, my manager said that the name 'Kobayashi Asuka' is too long and hard to remember, and asked if I wanted to change my stage name. So, I just changed the name of the heroine who became an idol in a manga that someone drew when they were a child and used it."

"I see." Yu Jian choked for a moment, feeling new memories beginning to assault him.

Who is this "someone"? It's so hard to guess, hahaha...

"So, what should we call Sister Lin from now on?"

"Hmm, let's stick with Mingmei. I really like this stage name."

Akemi Hayashihara looked at Mitsurugi with a half-smile, which made him inexplicably break out in a cold sweat. Fortunately, his loyal companion, the dog, came to his rescue.

"Found it, woof woof!" Inu God Milo barked twice at an unremarkable wall.

"I'll go take a look." Yu Jian strode over.

"The smell is coming from here. It's very faint, but the medium of the curse is most likely buried inside. We need to find a way to make a hole in the wall to get the thing out."

“Leave it to me.” Yu Jian nodded.

"Be careful, there might be..." Milo was about to say something.

Boom!
The white-haired youth's hand revealed layers of dragon scale patterns, and then he punched straight into the wall. He seemed to feel some resistance during the process, but he easily broke through it by concentrating his mind.

He didn't even use his iron-cutting power.

"I was thinking there might be a barrier." The experienced dog god slowly retracted his tongue.

"Really? I thought it was wallpaper." Yu Jian shook his hand nonchalantly, not because it hurt, but because he was worried about getting dust on it.

Then he looked at the wall cavity.

Due to the lack of light, it is difficult to see what is inside from the outside.

However, thanks to his enhanced Eagle Vision, Yu Jian could roughly see the interior. Something was vaguely hidden deep inside, and judging from the reflection of the material's surface, it seemed to be a metallic object. Out of caution, he did not put his hand directly inside.

At that moment, Akemi Hayashihara handed her a lighter.

Yu Jian stared wide-eyed for a moment before sighing, "Smoking is bad."

“Yes, Xiao Liu Hai is right.” Lin Yuanmingmei looked at the stunned Tian Hai Yuki beside her.

The female agent wanted to say not to change the interior layout without permission, but then she saw someone punch through the wall. Even if it wasn't the strongest load-bearing wall, it was still a wall.

After finally regaining her senses, Yuki Amami subtly stepped in front of her artist before turning back to look at her with a helpless expression.

"I'm not going to smoke in front of you."

"But it's not good for your health." Akemi Hayashihara chuckled and put her arm around Yuki Amami's shoulder.

The two, one tall and one short, really do look a bit like sisters.

“But smoking can definitely help you relax.” This time, it was Milo who spoke.

Can dogs be used too?

Yujian looked at the senior dog god in astonishment.

"Ahem, smoking is bad for your health, young people shouldn't follow suit." Milo stuck out his tongue, looking like he knew nothing about it.

Yu Jian shook his head. "Don't meddle too much in dog-related matters."

He pressed the lighter and looked into the interior of the interlayer by the light.

There, an elegantly designed metal birdcage lay quietly in the mezzanine. Inside, there were neither live nor dead birds, but a finely crafted model of the castle tower.

"Mr. Milo, what should we do next?" Yujian cautiously sought advice.

"What exactly is inside?" Milo asked with an air of nonchalance.

"A birdcage."

"Huh? Let me see." The old dog god, who had seen a lot, exclaimed in surprise, as he had never seen anything like this before.

So, Yujian picked up the Samoyed with one hand and held the lighter a little further away with the other, worried that he might accidentally set the dog's fur on fire.

Although he wasn't sure if the spirit dog's fur could be ignited by flames.

"What kind of strange medium is this? I've never seen anything like it before." Milo's eyes widened and he raised his hands to cover his head.

Yu Jian put it down, and the Samoyed started chasing its tail in circles again, which seemed to be a habitual action when he was thinking.

When Milo finally stopped, he hesitated before speaking:

"The medium's design is somewhat similar to Western magic, but the castle tower is clearly a local product. This is troublesome; for a moment, I can't figure out what it is."

Theoretically, most curses will become ineffective once the medium is destroyed, unless it's the type that leaves a direct mark on the body or soul. But if it were truly a high-level curse, there would be no need to secretly hide the medium near the victim.

Miken glanced at Hayashihara Akemi and noticed that she was even weaker than last time.

Perhaps the curse only prevents people from singing, but for singers who love it, singing may be something more important than life itself.

Is Akemi Hayashibara that kind of person?

Yu Jian didn't know, but he didn't want to gamble.

This nonsensical curse must be dealt with as soon as possible, and the person behind it must also be identified and dealt with.

More troubles have arisen...

With a sigh of helplessness in his heart, Yu Jian never considered leaving it unattended.

Then, Milo spoke again.

"I suggest not to do anything for now. Unfamiliar procedures may have a self-defense function."

Seemingly sensing Mitsurugi's urgency, the old man Inugami then added a sentence.

"As for the person who cast the curse, Toshio has already found some clues. Given a little more time, we can confirm their identity. Then, we can solve the problem directly at its source."

"I see." Yu Jian nodded, and felt relieved.

As expected of a senior figure, his approach to handling the situation was always prudent.

"Damn it, don't let me find out who that guy is!" Yuki Amami crossed her arms and shook her leg indignantly.

The female agent's high heels clicked against the ground, making a sound that inexplicably reminded one of a Chicago typewriter.

"Step back a bit. The scent of the curse has become stronger since the barrier was broken. It's best for ordinary people to avoid contact with the power of the Netherworld," Milo once again offered his prudent advice.

"Could it be something like carbon monoxide?" Yuki Amami nervously pulled Akemi Hayashibara back.

Instead, Yu Jian took two steps forward, arriving at the position closest to the gap in the wall.

"Well, that understanding isn't entirely wrong." Milo sighed and raised his paw to his forehead, but didn't completely deny it.

“Mr. Milo,” Yu Jian, who was blocking the way, suddenly spoke.

"What's wrong?" Inugami looked up at him.

"That thing is glowing."

"Nani?!"

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(End of this chapter)