Tokyo Detective Chronicles

"Hmm...it's good that you're alright."

"..." Rina's concerned voice came through the phone.

"Me?"

Fushimi turned his head and glanced at the situation in the alley: "Nothing's wrong. You guys should go back early and don't come to the back gate of the school."

"Oh, okay, then take care." Hoshizaki Rina finally hung up the phone with a sigh of relief.

And in the background noise on the other end of the phone, you could faintly hear Takeru Satoh's angry roar...

Fushimi hung up the phone and put it away.

Somewhat speechless, I looked back...

"I'm telling you guys!"

Sato Takeru covered his face, and through his fingers, one could see a swollen, bluish-purple face that looked like a pig's head.

At this moment, he was arrogantly reprimanding the delinquents kneeling in front of him, some of whom had blood in their mouths, and one of whom had fainted and was unconscious.

"You dare bully Qingchengtai students just because you outnumber them? Huh? You even brought people to retaliate? Are you even human?!"

As he spoke, he raised his leg and kicked again, this time in Akiyama Tatsuya's face.

"You! You think you're so great just because you dyed your hair blonde? You think you're the Pirate King just because you have a lousy anchor tattoo?"

The thugs gritted their teeth, watching this arrogant and domineering guy without daring to retaliate.

Fushimi: "..."

Fushimi looked at Sato Takeru, his eyes twitching slightly. What exactly was this guy here for?

Previously, after being led into the alley by a group of thugs, he hadn't intended to waste any more time talking and was preparing to teach these ungrateful thugs a lesson first...

"Hello!"

Takeru Satoh swaggered in and stood in front of Fushimi with a serious expression.

"..."

They looked at each other in silence, the atmosphere awkward.

Just when Fushimi thought Sato Takeru was there to cause trouble, and that there would be another unlucky guy in the alley to be beaten up by him today, Sato Takeru suddenly turned his back, as if he had made up his mind, and shielded Fushimi behind him...

Fushimi: "..."

"Let's run away in the chaos... and forget about the bet..."

"what!"

Then, before Fushimi and the other delinquents could react, Sato Takeru let out a strange cry and lunged at the nearest delinquent, kicking him in the groin!

"I will absolutely not go back on my word! Nor will I kneel before you!"

Fushimi then remembered that this guy had indeed said before that the loser of the match would kneel down and bark like a dog. He hadn't intended to make a fuss about it, but he hadn't expected Sato Takeru to be so audacious.

Watching his resolute figure rush towards the bad guys, I couldn't help but feel a little more respect for him.

They dared to charge straight at eight tall and burly thugs?

That's truly remarkable for an ordinary person.

then……

Sato Takeru was pinned to the ground almost instantly, fists and shoe soles raining down on him, his screams echoing through the alley. His face was swollen like a pig's head, and he let out a pig-like scream.

"*! Where did this idiot come from?!"

The thug, who had been sneakily kicked in the groin, clamped his leg between his legs and unleashed a flurry of punches...

While taking a beating, Sato Takeru didn't forget to yell at Fushimi, who was standing there dumbfounded:

"Run! What are you standing there for?!"

Fushimi Iori was speechless.

"Shut up!" Akiyama kicked Sato Takeru in the stomach, the kick even sending bile gushing out...

"vomit……"

Akiyama Tatsuya spat in his face and rubbed his arm, which had been accidentally hit.

"Oh shit……"

He raised his baseball bat and pointed it at Fushimi: "And you, brat... you'd better kneel down properly, it'll be your turn soon."

Afterwards, Fushimi sighed and stretched his limbs...

What followed was an even greater and louder scream.

It all ended before Takeru Satoh's horrified and shocked gaze.

They didn't even see Fushimi's movements clearly; they only felt a figure sway, and the excruciating pain of punches and kicks landing on their bodies was crystal clear. Then the world spun around them, and by the time they came to their senses, they were already lying on the ground, their bones feeling like they were shattered.

The one who reacted the fastest, and who was usually the most capable fighter, had completely passed out...

Ten minutes later.

And so this scene unfolded: Sato Takeru, with his pig-like head, kicked Akiyama Tatsuya, yelling, "Damn it, you're the one who hit the hardest! I'll kick you to death!"

Akiyama curled up on the ground, letting him kick him.

Then, Sato Takeru, whose mouth was dry from cursing, turned around and glanced at Fushimi.

He suddenly snorted and walked a few steps to Akiyama Tatsuya's side, amidst everyone's surprised and bewildered gazes.

With a "plop," he knelt down straight in Fushimi's direction.

Fushimi: "..."

The group of delinquents: "..."

Just when many delinquents and Fushimi Iori had no idea what he was up to this time.

Sato Takeru suddenly collapsed to the ground, closed his eyes, and squeezed out a sound in a barely audible, extremely shameful voice:

"Woof."

The delinquents: "...?"

When Takeru Satoh looked up again, he found the others staring at him with strange looks. Thinking that no one had heard him, he let out another earth-shattering, extremely ferocious bark.

"Woof—!!!"

The thugs nearby quickly moved away, fearing they might be infected with rabies.

He knew that not only had he failed to help, but he had also been saved by Fushimi and had been beaten for nothing.

His plan to do Fushimi a favor to offset the bet was naturally dashed.

So he kept his word.

It's better to kneel now than to kneel in the dojo, since all the delinquents around here are kneeling... so it's not shameful for him to be one more.

Moreover, they were forced to kneel, while I knelt voluntarily; it's different.

"sorry!!!"

The alley was deathly silent.

Only the faint sound of traffic in the distance and a suppressed gasp from someone could be heard.

Fushimi sighed, stepped forward, grabbed Sato Takeru by the collar, and lifted him up.

"Alright, get up."

This guy is really self-centered.

He helped without thinking, declared they were even, got beaten without thinking, and finally knelt down and barked like a dog to apologize.

What a strange person.

Takeru Satoh stood up straight, grimacing, and rubbed his knees. His eyes, swollen to slits, showed a relieved expression.

Just then, a cell phone rang from Tatsuya Akiyama's pocket.

He trembled as he tried to turn it off, but Sato, quick as a flash, snatched it away and handed it to Fushimi.

Fushimi took the still-ringing phone. The screen displayed "Aiko," and she was crying as she asked where her brother was.

It's as if they've suffered an injustice beyond measure.

Fushimi hung up the phone immediately, then quickly typed and sent a message:

[It's all taken care of. Go to the alleyway at the back entrance.]

After sending the message, he tossed the phone back to Tatsuya Akiyama, whose face was ashen.

Thus, many unruly individuals began to wait anxiously.

Although Sato Takeru didn't understand what was going on, he obediently stood aside.

The wait wasn't long.

About seven or eight minutes later, a series of hurried and disordered footsteps, accompanied by crying, approached the alley entrance.

Akiyama Aiko limped in, leaning against the wall. Her hair was disheveled, her heavy makeup was smeared with tears and sweat, and there was a large red, swollen, and bleeding patch on her forehead.

He looked both pathetic and comical.

His face was deathly pale, and his eyes were filled with fear.

The two henchmen were no longer seen behind him...

"Brother!..." Akiyama Aiko's cries came to an abrupt halt.

Her eyes widened as she stared in disbelief at the scene in the alley...

He was stunned by the sight of the delinquents kneeling in a row.

Her brother, whom she admired greatly, and his friends were all kneeling on the ground, their faces bruised and swollen.

Her brother's face was covered in blood, and his eyes darted away, avoiding her gaze.

"Ah..." Aiko Akiyama's voice trembled, and her legs went weak.

Once everyone was present, Fushimi, not intending to waste any more time with these guys, approached Akiyama Aiko and said, "I'll only say this once."

"You'd better watch yourself, or next time it won't be so easy to get away with it."

After saying that, he picked up the lunch bag that was placed in the corner, gestured to Sato Takeru, turned around and walked out of the alley without looking at anyone again.

"oh oh!"

Takeru Satoh quickly followed, and before leaving, he gave Tatsuya Akiyama, who was kneeling on the ground, the middle finger.

Only after the two figures disappeared at the alley entrance did Aiko Akiyama's legs go weak, and she collapsed to the ground. Looking at the mess her brother and companion were in, she finally burst into tears again.

The two walked out of the alley one after the other. The streets were still deserted, with no other pedestrians in sight, and the lights of a convenience store lit up in the distance.

"Ouch...that fucking hurts...those bastards really went all out."

"You're just going to let them go like that?"

From the few words Fushimi and the delinquents exchanged earlier, and from Akiyama Aiko's expression, Sato Takeru probably guessed what had happened.

Fushimi smiled without answering.

When he said there would be no "next time," he meant that his methods would not be so lenient next time, but it did not mean that the previous punishments were null and void.

Correcting the flawed thinking of minors is actually quite a pleasant thing...

Sato Takeru's eyes twitched when he saw the sinister smile that Sato Takeru inadvertently revealed.

"Um... I'll be going now, I still need to go to the clinic..."

He pointed to his swollen face, as if afraid that Fushimi might suddenly say something that would embarrass him even more.

After a brief farewell, he turned and fled in the opposite direction from the Fushimi family without looking back, his back view so frantic it looked as if a ghost was chasing him.

He secretly vowed to himself that he must never have anything to do with this dangerous guy again.

As Fushimi watched his retreating figure, the sphere of obsession quietly shattered...

【Strength +2】

[Current Strength: 29] (Average Strength of all humanity: 10)

[Speed ​​+2]

[Current speed: 23] (Average speed of all humans: 10)

[Perception +2]

[Current Perception: 34] (Average Perception Value for All Humanity: 10)

[Obtained the item: The Silent One's Piety (Accessory Set)]

[The set includes: Silver Leaf Chrysanthemum Earrings, Faceless One's Simple Eyelid Curtain, and Silent Necklace]

When worn, it passively reduces the impact and discomfort of mental pollution caused by hearing, sight, and smell by approximately 30%.

[Set Bonus: When wearing three accessories simultaneously, gain an additional "Glimmer of Light" buff, increasing its effect by 50%, significantly enhancing resilience to harsh environments.]

[Note: They once belonged to a religion whose name has now been completely erased, a seeker who still tries to maintain a sliver of clarity amidst endless whispers and madness.]

Now, they are quiet.