Tokyo Detective Chronicles

The thunder outside the window grew closer, and the sound of dense raindrops hitting the glass became a continuous chorus, drowning out all other sounds.

Fushimi stood up.

I walked to the workbench, put down the black box, and saw tiny water droplets condensing on its surface, sliding down the edge.

He took out eight specially made gold talismans from the drawer. The edges were badly worn, indicating that they had been stored for a long time.

He then took out an old toolbox with a rusty brass lock. Inside, various carving knives, brushes, grinding bowls, and dozens of small porcelain bottles were neatly arranged.

Fushimi took off his coat and rolled up his sleeves.

He bit his fingertip, squeezing out a drop of blood. The moment the blood touched the talisman, the golden patterns suddenly lit up and spread rapidly along the intricate rune trail.

Then paste them in the eight directions of the house: east, south, west, north, southeast, northeast, southwest, and northwest.

For each sheet pasted, a mantra was recited in a low voice.

After all eight talismans were pasted up, Fushimi returned to the center of the living room and formed hand seals.

The talisman left faint golden trails in the air. These trails connected and intertwined, eventually forming a complex three-dimensional pattern that enveloped the entire living room.

"Buzz".

A deep, resonant sound spread through the air.

The halos connected with each other, weaving a huge net in the air surrounding the mansion. The net's lines were flowing runes, and the nodes were eight illusory golden talisman papers suspended in mid-air.

The entire net slowly rotated, and under spiritual vision, its surface could be seen to be covered with complex patterns of light, enveloping the entire mansion.

This is the highest level of protection that Fushimi can currently deploy.

The trade-off is that maintaining this barrier requires a massive amount of psionic energy and cannot operate on its own using the meager psionic energy in the air, unlike the previous simple barrier.

In its current state, it can only last for a maximum of 72 hours, and even less if attacked.

But that's enough.

After setting up the barrier, he walked to his workbench and softly called out, "Karin."

In the corner, the shadow began to move.

It rises and condenses from the floor, gradually outlining a human shape.

Miss Karin, dressed in tattered mourning clothes, slowly appeared. White bandages covered the upper half of her face, revealing only the lower half of her face, pale skin, and pursed lips.

She first looked at the blood-written words on the wall, then at the fox corpse on the ground, and finally fixed her gaze on Fushimi.

Through the gaps in the bandages, those amber eyes stared at him for a long time.

Karin seemed to know that Fushimi was going to Tokoyo again tonight.

Fushimi said, "I'll leave the house to you tonight."

Karin remained silent for a few seconds.

"Um……"

She floated over and circled Fushimi once, as if checking on his condition.

"How many souls did you mortgage to exchange for the power of the Tengu and the Yuki-onna?"

"Twenty percent each."

"..."

"How about I lend you some more power..."

Fushimi was opening the black metal box and taking out a lot of complicated equipment.

Upon hearing this, he paused for a moment, but quickly resumed his work.

"I only have sixty percent of my soul left."

This is a necessary procedure for borrowing the abilities of a shikigami when they are not around.

By pledging the caster's soul to the shikigami, a bond deeper than a shikigami contract and resembling blood ties is established, allowing for unrestricted and free use.

As for the mortgage ratio, it is usually no less than 25%.

If there is a high degree of mutual trust, this percentage could be even lower.

Fushimi had previously mortgaged 40% of his soul, so he could only mortgage a maximum of 9% more.

If the percentage of souls under one's control is less than or equal to 50%, then one can no longer fully decide one's own fate, which will become very troublesome.

Karin raised her head, her golden eyes peering through the gaps in her bandages at Fushimi's retreating figure.

After a long while, she reached out and touched Fushimi's forehead with her icy fingers from behind.

"I only need one percent."

As soon as he finished speaking, a familiar power surged into Fushimi's body through the invisible connection between the two!

The shadows in the room began to boil.

The darkness in the corner seemed to come alive, climbing upwards; the shadows on the ceiling drooped downwards; the shadows on the floor spread outwards... The light in the entire living room dimmed instantly.

All the light was sucked away by something.

Then, everything returned to normal.

She actually gave 70% of her power to Fushimi...

Karin isn't as strong as the Tengu or the Yuki-onna, but she possesses a power that Fushimi is most familiar with and uses frequently... This helps Fushimi protect himself and escape in crucial moments.

"Karin..." Fushimi sighed and began to speak.

But Huali's hand quickly covered his lips; it was cold and soft.

"Shut up."

……

Later that day, Rina Hoshizaki arrived at the Fushimi residence.

She changed into clothes that were easy to move in: light gray sweatpants, a white hooded sweatshirt, and her hair was tied into a neat ponytail at the back of her head. Her face showed obvious worry.

"Iori!"

"Come in." Fushimi stepped aside to let her in.

Hoshizaki followed him into the living room, watching him take an action camera and a data cable wrapped with fine runes from a black metal case...

Two tables side by side were filled with various instruments: displays, controllers, signal receivers, and a computer that looked quite professional.

"What are these...?"

"Live streaming equipment."

He turned around, placed his hands on Hoshizaki's shoulders, and met the girl's gaze: "I'm going into a place where I can't open my eyes for the time being. I need you here to guide me through a live stream with no delay."

"You don't need to control any parameters, just tell me what you see."

"Eh?"

Hoshizaki paused, trying to understand Fushimi's words.

"What does it mean that I can't open my eyes?"

"Literal meaning."

Fushimi's main purpose in summoning her was to ensure the girl's safety during his absence from the mortal world. Hiding in the newly reinforced barrier was obviously much safer than the girl being alone at home.

Fortunately, Hoshizaki's parents went on a trip these past two days, so there was no one else at Hoshizaki's house.

Fushimi attached two action cameras to his body, one in front and one behind, and transmitted them in real time to Hoshizaki, who was waiting at his house, through a live broadcast relay, so that Hoshizaki would act as his eyes and relay what he saw in Tokoseri.

Logically, this task should have been handled by someone with more experience, such as Kanata Morikawa.

However, if he were to set up these psionic devices at the Morikawa residence, he would need to request the psionic circuit core of the Morikawa family mansion, which was a very important matter.

If she didn't agree to him marrying into her family, Morikawa Kanata would never agree to it.

Or, if he were to bring a disabled person to his home and torment them for a night, it would be considered abuse, and he couldn't bear to do it.

Ultimately, it's not a good idea to involve more people in this matter.

Therefore, the best candidate left is Rina Hoshizaki.

However, Fushimi does not rely too heavily on this method for combat and to prevent danger.

He also prepared other solutions.

For simply identifying directions and giving directions, Hoshizaki Rina is perfectly capable. He only needs to stay inside for about fifteen minutes to be assimilated by Tokoyaku and then he can open his eyes.

He pressed the girl into the seat and turned on the action camera on his body.

For the next twenty minutes, Fushimi explained the functions of each device in detail.

Which screen corresponds to which camera, how to switch perspectives, and how to handle special situations. Hoshizaki learned quickly, taking notes rapidly and asking questions from time to time, which Fushimi answered one by one.

With the equipment debugged, Fushimi began to arrange the final safety measures.

He walked to the open space in the center of the living room and took out a specially made white candle from the toolbox.

There were eight candles, each as thick as a baby's arm, their surfaces covered with intricate runes. He carefully arranged the candles on the ground according to the eight trigrams, forming a circle about two meters in diameter.

Fushimi knelt on the ground, holding a brush with the tip dipped in ink, and began to draw a formation on the floor.

His movements were slow, the pen tip gliding across the wooden floor, leaving a glowing dark red trail.

Those trajectories intersect and connect, gradually forming a complex and dazzling pattern.

When the formation was completed, the eight candles mysteriously spontaneously combusted.

The flames were not the usual orange-yellow, but a dark blue, burning quietly with almost no flickering.

Hoshizaki held her breath and watched, completely unable to understand... but she was so shocked that she covered her mouth.

This is a talisman array called "Shared Fate," which serves as a safety net. This Shared Fate array can connect Fushimi's soul. As long as all eight candles on the array are not extinguished, he can use the array to forcibly return to the present world from the mortal realm at any time.

Just as the dead can get lost in the mortal world, ordinary people can also get lost in the mundane world and never find their way out.

Of course, this is just a safety net. He has other ways to escape the mundane world, but others are either more costly or riskier.

This grand formation also serves another purpose: a small wooden figure is placed in the center of the formation, representing Fushimi himself, and the eight candles at the eight corners of the formation also represent Fushimi's eight directions.

He walked over to Hoshizaki and pointed to the candle:

"You need to pay attention to these flames. If a candle in a certain direction starts to flicker violently, or in extreme cases, goes out, it means there is danger in that direction."

You must tell me immediately.

Hoshizaki took careful notes, his eyes moving back and forth between the eight candles.

The more she listened, the more she realized the seriousness of the matter, and her expression became increasingly solemn.

"Iori".

She looked up at Fushimi, wanting to ask what had happened, but the words that came out were: "You'll come back, right?"

Fushimi stared at her for a few seconds.

"Yes."

Hoshizaki took a deep breath and nodded vigorously: "Okay."

Fushimi turned around, walked to the worktable, and took out an antique wooden box from the drawer. The box was opened, revealing a black velvet cloth lining the inside, upon which three ornaments were neatly arranged.

It was a special item I obtained a few days ago when I was trying to dispel Takeru Satoh's obsession.

I didn't expect it to come in handy so soon.

Silver Leaf Chrysanthemum Earrings, Faceless One's Simple Eyelid Curtain, Silent Necklace.

"Put these on." Fushimi picked up the set of the Silent Ones' Piety and walked up to Hoshizaki.

Hoshizaki obediently lowered his head.

Fushimi first picked up the Hikari neck ring.

The black talisman rope felt cool to the touch. He gently brushed aside the stray hairs behind Hoshizaki's neck, wrapped the rope around her slender neck, and fastened the clasp.

Then there are earrings.

Fushimi carefully placed the silver chrysanthemum-shaped ear clip on Hoshizaki's earlobe, which was strung with seven small silver pieces engraved with runes.

The silver sheet pressed against the skin on the side of her neck, giving her a slightly cool sensation.

The ear clips are cleverly designed so they won't hurt her, but they stay in place firmly once worn.

Finally, there's the face curtain.

This is a string of beads strung together with an extremely fine silver chain, with a small jade pendant engraved with runes hanging from each cheek.

Fushimi secured the two ends of the veil to the hair clips behind Hoshizaki's ears, and the silver chain hung down just in front of her nose, covering half of her face.

But strangely, it doesn't block the view.

After putting on the three pieces of jewelry, Hoshizaki looked completely different.

The silver jewelry shimmered on her body, making her skin appear even whiter.

The silver chain hanging from her veil swayed gently with her breath, completely concealing her usual lively temperament, but adding a touch of beauty and mystery...

"How are you feeling?" Fushimi asked.

Hoshizaki blinked: "It feels cool... but it's not uncomfortable."

She stretched her neck, and the silver pieces and jade pendants of her earrings clinked together, producing a soft, crisp sound.

"What are these things for?"

"Shield yourself from mental pollution," Fushimi said. "The sights and sounds you see and hear in a moment can sometimes directly impact the viewer's consciousness."

He paused, then added:

"Rina, whatever you do, stay calm. If you feel dizzy, nauseous, or see anything strange, take a deep breath."

Hoshizaki nodded, indicating that he understood.

"Oh……"

Fushimi looked at her, then suddenly reached out and gently tidied the stray hairs by her ear. The movement was so natural, as if he had done it many times before.

Hoshizaki stiffened slightly, but did not dodge.

"And one more thing." Fushimi placed his hands on her shoulders, his voice lowering:

"No matter what you see... don't leave this room on your own."

Hoshizaki knew at that moment that this was a very important matter, and she began to worry in her heart about whether she could do it well.

However, seeing the look in Fushimi's eyes, she gritted her teeth and solemnly nodded in agreement: "Okay."

"Then you must be... careful."

Fushimi nodded and began the final inspection.

After setting up some protective measures in the living room, he threw all the prepared equipment and supplies into the shadows, which made the girl's eyes widen in disbelief.

He was ready to leave.

Prior to this, Fushimi had already explained it to Karin.

If necessary, you can ignore the house and forcibly take people away to escape. At first, Huali was very unwilling.

"Making your ex protect your current girlfriend...don't you think you're being a bit of a jerk?"

Huali sighed dramatically, muttering to herself with a hint of resentment...

"Men, how fickle they are. They use you and then discard you; once they have something new, they forget the old one..."

Karin's abilities are generally used by Fushimi for storage and control... but in reality, her most outstanding abilities are escaping and protecting.

She can drag beings weaker than herself into her shadow for extended periods, quickly withdrawing them from the shadows. However, during this time, the person pulled into the shadow cannot breathe.

Rina Hoshizaki herself was unaware of all of this.

The girl sat at the worktable, the light from the three screens reflecting on her face.

The silver jewelry gleamed coldly on her. She looked nervous, her hands clenched on her knees, but her eyes were resolute.

"I'm off," Fushimi said.

Hoshizaki took a deep breath and said into the microphone, "Be careful on the road."

Fushimi nodded, and under the watchful eyes of the two women, turned and walked towards the entrance.

……