At Luo Shu's shout, all squad members except those maintaining high ground positions quickly converged. Luo Shu smoothly issued orders:
"Three teams prioritise removing the demon corpse - it's extremely valuable research material. One team enters the villa for inspection. Another team calls medics."
"Oh, and send a squad ahead to check if that Kannagi family's young mistress has really left. If she doubles back, signal for immediate withdrawal. Quick, move!"
After dispensing commands, Luo Shu retrieved a specialised phone from his pocket. No need to dial - Kirika Tachibana was already on the line:
"As per your instructions, Chief, I've successfully persuaded her to leave. No unexpected developments so far."
"By the way, Chief, where did you recruit such external support from? To take down such a ferocious demon with a single strike - truly terrifying~~"
On the other end, Kirika Tachibana chuckled:
"That's the Kannagi family's next head, wielding an heirloom weapon classified as at least Level 3 Hazardous Material. Being strong is expected - weakness would be the anomaly."
"Also, don't let her young age fool you. Many National-Level Sorcerers can't match her combat ability. Tricking her into coming here this time... heh, that's a good omen."
"By the way, you didn't cause any trouble with them, did you?"
"Of course not! I buttered her up perfectly, practically to the point of kowtowing." Luo Shu quickly added, "I just mentioned there'd be a bonus from Chiba Prefecture for dealing with the demon. Speaking of which, Chief, do I get a cut of that bonus?"
"..." Kirika Tachibana fell silent, seemingly stunned by Luo Shu's bluntness.
After a long pause, she responded:
"The bonus? I'll inform the Cabinet to notify Chiba. It wouldn't do to bypass the chain of command. Take whatever you can get."
"Also, your timing in reporting the situation was perfect. It coincided with me receiving news about support from the Kannagi family's young mistress. Otherwise, I'd have been worried about casualties on your end."
"So, Chief, about my bonus~~" Luo Shu casually brought up again.
"Didn't I just... Oh, internal bonus? Understood. You'll get the maximum standard, rest assured. Now clean up the scene properly and give me a full report afterwards."
Kirika couldn't help adding:
"And if that young mistress catches on, just drop my name. Say I gave the order and let her come after me. Don't try to be a hero, understand?"
Luo Shu immediately bristled at this:
"What are you saying, Chief? Luo Shu always gets paid for his work. Even if you hadn't said anything, I'd have pinned it on you. You can set your mind at ease!"
"...I should be thanking you then!" Kirika gritted her teeth before the line went dead with a beep.
Takina Inoue watched Luo Shu's smooth arrangements with a slightly dazed expression, thoroughly bewildered.
Why did she feel like she was the SDS rookie while Luo Shu was the seasoned veteran?
"All sorted." Luo Shu hung up and glanced at Takina. "Something wrong?"
"No, nothing..." Takina couldn't voice her thoughts - that watching Luo Shu scheme for bonuses had left her speechless.
"Relax, if I'm getting a bonus, you'll definitely get one too."
As he spoke, Luo Shu approached the charred demon corpse. He gave it an uncomfortable glance before frowning.
His instincts told him something was off about the demon's remains, but he couldn't pinpoint what.
"Something wrong?" Takina asked curiously as she caught up.
"Nothing."
Luo Shu shook his head just as a Red Team member hurried over and whispered in his ear.
"Huh? The person involved wants to see me?"
After a moment's hesitation - and considering the potential point gains from the Yukinoshita sisters - he nodded:
"Alright, let's meet them then."
Before leaving, he glanced at the demon corpse and reminded the white-coated technicians:
"Notify me immediately when the autopsy report's ready."
"Yes, Investigator Luo!"
Receiving the acknowledgement, Luo Shu exchanged a look with Takina, who promptly followed.
...
At the perimeter of the wealthy district.
Ayano Kannagi, who had rushed here in a hurry, glanced around and, finding no one nearby, immediately leapt over a wall with ease, landing on the street outside.
Due to the ongoing lockdown, the streets were conveniently empty, which made Ayano breathe a sigh of relief.
"What's with that man? He sounded desperate on the phone, but now he's all smiles."
As she muttered this, Ayano pulled out her phone from her coat pocket, glanced at the dozen or so missed calls from 'Ryuuya-nii', and immediately called back.
The moment the call connected, an urgent male voice came through:
"Young mistress, where are you? Why did you suddenly jump out of the car after taking that call?"
"Huh? I'm..." Ayano looked around, then spotted the closed pharmacy diagonally across the street. "I'm opposite this Hinomaru Pharmacy right now."
"Stay right there. Whatever you do, don't cause any more trouble."
The call ended abruptly. Within minutes, a black sedan rounded the corner and pulled up in front of Ayano.
Having already spotted Ryuuya Kazamaki through the windshield, Ayano waved. Once the car stopped, she yanked open the rear door, plopped inside, slammed it shut with a thud, and stretched lazily.
"Mission accomplished, Ryuuya-nii. Let's head back!"
"Accomplished?" Ryuuya blinked in confusion before his expression turned incredulous. "Young mistress, was that earlier call...?"
"From an SDS member. Said the target had taken hostages, and it was super urgent, so they asked for my help."
Ayano sounded both exasperated and slightly smug as she continued:
"That SDS guy kept calling me a hero or something, said they'd give me some municipal bonus. I told them I didn't want it, but then he started going on about 'Zi Gong redeeming people' or whatever. Honestly, I just came to deal with the demon. Why would I care about bonuses..."
Listening to Ayano's deliberately casual yet clearly pleased tone, Ryuuya responded equally nonchalantly:
"Bonuses? I've gotten those before. At most, it's 50,000 or 60,000 yen - barely enough for a decent meal. Might as well keep it as a memento."
"That little?" Ayano's face fell. "That guy was going on about how I'd prevented billions in losses. I thought it'd be more..."
"That's just talk. Official rewards are always just token gestures." Ryuuya chuckled as he drove. "Compared to Demon Crystals worth at least hundreds of millions, or demon corpses with similar price tags, those bonuses are practically pocket money."
As he finished speaking, Ryuuya suddenly sensed something amiss. Checking the rearview mirror, he saw Ayano's utterly dumbfounded expression.
"What's wrong, young mistress? Feeling unwell?"
Ayano's mouth opened and closed several times before she managed, "Um... Ryuuya-nii, what's a Demon Crystal?"
"The crystallised power of a demon. Sort of like an Abyss Artefact. Usually found in their chest area."
After explaining, Ryuuya's expression shifted:
"Young mistress... don't tell me the SDS didn't give you the Demon Crystal? You're the one who took down the demon, right?"
As for the corpse, Ryuuya wasn't blind. Ayano had clearly arrived empty-handed.
Under the questioning of Ryuuya Kazamaki, Ayano Kannagi finally turned around, lowered her head and took a deep breath before shouting:
"Damn liar!!"
"—I'll never forgive you!!!"
As her words fell, flames erupted everywhere, engulfing the entire back seat in fire.
Then, with a thunderous boom, the car exploded.
Ryuuya Kazamaki, who had escaped by manipulating wind elements, floated in the sky. He looked down at the girl standing madly amidst the flames with a hesitant expression. Just as he was about to speak, a familiar phone ringtone sounded.
Pulling out his phone and seeing the caller ID marked "Clan Leader", Ryuuya quickly answered:
"Clan Leader? Yes, it's me... What? Bring her back? But the young lady was tricked by SDS members into giving up the Demon Crystal this time... Alternative compensation? Understood, I'll persuade her."
After hanging up, Ryuuya remained floating in the sky, watching the asphalt road that had already melted from the intense heat of the flames. His lips twitched slightly:
"I have a feeling... I've been given a thankless task..."