Hayama Hayato reached out cautiously, caressing the exquisite gift box with incomparable gentleness and infatuation, as if treating his most beloved person.
Such gentle treatment was the polar opposite of Kawashima Toya's attitude.
Toya despised the gift, wishing he could throw it out of the world and let it be destroyed.
Hayama Hayato, however, was careful and cautious, afraid that even a speck of dust would tarnish this beautiful, exquisite gift box.
Intoxicated by the box, Hayama hurriedly washed himself clean with water before carefully unwrapping it.
At this moment, the meticulously washed and dressed Hayama looked quite handsome, giving off the vibe of a Prince Charming.
"Let me see what's inside!"
Hayama gently removed the packaging and was about to open the lid of the gift box.
"What is this?!" Suddenly, Hayama felt as if he had gone blind.
He was plunged into the deepest, darkest ocean, with not a single ray of light before his eyes.
The surroundings constantly conveyed the terrifying depths of the deep sea, with massive shadows writhing incessantly.
A bizarre murmur suddenly entered his mind.
"What's happening to me?" Hayama stood dazed on the spot. His rationality was instantly wiped clean, turning him into a walking corpse, his mind hopelessly drowning in that profound, dark deep sea.
"Hmph, you are not worthy of this gift." A dull, low voice suddenly rang out.
Hayama's body seemed to encounter an unimaginable mystery, rapidly transforming into an anomaly.
This transformation lasted only a second before being forcibly interrupted.
Hayama's body melted bit by bit, finally turning into a puddle of pitch-black, deep water.
In the darkness, a tall, burly figure walked over as if controlled, carefully picked up the gift box, and placed it inside the Box of Sealing.
----
"Kawashima, wake up!" In the early morning, the shouts of Kasumigaoka Utaha and Kasugano Sora rang out.
"What now?" Awakened from his dream, Toya hurriedly got up and rushed out of his room without even changing his pajamas.
Toya appeared as if teleporting, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings. "Did something happen?"
Only when he fully came to his senses did he realize there was no danger in the Trash Fox Detective Agency.
Toya stared profoundly at Utaha's exquisite face. "Give me a reasonable explanation."
"If there isn't one, I'll consider making you a full-time maid today to clean the entire agency."
"Look at the floor below!" Utaha trembled with anger. "Since when did you have such a bad temper when waking up?"
"You actually want me to clean the agency?"
Toya's agency was huge, countless times larger than those tiny, cramped offices.
Each floor was incredibly spacious, comparable to a luxury villa.
Toya looked down and was surprised. "It came back?"
The Box of Sealing stolen yesterday had been returned at some point and was sitting quietly on the floor.
"When Sora and I woke up this morning, we saw this box and didn't dare move it."
Utaha crossed her arms, fuming. "We thought this box wasn't simple and kindly notified you, yet you want to make me a maid?"
"I didn't expect the usually cool Kawashima to be into that kind of thing."
"Sorry, I shouldn't have gotten angry just now." Toya said perfunctorily. "I'll treat you and Sora to a good meal at noon."
Then, Toya picked up the Box of Sealing.
When he picked it up, he found a pile of black ash underneath it.
"An Evil God Minion!" Although the black ash looked ordinary, without any eerie qualities...
Toya recognized at a glance that the person who left the ash was a Minion of an Evil God.
Only after a Minion died would their body completely disperse into black ash, leaving a trace of their existence.
"Went to all that trouble just to return it... Evil God Minions really are just disposable tools."
"If possible, please let me slay the Minion next time. That's 10,000 Source Points at least."
"Such waste is unacceptable!"
Toya sighed with emotion and prepared to head to the second floor with the Box of Sealing.
Utaha glanced at Toya holding the box, hesitating whether to ask.
The box looked extraordinary at a glance; it definitely contained something incredible.
"Want to know?" Seeing the curiosity and anticipation in Utaha and Sora's big eyes, Toya teased, "Then follow me."
Rather than hiding it, it was better to let Utaha and Sora know what was inside the Box of Sealing.
Curiosity killed the cat. Perhaps at some point, Utaha or Sora would sneak a peek.
If that happened, uncontrollable events might occur.
In that case, it was better to let them see what was inside the Box of Sealing from the start.