Tokyo: My Superpower Refreshes Every Week

ACHOO.

Morimoto Chiyoda yawned inexplicably and rubbed her nose. Is someone speaking ill of me behind my back? she wondered.

She wouldn't have believed in such superstitions before, but now it was hard to say. With beings like the Angel Envoys that transcended science, some ancient customs might not be mere nonsense.

She left work early today. The adventure in the Different World had been too thrilling, especially the confrontation with the Undying Creature called Sotoku and the shocking news she had received.

While in the Different World, Morimoto Chiyoda had been so on edge that she didn't feel tired. The moment she returned to this world, she relaxed.

The endless inquiries further deepened her fatigue. Even the workaholic Emily couldn't take it anymore and announced a half-day off, telling everyone to go home, rest well, and return to work tomorrow.

Morimoto Chiyoda sat in the women-only car on her way back to Aya Station.

The number of women around her dwindled.

Her mind couldn't help but replay the scenes she had witnessed in the Different World: the desolate wilderness, corpses hanging from trees, ferocious Monsters, and the thriving Royal Capital, Wyndham.

Everything seemed like a dream.

But she knew in her heart that it was not a dream; those were real images.

Humans still know so little about this world, Morimoto Chiyoda mused. She sighed internally, then pushed those weighty matters aside. What should I make for dinner tonight?

It has to be rich, to make up for my doubting Aozawa, for thinking of him as a callous Angel Envoy!

Morimoto Chiyoda slapped her forehead. My imagination was too vivid! Just based on that fleeting panda image—one I wasn't even sure was real or fake—I suspected the person I've known for ten years was Dio!

If Aozawa knew, he would probably make that utterly wronged little face. Morimoto Chiyoda imagined the scene where he sweetly capitalized on his grievances to take advantage of her, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly. So cute.

The announcement for the upcoming station resounded, and Morimoto Chiyoda got up to leave the train. She went to the supermarket to buy ingredients for tonight's meal, politely rejecting some men who approached to strike up a conversation and ask for her contact information.

Her charm could fend off most men, making them stop in their tracks, but it couldn't deter the overly confident ones.

Although she didn't understand why they were so confident, Morimoto Chiyoda knew how to reject them.

Morimoto Chiyoda carried her groceries home, put on an apron, and started to wash and cut the meat.

While the Kobe beef steak was still sizzling, Morimoto Chiyoda didn't forget to grab candles from the bedroom and then drew the patio curtain shut.

The thick curtain blocked out the sunlight from outside, plunging the room into darkness.

The theme for tonight would be a candlelit dinner.

「 」

CLICK.

The doorknob turned with a soft sound.

Aozawa opened the door, momentarily taken aback by the darkness inside. Beautiful melodies began to play, and the kitchen bar was lit with candles.

The faint candlelight illuminated the immediate area, including Morimoto Chiyoda, who was sitting there.

Her long black hair was pinned up behind her head, with just two locks of hair falling over her snowy shoulders. She wore a wine-red backless evening dress that showed off her enchantingly curved figure.

Her captivating eyes seemed to transform the candlelight into flowing water within them.

Aozawa's heart raced. He gently closed the door and asked, "Chitose, did something good happen to you today?"

Morimoto Chiyoda surveyed Aozawa as he entered.

This morning, the more she had looked at him, the more she had believed Aozawa was Dio. Now, though, the more I look, the more I feel Aozawa has nothing at all to do with Dio. How could Aozawa possibly be Dio? I was definitely being paranoid.

"I want to apologize to you."

Aozawa looked surprised. "Why would you apologize?"

"I had some doubts about you earlier, but it's okay; they've all been cleared up now."

Morimoto Chiyoda stood up, uncorked the red wine, and said with a smile, "Go wash your hands first, then we can have the steak."

"All right."

Aozawa tossed his backpack onto the sofa and approached the sink to wash his hands.

The water flowing over his hands felt exceptionally cool and soothing.

The air conditioning was on inside the house, gradually dispelling the heat from his body.

"Aozawa."

"Wha—?!"

Aozawa turned his head to respond.

Morimoto Chiyoda suddenly launched a sneak attack, interrupting him. Red wine flowed from her vibrant lips into his mouth.

Its rich flavor, a blend of sweetness with a hint of tartness, whetted the appetite.

Aozawa instantly immersed himself in the delicious taste of the wine and couldn't help but reach forward.

He had thought this distance was as unreachable as touching the clouds. But reality defied his expectations; it wasn't remote at all, but as close as his eyes perceived. Aozawa truly couldn't hold back his hands.

The wine-red evening dress felt as light and thin as grape skin, its silky material not hindering Aozawa's experience at all.

They felt like steamy hot glutinous rice balls.

What surprised him was that Morimoto Chiyoda was only wearing that wine-red evening dress tonight!

Aozawa quickly tried to lock onto his two points of interest.

His hands were immediately swatted away by Morimoto Chiyoda, who rapidly stepped back, her cheeks flushed. With sultry eyes, she said, "You little rascal~"

"Chitose, that apology wasn't very sincere!"

Aozawa couldn't help but tease, a thrill coursing through him. Chitose's boundaries have voluntarily lowered a notch, allowing me to get handsy!

Morimoto Chiyoda shot him a playful glare and said with a laugh, "Don't get ahead of yourself."

"That's a legitimate request," Aozawa replied with a grin, unable to forget the sensation from moments before. Sitting on the chair, he activated Will-o'-the-wisp to dispel the heat stirring within him.

The moment he picked up the dinner knife, a circular map appeared in his mind.

While conversing with Morimoto Chiyoda, he selected the next entry point to a Different World.

His silver dinner knife sliced through the steak.

He had already chosen his target. A prison is indeed most suitable, he thought.

「 」

Shinjuku, Central Building, headquarters of the Special Intelligence Investigation Department.

Now that radar could detect overlapping signals between Different Worlds and reality, it had been upgraded to cover all of Japan.

Jack was in a good mood. He poured himself a glass of whiskey, added ice, and swirled it in the square glass, listening to the crisp sound of the ice cubes clinking against the glass.

Thinking about his newly-purchased Lamborghini, his gaze drifted out the floor-to-ceiling windows toward Shinjuku. With a lady of impeccable temperament by my side, it would mean a double harvest in career and love, he mused.

All thanks to Dio, praise be to God's plan! Jack was much like Miyaji Yosuke. Although I'm unsure whether God actually exists or is nonexistent as Dio believes, in any case, believing in God can't be wrong.

He raised his glass and took a sip.

Suddenly, an agent burst through the door shouting, "Minister Jack, a new signal has been detected! It's originating from Abashiri Prison in Hokkaido!"

"What?!"

Jack set down his whiskey and hurried out the door.

A beeping sound echoed in the large office. With a serious expression, Jack demanded, "Quickly! Call the Seventh Fleet and have them dispatch Mountain Tiger to Abashiri Prison!"

"No, I'll call myself."

Snatching the phone from his subordinate, Jack quickly dialed and exclaimed, "Hello, Brigadier General Sammy, we have detected an overlapping signal from a Different World in..."

"Abashiri Prison," Sammy finished.

The Seventh Fleet also had radar and could, of course, detect the signal fluctuations where reality overlapped with a Different World.

"We're already prepared."

"Do you need Emily from the task force to accompany you?" Jack asked.

Sammy laughed. "No need. Emily and Griffith just met for the first time and don't have a deep relationship. She had been able to return because Griffith had taken a certain liking to the Wanderers who ventured into the Different World. There are several Danes in the Mountain Tiger unit who are proficient in Danish, so no outside translator is needed."

"Alright then, I wish you a safe journey!"

Jack nodded. He knew the higher-ups didn't entirely trust Emily's task force.

The reason was simple: Emily was Russian.

He too had taken a certain risk in trusting that Emily would not provide intelligence to the KGB.

John had consistently insisted that the CIA must not relax its surveillance of the task force, especially Emily.

But Jack hadn't done that. He was a man of his word; since they had an agreement, he wouldn't do such a thing.

"Wait for my good news," Sammy replied confidently. He hung up the phone and adjusted his uniform.

He strode outside.

He was personally leading this offensive operation. Some old-timers viewed it as risky, but it was also an opportunity to make history.

He would be the first brigadier general in U.S. history to enter a Different World, and the Mountain Tiger Marine Corps unit he led would return to this world with glory and spoils.

"Lads, are you ready?" Sammy walked out to the plaza and bellowed.

One thousand members of the Mountain Tiger Marine Corps unit, including medics, stood ready.

They were the elite of the elite, willing to go through fire and water for the United States.

"Ready!" they all replied in unison, their voices carrying far and wide, attracting the attention of some U.S. Army personnel on leave.

Strange, an operation this morning, and now Mountain Tiger is deploying this afternoon. Are drills so frequent lately? one of them wondered aloud, asking a veteran.

The veteran sighed. It's probably related to the tense situation in the East. Let's just hope it doesn't turn into something like last time.

"What happened last time?"

"The situation in the South China Sea once nearly ignited World War III. No exaggeration, our fleet and theirs were almost nose to nose. The generals above were baying for war, but the president held firm. Although, in terms of naval power, they were clearly no match for us. If a real fight had broken out, it would have been hard for either side to disengage."

Speaking of which, the veteran added with a complaint, "But if a fight was inevitable, it might have been better to have it then. Now, the other side is a different beast entirely. If a fight broke out now, we might not be able to ensure a complete victory."

"What are you thinking? We're the strongest military force in the world," the recruit said with pride, adding smugly, "Take Mountain Tiger, for example. A thousand of them alone could sweep through African nations and dominate the Middle East. That's the strength of our military!"

"Haha, you're right." The veteran laughed too. He didn't believe their side would lose; at worst, they'd just suffer some casualties.

He had never for a moment doubted the fact that the United States possessed the world's strongest military.

Mountain Tiger's exercises would surely send a jolt to the East.