Tokyo: My Superpower Refreshes Every Week

It turned out that Ninomiya Sayoko wasn't brave at all.

Not long after Ito Otome entered the room, she emerged, her white gloves stained with blood. Her mask hid her disappointed expression, and her eyes were downcast as she said, "Ninomiya Sayoko is a Middle Ninja Level from the Shinobu Introduction Office. She received an assignment to gather information on Morimoto Chiyoda. She didn't know who the client was, nor did she know the address of the Shinobu Introduction Office; all contact with her boss, Kamei Bunta, was online."

Iwaki Kususuke knew he probably shouldn't ask the next question, but looking at the blood on her gloves, he couldn't suppress his curiosity. "What did you do?"

"Nothing much. I just let her see the color of her own internal organs after I sliced open her abdomen, and then I toyed with her stomach a bit. She was so scared she burst into tears." Ito Otome described what she had done in a light, casual tone.

Iwaki Kususuke felt his skin crawl upon hearing this. He had long known she had an unusual fascination with corpses, but Ito Otome's behavior still surpassed his imagination; she treated people as if they weren't human at all. Maybe in Ito Otome's eyes, all humans are corpses ready to be dissected. The thought made Iwaki Kususuke shudder.

Emily bit her thumb, a hint of contemplation on her face. Since its establishment, the special task force had always been careful to conceal its movements; otherwise, they wouldn't have deliberately relocated to the Hisamatsu Apartment building. Only very large intelligence organizations would be able to glimpse the slightest trace of the special task force. No one else knew what exactly the special task force was investigating. This spared the team a lot of trouble.

The fact that Morimoto Chiyoda was being followed was the first such incident since the establishment of the task force. The previous KGB incident had been dismissed as them simply overthinking things. What is the other party's intention? Do they want to get information on Dio from the special task force? That shouldn't be the case. Intelligence organizations aware of the special task force's existence don't have their main operations centered in Tokyo. No one else could possibly know. Emily ruled out the possibility that the investigation into Morimoto Chiyoda was related to Dio.

Although Dio was in Tokyo, the large intelligence organizations hadn't truly established their main battleground there; instead, they were employing misdirection. It seemed they kept agents active in Tokyo, even dispatching Interpol to disrupt local attention, but in fact, they were conducting operations in Europe and America. Mitsui Takashi was a casualty of these struggles. No matter how high his status was in Japan, in England, he was just a wealthy foreigner; his connections didn't truly run deep enough there. Emily had received more intelligence from Jack at the CIA, learning that the CIA had known someone was targeting Mitsui Takashi, but they had underestimated their opponent, which led to his death. The Iwasaki contingent had rushed back, realizing that only in Japan were they truly powerful, with deep-seated influence. Of course, Japan wasn't entirely safe either. Dio was in the country.

After thinking through a lot of things, Emily asked, "Do you usually make enemies?"

"I have always been amiable with others and have never made enemies." Morimoto Chiyoda shrugged and said with a light smile, "No worries. As long as we catch the boss of the Shinobu Introduction Office and ask him a few questions, we'll find out who's secretly looking for me."

"There's no way around it; we have to settle this matter first," Emily said.

"You all go take care of other things; I can handle this," Morimoto replied.

"Idiot, we're all in the same boat. How could we possibly let you tackle this problem alone?" Emily firmly rejected her suggestion and stood up. "Iwaki, use that woman's phone to send a message; see if we can find the location of the Shinobu Introduction Office's boss. Okayama, start activating your network."

"No problem," Okayama Buji nodded.

Morimoto Chiyoda said with a resigned look, "You're making it so I'll feel guilty for slacking off in the future."

"I thought your skin was thick enough not to care," Emily retorted. "Work harder for me from now on!"

Morimoto Chiyoda smiled. Emily really does have a knack for leadership, she reluctantly admitted to herself. She knows how to rally people. Her tendency to push too hard could be a problem, though.

「…」

DING-DONG.

The cellphone emitted a notification sound. Takahashi Saeko took it out and glanced at it. It was a message from Kamei Bunta.

"Mission failed. Ninomiya didn't use the secret phrase to contact me. She's been exposed."

"Okay." Takahashi Saeko sent a simple reply, her eyes slightly heavy. She believed in the capabilities of the Shinobu Introduction Office. The Middle Ninja Level they dispatched wasn't just anybody. It seemed Morimoto Chiyoda was just as she'd thought: not an ordinary police superintendent.

According to the information Takahashi Saeko had, Morimoto Chiyoda belonged to the Ayase Police Station and had recently been transferred to work at the Metropolitan Police Department. But she returned to Ayase Apartment to rest every day. This information came from the elderly doorman at Ayase Apartment and police officers from the Ayase Police Station. The coincidental timing of these events made Takahashi Saeko somewhat suspicious of Morimoto Chiyoda, and she worried about a potential connection to a very important case. So, she hadn't chosen to follow Morimoto Chiyoda herself, instead entrusting someone from the Shinobu Introduction Office to test the waters for her. Clearly, the person testing the waters might have already drowned. Truly dangerous! Takahashi Saeko thought.

"Saeko, what are you spacing out about?" Ayatsuki Ayaka, sitting in front of her, waved her hand and then stretched both hands out, boasting, "Look! Don't you think my new manicure is pretty?"

Takahashi Saeko looked at the enthusiastic Ayatsuki Ayaka and sighed inwardly. This girl is really competing with an incredible woman over a boy.

"Iroha, are you not going to give up on Aozawa?"

Upon hearing this, Ayatsuki Ayaka showed a hint of surprise. "Saeko, why bring this up? Haven't I told you? I won't give up on Aozawa. I'm determined to defeat that old witch."

"Old witch... It would be more appropriate to call her a 'beautiful witch.' Though she's older, everyone who has seen her compliments her beauty, her great figure, her intelligence, and maturity. Plus, she's a Tokyo University graduate." The information Takahashi Saeko had about her came from that policeman. During their time together, she had casually prodded for information and, after getting the results she wanted, she decisively dumped the guy. That should teach him a lesson: never praise another woman's beauty in front of the woman you're with.

"Haha." Ayatsuki Ayaka's laughter sounded a bit hollow. She could disregard the other pieces of information, but the fact that the woman was a Tokyo University graduate shook her confidence. For her, a poor student, Tokyo University was an inconceivable place, like a celestial palace in a story. It wasn't somewhere mere mortals could step into. "My bond with Aozawa isn't so easily broken! Tokyo University... that doesn't bother me at all!"

Seeing Ayatsuki Ayaka's stubborn expression, Takahashi Saeko sighed. "Iroha, if we're talking about league, you can't compare with her."

"But I still have you and Maru, don't I?" Ayatsuki Ayaka said, confident on the surface, but her large eyes flickered with doubt. "Saeko, your suddenly bringing this up... is it related to that message you got earlier?"

Takahashi Saeko shook her head. "No. I just think Morimoto Chiyoda isn't easy to deal with. You know my personality; I never do anything I'm not sure about. I don't have much confidence in this, and I don't want you to suffer the bitterness of failure."

"It doesn't matter. Failure is pretty common for me. As long as I give it my all, I won't have any regrets." Ayatsuki Ayaka's face was wreathed in smiles; she wasn't so fragile as to be easily defeated by failure.

A gentle look flickered in Takahashi Saeko's eyes. She smiled and said, "Since you have that resolve, good. We'll need to adjust our previous plans concerning Morimoto. A sow-discord scheme probably won't work on that woman. We need to come up with a new approach."

"What kind of approach?" Ayatsuki Ayaka asked, full of curiosity.

Takahashi Saeko raised her hand and tapped Ayaka's forehead. "Let me think it over carefully."

「…」

After the four classes that morning, Takahashi Saeko chose not to go shopping with Ayatsuki Ayaka and the others. Using the excuse of having something to attend to, she returned to the Hundred Herb Bookstore in Kabukicho.

She stood in front of the external staircase, looked down, and saw no sign of anyone passing by. Haven't they found this place yet? The thought flashed through Takahashi Saeko's mind as she walked up the stairs to the doorway. She looked down again, but still no signs the door had been opened. Actually, the surveillance cameras installed outside hadn't captured anyone coming up, either. Could it be that they aren't as formidable as I imagined? Or perhaps... they're even more formidable than I can conceive? Takahashi Saeko wondered as she pulled out her keys to unlock the door.

A pleasant perfume scent wafted from inside the room. Her opponent was clearly very skilled.

She looked at the tall woman sitting on the sofa. She had only heard from others how beautiful this woman was; this was the first time she was seeing her in person.

"Miss Morimoto, you really are very beautiful."

Morimoto Chiyoda sized up the young girl before her. She had already investigated Takahashi Saeko and now asked, "What do you want with me?"

"I just wanted to see what kind of woman Aozawa likes," Takahashi Saeko said, maintaining her composure. She wasn't investigating Morimoto as part of some official case; her interest was purely in Morimoto herself and her connection to Aozawa. "And to see if I can find a way to make you two separate."

Morimoto Chiyoda wasn't surprised by this. A hint of amusement touched her lips. "Is this what you call friendship with Ayatsuki Ayaka?"

"I have no choice. She fell in love with Aozawa and doesn't want to share him with anyone," Takahashi Saeko appeared very candid.

Morimoto Chiyoda crossed her legs. "Aren't you afraid I might do something to that girl?"

"Not scared. Since you've already agreed with Aozawa to two-time him, I trust you won't hurt Iroha."

"Haha." Morimoto Chiyoda chuckled softly and sighed. "I thought you understood that women are very good at lying. When I say I'm not angry, it doesn't necessarily mean I'm not. When I say I agree, it doesn't necessarily mean I truly do. Ayatsuki Ayaka... do you really think I'd let her live?"

Takahashi Saeko's pupils dilated suddenly.

"Haha, looks like you are quite fond of Iroha." Morimoto Chiyoda saw her get angry and laughed loudly. "Don't worry, I'm just teasing you."

Takahashi Saeko felt her heart settle.

"That last remark was also a tease."

"You?!" For the first time, Takahashi Saeko had encountered a woman more malicious than herself.