The next day…
Still preoccupied with the missing persons case, I woke up unusually early.
Bread clamped between my teeth, I hurried back to my office.
To my surprise, I was the last one to arrive.
Watching my team hard at work, a quiet warmth bloomed in my chest.
This unit’s atmosphere felt different—alive.
The Criminal Division wasn’t just my First Unit; five others existed—Second through Sixth.
Six teams total.
Cases never waited politely in line.
Delaying an investigation meant vanishing clues, contaminated scenes, lost time.
Six units ensured someone was always ready.
(And no, "First Unit" didn’t mean we were the best. Just a number. I’d inherited it when the last chief retired.)
"Morning, Chief!"
"Morning!"
Heads snapped up the moment I entered, greetings ringing out in unison.
"Huh. Why so early?" I asked, genuinely surprised they’d beaten me.
"You said time was tight!"
"So we set alarms!"
"All for Naniwa Heavy Industries—*ahem*—for you, Chief!"
"*Seriously*, lay off the Kamen Rider shows," I chuckled.
Their eagerness was clear beneath the jokes. They cared about this case.
"Keep digging through those files, then," I said, heading to my office. "Find anything we missed."
…
Back in my room, Yang Hailiu’s photo slipped from a file folder, fluttering to the floor.
Staring at it, my gut twisted.
*She’s connected to these disappearances.*
But…
I couldn’t find a single flaw in her alibi.
*Why?*
I picked up the photo, studying her face.
The deeper I dug, the heavier the dread coiled in my chest.
Instinct screamed: *Stop. Walk away.*
But…
Who would save those missing girls if I did?
I shook my head sharply, tucked the photo back into the file, and grabbed my things.
"Chief heading out again?"
Lin Tao—a rookie barely twenty-three—glanced up as I opened the door.
(Lin was a common surname in Guanghai City. Three of my five team members shared it: Lin Huiyan, Lin Tao, and Lin Feng. The others were Du Lang and Cai Kun. Cai, nearing fifty, would retire soon. Du, in his forties, was the most experienced but… well, let’s just say brains weren’t his strong suit. Neither he nor Cai had ever been chief material. Without my strategic mind, they’d charge in like reckless muscleheads. Best to deploy them sparingly.)
"Yeah. Something’s bothering me," I said. "Tell Huiyan I’ve gone out when she gets back."
"Got it! Safe trip, Chief!" Lin Tao grinned, already diving back into paperwork.
"Kick ass, Chief!"
"We’ll wait for your report!"
Cai Kun, Du Lang, and Lin Feng called out without looking up.
Twenty missing girls. Maybe more.
No time to waste.
*Yang Hailiu. She’s still the key.*
…
"Kyuubi… did you hear that?"
A familiar voice cut through the street noise near an alleyway.
My neck prickled. Was it real?
I turned to the mascot trotting beside me.
"Yeah. Sounded like shouting. Check it out?" Kyuubi’s ears twitched.
*BANG! BANG! BANG!*
Gunfire ripped through the air.
We sprinted toward the sound.
"Hold it off! I’ll cover you—RUN! Call the police!"
A deep, commanding voice—urgent, magnetic.
*Brother?*
My blood ran cold.
Cops didn’t just draw guns. Not unless…
"Kyuubi. Your take?" I hissed.
"Bonesoul stench," it growled.
*Right.*
I fumbled for my belt. No time for dramatic poses like in the Fallen World.
Glancing around—empty street—I slammed the belt onto my waist and yanked a card from thin air.
"Henshin!"
(Okay, maybe I *did* strike a pose. Old Kamen Rider habits die hard. Pity I became a Magical Girl instead. Still stings a little.)
"Card recognized…"
"Loading…"
"Transformation sequence initiated!"
Silver hair spilled over my shoulders. The gothic dress felt stiff, unfamiliar.
"You’ll get used to it," Kyuubi purred, licking a paw.
*Is that… comfort?* I stared.
"Staring won’t save your brother," it added, shivering slightly.
*Right. Brother.*
I bolted down the alley.
*Don’t be late. Don’t let me lose him too.*
Father’s shadow had just begun to fade.
I couldn’t bear salt in those wounds again.
The thought of him bleeding out—
I ignored Kyuubi’s weird comment. Focused only on running.
I skidded around the corner.
*There.*
Just as Kyuubi sensed: a Bonesoul.
A grotesque fish skeleton with limbs, lunging at my brother.
His pistol smoked—empty shots that’d barely slowed it.
Only his agility kept him alive.
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!"
I launched myself mid-sprint, boot connecting with the Bonesoul’s spine.
*THUD!*
It crashed into a brick wall, crumbling like rotten wood.
"Monster! You won’t lay a finger on—on *him*!"
*Phew.* Almost slipped.
I stole a glance at my brother.
*Did he hear "brother"?*
His eyes were wide, locked on my silver hair.
