Chapter 34: A Skilled Massage

In discussions about Tokyo, Yokosuka in Kanagawa Prefecture and the eastern side of Chiba Prefecture are often mentioned. These two cities, one on the left and one on the right, extend into the sea, forming the very body of Tokyo Bay and creating a vast, natural harbor.

Tokyo sits squarely in the center of this natural bay. It is, in every sense of the word, blessed by nature.

While the other two major metropolitan areas—Osaka and Nagoya—also possess such naturally excellent harbors, Tokyo’s greater fame is due in part to the mutual disdain between Tokyo and Osaka. The clash between the Kanto and Kansai regions is a legacy of history; the island nation has its own unique national circumstances. Nagoya, meanwhile, gradually fell behind during the development process, eventually being left in the wake of others.

At this moment, inside a laboratory with unprecedented security, Lital gazed in sincere admiration at the severed arm resting in a specialized container.

"Dr. Miror, is there any progress on the research into extracting the supernatural substance?"

The man addressed as Dr. Miror was a middle-aged white man with streaks of gray at his temples, his voice unable to mask his excitement.

"It is a biological miracle, General! I can hardly imagine what the owner of this arm could do with a limb capable of tearing through steel. Even twenty-four hours after being detached from the body, it maintains a intense cellular reaction. It is challenging the world’s understanding of biology and genetics!"

"Alright, alright, Professor. I don't care about any of that. I only care about how long it will take for you to let us master this power."

Miror shrugged and joked, "Perhaps by the time I have my next ice cream?"

Ignoring Lital’s impatient expression, he focused his attention entirely on the severed arm.

"In fact, we need more cutting-edge equipment, better laboratory personnel, and more... well, you know, volunteers who are willing to sacrifice themselves."

Lital understood this, of course. In fact, the moment he obtained this supernatural material, his first instinct was to send it to Cold Spring Harbor.

The Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a research institution located in the United States, specializes in cancer, neurobiology, plant genetics, genomics, and bioinformatics. It has produced eight Nobel laureates and is the premier choice for researching supernatural forces.

However, considering this was a supernatural element from the island nation, if it were to lose its efficacy once it left the country, or if an accident occurred due to the long distance, who would bear the responsibility?

Furthermore, he had reached a consensus with his superiors back home: a mere arm of a monster could not satisfy America's appetite. They needed more powerful, more "manly" supernatural strength!

As for how to develop this power... there were plenty of prisoners in the Japanese jails who had to do something.

"The professional team organized by the homeland is on its way. Our mission is to acquire more things related to the supernatural before they arrive."

"General, do you mean... that 'Wraith' and the 'Tsuchigumo'?" Miror struggled slightly with the pronunciation of Tsuchigumo, as he had previously had absolutely no interest in the mythology of the island nation.

"Wraith" was the name they had given the entity after it wiped out their Self-Defense Force unit following an attack by Ryo Yamada.

"But that monster called Tsuchigumo doesn't look like it can be taken down by conventional artillery. If we use too much firepower in this country, it will attract attention. As for the Wraith... if I may be blunt, even America does not have enough data to support whether we can cause it any damage."

Tsuchigumo was manageable, but what about the Wraith?

Should they hold up a crucifix, hang garlic around their necks, and shout "Hail Mary"? These were Japanese monsters; they likely wouldn't fall for that.

Lital waved his hand, confident. "As long as it's a spider, it will fear fire. The analysts believe that spider monster belongs to the earth element; for the Japanese to fight it on land is the most foolish behavior. As for the Wraith, we may not be able to harm the spirit, but we can certainly influence the person himself."

"These two operations are codenamed 'Operation Exorcism' and 'Spider Observation Case'!"

***

Time is like a wild donkey.

Apart from those who had experienced it firsthand, news about the supernatural had disappeared from the internet, yet discussions about it continued unabated offline. Some bored young people even formed teams, dedicated specifically to courting death.

"No, don't, ahhh!!"

In the stairwell of a dilapidated apartment building, blood dripped down like leaking water. A giant, roughly three meters tall, sat on the stairs. With one hand, he held a club, and with the other, he dragged a "ham," chewing on it in large bites.

In the pitch-black stairwell, two eyes as large as copper bells stared out. One could vaguely see his bare upper body and a tiger-skin skirt around his lower body. His dark skin was so well-camouflaged in the shadows that, if not for his eyes, he could have been "invisible."

Suddenly, a snow-white flash flickered. The black oni was startled and raised his club to block, but the blade of light twisted nimbly. To the oni's horror, it pierced precisely into his throat and punched straight through.

The moment the blade was withdrawn, a spurt of warmth erupted, splattering against the stairs. A bloody, sticky sensation instantly filled the stairwell.

"It was a black oni. Miku, you’re amazing; you’re already capable of slaying an oni." Raiko Minamoto’s voice echoed in Miku’s mind, gently encouraging her.

However, Miku only wanted to find a place with fresh air.

She ran to the corridor, far away from the stairs. As fresh air entered her nostrils, she felt that there was no greater luxury in the world at that moment.

"I’m still not used to it. I guess I’m just not suited for this job." Miku gripped the blade, which remained as white as snow—the Onikiri—as if that strike hadn't been delivered by her own hand. She felt dejected.

"Nonsense, Miku is very talented. You’ve only been practicing for a few days and you’re already able to slay a black oni." Raiko Minamoto cheered her on.

Miku sighed helplessly, "That was all thanks to you, Lady Raiko."

Admiration is the furthest distance in the world. After the initial shock and existential crisis of discovering that Raiko Minamoto was a woman, Miku had, after spending some time together, become skilled at addressing Raiko as the lady general from the Heian period.

The sharpness of the strike just now had relied entirely on Raiko Minamoto’s strength. Even while residing within the Onikiri, this general could still unleash immense power, allowing a girl who hadn't even killed a chicken to slay powerful monsters.

Oh, wait—she was already proficient at killing chickens now.

Thinking of the live chickens she had bought with her allowance to practice on, she felt even more dejected. She had vomited uncontrollably back then, and after bringing them home, she hadn't dared to eat the chicken meat cooked by Nino.

Her allowance for this month was all gone, and she still owed a bit to Ichika and Yotsuba.

But because of that, she hadn't vomited just now, though the darkness making it hard to see clearly also played a part.

"Lady Raiko, what level is this oni?"

The oni of this island nation were giant, ferocious monsters with disheveled hair, hulking frames, and brute strength, categorized by color into red oni, blue oni, and black oni. The one just now was a black oni.

"In my era, the classification of demons and monsters wasn't very clear. If I had to say, that oni belonged to the weakest level, one that had just been born."

"But even the weakest oni is invincible to ordinary people." Miku thought of the three corpses in the stairwell—all thrill-seekers hunting for ghosts.

Sensing Miku’s despondent mood, Raiko Minamoto comforted her softly, "This is not your fault. You are just a young girl. Being able to protect your family in the chaotic world to come is what you should be doing."

This was exactly why Miku had sought training from Raiko Minamoto.

The five sisters—not one of them could be left behind!

Suddenly, Raiko Minamoto let out a sound of surprise.