Chapter 106 - 104 Daily Salute_1

The peregrine falcon dived from the sky into the small woods. Upon landing, it transformed into Aozawa, who immediately dug out his keys and cellphone to check for messages from Morimoto Chiyoda. Previously, using his Catalyst sensing ability, he had monitored the Yasuda family mansion through the paper of the sliding doors. The actions of Emily and the others were naturally within his awareness. This included their gathering of the Yasuda family’s servants to interrogate them for details. But Aozawa did not hear the specific questioning process. The place Emily used for interrogations didn’t have sliding doors; she questioned those servants in the spacious main hall. However, Aozawa didn’t care about the interrogation. He was using his Superpower of Catalyst Induction to lock onto Yasuda Masao’s location and obtain a detailed layout of the Yasuda family mansion. Emily wouldn’t get any results from questioning those people. He was more concerned about the message from Morimoto Chiyoda; he opened it to read. "Aozawa, due to work, I might come home quite late today. Don’t arrive home any later than nine-thirty. When the time comes, I’ll video call you. If I find out you’re not home, you’re dead meat." "Received." Aozawa sent a reply and walked out of the woods. He felt somewhat surprised that Morimoto Chiyoda had been transferred to the special task force. With so many people in the police force, it was peculiar that Chitose, of all people, was assigned to the special task force. He couldn’t help but apologize to Chitose in his heart. It was impossible for the special task force to catch Dio. The more time passed, the more Superpowers he acquired, with no risk of exposure at all. Unless he actively admitted his true identity to the public. But Aozawa would never do something so foolish. He glanced at the time and started jogging back home. At the door of apartment 601, Aozawa took out his keys. Though many Japanese people disliked locking their doors, Morimoto Chiyoda was definitely an exception. As a police inspector, she was very aware of how many theft cases occurred each year in Adachi District because doors weren’t locked. The Ayase Police Station continually urged the public to remember to lock their doors when going out. However, most people wouldn’t listen. Even when a theft occurred, they wouldn’t reflect on their own mistake of not locking the door. Instead, they would blame the criminals for being too wicked. The patrolling police were of no use. Naturally, Morimoto Chiyoda wouldn’t do such a comical thing. The Morimoto residence had locks. Aozawa opened the door and, seeing the dimly lit living room, felt somewhat unaccustomed. Normally, when he returned home, the living room lights were always on, and Morimoto Chiyoda would be sitting on the sofa or lounge chair, waiting for him. Hot water for his bath would be ready in the tub. Now there was nothing of the sort, just darkness enveloping the space before him. He should think of a way to get Chitose kicked off the special task force. Aozawa thought this as he closed and locked the door behind him. There were two keys to the house: one for him and one for Morimoto Chiyoda. He didn’t need to worry about Morimoto Chiyoda not being able to get in when she returned late at night. He flicked on the light switch. Aozawa headed to the bathroom to start filling the bathtub with hot water, then went to the bedroom to pick out his clothes. He timed it perfectly to start his bath. At half-past nine, his cellphone promptly rang with a video call invitation. Aozawa stood up from the bathtub, wiped the water off his hands with his school uniform, and answered the video call. A familiar and pretty face appeared on the screen. "Hi~ Chitose, I’m taking a bath. Want a clearer view?" "You little brat, you’re doing this on purpose." Morimoto Chiyoda watched the water droplets on his chest muscles. Her gaze then swept over his eight-pack abs. Below that, nothing else was visible; her view was limited to his upper body. If only he’d held it a bit lower, she could have seen his most private parts. She muttered to herself, not showing any regret on her face. With a stern look, she said, "Don’t you dare hang up the video. Place it on the bedside table; I want to monitor you while you sleep." "Chitose, do you really need to be so wary of me?" "If I’m not home, you could just tell me any time you went to bed, and I wouldn’t know." Morimoto Chiyoda understood Aozawa well. She knew that when she wasn’t around to supervise him, he was likely to let loose and stay up until eleven or twelve o’clock before going to bed. "There’s really no trust between us." Aozawa looked aggrieved, feeling slightly disappointed inside. He had planned to stay up until midnight. For a young person, staying up all night was a minor issue, and going to bed at twelve could even be considered early. If Morimoto Chiyoda kept the video call going, that plan wouldn’t be feasible. "Keeping the video on is my trust in you," Morimoto Chiyoda replied. "I have to go, I’m busy. Remember, if you dare hang up this video call, when I get home tonight, I’ll deal with you!" "Alright." Aozawa chuckled, not minding Chitose’s assertiveness on this matter. He dried his body with a towel and decided to go to bed properly. 「The next day, at six in the morning.」 His cellphone on the bedside table rang, right on time. Aozawa was woken by the noise. His brain became alert instantly, and with a flick of his finger, he stopped the alarm. He sat up with a kip-up, quickly took off his sleepwear, and changed into his black school uniform. With big strides, he walked to the door, saying, "Good morning, Chitose." "Hmm." A lazy, nasal hum responded to his greeting. Morimoto Chiyoda wasn’t doing her usual yoga; she was already in the kitchen, busy with breakfast. She wasn’t wearing her police inspector’s uniform but a set of light, thin, pale purple printed pajamas. The delicate spaghetti straps rested on her fair shoulders, as conspicuous as a streak of blueberry jam drawn across tofu. She yawned, looking like she hadn’t slept well. Aozawa gave her a few more glances. The most wonderful thing about these pajamas, he realized, was that the fabric over the most crucial areas was a deeper shade, not thin enough to see through like the rest.The designer of these pajamas truly understood men.That hint of what lay beneath was the most alluring. "Chitose, how late were you busy yesterday?" "Until two in the morning." Morimoto Chiyoda yawned as she replied, stirring the noodles in the pot with her chopsticks. "Why were you busy so late?" Aozawa was somewhat surprised. In his view, questioning sixty-odd people shouldn’t have taken that long. "Don’t even mention it. Every single one of them was a hassle." A flash of irritation crossed Morimoto Chiyoda’s brow. The maids, gardeners, and other staff at the Yasuda residence lacked the status of politicians but certainly shared their flaws. They spoke evasively, always hiding something. This made their interrogations incredibly difficult. They had to coax information from each one. Additionally, they had to scrutinize their bank accounts from the past few months for any suspicious transactions. It was all incredibly troublesome. Members of the Yasuda family also tried to obstruct them, insisting that their household staff would never include a traitor. The servants, gardeners, and others serving the Yasuda family weren’t hired randomly online. In fact, their parents and even grandparents had also worked for the Yasudas. In the eyes of the Yasuda family members, these staff were insiders, more trustworthy than any outsider. They were afraid the special task force might uncover some of their own private, unmentionable matters. The special task force, however, resisted the pressure from the Yasudas and persisted with interrogating the staff. They concluded that the servants were not as loyal as the Yasuda family believed. The special task force had already identified three individuals who might have leaked the mansion’s layout. Including Yasuda Masao’s youngest son, Yasuda Yutaka, there were now four suspects. However, Yasuda Yutaka’s status was sensitive, so they couldn’t question him directly without risking tipping him off. Emily suggested they start by checking his bank accounts and keeping him under surveillance for three days. If he made no suspicious moves during that time, they could then try to force the issue, hoping to flush out the mastermind. This decision meant Morimoto Chiyoda would have to work overtime for the next few days. "Sigh, I’ll probably be coming home quite late for a while, so don’t you dare break curfew. If you cause me any more trouble right now, don’t blame me for losing my temper." Morimoto Chiyoda solemnly warned Aozawa, telling him not to think about messing around while she was away. This kind of motherly worrying made Aozawa roll his eyes. "I’m not a kid anymore," he said, annoyed. "If you’re too tired, just leave some money on the table. I can eat out." "No way. The privilege of making you noodles is mine alone; I’m not giving it up to anyone else." Morimoto Chiyoda winked, her fatigue momentarily overshadowed by a teasing smile, and she even deliberately licked her lips. She’s definitely making an innuendo! Aozawa had thought he wouldn’t "stand at attention" when he left the house today, but her remark and alluring gaze still made his blood boil. "Chitose, you’re so bad." "That’s your reward for being obedient. Now, go brush your teeth and wash your face." Morimoto Chiyoda noted the boy’s heated reaction with a satisfied glance, then used her chopsticks to lift the noodles from the pot, ready to serve. 「After breakfast.」 Aozawa ran to school, beginning the daily training at the Kendo club. As time passed, the number of people in the Kendo club gradually dwindled. Eventually, only Aozawa remained in the Kendo club’s activity room, his kiai echoing loudly in the empty space. At that moment, a spring breeze blew through the open window into the activity room. Aozawa exhaled, "Men!" The bamboo sword came down heavily. A thought suddenly struck him: At this very moment, how many other people in Tokyo were practicing with a bamboo sword? Curiosity piqued, Aozawa activated his Catalyst sensing ability, wanting to find out just how many others were training with bamboo swords like him. Aozawa’s perspective rapidly ascended, and a barrage of scenes, like countless surveillance feeds, flooded his mind. It was different from what he had imagined. It turned out he wasn’t the most diligent practitioner of Sword Dao in Tokyo. At that very moment, thousands of people across Tokyo were training with bamboo swords. Image after image appeared in his mind: children, adults, even elderly individuals, all shouting powerfully as they practiced. Naturally, there were plenty of high school girls among them. But Aozawa didn’t focus on the high school girls; his attention was captured by a particularly familiar kiai. It was a voice he occasionally heard in his dreams. That single kiai instantly transported Aozawa’s thoughts back to the height of last summer. On the tournament stage, surrounded by a sea of people, the boy facing him had let out a powerful kiai. His bamboo sword had descended with immense force, his fighting spirit so intense it seemed to cleave the air itself. The past and present converged, and a spark of realization ignited in Aozawa’s mind. Even though helmets obscured their faces, that kiai, that way of swinging the sword... There was no doubt. This was the boy who had defeated him at the Jade Dragon Flag tournament. His name was Sunaga Takashi.