Sakura Ayame told them everything.

Although she worked in that industry, she was naive and inexperienced in dealing with people, still a university student. Sakura Ayame was unaware that Morimoto Chiyoda's actions could have been countered with a charge of intimidation; she was so frightened that she spilled everything.

Of course, the information Sakura Ayame provided consisted of only a few sentences, yet it allowed Morimoto Chiyoda to grasp several key points.

First, the stun gun that instantly disabled Sakura Ayame was useless against Dio.

Second, Dio had knocked down three people from a distance.

This wasn't because Sakura Ayame saw it herself, but because Morimoto Chiyoda learned it from the conversation Sakura Ayame recounted.

"Senior?"

"AH!"

"What—what happened to all of you? Was it you, you jerk?"

This brief exchange contained a significant amount of information.

The first two sentences represented the enemy's confusion, indicating that Dio had not made any actual physical attack. If he had truly struck, the third person would not have questioned Dio in such a puzzled tone. Morimoto Chiyoda leaned towards the theory that Dio's attacks left his opponents unable to comprehend the situation. It was only after two companions abruptly fell that the third person posed such a question.

This testimony further confirmed that Dio's Superpowers were not limited to one.

Immune to electricity, able to launch invisible attacks, appearing anywhere at any time.

Combined with the autopsy report of Ito Otome, that invisible attack was likely generated from inside a person.

This is truly a troublesome Ability—invisible to the eye. How could anyone defend against it?

Morimoto Chiyoda thought for a moment and said, "Thank you for your cooperation. Your secret will be safe; no one will find out."

She paused briefly and patted Sakura Ayame on the shoulder. Then she added, "Though you've been admitted to university, with your intelligence, you seem unsuited for overly complex work. You should just find a good person to marry."

Sakura Ayame retorted with some dissatisfaction, "I am a student at North River University!"

"Don't mention such an obscure university."

As a gifted student from Tokyo University, Morimoto Chiyoda had the standing to look down on any domestic university. She was also well aware that simply being a university student now did not guarantee a good job. Only graduates from very well-known universities could hope for a good position. If ordinary university graduates aspired to high-paying jobs, then what work should those from prestigious universities engage in? Someone always has to do the grunt work.

Sakura Ayame said nothing, but inwardly she was defiant. I will definitely become a famous blogger!

Morimoto Chiyoda and Miyaji Yosuke left the apartment.

Outside, Miyaji Yosuke couldn't suppress his curiosity. "Morimoto Police Department, you seem to know a lot about Dio."

"It's no exaggeration to say he is the Metropolitan Police Department's top arrest priority, the most dangerous criminal in Japan," Morimoto Chiyoda replied, then asked, "Mr. Miyaji, are you interested in transferring to the Metropolitan Police Department?"

After spending a day together, Morimoto Chiyoda found Miyaji Yosuke to be a talented individual. Finding such a down-to-earth police officer was indeed rare at the Metropolitan Police Department. With the current authority of the special task force, it was possible to transfer Miyaji Yosuke and then promote him. An exceptional promotion was out of the question, but there was still hope for a promotion to Inspector.

"Well," Miyaji Yosuke hesitated, a trace of indecision on his face. He had worked in Kyoto for many years and was very familiar with the area. A sudden transfer to Tokyo... he was afraid he wouldn't be up to the task.

"You don't need to rush your answer. Take down my phone number, and give yourself three days to think it over," Morimoto Chiyoda said. She knew that leaving a familiar city suddenly took courage and was willing to give Miyaji Yosuke time. "I hope you will think it over carefully. Being promoted to Inspector early versus just before retirement—the benefits are indeed different."

"Okay." Miyaji Yosuke nodded, deciding to discuss it with his wife when he got back.

「 」

Morimoto Chiyoda took the bullet train back to Tokyo. She didn't send a message to Aozawa, hoping to surprise him that evening. She only messaged Emily, reporting that she had accomplished her task. What the specific task was, she didn't specify on the phone. Her main concern was someone intercepting the message. Though "intercept" might not be the right word. The company behind the LINE app had an inseparable relationship with the Iwasaki Group, one of the six major consortia. If Morimoto Chiyoda used it to send messages, the Iwasaki Group, if they wanted to see them, could access relevant records at any moment. In the age of big data, privacy was practically nonexistent. Whether messages leaked didn't depend on technology but on whether those in control wanted to access someone's communications.

She transferred to Shinjuku Okubo.

When she exited the station, night had already fallen. The neon signs of skyscrapers, streets, and shops flickered in the darkness, making those in Okubo unaware of the night.

Okayama Buji honked the horn and poked his head out the window. "Over here."

Morimoto Chiyoda approached and opened the rear door. "Emily is really inconsiderate. She should have let me rest tonight and report to work tomorrow."

Okayama Buji laughed. "You have to understand Emily. She won't be able to sleep tonight without specific news."

"Haha, short people are quick-tempered." Morimoto Chiyoda chuckled. "Okayama, you're not going to tell Emily what I just said, are you?"

Okayama Buji blushed slightly as she brought up the topic. "Morimoto, I..."

"Alright, I know you're honest and can't stand up to Emily." Morimoto Chiyoda didn't seem to mind as she urged, "Drive faster. I want to get back earlier."

"Don't ask for the impossible," Okayama Buji grumbled. He had already increased the speed to the city's limit. Any faster and they'd be speeding.

「 」

Upon arriving at the Hisamatsu Apartment parking lot, Morimoto Chiyoda stepped out of the car first and walked up the stairs to the second floor.

The door to room 201 was open, and its light blended with the motion-sensor light inside.

Morimoto Chiyoda entered the living room.

Emily, who was sitting on the couch, quickly jumped up and asked, "Chitose, was it Dio behind the Kyoto case?"

"Yes." Morimoto Chiyoda nodded and relayed Sakura Ayame's story in full detail, including the few sentences spoken by the criminal at the scene.

"As I see it, Dio truly has multiple Superpowers," Morimoto Chiyoda said, confident in her conclusion.

Katerina, no longer silent, spoke up. "Based on that, last time Dio used an invisible attack to cause pain in my stomach. Since Dio let me get close to attack, the estimated range of that Ability is between two and three meters."

Emily started biting her thumb again, a thoughtful expression on her face. "In that case, the only way to catch Dio is to take him by surprise with a long-distance attack from outside his field of vision. For example, using tranquilizer darts or something similar."

Morimoto Chiyoda spread her hands. "The problem is we don't know where Dio is now. His Superpower to appear anywhere means he can hide anywhere. He wouldn't need to use any means of transport, so naturally, there would be no trace of him to follow."

Okayama Buji entered and suggested, "Should we recreate the last incident? Perhaps fabricate the release of a dangerous criminal to see if Dio takes the bait?"

That idea isn't very realistic, Emily thought, shaking her head. "Using the same strategy a second time? Dio isn't a fool. How could he possibly fall for it again?"

Originally, Morimoto Chiyoda had intended to just talk and leave. However, she was equally interested in capturing Dio and couldn't help but ask, "Speaking of which, what's the source of Dio's information? Is it his Superpower? Or is someone feeding him information so he can discern the truth from falsehood?"

"'It's unlikely that someone is providing him with information. I've checked those underlings; most of them are clueless about who was making the moves and were simply following orders from above. The real informants are the Mitsui Family's confidants; there's no issue with them,' Emily said, shaking her head and nibbling her thumb. 'Aside from the underlings, the only other person aware of the matter is Phoenix Academy Maggie, and she wouldn't harm her own people.'"

At this point, Emily suddenly had a realization. "Wait a minute," she said. "I remember last time I wanted to ask Phoenix Academy Maggie some questions, and she refused. She's still a suspect."

Morimoto Chiyoda asked curiously, "What did you want to ask Phoenix Academy Maggie before?"

"It was regarding the Misawa group kidnapping Phoenix Academy Maggie. What gave a small outfit like the Misawa group the audacity to kidnap the young heiress of the Phoenix Academy Family?"

"What was the reason?" Morimoto Chiyoda was curious.

Normally, when a corporation gives money to the underworld, it's to covertly finance them so the underworld can do their bidding. If they announced it outwardly, it would be for paying protection fees. After all, it wouldn't be good for a major corporation to be seen associating with the underworld, as it could tarnish the firm's reputation.

"'After investigating, I found it was an internal power struggle within the Phoenix Academy Family. The younger brother-in-law wanted to seize control of the Phoenix Academy Family from his sister-in-law, so he targeted Phoenix Academy Maggie, the heir. After the failure, he was sent to Africa, and there has been no news of him since,' Emily explained, stroking her chin. 'I was also very curious at the time. Phoenix Academy Maggie had been kidnapped, so how did she persuade the Misawa group to release her?'"

"Are you going to visit the Phoenix Academy Family now?"

Visiting the Phoenix Academy Family so suddenly now could easily cause misunderstandings, Emily thought, shaking her head. It would seem as if the special task force was so suspicious of the Phoenix Academy Family that they couldn't wait to show up. "Forget it. For such a large family, it's better to visit tomorrow."

She decided to follow procedure and schedule an appointment with the Phoenix Academy Family to speak with Phoenix Academy Maggie. If Phoenix Academy Kochou deliberately prepared scripted lines for her daughter, it would prove they had something to hide. I'm not that easy to fool, Emily thought. So, I'm actually a little excited for Kochou to try and deceive me.

"Alright, then I'll head back." Morimoto Chiyoda had no intention of staying there any longer.

Emily nodded. "Your days off are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. Remember to come to work as usual tomorrow. Eight in the morning, don't make excuses for being late."

Morimoto Chiyoda shrugged. "Okay. By the way, I found a capable police officer in Kyoto called Miyaji Yosuke. If he's willing to come to the Metropolitan Police Department, assigning him to the special task force would definitely be helpful."

"Alright." Emily nodded. Morimoto Chiyoda is probably looking for someone hardworking and uncomplaining to share her workload. However, such an arrangement would also benefit Emily. The elites at the Metropolitan Police Department, in some respects, weren't as effective as the rank-and-file officers from local precincts.