CHAPTER 478: 476TH CHAPTER THE FIRST MONDAY OF AUGUST_1

「August 7th, Monday.」

The breeze in the early morning was slightly cool, but Aozawa wasn’t alone. He lay next to the alabaster-skinned Morimoto Chiyoda, her even breath from deep sleep brushing against her swan-like, slender neck.

Morimoto Chiyoda woke from her sleep.

She stared at the solid ceiling, her lower back a bit sore, thinking back to last night’s utter madness.

The air was tinged with the scent unique to young men.

"Mmm," Morimoto Chiyoda made a nasal sound, trying to gradually get out of bed.

"Chitose~"

Aozawa mumbled, reaching out to hold her when JINGLE JINGLE—his hands were handcuffed to the headboard.

Remembering last night’s cops and robbers game, he opened his eyes. Superpower: Shadow Emperor.

The words seemed to be written on that thick layer of white frost.

Aozawa blinked. The text on Morimoto Chiyoda’s chest dissipated, which also made him decide that next time they played, he absolutely had to try blindfolding Chitose and practice cursive calligraphy from the Tang Dynasty.

Seeing him staring at her, Morimoto Chiyoda poked his forehead and said, "You just can’t behave, can you? Reflect on your actions properly here."

"Hey, at least unlock the handcuffs first."

"No way! You’re a major felon! Your sentence is a hundred years!"

Morimoto Chiyoda flicked his sensitive area, her upturned lips revealing a triumphant, mischievous smile.

She got out of bed, picked up some clothes that needed washing, and headed out. She had no intention of dressing yet, simply tossing the clothes into the washing machine before taking a shower.

If she didn’t scrub herself clean, it really would be uncomfortable.

Aozawa was locked to the bed, not contemplating how much his Infinity Big Ability had been reduced.

In his eyes, Infinity Big was just an Ability that allowed him to play Ultraman fighting monsters in secluded places; it was practically useless in the city. Or, during his exchanges with Chitose, it spurred Chitose’s evolution into an Ely form. Coupled with oil, it was irresistibly pleasurable. He guessed even if the Infinity Big Ability was further reduced, it wouldn’t affect the most crucial abilities later on, so there was no need to bother thinking about it. Aozawa was more curious: what was this new Superpower, Shadow Emperor?

His heart stirred. He shouted towards the outside, "Officer Chitose, I confess! Come quickly and unlock these handcuffs!"

"Wait a moment~"

Morimoto Chiyoda’s response, mixed with a slight nasal tone, floated from the bathroom, provoking Aozawa’s criminal impulses.

He recalled how yesterday, after shopping with Iroha and returning home, Chitose had pounced on him as soon as they entered, initiating a human version of a famously intense, passionate struggle.

It was passion beyond his imagination. What a pity, Aozawa sighed internally, wondering how many days he would have to wait for such treatment again.

Breakfast was ready. Morimoto Chiyoda returned to the bedroom but didn’t unlock Aozawa. Instead, she slowly started getting dressed in front of him.

One piece after another, she slipped on her bright red fishnet stockings.

SNAP. The garter bit into her rather fleshy thighs, leaving clear indentations.

"Chitose, I want to confess! I’ll spill the truth inside your police station!"

Aozawa struggled in bed, like a fish flung onto dry land, flopping about.

The movement of his hands made the handcuffs JINGLE.

With his strength, he could indeed break free from the handcuffs, but it wouldn’t be fun to escape that way; he had to preserve the delight of being a captured felon.

Morimoto Chiyoda chuckled, pulled on her shiny red leather shorts, and then put on a fiery red oversized T-shirt.

She approached, found the key in the drawer, and unlocked Aozawa’s handcuffs. Just as Aozawa was about to embrace her, Morimoto Chiyoda pressed the barrel of her M500 against his chest. She said leisurely, "If you dare assault an officer, I might have to shoot."

"Chitose, could you really bear to?" Aozawa grinned.

Morimoto Chiyoda retracted the gun and flicked his forehead. "Alright, don’t keep lounging here.

"Such a big guy, still naked. Hurry up and get dressed, brush your teeth, wash your face, and eat."

"Okay," Aozawa answered, standing up and heading outside.

Morimoto Chiyoda also turned and walked out of the living room. Her yoga practice time had now changed.

It wasn’t upon waking in the morning anymore; Morimoto Chiyoda chose to do her yoga during slack time at the office.

Although there were many daily tasks in the intelligence department and the special case team, as long as one dared to delegate appropriately, a leader didn’t actually need to handle that much.

Morimoto Chiyoda was precisely that kind of leader when it came to delegation.

This had won her the hearts of many senior and deputy assistants in the intelligence department in a short time.

Everyone hopes for a leader who will allow them to showcase their talents and take the blame if needed. In some ways, Jack was that kind of person. However, unlike Morimoto Chiyoda, Jack’s delegation stemmed from a recognition of his own lack of management skills, not because he could manage the CIA but still chose to delegate. Furthermore, Jack was too soft-hearted. He was fortunate to have someone like Morimoto Chiyoda, who understood contentment, working for him earnestly. If he encountered someone ambitious, it’s likely they’d sell Jack out and still make him say thank you. Morimoto Chiyoda knew how to delegate and also how to assert her authority; she well understood that the consequences of having power without authority could be quite severe.

Today’s breakfast was sea cucumber, scallop, and shrimp congee, accompanied by a plate of steamed crab and a full dish of scallops.

"Eat up. You need to replenish your strength," Morimoto Chiyoda said, serving him a scallop.

Aozawa grinned. "Do I really need to replenish, Chitose? Have you forgotten who fainted first last night?

"The one who needs replenishing is you."

He placed the scallop into Morimoto Chiyoda’s bowl and smiled. "Shall we continue tonight?"

"No."

Morimoto Chiyoda’s previously pent-up desires had vanished like smoke in the wind after last night, leaving her feeling refreshed and clear-headed. The next time she would want to take action would be at least seven days later.

She steered the conversation towards other matters, such as a gold shop robbery reported in the news or a trending video on TikTok.

After casually chatting until breakfast ended, Morimoto Chiyoda put down her chopsticks. She took out a napkin, wiped her mouth, and said, "You’re staying at home with nothing to do, so remember to clean the floors for me, and tidy up the yard as well.

"I’ll send you what to buy for tonight’s dinner on your phone."

Then, she took out the grocery money and said with a smile, "Go with your sister."

"Chitose, don’t say it so ambiguously, okay?" Aozawa rolled his eyes and pocketed the money.

Having returned to Tokyo, he naturally had to fulfill the promise he’d made with Shouko to go to the market and buy groceries later. After all, you could buy fresher produce at the market in the morning; the afternoon would be a bit late. If she didn’t have any plans, Hojo Shouko usually went grocery shopping in the morning.

Morimoto Chiyoda laughed and got up, walking to the door.

Aozawa cleared the table, wiped it down with a cloth, and didn’t rush to leave.

After sensing that Chitose’s Defense Barrier had left the house, he used Telekinesis to pick up the dishes and went to the serving window. He opened it with his hand, then placed the dishes into the dishwasher and pressed start. With Telekinesis, Aozawa didn’t need to go to the kitchen; the dishwasher had already started operating. Telekinesis provided plenty of conveniences in daily life.

He glanced at the time and decided to test his new Superpower before going grocery shopping with Shouko.

Aozawa activated Superpower: Shadow Emperor.

In an instant, he felt the coolness of water spreading quickly from his head over his body. But what he saw wasn’t water; it was shadow, liquid-like.

It covered him from head to toe and gradually spread out into a circle with a half-meter diameter.

He merged into the shadows.

It was like sinking into water, yet he did not feel suffocated. In this darkness, Aozawa could breathe normally, as if he had become a fish. The silence and darkness surrounded him, but Aozawa didn’t feel blind at all. On the contrary, he had a sense of extreme clarity. This was the other side of the world, the real Shadow World.

The Superpower of the Shadow Emperor was to allow him to enter shadows and control them.

All the shadows in this world were under his command. Shadow Emperor was actually a Superpower that worked on a global scale!

Realizing this, Aozawa raised his hand and intoned, "Palace."

The Emperor demanded a palace, and so a palace was granted to the Shadow World. The Emperor demanded dark fire, and so dark fire came to exist on either side of the shadow columns.

Aozawa watched as the palace unfolded like a three-dimensional holographic display made of shadow. It was still dark, but the darkness here was less dense than elsewhere.

Dark lanterns, like flames, flickered on the shadow columns.

His shadow robe rippled around him like a Roman Emperor’s loose toga, part of it trailing on the ground without seeming cumbersome, as if it were continuously flowing waves.

Clad in shadow, Aozawa ascended the nine steps to a throne woven from shadows.

That throne, constructed from blades of shadow, conveyed a majestic, epic aura.

"Oh, not bad."

Aozawa turned and sat down. It felt like sitting on jelly—not solid at all, but quite comfortable.

Looking ahead, he had another idea. From the shadow-shrouded dome above, droplets of liquid began to fall. Each blob, like a slime, hit the ground and quickly solidified into a figure. Completely black, with only a pair of glowing red eyes.

One by one, figures appeared in the hall at Aozawa’s whim. He wanted to see how many Shadow Soldiers he could command.

The conclusion was one hundred thousand!

He observed the seemingly endless army, their countless pairs of red eyes fixed upon the Emperor seated on the throne.

"Kneel!" Aozawa issued the command.

They knelt in unison, yet none could make a sound.

The soldiers, formed from shadows, were like robots: devoid of thought or emotion, silent, and breathless. They followed the Emperor’s orders unconditionally. Depending on the directive, they could be killing machines or mundane workers.

"This is interesting. Commit seppuku!"

With Aozawa’s first command, the dense throng of Shadow Soldiers struck their own chests in unison. Upon death, they turned into wisps of black smoke, seeking to return to the dome above.

With a shift of thought, he raised his hand and made a grasping motion in the air. All the dead shadows coalesced in his palm, forming a sword several kilometers long. Holding this sword, Aozawa didn’t feel its weight; it was as if it were weightless. Its power would have to be tested on someone. But before that, he needed to go grocery shopping with Shouko.