I'm so tired. Morimoto Chiyoda hadn't experienced this level of exhaustion in a long while. When was the last time she had worked herself to this point of fatigue? She had almost forgotten—or rather, she realized she had *never* worked to such an extreme before. She could muster some energy when others were around, but the closer she got to her front door, the more apparent the exhaustion became. Standing outside her home, Morimoto Chiyoda was overwhelmed by a surge of weariness. All she wanted was to collapse on the sofa, kick off her shoes, and strip off her clothes. To immerse my whole body in a warm bathtub... She reckoned the water should be ready around now.
As Morimoto Chiyoda thought this, she turned her key and opened the door. The living room lights were on. Aozawa had just stepped out of the bath, his hair still damp. He was wrapped in a white towel that covered his boxer shorts, and the muscles of his arms, legs, and abdomen were clearly defined.
"Chitose, you're back," Aozawa said, noticing her state. "You look really tired."
"Yeah." Morimoto Chiyoda nodded, closed the door behind her, and complained, "I'm absolutely wiped out today." With that, she flung herself onto the sofa, then turned on her side and kicked up her legs. "Help me take off my shoes," she ordered.
"I'm dressed like this, and you want *me* to take off *your* shoes?" Aozawa teased, but he still walked over to her.
Morimoto Chiyoda's long hair fanned out over the sofa. She rolled her eyes at him and said, "Consider yourself lucky today, kid."
"You're the one being lazy, if we're being honest," Aozawa retorted. He lifted her left calf with his right hand and began to untie her shoelaces. Morimoto Chiyoda wasn't wearing stockings, but a pair of short, emerald-green ankle socks.
"Don't do anything weird," came her voice from below, soft and languid.
"Relax, I'm not going to sniff your supposedly stinky feet."
"The fact that you'd even use an adjective like 'stinky' tells me you haven't done anything perverted like that. Anyone who's actually smelled my feet knows they don't stink at all." Morimoto Chiyoda smirked. Her foot, snug in its thin sock, gave a little wiggle—as tempting as matcha-flavored ice cream on a summer day.
Aozawa felt a strong urge to bite into it, to taste it. A spark of scientific curiosity ignited within him. Do Chitose's feet *really* not smell? At least, he couldn't detect any odor from where he was standing. To ascertain the specifics, he would have to bend down and get closer, an act he feared would be far too creepy. Such behavior was too perverse, so Aozawa refrained and moved on to her other shoe.
The process was the same: he lifted her right calf. Then, his gaze drifted towards the gap between her ultra-short denim shorts and her thigh, trying to catch a glimpse of a different color within. Though his X-ray Ability would have made it easy to see, that would spoil the fun. Such things were indeed more thrilling when a man had to exert effort for just a tiny peek; that was what made it so exciting.
Just a little higher, Aozawa thought, adjusting the angle. He then slipped off the shoe and, just as he'd hoped, caught a glimpse of black—a stark contrast to the denim blue and pale skin. Damn, that's stimulating! He felt a surge of triumph.
Morimoto Chiyoda flexed her waist, lifted her head slightly, and glanced at his towel. "You certainly are young and full of vigor," she commented. "Now, step aside. It's time for the queen to change."
In a way, Chitose is pretty amazing for being able to say things like that without batting an eye, Aozawa thought. He picked up her shoes, placed them in the shoe cabinet, tossed a pair of slippers in front of the sofa, and then turned to head into his bedroom.
"Hey, go wash your hands!" Morimoto Chiyoda called out, her tone firm.
"Didn't you just say your feet don't stink?"
"Of course my feet don't stink! But you should always wash your hands after touching shoes. It's a matter of personal hygiene. Don't try to be lazy about it." Morimoto Chiyoda shot Aozawa a glare, adamant about cracking down on such unhygienic habits.
Aozawa pouted but went to the kitchen to wash his hands. As he then headed toward the bedroom, Morimoto Chiyoda playfully slapped his butt. "Goodnight~" she chirped.
"Hey, you're teasing me!"
"Taking such liberties with men is a queen's prerogative," Morimoto Chiyoda said with a wink, a flirtatious charm in her eyes. She was already prepared for him to try and retaliate, ready to dodge.
Aozawa didn't retaliate, but he mentally filed away the incident. He would definitely get her back for this one day, and he wouldn't stop until her cheeks were flushed red.
He entered his bedroom. Morimoto Chiyoda chuckled to herself, then went to her own bedroom, picked out a nightgown, and headed to the bathroom. The bathwater was still hot from when Aozawa had used it. She didn't get in immediately, first washing herself thoroughly before slowly stepping into the warm water.
"Ah, this is bliss," she sighed. With her legs stretched out, she leaned back, feeling the day's fatigue slowly melting away in the hot water.
The intense battle she had mentally braced for hadn't occurred, yet the direct visual and psychological impact of what she had witnessed was more exhausting than any imagined physical combat. She only needed to close her eyes to recall the colossal silhouette standing amidst the mountains: the fractured earth, trees pulverized like potato chips, and the sea of blood in the backyard.
Her initial assessment was that it was another Superpower, or perhaps even a different manifestation of the *same* Superpower. She remembered Emily's earlier report about Dio transforming into the Frost Giant to freeze Onofre. Today, it had been Rock Giants and yet another form. From observing the scene, Morimoto Chiyoda was fairly certain that wind had been the weapon used to eliminate those researchers—a force that had torn them to shreds and then discarded their bodies outside.
The only remaining mystery was how Dio had made that U.S. Army soldier turn his gun on his three comrades. Dio hadn't spoken, so it didn't seem like he'd used a command-type Superpower, nor did it appear to be an ability that attacked a person's internal organs. Judging by the soldier's state, he had clearly aimed his weapon at Dio and pulled the trigger, yet in that same instant, the barrel had swiveled towards his three companions. Was it some kind of super-speed? Did Dio move at a speed invisible to the naked eye to redirect the soldier's gun?
As Morimoto Chiyoda soaked in the bath, she suddenly realized that at some point, she had developed the same peculiar habit as Emily: mulling over work-related matters even during her off-hours. Morimoto Chiyoda tilted her head back, her thoughts turning to Dio's words about a great cataclysm transforming the world. This seemed to indirectly corroborate her own earlier theories about a resurgence of spiritual energy. It might also tie into prophecies from the Bible. Does one have to find the answers for their own soul?
Morimoto Chiyoda let out a heavy sigh. She wasn't sure which direction to pursue for answers but resolved to explore things gradually later on. For now, the most pressing issue was whether Ito Otome could crack the Z Drug. Emily's life depended on it.
「The next day, Saturday.」
The sound of heavy rain lashing against the window filled the air. Emily, who had slept poorly, was quickly jolted awake by the noise. She propped herself up and glanced towards the window. The azure curtains obscured the view. With a light jump, she landed on the floor and, using her momentum, took a few quick steps forward to pull them open.
It was pouring heavily outside. Rain hammered against the windowsill and the ground. With this much rain, the roads will probably flood soon, and the sewers will start backing up and overflowing. I really can't stand the infrastructure in this city, Emily grumbled internally. Times are progressing, but Tokyo's infrastructure clearly hasn't kept pace. It might be excusable in some rural backwater, but this is supposed to be a major international metropolis!
Emily's chest tightened with resentment. As she found herself nitpicking things she normally wouldn't even notice, she knew what it signified: she was desperately trying to distract herself from the thoughts truly plaguing her mind. Maybe it's just an illusion, she thought. But she constantly felt a phantom ache from where her tooth had been pulled. Damn it! I'm never setting foot in another dental clinic as long as I live! I'd rather have Katerina knock my teeth out with her fists than see a dentist again! That is... if I even have a 'long as I live' left.
Emily wasn't a fool. She could detect the subtle, almost pitying, attempts at reassurance in Ito Otome's words. As much as she wanted to deceive herself, sometimes being too perceptive was a curse. The realization that her time might be short made Emily lament inwardly. Why do intelligent, beautiful women always seem to wither so young? I'm still so young...
A surge of anger at this thought made her punch the wall lightly. She then quickly composed herself and tied up her hair. She didn't want Morimoto Chiyoda to feel burdened or guilty. Considering the circumstances back then, asking me to see a dentist wasn't unreasonable. It was just... fate, I guess. Emily had never believed in such intangible things as destiny before, but now, she felt compelled to. Perhaps fate truly did exist. Perhaps a person's entire life, from birth to death, was already predetermined. It was an utterly despairing thought. The only small mercy, if one could call it that, was that people lived in ignorance of what destiny had specifically ordained for them. Then again, maybe this will even cause me to awaken a Superpower!
Emily tried to think optimistically as she changed into a Gothic-style dress. Unlike her winter ones, this summer version was a sundress with thin straps, making it look especially light and cool. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her petite frame, in every aspect, seemed so small. A fresh wave of sadness washed over her. Am I really going to leave this world... as a virgin?
Emily shook her head, forcefully pushing aside the pessimistic thoughts. She resolved to dedicate whatever time she had left to the pursuit of Dio.
She strode out of her bedroom. Apart from Ito Otome, who was presumably in the lab, the rest of the special task force members were gathered in the living room.
"Good morning, Emily. How are you feeling?" Morimoto Chiyoda's sultry voice was laced with genuine concern.
Emily waved a small hand dismissively. "Morimoto, please, don't underestimate me. As a detective, I rub shoulders with death all the time. A little thing like this won't scare me. I'm perfectly healthy right now. Besides," she added, trying for a confident tone, "Ito will figure out how to handle the Z Drug."
She tried to sound nonchalant, to brush the matter aside, but her bloodshot eyes and the faint dark circles starkly visible against her pale cheeks betrayed the fact that she had barely slept the previous night. In the past, Emily had faced numerous life-threatening crises, always managing to overcome them with her own intellect and Katerina's physical prowess. This time, however, she was up against a poison—essentially a slow-acting, terminal illness. She couldn't see it or touch it, and she had no idea how to fight it. Her only recourse was to place her trust in Ito Otome. It felt like being an experienced driver who suddenly found the steering wheel unresponsive in her hands; the resulting anxiety was inevitable.
Morimoto Chiyoda wanted to reach out and pat Emily's head reassuringly but hesitated, fearing the gesture might inadvertently upset the girl further. Instead, she offered a gentle smile. "That's right. Don't worry. All the detailed information on the Z Drug has been given to Ito. She'll develop an antidote."
"Right then," Emily said, her voice a little too brisk. "Let's get back to work." She desperately wanted to bury herself in a mountain of work to distract her mind.