Chapter 12: I Smell It. Liu Ming: I’ve Been Meaning to Ask, Your Kind of…

Hozuki asked with concern, “Are you alright? Captain of Salvation, do you require ambulance services?”

Yun Zhou, whose head was still buried in the ground, shook his head. He performed a crisp flip and jumped to his feet, facing Hozuki. “I’m fine, I’m fine. I’m thick-skinned and sturdy; this height is nothing.”

Hozuki’s lip twitched. She took a step forward, preparing to follow protocol for official notification and identity verification, only to find that Yun Zhou, who had been standing right there, had vanished in the blink of an eye.

“District Chief Izayoi!” Yun Zhou had spotted Izayoi Ame standing on the high ground. His eyes lit up, and completely ignoring the gap in their status or proper etiquette, he waved enthusiastically and shouted. His voice was so loud it could be heard across the entire deck. “I heard your Spiritual Body is a blue whale! I’ve seen your combat tapes; they’re so cool! I’m Yun Zhou! I look forward to working with you!”

Yun Zhou stepped forward, his eyes gleaming. “By the way, can I see your Spiritual Body? Just a peek, just one peek! I really want to know how breathtaking it is!”

Hozuki: “…”

Izayoi Ame: “…”

At this moment, only one thought occupied the minds of everyone from the Third District: Does this captain… have seawater for brains?

A terrifying silence descended upon the delegation at the airport. Izayoi Ame’s expression remained as calm as still water. He nodded slightly, forcibly steering the conversation back on track while pretending he hadn’t heard his eccentric junior’s request. “District Chief of the Third District, Izayoi Ame. Welcome, everyone.”

Hozuki quickly grabbed the lifeline of the corrected topic, attempting to continue the procedure. “The Salvation Team, reporting directly to Council Chairman Black Swan, welcome to the Kanagawa Defense Platform. I am the adjutant of the Izayoi Family, Hozuki. Next, I will…”

Her words were interrupted again.

“Ah! Miss Hozuki!” Yun Zhou’s attention shifted instantly. He noticed Hozuki’s long hair, which had been splashed by the descending aircraft, and his eyes lit up once more.

He had intentionally done his homework before coming. Wet hair was a popular fashion trend in the Third District; this time, he surely couldn’t go wrong.

Thus, Yun Zhou said loudly and with utmost sincerity, “Your wet hair style looks really great!”

The professional smile on Hozuki’s face froze instantly. A vein throbbed visibly on her forehead. She felt as if she had been transported back to the rain on the Kanagawa Defense Platform last night.

Another one who didn’t know how to give a compliment!

Du Shui couldn’t help but cover her face. However, she quickly turned serious. Standing behind Yun Zhou, she drew the tachi from her Clear Sky Umbrella sheath with a threatening air, then slammed the sharp blade back into the sheath with a sharp “clang.” The threat was unmistakable.

Yun Zhou shuddered. Realizing he had messed up again, he hurriedly took a step back and fell silent.

Izayoi Ame felt his own hand itching; he also felt an urge to draw the tachi at his waist. Fortunately, he forcibly suppressed that desire.

He took a deep breath, maintaining his dignity as District Chief as he said in a deep voice, “Captain Yun Zhou, the Third District welcomes you and your team members. Hozuki will arrange temporary accommodations for you and provide a detailed briefing on the current Anomaly erosion. I will personally communicate the mission briefing regarding the Anomaly tide later. Please ensure you follow all safety regulations. Without permission, you are not to leave the core area, and you are strictly forbidden from approaching the edge of the dangerous waters.”

His gaze pointedly swept over Yun Zhou, who was standing obediently now but was still peeking around restlessly.

“Understood! I promise to comply!” Yun Zhou snapped to attention instinctively.

“During the mission, please prioritize your own safety and the task at hand.” Izayoi Ame’s voice dropped an octave lower, carrying an unquestionable authority. “Hozuki, take them to settle in.”

The moment his last word fell, Izayoi Ame turned around just in time. Because of this, no one saw his gaze linger briefly on Du Shui.

“Yes! My Lord!” Hozuki responded, practically through gritted teeth. She then turned to Yun Zhou, forcing a dangerously predatory smile. “Everyone, please follow me.”

Yun Zhou: …Why do I feel like this ninja lady wants to kill me?

Although Hozuki desperately wanted to kill the boy with wolf ears and a tail, the Third District still provided excellent treatment when hosting this special team. The four were led by Hozuki to a hovering tram that had been waiting outside the airport. They sped along the winding tracks into Kanagawa – the largest city in the Third District, built upon an island deep in the ocean.

The accommodation Hozuki had prepared was a hot spring hotel that looked incredibly expensive. After the representatives of the Third District had settled the Salvation team sent by the Council Chairman, they left with practiced discretion, leaving the four young people to observe their surroundings, which were filled with the unique atmosphere of the Third District.

To be precise… three people were observing.

“Wow, wow! Is this the famous tatami of the Third District?”

Their room was a connected suite with four guest rooms. The overall decor was primarily a classic retro Japanese style. The rooms were even equipped with specialized projection equipment to make it easier for them to review combat tapes. Yun Zhou’s eyes lit up the moment he saw the room’s furnishings, and his tail wagged excitedly. He threw himself onto the tatami and began rolling around while hugging a pillow.

Yun Zhou’s room was warm and cozy, while Ying Huo’s room carried a natural feel reminiscent of the forests of his home in the Sixth District. Liu Ming pushed open his own door; the interior was simple and elegant, featuring many details from the First District. It was clear the Izayoi Family had put significant effort into courting the Liu Family.

On the other side, Du Shui looked at her own room and fell into a strange daze.

It was a simply furnished room, but when she pulled open the drawer of the desk, she found a slender, beautiful Kantsu-o¹ inside. It was a decorative cord meant to be wrapped around the hilt of a tachi, trailing shimmering paper streamers. Painted on the streamers was a beautiful ukiyo-e depiction of ocean waves.

Above the waves, blood-red lightning burned and seethed, carrying a sense of indignant hatred as if betrayed by the world, threatening to scorch everything to ash.

Lightning…

Strange images seemed to flash before her eyes. Du Shui felt a sharp pain in her temples. Fragmented images flooded her mind and her Mental Landscape. She wanted to draw closer, to touch them, to see them clearly, but she remained unable to reach them.

Those memories… the ones she had lost before coming to Tree Tower Academy… were hiding from her.

“Is this… a Kantsu-o?”

A voice suddenly rang out, making Du Shui flinch. She jerked her head to the side and saw Liu Ming, who had strolled over at some point.

He looked perfectly at ease, clearly treating this entire journey as a vacation.

Facing Liu Ming, who could now be considered her Guide, Du Shui’s Sentinel instincts allowed her to lower her guard. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, and nodded.

Liu Ming gave her a strange look. “It seems this District Chief really is pampering us like we’re just junior students.”

Du Shui caught the sharp edge of displeasure in his voice. “What do you mean?”

Liu Ming looked out at Yun Zhou, who was rolling around on a bed with a pillow in the other room, then glanced at Ying Huo, who was busy taking photos of the beautiful, exotic potted plants. He let out a sigh and spoke with biting sarcasm. “I only speak to those who can understand. So far, not a single piece of the promised intelligence or situational maps has been handed over to us. That District Chief is brushing us off as if we’re just a sightseeing tour. If we fail to complete the Council Chairman’s mission and come back empty-handed, what do you think will happen to us?”

Du Shui understood Liu Ming’s concern and sighed. “But we’re just students. Dealing with a top-ten sequence Anomaly… there’s no way we were ever meant to be the primary force. To be honest, I’m still wondering if Y009’s prophecy was just a conspiracy targeting the Captain.”

Liu Ming raised an eyebrow in surprise. He hadn’t expected Du Shui to be so open with him.

But in truth, Du Shui had no other choice, and neither did he.

“If it is a conspiracy, then it’s even more vital that we produce results. We need to make Council Chairman Black Swan choose us with absolute certainty.”

Liu Ming sighed. “If we keep being excluded like this-“

Before he could finish, Yun Zhou, who had been rolling around in the opposite room, suddenly spoke up. “We won’t be.”

Liu Ming barely had time to react. “What?”

Yun Zhou stood up. He moved with incredible speed, a silver-grey shadow blurring until he reached the doorway of Du Shui’s room. “I said we won’t be excluded.”

Liu Ming’s lip twitched. He looked at Du Shui, hoping the only sane person capable of managing this guy would say something, but she didn’t seem surprised at all. She even gave Liu Ming a look that clearly said, “Trust the Captain.”

Liu Ming was incredulous. “Honestly, I’ve been meaning to ask: where does this bizarre confidence of yours come from? It’s utterly mind-boggling-“

He was interrupted again. Yun Zhou flashed his usual bright, cheerful smile. “Because I can smell the scent of a very special Anomaly.”

The boy’s wolf ears flickered. His golden eyes were clear and steady, filled with a sense of total understanding. “I can also smell so many people crying. So many people are in pain right now, because of the twisted monsters beneath the sea and the invisible things in the sky.”

His gaze fell upon Du Shui and Liu Ming. It lingered for only a brief moment, yet it caused both of them to freeze in unison.

Translator’s Notes