The Takakura set meal shop was an older establishment that looked like it had been around for a while, with a cloth sign hanging outside the door.

In Kyoto, buildings filled with an old-world charm were common, a mainstay of local tourism.

Miyaji Yosuke slid open the door of the set meal shop.

DING DING. The bell above the door chimed crisply.

"Welcome!" shouted the apron-wearing proprietress, her face breaking into a smile. "Isn't this Yosuke? Please, have a seat. What will you have today?"

The inside of the set meal shop wasn't large. In fact, there wasn't even extra space for tables, so the counter served as the dining area for customers. Tall stools were placed around the counter, maximizing the use of space—a skill born of necessity due to the limited area.

The shop could seat thirteen people at most. Morimoto Chiyoda glanced over the interior.

Perhaps it wasn't yet the busy hour, as the seats inside weren't fully occupied; only six people were seated. Two men who looked like office workers, and four tourists who seemed to be visiting Kyoto, conversing about their Kyoto travel experiences in languages—English and Korean—generally incomprehensible to an average Japanese person.

Miyaji Yosuke took an empty seat. "This place's beef sukiyaki pot is really great. You should try one."

"Alright, I'll have one of those then."

"Me too," Hiroyoshi Anbara chimed in, taking a seat to Miyaji Yosuke's right.

Actually, he would have preferred to sit next to Morimoto Chiyoda, but he feared that doing so would make him seem too desperate. In Miyaji Yosuke's eyes, Hiroyoshi Anbara already seemed quite desperate, but Anbara himself believed he was being quite reserved.

Morimoto Chiyoda took a seat to Miyaji Yosuke's left. "Shall we ask after we've eaten?"

"Yes." Miyaji Yosuke nodded. He didn't like talking about work during meals. Delicious food was one of his few pleasures, allowing his mind to escape from the tedium of reality, and he didn't want it disturbed by the annoyances of work.

The beef sukiyaki set meal was quickly served. Morimoto Chiyoda picked up a rather thick slice of marbled beef with her chopsticks. She had to admit, such marbled beef truly was captivating.

She placed the beef into the sukiyaki pot to spread it out, followed by shiitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, tofu, and other ingredients, each added in turn, before drizzling Japanese soy sauce over them. Once it boiled and was cooked, Morimoto Chiyoda cracked a raw egg into a bowl and stirred it. Only then did she pick up the beef from the sukiyaki pot, dip it in the egg mixture, and pop it into her mouth.

"Mmm." Morimoto Chiyoda let out a satisfied hum.

This texture is truly fantastic!

Morimoto Chiyoda silently gave the shop's sukiyaki a nine out of ten. She had no inclination to discuss work, instead immersing herself in the culinary delight.

After finishing the sukiyaki, she pulled a tissue from her pocket to wipe her mouth.

The proprietor, wearing a headscarf, approached. "Yosuke, would you like anything else?"

"No, thank you," Miyaji Yosuke shook his head. "Ryusuke, any news on that matter I mentioned?"

"You really haven't changed at all," the owner lamented to his friend from their student days. "I heard from someone that the resident of Akasaka Apartment 302 saw a woman limping down the street around eight o'clock last night. At the time, he thought the girl might be secretly on a mission for her master, and she could be the person you're looking for."

"Thanks. Let's get the bill." Miyaji Yosuke had no intention of treating them; with his meager salary, he couldn't afford to. His idea was for everyone to pay their own share.

Morimoto Chiyoda quickly grabbed the bill and settled it. An Inspector's salary was certainly enough to cover a meal.

「Akasaka Apartment, 302.」

Morimoto Chiyoda didn't ring the doorbell, choosing to stand aside instead. For inquiries like these, it was more appropriate for Miyaji Yosuke to handle them. She was likely to make men nervous, leading them to slam the door shut. Being too attractive sometimes isn't a good thing.

DING-DONG. Miyaji Yosuke pressed the doorbell.

A man's voice came from inside, "Who is it?"

"Hello, I'm Officer Miyaji Yosuke from the Kyoto Police Station. I'd like to ask you about a case."

"Go away! I haven't committed any crime!" came a gruff shout from inside.

Miyaji Yosuke said patiently, "Sir, I know you're not involved in this case. I just want to ask what the girl you saw around eight o'clock last night looked like."

"What girl? I didn't see any girl!"

"Sir, please don't play dumb. I already know you saw that girl. Please cooperate with our investigation. That girl is connected to a homicide. If you don't cooperate, you might be silenced by the perpetrator."

Miyaji Yosuke knew that to get their cooperation, he had to make them feel their own interests were at risk, rather than letting them remain indifferent as uninvolved bystanders.

There was silence inside for a moment.

The door slowly creaked open, revealing a gap where a man with disheveled hair stood, wearing a white T-shirt and boxer shorts. He showed no intention of inviting Miyaji Yosuke inside, blocking the doorway.

Reaching into his pocket with his right hand, he pulled out his phone and brought up a video he had taken the previous night.

"This is the girl."

Miyaji Yosuke took a look. It was a short video, only about a minute long. In the video, a woman was limping down the street. It seemed her right foot was slightly injured. She was dressed in a high school uniform, but the outfit didn't quite fit. Her midriff was exposed, and the skirt seemed particularly short, indicating she wasn't actually a high school student.

The video was a bit blurry, making it impossible to clearly see the girl's face. But it did allow Miyaji Yosuke to identify a few features: shoulder-length hair, a rather full chest, and she looked to be about 1.6 meters tall. Most importantly, based on her apparent age, he surmised she was very likely a college student.

"Thanks for your cooperation."

"Yeah," the man replied nonchalantly and slammed the door shut.

Morimoto Chiyoda asked, "Judging by your expression, you seem to have found something."

"She's likely a university student," Miyaji Yosuke responded. "The high school uniform she's wearing is from Aonashi High School, a well-regarded school in Kyoto with a high university advancement rate. Given her location on this road, the nearest university would be North River University. Considering the situation, her foot might be injured, and she probably didn't go to class today. If she's a live streamer, she might be renting a place alone. We could look around the residences near North River University."

"Indeed. After something like that, an ordinary person isn't likely to quickly regain composure and attend class. Let's start searching promptly." Morimoto Chiyoda was eager to find the witness, confirm Dio was responsible, and then return to Tokyo. She didn't want Aozawa to be alone at home for too long; he'd be too lonely.

「Sakura Ayame didn't go to school today.」

At university, you have the freedom to slack off if you want. She hadn't wanted to slack off; she aimed to start anew. But her right leg was in too much pain. The lingering aftereffects of a cramp made her wake up feeling as if her right leg was useless, hurting with every movement. She hobbled when she walked. Her spirit had also taken a beating from the incident, so she really didn't want to force herself to go to school. She just wanted to curl up in her warm bed, with the air conditioning set at eighteen degrees Celsius, and scroll through YouTube or TikTok short videos.

I can't continue as an illicit streamer, Sakura Ayame had already decided. I need to find a way to make a name for myself in the legitimate streaming industry. If I use just a tenth of the allure I had on the illicit platforms, I'll thrive on the proper ones. I'll make those diehard otaku fans willingly cough up their cash. In any case, streaming is a promising industry, and I won't give it up easily. After experiencing such easy money and a relaxed job, I really don't want to force myself into work that requires going out and socializing.

Sakura Ayame was watching popular female streamers, hoping to learn from their success to boost her own popularity in the legitimate sector.

As she was watching, she heard someone ring the doorbell.

Sakura Ayame looked up. "If it's the pizza, just leave it at the door."

The pizza I ordered must be here, she thought. Delivery is fast today. She had placed the order less than fifteen minutes ago, and it had already arrived. Usually, it took more than half an hour. She rose from her bed sluggishly, a faint pain shooting through her lower right leg with each movement.

Am I going to be crippled? Sakura Ayame wondered, debating whether she should go to the hospital for a checkup.

With a slight limp, she made her way to the door and took a quick glance outside through the peephole.

A man in a police uniform stood there.

"Sorry, I'm not the delivery guy. I'm Officer Miyaji Yosuke from the Kyoto Police Station. I have some questions for you." Hearing the movement inside, Miyaji Yosuke promptly introduced himself.

Sakura Ayame's voice was suddenly tense. "You—you, I have nothing to say to you!"

Young, lives alone, female, nervous at home, Miyaji Yosuke noted. These characteristics made his eyes light up. Finally! After checking so many places, I've found a woman who matches the description!

"Don't be nervous. We're not interested in what kind of work you do. We just want to know the appearance and name of the perpetrator at the scene."

Upon hearing this, Sakura Ayame hesitated for a moment but eventually opened the door.

A foot swiftly stepped inside, followed by a pleasant scent of perfume. "Hello, I am Inspector Morimoto Chiyoda from the Metropolitan Police Department. Here is my ID." Morimoto Chiyoda took over from Miyaji Yosuke, flashing her ID. "Can you describe the perpetrator's appearance in detail?"

Sakura Ayame shook her head. "I don't know the perpetrator. I only know he was a white man, European or American."

Morimoto Chiyoda immediately thought of Dio and quickly asked, "Blonde hair, sharp facial features, a strong physique, and a very magnetic voice, right?"

Sakura Ayame hesitated for a moment, then shook her head.

"His name is Dio." Morimoto Chiyoda concluded that Dio was indeed responsible for this incident. Only Dio possessed such charisma that a woman he had just met would be willing to cover for him.

A look of shock appeared on Sakura Ayame's face.

Morimoto Chiyoda pushed her way in and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Miss, you wouldn't want your classmates to know about your... work, would you?" At that moment, she became the Demon. "You'd better tell me everything in detail."

"Y-yes." Sakura Ayame trembled with fear. Sorry, Dio, she thought, I can't cover for you anymore.