Akashi's small hands gently brushed her face, his fingers tracing the soft curve of her cheek as his voice, calm and soothing, whispered, "It's okay, everything will be fine."
Ding! You are in a murder scene, in close proximity. Yin Energy absorbed: +25!
The absorption notification rang out every ten minutes. At this rate, he was accumulating an impressive 150 points of Yin Energy per hour—far more efficient than when he had been nestled in Ran's arms.
'As expected, clothing hinders Yin Energy absorption,' he mused. 'And while Yoko's figure is remarkable, it still pales in comparison to Ran's.'
Of course, women as extraordinary as Eri or Ran were a rare breed. Even so, Yoko was captivating in her own right.
If it weren't for the murder scene and the crowd outside, Akashi might have allowed himself to indulge further. But this wasn't the time for idle enjoyment; uncovering clues was his top priority.
However, when he directly asked Yoko who the murderer was, her resistance to the question was evident.
Left with no choice, Akashi shifted the conversation.
"Miss Yoko, what are your thoughts on Yuko Ikezawa?"
"She's... disgusting and pitiful," Yoko replied curtly.
Her answer made Akashi frown. Disgust he could understand, but pity? That part didn't make sense.
"What do you mean by pitiful?" he pressed, but Yoko's expression quickly turned conflicted, signaling her internal struggle once more.
Resigned, Akashi began the tiresome process of comforting her again, his efforts so intense that sweat beaded on his forehead.
'This skill is hopeless,' he thought bitterly. 'It's utterly unreliable, even for serious matters. Maybe the level is just too low.'
After much effort, Yoko finally calmed down enough for him to continue questioning.
"Miss Yoko, what is your impression of Eiichi Yamagishi?"
"A very capable and well-connected colleague," she said.
"Then why does he want to sign me?"
At this, Yoko hesitated before finally answering, her voice tinged with unease.
"Rumor has it that Matsuto, the president of the firm, has... a special interest in underage boys."
Akashi's expression darkened.
'That old creep. No wonder his eyes were so unsettling.'
But then, something clicked in Akashi's mind. There was a lead here, something that could be pursued further.
With this realization, the questioning became smoother.
---
Some time later, Yoko slowly regained her senses.
She found herself lying fully clothed on her bed, though her memory of what had transpired was hazy. Everything after entering the room was a blur, but her body felt inexplicably rejuvenated.
A gentle warmth coursed through her, leaving her feeling utterly refreshed, as though she had just experienced something extraordinary.
Sitting up, Yoko glanced around the empty room. A strange sense of disappointment washed over her. It felt as though something—or someone—was missing.
Still, her energy was fully restored. The exhaustion from three back-to-back concerts had completely vanished, leaving her invigorated and ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
When she opened the door and stepped back into the living room, her refreshed demeanor quickly gave way to the gravity of the situation.
The sight of the police officers reminded her of the grim reality: a murder had occurred in her home.
As her gaze swept across the room, she instinctively searched for a small figure that was nowhere to be found.
A pang of inexplicable disappointment struck her once more.
---
Akashi had slipped out of the bedroom quietly and left the apartment early.
Now, he found himself in the elevator heading downstairs, held protectively by Ran, who appeared visibly displeased.
'Snort!' Ran thought indignantly. 'That woman's scent is all over Akashi's body!'
"Akashi," she asked, her voice tinged with jealousy, "did Miss Yoko do anything strange to you in the room just now? If she bullied you, you must tell me! Your big sister will make things right for you!"
Akashi chuckled and waved dismissively. "No, no. I wasn't bullied at all. Miss Yoko was... quite hospitable."
"'Hospitable'?" Ran echoed, confused. She couldn't quite piece it together, but her curiosity lingered.
She switched topics. "But Akashi, how did you know there was surveillance in the apartment?"
Akashi explained patiently, "Sister Ran, don't you remember how the doorman was so meticulous in questioning us when we first arrived? The security here is incredibly tight, and it's a high-end community where someone like Miss Yoko lives. Of course, they'd have surveillance to prevent any incidents. Miss Yoko even mentioned it herself."
What Akashi didn't reveal was that Yoko had disclosed this detail during hypnosis. Her hesitancy to speak about it in front of the police, combined with her frequent near-breaks from the hypnotic state, had planted a seed of suspicion in Akashi's mind.
---
The elevator doors opened to the dimly lit second basement. Ran instinctively clung to Akashi as they stepped out.
"Ugh," Akashi muttered internally, 'This girl is so timid. And yet... her figure is incredible.'
"Akashi, are you absolutely sure this is the right place?" she asked nervously.
"Positive, Sister Ran. Just trust me and keep moving forward."
The two walked down the dim corridor, the voice-activated lights flickering on with each step, casting eerie shadows around them.
It felt like the perfect setting for a ghost film, but Akashi remained unfazed, offering reassurances to Ran. Were it not for his current limitations as a fledgling succubus shota, requiring her protection, he wouldn't have brought her along at all.
Soon, they reached the monitoring room.
The door was locked, and a stern, heavy-set woman guarded it. Hearing the sound of their approach, she peered out of the small window, her face hard and intimidating.
"Who are you, and what do you want!?" the guard demanded sharply.
Ran faltered at the sight of the woman's scowling face but managed to stammer, "A murder occurred on the 22nd floor. We'd like to check the surveillance footage to see if any suspects passed by."
The woman's expression darkened instantly. "No," she snapped. "The surveillance cameras in this building have been broken for ages, and no one's fixed them. Besides, you're not the police—you have no right to access the footage!"
With that, she turned toward the console, clearly intent on doing something.
Even Ran, naive as she was, realized that something wasn't right about this situation. Before she could argue further, Akashi stepped forward and addressed the guard.
"Auntie, please," he said softly, "look at us. We really need your help. Could you open the door and let us in?"
---
Ran thought Akashi's approach was hopelessly naive. 'As if this woman would listen!'
But to her shock, the guard froze for a moment before slowly reaching for her shirt buttons.
Fortunately, Akashi issued a quick, corrective command before things went further, urging her to unlock the door instead. Under the influence of his lv1 hypnosis, the guard complied, opening the heavily secured door.
Ran's jaw dropped. "What... just happened? How did she listen to you so easily?"
Akashi offered no explanation, but internally, he acknowledged his luck. 'Good thing she's a woman. That hypnosis worked by a hair's breadth.'
However, just as the door swung open, the guard's face twisted with a ferocious expression. She had broken free from the hypnotic state.
Akashi's demeanor changed instantly. "Sister Ran! She's about to shut the door—knock her out, quick!"
Reacting swiftly, Ran set Akashi down and delivered a powerful kick, forcing the door wide open.
In one fluid motion, her long, toned leg arced through the air in a whirlwind high kick, striking the guard squarely in the neck.
The guard crumpled to the ground, unconscious.