"These people's... faces?"
Amamiya Natsuki and Kaguya continued reading, and upon seeing the photos of the victims, they both frowned.
The photos showed victims of all kinds, male, female, old, and young. The only commonality was that every person's face had no facial features.
It wasn't that their faces were brutally disfigured; rather, their eyes, nose, mouth, and so on had all eerily disappeared, leaving only a blank space, like a white tile in mahjong.
No wonder official personnel determined it was a anomalous incident, ordinary humans simply couldn't achieve such a feat.
Miss Mitsui said softly, "The first victim appeared half a month ago. She shared an apartment with a friend, and her job was a hostess..."
As for what a hostess working in a place like Kabukicho specifically does, those who know, know.
Of course, Amamiya Natsuki had no intention of discriminating against the other party.
Most people who sell their bodies as hostesses are pitiful individuals forced to abandon their dignity to survive, suffocated by the heavy burden of life.
Even if one were to criticize, it should be the society itself—
Compared to the anomalies Hotel, the information in this document was much more detailed.
Each page had two photos of the victim: one before the incident and one after.
In addition, the victims' real names, work experience, activity trajectories, and even financial transactions, whether they knew each other, etc., had all been thoroughly investigated.
These people came from all over the country, and some were even foreign tourists who came specifically to visit. They did not know each other, but they all had one thing in common: they had all frequented Kabukicho Ichibangai. One victim even complained to a friend that she had met a strange person who complimented her face as being "very collectible," but the police checked all surveillance and found no trace of the person.
As of now, dozens of people have died mysteriously, and the number is continuously increasing.
There is no airtight wall in the world.
The eerily missing facial features.
The uncatchable culprit.
Coupled with the police's continuous patrols these days, panic has already spread throughout Kabukicho Ichibangai. Many practitioners are disinclined to work, and customers are unwilling to spend money. If this continues, Ichiban Street will have to be completely shut down.
It is well known that Japan's three pillar industries are the automotive industry, the animation industry, and the sex industry.
As a globally renowned red-light district, Ichiban Street, do people not know whether the people inside are pushing boundaries?
Everyone knows.
But the sex industry practitioners pay a lot of taxes every year, which is undeniable.
If Ichiban Street, which pays so much in taxes and creates so much economic benefit every year, were to close, it would cause countless people heartache and sleepless nights.
The same situation applies to smoking being harmful to health. Every cigarette pack in every country in the world will have the words'Smoking is harmful to health', but no country explicitly prohibits its citizens from smoking.
Firstly, although tobacco is harmful to health, the effects are slow and the degree of harm is limited, far less terrifying than opium.
Secondly... although tobacco companies are not well-known, the taxes they pay each year are the highest in the country.
"If possible, please resolve the anomalies on Ichiban Street first," Miss Mitsui said softly, "because the number of victims is increasing daily."
Amamiya Natsuki said calmly, "Is Miss Mitsui making decisions for us?"
"My deepest apologies."
Miss Mitsui quickly bowed her head in apology, her attitude exceptionally respectful.
In fact, after investigating Kaguya, she quickly found the junior high girl Hanamaru, and then easily learned about the subsequent events from Hanamaru.
It wasn't as understated as Amamiya Natsuki described; rather, Amamiya Natsuki directly defeated a terrifying spider that had infested the entire campus, saving everyone from despair.
Sometimes, the difference between people is greater than the difference between humans and dogs.
Similarly, the difference between Player and Player is likely to be worlds apart.
And the handsome young man in front of her was clearly a strong individual among the Player group—during the time she had just left, she had already arranged for someone to contact members of the Player Mutual Aid Group and had a clearer grasp of Amamiya Natsuki's information, so she clearly knew what attitude she should adopt.
Using power to suppress others?
Only an idiot would do that.
Showing sincerity, adopting a humble stance, and satisfying the other party was the only correct choice.
She had finally managed to secure the opportunity to contact Amamiya Natsuki. If she was ineffective, someone else would quickly come to take over, so she certainly couldn't be foolish!
Kaguya and Amamiya Natsuki exchanged glances, having reached a consensus. Then, she raised her hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and said softly, "We can help resolve the anomalies on Ichiban Street, but Miss Mitsui must provide appropriate compensation."
"No problem!" Miss Mitsui's eyes lit up, and she quickly said, "From now on, we will fully cooperate with your actions!"
Now that they had made contact with official personnel, mutual cooperation was undoubtedly the best choice.
Firstly, Players are currently no match for American Iaijutsu, and secondly, the benefits of killing anomalies are indeed tempting. With official personnel providing intelligence support, obeying commands, and cooperating with actions, there's really no reason to refuse.
"Miss Mitsui, don't rush." Shinomiya Kaguya said softly, "Let's first discuss the compensation... We don't need money."
Miss Mitsui cautiously said, "What do you two want?"
Amamiya Natsuki said from the side, "Skill imprint scrolls, enhancement stones, and various oddities, etc. It's best to provide a list so we can choose the compensation."
There are countless Players throughout Japan. Now that the authorities know the importance of 'Players', they will certainly take action and will surely be able to quickly collect a large amount of resources. Defeating an anomaly earns one reward, and then obtaining another set of resources from the authorities – no one can refuse double the pleasure.
"No problem." Miss Mitsui readily agreed. "When will you two go to Ichiban Street?"
Amamiya Natsuki said, "Let's get a good rest today and discuss it tomorrow... Can you have the item list ready by tomorrow?"
"I'll go arrange it right away." Miss Mitsui bowed slightly and said seriously, "I will certainly not disappoint Natsuki-san and Kaguya-san."
"..."
Watching Miss Mitsui leave, Shinomiya Kaguya gently let out a breath, raised her right hand, pressed her delicate fingers to her brow, and whispered, "This world seems to be getting more and more dangerous."
Amamiya Natsuki held Kaguya's soft hand and said softly, "That's why cooperation is a good choice. Only a fool would fight alone. The reason why humans have prevailed in millions of years of evolution has always been through groups. Those lone wolves in manga and light novels are rarely seen in reality."
The two talked for a while longer when Shinomiya Un'yo walked over with a wine glass, asking curiously, "What did Miss Mitsui say to you just now?"
Amamiya Natsuki politely said, "Third Brother, good evening."
Shinomiya Un'yo was startled, and asked in surprise, "What did you call me?"
Amamiya Natsuki said casually, "Kaguya calls you Third Brother, so of course, I should follow suit. Otherwise, should I call you Uncle first?"
"..."
Upon hearing the address "Uncle," one could clearly see Shinomiya Un'yo's eye twitching.
"President, hurry back!" Kaguya's pretty face quickly flushed, and she couldn't help but glare at Amamiya Natsuki. "Get a good rest tonight and recharge your spirits."
Amamiya Natsuki nodded and waved, saying, "Goodbye, Third Brother."
Shinomiya Un'yo: "..."
In the eyes of ordinary people, Shinomiya Un'yo is one of the heirs of the wealthy Shinomiya, with a deep background and immense power. But in Amamiya Natsuki's view, he was nothing special; Players truly had no fear of ordinary people. Now that he had come into contact with the official power behind Miss Mitsui, he cared even less about Shinomiya Un'yo's attitude.
"Kaguya, see you tomorrow."
Amamiya Natsuki said goodbye to Kaguya.
"Natsuki-san, please follow me."
Maid Hayasaka stepped forward, led Amamiya Natsuki out of the mansion, and then took a woven bag from a middle-aged maid, saying calmly:
"Kaguya said this suit is for Natsuki-san. These are Natsuki-san's changed clothes, already cleaned. Please wait a moment, the driver will be here soon."
"No need to trouble the driver. I ate too much just now and want to walk a bit." Amamiya Natsuki glanced at the middle-aged maid next to him, saying casually, "You can just see me to the mansion gate."
Hayasaka Ai naturally couldn't refuse, bowed slightly, and followed Amamiya Natsuki towards the mansion gate.
The moonlight was like silver in the sky, casting boundless clear radiance.
After moving away from the mansion, the surroundings quickly became quiet, with only the soft rustling of the evening breeze through the leaves.
"That Miss Mitsui was the unlucky person Kaguya and I met behind the door. I didn't expect her to come looking for us…"
Amamiya Natsuki lowered his voice, revealing Miss Mitsui's identity, then changed the subject, "Kiss me, and I'll tell you what happened next."
"Natsuki-san, please be respectful." Hayasaka Ai's expression was calm, and she stepped back half a pace. "There are cameras at the mansion gate."
Amamiya Natsuki whispered:
"Quickly let me kiss you. After I'm done, you can go back and delete the surveillance footage, right?"
Hayasaka Ai wanted to hit him after hearing that, unable to maintain her maid's etiquette, and gritted her silver teeth, saying:
"lecherous president, do you think there's no one in the surveillance room?!"
"What a pity…"
Amamiya Natsuki sighed regretfully.
Kaguya currently doesn't know Hayasaka's identity. It can only be said that Maid Hasaka's disguise is too good, so only Amamiya Natsuki can tell Hayasaka the content of their conversation.
"Official personnel?" Hayasaka Ai listened intently, then quickly furrowed her brows. "Do we really have to cooperate with them?"
"We can refuse, but there will definitely be players willing to cooperate with them." Amamiya Natsuki said calmly, "It's certain that more and more players will cooperate with the officials in the future. It's an unstoppable trend; no one can remain unaffected."
After a pause, Amamiya Natsuki continued:
"Tomorrow, Kaguya and I will go to Kabukicho to take a look. Don't secretly follow us. We don't know the situation of that anomalies yet, and it's too dangerous for you to act alone."
Hayasaka Ai nodded gently:
"I know…"
Maid Hayasaka pursed her lips, hesitated for two seconds, and finally said softly:
"lecherous president, you also need to be careful."
Amamiya Natsuki smiled, and said softly:
"Hasaka-chan is worried about me?"
Hayasaka Ai's pretty face flushed slightly, but she said dismissively:
"It's just a polite remark. Boys really are a low-level species that likes to overthink things."
Amamiya Natsuki smiled and said:
"Then why are you blushing?"
Hayasaka Ai pressed her lips together: "Natsuki-san saw wrong."
Amamiya Natsuki: "I saw it very clearly."
"Tch…" Hayasaka Ai pouted, then turned to leave. "I'm going back."
The evening breeze blew.
The maid's skirt swayed gently in the wind.
Maid Hayasaka covered her skirt with one hand and tucked her wind-blown golden hair with the other. It was just a simple movement, but it clearly and undeniably revealed the girl's beauty, making one's heart flutter uncontrollably.
If it were before, Amamiya Natsuki could have restrained himself, but now…
He couldn't hold back.
He absolutely couldn't hold back.
"lecherous president, what are you going to do?"
Noticing Amamiya Natsuki's suddenly fervent gaze, Hayasaka Ai quickly became alert.
"Nothing." Amamiya Natsuki said seriously, "I just forgot to paste a skill for you."
"Hmm…"
Hayasaka Ai became conflicted upon hearing that.
There were indeed many wandering evil spirits in the mansion, and she always wanted to clean them up, but pasting a skill took five minutes, and it was under the camera, which was very inconvenient.
"Let's forget it." After hesitating for two seconds, Hayasaka Ai shook her head and said, "There are cameras."
"We can just change the location." Amamiya Natsuki said sternly, "I'll wait for you in your room."
Hayasaka Ai was startled: "Eh?"
Amamiya Natsuki whispered:
"I heard Kaguya goes to bed at 10 PM sharp every night and sleeps very well. You take care of Kaguya first, and when you return to your room tonight, I'll help you paste the skill. Don't worry, my infiltration skills are excellent; I won't be caught on camera."
"…"
Maid Hayasaka bit her silver teeth, her pretty face quickly flushing red.
Shameless!
Lewd!
And he said something about pasting skills. He clearly just wanted to take advantage of her, didn't he?
Now, kisses aren't enough to satisfy him; he wants to directly take over her room!
"I refuse." Hayasaka Ai tightened her pretty face, turned and walked away, "lecherous president, hurry up and leave, or I'll break your legs."
Amamiya Natsuki pressed on:
"Are you really not going to paste the skill?"
"No need!"
"…"
Hayasaka Ai walked all the way back to the mansion, turned to look towards the main gate, saw that Amamiya Natsuki's figure had disappeared into the darkness, then sighed softly, composed herself, and continued to serve Kaguya.
The subsequent chores naturally need no further mention.
After the dinner party, Shinomiya Un'yo quickly left. Hayasaka Ai arranged for Kaguya to take a bath and then directed people to clean the mansion, finally settling down.
According to Hayasaka Ai's usual habit, she would first take a bath in the bathroom before returning to her exclusive room to rest. But today, when passing by her room door, Hayasaka Ai's footsteps paused slightly. After hesitating for two seconds, she finally pushed open the door with a subtle feeling.
Click.
The lights came on.
Soft light dispelled the darkness, illuminating the entire room.
"Hoo…"
Hayasaka Ai's gaze swept around, and she exhaled softly.
The clean and tidy room was empty; the expected figure did not appear.
"Has he already gone back?"
Hayasaka Ai's eyelashes drooped slightly, her tone a little disappointed.
After all, she was the one who sent the president away, so it was normal for him to go back…
However, the next second.
Thump, thump, thump.
A gentle tapping sound suddenly came from the balcony glass window.
"Hmm?"
Hayasaka Ai's eyes lit up. She quickly walked to the balcony, reached out and pulled open the curtains, and a familiar face immediately came into view.
"Hasaka-chan, good evening." Amamiya Natsuki greeted her, whispering, "I suddenly got lost while walking. Can you open the window and let me in?"
Hayasaka Ai's rosy lips curved slightly upwards, then she pressed them together firmly to keep herself from smiling, saying softly:
"To get lost all the way to the second-floor balcony, I hope the police officer will believe the president's explanation."
"You're right." Amamiya Natsuki spread his hands. "After meeting Miss Mitsui, if I say I got lost and came up here, the police really will believe me."
Hayasaka Ai: "…"
Slap.
Amamiya Natsuki raised his hand and clapped in the air, whispering:
"Quickly open the glass window, there are so many mosquitoes on the balcony."
"I'm sorry, I refuse." Hayasaka Ai crossed her arms over her chest and snorted softly, "Trespassing late at night, it's already very good that I haven't called the police."
If she opened the window just because he told her to, wouldn't she lose face?
She had to maintain some composure, otherwise it would make her seem too eager, which would definitely be embarrassing.
Amamiya Natsuki straightened his face and said:
"If you don't open the door, I'm going to call for help."
Hayasaka Ai tilted her head and said:
"The consequence of a thief crying 'stop thief' is often to bring trouble upon oneself."
"I'm really going to shout." Amamiya Natsuki took a deep breath, then shouted, "…I love Hasaka-chan!"
Hayasaka Ai: "…"
Whoosh.
The balcony glass door was pulled open with a whoosh. Hayasaka Ai bit her silver teeth lightly and glared over: "Idiot president, why are you shouting so loudly? What if someone hears you?"
Before she could finish her sentence, Amamiya Natsuki had already entered the room and pulled Maid Hayasaka into his embrace.
Burning heat emanated from Amamiya Natsuki's chest. Hayasaka Ai's pretty face quickly flushed red, and she hastily pushed against Amamiya Natsuki's chest, whispering:
"Wait, wait a moment, I'm sweating a lot. Let's take a shower first."
"If we shower now, we'll have to shower again later." Amamiya Natsuki bit Maid Hasaka's earlobe, "We'll shower together later."
His passion was like a flame, possessing a wondrous power to ignite others.
Normally, Hayasaka Ai would definitely not accept not taking a shower, but now… Hayasaka Ai found herself hesitating.
Anyway, she was going to sweat a lot later, so it wouldn't matter if she showered a bit later, right?
"Wait!" Hayasaka Ai's pretty face was crimson, her voice trembling slightly. Even she felt her face burning with shame, "Idiot president, you're too impatient… Don't, don't get my clothes dirty. At least let me take them off first."
Amamiya Natsuki whispered:
"No, actually, wearing a maid outfit feels even better."
Earlier at the mansion entrance, Hayasaka in her maid outfit was truly incredibly captivating. If wearing normal clothes was a ninety, then wearing the maid outfit was a perfect one hundred points—
Those girls in the Akihabara maid cafes were just part-time maids; Hayasaka was the true, authentic maid.
"Pfft!"
Maid Hayasaka couldn't help but let out a soft snort, her bright eyes glaring with embarrassment. She finally saw Amamiya Natsuki's detestable face and his true, impatient purpose: it was all for the maid outfit she was wearing.
"Shameless!"
"Lewd!"
"Hentai!"
"The president really is a perverted uniform fetishist… Ugh—!"
With a muffled, soft whimper, Maid Hasaka's sharp tongue abruptly ceased, unable to form a complete sentence.
A night without words.