Koushi rushed into the bathroom in a flurry, brushing his teeth and washing his face at top speed; the cold water on his face was the only thing that slightly cleared his muddled mind.
He didn't even bother to fix his bedhead, just grabbed a jacket to throw over his pajamas, slipped on his shoes, and dashed out the door.
With a 'bang!' as he shut the door, he shot towards the stairwell like a gust of wind, nearly colliding with a neighbor who was coming up to deliver newspapers.
"Sorry! Emergency!" Koushi yelled without looking back, his figure already vanishing around the stair corner.
"Hey! Koushi-kun? Where are you off to in such a hurry?" The neighbor uncle scratched his head in confusion.
Koushi had no time to respond; only one thought consumed him:
Find Aqua! Before she causes even more trouble! That'sister' who knew nothing of human society's rules, yet possessed destructive power, spending one more second alone outside was terrifying!
He ran aimlessly down the street, his eyes anxiously scanning every corner, hoping to catch a glimpse of that silvery-white figure.
He tried to sense her through their soul link, but perhaps the distance was too great, or Aqua was deliberately suppressing it, or she was simply having too much fun to notice; the sensation was very vague, only confirming that she was still roughly within Amamiya City.
Just as he rounded a street corner, nearing the central business district, a piercing siren and a gathering crowd caught his attention.
Several police cars were parked on the roadside, caution tape was up, and several police officers were maintaining order, questioning people who looked like stall owners.
What happened?
A strange tightness gripped Koushi's heart, and an ominous premonition surged within him.
He slowed his pace, pretending to be a curious passerby, quietly approaching the crowd and pricking up his ears to eavesdrop on the conversation between the police and the stall owners.
"...Yes, officer, it was a girl with silvery-white hair, she didn't look very old, very pretty, but... but..."
A trembling voice came through; it was the old woman who sold takoyaki last night, her face pale, her eyes still showing traces of fear.
"She... she suddenly appeared, and then... then those people..."
Another young stall owner's voice was tearful, seemingly unable to fully describe the scene at the time.
"We've already retrieved the surveillance footage," a heavy voice, seemingly that of an officer in charge, said.
"Preliminary assessment suggests it may have been an individual with... supernatural abilities. The methods... were extremely cruel."
"Silvery-white hair," "not very old girl," "supernatural abilities," "extremely cruel"—these keywords struck Koushi's heart like heavy hammers! His blood seemed to freeze instantly!
He suppressed his trepidation and continued to listen.
"...The entire scene... was simply hell. Over a dozen gangsters were instantly... crushed, with only their heads left hanging..."
A police officer, seemingly from the technical investigation team, whispered to the officer in charge; despite the lowered voice, the shock in his words still reached Koushi's ears.
"According to eyewitness descriptions and scene traces, the individual had stopped at multiple stalls in the night market before the incident, showing strong interest in food, and even helped one barbecue stall owner with Receiving payment work for a short period. Her behavior pattern was completely different from the subsequent... massacre."
"We are currently making every effort to locate the individual. Superior orders define this as a highest-level threat event, and armed forces support may be requested if necessary..."
Koushi could no longer hear what the police said afterward.
He only felt a chill shoot from his feet straight to the top of his head, his limbs were icy, and his mind was blank.
Crushed... heads hanging... night market... barbecue stall... helped with Receiving payment... all the clues connected, pointing to a conclusion he desperately didn't want to admit, yet was incredibly clear—
Aqua, who had snuck out last night, seemingly harmless and even a bit silly, not only really went to the night market but also used her lawless power to commit a horrifying, bloody massacre!
His imagined'small troubles,' such as eating without paying, breaking things, or arguing with people... seemed so ridiculous and pale in the face of this bloody reality!
(Aqua... you... you actually...)
Koushi staggered back two steps, leaning against the cold wall, barely managing not to collapse.
His face was ashen, his chest felt blocked by a huge rock, making it hard to breathe.
He finally understood firsthand why Fraxinus and the AST were so wary of Spirits, and why Kotori always emphasized the danger of Spirit power.
The destructive power of a 'child' with an immature mind, absolute power, and no concept of human society's rules, was truly terrifying!
And now, he not only had to find this 'child' but also figure out how to bring her back before she could cause an even more serious disaster.
And... deal with the mess she left behind, as well as the potential pursuit and hostility from the entire social organization that might follow!
Immense pressure, like a mountain, bore down on Koushi, almost suffocating him.
He looked up at the hurried passersby on the street, still unaware of the recent tragedy, and then at the grim-faced police, who looked as if they were facing a formidable enemy. His heart was filled with an unprecedented heaviness and confusion.
(Aqua... where are you? And now... what should I do?)
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