Tokyo: My Superpower Refreshes Every Week

Time passed in a flash, and the afternoon's Kendo club training came to an end.

Aozawa bid farewell to his Kendo club companions and set off on his journey home.

His eyes swept over the walls. I really want to use my Catalyst Induction Superpower to peek into others' lives, but using my Ability means I'd have to stop walking.

Aozawa had to temporarily abandon that idea.

First, I'll go home for dinner, then run for an hour to exercise. After that, I can do whatever I want.

Suppressing the urge to use his Catalyst Induction, Aozawa quickened his pace towards home.

Once at Ayase Apartment, Aozawa took the elevator to the sixth floor, opened the door to unit 601, and called out, "I'm back, Chitose."

"Wash your hands and let's eat."

In the kitchen, Morimoto Chiyoda untied the white apron she was wearing, revealing her casual clothes beneath—a light green tank top paired with light green sweatpants and thigh-high boots.

The pronounced curve of her chest made the floral print on her tank top seem even more vibrant.

Aozawa, surprised by her attire, asked, "Chitose, didn't you go to work today?"

"I've been assigned a secret mission recently. My working hours from Monday to Friday have changed to between 6:50 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., and on weekends from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.," Morimoto Chiyoda explained her recent work schedule changes. "After dinner, I have to go out for work. You need to behave yourself while I'm out and don't stay out past curfew.

"If I find out you have, you're dead meat."

"What secret mission are you on?" Aozawa asked, his face full of curiosity.

Morimoto Chiyoda rolled her eyes at him and said irritably, "If I could tell you, would it still be a secret mission?"

"If you tell me, I won't tell anyone else."

"It's a matter of professional ethics for an Inspector."

Morimoto Chiyoda shook her head. The operation to capture Dio was top secret within the Metropolitan Police Department, forbidding disclosure to outsiders, including family members. She also didn't want to reveal such matters to Aozawa. Teenagers his age were most easily attracted to criminals who challenged social order, finding such behavior cool and impressive. Their boundless energy and easily swayed minds led Morimoto Chiyoda to filter some information for Aozawa.

"Stingy. If you won't tell me, then don't. I'm not interested anyway," Aozawa muttered, taking a seat on the barstool.

Morimoto Chiyoda filled his bowl with rice and placed a piece of meat in it, saying gently, "Come on, it's not that I don't trust you. It's just that the higher-ups require confidentiality, and since I'm paid, I have to do my job."

"You think a piece of meat will appease me?"

Morimoto Chiyoda smiled. "I'll count to three."

"This beef is amazing!" Aozawa quickly changed his tune, praising how fragrant and delicious the beef in his bowl was.

Morimoto Chiyoda rolled her eyes at him. Wouldn't it have been better if you were like this from the start? she thought.

"Eat."

「...」

After dinner, Morimoto Chiyoda headed to Shinjuku.

Aozawa put the dishes in the dishwasher, then began his hour-long run.

Arriving at the familiar small park, Aozawa felt that with a bit more time, he should be able to pick up his pace and intensify his workouts.

He bought a bottle of water from a vending machine, gulped it down to replenish his lost fluids, and tossed the empty bottle aside.

Aozawa crouched down, placed his palm on the ground, and his Catalyst sensing ability activated.

His perspective suddenly elevated, and scenes flooded into his mind.

Within Tokyo, every place paved with these bricks will become my eyes and ears.

Aozawa first focused on the small park; no one else was there.

He stood up and reached out to touch the air, discovering that his Catalyst sensing ability was useless on air.

What a pity, he thought. If it worked on air, I could basically monitor all of Tokyo. Air is everywhere.

With these thoughts, he placed his right hand on a tree.

Once again, scenes flooded into Aozawa's mind.

Many voices arose from those images.

Yet, Aozawa didn't find it noisy at all.

When I use Catalyst Induction, my mental state is enhanced to a certain degree. I become god-like, devoid of desires or needs. You could say I'm like an emotionless computer. Perhaps only such a mental state can handle the sudden emergence of complex images and clamorous sounds.

He sifted through these images and sounds, searching for any news about Yasuda Masao.

Whenever he heard any mention of "Yasuda," he would enlarge the corresponding visual feed to investigate.

Yasuda Masao is a congressman with power and status. The places he frequents and lives in must be quite high-end.

Aozawa filtered out common locations like convenience stores and izakayas, focusing only on upscale scenes.

It was a spacious courtyard, featuring a park-like grove of trees.

The trees planted there were of the same species as those in the public park he'd just visited.

Aozawa didn't know the specific type of tree but determined they were a kind of evergreen.

Beyond the grove, there was a pond teeming with koi. Its edge was lined with rocks of various sizes, and a shishi-odoshi (deer scare) clinked intermittently.

The pathways were paved with cobblestones.

Ahead, a vintage-style Japanese mansion was situated.

The long corridor was illuminated. In the center of the open sliding doors, a low table was set.

An elderly man and a middle-aged man sat on either side of the table, both dressed in ornate kimonos.

Additionally, a very young woman was tethered by an iron chain next to the elderly man.

Her body was clearly visible even without X-ray Ability. Her chest featured two black rose piercings, reminiscent of a bull's nose ring.

Only a sliver of pale skin was visible on her left arm; the rest was covered in tattoos.

Her legs were clad in fishnet stockings.

Frequent viewers of YouTube dance videos would recognize her as Haga Koumei, the popular dance vlogger known as "Pure little sweet," who had over two hundred thousand fans.

The woman many men called a goddess was now the congressman's chained "dog."

「...」

"Has the new candidate for Dharma King been decided yet?" Yasuda Masao asked, picking up a small sake cup. His aged voice carried an air of authority.

Nearby, Kakuta Makoto, acutely aware of the power and connections Yasuda Masao wielded, was naturally treading on thin ice. He didn't dare let his gaze stray from the tabletop and said in a low voice, "Congressman Yasuda, a new candidate has been found. It's Sato's young nephew, Sato Ren. I've already provided him with the relevant information and had him memorize it, so he can pose as the reincarnation of the Dharma King."

"Turn him into Sato Kiyoki as soon as possible. The Ushiku Police Station can't hold those frenzied believers indefinitely. The remaining followers also need a figurehead; we can't let them cause trouble."

Yasuda Masao didn't want the World True Love and Peace Church to simply vanish. Religion is an excellent tool, he mused. It can cultivate a loyal voter base and also train skilled assassins. They're willing to sacrifice anything for their god. If I don't control such convenient pawns, someone else will.

"Yes, sir," Kakuta Makoto replied respectfully.

Yasuda Masao's eyes narrowed slightly. "Have you found Dio?"