A slender, pale hand reached out and took the phone.
Fang Zuo paused, shrugged, then slid his arm back into the warm embrace of Oda Yui.
Yui's face flushed. Initially, she'd clung to him out of fear. But now, with calmer nerves, a hint of shyness crept in. This time, Ojisan initiated it. So he should be the one feeling shy. Convinced her logic was sound, she pressed her cheek closer, nuzzling his arm with her head.
Shiraishi Nagimitsu sat bolt upright, eyes blazing as she snatched the phone.
"Sakura Kuri-san! Fujino-kun is currently fulfilling his duty to protect me. This is an arrangement guaranteed by Captain Mitsui of your Exorcism Patrol and sanctioned by the Occult Council's special charter!"
"Removing him now leaves me and my daughter defenseless! Are these repeated actions targeted at Fujino-kun himself, or is there hostility towards the Oda and Shiraishi families?"
A flurry of apologies ("Sumimasen! Sumimasen!") echoed from the other end.
Shiraishi's anger subsided slightly. Her cheeks flushed crimson as she handed the phone back to Fang Zuo. Without a word, she melted back against his chest.
"I was terrified, Fujino-kun," her voice trembled. "I truly thought… it was the end. That… thing… screamed insanely in my mind. I wanted to reach you, but I couldn't! My body… it wasn't mine to control." Her eyelids began to droop.
"I understand, Madam Shiraishi," Fang Zuo murmured, his hand resting naturally on her plump shoulder, fingers tracing slow, soothing circles. It was an intimacy Shiraishi had never experienced, not through courtship, not even after Yui's birth. It brought an unusual comfort, a tingling warmth spreading through her.
Mmm…
She buried her face deeper into the man's chest, breathing in his distinct scent. Under his touch, the suffocating terror of near-death that had gripped her for days began to recede. Her tense limbs gradually relaxed, her taut nerves unwound. She felt like a frightened queen cat finally having her ruffled fur smoothed by her master's hand.
Ah...
A soft moan escaped her throat before she could stifle it, cheeks flushing even hotter. She peeked up, but Fang Zuo showed no reaction. Embarrassed, she closed her eyes. Compared to all those shameful angles he photographed… this is nothing. She reasoned with herself. I won't fret over this sheer nightgown either.
Her breathing deepened into light snores as she drifted off.
Fang Zuo whispered a soporific charm. Effortlessly, he scooped her up. She felt like a water-filled doll, impossibly soft and yielding. His arm sank slightly into her flesh before encountering any semblance of firmness beneath. So plump and supple… pressing against her would be like sinking into a waterbed. Externally resilient, but what of her inner self?
He laid her gently on the couch. The split of her gown shifted slightly, revealing a glimpse of crimson lace beneath.
"Shhh," he signaled Yui. The girl nodded obediently and followed him out.
"Let your mother rest. The trauma she's endured these past days is immense. Stay by her side," Fang Zuo instructed.
"But Ojisan... I'm scared too," Yui whispered, glancing nervously around the dim hall, face still pale.
"Don't worry," Fang Zuo reassured. He reached into his internal spatial awareness for a talisman, only to find them all annihilated by the heavenly tribulation. Treasures, pills—everything gone. All that remained was a tattered scrap of crimson silk underwear – his very first self-crafted defensive artifact. Made during his birth-sign year when he felt particularly indulgent towards himself. Even that hadn't entirely withstood the cosmic lightning. It now resembled something more akin to a minimalist thong.
He pinched a loose thread and pulled.
Yui gasped, eyes wide. "Sugoi! Ojisan, what kind of magic is that?!"
Fang Zuo didn't answer. Deftly, he coiled the shimmering red silk strand into a simple bracelet knot. He took Yui's small hand and secured it around her wrist.
"This," he said, tying the knot. "Is the most precious thing I personally crafted. From my homeland. Wear it, and fear won't touch you." He wasn't lying – only this fragment of his tattered crimson undergarment survived. Precious? Absolutely. He'd worn it for centuries, reluctant to discard it. Perfectly honest, he reassured himself, conveniently ignoring the fact he'd never washed it. Besides, silk forged by dan-fire could certainly ward off minor evil spirits and ghosts.
"Ha! Is this Ojisan's gift to me?" Yui instinctively replied, then peered intently at the bracelet. She brought her wrist close and sniffed. Ojisan's scent. An immense sense of security washed over her, the lingering fear receding.
"Arigatou gozaimasu, Ojisan!" She threw her arms around his waist in a quick hug. "I'll protect it with my life!"
"It's supposed to protect you," Fang Zuo corrected, patting her head. "I need to head to HQ."
"When Mother wakes, don't tell her I went there. Say I had urgent business."
"Ha!" Yui clicked her heels together, straightened her back, and bobbed her head firmly.
Fang Zuo walked the Chiyoda streets as twilight deepened. Kita-no-Maru Park wasn't far.
Lining the sidewalks every few meters stood girls. Some masked, some brazenly smoking, waiting. With Fujino Gen's handsome features, he was a natural magnet. Far preferable to doddering old men. They flocked, posturing with practiced charm, hoping to snag his attention.
So many... The island nation's economic woes were indeed stark.
Hmm? A flicker of presence caught his senses further down the block. Two minor entities. This intrigued Fang Zuo far more. Since the founding in the Zhongyuan heartland, spiritual edicts strictly prohibited yao manifestation. With primordial Qi dwindling, only ancient great demons persisted. Minor spirits subsisting on stolen Yang essence like this were incredibly rare.
The two girls, sensing his gaze, bowed their heads politely. Minor yao meant elder guai couldn't be far behind. An ingrained habit of millennia – subduing demons and vanquishing malevolence – flared within him. He decided to follow them. Might as well play the game properly… ask for the price first.
His phone rang.
Sakura Kuri. Again.
"Yeah?"
"Fujino! Get here NOW! If you're not, I'll dock every bonus you've ever earned!" Her voice was a fierce whisper, terrified Shiraishi Nagimitsu might overhear.
"Getting me there... requires persuasion," Fang Zuo replied lazily, winking back at the minor feline entities casting coquettish glances his way. Ah, cat spirits.
"Don't push your luck!"
"Counting down... Three..."
"Please!" Sakura gritted out the word.
"Once more. Last chance. If it doesn't satisfy me… begging again won't help." Another exaggerated wink at the spirits.
"Pleeease?" Sakura forced her voice into a high-pitched, girlish coo.
"Passable. Remember to keep this tone in the future. I quite like it." Fang Zuo approved. Evidently, every Nihon woman possessed this latent talent, suppressed only by societal conditioning. Explained the high rates of mistresses here too.
"Pick me up. Kita-no-Maru Park, West Gate." He hung up.
"Fujino!!" A furious shout cut through the air, startling him.
Sakura Kuri materialized from around a corner. Her black stockings strained across powerful thighs as she ran, the sheer weave revealing pale skin beneath.
"What are you doing here?!" Fang Zuo raised an eyebrow.
"Drove here immediately after your first call! Ready to grab you! Didn't expect Madam Shiraishi to answer!" Sakura gasped, grabbing Fang Zuo's arm and hauling him towards a nearby parking lot. "Major emergency! A boy and girl dead simultaneously at Tokyo Women's University!" Her slender fingers clamped onto his wrist like a vice, preventing escape. "Found an identical pendant necklace to Councilman Oda's at the scene!"
She paused, her breath catching, face grim. "Both found completely... naked."