Published at 26th of March 2019 1:10 am

Chapter 26 - Preserving the crime scene

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After the call ended, the first thing Yogiri did was drink a glass of water.

After all, he had been asleep without food or drinks ever since they moved to their rooms. He was also fairly hungry, but thanks to all the sleep he got he was in perfect shape nonetheless. After finishing his drink he opened the door, left his room and stepped out into the empty corridor.

However, it only appeared empty.

Yogiri focused his concentration on the other end of the corridor and spotted some black fog there, forming the shape of a diagonal line towards Tomochika's room. Because it wasn't concrete intent to kill, nor aimed at Yogiri, it was only dimly visible to him, but he could tell that there really was someone lurking ahead of him.

Whoever it was, they didn't move despite Yogiri leaving his room, only continuing to transmit their killing intent towards Tomochika's room. The person most likely didn't even consider they might get discovered.

Yogiri used his power.

thud

Something fell over and shortly after a collapsed girl became visible.

Without paying her much heed Yogiri knocked on Tomochika's door.

"It's me."

The door swung open right away, revealing the flustered Tomochika.

"Hurry up, get inside!"

She seemed still on guard for enemies and Yogiri, doing his best to share her enthusiasm, promptly entered the room.

"There really was someone, a woman."

Yogiri spoke as he took a seat in the room's guest chair.

"Oh, could you see her then?"

"Not so much that I saw her, but I could tell where the hostility was originating from. Wasn't too far from this room's door, a little down the corridor next to the opposite wall. Looked like she didn't have any interest in me, didn't make a move when I left my room."

"Ah, Mokomoko-san said the same, that the killing intent was targeting me. Honestly, I don't think I've done anything to make someone resent me though."

Quite indeed, all the enemies they had faced so far were killed solely by Yogiri.

『Don't be a fool, it's not like a bystander can tell who of you two is the one doing the killing.』

"But then it would still be strange for the killing intent to be focused only on Dannoura-san. Doesn't that sound more like revenge or something?"

He had some ideas for what might have been the motive, but nothing concrete.

"Anyway, for now it's good that you managed to come over. What should we do next?"

『Ah, I see I see. Very well, if my absence is truly necessary then I shall take my leave now. You two may enjoy yourselves!』

"That's not what I'm talking about!"

"?"

Yogiri couldn't follow the conversation and tilted his head as he looked at the blushing Tomochika.

"L-let's forget about that. So, now what?"

She expertly forced the discussion back on topic and Yogiri went along with it.

"Mhm, right, first off I should make a call."

Yogiri got up, went to the room's telephone and made a call to the front desk.

"A woman collapsed on the fifth floor's corridor, thought she might need help."

He smoothly settled the matter and returned to his chair.

"Wait, huh? What was that about?"

"I thought it might look strange if I pretend not to have seen anything. Not like I can very well claim I didn't notice the dead body while walking through the corridor."

There wasn't anyone other than him and the hiding woman when he walked to Tomochika's room, but depending on the flow of events he might be suspected, so acting as natural as possible should have been for the best.

"Dead body?"

"Yeah, killed her."

"You already did!?"

"I don't think there's much to say against killing someone hiding their appearance and lurking around."

No matter what the actual circumstances were, such a kind of person was just too suspicious, Yogiri thought, so he took care of her right away.

"Well, sure, but weren't you curious about why she was hiding there and stuff?"

『I would have preferred if we inquired about any background relations first, if it turns out some organization is after us it might get troublesome.』

"You say that, but killing is all I can do. Not the best skill for interrogating someone."

There was that one time he experimented with going easy on his opponents, but applying it in a way that allowed him to extract information out of people would have been difficult. Threats required an example and explanation, but after suffering an irreversible injury any hope for being saved would have been crushed.

Additionally, even if they had tried questioning her with instant death as threat, they would have been dealing with someone capable of erasing their appearance -- who knew what other powers she might have held.

Thinking about it calmly, killing her was most likely the right choice.

"Actually, I guess it would be strange for me to ignore someone lying on the floor."

With that, Yogiri headed back out on the floor and Tomochika followed.

The hotel staff still hadn't arrived, and the girl was still lying in the same position as before.

Now Tomochika saw her as well and raised her voice.

"Huh, that really does look like she just collapsed."

"You know, and I might not be one to talk, but you sure are calm about this."

They had seen worse looking corpses up until now, but even then Tomochika had never appeared particularly distraught. Given that she was a girl, Yogiri always expected her to be more shaken and frightened in general.

"Guess I'm used to it, although I'm not sure that's something I should be happy about."

『All humans die eventually. Don't expect the daughter of a family of born warriors to be unnerved so easily.』

"It's not that I'm looking at it with the death of all things in mind or anything, and actually I'd say I am fairly shocked… …Hm? Hey, do you think it's fine if we take a look at her face?"

It seemed like Tomochika noticed something after taking a look at the body, so Yogiri walked up to it, crouched down and lifted the face up.

"Erm, I was thinking we might not be supposed to touch her, preserving the crime scene and all."

"We can just say we were trying to help a collapsed person."

The woman had blonde hair and a face blessed by natural beauty. After looking at her straight up Yogiri realized as well: they had met her before; and Tomochika remembered where.

"That was one of Tachibana-kun's followers, I think Erika was her name?"

"Do you think Tachibana is the one behind this? Eh, even if he isn't, this will turn into a problem, he'll think we're looking for a fight."

One could say they were the ones that got challenged, but they still ended up taking hostile measures against him.

『I don't know what powers he possesses as Dominator, but I'd assume he has a grasp of his underlings' undertakings.』

"Tachibana also lives in this hotel, right? We should probably get out of here then."

While Yogiri and the rest were talking the hotel staff finally arrived, along with someone that looked like a doctor. They put Erika on a stretcher and quickly carried her away. The situation wasn't thought of as a crime yet, so there wasn't anyone reminiscent of a policeman with them.

And like that, the two sage candidates decided to leave the hotel.

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