Anime Multiverse: Building a Pantheon from Scratch

"You mean hypnosis as in that kind of hypnosis?" Luo Shu glanced uncertainly at Tachibana Kirika, who sat beside him. Internally, though, he was intrigued—so there really was such a "useful item"?

"Yes, the literal kind of hypnosis. According to intel we received, quite a few glamorous female celebrities in Europe have already reported incidents. It seems the hypnosis wears off once the user dies," Kirika explained casually.

Luo Shu paused at her words, then gave a rather complicated look. "So it is that kind of hypnosis... but from what you're saying, this thing was smuggled in from abroad?"

"Exactly." Kirika nodded slightly, then elaborated, "Even though the Demon Hunters are a subdivision of the Golden Dawn, they operate exactly as their name suggests—a band of hunters obsessed with tracking down demonic entities. They're sworn enemies of the demon warlocks from the True Celestial Astronomy."

"This time, a warlock from the True Celestial Astronomy attempted to smuggle the 'Heart of the Demon' into Japan, only to be intercepted by a Seven-Star Demon Hunter who'd been tailing him. Before dying from his injuries, the warlock used the item to hypnotize a random woman passing by and entrusted her with the 'Heart of the Demon' along with several other things."

Luo Shu frowned. "So, the woman who was hypnotized—that's my neighbour?"

But Kirika shook her head. "No, it was actually one of the employees at the jewellery shop owned by your beautiful neighbour. After she received the 'Heart of the Demon,' she sorted the items and passed them along, selling the ruby-encrusted ring to the store—where it eventually ended up in your good neighbour Miss Mira Tsubakihara's hands."

"As for Nakamura Yuuichi—the one you killed—he was the Hound assigned by that Seven-Star Demon Hunter to retrieve the Heart. A seasoned agent with three years of experience. If you hadn't scared him off with your 'police' credentials, you wouldn't have taken him down so easily."

At that, even Kirika couldn't help but chuckle.

After all, anyone from such an organization inevitably had blood on their hands. The kind of person who'd face at least a death sentence if arrested. These people were seasoned killers. And because of their pasts, they usually avoided drawing attention from law enforcement once inside a foreign country.

Too bad for Nakamura Yuuichi—he'd run into Luo Shu, someone who skipped all the formalities and just opened fire. What a humiliating way to die.

Luo Shu scoffed and let out a bitter laugh. "So, this whole thing was a fluke? But how the hell did you even get all this intel? Don't tell me you've got someone undercover in their leadership?"

Kirika gave a mysterious smile. "Information doesn't always have to come from the mouths of the living, you know."

"…You pulled it from Nakamura's corpse? No—his brain?" Luo Shu immediately understood. So SDS had someone that could do that? Or was it an Abyssal Artifact?

"And the Heart of the Demon is with Miss Tsubakihara now?" he asked.

"Can't say for sure," Kirika replied. "We only know it passed through her hands. As for the ring's current whereabouts, even she doesn't know."

She paused, then gave him a pointed look. "Every mysterious object in this world—or more precisely, every Abyssal Artifact that makes its way here from the other side—carries side effects, some minor, some extremely dangerous."

"Take my wallet, for instance. The 'Lucky Wallet.' Its downside? It likes to get lost. It actively chooses owners with better luck."

"The more powerful the artifact, the more potent—and more subtle—the downside. Which is why these things are often classified as extremely dangerous. Until they're properly studied and tested, it's best not to mess around with them."

After giving him a brief crash course on Abyssal Artifacts, Kirika continued, "As for the Heart of the Demon, we've confirmed at least one of its negative traits. Any woman who comes into possession of it—unless they're under hypnosis—will inevitably forget it exists."

"Heh. Fitting, isn't it? Just like its twisted function, this artifact seems to resist being used by anyone other than hypnotized women. In fact, it hides itself so well that it almost feels… sentient."

Luo Shu blinked in realization, then frowned as he looked through the windshield. "So, what you're saying is, Mira Tsubakihara did hold the Heart of the Demon, but now she's forgotten all about it. That's why she's clueless."

"Exactly." Kirika nodded, then started the car. As the engine hummed to life, she smiled and said in a teasing tone, "So, you've got a mission now, boy~"

"Retrieve the Heart of the Demon?" Luo Shu asked, puzzled. "Then why don't you just detain her and search the place?"

"Her father is a city councilman," Kirika said as she calmly drove. "Her uncle's a senior civil servant. Her mother's from an American Consortium. Catch my drift?"

"…Got it." Luo Shu nodded immediately. One of those people—you can't lay a finger on them.

He sighed and chuckled, "So you're sending me after the artifact instead. Aren't you worried I'll keep it for myself?"

"You can keep it if you want," Kirika replied, stepping on the accelerator. "Just don't use it on one of our own."

Her voice took on an amused tone. "Better you get it than let the idiots over at the MPD take it, or worse, let the garrison sell it for profit or pleasure. At least if it's in your hands, I can still benefit from it through you."

"Of course, this thing is dangerous. Proper testing is essential. No one wants to get wrecked by some random side effect."

Luo Shu raised an eyebrow. "So, your department can keep artifacts this dangerous? You don't have to report or submit them?"

He wasn't asking just to be annoying. If SDS could hoard dangerous Abyssal Artifacts, it raised all sorts of red flags. Were they really a government agency? Or just a front for some personal profit machine?

"Of course we can," Kirika said, completely unfazed. "Chisato has one, doesn't she? I never asked her to turn it in. As long as it stays within the department, it doesn't matter who holds it."

"As for higher-ups—who gives a damn? They're useless garbage anyway."

She finished her rant, then flamboyantly put on her sunglasses, looking like she couldn't care less. "What I am worried about is that Seven-Star Demon Hunter still at large. One of their top agents sneaks into Tokyo, and the MPD morons don't even bother to notify me. Useless bastards."

Luo Shu smirked. "Should I really be hearing all this about the infighting among you sky-dragons at the top?"

Kirika grinned wickedly. "Of course you should. In fact, if you do manage to secure the Heart of the Demon, I could introduce you to a noble 'lady dragon' from high society."

"With that face of yours and that artifact in your hand, getting whatever you want would just be a matter of… a little hip movement."

"…Seriously?" Luo Shu gave her a look of pure exasperation. "Do I look like some degenerate warlord? No. Absolutely not."

He sighed and stopped bickering with her, instead shifting topics. "What happened to my neighbour? Is she okay?"

"She's been released," Kirika replied. "Don't worry. I just had Chisato ask her a few things. Nothing sErious. You trust that kid, don't you?"

"Chisato, huh… yeah, I don't have any concerns there."

Luo Shu nodded, then hesitated. "Still, I can't promise I'll actually find the artifact. And aren't those Seven-Star Hunters still out there looking too? Are you seriously just letting Miss Tsubakihara wander around as bait?"

"You think too much," Kirika scoffed. "This afternoon, the MPD requested aid from the Onmyoji Bureau."

"By now, they've probably already clashed."

"As for the rest—publicly, I only declared that we discovered a rogue Hound. I never revealed any intel about the Heart of the Demon."

"No one's dumb enough to give up something like this once they've got a lead."

"Is that so?" Luo Shu finally relaxed, exhaling deeply. "Well, that's a relief."

After all, knowing some mysterious organization had its sights on you 24/7 was unnerving. Oh wait—he was also part of a secret organization. Never mind then.

As he made a joke to himself to lighten the mood, Kirika slowly hit the brakes. They were parked in front of his brightly lit apartment complex. Her voice was playful again. "Sleep well tonight~"

"You wish." Luo Shu grabbed his things and got out, slamming the door behind him.

As he walked toward the building, Kirika flashed the headlights and called out, "Remember to stay in touch! And find that thing fast! You're due to report at Lycoris the day after tomorrow!"

"Got it."

Luo Shu casually waved a hand behind him. But after taking a few steps—

Squish. He stepped on something.

"…Huh?"

Looking down, Luo Shu spotted a deep red wallet on the ground. He blinked, then glanced back just in time to see Kirika's white sedan disappear into the night.

Staring at the wallet in his hand, Luo Shu muttered in confusion, "How the hell did this thing fall out…"