Tokyo Psychic

Page 271

Across from me, Serina Iza was holding her phone, searching for various tourist photos of "Hoori Onsen Town".

Then she leaned against the wall, gazing at the blue sky and white clouds rushing past the car window, imagining with anticipation every blade of grass and tree in that town.

An and Subaru's handheld console was running Super Smash Bros. When Mr. Steve's entrance voice came to Akira Kurusu's ears as he was taking a nap, he subconsciously shuddered and sat up straight.

Then all sleepiness vanished...

I have this feeling that if I fall asleep again, I'll dream of that sky arena again, and then get hit by a minecart, grabbed by a fishing rod, beaten with a diamond sword, and have my hair burned by lava blocks...

Akira Kurusu stared at An and Subaru sitting opposite her with lingering fear.

An and Subaru simply tilted their heads and responded with a strange expression.

"what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, I just think we should make some time to play Minecraft together."

The phantom thief glanced sideways at the car window beside him.

The brief conversation ended, and the carriage returned to a quiet atmosphere.

The sunlight burned like golden flames on the trees on both sides of the railway tracks, and only the clanging sound of wheels hitting the tracks echoed back and forth on the math homework in front of Toyokawa Shoko.

Although she has escaped her financial difficulties, Toyokawa Shoko still holds herself to strict standards in her studies.

Even when she was on leave from work because of Akira Kurusu, she would still use her practice test papers to review and fill in any gaps in her knowledge after finishing her housework.

The cool air from the car's air conditioning slightly ruffled the strands of hair at her temples.

Noticing the gaze from behind, Toyokawa Shoko responded with a sweet smile—"Shiomi-senpai, is there something you need?"

That's right. Accompanying Akira Kurusu back to his hometown this time are not only all the members of the Phantom Thieves of this timeline, but also the "Shadow Patrolman" Kotone Shiomi.

As for the Phantom Thieves members in another timeline... because they foresaw that heavy disaster, they were racing against time to rebuild their Persona powers.

During the time that Akira Kurusu and the others are away from Tokyo, they will take over the handling of the cases in "Phantom Thief Channel" again.

Kotone Shiomi scratched her temples, her eyes flickering for a moment. "It's a long story. Just take it as a 'savior's premonition'... I have a feeling that our trip is getting closer to the truth behind all the 'abnormalities'."

"Hmm, wouldn't it be better to explain these things to Lian?"

“He must have sensed something too, which is why he specifically invited us to come home,” Shiomi Kotone whispered. “Narukami also invited the Personas who were once his partners to spend the summer vacation in Tokyo, to avoid Tokyo suffering a devastating blow while he was away from Kurusu…”

Kotone Shiomi noticed Toyokawa Shoko's confusion and whispered, "I'm telling you this because I can sense it... Your Persona is on the verge of awakening, and we might all need your power from now on."

Toyokawa Shoko gripped the pen tightly, but still lowered her voice to cooperate, "Then we should tell everyone about it!"

Kotone Shiomi shook her head. "You should be able to understand that Mutsumi's condition is not very stable... She possesses a very rare and powerful untamed power. If someone hadn't helped her set a mental anchor, she might have already become a 'multi-headed monster'."

"As for Subaru, I will find time to inform her about the relevant matters later."

“But…” Shiomi Kotone looked at the carefree Iori Niina with a worried and wary gaze.

She recalled that pale figure.

As the embodiment of remorse, Judah never displayed overwhelming destructive power, but his ability to manipulate time at will was already unfathomable.

Although she knew that Judah and Iori were two completely different individuals, Shiomi Kotone still suspected that the other party had secretly done something else to Iori.

The train rumbled into the tunnel.

The sunlight outside the window quietly went out.

Darkness enveloped the carriage.

The whispers that had just occurred have also disappeared.

Silence and darkness reigned until Akira Kurusu suddenly stood up.

He pushed aside Wakaba Mutsu's thigh and walked into the corridor.

The phantom thief's applause shattered the darkness filled with suspicion.

The train exited the tunnel.

"We've arrived at the station. Everyone, please remember to take your luggage."

As if to complement the phantom thief's "performance," the announcement of the arrival of the train station was made at the opportune moment.

248. Suizhi Shrine and Divine Sword Murasame (two-in-one)

"It's so hot!"

With a mournful face, Jing Qinren walked unsteadily at the back of the group.

Even though she was carrying a schoolbag on her back, she seemed like the "Sisyphus" from the myth, carrying a huge rock on a mountain path with no end in sight.

And they were indeed walking on a mountain path.

The bus to Hoori Onsen Town stopped far behind the group, having left the Shinkansen station. To reach the town nestled in the mountains, one would have to purchase a ticket.

Hoori has been a popular tourist destination in Kyoto for a long time. Immediately after leaving the Shinkansen, you can see various advertising slogans such as "When you come to Kyoto, you must visit Hoori Onsen".

Simply follow the billboards along the road, and you will soon be led by an enthusiastic tour guide to board a bus to Hoori Onsen Town.

Akira Kurusu held a flag she had bought from a stall next to the platform. Facing the harsh summer wind, the flag was unfurled, revealing a line of powerful Chinese characters written in calligraphy: "Welcome to Suiori."

Noticing the unusual behavior of Jingqin Rencai behind her, Kurisu Akira considerately slowed down her pace.

Of course, it wasn't just ordinary girl Iori who found it hard to keep up; An and Subaru, who were severely lacking in exercise, also found it difficult... Although she had been exercising appropriately during this period, that level of aerobic exercise could only burn off the calories from the dressing in her vegetable salad at lunchtime.

July is almost here, and perhaps with the plum rains approaching, the scorching sun casts a stifling heat in the woods.

After a period of rest, the group strolled along the forest path, which was interspersed with signs.

Shiomi Kotone seemed to have completely forgotten her worries on the train, and walked briskly past Kikyo to the front.

Her long, reddish-brown hair was styled into a three-strand braid, giving her an elegant and simple look. She wore a light white dress and sandals that covered her slender feet.

As she moved, the long skirt that covered her calves lifted slightly, allowing a clear view of the beautifully curved lines of her calves, and further down, the delicate arches of her feet could be faintly seen.

Her already fair and translucent skin, bathed in sunlight, displayed an otherworldly allure, presenting a flawless beauty.

She really knows how to use her beauty... That's just how talent is. Although Shiomi Kotone has never been in love or had any close contact with the opposite sex, that epic experience has instilled in her an exceptional fighting spirit.

What Shiomi Kotone is doing is applying this fighting spirit to the battlefield of love.

When she walked ahead of Akira Kurusu, she deliberately slowed her pace, and then raised the knee facing Akira Kurusu as she took a step...

Thus, the exquisite scene beneath the girl's skirt fell perfectly into the eyes of Akira Kurusu alone.

Shiomi Kotone knew that, given Akira's almost conditioned reflex of alertness, she would inevitably look at her when she exhibited this "abnormal" behavior.

so......

She gave the phantom thief a sly smile, as if in provocation.

His self-proclaimed "heart of stone" melted and crumbled in an instant, leaving only a restless heart throbbing back and forth in his chest cavity as if trying to escape.

Is there really such a foul move?

It must be said that the "flawless beauty" of the velvet room assistant is indeed very effective.

Anyway, Akira Kurishi doesn't have the ability to withstand it.

He guessed that his predecessors... Yuki Ryo, who was currently blocking the door on the moon, and Narukami Yuu, who was patrolling in Tokyo, couldn't resist their assistants' straightforward confessions.

Even a phantom thief would instinctively cover his nose at this moment, to prevent his boiling blood from circulating wildly through his body and then embarrassingly gushing out...

Suddenly, Shiomi Kotone moved closer.

Even a beautiful girl won't smell particularly good after sweating profusely on a hot day.

But Shiomi Kotone is clearly an exception.

She was already a demigod of the Sea of ​​Hearts, neither sweating nor accumulating any dirt or microorganisms, her body always maintaining a pure "self".

At the same time, this body, which exists entirely based on "cognition," does not require physiological behaviors such as excretion.

So naturally, when she got close to Akira Kurusu.

This body, possessing beauty that surpasses the limits of human perception, unleashes its allure without reservation, reflecting its owner's state of mind, and then releases it upon Akira Kurusu...

The phantom thief, inhaling the fragrance so close at hand, could barely contain his excitement.

"Shiomi-senpai, calm down... This kind of thing is completely taboo in the Velvet Room! I remember Igor asked his assistant not to abuse this privilege to seduce contractors!!"

"I'm not an assistant." Shiomi Kotone smiled and leaned closer. She reached out and lifted Kurusu Akira's chin, almost pressing her lips to his mouth, before saying, "Of course... if you're willing to sign a contract with me, I can abide by those rules a little, okay?"

This is bad.

Akira thought to herself, although the hot blood didn't rush to her face and then escape through her nasal cavity.

But they seem to have gone somewhere they shouldn't have gone...

The considerate Miss Shiomi noticed this, after all, according to the signs along the way, they were almost at Hoori, and she knew that the pranks should not go too far—especially not to embarrass Akira Kurusu.

So she immediately suppressed her targeted and suggestive charm, and quietly moved back in front of Akira to shield him from the physical changes.

"Am I considerate?" Shiomi Kotone grinned at Kurusu Akira.

As Akira Kurusu felt the softness approaching his waist and abdomen, he felt a pang of jealousy and wished he could immediately "overthrow his superior" and push this despicable senior down... But the moment this thought arose, he was horrified to realize that Kotone Shiomi's "scheme" had succeeded.

Izarei looked at Akira Kurusu and Kotone Shiomi at the front with some suspicion.

She asked Toyokawa Shoko, the most senior member of the Phantom Thieves, "Shoko, what do you think they're doing? It looks really strange!"

Shoko Toyokawa seemed to still be recalling the melancholy that Kotone Shiomi had confided in her on the train earlier. After a brief moment of thought, she gave an affirmative answer: "They must have been talking about the Space of Impressions."

Then, surprisingly, Izarei Renna nodded, revealing a serious expression, "I understand."

Wakaba Mutsumi and Anwa Subaru looked at each other, feeling that something was not quite right.

But the group had already left the woods, and the bustling, ancient scene of Suizhi Town, along with the sweltering heat of midsummer, surged up, distorting the light with the rising heat, making the whole town seem as if it were in a dream.

......

Upon entering the town, Izayoi was immediately drawn to the authentic Showa-era streets.

Jing Qinren made no attempt to hide her joy, leaving the group to look around at the nearby shops. The owner of a stationery store, a gray-haired woman, smiled kindly at the girl with her pure and innocent face.

But her smile froze the moment she passed Serina Ii and saw Akira Kurusu.

The child doing his homework next to the woman looked at his grandmother curiously, "Grandma, what's wrong?"

"The Amamiya boy is back..." the old man murmured, his deep, chiseled wrinkles seeming to smooth out all at once, casting even finer shadows in the sunlight.

She seemed to be feeling fear, and then slowly backed away until her body was completely hidden in the shadow of the shop, avoiding Akira Kurusu's gaze, before she quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

The older pedestrians on the street also showed unusual behavior. They were all elderly people who had lived in the area their whole lives, but when they saw Akira Kurishi, they all showed a look of fear and unease.

Personas have been keenly aware of this.

With worry and anxiety, Wakaba Mutsu grasped Kurusu Akira's right hand and shook it gently.

Lai Xixiao shook her head at her, signaling everyone to hurry up and leave.

Before checking into the shrine, Akira Kurusu needs to obtain various certificates and documents related to the shrine from the town mayor.

Kotone Shiomi quickly caught up with the scattering Serina Ii and gently lifted her by the back of her collar, as if she were grabbing a kitten by the scruff of its neck.

"Don't run around, Nina."

“Oh! But…” Jingqin Rencai looked longingly at the various cheap and affordable wooden Buddha statues displayed in the antique shop in front of her.

"We're staying at a shrine tonight. Don't you like shrines?"

"Ah... I actually prefer shrines with Buddha statues."

"I don't know if there are any Buddha statues, but you can have as many Goshuin seals as you want later."

Seventeen-year-old Izana's interests that could be listed on her resume include the Showa era, Buddhist statues, and collecting goshuin (temple stamps).

Of course, none of the above preferences were as appealing to her as a cup of milk coffee.

It's like a cat toy to catnip.

......

Following the route map sent by the town mayor, after winding around for a while, we finally entered a Japanese-style mansion that looked quite grand.

The town mayor was an old man named Asagi Genjuro. He appeared to be gentle and calm, sitting cross-legged on the steps of the courtyard, like an ancient swordsman, with a mysterious air about him.

Upon seeing Akira Kurusu, he simply stood up with a sigh.

After looking the boy up and down, confirming that he had returned home in triumph, he breathed a sigh of relief with a complicated expression.