Well fine. If the SPR was too tired to go take care of loose ends, then the loose ends would come to take care of the SPR.

.o0o.

It was to Mai's surprise that she was deposited not at Naru's condo, but her own apartment. She did a double take, suddenly offended at the idea that Naru would try to get rid of her. She said as much out loud, earning the trademark irritated Naru glare.

"Weiguó is gone," he said. "We aren't on a case right now. You're going home."

The tone in his voice was blunt and left no room for argument.

Mai hmphed and crossed her arms.

"Try not to take it personally," said Lin. "We simply need our privacy."

Lin parked in front of Mai's complex. She began to get out of the car, stopping in surprise when Naru's door opened.

"It would be unkind for me not to walk you up," he said. If he was trying to apologize for being rude, it wasn't working. She wanted to hear it straight. Something in his eyes told her that she would be waiting a while for that apology. She allowed him to guide her inside.

Once upstairs, Naru watched her like a hawk as she fished out her keys and then opened the door. She noticed him peering over her shoulder into her darkened apartment. "Wanna check under the bed for monsters?" she said with a raised eyebrow.

Naru turned his attention back to her, but he didn't dignify that with a response. "Good night," he offered before turning away.

"You can come in if you want," Mai prompted.

Naru glanced back. He hesitated for a second. "It would be rude to keep Lin waiting."

"He can come too," said Mai. She couldn't keep the exasperation out of her voice. "Or you can stand in the doorway like a creep and just spit it out already."

"We will be returning to the office tomorrow morning. We expect you to be there."

Mai blinked. "Why? It's Sunday."

Naru let out a tired sigh. "Post-case wrap up," he said. "You'll be paid overtime."

Mai thought that through. Sure there was work that needed to be done after every case, especially since the team couldn't exactly be on top of all the office work while dealing with spirits. Even so, Mai couldn't recall a case that was so intense that they needed a whole extra day to catch up on work. And that's when she remembered. Lin had been the target of this case. He wouldn't have been able to do his typical background computer work while everyone else took care of the legwork.

Nodding with determination, Mai said, "I'll come in tomorrow. Whatever I can do to help."

Naru didn't acknowledge her response. All he said was, "Don't hesitate to call me if you need anything."

And with that, Naru walked away without leaving Mai any room to speak. It was just like Naru to have to have the last word.

Being alone in the apartment was odd, but it was a feeling Mai was used to. Readjusting after a case was always a weird transition. Dinner alone after her well-plotted and successful trip to the zoo was especially impactful, considering how much she loved the company of her friends. She couldn't help but second guess whether her friends had fun, or if they found her insistence on the excursion annoying.

Going to bed that night, she wondered if she'd have a dream. She should have known better than to wonder. Strangely enough, when she materialized in the dream realm, it appeared that Gene was not expecting her.

Gene had his back turned to her. He was standing a ways away in the distance, arms folded. From what Mai could see of his face, he looked pensive. Troubled. Brow creased, lips pulled into a tight, thin line. She walked up behind him.

"Gene?"

The ghost's aura flared out from his body. Mai realized that she had made him do the phantom equivalent of a startled jump. He turned to her and stared at her. Was this going to be one of those silent nights?

"What's wrong?" Mai asked.

Gene shook his head. He offered her a small smile, but he couldn't mask the troubled look in his eyes. He didn't stay facing her for long. He turned around rather quickly, staring out into the void. Mai squinted and shaded her eyes, trying to see what he was seeing. She came up empty. It quickly became clear to her that she wouldn't be getting a straight answer out of him tonight, so she turned around to walk away. Where she would be walking to in the spirit realm was unclear.

"Go back to your body and try to get some rest."

Mai turned around. Gene still wasn't facing her, but she was sure that was him speaking. His voice echoed all around her, like a movie theater.

"I'm sleeping right now," Mai countered.

Gene stayed quiet.

"What are you doing?"

"Standing watch."

Mai frowned. "Standing watch?"

Gene didn't reply at first. Mai wished he would at least tell her if she was in some sort of danger. With no instruction other than to get some rest, Mai decided to plop down next to Gene. She sat beside his legs. When the spirit did not join her, she patted the ground. This had no effect on Gene, and he remained standing, like a guard at his post.

"I thought I would be angrier."

Gene stayed quiet, but Mai saw his head tilt in her direction.

"About Weiguó," she clarified. She paused for a second. "I'm not explaining this well. I thought I'd be angrier at Naru for forcing Weiguó out. At forcing me to make a choice. I still don't like what he did. I'm not some child. I've been on this team for how long? And it's like I still have to prove myself every time I contribute to a decision."

Beside her, Gene sighed. He didn't say anything to her, but she knew what he must have been thinking. Despite being on the team since its founding, she was indeed the least experienced spiritualist, and second least experienced member, if Yasu was included in the roster. It wasn't like Naru was going to let her guide the team's decisions on vibes alone, especially when limbs and lives were on the line.

A hand touched her shoulder. "He can be rude, but I have never known him to be cruel."

Mai blinked. What did that have to do with anything? Before her eyes, visions began to flash through her head. Naru, holding up a hitogata to the wretched well-dwelling ghost, reuniting her with her child. The room full of substitutes, absorbing the curse that was originally supposed to be returned to the ignorant students. Mounting a rescue mission for Masako in a labyrinth with a prowling, ghoulish minotaur, when by all logic, Masako was a lost cause. As the last vision ended, Mai realized what Gene was trying to convey. The team's experience let them conduct the safest and most compassionate conduct when on their cases. Naru could have exorcised the well-woman, he could have let the students taste their just desserts, and he could have left Masako for dead, but he didn't. Was Gene trying to argue that what Naru did was the compassionate route?

"Tell me truthfully, Mai. If you thought my brother was truly unkind, would you still be working with him?"

"No, of course not," Mai said. "But that doesn't mean I can't be angry at him."

"Are you?"

"I don't know. And that's what I don't like."

Gene took his hand away. He took a step away from her, still facing out toward the blank void.

The dream broke. Mai woke up. It was still dark. Did… did Gene just send her out of her own dream-space? She shook her head and turned over. She wasn't particularly distressed, so she decided it was in her best interest to just get back to sleep.

But why ever would Gene think that forcing the spirit out against Mai's wishes was the compassionate thing to do? Maybe it was detrimental to her in the short term, like fostering a particularly rambunctious dog, but it certainly wouldn't be forever. Just until Mai could fulfill her promise.

Her conversation with Lin came to mind. What if that took years? What if trying to contact this Mei Lin person would prove dangerous to everyone involved? Mai, Mei, the JSPR, Lin's family, they could all be implicated should communication go sideways or if a third party got involved somehow. Mai could have been waiting years with a parasite on her spirit. She could see the logic of removing Weiguó, but why did Naru have to protest when Lin presented the hitogata? Even though she didn't see the effect that the hitogata had on Weiguó, she chose to believe that the hitogata provided some comfort. Lin had later confirmed that this was so. So why did Gene think Naru was being compassionate? Or… or was Gene saying that it wasn't, and Naru was acting weird.

Mai yelled at the ceiling, "Gee thanks, Gene! I could've told you that myself!"

She flipped over once again, crunching the pillow over her head.

A few minutes later, she grumbled into her sheets, "Fine. I'll talk to him in the morning."

Mai arrived to the office around eight in the morning. Lin was sitting at his desk, typing away. Naru was nowhere to be seen, but Mai knew that he was just behind that closed door to his office. Mission on her mind, she began to make a beeline to the office. She ground to a halt a few feet away from the door. She turned to Lin, who stopped typing as soon as her eyes fell on him. He stared at her, waiting for her to speak.

Mai opened her mouth. In a hushed voice, she asked, "Is Naru all right?"

That piqued Lin's interest. He turned his body away from the computer and stared at her. "Did you have a dream?" His voice was quiet to match hers.

"Sort of. I don't think anything's wrong, wrong. Just that… things aren't all right."

Lin gave her a pointed look. She shook her head, realizing how obtuse she sounded.

"Naru and I talked last night."

Mai's eyes widened.

"Believe it or not, we do speak to each other. It's easier to do when we don't have company over, my shiki not included. Please believe me when I say that we meant no offense, returning you to your apartment."

"What did you two talk about? I mean… did it help?"

"You'll have to be the judge of that yourself," Lin said. Mai picked up on his non-verbal cue to stop prying.

"It'd be okay to ask him if he's doing all right, right?"

Lin didn't answer. He turned away with a look of, I tried, and resumed typing. Mai thought about going into the office and straight out asking her burning questions, but then she had the brilliant idea of making tea first. Like a peace offering. Yes, she would do that.

"I'm going to make tea. Want some?" Mai asked.

"No, thank you," Lin replied.

Mai strode into the kitchen and began to boil the water. As she waited, she pulled out her phone, scrolling through the news. To her surprise, she saw a bit about the Eastern Police station getting ready to make a statement, but on what? She could probably guess. Tapping on the link provided only the barest of information—the time of the conference, later this morning around eleven, and the subject, which was about the video of the tengu that wrecked the station. The kettle boiled, and she prepared the tea.

That's when the bell jingled, signaling the opening of the door. Lin's typing stopped. Mai peered around the corner. A quick jolt of fear shot through her as she recalled the last time a client came in through that door. Memories of her horrible visions flickered in her mind, but she knew they were just that: memories. She dismissed her thoughts with a shake of her head, focusing on the person who just walked in.

"Hello Ms. Hara," said Lin. His expression was more surprised than warm.

"Good morning," said Masako. She glanced up at the clock. Mai followed her gaze. Eight twenty.

"What's up, Masako?" asked Mai. "Came here to talk to the boss man?"

"I'm here for you, actually," said the medium.

Mai furrowed her brow. Then she remembered her dream last night. "Oh, for my medium training? Would you like some tea before we start?"

Masako shook her head. "I'd rather we get started while you are most alert. Now come with me."

"Where are we going?"

"In order to do this training, we must go where there are few interruptions."

Mai tilted her head. "Oh. You mean so that I can better sense the spirits around me?"

Masako's eyes lit up. "Yes, precisely. Shall we?"

"I just need to check with Naru," said Mai.

Naru opened the door. "I specifically asked her to come at her earliest convenience. I suppose today is just as good as any other day. Lin and I can handle the office work."

Mai gave a playful salute. "Gotcha, Naru. Thanks." She turned around and followed Masako, noticing out the corner of her eye that Naru was making a beeline for the two cups of tea that she had made. He hadn't even asked if it was for him. Typical Naru. Though she supposed it was good that she happened to make it anyway, as Naru would have almost certainly told her to make some before she and Masako left.

Before they fully exited, Masako turned around again. "Lin, I would ask that you not have your shiki follow us. It would cause signal interference at this stage of her training."

Lin frowned at the request, but nevertheless, he nodded. With that, Masako led Mai out of the building. Once the two were gone, Lin glanced toward Naru, trying to get a read on the boy's stance. Lin had made it clear time and time again that he was no medium; he was a summoner. He knew the basics of what went into having senses on the spiritual plane, so such a request from Masako Hara was at least plausible. He just couldn't shake the feeling that she had unfairly accused him.

"You can be rather overprotective," Naru said, for he had caught onto Lin's line of thinking quite easily. They had been longtime friends after all.

"I'm not sure. She specifically told me not to follow them."

"If you're worried, call her. You have both of their numbers."

Lin sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He had a weird feeling about this that he couldn't shake. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to have one of his shiki perform a touch-and-go. This was the perfect job for the newest member of the team, Moss. It felt inappropriate to name the new Wood shiki Wood, so soon after the demise of his previous one. So he went with the next most obvious thing: the mossy appearance of the ghostly kakapo's feathers. He released the feathered blob on the mission to track at a distance. The little spirit flew off, making a shrill shrieking noise that Lin hadn't expected to come from the little owl-faced parrot. His slight wince was all Naru needed to figure out what he had done.

Naru folded his arms. Lin stared at him, challenging Naru to speak his mind.

Naru simply sighed. "Only alert me if there's trouble."

And with that, he returned to his office and closed the door.

Mai never thought that Masako would have done something as mundane as take a taxi. She had always thought that her small celebrity status would have at least netted her a car and a driver, but here they both were, in the back of a cab, driving toward Amnity Park, of all places.

"But why though?" Mai asked. "If you wanted no distractions, the park is like… full of them."

Masako remained stoic. "Lin's shiki would have caused too much interference."

"Wouldn't it be safer though to practice my spirit skills with spirits that we know are safe?"

"Which one of us is the teacher here?" Masako asked.

Mai pouted.

"Here is fine," said Masako. The cab stopped close to the Anmity Park sign. Both women got out, just as soon as Masako paid the fare.

"Now what?" asked Mai.

Masako didn't answer. She just began to walk, which Mai also found strange. The kimono-clad woman wasn't remotely dressed for a stroll in the park. Still, Mai followed. "What kind of training is this going to be?"

"You'll see," said Masako, not slowing down in the slightest.

"You're being awfully cryptic. Are you trying to channel Naru just to screw with me?"

Masako remained quiet. As they walked, Mai wondered if the training had already begun, and Masako hadn't told her, like a screening test or something. Maybe she should be focusing away from Masako, to the spiritual plane. Only a few minutes had passed before Mai caught sight of a scarily familiar highway, with a scarily familiar woods on the other side. Her mouth fell open, and she rounded on Masako.

"We're going there!? Are you crazy?"

"Where better to sense spirits than the place where you know spirits will be?" asked Masako. Something about the timbre of her voice changed, becoming higher and tinny. Nasally. Mocking. Then the woman began to sway on her feet.

"Are… Masako, are you okay?" Mai asked, chancing a step forward.

And then Masako fainted. Her body fell slowly, as though through molasses. Mai lunged forward, catching the medium. She wasn't strong enough to prevent her fall, only cushion it. She sat, kneeling, with Masako's head in her lap. Masako reached up to Mai's shoulder, gripping it with a strength greater than Mai realized the medium had. And then Mai noticed Masako's eyes. Her eyes were tinted purple. Mai's own eyes widened. Masako was possessed.

"You really made this all too easy," said the spirit.

"Who are you!?" Mai barked.

Masako put her hand over Mai's face, fingers stretching and gripping into her head. "Sleeeeeeeeeeep…"

Mai's consciousness fell.

A small spirit floated high above the park. It had followed two humans here on its master's orders. It had seen the whole thing. The woman in blue had fainted, and the brown-haired girl caught her. A malicious entity passed from the blue-clad girl to the brown-haired one. Both figures suddenly looked up, their heads and bodies in sync. The spirit realized with a squawk that they were staring at it. The brown-haired girl raised a single finger in its direction. A jolt of pain sizzled through the spirit's form, as did the command to return to your master, and bring him here. The spirit had no choice but to obey.

Lin seized as an electric jolt surged through him.

"Naru!" he shouted, as soon as he had control over his body again.

Naru burst out of the office.

"My shiki was attacked."

"What do you mean?"

Lin paused, listening. "It tells me that Miss Hara was possessed, and she transferred her possession to Mai. They're in danger."

Naru was already grabbing his keys and coat. "Where are they?"

"Amnity Park, going toward the woods."

At that, Naru stopped. He turned to Lin, a worried expression on his face. "You don't think…"

"I do."

"I'll call Monk and John. We'll take the van."

Nodding, Lin quickly saved his work, got up, and led the way to the parking lot. They traveled as fast as they could, flooring it through every yellow light. They just barely avoided drawing attention as they traveled. It was to Lin's confusion that when they approached the woeful wood that he did not feel the all-encompassing terror that had plagued him ever since he first laid eyes on it. Was it because they had emptied Site 387 of its ghouls? Or was the woods' target merely redirected?

"What do you feel when you look into the woods?" Lin asked his three shiki, now all in serpentine forms.

Moss glanced quizzically at Water, and then over to Earth. The brownie had wound up rejoining Lin after Lin and Naru had their chat the previous night. It must have finally found what it was looking for in Lin.

"The woods are thinner than they were," said Water. "The malice is not gone, but there are fewer agents there to carry it out."

Lin nodded. There was also still the matter of the trees. The ones around the chimney were still crammed full of spirits that had to be set free. The rest of the trees served as tombs for the tree spirits that were not fortunate enough to die before Site 387. It would be nice to free those spirits as well.

He began to formulate a plan, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he'd need to see the trees up close to get an accurate assessment of what he'd need to do. For now, the priority was Mai and Masako.

As they neared Amnity Park, Lin spoke. "You know this is most likely a trap, right?"

"I do," said Naru. "Do you think he'll attack us outright, or will he be sly?"

"I don't know. We can't afford to underestimate him."

"Any ideas on the approach?"

"Scout first."

"And then?"

"There is something I can do, but it is risky."

"What is it?"

"I can summon Fusei's spirit to our position, rather than us going to him. We know his date of death and his name."

Naru turned, craning his neck to peek into the back of the van. "You don't have your ceremonial sword."

Lin shook his head. "Not that kind of summoning. An unbound summoning. If he's still within these woods, he should be compelled to come to us."

"And he'd be pulled out of Mai and Miss Hara?"

"No. He'd be unbound. It would be a summoning with no conditions on his part, other than to arrive."

Naru lowered his head, parsing through the scenarios in his rapid fire way. "That would require you to take him on."

Lin didn't answer. That conclusion was obvious from the start.

Naru clenched his fists. "Even if we found them on our own, we would still be in the same position." Fighting Fusei alone. He shook his head. "Surely that wasn't your plan, to defeat him with force alone."

"Of course not. I brought a sealing safe," said Lin. "If we can subdue him for long enough, I can seal him inside it." It was a classic evil spirit sealed in a can type of deal. "Seals like this are not meant to be used for the long term. More permanent solutions would have required more preparation time."

"What difference does it make if we go to him or if he comes to us?"

"There may be traps if we go to him," said Lin. "If we drag him to us, we fight on even terms."

"Do you feel like you can handle him?"

Lin silently checked in with his shiki. Water and Earth were seasoned soldiers. Wood was newly acquired and thus not trained in any capacity. If he had all five shiki, he'd be able to say yes with confidence. Then again, the two spirits that were his former allies were still in the woods. There was a chance that if he summoned Fusei now, those two spirits would come to his aid. Whether they'd be motivated by friendship or revenge, or even if they would be motivated at all to help him, was up in the air.

"Last time we fought him, we only just managed to scare him off. We might consider utilizing the element of surprise."

Naru paused. Then he nodded, trying to parse out Lin's thought process. "A trap then?" he asked. "What kind of trap can we devise in so little time?"

Lin pulled the van over by the woods, and then even into the shrubbery, just so that it didn't stick out to the average driver. He and Naru grabbed their go-bags and exited the van. Lin put a hand to his mouth. He whistled, sending his shiki in all three directions, directing them to report to him if they found anything. They flashed white, letting Naru see them as they flew off. He sent a silent prayer to every god he didn't believe in that the two girls weren't back inside the underground prison. That done, he pulled out his phone.

[What's your ETA?]

The reply came from John. [15 min]

Lin reported the information to Naru.

"So now what? We sit here and wait?"

"For my shiki to return with news."

Naru held Lin's gaze. Then he turned away. "How long will we make them wait?"

Lin glanced quizzically at Naru.

"I was forced to make you wait. I will not be forced like that again," Naru said.

It took a second, but Lin eventually realized what Naru was talking about. He put two hands on Naru's shoulders, making sure the boy was listening as he spoke. "You got me out. You put their backs to the wall by forcing an ultimatum."

"Well clearly it wasn't good enough. They were supposed to return you right away! They kept you all night. They tortured you all night and I made you wait!"

A warm breeze whipped both of their bodies. Naru's PK was reacting to his volatile emotions. Keeping his own worry at bay, Lin pressed forward.

"You did not fail. If you had failed, I would still be there. My shiki are searching right now. When they find them—when, not if," he paused, making sure Naru was looking at him. "We will save them."

Naru folded his arms. He was about to say something else when,

"Hey! Who's over there!?"

Lin jumped. The voice had come over a speaker from a police car. Both he and Naru turned toward the source. The car pulled over. Lin braced himself for an interaction when out stepped Hattori.

Naru's eyes widened. "You!"

Hattori, too, seemed startled by their presence. "What are you doing here?"

"Our colleagues have been possessed and abducted, likely by Fusei," said Lin. "If we can locate them, we can destroy Fusei once and for all."

Hattori's gaze darkened. Then he gestured. "Lead on."

A spark of electricity burst in front of Hattori, causing the cop to jump back. Lin glanced in Naru's direction, recognizing the volatile nature of his PK.

"Naru," he cautioned.

Naru ignored Lin. "You have no right to talk to us, let alone invite yourself into our mission."

Hattori didn't answer. Naru didn't wait. He sent a glance toward Lin and then whirled around toward the forest. Both of the older men followed him in. Naru craned his neck back and forth, navigating through the cursed woods.

"Naru, stop for just one moment!" Lin barked, lunging forward and finally catching the boy.

"Lin, let go!" Naru snapped, muscles tensing. Lin recognized half of a self-defense stance that he had taught Naru. Was Naru really preparing to fight his way away from Lin?

"Noll, breathe. Nothing will be gained by running blindly into the woods. My—"

Lin stopped talking as he heard Hattori catch up to them.

"You haven't gotten us lost, have you?" the cop asked.

Lin rounded on the officer. "Wait over there," he commanded, pointing off in the distance. He needed a word with his charge, privately. Hattori sent Lin a look that he couldn't quite parse out, but he relented and left the two ghost hunters in peace.

Satisfied that the policeman was far enough away, Lin turned his attention back to the quickly unravelling Naru.

"As I was saying, my shiki came back. Just now. They have been unable to locate Mai, Miss Hara, or any sign of Fusei."

"How can that be?"

Lin shook his head. "What they did find were my two former shiki. They are waiting at the exact middle of the woods."

Naru stepped back with a defiant shake of his head. "No. I'm sorry, Lin. Your shiki can wait. I need to—" He paused. His eyes widened. He lashed out, slamming both palms into Lin's chest, shoving him several feet back. Eyes murderous, he hissed, "Did you bring me out here just to recover your two missing shiki!?"

Lin stared back, stunned. "I did no such thing!" he said. "I would never lie about this kind of situation! Who do you take me for?"

Some semblance of sense seemed to return to Naru. He blinked. Staggered back. "Shit, Lin, I'm sorry."

Lin folded his arms. "Losing your temper doesn't suit you."

Naru turned his head away, eyes still wide. Lin suspected the boy was feeling something akin to shock. Lin closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. It wouldn't do to lose his own temper after lecturing Naru about such matters.

Naru took a deep breath. "How long?" he asked.

Lin pulled out his phone. It was seven minutes since he had texted Monk and John. "Eight minutes," he said.

"Are you ready?"

Lin nodded. He pocketed his phone and put down his backpack. He rummaged around inside it, pulling out a pen and some paper. Behind him, he heard the footfalls of Hattori, as the man walked up to his side. The cop was awfully nosy when he wasn't aiding figurative and now literal monsters. Lin ignored Hattori and instead began to write Fusei's information on the paper. Once he was finished, he folded up the paper in his right hand, creating a long rod that he gripped from one end.

To his shiki, he said, "Are you ready?"

"Ready!" said Water.

"Aye, sir," said Earth.

"I'm good if you're good," said Moss.

With the slightest incline of his head, Moss sped away from Lin, toward the road. The other two drew in close, wrapping themselves around Lin's arms. Lin paused when he felt the strange set of eyes on him. Turning to his right, he saw that Hattori was now looming over him, neck craned over Lin's blind side. "Can I help you?"

Hattori shook his head. "Just watching."

Lin stood up, forcing Hattori to stand back due to their height differences. He hoped his stature was enough to cue the cop in about boundaries. Only when Hattori took a step backwards did Lin turn to Naru.

"I'm ready to begin."

"Begin what?" Hattori asked.

Lin gave his head a tiny shake, blatantly denying Hattori an answer. A flicker of anger sparked in the officer's eyes.

At Naru's nod, Lin put down the rod of paper he was holding in his other hand. He planted it in the ground, letting it stick up like an incense burner, which was essentially what it was going to become. Lin fished out a lighter from his pocket and set paper on fire. As it burned, Lin whistled. The fire ate through the paper, its color changed from orange to yellow to a flicker of purple. The smoke still hovered in the air. It rose and twirled around. And then it vanished.

The team stood frozen for many seconds, bracing themselves for the sudden appearance of their foe. When nothing happened, they began to break rank, looking around, confused.

"Was that it?" Hattori asked, voice nearly a whisper.

Lin didn't answer, but his silence spoke volumes.

Naru craned his neck, looking around. "Where is he? Did it not work?"

The group went silent as they continued to look around.

"Maybe he's out of range." suggested Naru.

"He could be. If he's not in the woods."

Behind the two SPR members, Hattori raised his gun. It was because Hattori was behind both of them that nobody saw his eyes flash purple as he drew his service weapon. His expression turned bloodthirsty and depraved, and he aimed his gun at Naru. But when he fired, all that came out was a click. A stunned look on his face, Hattori stared at his gun. Clearly, this was not the outcome he was hoping for.

Lin and Naru whirled around, facing the cop who was aiming his gun at them. At that moment, Naru realized two things: Hattori was possessed and had been probably this whole time, and it was more than likely that Hattori left his gun unloaded on purpose for this exact scenario. They had failed to take Fusei by surprise, and now they were in the crosshairs of an ambush. It was only thanks to Hattori that they had a fighting chance. The only question that remained now was that, if Fusei was here, then what had become of Mai and Masako?