The dreary drizzle continued to fall, soaking the umbrella-less Heiji Hattori to the bone.
Inspector Otaki tried to console him: "Don't be sad, Heiji. I think the Superintendent was just angry because two people died right in front of the Police Headquarters. You just happened to be in his line of fire!"
Ginshiro Toyama also chimed in: "Heiji, your father just doesn't want you wading into these muddy waters. Thirteen years ago, aside from the charred body case, there were several robbery-homicides. The killer was never caught."
"The Superintendent believes all these cases are the work of the same killer. He doesn't want you in danger, so he played the bad cop to make you leave!"
Heiji stood up with a cold sneer.
"Heh. I didn't expect my old man to be scheming like that. But the more he forbids me, the more I'm going to do it. I'm going to catch the killer right in front of his face!"
Heiji's eyes shone brightly, completely ignoring the rain soaking his clothes.
Otaki frowned. "But Heiji, you keep saying there's a killer, but it looks like suicide no matter how I see it!"
Just then, a forensics officer spoke up: "Inspector, we found a similar ceramic shard in Miss Katagiri's pocket, along with this photo."
"Oh? Is that so!" Otaki moved closer.
Heiji and the others gathered around. The shard matched the one from the previous charred body, belonging to the same period. But the photo shocked them all!
The photo showed five people. An old man in the center was unrolling a scroll—the Scroll of the Dragon found on Kato earlier. Standing beside him were four people, two of whom were the victims, Yuji Kato and Maho Katagiri!
Heiji grinned. "Inspector Otaki, do you still think it's suicide? Their deaths are definitely connected to the Golden King's treasure."
"And Inspector, lift the cloth on the female corpse. There's a bloodstain on her chest."
Otaki lifted the cloth and indeed found an oddly shaped bloodstain on her chest.
"How could hitting the back of her head on a bridge pier cause a bloodstain on her chest? The victim must have attacked the killer from behind, gotten blood on them, and then transferred it to her own clothes when the killer picked her up."
"Although I don't know the killer's method yet, they must be among those people."
Heiji cast a cold glance at the isolated tour group members in the distance.
The long-chinned man, the narrow-eyed man, and the bald old man.
He snatched the photo and walked toward the three of them: "Excuse me, what were you doing between the time you left and when you came back?"
The bald old man, Arioto Kasuya, replied, "Me? I went to a restaurant alone for a quick meal."
The narrow-eyed man, Shigehiko Wakisaka, also claimed he ate alone.
Conversely, Toshiaki Fukushima let out a long sigh.
"If I had known this would happen to Miss Katagiri, I would have just stayed with her. But we split up when we got back to the hotel. After I changed clothes, I crossed the bridge and saw her burning to death."
"I think she must have seen Kato commit suicide and was overcome with emotion, choosing to end her life the same way!"
Fukushima looked regretful, but his story sounded the most suspicious.
Heiji showed the photo to the group and asked, "This photo is quite old. Yuji Kato and Maho Katagiri are both in it. I want to ask, do you recognize the other three people?"
"This timid fat man, the arrogant big guy next to him, and the old man opening the Scroll of the Dragon in the middle—do you know them?"
Upon seeing the photo, the three men looked surprised.
"Isn't that Hirano-kun?"
Meanwhile, in the milk hot spring, undercurrents surged within the milky white pool, as if a storm were brewing beneath the surface.
The "Sichuan Road" was muddy and difficult to traverse, but Yuu Hoshimiya was strong enough not only to walk it continuously but to enjoy the journey.
On the other side, an "iron-stroking master" was working tirelessly.
A bright smile seemed to touch the girl's beautiful face; she could feel she was about to succeed, enduring the soreness and heat in her body as she continued her efforts!
Back at the Gokuraku Bridge, everyone looked uncertain.
The bald old man, Kasuya, told Heiji: "Hirano-kun is the organizer of our Sengoku Tour. We all met online, and he proposed this trip."
The long-chinned Fukushima added: "Even the roleplaying game was his idea, but he didn't show up as promised."
Organized a murder tour but didn't show up himself? That's way too suspicious!
Heiji muttered to himself.
The narrow-eyed Wakisaka nodded, agreeing with the bald man.
"But it's strange. Kato and Katagiri clearly knew each other, so why did they pretend not to in front of us?"
Fukushima sighed.
"Who knows? Maybe they planned a joint suicide. You can't understand the minds of suicidal people!"
At that moment, Otaki, who had quietly finished a call with Ginshiro Toyama, approached.
Kasuya, one of the three suspects, asked: "Officer, the rain is getting heavier. Was Miss Katagiri's death a suicide too?"
Otaki replied: "We can't conclude that yet, but there is a high probability it was suicide."
Kasuya said: "Then we should be free to go, right? If this Hirano guy really planned this suicide tour, I need to have a serious talk with him."
With that, the old man was the first to leave the bridge. Fukushima followed closely behind.
"I thought this would be a nice trip. didn't expect to run into such awful things."
Wakisaka followed as well.
"If you want to find Hirano, just search for the 'Golden King' webpage. He's the owner."
Watching the three suspects leave, Heiji looked helpless. He hadn't found the killer, nor had he solved the mystery of Miss Katagiri's death.
The dark-skinned boy stood motionless in the rain curtain.
After a long time, he muttered to himself.
"The bloodstain found on Miss Katagiri's body was clearly half of a zipper print. But none of those three were wearing clothes with zippers. What is going on? Is the Hirano in the photo the mastermind behind everything?"
"No. The killer is among those three. And they must have been wearing clothes with a zipper during the crime. But why wear zippered clothes?"
Seeing the green zippered windbreaker on the corpse, he suddenly realized the truth, a gleam flashing in his eyes.
A smile broke across the boy's face, revealing dazzling white teeth.
"I knew it! It clearly defies logic. Why would someone setting themselves on fire jump into the river to save themselves? And this bridge is at least seven or eight meters above the water. In diving competitions, a jump from that height puts you at least a meter or two underwater. How could a submerged body keep burning?"
"So the killer wore the green windbreaker and pretended to be Miss Katagiri jumping down! First, they attacked her from behind when they met, getting blood on themselves when they picked her up—hence the zipper print."
"Then they threw the dead body down, doused it in gasoline, and poured a little gasoline on their own coat. Then they waited quietly on the bridge for someone to pass."
"When Mr. Fukushima passed by, the killer lit their own windbreaker, acted like they were struggling, and threw the lighter onto Miss Katagiri's body below, igniting it."
"Then they jumped into the river to extinguish the flames on themselves. After that, they just had to swim underwater to the bank and climb out. Anyone approaching would naturally assume the burning body in the river was the person who self-immolated on the bridge."
The officer assigned to look after the "Young Master" listened in awe, instinctively adding: "But in that case, aside from Mr. Fukushima, either of the other two could have used this method!"
At this point, Heiji finally accepted the umbrella offered by the officer.
"No. The killer actually told us who he was with the first victim."
But he didn't reveal the answer immediately. Instead, he ran into the rain with a look of excitement.
Forget the earlier deductions; once he found the evidence, he had to make a big show of it in front of everyone—especially that fierce old man of his!
The boy's thoughts were pure: he wanted to prove himself, to show off.
Romance, safety, justice for the dead—all of that had to take a backseat for a moment.
Inspector Otaki stared blankly at the departing Heiji, unsure whether to report the deduction first or chase after him for protection.
In the hot spring bath, Yuu felt like he was about to explode.
Tightness, an unparalleled wondrous sensation, lingered at his fingertips, a unique thrill rising spontaneously.
Especially when his left hand, amidst the softness, reached a mysterious location, Yuu could barely endure the stimulation.
To his right sat Kazuha, and to his left sat Ran.
Kazuha's breathing grew heavier and rougher, unable to calm down, enticing like a wild cat in heat.
The commotion could no longer be hidden; the so-called "secret thrill" existed in name only.
But all three tacitly chose not to break the facade, continuing to enjoy the thrill and pleasure of their "affair."
Special playstyles did bring different experiences. The physical pleasure might be similar, but the psychological excitement was infinitely amplified.
Right there in the milky white hot spring water, three dazzling fireworks bloomed simultaneously!
All three bodies couldn't stop trembling and shuddering.
Fortunately, the milk hot spring was opaque white; even if strange fluids were mixed in, they wouldn't be seen, and the scent masked any odors.
With some of the fire vented, Yuu finally had the mind to appreciate the hot spring benefits of the two beautiful girls.
At this moment, Ran and Kazuha's faces were filled with lazy intoxication, exuding an astonishing allure.
Clearly, the two beauties were still immersed in the afterglow, unable to extricate themselves for a long time.
After a while, Kazuha came back to her senses. She wrapped herself in the white towel again and said: "This bath was so comfortable. Since we've soaked for so long, Ran, let's scrub each other's backs!"
Ran's face was still flushed, her eyes misty, seemingly not hearing Kazuha's voice.
Because she could feel the hot, large hand underwater still kneading her buttock.
"Ran! Ran!"
Hearing Kazuha's repeated calls, Ran finally snapped out of it, saying shyly: "Kazuha, what is it? I was just thinking about something!"
Both girls knew exactly what was going on, but they were a bit embarrassed in front of Yuu.
Kazuha's pretty face turned slightly red, and a mischievous smile appeared on her lips, but she quickly suppressed it.
If they really started teasing each other, Ran would definitely retaliate, and they would be the ones losing face. The only one benefitting would be Yuu, watching the show.
"I said, let's scrub each other's backs!"
Ran rolled her eyes at the still-mischievous Yuu, stood up, and went to Kazuha.
The hot spring water was opaque, and with the steam, visibility was low from a distance.
Even if it were transparent, the two girls wouldn't care if Yuu watched.
Although Yuu wanted to join in, he knew if he went over, it wouldn't be a simple back scrub. At the very least, it would turn into a "thorough internal cleaning."
But sometimes, human will is weaker than imagined, especially without restrictions.
Knowing he could do whatever he wanted if he went over—one dragon and two phoenixes, mandarin ducks playing in the water—Yuu soon lost his patience.
Barely waiting for the girls to finish scrubbing, he impatiently moved behind Kazuha and pulled her into his arms.
His positioning was precise against her smooth little butt, making Yuu squint in comfort.
Suddenly filled, Kazuha cried out in surprise, but it quickly turned into a lustful moan.
Ran couldn't see what was happening underwater, but looking at their postures, movements, and expressions, she realized instantly.
Glancing around to ensure no one else was there, she didn't stop him like she did with Sonoko. Instead, she looked forward to her turn.
Yuu's ability was unquestionable, and his desire was fierce; taking turns was inevitable, a fact beyond doubt.
Yuu's left hand gently stroked Kazuha's soft, flat stomach as he whispered in her ear: "Kazuha, get ready. I'm going to start moving."
Yuu could no longer control his desire. He secured Kazuha's body, then held her slender waist with both hands and pressed down while thrusting his hips up...
The remaining half of the "cleansing stick" suddenly drove all the way into Kazuha, beginning to help the girl clean places her fingers couldn't reach.
Kazuha felt Yuu's hard dragon penetrate to the depths with irresistible force, letting out a sigh that was both satisfied and a bit uncomfortable.
But as Yuu used the hot, hard cleansing stick to continuously scrub her body, it gradually turned into her usual lustful moans.
In the steamy hot spring, Ran also found herself unable to control her body, her washing motions becoming a bit improper.
Kazuha maintained almost the same expression throughout: mouth slightly open, pale green eyes staring into the distance, pupils contracting repeatedly.
Her two small hands tightly gripped Yuu's left hand protecting her abdomen, her body trembling in a unique rhythm.
The girl's face was completely red, her eyes filled with water, but she still tried to control herself, trying not to shout too loud.
The bathhouse was very empty. If she really screamed, aside from the risk of being heard, the echo alone would make her die of shame.
Thus, her parted lips soon pressed tight, daring not to open again, but her breathing was uncontrollable, rapid and heavy.
While Yuu had a light smile on his face, his dark red pupils burned with a raging fire.
Yuu's left hand clamped Kazuha in place, preventing her from moving.
But his right hand hid underwater, quietly exploring the body on his right, grabbing that soft, heavy location!
Sensing the hot hand, Ran's face blushed. She arched her back, proactively moving closer to Kazuha to make it easier for Yuu to caress her.
And to better relieve her own restless body.
Regardless of the storm underwater, the surface remained calm.
Relying on his super muscle control, Yuu unleashed maximum energy with minimal movement.
Just like that, the warm hot spring pool returned to tranquility.
Only the rising steam continued to drift!
Time passed slowly. Kazuha's breathing grew more rapid, and finally, biting her lip with a soft hum, she went limp.
Yuu gently leaned her against the pool edge, then pulled the already bewildered Ran into his arms to take over.
Whether it was the milk or the girl's abundant fluids, even though it couldn't be seen, their union was incredibly smooth.
Accompanied by a dual sigh from man and woman, Ran began to enjoy Yuu's meticulous scrubbing.
Inside and out, not missing a single inch of tender flesh!
Yuu, laboring with heart and soul, enjoyed it thoroughly.
While scrubbing, he enjoyed triple stimulation.
Extreme tightness, extreme softness, extreme smoothness.
The ultimate experience brought by these sensations made it impossible for him to last too long, nor did he want to.
The process was beautiful, but the result was the best part.
With ample ammunition, sufficient stamina, and no worries about his body, soaring to the clouds with beautiful girls was the ultimate experience of total physical and mental satisfaction.
His hot hand gripped the soft mounds fiercely, leaving red marks.
Smooth, shapely calves brushed past him occasionally; such stimulation was irresistible even for a god!
As for Ran, her mouth was wide open, drool occasionally dripping from the corner of her lips. She let out unconscious, heavy gasps, her violet eyes completely vacant, her head covered in sweat; her soul had long since left her body.
Under the triple stimulation, Yuu couldn't help but relax his mind.
Like a volcanic eruption, a stream of scalding magma shot out violently. The hot lava caused the girl to contract and clamp down in waves, spurting large amounts of transparent fluid from her tender pink depths.
With a shudder of the soul, Ran's spirit finally returned to her body.
Only then did she realize Yuu had finished the scrub.
Yuu looked at Ran with pity, leaning over to kiss her sweat-dampened forehead.
Soaking in a hot spring for too long causes dizziness; adding strenuous exercise makes it even harder to bear.
Fortunately, both Ran and Kazuha had excellent constitutions, plus the benefits of dual cultivation, which kept them from passing out in the spring.
But continuing further was unlikely.
Seeing Yuu's expression, the corners of Ran's mouth lifted slightly, her cute face coming alive: "I'm fine, Brother Yuu!"
She struggled to turn around, resting her small head on Yuu's chest, feeling incredibly secure.
However, the aura of exhaustion radiating from her was impossible to hide.
Kazuha spoke up: "Teacher Hoshimiya, Ran, let's end the bath here for today. Let's go back!"
Yuu and Ran naturally had no objections.
Ran stood up first and ran to the shower to wash.
If she didn't go now, she might not be able to later.
Because the cleansing stick that had just completed its mission was raising its head inside her again!
In fact, if not for the girls' health, Yuu would have needed at least two more rounds.
Compared to the unrestrained ravaging of the mature Shizuka last night, Ran and Kazuha combined weren't as satisfying.
It couldn't be helped; Yuu could be rough with Shizuka, but he couldn't do that to Ran and Kazuha.
Even if the girls were willing, he didn't want to treat them so roughly.
Unless... the girls liked being treated roughly.
In short, "M".