Kenji slammed his hands on the table, making the therapist, Belladonna, jump. "Stop fucking with me, Bella! Tell me what the goddamn code says right now, or I swear I'll tear this fucking library apart brick by brick! I don't have time for your goddamn games!" He was a bundle of raw nerves, the image of Leo's body and Tobey's terrified face burned into his eyelids.
Belladonna, a woman whose cute name belied her seductive, dangerous aura, simply sighed. "Patience, Kenji. The best things in life are worth waiting for." She slid a piece of paper across the table. On it, written in what looked unnervingly like fresh blood, were the words:
*I keep my cool when tempers flare,*
*The anchor in a storm of care.*
Below that, in big, bold letters that seemed to pulse with power:
*The mind holds the wisdom that outshines the sun,*
*Yet trust not the person until the race is won.*
And finally, the last line, a simple, terrifying question:
*WHO VISITS THE PLACE WHERE FORGOTTEN THINGS ARE STORED*
"That's it?" Kenji roared, snatching the paper. "That's all?! What the fuck is this bullshit? A goddamn riddle? I was expecting a name, an address, something I can use! Not a fucking poem!" He stood up, his chair clattering to the floor. "Okay… focus. 'I keep my cool when tempers flare.' Tempers flare… like a stovetop? The killer is a CHEF! He's cold-blooded because he works in a walk-in freezer! Case closed! I'm the greatest detective alive!" He started dancing a victory jig, accidentally knocking over a yellow evidence marker. He froze mid-step, his face falling into a look of deep, painful confusion. "Wait... no. The second line. 'The anchor in a storm of care.' Chefs don't use anchors. They use whisks. If I arrest the chef, the real killer is still out there, probably eating a sandwich. Think, you idiot! Use the gray matter!"
He grabbed his own head and shook it as if trying to wake up a sleeping brain. He sat on the floor, staring at the word 'STORM' for three hours. He looked like he was trying to solve the secrets of the universe. "Storm... thunder... lightning... THOR! The killer is a Norse God! He's calm because he's immortal! It's perfect! I'll head to Asgard immediately!" He stood up heroically, then stopped. He looked at his notes. He sighed, a long, whistling sound of pure stupidity. "Thor isn't an anchor. Thor is a hammer. Anchors stay still. Storms are chaotic... like a 'tense situation.' And 'keeping cool' is... being calm." The silence in the room was deafening. A single bead of sweat dripped off his nose. His eyes went wide, wider than dinner plates. He whispered it like a sacred prayer. "Oh... my... god. It's not a chef. It's not a god. The riddle is describing the suspect's personality. The killer is... THE PERSON WHO IS CALM IN A TENSE SITUATION!" He collapsed against the wall, clutching his chest as if he just ran a marathon through a library.
Kenji was very happy, but Roric and the police comrade girl, Marie, came in, and they just started discussing the case with Kenji. He wanted to tell them he decoded the morph code, but he couldn't risk the killer finding out. After they left, he was alone again. "Okay, now I have to focus on the second riddle: 'The mind holds the wisdom that outshines the sun, Yet trust not the person until the race is won.' Focus... focus. 'Outshines the sun.' The sun is in the sky. Who else is in the sky? An Astronaut! The killer is an Astronaut! They have to be smart to fly rockets, and they're 'outshining' everyone from space! Case closed! I'm a genius!" He started doing a slow-motion moonwalk across the kitchen, accidentally knocking over a mop bucket. He froze mid-glide, his face falling into a look of deep, painful confusion. "Wait... no. The second line. 'The race is won.' Astronauts don't race; they orbit. If I arrest the space program, the real killer is still out there, probably eating freeze-dried ice cream. Think, you absolute pebble! Use the gray matter!" He grabbed his own head and shook it. He sat on the floor, staring at the word 'WISDOM' for four hours. "Wisdom... old people... robes... A Judge! The killer is a Judge! They have the wisdom of the law! They're calm because they have the gavel! It's perfect! I'll head to the courthouse and make a citizen's arrest immediately!" He stood up heroically, then stopped. He let out a long, whistling sigh of pure stupidity. "Judges don't 'outshine' the sun; they wear black robes. And the 'race' isn't a track meet... it's a competition. A game of wits. Someone who is playing a long game against me." The silence in the room was deafening. A single bead of sweat dripped off his nose. His eyes went wider than dinner plates. He whispered it like a sacred prayer. "Oh... my... god. It's not an astronaut. It's not a judge. The riddle is describing an Advisor. Someone who gives you the best ideas just to lead you into a trap at the very end." He collapsed against the wall, clutching his chest. "THE SMARTEST, BUT NOT THE ONE YOU CAN TRUST!"
Kenji felt like he was on cloud nine. He needed fresh air to tackle the final line. As he roamed the town, he saw a few stray monsters, which he dispatched with ease, earning more praise from the grateful citizens. He was heading to thank Belladonna when he saw a commotion. A group of people were circling a hybrid girl, approximately twenty-five years old, who was curled up on the ground, crying.
"Look at the freak," one man sneered. "I bet her daddy was a dog and her mommy was a cow. That's why she's got those udders."
"Yeah," another chimed in. "Probably a street-walking cat for a sister, too. Filthy half-breed."
"Disgusting! People like you shouldn't be allowed in the city!"
Kenji saw red. He strode into the center of the circle. "You know, it's amazing. You're all so concerned with her parentage, but I can't help but wonder what kind of whores your mothers must have been to spawn such pathetic, cowardly pieces of shit." He grabbed the collar of the boy who'd spoken first. "And you. I remember you. I sense your mana. You're the little pickpocket who stole my money outside the hospital." The boy's face went white, and he started blubbering apologies. Kenji beat the crap out of all of them, sending them fleeing like the vermin they were. He turned to the hybrid girl, offering her his hand. She took it, her eyes wide with gratitude. "Thank you," she whispered. "My name is Fiera. Please, let me offer you some tea at my home. It's the least I can do."
As they walked, Kenji's eyes roamed over her. She wore revealing clothes that did little to hide her busty, romantic body. His lust, ever-present, began to stir. He "accidentally" brushed his hand against her large, soft breast. "Oh! I'm so sorry," he lied, "you're just… so close." Fiera blushed but said nothing, acting innocent. He grew bolder, his hand sliding down to cup her perfectly round ass as they navigated a crowded street. "Just keeping you safe," he murmured in her ear when she tensed. His fingers crept between her legs, pressing against the fabric of her shorts right over her vagina. She gasped softly, her breath hitching, but still, she played the part of the naive, grateful girl. "Sir… what are you doing?"
"Just making sure you're real," he grunted, his dick rock-hard in his pants.
When they reached her small house, she went to the kitchen to make coffee. Kenji couldn't wait any longer. He walked up behind her as she was reaching for a mug and pressed his clothed, hard dick against her soft ass, grinding it into her. She gasped, dropping the mug. "S-sir! Please!" she stammered, but her body was already melting back against him. He spun her around, and their lips crashed together in a frantic, tongue-wrestling kiss. It was a kiss of pure, unadulterated lust.
They tore at each other's clothes until they were both naked. Kenji finally got a good look at her, and his jaw dropped. She was a magnificent hybrid of five animals. From a cat, she had retractable claws and slitted, emerald green eyes that glowed with lust. From a dog, she had a fluffy, wagging tail and an almost instinctual desire to please. From a cow, she had full, heavy breasts with prominent, dark nipples that leaked a sweet, creamy fluid. From
a powerful mare, she possessed long, toned legs and a strong, athletic build. And from a sleek black panther, she had smooth, dark skin patterned with faint, invisible rosettes and a predatory grace that was utterly captivating. She was a goddess of flesh, a walking, breathing fantasy.
"I'm a teacher," she whispered, as if confessing a secret.
Kenji didn't care. He just wanted to devour her. He pushed her to her knees, and she took his massive cock in her hands. Her blowjob was a thing of legend. Her tongue, rough like a cat's, swirled around his head while her soft lips sucked him deep. "FUCK! FIERA! YOUR MOUTH… AHHHHH!" he roared, fisting her hair. She took him all the way, her throat constricting around him in a way that made his vision blur. He pulled back, needing more. He slid his dick between her enormous, slick breasts, the cow-milk providing perfect lubrication as he tit-fucked her, the head of his cock poking up to her chin. He leaned down, latching onto one of her leaking nipples and sucking hard, drawing sweet, warm milk into his mouth. It was the most decadent thing he had ever tasted.
He could feel his mana draining, but the pleasure was so goddamn amazing it was worth it. He felt weak, but his dick was harder than ever. He lay on the floor, and she took over. Fiera straddled him, her powerful thighs gripping his hips as she rubbed her soaking wet pussy and perfect ass all over his aching shaft. "YES! RUB THAT PUSSY ON MY DICK! FUCK!" Kenji groaned, grabbing her bouncing ass cheeks. She was a master of her body, using it to drive him to the brink of insanity. With a final, powerful grind, he erupted, a massive, thick load of cum shooting all over her stomach and tits. "FILL MY PUSSY WITH YOUR SEMEN! I WANT IT INSIDE ME!" she screamed, and he obliged, sliding back into her and pumping another huge load deep into her womb.
But they weren't done. He flipped her onto all fours, ready for more. He crouched low in a power squat behind her, grabbing her hips and pulling her back onto his cock as he thrust upwards. This was The Primal Press. It was raw, dominant, and hit so deep she couldn't form words. "AHHHHHH! KENJI! OH GOD! YOU'RE SO DEEP! DON'T STOP! FUCK ME HARDER!" she screamed, her panther-like claws extending and scratching the floorboards. He reached forward, wrapping a hand in her hair and arching her back, forcing her to take every single inch of his raging dick.
Next was The Full Nelson Pound. He had her sit on the edge of the bed, leaning forward. He slid in from behind and reached his arms under her armpits, clasping his hands behind her neck, trapping her in a full nelson. She was completely at his mercy. He used his grip to pull her body back onto his cock as he thrust forward, the relentless pounding making her eyes roll back in her head. "I CAN'T… I CAN'T MOVE! AHHHH! YOU'RE FUCKING ME TO DEATH! YES! YES!" she gurgled, drool pooling at the corner of her mouth. Kenji was feeling incredibly weak, his mana draining at a terrifying pace. His body was tired, but his mind was lost in lust.
He managed to awaken his dick one last time, and they moved into The Sidewinder Slam. They lay on their sides, and he slid in behind her, entering her from the spooning position. He lifted her top leg, holding it open by the thigh, which allowed him to piston his hips, slamming into her hard and fast. His other hand roamed, grabbing her tit, choking her gently, and rubbing her clit all at once. It was intimate yet raw. "FUCK… I'M CUMMING AGAIN!" Fiera screamed, her body convulsing in a final, shattering orgasm. Kenji followed, emptying the last of his reserves into her, before collapsing into a deep, exhausted sleep.
He was dead to the world. He didn't see Fiera's eyes change from lust to cold, hard purpose. She quietly retrieved a small, sharp knife from under her pillow. She loomed over him, raising the blade to strike. But as she brought it down, her arm froze mid-air. A powerful, invisible force held her in place. She fought against it, her muscles straining, but she couldn't move. She couldn't kill him. It was Kenji's hypnotizing ability, activated subconsciously in his sleep.
Kenji's eyes snapped open. He wasn't tired at all. He stood up, perfectly fine, a cold smirk on his face. A flashback flickered in his mind: during his last bout of training, he had gained an ability to store a small reserve of his aether for emergencies. He had used it to feign weakness, to draw her out.
"I know you're not a teacher," he said, his voice like ice. "So, who are you? An assassin hired by the killer?"
She refused to speak, her face a mask of defiance. Kenji wasn't a person who saw women and thought, 'I can't hurt her.' Nah, he believed in equality. He assaulted her brutally, his fists and feet a blur of motion, until she was coughing up blood and crying on the floor.
"Who. Are. You?" he demanded again.
"A prostitute princess!" she sobbed, her body broken. "I am… I was a princess of a fallen kingdom. Now I… I do what I must to survive."
"Who hired you?"
"I don't know! I swear! He didn't reveal his identity! He just paid a fortune in untraceable gems. Please don't kill me! They will kill me if I fail!"
Kenji's rage cooled, replaced by a wave of sympathy. He looked at the broken girl on the floor. "Tell me your story," he said, his voice softening. "Tell me how a princess ended up here." And as she began to speak, her voice trembling with the weight of her past, Kenji listened, the final line of the riddle echoing in his mind: *WHO VISITS THE PLACE WHERE FORGOTTEN THINGS ARE STORED.*