Outside, she cast a glance at Takumi’s butler, who stood rigidly by the car. “Not joining us, sir?” she called out with a casual edge.
The butler smiled faintly. “I’ll wait here, detective.”
Dryzza shrugged and headed into the station. Inside, she spotted Takumi seated at Zach’s desk, his posture deceptively relaxed but his eyes betraying an intensity that made her pause. Across the room, Sai was furiously dialing Zach’s number on the office phone.
“Why’d you leave him out there?” Dryzza hissed as she slipped into the chair beside Sai.
Sai glanced at her, lowering his voice. “He wasn’t saying much—just sitting there quietly. It’s unnerving.”
Dryzza’s lips curved into a sly grin. “Sounds like a golden opportunity.” Without waiting for Sai’s protest, she strolled toward Takumi.
She eased into the chair across from him, letting the silence stretch. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Takumi cut her off, his voice steady and deliberate.
“I believe I was clear about who I wanted to see, detective,” his eyes, sharp and calculating, locked onto hers.
Dryzza leaned back, unfazed, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. “Bit rude, don’t you think, doctor?” she quipped. “But let’s skip the formalities. You remember me, don’t you?”
Takumi’s gaze didn’t waver. “Your point, detective?”
Her smirk deepened. “It's simple. You and I have unfinished business, and you know exactly what I’m talking about.”
Takumi’s measured smile carried a bite of mockery as he glanced briefly at Sai, still fiddling with Zach’s contact. “I didn’t come here for an interrogation, detective,” he said smoothly, his tone as cold as the still air of the station.
Dryzza crossed her arms, ignoring his dismissal. “Look, doctor,” she began, her voice steely, “we’re not here to make your life harder. We’re trying to stop whatever this town is sinking into, and we need your cooperation. Zach laid out his motives because it’s what we do—we’re upfront about our purpose.”
Takumi leaned back in his chair, his expression untouched by her argument. “Cooperation? You’ve already had your way, haven’t you? You raided the ruins of our ruined manor. You’ve poked around in my current home under the pretense of protecting the people.” He tilted his head, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “What more could you possibly want, Detective Del Rosario?”
Dryzza’s jaw tightened. “We want clarity, Dr. Takahashi. We want to understand your real objectives. You’ve seen what’s out there, and while I’m sure you’d prefer to think of us as powerless bystanders, it’s still our job to protect the people in this town, including you.”
Takumi’s eyes sharpened, his voice cutting through her words like a blade. “Protect? Where were the officers when my family’s manor was torn apart? When lives were lost?” His gaze flickered with a rare, simmering intensity. “If Zach had shown up on time—perhaps those lives wouldn’t have been forfeited."
Dryzza froze for a moment, his words hitting harder than she anticipated. Before she could respond, Takumi leaned forward slightly, his tone lower, more menacing.
“My cousin warned you, didn’t he? Told you to leave this to us. Yet here you are, defying that warning with your misguided sense of duty.”
Dryzza exhaled sharply. “We’re not defying anything. We’re doing our job, even if it means bending rules to get to the truth. But we’re not the enemy here, doctor. Whether you like it or not, we’re on the same side.”
Takumi’s face was a mask of cold indifference, his eyes unwavering as he spoke, “If you were truly on our side, detective, you’d understand your place. But if you insist on digging deeper… very well. Proceed at your own risk.”
With that, Takumi rose from his seat, his presence towering over the room. “If you dare play your little games again, detective, I’ll have no choice but to flip my cards.” His gaze sharpened, drilling into Dryzza so intensely she involuntarily recoiled.
“This is not a threat, but a promise,” he added, his voice laced with finality.
As he turned to leave, Dryzza sat frozen, her heart racing. She blinked, caught in the realization that she’d just sabotaged their one chance at finding common ground.
Sai stormed over, his fury palpable. “What the hell was that?! What did you do this time?”
Dryzza met his eyes, but the words wouldn’t come. She remained silent, the weight of her mistake sinking in.
Just as Takumi was about to step into his car, Zach came rushing toward him, breath ragged and uneven from the sprint.
“D-Doctor! Wait!”
Takumi, unmoved, waited patiently for Zach to catch his breath, his back turned as he stood by the vehicle. Zach bent forward, hands resting on his knees for support, his chest heaving with exertion.
“I-I got a call from Detective Hamada… Y-You called for me?” Zach’s voice trembled slightly as he spoke.
Takumi eyed him, noting how the image of the composed, intimidating man Zach usually projected had been completely shattered by his frantic pursuit. It was almost amusing.
Takumi’s lips thinned as his gaze shifted toward the station entrance, where Sai and Dryzza still lingered, their eyes hopeful, desperate for something he wasn’t sure they would get.
He rolled his eyes, annoyance flashing across his face. They think he has a choice in this. They have no idea.
Takumi sighed inwardly. He needed their cooperation more than they realized, though they wouldn’t understand why. His objectives, carefully concealed behind layers of lies and misdirection, were far more complex than any of them could imagine.
Takumi wasn’t just maneuvering to trap the officers; he was trying to prevent something far darker.
He knew that an incredibly feared demon might have already crossed into the human realm, and it could very well be disguised as one of their own—someone they trusted, someone who had become a friend.
Takumi’s voice broke the silence, low and deliberate. “I—I need your help, Zach. Just you.”
Zach, still recovering from his frantic chase, froze. His breath, though steadier now, hitched in his chest as he processed Takumi’s words. The surprise on his face was unmistakable—a mix of confusion and disbelief, as though the very notion of Takumi asking for his help was something he hadn’t expected, not in a million years.