"Shhh."

  I raise a finger to my lips, signaling Kaito to shut it, then creep toward the glass balcony door like a cat stalking a mouse. Outside, the giant head is still floating, its solid white eyes rolling wildly as it tries to find any sign of life inside the room.

  Fortunately, my paranoid over-preparation sometimes pays off. Besides the alarm barrier, I had carefully layered a "Phantom Mist" illusion inside. From the monster's perspective, this room is just an empty, dark, and lifeless void.

  I narrow my eyes, scrutinizing every detail on its pale, water-logged face.

  What did Gakai send this thing here for? Psychological terror?

  Honestly, just a tiny spark of Foxfire would be enough to send it back to the void, leaving not even ash behind.

  But then my finger freezes in mid-air, unable to lift.

  "Can't do it," I grind my teeth. "If I strike, it's basically announcing to Gakai that I am personally guarding the kid."

  Killing it exposes my hand, but not killing it is a pain in the ass. Damned if I do, damned if I don't.

  Suddenly, Kaito behind me clutches his head, his whole body convulsing as if electrocuted. The boy gasps, hyperventilating, drenched in cold sweat.

  "Itsuki-sama..." He stammers, his voice cracking in his throat. "That... that thing... It's calling my name!"

  "What?"

  Right then, a high-pitched, eerie, and cold voice echoes in my ears, sounding like a call from the depths of the Underworld.

  Ka...i...to...

  The ghostly sound reverberates, compelling the listener to open their mouth and acknowledge its presence.

  "Don't answer! You'll die!"

  I lunge forward, clamping one hand over Kaito's mouth, the other gripping his shoulder which is shaking violently.

  Kaito's eyes bulge wide, he nods furiously, tears of terror streaming down and soaking my hand.

  The situation has become more tense than ever. I can't let it loiter here for another second, but I can't take action myself.

  "Dammit, talk about making things difficult."

  I release Kaito after making sure he's keeping his mouth shut. One hand hurriedly pulls the spirit-phone from my pocket. My claws swipe rapidly across the Solak screen, opening the Department 1031 general group chat.

  ItsukiK: "HELLO!!! Is anyone slacking off around the Nerima area? Need urgent backup!"

  ItsukiK: [Pinned Location: Kaito's Apartment]

  ItsukiK: "There's an Anomaly harassing this area. I... um... can't show my face. Someone come clean it up for me!"

  Less than three seconds later, a reply pops up, accompanied by a bright red rose sticker.

  Lanxia: "I'm on patrol nearby. Coming right over, Boss. Remember, you owe me bubble tea for this."

  "Good," I sigh in relief. Lanxia, the Flower God of the Diplomatic Team. That girl has a weird fashion sense, but her execution is... well, quite "elegant."

  Less than five seconds later, she has turned that monstrosity into a magnificent work of art.

  Outside the glass door, the giant head, which was groaning Kaito's name, suddenly freezes. Its pale face contorts, twisting in sudden agony.

  CRUNCH... CRUNCH...

  From the empty eye sockets, the nostrils, and the gaping mouth of the monster, thick, vibrant green vines burst out like python-sized spikes, piercing through the slimy flesh. The Anomaly screams pitifully, but the cry is quickly choked off by the tangle of vines.

  Deep red velvet roses, large as soup bowls, bloom one by one on the hideous head. The red of the flowers blends with the black blood of the Anomaly, creating a picture that is gruesome yet sophisticated, truly artistic.

  The monster struggles for a moment then goes completely still, turning into a giant floating flower pot in the Tokyo night sky. The vines tighten one last time, crushing the head into glittering dust that dissolves into the void.

  Knock. Knock.

  A gentle, polite tapping sound comes from the balcony door.

  I step out to open it. Lanxia is floating outside, her dress flowing, still holding a half-finished bubble tea in her hand. She smiles brightly, flipping her long, voluminous hair.

  "Done and dusted, Boss," Lanxia winks, pointing at the empty space. "Lazy again, aren't you? Even this small-fry Anomaly, you have to call your junior to handle. Probably hiding in the room playing games, right?"

  I cross my arms, leaning back against the door frame, trying to maintain the dignified air of a leader.

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  "Hmph, your skills have improved," I click my tongue, avoiding her gaze. "I was just... testing the quick response capability of the staff. Consider it a pop quiz."

  "Please, save the speech," Lanxia pouts, slurping her bubble tea loudly. "Alright, I'm heading back to patrol. Remember the bubble tea, I put it on your tab."

  "Hey, wait a minute."

  I reach out, grabbing the hem of Lanxia's flowing dress just before she can vanish into the night.

  "What now, Boss?" Lanxia turns back, blinking her big round eyes, still clutching the bubble tea. "Planning to ask for another favor?"

  "Just listen for a second," I lower my voice to the gravest level possible. "Just now when you acted, did you notice anything... off?"

  "Off?" Lanxia tilts her head, confused. "What do you mean? Isn't the fact that our department suddenly organized this national sleepover event off enough? You still want something weirder?"

  I rub my temples, trying not to let her ditzy attitude break my train of thought.

  "Not that. I mean the Anomaly you just turned into a bonsai," I point at the empty space where the hideous head used to be. "That thing is extremely dangerous to mortals. If a normal person just opens their mouth to answer its call... they get deleted instantly."

  Lanxia freezes, the bubble tea in her hand nearly dropping to the ground.

  "Huh? That's a thing? I thought it was just some hungry ghost trying to scare people?"

  "That was a Krasue," I explain, my voice cold. "A 'smuggled' specialty from Southeast Asia. That bastard Gakai, by some devilish trick, sneaked this monstrosity into Japanese territory without Takama-ga-hara's system detecting it."

  "Holy shit..." Lanxia grimaces. "That demon that eats filth, with guts dangling out covered in waste? Gross! Lucky I gave it a fragrant, artistic death. If it exploded, I'd probably have to shower for seven days and nights to get the smell off."

  I shudder slightly too. Truly an unhygienic species.

  "The problem isn't whether it's gross or fragrant," I say sternly. "It's the 'name calling' trick. Normally, these Krasue only care about finding garbage to eat. Since when do they have the ability to forcibly extract souls via voice? This is the first time I've seen it."

  I cross my arms, leaning back against the railing.

  "They're playing tricks again. I suspect this 'Soul Summoning Sound' won't stop at one stray Malaysian Ghost. Now, any trash Anomaly out there could be implanted with this ability."

  Hearing this, Lanxia goes silent, her usual playful demeanor vanishing completely.

  "Seems that guy is really pissed at you, Boss," her voice hardens. "After our team staged that fake terrorist play to smear him on TV. He couldn't hire humans, so he had to resort to 'modding' monsters."

  "Exactly. A cornered dog bites hard," I nod in agreement.

  "Alright, go back to patrol. Remember to call the others in the team, gather up and discuss countermeasures. Don't go solo anymore, it's too dangerous. Mobilize all your street informants, scan to see if there are any others that know how to 'sing'."

  I look straight into my subordinate's eyes, emphasizing every word:

  "If we aren't careful in the coming days... this city is going to have a lot more people dropping dead from sudden 'strokes'."

  After Lanxia disappears into the night, the room returns to its inherent quietness, leaving only the soft hum of the air conditioner.

  Turning around, I see Kaito still sitting with his knees pulled up in the corner of the bed, shrinking himself as small as possible. The boy is trembling like a little bird caught in the rain, his wide eyes staring blankly into the void.

  I walk over and place a hand on his back.

  "Calm down, kid," I say, trying to sound as gentle as possible. "My subordinate cleaned it up. It's just organic fertilizer for plants now, nothing to worry about."

  But the comfort seems to slide right past the boy's ears. Kaito looks up at me, his pale lips moving for a long time before he can utter a word.

  "It... it called my name."

  His eyes are filled with terror. "Why? Why did that hideous demon know my name? I've never met it before..."

  "Itsuki-sama," Kaito grabs my sleeve, gripping it so tight his knuckles turn white. "What the hell is going on? Have I... have I been marked?"

  I freeze.

  This kid... is sharper than I thought. When death is breathing down your neck, human sixth sense becomes unusually acute.

  I realize I can't keep glossing over things with harmless lies like "just an accident" or "coincidence" anymore. The truth right now might actually be the best sedative to quell wild speculations.

  "Sigh..."

  "Alright. I'll tell you. But first..." I raise a finger. "Promise me, after listening you won't panic, and absolutely no fainting."

  Kaito falls silent for a moment, taking a few deep breaths to regain composure, then nods decisively.

  "I... I promise."

  "Good."

  I slump my shoulders, my gaze drifting to the side, my voice becoming deep and broken, carrying a rare awkwardness.

  "Actually... this started with me."

  "After Mr. Ogawa's death, I received orders from the Director to thoroughly resolve the matter in Japan. That's why I had to secretly log into his social media accounts to investigate deeper into Gakai and that crazy cult. I thought everything was under control, but unexpectedly..."

  "Gakai realized early on that I was digging into his past. And to force me to stop..."

  I turn back to look straight at Kaito, my eyes full of remorse.

  "He sent me a candid photo of you as a warning. He threatened to kill you if I continued to interfere in his business."

  Kaito's face, already pale, turns white as a sheet. The boy opens his mouth to say something, but only meaningless sounds come out.

  Understandable. For a high school student, that information is no different from an early death sentence.

  "Calm down!"

  "Listen here, Kaito! He's just threatening. And I am here to ensure that threat never becomes reality. I promise, on my honor as a deity. I will be stationed in this room 24/7, watching over you every second until that bastard Gakai is collared."

  I slap the boy's shoulder firmly. "Understand? With me here, even the Grim Reaper has to step over my dead body to call your name."

  It takes a long while for Kaito to snap out of it. Life finally returns to the boy's eyes.

  "Alright, it's late," I gently push him down onto the bed. "Close your eyes. Get some sleep to stay healthy, stop overthinking."

  Kaito lies down, pulling the blanket up to his chin. But his eyes remain wide open, staring at the ceiling.

  "Itsuki-sama..." He whispers, his voice tiny like a mosquito's buzz.

  "What now?" I am sitting on the chair, scrolling through GodBook, replying without looking up.

  "I... I can't sleep," he says, his voice trembling. "Every time I close my eyes, I see that head... The feeling of emptiness, it's terrifyingly cold. What if... what if he sneaks in while I'm asleep?"

  I heave a long sigh, putting the phone down.

  "Are you stupid? I'm sitting right here guarding you. I'd know if an ant crawled in, let alone an Evil God."

  "But..."

  "Fine, you big wuss," I click my tongue, standing up.

  I jump onto the bed, turning my back and lying down right next to Kaito.

  "There, satisfied?" I mutter, propping my chin on my hand. "Now no ghost would dare touch you. Sleep."

  A stream of warm, gentle divine power radiates from my spirit body, enveloping Kaito, dispelling the earlier terror.

  "Th... thank you, Itsuki-sama," Kaito mumbles, then his eyelids gradually close, his breathing becoming regular.

  Just a few minutes later, the boy has fallen into a deep sleep.

  I open one eye to look at the sleeping kid, then pull out the spirit-phone again, using my claw to continue surfing the web.

  "Sigh," I sigh internally. "After this, the kid probably won't dare to sleep alone anymore."