101: Shinobu Kocho, feeling down

Recently, the prime ministerial election in the Neon Special Administrative Region has become the focus of attention from all sectors of society. Takamichi Yamato, the president of the Liberal Democratic Party, won the prime ministerial nomination in the provisional Diet, becoming the 104th Prime Minister of the administrative region and its first female Prime Minister.

The new Prime Minister is known for her critical stance toward Dragon Country's expanding influence, while simultaneously advocating for the strengthening of Neon's own defense capabilities. As a representative of the staunch conservatives, her election took many observers by surprise.

The rise of Takamichi Yamato reflects both the urgent need for change within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the party's strategic adjustment in response to the growing strength of right-wing forces.

For the general public, the prime ministerial election was originally just a small corner of the current affairs news, but recently, this female Prime Minister has unexpectedly become an internet sensation due to a young bodyguard in her entourage. A photo of him holding an umbrella for the Prime Minister in the rain went viral online. With his outstanding appearance and temperament, this young man, dubbed the "Madam Bodyguard," quickly ignited social networks, with related topics occupying the top of the trending lists for nearly a week.

However, behind this wave of internet carnival, almost no one noticed the anomaly hidden in that photo—the bodyguard's gaze toward the camera was bone-chillingly cold, and the reflection in those eyes seemed not to be of fellow humans, but of livestock waiting to be slaughtered.

The Prime Minister's Official Residence, late at night.

Takamichi Yamato shed her majestic daytime posture and stood in a silk dressing gown inside her magnificent bedroom. Before her, the young man with white-oak hair and rainbow-colored eyes bowed his head respectfully. The slight curl of his lips actually made even Takaichi, a veteran of the political arena, feel her heart sway.

When those dreamlike eyes met hers, even the dignified aura she had cultivated over many years collapsed in an instant.

"Doma, come here."

"Lady Takaichi..." The gentle voice made her heart race.

She shed the thin veil from her body and tossed it lightly toward the seemingly youthful boy before her. Doma appropriately showed an intoxicated expression, lightly sniffing the lingering fragrance on the veil.

"Hold me," she commanded haughtily.

Doma obediently picked her up and placed her gently on the bed. The curtains fell, and Takaichi's suppressed moans could be faintly heard.

However, all of this was merely a delusion seen by Takaichi while trapped in an illusion. In reality, Doma leaned coldly against an armchair the entire time, a thick hallucinogenic fragrance continuously wafting from him. With a playful smile on his lips, he watched the Prime Minister lingering alone on the bed, as if appreciating a meticulously choreographed puppet show.

No one would ever guess the scene here—that the high and mighty Prime Minister would look like this right now. Meanwhile, the highly-watched "Madam Bodyguard" was playing with the Prime Minister like a demon.

In an office at the Neon headquarters of the Special Affairs Department, Deputy Director Zhou Dong took a sip of strong tea and casually closed the webpage he was browsing.

"This newly appointed Prime Minister is quite active in promoting the disclosure of supernatural powers," he spat out the tea leaves stuck to his lips. "She even once expressed a desire to directly reveal the world's secrets to the public."

Only he and Mr. Long were in the office.

Mr. Long tapped his fingertips on the desk. "Everything is according to plan."

Zhou Dong nodded. "Will transferring some personnel back to headquarters put too much pressure on your side?"

"It's fine," Mr. Long smiled slightly. "I already intended to shrink part of the defensive line. However, you need to pay more attention to Elder Lin's grandson."

He paused and continued, "Don't let him get too comfortable. The subsequent plans still require his action."

Zhou Dong understood. "Understood. I will push some tasks to him at the right time to keep him in shape."

Lin Luo was completely unaware of the undercurrents here; at this moment, he was following the Butterfly Sisters through a rural path.

The latest extermination mission issued by the Special Affairs Department had everyone on edge—when demons no longer fear the sunlight, what will they do? Daylight killings on the streets, terrorist attacks in busy markets... To prevent the tragedies that might occur, the threat must be eradicated at its inception.

The workload of the Demon Slayer Corps was far greater than before. Members no longer waited passively for intelligence but took the initiative to search for traces of demons in every corner of the city. Although the results were limited, every successful extermination protected the city's surface peace, allowing ordinary people to continue enjoying their tranquil lives.

After confirming that the demons in this remote village had been cleared, Lin Luo and the Butterfly Sisters breathed a sigh of relief and took a temporary break on a grassy field surrounded by mountains on three sides.

"We've patrolled this area we're responsible for so many times, yet new demons appear every time," Shinobu rubbed her aching temples, her voice carrying exhaustion. As long as one demon was discovered, it meant the entire area had to be re-screened; they hadn't been able to leave this place for a long time.

Lin Luo looked at the layered mountains in the distance, his brow slightly furrowed. This endless stream made him faintly feel that the appearance of these demons was no accident, but rather like a carefully designed distraction.

"Mr. Rengoku and the others seem to have encountered a situation similar to ours," Kochou Kanae informed the two of the news she had just received. "Everyone seems to be restricted to their respective areas."

Lin Luo mused, "With such a large range, it shouldn't be the work of the Infinity Castle. It's very likely that a demon nest is hidden in this area, we just haven't found it yet."

He stood up and brushed the grass clippings off his clothes. "I'll be responsible for locating the specific position of the nest; you two continue with the patrol mission."

"You're acting alone?" Shinobu asked with concern.

Seeing Lin Luo nod, she immediately stated, "Let me go with you; two people can look out for each other." She turned to look at her sister, "With Sister stationed here, there shouldn't be any major problems."

"You stay and assist Kanae; I don't need help," Lin Luo refused without hesitation. With his current strength, even if all the Twelve Kizuki attacked him at once, he was confident he could retreat unscathed.

Kanae lightly pressed her sister's shoulder and said gently to Lin Luo, "Mr. Lin Luo, let Shinobu go with you. If there really is a demon nest nearby as you say, Shinobu can come back and report the news in time once a trace is found."

Her gaze was soft yet firm. "Two people looking out for each other is always safer than acting alone."

Kanae's words always carried a gentle power that was hard to refuse. Lin Luo could only nod in agreement and then stood up to tidy himself. "I will focus the search on areas where people rarely go, like deep mountains and old forests. I will definitely be back to meet up with you before evening."

Kanae nodded slightly, while Shinobu leaned close to her sister's ear and whispered, "You guys should be extra careful too."

"Don't be willful while you're by Mr. Lin Luo's side," Kanae instructed carefully, her fingertips straightening her sister's collar.

Shinobu responded obediently and quickly caught up with Lin Luo's pace. The two figures soon disappeared into the depths of the dense forest, leaving only Kanae standing in place, watching as their distant figures were gradually swallowed by the shadows of the trees.

The two figures moved rapidly through the dense forest. This primitive mountain forest had not been developed, and there were no established paths. They could only leap up and use the crisscrossing branches of the trees as footholds, moving quickly through the treetops.

Sunlight filtered through the layers of leaves, casting mottled shadows upon them. Every leap was as light as a swallow, and their footsteps made almost no sound as they grazed the branches.

Lin Luo's Divine Sense spread out like ripples, and the scenes it passed through were all reflected in his mind. Nothing, still nothing. The demons didn't seem to have chosen this mountain forest to build their nest.

He landed lightly on a rock by a mountain spring, and Shinobu landed a step behind him, her breathing slightly ragged as she adjusted. The continuous high-speed movement consumed a lot of her physical strength—this was indeed not her area of expertise; otherwise, she wouldn't have chosen poison as her primary means of combat back then.

"Why did we stop?" Shinobu asked softly.

Lin Luo signaled for her to sit on a blue stone by the spring. "Rest for a while."

Shinobu was slightly stunned. After sitting down obediently, she suddenly fell silent, just looking down at the gurgling water.

"What's wrong?" Lin Luo noticed her unusually low mood. "Being suddenly so quiet doesn't seem like you."

She hugged her knees, her purple eyes reflecting the shimmering waves. "Am I... too weak? And always acting willfully." Her voice carried a rare sense of self-doubt. She always felt that her lack of strength was dragging down the progress of the search.

Lin Luo paused upon hearing this and reached out to gently rub the top of her head. "This doesn't sound like something Shinobu would say. The Shinobu I know is always full of confidence and resilience."

The surroundings were quiet and deserted, with only the mountain spring tinkling. Shinobu rested her chin on her knees and whispered softly, "Because... I want to keep following in Sister's footsteps; I don't want to be left too far behind."

Shinobu's thoughts drifted away with the gurgling water. The scenes of exterminating demons these past few days were vivid in her mind—the cooperation between her sister and Lin Luo was seamless: Lin Luo's spiritual power bound the demons' movements like invisible shackles, and Kanae's nichirin blade immediately turned into a stream of light, every strike precise and lethal.

In contrast, even when facing a completely restrained demon, she often needed several consecutive strikes to barely cause effective damage. Such a sharp contrast made a hint of bitterness rise in her heart.

Lin Luo chuckled and moved a bit closer, tapping his shoulder. "Want to lean on me for a bit? Exclusive comfort service, only one in the world."

There was a gentle smile on his lips, carrying a bit of teasing while maintaining a proper sense of boundaries.

"Who wants to lean on you?" Shinobu said so, but her body honestly moved behind Lin Luo and lightly leaned against his back.

Each other's body heat was transmitted through their clothes. Lin Luo looked at the gurgling stream, his voice gentle, "Everyone has things they are good at. I don't think Shinobu needs to force herself to catch up to Kanae's footsteps."

"Does Kanae have to match you in everything in other aspects too?"

Shinobu grumbled, "Sister is so perfect; there's nothing she needs to match me in."

Lin Luo pondered and suddenly had a flash of inspiration. "Butt?" He inexplicably remembered a joke Uzui Tengen had once made.

"Ah!" Shinobu bumped backward in shame and annoyance, lightly hitting his back with the back of her head. "What on earth are you thinking about all day!"

Shinobu was still immersed in her shame and annoyance when she suddenly felt the support behind her vanish. Just as she was about to speak, she found herself being picked up by Lin Luo around the waist, her whole body soaring into the air.

She subconsciously wrapped her arms around his neck, only to see that the blue stone she had been leaning on was already wrapped by an eerie stream of water. If they had been a moment slower, the two of them might have already been bound by that surging water snake.