The next day, early morning.

Aozawa was awakened by the alarm clock, his index finger sliding to silence the phone's ringing. He yawned lazily and pulled open his bedroom door.

All the doors in the villa were sliding doors. With a single pull, they opened. He walked through the corridor that resembled a racetrack, casually slid open the living room door with his left hand, and stepped inside. He planned to boil water for instant noodles first, then decide whether to brush his teeth or wash his face.

"Good morning, you look very spirited."

A familiar voice floated from the dining table, transforming the cool air into that of a warm, Hawaiian afternoon beach.

Aozawa turned his head to look. A tall woman sat on a chair, her black hair tied back in a ponytail. She was in her Police Director uniform. The light blue shirt had three buttons undone, revealing an intoxicating view, and her slightly upturned, vivid red lips held a hint of teasing. Her bright eyes glanced down at him.

Aozawa looked down at himself, then smiled and said, "Chitose, want to try something more... international?"

"Rather than that, I prefer to cut it off and savor it slowly." Morimoto Chiyoda picked up a silver butter knife, twirling it so its blade weaved back and forth between three of her fingers with exceptional agility.

Aozawa laughed, turned around, and said, "I'm going to wash my face and brush my teeth first."

Watching him leave the living room, Morimoto Chiyoda's face revealed a hint of a smile. She twirled the knife and stabbed it into the sandwich on her plate. So this is how Aozawa feels watching me do yoga every day, she mused.

This kid's attire at home is getting more and more casual, she thought, taking a sip of refreshing juice. I see through his 'handsome man gambit,' but I can't do anything about it.

Aozawa quickly returned, dressed in his Brilliant High School uniform. He walked forward with large strides and asked, "Chitose, when did you get back?"

"If you mean to Japan, it was last night," Morimoto Chiyoda picked up a sandwich with hands clad in disposable gloves. She answered casually, saying, "I forced myself to sleep on the plane to adjust to the time zone, so I could conveniently prepare breakfast for you.

"I didn't expect you to learn to buy your own clothes. But your taste is truly awful. Throw them away; I'll buy you new ones."

"Chitose, I didn't buy them. Those are clothes Maggie bought for me. I'm supposed to wear them this weekend, so please don't throw them away."

"That young lady certainly has... unique taste." Morimoto Chiyoda didn't use harsh words, but she still managed to express her dislike for the clothes. It wasn't about whether the clothes themselves were good or bad; what mattered was that she felt her prerogative had been usurped. For the past ten years, she had been the one deciding on Aozawa's outfits.

Aozawa replied, "It's not that bad, is it? I think the black with the gold dragon is pretty cool."

"You'd wear any old rags. With your level of fashion sense, you shouldn't even try to comment on clothes." Morimoto Chiyoda felt a touch of sourness. She pressed her foot down, quashing any further resistance from him. Her foot, clad in light purple stockings, could clearly perceive the defiance in Aozawa's heart.

"Chitose~"

Aozawa's body shuddered. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Morimoto Chiyoda said in surprise, "You came already?"

"Just kidding. How could I be that quick?" Aozawa shrugged, grabbed her right calf, and said ominously, "Chitose, you provoked me first."

"You, with your foot fetish."

"Don't slander me. I just appreciate everything about you equally." Aozawa replied with a laugh. His left hand suddenly exerted force, tearing the stocking. It exposed her pale instep, which formed a stark contrast with her ankle still covered by the light purple stocking—like perfectly cooked white rice in a bowl, tempting one to take a bite. He bent down.

Morimoto Chiyoda was slightly panicked, but her expression remained unchanged as she said, "Don't be such a pervert so early in the morning! Be careful, or I'll stomp you flat!"

"HAAH." Aozawa blew gently on the top of her foot.

A tingling electric current surged through Morimoto Chiyoda, nearly making her melt into her seat. Her tone grew forceful. "Aozawa!"

"Just kidding." Aozawa didn't actually bite down. He just played with her ankle a bit before letting go.

Morimoto Chiyoda pulled her foot back, feeling her right leg go soft. Rolling her eyes at him, she said, "I find you're getting more and more perverted."

"And whose fault do you think that is? You're the one who teases me every day and then acts like it's nothing."

"It's not my fault." Morimoto Chiyoda bit into her sandwich. The little puppy I raised has turned into a dangerous wolf, she thought, one that wants to 'ascend the hall and enter the inner chamber.'

「After breakfast」

Morimoto Chiyoda tossed the dishes and cutlery into the dishwasher and left the residence in step with Aozawa.

The summer morning light arrived early, falling upon the green grass in the courtyard. Twirling her Bugatti Veyron key ring, she smiled. "Get in, I'll give you a lift."

"Nah, I'll just run to school for some exercise." Aozawa shook his head. The Bugatti Veyron was too flashy for a student of Brilliant High School. He was afraid that if he drove to school, there would be rumors that very day about some boy being kept by a rich older woman.

Morimoto Chiyoda flicked his forehead with her hand, laughing. "You have something good but don't know how to enjoy it. Then you can just run to school yourself."

The villa's wrought-iron gate opened.

Aozawa grabbed his backpack and ran out. Morimoto Chiyoda got into the Bugatti Veyron, stepped on the gas, listening to the pleasing roar of the engine, like a tiger in the forest—steady and powerful. She absolutely loved that sound.

The seat was very comfortable, and the sensation of driving gave her a smooth thrill. The only imperfection was that she couldn't drive at top speed in the city due to traffic regulations; it was nowhere near as exhilarating as racing through deserted streets at night. At moments like that, Morimoto Chiyoda felt as if the roads belonged entirely to her.

She parked her car at the Metropolitan Police Department. Driving like this every day is a bit tiring, she thought. It's far less relaxing than taking the train. Or maybe I should live closer.

But considering Aozawa is studying at Brilliant High School, I can't just move to Chiyoda. That would make his commute longer. Between herself and Aozawa, Morimoto Chiyoda usually prioritized him.

She closed the car door, locked it, and headed straight for the Metropolitan Police Department building. Everyone who saw her, regardless of rank, bowed and greeted her.

"Good morning, Police Director Morimoto."

No matter the reasons behind her promotion, she was officially the highest-ranking official in the Metropolitan Police Department. The lower ranks, unaware of the backstory, would naturally not forget their manners. Those in the know wouldn't dare be disrespectful either. A simple greeting, a show of respect on the surface; those people were more than willing to feign deference.

Morimoto Chiyoda casually responded to their greetings and walked towards the elevator with direct access to the top floor. This was the Police Director's exclusive elevator. Now, it had also become an exclusive privilege for the special task force. Morimoto Chiyoda had made several copies of her keycard to distribute among the task force members, ensuring they didn't have to crowd into the regular elevators and could take the direct one to their office.

DING. The elevator doors opened, and before her was the Police Director's large office.

"Good morning, Morimoto." Okayama Takeo raised a hand in greeting.

Ito Otome's brow furrowed slightly. Here comes that overpowering perfume again, she thought.

Kitanotake rushed forward excitedly. "How was the United States? Did you enjoy New York?

"Were you there for the incident in Washington D.C.?"

"Of course I was there." Morimoto Chiyoda shrugged and smiled. "That scene was more shocking than any blockbuster film."

"So, The White House really wasn't damaged at all?" Iwaki Kususuke couldn't help but ask.

Morimoto Chiyoda smiled and waved her hand. "How could that be? It was flattened, and the Washington Monument collapsed too.

"I'm not sure about the Capitol Building."

I knew it was a lie! Iwaki Kususuke was visibly excited. I said it all along—how could that level of firepower possibly leave The White House intact? For this matter, he had engaged in heated online arguments spanning hundreds of posts. Facts had proven his speculations entirely correct.

Morimoto Chiyoda clapped her hands. "Alright, that's enough chit-chat. Let's get to work.

"But before that, has anyone seen the video of the Flame Giant that appeared in Washington D.C.?"

"What Flame Giant?" Okayama Takeo asked with a curious face, and the rest of the task force appeared equally puzzled. There were so many videos online about Washington D.C. that it was impossible to watch them all.

"Luckily, I downloaded that video." Morimoto Chiyoda took out her phone, unlocked it, and played the video she had downloaded.

In the video, the task force members could see people praying fervently and hear the heavy breathing of the person filming. Billowing smoke rose all around, reaching for the sky. A colossal, mountain-like figure stood in the distance, engulfed in flames.

"Is this Dio?" Okayama Takeo's first thought upon seeing the fire ability was of Dio.

Morimoto Chiyoda shook her head. "According to the intelligence we've received, Dio denies the Flame Giant is him. He refers to it as an 'annoying fellow.'

"The higher-ups believe this is a new Angel Envoy, and one that's hostile to Dio.

"The CIA is currently expending all efforts to find its whereabouts."

"Why would a new Angel Envoy want to eliminate Vincent?" Ito Otome asked. Her logic was simple: if the new Angel Envoy had been helping Vincent, there was no way Vincent would have been defeated so quickly.

"It wasn't really helping Vincent. It seemed to be trying to stop the war. The first time, it eliminated both The White House guards and Vincent's men. The second time, Vincent provoked it."

Hearing this, Okayama Takeo looked concerned. "Does this mean more Angel Envoys might appear here in the future?"

"Not just Angel Envoys. Monsters too. Monsters appeared at the Belize Blue Hole."

These words plunged those present into silence. The feeling of watching doom approach step by step, while being completely clueless about what to do, was utterly dreadful.

In the midst of this silent atmosphere, Morimoto Chiyoda's office phone rang. She answered it. It was the Prime Minister. "Morimoto."

"Yes, sir. What can I do for you?"

"In a moment, a V-22 Osprey will arrive at the Metropolitan Police Department to pick you up. You'll bring Sunaga Takashi with you to assist with an experiment."

"What kind of experiment?"

"You'll find out when you get there."

After the Prime Minister hung up, Morimoto Chiyoda frowned slightly and quickly dialed Jack's number, hoping to learn more about the experiment from him. She didn't want to carry out a mission that was clearly a setup.