The Last Cross Offs (Part 1 of The Eternal Partners Series)

Chapter 9

There are unique humans in this world.

"Hey guys look, the elite transfer from Kyoto just arrived."

"Already? That was quick. Does he really have a special ability?"

Those whose souls are strong enough...

"Senpai said he's seen it for himself so it's definitely true."

...to even override the restrictions set by the world system...

"Hi everyone, I'm Mikami Kaoru. Senior Private Investigator and fellow agent of Void from our Kyoto branch. We'll be working together to ensure world peace for however long it takes to crack this case. Please treat me well."

...and gain a unique skill in a world of normals.

"Glad you could make it, I'm Kaneko Mizuki, Head Intelligence Agent. Please follow me and I'll fill you in."

The two made their way down a dimly lit passage into an elevator. Mizuki pushed the button to take them to the middle level of their underground floors which functioned both as a mini psychiatric ward and a prison.

"I heard that the devil has been making his rounds?" Kaoru said jokingly having read the report about the frightening black eyed demon.

Mizuki sighed, "He's done more than make his rounds. He's hard to track. One moment we think we finally caught up, and the next it's like he's on the other side of the city. I swear, I've never heard of such a big disaster waiting to happen in the entire history of our organization. And our history spans thousands of years. Hopefully with your ability, we'll be able to comprehend his motivations."

"My ability has its limits," Kaoru reminded, "it's difficult to invade someone's memories when there has been psychological torture, I could do more damage to the fragile psyche if I push too hard and the person could slip into a coma and never wake up."

Mizuki, "We've tried our best in treating him. Unfortunately it seems that even before his torture this person has already been a certified psychopath. Do not feel guilty if you do end up shattering his mind. He's not innocent. A background investigation showed that he may have been involved in several bloody crime syndicates which are active in human trafficking. If we didn't find him now as the victim in this case, it would only be a matter of time before his crimes caught up to him. "

"So in a way, this demon has done us a favor by showing up?"

"Indeed so. Here we are," Mizuki stopped in front of the room holding the victim captive, "take as much time as you like and call if you need anything."

Kaoru nodded at him and stepped inside the room.

Everything in the room was so white one was almost scared to dirty it. The victim, a man in his forties, sat in the corner of the room staring into space with empty eyes and hugging his legs while rocking backwards and forwards.

Kaoru, "Hey you. Look at me."

The victim froze, but did not look and even turned his back to Kaoru. The man was unable to look anyone in the eyes since encountering Diablo.

Kaoru sighed, fine then. His skill did not need eye contact. Touch would work as well. He sprang into action and grabbed the man by the back of his neck.

"<Mind Scry>"

Pictures sprang up in Kaoru's mind. These were the memories of the man trapped in his grasp starting from the earliest memories of childhood to the latest of adulthood. Kaoru did not have the time to look through everything as there was another limit to using this skill. Because it took quite a bit of energy to use, Kaoru did not use it often, also he could only see memories for the duration of a few minutes.