34: Chapter 34: The Lifesaving Trench Coat

"Impressive... Surviving the Organization's hunt for a year... His fighting spirit is insane."

Fujino watched Numabuchi warily, tightening his grip on the wooden sword.

Time for round two.

"Here I come!"

This time, Fujino initiated the attack.

He lunged forward, bringing the bokken down in a sharp overhead strike.

Numabuchi didn't charge this time. Instead, he skillfully used his dagger to parry Fujino's relentless assault.

Sparks flew as wood clashed against steel. The brief flashes illuminated the dark forest like summer fireflies before quickly vanishing.

[Warning: Strength Boost Card effect expires in 10 seconds.]

The system alert pinged just as Fujino pressed his attack.

He frowned, immediately leaping backward, disengaging from the stalemate.

"Looks like I need to end this fast."

Fujino focused his gaze on the dagger in Numabuchi's hand. He took a deep breath, channeling all his enhanced strength into the bokken.

"Amakakeru Ryū no Hirameki!" (Heaven-Flying Dragon Flash!)

With a low shout, Fujino surged forward again, his bokken swinging in a powerful horizontal arc, aimed directly at the dagger Numabuchi raised defensively.

"TWANG!"

A sharp, metallic crack shattered the forest's silence.

Numabuchi stared in disbelief as the blade of his dagger, glinting ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠under the moonlight, snapped clean in half. He froze, stunned.

Now!

"Kuzu-ryūsen!" (Nine-Headed Dragon Flash!)

Seizing the opening, Fujino twisted, his bokken becoming a blur as he unleashed a rapid series of strikes against Numabuchi's torso.

The wooden sword left faint afterimages, the air whistling with each precise impact.

One hit, two hits, three...

Agony lanced through Numabuchi's body with each blow. He stumbled backward, overwhelmed by the searing pain.

Finally, unable to withstand the onslaught any longer, he collapsed to his knees, clutching his head, struggling against the unbearable torment.

He slowly raised his head, looking up at Fujino. His matted hair blew across his face, revealing eyes as empty and still as stagnant pools... like he had accepted his fate.

All he seemed to want now was a quick end from the masked figure before him.

Thud.

With a final, decisive blow, Fujino knocked Numabuchi unconscious. His body went limp, slumping onto the grassy ground, finally finding a long-overdue peace.

[Congratulations Host! System Bounty Mission Complete!

+100 Detective Reputation,

2,000,000 Yen Bounty awarded.

System Equipment Pack granted.]

[System Equipment Pack added to inventory. Please check.]

The system notifications chimed.

Fujino pulled off the Batman mask, gazing down at the unconscious Numabuchi.

"Just how strong was this guy before?" he muttered. "Even with stacked enhancements, he was still tough to take down..."

Numabuchi's resilience had been far greater than Fujino anticipated. Thankfully, a year on the run had clearly taken its toll, and his poorly maintained dagger had ultimately failed him, creating the opening Fujino needed. Otherwise, the fight might have dragged on until Fujino's enhancements wore off... and the outcome would have been far less certain. The thought sent a shiver down Fujino's spine.

[System Equipment Pack: Contains one random piece of equipment. Guaranteed Purple rarity.]

Fujino examined the newly acquired pack in his system inventory.

He glanced down at the wooden sword still in his hand.

That was system equipment too, but only Blue rarity.

And it was already incredibly potent... Just how powerful would a Purple item be?

Taking a deep breath, Fujino opened the pack.

A brilliant stream of light erupted from the virtual container. After another surprisingly high-quality animation sequence, similar to when he got the bokken, a black trench coat, shimmering with a purple aura, materialized before him.

"A trench coat?"

Fujino raised an eyebrow, examining the new item. He tapped the system interface, bringing up the details:

[Lifesaving Black Mandarin Jacket: A trench coat made from ordinary materials, yet imbued with an inexplicable enhancement. Despite its normal fabric, it automatically repairs any damage sustained and never wrinkles.

Form: A standard black trench coat, sized for an adult male.

Ability: Self-repairing. Primary function is Lifesaving. While ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it offers no protection against normal attacks, upon receiving a blow that would be fatal or cause severe injury to the Host, it will automatically trigger its Lifesaving effect, absorbing the entirety of the impact... Once triggered, the Lifesaving effect is disabled until the coat fully repairs itself.]

Fujino materialized the coat and shook it out.

It felt surprisingly light, indistinguishable from a regular trench coat... The fabric felt completely ordinary too.

"This thing can really save my life?"

Fujino mumbled skeptically. Is the system messing with me?

He mentally cursed the system's sometimes questionable descriptions, then retrieved the broken half of Numabuchi's dagger from his pocket dimension.

Holding the jagged piece of metal, he tentatively slashed at the coat's sleeve.

Rip!

The fabric tore easily, leaving a noticeable gash.

But then, as Fujino watched, the torn edges began to knit themselves back together, the damage vanishing before his eyes...

Simultaneously, a status bar appeared on his interface:

[Lifesaving Black Mandarin Jacket Repairing: 1 minute remaining.]

"Okay, guess the description was accurate."

Fujino nodded, satisfied, and put the coat on. If it really worked as described, this was absolutely worthy of Purple rarity. A guaranteed 'get out of death free' card! Far more valuable than almost anything else.

"Still,"

Fujino frowned slightly,

"it's clearly a black trench coat... Why does the system call it a 'Black Mandarin Jacket'?"

He shrugged, dismissing the odd naming convention.

He turned his attention back to the figure lying on the ground. Numabuchi Kiichiro was now securely bound in red rope. The binding style was... unique. Definitely kinbaku.

"Rise and shine! Moon's gonna burn your butt!"

Fujino picked up a nearby bucket (conveniently filled with rainwater?) and doused Numabuchi with the cold water.

Sputtering, Numabuchi jolted awake. He tried to scramble up but immediately tripped over his own intricately bound limbs. Yeah, rope bondage might look weird... but it's damn effective against squirmers.

"Numabuchi Kiichiro,"

Fujino put the Batman mask back on, his voice low and menacing.

"I believe it's time we had a little chat..."

A cold smile, hidden by the mask, spread across Fujino's face. He slowly cracked his knuckles, the sound sharp and ominous in the quiet forest...