Japan, Tokyo, Shinjuku Ward.
Inside a train at Shin-Okubo Station.
"It really just vanished into thin air! I saw it with my own eyes, Officer!" The college student, Yamafuji Kazuhiro, flushed red and gesticulated wildly.
"Seriously, that person just disappeared in front of us. Even though I had a bit to drink, I definitely didn't see wrong!"
Opposite him, the young Patrol Officer Kondo frowned, his face full of impatience: "Sir, it's normal to have hallucinations when you're drunk. Please stop being unreasonable."
"I'm really not drunk, believe me!" Yamafuji waved his arms, his voice growing louder, which only made it more convincing that he was intoxicated.
"Alright, Kondo-kun," the older officer, Sato Ichiro, who had been squatting on the ground checking for traces, stood up. With a professional smile, he patted Yamafuji's shoulder. "Thank you for the information. We will record and investigate it thoroughly. You've worked hard, please go back and rest."
He quietly ushered the still-ranting Yamafuji out of the train car.
Watching Yamafuji stumble away, Kondo Motoki immediately complained: "Senior Sato, can we really believe a drunkard like that? Vanishing into thin air, that sounds like nonsense! How many have there been already?"
Sato Ichiro dropped his smile and adjusted his gloves: "Regardless of whether it's true or false, recording it is our duty. And..."
He lowered his voice, glancing at the empty train car, "In recent months, there's been more than just this one report of similar 'hallucinations.' Tokyo, Kyoto, Hokkaido... there have been similar missing person reports from various places, and the eyewitness descriptions are all pretty much the same."
Kondo pouted. In a scientific society, where could there be so many supernatural occurrences?
But seeing his Senior's serious expression, he swallowed his words.
"Let's wrap up," Sato Ichiro checked his watch. "Oh, and the new Police Inspector reports tomorrow. Don't be late."
"New Police Inspector?" Kondo was surprised. "Isn't Police Inspector Shinjō..."
"Police Inspector Shinjō's wife is pregnant, and the injuries he sustained during the pursuit of Asakura Takeshi haven't fully healed, so he requested a transfer to a clerical position," Sato explained.
"Asakura Takeshi? That lunatic!" Kondo thought of the dangerous killer, still feeling a lingering fear. "So, what's the background of this new Police Inspector?"
Sato Ichiro's face showed a subtle expression: "I heard... he went from a Patrol Officer to a Police Inspector in just one year."
"Huh? One year?! You're kidding me!" Kondo's eyes nearly popped out. "Even a rocket wouldn't be that fast, would it? Did he solve some world-shattering case?"
"Who knows? Maybe he really has the ability," Sato shrugged. "Come on, let's go back."
"Oh, oh," Kondo responded, subconsciously glancing at the train window again.
It was this casual glance that made his peripheral vision seem to catch an extremely brief, platinum-colored shadow flash across the reflection in the glass.
"Hm?" He sharply turned his head, staring at the window.
The glass only reflected the train car's interior and the platform lights, utterly empty.
"Hey! What are you spacing out for? Let's go!" Sato was already at the door, urging him.
"Coming, coming!" Kondo rubbed his eyes, muttering, "Must have been my imagination," and quickly followed.
Meanwhile, in the Mirror World.
You Hong, or rather, Officer You Hong, who had just been promoted to Police Inspector, was strolling along a desolate street.
His handsome platinum armor glowed with a cold light under the eerie neon, forming a stark contrast with the silent billboards and empty vehicles around him.
"Sigh, didn't they say there were people missing here? How come I haven't even seen a shadow of a Mirror Monster?" You Hong kicked a discarded soda can, making a 'clang-clang' sound that was particularly jarring in the absolute silence.
"I skipped an important meeting to come here, I can't leave empty-handed."
He touched the platinum card box at his waist. A year had passed since he first defeated those two spider Mirror Monsters, and he himself had been promoted from a Patrol Officer to a Police Inspector.
During this year, he frequently hunted Mirror Monsters, as one of his cards required hunting Mirror Monsters and absorbing the Qi energy within them to achieve its maximum effect.
"If you don't show up soon, I'm really leaving."
You Hong shouted, attempting to attract the Mirror Monster's attention.
It proved to be very effective.
Because the next second, a familiar chill suddenly struck from above!
"Here it comes!" You Hong's spirits lifted, his body reacting faster than his thoughts, as he suddenly rolled forward!
Screech—!
Where he had just been standing, the concrete ground was easily sliced open by a huge scythe-blade, flashing with a cold, sharp light! Gravel flew!
You Hong quickly turned, steadying himself.
At the alley entrance, hanging upside down from a streetlight pole, was a ferocious monster.
It had a slender body covered in green metallic carapace, like a praying mantis. Its two massive arm-blades reflected a deadly cold light in the dim illumination, and its compound eyes glowed with an icy red, locking onto him.
"Ho, a mantis? A new species," You Hong clenched his fists, adopting a battle stance.
This monster was incredibly fast, and those scythe-blades looked formidable.
The mantis monster let out a sharp shriek, its wings vibrated, and it transformed into a green afterimage, its scythe-blades tearing through the air, striking directly at You Hong's face!
Clang—!
You Hong crossed his arms to block, and the scythe-blades fiercely struck his silver-white arm armor, erupting in a shower of dazzling sparks!
The immense impact made his feet slide a short distance on the ground.
"Quite strong!" You Hong shook his slightly numb arms.
"But if it's an insect-type monster..." You Hong unhesitatingly opened the platinum card box at his waist.
His fingers deftly pulled out an orange-red card from the box.
"To deal with you, this card is more suitable."
The moment the words fell, You Hong precisely inserted this new card into the platinum duel-disk-like slot on his left wrist.
【Sword Vent! Charizard!】
The dial in the center of the Summoner lit up with an orange-red glow, and a cold electronic voice sounded.
Roar!
Accompanied by a Dragon roar, a uniquely shaped weapon appeared!
It was a spear nearly two meters long!
The spear's shaft was not the cold silver-gray of metal, but a deep, fiery orange-red, like molten lava. The shaft was covered with flowing patterns, as if real flames were flowing and dancing within it.
"Indeed, no matter how many times I see it, I still think this weapon is truly cool!" You Hong weighed the 'Charizard' spear. It felt heavy in his hand, and a burning Battle Intent flowed from the weapon throughout his body!
The mantis monster seemed to sense the threat posed by the fiery spear, letting out an agitated shriek. It again transformed into an afterimage and pounced, its two scythe-blades striking down in a cross, aiming directly at You Hong's arm holding the spear!
"Good timing!" A sharp glint flashed in You Hong's eyes. Instead of retreating, he advanced, gripping the fiery spear tightly with both hands, and unleashed a powerful horizontal sweep.
The orange-red spear shaft, carrying a scorching Aura, swept towards the mantis monster's twin scythes like a roaring fire Dragon!
Clang!! Boom—!
A piercing clash of metal rang out! But immediately followed by it was a violent explosion of fire!
The flame patterns on the fiery spear's shaft suddenly lit up, and raging flames erupted at the point of impact!
The orange-red flames instantly engulfed the mantis monster's scythe-blades and spread upwards along its arms!
"Screech—!!!" The mantis monster let out an incomparably shrill scream. Its proud scythe-blades, under the scorching flames, made a 'sizzling' sound, as if about to melt!
The high temperature of the flames caused it immense pain!
It frantically shook its arms, trying to extinguish the flames, but the flames, like a persistent curse, burned even more fiercely!
"Can't handle this already?" You Hong looked at the monster, wrapped in flames and struggling in pain, and pouted, "Looks like you're just fast, not very fire-resistant."
He no longer hesitated. Strike while the iron's hot!
Pushing off with his feet, his body shot out like an arrow from a bowstring, the fiery spear in his hand carrying an unyielding Aura, like a venomous Dragon emerging from its lair, piercing directly into the vital spot on the mantis monster's chest!
Pfft—!
The flame-wrapped spear tip penetrated the hard green carapace without any resistance!
Violent flame energy instantly erupted within the monster's body!
The mantis monster's body suddenly stiffened, the red light in its compound eyes flickered wildly, then rapidly dimmed.
It didn't even have time to let out a final wail before its massive body rapidly disintegrated in the flames spewing from within, ultimately turning into a scattering of ashes and a few faint energy light points, which were absorbed by You Hong's Summoner.
"OK, another bit of energy acquired."
Watching the completely eliminated mantis monster and the additional energy in his Summoner, You Hong let out a strange laugh, then left the Mirror World.
And with his departure, only the lingering embers left by the fiery spear and the smell of char permeated the air in the alley.