Tokyo: Rabbit Officer and Her Evil Partner
Chapter 271 - 192: The Last Samurai

Chapter 271: Chapter 192: The Last Samurai

The scene before her reminded Minamoto Tamako of the iron wireworm, which parasitizes insects, devours their bodies, and ultimately controls them to head towards a water source...

To put it simply, the tree man was hollow a long time ago, with the surface merely maintaining a human shape.

It’s akin to the maturation process of Cordyceps, where fungi from the family Clavicipitaceae parasitize bat moth larvae, growing and reproducing inside the larvae, absorbing their nutrients.

As the fungus grows, the larvae’s body gradually gets consumed, eventually forming a "frozen insect" in winter. By the following summer, the fungus grows from the head of the frozen insect, emerging above ground like a grass-like fruiting body...

Just like the tree man.

Minamoto Tamako thought she was hallucinating again. Before she could grasp what was happening, the head of the leading tree man suddenly cracked open, extending tendrils that rushed at her!

She instinctively pulled the sliding door shut but couldn’t consider its quality — it was made of paper, tearable with a single jab. The tree man burst through the door, pouncing on her, with a choking tea aroma enveloping her.

Minamoto Tamako raised her hand and fired a shot. The bullet penetrated the tree man’s head, creating a crisp sound as dark green fluid splattered everywhere, some drops landing on a candle, causing the flame to suddenly leap half a meter high.

But the tree man didn’t die; its head wasn’t its vulnerable spot. Remaining tendrils wrapped around Tamako’s arms. She had just cut her sleeves, leaving her arms exposed, the tendrils burning her skin with a stinging pain.

Minamoto Tamako wanted to fire again, but her body was weak. Seeing more tendrils entwining, her mind flashed with memories — grandfather’s teachings, mother’s advice, Kawai’s promise...

Am I going to die before becoming a famous detective?

Unwilling...

So close...

Again, hallucinations appeared before Minamoto Tamako. The tree man’s head morphed into the faces of people she loathed — Nagashima Takeshi sneering, Yamaguchi Takashi wailing, Kazama Chihime charging with her subordinates, malicious thoughts coming like the waves of a tumultuous sea with the tendrils.

Clang—

The sound of a katana being unsheathed echoed; a swift blade strike severed the dense tendrils, spraying thick fluid.

Ono Ken was seen wielding a katana, executing a diagonal iai cut; the hallucination before Minamoto Tamako dissipated, the tree man reverted to its original form, its hollow cavities shrieking as if severely wounded.

Before Minamoto Tamako could react, Ono Ken pulled her up, pushing her out into the hallway: "Run!"

"What about you..."

Minamoto Tamako looked around confused, Mrs. Nakako half-laying against the wall, already incapable of moving. They couldn’t escape with an injured person, at least Tamako knew she couldn’t carry an adult — abandoning Mrs. Nakako would be the best choice for both.

"Serve your lord, be loyal to the Family Head."

Ono Ken shook the blood from her long blade, brushing the chrysanthemum pattern with her thumb. Unfastening half of her kimono, she solemnly said: "As long as I’m alive, I won’t let the mistress be harmed."

She was a maid, housekeeper, and cook of the Akihito Family, also its last guardian. Despite being looked down upon, doing the lowest tasks, she had no complaints whatsoever.

To her, the backbone of a samurai isn’t forged from steel but is a bamboo that bends yet doesn’t break.

As her words fell, three tree men flipped their limbs—clothed in hunting attire, they looked like spiders, quickly crawling down the hallway.

Seeing this, Minamoto Tamako gritted her teeth, fired twice, hitting the lead tree man’s knees. Seizing the moment as it toppled, she rushed into the room, mustering all her strength to barely carry Mrs. Nakako, careful not to press the dagger into her shoulder.

Ono Ken swung her katana again. Having practiced Sword Dao, her exposed shoulder muscles were distinct. The first tree man rushing in was cut in half, its remains twisting on the floor.

She turned back, asking Minamoto Tamako why she didn’t run. The latter, carrying Mrs. Nakako, struggled to say: "As a samurai, you wouldn’t abandon your lord and flee. As criminal police, I won’t abandon innocent people either!"

Ono Ken remained silent for a moment. She suddenly realized that Miss Tamako was different from those idle policemen. Though Fujiwara Section Chief also looked down on Miss Tamako, it didn’t stop her from being a good detective.

In a few exchanged words, they made a firm decision.

Ono Ken stepped forward to support, helping to lighten the weight. Minamoto Tamako immediately felt lighter, hastening her steps—like playing a three-legged race, they ran in sync.

They hadn’t run far when Minamoto Tamako looked back. The remaining two tree men crawled steadily on the ground, maintaining a distance; behind them stood a figure, holding a flashlight, deliberately shining it on Minamoto Tamako’s face, blinding her from discerning the person’s features.

Minamoto Tamako frowned, sensing something amiss. She aimed her gun backward—the tree men immediately halted, standing up to thoroughly shield the figure.

Seems rather weak...

She recollected that the tree men indeed lacked offensive power—no fangs, no strength, the only threatening attack being the poisonous tendril wrap—the tendrils weren’t particularly tough, cut with a single slash by Ono Ken.

Perhaps it’s just scary-looking, essentially a paper tiger?

Minamoto Tamako lowered the gun, slowed her pace; Ono Ken didn’t understand, turning to follow suit. Suddenly, the two tree men leaned down, rapidly crawling closer—Minamoto Tamako raised her gun again, the tree men stood, shielding the figure, wobbling like an old man strolling in the park.

"..."

Minamoto Tamako finally saw through it—it’s the culprit controlling those tree men. The opponent was wary of her handgun, using tree men as wooden shields; once they stood, their movement slowed, akin to an old man’s walking pace.

Realizing this, Minamoto Tamako held the gun sideways, mimicked a crab walk. Though slower, it was steady, minimizing further harm to Mrs. Nakako; while the figure used tree men to block the gunfire, they wouldn’t dare approach rashly—they were slow too.

Minamoto Tamako had one bullet left and couldn’t waste it. Both sides fell into a strange equilibrium, slowly racing down the corridor.

Feeling slightly uneasy, Ono Ken asked where they were headed. Minamoto Tamako replied: "Upstairs! As long as we go upstairs, we’ll be safe!"

She trusted Fushimi Roku; once they reached Fushimi, no one could harm them!

The trio dragged their heavy steps, passing through each room, entering the great hall. As they were about to cross it, the door suddenly opened and dense fog revealed two people conversing:

"What is this hell of a place, there’s no signal..."

"Hey! Is anyone there? We’re detectives from Chiyoda District Police Station..."

"Fujiwara Section Chief! Is Fujiwara Section Chief here?"

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