I barely rip the twisted elevator doors open before a shadow lunges at me.

  WHOOSH!

  A fist, fast, hard, decisive, and packed with all the pent-up panic of a cornered wolf, flies straight toward the center of my face. Or, to be more precise, it aims for the noble bridge of Kujo Reo's nose.

  "Oh, crap."

  My divine reflexes luckily save the day in the nick of time. I raise a hand and catch the fist wreathed in blue aura right before it can turn Reo's handsome face into a piece of abstract art.

  The impact is strong enough to make me slide back a few inches in mid-air.

  "Xiaolang..." I growl, staring into Kaito's eyes, which are currently bulging under Xiaolang's possession. "Calm down, kid. You almost dislocated the jaw of this Sensitive's million-dollar face. Do you have any idea how expensive plastic surgery is?"

  The wolf lad freezes, pulling his hand back as if burned. Behind him, Nanao pops his calico cat head out, his golden eyes blinking rapidly in shock.

  "Oh, damn..." Nanao gasps, his whiskers trembling. "Why are you here? And Zhen Shan too? When did everyone arrive? Why didn't you look for us earlier instead of letting us hide like sewer rats?"

  I roll my eyes, feeling a vein pulsing on my forehead. "Great question. You crawled into some corner and used the 'Seclusion' technique to block every single signal, so how are we supposed to find you with our naked eyes? Even Zhen Shan's Divine Sight couldn't penetrate your paranoid caution."

  I jerk my chin toward the space behind me, where the giant Chief Executioner hovers, his head hanging low, the top of his skull pierced by countless energy threads from the blue fire fox construct.

  "Besides, taming that big crazy guy over there took up quite a bit of our precious time," I add. "Did you think it was easy?"

  Nanao and Xiaolang look in the direction I point, their jaws dropping as they see the monster now behaving as docile as a giant lapdog.

  "Itsuki-san..." Nanao opens his mouth, likely to complain or maybe flatter me, but I immediately raise a hand to stop him.

  "Save it for later. Shut up and follow us this instant. We have to get the hell out of this godforsaken place. Hurry up."

  "Hurry up for what?" Nanao asks blankly, still not reading the room. "You tamed the big guy, didn't you? What is there to be afraid of?"

  Zhen Shan flies up beside me, his expression grave, as if the apocalypse is approaching (which, to be fair, it almost is). He checks his watch, his voice icy.

  "Hurry up before the Rescue Team receives the deployment order. And more importantly, hurry up before Itsuki starts wailing loudly and spirals into depression because of the departmental budget deficit."

  The keywords "budget" and the image of "Itsuki wailing" seem to possess a psychological destructive power far more terrifying than the Executioners themselves.

  Both Xiaolang and Nanao shudder violently. They look at each other, sheer terror visible in the depths of their eyes. It seems the memory of last year's bonus cuts, when I mercilessly tortured the whole office with four-hour lectures on frugality every day, still haunts their fragile minds.

  "Go! Go now, Boss! I don't want to hear another lecture on macroeconomics!" Xiaolang screams, hoisting the injured man on his back.

  Watching our two subordinates run for their lives toward the building with the elevator Zhen Shan and I just stepped out of, I cannot help but shake my head in admiration.

  "They are so obedient, aren't they?" I smirk at Zhen Shan. "A little scare sets them straight immediately."

  We drag our exhausted bodies back to the Sensitive Hub when the wall clock already reads just past 9 PM. The atmosphere in the lobby remains tranquil, fragrant with the scent of agarwood, a stark contrast to the noisy and putrid hell we just escaped from.

  The injured man, whose arm has now regrown but whose complexion remains as ashen as death, is urgently rushed into the special medical room in the rear area. It seems the wounds caused by the Executors involve more than just physical damage. Their claws and teeth carry a type of necrotic toxin from the F-rank world, making treatment via standard Laws much more difficult. Fortunately, his life force is strong, and his soul hasn't suffered too critical damage, so he manages to cling to his wretched life.

  Zhen Shan, with his suit covered in dust but his demeanor still as commanding as a general, immediately calls to mobilize a security squad to guard the man and wait to take his statement.

  "I must go into the office area to handle the incident report and coordinate personnel immediately," he says in a low voice, then turns and walks briskly toward the corridor leading to the Jade Palace Conglomerate's private sector. The massive back of the Tiger God gradually disappears behind the door. It looks like the Security Team is going to receive another pile of work today.

  At this moment, only I, Nanao, Xiaolang, Kaito, and Reo remain in the waiting lounge.

  As the gods separate from their Vessels, this is the first time Kaito and Reo actually see each other's faces bare. In the eyes of Sensitives and Deities, when a person is possessed by a god, the spiritual image of that god overlays the physical body, completely obscuring the original appearance. Now, that veil has been removed.

  Reo, the handsome teacher with messy platinum hair and dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep, stares at the high school kid standing huddled before him.

  "Oh," Reo exclaims, his tone laced with a hint of surprise. "A new Sensitive who is only sixteen? That is admittedly young. I thought I was already considered a 'prodigy' when I started this hazardous profession ten years ago at the age of twenty."

  "That is nothing, Mr. Reo. The company record is a twelve-year-old girl. And guess who recruited her? It was none other than my boss Itsuki here," Nanao says, draping an arm around my shoulder and boasting proudly.

  Reo puts a hand to his forehead, sighing deeply. "Why do I keep feeling like my boss is running a large-scale illegal child labor ring? Recruiting minors into dangerous environments... Tsk tsk."

  "Forget it," he shrugs helplessly. "The Nexus does not have laws against child labor anyway."

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  "This is called the 'fattening them up for the slaughter' tactic!" Xiaolang interjects, grinning to reveal his white wolf teeth with an expression of feigned innocence.

  I whip around, glaring at the wolf until his fur practically singes. "What kind of example is that, you brat?! I am nurturing talent! I am planting seeds for the future of humanity!"

  While we are arguing about professional ethics, Kaito has not yet recovered from the culture shock and the terror he just experienced. The kid just stands there, hands clasped together, bowing to me repeatedly like he is worshipping a star.

  "Thank you, Itsuki-sama! Thank you for saving my life! I promise to work like a dog..."

  Looking at his pathetic state, I suddenly remember an extremely serious problem, perhaps even more terrifying than the trip we just took.

  I glance at the clock.

  21:55.

  Nearly 10 PM. A well-behaved student coming home late, missing without contact...

  "Oh crap," I mumble. "Your parents must be freaking out."

  Hearing this, Kaito jumps, his face draining of all blood. He pulls out his spirit phone, which has now reconnected to the human network. The screen lights up with dozens of missed calls from "Beloved Mom" and "Dad."

  "Oh my god..." Kaito groans, his hands shaking uncontrollably. "How do I explain this to my parents?! They definitely called the police already! I am dead meat! Staying in hell would be better than going home right now!"

  In utter despair, the kid rushes over and grabs the hem of my suit jacket, his eyes welling up with tears.

  "Itsuki-sama!!! Please... please use a Law to brainwash my parents?! Make them forget they have a son who came home late! Or make them think I am at a friend's house?! Please, sir!!!"

  I knock him lightly on the head.

  "Brainwash, my ass! Before going on a mission, why did you not send a text? Something like 'I am going to the movies with friends and will be late,' or 'I am studying at a friend's house'? It takes no time at all, and now you burden me with spending FP to brainwash mortals?"

  "I am sorry! I am sorry!" Kaito bows low, his voice tearful. "I promise to be more careful next time! I will report my schedule fully!"

  "Just let the kid off the hook a bit, boss," Nanao says, wagging his tail in defense. "After all, he performed very impressively on his very first mission. He has got guts, daring to attempt the elevator game a second time. Consider it a bonus reward."

  I sigh, my annoyance subsiding somewhat. Looking at the trembling kid, I feel a bit of pity. After all, I was the one who dragged him into this mess.

  "Fine," I say, my voice softening. "Just this once. Let's go, let me take you home. I will stop by your house to 'tweak' your parents' memories a bit."

  I transform into a beam of white light and enter Kaito's body.

  Reo stands up, adjusting the collar of his trench coat. "I will head back first then. I have an early class tomorrow. Goodbye, colleagues."

  After speaking, the teacher walks out the door, and to Kaito's utter astonishment, Reo launches himself into the night sky, his body gradually becoming transparent before vanishing completely into the darkness.

  "Huh???" Kaito exclaims inside my mind. "Sensitives can fly on their own without a god possessing them? And turn invisible too?"

  "What is so strange about that," I explain as I control Kaito's body to fly leisurely around Tokyo's skyscrapers. "For a veteran like Reo, this is as natural as breathing. At a Senior level like him, a mortal body can contain and utilize natural spiritual energy proficiently. Just try to work hard, and in... a few years, maybe you will be able to fly like that too."

  I steer Kaito's body and stealthily open the apartment door. As soon as I step into the living room, the tension hits me like a storm. Kaito's father is pacing back and forth, phone pressed tight to his ear, his face a mask of utter anxiety. His mother is huddled on the sofa, hands clasped together, muttering a prayer.

  Snap!

  Before the two guardians can even realize their precious son has returned, I snap my fingers lightly. An invisible wave of energy sweeps through the room.

  Both Kaito's father and mother instantly collapse, snoring loudly like puppets with their strings cut.

  "Heavy," I grumble, using divine power to assist Kaito's weak muscles in carrying each of them to the bedroom. "Remind your parents to go on a diet next time, Kaito."

  After settling the two parents comfortably in bed, I return to the living room and grab his father's phone. The screen lights up, displaying a dense call history. Dozens of outgoing calls to the emergency number 110.

  "How troublesome," I click my tongue. "Going to the police station to brainwash the entire duty team would be too expensive."

  I search through Kaito's memories, extracting a sample of his father's voice. Then, I clear my throat, adjusting my vocal cords (well, Kaito's vocal cords) to match that specific frequency.

  I dial the nearest police station.

  "Hello, Nerima Police Station speaking?"

  "Ah, hello officer," I say, my voice a deep, resonant bass identical to Kaito's father. "This is Ishikawa. Yes, about my son. I apologize for bothering you, but the boy just got home. He was too engrossed in video games at his friend's house after cram school and forgot to text. Yes, yes, he is safe, everything is fine. Thank you very much. Sorry for the false alarm. Goodbye."

  Call ended. One job done.

  I dash up to Kaito's bedroom, sit at the desk, grab a manga, and flip to a random page.

  "Ready, kid?"

  I snap my fingers a second time.

  Downstairs, Mr. and Mrs. Ishikawa startle awake, drenched in cold sweat.

  They rush upstairs and burst into their son's room.

  And there he is, Kaito, sitting and reading manga, his expression as calm as any other day. He looks up, his eyes (controlled by me) wide with innocent confusion.

  "Huh? What is wrong, Mom, Dad? Why do you two look so panicked?"

  Kaito's parents freeze, looking at their son, then at each other. The memory of the earlier panic suddenly becomes blurry, distant like a fading dream. Instead, another memory, normal and peaceful, floods in to fill the gap: Kaito coming home from school on time, the family having dinner together, and then him going upstairs to study.

  "Ah... it is nothing, honey," Kaito's mother sighs in relief, stroking her chest. "Mom and Dad... just had a nightmare. Go to sleep early, okay?"

  They close the door, leaving me and Kaito in the quiet room.

  I exit the boy's body, materializing as the nine-tailed fox floating in mid-air.

  "Sir... how did you do that?" Kaito asks, his eyes wide and round. "My parents... do they really believe I was home all evening?"

  "Just basic technique," I shrug, smoothing my white fur. "I inserted a segment of false memory into their brains. That memory overwrites the time you were missing in action. When two memories overlap, the human brain tends to choose the one that is more 'normal' and 'logical' to believe as truth. As for the memory of that panic, it gets pushed down into a bad dream. It saves more FP than wiping the slate clean."

  "Itsuki-sama!!!" Kaito rushes forward, hugging me tight. "You are my savior for the nth time! I am forever in your debt!"

  I smile, patting the boy's head gently. "Alright, alright, stop being cheesy. You are still green and inexperienced, and there is a lot to learn to become a professional Sensitive. Let me show you the first step."

  I point to the spiritual phone in his hand. "Open the GodStore."

  Kaito complies. The interface of the divine app store appears with thousands of glittering icons.

  "Find an app called SensitiveTrainer and download it."

  It takes only seconds to install. When Kaito opens the app, it does not require a login or account creation. A light scans his face, and immediately, the interface switches to a personal profile.

  [Sensitive Profile: Kaito Ishikawa]

  [Affiliation: The Jade Palace Conglomerate - Sector 1031]

  [Rank: Fresher]

  [Missions Completed: 1 - Rating: Excellent]

  [Spiritual Energy Stat: 150/5000]

  [Learned Skills: Aura Concealment (Beginner), Divine Connection (Beginner)]

  "Woah!" Kaito cheers. "It knows everything about me! Even the hell incident!"

  "Naturally," I nod. "The Nexus server updates in real-time. This will be your training manual. It contains meditation exercises, guides on controlling spiritual energy, and even simulated missions for you to practice."

  I look at the boy, my gaze becoming slightly more serious.

  "Work hard, Kaito. Once you reach the Junior rank, your soul will be taken up to The Nexus for the official promotion ceremony. Not everyone gets the chance to tour Headquarters, you know. That is a privilege."