In the end, the other party emphasized once again that he should not act rashly, since the opponent’s psychic abilities were still unclear, and they needed to avoid alerting the target or causing unnecessary danger.

Actually, even if the other party hadn’t said this, Edward Harris wouldn’t have tried to play the hero on his own.

To be a hero, you need the strength to match.

Even though he was now supposedly an [Shadow Step] ability user, his second-tier, first-level ability was really nothing to brag about.

As for Edward Harris’s long-standing side job as a street discipline committee member, that was just an extracurricular assignment given to students by Takehara South Esper High School, counted as part of the end-of-term credit assessment... Well, maybe the Esper Academy also wanted to show goodwill to the city government and ordinary citizens.

If you had to compare, it was about the same as a neighborhood security guard—everyone looked tall, strong, and full of spirit, but it was more of a “show post.” If they really had to fight crime like the police, forget about it...

......

The evening wind swept up withered yellow leaves. On the pitch-black street, Edward Harris trailed far behind the two people ahead, took several stops on the tram, and then exited at the long-distance bus station in Shibuya.

Along the way, the suspect girl didn’t do anything out of line. Edward Harris even vaguely felt that she seemed a bit nervous, in a state of mental tension.

Well, if you’ve committed a crime and are afraid of being caught, it makes sense to be nervous—this only strengthened Edward Harris’s suspicion that the girl under the hoodie was almost certainly the cat burglar.

......

Even after nine o’clock at night, the brightly lit Shibuya long-distance bus station was still bustling with people. After all, this was New Tokyo, a prosperous city known as “Academy City” in the Land of Wa.

Edward Harris kept his eyes on the entrance of the ticket hall and noticed that the petite girl in the black hoodie didn’t go in. Travis Clark, who was in front of her, turned around and entered the ticket hall alone.

Hmm?

Was he going to help her buy a ticket?

Was she planning to leave Tokyo?

A thoughtful look appeared on Edward Harris’s face.

Before long, the middle-aged man came out with the ticket, his eyes vacant, and handed both the ticket and the leftover change to the girl in front of him.

The girl in the black hoodie took the money and ticket, looked down carefully at the destination on the ticket, and her body trembled slightly with what seemed like joy. She then carefully tucked the ticket into her chest.

Next, she stuffed the leftover change into the man’s wallet. Her hand paused halfway, then she pulled out several large-denomination bills from her own wallet and put them into the man’s wallet as well. After that, she pressed her palms together and gave a small bow to the still-dazed man to express her thanks.

“Hmm... she’s pretty particular about how she does things.”

Edward Harris thought to himself. The middle-aged man had his wallet emptied by his female subordinate’s honey trap tonight, and probably never dreamed he’d recover some of his losses from a wanted female thief.

But just then, without warning, a long police siren blared in his ears.

Immediately after, the red and blue flashing lights of police cars completely illuminated the darkness around the station.

One police car after another quickly and orderly stopped in the open area at the entrance of the long-distance bus station. Overhead, the sound of helicopter rotors could even be heard slicing through the air. This arrest operation was clearly on a whole different level.

Edward Harris felt a bit puzzled. Even if the theft involved a large sum, the Metropolitan Police Department probably wouldn’t take it this seriously.

Was it because the cat girl had Celestial blood?

The Celestials established the World Government over a thousand years ago, becoming the rulers above the more than three hundred countries of this world, enjoying privileges unimaginable to ordinary people—practically real-life “world nobles.”

Even if the cat girl was a half-blood and not a true Celestial, if she committed a crime, her arrest would likely require arbitration by the World Government. That would explain why the New Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department was taking this so seriously.

As soon as the police cars stopped, a large number of officers in Third Investigation Unit uniforms jumped out, quickly surrounding the area around the long-distance bus station like two black snakes in the darkness.

The travelers in the station were all surprised, then looked around in confusion.

What’s going on?

......

At the entrance of the ticket hall.

The girl under the hoodie tensed up instantly like a startled cat, her body going rigid. She glanced around in panic, ignored the middle-aged man beside her, picked a direction, and hurried off with her head down.

It was a while after the girl left before Travis Clark’s eyes gradually cleared. Startled by the surrounding commotion, he looked around in confusion.

Why am I at the long-distance bus station?

His head felt a bit foggy and aching, as if there was a gap in his memory. He vaguely remembered seeing a girl with very unusual eyes.

Right... the girl!

Travis Clark seemed to recall something, but also felt like he remembered nothing at all. In his dazed state, he suddenly realized he was still holding his wallet. Looking down, he was shocked to find several large-denomination bills in what had been an empty wallet.

What’s going on???

......

“Is the suspect confirmed to be at the station?”