Same day. 7:47 PM. Roppongi Grand Tower, 51st Floor. Restaurant Moonlight, VIP Room.
After borrowing the shower in the Director’s office and being provided with a chic black dress, I carefully applied my makeup, fixed my hair, and arrived at the location specified on the reservation ticket. Kamikura had dropped me off at Roppongi Hills, but he had been in a foul mood even before getting into the car, and we exchanged only the bare minimum of words during the ride. Despite all his excuses, he probably just didn’t like the idea of me meeting Tetsuya alone.
The night view of Tokyo from the VIP room was absolutely stunning. Each individual light felt like proof of peace, representing the lives of various people.
CODE:AW. What on earth did it stand for…?
Various spellings came to mind, but the ‘W’ likely stood for Witch. The ‘A’ could be Absolute, or Ancient… many things fit, but…
In terms of meaning, a witch with absolute power. That must be what an AW is. But… is that really the truth?
“Asami. How have you been?”
When the clock’s hands pointed to 7:55 PM, the door to the room opened, and Tetsuya appeared in a splendid black suit. With a refreshing, slightly long hairstyle, it seemed he had built up quite a muscular physique during the time we hadn’t seen each other.
“Tetsuya, you’ve really built yourself up. You used to be quite slender back in our student days.”
“Well, the police academy was pretty tough. Since returning to Japan, I’ve also been dedicating myself to judo and kendo. I am a police officer, after all.”
“Thank you for inviting me today. And congratulations on your promotion to Superintendent.”
“Thank you. It’s been a long time since we last met. I’m happy too.”
Tetsuya looked genuinely pleased. I feel like we kept in touch quite often after graduating from college. However, as I moved on to the NYPD and then the FBI, it was also true that we lost the time to have slow, leisurely conversations. Tetsuya was a police bureaucrat, and I belonged to the FBI’s NSB. Due to the nature of our professions, we were no longer in positions where we could talk casually.
“Well then, to our reunion. Cheers.”
Champagne had been poured into our glasses. We met each other’s eyes and clinked our glasses together.
Tetsuya smiled gently.
“You’ve grown even more beautiful since I last saw you. I envy Kamikura.”
“I’m sorry. I really wanted the three of us to celebrate together. But Kamikura couldn’t make the time…”
“Well, I fully predicted he wouldn’t come, so it’s not a problem. You didn’t show him the letter exactly as it was written, did you?”
“Not exactly. If I showed it to him directly, I don’t think he’d speak to me for a while. Given what it said.”
That was the reason I had summarized the letter when I told Kamikura about it.
For a while after that, we enjoyed the champagne and course meal while reminiscing about fun memories. It was mostly stories from our college days. Surprisingly, Tetsuya and Kamikura shared common hobbies and got along quite well, as I recall.
Those days were truly fun.
The three of us often studied together, played sports, and went to movies and concerts.
It feels like we were always together.
“Asami. How does this night view of Tokyo look to you?”
“What’s with the sudden question?”
Taking a sip of his champagne, Tetsuya gazed out at the night view and asked. It was a picture-perfect composition, but this was no time to let myself get drunk and stare in admiration.
“Let’s see… Each individual light is a proof of peace. We must fulfill our duties with all our might to protect these beautiful, individual moments of happiness. I suppose I’m always thinking that.”
This world is built upon countless people interacting closely with one another. This society is composed of each person doing various jobs. There is no superiority or inferiority in that. It’s often said that human connections are becoming thinner, but there isn’t a single person who can live completely alone. I strongly believe that everyone is seeking a connection somewhere.
“To me… this night view of Tokyo seems like a fake peace itself. It looks bright and beautiful, but if you strain your eyes, there are many places the light doesn’t reach. A night view looks beautiful precisely because there is light within the darkness. I can’t shake the feeling that the contrast between the light and the darkness is growing starker every day…”
“In our home country, and in Japan too, the disparity only continues to widen, and the vulnerable keep increasing. Politics are corrupt, and the very system of the nation is beginning to collapse. I feel that every day, too…”
Whether he was drunk or simply had something on his mind, Tetsuya gazed at the night view with a glass in one hand. Tetsuya’s father was a heavyweight politician, and his mother was an executive at Kirimine Heavy Industries, a globally famous corporation. I remember him mentioning before that he was sick and tired of people with various ulterior motives clinging to him day in and day out.
Thinking about that, just as Tetsuya said, this night view might indeed be a fleeting, transient peace.
“Sorry. I seem to be a little drunk.”
Tetsuya said with a gentle smile. The course meal had concluded, and the final dessert was brought out. A cute pudding à la mode. It seemed Tetsuya had opted for coffee jelly. For my slightly tipsy body, the cold pudding and the not-too-sweet whipped cream elevated my sense of happiness. Was it about time?
“Tetsuya. I’d like to get down to business soon.”
I wiped my mouth with a napkin. At my words, Tetsuya smiled.
“Understood. Let’s go somewhere else to drink. I know the perfect place.”
Well, I had fully expected it to come to this. This room might be a somewhat secure location, but I also had various things I wanted to ask him in secret. My intoxication had cooled down to some extent, too. Even if he tried to push me down by some chance, I could handle it.
And so, we left the restaurant.
Same day. 11:47 PM. Minato Ward, Tokyo. Azabu. A certain location.
“Make yourself at home. Let’s start with a fresh drink.”
Taking his car from Roppongi, we arrived at Tetsuya’s house. This was apparently one of his many safe houses. For cars equipped with level 4 autonomous driving or higher, as long as the autopilot was activated, it wasn’t considered drunk driving even if you had been drinking. Though you couldn’t be sitting in the driver’s seat alone.
Guided to a high-quality sofa, Tetsuya brought over brandy and some chocolate for a snack.
“I wanted to drink this with you, Asami.”
I recognized the brand immediately from its distinctive bottle. It was the high-end brandy, Rémy Martin. Louis XIII. Illuminated by the dim, indirect lighting, the bottle looked incredibly beautiful. Tetsuya was skilled at setting the mood, too. Classical piano music was playing at a quiet volume.
“Tetsuya. There are several things I want to ask you.”
“Go ahead.”
I took a small sip of the brandy and a piece of chocolate. As expected of Louis XIII, which costs hundreds of thousands of yen. A mellow, rich flavor spread through my mouth. The chocolate was refined and not too sweet, either.
“I’ll be blunt: how much do you know?”
“Let’s see… As for the skeletonization incidents, we haven’t found a single clue on our end either. It’s true I wanted to reunite with you at this dinner, but the fact that I want to deepen our cooperation with the UCIA Japan Branch is also true. I’ve been having frequent meetings with your Director.”
“What is your view, Tetsuya… regarding the mastermind behind these incidents?”
“…These spirited away type incidents have been happening in Japan since ancient times. This is a country said to have eight million gods. Spiritual incidents do indeed exist. There are even secret investigative organizations specializing in spiritual cases. Though this is a top-secret matter.”
(An investigative organization specializing in spiritual cases… I thought that was what Tetsuya had established as Public Security Section 7. Does that mean another investigative organization exists?)
“Is that investigative organization a separate entity from your Public Security Section 7?”
“It’s not officially public, but it’s said to correspond to Public Security Section 6. Though even with my authority, I still haven’t fully grasped the reality of Section 6. Public Security Section 7 is—”
Tetsuya took a sip of his brandy. Then, looking me in the eyes, he spoke.
“An investigative organization specializing in anti-AW operations. That is Public Security Section 7.”
Saying so, Tetsuya popped a piece of chocolate into his mouth.
“Originally, we called them ‘witches,’ but after repeated meetings with Director Hardy, I thought it would be better for us to unify our terminology to AW as well. Various domestic organizations are involved in the establishment of Section 7. The construction of the UCIA Japan Branch’s Ground Base also involved close consultation with the Pentagon and the Security Bureau. That facility is an extraterritorial zone where Japanese law does not apply.”
Regarding Ground Base, I felt like Kamikura had said something intriguing about it as well…
“About Ground Base. Is it true that the Japanese side came up with all the construction funds?”
“It’s true. In exchange for providing the land and construction funds, that location holds a certain secret.”
Tetsuya took another sip of his brandy.
“Take a look at this. You should be able to figure it out, Asami.”
With that, Tetsuya handed me a tablet displaying a map. It was a map of the Tokyo area. And the location of the National Diet Building was marked on it.
“Is this… it can’t be…”
Connecting a line from the National Diet Building to Ground Base. And the facility at the end of that line was…
“Yes, what lies beyond it is the US military’s Yokota Air Base. In the event of a mega-earthquake or other major disaster, Ground Base also functions as a temporary emergency evacuation site for the Japanese government. Then, via a secretly constructed subway, they head to Yokota Air Base. It serves as an emergency evacuation route to escape the country.”
My god…
“So, to secure their own emergency evacuation route, they handed over the depths of Shinjuku to the US and even footed the bill?”
“That’s what it comes down to. When I learned of this, even I felt a surge of anger… But under the treaty, the Japanese government cannot refuse requests to provide bases for the US military. In the event of a mega-earthquake, there’s a high probability that government functions will be paralyzed. It’s an evacuation route anticipating the worst-case scenario. It’s also the darkness of the occupation policy that continues to this day, post-war…”
Following the end of World War II, Japan was subjected to a thorough occupation policy. The period of rapid economic growth was fine, but since the burst of the bubble economy, it has been on a path of gradual decline. Of course, our home country is no exception, but the globally unstable situation is accelerating it. Population growth in developing countries, subsequent immigration, the widening gap between rich and poor—the problems are piling up. In Japan, in particular, government corruption is rampant, and with espionage activities by foreign powers, the country has currently fallen into a terrible state.
“Next, it’s my turn to ask a question. Did you get any leads at the Alsard Girls’ Academy?”
As expected, he already had a grasp on our movements.
“…A student named Ayuka Hojo knew quite a bit about AW. Judging from her tone, there’s a possibility of victims within the Church as well. It seemed the Church didn’t want us finding out anything beyond that, so the interview was abruptly terminated.”
“…I see. We’ve also been keeping tabs on the six girls interning at the Alsard Church. Though I was surprised to find the daughter of Kirimine Heavy Industries among them.”
Tetsuya showed me several images.
“Yuika Kirimine. The only daughter of Takayuki Kirimine, the CEO of Kirimine Heavy Industries. She’s always been spotted together with Hojo. Not to mention her lovely beauty, she excels in her studies, is an all-around athlete, and is adored by underclassmen. She’s a flawless student.”
A slender girl with beautiful, bright chestnut long hair. Her hair reached down to about her waist. The photo of her happily walking along the school route with Hojo-san was heartwarming.
“Do you have a grasp on the other four as well?”
“I’ll give you the data on these six when you leave. If it’s student data for the Alsard Girls’ Academy, it’s relatively easy to obtain within the police force. But when it comes to internal Church data, it’s not going to be that simple.”
As expected of the Public Security Bureau. But judging from his tone, extracting data from within the Church would indeed be difficult.
“By the way… how many people have had missing persons reports filed recently? Aside from the Yuna Hamano case, are there any people who went missing around the Girls’ Academy?”
“I cross-referenced the data from the Community Safety Bureau as well, but there were no apparent matches under ‘Special Missing Persons’—the classification requiring urgency and implying a possible crime. Without information from the inside, it’ll be difficult to identify any missing persons within the Church.”
“I see… Either way, we need to somehow obtain information from inside the Church…”
I took a sip of brandy. We had to get our hands on the Church’s internal intel somehow. I wanted to extract information from one of those six girls, but the Church was likely on high alert against our movements. I doubt they would grant us another interview. Even if they did, a gag order would surely be in place regarding that information. In that case, would an information offensive from Chris be necessary after all…?
“There are various questionable aspects regarding the Alsard Church. Public Security has been keeping tabs on them for a long time… But, since you were in the NSB, Asami, I think you understand—there’s no opening to exploit whatsoever. Their influence grows day by day, and their support from the vulnerable demographics is overwhelming. We can’t afford to make any careless moves on our end, either. That’s also part of the reason for our cooperative framework.”
“True… It’s reassuring for UCIA to be able to cooperate with Public Security. New victims appear on the night of a full moon. To prevent the next incident from happening, let’s work together on the investigation moving forward.”
Borrowing the power of Public Security would help us in various ways. Obtaining the data of the six girls frequenting the Church would surely be useful for future investigations. Tetsuya was also exceptionally sharp-minded. It was truly reassuring.
At the same time, he was also the person I needed to be most cautious of. The greatest ally secretly colluding with the enemy is a common story. Though it’s unlikely he’s connected to AW, Tetsuya is ultimately a man of Japan’s Public Security. He isn’t a complete ally. My own position as a member of a US investigative agency felt frustrating.
“Is Kamikura… doing well?”
Tetsuya asked, tilting his glass.
“He’s the same as always, but… I’m sorry for causing you so much worry when he suddenly vanished from the FBI a year and a half ago…”
I remember causing Tetsuya terrible worry back then. Tetsuya cared for me and called frequently. To the point where I almost wanted to surrender myself entirely to his kindness.
“There’s no need to apologize for that time. I’m just happy that you’ve gotten back on your feet, Asami. And that you came to Japan like this.”
“Um, about Kamikura…”
Tetsuya was the only one I could consult about this. Let alone UCIA, I didn’t even know who among my former FBI colleagues might be connected to what. I felt like everyone had indirectly warned me, Don’t pry into Kamikura’s affairs.
“He isn’t the Kamikura we knew… His smile has completely vanished, and he emits an aura of intense hatred directed at something. To the point where no one can approach him. Kamikura transferred from the FBI to a certain agency, sustained critical injuries there, and after barely surviving, was assigned to UCIA. That blank one year—it’s highly classified, and I have no idea what happened…”
My voice naturally trembled. What had stolen Kamikura’s smile—?
“I heard from my subordinates. Said he was an incredibly unsociable man. I was surprised too when your Director told me he was assigned to UCIA. I requested a meeting, but it seems Kamikura had no intention of accepting…”
“Tetsuya… Kamikura’s blank one year. I want to know what happened. Unless I find that out, I feel like he can’t be saved. …Please, lend me your strength.”
It was strange. For some reason, my voice became tearful… My body intuitively understood, through its sixth sense, just how dangerous this was. And my heart ached bitterly at my own selfish weakness in trying to drag Tetsuya into it.
“Asami…”
Tetsuya sat gently beside me. Then, he pulled me into a close embrace.
“Kamikura’s situation has been bothering me for a long time too. If possible, I want the three of us to laugh together again like we did in college. I’ll do whatever I can. I will always be on your side, Asami, no matter what position I’m in. So please, rely on me anytime.”
Tetsuya’s words… At his kindness, my emotions… overflowed all at once.
Tears welled up, and though I tried to say something, no words came out. I simply began to sob, clinging to him as if I needed something to hold onto. Inside Tetsuya’s warm chest, various emotions became a jumbled mess, and even I couldn’t understand them…
“Asami… Don’t push yourself too hard. You’ve always been like this. When it hurts, it’s okay to cry. People can keep living and looking forward precisely because they shed tears. No matter what happens to you, Asami, I will continue to care for you. You’re not alone. I’ll always be by your side.”
Even though I knew Tetsuya’s feelings painfully well… I had used them, and dragged him into this… I couldn’t turn back now…
Suffering from the pangs of my conscience, I simply cried inside Tetsuya’s warm chest…
I cried and cried, unable to do anything but continue crying…