Same day. 6:37 AM. UCIA Japan Branch Investigation Base. Ground Base Underground Passage.
The UCIA Japan Branch was located deep beneath Shinjuku. According to Kamikura, it was situated 150 meters underground. There was probably a dedicated passage from the Metropolitan Expressway. Before I knew it, the car was heading underground.
“Still, why is the UCIA Japan Branch so deep underground? It might be for earthquake countermeasures, but isn’t this a bit too extensive?”
Kamikura was at the wheel. I looked at his face from the passenger seat.
“I’ve heard there are corresponding reasons. UCIA was established under special circumstances to begin with, and due to the nature of the incidents, there are probably things they don’t want to make public. Including the fact that our official front is specializing in unknown and unsolved cases. Information regarding CODE:AW hasn’t even been shared with the FBI or CIA.”
“…Can I ask you a question?”
“What is it?”
“It’s true that mysterious skeletonization incidents are gradually occurring more frequently around the world. There might be some spiritual entity behind them. But looking at 2025 alone, the number of victims is less than 150. Yes, they are multiple, incomprehensible, and identical incidents. But what’s the reason for the Pentagon to take jurisdiction and investigate this on such a massive scale, using so much budget and equipment?”
It was what I honestly thought. Perhaps too much information had come in the other day, and I hadn’t been able to judge things calmly, but I felt the investigative setup was far too rigorous for the scale of the incidents. I understand that we have no idea who or what we’re up against, and that it’s extremely dangerous, but are facilities, training, and equipment to this extent really necessary?
“Himemiya. Hypothetically speaking. What if an overseas branch of the UCIA, located in some remote region, was attacked by a single, unidentifiable individual, and the branch was driven to total destruction… If there was such a story, what would you think of our current setup?”
(…What?)
“And on top of that, the opponent had no weapons. What if they were unarmed?”
“…I don’t know the scale or personnel of that branch, nor the circumstances under which it was destroyed, but if that were true, I suppose I could understand it from a security standpoint…”
It was a sudden story. He mentioned an overseas UCIA branch, but… how much of it was true, and how much was a lie?
“That hypothetical story… roughly when did it happen?”
“……”
As expected, Kamikura didn’t answer. The part about an overseas UCIA branch being attacked by someone seemed likely to be a lie. The UCIA Japan Branch had only recently been established. Hayama, in charge of procurement, was assigned six months ago. Chris, who was involved in system design, was assigned a year ago. Considering the scale of the Japan Branch, construction probably started two or three years ago.
At the stage of building the Japan Branch, it was already decided to construct a high-security facility. In other words, if the attack incident was true, it must have occurred more than two or three years ago.
It’s possible that overseas branches existed long before that, but Kamikura’s hypothetical story was probably about the UCIA’s predecessor organization. Assuming the organization Kamikura transferred to from the FBI was the UCIA’s predecessor…
Was Kamikura critically injured in that attack…? However, that wouldn’t line up with the construction timeline…
Considering that, Kamikura must have learned that information after his transfer from the FBI, and his severe injury is a separate matter. If the organization Kamikura was in was also attacked by someone and he was severely injured, it would mean they were attacked again.
“…Director Hardy also mentioned that it’s more dangerous here than in the FBI. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“As long as you understand that, I won’t say anything more.”
As we talked, we came out into an open area at the end of a long descent.
“It also serves as an entrance for bringing in supplies, but originally, this is the main entrance. The pedestrian route from the surface is a secret route used under special circumstances.”
“Amazing… looking at it like this, it’s a complete military base.”
In the open space 150 meters underground, there were watchtowers with searchlights in all four corners. A large supply entrance capable of accommodating at least three large trailers. From the rotary to the entrance of the UCIA facility, several heavily armed soldiers in body armor holding assault rifles stood guard. Two rather large, unfamiliar aircraft, appearing to be UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), were parked, and several wheeled armored vehicles were stationed there.
“Second Lieutenant Kamikura, Second Lieutenant Himemiya, good work.”
As we got out of the car, a guard saluted us.
“I assume you’ve realized this, but UCIA is a military organization directly under the Pentagon. Our position is that of military personnel, and our rank is Second Lieutenant. Don’t forget that.”
Kamikura returned the guard’s salute. I followed suit.
Operation Room. The time was nearing 7:30 AM.
“Good morning, Kamikura-kun. Himemiya-san, you’ve had a rough morning as well. Chris is brewing some delicious tea, so just relax and wait.”
Hayama was already there. Chris came in shortly after.
“Good morning! Here’s some delicious morning tea!”
Chris looked somewhat sleepy. She began pouring tea for everyone with practiced hands.
“Make mine coffee.”
“I know without you having to tell me.”
Kamikura was unsociable as always. Chris seemed used to it, as she had brought coffee for him.
“Oh, Himemiya-san, are you a tea person? Or would you prefer coffee?”
“Ah, either is fine with me.”
To be honest, I was more used to drinking coffee. Kamikura’s influence was a big part of why I had come to appreciate the taste. Meanwhile, the Director arrived.
“Alright, everyone. Let’s sort through the information.”
Chris operated her terminal, projecting a summary of the current incident, and began her explanation.
“According to the lab’s DNA analysis, there’s no doubt the victim is Yuna Hamano, a third-year student at St. Alsard Girls’ High School. She hadn’t returned home since the night of the 26th, and a missing person report was filed with the police on the 27th. They apparently launched a public investigation on the morning of the 28th. This is still unconfirmed, but it seems there was a leak to the media from within the police department…”
A black-haired girl was displayed on the screen. Her hair was relatively long, but she had no particularly distinguishing features. She looked like an ordinary girl you could find anywhere.
“Speaking of St. Alsard Girls’ Academy, it’s famous nowadays as an ultra-elite school for young ladies. I hear the Theology Department is quite strict, though. Was the victim a student in the Theology Department?”
Hayama asked.
“The victim, Hamano-san, was a student in Theology Class 3-A. Her grades were average, and there didn’t seem to be any particular issues. She belonged to the chess club and apparently attended club activities normally. According to Kamikura-san’s inquiries the other day, the president of the chess club wasn’t at school, so he couldn’t speak with her…”
“I’m scheduled to follow up on that today. It seems the chess club president often goes to St. Alsard Church as an intern.”
“Umm, this is her.”
Chris operated the terminal, displaying the data.
“Ayuka Hojo. Her grades are exceptionally excellent, putting her at the top of the Theology Department. On the other hand, she seems to be terrible at sports and mostly observes P.E. classes. She has a younger sister named Mayumi, who is in her first year. Mayumi, however, seems to be quite the troublemaker…”
“Well, a brilliant older sister and an underachieving younger sister… it’s a common story. She’s apparently called into the faculty room quite often because of her sister. However, they lost their parents at a young age, and it seems the older sister has been trying extremely hard…”
His words had a bit of a sting to them, but he must have investigated thoroughly. From the image, she had beautiful, long black hair tied back, with some hair left hanging down the sides. Wearing black-rimmed glasses, she looked the picture of a serious, diligent girl. It was likely her student ID photo.
“She seemed to have had at least some interaction with the victim through the club. I’m going to ask around about that today.”
“Himemiya, you will accompany him on inquiries starting today. Up until now, Kamikura has been conducting investigations alone, but from now on, I want the two of you to work together. Make sure to support each other properly.”
“Understood.”
Whether he was dissatisfied or not, Kamikura didn’t react to Director Hardy’s words. His expression made it impossible to tell what he was thinking. Though it might just be his usual unsociability.
“The victim seemed to have a very introverted personality and didn’t have any particularly close friends. Based on the CODE:AW applicable investigation laws, we combed through her social media, but she didn’t seem to have anyone close there either. She occasionally posted short sentences or pictures of the sky, nothing that stood out. We haven’t found anything suspicious in her social media direct messages or email accounts either.”
(CODE:AW applicable investigation laws… So it’s either legal forced disclosure of data or hacking. The scary part is that they could easily pull off either one…)
“So, based on the current information, we haven’t found a single clue… What about the security camera footage around the scene?”
I asked.
“It’s currently being analyzed, so I’ll have to ask you to wait for the details. I should be able to tell you more this afternoon.”
(Security camera footage hasn’t left any clues to the culprit until now… It’ll probably be the same this time, but is there anything that could be a clue…)
“…Chris, could you pull up the data on that matter?”
As Kamikura spoke, Chris nodded.
“This is the skeleton data from all past CODE:AW-related incidents. The data from this incident has also been inputted.”
Data on the bones of past skeletonized corpses was displayed.
“I’ve been wondering for a while, what method is the culprit using to skeletonize the victims? So, after investigating the condition of the victims’ bones as much as possible, almost all of them were pure white skeletons, as if they had been cleanly cremated. In a very small number of cases, the bones were blackened. And this incident is…”
Kamikura took a breath and continued.
“Some black traces were found. Mind you, this is based on the sample Chris’s drone brought back. The condition of the entire skeleton will depend on further analysis…”
Next, Hayama spoke up.
“The bone sample Chris brought back with the drone this time is the big toe bone of the right foot. Comparing it to the bones from past incidents, the surface is blackened. When cremation lacks sufficient combustion temperature, bones can remain blackened.”
The victim’s bones I saw at the scene were almost perfectly clean white skeletons, but looking back, there might have been a few black parts.
“…It’s hard to comprehend as reality, but assuming the victim was burned, most are completely pure white skeletonized corpses, and this time was one of those extremely rare cases where blackened parts remained. In other words, the firepower was lower than usual, and blackened bones remained due to incomplete combustion… Ultimately, the only murder method we can think of is that she was burned in a crematorium…”
Hayama explained, adding to my deduction.
“To become a perfectly clean skeleton, it takes roughly around 1000 degrees. A crematorium is about 800 to 1200 degrees. Exceeding 1600 degrees, bones begin to melt. It takes about an hour from the start of burning to become a skeleton. A flamethrower would have too much heat and some parts would melt, so it wouldn’t result in such a clean skeleton. Given the time it takes, it’s unlikely to have been used.”
“…Thinking with common sense, it’s not within the realm of comprehension. To begin with, a skeletonized corpse shouldn’t have appeared in a place like that. Even in past incidents, neither the victims nor anyone who could be considered a suspect were caught on the security cameras of the buildings where they were found, or the surrounding area.”
Kamikura said.
After a brief silence, the Director spoke.
“For now, Kamikura and Himemiya, go ask around at the Girls’ Academy. Hayama and Chris, please analyze the victim’s remains and the security camera footage, and monitor information in cyberspace. We’ll sort through the newly discovered information again this evening.”
“Roger.”
Everyone said in unison.
“Also, Kamikura and Himemiya, come to the Director’s office. There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
Entering the Director’s office, Kamikura and I were guided to the sofas for receiving guests.
“Well, let’s keep the conversation here relaxed. I’ll brew some fresh tea, so wait a moment.”
Saying so, Director Hardy brewed hot coffee for the two of us and brought it over. Along with it was some beautifully packaged chocolate.
“So, what is this about?”
I had a vague idea, but I broached the subject.
“You ran into people from Public Security at the scene, didn’t you?”
“That again…”
Kamikura sighed, looking exasperated.
“Actually, right around the time you entered Japan, Himemiya, Public Security contacted us. The Japanese government has been heavily involved in the construction of this facility from the start. We’ve also had frequent contact from the National Police Agency for a while now.”
(…The Japanese government is involved in the construction of this facility?)
“…And what are their demands?”
“A joint investigation regarding CODE:AW. It seems the Japanese government has finally spurred itself into action. Or perhaps it’s more accurate to say they bowed to pressure from our home country. I hear there have always been a lot of spirited away type incidents in this country. So they established the Public Security Police Seventh Division as a specialized investigative agency… That seems to be the gist of it.”
“…I told them not to stick their noses where they don’t belong…”
Kamikura took a sip of the coffee he was served as he spoke.
“Tetsuya Totoki. Graduated from Harvard University, just like you two. His father is a famous politician, his mother is an executive at Kirimine Heavy Industries, and he himself received an exceptionally early promotion to Superintendent at the age of 28. Rumor has it he’s the one who established Public Security Section 7. You have quite the super-elite friend.”
“…Tetsuya just has a favorite in Himemiya. It has nothing to do with me.”
Kamikura seemed somewhat displeased.
“So, I want the two of you to go pay your respects tonight. It was the Japanese government that provided the construction funds and location for this facility, so I’d like to at least answer them with that much. I don’t know what Public Security Section 7 is capable of, but… the more pawns we have to play, the better.”
“…Provided? Don’t you mean extorted them into building it? Unfortunately, I have no intention of going. If it’s a polite greeting, Himemiya alone would be better. Tetsuya should be pleased, too.”
“…Well, I’ll leave it up to you whether you join them at the table, but I can’t let Himemiya move alone. I order you to stand by nearby so you can support her if anything happens. Understood?”
“…Roger.”
Kamikura drank his coffee in displeasure and left the Director’s office.
During our university days, the three of us often studied, ate, and enjoyed sports and entertainment together. Come to think of it, I think it was during our university days that Kamikura, who is usually unsociable, showed his smile the most.
Even after joining the FBI, I didn’t think Kamikura’s demeanor had changed. What on earth happened during that roughly one year…? That concern weighed heavily on my mind.
“Was Kamikura like that in college too?”
“…No, during our college days, we really… got along well, I believe.”
Then, I broached the subject.
“Director. What on earth happened during the roughly one year after Kamikura suddenly disappeared from the FBI?”
Director Hardy closed her eyes and quietly took a sip of coffee.
“I figured you’d ask eventually, but unfortunately, I cannot answer that.”
Taking a breath, Director Hardy spoke.
“Don’t ever ask that question again. I think you understand what that means…”
“………”
“Go enjoy your long-awaited reunion tonight. At least officially, Tetsuya Totoki is very cooperative with UCIA. I expect you to build a good, friendly relationship.”
“…Excuse me.”
Saying so, I left the Director’s office…
As expected, it seems that whatever happened during Kamikura’s blank period is a top secret of grave importance. The fact that she told me never to ask that question again probably means that speaking carelessly could bring harm even to the Director. She might be saying it out of concern for my safety.
Considering that, I have no choice but to investigate Kamikura’s past secretly on my own. Though if that were discovered, my safety probably wouldn’t be guaranteed…