Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei - Volume 09 - Visitor Chapter (I) Page 7

  Shibuya at night is the town of young people where adults’ figures are not seen.

  In fact, one cannot see this kind of scene at this time in any town other than Shibuya.

  Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Roppongi… Before the war, those towns flourished as shopping districts for young people; but now, seeing young people wandering and gathering late at night is a scene that one would only see here in Shibuya.

  During the era of chaos which spanned two decades, at different periods, in Shinjuku, Ikebukuro and Roppongi, as a result of the destructive activities caused by the foreigners, together with the extreme devastation caused by the xenophobic activities[1] of the raging native youngsters in response to the foreigners' deeds, emerged widespread vermiculated ruins. Measures for the thorough restoration of public order were taken during the course of reconstruction, and these towns have been rebuilt as fairly dense bustling towns.

  But, Shibuya was the exception.

  Since before the war, the degree of devastation had deepened and the disputes between youngsters intensified, and thus, as a result of being the first to expel the foreigners, in contrast Shibuya had been spared the absolute total destruction that had befallen the other towns. And as the lawlessness of the nights in Shibuya were left alone consequently even now, one cannot flatly assert that one end result is better than the other.

  If this was such a lawless area, be it day or night, the "Redevelopment" initiated by the government, and the local municipality who has become very much intolerant to the absence of order as compared to the pre-war days, would probably have proceeded, as one might guess. The current administrative authorities have become considerably strict regarding the restrictions on private rights related to real estate.

  However, Shibuya holds completely different façade during daytime and night.

  During the daytime, it is a business center where honest company employees busily come and go.

  At night, it is a pleasure quarter where youngsters loiter, with the affectation of outlaws.

  As they can't round them up at once, it's difficult for the authorities to take the plunge into redeveloping the city.

  And on this very evening as well, at the beginning of the New Year, there were many youngsters gathered on the streets making as much of a racket as they wanted, laughing, flirting, and exchanging blows.

  Among them, with finely chiseled features, and a sturdy build, a young man’s figure could be seen.

  Dressed in a sweatshirt and jumper pulled over it, which was unthinkably light clothing in the deep of winter, Leo was walking with faltering steps in Shibuya in the dead of the night. Although we use the word 'faltering' here, his legs and feet were properly covered in jeans and sneakers. However, judging by the steps he was taking, he seemed to have no specific destination in mind.

  Leo had one bad pastime. No, rather than a pastime, it was probably a habit.

  The habit of roaming.

  Not walking, running, nor shouting, but roaming in the night.

  As the dead of the night drew near, he would want to randomly wander about in uncertainty.

  Leo thought that this was due to his instincts that have been carved into his body‘s genes.

  He is the third generation of the "Burg Folge (Fortress Series)" that was developed in Germany in the initial days, which put the technique of tuning Magicians via genetic manipulation in practical use for the first time in the world.

  The Burg Folge was a body tuning technique developed with an emphasis on improving the durability of the body. In those days, in order to raise close quarters combat ability, thought to be the weaker point of magicians, rather than strengthening magic ability, the Burg Folge, which strengthened the physical abilities contained in genes, brought forth a breed of "Super soldiers that can use magic", or "Enhanced humans that can simultaneously use both superhuman physical abilities, and magic technical abilities", both of which were more apt descriptions than calling them tuned magicians.

  Although Chimera-fication measures were not included in the tuning methods, it is not difficult for one to imagine that large sized mammals that are much more tenacious than humans had been used as a reference at the inception of the genetic remodeling method.

  Not by removing the body’s limiter with external means – it was already known at that time that such a method would have a high probability of damaging an individual's magical technical ability – but by raising the performance of the physical body.

  Possibly as a result of that unreasonable genetic remodeling, many among the Burg Folge's first generation died during childhood, and even the majority of those who grew to adulthood went mad and died.

  Leo‘s grandfather was one of the few survivors.

  Leo had a fear.

  Someone looking at him as a person from the outside would be unable to see it, but he has been living his life while carrying that fear deep down in his heart.

  He wondered if he would also go mad one day.

  With a non-human factor devouring his human factor, he wondered if he would end up losing his senses.

  Since he thought that, by releasing his impulses, whether or not he would be able to delay the moment when his creaking heart broke. He tried to be loyal to his own impulses. He knew from example that his grandfather was able to freely live a natural span of life.

  That was why he didn’t go against his impulse of "wandering at night".

  At the whim of this impulse, underneath the moon, underneath the stars, underneath the jet-black clouds, he was walking aimlessly.

  One night in the center of the city, one night in the shopping districts, one night in the suburbs, one night on a secluded mountain. Without destination. On a whim, he chose a road by the mood of the day.

  That he came today to Shibuya was merely pure coincidence.

  There was a figure of a young man in a dark suit wearing a gray trench coat, which, even though new, had creases here and there.

  "Huh? Erika’s older brother, Mr. Inspector?"

  The person who just passed by was coincidentally an acquaintance. It was only that, but Leo called out to the young man. –Merely at a whim, since one doesn’t always call out to an acquaintance upon seeing him each and every time.

  The next moment, a wave of noise surged towards him.

  Leo’s voice was by no means big. It was just enough to call a passing person to stop.

  Despite that, gazes one could certainly not call friendly were drawn from both sides of the street.

  "You, come with me for a moment."

  Responding with a smacked expression was the man who was walking next to "Erika’s older brother". Leo also remembered the face of the man, who was at the age by which it has become a little painful to call a young man. He not only remembered the face, but also the name.

  "Inagaki-san, right? What is it all of a sudden?"

  Without answering the question, which could also be treated as rude, Inagaki grabbed Leo’s left wrist.

  Although shaking it off would be easy, Leo quietly followed Inagaki.

  He was brought to a small bar inside of a back alley. Although "BAR" was written on the signboard, it was a store’s appearance that Leo felt did not need the use of western-style characters at all.

  "Master, I‘ll borrow the upstairs."

  Inagaki called to the proprietor of the shop, who was polishing a glass on the other side of the counter, and went up the stairs at the far end without waiting for a reply. Leo was brought to a cramped small room which was filled only with four chairs placed around a small round table. The doorway being a bulky, airtight constructed door, looking like the hatch of a spaceship, was awfully mismatched to the worn-out interiors.

  "I’m still a minor."

  Leo said so in a joking manner, forestalling Inagaki, who was on the verge of talking after rotating the handle with both hands, firmly locking the door.

  Next to Inagaki, who looked like he chewed on a sour bug, Chiba Toshikazu pleasantly – not in the sen
se of having fun, but in the sense of deep interest – laughed.

  "Saijou-kun, right? You did well to spot us. Even though we should have had properly concealed our presence."

  Just with that, Leo understood what Toshikazu was trying to say.

  "…Have I perhaps interrupted an investigation?"

  Toshikazu seemed to be surprised by that good guess.

  "Heeh... You’re not just brawn. Well, Erika wouldn‘t support a mere muscle-brain, I suppose."

  Though Leo reflexively frowned, aside from whether it was from goodwill or malice, since he was aware of the fact that he was taught techniques, lent specialized weapons, and also supported in various ways, he refrained from rebutting.

  "Isn’t Mr. Inspector’s House mistaking the way of raising daughters?"

  The counterattack was at best a degree that would be knocked down for abusive language (would be disgusting).

  "That’s for sure."

  Toshikazu said so with a wry smile. But, contrary to his light tone, the light within his narrowed eyes felt like something deep-rooted.

  Sensing danger of having crossed where he shouldn‘t, Leo shut his mouth.

  "Don’t mind the investigation. We were just trying to conceal our presence in order to avoid meaningless trouble; it‘s not like we were tailing anyone. Since late at night here, this is a place where the police would draw looks of resentment."

  "Looks of resentment, huh... It’s certainly like that."

  Leo, looking like he was reminded of something, nodded deeply. That gesture conveyed that he felt sympathy more towards the police than the young people of this town.

  If goodwill is turned, the attitude will soften; it’s one of the most basic patterns of interpersonal relationships. (This may not necessarily be true with the opposite sex though.)

  Therefore, the glint in Inagaki’s eyes towards Leo became much friendlier.

  "Inspector, isn’t it just the right time? Why don’t you ask him 'that'?"

  With that alone, Leo naturally didn’t know what "that" was, but he did not urge on an explanation. Leo was calmly watching Toshikazu, who nodded and turned to face him.

  "Saijou-kun, what business do you have today in Shibuya?"

  "I have no business in particular."

  "Hmm, do you often come to Shibuya?"

  "No, not often; I only come here occasionally. I also strolled here on New Year’s Eve."

  "Two weeks ago, huh… Then, do you know of the strange events that have occurred in the shopping districts?"

  Inagaki didn’t stop Toshikazu, who was trying to reveal details of an incident over reporting restrictions. At any rate, Inagaki knew that by tomorrow it would be a "scoop".

  "Strange events? I thought that such things happen every day. By the way, Mr. Inspector, weren’t you in charge of Yokohama city? Why are you investigating the incidents of this town?"

  "We are members of the Police Department. We’re transferred here and there all over Japan. Because of that, we are now investigating the incident of continuous unnatural deaths in the metropolitan area."

  Words which lightly and smoothly flowed out. However, Leo was not misled by his tone.

  "Unnatural deaths... Strange murders? And continuously?"

  Furrowing his eyebrows, Leo asked. Toshikazu revised his evaluation of Leo upwards without showing any sign of doing so.

  "That’s right. Well, since it’s something that will be known by tomorrow…"

  Saying that, Toshikazu and Inagaki exchanged looks. Inagaki nodded, and removed from his overcoat pocket a mobile terminal. Opening the folding-type terminal, he brought up the image file on the screen. Seeing the photo on the terminal, switching in a slideshow, Leo breathed and swallowed his saliva.

  "The latest victim was found in Dougenzaka Park three days ago. The estimated time of death is around 1:00AM to 2:00AM."

  "Right in the middle of the town!?"

  Leo thought that "right in the middle of the town" was a strange expression, but he couldn’t come up with a better wording to properly express his feelings.

  –He probably thought that this kind of thing happens in sparsely populated areas.

  "Leaving aside the daytime, it would not be strange even if something like this happened in the middle of the town at night. At least in this town."

  However, as Toshikazu answered back with a bitter expression, Leo couldn’t help but nod "You’re right". Leo also knew from experience that the present Shibuya had an unusual dual nature.

  "Therefore, I would like to ask something; do you happen to know anything about a strange guy? I don’t mind even if it is just rumors that you have heard."

  "There are a lot of strange guys loitering around this town in the dead of night. Specifically, what kind of guy do you want to know about?"

  To Leo’s justifiable complaint, Toshikazu, knowing that it’s not such a case, leaked a wry smile.

  "Certainly, it’s not clear. But, the investigation would have been fairly easy if we knew the criminal’s features…"

  Leo was silently staring at Toshikazu, who was pondering "From where should I begin to explain?"

  "Well… The victims’ corpses we showed you earlier."

  Inagaki did not try to interfere. He also had no intention to stop his superior, who had started leaking secret information of the investigation to a civilian.

  "The cause of death for all deaths was unnatural. There was no trace of external injury to find on the seven people."

  "There was no injury? Was it poison?"

  To the question of Leo, who changed his expression, Toshikazu shook his head.

  "The tests of drug reactions are all negative. And even though there is no injury, about ten percent of the estimated blood has been lost from the victims’ bodies."

  "All the victims?"

  "All the victims."

  "I see… That is indeed 'unnatural death'. Rather than strange murders, it’s a strange incident."

  Neither being frightened nor feeling uneasy, Leo muttered so in an amazed voice.

  "While it may seem a supernatural phenomenon, the incident is reality."

  While being amazed at Leo's attitude, Toshikazu returned the original question.

  "So, I wonder if you happen to know a guy likely to perpetrate this by imitating something occult. Particularly with foreigners these days, such as strange rumors, which spread out about those guys."

  "Foreigners these days, huh…"

  From before being asked again, Leo crossed his arms, but before long, uncrossed them with a look of resignation.

  "My bad, no one comes up in my mind."

  It was a rude, or rather, a muddled tone as if to say "What kind of manners were those?" but without feelings of wonder or hatred.

  "I’m stocking up on jokes from a friend."

  "Eh, no, it‘s alright. That sort of thing is the job of the police, and it is also not limited to sniffing around and not keeping an eye out."

  "But Inspector, it is Shibuya at night, you know? I think that having adults, and moreover, policemen, out to ask various things will be difficult."

  "...Well, that might be so, but…"

  Even without the need to receive indication again, both Toshikazu and Inagaki actually realized the difficulty of an investigation. Otherwise, they would not go as far as to reveal the secret details of an investigation to a boy who was simply an acquaintance.

  "I also don’t intend to stick my nose in the danger. And even if I could see it, I have confidence in my sense of smell."

  "Really? Then."

  "Inspector!?"

  Having said that, making a high school student cooperate in a criminal investigation was going too far and too dangerous. Inagaki hurriedly raised his voice as gesture to stop, but Toshikazu brought out a business card from his breast pocket.

  "If you find anything, mail me here. You manually enter for the first time, and it’s automatically updated from the second."

  The good sense of Inagaki
was ignored by both Leo and Toshikazu.

  "It‘s really strict. Well then, if I find anything, I‘ll let you know."

  Saying so, Leo stood up, with one hand easily turning the airtight lock’s handle that Inagaki had to use two hands to turn, and went downstairs.

  ◊ ◊ ◊

  January 14th, AD 2096, USNA Washington D.C. 11:30 local time.

  January 15, 01:30 Japan time – Midnight.

  Lina, who had gone to bed, was woken up by her housemate Sylvia.

  "Sylvie, what is it?"

  Lina also became a regular officer not less than three years ago; even if reckoning after she took the post of Stars' High Commander, she had a military career of one year and a half. She grew accustomed to being dragged out of bed in case of emergency. Regaining her consciousness in an instant, she requested an explanation from Sylvia in a clear voice.

  "It’s an urgent communication from Major Canopus."

  To the answer which was returned by Sylvia, Lina silently ran towards the communication device.

  "Ben, sorry to have kept you waiting. Excuse me that it’s audio only."

  『Likewise, it is I who should say so for disturbing you while you were sleeping』

  As far as Lina knew, Benjamin Canopus was a man of common sense even within Stars. Among the first Stars class, he might have the most common sense. He, while being aware of the time difference, in other words, while knowing that here in Japan was midnight, called Lina. And it could not be for a trivial matter.

  "I don’t mind. What on earth happened?"

  『We’ve found the whereabouts of those who escaped last month.』

  "What!?"

  The desertion incident of the star-of-the-first-magnitude class of Stars, Alfred Formalhaut, which occurred last month, was not only limited to the scandal of Stars, but also gave a great shock to the USNA executives.

  That incident did not end with First Lieutenant Formalhaut’s disposal by Lina’s hands. The fact is that in the same period, seven magicians, and also magic factory masters had escaped from the USNA forces. Within them, although it was the satellite class of the lowest rank, the members of the Stars were also included. The mission entrusted to Lina by Major Canopus back then was the pursuit and disposal of these fugitives. It was about them, he was saying that, their whereabouts were found out.