The sun dipped below the mountains, and night descended. In a deep, narrow alleyway, a girl dressed in a red and white miko outfit leaned against the wall, gasping for breath. Two large suitcases sat on the ground at her feet.
"Phew... huff... I finally escaped... before the police arrived..." Miko panted. She glanced back toward the direction she had run from, where red and blue lights flickered and the sharp wail of sirens echoed in the distance.
'But... even if I got away, the police will eventually find me with their investigative skills... It's impossible not to have left any clues. If they catch me, I'm in real trouble...' Miko thought worriedly. She pressed her palms together and began to pray.
'Inari Okami-sama, please protect me and make sure the police don't find me... I'll bring offerings to the shrine afterward. Anything within my power, whatever offering you want...'
"Then make it cola."
"Eh...?"
As the prayer ended and the response echoed, Miko stood frozen in place.
...
Somewhere in the vast, sparsely populated outskirts of Tokyo, a cluster of police cars had gathered. Red and blue lights flashed alternately, cutting through the darkness.
Cordon tape was stretched tight, and traffic barrels were set out. Starting from a tunnel exit, a long stretch of road had been sealed off, temporarily prohibiting vehicles from entering or leaving. Along this closed road, several sections of twisted or snapped guardrails were visible. Countless fragments of debris were scattered across the ground, and deep brake marks stretched for a considerable distance. Several police officers were carefully patrolling the cordoned area, attempting to find any valuable clues.
At the lower end of the road, in the grass beyond a smashed guardrail, a large bus sat tilted in the mud. Even more police officers surrounded it, examining the area and the vehicle's condition.
Judging solely by the scene, it appeared to be a clear-cut traffic accident that should have been handled by the traffic police. However, the officers on site were primarily detectives. Several plainclothes officers looked at the bus, their brows furrowed. It was obvious that the marks on the bus were not something a mere traffic accident could produce.
The bus, mired in the dirt, was riddled with puncture holes. The glass on the front, back, and sides was shattered everywhere. A typical traffic accident would never result in such specific damage.
Several forensic investigators were busy aboard the bus while the plainclothes officers below waited patiently for the results. Leading them was a man in his thirties with handsome features, wearing a trench coat and a small hat. He stared at the bus with a focused expression.
After a moment, a forensic officer climbed down from the bus and approached the lead officer to report.
"Inspector Nakamori, after a preliminary inspection, we detected heavy gunpowder residue on the vehicle. We collected a total of fifty-two shell casings: forty-nine 7.62mm rifle rounds and three 9mm pistol rounds," the investigator reported earnestly. Inspector Nakamori nodded upon hearing this.
"I see. Good. Aside from those, did you find any blood?"
"Currently, we haven't found a single trace of blood."
"No blood... I understand. Proceed with collecting the evidence for further testing. See if you can extract any fingerprints."
"Yes, sir!" The officer gave a sharp nod and returned to the vehicle to continue gathering evidence. Nakamori continued to stare at the bus, his gaze heavy.
This bus had been reported the previous night for dangerous driving, traveling against traffic before veering off the road. However, when the traffic police arrived and saw the driver in a deep coma along with the bullet holes riddling the chassis, they immediately realized something was wrong and notified the Criminal Investigation Department.
Subsequently, the scene was taken over by detectives led by Inspector Nakamori. Based on the report he just heard, Nakamori could definitively conclude that a gunfight had occurred on this bus.
Japan was a country with strict gun control. Shootouts were usually associated with yakuza turf wars, and whenever they happened, they were treated as extremely serious incidents. Furthermore, the discovery of rifle casings on the bus elevated the severity of the situation by an entire level.
Looking at the bus, Nakamori's expression was grim. Although they had determined a shootout took place, they hadn't found any bodies or even clear bloodstains. There were no discoveries along the route either, which made the case quite baffling. People had exchanged gunfire, yet there were no bloodstains or bodies—no casualties at all. It was as if they had been firing blanks into the air inside the vehicle.
Even more confusing was the testimony from local residents. They claimed they hadn't heard any gunfire. Theoretically, the sound of a rifle firing continuously would be difficult to mask. If suppressors had been used, the gunpowder residue would have been diminished, yet the residue on the bus was extremely heavy, suggesting the weapons were fired without them.
Currently, the bus driver remained in a coma, the cause of which was unknown. They wouldn't know what had happened until he woke up. Nakamori had already dispatched a large number of officers to the surrounding area to collect witness statements. Based on testimony from passing drivers, it was confirmed that several figures fled the bus after it came to a sudden halt. As long as they found those individuals, the truth would be revealed.
"Hmph. No matter how you run, you'll always leave a trail..."
As he spoke, Nakamori began to increase the manpower for the door-to-door investigation and assigned specialists to pull surveillance footage from the roads, hoping to identify the individuals who fled the bus. Just as he was focused on issuing orders, the phone in his pocket suddenly rang. When Nakamori pulled it out and saw the caller ID, his expression froze.
"I need to take this call."
After excusing himself from his subordinates, Nakamori walked off to the side. Composing himself, he answered the phone and spoke solemnly.
"Hello, Minister Kunishima. This is Nakamori Masao."
Nakamori's tone was deeply respectful. The person calling was none other than his superior—and not just any superior, but his direct boss two ranks above him, the Minister of the Criminal Investigation Department at the Metropolitan Police Department.
Why would his high-ranking direct superior call him so suddenly? Nakamori's heart began to race the moment he saw the name.
"Hmm... Nakamori. You're currently on a call in Engoku-machi, correct?" a heavy, muffled male voice came through the phone. Hearing the words, Nakamori immediately began his report.
"Yes, sir. There was a bus accident here, and we found evidence of a shootout on board. I am currently investigating the scene and have already secured several preliminary leads." Nakamori replied, while inwardly wondering why Minister Kunishima would suddenly take an interest in this case. Or rather... how did he even know about a case that had happened less than four hours ago?
After listening to Nakamori, Kunishima paused briefly on the other end before speaking in a solemn tone.
"Inspector Nakamori, listen carefully. From this moment on, you are to terminate all investigations into this incident. Hand it over to the Traffic Department. This is to be treated as nothing more than a simple traffic accident..."
"What...?" Hearing his superior's words, Nakamori stood frozen. He never expected his boss to say such a thing. The shock left him speechless for a moment.
"But... but this isn't just a traffic accident, Minister Kunishima! We've clearly found shell casings and detected gunpowder residue. There was a gunfight on that bus. People armed with rifles are on the loose. If we don't find them, this is a ticking time bomb!" After a short pause, Nakamori spoke urgently into the phone. On the other end, Kunishima remained silent for a while before responding with continued gravity.
"I understand your point, Nakamori. But... this is an order."
"Minister Kunishima..." Nakamori's eyes widened. After a few seconds of silence, he let out a heavy sigh and replied.
"I understand. I'll bring my team back immediately..."
"Then... thank you for your hard work, Nakamori. I have some matters to attend to here. I'm hanging up."
"Yes, Minister!"
Hanging up his phone, Nakamori looked toward the bus in the distance and let out another heavy sigh.
...
The moon was dark and the wind was high. The night in Tokyo was saturated with the dazzling, multicolored glow of city lights. Unlike a thousand years ago, human activity didn't cease even in the dead of night. Curfews were a thing of the past, and countless people were still on the move—some for pleasure, others for labor.
In Chiyoda District, the Metropolitan Police Department headquarters building remained brightly lit. As the headquarters for all police in Tokyo, it was a place that rarely rested.
Inside a spacious office within the building, a burly middle-aged man with a scar on his face and a buzz cut hung up his phone and let out a sigh of relief.
He was Nakamori's direct superior, the Minister of the Criminal Investigation Department and a Senior Commissioner named Kunishima Heichiro. He had just finished his call with Nakamori.
After doing so, Kunishima put his phone away, straightened his clothes slightly, and turned toward the window, speaking solemnly.
"As you requested, I've issued the order to the scene for everyone to withdraw, Superintendent General Saito..."
Following Kunishima's words, a slender middle-aged man in a sharp suit, with a thin face, piercing eyes, and a small mustache, slowly turned away from the window where he had been admiring the night view.
"Hmm, I heard. I'll have a word with the Traffic Department later. You just need to make sure the incident is filed as an ordinary traffic accident," the man named Saito spoke slowly. He was the Superintendent General of the Metropolitan Police Department—the head of all police in Tokyo.
"Yes, sir..."
Kunishima nodded respectfully to his superior. After a slight hesitation, he spoke to Saito again.
"Superintendent general Saito, I would like to ask about this matter."
"Speak your mind," Saito said calmly, looking at his subordinate. Relieved by Saito's response, Kunishima continued.
"While this incident appears on the surface to be a traffic accident caused by a shootout, there are many suspicious points... Could it be that... this involves the 'unseen'?"
Saito showed no surprise at Kunishima's words. He walked to his desk and began to brew tea with the set nearby as he spoke.
"You're right. This incident does indeed involve 'that world.'"
Upon hearing Saito's confirmation, Kunishima stiffened slightly before asking further.
"As I thought... But Superintendent General, since it involves the unseen, it's normal for it to be handled outside of standard cases. However, shouldn't we have handed it over to the Onmyo Agency first? Is it really alright for us to ignore them after something like this happened?"
"Of course it is... This time, an organization with even more clout than the Onmyo Agency has stepped in. Small figures like us only need to follow their will. There's no need to overthink it," Saito said while pouring the tea. Kunishima looked on in shock.
"More clout than the Onmyo Agency..."
Seeing Kunishima's expression, Saito didn't say much more. He picked up a document from his desk, folded it to hide the content, and showed only the signature area to Kunishima. Kunishima's gaze sharpened as he saw a seal there.
The seal featured a minimalist, abstract fox head as the central symbol, surrounded by a ring of fine rice ears. Below the rice ears were five small letters.
"INARI"
Seeing the symbol, Kunishima was visibly shaken and remained speechless for a long time. Only after Saito had put the document away did he let out a long breath.
"I see... If that's the case, it makes sense why the Onmyo Agency isn't getting involved... This is indeed not something we can interfere with..."
As he spoke, Kunishima looked at Saito solemnly and shifted to another topic.
"One more question, Superintendent General. Another incident involving the unseen has occurred today. While I don't know the specifics, this is already the seventh one this month. Isn't that a bit too many...?" Kunishima said with a tone of concern. As the Minister of the Criminal Investigation Department, he naturally had a better understanding of the frequency of paranormal events in Tokyo; after all, when ordinary people encountered problems, they went to the police first.
"You're right... These types of incidents have been increasing lately. And it's not just a recent trend. Within Tokyo... the frequency of such events has been rising for several years now... It's becoming difficult to keep up," Saito said gravely. Hearing his words, Kunishima's face darkened as well.
"Yes... things have been getting more and more unsettled lately. The number of police officers sacrificed in these supernatural incidents grows every year... What on earth is happening? Why are those monsters becoming so active one after another...?"
Kunishima spoke with worry. By now, Saito had finished brewing the tea. He held his cup, staring out at the night view of the city, lost in thought as he sipped. Finally, he spoke slowly.
"It is because the order... is collapsing."
"Order? You mean..."
"The order of the monsters, the order of the other world... That power which has ruled the dark side of this city since the Edo period is fading... Those evil spirits and demons have begun to act with reckless abandon..."
As Saito spoke, he turned around and looked at a piece of calligraphy hanging on the office wall. On it, a single character was written in bold, powerful strokes.
"Fear."
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