Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Shibuya Ward, Tokyo
This is the Yoyogi National Gymnasium, nearly 140 years after its original construction. The building is covered with scaffolding, but no one is there because it is now before the work begins. The building is surrounded by strong-looking men who are trying to keep anyone inside. And in the first gymnasium under renovation, a man is walking in the silent hall with his shoes making a steady thumping sound. He is Samon Koroki.
He walked into the arena where the lights are turned on sparsely. Then, he raised his voice toward the person who called him, who must be lurking somewhere.
"Hey! I'm here! Is it money you want!? How much!?"
Unlike the world's image of him as innocent and clean, Samon suddenly talked about money. The letter that had summoned him here contained evidence of the rape he had committed, namely, that he had a child he had had when he was 18 and that he had proof that he was a parent of that child. If that thing was to be spread to the world, it would lead to his ruin. Therefore, he came to the place specified in the letter. The area is surrounded by a group of yakuza who are his henchmen, and they are trying to keep them from escaping. This location was also convenient for them, as it was under renovation and the indoor surveillance cameras were not working.
"Khukhu... khukhukhu..."
"!"
At that moment, a voice came from somewhere. When Samon turned around to look in the direction of the voice, he saw a medium-sized dog descending the steps of the auditorium. However, the dog quickly hid behind the audience seats.
"...Money? I don't care about that. What I want is... well, to see you admit all your sins and rub your forehead on the ground with an apology to Reika-san."
Again, the voice came out of nowhere. Samon scurried around, alarmed by this development.
"Reika!? I don't know a woman named that! Who the hell are you!? Show yourself!"
Samon did not remember every single name of the woman he had tricked. He was just frightened by the eeriness of hearing only the voice, and a sense of uneasiness took over his body.
"...I see, this ends here."
The voice disappeared. Then a man appeared in the audience. It was none other than Mitsuhiro Inudera. He stepped down from the seats and stood on top of the stadium, confronting Samon, who is looking at him uneasily.
"...It was you, wasn't it, who sent me that suspicious letter!?"
"...Suspicious letter? That was a fact of the crime you committed...!"
Inudera remained calm. But his eyes were bloodshot and he was seething with unfathomable fury.
"...Feh, I don't even remember that long ago! But to think that registering to the bone marrow bank even though I don't want it would reveal that past! Hey, you lot!"
"...!"
Samon was unrepentant and then called in the three men he had hidden in various parts of the venue. Their appearance, which was clearly not that of ordinary men, proved that Samon had connections with less than savory groups.
"...Put him away. Take care of the rest," Samon said, and with a relaxed expression that was a complete change from what he had just said, he stepped back. In place of him, a crowd of men with bad looks surrounded Inudera. He had intended to kill Inudera from the beginning.
"Tsk..."
The men had knives and firearms in their hands. Normally, he would have been in a desperate situation, and a normal person would have been so terrified that they could not stop shaking. But Inudera was different. He clicked his tongue and looked around with glazed eyes.
"RAAAAAARGH!"
A roar of rage could be heard coming from the stadium which was under renovation. However, in an instant, the shouts turned into a scream.
. . .
Tokyo Metropolitan Area
At the same time, numerous police officers were moving around Tokyo. They were all looking for Samon Koroki and Mitsuhiro Inudera. And Juen and Tamura, who had found out the truth, got into a police car together with Kogasaki and Rokutani, and were planning to meet up with Hozumi and Nijo who were heading to Samon's office.
"This is Hozumi. There are no clues at Samon's office either."
"As soon as we get any information, we'll share it with you."
Tamura, who was sitting in the passenger seat, ended his radio conversation with Hozumi. Immediately after that, a radio call came in from the Joint Investigation Headquarters at the main office.
"This is the Joint Investigation Headquarters! Information was received from the Integrated Urban Investigation Support Center regarding the location of Samon Koroki. A regular passenger car with the license plate number owned by Samon Koroki was captured on a surveillance camera near the Yoyogi Gymnasium in Shibuya!"
The department that centrally manages surveillance cameras in Tokyo reported that a car owned by Samon had been found.
"Then where is it!?"
"It's at Yoyogi Gymnasium, which is under renovation! Surely it will be hidden there!"
Juen and Tamura sensed the whereabouts of Samon and Inudera. Juen, sitting in the driver's seat, switched the car to manual operation, turned on the siren, and stepped on the gas pedal.
. . .
Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Shibuya Ward, Tokyo
The Yoyogi Gymnasium's 1st Gymnasium was stained with fresh blood, with the place littered with the corpses of the yakuza, all of them torn to pieces and cannot be recognized anymore. In the center of the gymnasium stood Inudera, stained with blood. And Samon, who had been watching the whole slaughterfest that had taken place here, quivered on the ground.
"Y-you monster!"
"Hehehe..."
Inudera cackled and looked down at Samon, whose face was twisted into a crumpled mess. Then, step by step, he slowly walked toward Samon.
"AAAAAH! H-help—!"
Unable to stand on his feet and legs, Samon tried to escape while crawling on the cold floor. But his hands and feet were not moving as fast as he wanted to, and in no time at all, Inudera caught up with him. He looked up into Inudera's bloodstained face, who is still smirking.
"Please! Spare me! I'll give you all the money you want! I'll even apologize! I'll resign from the Diet! I'll even turn myself in! Please...! Let me live—ACK!"
Samon began to beg for his life, tears and snot dripping from his face. There was no trace of the refined gentleman he showed to the world, and he was nothing but a clown.
"........."
Inudera's face contorted in disgust at the sight of such clownery. But he had no intention of sparing Samon's life. Slowly, he raised his right arm with the aim of ending that life. But just then, he heard the door to the gym open.
"I heard those words exactly, Samon Koroki!"
"!?"
Inudera and Samon turned their gazes toward the direction where the voice came from. There, they saw Juen, his subordinates of the Investigation Division 4 Section 7, as well as Kogasaki, who had barged into the Yoyogi Gymnasium.
"...Takeichi!"
"Mitsuhiro..."
Inudera could not hide his shock at the sight of his best friend, with whom he had worked out this plan together. Takeichi had been brought here, flanked on both sides by Nijo and Rokutani. Juen approached Inudera and Samon, pulling out a police notebook from his breast pocket.
"I am Michio Juen of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's Investigation Division 4. Samon Koroki and Mitsuhiro Inudera, come with us to the station."
"T-thank gods! A-arrest him now! He is crazy!"
Relieved by the police's appearance, Samon pointed at Inudera and shouted at them to arrest him. However, Juen glared down at Samon.
"Samon-san, do you think you won't get arrested? The statute of limitations has not yet passed on Reika Kogasaki-san's gang rape case. Besides, shall we hear a lot about your relationship with the designated crime syndicate?"
"Gah...!"
Samon was aghast with his mouth gaping open.
"Hey... who allowed him to go home alive?"
"........."
Inudera flared an intense killing intent toward Juen, who was about to take Samon with him. He was a doctor, but he had already lost his reluctance of killing people after having mauled dozens of yakuza.
"You too... will come with us. Even if this man committed a despicable crime, it is the role of the law to judge him. Murdering people by yourself is a clear mistake."
Juen stayed resolute toward Inudera, who had directed his grudge against him. He blamed Inudera and Kogasaki for letting their own twisted justice run rampant and getting involved in the murderous plot.
"Shut up, if you're getting in my way... I'll kill you too, piece of shit!"
"...!!"
At that moment, the wind whipped around Inudera. His eyes glowed red, and his mouth is ripped open like an animal's. And then Inudera's body grew huge, until at last he became a white monster dog over 15 meters long.
"That's... a dog yōkai!"
Even Juen paled as he gazed up in disbelief at the frightening, yet divine figure. Samon had fainted and was bubbling over. At this time, Kokonoe arrived at the scene late. Following her, more members from the Investigation Divisions 1 and 4 appeared one after another in the first gymnasium.
"The great monster dog from Terralus...! So you've revealed your true nature!"
Sensing what was happening, Kokonoe, without time to spare, unleashed all of her power. As soon as the nine tails manifested from her body, she launched a preemptive attack against Inudera. Wreathed in foxfire, she leaped toward his face.
"HYAAAAAAAAAAA!"
"...Grr!"
A powerful blast of demon fire hit Inudera's face, causing blood to gush out. But Inudera, too, is not to be outdone and swiped her away with his sharply clawed paws.
"!!"
The attack struck Kokonoe, who was stuck in midair, and she was blown to the audience seats.
"...Kokonoe! ...Tch!" Rokutani shouted.
A spider demi-human, he fired spider silk from his hands to try to restrain Inudera. The other officers followed his lead, with those from Division 1 and the security androids using taser bullets, and those from Division 4 launching an attack with their magical powers. However, the spider silk was easily torn off, and the tasers were blocked by his robust physique and magical barriers, making it difficult to inflict any damage.
"I have nothing against you police. But if you interfere with me, I will show no mercy!"
"!"
In his true form, Inudera transformed into a monstrous canine and roared at the police and androids that attacked him. It hit them with a powerful shockwave.
"AAAAAH!"
The overwhelming strength of their opponent, a difference in power so great that they could not even touch, was clearly shown, and the color of despair lit up in the eyes of the people. Immediately after that, however, Kokonoe, who had been slammed into the audience seats, stood up and charged toward Inudera again.
"HYAAAAAAAAH!"
"...Gah!"
And the foxfire she unleashed again left wounds on Inudera's body. The nine-tailed woman landed on the floor and leaped toward Inudera for the third time.
"If anyone here who can match that monster dog, it's her. Everyone, cover Kokonoe-san!"
Juen, who had retreated behind with unconscious Samon in his arms, ordered everyone present to cover Kokonoe. They whipped their injured bodies and readied for attack again.
"...WAIT!"
"!?"
At that moment, a man barged from behind the officers and stood in front of the transformed dog demon. That man was none other than Kogasaki. The officers, including Kokonoe, stopped their attack on Inudera, and the members of Section 7 were slow to react to the suddenness of the situation. Confronting Inudera, Kogasaki spread his arms wide, tears in the corners of his eyes, and a cry so loud that it crushed his throat.
"...I'm sorry, Inudera!! I'm, I'm truly sorry!! I... I involved you in my revenge! It's all my fault!! So please...! PLEASE, STOP!!"
"!!"
At this rate, Inudera would kill the officers. Kogasaki, who had come to his senses, could not stand to see his good friend Inudera commit any more crimes. The unexpected interruption of the confrontation caused Inudera to stop moving. The others watched with bated breath.
"........."
The giant dog demon's body was now in a state of shock. The huge monstrous dog instantly shrank and returned to its original human form. And when he returned, his expression was a peaceful smile.
"...No, I didn't get caught up in this. This was my decision, Takeichi. Besides, I had made up my mind. After I killed Koroki first, I will never go back to being a 'human' again."
"...!?"
Inudera had already given up on living as a human being. Originally, he was a monster canine demi-human, and he had grown uncomfortable with the idea of going back and forth between human and monster form.
His father, a demi-human called the "Canine Lord," crossed the sea and entered Japan illegally on his own as Japan was about to return to Earth. For nearly 20 years, he escaped from the Japanese government's search for illegal immigrants and met a woman in Tokyo, where their child, Mitsuhiro, was born. The woman's surname, by the way, was "Inudera."
The father is a man who does not officially exist. Therefore, Mitsuhiro and his mother, who raised him, were constantly exposed to the eyes of others and financial hardships. Perhaps unable to bear the burden of his presence on his wife and child, his father disappeared when Mitsuhiro was 12 years old. In an attempt to save his mother, Mitsuhiro decided to become a doctor and finally graduated from medical school with a scholarship.
However, when he was in high school, Mitsuhiro began to feel a gap between himself and the people around him, as his dog yōkai's blood began to awaken. For example, when comparing Kogasaki and Inudera, who were supposed to be the same age, Inudera looked almost 20 years younger than Kogasaki.
"My mother passed away a long time ago. For me, there is no more meaning to continuing to be a human. So you didn't drag me into this. It's all on me. However, I really feel that Reika-san was important to me. So, as much as I want to devour that guy who is lying there right now, if you're the one stopping me, then I have no choice. I'll... stop this revenge...!"
"!"
Inudera said that he would back out of killing Samon Koroki. As long as Kogasaki said that he had had enough, his desire for revenge must have been extinguished.
"Farewell, Takeichi. We will never meet again."
"...Huh!?"
Inudera suddenly announced his parting words. As soon as those words were heard, the policemen began to scramble once again.
"Don't let him escape! We are here to take you into custody! We are here to bring you to justice...!"
Juen laid the still unconscious Samon on the floor and glared at Inudera. Rokutani, Kokonoe, and the other Section 7 officers, as well as Division 1 members, gathered their last bit of courage and surrounded Inudera.
"Takeichi, get back!"
"Eh—AAAGH!"
Inudera suddenly pushed Kogasaki toward the officers. Rokutani and Tamura quickly caught him. Then, with a powerful whirlwind surrounding his body, he transformed once again into the giant dog monster.
"The human Mitsuhiro Inudera is dead today! Because I'm not human, I don't care about the 'law'! I have no desire to have anything to do with humans anymore, but if you must get rid of me, then kill me as a 'vermin.'"
"W-wait! Why do you think that logic will work—AAH!!"
Inudera turned away. Juen sensed that he was trying to escape and stopped him as soon as he could. But once again, a strong gust of wind blew all the officers who have gathered here away.
"Gaha...!"
All of them were knocked unconscious by being slammed against the walls, the floor, and the audience seats. Among them, only Kokonoe, who quickly conjured a magic barrier to protect herself, gazed blankly at Inudera, who had assumed the form of a common medium-sized dog, as he walked out of the gymnasium.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
November 12
Criminal Investigation Bureau Director's Office, Metropolitan Police Department
Twelve days after the terrorist attack at the World Expo, reconstruction work at the Tokyo Expo site in the Neo Bayside district is proceeding at a rapid pace in preparation for the reopening of the Expo. The rift with the Republic of Korea over the treatment of Chang Wan-taek, who led the terrorist organization into Japan, continued to deepen, and it is only a matter of time before the two sides come to a deadlock.
And now, Michio Juen of Investigation Division 4 Section 7 was visiting the room of Kinun Uchikawa, the leader of the Criminal Investigation Bureau. It was to report to Uchikawa about the murders of Jyoen Koroki, Danji Furuya, and dozens of yakuza, which had occurred in connection with the terrorist incident.
"...Missing the Mitsuhiro Inudera, the perpetrator of the crime is a big blunder."
"Yes, I am terribly sorry..."
That particular demi-human is so strong that even a group of humans can't touch him. The fact that he was unregistered in the family register alone is a big problem, and the fact that Inudera was allowed to escape is the biggest failure of all.
"As for Mitsuhiro Inudera, we have already issued a nationwide APB for him. And as you ordered, the charges were limited to the murder of only two persons, Jyoen Koroki and Danji Furuya, and the fact that he has the blood of the Canine Lord was kept secret from the general public. As for the gang rape case that was committed by Samon Koroki nine years ago, Investigation Division 2 is now interrogating him and obtaining information on his accomplices. As for Chief Inspector Kogasaki, he has fully confessed to the crime and will be sent to the public prosecutor's office shortly."
Uchikawa, who had heard Juen's report in its entirety, gave a small sigh.
"...Hm, I understand. Thank you. Dismissed."
"...Sir! Now, if you'll excuse me."
After finishing his report, Juen bowed and went to the door of the director's office and left the room.
After that, Takeichi Kogasaki and Samon Koroki were sent to the public prosecutor's office as a series of facts concerning the terrorist incident were revealed. Against Samon Koroki, a 'crime of forced sexual intercourse' of nine years ago was established, and his connection with the yakuza was also widely reported. Later on, accomplices in the case of nine years ago were also charged one after another and arrested.
As for Takeichi Kogasaki, who aided a terrorist organization from another country, it was reported that he might be charged with 'aiding and abetting a foreign terrorist organization,' but in the end, he was charged with 'violation of the Specified Secret Protection Law.'
As for Mitsuhiro Inudera, the perpetrator of the murder, as mentioned above, his status as a monster with tremendous power remained hidden, and a nationwide wanted list was issued. This was done to avoid his being noticed by other countries.
Investigation Division 4 Section 7 Office, Metropolitan Police Department
When Juen returned to his office, he found his subordinates there as usual. However, they were all injured to a greater or lesser extent in the incident the other day, so they had adhesive plasters stuck to their bodies in various places.
"I have reported this to Chief Uchikawa. Everyone, I'm glad to see you are okay."
"Of course, I am, Juen-sama. I am a nine-tailed fox, and injuries of that magnitude are nothing."
The most severely wounded was Kokonoe the nine-tailed fox, but her wounds were mostly healed in just a few days, perhaps because of the difference between her and mere humans.
"I see, Kokonoe-san. That's good to hear..."
Juen smiled kindly and went to his desk at the back of the office. Then he sat down on a chair and looked at the TV news that Nijo and Hozumi were watching.
"The suspect of this murder, Mitsuhiro Inudera, a doctor at Midori University Hospital, is still on the run and his whereabouts are still unknown. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department is stepping up its efforts to find the culprit..."
The news has recently been full of reports about the plot by Kogasaki and Inudera. The black past and dark face of the refreshing second-generation Diet member, and the police officer who terrorized the whole country in order to take revenge, were all good fodder to the news media.
"Speaking of which, I'd like to talk to you about that. What's going to happen to Chief Inspector Kogasaki's kid?"
Nijo, who had been watching the news, was curious about the fate of Tadato, the grandson of Kogasaki, who had been sent to the police station. He is still hospitalized at Midori University Hospital, but now that Takeichi, the only family member living with him, has been arrested, there is no one left to take care of him.
"As for his treatment, it will continue as before, and after he is discharged from the hospital, he will be taken in by the officer's relatives. As for the bone marrow transplant, Samon Koroki had agreed to be the donor."
Hearing Juen's explanation, Nijo looked somewhat relieved.
"It must be complicated for him to hear that Samon Koroki is the donor..." Tamura muttered.
Samon had come forward as a donor for Tadato's leukemia. Although they did not know what was in Samon's mind, all the parties concerned, including Juen, believed that it was probably to create a circumstance that could be used as a basis for extenuating circumstances in the trial. Nevertheless, the disappearance of the disease that had been eating away at Tadato's body for so long is a blessing. And when the transplant is finished, he will not be able to see Takeichi yet, but there will come a day when father and son will be reunited.
What the child, now grown up and knowing everything, will say to the parent, no one knows yet.
Thus, Michio Juen's first case, the murders of Jyoen Koroki and Danji Furuya, ended with the arrest of the planner, the escape of the perpetrator, the prevention of the third murder, and the arrest of the gang rape case nine years ago.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
November 21, 2100
Yokosuka Harbor, Kanagawa Prefecture
Yokosuka in Kanagawa Prefecture has long flourished as a military port, and after the conclusion of the Japan-US Security Treaty, it served as the home port of the US Navy's Seventh Fleet.
In one part of the port, there was a huge ship, more than 500 meters in length, docked. The name of the ship is Fusō, the only flying battleship on Earth, and a reusable spacecraft that can return to and from outer space and the atmosphere by taking off from and landing on the sea surface. It is a double-edged sword that Japan brought back from Terralus as a legacy from the far future. The prosperity of the Japanese Empire is based in part on the technology of graviton control and nuclear fusion brought by Fusō, as well as various genetically improved plants stored in the ship.
And now, there were two men on the first bridge, the ship's command center.
"Did you see on the news, Captain Onobuchi... the United States again?"
"Yeah, I heard that the IF Security Council has proposed Fusō's dismantlement again this time. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs must be in a state of flux to get the word out to India and Russia."
The Fusō's captain, Shunta Onobuchi of the Imperial Japanese Air and Space Force, and his second-in-command, Commander Naohiro Kozuki, were talking about the international situation surrounding the Fusō.
Some members of the International Federation regarded the Fusō as the equivalent of a weapon of mass destruction and condemn the Japanese government for refusing to submit it. The United States, once a strong ally of Japan, is one such country. Since the termination of the Japan-US Security Treaty, the relationship between Japan and the United States of America has changed from one of an 'alliance' to that of a 'virtual enemy.' The US has frequently urged the Japanese government to dismantle the Fusō.
"As the only space battleship on earth, a culmination of overly advanced technology created by the 28th-century science, the Japanese government has been vigorously researching this ship for about 60 years since it acquired her, finally leading to the independent development of a small fusion reactor and the discovery of graviton and its operation method. These great advances made space exploration the sole domain of Japan."
After advancing the research and analysis of the Fusō, Japan achieved the commercialization of a fusion nuclear-powered ship in 2068, and in 2071, Japan succeeded in producing a reusable space plane based on its own development. From this point on, the space development business became Japan's sole domain.
"But we are not in full control of this ship. Especially the photon rocket, the main engine, that will not be unsolvable even if we spend the next 100 years. After all... we may be merely putting our faith in the legacy of the future."
The main engine of the Fusō is the photon rocket engine. The photon generated by the annihilation of matter and antimatter is bounced backward with a mirror that bounces 100% of the photon back as far as possible and is used as propulsion power. If the ship is navigating in the atmosphere or around the Earth, the propulsion power of the auxiliary fusion pulse engine is sufficient. This ship was built on the premise that it would navigate the breadth of the solar system.
"That is how much overwhelming military power is hidden in this ship. If the full power of the Fusō were used, it would be able to neutralize the modern US military within 24 hours. It is certainly not unreasonable for the International Federation to fear this ship."
The power that Fusō possessed was clearly excessive for this era, the end of the 21st century. Therefore, when Japan joined the IF, it made a pledge to prohibit any military use of the Fusō, including onboard planes, in exchange for a deferment of its submission. Every two years, the Security Council reviews whether the pledges are being fulfilled. When they independently developed the UF-3 Universe Zero, an atmospheric and space fighter using 28th-century technology in 2076, the IFSC was more confused than ever before.
"Whenever a year comes around when the pledge is reviewed, the US and Korea try to reason this way and that the non-use of the Fusō is not in compliance. This is totally annoying."
Japan does not recall having done anything to be prodded about the pledge. The fact that there are those who make a mess of the treatment of Fusō every time shows that other countries are that much afraid of the battleship.
"Our country should go our way. If those who would choose that path to appear, I believe that we should do our utmost to shake them off."
In this era, Imperial soldiers were highly loyal to the nation. Captain Onobuchi was prepared to fight for his country even if the entire world turned on Japan.
"Agreed," Commander Kozuki had the same resolve.
The international situation surrounding Japan at this time is extremely turbulent, and one never knows when the international community will turn against Japan. The reason why the government is aggressively expanding its sphere of influence beyond the Earth using the technology of the 28th century in the name of space development is to prepare for a possible break with the world that may come at any moment.
. . .
Around the same time
Tokyo World Expo Site, Neo Bayside District, Koto Ward, Tokyo
On this day, the Tokyo Expo, which had been suspended due to an attack by a terrorist organization, finally resumes. A large number of people are lined up at the entrance gate, and the venue is also crowded with visitors. Among them are many foreign tourists. During international events such as the Olympics, the World Cup, and the World Expo, the entry of foreigners was greatly relaxed for a limited period of time. In the midst of such international crowds, Juen and Tamura were present.
"I thought the terrorist attack might have put a damper on the visitors, but..."
"Surprisingly, they have gathered."
The two were patrolling the Expo site as part of their security duties. At various parts of the venue, Tamura, a Domeki demi-human, had numerous eyes flying over the area.
More than 30 countries and regions are participating in this Expo under the theme of "Dawn of a New Century." The Korean Pavilion has been temporarily closed due to suspicions that it may have helped a terrorist organization to enter Japan, and there is no indication that it will reopen.
"But... it must have been a disaster for Chief Juen to encounter an incident like that so soon after arriving at his post.
"Well... I now understand better about Division 4."
This country, the Japanese Empire, is the only country in the world that maintains a system of complete rule of law. Although it may not look like it at first glance, it is in fact a chaotic land where super-science from the future and fantasy from another world coexist. The Investigation Division 4 is the fortress that supports the coexistence of these two extremes.