Chapter 29 Part 1
What was going on?
Adhering to the principle of rather eavesdropping on a hundred conversations than missing one, Bourbon had placed a listening device on Asuka Kazuya from the beginning and naturally heard their entire conversation.
Calvados had indeed mentioned a senpai before, but Bourbon had thought this so-called “senpai” was an undercover agent in the Black Organization, he didn’t expect it to be related to the Port Mafia.
“Really! I’m serious! That person wasn’t there before, he just appeared out of nowhere!”
Seeing Superintendent Adachi emerge from the crime scene, Koe Haruko was agitated. She gestured wildly, completely losing the composure she had during the questioning, as if her worldview had been shattered.
“I-I can testify too! Right after that mafia-like guy raised his hand! A person suddenly appeared on the table!”
Ishikawa Taro reacted, immediately echoing her. The water stains on his cuffs hadn’t dried yet, and his shirt was wet again from the spilled alcohol—he probably did it himself in shock. The man was stammering, trying to prove that he had witnessed the ninth wonder of the world.
Adachi Yuhei briefly recalled their information.
Koe Haruko, female, 28 years old, actress under Toei Company.
Ishikawa Taro, male, 46 years old, section chief of Tokyo Electric Power Sales Department.
These two had just been identified as suspects by Nakahara Chuuya a few minutes ago. Now they were hiding behind the speechless Superintendent Adachi, wanting to be a mile away from the window.
“A person appeared on the table?” Adachi Yuhei looked around puzzledly, but besides the broken tableware, he didn’t see anything special. “Then where is he now?”
Koe Haruko: “He turned invisible! Invisible again!”
Adachi Yuhei: “…Do you think that’s possible?”
Ishikawa Taro: “Yes, yes, yes, and the surveillance cameras, they suddenly broke together just now! You have to believe us, officer! They really broke together!”
…Enough, even movies weren’t filmed like this.
Adachi Yuhei retorted, about to lose his temper, when he caught sight of a small, bullet-hole-like defect in the glass.
“Everyone, close the curtains and stay away from the windows.”
Realizing that there might be some truth to their words, Superintendent Adachi frowned, giving orders methodically.
“Makino, take some people to the opposite building and have a look. At this height, if a bullet came in, it could only be from a sniper. And contact the Special Crimes Division, they’re more experienced in handling this kind of thing.”
After saying this, Superintendent Adachi turned around and looked Asuka Kazuya up and down: “Are you injured? With that expression?”
Asuka Kazuya: “…”
Asuka Kazuya: “No.”
“That’s strange.” Adachi Yuhei didn’t understand. He recalled the famous human bullet-dodging incident on the cruise ship, his gaze casually sweeping over Nakahara Chuuya beside him. “At this angle, it should have been aimed at you, right? What did you do to incur such deep hatred?”
…It wasn’t really deep hatred, right?
Not knowing how to respond to Nakahara Chuuya’s words just now, Asuka Kazuya glanced at a certain ability user in the corner who had been forced to use his ability, incredulous that he was still alive.
It looked painful. He would have to find a chance to see Miss Airi and ask about their members’ tenacious vitality.
Asuka Kazuya looked away: “I think we should deal with the murder case in the restroom first.”
“Speaking of which, Makino said you were the one who gave that series of testimonies just now.” Superintendent Adachi frowned, turning to Nakahara Chuuya, who didn’t seem worried about the sniper outside. “Why did you notice these things–Kato, don’t tell me it’s your brother again, the last one was somewhat similar, but this one isn’t at all.”
Adachi Yuhei still remembered Akai Shuichi from last time. Although both of them had a “not a good person” aura, the last one was clearly a different type from Nakahara Chuuya.
If he had to say, Adachi Yuhei felt that this person looked even more dangerous.
“They just said you’re a mafia member.” Thinking of this, Adachi Yuhei took his coat from the two people hiding behind him. “Don’t you have anything to say?”
Assuming the murderer was among the people present, based on intuition, of course, he would suspect the one who looked more likely to act.
But…
“That gentleman shouldn’t use such an obvious method to kill.” Seeing that things were going in the wrong direction, Bourbon couldn’t help but interrupt their conversation. He walked over and stood beside Asuka Kazuya. “Right, Kazuya? You should have figured out who the murderer is, right?”
The victim’s body was completely stiff, indicating that the time of death was much earlier than when they discovered it. The most obvious clue was the torn muscles at the joints, the murderer probably folded the body after the victim died, then transported it to the restroom stall, wanting to frame someone.
This was a clue that could only be discovered through on-site investigation, how did Bourbon know?
Asuka Kazuya looked up, secretly kicking Bourbon while Superintendent Adachi wasn’t paying attention.
“Is it a surveillance camera or a listening device this time?”
“There’s nothing I can do,” Bourbon smiled, bending down and whispering in Asuka Kazuya’s ear, “I also have to occasionally fabricate some of your rich life for Gin.”
“Eh~” Asuka Kazuya raised an eyebrow. “I think you just want to eavesdrop on whether I got that list or not. What’s going on? Is there someone important to you in the Metropolitan Police Department?”
Bourbon still didn’t admit it.
“…And who is this?” Adachi Yuhei narrowed his eyes, dissatisfied with Bourbon’s behavior just now, further confirming that he had seen him somewhere before.
“Amuro Tooru,” Bourbon replied, extending his hand to the stunned Superintendent Adachi. “One of the abusive older brothers this guy always talks about.”
Adachi Yuhei: “…”
Nakahara Chuuya: “…”
You said it so openly, what kind of reaction do you expect?!
Adachi Yuhei examined Bourbon’s attire, finally noticing his golden hair.
Come to think of it, when he attended a police academy graduation ceremony years ago, that outstanding graduate also had golden hair.
Onizuka Hachizo said it was natural and told him not to make a fuss about it. Adachi Yuhei was skeptical but still personally awarded him the medal.
“Is this something to be proud of?” Adachi Yuhei shook Bourbon’s extended hand, noticing the calluses from long-term gun use.
Adachi Yuhei’s heart sank, quickly connecting the outstanding graduate whose name he had forgotten with Amuro Tooru in front of him.
Come to think of it, Onizuka seemed to have complained to him that several of his students had disappeared after graduation, probably on some secret mission.
Adachi Yuhei opened his mouth, finally swallowing the words, “Didn’t we meet at the police academy graduation ceremony?”
Could it be that the kid with the hat next to him was also a police officer? Adachi Yuhei suddenly realized, thinking no wonder Amuro Tooru interrupted him just now.
Adachi Yuhei changed his tone, coughing a few times in front of everyone: “Oh, it seems quite something to be proud of, keep it up, if you have any difficulties, just tell Kato.”
Koe Haruko: ?? Keep what up? Didn’t you hear him say “abusive”? Even the police are being bribed now?!
Ishikawa Taro: Hopeless! Japan is hopeless! The world is going downhill! Can today’s society only be saved by passionate anime?!
These two put on haggard expressions, momentarily forgetting their fear.
“It’s Mr. Ido, right?” Also a central figure in the topic, the current situation was so complicated that even Asuka Kazuya couldn’t bear to continue causing trouble. “I remember this restaurant has a dedicated staff changing room. Besides you, no one else could have moved the body without being caught by the surveillance cameras.”
Called out, Ido Ryu, the waiter, didn’t react for a moment. He scratched his head awkwardly, replying tentatively: “Is there a mistake? If I did it, I wouldn’t have called the police.”
“But the first call you made wasn’t to the police, was it?” Asuka Kazuya said innocently, repeating Ido Ryu’s words. “[‘Everything is ready, once that guy is taken away by the police, send the ransom message.’]—That’s what you said.”
Ido Ryu’s face turned pale. Just as he was about to retort, he saw the young man in front of him turn to Ishikawa Taro, who was in a daze.
“Why don’t you check your bag? Someone might have slipped something into it while you were in the restroom fixing your clothes.”
Ishikawa Taro nodded belatedly. Just as he was about to reach for his bag, another bullet shattered the glass and flew in.
Unfortunately, without a clear line of sight, the bullet only shattered a wine bottle on the table.
“Superintendent Adachi!” Makino’s voice came from the walkie-talkie. “We haven’t found any trace of the sniper, the riot police are still on their way, should we proceed–”
The signal on the walkie-talkie was cut off.
Adachi Yuhei looked up, seeing that Asuka Kazuya had already bypassed the cordon and run down the stairs.
“Wait, Kato!” Adachi Yuhei couldn’t help it, just as he was about to stop him, he heard Koe Haruko scream.
In the corner of the restaurant, a figure flickered in and out of view, his eyes rolled back, his life seemingly coming to an end.
…They’re really filming a movie, huh?
Adachi Yuhei took a deep breath, immediately deciding to request backup from his superiors.
Meanwhile, the crowd downstairs in the commercial building continued to surge outwards. Asuka Kazuya thought about where the sniper might be, grabbing a police officer who had come with Officer Makino.
“Where’s Makino-senpai?”
“I-I don’t know.” The latter’s expression was distorted by lingering fear. Seeing Asuka Kazuya approach, he struggled to organize his words. “Makino suddenly disappeared while reporting, y-you should leave too, this is beyond our control, it’s definitely a supernatural event!”
Asuka Kazuya didn’t speak, releasing his grip on the other’s arm and running up the stairs.
His stamina wasn’t actually very good. Perhaps because he had spent his entire childhood running around gathering information, Asuka Kazuya’s so-called combat skills were learned from watching others fight.
He imitated Hibari when Hibari fought, he imitated Gin when Gin fought, but unfortunately, both of them found him annoying and didn’t bother to teach him properly.
But in any case, it was still better than that of an ordinary police officer.
Asuka Kazuya suddenly turned around, his right hand blocking the attack from behind. With a flick of his wrist, he used the attacker’s shoulder as leverage, and by the time he landed, the knife in his hand had already been plunged into the enemy’s neck.
The gushing blood splattered half his face. Asuka Kazuya watched the person collapse, his ability nullified, catching sight of the “12th Floor” sign in the stairwell.
“Since you’re after me, what’s the point of taking Officer Makino?”
The red beneath his feet spread into a small puddle. Asuka Kazuya lifted his eyelids, tilting his head to dodge a bullet.
Similar to the weapon Tanaka Airi had used, if hit, it would cause immediate paralysis, making it difficult to use abilities.
“You can only blame yourself for hanging out with the police.” A man’s chuckle came from the air. Asuka Kazuya subconsciously fired a shot towards the source of the sound, but only a hidden speaker shattered.
“And Airi, she actually betrayed us. Don’t worry, Asuka-kun, as long as you cooperate with us, I guarantee you’ll receive a much more generous reward than now.”
“Haha,” Asuka Kazuya narrowed his eyes, scoffing. “I won’t help you get the vault password. Besides, if I wanted to do that, couldn’t I just open the vault myself?”
“The Special Abilities Division won’t allow you to do that.” The man’s voice was getting closer. “You’re the first, the Vongola are the second, God will clear all obstacles for us, you better face reality.”
Asuka Kazuya’s finger rested on the trigger, his green eyes shifting.
“Don’t think you’re really blessed by God just because you named yourselves after it. If everyone is like you, what’s the use of all the churches in the world?”
Under the effect of the jammer, his continuous use of his ability made him dizzy. Asuka Kazuya frowned, irritably taking a step back.
It was this step that allowed him to catch Officer Makino, who had been thrown from upstairs.
The young man’s face was covered in blood, seemingly unconscious from a heavy blow. Asuka Kazuya’s shoulder dislocated from the impact, barely managing to pull him up.
“And the Vongola?” Even in this situation, Asuka Kazuya still had the leisure to chuckle. His cold gaze shifted back, deliberately using a sarcastic tone. “Forget about me, have you thought about the consequences of provoking the Vongola? Being killed two hundred times by Rokudo Mukuro in your dreams?”
Psychic abilities had always been taboo in the underworld. As a test subject of the Estraneo Family, Rokudo Mukuro had the ability to freely enter other people’s dreams.
Chief Taneda had repeatedly lamented that it would be great if such a person could join the Special Abilities Division. Asuka Kazuya, squatting beside him at the time, silently retorted that he would learn his lesson after being driven to jump off a building in his dreams.
Chief Taneda was expressionless, making him copy the Special Abilities Division’s regulations ten times.
Such provocative words naturally angered the Theos members. The moment Asuka Kazuya pulled Officer Makino up, the hidden enemy attacked again.
The Boss’s order was to capture Asuka Kazuya alive. To achieve this goal, just like Tanaka Airi, they naturally didn’t intend to kill him.
They turned the jammer’s intensity to maximum, taking advantage of the moment Asuka Kazuya covered his ears to send a signal to their companions on other floors.
All firing positions were adjusted. The man sneered, confident in the outcome of this confrontation.
“Thanks to those studies, we discovered that the extent to which an ability user can use their ability is limited.”
Even if he dodged the bullets in front, there were still those from the sides. The man calmly stated the reality, raising his chin in the darkness.
“Even a ‘transcender’ would be restricted, Asuka-kun. Ultimately, you’re just relying on your fast recovery speed. Just like the Vongola, what can they do without their Dying Will Flames?”
Warm liquid landed on Officer Makino’s face. The young man was awakened by the continuous gunshots. His eyelashes fluttered, and as he struggled to open his eyes, he saw Asuka Kazuya standing in front of him, choking someone.
The young man’s golden hair was darker than usual in the sunlight, his face bearing scars, his exposed skin frighteningly pale. And it was these characteristics that told the gradually awakening Officer Makino one fact—
This person was seriously injured.
“There are also some people who went to the restaurant, right?” Unaware that Officer Makino behind him had woken up, Asuka Kazuya was expressionless, gradually increasing the force in his hands. “Trying to capture Bourbon to threaten me? In your dreams. Besides Bourbon, there’s someone even scarier than Hibari-senpai there.”
Bourbon and Nakahara Chuuya hadn’t followed, they must have been held back by something.
The existence of ability users couldn’t be revealed to the public yet. The Special Abilities Division was responsible for erasing their memories.
Asuka Kazuya felt troubled just thinking about the cleanup work. He disdainfully twisted the person’s neck, turning his head indifferently to meet the gazes hidden in the darkness.
Sometimes intuition was more reliable than what the eyes saw.
Asuka Kazuya counted the shots they had fired, more or less guessing how many people were hiding here.
“Where’s your new Boss?”
No longer under attack, Asuka Kazuya moved his fingers, asking this question indifferently.
“Is it that kid who escaped back then? I knew it, weeds must be uprooted, the executive officer even said he was placed under protective custody.”
Even the most secure prisons had loopholes. But Asuka Kazuya hadn’t developed the awareness to refuse orders back then, he just watched as the child was taken away by the Special Abilities Division.
He had forgotten the child’s name. Asuka Kazuya only remembered him hiding under the sofa, witnessing the entire process of him and Hibari Kyoya killing his father and family.
“If you’re so curious, why don’t you go see for yourself?”
The Theos member continued.
“That organization you’re in doesn’t know you’re from the Special Abilities Division? They don’t even care that the organization is using you as a test subject after you’ve done so much for the police, what are you still protecting them for?”
Classic manipulation.
“None of your business,”
Asuka Kazuya replied nonchalantly, his seemingly gentle movement suddenly grabbing the collar of the person approaching from behind and ruthlessly throwing him down the stairs.
“To prevent you from going back and ruining my plans, please all die here.”
“Look out!”
An unexpected force came from his waist. Asuka Kazuya swayed but didn’t fall.
He turned his head, looking at Officer Makino, who had blocked the attack for him.
This person was in even worse shape than him, let alone getting up, even moving a bit was a medical miracle.
Perhaps because of this, after making this move, Officer Makino collapsed again, his breathing weak. Seeing Asuka Kazuya press his hand on his wound, he barely managed to grab his wrist.
“Stained…with blood…can see clearly…”
See clearly?
Asuka Kazuya was stunned, immediately realizing that his injury before was also deliberate.
But unlike now, his companion, who should have attacked the “invisible people,” chose to run away.
Officer Makino wasn’t angry about this. He quickly pieced together the cause and effect, even smiling reassuringly.
“You’re also…a child…”
“Your brother said he doesn’t agree with you being a police officer…it doesn’t matter…Kato, you should…be happy…”
Asuka Kazuya pursed his lips, using his ability to stop his bleeding, whispering, “You even got my name wrong.”
“I’m not a child either.”
“Hey, if you faint, I can’t save you.”
Officer Makino didn’t open his eyes again.
The light of his ability gradually faded. Asuka Kazuya supported himself on his knees, slowly standing up.
Even now, he still hadn’t found a reason to continue. But Hagiwara-kun said there was a sense of accomplishment in saving people, so there should be, right?
Asuka Kazuya had originally thought that if he couldn’t gain a sense of accomplishment, then like Bourbon, there would be no reason to serve Public Security, right?
He didn’t understand.
First Matsumoto-senpai, then Bourbon telling him “living is also important,” and now Officer Makino.
Asuka Kazuya didn’t gain much of a sense of accomplishment, but his mood worsened.
The surrounding jammers shook under the effect of his ability, several members even dying from heart attacks before they could act.
Pain gradually spread throughout his body. Asuka Kazuya walked forward step by step, pressing his forehead against the dark muzzle under the man’s fearful gaze.
“So even Ango-senpai can be wrong sometimes.”
“He said I wouldn’t have any worries when I grew up, but I clearly…”
As the trigger was pulled, the bullet didn’t pierce Asuka Kazuya’s head as expected. Another body fell to the ground with a thud. Asuka Kazuya lowered his eyes, coldly watching him roll down the stairs.
“…clearly feel even worse.”
[“What if one day you discover that your entire life is a lie?”]
[“Kazuya-kun, will you also break down like those soldiers?”]
Dazai was truly a prophet.
When he got back, he would curse Dazai to be swallowed by a shark while whitewater rafting.
The backlash of his ability continued. Asuka Kazuya blinked slightly, amusing himself as he stumbled back to Officer Makino’s side.
He squatted there, hugging his knees, for a long time, until someone called his name, realizing—
He wasn’t special.
People shed tears when they’re sad.
