Record of Wortenia War: Volume 4

by Ryota Hori

Right... I’ve faced someone who felt like him before... I think it was back then.

  He thought back to a man with a history of working as a professional assassin for a Hong Kong mafia organization. He originally trained in a special forces unit for the People’s Liberation Army, and like many members of the mafia, found his way to the affluent streets of Hong Kong after falling on hard times.

  According to the documents Tachibana received at the time, the man took on some pretty dirty jobs in the name of upholding the peace during his time in the army, directly staining his own hands with blood dozens of times.

  It was said that men who had experience killing people gave off a different sort of aura, and indeed, upon seeing the man, Tachibana did note that the air he gave off was different from those around him.

  This old man feels eerily similar to him... This is just a hunch, but...

  Based on information gained from the International Criminal Police Organization, Tachibana’s senior detective at the time was given the order to arrest this man who had entered Japanese territory.

  It was initially doubtful how this fell under the Fourth Investigative Division’s jurisdiction, but they had received an appeal for cooperation because the Japanese branch of the man’s organization made contact with a large designated organized crime group.

  At first the investigation went well. The informant Tachibana planted in the criminal group provided swift, accurate information. They had the date, time, and place the target would enter Japan. Tachibana knew everything, from what hotel the target would be staying in to the fake name he was going to use.

  But just when he was a step away from arresting him, the young Tachibana stepped out of line from overeagerness, resulting in a savage counterattack from the assassin.

  It was the worst possible outcome and the greatest blunder of his career — two members of the operation died in the line of duty, and upon completing his job, the assassin dropped off their radar, never to be seen again — just as if he’d disappeared off the face of the earth.

  Tachibana had since narrowly avoided resignation, but having taken responsibility for the whole event, he was removed from the Fourth Investigative Division and the central government office, instead working for the regional police department.

  And so, he was demoted to a position with the Juvenile Observation and Protection Department, where he had been ever since.

  He had no intention whatsoever of looking down on the Community Safety Department’s work, but this was certainly severe enough of a punishment for someone who had worked in the frontlines facing off against professional criminals.

  That said, Tachibana wasn’t displeased. Defending the citizens from professional criminals was important, but he understood that watching over the young, those who would carry the nation’s future, was just as important of a job.

  Besides, every now and then I happen upon cases like this one...

  Even from the perspective of a veteran like Tachibana, this disappearance was a mysterious one.

  Normally, cases like this one would begin with a search request, followed by a formal investigation to check if there was any proof of an incident, and that was usually where it ended.

  Heartless as it may sound, even the police couldn’t find every person that went missing. Of course, cases where evidence of criminal intent or emergency existed, such as child abduction or a missing person who left behind a suicide note, were treated differently. Even still, as time progressed, fewer and fewer people remained to work on the case.

  Most people who heard of this would accuse the police of cold, unfair treatment, and in a manner of speaking, these complaints were justified. But the fact that it was impossible to defend every single citizen with limited resources and manpower held just as true.

  However, when it came to this case, it was indeed an unusual one. After all, the missing high-school student had an unusually large, hulking physique. He was a minor, but unlike a primary or middle schooler, he was at a more autonomous age.

  Plus, he wasn’t just large; he was clearly trained. Tachibana had received a photograph of him taken during his high school admission, and the young man’s large physique stood out at a glance.

  Unless he was attacked by a large group, it was doubtful most people would be able to do anything to this Ryoma Mikoshiba boy, impudent as that thought seemed. In other words, it was unlikely he was the victim of a crime.

  In which case, the possibility of him disappearing of his own will grew more convincing, but that presented another problem: there was no discernible reason for him to do that.

  He left his bag at school, and it had all his notebooks and textbooks. His cell phone, too. The only thing missing was a boxed lunch he supposedly received from Asuka Kiryuu. And that matches up with the testimony from his classmates, that he left the class with his lunch in hand... If he ran away from home, the timing for it is unnatural. And there are no witnesses, nor did he appear on any surveillance cameras from train stations or convenience stores in the area. He could have avoided them deliberately, and he might have used a car, but...

  There were surveillance cameras at every corner of the modern world, and it was exceedingly difficult to avoid being caught on tape to at least some extent. Even if they didn’t get a clear shot of him, it was unnatural that he didn’t appear on any cameras within a several kilometer radius. And even if he ran away from home, leaving his cell phone in his bag was unthinkable in this day and age.

  Something feels off about the old man, but nothing makes sense about the way the kid disappeared, either. From the photograph I can tell he’s not just tall. From how wide his chest and neck are, he’s clearly gone through considerable training, way beyond the scope of a hobby.

  Asuka Kiryuu was standing next to him in the photograph, and his body matched her waist and thighs in girth.

  He also inspected the photograph with a magnifying glass and found his fists had considerable calluses on them, the kind one would only get from practicing daily and over a long period of time with a karate straw post.

  But there’s no record of Ryoma Mikoshiba participating officially in any martial art or form of sports... Same as this old man... It feels like it was deliberately hidden, but why?

  The more he dug into the place, the more Tachibana felt there was something off about Ryoma Mikoshiba. Or rather, something was unnatural about the Mikoshiba family...

  There’s the matter of his parents, too...

  The questioning ended about as expected, and Kusuda turned his eyes to Tachibana.

  “Is there anything else, Mr. Tachibana?”

  At first glance, nothing seemed to change about Kusuda’s expression, but Tachibana noticed the slight change to the mask of his expression.

  He’s not incompetent, but he definitely wants to close this up by the book... I guess it makes sense, given how young he is...

  Kusuda wasn’t enthusiastic about working on this case, only taking part in it because Tachibana, the senior in charge of his training, was assigned to it. He was quite frankly apathetic in his investigation, and Tachibana could vaguely tell he wanted to get it over with as fast as possible.

  I can relate to him not wanting to squander any more time on a case that doesn’t look like it’s going to bear any fruit...

  There were essentially two ways to move up as a police officer. The first was to apply for an exam that would raise your rank. It was the safest, most certain, and most tiresome method of being promoted.

  The other was to earn enough merit and achievements to be moved to one of the star postings. What it meant was that one remained part of their division, while their post would move from the local police station to the jurisdiction office. It was the equivalent of a businessman moving from a branch office to the head office of a company.

  For all young Kusuda was concerned, he wanted out of this posting and its boring, unappealing work, and to move to the more flashy and appealing Criminal Investigations Department. Tachibana was
aware of how, to that end, he was desperate for any chance to gain merit.

  Tachibana didn’t intend to justify that way of thinking, but considering where it stemmed from, he couldn’t quite fault him for it, either.

  Of course, considering his role as a police officer, it did come across as wrong. At least as far as appearances go, no job was any more or less important than another when it came to police work; catching criminals wasn’t everything. Handling lost articles, helping people find their way around the streets, and even guarding the entrance to the police station were important parts of maintaining the public order.

  But those were plain, dull jobs that weren’t appreciated by the citizens.

  And with the section chief being the way he is...

  Tachibana’s lips curled as the face of their boss, who was always pressuring them to get results and up the numbers, surfaced in his mind. He didn’t think highly of him. No. Frankly speaking, he thought of him as the scum of the earth. But then again, he only ever pressured his subordinates the way he did because he was pressured the same way by his own superiors.

  Society stressed results and efficiency, and that wasn’t limited to just police work. Modern Japan fully operated on the logic of numbers, and once most people saw past the pretense and appearances, they acted the way Kusuda did. Put another way, society had a way of crushing those that didn’t conform to that line of thought.

  “No, I don’t have anything to ask.” Feeling Kusuda’s probing glance, Tachibana nodded, quashing the feeling of sorrow budding in his heart.

  They’d mostly achieved what they came for. Tachibana was convinced his hunch was right on the money.

  This old man is the key to this case. There’s no doubt he’s holding onto everything... The only question is how I should approach this going forward. I should probably gather some more info.

  There was nothing more he could do for now. Even if he were to shower the old man with questions, he doubted he’d get a convincing answer out of him.

  “I see... Then I suppose we’ll be off. It’s getting quite late, after all.” Kusuda cracked a smile, relieved they could finally go home.

  “Oh, do you want me to prepare dinner?” Asuka asked.

  “No, we appreciate the offer, but we’re on the clock right now,” Tachibana gratefully declined, rising to his feet.

  “I see... I’m sorry we didn’t have much to treat you with,” Kouichiro said. “If anything else comes up, come by any time... Asuka, if you would?”

  “I’ll show you the door.” Asuka nodded slightly.

  With that said, she followed Tachibana and Kusuda out of the living room, as Kouichiro watched them go.

  “That detective, Tachibana...”

  Kouichiro reached for his favorite tea bowl, taking a sip of his now lukewarm tea and letting the taste linger on his tongue.

  “Hmm. He might’ve picked up on something, but that’s all it’ll ever amount to.”

  For Kouichiro, who knew the whole truth, nothing was more irritating than having a detective like Tachibana, who was simply too loyal to his duties, snoop around. That said, Kouichiro couldn’t offer Tachibana an answer he would accept.

  The Otherworld Summoning.

  On their own, the words didn’t feel that odd. Many Japanese works of fiction made use of it. But saying those words in reality was an entirely different story. If nothing else, had Kouichiro been in Tachibana’s position, he’d only take those words as the ramblings of a madman.

  Still, there’s only one thing I can do...

  Kouichiro had been carrying that guilt ever since he returned from the other world. Just thinking about why the companions that should have followed him weren’t with him drove him mad.

  Following a path paved by many sacrifices, Kouichiro found his way back home to Japan, and just as everything seemed like it might finally be forgotten, it happened.

  A hole opened at his feet, dragging his son and his son’s wife into its dark embrace. The two of them had heard of his story, and while they only half-believed it, they now knew what the situation meant. Their final cries, imploring him to take care of their son, echoed in his ears to this very day.

  The guilt of not going back to the other Earth with them, and of leaving them behind, sank to the bottom of Kouichiro’s heart like a sort of sludge. But he lived on to this day to fulfill his final promise to them and take care of their son.

  But now, even his beloved grandson had become a victim of his karma.

  I am reaping what I sowed. They say what goes around comes around, and those words are all too true.

  Kouichiro thought it had all ended with the sacrifice of his son and his son’s wife. That he’d atoned for his sins. But the shackles of fate rejected his feelings, claiming Ryoma as well.

  There was no proof, but Kouichiro was convinced Ryoma had been summoned to the other world.

  Perhaps I should have told Ryoma, even if he wouldn’t have believed me...

  Regret and remorse formed ripples in Kouichiro’s heart. He gazed into the empty tea bowl in his hands.

  But his emotions soon blanked out at the sound of Asuka screaming.

  “Asuka!”

  At that moment Kouichiro rose to his feet in surprise, only to hear a faint humming sound coming from a sword’s handle. Kouichiro’s gaze fell on his beloved katanas, which sat enshrined in an alcove.

  This is... Ouka and Kikuka are humming...?

  These beloved swords had saved his life countless times in the other world. Even upon returning to Rearth, Kouichiro never neglected to keep them maintained every day. They were true blades, tools of manslaughter.

  And now, many moons and years later, they spoke and sang to Kouichiro yet again.

  Are they telling me to take them...?

  That was, in a way, a foreboding decision. Taking the two swords from the alcove, Kouichiro rushed over to the entrance.

  Impossible... No, it can’t be!

  Cursing the size of his own house, Kouichiro hurried to the entrance.

  “No... This can’t be... Not her, too... You can’t take even Asuka away as well. Is that the punishment you would inflict on me?”

  He’d paid once already with his son and his son’s wife. He never expected to have to bear another sacrifice, but this curse had claimed his grandson next. And now tragedy was about to strike a third time.

  Taking two turns down the hallway, Kouichiro arrived in the entrance hall, only to be greeted with the worst possible sight.

  There was no one there. Neither the two detectives nor Asuka. In their place, a gaping black hole was open in the ground. A bottomless opening to the depths of hell. And Kouichiro knew awfully well what diving into it would mean.

  But I can’t abandon Asuka. If I don’t go after her, she would definitely...

  Unlike the grandson he raised and personally trained, Asuka wasn’t as dutifully trained. In both heart and body, she was only an amateur girl of the modern age. That was more than enough to live in Japan, and her becoming too strong might actually make life harder going forward for her; that thought stopped Kouichiro from training her any further. And even now, he didn’t feel he was wrong in that decision.

  But in a world where the law had a less binding presence and human rights were a questionable concept, things were different. Nonaggression or self-defense rendered one incapable of defending themselves, to say nothing of others.

  To survive in that world, one needed to be capable of mercilessly slaying their opponent, and needed to have the crisis management skills to know how to deal with threats ahead of time.

  Of course, if one managed to find a way of surviving, they would come to develop those skills in that world, whether they wished to or not. But before she reached that state, Asuka would have to live through hell.

  Yes, just as Kouichiro once did, in his youth...

  There’s plenty I’d like to take along if I could, but... I don’t have the time to think it over. I’ll have to make do with thes
e two...

  The hole in the ground was gradually closing. He only had a few moments left. In seconds, the two worlds would once again be separated.

  Kouichiro tightened his grip on the two swords he cherished so greatly. At this point there was no way of knowing what country had summoned them, but there was no doubt he would have to fight.

  Forgive me... In the end, even Asuka became involved in all of this, even though I feared this would happen... But I will protect her. I swear it. I will keep her safe, even if it claims my life. So please... Forgive your sinful brother.

  Mouthing silent words of gratitude to his younger sister, who had always supported him and Ryoma, Kouichiro stepped forward.

  “Wait for me, Asuka!”

  With his swords in hand, Kouichiro once again soared back into that world of savagery, so he would not have to lose any more of his family.

  Swallowing Kouichiro up, the hole sluggishly closed its maw, leaving in its wake an estate bereft of its master. The only witness of what transpired within these walls was the pale moon, overlooking everything from a crack in the grey clouds.

  Chapter 2: An Unexpected Messenger

  Lupis carefully examined the man who had suddenly appeared before her. His name was Akitake Sudou. He had black hair, black eyes and yellow skin. He looked to be in his forties, and while he wasn’t very tall, his body overall seemed rather solid. He did have a bit of a gut, but that could likely be attributed to his age catching up with him. His arms and neck, however, did have a thickness to them that made him look like a seasoned warrior.

  She’d seen people with some combination of these traits, but it was the first time she’d seen someone fulfill all of them. Yes, with the exception of one person. Ryoma Mikoshiba...

  “Please do not stare at me so intently. I might blush.”

  Sudou’s tone was far too crude for one speaking to a country’s princess, but his facial expression somehow made her forgive his words. That was the atmosphere he gave off. However, his easy-going words only made Lupis tense up in renewed caution.

  “I realize it is only natural for you to be wary, given I have appeared in the middle of the night without an appointment, but... Would you mind if I could at least take a seat? Standing for very long becomes hard at my age, you see.”