Chapter 9: Invisible Voices Through the Screen

In Japan, the number of reported crimes, even limited to serious offenses, exceeds an annual average of fifteen thousand.

The capability of the Japanese police organization, which apprehends over ninety percent of these cases, is undeniably high compared to other countries, and normally, it wouldn't be something that would cause public dissatisfaction to erupt.

In fact, while the majority of people believe they are doing a good job, the increasing public distrust in the police organization is largely due to the information-accessible society we now live in.

There are so many unsolved cases by the police.

The victims of unsolved cases are so pitiful, the brutality of the cases is so extreme, and perhaps there is collusion within the police organization somewhere, or so they say.

Information with added embellishments, even fabricated tails and horns, is delivered to many people through the internet.

Information about unsolved cases, less than ten percent, about one percent each year, is highlighted on television and in newspapers, and there are quite a few people who are swayed by such information.

"Get your act together," "Put yourself in the victims' shoes," people raise their voices.

Because the majority of people are those who cannot tolerate sacrifice—a sacrifice that is tolerated by those with a broad global perspective who consider human limitations, or rather, the limits of science.

--- However, those people cannot be blamed.

Because it is true that the Japanese police organization also has scandals, missed evidence, wrongful convictions, and collusion does exist.

It's not flawlessly virtuous, it can't be said to be incorruptible, it's not an organization that can be called a model for all in any way.

Those with a nature that detests corruption are sure to dislike the shady parts of such an organization.

The foundation of a police organization built on trust will crumble simply by exposing a few minor scandals.

What happens if the enforcers of law in a nation ruled by law lose the trust of the people of that nation?

Things that should be corrected are not corrected, a country where laws are not enforced is created.

Conquering a nation is not done by military force alone.

In an age where information of dubious authenticity is delivered to individuals in a torrent, there are many methods available.

The pillars of a nation that builds its foundation on something as fragile as trust are easily broken.

Therefore, I will say it again and again.

--- I know how to break this country.

◆◆◆

"…Well, now, someone really went on a rampage here, huh."

The first words of a young police officer who arrived at the scene.

His words, with a tone that was both dumbfounded and even somewhat impressed, were his honest感想 (kansou - impressions/thoughts) directed at the drunkard said to have created the scene of devastation before his eyes.

At this location, relatively spacious with rows of materials and containers, many police officers had already gathered and were conducting an on-site investigation to search for evidence from the incident that had occurred late last night.

"I've been in charge of several cases of drunkards going on rampages and breaking things, but I've never heard of anyone rampaging over such a wide area…"

The warehouse, left abandoned and untouched for some time.

This place, somewhat famous among local residents as a hangout for juvenile delinquents, was a place the young police officer had visited only once before in response to a resident's report.

At that time, it seemed to be still somewhat organized, but now it was a scene of devastation, with broken home appliances, barbed wire, and various other iron materials scattered all over the place.

A terrible situation, but apparently the product of a single drunkard's assault.

Moreover, the assault committed against the off-duty police officer seemed to be quite severe, and it was certain that the victimized police officer would be spending some time in the hospital.

While sighing, wondering what kind of powerhouse had gone on a rampage, the young police officer started searching among the scrap materials scattered on the ground for anything that might be related to the incident, along with a colleague who had also been mobilized.

"So, this drunkard is a Japanese man in his thirties, and he's currently being questioned at the police station, huh. He really scattered a lot of trash all over the place. There are various kinds of trash scattered around, but it's all stuff that was in this warehouse… right?"

"Of course, it is. If they brought this amount from somewhere else, even a transport truck wouldn't be enough. Most likely, the delinquents who were using this as a hangout made it into a garbage dump."

"Ah… I see."

The young police officer, recalling the faces of the juvenile delinquents he had once given guidance to at his colleague's words, let out a wry smile and nodded in agreement.

If kids like them were using this place as a hangout, it wouldn't be strange for them to bring broken home appliances as toys.

A drunkard who happened to stop by this place scattered the piles of home appliances and trash that the juvenile delinquents had brought, because he didn't like something.

Such a realistic scenario came to mind, and the two officers, feeling disgusted with the extra work they had been given, sighed.

"Damn brats… Can't we tell the owner of this warehouse to properly manage it? Or is it a case of unknown ownership or something like that?"

"No, there's no information about the owner or anything yet. …More than that, the police officer who was victimized is also having a hard time, isn't he. To get caught up in an assault incident on his precious day off during this busy time because of the kidnapping incident."

"Ah, well, yeah, that's true. But, from what I heard, that victim is apparently that person."

" That person? …Ah, you mean the one who's rumored to be talking about curses and magic?"

"Yeah, yeah, Kagurazaka Kamiya, that guy."

It was the name of a person who was often talked about when he wasn't around.

A person treated like a pariah within the police station, and the target of mockery behind his back.

Although he had never spoken to him directly, hearing that such a person was the victim, the young police officer couldn't help but feel uneasy, wondering if the victim himself had somehow provoked the other party and made them angry.

The police's position is precarious right now.

Considering that the kidnapping incident was prolonged, there would be no shortage of people who would vehemently criticize them, as if they had seized the head of a demon, if there was even a slight blunder on the police's side.

Therefore, the young police officer's thought that anxiety outweighed concern for his injuries or sympathy, hearing that the victim was Kagurazaka, was not special, but the same as that of most police officers present at the scene.

In contrast to the young police officer who was making a bitter face with such thoughts, his colleague suddenly remembered something.

"Ah, but before coming here, I also heard a strange rumor. That supposedly, that Kagurazaka person brought a considerable number of children to the police station last night."

"Children? Why would he bring children for…? Hey, you're kidding. Even if he was excellent in the past, there's no way those children are victims of the kidnapping incident, right…?"

"Hahaha, don't be ridiculous. There's no way Kagurazaka alone can do anything about an incident that's remained unsolved even with such a large-scale investigation. Probably, the information about the assault incident at this place and the kidnapping incident got mixed up, and a strange rumor just spread."

"Y-yeah, that's right."

While checking the shards of glass and parts of broken home appliances scattered on the ground, the young police officer immediately agreed with his colleague, who was believing without a doubt that it was just information mix-up.

That's right, there's no way that's possible.

Certainly, he had heard that the officer in question used to belong to Public Security and that he still pokes his nose into cases outside his jurisdiction and solves them, but this time is different.

A major incident that is causing a stir in society, which the police organization is tackling with all its might.

There's no way it's a plausible story that a single police officer solved it single-handedly and even rescued the victims.

Leaving behind the police organization that hasn't even found one victim, it's too unrealistic that a single police officer would find the victims.

Besides, what happened to the story that he was assaulted by a drunkard and injured at this place?

There was a story that he sustained serious injuries that would require him to go to the hospital for a while, and there's plenty of evidence of that at this place, so Kagurazaka shouldn't have had the leeway to solve other incidents.

Therefore, no, that's impossible.

"…Even so, this place is unbelievably devastated, isn't it. Is it really possible for just one person's rampage to cause this much damage?"

…However, what if.

While voicing his doubts about the devastated scene before his eyes, the young police officer thought.

…What if all the rumors are true?

If the injuries Kagurazaka was said to have sustained were real, and he had been engaging in a major struggle at this place, and he had rescued the kidnapped children.

If all of those things had happened last night, wouldn't everything connect in a single line?

He ran around trying to solve the kidnapping incident, found some kind of lead, contacted a drunkard who seemed to be the kidnapper, and fought with that kidnapper at this place, and so on.

"…Haha, what is that. That's just a ridiculous overthinking, isn't it."

The young police officer laughed off his own idea and muttered so.

Even if Kagurazaka had fought with the kidnapper at this place, there shouldn't be a reason to conceal it, and it doesn't explain why this warehouse is devastated in a way that can't be explained by just one drunkard's rampage.

Besides, he doesn't understand the reason why Kagurazaka didn't report the leads about the kidnapping incident beforehand either.

Unless this kidnapping incident was caused by curses or magic, as Kagurazaka says, things wouldn't make sense, the young police officer concluded.

"…Even so, it's certainly better if the kidnapping incident is resolved quickly, though…"

"Whoa?"

"Huh? Hey, what's wrong?"

His colleague's surprised voice came from a slightly distant place, and he hurriedly headed over there.

He thought his colleague might have been injured, but his colleague was standing still, staring at something, and the young police officer, looking at what he was looking at, was also aghast.

Iron materials were standing upright.

In a straight, upright form, iron materials were piercing the ground like a bed of needles—a shocking scene.

Normally, iron materials wouldn't pierce so deeply into the ground as to be firmly fixed unless you dug into the ground.

At the scene, which couldn't be thought of as simply a rampage, at a loss for words about what on earth could have caused this, the young police officer found yet another unbelievable thing.

"It's pierced through the container…?"

A white, turbid iron material was piercing through a very sturdy transport container made of steel.

It's not at the level of just one person, or just rampaging with brute force.

Witnessing a physically impossible situation right before his eyes, the young police officer gasped.

"C-could this really be caused by just one drunkard…?"

The young police officer thought, at the scene before his eyes, which didn't match the transmitted information.

If the information is correct, and the warehouse is devastated like this as a result of just one person's rampage, then.

The opponent Kagurazaka fought with at this place is probably not someone that can be measured by the science we know, he thought.

Several hours later, learning that the 'Serial Child Kidnapping Incident' had been resolved by Kagurazaka's actions, his thought became more and more realistic.

(Illustrations No. 23-24)