Chapter 1 - Blank
It was a clear blue sky. Walking out of a solemn gothic-styled chapel, he looked up to see that
blue stretch as far as the eye could see, among the refreshing early summer wind. As if he felt
that he would end up being consumed by the vastness before him, Kaoru Ichijou narrowed his
eyes.
Ever since he was a child, the blue that spread across the transparent sky has been his favorite
color. And as of now, it was also a color that brought about bitter feelings for him.
Ever since that day…
No, let’s not delve into that subject.
Now’s not the time to reel in those memories.
Chimes of a carillon along with various vividly colored flowers, in contrast to the singular colored
blue sky, leapt into Ichijou’s view, bringing him back to reality. The celebratory flower shower
appeared to make the newlywed couple descending down the stairs radiate with brilliance. The
groom was Tsuyoshi Sakurai, and the bride was Nozomi Sasayama. 13 years ago, the two were
members of the police force sectioned in the Unidentified Lifeform Related Affairs Investigation
Headquarters, comrades that fought alongside Ichijou. It was to celebrate their departure that
Ichijou came to this wedding in Saitama.
“This place is amazing, Ichijou-san! The reception has these bread rolls that are just out of this
world! Back when I first tried them at the bridal fair I attended, I knew immediately that this is
what I wanted at my wedding!”
Sakurai, after spotting Ichijou as he arrived at the ceremonial hall early, spoke those words with
a face expressing happiness from the bottom of his heart. A man with a strong sense of justice
and an earnest heart, his notes and records had assisted greatly with many cases back in the
day. He used to be such a hot-blooded impulsive man, but surprisingly these days he’s reputed
to be one of the most composed and kind superiors in the Ikebukuro Division. Supposedly there
are many young officers that look up to him with reverence. As for the bride, after the
Investigation Headquarters disbanded, she had passionately sought out companionship. She
drifted through many relationships before finally settling down for marriage. According to rumors,
apparently she had hidden feelings for a certain man for many years before finally giving up on
him for good.
This was back when she was around the age of 21, when she was serving as an operator for
the police force radio operations. The woman that once often scrambled about in confusion has
now reached new heights, serving as the captain of a policewoman motorcyle force. Seeing her
now, wrapped in a beautiful white wedding dress, made it hard to believe that such a delicate and
graceful looking woman has been maneuvering a near-300 kilogram motorcycle. Unable to
fathom such a gallant figure, Ichijou unconsciously returned his gaze towards the sky.
To think it’s truly already been over a decade since those days where she would relay
instructions to the patrol vehicles in the chase against the Unidentified Lifeforms…
But before he had a chance to immerse himself in those deep thoughts, something had flown in
before his eyes. Reflexively reaching out to grab it, he then realized it was a wedding bouquet. In
front of him, he laid sight to a herd of unmarried women rushing towards him. Needless to say,
the bouquet was not meant for Ichijou’s hands.
“Ah...I’m sorry! I didn’t mean for this to happen!”
As a panicked Ichijou repeatedly bowed his head in a fervent effort to appease the crowd, the
bride let out a cry.
“Ichijou-san, you’re so adorable!”
“Eh?”
Ichijou, standing still with the bouquet held in his hands and a blank look on his face, felt like he
just popped out of one of Fumiko Tanikawa’s mangas as one of those men who despite being
being in their mid-30’s, still came off as looking quite adorably charming. Ichijou actually had
repressed memories from back in his high school days where female classmates of his signed
him up for a handsome youth beauty contest without asking, and he came off as a natural to
boot, causing many people to call him “adorable”. In the midst of that calm clear sky, Ichijou’s
appearance was more than enough to get a heartwarming laugh out of everyone.
“Geez, you really are something. If that was me just now, everyone would be screaming at me.”
Following the chapel and the garden, at the reception hall next to a fancy Southern France style
mansion, Morimichi Sugita stood there rubbing his clean shaved head and laughing. He too was
a member of the Unidentified Lifeform Investigation team, a senior of mine.
“That’s not true at all. These days, I’m sure the young women would find you to be the more
charming one, Sugita-san.”
“You may be right. My daughter actually complimented my hairstyle too. She mentioned that it
was more than just being bald, it gave off a manly impression.”
“Bald, you say…”
Ichijou gave off a wry smile. Sugita was now the chief officer of the Special Crimes Investigation
4th Division. Once a young elementary school child, Sugita’s daughter Hadzuki was now a
student in college, and spends her part-time earnings on ties for her father, according to a
bashful looking Sugita.
Standing next to Sugita stood a white-haired elderly gentleman, listening to their conversation
with a smile on his face. He was once the head chief of the Joint Investigation Headquarters,
Sadao Matsukara.
“What have you been doing lately, Chief?”
“Oh come on now, you don’t have to keep calling me that, Ichijou-kun.”
“Ah….I apologize for that. It was out of habit.”
“Haha. I am already retired. I spend much of my time everyday on gardening these days. My
daughter is down in Mizunami working on pottery.”
“Ah, that’s in Gifu, right?”
“Yes. Both me and my wife have moved to Nakatsugawa.”
“Nakatsugawa, eh? That brings back memories… I went there on a field trip once back when I
was in elementary school.”
“Oh?”
“But, if I recall correctly, wasn’t it quite a ways from Mizunami?”
“Not too close and not too far. You see, our little one often gets quite moody when she’s working
on pottery, so in regards to letting her work without getting in her way, it’s the perfect distance.”
“Little one, you said? Isn’t your daughter already in her 30’s?”
Hearing Sugita’s quip, the three of them enjoyed a good laugh.
Amidst all this commotion, Ichijou slowly began to realize the changes everyone had gone
through since those harsh times they struggled through together. Within the lapse of 13 years,
everyone had moved on with their lives. Of course, this was to be expected. Regardless, Ichijou
felt that his mentality alone had been stagnating, surrounded by thick walls. No, it wasn’t
frustration at being left behind. Rather, he felt overwhelmed and helpless towards the weight of
solitude he took upon himself.
“I suppose this goes without saying, but in the end you can’t help but feel a bit lonely, you know?”
Ichijou was taken aback for a moment upon Sugita’s words. For a moment, Ichijou thought that
Sugita had seen right through what was going on in his head. But Sugita’s gaze went past Ichijou,
aimed towards the seat next to him. There were occasionally various dishes brought to that
seat, but throughout the whole reception, the seat had been left vacant.
The name inscribed on the seat’s nameplate was Yusuke Godai.
It was Sakurai and Nozomi who requested that it be set up. If it weren’t for him, they may not
have been able to enjoy the happiness they were experiencing right now. Not only that, they
believed that it was because of him that the two of them were able to grow stronger. To show
their gratitude, they reserved a seat for that adventurer who hasn’t been heard from for over 13
years.
“Yusuke Godai…”
During the congratulatory address of the newlywed couple, Ichijou murmured those words in his
heart. When the nameplate that held that his name entered his field of vision, he was able to
vividly visualize that man’s smile.
Ichijou first met with Godai during the second winter after he was transferred to the Nagano
Prefecture Security Bureau. It was the 30th of January, year 2000. That day, Ichijou went to the
Kurougatake ruins excavation site in a mountainous area in Kamiina-gun. It was for the purpose
of inspecting an accident that had occurred the previous day. Members of the Shinano
University Culture Research Team came to investigate the ruins. A total of 5 people, containing
Koukira Natsume(age 46 at the time) and various university students and research members,
were confirmed to have lost their lives due to the accident. Among them, one individual had
called the emergency line right before their death, but it was difficult to grasp any concrete details
from the call itself, so the Security Bureau decided to send someone to investigate firsthand.
There were beliefs that the accident may have been caused by lightning, but there was little
evidence to support that, causing the mystery to deepen further, along with extending the
investigation period continuously. Then, amidst all of that, despite the area being far detached
from any human habitation, the man named Yusuke popped in out of nowhere.
“I apologize for being late! I’ll get to work right away!”
He was desperately trying to pass off as an officer saluting his superior, but it did little to hide any
suspicion from Ichijou.
Ichijou quickly stopped him and probed with a question.
“Who are you?”
“I guess it was no good, huh?”
Ichijou grew annoyed by Yusuke’s smile of feigned innocence, but he quickly put it aside.
“Would you mind explaining what you’re doing here??”
Yusuke’s face suddenly became serious, as he spoke out something unexpected.
“Warning of Death”
“...?”
“That was the translation of the ancient text according to Jounan University’s Sawatari-san.”
Ichijou had heard of Jounan University. Apparently it majored in archeological studies, and
shared a research laboratory with Shinano University. He remembered hearing that they had
formed a joint operation in regards to the Kurougatake ruins investigation.
“Are you a member of the investigation team?”
“Nope, I’m just someone passing by. This is who I am.”
Yusuke then handed out a business card with a ridiculous illustration on it, along with the words
“The Man Who Chases Dreams” and “Holder of 1999 Skills” written on the left and right sides
and “Yusuke Godai” in the center. The messy bold font used somehow felt very obnoxious.
Ichijou then told the men under him to take Yusuke back to the police station via patrol car.
Yusuke then shouted very loudly, temporarily distracting the police members, and took the
chance to run past them into the ruins. He truly had come up with quite the daring scheme.
Regardless, Ichijou was able to read his intentions to a degree beforehand. He toppled him over
and pulled him up by his collar right before his face was about to hit the ground, hoping to had
taught him a lesson. Yusuke was however completely undeterred, responding with a thumbs-up
saying “Wow, you’re amazing, detective!” Just how far was this guy going to mess around like
this. Now that he had thought of it, Ichijou realized that the business card had given off sort of a
“Mr. Thumbs-up Guy” kind of atmosphere. Ichijou shot him an even sterner glare, as to display
that he was seriously going to arrest him if he continued, and Yusuke finally got the message.
That was their first encounter.
And Ichijou’s first impression of him was horrible.
Flipping back to that day, Ichijou pondered.
To think that a year after that, they had ended up fighting alongside each other.
Ichijou’s impression of his smile was able to change that much.
At times Ichijou felt rejuvenated by it, and other times he felt he shared the pain behind it.
By the time he realized it, Yusuke had taken a large place in his heart.
At some point, Ichijou began to admire that smile.
“Ichijou, you’re being called for.”
Turning to Sugita, Ichijou realized it was his turn to speak to everyone with a speech. He
addressed the newlywed couple with words of gratitude and respect, all impressively neatly put
together. There weren’t many laughs, but his words were able to convey his feelings to
everyone’s hearts. Finally, he ended with one more thought.
“The man that was supposed to be sitting next to me isn’t here right now but, I believe that he
has bumped into a small detour on his way here from across the ocean. And it was mostly
because he met someone who was feeling down, and ended up trying to make that person
smile. That’s why I believe he wasn’t able to make it to the reception on time. I apologize on his
behalf, so please don’t be too displeased with him.”
There were probably many people in the audience that had no clue about what Ichijou was
talking about. Being fully aware of that, he didn’t pursue the subject further. For those that did
know Yusuke, Ichijou was sure that he got his message across.
“Thank you for the speech, Ichijou-san!”
When the time came to see off the newlywed couple, Sakurai spoke those words with bleary
eyes. Despite bawling his eyes out during the speech, it seemed like he was still about to cry
some more. In contrast, Nozomi turned to Ichijou with a smile.
“Seeing as you got to claim the bouquet, at least try to go find your special someone, alright?”
“Did you...do that on purpose?”
“Ehehe, it was my way of taking revenge.”
“Eh?”
“I was just kidding. I’m going to be so happy!”
Ichijou simply stood there with a confused look. He’s never had any luck in understanding what
women were thinking. Pondering over it while tilting his head in the cloakroom, Sugita appeared
and patted him on the shoulders.
“We didn’t get to talk much. Let’s go out for a drink sometime soon, yeah?”
“Sure…”
“What’s with that tone? C’mon, it’s not like I’m going to force you to tag along with me on
something ridiculous like I did before. Got it? We’re hanging out, it’s a promise.”
Having finished what he wanted to say, he left in a hurry to get to an important meeting. Ichijou
scratched his head and saw him off. Sugita was a very dependable co-worker on the field, but
when it came to drinking, he often became very pushy. That was one side of him that Ichijou
didn’t handle well.
Deciding not to participate in the after-party, Ichijou took his leave and took the subway heading
for Ueno. As it passed Urawa, the inside of the train was submerged in madder red from the
setting sun. Seeing that color in the sky, Ichijou had another memory related to Yusuke
resurface. It was because it was the same color as the sky during the moment when Yusuke
first changed his form in order to fight.
The accident in the Kurougake Ruins was caused by Unidentified Lifeform No. 0. Evidence has
shown that No. 0 had stood on the top of the ancient civilization known as the Grongi. In relation
to humans, they were actually quite similar, with the main difference that they enjoyed games of
slaughter as an integral element of their society. By usage of a special “soul stone” that they
carried within their bodies, they were able to transform into monsters with unique traits. This
state that the Grongi took was designated the term “Unidentified Lifeform”. A numbering system
was used to differentiate them, starting with No. 1, in the order they were witnessed. No. 0’s
existence was discovered later on by examining records left behind the investigation team, and
was thus titled accordingly.
The main target for the slaughter games the Grongi partook in were the Linto tribe, presumed to
be the direct ancestors of the Japanese. The Linto, on the brink of extinction at the hands of the
Grongi, entrusted everything to a single warrior. No, perhaps the more accurate way of
describing it would be that the one who had everything entrusted to ended up becoming a
warrior. That warrior was known as “Kuuga” to the Linto. Holding a soul stone much similar to
those of the Grongi called the Amadam within his body, he was able to transform and fight the
Grongi, eventually sealing each and every one of them within the Kuroukage Ruins.
Shinano University’s research team unwittingly undid that very seal when they came to excavate
the ruins, allowing the Grongi to revive in present time. The police department’s weapons were
completely ineffective against them, and victims continued to pile. Unable to suppress their
target, the spider-shaped Unidentified Lifeform designated as No. 1 invaded the Nagano Police
Headquarters, murdering many police officers. At that time another Grongi appeared, a white
monster with 2 horns and red eyes, designated as No. 2. And for whatever reason, it intervened
in No. 1’s killing spree. Ichijou, arriving to the scene via helicopter, ended up getting attacked by
No. 1 but was then rescued by No. 2, who for some reason gave a thumbs-up and a “See ya”
before taking its leave.
The sky at that time was the same madder red as it was right now.
The next day, Ichijou coincidentally ran into Yusuke again, and he posed him a dubious question.
“If I’m mistaken, then please pay me no mind but…aren’t you the one from last night?”
“Yes! I was the one fighting that spider-like thing!”
Ichijou was startled by the smiling Yusuke and his trademark thumbs-up. To him, it appeared that
he did not understand the gravity of the situation at all.
“So you really were Unidentified Lifeform No. 2!”
“Is that what they’re calling me? Sounds like a mouthful…”
That’s really not the issue here…
“Why were you in that form?”
“Well, how do I say this… It kind of just happened. I saw some kind of illusion back at the ruins
about putting this belt on, and when I tried it, it actually happened! It was like sheeeeen, no, more
like whoosh, no actually it was like, zoon! What do you think sounds better?”
If Ichijou was an old tokusatsu fan, he would say “Oh, like Ichirou Arishima from ‘King Kong vs
Godzilla’?”, but alas, he was not privy to such knowledge.
“Why did you make such rash actions!?”
“It felt like it was asking me to use it. Like it was telling me to fight that spider thing.”
The illusion Yusuke had seen was of the Linto warrior Kuuga. Whether that was only meant to be
shown to select chosen individuals was unknown. Regardless, this led Yusuke to obtain the
ancient relic of Kuuga, the belt known as the Arcle with the Amadam embedded in it, allowing him
to transform into a state meant for fighting. However, there should have been fear in doing this.
The act involved altering the making of your body and becoming an entirely different being. Cells
would expand, nerves would be amplified, all 5 senses would be sharpened to incredible heights.
Information that would otherwise escape your notice would flood in all at once. Not to mention,
the risk of your consciousness becoming one of a monster could not be overlooked either.
Despite that, Yusuke continued on with a smile.
“Nah, I don’t think any of that would happen. That’s my gut feeling.”
“Are you insane? Just where are you getting that confidence from?”
Yusuke was bearing the responsibility of fighting those lifeforms with nothing but those flimsy
ideals he came up with on the spot. He had to be stopped. The enemies he was facing could not
be overcome by such a weak sense of justice.
“Listen, you’re free to think that you’ve obtained the strength to fight. However, you have no
obligation to fight. That’s the job of the police officers who protect the citizens. Don’t try to involve
yourself with that kind of half-baked attitude!”
The incidents involving the Unidentified Lifeforms were only getting worse, and by grabbing and
lifting up Yusuke’s collar, Ichijou meant to make sure he understood his message. As expected,
even Yusuke couldn’t find the words to respond to that. Ichijou anticipated that this would be the
end of his antics. But in fact, it might be proper to say that that was actually the beginning of
Yusuke’s battle. Yusuke had later on conveyed his resolve to Ichijou, but before that, the first
instance of those feelings were expressed at Professor Natsume’s funeral, towards a crying
young girl.
That girl was 14 year-old Mika Natsume, Professor Natsume’s one and only daughter.
Her tears represented the pain and suffering of all the victims of the Unidentified Lifeform
incidents. The sudden collapse of the everyday norm. Loved ones lost for eternity. It was the
condensation of the feelings of those who had their tranquility stolen from them by
incomprehensible violence. That’s why Yusuke gathered his resolve. Within the burning chapel,
Yusuke shouted out.
“I don’t want to see anyone shed their tears at the hands of these guys any longer! I want
everyone to continue smiling! So please, witness my...henshin!”
As he threw out a flurry of punches imbued with his feelings, his appearance changed from one
of white to the color red, as if it was his blood flowing through his body.
For Ichijou, who was heavily injured at the time, was not able to remember anything past that
point. Upon waking up, he felt the warmth of a shoulder.
The battle was over. In that red form, Yusuke had defeated an Unidentified Lifeform for the first
time. To be more precise, he used a kick that injected the energy of sealing, but since their belts
react to that energy by causing an explosion, the end result was not much different from
slaughter. If Ichijou had happened to see that sight, perhaps would have ended up looking at
Yusuke in a different light. But all Ichijou received were words free of even a hint of violence.
“Morning, Ichijou-san.”
“Why am I on your shoulder…”
“Why not?”
Ichijou was calmed by his words. Like the times his mother embraced him as a child, all of his
tension just dissipated in an instant. By just hearing Yusuke’s “Morning”, Ichijou felt as if he had
temporarily experienced tranquility again, not to mention he was letting Yusuke take care of his
body. The usual Ichijou definitely would have had the very first words that came out of his mouth
be:
“What happened with the Unidentified Lifeform…?”
But instead, the words that came out were something that wasn’t important to the matters at
hand at all, and ultimately a surprisingly honest expression. It had only been 2 days since they
met. After having been so irritated by this foolhardy man, it would normally be unthinkable for
Ichijou to have entrusted his body to his shoulder. Ichijou, a man who believed he had to stay
firm and resolute no matter what, unwittingly muttered out words that completely betrayed that
very ideal before falling back asleep.
“...This is my life’s greatest blunder.”
Our fates were decided at that very moment, thought Ichijou. From that point on, Ichijou rectified
his opinion of Yusuke to “a man that will not handle matters half-baked, rather, a man who will
properly dedicate himself”. Just as Yusuke had, Ichijou had gathered the resolve to fight
alongside him.
Yusuke then obtained the ultimate power and defeated what was considered the strongest of the
Grongi tribe, No. 0. Reaching the ultimate power meant being dominated by darkness. It was
necessary for the heart to be filled with hatred but, Yusuke managed to achieve this while
maintaining his kind soul.
Rather, perhaps it was because of that very fact, that Yusuke managed to achieve that. After all
the battles had ended, Yusuke disappeared. Everyone felt that he would come back with that
same smile on his face within a couple months time, at most maybe 1-2 years. But then 3 years
passed, and then 5, yet there still had been no news about him coming back at all. When
Matsukara retired, a reunion was held for members of the Special Investigation Headquarters,
and there were those that assumed the worst had happened to Yusuke. It was then that for the
first time, Ichijou spoke of Yusuke’s feelings on his behalf.
For the police department as a whole, the Unidentified Lifeforms were generally seen as no
different from vermin needing extermination. Of course, there may have been some officers who
had their own feelings on the matter. However, when the orders come down from the superiors
to shoot to kill, any pangs of consciousness they would have suffered from slaughtering those
who bore forms strikingly similar to humans would be mitigated to a certain extent. But Yusuke
was different…
Yusuke was just an adventure-loving youth. He used his power for the sole purpose of carrying
out his pure desire to protect the smiles of the people. He did not intend to become a hero, nor
did he want to become one. Even though he had resolved himself, his heart would only continue
to be hurt.
“I have a feeling that he won’t come back for quite some time.”
Yusuke’s younger sister Minori spoke those words to Ichijou. Minori knew how big of a crybaby
Yusuke used to be. He was not a weakling, but he was a crybaby...that nature of his had not
changed even to this day. Instinctively realizing this, Minori was already prepared for Yusuke’s
long absence. The Yusuke who hated the sensation of his fists landing on his opponents. Just
how much did he suffer from having to repeat what he inherently despised. That is not to say that
Ichijou blamed the police department for being powerless. He only wished that they could have
understood the feelings that Yusuke concealed behind his smile. Borrowing the words of the
Linto tribe, it would be apt to say that Yusuke went on a journey to fill his heart with the sacred
well.
“That’s why I want to wait for him, however many years it may take. He will come back one day.”
Ichijou knew that Yusuke had no intentions of returning until he had completely regained his old
self. The promise the he made to Ichijou as to not handle matters “half-baked”, still stood in effect
to this day.
Not too long before the battle with No. 0, Ichijou actually received a call from Yusuke containing
very little context to go by.
“This is Ichijou. What is it?”
“Sorry, this might seem out of nowhere, but I have a good feeling.”
“A good feeling?”
“Yes. After our fight with those guys is over, the Amadam will have pretty much finished its job,
right?”
“That’s right.”
“I don’t have any basis for this, the idea just came up in my head but, I was thinking that once I
cleanse my heart with the sacred well, the Amadam might just disappear.”
“...If that’s what you believe, it may very well be true.”
“I’m sure it is. Yep, I’m absolutely sure.”
And then...Yusuke was still yet to return. Even Ichijou was unable to realize just how much pain
Yusuke had gone through. Through the passing of time, only then had Ichijou began to grasp at
just how deep his pain had went. As the years passed, Ichijou had continued to dip further into
self-condemnation.
After passing Akabane, the sky was sunk in a purple shade. Suddenly, a thought drifted through
Ichijou’s mind. The thought of that redder mad memory all being just a dream. How great would it
be if that smile of his was something that solely existed within my dreams.
As the train reached the final station at Ueno, Ichijou got off, leaving behind only that ridiculous
idea that he had thought up of.
A couple days later, in the morning rain that was supposedly letting up soon, Ichijou was heading
north on Kasuga-doori through Bunkyo. Turning left on the first block of Otsuka, he came across
numerous universities lined up along the streets, and Ichijou couldn’t help but feel nostalgic. As
he reached the residential area, he saw the Pore Pore Tea Cafe, looking the same as ever.
There was a sign saying that they were still getting ready to open, but the door was unlocked.
When he entered the room, he was greeted by the sound of a cowbell and the scent of oriental
curry, and for a moment, Ichijou felt as if he had jumped 13 years into the past.
“Oh, wow! It’s been so long!”
Just what exactly was so “wow” wasn’t apparent to Ichijou, but the person who threw out that
excited greeting was none other than Minori. The owner, Tamasaburo Kazari, who was behind
the counter working on preparations, immediately turned to Ichijou as well with a smile on his
face.
“What’s this? Domo, domo, Domoto Koichi.”
Seeing that he was still the same pun-loving man as always, Ichijou felt relieved.
“Sorry for having not visited in so long.”
Ichijou wasn’t too sure how he was supposed to react, so he took the safe route and simply
responded politely. Minori pretended that Tamasaburo’s pun never happened, and moved on.
“When I heard your voice on the phone, you sounded a little relaxed, but now that you’re here in
person, you really haven’t changed at all!”
“Haha, that isn’t true at all.”
“No, really! You came in with that slim ‘Mr. Handsome with a coat on’ look like always, ‘man, was
I surprised!’ by Shinsuke Minami.”
Just as Ichijou thought, it was pointless to try to react to those gags. He was at least vaguely
familiar with who Shinsuke Minami was, but there was no way he would be able to recognize all
of those ancient quips of his.
“No, it’s not like that. I’m already 39, you know. I’m at the point where I need to start going to the
gym, but more importantly, I have something for you all.”
Ichijou handed out gifts from the wedding ceremony. Minori accepted them while apologizing to
Ichijou for having gotten one for her brother as well. The owner called Ichijou over to the counter
and poured him a blend called Honduras SHG. The medium roast had just the right amount of
sourness to it, along with a hint of sweetness. The heavy feelings that had built up in Ichijou from
the all the rain the last couple days washed away just like that. Tamasaburo was a man that
properly saw things through as well. In order to protect the cafe’s establishment as a “decorative
restaurant” back in 1889, he had finely honed his skills.
“So, Mr. Handsome, I’m guessing for someone to be like you, they’d have to be something like
the cream of the crop elite of the police force, it’d be like having gone up ¾ of Chomolamung, am
I right?”
As Tamasaburo was preparing the curry, he spoke to Ichijou straightforwardly. Ichijou was
startled at the remark, with the thought “Have I gone back?” going on in his head. 13 years ago,
Yusuke would have been there to say “It’s called Chomolungma”. Ichijou pondered over how
Yusuke would have corrected Tamasaburo in his classic nonchalant style if he were to be there
at that very moment, and then moved on to answer the question.
“Well, it’s true that someone in my position would be interested into become a chairman or
moving to an overseas embassy, but I don’t have any interest in those fields. I’m happy where I
am, being able to pursue what at I want at my own pace. Right now I’m involved in the Foreign
Affairs 3rd Division in the Public Security Department.”
As Tamasaburo handed back the business card, pondering over what duties that department
actually performed, Minori whispered to him.
“Hey, how about you show him that thing?”
“Eh? I don’t know about that…”
“C’mon, you already brought it out!”
“Hmm….”
“What could you two be talking about?”
“Well, he made a scrapbook out of records of Unidentified Lifeforms No. 2 and No. 4.”
“I...would be very interested in taking a look at that, if you wouldn’t mind.”
Ichijou felt that now was the perfect time to go over those memories. By recognizing those fierce
moments again, perhaps Ichijou would be able to accept that he still hasn’t come back yet.
Ichijou nervously opened the scrapbook with anticipation.
The very next moment, Ichijou was at a loss for words.
“First it was white, then red, then blue, green, and purple, those were the colors he went through,
right?”
Ichijou felt he had to interrupt Tamasaburo’s proud explanation.
“Um, well, this is…”
Without a doubt, they were indeed the many colors of the mode changes. But the photos were
not of No. 2 or No. 4, but rather a beautiful young woman in various swimsuits. Following the
picture of the woman in a white swimsuit was of one with her wearing a large red T-shirt. From
what Ichijou had caught a glimpse of from the white swimsuit picture, it appeared almost as if it
could have been underwear.
“What’s wrong, Mr. Handsome? What’s with that stunned look….uwaah!!”
Tamasaburo quickly took the scrapbook away from Ichijou in a panic.
“D-Did you see it? You saw it, didn’t you? Aha...Ahahahahaha!!”
“Oh my gosh, did you accidentally bring out the one of Rin-chan!?”
Midori gave him a scandalous look.
“My pride…”
“Rin-chan...you said? Would that be another one of your relatives?”
Ichijou recalled that a niece of Tamasaburo’s, Nana Asahina, once worked at this cafe. She later
on became an actress who appeared in various dramas and movies. Supposedly, she serves
as a reporter on a gourmet show taking place in the Kansai area these days. Ichijou assumed
that this Rin-chan might have been someone similar.
“Huh? You don’t know about her, Ichijou-san?”
Minori’s face looked almost too surprised.
“She’s an immensely popular idol all over Japan!”
“O-Oh, I see.”
Rin-chan’s full name was Rin Togibe. Ichijou was not an avid viewer of those variety shows or
music programs, so it wasn’t exactly something he would know about, but apparently she was a
16-year old idol who had gained popularity at an incredible rate over the past 1-2 years. With her
fluffy curly hair and baby face, it wouldn’t be out of the question for someone to mistake her for a
middle schooler. She originally started her career as a model, eventually moving on to an idol
group of several other popular idols. Her singing prowess was quickly made apparent however,
and her enormous popularity led her to retire from the group and work solo. 2 years ago, she
hosted an event called “Maid of 10,000 Announcement” that became a hot topic at the time. All
over the country, she would dress as a maid and fulfill whatever plausible requests others would
give to her as a maid campaign, allowing 10,000 fans to be treated as her “master”. This served
as another huge factor in increasing her massive popularity. These days, there are periodic
events that take place in a small hall somewhere where she would show off her talents. Although
not officially recognized, according to Wikipedia, the Togibe surname had originated from around
Takachiho of the Miyazaki Prefecture, supposedly having relations to miraculous acts.
Tamasaburo, having now regained his composure due to getting a chance to talk about his
enthusiasms, overwhelmed Ichijou with his waves of chatter. Seeing that a young girl could be so
charming as to drive a man nearing his 60th birthday to such fervor, Ichijou couldn’t help but be a
bit curious.
“Is this Togibe girl really that amazing?”
“She’s more than just amazing! It’s only been 2 years since her debut, and she’s already having
a concert on the scale of 30,000 people! Tickets have been going on auction online for around
300,000 yen!”
“300,000 for an idol concert!?”
“Like I’ve been saying, it’s not just any old idol concert! Hmm, how can I put it. It kinda feels she’s
the one and only idol for me. Yeah, that sounds good.”
“I see…”
“Everytime she releases a new song, it comes with a mini DVD, and there are a total of 5 kinds.
Docile Angel Maid, Tsundere Demon Maid, Committee Member Maid, Young Stepmother Maid,
and Dog-Eared Maid! If you ask me, the Committee Member Maid is the best one!”
The last bit was a whisper, and Ichijou felt a bit unnerved upon the feeling of Tamasaburo’s
breath hitting his ear. Seeing Ichijou’s discomfort, Minori chided in with a “Geez!”
“Don’t you have any shame? Grinning creepily like that over some DVD of a high school girl
wearing glasses.”
“It’s not like that that! It’s more like a noble release of my pent up dysphoric frustration…”
“It’s gotten to the point where you even wrote a love letter addressed to your precious Rin-chan!”
That complaint was aimed to help Ichijou grasp the gravity of the situation.
“No no no, it’s really not like that! As a fan, I was just worried for her safety!”
“Her safety?”
As a detective, Ichijou’s curiosity perked at those words.
“You know how those oxygen capsule accidents have been becoming more common lately?”
He was referring to the accidents revolving around the new oxygen capsules optimized for
household use, which were quite popular until about half a month ago. Following safety
regulations, new high spec products have been appearing on the market. Many performers and
athletes have been utilizing this technology, and as such, many famous individuals such as
kabuki performers or soccer players have suffered from the recent accidents. Not contained to
a specific brand or model, the cause of the accidents have still remained undetermined. Possibly
due to all the uproar revolving around the accidents, which led to consumers now refraining from
partaking in such a product, accidents related to the oxygen capsules have completely ceased
to occur after about half a month ago. Recently, the news have stopped broadcasting any
information regarding them either.
“Rin-chan was using these oxygen capsules too, and around the time the accidents were
becoming really common, she said in an interview “I’m fine, everyone!”, and after seeing that I
felt that I had to warn her, you see.”
Ichijou felt that her manager would have already been dealing with that issue, but he decided not
to mention that. Ichijou’s gaze then coincidentally passed over Rin-chan’s scrapbook.
Tamasaburo managed to catch sight of that, and wasted no time in pursuing the topic.
“Hmm? You want to see? It’s my prized possession, you know. I’m sure you’d enjoy it.”
After Minori butting in with a “Geez, get a hold of yourself already!” towards Tamasaburo’s goofy
face, Ichijou finally got a step closer to getting to see the scrapbook of No. 2 and No. 4.
But then all of a sudden, a cry of a baby rang out in the room. Ichijou didn’t manage to see it
earlier due to it being in the far back of cafe, but there was a baby car with an adorable baby boy
sleeping within it. Minori gave off a “Oh my, did we wake you up?” as she put him into her arms.
Seeing Ichijou’s slightly surprised face, Minori spoke to him with a bashful smile.
“I actually gave birth to this one last spring...he’s about 2 months old by now.”
“Is that so!? I offer my late congratulations!”
“I’m so sorry. I was so busy that I forgot to let you know.”
“No, no, I don’t mind at all.”
“It actually took a lot of trouble to get him out. After struggling for a whole day, we ended up doing
a C-section. This guy’s also only recently gotten back into good physical condition.”
2 years ago, Ichijou had received a postcard from Minori notifying him of her marriage with an
ex-pro wrestler chiropractor who was 2 years younger than her, along with her surname
changing to Shikata. The postcard also mentioned “For whatever reason, I ended up sticking
with a macho man. I was never fond of muscular people, it’s so weird, huh?”, from which Ichijou
got a good laugh out of.
“What’s his name?”
“Oh, it’s kind of embarrassing, but we ended up naming him Yunosuke. We took two characters
of my big brother’s name.”
“Yunosuke...that’s a fine name.”
“I was thinking like, what would I do if he ended up an adventurer too?”
While speaking, Minori’s smile never changed.
“If he ever becomes one, maybe he’ll bump into his uncle somewhere in the world?”
Ichijou responded with a gentle smile. Minori, while poking Yunosuke’s cheek with the tip of her
finger, spoke out.
“Onii-chan is such an idiot. If he doesn’t hurry up and come back soon, he’ll miss out on his
nephew’s cuteness. Isn’t that right?”
At that moment, a ray of sunlight began slipping out from the door at the entrance. At some point,
the clouds had began clearing, allowing the blue sky to sprawl out. The 3 of them were bathed in
that soft light, and mysteriously lost their words upon that warm sensation.
It certainly felt like a wonderful premonition for what was to come..
Chapter 1 - Blank
It was a clear blue sky. Walking out of a solemn gothic-styled chapel, he looked up to see that
blue stretch as far as the eye could see, among the refreshing early summer wind. As if he felt
that he would end up being consumed by the vastness before him, Kaoru Ichijou narrowed his
eyes.
Ever since he was a child, the blue that spread across the transparent sky has been his favorite
color. And as of now, it was also a color that brought about bitter feelings for him.
Ever since that day…
No, let’s not delve into that subject.
Now’s not the time to reel in those memories.
Chimes of a carillon along with various vividly colored flowers, in contrast to the singular colored
blue sky, leapt into Ichijou’s view, bringing him back to reality. The celebratory flower shower
appeared to make the newlywed couple descending down the stairs radiate with brilliance. The
groom was Tsuyoshi Sakurai, and the bride was Nozomi Sasayama. 13 years ago, the two were
members of the police force sectioned in the Unidentified Lifeform Related Affairs Investigation
Headquarters, comrades that fought alongside Ichijou. It was to celebrate their departure that
Ichijou came to this wedding in Saitama.
“This place is amazing, Ichijou-san! The reception has these bread rolls that are just out of this
world! Back when I first tried them at the bridal fair I attended, I knew immediately that this is
what I wanted at my wedding!”
Sakurai, after spotting Ichijou as he arrived at the ceremonial hall early, spoke those words with
a face expressing happiness from the bottom of his heart. A man with a strong sense of justice
and an earnest heart, his notes and records had assisted greatly with many cases back in the
day. He used to be such a hot-blooded impulsive man, but surprisingly these days he’s reputed
to be one of the most composed and kind superiors in the Ikebukuro Division. Supposedly there
are many young officers that look up to him with reverence. As for the bride, after the
Investigation Headquarters disbanded, she had passionately sought out companionship. She
drifted through many relationships before finally settling down for marriage. According to rumors,
apparently she had hidden feelings for a certain man for many years before finally giving up on
him for good.
This was back when she was around the age of 21, when she was serving as an operator for
the police force radio operations. The woman that once often scrambled about in confusion has
now reached new heights, serving as the captain of a policewoman motorcyle force. Seeing her
now, wrapped in a beautiful white wedding dress, made it hard to believe that such a delicate and
graceful looking woman has been maneuvering a near-300 kilogram motorcycle. Unable to
fathom such a gallant figure, Ichijou unconsciously returned his gaze towards the sky.
To think it’s truly already been over a decade since those days where she would relay
instructions to the patrol vehicles in the chase against the Unidentified Lifeforms…
But before he had a chance to immerse himself in those deep thoughts, something had flown in
before his eyes. Reflexively reaching out to grab it, he then realized it was a wedding bouquet. In
front of him, he laid sight to a herd of unmarried women rushing towards him. Needless to say,
the bouquet was not meant for Ichijou’s hands.
“Ah...I’m sorry! I didn’t mean for this to happen!”
As a panicked Ichijou repeatedly bowed his head in a fervent effort to appease the crowd, the
bride let out a cry.
“Ichijou-san, you’re so adorable!”
“Eh?”
Ichijou, standing still with the bouquet held in his hands and a blank look on his face, felt like he
just popped out of one of Fumiko Tanikawa’s mangas as one of those men who despite being
being in their mid-30’s, still came off as looking quite adorably charming. Ichijou actually had
repressed memories from back in his high school days where female classmates of his signed
him up for a handsome youth beauty contest without asking, and he came off as a natural to
boot, causing many people to call him “adorable”. In the midst of that calm clear sky, Ichijou’s
appearance was more than enough to get a heartwarming laugh out of everyone.
“Geez, you really are something. If that was me just now, everyone would be screaming at me.”
Following the chapel and the garden, at the reception hall next to a fancy Southern France style
mansion, Morimichi Sugita stood there rubbing his clean shaved head and laughing. He too was
a member of the Unidentified Lifeform Investigation team, a senior of mine.
“That’s not true at all. These days, I’m sure the young women would find you to be the more
charming one, Sugita-san.”
“You may be right. My daughter actually complimented my hairstyle too. She mentioned that it
was more than just being bald, it gave off a manly impression.”
“Bald, you say…”
Ichijou gave off a wry smile. Sugita was now the chief officer of the Special Crimes Investigation
4th Division. Once a young elementary school child, Sugita’s daughter Hadzuki was now a
student in college, and spends her part-time earnings on ties for her father, according to a
bashful looking Sugita.
Standing next to Sugita stood a white-haired elderly gentleman, listening to their conversation
with a smile on his face. He was once the head chief of the Joint Investigation Headquarters,
Sadao Matsukara.
“What have you been doing lately, Chief?”
“Oh come on now, you don’t have to keep calling me that, Ichijou-kun.”
“Ah….I apologize for that. It was out of habit.”
“Haha. I am already retired. I spend much of my time everyday on gardening these days. My
daughter is down in Mizunami working on pottery.”
“Ah, that’s in Gifu, right?”
“Yes. Both me and my wife have moved to Nakatsugawa.”
“Nakatsugawa, eh? That brings back memories… I went there on a field trip once back when I
was in elementary school.”
“Oh?”
“But, if I recall correctly, wasn’t it quite a ways from Mizunami?”
“Not too close and not too far. You see, our little one often gets quite moody when she’s working
on pottery, so in regards to letting her work without getting in her way, it’s the perfect distance.”
“Little one, you said? Isn’t your daughter already in her 30’s?”
Hearing Sugita’s quip, the three of them enjoyed a good laugh.
Amidst all this commotion, Ichijou slowly began to realize the changes everyone had gone
through since those harsh times they struggled through together. Within the lapse of 13 years,
everyone had moved on with their lives. Of course, this was to be expected. Regardless, Ichijou
felt that his mentality alone had been stagnating, surrounded by thick walls. No, it wasn’t
frustration at being left behind. Rather, he felt overwhelmed and helpless towards the weight of
solitude he took upon himself.
“I suppose this goes without saying, but in the end you can’t help but feel a bit lonely, you know?”
Ichijou was taken aback for a moment upon Sugita’s words. For a moment, Ichijou thought that
Sugita had seen right through what was going on in his head. But Sugita’s gaze went past Ichijou,
aimed towards the seat next to him. There were occasionally various dishes brought to that
seat, but throughout the whole reception, the seat had been left vacant.
The name inscribed on the seat’s nameplate was Yusuke Godai.
It was Sakurai and Nozomi who requested that it be set up. If it weren’t for him, they may not
have been able to enjoy the happiness they were experiencing right now. Not only that, they
believed that it was because of him that the two of them were able to grow stronger. To show
their gratitude, they reserved a seat for that adventurer who hasn’t been heard from for over 13
years.
“Yusuke Godai…”
During the congratulatory address of the newlywed couple, Ichijou murmured those words in his
heart. When the nameplate that held that his name entered his field of vision, he was able to
vividly visualize that man’s smile.
Ichijou first met with Godai during the second winter after he was transferred to the Nagano
Prefecture Security Bureau. It was the 30th of January, year 2000. That day, Ichijou went to the
Kurougatake ruins excavation site in a mountainous area in Kamiina-gun. It was for the purpose
of inspecting an accident that had occurred the previous day. Members of the Shinano
University Culture Research Team came to investigate the ruins. A total of 5 people, containing
Koukira Natsume(age 46 at the time) and various university students and research members,
were confirmed to have lost their lives due to the accident. Among them, one individual had
called the emergency line right before their death, but it was difficult to grasp any concrete details
from the call itself, so the Security Bureau decided to send someone to investigate firsthand.
There were beliefs that the accident may have been caused by lightning, but there was little
evidence to support that, causing the mystery to deepen further, along with extending the
investigation period continuously. Then, amidst all of that, despite the area being far detached
from any human habitation, the man named Yusuke popped in out of nowhere.
“I apologize for being late! I’ll get to work right away!”
He was desperately trying to pass off as an officer saluting his superior, but it did little to hide any
suspicion from Ichijou.
Ichijou quickly stopped him and probed with a question.
“Who are you?”
“I guess it was no good, huh?”
Ichijou grew annoyed by Yusuke’s smile of feigned innocence, but he quickly put it aside.
“Would you mind explaining what you’re doing here??”
Yusuke’s face suddenly became serious, as he spoke out something unexpected.
“Warning of Death”
“...?”
“That was the translation of the ancient text according to Jounan University’s Sawatari-san.”
Ichijou had heard of Jounan University. Apparently it majored in archeological studies, and
shared a research laboratory with Shinano University. He remembered hearing that they had
formed a joint operation in regards to the Kurougatake ruins investigation.
“Are you a member of the investigation team?”
“Nope, I’m just someone passing by. This is who I am.”
Yusuke then handed out a business card with a ridiculous illustration on it, along with the words
“The Man Who Chases Dreams” and “Holder of 1999 Skills” written on the left and right sides
and “Yusuke Godai” in the center. The messy bold font used somehow felt very obnoxious.
Ichijou then told the men under him to take Yusuke back to the police station via patrol car.
Yusuke then shouted very loudly, temporarily distracting the police members, and took the
chance to run past them into the ruins. He truly had come up with quite the daring scheme.
Regardless, Ichijou was able to read his intentions to a degree beforehand. He toppled him over
and pulled him up by his collar right before his face was about to hit the ground, hoping to had
taught him a lesson. Yusuke was however completely undeterred, responding with a thumbs-up
saying “Wow, you’re amazing, detective!” Just how far was this guy going to mess around like
this. Now that he had thought of it, Ichijou realized that the business card had given off sort of a
“Mr. Thumbs-up Guy” kind of atmosphere. Ichijou shot him an even sterner glare, as to display
that he was seriously going to arrest him if he continued, and Yusuke finally got the message.
That was their first encounter.
And Ichijou’s first impression of him was horrible.
Flipping back to that day, Ichijou pondered.
To think that a year after that, they had ended up fighting alongside each other.
Ichijou’s impression of his smile was able to change that much.
At times Ichijou felt rejuvenated by it, and other times he felt he shared the pain behind it.
By the time he realized it, Yusuke had taken a large place in his heart.
At some point, Ichijou began to admire that smile.
“Ichijou, you’re being called for.”
Turning to Sugita, Ichijou realized it was his turn to speak to everyone with a speech. He
addressed the newlywed couple with words of gratitude and respect, all impressively neatly put
together. There weren’t many laughs, but his words were able to convey his feelings to
everyone’s hearts. Finally, he ended with one more thought.
“The man that was supposed to be sitting next to me isn’t here right now but, I believe that he
has bumped into a small detour on his way here from across the ocean. And it was mostly
because he met someone who was feeling down, and ended up trying to make that person
smile. That’s why I believe he wasn’t able to make it to the reception on time. I apologize on his
behalf, so please don’t be too displeased with him.”
There were probably many people in the audience that had no clue about what Ichijou was
talking about. Being fully aware of that, he didn’t pursue the subject further. For those that did
know Yusuke, Ichijou was sure that he got his message across.
“Thank you for the speech, Ichijou-san!”
When the time came to see off the newlywed couple, Sakurai spoke those words with bleary
eyes. Despite bawling his eyes out during the speech, it seemed like he was still about to cry
some more. In contrast, Nozomi turned to Ichijou with a smile.
“Seeing as you got to claim the bouquet, at least try to go find your special someone, alright?”
“Did you...do that on purpose?”
“Ehehe, it was my way of taking revenge.”
“Eh?”
“I was just kidding. I’m going to be so happy!”
Ichijou simply stood there with a confused look. He’s never had any luck in understanding what
women were thinking. Pondering over it while tilting his head in the cloakroom, Sugita appeared
and patted him on the shoulders.
“We didn’t get to talk much. Let’s go out for a drink sometime soon, yeah?”
“Sure…”
“What’s with that tone? C’mon, it’s not like I’m going to force you to tag along with me on
something ridiculous like I did before. Got it? We’re hanging out, it’s a promise.”
Having finished what he wanted to say, he left in a hurry to get to an important meeting. Ichijou
scratched his head and saw him off. Sugita was a very dependable co-worker on the field, but
when it came to drinking, he often became very pushy. That was one side of him that Ichijou
didn’t handle well.
Deciding not to participate in the after-party, Ichijou took his leave and took the subway heading
for Ueno. As it passed Urawa, the inside of the train was submerged in madder red from the
setting sun. Seeing that color in the sky, Ichijou had another memory related to Yusuke
resurface. It was because it was the same color as the sky during the moment when Yusuke
first changed his form in order to fight.
The accident in the Kurougake Ruins was caused by Unidentified Lifeform No. 0. Evidence has
shown that No. 0 had stood on the top of the ancient civilization known as the Grongi. In relation
to humans, they were actually quite similar, with the main difference that they enjoyed games of
slaughter as an integral element of their society. By usage of a special “soul stone” that they
carried within their bodies, they were able to transform into monsters with unique traits. This
state that the Grongi took was designated the term “Unidentified Lifeform”. A numbering system
was used to differentiate them, starting with No. 1, in the order they were witnessed. No. 0’s
existence was discovered later on by examining records left behind the investigation team, and
was thus titled accordingly.
The main target for the slaughter games the Grongi partook in were the Linto tribe, presumed to
be the direct ancestors of the Japanese. The Linto, on the brink of extinction at the hands of the
Grongi, entrusted everything to a single warrior. No, perhaps the more accurate way of
describing it would be that the one who had everything entrusted to ended up becoming a
warrior. That warrior was known as “Kuuga” to the Linto. Holding a soul stone much similar to
those of the Grongi called the Amadam within his body, he was able to transform and fight the
Grongi, eventually sealing each and every one of them within the Kuroukage Ruins.
Shinano University’s research team unwittingly undid that very seal when they came to excavate
the ruins, allowing the Grongi to revive in present time. The police department’s weapons were
completely ineffective against them, and victims continued to pile. Unable to suppress their
target, the spider-shaped Unidentified Lifeform designated as No. 1 invaded the Nagano Police
Headquarters, murdering many police officers. At that time another Grongi appeared, a white
monster with 2 horns and red eyes, designated as No. 2. And for whatever reason, it intervened
in No. 1’s killing spree. Ichijou, arriving to the scene via helicopter, ended up getting attacked by
No. 1 but was then rescued by No. 2, who for some reason gave a thumbs-up and a “See ya”
before taking its leave.
The sky at that time was the same madder red as it was right now.
The next day, Ichijou coincidentally ran into Yusuke again, and he posed him a dubious question.
“If I’m mistaken, then please pay me no mind but…aren’t you the one from last night?”
“Yes! I was the one fighting that spider-like thing!”
Ichijou was startled by the smiling Yusuke and his trademark thumbs-up. To him, it appeared that
he did not understand the gravity of the situation at all.
“So you really were Unidentified Lifeform No. 2!”
“Is that what they’re calling me? Sounds like a mouthful…”
That’s really not the issue here…
“Why were you in that form?”
“Well, how do I say this… It kind of just happened. I saw some kind of illusion back at the ruins
about putting this belt on, and when I tried it, it actually happened! It was like sheeeeen, no, more
like whoosh, no actually it was like, zoon! What do you think sounds better?”
If Ichijou was an old tokusatsu fan, he would say “Oh, like Ichirou Arishima from ‘King Kong vs
Godzilla’?”, but alas, he was not privy to such knowledge.
“Why did you make such rash actions!?”
“It felt like it was asking me to use it. Like it was telling me to fight that spider thing.”
The illusion Yusuke had seen was of the Linto warrior Kuuga. Whether that was only meant to be
shown to select chosen individuals was unknown. Regardless, this led Yusuke to obtain the
ancient relic of Kuuga, the belt known as the Arcle with the Amadam embedded in it, allowing him
to transform into a state meant for fighting. However, there should have been fear in doing this.
The act involved altering the making of your body and becoming an entirely different being. Cells
would expand, nerves would be amplified, all 5 senses would be sharpened to incredible heights.
Information that would otherwise escape your notice would flood in all at once. Not to mention,
the risk of your consciousness becoming one of a monster could not be overlooked either.
Despite that, Yusuke continued on with a smile.
“Nah, I don’t think any of that would happen. That’s my gut feeling.”
“Are you insane? Just where are you getting that confidence from?”
Yusuke was bearing the responsibility of fighting those lifeforms with nothing but those flimsy
ideals he came up with on the spot. He had to be stopped. The enemies he was facing could not
be overcome by such a weak sense of justice.
“Listen, you’re free to think that you’ve obtained the strength to fight. However, you have no
obligation to fight. That’s the job of the police officers who protect the citizens. Don’t try to involve
yourself with that kind of half-baked attitude!”
The incidents involving the Unidentified Lifeforms were only getting worse, and by grabbing and
lifting up Yusuke’s collar, Ichijou meant to make sure he understood his message. As expected,
even Yusuke couldn’t find the words to respond to that. Ichijou anticipated that this would be the
end of his antics. But in fact, it might be proper to say that that was actually the beginning of
Yusuke’s battle. Yusuke had later on conveyed his resolve to Ichijou, but before that, the first
instance of those feelings were expressed at Professor Natsume’s funeral, towards a crying
young girl.
That girl was 14 year-old Mika Natsume, Professor Natsume’s one and only daughter.
Her tears represented the pain and suffering of all the victims of the Unidentified Lifeform
incidents. The sudden collapse of the everyday norm. Loved ones lost for eternity. It was the
condensation of the feelings of those who had their tranquility stolen from them by
incomprehensible violence. That’s why Yusuke gathered his resolve. Within the burning chapel,
Yusuke shouted out.
“I don’t want to see anyone shed their tears at the hands of these guys any longer! I want
everyone to continue smiling! So please, witness my...henshin!”
As he threw out a flurry of punches imbued with his feelings, his appearance changed from one
of white to the color red, as if it was his blood flowing through his body.
For Ichijou, who was heavily injured at the time, was not able to remember anything past that
point. Upon waking up, he felt the warmth of a shoulder.
The battle was over. In that red form, Yusuke had defeated an Unidentified Lifeform for the first
time. To be more precise, he used a kick that injected the energy of sealing, but since their belts
react to that energy by causing an explosion, the end result was not much different from
slaughter. If Ichijou had happened to see that sight, perhaps would have ended up looking at
Yusuke in a different light. But all Ichijou received were words free of even a hint of violence.
“Morning, Ichijou-san.”
“Why am I on your shoulder…”
“Why not?”
Ichijou was calmed by his words. Like the times his mother embraced him as a child, all of his
tension just dissipated in an instant. By just hearing Yusuke’s “Morning”, Ichijou felt as if he had
temporarily experienced tranquility again, not to mention he was letting Yusuke take care of his
body. The usual Ichijou definitely would have had the very first words that came out of his mouth
be:
“What happened with the Unidentified Lifeform…?”
But instead, the words that came out were something that wasn’t important to the matters at
hand at all, and ultimately a surprisingly honest expression. It had only been 2 days since they
met. After having been so irritated by this foolhardy man, it would normally be unthinkable for
Ichijou to have entrusted his body to his shoulder. Ichijou, a man who believed he had to stay
firm and resolute no matter what, unwittingly muttered out words that completely betrayed that
very ideal before falling back asleep.
“...This is my life’s greatest blunder.”
Our fates were decided at that very moment, thought Ichijou. From that point on, Ichijou rectified
his opinion of Yusuke to “a man that will not handle matters half-baked, rather, a man who will
properly dedicate himself”. Just as Yusuke had, Ichijou had gathered the resolve to fight
alongside him.
Yusuke then obtained the ultimate power and defeated what was considered the strongest of the
Grongi tribe, No. 0. Reaching the ultimate power meant being dominated by darkness. It was
necessary for the heart to be filled with hatred but, Yusuke managed to achieve this while
maintaining his kind soul.
Rather, perhaps it was because of that very fact, that Yusuke managed to achieve that. After all
the battles had ended, Yusuke disappeared. Everyone felt that he would come back with that
same smile on his face within a couple months time, at most maybe 1-2 years. But then 3 years
passed, and then 5, yet there still had been no news about him coming back at all. When
Matsukara retired, a reunion was held for members of the Special Investigation Headquarters,
and there were those that assumed the worst had happened to Yusuke. It was then that for the
first time, Ichijou spoke of Yusuke’s feelings on his behalf.
For the police department as a whole, the Unidentified Lifeforms were generally seen as no
different from vermin needing extermination. Of course, there may have been some officers who
had their own feelings on the matter. However, when the orders come down from the superiors
to shoot to kill, any pangs of consciousness they would have suffered from slaughtering those
who bore forms strikingly similar to humans would be mitigated to a certain extent. But Yusuke
was different…
Yusuke was just an adventure-loving youth. He used his power for the sole purpose of carrying
out his pure desire to protect the smiles of the people. He did not intend to become a hero, nor
did he want to become one. Even though he had resolved himself, his heart would only continue
to be hurt.
“I have a feeling that he won’t come back for quite some time.”
Yusuke’s younger sister Minori spoke those words to Ichijou. Minori knew how big of a crybaby
Yusuke used to be. He was not a weakling, but he was a crybaby...that nature of his had not
changed even to this day. Instinctively realizing this, Minori was already prepared for Yusuke’s
long absence. The Yusuke who hated the sensation of his fists landing on his opponents. Just
how much did he suffer from having to repeat what he inherently despised. That is not to say that
Ichijou blamed the police department for being powerless. He only wished that they could have
understood the feelings that Yusuke concealed behind his smile. Borrowing the words of the
Linto tribe, it would be apt to say that Yusuke went on a journey to fill his heart with the sacred
well.
“That’s why I want to wait for him, however many years it may take. He will come back one day.”
Ichijou knew that Yusuke had no intentions of returning until he had completely regained his old
self. The promise the he made to Ichijou as to not handle matters “half-baked”, still stood in effect
to this day.
Not too long before the battle with No. 0, Ichijou actually received a call from Yusuke containing
very little context to go by.
“This is Ichijou. What is it?”
“Sorry, this might seem out of nowhere, but I have a good feeling.”
“A good feeling?”
“Yes. After our fight with those guys is over, the Amadam will have pretty much finished its job,
right?”
“That’s right.”
“I don’t have any basis for this, the idea just came up in my head but, I was thinking that once I
cleanse my heart with the sacred well, the Amadam might just disappear.”
“...If that’s what you believe, it may very well be true.”
“I’m sure it is. Yep, I’m absolutely sure.”
And then...Yusuke was still yet to return. Even Ichijou was unable to realize just how much pain
Yusuke had gone through. Through the passing of time, only then had Ichijou began to grasp at
just how deep his pain had went. As the years passed, Ichijou had continued to dip further into
self-condemnation.
After passing Akabane, the sky was sunk in a purple shade. Suddenly, a thought drifted through
Ichijou’s mind. The thought of that redder mad memory all being just a dream. How great would it
be if that smile of his was something that solely existed within my dreams.
As the train reached the final station at Ueno, Ichijou got off, leaving behind only that ridiculous
idea that he had thought up of.
A couple days later, in the morning rain that was supposedly letting up soon, Ichijou was heading
north on Kasuga-doori through Bunkyo. Turning left on the first block of Otsuka, he came across
numerous universities lined up along the streets, and Ichijou couldn’t help but feel nostalgic. As
he reached the residential area, he saw the Pore Pore Tea Cafe, looking the same as ever.
There was a sign saying that they were still getting ready to open, but the door was unlocked.
When he entered the room, he was greeted by the sound of a cowbell and the scent of oriental
curry, and for a moment, Ichijou felt as if he had jumped 13 years into the past.
“Oh, wow! It’s been so long!”
Just what exactly was so “wow” wasn’t apparent to Ichijou, but the person who threw out that
excited greeting was none other than Minori. The owner, Tamasaburo Kazari, who was behind
the counter working on preparations, immediately turned to Ichijou as well with a smile on his
face.
“What’s this? Domo, domo, Domoto Koichi.”
Seeing that he was still the same pun-loving man as always, Ichijou felt relieved.
“Sorry for having not visited in so long.”
Ichijou wasn’t too sure how he was supposed to react, so he took the safe route and simply
responded politely. Minori pretended that Tamasaburo’s pun never happened, and moved on.
“When I heard your voice on the phone, you sounded a little relaxed, but now that you’re here in
person, you really haven’t changed at all!”
“Haha, that isn’t true at all.”
“No, really! You came in with that slim ‘Mr. Handsome with a coat on’ look like always, ‘man, was
I surprised!’ by Shinsuke Minami.”
Just as Ichijou thought, it was pointless to try to react to those gags. He was at least vaguely
familiar with who Shinsuke Minami was, but there was no way he would be able to recognize all
of those ancient quips of his.
“No, it’s not like that. I’m already 39, you know. I’m at the point where I need to start going to the
gym, but more importantly, I have something for you all.”
Ichijou handed out gifts from the wedding ceremony. Minori accepted them while apologizing to
Ichijou for having gotten one for her brother as well. The owner called Ichijou over to the counter
and poured him a blend called Honduras SHG. The medium roast had just the right amount of
sourness to it, along with a hint of sweetness. The heavy feelings that had built up in Ichijou from
the all the rain the last couple days washed away just like that. Tamasaburo was a man that
properly saw things through as well. In order to protect the cafe’s establishment as a “decorative
restaurant” back in 1889, he had finely honed his skills.
“So, Mr. Handsome, I’m guessing for someone to be like you, they’d have to be something like
the cream of the crop elite of the police force, it’d be like having gone up ¾ of Chomolamung, am
I right?”
As Tamasaburo was preparing the curry, he spoke to Ichijou straightforwardly. Ichijou was
startled at the remark, with the thought “Have I gone back?” going on in his head. 13 years ago,
Yusuke would have been there to say “It’s called Chomolungma”. Ichijou pondered over how
Yusuke would have corrected Tamasaburo in his classic nonchalant style if he were to be there
at that very moment, and then moved on to answer the question.
“Well, it’s true that someone in my position would be interested into become a chairman or
moving to an overseas embassy, but I don’t have any interest in those fields. I’m happy where I
am, being able to pursue what at I want at my own pace. Right now I’m involved in the Foreign
Affairs 3rd Division in the Public Security Department.”
As Tamasaburo handed back the business card, pondering over what duties that department
actually performed, Minori whispered to him.
“Hey, how about you show him that thing?”
“Eh? I don’t know about that…”
“C’mon, you already brought it out!”
“Hmm….”
“What could you two be talking about?”
“Well, he made a scrapbook out of records of Unidentified Lifeforms No. 2 and No. 4.”
“I...would be very interested in taking a look at that, if you wouldn’t mind.”
Ichijou felt that now was the perfect time to go over those memories. By recognizing those fierce
moments again, perhaps Ichijou would be able to accept that he still hasn’t come back yet.
Ichijou nervously opened the scrapbook with anticipation.
The very next moment, Ichijou was at a loss for words.
“First it was white, then red, then blue, green, and purple, those were the colors he went through,
right?”
Ichijou felt he had to interrupt Tamasaburo’s proud explanation.
“Um, well, this is…”
Without a doubt, they were indeed the many colors of the mode changes. But the photos were
not of No. 2 or No. 4, but rather a beautiful young woman in various swimsuits. Following the
picture of the woman in a white swimsuit was of one with her wearing a large red T-shirt. From
what Ichijou had caught a glimpse of from the white swimsuit picture, it appeared almost as if it
could have been underwear.
“What’s wrong, Mr. Handsome? What’s with that stunned look….uwaah!!”
Tamasaburo quickly took the scrapbook away from Ichijou in a panic.
“D-Did you see it? You saw it, didn’t you? Aha...Ahahahahaha!!”
“Oh my gosh, did you accidentally bring out the one of Rin-chan!?”
Midori gave him a scandalous look.
“My pride…”
“Rin-chan...you said? Would that be another one of your relatives?”
Ichijou recalled that a niece of Tamasaburo’s, Nana Asahina, once worked at this cafe. She later
on became an actress who appeared in various dramas and movies. Supposedly, she serves
as a reporter on a gourmet show taking place in the Kansai area these days. Ichijou assumed
that this Rin-chan might have been someone similar.
“Huh? You don’t know about her, Ichijou-san?”
Minori’s face looked almost too surprised.
“She’s an immensely popular idol all over Japan!”
“O-Oh, I see.”
Rin-chan’s full name was Rin Togibe. Ichijou was not an avid viewer of those variety shows or
music programs, so it wasn’t exactly something he would know about, but apparently she was a
16-year old idol who had gained popularity at an incredible rate over the past 1-2 years. With her
fluffy curly hair and baby face, it wouldn’t be out of the question for someone to mistake her for a
middle schooler. She originally started her career as a model, eventually moving on to an idol
group of several other popular idols. Her singing prowess was quickly made apparent however,
and her enormous popularity led her to retire from the group and work solo. 2 years ago, she
hosted an event called “Maid of 10,000 Announcement” that became a hot topic at the time. All
over the country, she would dress as a maid and fulfill whatever plausible requests others would
give to her as a maid campaign, allowing 10,000 fans to be treated as her “master”. This served
as another huge factor in increasing her massive popularity. These days, there are periodic
events that take place in a small hall somewhere where she would show off her talents. Although
not officially recognized, according to Wikipedia, the Togibe surname had originated from around
Takachiho of the Miyazaki Prefecture, supposedly having relations to miraculous acts.
Tamasaburo, having now regained his composure due to getting a chance to talk about his
enthusiasms, overwhelmed Ichijou with his waves of chatter. Seeing that a young girl could be so
charming as to drive a man nearing his 60th birthday to such fervor, Ichijou couldn’t help but be a
bit curious.
“Is this Togibe girl really that amazing?”
“She’s more than just amazing! It’s only been 2 years since her debut, and she’s already having
a concert on the scale of 30,000 people! Tickets have been going on auction online for around
300,000 yen!”
“300,000 for an idol concert!?”
“Like I’ve been saying, it’s not just any old idol concert! Hmm, how can I put it. It kinda feels she’s
the one and only idol for me. Yeah, that sounds good.”
“I see…”
“Everytime she releases a new song, it comes with a mini DVD, and there are a total of 5 kinds.
Docile Angel Maid, Tsundere Demon Maid, Committee Member Maid, Young Stepmother Maid,
and Dog-Eared Maid! If you ask me, the Committee Member Maid is the best one!”
The last bit was a whisper, and Ichijou felt a bit unnerved upon the feeling of Tamasaburo’s
breath hitting his ear. Seeing Ichijou’s discomfort, Minori chided in with a “Geez!”
“Don’t you have any shame? Grinning creepily like that over some DVD of a high school girl
wearing glasses.”
“It’s not like that that! It’s more like a noble release of my pent up dysphoric frustration…”
“It’s gotten to the point where you even wrote a love letter addressed to your precious Rin-chan!”
That complaint was aimed to help Ichijou grasp the gravity of the situation.
“No no no, it’s really not like that! As a fan, I was just worried for her safety!”
“Her safety?”
As a detective, Ichijou’s curiosity perked at those words.
“You know how those oxygen capsule accidents have been becoming more common lately?”
He was referring to the accidents revolving around the new oxygen capsules optimized for
household use, which were quite popular until about half a month ago. Following safety
regulations, new high spec products have been appearing on the market. Many performers and
athletes have been utilizing this technology, and as such, many famous individuals such as
kabuki performers or soccer players have suffered from the recent accidents. Not contained to
a specific brand or model, the cause of the accidents have still remained undetermined. Possibly
due to all the uproar revolving around the accidents, which led to consumers now refraining from
partaking in such a product, accidents related to the oxygen capsules have completely ceased
to occur after about half a month ago. Recently, the news have stopped broadcasting any
information regarding them either.
“Rin-chan was using these oxygen capsules too, and around the time the accidents were
becoming really common, she said in an interview “I’m fine, everyone!”, and after seeing that I
felt that I had to warn her, you see.”
Ichijou felt that her manager would have already been dealing with that issue, but he decided not
to mention that. Ichijou’s gaze then coincidentally passed over Rin-chan’s scrapbook.
Tamasaburo managed to catch sight of that, and wasted no time in pursuing the topic.
“Hmm? You want to see? It’s my prized possession, you know. I’m sure you’d enjoy it.”
After Minori butting in with a “Geez, get a hold of yourself already!” towards Tamasaburo’s goofy
face, Ichijou finally got a step closer to getting to see the scrapbook of No. 2 and No. 4.
But then all of a sudden, a cry of a baby rang out in the room. Ichijou didn’t manage to see it
earlier due to it being in the far back of cafe, but there was a baby car with an adorable baby boy
sleeping within it. Minori gave off a “Oh my, did we wake you up?” as she put him into her arms.
Seeing Ichijou’s slightly surprised face, Minori spoke to him with a bashful smile.
“I actually gave birth to this one last spring...he’s about 2 months old by now.”
“Is that so!? I offer my late congratulations!”
“I’m so sorry. I was so busy that I forgot to let you know.”
“No, no, I don’t mind at all.”
“It actually took a lot of trouble to get him out. After struggling for a whole day, we ended up doing
a C-section. This guy’s also only recently gotten back into good physical condition.”
2 years ago, Ichijou had received a postcard from Minori notifying him of her marriage with an
ex-pro wrestler chiropractor who was 2 years younger than her, along with her surname
changing to Shikata. The postcard also mentioned “For whatever reason, I ended up sticking
with a macho man. I was never fond of muscular people, it’s so weird, huh?”, from which Ichijou
got a good laugh out of.
“What’s his name?”
“Oh, it’s kind of embarrassing, but we ended up naming him Yunosuke. We took two characters
of my big brother’s name.”
“Yunosuke...that’s a fine name.”
“I was thinking like, what would I do if he ended up an adventurer too?”
While speaking, Minori’s smile never changed.
“If he ever becomes one, maybe he’ll bump into his uncle somewhere in the world?”
Ichijou responded with a gentle smile. Minori, while poking Yunosuke’s cheek with the tip of her
finger, spoke out.
“Onii-chan is such an idiot. If he doesn’t hurry up and come back soon, he’ll miss out on his
nephew’s cuteness. Isn’t that right?”
At that moment, a ray of sunlight began slipping out from the door at the entrance. At some point,
the clouds had began clearing, allowing the blue sky to sprawl out. The 3 of them were bathed in
that soft light, and mysteriously lost their words upon that warm sensation.
It certainly felt like a wonderful premonition for what was to come..
