Somewhere in Tokyo, deep beneath the surface.
No windows. No natural light. The air carried the bone-deep chill of concrete that had never once seen the sun.
To call it a conference hall would be generous. It was closer to the core chamber of a nuclear bunker that history had chosen to forget.
The space rose two stories, its double-height structure radiating a pressure that felt entirely deliberate.
The lower level was plunged into near-absolute darkness. Only a handful of miniature indicator lights set flush into the floor near the center cast any glow — just enough to trace the faint boundary of the ground beneath.
Indou Ranko stood alone at the center of that darkened hall. The shadows very nearly swallowed her whole. The only thing that gave her away was the cigarette pinched between her fingers, its ember burning with a faint, sullen light.
Above her, a narrow corridor wrapped the entire perimeter of the space — like the viewing gallery of an old guillotine platform, or the blind side of an interrogation room's one-way glass.
Five figures stood sparsely along the gallery, cloaked in shadow. Light came from behind and above them, like stage rigging pointed at the wrong angle — illuminating only the outlines of their bodies, leaving their faces completely submerged in indistinct darkness. Nothing but silhouettes, and the occasional voice drifting down, confirming that living people were up there — people who ran this country from the dark.
「Regarding the black magic ritual tome referenced in the Kawahara Miyuki incident — it does not appear on the submitted evidence manifest.」
The silhouette on the left spoke. The voice was flat, without inflection — but the weight of interrogation pressed through every word.
Indou Ranko exhaled a slow breath of smoke. It drifted apart in the dim light, unhurried.
「That one? The scene was messy. By the time our people arrived, both the book and the portrait were already gone. That said, Kawakami Tomie was the first on the scene — odds aren't low that she's the one who walked off with it.」
「Kawakami Tomie? Ageless, deathless, unchanged — what possible reason would she have for taking a black magic ritual tome?」
A cold, weathered voice pressed down on Indou Ranko from above.
「No idea. I don't even know why she took down Kawahara Miyuki in the first place.」
Indou Ranko shrugged, her answer clean and unencumbered.
She paused, flicked her ash carelessly into the near-invisible dust at her feet, and added:
「Kawakami Tomie seems to be changing. Her mind and her abilities have both diverged from the records. Whether she's a mutant individual or whether the whole type has shifted — I genuinely couldn't say.」
「Kawakami Tomie… yes, it would be wise to assign personnel for surveillance and investigation.」
The shadowed figure considered this for a moment before speaking with measured care.
「Don't change the subject. The question is whether we can trust you. Indou Ranko.」
Another voice came from the right side of the gallery, rolling through the empty hall.
「I have no intention of breaking rules, breaking laws, or deceiving my superiors.」
Indou Ranko said it with total nonchalance.
「The Killing Stone incident. You appear to have taken certain… unnecessary actions.」
The cold, hard voice shifted topics without releasing any of its pressure.
「Unnecessary? Did I? I only recovered the item as per my duties and delivered it to the organization.」
Indou Ranko raised a hand to scratch her hair, the gesture still lazy — though it carried just a faint whiff of playing dumb.
「The Killing Stone of the nine-tailed fox possesses exceptionally high research value in terms of the curse it contains. The organization had originally hoped to obtain an intact sample.」
A steadier voice from directly ahead.
「Oh, is that so? Speaking of which — I heard a tourist cracked one of the Killing Stones. Genuine article, apparently. The person who went to handle it was… Higa Kotoko, wasn't it? Why not ask her to bring that piece back and hand it over?」
Indou Ranko said it like the idea had just occurred to her.
A few sounds drifted down from above — impossible to tell if they were sighs or cold scoffs. No words followed. Only silent stares, pressing down on Indou Ranko like something physical.
Indou Ranko's expression didn't flicker. Her eyes stayed half-open, half-shut.
「Higa has her own way of doing things.」
After a moment, the steady voice spoke again — clearly unwilling to linger on that name, choosing avoidance instead.
It was understandable. Higa Kotoko operated outside the institutional structure. Her relationship with them was a normal commission arrangement, not a chain of command. Even if they issued her an order like this, there was no guarantee she would follow it.
「The whereabouts of the black magic tome and the portrait — continue monitoring. Cursed objects of that threat level drifting loose are a liability we cannot ignore. Report immediately if any leads surface.」
In the end, the steady voice rendered its judgment. A trace of barely concealed disappointment ran beneath the words.
「Understood.」
Indou Ranko's reply was prompt and easy.
Then, at that moment, the old voice spoke again — delivering what sounded, in its flatness, like a bomb dropped by accident.
「One more matter. Regarding the two individuals detained in connection with the dissolution incident — Aizawa Yuuma, and his sister Aizawa Chikumo. Following evaluation, the decision has been made to release them and place them under residential surveillance.」
Before the words had fully settled, the fingers holding Indou Ranko's cigarette tightened for just a fraction of a second. The lazy indifference drained from her face. Her eyes went sharp.
「Release them? Sir, Aizawa Yuuma was responsible for over a thousand deaths. His sister is an equally high-risk individual. Their psychological states are profoundly unstable. Letting them out…」
「Inspector Indou. This decision reflects considerations at a broader strategic level.」
A voice cut her off — the refusal buried in its tone leaving no room for debate.
「Our investigation has confirmed that Aizawa Yuuma and Aizawa Chikumo do not themselves possess any inherent curse. The power of dissolution originates from a dimension of far greater magnitude…」
The voice paused here. As if the speaker had just recalled another presence — one they had long been pursuing.
Then the voice continued.
「Continued detention serves no purpose. The demon can simply select someone else and resume its game elsewhere. Rather than maintaining indefinite control over the Aizawa siblings — while an entity of unknown identity runs freely somewhere else — it is a superior strategy to release these known quantities, allow them to move openly, and conduct long-term covert surveillance: analyzing behavioral patterns, managing the environment around them, and steering their actions toward our ends.」
The reasoning was ruthless and coldly rational. Indou Ranko was silent for several seconds.
Damn rotten oranges.
She cursed inwardly.
The cigarette was nearly down to the filter. She dropped the stub on the ground and pressed out the last red glow with the tip of her shoe.
「…Understood. Once I receive formal notification, I'll arrange the handover.」
「Good.」
The steady voice seemed satisfied.
「You're dismissed, Inspector Indou. Return to your duties.」
The lights along the upper gallery seemed to dim by a shade. The silhouetted figures fell silent, as if melting back into the shadows of the walls.
Indou Ranko turned and walked toward the only exit in the darkness, her pace no different than usual. The heavy metal door slid shut behind her without a sound, sealing that suffocating space away completely.
But in that wide conference hall, the five figures had not left.
Only the oppressive atmosphere had dissolved — the lights shifting to something brighter and gentler with a small adjustment, and the relentless pressure that had permeated the room simply ceased to exist.
____
👻🔥Walnut-chan🔥👻
🔥 New history: Uchiha Reborn in Jujutsu Kaisen: The System Thinks I'm in Konoha, but I'm Not
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone