Japanese Terrorist: What? I'll fight Hellstar!

Deep underground somewhere in Tokyo.

There are no windows, no natural light. The air is thick with the chill of concrete that has accumulated over the years.

It's less like a council chamber and more like the core of a forgotten nuclear bunker.

The space has a double-height structure, which creates a deliberately oppressive feeling.

The lower level was almost absolute darkness, with only a few tiny indicator lights embedded in the ground near the center emitting a halo that barely outlined the boundaries of the ground.

Ranko Inudou stood alone in the center of the dark hall, her figure almost swallowed by the darkness, with only the cigarette between her fingers emitting a faint glow.

Above her is a narrow, long corridor that encircles the entire space, like an ancient guillotine viewing platform or a one-way mirror behind an interrogation room.

Five figures stood sparsely in the shadows of the corridor, the light shining from behind them like a stage spotlight, but only illuminating their outlines.

Their faces were completely shrouded in indistinct shadows, with only silhouettes and occasional sounds indicating that they were living people, the masses who ruled the country from the shadows.

"The book of black magic rituals mentioned in the Kawahara Miyuki case did not appear on the list of submitted evidence."

The silhouette in the shadows on the left spoke, its voice flat and even, yet carrying a heavy, questioning tone.

Inudou Ranko exhaled a puff of smoke, which slowly dissipated in the dim light.

"Well, the situation at the scene was complicated. By the time our people arrived, the book and portrait were already gone. However, since the first person to discover them was Tomie Kawakami, it's quite possible that she was the one who took them."

"Kawakami Tomie? Immortal, eternal, unchanging—what was her reason for taking the book of dark magic rituals?"

A cold and aged voice questioned Inudou Ranko.

"I don't know. I don't even know why she defeated Kawahara Miyuki."

Inudou Ranko shrugged and answered crisply.

She paused, casually flicked the cigarette ash into the almost invisible dust at her feet, and added a sentence.

"It seems that something is changing in Kawakami Tomie. Her mind and strength are different from what has been recorded. I don't know if it's a mutation in an individual or if the whole has mutated."

"Kawakami Tomie...it is indeed necessary to arrange for personnel to conduct surveillance and investigation."

The shadows cast by the lamplight paused for a moment, then spoke cautiously.

"Don't change the subject. Do you think we can trust you, Ranko Inudo?"

Another voice came from the right side of the corridor, echoing in the empty hall.

"I have no intention of violating any rules or laws, or deceiving my superiors."

"It's just like what Ranko Inudo said casually."

"It seems you did something unnecessary during the Killing Stone incident last time."

The cold, hard voice changed the subject, but the oppressive feeling remained unchanged.

"Unnecessary stuff? Is there? I'm just collecting it as part of my job and then handing it over to the organization."

Inudou Ranko raised her hand and scratched her hair, her movements still appearing lazy, but with a hint of feigned ignorance.

"The Killing Stone of the Nine-Tailed Fox contains a curse that has extremely high research value, and the organization originally hoped to obtain a complete sample."

A more composed voice rang out from directly ahead.

"I see. By the way, I heard that a Sesshōseki (Killing Stone) was cracked by a tourist. It seemed to be a genuine one, and the person who dealt with it was... Higa Kotoko? Why don't we ask her to bring that Sesshōseki back and hand it over?"

Inudou Ranko suddenly realized.

Several indistinct sighs or cold snorts came from above, but they didn't speak. Only silent gazes, as if they were tangible, fell upon Inudou Ranko.

Inudou Ranko remained expressionless, her eyes half-open and half-closed.

"Higa-san has her own way of doing things."

After a moment, a calm voice rang out again. He seemed unwilling to discuss the name further and adopted an evasive attitude.

Unfortunately, Higa Kotoko is not part of the system; her relationship with them is one of normal delegation rather than superior-subordinate. Even if such an order is given to her, she may not necessarily comply.

"Keep an eye on the whereabouts of the black magic book and portrait. Such high-risk cursed items are a constant threat if they remain unaccounted for. Report any leads immediately."

In the end, that calm voice made the decision, with a hint of barely perceptible disappointment in its tone.

"clear."

Inudou Ranko agreed very readily.

Just then, an aged voice rang out again, as calmly as dropping a bomb.

"Oh, and one more thing. Regarding the two individuals involved in the previous dissolution incident—Yuuma Azawa and his sister Chitsumi Azawa—after evaluation, it has been decided to release them and place them under residential surveillance."

Before she finished speaking, Inudou Ranko's fingers, which were holding a cigarette, tightened for a moment, her lazy expression vanished, and her eyes sharpened.

"Release them? Sir, Azawa Yuuma has caused the deaths of thousands of people, and his sister is also a highly dangerous individual. Their mental states are extremely unstable. Releasing them..."

"Inspector Inudo, this is based on a more macro-level consideration."

A voice interrupted her, its tone cold and unyielding.

"After investigation, it was found that Azawa Yuuma and Azawa Chitsumi did not possess any special curse; the power to dissolve them came from a higher dimension..."

At this point, the voice paused, as if recalling another existence they had been pursuing.

Then he continued speaking.

"Even if we keep them locked up, it won't help. The devil can choose others to continue his game. Rather than controlling the Aze siblings and letting people of unknown identity operate elsewhere, while letting the Aze siblings, whose identities are known, operate freely, we can conduct long-term surveillance from the shadows, analyze their behavior patterns, control their environment, and guide their actions. That would be a better choice."

Her cold and rational attitude left Inudou Ranko silent for a few seconds.

Damn rotten oranges!

Inudou Ranko cursed inwardly.

The cigarette was almost burned down to the filter. She threw the butt on the ground and crushed the last bit of red light with the toe of her foot.

"...Understood. I will arrange the handover after receiving formal notification."

"very good."

The steady voice seemed satisfied.

"You may leave now, Inspector Inudo. Continue your work."

The lights in the overhead corridor seemed to dim for a moment, and the silhouettes fell silent, as if blending into the shadows of the walls.

Ranko Inudou turned around and walked as usual toward the only exit in the darkness. The heavy metal door closed silently behind her, completely isolating that oppressive space.

However, the five figures did not leave the spacious council hall.

However, the oppressive atmosphere disappeared, the lights became bright and gentle, and with just a slight adjustment, the environment no longer had the same oppressive atmosphere as before.