Part 60: Portents of an Incident

BGM: A Time of Healing


06/15 (FRI), Midnight
Just as Odette had said, I don't go home once we finish our talk. I stay at the warehouse to get some sleep. It's for the best. I'd get arrested immediately if I were to get caught carrying a gun, and according to her, it's far less risky to move in the morning as opposed to the middle of the night.

I can't sleep...

It's cold, dark, and lonely here. Alan was kind enough to prepare a blanket for me, but it's still my first time sleeping outdoors like this. I can't adapt to this environment so easily. The humidity doesn't help much, either. That said, we're starting early tomorrow. I need to get as much sleep as I can. With that in mind, I throw the blanket over my head with a groan.

You should get as much sleep as you can, kid.

Says the person who's not sleeping. I'm surprised you're worried about me.

You're the key to this whole plan, unfortunately. Don't worry about me, though. I ain't a scrawny brat like you.

...So much for pulling your punches.



It ain't unusual to go a night or two without sleep on a boat. Then again, there are other times when you're so bored outta your skull that sleep's the only option.

On a boat...?

I realize that I've begun to take an interest in her through my inquiry. I was so terrified of her before, but now my impression's changed just after speaking to her for a bit.

Oh? This your way of getting info outta me?

N-No, that wasn't my...

Relax. I get it. You ain't dumb, but you ain't no schemer, either. That's the difference between you and Miharu.

I draw my eyes off her, prompting her to continue.



I'm a woman of the high seas, despite appearances.

...I think that makes perfect sense, actually.

You could call me a... shipping agent, of sorts. Not your run-of-the-mill one. I'd ship anything from letters to illegal goods, so long as the request interested me. Weapons, illegal booze, you name it. Even people at times.



But the one thing I never dealt in was hard drugs. I just ain't about that. Didn't stop people from coming to me with 'em, but... they're sleeping with the fishes now, heh.

I'll assume that's a metaphor.

She laughs in response. Just hearing about the work she does throws me off yet again. Our perspectives on what is normal must be completely different. In that sense, I've been completely blind to how people other than myself have gone about their lives.

Our good friend over there ain't got no issues sleeping. He seems pretty used to these kinda situations despite his position. He must've led a pretty wild life up until now. Heh... Just goes to show that you can't judge someone till you meet them.



Anyway, that's enough chit-chat for tonight. You feeling less tense yet? Chances are you'll wake right up when the sunlight bursts in here later, so rest up while you can.

Okay...

I actually feel like I understand her even less now. She deals with illegal goods for work, and yet she claims to be anti-drugs. She even tried to help me sleep. I've never met someone as difficult to figure out as her. It does make me think, though...No two people are exactly alike, so that's only natural. We simply don't know others well enough to truly understand them. The first time I met Yu, he was just a kid full of curiosity and love for Shigetsugu- the man he considered to be his grandfather. There was more to him, though. He was also a member of a terrorist organization before that. He then became the one responsible for Naomi's death, and now he wishes for his death by my hand.

I don't know which side of him is the real one. I will soon, though. I'm sure it'll tie into his regret. I feel my body gradually reach its limit as I think about all this. Soon enough, I succumb to the temptation of sleep.

…...

BGM: Impatience


06/16 (SAT), Morning
Oguma Mao finds herself browsing through her social network while waiting on the train. In doing so, she stumbles across an alarming headline.



For real...?

She follows the headline to its source right away. This is an article she has to read, no matter what.

A number of bags with suspicious materials within them have been found around Kamiyachou station... Sounds related to what happened to Naorin... Suspicious materials probably means bombs... Did they manage to catch whoever planted them?

Mao isn't familiar with the station itself, but she knows Tokyo Tower is not far from it. She is also aware that merely one station away from it is Kasumigaseki, home to the majority of the country's cabinet ministry offices. What's more, Roppongi is in the opposite direction.

Was this an attempted terrorist attack...?

An attack there would throw all of Japan into a panic, depending on how far the damage extended. Mao typically only pays attention to celebrity news, but even she comprehends the potential danger here.

Whoa... They still haven't found any suspects...?



Based on the article, all they found were the bags.

Amecha even got a mention...

The events at Amecha are widely considered to be the results of terrorist activity now. Reporting an attack on that scale as a mere accident, especially when it claimed a life, is simply impossible. Only a week has passed since then. It's only natural for this new discovery to be linked to what happened there.

Hopefully they'll get caught soon... for Naomi's sake... I wonder if Rinny and Miharu saw this already.

Mao pastes a link to the article into their group chat. The very same group chat that once included Naomi.

Argh, come on! Why do they never look at their phones when I need them to?!

Just as her claim implies, neither have yet to read her message. She truly believes this is a case they should be invested in. More than anyone else.

…...

BGM: Silence


Tokyo Tower. One of the most famous structures in Japan. While its 1,100 feet of height may fall short compared to the Skytree's 2,100, it remains an illustrious sight among the cityscape. The observatory perched 800 feet above ground may require a fee, but one can easily see the entirety of Tokyo from it. Viewing the city from such a height truly gives a new perspective for what is found on the surface. It almost feels like staring into an entirely different world.

Many people experience a wide range of emotions here. But one person stands out from the rest. One whose purpose is the complete opposite of theirs. The feelings experienced by the people who stare down at the world only serve to separate them from it. This is no time to let that influence him. He has to focus on what's to come. That is all this person can think about.

BGM: Intel Investigation Underway


I hate it.

It is none other than Yu. The boy meant to lose his life upon carrying out a suicide attack on the Yamanote line. His irritation comes not only from his sense of duty to alert the world to the plight of others but also from his own emotions. Emotions he simply cannot control. They became an inseparable part of him the very moment they sprouted.

It hurts...

That reality pains him. He glances at the phone provided to him by his organization and checks the news. Reports say that a number of bags with bombs inside have been found in the area. Investigations to determine the responsible party are currently underway. Connections are also being made to the attack on Amecha Girls' University High School, as the bombs found were of the same type used there.

Everything's going well...

The more security is concerned with what goes on away from here, the less attention they'll pay to him. Besides, he is well aware that very few people in this country would suspect a child of being responsible for a terrorist attack. They could never fathom that the things they see on the news are happening right next to them.

I...



He squeezes the bag he has hoisted in front of him tight. It is the very same bag he was once meant to use on the Yamanote line. The keychain attached to it is one he picked himself. However, the explosives within completely outclass those to be used back then. They are custom made by one of the organization's members- one whom Yu has yet to determine whether or not he should refer to as an ally. They know the organization is on the brink of collapse, so they put all their knowledge and spirit to work.

The explosion won't kill Yu, though. Countless people will die within one of the country's most famous landmarks. But among all the bodies, Yu will stand tall. Not being able to go out as a hero is somewhat disappointing to him, but the world won't have a choice but to take notice of these events. Of course, this isn't Yu's true motive.

I can't stop myself anymore. That's why you need to.

'And when you do, kill me.' His words, while they fall on deaf ears, are directed to one specific person.

I better get going...

Yu lines up to purchase a ticket to the observatory, which he accomplishes with ease. It's somewhat rare for a child to come here alone, but not enough for anyone to suspect him. He is just a child, after all. The lady at the counter would never expect that a bomb sits within his bag.

Up next is...



Yu casts a glance toward the staff carrying out bag checks. There are two ways to reach the observatory. One is the emergency staircase, and the other is the elevator. The emergency staircase is open during the day for all to use. It should take around fifteen minutes to reach the observatory by that route. In order to maximize the number of casualties, both paths must be rendered unusable. That's what the other members are for, however. The plan has already been put into motion.

It's time.

A hint of severity takes over his expression. His pupils widen, like that of a wild beast. He makes his way to the baggage check line. In front of him is a child even smaller than him, alongside their parents. He makes sure not to look back in order to avoid suspicion, but behind him is also a girl around his age. Then again, Rinka looks around the same age as him judging solely by height, so he cannot be certain of this. Not like any of these people matter to Yu. His only concern lays in whether or not he notices any participants, such as Numeral XI.

The family in front of him passes through the check without issue. Up next is Yu himself. The moment the staff approaches him, he moves on reflex.

BGM: WARNING
...Hah!



He pulls out the gun he had kept hidden under his coat. A Glock 19. It is both compact and simple to handle. This is no toy gun. It is as real as they come.



What the-!

Figures.

*bang bang bang!*

He brings his left hand up to steady the gun before firing three shots into the staff member's gut. The gunshots sound far less flashy than in the movies. The reason he avoided their head was simple: the staff member is a participant. Yu knows that fate will intervene and prevent their death.

You came to stop me after all.



Ugh...

It is Alan Scorpion who has disguised himself as one of the tower's staff. He finds himself crouching on the ground, as his reaction to Yu's assault is a split second too late. The floor is painted red with his blood. Alan's physique is nothing to scoff at, but no amount of muscle can stop a bullet. The damage done will be minimal, due to the bullet being fired point blank, but it will be more than enough to render him immobile.



Yu wastes no time with this opportunity. He reaches back and grabs the arm of the girl behind him, pulling her over to him and pointing the gun at her head.

Consider her a hostage.

Eep...

I'll kill her if you stop the elevator.

Yu has no issue whatsoever with killing non participants. No one among the crowd is gallant enough to try anything, either. Every last one of them are paralyzed with fear after witnessing what just happened. They don't even run up to Alan to make sure he is okay. All they do is scream. Full-scale panic has already set in by the time the other staff, and those whose curiosity got the better of them, come to the scene.

The situation is too far beyond anyone's control at this point.