Chiyoda District, Tokyo Metropolis.
The top-floor office of the People’s Coalition Party headquarters was brightly lit.
Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, Tokyo’s nightscape still glittered, as if the bloody massacre that took place at Chunshan Villa was just a nightmare that had long since woken up.
However, for the person sitting in that seat at this moment, the nightmare was just beginning.
Imai Yayoi sat behind the large desk that had originally belonged to Saori Saiyonji. The mountain of documents on the desk almost swallowed her petite figure.
“Acting Party Leader Imai… no, Party Leader Imai.”
The office door was pushed open. The blue-haired girl from Intelligence who had appeared before at the hospital walked in with a panicked expression, clutching a freshly printed report tightly in her hand.
“The search results for the Shinjuku Underground… the deep abandoned tunnel of the Oedo Line are out.”
Imai Yayoi suddenly lifted her head, her eyes now bloodshot.
“What about it? Have you found Yuki-kun?”
The girl bit her lip and shook her head with difficulty.
“No… we only found traces of battle.”
The girl placed the report on the desk.
“The scene… is appalling. There are no surviving Semi-Devourers.”
“So where exactly did Yuki-kun go?” Imai Yayoi rubbed her temples irritably. “Why didn’t you follow him down from the start?”
The girl looked a bit aggrieved.
“Overseer Yuki didn’t let us follow…”
Saiyonji’s fate was unknown, taken away by DRG’s Dark Crows, and now even Yuki Asahi was missing.
Now all the weight was pressing down on her, the university student who had once only wanted to study literature properly.
Imai Yayoi closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
“Pass my orders.”
She stood up, bracing her hands on the desk.
“Mobilize all the search teams on the management department’s roster, as well as the SAT-EX unit. Expand the search scope—not just Shinjuku, but the entire Tokyo underground pipe network, even the surrounding prefectures and cities. Even if we have to turn Tokyo upside down, we must find clues!”
“But… such a large-scale operation needs to go through the coalition government…”
“To hell with procedures! I’ll take responsibility if anything goes wrong!” Imai Yayoi interrupted her. “Also, block news about Yuki Asahi’s disappearance.”
“Yes!”
The girl immediately stood at attention, saluted, turned around, and ran out.
The office fell back into dead silence.
Imai Yayoi slumped back into her chair and wearily rubbed her temples.
Just then, the internal phone on the desk rang.
“Party Leader, Mr. Gaojian Zongyilang from the Liberal Democratic Party is here. He says he has an appointment with you.”
Imai Yayoi frowned slightly.
Gaojian Zongyilang… that politician who made a spectacle of himself at the wedding.
“Let him in.”
After a moment, the office door opened again.
Gaojian Zongyilang walked in.
At this moment, he showed no trace of the hysterical, disheveled appearance he had at the wedding.
He wore a well-tailored dark gray suit, his hair combed immaculately, and had a flawless gentle smile on his face.
“Party Leader Imai, my condolences.”
Gaojian Zongyilang walked to the desk, bowed slightly, and said with perfectly appropriate concern: “I am also saddened by Saiyonji-kun’s situation. He is a loss for Japan. I never imagined that in just a few days, you would have to bear such a heavy burden. You must be exhausted.”
“Mr. Gaojian, visiting late at night—this shouldn’t be just to reminisce, should it?”
Imai Yayoi had no mood to beat around the bush with him and asked directly: “If you’ve come to hold someone accountable for the security failure at the wedding, then please go to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.”
“Not at all. No one wanted that kind of accident to happen.”
Gaojian Zongyilang pulled out a chair and sat down without waiting, then took a thick document from his briefcase and pushed it across the desk to Imai Yayoi.
“I came for that unfulfilled wish.”
Imai Yayoi lowered her head and looked at the eye-catching large characters on the cover: ‘Proposal for the Construction of the Tokyo Bay Wide Area Superpower Diffusion and Energy Conversion Tower (Ladder Project).’
“Saiyonji-kun always had reservations about this project during his lifetime, believing the technology was not yet mature and the risks were too great.”
Gaojian Zongyilang interlaced his fingers and placed his hands on his knees, looking at Imai Yayoi with burning eyes.
“But, Party Leader Imai, you saw yesterday’s tragedy. If we had had the ‘Ladder’ at that time, and could have used the wide area force field to suppress those aliens immediately, even neutralize the toxin targeting Espers, then perhaps Saiyonji-kun would not have…”
“Are you exploiting the dead?” Imai Yayoi’s eyes turned cold.
“No, I’m talking about the future.”
Gaojian Zongyilang did not back down. Instead, he leaned forward and lowered his voice.
“You know the current situation better than I do. DRG has risen from the ashes, the rats underground are stirring, and even Yuki-kun now… his whereabouts are unknown.”
Imai Yayoi was startled. This guy’s information network was impressive.
“We need a stronger power—one that can be completely controlled by the state apparatus, a systematic power, not one that relies on the personal heroism of a single hero.”
Gaojian Zongyilang pointed at the document.
“The ‘Ladder’ is that kind of power. It can not only provide clean energy to solve the energy gap in post-war recovery, but also, through a specific Core Superhuman, release a Pacification Field covering the entire Kanto region, fundamentally reducing the probability of Mind Bug outbreaks.”
“This is for the long-term stability and security of Japan.”
Imai Yayoi took a deep breath, lifted her head, and her eyes returned to calm.
“Mr. Gaojian, your proposal is very constructive.”
She said in an extremely official tone: “However, as you said, the current situation is turbulent. Rushing into such a mega-project might cause more social unrest.”
“Furthermore, the core of this technology—the so-called ‘Core Superhuman’—the selection of that person is a big problem.”
“Regarding that point, our Liberal Democratic Party will fully cooperate. Funding and technology are not issues.” Gaojian Zongyilang seemed to have anticipated her reaction. “As for the selection… as long as the plan is approved, we will find suitable volunteers.”
“I will consider it carefully.”
Imai Yayoi neither refused nor agreed, but adopted a delaying tactic: “This needs to go through collective discussion among the party’s top leadership, and also needs further verification from the technical department. Please give me some time.”
Gaojian Zongyilang gave her a deep look, as if trying to find a flaw in her young face.
After a moment, he smiled.
“Of course, I understand. Then I will await your good news.”
He stood up, straightened his suit, and politely took his leave.
Watching Gaojian Zongyilang’s back as he left, Imai Yayoi felt a deep weariness.
She didn’t want to stay in this office any longer—she hated politics.
She wanted to go to Shinjuku herself, even if she had to dig with her hands, to find clues about her friend.
Just as she grabbed her coat and prepared to go out, the secretary outside knocked on the door again.
“Party Leader, there are more guests.”
“I said I’m not seeing anyone!” Imai Yayoi was a bit irritated.
“But… the other party holds diplomatic immunity and came with a special pass from the coalition government.” The secretary said with some difficulty. “They claim to be SAAC special envoys from Serys.”
SAAC?
Imai Yayoi was stunned for a moment.
That mysterious and powerful Esper agency from the neighboring country? Why would they show up at this time?
“Please show them to the reception room.”
Five minutes later, the reception room.
Two people in suits were sitting on the sofa.
A man and a woman. The man was burly with a square face and a solemn expression.
The woman appeared young and capable, wearing a pair of black-framed glasses, carrying a silver metal case in her hand, and had sharp eyes.
Seeing Imai Yayoi enter, both stood up at the same time.
“A pleasure, Party Leader Imai.”
The man extended his hand and said in a loud voice: “I am the leader of the SAAC front-line action team. You can call me Lao Zhang. This is my partner, Intelligence Analyst Ms. Li.”
“A pleasure.” Imai Yayoi shook hands with them. “May I ask what business you have visiting late at night?”
“For a common enemy.”
Lao Zhang did not beat around the bush and said directly: “We have learned of the tragedy at Chunshan Villa. We express our deep regret.”
“However, according to our intelligence analysis, the black-clad operatives who took Mr. Saiyonji at the wedding scene—the so-called Dark Crows—are the same group that attacked our survey team in Afghanistan and caused the death of our team leader, Shadow Girl.”
“DRG.”
“Emmi… Tsuki.” Imai Yayoi’s lips trembled slightly.
“Our goals are consistent.”
Lao Zhang said in a deep voice: “DRG is not only a threat to Japan, but also a cancer to regional security. They are collecting some dangerous things—the ‘Crimson Plan’ site in Afghanistan, and this kidnapping of Saori Saiyonji—all clearly for some ulterior purpose.”
“Furthermore, we have also taken note of the terrorist organization that launched the attack.”
“We are willing to provide technical and military support to help you root out the terrorist forces in Japan, and we also hope that you can share intelligence on DRG with us and investigate together.”
“I agree.” Imai Yayoi lifted her head. “But I have one request.”
“Please speak.”
“Yuki Asahi has gone missing.”
Lao Zhang and Ms. Li exchanged a glance, a flicker of astonishment and uncertainty in their eyes.
Meanwhile.
Off the coast of Japan, on a pitch-black sea.
Waves rose and fell, slapping against a small, broken-looking dinghy.
This small boat was like a leaf in the ocean, as if it would be swallowed by the next wave at any moment.
But strangely, no matter how the waves churned, the water within a few meters around the boat was as calm as a mirror, and even emitted a faint warmth.
Ah-choo—!
A blonde girl wearing a set of obviously ill-fitting coarse clothes—looking like she had taken them from some island fisherman—was sitting cross-legged on the bow of the boat with no sense of decorum, sneezing heavily.
“Damn Pacific… damn shipwreck… damn smuggler captain!”
Kaori Onishi rubbed her nose, red from the sea wind, her emerald-green eyes full of resentment.
“It was supposed to be a luxury cruise! But it sank as soon as it hit a little storm! And now I’ve been drifting at sea for so long!”
She held a wooden plank that looked like it had been taken from the ship, listlessly paddling the water.
Gurgle…
Her stomach let out a pathetic protest.
“So hungry… I want ramen, I want sushi, I want Yuki-kun’s cooking…”
“When I get back, I’ll definitely make him pay for a big meal and make him hurt for it.”
Just then, on the distant horizon, a faint light from a lighthouse appeared.
It was the light of land.
“Finally… we’re here?”
Kaori Onishi suddenly stood up. The small boat rocked violently, but she was as steady as a mountain.
She gazed at the lights in the distance, her previously playful expression gradually fading.
In those emerald-green eyes, a light began to swirl.
Boom!
Charge.
The water behind the small boat suddenly exploded as if it had been equipped with a propeller.
The broken old dinghy transformed into an arrow, cutting through the waves, and charged at full speed toward that chaotic land.
“Wait for me, everyone!”