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Case Files of Blue by Miyazawa Tatsuki
Chapter 3 (part ½) (volume 1, pages 130-153)
The Head of the Blue Uniformed Organization
In hindsight, a great majority of Scepter 4 learned about Kounomura Zenichi’s return to the country the moment he crossed the border. And not only the members of Scepter 4. A good portion of the general j.a.panese population also obtained that information. After all, Kounomura Zenichi’s return to his home country was—
—reported in the news nation-wide.
James D Sevr was a face well-known across the world. He was 43 years old. While being enrolled in the Ma.s.sachusetts Inst.i.tute of Technology, he launched a social network service, “Coin Toss”, which turned him in one of the most prominent wealthy people in the USA. He was a man living the American Dream.
The catalyst due to which presently he held the position of CEO of his corporation, named “Coin Toss”, was rooted in an anecdotal story: young Sever couldn’t decide whether he should continue studying his major, biotechnology, or devote himself to starting his own business, so he tossed a coin to decide his future.
The “Coin Toss” system, developed by him, had built-in information search, video uploading and online shopping capabilities; according to him, what gave him the idea for it was the concept of self-reproducing life, that was why Sevr, despite giving up on succeeding as a researcher, generously sponsored promising young talents in that area.
His visit to j.a.pan wasn’t an exception as he came here in relation to that sphere of his activities, namely to give a lecture on biotechnology in Tokyo; from their side, a group of j.a.panese researchers hoped in the earnest to befriend him while he was in the country.
It was exceedingly rare for Sevr to leave America, and it was his first time visiting j.a.pan. The ma.s.s media made quite a big deal out of it, and, as it turned out, Kounomura Zenichi was nonchalantly catching a ride on Sevr’s private jet.
Not even attempting to hide, he walked by Sevr’s side as they left Narita Airport. Kounomura talked to Sevr about something in awkward English, and Sevr, rumored to be normally hard to please, was smiling and clapping Kounomura on the shoulder restlessly. The swarm of reporters at the airport were surprised at first, but since Kounomura was another celebrity in his own right, they didn’t waste time in investigating, and before long, Sevr’s arrival was reported in the news with an added bonus of the discovery that he and Kounomura could be called close friends, with their families also being on very warm friendly terms.
The official gist of it was that Sevr’s friend Kounomura came back to his homeland on Sevr’s private plane. From the airport, the two went to a hotel of the highest cla.s.s j.a.pan had to offer on the same limousine. Most j.a.panese citizens, upon hearing the whole story, thought nothing of it, and only the troops of Scepter 4 were furious.
“d.a.m.n it!”
Fuse Daiki, in the privacy of his room in Scepter 4’s dorm, punched his pillow hard. Enomoto, who was watching the TV with him, also wore a troubled face.
“f.u.c.king with us like that!”
His s.h.i.+ft was over and now Fuse, already in plain clothes, was blowing off his immense frustration. His frank, rough att.i.tude and artless appearance often caused people to misunderstand him, but when it came to his duties, he was an earnest and all-around excellent member of Scepter 4 who valued teamwork.
Even when he was off the clock, he would practice in the dojo alone until late at night and would re-read the materials of a case he was investigating before going to bed. But he never shouted about it. If anything, he even tried to hide how much efforts he was actually putting into his job.
When Fus.h.i.+mi Saruhiko first joined the squad, he was one of the Special Ops members who weren’t happy about it. He used to say, “Huh? A teenage brat? Not to mention, a Red clan defector… Us aside, but him standing above Akiyama-san and Benzai-san? That’s just too much, no?”
However, since the focal points of this argument, Akiyama and Benzai, accepted Fus.h.i.+mi without resistance, it didn’t become a big issue. That said, it didn’t mean that Fuse was more snooty or narrow-minded than the other troops. If anything, were Scepter 4 an ordinary agency, Fuse’s viewpoint would be prevalent within it.
But Scepter 4, and especially the Special Ops squad, wasn’t your ordinary company nor government office. Their boss wasn’t just a director nor a president; he was a king possessing absolute power.
For that reason, it was possible for Fus.h.i.+mi to be appointed to the essential position of the third-in-command, right below Awas.h.i.+ma. And of course, in the end, Fuse had to accept that personnel selection.
In the first place, his motive to express that kind of opinion was his genuine care for his comrades, starting with Akiyama.
Fuse’s roommate, Enomoto, was aware of those feelings that Fuse didn’t usually put into words.
Right now, Fuse was so enraged because Scepter 4, the place where he belonged, was very important to him. He regarded what Kounomura Zenichi was doing as a challenge issued to all of them.
“Getting all c.o.c.ky on us, the b.a.s.t.a.r.d!” Not being able to subdue his anger, Fuse turned off the TV.
Enomoto said with a sigh, “Agreed. He’s toying with us as he pleases.”
“—You think so too?”
“Uh-huh. Using the Captain’s words, it’s another one of his "messages”, probably. He’s rubbing our limits to our faces with his actions. And indeed…“ Emonoto frowned in frustration himself, ”…we can’t just dispatch there when everything is being made so public. We still don’t have the legal basis nor evidence against that individual, Kounomura Zenichi, to arrest him, and especially not now when he’s the focus of the media’s gazes. I don’t know if they’re really friends or not, but the location of the hotel James D Sevr is staying at is a tightly guarded secret. If we try anything reckless, it will turn into an international problem.“
Fuse clicked his tongue. "So all we can do is just sit on our hands and watch?”
“Well, basically, yes, I guess.”
Just when Enomoto dropped his shoulders with a dejected sigh, concluding that this was the only option available to mature people, really, there was a knock on the door.
“Enomoto-kun, Fuse-kun, are you there?”
Enomoto and Fuse stared at each other for a second, then both jumped on a reflex.
“Yes, we are, sir!”
“Please come in, Captain.”
The voice belonged to their superior, the Blue King, Munakata Reis.h.i.+.
“Pardon my intrustion,” said person offered as he entered their room.
Except, he wasn’t in the familiar uniform they got used to seeing him in. What he was decked out in was a well-tailored navy blue suit.
“…Captain?”
“Sir, your clothes, umm…”
Bewilderment was evident in both of the room’s tenants’ voices.
Munakata gave them a little smile, “Oya, I took out my one good suit, out of character though it may be for me… is it ill-fitting?”
Both Enomoto and Fuse vehemently shook their heads in unison
.
“Oh no! It’s not, sir!”
“It suits you very much, sir!”
Indeed, the tall Munakata in the suit looked quite stunning. Long legs and moderately muscular physique made for a perfect figure that could put to shame your run-of-the-mill male model. Only, the two were lost as to the reason to which they owned the pleasure of laying their eyes on their superior in a suit at the moment. Was he going to attend some sort of party?
“Nothing to it. I simply felt like going for a drink,” Munakata said with a smile that definitely was on the mischievous side. “And I would like to ask the two of you to accompany me.”
Enomoto and Fuse still had trouble catching on, blinking in confusion.
“We are going to hotel OOO. I heard their bar is very good.”
The name he provided was the name of the high cla.s.s hotel Kounomura was staying at together with Sevr.
“Ah,” Enomoto, who was relatively quick on the uptake, made a noise of realization. Fuse was still as lost as ever.
Enomoto then spoke up in rapid fire, “Err, Captain, sir. Are you sure that you are OK with us accompanying you to such a place?”
“I am.”
“Um, sir, did you know that the hotel you mentioned is where Kounomura Zenichi, who is challenging us, is currently staying at?”
“Oya.” The surprised face Munakata made couldn’t be any more shamelessly false. “Is that so? I had no slightest idea.”
“—I see now.” Fuse had finally started to catch on to this game as well.
In between snickers, Emonoto managed, “So, sir, if, say, we were to unexpectedly run into Kounomura Zenichi in that hotel by pure accident, what would you like us to do?”
“Let us see…” Munakata paused, feigning ignorance with such dedication that it could send some in a fit of anger, telling him to cut it out already. “Well, in the unlikely event that you would… if, speaking purely hypothetically of course, after having a few drinks, we happened to get lost on our way home and ended up in Kounomura-s.h.i.+’s room where we came face to face with him, just what would we do in that case, hmmm? Well, since there hardly would be helping it, we should have him accompany us to HQ, I suppose?”
“Ahh, I see, sir. There is no helping it if we’re drunk. But is it going to be OK? Without a warrant.”
“Weeell. He, too, has no regard for rules as he is picking a fight with us. So if we happened to catch him, he would not bring up uncouth things like legal basis, I imagine. After all, he is the world renown Kounomura-s.h.i.+, so I have hope that he would be mature about admitting his defeat.”
“I see. We’re going to take advantage of the confusion, then.”
“Oya, Enomoto-kun. Please do remember that I spoke of a purely hypothetical scenario.”
“Oh, indeed, how could I forget, sir.” Enomoto’s throat vibrated with suppressed chuckles.
“—What do you say, Fuse-kun? A little relaxation would not hurt once in a while.” Munakata peered into Fuse’s face with eyes deeply tinged with sparkles of laughter.
Fuse’s tightly clasped fists shook as he answered in a tone, overflowing with spirit, “I will gladly accompany you, sir! I had this craving to go for a drink even before you offered, sir! Please give me 3 minutes to get ready, sir!”
Munakata broke into a grin.
†
Shortly after, the three headed to hotel OOO. Surprisingly, Munakata didn’t mention anything about it to anyone in Scepter 4.
Officially, Munakata took a day off, but in reality he went to a bar for a drink, asking Enomoto and Fuse accompany him. His implicit goal was to confront Kounomura, and the two he took with him were weighted with big responsibility. It was understandable that Enomoto and Fuse were slightly nervous.
To make things even harder on them, when they got there, the bar of hotel OOO turned out to be even more high cla.s.s than they had expected: the furnis.h.i.+ngs looked gorgeous, the bartender impressively dignified, the bottles lined up on the shelves expensive and the customers seated at the counter elegantly dressed. The atmosphere, mixing in all of that, easily overwhelmed the two, making them shrivel up even more.
Munakata must have sensed their mood, because he addressed them in an unusually friendly and casual tone, “There is a first for everything, and this is no different. So you two do not need to be so humble. Simply enjoy the drink.”
Neither Enomoto nor Fuse had experience in choosing a suitable drink, but with Munakata’s advice, the order had been made: dry martini for Fuse, China blue for Enomoto and scotch on the rocks for Munakata. The three of them touched their gla.s.ses lightly in a toast and started a quiet conversation.
“I must say, this is really delicious,” Enomoto commented, holding up his China blue to the light carefully.
“This is my first time drinking it.”
“—Captain, do you come to these kinds of places often?” Enomoto asked, carrying his c.o.c.ktail gla.s.s to his lips in a clumsy gesture.
Munakata gave the ice cubes in his gla.s.s a light shake, making them rattle quietly, and smiled. “Hardly. I can’t afford to come to such expensive bars on my paycheck. Usually, I go to cheaper places.”
Despite that, everything about him fit this high cla.s.s place all too well. The visitors around them, advanced in years and with dignified well-built frames, couldn’t hope to outdo him.
This person really was incredible, Enomoto and Fuse thought in unison.
The two young troops, so awkward in the beginning, were finally able to relax, perhaps not least due to the help of the alcohol in a few gla.s.ses of c.o.c.ktail they had consumed. Nervousness gave place to elation.
After all, the Munakata Reis.h.i.+ took them to a high cla.s.s bar they would never, in the life of their, have the chance to visit if he wasn’t well-disposed to them. Moreover, even if this was an unofficial mission, Munakata Reis.h.i.+ himself asked them to partic.i.p.ate in his plan.
There was no way they, as the chosen clansmen of the king, weren’t happy about it.
“Captain,” Fuse asked in an abrupt manner, likely to hide his embarra.s.sment. “Why did you choose us for this mission, sir?”
“Hm?”
“Well, I mean, both Lieutenant and Akiyama-san were still in HQ. So why us?”
Munakata tossed a glance Fuse’s way. “Well…” He showed a smile. “Because the two of you seem the naughtiest. You have apt.i.tude for missions that do not conform to legal formalities. So in that sense, I found you two the most suitable.”
Enomoto’s shoulders shook as he stifled his laughter. Fuse’s lips lifted up in a wry smile.
“I suppose so. Making Lieutenant or Akiyama-san do this sort of gray zone missions doesn’t look like a good idea. Having shady attendants like us works better, indeed.”
“Yes, I am counting on you two.”
Munakata looked at the two with affectionate eyes. Emptying his gla.s.s in one gulp, he announced, “—Well then, shall we go?” and stood up.
Their bill had already been taken care of.
“Yes, sir.”
“Yes, sir.”
Enomoto and Fuse replied quickly with no trace of drunkenness and followed suit.
†
It was shockingly easy to reach the suite James D Sever was staying in.
A special elevator with restricted access was the only way to get to hotel OOO’s suite; the elevator itself could only be operated via card keys issued only to the guests of the hotel.
It was made so that even ordinary guests staying at the hotel could not go to the top floor where the suite was situated… But Munakata checked in and took a room on the same floor as Sevr. Enomoto and Fuse were both very surprised at that.
Once Munakata was done with the check-in procedure at the special reception desk reserved for VIPs only, he took the card key and, looking as casual as ever, got into the elevator.
In reply to the nonplussed gazes the two young troops following him were giving him, he clarified, “I made a reservation before coming here today.” He said it as if it was nothing.
“…Um, can reservations for a suite in a high profile hotel with very strict rules such as this be made that easily?”
To Enomoto’s question, Munakata replied, “No, I expect it would be impossible normally. But there is a certain big name politician who is closely connected to this hotel, so I found out his weakness and blackma— Ahem,” he cut himself off with a cough, “I mean, imposed on his cordial friends.h.i.+p. That person was accommodating enough to make a reservation in my name. Oh, but the costs are all on me, of course. If I made him pay for me, our relations.h.i.+p would become too cozy for my liking, and above all, it would make that person very miserable - it seems he had already used quite a lot of money recently to hush up a scandal.”
Munakata chuckled. Emonoto opened his mouth, intending to ask more questions, but before he could, Fuse put a hand on Enomoto’s shoulder and shook his head silently. Better let the sleeping dog lie, his eyes a.s.serted with conviction. Enomoto, fright on his face, nodded.
Munakata, who was watching their wordless exchange in the elevator’s mirror, smiled.
And so, without running into any trouble on the way, the three had arrived to the guest room Sevr was staying at. Complete lack of security was disappointing: not a single guard stood before the doors.
“…” Munakata’s expression underwent a subtle change. He murmured something under his breath very quietly, but Enomoto and Fuse weren’t able to catch what exactly.
To the two’s surprise, the next thing Munakata did was to grab the door k.n.o.b and try to open the door. It was an abrupt action, with no preamble whatsoever. The door, however, and perhaps naturally, was locked.
Munakata closed his eyes briefly.
A pale blue light, sparkling clearly like a star somewhere with thin air, came to life in Munakata’s hand.
A moment later, Munakata turned the door k.n.o.b again, hardly putting any visible strength into the action, but, unlike previously, this time the door opened without resistance.
Fuse and Enomoto bugged their eyes. They had no idea that the Blue King’s power could be used for unlocking doors like that.
Munakata smiled at them. “I simply s.h.i.+fted this door’s vector of "order” a little.“
Giving this explanation, he stepped inside the suite. "Please allow me to proceed beyond this point alone. I shall be counting on you two to keep watch.”
With this, he started walking along the corridor in a straight line.
Enomoto and Fuse saluted to him in synch.
†
The corridor led to a big room of about 30 tatami mats[*]. The interior decor, complete with elegant furnis.h.i.+ngs, was well-balanced. On the sofa, set up in the middle of the room, a Caucasian man sat heavily, stretching out his legs. He was baby-faced but with well-groomed mustache. His mode of dress was casual: jeans, a black s.h.i.+rt and worn-out snickers.
Despite that, there was a strange solemnity about the man.
There weren’t too many people who would look so accustomed and comfortable in the suite of an ultra high cla.s.s hotel. An ordinary person wouldn’t be able to even come to this kind of place to begin with, and even if, somehow or other, they ended up staying here, they wouldn’t be comfortable in this interior.
After all, all about this suite was too big and too posh.
The man before Munakata, though, was not only lounging there relaxedly, apparently feeling completely at home, he also managed to dominate this fancy place.
The dignity raising off him made the observer believe that this hotel’s suite and everything in it were order-made specially for him, as his aura wordlessly let the rude intruder, Munakata, know just who was this room’s master. All the same despite his careless clothes that were more appropriate for a hamburger joint of a fast food chain.
“So…” the man spoke up in English with a southern accent. “…you are Reis.h.i.+ Munakata, I take it?” His drawl was languid, but his eyes gleamed with interest. He got up unhurriedly.
“Yes, I am.” Putting a hand to his chest, Munakata bowed with utmost respect. “I a.s.sume I have the pleasure of Mr. James D Sevr’s company? My deepest apologies for bothering you when you were relaxing,” he offered an apology in traditional flawless Queen’s English.
Sevr didn’t look surprised about Munakata calling him by the name, he didn’t so much as raised a brow at Munakata’s sudden intrusion.
With an air of calm composure, he asked, “Oh, did you study in England?”
“Yes, I did, for a short period of time,” Munakata articulated crisply.
“I see. Zenichi is a good guy, but his p.r.o.nunciation is atrocious. I get terrible headaches only after an hour of talking to him. I’m glad you dropped by, Mister Munakata.”
“Mr. Sevr,” cutting to the chase, Munakata inquired, “I would like to know if Mr.Kounomura is here?”
Sevr gave a laugh. “I think you already know the answer to that, no? Zenichi’s not here, he beat a hasty retreat like a badger sensing a hunter.”
“As I suspected, then.” Munakata showed a wry smile, dropping his shoulders. “Good grief, what a good nose that person has. Perhaps, I should have come straight to this room without stopping to have a few drinks at the bar first. Or was that scenario well within that person’s calculations, too, with him running away from me even in that case?”
“Yeah, looks like it.” Sevr didn’t attempt to deny it. “Zenichi described 11 ways to escape from here to me. Among them was one that would allow him to escape even if you showed up with a whole squad of your subordinates to raid this room. In addition to that, I came up with 3 last resorts of my own. Mister Munakata, I think you know it already, but let me say it anyway: you’re up against a "monster”, you know?“
Munakata nodded silently. Neither of the two asked anything to verify the situation. Munakata had realized that he would not find Kounomura in this hotel and that Sevr must have heard all the circ.u.mstances from Kounomura the moment he saw Sevr calmly lounging in his room - no, even before that, when they hadn’t run into any security in front of the suite. Sevr, on his part, had figured from Munakata’s att.i.tude that he had already caught on to what was going on.
One glance was enough for the two of them to see through each other and recognize each other’s insight ability, far superior to that of ordinary people. Both were silent for a short while, only exchanging polite intellectual gazes.
Then Sevr slowly narrowed his eyes. ”—But, Mister Munakata, this outcome was well within your expectations, wasn’t it? Did you really hope to catch Zenichi here? Wouldn’t you be disappointed to actually find him still dillydallying here?“
”…“ Munakata took a moment to think, then shook his head. "No, I would not. I would be fine with either outcome. To be completely honest, I simply wanted to meet Mr. Kounomura in person. For you see, he is the person who called me to express his love. That is why I wanted to get to know him, too.” He smiled. “Well then, allow me to apologize once more for disturbing you. Now, if you will excuse me.”
Munakata bowed again and turned on his heels.
“Hold on,” Serv spoke up. “Leaving like that is so heartless of you, don’t you think? Keep me company for a bit longer.”
Munakata stopped and turned back around. “Why, I am not sure if I can be good enough "company” for you, sir.“
"You know, Mister Munakata, I’m very jealous of you right now.”
“Jealous?”
“Yes! Of course I am! You took my friend, Zenichi, from me!”
Despite Sevr coming across languid, the look in his eyes, that were currently laughing, was peculiar and projecting some sort of strange energy.
“You see, normally, I’m a homebody who dislikes leaving his country. But this time I had a compelling duty to fulfill, especially seeing that this is the country Zenichi lives in, so I came here, all the way to j.a.pan, hoping to make use of this chance to renew our old friends.h.i.+p with Zenichi. But as it turned out, Zenichi is far more ecstatic over the game of tag with you than the opportunity to have nice and long heart-to-heart talks with me. Not to mention and as humiliating as it is for me, he used me as a convenient fool to ensure his safe return to the country. So what I’m feeling, Mister Munakata, as painful as it is for me to admit it, is jealousy.”
He took a bottle of bourbon from the side table and poured himself a gla.s.s. “How about one for you, too?” he offered.
“Thank you, but I will pa.s.s,” Munakata declined.
“Is that so. It’s cheap stuff, but I like it.” He swirled the amber-colored liquid in his gla.s.s and paused. “Some time ago, I found a picture of my ancestor in the attic of my parents’ house taken about the time when he only migrated to Alabama. Upon a closer look, I noticed that the grandfather of my grandfather was drinking bourbon of the same brand. That discovery made me really happy, Mister Munakata. I realized that it’s not a coincidence that I prefer this brand of bourbon, my choice reflects my family’s tastes and traditions. Once again I saw for myself with clarity that I was chosen - by fate, by G.o.d and by my fatherland.”
“…” There was a miniscule change in Munakata’s expression.
“Don’t hold back, Mister Munakata,” Sevr’s lips curved in a jeering smile as he caught on. “"This guy sure loves to exaggerate.” This is what you want to say, no?“
”—Crudely put, yes, that is correct.“
Sevr chuckled.
"Can’t you see it? There are hints everywhere that the world is held together by invisible strings. Can’t you hear it? The ceaseless whispers of divine revelations in the flapping of angels’ wings. Can’t you feel it? Once you climb the stairway of your soul, all coincidences become inevitability.”
“…” Munakata didn’t answer to those questions. Instead, he asked one of his own, “Mr. Sevr, may I ask you something?”
Sevr held bourbon in his mouth, then shrugged his shoulders in an exaggerated gesture, like a true American. “Go ahead. Your questions are more than welcome.”
“I will then, thank you. I heard you tossed a coin to decide your future career and the fact is even perpetualized in the name of your company. But why let a coin decide?”
“Is it so strange?”
“I imagine,” Munakata smiled, “very few make life impacting decisions the way you did.”
“My choice was simple, Mister Munakata. I just thought that whichever outcome the coin would indicate would be the best for me. In other words…” Sevr’s eyes glistened with slimy l.u.s.ter of a Southern American swamp. “…I was sure that the world would give me the best it could offer, regardless. It was only inevitable because I’m a person, chosen by this world itself. Are you different, Mister Munakata? Zenichi told me about you; as a king chosen by the Dresden Slate, don’t you have the same belief?”
“—I wonder.”
For a short while, Munakata was lost in thought. Whether it was just his hubris talking, or true confidence stemming from him knowing himself thoroughly, the answer he gave was this, “While I am conceited enough to consider myself someone surpa.s.sing most people, I cannot say that I am very interested in that subject, and I have not given it much thought until now. I apologize for failing to live up to your expectations in that regard.”
He said it lightly and easily.
The light left Sevr’s eyes the same instance. He let out a deep sigh. “I see. It doesn’t look like you’re trying to be modest or being sarcastic, so it must be your honest opinion. Fine then, Mister Munakata. I’ve heard all I wanted to hear, I think. You can leave now.”
“—If you will excuse me then,” Munakata said with a smile, not showing any sign that Sevr’s abrupt remark dampened his spirit any.
For a second time, he turned to leave.
But Sevr spoke up, “Mister Munakata. Let me give you a word of warning. Zenichi is a chosen man, by G.o.d, by the world, by history, by the country, more so than myself. You’re up against a "monster” chosen by fate itself.“ There was some real worry in his words, and he added, "I want you to know that Zenichi is one of the very few people in the world that I fear. When he’s concentrating, riding the momentum of his interest, he’s no longer human; he becomes…” he made a pause, “…a disaster. He asked me to relay these words to you: "I’ll take everything from you”.“
Munakata stopped in his tracks, glanced at Sevr over his shoulder and said, "Thank you for the warning.”
Facing dead ahead, he walked out, taking his leave.
That last remark was said with a refined smile and in a very amused tone.
Only after Munakata’s back disappeared out of sight, Sevr dropped his shoulders, picked up his gla.s.s and muttered with a strained smile, “Looks like I’m really — actually jealous of those two, huh?”
Chapter 3 (part ½) (volume 1, pages 130-153)
The Head of the Blue Uniformed Organization
In hindsight, a great majority of Scepter 4 learned about Kounomura Zenichi’s return to the country the moment he crossed the border. And not only the members of Scepter 4. A good portion of the general j.a.panese population also obtained that information. After all, Kounomura Zenichi’s return to his home country was—
—reported in the news nation-wide.
James D Sevr was a face well-known across the world. He was 43 years old. While being enrolled in the Ma.s.sachusetts Inst.i.tute of Technology, he launched a social network service, “Coin Toss”, which turned him in one of the most prominent wealthy people in the USA. He was a man living the American Dream.
The catalyst due to which presently he held the position of CEO of his corporation, named “Coin Toss”, was rooted in an anecdotal story: young Sever couldn’t decide whether he should continue studying his major, biotechnology, or devote himself to starting his own business, so he tossed a coin to decide his future.
The “Coin Toss” system, developed by him, had built-in information search, video uploading and online shopping capabilities; according to him, what gave him the idea for it was the concept of self-reproducing life, that was why Sevr, despite giving up on succeeding as a researcher, generously sponsored promising young talents in that area.
His visit to j.a.pan wasn’t an exception as he came here in relation to that sphere of his activities, namely to give a lecture on biotechnology in Tokyo; from their side, a group of j.a.panese researchers hoped in the earnest to befriend him while he was in the country.
It was exceedingly rare for Sevr to leave America, and it was his first time visiting j.a.pan. The ma.s.s media made quite a big deal out of it, and, as it turned out, Kounomura Zenichi was nonchalantly catching a ride on Sevr’s private jet.
Not even attempting to hide, he walked by Sevr’s side as they left Narita Airport. Kounomura talked to Sevr about something in awkward English, and Sevr, rumored to be normally hard to please, was smiling and clapping Kounomura on the shoulder restlessly. The swarm of reporters at the airport were surprised at first, but since Kounomura was another celebrity in his own right, they didn’t waste time in investigating, and before long, Sevr’s arrival was reported in the news with an added bonus of the discovery that he and Kounomura could be called close friends, with their families also being on very warm friendly terms.
The official gist of it was that Sevr’s friend Kounomura came back to his homeland on Sevr’s private plane. From the airport, the two went to a hotel of the highest cla.s.s j.a.pan had to offer on the same limousine. Most j.a.panese citizens, upon hearing the whole story, thought nothing of it, and only the troops of Scepter 4 were furious.
“d.a.m.n it!”
Fuse Daiki, in the privacy of his room in Scepter 4’s dorm, punched his pillow hard. Enomoto, who was watching the TV with him, also wore a troubled face.
“f.u.c.king with us like that!”
His s.h.i.+ft was over and now Fuse, already in plain clothes, was blowing off his immense frustration. His frank, rough att.i.tude and artless appearance often caused people to misunderstand him, but when it came to his duties, he was an earnest and all-around excellent member of Scepter 4 who valued teamwork.
Even when he was off the clock, he would practice in the dojo alone until late at night and would re-read the materials of a case he was investigating before going to bed. But he never shouted about it. If anything, he even tried to hide how much efforts he was actually putting into his job.
When Fus.h.i.+mi Saruhiko first joined the squad, he was one of the Special Ops members who weren’t happy about it. He used to say, “Huh? A teenage brat? Not to mention, a Red clan defector… Us aside, but him standing above Akiyama-san and Benzai-san? That’s just too much, no?”
However, since the focal points of this argument, Akiyama and Benzai, accepted Fus.h.i.+mi without resistance, it didn’t become a big issue. That said, it didn’t mean that Fuse was more snooty or narrow-minded than the other troops. If anything, were Scepter 4 an ordinary agency, Fuse’s viewpoint would be prevalent within it.
But Scepter 4, and especially the Special Ops squad, wasn’t your ordinary company nor government office. Their boss wasn’t just a director nor a president; he was a king possessing absolute power.
For that reason, it was possible for Fus.h.i.+mi to be appointed to the essential position of the third-in-command, right below Awas.h.i.+ma. And of course, in the end, Fuse had to accept that personnel selection.
In the first place, his motive to express that kind of opinion was his genuine care for his comrades, starting with Akiyama.
Fuse’s roommate, Enomoto, was aware of those feelings that Fuse didn’t usually put into words.
Right now, Fuse was so enraged because Scepter 4, the place where he belonged, was very important to him. He regarded what Kounomura Zenichi was doing as a challenge issued to all of them.
“Getting all c.o.c.ky on us, the b.a.s.t.a.r.d!” Not being able to subdue his anger, Fuse turned off the TV.
Enomoto said with a sigh, “Agreed. He’s toying with us as he pleases.”
“—You think so too?”
“Uh-huh. Using the Captain’s words, it’s another one of his "messages”, probably. He’s rubbing our limits to our faces with his actions. And indeed…“ Emonoto frowned in frustration himself, ”…we can’t just dispatch there when everything is being made so public. We still don’t have the legal basis nor evidence against that individual, Kounomura Zenichi, to arrest him, and especially not now when he’s the focus of the media’s gazes. I don’t know if they’re really friends or not, but the location of the hotel James D Sevr is staying at is a tightly guarded secret. If we try anything reckless, it will turn into an international problem.“
Fuse clicked his tongue. "So all we can do is just sit on our hands and watch?”
“Well, basically, yes, I guess.”
Just when Enomoto dropped his shoulders with a dejected sigh, concluding that this was the only option available to mature people, really, there was a knock on the door.
“Enomoto-kun, Fuse-kun, are you there?”
Enomoto and Fuse stared at each other for a second, then both jumped on a reflex.
“Yes, we are, sir!”
“Please come in, Captain.”
The voice belonged to their superior, the Blue King, Munakata Reis.h.i.+.
“Pardon my intrustion,” said person offered as he entered their room.
Except, he wasn’t in the familiar uniform they got used to seeing him in. What he was decked out in was a well-tailored navy blue suit.
“…Captain?”
“Sir, your clothes, umm…”
Bewilderment was evident in both of the room’s tenants’ voices.
Munakata gave them a little smile, “Oya, I took out my one good suit, out of character though it may be for me… is it ill-fitting?”
Both Enomoto and Fuse vehemently shook their heads in unison
.
“Oh no! It’s not, sir!”
“It suits you very much, sir!”
Indeed, the tall Munakata in the suit looked quite stunning. Long legs and moderately muscular physique made for a perfect figure that could put to shame your run-of-the-mill male model. Only, the two were lost as to the reason to which they owned the pleasure of laying their eyes on their superior in a suit at the moment. Was he going to attend some sort of party?
“Nothing to it. I simply felt like going for a drink,” Munakata said with a smile that definitely was on the mischievous side. “And I would like to ask the two of you to accompany me.”
Enomoto and Fuse still had trouble catching on, blinking in confusion.
“We are going to hotel OOO. I heard their bar is very good.”
The name he provided was the name of the high cla.s.s hotel Kounomura was staying at together with Sevr.
“Ah,” Enomoto, who was relatively quick on the uptake, made a noise of realization. Fuse was still as lost as ever.
Enomoto then spoke up in rapid fire, “Err, Captain, sir. Are you sure that you are OK with us accompanying you to such a place?”
“I am.”
“Um, sir, did you know that the hotel you mentioned is where Kounomura Zenichi, who is challenging us, is currently staying at?”
“Oya.” The surprised face Munakata made couldn’t be any more shamelessly false. “Is that so? I had no slightest idea.”
“—I see now.” Fuse had finally started to catch on to this game as well.
In between snickers, Emonoto managed, “So, sir, if, say, we were to unexpectedly run into Kounomura Zenichi in that hotel by pure accident, what would you like us to do?”
“Let us see…” Munakata paused, feigning ignorance with such dedication that it could send some in a fit of anger, telling him to cut it out already. “Well, in the unlikely event that you would… if, speaking purely hypothetically of course, after having a few drinks, we happened to get lost on our way home and ended up in Kounomura-s.h.i.+’s room where we came face to face with him, just what would we do in that case, hmmm? Well, since there hardly would be helping it, we should have him accompany us to HQ, I suppose?”
“Ahh, I see, sir. There is no helping it if we’re drunk. But is it going to be OK? Without a warrant.”
“Weeell. He, too, has no regard for rules as he is picking a fight with us. So if we happened to catch him, he would not bring up uncouth things like legal basis, I imagine. After all, he is the world renown Kounomura-s.h.i.+, so I have hope that he would be mature about admitting his defeat.”
“I see. We’re going to take advantage of the confusion, then.”
“Oya, Enomoto-kun. Please do remember that I spoke of a purely hypothetical scenario.”
“Oh, indeed, how could I forget, sir.” Enomoto’s throat vibrated with suppressed chuckles.
“—What do you say, Fuse-kun? A little relaxation would not hurt once in a while.” Munakata peered into Fuse’s face with eyes deeply tinged with sparkles of laughter.
Fuse’s tightly clasped fists shook as he answered in a tone, overflowing with spirit, “I will gladly accompany you, sir! I had this craving to go for a drink even before you offered, sir! Please give me 3 minutes to get ready, sir!”
Munakata broke into a grin.
†
Shortly after, the three headed to hotel OOO. Surprisingly, Munakata didn’t mention anything about it to anyone in Scepter 4.
Officially, Munakata took a day off, but in reality he went to a bar for a drink, asking Enomoto and Fuse accompany him. His implicit goal was to confront Kounomura, and the two he took with him were weighted with big responsibility. It was understandable that Enomoto and Fuse were slightly nervous.
To make things even harder on them, when they got there, the bar of hotel OOO turned out to be even more high cla.s.s than they had expected: the furnis.h.i.+ngs looked gorgeous, the bartender impressively dignified, the bottles lined up on the shelves expensive and the customers seated at the counter elegantly dressed. The atmosphere, mixing in all of that, easily overwhelmed the two, making them shrivel up even more.
Munakata must have sensed their mood, because he addressed them in an unusually friendly and casual tone, “There is a first for everything, and this is no different. So you two do not need to be so humble. Simply enjoy the drink.”
Neither Enomoto nor Fuse had experience in choosing a suitable drink, but with Munakata’s advice, the order had been made: dry martini for Fuse, China blue for Enomoto and scotch on the rocks for Munakata. The three of them touched their gla.s.ses lightly in a toast and started a quiet conversation.
“I must say, this is really delicious,” Enomoto commented, holding up his China blue to the light carefully.
“This is my first time drinking it.”
“—Captain, do you come to these kinds of places often?” Enomoto asked, carrying his c.o.c.ktail gla.s.s to his lips in a clumsy gesture.
Munakata gave the ice cubes in his gla.s.s a light shake, making them rattle quietly, and smiled. “Hardly. I can’t afford to come to such expensive bars on my paycheck. Usually, I go to cheaper places.”
Despite that, everything about him fit this high cla.s.s place all too well. The visitors around them, advanced in years and with dignified well-built frames, couldn’t hope to outdo him.
This person really was incredible, Enomoto and Fuse thought in unison.
The two young troops, so awkward in the beginning, were finally able to relax, perhaps not least due to the help of the alcohol in a few gla.s.ses of c.o.c.ktail they had consumed. Nervousness gave place to elation.
After all, the Munakata Reis.h.i.+ took them to a high cla.s.s bar they would never, in the life of their, have the chance to visit if he wasn’t well-disposed to them. Moreover, even if this was an unofficial mission, Munakata Reis.h.i.+ himself asked them to partic.i.p.ate in his plan.
There was no way they, as the chosen clansmen of the king, weren’t happy about it.
“Captain,” Fuse asked in an abrupt manner, likely to hide his embarra.s.sment. “Why did you choose us for this mission, sir?”
“Hm?”
“Well, I mean, both Lieutenant and Akiyama-san were still in HQ. So why us?”
Munakata tossed a glance Fuse’s way. “Well…” He showed a smile. “Because the two of you seem the naughtiest. You have apt.i.tude for missions that do not conform to legal formalities. So in that sense, I found you two the most suitable.”
Enomoto’s shoulders shook as he stifled his laughter. Fuse’s lips lifted up in a wry smile.
“I suppose so. Making Lieutenant or Akiyama-san do this sort of gray zone missions doesn’t look like a good idea. Having shady attendants like us works better, indeed.”
“Yes, I am counting on you two.”
Munakata looked at the two with affectionate eyes. Emptying his gla.s.s in one gulp, he announced, “—Well then, shall we go?” and stood up.
Their bill had already been taken care of.
“Yes, sir.”
“Yes, sir.”
Enomoto and Fuse replied quickly with no trace of drunkenness and followed suit.
†
It was shockingly easy to reach the suite James D Sever was staying in.
A special elevator with restricted access was the only way to get to hotel OOO’s suite; the elevator itself could only be operated via card keys issued only to the guests of the hotel.
It was made so that even ordinary guests staying at the hotel could not go to the top floor where the suite was situated… But Munakata checked in and took a room on the same floor as Sevr. Enomoto and Fuse were both very surprised at that.
Once Munakata was done with the check-in procedure at the special reception desk reserved for VIPs only, he took the card key and, looking as casual as ever, got into the elevator.
In reply to the nonplussed gazes the two young troops following him were giving him, he clarified, “I made a reservation before coming here today.” He said it as if it was nothing.
“…Um, can reservations for a suite in a high profile hotel with very strict rules such as this be made that easily?”
To Enomoto’s question, Munakata replied, “No, I expect it would be impossible normally. But there is a certain big name politician who is closely connected to this hotel, so I found out his weakness and blackma— Ahem,” he cut himself off with a cough, “I mean, imposed on his cordial friends.h.i.+p. That person was accommodating enough to make a reservation in my name. Oh, but the costs are all on me, of course. If I made him pay for me, our relations.h.i.+p would become too cozy for my liking, and above all, it would make that person very miserable - it seems he had already used quite a lot of money recently to hush up a scandal.”
Munakata chuckled. Emonoto opened his mouth, intending to ask more questions, but before he could, Fuse put a hand on Enomoto’s shoulder and shook his head silently. Better let the sleeping dog lie, his eyes a.s.serted with conviction. Enomoto, fright on his face, nodded.
Munakata, who was watching their wordless exchange in the elevator’s mirror, smiled.
And so, without running into any trouble on the way, the three had arrived to the guest room Sevr was staying at. Complete lack of security was disappointing: not a single guard stood before the doors.
“…” Munakata’s expression underwent a subtle change. He murmured something under his breath very quietly, but Enomoto and Fuse weren’t able to catch what exactly.
To the two’s surprise, the next thing Munakata did was to grab the door k.n.o.b and try to open the door. It was an abrupt action, with no preamble whatsoever. The door, however, and perhaps naturally, was locked.
Munakata closed his eyes briefly.
A pale blue light, sparkling clearly like a star somewhere with thin air, came to life in Munakata’s hand.
A moment later, Munakata turned the door k.n.o.b again, hardly putting any visible strength into the action, but, unlike previously, this time the door opened without resistance.
Fuse and Enomoto bugged their eyes. They had no idea that the Blue King’s power could be used for unlocking doors like that.
Munakata smiled at them. “I simply s.h.i.+fted this door’s vector of "order” a little.“
Giving this explanation, he stepped inside the suite. "Please allow me to proceed beyond this point alone. I shall be counting on you two to keep watch.”
With this, he started walking along the corridor in a straight line.
Enomoto and Fuse saluted to him in synch.
†
The corridor led to a big room of about 30 tatami mats[*]. The interior decor, complete with elegant furnis.h.i.+ngs, was well-balanced. On the sofa, set up in the middle of the room, a Caucasian man sat heavily, stretching out his legs. He was baby-faced but with well-groomed mustache. His mode of dress was casual: jeans, a black s.h.i.+rt and worn-out snickers.
Despite that, there was a strange solemnity about the man.
There weren’t too many people who would look so accustomed and comfortable in the suite of an ultra high cla.s.s hotel. An ordinary person wouldn’t be able to even come to this kind of place to begin with, and even if, somehow or other, they ended up staying here, they wouldn’t be comfortable in this interior.
After all, all about this suite was too big and too posh.
The man before Munakata, though, was not only lounging there relaxedly, apparently feeling completely at home, he also managed to dominate this fancy place.
The dignity raising off him made the observer believe that this hotel’s suite and everything in it were order-made specially for him, as his aura wordlessly let the rude intruder, Munakata, know just who was this room’s master. All the same despite his careless clothes that were more appropriate for a hamburger joint of a fast food chain.
“So…” the man spoke up in English with a southern accent. “…you are Reis.h.i.+ Munakata, I take it?” His drawl was languid, but his eyes gleamed with interest. He got up unhurriedly.
“Yes, I am.” Putting a hand to his chest, Munakata bowed with utmost respect. “I a.s.sume I have the pleasure of Mr. James D Sevr’s company? My deepest apologies for bothering you when you were relaxing,” he offered an apology in traditional flawless Queen’s English.
Sevr didn’t look surprised about Munakata calling him by the name, he didn’t so much as raised a brow at Munakata’s sudden intrusion.
With an air of calm composure, he asked, “Oh, did you study in England?”
“Yes, I did, for a short period of time,” Munakata articulated crisply.
“I see. Zenichi is a good guy, but his p.r.o.nunciation is atrocious. I get terrible headaches only after an hour of talking to him. I’m glad you dropped by, Mister Munakata.”
“Mr. Sevr,” cutting to the chase, Munakata inquired, “I would like to know if Mr.Kounomura is here?”
Sevr gave a laugh. “I think you already know the answer to that, no? Zenichi’s not here, he beat a hasty retreat like a badger sensing a hunter.”
“As I suspected, then.” Munakata showed a wry smile, dropping his shoulders. “Good grief, what a good nose that person has. Perhaps, I should have come straight to this room without stopping to have a few drinks at the bar first. Or was that scenario well within that person’s calculations, too, with him running away from me even in that case?”
“Yeah, looks like it.” Sevr didn’t attempt to deny it. “Zenichi described 11 ways to escape from here to me. Among them was one that would allow him to escape even if you showed up with a whole squad of your subordinates to raid this room. In addition to that, I came up with 3 last resorts of my own. Mister Munakata, I think you know it already, but let me say it anyway: you’re up against a "monster”, you know?“
Munakata nodded silently. Neither of the two asked anything to verify the situation. Munakata had realized that he would not find Kounomura in this hotel and that Sevr must have heard all the circ.u.mstances from Kounomura the moment he saw Sevr calmly lounging in his room - no, even before that, when they hadn’t run into any security in front of the suite. Sevr, on his part, had figured from Munakata’s att.i.tude that he had already caught on to what was going on.
One glance was enough for the two of them to see through each other and recognize each other’s insight ability, far superior to that of ordinary people. Both were silent for a short while, only exchanging polite intellectual gazes.
Then Sevr slowly narrowed his eyes. ”—But, Mister Munakata, this outcome was well within your expectations, wasn’t it? Did you really hope to catch Zenichi here? Wouldn’t you be disappointed to actually find him still dillydallying here?“
”…“ Munakata took a moment to think, then shook his head. "No, I would not. I would be fine with either outcome. To be completely honest, I simply wanted to meet Mr. Kounomura in person. For you see, he is the person who called me to express his love. That is why I wanted to get to know him, too.” He smiled. “Well then, allow me to apologize once more for disturbing you. Now, if you will excuse me.”
Munakata bowed again and turned on his heels.
“Hold on,” Serv spoke up. “Leaving like that is so heartless of you, don’t you think? Keep me company for a bit longer.”
Munakata stopped and turned back around. “Why, I am not sure if I can be good enough "company” for you, sir.“
"You know, Mister Munakata, I’m very jealous of you right now.”
“Jealous?”
“Yes! Of course I am! You took my friend, Zenichi, from me!”
Despite Sevr coming across languid, the look in his eyes, that were currently laughing, was peculiar and projecting some sort of strange energy.
“You see, normally, I’m a homebody who dislikes leaving his country. But this time I had a compelling duty to fulfill, especially seeing that this is the country Zenichi lives in, so I came here, all the way to j.a.pan, hoping to make use of this chance to renew our old friends.h.i.+p with Zenichi. But as it turned out, Zenichi is far more ecstatic over the game of tag with you than the opportunity to have nice and long heart-to-heart talks with me. Not to mention and as humiliating as it is for me, he used me as a convenient fool to ensure his safe return to the country. So what I’m feeling, Mister Munakata, as painful as it is for me to admit it, is jealousy.”
He took a bottle of bourbon from the side table and poured himself a gla.s.s. “How about one for you, too?” he offered.
“Thank you, but I will pa.s.s,” Munakata declined.
“Is that so. It’s cheap stuff, but I like it.” He swirled the amber-colored liquid in his gla.s.s and paused. “Some time ago, I found a picture of my ancestor in the attic of my parents’ house taken about the time when he only migrated to Alabama. Upon a closer look, I noticed that the grandfather of my grandfather was drinking bourbon of the same brand. That discovery made me really happy, Mister Munakata. I realized that it’s not a coincidence that I prefer this brand of bourbon, my choice reflects my family’s tastes and traditions. Once again I saw for myself with clarity that I was chosen - by fate, by G.o.d and by my fatherland.”
“…” There was a miniscule change in Munakata’s expression.
“Don’t hold back, Mister Munakata,” Sevr’s lips curved in a jeering smile as he caught on. “"This guy sure loves to exaggerate.” This is what you want to say, no?“
”—Crudely put, yes, that is correct.“
Sevr chuckled.
"Can’t you see it? There are hints everywhere that the world is held together by invisible strings. Can’t you hear it? The ceaseless whispers of divine revelations in the flapping of angels’ wings. Can’t you feel it? Once you climb the stairway of your soul, all coincidences become inevitability.”
“…” Munakata didn’t answer to those questions. Instead, he asked one of his own, “Mr. Sevr, may I ask you something?”
Sevr held bourbon in his mouth, then shrugged his shoulders in an exaggerated gesture, like a true American. “Go ahead. Your questions are more than welcome.”
“I will then, thank you. I heard you tossed a coin to decide your future career and the fact is even perpetualized in the name of your company. But why let a coin decide?”
“Is it so strange?”
“I imagine,” Munakata smiled, “very few make life impacting decisions the way you did.”
“My choice was simple, Mister Munakata. I just thought that whichever outcome the coin would indicate would be the best for me. In other words…” Sevr’s eyes glistened with slimy l.u.s.ter of a Southern American swamp. “…I was sure that the world would give me the best it could offer, regardless. It was only inevitable because I’m a person, chosen by this world itself. Are you different, Mister Munakata? Zenichi told me about you; as a king chosen by the Dresden Slate, don’t you have the same belief?”
“—I wonder.”
For a short while, Munakata was lost in thought. Whether it was just his hubris talking, or true confidence stemming from him knowing himself thoroughly, the answer he gave was this, “While I am conceited enough to consider myself someone surpa.s.sing most people, I cannot say that I am very interested in that subject, and I have not given it much thought until now. I apologize for failing to live up to your expectations in that regard.”
He said it lightly and easily.
The light left Sevr’s eyes the same instance. He let out a deep sigh. “I see. It doesn’t look like you’re trying to be modest or being sarcastic, so it must be your honest opinion. Fine then, Mister Munakata. I’ve heard all I wanted to hear, I think. You can leave now.”
“—If you will excuse me then,” Munakata said with a smile, not showing any sign that Sevr’s abrupt remark dampened his spirit any.
For a second time, he turned to leave.
But Sevr spoke up, “Mister Munakata. Let me give you a word of warning. Zenichi is a chosen man, by G.o.d, by the world, by history, by the country, more so than myself. You’re up against a "monster” chosen by fate itself.“ There was some real worry in his words, and he added, "I want you to know that Zenichi is one of the very few people in the world that I fear. When he’s concentrating, riding the momentum of his interest, he’s no longer human; he becomes…” he made a pause, “…a disaster. He asked me to relay these words to you: "I’ll take everything from you”.“
Munakata stopped in his tracks, glanced at Sevr over his shoulder and said, "Thank you for the warning.”
Facing dead ahead, he walked out, taking his leave.
That last remark was said with a refined smile and in a very amused tone.
Only after Munakata’s back disappeared out of sight, Sevr dropped his shoulders, picked up his gla.s.s and muttered with a strained smile, “Looks like I’m really — actually jealous of those two, huh?”
