- Ginko College -

On a chilly autumn morning, the orange and red leaves fly gracefully by the pallid young officer. He arrives at the designated meeting point.

Unfurling his orders, he reads them briskly:

Objective:

Investigate illicit use of magic, apprehend all criminals at agent’s discretion.

Agents dispatched:

Captain - Okita sousuke

Rookie - Reiji Inukai

Location:

Ginko University

Details:

Serial murders have been taking place in the all girls school. Normally this would not be under our purview, however the modus operandi spurs the imagination of illegal, ritualistic blood magic being conducted. Murder victims are always found headless with all blood drained.

The college is under the empire's jurisdiction and I, Kon Isami, authorize full permissions to the agents to exercise full discretion. However the sect the college resides in is one of the later regions to conform to the empire so expect some resistance.

Glory to the emperor,

Glory to the empire.

B.A.R.

Reiji thumb reaches the B.A.R.  in bold red lettering at the bottom of the page. It stands for: Burn After Reading.

He takes a match, strikes it against a maple tree and lights the parchment. In moments, it immolates as he flicks it in the air until only ashes remain. Reiji then leans against the tree to wait for his partner.

Though he did not wait for very long. Immediately after a voice speaks to him from the other side of the tree.

“Reiji. You've been briefed then.”

His voice was coarse like sandpaper. It speaks like the pained whispers of a lost war.

“Okita san–”

“Don't turn around,” he insists. “We are just two men against a maple tree, enjoying a spot of rest.”

“Understood.” Reiji complies obediently.

“You are to infiltrate the compound through the administration and seek out Kayoko Inaba; my contact." Okita orders. "I’ve scoped the perimeter and found it well secured. Things are on high alert after the recent murders after all.” 

“You will not be coming with me?”

“No,” The gruff voice affirms. “Circumstances deem it unfavorable. Wedge a stone on the door of the eastern hall facing the outside. I will be waiting.”

“Yes sir.”

“Good. Then be off.”

Wordlessly the two men get up from their lean and begin walking their respective paths. Eventually curiosity got the better of Reiji and he turned back to see his commanding officer.

There, the reason for their clandestine infiltration is made as clear as day.

Reiji only caught a glimpse as he saw death's stare from Okita’s one eye. His head was almost entirely covered in bandages, the parts that weren’t; revealed seared flesh and exposed teeth. With his lanky figure and large overcoat flowing in the autumn wind it was as though the avatar of death itself had come to bring the tide of a new season.

…

Upon entering the compound Reiji asks for Kayoko as instructed. There a meek woman with frizzy hair and wearing a modest turtle neck meets the officer.

“H-Hello…” she mutters.

“Reiji Inukai, Shin–”

“Shhh!” Kayoko harshly shushes the officer. The others in the reception look over to see what the fuss is about. She looks around nervously before leading the man into her office.

Like the woman, the room itself was modest and neatly organized; only a simple kotatsu sits oddly in the center of the room.

“Ahem! Reiji san!” she cries, once she closed the door to her office

“Yes ma’am?”

“I apologize for my sudden actions but it was necessary.”

“Pay it no mind.” Reiji stoically says. “Though I do not understand the urgency.”

“The administration here hates the empire. It was good that you took off your hat when you came in. If they knew, they would put every obstacle in your path to get in the way of the investigation.” Kayoko explains while clasping her hands together. She then starts to mutter to herself.

“Ahh” she pinches the bridge of her nose. “AHhhhhh…. I could lose my job… But the students…”

“You seem distressed.” he says obliviously.

“W-What?... Huh? I guess I am?!" she confusedly says, taken aback by Reiji’s frankness. “Listen, can you guarantee you can find the killer?!”

“I cannot. But I will do everything in my power…” Reiji says plainly, “Though the likelihood of my success is 98%. I have yet to fail a mission.”

“... That’s… You are strange… but if you’re that confident… you may just be our best hope…” Kayoko says in a pained expression.

He doesn’t react.

“Like you’ve heard… The murders have been occurring on the school grounds, headless bodies have been showing up without blood. It’s always a woman, young, always roughly the same weight and height, roughly 155 centimeters tall and 52 kilos. They would go missing for two weeks before their headless bodies are found.”

Reiji puts up a hand to interrupt her explanation.

“How are they identifying the bodies without the head?”

“They often have their effects with them.” Another stranger’s voice answers for her.

The two whip their attention to the source of the voice. Reiji looks to find a peculiar head poking out of the kotatsu in center of the room.

“I also thought it was a sketchy way of identifying the bodies as well… In lieu of anything more concrete however… It’s safe to say, that’s it's the girls that have gone missing.” The stranger continues.

“Sister! You should be in class!” Kayoko puts her hands on her hips. “I’m sorry officer… This is my younger sister Ayame Kayoko. She’s a student here.”

“Hi hi! You can call me Ayame.” She says with a warm expression. “I would offer my hand but it’s quite chilly outside the confines of my kotatsu.”

“Very well. Greetings Ayame san.” Reiji gives a courteous bow to Ayame's disembodied head.

“Ahem!” Kayoko tries to redirect the conversation. “In any case we have to have you go undercover to investigate properly… You’re a little baby faced but you’ll have to pass as a teacher while you're here. Take this temporary pass for now and I’ll try to settle some of the paperwork.”

“It will suffice.” He leaves his hat and coat with the teacher. “If you’ll excuse me. I’m going to do some preliminary research.”

Reiji quietly leaves the office.

“So… That’s the Shinshengumi eh?...” Ayame says after the officer leaves, “He’s kind of cute isn’t he?...”

Kayoko sighs tiredly.