Suspicions - Part 2

After receiving Ms. Usagi’s approval to continue with his report, Daisuke finally answered. We thought we would finally be able to uncover something about the matter, but…

“Nothing,” he said with complete seriousness.

Ms. Usagi and I were left speechless. So much expectation and uncertainty… Only to find nothing?! It felt like some kind of joke—something Ms. Usagi clearly thought as well, since she began readying one of her fists to threaten Daisuke.

“You…”

“No, no, wait! I’m not joking!” he exclaimed, terrified. “I couldn’t find any records, documentation—nothing! Doesn’t that seem strange to you?!”

Having explained himself in more detail, Ms. Usagi calmed down a little and started thinking. In fact, Daisuke’s doubts were quite valid. Normally, one would find some sort of documentation or record… but to find nothing?

“Wait, but he has an agency, right? Wouldn’t he need documentation for that?”

“Opening an agency isn’t that complicated. They only ask for documentation when someone registers or creates a guild. Before that, it’s not required.”

In short, it was as if Yu didn’t exist. In fact, it was almost unlikely that he could even be considered a Japanese citizen under such conditions.

“After that, I went to investigate Rina Takahashi, and while I did find her records… I didn’t find anything related to a child. In fact, she has never adopted nor has she ever married.”

“Wait, then… she’s not Yu’s mother?!” I asked, shocked.

Just as Daisuke had said, what he discovered did not clear up our doubts in the slightest; instead, it only generated more.

If Ms. Takahashi wasn’t Yu’s real mother, and he also had no records regarding his identity… then who is he really?

“I tried to investigate her further, but most of her information is classified.”

“This isn’t leading us anywhere. If we want answers, we’ll have to speak directly with Ms. Takahashi. They must have taken her to the Bunker.”

“The Bunker?” I asked.

As they explained to me, the Bunker was a government facility located at sea between Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture. Its purpose was research related to magical beasts and hunters, but it also functioned as a maximum-security prison for dangerous hunters who could not be held in other prisons.

“Infiltrating the Bunker will be very complicated. We need to think of something…”

“That won’t be necessary.”

Just as Ms. Usagi seemed to have hit an impossible obstacle, Mr. Kuroki arrived along with his assistant.

“If you want to infiltrate the Bunker, I have something that might help. An optical camouflage device that my guild has been developing for some time.”

As he explained his idea, his assistant took out what looked like a metallic bracelet from her backpack. It wasn’t very impressive at first glance, but considering it was a camouflage device, it was natural that design hadn’t been the priority.

As he continued explaining the device’s function—how it could make its user invisible to move undetected—Ms. Usagi started frowning more and more intensely.

“So… are you telling me you neglected your prediction devices to manufacture this?”

“Well… yes. Something this complex required all of our staff.”

Upon hearing such a response, Ms. Usagi fell to her knees with teary eyes.

“I thought… I finally had surpassed you! Damn it!” she cried, completely defeated.

Mr. Kuroki, not quite knowing what to do in such a situation, simply turned to look at his assistant, who replied with a gesture indicating she also had no idea what was going on. It seemed Ms. Usagi was the one constantly seeking competition, even though Dead Eye didn’t seem very interested in it. That must have wounded her pride considerably.

“However, it’s still an experimental prototype. It would be best for someone small to use it so it doesn’t drain the device’s energy too quickly.”

After finishing that remark—and especially after hearing that someone small had to use it—everyone immediately turned to look at me.

These people…

“W-what?! I’m not doing that! How am I supposed to infiltrate a government facility in the middle of the sea?!”

And even if I somehow agreed… how did they expect me to get there in the first place?!

“You are the most suitable for the task. As for how you’ll get there, don’t worry. I have a plan.”

Under everyone’s expectant gazes, I had no choice but to accept the task, even against my will. Mr. Kuroki nodded at my resignation, a hint of guilt in his eyes, and explained the details of his plan.

After that, we finally set out toward the Bunker.

***

“I’m getting dizzy…”

“Just a little longer, Ms. Touka,” replied Mr. Kuroki’s assistant.

We were currently on a boat heading toward the Bunker. It was incredibly fast, which made it difficult for me to keep up. I felt like I could throw up at any moment.

“We’re almost there. Do you remember the plan?”

“Y-yes!”

The plan devised by Mr. Kuroki was simple. The prototype would be presented at the Bunker’s reception area to draw the staff’s attention. After that, I would activate the camouflage, infiltrate the Bunker as quietly as possible, find where the cells were, and finally talk to Ms. Takahashi.

“Touka, get ready.”

It was crucial that no one knew I was there, so I activated the camouflage device before leaving the boat, and within seconds, my entire body became translucent. I wasn’t completely invisible—there were still slight distortions in the area where my body should be— but since it was only a prototype, I assumed that was normal. However, it only meant I had to be extremely careful not to get caught snooping around the facility.

Once we arrived at the Bunker’s harbor, the three of us disembarked. None of the guards seemed to notice me, so we passed through without any issues until reaching the reception area.

Along the way, I noticed the guards greeting Mr. Kuroki with respect, but also with a sense of familiarity. Clearly, it wasn’t his first time here—and was probably even a regular occurrence.

“Mr. Kuroki, welcome!” greeted the receptionist. “How may I help you this time?”

“I’ve come to schedule an appointment with the researchers. I have a prototype I’d like them to examine.”

While the two men talked, Mr. Kuroki’s assistant gave me the signal I had been waiting for: a subtle hand gesture indicating it was time to run.

I slipped past a large crowd of people walking through the reception area, being extremely careful not to bump into anyone, and finally managed to exit the room, thus beginning my infiltration mission.