Chapter 5: Division One

At the funeral of Gen Shiwazaki, a guy with white hair, dressed in a black suit, stood silently alongside a young girl with white curly hair. They faced the memorial with quiet solemnity.

An NSIA agent, a woman holding a file, approached them.

“He was an honored senior detective,” she said respectfully. “He gave everything to us. Even in his final moments, he sacrificed himself to save a civilian.”

She paused briefly before continuing.

“As per the succession contract, the next head of Division One will be you… Detective Shiro Kenoshita. If you’re ready to accept, here is the appointment document.”

She extended the contract.

Shiro took it, flipped through the pages briefly, then signed without hesitation.

“We would appreciate it if you could proceed to headquarters soon,” she said, then paused. “Oh, one more thing… two new junior agents have joined under your command. They’re waiting for you over there.” She nodded toward two girls—one with long black hair, the other with pink pigtails.

Shiro turned toward them, then looked down at the little girl beside him.

“Miyori,” he said, his voice suddenly quieter, heavier. “Please take her home. Make sure she stays safe—no matter what.”

“Understood,” Miyori replied with a bow.

Shiro stepped forward, stopping in front of the two girls.

They both bowed respectfully.

The one with long black hair introduced herself first.

“I’m Junior Inspector Aiko Kisara.”

The girl with pink pigtails followed.

“I’m Junior Inspector Kanako Isuha.”

Shiro gave them a small bow in return.

“Shiro Kenoshita, Division One. Welcome to the team.”

At the rooftop of North State Academy…

Blade stood near the edge, his hair drifting in the breeze. Silence hung in the air.

Suddenly, Tokio approached from behind, breaking it.

“Hey, junior. You look pale. Still depressed about yesterday?”

Blade sighed.

“Hah, come on… don’t remind me.”

Tokio held out a can of Oracle Juice.

“Here, take this.”

Blade accepted it. As Tokio opened his own can, memories from the day before flashed in his mind.

Yesterday – at Tokio’s house

Smack!

The sharp sound of the slap echoed in the room. Blade stood frozen, silent, a faint red mark forming on his cheek.

Shina’s hand trembled slightly, but her voice came out hard.

“You idiot…!” she snapped, her eyes wide with anger and something else.

“What the hell were you thinking?! Throwing yourself into a stunt like that, what if you got caught by the NSIA?!”

Blade looked down, silent.

She turned her back to him, clenching her fists.

“You think being reckless makes you a hero?” her voice cracked slightly,

“You think it doesn’t matter if you get hurt, as long as you save someone else?”

He stayed quiet.

Shina took a breath, trying to compose herself.

“If Eyepatch hadn’t been there… if you got caught… I…”

She bit her lip, then scoffed, as if shaking something off.

“Tch. Whatever. Just… don’t pull that crap again.”

She walked past him but paused at the doorway.

Without turning around, she muttered,

“I don’t care what happens to you… but I’d rather not have to attend another funeral.”

And then, she left.

Blade also walked away without saying a word.

“Blade, wait—” Memeko called out, but he didn’t hear her. He was already gone.

“Hah, kids these days… never gonna change,” Tokio sighed to himself, a faint smile on his face.

“By the way, Hibe, Thanks for the rescue today. If you hadn’t shown up, we would’ve been finished.”

“Haha, don’t mention it,” Eyepatch replied.

“Blade’s seriously good at fighting. He took down four guys unarmed,” Tokio said.

He continued, “But what got me was how he pulled a sharp blade out of his mouth—ugh, that was kinda nasty.”

“What?” Memeko asked, surprised.

“Yeah, he can do that,” Eyepatch added.

“I’m not sure how he did it… but the way he threw it, that was insane. Cut right through that guy’s neck—rifle guy, I mean. He’s definitely dead.”

“How are you so sure he’s dead?” Eyepatch asked, his expression turning curious.

“Pretty sure it sliced through his carotid artery. Not much chance of surviving that,” Tokio replied.

“Wait, he killed the terrorist?” Memeko asked, shocked.

“You can’t exactly call it murder. I guess it counts as self-defense? If he hadn’t acted, he would’ve been riddled with bullets by now,” Tokio said.

“Did anyone else see Blade pull the blade and throw it?” Eyepatch asked, his eyes suddenly sharp.

“I don’t think so. The whole place was in chaos, everyone was running after the cop guy got shot. I was right there, and I barely saw it myself.”

“I see,” Eyepatch nodded, his eyes returning to normal.

“Could you… not tell the boss about this? She’ll be even more pissed if she finds out.”

“Yeah, I figured as much. That’s why I kept my mouth shut while she was here,” Tokio said.

Back in the present…

Tokio said, “Don’t take her so seriously, man. She was just worried about you, that’s all.”

“Hah, whatever,” Blade sighed.

He continued, “Honestly, I wasn’t thinking about her… I was thinking about the cop guy. What was he even doing there? And why did the terrorist want him dead? And besides… why did he save m—”

Blade stopped himself, then muttered, “Hah, never mind.”

“I’ve been thinking the same thing,” Tokio said.

“Despite everything, one thing I’m sure of… he wasn’t a cop.”

“What? How are you so sure about that?” Blade asked.

“I checked the news this morning. They mentioned the terror attack, sure… but not a single word about any deaths. Just that no civilians were harmed. Doesn’t that sound suspicious?”

“Yeah… you’ve got a point,” Blade agreed, his eyes narrowing.

“And that’s not all,” Tokio added.

“They completely skipped over the terrorist’s death too. I think the reason they’re hiding the cop guy’s death is because… he wasn’t really a regular officer. He might’ve been some kind of undercover detective or a secret agent. Just a hunch, though.”

“Dude, you really are quite the thinker… But why would they hide something like that?” Blade asked, narrowing his eyes.

“I don’t know,” Tokio replied, glancing up at the sky.

The wind brushed gently across the rooftop, carrying silence between them.