Chapter 13

The space where they had been standing just moments before was now ensnared by a dense, web-like lattice of nearly transparent threads, sealing off every path like a forbidden zone. Under the lights, a small insect flew into the area and was sliced clean through in a fraction of a heartbeat. It was easy to imagine what would have happened had Oda Sakunosuke not whisked Utau away in time. The threads were not intended to kill her, but the girl would undoubtedly have suffered significant injury, or at the very least, been rendered unable to move freely.

And then? What would the mastermind have done to Utau given that opportunity?

Oda was known for his good nature, but he was not without a temper. The rust-colored-haired young man looked up, his dark blue eyes appearing so cold that they gave the illusion of being hard and sharp. He reached behind his waist and drew his dual pistols—few would have guessed that this seemingly mild-mannered man carried such dangerous weapons.

"Stay behind me, Utau."

His voice remained calm, seemingly unchanged from his usual tone, yet it was precisely this quality that made it sound reassuring and reliable.

What followed was less a battle and more a fierce, soaring dance belonging to the man named Oda Sakunosuke. It was an aesthetic of violence pushed to its absolute limit, almost making one forget that its essence was a fight capable of easily harvesting lives. If the threads had created a net of inescapable doom, then the barrage of bullets he unleashed was, in another sense, an inescapable ambush of his own.

This was a side of Oda he had never shown Utau and the others before—not out of a deliberate desire to hide it, but simply because it had never been necessary. Yet, Oda did not deny this side of himself, for it was as much a part of his existence as any other.

Perhaps having learned from their previous failure, the enemies dispatched this time had clearly improved. However, thanks to Dazai Osamu's meticulous arrangements, everyone would only assume that the "Double Black" duo just happened to be at that music festival, never suspecting a connection to the Oda household. This intelligence gap had already doomed this operation to failure.

Oda moved with the agility of a panther, using heavy fire to suppress the enemy and create a safe environment for Utau, all while rapidly closing the distance to a specific location. With a few loud bangs and the clatter of metal, the silver threads hanging in the air suddenly went limp, as if snapped at the source, losing their menacing tension. Utau looked toward the sound and saw Oda pinning down a figure dressed in a strange black-and-white checkered cloak, his gun pressed against the person's head.

"You..."

Just as Oda was about to ask for the person's motives, he jerked his head to the side, raising his other hand to fire several shots in a completely different direction without hesitation.

Ability: Flawless. It allowed the user to perceive the events of the next four to five seconds. It could be triggered voluntarily, or passively during a crisis. It was this ability that let Oda "see" the blade aimed at him and react instantly. There had been nothing there, but as he fired, the distinct clanging of bullets striking a hard blade echoed through the air, and two figures materialized out of thin air.

They were two tall, handsome young men in deep red military uniforms. One of them squinted, his eyes obscured, with short white hair peeking out from under his military cap, the tips dyed red like plum blossoms blooming in the snow. Beside him stood a dark-haired man in the same uniform, a sword hanging at his hip. Under one of his eyelids were three peculiar diamond-shaped markings, looking like lingering teardrops on his face. He held a drawn blade, and at his feet lay several bullets sliced in half—it was clearly he who had deflected the fire.

"Don't be nervous, don't be nervous," the white-haired man said, wearing a smile that felt less like a genuine expression and more like a mask. "We are the side of justice."

"We are the Military Police," he introduced himself, "looking" toward Oda.

The atmosphere seemed tense, but it shattered the moment Oda spoke.

"Ah," he replied, the sharp aura fading from his body as he returned to his usual, slightly airheaded, good-natured self. "Then I'll leave it to you."

"?" Even Teccho Suehiro's partner, Teruko Okura's colleague—Tetchō's partner, Saigiku Jono—was stunned for a second by how easily and quickly he received a response, even suspecting if there was some hidden conspiracy because it had gone too smoothly. Moreover... why did this rust-colored-haired man give him such a strange sense of déjà vu?

Jono thought this, his gaze drifting unconsciously toward his partner, only to be met with a confused look. Well, he supposed he knew why he felt that way.

Just as Jono was about to speak, the girl in the hat and sunglasses, who had been standing some distance away, ran over and wedged herself between them and Oda.

"Military Police?" The girl’s voice was lovely, but it clearly carried other emotions. "In that case, take that terrorist away." Because she knew of Oda's status as a Mafia member, Utau instinctively did not want them spending too much time with him.

"That's a matter for later," Jono said, having already "heard" who she was. "Actually, his appearance was an accident. We were here to find you."

"—Utau Hoshina."

To have her identity revealed so casually despite her disguise was not a pleasant feeling. Fortunately, due to the sudden chaos, the crowd was screaming and fleeing, and no one else was nearby to hear Jono expose her. Otherwise, her manager, Ryosuke Nanami, would have had a nightmare on his hands regarding public relations.

"The Military Police are looking for me?" Utau tilted her head, feeling a sense of bewilderment. "Why?"

The girl’s crystalline purple eyes clearly reflected the two men. Even in this situation—being cornered by the Military Police without warning—her expression remained mostly calm, save for a flicker of confusion. After all, as a law-abiding citizen, Utau felt she had nothing to do with the Military Police.

...No, that wasn't entirely true. Utau recalled her ability—the one she had only begun to grasp and could control to a certain extent, but which still held mysteries waiting to be unearthed. Her initial confusion gradually gave way to a slight sense of guilt.

This guilt did not show on her face, but the people standing before her were no ordinary officers. They were among the absolute elite of the system: Saigiku Jono of the Military Police's Special Suppression Unit, the Hunting Dogs, known as the "King of Ignorance."

As a compensation for his lack of sight, Jono’s hearing had reached a terrifying level that rivaled an ability. With that hearing, he caught the change in Utau's heartbeat and raised his eyebrows in slight surprise. He had only intended to approach her as a "person of interest" and a potential target, but it seemed he had caught a fish in a place he hadn't expected.

Jono thought this, and the smile on his face deepened. Standing beside him, Teccho Suehiro sensed with intuition that his partner was having some unfavorable thoughts, so he turned and called out to him.

"Jono, we are the Military Police."

The implication was clear: stay within bounds and don't do anything to a civilian that crosses the line. Keep the morbid hobbies to yourself.

"..." Jono struggled to maintain his elegant, friendly demeanor. From Utau's perspective, she could see a vein bulging on his forehead, hidden beneath his bangs. He really didn't get along with this guy, Teccho! What was the Captain thinking, pairing them together? Jono decided that once this mission was over and he returned to the Hunting Dogs, he would file a report to Captain Ochi Fukuchi to request a change of partner.

Jono sighed, chose to ignore his partner, and "looked" toward Utau. "We are here because of what happened at the Mount Fuji Rock Festival last month."

Utau’s eyelids twitched slightly.

"On the first day of the three-day festival, it is said that there was a [blackout] backstage that lasted about ten minutes."

Jono used his words to apply pressure while carefully listening to the girl's heartbeat. Expressions could be faked, and words could be deceptive, but for someone unfamiliar with his ability, he doubted anyone could consciously control their own heartbeat while speaking. Besides, controlling one's heart rate was a highly advanced technique that not just anyone could master.

"There weren't many people backstage at the time—and you, Miss Hoshina, were one of them."