The city of Tokyo 3 remained as calm as ever; an all-encompassing silence hung over the grand skyscrapers of glass and metal.
These towering structures reflected the midday sun and clouds with a distorted image, as if they were gigantic mirrors made of mercury and water.
This vast expanse of monumental structures blanketed the Tokyo 3 skyline, partially obscuring the heavens from the pedestrians confined to the lowest levels of the city.
From an elevated vantage point, one could see flying vehicles patrolling around the dense layer of skyscrapers, landing in gigantic hangars that protruded from the enormous buildings.
When focusing on the massive bases of the structures, long and labyrinthine streets emerged in peculiar patterns, stretching from the city's square blocks to the large roundabouts where ordinary vehicles cruised.
On the sidewalks, countless people walked in all directions, glancing about in wonder at the neon signs displaying the names of various establishments housed within the imposing mega-structures.
Here, the serenity of the splendid skyscraper summits was replaced by the lively chatter of innumerable people, the music emanating from nearby clubs, and groups of young students and entrepreneurs dining at metal tables set up outside local establishments and cafés.
And as was customary, one or another police siren sounded in the distance; however, this time something was amiss—an alarm could be heard throughout the entire scene.
A look of deep concern spread among the crowds of pedestrians as their gaze fixed on one of the building entrances. Many lingered to observe the unfolding drama, gathering in front of the spacious reception area.
Yellow tape covered the automatic doors of the luxurious, gleaming glass. Civilians were not permitted to enter, and those inside the mega-structure were not allowed to exit.
Only the police force had free access to the building. The people outside, understandably anxious, began discussing the situation openly.
"A murder?"
"Impossible—this is the Commercial and Corporate sector of the city…"
"A murder in the safest part of town…"
"What will become of us?"
Inside the building, in one of the many, nearly innumerable meeting rooms, several individuals in blue uniforms and others wearing insulated suits moved about the room.
Amid them, a tall man in a trench coat stood out with his angry expression and deeply furrowed brow. In his right hand he held a cigarette and in his left, an insulated thermos filled with coffee.
The man took a few quick drags from his cigarette before taking a deep sip of coffee and then composing himself, gazing at the scene before his eyes. His eyes, marked by deep dark circles, seemed as though they had been etched onto his face for years.
"This is a disaster," he murmured with a sigh as he scratched his green hair, through which a few gray strands peeked.
Before him lay the crime scene, grim and splattered with blood wherever his eyes fell.
Seven men in clean, black suits lay on the floor, each bearing the same wound—a hole in the forehead that spanned their entire head from side to side.
It was clearly the work of a gunman or sniper, without a doubt. Still, the investigators continued sifting through blood samples and scouring every corner of the room in search of any additional clues that might help them narrow down the suspect.
Meanwhile, around the room, the police observed the corpses with grim expressions as they maintained their guard.
"Mr. Kiryuu," an investigator addressed the trench-coated man.
"Ah, Hitsumi, right? Any news about the scene?"
"None at all, sir. All we've found are bullet fragments and traces of gunpowder. Also…"
"Come on, tell me—don't hold back."
"We haven't found any footprints or anything linking the suspect to the crime scene. Whoever the attacker is, he made sure to hide the clues—if not leaving none at all."
"I see… we're dealing with someone extremely cautious."
"The windows don't have any holes, and the vents are far too small for anyone to squeeze through."
"Then it was an inside job." Mr. Kiryuu paused to take another sip of coffee. "And not only that—" he added, shooting a sharp glance at the door behind him, "the culprit entered through the very same way he left."
Hitsumi looked at Kiryuu with a spark of understanding in his eyes.
"I see! Then all we need to do is check the cameras…"
"Bingo."
Young Hitsumi had just begun to speak before alerting the staff when something halted him, as if he had remembered a crucial detail at the last moment.
"Is something wrong?" Mr. Kiryuu asked, arching an eyebrow in confusion.
"I almost forgot to mention all the details, sir…"
"Was anything else omitted?"
"Yes. Vera... Yashima and I have concluded that the culprit isn't a single individual… but several."
Mr. Kiryuu surveyed the crime scene with an almost evaluative gaze, then softened his frown and slightly opened his eyes.
"I think I understand what you're trying to say, Hitsumi. But in any case, share your theory with me—I'd hate to err in my deduction."
"That's impossible; you never make a mistake in your deductions!"
Hitsumi said this enthusiastically, his tone laced with admiration. However, realizing both how he had said it and noticing Kiryuu's expression, he fell silent for a moment—digging in to digest the rebuke—and then cleared his throat to continue.
"The bodies all have the same wound in the same spot, sir—a shot to the head. Up to that point, nothing is unusual, but we believe that seven fatalities are too many to have been caused by a single person armed with a semi-automatic firearm."
Hitsumi then produced a black rod with a central light that occasionally flickered yellow. He waved it in the air, revealing a holographic screen. On it, several images of the corpses' wounds appeared alongside measurements.
"As you can see, all the shots are positioned in the same spot on the forehead, with millimetric precision—it's as if they were all shot simultaneously."
"So you believe that the culprit behind this wasn't just one person but several, correct?"
"Exactly, sir…"
Kiryuu fell silent for a moment, gazing thoughtfully at the floor as his fingers fiddled with the edge of the thermos holding his coffee.
"I see… I concur with you."
"Really?"
"That would be the most logical conclusion. Moreover…"
Young Hitsumi watched Kiryuu as he pondered in silence.
"Did something happen, sir?"
"I have suspicions about who the culprits might be, but I'm not entirely sure."
"So do we."
"First, send someone to check the cameras for us."
"Alright, sir."
Hitsumi turned, turning his back on Mr. Kiryuu before heading over to a group of police officers stationed near one of the corners of the room.
"The way this was executed…"Mr. Kiryuu thought. "By piecing together all the evidence, we can reconstruct the events—or at least, I can form a rough idea of what happened."
"First of all, the manner in which the suspects entered must have seemed completely natural both to them and to the people present in the room. Hitsumi is right—the bodies show no signs of alarm. This implies that the suspects were familiar with these individuals, or perhaps they had been waiting for someone…"
"Either way, we must investigate the list of contacts and acquaintances of the victims."
"Also, one detail Hitsumi omitted is the social status of these individuals. All of them are Education executives—the business director in charge of school supply administration, the chief executive of Discipline and Society, the director of projects and renovations for school structures, and the others are their secretaries."
"They were in the midst of a meeting when the suspects entered; apparently, they were not surprised by their arrival, which suggests that they might have even been in a meeting with the assassins…"
"But it's unthinkable—no one from the Education sector would dare kill one of their own. Only individuals from other sectors and organizations have issues with Education, since, after all, it is the rival that towers above us all."
"If that's the case, the list of suspects expands to nearly the entire country. In that event, a large-scale investigation will be necessary. Meanwhile, no corporation from any other sector is permitted to enter the education offices, and the security there is extremely tight…"
"A biometric exam is conducted on each person, along with the requirement for identification, fingerprints, a residential address, and an ID number—and on top of that, a DNA test that is impossible to falsify…"
"Someone infiltrated the building… as if they were just one of us…"
"My suspicions are growing ever stronger."*
"We are facing the terrorist organization IVY."