The train's familiar hum was a comfort as Tetsu gazed out the window, his mind replaying the events of the last few days. The funerals, Nakano's cryptic help, the coded message—it all felt like pieces of a puzzle he was finally beginning to solve.
I'll have to stay at my house until this investigation is finished, he thought, a sense of grim determination settling over him.
He pulled out his phone and quickly texted Commander Arata.
"Commander, I will be at my house until the case is solved."
Arata's reply was immediate.
"Ok."
A small part of Tetsu felt a pang of relief. He was on his own for this one, and that felt right.
The automated voice of the train cut through his thoughts.
"The train has arrived at Shinkansen station. It's 5:00 PM."
Tetsu exited the train, stepping onto the bustling street. He walked with a purpose, the secret message from Mio's envelope playing on a loop in his mind.
"The first sign that you are on hallowed ground, a vermilion archway that invites you to leave the world behind."
"Vermilion… I guess it's something red," he thought, scanning the street for any sign of a red archway. His eyes caught on a vibrant splash of color in the distance.
"Huh?" he murmured, a jolt of recognition hitting him.
Reflected in his eyes was a shade of bright red.
"Could it be..." he thought, a surge of adrenaline pushing him forward.
The next morning, back at Seiryu High, the teacher called Tetsu's name, her eyes scanning his empty seat.
"Does anyone know where Ishizawa Tetsu is?" she asked.
The classmates offered no answers, their silence heavy. The teacher sighed, marking him absent on her computer.
Meanwhile, on a quiet street near the Shinkansen, Tetsu, Nakano, and the black-haired officer walked together, Tetsu holding the cryptic message.
"I couldn't have expected that you would directly contact us, Mr. Ishizawa," Nakano said, his tone a mix of surprise and respect.
Nakano's mind flashed back to the previous night, the sudden call at the police station.
"I want to meet Detective Nakano," a young voice had said.
Nakano's attention snapped back to the present.
"You said you've figured out what the message means. Are you sure?"
"Yeah. It should be right ahead," Tetsu replied, his conviction unwavering.
He led them up a long set of stairs. At the top, they stood before a shrine. The torii gate at the entrance was a vibrant vermilion red, just as Tetsu had seen it.
The gate itself was unassuming, but its presence felt significant. Nakano and the other officer looked at the shrine, while Tetsu walked to the torii gate, placing his palm on the wood.
Nakano's mind raced back to the message.
The first sign that you are on hallowed ground... he thought.
I see. The answer is the torii gate.
Nakano and the officer joined Tetsu at the gate.
They searched for a while, running their hands along the wood, but found nothing. Just as they were about to give up, Tetsu dropped the piece of paper.
As the paper touched the ground, the earth beneath Tetsu's feet gave way. A deep, black hole opened, and Tetsu, still holding the box and the paper, fell.
"Mr. Ishizawa!"
Nakano yelled, but before he could reach for him, the hole sealed shut, leaving Nakano and the officer staring in disbelief.
The few civilians nearby, who hadn't seen the hole, looked at the officers with confusion.
Below the ground, Tetsu was falling. He saw nothing but darkness for what felt like an eternity. He braced himself, closing his eyes.
Falling from this height... my bones are going to be crushed.
But when his back hit the floor, there was no pain. He opened his eyes, finding himself on a soft, mossy surface. The area around him was dark, but then a faint light flickered on. Two lines of glowing stones lit up, creating a path.
"What is this place?" he wondered, looking up to see only an impassable darkness.
"It's too high for me to climb up."
He felt a solid wall behind him. "And it seems like there's no path behind me."
He looked at the path ahead and took a step.
"I guess that's the only way," he decided.
After a few steps, he heard the faint sound of rushing water.
After a long walk, he came to a stone gate and passed through it.
Beyond was a wide, open area surrounded by wall-mounted waterfalls. In the center was a large circle made of four smaller circles, each inscribed with Japanese numbers. A rectangular stone block stood at its center.
He tried to walk forward, but an invisible force pushed him back. He struggled, trying to force his way through.
"I have to keep advancing forward, or I won't be able to—" he thought, but was knocked away.
He tried again and again, but each time he was met with the same resistance.
Suddenly, his phone rang. It was Commander Arata. Tetsu answered.
"Ishizawa. Where are you right now?" Arata's voice was urgent.
"I'm at Tokyo's Takeda Shrine," Tetsu replied, confused.
"Ishizawa, we've detected a massive energy source at that location. From now on, we will call it N-178."
"The place you're standing at is a newly discovered Nonentity-Type Anomaly."
"Anomaly?" Tetsu asked, disbelief in his voice.
"Yes. You have a new mission. Investigate the anomalistic area, gather information, and report to us."
"But I can't pass this gate. I might not be able to—"
"Ishizawa," Arata interrupted.
"In Japan, what do you do after passing the gate?"
Tetsu's eyes widened with understanding.
"That's right. Purification ritual." He looked at the waterfalls around him.
"I understand, Commander. I'll report back with information later."
"Ok. But be cautious."
The call ended. At the Darkside Destroyer base, Arata leaned back in his chair.
Ishizawa... I never thought this day would come so early.
You're approaching a new source of energy that you will soon have to understand, apart from normal energy. It's pure, or we call it...
In the underground area, Tetsu walked towards the waterfall.
... aetherial energy, Arata finished in his mind.
As Tetsu's foot touched the water, he felt a powerful surge of energy infuse into him. Arata's thought continued.
The energy that links to the keepers of realms.
The surge grew stronger, and Tetsu's body became enveloped in a faint white light.
He walked closer, stepping directly under the falling pillar of water. Arata's thought:
But being able to use it or not, relies totally on you.
The white energy ascended, and Tetsu's vision went black. He saw nothing but darkness.
A moment later, he felt a tremendously powerful aura.
What is this energy? he thought.
It's vast and extremely powerful, almost... limitless.
A male voice with an air of authority echoed in the darkness.
"Hm."
"Another one?"
"It's been a long time I've seen."
...
"Hm... you failed. You don't belong here."
"This is boring. I've been waiting for a formidable one."
"But, I guess for now, I can give you a free pass."
Then the darkness was gone, and Tetsu found himself standing under the pillar of water.
"Ahhhh!" he screamed, running out from under it. He touched his perfectly dry clothes.
Huh. My clothes are still dry? But I was standing under a pillar of water.
He was confused, but a new sense of purpose urged him forward. Now, he could pass through the gate without any issue.
Now I've done the purification ritual. Next is... offering, he thought.
He looked around for an offering box, but saw only the rectangular stone pillar with a diamond-shaped gap.
There's no offering box nearby, so I might have to place something in this diamond-shaped gap.
He walked toward the center. As he touched the first outer circle, the Japanese numbers on it glowed with white light before disappearing, all except for the number 4.
He walked to the second circle, and the number 7 glowed.
He seemed to understand and walked to the next two, which revealed 9 and 1.
He took out the box from Mio's house and rolled the code: 4791.
The box opened, revealing a diamond-shaped red gem.
I guess this thing belongs there, he thought, placing the gem into the gap. It fit perfectly.
The ground shook violently. Tetsu stepped back just as a huge stone block fell, landing directly in the center of the circles.
What just happened?
Tetsu breathed heavily, relieved to have dodged it. The fallen stone block then glowed with a message in white energy.
"You came, Mio..."
"and perhaps, Hideo."
Huh, Hideo? Tetsu thought, confused.
What is his relationship with this?
"I guess it's time to call your names properly, my fully matured children."
"Takeda Mio. Takeda Hideo."
Takeda Hideo? Wait, what? Isn't Hideo's surname Tojou, and Mio's the same as his?
Did they get married? When?
Tetsu's mind raced.
No, wait. Even if Hideo and Mio were married, he should still be Tojou Hideo, and Mio would be Tojou Mio, right? If he's Takeda Hideo, then Tojou is a fake surname.
He remembered the message on the stone block: "...my fully matured children."
A horrifying thought dawned on him.
Could it be... Hideo was Mio's brother?