messiah novel (you are in shine, part 14)

[devilism]

Inside the Public Safety department there was something like a "memorial" the day before the day of the conference about the World Reforming.

"Although the world calls it White Day, I'm afraid to say that it will most likely not end up being pure white."

The second building of an ex-government building complex in Kasumigaseki. Inside of the building that was formerly used for the police agency, with a watchtower-like radio tower attached, Ichijima Harumi was holding a can of not-so-great coffee with one hand.

Next to him was a friend from his time at Tokyo University, Kitasato Daikyu.

Both were 39 years old. Kitasato had a succesful career, and now had an important post at the foreign policy department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Is it alright, Kitasato? Entering this magnificent watchtower. Even though you're an outsider."

As soon as Ichijima finished his coffee, he took a non-calorie toffee out of his pocket, like he just wanted to put something into his mouth.

Ministry-issued ID cards were hanging around their necks. Since IC chips were embedded within them, all bureaucrats could freely go wherever they wanted within all Japanese government departments in Tokyo.

"This cafeteria is the best in Toranomon*. At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs I don't feel like eating, even if I had gold to buy food there with. Moreover, it's disgusting."

Kitasato, who had entered the "watchtower" to eat some lunch, took a cigarette from the inside pocket of his suit.

Right now the National Police Agency was a super big organisation that took in the part of the former defense corps that managed to escape being broken up. Although it was ranked up to becoming a Ministry, it was originally an external department under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Traditionally their relationship with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wasn't that great.

But the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had their own intelligence agency called the International Intelligence Unification. It's one of Japan's four intelligence agencies, along with the Cabinet Information Research Office, the defense department and public safety.

Although there technically were no connections between these organisations, they silently allowed individuals to share information through their own routes.

Right now the smoking room on the eight floor of the "watchtower" that those two were in... It wasn't a room, but rather a cramped veranda next to the emergency stairs. Of course the space was even more cramped for the two of them since Ichijima was in a wheelchair.

Well, they were using the rust-covered emergency staircase for a short rest.

Of course for the sake of eating lunch and having a secret conversation.

"The meals at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are so bad."

"Bad. Maybe it's bad in Kasumigaseki."

"Just as usually, you're still wandering over to Kasumigaseki's cafeteria, huh?"

Kitasato's hobby was eating meals in companies' cafeterias. He'd go to big private companies and eat lunch there. His anonymous blog he secretly updated, "Private Companies Cafeteria Ranking", was ranked first last year and had published enough to accomplish something.

At every single opportunity he whined about how the food at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' cafeteria is worse than anywhere else.

"It's a shame. Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs snatches away the one sole blessing office workers have, their lunch. When I become the vice-minister, I'll absolutely get rid of that unfair system."

"Isn't there anything else you would want to do as the vice-minister?"

"No."

Kitasato replied immediately.

"Food is what gives all human beings the energy to live. Therefore a good lunch is essential to get 100% out of our government workers."

Ichijima didn't say anything, instead pretending he was drinking his coffee.　He remembered from his days at Tokyo University that there was no way a drinking party would fail if you left him in charge.

"The vendors will change next year anyway. I'm praying that the next one will be better. The "watchtower" is the best in Kasumigaseki this year as well."

"There's still nine months left this year! You can only say that so leisurely since your cafeteria is the better one."

"Then please stop eating the limited twenty lunches in the N Electric Works cafeteria across the street. I really can't stand it."

The vendors in each ministry's cafeteria were decided through bidding. Although they change every year, the place's equipment doesn't change, so the menu and taste don't really change either."

"So, is it really true that the prime minister's son was shot?"

He nonchalantly broached the main topic.

"It was a paint ball though, right? It seems that it was shot the moment we took our eyes off it."

"It's the North, y'know."

He blew out a deep cloud of smoke in a flashy way, since he was the type who liked to stand out.

Customs duties had risen, so a box of cigarettes cost over a thousand yen. Along with the fact that smokers were slowly being shut out from society, the amount of people like him who smoked Marlboro decreased by a lot. Ichijima originally wasn't a smoker.

"Those guys from the North treated their spies during the Cold War era as very important people. Even now the guys over there who are good at sniping have very succesful careers."

Ichijima spoke up, the sound of the macha flavoured candy clicking against his teeth.

"It's nice to be able to do analog work."

"Hey, is this a situation where you should be eating candy all carefree like that, Ichijima?"

Kitasato fanned himself, like he had been drinking alcohol, before emitting smoke from his mouth.

"It's a blunder that the son of the president was shot, even if it was with a paint ball. Even under Mincer Ichijima."

Ichijima gulped down the words that he was overestimating him. It seemed like a mistake to just wave away this incident to the man who was looking at him, Kitasato, who had always been abusing his nickname of "Mincer".

But it seemed like there was more to it this time.

"Furthermore, it seems that "Tower" has been contacted."

"It seems so."

Many spies from the North have codenames based on tarot, since the original leader of the intelligence agency, the current secretary general Kaminski, likes tarot cards. There isn't much information about one of them, "Tower", who mainly works in Europe and is said to be an incredible sniper. There is almost no information about him entering Japan.

But Ichijima knew. Why didn't "Tower" work in Japan while being of Japanese origin? Who is his family, and where did he come from?

— — — — — — — — —
"Tower".

Egor Ginzburg.

A first lieutenant from the foreign investigation department of the intelligence agency. He graduated from the university of Moscow and even skipped a grade. But his real personal history was unknown.

— — — — — — — — —
Why did that Ginzburg show up here?

That was exactly what Ichijima wanted to know.

Certainly World Reform's memorial day is important to all countries across the world. But Ginzburg was too important to use just for a threat.

He was the real culprit who killed that Kaidou Eiri's family.

And he also was the older brother of Mitsumi Haku, Eiri's Messiah.

(It was at that moment. Something was off about his actions.)

Spies never made too many unnecessary moves. Tossing Ginzburg, who was in charge of matters around Europe, specifically into the fray here in Japan, should mean that there's some specific intention from the North.

That's why Ichijima had purposefully contacted Kitasato from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It was since he thought he could get some information about that strange behaviour from the higherups.

Kitasato sighed, his breath mixed with Marlboro.

"Ginzburg is such a big-shot, why did Kaminski specifically send him to Japan? It hasn't even been reported that he entered the country. Really, what is our counterespionage doing?"

"You should say that to your superiors."

"That'd be useless. The Minister of Foreign Affairs will replace the head in three days with the media pressuring him like this. What kind of meaning would it have?"

A sigh and irritation mixed into the Marlboro smoke.

Actually, in the past week several children of important government figures, including Ushio Yoshiya, had been shot with similar paint bullets. It was obviously a threat from the North.

"Politicians can only up the security to a certain degree, and they're just making a big fuss about what our intelligence agencies are doing. Why are they getting so hysterial without anyone getting actually sniped and knowing it's just a threat?"

"You can say that, but anyone would act that way if they knew their life was being threatened."

"Oh. Isn't that awfully casual for you to say, boss of the assassination squad?"

The smile of a bad person appeared on Kitasato's face.

"It seems that talk has been coming up about dissolving those "Sakura"."

"I know."

Ichijima answered with few words.

Sakura-- A group that ignores the Japanese constitution and laws, and therefore a group that holds the right to indiscriminately murder, the ultimate intelligence unit.

But there are many who don't agree with their existence.

Ever since the time it was established, Sakura has always been at risk of being dissolved.

Even so, the number of Sakura has increased year by year since there are also many government officials who understand their importance. Maru School also receives a lot of support and sponsoring from certain financial conglomerates behind closed doors.

"Even though it's being called a failure, that means the same goes for the bodyguard. Ushio Yoshiya had a bodyguard from the SP. The police already wasn't properly taking care of Ushio."

"But the criticism isn't going towards the SP, just towards Public Safety's Sakura."

"That since there's a reason why they can't properly blame the bodyguard."

Ichijima put the candy on top of his tongue the way a child might have.

"The police after all have the block votes from the former defense squad."

"The election of the House of Representatives, huh?"

The election for the House of Representatives which is being held once every four years was supposed to start a month after Memorial Day on the 16th of April.

In other words, depending on how the Japanese government would act during the assembly, there was a possibility of the ruling party losing its power.

Due to the temporary dissolution of the country's army and the police force taking part of that in afterwards and growing, there is a firm group that desires to revive the army. It's said to be a group of two or three hunderd thousand people, so the politicians couldn't just overlook that amount.

"Saotome-san, the head of the police, is collecting all of the votes that used to belong to the army. The government doesn't have more influence than they do. Those guys have no desire to mess with the country's counterintelligence. But it's scary that their families were being targeted due to what the prime minister was doing. That's why they're looking for someone to blame."

"So this time Sakura is getting the short end of the stick."

"If you understand that, then you better make a move soon. As things are now, Sakura is in danger of being dissolved. Those idiot politicians don't know it, but if there are no soldiers in Japan that can carry out their "purification", then Japan's counterintelligence will be dealt a significant blow. Japan's power won't last forever. And the people at the top of the country right now are pacifists."

Since the beginning Ushio had been marketed as a decisive prime minister, and he had been inaugurated a year ago. He came from a noble family which wasn't very well known in the political world. He had rigidly and consistently reduced the number of bases in Japan, continued the disarmament and gotten rid of nuclear weapons.

These days everyone knows that only the Japanese people believe that humans are fundamentally good.

But nevertheless that guy's favourite saying is "it's fine like this."

Although he always bragged about being decisive, there is a big difference between being decisive and having the ability to think critically. Unfortunately the voices of the citizens who want employment and better welfare don't reach the prime minister who's a wealthy socialite.

"Now you're mentioning that, can't you quickly tell me?"

Ichijima held out the empty can of coffee in front of Kitasato's face. Perhaps he meant it to be an ashtray of sorts.

"Tell you what?"

"Why do you think Tower came here?"

Kitasato looked away for a moment and and rubbed his cigarette against the pull tab of the can.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs should have some information about that."

"Do you think Ginzburg is that important?"

"Yes, I think so."

It was an immediate reply. Kitasato seemed to have understood the idea and pushed his cigarette into the can's opening for drinking.

"Fine. Sakura, who can carry out assassinations, are a priceless treasure for the intelligence services. They can go to countries there our intelligence services can't meddle and threaten or murder. They're the only ones."

"Hey, hey, that's dangerous. Calling it murder like that."

Among Japan's intelligence agencies murder was strictly forbidden. It was a general rule to use the secret word "purification" for it.

"But it's the truth."

"... It's not confirmed information, understood?"

Ichijima nodded that he understood that. Kitasato spoke up, seeming serious.

"The North is breaching the World Reforming. They already have over 100,000 armed people in their country."

Ichijima wasn't surprised.

He already had a hunch like that. The question was how the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had gotten their hands on that information.

"Did you know?"

"I just expected as much. But isn't it more than just the North that's reorganising their troops?"

This time Kitasato looked surprised.

"That's right. The Middle East, India and the unified Korea are already making their moves. They don't seem to intending on resigning the "World Reforming"."

"Is Japan also planning on getting involved with that secret alliance then? Was the plan for that pinpointing sniper to pressure prime minister Ushio into opposing the World Reforming at the meeting?"

That seemed to be the logical reasoning. But Ichijima frowned on the inside.

Would the North really use such violent means just for that?

Normally it'd be unthinkable to let the commander of the operating squad to pop up at such a time.

(Right now most Maru School students are out as well for their graduation test. I wonder whether I should tell them about Ginzburg or not?)

But the reason as to why Ginzburg came here still wasn't clear.

He hadn't chosen what information to relay to Kaidou Eiri. --- In any case it had been Ginzburg who had killed Eiri's family. No matter how much of a trained Sakura he was, would he be able to shut out the desire for revenge out of his heart when faced with his own family's murderer?

(Ginzburg must have told him for sure. Who it was that killed his family... It seems as if Ginzburg might have come to Japan to meet Kaidou Eiri. Or maybe to see Mitsumi Haku.)

Why in the world.

Why, only more question marks appeared in his head.

Ichijima lightly shook his head. He had to reorganize his thoughts. Like this his brain would only end up getting slow. In any case they had to toughen up the security of government officials as Memorial Day came closer.

"Tell me if any more information turns up."

Ichijima took a meal ticket for this building's cafeteria out of his wallet. Kitasato took the meal ticket with just a hint of happiness showing up on his face.

"What is Kurusu saying?"

"Nothing. That's the sort of person he is."

Kurusu Masato was the vice-chief of the security bureau.

The security bureau was the place where all the police departments were gathered together. Most people didn't know that it was also the birthplace for Sakura.

For Kurusu, who came from the public safety field, it had been his dearest wish to have an organisation where spies were trained with the right to kill. Instead of accepting the temporary disassembly and disarmament by the Ministry of Defense, he had pushed the establishment of Sakura through the government.

That was ten years ago.

Ichijima was one of the members back when it had been founded.

Although he had gone further away now, Kurusu was like a mentor for Ichijima.

"Well, how will the gathering on the 14th end up? Will the World Reforming be re-signed, like America wants? Or will there be a military re-organisation once more like the North wants? Will the disarmament end up collapsing---"

Kitasato pulled a strange face. Ichijima was laughing, even though he seemed worried.

"What is it?"

"No, I was just thinking about how our cafeteria is pretty good."

In any case there was no doubt that there would likely be an intelligence battle both domestically and abroad for the upcoming half month.

— — — — — — — — —
After parting with Kitasato, Ichijima headed to the north side of the building in his electric wheelchair. Since the building got older there, the ceiling got lower on the way there.

He got onto the elevator which stopped on the fourth floor.

A powerful-looking middle-aged man came abroad the elevator.

He was the boss, since Ichijima worked under him. He was called a "sociable rock" by the people who knew him, since he had a smooth tone and a rich variation of topics that you wouldn't be able to imagine from him due to his unrefined rock-like face.

"As expected, you're right on time, huh?"

Ichijima said.

Kurusu Masato. Having worked with Public Safety for 38 years. A policeman who had worked his way up to earn an unusual career.

After being assigned to the Public Safety department he was the section chief for five years at the ultraleft countermeasures office, after that he worked for ten years in Okinawa for Public Safety, at the frontline within Tokyo. After that he became the chief for the foreign affairs section of the police department, and he's gotten a succesful career as the head of the police department.

He was called the "rock" within Tokyo.

"Ichijima, are your legs doing alright?"

"There's been no change."

"... Oh, really?"

The elevator stopped. Kurusu had stopped it. There weren't a lot of people anyway who used the elevator on the northern side of the building since you'd have to take a big detour to get to the main gate if you wanted to go outside.

"I'm sorry that you had to specifically come out here."

"No, it's fine. I wanted to hear about this year's graduating group. How are they doing?"

"So far it's going alright."

Ichijima emphasized the "so far" part.

"Are you worried that Sakura might be separated from Public Safety?"

Ichijima tried to glimpse at Kurusu's complexion, even though Kurusu was higher up than him.

It could be said that this Kurusu was also someone who gave birth to Sakura.

He was known for making a major contribution to the negotiations with the troops ten years ago, around the time of the super disarmament due to the World Reforming, when the military was struggling with the prospect of the ten years of hardships they were about to face.

Kurusu suggested to the ruling party at that time to put the military practically as-is under the police force.

Rather than leaving the organisation called the army, all members of the defense squad would just be called policemen.

As a result, the National Police agency, which grew into an incredibly huge organisation became the Ministry of Police, an external part of the National Public Safety Commission. Therefore they ended up having an absolute majority of the votes.

Kurusu's aim was to follow up on the one shackle the police had, which was lacking the right to murder.

With the support of those votes he made the government secretly recognize the establishment of "Sakura". Since he had been part of Public Safety for so long, he knew there was no meaning to any secret intelligence agency that didn't have the right to kill.

It being established would fulfill the wishes of the people who were the pillars of the military industry.

That was ten years ago.

"This year is very excellent for the first time in a long while. In various ways. Although there are only ten people in the last year of school, they're a force that would be ready to head into the field."

"... I heard that there are a lot of interesting people. A former public prosector and elementary school teacher, isn't that right? Wasn't there a hitman for the Korean mafia too? You discovered them well."

"The biggest task each year is scouting new students. Recently we've had people who sentenced to death row entering the school. Every cadet has their own particular mannerisms, but they're being put together in teams of two that work well. That's how they'll pass the examination."

"Even if you say they have particular mannerisms, they can't be as bad as you."

Once his teacher said that, Ichijima looked down and laughed.

When Ichijima had only been employed for two years, he had been called by Kurusu from the international section of the National Police Agency, which had been Public Safety at that time. That was fifteen years ago.

After that he had been diligently learning the know-how of Public Safety under Kurusu.

He had been going from country to country under various titles as a member of foreign affairs, and had been dealing with industrial espionage from traitors.

It was during that time that Ichijima was called the "special mincer" by foreign secret intelligence agencies.

"I thought I was just going to work at this office when Kurusu-san suddenly gave me a meal ticket and summoned me to go eat at this cafeteria. I had no idea that I'd be a spy."

Even now he still remembered it well.

Kurusu had suddenly said it while noisily eating soba from a spaghetti salad.

"Won't you become a hitman?"

And---

"Well, I did kill a lot.　I never actually expected that I'd have such a big talent for murder like that. I'd like to know how you were able to see that, despite me clinging so hard to an office job."

"We were told by the government office that we shouldn't put someone who graduated from Tokyo University with an excellent career out in the field. But we were short on manpower. Even now that's still the case."

"That's right. Although we have a lot more manpower when you also add the defense squad to it."

None of the elevator buttons for any floor were lit up. Ichijima felt a strange floating feeling under his feet. Even though he hadn't been standing on his own feet for years.

"You were an excellent spy. Harumi. It would have been a waste of your skill in murder and deceiving if you would just have become a government official."

"I was also good at pickpocketing. Learning how to pickpocket in a crowd was more useful than any other topic at Maru School."

"That's right. That's truly right."

A smile appeared around the "Rock"'s face for the first time.

"You often pulled a wallet from someone's pocket. You always took the meal tickets out of those."

"It's since I was poor. I wanted to be rich, so I desperately tried to get a scholarship and go to Tokyo University. Government workers don't get a bad salary. But if you end up working overseas you don't get paid much as a government official. It's only those around the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that live elegantly. It's as if your wallet soaks up everything and becomes swollen if you're near the Japanese government departments."

Kurusu listened to Ichijima talk lightly without saying anything, but then suddenly a smile got brought back to the rock's face, as if he thought of something for a moment.

"... It can't be, I didn't think you'd want to depend on someone else for food and lodging like that."

The "rock" said.

"I'm sorry, but I think it's time to pull you out of a government office if that's the case."

"What are you saying? It doesn't suit you, Kurusu-san. I'm lucky. Aside from my feet, I'm fine. Besides, half of my generation has died in the North."

It was a decade ago. Ichijima, who had been on a long-term mission in the North, was caught because of a colleague's betrayal and tortured in Yasenevo.

He was saved after that, but he had already been more dead than alive, and the injuries from that time had caused him to never be able to walk again.

He could never get back on the field since he wasn't able to use the lower half of his body.

Kurusu decided to entrust Sakura to him. He wanted Ichijima, who was an excellent spy and assassin, to persue teaching from that moment on.

"Sakura was also official established ten years ago. It went by fast, huh?"

"It's since it was the same year as the World Reforming."

Kung, the elevator started moving again. Someone was calling for this northern side elevator.

Ichijima put one of the keys from the key bundle he'd been given by the building's security team into the lock underneath the floor buttons.

The elevator quickly stopped. This sort of thing was necessary when you were having a long talk.

"This year's graduation is moving more swiftly due to the disarmament meeting. All students that were planned for graduation have been put out into the field. The higher ups know about it, but it hasn't been told to anyone lower than that."

"Sakura is known as a bothersome organisation. It can't be helped."

"Do you know what is turning up from the discussion about the dismantling of Sakura?"

He suddenly said that.

"You should know something, right?"

Ichijima waited for the "rock" to open his mouth.

"... Ahead of the "World Reforming" the North took measures with brute force. The son of Prime Minister Ushio was shot at. Although it fortunately was just a paint bullet and the son didn't get hurt, but the North's intentions have been strongly transmitted to the government. Ushio Yoshiya's protection is being carried out by the police's SP. But despite that the government is shifting the blame to Sakura. Why is that?"

As he said that, Ichijima couldn't hide his irritation. The information was too lacking.

It was beyond ridiculous. The government and bureaucrat's power games didn't matter. What was important were the soldiers putting their lives on the line in the field right now. And Ichijima, as their commander, had the obligation to protect them no matter what.

And yet, even at this point late into the game, the top was unwilling to spare any information. Such a stupid thing shouldn't be allowed.

"While the government is signing the World Reforming, they're at the same time planning to shrink down the police department that's grown too large, right? Dissolving Sakura is part of that."

Ichijima said with a hard tone.

"Why do you think that?"

"I heard that the North already no longer intends to resign for World Reforming. They're already expanding their arms. And it isn't just the North. Both China and east Asia wish for Japan to switch sides."

"But Prime Minister Ushio is on the American side. The Japan-America alliance seems important to him."

"Is the police department then on the same side as the North?"

A strong light dwelled in Kurusu's eyes in that moment.

After a short moment he spoke up.

"It's correct that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has requested for the government to continue the disarmament. It matched the Prime Minister's policy of peace. It seems that for now the meeting will be dealt with along the lines of the script that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has written."

"Since that guy's favourite saying is "it's fine like this," right?"

Prime Minister Ushio insisted on calling himself a new leader who does away with the indeciviseness of the last generations of Japanese Prime Ministers, but it was laughable that he intended to show his own decisiveness with "it's fine like this." Around the government departments he was called the "Idiot Prime Minister" since he was such a young greenhorn in the political world from a well-off family.

"Well then, to put it in broad terms, the Ministry of Foreign affairs is on America's side, and the Ministry of Police is on the side of the North and China."

"The people at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs say that if the disarmament disappears, there is a risk of the police asserting more political power. Hence why they're in favor of the disarmament. That's also why they're talking in inner circles about getting rid of Sakura. It's up to the Prime Minister whether he'll agree with the North's side and be in opposition of disarmament or if he'll agree with the re-disarmament."

If they would decide on re-disarmament, the police department, which had grown way too big, would surely end up dealing with the hardships of downsizing.

But if the disarmament was broken off, the world would be exposed again to the threat of power games centered around nuclear weapons.

Which was better?

Which was the right option?

No one knew that for sure. It was something that couldn't even be talked about well until a decision was made in two weeks.

Kurusu turned the key again that was inserted below the floor buttons. With a screeching sound the elevator started moving again.

"Harumi."

"Yes?"

"Mitsumi Haku surely is among this year's graduating students."

For a moment silence filled the iron box.

"... Yes."

"What are you planning on doing?"

The box the two of them were in was swiftly moving downwards.

The vague floating feeling underneath his feet. It was like the anxiety that all humans in this world experienced.

"He doesn't know why "Tower" came from the North."

"Yes."

The elevator had arrived at the first floor with the sound of a bell's chime.

"To which floor?"

"... I'll go to the Prime Minister's residence after this."

To Ichijima those words sounded like a declaration of his decision to protect Sakura no matter what.

"I wish you good luck, Kurusu-san."

Ichijima calmly looked from the elevator at his boss' retreating back.


( back to index. )

notes:

* toranomon is a business district in tokyo.