Side Story: Aigis

Side Story: Aigis

Side: None

In a certain regional city, an area where residential neighborhoods and old shops stood side by side.

That was where the movie theater stood.

It was a four-story building, but the reception area just inside the entrance was strangely cramped. A faint scent of popcorn drifted through the space.

Several posters for obscure movies that never appeared in television commercials were plastered on the walls, while there were only one or two major films.

Two women entered the movie theater.

One was a girl with flamboyant hair and a light, carefree outfit. The other was a plainly dressed woman whose clothes were simple but clean.

The receptionist, a young man, gave the pair—who appeared to have no connection whatsoever—a halfhearted greeting.

"'Sup."

"I'm back from the dungeon! Here are my adventurer's license and report."

"...Thanks."

The listless young man briefly looked over the license the girl held out and the two sheets of paper.

Then he nodded with a furrowed brow, making no effort to hide his displeasure at having more work to do.

"I'll let the 'clan master' know..."

This movie theater was the base of 'Aigis.'

It was a newly established clan with few members.

"Yes, please do! Also, do you have any recommendations among the movies showing right now?"

The young man appeared to think for a moment in response to the girl's cheerful question.

"Let's see... An old movie's about to start in Theater Three."

"What is it about? If possible, I'd like to avoid anything violent."

"It's one of those family dramas from the Showa era."

"Ooh! That's a pretty classy choice! If I talked about it at school, it would definitely make me stand out! Since we're here, let's watch that one! Yasuda-san, is that all right with you?"

"Sure. Sounds good."

"Then, two tickets, please. We'll apply the clan member discount."

"Okay!"

They efficiently purchased their tickets and headed upstairs.

They climbed a staircase with an absurd number of landings and entered Theater Three on the second floor.

Since it was a weekday, there were no other customers. Almost as soon as they entered, the lights in the theater dimmed slightly.

After the theater etiquette notice and commercials played, a family drama set in the Showa era began.

...Now, then.

Keeping her gaze on the screen, the girl with the flamboyant hair—Tōmi Toramari—began speaking quietly enough for only the woman beside her to hear.

Let's have a little chat, Yasuda-san.

...Yeah, let's.

...I know this is a little rich coming from me, but how long are you planning to keep talking like that?

Yasuda answered in a drawn-out voice, and Tōmi gave her a mildly exasperated look.

The narrow-eyed woman receiving that pointed stare remained silent for a moment.

...I'm sorry, 'Senpai.'

"Huh?"

"────Hahahahahahahaha!"

Suddenly, booming laughter echoed through the theater.

It was the sort of outrageous behavior that would get someone thrown out of any ordinary movie theater. Yasuda, however, laughed out loud without a care.

"Kihihihi... Hihihihi! Kukakakakakakakakak!"

She opened her narrow eyes slightly—for her, that was as wide as she could manage—and laughed with the corners of her mouth pulled upward.

Tōmi silently watched Yasuda perform 'the laugh a narrow-eyed character gives after betraying everyone.'

"Haa-ha-ha-ha-ha! Hee... hee...!"

"...Are you satisfied now, Yasuda-san?"

"Bwuh!?"

Just as her laughter was beginning to die down, Yasuda burst out again at the question.

As her shoulders trembled, Tōmi smiled sweetly.

"Switch gears already, or I'll give you some educational guidance."

"N-no violence...!"

"Shut up, junior."

Yasuda hurriedly straightened her back as Tōmi's fist clenched with a grinding sound. She realized that her senior was about to get seriously angry.

At the sight of her junior's reaction, Tōmi let out a small sigh. Her slightly puffed-up tail returned to normal as well.

"It's not like I enjoy playing that character..."

"I know, but you're far too good at acting! That's exactly why...!"

"Thanks, I guess."

The two women's conversation, which had abruptly changed from that loud laughter, blended into the movie's audio. Anyone more than a few meters away would not have been able to hear it.

"Ahem... My apologies. That was an unsightly display."

"It really was. Even if there's no risk of eavesdropping here, stay alert. You're a professional."

"I'm sorry."

"Well, it's fine. More importantly, let's get to the point."

Both women kept their eyes on the screen, but their attention was focused on each other's voices.

The receptionist had told them that this theater had already been checked, so they were not worried about wiretapping or hidden cameras. Even so, maintaining at least a minimum level of caution was an occupational habit.

"We were checking the target's current abilities and mental state... What did you think, Senpai?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

Tōmi looked back over the day's dungeon exploration.

The two of them and the 'other person' had defeated monsters calmly and methodically, with no major trouble.

There had been nothing particularly worth mentioning. The battles had followed the same pattern from beginning to end.

And so Tōmi concluded:

"That thing's a monster."

She stated it without hesitation.

"...Is he really that impressive, for you to say something like that, Tōmi-senpai?"

"What did you think, then?"

"He is a capable adventurer... I suppose. I couldn't see Yahiro Kota's full strength, so it's difficult to assess him properly."

"A dungeon where we can see Yahiro Kota's full strength, huh..."

Tōmi gave a small snort.

"You'd die almost immediately unless you played your cards extremely well in a place like that."

"...Is that so?"

"Well, you specialize in detection. From Public Security's perspective, your ability is an exceptionally good fit. At least compared to one like mine, which assumes you'll be getting into fights."

Tōmi lightly shrugged her slender shoulders in self-mockery.

"Yahiro Kota became an adventurer one month ago. Including the entrance examination, he has been through six dungeons. He has encountered two spiritual disasters."

"...That spiritual rank after such a short time really is frightening growth."

"Yeah. My raw spiritual rank should be higher, but he's overwhelming me in basic specs. And on top of that, he's supposed to be able to use magic and still have his unique ability... It's been a long time since I've felt such a gap in talent. Seriously."

Tōmi twisted her mouth bitterly.

"During the Lycanthrope spiritual disaster, eyewitness reports and the traces of battle show that Yahiro Kota forced his way straight down the main street toward the shelter. He rescued people while pushing through a horde of monsters that were clearly above him in spiritual rank."

"He didn't look that skilled to me, though."

"No. Even to me, his swordsmanship wasn't particularly clean or sharp. But perhaps because of his magic eyes, he has an uncanny sense for landing hits and avoiding them. Add that physical ability and mana, and he's basically a human typhoon. The brute force of his specs is ridiculous."

"...Could you beat him, Senpai?"

Yasuda asked with a slightly tense expression.

Tōmi responded with a bored snort.

"That's a foolish question. If Yahiro Kota and I fought, I'd win ninety-nine percent of the time."

"I see..."

"But..."

As her junior breathed a sigh of relief, Tōmi continued in an even tone.

"He can defeat monsters I can't. And it won't be long before even superior combat technique gets overturned by the difference in specs. Before long, he'll be an ability user even I can't kill."

A single bead of sweat ran down Yasuda's cheek.

"...Even though you're currently the strongest person in Public Security, Senpai?"

"Yeah. But we're not samurai or knights in the first place. There are ways to deal with him."

Yasuda gave a wry smile at Tōmi's words.

"Are we living in an age where defeating one high school student requires surrounding him with anti-materiel rifles and assault rifles?"

"It's a fairy tale, isn't it? This really is the 'Return to the Age of Gods.'"

Tōmi shrugged jokingly, but there was no smile on her face.

"Then there's scroll creation. We don't know exactly what kind of magic he can use, though. How did things go at city hall?"

Even when two people possessed the same ability, it was not unusual for the details to differ from person to person.

For example, with the same 'Future-Seer Magic Eye,' one ability user might be able to see a few seconds into the future without a limit on the number of uses, while another might be able to see several days into the future only once a week.

Not only could the abilities differ slightly, even their basic performance varied. Some users possessed abilities that were practically superior versions of those held by other people with the same ability.

Even among people with the ability to create scrolls, some could write only fire-related magic, while others could write nearly a hundred spells but had such poor practicality and productivity that they were useless.

In response to Tōmi's question, Yasuda gave a small shake of her head.

"There was nothing detailed. Rather than him hiding it, it seems the city official either didn't ask that much or decided it wasn't necessary to record even if he did ask."

"It was probably right after the 'Day of Regression,' too... Tell them to ask him about it in detail when he comes in to renew his license next time. He seems like the type who would be honest with the authorities."

"I've already made those arrangements."

"Thanks."

As Tōmi said that to her junior, she looked toward the screen.

In the movie, a man who had just been released from prison returned to his hometown, only to be met with disapproving stares.

"...His abilities are still unknown, but it's certain that they're overwhelmingly powerful. The question is his mental state."

"From what we saw today, he seemed to be in a fairly stable state of mind."

"Yes. Watching him at school made me want to suspect multiple personalities."

"...Could his past trauma be affecting him that much?"

"Maybe."

Yahiro Kota was troubled by the fact that awakening to his ability had caused his middle school friends to treat him like a monster.

Tōmi and the others believed that, as a result, he had developed a powerful aversion to the school environment itself without even realizing it.

And they were more or less correct.

"On top of that, the atmosphere at school—or rather, in his class—is bad. The behavior of someone who would normally just be dismissed as a socially inept gloomy loner becomes pretty creepy when viewed through the filter of him being an ability user."

"'Socially inept gloomy loner'... That's a little harsh, Senpai."

"It's true. I wouldn't say it where he could hear me. Or to anyone who might tell him."

"Sure, sure."

Yasuda shrugged at her senior's words.

"There is still a great deal of prejudice against ability users, after all."

"Yeah. Worrying that they might use their abilities to do something bad is understandable caution because of the serial killer rampaging around Kanto. But rumors were going around in his class as though they were fact—things like, 'You might be killed if they misjudge their strength.'"

"Ouch..."

The physical abilities of 'combat-capable ability users' were often high. This was even more true if they had become adventurers and trained their spiritual ranks.

Even Tōmi and Yasuda, with their slender builds, could crush a person's head between both hands if they took a little time, despite their appearance. If they put their full strength into it, they could punch through a car door.

But they could also pick up an egg without breaking it, even unconsciously, and they did not do anything clichéd like breaking their alarm clocks upon waking.

Nor had either of them ever torn a doorknob off by gripping it too hard while sneezing.

There was a rumor among the general public that anyone near an ability user might be accidentally killed, but it was completely baseless.

If something like that happened, it would not be an accident. It would be a crime.

"I've heard of cases overseas where soldiers and professional martial artists became 'weaker' when they first awakened to their abilities..."

"That was probably another difference in talent as ability users. The greater their talent, the more naturally their bodies adapt to the physical improvements that accompany changes in spiritual rank. Apparently, even those people adjusted after a while, though."

"Come to think of it, Sato-san mentioned that Japan and Britain have an unusually large number of highly gifted ability users."

"Exactly... I'm worried that Yahiro Kota might explode from the stress, but I'm also worried about foreign countries poaching him..."

Tōmi rested her cheek on her hand against the armrest and made a face as if she had bitten into something bitter.

"Apparently quite a few ability users have already gone overseas."

"Yes. I heard it from one of my colleagues. China and South Korea, naturally, but France and America are moving too."

"In America's case, is it everyone except the president?"

"The vice president and influential people who support the current administration are at the center of it."

"They're not even trying to hide it."

"Not from the president, at least."

"They're probably feeding him some line about international exchange or something."

U.S. President Samuel Freeman.

Although powerful ability users were less likely to emerge in countries other than Japan and Britain, a few exceptional ones did appear. He was the most prominent example.

He was an eccentric who called himself 'Everyone's Big Brother,' but his spirit was closer to that of a comic-book hero. He was unlikely to actively sacrifice other countries for the sake of his own.

However, neither his background nor his personality made him good at political maneuvering.

"And now some suspicious group called 'Valhalla' has appeared too... What are we supposed to do?"

"The fact that Yahiro Kota is the type to withdraw into himself rather than harm others may be a blessing in disguise."

"It is, but he's also easily swayed. People like him are the type to 'fall for anyone who affirms them.' I can't say for certain that he won't be influenced by someone with a dangerous ideology."

"...What about the clan 'Alf'?"

Yasuda asked, opening her narrow eyes just slightly.

"Has he managed to fit in with the clan? And what kind of ideology does the clan have? I hope it isn't anything too extreme..."

"That clan doesn't seem to have any political ideology. But..."

"But?"

"...If I had to put it one way, it's a nest of perverts."

"Hmmm?"

Yasuda shaped her mouth like a censored Miffy at Tōmi's awkward admission.

However, she quickly composed herself.

"...Well. There are people like that."

"...Yeah."

Tōmi and Yasuda belonged to Public Security.

Because of their profession, they encountered far more bizarre eccentrics and oddballs than ordinary people did.

To the two of them, the 'service monster,' the 'indiscriminate-drawing yokai,' the 'mascot costume,' and the 'self-proclaimed otaku-friendly gyaru' were nothing compared to the perverts and weirdos they had seen before.

Compared to the time they had watched 'Holy Brothel' from a distance, only to see a troublesome adventurer engage in 'free love' with the female owner and awaken the next morning to an extreme masochistic fetish—or become an unnaturally pure person—none of that was surprising at all.

Japan's Public Security was highly competent.

"Still, there's something about 'Alf.' It seems like they're hiding something."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know the details yet. But based on the circumstantial evidence, they're connected to those 'tire tracks.' The most likely person is Takanashi Miyu, I think."

"Tire tracks... Oh, those. The ones you've been investigating."

"Exactly. They don't seem to be doing anything suspicious, but what are they hiding? And there's something suspicious about how Takanashi Miyu's paperwork is completely free of anything suspicious..."

Tōmi scratched her head vigorously with a troubled expression. Her tail trembled in short, nervous movements as she sat on the edge of her chair.

"...At this point, maybe you should have infiltrated 'Alf,' Senpai."

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm not enough of an actress to keep up that act among a bunch of weirdos."

Tōmi pulled her mouth into an exaggerated frown, and Yasuda gave a wry smile.

"Are you sure? They might overlook a few small slips, surprisingly enough. The other clan didn't seem to care about my alias, either."

"Of course they didn't. Yasuda is an ordinary surname, and Kimiko is an ordinary given name. Besides, people don't often become suspicious that 'Public Security might be investigating them!' Even if they're hiding something, Japanese people usually don't think that way."

"I suppose that's true."

"Besides..."

Tōmi shook her head in exasperation.

"What kind of idiot from Public Security would call herself 'Yasuda Kimiko'?"

"Idiot...?"

After several seconds of silence, Yasuda opened her narrow eyes as wide as she possibly could.

"You were the one who came up with that name, Senpai!?"

Naturally, that shout did not carry beyond the theater.