Chapter 69
Chapter 69
Conclusion, The Unknown God
Outside the window stretched the sky of Tokyo, unchanged for the past twenty years.
Almost too unchanged.
Since the countermeasure headquarters became the special investigation division, neither culture nor technology has advanced much. The Cold War continues without escalation or resolution.
Since then, every time the higher-ups used The God Who Is There, I used it too. To maintain a world that never changes. I'm sure there have been alterations and distortions I don't even know about.
Kirima once told me—this is far from a decent way to live.
The fluorescent light flickered noisily as I pressed down the window blinds with my finger.
Miyaki Rei is down at the smoking area. I had meant to keep her out of this, but in the end, I couldn't.
I don't know what happened after her grandfather was taken in by the Imperial Household Agency. A while later, she was demoted and sent here. She must've learned too much. I'm just glad she wasn't erased.
When Rei joined the special investigation division, I panicked—but at the same time, I saw a glimmer of hope. I thought maybe she could bring Kirima back someday.
I can't go near Mount Fudaraku anymore. I got too close to The Unseen God, and I used it. If I go again, I might not come back.
But this investigation was a failure too.
I pushed up the blinds. Umemura was standing right behind me.
"Peeping on a young girl, Kirima?"
"Idiot."
No matter how many years pass, I still can't get used to being called by that name.
"You still look young too, Kirima. You haven't changed a bit."
I looked at my reflection and Umemura's in the window, backlit by the dazzling winter sun.
Umemura also looks younger than forty, but I'm the strange one. Not a single wrinkle. No gray hair. I don't even feel like I've lost any stamina.
"Unchanged, huh..."
I turned to face Umemura.
"You used to say I looked like a different person."
"Well, you're not a thug anymore."
Umemura shrugged and laughed. I lift my bangs, wear a suit, straighten my back—imitating Kirima. That's the only difference from when I was twenty.
"It's probably because of The God Who Is There."
At my words, Umemura blinked.
"Even Miyaki's grandfather has been alive ever since then. Those who use The God Who Is There are preserved as servants of the god. Whether it's to witness the altered world or to prove the difference from the original, I don't know."
Umemura exhaled deeply and shook his head.
"You've changed after all. You've gotten too smart."
"I wish I could've stayed stupid."
But you can't live like that. I reached for what I had hidden in the corner of the archive.
"I'm going for a smoke."
The hallway was sparsely populated.
Mixed in with those who know nothing were members of the special investigation division, wandering about.
When Esato passed me, he gave a slight nod. He remembers the real Kirima, but never pries. I appreciated his indifference and resignation.
Holding documents in one hand, Rokuhara was making a call somewhere. His side profile reminded me of Ryoko. He works hard, but I still don't know what he's thinking.
There was also a reporter from the same occult magazine as Reizei. She's not as cheerful or gossip-loving, but she smokes the same heavy, tar-laden strange cigarettes.
As I walked toward the ashtray, I heard Rei's voice.
"'God reigns in the heavens. All is well in the world,' huh?"
I froze in place. Standing next to Rei was Katagishi Daigo.
Once, just like that, we sat around an ashtray and heard those same words from Kirima.
The two of them noticed me and turned around. I stopped, feet shoulder-width apart.
Rei gave a slight bow. Katagishi stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and nodded vaguely.
"Earlier, I'm sorry for..."
I almost laughed at the meek attitude and quickly straightened my expression. I spoke in a low voice.
"Don't worry about it. It's better for the organization to have someone who can speak their mind to the higher-ups."
That's what Kirima would say. Even now, I live by thinking what he would do.
"Thank you."
Katagishi said awkwardly. In the end, his seriousness, recklessness, and devotion to his wife remind me of Kirima. I wonder if Rei notices. Probably not.
The two bowed again and started to leave, but Rei stopped midway.
"Oh, by the way, Kirima. It's not about The Unseen God, but there's something that's been bothering me."
I could feel my heart skip a beat.
"What is it?"
"When I got lost in that village, I feel like someone gave me directions."
Katagishi looked puzzled.
"Did that happen? We were together most of the time, weren't we?"
"Yeah, but maybe before I met up with you?"
Rei tilted her head. I feigned calm and asked,
"What kind of person was it...?"
"I don't really remember, but he was tall, tanned, and kind of had a similar vibe to you, Kirima. I thought I asked his name to thank him, but..."
Rei let out a small gasp.
"That's right, I think he said his name was Uyuu. But that name doesn't exist, right?"
I stood frozen, forgetting to reply. Thinking I was dumbfounded, Katagishi scolded Rei.
"Don't say weird stuff like that..."
I struggled to steady my breathing and searched my pocket with trembling fingers. I pulled out a bare 5,000 yen bill and somehow held it out to them. The two of them blinked in surprise.
"...It's the end of the day, right? Go get some ramen or something."
Rei bowed and accepted it. Katagishi looked confused.
I could hear the two of them chatting as they walked away.
"Miyaki, you're really taking that?"
"You should accept kindness! When I was a kid, Kirima used to take me to ramen shops sometimes. Let's go to one of those."
I sat down on a bench and pulled out what I took from the archive. I lit one of Reizei's cigarettes with Kirima's matches.
As I exhaled deeply, it felt like twenty years had melted away all at once. Like it had only been yesterday.
"I'm still nowhere near living a decent life, Kirima..."
The smoke blurred my vision, the city reflected in the window, and Tokyo Tower.
Territorial Divine Offenses, Part Two: End