Box of Demons

Chapter 82

This time, we've finally made it to the Mimasaka Institute of Modern Medicine.

But—Kiba—

※

Kiba —

Kiba didn't know why he had ended up doing this—when he saw that huge box again, Kiba thought about it for a moment.

Perhaps it's because he's infatuated with Yoko?

Because of the nature of timber yards? Perhaps that's true. But the most important reason is...

—Because he's a police officer.

If Kiba weren't a policeman, this wouldn't have happened.

The police are the only privileged class that can legally expose and prosecute others' secrets.

Of course, this only applies to situations where the other party's actions may violate the law.

But laws are made by people, and there are no absolutes. The evidence is that what is considered right changes every day. In each change, those who hinder society or organizations become the targets of legal resistance—that is, criminals. Calling the guardians of the law sounds nice, but in reality, they are nothing more than lamplighters, leading the charge for society.

The servant carrying the lantern could carry not only lanterns, but also pistols.

In Japan, only police officers are permitted to carry handguns.

Kiba can now conceal this horrific murder weapon in his chest without facing punishment, as it was approved through a proper written application. Regardless of his motives, his current actions haven't violated the law. As long as he keeps it hidden and doesn't use it, there won't be any problems.

But if Kiba weren't a policeman, regardless of whether he was a righteous man who punished evil and promoted good, or an idealist who burned his life for his ideals—simply possessing a firearm would be a crime. It doesn't matter where he uses it, or whether he uses it at all; possessing a firearm is illegal.

Because Kiba is a police officer, he is allowed to carry it.

However, even if Kiba is allowed to carry firearms, it doesn't mean he can use them to kill or injure others at will.

On the surface, firearms are for the protection of police officers, and even for police officers, it is a crime to fire a gun arbitrarily.

But the fact that it carries the potential to kill others remains unchanged. After all—a handgun is, in essence, a tool for killing others.

Kiba happens to be a privileged class that possesses this possibility.

If Kiba were in another profession, even if he were involved in the incident in the same way, it would be hard to believe he would take the same actions; moreover, even if he wanted to, he couldn't.

No matter what profession Kiba is in, his nature will not change much.

In many cases, what determines things is not the content, but the external factors.

The value of a box lies in the box itself.

So Kiba brought a pistol today.

He didn't harbor any dangerous intentions to kill anyone. Rather, the pistol was the most striking proof of the box's nature.

A gate resembling a tank armor.

A building that looks ridiculous, like a bunker.

To defeat this opponent, you need equivalent equipment.

Kiba sneaked into the box.

※

"Infiltrate? Mr. Kiba—why?"

"That brainless idiot probably got it wrong! But it was all because Kyogoku beat around the bush and didn't explain it clearly to that idiot. That guy is just a simpleton, it's better to tell him the truth early and let him despair early! Anyway, it has nothing to do with the dismemberment incident, so it doesn't matter if Kiba gets hurt."

"Mr. Kiba—will he get hurt?"

"It's not all your fault. You should have just told him how you felt. You haven't committed too many crimes, have you?"

"Sin—? No, I—"

"Kiba is the kind of guy who won't understand unless you explain things clearly. Because he's an idiot. Whether you want to play the good guy or the bad guy is fine, just make your stance clear!"

I couldn't understand a word Natsumi and Yoko were saying.

But at least we now know that Kiba infiltrated the Mimasaka Research Institute with a pistol.

What was the purpose—what exactly was inside that research institute? Why were they even fully armed?

What exactly is his purpose?

※

"What exactly do you want?"

"I have something to ask Mimasaka, move aside."

Koda stood before the spiral staircase, his face stiff. This technician, who had remained completely out of the public eye during the incident, was now standing in front of Kiba.

"When did you start getting here?"

“What? I—I worked for him before the war, I’ve long forgotten when it started.”

"Then you should know what kind of research Mimasaka is doing, right?"

"I'm just a machine mechanic, I have no interest in what other people do with the machines."

"Really? If you don't know, then step aside."

Kiba shoved Koda hard, and the old man crashed into the wall and fell down.

"Whoa, what are you doing!"

It's impossible to knock someone out gracefully like in a movie, but hitting them too hard would injure them. Kiba spiraled upwards, shaking off Koda's grasp.

However, the impact seemed to have had some effect; Koda gave up after chasing him to the second step of the stairs. He walked past the reception room door and headed towards the door to Mimasaka's room. He had never entered this room before. Kiba rudely opened the Sanctuary Gate.

—It's better to be a little rude.

Mimasaka wasn't there. The room was the same as upstairs, except it contained many box-like measuring instruments.

However, the biggest difference from upstairs is that the measuring instruments here are arranged extremely neatly. Apart from the bookshelves crammed with books, there are only beds and tables in the corners, and there is no sense of life at all.

—Has that guy been living in a place like this for years?

If it were a timber yard, it probably wouldn't have lasted even five minutes. Only then did it realize that those hateful cold drafts blowing in through the gaps were actually a necessity.

Kiba walked up to the next floor without closing the gate.

The place where Kanako disappeared. I haven't been here for a whole month.

That wasn't a miracle, it was magic.

So--

Only Mimasaka can set up magical mechanisms.

Why has no one ever questioned it?

Because there's no motive? That just means they haven't been discovered yet.

Or is it pressure from somewhere else? Even if it is, it has nothing to do with the timber yard.

That guy—he's a magician from hell.

“Mimazaka!”

Mimasaka Koshiro sat alone amidst a pile of scattered boxes.

He wasn't surprised to see the lumberyard.

Mimasaka quietly closed the lid of the box on the table and looked at Kiba.

"Your name is Kiba, right? What can I do for you?"

Aren't you going to question me first about trespassing into the room?

"So what? Even if you come, it won't affect anything."

Mimasaka remained very calm.

The earth rumbled low. Only then did Kiba finally notice the sound he had been hearing all along.

Mimasaka stood up, facing Kiba's direction.

He was the embodiment of rationality, with eyes as cold as a reptile's.

This is the type of person Kiba is least likely to deal with, and his rank is far higher than Masuoka's.

"What did you do to the teak and koji?"

"treat."

"How was it treated?"

"It would probably take some time to explain this to you. You seem to have no medical knowledge at all."

"Where did you hide her? No, where is she now?"

"I don't know. She was kidnapped because you police are useless. That's why I wanted to ask you where she is."

"It wasn't kidnapped, it just disappeared!"

"Really? But something so illogical couldn't possibly happen in physics."

"That's why I'm asking you—it's impossible for it to happen. You—you don't actually know that I, Kusumoto Yoriko, and Inspector Fukumoto are coming to meet, do you? Approving the meeting was Yuzuki Yoko's own decision, am I right?"

“You’re right, I don’t recall ever approving a meeting.”

"As expected, that's why this physically impossible situation occurred. This is the consequence of being too clever for one's own good."

"It's hard to understand what you're trying to say."

Mimasaka's expression remained completely unchanged, with only her lips moving slightly.

“I’m not like you. I’m not smart enough to see through your magic trick that made Kanako disappear. But Mimasaka, at least I know you must have made a mistake.”

The timber yard closed the door and the box was covered.

"Back then..."

Kiba reminisced about the memories.

At the place where the memory occurred, I recall that memory that I've repeated countless times.

"--Nothing happened for almost a week, and the police didn't believe from the beginning that anyone would kidnap someone, so the security was obviously very lax, which was obvious even to a layman."