Chapter 99

1. The Kindling God

Ever since I took this job, the way I see everything has changed.

The land, the lifestyle, and the people.

When I saw summer mountains and a torii gate reflected in the train window, or a parent and child in yukata heading to a summer festival at a shrine—I couldn't help but imagine a god beyond good and evil, beyond human understanding, lurking within those ordinary scenes.

It must have always been that way in this country, and I just hadn't noticed. I'm the one who changed.

Even Kirima's profile, seen like this, has become something entirely different from what I saw as a child sitting in a ramen shop booth.

"The Hakuchō God and the Mikami family—are both targeting the special investigation division?"

Kirima folded his arms over the conference room table.

"They say the daughter of the Mikami family was cursed by the Hakuchō God and told that if she brought us along, she'd be spared. The result was..."

"Your job isn't to be a sacrifice. It's to bring the records back."

"Yes..."

As I replied, the echo of a scream bouncing off the rocks and the warm rain of blood vividly resurfaced in my mind. It still feels like a white centipede is crawling behind my eardrums.

Kirima spoke with a stern expression.

"Even if it's related to the Territorial Divine Offenses, I can't believe a civilian could reach our information. Miyaki, what's your take?"

"You may think it's far-fetched... but what if the Territorial Divine Offenses see us as a threat and are trying to eliminate us?"

"I agree. Reports of the Territorial Divine Offenses have increased since 1996—right after we began our serious investigation into the Unseen God."

"Then are you saying everything has been orchestrated by the Unseen God?"

"...No, the Unseen God doesn't have that kind of power."

"But we barely understand the full scope of that god. Isn't it possible we just don't know?"

"That's not it. Sorry, but I can't tell you any more."

Kirima bit his lip slightly. It was the same expression he had when I asked about my father. Seeing that face, as if enduring the pain of an old wound, I couldn't ask further.

Kirima took out a cigarette from his pocket and traced the edge of the box without opening it.

"By the way, what happened to Akitsu?"

"I haven't seen her today. I don't even have her contact information."

"Keep it that way. She was assigned directly from the Ministry of Divine Affairs, without going through me. There's a lot unknown about her background. It's probably best not to trust her too much."

I left the conference room and walked down the dark hallway.

Even as anxiety and confusion swelled inside me, it felt like there was a hole in the center of my body, and something kept leaking out.

Suddenly, a burnt smell drifted through the air.

There's a smoking area at the end of the hallway. But this smells more like something had been burned than cigarette smoke. Maybe a fire mishap.

I remembered how Katagishi, cigarette in one hand and documents in the other, often almost dropped ash on the pages. I felt like talking to him.

As I walked forward, I heard hushed voices coming from the smoking area.

"It's better not to call Akitsu at this stage."

"Aren't you all being too cautious?"

"She's from the Ministry of Divine Affairs. Of course we are."

The voices belonged to Katagishi, Rokuhara, and Miwasaki, who recently returned to duty.

"Also, sorry Katagishi, but it's better not to meet with Miyaki either. She's the same."

The words hit me like a punch to the heart, and I froze. Miwasaki's suspicion is justified. I'd think the same if I were in his position.

If only I could remember what I learned at the Ministry of Divine Affairs, maybe I could clear their doubts and be of help. But with nothing to offer, I only feel more powerless. I wonder if Akitsu, who didn't come today, feels the same.

Katagishi responded clearly.

"Miyaki can be trusted. Not to brag, but I've broken the rules a few times and conducted personal investigations. If she were under the influence of the higher-ups, she would've abandoned me long ago. But she's helped me many times."

I stood frozen, pressing a hand to my chest. My vision blurred, and the fluorescent light reflecting off the tips of my pumps shattered like a prism.

"Well, if Katagishi says so..."

Overlapping Miwasaki's voice, Rokuhara spoke.

"There you have it. You can come out now."

I was stunned again. After hurried footsteps, the three of them appeared from around the corner of the hallway.

I quickly forced a foolish smile, but I wasn't sure if it looked convincing.

"Hi, I just got here... What were you talking about?"

From the awkward looks on Katagishi and Miwasaki's faces, I could tell it didn't look convincing. Only Rokuhara remained expressionless as usual.

We gathered in a library that felt like a morgue, where dim, cold air drifted.

Miwasaki leaned against a shelf lined with unlabeled file spines and sighed.

"The Territorial Divine Offenses are targeting us. And they're unleashing various gods... Could that be what Kirima was talking about?"

"Kirima?"

"I'll just say it. The investigation I was assigned isn't about the Ministry of Divine Affairs itself. It's about the gods they're harboring."

Katagishi and I gasped at the same time. Katagishi spoke in a cracked voice.

"Wait a second. Are you saying Kirima believes there are Territorial Divine Offenses in central Tokyo and that the Ministry of Divine Affairs is using them?"

Rokuhara replied with a mask-like expression.

"It's not impossible. Wherever there are humans, there is faith. It's more unnatural to think there are no Territorial Divine Offenses in the most populated city, Tokyo."

"You say that like it's nothing..."

"In the past, gods were used to legitimize the emperor's authority. If the same thing is happening in the present capital, then that god must possess incredible power."

Katagishi was speechless.

I raised my hand slightly.

"That might be related to what I heard from Akitsu."

"From Akitsu?"

"Yes. I didn't hear the full details, but she mentioned the possibility of a god powerful enough to rewrite the entire history of the world."

"What the hell..."

Miwasaki traced his lips with a finger.

"I don't want to believe it, but if that's true, then the strange dates and year discrepancies in the documents I showed Katagishi make sense... Ah, I'll have to show them to you two later."

Katagishi and I looked away. We didn't say we had already seen them.

"But if that's the case, even if a god did something, we wouldn't be able to notice."

"We'll have to search for traces from the subtle inconsistencies left in the records."

"Apparently, there's someone else Kirima assigned to investigate. I'll try contacting them."

"I'll look through the documents too. What about you, Katagishi?"

"I'm a total amateur when it comes to Shinto and folklore. I'll do what I always do—work the streets. Let's start by finding Akitsu."

Katagishi and I bowed to the other two and slipped past the bookshelves. The sound of the heater echoed through the silent library, stirring up the scent of dust with its warm air.

Miwasaki's voice came from behind us.

"Still, if a god like that is watching us, can we even stand a chance? We haven't even properly investigated the Unseen God."

"Even if we can't, we have no choice but to try."

Rokuhara answered quietly.

"If it wants to take both the sister and the brother-in-law, then even a god should burn in hell."

Katagishi twisted his mouth into a frown.

"Say whatever the hell you want..."

As we walked through the sterile library, Katagishi muttered like talking to himself.

"Miyaki, if you can't answer, you don't have to force it. Do you know anything about the god at the Ministry of Divine Affairs? You used to say weird stuff sometimes—like World War III."

"...I think I knew. But I can't remember."

"Let's leave it at that, then."

"That's not it!"

I raised my voice without thinking. Katagishi stopped and turned around.

"Sorry. I just wish I could help if I knew something. I know I seem suspicious. But I honestly can't remember a thing, and it's driving me crazy..."

He looked down at me with gentle eyes and patted my shoulder.

"You've been working too hard and fried your brain. Can't be helped, then."

His hand was warm. Katagishi suddenly widened his eyes and sniffed his palm that had touched my shoulder.

"...Did I stink?"

"No, you don't smoke, right?"

When I nodded, he furrowed his brow.

"It smelled like something was burning."

In the library, where there shouldn't be any fire, a scent like soot stung my nose.