1.
[Unusual Phenomena in D.U’s Second Business District]
[Client: (Anonymous)]
[Case Overview: Unknown frequencies occurring every dawn in the business district basement, surveillance cameras being hacked at specific times, unauthorized Automata sighted at the outskirts of the business district, statistical data breaches from nearby companies, and the phantom company ‘Hiks’.]
[Client Request: Investigation of ‘Hiks’ at the outskirts of the business district.]
[Client Fee: —–]
“……This doesn’t feel right.”
This was the conclusion drawn by Nanashi Hiiro, who was reviewing the details of his first case as himself rather than Silk.
Just the fact that the client was anonymous was concerning, and the case overview was saturated with ominous vibes. Moreover,
‘Why is the client fee like this?’
Looking at the unimaginable amount listed as the client fee, I turned to Senior Himari.
This was a gesture asking for an explanation regarding this bizarre request.
In response, Senior Himari, as if predicting my reaction, smiled faintly and then spoke.
“Of course, right?”
“……What do you mean, ‘of course’?”
“No matter how you think about it, this is strange. How could an ordinary client acquire such detailed information about the case? And why would they suddenly ask us to investigate a phantom company? Typical supernatural phenomena cases aren’t like this.”
Himari continued her explanation.
“Most people confronted with supernatural phenomena resort to vague language when describing incomprehensible events. Since these phenomena go beyond their understanding, their descriptions tend to be mixed with their own guesses and intuitions.”
“But there’s none of that kind of language here.”
“Moreover, how did they know the Automata sighted at the outskirts were unauthorized? Or that Hiks is a phantom company? Why would they come to us instead of Valkyrie to report the data breach?”
Her point was simple.
Suspicious. From top to bottom, it was a mass of suspicion.
Himari’s conclusion was that it seemed like someone was asking something specific from the Supernatural Investigation Department.
“Surprisingly, this request arrived less than a day after the Supernatural Investigation Department announced that we would be accepting case reports.”
Those who know, understand that the Supernatural Investigation Department is a club with a closed, hidden nature.
My joining and becoming active as a student, alongside Himari’s recent initiative to expand the club’s activities, marks the beginning of a new phase: accepting ‘requests for help.’
That’s why this request is suspicious.
A request that arrived as if they’d been waiting for us to start.
Unbelievably strange contents and phrases.
It’s as if they’re waiting for us to come.
‘Why?’
Who is the entity that submitted this request, seeking the Supernatural Investigation Department like this?
How did they find us, and what is their purpose?
From start to finish, everything was completely unknown.
It was, indeed, worthy of the description ‘Supernatural.’
So, I felt uneasy about this request, but Senior Himari viewed it differently.
“That’s why I think we must go, Hiiro.”
“……You mean, this one?”
“It’s our duty. Facing supernatural phenomena, investigating them, and solving them. A simple principle, but in any situation, we must move toward the truth.”
“……”
“That’s our club motto.”
The Supernatural Investigation Department’s motto. I heard it for the first time.
But it didn’t feel childish or reckless. Somehow, it was the first time the Supernatural Investigation Department seemed cool.
In the end, I couldn’t help but nod.
“Alright. I’ll go.”
“Hehe, good decision. Don’t worry. I’ll support you as much as I can.”
“Yes, Senior.”
The decision was made, and now all that remained was action.
As I prepared to step outside, equipped with my new gear, Himari and Amy saw me off.
“I’m going.”
Our first case. It had begun.
2.
A business district, simply put, is a place where companies gather. It’s an area densely populated with office buildings, usually located in the city center, where commerce thrives.
However, D.U’s Second Business District, where I had arrived, was located a little away from the city center, and the atmosphere of the streets was far from ordinary.
What should I say? It felt artificial, right?
[There aren’t many people on the street. Even though the sun hasn’t set yet.]
“Indeed, it’s different from a regular street.”
Even though it wasn’t a bustling city center, it was still a well-developed area. There was a small commercial area nearby, and under normal circumstances, there should have been many people walking around.
But the place where I had arrived seemed to be outwardly developed, but the actual foot traffic was significantly low.
Like a rice cake with an empty filling, or perhaps similar to a city in the northern country of Korea.
‘And Hiks. The largest building in the business district, but it’s a phantom company. What’s this supposed to mean?’
I arrived at midday, so I couldn’t detect the unusual frequencies in the basement or the unauthorized Automata at the outskirts.
So, I decided to first investigate ‘Hiks.’ I needed to visit neighboring companies to gather information.
As I visited the companies around Hiks one by one asking for information…
“Hey, what is this? Why are these people like this?”
[Everyone’s avoiding answering. To be precise, their expressions and tones indicate they don’t know what’s going on.]
“Umm… Is this request fake?”
[…We need to think about this more.]
Everyone residing nearby reacted as if hearing about the content of the request for the first time.
At first glance, it could make you think the request was false, but Nahashi and Himari shared the same thought.
“…This is incredibly suspicious.”
[Geez. Bad language. Nevertheless, it’s definitely suspicious indeed.]
If it were sent as a prank, the detailed information alone, and the fact that after observing for a few hours, no one entered or left the Hiks building…
After observing all this process, I came to a conclusion.
“I’m going to storm it.”
[What?]
“I’ll just take a quick look and come out, nothing more.”
[What… What are you saying?!]
Ignoring Senior Himari, I approached the Hiks building.
The security Automata standing at the front noticed and approached me, but I quickly rushed past them and entered the building.
“Stop! St-”
“Target detected! Immediately subj-”
“Wow. F*ck.”
Passing the security Automata chasing behind me, I entered the Hiks building. Inside, there was…
“…What the hell is this?”
[There’s no one here. It’s truly a phantom company.]
“But, why are the lights on?”
Hiks building, 1st floor lobby.
The interior scene was bizarre.
Furniture was arranged as if it were a ‘regular’ company, and the internal structure also seemed normal – except for the absence of people, which was crucial.
Yet, the electricity was on, and the elevators were operational.
While wandering around the 1st floor, I saw ‘something’ printed on the front desk monitor.
I momentarily widened my eyes but maintained composure and muttered to myself,
“I wonder if I should check the 2nd floor.”
[It’s probably impossible right now.]
“For another time, then.”
I was pushed out by the security Automata closing in from behind. They yelled various insults at me, but I ignored them.
Repeating apologies with a smile, while claiming my visit was out of curiosity, made the Automata cast suspicious glances at me, but they couldn’t say much and sent me away.
Smiling faintly as I left Hiks behind me,
“Senior, did you see that?”
[…? Did you see something significant just now?]
“Yes.”
I had seen something truly shocking. Chuckling, I relayed what I had seen to Senior Himari.
But she murmured in confusion,
[δέκα(deka)…?]
The subject that was printing information from the monitor.
That was its name, and hence…
3.
Late evening, after tirelessly gathering information around the area, I managed to obtain two pieces of information.
One, most of the nearby companies are affiliated with ‘Kaiser Corporation’.
Two, not a single person knows what company Hiks is.
That information wasn’t particularly valuable. It only allowed for a simple understanding of the circumstances.
“Let’s call it a day.”
Since further investigation into Hiks was impossible, I decided to investigate the unauthorized Automata at the outskirts mentioned in the request.
I headed to the outskirts marked on the request form and prepared my shield and personal firearm, a submachine gun called MP7, in case of any combat.
The appearance of the outskirts of the business district was, in fact, a place so outdated that calling it a city felt embarrassing.
A place like the backside of the city center, where abandoned industrial zones and warehouse buildings are located. Any Automata found wandering around here would indeed seem unauthorized to anyone.
“…Senior. Are there any signals detected around here?”
[Yes. Not yet, specifically.]
I continued to investigate the outskirts quietly.
For some reason, an incessant intuition kept me on edge.
As if hinting that something was about to appear.
How many minutes had passed since the start of the investigation?
The sun had long set, and the pale moon shone desolately in the sky at that moment.
Beep-eey…
The frequency mentioned in the request.
It began to resonate throughout the entire business district.
I widened my eyes and became alert.
But soon, a whisper that made me doubt my ears came from Senior Himari.
[Hiiro. Did you feel anything just now? I haven’t detected anything yet.]
“……Are you saying, Senior, you didn’t hear that?”
[What do you mean? I didn’t hear anything…]
“…”
[…]
Silence ensued.
The sound that Senior Himari did not hear. The sound that only I could hear.
What does this imply?
A frequency only audible at the site?
Or is it that…
‘An ordinary person cannot hear it?’
Just as I reached that thought—
KREEEEENG— BOOM—!!
An Automaton that appeared from somewhere attacked me suddenly.
Terrified, I quickly leaped sideways, but I couldn’t erase the look of shock on my face.
“Are you crazy—!”
I couldn’t sense it. I failed to notice.
My senses did not detect it at all.
Clutching my shield tightly, I fixed my gaze on the intruder.
“Hmph.”
I chuckled slightly.
What lay before me was something very familiar.
As soon as I laid eyes on it, a natural warning bell rang in my head.
Numerous hypotheses about the situation I had just experienced arose and disappeared repeatedly. This indicated that I had judged the situation I had just faced as a clear crisis.
“Why didn’t my sixth sense just now react?”
The cause interfering with my senses.
An unprecedented situation. And a crisis.
At that moment, I realized instinctively.
“This was a trap, huh?”
This request was, in fact, a trap prepared for me.
Understanding that fact, I looked at the Automaton again.
Black armor, emanating turquoise aura from various places, and an Automaton of a property distinctly different from the ordinary ones.
An Automaton that had been ‘terrorized.’
I understood who had created this stage.
I instinctively knew the entity that had submitted this case.
“Gematria.”
You bastards, it was you, wasn’t it?
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