Chapter 14

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Fourteen Years Old (Part 14)

Thump. Thump.

Though her face betrayed nothing, the young girl’s heartbeat was noticeably faster than before.

Tayano Saiku’s smile widened even more; he sensed that he might have grasped the key to the matter this time.

“You… ow!”

Before Tayano Saiku could finish his sentence, a miserable, strange cry escaped his mouth. Kaba turned to look behind him and saw a black-haired military police officer, who had come with Tayano Saiku, fiercely stabbing a long sword—drawn from nowhere—into Tayano Saiku’s backside.

“—Heh.” Unable to help herself, she let out a soft laugh. The tension and seriousness that had filled the moment just now seemed to loosen because of this small but significant interruption.

Tayano Saiku looked absolutely furious. If he weren’t on duty—and with Kaba present—he might have exploded on the spot, ready to fight Motohiro Tetsujō fiercely.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” Tayano Saiku demanded.

Motohiro Tetsujō was utterly infuriating, always stabbing him in the rear with his sword! Why hadn’t this guy just disappeared by now?

Yet, faced with Tayano Saiku’s anger, Motohiro Tetsujō remained calm and indifferent, acting as if there was nothing wrong with his actions.

“Tayano, she is a victim we need to protect, not a suspect,” Motohiro Tetsujō said.

After speaking, he stepped past Tayano Saiku and explained to Kaba, “The ten minutes backstage at the music festival wasn’t a blackout. Someone used a supernatural ability. The person is a criminal the military police have been investigating and hunting. Their power allows them to transform an area within a ten-meter radius into their own Shadow Domain.”

“As for what happens inside the Shadow Domain, we still don’t know. Lacking intelligence, all we can confirm is that this domain has some degree of teleportation or transportation capability, allowing those encompassed by it to be secretly relocated.”

“Before this, the individual’s ability caused four deaths and ten disappearances within just three months.”

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Kaba Hoshina had initially been the next target and victim, but evidently, the perpetrator was defeated in front of this newly popular young singer.

Why was the culprit defeated? Investigation revealed that the twin black-clad Mafia from the harbor happened to be present that day. When this information was laid out, even Tayano Saiku couldn’t help but silently mourn for the unfortunate supernatural user who’d been caught in the crossfire.

But the matter didn’t end there, for behind this supernatural user stood a vast organization. Kaba had undoubtedly been established as their target; it was expected they would attempt to approach her again.

Whether to bait the trap or to protect—regardless, the hunters came calling and negotiated with Kaba.

“You are their next target. For both your sake and ours, we must protect you.”

Motohiro Tetsujō’s frankness carried weight. At least Kaba’s attitude had softened considerably compared to before; she no longer met them with suspicion and resistance.

That man was backed by other organizations, a fact that Osamu Dazai had subtly hinted at before. This mutually corroborated information raised the trust that the two military police officers had earned from Kaba considerably.

She was somewhat willing to engage in conversation with them.

“I think I understand,” Kaba said, leaning against the wall, arms crossed, lifting her eyes to meet theirs without losing any of her imposing presence. “So, what exactly do you want me to do?”

“Tell us everything that happened backstage that day,” Tayano Saiku said. “And for a while, we will stay by your side, disguised temporarily as your assistants.”

“—Until that organization reveals its true colors.”

Kaba fell into thought.

Before she reached a conclusion, Osamu Oda spoke first: “Do you mean that Kaba will be in danger for the foreseeable future?”

He had always appeared like a gentle, non-aggressive large companion dog, but at this moment, the concern and subtle sharpness he displayed shattered all prior impressions.

“You could say that,” Tayano Saiku answered.

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“I can agree to your request, but I want to know the full story behind this.” Kaba proposed her terms.

She absolutely could not allow herself to be caught in danger and yet remain ignorant of everything—Kaba had never been the type to do nothing in the face of adversity, waiting obediently for help and protection from others.

On the contrary, she would be sharper, more proactive, and braver than anyone else.

“That’s against regulations…”

But before Tayano Saiku could finish his sentence, he was interrupted. His partner, whose mind always seemed to be on a different wavelength, promptly gave a decisive answer.

“Yes, you can.” Motohiro Tetsujō said.

Tayano Saiku gritted his teeth, refraining from launching into a fight with Motohiro Tetsujō on the spot.

“Hey, Motohiro,” he called out coldly, “do you even know what you’re saying?”

“She’s a victim. She has the right to know. And right now, we need her help and cooperation,” Motohiro replied, genuinely confused. “Tayano, you don’t seem happy. Why?”

Tayano Saiku felt as if he could barely catch his breath. His expression was twisted and ferocious—one could imagine that even a demon freshly escaped from hell would hastily retreat upon seeing such a visage.

The white-haired young man’s chest heaved violently, perhaps trying to quell the impulse to draw his sword and strike Motohiro Tetsujō several times on the spot.

Huh? You can tell I’m unhappy?

Then why don’t you take a look at what you’ve actually done!