Wortenia Senki (LN) - Volume 4 - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Inescapable Sin 

After washing off all the sweat that poured from him with a hot bath, Kouichiro put on his blue monk’s working clothes and made his way to the living room, where the detectives were waiting. 

“Thank you for waiting. I was in the middle of my daily routine, so fixing my appearance took some time.” Kouichiro bowed his head apologetically to the detectives sitting before him, with his back to the Japanese swords adorning the room’s floor. 

He sat in a straight posture unique to martial artists. Even the detectives, who were quite annoyed by having to wait for nearly thirty minutes, were beside themselves at the sight of this older man politely bowing his head to them. 

“Not at all, Mr. Mikoshiba...” The senior detective Tachibana bowed his head awkwardly, with the junior detective Kusuda hurriedly following his example. “We should apologize for intruding on you without appointment.” 

After the old man and the two detectives exchanged modest apologies, Kouichiro cut to the heart of the matter. 

“So, to what do I owe your visit today...? Are there any developments regarding my grandson’s whereabouts?” 

“No, nothing as of yet... We came to you today because we have a few questions about what happened that we wish to confirm.” 

Kouichiro’s direct tone and glare made Tachibana look daunted, even though he was up against someone who should have been a normal civilian. 

What the...? Cutting straight to the point already? And he’s awfully calm about it to boot... I thought so the first time as well, but this old man’s really unmanageable... But something definitely reeks about him. 

Saying he kept calm may have sounded nice, but Tachibana had not once seen Kouichiro lose his composure. Not even once. 

Of course, different people had different ways of processing anger and grief, with individual degrees of intensity. Whether someone let those emotions rise to the surface differed by personality. 

But even if one’s way of expressing or suppressing those emotions differed, human beings tend to react to particular events with set patterns of behavior. Like having one’s family disappear before one’s eyes. Parents who lost their child. A child that had lost their parents. In Tachibana’s long tenure as a detective, he’d seen many families struck by such grief. 

And this was why Tachibana eyed this old man with a great deal of suspicion. 

From Tachibana’s perspective, this man gave an almost mechanical impression, only giving the shortest, most minimal responses to his questions. 

“Yes, we have a few questions regarding your grandson... Are you sure you don’t have any ideas about why he would go missing? Really, any little thing would help.” 

As his junior, Kusuda, read a few questions from a small notebook, Tachibana sat beside him, eyeing Kouichiro carefully. 

Honestly speaking, Tachibana didn’t have a favorable impression of Kouichiro Mikoshiba to begin with. Circumstances led him to work for the community safety division’s Juvenile Observation and Protection Department, but he was originally an assistant inspector for the Criminal Affairs’ Fourth Investigative Division. 

They commonly dealt with organized crime and gang violence from the likes of the yakuza and foreign mafia, a truly crude occupation where one faced dangerous criminals on a daily basis. 

It required grit, endurance, and resourcefulness, fields in which Tachibana excelled. He particularly excelled in his ability to see through people. 

And in practice, most of the suspects Tachibana held suspicions of turned out to be real culprits, which stood as evidence of how accurate his intuition tended to be. 

And it was from this perspective that this old man sitting before him was a curious presence. 

Tachibana didn’t suspect him of a crime, or anything of the sort. If nothing else, a search of the police database didn’t bring up any records of a criminal past, nor was there anything suspicious about his relatives. He was a completely ordinary citizen. 

It was curious that he didn’t seem to have any recorded professional past, but apparently the fortune he inherited from his family was quite considerable, so he likely wasn’t in need of money. 

If Tachibana was to put a negative spin on it, this man was rather like a NEET mooching off his parents. 

At least as far as official records were concerned, Kouichiro Mikoshiba was nothing more than a moderately affluent member of the elderly. But upon meeting the man face to face, Tachibana’s impression of him was completely overturned. 

I’m trained in light kendo, aikido, karate, and martial arts myself, but... Still. 

Tachibana was inching toward midlife, but he had muscles tempered like steel. A police officer’s work required suppressing criminals, and no amount of training or skill would ever be enough. 

Of course, gunning criminals down would be the easiest solution, but that was awfully problematic considering the sort of nation Japan was. Even a warning shot into the air could cause scandals from the press and human rights organizations. 

And of course, the police bureaucracy cared little for the hardships of officers on the scene, pushing all the responsibility onto them. The handling of situations where the use of such force was put into question was never handled consistently across all such cases. 

True, judgments on the scene aren’t always correct ones, but that didn’t mean those who weren’t on the scene were able to provide valid critique of such judgments either. 

Of course, there were some cases where using firearms was unavoidable, but it could take months or even years to reach that conclusion officially. 

An officer wouldn’t be able to work if the legitimacy of how they prevented a single crime was constantly called into question with months squandered on trying to discern whether it was the right course of action. 

There was no doubt that firearms were excessively powerful for the purpose of maintaining public order, but the near-endless trouble using them could drag one into meant they weren’t usable except in the most dire of situations. 

They were weapons permissible to have, but not permissible to use. They may as well have forbidden the use of live ammunition, instead giving the officers non-lethal practice rounds, but stun guns were more practical than that. 

Of course, these sorts of complaints from the scene never transmitted to the upper echelons, and in the end the only true weapons officers had were their own trained bodies, collapsible batons, and their colleagues. And this left them with no choice but to practice martial arts. 

They did it not for the sport, but out of necessity, for a practical weapon to defend their own lives, as well as life and property of the common man, from criminals. 

As such, officers and other such professions involving danger, such as Self-Defense Forces personnel, trained up to black belt level, and then trained beyond even that, placing them well above civilian practitioners of that rank. 

They had greater combat experience, and a difference in resolve and disposition. It was easy to claim that violence was evil, and in a manner of speaking, that appraisal wasn’t wrong. But people like Tachibana and others like him knew for a fact that justice without power was its own brand of evil. 

But even with all that considered, Tachibana felt the man sitting before him was an anomaly. 

That wasn’t to say he felt on edge, or that the old man posed some kind of threat to him. But years of experience made Tachibana sense something from Kouichiro. 

Right... I’ve faced someone who felt like him before... I think it was back then. 

He thought back to a man with a history of working as a professional assassin for a Hong Kong mafia organization. He originally trained in a special forces unit for the People’s Liberation Army, and like many members of the mafia, found his way to the affluent streets of Hong Kong after falling on hard times. 

According to the documents Tachibana received at the time, the man took on some pretty dirty jobs in the name of upholding the peace during his time in the army, directly staining his own hands with blood dozens of times. 

It was said that men who had experience killing people gave off a different sort of aura, and indeed, upon seeing the man, Tachibana did note that the air he gave off was different from those around him. 

This old man feels eerily similar to him... This is just a hunch, but... 

Based on information gained from the International Criminal Police Organization, Tachibana’s senior detective at the time was given the order to arrest this man who had entered Japanese territory. 

It was initially doubtful how this fell under the Fourth Investigative Division’s jurisdiction, but they had received an appeal for cooperation because the Japanese branch of the man’s organization made contact with a large designated organized crime group. 

At first the investigation went well. The informant Tachibana planted in the criminal group provided swift, accurate information. They had the date, time, and place the target would enter Japan. Tachibana knew everything, from what hotel the target would be staying in to the fake name he was going to use. 

But just when he was a step away from arresting him, the young Tachibana stepped out of line from overeagerness, resulting in a savage counterattack from the assassin. 

It was the worst possible outcome and the greatest blunder of his career — two members of the operation died in the line of duty, and upon completing his job, the assassin dropped off their radar, never to be seen again — just as if he’d disappeared off the face of the earth. 

Tachibana had since narrowly avoided resignation, but having taken responsibility for the whole event, he was removed from the Fourth Investigative Division and the central government office, instead working for the regional police department. 

And so, he was demoted to a position with the Juvenile Observation and Protection Department, where he had been ever since. 

He had no intention whatsoever of looking down on the Community Safety Department’s work, but this was certainly severe enough of a punishment for someone who had worked in the frontlines facing off against professional criminals. 

That said, Tachibana wasn’t displeased. Defending the citizens from professional criminals was important, but he understood that watching over the young, those who would carry the nation’s future, was just as important of a job. 

Besides, every now and then I happen upon cases like this one... 

Even from the perspective of a veteran like Tachibana, this disappearance was a mysterious one. 

Normally, cases like this one would begin with a search request, followed by a formal investigation to check if there was any proof of an incident, and that was usually where it ended. 

Heartless as it may sound, even the police couldn’t find every person that went missing. Of course, cases where evidence of criminal intent or emergency existed, such as child abduction or a missing person who left behind a suicide note, were treated differently. Even still, as time progressed, fewer and fewer people remained to work on the case. 

Most people who heard of this would accuse the police of cold, unfair treatment, and in a manner of speaking, these complaints were justified. But the fact that it was impossible to defend every single citizen with limited resources and manpower held just as true. 

However, when it came to this case, it was indeed an unusual one. After all, the missing high-school student had an unusually large, hulking physique. He was a minor, but unlike a primary or middle schooler, he was at a more autonomous age. 

Plus, he wasn’t just large; he was clearly trained. Tachibana had received a photograph of him taken during his high school admission, and the young man’s large physique stood out at a glance. 

Unless he was attacked by a large group, it was doubtful most people would be able to do anything to this Ryoma Mikoshiba boy, impudent as that thought seemed. In other words, it was unlikely he was the victim of a crime. 

In which case, the possibility of him disappearing of his own will grew more convincing, but that presented another problem: there was no discernible reason for him to do that. 

He left his bag at school, and it had all his notebooks and textbooks. His cell phone, too. The only thing missing was a boxed lunch he supposedly received from Asuka Kiryuu. And that matches up with the testimony from his classmates, that he left the class with his lunch in hand... If he ran away from home, the timing for it is unnatural. And there are no witnesses, nor did he appear on any surveillance cameras from train stations or convenience stores in the area. He could have avoided them deliberately, and he might have used a car, but... 

There were surveillance cameras at every corner of the modern world, and it was exceedingly difficult to avoid being caught on tape to at least some extent. Even if they didn’t get a clear shot of him, it was unnatural that he didn’t appear on any cameras within a several kilometer radius. And even if he ran away from home, leaving his cell phone in his bag was unthinkable in this day and age. 

Something feels off about the old man, but nothing makes sense about the way the kid disappeared, either. From the photograph I can tell he’s not just tall. From how wide his chest and neck are, he’s clearly gone through considerable training, way beyond the scope of a hobby. 

Asuka Kiryuu was standing next to him in the photograph, and his body matched her waist and thighs in girth. 

He also inspected the photograph with a magnifying glass and found his fists had considerable calluses on them, the kind one would only get from practicing daily and over a long period of time with a karate straw post. 

But there’s no record of Ryoma Mikoshiba participating officially in any martial art or form of sports... Same as this old man... It feels like it was deliberately hidden, but why? 

The more he dug into the place, the more Tachibana felt there was something off about Ryoma Mikoshiba. Or rather, something was unnatural about the Mikoshiba family... 

There’s the matter of his parents, too... 

The questioning ended about as expected, and Kusuda turned his eyes to Tachibana. 

“Is there anything else, Mr. Tachibana?” 

At first glance, nothing seemed to change about Kusuda’s expression, but Tachibana noticed the slight change to the mask of his expression. 

He’s not incompetent, but he definitely wants to close this up by the book... I guess it makes sense, given how young he is... 

Kusuda wasn’t enthusiastic about working on this case, only taking part in it because Tachibana, the senior in charge of his training, was assigned to it. He was quite frankly apathetic in his investigation, and Tachibana could vaguely tell he wanted to get it over with as fast as possible. 

I can relate to him not wanting to squander any more time on a case that doesn’t look like it’s going to bear any fruit... 

There were essentially two ways to move up as a police officer. The first was to apply for an exam that would raise your rank. It was the safest, most certain, and most tiresome method of being promoted. 

The other was to earn enough merit and achievements to be moved to one of the star postings. What it meant was that one remained part of their division, while their post would move from the local police station to the jurisdiction office. It was the equivalent of a businessman moving from a branch office to the head office of a company. 

For all young Kusuda was concerned, he wanted out of this posting and its boring, unappealing work, and to move to the more flashy and appealing Criminal Investigations Department. Tachibana was aware of how, to that end, he was desperate for any chance to gain merit. 

Tachibana didn’t intend to justify that way of thinking, but considering where it stemmed from, he couldn’t quite fault him for it, either. 

Of course, considering his role as a police officer, it did come across as wrong. At least as far as appearances go, no job was any more or less important than another when it came to police work; catching criminals wasn’t everything. Handling lost articles, helping people find their way around the streets, and even guarding the entrance to the police station were important parts of maintaining the public order. 

But those were plain, dull jobs that weren’t appreciated by the citizens. 

And with the section chief being the way he is... 

Tachibana’s lips curled as the face of their boss, who was always pressuring them to get results and up the numbers, surfaced in his mind. He didn’t think highly of him. No. Frankly speaking, he thought of him as the scum of the earth. But then again, he only ever pressured his subordinates the way he did because he was pressured the same way by his own superiors. 

Society stressed results and efficiency, and that wasn’t limited to just police work. Modern Japan fully operated on the logic of numbers, and once most people saw past the pretense and appearances, they acted the way Kusuda did. Put another way, society had a way of crushing those that didn’t conform to that line of thought. 

“No, I don’t have anything to ask.” Feeling Kusuda’s probing glance, Tachibana nodded, quashing the feeling of sorrow budding in his heart. 

They’d mostly achieved what they came for. Tachibana was convinced his hunch was right on the money. 

This old man is the key to this case. There’s no doubt he’s holding onto everything... The only question is how I should approach this going forward. I should probably gather some more info. 

There was nothing more he could do for now. Even if he were to shower the old man with questions, he doubted he’d get a convincing answer out of him. 

“I see... Then I suppose we’ll be off. It’s getting quite late, after all.” Kusuda cracked a smile, relieved they could finally go home. 

“Oh, do you want me to prepare dinner?” Asuka asked. 

“No, we appreciate the offer, but we’re on the clock right now,” Tachibana gratefully declined, rising to his feet. 

“I see... I’m sorry we didn’t have much to treat you with,” Kouichiro said. “If anything else comes up, come by any time... Asuka, if you would?” 

“I’ll show you the door.” Asuka nodded slightly. 

With that said, she followed Tachibana and Kusuda out of the living room, as Kouichiro watched them go.

“That detective, Tachibana...” 

Kouichiro reached for his favorite tea bowl, taking a sip of his now lukewarm tea and letting the taste linger on his tongue. 

“Hmm. He might’ve picked up on something, but that’s all it’ll ever amount to.” 

For Kouichiro, who knew the whole truth, nothing was more irritating than having a detective like Tachibana, who was simply too loyal to his duties, snoop around. That said, Kouichiro couldn’t offer Tachibana an answer he would accept. 

The Otherworld Summoning. 

On their own, the words didn’t feel that odd. Many Japanese works of fiction made use of it. But saying those words in reality was an entirely different story. If nothing else, had Kouichiro been in Tachibana’s position, he’d only take those words as the ramblings of a madman. 

Still, there’s only one thing I can do... 

Kouichiro had been carrying that guilt ever since he returned from the other world. Just thinking about why the companions that should have followed him weren’t with him drove him mad. 

Following a path paved by many sacrifices, Kouichiro found his way back home to Japan, and just as everything seemed like it might finally be forgotten, it happened. 

A hole opened at his feet, dragging his son and his son’s wife into its dark embrace. The two of them had heard of his story, and while they only half-believed it, they now knew what the situation meant. Their final cries, imploring him to take care of their son, echoed in his ears to this very day. 

The guilt of not going back to the other Earth with them, and of leaving them behind, sank to the bottom of Kouichiro’s heart like a sort of sludge. But he lived on to this day to fulfill his final promise to them and take care of their son. 

But now, even his beloved grandson had become a victim of his karma. 

I am reaping what I sowed. They say what goes around comes around, and those words are all too true. 

Kouichiro thought it had all ended with the sacrifice of his son and his son’s wife. That he’d atoned for his sins. But the shackles of fate rejected his feelings, claiming Ryoma as well. 

There was no proof, but Kouichiro was convinced Ryoma had been summoned to the other world. 

Perhaps I should have told Ryoma, even if he wouldn’t have believed me... 

Regret and remorse formed ripples in Kouichiro’s heart. He gazed into the empty tea bowl in his hands. 

But his emotions soon blanked out at the sound of Asuka screaming. 

“Asuka!” 

At that moment Kouichiro rose to his feet in surprise, only to hear a faint humming sound coming from a sword’s handle. Kouichiro’s gaze fell on his beloved katanas, which sat enshrined in an alcove. 

This is... Ouka and Kikuka are humming...? 

These beloved swords had saved his life countless times in the other world. Even upon returning to Rearth, Kouichiro never neglected to keep them maintained every day. They were true blades, tools of manslaughter. 

And now, many moons and years later, they spoke and sang to Kouichiro yet again. 

Are they telling me to take them...? 

That was, in a way, a foreboding decision. Taking the two swords from the alcove, Kouichiro rushed over to the entrance. 

Impossible... No, it can’t be! 

Cursing the size of his own house, Kouichiro hurried to the entrance. 

“No... This can’t be... Not her, too... You can’t take even Asuka away as well. Is that the punishment you would inflict on me?” 

He’d paid once already with his son and his son’s wife. He never expected to have to bear another sacrifice, but this curse had claimed his grandson next. And now tragedy was about to strike a third time. 

Taking two turns down the hallway, Kouichiro arrived in the entrance hall, only to be greeted with the worst possible sight. 

There was no one there. Neither the two detectives nor Asuka. In their place, a gaping black hole was open in the ground. A bottomless opening to the depths of hell. And Kouichiro knew awfully well what diving into it would mean. 

But I can’t abandon Asuka. If I don’t go after her, she would definitely... 

Unlike the grandson he raised and personally trained, Asuka wasn’t as dutifully trained. In both heart and body, she was only an amateur girl of the modern age. That was more than enough to live in Japan, and her becoming too strong might actually make life harder going forward for her; that thought stopped Kouichiro from training her any further. And even now, he didn’t feel he was wrong in that decision. 

But in a world where the law had a less binding presence and human rights were a questionable concept, things were different. Nonaggression or self-defense rendered one incapable of defending themselves, to say nothing of others. 

To survive in that world, one needed to be capable of mercilessly slaying their opponent, and needed to have the crisis management skills to know how to deal with threats ahead of time. 

Of course, if one managed to find a way of surviving, they would come to develop those skills in that world, whether they wished to or not. But before she reached that state, Asuka would have to live through hell. 

Yes, just as Kouichiro once did, in his youth... 

There’s plenty I’d like to take along if I could, but... I don’t have the time to think it over. I’ll have to make do with these two... 

The hole in the ground was gradually closing. He only had a few moments left. In seconds, the two worlds would once again be separated. 

Kouichiro tightened his grip on the two swords he cherished so greatly. At this point there was no way of knowing what country had summoned them, but there was no doubt he would have to fight. 

Forgive me... In the end, even Asuka became involved in all of this, even though I feared this would happen... But I will protect her. I swear it. I will keep her safe, even if it claims my life. So please... Forgive your sinful brother. 

Mouthing silent words of gratitude to his younger sister, who had always supported him and Ryoma, Kouichiro stepped forward. 

“Wait for me, Asuka!” 

With his swords in hand, Kouichiro once again soared back into that world of savagery, so he would not have to lose any more of his family. 

Swallowing Kouichiro up, the hole sluggishly closed its maw, leaving in its wake an estate bereft of its master. The only witness of what transpired within these walls was the pale moon, overlooking everything from a crack in the grey clouds.