Chapter 69
Conclusion, The Unknown God
Outside the window stretched the sky of Tokyo, unchanged for the past twenty years.
Almost too unchanged.
Since the counterasure headquarters beca the special investigation division, neither culture nor technology has advanced much. The Cold War continues without escalation or resolution.
Since then, every ti the higher-ups used The God Who Is There, I used it too. To maintain a world that never changes. I'm sure there have been alterations and distortions I don't even know about.
Kirima once told —this is far from a decent way to live.
The fluorescent light flickered noisily as I pressed down the window blinds with my finger.
Miyaki Rei is down at the smoking area. I had ant to keep her out of this, but in the end, I couldn't.
I don't know what happened after her grandfather was taken in by the Imperial Household Agency. A while later, she was demoted and sent here. She must've learned too much. I'm just glad she wasn't erased.
When Rei joined the special investigation division, I panicked—but at the sa ti, I saw a glimr of hope. I thought maybe she could bring Kirima back soday.
I can't go near Mount Fudaraku anymore. I got too close to The Unseen God, and I used it. If I go again, I might not co back.
But this investigation was a failure too.
I pushed up the blinds. Umura was standing right behind .
"Peeping on a young girl, Kirima?"
"Idiot."
No matter how many years pass, I still can't get used to being called by that na.
"You still look young too, Kirima. You haven't changed a bit."
I looked at my reflection and Umura's in the window, backlit by the dazzling winter sun.
Umura also looks younger than forty, but I'm the strange one. Not a single wrinkle. No gray hair. I don't even feel like I've lost any stamina.
"Unchanged, huh..."
I turned to face Umura.
"You used to say I looked like a different person."
"Well, you're not a thug anymore."
Umura shrugged and laughed. I lift my bangs, wear a suit, straighten my back—imitating Kirima. That's the only difference from when I was twenty.
"It's probably because of The God Who Is There."
At my words, Umura blinked.
"Even Miyaki's grandfather has been alive ever since then. Those who use The God Who Is There are preserved as servants of the god. Whether it's to witness the altered world or to prove the difference from the original, I don't know."
Umura exhaled deeply and shook his head.
"You've changed after all. You've gotten too smart."
"I wish I could've stayed stupid."
But you can't live like that. I reached for what I had hidden in the corner of the archive.
"I'm going for a smoke."
The hallway was sparsely populated.
Mixed in with those who know nothing were mbers of the special investigation division, wandering about.
When Esato passed , he gave a slight nod. He rembers the real Kirima, but never pries. I appreciated his indifference and resignation.
Holding docunts in one hand, Rokuhara was making a call sowhere. His side profile reminded of Ryoko. He works hard, but I still don't know what he's thinking.
There was also a reporter from the sa occult magazine as Reizei. She's not as cheerful or gossip-loving, but she smokes the sa heavy, tar-laden strange cigarettes.
As I walked toward the ashtray, I heard Rei's voice.
"'God reigns in the heavens. All is well in the world,' huh?"
I froze in place. Standing next to Rei was Katagishi Daigo.
Once, just like that, we sat around an ashtray and heard those sa words from Kirima.
The two of them noticed and turned around. I stopped, feet shoulder-width apart.
Rei gave a slight bow. Katagishi stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and nodded vaguely.
"Earlier, I'm sorry for..."
I almost laughed at the ek attitude and quickly straightened my expression. I spoke in a low voice.
"Don't worry about it. It's better for the organization to have soone who can speak their mind to the higher-ups."
That's what Kirima would say. Even now, I live by thinking what he would do.
"Thank you."
Katagishi said awkwardly. In the end, his seriousness, recklessness, and devotion to his wife remind of Kirima. I wonder if Rei notices. Probably not.
The two bowed again and started to leave, but Rei stopped midway.
"Oh, by the way, Kirima. It's not about The Unseen God, but there's sothing that's been bothering ."
I could feel my heart skip a beat.
"What is it?"
"When I got lost in that village, I feel like soone gave directions."
Katagishi looked puzzled.
"Did that happen? We were together most of the ti, weren't we?"
"Yeah, but maybe before I t up with you?"
Rei tilted her head. I feigned calm and asked,
"What kind of person was it...?"
"I don't really rember, but he was tall, tanned, and kind of had a similar vibe to you, Kirima. I thought I asked his na to thank him, but..."
Rei let out a small gasp.
"That's right, I think he said his na was Uyuu. But that na doesn't exist, right?"
I stood frozen, forgetting to reply. Thinking I was dumbfounded, Katagishi scolded Rei.
"Don't say weird stuff like that..."
I struggled to steady my breathing and searched my pocket with trembling fingers. I pulled out a bare 5,000 yen bill and sohow held it out to them. The two of them blinked in surprise.
"...It's the end of the day, right? Go get so ran or sothing."
Rei bowed and accepted it. Katagishi looked confused.
I could hear the two of them chatting as they walked away.
"Miyaki, you're really taking that?"
"You should accept kindness! When I was a kid, Kirima used to take to ran shops sotis. Let's go to one of those."
I sat down on a bench and pulled out what I took from the archive. I lit one of Reizei's cigarettes with Kirima's matches.
As I exhaled deeply, it felt like twenty years had lted away all at once. Like it had only been yesterday.
"I'm still nowhere near living a decent life, Kirima..."
The smoke blurred my vision, the city reflected in the window, and Tokyo Tower.
Territorial Divine Offenses, Part Two: End
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