This story is a derivative fanwork written by GodandMen for the Toaru Majutsu no Index/とある魔術の禁書目録 franchise.
SIGILS
I
-x-
Damn riddles.
Jim reached for the camera to check the image of the magical script again but stopped himself. He had already transcribed the script onto a notebook:
ꝽÆænneæænnenigon
PÆnnænnefīf
ÐÆænnefēowe
ÆLloowænnesiextīne?
ꝽÆǷnneuuænneseofon
It was pointless. He was not going to solve it magically by just staring at it. He needed whatever information he could get to decipher the lines of script.
His best bet was open-source information on the internet. Maybe if he searched the lines of script he can find something.
Jim knew that he needed to decipher the code. He couldn't waste too much time or the trail would go cold. Worse yet, the fiery operative also saw the script.
If she solved the script and got to the girl first…
Jim could use the mobile data on his personal phone…but honestly? He didn't want to waste credit. He didn't have a lot of money to begin with.
The jackals didn't pay mongrels like him 'a living wage'. Instead they gave him the bare minimum necessary for him to survive. It was at irregular intervals as well, so Jim always had to live frugally.
This way Jim can't save up and hop onto a one-way flight to Aruba. So he didn't want to waste his money. He had already spent enough over the last weekend.
Jim shook his head sadly.
It was Monday morning and he was already thinking about so much nonsense.
Chill! Enjoy life! You start a new job today!
Okay, new rule! No thinking about work!
Think happy thoughts! Happy thoughts only!
He nibbled away at the two slices of white bread that was his breakfast. Today he would be reporting to his Anti-Skill station. What would he do on his first day –
– and Jim realized that he could use the computers at the Anti-Skill station.
No! Bad Jim!
No! Don't think about work!
He hit himself on the head.
Just chill today!
He wondered what he would be doing on his first day as a cadet. Well, he did hear about some serial killer running around the city…but Jim was just a lowly cadet. Surely nobody will ask a lot from him, right?!
In any case, he wasn't interested in chasing some fucker through the sewers on a wild goose chase. And after the dust settled he would probably get grilled about every single little deicison he made.
The worst part was that the panel asking the questions was always made up of fuckers who were in some cozy office miles away, with their feet dry, when it all went down.
Those fuckers were always just trying to cover their own asses. Usually at the expense of poor mongrels like Jim.
He had done enough of that in Sofia.
Yomikawa would probably just show him around the station, slap him around a bit and then finally park him in a desk. Jim fantasized about how he would spend the rest of day in a chair.
He thought about how he could spend the entire day just lazing around and doing nothing. Or at least, he would pretend to work while actually doing nothing.
And they'd feed him, right?
For free, right?!
Jim closed his eyes and smiled dreamily. Finally, he had caught a break. He knew his luck would have to turn, eventually!
Finally!
For one day in his miserable life Jim could just sit peacefully at a desk and relax!
Finally, no fucking jackals sending him out to die!
He stood up again and readied everything.
Surely Yomikawa will not make a big deal about his lack of a uniform, surely not! She was probably just scaring him. And also, she'll probably just walk him over to the supply unit immediately and get the supply sergeant to…
Jim stopped.
Waaaaaait….
"I said –"
"Yes ma'am, you did say –"
"Don't interrupt me!"
Yomikawa glared at the boy. Despite his best efforts to hide them she could see faint bruises and wounds across his body. The Anti-Skill lieutenant could also see the dark, saggy bags underneath his eyes. But that's not what irked her the most.
It was his clothing.
Jim was decidedly not in an Anti-Skill uniform.
Yomikawa stared contemptibly at the t-shirt, shorts, and sandals the boy was wearing.
"I explicitly told you not to get into any more trouble. But most importantly, I told you to get a uniform! How is it you have the balls to show up here, having accomplished neither?!"
"Ma'am –" Jim began slowly.
"Cut your false manners! Call me Yomikawa."
"Madam Yomikawa, I am sorry for my wounds. Some thugs attacked me. But the uniform, it was impossible for me to get one. There was nothing I could do."
"I told you to go to Supply!"
Jim narrowed his eyes.
"Which supply, Madam Yomikawa?"
Yomikawa pointed at the Anti-Skill building behind her.
"And how exactly am I supposed to walk into an Anti-Skill station with no badge or ID, and ask the supply sergeant to give me a uniform? And how am I supposed to have a badge or ID, if I haven't reported to a certain Anti-Skill lieutenant for duty?"
Jim saw the wheels in Yomikawa's head slowly turning. Finally something clicked and her eyes shone like a triumphant child who finally worked out a difficult math problem.
"All you needed to do is walk into the station and say 'Yomikawa sent me!'"
Jim made a face.
"And they would have called me, or gotten me from my office. Hah! You little scoundrel! Trying to weasel your way out of this, are you? Try harder next time!"
With that, she grabbed him by the scuff of his collar and led him out of the parking lot and into the building. When they entered the reception Jim felt a cool rush of air conditioning greeting him.
I could get used to this.
The Anti-Skill officer sitting at the front rose to her feet as they walked over.
"Tessou! Is the morning briefing ready?"
"Yes, Yomikawa-san. Everyone is waiting in the breifing room."
Welcome to Sofia.
When he felt a barrage of stares shooting towards him, Jim realized why Yomikawa had instructed him to wear an Anti-Skill uniform. He stood out like a sore thumb amidst all the other officers.
When Yomikawa entered the room the other Anti-Skill officers rose respectfully to their feet. The lieutenant took Jim and motioned vaguely at a seat before walking up the front.
Jim calmly met the stares and – remembering Japanese etiquette – bowed awkwardly to the collective faces. He kept a poker face as he walked to the corner of the room.
It felt just like the first time he walked into the Sofia station.
Yomikawa coughed loudly. The entire room turned to the front again.
"Alright, sit."
A chorus of seats being filled echoed across the room. Jim remained standing. He knew that he was the outsider who didn't deserve a seat.
But Yomikawa pointed her finger accusingly at him, singling him out.
"Sit!"
Jim meekly sat down amidst laughter from the crowd.
"Alright folks, let's keep this short and simple. First things first! That dumb high school kid in the corner is Jim! He is our new cadet! He will be joining our station from now on. Show him the ropes and make sure he doesn't get into trouble! But be careful, the little twat's got teeth and he bites!"
More laughter.
Friendly laughter.
Jim looked at the officers smiling warmly at him. He suddenly realized that they weren't as cold as he first thought.
"But that's unimportant – no offence, Jim – compared to the latest developments."
A heavy stress suddenly descended in the air. The officers' faces formed into a monolith of grim determination and resolve.
"The killer has claimed another victim."
Yomikawa gripped the microphone.
"We've discovered a new victim on Saturday! This makes it the third victim from the serial killer, who has been provisionally named Suspect A. As you all know, last Sunday the HQ downtown has formed a special group, named Task Force A, to hunt this bastard down. You have all been briefed on the details of the third murder on Sunday morning, so I won't go through it again. Our station will be sending half of our officers to help the task force."
Yomikawa read out a list of names. Jim noted that she herself was not included. He sighed happily at how his name was also not included.
He was already thinking about the fabled desk and lunchtime.
"However we cannot abandon our regular duties! The rest will be on the usual patrol routes. But everyone is to be on high alert! If you see anything suspicious, call it in immediately! If there are any new developments Tessou will update you with the details over the radio."
Yomikawa stopped for a moment and cast her determined gaze across the room.
"The school year is going to start soon. There will be new students entering the city to begin their studies. I will not allow this killer to be roaming around, threatening innocent children! Is that clear?"
A loud, fierce chorus of "YES!" answered her.
Jim smiled at their energy.
He was wrong.
They weren't the cold, nasty jackals from Sofia. If anything, the officers reminded him of something else: it was a night before a big offensive, when everyone was huddled around the fire, nervously checking their Kalashnikovs for the thousandth time.
The difference is that these officers weren't scared shitless like Jim was.
As the room broke into a commotion of shuffling and moving feet, Jim saw Yomikawa beckon him to her. He walked up to her and she waited until the room was empty and the others had left.
Then she pointed him to the officer who had manned the front desk.
"Jim, this is Tessou Tsuzuri. She's the marvelous wonder who runs the front desk and takes care of everything around here. This station would grind to a halt if not for her. Frankly I don't know what I'd do without this woman."
Jim looked at her.
Green hair. Glasses. Medium stature. His eyes noted her body language. Drooping shoulders. Nervous smile. He discreetly studied the marks on her face. Her skin was relatively smooth and quite clear. Age, mid-twenties, maybe even early-twenties. He recalled the ages of the other officers.
Likely most junior.
Well, not anymore.
Jim realized why Yomikawa had waited for the room to be empty.
"Hello, Tessou-senpai. I'll be in your care," Jim said respectfully, bowing his head.
The woman blushed at his deference. Evidently she was not used to being shown so much respect. Yomikawa simply laughed and gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"Look at him, so polite and nice! Not bad for a foreigner, eh? But don't trust him, Tessou, he'll rob you blind if you ever turn your back to him. Anyways Tessou, show him the armory and get the poor slob a uniform. Give him his equipment as well. After you're done, call me. He's on patrol with me today."
"Woah!"
Jim whispered in awe as he put on the vest. Even though was thin and light, he could still feel its reassuring strength. It hugged his torso tightly without being cumbersome or suffocating.
And the pouches! All of them were secured solidly to the vest. There was no annoying wobble.
This was worlds apart from the nasty – but admittedly quite indestructible – Russian chest rigs he was used to. Certainly better than the American webbings with their stupidly loose, swinging pouches!
He glanced at Tessou and gave her a bright thumbs-up.
Yomikawa looked on at his reaction from behind a shelf, hidden from view. His childish glee at seeing and handling his new equipment brought a smile to her face.
He really is a high school boy after all.
"Is this –"
"No, it is not bullet proof. That's a stab vest, Jim. It stops knives. It won't stop a bullet, unless it's something small like a .22 LR round," Yomikawa said out loud from behind.
She stepped out of the cover and walked over to him. The lieutenant looked over him dotingly and made some more corrections, like a mother ruffling out the rough edges of her son's new school uniform.
"Can I take this home, ma'am?"
She gave him a nasty look.
"Why? What are you planning to do with it?"
"Train!" Jim said quickly, "I want to run in the morning with it. Get used to it, you know."
"And go around on patrol with a smelly vest?"
"Eh…."
She smacked him lightly on the head.
"Yes, you can take it home. But don't damage it or spill coffee on it. And don't sweat like a pig in it. And you have to sign it out from Tessou first."
Jim's eyes sparkled with excitement. However Yomikawa's face quickly darkened into an ominous glare.
"And if I ever hear or see you doing something illegal while wearing it…"
Jim frantically shook his head, smiling nervously.
"Of course not, lieutenant! Oh! My gun! My gun! Where's my gun, ma'am?!"
Tessou giggled and Yomikawa threw her head back in mocking laughter.
"Jim, you are light years away from being issued a gun. There's no way in hell I'm giving a cadet a gun on his first day, certainly not some twat like you. And even if I did issue one to you, there's no way you will be taking it home!"
Jim pouted like a little boy but said nothing.
"Alright, that's it. You're good to go."
Lieutenant Yomikawa motioned at the door.
"Now follow me. You're with me today."
"Yes ma'am!"
Jim poked uncertainly at the vent. His eyes suspiciously examined the array of buttons and knobs. Then he slowly and carefully turned one of them and a rush of cool air greeted his face.
It actually worked!
Yomikawa looked curiously at him.
"Stop messing with the passenger aircon, Jim. The main one is already on."
He quickly turned it off.
"Sorry."
Silence.
"So, how's Academy City been treating you so far?"
"Well, I got arrested."
She rolled her eyes.
"I meant, what are your thoughts about the city. Anything you like so far?"
Jim paused for a moment.
"It's really high tech! Did you know that there are vending machines that accept notes? Like bank notes?"
He suddenly turned to her.
"Yeah, how does that work? If I put in a note does it spit out coins?"
"Yes, Jim, that's how vending machines work."
"But what if I put like a ¥10,000 note? And buy like the cheapest thing possible? Does it really give me all the change? Wouldn't that be like, a lot?"
"Um…yeah."
"But doesn't the machine run out of coins or something? What if everyone did that with ¥10,000 notes? Won't it run out of coins at some point?"
Yomikawa slowed the car down and turned to look at him, to see if he was joking. But the boy was deadly serious. She giggled at his expression.
"Yes, Jim. The machine can run out of coins. Then the machine won't let you buy anything from it until the change is replenished. And they'll give back your money if something went wrong."
She saw him swear silently under his breath.
"Why, what happened? Got your money gobbled up?"
"Something like that," he grumbled.
"Well, what about the station? It's your first day as an Anti-Skill cadet."
Jim's eyes lit up.
"Oh, right! I wanted to ask you. I get paid, right? As a cadet! I get paid, right? Right?! Like, I get a 'living wage', right?"
Yomikawa couldn't help but grimace internally. She knew that Anti-Skill cadetships were notorious for their terrible pay.
"Yes, Jim…you do get paid. By the hour."
"How much!?"
"Well…the going rate is ¥800."
The lieutenant knew that even convenience store workers were paid better. And they didn't have to risk their lives. She saw that he was silent, trying to process the new information.
A pang of guilt shot through her heart.
"But hey, it's not just the pay, you know? Jim, your dorm room is subsidized, right? Also your school tuition is free, right? It might not look like it, but the cadetship is actually a good deal. And you learn real life skills as well. You get to be a police officer! The girls in your school will be all over you. So, please, don't sulk, keep your head up!"
She saw that the wheels in his head were still turning and that he was trying to perform some sort of calculation with his fingers.
"Wait…¥100 is...ah…¥100 is about $1, right?"
"Yeah…"
"So ¥800/hr is about $8/hr, right?"
Yomikawa grimaced visibly.
"And I work 3 days a week, with 7 hours a day…so that makes…ah…"
"21 hours a week, Jim."
Jim furrowed his eyebrows and tried to make use of what few brain cells he had to calculate the next herculean problem.
"And 21 times 800 is…"
"¥16,800 a week. Or $168," and to save him the trouble, she added, "which comes out to ¥67,200 a month, or $672."
She saw his eyes widening when she said the numbers.
"Woah…" he finally said, "that is…not bad! Jesus! Do I really get paid that much?"
Her mouth dropped open.
"Wait, wait, wait, lieutenant, how do you count the hours? Does this count? Me sitting in the car, does it count? Does it count as working hours?"
"…yes, Jim, it does."
"What about me sitting in a chair? Does that count? Or me eating lunch? Do those count?"
"…yes, Jim."
She could see his tiny brain exploding right before her.
"Woah…I can't believe they actually pay stupid cadets money! And for doing nothing too!"
Yomikawa's heart just melted.
She considered explaining to him the concept of overtime, or the fact that he worked every day during vacations. But she wasn't sure if her heart could handle any more of his reactions.
Yomikawa discreetly slowed down the car just so that she would have more time to talk with the adorable teenager seated next to her.
"Hey Jim, guess what we're going to be doing today?"
"What, ma'am?"
A wide smile spread across her face.
"Oh Jim…you're gonna love it."
"Um…Lieutenant? Do we usually patrol these places?"
"Yes, of course. We serve and protect the people."
"I, eh…I don't see anybody around here we should be serving and protecting."
Yomikawa furrowed her eyebrows.
"Anti-Skill serves and protects everyone, Jim."
He made a strange face but chose to say nothing. While she was busy studying the dirty surface of the alleyway, he took another look around.
Jim was new, yes, but even he could tell that Yomikawa had driven them out to a less-reputable part of the city. He had seen scores of homeless people staring at them as the Anti-Skill patrol car drove past.
She said they were in sector PAN-N 5.
Yomikawa paid no attention to him and continued walking further and further into the alleyway, her head downcast. Looking for something? Suddenly she gave out a cry of triumph and pointed at the ground.
Jim walked closer and examined what appeared to be a big blotch of dried blood next to a large manhole.
"We've got it, Jim!"
"Got what, lieutenant?"
Yomikawa knelt down beside the stain of blood and carefully scooped up some of the red dirt and deposited it into a forensic vial. He saw her face furrowing in concentration. Then, without turning to him, she began to explain:
"Jim, you've heard about the serial killer this morning, right?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Well, you weren't there to hear the previous briefings so I'll fill you in. Suspect A is a serial killer who kills his victim by cutting their bodies into pieces and deposing of them in plastic bags. We found his second victim, a homeless man, last Thursday. The victim's body parts were found floating down a river. The entire task force is now scouring both banks of the river for the murder scene, or at least for the spot where he dumped the bags."
Jim was baffled.
"Well, my theory is that he didn't dump it from a river bank. Instead he could have thrown it into one of the storm drainage passages connecting to the river. However there are only a few that can handle the size of a human's remains. And only one is connected to an area known for homeless people!"
She pointed proudly at the manhole.
"This one!"
Jim stared at her with unbelieving eyes.
"Oh come now, Doctor Jim, no need to be so flattering. That was but an elementary deduction."
But that was not what Jim had trouble believing.
"You…" he struggled to find the words, "you dragged me out here to investigate the serial killer?"
"Why, of course! An exciting first day for a cadet, right?"
Jim facepalmed. Yomikawa gave him a strange look, as if she had trouble understanding his reaction.
"What's the matter, Jim? You don't like it?"
"Nothing, ma'am…nothing."
"Well, you should feel honored!"
"Yes, madam Yomikawa, I am truly honored."
She knelt down again and put on a pair of forensic gloves. Then she proceeded to investigate the scene some more, taking careful note of each detail and even taking pictures with a camera.
Jim slowly reached for the collapsible baton on his vest.
Yomikawa put away the camera. Her back was still facing him.
"Shall I quiz you, Jim?"
He said nothing.
"Come now, no need to play dumb. It's not a bad skill for an Anti-Skill officer to have."
Jim sighed quietly.
"Male, mid-fifties. Grey goatee. Poor. Dressed in rags. Cough in his chest. Been following us for the last…ten minutes. Getting closer ever since you found the scene."
Yomikawa shook her head when she saw his hand slowly unsheathing his baton.
"Fifteen minutes. And we drove past him. But yes, you're correct."
She stood up but did not turn to look behind them. Both of them were now facing the same direction, with their backs to him.
"Standard split-hook."
"Roger, ma'am."
"Yomikawa. Yomikawa-san in front of others, because you're the junior."
"Roger, madam Yomikawa-san."
The old man carefully peeked around the corner and saw the two Anti-Skill officers walking further down the alley.
The younger one took out a plastic water bottle and gave it a quick swig. Then he tossed it to the side. For this he got smacked in the head by the older one: littering.
Then they turned around a corner and disappeared from his sight. He scurried forwards and looked around the next corner.
He saw no one.
He's lost them. But it was alright, they were still close by. Nah, they probably left. Anti-Skill officers did not like to poke around these parts.
After all, nobody cared about the homeless.
He turned around ruefully to look at the manhole and the stained ground. A deep sorrow gripped his heart, and he wished had some alcohol to wipe away the thoughts. It was pointless to cry about –
The man turned and saw the Anti-Skill officer standing in front of him.
He turned frantically to flee but saw the younger one standing behind him, with a baton in his hands.
"Jim, you're holding it wrong. And put it away. Sir, we would just like to talk to you."
Yomikawa saw fear creeping into the man's face. She reached her hands out to him. The man flinched, expecting her to hit him, but a stunned expression spread across his face when he realized she was holding his shoulders lightly.
Comfortingly.
Jim winced when he saw her hands – without the forensic gloves – touching the dirty, grimy, flea-ridden rags.
"I'm not here to arrest you sir. I'm here to find the killer. I can tell that this scene is very emotional to you. I need your help, sir, if you want justice for what happened here."
The old man's expressions softened.
Jim's jaws dropped open.
What the –?
That's it?
That's all she needed to say?
Jim watched stupidly as she quickly said all of the right things, in quick succession, and without fail. He was amazed by how genuine she managed to sound.
Before he even realized it Yomikawa had already gotten past the opening spadework and had the old man fully committed to her.
"He was not a bad man, officer, despite what others may say. Yes, he had a routine of…ah…asking people for things, but you know how it is. It's tough out here. A man's got to borrow things from people."
The old man choked up.
"But he was a good man, you see, he meant no harm. He's the only one who's been bringing me medicine for me coughs. I'd be a dead man without him. You don't see that alot, officer, a fellow man looking out for another. You just don't."
"Yes sir, I understand. Do you know…what happened to him?"
A pained expression spread across his face.
"Yes…I heard about him. I…"
He looked around fearfully before dropping to a low, frightened whisper.
"I saw what happened."
Yomikawa's eyes burned with interest.
"What do you mean?"
"I saw it! The night he…that monster attacked him. He was doing his routine of borrowing on the man, and the man was saying he'll help him if he follows him. So they went into this alley and after an hour or so only the man came out. Next morning it's all over the news, how they found him the river."
"Did you see the man? The man who…led your friend here?"
The old man shook his face sadly.
"Nah, I did not. It was a dark night and I was far away. I mind my own business, not the curious type. So I kept my distance. The man had one of them large coats with those fancy collars, you know the ones that cover your face. Like those spy movies. So nah, didn't see nothing, I did not."
How convenient, Jim thought.
Then Jim stood by and watched in wonder as Yomikawa quickly and efficiently weaved in a new angle:
The old man's life was in danger! 'Killer A' would come for him next because he had seen them that night. And all that of course led to the logical conclusion that he needed to come with them to the station for protection.
For his own safety.
Yomikawa even had the forethought to tell him that they'll arrest him, make a show of it, to show the other homeless that he wasn't snitching on anyone.
And that's the story of how they came to drive a handcuffed, homeless man back to the station.
"What do you think, Jim?"
They were in the station's parking lot again, with Yomikawa bent over a map spread open on the hood of the patrol car. Jim on the other hand was looking back at the station.
They had arrested the homeless man and booked him in for some minor charges. Tessou was quietly told to keep an eye on him and to hold him in a solitary cell.
The man was also told to keep his mouth shut about what they had talked about. Strangely enough, she did not explain the man's connection to Suspect A to anyone else, not even Tessou.
Yomikawa was no slouch.
"Jim?"
"Oh, yes, ma'am. You were saying?"
"What do you think? You think the man was lying?"
"The hobo seemed genuinely sad to me. Although I think he probably did see Suspect A's face, but not very well."
"It's homeless, Jim. Or internally-displaced if you want."
"Well, I think the homeless hobo is probably useful, but not a reliable witness."
Yomikawa glared at him. But she turned back to the map and her hand moved to a mark that she made with a sharpie pen.
"Anyways, I've also investigated the first victim this weekend. His body was found in a trash heap, but I suspect he was murdered in sector GNA-N 9. Now we've found the second victim's scene of death to be in PAN-N 5. The third and most recent victim was also found in a dumpster. I suspect she was murdered somewhere else as well."
She wrote the grid designations on the map.
GNA-N 9.
PAN-N 5.
She turned to look at him.
"So? What do you think, Jim?"
Jim shrugged.
"Ma'am, why are you asking me? I'm just a dumb cadet in high school."
"Yes, but you're my dumb high school cadet. So talk!"
He sighed again. His incessant moaning was getting on her nerves.
"What was the first victim like? Who was he?"
"He was a broadcaster of a controversial news station. Well, calling it news might be overselling it. Let's just say that a lot of the content is…divisive. Their specialty is to incite argument and inflame conflict between different groups of people. Why do you ask?"
"Well, maybe there could be connection between the victims."
"Hmm…a newscaster and a homeless man. Something about class maybe? Wealth? Let's see, the second victim was male, poor, middle-aged, homeless –"
"– and a scam artist. A liar. Like the newscaster."
Yomikawa nodded slowly, raking her mind.
"Well, the third one is a student, so…"
"Who knows? Maybe the student cheats on exams or something. Or sells drugs. Something like that."
Yomikawa smiled as the pieces started to come together.
"Yes, yes…you're right. The motivation could be moral. Suspect A could be trying to punish the wicked for their sins."
She excitedly folded the map up and opened the car door. Then she turned to Jim, motioning for him to get in.
He just looked at her.
"Ma'am, can I go now?"
"Yes, yes! Let's go investigate the third victim!"
"No ma'am, I meant can I go back to the station?"
The lieutenant looked quizzically at the boy. She saw him staring at her with a forlorn expression.
"Why?"
"Because I am…you know, just a cadet?"
Yomikawa furrowed her eyebrows.
"Yes, a cadet who's investigating a serial killer case. So?"
Jim sighed again, loudly and dejectedly.
"What is it?!" she suddenly snapped, an edge of anger seeping into her voice.
"I gave you an once-in-a-lifetime chance to personally investigate a serial killer and save innocent lives with your own hands, and all you've been doing is to mope around like some bratty shit. All morning! Is this not good enough for you? Not interesting enough for you? If you have a problem, say it!"
Jim looked her in the eye.
Then he spoke to her in a voice she remembered from somewhere but didn't immediately recognize.
Ah, the interrogation room.
It was the voice with which he had whispered to her in the interrogation room, when her face was just inches away from his and his eyes were cold and lifeless.
"Why aren't we reporting the hobo –," her glare caused him to flinch, "I mean, homeless person, to the task force? This is not helping anyone."
Yomikawa flipped her hair dismissively.
"I didn't take you for to be one so respectful about protocols. But don't worry, we will, just not right now. The task force is too big and unwieldy, and it has too much red tape and office politics to get anything done efficiently. They always are. When the time comes I have ways of telling them and cutting through all the bullshit."
"Why weren't you in the list of officers supporting the task force? Why are we moonlighting this?"
"Because, like I said, the task force is too unwieldy. I know everyone worth knowing in the task force. I am well aware of what leads they will be investigating. If they are right we won't be needed. If they're not…then we need to explore alternative options, right?"
She looked exasperatedly at him.
"So?! Anything else?!"
She saw the corners of his mouth twitching.
"Yes. Yomikawa…why am I investigating this with you?"
"Because it's a good experience for a cadet."
"No, it is not. It is too dangerous for a cadet. And if you did want to investigate it unofficially, you could have brought someone more experienced with you. One of the older officers."
"I think you're plenty experienced enough. And the best way to learn is to copy the best!"
"That's bullshit and you know it."
His quiet voice suddenly made her realize how seriously the boy was taking the situation. Yomikawa stopped smiling.
"Say it, Yomikawa, say it. The only reason why you brought me along. The same reason you 'quizzed' me about being followed."
It dawned on her what he was talking about. But she did not understand why he was so worked up about it.
Still, Yomikawa noticed the glint in his eye.
"Yes, Jim…you're right. It's because you're a…well…a hobo canine."
Yomikawa couldn't help but snicker at the irony of her phrasing. Give him a taste of his own medicine! Jim rolled his eyes so far back into his head that she thought he had a seizure.
Then – to her great surprise – Jim crouched down and placed his head in his hands.
He was in despair.
"Why, oh gods, why? Why couldn't I have gotten a normal cover? For once in my miserable life couldn't I just stand in the corner and do nothing? Or at least do something simple? Clean the toilet? Anything! Why do I always have to get dragged into dangerous shit?"
Yomikawa threw her head back and laughed heartily at his misfortune. Then she pulled him to his feet and raised her hand to give him a good smack on the head.
She had the speech all prepared:
Anti-Skill officers should never flinch in the face of danger! They should tackle every criminal with unrelenting vigor! But also with boundless compassion, because all sinners have a future and all saints a past, etc etc.
She was going to tell him all that drivel a cadet would recite in a classroom and then promptly forget the next hour.
Until she saw his face.
That's when Yomikawa realized that she was no longer looking at the happy boy twirling around in his new vest.
She was no longer looking at the boy who kept asking her if he was really getting paid for just existing in uniform: a child who was used to doing dangerous work for nothing.
She was no longer looking at the boy who joked slyly about flashing his new Anti-Skill uniform in front of the girls in his class.
Instead she found herself looking at a haggard mongrel.
He was nothing but a shell of a man. In his eyes there was only resignation.
She suddenly realized – actually realized – just how many new wounds and bruises he had gained since she first met him two short days ago.
She suddenly remembered noticing how his left arm kept twitching erratically. He thought she didn't see him massaging it whenever she turned around. His left hand was always in a pocket to hide how he kept clenching and unclenching his fist.
Most of all, she remembered how when she asked him if he was okay, he had simply smiled.
'I'm fine, ma'am, thank you for asking.'
It took everything she had in her just to keep her mouth shut as he rose to his feet. The mongrel cracked his neck tiredly and simply walked past her.
Jim quietly stepped into the car.
Lieutenant Yomikawa Aiho just stood there for a long, long time.
"You're right," she said slowly, "it's stupid to bring a cadet with me."
Jim raised his eyebrows.
"You're useless and all you do is complain and whine like a little bitch."
Yomikawa had her back turned to him but Jim saw her torso trembling.
Oh boy, she's piiissed.
Jim adjusted the collar of his uniform uneasily. Now he's done it! He definitely should have kept his mouth shut.
She finally turned and he saw that her face was blank with emotion. Too blank. She walked to the car in a subdued but strange gait. He could tell she was working very hard to keep her anger in check. As she got into the car he could do nothing but look down nervously at his boots.
He felt her arm reaching over from the driver's seat and he tensed his body for the blow.
Yomikawa reached over…
Here we go.
…and lightly flicked her middle finger against his temple.
"So, Mr. I-am-just-a-cadet, there's a very important task that needs to be done! The bathroom at our glorious Anti-Skill station is in dire need of maintenance. We need a brave officer to step up to the task!"
Yomikawa solemnly placed her hand over her heart.
"Could you be the hero we need?"
Jim quickly looked up at her.
There was a sarcastic smile on her lips.
"…do I get paid? Is this part of the…ah…my hours? Is it billed?"
"Yes, of course it is, stupid. Every minute you spent in uniform is billed."
He turned his head side-ways and looked at her suspiciously.
"Annnnd you want me to interrogate the old man, right? Is that it? Or is a team going to hit the station? Break him out? Do I have to defend the station with Tessou-senpai? With no gun?"
He held out his collapsible baton resentfully.
"With this stupid stick?!"
Yomikawa rolled her eyes.
"No, you dummy. What, you think Suspect A is a super spy or something? You think he's the Pope with his Vatican magicians? No, and also Tessou needs to show you around the station. And sure, while you're cleaning the toilet, tell the old man to not piss in the cell."
She pointed her finger at him.
"But most importantly, you're on night watch with me and Tessou tonight! We lost everyone else to the task force, leaving just the three of us. So I can't have you running around this afternoon and then falling asleep tonight!"
Jim narrowed his eyes some more.
Yomikawa threw her hands up in exasperation.
"Oh, maybe you don't like that? Perhaps you'd like to, oh I don't know, investigate Suspect A with me? Perhaps you would like to do some shady, questionable shit in order to get a lead? Like breaking into an official building and stealing –"
Jim immediately put his hands over his ears and started making loud incoherent noises.
"I didn't hear that! I didn't know any of that! If you get caught I know nothing! I am not part of whatever thing you plan to do! I am just a stupid cadet lalalalalaaa! I just got my orders to clean the toilet, that's all I know lalalalala!"
Yomikawa smiled and started up the car.
"Now get out! You can't clean the toilet from the patrol car."
She glided silently past the huddled vagrants, her ghostly form escaping their notice. Indeed, true invisibility was no simple feat.
Even for her.
While the quiet incantation she continuously murmured did prevent them from seeing or sensing her presence, it only had effect if she did not draw any conspicuous attention to herself. It would not protect from a pair of prying eyes that was specifically searching for her.
Thankfully, the vagrants had other things to worry about instead of looking for a little girl in a dirty, tattered summer dress.
But alas, the incantation had not been kind to her mouth, whose parched surface rivaled that of the Arabian sands. And every word was punishing her tongue dearly. She'll have to acquire some refreshment soon, or the words shall start slurring together and ruin the spell.
The thought of herself incoherently mumbling a spell – like a young novice – brought an ironic smile to her face.
Eventually she too, came upon the same alleyway with the great stain of blood. The ghostly cloak quickly vanished from her shoulders. The girl knelt down and brushed her hands across the surface of the concrete.
It was weak, but she could still sense its faint aura clawing away at her fingers as they swept past the lines.
Veritas se revēlet.
It needed no further encouragement; the words leapt forwards at her with its dying gasps, proudly revealing its truth for the last time. The entire alleyway became aglow with the familiar green, covetous aura. But most importantly, from within the stain emerged a large magic circle that had been drawn by the summoner.
A sigil.
Her emerald eyes carefully traced the lines, the strokes, the script and its geometry. Nothing escaped her wise, ancient gaze.
An amateur.
She stopped counting all the sloppy blunders after a brief, cursory glance at the sigil. There were simply too many to list.
Luckily for the summoner, the shape of the sigil itself was passable, if only barely. And that was the most important part. The sigilwork alone was what usually made or broke a invocation. Well, for amateurs at least.
That, however, was no excuse for this slanderous labor.
But the most grievous mistake was his name!
His actual name!
The letters were wrong.
Instead of the plain and simple Latin letters, the summoner had written some gibberish of Æ-Ɯ-Ḏ-Ԗ-Ã-Ṡ. She shook her head in despair as her ashen hair fluttered quietly against her bare shoulders.
Such hard times that the Art has fallen onto!
It was a silly blend of letters from different tongues that did not belong in a single word, let alone a summoning sigil for him. The summoner had never received any semblance of a formal education in the Art, this she knew without a shadow of a doubt. Any self-respecting master would have fainted at the sight of a pupil concocting this abomination.
To further compound his incompetence, he was undoubtedly referencing from sources written by imbeciles: charlatans who were more concerned with making such matters appear esoteric rather than accurate.
Well, she supposed that she should be grateful for her opponent's ineptitude.
But then her eyes caught sight of something, a hint of treasure, from within the trash. Her pupils suddenly glowed with animal interest. What quickly ensued within the old master's heart was a savage struggle between a magician's pride and the baser instincts. But alas, no amount of vanity could ever hope to triumph over the growling stomach of a child.
The child crept forwards, set on its quarry, and leapt into the fray with the ferocity of a jaguar.
After a noisy furry of scrambling she emerged triumphantly with a half-empty bottle of water.
The lid was frantically unscrewed and she greedily devoured its contents, savoring the warm, disgusting plastic taste of the water streaming down her throat.
In fact, she drank so quickly, so hurriedly that it overwhelmed her trachea – choking and spewing a good portion of it out of her mouth. The little girl gave out a cry of despair and frantically clawed at the ground. As if she was trying to catch whatever droplets of water she could with her hands.
A futile effort!
So she simply clutched the crumbled plastic water bottle to her chest and salvaged the small victory. At the very least, she could refill it later to be used as a source of refreshment.
Finally she stood up again, proudly and with an air of great dignity, before giving the sigil on the ground one last disdainful look.
And why, in whatever gods' names one pleases, did he choose to draw the sigil over a sewage cover?
But she sighed again, silently this time.
Yes, it was amusing to mock the summoner. But she also knew that the more incompetent he was, the harder life would be for her.
If possible, she needed him to be incompetent…but also not too incompetent!
Jim scratched his head and sighed again.
Out of habit, he looked around the empty station again. For some reason he couldn't shake the guilty feeling that he was doing something wrong, something terrible, with the Anti-Skill computer in front of him.
It's fine!
He was on the night watch. The only three people awake in the station were him, Tessou and Yomikawa.
He had already told Yomikawa some stupid excuse about how he was researching something for a history project, even though they both knew that the school year hadn't even started yet. Luckily for him Yomikawa was not in a mood to bully him. She simply told him not to do anything stupid.
After that the lieutenant disappeared inside her office.
Right now Jim could see, through her half-open office door, Yomikawa's boots propped on her desk.
She was probably sleeping.
So Jim turned around and looked over his most recent search history.
ENGLISH ALPHABET
SECRET ENGLISH ALPHABET
MAGIC ENGLISH ALPHABET
ENGLISH ALPHABET
ENGLISH MAGIC ALPHABET
OLD ENGLISH MAGIC ALPHABET
OLD ENGLISH ALPHABET
Yes, it's fine!
It's not like Jim was searching for the nuclear launch codes or anything. It was all free, open-source information after all. If anyone asked he could just say it's his hobby or something.
Jim opened his notebook and looked over the script from the warehouse again. He had managed to find out that they were written in the Old English alphabet. He turned the original script from…
ꝽÆænneæænnenigon
PÆnnænnefīf
ÐÆænnefēowe
ÆLloowænnesiextīne?
ꝽÆǷnneuuænneseofon
…into this:
GAanneaan-9
PAnnanne-5
DAanne-4
ALloowanne-16?
GAwnneuuanne-7
He had found that the endings of each line was actually an Old English word for a number. So each line ended with a number.
But what on earth did they mean?
Well, the first three lines were crossed out, and there's a question mark in the fourth. I guess I'll focus on that one.
So…
He went back to the fourth line.
ALloowanne-16?
Maybe he could divide the 'ALloowanne' into smaller parts? Maybe it's like those German words where they string a couple words together to make a big one.
AL – loo – wanne – 16?
ALlo – ow – anne – 16?
AL – loow – anne – 16?
He tried to divide them into the smallest possible segments that were still pronounceable.
A – Ll – oow – anne – 16?
His mouth slowly whispered the pseudo-syllables.
"A – LL – OOW – ANNE – 16."
Jim tilted his head and giggled. He had no idea why he found it so funny; perhaps it was the exhaustion from the afternoon he spend cleaning the toilet.
"Sounds like someone saying 'hello, anne, 16!' or something."
While Jim was giggling like an idiot in his chair, with his head rolling about the desk, a shout came echoing from across the station.
It was Tessou, from the front desk.
"Yomikawa-san!"
The front desk was located too far away from Yomikawa's office. It was also located on the first floor, while Yomikawa and Jim were sitting on the second. Jim could hear Tessou's voice clearly but by the time it reached Yomikawa's office it was a faint whisper.
Tessou called out again.
"Yomikawa-san! Are you there?"
Jim wondered if Yomikawa had a phone in her office. But then again, since she was sleeping she probably turned it off or something. Well, it seemed like she was the one running around and falling asleep, not Jim!
Jim looked at the pair of boots propped on the desk. No movement.
He turned to the direction of the front desk.
"Tessou-senpai! The Lieutenant can't hear you! She's sleeping!"
"Oh, Jim-san? Can you hear me?"
"Yes, I can, Tessou-senpai!"
"Tell Yomikawa-san her office phone is turned off!"
Suddenly Yomikawa's booming voice came ringing out of her office.
"Jim! Did someone call me?"
"Yes, ma'am! Tessou-senpai was calling for you! She said your office phone was turned off!"
"What does she want?"
Jim turned around and looked at the stairs. Then he looked back at the office. He realized that he was right smack between them. Jim was located between Tessou at the front desk and Yomikawa in her office.
Jim was the relay station.
"Tessou-senpai! The lieutenant said what do you want?"
"Oh, Jim-san! Tell Yomikawa-san that we have a call! HQ is asking us to respond!"
"Ma'am! We have a call! HQ wants to send us out to die!"
"Ask Tessou if it's related to Suspect A!"
"Tessou-senpai! The lieutenant asked if it is the serial killer!"
"No, Jim-san! It's just an anonymous call! Some sort of domestic violence!"
"Lieutenant! It's not the serial killer! It's just some wife beater!"
"Oh, for fuck's sake!" Yomikawa swore loudly.
"Tessou-senpai! The lieutenant said fuck you!"
"Jim! I did not say that! What the fuck?"
"Tessou-senpai! Now the lieutenant wants to fuck me! Help! Please save me!"
"JIM!"
"…Jim-san? What?! I d-don't understand! What did Yomikawa-san say?"
"Ma'am! Tessou-senpai is asking what you said! And also why are you so mean!"
"I didn't say anything! But ask her the coordinates! Where are we responding to?!"
"Tessou-senpai! The lieutenant was just cursing at me, not you! She loves you! Also she asked what are the coordinates! What sector!"
Jim could swear that he heard a loud sigh of relief from the front desk downstairs. Then Tessou shouted the coordinates to him.
Jim hurriedly scribbled them down right next to the lines of script he had been working on.
He stopped.
"Tessou-senpai! Can you repeat that?"
She yelled the coordinates again.
Jim stared at the lines of script in his notebook. He focused on the fourth line that he had recently been working on:
A – Ll – oow – anne – 16?
He whispered the phrase to himself, slowly and carefully pronouncing each of the syllables.
"A – LL – OOW – ANNE – SIXTEEN."
Then he simplified it.
"A – L – O – N – SIXTEEN."
Jackpot.
Yomikawa groaned and slowly picked herself up from her chair. She did not expect the afternoon she spend talking to Kuroko to be so tiring.
But she was no stranger to long nightshifts. So the lieutenant just chugged an entire cup of stale coffee and splashed some water on her face.
She wondered why Jim had been silent for the last couple of minutes. She never did hear the coordinates from him. Yomikawa also realized that the responding team will probably have to be Jim and herself.
Tessou needed to stay at the station.
Alone.
Luckily, there were a couple of other officers who were sleeping over at the station. They weren't supposed to be on shift but Yomikawa would have to wake them. She did not want Tessou to be the only one awake in the entire building.
She quickly reconnected her office phone – cursing her own laziness for relying on Jim – and made some quick calls. With the arrangements complete, Yomikawa finally walked out of her office.
She saw Jim gearing up.
He was putting on his stab vest and methodically checking of his equipment. There wasn't much to go through but Jim was very thorough. He even gave his collapsible baton a couple of test swings.
She realized that it was all very familiar to him. In fact it all seemed to be muscle memory: an practiced instinct he had acquired from having done so hundreds and hundreds of times before.
That's why his hand reached down to check the pistol in his holster.
He had none, of course.
Jim cursed silently.
"You ready, Jim?"
He turned to face her and she realized that she was not talking to an Anti-Skill cadet.
Yomikawa recognized those eyes.
Yomikawa herself once had those eyes as well, back when she went to sleep every night with only the sound of ringing flashbangs and hissing submachine guns echoing in her ears.
She looked at the mongrel in front of her.
"Jim…" she said quietly.
"Tessou-senpai sent me the coordinates, ma'am."
"Where?"
"ALO-N 16."
-x-
First uploaded: 2/12/2020
Last modified: 2/8/2021
Word count: 8,582
Changelog:
2/8/2021 – Prose edits. Shaved off 1K (!) words.
2/4/2021 – General edits and final cleanup (hopefully).
15/3/2021 – Shamelessly rewrote little girl voice. Swapped 'summon' with 'evocate/invocate' as appropriate. Added spell name.
7/3/2021 – General edits.