Chapter Text
Spider Lilies bloomed alongside the river, a cascade of red infiltrating the once spring-clean surface. It was beautiful, how the red flowers seemed to compliment the maroon that flowed down the stream. Red and Blue lights flashed haphazardly, as a small crowd of witnesses were interviewed and turned away. Neon-yellow caution tape and small flags are left behind at the scene, a few left to guard it, as a man in a trenchcoat enters a police car.
Naomasa sighs loudly, as he sits in the cruiser, passenger side. An investigation with a single clue and no arrests. There’s not much one could do, least in this case. All they had was a flimsy note and some shoes left nearby. It was a blanket case, but something about it… He honestly suspected foul play, the whole thing seemed cliche, straight out of an anime. Whoever did this certainly had the flair for dramatics. And the worst offender of all? Couldn’t even find the body. Humans float, they naturally do, no matter what the worst swimmer who drowns in ankle-high water would have you believe. And in a river? Surely something, anything would’ve been wading. But, there wasn’t much beyond the occasional flake of skin. Another one. Another seemingly ordinary death that yields no answers. At least this time they had a blood sample.
All ‘witnesses’ were interviewed. Though no one could apparently recall what happened. Some said the victim jumped in, others said they were pushed, others just shrugged, and said they heard a splash and nothing more. None of the testimonies matched up, and worst of all, he couldn’t detect any outright lies, only the occasional ping of genuine uncertainty. It was… Unnerving. How many times he’s done this already. Police get called after a civilian cites a suspicious smell, an odd sound, or a cut-off scream. They get there, flowers about, with no body, culprit, or reliable witness in sight. He gets called in, the interviews are inconclusive and he goes home with a sinking stomach.
Toshinori enters his office. And both of them stare at each other with tired, dead eyes. It’s been a couple years of these kinds of one-off cases, wearing both of their minds down. Thousands of Japanese people go missing every year, but they’re usually recovered in some kind of bust or have just run away from home. Musutafu in particular, had little problems when it came to disappearances, compared to other areas of Japan. But not like this. Not so frequently.
“They had to be connected.” he said once, staring at the culmination of files from all across the country. Sakura, Fuji, Hoonoki, all flowering plants overgrown and unkempt at each disappearance site. Even Jasmine Vines was seen once or twice. And now Higanbana. The most damning of them all. And the first to be concluded as an outright suicide. Whoever was doing this, was getting more bold. “What’s next? White Roses?!” Naomasa sighed in frustration. He hated cases like this, and from the hero’s withering gaze, the feeling was mutual. He flipped his phone open, the burner, specifically, and clicked down his contacts till he met a familiar name.
Ring……Ring……Ring……Ring-
…What was taking him so long to answer?
“Guess he’s busy.” He was surprisingly elusive, considering his job as an underground hero. Toshinori didn’t know him personally. But that wasn’t surprising, considering he took the day-shift, and was the flashiest hero of them all. But there were few who were involved with the night-shifters who didn’t know his name, despite how much the man himself hated that fact. He was notorious for remaining near-completely anonymous with the public, yet securing an overwhelming number of rescue cases over his career. Call him and he would be there, usually. At least. Though not this time…? Perhaps he was actually getting some rest for once. Hopefully. Despite claiming he was always tired, Naomasa had never seen him sleep, not in front of him anyway.
The DNA sample had been studied, and the results were… Damning. With a sigh, he turned to Toshinori again, a look of shame and guilt on the hero’s face. He had recognized him instantly, and it only took a moment for Naomasa to connect the dots. “It’s… Not your fault, you know.” he attempted to comfort the other. It really wasn’t, even if I thought otherwise. Who knew those words would be the thing to push this kid over? If that was even the final straw. All the more reason to write it off as a suicide case. Just like so many others. But he knew better, Naomasa had seen a pattern like this before. A pattern orchestrated by a defeated evil, at least. Presumably so. “Perhaps not him, but someone who had been under his tutelage, a successor.” He proposed, much to the horror of the Number One Hero. “There’s other explanations of course, a smaller criminal organization, a single serial killer. Anything really. But that first one, it’s still a possibility we need to be prepared for.” …Perhaps Kaniyashiki could assist in an investigation? He had heard that she had made a breakthrough with a criminal info broker. Allegedly.
He would organize the findings, and- Tanuma would enter the room. Cigarette in hand, still smoking despite signs prohibiting it inside. Infuriatingly Lax attitude aside, Naomasa knew from the weak smile that he was tired too. The weight of so many unknown civilians gone, with only a few red-herrings as traces? Hanakotoba cases did that to people, indirectly and not. But his smile was… Weaker. Than usual. His eyebags were more… pronounced, and his cigarette left with embers, despite it usually being put out by now. And on the other hand, a… School’s attendance record? Did he even have a warrant to-?
“Kid’s still alive.”
“What.”
“Kid’s alive.” And Tanuma would toss the paper on his desk. Curiously, Naomasa would peer at it, his expression going from confusion to astonishment, then confusion again. He would look up at his partner, who would give a glance at the attached paper. A near-perfect DNA match, according to his hospital records at least. It’s only been a few hours since the initial investigation, and this was… Certainly news. There were so many questions he could ask, but the one that was high priority, was-
“Did you get a warrant?”
Tanuma shrugged, Toshinori withered further, and Tamagawa would peek into the room, see all three of them, then the papers, and then peep out. ‘Good choice.’ Naomasa thought to himself, as he gave a hefty sigh at the revelation. What was he to do now? Pull this kid out of his class and remind him of his… Attempt? Or attempted murder? Looking at his ID photo alone told him that this kid was a few steps away from a nervous breakdown at any time. And imagine his parents, or, parent.
Why was he always the bearer of bad news?
//
Disassembled. Re-assembled. And then disassembled again. Over and over the process repeats, each time, Lotus petals are added to the process, their otherworldly power infused into the small body that lies before him. A body that was receiving the cure. It had taken years to get to this point. His search for an answer never ceases after the death of his boss. He knew that something about this flower held the key. But what? He still didn’t know. He’d tried the roots, the stem, the leaves, and now the petal. Each time getting closer and closer to the desired result, but it was never enough. It never would be.
Using the whole thing killed them outright.
He would lean back, updating his notes as small red eyes watched him from afar. With a glare, they were sent back to where they came, and he was left ‘alone’ again. He had given the orders to be so, afterall. It was imperative that it was followed. Lest he… Try the cure on some of his own members. None of them were particularly suitable, but it would be a net good, at least, for him. Another subject to add to his studies. Another baseline to draw from.
His members shivered whenever he mentioned the idea.
They were afraid, but those were the consequences of being sick for so long. You get used to it. To be in pain, misery, to be stuck, and then suddenly have a way out? It’s unbelievable. It was to him, it was to them, and it was to his subjects. All fifty three of them. He ‘loved’ all of them, his children, creations, beings of purity, untouched by the diseases of the mortal world. Almost. Each of them were imperfect in their own ways, but those could be rectified with the right motivation.
He donned his Kimono, Hakama, and Haori, his lab-coat and thick clothing unsuitable for where he would return to. He made sure 01 was dressed appropriately as well, and made his way to the highest peak of the mansion. Before, the boss had established a base of operations, but he had brought them to larger heights. Those of the highest order were to reside here, within the family home. He ascended the stairs, each step accompanied by a glide. Further and further he ascended, the air becoming thinner and the steps larger. Through the garden, bamboo would tip over, a rush of water entering a stream that ran down into the main Prefecture.
He and 01 would cross the curved bridge, and finally enter. And with a sweet smile, he would call upon his eight upper hands.
Progress had been made today, no matter how small.