June 28, Wednesday.
Morimoto Chiyoda locked her door, left Ayase Apartment, and headed to Aya Station. She smoothly entered the women's car and found a seat. Although she wanted to sit in the same spot every day, the women's car wasn't a private compartment, so her seat often changed.
She stayed on until Okubo Station, then walked toward Hisamatsu Apartment.
The morning sun was bright, seemingly heralding the end of the rainy season, but the weather forecast warned everyone it was a false impression. Carrying an umbrella was essential. However, some students apparently didn't take that to heart.
Morimoto Chiyoda observed many international students walking empty-handed. Some spirited young people even tried to strike up conversations with her, asking which school she attended or if she was an upperclassman.
Being mistaken for a university student years after graduation was also thanks to her beauty.
Morimoto Chiyoda never burst their bubble, simply smiling and indicating she wasn't at liberty to say.
Leaving the district heavily populated by international students, she arrived at Hisamatsu Apartment, ascended the stairs to the second floor, and knocked on the door.
"Coming!"
Someone inside hurried to the door. Okayama Buji opened it, smiling. "Good morning, Morimoto."
"Good morning, Okayama," she replied briefly and stepped into the room.
The rest of the special task force members had already gathered.
"You have no self-awareness at all, always arriving last," Ito Otome, sitting on the sofa, snorted.
"I arrive according to a civil servant's official working hours. You're the one with the problem," Morimoto Chiyoda retorted. "Overachievers like you are the type to get stabbed in the back by colleagues."
With that, she sat on the sofa. Katerina placed a cup of black tea before her. The rich aroma brought a smile to Morimoto Chiyoda's face, as if the gloom of starting work had considerably dissipated.
Seeing everyone had arrived, Emily began the morning meeting. "According to reports from our personnel stationed in major hospitals, Tokyo saw no large-scale patient recoveries last night. Instead, many strange cases emerged.
Some had no prior medical history but suddenly became paralyzed. Others weren't burned, yet ninety percent of their skin showed burn-like injuries. There were also cases of late-stage diabetes, terminal cancer, Parkinson's syndrome, heart disease, ALS, and so on.
In total, twenty-six individuals, with diverse backgrounds, contracted diseases they shouldn't have had.
However, judging by the fact that most were engaged in criminal activity just before falling ill, it's highly probable this is Dio's doing.
That superpower not only extracts diseases but can also transfer those extracted illnesses to others. Furthermore, it can inflict multiple diseases on a single person simultaneously."
Hearing this, Morimoto Chiyoda couldn't help commenting, So, this superpower is quite scientific. It doesn't just eradicate diseases; it transfers them to someone else.
Emily didn't reply, continuing, "He hadn't used this ability before last night. I suspect the superpower has a limit on the number of diseases it can extract. Judging by the number of people cured, it's precisely five hundred.
We also can't rule out that the number five hundred holds special significance. We'll see if any patients miraculously recover today."
Morimoto Chiyoda shrugged. "Is our job today to find those patients, or to continue searching for a master to learn how to get to Paradise?"
"Neither." Emily shook her head, pulled several photocopied pictures from her pocket, and placed them in the center of the table. "Our mission today is to find this Nomura Shimba, Mohammed."
Morimoto Chiyoda picked up a photo. It showed a man with disheveled hair and a full beard, wearing a hat that suggested wealth.
"Does this guy have anything to do with Dio?"
"No, but he wants to kill Jack. We can't let Jack die. We must eliminate him first."
Emily picked up her black tea, took a sip to moisten her throat, and continued, "Mohammed is frequently involved in terrorism. He's a staunch Shia and despises heretics, especially the United States.
He has repeatedly made wild claims that he will burn all of God's chosen people to death.
He's personally formidable. He has attacked a US military base more than once. Though he's tried to physically eliminate the President numerous times and failed, he has never been captured. He even killed the CIA agents pursuing him."
Wow, that's quite something, Morimoto Chiyoda thought. She set down her black tea and looked up. "Katerina, you mentioned being active in the Middle East for a while. Have you ever encountered Mohammed?"
Katerina shook her head. "No, but I've heard his name. Among the Shia, he's one of the most extreme. He once burned alive every man, woman, and child in three Sunni villages.
Among the countless organizations, the name Mohammed carries a kind of mystical power. People's faces show fear when they mention him."
"Do Mohammed and Jack have some sort of grudge?" Kitanotake asked indifferently. "If Jack did something despicable in Yemen previously, I think they can handle it themselves."
"Kitanotake, don't be so naïve. Do you think everyone who challenges global hegemony is a good person?" Emily, knowing exactly where such thoughts and statements came from, rolled her eyes. "Germany, Japan, and Italy initially formed an alliance to challenge Great Britain's global hegemony. But can you claim their aggression and massacres stemmed from justice?
It's true Mohammed despises the United States, but he equally loathes everyone else. Anyone who isn't Shia, anyone who follows other sects, is a heretic in his eyes who needs to be burned alive. Don't harbor any sympathy for such religious fanatics."
Kitanotake grumbled, "Still, you can't rule out that Jack did something to Mohammed in Yemen."
"Do you think Jack could have survived provoking Mohammed?" Morimoto Chiyoda said, somewhat disparagingly of Jack. "Mohammed has traveled all this way to Japan for only one reason: he's here for Dio."
Emily nodded. It's indeed easier talking to intelligent people. "That's right. According to my investigation last night, Mohammed likely arrived in Tokyo through the Swastika Society."
"What is the Swastika Society?"
"The Swastika Society is a loose organization of extreme right-wingers spanning Europe, Asia, and Africa. In today's internet age, any politician promoting extremist slogans can join. Japan's Swastika Society member is Okamura Togihiko."
Saying this, Emily produced a photo of Okamura Togihiko and placed it on the table. "We tried to meet him last night, but he flatly refused and denied being a Swastika Society member.
I've received information from a reliable source that Okamura Togihiko will appear on a program at Asahi TV Station today. If you want to see him, you can wait in the TV station's underground parking garage."
Morimoto Chiyoda sighed. I really don't want to do anything that upsets the higher-ups.
Emily glanced at her. "You don't have a choice. Let's go!"
「 」
Okamura Togihiko was a high-ranking parliamentarian within the Right Wing. Unlike Sato, a political newcomer propelled by new media, he was a traditional political operator and a seasoned Right Wing figure, often making extremist statements on television.
However, he had never considered running for Prime Minister. Firstly, he lacked the ambition; secondly, the United States was somewhat opposed to him holding the office. Extremism served American interests, but excessive extremism was undesirable to them. They merely wanted Japan to be a barking dog, not a wolf ready to bite.
Okamura Togihiko knew the American stance and was greatly displeased, yet there was little he could do.
Circumstances are more powerful than individuals. Today's Japan is no longer the nation that could challenge the United States. The ambitions of the Greater Japanese Empire ended with its defeat in World War II. As a remnant of that era, Okamura Togihiko hadn't completely lost hope. Times were constantly changing, and favorable conditions had to be fought for. The Greater Japanese Empire wasn't built in a day; its severed claws could be gradually reclaimed. As long as Right Wing figures like them held high positions in the country, the Empire's dream would be revived when a great global shift occurred. Okamura Togihiko believed that day was not far off.
He sat in a custom bulletproof car, with three identical vehicles—same color, same model—escorting him. Because Durant remained at large, he had been forced to strengthen his own security.
Only by staying alive could one continue to accumulate power. Once dead, all ambitions become empty talk.
He gazed out the window, listening to his secretary detail the day's schedule: morning, afternoon, and evening engagements. As a parliamentarian, Okamura Togihiko needed to frequently attend various events to maintain his influence and status within his circles, especially television interviews.
"Lord Okamura, here is your speech draft and a list of questions the TV station will ask later. Please review them again."
Okamura Togihiko averted his gaze from the window, took the speech draft from his secretary, and reviewed it again. He didn't want to be seen constantly looking down at his notes during the program. That would project timidity and a lack of confidence. He preferred to memorize his lines and speak eloquently on stage, cultivating an image of a strong, erudite leader.
"Any news about Durant?" he asked routinely after finishing his review. Being constantly targeted by that madman was not a pleasant experience.
An apologetic look crossed the secretary's face. He said softly, "Not yet. Tokyo's situation has been chaotic recently. Several CIA agents have died, the MI6 chief is hospitalized, and the Shinobu Introduction office is still working on it."
"I don't want to hear excuses. Tell Kamei to find a replacement if he can't handle it."
"Understood," the secretary responded.
Their convoy had already entered the underground parking garage of the Asahi TV building. The other cars stopped first. Bodyguards quickly exited, scanned the surroundings for threats, and then four of them formed a protective cordon around Okamura Togihiko's car door as he alighted. At that moment, a janitor pushing a cleaning cart passed by.