Chapter 350: Countermeasures Agency |
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"Alright, now you can rest easy and go play exploration games with your friends."
Putting away his disconnected mobile phone, Hoshino Gen glanced at Shimizu Yu. "The supernatural incident at that abandoned school has already been resolved."
"Eh?" Shimizu Yu exclaimed in surprise. "Resolved... Does that mean there really was a ghost there?!"
Hoshino Gen rolled his eyes at her and ignored the question.
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Passing by a supermarket on their way, Shimizu Yu suggested they go in to buy some ingredients. She had originally planned to cook a feast yesterday to reward Hoshino Gen for his highly effective tutoring. However, the assassination attempt had ruined those plans, so it was only natural to postpone it until today.
They bought a pile of ingredients, cleanly wiping out nearly half of the September allowance Shimizu Yu had just received the day before. It was obvious she was sparing no expense for this meal. After all, the quality of that piece of 5A Grade Black Wagyu Snowflake Beef was so high that even Hoshino Gen praised it repeatedly.
Unfortunately, this harmonious scene did not last long before it was completely shattered by the intrusion of an uninvited guest.
"Hey! Hoshino." With his long hair tied high in a ponytail and always wearing sunglasses whether it was day or night, Asaba Shinichi blatantly pushed the door open and walked in. Without waiting for an invitation, he plopped himself down on the single-seater sofa nearby. "I have something to tell you!"
Hoshino Gen shot him a glance and quickly looked away. "Spit it out."
Asaba Shinichi didn't mind the crude language. He chuckled and said, "How should I put this? For the Japanese Supernatural World, it should be considered a major event. But for people like us, it's just a matter of moderate importance."
Hoshino Gen kept reading his book without looking up or uttering a word, making it impossible to tell if he was even listening.
Asaba Shinichi, evidently not one to care about such details, continued, "Yesterday, a high official in the police force died. His family, his mistress on the outside, his illegitimate children, a total of twelve people from top to bottom were wiped out. All the signs at the scene indicate that the killer is an Extraordinary."
Despite discussing such a bizarre and bloody topic, Asaba Shinichi's hands remained restless. As he spoke, he casually picked up a copy of "The Lady of the Camellias" that Hoshino Gen had recently finished reading, flipped through it, and tossed it aside. "Those bureaucrats are absolutely furious."
"Of course, they're politicians. All their emotions are just a means to an end. This time, their unparalleled anger is meant to push forward the implementation of a series of measures targeting Extraordinaries."
Hearing this, Hoshino Gen finally showed some interest. He looked up at Asaba Shinichi. "What measures?"
"First is the establishment of a new department called the Special Crime Incident Countermeasures Headquarters, or the Countermeasures Agency for short. They are drawing personnel from three different factions."
"The Police, the Self-Defense Forces, and the Special Affairs Group."
"The Police will be the main force, followed by the Self-Defense Forces, and then the Special Affairs Group. With the most elite management framework, top-tier firepower and equipment, and the most capable special operations teams, the higher-ups are determined this time to draw a red line for the Extraordinaries of the Hidden World."
Asaba Shinichi smiled. "The new department will be fully established in a month at most. Given how fast they are moving, you can imagine how much preparation they did in advance. The death of that high official and his entire family simply provided them with the perfect excuse to push it through."
Hoshino Gen pondered for a moment. In short, what Asaba Shinichi was saying meant the Japanese government was marshaling the power of the state apparatus of violence to form a specialized police force meant strictly for Extraordinaries...
Was this realistic? Absolutely. No matter how powerful Extraordinaries were, as long as they hadn't reached the pinnacle SSS-level, it was impossible for them to stand against a state machine ranked fifth in the world for military strength. Japan considered itself fourth, but internationally it was ranked fifth.
Even Hoshino Gen himself, in his past life, had died at the hands of a group of ordinary people wielding modern equipment.
In other words, once the new department was in place, no matter how lawless an Extraordinary used to be, they would have to obediently act according to the law. Otherwise, they would face the ruthless iron fist of the state machine. For instance, an organization like the Kirakai, which authorities might have turned a blind eye to in the past, would likely cease to exist after this.
Hoshino Gen even had reason to suspect that the Kirakai was a target the government had propped up early on just to make an example out of them.
"...And then?" After some brief thought, Hoshino Gen asked, "You mentioned a series of measures. Aside from establishing this so-called Countermeasures Agency, what are the others?"
"Heh... After the Countermeasures Agency is established, they want all Extraordinaries nationwide to register their identities at local branches. Then, they will issue us a multifunctional ID card. With that card, we can freely use all public facilities and equipment, including public transportation. On top of that, we can unconditionally claim a special subsidy of one million yen every month."
"Of course, there is also the most important national benefit for an Extraordinary—every registered Extraordinary can access and share the Special Affairs Group's archives."
"That generous?" Hoshino Gen couldn't help but chuckle.
"There are conditions, obviously." Asaba Shinichi rested his arm on the back of the sofa and crossed his legs. "While enjoying these national benefits for free, all registered Extraordinaries only have one obligation to fulfill."
"That is to be formally incorporated into the ranks of the Self-Defense Forces. We don't have to do anything during normal times, but when the country needs us, we must follow orders and commands."
"Furthermore, this need only covers three categories: a foreign Extraordinary invasion, a domestic Extraordinary uprising, or an outbreak of war..."
"..." Hoshino Gen paused. He understood now. The Japanese government was determined to purge the environment of the domestic mystic side. And while they were at it, they intended to ride this wave to turn every Extraordinary into an official government asset.
Hoshino Gen slightly narrowed his eyes. "What if you don't register?"
"Then you're a wild Extraordinary, unprotected by any laws or regulations. Registered Extraordinaries can kill wild Extraordinaries without any accountability, but if a wild Extraordinary kills a registered one, they will face the relentless pursuit of the Countermeasures Agency."
"Heh." Hoshino Gen had closed his book without realizing it. "They've certainly calculated this well."
Asaba Shinichi threw his hands up. "You can say that again. But I have to admit, with this move, they'll probably manage to recruit quite a lot of Extraordinaries, at least those below the A-tier."