Today, I'm finally going to join a private detective agency.
Those were my first words early in the morning, but as it often happens, everything went haywire. On my way to the agency, a dog attacked me, I narrowly dodged a car, almost drowned in a puddle, and to top it all off, a chilly wind blew from behind.
As I approached the agency, I saw cracked walls, broken windows, a foul smell, and filth everywhere. But that didn't scare me. One step closer to my cherished dream...
(Office)
Will: Will Anderson, 19 years old, arrived from America of his own accord to help people.
The office was completely silent...
There was only a small girl, petite in stature and age, with ribbons in her hair and wearing a dress. She was sitting in a chair by the desk, laughing uncontrollably. Not understanding what was happening, I asked her where the boss was.
Rose: He's right in front of you, kid!
Unexpectedly, a tall, slender, silver-haired beauty in a suit entered the room, holding an umbrella in one hand and dragging a girl with cat ears and a tail in the other. The girl reeked of alcohol. Just as I was about to introduce myself, the girl with the cat ears lunged at me, trying to bite my neck, but she was pulled away in time and dropped onto a couch in the corner.
Rose: Meet Akiko — Will, she's your new partner. Akiko, this is Will, your new apprentice. And that ragged cat who's drunk and sprawled on the couch again before work is Mirai, our secretary.
(Streets)
Just as I was trying to make sense of everything, Rose shoved Akiko and me out the door, asking her to show me around the area.
As we strolled through the streets, I asked questions, none of which were answered. Maybe silence would have followed us until the end of the day, but in the middle of the street, a crowd had gathered, creating a commotion. Among them was an angelic-looking police officer holding the crowd back.
Without a second thought, we headed there to find out what was going on.
Akiko: Hey, Michael, another new victim?
Michael was a member of the Angelic Police. As for angels, they descended from the heavens to help humanity. With him was a young officer—a man who was visibly sickened at the sight of the dead body.
Michael: Akiko! Glad to see you. Meet my apprentice, Mike. He's just recently joined the force. And I see you've brought your boyfriend along?
Akiko: Not a chance! Let's just say he's my apprentice too. Will.
Will: Nice to meet you! So, can someone explain why this crowd has gathered?
It turned out that a serial killer nicknamed Jack the Ripper was on the loose in the city. Elusive and mysterious, he attacked lone passersby and mutilated them with a knife, leaving them to bleed out. Case number one, both for the police and for private agencies.
There were no leads, no traces, no witnesses. All he left behind was the corpse of an innocent person. Some said it was the mafia cleaning up loose ends, while others were convinced it was demonic beasts running drug cartels. The questions far outnumbered the answers, and our job was to catch him and put an end to this nightmare—and not just this one.
After questioning everyone and discussing the case with the police, we decided to continue our walk, waiting for nightfall. The body was sent for examination by one of Akiko's acquaintances. While waiting for results, I decided to press Akiko for more answers.
Why didn't she answer questions about the crimes and the forensics? Why did she always carry that umbrella? Why did she sometimes completely ignore me? It felt like I was about to lose my patience and just go home!
Akiko: I'm sorry! I didn't mean to brush you off like that. You're not the first rookie; those before you either ran away as soon as they learned certain things, or… well, I'll tell you later.
Just as I was about to ask what she meant, a shadow flickered in the distance. Without waiting for instructions, Akiko bolted forward, leaving me behind. As I caught up to her, she sped up again, pursuing the shadow until it led us into...
Will: Great. A dead end!
A blow from behind knocked me off balance, but I managed to stay on my feet. The shadow darted from corner to corner, slashing at us with sharp attacks. I couldn't believe anyone could move like that. Just as I thought that, the ground beneath us cracked.
Turning around, I saw Akiko slam her umbrella into the ground with all her might before collapsing. Laughter echoed from all directions. The very darkness seemed to be mocking us.
I ran to Akiko, and she grabbed my arm, urging me to run. But the thought of abandoning her to die never crossed my mind. Seeing her injuries, I couldn't leave her behind. The laughter that filled the air suddenly stopped.
Darkness: Poor little boy. Are your knees shaking so much that you can't even move?
Hoisting Akiko onto my back, I asked her to hold on tight.
Will: I've got a few tricks up my sleeve too!
In an instant, we were on the rooftops, under a starry sky. The streetlights barely lit the roads below, and a gentle breeze blew around us. From here, the office wasn't far.
(Office)
Bursting into the office, Rose and Mirai looked completely bewildered. But there was no time to explain. After calling an ambulance, we administered first aid to Akiko. She was taken to the hospital, and thankfully, she was going to be fine.
As Rose and Mirai tried to reassure me, questions bombarded me from every direction. But I had no strength left to answer. With thoughts of the toughest day of my life, I passed out.
However, the story doesn't end here…