Starting With The Sefirah Castle In The Anime World

At this moment, the Metropolitan Police Department was flooded with the sound of ringing phones—countless calls reporting the same thing.

The Museum explosion.

It was now a full-blown crisis and had escalated into a major social incident requiring immediate response.

Even before the fire at the museum had been extinguished, the police had already determined that the explosion was no accident. It had been orchestrated.

There were no flammable or explosive materials stored inside the museum. Moreover, the museum had undergone a thorough renovation ahead of its 20th-anniversary celebration, including updates to all safety systems. This made the possibility of a spontaneous explosion virtually nonexistent.

Once this conclusion was reached, the upper ranks of the Metropolitan Police Department immediately recognized it for what it was—an intentional act of terrorism.

Which made the situation significantly more serious.

To cause an explosion of this scale, the amount of explosives used couldn't possibly be small. And if this much explosive had gone missing, the quantity stolen was likely far more than what had already been used.

Once they understood that, the leadership launched an urgent investigation into the source of the explosives.

But to identify the specific type of explosive, they would have to wait until the fire was fully extinguished so a forensic analysis could be performed.

This delay caused chaos inside the Metropolitan Police Department.

"Ugh…"

Sato Miwako leaned back in her chair and exhaled. She had spent the past two days investigating the Takahashi Ryoichi incident.

She had sorted through a lot and uncovered some leads, but many parts of the case were still frustratingly unclear.

Just as she was about to contact Ren, the museum exploded, interrupting her plans.

But priorities were priorities. The museum bombing was far more urgent.

Ring, ring, ring…

The sudden ring of her phone made her snap back to attention. She sat upright, glanced at the caller ID, and instinctively lowered her voice as she answered.

"What's up?"

"Officer Sato, I assume the Metropolitan Police Department is still scrambling over the Shinjuku bombing, right?"

Miwako immediately perked up when she heard the voice on the other end.

"You know about it?"

"I can guess. I was meeting a friend in Shinjuku today, and the explosion happened across the street. I know stuff like this happens all the time in Beika City, but it still gave me a scare. After I got home, I did some digging and figured out who was behind it and why."

"!?"

Her jaw nearly hit the desk.

"You… How do you already know that?"

Investigation? The entire department was investigating, yet they had no leads. And here her informant had already uncovered the truth?

"I just have a simple and efficient way to get answers. I'm not as clever as a detective, but my method makes up for the lack of brainpower."

"So, Officer Sato, do you want to know?"

That line made Miwako pause. She changed the topic slightly, her tone now filled with curiosity.

"I'm more interested in how you got your hands on that intel."

"You're curious about my method? Sorry, but that's a secret. Not something I can disclose just like that."

Miwako really was curious. What kind of method could uncover the culprit before the entire police department had found a single lead? But she understood—this was likely a private matter. It made sense he wouldn't reveal it so casually.

"Then let me ask you something else. Why contact me after getting this intel?"

"Same reason as before. I don't want unnecessary trouble. Rather than reporting it through official channels, isn't it easier to reach out to you? And didn't you promise to keep it between us?"

"Just to avoid trouble? I feel like you're baiting me… luring me in step-by-step with your mysterious info-gathering methods."

"Hey~ Does Officer Sato think I'm trying to pursue you?"

"No, you wouldn't need to try so hard to pursue me. And besides, there are so many cute girls your age around you. Why would you go for an older woman like me?"

Sato Miwako didn't really think he was pursuing her.

It wasn't about fame or profit. Just avoiding trouble. But she couldn't shake the feeling that he was slowly pulling her into his world out of curiosity.

Not through romantic pursuit, but through intrigue.

Still, she found it strange. Aside from her looks, what could possibly attract anyone?

Being a cop wasn't exactly a popular profession when it came to matchmaking. She'd been on countless blind dates because her mother insisted her job was too dangerous and wanted her to marry early and settle down.

Of course, once the word "police" came up, her dates usually lost all interest.

"So, what if I was pursuing you?"

"Then I'll give you a chance. But a kid like you would definitely lose interest in an older woman like me after just a few days."

"Pfft~ Officer Sato, you really are something else. But let's leave that topic aside and get back to the real point. Officer Sato, do you want to know who was behind the bombing and why?"

"Yes."

Sato Miwako didn't hesitate for a second.

She was, of course, intensely curious about the Shinjuku bombing. The entire department was in motion, which meant this was an enormous case. A major challenge to the Metropolitan Police.

"Moriya Teiji. He planned the bombing. The reason? He suffered a career setback and wanted to challenge a detective who had also fallen from grace."

"…Insane. That bastard's completely lost it!"

That was Miwako's first reaction. This man had triggered a large-scale bombing just because of some career issues?

And to challenge a detective with it?

"I think the police department will soon get reports about the theft of explosives from the JSDF's storage. Once it's confirmed that plastic explosives were stolen, things will escalate fast."

(To be continued.)