Tokyo: My Superpower Refreshes Every Week

Sirens echoed through the streets of Kasukabe, blaring continuously from downtown to the Iwasaki estate. It was also a message to the criminals, announcing their arrival. Police cars diverged, blocking off every exit of the Iwasaki residence. An ambulance stopped at the main gate.

Police Chief Nakamura Yonosuke, wearing a bulletproof vest, hid behind a car door, shouting through a megaphone, "Attention inside, you are surrounded! If you have any sense, surrender and lay down your weapons. Otherwise, we will take severe measures!"

After repeating this three times, Nakamura Yonosuke heard no response from within. He wasted no more time, swept his gaze around, and gestured for an inspector to lead the charge. He himself would bring up the rear.

The inspector, looking helpless yet compelled by his superior, waved his hand and ordered, "Go!" The others didn't hesitate.

BANG, BANG! A few shots rang out, destroying the door lock. They cautiously pushed the door open.

The way each officer held their weapon varied; the disparity between veterans and rookies was starkly evident. Most officers hadn't fired a single shot since joining the force. The station hadn't organized any firearms training. Consequently, the veterans were like drivers who had obtained their licenses years ago but had never actually bought a car to practice. Their weapon handling wasn't even as standard as the rookies'.

They were aware of their deficiencies. No matter how fiercely the chief shouted, they weren't going to rush in recklessly.

With the door ajar, they saw bodies already on the ground—victims of gunshots, heads tilted, eyes wide open as if still watching them.

HISS! A collective gasp rippled through the officers at the scene. Many swallowed nervously. If someone had set off firecrackers behind them then, they might have panicked and started shooting indiscriminately.

Relying on their numerical superiority, they began to search the Iwasaki estate. The vast estate was eerily silent. When they found bodies, they were usually in groups of three or four, armed with AK-47s—weapons far deadlier than their own sidearms.

The officers inside were tense.

Outside, Nakamura Yonosuke was just as tense. A major case like this in his jurisdiction could jeopardize his career. A single misstep meant resignation. Someone had to take the fall for this colossal mess.

He loosened his collar. Feeling agitated, he said, "Hayato, have your men gather the bodies. When will forensics arrive?"

"Chief Nakamura," Inspector Hayato, who had stayed behind, responded, "according to our information, they'll be sending a specialized coroner for the examination."

"Is that so?" Nakamura Yonosuke nodded and fell silent, his mind filling with intense suspicion.

The Iwasaki family is one of the six major conglomerates—who in the country would have the audacity to attack their estate? This thought flashed through his mind, and he swiftly dismissed it. Some things were better left unexplored. Someone who dared to kill members of such a powerful family wouldn't hesitate to eliminate a minor police chief like him. All he needed to do was follow procedures.

Nakamura Yonosuke retrieved a thermos from his car, taking a sip of goji berry tea.

Perhaps he'd have to start focusing on his health sooner than expected.

「…」

Instead of a report from inside, what arrived next was an incredibly cool black supercar. Its sleek curves exuded a charm that seemed to effortlessly attract women.

From the driver's seat of the black supercar, a blond, tall, and slender man stepped out. His white lab coat suggested a medical profession. In the passenger seat sat a nurse who perfectly complemented the sports car, her figure voluptuous with a mature sensuality. She had short hair that covered her ears and a delicate face with an indifferent expression. In her right hand, she carried a white medical case. Gray silk stockings adorned her legs, ending in bright red high heels.

The blond man breezed past the police tape, all smiles, and announced, "Good afternoon! Who's in charge here? I'm Mayers Fro, the coroner commissioned by Mr. Sumitomo. And this lady is my assistant, Curtis."

"My name is Yuzuki Suzuko," the woman carrying the medical case reintroduced herself.

Nakamura Yonosuke eyed the playboy-esque Mayers. He looks more like a minstrel who'd play a lyre on the beach than a coroner, he thought.

But since Mayers was recommended by the Sumitomo Financial Group, Nakamura could hardly refuse. He waved a hand. "Hayato, take them to where the bodies are gathered."

"Yes, sir," Inspector Hayato replied, striding towards the main entrance.

Mayers followed with a relaxed smile, his eyes scanning the surroundings. "Judging by the scene," he remarked, "it seems the perpetrators have already left."

"Correct," Inspector Hayato confirmed. "So far, we haven't heard any gunshots, nor have our teams inside reported encountering any hostiles."

"Oh dear, so much danger! Whether it's Tokyo or Saitama Prefecture, peaceful places are suddenly being plagued by a string of homicides. It's quite alarming." Mayers' tone was remarkably flippant, not at all betraying concern for the danger. In fact, he seemed to carry a hint of excitement. After all, if no one died by homicide, what would be the need for a coroner?

He followed Inspector Hayato into the Iwasaki residence. The bodies at the entrance had been moved; only chalk outlines marked where the deceased had lain. The bloodstains on the ground had not been cleaned.

From the chalk outlines indicating the victims' positions, Mayers could roughly deduce the shooter's firing direction—an insight born from years of forensic experience. Most forensic experts lacked this ability. He had it.

「…」

The police department had gathered the bodies on a lawn about a hundred meters past the main gate. Officers and hunting dogs were present. Everyone handling the bodies wore gloves, carrying them by the head and feet to preserve any remaining evidence on the corpses.

Looking at the rows of bodies under the sunlight, a look of excitement spread across Mayers's face. "This is the first time I've seen so many 'guests' pass away at once!" he exclaimed. "Curtis, let's get to work!"

"My name is Yuzuki Suzuko," the cold woman once again reminded her boss not to casually give her an English name. She detested English names and foreigners; the only reason she tolerated working for Mayers was her fondness for money.

"I know, Curtis," Mayers replied with a smile. He knew Yuzuki Suzuko detested English names and foreigners. That was precisely why he had hired her. He found it quite amusing to make someone who disliked him work for him.

Mayers hummed a little tune, donned white gloves and a mask, and took the scalpel Yuzuki Suzuko handed him. He crouched down and began to examine the nearest body, checking wounds, estimating the time of death, and looking for fingerprints.

Inspector Hayato turned away. In Japan, being a police officer didn't necessarily mean one became desensitized to corpses.

Mayers found no fingerprints. However, the wounds on the victims, including the hunting dogs, visibly excited him. "This is truly surprising!" he declared. "If I'm not mistaken, all these individuals died at the hands of the same person."

Inspector Hayato asked curiously, "How can you tell they were all killed by the same person?"

"You can tell by examining the victims' wounds. An experienced killer's methods are full of their own characteristics, much like a person's handwriting," Mayers began to elaborate. "All these deceased share a common feature: a fatal gunshot wound to a specific part of the body."

Inspector Hayato was speechless, even beginning to doubt Mayers's professional competence. "With all due respect," he retorted, "if the gunshot wounds weren't fatal, they wouldn't be dead."

"No, no, you don't understand," Mayers said. "I can assure you, the killer isn't particularly skilled with firearms. However, they possess an uncanny ability to find an enemy's vital spots. So, even when spraying bullets, they consistently hit those critical areas."

Mayers's explanation only strengthened Inspector Hayato's suspicion. This guy must be a fraud. If you're not aiming for vital points when you shoot, what are you aiming at? Thin air?

Mayers didn't elaborate further. Explaining certain things to a layman would take a considerable amount of time. He continued to examine the bodies with undiminished enthusiasm.

In total, there were forty-six human bodies and one hundred and one hunting dogs on the estate. This was, by far, the largest caseload Mayers had ever encountered in his career. Yet, he didn't feel tired.

Gazing at Sumitomo Mika's body, a flicker of excitement lit his eyes. "Oh! Look at this bustline—how marvelous! It's quite... stimulating."

Yuzuki Suzuko stated coolly, "Dr. Mayers, if you dare lay a hand on her, believe me, I'll kick you where it counts."

"Curtis, your words are so cold."

"My name is Yuzuki Suzuko. And furthermore, this is one of the duties you assigned to me: to correct your... perverse inclinations with pain should you develop inappropriate feelings towards a corpse. This is to ensure you uphold your professional ethics as a coroner."

Yuzuki Suzuko's words reminded Mayers that such an arrangement was indeed in place. His ardor cooled. He was quite certain that if he actually tried anything with Sumitomo Mika's body, he would undoubtedly suffer a critical blow. She's always been eager for a legitimate excuse to rough me up.

Mayers dutifully finished examining Sumitomo Mika's body, his mind now certain. The times of death for all victims were within a fifteen-minute window. The wounds proved that the killer was a single individual.

This discovery astounded Mayers. The Iwasaki estate was vast. Driving around its perimeter might take half an hour. How had the killer managed to eliminate all the AK-47-wielding bodyguards in various locations across the estate so cleanly and within a mere fifteen minutes?

Unless the killer possesses some kind of superpower, like teleportation, Mayers murmured to himself.

Yuzuki Suzuko retorted drily, "You'd better not submit that theory in your report to Mr. Sumitomo. They'll suspect you're trying to scam them out of their money."

"It is the truth! The killer's actions have surpassed the limits of human capability," Mayers insisted, his voice firm. As a coroner with professional ethics, he wouldn't deceive his clients.

Mayers approached the final "body"—though "body" was perhaps inaccurate. It was more like the wreckage of a robot. He looked at the missing blade from 007's right hand and touched the cut. The edge was smooth and flat, like a mirror. This was the only damage that wasn't a gunshot wound.

What kind of weapon could create such a clean cut?

Mayers stared at 007's right hand, utterly perplexed. Robotics are far beyond my field of expertise. I have no idea if an intelligent robot like this would cease to function simply because its right arm was destroyed.

"Curtis, have this moved. I need to prepare my report for Mr. Sumitomo."