Terror in Resonance: If - Sphinxes of the Sleepless City
Terror in Resonance: If — Sphinxes of the Sleepless City
Nine and Touji have returned—not to the Tokyo of their world, but to another sleepless city where the festival lights flicker and the shadows of the Athena Plan still reach. The bomb is set. The detonator is ready. And the world is watching Sphinx.
But in this world, a girl sits alone in the corner of a classroom, her downcast eyes carrying the weight of a silence no one else can hear. She is not Mio. She is just a classmate. A stranger.
Terror in Resonance: If - Sphinxes of the Sleepless City - The Window-Side Detective and the Girl Who Wants to Disappear -The Riddle That Gets Deciphered-
The Metropolitan Police Document Division archive sits on the north side of the building. No sunlight reaches it. Only the hum of the air conditioning, a low, constant drone.
Shibasaki Kenjirou sat at a small desk wedged between two rows of shelving. His short black hair, streaked with white, hadn't seen a barber in days. His sharp dark eyes were fixed on the laptop screen. On the back of his left hand, an old scar.
Paper files piled high on the desk. The Sphinx case files — untouched by anyone for the past six months.
"Chief, that's a Criminal Investigation Division case."
Rokukasa poked his head out from behind a shelf. Plump, always eating something. Today, as usual, he was clutching a convenience store bag.
Shibasaki didn't look up.
"The Document Division handles records for every case, don't we."
"Well, yeah, I guess. But Chief, you've been staring at that thing for days. You never leave on time anymore."
Rokukasa pulled a pastry from the bag. A Pon de Ring. One of Shibasaki's favorites, too. He set it on the edge of Shibasaki's desk.
"A little something for you. Oh — actually, should I not? You want me to eat it instead?"
Shibasaki took the Pon de Ring without a word. Tore open the bag. The sweet smell spread through the musty archive.
"...Did you actually watch the Sphinx's crime declaration video?"
Rokukasa tilted his head.
"Of course I did. The one where they pose a riddle before blowing up the Metropolitan Government Building. The internet's treating them like heroes."
"Heroes, huh."
Shibasaki took a bite of the pastry.
"Posing a riddle before a bombing — that in itself is a provocation. But there's an unnatural sequence of numbers in that riddle. It's not just wordplay. They're arranged according to some kind of rule."
Shibasaki turned the laptop toward Rokukasa. On the screen, a frame from the crime declaration video.
"Look here. '8 5 20 8 1 14 1.' Right after the words pointing to the Metropolitan Government Building's location, suddenly, seven numbers."
Rokukasa leaned his face toward the screen.
"Huh. Seven numbers in a row. But what does it mean?"
"No idea. That's why I'm looking into it."
Shibasaki shoved the Pon de Ring into his mouth.
"...The puzzle isn't solved yet."
Rokukasa gave him an exasperated look and headed back to his own desk.
Silence returned to the archive.
Shibasaki replayed the video over and over. Copied the number sequence onto paper.
8, 5, 20, 8, 1, 14, 1.
(8, 5, 20...)
Shibasaki set down his pen.
(Are these alphabet numbers?)
A is 1. B is 2. C is 3.
If so, 8 is H. 5 is E. 20 is T.
H, E, T.
Shibasaki's hand stopped.
(HET? No. 8 is H, 5 is E, 20 is T, 8 is H, 1 is A, 14 is N, 1 is A.)
H, E, T, H, A, N, A.
"HETHANA... no, ATHENA."
Shibasaki exhaled deeply.
ATHENA. Athena.
(Athens...?)
Something caught in the back of Shibasaki's mind. A memory from his time at the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Back when he was still in the Criminal Investigation Division, a phrase he'd glimpsed in the corner of a document.
The Athena Plan.
Shibasaki rewrote the numbers once more.
(8, 5, 20, 8, 1, 14, 1. ATHENA. Athena. Athens.)
"...That's strange."
His muttering echoed through the archive.
That evening, Shibasaki went home.
He opened his laptop on the living room table. In the corner of the room, the washing machine was running. His wife was in the kitchen preparing dinner.
"Dad, you brought work home again?"
Haruka came down from the second floor. Shibasaki's daughter, studying in the university's science and engineering department. Her shoulder-length black hair was tied back in a single bundle.
"Just a bit. Haruka, sorry, but take a look at this."
Shibasaki played a portion of the video. The scene showing the number sequence.
"Doesn't this sequence of numbers look like a code to you?"
Haruka sat down beside him. She stared at the screen.
"Couldn't you convert this to binary and get letters?"
"Binary?"
"Yeah. Turn it into a string of 0s and 1s, split it into groups of eight bits, and it becomes character code. I mean, in the computer world, letters are represented by numbers too, right?"
Haruka took Shibasaki's pen and started calculating on paper.
"8 in binary is 1000. 5 is 0101. 20 is 10100. Line them all up and split into eight-bit chunks... huh, but wait. The digits might not line up."
Haruka tilted her head.
"Hmm. In binary, it might not spell ATHENA. But if it's alphabet numbers, 8 is H, 5 is E, 20 is T... oh, it spells ATHENA!"
Haruka looked up.
"This says ATHENA. Athena. The goddess from Greek mythology."
Shibasaki said nothing.
ATHENA.
(So that's it.)
"Dad, you're making a scary face."
Haruka peered at him with concern.
Shibasaki laughed hastily.
"It's nothing. Just old case files."
"Really? You've been looking at that thing forever lately. Mom was worried too."
"I'm fine. More importantly, how's university? Are you getting your credits?"
Haruka scowled.
"That again? Dad, whenever I ask you something, you always dodge the question."
Shibasaki gave a wry smile.
"Sorry, sorry. Come on, dinner. Go help your mother."
Haruka sighed and headed to the kitchen.
Shibasaki stared at the word ATHENA written on the paper.
(The Athena Plan. That top-secret project at the Ministry of Health.)
Something stirred deep in Shibasaki's chest.
(Why would the Athena Plan's name be hidden in the Sphinx's riddle?)
The washing machine beeped its completion.
The hideout's kitchen was cramped.
Standing in front of the sink, there was no room for a second person. The old fluorescent light flickered now and then.
Mishima Risa stood before the pot. Her shoulder-length black hair was tied back in a small bundle. Her round dark eyes watched the pot anxiously. The small earring on her left ear caught the fluorescent light.
"I'm making dinner tonight, okay?"
She'd been telling herself she'd say that all morning.
It had been several days since she started living here as an accomplice. The two of them never let her do anything. Cleaning, laundry, shopping — they did it all themselves.
(I have to do something too.)
Risa took the container of miso from the refrigerator.
(Can I make miso soup? I've watched Mom make it.)
She filled the pot with water and turned on the heat.
"Risa, what're you making?"
Touji came peeking into the kitchen. His fluffy mushroom-cut light brown hair bobbed as he moved. His big amber eyes peered into the pot.
"Miso soup. And tamagoyaki too."
"Oh! Nice! I love miso soup!"
Touji grinned.
Risa felt a little happy.
(I hope he likes it.)
Risa picked up the container of white powder sitting next to the miso.
(This is the miso, right?)
She spooned three generous tablespoons of the white powder into the pot.
Steam rose.
"Smells good already!"
Touji's nose twitched.
Risa ladled some soup into a small dish and tasted it.
"...Huh?"
She tilted her head.
(It's kind of... sweet.)
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. It's fine. Probably fine."
Risa turned off the heat.
Dinner time.
The three of them sat on the floor around the small table.
"Thanks for the food."
"Thanks for the fooood!"
Touji held his bowl of miso soup in both hands and took a sip.
"Whoa, this is... sweet! Super sweet, Risa-chan!"
Touji choked.
"Eh?"
Risa hurriedly tasted her own bowl.
Sweet.
Nothing but the taste of sugar.
"...Ah."
Her face went bright red all at once.
"I'm so sorry, I'm really terrible at cooking... I mistook it for miso and put in sugar."
Risa apologized in a voice that seemed about to vanish.
Kokonoe Arata silently picked up his bowl of miso soup. Took a sip.
"...Dilute it with water and it's drinkable."
Nine said that and brought a plastic bottle of water from the kitchen. He poured water into Risa's soup.
"Nine-nii, so kind!"
Touji teased.
"Shut up. You drink it too."
Nine poured water into Touji's bowl as well.
Risa watched Nine's hands.
(Nine-kun isn't angry.)
Her chest felt a little lighter.
"...Thank you."
She said it quietly.
Touji grinned.
"But y'know, Risa-chan's miso soup is sweet — kinda nostalgic, actually. Like penny candy."
"Penny candy..."
Risa smiled awkwardly.
"How's the tamagoyaki?"
Nine reached for the rolled omelet with his chopsticks.
"Ah, I'm not so sure about that one either..."
Before Risa could finish, Nine put a bite in his mouth.
"...Too much salt."
"I'm sorry."
Risa apologized again.
"But it's not inedible."
Nine drank some water.
Touji laughed and stuffed the tamagoyaki into his mouth.
"Salty! But it makes the rice go down easy!"
Risa looked back and forth between their faces.
(They're not angry. They're both smiling.)
Her eyes grew hot.
(Is it really okay for me to be here?)
She took a bite of rice.
Sweet miso soup and salty tamagoyaki.
(Weird flavors. But warm.)
Night.
The hideout grew quiet.
Risa was in her room, packing her things.
Into a small backpack: a change of clothes, a towel, her wallet. And the cell phone Nine had given her.
(I really shouldn't be here after all.)
She zipped the backpack shut.
(Because I'm here, the two of them are in danger. I can't even cook. I'm useless. A burden.)
Risa opened her door.
The hallway was dark.
Holding her breath, she headed for the entrance.
"Risa-chan, where're you going?"
A voice came suddenly from behind her.
Risa's shoulders jumped.
She turned. Touji stood leaning against his door.
"...Touji-kun."
"Where're you going?"
Touji asked again.
Risa clutched her backpack tight.
"...I'm going to leave after all."
"Why?"
Touji's voice was lower than usual.
"Because I'm a burden. I just get in your way. I can't cook, I can't do anything. With me around, you two are in danger."
Risa's voice trembled.
"That's not true."
Touji stepped closer.
"Risa-chan, you're not a burden. I want to hear your voice more."
Touji's amber eyes stared at her earnestly in the darkness.
"Your voice, Risa-chan — it's this pale yellow color, and it's really beautiful. When I hear it, I feel energized. Without you, Risa-chan, I can't do it."
Touji's voice was desperate.
"...But."
Tears spilled from Risa's eyes.
Then, footsteps from the far end of the hallway.
Kokonoe Arata stood in the doorway.
"If you're leaving, I won't stop you."
Nine's voice was cold.
"But that's the choice you made. Don't regret it."
Risa looked at Nine's face.
It was dark — she couldn't make out his expression.
But there was something in his voice that wasn't just pushing her away.
"...Is it really okay for me to stay? I'm not a burden...?"
Risa asked, trembling.
"You're not a burden!"
Touji answered instantly.
"Risa-chan, you're our comrade. You don't call a comrade a burden."
Risa looked at Touji's face.
His eyes were steady.
Nine turned his back.
"You decided this yourself. Then decide it yourself to the end."
That was all he said before returning to his room.
Risa stood frozen in the hallway.
(Decide it myself, to the end.)
Nine's words sank slowly into her chest.
(I decided myself that I'd stay here.)
Risa slowly set her backpack down on the floor.
"...Sorry. I'm not going."
She wiped her tears.
Touji smiled with relief.
"Good. Then let's sleep. Tomorrow's gonna be busy too."
"...Yeah."
Risa nodded slightly.
She returned to her room.
Lay down on the futon.
Stared at the ceiling.
(It's okay for me to be here.)
(Touji-kun said I'm a comrade.)
(Nine-kun told me to decide for myself.)
Risa hugged her arms tight.
The lukewarm summer night air filled the room.
The same night.
A room in a high-rise hotel in Tokyo.
Five sat at the desk by the window. Her long white hair swayed slowly in the air conditioning. Her ice-blue eyes stared coldly at the tablet screen. The blue earring on her left ear glimmered faintly.
On the screen: the record of Mishima Risa's missing person report.
"Mishima Risa. Sixteen. Second-year high school student. The report was filed by her mo
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