Lie:verse Liars:Chapter 4

Accepting Ms. Yuni Kokono’s request, I was led to a black luxury car parked at the end of an alley.

After Ms. Kokono and I got into the back seat, the car started to drive away quietly.

“Excuse me…. Where are we going?”

“We are going to “Chuo Ward”, our headquarters building is there.” (TL note: Chuo-ku is a real place in Japan and it can also be called the “Central District” but I will call it Chuo Ward.)

Chuo Ward which Ms. Kokono mentioned was in the center of Morihama City.

-- "Morihama City".

The city where I lived used to be a province.

However, the redevelopment that was made in the city 10 years ago has changed its aspect drastically.

With its sophisticated urban design and the entry of foreign-affiliated companies, Morihama has become a designated administrative city with a population of 500,000 people.

Morihama City is divided into five wards: the east, west, south, north, south, and center, and the "Chuo Ward" is the symbol of redevelopment.

The streets of the past have completely disappeared, and now only the perfectly maintained and arranged streets were seen.

"I see, so that building is the headquarters."

After a few minutes of gazing out the window, we were approaching the center of Chuo Ward, Ms. Kokono told me that the headquarters of the secret organization was located there.

The headquarters building of the secret organization towered majestically in the prime location of "Chuo Ward".

It was easy to see just from the headquarters that "Caliburn" was not just an organization with a name.

The building, ostensibly under to be under the name of a prestigious foreign company and with tight security, is apparently the headquarters of a secret organization.

　I was led into the reception room of the building, hiding behind Ms. Kokono's back, and was brought into the reception room of a first-class company, which looked like something out of a foreign drama series.

"Well then, let me explain what happened."

What Ms. Kokono told me was an incident that happened that I did not know of from the city that I have lived in ever since I was born.

It all started 15 years ago. It seems that it was that this was the first record of the "Awakened", the first generation, who observed the "emptiness," which is the special space that contains the "False World of the Gisekai" behind Morihama City.

From there on, the battle between the "Awakened" and the "Fake beasts" continued endlessly.

The "Awakened" traveled to the "False World" to rescue the victims in response to the "False World Incident", which was dismissed as a mere young person who got "spirited away" in the real world.

In addition, Ms. Kokono talked about the worst-case scenario, "the collapse of our real world," which will happen if the number of "fake worlds" increases.

"That is why we fight."

　--The 《False World War》. This is a war that no one knows about yet.

　The countermeasure organization against the false world, "Caliburn," was formed by the former Awakened.

It is said that when an "Awakened One" reaches a certain age, he or she loses the ability to cross over the "Boundary" which leads into the "False World".

Therefore, Caliburn, as an organization, is supporting the next generation of the "Awakened" by preparing an environment in which they can fight. By the way, I also heard that I am part of the third generation of Awakened, while agents like Ms. Kokono are classified to be part of the second generation.

　There are many things I guess from listening to what Ms. Kokono says.

It is easy to imagine that Caliburn has the power to live up to its title as a secret organization in Morihama City. Given the fact that it has the cooperation of the police and other administrative agencies in collecting information covering the whole city of Morihama and that it operates an exclusive hospital to take in victims rescued from the "fake world".

The number of third-generation awakened registered within Caliburn is currently more than 80 members, and that number is said to be increasing.

I thought there were a lot of Awakened, but according to Ms. Kokono's explanation, that was apparently not the case.

"It is true that the number of teenagers who have become part of the "Awakened" is increasing every year. But more than that, the number of "false world incidents" are also on the rise."

Young people are going missing because of "false worlds".

The disappearance of those people is due to "false worlds" that are being explained as them "simply running away from home," and are only ridiculed and referred to as people who have been "Spirited Away" on the Internet, so the public does not pay any attention to it at all.

In fact, it is said that there are a considerable number of such incidents that do occur.

　So there really are strange incidents actually occurring in the city I live in.

However, because the public does not know the true nature of these incidents, they are categorized as other, more familiar supernatural events, and not much fuss is made about them.

Once you know the whole story, you may think, "What a sloppy reason that is."

　But at the same time, I am convinced that it is possible.

This is because I personally understand the absurdity of the world that we live in. If something terrible is unclear to the masses, people would continue to ignore it without any problems even if someone were missing.

　That is what is considered to be normal in the real world.

We are fighting to avoid all the disasters caused by the "false world incidents" that keep occurring. That is why we want children like you, who have Awakened to cross over to the False World, to cooperate with us.

Our role as third-generation Awakened is to go to the False World and rescue the victims.

"Caliburn" exists to support them, and it seems that they have prepared a reward for their contributions.

Ms. Kokono, a Caliburn agent, explained to me once again about the position of the third-generation awakened, which was quite different from what I had assumed.

　I thought that the third-generation awakened were being used as soldiers with no right of refusal, but I was told that this was not the case at all and that they were relying on their own autonomy.

　It was just like what Ura said.

　The choice was left up to us.

Even so, because they want young "Awakened" to lend their strength, Caliburn is not only offering rewards but they are also using all kinds of systems and information to create an environment that will make it easier for us to fight.

After hearing her explanation, the image I frankly had of the third-generation Awakened who work with the support of "Caliburn" was that of a player or a part-time worker.

　After the explanation, Ms. Kokono asked me again for a favor.

"If you don't mind, will you fight with us?"

There are some things you can't understand just from talking with someone but it's not that I don't care about what they say.

　But more than that, I was interested in what I had witnessed today.

--Besides, there's someone I want to meet again.

I said "yes" in a strained voice.

"Thank you. I'm looking forward to working with you from now on, Kigisu Yuragi-san."

　And so, I was to undergo training as an Awakened.

The third generation of the Awakened usually forms teams of several people and goes to the "fake world" to investigate and rescue victims, and a community called a "clan" is formed by a group of people with the same philosophies who share similar ideas.

Currently, there are five clans of third-generation awakened people officially recognized by Caliburn, and each of these clans has their own territory in Morihama City.

As a result of my discussion with Gayano-san, it was decided that I would undergo training for new recruits at the clan "Aomori Fuya Soshinfuya" whose territory is located in the East Ward of Morihama City.

East Ward is the district that includes the park square where I first found the "hole".

　My training began the next day.

The members of the clan "Aomori Fuya" were very serious and nice people, including the clan master, Soraumi Kukai.

　Together with them, I traveled to several "false worlds," learned more about "disguise," which can be created by awakened people, fought against various "fake beasts," and rescued victims who were being held captive to helped to annihilate the "false worlds".

I experienced many things in a short period of time and rapidly became an "Awakened".

　--But the one thing that kept on bothering me was what that guy was doing.

I kept thinking about Urasaku Rintaro.

　I met Ura in the East Ward so I thought that he must be a part of one of the "Awakened" here too.

I guessed that he was in "Aomori Fuya" since this clan is a place for training newcomers, but we have not been able to meet each other yet.

Oh, um, ...... I'd like to ask you a few questions. Is there a person named Urasaku Rintaro here?"

A week after my first training at "Fuya Aomori," I finally couldn't take it any longer.

I put up with my embarrassment and asked Tobari Machi-san, my master, where he is.

".... I don't think so?"

From then on, through Machi-san's arrangements, the story spread to other people, but everyone just tilted their heads. Mr. Kukai called the main members and asked about the possibility of a solo awakened person who did not belong to the clan, but it seemed that no one recognized him.

"...... Wait a minute. Could it be?"

In the midst of all this, a certain male "awakened" noticed something, and began to check his phone.

"......I knew it."

The person showed me the screen of his smartphone with an indescribable expression.

In conclusion, Rintaro Urakaku was a "pseudonym".

Moreover, that was the name of the main character in the 18+ game "Collar Story: The Demon Man and Nine Nuptial Sex Slaves".

Apparently, I was seen as a dangerous woman who had been asking my clan members where the main character of the devilish erotic game was.

　The moment I learned this, I snapped.

"THAT SCUMBAG!!!!"

I screamed. I screamed from the bottom of my stomach in the presence of all the clan members who thought I was shy and which I hadn't been able to talk to yet.

I was so angry! Really angry! I was seriously pissed off! I had never been this angry in my entire life!

What made me so angry was the fact that I had told him my real name at the end and he hadn't!

"What do you mean that "We are on an equal treaty"?!"

……However, looking back after gaining experience as an 《Awakened》, there were many inexplicable points about Ura's actions.

The "Awakened" are required to use the "Cain" application, which is only exclusive to the "Awakened" for them to send reports to "Caliburn" that they have entered the "False World.

　Moreover, I am not sure about that man's "disguise".

According to him, he said that "I'm not good at defeating fake beasts," but that's already a strange statement to begin with.

　The ability of "disguise" is used as a weapon that the "Awakened" creates in order to defeat the "fake beasts". In other words, the man's words logically did not make any sense.

　In other words, there is a strong possibility that he was lying. ...... Well, it might be that he "just didn't say it".

　Who was that man?

　I was extraordinarily curious about his identity.

　So I decided to take the final step.

I contacted Ms. Kokono, the Caliburn agent, and asked her who was the "Awakened One" that found me.

　But the answer I got back confused me even more.

"Hmmm, I'm as confused as you are."

According to Ms. Kokono, who happened to be in the East Ward at the time, the head office contacted her saying, "We found a newly《awakened person》and asked her to come and pick me up.

　She visited the site and found me there. She then invited me to the headquarters and gave me guidance as usual according to the order.

　However, there were some things that were still unclear to her, so she tried to find out who that person was, but in the end, she didn't know who contacted《Caliburn》and how that request was sent to her.

"......"

Thus, the only way for me to contact Ura again was completely gone.

　Or rather, I was horrified by the fact that his existence had become ambiguous.

　Was it a mere coincidence?　Or was it a manipulation of information involving someone else's agenda?

　Did that "Awakened" I had encountered, Rintaro Urakaku, really exist?

　Could it be that he was a ghost or an illusion? ......

　--No, that is absolutely not true!

　That man existed!　Surely!　That fearless, suspicious man who could see into people's hearts was definitely there!

　And he even left me with the worst possible souvenir, an incredibly embarrassing alias, when I was being a little more honest with him!

　I will never, ever, ever, ever forgive him!

　I will find him someday!　And I'm going to hit him!　Yes!　With a tight grip!　I'll hit him as hard as I can!　I'll never forgive him until he cries and apologizes!

"Oh, calm down, Yuragi. Well, there are times when that happens."

Seeing me so upset and angry when I even came back to the clan home of "Fuya Aomori," Kukai-san, Machi-san, and others were trying their best to calm me down.

Incidentally, I wanted to retort by saying "I can't stand that kind of thing!"

　In the end, that situation was able to get everyone in the clan to pay more attention to me because of this.

After completing the newcomer training, I officially belonged to the clan "Aomori Fuya."

Everyone was very nice. I thought they were wonderful people who were really fighting for someone.

　--But I was not able to fit in there because of that.

　One month later, I quit the clan "Aomori Fuya" and became a solo awakened person, and chose to be alone, as I had been doing.

　Two months later, after our first encounter in another false world, I would meet that scumbag again by chance.

　　　　　　　　　　　　End of Episode 1