Chapter 185: List of the Missing
Because they suspected that the curse's selection range targeted jujutsu sorcerers whose strength reached a certain level, ranking them from the top down, the order of this list was based on that premise.
When Emiya took the intelligence report, he saw Nanami Kento's name right there on the first page, which undoubtedly proved just how exceptional the man's strength was.
The problem was, this was not a good thing.
Even if the current assessment was merely that they were "missing," those who had vanished couldn't possibly have avoided all danger. The "unknown" itself was the greatest danger of all.
While Emiya intended to save everyone, his actions and heart were inevitably biased toward those he knew personally. If possible, Emiya truly did not want to see the kind Mr. Nanami get entangled in such a dangerous affair.
But since it had already happened, the only thing he could do was resolve it as quickly as possible.
Thus, Emiya's gaze did not linger too long on the name he cared about; instead, he quickly skimmed through the entire list.
Just as the base commander had described, this list not only accurately detailed the time and location of each sorcerer's disappearance but also thoughtfully included photos of every individual and basic information regarding their Cursed Techniques.
Of course, specific details of a technique—information vital to any sorcerer—could not be marked on such a sheet. Even the General Headquarters wouldn't keep public records of such secrets.
Well, for Emiya, these basic details like faces and names were enough.
However, there was still the other issue the commander had just mentioned...
"Toyokawa Shinko, last seen at 18:00, at the entrance of an underground casino.
Nanami Kento, last seen at 19:23, while in the process of pursuing a suspicious individual.
Saijou, last seen at 18:32, location was... a toilet?"
Indeed, just as the person in charge said, there was no obvious connection between the information on these missing persons.
Not only were the locations scattered, but the times they were last spotted also showed no significant correlation with factors like their strength.
Technically, the possibility of an internal pattern wasn't completely zero—for example, a new person might go missing at fixed intervals... but the times they had recorded were merely
estimates. Without knowing the exact second of the disappearance, these inferences could only serve as simple references and had no real significance.
It was like those pretentious "reading comprehension" or "pattern-finding" questions: there should be many unique perspectives for a solution, yet the question-setter always insists on interpreting it only from their own narrow angle. It was a purely redundant exercise.
Realizing this, Emiya decisively ignored the superfluous information. In the shortest time possible, he memorized the faces, techniques, and names of the missing sorcerers, then handed the list back.
Knowing that time was of the essence, he didn't waste a second. Once finished, he immediately rushed to the "Safety Border" designated by the organization.
Although they said the area shrouded by the curse was in the Shibuya District, the actual range couldn't be as precise as human-drawn boundaries; the reality would always fluctuate.
To ensure no accidents occurred, the organization had mapped out the largest possible range. Theoretically, the area outside the boundary was the Green Zone (safe), the uncertain area was the dangerous Yellow Zone, and the area formed by the disappearance locations was the Red Zone, where accidents were guaranteed to happen.
The moment Emiya stepped into the Yellow Zone, all the auxiliary personnel on the perimeter had to become 10,000% alert.
It was true that they could not enter the danger zone directly, but they could still provide real-time information and alerts through various monitoring systems. They wouldn't be completely useless.
There were at least ten thousand surveillance devices in the entire Shibuya District; they had plenty of work to keep them busy.
"It's such a peaceful scene, one where you can't tell a disaster is unfolding at all... I just hope the missing people are alright," Emiya murmured as he stood before the crowded street.
As one of the economic centers of the nation, Shibuya was incredibly inclusive—you could see visitors from all over the world, and it embraced every race.
Yet, standing in such an inclusive city, Emiya felt an inexplicable sense of being out of place.
The people living in this city at this moment were in the midst of an uncertain danger, yet they were completely ignorant of it. Their ultimate fate had nothing to do with their own decisions or performance because, having no ability to choose, they didn't even have the right to be informed.
So... should this be counted as a "false happiness" or a "false peace"?
To make this "happiness and peace" last longer, someone inevitably had to make a sacrifice. The ones sacrificed could be sorcerers, or they could be these non-sorcerers. Even if it wasn't
to protect a specific person, but merely to ensure that this scene could continue to exist... that was enough to become a reason for Emiya to fight.
After Emiya had walked a certain distance, a reminder suddenly rang in his ear.
"Stay sharp, Emiya-san... you're about to reach the outermost edge of the zone where people have gone missing.
There is an alley about two hundred meters to your left-front. That is the last place a missing sorcerer appeared. He entered that alley and never came out again."
Before Emiya left the base, the commander had handed him a specially-made communication headset. Though small, it had a massive range and high signal penetration. With nearly a thousand people acting as his support team, Emiya's eyes effectively reached every corner of Shibuya.
If an accident or a suspicious target appeared anywhere, the news would reach his ears in less than ten seconds.
"Is that so? Then I'll go take a look over there first."
"That... I understand. Please be careful."
The voice connecting with Emiya was about to say something more, but ultimately swallowed the words back down.
What was the point of saying it might be dangerous? This was something that had to be investigated clearly. For things that someone must do, what use was any amount of persuasion?
Emiya didn't reply to the comms again. Firstly, it wasn't necessary; secondly, with so many people around, he wasn't used to the feeling of being stared at for talking to himself.
At the same time, several street cameras converged on Emiya in unison. Together with their operators in the distance, they closely watched the events unfold.
A distance of just two hundred meters took only a little over a minute, even at a slow pace.
Walking briskly, Emiya reached the edge of the alley in just a few dozen seconds. Under the distant gaze of everyone watching the screens, he looked into the blind spot of the interior.
"This is...?"
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