PMC Acquisition
In Fussa’s fixer district, the largest building was a black tower crowned with a glowing red neon sign that read Black Tech.
Its walls were made of special obsidian glass that kept the interior almost completely hidden. The panes had been treated for both anti-surveillance and bulletproofing. Even one sheet cost a fortune; covering an entire building with the stuff made it brutally clear just how much money the company had to burn.
The man who had built a corporation powerful enough to own a place like this was named Gomisawa Renya.
A former vice-president of Seryu Military Company, he had waited until the death of its president, Sawayanagi Ryuta, then walked out with more than half the staff. In just six years he had forged them into this empire.
Back when the previous president had been rescuing the child test subjects from the laboratory, Gomisawa Renya had pretended to destroy the research data while secretly backing up every last file.
After going independent, he sold that mysterious data at an astronomical price to two of Japan’s largest conglomerates and several overseas firms. The payout gave him more wealth than he had ever dreamed of in his life.
With those funds he bought up every promising small outfit on Fixer Street, merged them with the Seryu veterans who had followed him, and created Black Tech.
From day one the company operated on a completely different scale from the other PMCs in the district. It rose like a rocket and now ranked among the top fifteen PMCs in Japan. The stolen research data had been the real engine behind that meteoric climb.
Black Tech had maintained a dedicated scientific research team from the beginning—something almost unheard of for a mid-tier PMC. Their sole job was to decipher the stolen files.
The team had managed to produce several combat potions and a handful of successful body-modification techniques, but progress eventually stalled. The missing piece was simple: they needed the actual test subjects who had once been housed in that hidden laboratory.
Four years ago, after receiving an urgent report that live specimens were required, Gomisawa Renya began systematically tormenting Seryu Military Company. He used every dirty trick to seize their training grounds and equipment. Now he was leaning hard on Sato Tojima—the man who held the majority of Seryu’s debt—to transfer those rights into his own hands.
“At this point they won’t be able to refuse our acquisition offer,” Gomisawa Renya said with a smug curl of his lip. “Better to wear the Black Tech name than to go bankrupt and disappear, right?”
He was a middle-aged man with slicked-back hair and a neatly trimmed mustache. His military background showed in the solid build beneath his expensive suit, and his eyes were as sharp as knife blades. Standing at his side was Tomano Toki—his secretary chief and a man who had been with him since the Seryu days.
“No matter how stubborn Azuma is, she’ll have no choice but to accept this time,” Tomano Toki said.
“We never should have mentioned needing test subjects in the first place,” Renya muttered, clicking his tongue.
This was not their first attempt to swallow Seryu. The initial bid had gone smoothly until Renya carelessly revealed his interest in the children. After that, Sawayanagi Azuma had warned every single employee about Black Tech’s true intentions, making individual recruitment nearly impossible. Her precognitive ability had also let her dodge every underhanded move they tried. That was how the situation had dragged on until today.
“Having the whole family scattered to the winds would be far worse than bringing them under our control.”
Gomisawa Renya let out a low, ominous chuckle. The sound had barely faded when the door to the president’s office burst open and a secretary came sprinting in, face pale.
“P-President! There’s a rumor that some woman has been going around asking questions about Seryu Military Company!”
“What?” Renya’s eyes narrowed. “Have you identified her?”
“I came straight here the moment I heard. We haven’t pinned down her identity yet…”
“Then go find out! Now!”
The secretary flinched at the roar and practically fled the office. Gomisawa Renya’s expression darkened as he watched the man disappear.
On the surface, Seryu Military Company looked pathetic. They had no real system, relied on old connections for the occasional job, and their facilities were falling apart. Only a handful of people knew that some of Seryu’s personnel were exceptional. And only a fraction of that handful knew those personnel were espers. Gomisawa Renya was one of the few who knew both truths.
“Toki.”
“Yes, President.”
“Go investigate this yourself. Don’t be rude, but find out who she is, where she came from, and exactly what she wants with Seryu. I want to know why she’s digging and what she plans to do with the information.”
“Understood.”
Deciding the matter was too important to leave to the underling who had just run out, Renya entrusted it to his most trusted subordinate. Tomano Toki bowed deeply and left the office.
###
Have I gotten too soft lately?
Mimata Chieri had noticed the tail a little later than she should have. It had only been a short time since she started sleeping with Taira Ryuta, yet her senses already felt slightly dulled. Normally she would have spotted the follower much earlier.
Can’t shake him easily, then. She muttered to herself, then deliberately turned and walked straight toward the man tailing her.
“May I help you with something?” she asked cheerfully.
“!”
The man clearly hadn’t expected to be noticed. He looked utterly flustered.
“…My superior would like to speak with you.”
“Then please lead the way. I’m quite curious who wants to meet me.”
“C-could you wait just a moment?”
The man stepped aside and made a hurried phone call—most likely to the very superior he had mentioned. After a brief conversation he returned to Mimata Chieri.
“He suggests we meet at a nearby café. Please follow me.”
“Fine. I’d appreciate it if we could keep this short. I’m rather busy.”
She followed the man to a café named Kokage. True to its name, the building was constructed almost entirely of wood. When they arrived, the supposed superior was already waiting, calmly sipping tea at a corner table.
“Good afternoon,” Mimata Chieri greeted politely.
“Hello. Please, sit down.”
“Their tea here is excellent. Would you like a cup?”
“No thank you. I’m not thirsty.”
Her answer carried the clear implication that she did not intend to stay long. The man across from her had short-cropped hair, tanned skin, and the straight-backed posture of someone who had spent years in the field. Definitely PMC.
“This is who I am,” he said, sliding a business card across the table.
The card read: Black Tech—Secretary Chief Tomano Toki. So her guess had been correct.
Black Tech was a name Mimata Chieri knew well. They were famous for their expertise in human modification; most of their soldiers had undergone extensive bio-augmentation, giving them superior combat performance. Rumors, however, claimed the modifications caused side effects. The troops were said to act erratically, display extreme violence, and occasionally commit unnecessary massacres or even cannibalism. Black Tech denied every allegation, but the stories refused to die.
“I’m sorry. I recently changed jobs and haven’t had new cards made yet.”
“Then may I ask where you currently work?”
“I do the same sort of work as you, Mr. Tomano Toki. I’m also a secretary chief for a certain person.”
She smiled brightly. Tomano Toki felt a flicker of frustration. He wanted to press her for a name, but one look at her serene expression told him she would never give it.
“Then let me ask you this directly. Why have you been making inquiries about Seryu Military Company?”
“Why is Black Tech so interested in them? They’re a completely unrelated company, aren’t they?”
She answered his question with another. Irritation flashed across Tomano Toki’s face, but he forced a smile.
“There may be a connection after all. Black Tech has taken a great interest in Seryu. We don’t want unnecessary competitors. Let me be perfectly clear: we intend to acquire Seryu Military Company. And we will not tolerate any interference. Does the person you serve understand this?”
“And if you don’t tolerate it? What exactly can Black Tech do? Threatening someone the moment you meet them… I don’t feel like sitting here any longer.”
The instant Mimata Chieri stood, the other patrons in the café rose as one and surrounded her. So the entire place was a Black Tech front.
“There’s no need to be hasty,” Tomano Toki said with a thin, unpleasant smile. “Sit back down, tell us who you work for and why you’re interested in Seryu, and you’ll be allowed to leave without any trouble.”
Mimata Chieri turned to face him again. Contrary to his expectation that she would look frightened, her expression remained perfectly calm.
“In that case, let me put it like this. If those big fellows step aside right now, I’ll be able to stay here without any trouble at all.”
She unbuttoned her suit jacket and opened it. Inside, two mechanical bombs were neatly tucked into the inner pockets, one on each side.
“…Do you always walk around with bombs sewn into your clothes?”
“Who knows? What are you going to do about it?”
No one wanted to die. There was a chance she was bluffing. But the moment Tomano Toki looked into her eyes, he knew with absolute certainty that Mimata Chieri would detonate them without hesitation.
“We’ll let you go today. Leave.”
“Thank you for your kindness. Well then…”
At his gesture the men surrounding her returned to their seats. Mimata Chieri walked out of Café Kokage with a light, bouncy step, completely unhindered.
Tomano Toki watched her until she disappeared from sight. The moment she was gone, he snatched up his phone and dialed.
“President, I believe we need to begin the acquisition process immediately.”
The expression on Mimata Chieri’s face that had convinced Tomano Toki she would actually detonate the bomb.
