Mizuho had shown up at the office of the Japanese branch of the World Ability Agency the day after she had been attacked by the mysterious guys. She had been asked by Yuto to check on him, but Mizuho herself was also curious.
　As she sat down on the sofa in the reception room with Meira and waited, Hisae, the head of the Japanese branch of the World Ability Agency, and her secretary, Kakitate Shima, appeared.

''Mizuho-chan, welcome~. Meira-kun too.

'Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule, Hisae-san.

No, no, no!　It's mainly the staff and Shima who are busy.

No, it's just business.

　Shima actually looks exhausted when he says that. Shima is probably the one who is actually in charge of this request from the Japanese government and the investigation of the mysterious gifted people who attacked Mizuho and the others yesterday.

''........Kakitate-san, sorry to bother you when you're busy.

Oh, Mizuho-san, it's okay. I'm used to it.

....

　Mizuho and Akera simultaneously looked at the unsympathetic secretary with a pitying look on their faces.
　Hisae sat on the sofa facing Mizuho and the others, trying as much as possible not to look at Shima in that delicate atmosphere. Shima sat beside her, holding documents and a tablet computer in one hand while she gazed at Nisasae, who wouldn't look at her.

''Hisae-san, I came today because...''

　When Mizuho opens up about today's business, Hisae responds with a hardened expression.

''I know. They're the ones who attacked us yesterday.

Yes.

　Nissae glanced at Shima and nodded forward.

'First of all, it's the identity of these guys, right?　For now, let's get to the bottom of this.

　Don't tell me that the investigation had already been done, Mizuho waited for Hisae's words in surprise.

''These guys are the Dark Night's Panther.

!

　Mizuho couldn't hide her surprise. No, the results of the investigation were also within the realm of expectation. It wasn't the identity of these people that surprised her. It was the fact that their identities were cracked so easily.
　Mizuho remembered what Yuto had said yesterday.
　He had even said that if these guys were the Dark Night Leopard, then they were just fools. Even if the Dark Night Leopard had a purpose in attacking them, it would not be a professional to let them grab its tail. And moreover, how bypassing would it be to be able to crack its identity so easily.......in one day?

''Hisae-san.......is that true?　This is so easy for the Dark Night Leopard...

''I know what you're saying, Mizuho-chan. She's too careless for a dark night leopard.

　Mizuho nodded cautiously at Hisae's words.

''It's just that it's true. Because I was in possession of conclusive evidence.''

Evidence?　Is that...?

"The dog tags.... It's like a small card held only by the Chinese dark night leopard, held by a mysterious metal. Even the agency still doesn't know what this metal is, though. I've only heard stories about it, but this is the first time I've seen it.

　Hisae said, and placed what looked like a small card, only a couple of centimeters long, that looked like an identification slip, on the table. It's original form was indeterminate, as if it was halfway through melting. Mizuho reached for the copper-colored half-melted card.

''Oh, Mizuho-chan, be careful not to give out your spiritual power.

What?

If you touch that metal while exerting your spiritual or magical power, it will be taken into your body and completely assimilated into it, making it impossible to remove. I don't know who made it and for what purpose, but as far as I'm concerned, it's not going to be a problem. Well, I think I have a pretty good idea. It's probably some kind of transmitter or something to prevent betrayal. I've heard that it's supposed to disappear with the owner when he dies.

　Nissae shrugged, not hiding her disgust.

'Such a thing ... in my body?　So, when we went through our possessions right after we took them down, we didn't find anything.

　Mizuho plucked the recognition slip and checked it closely close to her face.
　She could see something written on it and stared at it.

''It says Ma Yu Lin on it. It's a person with the ability belonging to the Dark Night's Leopard, which has the second name [Poisonous Arm]. He's pretty famous. He used to be the head of a crime syndicate that ran rampage in Shanghai, and was recruited by the Dark Night leopard, though I don't know how he got there. I heard that he was a hell of a guy who went from human trafficking to organ trafficking, but I heard that he was quite skilled at it. There are a number of people with abilities that belong to the Beijing branch of the agency that were killed by this guy. That's as good as Mizuho-chan.

No I wasn't the only one.

　While answering that, Mizuho can also see something that looks like letters around the melted recognition slip, but I'm not sure.

'I'm thinking that on that melted side........the name of the person who made this recognition slip was inscribed on it. We're still investigating, but maybe ... it could be some kind of curse, though that doesn't explain it. I just think that this may have been used to control the people with the abilities they belonged to, both mentally and physically.

You're not going to...

　Mizuho looked at this creepy, ungainly recognition slip and raised an eyebrow.
　And a few new questions arose.

'Hisae-san.......then why is this here?　Those guys from yesterday aren't dead, and if they were assimilated into the body, shouldn't they have been able to get them out?　Hello!　He's dead?　No, but if that's the case, then this is going to disappear, isn't it?

　Hisae's eyes narrowed at Mizuho's natural question.

''Those guys from yesterday are dead. No, I guess I should say they were killed, to be precise.''

What?

'Of course we didn't do it. Well, in the normal course of things, we were probably purged by our friends, I don't know what the purpose of the attack was, but at any rate, we made a mistake. And not only that, but as punishment for causing a dumb situation where we were held up.

....

　Mizuho's face strengthens at the mention of Hisae. They're more decent people than you can imagine.......not an organization. Mizuho felt a chill run down her back as she realized how cheaply human life was estimated.
　That didn't mean that Mizuho was afraid of the other party. Rather, the problem was the fact that such an abnormal group of people had once set foot in her alma mater, Sei Sei Seijo Academy, where ordinary people attended.
　Mizuho turned a serious face to Nisae and Shima.
　Besides, they still haven't cleared up any doubts about the fact that this recognition slip is here.
　From the expression on Mizuho's face, Hisae could see what Mizuho was saying and nodded.

'Mizuho's question is actually our question too. Immediately after they arrived at the institute that transported them, they suddenly began to suffer and disappeared into thin air. Right in front of our eyes like their bodies liquefied and melted. And then this recognition slip fell out.

Oh, no!

　What Hisae said was beyond Mizuho's imagination, and as expected, Mizuho was surprised.
　The agency's laboratories were not only laboratories, but also rooms to house captured aliens and people with abilities, and rooms for interrogation. The place was set up in a different place than the Shinjuku sub-center, where the branch chief's office was located, and Mizuho didn't know the specific location.

''There it is........ Utterly, I can't feel bad about being shown that thing!　You won't be able to eat Jell-O for the foreseeable future, you know....

　Is that the kind of problem you have, Mizuho?　I think, but Nissae crossed her arms and looked forward, pouting.

'Well, I'll explain it to you in order. There are still some questions and mysteries to be answered, but ... what happened and what I can think of from it.