The day before the official FBI operation, half of New York City went into an outwardly relaxed but secretly vigilant state of tension, most of all at the airport, less than 20 miles from the center of the city.
They had accessed all of the airport's customer information for the day in advance, trying to identify anyone suspicious and to figure out what Belmode was up to.
Was she on a short stopover in the middle of a mission with a connecting flight in New York, or had she completed her mission and was returning to New York for a longer stay?
If the latter, then the FBI could have stopped Belmode in disguise at the airport for a long time, or could have continued to track Belmode after she left the airport.
But if it's the former, that means the FBI has at most three or four hours from the time Belmode gets off the plane to the time he boards it again.
They could stop individual airplanes and delay their departures for a few minutes under some plausible pretext, but they couldn't stop all the airplanes coming out of the airport, and they couldn't hold the passengers for no reason.
Therefore, when the Ministry's top FBI officials were informed of the incident, they hoped for the latter, and were prepared for the former to be the case.
Akai Shūichi was prepared for the worst.
Just after midnight, FBI agents disguised as various staff members took over security checks and other tasks that allowed them to get close to the passengers, and the button cameras they wore on their chests relayed the passengers back to the surveillance room, where a large number of FBI agents searched for suspicious persons.
Since the existence of the organization is a highly classified secret, most of the FBI agents involved in the operation received the orders 'A reliable informant has reported that a vicious criminal will be arriving at the airport today' and 'Unknown male/female, age, and identity of the criminal'.
Akai Shūichi is in charge of the operation.
The fact that the target was a codename member of the FBI who had silenced him' and that the codename member was a colleague of Satan' were such a big debuff to the FBI that when Akai Shūichi reported it to his superiors, they went straight to Washington and didn't tell the rest of their colleagues in New York.
It was also so big that the FBI in Washington was too busy to be in charge, and had to send a lot of uninformed FBI agents to assist in the operation.
It was so big that, after only a moment's hesitation, Washington agreed to Akai Shūichi's recommendation that the person who had tipped off Belmode's whereabouts should join the operation and assist the FBI in the case.
They are a kind of free-range default attitude: come on, if you catch the FBI is good, but not caught like the three groups of FBI to Tokyo to die far away, not dead in front of the door.
...Akai Shūichi expected it.
He and Jodie had gone through all the expected arrivals at the airport before midnight, eliminating the child passengers who couldn't be disguised even with a flawless disguise, and proceeded to screen the other passengers.
We received Ichijō Mirai in advance.
The first time he arrived at the airport surveillance room, Ichijō Mirai collapsed into a chair in front of the surveillance screen, pressed his chin against the back of the chair, and with a drowsy and uninspired look, predicted, "There are no other additional clues."
"I said 'Tomorrow, Belmode will show up at the airport', if you can't find it in this level of detail, and you need to get more clues in order to pinpoint the suspect, then you're too lame, aren't you?"
"If I'm as lame as the rest of the FBI," He said, "I'll be disappointed."
The largest of the surveillance screens showed the scene in the lobby. It was early in the morning, and the lobby was filled with passengers waiting for their flights, all of them looking lethargic and uninspired, and alert as others walked near them, all normal.
It was unlikely that Belmode would be among those passengers, but Akai Shūichi quickly skimmed his eyes a few times, watching the passengers' reactions when an FBI agent in disguise went to check their credentials, and replied with a sniff, "I did have the idea of asking for your help again."
"In a place like an airport, it's not easy to find a witch with a thousand faces without spooking her."
It's hard enough just 'without spooking'.
But when dealing with someone like Belmode, it's important not to alert her. Once she learns about it in advance, the probability of catching her will drop indefinitely, so the only way to catch her is to seize the opportunity when she's caught off guard.
Ichijō Mirai gave Akai Shūichi a look and said nothing.
Akai Shūichi understood and explained, "I wasn't too whimsical to hide it from someone like Belmode, but there's a big difference between knowing that there's an ambush waiting for you in New York before you get on the plane, and realizing it when you get off the plane."
Indeed there was a big difference, Ichijō Mirai nodded his head in disbelief: Belmode knew about it before he got on the plane, and the difference was even bigger.
He agreed as if nothing had happened, giving his sincere blessing, "Yes, you're right, I hope your capture goes well."
"It sounds like you think there's a good chance the operation will fail," Akai Shūichi said in a flat tone, still watching the monitor, "I also think there's a good chance the operation will fail, but failure is also a gain that can be turned into the cornerstone of success."
With that, he lowered his gaze and glanced at Ichijō Mirai, who was sitting in a chair and spinning it, "I didn't think you'd agree to come to the scene and assist the FBI with the operation... you're a little crazier than I thought."
Many criminals have a habit of returning to the scene of a crime, and when they do, there's a good chance they'll run into the police.
Ichijō Mirai didn't return to the scene of the crime, he cooperated directly with the police, and was even crazier than the criminals who returned to the scene of the crime.
Not everyone who was treated with the FBI's vigilantism against criminals one minute could mingle with them as if nothing had happened the next.
Even some of those who had met Ichijō Mirai that night, and knew that the mysterious 'informant' who had been parachuted in to help with the operation on the recommendation of Akai Shūichi and with the tacit approval of Washington, was in fact a criminal, were a little uncomfortable.
But not Ichijō Mirai.
He just walked into the FBI's circle in a dignified manner, and sat down on a chair and yawned surrounded by the FBI's layers of manpower, the same way he told Akai Shūichi that he wanted to join the FBI, so calm and collected that he didn't look like a criminal, and compared to some of the uncomfortable FBI members, he looked like an invigilator who hadn't rested well last night.
The 'invigilator' yawned again, "Yeah, is that crazy, I don't think so."
"I'd love to tell you why," He adjusted his posture, pressing his chin against the crook of his arm, his tone careless, "but you wouldn't be happy if I told you, never mind, I'm talking out of my ass I'll shut up first."
Akai Shūichi actually knew the reason: even if at this moment, the FBI suddenly changed the target of arrest from Belmode to Ichijō Mirai, he could easily escape.
Even at the airport, even with the FBI all around him.
What about Ichijō Mirai? What about Belmode, who worked with Satan, had a good relationship with him, and was the FBI's natural enemy?
Akai Shūichi, who had vaguely foreseen the outcome of this hasty arrest, said, "There's another reason why I say you're crazy, I'm afraid Belmode will immediately realize how his whereabouts have been compromised when he finds out that you're with us, right?"
"Your attitude towards the organization is complicated, and if I'm not mistaken, Belmode's attitude towards you is complicated as well, I can't quite understand what the point of you doing this is."
Since Belmode trusted Ichijō Mirai enough to inform him of her whereabouts without being too defensive, their relationship was probably quite good, and she had nothing to do with 'Satan's' death.
Since this is an arrest that will probably end in failure, Akai Shūichi can conclude that Belmode really had nothing to do with 'Satan's' death.
The most likely significance of the arrest, then, is that Ichijō Mirai was telling Belmode that he was cooperating with the FBI.
What did this news mean to Belmode? What did it mean to the members of the organization who were involved in Satan's death? What does it mean for the organization?
Akai Shūichi pondered this question.
As he did so, he realized that Ichijō Mirai had stopped turning his chair and was looking over at him with a blank expression, so he paused for a moment, "...what's wrong?"
Ichijō Mirai shook his head slowly, "Nothing."
Just think. Who can think better than you?
...Oh, Morofushi Hiromitsu.
Psychopath.
"I betrayed Belmode to help you carry out an unlikely operation. It's such a thankless task." He took out the two name tags, and his hands hung in the narrow space between the back of the chair and his chest, turning the two name tags between his fingers. "Maybe it's because I'm a kind person?"
Whether he was or wasn't, he knew in his own heart, plain as day.
But he felt that 'Ichijō Mirai' probably didn't have any self-awareness about himself.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have come up with this 'What, you did something bad? No, I don't believe it! What, I saw it with my own eyes? No, it must have been someone who looks exactly like you! The blackmail prop.
This kind of prop that emphasizes that he's a good guy probably has a special purpose, but what kind of situation would make him force himself to be a good guy when he knows better?
It's not like it's a mystery drama where criminals are arrested and brought to justice...
Ichijō Mirai thought absently, still spinning his chair, using an affirmative tone to override his own uncertain tone, self-affirming himself, "Well, I'm a good person who doesn't ask for anything in return."
The door to the surveillance room slammed.
Jodie pushes in with coffee in hand, just in time to hear Ichijō Mirai's self-affirmation, and sniffs in a stunned manner before speaking, "Uh, we've finished checking the airports now, and everyone matches the identities, with no facial disfigurations, so, excuse me."
She put her coffee on the table and wondered, "Are you guys playing a lying game?"
The blonde FBI lady had a few lines written on her face: playing games at a time like this? Outrageous. What, it's Ichijō Mirai and Akai Shūichi?
She wondered if they were playing a game of lies, but not if Ichijō Mirai had just lied.
"Well," Akai Shūichi took the coffee, actually admitting Jodie's guess, "probably."
As he hands the coffee to Ichijō Mirai, he also has a few lines written on his face: I'm not the one who spoke the truth.
Ichijō Mirai: "."
Is this 'Ichijō Mirai's' prop?
The FBI thinks he's bad! What's the use of props!
"It's not necessarily a lying game though," Akai Shūichi looked into Ichijō Mirai's falsely raised eyes and smiled instead, "We were just talking about why Mr. Savior assisted us in our attempt to arrest Belmode, and while rationally I'm a bit unable to comprehend that, emotionally I seem to have an idea of why."
He smiled, sipping his coffee and then quickly restrained it, his hand working on the console, processing a message that a plane was landing, "Probably because of the bitterness that anyone who has ever been separated from a loved one is savoring."
Jodie was once again stunned, and glanced over at Ichijō Mirai, "Huh?"
The words were actually a reference to Belmode's blood feud over the murder of Jodie's parents.
Saying that in front of Jodie, even if it's subtle, has the intention of revealing a scar, and it's not really polite.
But if everyone in the room had a similar experience, it would be a little less rude, and a little more subtle, and a little more of a hell of a joke...
At least right now, Jodie's first thought is: What, someone could actually kill the 'Master's' loved ones, and still be alive when he's done?!
Who could it be?
Without thinking about it too much, her mind turned for less than three seconds, and a guess emerged in her mind: 'Satan'?
But if it's 'Satan', then it's not a simple matter... The person who could have killed that guy... Ichijō Mirai's purpose in cooperating with the FBI... Belmode...
Jodie's expression floated richly.
Ichijō Mirai: "?"
He couldn't help it, the pupils of his eyes perked up in confusion, "How could you think that fast?"
So fast that it was almost instantaneous, like a 5G network in the age of Big Brother, he didn't even have time to say anything, and after gazing at Akai Shūichi for just a second, he realized that Jodie had already gone off on a wild goose chase.
"Fast?" Jodie intuited that even she was reluctant to talk about her parents' deaths, and that someone like Ichijō Mirai would probably be quite reluctant to do so, and that probing would only result in a grudge, so she glossed over it, "The first plane of the day has landed, and the manpower is already prepared in advance, and there will be a triple vetting of the first batch of passengers, and all of them will be allowed to pass through."
She looked positive, "I'll go help."
She turned and walked away.
She didn't say anything, but her expression and body language had already said it all, and all sorts of speculations popped up in flashing blue letters, densely occupying a large portion of the nearby air, and then pouring out of the door as she left.
The surveillance room fell silent.
Ichijō Mirai stared at the closed door.
"I," Akai Shūichi, still looking at the monitor without looking back, felt the coolness on the back of his neck and was about to speak when he paused, "have a situation."
He looked at the monitor.
The biggest piece of the screen had been adjusted from the airport camera surveillance to the FBI's portable surveillance.
While one group of FBI agents guided the passengers to the lounge under the pretext of having something to do, another group of FBI agents inspected the passengers' carry-on luggage, not only scanning it with instruments and touching it with their hands, but also mounting police dogs.
A canine alerted to a white suitcase with a cartoon sticker on it.
"There's probably something forbidden in the suitcase," Akai Shūichi's brow furrowed, "Belmode..."
"Belmode..." Could he be carrying contraband?
The dog was wagging its tail.
Ichijō Mirai looked away for a few moments, sat up straight, and casually said, "She wouldn't be that careless."
That doesn't mean it's not Belmode's fault.
"Well," Akai Shūichi preferred that as well, "just wait, the passenger side is almost done."
The FBI's inspection of the passengers was not just a matter of checking IDs and asking questions about them, but also touching their cheeks and bodies to see if they were wearing make-up or disguises.
One by one, after checking, the surveillance video is always calm, to report to the FBI is a hundred thousand urgent nervous attitude, "Mr. Akai!"
"A body was found in the bathroom!"
He looked pale and scared, "Yes, it's one of ours!"
Akai Shūichi's expression changed slightly, "Which bathroom? What's the situation at the scene? Who was found? Is the camera intact?"
As he asked, he quickly pulled up the surveillance cameras of several bathrooms, and checked the footage from the FBI's body cameras, and found that several FBI agents were in the bathrooms.
The reporting FBI investigator was dazed for a moment by the barrage of harsh questioning, "Uh, yes,"
His eyes swept over Akai Shūichi's back, and Ichijō Mirai slowly tilted his head to meet Ichijō Mirai's once again perplexedly raised red pupils, his left eye suddenly blinking briskly with a flicker of urgency, before quickly going pale and six-faced again, "A passenger found it."
"She said she wanted to go to the bathroom, but just went in and saw a red liquid under the cubicle, and screamed in fear, I then went in to check, and found that it was really blood..."
"What to do? Should we investigate, Mr. Akai?"