As they exited the morgue, heading back to the elevator, Matsune was still looking at Ariyama like he'd revealed his deepest, darkest secret to her.
"Are you certain?"
"Matsune, I wouldn't say anything if I wasn't. Yes, I know how I finished our fight, and there was no way that hole – the killing blow – came from me."
So, that meant that Ariyama hadn't actually killed Genichirou after all. It had been someone else.
A cool wave washed through him, and he took a moment to breathe out and close his eyes. He wasn't sure if he should have been as glad as he was. After all, he knew that Genichirou had to be killed, yet didn't want to do it himself. The fact that things worked out the way they did – with Genichirou dead, while Ariyama's hands stayed clean – made him feel uneasy. It all felt too perfect, and knowing the machinations of this new society he was a part of, nothing was ever simple.
He noticed Matsune rubbing her hand over her mouth, gaze set in one direction, unblinking.
"This is… interesting. If you didn't kill him, who did? When the person I sent to recover you and Kazura, that was how he found Genichirou. If only we could figure out how long the window of time between your destructive slash and Genichirou's body being discovered was. If we did, we'd know how long Genichirou could've been alive in order to receive that fatal wound."
"Well, I mean, before I passed out, I did notice a guy in a hooded cloak approaching the school from the trees, so maybe that was your guy?"
"Really? Hm, that seems too soon for him to have arrived though…"
"You could be right. Plus – and maybe this was just because of the night – but the cloak he wore was black. That's why I was a bit off-put when you explained that your cloaks were gray–"
Ariyama's words died on his lips as Matsune looked at him with alarm.
"Ariyama-kun, what did you say?"
""Uh, the guy who I saw wore a black cloak."
"And did you see any symbol or emblem on him?"
Ariyama was starting to feel unnerved by how intense Matsune had gotten all of a sudden. Racking his brains, he thought back to night, to the moments before he'd lost consciousness.
"I… think… Yeah, I remember seeing some sort of silver thing. I think it was a wreath or something. But… Matsune, why are you looking at me like that?"
Matsune opened her mouth, as if she was about to say something, but then gave up and just looked down with a worried face.
"Well, Ariyama-kun, here's a little history about the secret world. Since us Tributes have been around for centuries, there have been some religions that have sprung up over the decades. Most of which worshiped the Pilgrims themselves as gods, or worship figures that are centered around the Pilgrims, like prophets or saints that may or may not have even existed. None of these religions have developed as much as the Church of the Enlightened, who directly worship a specific group of the Pilgrims, known as the Effulgence. Anyways, I'm very concerned now, as the attire worn by the Enlightened – the members of the Church – are just as you described: all black robes with a silver wreath-shaped crest embroidered on their cloaks."
Ariyama leaned back against the elevator wall as it continued to rise up.
"From how you are while describing them, I can guess they fall into the zealous religious fanatic category? So, I saw some nutjob instead of one of you?"
"I suppose you did."
"So, what're we gonna do?"
"Well, things have definitely gotten more confusing in this investigation. Someone else ended Genichirou's life, and now you're saying a member of the Church of the Enlightened was spotted near the battlefield?"
"Maybe that guy was the one? He could've hopped into the school, found Genichirou near-death, and finished him off?"
"I doubt it. We don't know if this member saw you when you saw them, but even if they didn't, there's no way they didn't recognise that scene as a Society operation. The Church and the Society have a mutual standing, with neither of them invading each other's business."
"So, if that guy did kill Genichirou…"
"Then they broke the rules. What's more, if we go with my current thought process and go to the Church to find answers, but come up empty, then that's us invading their business. Either way, I don't think this will end well."
"So, what do we do then?"
"Leave it to me for now, Ariyama-kun. I'll try to get permission from the director to see if we can investigate this matter further."
The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. As Ariyama stepped out, he blew out a breath of disbelief as he took in the scenery. The walls were white, as usual, with a white tiled floor in all directions, expect for a burgundy carpet covering the circular middle, and wooden floorboards over where the resterWhile the hallway outside the room he'd awoken in had felt ethereal and almost unlived in, this huge mess hall was the total opposite. People, some in regular clothing, others in cloaks like Matsune, strolled around the place. The roof was tall, and topped with a huge glass dome, lined with golden accents. To the east side of the room, there was a big archway into an even bigger training hall. There was a circular space in the center – directly below the dome – which had soft-looking couches and seats and tables. People lounged around there, drinking, eating, chatting, texting.
To the west side, there was a restaurant made of varnished wood and glowing square lights, which had a queue that stretched at least twenty people across. Finally, to the north, there was a huge stage that spanned from wall to wall. Big wine curtains were pulled down to conceal the backstage, but there were still people on the front section, moving boxes and cleaning.
"Here we are in the lobby. When we get you into your Division, you'll spend most of your time here."
At that, Ariyama faced her.
"Yeah, I was curious about that. How exactly does the whole Division stuff work? Since I'm a Tribute, I assume I'm in that First Defense, right? So, in either Division A through to Division F?"
"Correct. You'll start off in Division F."
So, he was in the worst one? The theatrics he'd shown off probably didn't help his case, especially considering they went against the rules of this place. Ariyama's heart still drummed with anticipation as he awaited the punishment he was supposed to receive.
"Division F has the weakest guys, right? So it's the worst one?"
"That's how it works, I'm afraid. However, that doesn't mean you'll be stuck at that level forever. There's this ceremony held twice a year in the Society, the Semi-Annual Roster Rotation. Each Division has a maximum of twelve Tributes occupying the twelve zodiac signs as codenames. In the Roster Rotation, the higher-ups of the Society examine each member and decide whether they are to be kept at the level they're currently at, remaining in the same Division, or promoted to a higher Division, or even demoted to a lower one if their performance becomes not up to standard. The next Roster Rotation is actually on December 31st, so only in just over a week. Sadly, since this is your first day, it's physically impossible to get a promotion to a higher rank, so you'll be stuck at Division F until at least next July."
Ariyama wasn't exactly shocked at that fact, and was actually a little relieved. He knew his strengths, and knew that he needed to start off small before he could build the power and the confidence to ascend.
"I get it. And what Division are you in, Matsune?"
"Division E. Hopefully, I may get a promotion this upcoming Rotation, but to be honest, I feel my showings have been quite lackluster these last six months, so I may be kept the same. It's OK, though. In the First Defense, we have fifty-three Tributes, and only about seven of those fifty-three will probably get a promotion. I'll just have to try harder next time."