Inma no Hado chapter 171: Hacker’s ident.i.ty

“Then there’s a good chance that there’s a bad guy around that girl?"
"Yes. There is no doubt that someone in the vicinity of this girl is the dirty devil who caused this situation"

A blonde beautiful woman a.s.serts while showing the a.n.a.lysis result in front of people who lined up in a conference room.

“She has the ability to store magical power like a capacitor that is known from the past. I don’t know how she supplements the magical power everyday, but using that magical power like her own, she has s.e.xwith female students. The person who is giving magical power to that girl is the demon who is this time’s mastermind”

The tension of the air in the conference room rises at a stretch by hearing the word “Maou”. It is a legendary existence and the members who initially doubted its existence have come to believe in the existence of the vast data presented by this intelligent blonde beauty.

“Wh, what about the school where the girl is going? Did any of the staff at the school fit that person?"

When Reiko Arisawa who is the director asked, Terasawa Emily who was in charge of investigation clouds her beauty a little.

“…That…there’s no clue at the moment…”

As her colleagues answer clearly, as always, that ending is quite bad.

“I tried to measure the wave many times near the school, but I didn’t get any clear evidence. If it is an intermediate Inma as imagined here, the wave should spread quite extensively, but cannot be sensed even with the new radar"

Along with the spreading disappointment, there are voices that are whispering in various places.

“…If it is not at school…”
“Where does she get the magic power?”

Her predictions are off and Emily herself is the most confused. And because the members know her outstanding skills and abilities, they understand that it is not an instrument malfunction or a manipulation error and they are equally confused.

“…But we haven’t given up yet. The school will continue to be monitored and examine her behavioral patterns and thoroughly examine the people who seem to be relevant”

But Emily herself understands that the explanation is painful.

Because they’ve already been investigating Rimi’s actions and have been under surveillance for the last two weeks. The appearance in the school is not understood and the people who Rimi has contact with are checked and any man who has come in contact with Rimi so far does not fit with the wave of the Inma.

“In a all girls high school, only a teacher or a clerk would be a man, so isn’t it better if we check all of them?”

The leader of the raid squad asks a question. He has a square face and is a really fearless fighter.

"Yes, it was already carried out. All 13 men who work at that high school dont fit to the wave pattern of that devil"

Needless to point out, it was the first survey they made.

If a high school girl is getting the power of an Inma, the most likely is that a man at school is the devil king. The number was limited because it was a all girls high school fortunately, but Emily had examined all of them and there was nothing gained from it.

Conference room in which silence dominates for a short time.

“…Continue to monitor…. Because that girl is the only clue for us so far”

As director Reiko said, “Shado” has no other way left.

“Let’s move on to the next topic, it’s about the hacker that broke into the headquarters database, please report on the progress now”

When Emily sat down, another team representative stood up and proceeded to the side of the big screen hanging from the ceiling.

“Yes, although the story was told at the last meeting, I will report about the subsequent progress now”

The man who wears gla.s.ses, while taking his notes placed on the desk, begins to speak in a tense bride. Because he is not used to presenting at a big meeting, he is just starting to sweat like a waterfall from his forehead.

“As I reported at the last meeting, the hacker invaded freely into the system using his own entrance called a back door. This back door was cleverly hidden, but I found it the other day when I updated the new version"

While taking out a large handkerchief and wiping the sweat, he keeps explaining.

“Apparently, the hacker didn’t do any data tampering or vandalism, it seems that he simply browsed the headquarters data, which is clear from the log”

Until that point it was also reported in the previous meeting. Reiko nods silently and encourages him to continue the report.

“And this time, we purposely waited for the hacker to break in without closing the back door. And the other day, the moment the hacker accessed the dummy data, we managed to submerge a virus”

When they heard it, some of the people who were in the conference room raised a voice of admiration. But most of them don’t know what was done, especially the members of the raid squad do not seem to know the meaning at all.

“… Inayos.h.i.+-kun, what exactly does that mean?”

Honma, the leader of the raid squad never questions. A lot of people praise the courage inwardly.

“…Yes. In other words, the hacker’s PC was infected with a virus, so that the situation of that PC was able to be used for 24 hours. The virus keeps track of the hacker’s PC activity, and sends it to us at the moment we access it externally”
“…I, I see…”

The person in charge explains without stagnation. No one knows the person who asked the question, but that person nodded in the explanation satisfactorily whether he judged that there was no more foolish question.

“Did you identify the ident.i.ty of that hacker?”
“Yes…just…a little…”

Hearing Reiko’s question, Inayos.h.i.+ looks at his boss’s face with a sightful look. Following that, the leader of the survey team reply with a slightly low voice while raising wrinkles around his eyebrows.

“Director…. I want to report the matter offline…”

The wise Reiko, who understood the meaning of the word, answered “I understood” without asking deeply and moved to the next agenda calmly.

“Arisa is the hacker!? That girl? Are you sure?"

After the whole meeting, Reiko and several members of the investigating team moved into a small room. The shocking fact was told to director Reiko inside.

“Yes, the ident.i.ty of the hacker is definitely s.h.i.+nomiya Arisa, no, although it may be said that she was already a member of that group…”

The man who is the leader of the investigation group projects several digital images onto the wall LCD screen. Among them is a woman with blurred contours.

(Certainly…this is Arisa…）

This person looks like s.h.i.+nomiya Arisa who is the niece of Reiko though a hat is put on and she is wearing gla.s.ses. A scene that Arisa comes out of a net café is taken by a camera. Wearing different clothes, these photos might be taken on separate days.

“From that point on, she broke into the central server two times, but from the address she used at that time, this internet café was able to be identified. I can conclude that s.h.i.+nomiya is definitely the culprit because she has been compromised twice at the time she was there. Just in case, I checked the surveillance video of the internet café, and she’s connected to the internet with the computer she’s brought”

While listening to the explanation without doubt and conclusive evidences, Reiko hasn’t recovered from that shock.

s.h.i.+nomiya Arisa, who is the child of her sister is known since she was little. A serious, justice loving, strong and intelligent woman who entered the police agency by herself and chose the same road as Reiko. Reiko knows that she has more pride and responsibility for the activities of "SHADO" than anyone else and she can’t imagine Arisa doing such a despicable thing.

"There’s no mistake…”

She was barely able to squeeze it out with her voice. It’s a tone that is telling herself rather than checking with the man in front of her. Reiko´s reason is controlled by the feelings of denying it desperately.

“And what was s.h.i.+nomiya going to do on the server?”

While wanting a strong alcohol, Reiko asks. Of course, she is in the middle of the Tokyo Police Department, so such a thing cant be done. Suddenly Reiko feels like smelling Laphroaig´s intense peat odor and a fire was lit inside her body.

“Yes. Apparently it seems she just explored our movement, especially the information of devil fusers including half-devils that we are investigating and recording”

When she heard it, Reiko was surprised to see her face up.

“She is gathering information on half-devils and devils…. For what?”

A couple of months ago, six members went missing at once, and a great shock and upset ran inside the department. The fact was strictly confined to only the top members, but even now the whereabout of these members is unknown.

It is said that one of the people who disappeared, s.h.i.+nomiya Arisa invades the server and is searching for information here. Clearly, it is a hostile movement, meaning a betrayal of justice.

“Besides, as a result of investigating various things about s.h.i.+omiya, it looks like she is hiding in a condominium in Tokyo, apparently Noriko Aoyama also lives in the same apartment”
“Well, then, both of them…”

There are two people who disappeared, and they are hiding here without contacting SHADO at all. It is thought that it was obviously a act of betrayal and it is a shock for Reiko, because this is the worst situation.

No, she did not expect it.

It was vaguely. The disappearance of six people is not a coincidence if it was done by an Inma who could be an demon king. Arisa and Noriko become the prey of an Incubus and become mad by magic.

“It was certainly three women, who disappeared at that time, what about the remaining member?”

Reiko confirms it while holding her dizzy head.

“Yes…. …Another female member named Masako Muto has not been found so far and there are no clues about the male members Erosawa, Morimoto and Yada”
“…I see”

When she heard the report, Reiko’s head turned rapidly. However, no matter how much she thinks, she can say that the choice is not so ought.

“It is a priority to secure custody of both s.h.i.+nomiya and Aoyama. Get ready to send the raid squad into their apartment. Because they are betraying us, it is a.s.sumed that there will be an resistance. In the worst case, I allow the use of force”
"I have already started preparing to charge at the apartment, thinking that director will say so”

The deputy director who is number two answers.

“Arisa…is there a possibility that s.h.i.+nomiya is aware of this virus and surveillance?”
“I think not. If it is noticed, changes will appear in the patterns of her action, but there is no such sign at the moment”

Without hesitation, the leader of the investigation team responds confidently. The technique and the technology backed by years of experience have absolute confidence only because it is good at the covert investigation done without being noticed by the other party.

“The infected virus is used with special code and cannot be found in the usual way. No matter how genius s.h.i.+nomiya is, it’s impossible”

The IT in charge of it say they are confident. The character of "Absolute" and "Perfection" should not be originally in this world, but it can be declared that it is absolutely impossible with the technology and knowledge of Arisa.

Alright, I hope so. There is a possibility that there is an intermediate Inma near, so when you observe and attack, carefully prepare and pay attention”

Reiko replies to them, but doesn’t forget to nail them. Anyway, it is an opponent where the clue is not gripped at present though the victim of this is put out. They must be a careful, a crafty opponent, far more dangerous than any other devil so far.

“Yes, since both s.h.i.+nomiya and Aoyama are already in the 24-hour surveillance system, it is soon to be known if a Inma approach or there is an abnormal movement. Of course all the observers are carrying wave measuring equipments and as soon as they can find something, we will know it immediately”

Since “SHADO” is existing as an organization within the National Police Agency, this kind of steady survey and surveillance is of course not only a special mission to counter devils, of course. It is reasonable for each department head to answer with confidence.

“Well then, the strategy is going to be fine as soon as it’s ready. Each and every one of them, keep the surveillance working”

The members who received the instructions nodded and left the small meeting room. Reiko, who remained, sits in a simple chair and is thinking quietly.

(If Arisa is the p.a.w.n of an Inma, it is not such a horrible thing…）

Arisa is a gifted student who graduated from Toho University of Law like Reiko, whose IQ is over 180. As a first-rate strategist Arisa is also an elite in the Tokyo branch of “SHADO”, and in the future she should be an executive like Reiko.

If that intelligent strategist is a staff member of an devil….

Arisa knows everything about “SHADO”. In addition, she has gathered information by exploring our movement and is making countermeasures.

The heads of each department are confident and have no doubts about the success of the operation. However, Reiko who was the person in charge could not restrain the black uneasiness which sprang up from the interior of her heart by all means.

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