August 16, 2023 | 10:32 AM
Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department
Detective Hoshino Renji stood in front of the evidence board, his sharp eyes scanning the timeline of sudden political resignations, financial collapses, and career-ending scandals that had occurred over the past month.
Each case seemed disconnected at first glance. Different people. Different circumstances. No direct link.
But Renji knew better.
He could feel the pattern.
There was an invisible hand at play, moving like a ghost through society, pulling strings and reshaping history. But it wasn't the usual corruption, bribery, or assassination. No, this was something… stranger. It was almost as if someone was rewriting reality itself.
His fingers traced over the most recent case—Tetsuya Aokawa, the now-disgraced mayor who had resigned just last night. A powerful man, backed by corporate elites, his downfall had been too clean, too precise.
"This isn't just luck," Renji muttered. "This is planned. Someone's out there… playing god."
"Detective Hoshino," his partner, Takeda, called from across the room. "You're staring at that board again. You really think this is connected?"
Renji smirked. "There's always a pattern. You just have to know where to look."
He turned back to the board. Somewhere, out there, was the mastermind behind this.
And Renji was going to find them.
---
August 16, 2023 | 11:45 PM
Raito's Apartment
Raito Kurogane leaned back in his chair, staring at his laptop screen. The news headlines had changed once again.
"Former Mayor Tetsuya Aokawa Under Investigation for Corruption Scandal."
Raito's lips curled into a small smirk. Another success.
He had tested the pen's power once again—this time, on a corporate CEO who had ties to his father's death. He had rewritten one date—the day that CEO had first received illegal funding. Now, history had shifted, and within hours, news had broken out that the man was resigning due to financial misconduct.
"This is too easy," Raito murmured, twirling the pen between his fingers.
He had found his weapon, a tool that let him control fate itself. No bloodshed. No direct confrontation. Just a simple rewrite of history.
But as he scrolled through the news, something caught his eye.
"Tokyo Metropolitan Police Launches Special Investigation into Unusual Political Events."
His smirk faded.
They were watching.
Of course, someone would notice. He had been too bold, too quick.
He clicked on the article, his eyes narrowing as he read the name of the lead investigator.
Detective Hoshino Renji.
Raito leaned back, exhaling slowly. A detective, huh?
He couldn't afford to underestimate the police, especially someone sharp enough to notice the changes. But he wasn't worried—not yet.
He reached for his notebook and pen, writing down the detective's name.
"Hoshino Renji – August 29, 2023."
The ink settled, and as always, a flood of new memories rushed into his mind.
In this rewritten future, Renji would be involved in an internal police scandal, losing credibility and getting pulled off the investigation.
Raito smirked.
Checkmate.
---
August 17, 2023 | 3:15 AM
Unknown Location | Yume's Hideout
A dimly lit room. Multiple monitors flickered, displaying police reports, news articles, and security footage from various locations.
Sitting in front of them, sipping a can of soda, was Yume Sazanami.
She had been watching the game unfold.
At first, it had just been a hunch—too many politicians falling in quick succession, all tied to corrupt dealings that hadn't been exposed before. But now, after digging into police files, she knew for sure:
Someone was rewriting history.
She didn't know how yet. No traces of hacking, no leaks, no underground whispers. Just… changes. Like reality itself had been altered.
She stretched her arms, grinning.
"Oh, this is getting interesting."
Yume didn't care about justice. She didn't care about stopping the mastermind behind this.
She just wanted to see how far they could go.
And maybe, just maybe…
She'd join the game herself.