Cop Craft (コップクラフト)

--Goddamned corpse! --Stay down, damn it!

Why are you getting in my way?

--We're going after him! --You stay here!

No, I'll take him down!

Just stay put!

You idiot! Hide!

Kariaena Island. The city of San-Teresa.

This city is the "front door" separating the Earth and a strange other world.

A mixture of different races and diverse cultures, haves and have-nots...

But in the shadows of all this chaos lurked countless crimes.

The San-Teresa Metropolitan Police maintained

a special unit to deal with these crimes.

I can't believe you just sliced him open alone, Miss Don Quixote.

It didn't occur to you to arrest him so we could question him?

Say something!

He was being controlled via mildey.

Even if we did capture him, we wouldn't have been able to learn anything.

Mildey?

Magic. Magic to control the dead, in this case.

He was devoured by evil latena and turned into a living corpse.

So you're trying to talk your way out of this by blaming some weird spell?

What?

You're interfering with the investigation.

Let me guess. Somebody doesn't want us finding out the deal with this fairy,

and they sent you to get in the way.

What are you implying?

What I just said.

I don't know how much they're paying you to do it, though.

This is your first and last warning, Kae Imatoeba.

Never insult me in that manner again.

Next time, I'll kill you. I'm not joking.

Oh, yeah?

Did the words of a lowly Earthling like me tick you off that bad?

Silence!

Right.

Hey, I have a question.

What?

You're serious about arresting whoever's behind this

and getting back that fairy, right?

Of course.

Me too, actually.

So why are we yelling and pointing weapons at each other?

Well, whatever.

Anyway, I hear you when you say he was being controlled.

Another guy like him almost killed me yesterday.

What? Why didn't you say so earlier?

Don't ask me. I'm not your mom.

Kei, want to guess what I found?

I read the report, Cecil.

I want to know what they've got in common.

That's easy.

The man here, who killed your partner,

and this man here, who almost killed you.

Both of them were dead before they died.

I don't understand...

I'm talking about their blood oxygen and lactic acid levels.

Both of them should've been dead after you shot them,

but for some reason kept moving,

and then only after that did they get the numbers a dead person should have.

That's what they have in common.

So they're like zombies?

I don't know. I'm not sure what the definition of "zombie" is.

I didn't see any signs of major drug use.

They both seemed to drink and smoke,

but both were in practically perfect health.

I don't know about that.

Um, who is this?

Tilarna Exedilica.

A knight of Mirvor.

Oh, a guest from the other world.

What's she doing?

Looking for magic, she says.

Kei.

Don't look at me like that. I'm completely sane.

He's the same.

He smells of evil latena.

What's latena?

Latena is latena.

Some kind of magical energy source or something.

I don't get it either.

The latena of a fairy warped through some horrible method.

They ingested it on a regular basis, and it turned them into dead men.

Are you talking about a drug? From Semani?

Fairy dust? These guys were regular users, right?

If you call the dead "regular users," then yes.

The Marzaney Sect has spells that can control the dead.

Well, that would explain why it didn't show up on my tests.

That drug is one big mystery to us.

All we know is that it's made from fairies.

To do this to a noble fairy...

What terrible people.

So, can you use magic?

It's called mildey. And I can use a little.

Then follow the trail of this latena stuff. Like a police dog.

You seem to lack imagination, Kae Imatoeba.

Mildey is powerful, but not all-powerful.

Pound that fact into what little brains you have.

Good advice from a noble but useless woman.

So um, are you two not friends, then?

If it looks that way, that's probably the case.

Is there anyone out there who does like this man?

I see.

Kei.

You okay?

I think so.

Call me anytime.

Sure, thanks.

What was that conversation?

Don't worry about it.

No, I'm curious. Tell me.

She's my ex.

What's an ex?

Shut up.

The problem is when the attack occurred.

Either they were watching Alvarez or there was a leak.

No way to tell.

There's any number of possibilities.

Oh, but you don't have to worry about our brave knight here.

She doesn't even know how to make a phone call.

I do too. I read it in a book.

Really? Wow, you're so smart!

Sorry.

Anyway, so yeah. I'll be keeping my reports to a minimum.

Sounds good. Be careful.

Roger.

What do we do now?

We do this the boring way. But well, it's late. We'll start tomorrow.

I see.

Where are you staying? I'll take you there.

This is my phone number.

I don't want any trouble, so just go straight to your room and go to sleep.

Don't worry. I'm not a child.

You look like one. That's why I'm worried.

I'm 26, you know!

That's 18 in Earth years. Bye.

Wait!

It's so damn cold tonight...

Hello?

I got kicked out of the hotel.

They say you can't bring weapons into the hotel.

They demanded to hold on to my sword.

Then let them hold on to it.

I can't do that!

To a knight, a sword is every bit as valuable as their life!

Then sleep on the ground somewhere. Not my problem.

Wai--

Damn it all!

The sleeping quarters at the police station are always full.

And a lot of people there don't like Semanians.

Sleep at my place.

At your place?

Don't worry. I'm not going to do anything.

Of course not.

But I don't want any rumors or scandal or things that could hurt my honor...

Then just don't tell anybody! Shut up, already.

Come in. You can get your stuff later.

Why are you putting that on?

I have a cat allergy.

Kae!

Kei?

Oh, I meant the cat.

It's the word for it in my language.

I thought you were talking about me.

What's the name of that kae--no, cat?

Kuroi.

What's an allergy?

I have trouble breathing when I'm around him.

It's a genetic thing.

Then why are you keeping a cat?

You're full of questions, aren't you? Give me a break.

About three months ago, I think it was,

a drug dealer that I was chasing hit her when she was a stray.

And?

I caught the guy, and she survived.

But nobody else in the department wanted her.

So I'm keeping her temporarily.

Even though you've got a cat allergy?

What else can I do? It was partially my fault.