Aoto's Detective Record
Chapter 2 – The Talent Copying System
—What was that sound?!
Aoto stood frozen, stunned by the mechanical voice that had just echoed inside his head.
Before he could even process it, his vision blurred. For a few seconds, everything went dark. Then, when his sight cleared again, he realized, astonished that his surroundings had never looked so sharp.
It was the middle of the night. The few candles scattered about should have barely illuminated the street, yet now, every object within view appeared crisp and bright. Even in the darkest corners where no light touched, he could see every detail clearly—as if the world itself had shed its shadows.
Aoto blinked several times, disbelief etched across his face.
—How is this possible?
Before he could think further, movement caught his eye. Around him, his fellow officers were binding the surviving members of the Jingi-shū. The assault on the bandit gang had ended almost as quickly as it began.
According to intelligence gathered from an informant, the Jingi-shū had only twelve members in total. Under the surprise attack led by Arima and his men, the gang had been swiftly crushed. Those who surrendered were tied up with thick ropes; those who resisted met their deaths where they stood.
"Oh? Tachibana-kun, you actually took down the second-in-command of the Jingi-shū?"
A familiar voice sounded behind him. "Well done."
Aoto turned toward the speaker, his superior, Arima Hideyuki.
Arima's uniform was stained with specks of blood, his long sword still wet at the edge. He approached slowly, his expression composed but his eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
Arima knelt beside the middle-aged man Aoto had knocked unconscious and examined him briefly before standing again.
"Tachibana-kun, excellent work," he said, nodding approvingly. "You managed to capture the gang's second-in-command alive."
"This man," Arima continued, gesturing with his chin toward the unconscious bandit, "is known as 'Cat's Eye'."
"Cat's Eye?" Aoto asked, puzzled.
Arima pointed to his own eyes. "Yes. They say this man can see clearly even in the dead of night, like a cat—hence the name."
Aoto's eyes widened slightly. The realization struck him like lightning.
So that's why I suddenly gained the ability to see in the dark…
Before he could dwell on it, Arima patted him on the shoulder.
"All right, don't just stand there. Let's haul these thieves back. The sooner we're done, the sooner we can rest."
"Oh… right," Aoto replied instinctively.
By the end of the skirmish, four of the twelve bandits lay dead, two were gravely injured, and the remaining six, including Cat's Eye had been captured alive.
The dead were quickly wrapped in straw mats, while the wounded and prisoners were loaded onto carts for transport back to the Kitamachi Bugyōsho. The task took nearly half an hour, and by the time the last cart arrived, the night sky had already begun to pale toward dawn.
Inside the courtyard of the magistrate's office, Arima gathered everyone who had participated in the operation. His voice carried authority and satisfaction.
"Gentlemen, well done!" he announced with a grin. "All members of the Jingi-shū have been captured! The magistrate himself is pleased with our results tonight."
He paused for dramatic effect.
"So…" Arima drawled, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"…the magistrate just informed me that everyone who took part in tonight's mission will have a day off tomorrow!"
The announcement was met with an explosion of cheers.
The exhausted Dōshin shouted in relief, some laughing, others slapping each other's backs.
Aoto, however, didn't join in. His thoughts were elsewhere—still clouded, still chasing after that impossible voice in his head.
"All right, everyone go home," Arima said, waving for silence. "I'll handle the cleanup myself."
Cheers broke out again. One by one, the officers dispersed into the cold morning air, heading home in small groups.
Aoto followed them out slowly, his expression blank, his mind turning over everything that had happened.
Unbeknownst to him, three figures watched from the darkness of a nearby alleyway.
They were samurai—each wearing a straw hat, their swords gleaming faintly in the moonlight.
When Aoto left the magistrate's office, the three exchanged brief glances. Then, silently, they began to follow.
---
Meanwhile, back at the Bugyōsho, a few clerks and attendants were cleaning up the aftermath of the night's raid. As they worked to move the bodies and bandage the wounded, idle chatter drifted through the air.
"Well, that's that—the Jingi-shū has finally been wiped out."
"Yeah. Without them, Edo should be a little more peaceful, at least for now."
"I just wish those maniacs shouting 'Expel the Barbarians!' would vanish next. They're far scarier than bandits."
"I heard Yamada from the Ginmi faction was ambushed last night. Nearly died."
"Why'd they go after Yamada?"
"Because he spoke publicly in favor of learning Western medicine."
"Typical. They yell about foreign devils, yet the only people they kill are Japanese. If they had the guts to attack an American steamship, I'd call them heroes."
"Ha! Don't hold your breath. Anyway, I'm freezing. Let's grab a drink before heading home."
Their voices faded into the cold air as they left, laughing softly to keep their spirits up.
---
Following the memories in his head, Aoto walked aimlessly toward home. But after only a few blocks, he stopped and sat down by the roadside.
He had no desire to return not yet.
He just wanted to understand what had happened to him.
Pressing his fingers against his temples, Aoto closed his eyes, trying to recall how he had ended up here.
He remembered everything before the strange event.
He had been a young man in the modern world—fresh out of the police academy.
Ever since childhood, he had dreamed of becoming a police officer. Even before he'd understood what the word justice truly meant, he had admired the uniform, the authority, the sense of purpose.
Through elementary and middle school, his grades had always been near the top. During his entrance exams, he had scored high enough to enter the police academy.
At the academy, he was known as a model student—disciplined, precise, and endlessly driven. Upon graduation, he had earned the highest overall marks in his class.
Three days later, before he could even begin his new assignment, he had… fallen asleep while reading in his study.
And when he woke up, he was here—inside the body of Tachibana Aoto, an Edo-period Dōshin, wielding a jitte and serving under the shogunate.
He stared blankly at the ground, his mind reeling.
—So I… time-traveled while sleeping?!
Aoto could only laugh weakly. The absurdity of it all was almost enough to make him dizzy.
He rubbed his temples again, giving up on understanding how it happened.
What mattered now was surviving—and understanding what this new power inside him was.
The memories he had inherited told him this was Ansei 7.
But as for what that meant in the Western calendar… he had no idea.
The Tokugawa Shogunate ruled Japan now—that much he knew. But the Gregorian calendar hadn't yet come into use, and Aoto had never cared for history.
He had no idea what exact year it was.
He sighed heavily. "I couldn't even tell what century I'm in," he muttered. "Some cop I am."
Leaning against the cold stone wall, Aoto turned his thoughts back to the strange voice from before.
—That sound… could it have been… a system?
In his previous life, he had read enough online novels to recognize the trope. A "system"—a mysterious power that granted abilities and rewards to its host.
Feeling half-ridiculous, Aoto tried calling out silently in his mind.
System.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then, without warning, a faint shimmer appeared before his eyes—a transparent screen suspended in midair.
---
[Name: Tachibana Aoto] (?)
[Current Talent: Night Vision]
---
That was it. Just two lines. Sparse, almost disappointingly so.
Aoto noticed a small question mark beside his name. Focusing on it, the symbol expanded into a new page of text.
---
[Rules for Using the Talent Copying System:]
I. After fighting someone with a special talent—regardless of victory or defeat—you can copy one talent from them.
(Note: Not everyone possesses a talent. Most people are ordinary.)
II. If the opponent has multiple talents, one will be copied at random.
III. A talent can only be copied from the same person once. Even if they have other talents, they cannot be copied again.
IV. When a talent is active, it will glow on the system interface.
V. There is no limit to the number of talents the host can possess, but no two hosts can share the same talent.
VI. Copying a talent requires at least ten seconds of combat with the target.
VII. When certain conditions are met, a new talent may awaken on its own.