Haru walked down the streets drinking out of his juice box, giving an annoyed look towards the excited group of townsfolk swarmed around the giant plant. He looked up to see how tall it had grown since the previous day. His eyes went wide in shock when he realized it had shot up at least a dozen meters over what it had been before. “What the hell?!” he muttered. Just then, he heard a familiar voice behind him.
“If it isn’t Lieutenant Akimoto,” Nilan said, patting the young man on his back. “Oh! Hello, Inspector Nilan,” Haru said, smiling at the Orchidian inspector. The two had collaborated on a few cases a long while ago and the twenty-one-year-old was quite surprised that the inspector remembered him. “This thing is growing too fast,” Haru stated the obvious, turning back towards the tree. “No kidding. I was going to let it remain as a tourist attraction, honestly. Would have helped with the rebuilding funds. But… Unfortunately, there have been cases of people getting sick after touching the tree. So, we need to chop it down,” the inspector said.
Haru knew what that meant. “Just say the word and I’ll clear this thing in no time. Will be nothing but a warm up,” the swordsman boasted, flexing his shoulders. “Well… Can’t be helped. Take a few of the pages with you for assistance if you’d like,” the inspector offered, which Haru dismissed quickly with a wave. He didn’t think much of Pages. Most of them would just be in his way and slow him down. There were a few exceptions, of course. His new sparring partner was a great example of that.
Haru had already taken a few steps towards the giant plant when Nilan stopped him. “Hey! Wait up. Don’t forget these,” he said, handing a few vials and syringes to Haru. “Take some samples so that they can be studied. In case more of these things pop up, we’ll need to come up with a defence,” the inspector explained. Haru simply nodded and pocketed the equipment as he walked towards the base of the tree. “If you guys don’t want a giant tree to fall on your head, I suggest you evacuate the area,” he shouted at the crowd as he made his way through them.