Not a detective

Page 95

She identified herself.

Unexpectedly, the name Kazamatsuri Akihisa was very useful; the other party's attitude was clearly surprised and softened considerably.

In addition, Shinonome Suetsuki also emerged, announcing the prestigious name "Shinonome".

So all the gun barrels were ordered to be put down. Although the officer in charge did not humbly bow and apologize, his attitude clearly improved, and he asked them to escort the men away.

Feeling honored, Asakawa Riku rode down the mountain with them and arrived at the Non-World Inspection Department in Kyoto.

According to information gathered during casual conversations along the way, the headquarters in Japan is said to be located in Tokyo, with Kyoto being just one of its branches, but this incident falls under the jurisdiction of the Kyoto branch.

I won't go into details about the Kyoto branch, but it was a place that fit the description of an "official organization's secret agency." The location of the base was also far beyond imagination, much larger and more luxurious than the so-called "Dragon Palace." Without exception, everyone working there wore a standard black trench coat. Asakawa Riku wanted to get one for himself, but was unfortunately refused.

The four of them—Asakawa Riku, Chizuko, Shinonome Suetsuki, and Yukie—were separated into four rooms for a nominal "statement" session, which was in reality an "interrogation."

However, perhaps because of Chizuko and Suetsuki's relationship, the other party treated them with extremely high regard and the environment did not feel like an interrogation.

That's why Asakawa Riku didn't have the idea of ​​"just break out," but instead obediently confessed the truth under the influence of the beautiful and gentle policewoman and delicious refreshments.

It was here that he learned the cruel truth.

—In the underground facility of Mount Ooe, the Dragon Palace, apart from the four survivors, all the other 77 people there died.

Oni no Winter: Oni no Winter After 2

"The people from the Ministry of Supervision showed me a lot of photos; their deaths were all very gruesome."

“Some people scratched their own throats, some picked up kitchen knives and ripped out their intestines, and some even set themselves on fire. Each one was different and very bizarre. But I also heard a few familiar ways of dying, such as drowning in the toilet, being cut in half and leaving half to wander in the corridor, choking to death on one's own blood, dying of old age in front of a mirror, and unfortunately falling down the stairs and breaking one's neck. When I heard these ways of dying, I felt something was wrong.”

Asakawa Riku recalled the horrific corpses as if they were still vivid in his mind; even the most bizarre scenes couldn't compare to the shock of reality.

He remained calm and expressionless, and even ate a piece of chocolate.

This time it's salty.

"Didn't they deserve it?"

Chizuko, dressed in a dress, smiled. Her delicate face was flawless; she was a perfect doll from any angle.

But who would have thought that such a beautiful young woman would utter such incredibly cold words:

"Maybe they were punished for doing too many immoral things, or maybe they just committed suicide out of guilt, or it was an accident."

"Yes, senior, you never leave any trace when you commit crimes. You are always pursuing the perfect crime."

Asakawa Riku cut straight to the point without holding back.

In an instant, the temperature in the activity room seemed to freeze at freezing point.

In the silence of Chizuko, he continued, "I asked them one question at the time: Did any of those corpses have broken fingers?"

An unsettling signal seemed to appear in the air, and a cold wind howled in the dimly lit mystery club.

"Because the photo was taken from a bad angle, they checked with the forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy again before giving me their reply."

“Except for a small group of armed men who were all missing a finger, no other corpses were found to have this phenomenon. They thought it was a code mark of some organization for those armed soldiers, but how come the other corpses didn’t have it… Senior, you weren’t chanting Akiku’s incantation at the time, but something else, right?”

At that time, they went through many hardships and finally defeated the evil spirit that Ibuki Ren had transformed into.

In the broadcasting room, Chizuko-senpai proposed [punishing these researchers].

Asakawa Riku agreed at the time, because for these people, cutting off a finger was nothing, and they felt that the punishment was not enough.

"However, massacre is also wrong."

Asakawa Riku said seriously to the girl in front of him, "You've gone too far, far too much, Chizuko."

Yes... the cute and innocent-looking girl in front of me looks petite, like a middle school student.

In fact, her hands were stained with countless amounts of blood; in just one night, the amount was more than that of Asakawa Riku.

Chizuko tilted her head:

"Where's the evidence?"

This line is so classic that when she says it, it doesn't sound like she's "making excuses," but rather like she's "testing" her.

Asakawa Riku was, of course, prepared. He opened the notebook on the table and went to the last page.

The place was filled with handwriting. In order not to wrongly accuse anyone and to ascertain the truth before talking to the senior student, he did a lot of preparation:

"It's the [Blue Lantern]. When I saw those deaths, I understood. Some of the deaths were connected to the Seven Mysteries of our school. As for the others, they are probably other Seven Mysteries that I don't know about. In short, this is all part of the [Hyakumonogatari] game. When all the lanterns are extinguished, something bad will happen. You used this monster to kill everyone in the Ryugu Palace."

"Asakawa-kun, you're really hardworking."

Chizuko glanced at the contents of the notes and nodded in agreement: "Is this why you didn't study properly? Well, that's really not worth it."

Riku Asakawa did not answer, but said, "I did some research myself, but I was afraid it didn't reflect the true ecology of yokai, so I also asked your father, Mr. Akihisa."

"...!" Chizuko's expression finally showed a slight flaw, and she frowned: "You're looking for him."

"Yes, after all, he solemnly mentioned the dangers of Aoandon, so I realized that I could no longer hide it from him."

Most of the content in Asakawa Riku's notes came from the knowledge that Kazamatsuri Akihisa had explained to him.

Of course, this visit was kept secret from Chizuko-senpai, and even Yukie was unaware of it.

He said, "That's why I can be sure that it wasn't a mass suicide out of guilt, and that you, senior, were the perpetrator of this series of massacres."

"...So, Dad knew too."

Chizuko covered her forehead; this seemed to have completely exceeded her expectations.

"Senior, your ability to plan and scheme is truly remarkable. Your talent in crime surpasses not only mine, but even that Higashino Suetsuki. But I want to remind you not to forget that the web you've woven only works because of the support and trust of the 'walls' around you, which allowed your plans and schemes to be realized."

Asakawa Riku said very seriously, "This matter has been exposed, not only by us, but also by the Inspection Department..."

"Ah, I see."

Chizuko suddenly stood up, walked to the bedside, drew back the curtains, and glanced at the campus.

"Their people should already be lying in ambush. That's impressive. Even Kiku couldn't detect them. I admit defeat. Asakawa-kun, are you the vanguard or just bait to lure me here? If you're a negotiation expert, forget it. I don't think I can use you as a hostage. Let them come out. I accept the arrest."

“Actually…” Asakawa Riku had only said two words when he was interrupted again.

"Don't worry, the [Blue Lantern] spell can only be used once. It's the resentment that has accumulated over a hundred years in this land, and it has now completely dissipated!"

Chizuko raised her voice and shouted at the empty campus.

It's winter break now, so there are no other students or teachers around besides them.

In the quiet campus, no one responded to her words.

Asakawa Riku watched her retreating figure: "Are you telling the truth?"

"Well, it's normal that such a powerful spell can only be used once. The people in the Inspection Department are really cowards. Actually, I would have given up if you had come, Asakawa-kun." Chizuko turned around. Winter is always associated with a dark gray, and her face was also tinged with that color, covered by black and white.

Her eyes flashed like a real ghost's in that instant, and she said coldly, "But I have no regrets about killing those people."

Oni no Winter: Oni no Winter After 3

"My motive is very simple, Asakawa-kun, I'm sure you've already guessed it, it's to avenge Yukie."

"Those people's experiments caused the tragedy of Yukie's childhood, led to the death of her family, and left her with psychological trauma. When I learned of this, I set my sights on revenge, and it wasn't just that woman named Fujishima Misuzu. I wanted everyone in Ryugu Palace, all those accomplices, to pay the price."

Chizuko spoke calmly and fiercely. At this moment, she was completely unlike her usual cute self. The light and shadow cast on the wall by her clenched teeth made her look like a demon reappearing.

"Asakawa-san, didn't you have the same thought...? You promised to punish those people, right?"

"Yes."

Asakawa Riku admitted it, and then took out another chocolate and put it in his mouth.

This time it was orange marmalade flavored, which he thought he would like, but it was surprisingly bitter, probably because he ate too much chocolate at once.

That being said, there are only two left in the box, and since we've come this far, we have to finish this in one go:

"I share your thoughts. Those who harmed Yukie certainly deserve to die, and those researchers who conducted human experiments, including Ibuki Ren, deserve to go to hell. But have you ever considered that among the 77 people in the Ryugu Palace, there might be those who don't deserve to die?"

"Someone who shouldn't have died?"

Chizuko laughed loudly and coldly: "Besides the researchers, do you mean those armed soldiers who shoot at us whenever they see us? That detective's mother was killed by them back then, wasn't she? Or are you referring to the cooks, cleaners, and ordinary staff working in the research institute...? In my opinion, knowingly working for the devil is equally sinful!"

So, without hesitation, she switched the broadcast to all channels, and everyone hiding in the Dragon Palace heard the terrifying incantation.

The moment the last word was uttered, the lights in the entire facility gradually went out, plunging the surroundings into complete darkness.

In the darkness, screams and wails echoed, turning the place into a living hell.

"Of the 77 people, 42 are researchers, 10 are armed soldiers, 12 are support facility staff, and the remaining 13 are [family members]."

It was clear that Chizuko's expression froze for a moment.

Asakawa Riku continued, "The Ryugu Palace is a completely closed research facility. Because the research on superpowers is highly confidential, and any possibility of leakage is absolutely not allowed, basically everyone who enters here cannot leave for life. The Shinonome family pays them extremely high salaries to keep them here and ensure their livelihood. Some of them have said goodbye to their families, such as Fujishima Misuzu who got divorced. Some brought their husbands and wives with them, and some found their other half here and had children here. They, too, cannot leave and live here."

Chizuko gritted her teeth:

"So what... since our livelihood depends on dirty money, we should be prepared to pay the price!"

"Have you ever thought about this, Chizuko? If Yukie had stayed there, she would also be one of the 'family members' you killed!"

Asakawa Riku finally lost his temper and started raising his voice, arguing back and forth.

And this was precisely the sentence that Chizuko could not respond to.

She lowered her head, the shadow of her bangs obscuring her brow, her left hand clutching the prosthetic arm of her left arm, trembling incessantly.

Asakawa Riku softened his tone:

“They may be guilty, just like the cooks, cleaners and ordinary staff. Perhaps they knew that the Ryugu Palace was a place where inhumane experiments were being conducted, but they still chose to work there because they couldn’t give up the high salaries from the Shinonome family. These people are indeed guilty, but do their crimes really warrant the death penalty? I don’t think so.”

He looked at Chizuko and said, "Senior, the 'punishment' you gave was too harsh. The consequences will only stain your hands with evil and turn you into a real 'murderer'."

He didn't want things to turn out that way; he didn't want to see his senior again and find themselves as enemies.

There is nothing wrong with legitimate revenge, but if it is expanded without limit, one will be blinded by hatred and become a demon.

Chizuko suddenly broke the silence:

"What a remarkable 'correct argument,' Asakawa-kun, but do you really think you're right...?"

She began to fight back.

"I?"

"Yes, have you forgotten that I investigated you? Asakawa-kun, did you think the things you did in middle school were the perfect crime?"

Chizuko raised her head, a faint smile on her face: "In those years, you killed quite a few people in that identity, didn't you? We're birds of a feather."

Riku Asakawa frowned:

"I have never denied what I did, but I also believe that what I did was right. I had a good standard for judging good and evil before I acted—"

"What are the standards?" Chizuko interrupted him.

"I will judge based on facts and truth, based on what the target has done, their—"

"You're the standard, right?"

"The standard is justice! I only punish evildoers. I won't kill indiscriminately unless the crime is serious enough, and I won't slaughter everyone like you did!"

Riku Asakawa was finally enraged. He clenched his fists and shouted, "This is the right way to do it! If you don't have a standard to restrain yourself, you'll become a mad demon!"

"Don't shout so loudly, Asakawa-kun, or the Inspection Department might hear what you've done."

Chizuko smiled. At this moment, she actually closed the window, thinking of Asakawa Riku.

"But no matter what, you chose your targets and decided their lives based on your own will, didn't you?"

But her confrontation didn't end there: "Yes, in your eyes I am a 'devil,' then what are you? Are you a 'god'? You define the standards of good and evil, you punish the wicked who the law cannot punish, you end the lives of those who deserve to die, do you see yourself as divine punishment? The embodiment of justice? A superhero? A knight-errant?"

Her words were as precise as steel knives, piercing Asakawa Riku's heart.

"Why should the researcher die, and why should the other staff members live? And what punishments should the survivors receive? You decide, don't you?"

During their year together, it wasn't just Asakawa Riku who was observing Chizuko; Chizuko, in turn, also thoroughly analyzed Asakawa Riku's psychology.

This time, it was Asakawa Riku's turn to remain silent.

He couldn't answer those questions. Perhaps he had the same doubts in his heart: why did he choose to retire? Why did he not appear in that identity again after junior high school?

But in the many events of this year, can he say that he has fully adhered to the goal of "being an ordinary student"? Or has he become immersed in the role of "playing the role of divine punishment"?

The two stared at each other in silence, neither able to say anything more.

"So, Asakawa-kun, as I said, we are the same kind of people, birds of a feather."