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Natsume and Toriguchi also went over to take a look.

"this--"

Kyogoku-do's face changed color.

"It's practically a miracle for Xiao Guan's memory!"

Natsuki is mocking me again. Usually, Kyogoku-do would join in, but he didn't this time; he just kept scratching his head.

"What's going on? What's happening? This whole incident is like a demon. Unsettling coincidences and conflicts keep recurring. Is this a coincidence? It can't be inevitable. But judging from how things are developing, it's hard to guarantee that guy isn't involved in everything. No, wait, let's think about it this way—"

What's going on? I've never seen Kyogoku-do so flustered.

"Honestly. Why do you always drag me, this recluse, into this? This situation might turn out badly, no, it's just a possibility, this..."

How bad will it be?

A high-pitched voice.

Kyogoku-do turned his head. Natsuki-zu turned his head, and Toriguchi-zu looked up. After observing the actions of everyone present, I finally realized that the speaker was not one of them, and that their gazes were directed at the speaker. A beat too slow, I shifted my gaze.

Woodwork appears on the veranda.

Kiba looked somewhat haggard, and his hair, which had been cut very short, had grown a bit longer.

He didn't look well. Because the setting sun was shining on him from behind, he looked exactly the same as when we met in Hakodate that day.

"Kiba Osamu, I heard you were punished by being confined to your room to reflect on your actions. What's with that weird face of yours? Hey."

Kiba's roar drowned out Natsuki's words.

"Why is it so bad, Kyogoku-do?"

Kyogoku-do remained silent for a while before adjusting his posture and answering.

"What I mean is, the aftertaste is terrible."

"You bastard, judging from this, you must know something inside, right?! Sekiguchi is one thing, but even Reijiro has mobilized you, this matter is definitely not stable. Tell me quickly."

"Before that!! I want to hear what you know first. I think you are the person closest to the heart of the matter, just how absurdly this collection and spread of coincidences is formed. Once I hear what you know, I think I should be able to solve the problem almost immediately."

Kyogoku-do stood up.

"Well said, Kyogoku-do. Now let me hear your opinion on this ridiculous composition."

Kiba's expression was fierce.

"However, if the aftertaste is too bad, as I imagine, I won't want to talk about it."

Kyogoku-do quietly concluded with this.

Apology letter

Mother, please forgive me.

Please forgive my foolish daughter.

The thought of the suffering you endured in the months that followed makes me restless with sadness, but now I finally understand how you felt.

You must be feeling heartbroken.

It must have been very painful.

I never knew how heartbreaking it was to be estranged from my own daughter. How unfilial I was in the past.

I regret it.

I'm very upset.

But now it's all too late to undo the damage.

In the past, after losing my father, all I knew was to loathe you as you grew uglier day by day. If you still hold onto the past...

With beauty, I certainly wouldn't feel so awkward.

But my father's departure was my fault.

So, you could say I'm the culprit who made you ugly.

It makes me really sad to think about this.

What a foolish daughter I am, really, I'm so sorry.

I have lost something important.

It's just adding vegetables.

If I was the one who drove you into the abyss of death, then I was also the one who caused Kanako to become like that—how foolish!

That's a problem. Kanako's whereabouts are currently unknown. What if she's dead?

If he or she dies.

I am the murderer who killed Kanako.

I long to be as beautiful as you were when you were young.

I also hoped that Kanako could become as beautiful as you. But this thought turned into such shallow actions that it even killed Kanako.

It's too late to undo it.

I want to go to that man.

With that person

—In the middle—

Kyogoku Natsuhiko

The Box of Demons (Part 2)

I really don't know whether Xia Mujin's driving skills can be considered excellent or terrible. If we only consider technical skills, he is certainly superior to the average person, but he still drives roughly. When he drives this fake Datsun sports car with its suspension system almost completely ineffective, I, sitting in the front seat, feel like a prisoner being tortured, my buttocks being slapped several times.

What I find even more incomprehensible is why Natsuki, whose eyesight is clearly poor, was allowed to drive.

In short, Natsuki was in an excellent mood. He was probably the happiest person among those involved in this incident.

Why? Because this irresponsible and utterly clueless detective easily shirked his responsibilities. To put it bluntly, he abandoned the search for Kanako Yuzuki before even beginning the investigation.

Yesterday—after welcoming Kiba, who had come unexpectedly, into the room, Kyogoku-do asked us to leave first. His behavior seemed to be an attempt to isolate us from Kiba.

I cannot accept this arrangement. Kyogoku-do said—"Once you've heard Kiba's explanation, you should know everything, so of course we have the right to know the conclusion."

In response to my objections, Kyogoku-do replied as follows:

"Sekiguchi, this incident probably isn't developing as sequentially as you imagine. These seemingly related events are completely unconnected. Focusing solely on connections will prevent you from seeing the overall coherence of the events. Therefore, the best approach is to stop overthinking and investigate each event separately. I will definitely report my conclusions based on what Kiba-sama said to you all another day; the timing is up to you—"

I personally really wanted to hear the account of the strange events from Shutaro Kiba, but since Natsukizu and Toriguchi didn't object to Kyogoku-do's proposal, I had no choice but to accept it.

But it was Kiba himself who looked troubled.

Kiba began to curse in a powerful, deep voice:

"Kyogoku, you bastard, I'm not here to discuss anything with you or to chat idly. I'm here to ask Sekiguchi, who's sitting over there. Hey! Sekiguchi, your—"

"uncle."

Kyogoku-do gave a quiet shout. Kiba wouldn't normally be intimidated by this level of threat, but Kyogoku-do's next words, full of profound meaning, made Detective Gouketsu hesitate.

"Listen to me now for your own good."

"What's the meaning."

Kiba narrowed his already small eyes even further. Kyogoku-do stroked his chin and said quietly:

"If you want to exchange information with them, it's impossible not to mention—why are you so proactive while you're reflecting on your mistakes, no, why do you insist on carrying out dangerous operations despite the risk of being punished with confinement? If you don't mind, then I don't care either."

Kiba remained silent for a long time.

"Leji, what do you know?"

"Don't worry, I've heard all the information the three people here know, and I'll explain it to you clearly. At this stage, I'm probably the one best able to explain this information."

Kiba sat down silently.

Our group then took turns getting up from our seats.

I really don't understand why we shouldn't have been there, nor do I understand the meaning of what Kyogoku-do said to Kiba.

So I can't guess what Kiba will say about his experiences, nor do I know how Kyogoku-do will tell Natsukizu about Yuzuki Yoko's pitiful past.

Then—Kyogoku-do escorted us to the entrance and whispered in Natsukizu's ear:

"Brother Xia, I've thought it over carefully, and I don't think your detective work will go smoothly. I don't think we can find Yuzuki Kanako, so perhaps it's better to give up."

Upon hearing this, Natsumi's expression immediately brightened.

He easily gave up on the search for Yuzuki Kanako.

This is why Natsume is in a good mood.

After being kicked out of Kyogoku-do's house, we briefly discussed our future strategy.

As a result, it was decided that Toriguchi would continue to be in charge of further investigation into the background of Mihako-no-Kami—such as the cult leader's family and the original believers, while Natsukizu and I—partly due to circumstances—decided to visit the Kusumoto family. However, the purpose of this trip was to meet with Kusumoto Kimie, a believer of Mihako-no-Kami, to find out if her daughter, Yoriko, might be a new victim of dismemberment murder.

Rather than searching for clues about Yuzuki Kanako.

How exactly does Natsukizu intend to fulfill his promise to Masuoka? Wouldn't leaving it unattended embarrass his father? Although it's meddling, I'm very concerned about this matter. However, Natsukizu himself doesn't seem to care about my concern at all. The detective, upon spotting the Akai Shobo company car parked in the open space below Dizziness Slope, immediately raised his hands in celebration, relentlessly begging Toriguchi to lend him the car during the investigation. As soon as Toriguchi agreed, Natsukizu immediately announced:

"This is mine!"

After that, he felt even better.

After Natsukizu, the owner of the Toriguchi Predictor Association, and I decided to meet at Kyogoku-do three days later, we would temporarily part ways.

Then one night passed, which is today.

Natsuki and I are on our way to the Kusumoto family's house.

Even if we met with Kusumoto Kimie, it wouldn't do any good, and it's doubtful whether it could effectively prevent crime. But we can't think of any other good methods.

There's no doubt that Kyogoku-do knows something. He's hiding something from us. Wouldn't revealing what he knows be a step closer to resolving the matter? So—why remain silent?

Difficult to understand.

The kidnapping of Kanako Yuzuki, the Musashino serial dismemberment murders, the sealing of the shrine of Mihako... aren't these just aspects of a larger event? The scattered facts are rich with metaphors, enough to raise such doubts. Kyogoku-do, possessing information unknown to anyone else, should have already seen the true nature of the event from these aspects. His words to Kiba and his advice to Natsukizu were likely based on this true nature.

I asked Natsume for his opinion, as he was happily gripping the steering wheel.