Asi Hell

Capítulo 68

"But I actually really hate this kind of psychology—"

Kyogoku-do said.

Indeed, Kyogoku-do held a rather strict attitude towards psychology since his student days. I was once quite enamored with Freud's theories, and at that time I endured his constant ridicule. He must have hated it. But despite his dislike, Kyogoku-do was very knowledgeable about psychology. If he hadn't, he probably wouldn't have looked down on it. I used to think he was a very awkward guy, studying psychology solely for the sake of criticism.

“We might also view it as—for Raiko, Kanako is like a substitute for her mother.”

Kyogoku-do continued.

"Yuzuki Kanako seems to be an otherworldly girl. However, according to her classmates, although her personality is quite eccentric, she is not disliked. You could say she is a beautiful girl with leadership qualities. I heard that she is also very good at academics. Therefore, Raiko admires the outstanding Kanako very much. Even after becoming good friends, she still uses descriptions like 'the goddess smiled at her'. On the other hand, Amamiya's view is that Kanako actually asked Raiko, who is in a similar situation—also without a father—to be her friend because she couldn't bear the loneliness and alienation. Therefore, there is a huge gap between the two people's thoughts. However, they don't intend to understand each other's psychology, which is why they can get along well. For Raiko, Kanako may be the opposite of the reality she doesn't want to accept—her mother. It can also be interpreted as her—Kanako—being the object of Raiko's whining, that is, the object of her hatred."

Kyogoku-do let out a sigh of relief.

"Or perhaps we can explain it this way: Raiko admires Kanako, and this intense longing drives Raiko to want to become one with her. Or perhaps Raiko is actually a narcissist. Amidst the persecution and discrimination he suffers due to the lack of a father figure, he needs a secluded personal world to maintain his personality. Raiko built walls around himself, loving only the self he keeps inside. Then Kanako enters this world, becoming Raiko's new object of narcissism—"

"And then Raiko kept trying to merge with Kanako—or so it seemed?"

"In short, the process in between is not important. The result is that Raiko wants to have the same way of thinking, feeling and acting as Kanako. The intense assimilation is eventually replaced by the impulse to erase the other. In other words, if she wants to become Kanako, Kanako herself is the biggest obstacle - in fact, the testimonies of her classmates can also prove this. It is said that Raiko's recent behavior has become exactly the same as Kanako's."

Listening any further is a bit painful for me. For someone like me, peering into the darkness within the heart of this girl named Kusumoto Yoriko is a truly arduous task.

I cannot become a priest in the Collector's Court.

"Alternatively, we can speculate that Kanako is an almost perfect object of faith for Raiko. Therefore, for Raiko, Kanako must remain whole on every level. Kanako will not age, will not be sad, will not suffer. She must be so."

Like a celestial being—

"Because Kanako is essentially the reincarnation of Yoriko—though that was originally Kanako's concept. That is, she must remain perfect. But coincidentally, Kanako cried that day, showing sadness and pain, and even broke out in acne. An idol falling to earth is like a priestess whose prophecy has failed; she must atone with her death—"

Aoki's expression turned very sad.

"That girl, Kusumoto Yoriko—"

“Aoki, please don’t misunderstand. Raiko is not a special girl. The emotional changes you just mentioned have happened frequently in anyone’s heart; they are very common. Therefore, whether it’s out of sympathy or anything else, it is a prejudice to regard her as special.”

"But I think your explanation is very useful for explaining motivation. Even if it's not exceptional, can't we attribute the motivation to the accumulation and outburst of this kind of psychological state, which leads to the crime?"

For someone like me, these reasons feel more real than crimes committed out of hatred.

"Perhaps it is easier to understand if we consider this distorted Ajatasatru complex as the cause, or if we think that Raiko committed the crime because of an excessively strong desire to be assimilated by others. This may also make people think that they have understood the truth, but this is wrong. What I just said is the best evidence that the motive was fabricated."

"You mean—everything you just said, so convincingly, was fabricated?"

"Of course not. What I just said was not a lie, and it's probably not just one thing that's true, but all of them. However, even if all of them are true, we can't say that Raiko killed Kanako because of that. Raiko just happened to be in that situation, and it was at that moment that she had the idea to kill Kanako. So I said it was the work of a passing demon."

Kyogoku-do concluded in this way.

“I see—what Mr. Chuzenji meant—I think I understand a little better now, but—”

Aoki looked grave, his brows furrowed, lost in thought. It seemed quite incongruous with his youthful appearance.

Soon after, Aoki asked, with great difficulty,:

"Then why did Lai Zi wait half a month before coming out to give false testimony again?"

"Of course, it's for self-preservation."

Kyogoku-do replied coldly.

"That was a naive, girlish way of protecting herself. Normally, such a lie wouldn't work, but Raiko seems to know her own abilities very well. She probably instinctively knows how to act out such a clumsy lie to make it effective."

"That means?"

"After committing a crime, that is, after the passing demon has left, the criminal is always eager to reclaim his lost daily life. Lai Zi was no exception. Whether it's concealment, forgetting, repentance, or feigning ignorance—he always uses various means to think of himself. However, Lai Zi couldn't do any of the above—"

Why is that?

"Because no one informed her of Kanako's fate."

"ah--"

That's right, the perpetrator was unaware of the victim's situation.

"Unable to determine what crime she had committed, she couldn't decide what attitude to take. It was understandable that Raiko was eager to know Kanako's safety whenever she had the chance. Raiko wasn't worried about Kanako, but about her own future. If Kanako were still alive, a single word from her would easily expose her crimes. But the police reports were too vague; she must have lived in constant fear for the past two weeks. At that moment, she had a brilliant idea. When Kiba heard this, he thought Raiko and Kanako's childish concept of reincarnation had reached a perfect conclusion. But Raiko wasn't such a dreamy girl; she wouldn't be so engrossed in such fantastical ideas. These days, middle school students are quite realistic. Raiko's brilliant idea was simply to lie and say there was another culprit; even if Kanako was still alive, she could probably get away with it. This sudden inspiration came to life through Sekiguchi's novel."

"No wonder—Yaiko was so happy after Kanako disappeared. It felt so scary."

Bird Mouth, who had become very taciturn, suddenly uttered this sentence and then fell silent again.

"Girls, no, most humans are cunning creatures."

Kyogoku-do always seemed very indifferent at times like this. It's unknown what Toriguchi and Aoki felt about his words.

The cold words continued.

"Before this, Raiko was caught in a dilemma: if Kanako were saved, she would have to bear the stigma of attempted murder in society; if Kanako died—even if she could deceive the world—she would be burdened with the shackles of a murderer. Therefore, she lived her daily life with trembling fear and outward cunning acting skills to conceal everything. I think she didn't truly believe in Kanako's incredible theory of reincarnation, but rather approached life with an extremely realistic attitude. But—a miracle happened. Kanako neither died nor was saved; she simply disappeared. Raiko only truly received a mystical revelation at the moment Kanako disappeared. Because in this way, Raiko was finally spared from social condemnation and the guilt of murder. A mystery that could resolve both possibilities occurred before her eyes. Heaven heard her wish. The man in black lost his function at that moment, becoming a mere clown. And Raiko changed too, now proudly playing the role of a second Kanako—although her classmates' opinions of her didn't seem very good."

"Master Chuzenji, what should I do with Kusumoto Yoriko?"

Aoki's expression was stern; he was an honest man by nature.

“I have no right to interfere in these matters, and neither do you, Aoki. The law will always be the one to make the judgment. We have no need for sympathy, defense, criticism, or enlightenment.”

"You mean you absolutely shouldn't do anything?"

“That’s right. All you can do is protect her. If you leave her alone—if you let her get killed, you won’t be able to sleep soundly either. Protect her and find out exactly what happened. I think if you ask her properly, she will confess; if you treat her like a child, she will turn around and bite you.”

A profound sense of exhaustion enveloped the living room.

Is this what Kyogoku-do meant by "a terrible aftertaste"?

If everything I just said is true, a promising young woman would become a woman with a criminal record. Even if she brought it upon herself, her mother would still be extremely saddened. No, it's not that simple. This could completely shatter the already delicate, fragile relationship between mother and daughter. It would undoubtedly bring this unfortunate woman named Kusumoto Kimie a profound tragedy that would define her life.

Moreover, no one will be happy about it.

No, that's not right either. The protagonist of this unpleasant incident is not this mother.

Kubo—even now that I know he may be the suspect in the murder of three girls—is not suited for such a heavy responsibility.

Kubo Jungong, Kubomoto Yoriko.

These two are undoubtedly the perpetrators in their respective cases.

But--

Who is it? What is the truth about the demon?

Aoki seemed to have made up his mind and raised his head.

“In any case, I will issue a warrant for Kubo Shunji’s arrest. It seems that he must be considered separately from the Kanako incident, but his actions are extremely suspicious.”

Kyogoku-do stared at Aoki from the front, his expression unchanged.

"Please be extremely careful and don't act rashly. One wrong step could make things very complicated. Although—even if he really is the culprit, he wouldn't have the intention to hide his crime, so there should be plenty of physical evidence—please don't start your investigation by examining his motives. The most effective method is to search his house directly. I believe he lives alone—"

Bird Mouth, clearly intrigued, interjected:

"How did you know she lived alone? And what was in the house? Oh, the murder weapon, right?"

"No. The easiest to understand and the most conclusive evidence is that his family definitely..."

Kyogoku-do took a breath and continued:

"There are the remaining parts of three girls."

"How could that be! No idiot would leave that kind of thing behind."

"If it wasn't thrown away, then it's still there. He needs that part, so it will definitely be there."

Kyogokudo asserted.

"Please don't worry, I will investigate carefully as you suggested. Please trust the police. We will never conduct a search with preconceived notions, nor will we fabricate charges to arrest him, but we will arrest him immediately as soon as we find evidence. So the sooner the better. Could you lend me your phone again?"

After speaking decisively, Aoki stood up. Seemingly feeling slightly dizzy, he staggered a few steps, then turned back and said:

"However, there are still two cases left, and I can't let go of the mystery of Kanako's disappearance. So I'd like to hear your insights on the remaining cases later. I'll be right back, please wait for me."

Aoki disappeared into the dimly lit corridor. Dusk was approaching, and a subtle silence hung over the scene.

It was Natsume who broke the silence.

"Hey, Kyogoku, stop beating around the bush and don't waste time on those girls' arguments. Just tell us what you're hiding. The police aren't here, so say whatever you want! I've been really interested in that guy since the beginning, you know, the doctor with glasses."

A doctor wearing glasses? Who did Natsuki see?

"So you're saying you're worried about that big idiot at the lumberyard? He's not here, so say whatever you want! Just tell the truth now."

Natsume stubbornly persisted. Kyogoku-do looked at Torakuchi and me, and said:

"Alright. Listen carefully. Because Xia-ge and Sekiguchi both hate it when people keep things to themselves, I'll tell you what I know, but that's all I'll say. The following part is my personal deduction, and I don't need to tell you. It has nothing to do with ongoing events like dismemberment and body abandonment that need to be resolved as soon as possible. Let me repeat, it has absolutely no connection to crime."

It sounds just like an excuse.

"Stop rambling and just tell me, Kyogoku-do."

I and Natsume were of the same mind and urged him on.

"—Mimasaka and I are actually old acquaintances."

"Is this the truth behind the intelligence he possesses?" Kyogoku-do said briefly in the weakest voice he had heard all day.

"Mimazaka? Is that the owner of the Hako-kan?"

Bird Mouth seemed surprised.

"Mr. Chuzenji, you know the inside story about Hakodate, which is why you keep warning us not to go near there, right? Does that mean that Mimasaka eats people?"

Bird-mouth spoke half-jokingly—and half-seriously. His intention in speaking might have been to ease the atmosphere, but it seemed to have the opposite effect.

Based on terrifying legends and Kiba's stereotypes, the enigmatic surgeon Mimasaka Koshiro struck me as a terrifying, man-eating monster. This feeling was further reinforced by the fact that he hadn't yet appeared on the surface of the case.

"His background is largely the same as what Rimura told Grandpa Kiba. He was a genius, but he was ostracized by academia—that's what everyone thought in public. Of course, I didn't know him at the time. I met him during the war."

"Oh, did he treat your injuries?"

"No, I worked with him before. In that box shop."

"What did you say!"

I hadn't heard anything about Kyogoku-do during the war. The only thing I was certain of was that he hadn't gone to the front lines. So I always assumed it was simply because he hadn't enlisted. At the time, he didn't seem physically fit or in good health to pass the conscription check, so incredibly, I thought it was perfectly reasonable that he hadn't joined the army. But upon closer reflection, contrary to his unhealthy appearance, he didn't actually have any chronic illnesses or disabilities.

Kyogoku-do began to speak haltingly.

“Many people think I didn’t enlist, but that’s not true. After I was drafted, I was assigned to the Army Research Institute. You’ve heard of Noborito’s research institute, right?”

"You mean that research institute that specializes in developing seemingly useless weapons like balloon bombs and canister bombs?"

I've heard of Torikochi. Of course I've heard of him too. But what would Kyogoku-do, a humanities student, be sent to a place like that for? Ironically, I, a science student, was mistakenly sent to the battlefield as a humanities student by some twist of fate (note).