Black Fragment

page views:1 Publication date:2023-06-11 20:03:19

Prologue: The Female

Aside from the relatively good soundproofing of the walls, floors, and ceilings, this building was unremarkable.

On the seventh floor, there was a living room the size of fifteen tatami mats, and two bedrooms. The room on the right remained exactly as it had been two weeks prior, with several cardboard boxes scattered haphazardly. The bedroom was entirely black, from the curtains to the desk and sofa bed. Even the lightweight suits hanging in the wardrobe were all black.

"Ah, so good…"

A female cat's chorus of heat emanated from between the luggage. Keeping pets in the building—that stubborn building manager probably wouldn't allow it… This female cat was enormous, with mysterious and alluring eyes, and long, silky hair.

"Ah… Satoshi… I… I'm going to lose…"

The female cat stood upright, her red lips slightly parted, her back arched. The third button of her blouse was undone, revealing her full breasts.

The owner of this room was—Ryouki Satoshi. He wore a white shirt, but his sunglasses, tie, and socks were all dark-colored. His head was buried between the female cat's breasts. The zipper of his suit pants was open, and his body was one with the female cat's. The two seemed to have reached climax. He kissed her neck and ears wildly, his waist moving up and down violently.

"Ah~, ah... no, don't go so fast... ahhh!"

the female cat begged for mercy, but Ryosaki didn't say a word, slowing his breathing and speeding up his movements.

"Ugh... ugh..." the female cat continued to moan indistinctly, saliva dripping from the corners of her mouth, flowing down to the hollow of her collarbone.

Ryosaki licked away the saliva and kissed her lips forcefully.

"Gurgle... gurgle..."

Sizzle... splatter... sizzle... The obscene, sticky sounds echoed in the enclosed space.

"...I'm...I'm coming!"

Ryouzaki whispered in her ear, ejaculating after several spasms. The female cat lay exhausted on top of Ryouzaki.

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A while later, Ryouzaki sat slumped on the sofa, smoking a Lucky Strike. The female cat beside him was already dressed in designer clothes. A woman in her twenties, working in information trafficking.

Mina. Whether it was her real name or an alias, no one knew. Other personal information such as age, address, and work experience was also unknown. There were also rumors: she secretly maintained a close relationship with a financial tycoon... and so on.

Only one thing was certain: Mina possessed a highly reliable intelligence network. However, for private detective Ryouzaki, she was not indispensable. Although the fees she demanded were astonishingly high, she had never been paid during the long period of their business dealings.

"Provide one piece of information, and I'll have sex with her once,"

Mina demanded of Ryouzaki. Thus, this situation naturally arose.

"That was a close call... I won by a hair's breadth today!" Mina laughed proudly.

The two often made bets: who would surrender first.

"...I've been a little less patient lately," Ryouzaki muttered to himself, not looking at Mina.

"But, there's a lot, isn't there?"

Mina said mischievously. Ryouzaki glanced up and saw her shaking a used, knotted condom. Just as Mina had said: there was indeed a large amount of white fluid.

"Idiot! Throw it in the trash!"

"Hehe, it's still warm on my face."

"Take it away! Pervert!"

"I won! It's your useless milk, I can do whatever I want with it!"

Mina carefully wrapped the condom in a tissue and put it in her purse.

"If this perverted woman stays any longer... your cute little sister will get angry!"

Mina giggled a few times and left the room.

"Truly... a woman you can't let your guard down." Ryouzaki, cigarette dangling from her lips, stood up and walked to the balcony.

Darkness enveloped the outside, a warm spring breeze caressing her face. Looking down from the seventh floor... the bustling crowds of people and vehicles on the ground resembled lost insects searching for refuge.

Ryouzaki smiled. "I'm one of them too..."

Feeling a sharp gaze behind her, Ryouzaki turned around.

"What happened while I was gone—Chief?"

A young girl carrying a convenience store bag stood in the doorway. A large crystal necklace dangled from her chest, sparkling brightly. Her light brown eyes indicated she was of mixed race. Her chestnut hair, unlike most young people's dyed hair, was naturally naturally occurring.

Kashiwagi Asuka. A beautiful girl with one-eighth Canadian ancestry, but unfortunately, a somewhat stubborn personality. She currently works as an assistant at the "Ryouzaki Detective Agency" and also handles household matters.

Asuka had just turned twenty. For six years, Ryosaki had taken on the responsibility of caring for her like a father and brother, and the two lived together. When she was fourteen, her parents were brutally murdered after being involved in an incident. However, she was never told the details.

"You're here?" Ryosaki said excitedly.

"You still haven't answered my question! While I was away, that woman came by, didn't she?" Asuka disliked Mina even more than before.

"After I moved here, my obligation to support you ended. You're an adult, and I... I'm an adult too. Let's not pry into each other's privacy!"

Asuka lived a carefree life of solitude at Ryosaki's former office and home. The crystal pendant she wore around her neck was a birthday gift from Ryosaki.

Kusanagi, who was with her to buy late-night snacks, interjected, "Ryosaki, you're making Asuka sound so pitiful!"

Kusanagi was Ryosaki's former psychiatrist and was now his partner and roommate.

"Thank you, Mr. Kusanagi. I... it's okay! To get revenge on the director, just give him the super spicy 'Asuka's Special Curry Rice'..." Asuka, who was initially unhappy, had calmed down and was busily preparing a late-night snack in the kitchen.

"What should we do?" Ryosaki asked Kusanagi for help.

Kusanagi noticed a lipstick mark on Ryosaki's shirt collar, left by Mina's prank. But Ryosaki hadn't noticed. He frantically tried to signal to Ryosaki, but Ryosaki didn't understand.

"What? Even you have a problem with me?"

"C-Come to my room!" Kusanagi forcefully pulled the surprised Ryosaki into the room.

"See for yourself!"

"--!? That wretched woman!"

"It'll be terrible if Asuka sees this... Quickly change into my shirt!" Kusanagi pulled a clean white shirt from the drawer.

"No way... our tastes are worlds apart!"

"Why are you nagging so much? Hurry up and get dressed!" Kusanagi urged Ryosaki.

"Hey... I've called you guys several times. Hurry up and eat it while it's hot! What are you two grown men doing locked in the room?"

Asuka peeked through Kusanagi's doorway and saw him helping Ryosaki undress. Her eyes widened.

"I'm sorry!"

"Ah, Asuka! This is..."

"Looks like I've disturbed you... I'll go back now." Asuka turned around.

"Wait, wait a minute! You've misunderstood!"

"Asuka! Don't jump to conclusions so quickly, okay?"

As Ryosaki and Kusanagi chased after her, they both tripped over chairs and ended up hugging each other...

Just then, the sound of police sirens came from outside the window.

"Huh? It seems to be in this building..." Ryosaki cleared his throat, stood up, and walked towards the balcony. Asuka followed curiously.

"That's right, there are several police cars parked in front of the building." Kusanagi said, looking down. "

--I'll go down and take a look." Ryosaki buttoned up his shirt and said to Kusanagi, "Kusanagi... Asuka lacks life experience. If you have time, teach her the basic concepts and methods of solving cases, okay?"

"Okay..."

Ryosaki silently lowered his head and went out.

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Chapter 1 The Monster

The incident occurred in this building. Room 40d - the room number read "Sato Kazuyuki, Michiko".

When taking the elevator down to the fourth floor, the door to the room where the incident occurred was tightly closed, and a young police officer stood guard at the door. Ryosaki sneered inwardly. With a little effort, he could handle this kid.

"Yo, good job... I'm not on duty today because I heard some noise and rushed over!"

The officer stood at attention and saluted Ryosaki.

"What's going on? Robbery? Or theft?" Ryosaki asked the officer.

"It's...it's a murder case..." He mistook Ryosaki for a detective from the Metropolitan Police Department.

"What happened and what's the situation?"

"Yes, the whole situation of the murder is..." The officer licked his lips and reported the following:

Approximately thirty minutes ago, around 6:30 PM on April 23rd. The building manager reported that "the resident of room 40d was found dead.

" The nearest police station, Yua Police Station, reported the incident to the Metropolitan Police Department.

The Metropolitan Police Department's detectives were already conducting a search of the scene.

"Orders from above: no unauthorized personnel allowed at the scene,"

the officer said proudly. The detectives would arrive in about a few tens of minutes.

(Before that, I need to search...) Ryosaki instructed the officer to immediately return to his station to report the situation and request assistance in setting up a search headquarters.

"Yes, sir!!" The officer saluted again, filled with a sense of duty, and left in the elevator.

Just as Ryosaki was about to open the door, suddenly, the door opened from the inside, and a short man rushed out, one hand covering his mouth, running desperately downstairs.

(Huh? That's the building manager...)

The door opened again, and two detectives walked out. Ryosaki was startled.

"Uncle Gen-Gen!? What are you doing here?"

A young man who looked like a newly recruited detective and a seemingly gentle man in his fifties, wearing an old khaki jacket and a hunting hat pulled low, said with serious expressions and tones, "I should be asking you: What are you doing here?" This was

Fukui Genichiro, nicknamed "Uncle Gen." He was the deputy head of the Metropolitan Police Department's First Investigation Division, but his investigative abilities were considerable. Ryosaki had encountered him before at another crime scene, but due to their different positions, they couldn't have a deeper conversation. However, he had already witnessed Gen's excellent qualities. He preferred investigating crime scenes and didn't have time to take promotion exams, thus avoiding promotions. But within the police force, he was highly respected.

"What a coincidence... I happen to live on the seventh floor of this apartment building. I didn't expect to run into Uncle Gen!"

"Uncle Gen-Gen. Who is this suspicious guy?" The young detective Terada pointed at Ryosaki with disgust.

Terada was a handsome man. His bangs were dyed light brown, and he wore a grass-green suit that looked like a foreign designer brand. His eyes were quite sharp.

This must be the era where even public servants, paid with taxpayers' hard-earned money, are chasing trends, right? Ryosaki noticed the police handbook peeking out of his pocket.

"...These days, the way young people dress, are they police officers or gigolos? It's really hard to tell!"

"G-Gigolo, you're calling me a gigolo!?" Terada said fiercely. Gen patted him on the shoulder.

"Ryosaki, you really have a sharp tongue."

"I can't help it, that's just how I am."

"Fine, don't interfere with our investigation. Since you live in this apartment building, of course we have to question you. If you're related to the victim, then you're a suspect!" He then asked in surprise, "Huh? There should be someone guarding this place..."

Hiding it from Gen was useless, so Ryosaki told him the details.

"It's a murder case, right? I need to assist with the investigation. Let me see the scene, Uncle Gen."

"No. What if you're the murderer and want to destroy the evidence?"

"...I can't help it if you don't believe me."

"Of course! A detective like you is useless. Get out of here!!" Terada roared. Ryosaki

ignored him and said to Gen, "Uncle Gen, being paired with this barking brat is a disaster. What about your former partners..."

"Who are you calling a barking brat!?"

"Idiot! Calm down! Terada." Gen stopped the angry Terada, rubbing his nose as he said, "Letting you search the scene will only make a mess. Let me tell you something!"

"Uncle Gen, tell him the details of the case—!?"

"If this guy is the culprit, I'll catch him...and one more thing." Gen stared into Ryosaki's eyes and said, "If you have any clues, you must tell me. That's the deal, how about it?"

"Of course! What's the situation at the scene?"

Terada frowned, and Gen shrugged. "The crime scene is really strange... All four victims were sitting at the dining table, holding knives and forks, with empty bowls and plates on the table..."

"And..." Terada continued, "The male homeowner's eyes were gouged out... and placed on a plate."

"What's the cause of death?"

"It hasn't been determined yet. It seems a sharp blade pierced his carotid artery behind his ear, killing him instantly. There were no signs of resistance, and the perpetrator left nothing behind. What's unclear is... it seems the perpetrator left a message."

"A message?" Ryosaki's lower eyelids twitched.

"Yes, there are words written in blood on the wall opposite the living room."

"A death message... What's the content?"

"I can't tell you that; it's a top-secret clue. We can only reveal the rest after the experts examine and perform an autopsy."

"No, that's enough. There's one more thing... The doorplate has two names on it, but how could there be four victims?"

Gen nodded and said, "The administrator has confirmed that the victims were the Sato family of four. A couple and two children—a tragic massacre."

"I see..."

"That's all I know for now. If you have any information... you must tell me, okay?" Gen reminded Ryosaki again as he walked towards the elevator.

"I'm leaving too! Terada... you'd better work hard for the meager taxes we pay!" Ryosaki patted Terada's shoulder and, when he wasn't looking, snatched his police handbook.

After they left, Ryosaki was about to go up to the seventh floor when...

"Ugh! Let me go!!"

A woman's scream came from behind. Ryosaki turned around and saw two middle-aged men surrounding a young girl across from room 40c.

"Ugh, what are you doing!! No..."

"Hey! Come to my room for a drink..." A fat man smiled lewdly and hugged the slender beauty from behind.

Another man, wearing glasses, tried to persuade him, "Mr. Hiruta, don't do this!" However, the thin man couldn't stop the fat man at all.

Ryosaki hesitated. His principle was: observe things he wasn't interested in. But there were exceptions, especially when it involved beautiful women.

"Please! Save me!" the girl cried, looking at Ryosaki.

"Hey, get away!" Ryosaki grabbed the fat man by the collar and gently slapped his cheek.

The man had a large head and unusually short limbs. Moreover, his lower abdomen was extremely protruding. He could be described as "two-headed."

(This face is simply not human... it's like a monster!)

"Why, why did you hit me?"

"Look at how you're clinging to women!! Monster!"

"Gurgle..." The monster made indistinct groans.

"You, you just wait! Miura! Come have a drink with me. This guy ruined my mood..."

"Yes... I'm coming right away."

"Damn it! Living on an even-numbered floor, nothing goes right..." The monster uttered strange words as it entered room 40c. The man named Miura bowed to Ryosaki and also entered the room.

"Thank you. I live on the sixth floor, and this guy was bothering me in the elevator... Luckily you saved me."

The girl wiped away her tears and smiled as she bowed. She introduced herself: "Rumiko Tobuchi from room 60d, a second-year university student."

Her curly hair, fair neck, and the hair hanging down her back slightly aroused Ryosaki's desire.

"Do you know that man from earlier?"

"Who knows him?!" Rumiko frowned and stuck out her tongue in disgust.

"I just moved in recently. You're the first person I've spoken to here!"

Rumiko gave him a flirtatious look. After learning Ryosaki's profession, she exclaimed, "Wow, a real detective!"

She enthusiastically grabbed Ryosaki's wrist, her ample breasts resting against his elbow, and said, "How about coming to my room for a cup of tea to thank me?"

A delightful invitation. However, Ryosaki thought, "I shouldn't go to a girl's room I've just met." So he escorted her to her door.

"Thank you for inviting me. Next time... I want to try your cooking."

After parting ways with Rumiko, Ryosaki returned to the fourth floor. Hiruta was harassing another girl again, and Miura was stopping him. The same scene was repeating itself. This time, the one being harassed was—Asuka.

"Chief, Chief!?"

Asuka looked relieved when she saw Ryosaki.

"When I was going home, this man..." Asuka said, crying.

"It's you again!! What happened with that girl? Did you do something good? You righteous bastard..." Hiruta, though frightened, mocked maliciously.

"You monster! If you do this again, I'll make you disappear from the face of the earth!"

Ryosaki approached Hiruta, who, in fear, released Asuka. Hiruta's face was violently struck.

"Waaaaah!!" The monster's face swelled up, blood gushed from his nose, and he knelt on the ground.

"Next time you do it... I'll make sure you come in straight and leave horizontally! Do you hear me?" Ryosaki warned coldly.

"Wh-you... which floor do you live on?" Hiruta asked Ryosaki, panting.

"Room 70c. If you're not satisfied, feel free to come and complain anytime!"

"Hmm... the seventh floor? I'll get my revenge! You just wait!" Hiruta muttered, scrambling into the room.

After apologizing, Miura said, "I'll go watch over him... I won't let him cause trouble again." He entered Hiruta's room with a self-deprecating smile, his eyes filled with immense bitterness.

(I've seen that expression before. The look of someone resigned to death. But why is this man like that...)

Asuka didn't notice Ryosaki's surprise and threw herself into his arms. He took her back to his room, where Asuka was still sobbing.

"The self-defense techniques you learned can deal with humans, but not with that monster?"

"How embarrassing. I thought I was so good... I didn't expect to be so useless..."

Asuka's cute appearance was still as endearing as it had been six years ago. Ryosaki suppressed the turmoil in his heart.

"Hmph... You're already an adult, yet you're still so troublesome."

"I'm sorry, brother... no, Director..." Asuka shrank back.

"...You can stay here tonight."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'm not one to pity others—but you are."

"Wow! That's great. Tonight... I'm afraid to walk alone at night."

"It's not necessarily safe here! I heard there are two big male dogs that often roam around!"

"It's okay, I'm not afraid!" Asuka, now cheerful again, made a face at Ryosaki.

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Chapter Two: The Girl

Drip... Drip... Utter darkness, biting cold. Is it a dungeon, or a cave? Water droplets dripped from the very top.

Drip... Drip... The monotonous rhythm, the chilling echo, pierced every nerve of Ryosaki's body. (Where am I? Am I lost here?) Ryosaki ran and wandered aimlessly along the winding passage. A feeling of unease filled her chest.

"Tell me! Where am I?"

Only an empty echo answered. Heavy breathing, a pounding heartbeat, and dripping water created an eerie symphony.

"No, no! If you want to deal with me, then show yourself quickly!"

Suddenly, a point of light appeared diagonally in front of him. Red, yellow, green, and purple flashed by... Whoa! The point of light suddenly brightened, transforming into a spinning halo that hurtled towards Ryouzaki.

"Waaaaah, help me!!"

--Ryosaki jumped up from the sofa. It was a dream--. A terrifying nightmare. He couldn't remember how many times this had happened. Ryosaki wiped the sweat from his forehead and neck.

"Darkness... a cave... what is it..."

Ryosaki muttered to himself, lighting a guacamole. He took a deep drag. The strong nicotine violently assaulted his sluggish thoughts. He even felt slightly dizzy. His consciousness slowly returned when the shrill doorbell rang. He glanced at his watch; it was around 11:10.

"Hmph... disturbing me so early in the morning!"

Ryosaki snorted, took another drag, stretched lazily, and his energy gradually returned. He didn't expect any visitors before noon, even if he got up earlier than scheduled. But the doorbell seemed to be deliberately provoking him, ringing incessantly. Ryosaki went to the living room; Kusanagi seemed to have just woken up.

"You're having trouble sleeping again?"

"Yeah... I'm so annoyed I can't sleep."

Kusanagi is lethargic due to lack of sleep, and Ryosaki has also been plagued by nightmares lately, making his sleep extremely restless. The doorbell was still ringing as the two were talking.

"...So annoying!"

"Go open the door, or maybe it's your ex-girlfriend showing up!"

Kusanagi chuckled, and Ryosaki rudely opened the door. It was Gen and Terada.

"Uncle Gen!?"

"You're home after all. Why didn't you open the door?" Terada yelled again, but Ryosaki ignored him.

"While you were sleeping in, another murder happened!

" "What!? "

Gen nodded silently, and Ryosaki tensed up.

"Who was the victim?"

"Hiruta Shigeomi, a 48-year-old male who works at a pharmaceutical company."

"Hiruta!?"

"You know him?"

"We met yesterday."

Gen's eyes flashed sharply.

"Ryouzaki... what did you do to him? The real cause of death was strangulation, but he was beaten six hours before he died!"

"--Anything else?" Ryouzaki asked anxiously.

According to Gen, Hiruta was murdered in the living room, and the estimated time of death was around 3 a.m. Although the cause of death was strangulation, the autopsy results showed that he had an alcohol-resistant agent in his body. This is a drug used to treat alcohol poisoning, which can greatly reduce the body's ability to break down acetaldehyde. Therefore, even drinking a very small amount of alcohol will cause great pain.

"But, the alcohol-resistant agent is not fatal. It is presumably that the victim was given it..."

"Strangled him while he was in pain, is

that right?" "Most likely."

"I see..."

"Uncle Gen, didn't you say you had something to ask Ryouzaki?" Terada said maliciously.

"Last night, I was the one who beat up that monster—no, Hiruta."

"It really was you—"

"Don't rush me! I acted in self-defense. Three people can testify for me; I'm not the murderer!" "

...Alright, to be sure, tell me the witnesses' names."

"Kashiwagi Asuka."

"Ah, is Asuka still as cute as ever?"

"Let's go find her later. She was haunted by that monster last night, so she's staying here... She's gone back to the office now. There's another one named Miura, who seems to be Hiruta's subordinate. The other one is a college student named Okeguchi Rumiko from room 60D."

"Terada, write this down!"

Terada's face turned pale, and he whispered in Gen's ear, "Uncle Gen... I..."

"What? You lost your police handbook!?" Gen roared at Terada.

"...I'm sorry." "

A detective from the First Investigative Division, active on the front lines, lost his police handbook? Times have really changed, Uncle Gen." Ryousaki said sarcastically.

"Shut up!! This is none of your business, you maggot-like detective!!"

"Like a maggot!?" Veins bulged on Ryosaki's temples.

"Terada...you're not qualified to criticize Ryosaki!" Gen said calmly, and Terada dared not speak again.

"I'm sorry, Ryosaki. This guy is young and doesn't know any better."

"Never mind...I'm interested in this case and want to participate in the investigation."

"Hey, what about yesterday's agreement?"

"You said we'd exchange information? I'll keep my word, don't worry!"

Gen sighed.

"Although we'll exchange information, I'll definitely catch the culprit first. Don't underestimate the maggot's intelligence network!" He glared at Terada, who was intimidated by his aura and dared not refute him.

"I'm reminding you: you're not allowed in Hiruta's room."

"I know, I won't disobey Uncle Gen's orders!"

Gen smiled without answering, waved to Ryosaki, and left with Terada.

"How was it just now?" Kusanagi asked, but Ryosaki ignored him and muttered to himself.

Flipping through Terada's police handbook, the clumsy handwriting listed the building's residents.

Juniper lived in room 20c on the second floor. Seo lived in 30c on the third floor, and Miura lived in 30d across the hall. Hiruta lived in 40c, and the Sato family, who had been murdered, lived in 40d across the hall. Fuyukawa lived in 50c, and Okeguchi lived in 60c. 70c... was Ryousaki's room, and Ando lived in 80d on the top floor. This was a newly built building with four buildings, A through D. But for some reason, buildings A and B were uninhabited. Ryousaki memorized the residents of each floor. He called Asuka, asking her to collect information on the Sato family and Hiruta.

"Oh, and contact that woman."

"--Ms. Mina? She knows I don't like her." Asuka's voice turned somber upon hearing Mina's name.

"Please. I don't want to see her either."

"Liar! You clearly like her to death..."

"...This is the chief's order. Also, Gen will ask you about your actions last night, so handle it well!"

"Understood, Chief!"

Ryousaki hung up the phone, sighing as he thought of Asuka's angry face.

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Ryousaki began his investigation. Juniper, at 20c, was an antique dealer and importer of general merchandise. His room was filled with expensive decorations, a vast collection of books, and many foreign-language paranormal books. Upon reaching the fourth floor, he saw the police officer who had been deceived yesterday.

"I'm sorry, I lied to you yesterday..." Ryousaki apologized.

The officer's attitude was unusually kind. "The Criminal Investigation Department has instructed me to help you as much as possible."

He then revealed to Ryousaki that in the Sato family murder case, the blood-written words on the wall read "Evil! Not human."

The Fuyukawa family home, 50cm tall, is home to two girls, Fuyukawa Nozomi and Hayami Haruka. Fuyukawa Nozomi, a high school student, wasn't feeling well and didn't come out. The older Hayami Haruka greeted them, but her attitude was rather cold.

When they reached the sixth floor, Tachiguchi Rumiko opened the door and greeted Ryosaki, "Good morning, Detective!"

"Isn't it too late to say good morning now?"

"It's a rule in the entertainment industry: whether it's morning or midnight, you have to say good morning when you meet someone. I want to pursue a career in entertainment!"

"Just don't let people mistake you for a hostess."

"Right, that's how it is in that line too. Ugh~ Why am I saying something like that..." Rumiko said with a laugh, and Ryosaki laughed too.

"Ah, and this is?"

"This is my partner: Kusanagi."

"Huh? He's different from the ones on TV!"

"What?"

"In dramas, the detective's assistants are all young and beautiful women!" Rumiko confused fiction with reality.

"My assistant is a girl named Asuka, but she always seems to make things worse when things get tough."

"She's probably sneezing right now."

Kusanagi nudged Ryosaki's back, and Rumiko tilted her head, saying, "By the way... the police came by earlier. That guy was strangled yesterday!"

"Be careful, we're all suspects."

"Suspect... I'm the victim!"

"Don't say that."

"Detective... you need something?" She asked shyly, "Do you want to go on a date with me?"

"I'd be happy to. I wanted to ask: didn't you notice what happened yesterday?"

Rumiko thought for a moment and shook her head.

"I really can't remember... do you want to ask about my alibi?"

"Don't worry, I'm not a policeman. I'm just investigating."

"Sorry, I wasn't of any use."

"It's okay. Real detectives often can't find any clues, unlike on TV!"

"You've worked so hard. Let's have dinner together tonight... just the two of us."

Rumiko glanced at Kusanagi, who tactfully walked away.

"It's my treat tonight, come at eight!"

"Okay..." Ryousaki agreed.

"I have to go to class, see you tonight!" Rumi closed the door.

Afterwards, she went to investigate Ando Kazuki in room 80D and showed him Terada's police handbook.

"Instead of asking me, an unemployed man, you should hurry up and catch the murderer! What!? You think you're such a good cop. My wife ran off with someone else, and my daughter is out gallivanting all day long..."

Ando's eyes were bloodshot, and he roared with spittle flying from his mouth, angrily kicking the two of them out. Ando's mental state seemed abnormal, suspected to be schizophrenia. The questioning yielded almost no results.

"Let's go back first!" Ryousaki said.

Kusanagi walked to the right of the elevator and looked into the stairwell.

"Does this building have a roof?"

"I'm not sure."

Ryousaki walked up the stairs, and there was a "No Entry" sign on the iron door to the top floor.

"Hmph, what secret base? A hairpin can open it."

"Ryosaki, we think the same thing!"

Kusanagi crouched down and picked up a hairpin from the ground.

"No, there's no need for that."

Ryosaki slowly turned the handle; the door wasn't locked. There was someone on the rooftop—a girl wearing only a thin nightgown, staring blankly at the sky. Before Kusanagi could speak, the girl had already reached the roof railing and bent over. Ryosaki quickly ran over and grabbed the girl's wrist.

"Um... um..." she made indistinct sounds, then fainted.

"Nozomi!!"

At that moment, the entrance door opened, and Hayami Haruka screamed.

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After bringing Nozomi back to her room, Kusanagi performed first aid on her.

Ryosaki asked, "Do you know why she did this?"

Haruka's body trembled slightly as she said, "No... I..."

Although she denied it, her reaction indicated that she knew something.

"This... can we not call the police?" Haruka pleaded softly.

"We'll keep it a secret for now. Tell us any leads you have."

"Ryouzaki, about the promise with Gen..."

"Kusanagi, a promise is a promise. I'm not a policeman. I just need to find the real culprit."

"...Okay."

"You're a psychiatrist, do you know why she can't speak?" "

She didn't say a word this morning. She ran out when I wasn't looking..."

Haruka cried as Ryouzaki explained the situation. After she calmed down, she said: Nozomi's parents have lived abroad for many years and haven't seen her for several years. She receives money from them regularly and takes care of Nozomi. She attends an all-girls high school, and her life and friendships are normal.

"I don't know why she's like this..."

"She must have seen something terrible yesterday. I can't be sure... but it might be related to those two murders."

At this moment, Nozomi peeked out from the doorway.

"Is Miss awake?" Ryouzaki whispered.

Nozomi muttered to herself, throwing things around her at Ryouki. Judging from her reaction, the culprit must be a man. Nozomi hugged Haruka and cried. After she calmed down, Kusanagi comforted her gently. For some reason, Nozomi slowly let down her guard against Kusanagi.

Kusanagi diagnosed Nozomi with mild, temporary motor aphasia, which could be cured once her anxiety was relieved. Haruka was relieved. Nozomi answered Kusanagi's questions by shaking her head and nodding.

"--Last night, did you see something terrible?"

Nozomi nodded.

"And then you couldn't make a sound and unknowingly ran to the rooftop, right?"

She nodded again.

"Can you tell me what it was?"

"..." She looked terrified; it must have been an extremely frightening experience.

He couldn't ask any more questions. As he left, Kusanagi said to Nozomi, "If you had spoken up sooner, it would have been a great help to me!"

Nozomi gazed at his face and nodded with a smile.

Reaching the elevator, Ryouzaki whispered to Kusanagi, "They're both lying..."

"Lying? How do you know?"

"They're hiding something important from us. This doesn't seem like an ordinary murder case..."

Kusanagi, already captivated by Nozomi, was somewhat displeased by Ryosaki's words.

"But, Nozomi, she..."

Hearing footsteps descending the stairs, an old man emerged from the stairwell.

"Who's there?"

It was the unfriendly building manager, Shibusawa Yasuyuki.

"You two shouldn't interfere with the police investigation!" Shibusawa glared at them.

"The elevators are scheduled for a routine inspection in two days. And of all times, something happens during the busiest time!"

"Then... only the left elevator will be usable at night?"

"To save electricity! You'd better stay in your rooms. The culprit is a resident here!" "

...!! What did you see?"

"I stayed in the manager's office all night and didn't see anyone come or go, especially strangers."

"How interesting..."

"Whether it's interesting or not... don't interfere with my patrol! Get out!" Shibusawa, broom in hand, made a move to chase Ryosaki and Kusanagi away.

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Chapter Three Temptation

"Hoo hoo... the development of the incident is getting more and more interesting!" Ryosaki murmured on the sofa.

"Hmph, I don't have a single clue." Kusanagi was a little annoyed.

"Someone as sharp-minded as you, I never thought you'd sometimes complain like a child."

"I'm not!"

"Are you angry? You want to refute what I said about Fuyukawa Nozomi, right?"

"..."

"You want to ask me: why did she have to lie...? Is that it?"

"What is the 'important secret' that she had to hide from us? What secret is there about their close relationship?"

"You think—as for Hayami Haruka, would Nozomi not know the reason for her suicide?"

"You mean..."

"In other words: Haruka is hiding something, which is why Nozomi lied."

"Huh?"

"Nozomi lied for someone." "

!?...!! It's... Haruka? How could Nozomi lie for her?" Kusanagi retorted.

"Don't pretend, you know perfectly well."

"Okay. My opinion is: Nozomi experienced something terrible last night."

"A murder witnessing, right?"

Ryouzaki smiled.

"This murder case is related to Hayami Haruka!?" Kusanagi's lips trembled slightly.

"That's right. And... Haruka also discovered Nozomi's actions, so both of them lied to us."

Then, the two of them began to study the whole incident, and it was already dusk. Ryosaki believed that the bloodstains at the scene were a deliberate diversion by the perpetrator and not worth paying attention to. Just as the building manager Shibusawa described: the murderer was a resident of this building, and he wasn't joking. On the night Hiruta was murdered, Shibusawa said, "No outsiders came or went all night." But, that couldn't be used to conclude that the suspect was one of the residents; the murderer could have entered or exited through the building's balcony.

"The possibility that the murderer is a resident of the building is still very high." At this point, Ryosaki felt a chill run down his spine.

"The residents all moved in recently... The one who was closest to the victim was... Hiruta's subordinate, Miura."

Ryosaki's mind flashed with Miura's despairing eyes, and he fell into thought.

Kusanagi pondered: What exactly happened between Haruka and Nozomi last night? (Nozomi... please tell me about this!!) Closing his eyes, Kusanagi imagined Nozomi's adorable appearance.

"Is anyone home? I've been calling for ages and no one's responding..." Asuka shouted as she entered.

"Oh..." Ryosaki responded.

"This is the information you asked me to investigate..." ?

The Sato family, the first to be murdered: ?

Sato Kazuyuki: Sales Manager at a pharmaceutical company, 40 years old. Wife: Michiko, 36 years old. Eldest son: Nagayuki, 12 years old; Second son: Yukitsugu, 10 years old. There was no indication that relatives were involved for the insurance money.

? Hiruta Shigeomi, 48 years old: Works

at the same pharmaceutical company as Sato, Head of the Second Development Department. Currently in divorce proceedings with his wife, who has a clear alibi. Over twenty years ago, an accident occurred at the pharmaceutical company, resulting in several deaths, and the cause was related to Hiruta. He's a person with many enemies.

Other matters—

part of the building is rented to four employees of a pharmaceutical company. Besides Sato, Hiruta, and Miura, there's also a woman in her twenties: Naomi Seo. Coincidentally, this woman seems to be Asuka's high school classmate.

"If it's my classmate Naomi, she'd definitely be happy to help investigate!"

"Let's go find her together later! When we went during the day, Miura and Seo weren't there... Did you contact that woman?" Ryousaki asked.

"Who does she think she is...? She's so arrogant! She even said, 'I'll go if I'm free, tonight or tomorrow!'" Asuka said unhappily, going into the kitchen.

Kusanagi thought about the ambiguous and subtle love triangle between Ryousaki, Asuka, and Mina...

He was Ryousaki's attending physician six years ago, when Ryousaki was suffering from amnesia. He went to America on a mission but got involved in an incident, and three of his companions were killed. One of them was Ryousaki's lover. He had completely lost his memory of the entire incident and was arrested as a suspect. He was later released by the police due to mental instability. He received two years of treatment at a local psychiatric center.

After returning to Japan, Kusanagi became Ryosaki's attending physician. Although Ryosaki seems to have returned to normal in terms of both physical health and daily life, he still occasionally falls into a state of frenzy. Recently, this has become more frequent. What exactly happened back then? Kusanagi has no idea.

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Naomi Seo in room 30c is indeed Asuka's classmate. She's a girl who evokes a protective instinct in men and gives off a fragile impression. But her eyes are lifeless, as if she has something on her mind. (Those bright, big eyes... what's going on?) She's not a full-time employee and only moved into this apartment a few weeks ago. She also has an alibi for the day of the incident.

Then, at the Miura residence... Miura, completely drunk, muttered complaints: "When I joined the company... Hiruta had a strong desire to lead. Back then, we were just low-level employees, working in pharmaceutical development. After that incident... those twenty-odd years have been like a nightmare."

"Hiruta has some unusual hobbies that often get him into trouble..."

Miura said with a wry smile. But he refused to elaborate on the incident, citing "it was detrimental to the company." Hiruta liked perverted photos and had a penchant for taking voyeuristic photos. Miura was always the one to clean up the messes with the people he photographed. He was also fascinated by magic and the supernatural. He was superstitious about "numerology," disliked even numbers, and avoided using 7 and 13.

"Pharmaceutical manufacturing is nothing more than an extension of medieval European alchemy..." Miura said self-deprecatingly.

"Twenty-odd years ago, Hiruta and I were wholeheartedly researching the development of new drugs... I've said too much... Hiruta is just a special case in our company!"

After eight o'clock in the evening, Ryosaki arrived at the door of Rumiko's room. She placed the prepared dishes in a dish and put it in the entryway.

"Excuse me, could you help me take this to the rooftop? Let's eat on the rooftop!" Rumiko winked at Ryosaki. She was wearing a light green thin cotton blouse, revealing her sexy shoulders.

The two carried the food to the rooftop, and Rumiko opened the iron gate. The hair clip that Kusanagi found on the ground last time must have been hers.

"Your first date with the detective was pretty good, wasn't it? You must not have appreciated the Tokyo night sky in a long time..."

Looking up at the sky, it was full of clouds and the lights of buildings. However, after gazing for a while, the glittering stars could be clearly seen. Ryosaki sat on the plastic sheeting covering the floor, admiring the night sky.

"Stop staring! Let's enjoy our food!" Rumiko urged, sitting down beside him.

"My cooking is guaranteed to be delicious! I even want to get my chef's license."

Rumiko wasn't bragging; her cooking was indeed professional-grade. The two enjoyed their food and drinks.

"Hey... what do you think about that incident?" Rumiko suddenly asked.

"...Why do you ask?"

"I don't know... I just feel like this won't end so easily."

"Strange! I think so too."

"A series of murders, and the police have no leads... why doesn't everyone move away? Won't another murder happen? No, everyone thinks: even if someone dies, it's none of their business."

"Then... why are you staying?"

"Just watching the show."

"Watching the show?"

Rumiko stuck out her tongue.

"This matter...it doesn't matter no matter what. What I care about most is you. When you saved me...I fell for you!" Rumiko gave him a flirtatious look.

"You're joking..."

"Rumiko."

"Huh?"

"Just call me 'Rumiko.' Can I ask you to be my bodyguard..." She buried her head in Ryosaki's chest, wrapping her arms around him.

"I can't do that..."

Thinking of Asuka's angry face, Ryosaki pushed Rumiko away. Rumiko grabbed Ryosaki's right hand and placed it on her firm breast. She wasn't wearing a bra, and when Ryosaki tried to pull away, Rumiko held his hand tightly.

"Detective, touch me...with your fingers..."

Ryosaki's fingers pinched Rumiko's nipple. Rumiko's nipple had already hardened. As Ryosaki caressed her, Rumiko arched her back. Ryosaki's penis also swelled rapidly.

(…What’s meant to happen will happen.) Ryouzaki quickly removed Rumiko’s top, caressing her breasts with both hands.

“Ha… Ahh… Detective… So… So good!” Rumiko pulled down Ryouzaki’s zipper, placing her hand on his bulging panties.

“Kiss me!”

Ryouzaki kissed her lips forcefully, their lips meeting tightly like a mollusk.

“Mmm, mmm…” Rumiko made muffled sounds, sucking on Ryouzaki’s lips.

Glug, plop. Thick, sticky sounds drifted in the warm night air. Ryouzaki’s left hand caressed her breasts, while his right hand slipped inside her skirt, touching her private parts through her black lace panties, rubbing her clitoris along the crevice. She was already wet.

“…Wow, that’s amazing. You’re already so wet.” Ryouzaki stopped kissing and said to Rumiko.

"Ah~ I hate it... I want more..."

Ryukiko arched her back, and Ryosaki pulled down her panties, stroking her erect bud.

"Haa, ah~... So good..."

She assumed a prone position, and Ryosaki grabbed her buttocks with both hands, slowly spreading them apart.

The moist bud opened, and Ryosaki stroked the central labia, sucking on the nectar. The sweet and sour liquid slid down her throat.

"Ah... Detective~... Here!!" Ryukiko groaned. Honey-like fluid flowed continuously from between her thighs.

"Come on... ah... quick...!"

"...Okay."

Ryosaki took out his penis, the spurting fluid glistening on Ryukiko's body, and began to penetrate.

"Ah~..."

Ryosaki knelt on the ground, his waist gradually moving. Ryukiko arched her upper body, her private parts contracting tightly.

"Oh, oh!" The intense contractions and squeezing of his penis caused Ryosaki to let out a ecstatic roar.

Rumiko rubbed her breasts, moaning "Haa~, ahh~, ahh..." her body writhing in pleasure.

"Ah... ahh..." Rumiko's body convulsed, her vaginal membranes clinging tightly to Ryosaki's penis.

"Ahhh... I'm going to... I'm going to come!!"

Her vagina writhed, and Ryosaki quickened his thrusting. Plop, sizzle... With the spray of white fluid, Rumiko collapsed limply to the ground.

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"Detective... don't look so troubled!"

Ten minutes later, the two sat down on the plastic sheeting, staring blankly at the sky. Ryosaki didn't answer, only silently smoking.

"I was the one who seduced you, don't worry!"

"I didn't!"

"Liar! You have that 'How am I going to explain this to my girlfriend?' look on your face ...

" "No, that's not true."

Ryukiko's eyes lit up.

"Really? Then, I don't want you to be my bodyguard... let me be your girlfriend?"

"Why?"

"Silly!! I want to know you better... I like you." She shyly looked away.

"Thank you for your kindness... but I don't want a fixed relationship."

Ryukiko was silent for a moment, then forced a smile and said, "I understand! We... can we meet occasionally for dinner, like this?"

"Okay. I won't refuse such 'good' food."

"I... I'm too full!" Ryukiko replied with a smile.

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Chapter Four: Loss

Back at his house, Kusanagi, who was an early sleeper, was already fast asleep. Ryousaki was alone in the living room, sipping brandy coffee.

(…Is he angry?) He peeked into Kusanagi's room, then dozed off on the sofa. Then… the doorbell rang. Ryousaki instinctively glanced at the time; it was 1 a.m.

“…Who is it?” Ryousaki asked warily.

The visitor was—Hayami Haruka.

“I'm sorry to bother you so late. Can we talk…?” Haruka's voice trembled with nervousness.

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She stared blankly at the cup in front of her, then resolutely began to speak.

“You probably already know—it's Hiruta, who was murdered.”

Ryousaki's sleepiness vanished instantly. But Haruka's next confession was unexpected.

"Xiao Xi... she can't speak now, all because of me. I... I'm actually a lesbian. I was supposed to take care of Xiao Xi, but I fell in love with her. She's a very fragile girl... I don't dare tell her this..."

Ryousaki showed no surprise. Since becoming a detective, he'd seen many strange things, so this wasn't surprising at all.

"One day, Hiruta came to see me. He secretly monitored Xiao Xi and me, and when I wasn't paying attention, he took a picture of me imagining Xiao Xi while..." "

A picture of masturbation?" Ryousaki guessed.

The room fell silent. Haruka blushed, her voice almost inaudible.

"Yeah... even if those pictures were published, I wouldn't be ashamed enough to commit suicide. But I don't want Xiao Xi to see those kinds of pictures of me..." Haruka shed tears.

"Xiao Xi would be greatly shocked if she saw them. -- I'm taking care of Xiao Xi in place of her parents abroad, she's very important to me." "

How did Hiruta threaten you?"

"At this time yesterday, he called me and asked me to sleep with him..."

Ryousaki almost cried out. (If it's true, did Haruka kill Hiruta!?)

"He was already very drunk when he called me. I brought him some anti-alcohol medication that I used to take, which would cause him pain..."

"I got Hiruta to take it successfully. I was planning to pretend to take a shower first, and then steal the film while he was in pain..."

"Wait!" Ryosaki interrupted her.

"You mean: you haven't taken the film yet?"

"...Yeah." She shook her head and continued, "I waited in the bathroom for a long time but nothing happened. When I thought I had failed, I looked outside... Hiruta was lying dead on the floor. Nozomi was unconscious next to him..." Haruka seemed to recall the scene and trembled all over.

"I don't know why she was in Hiruta's room, maybe she followed me. Maybe Hiruta tried to assault Nozomi, and Nozomi resisted him..." she said excitedly.

Ryosaki sighed. "It's okay, that's not how it happened."

"Really?" Haruka asked, her eyes wide.

Ryouzaki smiled and explained, "Hiruta was strangled. Nozomi couldn't possibly have that much strength. Hiruta's alcohol resistance... someone took advantage of his pain and strangled him. Nozomi probably saw the crime scene, which is why she fainted." "

Then... why didn't the killer kill Nozomi, who witnessed it?"

"I don't understand either."

"I have no clue. I just want to get those negatives back... Hiruta said to keep them in a safe. Mr. Ryouzaki, please accept my request and help me get the negatives back!"

Haruka placed an envelope on the table containing forty or fifty 10,000 yen bills.

"That's all I have right now. If it's not enough, I can withdraw more from the bank. If the police find those photos, Nozomi and I will be suspected... Please take the negatives... if possible, please find the real killer."

Ryouzaki slowly stood up and stuffed the envelope back into her hand.

"You won't accept it?" Haruka asked disappointedly.

Ryouzaki pulled out ten bills from the envelope.

"The basic fee is 50,000 yen. Including personnel costs, days, and the level of danger, the actual cost will be calculated based on market rates. I'll accept this for now."

"Thank you... Mr. Ryosaki," Haruka said gratefully.

"We'll collect the remaining fees after the incident is resolved, understand? Now, go back to your rooms!"

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Ryosaki and Kusanagi arrived at Haruka's room. Kusanagi was pulled from his sleep, looking displeased. His displeasure stemmed from lack of sleep and knowing about Haruka and Nozomi's affair.

Ryosaki's plan: to infiltrate Hiruta's room directly below from this room. He hadn't learned about the film from Gen, so he assumed the police hadn't discovered it yet. Preparing simple tools—a headlamp, plastic gloves, and a climbing rope—Ryosaki began his operation. Kusanagi stayed behind to treat Nozomi if she woke up.

Ryosaki successfully infiltrated Hiruta's room. The room was spotless, the bookshelves filled with fantasy novels and science books, and under the bed were many magazines featuring adult photos.

Ryousaki put the negatives and photos into his backpack and left through the entryway. On his way back to Haruka's room, he discovered something surprising.

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Kusanagi was treating Nozomi in her room. She still couldn't speak, communicating with him by nodding and shaking her head, but she could now smile...

"This is the first time I've seen you chat so happily with a girl!" Ryousaki joked.

Kusanagi scratched his head awkwardly: "Did you find anything?" "

Searching for the scene of the monster's murder in the middle of the night wasn't as fun as you guys!"

Nozomi and Kusanagi both lowered their heads in embarrassment.

He briefly reported the investigation results to Haruka, who, upon learning that the negatives had been retrieved, showed a happy expression.

"I'm sorry, I need to investigate the other people in the negatives, I'll keep them for now..."

Haruka seemed a little anxious, but understood Ryousaki's anxiety.

Ryousaki said calmly, "You might be attacked..."

Haruka was startled.

Ryousaki explained, "First: the culprit saw your shoes, knew there were visitors, and still wanted to kill Hiruta... even if it was a random decision, it's too rash. Second: didn't they say... Nozomi witnessed the murder...? It must be: someone called her to the scene."

"Wh-what!?" Kusanagi exclaimed.

Haruka hugged Nozomi's shoulders and asked, "Nozomi, is it true?"

Nozomi's body trembled slightly, and she nodded vigorously.

"That makes sense now. The perpetrator's actions can't be judged by common sense; the bloodstains at the initial scene are proof. He followed Haruka, then brought Nozomi to the scene, making her witness the murder—he's a monster!"

Nozomi trembled violently upon hearing this, as if she'd suffered a major shock. After letting her into the room, Ryosaki and Kusanagi prepared to leave.

"You said we'd be attacked... is it true?" Haruka asked anxiously.

"You should have said, 'Just kidding, right?' If the killer wanted to kill you, they could have dealt with you when they killed Hiruta. The problem is: we don't know the perpetrator's motive. Anyway, lock the doors and windows, don't worry... and don't go out tonight."

"I understand. But... why?"

"You'll find out tomorrow, goodnight!"

Closing the door, Ryosaki patted Kusanagi's shoulder.

"Kusanagi, I want to show you something..."

Ryosaki made a "quiet" gesture to Kusanagi and pulled him to the stairwell.

"...Look?"

"!? This, this is the manager..."

"Shh, keep your voice down!!"

The manager's body lay sprawled on the stairs. A long-handled broom was inserted into his mouth, piercing his abdomen, and his internal organs spilled out. Ryousaki discovered the body when he returned from his investigation. There had been nothing unusual when he first went to Haruka's room. He deduced that it happened within the last two hours. He assumed the killer was a resident of the building, someone the victim knew, which allowed him to attack head-on. Calling the police would only arouse suspicion, so it was best to ignore it for now.

"...Perhaps it's a challenge from the killer." "

A challenge? To whom?"

"Of course, to us. But he went too far... Not just Haruka and Nozomi, but we were also manipulated by him..."

Ryousaki nervously pressed the elevator button; at this moment, only the left elevator was usable.

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Back at his apartment, he found the front door already open.

(Could it be—the murderer!?) Ryouzaki cautiously walked into the living room. Mina was leisurely leaning against the sofa, sipping brandy from the wine cabinet.

"You...you're quite relaxed!" Ryouzaki was taken aback by her nonchalant attitude.

"You're back too late, so I'll just enjoy myself first."

"Do you often sneak in when I'm not around?"

"An expert can open this kind of lock in twenty seconds, I can open it in a minute." Mina laughed loudly and seductively.

"Asuka said you wanted to see me...There's been a series of murders in your building? How come no one else knows?"

"I need some information. The culprit seems to know our every move..."

He handed her the film Hiruta had taken.

"I need information on the people in the film. It might not be related to the case, but I'll investigate it carefully. The deadline is one week."

"Three days will be enough."

Mina winked meaningfully, and Ryouzaki was stunned by her gaze. She was an incredible woman. Although she looked to be about his age, she...

"The way of payment this time... shall we keep it the same as before?" Mina said seductively.

***

Ryosaki's room... Mina had already quickly stripped off her clothes.

"Today... shall we do something special?"

"What?"

Ryosaki was down to his underwear, having already taken off his white t-shirt after the last lesson.

"Whether you win or I lose, I'll give you information... If I win, will you grant me one request?"

"I know, okay!"

"Hehe, good luck!" Mina's sexy body pressed against Ryosaki.

"...Should I strike first?"

Her smooth hands caressed Ryosaki's neck, shoulders, chest, and back. Her lips caressed his nipples.

"Oh, mmm..." Ryosaki groaned.

"This is your weakness..."

Ryosaki lay on his back, Mina licking his side and navel, gradually moving her tongue down to his lower abdomen. She cupped Ryosaki's already swollen penis in her hands and rubbed it against her cheek.

"Hey... do you want to use this thing to make cute Asuka happy?"

"Don't talk nonsense..."

"Hehe, it went soft right away? You really are thinking about her. But... you can only think about me now!"

She started making blowjob motions through Ryosaki's underwear, her saliva wetting the underwear, caressing it with her tongue... gradually increasing the intensity.

"Ugh, ugh..." Ryosaki frowned, enduring the pain.

"Ready to go?"

She laughed and pulled out Ryosaki's already erect penis, taking it into her mouth in one gulp and starting to lick it.

"Ah... ugh..."

Ryosaki tried desperately to endure it, but waves of pleasure assaulted his brain, and he let out unconscious moans.

"How is it? Is it good? Hehe, your expression makes me even more excited!"

Mina loosened her grip, looking at Ryosaki seductively.

"There's this kind too."

After squatting down between Ryosaki's legs, Mina sandwiched his swollen member between his firm breasts.

"This...isn't it passionate?" She looked up, gazing at Ryosaki with a dazed expression.

"Let me...bring you to your peak!"

After lubricating with saliva, she began to rub his breasts, licking the tips with her tongue. The heavy breathing of the two filled the room.

"Ah, here..." Ryosaki's voice rose.

"It's okay if you squirt...I'll drink it."

Ryosaki used his remaining strength to lift Mina up.

"Time to start your counterattack?"

He made Mina sit on him, spreading her legs.

"Ah, ah...don't do this..."

Mina twisted her head, arching her body. His penis entered her hot honey pot, and Ryosaki thrust violently.

"Ugh...haaah..."

Sizzle... Sizzle... A lewd sound emanated from their joined bodies. Mina was nearing her climax, defiantly stroking Ryosaki's scrotum with her right hand, her vagina tightly gripping his member, the double stimulation bringing him to the brink of explosion. Just

as Ryosaki tried to pull out, Mina stopped him: "...Shoot on my face!!"

"Ugh, gulp...!!" Ryosaki obeyed, ejaculating a large amount of semen into Mina's secret place.

... After showering, the two got dressed.

"I won again. Remember...our promise?"

"Hmph, anyway, I'm just a small-time detective."

"My request is..." Mina gave a lonely smile she'd never seen before, glancing at Ryosaki.

"Never mind, let's talk about it next time! I'm going back now... Goodbye."

"Okay."

After Mina left, Ryosaki lay down on the sofa where they'd just had their passionate encounter.

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At ten o'clock in the morning, Ryosaki and Kusanagi were awakened by a piercing doorbell. Ryosaki already guessed who would be visiting at this hour: Gen and Terada.

"What happened?"

"The building manager was murdered, his stomach was split open!"

Ryosaki feigned surprise.

"The body was found in the stairwell between the fourth and fifth floors. The time of death was approximately between eleven o'clock at night and four in the morning."

Terada, a new recruit at the Metropolitan Police Department, had been busy for days and hadn't bothered with his appearance; his hair was a mess.

The police believed that the manager, Shibusawa, was murdered because he was patrolling and had interfered with the murderer. In the first and second murders, the victims were from the same company, but Shibusawa was unrelated to this case, leading to the conclusion that "the murderer is not from the building."

"Even if it was the same person who committed this crime, it's still incredibly strange,"

Gen said, a rare bitter expression on his face.

"I wonder what the motive was for killing? It seems like they just enjoyed killing. Is the murderer mentally unstable? It's infuriating!" Terada angrily pounded on the door.

"Terada, stop!" Gen shouted, stopping Terada.

"There are other incidents..."

"What, other?"

"Ando from room 80d, he's a bit mentally unstable... He disappeared last night. Someone said he's been shouting on the balcony a lot lately, and then he disappeared at this time..."

Ando's blank face flashed through Gen's mind.

"Not only that, Rumiko from room 60d was also murdered last night."

Upon hearing this, Ryosaki grabbed Terada excitedly.

"When did she die? What were the circumstances? Why didn't you say so sooner?"

Terada was startled by his agitation, staring blankly at Gen.

"Ryosaki, calm down. What was your relationship with the victim?"

Ryosaki suppressed his emotions and calmly said, "She said she quit her part-time job and asked if she could come to my office to help out."

He inquired about the circumstances of Ryukiko's murder—

In her own bathroom, she was electrocuted by an electrical cord wrapped around her neck. The estimated time of death was almost the same as Shibusawa's. The forensic examination results: sexual activity before death, "the possibility that the murderer raped her before killing her or killed her during intercourse cannot be ruled out." Blood type will be tested from the remaining semen.

(After me, if I haven't had sex with anyone else, I'll test AB type...) Ryosaki recalled the scene of watching the stars with Ryukiko, fragments of memories of spending time with her. Ryosaki couldn't help but shed tears.

"There's something the forensic doctor can't understand... Although the death was due to electrocution, there was no water in the bathtub, meaning the victim was directly wrapped with a wet electrical cord. The murderer must have been wearing insulating clothing and gloves... If that's the case, it was a planned crime!"

He added, "I've seen so many murder scenes, but this is the first time I've seen a method of strangling an defenseless girl and shocking her heart with a strong electric current... It's just too cruel!"

Gen sighed heavily. The police seemed to believe that the murderers of the Sato family and Hiruta, and the two murders from last night, were committed by different people. The missing Ando was a prime suspect.

Ryosaki believed Shibusawa's statement that "the murderer is a resident," thus narrowing down the suspect pool. Besides himself and Kusanagi, there were only five people left. Ryosaki believed that Ando couldn't be the murderer; his disappearance was unrelated to the case. However, he didn't tell Gen.

One more thing: if we limit the possibility of the murderer to the residents, 'whether there's some kind of mystery between Haruka, Nozomi, and the perpetrator, then these hypotheses can also hold true.'

(Rumiko's sacrifice couldn't have been in vain...) A surge of vengeful anger welled up in Ryousaki's heart.

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A series of events, judging from the method: the murderer should be male. Among the five men: Miura and Junmatsu. If the real perpetrator is also a resident, perhaps Motomatsu, who has no vested interest in the victim, is the suspect. (But, could this composed man be the murderer?)

Ryousaki and Kusanagi arrived at Junmatsu's residence. Junmatsu's business is centered in the United States. He often travels around the world in search of antiques and treasures. This time, he returned to Japan to bring his family to the United States.

"This happened as soon as I returned to Japan, making me want to move as soon as possible..." Junmatsu said with a smile, seemingly quite distressed inside.

"Do you still have a place to live in Japan?" Kusanagi asked.

"No. So reuniting with my family has been my long-held dream."

"Congratulations, you're going back soon...?"

"Yes, I'm going back to Maine."

Ryosaki's expression changed slightly upon hearing this. Kusanagi was also taken aback. (Wasn't the place where Ryosaki had the accident in the US... Maine?)

Dusun seemed oblivious to the anomaly, explaining, "Maine is a rural area in the northeastern United States..."

Ryosaki placed his left hand on his ear, his middle finger tracing his earlobe. He used to do this when he was mentally overwhelmed. (Could it be related to that incident!?) Kusanagi thought in surprise, his heart pounding.

--It really is related to that time, but what was it?

"--Oh."

"Huh?"

Ryosaki exclaimed, not hearing Dusun's words.

"What's wrong?" Dusun asked in surprise.

"Ah... I've been thinking about something."

"Haha, you really are a detective, always thinking about cases, right?"

"No, not at all. Maine... has amazing natural scenery!" Ryouzaki said, sweat beading on his forehead.

Juniper nodded: "Yes... I want to pick up my family as soon as possible." Juniper stared at the ceiling.

Could this man be a murderer? Ryouzaki and Kusanagi wondered.

On Juniper's bookshelf was a Latin "secret manual," the author unknown. The gold-plated cover was quite eye-catching.

"This book records the methods for performing mysterious rituals. After reading it, you'll feel disgusted with modern medicine."

Ryouzaki's uneasy reaction was even more pronounced when he heard "secret manual.

" "Secret... manual..." Ryouzaki murmured to himself.

"Ryouzaki... are you alright?"

"I'm fine..."

Kusanagi noticed that Juniper's fingers had black spots resembling lividity.

When asked about Juniper, he said, "It's because my skin is easily sensitive... I believe in folk remedies, which use mental surgery and magic to treat it... The effects are amazing! My hands are nothing to worry about."

(This man believes so much in folk remedies...) Kusanagi became increasingly suspicious.

"What do you think of... that man?" Kusanagi asked as they left Juniper's room.

Ryosaki silently pressed the elevator button.

"What's wrong? Are you sleep-deprived?"

"..."

"Hey!"

"I heard Maine... I think I remembered something."

"Don't worry... you're too tired." Kusanagi said with a smile, her expression a little unnatural.

Was the part deep in Ryosaki's memory finally about to be unlocked?

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Chapter 5 Resentment

Whether it was from lack of sleep or some other reason, Ryosaki's head throbbed violently.

"Let's investigate later, go and rest first!"

Kusanagi suggested, but Ryosaki went straight to Naomi Seo's room, number 30c. Asuka was playing at her house last night, and Ryouki greeted her.

Naomi said, "Asuka and the police who came this morning... told me everything about what happened." She still smiled listlessly.

"What did they say?" Kusanagi asked quickly.

"He said... 'Be careful of Ryouki, that man.'"

"Hahaha, that's a famous quote."

"Kusanagi, please don't laugh, okay?" Ryouki smiled bitterly to himself.

"Did Gen... ask for your alibi?"

"I said: I talked with Asuka until very late yesterday. He said: If you're with Asuka, I'll believe you."

"Gen used to be very fond of Asuka!"

"After she went home at 11 pm last night, I gradually lost consciousness and didn't wake up until this morning... It was terrifying! I didn't tell the police." Naomi lowered her head in embarrassment.

"Is it because of emotional instability? Go see a doctor, or you can come to room 70c to find me." Kusanagi said with concern.

"He's a psychiatrist, don't be afraid!" Ryouki smiled and said.

"I'm not a bad person either."

Naomi's expression softened slightly, but she said somberly, "Seven people have been killed in this building, including children... It's terrifying! After Asuka went home last night, I was scared all alone. When I locked the door, I suddenly heard a sound outside the window..."

Ryousaki felt a chill run down his spine. Was it the sound of him breaking into Hiruta's room?

"I didn't dare open the window to check, I just looked outside through the window. Then, I heard a 'clattering' sound coming from the stairs upstairs." "

Did you tell the police?" Ryousaki asked anxiously.

"Yes. After I told them, the police ran out with a drastic change in their expressions... Is it related?"

"Right... we have something to do, we should go!" Ryousaki pulled Kusanagi away.

"Why are you in such a hurry?"

"Idiot! Think about it: if Gen finds out about last night's actions, who will be suspected first?"

"??? Hayami Haruka?"

"Let's go!"

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When they arrived at Haruka and Nozomi's room, Gen, Terada, and several police officers were there.

"Uncle Gen, what are you doing?"

"We're taking Hayami Haruka away as a key person."

"What!? Do you have any evidence?" Ryouzaki pressed Gen.

"Remember the anti-alcohol drug? Hayami Haruka bought it at a pharmacy. Also: we found her hair on Hiruta's bathroom floor and clothes. And, she had contact with the victim. Finally, there's Seo Naomi's testimony: it seems someone broke into Hiruta's room last night. The investigation revealed an opened secret safe with no signs of forced entry, leading us to conclude that the murderer forced Hiruta to reveal the password. Any other questions?"

"..."

Should he say: Did he break in himself?

"The possibility that the culprit is male hasn't been ruled out. You're also a suspect, and you seem to frequently visit Hayami Haruka?"

"She's my client..."

"You were commissioned to kill someone?" Gen glared at Ryouzaki.

"I believe you broke into Hiruta's room; that's just my opinion."

"Uncle Gen, I..."

He interrupted Ryosaki, "We'll find out everything after we question Hayami Haruka. If she's innocent, we'll let her come back."

"It won't interfere with your investigation. She's my client; I need to see her."

"Mr. Ryosaki, Mr. Kusanagi..." Haruka said, her voice trembling. Nozomi hid behind her.

"Don't worry about me. During this time, please... take care of Nozomi, okay? I'm worried about leaving her alone at home in this condition..."

Ryosaki nodded, bending down to ask Nozomi, "Why don't you come stay at our house?"

Nozomi shyly looked away, nodding in agreement.

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Ryosaki and Kusanagi were busy tidying up the room.

Nozomi wrote on the whiteboard: "I'm sorry to trouble you."

Ryosaki said, "Don't mention it, make yourself at home!"

Asuka arrived immediately after learning about the incident.

"Nozomi, come stay at my house, okay? It'll be scary living with these two men, won't it?" she said mischievously.

Nozomi tilted her head and wrote: "Asuka-neechan, please stay here, okay?"

"Sure... if you want that,"

Ryosaki said to Asuka. "At least protect Nozomi's safety. I think... Juniper, who lives on the second floor, is very suspicious."

"Huh? Why?"

"These incidents seem to be related to me."

"How could that be?"

"Asuka... Ryosaki is right." Kusanagi sighed.

"Ryosaki seems to be gradually remembering things from the past, even if they're fragmented memories, he knows them himself."

"Juniper seems to know something... I think: he's related to my past."

Asuka said excitedly, "So what if it's past memories? Brother is still brother. Why do we need to search for past memories?"

She only called Ryosaki "brother" when she was excited. She didn't know about the events of six years ago—Ryosaki's past, and why her parents were killed.

"Why are you ignoring me?" Ryosaki and Kusanagi were silent, and she was almost crying.

"Idiot, how could I ignore you?"

"Huh!?"

"Go back to the office immediately and investigate Junmatsu's household registration, passport, international driver's license, etc., to see if they have been forged."

Ryosaki instructed in a low voice, "This is illegal, but you can find it by entering the search system on the computer."

"Director, really! You want me to do something illegal?"

"If you don't want to, I'll find Mina."

"Okay! I'll go." Asuka seemed to have regained her composure, waved and left.

'Mr. Ryosaki, Mr. Kusanagi, don't worry about me. Go investigate!' Nozomi wrote.

Ryosaki and Kusanagi went out with peace of mind.

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Du Song greeted Ryosaki and the others in the living room.

"How's the case progressing?"

"Not much progress, but quite a few things have happened."

Du Song smiled and said, "You detectives are supposed to find out the truth. There must be a lot of trouble along the way, right? It's the middle of the month now... Mr. Ryosaki, do you know about the 'Final Day Sacrifice'?"

Ryosaki's consciousness suddenly began to waver halfway through his sentence.

--Ah-Cong! Go to the library and investigate the 'Final Day Sacrifice'!! --Tonight will be dangerous... --Lola, behind you!! --Danger, danger...!" "---!?!?!?!"

"What's wrong?" Du Song patted Ryosaki's shoulder.

"Ah...I'm sorry." Sweat beaded on Ryosaki's forehead.

"Could it be...that again?"

Kusanagi thought anxiously: Why does Ryosaki act like this every time we come to Du Song's house?

Ryousaki asked, "Mr. Juniper, what do you mean by 'the last day'?"

"It refers to the last day of April, nothing special."

"Really?" Ryousaki was a little suspicious, then asked, "Why did you choose to live in Maine?"

"It's close to Brown University and Mikado University... the latter has many rare documents."

"Mikado University..." Ryousaki seemed to remember.

"You know that diploma mill?"

"I was just surprised... for people in my line of work, it's a well-known university!"

"Is that so... I've been investigating the murderer in this building!" Ryousaki moved closer to Juniper.

"Ryousaki... what did you say..." Kusanagi grabbed Ryousaki.

"...What if I said you're the prime suspect?"

Juniper laughed, startling Ryousaki.

"Hahaha...sorry."

He laughed until tears streamed down his face, saying, "Suspect me? What evidence do you have?"

"No evidence, just my intuition. These events, your calmness is suspicious...and you deliberately said things to trigger my memories..."

"It's just a coincidence. How would I know your past? Besides, I have no motive to kill."

He said indifferently, "Stop talking. I'm tired, please go home!" As

the two were about to leave, Du Song asked, "...If I were the murderer, who would be killed tonight?"

"I can assure you, it's definitely not you."

"How interesting, Mr. Ryosaki." Du Song silently watched the two leave.

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Ryosaki continued his investigation, while Kusanagi returned home. He rang the doorbell, and Nozomi appeared at the door.

"I'm back!"

Nozomi nodded and smiled as she opened the door. Kusanagi began treating her. He first talked to her about light things, and after a while, the two were able to communicate using pen and gestures.

Nozomi wrote: "Can I speak again?" "I really want to go back to school. What should I do if I can't speak?"

"Don't worry, you'll definitely be cured."

Nozomi nodded happily.

"By the way, you can't speak because you saw Hiruta being killed. Can you tell me what happened?"

If the patient and doctor don't have absolute trust, the treatment will fail. Kusanagi wanted to confirm if it would be successful. Nozomi

wrote anxiously: "How scary! No one will believe me."

"It's okay, you can tell me..." "

That night I suddenly woke up and saw a letter next to my pillow. It said (Your sister Haruka had an accident in room 40c)..." "

So you went to Hiruta's room..."

She nodded in reply.

"His neck was strangled..." Her hand holding the pen suddenly trembled, and she wrote messily: "Like a monster... strangled to death..." Nozomi continued writing, trembling.

Kusanagi said reluctantly, "Never mind, Nozomi, I shouldn't have forced you. Let's go back to the room

." Kusanagi hugged Nozomi and laid her on his bed, comforting her in her ear, "It's alright now..."

Nozomi's hands suddenly wrapped around Kusanagi's neck.

"Nozomi...!?"

Kusanagi thought excitedly, (Could it be that I...) He had developed strong feelings for Nozomi.

He couldn't help but say, "Nozomi... I like you!!" He hugged her slender body tightly and kissed her lips.

Kusanagi hurriedly moved his lips away and looked at Nozomi, whose face was flushed red.

Nozomi pointed to her lips and mouthed, "I also like Mr. Kusanagi." Kusanagi

kissed her joyfully again.

"Mmm... mmm..." Nozomi let out a soft moan.

He moved his lips to her slightly sweaty neck and smelled the girl's fragrance. Kusanagi pulled her pajama bottoms down to her ankles.

"Ugh..." Nozomi hurriedly pulled down the hem of her top, covering her crotch, which only made Kusanagi's heart race even more.

Kusanagi opened her top and took off her white bra. Her young breasts were soft and elastic. Kusanagi slowly caressed her pale pink nipples with the tip of his tongue.

"Mmm...!!"

Kusanagi gently stroked her warm breasts with his palms, and Nozomi arched her body.

"Nozomi..."

Kusanagi cupped her small face in his hands. She opened her mouth and uttered, "Nozomi."

"Take off your pajamas?" Kusanagi said softly.

Nozomi pointed to the fluorescent light, indicating, "The light is too bright."

"I want to see you clearly..."

As he unbuttoned her pajamas, Nozomi stopped resisting.

"So beautiful..."

Kusanagi stroked her back and waist, feeling a warm, wet sensation as he caressed her mons pubis through her panties. He kissed Nozomi's neck and collarbone passionately, his hand slipping inside her panties; her vulva was already fully wet. He gently stroked the crevice with his fingers, making lewd sounds. Nozomi stroked Kusanagi's back with both hands and sat up.

"Is it okay?" Kusanagi asked.

She nodded and hugged Kusanagi even tighter. He gently bit Kusanagi's earlobe, and as he pulled off her panties, a series of heavy breaths escaped Kusanagi's ear.

"Don't be afraid..."

At that moment, Kusanagi received a violent blow to the back of the head. Before collapsing, she saw a thin man carrying the weeping Nozomi away.

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First, she looked for Miura, but no one answered the door. She went to find Naomi! After pressing the doorbell, Naomi opened the door wearily.

"I was so scared being alone... Thank goodness Mr. Ryosaki is here."

Naomi smiled and led Ryosaki into the living room. She seemed to be in very poor spirits, with dark circles under her eyes.

Before telling her what had happened, Ryosaki said, "This is just my guess; you can make your own judgment." He added that the most suspicious person was Juniper.

"Do you know anything about him?"

"...I...I don't know."

Naomi's complexion was still very poor, and her eyes were even more vacant.

"Be careful of that man. If he comes looking for you, absolutely do not open the door!"

"..."

"I'm going back."

Naomi suddenly fell into a daze.

"Are you alright, Ms. Seo?"

Ryosaki hurriedly shook Naomi's shoulder, and she regained consciousness.

"I'm sorry... I spaced out again."

"You're probably just tired, get some rest!"

"Okay." Naomi swayed as she stood up.

"Shall I help you to your room?"

After she sat on the bed, she seemed to regain her energy.

"Feeling better? I'm going back now!"

"Don't go!!" Naomi cried out, grabbing Ryosaki's arm.

"You... can you stay here? Please..."

Naomi began to undress, seductively removing her top, skirt, and slip one by one like a stripper. Her full breasts were revealed, and beneath her stockings were green tight-fitting panties. Ryosaki swallowed, gradually becoming aroused.

"Ryo-Ryosaki-san... sit here..."

He sat down on the edge of the bed.

"You're so hot! Now... shall we do it?"

Naomi's moist eyes gazed at Ryosaki, and after removing her stockings and panties, she knelt before him.

"I...want you..."

She spread Ryosaki's legs, unbuckled her belt, and pulled down her zipper. Grasping Ryosaki's erect penis, she took it into her mouth.

"Ah, gurgle..."

Her front teeth gently caressed the tip, her warm tongue stroking it. Making gurgling sounds, her head slowly bobbed up and down, saliva dripping from the corner of her mouth.

"Mmm...ah..."

Ryosaki squinted, suppressing his pleasure. Naomi was lost in the pleasure of the blowjob, her right hand inserting into her own private parts, stroking them. The sounds of caressing her private parts and the sounds of tongue play made Naomi furrow her brows even more passionately.

"...Ah...mmm...ha..."

Naomi released her grip, cupping the base of the penis and licking the folds with her tongue. Her right hand continued to caress her private parts, releasing love fluid. He swallowed the chunk of meat whole, a numbing pleasure spreading down Ryosaki's waist.

"Come on..." Ryosaki gasped, and Naomi sat on top of him.

"Oh, so good..." Ryosaki felt a strong contraction in Naomi's tight vagina.

"Ah, here..."

"Faster...faster!"

"Ugh...I'm going to come!!"

"Ah, ah~, shoot it all...inside me!! Ugh..."

Ryosaki ejaculated inside Naomi in one breath, feeling a blissful release. Their bodies didn't separate, Naomi lying limply. She slowly picked up the pill from the bedside, put it in her mouth, and kissed Ryosaki.

"Mmm, mmm..." The pill went down Ryosaki's throat.

"Ah, gulp!?" Realizing something was wrong, he swallowed the pill.

Ryosaki's vision blurred, and soon he completely lost consciousness.

--When he woke up, he was surrounded by complete darkness. Ryosaki got up and checked his watch. It was already evening on the 22nd; a whole day had passed without him realizing it.

"Damn it!"

He turned on the light and saw that Naomi beside him was dead, with a letter next to her. Ryosaki examined Naomi's stiff arm in surprise and sighed. (It was so soft yesterday...) Checking the time, he knew she had died after being given eye drops, and there were no suspicious lesions. She was vomiting blood, as if she had died from poisoning.

If it was murder, Ryosaki would be the first suspect after the autopsy, because semen would be found in her body. At that time, Ryukiko's semen analysis report would also be delivered to Gen.

If this letter was Naomi's suicide note, could he be exonerated? Judging from the series of events, he thought the chances were almost zero. Ryosaki opened the letter. It wasn't Naomi's suicide note; the recipient was himself.

Mr. Ryosaki: You have become a suspect in the murder of Seo Naomi. I have been paying attention to the series of events. Do you remember the secret manual? That book recorded ancient methods of mental manipulation. Modern applied psychology is utterly insignificant compared to it. Even the Middle Ages had "forced magic"—it's all ancient knowledge.

I used magic to manipulate Naomi Seo, making her sleep with you before committing suicide. Impressive, right? Your suspicions are becoming increasingly difficult to clear. If you want to regain your memories, come find me. Aren't you tracking me?

PS: Give my regards to your partner. I protected Nozomi Fuyukawa's virginity just in time when he was about to harm her, and I've taken Nozomi Fuyukawa with me.

—Junichi Toshiaki

After reading it, the letter turned yellow and then to ashes.

"..."

Unbelievable. He'd been tricked by Junmatsu. He really was the mysterious figure connected to his past, the one who caused the strange events. Ryouzaki's thoughts were in turmoil; even breathing was difficult.

After regaining his composure, he covered Naomi's body with a pure white sheet.

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Upon returning to the room, he found Kusanagi unconscious, and Nozomi was nowhere to be seen.

"Du Song's letter...it wasn't a joke..." Ryosaki murmured.

Based on the evidence, he deduced that Du Song was the perpetrator of the building's serial killings, but what was the motive for kidnapping Nozomi?

"Hey, Kusanagi...what's that?"

He noticed a note on the wall with only the words "top floor" written on it.

"What? Does it mean there's something on the top floor?"

"Maybe..." Ryosaki pondered.

The paper in Kusanagi's hand suddenly turned to ashes.

"I knew it..."

"Such a thing happened?"

Kusanagi, clutching the white ash in his hand, looked extremely puzzled. "They told us to go to the top floor...it's a trap, isn't it?"

"Even if it's a trap, there's nothing we can do. We have to save Nozomi."

"Right! Nozomi's gone!"

"That guy said: If you're going to hurt Nozomi..."

"That's..."

Ryouki looked at the embarrassed Kusanagi and smiled bitterly. "It's nothing, but you've learned your lesson, haven't you? If you're not careful, you could lose your life."

"The culprit could have killed us at any time, but he didn't. He specifically took Nozomi away, so he probably won't kill her now...We don't have any other choice now." Ryouki said.

"That's right..."

"Let's go!"

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Taking the elevator to the eighth floor, the two stopped unconsciously as they walked up the dark staircase.

"What's that smell?"

"It smells awful, is it the stench of a corpse?"

"Let's get to the top floor!" Kusanagi stopped talking before he could finish.

"W-What is this!?" Ryouzaki looked up, speechless.

Miura's body hung from the rooftop door. His wrists were nailed together, hanging high in a V-shape. His head drooped, and there was a pool of blood at his feet.

"Judging from the state of the congealed blood, he must have been killed this morning. The strange thing is: Gen and the others didn't notice. What happened?"

"Asuka didn't come either. Is she still gathering information?"

"The killer's twisted psychology is incomprehensible..."

The two couldn't help but feel nauseous as they removed Miura's body.

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Ryouzaki and Kusanagi arrived at the designated location as agreed.

"Although I don't know your purpose, release Fuyukawa Nozomi immediately!"

Ryouzaki shouted... At this moment, two figures appeared by the dimly lit water tower. Those two... were Mina holding Asuka at gunpoint.

"You...you're an accomplice of Du Song!?"

Mina smiled calmly, saying, "I only happened to share Du Song's interests. I only helped him this time; the rest were all done by Du Song himself."

"Where is he now?"

"Too late. He's probably already left Japan."

"What!?"

As she approached Mina, she threatened, "Don't come any closer! I'll tell you Du Song's whereabouts after you hear what I have to say."

Mina calmly recounted:

Twenty-one years ago, Mina, Hiruta, and Miura worked at the same pharmaceutical company. Her newlywed husband was the head of the drug development department and also Hiruta and Miura's superior. The "growth agent" they were developing at the time was a drug that could rapidly slow down biological evolution. This drug was much more effective than those being developed in Europe and America at the same time. Hiruta and the others were full of confidence and wanted to bring this drug to the international market.

Mina's husband believed that the development of the new drug should be stopped and disagreed with Hiruta. As a result, Mina and her husband were forced to become human test subjects for the new drug. Her husband died immediately due to severe side effects. But Mina miraculously survived, though her appearance remained unchanged, never aging.

"Don't believe I'm forty-five years old? I'm a monster that never ages, accompanied only by loneliness and despair. I've attempted suicide by cutting my wrists multiple times but haven't died..."

Mina stated that she was pregnant at the time, and the child could never be born.

"The fetus had been inside me for twenty-one years, and I didn't have a miscarriage or abortion. The poor child was deprived of the right to be born... I also want revenge for my husband who died on the operating table!"

Mina's hatred was the fuse that ignited a series of murders.

"I worked in intelligence gathering and finally found my husband's killers and killed them... In the end, only Hiruta and Miura remained. Two weeks ago, Dusun appeared and made a deal with me: he would help me kill Hiruta and Miura, and I would provide him with information about Hayami Haruka, Fuyukawa Nozomi, and Ryousaki Satoshi.

" "You accepted his conditions?"

"As long as I kill Hiruta and the others to avenge my husband and children, I don't care about the Sato family, who are unrelated, or the deaths of Okeguchi Yoshiko..."

"Why kill the Sato family?"

"That was Dusun's way of challenging you, a bit of entertainment."

"Entertainment?" Ryousaki couldn't believe it.

"He treated killing like a game, even killing the building manager. He also killed Ando to disrupt the police investigation; her body is in another elevator."

"Rumiko... was killed like that too? She was innocent!"

"She wasn't innocent. You... you were with her, weren't you? Junmatsu was going to kill Asuka too, but I stopped him..."

Asuka's face changed drastically.

"I should thank you for that..."

"No need. You must think I'm as inhuman as Junmatsu, right?" Mina said with a bitter smile.

"That guy has superpowers... he can turn paper to ash, and he's also a master hypnotist..."

"Why did he target me?"

"I don't know. He said he'd go to Maine after killing Miura."

"Miura's body is on the other side of the door." Ryouzaki pointed to the doorway.

"Is that so...? It's all over..."

Mina sighed deeply and said to Asuka, "Go back to Asuka."

Asuka rushed to Ryouzaki's side.

"Brother..."

"Are you alright...?"

Just then—

"Nozomi!! Where's Nozomi!!" Haruka burst through the door shouting.

Mina calmly replied, "She's not here. Dusum took her away."

"Why did he kidnap Nozomi!?" "

I don't know. He only said, 'It's necessary,' and also, 'If Ryouzaki regains his memory, he'll track me down, and I might not make it in time for the 'Final Day Sacrifice.'"

"Final Day Sacrifice? What's that?" Haruka asked Ryouzaki.

"I'm sorry, I... I've lost my memory."

"Ah... What should we do!?"

Ryouzaki told her, "I'm also responsible for this. I'll definitely help rescue Nozomi... Will the police release you?"

"We received a call from the perpetrator turning himself in, so we released Ms. Hayami without charge."

"Mina, put down your gun!"

It was Gen and Terada.

"Thank you for writing down the details of the incident and telling the police... Also, you provided the information about yesterday's gun smuggling, right?"

"Yes. To prevent the police from investigating this apartment..."

Terada aimed his gun at Mina, and she aimed back at Terada, gradually backing away.

"Uncle Gen, please!" Ryouzaki winked at Gen.

Gen said, "Terada... we can't start a gunfight here."

Terada reluctantly lowered his gun.

Mina sighed in relief and murmured, "Du Song said: the key to everything is in 'The Black Fragment'."

"The Black... Fragment!?"

"Ah-Cong, do you remember our promise?"

"...You're asking me for a favor?"

Mina pointed the gun at her temple.

"Ah-Cong... I love you. Please don't look at me dying." She gently pulled the trigger.

"I'm tired! Goodbye... Ah-Cong."

Mina's body fell down the stairs with a loud thud.

"Terada, call an ambulance!!"

Gen and Terada ran downstairs. Ryosaki and his group stood there speechless.

Then... Ryosaki, to unravel the secret of the "Black Fragment" and recover his lost memories, and Kusanagi and Haruka, also eager to rescue Nozomi, and Asuka, as an assistant at the famous Ryosaki Detective Agency,...

the four of them embarked on a journey to Maine.

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Chapter Six: Trip to America

April 27th, evening. Ryosaki and his group arrived in Lifebanks, southern Maine. A small town full of rural charm and a cold climate. Ryosaki drove across the desolate landscape.

"This place is a little scary!" Haruka muttered quietly.

"This is where the British first came. Besides European-style architecture and indigenous relics, there are also mysterious ring-shaped stones. It's a mysterious place."

"Brother... did you live here before?" Asuka had started calling Ryosaki "brother."

"No, I... was investigating a case..."

Ryosaki had been recalling events from six years ago for the past few days. Asuka fell silent; she already knew about her parents' murder here.

"We're here! This is 'Half an Acre of Hell'!!" Ryosaki shouted.

A beautiful house sat atop a small hill. The other three breathed a sigh of relief and were about to get out of the car when Ryosaki stopped them: "Until six years ago, this place was known as the 'Crazy West Research Institute.' It was a terrifying area that no one dared to approach. Be careful, everyone!"

"...West?"

"I can't remember anything else. I was shocked to see it become like this!"

A brightly lit signboard indicated that someone was inside.

"Maybe Nozomi is being held here. Let's go in quickly!"

"No, maybe it's a trap," Ryosaki said anxiously.

Haruka urged, "...Let's go in! Mr. Ryosaki."

It was an American-style bar, where an old man was drinking alone. Nozomi and Juniper were nowhere to be seen.

"Huh? Who are you people? Bill!! There are four strange customers!!" The old man shouted, glancing at Ryosaki and the others.

"Dad, stop yelling! I'm busy in the kitchen..."

The tall, burly man who rushed out stopped in surprise when he saw Ryosaki. "Satoshi...is it really you?"

Ryosaki was equally surprised. "Bill?...You're Bill?"

The man smiled slyly. Six years ago, he was a reporter for this place, providing intelligence and working with Ryosaki. But, for some reason, he, like Ryosaki, had lost his memory of that time.

"Bill asked anxiously, "You...you didn't come here to find me, did you?"

"Ah, the truth is..." He explained the events to him.

He was silent for a moment, then smiled and said, "I've lived here for over five years! I quit my job as a journalist, used my retirement money to buy this land, and turned this house into a restaurant. I've never even seen the juniper you mentioned..."

"Why did you open a shop here?"

"I don't know... Actually, I don't believe you would kill your beloved Lola."

Hearing the name of Ryosaki's former lover, Asuka looked confused.

"Because of that incident, the land prices here plummeted... which allowed me to realize my dream of opening a shop. The first floor is a bar, and the second floor is rooms; you can stay here."

"Thank you..."

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Ryosaki and Kusanagi, Asuka and Haruka, each went to a separate room. The next morning... Kusanagi, waking from a light sleep, stared blankly at the scenery outside the window.

Ryousaki asked, "Are you worried about Nozomi?"

"Ryousaki, let's hurry!" "

If Dusum's target is me, he'll definitely be hiding in the shadows watching us. Nozomi should be safe before the 'Final Day Sacrifice'..."

Kusanagi wasn't so optimistic, believing Dusum to be a cruel killer.

"Why would Dusum target you?" "

I don't know yet... I can only recall a little bit! Six years ago... my girlfriend Lola and Asuka's parents were murdered here. We have to find out the truth today, right?"

"What about Nozomi..."

"I know you're worried. But this whole thing needs to be done step by step..."

"Okay."

"Let's discuss this with Asuka and Bill! You need to eat more to maintain your fighting strength!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After the four finished breakfast, they discussed the matter with Bill. He had no recollection of the key events from six years ago.

"I don't remember where in the house that incident happened. Maybe if I remembered, I wouldn't dare stay here? Oh right, I have a slight recollection: when you and I woke up, we were in an abandoned church in the suburbs."

"An abandoned... church?"

"It was originally a ruin, but a new priest came. When the residents wanted to demolish the house, he helped, and it wasn't destroyed. You can go see him. If you want to investigate this incident, you can check the library."

"I understand."

"The security officer who arrested you then, Perkins, is still in office. He knows you're here and will definitely cause trouble. Be careful!"

"I will."

Ryouzaki, Kusanagi, and Asuka went to the library, leaving Haruka to rest at the hotel.

The library's special reading room displayed many books on magic, spells, folk beliefs, and the supernatural.

Curator Cindy explained, "The paranormal collection here is bigger than that of Mikado and Harvard!"

They found information about the "Final Day Sacrifice," which stated that "the eve of May 1st is the best time to perform paranormal rituals."

Today is April 28th, only two days left until May 1st.

(Damn it, not enough time...!!) Ryosaki's head throbbed with anxiety, his mind burning like fire. He closed his eyes, and the scene vividly appeared before him:

Six years ago, he was commissioned by a university to find Asuka's parents—the Kashiwagi couple. The investigation revealed they had disappeared at Hanmutei (then known as the "Crazy West Institute"). Then, Ryosaki, Lola, and Bill broke into the house...

On the night of April 30th, also six years ago, the "Final Day Sacrifice" took place. They discovered the bodies of the Kashiwagi couple and Lola, and Ryosaki and Bill were in a state of extreme shock. Both lost their memories. Ryosaki, who was more severely traumatized, was detained by the local police as a suspect.

Was it racial discrimination? Without a thorough investigation, Ryosaki was indicted and convicted. However, because he was deemed mentally unstable, he was acquitted and sent to a mental hospital. In the hospital, where he received harsh treatment, Ryosaki survived. Although he never regained his memory... he lived in constant fear that he was the murderer.

Ryosaki was lost in painful memories, and Kusanagi and Asuka silently approached him.

Ryosaki murmured, "Although I haven't fully remembered, I did see: Juniper laughing maniacally in front of the girl's corpse..." "

...!?"

"It's definitely related to what happened six years ago..."

"Brother..." Asuka said sadly.

Ryosaki muttered to himself, "No matter what... this time I must stop him!"

***

As they approached the church, the sky suddenly darkened.

A young Black priest, Michael, was giving a fervent sermon to the congregation from an outdoor pulpit: "Praise God! Go and preach His doctrines. The souls will return! God's Kingdom will be yours..."

It was more like a frenzied Black Mass than a religious service.

"How scary..." Asuka was a little frightened.

While talking to Michael, he smiled and said, "The end of the century is approaching, and people's hearts are decadent. Therefore, we need gods who can restore order."

A sense of doubt arose in Ryosaki's mind: Christianity is a monotheistic religion, so why would he talk about "gods"? But he didn't press the matter.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That evening, while exchanging information at a restaurant, a handsome man and a beautiful woman walked downstairs and winked at Ryosaki. The woman had a stunning figure, swaying her hips seductively.

Ryouki glanced at her, and Asuka said unhappily, "You lecher! I don't care what happens if you get hooked up with that seductive woman!"

"Hahaha... Asuka is right. That girl's name is Amy, a college student from Seattle. She's staying here now, and her relationships with the opposite sex are quite complicated..."

Ryouki looked away and asked Bill about the other travelers. Besides Amy and the handsome Clark, there was also the old man Poger they met on the first day.

"And the German archaeologist Karl, who arrived two months ago."

All four of them were staying here.

"Bill, do you remember a thin man?"

"Hmm... I'm sorry, I don't remember. But... I remember that light."

"A light...!?" Ryouki's eyes lit up, and Bill suddenly swayed unsteadily.

"Bill, are you alright?" Ryouki and Kusanagi shouted.

He shook his head and smiled, "I get a headache every time I think about something. Satoshi... do you too?"

"Me too..."

Kusanagi thought: It's highly suspicious that the two of them would lose their memories of the same event...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back in the room, Kusanagi said anxiously, "There's no time! Nozomi is about to become a sacrifice... If we don't hurry and save her, it will be too late!"

"Calm down! Panic won't help

," Ryousaki advised. "Kusanagi, wait a little longer? I'm starting to remember what happened six years ago... Give me a little more time."

"Okay... Another question: What exactly does Mina mean by 'The Black Fragment'?"

Ryousaki was silent for two minutes before speaking, "Micato University commissioned me to find the whereabouts of the Kashiwagi couple. On the surface, that's it, but in reality, we need to find something even more important."

"The Black Fragment?"

"Yes... After the Kashiwagi couple sent word of the discovery of 'The Black Fragment' in this house, they disappeared."

Ryousaki said slowly, "In the world of sorcery, there is a magic book written by Alzard: 'Necromantic Secrets.' It's a huge book with over thirty chapters. It was banned in every era, so there is no complete version. The translator compiled the parts he needed into 'Fragments'... which is 'The Black Fragment.'"

Kusanagi listened incredulously.

"The 'Fourteenth Book' in 'Necromantic Secrets' is a dangerous document that is also banned at Mikado University. Juniper must... be using it for some kind of conspiracy."

"There is such a... terrifying document..." Kusanagi's voice trembled.

"I just remembered that too." Ryousaki sighed.

"Let's go to the library again tomorrow and ask Ms. Cindy!"

"I'm sorry. You've gone to so much trouble to remember the past..."

"It's alright, you did it for someone you love."

Kusanagi blushed and looked away.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter Seven: The Witch

Arriving at the room of archaeologist Karl, Karl said, "This is a place full of mysteries. The circular stone ruins in the suburbs have been dated to be 22,000 years old... If true, they are the oldest buildings in the world."

Kusanagi asked, puzzled, "What was the purpose of these ancient ruins?" "

It is said that monks performed rituals at the circular stone ruins in an attempt to resurrect their bodies. I don't believe such legends."

They went to find old man Poggi, whose cheeks were slightly flushed from drinking. Poggi was of French descent and felt discriminated against for living here. But he didn't want to leave.

"You love this town, don't you?"

"Yes, this is the land where I grew up. Even in this peaceful countryside, there are frightening mysteries!"

Ryosaki and Kusanagi exchanged a glance.

"What mysterious event?"

Bojie explained: Someone once saw a resurrected zombie appear, and the police shot it full of bullets before it finally collapsed. He then went on and on, talking for a while before leaving the room.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ryosaki arrived at the restaurant, observing the lively scene, and said to Bill, "Bill, you seem to be having a great time as a bar owner!"

"Yes. But thinking about what happened before... If you were to ask me: why am I still here?"

"Don't worry. Has another murder occurred here?"

Ryosaki pulled out a Lucky Strike.

"Want a match?"

"No, thank you!"

Ryosaki pulled out a Zippo lighter and lit it.

"Nice lighter!" Bill murmured, while Kusanagi chuckled beside him.

"Mr. Kusanagi, what are you laughing at?"

"This lighter was a birthday present Asuka gave him two years ago. He's always kept it very carefully!"

"You mean that girl?... It seems you've moved on from the grief of losing Lola."

Ryosaki put away the lighter and said, "To me... she's just a troublesome little girl."

"Don't say that! Satoshi, young people should cherish their youth!" Bill laughed, swaying slightly.

"With this troublesome girl around, I haven't had a moment to rest! Kusanagi, let's go." Ryosaki hurriedly stood up, but Kusanagi and Bill burst into laughter.

"If you want to chat with this old man, stay here!" Ryosaki angrily headed for the stairs.

"Hey, wait! I haven't finished drinking yet..." Kusanagi hurriedly chased after him.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ryosaki knocked on Asuka and Haruka's door. He wanted to tell Haruka about the 'Black Fragment' related to the incident six years ago, the 'Final Day Sacrifice' two days later, and the Kashiwagi couple and Nozomi's story.

Haruka answered the door listlessly.

"Asuka, Kusanagi, please leave for a moment."

"Why? Can't I stay here?" Asuka asked.

"Yes. I need to talk to Haruka alone."

Asuka looked displeased and left the room with Kusanagi.

After explaining the whole story to Haruka, Ryousaki mentioned Dusun and said, "He kidnapped Nozomi for some purpose. If... something happens to her, I'll feel terrible!"

Haruka suddenly trembled and cried. Ryousaki patted her shoulder and said, "Don't be too sad... it's not good for your health..."

Haruka silently leaned against Ryousaki's chest and whispered, "Mr. Ryousaki, do you think it's your responsibility that Nozomi was captured, and are you blaming yourself? You're also troubled by your memories and Asuka's situation... I thought I was the one who deserved the most sympathy after losing Nozomi, but I was so selfish."

"Everyone is feeling bad, but we shouldn't give up hope, okay?"

"Yes..."

"I'm going back now!"

Haruka hugged Ryousaki even tighter.

"Mr. Ryosaki... please comfort me, okay?"

"No, I can't..."

"Lesbians aren't only allowed to have sex with women! I'm so sorry to Asuka for doing this, but I can only ask you..."

Haruka's passionate breath aroused Ryosaki's desire. But, at this moment, the image of Asuka's pitiful expression floated into his mind...

"I'm sorry, I... I don't deserve to do this."

"Please, just once." "

I understand you want to forget everything, but you need the courage to face reality."

"..."

Ryosaki hugged Haruka's shoulders, smiling as he said, "If you don't cheer up, Nozomi will laugh at you!"

"...I'm sorry, Nozomi is suffering, and I... Mr. Ryosaki, thank you, I feel much better." "

...Close your eyes."

"Huh?"

After Haruka closed her eyes, Ryosaki gently kissed her lips.

"Ryo-Ryosaki-san!?"

Haruka looked surprised. Ryosaki stood up embarrassedly. "I'm feeling a bit better now. Don't tell anyone, okay?"

"I won't..." Haruka blushed and wiped her face.

"Ah, about Asuka's parents, she still..."

"She doesn't know yet, does she? Ryosaki-san, you should tell her."

"...I think so too."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ryosaki went back to his room to look at the night view. A completely drunk Kusanagi crawled back.

"Hey, why are you so drunk?"

Kusanagi sat down and sighed. After Ryosaki kicked Asuka out of her room, she went drinking out of jealousy.

"Poor Asuka, she was even drinking with Bill and the others! And she kept trying to get me drunk..."

"Well, thank you for your hard work!"

"Explain yourself! What did you do to Haruka?"

"You think I would do something to her?"

"That's good. I'm a little worried about Asuka... Sigh, I'm sleepy, I'm going to sleep!"

Kusanagi collapsed onto the bed, and Ryosaki, watching his drunken state, smiled bitterly and lay down beside him. But he couldn't fall asleep. Closing his eyes, the scene of Haruka's heartbreaking confession floated before his eyes. After a while, there was a knock on the door. Ryosaki jumped up; it was two in the morning.

"Who is it? The door's unlocked!" Ryosaki shouted towards the door, which opened, and it was Amy.

"He's not my boyfriend, but he keeps bothering me, it's so annoying! Mr. Amy... can I sit next to you?"

The man Amy was referring to was Clark, right? Without waiting for Ryosaki's answer, she swaggered into the room and sat down next to him.

"...Take me back to my room, okay? If I run into Clark, he might be able to help me out!" she whispered in his ear. The strong scent of perfume mixed with her body odor was pungent. Her deep blue eyes and shimmering blonde hair were incredibly alluring to men.

"Okay, I'll get ready and go!" Ryouki replied, inwardly cursing himself.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Arriving at Amy's room, she asked, "What would you like to drink? Coffee, beer, or bourbon?"

She had Ryouki sit on the edge of the bed and said, "Tell me something about Japan."

Amy took two cans of beer from the refrigerator, opened one, and handed it to Ryouki.

"What do you want to know?"

"Oh, it's...you know...the Japanese...you know..."

Amy placed her hands on Ryouki's shoulders, stroking his chest... then slowly moving from his side to his groin.

"You... want to chat with my little brother?"

"Is that not allowed? I... want to know what it's like to have sex with a Japanese man, just once!"

Before he could answer, she pulled down Ryosaki's zipper, took out his already hard penis from his underwear, and began to caress it. Amy was indeed the wanton girl Bill had said. Her wet, soft tongue licked the sensitive parts of his burning flesh, and her superb blowjob skills filled Ryosaki's brain with numbing pleasure.

"Hey... wait!" Ryosaki pushed her away slightly.

"Amy... how old are you?"

"Eighteen, why are you asking?"

"Ten... eighteen...!?" Two years younger than Asuka, but already an experienced veteran.

"Amy... take it all off!"

Amy removed Ryosaki's clothes one by one.

"Tonight... let me do whatever I want!"

She pressed her full breasts against Ryosaki, her right hand caressing his penis, her left arm around his neck.

"The Japanese one... is so hard!"

She licked Ryosaki's neck and chest incessantly. When she licked his navel,

"Ah, um..." Ryosaki swayed his hips, enduring the sensation.

"So big... it's just as good as anyone else's!"

Compared to whom? Before Ryosaki could even ask, Amy's lips had already enveloped his penis from the base, her hands vigorously kneading his testicles... As if he were being raped, Ryosaki breathed heavily. Her lips and tongue stimulated the folds, making sticky sounds.

Ryosaki, not to be outdone, formed a 69 position with Amy, licking her secret place. When the sticky love juice flowed out, Ryosaki licked it clean.

"Wow... so good!"

Amy spread her legs wide, cooperating with Ryosaki's movements. She was experiencing immense pleasure, and her tongue movements slowed down.

"Don't stop halfway!" Ryouzaki reminded her, Amy's lips taking the swollen tip into her mouth, gently biting it with her front teeth.

"Ahhh~... Haa, I can't take it anymore!!" Amy's consciousness gradually drifted away, unable to continue giving him oral sex.

"Satoshi, it feels so good!! Ahhh~ If you don't mind... do it from behind!!" she gasped, pleading with Ryouzaki.

Amy lay face down, and Ryouzaki inserted the flesh, slick with sticky juices and saliva, into her wet secret place. Ryouzaki continued his piston-like movements, making obscene sounds.

"Ahhhhhh~!! So good~!!" she screamed wildly, her shiny blonde hair flying in the air as she twisted her waist wildly. With Ryouzaki's thrusts and Amy's wild moans, her nectar dripped continuously, staining Ryouzaki's lower abdomen and thighs.

"Ugh, I'm coming... um, I'm going to climax!! Cong, come on... shoot inside!!"

The contractions inside her vagina became intense, and Ryosaki even felt a tingling sensation in her lower back, which traveled all the way to her spinal cord and the back of her head.

"Is...is it okay?" Ryosaki murmured.

"It's okay!!"

"Ugh..." In rhythm with the throbbing, Ryosaki's penis instantly erupted.

"Ah, ahhh, haaaaaah~!!" Amy arched her back and let out a passionate cry.

-- Although the foreign girl was proactive and passionate, she was quite decisive when it ended.

She looked tired, but revealed a satisfied expression: "That was great! Cong. But... hehe, I'm exhausted!"

Amy seemed unwilling to take a shower and lay sprawled on the bed.

"Me too... I don't want to lose to those foreigners!"

"You're really strong... even stronger than Europeans and Americans. Whew... Shall we sleep together?"

"I'm going back now."

"Really?" Amy didn't show any displeasure, covered herself with a towel, and fell asleep quickly.

"...Goodnight." Ryosaki said with a wry smile, glancing at his watch; only two hours left until dawn.

(Tomorrow will be another busy day!) He silently told himself.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- He

was awakened by a loud banging on the door in the morning. It was: the Perkins security officer he never wanted to see again. It turned out that old man Poger had died of a heart attack in another bar in town.

The old man was usually drunk, but last night after passing out... His companions tried to bring him back, but he chased them away, as if he was afraid to come back. I thought something must have happened here... I didn't expect it to be you. He

believed Bojie's death was related to him. Ryouki asked, "What did the old man say?" "He

was just drunk and talking nonsense, saying something about 'Don't go near hell!'"

Ryouki frowned slightly, recalling Bojie's words: "The story of the zombies."

"Do you have any clues?"

“We’re not familiar with Old Man Poggio. But we asked him a few things last night.”

“What things?”

“Sorry, I can’t tell you.”

Perkins said calmly, “It’s fine if you don’t tell me. But I don’t welcome you here… It seems like something’s going to happen again. I hope I’m just overthinking it.”

After Perkins left, Ryosaki ate a hearty meal to conserve his energy for the upcoming operation. The four left the bar to find Michael about Old Man Poggio’s funeral. As they approached the church, the clear sky darkened again. Michael readily agreed to the funeral.

“Tomorrow night is special for us; there’s a gathering. Do you want to come?”

There was no time to attend any gatherings at this point. But his mention of a ‘special night’ caught Ryosaki’s attention.

“Is there anything special about it?”

“You’ll find out tomorrow… Goodbye.” Michael said with a mysterious smile.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Strange… the weather’s gotten nicer again.” Asuka murmured after leaving the church.

Upon entering the library, I asked Ms. Cindy about Half Acre Pavilion, and she produced some documents. According to the records, the last owner of Half Acre Pavilion, Dr. West, graduated with honors from the medical school at Micutt University in Massachusetts. In 1915, he served as a military doctor in World War I. Despite his excellent academic record, he was ostracized by his professors because of his obsession with the inhumane practice of "resurrection of corpses."

Although ordered to cease his research by the university, he persisted in his beliefs. At that time, several corpses went missing. West returned to the site in 1939, during World War II. He bought the "haunted house" and lived there with an assistant. The legend of the haunted house, coupled with the eccentric scientist, led to the house being known as the "Crazy West Institute."

In 1950, West's residence was broken into, and his body was discovered; his assistant had disappeared. A graduation photo from Micutt University includes a picture of Dr. West.

As Ryosaki looked at the photograph, he said, "He doesn't seem to have any connection with us or Juniper."

"Wait, look closely!!" Haruka shouted.

Everyone looked at the figure she was pointing to and screamed in unison, "It's Juniper!?"

The person in the photo looked remarkably like Juniper.

"This is a photo from 1904, not Juniper... it's his grandfather or great-grandfather, right?" Kusanagi explained.

"Kusanagi..." Ryosaki's expression darkened, and Kusanagi instantly understood what he meant. Asuka and Haruka nodded as well. The corpse was resurrected—an immortal life. But no one could say it out loud.

He then asked Cindy, "The book 'Necromantic Secrets'.

" "That's a document about protecting one's own will. What do you want to know? If you don't do it right, you might lose your life!" Cindy said with a smile. And she revealed: the archaeologist Carl had also asked this question.

"Why did that archaeologist...?" Kusanagi tilted his head in confusion.

Ryosaki muttered to himself, "Could it be that guy is related to Juniper?"

"We know nothing! What does Juniper have to do with necromancy...?" Asuka said anxiously.

"What is his purpose in kidnapping Nozomi...?" Haruka muttered to herself.

Suddenly, Cindy said, "The Black... the Black Fragment... is the 'Fourteenth Book'!?"

"Yes, do you know anything about it?"

she said calmly, "Regeneration, resurrection, the dead coming back to life, merging with the living—these are all spells from 'necromancy'... The 'Fourteenth Book' records the highest level of human body manipulation. It's an extremely terrifying document."

"Another corpse resurrection!!"

Ryosaki thought: Why does it need Nozomi's body? Perhaps in Western magic, some kind of catalyst is needed, the most powerful of which is 'virgin blood'... On the way back, Ryosaki gripped the steering wheel tightly.

"Damn it, it seems like we've found a clue." He bit his lip angrily.

Kusanagi asked, "Let's go back to the bar and organize the information..."

"I... I can't believe it. The ritual requires virgin blood... but other than that, there's no reason for Nozomi to be kidnapped." Haruka's voice was almost crying. "

Dusun must have a clearer reason for kidnapping Nozomi. I... I'm trying to think of it."

"Brother, I understand less and less..." Asuka shook her head.

At this moment, 'Hell Half Acre' was almost in sight.

"There must be some secret here..."

"Ryousaki, shall we search the mansion?"

"Okay!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reaching the far right of the third floor, at the door of old man Poge's room.

"Whoa!!" The door opened, and Kusanagi, who was standing in front, was thrown back several feet.

"What... happened?" Kusanagi fell flat on his back, frowning.

"Oh, Kusanagi, I'm sorry..." The giant Bill rushed out of the room, apologizing dramatically.

"You're back! Satoshi... I just remembered something important!" Bill forcefully pushed the four of them into the old man's room.

"I was sorting through Poger's belongings when I suddenly had a terrible headache after entering the room... I remembered: the incident six years ago started in this room." He lifted the bed board in the corner, revealing stairs leading to the basement.

"Satoshi, you remember? These stairs lead to the basement..."

(...That's right! The recurring hallucinations are the scenes seen when going down the stairs!?) Ryosaki's eyes widened, his doubts finally resolved.

"Six years ago, you, Lola, and I sneaked into the basement and saw something terrifying... Poor Lola, to help us escape..." Bill said, and Ryosaki's consciousness gradually returned. --Satoshi... I love you... --Me too! --Run!! Satoshi!! Bill!! --!? ...!? ...! ...! ...! ...!

...! ...! ...! ...

! ...! "Ryosaki!? "

"Satoshi!?" "Mr. Ryosaki

!?" "Brother!? What's wrong with you!?"

Kusanagi, Bill, Haruka, and Asuka shouted as Ryosaki fainted.

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Ryosaki woke up at 10 PM on April 29th. Three hours after collapsing in Old Man Poge's room. Before him was Asuka's relieved expression.

"...Hmm, it's you?"

"Who did you think it was? Everyone was worried about you."

After Ryosaki fainted, Kusanagi and Bill carried him back to his room and discussed sneaking into the basement the next day.

"Mr. Kusanagi and Ms. Haruka originally wanted to go to the basement immediately. Bill said: It's too dangerous to go now... Mr. Kusanagi has already gone to sleep, and he asked me to take care of you tonight." Asuka blushed.

"Really... Thank you all."

"Brother, I forgot to tell you: all the other guests have disappeared!"

"What?"

"Also: Archaeologist Carl, Bill inquired at his school: there's no such person!"

"Really?"

"The situation is too complicated. And... I don't understand what you're thinking, brother."

"What don't you understand?"

"Never mind! Mr. Kusanagi said: you need to meet at the restaurant at six o'clock tomorrow morning, and then go to the basement to rescue Nozomi. But he won't let me and Haruka go... I don't care! I have to go with you!"

"No! You..."

"Because I'm a girl? I came to help! I know you were suffering alone in Japan."

"..."

"Would I be a hindrance to you? Couldn't I help at all?" Asuka burst into tears.

"No... The basement is too dangerous, that guy Juniper..."

"Even if it's dangerous, I'll stay with you! No matter what..." Asuka stood with her hands on her hips, stubbornly insisting.

Ryosaki understood completely. Asuka was no longer the child she was six years ago, but a mature woman. (It was time to explain to her...) Ryosaki got up and sat down beside Asuka on the edge of the bed.

"Your parents died in that basement. I don't want you to go near there. And I, I bear an irreparable sin against you, I have no right to ask for forgiveness. If you are put in danger again, I..."

Asuka cried loudly, her voice trembling with emotion. Ryosaki silently watched her. He was present when her parents were killed, that was an undeniable fact.

"Brother... you are definitely not the murderer of my parents!"

"But..."

"The police didn't know who Juniper was at the time. Perhaps he controlled you to kill my parents, just like he controlled Naomi... That's different!"

Ryosaki was shocked.

"Asuka..."

Asuka's bloodshot eyes gazed at the disheveled Ryouzaki, and she smiled sadly. Without hesitation, Ryouzaki pulled Asuka into his arms. Her body stiffened slightly, her breathing quickened... but she relaxed after a moment, nestled obediently in Ryouzaki's embrace. The passion in Ryouzaki's heart transformed into an impulsive instinct.

Just as she was about to speak, Asuka whispered, "I definitely want to go with you tomorrow."

"But..."

"It's dangerous, isn't it? You said, 'Because I love you, I can't let you take risks'... so I can consider not going!"

"Wh-what..."

Asuka frowned, stopped crying, and said to Ryosaki with a firm expression, "I-I love you so much, brother! Back then, when I learned that my estranged parents had passed away, and I became an orphan, I was worried about the future... and then you came, wearing sunglasses and looking kind of cool... I was really scared, but you actually said you wanted to adopt me, like something out of a movie, right?" She stuck out her tongue with a wry smile.

"I know you're not good at expressing your feelings, but you're such a good person... You took care of me like an older brother, and slowly... I fell in love with you. When I learned that my parental obligations would end when I turned twenty, I was so happy! I insisted on becoming your assistant... That's absolutely true!" "

But..."

"I've made up my mind. When I found out that my parents were murdered here, I was really shocked. I absolutely cannot forgive Dusumu! So I'm going with you tomorrow."

Ryosaki hugged Asuka tightly again, moved.

"Brother, do you hate me?" She didn't look at Ryosaki.

(Actually... I do... But, what impact would saying it have on Asuka's happiness...?)

"I, I..."

"Tell me the truth, brother!"

Ryosaki looked at her sincere expression, determined to hide his true feelings and reveal his true heart.

"I give up! My heart is the same as yours."

Asuka shed tears.

"Silly girl, don't cry!"

"But... this is the happiest day of my life!"

"Take away the word 'happiest,' and we'll be even happier in the future!"

Asuka wiped away her tears with Ryosaki's shirt. The two were very close, her eyes sparkling, her cheeks flushed, and she said passionately, "Brother... hug me!"

"Hey..."

"I don't know about your ex-girlfriend. But, I will definitely love you more than she did..."

Ryosaki couldn't help but shed tears, he took off his sunglasses, no longer needing to hide his expression.

"I will forget the past, Lola in heaven would wish for that too, right?"

"...Yes." Asuka nodded, lying flat on the bed.

Ryosaki stroked her long, beautiful hair, she looked directly at Ryosaki and said, "I... have been waiting for this day, and I won't regret doing this."

"I know your heart!" Ryosaki kissed Asuka's slightly parted lips.

"Mmm..."

The two shared a deep, long kiss. Ryosaki unbuttoned her blouse, and Asuka obediently closed her eyes.

Ryosaki looked at her and suddenly asked, "Don't you... have no experience?"

"Of course! I've been right beside you the whole time, didn't you know? You're so dense!" Asuka turned her head away.

"N-no, I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize! You're so annoying..."

"..."

"Ah~, the atmosphere was so good just now."

"Shall we continue?"

"Idiot, I'm really angry!" After saying that, she glared at Ryosaki again: "Let me tell you: a woman... once she's made up her mind, she won't change it!"

Asuka wrapped her arms around Ryosaki's neck and kissed his lips again.

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Chapter Eight Madman

April 30th... The day of the 'Final Day Sacrifice'. Early in the morning, a group of people would sneak into the completely dark underground. After a simple breakfast, they arrived at the old man Poje's room. At this moment, they had no idea what to do.

"Asuka and Haruka... don't bring too much equipment."

The small backpack contained dry food, various ropes, and small tools. It held a tiny flashlight. Bill and Kusanagi carried more than a dozen dry batteries, while Ryosaki held a portable oil lamp.

"Brother, is there only one entrance to the basement? Did Juniper and Nozomi enter the basement from here?" Asuka asked.

"I remember there's a huge cave below this basement, with an altar at the very end. The incident happened there six years ago," Ryouzaki sighed.

"Are you sure you don't need weapons?" Haruka asked softly.

"No, we have Bill the Giant."

"Haha, leave it to me!"

Ryouzaki led the way, with Kusanagi and Bill at the back, and the two girls in the middle, heading towards the basement. The stench and dampness were nauseating; a corner was covered with moldy newspapers, and a large group of rats squeaked.

"It's like a horror movie!" Asuka said.

After walking several dozen meters into the cave, there was a brick-paved underground passage, which was originally a natural cave? Then they entered a narrow passage that could only accommodate Bill. It was completely dark all around. The large flashlight could only illuminate a meter or two ahead.

"What a huge cave!" Asuka exclaimed.

"It's a really long distance, it feels like we've been walking for hours."

"...Let's hurry up!" Kusanagi urged Ryosaki.

The group moved forward in silence. They only saw rocks along the way; it was incredible that such a huge cave was unknown to anyone.

"Are we really... getting closer to Nozomi?" Haruka asked anxiously.

Kusanagi roared at Ryosaki, "Ryosaki, what exactly happened six years ago...?"

"Calm down, Kusanagi. If you lose your temper, you'll fall into that guy's trap. Now we can only move forward quietly," Ryosaki said coldly.

At this moment, Haruka jumped up with a "Ah!"

"What, what is this...!?" She pointed tremblingly at her feet.

"Wow, how scary!" It was a baby statue entangled by an octopus.

"How can there be such a thing..." Bill turned his face away in disgust.

Kusanagi thought: When Ryosaki first returned to Japan, he often had nightmares about "babies entangled by octopuses." In psychology, the octopus symbolizes: the inescapable maternal instinct. Kusanagi believed that Ryosaki's intense grief and sense of emptiness stemmed from losing Lola.

However, this octopus only had seven legs. (Seven-legged octopuses only appear in horror novels; in reality, their creation... is related to 'necromancy'.) As Kusanagi thought this,

"Hey, everyone, come quick!" Ryosaki shouted from a hundred meters ahead, and the four ran forward.

"Ryo... Ryosaki..." Kusanagi was speechless.

Before a small door in the wall ahead lay the corpses of Amy and Clark.

"Aaaaaahhhhhhh!!" Asuka and Haruka screamed.

Brain matter was spilling from the corpses, their limbs were torn apart, and their internal organs were exposed. The wounds on their bodies didn't seem human-made; there must be some kind of ferocious beast nearby.

"Satoshi, that door..." Bill's voice was filled with terror.

"Hmm, this is it..."

"Let's go in..."

Asuka hesitated, then said, "Hmm, Nozomi must be inside."

"You all get out of the way!"

A male voice came from the crack in the stone behind them. The five turned around and saw the archaeologist, Karl, holding a gun.

"How... how did you get here?"

Karl shrugged and sneered, "I've been following you."

"Did you kill Amy and the others?" Asuka asked.

"It has nothing to do with me, they were careless... Luckily they were killed, so I was on guard."

"What do you mean?"

"Look at the door!"

Ryouzaki quickly looked at the dark doorway.

"Th-what's that!?"

Extreme fear rendered the five speechless. A rough, hard sound came from above. Goosebumps rose all over their bodies, and they involuntarily backed away.

"That's the goalkeeper! Anyone trying to get through that door will be attacked by it. Too bad I can't witness it," Carl scoffed.

A gigantic beast, unlike anything he'd ever seen in reality, loomed down.

"If I could figure out how to control this monster... my plan could take another giant leap forward!"

"What plan?" Kusanagi asked.

"To use supernatural science to increase military power. To create an immortal army, and then I could conquer the world!" Carl declared, his words flying.

"Such a mad plan won't be tolerated by the world!" Ryouzaki sneered.

"We don't need the world's foolishness," Carl laughed proudly.

Ryouzaki said, "This isn't the time to discuss that. What should we do with that door?"

"Just shoot the monster dead, won't that be okay?" Bill yelled at Carl.

Carl shook his head, pointing his gun at the empty magazine on the ground.

"It's useless unless someone sacrifices themselves..."

"You mean... use someone as bait to lure the monster away?" Asuka asked through gritted teeth.

"That's right, otherwise we'll have to turn back." Carl answered coldly, and Asuka remained silent.

It was already four in the afternoon, and there was no time to waste.

"At this point, we have no choice but to take a gamble... Let me go?"

Bill suggested resolutely, and everyone silently accepted the bet. Ryouzaki, Asuka, Kusanagi, Haruka, Carl... stood on the rock face, holding lamps, shining them on the monster to avoid being attacked.

"Let's go!" Ryouzaki kicked open the door and slid inside.

"Everyone, hurry up and follow!"

Asuka ran forward... but she was a step too late, and the monster pounced on her with lightning speed. Kusanagi and Ryouzaki were about to move forward when Bill blocked Asuka's path.

"Mr. Bill..."

"Go quickly!"

"But, you..."

"I'm alright... Ugh, ahhhhh..."

Bill groaned in pain, followed by the monster's brutal roar and the smell of blood.

"What are you all standing there for?!"

Carl yelled, shoving the terrified Asuka, Haruka, and Kusanagi through the door. Bill followed weakly, collapsing to the ground. Only half of his body was inside, his legs outside.

"Mr. Bill... come in quickly!" Ryouzaki and Kusanagi desperately pulled him in, Asuka crying out Bill's name.

But it was too late. Biting sounds came from outside the door; though they couldn't see anything, it seemed to be the monster tearing at Bill's body. Was it his back, his buttocks,... his legs?

Bill laughed. "Cong, Cong... I remember now. Six years ago... you and Lola saved me... I owe you... my life..."

"Bill... Bill..."

Ryosaki shed tears, tears of anger for the cruel Dusson, his fists clenched tightly.

"Asuka... I'm entrusting Satoshi to you now. Haruka-san... I really want to see Nozomi!"

"...Mr. Bill..." Haruka cried, stroking Bill's increasingly cold cheek.

"Kusanagi... you risked your life to save your loved one... it's heartbreaking... I wish you good luck..." Bill's gradually weakening voice was heartbreaking.

"Thank you..." Kusanagi murmured, holding back tears.

At this moment, it came—

"You're here earlier than I expected, welcome!"

The six turned around at the same time, to a large underground church. At the altar, a thin man in white laughed wildly.

"Everyone's here!"

The arrogant laughter. -- It was Juniper himself. On the wall behind them, Nozomi was hanging naked.

"N-Nozomi!!"

"I've come to save you!" Haruka and Kusanagi said.

Xiwei nodded slightly. She didn't seem injured, but her wrists were tightly bound.

"Dusong... I don't know who you want to resurrect, but your ambition can end now!" After Ryousaki finished speaking, Dusong burst into laughter.

"You finally remembered. Six years ago, you and the Kashiwagi couple came here in search of the 'Black Fragment'."

Dusong held up a thick book.

"Here you killed the woman you loved most, and the Kashiwagi couple. Bill witnessed the tragedy and lost his memory. You also... Kusanagi, Ryousaki forgot what he did because of the crime."

Kusanagi couldn't refute .

"I easily manipulated Ryousaki using the mind control technique of the 'Secret Manual'."

Kusanagi retorted, "But, people have the instinct to protect themselves. Even in a hypnotic state, would someone easily kill?"

Dusong smiled hatefully. "You don't even understand this basic common sense? You call yourself a psychiatrist? Do you know about suggestion techniques? Remember Naomi Seo's suicide? She fell in love with Ryosaki at first sight, but dared not confess her love. I suggested to her: 'You and Ryosaki cannot love each other in this world; you can only die together...'"

"What!?"

"Ryosaki, if you don't want Nozomi to get hurt, don't move! Perhaps, I should have killed you back then..."

"Damn it... Why did you kill so many people? And Nozomi..." Ryosaki roared, and Dusun frowned.

"I'm not killing her, but creating new life." He spread his arms wide.

"A family will forever be one... With Nozomi's body and the Black Fragment, my dream can come true. Two years ago, a couple disappeared here. The husband was a physiologist... Fuyukawa Masafumi."

Haruka was shocked; that was Nozomi's father.

"Fuyukawa returned from Mikado University and went to Hanmutei, where he was captured by Dr. West, who had obtained Dusun's body, and became his experimental subject."

--What!? --Ryouki and Kusanagi exchanged bewildered glances. (Having obtained Juniper's body... who is this in front of them?) Asuka and Haruka also stared at Juniper in surprise.

"Weist didn't die. He used his assistant Juniper as an experimental subject, entering a state of suspended animation. When his death was near, he was transferred to another body. That is... since 1950, I have not been Juniper, but Weist!"

"Wh-what...?"

"Hehe... I was just lying to you. It was I, Weist, who killed the Kashiwagi couple and Lola."

Juniper—that is, Dr. Weist. Although it was hard to believe, the doubts from six years ago were resolved, and Ryouki's guilt was completely cleared. Asuka, Kusanagi, and Haruka looked at Ryouki with relief.

Weist, who was resurrected in the body of the Japanese Juniper, could not be resurrected again without using a Japanese body... he explained. To maintain his immortality, he kidnapped the Kashiwagi couple six years ago, but due to the interference of Ryosaki and others, his resurrection plan failed, and his body was injured by Lola.

Two years ago—

after West repaired his body, he kidnapped the Fuyukawa couple. At that time, Junsong's body was about to decay, and West wanted to transplant all his memories and personality into Fuyukawa's body. However, a major error occurred, and not only the personality transplant, but even the body exchange failed. West and Fuyukawa's consciousness were transferred into Junsong's body.

"Wh-what? If it's true... then who are you?" Ryosaki asked incredulously.

"I am both West and Fuyukawa Seishi at the same time, but my appearance is Junsong."

At this moment, a figure appeared in the altar.

"Mom..."

Nozomi opened her mouth wide in surprise. It was Fuyukawa Akiko, who was killed two years ago, but whose body turned into a zombie. The tissue of her left side was completely exposed, and muscle fibers and yellow subcutaneous fat could be seen, slowly wriggling between Junsong and Ryosaki. Unconsciously swaying her body, her face turned in this direction.

"Miss Akiko... how could this happen..." Haruka sobbed, covering her face.

"Mom... Mom..." Nozomi tried desperately to call out.

"I don't believe it...!?"

"Was it a nightmare...!?"

Duson said, "When West's personality merged with Fuyukawa Seishi's, I accidentally killed Akiko. And West and Fuyukawa's personalities didn't have a rejection reaction; they both wanted to resurrect Akiko."

"Wow! Dr. West... or Professor Fuyukawa?" Karl suddenly clapped his hands and said.

"Just call me Duson. Who are you?"

Karl saluted and explained: he was a Nazi Party member who wanted to ask West to resurrect Hitler.

Duson glanced coldly at Karl: "Since World War I, your people have been constantly coming to me. But I have no interest in such things."

"That's not up to you!" Karl pointed his gun at Duson.

Dusun calmly said, "Now I will completely merge body and spirit... Akiko, Nozomi, and I, our family will be united forever!! The 'Final Day Sacrifice' ritual must not be disturbed by anyone!"

Dusun strode towards the altar. At that moment, Akiko suddenly lunged at Karl, who was pushed back several feet. The zombie then attacked Ryosaki.

"Whoa..." Ryosaki was thrown back, his lighter falling at Kusanagi's feet. As the zombie attacked again,

"No!!" Asuka suddenly stood in front of Ryosaki, the crystal on her chest emitting a dazzling light.

"Mom..." Nozomi finally cried out. The zombie stopped moving, dodging away as if trying to escape.

Ryosaki said to Juniper, "I remember now, Juniper... Six years ago, Lola saved me. She gave me this crystal, which possesses powerful magic. You're not a fully resurrected being, just a zombie awakened by magic!"

Just as Juniper was about to step down from the altar, Ryosaki said, "Asuka, aim the crystal at that guy."

"Okay!" Asuka raised the crystal, and a flash of light shot towards Juniper.

"Whoa, no...!!" Juniper crouched on the ground in agony.

Ryosaki said to Kusanagi, "Kusanagi, pick up the lighter! That guy is extremely sensitive to heat."

Kusanagi picked up the lighter, lit it, and threw it at Juniper's eyes.

"...Aaaaaahh ...

"You, who have been resurrected several times, are finally going to perish. Even this 'Black Fragment'..." Ryousaki said, gazing at the charred corpse of Juniper.

Kusanagi and Haruka rescued Nozomi and wrapped her in their coats. The church and Pastor Michael's church were connected, and everyone fled there. The old church was also burned down, the fire spreading all the way to Hanmutei. Ryousaki held Asuka, while Kusanagi and Haruka gently cared for Nozomi, the four of them watching the flames in the sky. Carl disappeared after escaping.

The only regret was that Bill's body could not be retrieved. Was it a miracle? Or a dream? In the flames, they saw Akiko holding Bill's body.

"Mom!"

"Miss Akiko!" Nozomi and Haruka called out. Akiko turned her head and walked over, put Bill's body down, and slowly walked back to where she had been.

Kusanagi grabbed Nozomi, who was about to run away. Nozomi, with tears in her eyes, watched Akiko's receding figure and said, "I...it's okay. I have my sister, and you...you're with me..." She wiped away her tears and smiled shyly at Kusanagi.

"Nozomi..."

Kusanagi hugged Nozomi tightly. But thinking of Haruka, his feelings were quite complicated. He secretly glanced at Haruka, and their eyes met.

Haruka paused slightly, then smiled and said, "I...I'm entrusting Nozomi to you. Take good care of her!"

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Final Chapter: Rebirth

Everything was over, and Ryosaki returned to his normal life. The difference was that he had washed away the mark of a murderer. But the events of six years ago could not be easily erased. Even if Dr. West's ambitions were shattered, Rumiko and Naomi could not be brought back to life. These regrets could only be slowly forgotten with time.

In short—Ryosaki began a new life. Not only him, but also Kusanagi, Asuka, ... And Nozomi and Haruka. At this moment, Asuka and Ryosaki were engaged in another passionate "ritual of love."

"Hey... let me rest, I don't like this position!" Ryosaki cried out from the bed, but Asuka showed no mercy.

"Ah~, just once more... I'm on the bottom... you don't have to do anything..." she demanded willfully, reaching towards the half-asleep Ryosaki's crotch.

The two had slept together in America. Having experienced sexual pleasure, Asuka frequently made demands of Ryosaki. Her seductive expression excited Ryosaki... but he was no longer a seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy. Although he was confident in his physical strength, he couldn't resist her continued demands. He had no choice but to continue the struggle.

When he woke up, Asuka was stroking his slightly limp penis and licking its shiny black surface.

"Hey, stop..." She regretted saying it immediately, realizing she'd shown weakness to her. She cursed inwardly:

(Damn it, you're just my assistant, I'm the director! How could you... Ugh, ah...!!)

Asuka, of course, was unaware of Ryosaki's complaints. She licked the most sensitive part of the folds with abandon, making lewd sounds.

"Look... it's already like this, you lecherous brother!" She glanced at Ryosaki and began stroking his foreskin again.

"Gurgle... this... this thing is okay now..." Ryosaki groaned, arching his back.

Asuka happily lowered her hips, inserting the penis into his secret place.

"Ha, ahh!... Brother... so good!!" Asuka shook her hips violently, her brows furrowing. The nectar of the mucous membrane mixed with the white fluid from Ryosaki's genitals.

"Ah!... Ahh!... Deeper... a little more..."

Her lips covered Ryosaki's, their tongues entwined in a passionate kiss, caressing each other's bodies until both reached climax. The lewd sounds and moans reached Kusanagi's ears as he went to the bathroom that morning.

Kusanagi's desire was ignited. He went back to his room and picked up a photo from the bookshelf. It was of Nozomi hugging a teddy bear, smiling innocently. If she were embracing him, her lips around his hardening member...

Just then, a "clang" came from the living room, and the passionate scene in the room seemed to have come to an end. Kusanagi returned to reality from his fantasy. (No, no... What am I doing?) He hurriedly put the photo back, thinking with a wry smile: (Asuka is Asuka, and Nozomi is Nozomi!) He muttered to himself.

Then, several months later, Kusanagi was alone in a coffee shop, staring blankly out the window, when he suddenly saw a long-haired beauty walking quickly past.

"...Could it be!?" That woman... 　　was

it Chire Mina? As Kusanagi rushed out, the woman had already disappeared into the crowd.

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