Chapter 26 Why can't we find Kozuki no Kazuha...?

Wang Ma Xiaoji does not have an impressive height.

This means that, in many cases, this boy, who always calls himself the "evil mastermind" and occasionally makes some startling statements, will not create a suffocating sense of oppression simply by standing there.

But everything is relative.

Sometimes, when chilling words are spoken by someone with an adorable baby face, the stark contrast can create a strange effect.

It's like an innocent child perfectly blending naivety and cruelty.

Although Ouma Kokichi is not a child, nor is he naive, and although he often portrays himself as having committed heinous crimes, in Chiya's opinion, he is not actually that cruel.

After all, Tsukino and Chiya had only heard Ouma Kokichi say those suspicious lines, but they had never witnessed him do anything wrong.

For Tsukino and Chiya, this kind of Ouma Kokichi is...

Before the purple-haired boy noticed their gaze and looked over, Tsukino and Chiya turned to Hinata and explained, "Actually, some of the bodies of those killed by the supernatural disappear after a period of time."

When Hyuga Hajime learned of this, he deduced from this statement and hesitated, saying, "So you mean... the reason Natsukawa disappeared is actually because he..." died and his body disappeared?

That's not necessarily true.

Ultimately, there are so many ways to die in this world, and the obsessions of these supernatural beings are all different, resulting in different abilities. The one from Kujo House once encountered an invisible supernatural being that couldn't be seen with the naked eye unless it ate a certain type of fungus… who knows, this supernatural being might even make people disappear.

However, even as they tried to convince themselves of this, Tsukino and Chiya knew that the more likely scenario was that, regarding the current state of that unfortunate Natsukawa, their true guess was...

“Ohma is right,” Tsukino and Chiya said. “We should indeed prepare for the worst.”

After all, sometimes the greater the hope one has for something, the more unforgettable the despair that occurs when that hope is shattered.

When faced with something strange, the calmer you are, the better. If you let unpleasant situations overly affect your emotions, you'll only end up hurting yourself.

“…Yes, I know.” Hyuga Hajime closed his eyes and then opened them again. “In any case, now is not the time to sit and wait for death.”

Even though not much time had passed since he learned the truth, faced with such an explanation that was clearly detached from science, Hajime Hinata was acutely aware of the fact that "if things are not handled properly... he will die."

Although he only knew of the existence of the strange entity but didn't understand it, Hajime Hinata still knew to ask people who seemed to know more about it.

"So, what should we do next?"

Hajime Hinata hadn't finished speaking yet.

Just now, Wang Ma Xiaoji suddenly reached out and precisely snatched the notebook from Hinata Hajime's hand: "Successfully obtained!"

"...?!"

Hyuga Hajime was completely unprepared for this situation and was caught off guard when the notebook was successfully snatched from his hand.

Wang Ma Xiaoji, holding the notebook, said smugly, "It seems that sometimes, the same trick can still be used a second time in a short period of time... well, although not on the same person?"

"If you want the notebook, you can just tell me..."

Startled again by the unexpected movement, Hyuga Hajime couldn't help but grumble. After regaining his composure, he looked hesitantly at Tsukino and Chiya.

"I see... You're trying to find clues in Natsukawa's personal belongings?"

If Hyuga Hajime hadn't learned about the markings and strange occurrences earlier, he might have warned Ohma Kokichi, who had snatched the notebook from his hand, "This is something Natsukawa dropped on the ground. There might be something inside that involves his privacy, so it's best not to look through it without permission."

But the situation is different now. The notebook that Natsukawa carried around even in his dazed state might contain clues related to the strange. ...Of course, this is all common tropes from games Hinata Hajime used to play; whether these tropes apply to reality is another matter entirely...

It seems to be applicable.

Tsukino and Chiya nodded. At that moment, Ohma Kokichi's voice rang out again: "That's right, that's right, newbie. Listen carefully, it's precisely because it's Natsukawa's stuff that you should read it even more. Because it might hold the secret of Natsukawa's 'disappearing into thin air' magic~ If only I knew that, I could go and make my teacher's hair disappear first~!"

"...How exactly did that teacher offend you?"

Wang Ma Xiaoji didn't immediately spread out the contents of his notebook to share with the other two. Instead, he lowered his head and started reading by himself, muttering to himself from time to time as he read.

"Hmm, I see..."

"…………Sigh, here you go."

After quickly flipping through each page, Wang Ma Xiaoji, who had been full of enthusiasm, became like a wilted eggplant, and voluntarily lowered his head, sighed, and returned the notebook.

"Huh?" Confused by his sudden change in attitude, Hyuga Hajime subconsciously reached out and took the notebook back.

Wang Ma Xiaoji looked dejected: "I made a mistake. Sometimes, using the same trick twice really does make things boring."

Hyuga Hajime opened the notebook, then paused visibly, flipped through a few pages, and handed it to Tsukino and Chiya.

Tsukino and Chiya reached out and took it, then looked down at it.

It's the same old trick.

Just like the situation a few nights ago when Oma Kokichi, Tsukino, and Chiya found the manga in the mansion where they encountered the ghost painter, the contents of this notebook were almost completely corrupted. No matter how carefully they tried to decipher it, they could not make out what was originally written on it.

The only visible trace is the notebook, which should have been filled with lines of text. But most of these words are now obscured by messy, irregular lines drawn with a black pen. Even if one or two slip through the net, it's impossible to piece together the original message of the page from the surrounding text.

If there's anything else noteworthy about this notebook, it's that several pages have been torn.

Of course, what exactly was on those torn pages remains unknown.

Xia Chuan disappeared, the strange creature vanished without a trace, and the contents of the notebook were illegible, which meant...

The only clue was thus cut off.

*******

The only one...?

Nighttime, Hope's Peak Academy, a room in the preparatory course dormitory building.

The light emanating from the tablet terminal reflected in Tsukino and Chiya's eyes, adding a touch of cold, inorganic quality to his calm, expressionless gaze.

I see... Is that so?

Tsukino and Chiya stared thoughtfully at the screen displayed on the terminal. If it weren't for the occasional blinking of his eyes, he would have looked like a lifelike sculpture, sitting motionless in his chair watching the screen.

However, it's clear that the sculpture won't reach out to answer the video request that suddenly pops up on the screen.

Good evening, Kazuo Kozuki!

Good evening, Wangma.

Originally intending to ask why the other party had suddenly contacted them, Tsukino and Chiya noticed a stack of magazines piled high on the other end of the video call, so high it was hard to ignore. Recognizing what the magazines were, he subconsciously spoke up.

"Those magazines are... OOPARTS Monthly?"

This is a monthly magazine published by a publishing house that specializes in recording and reporting content related to paranormal events and strange tales. A former high school girl named Injin currently works for this magazine and has published reports about the Death Injin.

Judging from the current situation of Tsukino, Chiya, and Ohma Kokichi, those of them bearing the mark are indeed actively pursuing strange entities, just like the one from Kujou Mansion once did. And Monthly OOPARTS, which specializes in paranormal content, is indeed a very good source of information.

However… well, a monthly magazine only has twelve issues a year. Tsukino and Chiya glanced at the thick stack of magazines on Ohma's desk on the other end of the video call and couldn't help but wonder just how many issues Ohma had collected.

"Yes, that's right, it's Monthly OOPARTS!"

Wang Ma Xiaoji casually picked up the latest issue of the magazine, which was placed on the top shelf, and opened it.

"Although I, as the 'Ultimate Leader,' have led my organization through all sorts of battles, I have to admit that... well, I only saw the 'Ghost Painter' in person for the first time back then. So I need to be well prepared, because relying on lame jokes to kill the enemy won't be very effective against them, right?"

Tsukino and Chiya seemed to be deep in thought: "So there's such a strategy... "

Wangma Xiaoji affirmed, "Is Xiaoyue Nobi curious? Of course! But the focus right now is on the weirdness. If you're interested in the dry humor strategy, I can teach you next time. Of course, you'll have to pay tuition!"

Tsukino and Chiya considered it briefly. Although they didn't have a small amount of money in their wallets, they would probably need the help of a certain person to continue investigating the strange occurrences, and that person's asking price was simply...

"I just feel like it's a price I can't afford..." He shook his head regretfully. "Never mind, knowing Wang Ma's habits, if I actually paid, I'd be bankrupt. Compared to this..."

The black-haired boy's gaze returned to the magazines: "Have you read all of these?"

"Hmm? No, that happens sometimes... like when you buy books to fill your bookshelf and then get too lazy to read them. Having so many magazines can be overwhelming... What about Kazuo Kozuki?"

"Well, I didn't finish watching it either." There was a hint of regret in Tsukino and Chiya's voice that only they could hear.

"Monthly OOPARTS" is too niche a magazine for supernatural works. Although it's not impossible to find like-minded people, he really hopes that he can have the opportunity to discuss some of the articles with Ohma in the future.

"It took me quite a bit of time to collect all these books. But although it was troublesome, such a small matter is certainly no problem for the 'Ultimate Mastermind'!"

Wang Ma Xiaoji casually put the latest issue of the magazine aside, then reached out and started picking through the stack.

"Where is it... Ah~ I found it~!"

Tsukino and Chiya glanced at the magazine that the purple-haired boy had just picked out from the middle of the magazine—the one that had previously published content about the Death Mark.

"This is probably when Uncle Hachishiki first appeared in this magazine."

Wang Ma Xiaoji skillfully flipped to the article in a few seconds and pointed the content at the camera.

"It was after this incident that he gradually gained fame, and some people even commissioned him specifically... Is that right?"

After seeing Qianye nod, the purple-haired boy carefully placed the magazine back on the table. He rested his cheek on his hand, smiling as he looked at the person on the other side of the screen.

"So I'm a little curious..."

"If you have enough funds, and you need to entrust something to someone else, of course you should entrust it to the most professional and capable person. And Hope Peak... no matter what, they shouldn't be the kind of company that's short of money, right?"

“When I first learned that Kazuo Ozuki had been entrusted with this task before I enrolled, I asked him why. At that time, Kazuo Ozuki said, ‘Perhaps it’s because I was involved in something by chance and was then reported in that magazine.’…But…”

"Why can't I find Kazuha Kozuki's name even after searching through all the magazines?"

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Author's Note: Qianye: Uh, well...