Chapter 1 The Dual Body in the Mirror "I know I'll continue..."
"I know what I'm about to say is outrageous, but it's all what I saw with my own eyes!" The man in the suit trembled uncontrollably, his eyes were bloodshot, and his words carried the premonition of losing control.
The man nervously fidgeted with his fingers, his eyes darting left and right before slowly settling on the members of the Armed Detective Agency: "I'm at my wit's end. I'm afraid that one day [the other me] will come knocking! It will definitely, absolutely kill me! And then take my place!"
The man suddenly grabbed Edogawa Ranpo's hand and knelt down, a sudden action that startled everyone.
He was somewhat deranged, his eyes fixed on Edogawa Ranpo: "I know you're a very skilled detective, and your Armed Detective Agency is no ordinary organization. I really can't think of anyone who can help me. I've asked the police for help, but they all treat it as a joke! They don't believe me! They don't believe me—! You must have a way, right! No matter the cost, just save me... I don't want to die, I don't want to die."
His grip was very tight, and Kunikida Doppo quickly pulled his hand away, standing firmly in front of Edogawa Ranpo.
"Sir, please stand up and speak slowly."
"Okay, okay, I understand. Sorry for being rude." The man's expression gradually calmed down, and he sat back on the sofa. Edogawa Ranpo frowned slightly, his hand, which the man had just held, was still throbbing slightly.
The man began to speak, his voice trembling.
“I was originally a vice president of a production company, and then one day… my life changed dramatically. I thought it was just because I was under too much pressure, but what happened next made me lose my composure.”
"Everything changed on the anniversary of my wife's death."
Hiroki Sakamoto was organizing his documents in his study. There was a full-length mirror in the study, and while he was organizing, he looked up and caught a glimpse of himself in the window—his posture was stiff, and his right hand was unnaturally bent.
"I initially thought it was due to the lighting, until that night when I went to the bathroom to use the toilet."
"When I finished using the toilet and washed my hands, I accidentally saw another version of myself in the bathroom mirror, grinning at me! It was staring intently at me!" The man's tone turned fearful, and his eyes began to dart around.
“This is just the beginning… just the start of a nightmare!” The man’s tone became sharp, and his eyes widened nervously, revealing a look of fear and unease.
"One day I was taking a nap in the office."
"I dreamt I was being pressed against a mirror, it slowly...slowly!!" The man began to break down: "It slowly squeezed out of the mirror, it grabbed my neck, and kept saying, 'Your place is back to me.'"
It's time to give your spot back to me.
It's time to give your spot back to me!
Your spot should be returned to me!
The image of himself in the mirror began to distort and twist. Before Hiroki Sakamoto could even scream, the image of Hiroki Sakamoto in the mirror had already broken through the mirror surface. Its hands, twisted like pretzels, precisely gripped Hiroki Sakamoto's neck.
Hiroki Sakamoto could feel the cold, sticky touch; its knuckles dug into his flesh with such force that he could hear his bones cracking.
Thinking he was going to die like this, Hiroki Sakamoto suddenly opened his eyes.
"When I woke up, I was pressed against the glass partition of the office, and there were two bluish-purple finger marks on my neck." The man loosened his tie, revealing the purple marks on his neck: "I'm not lying! Look! Look!"
"We understand, please calm down," Kunikida Doppo reassured him.
"Later it kept haunting me, it wanted my life, and now..." Hiroki Sakamoto choked up, "I don't know what to do."
...
After Hiroki Sakamoto took his leave, the members of the Armed Detective Agency fell into a brief silence.
“It’s hard to refuse this request.” Akiko Yosano tucked her hair behind her ear. “But what they’re saying is so outrageous. It sounds like they’ve offended someone and been tricked by a superhuman, leaving them terrified.”
Hiroki Sakamoto's request came from someone who asked the Armed Detective Agency through their superiors. This person was the vice president of Yokohama's largest production base, and naturally had many connections and knowledge of some of Yokohama's secrets.
“It’s highly likely.” Kunikida Doppo looked at the conversation he had recorded in his hand: “Ghosts and doppelgangers are simply impossible.”
"Does Kunikida think so?" Dazai Osamu slipped behind Kunikida Doppo and said mysteriously, "But many things in the world have happened that cannot be explained by science. There are similar rumors in different places. Are these all just coincidences?"
Kunikida Doppo suddenly felt a chill.
"Where does a person's consciousness go after death? I've heard that if a dead person has a strong attachment, they can possess objects... Is Kunikida-kun just too scared to admit that these mysterious events are coincidences?"
"Perhaps something that defies scientific explanation is right near you," Dazai Osamu said in a low voice, his gaze fixed on him with a mysterious intensity.
Kunikida Doppo distanced himself from Dazai Osamu, stammering, "How could that be? How could I be afraid of ghosts?"
"Is that so? Then what's behind Kunikida-kun?"
Kunikida Doppo stiffened his neck and slowly turned his head when he heard Dazai Osamu's words. When he saw someone behind him, he let out a strange cry, clutched his chest, and quickly retreated, looking at Nakajima Atsushi in horror.
"When did you start standing behind me, you little brat?!"
Atsushi Nakajima stated that he had been standing there without moving.
"Should we take this job?" Atsushi Nakajima asked, then smiled sheepishly. "I think if we can find the psychic who scared Mr. Sakamoto, we can solve the problem."
Atsushi Nakajima and Kyoka Izumi are very interested in supernatural events and often discuss and tell stories together, but this time, Atsushi is still inclined to believe that someone with supernatural abilities is behind the trouble.
Edogawa Ranpo opened his eyes, and the atmosphere around him became tense.
"This request has many mysteries, which is quite interesting," Edogawa Ranpo muttered. "But that person is annoying."
“Then let’s cancel it,” Yosano Akiko said calmly.
Edogawa Ranpo shook his head: "Ranpo-sama is already an adult."
If he accepts this commission, it will help the president to some extent. The Armed Detective Agency is the "Twilight Armed Group", so connections are very important. If he agrees to this commission, the Armed Detective Agency can better develop its network.
That man was despicable; he reeked of being corrupted by self-interest.
Edogawa Ranpo chewed the candy in his mouth, constantly agonizing over his actions.
If I help the president, I will definitely be praised.
"Ranpo, you've helped me a lot. You can eat any snacks you want from now on." Fukuzawa Yukichi put his hand on Edogawa Ranpo's shoulder, and Edogawa Ranpo stopped chewing as he thought of this scene.
"Lord Ranpo will accept this request."
Edogawa Ranpo turned his gaze to Dazai Osamu, "This time, I'm asking you to help me find clues."
Dazai Osamu nodded thoughtfully.
"So Mr. Ranpo and Mr. Dazai are together?" Atsushi Nakajima was surprised. After all, Edogawa Ranpo could find all the clues by himself, and although Dazai Osamu was also the strategist of the Armed Detective Agency, he often only needed to send one person. Could it be that this case was not as simple as he had imagined?
“We need someone to stay by the client’s side to ensure their safety, so let’s have Atsushi and Kunikida together,” Edogawa Ranpo said.
“Okay!” Atsushi Nakajima stood up straight.
"With the client?" Kunikida Doppo's expression was not good.
"Is Kunikida-kun scared?" Dazai Osamu feigned surprise.
Kunikida Doppo swallowed hard, his face stiffening: "No, I didn't."
On the other side...
As Takeichi sat in the Whirlpool Cafe drinking coffee, he looked at the system panel, where the ghost story value had only increased by 0.5%.
“It’s still not enough,” he sighed.
Takeichi was originally just an ordinary college student, but he was later selected to become one of the players in the ghost story world.
He originally died in the world of ghost stories, but something that called itself a system approached him. It said that as long as he collected enough ghost story points in different worlds, he could escape the world of ghost stories and obtain an SSS-level life-saving ability.
The fastest way to collect ghost story points is to let key figures in the world know about ghost stories.
Another method is to get a large number of people to believe in ghost stories.
Currently, the second type of bamboo cannot be fully achieved. The ghost story points in one's own hands cannot be exchanged for advanced ghost stories. Although it can increase the popularity of ghost stories, most people will only regard it as an urban legend if they have not seen it in person.
Takeichi opened the panel that Hiroki Sakamoto was tracking, and a smile crept onto his face as he watched the other man leave, still looking trembling with fear.
"The consequences of evil deeds will eventually be repaid."
Hiroki Sakamoto got into the car with his hired bodyguards. His reflection was in the car mirror. He leaned against the window, watching the people coming and going outside, trying to calm himself down. While they weren't looking in the mirror, the smile on the other side of the car grew wider and wider. It was as if the corners of his mouth were being manipulated by threads, causing the muscles in his face to lift up, and the amplitude of the movement increased.
The cheekbones were stretched out, and the flesh on the cheeks was taut.
Later, that smile completely spiraled out of control.
His mouth stretched into a wide grin, as if he wanted to tear his face in half.
It gradually twisted its limbs, making a creaking sound.
Hiroki Sakamoto saw this scene as soon as he heard the sound.
He let out a piercing scream, and the bodyguards stopped the car and cautiously observed their surroundings.
Hiroki Sakamoto huddled in his seat, pointing at the rearview mirror: "It's here again! Get rid of it! Get rid of it!"
He watched as "it" in the mirror twisted and contorted, its pupils contracting violently, and it began to slur its words.
The bodyguard looked at the car mirrors but found nothing. Helpless, he covered all the mirrors on the car with a cloth. It took a while for Hiroki Sakamoto to recover. He covered his face and burst into tears.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry."
[Strange Tales Value +0.1]
A note from the author:
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