Chapter 27 Peeping Through the Wall (7) The chaos in room 307 was because...
The chaos in room 307 subsided briefly due to Yuta Kobayashi's unconsciousness.
But the viscous malice and oppressive atmosphere around them did not dissipate; instead, the faint screams and commotion downstairs created a sense of panic.
The lights were still flickering slightly. Although the static and eerie eyeballs on the phone screen had disappeared, the unease in my heart remained.
"We must take immediate action!" Kunikida Doppo suppressed his discomfort and adjusted his glasses. "The area affected seems to be expanding. We must prioritize ensuring the safety of other residents in the building."
Dazai Osamu squatted down next to Kobayashi Yuta and checked the effect of the paper talisman given by Takeichi and the other party's vital signs: "It's temporarily stable. It seems that this paper talisman can only temporarily isolate the invasion of the ghost story. It's a temporary solution, not a cure."
"Moreover, it seems to be enraged, or rather—more hungry."
Just then, Dazai Osamu's phone rang again, and this time he immediately put it on speakerphone.
“Dazai, I’ve heard about the situation.” Ango Sakaguchi’s voice came through the receiver, with the sounds of hurried footsteps and car engines in the background: “The energy fluctuations are escalating rapidly, and the affected area has been confirmed to cover the entire apartment building. The police have received a large number of reports, and panic is spreading.”
"I'm on my way to your location and should be there in about five minutes. Do you have any key items there? That would allow me to obtain more accurate intelligence."
"The Special Abilities Division is directly involved?" Kunikida Doppo was somewhat surprised.
“The situation has escalated faster than expected, meeting the criteria for direct intervention.” Ango Sakaguchi’s voice was calm but tinged with urgency: “Before I arrive, maintain the status quo as much as possible and protect the scene, especially items that may be related to ghost stories.”
The call ended, and a brief silence fell over the room.
"Mr. Sakaguchi is coming in person?" Jun'ichirō Tanizaki asked nervously.
“Ah, after all, his ability requires contact with objects to reach its maximum effect.” Dazai Osamu stood up, his gaze sweeping across the room again, finally settling on the old telescope hidden in a rag by Kobayashi Yuta, which he treasured, and the small pieces of peeling plaster near some cracks in the floor.
"Kunikida, please keep an eye on those things, especially the binoculars and the pieces of plaster."
Kunikida Doppo immediately nodded and carefully placed the binoculars and the small amount of wall debris he had collected on the table.
The waiting time felt exceptionally long.
The commotion from the residents downstairs seemed to gradually subside, possibly as the property management or plainclothes officers who arrived earlier began to intervene.
Five minutes later, the knocking sounded precisely on time.
Kunikida Doppo opened the door, and there stood Sakaguchi Ango, wearing the gray uniform of the Special Ability Division. His face showed signs of fatigue from his journey, but his eyes calmly and professionally surveyed the room. Behind him were two subordinates who stood guard at the door and did not come in.
“The situation sounds worse than it did on the radio.” Ango Sakaguchi quickly glanced around the messy room, his gaze lingering for a moment on the unconscious Yuta Kobayashi and the crack, before finally settling on the table with binoculars and pieces of plaster on it.
“The thing is over there,” Dazai Osamu pointed.
Ango Sakaguchi didn't say anything and walked straight to the table.
He first took off his gloves, then carefully picked up the old binoculars. A faint light flashed in his eyes. He remained in that touching position for a moment, then his brows furrowed more and more tightly.
A few minutes later, he gently put down the old binoculars, picked up a small piece of plaster, and repeated the same process.
After finishing, he took a deep breath, took off his gloves, and his expression became even more solemn.
“Reading complete.” Ango Sakaguchi’s voice was even lower than usual: “The memory fragments are mainly concentrated in the recent period. This telescope is pointed at a specific window on the opposite floor.”
He paused, seemingly sifting through more crucial information: "The reason Kobayashi Yuta chose this apartment wasn't entirely because of the cheap rent, but also because its location made it easy for him to spy on other people's privacy. He even... tried installing miniature cameras, but failed."
"Perhaps it is this continuous, guilt-ridden, yet unstoppable behavior that acts like a constant signal transmitter, attracting and ultimately shaping the voyeuristic tales that are centered around it."
Jun'ichirō Tanizaki instinctively moved a little further away from the unconscious Yuuko Kobayashi.
“Just as I thought.” Dazai Osamu was not surprised: “So the so-called ghost stories are essentially a collection of negative energy attracted by Kobayashi Yuta’s own twisted desires, and monsters that grow by feeding on his spirit and fear. However, as others become more fearful and knowledgeable about the ghost stories, they become stronger and can influence the surroundings. But the core is still Kobayashi Yuta himself.”
“That’s one way to understand it.” Ango Sakaguchi nodded and continued, “The primary task is to isolate ourselves from internal and external interference, immediately stabilize the emotions of the residents in the apartment building, keep them indoors as much as possible, draw the curtains to avoid looking at reflective objects and gaps, and carry out evacuation if necessary. Also, block the spread of information in this area and try to curb the further spread of rumors—although the effect may be limited.”
"The Special Abilities Division will be responsible for the outer perimeter lockdown, evacuation, and public opinion control," Sakaguchi Ango said decisively. "I've already arranged for people to handle that. But handling the internal affairs requires your specialized skills, and..."
At the door, one of Sakaguchi Ango's subordinates stopped him. Takeichi, panting, looked into the doorway, waved his hand, and called out, "Dazai-san! Kunikida-san! Ango! And... Tanizaki-kun, I'm sure I'm not mistaken."
“Here you are.” Dazai Osamu smiled and waved back at him. Sakaguchi Ango turned around and gestured for his subordinates to let the other man in.
Takeichi stepped forward and made a hugging motion towards Sakaguchi Ango.
"Takeichi-kun, what suggestions do you have?" Sakaguchi Ango asked directly, taking a step back in refusal of the other's intimate embrace.
Zhu Yi withdrew her hand and smiled, "Let's use a two-pronged approach."
His tone quickened, sounding professional and calm: "Externally, we need to cut off the supply of nutrients as much as possible and appease the panic, which requires the power of the authorities. Internally, we first need to stabilize the host's mind to prevent complete fusion, and secondly, we need to strip or purify the power of the supernatural tales from the host."
Zhu Yi flashed a bright smile: "Of course, the latter is my domain, so—"
"I'll transfer the money to your card after this is all over," Ango Sakaguchi said helplessly.
Watching Ango Sakaguchi and Takeichi interact so skillfully, Osamu Dazai stood by, a thoughtful expression on his face that no one noticed.
001 stepped down from Zhu Yi's shoulder and looked around. The malice and oppressive feeling around him seemed to have lessened considerably, whether it was an illusion or not.
He put down his backpack and took out several items: a bundle of dried herbs that emitted a faint fragrance, several copper coins that looked very old, and several talisman papers with intricate cinnabar runes.
“I need to set up a temporary area here to isolate him from the infiltration of negative external emotions and stabilize his mind.” Zhu Yi pointed to Kobayashi Yuta: “But this will take time, and it cannot be seriously disturbed during this period, otherwise not only will all our efforts be in vain, but it may also stimulate the ghost stories to erupt prematurely.”
“The interference could come from two sources: one is the thing inside the crack itself, and the other is…” Dazai Osamu looked out the window: “That guy stirring things up behind the scenes is definitely up to no good.”
"Leave the crack to me and Tanizaki-kun," Kunikida stated. "We will do everything in our power to prevent it from spreading or having any further impact."
Jun'ichirō Tanizaki nodded as well: "Leave it to us."
“Locate the physical locations of several of the most active anonymous messages.” Ango Sakaguchi looked at the message from the Special Abilities Division: “In addition, the Port Mafia seems to have noticed that this area is close to their peripheral sphere of influence, and the unrest may affect their interests.”
"Tsk, this is getting more and more lively." Dazai Osamu curled his lip. "I hope it's not that impatient little dwarf who comes."
“In short,” Takeya began, placing the copper coins around Kobayashi Yuta in a specific orientation. “We need to act quickly. My paper talisman can only temporarily suppress it. Once it accumulates enough power, it will break through the blockade, or if the external panic reaches a certain critical point, it will be too late.”
“Although I have other backup plans… I don’t really want to use them,” Zhu Yi muttered.
Takeichi raised his eyes and looked at Dazai Osamu and Kunikida Doppo, his gaze unusually serious: "If we want to save him, we must resolve this ghost story before the mastermind behind it achieves its goal. Otherwise, if a monster with a stable physical form, feeding on voyeurism and fear, were to establish itself in Yokohama, the consequences would be unimaginable."
The plan was then finalized.
Ango Sakaguchi, a member of the Special Abilities Department, is primarily tasked with coordinating official forces, including perimeter blockade, evacuation, public opinion control, providing intelligence support, and tracking clues about the House of the Dead.
Kunikida Doppo and Tanizaki Jun'ichirō of the Armed Detective Agency are mainly responsible for internal maintenance, protecting the scene, and assisting Takeichi in resisting interference from the ghost stories themselves.
Meanwhile, Osamu Dazai took the initiative to counter Fyodor's dissemination network and deal with potential spies or other unforeseen events.
Takeichi is the core executor of the plan, responsible for stabilizing Kobayashi Yuta's mind and performing professional rituals to strip away and purify the ghost stories.
Before leaving, Ango Sakaguchi left two subordinates to assist Kunikida and Jun'ichirō Tanizaki in maintaining order at the scene and protecting key evidence, while he himself hurriedly left to direct the perimeter operations.
Dazai Osamu also received the coordinate information sent by Sakaguchi Ango. A hint of elfin interest flashed in his iris-colored eyes, and then the corners of his mouth curved into his usual flirtatious smile.
After saying goodbye to Kunikida Doppo and the others, he disappeared at the top of the stairs, and no one knew what Dazai went to do.
Inside room 307, Zhu Yi focused his mind and began his work.
001 squatted down beside him, looking up at him.
Kunikida Doppo and Tanizaki Jun'ichirō stood guard nearby, watching the crack with bated breath.
A game of power, involving multiple forces on the edge of reality and the abnormal, revolves around this small apartment room.
Quietly... it entered a tense and dangerous phase.
-----------------------
Author's note: I've been a bit busy three times, hence the late publication.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
