Chapter 74
Before heading to the police station, Kazuma Hatake needed to call Mr. Shinichi to ask him to contact the police station so they wouldn't be mistaken for local thugs playing pranks when they arrived.
The term "[bad boy]" mainly refers to Xia Youjie, who has an odd hairstyle, wears an earring, and whose uniform pants have been modified to look like those of a delinquent.
Xia Youjie: "..."
He had just thought that Hajime Hajime was a weak classmate who needed his help, but he was quickly taught a lesson.
Moreover, he simply couldn't refute that.
However, considering Xia Youjie's sincere apology, Yuqu Kazuma did not make things difficult for him further.
If someone like the so-called future head of the Zen family I met in my first playthrough is foul-mouthed and stubborn, then I'll just use [Black Flash] to slap them in the face.
I don't care about trust levels or anything like that, I can't tolerate even a little bit of it.
Wu Neng became the strongest through his own efforts, and working tirelessly on missions was his own choice. But that doesn’t mean that others can treat these things as his responsibilities and readily say “he should”.
While waiting for Mr. Shinshi's notification, Kazuma Hatori did not intend to continue chatting with Natsuyuki, but instead lowered his head to continue editing the content in the email.
[I saw people playing volleyball on the beach here, and you could also collect seashells.]
Wow, I want to go play volleyball and collect seashells with you too!
[good. ]
After a while, Mr. Shinshi called to say that they could go over, and Mr. Ishigami would be in charge of receiving them. Kazuma Hato and Natsuyuki immediately set off and took a taxi to the police station.
Anyway, these expenses are all included in the task funds, and the college can reimburse them later.
When they arrived at the police station's lobby, the female officer who greeted them saw two minors walking towards her and earnestly telling them that they had come to see Mr. Ishigami to understand the details of the case. She almost thought they were local delinquents who had come to play a prank.
"Not only do you make false police reports all the time, but you actually come here to taunt the police?"
The policewoman deliberately spoke to them in an angry tone, saying, "Keep an eye on Xia Youjie."
"Don't think that just because you're a minor we won't take punitive measures, okay? If you understand, hurry up and leave. Remember, don't play these meaningless pranks again."
Kazuma Hatake also turned his gaze to him, the implication being quite clear.
See? I told you your style of dress is easy to misunderstand.
Xia Youjie: "..."
When he was in junior high school, he was quite popular with girls...
Fortunately, their standoff didn't last long before the detective in charge of the case, Mr. Ishigami, came to the lobby and took them away.
"Is that Natsume and Hatori? I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly. I'm sorry, I was going to come out to meet you after I finished organizing the new clues I found, but I got so engrossed that I forgot."
Detective Ishigami was wearing a wrinkled coat, his hair was messy, and he had a thick stubble on his chin, showing he had no time to groom himself.
Judging from the dark circles under his eyes, he probably hasn't gone home to rest these past few days and has been sleeping in his office.
"Oh, I'm sorry, we came without giving you any prior notice... If it's convenient now, please tell us about your current findings, even if it's just a general overview."
Xia Youjie took the initiative to take on the communication part and said to Mr. Shi Shang.
"Don't be so formal, we're partners now."
Detective Shi smiled and patted Xia Youjie on the shoulder.
"The higher-ups told me that you could solve the problem and asked me to fully cooperate with you. To be honest, it sounds unbelievable, considering you all look about the same age as my kids. But who knows? This case is indeed bizarre, and I never underestimate anyone, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to work as a detective for so many years."
When many murderers are arrested, you often see reports saying things like, "Neighbors all said he was a very kind person," "Colleagues all said he was an honest person who had never had a conflict with anyone," and "Relatives don't believe such a thing could happen."
But often, the truth is hidden in the most inconspicuous people.
After saying this, Detective Ishigami didn't bother with any more pleasantries and led them to a corner of the office.
There was a whiteboard with a map of Kamakura hanging there, with several red circles drawn on the map to mark different areas. Next to it were photos of the victims, their personal information, and the time of the attack, all very clear and organized.
Compared to the task information that Xia Youjie had to sort out himself, Mr. Shi Shang connected the key clues with thumbtacks and red thread, making them clear at a glance.
"Now, let me give you a brief overview of the situation."
Detective Shi Shang, known for his decisive and efficient approach to handling cases, cleared his throat and began to speak directly.
Kamakura is not only a tourist city, but also has a strong religious atmosphere—along the tram line that runs along the sea, there are various shrines and esoteric temples.
It could even be described as densely packed.
In this doll attack, the victims all collapsed not far from these shrines and temples, all in the middle of the night. Not only were their deaths extremely gruesome, but the forensic doctor also determined from the autopsy results of their lungs that they must have drowned somewhere before their deaths.
The victims share a common characteristic—they are entrepreneurs who were on the verge of bankruptcy but then suddenly made a comeback.
Logically speaking, such entrepreneurs should usually have drivers, bodyguards, or assistants accompanying them. Even if someone deliberately retaliated against them, they shouldn't have died in such a bizarre way.
The only surviving victim also gave his account, and Detective Ishigami commissioned someone to draw a so-called portrait of the murderer.
Xia Youjie and Yuqu Kazuma looked at the portrait that Detective Ishigami was showing them.
Abnormally twisted limbs, a mutilated and swollen face, and extremely disproportionate body proportions.
It looks more like a cursed spirit than a doll.
Is it possible that it is actually a cursed spirit? Because ordinary people can also see cursed spirits when they are on the verge of death, but they don't know that it is a cursed spirit, so they mistake it for a doll from an urban legend?
Kazuma Hatori gestured to Natsuyuki with his eyes.
But that sentence was too long, and his dark eyes were usually devoid of emotion. Except for Gojo Satoru, who could always keenly discern what he was thinking, Xia Youjie couldn't guess.
So, Xia Youjie, who had been receiving a dark gaze, could only turn to the side and ask Yuqu Kazuma in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
Kazuma Hatake: "..."
They have no chemistry at all; at least he got the villain role this time.
He could only shake his head slightly at Xia Youjie, indicating that he would talk about it outside, before politely asking the detective on the stone.
"Mr. Ishigami, are those marks you made on the map because you suspect the murderer might be there?"
"Hmm, I suspect the killer will appear near a shrine or temple next time."
Detective Ishigami traced the connected red lines with his fingers—his movements were practiced, and he could recall any detail of the case with ease, but the results were the result of tireless investigation, interviews, summarization, and analysis.
If we were to let Kazuma Hatori and Natsuyu Suguru, who have never been to Kamakura, collect these clues one by one and then analyze them to arrive at the same conclusion, it would take who knows how long.
"Based on the pattern of when the incidents occurred, it should have happened tonight."
At this point, Detective Ishigami stroked his stubble and looked conflicted.
"We're not quite sure which shrine or temple it is. There are just too many shrines and temples in Kamakura. We don't have enough police force to deploy them."
"I see, we understand now."
Xia Youjie stood up and thanked the police officer on the stone.
“Your investigation is really helpful. We will take immediate action to ensure that there will be no more victims in the future.”
Detective Ishigami immediately became alert.
"Do you know where the killer will attack next?"
Xia Youjie remained silent for a moment before giving a tactful reply.
"Only we can solve this."
Detective Ishigami wanted to ask more questions, but then he remembered what his superiors had said—don't interfere with any actions they intend to take unless asked otherwise.
"All right."
He frowned and gave a worried instruction.
"If there's anything you need help with, just let me know."
Not only that, Detective Ishigami escorted the people out of the police station, constantly reminding them to be careful.
Xia Youjie could only maintain a smile and assure Mr. Ishigami that he and Yuqu Kazuma would be alright.
"Sigh, am I getting too old? I just can't understand what the higher-ups are thinking anymore..."
Detective Ishigami, standing at the gate, sighed and turned around to see the policewoman who had previously served Xia Youjie and Yuqu Kazuma staring in the direction they had left, seemingly deep in thought.
"What's wrong? Do you know them?"
"I just heard you call out 'Yato' and it suddenly reminded me of a really popular duo lately."
The policewoman hesitated for a moment, becoming even more uncertain.
"It can't be that much of a coincidence..."
…………
Meanwhile, Xia Youjie, who was on his way, also shared his guess with Yuqu Kazuma.
"It's Benzaiten Shrine."
"I learned before I came here that the Benzaiten Shrine in Kamakura is different from other places, and has a special ritual called [money washing]."
According to legend, one night hundreds of years ago, the daimyo who governed this area dreamed of Benzaiten, one of the Seven Lucky Gods, and following her guidance, he carved out clear, sacred water from a rock wall.
From then on, the people who washed coins in the sacred water and made wishes lived prosperous lives with no worries about food or clothing, so they specially built a shrine to enshrine Benzaiten.
Today, tourists and locals alike follow tradition by washing coins in the shrine's pool and dropping them into the donation box located in the center.
"And those who died,"
Xia Youjie paused for a moment before continuing.
"It looks like laundered money."
That's why they would drown, be forcibly squeezed together by some strange force, and even have their bones broken, resulting in a tragic death.
Kazuma Hatake: "..."
It sounds quite bizarre, but upon closer inspection, it makes perfect sense.
Kazuma Hatori: "But what's the benefit of this?"
"Different curse masters use different methods, so I'm not entirely sure."
Xia Youjie thought for a moment.
"In my personal opinion, they can achieve certain goals more easily by using those rituals that have been passed down from ancient times."
Just like urban legends rooted in the public's mind, which are more likely to give birth to extremely powerful cursed spirits once they spread, curse masters who don't care about the lives of ordinary people also like to take these shortcuts.
"Of course, there is another possibility..."
As for what the curse master's purpose was, Xia Youjie was not sure.
But in any case, they had a direction for further investigation—
Benzaiten Shrine.
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