Chapter 1

VOLUME 8 THE VANISHED SPIRIT

file 01: suspicion

Life is a momentary phase

The end of life is a momentary phase

Dougen

1

Stop!

Saitou Yakumo woke up to his own yell .

His body was covered in sweat as he lay on the wooden floor .

A dream?

After realising that, Yakumo slowly sat up .

He didnt remember the contents of his dream, but he was left with a smouldering impression in his chest that it had been incredibly unpleasant

Thats how dreams are

His vision was blurry, as if he were surrounded by fog .

The back of his neck hurt like it had been squeezed tightly .

Did I hit it on something?

Then, his surroundings became clear . He had thought he was in the universitys Movie Research Circle room, where he usually slept, but it seemed he was wrong .

It was dim

There were candleholders in the four corners of the room, with the small lights of the candles flickering . The room was about twenty tatami in size .

At first glance, it looked like a temple, but rocks dripping with water jutted out of the ceiling and the wall in the back and the narrow pillar in the middle of the room supported the limestone ceiling, which looked like it might collapse at any moment .

This was probably built out of some limestone cave .

Why am I here?

Yakumo was trying to search through his memories, but the pain in the back of his neck stopped him . He let out a groan and closed his eyes .

His forehead was covered with a cold sweat .

He was taking deep breaths to try to calm down when an offensive smell suddenly assaulted him .

Yakumo knew what that smell was immediately .

Blood

'This is

Yakumo leant back without thinking .

There was an aging fifty-year old man collapsed there in priests robes .

His eyes were wide . A purple tongue hung from his half-open mouth .

He had dug his fingernails into the floorboards, probably because he had frantically struggled to get away .

There were stab wounds all over the mans body .

The large amount of blood that had come out of his wounds spread around the man, as if to draw his figure .

It was clear to anyone that Yakumo was already dead .

Yakumo knew this man .

His name was Seidou . The chief priest at the temple .

'What is this murmured Yakumo, covering his face with his hands . Then, he suddenly felt something strange .

He felt something sticky on his palms .

It cant be .

Yakumo held his hands up in front of his eyes .

They were a deep red

From his palms to his fingers, congealed blood stuck to his hand .

Again, Yakumo looked at Seidou, who lay face-down .

There was a knife stuck in the floor .

The blade was stained with blood up to the handle .

Yakumo had a creeping suspicion .

There was no sign that Seidou had been dragged . The blood seeping into the floor around him also showed that he had been killed here .

Something happened .

The more he tried to remember, the more the back of his neck hurt . Like there were memories there that he himself wanted to forget .

While bearing with the pain in the back of his neck, Yakumo slowly stood up .

I wont forgive you .

Yakumo heard a voice from somewhere .

A womans voice that echoed with darkness, like it had been strangled out of the bottom of her stomach

When Yakumo turned around, he saw a woman with her head facing down standing in front of the double doors which were the only exit .

She wore a navy blazer with a short check skirt . It was probably a uniform from some high school .

Her wet hair clung to her face .

Her skin was so pale that her veins appeared, faintly blue, and she was sickly thin .

Yakumo knew that in front of him wasnt a living person but a ghost that he was seeing with his red left eye .

Yakumo looked at the girl .

I wont forgive you .

The girl said that again in a voice filled with hatred as she slowly lifted her head .

Her eyes were bloodshot, as if she were possessed by something .

Hatred, resentment, envy those eyes condensed a variety of negative emotions .

Die . Pay for it with your death .

The girl repeated herself in a voice as hoarse as an old womans .

'Why would you go so far

Without replying to Yakumos question, the girl went through the entrance, as if she had been sucked in, and disappeared .

'Wait .

Using the wall for support, Yakumo chased the girl .

Just as he was about to try to push open the doors, he suddenly stopped .

'This is

There was a piece of paper about the size of a business card stuck on the doors .

There was a short message on the piece of paper .

The moment Yakumo read the message, his eyes went wide .

If someone who didnt understand looked at it without knowing the point, it would probably be difficult to understand the meaning from the message . However, Yakumo was different . He immediately understood the dreadfulness indicated by that message .

This is bad .

Yakumo wanted to make a call, but he didnt have his mobile . That wasnt all that was missing . He couldnt find his wallet or key either .

He turned around, but they hadnt fallen in the room .

Either he dropped them somewhere, or anyway, looking at the situation, it would be useless to stay any longer . He needed to get out of here as soon as he could .

Yakumo took the paper off the doors and stuck it in his pocket . Then, he took a candleholder in his pocket and pushed open the doors .

With the help of the faint light of the candle, he looked around .

Right in front of the doors, he saw the bare rock face of a limestone cavern .

Water dripped from the rocks above his head . The cave continued, about five metres wide and two metres tall .

Seems like this is the only way to proceed .

Yakumo tried to advance, dragging his body forward, but his feet were unsteady, as if the ground were shaking beneath him .

After walking a few steps, he put his hand against the rock wall and took deep breaths with heaving shoulders .

He heard footsteps .

Somebodys here

The moment he lifted his head, he was hit by a strong light .

Yakumos vision went white, like a smokescreen had been put up in front of him .

'What are you doing here?

It was a mans voice . It had an intimidating tone to it .

After blinking a number of times, he finally saw the person standing in front of him .

It was a middle-aged uniformed officer holding a torch .

'I

Yakumo was lost for words .

At the current stage, his memories were still vague, so he had no way of explaining .

'You look a bit pale

The middle-aged officer walked towards Yakumo .

'Im fine, replied Yakumo, looking away from reflex . But it was a bit late . The middle-aged uniformed officer looked surprised .

'Your eye

Yakumo knew what he was going to say even without hearing the rest .

His left eye was red that was why he was surprised . In the past, seeing a response like this would hurt him deeply, but now he thought of it like nothing .

People were frightened of others who were different than they were . It was natural as a living being .

'Its terrible!

A voice echoed through the limestone cavern, interrupting the silence .

Yakumo turned his eyes towards the doors to the cave, which were still open . A young uniformed officer stood there, pointing inside agitatedly .

It appeared he had noticed the corpse in the cave .

'What happened? asked the middle-aged uniformed officer in a relaxed manner .

S-somebodys dead! shouted the young uniformed officer .

That was the sign .

Yakumo pushed the middle-aged uniformed officer aside and ran .

The middle-aged office fell on his behind and yelled, 'Wait! Unfortunately, Yakumo couldnt obey that command right now .

Yakumo just ran with all his strength towards the exit .

After running about fifty metres, the path took a large curve .

He saw the light of the exit after the turn .

'Oi! Wait!

The officers voices and footsteps followed him .

Even if he ran out of the exit, with his exhausted body, he would probably be caught soon . That would be the end of everything .

What to do?

Yakumo stopped and looked around . He spotted a gap between the rocks .

Limestone caves were complex there wasnt only one exit . Perhaps this gap would connect to another exit . However, if it was a dead end, that would be like running into a cage himself .

Yakumo made his decision and decided to dive into the gap, hiding himself quickly .

He stifled his breath

The footsteps of the officers caught up soon after, but they went right by .

After a pause, Yakumo moved to look at the exit .

After the officers discussed something at the exit, they split up, running left and right .

Yakumo let out a sigh of relief, but then he returned to the problem at hand .

He couldnt hide here forever . The officers wouldnt search that far either . If they couldnt find him, theyd return to the limestone cave .

That said, going to the limestone caves exit now would be suicide .

He really would have to go through the gap in the rocks to the end .

Yakumo stooped over and stepped into the deep darkness .

Suddenly, the bloody image of Seidou flashed through Yakumos mind .

Did I do that?

He wanted to deny it there was no way but at this point, Yakumo didnt have the evidence to .

Anyway, he had to escape now .

After moving about ten metres, he saw a small light .

There was an exit ahead .

With relief, he took another step . Then, his foot slipped .

'Damn .

It was already too late when he spoke .

The rock he had stepped on crumbled loudly .

Yakumo fell into the darkness, dragged in by gravity

2

After Ozawa Haruka finished her orchestra circle practice, she headed for the prefabricated building in the back of Building B .

There were ten small rooms of four and a half tatami in size on each floor .

Haruka stood in front of the room at the very end of the first floor . There was a plate that read Movie Research Circle on the door, but it was a blatant lie .

The owner of the room, Saitou Yakumo, had fooled the universitys student union, created a fictional club and used the room as his own .

Yakumos left eye had been red from birth and had the unique ability to see the spirits of the dead .

A hateful guy .

That had been Harukas first impression . A contrary person who was unfriendly and hated to deal with others .

Starting with Mikis case . Haruka had experienced many incidents with Yakumo .

Most of them had been depressing, but with those experiences, Harukas impression of Yakumo had changed a lot .

Because of Yakumos unique ability, his own mother had tried to kill him and others looked at him like he was strange .

After experiencing hardship, Yakumo had put a wall between himself and others to protect his damaged heart .

However, inside he noticed more than anyone and had a kind side to him .

After Haruka noticed that, Yakumo seemed cute to her .

Somehow, she could relax with him . Though he probably didnt intend it himself, she felt like she was being protected .

Now, she would go see him whenever she had time .

One of her friends had asked her if they were dating before . Unfortunately, the answer was no .

Though she had experienced many things with Yakumo, time had passed without any particular developments, and before shed noticed it, she was here, half a year from graduation .

After that there was probably nothing .

They might have experienced too much to become more than friends .

Close, but far . That was her relationship with Yakumo .

I wonder what Yakumo thinks she did want to ask, but she felt like doing so would ruin everything they had built so far .

She was very afraid of that .

What am I thinking about?

Haruka smiled self-derisively and looked towards the door again .

Today, she hadnt been involved in some case like usual . It would be Yakumos birthday soon . She had thought about giving him a present, but she didnt know what he would like .

After worrying about it, she decided to ask the person himself and came here .

'Yakumo-kun, you here?

Haruka called out as she opened the door .

However, Yakumo was missing .

'What? Hes not here

With a sigh, Haruka sat on her usual seat by the door .

A dreary room with nothing in it

Even the chair she sat on was just a rusty folding chair that could be found anywhere . That said, it made her calm .

It was a small room, only four and a half tatami in size, but she didnt have to put on airs here she could be herself .

Haruka rested her head on the table .

It was quiet .

'Yakumo, wont you come back soon

Once he got back, he would definitely complain, saying something like 'What are you doing here? or 'Do you have this much free time? .

When Haruka had first met Yakumo, she would become seriously mad by what he said .

However, now it was as natural to her as a 'Good morning . It was comfortable .

She had never felt this way with anyone else before .

I probably like

To clear her head, Haruka took out her mobile and started typing a message .

It was to Yakumo .

She had never received a reply from Yakumo after messaging him . It was just a one-way digital signal .

It was mysterious how she still felt like they were connected this way .

<Do you want anything?>

Haruka sent a short message and lay on the table again .

3

I have so much time

Gotou Kazutoshi yawned as he sat on the chair .

Nothing case-like had happened recently . He knew that he shouldnt want cases as part of the police, but sitting at a desk didnt suit him .

The Unsolved Cases Special Investigation Room that Gotou was stationed at had the goal of cleaning up cases that had been placed aside, as per the name .

That said, most of it was just paperwork . For Gotou, who thought before he acted, it was like torture .

After Gotou had sighed for the nth time, the door opened .

D-Detective Gotou! I-its terrible!

Ishii Yuutarou flew in with a panicked expression .

'Youre so noisy, responded Gotou with a click of his tongue .

Gotou could count on one hand the number of times things had actually been terrible when Ishii said they were .

'But

Ishii faltered, suddenly losing his momentum .

Gotou had thought that Ishii had grown a bit, but he really didnt have his feet firmly planted on the ground .

'What are you making such a fuss about?

'E-er, I passed .

'For what?

'That . I passed .

As usual, Ishii didnt get to the point .

'Whats that? Say it clearly .

'The promotion exam .

Ishiis breathing was ragged .

'Promotion exam?

'Like I said, I passed . The assistant inspector promotion exam .

'Thats good .

Gotou wasnt properly listening, but when he understood the meaning of the words, he suddenly come to his senses .

'What did you say just now?

'I said, the promotion exam

'That isnt it . I meant the rank .

'Assistant inspector .

Ishii puffed up his chest in pride .

'Youre going to be an assistant inspector?

'Yes sir .

What the hell .

Gotous sleepiness flew away all at once .

'Whats wrong? You look pale

Ishii looked at Gotous face in concern .

Though he probably didnt mean it this way himself, it felt like he was pitying Gotou . It irritated him .

Gotou lifted his hand to hit Ishiis head, but he didnt drop it .

'Excuse me

Ishii adjusted the position of his silver-framed glasses with his fingers . His gesture, which annoyed Gotou even normally, especially grated on his nerves today .

'What?

'Arent you happy for me?

Happy? You kidding?

Gotou hurriedly swallowed the words he had almost said .

If those words left his mouth, it would be like he had acknowledged the dirty jealousy in the bottom of his heart .

'Congratulations, Assistant Inspector Ishii .

Gotou turned his chair around so his back was facing Ishii .

He knew himself he wasnt acting like an adult, but knowing that didnt change anything .

'Are you angry?

Ishii walked in front of Gotou as he said that .

This guy really cant read the mood .

'Im not angry!

'But

Ishiis brows furrowed in his confusion .

'Do you know my rank?

'Youre a police inspector .

There was no malice in Ishiis words . That just made Gotou more irritated .

'Im the same as you . Assistant inspector .

'Are you joking again, sir?

Ishii shook his head, as if to say 'My, my . That gesture made Gotou even more annoyed .

Gotou clicked his tongue and stood up .

'E-excuse me Where are you going?

'I will be having lunch . Assistant Inspector Ishii .

Gotou bowed theatrically towards Ishii .

'Please stop that .

Ishii wriggled like a mollusc and clung to Gotou .

'Let go of me!

Gotou thrust Ishii away and left the room, but then his feet suddenly stopped .

Why am I so angry?

He didnt have a response .

The corporate ladder can kiss my ass!

Like that, he had done whatever he wanted up until now . He hadnt even tried taking the promotion exam, since it was annoying .

Even though nobody had told him to do it even though it was what he himself wanted why was he so irritated?

'Damn it!

Gotou kicked the wall and started walking .

4

Splish, splish

Yakumo regained consciousness while hearing the periodic sound of dripping water .

Im still alive .

When he opened his eyes, he saw limestone, winding like a gigantic organism .

Yakumo sat up from his face-up state .

He saw a faint light coming in from outside . Though it was small, there was a hole to the outside . It looked like he could get out if he crouched .

A creaking pain ran through his left leg, making Yakumos expression contort .

The lower left half of his jeans was ripped and soaked with blood

With the support of a rock jutting out from the ground, Yakumo got up and started walking, dragging his injured left leg behind him, and escaped the limestone cave while stooped over .

He was in the middle of a forest of cedar trees .

He looked up and saw the summer sun peeking through .

He naturally narrowed his eyes and covered them with his hands . Then, he heard the sound of running water .

About five metres ahead, he saw a stream .

It was about as deep as his ankle . It seemed like a spring was the water source he could see clearly to the bottom of the stream .

Yakumo went into the stream, put his face to the water to drink it and wet his dry throat, and washed the wound on his left leg .

Then, he rubbed his hands together in the water to wash the blood off .

The red water slowly flowed away .

It would probably soon fade into the rest of the water, making it indistinguishable .

Yakumo got out on the rock on the opposite side . He ripped the left sleeve of his shirt from the shoulder and wrapped the injury on his left leg on it, using the sleeve as a bandage .

Yakumo went to the nearby cedar tree, sat down and calmed his breathing .

Why did this happen?

After he had regained his calm, that question came to Yakumos brain .

The man who died was the priest of the temple, Seidou . The two of them had walked this weedy path last night and went into the limestone cavern he remembered that .

Something was following them then .

But Yakumo wasnt sure of what . When he tried to remember, his head started hurting, as if to stop him .

Yakumo gave up on trying to remember what happened around the incident and started organising his thoughts in order .

Yesterday morning, a man came to the Movie Research Circle at the university .

It was Eishin . He was fairly old, but he had a large frame with a good physique . At first glance he looked gentle, but he was broadminded .

He had been the teacher of Yakumos uncle, Isshin .

After Isshins death, he had been persistent in trying to get Yakumo to continue at the temple, so Yakumo found him troublesome .

'Theres something Id like to request .

Eishin had said that the moment he entered the room .

'I refuse .

Despite Yakumos refusal, Eishin continued anyway .

'Do you know about reincarnation?

Eishin smiled .

Reincarnation .

Yakumo was half-dumbfounded when he heard the word .

Rustle .

The rustling of a tree brought Yakumo back to his senses .

Something had run through the grass .

A raccoon .

Yakumo was relieved, but he knew he couldnt stay here forever .

If the police found his way out of the limestone cave, they would probably come here right away . He had to put as much distance as he could between them before them .

Most importantly, he couldnt just keep running like this .

He needed to gather information and confirm what had happened . No matter what terrible truth was waiting for him, it was his duty to know .

Yakumo stood up with determination and began to walk along the stream

5

With complicated feelings, Ishii threw himself into the paperwork .

I want to become like Gotou as quickly as I can he had frantically tried his hardest with that mind set and taken the assistant inspector promotion exam for that reason, but he hadnt thought he would really be able to catch up .

And he was also surprised that Gotous rank was assistant inspector .

Did he fail the test? No, that wasnt it . He probably hadnt had the time to even take it .

Rather than taking a promotion exam, Gotou had chosen to act as a detective inspector . And how was Ishii in comparison to that?

After asking himself that, Ishii thought he was horribly lowly .

His shoulders slumped just as the door to the room opened .

The chief of the detectives, Miyagawa Hideya, showed up .

Though he had a small frame, he had a bald head and thick eyebrows . Underneath that, he had glaring eyes with a sharp glint in them which had the pressuring air of a carnivore .

'Where Gotou? said Miyagawa in a forceful and gravelly voice after looking around the room .

'Ah, er, he just stepped out .

'Slacking off at a time like this .

Miyagawa walked in angrily with large strides and then sat on top of the desk with his arms crossed .

'Did something happen? Ishii asked timidly .

'This morning, a corpse was found in the back of a limestone cavern in Nishitama, said Miyagawa with a sigh .

'A corpse

The victim was Todayama Seidou, the priest of a nearby temple . Fifty-eight years old .

Miyagawa continued his explanation in a flat tone .

'The incident occurred at about nine this morning . There was an anonymous tip about a corpse in a limestone cavern in the mountain area of Nishitama .

'Anonymous

It wasnt rare for anonymous information to come to the police .

Especially in big incidents, informants didnt want to get involved .

'It seems like that limestone caverns famous as a spiritual spot .

'Perhaps he went there to test his courage?

'We dont know the details yet, but its possible . Anyway, two policemen went that and found a corpse, like the tip said .

'Oh .

Ishii gave a response lacking feeling .

He saw the outline of the case, but it was out of their jurisdiction . He didnt know why Miyagawa had gone out of his way to talk about it .

'It seems like the corpse was stabbed all over .

'Stabbed all over

The image of a priest covered in blood in the limestone cavern came up in Ishiis head . He gulped .

If he actually saw it, he probably would have screamed .

'So the Nishitama precinct sent a request for cooperation .

'To us?

Ishii was surprised .

'Yeah .

'Why is that?

'The two officers he went witnessed a suspicious man at the scene .

Miyagawas way of speaking was impassive, like he was reading a speech, but his expression was unusually grim .

'Is he the culprit?

'The Nishitama precinct says its likely .

'I see .

'In the officers testimony, the man who ran from the scene had a red left eye .

Miyagawa said that without a pause .

'Eh?

It took some time for Ishii to understand .

Ishii only knew one person with a red left eye .

Saitou Yakumo .

But that was just from the people Ishii knew . He couldnt deny the possibility that there were other people with red left eyes .

'Look at this .

Miyagawa might have sensed what Ishii was feeling, because he took a piece of paper from his breast pocket and placed it on the desk .

It was a copy of an identity card which looked like a student ID .

T-this is

When Ishii saw what was written there, he was lost for words .

Meisei University, Saitou Yakumo

'There was a wallet at the limestone cavern . Seems like this was in it, explained Miyagawa .

'Thats

Yakumos head flashed through Ishiis mind .

Well-defined features and skin was white as porcelain . Terrible bedhead and sleepy eyes .

He had a blank expression and acted indifferent ot everything, but in the back of his eyes, he coolly observed others words and actions .

It was true that his perception had led them to solve many cases, but at the same time, Ishii felt frightened .

When he stood in front of Yakumo, he felt like Yakumo saw right to the bottom of his heart, so Ishii couldnt relax . There was something mysterious about Yakumo .

It might have been because Yakumo was the son of that man

'The Nishitama precincts sending a detective over, said Miyagawa while crossing his arms .

'Could it be that we are

'Exactly .

'Eeeehhh!

Ishii exclaimed without thinking .

They were going to cooperate with a detective from the Nishitama precinct and chase Yakumo . To Ishii, it just seemed like a bad joke .

'Dont complain . I told them in advance that youre Yakumos acquaintances .

'I-isnt that bad?

'Theyd find out anyway . Itd be even worse to hide it .

'I see

It was just as Miyagawa said . If they hid it, the information would come out easily once they searched . If it was found out later, it would become an even worse problem .

'Anyway, get Gotou back before they get here .

Miyagawa finished with that and then briskly walked out the room with his bow-legged gait .

Ishii felt like a gigantic weight had been placed on his shoulders . It seemed like he would be crushed flat .

Did Yakumo really kill someone?

Ishii couldnt find the answer to the question eddying in his heart .

6

Assistant detective inspector? To hell with that .

Gotou was walking on university premises in his irritation .

The first term of university had ended and now it was summer vacation . It wasnt bustling like usual it was rather leisurely .

Gotou was headed for the Movie Research Circle room, where Yakumo was .

Gotou didnt know himself why he had come here .

If they met, Yakumo would just complain and make Gotou more irritated .

Despite that, Gotou would want to meet Yakumo when he was in an ill humour . This wasnt the first time .

It would be difficult to explain, but Yakumo made him feel that way .

'Sorry to bother!

As Gotou said that, he opened the door to the Movie Research Circle .

'If you know youre a bother, please leave .

This brat!

Gotou swallowed the words he was about to say and his eyes went wide .

In front of him wasnt Yakumo but Haruka .

is what Yakumo would say .

Haruka laughed, shrugging her shoulders .

'Oh, its you, Haruka-chan?

Gotou sat on the folding chair in the corner of the room and loosened his tie .

The room had no air conditioning just an electric fan . If he stayed an hour in this room, hed be drenched in sweat .

'Would you like something to drink? asked Haruka, standing up .

'Anythings good as long as its cold .

'Roger, Detective Inspector Gotou .

'Its Assistant Detective Inspector .

Gotou hadnt meant to say it, but it slipped out of his mouth .

'Eh?

Haruka looked confused .

'Its nothing . Anyway, something cold .

'OK!

After saying that, Haruka went to the refrigerator in the back of the room .

Recently, it had become so natural that he hadnt noticed, but looking at it like this, Gotou felt like hed visited the house of a newly-wedded couple .

Even though a man and woman of the same age were at such an intimate distance, they werent dating . It boggled Gotous mind .

Rather than the two of them both not being honest with themselves, they were probably just not good with romance .

'Though I dont have the right to say anything said Gotou as he stretched .

'Did you say something?

Haruka came back with a bottle of tea .

'Its nothing . Anyway, wheres Yakumo?

Gotou accepted the tea from Haruka and gulped it down .

'Gotou-san, you werent together with Yakumo-san then, said Haruka, sitting down on the folding chair and propping her head up in her hands . From that response, Haruka didnt know where Yakumo was either .

'Yeah .

'Is there another case?

Haruka looked at him doubtfully .

It appeared that she thought Gotou only came to see Yakumo when there was a case .

'Thats not it . I was just wondering how he was since I havent seen him around lately . How about you?

'I felt the same way .

Haruka smiled .

At this lull in their conversation, Gotous mobile phone rang .

The display showed Ishiis number .

'Your mobiles ringing .

Gotou thought about ignoring it, but with Harukas comment, Gotou had to answer .

'What?

<Detective Gotou, its terrible!>

He heard Ishiis agitated voice from the phone .

'Dont make such a fuss .

<But it really is terrible!>

'Then talk, Gotou said curtly .

It really did make him irritated to think that this useless guy was on the same level as him .

<Ah, yes sir . After you went out, Detective Gotou, I was doing paperwork for a while, when>

'Forget the preamble, Gotou interrupted .

<I-I apologise, sir . This morning, a corpse was found in a limestone cavern in Nishitama . >

'And?

Though Nishitama was a neighbouring city, it was a different jurisdiction .

The police organisation was very aware of its borders . If people stuck their necks into other jurisdictions business, thered be trouble .

<The police are chasing a man as an important person of interest because of evidence and eyewitness testimony . >

'So thats the culprit then .

<W-wait! Thats not it!>

Ishii hurriedly stopped Gotou before he could hang up .

'Whats not it?

<The name of the person of interest is Saitou Yakumo-shi . >

'Ah, I see .

Gotou was about to hang up when he suddenly realised what Ishii had said .

It cant be .

<Excuse me Detective Gotou>

Ishiis wavering voice came through the receiver .

'Whatd you say just now?

<I said that the person of interest was Saitou Yakumo-shi>

Gotou hadnt heard wrong .

'When you say Yakumo You mean that Yakumo!?

Gotou sat up as he shouted in his agitation .

Haruka looked at him anxiously, seeming to sense that something terrible had happened .

<Yes sir . That Yakumo-shi, the one we know . >

'Youre kidding me .

Gotou couldnt accept Ishiis words .

However, Ishii wasnt the type to fool people or joke around . That made his words ring true .

Yakumo was a person of interest in a murder case like Gotou could accept something as stupid as that .

As if to deny Gotous thoughts, something somebody said flashed through his mind .

That child will kill people .

Yakumos mother, Saitou Azusa, had said that .

It was a rainy night fifteen years ago .

That day, Azusa had had her hands on the neck of her own son, Yakumo, while incoherently saying, 'That child will kill people .

Were those words that came from delusion or a prophecy

Now, Gotou couldnt see the answer .

<Hello, Detective Gotou?>

Gotou came back to his senses when he heard Ishiis voice .

This wasnt the time to remember the past .

'Explain in detail .

Gotou sat down on the chair again with a hard expression .

7

Yakumo stopped his walking along the river .

A drop of water hit his cheek .

He looked up . Thick clouds blanketed the sky .

'An evening shower

As if they had waited for Yakumos murmur, large raindrops suddenly started to fall .

Climbing down the mountain would be dangerous in the rain .

Yakumo looked around and saw a large rock with a hollow in it a bit beyond the river .

He could probably take shelter there if he stooped over .

Yakumo quickened his pace while dragging his left foot and slid his body into the hollow of the rock .

The large raindrops hit the ground loudly, creating a light mist . Yakumo decided to rest until the shower was over .

He ran both his hands through his hair and wiped them off .

After letting out a long sigh, a womans face flashed through Yakumos head .

Ozawa Haruka .

He couldnt remember clearly now what his first impression of her had been .

Somebody troublesome has come along he had probably just thought something like that .

She would disappear once she had used him and didnt need him any more . He had thought shed be one of that type . After some time, he wouldnt think about her again . Like scenery passing in a car window .

However, the word Haruka had said so casually had destroyed the prejudices and sense of values that Yakumo had had up until then .

Beautiful .

Haruka had said that when she saw Yakumos red left eye .

Though Yakumo didnt say it, that word had healed Yakumos impoverished heart more than anything that had ever been said to him up until now .

Because of his red left eye, which could see the spirits of the dead, he was viewed as something strange and looked at by the world with curiosity .

'Creepy .

'Scary .

'Pitiful .

Hate . Fear . Pity

Each of those words hurt Yakumos heart, as if they were sharp blades .

Im not wanted .

It was natural for him to think that way .

I dont want to be here . I want to disappear . Yakumo had wished for death countless times, but as somebody who could see the spirits of the death, he knew that death was not a release from pain .

Yakumo felt like the word Haruka had said when she saw his red left eye beautiful had pulled out a stopper that had been in his heart .

Like it had told him it was all right for him to exist .

There had been many cases after that . While going through those, Haruka had become more than somebody who was just passing by .

That wasnt all . After she had become a part of his life, Yakumos world had started to change .

Isshin and Nao . And Gotou Yakumo had realised that there were other people who wanted him to be there .

At some point, the world had become something he didnt want to lose, and there were people he wanted to protect .

In the past, he would have thought that troublesome, but it was different now .

It was pleasant . He had been taught that he wasnt the only person in the world . It felt like he was being released from the suffering that he had been burdened with up until now .

Why am I suddenly thinking about this?

With a self-derisive smile, Yakumo shut his eyes .

Perhaps because his nerves had calmed, he was assaulted by a heavy sleepiness .

He had somewhere he could return . That was why he had to return . There were people who were waiting people he wanted to see

Just as his neck lost its strength, Yakumos eyes flew open .

He couldnt fall asleep carelessly in a place like this .

Yakumo shook his head .

At the same time, part of his memory came back to him .

He was in the cavern at the back of the limestone cave . Where Yakumo had woken up .

The flames of the candles were flickering .

Seidou stood there with lifeless eyes, as if his soul had left him, and gripped a knife .

'What do you plan to do after knowing the truth? asked Seidou in a flat voice .

At the time, Yakumo had said something, but he couldnt remember what

'I see . Then

Seidou smiled slightly and gripped the knife more tightly .

Everything suddenly went dark and then another image appeared in his mind .

A place like a temple .

'Do you believe in reincarnation? said Seidou .

A girl had been standing next to him .

She had bobbed hair and well-defined features, like a doll .

'Im the reincarnation of my mother .

Though the girl smiled, there was no emotion there .

This girl was empty .

You?

While he was thinking, a jolt of pain ran through the back of his neck, bringing him back to reality .

A piece of a memory, just a moment . Everything was jumbled . He couldnt determine at this stage what it meant .

However, it appeared clear that there had been some sort of quarrel between Yakumo and Seidou .

Furthermore, Seidou had been holding a knife . It wouldnt be difficult to believe that after their quarrel, Yakumo had stabbed Seidou .

The doubt that had started to disappear came back again .

'That cant be .

By saying it aloud, Yakumo cut down the growing anxiety in his heart .

If he theorised recklessly without all the information, he would become bound by a hard perspective and would be able to arrive at the truth .

For now, he wanted information . In order to do so, he would need to go to Seidous temple .

Yakumo waited for the rain to stop .

8

'Whats wrong? Haruka asked Gotou once he finished his call .

Though she hadnt heard clearly, she could tell that something terrible had happened to Yakumo from the bits and pieces of the conversation she did hear .

Her heart was pounding .

It made Haruka recall what had happened half a year ago . The incident when Yakumo had disappeared without a word

The corners of her eyes felt warm just from thinking about it .

She didnt want to feel that way again .

Gotou sat there silently with a stiff expression without answering Harukas question .

It felt like he wasnt sure if he should talk .

That attitude made Haruka even more worried about the gravity of the situation .

The heavy silence continued .

The sound of the rain sounded incredibly loud .

The rain was heavy the sound of the countless raindrops hitting the ground rang through the room .

'Please tell me .

Haruka gripped Gotous arm .

Guess theres no avoiding it with that expression on his face, Gotou let out a breath in resignation and said 'I dont know the details yet as his preface .

'A corpse was found in a limestone cave in Nishitama .

'A corpse

Could it be

Haruka felt like she had suddenly fallen into a bottomless darkness .

Tell me it isnt true Haruka stared at Gotou with that wish .

'The person who died was the priest of a nearby temple, said Gotou, as if he had sensed Harukas feelings .

'I see

She knew it was indiscreet, but she was relieved that the corpse wasnt Yakumo .

'The police are chasing Yakumo as a person of interest .

'Eh?

Haruka said that without thinking .

It wasnt like she hadnt heard what Gotou said or that she didnt understand what the words meant .

She just couldnt believe it .

'The detectives witnessed a man with a red left eye fleeing the scene . And there was a wallet left behind as evidence . Yakumos student ID had been in it .

'Thats

'From that situation, its likely Yakumos involved in the case somehow .

Gotou had said what Haruka didnt dare to say .

She felt like a knife had been thrust through her .

Its a lie .

After a silence, Haruka said just that .

She was saying that to herself . That cant be it . She wanted to believe that . She wanted that to be true .

Words from a terribly desperate wish

'I know that .

Unlike Haruka, Gotous words had force behind them .

There was no doubt there . There was a confidence in them like it was natural .

'Thats right .

'Right . Theres no way hed kill anybody .

'Youre right .

Though Haruka gave a firm reply, she couldnt clear a niggling doubt .

Why?

'The question is what to do now, said Gotou, interrupting Harukas question .

'Thats right .

They needed to find out the truth to see why this had happened . And

'Wheres Yakumo-kun now?

'I dont know .

Gotou crossed his arms in his displeasure .

'Did he run?

'Seems like it .

Haruka realised what had been bothering her .

'Why did Yakumo-kun run?

Haruka didnt understand .

If he hadnt killed anybody, he wouldnt have needed to run . He could have just explained what he was doing .

And Yakumo must have known that running in that situation would be unbeneficial for him .

'I dont know .

Gotou frowned .

'Was there something that happened that made it necessary for him to run?

'Itd be faster to ask him .

'But we dont know where he is .

'Well find him .

Gotou puffed out his chest with confidence .

'But how?

'We just have to check the places we think he might be .

Gotou wasnt joking he probably really meant to do that .

However, Haruka didnt think theyd be able to find Yakumo that way . Going around mindlessly wouldnt do anything they needed to find a clue .

'Are there no leads?

'Ah, thats right .

Gotou seemed to recall something after hearing Harukas words . He clapped his hands together .

'What is it?

'Seems like the place where the corpse was found was a spiritual spot .

'A spiritual spot

Haruka murmured that as she mulled it over .

It was likely that Yakumo had been there following some spiritual mystery for some reason .

Even if that were the case, it was incredibly unlikely that Yakumo would chase a case related to spirits of his own volition .

'Did somebody bring a spiritual investigation to Yakumo?

Haruka said the question that came to mind .

'Its possible .

'But who would it be?

'I dont know .

'I dont either

Haruka thought about it, but she couldnt think of anybody .

Just as the conversation had come to a lull, the door opened .

'Yakumo-kun?

Haruka stood up and looked at the door, thinking Yakumo might have returned .

However, the person standing there wasnt Yakumo

9

Ishiis shoulders slumped in his disappointment .

He took off his glasses and leant on the back of the chair, looking up at the ceiling .

The detective from the Nishitama precinct would be here soon, but it didnt seem like Gotou would be coming back hed hung up the phone, saying <Only share info> .

Ishii understood why Gotou thought that way too .

If he met up with somebody from the Nishitama precinct, he wouldnt be able to move freely . And he probably didnt want to be asked too much about Yakumo .

However, Ishii didnt like being left behind . He couldnt explain why Gotou wasnt here, and he didnt have the confidence to do this alone .

Ishii covered his face with both hands . Then, he heard a knock on the door .

'Ah, yes .

Ishii hurriedly put his glasses back on and stood up .

'Excuse me .

The door opened . Ishii looked at the door and saw a woman standing there .

She was probably in her late twenties . She was tall, but she had an elegant figure .

Her hair was very short . With almond eyes, she looked strict at first glance, but she was quite the beauty with her feline features .

'My name is Natsume Youko . Im from the Nishitama precinct .

While saying that with good enunciation, she took out her police ID and held it in front of Ishiis eyes .

'Ah, I apologise for not introducing myself sooner . I am Ishii of the Setamachi precinct .

Ishii was still troubled as he gave a polite bow .

'I believe that Chief Miyagawa has already contacted you .

Youko walked right up to Ishii .

When she looked at him with her clear eyes, Ishii felt awkward and dropped his gaze to the floor .

'Ah, yes . I heard earlier .

'So where is the other detective? said Youko, looking around the room dubiously .

She had hit him where it hurt .

'E-er today er, he wasnt feeling well

It didnt look like Youko was going to accept Ishiis explanation as she fixed him with a stare .

It wasnt like she was glaring at him, but it made Ishii feel timid .

'A-anyway, please sit down .

Ishii tried to change the subject and took out the folding chair in the corner of the room .

'About cooperating with the investigation said Ishii once Youko sat down .

'Ill say this now, but you dont need to cooperate with the investigation .

Youkos eyes narrowed as she said that in a clear tone .

'Eh?

Ishii was so surprised that that was he replied with .

'I said that you dont need to cooperate with the investigation .

'Yes, but . .

'What is it?

Youko looked at Ishii sharply .

Though Ishii was surprised by what Youko said so suddenly, he felt like she and Gotou were a bit similar .

An aloof detective who liked working independently . That was the impression Ishii had .

'But the superiors have said

'The people at the top dont know the situation . Working with an impromptu team would be no help at all . Furthermore, investigating with a man

Though Youko didnt finish, her feminist side could be seen .

'Then what did you come to do today? asked Ishii after gulping .

If she didnt want to ask for help with the investigation, why did she come all the way here? Ishii didnt understand .

'You know Saitou Yakumo, right?

That gave Ishii a start .

He couldnt reply immediately his gaze just wandered . However, it wasnt as if the answer was stuck to the walls or the ceiling, so he was just wasting time .

'You know him, right? repeated Youko .

'Ah, no Rather than knowing him Well, I do

Ishii wiped the sweat on his forehead .

He knew it was a pointless answer . He really was useless .

'Why is he?

It was a straight question . Like Gotou, she appeared to be the type who hated beating around the bush .

'No, we dont know where he is either right now

If they did, they would have already gone to meet him .

'Then tell me where you think he would go .

Youkos eyes were forceful .

Under that pressure, it was difficult for Ishii to breathe . No criminal could escape if she were chasing them . It made Ishii feel that way .

'Places I think he would go

'Places he often visits . His lovers house, his friends house . Anythings fine . Just tell me the information you know .

There was fervour behind Youkos words .

It appeared that she had already jumped to the conclusion that Yakumo was the culprit at this stage .

'Detective Natsume, do you think Yakumo-shi is the culprit?

After a silence, Ishii finally said just that .

'Its certain that hes the most likely suspect .

For a moment, Youko looked surprised by Ishiis response, but then her expression became blank again and she replied in a flat tone .

'I see

'What do you think?

'I

When Youko asked a question back, Ishii was lost for words .

It appeared like Gotou thought there was no way for Yakumo to kill anyone, but Ishii couldnt say that for certain .

Yakumo, who could see the spirits of the dead, respected life more than anybody else . Ishii knew that .

But on the other side of that, Yakumo was sometimes cold to the point it was obsessive about the things he couldnt forgive .

'Whats wrong? said Youko, sticking out her pointy chin .

'I believe it is too early to say

'Is that from the situation? Or your personal opinion?

Another difficult question .

'I

Ishii adjusted the position of his glasses .

Which is it for me?

As if throwing a bone to Ishii in his confusion, Youkos mobile rang .

'Hello, Natsume speaking .

Youko answered immediately .

Ishii couldnt hear the conversation, but from the atmosphere, it looked like she had new information about hte case .

'Understood, replied Youko, sounding agitated .

'Did you find something out? said Ishii once Youko hung up .

'We were able to confirm this from a trainee monk at Seidous temple .

'What is it?

'Saitou Yakumo and the victim Seidou appear to have left the temple together late last night .

Youko smiled triumphantly .

Though they were still at the stage of gathering evidence, that testimony made it seem more like Yakumo was the culprit .

But

'That is only one testimony about the situation .

'Thats not all .

'Eh?

'Fingerprints from the cup that we believe he used in the temples living quarters match the ones left on the knife at the scene .

'Fingerprints

Ishii couldnt breathe .

If even the fingerprints matched, he couldnt say anything .

No, it was still too early to come to a decision . Ishii shook his head .

There was no proof that Yakumo really used that cup . They just believed that that was what Youko had said .

'Fingerprints will be taken from Saitou Yakumos room, said Youko, anticipating Ishiis thoughts .

It looked like that she hadnt overlooked anything .

If they matched the fingerprints from Yakumos room, that would confirm their suspicion .

'If the fingerprints from the room match the knife, he would go from being a person of interest to a supect .

'Thats

'Hurry and tell me where Saitou Yakumo is .

Youko looked like she might like her lips at any moment .

Ishii couldnt help but look away from her persistence .

10

Yakumo might be back .

Haruka looked with hope towards the door but standing there was a priest in religious clothes .

He appeared rather old, but he had a large frame that rivalled Gotous with a round, shaved head . He had a good physique and looked like a good person .

'What an awful shower, said the priest in a forceful tone as he wiped the raindrops off his clothes .

It was an unreserved attitude . It felt like hed mistaken them for someone else .

'Excuse me said Haruka, confused .

'Oh, whats this?

The priest looked at Haruka like he had just noticed her .

'Do you need something?

'Oh, its the first time weve met . Youre Ozawa Haruka, right? Just as the rumours say, youre quite the pretty girl .

After taking a hard look at Haruka, the priest said that and gave a hearty laugh .

It appeared he was a considerably lively man .

'Dont be so loud, you damn monk, said Gotou .

'Is it OK to say that? Who do you think helped you get the place youre staying in now? You cant have forgotten .

The priest puffed out his chest .

It looked like Gotou knew the priest . And the priest knew Harukas name . Haruka felt like she was the only one who was left out .

'Er

Though Haruka spoke up, she had so many things she wanted to ask she didnt know what to say .

'Thats right . I havent introduced myself yet . Thats my bad .

The priest awkwardly scratched his head as he said that, like he couldnt overlook Harukas confusion . Then, he sat in the chair Yakumo usually used .

'Excuse me said Haruka after the priest sat down .

'You dont need to worry; Ill tell you .

'Ah, yes .

'My name is Eishin . As you can see, Im a humble priest .

After Eishin said that with a voice full of energy, he smiled, his eyes closing as he did so .

'A priest

Actually, Isshin was my disciple . I heard about you from him, Haruka-san .

'I-is that so?

Isshin was Yakumos uncle the person who had raised him .

Haruka had been in his care a number of times too . Though he had already passed away, to Haruka, he was somebody unforgettable .

'The teacher watches his disciple and teaches him . Were alike, right?

'Yes?

Haruka was confused .

Though they had just met, his appearance and personality no matter how she looked at it, Isshin was

'Youre not alike .

Gotou spoke Harukas feelings .

'Can you really say that?

Eishin looked at Gotou meaningfully .

It looked like Eishin had a hold of one of Gotous weaknesses, because Gotou just said weakly, 'My bad .

'Gotou-san, er Do you know Eishin-san? asked Haruka .

'The hell I know him . Hes just a damn monk .

'Cant you give a better explanation? Eishin interrupted immediately .

Somehow, when she watched their exchange, Eishin seemed less like Isshin and more like Yakumo .

'To put it simply, hes like my landlord .

'Landlord?

Even after Gotou explained, Haruka didnt really understand .

'The priests quarters that Gotou is staying in belongs to the religious organisation .

'Eh? Is that so?

Eishin gave an additional explanation which made Haruka surprised .

Since Isshin had lived there before, she had thought it belonged to him . Haruka had thought that Yakumo had let Gotou stay there while thinking of Nao, but it seemed that wasnt the case .

'Normally, those unrelated to the religion are not allowed to stay there, but my wheedling got them special permission to stay there . Under the condition that Yakumo would take on the temple duties .

'I see

Though Haruka spoke like she understood, the last sentence Eishin said came up in her head .

Under the condition that Yakumo would take on the temple duties .

'Is Yakumo-kun going to become a priest?

'Dont take what the damn monk says seriously .

Gotou snorted .

'Thats my plan .

'Yakumo didnt agree to that .

'He will .

'Whats with that baseless confidence of yours?

Gotou and Eishin continued to quarrel .

'Why did you come here today?

Haruka asked a question to stop their conversation .

'Oh, thats right .

Eishin clapped his hands together .

'Actually, theres something I want to ask Yakumo . Where is he?

Eishin looked around the room . The room was small . He should have been able to tell if he wasnt here, but his movements were exaggeratedly large .

Can we tell Eishin the situation right now?

Haruka looked at Gotou since she wasnt sure .

Gotou nodded and started to speak .

'Yakumos in some trouble right now .

'Trouble?

Eishin cocked his head .

'Yeah . Theres no point hiding it, so Ill say it clearly . The police are chasing him as a person of interest in a murder case that occurred in Nishitama .

'Could it be the victim is Seidou?

'Howd you know that?

'I heard earlier that Seidou was killed .

'Was he an acquaintance of yours?

Gotou bit onto the words Eishin said without any hesitation .

'Not just an acquaintance I was the one who told Yakumo to go to see Seidou .

'What did you say!?

Gotou stood up in his excitement .

Unlike him, Eishin had a sad expression on his face .

'Excuse me Could it be that you requested Yakumos help in an investigation of a spiritual phenomenon?

Haruka said what came to her mind .

'Youre quite quick .

Eishin nodded a number of times in admiration .

'How are you so calm!? Youre the start of this! You damn monk!

Gotou grabbed Eishin by the collar, but Eishin just smiled .

'Wait, Gotou-san . Please calm down .

Haruka stepped between them and tried to pull them apart, but she didnt have the strength .

'I need to punch this damn monk .

'This isnt the time to quarrel . Lets ask Eishin-san what happened .

Fine .

Harukas frantic convincing finally got through to Gotou, who let go of Eishin and sat back down in a sulk .

Haruka sighed . She felt in her flesh and bones how tough it must be for Ishii .

'Would you please tell us what happened?

After sitting down on the chair again, Haruka asked Eishin that question .

Eishin looked a bit troubled, but then he nodded and his expression changed back .

'I met Yakumo here yesterday morning .

'Yesterday

'Actually, Seidou came to me for advice a little while back .

'Was that related to a spiritual phenomenon?

'Hm, not exactly . Well, something like it .

It was an incredibly vague response . It looked like it was difficult to talk about .

'What does that mean?

'To put it in one word, reincarnation .

Reincarnation .

In Harukas head, that word reverberated with the inauspiciousness of a curse .

11

Reincarnation .

In the hollow of the rock, Yakumo glared at the rain while crouching . The voice echoed in Yakumos ear .

When Eishin had said that, Yakumo had had a terribly bad feeling .

'Theres a girl who says she was born again .

Yesterday, Eishin had gone to Yakumos room and said that with a troubled expression .

Why is he troubled Yakumo remembered feeling that was odd .

In Buddhism, after somebody died, they were reincarnated in one of the six realms based on their actions when they were alive .

It should have been natural for a Buddhist like Eishin .

Though he didnt know too much about it, Buddhism had a no-soul stance .

The reason why Yakumo wouldnt agree to Eishins request that he inherit the temple was largely related to that .

For me, who can see spirits, to put my faith in Buddhism, which doesnt recognise the existence of spirits

It would be incredibly unnatural .

'Thats outside my jurisdiction, Yakumo had said .

However, Eishin hadnt backed down easily .

'Why do you say that?

'I can see the spirits of the dead . I dont know what they were in their past lives .

'But dont you have any interest in it?

'I dont, Yakumo said firmly .

'Really?

'What do you mean by that?

'Im interested .

Eishin smiled .

'Then why not go yourself?

'I did . Now Im asking you .

He really was persistent . Yakumo ran a hand through his hair .

'I said this earlier . I see the spirits of the dead . Not their past lives .

'What if that girl says she was her own mother in her past life?

Yakumo had thought he had misheard, but Eishin just smiled with no intent of changing what he said .

'That doesnt make sense, said Yakumo, leaning on the back of the chair .

It would have been more sensible if it were the father, but the mother gave birth to the child . It would be impossible to be reincarnated then .

'Dont you think its mysterious?

Eishins eyes narrowed .

He probably thought that Yakumo was the type of person who would become interested in a puzzle and act on it .

Yakumo knew himself that he had a side of himself that was like that, but he couldnt shake the thought that this case really was outside of his jurisdiction .

'Please ask somebody else .

At the time, he really had meant to refuse .

'The girl in question was an abandoned child . Shes in a temple now .

Eishin continued speaking .

'Is that so?

'That temples one that Isshin trained in when he was young .

'Uncle

Something shook within Yakumo .

Come to think of it, when Isshin was alive, Yakumo had just relied on his kindness hed never talked to him at length .

He knew practically nothing about the sort of life Isshin had walked he hadnt tried to know either .

I can talk to him whenever . That was what he had thought .

I should have talked to him more when he was alive .

Regret gripped his heart .

'The head priest, Seidou, was Isshins senior disciple .

'So?

'Youve gone to that temple before too .

'I did?

Yakumo cocked his head .

'Thats right . That was around when Isshin decided to take you in

Eishin looked up, as if searching his memories . Yakumo unconsciously started searching his memories as well .

He recalled an old temple . It wasnt Isshins . Someplace else .

There was a statue of the Buddha at the front .

Sitting atop of lotus leaves in meditation . His half-open eyes seemed to see right through Yakumo he couldnt relax .

Isshin was next to him .

While gripping Yakumos hand, Isshin said something . Something very important but Yakumo couldnt remember .

What did he say?

Yakumo closed his eyes and asked himself that .

At the time, Isshin was about the same that Yakumo was now . Yakumo had remembered thinking that Isshin was old, but now that he thought about it, he had been quite young .

But still, Isshin had determined to take in the child that his sister had tried to kill .

Why?

Now, that doubt bubbled up from deep within Yakumos heart .

When Isshin was alive, Yakumo had never thought about that . He felt like the answer to that question was in the words that Yakumo couldnt remember .

The answer is in that temple .

Yakumo had no proof, but he had started to feel that way .

'Wont you go to that temple to take a look? Eishin asked again .

It didnt take much time for Yakumo to decide .

The rain had stopped while Yakumo was recollecting what happened .

Yakumo crawled out from the hollow in the rock and looked up at the sky .

The clouds, which had been so thick, had become much thinner . They had probably dropped at the raindrops they had been holding .

Though the clouds were thinner, the sun had already hidden itself behind the mountains, so the sky was dyed scarlet .

Night would fall soon . It would be better to hurry .

Yakumo started walking .

12

Eishins story was a strange one .

It was too confusing for Gotou to swallow .

'So that girl said she was her mother reborn?

Eishin nodded .

'Isnt that strange? interrupted Haruka as she leant forward .

'It is . It is strange, but

It was rather bad enunciation for Eishin .

'Isnt that girl just lying?

'Thats what I thought at first .

Eishin shook his head .

'Then

'First, I need to talk about that girls story .

Eishin nodded to himself .

'The girls?

'Thats right . That girl isnt Seidous daughter . About ten years ago, she was abandoned in front of the temple . A baby just a few days after she was born .

'Thats horrible

With wide eyes, Haruka covered her mouth with both hands .

Though Gotous expression didnt change, he felt the same way as Haruka .

It was inhuman to abandon a baby who couldnt even live on its own yet .

But it was undoubtedly true that there were parents like that .

'So the priest called Seidou took the kid in .

'Thats correct . He adopted her and named her Hatsune .

'How about her mother?

'She hasnt been found yet .

'Then theres nothing to prove shes her mothers reincarnation . You dont even know if shes alive or dead .

Gotou voiced the question that came to his head .

Gotou had seen a number of television programmes in the past about reincarnation .

The people on these shows always declared they had memories of the past, which proved that they were reincarnated .

During investigations, the information that police gave the media was limited .

Knowledge that only the culprit could know could become a confession .

In this case, since they didnt know who the mother was, they couldnt tell whether the girl was telling the truth .

'Theres that .

Eishin looked even more troubled .

'Eh?

'About three months ago, it seems like Seidou and Hatsune went foraging for mountain plants, but at that time, Hatsune said that there was a limestone cavern ahead .

'And there really was one?

Eishin nodded . 'Right . Deciding just from that was much too easy .

'Couldnt she have gone there to play by herself?

'Its not the sort of place a child can go alone .

'She just happened to know, right?

'That might be the case, but there are other odd things .

'Like what?

'She also said correctly that there was a lake about three kilometres from the temple, said Eishin quietly .

'A lake You can see that from a map .

Gotou snorted .

It was a bit unreasonable making an uproar about past lives just from that .

'Well, you can think about it that way, but the problems still ahead .

'Ahead?

'Hatsune said that there was a corpse at that lake .

'A corpse?

'Right . Her mothers No, maybe I should say her own

Eishin crossed his arms and cocked his head, focussing on something odd .

'A corpse is quite the matter .

'Right .

'Then?

Gotou urged Eishin to continue, but Eishin looked blank .

Honestly . The old man was playing the fool .

'So was there a corpse there?

'I dont know, Eishin replied immediately .

'You didnt check?

'Of course not . How would I?

'How? You could just call the police

'If I called the police about a corpse because a girl who said she was her mothers reincarnation said there was a corpse there, do you think theyd send people to the lake? Eishin said, pressing Gotou for an answer .

Even Gotou couldnt rebut after Eishin said that much .

Just as Eishin said, the police probably wouldnt move unless a part of the corpse was found . But

'Then theres no proof of her past life .

'Dont be in such a rush . Theres still more .

'More?

'About ten years ago, there was a rumour near the lake .

'What sort of rumour?

'The people there used to say they could hear a womans screams coming from the lake every night . Thats right about the time when Hatsune was abandoned .

'You saying somethings there?

'Though I dont like putting things together so simply, this time, Seidou was killed in the limestone cavern . Dont you think we should take the story seriously?

After Eishin said that much, something seemed odd to Gotou .

'Could the limestone cave that the priest called Seidou was found in be

'You just noticed? What a fool .

Eishin snorted scornfully .

A corpse was found in the limestone cavern pointed out by the girl who said she was her mothers reincarnation so that was it .

That did make it seem like something was there .

'So you asked Yakumo-kun to investigate, interrupted Haruka after listening to the story silently .

'Well, thats how it is .

Eishin laughed loudly like he thought something was funny .

Gotou understood the gist of it . It certainly was an odd case . However, there was something that Gotou just couldnt accept .

'I cant believe Yakumo agreed to investigate .

To be honest, Eishins story was incredibly suspicious . Because of Yakumos personality, Gotou couldnt think that Yakumo would stick his neck in .

'The temple in question is a place where Isshin trained in the past . Seidou is Isshins old acquaintance too .

'Isshin-sans murmured Haruka, half-closing her eyes .

So thats how it was .

Gotou understood now .

To the old Yakumo, it wouldnt have mattered what sort of temple it was .

He had built a wall around him and decided to keep everyone out of it, regardless of what other people thought or how they lived their lives . However, it was different now .

Something besides spiritual phenomena had aroused Yakumos interest .

'The problems what came after that, said Gotou, clearing the heavy air .

'Thats right . What can we do?

After Haruka agreed, Eishin nodded as well .

The conversation had just got back on track when Gotous mobile rang . It was from Ishii .

What bad timing this guy has .

'What do you want!?

Gotou yelled at the phones receiver .

13

Yakumo dragged his injured left foot along as he walked beside the river .

It was already dark .

All he could rely on was the faint light of the moon .

He didnt even know if there was a path here . Furthermore, the shower earlier made it easy for him to slip .

He had to walk through the weeds while keeping in mind his injured leg .

Yakumo placed a hand on a cedar tree and wiped the sweat off his forehead .

It wasnt just his forehead that was sweaty . His body was drenched with sweat, making it sticky .

How far had he walked? How much further did he have to walk before he could get out of this forest? He didnt have any idea .

Like a realisation of Yakumos current state .

He had gone to the limestone cavern in Seidous car last night . It was about fifteen minutes away .

Even if he left out the time he had been stuck during the evening shower after falling in the lime stone cave, he had walked for more than three hours . He should have been arriving at the temple soon, but it didnt seem like it would happen .

Perhaps hed taken a wrong turn somewhere, or perhaps he was just circling the mountain, but whichever was the case, he had made the wrong choice .

The exhaustion made his body heavy . With an empty stomach, he had no strength .

His left leg pulsed with pain like it had been struck with a hot iron .

Why am I running like this?

That question suddenly came to Yakumo .

He had also had the choice of staying there and explaining the situation to the police . That would have been much easier than running .

Running would also make the police more suspicious .

I might have killed him .

One big reason was that Yakumo couldnt clear that thought out of his head .

He remembered up to when he went to the limestone cavern with Seidou, but he had lost his memories of what happened after that .

Boxers who were knocked out in a match often remembered standing in the ring but forgot that they had participated in a match .

The strong impact on their brain made them forget the memories around the event .

However, that didnt mean that the memories had been erased . It was just temporary memory loss . When they watched a video of the match, they would sometimes remember that something had happened .

Yakumo had to go to that temple and recall what had happened at the limestone cavern .

To protect somebody important to me .

Yakumo took out a piece of paper that he had stuck in his pocket . It had been stuck on the doors to the cavern .

All that was on it was a short message .

<Youre the one who killed him . If youre caught by the police, somebody important to you will die . >

It was like something out of a novel .

However, Yakumo understood the true meaning of the message .

The biggest reason why Yakumo had made the choice to escape .

'I have to go .

Yakumo now had somebody who was important to him who he wanted to protect no matter what he had to give up in exchange .

And so

Yakumo gritted his back teeth and started walking again .

14

'Was that Ishii-san just now? said Haruka after Gotou hung up .

If it was Ishii, he might have some new information .

'Yeah . Theres a problem .

Gotou sounded depressed, which was rare .

'Eh?

'Fingerprints thought to be Yakumos were found at the temple . They match the ones on the knife left at the scene .

'Thats

Haruka couldnt say anything else .

'Well, at this stage, theyre just thought to be Yakumos . They havent been proven to be his .

Gotou said that in a forced cheerful voice, like he couldnt let Haruka look so down .

'Thats right . Youre right .

Haruka said that for herself, but it didnt clear her worries .

'Anyway, Im going .

Gotou stood up .

'Where are you going?

'Police are coming here now .

'Police?

'Yeah . To get Yakumos fingerprints . If I meet up with them, itll be a problem .

Gotous face looked pained .

'What if the fingerprints in this room match the ones on the knife? asked Haruka, though she knew the ansewr .

Gotou looked like he felt awkward, but then he spoke after sighing .

'Then the police will change Yakumo from a person of interest to a suspect .

Though Haruka had known, hearing it made it feel like she had been pushed off a cliff .

'Then what are you planning to do after leaving here? said Eishin in a casual tone that didnt match the atmosphere .

He appeared to be a terrifyingly laidback guy .

'Whaddaya mean, what am I planning to do!? Im going to look for Yakumo! said Gotou with determination .

A complete opposite of Gotou, Eishin just said, 'I see, like the matter wasnt related to him .

'Im going too, said Haruka .

She wanted to meet Yakumo as soon as possible . And she wanted to confirm .

You havent killed anyone, right?

It wasnt that she didnt believe in him, but she wanted to hear it from his mouth .

'You cant . Haruka-chan, you cant come along, Gotou said firmly .

'Why not?

Haruka stood up and pressed Gotou for an answer .

She couldnt just wait by herself in this situation . She knew she would just be a hindrance, but she still wanted to go .

'Theres something else I want you to do .

Gotou placed a hand on Harukas shoulder .

'Something else?

'Yeah . Even if I do find Yakumo, hes a fugitive right now .

'Thats why we have to look for him .

'Listen to me .

When Haruka repeated her request, Gotou rebuked her .

'I

'Haruka-chan, you meet up with Ishii .

'With Ishii-san?

'Right . To solve the puzzle behind this case . Make a place that Yakumo can return to .

A place that Yakumo can return to .

Gotou was probably right . Even if they did find Yakumo, they couldnt do anything if the police were still chasing him .

He would be a fugitive for his whole life if they didnt clear his name . But

'Can I do it

'Thats a silly question .

Gotou snorted .

'Eh?

'Its not about whether you can do it or not . Youre going to do it .

'Yes sir!

Haruka gave a bright reply .

She felt like Gotous words had saved her . All she could do now was believe and act . If they didnt do anything, they couldnt save Yakumo .

'OK, lets get out of here now . Ill walk you part of the way .

'Thank you very much .

'Do your best!

As Haruka and Gotou were about to leave the room, Eishin said that with a small wave .

Gotous face went red when he saw that response .

'Youre coming with me, you damned monk!

'Why?

In contrast to Gotous agitation, Eishin was just sitting on the chair placidly .

'Dont you Why me! Youre responsible for this mess!

Gotous anger had reached its peak .

15

Ishii was waiting for Haruka at a coffee shop .

It was a privately-owned coffee shop near the station . There was a broken and unmoving wall clock there .

Ishii sat at the round table in the very back of the first floor and watched the entrance .

He would meet Haruka soon . And it would be just the two of them

If the situation werent like this, he would have been so happy, but he felt depressed thinking about what was going to happen .

It looked worse and worse for Yakumo .

The police were probably getting Yakumos fingerprints from the room at the university now .

If the fingerprints matched Ishii didnt want to think about it .

'Ishii-san .

Ishii lifted his head at the voice .

Haruka was standing in front of him .

Ishii had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadnt noticed Haruka coming in .

A mistake he would never live down

'E-excuse me .

Ishii hurriedly stood up and bowed deeply .

As he did so, he knocked over the coffee cup on the table .

'Ack!

'Ishii-san, are you all right?

Haruka went to the counter and borrowed a towel, wiping up as much of the coffee Ishii had spilled as she could .

This act that she did so casually made Ishii feel like his heart had been pierced .

'Ah, no, Im really sorry .

'Its all right . Would you like the same thing?

'Eh? Ah, yes .

While Ishii was troubled, Haruka ordered two coffees from the waiter .

Ishii really was useless . You couldnt tell which of them was older .

'This is quite the situation .

After they sat down across from each other and had calmed down, Haruka brought up the topic at hand .

Ishii couldnt ignore the shadow in Harukas eyes . Though she was acting calm, it must have been tough for her .

'It has Detective Gotou said to solve the mystery, but to be honest, I dont know where to start

Ishii adjusted the position of his glasses with his finger .

He wanted to act cool in front of the person he liked, but the situation this time was too serious .

'We have some new information, so I should tell you about that, Ishii-san .

'What is it?

Ishiis brows furrowed .

'The reason why Yakumo-kun went to the scene of the crime .

'Ah .

Ishii understood now .

Come to think of it, he didnt know why Yakumo had gone to Nishitama .

Though Nishitama was the neighbouring city, the scene of the crime was quite remote . It would take an hour to get there by train .

It was a bit too far just for a stroll .

'A priest named Eishin-san requested that Yakumo-kun investigate a spiritual phenomenon .

Haruka started to explain after taking a sip of coffee .

Her explanation was a complicated and strange one related to reincarnation . A girl who said she was her mother reborn, and the screams of a woman that could be heard from the lake

Perhaps because of the way Haruka said it or the storys innate strangeness, Ishiis hair stood on end as he listened .

'Is that really

That was the first thing Ishii said after Haruka finished .

Ishii had read a number of books about reincarnation .

Young children talking in a language of a country that had never been to, or talking about people from a different age things like that .

Recently, it was even claimed that some people could recall their past memories under hypnotism .

Ishii didnt know if it was true or fake, because human memories were incredibly subjective .

'I dont know if it is true or not, but

Haruka put her chin in her hand and stirred her coffee with a spoon .

'What is it?

'I thought it might have something to do with Yakumo-kun .

'Huh

Ishii gave a flat reply .

It was probably true that Yakumo had gone there chasing a spiritual phenomenon, but it was difficult to think that it was related to Seidous murder case at the current stage .

'Do you doubt it?

'Ah, no .

Ishii frantically shook his head after Haruka saw through his faults .

'Its all right . I think its a bit forced myself But I think theres no point in investigating the same thing as the police .

'Thats right .

It was just as Haruka said .

If they investigated the same thing, they could just leave it to the police .

'Thats why I thought that we could investigate from a different perspective that the police .

'A different perspective

Unlike Ishii, who was troubled, the corners of Harukas lips turned up in a confident smile .

'Yes . It might be a bit forced, but we can investigate with the premise that the spiritual phenomenon and the murder this time are related .

Haruka leant forward .

Ishii leant back a bit from the pressure .

'But even if you say they are related, how

'Putting together what Eishin-san said, it is likely that somebody died near the temple, limestone cavern and the lake .

'In short Well be investigating something that occurred near there in the past .

'Yes .

'But a murder case

Ishii stopped .

If a murder case occurred in the same place in the past, they should have received information about it .

'It doesnt have to be a murder, said Haruka, like she had read Ishiis thoughts again .

'Eh?

Ishii lifted his head in confusion .

'Accident, suicide, disappearance anything is fine .

'I see . We can just pick up whatever seems related .

'Yes .

'You really are amazing, Haruka-chan .

'Im not just helping Yakumo-kun for show .

Haruka smiled bashfully .

When Ishii saw that, he felt a twinge of pain run through his chest .

I wonder if Haruka would be so frantic if I were the one being chased as a murderer Ishii suddenly thought that .

He knew the answer .

Haruka was always glad and sad by turns while at Yakumos side . To her, Yakumo was somebody special who couldnt be replaced by anybody .

How cute .

That had been Ishiis genuine thought when he first met Haruka .

After experiencing a number of cases, Haruka had become much more adult-like, but that adorable smile hadnt changed .

Ishii didnt know how many times it had soothed Ishiis exhausted heart, but Harukas eyes had never been on Ishii .

The same person was always reflected in Harukas eyes .

Ishii felt that all over again .

'Ishii-san, whats the matter?

Haruka waved a hand in front of Ishiis eyes .

'Ah, no, its nothing . Anyway, Ill look into incidents and accidents that occurred in the past .

Ishii came to his senses and spoke after clearing his throat .

'Lets both do our best .

Haruka smiled .

'No, I couldnt

'Im the one who asked .

'No, Id love your help, but information about cases is personal information . If we showed it to civilians, there would be a number of problems .

'I see

Harukas shoulders slumped .

It was like she was stricken with her powerlessness .

'Could you look into this on the internet for me, Haruka-chan? suggested Ishii, feeling guilty .

'The internet?

'Yes . Id appreciate it if you look into rumours about spiritual phenomena or incidents in the area online .

'I see . We could do that as well . Thats Ishii-san for you .

Harukas expression became brighter all at once .

Normally, Ishii would feel happy about the distance between him and Haruka shortening, but today was different .

No matter how short the distance between him and Haruka, that would still be the distance between friends . That was because Harukas heart was filled with Yakumo .

If Yakumo were arrested as a murderer, would Harukas feelings change?

Ishii ended up thinking something imprudent

16

Gotou drove the car .

He got stuck in traffic, so he took more time than he expected . It was already dark out .

He got off the highway and turned onto the winding mountain road . He was almost at his destination .

In the passenger seat, Eishin was sleeping soundly .

Damn . He looks so comfortable .

'Oi . Wake up .

Gotou shook Eishins shoulder .

However, his lips just flapped open and close it didnt look like he would wake up at all .

He was terribly laidback . Even Yakumo had his hands full with Eishin . but that he had to agree with .

'Wake the hell up already!

When Gotou yelled, Eishin finally sat up and rubbed his eyes .

'Youre so noisy . What do you eat to have such a loud voice? said Eishin while stretching .

This monk doesnt shut up .

It even made Gotou think Eishin, rather than Isshin, was the one who raised Yakumo .

'Ill listen to your complaints later tell me directions .

'Left at the next intersection . Then just drive along the road, said Eishin, sounding annoyed, and then he lay back on the seat again and closed his eyes .

It looked like he planned on sleeping again . What kind of joke was this?

'What sort of man was Seidou? asked Gotou, looking at Eishin .

'What is the point of asking that?

'It might give us a lead .

'It wont be much help .

Eishin got up and wiped his face with both hands .

'Why not?

'Peoples hearts change moment by moment . Thats why there isnt one set shape of a person . In short, the person named Seidou that I know is only who he is at a certain time, and a subjective perspective on top of that .

When Eishin spoke like that, it was like he was reading a sutra . His eyes seemed to be unfocussed as he looked forward .

'Dont say something so difficult .

Dont hide this with smoke .

'It isnt difficult . For example, you think that Yakumo wouldnt kill somebody .

'Of course not .

What are you saying this for now?

Gotou wanted to spit that out in his irritation .

'What is your proof?

'Thats the sort of guy he is .

'Lets change the question . When did you last meet Yakumo?

Gotou was lost for words at the unexpected question .

He couldnt remember the exact date, but

'About a month ago .

'In the month you havent met him, something might have changed in Yakumos heart that led him to murder .

'Dont be ridiculous . Peoples feelings dont change so easily .

Gotou hit the wheel in his anger .

'Is it that ridiculous? Hasnt Yakumo changed already?

Eishin had pointed out something that hurt, so Gotou couldnt reply .

He had first met Yakumo fifteen years ago

On a rainy night, Gotou saved Yakumo from his mother, who was about to kill him . At that time, Yakumo had had eyes so cold and expressionless they made you think he wasnt a seven-year-old child .

Whats going to happen to this kid?

Gotou had been worried about Yakumos future .

When they met again, Yakumo was fifteen .

At the time, it had been dangerous for Yakumo .

It felt like he would crumble if anything happened .

If Yakumo had killed somebody then, Gotou would have probably thought, 'He finally did it

But Yakumo had met Haruka . He had changed greatly .

Peoples hearts continue to change with time and outside influences . Thats how it is Gotou understood that, but he shook his head in denial .

'He wouldnt kill anybody, now or in the past .

'How frank .

Eishin stifled his laughter .

'Are you going to praise me or speak ill of me? Make up your mind .

'Why would I praise you? Eishin said without a pause .

This damn monk is really annoying!

Gotou buried his urge to yell into his stomach . They were off topic .

'Forget about that and just tell me what kind of man Seidou was!

'Letting the blood get to your head so quickly is a bad habit .

'I dont need your concern, said Gotou with a click of his tongue .

Even talking with Yakumo might have been better than talking with Eishin .

'Well, the Seidou I knew was a good man .

'Anybody would be when compared with a damn monk, said Gotou, his voice filled with all the resentment that had built up .

'Thats true . Seidou was meticulous and reliable . He always thought of others .

Gotou had meant to say that sarcastically, but there was no point if Eishin was just going to admit it .

'And? Gotou urged .

'He was Isshins senior, but he was good at watching over him . Isshin looked up to him like a real older brother . They were quite similar .

'A faultlessly good guy then?

'I said this earlier, didnt I? Thats just that person at a certain time .

'I know that . Youre saying that there mightve been a reason you dont know that he was killed, right? Gotou said casually .

'Well, thats what Im trying to say . Though I shouldnt say this, Seidou had a son

Eishin spoke in a slow tone .

Gotou noticed that Eishin said 'had in the past tense, but he didnt ask about it .

'And?

'He committed suicide .

'Suicide

'Yes . He hanged himself in the temple .

Gotou swallowed . It was because he understood what Isshin was trying to say .

A faultlessly good man, but his son killed himself

Gotou didnt know if Seidou was the cause of it, but it was a fact that Seidou hadnt noticed that his son had been cornered to the point of suicide .

Peoples hearts changed . The person somebody knew was only one side of them .

What do I know about Yakumo?

Gotou asked himself that .

Perhaps I think I know but actually dont understand anything at all

17

After Haruka returned to her flat, she turned on her computer right away .

She opened an internet search and typed in 'spiritual phenomena and 'Nishitama .

There was a considerable number of hits .

There were personal sites about spiritual spots with maps and photos .

Haruka clicked each of them and glanced over them .

Though it was boring, simple work, she also knew that this was all she could do now .

Wheres Yakumo-kun now? Whats he up to?

For just a moment, Harukas hands stopped as she looked out the window .

The evening shower had probably cleared the clouds . She could see a bright fool moon .

What if Yakumo really killed somebody?

With no preamble, that question came up in her head . No, that wasnt true . The truth was that it had been in the back of her head, but she had tried not to think about it .

'I

She couldnt answer that right now .

As if pulling Haruka away from her negative thoughts, the mobile phone on the table started vibrating .

The number on the display was the newspaper reporter Hijikata Makotos .

She had experienced many cases as well .

<Are you all right?>

The moment Haruka picked up, she heard Makotos frantic voice .

'Yes, I

<OK . Yakumo-kun is in quite the situation>

'Excuse me Has the information already got out?

<Yes . Though the name was kept out, I know an officer at the scene saw a young man with a red left eye . >

That was Makoto the reporter for you . She was quick with information .

'I see

Haruka knew herself that she sounded depressed .

Yakumo killed somebody though she didnt want to believe it, that information was spreading on its own .

People who didnt know the true Yakumo would just see the information and decide he was a murder . Harukas chest heart when she thought about it .

Yakumo isnt that kind of person!

Haruka wanted to yell, but that voice wouldnt carry to anyone no matter how much she did .

<Isnt there anything I can do?>

'Eh?

<Let me help with something . >

Makotos forceful words made Haruka happy .

When Haruka first met Makoto, she had seemed somewhat difficult to approach . Perhaps because of that, they hadnt talked very much .

However, that impression had changed after a number of cases .

Haruka didnt know if it was because Makoto had changed or because Harukas thoughts had changed . However, it was an example of something that made her feel how human relationships changed .

'Is that all right?

<Of course . Yakumo-kuns helped me a lot as well . Plus>

Haruka heard Makoto breath out awkwardly .

'What is it?

<I cant believe it either . >

'Cant believe it

<I cant . I cant believe Yakumo-kun would kill somebody . >

Haruka felt like Makotos words saved her .

It wasnt just her . Other people believed in Yakumo too . Knowing that made Haruka happier than anything else .

At the same time, she felt how pathetic she was for being shaken earlier .

No matter what happened, she had to believe in Yakumo until the end . Haruka bit her lip and strengthened her feelings .

<Haruka-chan, you believe in Yakumo-kun too, right?>

'Of course .

Haruka gave a forceful reply .

Now that she thought about it, there was no reason to doubt Yakumo .

She might have just been shaken by the flow of information and started to doubt Yakumo .

18

Gotou looked at the temple from his car, parked by the side of the road .

Like guards, two uniformed officers stood at the tiled roof of the temple gate . Gotou also saw a number of men in suits that looked like private detectives coming in and out .

That was foolish, even for me Gotou cursed at himself .

Hed come all the way to the temple to search for Yakumo, but naturally, the police in the jurisdiction were here .

There was nothing he could do about it, but the problem was that he didnt have any plan now .

'What do you plan to do? said Eishin with a grin .

He had probably sensed what Gotou was feeling . Gotou felt like Eishin was mocking him for being an idiot .

'Dont you have any ideas?

Gotou turned the question around to Eishin .

'I was just forced here by you .

Damn, what a mean monk .

Gotou lay back on the seat with a click of his tongue .

It had always been Yakumos job to think . Gotou just followed those instructions and charged .

'I have one suggestion said Eishin .

'What?

'You might be able to hear the story from a trainee monk .

I see .

If he talked to a trainee monk at the temple, he might find out what happened between Yakumo and Seidou last night . But detectives from the Nishitama precinct were crawling around the temple .

'But we cant get in, right?

'Theres one walking around there .

Eishin pointed out the window .

Gotou looked out and saw a young man with a shaved head walking in robes just beside the car .

This is a chance .

'Oi, you .

Gotou ran out of the car and called out to the man in robes .

The robed man leapt in surprise, but he stopped and timidly turned around .

'Y-yes?

He had pale skin and was skinny, like a beansprout . He was fidgeting like he couldnt relax . It was just like Gotou was looking at Ishii .

'Police . I want to talk to you a bit .

Gotou showed his police ID .

'I said all I know earlier

The robed young man seemed confused .

'Relax . This detective is my friend .

Eishin got off the car and said that to the young man in robes .

'Master Eishin .

The robed man put his hands together and bowed his head in awe .

'Oi . Are you some big shot? said Gotou, surprised by the young mans sudden change in attitude .

The person who replied was not Eishin but the robed young man .

'Master Eishin is a man of exceptional virtue .

'That so?

Gotou couldnt believe it .

'Yes . Without being tied to a temple, he supervises all the temples in this area . He has a role similar to that of a counsellor .

'Doesnt look like it .

Gotou looked at Eishins face .

He didnt know how the people at the temple viewed him, but to Gotou, Eishin just looked like a selfish monk .

Anyway, if what the young man said was true, Eishin would be of help at the temple . At first, Gotou had regretted taking him, thinking of Eishin as luggage, but he might be unexpectedly helpful .

Gotou got the robed young man to sit in the passenger seat, and then Gotou sat in the drivers seat while Eishin sat in the back so that they could listen to the young man talk .

The robed man was named Shuuei .

Gotou didnt know whether that was his real name or his monk name, but that wasnt the problem right now .

'How many people in the temple? Gotou asked Shuuei to understand the situation .

'Normally, there are Master Seidou and myself . Hatsune-san makes three .

'The number of people who want to become priests has dropped lately, lamented Eishin .

It looked like few people wanted to be bound by the rules of the temple .

'Were you there last night?

'Yes .

'Was Yakumo really at the temple?

Shuuei looked up with a start, like a kid blamed for a prank . His eyes were wet and looked like they would cry at any moment .

'Yes .

'How was he?

'How

Shuuei looked troubled as his brows furrowed together .

It seemed like he was troubled about whether to speak as his mouth flapped open and shut .

'He knows about Hatsune, interrupted Eishin .

'I see

Shuueis shoulders lowered as he relaxed .

'You havent told the others why Yakumo came?

'Ah, er I was told to keep quiet about Hatsune-san, so And the police wouldnt believe it, would they?

It hurt to hear that .

Just as Shuuei said, the police wouldnt accept a story like reincarnation . Even if there were some who personally believed in it, it wouldnt have influenced the direction of the investigation .

'Then what did you say about Yakumo?

'Er, I said that nephew of Master Seidous friend came to play

I see . He didnt lie .

'So how were the two of them?

'Though I wasnt there directly, they discussed with Hatsune-san for a rather long time .

'And after that?

'When it became night, they said that they would go out, just the two of them .

'About what time?

'If I remember correctly I think it was about ten, replied Shuuei, his gaze wandering as he tried to remember .

'Whered they go at a time like that?

Gotou put the question that came to his head into words .

If they were in the city, they could have gone out for a drink to chat some more, but that was difficult to believe in the middle of the mountains .

'Though I dont know what they went to do, they said that they were going to the limestone cavern, said Shuuei in a fading voice .

'I see

The two of them went to the limestone cavern late at night, and one of them became a corpse, stabbed all over . The more Gotou investigated, the more unfavourable the situation seemed for Yakumo .

'If I had stopped them then

Shuueis voice wavered as he sniffled .

'Nothing will start if you regret the past, Eishin said quietly .

'Were you the one who contacted the police?

After the conversation had come to a still, Gotou asked another question .

'No .

Shuuei shook his head .

That was probably true . Shuuei looked like the type who couldnt lie .

'Then who was it?

'I dont

Shuuei hesitated . He wouldnt know . But

'Did you leave things as is even though Seidou didnt come back?

'Though I was concerned, that limestone cavern is also a meditation spot . In the past, he had gone there to meditate through the night, so

After Shuuei replied, Gotou looked at Eishin in the backseat . Gotou couldnt tell if the story was true .

'That happens sometimes .

Eishin nodded, sensing Gotous intention .

'I see . That was a great help .

Gotou let Shuuei off the car, stretched out and leaned back on the seat .

'What will you do next? said Eishin, leaning forward from the backseat .

He didnt seem concerned at all, as usual . It was like he was enjoying the situation .

To be honest, Gotou couldnt think of a concrete plan . He wasnt Yakumo, but at a time like this, for now

'Ill go to the scene of the crime .

19

Yakumo finally got out of the forest .

He arrived at the bank of a smile lake .

It was probably about a hundred metres to the opposite bank . Weeds grew rampant it appeared to be a place iwth few visitors .

The shining moon was reflected on the waters surface .

I was killed and sunk into the lake .

The words of the girl called Hatsune flashed through Yakumos mind .

Hatsune said that she was killed by somebody before she was born and that she sank into a lake by a tree with red flowers .

Yakumo looked around and spotted a tree with red flowers . It was probably crape myrtle .

It was likely that this was the lake Hatsune had mentioned .

If the location information hed heard from Seidou was correct, this lake was about three kilometres direct from the temple .

After falling in the limestone cavern, he had taken a long detour, but it seemed like he would be able to get to the temple soon .

Perhaps because he relaxed, his body suddenly felt heavier .

Yakumo spotted a rock nearby and sat down on it .

His muscles were screaming after walking down mountain paths that he was unaccustomed to . Dragging his injured left leg had also been a heavy burden .

Furthermore, he hadnt eaten anything since last night .

He was terribly hungry it felt like his stomach was twisted .

Im exhausted .

Yakumo hung his head .

All he could hear was the sound of the wind and insects .

Its quiet here .

He shut his eyes and let out a deep breath . Then, a sleeping memory came back to him .

A memory from when he visited Seidous temple yesterday evening .

Yakumo walked into the temple together with Seidou . There was tatami there with a statue of the Buddha at the entrance .

It was an incredibly strange situation .

Zen Buddhism did not acknowledge the existence of spirits . The soul and body were one; they were not to be separated .

They also believed that if one focussed on life, that would create worldly thoughts, becoming an obstruction to religion .

In such a Zen Buddhist temple, he, who could see the spirits of the dead, was standing to solve an incident regarding reincarnation .

Yakumo was smiling self-derisively when his eyes met those of a girl standing in the corner of the temple .

That was Hatsune .

A girl with glossy black hair . Her face was somewhat reminiscent of Naos .

However, there was something decisively different .

Shes hollow .

Yakumo felt that the first time he saw her .

Not her appearance, but her heart .

She was as expressionless as a manmade doll . He couldnt tell where her round eyes were looking .

'You are?

Yakumo bent over to ask Hatsune that .

'Hatsune . But before, I was Minami, said Hatsune expressionlessly .

There was no ill will there . It felt like she believed that wholly .

'Which should I call you?

'Whichever you want . I mean, both are me .

Hatsune smiled awkwardly .

'I see . Then, Hatsune-chan, where is your mother right now?

Yakumo stared at Hatsunes large black eyes .

The answer to that question was

'Damn it . I cant remember .

Yakumo said that aloud and ran a hand through his hair .

He lifted his head in resignation, but then he saw a girl in front of him .

Lit up by the moonlight, she glared at him from below the crape myrtle tree .

She had on a uniform of a knee-high skirt and a blazer the same girl hed seen in the limestone cavern .

She knows something .

Yakumo stood up while pressing a hand against his hurting left leg . Dragging his heavy body forward, he started to walk towards the girl .

The distance of about ten metres felt considerably long .

'Who are you? said Yakumo after walking up to the girl .

I wont forgive you . Absolutely not .

The girls dry purple lips moved as she said that in a voice that echoed to the bottom of his stomach .

It was a voice trembling with hatred .

It was almost as if a black flame of hatred had engulfed the girls surroundings .

Yakumo felt a chill .

A strong hatred that had still not dissipated after death . Yakumo didnt know how to soothe feelings this strong .

I wont forgive you .

The girl said that again and then disappeared into the darkness .

20

Ishii groaned as he looked at the computer monitor .

Though hed declared to Haruka that he would investigate the past cases, he didnt know where to start, to be honest .

It would have been fine if it were just murder cases, but including accidents and suicides greatly increased the number of documents . Furthermore, they didnt have a set time . It was like looking for a needle that had fallen in the desert .

'Hah

Ishii had just let out a sigh when he heard a knock on the door .

'Please come in .

Ishii had thought it would be Miyagawa, but the person who opened the door and came in was Youko .

'Ah!

Ishii stood up at the unexpected arrival .

'Theres something I want to ask you .

Youko walked over briskly and sat in Gotous seat, opposite Ishii .

'If its something I can answer replied Ishii, readying himself . To be honest, there were some things he could say and some things he couldnt .

'Who is Saitou Yakumo?

'Eh?

The question was so sudden that Ishii didnt understand .

'Ive looked into him .

'Which means

Ishii looked at Youkos face .

He tried to see her true intentions, but all he could see through his glasses was Youkos cold and expressionless face .

'it appears hes stuck his nose into a number of cases .

'I-is that so?

Why does Youko know that though Ishii had that question, he played dumb .

When Ishii wrote work reports, he had done his best never to mention Yakumos name it was an ordeal every time . That meant there was no way Yakumos name would come up in the cases .

'Dont play dumb . Most of the people at the precinct here know his name . Theres a whole rumour about how hes the one solving all the cases .

Youko said that all at once . Perhaps because she was agitated, her cheeks were a bit red .

Even if Ishii hid it in the documents and he and Gotou kept quiet, Yakumo showed up at the scene so often that it was natural for the other investigation members to suspect something .

However, he still didnt know how to explain Yakumo .

'Is it true that he can er, see them?

Youko glanced at Ishii awkwardly .

So the rumours that wide while Ishii was surprised, he came to a decision .

'Yes . Yakumo-shi can see the spirits of the dead that is, he can see ghosts .

'Please dont be ridiculous . Theres no such thing as ghosts, right?

Youko spread her hands in an exaggerated appeal .

Perhaps she wanted him to deny it . People didnt believe things they didnt experience themselves .

'There are, Ishii said firmly .

'Do you have proof?

'He has always led us to cases solution . Those cases are proof .

'Are you saying that the cases were solved because he could see ghosts?

Though Youko was acting tough, her heart was unsteady . Ishii could see that easily .

'I am . Yakumo-shi hears the spirits of the dead and solves the mystery behind the case as a result .

'Even if that were true, why did he kill somebody this time? said Youko, tapping the desk with her finger .

'I dont know . Thats why Im investigating .

'You think Saitou Yakumos not the culprit?

Youkos eyes narrowed .

Ishii couldnt reply to that question immediately . The reason being

'I dont know .

Ishii shook his head .

The doubt within Ishii hadnt left him .

Did Yakumo kill somebody, or

21

Yakumo stared at the lake where the girl disappeared for a while, but then he turned around, suddenly having the unpleasant feeling that somebody was watching him .

His eyes met a gaze within the grass .

The two eyes, lit up by moonlight, were dyed a deep red .

Yakumo swallowed .

A speckled pattern, a triangular head . It stuck out a brown tongue as its tail went back and forth .

A pit viper .

'This is bad .

Yakumo regretted entering the thicket carelessly .

Pit vipers were a venomous snake common in Japan .

The venom of the pit viper was a haemotoxin which destroyed the tissues, blood and blood vessels within the body . Since it caused internal bleeding, there would be intense pain in the affected area . It could also cause fever and confusion .

A number of deaths had been reported before as well .

I cant be bitten .

Yakumo regulated his breathing and stepped back, trying to avoid making any sound .

Crack .

Hed stepped on a tree branch .

Yakumo turned around, startled by the sound . Then, the pit viper bared its fangs and attacked .

Yakumo leapt back, but his injured left leg wouldnt move the way he wanted to . He staggered .

The pit vipers fangs sank into his left leg .

As Yakumo fell to the ground, he grabbed a tree branch and brought it down on the pit vipers head .

It hit .

The pit viper separated from Yakumos leg immediately and disappeared into the thicket .

'Damn it .

Yakumo took off his belt, wrapped it around his left thigh and bound it tightly .

It was to avoid letting the poison spread . However, if he bound it too tightly, it would interrupt the blood flow, speeding up the necrosis of his tissue from lack of oxygen .

He would have to regularly loosen the belt to allow blood to flow .

Yakumo rolled up his jeans to check on the injury .

There were two small red dots a bit above his ankle . Fortunately, because of his jeans, they didnt appear to be too deep .

Putting your lips to a snake bite to suck out the poison wouldnt reverse the effects .

On top of likely infection, bacteria such as those from tooth decay could invade .

All he could do now was wait .

Even if he started to walk to a hospital, he didnt know where there was one . Even if he did, it would have been very far .

If he moved, it would quicken his heartbeat, spread the poison more quickly and worsen his physical state .

Most importantly, going to a hospital would be going to get caught by the police himself .

Yakumo crawled to a nearby rock, stretched out his legs and sat, resting his back against it .

The symptoms from the pit vipers venom would show up in twenty to thirty minutes .

With exhaustion and an empty stomach, he didnt know how much he would be able to resist, but all he could do was wait .

Yakumo looked up at the shining round moon .

When he looked at the captivating pale moon, he felt himself calm down .

I might die .

A feeling close to resignation spread throughout Yakumo .

I wonder where Ill go when I die .

Yakumo could see the spirits of the dead . However, those were only the spirits who had unfinished business and were remaining in this world . Yakumo didnt know where spirits without unfinished business went .

Now that he thought about it, it was an unfortunate fate .

It felt like hed been fighting against the current all this time .

All he had experienced from that was a great amount of sadness .

However, he had no regrets . The reason being

If he had just one wish, before he died, just once more

I wish I could have seen her again

22

'Oi . How long does this slope go?

Gotou called out to Eishins back as they climbed up the slope .

Hed thought that theyd be able to get to the limestone cavern by car, but the asphalt-paved road had stopped . After that, hed had to walk through the weedy path with a torch in hand .

He was out of breath . Even his underwear was soaked with sweat .

'Dont whine . Its only a bit more .

Even though Eishin was fat, he walked with incredibly light footsteps as he climbed the slope .

Theyd had this exchange a number of times already, but it had already been twenty minutes . Gotou thought he would die from exhaustion .

'Lets take a short break .

'I said, its only a bit more .

'I know .

Gotou took off his tie, unbuttoned down to the third button of his shirt and then started walking more quickly .

'See? Were here .

Right after that, Eishin stopped . Gotou stood next to Eishin .

There was a craggy rock mountain with a black hole in its middle .

On both sides of the entrance, there were two uniformed guards .

It looked like theyd noticed them, as they came towards them with the light of a torch .

'Im Gotou of the Setamachi precinct .

Gotou showed his police ID .

'Setamachi precinct? said an officer . Whats a detective out of his jurisdiction doing here? That question was written on his face .

He looked incredibly serious inflexible . However, Gotou was used to dealing with people like this .

'The person of interest is in my jurisdiction . I was instructed to check on the situation .

'At this time?

'Since whenve the police worked at a set time? If theres a case, the time shouldnt matter .

'Ah, no

Gotous sudden forcefulness startled the officer .

'Or does your precinct stop investigating once times up? Whos in charge here? Ill beat them into shape .

'P-please forgive me . G-go ahead .

The officer looked ashamed as he replied, spine pencil-straight, but he gave Eishin a glance .

'This is Master Eishin, friend of the victim . Hes coming in with me you dont mind, right?

'Please go ahead .

Gotou casually walked towards the limestone caverns entrance .

'So you can do it if you try .

Eishin slapped Gotous back while grinning .

Even though Gotou was being praised, for some reason, he couldnt be honestly happy about it .

'Stop talking lets go .

Gotou walked into the limestone cavern with Eishin at his side .

Its cold .

Cold air enveloped him, like he had walked into a refrigerator .

It was probably because light didnt come in from outside . It was pitch black . He couldnt see anything that wasnt lit up with the torch .

Drip, drip . He could hear water falling .

'Quite a guy to think of meditating here, said Gotou as he took careful steps .

'He was a zealous and serious man .

'Unlike you?

When Gotou said that, something pushed his back .

Gotou slipped and almost fell, but he managed to avoid that by grabbing a nearby rock .

'What the hell are you doing!?

'If you yell so loudly, youll fall again, said Eishin as he stifled his chuckled .

I cant let my guard down .

'I dont like meditating in places like this, said Eishin, suddenly stopping .

'You afraid?

'Dont be ridiculous . Its a problem of thinking .

'Thinking?

'Meditation must be done in the middle of life . Walking all the way to a place like this to meditate isnt meditation .

Eishin had his hands together and eyes half-closed he looked solemn, as if his arrogance and laziness up until now had all been a lie .

However, admitting that would irritate Gotou .

'Forget about the pretentious talk and hurry up .

Gotou walked briskly into the depths of the limestone cavern .

After about five minutes, there was a wide space . One corner appeared to be a room surrounded by boards . That was probably where the crime occurred .

Gotou stood in front of the door to the room .

There were lights there, probably from the investigation team . Gotou flipped the switch . The bright light disoriented him .

Just as his eyes had grown accustomed to the light, he slowly opened the door .

A raw smell pierced his nose .

'Thats an amazing stink .

Eishin coughed .

Gotou covered his mouth and nose with his arm and walked inside the room .

Creak .

Every time he took a step, the floor creaked .

Gotou turned the light of his torch towards the ground and suddenly saw a dark red stain . This was probably where Seidou was killed .

Gotou bent over and looked carefully .

The floor looked like they had been scratched with fingernails . This was where he had been trying to run away but was stabbed more .

Not just the floor . Gotou spotted blood sprayed on the walls too .

It was much more brutal than he had imagined .

'This is awful, murmured Eishin .

'Agreed .

Gotou sighed .

The culprit had repeatedly stabbed somebody trying to get away . Did they enjoy seeing him in pain? Or had they continued to stab because they were so absorbed they couldnt stop?

Whichever one it was, it gave Gotou a chill just imagining it .

'So what are you going to do now? said Eishin, crossing his arms .

Gotou had thought hed be able to find something out by coming to the scene, but it looked like things werent going to be that easy .

However, he couldnt just wait because there werent any leads .

'Ill go over everything with a fine-tooth comb .

Unfortunately, that was the only method he had right now .

Eishin shook his head, looking exasperated .

23

Im losing consciousness .

Yakumos head hung because he was unable to keep his neck straight .

His body felt hot . A burning pain ran through his left leg and had near doubled in size .

The ground was moving, as if Yakumo had just been rolling his eyes about . The pit vipers venom was eating away at his body .

He consciously breathed slowly .

He put his left hand up in front of his eyes . He couldnt focus . He saw doubles of his fingers .

This is no good . I have no strength .

His left hand felt as heavy as a way . Unable to keep it up, it fell back to the floor .

He wanted to vomit . It felt like something was stirring up his stomach .

Am I going to die?

Yakumo lifted his head with the last of his strength .

Standing there was a man . He had on a black suit with long hair that went down his back . He smiled triumphantly .

His eyes were dyed a deep red .

'A pathetic ending the man said expressionlessly .

That might have been true . Without anybody watching, rotting away all alone at the edge of a lake d

'Says a dead man .

Yakumo gritted his teeth and glared at the man with two red eyes .

He was already died . He was just a spirit .

'How about it? Wont you come with me?

The man held a hand out towards Yakumo .

Where to?

Yakumo didnt know the destination, but if he took that hand, he felt like he would be released from his suffering .

'Im waiting .

The man disappeared into the darkness with a faint smile on his face .

Where are you waiting?

Before Yakumo had that answer, he saw the back of a woman standing by the lake .

He thought it was the spirit of the girl from earlier, but he was wrong .

When she turned around, he saw it was Haruka .

'You

Yakumos expression relaxed .

Haruka didnt say anything . Her brows were furrowed, like she was troubled, as she looked at Yakumo .

'Dont look like that Is it trouble again?

Haruka shook her head . There was a trace of tears in her eyes .

Yakumo hated seeing Haruka cry .

At first, he had thought it was because he was irritated, but then he noticed that wasnt the case .

'Smile for me

When he saw Harukas smile, he felt the dregs in his heart wash away .

It made him feel idiotic for worrying . He felt like it said it was all right for him to be here all right for him to live .

I should have died when my mother tried to kill me he had always thought that .

He wasnt needed by anyway .

He hadnt ever thought that somebody would smile when they saw his red left eye .

Though Yakumo coldly thrust her away, in the depths of his heart, he was thankful that he had been able to see that smile again .

He should have talked to her properly .

The truth was there were other things he wanted to talk to her about . He wanted her to know him . And he wanted to know her .

My eyes are blurry .

Haruka melted into the darkness .

Dont disappear .

With all his might, Yakumo reached out, but his hand didnt reach her .

Just as Yakumo was stricken by his powerlessness, a man appeared .

A man with a smile like Maitreya . It was Isshin .

Uncle .

Isshin made no reply . He just smiled .

Thats right . Uncle always smiled for me too .

No matter how hateful the things Yakumo said to him, Isshin had smiled and accepted them all .

Why did you go?

What Uncle said was always correct, but I didnt try to accept them honestly .

But still, Uncle stayed with me .

He always welcomed me with a smile .

Thank you .

I could never say the words I wanted to tell him most, even at the end .

I see . Uncles here to take me with him .

I have a lot I want to talk to him about .

Ill be there soon, so listen to what I have to say .

I

Yakumos hazy consciousness fell into a deep darkness .