"The Izumi family's intelligence network really is all-pervasive. Even though the case details haven't been made public, the Izumi family head somehow knew that his own granddaughter was involved in it," Hidari Okumuro remarked with a sigh.
"Well, what can you do? After all, when the Izumi family head shows up, even the Superintendent-General of the Metropolitan Police personally serves him tea."
"So, did the Izumi family head just ask you to recount the case?"
"Pretty much. But before leaving, as if to issue a warning, he said he didn't want his granddaughter involved in any more cases."
"If only I had been there too… then I could've asked him about the case from Shōwa 31. Even if the family head from that era has already passed away, Yakken Izumi, the current head, must know something."
"He definitely does—because I asked him for you."
"Eh?" Hidari Okumuro blinked, surprised. She hadn't expected Yukki to actually ask!
"I was honestly terrified. The Izumi family head's presence is overwhelming. When I took the initiative to bring it up, even the Superintendent was shocked—he probably didn't expect me to be bold enough to ask the Izumi family head a direct question."
"Did he answer you?"
"When he learned that I wanted to ask about the bizarre serial murders from Shōwa 31, he said:
'You people sure are dedicated, digging into such an old case. After so many years, that woman who once took up the blade for a foolish delusion and slaughtered her own children and kin—she must be long dead by now. Still, if you're truly intent on uncovering the truth, as head of the Izumi family, I will cooperate. On one condition—keep my two granddaughters' names out of this and ensure their safety. But are you truly prepared? When you are ready—fully ready—then come and ask me again.'
And then he left."
"You just let him go?"
"Even the Superintendent-General didn't dare stop him. But before he stepped out, the Izumi family head said something. I don't know if it was a warning—or a hint."
"What did he say?"
"'Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.'"
"'Abandon all hope, ye who enter here'… what does that mean?" Hidari Okumuro frowned.
"Who knows? Maybe a warning, maybe a clue. Anyway, if you really want to investigate this case, once you're ready, head to Yamanashi and find the Izumi family head. I'll go with you—we'll investigate it together."
"Thank you, Yukki. Really."
"Don't mention it. I'm just fascinated by this case too. Besides…"
"Besides what?"
Officer Yukki's gaze grew deeper.
"The woman the Izumi family head mentioned—the one behind all those tragedies—was the head of the Kushibana family, who once ruled over the entire Gokugū Village.
"She was a woman obsessed with a twisted faith, who lifted her blade in the name of her belief and meticulously planned the slaughter of her own children and others she deemed 'suitable,' using the most grotesque methods imaginable. She was like a demon in human form.
"According to the files, even after the police encircled her, the Kushibana family head escaped—wearing only a thin kimono—and disappeared into the snow-covered mountains. The police searched for dozens of days but never found any trace of her."
"Under those conditions, even if she didn't freeze to death in the Hokuriku mountains, so many years have passed since Shōwa that she must have died of old age by now."
"If that's true, then good. But… when I was going through the case files, I couldn't shake a certain feeling. That's also why I want to investigate this with you."
Officer Yukki took a deep breath, his expression turning grave.
"The Lamb from Hell… Gokugū Village, where every household kept human dolls… the legend of the 'Black Eggshell' from Sengetsu Girls' Academy… the mysterious faith pursued by the Kushibana family head… Dante's Divine Comedy…
"And that strange hymn passed down from the Kushibana family, whose meaning remains unknown to this day:
"'The lamb without light, descends into the path of hell; the deformed celestial maiden, upon whom God bestows the moonlight.'
"All these are key elements of that old case. It's as if invisible threads connect them all—forming a web of countless, intertwining fates."
"The cursed bloodline may have been inherited. The massacre that once shrouded Sengetsu Girls' Academy and Gokugū Village back in Shōwa 31 might never have truly ended. It could still be lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to resurface and raise its bloody blade once more. We have to stop it before that happens!
"Though I once hoped that all the bloodshed of that year had been buried with the death of the Kushibana family head—even if the truth was buried along with it—thinking back now, knowing her level of obsession, it's entirely possible she set up a plan before her death. A scheme for someone, or even a group of people, to one day carry out her will and fulfill the goal she could not complete back then."
After Hidari Okumuro finished speaking, the traffic ahead began to ease, and she slowly started driving again. The lighthearted mood she'd had since resigning from the force grew heavy once more.
The case from Shōwa 31 might someday repeat itself.
Both she and Officer Yukki wanted to stop it before it could happen again.
"Hidari, the Izumi family head has already warned us not to mention the Shōwa 31 case to his granddaughters. One of them is Kotomi Izumi. So, next time we meet her, don't bring it up."
"Even without that warning, I wouldn't tell Kotomi about this case. That girl may be terrifyingly smart, but she's still only sixteen. The bloodiness of this case—and the darkness behind it—is too deep. She must never know."
As Hidari said that, a thought suddenly came to her. She quickly asked, "Yukki, I remember that Sengetsu Girls' Academy went bankrupt in Shōwa 52 and was later bought out. Then, in Heisei 3, it was rebuilt into a new school. What's it called now?"
"Let me think… If I remember correctly, it's called Sakuraka Girls' Academy. Just like its predecessor, it's still an all-girls school."
Hearing that, Hidari finally let out a long sigh of relief.
"You scared me for a second. I thought Sengetsu Girls' Academy had been rebuilt and renamed Sobu High School. Turns out it's Sakuraka Girls' Academy. That means it has nothing to do with Kotomi and the others. Thank goodness. I just suddenly remembered that she goes to Sobu High, so I couldn't help overthinking it."
"You need to calm your mind. Investigating cases without being in the right headspace often leads to mistakes. I think you should take a break before diving into the investigation again."
"Yeah… you're right."
"We've reached the station. Being stuck in traffic on an empty stomach is torture. Finally here. Come on, let's go get some pork knuckle rice. Can't think straight on an empty stomach," Officer Yukki said.
"Speaking of which, Kotomi gave me a few tickets to her school's cultural festival. Want to come along? It's this Friday and over the weekend. You should have time, right?"
"Friday should be fine. As long as no new cases pop up, I can rest over the weekend too. Is the kid performing or something? A detective stage play?"
"Something like a musical ensemble, I think. So, you coming?"
"Of course. Why not? I was planning to laze around during the break anyway. Sleeping in every day gets boring fast. A high school cultural festival sounds like a nice way to relive my youth. Give me one of those tickets."
...
A plane descended slowly through the night, landing at Haneda Airport.
"My lady, we've arrived," Atsuki said as she stood up first, gently helping Arisu Sakayanagi to her feet.
Atsuki guided Arisu through a private passageway, allowing them to leave the aircraft earlier than the other passengers. They had originally planned to charter a private jet, but Arisu had opted for discretion, so they only booked first-class seats instead.
For security reasons, the Sakayanagi family had contacted both the airline and Haneda Airport in advance, arranging for the plane's cabin door to connect directly to a private passage upon landing. Once Arisu disembarked, the door would then be reconnected to the regular passenger walkway.
Haneda Airport readily agreed—not only because it was the Sakayanagi family making the request, but also because aircraft typically needed to remain stationary for a short while after landing anyway.
During that short waiting period, the private passage was connected so that Miss Arisu Sakayanagi of the Sakayanagi family could disembark before the other passengers. Once she was off the plane, the passage was switched back to the regular boarding bridge—without causing any significant delay.
After leaving the plane through the exclusive passage, Arisu entered the airport. Taking out her walking cane, she began moving forward on her own, no longer needing Atsuki's support.
Once they had retrieved their checked luggage and were on their way out of the airport, Arisu glanced around and let out a helpless sigh.
"Fifteen on the plane, twenty more at the airport… Father is being far too cautious, isn't he? Did he really assign this many bodyguards to me?"
She had already noticed during the flight that several of the so-called passengers didn't seem like ordinary travelers. Now, after leaving the plane, she saw more men and women scattered throughout the terminal—each one pretending to blend in with the crowd, yet their demeanor unmistakably different from normal people.
It didn't take much thought to figure out that they were her father's bodyguards.
"After all, you're coming alone to the Izumi family to discuss an engagement proposal. The master naturally feels uneasy. Once we enter Yamanashi, we'll officially be on the Izumi family's territory," Atsuki said patiently while carrying the suitcase.
Outside Haneda Airport, the car Atsuki had arranged in advance was already waiting nearby.
"Ms. Atsuki?" a man from the rental company asked politely.
"Yes, that's me," she replied.
"Here's the car key. Please take it."
"Thank you."
The rental company staff bowed and left.
Since they couldn't exactly drive the Rolls-Royce Phantom over directly, Atsuki had rented a BMW ahead of time and had it delivered near Haneda Airport.
After taking the car key, Atsuki placed the luggage in the trunk, then helped Arisu Sakayanagi into the back seat.
Once Arisu was seated comfortably and had set her cane aside, Atsuki got into the driver's seat, started the engine, and pressed the accelerator.
The car smoothly left Haneda Airport and headed toward Yamanashi.
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