Those were truly distant memories.
The middle-aged Police Inspector had a complex expression on his face.
Wataru Takagi!
The current Section Chief of the Special Investigation Division 1 of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.
More than thirty years ago, he was still a young, naive police officer filled with hot-blooded passion.
He followed the good-natured Inspector Juzo Megure to one crime scene after another, and with the help of detectives, they captured cunning murderers one by one.
It couldn't be helped; investigation technology was still very backward in that era, without as many instruments as there are now.
There were barely even a hundred forensic doctors in the entire Japanese Archipelago.
Therefore, it was hard work, but even if it was hard, he always felt it was worth it.
Until he encountered that thing.
Urban Legend—[The Detective].
What a twisted Urban Legend.
To actually be driven by the name of a detective, by the name of justice?
Hahahaha.
It makes one die of laughter.
A disgusting thing like an Urban Legend, actually shouting things like 'There is only one truth' and 'The culprit is you'!!
Hahaha.....
Stop joking around!
Killing people for all sorts of laughable reasons and laughable methods—isn't it all because of you, you ghostly thing?
A nightmare...
That is a nightmare!!!
Officer Takagi, now entering middle age, had a ferocious look on his face as he tightly gripped a file.....
Urban Legend File—[A002]
Identifier: [The Detective]
Coverage Range: [Global Level or higher]
Case Count: [3241]
Victim Count: [5982 people]
Case Overview: [In 1994, on July 4th, the genius famous detective known as the Holmes of the Heisei Era, Shinichi Kudo, was poisoned and killed.
According to current speculations, Shinichi Kudo's wraith is the very carrier of this Urban Legend.
Since then, bizarre murder cases began to appear in Japan, often executed with flashy methods that are impossible under normal circumstances.
After a case occurs, the Urban Legend [The Detective] will appear at the crime scene in the form of an accidental coincidence. It will completely reconstruct the murder method, conclude that 'There is only one truth,' and identify the murderer.
However, as the frequency of cases increased, the motives for murder and the methods of murder became gradually irrational.
On September 21st, Kogoro Mouri, a retired officer formerly of Investigation Division 1, noticed the problem and reported it before conducting an investigation.
On September 22nd, Kogoro Mouri was found to have lost all signs of life.
On September 23rd, Kogoro Mouri appeared at a crime scene and fell into a coma after the Urban Legend raised its hand.
The Urban Legend stood behind Kogoro Mouri and began to deduce using Kogoro Mouri's voice.
On September 24th, it was confirmed that when outside the Urban Legend's 'Story,' Kogoro Mouri loses the ability to move.
Former detective Kogoro Mouri is confirmed sacrificed.
On November 7th, Inspector Juzo Megure of the Third Investigation Division of the Criminal Department accepted the mission, taking over Kogoro Mouri's investigation.
On November 8th, Juzo Megure was confirmed to have lost all signs of life.
On November 11th, Juzo Megure appeared at a crime scene in Hokkaido and arrested the 'criminal'.....
In 1999, on August 15th, Kogoro Mouri's daughter, Ran Mouri, graduated from the police academy and continued the investigation.
On August 20th, Inspector Ran Mouri was confirmed dead.
On August 21st, Ran Mouri appeared at a crime scene. Her state appeared rejuvenated to a certain degree; after comparison, it was confirmed to be her state during her second year of high school in '94.
It is speculated that she was influenced by the cognition of the Urban Legend [The Detective].
In 2008, on January 22nd, Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya graduated from the police academy and continued Ran Mouri's investigation.
On February 11th, Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya was confirmed dead.
On February 21st, Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya appeared at a crime scene. His state also experienced a regression, confirmed to be his elementary school period in '94.
A major breakthrough was obtained regarding the rules of the Urban Legend [The Detective].
The Urban Legend's rules have been basically confirmed.]
[Urban Legend Rules:
1. When The Detective appears, any current or past resentment or dissatisfaction will be infinitely amplified into killing intent until a murder is initiated.
2. Before The Detective appears, the identity information self-recognized by the Urban Legend and its puppets, as well as traces of past cases, are automatically inserted into minds. Everyone's memories will be tampered with.
3. When The Detective is present, all laws of physics are subject to its cognition. No matter how bizarre the murder method is, it will inevitably be realized.
4. When The Detective is present, no matter how unreasonable its actions are—such as standing next to former officer Mouri—if it believes it cannot be discovered, then it cannot be discovered.
5. Everything is subject to The Detective's cognition. As long as it believes a human body can kick through a stone pillar, then it can be kicked through.
If it believes a football can kick-explode a building, the building will inevitably be destroyed.]
[Solution: No Solution!]
[Suggestion by deceased researcher Shiho Miyano: This Urban Legend self-identifies as the primary victim, Shinichi Kudo, who asserts that there are no evil spirits or Urban Legends in the world.
It is determined that 'The Detective' is a highest-grade Urban Legend.
Therefore, one can borrow 'The Detective' to expel or attempt to suppress other evil spirits, Otherworld invaders, and even Urban Legends.]
A single thin sheet of paper, yet it was so heavy.
Who knows how many people, over decades, rushing forward one after another, were needed to obtain just this thin sheet of paper.
In fact, the harm caused by the Urban Legend [The Detective] is not significant; over decades, merely five thousand or so people have died.
That thing even saves people, preventing disasters in a laughable manner.
And it is a staunch atheist.
An Urban Legend—an Urban Legend that uses the world as a stage, manufacturing disasters and murder cases to highlight itself, no different from a god—actually believes there are no gods in the world?
It's too hilarious.
It's too disgusting.
But it was precisely because of this that the sacrificed researcher proposed using [The Detective] to check and balance other Urban Legends.
Facts have proven the effect to be quite good. The seven-day certain death Urban Legend [Sadako], the open-door certain death Urban Legend [The Neighbor], as well as the Slit-Mouthed Woman, Hanako of the Toilet, and other Urban Legends have all disappeared because of this.
This time, they actually came to investigate with this objective in mind.
To investigate whether they could attract the Urban Legend [The Detective] over here to eliminate the Urban Legend [The Substitute] active in Japan.
But looking at it now....
The middle-aged Wataru Takagi furrowed his brows and murmured, "There isn't much hope..."
[The Substitute] probably doesn't have a physical reliance in reality; its carrier is more likely the concept of the entire Class 3.
In the judgment of [The Detective], it cannot be designated as a culprit.
Moreover, the [The Substitute] Urban Legend can also modify material reality and possesses reality-tampering abilities; its rank may not necessarily be much lower than [The Detective].
It is uncertain whether The Detective can lock onto the existence behind the dead one.
When the time comes, I'm afraid that even after the students of this class are finished being murdered, and captured by Inspector Juzo Megure who has been turned into a thrall ghost, the thing behind the scenes still won't be found.
Furthermore, if it were any other school, he would just try it.
Sacrificing thirty or forty people to eliminate an Urban Legend and save more people in the future—for the current him, he wouldn't even blink an eye.
But the problem is that this is the number one noble high school in Japan (Neon); behind it lie dozens of big shots from both the political and business worlds.
The application cannot possibly be approved.
"Senior... Senior Takagi..."
The young police officer called out softly.
"What is it?"
The expression on Inspector Takagi's face faded as he spoke calmly.
"This person's past records aren't right..."
The young officer took out a computer with real-world file records and spoke gravely.
*
Inside the classroom.
As Roser continuously perfected the settings, on Roser's side, a light screen imperceptible to ordinary people was scrolling rapidly.
[Constructing Transcendence Element...]
[Constructing Mythological Element failed.... Saving... Save Successful.]
[Constructing Extraordinary Element failed.....]
[Constructing Supernormal Element 'Folk Ritual Studies'... Successful..... Currently constructed folk methods: 'Heart's Blood', 'Ghost-Cursing Method', 'Ghost-Beating Method', 'Cow-Tear Ghost-Seeing Method', 'Altar-Setting Method'....]
[Constructing Extraordinary Identity Information 'Magus'..... Real-world information tampering in progress.... Tampering successful.... Real-world file tampering in progress..... Tampering successful..... Memory insertion for related personnel in progress... Insertion successful... Identity construction successful.....]
...
"Eh? So these folk methods have no effect on Urban Legends? Then does Sensei really have no other way?"
Miko Iino still wore a face full of curiosity about the settings, carrying a relaxed smile.
She was completely unaware that some students' mental states had already changed, and she still looked silly and naive.
"There is..."
Roser said casually: "Just find another Urban Legend to deal with it, no? Then let them fight each other."
The students looked at him with deadpan eyes.
If such a thing really existed, encountering one would mean certain death; where would they go to encounter a second one?
"Is there anything else?"
Kikyo Kushida, in her Little Angel mode, used a cutesy voice and looked at Roser with stars in her eyes.
Roser responded with a gentle smile: "Of course there is. You must maintain a smile, straighten your back, slightly raise your chin, and despise it?"
Combining this with the idea of anger driving away wraiths, the students seemed thoughtful: "Can this scare away the anomaly?"
"That way, you will die with a bit more dignity."
Roser retorted.
Kikyo Kushida's smile froze.
____
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