"No, I saw those women a few days ago as well. They originally looked different. But today, I don't know what happened; they suddenly became beautiful, swaggering through the hospital. Slowly, they turned into different people entirely, just like yokai, possessing a bewitching magic. They accused each other of being fakes and bewitched the men in the hospital into slaughtering one another."
[Amamiya Rin] cooperated with the police investigation, describing what he saw as clearly as possible, while deliberately omitting the information he shouldn't know.
Assistant Inspector [Kazumi] listened, his brow furrowing tighter and tighter. Beside him, the burly Officer [Kogure] recorded everything rapidly in his notebook, his rugged face filled with an expression of uncertainty and suspicion.
"Became exactly the same... and even bewitched men?"
[Kazumi] repeated the information [Amamiya Rin] had revealed, his tone filled with skepticism.
"Are you sure this isn't an illusion caused by shock? or perhaps some kind of mass [Hypnosis] phenomenon?"
"I wasn't the only one who saw it. Those women might not have left the hospital yet; if you look, you'll know."
[Amamiya Rin] shook his head, his tone extremely certain.
"...Is it a special incident again?"
[Kazumi]'s face darkened slightly as he muttered to himself.
"S-Senpai... don't say such scary things."
Before he had even finished speaking, [Kogure] beside him shuddered. His fierce face instantly collapsed, revealing a shrinking, fearful expression completely disproportionate to his massive physique.
"Are you a special department responsible for handling special incidents?"
[Amamiya Rin] caught their reaction and immediately pressed for answers, a trace of urgent light revealing itself in his clouded eyes.
"Special department... barely counts, I suppose. According to the Chief, there are always things in this world that common sense cannot explain. The Police History Compilation Office is the department specifically dedicated to handling these events. However, we don't have those cool superpowers like in the manga."
[Kazumi] laughed dumbfoundedly, scratching the back of his head with a rather helpless look.
He paused for a moment, then his expression turned serious.
"Do you know any other key information? Any detail could be important."
"The name of those women is [Tomie]. [Kawakami Tomie]. If you are a department responsible for special cases, you should have heard of this name, right? There was once a high school student dismemberment case. The victim's name was [Kawakami Tomie], but after her identity was confirmed, [Kawakami Tomie] appeared at school alive and well."
[Amamiya Rin]'s mind was still filled with the ceaseless arguing of the [Tomie]s. He tilted his head back, staring straight at Assistant Inspector [Kazumi], desperate for an affirmative answer.
"[Kawakami Tomie]... that name..."
Hearing the name [Amamiya Rin] divulged, [Kazumi] frowned, seemingly having heard of the case [Amamiya Rin] mentioned.
"It's the dismemberment case from two years ago! Senpai, that case happened before you joined the force; it was a huge uproar back then."
[Kogure] suddenly widened his eyes, being the first to recall the case regarding [Kawakami Tomie], and reminded [Kazumi].
"I've read the file on [Kawakami Tomie]."
[Kazumi] nodded, his expression growing even more grave.
"Magic that drives men mad, an immortal body. The earliest appearance of this name in the archives dates back to the Edo period!"
"The Edo period? Wouldn't that make her a three-hundred-year-old monster? Senpai, could you have misread it?"
[Kogure] was greatly shocked and asked in disbelief.
"I also hope I misread it, but those bizarre reports contain everything. An undying witch appearing in the Edo period isn't even the most outlandish category. Previously, weren't there fox spirits and Oni as well?"
[Kazumi] smiled bitterly, his gaze sweeping over the busy rescue workers and the shock-stricken survivors around them, attempting to find a trace of [Kawakami Tomie].
"Pause! You two, let's stop right there."
Suddenly, a woman's voice rang out.
[Kazumi], [Kogure], and [Amamiya Rin] all looked toward the source of the voice simultaneously.
"Chief [Indou]? Why are you here?"
"Weren't you still watching the horse racing live stream?"
[Kazumi] and [Kogure] straightened their bodies together. As they looked at the woman who spoke, their voices carried a hint of sarcasm.
She was a fit, middle-aged woman, wearing no makeup and dressed in casual clothes. Her features could be considered beautiful, and her arms sported very nice muscle definition.
She stood behind the flower bed with her arms crossed over her chest, eyes narrowed into thin slits. It was unclear when exactly she had appeared.
"Naturally, it's because the live stream ended. I originally planned to go play Pachinko, but I just happened to pass by and heard some incredible things."
The woman surnamed [Indou] looked nonchalant as she spoke lazily, yet her tone carried an unquestionable will.
"[Kazumi], [Kogure], you two don't need to continue investigating this matter. When it comes to cases involving [Tomie], the deeper you understand and the more detailed the investigation, the bigger the problems become, and the more troublesome it gets. You can wrap it up."
"Chief, you mean... you're taking over the [Tomie] case?"
[Kazumi] asked in surprise, while [Kogure] wore an expression that asked if the sun had risen from the west.
For the two of them, Chief [Indou] voluntarily taking on work was simply too incredible.
"Take over? Why would I take over?"
[Indou] narrowed her eyes, tilting her head to look at [Kazumi] with a 'are you stupid' expression.
"A thing that can't be killed and splits infinitely... provoking her is just for people with too much time on their hands. For a creature like [Tomie], the best way to handle her is to ignore her and let them consume each other internally. Anyway, they can torment themselves enough on their own."
"But, Chief, this is a large-scale riot event. It seems more than a dozen people have died."
[Kogure] frowned, his rugged face looking even fiercer due to his disapproving expression.
"[Kogure], guess how many [Tomie]s are in this world?"
[Indou] turned toward [Kogure], her eyes still not opening, and asked a question unhurriedly.
[Kogure] looked blank.
"The answer is: Unknown. Currently, there are three thousand eight hundred and sixty-four [Tomie]s observed nationwide. The number of [Tomie]s dumped in wilderness mountains, rivers, lakes, and rural towns is countless. The most critical issue is that [Tomie] can sense the location of her own kind, and they share the same memories. Do you know what this means?"
[Indou]'s words caused the air to freeze instantly.
[Kazumi] and [Kogure] looked at each other, their faces filled with disbelief.
Over three thousand known [Tomie]s? This number had already exceeded the concept of a conventional case.
"It means that once [Tomie] realizes the official forces are systematically hunting them, they will definitely take the initiative to find and charm those in power, turning them into their protective umbrellas. At that time, what you'll be facing isn't just unkillable monsters, but the risk of the entire government being corrupted. I imagine it is precisely out of this concern that Officer [Indou] holds such an attitude, right?"
[Amamiya Rin], who had been listening in silence, took the opportunity to interject.
____
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