Chapter 57: Arson
"This is the most atrocious criminal incident in the last 30 years! The cruelty of the method is unparalleled in the entire Heisei era; its depravity is enough to be recorded in history. We absolutely cannot allow the culprit to remain at large!"
Inside the Miyazaki Prefectural Police Headquarters, the Superintendent spoke to his officers in a bone-chilling tone, his thick eyebrows knitted into a sharp V-shape on his square face.
"Yes, sir!!" Across from him, a large group of officers shouted in unison, their expressions mirrored with indignation.
On normal days, they spent their time slacking off at the station, occasionally resolving minor civil disputes; it had been a long time since they had handled a serious criminal case. The mechanical repetition of work had blunted the sharp edges of their youthful spirit, and the dreams they held in police academy had long been swallowed by the stench of bureaucracy and money.
But at this moment, these police officers finally remembered the blood that once burned in their chests—the pursuit of justice and the total eradication of evil.
"Hello?" The Superintendent, maintaining his scowling expression, answered a phone call. "I see. Understood. We will certainly provide the maximum level of cooperation."
The middle-aged man's stiff face gradually softened.
"Never mind." He looked at his subordinates as if nothing had happened. "Tokyo is sending a special task force to take over. This is no longer our business."
"Dismissed. Once they arrive, I'll arrange a reception team. The rest of you, go back to whatever you were doing. Keep the evidence preserved."
The crowd dispersed instantly, leaving only one veteran officer with thirty years of service and a burning hatred for evil standing in place.
"We don't even have the right to intervene?" he said in disbelief.
The Superintendent looked at him quietly.
"Good! You've got spirit! I hereby appoint you as our department's special liaison to interface with the Tokyo task force!" The Superintendent patted his shoulder. "Good luck—you represent the face of the Miyazaki Prefectural Police!"
"Mission guaranteed!"
The officer saluted with a stoic face. Though he was well aware of his old superior's "passing the buck" tactics, he was prepared to take the assignment.
Simply so he wouldn't fail his own conscience.
Shin'ichiro Ishigami wiped the sweat from his forehead and returned to his work.
The shadows of the forest obscured the man's face, and as sunlight filtered through the canopy, it left only scattered patches of light on his body.
He mechanically repeated a single motion, appearing incredibly immersed and focused. But in reality, his thoughts had already drifted back to yesterday's "Twilight Hour."
After finding what he sought, Ishigami no longer cared about Hikaru Kamiki, nor did he crave a companion. Kamiki wanted beautiful things to wither like night-blooming cereus, but Ishigami didn't care whether the subject was beautiful or not. Anyone could be his target.
For instance, yesterday afternoon, he had randomly selected a target on the street.
Ishigami stopped his movements, closed his eyes, and recalled the scene.
He remembered the sight of the man as he died.
A faded white T-shirt, discolored jeans, messy bird-nest hair—the man even had a half-finished bottle of beer in his hand.
A man with no shining qualities, yet at the moment he was about to die, a fierce fire burst from him. That look in his eyes—full of resentment, as if trying to drag Ishigami to hell—was something Ishigami would never forget.
After dwelling on yesterday for a moment, Ishigami opened his eyes and continued his labor.
The quality of the "gaze" was sufficient, but Ishigami still felt unsatisfied, as if something hadn't been done perfectly.
He pondered for a long time before reaching a conclusion.
*Perhaps... the quantity isn't enough.*
Ishigami grinned.
There were plenty of witnesses to the crime. It happened during the evening rush hour when the commercial street was bustling. Young couples were flirting, salarymen who had worked all day were enthusiastically choosing their dinner, and the harsh sun was about to vanish over the western horizon, prompting the elderly to come out for their evening strolls.
Suddenly, someone screamed, "Murder!" The crowd quickly descended into chaos; shouts, curses, and cries blurred together. Pedestrians fled in panic along the street, huddling together, though their progress was slow.
Coincidentally, Hikaru Hoshino and his group were also out for dinner. When they heard someone shout "Fire!", the group was feasting in a private window-side booth on the second floor of a barbecue restaurant.
The party consisted of the Hoshino family, plus Akane Kurokawa, who had been "kidnapped" by Aqua.
"Fire! Someone's on fire!"
Someone bellowed, the panic evident just from the sound of their voice.
Hikaru peered through the glass and saw a person on the street who had indeed spontaneously combusted. The victim was helplessly waving their arms, letting out ear-piercing screams.
A nearby clerk rushed out with a bucket of water and threw it, but with a *whoosh*, the snake of fire spiraled toward the sky and a wave of heat hit them even through the window.
Soon, the burning figure stopped making noise. Though still flailing, the screams grew fainter and fainter until they vanished entirely.
Ai covered Ruby's eyes and turned away, pulling her into her embrace.
"Premeditated murder," Hikaru said in a low voice.
Aqua spotted a gasoline canister discarded carelessly on the street corner.
"They must have splashed them with gasoline first, then thrown a lighter or a match to ignite it."
Akane Kurokawa didn't close her eyes. She stared blankly at the scene below, looking as if she had been frightened senseless.
"There's someone very strange over there."
Suddenly, she pointed out the window.
Hikaru looked and saw a tall, thin male in a hoodie. He was completely hidden under his clothes, making him stand out in the scorching summer heat. He was fleeing in panic along with the flow of the crowd. He was incredibly fast, almost brutally shoving aside those in his path, and disappeared within a few breaths.
"Shin'ichiro Ishigami?" Hikaru's face paled.
Aqua's pupils shook, and Ruby jumped out of Ai's arms, ignoring her mother's attempt to hold her back.
The two children watched Ishigami vanish before turning their gaze back to the unlucky soul still burning on the street.
Finally, someone reacted and used a dry powder extinguisher to put out the fire, but the charred, coal-black body already told the story of that person's end.
Ai felt afraid—afraid that she might end up with such a fate. When death truly arrives before one's eyes, most people cannot remain as calm as they imagine they would be.
Hikaru noticed Ai's body was trembling slightly. He reached out and gripped her hand tightly.
"Don't be afraid. I won't let anything happen to you," Hikaru repeated. "I won't let anything happen to you."
His voice didn't sound particularly powerful, and his thin frame didn't offer much reassurance, but Ai still felt a sense of peace. This peace stemmed from the fact that he had twice successfully saved her from danger.
"Waiter, bill please." Hikaru pulled the bell hanging on the wall, but no one came. "It seems our waiter has gone to help put out the fire."
He made a small joke, but only Aqua managed a slight twitch of the lips.
"Ishigami should be put on the police wanted list immediately."
Hikaru stood up and pulled the curtains shut, completely obscuring the window.
"Though it might be improper... I'm afraid we have to catch him before the police do."
"And then, kill him."
Akane Kurokawa hadn't quite processed the situation yet, shrinking into the back of her chair in a daze. It seemed she had been dragged into something extraordinary.
But it wasn't too bad.
Looking at Aqua's cold face, Akane thought to herself.
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