The day after the Fukuyama siblings got the news about Shinagawa Miyauchi, many black-clothed people entered the Shinagawa Household.
The sad and depressed people sat on the floor, grieving for the loss of a little life. However, the parents had it worst. The mother, Shinagawa Arata was dead in the eye.
Beside her was her husband, trying to support her lifeless wife. She walked to her son's portrait to light an incense. The way Mitsuo made her walk was as if a dead woman was walking.
She was unmotivated to even speak to her relatives.
The Fukuyama siblings were all attending the funeral early than any other relatives that arrived later. It was because they were close neighbours with the Shinagawa's.
Those three were willing to aid the misfortuned parents in their difficult times.
So, they were in charge of receiving the people that came to mourn for their son, Miyauchi.
In fact, the first people to come and pay their condolences to the Shinagawa parents were Harue, Akane and Kana. They could not believe their eyes when they arrived.
What the news said on the T.V was true.
In their house, there was a portrait of Miyauchi's happy face with flower arrangements that surrounded it.
The smell of incense wafted in the air, which spells the message of sadness to the ones in front of the deceased.
This was shocking for Harue, since the last time he saw Miyauchi, he had the same energetic expression plastered. So how could this happen?
Akane was inside, supporting with whatever work that she can do.
Harue and Kana were just outside of the Shinagawa Household, receiving the relatives and friends of the late Miyauchi.
Kana silently bowed alongside Harue who welcomed the guests into the house.
Among these people, the two noticed a girl with the same age as Miyauchi. It was Miko Aika that came with her parents. Well, Harue knew that she had a crush on Miyauchi except that Miyauchi himself did not know about it.
.....But right now, what was the point of knowing this? The person concerned is longer in this world.
Aika approached Harue and Kana with puffy eyes as she stared at Harue especially. As usual, those two bowed at them respectfully while Aika and her parents did the same.
Harue called out to Aika before she entered the house.
"Aika-chan. Be strong."
He lightly smiled as he encouraged her to move on.
"...Un.." She nodded and walked inside with her parents.
Kana watched as many familiar people from the neighbourhood kept coming. Then she detected a woman that was being pushed on a wheelchair by a man. And next to the man was a girl younger, around middle school age.
The man pushing the wheelchair was none other than Watanabe Kouki. Kana deemed him to be the second most annoying person to her.
By the way, the first place was occupied for his brother, Harue.
Anyway, on the wheelchair was Kouki's mother, Watanabe Yukino. She was paralyzed down her waist due to an accident so she was supported by a wheelchair.
She had long black hair with brown eyes. Her skin was white as if she was anaemic. But overall, she remained as beautiful as when she was young even after being a mother.
The girl beside Kouki was his sister, Tsuru. She was 15 years old, a third-year in middle school. She had the same brown eyes as her brother and mother.
Her black hair ponytail swayed as she walked towards Harue and Kana with her family.
Kana and Harue bowed then he talked with them. "Yukino-san, Tsuru-chan. It's been a while."
Yukino smiled thinly as she greeted Harue."How have you been Harue-kun. Kana-chan."
"I am well," Harue replied.
"Same." Kana followed after Harue.
Kouki intervened as he wanted to pay for his condolences to Miyauchi.
"We will talk later Harue. Mom, Tsuru, Let's go in."
They excused themselves as they went into the house.
After about half an hour, all of the persons related to Miyauchi were present in the room where the portrait was.
The sorrowful surrounding filled the room completely and the mournful ceremony began. Mitsuo, the father, was just sitting in front with an indifferent expression.
Akane sat at the back since she was not relatives to the Shinagawa Family. Harue and Kana joined next to Akane.
The priest went on to chant for the funeral. The proper etiquette was being followed and it took around 2 hours for it to come to an end.
During this time, Miyauchi's mother, Arata did not open her mouth once. She was dead on the inside. Considering who she lost, it was understandable.
A lot of sympathies was aimed towards her but it is not going to bring her only son back.
After some time, there was a meal that was going to be served. Well, Akane and Harue tried to help with the service to the relatives.
Kana on the other hand was with Kouki's family, talking amongst each other. It has been a while for Kana to see Tsuru and her mother so she thought that this is a little opportunity.
Nonetheless, after most of the guests have been served, Mitsuo beckoned the Fukuyama siblings to sit. They complied after a bit of reluctance.
Kouki too came with Tsuru and sat alongside Kana. Kouki's mother already ate as she was obliged by Kouki's persistence. Yukino was now trying to break Arata's silence.
As a mother, Yukino would understand how it feels to lose someone so precious.
"Kana-chan, did you hear the news in the morning? About Miyauchi?"
"...We heard about it yesterday."
"Today, it was updated. The authorities believe that Miyauchi is a victim of Gello. No, they are certain that he is."
Akane who listened to those two inquired more.
"Gello? Who is that?"
"Ah...You don't know, Akane-san?"
Akane gestured indicating that she has no clue on who that was. Harue too listened to Kouki explaining this individual.
Gello, a serial killer, who in his name itself holds a significant meaning. The demoness that targets only children and subjects them into gruesome torture.
The number of victims consists possibly just over a 100, all in the Osaka region and they were all boys.
The victims' age had a similarity in this case. For one year, Gello killed 12-years-olds, for the second year, Gello killed 13-years-olds, for the third year, Gello killed 14-year-olds.
The authorities confirmed that this ongoing tragedy went on for 9 years till the present. That means that Gello started killing 5 years olds first. Then the victim's age for killing progressively went up.
It was like as if Gello was targeting someone.
His unique torture methods differ from his victims. But the time that he murders is the same.
Gello always kills on the 15th of each month. No one knows why he chooses this specific day to kill. It can be considered as a way of personal satisfaction or some sort of revenge.
Either way, that does not change the fact that Gello only kills on this day.
During this 'special' day, patrol becomes reasonably higher but clearly this tactic has not been working so well.
"So what I did first was look up to every single boy that was 14 years old in the Osaka region. Then I monitored each one until something happens to one of them."
Yemon listened to Hoga as he was explaining his method to track down Gello.
"Of course, I had to start monitoring all of them like a week ago before the day of the killing because Gello could abduct his target and let him stay until that special day for him comes. But he kidnapped that kid and tortured him on the same day."
Hoga scoffed, "What an impatient guy."
Yemon looked at the screen of his computer. He was behind Hoga who was in front of his PC. Additionally, there were also two laptops on either side of the computer screen.
It was easier to view multiple possible targets at the same time.
"So you are doing it the same way for whoever you are trying to find?"
"That's correct."
"Hmm. You are actually working hard, aren't you?"
Yemon teased him as he nudged his shoulder with his elbow.
"Working hard? That's a wrong way to put it."
"What are you trying to say?"
Hoga was still concentrating on surveilling the situation on his screen.
"If I view any problem in a game's perspective, then it is not called working if I am trying to solve it."
That kind of mindset was understandable to Yemon.
"Solving it for fun, that's called a game. Solving it for work is just plain boring and exhausting."
Funny enough it made sense in Yemon's mind at least.
He wanted to try thinking about this ideal way of living but this was not easy for him to do so. It is not because that he won't but it is because he can't
Some things cannot be looked upon with the vision that Hoga described.
Yemon digressed in his thoughts and asked Hoga on who he was trying to catch.
"Who is the target this time?"
He glanced behind for a second and replied monotonously.
"Nickname is 'Shi'."
Well, this one is just like Gello. No one knows its gender, age and face. So how Hoga is going to catch?
"Shi's victims are all based in Kanazawa, so I'm just monitoring over there. One more theory the coroner for this case made on the victims, was that the time of death was around midnight."
'So it is just not the time for anything right now.'
Since it was 8 a.m, nothing was going to happen. Yemon got in his bed and rested for a bit.
"You see Shi, you tell me. And this time, be sure because I don't want any blunder like that fucking Lumen's doppelganger bullshit."
A vein popped when Hoga exclaimed.
"That was not my blunder! Just like in a game, it was some glitch or bug! That doesn't count!"
"Oh, would you shut up about your game? I'm going to sleep, don't disturb me without good news to tell me."
"That's my bed you know."
"So?"
Hoga sighed and went back to monitoring. Yemon closed his eyes and got some rest.
It was 9 p.m and Yemon fully slept like a log. Due to his accumulated fatigue when he fought Mara, he was able to sleep longer than usual.
His injuries though were not improving. The pain was still lingering in his palm, and especially his back.
He looked at Hoga who was still sitting on his comfortable chair.
"Still nothing?"
"...No."
They kept silent as Hoga continued to monitor every individual through the hacked surveillance camera. Yemon on the other hand fiddled with his phone and scanned the information about all the criminals he is trying to recruit.
'Just 4...'
It was 11 p.m and Hoga's lips curved into a sneer.
"Oi dipshit. Come and see this. I found something really interesting."
Yemon approached and did as Hoga told him.
"Concentrate on this guy."
Out of the many people he was observing, he made the screen of one specific man occupy the whole monitor. Alongside the man was a woman who was walking beside him.
".....I don't see anything strange?"
Yemon was still confused because he did not see any suspicious activity.
It was two people walking, most likely a couple.
"Do you remember this woman?"
He again checked the identity of the two, but nothing came to his mind.
Hoga sighed but a moment later, he smirkingly declared.
"This woman is dead."
Yemon was taken aback.
A dead woman walking? That just sounds like a blatant lie but considering in what world they are living, this lie could easily be turned into truth.
Yemon calmed down and observed the man again.
"What do you mean by dead?"
"According to the records, this woman should be dead."
Yemon pondered and reached to a bitter conclusion.
"....Another Magic-User?"
Hoga's eyebrows raised as he heard a discrepancy.
"'Another'? What do you mean by 'another'?"
"Ah, I didn't tell you, did I? Basically, Mara is a Magic-User."
"What? Why didn't you tell me?"
"I forgot maybe."
Hoga furiously glared at Yemon. Nevertheless, he enquired more.
"What kind of power did she have?"
"Scythe like blades grew out of her forearms. That's what made my back bleed."
"Eeee~ Is that so?"
"It's really sharp."
"Anyway, let's focus on this guy first."
They veered their attention to the peculiar man and woman.
"To add on to that dead woman, she was one of the latest victims of the murderer 'Shi'. Don't you think that this is a little too much to be just mere coincidences?"
".....The power to control a dead person...Quite unique.."
"Hey, even if he is not who you are looking for, I still would get him on my side."
"I'm not that dumb, check if he is part of the SMF. It would be a pain if he is one of the Heroes too."
Heroes keep their real identities secret as no disturbance would intrude in their personal life.
Hoga let out a snicker.
"Pfft...My hunch tells me that he is not either of that. Not with that kind of power of his."
"....."
Hoga proceeded to search for the man's information. It took only a minute to get what he wants.
"Here."
Yemon recited what was written on the screen.
"Naito Noboru. 28 years old. 177 cm. Married, lives in an apartment near Mukojima Park."
Hoga even disclosed the apartment number.
"You ready to meet him?"
"Don't be hasty. I have to confirm it in person."
"Yeah Yeah, your choice."