Knock, knock.
A firm knock sounded at the door.
"Come in," a voice called from inside.
Takuto Nakajima opened the door and stepped into Kyouji Toda's office. He immediately noticed Toda leaning back in his chair, feet on the desk, a cigarette hanging loosely from his lips.
Despite the scar on his right eye giving him a naturally fierce look, Toda's expression was one of satisfaction.
Clearly, Kyouji Toda was once again basking in the pleasure of having dealt with criminals in his own way.
"Is it all taken care of?"
"Yes," Nakajima confirmed.
After a moment's hesitation, he voiced his concern:
"Chief Toda, you always act like this… If the Megure Police Department finds out—"
Before Nakajima could finish, Toda waved a hand impatiently.
"So what if they find out? That scum sold drugs and gunned down two people!"
"The laws in this country are far too lenient on such filth. How could I not make them pay a proper price?"
"They aren't even human, so why not have a little fun with them?" Toda grinned.
"But…"
Nakajima hesitated mid-sentence, cut off by the sudden chill in Toda's expression.
"Don't tell me you still consider them human?"
Nakajima clamped his mouth shut, unwilling to answer.
Toda tossed the notebook containing Ohga Takao's interrogation notes at Nakajima.
Catching it, Nakajima flipped through the pages, his face quickly contorting in horror.
"Chief Toda… you're still fixated on him?"
"You're familiar with the name by now. This is the third time Akikawa Kyousuke has shown up."
"That… but isn't it—"
Nakajima trailed off, unsure of how to proceed.
He remembered how, at the hospital, Akikawa had seemed no more threatening than a harmless puppy eagerly seeking attention.
"Let's not even talk about the first car accident case," Toda began.
"In the second and third cases, after Akikawa carried out his 'revenge,' there was no evidence left behind except for the criminals' confessions."
"No witnesses, no physical proof, and no clear motive."
"Even if we line up multiple convicts to accuse Akikawa Kyousuke on camera, it still wouldn't be enough to catch him. His work is airtight."
Nakajima hesitated again.
"But it seems Akikawa's actions could be seen as… self-defense, couldn't they?"
"Self-defense?" Toda scoffed.
"Injecting someone with drugs after knocking them unconscious—do you call that self-defense?"
"But all his targets were criminals. Doesn't that align with your own philosophy, Chief Toda?"
"Let me ask you this," Toda countered.
"Does Akikawa Kyousuke have the authority to enforce the law? Who gave him the right to punish criminals?"
Nakajima bit his tongue, thinking: You're one to talk about authority…
But he dared not say it aloud.
"Besides," Toda continued, "the fact that he's been able to commit multiple crimes without leaving substantial evidence proves he's a criminal genius."
"If he's confident enough to flaunt himself before the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, don't you think that's a blatant insult to us?"
"But apart from those two criminals, hasn't he avoided harming civilians?" Nakajima asked.
"That's what you think," Toda cut him off.
"How do you know he hasn't committed crimes against ordinary citizens? With his ability to leave no trace, even if he had, do you think anyone would find out?"
"Remember the car accident case? All the evidence pointed to Akikawa Kyousuke, yet no one could pin it on him."
"In my opinion, he was the true perpetrator in that accident."
Nakajima had no response to Toda's claims.
Upon further reflection, he had to admit Toda made a compelling argument.
"But without solid evidence, what can we do to him?" Nakajima asked.
This was the key difference between Akikawa Kyousuke and criminals like Ohga Takao.
For someone like Ohga, there was undeniable proof of his crimes, giving Toda the freedom to act as he pleased.
But Akikawa was different.
As Toda himself admitted, Akikawa left no trace behind. Legally, he wasn't a criminal but an ordinary citizen.
Nakajima doubted even Kyouji Toda could do anything against Akikawa Kyousuke.
"Let's not focus on whether Akikawa has harmed civilians or will do so in the future," Toda said.
"What's important is that, in the last two cases, he committed crimes such as desecrating corpses, fabricating evidence, intentional assault, and violating the Narcotics Control Act."
"In other words, he is a 'criminal.'"
"And since he's a criminal, we don't need to treat him like an ordinary citizen."
"The only thing we lack is 'conclusive evidence' of Akikawa Kyousuke's crimes."
"If we can obtain that evidence and arrest him at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, he'll face the same fate as any other criminal."
Toda grinned.
"In the Imperial Theater case and the film festival case, Akikawa left no trace. So, the only place we can start is with the car accident case."
"Wait—the car accident case?!" Nakajima exclaimed.
"Even the detectives concluded a third party committed the crime. How can we reopen it?"
"First of all, reopening isn't the right word—the case was never closed," Toda corrected.
"While the detectives are skilled at solving crimes, even they can make errors when critical information is missing."
"Tell me this: at the time, did you or the detectives suspect that Akikawa Kyousuke was anything other than an immature child?"
Nakajima froze.
"Even you, the detectives, and Officer Sato thought of him as just a kid, didn't you?"
"But Akikawa had ample motive, and the murder weapon was found at the scene. The only thing missing was a direct connection between him and the weapon."
"Now, if I told you Akikawa Kyousuke was actually a criminal mastermind, capable of murder and deception, wouldn't that change how you see the case?"
"It wasn't that the detectives lacked skill—they were simply fooled by Akikawa's act."
"And with his talents, do you really think he was confined to house arrest by his mother?"
"No, the initial investigation into that case by the Metropolitan Police was flawed."
"Mark my words: the real killer in that car accident case was Akikawa Kyousuke."
"Get me the case files, and let's use these few days at the film festival to nail him for good."
Nakajima hesitated before heading toward the door.
But just as he was about to leave, he turned back and asked:
"What if, Chief Toda, your judgment is wrong, and you end up falsely accusing an innocent person?"
"With my years of experience in the Organized Crime Countermeasures Division, my instincts don't lie," Toda replied confidently.
"That Akikawa Kyousuke is definitely guilty."
"And don't forget—he's already committed crimes."
(End of Chapter)