Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Detective School Q Tantei Gakuen Q Fan Fiction ❯ Codename: Athena ❯ The Unexplored Region Leads To Death! Legend of Kamikakushi Village ( Chapter 11 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

SailorStar9: I'm neglected this fic long enough. This is Chapter 11. Read and review.

Dragon Dagger: Glad you like this.

Yami Ami: Yes, I agree, I don't know who to pity more, Venus for her immense lack of insight or Mercury and Dauphin. And yes, Ryu is Dauphin. He just doesn't remember it, yet. (Grins)

Disclaimers: I've told you once, I'll tell you again, they are not mine...

Chapter 11: The Unexplored Region Leads To Death! Legend of Kamikakushi Village

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The scene opens with Megumi's voice.

“All six of us from Class Q were put in charge of the investigation of Kamikakushi Village by DDS where as many as seven disappearances have occurred over the last ten years.”

Kinta yawned, stretching himself.

“I sat too long. My butt hurts.” He complained.

“We're out of the prefecture again. We have to walk to Hyoutan Village from here. That's where we're staying tonight, right?” Kyu asked.

“That's right.” Megumi replied.

“We have to walk further down and go through a long tunnel to get to Kamikakushi Village from Hyoutan Village.” She added, as the six walked through the forest.

“Hmmmm, you did your homework. It's a small village and it isn't even listed in a guide book.” Kinta praised.

“I also checked it with the search engine I've developed. I got some information too.” Kazuma replied.

“Like what?” Kyu prompted.

“Kamikakushi Village has a weird religion and a legend about the old Japanese army's treasure. There's been a lot of buzz about it on the Internet recently.” Kazuma replied.

“Religion and a legend about treasure?” Kyu echoed.

“It's a religion called `Eki Shin Kyou.' They worship a god of plagues who brings about epidemics. Its history dates back as far as the end of the war.” Kazuma answered.

“Kazuma.” Ami who had been silent the whole time, begun.

“Yes?” Kazuma blinked at the older girl.

“Did your search engine come up with anything about the village before the war?” she asked.

Kazuma frowned slightly and shook his head in negative.

“I see.” Ami nodded.

“God of epidemics...” Ryu muttered.

“I read in the newspapers that there's been a cult boom lately and young people have started to live in the village. The missing student came here on a field trip with the university's `torehan' club.” Megumi supplied.

“Torepan?” Kyu blinked.

“Torehan!” Kinta corrected.

“Toreja-hantingu. That's a club that hunts for treasure.” Ryu elaborated.

“Oh, then why don't we call ourselves `torepan' too? It'll make it easier for us to search for the culprit.” Kyu suggested.

“I see. I guess that's a good idea. The criminal has made a person's disappearance look like `Kamikakushi'. If the culprit notices that we're investigating the case, we might disappear too.” Ryu agreed.

***************************************************************** *****************

After some time, the group stopped in front of a tunnel.

“Beyond this tunnel is Hyoutan Village.” Kinta noted.

Kyu nodded, “Let's go.”

“This is a very long tunnel.” Megumi commented.

“It fits perfectly with the village and a creepy case, like this `Kamikakushi'.” Kinta grinned.

“Will monsters come out, or will it be snakes? Bring it on! Come get some!” he challenged.

“It's an exit!” Kyu remarked, once the other end of the tunnel came into view.

“Alright, we're finally there!” Kinta nodded.

“This is the…” he added.

“Okay…” Ami blinked, nodding slowly.

“Welcome to Hyoutan Village?” Kyu echoed, reading off the sign.

“That's kind of disappointing.” Kazuma agreed.

“Let's go.” Ryu interjected.

As the six walked into the village, Megami commented, “This is a rather peaceful village, isn't it?”

“The name sounds relaxing too.” Kazuma agreed.

Walking past a shop, Kyu looked up and exclaimed, “Ah! They sell gourds! Should I get one?”

“Idiot! We're not on a school trip.” Kinta scolded.

Finally, the group arrived at the Ryousanpaku Main Building.

“That's the hotel we're going to stay tonight.” Kinta announced.

“It's run-down.” Kazuma protested.

“It's good. It looks mysterious.” Kyu grinned.

Sliding the door open, Kinta stepped in.

“Hello!” he called out.

“Is anybody here?” Kyu asked, stepping in after Kinta.

“I wonder if anyone's here.” Megami observed, looking around the deserted place.

Then she heard a footstep behind her and Megami turned, only to find herself looking straight into a pock-marked mask.

A split second later, she screamed.

A giggle was heard before it burst into laughter.

“That was fun.”

“They were seriously scared.”

“What's this about?” Kyu stammered.

Taking off her mask, Azegami Roi apologized, “I'm sorry. I didn't think you'd be that surprised.”

“Tsk, what did you make us do to a bunch of kids, Azegami?” Iwashimizu Hiroki scolded the reporter.

“What are you saying, Iwashimizu-san? You were having fun too, weren't you?” Anzai Kunihiko reprimanded the producer.

Turning to the cameraman, he added, “Hey Oowada-chan, stop the camera.”

“Okay Anzai-san.” Oowada Susumu nodded and stopped the tape.

“Director Anzai, was it recording until now?” the assistant director, Kagami Rei, asked.

“Just in case, you know. If we can't find any treasure, we'll have to make something up for the TV show.” Anzai told her.

“Um… Are you all from some TV station?” Megami interrupted.

“Yes, that's right. We're making a TV show called `Adventures in Treasure Hunting'” Anzai replied.

“You wouldn't know it because it's still in the works.” Iwashimizu informed them.

“Am I in there? Am I?” Kyu beamed, posing for the camera.

“Oh boy…” Oowada sighed.

Azegami immediately thrust a microphone in front of Kyu.

“Hey you! What brought you guys here? Hunting for treasure? Eki Shin Kyou?”

“That's enough!” the hotel owner reproached.

“Those sacred masks are not toys.” Kurozumi Kogorou informed them.

“Sorry about that, master.” Anzai apologized.

“These masks have a mysterious influence, so we wanted to try…” Iwashimizu added.

“Even the people of Hyoutan Village can't enter Kamikakushi Village without that mask. It's a tradition that's been passed down since a long time ago. If you're going to fool around with those, then give them back to me.” Kurozumi rebuked.

“What? Oh no…” Azegami blinked.

“Please calm down.” Anzai pleaded. “Our filming will be publicity for this hotel, so…”

“I don't want any more greedy people to come.” Kurozumi told them as he walked into the hotel.

“Tsk. He charged us a lot more than it's worth to stay in this crappy hotel. Who's the greedy one?” Iwashimizu scoffed.

“Let's go back to our rooms and make arrangements for tomorrow's schedule.” He told his team.

“Okay.” Everyone chorused.

***************************************************************** ***********

After a while, the DDS students were introduced to their rooms.

“Welcome. This is Touyama-sama's and Narusawa-sama's room. That is Minami-sama's and Mizuno-sama's, and the back room is…” Kirihara Masae stated.

“Ryu's and my room right?” Kyu interrupted.

“If you need something, please tell me or Mio-chan.” Kirihara added.

“Okay!” Kinta beamed.

“Mio-san, aren't you around our age?” Kyu asked.

“Yes, she's only seventeen. She doesn't go to school, but she works. She's never left the village.” Kirihara replied.

“Eh?” Megami, Kyu and Kinta chorused together.

“Is that true?” Kinta pressed.

“Wow, you're a very good girl. You're only one year younger than me, but you're already working.” He complimented.

“Not really…” Fuuma Mio blushed, looking down.

Then she noticed Ryu beside her and her blush deepened.

“I'm going to clean the kitchen.” She stated, flushing.

Kirihara chuckled, “Now please make yourselves at home.”

“What was that, just now?” Kinta asked when they were left alone.

“That's because Ryu is handsome and has a very charming look, compare to you.” Kyu told the older teen.

He was promptly rewarded by a knock on the head by Kinta.

***************************************************************** *******************

“What a shabby-looking room.” Kyu commented, once he slid the door open to his and Ryu's room.

“The tatami looks worn-out too. Our room is worse than Megu's and Kinta's rooms.” He added, stepping in.

“Yeah…” Ryu muttered in agreement.

“Hey Kyu.” He started, once the pair settled down.

“Huh?” Kyu blinked.

“What do you think about those masks?” Ryu asked.

“Hmmm… They had a disgusting design, didn't they? With those dots…” Kyu answered.

“Those are smallpox.” Ryu told him.

“Smallpox?” Kyu echoed.

“It's a horrible epidemic which has existed since the birth of Christ. Pus-filled blisters appear all over the body. More than half of the people who contracted this disease died. In 1980, it was announced that it was eliminated, but even now, supposedly it's being studied as a biological weapon. It's the strongest and worst virus imaginable.” Ryu explained.

“Why would they want to put it on masks?” Kyu asked.

“Maybe in their religion they believe that the smallpox epidemic is the work of their god, so it's a form of worship. Such cursed gods exist all over the world.” Ryu replied.

“But it's hard to imagine that they actually had an epidemic in the heart of a mountain like this.” Kyu breathed in disbelief.

“Don't epidemics usually start in places where lots of people live?” he questioned.

“Yeah, there are a lot of mysterious things here.” Ryu agreed.

“The legend of the treasure that the old Japanese army left behind, and Eki Shin Kyou, with weird masks.” Kyu pondered aloud.

“And `Kamikakushi' in Kamikakushi Village…” Ryu added.

***************************************************************** ****************

That night, the DDS students held a meeting in Kyu's and Ryu's room.

“Alright, everyone's here now, so let's make a plan for getting into the crime scene.” Kinta proclaimed.

“According to the data DDS provided us, the hotel where the student stayed is in Kamikakushi Village on the other side of the tunnel, through the annex to this hotel.” Kazuma supplied.

“Then let's all go there tomorrow.” Kyu suggested.

“Alright!” Kinta agreed.

“We might not be able to.” Megami objected.

“In order for us to be able to get to Kamikakushi Village, we need to put on those masks. The TV crew borrowed the masks from the hotel and only two of them are left right now.” Ami informed the boys.

“How about borrowing some from the neighbors, then?” Kyu asked.

“Not quite feasible I'm afraid. Megu just asked Mio-san about it but…” Ami replied, recalling what the girl told them.

“That's impossible. Everyone holds on to their masks very dearly and they say that if you lead out the masks that belong to your family, the curse will be upon you.”

“That means we can't borrow the masks from anyone else.” Kinta remarked.

Then he brightened up, “In that case even without the masks, we can still sneak in by an alternative route.”

“That's impossible.” Kazuma replied.

“Look at this.” He added, showing the rest his laptop.

“Hyoutan Village and Kamikakushi Village are both like solitary islands, surrounded by cliffs on every side. There's no way to get there except through the tunnel.” He explained.

“Let's divide into two groups.” Ryu suggested.

“Among the six of us, two will borrow the masks and go to Kamikakushi Village. That's the only choice we have.” He added.

“But who should go” Kazuma asked.

“Raise your hand if you want to go.” Ryu instructed.

Only two of us are going there? Kyu wondered.

… To Kamikakushi Village… Kinta pondered.

The murderer may be hiding there. Kazuma added mentally.

That's too dangerous. Megami speculated.

“I definitely have to go.” Ami spoke.

Everyone else looked at her.

“Why?” Megami breathed.

The older girl let out a small smile.

“Kazuma, do you remember the question I asked you earlier today?” she asked the computer genius beside her.

“Yes.” Kazuma nodded, recalling that she has asked about the village before the war.

Ami nodded slightly and stood up.

“Where are you going?” Ryu asked.

“Getting something. There's a little something I haven't told you guys about.” Ami confessed. With that, she opened the door and went out.

A while later, she returned to the room.

“That's a…” Kinta blinked.

“Shrine bell.” Megami added.

“Yes.” Ami nodded, placing the bronze bell on the table.

“It belonged to my great-grandmother.” She added.

“And what does it have to do with the Kamikakushi Village?” Kyu asked.

Shutting her eyes, Ami replied, “My great-grandmother was the Holy Maiden of the Kamikakushi Village.”

“WHAT?” everyone exclaimed.

“And it is time to return this to its original place.” Ami added.

Ryu rose his hand, “I really want to go.”

“Ryu-kun.” Megami blinked.

“There certainly is something weird about that isolated village and I feel uneasy about going there with just one other person. But my desire to know the truth far outweighs that.” The blue-haired boy admitted.

“Besides,” he added, nodding at Ami who was sitting beside him. “Someone has to protect our Shrine Maiden here.”

“Holy.” Ami muttered her correction.

“Desire to know the truth…” Kinta echoed.

Megami smiled, “I won't be able to become a detective if I was scared of something like this.”

Kyu nodded, “Yeah, if detectives give up, the case will remain unsolved. I'll go!”

“I'll go too!” Kinta agreed.

“Me too!” Megami nodded.

“I'll go too!” Kazuma concurred.

“Okay, then let's decide by drawing lots.” Ryu proposed.

Taking out a match box, he struck a match and replaced it back into the box.

Showing it to the group, he declared, “In this box there is only one burned match. The person who draws it will go to Kamikakushi Village with Ami-chan. Alright?”

Placing the box on the table, he added, “Now, let's all draw together.”

“One two!” the group chorused.

***************************************************************** ********************

Meanwhile outside in the outdoor hot springs, the TV crew was enjoying their break.

“This is a pretty good open-air bath, isn't it?” Iwashimizu asked.

“Yeah, it is.” Anzai agreed.

“The last time we came here to film, we couldn't relax because of the missing student incident.” Iwashimizu remarked.

“Well, I'm not going to relax this time, either. Because if we find the old Japanese army's treasure, the people who are there when it's discovered can demand the right to keep half of the treasure. If that happens to me, I'm going to quit this poor director's job, live somewhere like Hawaii and shout `Aloha'.” Anzai replied.

“You're daydreaming.” Iwashimizu chided.

“It's not totally unrealistic.” Azegami's voice was heard on the women's side.

“Huh? Azegami-chan?” Iwashimizu blinked.

“About that missing university student, there's a rumor saying that he seemed to have noticed something about the secret of the treasure. Right, Kagami-san?” Azegami beamed at her fellow colleague.

“Um… Well…” Kagami stammered, not knowing what to say.

“I don't know it very well.” She admitted.

“What are you talking about? Aren't you the one who first found the footprints? I heard that you went into the missing student's room with the other students.” Azegami scolded mildly.

“Is that right, Kagami? Why didn't you tell us?” Iwashimizu asked.

“I'm sorry. But it doesn't matter to the TV program. And I was kind of scared, so…” Kagami apologized.

Azegami smiled and sank deeper into the water.

“Actually, I also have something good.” She confessed.

“Something good?” Iwashimizu echoed.

“It's a picture. A picture of the missing student's scribbled memo. I bought it from her friends back then.” Azegami replied.

“What a shrewd girl you are.” Iwashimizu joked.

“What does the memo say?” Anzai asked.

“That's a secret. Everyone is a rival in finding the treasure, so…” Azegami replied.

Back in the hotel, Oowada was filming one of the masks.

***************************************************************** *****************

Meanwhile, Kurozumi was talking on the phone.

“Oh Ryou-kun? It's me. I heard the TV crew is going over there tomorrow. And two of the six young folks are going as well.

Over at the Ryousanpaku Annex in the Kamikakushi Village, Ryou replied, “Okay dad. Are they going to be here for treasure hunting?”

“That's right. Scare them as usual.” Kurozumi answered.

“Okay, will do.” Ryou replied and with that, he placed the receiver down.

***************************************************************** *****************

“Ah, it's so nice.” Azegami smiled, as the night breeze blew past her.

Looking around to see if she was followed, Azegami reached into her yukata and pulled out a piece of paper.

“I'll definitely get the treasure. Now, I'm going to wake up early tomorrow morning and go check that out.” She decided, looking at her precious paper which had the sign of infinity on it.

But she did not notice a shadow behind her, a farming scythe in hand.

***************************************************************** *****************

The next morning, the DDS students were having breakfast.

“Food tastes the best after a good night's sleep. Don't you think so, Megu?” Kyu declared.

“Huh? Yeah...” Megami stammered, startled out of her thoughts as she thought back to the night before.

“Now, let's all draw together.” Ryu said.

“One two!” the group chorused.

Megami gasped when she drew a blank.

Ryu blinked when he found that he picked the burnt match.

“Ryu-kun got it.” Kyu remarked.

“Man, I can't believe I lost.” Kinta complained.

“So Ami-chan and Ryu-kun are going to Kamikakushi Village.” Kazuma noted.

The two blue-haired teens looked at each other and Ryu announced, “Then let's do our best.”

To which Ami returned with a witty `You don't have to tell me that.'

“Why do you look upset?” Kinta asked.

“I'm not upset!” Megami protested.

“Megu, you have to understand. This is important, not only to me, but also to my family. The bell must be returned to its rightful place.” Ami reminded the younger girl

Megami nodded silently.

“Good morning.” Ryu greeted the group, as he sat down for breakfast.

“Good morning…” Megami replied, blushing.

“Ah, she's blushing!” both Kyu and Kinta chorused.

“I am not!” Megami argued hotly.

Their conversation was interrupted by an angry voice.

“Hey! Why didn't you tell me earlier?” Iwashimizu reprimanded Kagami.

“I'm sorry, I thought she was with one of you.” Kagami replied.

“You idiot!” Iwashimizu scolded.

“The TV crew from yesterday.” Kyu noted.

“What happened?” Kinta asked.

“We're here for work! If something happened to a member of our staff, I'll have to take full responsibility, as the producer. Anyway, let's go look for her right now.” Iwashimizu continued ranting.

“Okay.” Kagami quickly got up.

“Umm, Eli-san, did something happen?” Kyu asked the assistant director.

“Umm… Well… Azegami-san, the reporter, didn't come back from the open-air bath last night.” Kagami replied.

“It must be Kamikakushi!” Kurozumi declared.

Kyu jumped back when he saw the farm scythe in the hotel owner's hand.

“All the greedy hunters meet with `Kamikakushi'.” Kurozumi stated.

“No way!” Anzai replied in disbelief.

“Excuse me…” Kyu began.

“This might be a serious incident. Let's look for the reporter.” He added.

“Hey Kyu!” Kinta protested.

“What? Who the heck are you guys?” Iwashimizu asked.

“Eh? Ummm… We're just… Well…” Kyu stammered, trying to think up of an answer.

“We're members of a detective club!” he announced.

“Huh?” Iwashimizu blinked in confusion.

“Weren't we supposed to be in a treasure hunting club?” Kinta blinked, while Megami sighed.

Ami shook her head on her finger.

“You guys are suspicious.” Kurozumi commented.

Upon seeing the farm scythe, Megami suddenly asked, “Sir, that scythe is from yesterday, right? The same point on the blade is missing just like the one from yesterday.”

“You remember very well, miss. But is there anything wrong?” Kurozumi beamed.

“No… but I remember there was mud around the handle yesterday, but it's clean today, so I'm just wondering people don't usually wash their scythe, do they?” Megami pointed out.

Kurozumi looked closely at the scythe and smiled, “I don't think I washed it, but it really did get clean.”

Kinta and Megami looked at each other and Kinta stepped forward.

“Pops, can I take a look at it?” he requested.

Taking the scythe, Kinta gave the blade a sniff and declared, “It's the smell of blood.”

“What are you guys trying to say?” Iwashimizu pressed.

“Someone stabbed somebody with the scythe and washed off the blood. At that time, the dirt which has been on the scythe also got washed off. There's a possibility that something like that happened.” Ryu replied.

“You've got to be kidding.” Anzai rebuked.

“Sir, where did you put the scythe?” Kyu asked Kurozumi.

“In the shrubbery beside the open-air bath in the back.” Kurozumi answered, showing the group where he last placed the scythe.

“Right here. I left it here like this.” He replaced the scythe back where he found it.

“If a person was stabbed around here, the blood must have splattered. But it's difficult to find bloodstains on sand.” Ryu reasoned.

“No problem!” Kyu beamed. “We have Kinta for just these kinds of situations.”

“Now Kinta, go sniff around.” He ordered.

“I'm not a police dog. There's no way I can find it.” Kinta protested.

“You did boast about your nose, saying it's as good as a dog's.” Kazuma reminded him.

“It was just a metaphor.” Kinta argued.

“Well, it's okay.” Kazuma shrugged.

“Mister, can I borrow a first-aid kit please?” he asked Kurozumi.

Kurozumi turned to face the younger boy and asked, “Huh? Sure, but what are you going to do with it?”

“I have a good idea on how to check for bloodstains.” Kazuma replied.

After a while, the first-aid kit was brought out and Kazuma found the item he needed.

“Oh, this is the one.” He beamed.

“Oxydol?” Kyu blinked, not understanding. (A/N: Oxydol is another term for hydrogen peroxide.)

“What are you going to do with that?” Kinta asked as Kazuma unscrewed the bottle.

“Umm… Is this okay?” Mio asked, bringing out a watering can.

“Thank you, Mio-san.” Kazuma replied.

Then, he poured the oxydol into the watering can. With the watering can in hand, he walked over to a patch.

“Maybe around here?” he pondered aloud, dousing the hydrogen peroxide on the ground.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Kurozumi questioned.

“If you pour that there, all the trees in the yard will be…” he protested.

Then Kinta noticed the ground started foaming.

“Oh I see!” Kyu suddenly exclaimed, realizing what Kazuma had done.

“Oxydol reacts to catalysts in the blood and produces oxygen. It's the same theory as pouring oxydol on wounded skin will create foam. In other words, a lot of blood had been soaked into the soil around here.” Kazuma explained, dousing the surrounding area with the hydrogen peroxide.

“That means…” Oowada gasped.

“Hey, you've gotta to be kidding!” Anzai objected.

“Hey! Look at this!” Kinta interrupted.

“Kinta.” Kyu began, walking over to the older boy.

“It's a tire track.” Kinta noted, looking down at the ground where a trail of tire track was clearly visible.

“This is the track of a wheelbarrow that's used to carry heavy stuff at construction sites and such. With this, the culprit might have carried the dead body somewhere to dispose of it.” He added.

After that, the group followed the trail into the bush when Kyu noticed the track had stopped.

Frowning, he ran over to the spot where the trail ended.

“Hey!” Kinta called out, running after the younger boy with the rest of the DDS students following him.

“It stops here.” Kyu commented, kneeling down beside the track mark.

“That means the culprit probably didn't carry the body too far from here.” Kazuma reasoned.

“Then the culprit buried it nearby?” Megami questioned as she scanned the area.

Anzai snorted, “Well, we can't do anything about it now, since we can't dig up the whole field.”

“The culprit wouldn't bury the body in the field. A tractor might dig it up at any time, so…” Kyu remarked.

“Right. If I were the culprit, the best place to hide the body would be…” Ryu agreed.

“There!” he finished, turning his attention to the graveyard.

“This is a very old place.” Kurozumi told them.

“Sir, some people still follow the custom of burying dead bodies in the ground around here, eight?” Megami asked.

“Yeah.” Kurozumi replied.

“Burial?” Anzai echoed.

“If the culprit buried the body with a corpse that was already here, it won't be dug up again.” Megami deduced.

Just then, Oowada noticed something.

“Look at this! There's a trace that someone dug up the ground!” he called out.

“The soil does look freshly exposed here.” Kurozumi noted.

“Let's dig it up.” Ryu suggested.

“Hey! That's sacrilegious.” Anzai objected.

“That's what the culprit wanted people to think - that digging up a grave is a blasphemous act.” Ryu replied.

“Alright, I'll dig.” Kurozumi announced.

“Kurozumi-san…” Oowada muttered.

“Let's help him everyone.” Iwashimizu told his crew.

“Get me a shovel, Kagami.” He requested.

“Yes sir.” Kagami replied and ran off.

With Iwashimizu, Oowada and Anzai helping Kurozumi, the grave was quickly unearthed when Iwashimizu hit something with his shovel.

“There it is! It's the cover of the coffin.” He proclaimed.

“Alright!” Kurozumi nodded he pulled off the lid of the wooden coffin.

Kagami immediately let out scream when Azegami's body was uncovered.

“It doesn't look like it was `Kamikakushi', does it?” Ryu questioned, walking towards the uncovered grave.

“This is a murder case.” He declared.

“Huh? She's holding something.” he blinked, noting that Azegami was clutching something in her hand.

“There are traces of scratches. The culprit might have tried to take this from her.” He concurred, removing the piece of paper from Azegami's hand.

“Hey! Ryu…” Kinta objected mildly

“This is…” Ryu frowned at the symbol on the paper.

“Infinity.” Ami finished his sentence.

“It's an infinity symbol.” Kinta noted.

“Let me see!” Iwashimizu interjected, snatching the paper from Ryu's hand.

“This is the missing student's memo that Azegami was talking about.” He smirked.

“That must be it!” Anzai agreed readily.

Iwashimizu laughed, “Wow! Azegami was killed because of this, right? The legend of the old Japanese treasure may really be true! In that case, I'll find it no matter what.”

“What kind of people are they? Saying such things in front of their friend's body.” Kinta snorted in disbelief.

“The anger of the god of epidemics has done this.” Ryou's voice told them from the shadows.

“Huh? Who are you?” Iwashimizu demanded.

“Ryou, you're back.” Kurozumi greeted his masked son.

“Yes Dad.” Ryou replied.

Removing his mask, he added, “There was an announcement from the religion's founder. This is only the beginning. It's a warning from the god of epidemics.”

To be continued…

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SailorStar9: Phew, this chapter is done.