Higurashi no Naku Koro ni

Gokusotsu-hen (The Tormenting Devils Chapter)

I am God,

I alone can save or destroy.

I am God,

I alone control the wheel of fortune.

I am God,

I alone give hope or despair.

I am God,

I alone hold the answers to this Cycle of Sorrow.

Chapter 1: Dawn

Part A

The sun was shining upon her just right. She was a goddess that blessed mere humans like us with her divine beauty. Her voice was that of a cherub. Everything about her was pure. Everything about her was honest. Everything about her I loved.

It wasn't every day I got to spend time with my daughter. Most of the time, she was with her friends or studying hard in school. I couldn't believe how much she grew. Ten years ago, she was so small, starting to learn about the beauty that was the world. Now she was a teenager. It wouldn't be long until she picked a good college and met a nice boy to marry. I prayed that time would finally slow down for us. I wanted her to always be my little girl. Even when she was my age, with a family of her own, and even when I was long gone and she had grandchildren, Miyuki would still be my little girl.

Miyuki had all of her mother's traits. She was gorgeous, intellectual, kind, and she was a very soft human being. Miyuki loved everything. She loved life, she loved her family, and she tried to give back to her mother and me with all of the talents she possessed. She wanted to make something out of herself, to leave her mark on the world. What kid hasn't ever dreamed like that before?

I remember when I gave her piggy back rides and read her bedtime stories. That was when we lived in Hinamizawa for a while. I had gotten a job to replace an old friend of mine, Oishi Kuraudo, who had retired in 1983. I worked there for a short time before the Fire. After that, we booked a bullet train and moved back to Tokyo. It was sudden and inconvenient for my family, after we all just settled in, but I decided to move us back for their safety.

Miyuki and I were walking through the park. She was licking at her ice cream cone, squealing in rapture every so often because of the taste. Since we moved back to Tokyo, I had been hard at work so we hadn't the opportunity to be together for a while. It was Sunday, my day off, so I wanted to be sure I put time aside for my daughter. I wanted that day to be perfect for her.

"Hmm? Daddy?" Miyuki caught me staring at her. "What's wrong?"

"Ah! Ha,ha,ha!" I scratched the back of my head. "It's nothing! It's just…you're growing up, Miyuki."

She raised her brow at me. "So?"

"Pretty soon, you'll leave your mom and me and marry some rich guy and-"

"I'm not leaving you two!" She sounded pretty adamant about that. "That'd be so cruel if I just abandoned you two like that!"

I petted her head. "I'd love to have you all to ourselves, but you need to live your own life, Miyuki. It'd be so cruel if I denied you of your chance for happiness!"

"But being with you two makes me happy!"

My heart was melting.

"Still though, your mom and I can't shelter you forever! Don't you have dreams that you wanna fulfill? How can you accomplish them if we hinder you all the time?"

"You don't hinder me!" Miyuki was getting mad at me. "Stop saying things like that!"

I chuckled to myself. "Okay, okay! I'm sorry! Haha!"

Miyuki huffed and went back to her ice cream. "Seriously, Daddy, you really bother me when you talk about stuff like this!"

"I said I was sorry! What do you want me to do?"

"Hmm." My daughter smirked. "How about you buy me that necklace I've had my eye on for a while?"

"Ah…I don't know if I…

"Please…?" Miyuki pouted and looked at me with these large watering eyes.

I sighed. "Geez…you really are like your mom…"

"Heeheehee!"

I took her to the jewelry store and ended up buying her that necklace. It cost a lot, but it was worth it. Miyuki was so spoiled, but she was very humble, if that makes any sense. Yukie and I taught her strict manners and taught her to always be humble, to appreciate what she had. Although, sometimes she took advantage of being an only child. Even so, she was the still the best kid in the world.

Miyuki and I arrived home later that evening. Yukie was waiting for us with a very lovely dinner. My daughter, the second we sat down, immediately began to brag about the present I had got her.

Yukie shook her head at me.

"What?" I tried to play dumb.

"That's quite a lovely necklace you bought her, Mamoru! I'm kind of jealous…"

"I think Daddy loves me more!" Miyuki teased. She was laughing obnoxiously just to annoy her mother.

I sunk in my seat. I focused on the dinner before me, in an attempt to avoid Yukie's glare.

"Honey," my life said pleasantly, yet very intimidating. She never called me that unless I did something stupid. "You love me, don't you?"

She was smiling with her eyes closed. I could see a vein emerging from her forehead.

"Y-Yes…?"

"What did I tell you about spoiling the girl too much?"

We had many discussions about spoiling Miyuki, but I couldn't help it! How could you say 'no' to such a pretty face like hers? When she'd have a boyfriend, she'd drive him insane! Not the erotic kind of insane, of course. If that was the case, I'd have to kill them both! Being a cop had its perks: you knew how forensics and criminology worked. With the right knowledge, you could get away with anything by making certain incriminating evidence magically vanish!

"I-I…I was…sort of coerced into it…"

"What?" Miyuki got out of her chair and pointed her finger at me. "How is this my fault? You heard your wife! You should take responsibility for your actions! You bought this for me! I had nothing to do with it!"

I gave her a dirty look.

"Tell me, Miyuki," Yukie said, remaining pleasant, "what technique did you use on him this time?"

"I-I dunno what you're talking about!" Miyuki looked away and folded her arms.

"You used the watery eye technique, huh?"

"…No…"

She knew that our daughter was lying. Yukie laughed to herself and firmly gripped her dinner knife. She twirled it around in her hand.

"Miyuki, please don't take advantage of your father's weaknesses anymore."

I smirked to myself in victory.

"Mamoru, grow a backbone sometime soon, won't you? You always say how we should conserve our money and avoid spending frivolously. Didn't you say that before?"

"…I did…" My smirk warped into a frown. "I'll be better from now on…"

"Good then!" Yukie put her knife down and stood up. She left the kitchen for a minute, but then returned with a magazine. She plopped it right in front of me.

"What's this?"

"A clothes catalogue!" Yukie giggled. She pointed out different skirts, dresses, and rings that the models were wearing. "I like this, this, and this one too! Wouldn't that look lovely on me? My friends would be so envious of me! Heehee!"

"Hey!" Miyuki pointed at her mother now. "No fair! You can't contradict yourself like that!"

"It is fair! Your father bought his little girl something, so it's only fair if he buys his other girl something as well! Ahaha!"

You had to be kidding me…

"Mamoruuuu! Please get me this one…? I really want it…" Her finger stroked the back of my neck and her alluring voice kissed at my ear.

"Mom! Only I can control Daddy with the watery eye and cute look techniques! Knock it off!"

"Honey…I'll be very grateful! Hehe!"

"Aren't you listening to me, Mom? Daddy! Make her stop! Man up and stop her!"

I wish I could…but those watering eyes…the soft cheeks…the tempting voice…I couldn't help it…!

I fished out my wallet with a heavy sigh. I handed my credit card to Yukie.

She snatched it from my hand. "Thank you!"

"Wha-Hey!" Miyuki slapped my back hard. "Nice going, Daddy! Way to be a sucker! You disgust me! Hmph!"

Why was she yelling at me? I bought her something today! Shouldn't she be showering me with affection and gratitude? Oh wait…that's right, she played me before…

Later that night, Miyuki had gone to sleep early since she had school the following day. Yukie and I were in bed together. She was sleeping with her back to me as I was on my back. I tried so hard to fall into the sweet slumber that I so desired from the tiring day, but my body wouldn't let me.

My mind kept flashing back to that village, to that fire ten years ago. The flames rose so high and turned the sky into a blazing inferno. All I heard that night was the crackling of the fire and the cries of fear and death coming from all around me. I went straight to Hinamizawa, after the Okinomiya Precinct got the call about the fire that was raging. I was to try and assist the paramedics and the firemen. I wish we could have done more.

We only saved a handful of people. We burst through burning homes and meeting houses to help out any survivors that we could find. As we struggled to save them, the village continued to worsen. The flames carried farther and farther, burning everything in its path. It engulfed everything, swallowing it all up into oblivion. The forests, the many houses, the school, even the Furude Shrine was caught in the hellfire.

I'd never forget some of the things I saw the morning after the fire. The most hurting to me was the sight I had found at the Shrine. The thing I saw was about the size of a little girl, around twelve years-old, covered in soot and ashes. I knew that girl…I knew her all too well. I had reached to touch her hand, but it broke off the second my finger touched her shriveling limb.

I didn't need the medical report to tell me that that was Furude Rika. I just knew when I saw her naked and burned body, covered by all of that dirt, grime, and ash. It was her. I didn't find out until later that Rika had been dead before the fire started. The autopsy showed that she had multiple gashes and small cuts running all over her body. Her stomach was also ripped open, with her innards strewn about the altar where we found her.

It told me that Rika had been murdered, but who would do that? Everybody in the village loved Rika to death! She was one of the most special people that lived in that village! She was so cute, kind, beautiful, and smart…why did she have to die so horribly?

It wasn't until later when it came back to me. My old partner and I, back when I was in Hinamizawa, ran a series of investigations during the short time I served as a cop there. We rounded a few unscrupulous characters, all mentally deranged and on the brink of self destruction. Witnesses accused these people of committing countless crimes in secret. We brought them in for questioning many times.

The witnesses say that they heard shrill cries in the air on certain nights. Some found remains of small fires that had burned during those same nights. Those weren't the most horrifying things we found, however. The most frightening was the things that these people carried.

They carried small cassette players with one tape. This tape featured this one man speaking about supernatural topics involving demons, godhood, salvation, redemption…and about the Furude Family. For some reason, these people listened to these tapes and believed all of that to be true. When my partner and I interrogated our suspects, we were only met with one answer.

"Keima be praised."

I shook my head as I lay in bed. I threw my side of the covers off of me and hung my legs over the side of the bed. I rubbed at my head furiously.

"Mamoru?" Yukie turned over to see me. "What is it? Why aren't you sleeping?"

"Yukie…I've been thinking about that stuff again."

"About Hinamizawa?" She sat behind me and massaged my shoulders. "That was ten years ago! You tried your best to safe those people! You did all that you could!"

"It's not just that," I said with another sigh. "It's that weird cult I was telling you about."

Yukie rested her chin over my shoulder. Her cheek touched mine. She was speaking sweetly to me.

"It's not your fight anymore, Mamoru! Forget about them!"

"I can't do that! I mean…what if…what if those rumors were true? What if those Keima people really did kill Rika?"

"Takuma said he was going to take care of everything for you, didn't he? You can trust him!" My wife kissed my cheek. "He'll find out what really happened! He'll avenge Rika if they were responsible! You need to take it easy!"

"I feel so wrong, though. I feel like I should've stayed. Rika was…she's my friend. She was the one who told me to come back to Tokyo when you were pregnant! She's the one who saved you! I-I owe it to her to bring her closure!"

"Rika will be avenged! It's not your battle anymore!"

"But I-"

Yukie turned my face to her. She kissed me to shut me up. When she pulled her head back, she smiled and patted my back.

"You need to let go! Hinamizawa is in the past now! Look to the future! Think about your life with me and Miyuki! We need you!"

I averted my eyes. "Yeah…"

"Now…come back to bed. You got work tomorrow."

I lay back down. She rested her head on my chest and wrapped her arm around my waist. After she got comfortable, she quickly fell asleep.

Yukie was right. I needed to be here for my family. I needed to be the one to take care of my wife and my daughter. That was my privilege and my responsibility. Even so…what about the people that remained in Hinamizawa? What about Rika…?

I was sitting at my desk in the police department the next day. I tapped my pencil against the wood as I held my head up with my hand. Officers and errand boys dropped off fliers, folders, and various case reports in front of me. I couldn't focus on any one of them. Rika was all I thought about. Nothing could get her out of my mind.

I thought about what she would look like nowadays. She'd be a grown woman, bathing in the beauty and allure of youth. I imagined her, wearing her ceremonial priestess garb, the one she wore at Watanagashi, sweeping dust from the stone walkways in front of the Furude Shrine. Rika would be smiling. Her hair would be flowing in the breeze. Her voice would sound so grown up when she would talk to me. Rika could have been like the second daughter I always wanted. Actually, she already was.

The very first time I met her, there was a charm to her. Rika was innocent, pure, yet mysterious. I had been looking out for her, along with her friend Satoko, when I worked back in the village. I visited her all the time, bought her gifts, played games with her, and took her out every now and then. Rika was my daughter. I loved her, I loved everything about her. I just missed her so much…I wanted her to smile at me again…I wanted to see her all grown up...

I came back home early; I didn't want to spend another minute in the office just sitting there and thinking about the past. I missed the days when I was on patrol, when I actually did something rather than sort through pointless paperwork. I honestly wasn't feeling well either. My head ached and my stomach turned itself into knots. I needed to go back home and lie down.

When I entered through the front door, I heard voices. Yukie was talking to somebody. Was her father over again? I couldn't hear his voice. She sounded very concerned, yet stern at the same time. Who was she talking to?

She was on the phone in the kitchen. My shoes squeaked when I touched the hard floor. Yukie turned her head and was surprised to see me.

"He just walked in actually," she said with a deep breath. "…Yeah sure, I'll put him on…"

"Who's that?" I asked.

"Here." She ignored me and tossed me the phone. What was her problem?

I held the phone up to my ear. "Hello?"

"Senpai!"

"Huh? Takuma? Is that you?"

"Indeed it is! Hehe! How are you? How's Tokyo been treating you?"

"Uh…fine…it's just fine. Takuma, what's going on? How come you're calling me all of a sudden?"

"Oh, is this a bad time? Did you and Yukie get into a little spat? Hehe! I'm sorry! I just wanted to say 'hey' and see how you were holding up! We haven't talked in ages!"

I knew Takuma better than that. Whenever he'd call you up, or want to see you, he always wanted to talk about something serious. He'd try to cover it up with the happy-go-lucky tone in his voice, to try and break it to you easier, but whatever he had to say couldn't be brought down so well. Nothing he said was that easy. Takuma was this harbinger of bad news. He got so much flack for that. He practically invented the phrase, "Don't shoot the messenger."

"What's this about, Takuma?" I asked seriously.

"Haha! I'm impressed! So you do remember me? I'm so flattered!"

"Takuma…" I was getting annoyed.

He cleared his throat on the other line.

"I really hope all is well, Senpai, and I'm sorry to bother you right now…but I need to ask you something…no, beg you for something."

"And what would that be?"

"I need your help."

I glanced at Yukie for a moment. She huffed and shook her head.

"What do you mean?"

"A lot of weird stuff's going on in Hinamizawa right now. The village has been pretty calm for the most part, but it's slowly changing. I can't go into the details right now, but trust me, it's really bad! The police needs all the help that they can get! I'm doing the best I can to help out down here, but no matter how hard I try, nothing's working at all!"

"…And what is it that you want me to do?"

"I know this is really tough for you and your family but…" Takuma was quiet for a minute. "I need you to come back to Hinamizawa."

Come back…to Hinamizawa? I haven't seen that place in a decade! I was afraid to see how much it had changed since I left. I was connected to that village, but Yukie had a point. Hinamizawa was my past. There was nothing for me there…at least…I tried to make myself believe that there wasn't.

"You want me to come back?"

"I got a new lead on the Keima Clan case, the one about the Great Fire, along with the Furude and Kimiyoshi murders! I almost have enough to pin those cases on the Clan! I just need a little more and then we got them!

"We can finally put these creeps away if we can just do this! I got a meeting all set up with the leader of the village! She can help us out! She's got something that will stick this time! She promised she'd give us all of her support! We can finally do this!"

Takuma really did make progress while I was gone! He had everything ready and waiting to go! But…what about…Yukie and Miyuki?

We've been in peace for so long, but it seemed like only yesterday since we returned to Tokyo. It'd be selfish of me if I was to drop everything and go back. I couldn't do that. I loved my family dearly; I wanted to be with them every waking moment. What if I disappeared? What would they do if I wasn't around to support them? What if I…?

"Takuma," I rubbed my temple. "I can't."

"What? How come?" He was shocked.

"I-I have a family to think about! I can't just leave them! Who's gonna take care of them if I'm not around?" I looked at Yukie. "What if something happens and they're forced to live without me? I can't do that to them! I'm happy you're getting closer to solving everything, but I-I need to think about Miyuki and Yukie…"

"I understand that, but I don't know anybody else that can help me out here! You're the only guy I know with enough experience to help me get this thing over with!"

"I'm sorry, Takuma…but I can't do anything."

"Senpai…"

I was silent now. I was trying to hang up, but my hand wouldn't move. I couldn't put the phone back on the hook.

"…What about Furude Rika?"

That name stopped me cold.

"You were friends with her, weren't you? Don't tell me you're gonna turn your back on her like this?" He was accusing me.

"I-I'm not turning my back on her!" I gulped. "That's…that's all in the past! I-"

"Don't you want to finally figure out who started the Fire to begin with? Don't you want to figure out if those bastards killed her or not?"

I bit my tongue.

"Don't you?"

"Takuma…"

"I know it's a lot to ask from you, I'm sorry for calling out of the blue like I did. I don't know who else to turn to now. I really could use my old partner to help me out with this. Give it some time, okay? You still got my old number, right? Call me when you made a decision. I'll be waiting."

Takuma hung up.

I stood there holding the phone in my hand, looking down at the floor as I thought about all this. He wasn't telling me much of anything. All he said was that some strange occurrences were going on in Hinamizawa, but when weren't there any strange happenings? He said he needed my help. I was the only one that he trusted.

Just by the way he mentioned it, it seemed like the Clan was involved. The Fire, Rika, the Clan, it was coming back. Just from a short conversation, I was back in the July of 1983, when the Great Hinamizawa Fire occurred.

I put the phone back on the hook. I slowly turned to see Yukie. Her arms were folded. She was shifting her eyes from side to side.

"So…are you going?" she asked me. I guess Takuma filled her in on what was happening.

"…I don't know."

She tapped her finger against her arm. "…Is Hinamizawa really that important to you?"

"I had friends there…most of them died in that fire."

"And you still feel guilty about never figuring it out? About not bringing closure to them…or to Rika?"

She hit the nail right on the head. I grimaced.

"Mamoru…" Yukie huffed again. "You have a new life! We just went over this last night! I don't want you to get yourself killed! You told me before how crazy those Keima people are! What if something happens to you?"

I stood like a statue.

"You understand where I'm coming from, don't you?"

"…I do…that's why I told Takuma all that." I turned my back to her. "But…what he said just now…about Rika…I don't know anymore. She died…Maebara Keiichi died…and Ryuugu Rena died! They were my friends!"

"I see that, but what about you, Mamoru?"

"I just can't help thinking about the Fire…I can't stop pondering about how I left things!"

"You did that so you could protect your family! You're not being selfish at all for doing that! Anybody would understand that!"

I clenched my fists. "But what about them? What about all the people that died because of the Fire? Don't their families deserve closure? Don't they deserve an answer?"

Yukie hugged me from behind. I heard her whimpering.

"Mamoru…what if I lose you…?"

"Yukie…" I held her hands. "I tried to agree with what you said…I really did…but I can't lie to myself anymore! I can't avoid this responsibility of mine! I…I need to do this! For Keiichi, Rena, and for Rika! I need to know why they had to die! I need to find out who really killed them!"

Yukie squeezed me tighter.

"…You won't lose me…Yukie…I won't allow it."

"…Mamoru…"

I turned around. I wiped the tears from her eyes. "Nothing will take me away from you and Miyuki…remember I took down a whole squad of military trained guys with just my bare hands? Haha! I don't go down that easily! I'll make it back to you safe and sound!"

She didn't speak.

"My love for you both is so strong! It gives me all the power that I need! It'll bring me back to you both!"

Yukie kissed me. I returned her kiss and pull her into me.

She rested her face against my neck.

"…Mamoru?"

"Yeah…?"

"…Do what you have to do…but you better not die…! If you do…I swear I'll kill you!"

I laughed. "That'd be some trick!"

"I'm serious!"

I kissed her forehead. "I promise you…I'll come back to you."

We held each other for a while longer. I kissed her head many times. I told her everything was going to be alright.

Part B

The wind whistled passed me. The train rocked against the wind as it road along the tracks. I barely got any sleep because of the ride. I never got truly comfortable on long rides like this. They were so boring.

It wouldn't be long until I returned to it all. It was hard to believe that I had been gone for a decade. I wondered how much of it had changed. I feared that. I was having those nightmares about that crimson sky and the dancing flames again. They always assaulted me whenever the name of that place popped up into my brain.

The train came to the station. I grabbed my bags and I disembarked from the train. The air was different. It wasn't the crisp fresh air that I was used to when I once worked there. A light mist blanketed the train station. It smelled very acrid, very polluted. I tasted it; I was going to throw up.

I stood there for a while, watching my train fly off into the distance. There went any chance of going back to Tokyo. I was stuck here. I had to do this though, I promised that I would. I promised my wife and my daughter that I would get through this so I could come back to them unscathed.

The sky was cloudy and I thought I felt a drop of rain hit my nose. My ride was supposed to show up sometime soon. I hoped that he would come in time before the rain started to fall.

From the get go, my fortitude was starting to diminish before I even set foot in Hinamizawa again.

I was thankful that Yukie understood how I truly felt. I owed it to everybody to solve this. I wouldn't stop until I finished everything. The sooner I put an end to the case, the sooner I could return to my family. Yukie's father came by the house to take care of her and Miyuki. He told me, practically threatened me, to finish my job as soon as I could. I told him that I would, despite the terror I felt when his hate-filled eyes pierced into me. I shook off the look of that crazy old man. I adjusted the bag on my shoulder and walked out into Okinomiya.

I stood out on the sidewalk. I leaned against the wall of an alleyway as I waited for my ride. I took a peek at my watch. He would be here in a few minutes. Another drop of rain hit me. Oh boy. Why didn't I pack that umbrella?

"Hey!" someone called out to me.

I turned my head. There he was.

Takuma stood before me with his hand in his trouser pocket. He still wore that same black suit, even after all these years! His hair got a little longer, he looked a little tougher, and the aura I felt around him was different. He seemed more confident now. He presented himself not as the goofy new guy on the force, but as a confident veteran.

"It's been a lot time, eh?" He held out his hand to me. "You look pretty good, old man!"

I took his hand and gripped it. "You don't look so bad yourself, Takuma!"

"Hehe! I do my best to keep up appearances, Senpai! I am a Lieutenant now!"

Takuma showed me his new badge. It shined quite brightly. He stood there with his chest puffed out, smiling like a child who had just gotten a perfect score on a test.

"It looks like I'm not your senpai anymore! Haha!" I slapped his shoulder. "I'm happy for you!"

"Yeah, yeah!" He pocketed the badge and ran his hand through his dark hair. "You'll still be my senpai though, even when we're both retired! The title just fits, you know?"

Takuma led me to his police car. It was an updated model that replaced the old one we used to drive around in. I envied him a little. My own police car didn't look as good as this one!

"Hop in, Senpai!"

I put my bags in the trunk and climbed into the passenger seat.

Takuma got into his place and turned the key.

Our first stop was a nearby hotel. I had stayed at this hotel all those years ago when I first came to Hinamizawa. The memories flooded back to me. This was the time when I first met Oishi-san. He had taken me one night to play mahjong with his friends. I had clobbered them all! They didn't think a guy from the city could make it in one of their famous do-or-die games! I wondered what those guys were up to now. If they were smart, they would have left like I did. While I thought that, this place always seemed to bring me back mentally, even when I was far away in Tokyo. I felt so bizarre now that I was standing here physically; I felt like I was in some sort of dream.

After checking in and dropping off my things in my room, I called Yukie to tell her I was fine. I told her that I loved her and told Miyuki the same when she was put on. After we hung up, Takuma and I got back into the car. He at first offered to let me relax and take a nap, but I wanted to get this done. I came to the country again on business. I had no time to rest or to enjoy myself. I had to finish everything so I could go back to Yukie and Miyuki.

We drove along the dirt road leading into the village. I was getting nervous. This brought me back to when Oishi-san first took me there. That was when we had to deal with the Onigafuchi Guardians and when we had to find the Minister's grandson. I was back on another mission here, as fate would have it. God really did have a sense of humor.

"Getting butterflies, Senpai?" Takuma chuckled.

"Ten years is a long time, Takuma. I'm honestly afraid of what I'll see."

"It's really no different from the last time you saw it. However, the atmosphere has changed dramatically."

I nodded. "How about you fill me in on where we stand? I want to know everything that you know so I don't miss a beat!"

"Oh, look at this! The apprentice has a chance to teach the master! I gotta say, I'm pretty shocked! Hehe!"

Takuma laughed to himself for a bit. He was trying to get it out of his system. He was happy to see an old friend, but he realized that this wasn't going to be fun. It was the time to show me just how much he changed since I last saw him.

"Hinamizawa's still the old village that you know and love," he began, "but it's a slum because of the Great Fire. There are not many people who live there anymore. Only the Sonozaki Family, the remnants of the Kimiyoshi Family, a few surviving villagers, and the Keima Clan themselves."

"What can you tell me about the Clan now? You said you had something on them?"

"Before I get to that, you need to know what we're up against. The Keima Clan isn't just a small time cult anymore." He glanced at me. "It's the official religion of Hinamizawa."

What…? The official religion? How is that possible? It was just a cult! How could they be considered anything but?

"The Keima Clan is a fully organized religious union," Takuma continued. "They became official six years ago after they published a book of their doctrines, called the Book of Keima. They've even been recognized by the folks in America, Germany, even China as a real religion! They completely replaced Oyashiro-sama with Kami Ousama!"

He popped open the glove compartment. I found a book there. I took it out and eyed the cover.

It was the image of man wearing a fiery tunic, surrounded by wisps of smoke, bearing a golden sword in his right hand. The blade was that of a drooping willow tree. Where had I seen that before? It looked so familiar.

I cracked open the book. There was a ribbon that marked the page for whoever read this last. I perused some of the contents.

We were brought into the world for one purpose: to serve Lord Kami Ousama. We were brought into the world to destroy his enemies, the abomination of the Earth. These unholy monsters cursed him and later killed him. While his death was necessary for his elevation to godhood, he was killed out of malice and out of spite. We will never forget the blood that he shed for us. We will honor him as our lord and savior. Kami Ousama is the truth in this sad world; he is the light in the darkness that casts away the shadows of doubt and deceit. It is through him that we can overcome the demons inside of us, so that we may become gods to join his celestial court.

What the hell was I reading? This was their sacred scripture? I peered at the copyright information at the front of the book. It was legally published, copyrighted, and endorsed by the Order of Keima! It was legitimate!

"Pretty shocking stuff, huh?" Takuma laughed sarcastically. "It's all garbage."

"And those cultists believe it all…"

"Not just the original cultists, but all over Japan."

"What?" I shot another look of inquiry at him.

"It's true! They got Shrines in Kyoto, Okinawa, Osaka, and even in Tokyo!"

In…Tokyo? Those freaks were where Yukie, Miyuki, and I lived…?

"You wouldn't believe the following that these guys had! They have over five hundred thousand people registered! I hear they're in talks of sending missionaries to America and to the other Asian countries as well!"

"…That's…!"

"I know." Takuma gripped the steering wheel tightly. "It scares me too!"

I put the book back into the glove compartment and slammed the door shut. I didn't want to look at it anymore.

"Where'd you get that thing?" I was disgusted.

"You can find those in any major book retailer, but this particular one I snagged off of a punk I busted a month ago. I found the book, a Walkman, and a tape in his pockets."

"Is it the same tape as last time?"

"Uh-huh." Takuma flicked on the windshield wipers. It was staring to drizzle. "It's that Katsurou guy talking about demons and all that stuff."

"They're still listening to all that nonsense?"

"Not just listening; they even have it written in out in their little scripture book. No matter where you look, you'll see Keima Katsurou, or Kami Ousama, everywhere. You can't escape him! You should see what those freaks are going on about now! They got into a huge legal dispute with the Okinomiya Police Department not too long ago!

"What'd that entail?"

"It involves that sword we found imbedded in Furude Rika's head."

I remembered that. Rika was found dead at the altar of the Furude Shrine, with burns all over body, along with a sword in her forehead. That sword more than likely caused the gashes and cuts. It was golden and broken, with shards surrounding her body, along with the other half of the blade. The shards and the sword were still intact, and they've been in the evidence room of the precinct since I left.

"What's the deal with the sword?" I asked interestedly.

"Even though it's evidence in Rika's murder, the Clan now has ownership over it."

"How the hell did they do that?" I was yelling.

"They have highly trained lawyers at their disposal. Like I said, these guys aren't a small time cult anymore! They got a lot of supporters as well as money to keep attorneys on their payroll. We've been trying to put those murders and the Fire on them for ten years, but nothing has stuck! Those damn lawyers twist our words around and deem what little evidence we have as unusable!"

"…And this is where I come in."

Takuma smiled at me. "I know we can take them down together! We're also getting help from some old friends of ours!"

"You said the village leader has something for us!"

"Yep! She's our trump card! With all of us banding together, we can finally get justice!"

I sincerely hoped so.

Takuma and I came to a road block a while later. There were two bulky men standing next to some barricades that barred entry into the village. They wore black overalls and matching black caps. I saw handguns at their sides. Who were these people? The military? The police?

One of the men meandered to Takuma's window. Takuma flashed his badge and identified himself and I. The man nodded and he went back to the barricade. They pulled the barriers aside and we drove on.

"Who were they? They didn't look like cops to me," I asked, while still looking at their reflection in the side mirror.

"Those are some guys from the government."

"The government's involved too?" I was getting more and more afraid.

"Yeah. They're just here as a security measure, to make sure there isn't another disaster, 'natural' or otherwise, as well as to help rebuild the village. The major players here are the Sonozaki Family and the Keima Clan. We're gonna visit the village leader right about now, remember! She'll be happy to see you again!"

I didn't know who he kept referring to at first, but I starting to come around when I thought about it more.

We entered Hinamizawa. It was still drizzling and the clouds were black when we finally entered. A whole shadow was cast upon the once beautiful village. Two-thousand people used to live here, now it was a town made up of ghosts and demons.

The soil wasn't fertile; the emerald fields I once remembered were now barren patches of gray and black. The forests were rife with broken trees and many burnt trees that never really died. The air still reeked. The windows of the car were up, but I could inhale the fumes. It smelled like charred flesh and smoke. Hinamizawa never changed.

I found new houses, new patty fields, and some scaffolding. I spotted several people working together with others to rebuild old buildings that burned down in the Fire. They were all villagers, old and new, taking care of each other. They still had that camaraderie Hinamizawa was known for. It relieved me to see them helping each other build new homes and buildings, but only by a little. The place was an absolute mess.

We pulled up to the old Irie Clinic. The building was broken down, but it was being repaired slowly but surely. Some construction crews were working on the clinic. I saw some similar construction crews working on the home as well as other places as Takuma and I drove through the village. At least the government was doing something.

Takuma and I exited the vehicle. I was confused as to why we stopped here; I thought we were going to see the village leader. Takuma said that he wanted to see someone first to check in. He needed some medicine for his allergies. He never seemed to get over them.

We past some construction workers when we entered. Some villagers were waiting in the lobby for a check-up. They were mainly older folk. They were complaining about their ailments and about the terrible state of the village. I pitied them.

A woman came from an office off to the side. That used to be Dr. Irie's office, before he was killed. I recalled that the department accused Sonozaki Mion of his murder, along with the murder of Hojou Teppei. Her fingerprints were on the murder weapons and she confessed to everything. Takuma never told me anything about her, even before I left Hinamizawa. I wondered what ever happened to her.

The woman approached us. Her crimson hair had gotten longer and she was more attractive than I remembered.

"Hanzaemon-san!" She smiled brightly at Takuma. "It's so good to see you again! Back for your allergy medication?"

"Guilty as charged!" Takuma laughed. "Am I that easy to read, Dr. Nise?"

"Well, it's the only reason you ever come here! You never come to ask me out or anything! Ahaha!" Dr. Nise giggled to herself. "How's your wife by the way? When will I be taking care of a little Takuma?"

Takuma rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh…we're working on it."

"Oh, I see! Takuma's in the doghouse is he? Hehe!"

"Ah, anyway!" Takuma turned to me. "Senpai, you remember Nise Akane? She used to be a nurse here, but she went and got her medical degree a few years ago!"

Nise Akane, I did remember her. Takuma had a small crush on her, even though he was married. It wasn't anything big though, he just loved to admire her beauty. That was one of the main reasons why he stopped into the clinic every week, not just to get his medication, but to steal a glance from her. He always told me about her. He never stopped bringing her up!

"How are you, Doctor?" I shook her hand.

"Detective Akasaka, correct?" She smiled. "Takuma brags about you all the time when he visits me! Ahaha!"

Takuma looked away.

"I'm that popular, huh?" I joined in on teasing him. "I didn't know I was your favorite, Takuma!"

"Okay, okay, you can shut it now." He glared at Dr. Nise.

"Oh! I'm sorry! Hehe!" Dr. Nise turned around. "I'll get your pills and I'll be back!"

She walked off, leaving Takuma and I in the lobby.

"She's a real pain in the ass sometimes," Takuma groaned.

"You still love her though! Haha! Didn't you use to tell me about her whenever we were in the station? You told me you were a sucker for her cute face and smile! I remember very well!"

"Senpai, shut up!"

"Haha!"

So he still was the goofy detective! I knew it! People never change!

Dr. Nise came back with a brown paper bag. She handed it to Takuma. "Here you are! Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"We're all set I think." Takuma took the bag and was about to turn tail and run.

"Oh! Are you guys going to visit the village leader by any chance?"

"Yeah, we were. Is the main road blocked off again?"

"Unfortunately." Dr. Nise shook her head in frustration. "Those people refuse to let anybody work on their homes or restore the old meeting houses along that road! The Abbot's giving one of his sermons again."

"Oh, man…"

I raised my brow. "The Abbot?"

"He's the founder of the Order of Keima, as well as the Clan," Dr. Nise answered. "He was supposedly the first to see and acknowledge Keima Katsurou, better known as Kami Ousama, in 1982. He organized the religion into what it is today."

"Does he block off roads all the time to give these sermons?"

"He does it whenever he likes to hear himself talk. Sometimes it's once a week, other times it's twice a week. The man's irritating! It's so asinine as to how many people listen to him! They think he's some prophet or something!"

"Sounds like one if they listen to him so much."

Takuma spoke up. "We can go through back road to get to where we're going. They don't bother you if they don't see you. The second they spot you, they're waving that damn Book of Keima in your face telling you to repent and believe in the 'wonders' of Kami Ousama."

"Listen to Takuma, Detective Akasaka-san," Dr. Nise said. She tapped my shoulder; she looked very concerned. She whispered to me as Takuma wasn't looking. "Takuma gets very angry and unstable when he starts hearing about Kami Ousama or Oyashiro-sama. It'd be best if you avoid that main road entirely. I don't want him getting into trouble with them."

I nodded to her. Takuma was never a religious guy, and he absolutely hated the Kami Ousama stuff, and for good reason. He also hated the idea of Oyashiro-sama. Although, I never once saw him get angry over religion before. He had a reputation for being a clumsy and goofy cop back when we worked together, so it was hard for me to grasp that there was side to him that I never saw before.

We said our thanks to Dr. Nise and hopped back into the car. I wanted to ask Takuma about the Abbot, as I was still very curious about him, but I didn't want to risk getting him annoyed with me. Takuma and I were a team once again. I wanted it to stay that way.

We drove along the back road to Hinamizawa, around the dead forests and by the old junkyard. That used to be Ryuugu Rena's place. Sometimes I saw Maebara Keiichi and her sorting through the trash there while I was driving around. Rena was very interested in that place. I never understood why. That area was just a dump, there wasn't anything valuable there.

We came to the steps of the Furude Shrine. Takuma parked the car and gestured to me, telling me that we were going up. I was getting old, no doubt about it. The first flight of stairs knocked the wind out of me! I was insanely jealous of Takuma's stamina. He skipped up the stairs like it was nothing! What was his secret? What did he have that I didn't?

The Shrine was undergoing repairs too. Construction workers were putting up scaffolds and wooden planks on the building. Some of them huddled around each other and examined a pair of blueprints. One was for the restoration Shrine, while the other was for the Saiguden, located right behind the Shrine.

I was shocked that whoever was in charge let them work back there. The Saiguden was holy ground where only the Furude or the Kimiyoshi Families could walk upon. I was afraid of the idea of Oyashiro-sama cursing someone if they set foot in there. I wasn't that much for Oyashiro-sama either, but there was some truth to him. I wanted to keep clear of there, mostly out of respect for Rika's family though. These places were their property. I didn't want to dishonor them.

Takuma led me over to a small house near the Shrine. This is was the same meeting room I saw when I first visited the Shrine, back when Rika was smaller than what I remembered. It was right around the time when she warned me to go back to Tokyo, or I would regret it. For such a small girl, her voice was very intimidating to me. She was basically threatening me. I'll never forget that. It was terrifying, but because of Rika, Yukie and my child were saved. I always thanked her for that.

The house was guarded by two men in dark suits. They looked like yakuza if I ever saw them. The Sonozaki Family must have been in there. There was only one yakuza family in Hinamizawa and they were it. They controlled the village's everyday activities, even if the former village leader, Kimiyoshi Kiichiro, was the official head. I wonder who the Sonozaki Family had employed to act as Hinamizawa's figurehead now.

We entered the house. The room was almost filled to capacity. There were people in plain clothes, sharp dress suits, and some people in construction gear. The air was hard to breathe. The tension that I sensed got to me. Takuma looked composed, unlike me. He must have walked in on meetings like these all the time.

"I still don't understand why we can't just make'em all go away!" one person yelled out. "Everybody hates them! Why can't we just make'em disappear?"

"It's not that simple!" another said. "Believe me, I'd love to put a cap in every single one of those assholes, but we gotta play by the rules this time!"

"When has that ever stopped us?"

"You how many lawyers those bastards have?" another shouted. "The second we pull anything, we'll be hit with a lawsuit!"

"The Keima Clan punks are nothing but vermin! I say we exterminate them!"

"Didn't you here him a second ago? We try anything, we're done! They're counting on a Sonozaki member to do something stupid!"

"Well I can't just sit here and let those pricks have any place in our village! Oryou wouldn't have allowed this! She'd kill'em all!"

"I know that but-"

"What about now, huh? Why is she letting'em run around filling people's head with all that garbage! If I was leader, I'd burn'em just like they burned my village!"

"That's quite enough!" A domineering voice spoke from the front of the room.

I peeked over the heads of the people to see who said that.

Two people emerged from the back door up front and walked onto a platform. The first was a young adult with blonde hair. She wore a headband and wore a red vest, with a black tank top shirt underneath it, along with a pair of green short shorts. She sat down in a cushion next to the center of the platform. Her eyes were very dim, unlike the light that they once had when I saw her as a young girl. They had no sign of happiness in them. This young woman was just a shell of the person that she once was.

The second person shocked me the most. She was a little older than the blonde haired girl. The woman wore a black kimono, with a black and white sash that wrapped around her waist, along with white tabbi socks and sandals. She was carrying something in her arms. It was about forty one inches in length and it was covered by a black cloth with a purple string around the neck of it. Her eyes were closed as she walked in. I also noticed that she had bags under them. She sat down next to the blonde haired girl and folded her hands over her lap, with the odd object resting underneath her hands.

I recognized her hair. The ponytail wasn't as long as I remembered, but her hair still had the same jade color. She sat calmly in the center of the platform. She didn't open her eyes at all.

"Kenshiro?" the woman spoke. Her harsh voice cut me deep.

The man approached the platform on got down on his hands and knees. He was trembling.

* "O-Oyabun…!"

(Oyabun is a title meaning, "Boss." Mostly commonly used amongst yakuza)

"What did I hear just a few seconds ago?"

Everyone in the room heard him gulp.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you say, 'If I was leader, I'd burn'em just like they burned my village?'"

"…Yes…"

"Do you not the like the way I run things, Kenshiro?"

The man named Kenshiro swallowed hard again. The room was so quiet that I could hear his sweat dripping onto the floor.

"Am I not living up to Sonozaki Oryou's example?"

"I-I-I'm sorry, Oyabun! It won't happen again! I-I-I swear!"

"Am I that bad of a leader to you all?"

"I-I'm sorry…!"

The woman continued to speak in her harsh tone. "Keep your voice down the next time you insult me. I promise you, I'll show you just how much like Sonozaki Oryou I am! Perhaps I'll have you show distinction for that insolent mouth of yours…"

"N-No…please!"

"You have such lovely nails! Wouldn't be a shame if I just plucked all ten of them nice-and-slow…?"

"Please…! I'm begging you…! I'm sorry! It won't do it again!"

The woman spat on him. He knelt there and took it gladly. Was this really…?

"Get out of my sight," she commanded him calmly, yet still striking more fear into his soul.

Kenshiro went back into the sea of people. He hid his face from the woman behind another man.

"Pieces of shit like you have no respect nowadays! Because of that, I had to scold you and be rude to our guests!"

She pointed to the back of the room, right at Takuma and me.

The whole room shifted their eyes to us.

"Come to the front, won't you? I want to see you."

I was growing afraid, but this woman knew me and I knew her very well. She wouldn't hurt me. Takuma wiped some sweat from his forehead with his handkerchief before he stepped forward. We walked to the front of the room, before the platform where the two women were.

Takuma got down and bowed to her, and I followed suit.

"Hanzaemon Takuma," the woman in black said. "An honor to have you with us again." She bowed her head.

"Mistress" he said. "Pleasure's all mine. I still can't tell you enough how deeply sorry I am for that mistake I made when I-"

"It's water under the bridge now! Why do you keep apologizing for that?" The woman laughed to herself. She wasn't trying to scare us, but her laugh came off as somewhat dark. "It's not your fault we confused the living daylights out of you and the department! Twins have a tendency to do that!"

"Still I…"

"I would have switched places with her again if I had to, but you and the department know the truth about what she did. I'm just sorry there wasn't anything I could do to help her more before she…"

I raised my head to see her. "Mistress?"

The woman opened her eyes to see me. Her jade eyes flashed under the light. I saw a genuine smile cross her lips.

"Akasaka-san." She turned her head to her companion. "Satoko, do you remember Akasaka-san?"

Houjou Satoko nodded to me. She didn't so much as smile or greet me. Her cold eyes just watched me for a minute, before she looked out into the abyss ahead of her.

"I beg your forgiveness," the woman in black said to me now. "I haven't properly introduced myself to you! It's been a long time since I've seen you; you probably don't remember me that well!"

She put her object aside and bowed to me. When she lifted her head, our eyes met.

"I am the village leader of Hinamizawa and the head of the Sonozaki Family. My name is Sonozaki Mion. It's a pleasure to have you with us again, Akasaka-san."