Chapter 11
"Togami-kun, are you okay?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" Togami snapped that out too harshly.
"You were quiet in there," Naegi said carefully. "Not that you talk all the time or anything, but you have a . . . a loud presence usually."
Togami didn't say much of anything, continuing to gaze straight ahead at the forest in front of them.
"It's been a while since I've been in the field," Togami said suddenly. "I think I forgot what it was like to deal with suspects."
She watched him carefully. This sounded like a random reflection, but Togami didn't indulge in random reflections.
"What do you think of them?" Togami asked.
"I thought I was very clear," Kirigiri said. "I don't like any of them. Komaeda and Enoshima are arrogant, Kamukura is suspicious, and the rest are irritating."
Togami stared at her. She had the distinct feeling he was trying to drill a hole through her head and dissect her brain.
"That's it?" he said quietly.
"I could certainly elaborate, but the general idea would be the same."
Togami's head swung around. "What about you, Naegi?"
"Uh, Komaeda's a jerk," Naegi said, idly scuffing the dirt with his shoe. "Enoshima's a bit overwhelming. Shinguji is odd, but he doesn't seem like a terrible person. I like the others."
She saw Togami's cheeks suck in a little.
"Togami-kun, what is the answer you're looking for?" she asked. "If you give us a hint, we may be able to answer more to your liking."
"There's no need. If you didn't notice yourselves, then my observation is misplaced." Togami sounded confident when he said that, but to Kirigiri's trained eye, he didn't look so. "Naegi, get the metal detector."
Naegi scampered off, not even hesitating. They watched him go around the stone garden wall and pass by the side of the church on his way to Togami's car. She began to turn, and ended up turning quicker then she planned when Togami unexpectedly grabbed her arm.
"Naegi mentioned something about a possible suitor in there." Togami jerked his head at the church.
"Yes, Komaeda inquired about my dating status." Just remembering that made her want to shudder.
Togami's arm fell away from her and crossed over his chest. One finger tapped on the opposite elbow.
"Kirigiri . . . be careful."
She blinked. Hesitated because the advice had come out of nowhere. That hesitation was all Togami needed to move on, and he did so physically as well. He strode towards the distant form of Naegi, as if he were impatient to get to work. Her eyes burned into his back, and she knew he felt it, but he did not turn around.
Togami did not say things randomly. Taking what he had said before that fateful statement as evidence, then his reason for making that statement became obvious.
You saw something there. Something dangerous. And it had something to do with Komaeda.
Naegi automatically handed the metal detector over. She let Togami keep it, so she could keep an eye on their surroundings. The three of them walked into the woods, the detector beeping in time with their steps.
"How was lunch?" Togami asked. He seemed to have recovered from whatever strangeness had consumed him before, because he was smirking. She knew why, too. He'd forced Ishimaru to deliver what he deemed a 'proper lunch' while Naegi and Kirigiri had been in the middle of theirs.
"It wasn't the worst thing I had, but I wouldn't want to eat it again," she answered.
"Yeah." Naegi swiped his tongue over his bottom lip, as if trying to drown out the memory of the taste. "They need a new pot because there was a definite metal taste."
"I didn't taste that."
Naegi sighed. "Guess who got the bottom of the pot, then."
"Did you have any luck locating other pictures of the crime scene?" Togami asked.
"No. That copy of the scripture you saw seemed to be the only one with that image," she answered. "Although Komaeda refused to let us look at his personal copy."
Both Togami and Naegi knew exactly what she was saying: one way or another, Komaeda's version would end up in her hands.
"I see. Well, it's not all bad news," Togami said. "With that one copy, I was able to obtain a few warrants. One was for the apparently non-existent electronic devices, one for non-existent security cameras, and one to examine their finances. It's . . . they do seem to receive quite a few donations, but there is no way it could fund the construction of this place. I'll give that report to you later."
The trees became thicker the further they walked into the forest. She glanced upwards, and saw that the sky was no longer visible. The metal detector continued its steady beeping, echoing through the bare woods.
"We would cover more ground if we split up," she pointed out.
She read reluctance in Naegi. Togami seemed to be thinking something similar, but per usual, it was much harder to tell.
"Take Naegi with you," Togami said with feigned nonchalance. "His eyes aren't as sharp."
She did. They left Togami to his hunt, and set off on one of their own.
"Do you really think you could find something buried without a metal detector?" Naegi asked.
"It is unlikely," she admitted, "but I'm hoping we may find something else."
"Oh." He shuffled after her, hands stuffed in his pockets. He glanced in the direction they had left Togami.
"This is probably more than we alone can handle," she said. "We need the entire department to conduct a proper search."
"We could make it like a party!" Naegi said. "Someone could set up a barbeque in the garden, and we could all have burgers . . ."
She smirked. "Look who's making jokes at crime scenes now."
"Come on, everyone does it," Naegi said. "There's only so many dead bodies you can see before you have to lighten the mood."
"Strange. I remember someone saying it was rude not to respect the dead."
"I was young and naïve then!"
She tossed her hair, her equivalent of a shrug and walk away. Naegi padded after her, hovering just behind her shoulder.
Kirigiri said, "You're good at pinpointing emotion. When Togami-kun looked like he was about to arrest him, what did you see in Komaeda?"
"Nothing really. He didn't seem to care much. Though I guess that would be unusual."
"Maybe not. It fits with an arrogant personality. I'm more –"
"Uh, Kyoko, what's that?"
Naegi pointed at the ground ahead of her. She looked. Squinted. Someone, it seemed, had spilled white powder on the ground. . . No, that wasn't it. There was a tiny trough cutting through the woods, and someone had filled it with white powder. She crouched nearby, examining it. The vegetation touching the powder was brown and dehydrated.
"It might be poisonous!" Naegi said quickly.
"I wasn't planning to taste it," she said back defiantly . . . while moving her finger away from the powder. "Look at the plants around it. They've been drained of water."
Naegi bent over partway, and his hands rested on his knees. "They're dehydrated. So, is that salt?"
She scooped up a little and put it in a plastic bag. "That's my current theory. Come."
She stepped over the white line, and Naegi waved his hands to catch her attention.
"Should we be investigating this? It doesn't really have to do with our investigation."
"We don't know that yet," she retorted. "Don't forget: it isn't only the murder we're here for."
They trudged deeper into the woods. Funnily, the canopy seemed to thin here, and occasional flecks of sunlight found their way to the moss-covered ground. Naegi kept looking from side to side, trying to help, but not knowing what he should be looking for. That was fair. She wasn't sure either what she was hoping to find. Finally, her watch beeped. She glanced at Naegi and wordlessly, the two of them turned around. It was time to rendezvous with Togami. Their steps crunched . . .
No. Something was wrong.
She threw her arm out, stopping Naegi cold. The third set of footsteps didn't stop so fast.
She whipped around. "Who's there?"
The forest was silent.
"I am a detective with the local police department. I have the authority –"
A low chuckle filled the air around them.
"For one such as yourself to detect my presence. . . You, too, must possess the knowledge of the Forbidden Realm."
"The what?" Naegi said.
"Humph. Then you are still ignorant. That is no surprise. If you truly understood the secrets of the universe, then you would be on your knees begging me for mercy."
A hand appeared. It curled around the trunk of a tree, one skeletal finger at a time. Like Shinguji, bandages covered the hand, completely hiding the skin underneath.
"Kehehe . . . I see how you tremble. That fear, it is the fear of one confronted with something they cannot hope to understand. Behold, mortals, you face the bane of innocence! The hunter of shadows! The partner of the Four Dark Devas of Destruction! It is I, the Supreme Sorcerer of Darkness!"
The hand snapped closed, and turned slowly, as if it had caught a bug and was slowly crushing it. More of the arm appeared, stopping at the elbow where they caught the sleeved of a black jacket with white cuffs.
"Why does the hunter of shadows feel the need to hide from two 'mortals?'" Kirigiri demanded.
"Foolish human! It is not for my sake that I conceal myself within the darkness. The very sight of my true self may paralyse your bodies with terror. My very blood runs thick with a poisonous curse. Just one drop could soil the ground of an entire country!"
"I'll try to refrain from bleeding you," she said dryly.
"To face such an overwhelming power with such confidence. . . I have misread you. Perhaps we can be of use to each other." A leg appeared. It wore tall black boot with straps near the top that crossed in an 'X.' "Mortals! Listen well. The dark sorcerer of this world has deemed it fit to unveil his earthly form. Now, prepare yourselves for calamity. It is I, THE FORBIDDEN ONE!"
Another arm appeared, and then an entire body came crashing towards them. In a flash, she saw black clothes and black hair, stripes of silver in that hair and multicoloured eyes. Then laughing, thunderous cackling that rose towards the sky as the man raised his arms and laughed. He laughed and laughed and Kirigiri checked her watch.
Gradually, the laughter fizzled out. The man faced them smugly. A purple scarf fit over his jaw, though she could still spy the very tip of his smirk. His other arm, she noticed, had no bandages. Instead, he wore two silver rings, each with a rune encrusted upon it, although she could not tell what.
"Fuhahahaha! Now, you surely understand the true meaning of fear. Do not stare too long! The power of my eye may wither your soul."
". . . Thanks for the warning," Naegi said.
"Who are you?" Kirigiri demanded.
"Could it be? Do you ask for the forbidden name? The word which no living being must speak? Do you know not which you ask? That in the hands of a less principled being, you would invite insanity upon the world!?"
"No, she wasn't asking about your name!" Naegi said quickly. "Just who . . . uh, what are you?"
Tanaka laughed hysterically again. "The human asks good questions. I am the dark sorcerer: TANAKA THE FORBIDDEN ONE!"
And she thought dealing with Hagakure was a pain.
Naegi said, "Okay. Do you live around here?"
"Indeed, my lair lies within this space." Tanaka pulled his scarf up to his noise.
Kirigiri spoke up. "You live around here? Then you must know the area well."
"But of course!" Tanaka exclaimed. "To someone who had ventured to the very corners of this planet, navigating this space is child's play."
"Then you must know of your neighbour, Hope's Peak."
A sharp hiss escaped from between his teeth. "Do not speak of them!"
She smirked. "So, you do know them."
Tanaka grunted and turned to the side. "As the true master of this world, I know all its foes. Those creatures are the spawn of the most vile of beings. Even the innocent among them has been poisoned by their corruption."
Why were they dealing with this? Even if Tanaka could say anything useful, he would be useless in court. While she speculated Yonaga was insane, Tanaka was insane.
"You don't like them," Naegi said. "Why not? Did they do something to you?"
"Their very existence is an insult," Tanaka insisted. "They should return to the abyss that birthed them. You, as the great power I am, I beseech you: beware! Do not give in to their temptation. You must advert your eyes, lest you be consumed."
"Okay, you think they're had people," Naegi said, "but have you seen them do anything wrong."
"I do not go there unless absolutely necessary," Tanaka said. "My magic circles protect my realm, but the eyes of the dreaming are many. Those from the Forbidden Realm know of my great power and deeds. Should I linger too long outside this protection, I would surely be dragged to hell, destined to be torn apart by hell beasts!"
"That sounds unpleasant," Naegi remarked. "We're actually investigating a body that appeared in the church's garden. Does the name Nanami Chiaki ring a bell?"
"There are many mortal souls on this planet," Tanaka said, "many of whom bear the moniker you present me."
"Yeah, sure. Hold on a sec." Naegi turned to her. "Kyoko, can you give me the picture of Nanami?"
She handed it over to him, also whispering, "How are you understanding him?"
"Honestly, I'm guessing most of it," Naegi whispered back.
He held out the picture to Tanaka. Tanaka shuffled towards him. That bandaged hand rose and the fingers waggled, looking down upon Naegi's hand like a vulture deciding whether its prey had died yet. Quickly, that hand snapped down, tearing the picture from Naegi's hand. Tanaka snatched the picture close to his chest, then peeked at the top like they had handed him a secret message.
"This is one of them?" Tanaka said, sounding confused.
"No, that's a picture of what the victim looked like," Naegi said. "If you know anything, it would really help."
The other hand rose. It grabbed the bottom of the picture and almost seemed to be cradling it.
"This one has been slain," Tanaka murmured. He shook his head sharply and then handed the picture back. "I cannot help you."
"That's a shame," Naegi said. "I have a couple of other questions. Did you see anything unusual on Friday?"
Tanaka shook his head.
"What about between the hours of ten in the evening and six the next morning. Did you see or hear anything at all? Even if you don't think it was unusual, did anything happen?"
Naegi didn't see it. He wasn't trained to. But she did. She saw the sudden tensing in the muscle, the swallow that froze mid-way.
"No," Tanaka lied.
Naegi was about to say something, probably thank you, but she cut in. "Are you aware it's a crime to lie to the authorities? The penalties for that crime are quite severe, and we will discover any lies you tell us."
". . . Are you threatening me?" For a moment, Tanaka seemed to be a regular person. Then she saw him swell up with insanity, and the next time he spoke, it was in a booming voice. "What foolish mortal would dare challenge me? Be thankful you are beneath my notice, or my dark wrath would have scattered your soul upon the seven winds!"
"Don't think of it as a threat," she started. "It's – "
"A plead for mercy from one of my foes? How humorous! Yes, bow before the feet of the wonderous TANAKA THE FORBIDDEN ONE!"
"We're not your enemies!" Naegi cried out, jabbing her hard in the side to tell her to stay quiet. "We just want to figure out who murdered Nanami Chiaki."
"And yet you bear the cross of my eternal foes!" Tanaka shouted, pointing straight at the rosary tied around Naegi's neck. "Enough! I have conveyed too much of the truth today. Any more and the shock could leave you both a babbling husk."
"Hold on, we're not done with you!" Kirigiri said. She marched forward as Tanaka ignored her and leapt behind the tree he had been hiding behind. His scarf swirled after him in a ribbon of purple that slapped her in the face and she pushed aside –
She stared. She looked left, then right.
"Tanaka-kun, I . . ." Naegi came running up. "Oh. Where'd he go?"
"I suppose he does know these woods well," she said. "He was lying. He knows something."
"I figured that out when you went after him," Naegi said. "Hey, I was actually going to ask Togami-kun if we could conduct a wellness check on Tanaka. He doesn't seem all there."
She scoffed. "Detectives don't conduct wellness checks."
A small smile touched his lips. "It might get us into his house."
". . . We will ask once we see Togami-kin," she announced.
"Good. I do think we need to talk to Tanaka again." Naegi frowned, starting off into the distance. "I didn't understand a lot of what he said, but he hates that church. There's got to be a reason for it."
"Maybe. Just don't expect it to be a sane one."
They met Togami back at the garden. Apart from the metal detector, he was empty handed. She wondered how hard he searched though, considering he hadn't broken a sweat and his clothes were still neat. They spoke briefly, making sure both sides were caught up, Togami rolling his eyes when Naegi inquired about the wellness check. As promised, Togami also led them back to the car so he could give Kirigiri the financial records.
"As you can clearly see, even if they received these same donations monthly, it's highly doubtful they could raise a church on those funds," Togami said.
"Yes," Kirigiri said as she scanned through the names. "I wouldn't be surprised if this church cost over a million. . . What's this?"
She tilted the paper towards Naegi. His brow furrowed as he read down the names, until he found the one that had caught her attention.
"That can't be right," he mumbled.
"We'll find out soon." She tucked the report away. "Looks like we're going on a short trip."