File 11: The Truth of the Mizuhanome Pilot
Water.
I felt myself under a pool of water again. The water was murky and red, like blood. The girl was still standing over me as I was underneath her. But this time it was different.
"Gah!"
I got pulled out of the water by some force, coughing the liquid out of my lungs and throat. I looked up at her, but this time, I could see her face. It was clearly Kaeru-chan. She was standing on top of the water, floating like a ghost, with her eerie dead green eyes staring back at me.
"Sakaido. It has been a while…"
Sakaido? But I'm Akihito Narihisago. That can't be…
I looked at myself from the water's reflection. I was indeed dressed as Sakaido, with his iconic yellow scarf and a long trench coat looking back. I was my detective persona inside this place, yet I was still myself.
"Are you the one that keeps coming into my dreams?"
But before she could answer, another figure came into view. It was someone with a top hat and a cane. His face was blurred out just as Kaeru-chan's previously was.
Sevens Man. Cane Man. And the more recent name… John Walker.
He approached Kaeru-chan and held a knife to her throat. She screeched in terror and I was too shocked to move. I wanted to save her from that man but couldn't.
I looked around me for anything, but there was nothing inside this place. All I saw were walls everywhere, as if we were trapped underneath a well. Above me, I saw a small light coming through. It was the only source of light that gave me any sort of view.
We were frogs inside a well.
More shadowy figures started appearing from underneath the water, just like I did. They were slowly approaching Kaeru-chan as well and were helping John Walker with killing her, right in front of me.
A swarm of butterflies came out of Kaeru-chan, engulfing the well.
I tried to run but couldn't. I tried to scream but couldn't. I could no longer speak.
All I felt was fear and dread, unable to do anything.
"Aki-kun! Are you okay?"
Akihito opened his eyes from his nightmare. He saw himself on the bedroom floor, a few inches away from the bed. Ayako was looking back, worried about what had happened.
He had fallen off the bed during the night.
Akihito quickly got up from the floor and dusted off his shirt and pants that he was sleeping in. He looked back at Ayako and tried to remain positive and normal.
"I-I'm fine, Aya-chan. I wasn't hurt or anything."
"But you fell off the bed! Are you seriously fine?"
He scratched his head and then looked back at the clock that was on top of their dresser.
8:00.
It was time for work again.
"I'll explain myself when I come back from work…"
Ayako watched as Akihito rushed to another room to get changed. Looking at herself, she seemed wary about his behavior lately. He had been quiet about his work, which was the usual prior to his police duties at Fukui, but this time it was different.
Was he hiding something from them?
"I wonder if Aki-kun is okay. I might need to ask Momoki-san if anything happened…"
Inside a dimly lit room, Momoki was pondering over the documents that Wakashika had found from some of the Kura rooms. Apart from the research papers on wells and the basic effects from using the machine, he couldn't find out about any of the unwilling participants and the other Mizuhanome candidates.
"Dogma. A state where a pilot experiences self-awareness inside their own well."
Momoki then flipped through a few more pages.
"Well storm. A state where the well forms wind currents around a pilot who remembers himself in his own well."
Then, he turned towards another page.
"Well inside a well. A possibility of another well being formed inside a current well."
As he was looking through the documents, Togo came into the room with two cups of hot coffee. She put one cup by his side as he was trying to brainstorm for any possibilities and nuances on the Mizuhanome machine. He already had a few circles under his eyes.
"Momoki-san, I think you should rest for a bit. I know that you're worried about Narihisago-san, but your own health isn't any better either."
"Thanks for the coffee, Togo-san. What else are you here for?"
Togo felt a bit unappreciated. She came to his Tokyo home to check up on him and even gave him some refreshments and food during his research. But he seemed a bit too dazed to pay attention to her.
All he had talked about was Narihisago this Narihisago that.
Guess he really is worried…
She then picked her own cup and took a sip. She looked over Momoki as he did his research. If he was so worried about him, can't he just take him somewhere he likes so that he could let out his frustrations? Maybe he should also consider Narihisago's own decisions.
"Momoki-san, do you know what Narihisago-san's favorite place in Tokyo is?"
Momoki stopped for a moment. The question seemed to have suddenly sparked something in him.
"Well, it's a long story…"
A couple years back, Akihito and Momoki had taken a trip to Tokyo after they went on break from the Fukui Police Department. Back then, they weren't fully fledged homicide detectives, but were still in training as normal cops. They went on a trip to Tokyo Tower for a day or two, with Akihito bringing along his camera bag and other necessities.
"Are you sure about not taking your wife along? What about your kid?"
Akihito smiled nervously before responding to Momoki's question.
"Muku is still too young and I don't want to cause them too many problems right now. I'll let Aya-chan rest with the child. I'll bring them to visit Tokyo when we have more money to spare and when Muku is old enough to climb the tower…"
Momoki looked up to where Akihito was taking them. The red beacon tower was coming into view. It resembled a version of France's Eiffel Tower, but with its own Japanese flair. It was striped with red and white lines, and there was a building underneath it. It was also known as the "Japan Radio Tower" due to the tower transmitting signals between many radio and television broadcasting systems all over Japan.
It was well known for its observation deck, in which Akihito wanted to go to check out the city landscape and take photos from above. After buying their tickets, they went up through the stairway, to Momoki's dismay.
"Seriously? We could have taken the elevator, Narihisago!"
Momoki was heaving himself, climbing up the stairway. The stairway gave them a clear view of the city while they were climbing, so Akihito was taking photo shoots every hundred steps. It was a 600-step staircase, leading them to the Main Observatory up ahead.
"What's the point of paying if we're not going to have a clear view?" Akihito answered back, "We can always go down from the tower using the elevator anyway."
"Isn't that what the Main Observatory is for? To take photos and look at the city surroundings? We didn't have to walk this long staircase…"
"Don't worry, we're almost there. There are people behind and ahead of us. Let's just take our time, Momoki."
After climbing up the stairway, Momoki rested on a bench while Akihito went around the corners of the Main Observatory, looking around for some scenery to capture. There were crowds forming in certain locations of the area, hoping for a great view. There were many people taking photos of each other and letting others take photos for them.
Akihito was tempted to help take photos for the couples, but Momoki stopped him.
"Why don't you take the photos you need first, Narihisago? The sky is getting darker the longer you wait…"
"Good idea…"
After a couple hours at the Main Observatory, the two of them rested at a café that was in the lower floors of the tower. They each ordered a drink and a sandwich, while looking outside from their table.
Akihito was scrolling through his camera to check up on his photos, while Momoki watched. Sometimes, he would show him some of the photos that he took, or others in which other people had taken photos for them.
"Just wondering. Did you start taking photography to take better photos of your family?" Momoki asked, "You usually didn't take that many photos until now."
"I guess so. With Muku now, I want to be able to capture and take memories for our family and something for her to keep as she grows older."
"So, you're going to bring them next time? I don't need to necessarily come with you…"
Akihito chuckled a bit before he put away his camera. He looked outside from the tower windows before looking back at Momoki.
"It's fine. Thanks for coming with me, Momoki. We still got a lot to explore in Tokyo..."
"Reminiscing the past?" Togo muttered, listening to Momoki talking about his time with Akihito at Tokyo Tower, "Maybe you should bring him there. It's been ages hasn't it?"
Momoki stopped for a moment. He had gone off track, talking about Narihisago again with Togo. It probably annoyed her by now.
"S-Sorry about that."
Momoki checked the time.
It was getting late and he needed to sleep. They were going to work this morning. Togo was kind enough to stay this time, but she didn't mind staying overnight just to keep him company.
"Guess you'll probably try to investigate with Narihisago-san again? He doesn't seem interested lately."
"We'll see. I can't exactly bother him too much right now. The Mizuhanome must have taken a toll on him. I'm also wary about the Chief because he isn't telling us anything. We're on our own."
Togo patted Momoki on the back. After putting away their cups, they went to sleep.
Later that day, Momoki was allowed to have another meeting for the Kura staff about the documents that Wakashika had found. The Chief seemed carefree about what had happened since the Face Lifter testing well incident, even telling Momoki about a possible prisoner that could be coming to Kura Prison soon.
As Akihito was about to leave the meeting room, Wakashika came forward to chat with him. Not too far from them, Habutae and Shiratake were looking at them while packing up their own documents.
"Narihisago-san, are you going to show me the cockpit room sometime?"
Akihito looked around for Momoki, but he seemed to have left already. Maybe it was fine to show them the room at least.
"Sure. But what about your other friends?"
Habutae gestured to Wakashika to just go, showing that they would come by later.
Akihito led Wakashika towards the cockpit room, which was on the 5th floor. He felt unsure if he was allowed to do it, due to how not even most of the main Kura staff members were allowed into the room so far, apart from him and Momoki.
"Fine. Just this once. But if we end up bumping into Momoki, I probably can't show it to you again…"
"That's okay, Narihisago-san. I'll just…disappear if it comes to that."
They walked through the bare hallways of the 5th floor again. Akihito noticed the locked door again as they went past it.
I wonder if the Chief would show us what is inside that room someday.
As they got closer to the cockpit room, they saw two people coming towards them from the other end.
It was Momoki and Togo, who seemed to have appeared from the other end. It looked like they had papers full of documents again and were managing arrangements for someone.
"Wakashika-san, just keep your cool," Akihito whispered, "Don't get me in trouble…"
"Sure thing, Narihisago-san. I wonder what they were there for. It looked like they just came back from Kura Prison."
Momoki quickly spotted Akihito with Wakashika, then walked towards them. Togo was edging him on to try to take him to Tokyo Tower again sometime as well as persuade him on the investigation, so that he had another companion apart from her.
"What are you doing here? Why is Wakashika-san with you?"
Sorry, Wakashika-san. Guess not today.
"Well…uh…"
"I'm just here following Narihisago-san! Please don't mind me…"
Akihito turned around to find Wakashika slowly walking away before dashing off to the opposite direction. It left the three of them dumbfounded by his reaction. Momoki tried to stop the awkward silence with a cough.
"Glad that we meet again, Narihisago-san, Momoki-san wants to talk to you about something," Togo said, pushing Momoki to his side, "Just persuade him already. Isn't he your best friend?"
"Momoki, are you okay? Did I do something wrong again?"
"…Not really. Do you remember Tokyo Tower? I don't know if you have visited it already when you moved to Tokyo for work here. It would be nice to visit that place again if you want."
Tokyo Tower. It's been a while since I been there.
"Sure, that's fine. Although that seemed a bit sudden," Akihito said, scratching his head as he looked over the documents they were holding, "What were you two doing back there at Kura Prison?"
"Narihisago-san. Sonoda Hitoshi is coming to Kura Prison. You may have known him as the Face Lifter," Togo answered, "It could help us with what happened inside his well and give us insight on his psyche."
"The Face Lifter, huh."
"Narihisago, I still need your help with the Face Lifter investigation after all. It could be related to John Walker and what happened inside the well. There's still the mysterious documents that I need to go over, but it seems like the Chief has accepted them very easily. Things are not adding up."
Akihito put his hand to his chin, creating a thinking pose.
"Even Asukai-san's investigation too?"
"…Probably."
Akihito patted Momoki on his shoulder again and hugged him. Togo seemed relieved, hoping that they both reconciled. Maybe they could work out the investigation after all.
But there were too many holes from the documents, having no information on the past candidates, and what happened to them remained a mystery. The Chief could be hiding something.
A few days later, Akihito arrived at Momoki's Tokyo home, which looked like a fancy condo. He was amazed at the size of his apartment unit, which was bigger and more spacious than his. Momoki really did come from a wealthy family.
"I really shouldn't be surprised by now," Akihito said, shaking his head, "Let me see what Momoki is up to."
As he came into the room, he took off his shoes and was greeted by Togo. She had been to Momoki's condo many times and had made herself at home, trying to help Momoki with his work and investigation sometimes.
"Welcome, Narihisago-san. Let's start the investigation with Momoki-san soon."
Momoki was waiting for them in his living room, preparing some tea and refreshments for his guests. He was arranging the documents to the side, with some photographs from the Face Lifter case as well as screen captures of those from inside his well.
"Let's begin. Are you two okay with this?"
Akihito and Togo nodded at his request.
"Why does John Walker look just like the man from the cram school video footage? It's possible that the Face Lifter become acquainted with this mysterious man. Normally, you won't have something so ingrained into your mind if you haven't met them."
"It's possible that the man is dressed like that to hide his identity," Togo said, while drinking some tea, "But it seems like he dressed himself to the point of being known. It sounds a bit counterproductive."
"It sounds like someone who wants to be known," Akihito replied, "He doesn't want to be discovered but he wants to have some sort of persona to show to the world."
"That could be a good assumption on John Walker's personality, Narihisago," Momoki muttered back, "We don't know anything about him apart from showing up in the footage and his appearance inside the well."
"But he targeted my family, Momoki," Akihito said, questioning the man on the photos that Momoki had displayed in front of them, "I don't know what he wants from me. It's likely that he would show up again."
"Wasn't it originally based off of bad luck, Narihisago-san?" Togo asked, "Back in Fukui, you were rumored to have been cursed or something. I don't know if that sounds any better…"
Akihito didn't say anything on that matter. Momoki then tried to break the silence with another topic based on his research.
"Well, another thing. I have found more information about the Mizuhanome machine since the Chief let me find more documents. It's strange that he won't directly tell us what these things are, not even our job orientation told us anything about this…"
"What do you mean? Like the various terms used for different well environments?" Akihito asked, "Wasn't our latest meeting just talking about those documents though? It did give us more insight on how the wells work…"
Momoki shook his head at Akihito's response. This situation was more serious than he had let out.
"Narihisago, we don't know what happened to the past candidates. Did you remember about the Tokyo meeting we had prior to going to Kura? They mentioned having multiple candidates, but we never saw them. You were just chosen so quickly once we got here."
"But won't there be some records of their names or anything? They can't possibly remove everything…"
But Momoki shook his head in dismay. He hadn't been able to find anything. The records seemed to have been wiped by somebody, with only the data to show for.
"That's strange. Normally you would have the participant's names somewhere while doing your data studies…unless they were unwilling," Togo said, "There's so many strange things about Kura."
"It is a newly created sector after all," Momoki muttered back, "But it's unbelievable that they would have records before their creation. So, something must have been here before Kura."
"Like a possible prototype?" Akihito asked, "Wonder if there are more Mizuhanome cockpits than the one we've been shown. There could be older models of the machine too."
"That could explain the testing wells," Momoki said, eating a rice cracker, "The Chief did say they were from forgotten criminals. So, it is likely that they were the unwilling participants in these research documents."
Akihito felt wary. If there were criminals involved in these past experiments, what did that make him? The way Momoki had discussed the suspicious documents with them seemed to relate to him being chosen as the Mizuhanome Pilot.
"Narihisago-san, Momoki-san is worried about your well-being with the cockpit," Togo said while facing Akihito, "He just doesn't want anything bad to happen to you."
Momoki looked back at Akihito before turning away. He still hadn't mentioned much about a Tokyo Tower trip yet, but they had to get through these clues first…there were way too many other things to worry about.
"There was also another thing I found," Momoki muttered as he shuffled more paper towards them, "The way the Mizuhanome works might also be related to dreams. Asukai-san had mentioned to me many times about her dreams. I wonder if it is related…"
Dreams? Is Momoki going to ask me about dreams again?!
Akihito really didn't want to talk about them. Although they had become more frequent and nightmarish, he had managed to control them and not let them affect his work while diving inside the Mizuhanome for testing and other purposes.
He didn't want to seem weak in front of him.
"Narihisago, are you doing okay? Are you sleeping well?" Momoki asked, a bit concerned.
Akihito immediately felt embarrassed. He turned away as he scratched his head.
"I-I'm fine, really. You don't need to ask too much. Aya-chan had been taking care of me."
Momoki let out a sigh of relief, but he remained stern on his discussion about dreams. Meanwhile, Togo was offering Akihito some more tea and crackers from the table.
"Okay. One important question. Did your dreams start with the Challenger?"
The Challenger. That brute who almost killed Muku. But that day had always felt uneasy…as if I were scared of it. The feelings of a ghost girl with her face staring into my soul with my family lying dead….
"Narihisago?" Momoki asked again.
Akihito quickly snapped out of his daze. Momoki was asking about the Challenger again. But hadn't he been dead for at least two years now? Did this have something to do with the Mizuhanome?
"Sorry. I'm not sure," Akihito muttered back, shaking his head, "It's been two years since that case. My memory has been hazy lately."
Momoki looked back at Akihito before sighing again. Guess he shouldn't pester his friend too much.
"Fine, I'll accept that, Narihisago," Momoki said, putting his hand to his chin, "But I do remember you mentioning about seeing a ghost girl while you were staying at my place during that time, which led to us going to visit Asukai-san. Then, with the Face Lifter case, you said the same thing."
"Wait! Wasn't that because I didn't know who she was back then? That's why I would have told you!"
Momoki looked back at Akihito sternly, as if he had gotten him to say something he was trying to hide.
"So, you do remember. Do you know who the girl is inside your dreams, now?"
Well played, Momoki. Well played. You got me to say what you were truly asking for.
"She looks like Kaeru-chan. Is that enough of an answer?"
"Do you know the difference between Kaeru-chan and Asukai-san?"
Not this question again. Momoki please.
Akihito didn't say anything, leading to another awkward silence between them. After a few minutes, Togo patted Momoki to say that it was probably enough questioning for Akihito for today. It was best not to pester him too much about his dreams.
"Sorry about that, Narihisago," Momoki said, trying to apologize as he looked away, "I asked too many questions again."
"No worries, Momoki," Akihito replied, "Maybe we should change the topic…"
"So, about the man who is coming to Kura Prison, he could be vital in helping us to understand who this man is," Togo said, looking at Akihito and Momoki.
"The Face Lifter?" Momoki muttered back, looking at some papers again, "We shall see. I'm not sure if he would want to answer our questions."
After a few more hours of discussion, the meeting was over. Momoki was preparing some documents in the corner, while Akihito and Togo were preparing to leave. Curious about what Momoki was planning, Akihito went over to check.
"Are you preparing papers for the Chief again?"
Momoki looked back at him and smiled. He continued to organize the paperwork.
"Maybe. I still have many questions to ask him, and about your safety inside the Mizuhanome cockpit. Maybe after the Face Lifter interrogation, I'll have a nice talk with him about you."
"Including the past candidates?"
"We'll see about that, Narihisago. I'm not sure what to expect from him. The Chief seems really eccentric."
After Akihito and Togo left for the day, Momoki pondered on the table, with his desk full of paperwork and documents. Closing his eyes, he reflected on the Chief's offer from a few weeks ago:
Chief Hayaseura, I'll accept your invitation. What are you hiding from us?
The next day, the serial killer Sonoda Hitoshi was brought into Kura. Also known as the Face Lifter, he was relocated into one of the prison cells of the Kura Prison. Later, he would be moved again to prepare for his interrogation.
He had been inside a normal prison before being moved, so he had a whole assembly line of workers to take him to Kura safely, and without any trouble.
"What a warm welcome, I haven't been greeted by so many people in a while…"
The Face Lifter's face had grown rough over the past few months, with his hair having grown since his capture. He had grown a small beard during that time, with a small gash wound from his forehead due to Akihito bashing his head in last time.
Meanwhile, the main Kura staff were making preparations for the Face Lifter. He was allowed to bring in a few personal belongings for his cell, such as a few masks and other items that wouldn't cause him any harm. The Face Lifter would be interrogated after he got some rest in his jail cell first.
Akihito was organizing some things inside the Wellside Room when he overheard Wakashika talking with Habutae close by. Togo had assigned them some menial tasks to complete along with him so that they could be ready for another well later. Momoki had already gone to the interrogation room on the 4th floor to talk with the Face Lifter.
It's possible that they would be getting an official new case soon.
"Why are they interrogating the Face Lifter again?" Wakashika asked, "Did they find out any new information about him?"
"I believe it has to do with his id well and about John Walker," Habutae answered back, "But based from what I have heard, it could help us pinpoint whether the man is part of the Mizuhanome or an anomaly."
"Man, the Face Lifter's well must be very important if it led to getting us having him inside Kura," Wakashika said, shivering at the thought of a serial killer so close to them, "Didn't expect that we'd get a prisoner inside Kura Prison so quickly. I wonder how long he will stay."
"Who knows," Habutae said, now looking at Akihito not too far from them, "Maybe somebody here would know the true reason…"
He glared at Akihito more intensely, which made Akihito a bit uncomfortable and confused. It seemed like he had been annoyed at Wakashika constantly talking to him and had always had a stern air to him.
Habutae was somewhat like a similar personality to Momoki.
"Come on, Habutae-san. No need to bully Narihisago-san," Wakashika muttered, shaking Habutae a bit, "He is nicer than he looks, and he is also a detective. Weren't you also wary of Shiratake-san before you warmed up to him?"
"Don't talk about that!"
Habutae's face suddenly turned red and he looked away from Akihito immediately. Wakashika was waving to him, gesturing to him that everything was fine.
"Narihisago-san, you are always welcome," Wakashika said, smiling back, "Don't let the others judge you too much."
After they worked for another hour or so, Hondomachi appeared by the Wellside Room, greeted them, and asked where the others went. She didn't have Matsuoka with her this time.
"Do you know where Momoki-san is?" she asked, looking around, "He should be done with the interrogation by now."
Akihito looked at the time. It had been at least three hours. They haven't heard about anything that had happened all this time.
"Good question, Hondomachi-san," Wakashika answered back, "Why isn't Matsuoka-san with you?"
"He went to the interrogation room to check up on Momoki-san just in case he is still there. It's possible that the interrogation is going longer than expected. He was going to have other duties to do today but seems like the Face Lifter interrogation isn't going too well."
Maybe it was time to check up on the interrogation room.
The four of them walked together towards the interrogation room. They were surprised by the crowds of people coming towards the area. Wakashika and Hondomachi were in front leading the way while Akihito and Habutae were in the back, following them yet not looking at each other. As they got closer, they overheard some people coming back from the interrogation room.
"That man really is something. He managed to anger the Director while not giving any vital information…"
Akihito saw a bit of light coming from the room. There were getting closer and were seeing more people crowded around the place. Wakashika and Hondomachi went up ahead to check what was going on.
Suddenly, they heard a cackling voice.
"Is that all you got? I'm not as stupid as you think. I can sit here all day and not give you anything."
They peeked to see what was going on. There was a crowd of people surrounding the Face Lifter, with some guards to the sides of the room. Momoki was near the front of the room, facing him. Matsuoka was by his side, trying to calm him down.
"Momoki-san, that's enough," Matsuoka said, patting on Momoki's shoulder, "He is just baiting you at this point."
"That's true. We already went through more than five different interrogators," Momoki muttered under his breath, "This man won't budge."
"Are you two done talking?" the Face Lifter said, grinning towards the two officers in front of him, "This is feeling more like entertainment with a crowd around me. I'm loving this."
Akihito felt a nasty sense of familiarity from his voice.
So, it really is the Face Lifter. Is he treating this like a game?
But before he could listen to the conversation more closely, Wakashika and Hondomachi had already entered the interrogation room. They came in, trying to see what the commotion was all about.
"What is going on here? Is there anything that we can do to help?" Wakashika asked, a bit oblivious to the crowd surrounding them.
"Hondomachi-san! What are you doing here?" Matsuoka said once he noticed her with Wakashika, "We're in the middle of the interrogation."
"Oh?" the Face Lifter muttered, looking at Wakashika and Hondomachi, "Looks like we have some more people here. The more the merrier."
Akihito slowly inched forward from the crowd, listening in on what was going on inside the interrogation room. Habutae ended up just waiting outside while the rest of them had gone inside.
"Matsuoka-san, you told me to look for Momoki-san," Hondomachi answered, "Seems like you found him first. Why is the interrogation taking so long?"
"He is smarter than he looks. Momoki-san had been talking in circles with this man for hours after the other interrogators failed. This interrogation might end in failure."
"Little missy, it's been a while since I last saw you," the Face Lifter said, eyeing closely towards Hondomachi, "Have you seen Akihito Narihisago around here?"
"How do you know his name in the first place?" Momoki exclaimed, a bit annoyed, "Did anyone tell you about Narihisago-san?"
"Even if someone did, I'm not telling you," the Face Lifter replied, looking at Wakashika and Hondomachi curiously, "Are we going to repeat the same conversation again? Maybe let's have the new spectators join in."
"Narihisago-san?" Wakashika said, responding to the Face Lifter, "Isn't he already here?"
Momoki and Matsuoka glared back. He shouldn't have said that.
"What are you saying?" Matsuoka whispered frantically, "Now he knows!"
"Knows what?" Wakashika replied, unsure about his remark, "Didn't he ask for him this whole time?"
"That was very generous of you," the Face Lifter said, grinning and applauding Wakashika, "Maybe he is in the crowd right now."
Wakashika-san. Let me be…
Akihito closed his eyes in frustration and let out a sigh. Maybe it was best to go up front so that the interrogation wouldn't be too much of a failure. From the looks of it, the interrogation room went from a few people to a crowd of people coming in, lessening the psychological effect of fear and intimidation.
The Face Lifter was right. It really did look like a crowd waiting for entertainment than the standard interrogation measure of one or two officers inside the room. People were coming and going from the interrogation room, looking to see what was going to happen next.
I guess it's not everyday that you get to see a serial killer out in the open.
Akihito slowly came forward towards the Face Lifter.
"What do you want from me?"
The Face Lifter put his hand to his chin, into a thinking pose.
"How about we play a game?"
Before Akihito could respond to the Face Lifter, Momoki quickly grabbed his arm and approached him. He seemed wary from the many hours of talking to the Face Lifter and was unsure about what he was planning to do.
It could just be another tactic to prolong the interrogation and tire out everyone with his circular conversations that go nowhere.
"Narihisago, are you sure about this? He could be messing with you."
Akihito smiled back at Momoki. He knew that he meant well.
But it could be beneficial to see what his conditions were for his games. After all, he could potentially reveal something accidently if he felt like he was winning.
Akihito then faced the Face Lifter again and asked a question:
"Is it another guessing game?"
The Face Lifter smirked and cackled again. His laughter filled the room.
"Another? How many games have we played together?"
Akihito felt like he wanted to punch him. He clenched his fists and released it. He must stay calm. There was a crowd around him and some of the Kura main staff was watching him.
"Once. At the top of a warehouse building."
The Face Lifter chuckled from the response. He looked like he was in a better mood than before.
"Ah, that time," he said, crossing his arms, "…where your daughter screamed for help while we drilled a hole into her leg…that was such a nice sound to hear…"
Is this guy really trying to tempt me to punch him?!
Momoki saw Akihito's expression on his face and told him to remain calm. It was best not to get riled up again. He had already been baited by the Face Lifter before they arrived, and Matsuoka came just in time to stop him.
"Oh, and you," the Face Lifter rambled on, pointing his finger at Hondomachi, "You were there too. It was nice having more than one player."
Matsuoka glared at Hondomachi for a bit. She looked back at him sternly.
"Matsuoka-san, let me talk to the Face Lifter as well," she muttered, "I think he is talking about the rescue mission that Narihisago-san and I had done to rescue his daughter. We might get more insight on him."
Matsuoka shook his head in dismay, but he allowed her to go in front. Hondomachi quickly approached Akihito as they faced the Face Lifter.
"So, what kind of game are we playing, Hitoshi-san?" Hondomachi asked.
"You know my real name now," the Face Lifter muttered back, a bit surprised, "Well, I'd expect that. You all did do background checks on me after my arrest. How about something a little bit trickier?"
"Just get on with it," Akihito muttered, "What kind of game is it this time?"
"A game about secrets."
Is this going to be the same as last time?
Akihito looked around to find Hondomachi by his side. She looked back at him and nodded.
"Narihisago-san, let's hope it's quicker this time," she whispered, "This interrogation probably already tired everybody out, so we don't have much time."
"Understood," Akihito whispered back, "We may have to stop this game early like before…"
After the two of them discussed for a few minutes, they turned back to face the Face Lifter for his game. A game about secrets could mean revealing someone's past, hinting at a motive, or blackmail. It could go many ways, so they needed a threshold to stop.
"If it becomes too personal, we need to stop this game," Akihito whispered again towards Hondomachi, "I know that he is watching us, but we have the upper hand here."
"You want the game to be short?" the Face Lifter said, hearing some of the conversation, "Sure, why not. We don't have all day after all."
"Thank you for your consideration, Hitoshi-san," Akihito replied, glaring at him.
"Now, let us begin."
"Since you two are the players, I'll let you two go first," the Face Lifter said, pointing at Akihito and Hondomachi, "You two were in the last game, why not be in a second one?"
"What kind of secrets are you talking about?" Hondomachi asked.
"Any kind. We just exchange secrets," the Face Lifter muttered back, while snapping his fingers, "I'll tell you what, I'll give you some information on the man I know of if you can tell me yours. Is that a better deal?"
Would the Face Lifter finally talk to us about John Walker?
Momoki was looking from the side of the crowd. They got pushed a bit by the crowd, who were eager to see what was going on. Matsuoka was near him as well, since Hondomachi was getting involved again. Once he saw an opening from the crowd, he slowly walked past them to get to the outside door. Upon looking around, he spotted Habutae outside, who had been waiting for his group to come out for at least an hour now.
"Habutae-san? Can I ask for a favor?"
Habutae looked back to see Momoki, who was speaking to him. After quickly regaining his composure, he complied with what Momoki was asking him to do.
Meanwhile, Akihito and Hondomachi were facing the Face Lifter in a game of secrets. But since they only had background information on him, they couldn't get much out of him except the ones that were already on record. However, the Face Lifter had been able to accurately guess their own backgrounds without trying.
It seemed like he really had gotten inside information from somebody after all.
"Narihisago-san, you really love photography don't you? You want memories of your precious family right?" the Face Lifter said, pointing his fingers at Akihito again before pointing them towards Hondomachi, "And you little missy, doesn't your own mother ignore you? Poor thing."
"Why you—"
Hondomachi was about to grab her gun, but Matsuoka stopped her in time. Akihito felt unnerved by the Face Lifter's remarks about his hobbies, his family and finally his daughter, Muku.
This man really did know their secrets. Could John Walker be behind this?
"How do you know so much about us?" Akihito exclaimed, a bit startled, "Is it from the intel from the man with a top hat and cane?"
"Bingo. Took you long enough. But since this is a game about secrets, I won't tell you. You would have to figure it out yourself, Narihisago-san…"
So, this guy wasn't going to tell us anything in the first place after all! What a cheater!
Akihito felt furious upon hearing the response. Although he somewhat expected it, due to the last "game" he played with the Face Lifter a couple months back during his capture and rescue of his daughter. Regardless, he wondered why he was stupid enough to go along with a serial killer's games.
Why am I doing this? Isn't this the man who almost killed Muku? He deserves worse than this. I shouldn't be playing along with a serial killer's game. Shouldn't he play on our terms?
But before Akihito could do anything, somebody suddenly touched his shoulder. The crowd had gotten smaller since his arrival.
"That is enough, Narihisago-san. This interrogation is over for today."
It was Chief Hayaseura. Momoki had asked Habutae to call the Chief for help so that the interrogation wouldn't go on forever. Matsuoka had been restraining Hondomachi to prevent her from getting her gun out. She was so close to shooting at the Face Lifter due to his jabs at her past.
"Seems like this room had attracted a crowd of spectators rather than interrogators," the Chief said, "Momoki-san, you should have stopped interrogating this man hours ago. No need to be ashamed of a failure. There is always next time."
Momoki came forward, a bit embarrassed. He glared at the Chief before apologizing for his actions. The rest of the crowd quickly dispersed out of the interrogation room, hoping to not get into trouble later with the Chief. All that was left was a few of the Kura main staff inside the room as well as some guards.
"Sonoda Hitoshi," the Chief said, looking at the Face Lifter, "You can go back to the Kura Prison cell to rest. We will give you your meals later."
"Sure thing," the Face Lifter replied, snickering.
He was quickly taken away by the guards back to his jail cell inside Kura Prison.
The Chief then turned towards Momoki, who felt silent from the whole interrogation fiasco. He patted his shoulder before leaving a message:
It has been a few weeks. Come to the 2nd floor of the Wellside Room tonight. We have many things to discuss, Momoki-san.
Momoki glared back at him and didn't utter a word. The Chief then waved back at the rest of the main Kura staff members before leaving the interrogation room to do his business. Everyone slowly left the room, leaving the interrogation room deserted, with only Akihito left behind. He went towards the now empty interrogation table, with a small handcuff hanging by the chair.
"Why do I get baited so easily?" Akihito muttered under his breath, while clenching his fists, "Why am I so weak? Can't I do anything right?"
Later that night, Momoki was preparing his papers and documents for his private meeting with the Chief. Most of the Kura staff had left for the night, due to the extremely long interrogation session with the Face Lifter that ended in failure. Akihito had hoped to talk with Momoki, but he seemed to be out of it.
"Narihisago, you can leave without me for tonight," Momoki said, "I have some important business to do with the Chief."
"How long would the meeting take?" Akihito asked, unsure of what to expect, "I can always wait for you."
"Thanks for the offer," Momoki replied, trying to get everything organized, "But if you really want to do something, maybe make sure the Mizuhanome cockpit is ready to go. I have heard that we may be getting an official case soon…"
"O-Okay, I can do that," Akihito muttered, "It's not your fault that the interrogation ended in failure today."
Momoki shook his head.
"Narihisago," Momoki said as he looked back from the doorway, "You don't need to lie about that. I should not have prolonged the interrogation to this extent. It is my fault."
He then took his papers and bags and left the room.
Akihito went back to the 5th floor, where the cockpit room was located. He walked around in the now silent hallway, which had previously been full of people not long before during work hours. The hallway still looked bare, just like the first day that they came into the building.
"This floor always felt a bit empty in here," he said as he walked towards the cockpit room, "It's so bare compared to the other floors. It's still creepy."
Once he got into the cockpit room, Akihito went to inspect the Mizuhanome cockpit again. The usual. There were no signs of wear or tear apart from the seating. The machine had been relatively cleaned and maintained well throughout the testing.
He quickly looked around the room. It was still as bare as ever.
Akihito walked around the cockpit room, trying to measure how big the space was.
Looks like this room can fit more than one Mizuhanome cockpit. Maybe there are more cockpits inside this building, just not put here due to testing purposes right now.
After he was done inspecting and strolling across the room, he decided to sit down in the cockpit again. Akihito somewhat felt useless. Despite facing a few serial killers over the course of his career, he never felt like he did enough.
That carelessness almost got Muku killed.
"And now this," Akihito muttered to himself, "Did I make Momoki's interrogation session worse?"
He closed his eyes and sulked for a bit.
Meanwhile, Momoki had arrived on the 2nd floor of the Wellside Room. The Chief was looking through the windows of the Wellside Room, which showed the first floor underneath them. There was a seating arrangement not too far from them, with some chairs and tables filled with snacks and refreshments. A couple lamps were lit around the corners.
"Welcome, Momoki-san," the Chief said, smiling as he turned around to face him, "Do you have everything prepared?"
"I don't know, Chief Hayaseura," Momoki replied back, while he put his bags away and took out some papers, "Aren't you the one who offered me the invitation in the first place?"
"Very well. Then let us set up our preparations for our private meeting shall we?"
Momoki glared back at the Chief.
"Yes, Chief Hayaseura."
After Akihito sulked for a bit, he began to hear some sort of noise coming from the hallway. He snapped out of his daze and looked around him. There was nobody near him.
I must be tired. I should probably leave soon.
He scratched his head, trying to think about what to do. Then he remembered.
Kura Prison was on the same floor as the cockpit room. Didn't the Chief show them the area before? Does that mean…
"The Face Lifter isn't far from here. And since he is probably the one making noise, he isn't asleep yet…"
Akihito then closed his eyes again. What should he do?
Should he try to interrogate the Face Lifter inside his own cell?
But I don't want to deal with his so-called "games" again…unless…
"…unless I play on my own terms."
Akihito gave the idea another thought. Since Momoki took all day and failed at the interrogation, maybe he could try to help by going to Kura Prison not far from here and try to get some response from the Face Lifter.
"It's probably worth a try. He is staying here after all…"
And so, Akihito left the cockpit room to go to Kura Prison and check where the noise was coming from.
Momoki quickly set the tables and chairs up for the Chief and put some of the documents on the side. After they were both comfortable, they each sat at a chair that was next to each other. The Chief seemed laidback and casual about the whole meeting, while Momoki felt tense and wary.
What is the Chief thinking? We could have found a nicer place to chat, but instead he seems to favor making the whole atmosphere creepy. Does he want to lower my guard?
Momoki looked towards the set up that the Chief had made. The dim lighting from the lamps nearby had created an eerie feeling throughout the 2nd floor lounge. After setting up his documents, the Chief looked back at him and requested the information he had gathered so far.
"Are you still worried about Narihisago-san's safety?"
Momoki glared at him.
"Yes, Chief Hayaseura."
The Chief smiled back at him and laughed.
"Such a caring friend. You want to know everything on why he was chosen, right? You even investigated the documents that were found. Do you really want to know that badly?"
Momoki remained silent at his response. He didn't want to fail and get baited like the Face Lifter interrogation that occurred a couple hours ago.
"Do you have anything else, Momoki-san? I know you probably have more than you're letting out. I can answer them all for you."
After a while, Momoki scratched his head and sighed. Taking out some of his papers, he decided to get some questions out of the way.
"Chief Hayaseura, what happened to the past candidates?"
"Oho, already hitting a vital point? That's a homicide detective turned Director of Kura for you."
Momoki continued to glare at him, unsure on what he should say.
"How about a story, Momoki-san? Maybe then you will understand…"
Akihito walked towards the Kura Prison and heard the noise getting louder and louder. He then quickly checked to make sure that no one was following him. Looking around, he caught his breath and continued moving forward.
"Let's see what's going on around here…"
He walked into Kura Prison and found himself filled in an aisle full of jail cells. Most of the cells were empty, as they hadn't been filled by any new prisoners yet. Except one.
One of the lights was still on. Somebody seemed to be moving things around.
"So that's where the noise is coming from…"
Akihito walked closer towards the jail cell. The Face Lifter was organizing his display of masks on the wall of his cell. He seemed to be making noise from his constant movement around his cell. Then, he looked around to find Akihito standing there, not too far from him.
He looked surprised and confused at the same time.
"Isn't the interrogation over for today? What are you doing here?"
Akihito came forward and leaned against the wall that was closest to his cell.
"Hitoshi-san, that isn't nice. I came here to play a game with you."
The Face Lifter looked up to see him coming closer to the cell, eyeing him sternly.
"What's wrong?" Akihito muttered, as he crossed his arms, "Don't you always like to play games with people? Why are you afraid now?"
This scumbag. Why does he get to live despite killing so many people? He almost killed Muku. He could be involved with John Walker. I'll beat him at his own game.
"W-What kind of game? Are you mocking me?!"
Akihito chuckled a bit.
"Of course not. Isn't it the same games you always played with others? Using fear and intimidation?"
The Face Lifter stopped making noise from organizing his masks and turned to face Akihito. His face blushed red from embarrassment as he stared at him from eye to eye. It looked like his pride had just been tested.
"F-Fine. I know everything about you, you know…"
"We'll see about that," Akihito muttered back, glaring back at him.
Chief Hayaseura began his story:
"Once upon a time, there was a man with many faces. He had one for home, work, and the police force. One day, he was asked about what to do with the criminals that were left to rot in jail. Usually, murderers were executed for their crimes. However, serial killers were another matter. They were the monsters of society…"
Wait, what does this have to do with the past candidates?
Momoki looked at the Chief but didn't say anything.
"Impatient already? I'll get to that part soon. Keep listening, Momoki-san."
And the Chief continued with his story.
"…Not knowing what to do with them, the police asked the man for advice. The man with many faces didn't know what to do with them as well.
'What if you create more faces for them?' the police asked.
'More faces? What will they be used for?' the man asked back.
They wanted the man with many faces to create more faces for the murderers, criminals, and the trash of society. They were to be used on them to help society instead, as their own unit. With multiple faces, the criminals in society could catch their own, hidden from society as normal people…"
Who is the man with many faces? Is it possible that the Chief is referring to himself?
Momoki wasn't sure about it, so he kept thinking.
"…So, the man with many faces began experimenting on the criminals, hoping to find a solution. The results were a hit or miss, however. Some did not make it. But there were a few survivors from it…"
Human experimentation? Is the Chief referring to the past candidates or the forgotten criminals?
Momoki thought for a moment before looking back at the Chief, listening to his story.
"…Unfortunately, they were executed afterwards. So, all that was left were data records from the experiments. And thus, the man with the many faces had failed to get insight on their minds, hoping to resolve society's problem."
"Was the story referring to you, Chief Hayaseura?" Momoki asked, looking a bit wary.
The Chief chuckled back.
"No, no. It's just a simple story, Momoki-san. What made you come to that conclusion?"
Momoki got up from the chair.
"Why you—"
"Why are you being so impatient, Momoki-san? Don't you like an appetizer before the main course? That's not how a Director should act."
Momoki was clenching his fists before he released them. He quickly sat back down again.
What is going on? The Chief really is taking his time. Has he been baiting me for my reaction this whole time?!
"So, you want to know what happened to the past candidates, Momoki-san? I can tell you what happened to them right now."
Akihito was facing the Face Lifter, who was inside his own cell. They were trying to figure out each other's secrets again. The Face Lifter had repeated the same things that he said during the interrogation, so it didn't faze Akihito this time.
"Are you done, Hitoshi-san?" Akihito said, yawning a bit, "This is just a repeat from the interrogation room. I won't fall for it a second time."
"But what information do you have against me, Narihisago-san?" the Face Lifter muttered back, thinking he could outsmart him, "You only know my background information just because you rely on police records!"
Akihito closed his eyes and put his hand to his chin. He opened them again and looked back at him.
"And you rely on information from a suspicious man just trying to avoid telling us anything about him," Akihito replied, "That's hypocrisy. You underestimate the police and the justice system."
"But what else do you know about me?" the Face Lifter said, pointing his fingers at Akihito, "You only have theories and guesswork. You can't scare me, Narihisago-san."
He was right. There wasn't much to go by just with background information. There were other factors, such as one's personality, psyche, and motivation. But didn't he go into the Face Lifter's id well not too long ago? There was also the Face Lifter's own jail cell, which he could customize to his taste.
Akihito closed his eyes again and began thinking again.
Is it possible that the Face Lifter's id well has his weakness? It could be worth a try.
Akihito looked back at the Face Lifter and his small jail cell. He had been hanging up some masks on the wall, like a cheap macabre theatre display. The masks looked like the ones from kabuki, Japanese stage plays, with various expressions such as a demon and a maiden. His bed was organized despite the messy arrangements of the masks beside him.
Meanwhile, while inside his id well, he had seen human-faced creatures with distorting features. They seemed to change their facial features over time, as if in slow motion. John Walker himself also seemed to change faces during the fight.
When he took off the top hat, it revealed his own face.
Not the Face Lifter's or the blurry can man's facial features, but his own.
There must be something to it. It is based on the Face Lifter's own psyche after all.
Akihito looked toward the jail cell wall behind the Face Lifter again.
"Hitoshi-san, why is your wall full of masks? Doesn't that say something about you?"
"W-What about it? They're just pretty to me, okay?"
"Really? Are you so sure that it's not related to your identity?"
The Chief got up from his chair and began walking around. Momoki was still sulking, with his hands on his knees. The Chief looked back from Momoki and touched his beard.
"Momoki-san, would you like some more refreshments? I can get us some coffee from the vending machines."
Momoki shook his head and declined the offer.
"Chief Hayaseura, what happened to those candidates? Why are there no records of them?"
The Chief sighed as he walked around the table before going back towards Momoki.
"It was very unfortunate. They were some of the best police detectives in Japan. The most self-righteous and justice-filled people that you ever saw. There were hopes that they could help dive into a criminal's mind. But it was all for naught…"
Momoki glared at him before looking at the floor again.
"…Their detective personas may have fared well for a while, but when they came out, their minds were destroyed. They became vegetables or remained in comas. The damage was irreversible. But we cannot show that to the public. After all, we are just a technology research company from an outsider's perspective."
Momoki closed his eyes in frustration. He hadn't been able to speak in at least an hour.
"Why are you telling me all this?"
The Chief smiled and patted Momoki on the shoulder. He seemed gentle and caring, but there was always some sort of creepy vibe coming from him. Momoki couldn't pinpoint why, but his gut feeling had always felt weird around him.
"Not speaking again, Momoki-san? You only let me talk this whole time. We can't let the second-in-command just be a soft speaker to authority don't you think? I'm always open for suggestions."
Momoki didn't say anything from that. He felt cornered by the Chief already.
"Very well. I might as well continue where I left off. The detectives that were left in comas or vegetables were sent into unnamed care facilities, not to be seen again. The rest who survived were taken away. All the detective's records were wiped, leaving only the data and important pieces of information based off wells…"
The Chief then started to brush his beard with his hand.
"…One day, the police had captured a few murderers and had wanted us to place them somewhere temporarily before their trial and confession. There was a limited time frame to do something with them, so I asked the police. They allowed it."
Then that means that murderers were in the cockpit before Narihisago…
Strangely enough, it didn't sound too far-fetched to Momoki. This whole sector was about dealing with killers for Japan's police force after all.
"Curious to see where this is going, Momoki-san? The murderers were able to get inside the Mizuhanome, and we were able to collect their id wells from them. Their places of murder, mayhem, and destruction. However, they were not very smart. They kept dying and we couldn't find much use for them. But there was something different about them than the pure-hearted detectives beforehand…"
Momoki looked at the Chief again.
"You don't mean—"
"Yes. Their minds were not destroyed unlike the previous participants. But they were not detectives. There must be a middle ground for someone to go into the machine without being mentally damaged…"
No wonder Narihisago wasn't sure about the job at first. This makes much more sense now.
The Chief paused for a moment before revealing the answer.
"We can have a police detective…who has murdered someone."
Akihito continued to corner the Face Lifter on his secrets, one by one. The information he had gathered was only from his own experience inside his id well and speculations from the Face Lifter's own jail cell decorations, hinting at his own insecurities and desires. But at least they were more than just the background information that the police had on record.
"Who are you exactly? Do you have no identity? Or is your very own identity so fragile that you would want to steal from others?"
"No! I just like the feeling of peeling people's faces okay? It has nothing to do with that!"
"Really?" Akihito muttered, while putting his hand to his chin, "But how did that desire come about? There must be something hidden within you that you want but have never gotten."
The Face Lifter froze in his tracks. He sat on the floor of his small jail cell and covered his face.
"Still not talking? What happened to the confident game-loving man from the interrogation room?" Akihito said, staring at him, "Do you not understand yourself?"
The Face Lifter still didn't say anything. Akihito crossed his arms in dismay.
"Guess this conversation is going nowhere. Hitoshi-san, do you ever wonder what you lack in this world? Don't you want something?"
"A-A new face…"
At least he responded this time.
"What are you talking about?" Akihito muttered, surprised by the Face Lifter's answer, "You want a new physical face or a new identity? Which one is more important to you?"
"I-I don't know…"
Akihito thought for a moment on the Face Lifter's self-doubt. If it's something he can't obtain or satisfy himself in this life, what about the next one?
"A new face, huh. Maybe I can help you with that…"
He looked at the Face Lifter, grinning.
Meanwhile, Momoki was not happy about the reveal.
He had anticipated something special about Narihisago, but not like this. It didn't sound right. It didn't seem right. Something felt off but he couldn't pinpoint what it was.
"Chief Hayaseura, why would you choose Narihisago-san then?" Momoki exclaimed, a little wary, "He hasn't killed anyone!"
"How are you so sure he hasn't?" the Chief muttered back, "Can you really trust him telling you everything?"
Momoki paused for a moment to catch his breath. He hadn't been able to speak much during their private meeting this whole time, only listening to the Chief's rambles and stories on his own visions. It was like the Chief was speaking in riddles.
"Momoki-san," the Chief said as he walked around the room again, "The Mizuhanome only allows people who have killed someone to dive into the machine unscathed. The reason that Narihisago-san was able to come out many times unharmed demonstrates that. However, I'm still not sure how much it will affect his mental state."
"Is that why you waited for us to make our decision before joining Kura?" Momoki asked, sternly looking at him.
"Exactly. Momoki-san, do you remember any cases where Narihisago-san had killed anyone so far?" the Chief muttered back, facing Momoki, "I'm sure you know which one I'm talking about. You are his best friend after all…"
Momoki closed his eyes for a moment to think about what the Chief had said.
A case where Narihisago had killed someone.
A room that was splattered with blood inside an apartment unit. The destruction from the broken TV and a lamp with a shattered knife on the floor. A bloodied man lying on the floor, barely breathing with his twisted left arm. The broken glass panel from the balcony, which was stained with blood all over the place.
And an umbrella with a bloodied tip on the floor next to him.
"Oho, you know what the case is then?" the Chief asked, while stroking his beard.
"The 2016 Challenger case," Momoki muttered under his breath, "The one where he fought the Challenger inside his own home and barely survived. His daughter was almost killed."
"Yes, and the court case ruled it as self-defense didn't it?" the Chief chuckled back, "That was truly fortunate and lucky for Narihisago-san."
"What do you mean?"
"You have heard of suicides with your past Fukui cases, Momoki-san? The Mizuhanome also registers it as a murder. We were able to find not one id well, but two inside his home. Narihisago's and the Challenger's. They were so close together that it was hard to tell the difference."
"Wait, how were you able to get into his home? That incident had already been resolved in the media during that time," Momoki muttered back, "…Unless you came into his home later on."
"That's true. We did come afterwards," the Chief replied, "Kura wasn't formed during that time, but the Challenger case is still an unresolved cold case to this day. How did the man get in and how did he find the perfect time to face the girl alone inside the home?"
Momoki clenched his fists. He didn't know what to do and what to say.
What was he going to say to Narihisago? All of this sounded like bad news. He wouldn't want to call his own friend a murderer.
Narihisago hates killers. He wants nothing to do with them…
"Speechless?" the Chief asked, as he approached Momoki this time, "I know that you are worried about Narihisago-san, but now you know the truth of why he was chosen to be the Mizuhanome Pilot and what happened to the past candidates. Do you need anything else?"
Momoki looked down on the floor, defeated. The Chief then touched his shoulder and squeezed it tightly as he went closer towards his face.
"I'll recommend that you don't tell Narihisago-san what you have just learned tonight. You don't know how he will react. He will find out the truth in his own time…"
"Why not?"
The Chief squeezed Momoki's shoulder harder.
"Isn't he stressed enough already?" the Chief replied, glaring at Momoki, "You don't want to put more pressure on him, right? Who knows if John Walker will come back, this is only the beginning. He has a family to protect."
Then the Chief let go and went back to the tables and chairs to get his coat and personal belongings. He walked past Momoki as he was heading towards the door to leave the 2nd floor lounge of the Wellside Room.
"Thank you for accepting the private meeting, Momoki-san. It was very enjoyable. Have a nice night and be careful walking back home."
"T-Thank you for coming in as well, Chief Hayaseura. Have a good night."
And the Chief left Momoki alone, inside the room. The night had grown darker, as the Wellside Room's upper transparent rooftop showed some stars in the sky. Momoki went back and sat on one of the chairs that was still organized a few hours back.
He closed his eyes in shame and frustration.
What am I going to say to Narihisago and Togo-san?
There were more questions than answers. The Chief had technically answered his questions, but also opened many more.
If the Chief was also involved in the Challenger case two years ago, what did that mean for Narihisago?
After Akihito was done talking with the Face Lifter, he went back up to wait for Momoki to come back from his meeting. Momoki didn't talk to Akihito that night, unsure of what to say. Their journey back home was a quiet one.
The next day, the Face Lifter was found dead inside his own jail cell in Kura Prison.
Akihito had told him a story about a man with many faces as well, but it had a different ending. The Chief apparently liked to talk about the story to him. After the man was sick of making so many criminals and killers, he wanted to have a different purpose. To start anew. But in order to do that, one must be reincarnated.
So, the man took his own life.