Death Mark

by AyumixRose

Full Summary Inside So I recetnly finished the game and had the urge to write an Fanfiction for it. The plot is still the same with some differences and add-ons that I did. And the fact that Yashiki will be a female. I used Kurisu Makise from Steins; Gate to help with picturing the female version for Yashiki.

13. Special Chapter Little Red Riding Hood

And now…

A lot of time has passed.

The muted chirping of insects gently drift along a breeze that enters the mansion. It's cool enough to sleep through the nigh again. It's nearly autumn, after all.

"…" I stare out the window at the unchanging scenery without really seeing it.

Clouds in the distance rumble with thunder. As if on cue, a chill wind brushes up against the window pane.

"Rain again, huh…" I comment because otherwise it feels like I'm in a dream. It's as if a stranger is speaking. I stare at the leaden sky. Even though I'm resting in a chair, I feel like I'm somewhere far away.

"…"When I shift, I see out of the corner of my eye the stack of books piled on the desk. Some were pretty difficult to get my hands on. But I don't feel like reading them anymore. I could read all of them, and none will give me any type of clue. That's all I've learned after all this time wasted. The longer I try, the further away it gets.

That thing sleeping in the wooden box.

I head downstairs to make myself some coffee.

Knock

Knock

Knock

There's a sudden knock at the door.

Knock

Knock

Knock

That hollow sound doesn't bring back good memories. It used to signal the arrival of new Mark Bearers to the mansion.

But…that's in the past now.

I swing the door open. Standing in front of me is…

"Hiya!"

Moe Watanabe.

"Is now a good time, miss? Oh, if it isn't, just tell me and I'll leave you alone."

"Yeah…it's fine."

Moe flashes a carefree smile and steps inside with a pep in her step. Just her presence makes this place feel less gloomy.

With a start, I realize that Moe isn't my only visitor.

"It's been a while. I'm sorry for coming without contacting you."

"Tsukasa? This is rare. Why are you here?"

"Um, it'd been a while since we'd met up, so we walked about what happened…" Tsukasa started.

"And obviously the topic came to you." Moe cuts in "So I told him that I visit you a lot and that he should come with me. No big deal, right?"

I shook my head "Of course I don't mind. I was just getting bored."

Moe nods "Yeah? I figured as much. You seem the type with time on your hands."

"…"

I haven't seen them both together since the Mark. Moe's come by sometimes for interviews and the like for an occult magazine. But this is the first time I've seen Tsukasa Yoshida since then. I wasn't really concerned over him, but I'll admit I'm relieved to see he's all right.

"I'm glad to see you're well. Have you gotten the chance to relax?"

"I have."

Especially with my leg still healing. I fracture the bone pretty badly, so now I'm on an ankle cast to help out. I head out two times a week to see my physical therapist to help out. But over all my leg is healing pretty well.

Back to the topic at hand…

"But aren't you buys with entrance exams? Do you have time to waste doing this?"

"Breaks are important." He said. "As an adult, you should understand that."

I blinked "Y-Yeah. You're right…"

"…"

I glance over to see Moe staring at me. "…What is it?"

"It's just, I'm working hard at my job, too. You don't have anything to say?"

Oh, boy…

"Trust me," I sigh scratching my head "I know you are. You've barreled your way in here several times already."

"That doesn't sound very encouraging." Moe said "But no way am I a match for Tsukasa. He works crazy hard. He was first in the recent mock test!"

"That's only natural." Tsukasa huffs "After all, I have a goal."

"You do…?" I asked. I never heard him mention it. Or maybe I should say I never expected him to say he has a goal. "You have something you're trying to accomplish?

"My parents were lawyers, so I was thinking of entering the juridical profession, but…"

WAS thinking, huh. Has he changed his mind then?

"Wow, that's a cool dream. Jurassic… So you like dinosaurs, too?"

Oh, Moe…

Tsukasa's glare is full of contempt. "Not Jurassic, JURIDICIAL, as in working and dealing with the law. Are you really in high school, Moe?"

"Ugh…" Moe winches at that comment.

I've never been at loss for words before…

"To be honest, now I'm not sure… If possible, I'd like to ask you for your opinion, miss. Is that all right?"

I don't mind, but I'm kind of surprised. Who'd think Tsukasa would ask me for advice.

"That incident I was wrapped up in started it. Now I know there are so many incomprehensible things in the world…I'm considering going into science in order to elucidate them." He said before frowning "But my parents… I feel that it would be difficult to tell them…"

Ah, I see. That's what's going on. It's a serious predicament.

"You don't seem like someone who has much in the way of work experience…But what do you think I should do?"

I let out a low hum, rubbing my chin "Hmm…It's difficult to say…" If he's given the idea serious thought, then it'd be better for him to tell his parents. Parents only want their kids to be happy. They'll support him if that's what he wants. So that's what I tell him.

Tsukasa frowns before nodding his head "I see… I hope my parents think the same way as you. Thank you very much. I feel a bit better now." He bows at me.

I have no idea of my advice was really helpful or not, but Tsukasa bows politely to me.

"Great! You good now?" Moe asked "Your future's bright, unlike this old woman here, so don't worry so much."

"Hey!" I splutter in shock.

"That's not true. I'm sure she also has a bright-" Tsukasa begins to defend me but suddenly stops midway.

The both look at me.

"Ehh, nope. Can't picture it. But that's what makes her approachable. So she's good to vent to at least."

I've now been reduce to a therapist…I think I'm gonna cry…

"But there definitely are things that only she can do…"

Honestly, I can't think of any myself. I can make a good pot of coffee, but that's not really what they're talking about.

"I mean, there's that doll…" Tsukasa falls silent. It seems my expression gave me away. "Have you not…made much progress?"

I let out a deep sigh "Nothing I can share at the moment." I've researched everything I can. Mary's true identity is as elusive as smoke. I still haven't managed to find clues.

"So I'm taking a bit of a break right now." I'm glossing over it. But to be honest, any sort of tension has vanished. My rest hasn't relaxed me, it's more like… I'm a balloon that's lost all its air. If I was risking my life and facing death every day, it might be different, but…

Right now, my determination to move forward that I had pack then is gone.

"That so… I'm sorry, I had no idea. Then it might be best for you to rest and relax a bit. How about a trip to improve your mood? You might get a good idea…"

I'm about to reply to that when…

Knock

Knock

Knock

There's another knock at the door.

"Who could that be? Yesss? Who iiis it?" Moe calls out playfully like she lives here and skips over to answer the door.

"I'm coming in."

The brusque voice belongs to… The ex-detective, Satoru Mashita.

"Hey, what's all this? When did you start a daycare?"

"Huh? Mr. Mashita? Why're you here? Did you come to see us?"

Moe's clearly excited, but Tsukasa is collected as he bows politely.

"I'm in your debt for your help back then. Still, I'm surprised. I didn't think we'd be able to meet here."

Mashita gives an annoyed shake of his head. "Tch. I'm the one asking why you're here. Damn, we're going in circles now."

"Don't like. I know you're happy to see us. You're always hiding your feelings." Moe said. "Oh, but what a huge coincidence! We've got everyone from the Hanahiko case back together again. This is totally destiny."

I feel conflicted seeing her innocent smile. If everyone's happy after such a horrific event, then maybe it'll fade quickly to memory.

"Hmph, everyone, huh…In that case, one person…no, one being is missing." As he mutters, he glances at a spot in the room. It would be best to change the subject.

"So, why're you here?"

"I have something to ask you first."

He answers me with a question, like usual.

"Yashiki… You told that fortune teller about my office, didn't you?"

Does he mean…?

"Towako Yasuoka? Yeah, it might have come up while I was talking to her about Mary."

Mashita face turn to one of annoyance "Why'd you have to go and do that? Now I'm drowning under investigation requests."

"Wait, does that mean…? Are you a private eye, Mr. Mashita?!" Moe butts in, her eyes shining. She's not timid, I'll grant you that. "Wow! I guess you'd be pretty good at that. Oh! If you get an interesting job, bring me along with you."

Even Mashita can only blink at her innocence. "And this's exactly why it's annoying."

Still…when I think about it, Mashita's complaints don't make much sense. How could he be disadvantaged by my sharing his info with Yasuoka, who's incredibly famous? He himself said he was 'drowning under requests.'

"I only told her about your office. What's wrong with that?" I asked "Getting job requests is good, isn't it?"

What detective hates too many requests? Plus he only just started. Even if he's insanely talented, there's no way he's already overwhelmed.

"It depends on what the request is about." He said "The one I just got…is the worst."

Did he just…hesitate? Mashita?

"It's your fault that this happened. So, Yashiki…"

"Yes?"

"I'm going to have you help me."

I'm pretty sure if I was drinking something…I'd be doing a spit take right about now.

"Help you?" I gap in disbelief "W-Wait a minute. What are we talking about here?"

"Can't you guess based on the context?" Tsukasa question "I believe he's telling you he wants you help with a detective job."

"Wow. I can't really picture her working as a private eye, though. Now, if she were to investigate a supernatural phenomenon, that would be per-?! Wait, don't tell me…This worst request ever that you got…"

We all hold our breath as we stare at Mashita.

"Exactly. A spirit might be involved." He said "It's a good opportunity…this is what I heard from that old fortune teller."

---

DEATH MARK

---

"No, this is totally for real! I swear! I think I saw something real bad on that love hotel street the other day. You heard about the red riding hood girl? That rumor about people disappearing after entering that love hotel in K City? On rainy days, this girl stands by the road like she's trying to get customers. Anyone who goes in the hotel with her ends up missing."

"And here's the kicker…Eventually they're found, but…They're heads are so messed up they can't even remember their names. Some end up dying in the hospital and others jump in front of trains. I'd totally forgot when I was walking around at night the last time it rained. And there was a girl in a red raincoat there, so I thought I'd chat her up. But when I got close to her…"

Tell me… Are you…?

"She suddenly started whispering to me. I got real creeped out, so I bolted. No, I'm seriously glad she didn't follow me. Thinking back on it, something was odd. It wasn't raining that hard, but she was the only one who was soaked from head to toe. Later I realized…That raincoat w-was probably soaked with…"

…Blood.

---

DEATH MARK

---

"That's all I was told."

"I'm sorry, but I must say that sounds like a simple ghost story." Tsukasa said. "The rainy shopping district and the red raincoat… Rather suspicious."

Mashita ignores Tsukasa, looking straight at me instead. "It's enough to make me concerned. I'll leave the rest to you, Yashiki."

"If I have to do this…then you're coming with me."

"I'm bogged down with my other cases. I don't have time to spare. It's your fault that that old lady brought this to me. So you need to take responsibility."

"B-But…"

"Come on, you can help him out a little. I'll help too. The editorial department might have some info on a case like this. And your investigations needs an assistant, right?"

"Did you learn nothing, Miss Moe? Isn't this what put you in danger last time?"

'Last time'…Those words draw my eyes immediately to a certain spot. She's not here anymore. The same thing won't happen. It can't.

But…

Somewhere deep in my heart, I'm anxious.

Mashita must have guess what was going through my mind. "Don't work yourself up. It's more likely that it's just a lie. A bunch of it sounds like it was made up. That's why it's suck a pain to have an absurd request like this brought to me."

Mashita's right. It's highly likely the whole story was made up. If I had to point out anything concerning about it, it's pretty detailed for just a rumor. And…it leaves the same kind of impression as rumors of real spirits.

"But it's better to be safe than sorry. If it does end up true, then we need to act now, yeah?"

"…" I sigh folding my arms "Okay, I'll do it."

"I hoped you'd say that! We better get rea-"

"No, I'm going alone." I cut Moe off.

"What? No way! That's not fair!"

I knew she'd complain. But I can't put her in harm's way. "Listen, Moe. I need you to search for info. I've got no way to research these rumors, but you have access to a lot more than me. Use your position to gather information."

Moe pouted "Hmm. I really hate sitting out and watching you do everything…But if that's how I can help best, then that's what I'll do. This time. If you find anything out though, tell me, okay?"

"I promise."

"It's settled." Mashita takes a notebook, rips out a page, and hands it to me. "The address of the hotel, Masquerade. It's abandoned now, though. Meet there at 8. Tomorrow night."

"8 PM? I have to go at a specific time?"

"The client set the time. The old lady said she'd call in help, so it's probably a scheduling thing."

I don't have to handles this alone then. Plus, this is Yasuoka. I'm sure she has some kind of plan in mind.

"Well then, I need to get to my other cases." Mashita turns on his heel and vanishes out the front door. But he's just as suddenly back.

"What' wrong? Weren't you leaving?"

"Nothing. Just realized it's a little late for kids to be wandering around outside." Mashita calls out to the other two. "Hey, you two. I'll drive you back, so hurry up and get in the car."

"Oh, is that okay? Then I'll take you up on that."

"I agree. It is pretty late. Sorry to trouble you. Well the, miss. We'll be going."

I wave them good-bye as the door closes behind them. The rhythmic ticking of the grandfather clock echoes through the hall. How long has it been since those three went home? I sit and mull over what Mashita told me.

"I have a bad feeling about this…"

It's perfectly reasonable to believe it's just rumors. A normal case, even. But the more I think about it, the more I'm doubting it.

"…" I avert my eyes from the sofa.

"…" I silently ask its absent master a question. But of course, there's no way she'd reply.

---

DEATH MARK

---

The next evening…

I get ready and leave my room with heavy steps. The clock says it's 6 on the dot. It's still early for the meet up time. I guess unconsciously I'm a little impatient. I'm already ready. There's no reason to wait here at the mansion.

"Guess I'll go." I leave the mansion and headed to the garage.

I'll just kill time there if I'm early. I'll learn the truth. In and out. It'll be quick. I turn the care key, my mood improved somewhat. According to Mashita's note, Masquerade is in the center of K City. It's not far, but I don't know the area. No harm in leaving a little early.

I arrive at the designated hotel 20 minutes before the meeting time. The rain falling when I left Kujou Mansion has now turned into a drizzle. I park my car in a lot and walk to the street. The hotel, my destination, stands at the end.

'So that's it.' I thought. There's hardly anyone on this neon-lit street, perhaps because of the rain. 'Didn't that rumor…' Red Riding Hood appears when it rains. It's the perfect nigh to investigate the rumor. The hotel in question doesn't seem to be particularly guarded against intruders either. Anyone could step inside if they wanted.

"I see… so that's why it's the focal point of the rumor."

People going in the abandoned hotel on a dare running across suspicious people or squatters…then their stories get exaggerated, and we get the rumor that's the basis of this case. I bet someone was seen in red clothes and it turned into 'Red Ridding Hood'. That's probably how it really is.

My heart suddenly feels a lot lighter. I guess I was talking this too seriously after all.

Now that I've gotten rid of one worry, though, this time something else starts bugging me. I'm a grown woman, standing alone in the middle of this road in the red light district.

"…" This isn't going to do anything good for my reputation. I should get out of the rain until it's time to meet. I glance around the area for a place.

"Oh, is that you, Yashiki? I thought so. Hey, it's been a while."

A woman in a lab coat appears. It's Madoka Hiroo.

"Hiroo…? I heard I had help, but I didn't think it'd be you."

"What, you don't approve? Take your complaints up with Yasuoka."

"N-No…I didn't mean it like that."

Whatever else can be said about her, Hiroo is calm, collected, and logical. Her opinions are valuable.

"Huh. Well that's a surprise. I guess you do respect me. As you should."

My neck tingles from the strength of her judging stare. I wasn't expecting her to have changed, and she definitely hasn't.

"Do you still visit the underground shelter?"

"Hm? Yes… Well, only once in a while. I've been busy with work recently, so I haven't had the time. How are things going on your end?"

"Nothing exciting. I'm taking some time to relax."

"Uhh, I wasn't really asking about you personally. Whatever. I think I have a pretty clear picture now." Hiroo glances down at her watch distractedly.

"Uh, is something wrong?" I ask.

"No. He should be here soon. Oh, wait, there he is."

I follow Hiroo's gaze to find…

"Hello, did I make you wait for me?"

"Daimon…? You were rounded up for this, too?" I asked.

"Ha ha… That's not a nice way to put it, but yes, basically. Yasuoka insisted. So I'll be accompanying you today." He explained "And don't worry about me. My health has been much better since then. My cough has mostly gone away, too."

"O-Oh, really…."

He seems to pretty confident about that, but he looks as pale as ever. But it's his body and he's a doctor, so if he says he's fine, I'll just have to believe him.

"And speaking of health, how has your leg been, Yashiki? Any pain lately?"

"Oh…" I blinked then look down at my leg "No…not really. It's been doing fine. The only time I feel any sort of pain if I suddenly move too quickly. Physical therapy is going well as well."

"I see…" Daimon looks down at my leg "Well…let's just hope you don't have to do a lot of running here. And your ribs doing well too, I hope." I nod in response "Good." Then he looked over at Hiroo "I met with Hiroo just recently, but…Well, I hope we work well together again."

"I can't say an unscientific investigation gets me very excited, but…" She sighs "I owe the old woman, so this is how I'll pay her back."

"You owe her?" I asked a bit confused.

"Yeah, it's almost impossible to get your hands on old army documents. But she's got a lot of influence, so I had her pull some strings for me." She said "Well, I guess not just her. You saved me too, back when all that stuff was going on. It's not like I don't feel indebted to you."

"…" I raise a brow at her "I see. Thanks." I can't say I ever expected Hiroo to feel that way. But in a situation like this, I'm grateful. "By the way…Is it okay for both of you to walk around in your lab coats? Shouldn't you change?"

"Hey, this is a professional look. During an investigation like this, it's actually even better than…"

Ring

Hiroo's cell phone rings in her pocket. "Oh, give me a second." She took her phone out and flipped it open "Sorry, I got an email. Let's see here…" Hiroo checks the screen, her back turned to me.

"Hmmm… Hiro seems as busy as ever. I'm fairly busy myself."

"Sorry to drag you all the way out here then."

"No, don't worry about that." Daimon shook his head "If you're after something, then I want to help you out. After all, we overcame that horrible trail together. To us, you're…"

"A comrade in arms?" I shrug with a smile.

"A comrade in arms, huh…" Daimon mutters then nods his head "Yeah, that right. That's the perfect way to put it."

"Sorry for the interruption, but it was an important message. The last person won't make it. Ai was caught by her manager."

Ai… She means the idol Ai Kashiwagi. Sounds like she's keeping busy, too. But bringing a popular idol to a place like this sounds like a PR nightmare…

"So here." Hiroo hands me her cell phone.

"What? What are you doing?"

"She's still on the line. She wants to apologize to you herself."

"I don't really need…"

"Quit you grumbling and take the call." Hiroo shoves the phone into my hand without letting me get a word in edgewise. Guess I have no choice…

My voice when I speak into the phone is surprisingly meek.

"Uhhh… Hello? Ai…?"

"Oh, is that you Miss Yashiki? Good morning! It's me, Ai Kashiwagi! I'm so sooo sorry! I'll regret not being able to help you for the rest of my life!"

Her whirlwind of words is the same as always, energetic and full of exaggeration. I do my best to convince her not to worry.

"No, it's fine. Really. I doubt anything will even happen over this."

"Really? I hope so…Oh no! My cue's coming up. Please come to our next performance for sure, Miss Yashiki! Okay, bye!"

"…"

And just like that, the hurricane of a phone call passes us by. The change in excitement levels leaves a vacuum. My head spins.

"She's tiring, isn't she?" Hiroo sighs "Geez, that old lady thought it'd be a good idea to bring an idol on a case…"

"By the way, Yashiki…Uhhh, are you…close to Kashiwagi?"

That's an odd question coming from Daimon.

"Yeah, I mean, I have her contact info at least."

"Could you get me concert tickets? A kid at work's a huge fan of her, but they can never get a ticket."

Oh, that explains it. Still, I didn't think she was THAT popular. "I can try asking. How many do you need?"

"Three, if possible. I'd like to go as well. It's a rare opportunity."

"…"

"You're a little old for idols…You have a thing for girls?"

"I'm a connoisseur of music. Idols have nothing to do with it."

…A subject change right now would be wise.

"Got a lot of free time to stand around, I see. But playtime's over."

"Mashita? What are you doing here?" I asked, I thought he said we hasn't coming.

"This case is a request from a client. Wanted to make sure you showed."

"Jerk. What, planning on observing us are you?" Hiroo asked. "What if we hadn't shown up?"

"One of you IS a no-show, in fact. I heard 4 were coming."

"Ai Kashiwagi couldn't make it. It seems her manager caught her." I explain to him.

"That so?" He shrugs, indifferent. Guess he figures it won't make much difference.

"So you took care of your other cases already?"

"Thought I told you I'm just checking in. While I'm here, I have new info on the hotel to give you."

Ring

Ring

Just then, someone else's cell phone starts ringing shrilly.

"Oops, this one's from my hospital. Excuse me for a moment."

"Tch. One after another…"

---

DEATH MARK

---

We decided to take shelter from the rain…

Daimon has to finish his call, and we may as well hear what info Mashita has for us.

We commandeer a dirty smoking area on the corner. Then we start our improvised strategy meeting.

"God, this rain is irritating. I hate it." Hiroo grumbles as she gulps down her drink.

Mashita gives her a sidelong glance and sighs, exhaling smoke. Then he starts to talk. "Listen, I don't have time to waste, so I'll make this short. That hotel, Masquerade, closed down about a year ago now. It's unclear why, but it probably has to do with the owner going missing."

"Missing…?" I narrowed my eyes before exhaling the smoke from the cigarette. That sounds like the Red Riding Hood rumors. I mean, it's kind of a standard word in any urban legend, but…

"Why he went missing is unknown. But something's definitely behind it. He just up and vanished."

Hiroo pipes up, frowning. "Then that just proves this is a normal case. Is there any point in searching the hotel?"

Mashita taps his cigarette into the ashtray, shaking off the ash. He then continues with the same train of thought. It seems he's going to ignore Hiroo's question.

"A few publications had fun with the story for a while. It's prime gossip. But after a point, it stopped being reported and everyone up and forgot. Now, this is just my guess, but…This area's crime syndicate turf. They likely applied pressure to keep things quiet."

Makes sense for a red light district, at least that's how it seems from the way he's talking.

"And what started spreading around at the same time as that missing persons case are…" Mashita waves his lit cigarette out toward the street. "…The rumors of 'Red Riding Hood'. The so-called eyewitness reports and the people who actually heard things…Put all together, it seems Masquerade is the center of all the rumors. Yasuoka brought the request to me, and is also of the same opinion."

Masquerade simply stands there quietly on the dark street, soaked with rain. The neon lights at its feet almost seem to be staring out at the world.

"I see…So do you have any other…"

"…?!" When I turn around, someone is standing there. My heart thunders in my chest. "H-Hey, Hiroo…behind you…"

"Huh? What? Is there a moth?" Hiroo looks behind her, puzzled. "Nothing's there."

"…" The figure disappeared when she turn around "S-Sorry…I think…my eyes were playing tricks on me." I make an effort to gloss over it. But there's no way I can believe it was a trick. I'm sure I saw it. Maybe the darkness has strained my eyes and I saw something that wasn't there, but…

Daimon's call ends. "Whew, sorry. Patient with an emergency. I managed to walk them through procedures, but I need to go soon or…I'm terribly sorry. I'll make up for this later, I promise." Daimon runs off into lightly falling rain.

Human lives depend on his work. This kind of thing is inevitable. Which means Hiroo and I will have to handle the investigation by ourselves tonight.

"So the only one left is the science freak… That's…concerning." Mashita lets out a sigh.

"What?! What did you just say?" Hiroo snaps at him "That how you treat people helping you out?"

Paying no mind to Hiroo's violent outburst, Mashita calmly looks at his watch. "It's time. Enough gossip. The rest is in your hands."

And with that, he's gone.

"Wh-What…?! What a jerk!"

"Calm down." I told her with a sheepish smile "He didn't mean anything by it. He's like that to everyone."

I try to be soothing, but that stung her pride. There's no way I'll be successful.

"I can't calm down when someone's just treated me like an idiot! Just you wait…I'm going to make sure I find a clue, then I'll rub it in his stupid face! Come on, let's go!"

"…Sigh"

Nice job, Mashita…truly.

We step inside and are greeted by chilly air. Is this…marble? Our footsteps echo across the exquisite, detailed floor.

"Where are we?" Hiroo asked.

"It's a hotel, so the first floor is probably the lobby."

"Oh, right! Yeah. It would be, wouldn't it."

It's only been a few seconds since we've set foot into the hotel, and yet…Hiroo's firey determination appears to have puttered out. Where did all that energy disappear off to?

"Are you okay, Hiroo?"

"I-I'm fine. Not like some weird spirit's going to pop out. This is nothing compared to the underground shelter. But…don't you think something's odd?"

"Like what?"

"Maybe it's because it's only been a year since this place shut down, but…it's less damaged than I thought. I assume there'd be more graffiti and stuff."

You know, now that she mentions it, it's true. I turn on the flashlight and look around. This place is spotless of graffiti and all the furniture in here haven't been torn either by bugs. I move the light over the right and…

"This door…"

"It's the emergency staircase. The sign's above the door there."

I shine the flashlight around more, and while the place is dirty, nothing's really broken. But we were able to come in here off the street without anything getting in our way. So then, why…?

"Mashita mentioned earlier…He said this hotel might be connected to some crime syndicate."

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Maybe that's why it's still nice in here. Anyone who'd be most likely to tag would be…" I trailed off.

"Oh, gotcha." Hiroo nods her head "So it's a gang thing then. You think they made it off limits?"

On the other hand, maybe people stay away because dangerous things happen here. I should probably not mention that possibility to her.

"That help us though. Everything should be mostly intact. So what's the plan? Should we just do a thorough search of each floor for now?"

We don't have any particularly useful info. We'll just have to search every nook and cranny like Hiroo suggested.

"There's nothing else we can do." I said

"Ok, let's get to it then. Well, it's easy to get out of here so that's good at least."

"Yeah, if we're in danger, we'll halt the investigation and withdraw."

The elevator is clear out, in the option to go up the floors, so our best bet is to use the emergency stair case then. However, when trying to open it the door was lock. No surprise there…now where could the key be? Looking around I spotted another door in the back. I believe that's the entrance to the reception booth. Going in the room I found a key ring that has been left carelessly on the front desk. The ring has a tag that reads 'For emergencies'.

"Nice. Looks like you found something useful right off the bat." Hiroo commented. "If it says it's for emergencies, then…" Hiroo looks at the door to the right. "It might open the door to the emergency stairs."

"Yeah. Let's try it." I walked over to the door and slid the key in the lock and turn it. "Looks like it work." Taking the key out and putting it in my pocket, I open the door and step in. We worked our way up the stairs till we saw the number 2 written on the door.

"Looks like this is the second floor." Hiroo said.

"Yeah…guess we'll start our search here." I open the door and step into the hallway. Looking around I saw a picture frame on the wall. 'Masquerade Wife' it's a picture of a masked woman gazing at a man. "Hmm…" This picture is a bit out of place. Sighing I open the door that was next to the frame and step inside.

The room is pretty simple and small, there's a door that leads to what I believe is the restroom and a bed in the center. Though the mattress is bare, it doesn't seem to be fixed in place. I should be able to shift it. I lift up the mattress and look underneath. I notice a notebook lying there.

"The guestbook? Why? It's just…" I flip through it. Inside are pictures drawn in colored markers.

-Hotel Masquerade's Guestbook-

Feel free to write about the sweeeet,
sweeeet time you've spent together!

"…" Clearly they didn't need to be told twice. Still, I can't believe anyone who frequents a hotel like this would write such things. "…" But you know what they say about assuming. Every single page is filled top to bottom with lewd, suggestive comments.

"Wow, so that's what people do?"

"H-Hiroo?!"

Suddenly Hiroo is peeking over my shoulder at the guestbook. Instinct makes me try to hide it, but she plucks it from my hand easily.

"There's no reason to hide it. We're not children, you know."

"Well, yeah, but…"

"Now, let's see here…" She beings to flip through the pages "Hmmm, I see."

At first she looks through it, humming a little tune to herself, but…

"…"

She starts acting…odd.

"What's the matter, Hiroo?"

"Huh?! Wh-What?! I-I'm fine! I've just had enough! R-Reading stuff this vulgar does things to y-your head. So…take it back!"

She's the one who grabbed it in the first place. My eyes fall on the page it landed open on. It looks like it's the last entry in the guestbook. There's something written in thin, scrawling letters.

This is bad! Sa…might've ratted us out! There's rumors that she tattled to the tech and said she's going to the fuzz! This is so so so bad! What should…

That's all I can make out.

"Teach? That phrasing…Rather immature. Must be a student." Hiroo commented

"Yeah, I think so, too."

"But isn't that strange? A girl her age isn't normally at a hotel like this. Oh! Maybe schoolgirl prostitution?"

That would be a reasonable assumption. It's horrible, but that's the only logical conclusion.

"That would mean this entry…It sounds like she was panicking over having things leaked by a friend. How stupid can she get? You reap what you sow."

"…" Kids have their own issues to deal with, too. It's not such a black and white situation to be able to say she got what she deserved. Though at least one thing has been made clear thanks to these notes. "Sounds like the rumors about this place being tied to a crime syndicate are true. It's obvious that there was a lot of illegal stuff going on here."

"That sounds logical enough." Hiroo said "The number on the guestbook must refer to the room number. There may be more guestbooks."

True, if we could get more info from these entries, we might be able to figure out what happened here. "Let's keep an eye out." Putting the book in my, new, bag I notice what looks like paper under the bed.

It's square, brightly colored plastic object. I can't see the whole thing, so I can't tell what it is. I try pulling on it, but it doesn't budge. I'll have to lift the bed up a little more if I want to get it out. I glance over at Hiroo, but…I don't think she'd be able to help me lift it. Maybe I should just search elsewhere for now.

We left the room and check out the last room down the hall. The setup is just about the same as the last room. We check everywhere but didn't find anything worthwhile. I walked over to the wooden chest that is standing next to the bed and try to open the drawer, but the drawer is locked. It seems to be a simple stopper-type lock, like one you'd find in a writing desk.

"…Why don't you just break it?" Hiroo asked.

"…" I looked over the dresser "Shouldn't that be a last resort? I don't want to break it unless we have to."

"It seems like a natural choice for mammalian primate hominidae."

"Sigh…There doesn't seem to be anything else here on this floor. Let's head up to the third floor and check there."

---

DEATH MARK

---

We made our way up to the third floor and just like the last one there was another picture frame on the wall.

'Masquerade Wife' It's a picture of a masked woman walking with a cane.

Is there a meaning behind these pictures? I thought before opening the door and stepped in. Like the last two room we begin looking around to see if there is anything useful or more information. I came across the bedside table that is crammed full of stuff. I look around the bedside table and find…a spoon? Where they eating dessert in here or something? The spoon is stained black. Honestly…I don't want to know the answer to that. Grumbling I put the spoon in my bag, who knows it might come in handy.

"I don't see anything in this room." Hiroo said.

I give a small nod "Guess we'll check the bathroom then." Walking over I headed in the bathroom and begin to look around. I check the bathtub but there was nothing in there besides some stains and…slime? Shaking my head I check the trashcan but saw nothing beside some toilet paper sticking out. I open the door and check the toilet. I find a wallet covered in black stains.

"Ugh, that's moldy. Try not to breathe it in. Is anything inside?"

I check inside it. There isn't any cash, but…there is a credit card though. A guest probably dropped this. But the stains make it so I can't read the name on the card.

"We could use that to ID one of the guests." Hiroo mentioned. "Don't you think you should take it with you?"

"Yeah…You're right." My reply is halfhearted. I'm distracted by the stains. I don't mention it to Hiroo, but the stains on the card look like…Old bloodstains. "That's it for this room; let's check the other one then."

"Right."

We left the room and walked into the other one, but…

"What the hell…" I mutter looking around.

"Well this is interesting…" Hiroo said with an raised brow.

This looks like some kind of small torture room or something. There is a glass case with whips and ropes inside, they're rather shoddily made. I doubt they would survive being used. Next to it…there's an unnatural space along the wall. Going by the stain, it's likely something once hung here.

I moved my light over and spotted a Spanish donkey that lies in the corner of the room. I don't want to imagine what it was used for. The part that looks like it was the neck is broken and the head is missing.

I look over to the door that is the room, it looks undamaged at first glance, but…the whole frame is warped, so it's jammed shut. I put my hand on the door and try pulling. But it doesn't move at all.

"Just give up. You might break it if you force it."

"Yeah…guess that everything for this room."

"Looks like it."

Leaving the room we headed up the stair and exit out into the hallway.

"Wait, what…?!" Hiroo suddenly shouts. "Isn't this…the 3rd floor?"

"Don't be ridiculous. You're just imagining things." I'm sure she's just mistaken. I shine the flashlight at the floor number plaque. "…" It says we're on the 3rd floor again.

Hiroo's face goes completely pale. "A-Absurd! W-We just came up from the 3rd floor."

Just as Hiroo said, we definitely just climbed up from the 3rd floor to the 4th. So why are we back on the 3rd floor? "I-It might just be a weird fluke. Let's try again."

"R-Right!"

We climb the stairs again, like actors in a play. But…sure enough, we come back out on the 3rd floor.

"Ah…" Hiroo face goes deathly white.

"Impossible… This time I'm sure we…"

"I-It's an optical illusion! That's it! Th-there must be a trick with the lights…"

Hiroo has completely lost it.

I made absolutely sure that we were heading to the 4th floor from the 3rd floor. And yet, this is obviously the 3rd floor.

"…" If we're not hallucinating and this is real, then there are two possibilities. One is that all the floors about the 3rd floor are intentionally made to look like the 3rd floor. The other is that some mysterious power is stopping people from going to the 4th floor. But telling her that will only make things worse.

"U-Uh, how about we give up on the 4th floor for now. We'll search the places we can get to."

"Y-Yeah…Sure…"

---

DEATH MARK

---

It seems we had no problems going back down, I thought open the door to the guest room. Now that I have that credit card there was something that I wanted to try. I take out the credit card and looked at the dresser that is locked.

"Hm? What are you going to do with a credit card?"

"I want to try something. I don't know if it'll work, though."

I slowly push the card into the locked gap between the drawer and the top. It's a narrow fit, but I'm able to slide it in without any resistance. The stopper is directly ahead. So if I keep sliding the card…

Click

There's a tiny bit of resistance, then it abruptly unlocks.

"Wow, nice work. Truly the pinnacle of monkey evolution."

"…"

Is that really a compliment?

In any case, I open the drawer to find…another mask guestbook and a mini massager.

"A battery-operated massager, huh? We'll, I'll leave its use up to imagination." Hiroo said "So there are more guestbooks after all. Let's see…What does it sa-"

"No, I'll look through this one." I firmly take the guestbook from Hiroo. I just learned that it's better to not let her see anything too shocking.

"Aww, come on, I want to read through it for future reference."

"Our investigation takes priority."

I quickly flip through the pages looking for a clue similar to what we found earlier. It doesn't take me long to find it. It's the last entry in this guestbook, just like the other one we found.

Something's up. The fuzz hasn't come. Did …ko really tattle? Mrs. N…is acting normally, too. Sa…hasn't been to school recently.

That's all I can make out.

"Hmmm, sounds like the one we read earlier."

"This fully supports my earlier theory."

"Yeah, I guess so. There was definitely criminal activity going on here. Those vivid entries prove it. But…why wasn't this reported?"

"Good question. This entry makes it sound like she was being backed into a corner."

Someone was plainly threatening to tattle. And it was someone they knew, too. They wouldn't be this shaken otherwise. And supposedly this person reported it to the 'tech' too… And the entry says that in the end, the fuzz, aka the police, never came.

"We can't come to a conclusion just yet. All we can do is speculate."

THUMP

"?!"

We both freeze for a moment. All is silent.

"Was there a noise from above just now?"

"Yeah…Someone…might be above us."

"On the 3rd floor? No one was around when we were there earlier. Sh-Should we go see?"

I silently nod.

We carefully made our way back up on the 3rd floor, where we heard the sound come from. The instant I step foot on the 3rd floor…I suddenly get a chill and stop in my tracks.

"Hm…? Did you find something?"

"N-No, nothing…"

Just as I'm replying to Hiroo…

"M…i...s…s…"

I hear a voice from behind me. I quickly turn around and shine my flashlight. But all that's there is the door to the emergency stairs that we just came from. There's no one there.

"Wh-What's wrong?"

"Did you not hear that voice? A girl's…"

The metal door screeches like a scream and …

"…!" Suddenly a girl in a solid red raincoat is standing in front of us.

"Th-There she is! She's…Wait…! She's human! That ghost story w-was an utter lie!"

"Hiroo, shh. Be quiet! I can hear something."

"Huh…?"

A slithering whisper of a voice sneaks up to me. It's the voice of the girl in the raincoat.

"I'm so happy…I knew it… I'm so glad I trusted you, miss."

"Miss…?"

Hiroo gives me an odd look from beside me at my muttering. It seems she can't hear the voice at all.

"I knew…I knew it. I knew you'd come. But, miss…Who is…that woman?"

The echoey voice is like ice. But, strangely enough, I don't feel hatred in it… Just sadness, regret, and…a quiet plea.

"I'm going to make sure."

"Make sure…? Make sure of what?' The logical side of me warns not to get pulled in. The raincoat flutters in the stagnant air.

Live or Die

"Miss, do you come to places like this…very often…?"

'C-Calm down…That's right, 'miss'…I'm someone she respects. If I were someone she respects, how would I reply?'

"I...uh... came with my wife...yeah...with my wife."

I ignore Hiroo questionable look. Don't worry Hiroo...I'm perfectly straight.

"…Yes…of course…Hey, miss…could you tell me, please? Another teacher told me that… I'm heartless and don't treasure my friends. But if something's wrong, then it's wrong. What am I supposed to do? Which is more important? Friends or what's right?"

"…What's right."

"Tell me one more thing, please. When people are selling and buying bad things…Then who's in the wrong?"

"The world."

"…"

Survived

"I'm so happy… You're really her. All the immoral people died."

I can just glimpse a twisted smile under the darkness of her hood. Who is this 'miss'? More importantly, who in the world is this girl? Questions swirl around in my head. In that second of hesitation…The figure of the girl sways like a pendulum and disappears into the staircase.

And…!

"Wait, you!"

Hiroo dashes madly after her.

"Hiroo! Don't go!" I desperately call after her, but there's no reply. Her footsteps echo sharply up the stairs. "Shit! I better follow her." I ran over to the door and made a mad dash up the stairs, but… I'm back on the 3rd floor.

"…" Some mysterious power is at work here. But Hiroo dashed off to head upstairs from the 3rd floor. 'Maybe she's still on this floor then…' If it's impossible to get to the 4th floor, then Hiroo could still be on this one.

I step inside the guest room…Something's not right here. I move my flashlight up to the wall. "Are these…spider webs?" When I entered just a little while ago with Hiroo these weren't here at all. It's hard to believe it, but the room is covered in spider webs now.

I hear the bathroom door open.

"Hiroo? So this is where you were."

"…"

"Hey, uh, Hiroo…? Are you listening to me?"

She's acting strangely. Concerned, I move closer, when…She suddenly starts taking off her clothes.

"?! H-Hey…!"

Then…

She looks at me seductively from on top of the bed covered in spider webs.

"He he he, I was waiting for you. I've been waiting for you for so long."

"Wh-What are you doing?"

Every word from her lips drips honey. In contrast, my voice only gets shriller. This is so not like her at all. This this really the same Hiroo?

"Karin…" Hiroo gracefully slides over the bed and beckons to me suggestively.

"What are you trying to say? Do you understand the situation we're in?"

"He he he, what does that matter? You're here… I'm here… Isn't that enough?"

'Is she being possessed?'

Her pale thighs glow on the bedsheet as she poses seductively. She almost looks like a spider preparing to strike at her prey.

Live or Die

"We're all alone. Don't hold back. Take a good look."

The red raincoat flashes before my eyes. Could it be Hiroo is acting like this because…

'Is she continuing the questions from earlier?'

In that case, a clue would be…

'Remember! What did she say before?'

"He he he… Go on, look."

"Hiroo…have some shame!"

"He he he… How cute. Ugh… *cough cough*…" Hiroo suddenly starts coughing violently. "Huff huff… I-It's hard to breathe. P-Please… my back…"

I quickly start patting her back. The instant I touch her, her coughing stops.

"That feels good. But…I know…" Hiroo suddenly lowers her voice. "I tried hard during college and at work not to lose to men…But I'm all alone in the end. No one ever looks my way. I'm sure you're not interested in someone like me either, Karin…"

"I depend on you, Hiroo."

Survived

"Ehe he he…Aha ha…he he he…aha ha ha ha!" Hiroo's shrill laugh pitches into madness.

"H-Hey! Get it together!" I shake her shoulders repeatedly. But she doesn't reply. 'It can't be… Is she…?'

Her personality has suddenly, and dramatically, shifted. And this crazy laughter…Cold sweat drips down my neck.

'This is almost like…'

Knock knock

"What's going on?! Is someone in here?!"

"Daimon?! You came?!"

"Sorry I'm late. I rushed over as soon as the emergency patient was stable. Did something…happen?" He finally saw the condition Hiroo is in.

"I-I'm not sure, but…" I quickly tell Daimon what's going on. He swiftly examines the laughing Hiroo and turns to me with his findings.

"No physical trauma, but her mind's confused. She needs to be hospitalized."

"We're on the 3rd floor. How do we get her out?"

"I've learned a patient carry. We just need to get her on our backs. Come, we need to hurry. If she's been poisoned then time is everything."

I nod "Right. I'll help."

---

DEATH MARK

---

It was a bizarre and horrible night.

In the end, Hiroo kept cackling as we carried her out of the hotel. We put her in an ambulance and Daimon rode with her to his hospital. The siren blasts through the night. Exhaustion bears down on me and I find that I need to sit down.

When I come back to my senses and look up…the rain has already stopped.

The moment I get back to the mansion, I collapse on the sofa. "Guh…" Fury rises within me, without an outlet.

Why… Why is this happening again? I'm sure I sealed Mary.

'So then why… Why again…?' The image of Hiroo earlier fixes in my mind. "I have to do something. Something…" Her shrill laugh echoes in my ears.

I look over at the grandfather clock on the second floor seeing the time, once I'm done looking things up, I should go to bed early.

---

DEATH MARK

---

Creaks

"… …?" I hear the rumble of something heavy moving around as I'm half-asleep. Is someone here? My brain is too sluggish for thought. I couldn't say how long I slept. I remember it being dawn, but…

"?!" A loud noise makes me spring upright.

Young eyes are staring at me "I-I'm so sorry! I woke you up."

"Suzu…? What are you doing here?"

"The room was messy, so I thought I'd clean it for you. Sorry I didn't ask permission first."

That's not exactly what I meant.

"Oh, are you awake? Geez, are you a little too careless?"

"Christie? You're here, too?"

She shrugs and sighs dramatically, very nearly rolling her eyes at me. "You left the front door unlocked. Were you out investigating until late? It's not good to sleep on the sofa."

I guess I didn't have the energy to make it up to my bedroom last night. Was I that tired?

"Yeah, something like that."

"Take better care of yourself. Oh, do you want some coffee?"

"No, I'm fine for now. More importantly, why are you here?"

Christie glances over at me and huffs. "I'm dropping off reports from Mr. Detective."

"Mr. Detective…?" It must be research for Mashita's case. But who'd have thought Christie would listen to a request from Mashita.

"That man is the worst. The attitude he had when asking for a favor. If I didn't owe you, I'd have flat out told him no."

Guess she didn't agree because she wanted to.

"I understand, but why is Suzu here, too?"

"I told her about my visit and invited her. We exchanged numbers a while back."

Suzu nods her head in agreement "Yes, she certainly surprised me, suddenly asking to be friends. It's the first time I've been friends with an adult."

Christie whisper to me. "(I mean, I can't help but be worried! I have to make sure that creepy otaku isn't doing anything weird to her. They go after children sometimes!)"

So that's why.

She was worried because Eita's so forward…No, more likely because Suzu is too innocent.

"But I'm a little relieved. You didn't seem very well when I was here before, so I've been worried." Suzu said.

"…Did I seem that bad?"

"You look well now, though. I wish Eita could've come with us. But he's working at the factory today."

It sounds like Eita's started working seriously. It's never too late to start something. I hope he tries hard.

"So, moving on to the matter at hand." Christie spoke up "You heard how the owner of that hotel went missing, right? I have connections with the copy editor of that article, so I asked her. And sure enough…" Her expression clouds over. "The hotel and rumors of its illegal services were just juicy news for the media. They even knew that there was a mediator organization managing it. The reporters looking in to the flow of cash actually got some concrete proof."

This telling of the story is fascinating because Christie used to be in the media herself. The things recorded in the guestbooks we found may have been connected. But before we talk more about it…

"Suzu…Sorry, but would you mind doing more cleaning? I've been putting it off for a long time, so the second floor is a giant mess, too."

"Oh, okay! I can do that. I'll borrow your cleaning supplies then." Suzu skips up the stairs.

Christie seems to immediately catch on. "Not exactly a topic for kid's ears, huh. I'm sorry. I didn't realize."

"No, it really is messy up there." I chuckled. "Any way, tell me more."

"Yes, so the media at the time should've been pursuing the heart of the matter, but…It's like this case was hardly reported on."

The media caught wind of the story, so the police should've been briefed on it as well. Any yet what took place around Masquerade is shrouded in darkness.

"It seems something's behind all this."

"Behind…? What do you mean?"

"I don't know if this is true or not…But they had a whole list of all of Masquerade's customers. Famous politicians and businessmen were on it."

"…"

"And that reporter who got the proof up and went missing. A number of freelancers on the case also went missing apparently."

"That's horrible."

Those are the only words I can find to describe it.

"You're telling me. It's an outrage to silence those who are seeking the truth."

"It's bad, but it'd at least be a little better if…It was the work of regular humans."

"The work of regular humans? What do you mean by that?'

I narrow my eyes at her "Exactly what it sounds like. The truth is…"

I tell Christie about what happened yesterday. What we found in the hotel, and what happened to Hiroo…

The color drains from Christie's face until she's as white as a sheet. "S-Suzu! We're leaving!" With her sudden yell, Christie stands up and prepares to leave.

"What? What's wrong?"

"No one told me."

"What?"

"no one said a single thing about spirits like that being involved! I'm sorry, but I can't do this. I'm never going to face a spirit again. And I'm not just thinking about me. I don't want Suzu going through that either."

Thinking about it, it makes sense. No one has the right to drag Christie and Suzu into a case like this. Especially me.

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to get you involved. The research you've done is enough. So don't concern yourself about it anymore."

Christie looks at me in stunned surprise. "No, I should be the one apologizing. I owe you. You did everything you could to save us. But we-"

"Is something the matter?" Suzu reenters the room, head tilted in confusion.

"I just remembered something I have to do, so we need to leave. Sorry. You can keep cleaning next time, okay?"

"Okay. I understand." Suzu nods, though she looks suspicious. She's very perceptive. She has to have picked up the strained air between us.

"Well then, see you, Miss Yashiki."

"Right. Thanks for coming all this way. You were a great help. I'm very grateful."

Christie quickly bows to me, her expression inscrutable.

"Excuse us. I'll come again sometime, okay?" Suzu puts her hands together and bows politely. Then she whispers in my ear so Christie can't overhear "I'm so sorry. I caught a little bit of what you were talking about earlier. So I contacted Eita. I'm sure he'll be helpful."

"O-Oh…"

To be honest, I can't imagine Eita being very useful. But Suzu has good intentions. So I nod.

"Thank, that helps."

I do my best to smile as I see them out of the mansion. I need to get ready soon and head out.

---

DEATH MARK

---

I didn't think it would go for two days straight…but it's sprinkling again tonight.

"Gotta set the mood for the investigation, huh."

Like investigating in the dark wasn't enough it just had to be one that involves the rain too. Mother Nature is just taunting me. Luckily it's not a thunder storm…hopefully I didn't jinx myself for that thought alone.

As the time comes to get the search started, two figures finally appear.

"Hey, right on time. Did you get any sleep?" Daimon looks exhausted, probably as a result of everything that happed last night.

"Howdy, it's my turn today. Do this, we shall."

"Banshee?!"

I honestly never expected Banshee Itou to come help. But he definitely has some spiritual powers. Yasuoka's judgement is on point. But more importantly…

"How is Hiroo doing?"

"She's stable. She's showing no adverse symptoms. But she hasn't regained consciousness, and she's exhausted a lot of energy. Even being optimistic, it isn't good. At this rate, her life could be in danger."

I frowned "Is that so…" I was prepared for bad news, but the situation sounds exceedingly dire laid out like that.

"The problem is we don't know the cause." Daimon sighs "We suspect poison, but without knowing what kind, there's nothing we can do. What's worse is we can't find a puncture wound for the injection point."

"You can't give her serum? Isn't that normally what you give patients when there's poison?"

Daimon looks exasperated, or rather, frustrated as he shakes his head. "So just try random antitoxins? Sure, if you want to kill her, go ahead. Even if we could get our hands on the poison, it'd take time to create the serum. We'd be too late."

So there's nothing we can do.

"If we just had something kind of clue…" I look up at the hotel basked in a sea of neon.

"There isn't much hope, but we cannot despair either. Oh, that's right. Just so you know…" Daimon looks over at me. "There was no Mark on Hiroo's body."

"I see…" Which means that the nightmare isn't starting again. I sigh in relief, the frozen chunk of fear in my chest melting away. "I did some investigating on that myself, actually. I went to the warehouse last night."

"…And what did you find?"

"Nothing had changed. That paulownia box was still sealed."

"Is that right…Whew, well that's good. That's the first good news I've heard in a while."

"Come on you two!" Banshee shouted over at us from the hotel entrance "How long're you gonna stand around chit-chatting? Let's get going already!"

"R-Right. Sorry for making you wait."

"This is everyone for today, right?"

I hesitate for a second as Eita comes to mind. But…

"This is all of us. Let's get started."

"Good. Time to get a move on!"

He's so energetic that it's more worrying than reassuring. Why is Banshee this fired up?

"Just an fyi, old man… this place may be abandoned, but stealing is a crime. An ex-detective gave us the request. If you do anything illegal…"

"How dare you! I don't go 'round stealing things! I'm helping outta the goodness of my heart. Anyway who cares about that! Let's get to searching!"

Sounds like Daimon hit the bullseye. Banshee rushes ahead into the hotel, as if trying to get away.

"As troublesome as ever…" I sigh shaking my head while putting my hands on my hip. "Though I can vouch…he won't steal things, as he didn't take a single dime out of my wallet when I had forgotten it back in the store."

"Well, he's at least reliable at times like these." Daimon mumbles. "By the way, Yashiki, may I ask you to do something for me?"

"No need to be so formal about it."

"If something were to happen to me, please move Hiroo to another hospital at once. I've spoken to another doctor I know."

"…Okay. Then if I started acting strangely…I'll leave myself in your hands, Daimon."

In all honestly…I had been thinking if I should make Daimon my go-to doctor as he is aware of the supernatural and it'll be easier to explain to him on what happen to me, then a regular doctor that has a higher chance in throwing me into the looney-bin as Mashita had called it.

"Yes, of course. And what will we do if we're both done in?"

"Good question…Guess it'll be up to that grumpy detective."

"Right. Let's have him take care of it."

"Well…this is his case. He just dumped it on me, on not wanting to deal with supernatural."

Daimon let out a chuckle "Well, we better head inside. We can't let that guy wander alone."

---

DEATH MARK

---

"Whoa, it's still all fancy in here."

Banshee's cheerful voice hits us as soon as we step inside.

"Hmm, maybe I could make this my second home. Oh, what's this glass case about?" Talking to himself, he starts rummaging around.

"I already warned you once, old man. We're not here to play."

"I don't think Banshee's listening." I told him, to which he just let out a deep sigh while rubbing his forehead. Chuckling lightly I looked over at Banshee as he putters around by himself, he reminds me of what happened to Hiroo yesterday.

"…We should stick together as much as possible. It's dangerous to go alone."

"Yeah, you're right. Hey, old man! Are you listening?"

"I have ears!"

He hears us all right, but clearly won't listen.

"Good grief…So, Yashiki, you searched up to the 3rd floor yesterday? Which means we should look though the 4th floor and above today."

"Yeah, that's right, but…"

"Is there a problem with that plan?"

When we went up the stairs to the 4th floor, we just ended up back on the 3rd again. I tell them about the mysterious phenomenon we encountered yesterday.

"?! Are you sure you weren't just confused?"

"Yeah…I'm pretty sure that was real."

"Then we're in trouble. Is there no other way to get to the 4th floor?"

"What are you talking about? There's a way right over there. Easy."

Banshees unexpectedly butts in.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"That thing right there! See? Do you bumpkins not know what an elevator is?"

Daimon lets out an irritated groan. "Old man, you know elevators need electricity to work, don't you? Do you think this hotel has any power?"

"If there isn't any, then all you have to do is make it so that there is. There's a devices that control electricity. I should know, I'm an expert."

"Oh, really. Is that so…" Daimon sighs. I think he's lost the will to argue. Not that I blame him really.

"Guess I'll just have to find the device thing myself then." He heads off, and after I had just told him not to wander away from the others.

"I just ask you to not go off by yourself. Banshee, I'm begging you, stay-" I don't get to finish my sentence. A splitting pain pierces my head and I fall to my knees "Ugh… Gh…!"

"Yashiki?! What's wrong?"

"M-My head…suddenly…"

"Do you get chronic migraines? Do you have any medicine on you?"

"N-No, I don't think that's it. My head is just throbbing…"

"A pulsing headache? If you don't have any medicine, then icing it is best. I'll go buy something from the vending machine. Sit here until I come back. Don't try to stand! You could fall over!"

I sink to the floor, unable to even reply.

Before long, Daimon returns with a cold bottle of water, but…strangely enough, my headache completely vanished while he was gone. It's hard to believe that a pain that intense would disappear so easily, but it did. Daimon doesn't seem particularly surprised when I tell him.

"No, it's not that odd. After all, we haven't clarified what caused the headache in the first place. I'm sure it's just exhaustion. You didn't sleep much yesterday, did you?"

That's true. I can't exactly say I got much rest.

"When you're under continuous stress, it's possible to get sudden headaches. Once you get home, you should take a bath or something and relax."

"Okay. I'll try that."

All of that's common sense, but it carries weight coming from a doctor.

"Uhhh, by the way…" Daimon looks around, puzzled. "Where's old man Banshee?"

"Huh?" I whip my head around, searching. But Banshee is nowhere to be found.

"Geez… Already…? I give up."

"We'll find him soon. Most likely." I grumble, getting back up to my feet.

"Let's hope so. I'm quite worried. But there's nothing we can do. We'll let him do what he wants. As long as it's a proper investigation, the detective should have no complaints."

"Yeah, let's go."

As we made our way up the stairs to the second floor I brought up the bed in room 3, and asked if he could help me move it. He said he'll give it a try when we get to the room.

---

DEATH MARK

---

"What do you think? Can you lift this?" I asked him pointing down to the bed.

"Well, I can at least hold it up. I'll just have to give it a try. Make sure you don't hurt your back. Don't need another reason for you go back to the hospital other than your leg."

"He he he…"

Daimon grabs one end of the bed while I grab the other. "On three. One, two, three!"

We both lift the bed up together. I manage to drag the object out with my foot.

"I've got it. We can put it down now."

"Whew… I worked up a sweat. So, what did you find?" I looked down at my hand, it is a contraceptive. "…Strange it hasn't been found until now. Well, at least it hasn't been used."

Putting the item in my bag, we both left the room and went to examine the elevator. I shine my flashlight through the safety window. I can see inside the elevator. It seems to be stopped on the second floor.

"Hmm…" I try pulling on the elevator door. It moves slightly if I pull all my weight into it. It's impossible to open it alone, but if I had some help I might be able to force it open. I turn to Daimon and nod my head to the elevator "Want to give it a try? Lend me a hand."

"All right, I'll show you what I'm capable of now that I've gotten healthier."

"On my count! One, two…!"

"Hrrrgh!"

We muster all our strength and try two or three times to force the doors open. Then…

Baam

"Whoa!" There's a sound of something snapping and the door suddenly slide open.

"Did we break it?" Daimon wonders.

"Um. Maybe. It's probably still okay."

"But now we can search inside the elevator. Let's go on in."

Manually opening the door with my hands and stepping in feels really weird. Daimon conscientiously closes the door once he comes inside.

"Doesn't leaving an elevator door open concern you?"

…Ah, true. I think it was just habit that I didn't think about it.

"Still…" I looked around the elevator, spotting something in it "Are those spider webs on the ceiling?"

"Yeah…looks like it. An enclosed area such as this would be a good place to spin a web. Now then… where should we check first?"

I shine my left over to the left and spotted the hotel floor guide. It lists room numbers from the 1st floor to the 6th.

"Hmmm, so the VIP room is on the 6th floor? It's the only one with a different color." Daimon mutters looking over the list.

"…" I move the light over to the right of the elevator button panel. It has buttons for the 1st floor to the 5th. Going by how it looks from the outside, it doesn't seem to be broken. "Mm? Wait, is it just me or is something off?"

"It is indeed odd."

"The buttons only go up to the 5th floor. And yet…" I move the light back over to the left.

"The floor guide says there's a 6th floor. That is quite concerning."

"Maybe you can only get to the 6th floor by using the stairs?"

Daimon narrows his eyes "I don't think so. It says the 6th floor has the deluxe suite. I've never heard of a VIP room that you can only get to using the stairs."

That's a good point. They wouldn't make their guests of honor use the stairs. But then, what does this discrepancy mean? I suddenly remember how Banshee was fixated on the elevator. Like he somehow knew it held a secret all along.

"In the end…We'll just have to try to get it moving."

"Huh? Get what moving?"

"This elevator. Like what Banshee was saying."

"…" Daimon stares at me, his face a mask of utter disbelief.

"You know Banshee has mysterious powers. Maybe we just need to bet on them." Though his idea has a huge hole in it. "The problem is how we go about getting it to move. I don't have the slightest idea…"

"Hmmm….I see now."

I thought he was going to get irritated with me, but Daimon thinks about something for a while. Then he slowly starts talking.

"Yashiki, to be honest…I've been giving it a lot of thought since then."

"A lot of thought to what?"

"Why we survived." He said "Or more, why the spirits were vanquished. I've been considering the reason." It's surprising to hear him talk about that. He speaks as if recounting something painful. "The reason why…It's clear that nothing physical was behind it. I get the feeling they were vanquished for a more…meaningful reason. Otherwise that Soldier wouldn't have crumbled just from one hit with a chisel. Which leads me to one answer. The fights we experienced with the spirits weren't actual fights…More…rituals with certain conventions."

"Rituals?"

"Yes, just like religious ceremonies. Rituals that are presented to the spirits. A ritual is a reenactment of something. Obviously it doesn't actually take place. But maybe going through the motions satisfies those on the other side. Then one's purpose is accomplished. In our case, the spirits were vanquished."

"Then the Mark disappeared."

It's all conceptual, but it's a convincing argument especially for those with personal experience. For example, we vanquished Hanahiko with lipstick and a hand mirror. But we were essentially reenacting hi memories of his mother. And if you define a ritual as a reenactment, then that'd mean our fights were rituals.

"I understand that, but…how does that relate to now?"

"We must fix the elevator. That much is clear. But perhaps we only need a ritual. In other words, go through the motions."

So he's saying we need to perform some kind of ritual to get the elevator moving?

"It's almost like playing house."

"This isn't playtime. Rituals are serious. No adult would get excited over a ground-breaking ceremony."

"Ah. True…"

"If this is the work of a being caught up in some delusion, like the spirits…A ritual might make something happen. The investigation was entrusted to you, therefore I leave the decision to you."

Wow…you sounded just like Mashita, Daimon, leave all the work to me why don't you?

---

DEATH MARK

---

When we return to the 3rd floor…

"Hm hm, this is interesting."

Banshee is there. He's appreciating a painting on the wall and mumbling something.

I shine the light on the painting to get a better view, despite already knowing what's on it "What's so interesting about that painting?"

"What are you doing…?" Daimon asked him. "You aren't planning on stealing that, are you?"

"Ha, even I can tell this painting ain't worth a dime. I was just giving it a good looksee. These paintings seem to have a specific order to view them. See you. I'm gonna go look somewhere else." Banshee disappears toward the stairs.

"Honestly…that guy…" I sigh shaking my head.

"Indeed…" Daimon mutters rubbing his head.

"…There was room, that I wanted to check…but well, couldn't."

"Why is that?"

"The door is stuck. Here I'll show you."

I lead him to the room where the bathroom door was jammed in. Going over the door I put my hand on the door and try pulling. But it doesn't move at all.

"Hmmm, I see." Daimon mutters examining the door "Try opening it while pushing from another direction."

"Which direction is that?"

"One not involved with it opening or closing, so from the side. Try pulling on the frame again. And I'll try out my idea."

"Okay…" I pull on it again, as I'm told. Daimon puts his hand on the side of the knob and leans his weight toward the hinge. Then…the door which had stubbornly refused to open now abruptly pops open. "Wow. It actually opened."

"Just a little life wisdom. I live in an old traditional house, so I deal with my fair share of troublesome doors." Makes sense. You never know what's going to come in handy. "There might be something inside. After all, this guest room seems…different."

You're telling me…

"Yeah. We should be careful."

Stepping inside we begin to look around, I search the bathtub while Daimon checked out the cabinet on the wall. When I shine the light through the glass door…I find trash lying in the bathtub. I step inside and dig around in the tub.

"Hm?" I immediately notice a large object that looks like a small log. "What's this?" I stare at it until I realize what it is. It's the wooden horse head. What the hell was it doing in the bathtub?

Daimon seems shocked. "It might be a little late to be saying this, but…you really are impressive, Yashiki."

"Oh yeah…" I raised a brow "Did you find anything on your end?"

"Yes… I did. Here." He hand me a bottle "I found it in the cabinet." I look at the bottle reading the word written on the label, 'Vaseline'. "White petrolatum. It's used as lubricant and moisturizers."

"Huh…Might come in handy." Putting the item away we stepped out of the room, and I spotted a metal box hanging on the wall. "What's this…?" It's an object with an iron cover. I think it's some kind of electrical device. I open the cover and peek inside. I don't know the actual name for it, but I find a device that looks like a circuit board."

"Hmmm, and of course, it's broken." Daimon huffed "We'll have to fix this if we want to get the elevator moving. Just like the old man said, it normally doesn't move without electricity. Of course, we don't have to actually fix it."

"So long as we can get it moving…" We'll only be performing a repairing 'ritual'. That's all we can do.

"By the way, Yashiki…" Daimon's face pales further as he groans. "This stuff hanging everywhere…"

"I think…it's human hair." Sweat drips down my back.

"I-It certainly does look that way. Well, we can only ignore it for now."

"Yeah… Good idea." Trying to put it from my mind, I reach out to the circuit board. Just then, I notice something weird. "What's that noise?" When I hold my head close to the circuit board, I hear a faint buzzing.

"It's coming from the circuit board. Something might be vibrating inside it. That's often the case with electrical devices."

"You're right. It's vibrating." Touching it with my fingers, I can feel the vibration. He was right. The board is vibrating.

"So that must be why…" Daimon nods to himself. "There aren't any spider webs here."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. I'd expected this place to be covered with spider webs like the elevator. It was strange to see it wasn't. It's probably because of this noise. Spiders hate small vibrations like this. I've heard that's why they don't spin webs by motors or things like that."

"Huh…"

"Eh, it's not really relevant. Now, what should we do about this?"

I examine the motor one more time before a thoughtful idea came to mind. I take out the contraceptive from the bag, this isn't the original purpose, but it's still rubber. If I stretch it, it should work like a rubber band. "Mmmgh…" I stretch the contraceptive with both hands…and hook it on the switch. It took more strength than I expected. I managed to connect the ends and fix the switch in place.

"Huh, you're pretty imaginative." Daimon said.

"Thanks…" I close the door to the box then looked over at Daimon "I believe there was another one, back down on the first floor."

"Then let's go check it out."

Heading back to the first floor, I quickly made my over to the other circuit breaker that is next to the elevator. Opening it, I look around to examine the damage. The copper bar appears to be broken, that's the only place that's obviously damaged.

Frowning, I took the spoon out of my bag. "I wonder if this will work…" Metal conducts electricity, right…?

"I see… So electricity will be able to pass through that."

"Yeah, I'm not sure it'll actually work, though."

It might be enough for what we're trying to accomplish right now. I force the spoon behind the copper bar. And it sticks in place rather nicely.

"Hopefully that did the trick."

"Let's head back up and see if it did."

---

DEATH MARK

---

"Okay…" Stepping back in the elevator I look around till I spotted a small keyhole about the operating buttons.

"Oh, that's the elevator's fire switch. If you stick they key in and turn it, it activates the elevator even in emergencies."

"Emergencies? What kind?"

"Uhhh, I don't really recall…I think it can make the elevator move without closing the doors."

According to Daimon, normal elevators stop moving if their doors are broken. But supposing you needed to use it during an emergency…You'd need the key. "This seems like a good time to use that."

"We did force the doors open, after all. If we broke them while doing that, we might need to use the fire switch."

"Still… you're pretty well-informed."

"I learned that during a disaster drill when I worked at a larger hospital. We were lectured to prepare us for anything that might happen." So that's why he knows so much. "Do you have a key you think we can use? You should try it."

"Oh, right." I dug the key out of my pocket; I find a small key that has the word 'fire' engraved on it. I stick it in the fire switch, slowly turning it on the 'on' position. But…I can't turn it. It doesn't seem lubricated enough. If it try to force it, it might break.

"I think that's the right key…But you might need to put some oil on it."

"Sigh…looks like that Vaseline will come in handy then."

I smear the Vaseline around the keyhole. It's nothing more than a replacement for oil but it might help the key slide better. Sticking the key in one more time, I slowly turn the switch to 'on' and something clicks.

Then..

"Whoa?!"

The elevator automatically moves to the 1st floor.

Daimon groans as he wipes sweat off his face. "I-I can't believe it…It actually moved."

"Wait a second…You're the one who suggested we do a ritual."

It still feels ridiculous starting an elevator a 'ritual'…

"I-I suppose so… Still, I'm shocked. But now finally…"

"Yeah… We might be able to go above the 3rd floor."

"Exactly. I wonder what we'll find?"

"Who knows…"I push the button label '4'. The elevator beings to make its way up till it stop of the fourth floor.

"Looks like we managed to make it up here."

"Yeah. Let's go."

The gloomy hallway stretches out ahead of us. It doesn't look all that different from the lower floors.

"?! It's her." A red raincoat appears in the darkness. My grip on the flashlight becomes sweaty.

"Th-That's…" Daimon takes a step back.

"Miss…other people are unnecessary…You're the only one I want to see, miss. I don't like gross or scary things…"

"She's calling me 'miss' again."

She seems like she'll listen to what I have to say. I should try asking her something this time. Anything really. I just need a clue. Anything that can help save Hiroo, who's suffering in pain at this very moment…

'Okay…' Mind made up, I take a deep breath, but…

"Ugh…" Daimon stumbles over something and falls.

"Hey…are you okay?"

"Sorry. Nothing's wro—Huh…?" Daimon falls silent as he tries to stand.

I look over at him and immediately see it. The thing Daimon stumbled over is…

"Aaah!" Daimon instinctively scrambles back.

"Wh-What is that?"

Something that looks like a giant cocoon is sticking to the floor. I can see a scar and hat entangled in the glittering thread. They look familiar. No. it can't be…

"B-Banshee…?!"

"Old man?! You're kidding?!"

"Banshee! Can you hear me?! Please say something!"

"Mmhmn mmn nh!"

I hear a muffled voice from the cocoon. "He's alive! …?! Spiders?!" I quickly move to shoo them away from the cocoon, but I see a red figure out of the corner of my eye. "Gah…!"

"E-Ele…! Ele!"

Daimon's so panicked he's unintelligible, but I know what he's trying to say. Escaping to the elevator is our only choice.

"Go! Go!"

Together we rip Banshee up off the floor. Carrying him like a log, we stumble to the elevator. We fall into the elevator and I repeatedly slam the button for the 1st floor.

"Banshee, can you hear me?! Hey! Say something!" Daimon ties to give Banshee medical treatment. "D-Damnit! He's no longer responding! His body's going rigid!"

As Daimon focuses on helping Banshee, I see something black squirming by his shoulder.

"Uh…! D-Daimon!"

"Huh? Aaaaaah!"

I blink, and suddenly the entire elevator is filled with wriggling shadows. They come in one after another… I bend over and yell loud enough to wreck my throat. The spiders visible stop moving for a moment.

"They're still coming! We need something stronger!"

I quickly take out the massager out of my bag, press it against the wall, and turn it on. A growling vibration runs through the walls. The spiders suddenly start acting strangely. The creatures vanish instantly, as if they'd only been a mirage.

"Wh-What's going on?"

Yeah, I was desperate, but I can't believe that thing had a big enough vibration to scare them. As I'm puzzling out why…

Bam

"?!" Something slams into the elevator door hard.

"H-Hurry up and get the elevator going!"

'Right, I need to hit a button.'

But then I realize...

"I already pushed the button a ton of times!" I press the button for the 1st floor again. It only clicks. This metal box is stranding us. "Why isn't it moving?!"

Bam

"Whoa?!

"Aaah! It's her! H-Hurry! Hurry!"

It's obvious who she is.

'Move, move, move…!' I pray silently as I jam the button.

Then…!

"…?!"

We stumble out of the elevator without checking to see where we've stopped.

We're in the 1st floor lobby.

"D-Did we escape?"

"Yeah…"

For whatever reason, the elevator decided to move at the very last second. I doubt my praying actually worked, but…

"I'm not sure what happed, but I think we're safe." I breathe a sigh of relief…and a figure appears in the gloom.

"Wh-Why were you guys in there?"

"Eita…?!"

"Um, you're both covered in sweat. D-Did something happen?"

"Of course something-…?! Wai, Eita… did you call the elevator down here?"

"What? Y-Yeah… I-I mean, it looked like it worked so I…D-Did I do something wrong?" Eita holds himself back timidly. It sounds like he thinks I'm mad at him.

"…" Daimon silently steps up to him. Then suddenly gives him a hug. "Thank you! Thank you, Eita! Well done! If you hadn't been here, we would've…"

True. You couldn't ask for better timing. I can't be more grateful that Suzu contacted Eita. "What's more important right now…" I glance over at the cocoon body of Banshee.

"Oh, that's right. He needs emergency treatment. Come help me with him, Eita."

"O-Okay…" Completely clueless, Eita helps us drag the white lump out of the elevator. "Wh-What is this creepy thing?"

I hesitate for a moment before I reply. But…he should know. "Banshee Itou…The old man from the underground shelter."

"Wh-What? Whaaaa?!"

"Whoa! Idiot! Don't drop him!"

---

DEATH MARK

---

I don't get back to Kujou Mansion until almost midnight. My exhausted body groans in pain as I collapse onto the sofa. My head feels heavy, like it's in a fog. To top it off, things are worse than yesterday now.

Banshee was sent to Daimon's hospital and immediately admitted. He's no longer conscious, and untrained eyes would say he's just sleeping, but…he's actually fallen into a deep coma. His condition is very serious.

To be honest, I wanted to go along and do something to help but…Daimon chased me out of the hospital. He said I'm overworked and sleep deprived.

Eita stayed behind at least. Not that he's replacing me, but it's good he's there. I'm frustrated with myself for thinking he'd be useless. Once everything is over, I definitely need to thank Suzu.

First Hiroo and now Banshee…

At this rate, even if I keep investigating, if I don't find any clues…

Thinking about it makes my stomach hurt.

"…" Those two might never recover. And that's just assuming their conditions stabilize. If they get worse, something even more terrible could happen.

I put my head in my hands and sigh. The red raincoat flashes in the darkness. "What should I do? How do I…?"

I have to keep investigating tomorrow. Once I finish looking through these documents, I should head straight to bed.

---

DEATH MARK

---

Early morning…

And I get the worst wakeup call ever.

A severe pain threatens to split my head. The mysterious headache from yesterday is back with a vengeance. I meant to go to Daimon's hospital to see Hiroo and Banshee while it was light out.

"Ugh…" Spots flash before my eyes. I can't even sit up. I pull the sheets up and wait for it to pass.

…

I'm only just able to move by the time the sun is setting. Thunder rumbles in the distance. Sounds like rain again.

"Great…" I press my fingers to my temple to check. The whirlwind of pain has once again disappeared without a trace. I sigh.

Mashita calls as I'm making coffee in the kitchen. He says he'll come along for tonight's investigation. He must've finally wrapped up his other cases. He mentioned that he dropped by the hospital in between cases to see Hiroo and Banshee. Seems they went berserk when they awoke and are now restrained. They refuse to eat. Relying on IV's won't work forever. I didn't expect the report to be good, but…

"This is a critical point in the case."

Before he hangs up, Mashita utters a warning.

"Then this is the eleventh hour."

Mashita doesn't offer a reply.

The red lights outside the rain soaked window are hazy like a wilting flower. It's time to head out.

I park the car in the parking lot, as always, and walk over to the street in the rain. I pass down the familiar road to the hotel.

"You're late. What were you doing?" A man in a trench coat cuts an imposing figure on the wet street corner glittering in lights. "You know damn well time is of the essence right now. Daimon's prepared for the worst, too. He's made arrangements to transfer them."

"Transfer them? Oh…" They must be in pretty bad condition then.

"And I didn't mention this over the phone, but I met someone at Daimon's hospital. I ran into Shou Nagashima."

"Shou? What was he doing there?" Don't tell me he got into another fight in need medical treatment…

"Some of his gang hangs out here. Guess we're a hot topic with them. They've seen people in and out of the hotel. Nagashima heard about it and figured they were talking about you. He contacted the fortune teller, and well…"

So now Shou knows about the case, too.

"Ugh, why didn't she just keep quiet? That old lady hands out business card to anyone and everyone. It's a real pain."

…Aha…that's Yasuoka for you. Though I understand the feeling, Mashita, she keeps sending people my way too…

"So, did you talk to Shou?"

"Uh, why would I? He cornered me, asking for info on the case, but I drove him off."

I suddenly feel uneasy. "You didn't say anything unnecessary, did you?"

He scoffs rolling his eyes "Of course not. I just said to stay out of grownup matters."

"…" For a moment, my vision tunnels and a blood vessel in my head throbs.

"Something wrong?"

"No, I'm fine."

I'm sure he doesn't want Shou involved either. But he should've considered his words more carefully. I hear footsteps coming up behind me.

It can't be… Shou?

I raised my head with a sudden sense of dread. But it's only Moe Watanabe.

"Thank goodness. You're here after all. Good thing I came straight here. I got the results you asked me for!"

I look at her blankly for a moment. But then I remember I asked her to use her connections to investigate the rumors. "R-Right… Thanks."

"There's no time. Give us the short version."

"Oh, okay… Then I'll only cover the really important parts. I heard something amazing from someone who was there at the time!"

"What, like a hotel employee?" I asked

"No, not like that geez. When I say someone who was there…I obviously mean one of the high school girls who was up to no good."

"?! You talked to one?"

"This is legit, right?"

Even Mashita's interested. Only the people who used Masquerade really know what happened there. Hearing from someone involved is best.

"Yeah, her name's A-ko. The editorial department helped me track her down. She went to a nearby high school and did this 'part time job' apparently. And what's really important is what A-ko said about her classmate S-ko." Moe pulls a voice recorder from her bag and hits the play button.

"Yeah, a friend introduced me to a part time job. It was whimsical… Ah, I mean I just did it on a whim. Yeah, so we're supposed to meet at that hotel, Masquerade. And there's a system there where someone introduce us to customers. You get a lot of money form it, so everyone was dying to get hired."

"But one day there was like…an incident? Someone at school found out about the job. Some goody two-shoes class rep, S-ko, said she was gonna tell her teacher, N-mura. Everyone freaked and apologized to her saying they'd stop. She wouldn't listen. If our parents found out, it's be the worst thing ever! We begged, but she didn't budge."

"In the end, she left class saying she was going to go to the police with N-mura. We were totally freaking out. So I went to the hotel that night. I mean, at that point there was no harm in going, you know? Ha ha. But then…she was there."

"S-ko was standing in front of Masquerade in the drizzling rain. In a red raincoat…"

"She'd said she was going to the police, so who knows why she was at the hotel. But it made us all jumpy and on edge every day after that. Expect nothing ever happened. Soon after that, Masquerade shut down. I guess they uncovered something."

"Huh? The job? Yeah, I completely quit after that. Ha ha."

"That's A-ko's testimony. Just the important parts, though."

Moe got a fascinating first-hand account. The rumors of red riding hood, and what was written in the guestbooks we found in the hotel…all the pieces are in that girl's confession.

"So what ended up happening to S-ko?"

"I don't know exactly, but apparently she stopped coming to school. According to A-ko, she just suddenly stopped showing up."

Mashita snorts. "It's too perfect. She was probably just being overly dramatic. Especially that part about the red raincoat. Most people use an umbrella when it's raining."

"That's true." I nod. Mashita's right. It's possible that the raincoat was a sign for whoever she was waiting for, but…hardly anyone comes down this street. It doesn't really fit.

"Is that all you have to tell us? Then hurry up and go home."

"Um… So I really can't come with you? I worked really hard, you know…"

Apparently Moe really wants to come along. I do feel bad. She worked and got us that info just so she could investigate with us. But…

"Sorry, but you shouldn't be here. There already have been 2 victims. We can't get you wrapped up in this, too."

"Oh… Okay. I understand." Moe nods. I guess she's already over it. "You better tell me all about it later. And be careful…" She sounds worried about me, as she left and disappears around the street corner.

A siren echoes on the wind, an unnatural howl in the distance. I look up at Masquerade looming before us. What the hell happened inside that hunk of concrete? There's always a tragic cause to the birth of a spirit. Red Riding Hood must be the same. But I can't watch my friends die. I slowly step forward, trying to escape from the unease that's threatening to engulf me.

"It's not right for the dead to meddle with the living." Mashita mutters beside me.

"…Is that a personal creed?"

"Naw, just what I think." Mashita clicks his tongue.

---

DEATH MARK

---

"Hey…"

As I step into the lobby, Mashita stops in front of me.

"What's wrong?"

"What a fantastic job you've done here."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Look."

"What…?" The lobby looks completely different. The room is covered in white. "N-No… It wasn't like this yesterday."

"Thought so." He mutters "These are…webs?" Mashita touches one of the floating threads. "Looks like she's upped the ante. Bring it. Time to make our appointment with our lady friend."

Just then…the groan of the elevator moving echoes.

"Did the elevator just come back to the 1st floor?"

That'd mean…

"Someone's already here? Did you see which floor it came from?"

I shook my head "No, I wasn't looking." Though I feel like it took a while between when I heard the noise and its arrival.

"I'm betting it's one of the upper floors. Maybe the 4th or 5th."

Yesterday we got the elevator working and managed to get to the 4th floor. But because of what happened to Banshee we weren't able to investigate any higher.

"Okay, let's start on the 4th floor." Mashita stated.

"…Right." I nod following him to the elevator and pressing the number '4'. When we got off the elevator we heard a faint ringing noise. I looked over at Mashita with a raised brow.

"…" He nods his head and we made our way to the room that it was coming from.

Entering the room, I picked up the phone and hear a faint laugh. I don't hear anything more coming from it.

"Well…"

"It was only laughter…most likely from Red Riding Hood."

"Hmph, a spirit making calls now…lovely."

"Hanayome was the same you know."

"…"

And he doesn't bother to answer. Right. Might as well check the room out while we're in here. Searching around, there wasn't really anything the room that would help us out, so we went to the bathroom instead. Like the bedroom…there wasn't anything in here. That's what I original thought till I look in the sink.

…I really don't want to do this, but I still need to check it out. I shut my eyes and stick my fingers down the drain. I touch something hard. Something cylindrical is stuck down there. Sadly, my fingers don't seem to be able to reach it.

"Something in there? It's often a prime location to hide incriminating objects. It's likely an important piece of evidence. We should get it."

But first we need to find something to help us, get it out. Leaving the room, we then proceed to check the other one out. I open the drawer that is next to the bed and found another guestbook in it.

"What's that?"

"A guestbook provided by the hotel. Guests write about their experiences in it."

I glance through the pages. This guestbook's entries are clearly different from all the other ones. It covers a number of horrifying topics such as devil worship, and different kinds of torture. Every page is crammed with stuff like that. It's impossible to tell which ones are delusions and which ones actually took place. The only thing I can say for sure is that it's surging with a twisted, single-minded appetite. I silently hand over the guestbook.

Mashita skims through it then smirks. "Huh, that's quite the hobby. The handwriting differs by page. This was written by several guests."

I find that hard to believe. I sincerely doubt there are so many people in the world who have such a unique hobby.

"They're like moths drawn to a flame. You wouldn't even know to look at them. The pieces are finally coming together. Seems this hotel offered a special service for its perverted guests."

"You mean…The kind of stuff written in that guestbook."

"Yeah. The kids working that part time job were probably part of it, too. Guaranteed their safety and complete confidentiality, of course. After all, the one who sold his souls was probably most nervous about that. Still… These people have quite the imagination." Mashita mutters sarcastically as he casually leafs through the pages. Then he stops. "Hey, this phrase… Do you know what it means?"

The phrase Mashita's pointing to is…

'Jorogumo's punishment.'

"Jorogumo, huh…It's a spider monster from Japanese folklore that can shapeshift into a beautiful woman."

"Ah, so you do know about it. Thanks so much for the info dump."

I ignore the hint of sarcasm in his voice and read the rest of the page.

'Jorogumo's punishment is a recreation of a certain urban legend. You capture the largest spider you can find. A wild one would be best. Sharpen the sacrifice's senses with drugs, and use a mouth speculum to keep their mouth open. Then throw the spider into their mouth. If the manage to swallow it, they're innocent. If they don't or the spider escapes, they're guilty. It's a witch trail meant to judge truth from lie. If I get a sacrifice that needs punishing, I'd like to try it out immediately.'

"…"

It can't be that what's written here was actually…

"Did someone…actually do this?"

"Who knows. Hey…Calm down. Take a deep breath."

"Y-Yeah… It's okay. I'm calm."

I doubt Mashita believes me. It's obvious that I'm totally rattled.

"Don't forget, Yashiki. We can't die here."

"…Of course. I know that." I try to keep my reply as steady as possible. But my hands keep shaking as I put the guestbook in my bag.

"...Let's move onto the next floor. There doesn't seem to be anything else here."

"Okay."

---

DEATH MARK

---

"Hey, shine the light inside."

"…?!"

"A body has finally turned up. Let's check it out."

"Right…"

Spider webs wrap around its entire body, making it look fake at first glance, but…but when I look closer, it does appear to be, well, an actual human corpse. When I touch it, something flakes off. It looks like traces of dried skin. The corpse is almost a complete skeleton.

"Small stature, but based on the thickness of the bones, it's likely an adult male. Considering how dried out it is, I'd say it's been here for at least a year. The problem is the cause of death…" Mashita meticulously searches the corpse. Then finally shakes his head. "I just can't tell. Was he strangled by spider webs?"

"Quit joking around."

"A joke, huh. It'd be great if that's all it was. Still, this skeleton…He must've been in pain when he died. His face is all twisted."

"…"

If that was an adult male, then he was likely a guest here. No matter how hard I try to sympathize, I just can't.

"Hey, look at this." Mashita suddenly tosses something at me. "I found it earlier. It belonged to this guy. It still has some fuel left. Keep it in your bag or something."

I look at the lighter in my hand before placing it in my bag. I moved the flashlight around and spotted a decorative coffin standing in the corner near the corpse. I doubt it's anything more than a fake prop. But it looks well made. It's placement makes it look even more real than an actual one.

I open the lid of the coffin and find a book among the junk inside. It's a monster encyclopedia; it's a book about different monsters from around Japan and their associated legends.

Mashita flips through the book. "Huh. So the spider monster originally killed people by drowning them in water."

I nod "Yeah, that sounds right." I remembered reading a legend like that in one of the books piled on my desk at Kujou Mansion. "It usually targets woodcutters or hunters, but they're always saved at the last minute. Every region has a story like that."

"Saved? How?"

"They use a tree stump. The spider takes it instead. Then the protagonist escapes. Or, so the story goes…"

"Hmph. I don't get it at all."

"There's no point in complaining about folklore."

"In any case, this'll make for a good reference. Take it with you."

I remember there was time when you poke fun at me for picking up random things, Mashita, what good times…

Resuming in our quest of looking around I had found a bent hanger in the trashcan. Mashita comment that it could help us get whatever is in the sink back down on the 4th floor. So we made our way back down to that bathroom.

I take out the bent hanger, and bent it to a shape that would be the most useful. Bending it into one straight wire so it can fit down the drain, I stick it in the pipe and move it up and down. I hear the sound of dirty water being dislodged and hit something hard. Pulling it out, I found that I manage to grab a key and on the tag it says 'deluxe suite'.

"That'll come in handy. Good thing it wasn't washed down the drain."

"Yeah…"

There are sticky white threads wrapped around this key, too. It seems like they stopped it from falling all the way down the pipe.

---

DEATH MARK

---

"So, this is the deluxe suite?"

"Seems so."

"It looks the same as the last room we were in…"

At least this time there isn't a dead body cuffed to the wall…

Looking around I found another decorative coffin. I open the lid of the coffin and I also find a book among the many junk, that I still don't want to know what they used it for. The book has pictures of various demons and demonic crests and lists their characteristics.

"I guess the guest here were interested in stuff like that."

"…"

People actually get a kick out of this stuff?

Shuddering a little I spotted another broken wooden horse in the room. It looks like it was treated pretty roughly. The horse is lying on its side. I go to lift up the wooden horse. When I go, I notice something catch the light. I pick it up and discover it's a metal tool.

"It's a mouth speculum. It's usually used for medical purposes, but some maniacs use them for other things."

"Huh."

Just as I'm replying to Mashita…a white light flashes before my eyes and I black out.

"A-Assh… Ugh… Aaah…"

I hear someone sobbing.

My eyes should be open, but everything is pitch black. I shake my head desperately and try to look around.

A horrible image flows into my mind.

'What…is this?'

A young girl is blindfolded and restrained. Her mouth is being forced open with that tool. Her breathing is ragged. She must've been given a drug of some kind.

"Let us commence the judgement!" A woman speaks theatrically behind me. "The court has decided to give the accused a fair trial and will judge her crimes. The trail will now begin.'

"Aaaaaah… Aaah…"

"I shall put this spider in the accused's mouth, and if it crawls out, she is guilty! If she can swallow it, she is innocent!"

Upon hearing that, the girl starts jerking around frantically, her movements haphazard. "Help me! Mis…s…elp…me…" She desperately cries for help. Her words are garbled, from fear or the drug.

I heard the woman jeering, and then she releases a giant spider.

Into…the girl's mouth.

"Eeeeeeeeeeeek!"

"Aaaaaah!"

"H-Hey! Get ahold of yourself! Yashiki! Can you see me?!"

"Th-The spider…! Get it, GET IT…!"

"Idiot! Calm down!"

Slap

"Ugh…!"

With a slap to the face, I finally return to my senses.

That's right. I'm in a room at Masquerade. Then the vision I just saw…

"What…did I just see? I…went somewhere."

"You haven't gone anywhere. You just fell on the floor and started writhing."

I feel like I've woken from a long dream. I can't believe that was a hallucination.

"You finally calm down?"

"Y-Yeah…I'm fine now."

I wipe sweat off my forehead and swallow. That girl who was restrained… Was that S-ko? If it so, then…

'Was she unable to go to the police because she was caught by people here?'

Numbly, and with the help of Mashita, I get back up to my feet. After checking me over one more time, we headed to the bathroom and look around there. The only things we got out of that room were bath salts, insect-repelling cream. Once, we finished we headed back out to the hallway of the 5th floor.

Stepping out of the room, I hear footsteps. I turn in the direction of the noise to see…

"…"

"Shou?!"

Shou Nagashima is standing there. Mashita said he ran into him at the hospital, but…

"I can't believe you came."

"…"

"Shou? What's the matter?"

I take a step towards him, but Mashita stops me.

"Wait. Something's not right."

I look closely at Shou's face. "No…it couldn't be…" His face is unnaturally stiff. Suddenly he begins yelling angrily.

"I-I was looking for you…this whole time…I-I-I'm going to …k-kill youuuu!" he raises a metal bat he was hiding and moves in to attack.

"Get back, Yashiki!" Mashita yells, urging me to escape. But we're in a hallway with close walls.

'Wh-What should I do?!' faint pain runs up my left leg, as if reminding me of my still healing leg.

Live or Die

I quickly dodge to the left, however massive pain shot up my leg from my sudden movement. The pain alone made me stumble in my run.

"Yashiki!"

"I-I'm fine…!"

"Hey! You're not getting away!"

Shou's bat alters course in a flash and heads straight for me.

"Kh…!"

But the tip of the bat hits the wall and narrowly misses me. He straightens only to swing his bat again.

'Sh-Shit!' I can't keep dodging like this. If this keeps up I might damage my leg even more! I already have my hands full with just trying to get away. There's no way I'll be able to restrain him. But if Shou's like Hiroo, and is infected with the same mysterious poison…we have to restrain him or his life's in danger.

'I can't do this alone! What do I do?!'

"Diiieee!" Shou's deranged eyes burn a hole in me.

"Aaah!" If my chances are thin no matter what I do, then my only choice is to draw his attention.

"Huh…?!" Shou hesitates for a moment, confused. But a second latter… "You dumb idiot! You don't know when to give up, old lady!" The metal bat flashes above his head.

Then…

"You're the idiot."

Wham

Thump

"Gh…!"

Mashita suddenly appears next to him and throws a direct punch at his face.

Survived

Shou tumbles to the ground.

As he falls, his bat flies through the air and…

"Gah..!"

Unluckily for me, it collides into the side of my head, and I collapse with a pitiful yelp. Like trying to stay alive with an almost fully heal broken leg wasn't enough for me…

"Dumbass." Cursing, Mashita quickly grabs Shou's arm and completely restrains him.

"Ugh…"

As Mashita puts his weight on him, Shou groans painfully. Finally, he faints.

"Hey, Yashiki… You okay?"

"Yeah… It just grazed me."

I sit up and gently shake my head back and forth. Thankfully, everything seems fine.

"And your leg?"

I look down at my leg "Throbbing…but I think its fine."

"Then give me a hand. We need to carry him out of here. He's probably like the others now."

"We'd better hurry."

To think Shou would end up as the 3rd victim…

I manage to make myself stand, but my spirits have dropped down to my feet. As we lift Shou up my leg being to act up making me limp a little. Mashita seems to have notice and slow down his pace.

"…'Fine', huh." He mutters under his breath.

---

DEATH MARK

---

It's still sprinkling outside.

We drag Shou out of the hotel. Finally we have a chance to catch our breaths.

"We'll call off the investigation for today."

"Yeah…" Banshee and Hiroo flash before my eyes. But Shou's safety should come first. "Let's go ahead and bring him to the hospital. I'll go get the car."

"Good idea. Yours is better for moving sick people around."

I take out the car key and stand up. But just as I do…

"Ugh…" A piercing pain runs through the side of my head and I fall back to my knees. Hurting my already sore leg even more.

"Yashiki?!"

"I-It's just a headache. I thought it had gone away, so why…?"

"You got hit right where it hurts, huh? Then just rest there."

"But, Shou…"

"You're injured too, so take it easy. You need to rest your leg as well; you were limping the whole way down, Yashiki. I'll take Nagashima in my car. You wait here until I get back, got it? I'll come straight back after I drop him off."

"S-Soryy… Shou's in…your hands now."

Mashita collects Shou and disappears.

The soft pitter patter of rain permeates the area. The sound of the rain seems to make this place even quieter somehow.

Then I notice something.

"The noises aren't the only thing that's vanished." I mutter "The pain…is gone."

The intense headache has faded, like it never was there. This happened to me twice before.

"Hold on…" Now I'm suspicious.

I think back on the times when I had a headache. The first is when I went inside Masquerade with Daimon and Banshee. "Back then, I'm pretty sure…"

I wanted to keep everyone together. But then I had a headache and Banshee up and disappeared. My next headache came the following morning. I was trying to go see Hiroo and Banshee, but in the end I was unable to.

"Then just now…" I was going to the hospital with Shou and Mashita. "…" I gaze at the entrance to Masquerade.

"You're the only one I want to see, miss."

That's what Red Riding Hood said.

"I get it, you…" I stare at the hotel as if I can see through doors. I feel like I can see a red figure inside.

One rainy night, a girl stood there, wearing a red raincoat.

"You're still waiting even now…for the one you respect so much." That headache always attacked when I was trying to stick with other people. If I stop trying and stay by myself, like I am now, then it'll vanish like it was never there.

"I get it."

Hiroo, Banshee…and now Shou. I've gotten my friends all caught up in this. That's right…it's all my fault again.

"I'll come alone. So… do what you will."

I get up and try to walk to the hotel but the pain in my leg brings me down to my knees again. "Shit!" I rub my leg "I…have to bare this, though…I'll worry about it later." Getting back up, I limp my way into the building.

I go back inside Masquerade.

"M…i…s…s…"

A voice calls from the darkness, as if it was waiting for me.

"He he… He he he…"

"What are you telling me to do?"

"You see…the red thread of fate, right? The top floor…in the room of masks…"

"The top floor?"

The 6th floor was listed on the guide, but it was impossible to reach.

"He he he… I'll be waiting…" Red Riding Hood's figure melts silently into the elevator. As she does, the elevator's flor display being blinking on and off erratically.

"The combination…You know it, don't you, miss?"

Her voice reverberates throughout the elevator.

"So she's telling me to go to her?" But this 'combination'…What in the world could that be?

As I was thinking this…the picture frame of the 'Masquerade Wife' catches my eyes from the glass shelf. "Wait, is it…" Now that I think about it, there was a picture of that in every floor each telling a story of some kind. But they were not in order.

"So…would that mean?" I slowly walk my way over to the elevator, being mindful of my leg. I look down at the flashing lights, and had to think back the order of the pictures that I saw. If the 'combination' is the order of the pictures, then if I push them in correctly I might be able to get to the 6th floor.

"I think the order was 4" I push the button and worked my way down "2, 1, 5 and 3"

I hear this weird sound then the elevator started to go up. When the elevator door opens…a musty stench greets me. But that's not all.

'This smell…is blood.'

"M…i…s…s…"

Red Riding Hood's voice drifts on the wind.

"He he… He he he… I've been waiting for you."

"No, I'm…" I doubt my words will reach her. But I feel like I have to at least say it. "I'm not the one you respect. I'm not the one you're waiting for."

"…Liar…You…always lie…"

"I'm not lying. I'm really not…"

"AAaaahhh!"

A scream splits the night. It's the same one I heard during the spider torture.

"S-Stop! Stop this! This won't accomplish anything."

"That's why…this time…I'm…going to test you…Tell me…the truth…"

"…?!"

Live or Die

Countless spiders fly out of the darkness and start crawling all over my body. The swarm of spiders keeps coming.

"Sh-Shit!" I take out the massager out of my bag, hold it against my body, and his the switch. 'This worked before…'

The spiders start acting strangely. They all scramble away!

Red Riding Hood lets out a gusty sigh. Glittering white thread fly through the air from her mouth…

'She's trying to use her spider silk?!'

I hold the horse head over mine as protection. Strangely enough, the threads seem drawn to it and only wrap around the horse head. Huh…guess the folklore had some truth to it.

"Miss…Who's in the wrong…? I only did…what was right…"

"That's for the law to decide." I told her.

"He he… He he he…" Red Riding Hood is staring at me. "Miss…come with me…The only thing that matters…is your life."

"How do you know a person's wroth then?"

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Red Riding Hood screams again! The her maddening eyes glare at me.

"Miss… I…How do I look…to you…?"

"We met too late…" I said.

"He he…He he he…What…do you like about me…?"

"Your honesty."

"He he… He he he…"

Survived

"Thank you, miss… Let's…" Red Riding Hood's figure wavers, then…

CRASH

Smashes through the window and off into the night.

"?! Did she just…jump?"

The bustling city can be heard out the window. I wipe my sweaty brow with my shirt sleeve.

Something touches my cheek.

Something's floating in the darkness.

"…A thread?"

As I follow it with my eyes, I realize that it's wrapped around my wrist.

"Wh-Whoa!" Something yanks me toward the window. "Ugh… Gh…!" I brace my legs and try to resist. But all in vain as my left leg shears up in pain making me lose my balance.

"Aaaahhh!"

I'm thrown out into the night sky.

I scream as I plummet.

…No, I should be rushing toward the ground.

Just as I give up all hope…

A strong jolt makes me look up.

A man struggles to hold onto my arm, his teeth gritting with effort.

"You…stupid idiot!"

"M-Mashita?!"

"Shut up and give me your other arm! Hurry UP! Grab onto me!"

"R-Right…"

He desperately tires to pull me up, and after what feels like an eternity of struggling…I make it over the ledge and tumble safely back inside the hotel.

"Huff…huff…huff…"

The only sound that can be heard is our gasps for breath as we sit in the darkness.

"Why did you ignore my orders?" Mashita spits words out between wheezes.

"Sorry…"

This isn't the time to be making excuses. I might be better off shutting up.

"Idiot…Try putting yourself in my shoes." Mashita lets out a frustrated sigh "Is she…gone?"

"I think so. The window…" I'm still trembling as I point to the broken window. "She threw herself out of it. She might've been trying to take me with her."

"No, not you. That 'miss' person."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right."

"Can you walk? Then let's go." Mashita slowly stands and looks at me. "Nicely done. That wasn't bad work for an amateur like you."

---

DEATH MARK

---

It's stopped raining. The cool wind on my cheek hints at autumn.

"I'm going to drop by and see Daimon. I'd like to see how the others are doing."

"Yeah…"

"…"

"What?"

"Hand me the car key."

"No, I can drive."

"Have you completely gone mad? Look at your hands, Karin." I glance down at them. Only to suddenly realize they're still shaking. "You just face down a spirit and fell through a window. You can't drive in that condition."

"…" The choice made for me; I take the key out of my pocket and toss it to Mashita. "The corner parking lot."

"Right. You rest here."

His figure melts into the darkness. As I watch him go, I notice something down on the wet asphalt. It's…

A dead spider.

It lay there, legs all curled up almost as if… It was desperately trying to hold onto something.

"…Are you satisfied now? Then let's go home." I gently pick the spider up. I warp it in my handkerchief and put it in my pocket.

---

DEATH MARK

---

The car ride back is a blur. I sat and let Mashita's voice wash over me like background radio noise. I remember wondering if Red Riding Hood might have stolen a part of my soul.

"Before the investigation today, Moe tipped us off on that testimony, remember? That helped me connect the dots. I realized a teacher was wrapped up in the case. A teacher from a school near the hotel was arrested for breaking the law."

That's…

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"There was an odd part in A-ko's testimony. They were scared they'd be reported, but nothing ever happened. In other words, S-ko never went to the police after tattling to the teacher. Or maybe more…she couldn't go."

I frown as I try to put the pieces together. I think I'm too spaced out as it's not making sense.

"You'd never make it as a detective."

Can't he just drop that…? I don't plan on becoming one anyway.

"There's only one possible answer. This 'miss' person S-ko trusted so deeply was one of Masquerades' customers."

"Wha-?"

I feel like I've been hit up the side of the head. And not with a pillow. More like a lead pipe.

"The one she sought salvation from ended up being a criminal. The definition of irony." Mashita glances out the window and chuckles dryly. The bitter sound fits both our moods. "It was the teacher, N-mura. The one mentioned in A-ko's testimony. I saw a photo of her. She was thin, tall…The type popular with students. Well, I suppose…" He glances back at me through the mirror. "You might say she wasn't too unlike you."

"…" Do I need to get plastic surgery done now…just to avoid being mistaken as someone else from spirits?

Mashita suddenly tosses a file at me. "Those're the research results. Look them over if you want to know more."

"Results…?" I flip through the thick bundle of paper. They're a set of very well-organized documents. It would've taken a lot of time to gather this amount of information. Then it hits me. "Wait a second…" Mashita just said that he connected the dots with the help of Moe's testimony.

…Which means he knew all of this before we started our investigation tonight. That son of a…!

"You knew everything?"

"I just said I put it all together when I heard the testimony. But I decided not to tell you just in case."

"Why? If I had known, I could've…"

"What would you have done?" His tone turns mocking as he laughs. "You would've just sympathized too much and let down your guard. You should be grateful I didn't."

---

DEATH MARK

---

Mashita leaves me with the research file and heads to Daimon's hospital. Now that I'm alone, I can't keep my three hospitalized friends out of my mind. But there's nothing I can do for them right now. I've down everything I can.

I bolster myself with that information.

I spread Mashita's documents out on the table. I'm exhausted, but I feel like I need to go through them today. Who in the world was Red Riding Hood?

If Mashita was right, the truth should be right in front of me.

...

And so, the case surrounding Masquerade quietly comes to a close…

Leaving an invisible scar on that dark street. The lives lost there will never return, and neither will their trampled dignity. The only thing that saves that disaster is that my friends survived.

Hiro, Banshee, and Shou all regained consciousness after that. They got out of it with no lasting symptoms and are recovered enough to go back to their lives. Daimon concluded that the affliction inhibited the soul, very much like the Mark.

In that case, maybe Red Riding Hood was finally released from that horrible nightmare… Just like the spirits that gave people the Mark.

If anything good came about because of this case, then that would be it.

---

DEATH MARK

---

A week later…

"I'm coming in."

Mashita suddenly shows up on my doorstep.

Before I even open my mouth, he pulls out an envelope and tosses it on the table. "I'm here to deliver this. It's your reward."

"Take it and get out of here. I didn't do it because I wanted a reward."

"How should I know? The client asked me to do this, that's all. I did my job and handed it over. The rest is in your hands. Damn… What pain."

Mashita turns and curses under his breath, but I can still hear everything he says.

"That's all you came for?"

"No, there's one other thing. I learned something from this past case."

I raised a brow at him, crossing my arms "And what's that?"

"Something about you. You're suited for this work after all."

I let out a frustrated sigh rubbing my forehead "That again? Sorry, but I'm done. No more."

"Just hear me out. There have been more mysterious cases like Masquerade's popping up lately. I thought it might be Mark related, but it seems like I was wrong." He stops for a moment, then mutters "Hyakki Yagyo, a monster's parade…"

"…?"

"Have you heard anything about it…? A Hyakki Yagyo…?"

"Hyakki Yagyo… 'The night parade of 100 demons'." I mutter "Yeah…I know a bit. But mainly form what one would hear from the folklore. Though I know the Kujou library has more information on it." I begin to explain. In all honesty it might be for the best that I didn't tell him about it. He's clearly asking about something that's happening in the real world. Though…if the Hyakki Yagyo is acting up in some way…

"The Kujou family has done a couple of cases related to the Hyakki Yagyo. I haven't yet as they have been calm for the past couple of years…or so I was told by the old man. It wouldn't surprise me if the Mark or the reawakening of Mary, cause some form of ripple in the spiritual world."

"That so…" Mashita mutters.

"So you want my help? On cases related to the Hyakki Yagyo?"

"The old lady, Yasuoka, seems to think you could do some good. I do, too."

"…"

"Here." He hands me a small white card. It's almost the same as the one he gave me back during the Mark incident, but with a new title and a address that is in H City. "Give it some thought. Your abilities in handling spiritual cases would be helpful. If you change your mind and want to help you'll know where my office is. That's all I wanted to say." He turns and leaves but stops right at the front door "No, wait, I have one last bit of advice. Quit doing stuff like that."

"Like what?"

"You picked up that dead spider, didn't you?"

I blinked in shock "You saw?"

"Just out of the corner of my eye. That's why darkness follows you. Your ancestors probably had pity on her, too."

"…"

"The living and the dead can't coexist. If you try to accept their feelings, you'll just end up getting pulled in."

"Okay. I'll keep that in mind."

Mashita just snorts derisively, like usual. "Give it some thought. Even if you don't want it, the time may come one day." He leaves, closing the door behind him.

That marks the end of the case, and the end of one chapter in my story.

But someday in the future…

I can't help but think…

That door will be thrown open again.