well I kinda went ahead and started the first chapter of the vampire AU ghost hunt story... I may publish it earlier than intended but I still need to Polish it xD so keep an eye just in case this week

sips tea, yeah I still haven't found a job but am still looking, so no worries and enjoy reading. We are almost there

Yasuhara took out a binder with photocopies and a notebook from his bag. He placed the photocopies on his lap and opened the notebook. Jumping right in to business

"The incident happened in year 49 of the Shouwa era, otherwise 1974. At that time the 40 years old Kawanabe Yasuhiko owned this house. Kawanabe Yasuhiko lived together with his father Yasuhisa, his 37 years old wife Toshiko, his 12 years old daughter Hitomi and his 9 years old son Minoru."

"It was a five person household?" The Miko inquired

"Indeed. The one who lived next door was Sekiguchi Kazuo, 45 years old. This was a five person household as well, because he lived together with his 44 years old wife Mitsue and his three children. The incident was discovered in the evening of October 12 in the year 49. Upon returning from visiting a relative's house, the children of the Sekiguchi family found out that their father and mother died. The father committed suicide and the mother was murdered, at a glimpse it appears to be a forced double suicide."

Takigawa grimaced.

"You're setting my expectations high. What about the neighbors?"

"Now, now. -- Still, the police went around to ask about the circumstances from those living in the neighborhood, but there was no response from the neighboring Kawanabe family. They thought it was suspicious. After entering the house they discovered the family's corpses."

"All five of them?"

"All of them. The ones who died from October 10 later in the night until October 11 in the morning were the Kawanabe family as well as Sekiguchi Mitsue. However, it is estimated that the daughter Hitomi died just before noon on the 11th and Sekiguchi Kazuo around the evening of the 11th."

"So only Kazuo committed suicide, not to mention he was the last one to die."

"Correct. According to the results of the investigation, the ones who killed the Kawanabe household were probably Sekiguchi Kazuo and Mitsue. The two broke into the Kawanabe house in the late night of the 10th, killed four of the household members and returned to their own home for a moment. There, Kazuo killed his wife Mitsue. Kazuo returned to the Kawanabe house and cut the bodies there into pieces."

"Wait a minute. One person's missing." John inquired as he grimaced with the information

"That's right. Actually that day only the daughter Hitomi, who was a 6th grader in primary school, was absent due to a school trip. She returned to her home the next day and that's when Kazuo killed her. He then returned to his own house after that and committed suicide."

Naru spoke with a cold voice. Mai swallowed as she heard his voice, the bond was slightly cold

"The motive of his crime?'

"The Kawanabe family and the Sekiguchi family were in a dispute over the problem of the lot's boundary lines. It occurred to Sekiguchi, who was at a loss over this, to kill the Kawanabe household, he excused his children from school and sent them off to a relative's house. It seemed that the neighbors talked to the relative about this,"

Yasuhara said and presented the copies to Naru.

"the town's name and house numbers were revised several times. I found this incident after searching with the keyword 'a family of five people'. I went to the National Diet Library and was able to collect the evidence from an old map. I have no doubt that it's this house."

"I see --."

"However, as the main offender of the case was discovered within a day, there were hardly any follow-up reports in the newspapers. I tried looking at magazines at the National Diet Library as well, but I found nothing more than this."

"Is that so... ..."

Naru slowly turned over the copies. Hirota was unable to stay composed while watching him.

'There really was a case' just then his mobile phone began to ring. it was his college Nakai.

If the information they claimed to have found is real then...he clenched his fists, he needed to make a decision.

He went outside and didn't return until it was time for dinner. Except for Midori and her mother, everyone had gathered at the base.

Right after Hirota entered the room, he went to sit near the entrance and closed the sliding screen. Then he said the following with a very serious face.

"-- I brought the record."

Shocked glances went back and forth, the one to open his mouth was Takigawa.

"By record, you mean --"

"I had Nakai look it up for me. She tracked the record down from the Public Prosecutor's Office."

"Is that fine? Bringing out something like that." Mai asked

Hirota wryly smiled.

"Not at all. That's why I can't show it to you. I went through all of this once, so I'll summarize and explain it to you. Well then, please bear with me."

Takigawa blinked with surprise.

"Well, that's praiseworthy. -- But what made you change your mind? Didn't you say that there were no things like psychic abilities?"

He didn't reply

At first, Hirota was not interested in talking to other people about the results of Nakai's investigation. However, he decided to stop hiding like he did so far. Speaking of compromises, this might be a compromise.

Hirota opened the record.

"-- The incident in the year 49 is thought to have happened at approximately two o'clock in the morning of October 11th. As expected, the motive is caused by the trouble over the plot of land."

Everyone silently paid attention to Hirota.

"The Kawanabe family bought this plot of land and built a new house in the year preceding the incident, that is the year 48. Sekiguchi was the one who bought the neighboring house -- presently the Sasakura house -- and moved in during the summer of 49. However, this house was constructed beyond the plot's boundary line. The building just barely fit on the plot and the eaves completely crossed over to the Kawanabe house. Due to this, the lighting on the east side didn't get through. The Kawanabe family complained about it to the Sekiguchi family."

Takigawa rested his chin in his hands.

"... ... Hmm. I see."

"Even so, this was bothersome to Sekiguchi as well. Sekiguchi only purchase the newly built house and wasn't involved in the architecture itself. Apparently they were still bothered even after he told them that."

"Well, that's right."

"The Kawanabe family noticed, during the foundation works of the neighboring house, how extremely near it was to their own house. They asked the construction contractor and understood after they were told that a block fence would be built on the foundation work in order to conceal the boundary. However, the pillars were erected and the roof was placed, it turned out that the block fence was an absurd lie and that a wall was being built on the plot at the very last moment."

"... ... Hmm."

"The Kawanabe family hurriedly asked the contractor to stop the construction work, but they didn't pay attention to this. On the contrary, they got aggressive and told them that they should buy the house if they wanted to put an end to it or compensate the part that would be reconstructed. To frighten them, he intimated a relationship with the yakuza. Thereupon, the Kawanabe family could only watch quietly as the house was being built."

"How awful."

"Then Sekiguchi moved in. Sekiguchi was said to be a gentle office worker and a little timid. The Kawanabe family took their complaints to Sekiguchi. The Kawanabe family said that they wanted him to demolish the west side of the house and redo the construction work. Naturally, Sekiguchi refused it. He just bought the house and there was no surplus of money for that at all."

"was there no way to make the contractor take responsibility?' Ayako asked

"Well, Sekiguchi took that story into that direction. The one in charge persisted not to know anything to the very end. He brought an intimidating young men with him and threatened him. The Kawanabe family was afraid of them and urged Sekiguchi to do something about it. Sekiguchi was caught and cornered between those two parties."

"... ... Hmm."

"The last discussion between these two families occurred on the day before the incident, on October 10, which was a day off. The Kawanabe family cut off the deadline on the last day of October. If the construction work would not start before then, they were claiming they would sue Sekiguchi."

"Even if it would have been better if they didn't... ..."

"I suppose that Kawanabe's grudge against the contractor who threatened them had turned to Sekiguchi. The Kawanabe family set their ultimatum on September 30, and at that time Sekiguchi answered whether he would raise money and answer around mid-October. Regarding this, the one who wanted it to be on the 10th was the Kawanabe family. They didn't want to be seen arguing by their children. On the 10th, the younger brother Minoru was having a sports day and the older sister Hitomi went on a school trip. Both weren't at home. The older sister went to a private school, so their schools were different."

"So because of that, they chose the holiday on the 10th to hold their discussion."

"Indeed. Although Sekiguchi said that the 10th was inconvenient for them at first, they were swayed by this opinion and answered that they would cancel their business."

"So he's not just cold-blooded?"

Hirota made a thin smile. That smile grew bitter.

"-- Sekiguchi called his relative's house the next day on October 1. He proposed to them to look after his children from October 9th until the 12th. The reason was said to be that he didn't want the children to see the dispute between the adults, but if that's the case then only the 10th would have sufficed. Why would he even let them take off from school and have them leave the house for three days? - It seems that Sekiguchi had already decided to commit a crime at this point."

"-- Ugh... ..."

It was possible for people to make a compassionate face while making an angered face at the same time. This was such an example.

Hirota sighed miserably and turned a page in the record.

"On October 10th, the Kawanabe family called Toshiko's older brother, who was their advisor the whole time up until then, and was also present at the discussion. After the Kawanabe family went to the sports day, had lunch together and returned home, the discussion took place from half past two in the afternoon until close to five o'clock. The discussion eventually concluded with the Kawanabe family opposing Sekiguchi. If the construction work didn't start by the end of October, it would be settled in court. Sekiguchi agreed to this and went home."

However, Sekiguchi had already made his decision by that time. Perhaps, if they found common ground in this discussion, they would probably still live here.

"Sekiguchi and Mitsue trespassed through the backdoor of the Kawanabe house while carrying deadly weapons. The door that faced the backyard surrounding the house on three sides had a lock, but the Sekiguchis knew that it was hardly ever used."

What happened after that was practically unknown. They could only rely on reasoning that the investigators made from the outcome of the on-site inspection. Hirota continued after a short pause.

"The Sekiguchis started by entering the backdoor and immediately arrived in the room -- in other words right here, this base, they attacked the sleeping grandfather Yasuhisa with a hammer. That didn't kill him, so they repeatedly stabbed him around the chest with a kitchen knife they brought, killing him. There was practically no evidence that Yasuhisa resisted. Then they ascended to the second floor, went to the Kawanabe couple and killed the husband, Yasuhiko, with a hatchet first. His wife Toshiko got away and escaped. They chased her up until the front of the four-and-a-half tatami mat -- Minoru's bedroom, struck her with the hatchet and stabbed her with the kitchen knife. The cause of death was blood loss, therefore Toshiko didn't die instantly but collapsed. It's unknown whether Toshiko was conscious, but the Sekiguchis entered Minoru's bedroom in front of the fallen Toshiko's eyes."

Mai averted her eyes from Hirota's face and hung her head deeply. That was definitely the woman that had possessed Reiko-san and attacked Hirota.

"After killing four people, the Sekiguchis returned to their home and washed their hands. Their next work was probably -- to prepare for the disposal of the corpses. However, Kazuo and Mitsue began to quarrel. Having killed four people and bloodthirsty, Sekiguchi lost his cool and killed Mitsue with the kitchen knife he possessed."

Mai cast her eyes down.

Isn't he just a kid? Mitsue had tried to stop her husband. That might have been the cause of the quarrel.

"I think that Sekiguchi had already deviated from the proper course by this time. Sekiguchi left his wife's body in the living room and headed to the Kawanabe house. First he wrapped Minoru's body in a vinyl sheet that he prepared beforehand and took him out to the backyard. Secondly, he wrapped Yasuhisa's body in bed sheets in his bedroom and also took him out to the backyard and placed it on top of Minoru's body. After that he went to the second floor, but there was a problem with the bodies of the Kawanabe couple. Carrying those two, was too heavy for Sekiguchi alone."

"Sekiguchi discerned that while wrapping them in sheets and thought of cutting the bodies apart. He brought the two bodies to the bathroom and cleaned inside the house first. Anyway, cleaning the boards of the corridor was easily done. He cleaned the stairway, but it was dark and there was no way he was going to turn off the lights, so I think he gave up on it halfway through. Then he abandoned it halfway for the time being and headed to the bathroom."

The corridor on the first floor was cleanly wiped, but the stairway and the corridor on the second floor were sloppily done.

"Sekiguchi began to dismember Kawanabe Yasuhiko. First he struggled to severe his head, he threw this in the bathtub and proceeded to cut off his four limbs. Incidentally, the moment he lopped off the right leg and started on the left leg, Hitomi came home."

Mai closed her eyes and cowered. She didn't want -- to listen anymore.

Hirota lowered his voice after looking at Mai.

"Hitomi arrived home by night train and returned before 10 o'clock in the morning. She went to the washroom at once. Or she thought it was strange that no one welcomed her and searched around on the first floor, and perhaps it occurred to her to wash her hands in the washroom. -- In any case, the moment she leaned over the washbasin, Sekiguchi struck her in the back. The weapon used was the hatchet. The blade was already broken from when he was dismembering her father, so it had become mostly crumbled."

They were fortunate that they only had to listen to the story. Hirota looked over photographs of her corpse from the post-mortem certificate. Half of the girl's face had completely collapsed and there was no trace of her original form.

"-- It's unknown what Sekiguchi was thinking in the house where the five people had died. He was about to clean up, but the way he did it was unusual. it seemed that he wiped the sliding screens with a blood-stained dust cloth, not to mention he repeatedly quit while doing that. Eventually he must have felt exhausted, left everything unfinished and returned to his home. After using the bath, changing his clothes, washing the soiled clothes and throwing them in a garbage can, he hung himself from the lintel using a belt. That was the night of October 11th."

Those who knew him testified that Sekiguchi was a timid man. That timid man spent a single night like a nightmare and then chose death for himself.

Naru was sunken into his thoughts.

Five people were killed. The culprits killed themselves...

Then why did there have to be mirrors in all of the windows?

-- Because someone's peeking in.

There were only two places with mirrors containing proper glass and that were without a mirror. These faced the garden and balcony, along with the shutters. Couldn't this be obstructing the view completely as well? Or turning it around - having a window that is unable to obstruct a view completely, and inserting a mirror and concealing the inside.

'-- Beyond the full-length mirror is Kosori. he remembered seeing his silhouette prior to the mirror cracking

-- Kosori is also around the house. why? He remembered what the child said when they were pulled in...

-- Peeking. that's right it's watching inside '

Naru frowned and opened his mouth, there was something else..

"It continues to peek inside this house relentlessly. The owner of this house became afraid when he saw this and ended up inserting mirrors in the windows. The previous owner lived in this house for a mere two months. It happened so frequently to the point that he wanted to seal it off with mirrors in those two months. -- that or, he heard that there were unusual, frequent, and consecutive complaints from the people who rented this house."

"on the reason for the mirrors? that must have happened, I suppose." Monk answered

"-- Well then, who was it?"

"Who?"

"Apart from the five people who were killed here, there's a spirit who is obsessed with this house. The four family members send out warnings to the daughter from here. The daughter returns to this home. The family is captured inside this house. -- Then, who is the one peeking in from the outside?"

"Well... ..." monk bega, noticing Naru's intention

"The owner decided to live in this house after listening to the complaints from the tenants who said they would leave. The family of five spirits weren't that important. Rather, the spirit that peeked in from outside the window was the problem. So he filled up the windows with mirrors until he found it sufficient enough and tried to live in the house. -- Am I wrong?"

"If it's something like that. then--" Masako questioned in a troubled tone

"Why do the Sasakuras want this house to the extent that they pull those elaborate pranks?" Ayako inquired for her

Naru felt a sudden pull on the bond, he turned to look at Mai and her daze like expression was on.

"it's kosori" the brunette answered, Naru nodded, it confirmed his suspicion

"... what?" Masako suddenly asked, Ayako and John too nodded in inquiry... they had missed the incident with the mirror but monk was informed about it by Lin

"Wasn't Kosori the spectre who haunted this place in the first place? That it controlled people -" Monk said prior stopping with a grimacing look

Naru frowned, if that was true... the ghost here didn't matter, the issue was the neighbors ghost, no, the demon. That thing had no humanity in it, you could tell by it's appearance.

Takigawa was the first to break the ice.

"Do you think they'll agree if we say 'It appears that there is a spirit bound to your house, please let us exorcise it?' or something like that?"

Ayako sighed.

"There's no way they would."

"Do not even think about using force, I will not allow it" Hirota pointed out and silence reigned once again.

"can any of you perform an exorcism from a far?"

Naru asked seriously.

"if there was a tree on the backyard yes but there's none here" Ayako shook her head.

"no, my prayers needs to be heard" John said as well.

"monk?"

"no, am not strong enough "

"Lin?"

"mmm we often do those type of things. Perhaps, what is called a prayer all differ in their methods, but I think the fundamental system is the same. So therefore, I don't think it's impossible for Takigawa-san and the others to perform an exorcism from a distance with my teachings"

Takigawa looked at Lin with upturned eyes.

"Is it... ... difficult?"

"I believe it takes time."

"So for how long?"

"At least one night, I suppose."

"Ah... ..."

Monk groaned

Ayako struck Takigawa's head.

"Pull yourself together! at least there's a way!"

"Yes, ma'am'."

Mai looked up at the imposing Ayako.

"Say, Ayako. You're being unusually proactive. Even though you normally behave like you're running away."

"Well, once you're outside there's no danger."

She clearly said and Mai reflexively dropped her shoulder.

"Okay. We just have to do our best for one night from the outside, right? -- But you can't possibly tell me that we're doing it in front of the road?" Bou-san inquired

"there's a nearby hotel, it can be done in a room"

"why not from here?" Mai asked with curiosity

"we can't allow any interference, the spirits here may mess things up"

"oh, gotcha"

"we will attempt it tomorrow night. Hirota-san" Naru turned to look at him

"yes?"

" I will entrust the persuasion of Sasakura-san to Hirota-san."

If John could exorcise it, it will be faster and easier.

"Hey!"

At Hirota's objection, Naru returned a hypocritical smile that he couldn't complain about.

Hirota dropped his shoulders.

"Understood. ... … I'll try it for the time being."

Naru bowed his head politely merely for form's sake

"What if I don't succeed in persuading them?"

Naru showed a turbulent smile at Hirota's question.

"Naturally, I believe that you will persuade them for us, Hirota-san."

he sighed, Tomorrow, he had to do his best tomorrow.

cut.

quite a bit of info, well don't worry I think next chapter may be the last one for this case. Hold on for a bit more, we are almost there

most of this was from the light novel, I deemed the info to be essential so I couldn't jump it. Anyway thank you all for the kind reviews. I hope to see you soon in the vampire AU ghost hunt story, it is fun to write it.