Keiichi sat on a chair in a dark room, his cuffed hands on a table and an interrogation light pointed right into his face. Despite his predicament, he seemed oddly calm, as if he were in control of the situation.
"I hope you know we have ways to make you talk," a policeman spoke from behind the bright light which obscured his figure. "So if you care about your safety, you will cooperate with us."
"Oh officer, worry not, I will cooperate," Keiichi replied, a neutral expression on his face. "But know that you don't scare me, I've seen much worse things in my life. I will reveal everything to you... not out of fear, mind you, but only to spite Shishima!"
"Why would you spite him? Do you not worship him?"
"He's forsaken us after so many years of loyalty. If there is one other thing he craves from humans more than their torture, that is their faith."
"Why would you even worship such a monster?"
"He promised us the power to usurp this world's oppressive rule, the power to bring about a new world, only for the strong and worthy."
"And did you really believe him? Do you actually see yourself as 'strong and worthy'? What makes you so special?"
"I was and still am a hard-working member of this society! Back in college I had the biggest grades at our Computer Science course, and I can build and manage databases easily. Someone of my intelligence was most befit to inherit Shishima's world!" Keiichi declared proudly while puffing his chest, then his bravado deflated as he bitterly added, "If only his promises weren't false..."
Unimpressed, the officer continued, "How did you manage to kidnap your victims? Were your circles cooperating?"
"No, our circles operated fairly independently; it's Shinobu's online sermons which kept us all united. As for our victims, most Spawns had regular day jobs, so they could easily set their eyes on a potential target. When the time came for a sacrifice, that's when they would strike."
"How many did you kill?"
"Back when Sagakin was transported into Shishima's dimension, we lost count. Hundreds of people daily, sometimes we may have reached even a thousand victims per day when we chose to be more productive. But after Shishima left and we were forced into hiding, we tried to kill at least one victim on a daily basis. There were some days when Shinobu wasn't in a murderous mood, though."
"Why did you follow Shinobu Matsuda?"
"She was a preppy student who loved to hang around geeks and outcasts. Whenever she spent time with us, she was very persuasive and got us to do almost anything for her. I had no idea about her murderous tendencies until one night when she brought us and some jock she seduced to that abandoned Hellhole bar in the historic center and showed us a tied up hobo. She then went on a long diatribe about how that guy was a drain on society and deserved to suffer. Then she talks about supernatural forces and how demons are real and we need to appease them with blood sacrifices. A few nights later, Shishima shows himself to us and the rest is history."
"I see." The policeman took some quick notes. "You said you can build and manage databases. Tell me, were you the one maintaining the Spawns of Shishima websites?"
A smug smile grew on Keiichi's face. "You're looking right at the man! Working with onion links is much easier than you'd think. However, Shinobu was the one who had the final say on each website's contents. All messages found there were dictated by her. In my computers you will also find records of each Spawn who ever joined us. That was our way of keeping in touch with all members, especially those who were overseas."
"What about the so-called 'online sermons'?"
"Recorded by me, each and every one. I only did what she asked of me; she was quite persuasive, you know."
"One last question: how did you get your hands on all those deadly weapons?"
"The black market, sometimes we pulled strings and had some smuggled from police stations. When you work underground, procuring things is much easier than you'd think."
"I see. Thank you for your time." The officer turned off the lamp and packed his papers, the only illumination in the interrogation room coming from a weak light bulb hanging from the ceiling. "You will be hearing from your attorney tomorrow. Next week you will stand trial for the crimes you've committed. But if you ask me, life in prison will be the most lenient sentence you can get."
"Attorney? Trial? Life in prison?!" Keiichi's cool disposition was gone, replaced by the sheer despair of someone who realized their entire life had crumbled apart. "But, but, I cooperated with you as you asked of me! I ratted out the Spawns, surely I can be pardoned for that, right? It was Shinobu, I told you she peer pressured me into doing all of it! Please, I beg of you, don't throw me in prison! It wasn't my fault, it wasn't! It was all Shinobu's!" he pleaded as the policeman exited the room, ignoring his childish meltdown.
Hajime had overseen the interrogation from the hallway. Shinobu's ritual dagger rested in his hands and he played with the blade, inspecting its curvature and sharp point. Dried blood spots randomly decorated its metal - a sign that its owner did not properly clean it after her grizzly murders. The mere thought that he was holding a weapon which ended so many lives left him numb deep inside. A weapon which he also used to murder an innocent for the mission's sake... In the end his victory had come at a great cost, but the fact that said weapon would not end more lives was enough satisfaction.
"Is this all the evidence you need?" asked the chief of police, a tall and overweight middle aged man in a blue uniform decorated with a couple of medals. "I'll have the summary of Keiichi's interrogatory emailed as you requested."
"Yes, I've heard quite enough," Hajime replied while returning the dagger to the other man. "I will take my leave. Please check Keiichi's computers and have the Spawns' identities emailed to the other police sections in the country and the secret services. We need to have them all brought in before they make any attempts to reorganize their cult."
"Don't you think your plan may be a bit overreaching? We may need more solid evidence in some cases than just the data on that kid's laptop."
"Did you not hear him? He clearly said that he kept record of all members. This should be enough incriminating evidence, no matter how innocent one may appear. Sure, there will be those few cases where you may need to gather more and prove that someone didn't join that cult as a joke. But keep in mind that all members need to go through the initiation ritual by committing murder. I don't think anyone can kill another as a joke."
"You're right. Still, scouring all of Japan for them will not be an easy task."
"I know, which is why I will offer a loan to the Japanese police to help conduct this operation and cleanse our country of these sick people."
"I see. Don't worry then, we will begin gathering data right away!" the chief reassured him, his skeptical demeanor quickly replaced by a more optimistic one.
Hajime nodded in agreement. "I will transfer the money later this week, that's a promise." And with those parting words said, he took his leave. The police station had grown crowded over the past few days. Uniformed men were busying themselves either in their office cubicles giving calls and typing documents, or wandering the hallways with their new prisoners, leading them either to interrogation rooms or jail cells.
Outside, the city's clean air felt like a warm welcome. As he began his walk to college, Hajime took notice that the streets were once more crowded with people going about their daily business. But something had changed - he could finally spot smiles among the crowds. They were few, but they were definitely there. With the Spawns of Shishima arrested, their reign of fear over Sagakin was gone and life could finally return to normal. Perhaps the majority did not need to be aware of Shishima's return. Ultimately this was a cross to bear for a single human, the very one who stood against the fiend for mankind's sake and who ended up being a great point of obsession for said fiend. If he could lower the stakes down to a more personal level, then everyone's safety would not be threatened again. Yes, Hajime was the only one who could defeat Shishima, especially since he had made all the necessary preparations in light of a possible return.
He reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone and opened up the messenger app to find a missed message from Audra:
Haven't seen you at courses yesterday. Something happened? You coming today?
Hajime giggled and looked at the sky, pondering his current situation. If he hurried his pace, he could easily catch the course's last hour. But he had spent the entirety of Sunday and most of Monday and Tuesday afternoon dealing with interrogations, inspecting weapons and listening to phone calls. Then he remembered that Wednesday he had an important meeting with his company's executives and he had been invited to Count Kage's party. Also on Wednesday, the Sagakin Autumn Festival was being held and all important figures in the city were supposed to participate as an act of formality. Most likely the count's party was linked to the festival, as a way to honor Sagakin's liberation and to prolong the overall celebration. Having made up his mind, Hajime typed back a reply:
Sorry, I'm still busy with police work. I won't be coming tomorrow either.
Much to his surprise, Audra came online and wrote almost instantly:
We're all missing your presence...
Of course, by 'all' she meant 'herself'. Her reaction touched him enough to not close his phone and pursue the conversation:
I know, I'm sorry. Can you email me the courses I'm missing, please?
Again, her reply was quick:
Sure, I'll email them, not a problem. What will you do now that the Spawns are done for?
His first response were just three dots and then he stared at the phone, unsure of himself. Without the Spawns, all that was left to deal with was Shishima. But both Borof and Sayo had been vague as to whether he had already returned or not. Perhaps his next objective was tracking down either of them to garner more answers. The best response he could type was:
I'm not sure. I'll need some time to think.
Audra's next message was once more touching:
Don't worry, I understand. If you ever need anything, I'm always here for you. :)
A warm smile grew on Hajime's face as he wrote back 'Thanks.' and closed his phone, ultimately deciding to head home and take the rest of his evening off.
Ben set his fork and knife down, giving a sign to the butler that he had finished his dinner and the plates could be taken away. He was not a heavy eater by any means, but after his and Hajime's great victory against the Spawns of Shishima, he decided he would reward himself for all the efforts he had put into solving the five-year-long case. Roasted chicken with mashed potatoes had been on the menu, and while he could not fully finish the dish, he was definitely left satisfied.
"Good evening," echoed Hajime's voice from behind, prompting him to get up from the chair and turn around. "I trust your day went well."
"I've emailed the MI6, FBI and CIA with all the information I could hack from Keiichi's laptops. All Spawns of Shishima websites are gone from the internet as well, this includes the deep web," Ben proudly said.
"Yes, it definitely went well." Hajime patted him on the shoulder. "Congratulations for the great work, you can take the evening off!"
"Evening off, you say?" A knowing smile grew on Ben's face. "Then how about we head out to play some tennis? We haven't had a match in months!"
"Good idea! I could use something to take my mind off everything else. I'll head upstairs to change in my sports clothes!"
Ben watched Hajime leave the dining room and could not help but admire his looks even from behind. He was definitely more toned since they first met, and for some reason the giddy feelings which stirred inside took him back to his own college days, before he joined the secret services, before he went into rehab...
Fifteen minutes later, both found themselves in a small tennis field located in the backyard, large bushes and an electrified fence surrounding them. The setting sun behind the mansion painted the sky a beautiful crimson red. Ben had left his glasses on a nearby table and wore a black shirt, blue shorts and tennis shoes which matched with his shirt. Opposite him stood Hajime, wearing similar clothes but they were all white. They both remained in silence for a few moments until Hajime made the first serve. As they ran towards the ball to serve it back with their rackets, different thoughts flowed through their minds. Ben recalled the first time they played the sport together and how aggressive Hajime was back then, for he seemed to be pouring his gathered frustrations into each move he made. Now he seemed much calmer and more collected, and was enjoying every moment of the game, not too different from Edward...
As he watched his partner serve the ball back in kind, Hajime came to realize just how much he appreciated him. He was not extroverted like Ken, friendly like Jack or brash like Lori, but Ben had his own unique qualities. Besides his intelligence and work ethic, he always tried to be by his side in one way or another, even during the most dangerous parts of their mission. He even broke his own façade of rational aloofness to show support and empathy, especially when the guilt over murders resurfaced. Yes, Ben was not the most outgoing of people, but he had a big heart and knew to show it when it mattered. Perhaps Hajime could repay him by opening up and accepting him as a friend? No, whenever he tried to let someone into his life, Shishima always came and yanked them away in one way or another. He couldn't get too close to anyone until that threat was fully dealt with.
In Ben's mind, Hajime was starting to look and sound more and more like his ex-boyfriend Edward. Sure, the latter had light brown hair and black eyes, was taller and spoke with a slight cockney accent, but he could not deny that they were both determined and fixated in their ways. Immediately he recalled the evening in which they first met, how he walked out of the university's club while drugged out of his mind and stumbled upon a fellow athlete who was on his nightly jog. The next thing he could remember was being brought to his dorm room and being asked if he was feeling alright. Of course he couldn't lie when his mind was in that altered state, of course he had to break down into sobs and whine that he felt lonely and unloved. The rest of that night was but a blurry memory. He recalled waking up all alone in the following morning, and on his nightstand was a note containing Edward's phone number and a message asking him if he wanted to meet up for dinner while sober. The rest was history, but in Ben's mind that was the closest relationship he had, the only one where he could admit that he felt those rare moments of 'pure happiness'. But that was all in the past, now he had a tennis match to focus on.
In Hajime's eyes, Ben had proven himself to be highly professional during their five year detective stunt. There was no doubt that without his help, he wouldn't have been able to defeat the deathly cult. Perhaps his partner could survive Shishima if they were to be surprise-attacked. After all, they had been in that whole ordeal together, so maybe it was time they went from co-workers to actually being friends. With one final and decisive serve, the ball went past Ben and their game finally ended, its score being 7-3 for Hajime. By that point it was already nightfall, street illumination being their only source of light. After that extensive game, both young men had been left without breath and reeking of sweat. The weather began to grow cold, meaning there would be no round 2.
"Let's head back inside. I'm starting to get the chills," Hajime said.
"Same here," Ben replied as he picked up the ball. "There are still a few secret service agencies I need to contact and inform about the Spawns in their countries. Then I guess I'm done for tonight."
"Yeah, go ahead and relax once you're done with that. Now that this case is almost over, you've definitely earned yourself some time off."
"Thank you, Hajime."
"Don't mention it. Now if you don't mind, I'll go take a shower and hit the hay. Tomorrow I've got a long day ahead of me."
Much to Hajime's surprise, he managed to get a good night's sleep without any nightmares for the third time in a row! Perhaps it was a sign that times were changing for the better. Now he sat in his comfortable office chair, dressed in a new dark gray suit with a white undershirt and blue tie. The scent of men's perfume on his neck was subtle and he had combed his hair straight, trying to appear as presentable as possible. Once the meeting ended, he would attend two important events and could not disgrace his family's good name. As soon as the three middle-aged executives finished their new presentation, he took a sip of coffee and gave his verdict:
"The winter jackets are stylish, the pants appear comfortable, the hats are well-made and the gloves have unique designs." With each compliment he gave them, the men's smiles grew wider. Hajime found it strange since those same men had passive-aggressively mocked him for being too young when he assumed the title of regional manager. Realizing that ultimately their biggest concern was their own salaries, he resumed his praises, "Well then, all I can say is... congratulations, gentlemen! All clothing designs for the winter line are approved!"
"That is great news, sir!" one of them exclaimed, failing to withhold his excitement.
"I am giving you the green light to begin fabricating these clothes. We must have our products ready by mid-November the latest. With that said, I believe we are done here."
"Thank you for everything, sir!" they all said in unison while bowing to the waist, after which they packed their documents and took their leave.
Once left alone, Hajime picked up his office phone and dialed his secretary's number.
"Hello?" spoke a young woman from the other line.
"Kumi, don't book me any new appointments today, I must take my leave early," he instructed.
"Understood, sir. Enjoy the rest of your day!" she replied in a cheery manner and hung up.
He gazed outside the window and saw that the streets had already been filled with excited crowds. In a matter of minutes he would walk among them, trying to make his way to the city hall from which the parade would begin its slow march. Unfortunately, by the time he managed to reach said destination, the new mayor had finished his speech and the parade had already begun. Unlike the previous five years when the festivities had been more restrained due to the populace's general fear, this time around the joy was ever-present in the atmosphere. His heart warmed up as he recalled his teenage years when he attended the festival with his grandmother. Despite finding everything too noisy back then, he still appreciated the beautiful imagery and the choreographed routines.
Traditional Japanese music filled the streets: a rhythmic drum march accompanied by a flute's and a koto's eerie melodies. Two parade dragons, one white and the other green, were carried by five men each, sometimes intertwining as they led the way down the main street. Next followed a group of a dozen men carrying a wooden boat, and lastly came the kabuki actors, their faces painted in white and red, and dressed in extravagant costumes - they provided the traditional dances associated with the festival, meant to represent health, wealth and protection. There were cheers all around, confetti, rice, salt and candy was thrown everywhere. As he was privy to the display of sheer goodwill, Hajime could not help but ponder on how a few centuries ago that celebration used to be deeply rooted in Shinto. As society became more secularized, it became synonymous with Sagakin itself and thus its current day iteration was held as an appreciation of the city's existence rather than a tribute to the gods. He snapped out of his thoughts as he saw cameras set on him, giving a pleasant smile and a nod to the television channels. Most likely those reporters had come to keep a tally on all of Sagakin's important figures, and if by the end of the festivity someone was found absent, the tabloids would have new material to chew on.
A great number of fireworks announced the festival's conclusion by sunset. Hajime checked his phone and saw that Count Kage's party was about to begin. Not wasting any time, he called his driver:
"Takeshi, come pick me up, it's time."
"Already on my way, sir! I've just picked up those clothes from Shirayama Industries as you asked."
It turned out that the multitude of important figures from Sagakin's elites did not stay for the entirety of the festival, but rather opted to retreat to the reclusive mansion on a hill for Count Kage's private celebration. Hajime recognized a few yakuza heads, wealthy investors and high politicians among the guests and wondered just how deep their ties to the Kage clan actually were.
"Mister Shirayama, I am so glad you could make it!" Count Kage warmly greeted him and left the elderly couple with whom he was discussing to shake his guest's hand.
"Your commissioned clothes are here," Hajime replied while offering him a suitcase, a gesture which made the host ecstatic.
"From the bottom of my heart, I thank you! I will go try them on straight away! If you are hungry, the dining room is down this very corridor, the second door to the left."
Soon enough, Hajime found himself surrounded by classical music, marble busts and a select company as he enjoyed a chicken leg with a glass of champagne. As he admired the elegant decorations, he could not help but find the piece playing in the background, Vivaldi's Four Seasons, oddly fitting. All of a sudden, the lights went out and the music stopped. A single reflector light was cast upon the main entrance and Count Kage walked in wearing his brand new caped black tuxedo which was 100% made out of cotton. His white gloves and black leather boots belonged to the previous winter line of Shirayama Industries, and the top hat was smaller and rounder in comparison to his old one. Setting aside his walking cane, he grabbed the edges of his cape and stretched them wide, akin to bat wings, trying to strike a pose similar to Bela Lugosi's Dracula. The guests applauded him for his theatrical performance as the lights came back up.
"Thank you so much, you are all too kind!" he said and then he snapped his fingers, the background classical music filling the room once more. Easily spotting Hajime in the crowd, he walked to him and picked up a glass of champagne as well. "I must once again thank you for these clothes, your company has done a most wonderful job!"
"I am glad you enjoy them," Hajime replied politely.
"Speaking of which, may I ask how are you enjoying yourself so far, Mister Shirayama?"
"Quite well, thank you. I must admit, I never knew I needed to disconnect myself from my duties and socialize a bit."
"It's understandable, considering your recent achievements. My friend, I must ask that you stay here until the very end of the party. There are many surprises ready for us all..."
"Might as well, then." Hajime raised his glass. "A toast, count! For justice and a prosperous life!"
They both clinked their glasses and then savored the alcoholic beverages. For a split second, Count Kage's pupils shined red, betraying the anticipation that lay beneath his façade of hospitality.