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VOLUME 8 – THE VANISHED SPIRIT file 02: escape ()
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1
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– Where is this?
Haruka stood up on the wooden floor in her bare feet
There were candleholders in the four corners of the room The small flames of the candles flickered
It appeared to be a temple
– Why am I here?
As if to answer Haruka’s question, a dark shadoalked in front of Haruka It was soo? I orried’
Yakumo didn’t reply
The muscles in his face were flaccid and his eyes weren’t focussed His fingers occasionally twitched
He looked a bit strange
’Hey Yakumo-kun’
Haruka called out oncealoud
He clutched his stohter
’What’s so funny?’ Haruka said at last, though she was confused
Yakumo suddenly stopped
’What’s so funny, you say?’
Still s, Yakumo held up a knife in front of Haruka’s eyes
The knife, coldly glinting, was dyed red Blood dripped froht I’ve finally realised my true nature’
’True nature?’
Haruka stepped back
Yakuht Killing people… is fun’
’You’re lying’
’Want to test me?’
Yakumo licked his lips
Before Haruka noticed, his two eyes were dyed a deep red
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’Stop!’
Haruka sat straight up
She opened her eyes not in a temple but her own room It looked like she’d fallen asleep on the table
– That was a dreah of relief and looked at the clock
It was just past four in theThis wasn’t the time to sleep She rubbed her eyes and looked back at her computer monitor when she felt somebody’s presence
– Somebody’s here
When Haruka turned around, she saw soainst the wall
’Aah!’
Haruka leapt up
The person sitting there with his head hung slowly lifted his head
’Yakumo-kun!’ exclaimed Haruka, her eyes wide
There was no doubt about it It was Yakumo
His skin was so pale and his lips so dry and purple that it made her doubt he was alive
His white shirt was covered in dirt and the left leg of his jeans was stained with blood
’Why are you here…’ said Yakumo in a hoarse voice
’Why…’
That hat Haruka wanted to ask
But this wasn’t the ti Yakumo to a hospital to fix his horrible condiition
’I ran here from the limestone cavern…’
’Tell me later Anyway, I’ll call an ambulance’
Haruka took the mobile on the table in her hand
’Then I went to the lake… Red flowers bloo deliriously
’Lake?’
’I see… I’ so stupid!’
’It’s fine… I got to see you… in the end…’
As he spoke, Yakuradually fainter and finally disappeared, as if he had melted into the room
’Yakumo-kun? Hey, where are you?’
Haruka called out frantically, but Yakumo made no reply –
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2
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– So noisy
Gotou woke up to the ringing of hisfor Yakuht it’d be so easy, but he still felt tired and disappointed
He had planned on taking a break by sitting in the car’s driver seat, but then he had fallen asleep
In the passenger’s seat, Eishin was sleeping while snoring loudly
Unlike Gotou, who had searched for Yakumo frantically, Eishin had returned to the car soon after and fallen asleep after saying, ’There’s no e’ll find him when it’s this dark’
Gotou looked at his atch It was just past four in theat this ti’
Gotou answered the phone while rubbing his eyes
<Yakumo-kun came!>
He heard Haruka’s hysterical voice on the other end of the phone
The way she was so agitated wasn’t normal
’What about Yakumo?’
<I said he came! Just earlier! In an awful condition!>
’Cal about’
Gotou sat up and tried to cal slowly
Finally, it seeained her calm He heard her take deep breaths
arlier, Yakumo-kun came to my room…>
Haruka spoke in a hoarse voice
’W-what?’
– He went back to Haruka?
It was possible It irritated Gotou that Yaku anyone, but he didn’t care as long as he was fine
’So Yakumo’s there now?’
If possible, Gotou wanted to talk to his he wanted to ask
<;;He… vanished…>
’Vanished?’
<Yes Just like… s tricks on you?’
<That’s impossible!>
Haruka yelled loudly
It was true that Haruka for one wouldn’t mistake soht?’
<That ht already…>
Gotou could hear Haruka start to sob
A heat close to anger started boiling up within Gotou’s stomach
’Yakumo-kun won’t die!’ he yelled, overcome by his emotion
– Don’t screith me Yakury at Haruka, but he didn’t want to believe it That guy wouldn’t die so easily
<But…>
’I’ht>
Though it was in a tear-filled voice, Haruka’s reply was firm
She had become panicked by the sudden event, but it looked like she’d coer That was the woman in Yakumo’s heart for you
’If you did see Yaku that could be a lead?’ Gotou said quickly
<He said, ’Why are you here?’>
’Anything else’
<He said he got to a lake…>
’Lake?’
<And that red flowers bloomed…>
’Red flowers’
’There’s a lake nearby’
Eishin had woken up at soer seat
He had probably heard their conversation
’Really?’
’Yeah The red flowers are probably crapeyawn as he leant back It seemed like he didn’t realise the importance of his words
’Where?’
’I said it at the beginning, right? There’s a lake near the temple where a woman’s screams…’
He had said that
That hen Gotou had heard about the reincarnation of the girl called Hatsune He’d co that had happened
But that was a place with spiritual connections
’Can you go to that lake froh the cavern If you go along the river froh the cavern – that was the first Gotou had heard of it
Maybe Just maybe But this old inning!’
’You didn’t ask,’ said Eishin without any shae to retort and sighed
<… Gotou-san, did you realise so?>
Haruka’s anxious voice cao to the lake near the teo pick you up’
<I understand>
Haruka accepted it straightforwardly without fighting back
’I’ll call you later’
<Gotou-san>
Just as Gotou was about to turn on the car engine, Haruka spoke
’What?’
Ishii’s faltering voice rier If Ishii had been in front of him, he would have smacked his fist into his head
’Talk already’
<Ah, yes sir Actually, Chief Miyagawa told me this information earlier…>
’Like I said, what?’
<Yakuerprints match the ones on the knife>
’What!?’
Gotou stood up without thinking
Matching fingerprints was positive evidence It looked like Yakumo had definitely held the knife
<The Nishitae Yakumo-shi from a person of interest to a suspect>
’Don’t joke with me’
As Gotou muttered that, his eyes landed on the news on the television in the waiting room
A horse-faced male reporter stood in front of the Nishitama precinct’s entrance and spoke in a rushedto the information we received, the Nishitama precinct has concluded that city university student, Saitou Yakumo, is the suspect…>
As if to interrupt the reporter’s words, a picture of Yakumo appeared on the screen
It was probably the photo fro like it He had a white shirt on and a composed expression on his face
It was probably from when he still wore his black contact lens Gotou couldn’t see Yakumo’s red left eye
<Detective Gotou?>
Gotou heard Ishii call out to him from the other end of the phone
’I can hear you I’ht now’
<And there was one more piece of news>
’What?’
<Another corpse was found in the Nishitama jurisdiction>
’Serial?’
<I don’t know But with this ti…>
So it could be serial
Not just one person but two had been killed – a big case The Nishitath
Not all Detectives froovernment would be out soon
If that happened, all of the police force would be chasing Yakumo
<What should we do?>
Ishii’s off-the-point question stopped Gotou’s thoughts
’What?’
<I said, what should we do now?>
– That?
’Hoould I know?’
h?>
’Think about what you should do on your own!’
After yelling that, Gotou hung up
When he sat down on the bench, Gotou realised that he’d forgotten to tell Ishii that he’d found Yakuainst it It would be better not to tell Ishii
If he found out, he would have to report to the higher-ups It’d bring about probleet Ishii anyderisively, Gotou called Haruka’s number from his mobile phone’s contact list
He’d call just to say they found hi for a call Gotou heard Haruka’s cornered voice right away
She had probably been inat any moment
’It’s Gotou’
<Did you find Yakus had happened up until now To Haruka, Yakumo was irreplaceable, just like hoas to Gotou
If Haruka lost Yakumo, she would probably carry that with her for her whole life
When Gotou thought that, he couldn’t speak
<So you didn’t find him…>
Haruka’s voice sounded like it would fade off at any moment
– I…
’Like I promised, I found him,’ said Gotou, before his heart was deterht it sounded like a different person’s
Now, Gotou couldn’t say the truth
– It’s fine Yakumo will be saved
Gotou said that to himself and made his decision
’Yeah, really’
<Is Yakuht?>
’Of course’
<I want to talk to hiot a bit of an injury A doctor’s looking at hi it looked at just in case’
Gotou was hit by a wave of regret after saying that
– What a?
However, it was too late now that he’d said it If anything happened, he’d oodness… Really, thank goodness…>
Gotou could tell that Haruka was crying on the other side of the phone
– I’lared at the door of the examination room
<Where are you now, dear?>
Suddenly, Gotou heard Atsuko’s voice from the other side of the phone
’W-why are you there?’
Gotou became flustered in his confusion
<What do you mean, why? Nao and I are also worried about Yakumo-kun Don’t just run off like that>
’I’m sorry’
Gotou’s voice toned down under Atsuko’s pressure
He’d know this, but she really had souts
<So how is the case?>
’Don’t want to think about it It’s the worst-case scenario’
<I see…>
’The fingerprints on the murder weapon match Yakumo’s’
<Yakumo-kun could never kill someone…>
’I know that’
Eishin’s words cae ht be true There was probably a side of Yakumo that Gotou and the others didn’t know But still, he wanted to believe in Yakumo
There was a line that people couldn’t cross No matter what, Yakumo wasn’t the sort of person ould cross that line
’Hey, Atsuko’
Gotou called his wife by his name
He felt like it’d been a while since he’d done that He didn’t knohy, but since they married, it’d becootten by with things like ’Oi’
But he felt like calling her by her na he had to say properly while facing her
<What?>
’The police are chasing Yakumo as a suspect rather than a person of interest But I can’t believe it’
<Right>
’Could I ask you one thing?’
<Yes>
’If I end up quitting the police, ill you do?’
The hter fro what Gotou said seriously Or she didn’t understand theof the question –
But Gotou’s answer cleared away those feelings of Gotou’s
<If I had to say what I like about you, there’s one thing You rush forith your stupidly honest belief in others>
’And if you had to say what you hated?’
<Your job>
– She hatesa police officer?
It was the first tih all of Gotou’s worries
He’d thought he’d been flying around freely up until now, but it looked like he’d actually just been dancing around in Atsuko’s palm
He’d made an unbelievable woman into his wife
’Got it I’ll try not to be hated’
Gotou hung up and stood
There was no reason to hesitate any ht not like it, but he’d go with hilad
Haruka gripped the red stone on her necklace tightly
After seeing Yaku, she recalled the time when her friend Shiori died and it had felt like her heart was in heraround the rooreat’
Atsuko held Haruka’s shoulders tightly
’Yes’
’My husband’s quite the guy, isn’t he?’