—RED CURSE—

[ AKAI NOROI 赤い呪い ]

Byakuya Togami and the Mystery of Devils’ Village

—

Chapter 1: Devils’ Village

“It’s true that the assignment was not given by you, but being that Abe-san is your assistant, our father feels that you’re the best choice to follow up on his disappearance.”

Haruna Togami (22) was Byakuya Togami’s (21) immediate elder sister and currently fourth in line to inherit the Togami name and empire.

Byakuya was currently first.

However his assistant’s sudden disappearance now put that status in jeopardy, despite his own lack of involvement in the matter up to that point.

Quiet forest rolled by outside the window as his sister’s admonition rang in his mind. There had been a long train ride up to Hokkaido first, and now Byakuya was approaching the hour-mark of a car ride into the depths of the countryside with an unfamiliar driver.

“Fukawa-san will pick you up at the station,” Haruna had told him. “Employed at our northern branch for several years now. Capable and loyal; though I doubt that once you retrieve Abe-san you’ll have any need of an additional assistant.”

As they passed a crumbling old statue of white stone at the edge of the trees Fukawa glanced at him in the rear view mirror, and then nervously away.

The assistant from Hokkaido couldn’t have been more different to Toru Abe. Abe-san was a pin-neat man in his 30s with a stern expression and a handsomely kept beard. Fukawa, on the other hand, was a sharp, nervous looking young woman in a slightly rumpled skirt-suit, who didn’t look like she could be much older than Togami himself. Not that age was any judge of ability of course, but….

But it certainly was different . than Abe-san. This Fukawa woman would take some getting used to.

Byakuya Togami sat with his long legs crossed , his posture not quite tensed–not quite relaxed– with his gaze halfway out the window, and halfway on his driver herself.

Regardless of how young she was, or how experienced she may or may not be, until he found Abe-san, she would have to do.

He reached up, readjusting his glasses with a soft ‘hmm’ as he met her furtive gaze. “Is there something you want to say , Fukawa-san?”

She glanced at him, and then back, squeaking as the car hit a slight bump in the gravely roadl.

“Eep!! S-sorry Togami-sama… Togami-san…” she squeaked. “Um, n-no, nothing to say really, just that… I think we’re almost there.”

The road they were on didn’t have any turns, and hadn’t in a few miles. This was probably a good thing, since Fukawa’s phone gps– mounted on the dashboard– had gone blank and was displaying a large question mark.

Togami-sama. So that’s the sort of branch employee Fukawa-san was.

A smile played at the edge of his lips, just the barest hint of amusement on his otherwise cool and composed expression. Long lashed, lidded eyes watched her through the square lenses of his glasses as he nodded.

“You think, or you know, Fukawa-san?” He gestured towards her GPS. “Our satellites don’t seem to know the answer.”

She glanced at him again– she had big grey eyes with long, thick lashes– and then at the GPS.

“I-I mean I know,” she sputtered out. “It said 20 minutes before it cut out, and that was a little more than fifteen minutes go, sir….”

“Excellent.” He leaned back against the seat. “I’d very much like to see the state of things when we arrive.”

He was quiet a moment more before he continued, glancing sidelong at the anxious employee.

“So. My sister neglected to tell me what exactly it is you do in the Hokkaido Branch. Tell me, Fukawa-san, what’s your area of expertise?”

“O-oh, well, I’m you know, an a-administration and coordination specialist,” she replied. “I take care of… things that– that need t-taking care of.”

The forest around them had grown so dense that it was difficult to see the sun, forcing the headlights of the car to cut the path ahead of them in the velvety green umbra.

A choking natural aura.

As much as Togami enjoyed the occasional walk in the natural elements, something about the density of the forest felt stifling. LIke it was closing in around him.

He adjusted his tie, and turned his attention back to Fukawa.

“An administrative worker, interesting. My sister tells me you’re both loyal and capable.”

“I certainly t-try to be, sir,” she promised. “I’m being pr-promoted to head of the Northern Admin team after this project. Um… supposedly anyway.”

They crested a hill neither had quite realized they’d been climbing, and for a moment overlooked a valley that opened out below them. The trees thinned and parted on either side like a drawn away veil, and a small village lay nestled in the valley on the shore of a glassy lake, at the edge of the forest. The lake was covered in a sheet of drifting fog, gathered in the shadow of the bald mountain on its far side.

Togami took a moment to appreciate the view. After all, it wasn’t every day one got to see such a striking vista, not when one lived out in the steel and concrete jungle of the city.

It was beautiful, and more than a little haunting in it’s own way.

After a moment he spoke up again. “If you do a good job, Fukawa-san, I’ll ensure it happens.”

“Oh! Th-thank you, sir…” She bit her lip, knuckles tightening on the wheel as they dipped down the road toward the little village

A pair of tall pillars flanked the road into town, each broken away at the top, though long weathered. The town itself seemed to contain only one main street, and a rambling collection of houses. Toward the lake, at the far side of the town were a couple of larger, old style buildings, as well as what seemed to be a radio antenna, and a tall, cylindrical building with a domed roof.

Togami shifted, finally uncrossing his legs as he leaned to look out over the town below. “What a… quaint little town. Are you from around here?”

“OH, um, n-no, actually, I was just thinking the same thing, Togami-sam… I’m from Tokyo– I came up to Hokkaido to work for your company.”

“Ah.” Togami chuckled “Born and raised in the city. Something we have in common. Well. I’m certain the company appreciates your commitment, moving out to the sticks like this.”

They drove through the main street, past shops and little buildings. A video rental and arcade shop, a laundromat, a doctors office. A daycare. A tea shop. A noodle shop. A grocery store.couple of unmarked little studios, a fortune teller…

He watched the stores crawl by “This really is out in the middle of nowhere.”

“We really are…” Fukawa admitted quietly as she slowly drove through the town. “Mashinnomura… Devils’ village…”

“…..I’m sorry, Devils’ Village ?” Togami asked with a raise of his eyebrow.

Fukawa squeaked. “Y-yeah! That’s the way it’s written anyway– it might be wrong because the lake is Mashu .”

The road curved at a rambling fence a bit back from the lake, and they turned back into the shadow of the trees, where tucked away between them, Togami could see the handsome structure of a classical style japanese inn built halfway into the hillside.

“Well” Togami snorted, glancing over at the inn. “Wrong or not, it’s certainly an …auspicious start to our little outing.” He shook his head. “Find my missing assistant in the Devils Villiage.”

“I was t-told that Abe-san departed for the village a week ago for some kind of real estate acquisition… I-is that accurate?”

She pulled into a barely marked parking area to the side of the inn.

Togami leaned his head back, his eyes half closing as he ran over the facts he was given.

Abe-san had in fact been on a real-estate acquisition of some kind. Details were thin on the ground, but it seemed that he had been looking over some old Togami documents and found something of interest in Mashinnomura. Byakuya’s sister had made it sound as though he’d been on a mission to purchase the town outright for the family.

“That’s correct,” Byakuya replied, pushing his glasses up as he tipped his head back down to look at her.

“He found something of interest in town and sought to purchase it for the family. I don’t have all the details, but I know enough to see that his disappearance is…inopportune.”

“I-inopportune… yeah,” she nodded, and glanced down at her lap, flushing as he looked at her.. “I wonder what’s keeping him?

She turned off the engine, and mumbled. “This is supposed t-to be the inn. They didn’t have online reservations, b-but it seemed to be the only place in town to stay. S-so Abe-san’s likely to be here.”:

“Likely. At the very least someone’s likely to have heard where he might have gone. I imagine word travels in a town like this.” He unbuckled, and looked out the window at the inn with a pensive frown. “Comfortable looking inn. I can’t imagine he didn’t stay here.”

“It certainly looks like the kind of place I’d book for a fancy vacation,” she said dreamily, following his gaze. And then suddenly– “Oh!”

With the sudden outburst she hopped out of the car, and ran around it to the other side to pull Togami’s door open.

Togami stepped out, gracefully rising to his feet and smoothing out his deep green suit with the back of his hand as he stood to his full height.

“Thank you.” He glanced up at the inn , tucking his golden hair away from his face. “And…yes. It does have that ‘vacation’ kind of air. Like the sort of place one of my siblings might fancy for a weekend trip.”

Fukawa closed the car door gently once Togami had stepped away, and gazed up at the inn along with him. “Your siblings… n-not you, Togami-sama?”

“I haven’t really had cause to,” Togami said, pushing his glasses up. “I’m next in line for the Togami name, after all. It doesn’t leave a lot of time for weekend trips abroad. ”

She nodded, her hair falling slightly in her eyes. “O-of course. You’re as dedicated as I’ve heard….”

“One has to be. To be a Togami is to be among mankind’s finest.” Byakuya shook his head thoughtfully. “Regardless–despite all that, I’ll likely be spending a night in a vacationer’s inn anyway. At least until we find my wayward assistant.”

“Yes, sir,” she agreeed, folding her hands together nervously in front of her.

Ahead of them was a neat stone path that led through the neat little garden, to the imposing old double doors of the inn.

Togami glanced at her, before he started walking down the stone path towards the front doors.

“Come along, Fukawa-san.”

She hurried after him doggishly to the steps, past the spot in the garden where the little bamboo slide was rising and tipping back and forth into a small pond. It tapped with an eerie sound.

“On your lead, Togami-sama,” she chirped hastily.

“ Togami-sama .” He chuckled under his breath, a slight smirk crossing his face. “Alright then. Keep close. I don’t want you deciding to vanish as well. They’d never forgive me for losing two assistants.”

“I wouldn’t dare get l-lost, sir,” she promised, catching up to him just in front of the doors.

As they stood in front, Togami could see a narrow slit between them– already slightly open. There was also a large knocker on each door.

He paused a moment, before peeking between the gap in the doors.

For a moment, he saw the handsome entrance hall of the old inn, its stone and bamboo walls adorned with old paper murals, and a desk in front of a sweeping staircase that led up at the back and split into two.

And then suddenly there was a dark eye and a narrow slit of face staring back at him, pressed up to the gap, curtained by long dark hair.

Byakuya hissed softly between his teeth, jerking backwards with his hands raised as the eye stared him down “ Damn .”

He felt a heat come to his face as he worked to compose himself, straightening out his suit again “…Hm. Fukawa-san. The door please.”

“O-oh! Yes sir!” She stepped in front of him and moved to push the door open. Unfortunately, just as she did, someone pulled it open from the other side. Fukawa stumbled and waved her arms, in a desperate bid not to trip. “H-hey!”

Standing beside the door with her hand on it was a small, delicate looking woman with a ruff of short dark hair, and a kimono patterned in scarlet flowers.

“Welcome to the Mashinnomura Inn,” she said pleasantly.

Togami reacted quickly, grabbing Fukawa by the shoulder to keep her from tumbling over.

If nothing else it’d be a poor introduction to the Inn.

“I speak for both myself and my … enthusiastic assistant when I say thank you. Is this where we check in?”

Fukawa trembled slightly and made a soft gurgling noise as Togami helped right her. She stood, practically at attention, and looked like she was going to yell at the woman in the kimono, before Togami took control of the situation. She relaxed toward him.

“Right this way sir,” the woman said. She bowed, and led them toward the desk, glancing curiously at them as she did.

Togami led Fukawa into the room, his hand leaving her shoulder as they passed the threshold.

HIs arms crossed as he looked around the lobby of the inn, following the woman towards the desk. “Indeed. and I’m afraid that while we check in , I’ll have a few questions for you.”

“I’m happy to answer questions for honored guests,” the woman cooed. “My name is Reiko Nishizawa. This is your first time in the village, isn’t it?”

She stepped behind the desk, which was flanked by a pair of large bamboo plants in pots, tied with ribbon. There was a computer on the desk that looked like it was from at least twenty years prior, but she didn’t touch it anyway. Instead, she opened a large red book, and took out a pen.

Fukawa, who was staying close behind Toagami, peered at the book through her large spectacles.

“N-not exactly on the cutting edge here,” she mumbled.

“I suppose it’d ruin the ambiance.” Togami replied with a sly smirk, as he took the pen and wrote his name in the book. ‘Byakuya Togami’.

“A pleasure, Nishizawa-san.” he said with lidded eyes. “And as a matter of fact yes, it is. I’m here to meet up with an employee of mine.”

As Togami signed the book, he noticed the name written neatly above his. Abe Toru.

And just as he noticed that.

“Oh! You wouldn’t be Abe-san’s boss, would you?” NIshizawa gasped.

Togami tapped the pen against the paper before he placed it down and folded his arms “That’s right. Abe-san is my personal assistant. I imagine you met him when he checked in?”

“Yes sir,” she said, bowing deeply. “Abe-san was a wonderful guest, and a wonderful person too, I’m sure. Oh– but you’ll have to hurry, sir!”

Fukawa narrowed her eyes at the woman, frowning.

“….” Byakuya glanced down at the book. Abe-san, it seemed, had not signed out. “And why is that, Nishizawa-san?”

Was a wonderful person. Why the past tense?

Nishizaswa glanced at a clock, and made an apologetic face. “I’m afraid the funeral started twenty minutes ago, sir.” she bowed regretfully.

“T-the what ?” Fukawa demanded.

Byakuya frowned sharply.

“I’m sorry ?” He slapped his hand on the book, suddenly animated. “I expect an explanation, Nishizawa-san. You mean to tell me my personal assistant is dead and nobody had the sense to call the Togami family offices to report it? The funeral will not let out until I’ve arrived to assess the situation. Am I clear?”

The woman jumped in surprise and bowed again.

“I’m sorry, Togami-san! I don’t have any control over the funeral! Inspector Akagi would have the contacts in Abe-san’s phone, but all our phone service has been out since the big storm three nights ago!”

“As if that’s an excuse!” Fukawa blustered. “Th-this inspector should have driven to the next town to make the call then!”

“He certainly should have.” Togami said with a frown. “But there’s nothing for it now. You’re forgiven, but I’m afraid now I have to get to the bottom of this.”

He tapped his finger on the book. “….take me to the body, and while we walk, I’d like a rundown of what you know of the incident.”

Nishizawa held up her hands and shook her head. “I’m sorry Togami-san, but there’s no way I can abandon my post at the inn. But I can’t tell you anything you want to know.”

“Tch…” Byakuya pinched the bridge of his nose. “Indeed. My apologies for getting short with you, but I’m afraid this has all come as a bit of a shock.” He tapped the desk. “Thank you for the information. Can you point me to the funeral? I would like to speak to the Inspector as well.”

“Of course, sir!” she nodded, bowing again. “If you follow the road outside, you’ll come to the town shrine where its being held. I suspect Inspector Akagi will be there, too, but if he isn’t, I’ll try to contact him for you.”

“Understood. Thank you for the directions.” He sighed. “I’ll be back later if I have need for a room or any further questions. Good day for now, Nishizawa-san.”

“Of course, sir,” the innkeeper nodded. “There will certainly be a room if you need it.”

He turned and gestured to Fukawa “Fukawa-san, come with me to the funeral, would you?”

—

Chapter 2: The Game, Afoot

The path from the inn to the shrine was clearly marked, and Byakuya could see the shrine’s red gates not too far off along it. The gentle breeze blew from that direction, and carried the scent of incense along with it.

Abe-san was dead. Or presumed dead enough for a funeral to be held…

The whole thing was troubling. An assignment unsanctioned by him leads his assistant to his untimely demise. He had no answers, only questions and a dead assistant.

His jaw set as he walked with his hands folded behind his back, walking quickly towards the smell of incense… the local shrine.

Not only was Abe-san’s death tragic– but the ramifications were likely to be far worse down the line.

Fukawa hurried after him, her braid swinging side to side as she stumbled after him, but she stayed quiet for the moment, perhaps as pensive as he was.

As they neared the little shrine Togami could hear a low, muttered, chanting prayer.

He tilted his head, listening to it as he approached.

Delicately pushing up his glasses, he whispered to Fukawa. “It appears it’s still ongoing. Good.”

“S-sorry if this is a stupid question, sir,” Fukawa mumbled, as she followed him. “Do you think he really is…. d-dead? It seems so sudden…”

“It’s not foolish.” He shook his head –maybe he is. Maybe he isn’t… there’s a chance there’s some other game at play here. It does seem so sudden… but that, I suppose, is sometimes the nature of death.”

“The n-nature of death…” She nodded, wringing her hands.. “I suppose so….”

They passed below and through the gate’s red arch, and beyond saw a figure in a white and red priest’s garb praying in front of a coffin and altar. On the altar was a mourning photo that Togami recognized. A blown up replica of Abe-san’s company ID photo.

The only photo they would have had on hand, Byakuya thought grimly.

Taking a breath, and drawing himself up with a confident air, he approached the coffin to give his respects.

The priest didn’t acknowledge him– nor did they acknowledge Fukawa, who also came forward to pay her respects– until after the end of the prayer. Then they turned to regard Togami. The priest had a long cascade of pale hair, loosely tied back, and a fine, inscrutable-featured face with large, dark eyes. They could have been twenty, or forty, or even older. It was impossible to tell.

“Come to pay your respects to the dead, young man?”

“Yes. And to ask some questions, if you don’t mind.” Togami turned to face the photograph. “This man was my personal assistant.”

“Is that so?” The priest looked him over, seeming to size him up with those dark, searching eyes.. “Then you have my condolences.”

Togami met the priest’s gaze with a raise of his eyebrow behind his thin framed glasses.

“They’re appreciated. Mostly I’m just left wondering what happened. It wasn’t that long ago that he was alive and well in our central office.”

“I had heard that he came from some great corporation,” they nodded. “This man met his fate three nights ago.”

“Met his fate?” Fukawa murmured, her nose wrinkling at the suggestion.

Met his fate indeed. Togami closed his eyes briefly, with a small intake of breath before he continued.

“Do you have any idea what happened to Abe-san? You say met his fate, yes, but as his employer I’m hoping for… specifics.”

“He was found in the street the morning after the storm. His throat had been cut.”

“M-murder…” Fukawa’s eyes widened, and she wrung her hands nervously.

Togami’s gaze darkened, staying trained on the priest. “Is that so? Someone slit his throat, then.”

He tightened his tie and glanced at the casket. “If it wasn’t a mere accident. No heart attack, no stroke or fatal fall. But murder–then the Togami family has no choice but to investigate the matter.”

The priest looked up at him curiously, tilting their chin toward him. “Investigate… that may put you on a dire path indeed. But perhaps one that you can’t avoid in any case.”

Finally turning back to the priest, a small, severe frown darkened Togami’s handsome face, and he crossed his arms. “I’m going to ask you to elaborate on that. I hope you aren’t threatening me.”

“L-listen, you’d better not be threatening my b-boss!” Fukawa agreed, pointing.

The priest only laughed. “A threat? What reason does someone like me have to threaten you, Togami-san? No…. it is a warning.”

“What reason indeed?” Togami mused, pushing his glasses up to stare the priest in the eyes again. “Fine then. What exactly are you warning me of? Investigating the wrongful death of my employee?”

“Abe-san’s death…. investigating it may call to you the same powers which ended his life,” the priest warned. “Powers– dark powers– dwell in this town.”

“Th-that sounds like a lot of n-nonsense!” Fukawa snapped.

“Dark powers.” Togami scoffed in agreement with his assistant. “I don’t believe in fairy tales. Whatever ‘dark power’ killed Abe-san was wholly mundane…and I intend to find them and make them answer for their crime.”

“Is that so?” the priest asked softly. They smiled and nodded, making a strange gesture at him. “Then may fate guide your footsteps, and may you save all of us from certain doom.”

Fukawa stared incredulously.

“……” Togami starred as well, resting his long fingers against his chin with a low “hmmm.”

He shook his head. “How …dire,” he drawled, undeterred. “Well. Regardless of fate, I intend to cut through to the truth of the matter. Care to elaborate on this…’certain doom’ of yours?”

The priest glanced off, and following their gaze Togami saw a tall, tiered building rising from the trees in the distance at the edge of the lake.

“Legend says that Mashinnomura dwells on the ground of a portal to hell itself….”

Togami stared at the building with an incredulous raise of his eyebrow. “……a portal to hell, you say. I don’t think this area is zoned for that.”

Fukawa snorted with amusement, and immediately clapped her hand to her mouth.

“Go. Start your quest then. I must pray for this man’s soul.”The priest gave them a cool look and waved their hand. Without another word, they turned and bowed their head in front of the casket’s shrine again, and began to chant.

Togami turned briefly to stand before the casket, and murmured a promise to it, and to the man inside, rather than a prayer.

“Whoever took your life, and for whatever purpose…you can rest assured that I will find the answer. Rest well, Abe-san.”

With that, he turned sharply away, his attention focused on the present. “Fukawa-san. We need to find the inspector.”

His assistant snapped to attention, lowering her hands from her face, and clasping them in front of her. “Yes, sir! L-let’s see… if the phones aren’t working, our b-best bet might be to look for an official building…”

“…likely near the center of town, yes.” He nodded as he began walking back towards the town center with his arms crossed before him.

Fukawa followed along just behind him, trailing him like a faithful dog as they walked back along the path they’d come down. The day was warm, but the sun was clouded over, and a cool breeze whispered through the trees. Now and then as they walked they could hear the chirps of birds, or insects out in the woods.

Togami adjusted his cuffs as he walked, a little warm in his customary neat suit. Usually he wore it in air conditioned board rooms, not out in the country on mid-summer days.

He glanced over at Fukawa with a thin smirk as they got far enough from the priest. “A portal to hell. Certain Doom. Dark Forces. That man sure had a lot of dire portents , didn’t he?”

“I-it sounds like the plot of a cheap light novel,” she groused.

“It certainly did. A ghost story to scare children.” He looked up at the grey sky briefly, before he returned his attention to the road. “Hopefully the inspector is a little less cryptic.”

“He’d pretty much h-have to be,” Fukawa murmured. “At least, I can’t imagine someone more cryptic…”

Togami shook his head. “A man dies and they go on about a portal to hell. Madness.”

He tapped his elbow thoughtfully.

“…In light of all this, Fukawa-san, I’m afraid your assignment is going to have to be extended.” He glanced at her “given that my personal assistant is dead, and we’re left trying to find out _why_, I could use your assistance. Consider it a promotion . Once we get back to the central office, I’ll ensure you’re compensated.”

Fukawa perked to attention, and nodded eagerly.  “O-oh, of course, Togami-sama, I”m happy to a-assist you for as long as you need! That’s what I’m here for….”

Togami glanced at her curiously. He’d expected her to perhaps be irritated, but on the contrary, she seemed thrilled. “Dutiful of you, Fukawa-san. Your excitement is certainly noted.”

She flushed brightly as he looked at her, and looked away at the ground– just in time to barely stop herself from tripping on a rock. “W-whoa!”

Togami reached out and grabbed her shoulder with a soft ‘tch’ that almost sounded amused.

Keeping her from falling over, he kept walking alongside her.

“Dutiful, Excited…and it seems a tad clumsy. This is the second time you’ve nearly fallen on your face, Fukawa-san.”

“S-sorry, Togami-sama!” she said, still brilliantly flushed. She leaned into him for just a moment with a small sigh before straightening up. “I-t’s no excuse, but I’m used to walking on tile or carpet, not gravel!”

Togami pat her shoulder once as she straightened up before crossing his arms again.

“You can be forgiven for that. Admittedly, I’m very much the same…though I have taken a few walks in the Togami Family Gardens.”

He shook his head. “Just try not to fall anywhere where you’re likely to get hurt.”

She wrung her hands in front of herself and nodded again, stuttering and tripping over her words again as she promised, “I-I’ll be doing my best, sir!”

The two of them arrived back at the front of the inn. They could get back in the car, or simply keep walking down the main road. It certainly wasn’t long . But there was always the possibility Fukawa might trip again.

That was a risk he was willing to take…for now.

“I expect you to.” He said with a nod of his head. “Come along, it’s not _that_ much further hopefully. Though, if we get to the end of the road and we need to go much further, we should double back for the car.”

“Y-yes sir,” she nodded. “Though, I’m not sure how much more t-to the town there even is…”

As they walked down the streets, a few people headed about their business, but they mostly had the place to themselves. And it turned out they didn’t need to search for long at all, they soon came upon a small office building that Togami had initially only seen one sign for. It appeared that the doctor and the police office shared a single building.

“….this is a small town, isn’t it?” He mused. “They don’t even have a dedicated police station or doctor’s office. Hmm. Well, if we’re going to get answers, Fukawa-san, this is where.”

The little building looked like it was from the 80s or so, a mishmash of style with a box-like, western appearance, but a more traditional japanese ridged roof and outcropping. There were two doors, one labled for the doctor and one for the police.

“Probably can’t expect m-much from a rinky dink place like this in terms of law enforcement,” Fukawa grumbled.

“Which is why we’re taking the investigation into our own hands.” Togami agreed, as he adjusted his cuffs. “We have the authority.”

He walked towards the door, and pushed it open.

A little bell over the door jingled as they entered the very small office. It looked more like a dentist’s office or something than a police precinct. There was an ugly brown carpet, and a couch one one side of the room. A very plain desk with an old computer on it, and a door leading to some other part of the office.

As they entered, the man behind the desk looked up. He was wearing a wrinkled suit with the top button open, and had his shoulder length hair tied back in a pony tail. It looked like he’d been sleeping at his desk.

Togami gave him a small nod of acknowledgement as he approached the desk, and gestured towards the man with his hand.

“Good morning. I trust you had a good nap.”

The man gave him a grumpy look and crossed his arms. “You from the utilities bureau?”

Fukawa lifted her chin and narrowed her eyes. “Don’t you dare assume that Togami-sama is with such a petty organization. You should have more respect!”

“Tch.” Togami rested his hand on his chin as he looked down at the other man. “I’m Byakuya Togami. I trust you’ve heard the name?”

“Togami…. Togami….” he scratched his head thoughtfully and grappled for a pack of cigarettes. “Sorry, doesn’t ring a bell. Must be some big shot Tokyo company, right?”

“Indeed,” Byakuya said dryly. “You’re close, at the very least. The Togami family’s likely the richest and most influential family in Japan.”

“You must be living under a r-rock not to know tha.,”

“Lady, have you seen this town?” he snorted. “Nice to meet you, Togami-san. What can I do ya for?”

“This town would be the rock, Fukawa-san.” Togami said with a muted chuckle, before he shook his head, returning his attention to the man. “I don’t know if you slept through it, my friend, but there’s been a murder.”

“You don’t say.” Cigarette in one hand, he leafed through some papers on his desk. “Taro Abe, yeah? Investigations are proceeding.”

Togami crossed his arms. “Taro Abe was my assistant. My employee. And I’d like to hear everything you have on the case so far. Being an employee of the Togami Corporation, he’s my responsibility.”

“Not sure how cops work out in Tokyo, but I was always trained not to share case details, ya know?” He grabbed a lighter from somewhere within the pile of papers and lit up his cigarette, the smoke streaming off of it as he put it in his mouth.

“With just anyone, no. Of course not.” Togami fished in his pocket for a small leather card holder, which he turned to face the man and opened.

“But I’ve worked with detective agencies in the past. You may have heard of my, hm, pseudonym. A stage name of sorts as I couldn’t use my real name. But here’s the license. Official, stamped, and up to date.”

The man took the card and looked it over, holding it up to the light. “Huh….” he looked between the license and the man. “Looks real enough. Alright Polasky-san. I’m Inspector Ichiro Akagi,, by the by.”

“We couldn’t care l-less about your name,” Fukawa snapped. If she’d seen the ID, or wondered about the name the inspector called Byakuya by, she didn’t ask. “Togami-sama asked you for the case details!”

Togami held out his hand for the licence. “The pleasure’s mine, Inspector.” he said , despite his assistant’s ire. “I’d like all the details you have on the Abe case, and your thoughts on them.”

“Sure thing. Got the report right here. Not much to go on though. Pretty sure it was an attack by a desperate vagrant.”

Akagi returned the license to to him and shrugged. Togami quickly put it back in his pocket before Fukawa had a second chance to get a good look.

The inspector then picked up a pair of papers from the desk and handed them to Togami.

“A v-vagrant? That’s your theory?” Fukawa sniffed.

Byakuya picked up the papers and looked them over. “A vagrant. While it’s possible, I feel that’s unlikely.”

“Unlikely huh?” Akagi shrugged. “You can think that, but you’re a stranger here. Nobody in this town is gonna cut a man’s throat in the dead of night.”

“Hmph. Th-that’s what everyone thinks about their n-neighbors.” F

“Nobody is a bold statement.” Togami agreed, watching the inspector with lidded eyes as the man smoked behind the desk. “By that same metric, people say ‘nobody would kill their parents’. or ‘nobody would kill a friend in a desperate situation’. As kind as your neighbors may be, with the proper motivation… No. There’s a chance this was a vagrant–but there’s just as much chance that it was the girl next door.”

“If you say so, Polansky-san,” Akagi shrugged, blowing a stream of smoke from his lips. “You’re free to investigate as you like, but if you hassle my townsfolk we’re gonna have a problem.”

“I’m not looking to hassle anyone. Simply to find the truth of the matter. After all, he died on business for my family.” He paused before he asked “was there an autopsy?”

“Doctor Uchikawa looked him over,” Akagi said. “It’s there on that paper, but you can ask him yourself if you want.”

“Ah. And is the body still–present? I saw the casket but I’d like to examine his remains myself if I can.”

Akagi shrugged again, seemingly unconcerned. “You’d have to ask the doctor about that.”

“Mm hmm.” Togami tapped his finger against his elbow as he stared down at the inspector with crossed arms “And I assume they’re in this building?”

The inspector leaned over and tapped the wall to the side of his desk. “Yeah, we share a wall.”

“Call over the good doctor.” Togami nodded.

It wasn’t a question

But Akagi chuckled. “Good one, Polansky-san. Listen, if Uchikawa’s got the body it’s in his office. Why don’t you go pay him a visit?”

“Hm.” Togami smiled, very thinly at the man as he took the case notes off the table and tucked them under his arm. “I’ll be seeing you around. thank you for the help, Inspector.”

“No problem, Polansky-san. Happy hunting.”

Togami nodded sharply once in acknowledgement, and stepped out into the street once more with a soft ‘tch’. He motioned for Fukawa to follow him, and heard her stamp her foot, and sniff derisively at the inspector as she turned away.

Fukawa closed the door behind them both, and they were standing in the street before Togami heard her growl.

“Oooooh! I can’t believe that p-pointless man was s-so rude and unhelpful!!”

Togami turned to face her, looking at her with a nod. “….my sentiments exactly. He thinks he knows everything and everyone in the town inside and out and can’t deign to give a man’s death the gravity it deserves.” He pushed up his glasses. “ Pathetic .”

“P-pathetic!” she repeated, crossing her arms. “And what was w-with him calling you that weird n-name?”

Togami briefly pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. “A lack of decorum on his part.”

He glanced sidelong at Fukawa. “Fukawa-san, I worked with a detective agency for a number of years as an assistant to one of their top detectives. Given that the name ‘Togami’ carries such weight in the world, I constructed an identity for use in the field that wouldn’t interfere with the casework. It’s all official, registered…but in those circles I’m known as Polaris P Polanski. That’s what’s on my license, and that’s what he stubbornly insisted on calling me.”

Fukawa blinked, and some of the frustrated anger on her face cleared to curiosity. “O-oh! So…. ts your under cover name?” she asked in a low voice. “D-don’t worry T-togami-sama I won’t share it with anyone. I can’t b-believe that stupid small town i-investigator would act so shamefully.”

“That’s right. It’s my undercover persona. I haven’t had cause to use it lately…but it was quite useful at the time.” Togami said, before patting her shoulder. “I appreciate your discretion, unlike _some_ people.”

Fukawa made a soft noise as he touched her, flushing heavily, and looked at the ground. It seemed like she was likely to melt into a puddle the moment he touched her. “Th-thank you, Togami-sama…… i-it’s just common courtesy of course!”

“Of course,” he agreed with a trace of amusement. “You’re welcome. It _is_ common courtesy. But are you alright?”

“H-huh?” she flushed deeper, glancing up at him, and waving her hands in protest. “O-of course I’m fine, Togami-sama!”

“Is that so?” He smirked as he glanced down at her. Why not tease her a little. “You seem a little flushed. Do you need to take a moment to cool off?”

“S-sorry about that!” she protested quietly. “I-i’m fine! I won’t slow you down!”

She took a deep breath and tried to compose her shaking self.

Togami shook his head with a quiet chuckle. “You won’t. Maybe the cold, sobering atmosphere of a doctor’s office will help you shake it off?”

_ It appears Fukawa-san is exceptionally easy to tease. _

“I-i’m sure it will, sir,” she agreed, straightening up, and clasping her hands in front of her.

“Well then.” He put his hand on the door,r. “Come along, assistant. We’ve got a doctor to wring some information out of.”

She smiled at him rather dazedly, and the two of them entered the doctor’s office.

 

It was almost identical in layout to the inspector’s office next door, but it seemed someone here had spent a little more time furnishing the area. There were a couple of folding paper walls with handsome murals of flying birds, potted plants, and a small zen fountain in one corner.

However, in this office, there was no one at the desk.

“Hm…” Togami strolled inside and looked around. “Comfortable atmosphere, wouldn’t you say?”

“W-way more so than the last office,” Fukawa nodded.

The door at the far side of the room clicked open. “Good afternoon?”

Byakuya glanced over and nodded his head. “Good afternoon. My name is Byakuya Togami. I’m here for details about the body of Abe-san.”

The door pushed the rest of the way open, revealing a tall, rather lanky man with long, shaggy black hair pulled back in a ponytail. He wore a lab coat over a black shirt and jeans.

“Oh I see. Welcome to my office, Togami-san.”

Togami approached the desk and favored the man with a nod. “Thank you. Now…you’re the town doctor for this town, are you not?”

“That’s correct. I’m Daisuke Uchikawa,” he said, leaning against his desk. “Are you a relative of Abe-san?”

“I’m his employer.” Togami corrected, pushing up his glasses. “Uchikawa-san, I’m investigating his death on behalf of the Togami Corporation.”

“I see… I was wondering if anyone was going to come after him. I do remember seeing his ID tag when I looked at the body.”

“Indeed. This is the first we heard of there being a problem,” Togami admitted with a frown. “And it was only after we arrived that we heard he’d died.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” the lanky doctor offered amiably, nodding. “I believe there was an attempt to contact employers or relations, but our phone and internet lines have been out for days now. Its been very disruptive”

“Due to the storm, I imagine?” Togami asked , leaning on the desk. “Well…regardless, I’m here now, and I’m afraid I have to get to the bottom of this.”

“Quite understandable. Admirable even. How can I help you?”

“I”ve come to get the autopsy notes, and to request to look at the body myself if at all possible.”

“Of course. I have the notes all printed up. And if you’d like to come into the  back, I can show you the body. It’s a bit… hmm… unpleasant of course.”

Beside him, Togami’s assistant paled visibly.

“I’ve seen corpses before in my time.” Togami said with a sigh, glancing at his assistant. “….Fukawa-san, if you don’t want to see the corpse, you have permission to wait in the lobby. Perhaps try and see if the Inspector can give us any further details.”

“I-I’m not so good with blood,” she admitted in a low voice. “B-but I can push through it i-if you needed me to take notes or something, Togami-sama…”

Togami raised his eyebrow, before sighing. “Come with me, but the moment you feel unwell, you have permission to leave. Understood?”

“Y-yes sir, thank you,” she squeaked.

Uchikawa-sensei stepped aside, beckoning them in through the back door, into a bright white combination surgery and morgue area.

Togami stepped inside the room, and prepared himself.

Corpses were never easy to look at.

There was a lot of surgery equipment, machines, a couple of gurney’s– one of which Uchikawa pushed out of his way– and the back wall with a few metal drawers set into it. Uchikawa gripped a drawer, and it rolled open.

Togami could hear a soft noise of controlled distress from Fukawa behind him.

Togami looked over his shoulder at her. “Are you sure you’re going to be alright with this, Fukawa-san?”

She took a deep breath and nodded. “I’m sure.”

The slab rolled out of the drawer with metallic rushing noise, and Uchikawa unzipped the body bag.

There could be no mistake. The pale, chilled face of the corpse belonged to Taro Abe, and his throat had been cut most violently. Fukawa made another soft noise behind him, and he heard the sound of her shoes as she took a step backward.

Togami waited until the body bag was entirely unzipped. “Have you checked the body over for prints?”

“With inspector Akagi, yes,” he nodded. “Unfortunately he didn’t really have anything on his person that would hold a good print. I believe Akagi-san said none were found.”

Behind him, Fukawa slipped a notebook out of her purse, and staring stubbornly at it, rather than the body, took down what the doctor had said.

“Gloves, please.” Togami requested. “I’m going to take a look myself– see if there’s anything I might pick up that was missed.”

“Are you a medical man, Togami-san?” Uchikawa asked curiously, handing him a pair of blue gloves from a dispenser.

“Not officially. But I’ve picked up a bit from my time as a detective’s assistant.”

He took the gloves and slipped them on, before leaning in to look at the neck wound.

Uchikawa had been right about there not being much on his person that would hold a good print. Aside from his bloodied clothing, Abe-san didn’t have much on his person at all. When Byakuya examined the man on the slab, all he was able to see was a man who he had known, who’s life had been brutally, and perhaps senselessly cut short.

“Damn.” Togami hissed softly through his teeth. “No chance of a print then–and no personal items?”

“I’m told nothing was found with the body aside from his ID,” Uchikawa nodded. “I believe the inspector supposed he might have been mugged.”

“Yes, I heard. ‘ by a Vagrant ‘.” Togami shook his head. “But we don’t have any evidence of that. Was a murder weapon found? This could have been done with a knife, potentially..”

“No weapon was found to my knowledge,” Uchikawa said, shaking his head.

Fukawa made a soft noise from behind them. She squeaked out a question. “I-is the cut ragged, or i-is it smooth?”

Togami leaned in, and took a very close look at the wound, “Hmmm…”

The edges of the wound were smooth, but there was a sudden change in direction mid-way through the slice.

“Smooth, but…” he mused thoughtfully as he peered at the awful wound. “It changed direction very suddenly partway through.”

“I-I see…” Fukawa bit her lip. “I-if its smooth, its likely that the weapon was a knife, or something else meant for cutting…..”

“Possibly a sickle , or some other edged tool or weapon as well. It’d have to be something agile enough to switch directions.”

“A sickle…interesting thought,” the doctor nodded pensively.

“Isn’t it?” Togami shook his head. “The weapon can be anything with a blade, provided it’ small enough to change direction mid-slice.”

“I’m making a n-note of your observation, Togami-sama,” Fukawa nodded, carefully scribbling in her notebook.

“Thank you, Fukawa-san.” he said, as he looked at Abe’s body with a frown. “..I wish there was more I could glean from the body–do you know who found him, doctor?”

“I’m not certain, actually,” the doctor said.

“Um, Togami-sama, m-maybe its in the notes that the inspector gave us?” Fukawa offered.

“Good point, Fukawa-san.” He said, pulling them out and finally taking a look at their contents.

The two sheets of paper seemed to be the initial police report, and the autopsy report. The police report did indeed have the name of the person who had found the body. One ‘Jun Takeda’.

“Jun Takeda. Does that name sound familiar, Doctor?”

“Ah, Takeda-san,” the doctor nodded. “No surprise that it would be Takeda, now that I think about it. Always about early in the morning, that one.”

“An early riser then?” Togami asked, tapping the paper. “Where might I find the man?”

“At this time of day?” he considered. “Probably still down by the lake.”

“Noted. We’ll take a driver and see if we can catch him. Thank you for the help, Doctor. I’ll be back if I need to take another look at the body.”

Uchikawa nodded, and zipped the body bag up. “Certainly. Ah, if it’s after the dinner hour however, I may not be in the office of course.”

“Of course.” Togami nodded. “Just make sure they don’t bury the man until we’re finished, hm?”

He chuckled. “If I didn’t let Nuriko-san have him for the funeral today, I’m not about to do anything else with him, right?”

“Precisely.” Togami nodded with a small smile. “Thank you. I assume…Nuriko-san that priest?”

“Indeed she is,” Uchikawa nodded. “Did you meet her yet?”

“…..” Togami raised his eyebrow “I believe so. What does she look like?”

“I suppose her most striking feature is her white hair,” he said. “And she hangs about the shrine all the time.”

“Ah yes…we did meet her then. Lovely woman, if…cryptic.” Togami nodded.

_Hm, at least now I have a name for when I have to find her again.._

“That’s about how I would describe her, yes,” the doctor chuckled. “She wanted to bury the body, but I insisted we wait for someone to claim it.”

“For that, Doctor, I’m appreciative.” he said with a nod. He paused before continuing. “…she warned me that investigating his death would put me on a dire path. Do you have any idea what she might have meant by that?”

“I’m afraid not.” The doctor shook his head. “Nuriko’s always warning about dire portents and the doom of the town and all that. But I’m a man of medicine, you know?”

“It sounded like drivel to me, but there was the off chance she was trying to…warn me, I suppose, of some mundane danger.”

“I’m afraid if she was, I don’t know anything about it.”

“Indeed. Thank you for your help, doctor. We should hurry along and see about the witness. Have a good day, will you?”

“Oh I always do my best, Togami-san. Good luck to you and your charming assistant on your investigation.”

“We appreciate it very much.” Togami said with a thin smile, before he waved to Fukawa “come along, charming assistant. We have a witness to catch.”

Fukawa flushed deeply as both her boss and the doctor smiled at her, her pen trembling in her hands.

“Y-yes, Togami-sama! Lead the way!” She followed after him as they headed out of the office and back onto the streets of Mashinnomura.

Togami stepped out into the street and looked towards the lake, judging the distance as he did.

“Take a few breaths of the fresh air, Fukawa-san. Try not to faint.”

He couldn’t help but tease her _a little_

She swallowed, and did take a large breath of air.

 

“S-sorry…” she mumbled. “Like I said, b-bodies….”

The lake wasn’t too far. They’d have to walk down to near where the inn was again, and go past where the fence was standing.

He waved for her to follow as he headed back towards the inn, nodding as he went.

“Not so good with corpses and blood, I take it…that’s…fair.”

She followed after him, still taking a couple of deep breaths. “I-I guess as an investigator you have some experience with them….”

“Some, but they never get any more pleasant to look at. Especially when you’re familiar with the face.”

“That’s right, he was your assistant,” she said, paling further. “That must be a-awful, Togami-sama, I’m sorry…”

“it’s– Togami was quiet a moment before he finished, “alright…. Abe-san and I began working together two years ago, after my time with the agency.”

He brushed his hair away from his face as he walked, folding his hands behind his back. “We had gotten to know one another fairly well, he was a good man–a good assistant too–and I’m left wondering what it is that my family sent him here for that lead to this.”

“I see,” she replied, nodding quietly. “I-if you knew him for so long, it’s certainly important to find out why he died like this.”

“Exactly.” Togami said, staring out at the lake ahead. “I intend to find out _exactly_ what happened, and _who_ was responsible. I won’t let Abe-san die in vain, and I certainly won’t let his killer escape justice.”

The pair came back down to the bend in the road that would lead to the inn. In front of them was a rambling wooden fence that marked the area off for car traffic, but not for foot. A gravel path led down the rolling hill toward the shore.

“A-and I’ll help you, sir,” she said. “I-i’m sure I won’t be able to fill his place, but I’ll do my best.”

Togami looked at her as he paused at the lip of the gravel path. “Fukawa-san. …thank you. I expect and hope for your best effort. Use it to carve out a place of your own and excel.”

He put his hand on the gate and pushed it open. “I look forward to your help.”

She flushed and got a dazed look in her eye before she shook it off and snapped upright.

“I won’t let you down, Togami-sama!”

“good, Fukawa-san, good. Now come along, We have a fisherman to meet.”

She followed him past the gate, and down the little path through the park-like slope toward the shore. As they approached they saw a small shack, and a little wooden pier with a figure distantly at the end of it.

Togami hurried down the path as fast as decorum and caution allowed, making his way towards the pier and across the shore.

The boards of the pier creaked under their feet as they proceeded down it, the mist over the lake rising and twisting around them. Togami-sama walked quickly and Touko found herself hurrying to stay in his wake on the slippery wooden slats, terrified that she would fall, but more terrified still that she’d lose pace with her boss, and disappoint him.

As they approached, there was the soft sound of a splash, and then the figure looked over their shoulder toward the oncoming pair.

Togami nodded, and approached with a wave of his hand. “Hello. Jun Takeda, I presume?”

Togami-sama doesn’t waste any time, Touko observed with hesitant admiration.

The figure nodded. He was handsome brunet, with hair around his chin, and a pleasant, if rather serious look on his face. He was dressed in a floppy hat, and an open plaid shirt. He wasn’t Touko’s usual type, but the sight of him sent her mind back to the first novel she’d ever written.

“That’s me.”

Togami bowed his head in greeting, before crossing his arms “I’m Byakuya Togami, and this is my assistant, Fukawa-san.”

The introduction jarred her from her reverie, and she bowed her head too.

Takeda nodded. “You’re here about that person, then.”

“Toru Abe. He was an employee of mine. My assistant for two years until someone took his life three days ago.”

“Yes. I found him lying in the street and took him to Uchikawa-sensei as fast as I could. However, there was no hope.”

“I saw the wound… there’s not a lot of coming back from something like that.” He sighed. “was there anything of note when you arrived on the scene? Anything that caught your eye?”

Takeda closed his eyes for a moment, and then straightened suddenly. He whirled around back toward the lake, and grabbed something in front of him. In a single blinding motion, he yanked and an enormous fish flew out of the water.

 

Touko stared in shock at the sudden, and graceful motion. The droplets of water seemed to hang in the air for a moment before splashing back down.

“W-what?”

“……” Togami held his hand over his eyes as the spray from the lake came dripping down from where it’d been flung, ensuring that it didn’t land on and smudge his glasses. “…….”

“That’s…one big fish alright.” he said, sounding a little stunned despite himself.

Takeda reeled in the fish, and pulled the hook out of its mouth. He put it in a large bucket beside him, and then turned back to Byakuya and his assistant as if nothing had happened.

“What caught my eye….It was the night of the storm, and I found Abe-san outside Kintaro’s Tomb. It’s surprising that he would have been out on a night like that.”

“…..Kintaro’s Tomb?” Togami asked with a raise of his eyebrow. “…and he was out on the night of the storm itself. I have to wonder why as well.”

Despite shaking fingers, and the fantastic vision of the fisherman– p erhaps sweeping Togami-sama into his arms– she shook it off and grabbed her book from her purse, starting to jot down notes of what he was saying. She was a secretary, after all…

“I wonder if he told anyone where he was going?” Fukawa mused.

“Not me,” Takeda said. “We hadn’t spoken before at all. Sorry.”

“It’s a small town , did you notice him interacting with anyone in particular? And please tell me where Kintaro’s Tomb is.”

“I saw him once in Keisuke’s,” he paused a moment. “The noodle shop. Other than that, I didn’t see him. I’m usually here. Kintaro’s tomb….”

The fisherman turned, and pointed off toward the tall, traditional building in the trees, further away at the other edge of the lake. “Beside the old palace.”

“hm…” Togami, too, turned to peer through the trees at the tall building. “Is there anything special about that particular area?”

“The tomb is cursed,” Takeda replied, matter of factly.

“I’m sorry ?” Fukawa snorted as she stared up at the building Curses weren’t real. Curses were not real.

Togami pushed up his glasses with a soft sigh, and her attention was drawn back to him as if by a magnet.

“Cursed.” he repeated. “Please Takeda-san, do be serious . A man is dead.”

Takeda nodded quite seriously indeed. “Yes. You asked if there was anything special about the area. Everyone knows its cursed.”

“Cursed…how?” Togami asked “I’m not exactly the most superstitious man alive but you’ve got my curiosity.”

“Anyone who enters the tomb will die. Anyone who disturbs the entombed will open the portal to hell.”

“Well then. Once more we come to the portal to hell. Seems it’s kind of a big deal in this area.” He shook his head with an absolutely charming facetious smirk. “Who knows, it’d probably make a lovely tourist destination if you marketed it right.”

“We don’t get many tourists,” Takeda replied,, shaking his head. “Maybe because of the curse.”

Was that… a trace of humor? it was difficult to tell.

“I hear they’re historically considered a bit of a deterrent, yes. But if you’ve seen any films lately, they’re making a comeback.” Togami said with a subtle laugh.

“I’m sure the mayor will be pleased.”

“Without a doubt.” Togami agreed. “Is there anything over by that area that might have….caught my associates attention aside from oh, a portal to hell?”

“I can’t think of anything,” Takeda said. “Unless he was a thief, or a history buff.”

Touko felt a rising sting of indignant anger at the thought that the man was accusing an employee of Togami-sama’s of being a thif.

“There that much to steal in the old palace?” Togami asked with a raise of his eyebrow.

“I don’t think so,” Taked shrugged. “But an outsider might think there was.”

“Be that as it may.” Togami said, straightening his suit jacket. “Abe-san was a good employee…and I can say for certain he was no thief.”

“I didn’t suspect he was. But no. There’s not even any good fishing near that area.”

Togami glanced at Touko, and she found herself flushing under his scrutiny.

“Hm…We’ll have to investigate the area ourselves in a bit. See if we can see the scene of the crime.” He paused. “…if there’s bad fishing up by that area, why were you there? After all, you were the one to find his corpse.”

“Worms.”

“worms. I’m afraid I don’t … Ah…you get your worms from over by the old cursed tomb?”

Takeda nodded.

“Hm.” Togami nodded “well then. I suppose that…makes sense. In a way.”

Touko struggled to speak, opening her mouth for the first time in several minutes.

“I-imagine what k-kind of fish you’d catch with cursed tomb worms…” Fukawa supposed.

“Big ones,” Takeda said.

“As we saw but a moment ago.” Togami pointed to the massive fish in the bucket. “If it works, I suppose, it works.”

“I g-guess that’s true…” Fukawa nodded. She flushed deeper, feeling a bit like she’d said something stupid. She hoped Togami-sama didn’t think she was an idiot.

“Is there any more you’d like to know?” Takeda asked.

“Yes, can you catch me up to speed on the storm that hit a few days ago.”

“It started around midnight. Rain. Thunder. Downed a few trees.”

“A big rainstorm then. I heard it knocked out all the power and network lines.”

“Power’s been okay,” Takeda shrugged. “No phone or internet.”

“Meaning communication has indeed been cut off.” he shook his head. “….good to know. Were there any safety precautions in place? I imagine most people stayed indoors.”

“Most people in the village are indoors by nine anyway.”

“Hmmm? And why’s that?” Togami asked, “Not much of a night life?’

“Mostly just the noodle shop.”

“That makes sense.” He nodded. “I suppose I was wondering if there were any local ordinances I should know of.”

Takeda seemed to consider it for a moment. “If there are, they’ve never bothered me.”

“Good to know. Thank you Takeda-san.” Togami bowed his head with a thin smile “you’ve been a wonderful help.”

The fisherman bowed politely to them. “I’m glad then. If you need me again, I’m usually here.”

“I’ll be sure to come back.” Togami said with a smile, before he turned to Touko. “Well–.we have a few leads.”

Fukawa nodded, looking  down at her notebook–half to keep from embarrassing herself in Togami-sama’s gaze– and then up, though not directly at him. “D-definitely more than we had before….”

The fisherman turned back to the lake, and they heard the whiiiz plop of the fishing line.

Touko hurried to follow Togami-sama as he started back down along the pier, shaking his head. “So…should we visit one of the other witnesses…or take a hike to see this tomb?”

“I’m not sure,” she admitted walking just behind him. She felt a rush of embarrassed, and nervous excitement. Was he asking for her opinion? Him? Ask her? A lowly secretary? She struggled to answer. “O-on the one hand, we do know for sure where the tomb is….”

“While we have no idea where any of the people Abe-san spoke with may be…though I suppose we can check the noodle shop.”

“Given that both Takeda-san and Uchikawa-sensei mentioned it, it’s probably somewhere we should a-at least look,” she nodded, hoping that she hadn’t given an unsatisfactory answer.

“Indeed.” He agreed, nodding his head, and Touko felt a rush of relief, even joy.. “Why don’t we start there, then head to the tomb, hm?”

“G-good plan!” she agreed with a nervous smile, following after him as they returned through the main road. She struggled to control the beat of her heart as she watched the bounce of his pale hair from just behind him.

The fog lingered around the lake, but once they reached the street, the air was clear, even if the sky was overcast.

“So, Fukawa-san.” Togami said as they made their way back onto the road “…what are your thoughts so far?”

“M-my thoughts?” she asked, tripping just slightly and then righting herself as she was addressed. He wanted her opinion again? Could-could it be he actually valued what she had to say? Or was he just testing her? Either way, she wanted to make certain that she impressed him. “W-well… the b-biggest question is definitely why was Abe-san out by the tomb I suppose. Did he die there, or was he b-brought?”

“Exactly what I’m wondering. But if he was moved , the question is why . Which is why I would like to see the scene of the crime today.”

“S-same,” she nodded. The absolute puzzle of it pierced through her mind as she turned it over. She was curious to know, even beyond wanting to impress her boss. She thought back over their investigation so far. “There may be clues that r-rude detective missed.”

“Given how little he seemed to care about his job, I imagine he likely missed quite a bit.” Togami snorted.

Touko felt a little thrill. If there was nothing else, it seemed they could bond over hating that miserable detective.

The noodle shop was about half way down the main street, and adorned with a string of lanterns over its doorway. From within, they could hear soft pop music, about twenty or thirty years out of date, and the sound of light chatter.

“It’s lively.” Togami mused. “…what say we stop for a moment and get lunch, hm? Maybe…’mingle’.”

“M-mingle?” she asked hesitantly. But she quickly followed it up. “Y-yes, of course. Good idea, Togami-sama.”

“The only way to get intel, Fukawa-san,” he tapped the side of his glasses, “is to seek it. and that means interviewing potential witnesses.”

“A-absolutely!” she said, with at least an attempt at enthusiasm despite her obvious nerves.

“Don’t worry.” Togami purred. “You can leave the talking to me, if you want.”

“I-I’ll make sure to be of use, Togami-sama!” she promised, bowing. “I w-won’t let you down as your assistant.”

Togami smirked, leaning his chin on the back of his fingers with a sly smile “I trust you won’t.”

She seemed to melt slightly, a wibbly smile one her face, as she pushed the curtain aside for him.

“T-trust… thank you, sir,” she said quietly.

“Now, come on then,” he said, and he stepped inside with his head held high.

The inside of the noodle shop was small, and comfortable, with a long bar and more lanterns hung above it. The other side of the shop had some more western style booth seating, and both the bar and the booths had a few customers at them. The dim area hung heavy with the scent and humidity of long boiling broth and fresh cut onion.

There were two men at the bar, a couple of men were sitting a few stools apart, and the far stool by the wall was taken up by a tiny little girl who was drawing with crayons.

Behind the bar, putting together bowls, was a handsome man with a tanned complexion and a bright smile, a white headband tying his hair back.

Togami entered, and made his way towards the bar with a wave of his hand. “Good morning.”

The younger of the two men at the bar gave him a too-wide grin, and raised his bowl to him, sloshing a little. The other man ignored him entirely.

The man behind the bar gave him a wave. “Welcome to our shop! Please have a seat if you like!”

Togami took a seat at the bar, closer to the younger man than the other for now. He nodded.

“It smells good,” he offered, and gestured behind the counter at the kitchen. “Takeda-san told us about this place and I simply had to visit.”

“Ah! Takeda-san!” the man grinned. “It must be a good day for fishing, I haven’t seen him all day.”

Fukawa– quite hesitant– sat down beside Togami, taking the seat between him and the older man. The older man looked over his shoulder at her and snorted, then looked away. For a moment, Togami saw his new assistant’s face marred by a furious scowl, before it cleared.

Togami turned his own harsh, cool gaze towards the older man for a brief moment with a sharp frown.

But he continued with the man behind the counter. “From the size of the fish, it’s been a good day for him.” he agreed. “We ran into the man by the lake.”

“Not many other places to meet Takeda-san these days,” the noodle man chuckled. “I’m Ikeda, by the way. you two must be from out of town. Can I get you the special?”

“Absolutely. One for me, and one for my assistant, if you don’t mind.” He glanced over at Fukawa “are you alright with that, Fukawa-san?”

“O-of course!” she said, her attention whipping back to him. “I-I’ll have whatever you think is best, Togami-sama.”

Ikeda smiled broadly. “Two specials coming up. Best ramen in Hokkaido.”

“Lofty boast.” Togami said, “I’ll have to try it for myself and see.”

“Ish real good,” the fellow to Togami’s left piped up, unasked for. “Maybe better after a couple of his sake, too.”

Fukawa glanced across Togami to the man–obviously drunk– and gave him a sour look of disapproval, before glancing away.

“Is that so?” Togami shook his head “I’m afraid I’ll have to skip the sake for today, if it’s all the same.”

Ikeda chuckled. “It’s good without the sake too, on my honor.”

He placed large, steaming bowls in front of them. It did smell quite good. Maybe not the best Togami had ever had, but certainly in the upper half.

“Well, it smells rather nice, that’s for certain.” Togami said, taking a sip of the broth. The broth was hot and rich, with a trace of rather unique spiciness to it. It was probably in the top 25% of ramen Togami had had

Togami planned to give his compliments to the chef–…once business was done, of course. It really is good, however. After this whole mess is over, it could be worth a return trip to town now and again.

“You’re right, by the way. We are from out of town. I’m Byakuya Togami, of the Togami Corporation. I’m in town about my deceased assistant.”

Fukawa, who had been drooling slightly over her ramen, wiped her mouth and looked up with a nod.

“Mo? Deceased?” he cocked his head. “Oh…. you mean Abe-san, ne? He was your assistant? Or– don’t tell me someone else died?”

Togami nodded, taking another sip of the broth before he spoke. “Just Abe-san, as far as I’m aware. He’s the death I’m here for, at the very least.”

Ikeda nodded, his smile having faded a little. “Abe-san visited several times. I was sorry to hear of his death.”

“…he frequented your shop then?” He sighed “he was a good man, and it’s a shame to have lost him…especially in such a violent manner.”

Ikeda nodded. “I heard somebody mugged him. What an awful thing to happen… He did frequent my shop a few times while he was here.”

“It’s that or our tea place!” the drunkard said.

“The tea place?” Togami asked the drunk with a raise of his eyebrow.

“Nishimori’s tea shop,” Ikeda explained with a smile. “The other restaurant in town. Well… there’s the inn too of course.”

“Of course.” he said, “but I doubt it compares to this ramen.” He gestured to the bowl. “It’s astounding, my friend.”

Ikeda’s smile returned. “What did I tell you? Best in Hokkaido.”

“Best in Hokkaido.” He agreed. “Without a doubt. I’ll be sure to tell everyone at the home office about it. You may get a few new visitors.”

Ikeda bowed low. “I’d be honored.”

Togami took a moment to eat some of his noodles before he asked “So you saw Abe-san a few times now–did he mention anything about why he was in town?”

“To see the mayor about something,” Ikeda recalled. “I remember he was upset one day because the mayor was called away before their meeting.”

“Huh. So he was off to see the mayor. Likely something to do with the job he was sent here for.” Togami mused. “Did he talk about anything else?”

“He said he wanted to go fishing at the lake, but I don’t think he got a chance to,” Ikeda said with a thoughtful frown.

“no…I doubt he did,” Byakuya sighed

Ikeda rubbed the back of his head. “He asked about local life. He seemed really interested in the village, honestly.”

“…interested in the village, hm?”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “I think he asked Hoshi-san some questions too.” He nodded to the grumpy old man at the bar.

“Is that so.” Togami glanced towards Hoshi-san “I hope you don’t mind but I intend to ask a few myself.”

“It’s rude to disturb a man while he’s eating you know,” the old man grumped.

“Well.” Togami said with a thin smirk. “Pardon my manners, but we can always talk once you’ve finished up, hm?”

“If you must, ” he snapped, and went back to slurping his noodles. Byakuya saw Fukawa’s face turn to one of gross fury again.

He reached out, and patted her shoulder with a slight nod, before he turned to the drunk. “How about you? Did you spend any time with Abe-san?”

The drunk– NIshimori, Ikeda had called him– shook his head. “Don’t think so! Mushta been in here while I was on my shift!”

“Your shift, hm? And where do you work?”

“Sulphur, ‘f course,” he nodded happily, tipping back more of his sake. “Prac’tically ev’vrybody here does.”

Togami chased a piece of pork around his bowl for a moment before he asked “The area has a lot of sulphur, does it?”

“Whole mine of it,” Ikeda explained, “which I think is what Nishimori-san was trying to say.”

Which is likely what my family was after…the sulphur mines under the town . Togami thought to himself as he slurped some noodles.

“Hmm, I’ve heard it described as hard work.”

“You can shay that agin,” Nishimori agreed. “And I’d be there now, if it weren’t for the shtorm!”

Next to Fukawa, the old man looked even more cross than before.

“Oh I only imagine they’re completely flooded..” Togami said, shaking his head.

The man’s a lush, of course. Somehow I don’t have high hopes that he’d be sober down there at this time of day even if the mine was open.

“And the lights are off,” the old man beside them snapped. “So even if they weren’t flooded it’d be damned useless!”

Togami turned to face him with a slight frown.

“Doubly unfortunate.” he said slowly “but there’s no reason to have that sort of tone with me.”

“Y-yeah!” Fukawa spoke up, nodding sharply. “You can’t talk to Togami-sama that way!”

Togami crossed his arms. “I may be an outsider, but a little civility goes a long way–especially when a man’s here to investigate the murder of a friend.”

The man snorted. “Friend eh? and I thought you said he was an employee.”

Togami turned to meet the man’s eyes with a cold expression. Deep blue eyes met the man’s as he frowned, tapping his fingers on his arms. “A man can be both. But the point stands. I expect a little civility. Most everyone else here’s had enough class to show some. Even our day drinking friend over there.”

He gestured over his shoulder to the drunk.

The day drinker cheerfully raised his sake bottle to Byakuya– and then turned back to minding his own business.

“Tch,” the old man sniffed. He turned away, back to his noodles.

Behind the counter, Ikeda looked politely embarrassed.

Togami pressed his fingers to his forehead with a soft snort.

“…regardless.” He turned back to the drunk man and Ikeda. “Sorry about that…where were we? Talking about sulphur?”

The drunk looked back and bowed his head. “I’m sorry, I don’t think there’s mush more for me to say about it you know?” he glanced over Togami and Fukawa at the old man and then back to Togami. “Sorry.”

He sipped his drink and turned away.

“Hmmm.” Togami ran his hand through his hair. “…I’d heard that Abe-san was found over by the Tomb.”

He had to change the subject. As tense as the atmosphere was, he needed to continue gathering information. Anything, at this stage, could come in handy later.

Unfortunately all of them politely pretended that they believed Byakuya’s question was directed at someone else.

“…..” Togami frowned and sat back in his seat with a low sigh.

This wasn’t working. The old man’s little outburst threw everything off.

He finished his bowl of noodles with his brow knitted, as he went over what he knew so far.

Abe-san had been found dead, with his throat cut, three days ago, the morning after a severe storm. He had been found near a tomb belonging to someone named Kintaro, which was by an old palace. The tomb was said to be cursed, and that any who entered would die, and any who disturbed the entombed would open a gate to hell. Abe-san had been relieved of his possessions before he was found. His throat had been cut with a sharp, edged object, likely a blade, and cut jagged off in a different direction toward its end. There were no other obvious wounds on the body. Prior to his death, Abe-san had apparently been trying to gain an audience with the mayor.

He took a deep breath before he asked, more out of curiosity than anything else.

“Ikeda-san. Who was Kintaro, by the by?”

“Mo?” Ikeda cocked his head, paying attention again. “Kintaro is one of the legendary three brothers of Mashinnomura!”

“L-legendary three brothers?” Fukawa looked up. She’d been scribbling in her book in between shooting dirty looks at the old man.

“Well, you’ve got my interest. Go on.” Togami leaned on his hand. At least he was talking again. He met the man’s eyes .”a local legend?”

“I’m surprised you don’t know it,” Ikeda said with a nod. “It’s the big one!”

“Well.  I am from rather far afield of Mashinnomura.”

“I suppose our legends don’t travel all that far these days,” Ikeda agreed. “Alright, let me take care of the noodles and then I’ll tell you, ne?”

Ikeda stepped back to fuss with some things in the kitchen. Meanwhile, the old man had finished his bowl. He stood, left some money on the counter, and headed to the door.

“You.” Togami turned to face him quickly. “Your name. I have a few questions for you regarding Abe-san.”

The man ignored him completely, hurrying out the door.

Once he was gone, the little girl who had been sitting against the wall grabbed her drawings and came over and sat where the old man had been. On the top one, Togami could see a crude drawing of an eye.

He leaned over to look at it. “Isn’t that an interesting picture. Very artistic.”

Fukawa flushed as Byakuya leaned into her space. “Ah…..” she made a soft noise.

The little girl,meanwhile, nodded seriously and held the drawing out to Togami. Underneath it was another one, with a large red scribble.

“Mo, Haru-chan, I hope you’re not bothering the customers, sweetie,” Ikeda said as he came back to the counter.

Togami took a moment to look at the drawing the girl had drawn, and the one under it. “No, no. She’s not,” Byakuya promised with a look of mild amusement on his face. “The young lady’s got the makings of an artist.”

The red smear resolved into… maybe it was some kind of figure in red. They had an angry face, and were holding a scythe.

Ikeda chuckled and rubbed the girl’s hair. “That’s my Haru-chan.”

“….” Togami raised his eyebrow

Grim subject matter, that’s for sure.

“Who’s that irritable looking individual?” He asked , pointing a finger towards the figure in red on her page.

The girl looked up at him with big brown eyes. “Red Cape-san.”

Togami leaned on his hand “Red Cape-san? Sounds frightful.”

Haru nodded seriously.

“A local legend? His scythe is…” He glanced at Fukawa “it’s a lot, isn’t it? A bit dramatic.”

Ikeda smiled. “I see Haru-chan got the jump on the legend. Do you want to tell it, sweetie?”

The little girl shook her head and pointed at her father.

“Well.” Togami smirked. “She seems pretty adamant about it. Looks like you’re the storyteller today, my friend.”

“Well that doesn’t bother me, ne? Alright, the three brothers of Mashinnomura,” he settled into a storytelling posture, with his hands crossed on the bar. “Once upon a time, the lord of the village had three sons, triplets. All identical. And he named them Kintaro, Gintaro and Shintaro.”

“Identical triplets.” Togami mused. “Kintaro, Gintaro and Shintaro….I see.”

And the first of them’s tomb is where Abe-san died, of course

“Kintaro was considered the oldest of the three, and he was a great warrior. Shintaro was the second, and he was a clever merchant. Gintaro was the youngest, a wise young man who could see through the veil of spirits.”

Fukawa had her chin in her hands, listening to the story with a cautiously interested expression.

“Each highly skilled in a different area.” Togami nodded. “…how interesting.”

“As the eldest and the warrior, Kintaro was presumed to inherit their father’s position, ne? But at that time Mashinnomura was filled with spirits. And it turns out that the demon princess fell in love Gintaro.”

“A demon princess, hm? ” Togami asked, finishing up his bowl of ramen. “The heart wants what the heart wants, in the end.”

“Y-yeah, its true,” Fukawa said quietly, listening more intently now.

“Exactly,” Ikeda nodded. “Gintaro’s father gave his blessing on the match, and because a marriage between the village’s lord and the princess would bring peace between the human and the spirit world, he decided to make Gintaro his heir, which seemed like the natural choice, ne?”

“Absolutely. It would, of course, bring the greatest benefit to the clan and to the town.” Togami said “…but I imagine his brother did not feel the same way about the loss of his birthright.”

“You might think… but actually, Kintaro swore an oath that he would serve as his brother’s bodyguard and captain, and defend his life and the good of the village.”

“How romantic,” Fukawa said dreamily.

Ikeda smiled. “But he didn’t know that oath would be tested so soon.”

“Deeply romantic.” Togami agreed with his assistant, brushing his golden hair away from his face. “but I can sense the tragedy coming.”

“You’re not wrong. While preparations for the wedding were being made, Kintaro chanced to overhear a meeting between the demon princess and one of her minions called Red Cape. the princess told Red Cape to kill Gintaro after the wedding, so that she could lay claim to Mashinnomura and drag it to hell.”

“O-oh…” Fukawa flushed again, biting her lip.

“…ah.” Togami said with a soft sigh. “I see where this must be going…”

“Of course…. Kintaro ran to warn his brother, but Red Cape had seen him and came after him. He struck him down, but before he could finish him Gintaro found his brother, who told him what had happened with his dying breath. Red Cape fled Gintaro, because he had the power to banish spirits….”

“…” Togami nodded slowly. “…and now he knew of the plan.”

“He knew of the plan,” Ikeda nodded. “He broke off the engagement and repudiated his demonic fiancee. Using the energy of Kintaro’s sacrifice he wove a powerful spell to banish the spirit world from Mashinnomura and seal the princess and her demons away. However, because the Red Cape was hiding from Gintaro, it is said that he alone escaped the spell.”

“But the princess, and all her demons were sealed in the Portal to hell you people have under your feet.” Togami snorted. “While the red cape…” he pointed to the monster in the girl’s drawing “runs free?”

“They say that he still lurks in the village, trying to take revenge on behalf of the princess.”

“Does this tale tie into the ‘curse’ of Kintaro’s tomb?”

Ikeda nodded. “You’re correct. Kintaro’s spirit guards the portal to hell himself, defending his brother and the town for all eternity. Disturbing his sacred duty would destroy the spell that Gintaro wove.”

“And unleash the demon princess and all her devils. …a real tragic tale, isn’t it?” He paused for a moment before he asked “and what of the middle brother?”

“Shintaro, after the death of his elder brother, and having his younger brother take over the village– he decided to make his fortune out in the world. I am told that he went to the capital and founded a very successful merchant house. But he never returned to Mashinnomura.”

“A very successful merchant house.” Togami chuckled softly “and that’s that…the tragedy of the three brothers…”

Ikeda nodded. “The tragedy of the three brothers and the legend of Mashinnomura.”

Fukawa bit her lip. “It’s not a bad story. A little bit predictable, but most fairytales are.”

“Formulaic, “but…well,. I suppose I rather like it.” He shook his head. “Is it widely believed around these parts?”

“I’d say so.” Ikeda nodded.“It’s something every child knows, ne, Haru-chan?”

Haru nodded seriously.

“Not to disturb the tomb, and to be careful walking at night?” Togami smirked.

“Uhuh,” Haru nodded.

“B-be careful walking at night is always good advice, a-amittedly,” Fukawa aded.

“It certainly is.” Togami agreed. “Even a town as small as this has it’s dangers.”

“Usually I would say Mashinnomura is pretty safe, but…” he shook his head. “I’ve been keeping Haru-chan close for the last few days.”

“Probably for the best, given. But, I’ll be looking into the matter, myself. ”

“Oh? Looking into it?” Ikeda cocked his head. “Like an investigation?”

“That’s right.” Togami nodded, “I’m investigating the death of Abe-san on behalf of the Togami family.” he said “and for my own peace of mind.”

“I see… I hope you can find the answers you’re looking for. I know Inspector Akagi is also looking into the matter.”

“He didn’t seem to have many leads.” Togami drawled. “and had a lot of sleep to catch up on. So I’ll be assisting in the matter.”

“Let me know if there’s anything more I can do to help, ne?” Ikeda asked. “and lunch is on me.”

Togami raised his eyebrow. “Are you sure? I don’t know if I can feel right not paying the man for the best ramen I’ve had in ages.”

He bowed politely. “I couldn’t possibly accept it. Besides, if you’re investigating that means you’ll be in town for a while, ne?”

“I guess t-that’s what it means,” Fukawa murmured.

“That’s right. Until I figure out what’s going on, at the very least.”

“Then I’m sure you’ll be back in my shop,” Ikeda said with a smile. “So the first one is on me.”

Togami smirked, and nodded once, conceding the point. “Touche. Alright. I’ll accept the free meal, and greatly look forward to the next.”

“As do I, Togami-san.”

Haru-chan nodded too– and offered Byakuya her two drawings.

Byakuya took them graciously with a nod. “And thank you, young lady. I’ll hold onto these for you.” He chuckled. “Maybe they’ll help me find this elusive Red Cape, hm?”

Haru-chan nodded. “Good luck.”

“Thank you, Haru-chan.” He said seriously. “I’ll do my best.”

“Y-yeah, me too,” Fukawa agreed. The little girl gave her a very serious thumbs up.

Ikeda reached over and fluffed his daughter’s hair again. “She’s very precocious.”

“She absolutely is.” Togami said with amusement.  He stood and brushed his hair from his face. “ready to set out, Fukawa-san?”

Fukawa pushed her empty bowl aside and closed her book of notes.

“A-any time you are, Togami-sama!”

“I’m ready.” he said with a nod, and patted her shoulder, before sauntering with confidence out of the ramen shop.

Fukawa made a soft noise as he touched her, and her expression softened and phased out for a moment, before she came back to attention and nodded sharply, hurrying to follow him out of the shop.

The early afternoon sun shown behind a haze of clouds, casting deary shadows over the mainstreet.

Togami stretched as he entered the sunlight, “well. that was delicious as it was informative, wasn’t it?”

“Y-yeah it was,” she nodded. “W-we certainly learned some things.. and um…. l-lunch was nice.” she offered him a rather crooked smile.

Togami nodded. “lunch was …genuinely, one of the beast meals I’ve had in a while. The man wasn’t lying about the quality.”

“I guess he almost has to be, being the only one around here. It’d s-suck to have the only noodle shop be awful. They m-might run him out of town!”

“or offered him to the portal to hell.” Togami said with a sardonic smirk

Fukawa laughed- it was a sharp, and awkward, but quite genuine sound. “They re-really might. If there _was_ a portal to h-hell of course.”

“If there was.” He agreed with a chuckle. “Which there isn’t. But it’s an interesting story…and it may give us a little context for the shape of things.”

“Its true, you can learn a lot about people by the stories they tell,” she nodded.

“And the stories they keep around for generations. In this case…” He gestured “there’s some old family drama that still haunts the memories of those who live here, even as the castle crumbles.”

“Some f-family drama. That’s one way to put it, Togimi-sama. But it sure sounds like you’re right.”

“isn’t it?” he agreed. “now…we can either visit the tomb…or the mayor. Both of which could yield results.”

Fukawa nodded. “It’s t-true,” she said thoughtfully. “Oh! I-i also caught the name of that h-horrible r-rude man in the noodle shop, sir.”

“did you?” Togami smirked. “And what was the wretch’s name?”

“They c-called him Hoshi-san.”

“Hoshi-san.” Togami nodded “as much as I’d rather not speak with him again…he may have useful information. We’ll ask around.”

“and we’ll know if someone h-happens to mention him,” she agreed.

“Absolutely.” He said, and gave her a thin smile “well done, Fukawa-san. I would have missed it , with how little he said.”

“Ikeda-san only addressed him once, but I was taking notes through the whole c-conversation.”

“The whole conversation?” He asked with an impressed edge to his voice. “you **are** a good assistant.”

Fukawa flushed and held up the notebook. “I-I figured it would be u-useful maybe.”

“It certainly will be.” He nodded, and offered his hand to shake “let’s solve this together, Fukawa-san.”

Hesitantly, her fingers shaking slightly and with a far off look in her eyes, she took Byakuya’s hand. “T-together!!

---

The mayor’s office wasn’t hard to find. It was one of the few freestanding buildings rather than part of a row, large, and in traditional style, with waxed paper windows. It had a small sign declaring it to be the public office of Mashinnomura.

“well.” Togami said as he stood outside it “here we are, retracing Abe-san’s footsteps to the mayor.”

“H-hopefully that’s where the parallel of our journey ends,” Fukawa muttered, her hands clenched tensely.

“I’ll do everything in my power to ensure it does.” Togami agreed, brushing his hair out of his face “…I just need to know what Abe-san was _doing here_ before I can find out why someone killed him for it.”

“A-absolutely,” she nodded. “H-hopefully they’ll be more c-cooperative here than _some _ people ahve been…”

“we can hope.” He said with a smirk “With our luck, the old , irritable fool from the ramen shop’s the mayor.”

Fukawa jerked. “Oh n-no… you don’t th-think he is, do you?”

It’s distressingly possible. Togami said with a shake of his head.

Fukawa nodded, and opened the door to the office for him. It had polished wooden floors, and a handsome mural across one wall. There was a small desk in the center of the room where a woman with black hair was filing her nails.

Togami entered, turning his attention towards the mural briefly as they passed, on his way to the front desk.

The mural was quite striking, and seemed to depict a scene from the fairy tale he’d just been told. A man in a golden kimono did battle with a red caped spirit, while a man in a silver kimono held his hand to his wound.

“Isn’t that lovely.” he said under his breath as he looked it over. “…it’s quite the important story to the people of this town.”

He turned to face the receptionist, and gave her a slight smile. “Good morning.” he spoke up.

“Y-yeah, clearly,” Fukawa murmured.

The woman smiled and looked up, putting her nail file down for the moment. She nodded to him. “Good morning. How may I help you?”

“Hello.” Togami said, brushing his hair over his ear. “I’m here to speak with the mayor. I’m afraid I don’t have a prior appointment, but I assure you it’s a matter of upmost importance.”

“I see….” she bit her lip. “I’m afraid the mayor’s very busy at the moment. Can I ask your name and what you’re here about?”

“Byakuya Togami, of the Togami Corporation.” He said with a serious frown. “My employee and friend was murdered in your town the other day and I’m afraid that I’m investigating the matter. ”

She bowed over the table. “Togami-san. I see. I’m terribly sorry for the inconvenience. Can I ask you to wait here while I see if the mayor can be disturbed?”

“I don’t mind the wait.” He shook his head. “Thank you for going to speak with him.”

“of course, sir,” she said, standing and bowing again. “I’ll only be a moment. Thank you for waiting.”

She disappeared into a hallway behind her.

Togami watched her go with a slight huff of breath. “I hope the mayor doesn’t give us too much trouble.”

“I h-hope not,” Fukawa agreed. “At least his receptionist seems h-helpful.”

“She certainly does.” He said with a chuckle. “She didn’t try shooing us out the door right off, at the very least. ”

“N-no, I think she r-recognized your name, Togami-sama,” she nodded. “a-at least _someone_ here has.”

He nodded. “I suppose this far out in the country it _shouldn’t_ be a surprise, but…still.”

“S-still, people ought to know the name Togami,” she pouted, fussing with the hem of her shirt.

“while I agree.” he smirked “It just means we need to _make it known_.”

She flushed a little and nodded. “Yes, sir, we absolutely do….”

The click of heels presaged the return of the secretary as she came down the hall.

Togami looked up at the sound of the receptionist’s approach, and pushed his glasses up “welcome back.”

She bowed low. “The mayor will see you now.”

Togami bowed his head in return “Thank you for your help.” He said with a thin smile “It’s much appreciated. Please, lead the way.”

She led them down the hall, and opened a sliding paper door. Inside was a quite traditional tea room, with a low table and cushions. At the end of the table an extremely beautiful man with a cascade of long, dark hair sat holding a digital pad in his hands. He was dressed in a handsome gold kimono with a pattern of white flowers.

Togami bowed his head as he entered, and stood before the man with a raise of his eyebrow.

He didn’t know what he expected from a small town mayor, but he certainly didn’t expect anyone quite so handsome or refined. He waited a moment, adjusting his cuffs before he spoke.

“It’s a pleasure to meet with you. My name is Byakuya Togami, and I thank you for your time.”

The mayor, he noticed, was quite elegantly styled, and Togami could see that he was makeup to highlight his features. Obviously a man who cared deeply about his appearance.

“Its quite alright,” he nodded. “Please, have a seat with me,Togami-san. And your guest as well.”

Togami took a seat opposite the man, and pat for Fukawa to sit as well “Fukawa-san. Beside me, if you would.”

“Y-yes, sir,” she nodded, kneeling awkwardly into a sit, beside him.

“Its a pleasure to meet you, Togami-san. Fukawa-san. I wish it were under better circumstances. My name is Ryotaro Magami, and I am the mayor of Mashinnomura.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Magami-san.” Togami nodded his head. “I’ve been hoping for the chance to speak with you .”

“I imagine so,” he nodded. “I hope it hasn’t been long since you arrived. I would have greeted you had I known, but as I’m sure you’ve discovered by now, our communication is severely limited at this time.”

Standing beside the mayor at the head of the table, the receptionist poured green tea from a delicate pot into several small, round cups.

“Yes..I heard it’s all been cut off since the storm. Internet, phone lines. ” he shook his head “Which , I expect, is why I didn’t hear of Abe-san’s funeral until my arrival in town.”

“I’m afraid so,” he nodded, and bowed to Togami. “I beg your pardon for this most unfortunate situation. As mayor I accept full responsibility.”

Togami lowered his head in response, smiling gently “I understand, in that case can I count on your help as I look into the matter?”

“Of course, Togami-san. I will do everything in my power to make amends for this misfortune, and assist you in rectifying it.”

The man had a voice that was musical, and sincere. And it was impossible not to notice the formality of his language.

An interesting man, if nothing else. Togami pushed his glasses up.

“thank you again, Magami-san.” he shook his head. “it’s a shame this happened, because from the brief taste I’ve had of your town, I have to admit it has a lovely charm. And the ramen shop is among the best I’ve ever had.”

“You flatter us, Togami-san,” he purred. “I am sorry that it’s such circumstance that brings you to our humble village, but delighted that you can still see its charms.”

The receptionist brought each of them a cup of tea, and then bowed and left the room. As Togami watched her, he noticed that Fukawa was once again, bright red.

Togami picked up his cup of tea, and raised his eyebrow at Fukawa with a briefly questioning glance before he took a sip.

“I don’t often make it out to the country, but when I do, it’s always a real treat…and there’s something to be said about the beauty of that lake, and the old palace in the trees.”

Fukawa gave Togami an awkward, nervous smile, and then glanced away, picking up her own cup as well. The tea was good. Excellent leaves, expertly brewed.

“Mashinnomura is an old and beautiful town. I am honored to have been born here, and to be able to spend my days here.”

Togami took a longer sip of the tea before he responded “so you’ve grown up here.” He said “have you lived here your whole life?”

Magami nodded. “That’s right. My family has lived here for generations.”

“Since the time of the tree brothers?” Togami asked. “From the folk tale?”

“Ah, so you’ve heard the tale,’ he said with a smile. “Indeed. The three brothers are my ancestors.”

“You don’t say!” Togami chuckled, sipping his tea “I can see that noble bearing carried through to you.”

“You’re very kind, Togami-san,” he smiled. “I’m told I look very much like them.”

“I can see the resemblance.” Togami said with a nod. “…but, well…I believe this brings me back around. My friend was found dead outside your ancestor’s tomb. And I was told that shortly before his demise he was looking to have a meeting with you.”

“He was,” Magami nodded. “In fact the two of us met more than once before his misfortune.”

“you don’t say.” Togami mused “…may I ask what he was here to ask about?”

Magami cocked his head, a rather surprised look in his dark eyes. “I’m surprised, Togami-san. he was not here on your behalf?”

Togami adjusted his cufflinks. “In a manner of speaking he was. But it was a job headed by my elder sister. In this case, she held the specifics, as I only know the broad strokes. Different departments, you see.”

“I see,” Magami nodded. “Still, I’m surprised, given that Abe-san had been dispatched to open discussion to move forward purchasing Mashinnomura on behalf of the Togami family.”

“Ah, yes…” Togami said with a straight face. “…I heard tell that that was the intention, yes…”

He brushed his hair over his ear. “the entire town, hm? Due to…the sulfur mines?”

Fukawa, meanwhile, struggled somewhat to smother her surprise. But she managed to keep her reaction to a grimace.

“The sulfur mines were part of it, yes,” he nodded.

“May I ask the rest? It seems it was part of what my dear sister left off her report.”

“Why, Abe-san was negotiating for the entirety of the town, Togami-san. Lock stock and barrel, as they say.”

“the whole damn town.” Togami mused. “….hm. And were you willing to sell?”

“We hadn’t yet reached an agreement, I’m afraid,” he said.

Despite Magami’s impassive expression and soft answer, Togami got the sense that he was being lied to.

Togami sipped his tea. “now…Magami-san, after two meetings i”m sure something of the matter had been discussed. I simply wish to know…for my records, of course.”

“I suppose its true that we had discussed a great deal,” he said. “I feel that we had nearly reached an agreement.”

Togami sipped his tea, meeting his eyes in a way that asked him to _please go on_

Magami let out a breath and gave a deferent smile. “I am not convinced that selling the village would be in the best interest of the people of Mashinnomura.”

Togami smiled back, and shook his head. “Perhaps not…perhaps. I believe it’d all come down to circumstance.”

He sipped his tea, and closed his eyes “life’s fairly comfortable here, I imagine.”

“It is,” he nodded. “Many of our families here have lived in this place for five hundred years or more.”

“and you fear the Togami corporation would uproot them and cast them out of their ancestrial homes?”

“I would never suggest that, Togami-san. I consider only that the people here are used to a certain way of life.”

Togami nodded slowly “indeed. And I could see how you would fear a big corporation stepping in may disturb that.”

“I’m glad you can understand, Togami-san,” he nodded. ‘Of course, as I said, no _firm_ decision had been reached; and I would be willing to begin discussions again, in light of the recent terrible circumstance.”

“I’ll take you up on that.” Togami said with a nod “…after, of course, I look into Abe-san’s death a bit more. If you’d be willing to discuss it with me, of course.”

Magami nodded. “I would do so gladly, Togami-san.”

“Excellent.” He said “ah, though.”

He shook his head. “I did have a question about you and Abe-san.”

He gestured for Togami to go on. “Please.”

“When you met, did he say anything about why he may have ventured to your ancestor’s tomb? I got the sense it was…out of the way …from one of your townspeople, and I’m not entirely sure why he had gone there to begin with…much less on the day of a storm.”

“I’m afraid he didn’t say, Togami-san.” Magami said, shaking his head.

“hm. Nothing talked about would have pointed him in that direction?”

“He did seem quite interested in the history and lore of our little village,” he admitted. “Perhaps that curiosity is what drew him there?”

“During a storm?” Togami frowned, looking thoughtful “no, doubtful. I think there’s something more at foot here than a simple ‘vagrant’s mugging’, as the Inspector believes…something must have inspired him to go so far out in the middle of a record storm…”

“Ah, pardon me,” the mayor nodded. “I suppose I had assumed he had journeyed out before the storm.”

“He may have, he may have not…but I need to see the evidence for myself.”

“Of course,” he agreed. “Please say the word about how I can be of assistance and it will be done.”

“Thank you again.” he said “…I’d like access to his room at the inn, provided it hasn’t been cleaned out yet, and any documents that may have passed between you. ”

“Of course,” he nodded. “I will have my assistant write up a note for Nishizawa-san at the inn that you have my blessing to look at the room. As I recall, all of the discussion between myself and Abe-san was verbal, but if I am misremembering, my assistant will have copies.”

“Understood.” Togami mused. “other than that…”

He tapped his finger on his arm in thought. “Do you know of anyone else that my assistant had spoken with?”

“I’m afraid I do not,” he said, shaking his head. “However, as I said, he expressed interest in the town. He may have spoken with some of the business owners along our main street.”

“I’ll be sure to ask around then.” He said “as I take in more of your town’s charming atmosphere.”

“Please,” he nodded. “And my office is always open to you.”

“I very much appreciate it.” Togami said “I may require your help.”

“Of course,” he nodded. “I am happy to provide any that I can. For Abe-san’s spirit to be denied justice would be a terrible shame.”

“It would be a dreadful shame. And one I will **not** let come to pass.” Togami said with firm conviction.

As they left the office heading back into the street where it was now the middle of the afternoon, Fukawa thumbed through the papers that the mayor’s assistant had given to her.

“O-oh…. The mayor’s name… I had w-wondered if that was the case,” she murmured half to herself.

Togami glanced over at her with a raise of his eyebrow and a slight cock of his head. “Hm? what was that, Fukawa-san? Speak up.”

“O-oh! S-sorry, Togami-sama!” she squeaked. “T-the characters for the mayor’s name are the same as the ones for Mashin village… I-I had thought they m-might be… since h-how long his family has been h-here.”

Fukawa offered him the paper, and showed him the mayor’s stamp. 魔神 The characters for demon and god. ‘Ma’ and ‘shin’ or ‘gami’. Together, they were typically read as ‘devil’. Byakuya was particularly familiar with the second character in the name, since he inscribed it every time he wrote his own name.

“….hm.” Togami said, as he rested his fingers against his chin “yes that does make sense, doesn’t it?”

His eyes lingered on the name for a moment. “given how long his family has been here.”

“I-it seems l-like it, sir,” she nodded. “W-what an im-imposing name…. n-not as imposing as Togami, though!”

“Quite the imposing name.” Togami said with a smirk. “It suits the mayor of a mysterious, reclusive village with a dark history steeped in folklore, doesn’t it?”

He glanced over at Fukawa “not as imposing, hm? I’m glad you think so.”

She smiled, flushing embarrassed as she looked down and tucked the papers back into her notebook. “Yours is m-much more auspicious…” she mumbled.

He put his hand upon her shoulder with a nod “Let’s hope my auspicious name can help lead us to understanding this case, hm?”

She seemed to melt under his touch, that same dazed and starstruck look she kept sneaking into her expression again. “I’m sure it can, sir…. I’ll try to help you….”

Amusement crossed his face once more, and he nodded. “So far, you’ve been doing just fine. Fukawa-san.”

He gestured with his hand “We should visit the palace…see a little ancient history…and find exactly where Abe-san died.”

“Absolutely, Togami-sama,” she said, her smile still dreamy. She shook herself out of it a bit and straightened up. “I mean… we d-definitely should see it b-before we lose the light.”

“Exactly.” He said with a chuckle “so we should get your head out of the clouds and head on over, hm?” he teased.

Fukawa almost jumped, she jolted so fast to attention and nodded quickly. “O-of course Togami-sama! P-please forgive me for standing around like that…”

“you’re forgiven.” he said in amusement. “You seem to have a penchant for getting lost in la la land, though.”

She flushed , fiddling with the book in her hands as she and Byakuya started walking towards the looming temple in the woods beyond the far end of the street. “I j-just have a-a lot of thoughts I guess…”

He walked alongside her, nodding as she spoke. “An active imagination?”

She blushed and looked at the ground. “I g-guess so….”

Togami tapped his chin with a smile “Well. You’ve got my curiosity going. It’s a long walk…plenty of time for a little conversation.”

“Y-yes sir,” she answered, glancing up at him as she walked just a step or so behind him. “Y-you want to talk… with me?”

“You’re my assistant.” He said, brushing his hair away from his face wtih a wave of his hand.

“If you’re to get the position, I damn well think it’s important we get to know eachother, don’t you?”

He glanced sidelong at her “…so yes. I’d like to talk with you, Fukawa-san.”

“A-alright then,” she said, nodding, and trying not to seem so nervous as they walked.

“So…I know you joined my company a little while back.” He mused, “But i’m curious about what led up to it.”

She took a deep breath. “W-what led up to it? W-well…I m-mean, everyone has to h-have a job, right? a-and the Togami corporation is the best….”

“That much is true.” He said with a nod “….we _are_ a powerful corporation. But I suppose I meant…do you have any aspirations.”

“W-well… I-I mean, despite the circumst-stances getting to b-be your assistant is a dream come true,” she murmured, looking down. “B-beyond that, there’s my n-novels…”

“A dream come true to be my personal assistant?” He asked with a trace of a smirk “…tell me more about your novels. I didn’t know you were a writer.”

“W-well, its n-not something that I try to brag about too much,” she murmured. “B-but I’m a novelist….”

“a _published_ novelist?” Togami asked with a raise of his eyebrows. “anything I might have read?”

He thought about it…Fukawa…Fukawa…was it familiar , in retrospect?

“M-maybe… I wrote a f-few best sellers back in the day,” she murmured.

“Bestsellers back in the day.” He thought about that.

She was about his age, he could tell that much. To write best sellers ‘back in the day’ would make her some kind of child writing prodigy.

“What was your best selling book’s title?”

Fukawa flushed a little. “You’d probably know ‘While the Scent of the Ocean Remains’, i-if you’ve heard of any of them….”

“….” Togami thought back, remembering the title. He had in fact read it when it’d first come out…

“S-sorry, I’m sure you’ve n-never heard of it,” she murmured. “I-it was really j-just some silly r-romance novel I wrote when I was e-eleven…”

“no. No, I’ve read it.” Togami said . “while I was abroad in Europe.”

He looked at her with a note of surprise “That means you’re _that_ Touko Fukawa? It was a _fantastic_ novel. I would have never guessed an 11 year old wrote it.”

She flushed. “Y-you _have_ heard of me? Y-you’ve read it? Y-you _liked_ it, Togami-sama?” she got steadily redder and redder as she sputtered.

Togami nodded, looking at her with a curious look on his face. “I _have_. and I _did_. I could certainly see why it was such a big hit. I’ve still got the copy on my bookshelf at the home office.”

She held her notebook up against her face in both hands, averting her eyes down. “I-I’m honored….Togami-sama likes my book… enough to keep a copy on his bookshelf….”

“To think it was written by someone my age.” he mused, looking her over. “well. I have to say, Fukawa-san, I certainly see you in a new light. Not only a helpful assistant, but an accomplished author as well.”

“Y-you’re too kind, Togami-sama….” she murmured, her knuckles tight around her book.

Touko Fukawa was tallish– though not as tall as Byakuya– and quite slim, almost underfed, with pale skin, and somewhat sharp, pointed features Her long dark hair was glossy and tied back in its careful braid that hung down her back. Her eyes were large and wide, a strange grey-purple color under long lashes hidden behind her large spectacles. Instead of a tie with her skirt-suit she had a large, loose bow, that made the outfit look a little like it was a school uniform. Come to think of it, she did look a lot like his image of an author.

“I should have guessed it earlier.” he chuckled “The name, for one thing.”

he smiled slightly, and turned his attention to the road. “Too kind may be a bit of a stretch, but you’re quite welcome. You have a way with prose.”

“Th-thank you, sir,” she murmured, following along after him, book still tight in her hands. “Writing is my p-passion…. th-though I’m ashamed to admit I’ve been in a s-slump…”

Togami slowed until he was walking closely beside her. “A slump? Who knows…an area like this, rife with history and folk tales…maybe it’ll give you a little needed inspiration, hm?”

She slowly lowered the book and glanced up toward him. “Y-you think so? I-it’s kind of p-part of why I moved to H-hokaido…. along with w-working for the T-togami company.”

He looked over at her, meeting her eyes. “Hoping the change in scenery might spur your imagination?”

“Y-yes, and w-well, I h-had an idea for a novel b-but I didn’t know enough about the corporate setting s-so it doubled as research….”

She didn’t look away as he met her eyes, though he could see the embarrassment written on her face.

Togami brushed his hair out of his face with a sly smirk “Ahhh, so you applied to our corporation as research then? Care to tell me this idea’s summary?”

“I-it’s another romance novel,” she squeaked.

“A corporate romance novel, hm? ” he asked, with a look of growing amusement. “sounds fun. ”

“I-i thought it might be f-fun to m-mix romance and corporate i-intrigue,” she admitted.

Togami nodded “There’s a potent mix there. I can see it making for a pretty gripping story, admittedly.”

“I-I hope my n-novel won’t disappoint you if you r-read it then. Togami-sama!”

“When I do.” he corrected with a slight smirk “i’m hoping to be among the first to.”

“Y-you’d really want to?” she asked breathlessly.

Togami pushed his glasses up and gave her a sidelong glance. “What’s this? you don’t believe me?”

He shook his head. “I really want to, Touko-san.”

She almost seemed to swoon, just before catching herself. “_Then you’ll be the very first to read it, I promise, Togami-sama_”

And just as she declared that, it seemed they had arrived. Or almost arrived. Two posts had been driven into the road in front of them, and crisscrossed with crime scene tape.

Togami nodded at her, with a trace of a smile, before it fell when they arrived upon the scene. “hm…”

He approached, looking the area over. “So , just beyond here is the scene…”

Togami noticed that there were a few pairs of scuffed footprints leading around the barrier. It looked like it was purely perfunctory, and not really keeping anyone out at all.

“tch.” Togami said , looking at the footprints. “It seems people have been tramping all over the damned thing.” He stepped around it and headed deeper.

Touko followed after him quietly, her book open now. “I g-guess they have no respect for the dead,” she murmured, following him.

Only a little further down the road did they find some crime scene evidence markers laid out in the middle of the road, just in front of where a path broke off leading into the woods.

Togami walked over to them, and bent down to take a closer look.

Unfortunately, all the actual evidence had already been removed, it seemed, and nothing was left aside from the markers, and the scuffing of where the body had lain. The most he could find was some dried blood soaked into the gravel road.

Touko knelt down beside him. “T-the inspector must have anything that was here, r-right?”

“Not that the man put it in the damned report.” Togami muttered darkly “we’ll have to go back and ask about the evidence I suppose..”

Touko leafed through the pages of her notebook and frowned. “You’re r-right he _didn’t_ list a-any evidence. I’m _really_ starting to hate that man.”

“Likewise.” Togami frowned “…he seems to be refusing to take a man’s death seriously and for what? Nothing at all.” He stood with a glare at the evidence markers. “_pathetic_ excuse for an investigator.”

“I-if he’s that pathetic of course…. it m-means we’re likely to find something he missed though, d-don’t you think?”

“exactly.” Togami said with a nod “let’s take a closer look at this area…and then maybe that tomb.”

“G-good idea,” Touko said. “Y-you know, I don’t think anyone’s said yet whether he actually w-went inside the tomb or not….”

“That’s what I’m curious about.” He mused. “…we’ll have to check. There’ll be signs if so.”

“L-lets look around here then,” she nodded. “And then we can check the tomb….”

Togami nodded “let’s look…we have to turn up something.”

The two of them searched around the area, carefully examining the ground and the surrounding trees. There wasn’t much to go on especially with all the foot traffic that had been through, and the damage from the storm.

“O-over here, Togami-sama… I- I think….” Touko called from where she was kneeling beside the tree line, right next to the path to the palace and tomb.

Togami walked over, and leaned over her shoulder to look at where she was looking. “mmm? Did you find something?”

“I-I might have, Togami-sama, th-there are some branches here that are c-cut instead of broken, a-and…” she held up a small scrap of torn red cloth, no bigger than a thumb-length.

Togami frowned “…cut instead of broken..” he mused, and looked down at the cloth “hm…”

He held out his hand “…well. That’s concerning, isn’t it?”

“I-it’s a bit ominous,” she admitted. She held up the slim branch she had found. The end of it had been sliced through cleanly, showing a white circle like the moon.

“…..” he frowned “like a red cape and a scythe.” he said dryly.

“I’ll… make a note of that,” Touko said, uncertainly.

“The whole thing is strange, isn’t it?” He said with a shake of his head. “…a man is killed outside a ‘cursed’ tomb, with no suspects. We have a scrap of red cloth and strangely cut branches…”

“U-um, T-togami-sama….” she hesitated. “If you want m-my opinion….”

“Please,” he said , gesturing towards her.

“It… reminds me of i-in ch-cheesy m-mysteries. W-when you’re supposed t-to think the killer is a ghost but its a m-man in a mask….”

“….” Togami chuckled, placing his hand on his chin “you know, Touko-san…I was thinking the same thing.”

“I s-should have known it would be obvious to s-someone as observant as you, Togami-sama.”

“no, It’s good to point it out.” he said with a shake of his head. “in case I’d overlooked it…but in this case it seems we’re on the same page.”

“It seems like we are…” she bit her lip. “I-I didn’t think to bring any kind of evidence bags though. D-do you think putting it between the pages of my notebook will be okay for now?”

“as long as you hold onto them tight, yes. I think that should do.” he said with a nod. “we’ll have to pick some bags up from our lazy inspector.”

“Good idea,” she nodded. She tucked the piece tightly between two pages. “It should be a-alright for now.”

Togami nodded to her with a smile, “good find, Touko-san.”

He looked up, and gestured “we should check out the tomb next.”

She nodded. “L-let’ go. I-I’m honestly pretty curious what we’ll find…”

“Me too.” he said with a smirk “I wonder if we’ll be ‘cursed’ too, hm?” He headed down the path

She snorted. “If we are, that’s a shortcut to finding Abe-san’s k-killer…”

“And here I am without a security team.” Togami shook his head. “we’d just have to handle it ourselves.”

She bit her lip. “I-in an attack, I’d d-defend you Togami-sama,” she promised.

She stood up from the spot in the bushes and brushed off her skirt, looking off down the path toward the palace and tomb.

Togami started down it with her, “Well, I appreciate that.” he said “but i’m no slouch myself.”

“O-oh, I’m sure you aren’t, Togami-sama, I-I didn’t want to imply I thought so!”

The path was narrow, and densely tree lined on either side. As they traveled down it, it opened up into a wider path, and they saw before them the looming and ancient structure of an old palace.

He waved his hand “I just meant that I can do the same for you, if we need to.”

He shielded his eyes as he walked , peering through the trees at the old palace “I need your help to figure this out.”

“I-i’m so happy to help you, sir,” she murmured, as they approached.

The sun loomed just behind the tall palace structure, throwing it into silhouette in the waning afternoon. Unlike some of the palaces that Togami had visited on trips, this one looked to be in ill repair, with vines crawling up its sides, and cracks visible in its structure.

“and I’m happy to…” his voice faded as he looked up at the crumbling stone.

“…well…it’s certainly not in its prime, is it?”

“D-definitely not!” Touko agreed with surprise. “You’d think they’d take better care of it if it’s a historical landmark!”

Beside the tall palace structure was another building, this one squat, and built partially into a hillside, with a red gate in front of it.

“you would think….if money isn’t being put into preserving this place, where **is** it being put?” He shook his head, and turned to glance at the other building “that must be the tomb.”

“It must be,” she nodded. “I wonder…. if they’re avoiding the place b-because of the stupid curse?”

“If that’s the case it’s absolutely ridiculous.” he scoffed. “…to let something like this decay because of a folktale.”

“If there’s o-one thing I know about people, it’s th-they can be pretty ridiculous. especially when it c-comes to the supernatural.”

The tomb seemed from where they stood to be as neglected as the palace, but being a smaller building seemed to still be in slightly better repair.

Togami took a moment to look around the entrance for any sign of disturbance, footprints, recent entry and the like.

He didn’t see anything obvious. With the gravel it was difficult to discern any footprints. The door was closed, and given that it was out in the weather, it was difficult to tell if it had been disturbed or not.

“alright.” Togami said, brushing his hand through his hair “we have to look deeper.”

“You mean g-go in, right?” she asked cautiously.

“That’s what I mean. I can’t see any outward sign that he may have gone in, but that’s due to the lay of the land…we should check the immediate interior, at the very least.”

Touko nodded. “D-definitely. Assuming we can get in at all…”

Togami nodded, and started down the steps with firm conviction. A fairytale wouldn’t stop him. He had to get to the bottom of his friend’s death.

The mossy stone steps lead down to a stone wall built into the side of the hill. Its recessed face was covered with weathered carvings– the same image in stone that the mayor’s office bore in mural form.

The door itself was a double panel of carved stone, with a narrow gap down the middle, and handles carved deeply into it.

Togami took a deep breath, and grabbed the handles. Carefully, he attempted to open the door.

Those who enter the tomb are cursed to die…

The words echoed in Byakuya’s mind as he pulled the door. Stone scraped against stone as it started to open. He felt a chill breath of air against his face.

Togami shivered under the breath of air from within the tomb. or…perhaps was it from the memory of the folktales curse?

His fingers tensed against the handles.” Cursed to die, hm…”

“Y-you don’t think we’ll really….” Touko breathed hesitantly.

“I don’t…think so,” he admitted. “It can’t be real.”

“R-right,” she nodded. “It can’t be.”

Togami peeked inside the space they’d opened…not going inside but…looking as best he could.

The cold air gathered inside the tomb made Byakuya feel a little faint as he faced it. There was a small ‘click’ as Touko turned on a flashlight, and lit up the tomb’s interior. There was an altar for prayer and offerings in the center, and tattered unreadable scrolls hung on the walls on either side. Beyond the altar, only visible thanks to the illumination of Touko’s flashlight, was a thin rectangular line. Another door.

And not only that.

There were fresh footprints in the dust of the grimy stone floor.

“…it looks like….he may very well have ventured inside.” Togami said, bracing himself on the door as he tried not to stagger. “…lovely.”

“L-looks like,” she agreed with a breath. She raised a hand, but didn’t quite put it on Byakuya. “A-are you alright, Togami-sama? we can come back when we’re…. better prepared… if we have to.”

He leaned over, until her hand touched his shoulder. “I’m alright. the stale wind just gave me a …pause.”

Her fingers trembled as he touched her, but once they were in contact she didn’t move to break it. In fact, she pressed her hand to steady him.

“Y-yeah, it smells pretty old in there, huh? and its…. c-cold….”

He nodded, leaning on her hand with a frown “…it is cold. Strangely so…”

“P-probably because it’s built into the hill….” she guessed.

“That would make sense.” he said , tugging his jacket a little tighter. “hm. I’m not sure if we should take a look now, or come back…”

“I-I’m not sure either,” she said, biting her lip. her hand hadn’t left his shoulder. “O-on the one hand, we’re n-not exactly pre-prepared to collect evidence. O-on the other hand l-letting it sit longer might be bad…. Sorry, I’m n-not much help here.”

“no. no…” he mused. “Do you have the time?”

She took a pocket watch out of her coat’s breast pocket and flipped it open. “Its just after 3 in the afternoon, sir.”

“hm. and it’ll get dark in a few hours.” He tapped his elbow “I don’t want to delve into the tomb when it’s dark, but I would like to do so today…preferably prepared, so we don’t lose crucial evidence…”

“Alright, then… what would you need to consider us ‘prepared’, Togami-sama?” she asked. “T-that seems like the place to start…”

“A warmer jacket, some evidence collection tools…. we have a flashlight.” he mused. “things of that nature. We can **probably** press on unprepared, though.”

She bit her lip. “I a-also have a small camera with me,” she offered. “m-maybe we should just get it over with, Togami-sama? BUt if you think its better to leave and come back then I’m sure your judgment is a-absolutely right….”

“No. I’ve been leaning towards biting the bullet anyway.”

He gestured “in we go.”

“Y-yes sir, Togami-sama!” she nodded, and took a faltering step into the tomb. The sound of her shoes rang sharply on the old stone.

But nothing suddenly struck her dead.

Not one to let someone risk their life alone, Togami followed into the tomb , glancing around with a frown. “alright…first, we follow the footprints.”

“That’s s-sensible,” she nodded. She kept a wide berth from the prints themselves, which first led up to the altar.

First thing, Togami followed, also making sure not to disturb them, until he reached the altar, which he began to look over.

The little shrine was at chest height, a mirror housed between three little walls, with paper tags hung over it. There was an offering bowl in front, and in the bowl was a lump of half-burned incense.

Togami looked into the mirror first, before he fished out a lighter he kept just in case, and flicked it to light the incense as a sign of respect.

As he lit the incense and glanced in the mirror again, it must have caught some of the light from outside. The mirror shone like the moon for a moment, and Togami felt some of the cold of the chamber dissipate. Or maybe it was just warming up because they’d left the door open.

“…hm.” Togami said, leaning up and slipping his lighter away “well… now that that’s done…” he followed the footsteps elsewhere in the room

They wandered around the room a little, and finally ended up in front of the door hidden in the dark at the back of the room.

Togami stood before it, and placed his hand upon the door. “…and so, we venture into darkness.”

At his touch, there was a grinding sound, and the door disappeared upward into a hole in the ceiling, revealing a long, dark passage downward.

“W-well… th-that’s unusual…” Touko said, biting her lip.

“….” Togami looked at her with a trace of grim amusement. “Either this place is shockingly well built…or we just stepped into a Tomb Raider game.”

“I-I’m not exactly Lara Croft…..”

“Neither am I, as you can probably see.” he smirked, “but we’ll make due. Come along, Touko-san.”

He stepped into the dark passage, slowly, giving her time to keep up

She kept one hand on the wall, the other carefully holding the flashlight up so that they could see where they were going. The stairs were not particularly narrow, but there was the occasionally slippery patch of lichen.

Togami kept a hand near Touko…who he remembered tripping numerous times in town. Just in case. “Just watch your step…I wonder how far down this goes…”

She seemed to be taking great care at least. Surprisingly, she almost seemed calmer in here than she had above. “At least a story it looks like…. Oh… there are alcoves here… for torches….” She drew her hand slightly away from the wall.

“hmmm.” Togami let his hand lower as he leaned to look at them. “I have a lighter, maybe we’ll get lucky and we’ll find some that still work.”

“There’s one in here,” she said, taking a half step back upward to let him see the one that was beside her. There was a carved recess, and within it, an old cloth-wrapped torch, held in a sconce.

Togami reached over, and grabbed the torch..and he flicked his lighter until he got a flame, bringing it to the cloth on it’s head.

The torch lit briefly– just long enough to expel a puff of dusty, greasy smoke, before the old, old cloth disintegrated entirely.

“……” Togami stared at it “well. There’s always the next one.”

“I guess they’ve been here a really long time,” Touko said quietly.

“Indeed.” He shook his head. “Keep an eye out for another, we can hope it’ll be more sturdy.”

“I’ll k-keep my eyes out,” she promised. It seemed that they were almost at the bottom. A few more steps, and they saw the beam of the flashlight illuminate the floor of another room.

“At the very least, we’re in another room.” he said with a smirk. “Let’s see what the tomb has in store for us, hm?”

The room they entered was elaborately decorated. At a glance, there was another carving on the far wall, and on either wall, a number of delicate pottery vases and statuettes on shelves that were nearly crumbed with age.

“I-i’m starting to buy the Tomb Raider thing,” Touko muttered.

“…me too.” He said with a soft snort. “let’s look at the statuettes and vases, then the mural, hm?”

“Lead the way, Togami-sama,” she said, holding the flashlight where he pointed.

Togami made his way towards the pottery and statuettes to the left first, intending on a semicircle around. “let’s see…”

They looked like old dolls, in fact, he could see that some of them were still dressed in the scraps of clothing that hadn’t yet worn away.

“well…look at this Touko-san… ” he said “take a photograph, these are amazing.’

“C-could you hold the flashlight while I do?” She hesitantly offered it to him.

Togami gladly took the flashlight, and held it steady “absolutely.”

As the flashlight passed from hand to hand, their fingers brushed for a moment. Touko’s hand jolted, and the flashlight beam fell briefly on the floor below the edge of the shelf, where it illuminated something that had been hidden in darkness. A piece of paper.

Touko made a soft noise, her fingers lingering on his for a moment, before she flinched away, as if only then noticing the contact.

Togami cleared his throat. Perhaps it was just the light, but for a moment he almost seemed a little flushed himself. Still. He bent down, and carefully picked up the piece of paper.

As Touko took the camera out of her purse she cocked her head. “O-oh, i-is there something….”

“There is.” he said “some paper, which is a little surprising.”

He picked it up and tried to read what was on it.

“Y-you’d think it would have disintegrated,” she agreed.

It was a type-printed page on Togami Corporation letterhead.

“No, no I don’t.” he drawled. “Not unless my company’s been using the same corporate logo for hundreds of years.”

He read through the document with a frown “this was Abe-san’s.”

She jolted. “Abe-san’s? Th-that means that he was in here for sure.”

`Abe-san,

While you say that you have yet to find direct evidence of the connection, the evidence you have presented is compelling that the Togami clan almost certainly originates in Mashinnomura. If a link can be proven, it may be that the Togami family has a strong claim to the property of the town itself. It may be that evidence may be found within the old tomb or palace that you have said still stand from the time of legend. With this in mind, please travel to the village and conduct a thorough investigation. `

The document was stamped with Byakuya’s father’s signature.

“……..” Togami’s eyes widened slightly behind his glasses “originates in Mashinomura….? So that’s what father’s gambit was…”

Touko peered at the paper curiously. “O-originates? You mean….”

“it would appear that there’s a rather …solid chance…that this is my family’s ancestral hometown.”

“That would m-make your ancestor the th-third brother from the story,” she mused. “Assuming he existed.”

“it would.” he said with a soft chuckle “…the merchant brother, who left to start his own merchant house.”

He tapped his finger on the paper “…..now wouldn’t that be something?”

“I certainly would,” Touko nodded, finally taking that photo of the dolls. “No wonder Abe-san was out here.”

“no wonder…and no wonder he was poking around down here..”

He frowned “…it may have something to do with why he died…”

“Its certainly possible,” she nodded.

“And it **absolutely** explains my father’s stake in buying the town. Pulling ancestral leverage…likely for the resources under it.”

He shook his head, and checked the opposite wall’s dolls and pottery

Among the pottery here, Byakuya noticed that there were three swords hung on stone pegs in the wall.

He leaned in, and looked them over with a raise of his eyebrow “three swords, hm?”

Touko took a photo of them too. “Huh….”

The swords were identical aside from the hilts. A golden one, a silvery one, and a bronze one.

“Gold…silver…bronze.” he mused. “One for each of the brothers?”

“U-unless they represent Olympic medals, I’d guess so,” she said, with a slightly sardonic edge. She seemed to be warming up to him.

He snickered, brushing his hair from his face. “Yes, it’s probably that one. Absolutely.”

She flushed a little and laughed with him, the same sharp sound as before. “Definitely,” she smirked. “B-but speaking seriously I’m sure you’re right.”

“Meaning one of them might very well…belong to my family. Hm.”

“O-oh, that’s true, isn’t it?” she nodded.

“Something to think about.”

he lifted his hand towards them, hovering over the middle sword with a look of amusement. “I may have to ask for it back.”

“You’d c-certainly be within your rights,” she nodded.

“I would.” he said, lowering his hand for now, and turning to face the mural at the far end of the room, “and I just very well may.”

Even with the flashlight, the mural was impossible to make out so far across the room.

Togami approached it, his hands behind his back.

Touko followed him closely, staying within the light of the flashlight.

The carving in the wall was an intricate image of all manner of ghouls, goblins and demons, snarling and grasping from behind the bars of a gate. Slumped in front of the gate, with his hands holding tightly to it was the figure of a man, who seemed to be holding the gate shut with his own body.

Strangely enough, there was a slim rectangular hole, or slot into the wall where the man’s chest was.

“…..Hm…” Togami leaned down to look into it “now that’s curious…”

He couldn’t see anything beyond it, or even how deep it was. Only darkness.

“It looks intentional,” Touko murmured. “Not like a mistake or a break– at least I don;’t think so.”

“no, it’s the key.” he said, standing, he backed up and looked at the swords again, specifically the hilts.

“The key?” she cocked her head. “Oh! You mean l-like putting the sword in the… Oh!”

She followed him back to the swords.

“exactly what I’m thinking.” he mused, and took the middle one from the wall. “the swords as the key.”

He took down the sword with the silver hilt. Despite its age, it felt solid in his hand.

He held it tightly, looking it over with a raise of his eyebrow “lovely design….”

He turned the blade over in his hands, and looked at it closely “And holding together after all these years…”

“It m-must be really good craftsmanship,” she said, looking it over with him.

The flat side of the blade, he noticed as he looked more carefully, had several oddly spaced notches in it.

Togami turned it into the light of her flashlight. “I was right…one of these is the key.”

he pointed to the notches “those’ll make sure the pins move into the correct position. The question is…which sword?”

“That’s… a good question,” she mused, frowning.

He thought back “let’s see….maybe the fairy tale gives us a clue…”

Touko tapped her book thoughtfully. “In the fairy tale, its Kintaro who is stabbed…. but its the Red Cape who does the stabbing….”

“that’s certainly correct.” He said, turning the blade over in his hands. “which doesn’t track with the tableau here, unless we find the man’s scythe just lying about.”

“I’m not sure a scythe would fit in the hole….” she frowned. “maybe it’s just meant to be _his_ sword?”

“That’s what I was thinking. A scythe wouldn’t fit…so….it must be his sword.”

Still holding onto the silver blade, he looked at the remaining. “Now we just figure out which is which…and how they’re ordered.”

Touko squirmed and flushed. “W-well, um, a-actually, T-togami-sama…”

“hm? what is it, Touko-san?”

She bit her lip. “I um th-that is, w-well…” she squeezed the book in her hand. “I-i think you m-might be overth-thinking it, because…..”

“Because?” He asked , waving for her to spit it out.

“Th-the Kin and Gin in Kintaro and Gintaro m-mean gold and silver!” she blurted.

“……….” Togami slapped his hand against his head “of course, how could I have been such a damned idiot.”

He chuckled “…patented move, overthinking things. Here I was thinking about **lines of inheritance and status** and I should have just been looking at their damned **names**.”

He grabbed the golden blade, and tossed it in his hand. Currently , he was holding two swords. One in each hand.

“Let’s stab a door, shall we?”