Kimura Kazuki examined the photo closely. 

It was different from a censored animated film. The photo was in a much higher resolution and was non-pixelated. In fact, it was extremely detailed. However, it was extremely gory. No wonder Officer Matsushita’s stomach churned when he arrived at the scene. He gagged, obviously feeling uncomfortable with the scenes. 

In the photos, Kotone Mikami’s eyes were filled with terror. One could tell that she must have seen something terrifying before she died. That was how Kimura Kazuki knew that the ‘Kotone Mikami’ on the phone was not the real Kotone Mikami. 

In the biography section of Kotone Mikami’s SOS post, there was a description of her recent unusual encounter, which meant that she was sincerely seeking help. When he contacted her, it would have made sense for her to tell him everything about the encounter in detail. In fact, if she was terrified, she would have asked him to come over as soon as possible. 

On the contrary, Kotone Mikami did the complete opposite. She sounded apologetic as she admitted to him that it was just a lame prank. 

However, there was one fact that puzzled Kimura Kazuki. He did not smell anything unusual as he entered the house. 

If there was no unusual scent, that meant no demon had trespassed. However, Kotone Mikami’s horror-stricken eyes clearly indicated that she had indeed seen something horrible. Precisely because of that, he would not eliminate the possibility that the demon went into the metamorphosis stage, even if the chances were minute. 

Besides, if the demon did go into metamorphosis, then it was not necessary to go through all the trouble. 

The demon took the time to delete all the browsing history on the spirit-resting website but left out Kimura Kazuki’s phone call with Kotone Mikami. Undoubtedly, this was done to lure the police straight to him, making him the scapegoat. 

This was such a waste of time. If the demon did go into metamorphosis, then it should have traced Kimura Kazuki via the web and finished him off. That would have been the best once and for all solution, leaving the case to be an unsolved mystery. 

He pondered as he walked into the bedroom. Before he entered the room, he spotted some letters roughly written next to the white outline of the lower part of the body. Kotone Mikami saw something terrifying. She tried to escape, but her whole body was snapped in half. Then, she tried to crawl toward the hallway outside the bedroom… and those words on the ground? 

Kimura Kazuki ran the scene through his head, then gazed at bloody letters. 

I am sorry. 

No matter who wrote those three words, it must have meant something. 

“Apart from this, is there any other information?” Kimura Kazuki looked at Officer Matsushita, who was standing next to him. 

“Nope. Apart from Miss Mikami’s body, we did not find any other clues in the room.” Officer Matsushita was easier to deal with in comparison to Officer Iida. Regarding Kimura Kazuki’s questions, he would always give a straightforward answer. He brooded over a thought, “So… this is why your phone call with Miss Mikami yesterday become our only lead.” 

In all honesty, if it was not for the phone records, the Shirada Police Department would not have the faintest idea of what to do next. 

Kotone Mikami’s terrified expression indicated that it was definitely not a suicide case. It did not seem like a case of home invasion homicide since the doors were still locked from the inside. It would be impossible for the suspect to escape through the windows as it was the 18th floor. Besides, the windows were locked from the inside as well. Additionally, the police had gone through the surveillance footage and did not find anyone climbing the windows last night. 

The whole apartment was intact, except Kotone Mikami’s body that had been snapped in half. 

What’s more, Kimura Kazuki, who happened to be the successor of the Yagyu Flying Sword Style, was on the phone with Kotone Mikami last night. He could easily be named the prime suspect. In fact, if the Shirada Police Department decided to be ruthless and take Kimura Kazuki into custody as the murderer, no one could object against it. 

Luckily, the people of the Shirada District were not that naive. Kimura Kazuki had gained some popularity online, and could almost be considered as a public figure now. They would have to handle the matter carefully. 

Kimura Kazuki roughly walked around the apartment and came to the entrance when he was met with Rei Takamori’s curious gaze. He gently shook his head. At that moment, Ryo Otake smiled, “Let’s go have a drink somewhere.” Rei Takamori looked suspiciously at him and gave a gentle nod. Kimura Kazuki did not object to the idea as well. 

It was clear that even though Ryo Otake seemed poised, Kimura Kazuki could see that his gaze was filled with deep suspicion. 

Rei Takamori was behaving the same way too… so he could not have said no. In any case, without any orders from above, a homicide case in the Shirada District was not within Otake’s authority anyway. 

Very quickly, Ryo Otake changed into his casual wear. 

The four of them went to a café called Flame. 

Besides Kimura Kazuki, Rei Takamori, and Ryo Otake, Ikioi Ito said something like, “Maybe I can help too” and shamelessly tagged along. 

After all, he had been hopelessly in love with Kotone Mikami. Now that she was dead, he too felt sad for her. After finding out the truth, his feelings for her did fade away. However, he admired her for a long time, to the point where he almost became an idol, opening a new chapter in his life. 

Now, his desire to become an idol had dissipated, since he had only been doing it for Kotone Mikami. Meanwhile, Ryo Otake allowed him to tag along because he was curious about the young man’s ability after yesterday’s competition. 

In the café, Rei Takamori sat in the corner as he looked down and stirred his coffee; he clearly had no intention of getting involved. He was only there as a witness to 

Kimura Kazuki’s alibi. 

Rei Takamori trusted Kimura Kazuki very much. The man had risked his life to clear out the specters in Akichi High School. Although it might have been for his own personal gain, in Rei’s books, Kimura Kazuki was indeed a righteous person who eradicated evil from this world. 

With an ability like his, he must have had plenty of opportunities to take advantage of a situation. However, he still lived in his humble little house, which said a lot about Kimura Kazuki’s character. 

Rei Takamori also examined the crime scene just now and did not find anything unusual. He did recall that Kimura Kazuki mentioned the paranormal event over the phone. Now, he believed it must have been true, though that still did not mean he wanted to get involved. After all, this was a matter of the supernatural world. He had never handled such cases before; hence, he had no intention to get involved. Who knew if he would suddenly end up dead. Japan was still a country that was extraordinarily developed in its paranormal culture; thus, there was always a dense sensation of eeriness hanging in the air. Naturally, Rei Takamori would also have these dangerous thoughts. 

As a middle-aged man, all he wanted was to work until his retirement. He had no plans on getting involved in any paranormal activities. 

Ryo Otake took a seat and glanced at Rei Takamori, then Kimura Kazuki. He skipped the small talk and dove right into it. In a low voice, he asked, “Mr. Kimura, is this some sort of supernatural event?” 

Kimura Kazuki was surprised. Before he could speak, Rei Takamori exclaimed, “You know about it too?” 

“I will take that as a yes then,” Ryo Otake decided upon seeing Rei Takamori’s reaction. He struggled as he spoke, “Seven years ago when I was still a young officer, we had a case that meddled with the supernatural world.” After hesitating for a moment, he continued quietly, “At that time, I met a Tsukumogami that looked like a rooster. The rooster could absorb the souls of humans. Each time it crew, everyone in the village would feel instantly energized. However, after seven days, their bodies would dry out, and they would die at work.”