Not a detective

Page 133

He recalled the scene at that time.

...

Caught off guard by the surprise attack, he quickly recovered and observed the battlefield.

The Ministry of Supervision sent about... fifty people, some of whom are still far away and cannot be seen clearly.

These people are no ordinary individuals; they all possess superpowers, or at least have some skill like Chizuko-senpai. They are also highly experienced in combat, adept at using combination techniques and tactics to create encirclements. Several of them left a deep impression on him and inflicted serious injuries, indicating that their abilities are quite troublesome.

As expected of an official organization, it had a very deep foundation, so Asakawa Riku was caught in a tough battle, just like the Red Stingray Festival, and was forced into a grueling war of attrition.

He could only rely on his powerful physical abilities to rampage through the crowd and fight relentlessly.

Furthermore, they must be wary of sniper rifles set up by the police in the distance.

In the end, he estimated that he had killed about forty people. When only a few people were left, he was suddenly attacked and lost consciousness.

...

"It seems that among those people, there is a person with considerable superpowers."

Asakawa Riku returned to reality, he covered his head and tried to recall the faces of those people.

—Could this be the level of the so-called "demon-slaying expert"?

He remembered that "Mist Rain Sunflower," who said those words, was not among the group surrounding him. That woman with strong sword energy was clearly a master as well, so why didn't she come?

Could it be that the Ministry of Supervision is still holding back, but if it's just targeting him, there's no need to mobilize the entire staff?

Asakawa Riku immediately felt dissatisfied.

He could accept losing, losing to an organization's siege, there was nothing shameful about it, after all, those people were all superhumans, and very strong.

However, if the opponent didn't go all out, he would feel looked down upon, which Asakawa Riku couldn't tolerate.

"Should we... continue along the same path as last time in the fourth reincarnation?"

Asakawa Riku stared at his hands, his gaze slowly hardening.

In the last battle, he had memorized and become familiar with many of the superpowers, and also learned many new techniques and methods for dealing with ability users.

He was certain that if it happened again, or at most twice, he could wipe out the entire supervisory department squad that was surrounding him...

"It's best not to do that."

Suddenly, a voice that was both unfamiliar and familiar came from inside.

It came from the direction in front of us.

Last time, he witnessed a miracle here; Hoshimi Kouha appeared here.

But this time, it wasn't the blonde girl's voice, but another girl's:

"Doing that will only make things worse, and you don't have that many chances to waste. After one or two more reversals, you'll be trapped in the Red Ray Sacrifice Death Situation."

That was actually Chizuko-senpai wearing her school uniform.

Asakawa Riku was stunned: "Senpai... what are you doing here?"

That was indeed Chizuko. She had a delicate face, a petite figure, shoulder-length short hair, and was wearing a school uniform with long sleeves covering her arms. Her eyes held a mysterious aura.

Her presence in the jungle felt perfectly natural, like Princess Mononoke or a doll girl from a horror movie, exuding an eerie aura.

But Chizuko should never have been here!

She wasn't a second-year high school student at all, nor was she on this school trip. She wasn't on that ship... She should still be in Tokyo right now!

Even if she learned of Asakawa Riku's murder through some channel and rushed over immediately, it would still require time and transportation, whether by boat or plane...

Moreover, Chizuko did not appear in the previous cycles, so why did she appear on the island this time?

What factors are different from previous instances that have caused this impact?

Asakawa Riku was completely bewildered. He couldn't explain what he was seeing. The fourth cycle had presented him with an incomprehensible problem right from the start.

Chizuko looked at him and simply raised her right prosthetic arm:

"Don't forget, Asakawa-kun, we're still connected by the 'red thread'."

As expected, a thin rope was tied to her slender wrist, half of which appeared to be broken but was actually hidden, while the other end was tied to Asakawa Riku's left hand.

Asakawa Riku's eyes widened. He had almost forgotten about this thing. It was usually hidden away, and he never thought of it. He never expected it to still be here.

—We are connected by a red thread, and neither the underworld nor anything else can separate us.

"Oh no, this thing was allowed to come along? That's terrifying..."

"What's so scary about it?"

The senior tilted her head.

"No... I'm so grateful that you came to save me."

Asakawa Riku was deeply moved, having met his greatest savior here. Chizuko-senpai was probably the most suitable person to handle this situation; her appearance meant there was hope.

If I had known, I shouldn't have gone to the police first when I got back to Tokyo. I should have contacted my senior first; maybe things would have been better than last time.

"By the way, senior, you just said... you already know about [time reversal] and [reincarnation]?"

He was surprised, because he clearly hadn't said any of this to his senior.

Chizuko smiled mysteriously, offering no further explanation.

"I'm the president of the mystery club, so this is basic reasoning."

I have a feeling that this guy's nature is becoming more and more like that detective's, or maybe they are actually the same.

But Asakawa Riku didn't think too much about it. Even if Chizuko-senpai hadn't asked, he was prepared to tell her the truth. Now it was perfect, saving him the time of explaining.

So he immediately asked:

"Senior, what exactly happened on this island? What's behind all this? Is it a monster, or a superpowered being? Why is there a time reversal phenomenon, and what does it have to do with me? How can we break this deadlock? How can we catch the mastermind? How can we break through the Crimson Ray Festival and save our classmates?"

Summer of the Crimson Ray: Chapter Thirty-Six - Playing Here Was Unthinkable

Chizuko didn't answer those questions and kept walking forward.

Asakawa Riku sighed helplessly, thinking the guy was still throwing a tantrum, and had no choice but to chase after him:

"Senior, this is a serious matter, not the time for a cold war. I hope you can help me this time. I'd like to owe you a favor."

"...No need for favors."

Chizuko suddenly turned around, her clear, bright eyes fixed on her, and said, "Asakawa-san, will you accompany me to stroll around the festival?"

"Festival?"

Asakawa Riku was stunned for a moment. In a daze, he didn't know when Chizuko had finished changing her clothes.

Her familiar school uniform was gone, replaced by a traditional-style yukata with a pale pink skirt hem printed with white morning glory patterns edged in gold.

Asakawa Riku seemed to have seen this outfit somewhere before; it was just as beautiful as last time, highlighting her slender, fair neck from the collar, and it suited her perfectly.

Her right hand, emerging from the sleeve of her yukata, took his hand.

She handed her most vulnerable prosthetic limb to him; though it was cold, inorganic matter, it felt as if she had grasped something important.

"Senior, you can change clothes so quickly! Could you teach me?"

Asakawa Riku was somewhat helpless; he was still maintaining the image of being shirtless.

Chizuko smiled and said, "If Asakawa-san can fit into my uniform, I wouldn't mind."

"Forget it then."

Asakawa Riku doesn't want to become that kind of pervert.

He was led out of the jungle by his senior, and only then did he understand what she meant by "festival".

"Outsider...who are you?!"

They arrived at the village again... and were discovered by the villagers who had no idea what was going on.

Just like the first time, Asakawa Riku had no choice but to meet the "village chief" and "elder" again.

After repeating almost the exact same lines, he was granted temporary residence permission.

“Very good! Then you are our honored guest, Asakawa Riku! Let me show you how hospitable our Red Ray Village is. You can stay in our village for a while until you build a new ship and are ready to set sail. We can provide you with food and lodging. As long as you also become a loyal Red Ray believer, all of this will be no problem!”

"...I hope you are truly 'hospitable'."

After leaving the village chief's house, Asakawa Riku secretly muttered a complaint when no one was around.

As he watched the sky gradually darken and the village begin to fill with the lively atmosphere of preparation, he couldn't help but say to Chizuko beside him:

"Senior... is this the festival you mentioned?"

Red Stingray Festival.

The long red banners were raised again in the village... stalls were set up, torches were lit, and the whole village was bathed in red light.

Chizuko was bathed in shadow, and her yukata attire certainly gave off a festival vibe. Her demeanor also perfectly matched the eerie atmosphere of the village.

But Asakawa Riku knew this was no time for frivolous fun. Despite the festival's lively and festive atmosphere, once the "ritual" truly began, it would instantly transform into a bloody battlefield.

"Don't say I didn't warn you. I'm not sure I can protect you at that time, and your abilities might not be enough to deal with these villagers."

"It's a date, don't say anything that will spoil the mood."

Chizuko completely ignored his warning, smiling as she took his hand and said, "Let's go?"

Asakawa Riku didn't understand what she was thinking, but instinctively, he decided to trust her this once.

"Ok."

Although Chizuko-senpai is an incorrigible liar, a cunning person who is deep-thinking, calculating, and prone to lying, in this situation, there is only one way: trust.

At least Asakawa Riku never doubted her abilities. If she decided to conceal it, then she must have secretly laid a trap and was preparing for the subsequent actions.

"Let's seize this last chance and go crazy."

So he accompanied the mad girl as she strolled through this ominous festival.

...

"Asakawa-kun, do you know what a 'god' is?"

"God?"

The girl in front of him was squatting in front of the goldfish scooping stall, playing intently. Asakawa Riku pondered for a moment, knowing that she probably wanted to talk about something related to the "Red Stingray God":

"The god I imagine must be a high-level being with some kind of great power... What insights do you have, senior?"

Asakawa Riku wasn't really a believer in God, especially before he transmigrated here.

But ever since the realization that extraordinary powers and special things exist in this world, the possibility of the existence of gods seems to have greatly increased.

Chizuko didn't answer the question immediately, but instead, as usual, mysteriously kept it a secret:

"Do you remember your and Yuki's [Snow Child] transformation? In order to find out the truth about that transformation, whether it was harmful to the body or would cause any negative effects, I specifically looked through the ancient books in my house and found something unexpectedly interesting. It is said that in ancient times, the Onmyoji clan invented a secret technique called [Divine Descent] in order to fight against yokai."

“Divine intervention…” Asakawa Riku remembered this phrase.

"Yes, especially during the Heian period, when the power of yokai was exceptionally strong. Great yokai like Shuten-dōji could even appear openly before the world, carving out their own territories and ruling as kings. Therefore, the court would hire onmyoji as officials, specifically responsible for exorcising yokai. At that time, in order to resist yokai, they decided to imitate the 'possession of yokai' model. Possession of yokai would grant ordinary people powerful abilities, so the onmyoji of that time came up with this risky and forbidden method."

Chizuko scooped up a small fish and put it in the bag beside her.

"By allowing a shikigami to possess one's body, one can become extremely powerful along with the Onmyoji, but this also carries risks, as one may be corrupted and devoured by the shikigami."

"This is divine intervention..."

Asakawa Riku asked, "So, my [Snow Child] state with Yukie was similar to a divine descent?"

"State... that's a good word. But unfortunately, I'm not sure if your state counts as divine intervention, because Yuki is not a yokai, and you are not an onmyoji."

Chizuko shook her head: "The secret technique of 'Divine Descent' is said to have been developed by Abe no Seimei. It only appeared briefly in ancient texts and disappeared after the Heian period. It was not passed down through the bloodline of Onmyoji, and my father knew nothing about it, so I'm not sure if it's true. I once suspected that this secret technique required a high level of talent from Onmyoji, which is why it was difficult to pass down. But even if I tried, I couldn't replicate that secret technique. I don't think I lack talent, so there's only one possibility."

She turned around and looked at me:

"Asakawa-kun, just like the word you used, I think—god is a [state].

Summer of the Red Stingray: Chapter Thirty-Seven: Sensory Mental Illness

"It may be disrespectful to say this, but I'm afraid that gods and monsters are the same kind of things, in other words, they belong to the same system."