Not a detective

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"Kill him! Kill him!"

At the same time, the enraged gangsters, feeling slighted, charged forward brandishing dangerous weapons, roaring loudly.

The next second, the roars were abruptly stopped. Asakawa Riku remained standing in the same spot. This time, he still seemed not to move, but the surrounding scenery was completely different.

“You shouldn’t have said that, nor should you have drawn your weapons.”

"If you are prepared to kill, you must be prepared to be killed."

The thug lay sprawled on the ground, foaming at the mouth, and only later did he realize that blood was flowing out.

—The five people are:

　Facial fracture.

Brain contusion.

Internal organs ruptured.

A tooth broke.

He is blind in both eyes.

Spring of Events: Chapter Twenty - Anomalies

Riku Asakawa glanced at the thugs' situation and then dialed the number of "Inspector Takahashi" that he had just memorized.

"...It's right next to us, yes, just send two police officers and an ambulance."

Fortunately, there was a hospital nearby. If they received timely treatment, these people wouldn't die, but there was no guarantee that they wouldn't be paralyzed or suffer long-term effects.

He didn't think he was being too harsh. These people were gangsters, and judging from their arrogant manner and the fear on the faces of the surrounding merchants, they probably committed a lot of evil deeds. He was just doing his duty to rid the people of a menace. Eliminating a few social scum would only improve the atmosphere of the street, which was something Asakawa Riku was happy to see.

"Ugh... What happened to them?" Inspector Takahashi arrived quickly and ordered his men to carry the people onto stretchers and take them away.

"I don't know. I was just walking on the street when they suddenly pulled out knives and rushed at me. I was just defending myself."

Asakawa Riku explained innocently.

This is the effect of the "fist of imagination." Although it has no lethal force yet, neither camera footage nor bystander testimony shows those fists.

They would only see that these gangsters struck first and used dangerous weapons like knives, thus making Asakawa Riku's self-defense valid.

"Young man...you're really skilled."

Inspector Takahashi glanced at the injuries and offered a sincere expression of admiration.

He must be a local police officer from the Kabukicho Police Station, so he naturally knows the dangers of the underworld here. These thugs hang out in dangerous areas every day, and fighting is commonplace. Some of them even have serious criminal records for assault or murder. They are extremely ruthless when they fight, but this boy didn't get hurt at all and easily made them look like this.

As expected of someone from the Inspection Department... Inspector Takahashi, who initially had some reservations about his age, is now completely convinced.

"nothing."

Asakawa Riku brushed it off lightly. He realized that passersby had begun to gather, and he wanted to slip away as quickly as possible, but in the end, he left behind a single sentence:

"I suggest you check their urine to see if they have ingested any illegal drugs... I just noticed that their condition seems a bit abnormal."

Then, he patted Inspector Takahashi on the shoulder and disappeared the moment he turned around.

...

This statement wasn't entirely meant to distract from something; it was something that Riku Asakawa genuinely thought.

He was rarely bothered when he was walking on the street, and even the delinquent groups at school didn't dare to cause him trouble directly.

Because "seeking advantage and avoiding harm" is a human instinct.

You see Asakawa Riku walking down the street; he's just a handsome, tall young man with a gentle smile on his face, and he seems very approachable.

But if you show even the slightest hostility towards him, you will immediately feel extreme danger. This person is the embodiment of pure "violence" and exudes a terrifying aura.

This kind of aura isn't very obvious, but it's as if an invisible hand can choke someone's throat. Ordinary thugs wouldn't dare to approach.

Especially those in the underworld, who are constantly involved in the criminal world, cannot possibly lack such a basic ability to detect danger.

But they fearlessly approached Asakawa Riku.

This made him realize that something was wrong.

During the conflict, he also sensed that these gangsters' eyes seemed to be flashing red, their minds controlled by an unknown anger, making them particularly impulsive, irritable, and restless.

They even took out knives and stabbed and slashed at Asakawa Riku's vitals. These guys weren't assassins; they usually just taught people a lesson, not killed them just because they were in the way.

Something's not right about them... If it were just one person, it would be fine, but all five of them are like this.

Asakawa Riku didn't smell alcohol on them, which meant they weren't drunk and acting out. It was more likely that they had ingested illegal drugs, which is why he reminded Inspector Takahashi.

But the incident didn't linger in his mind for long; he treated it as just a passing episode, as he had more important things to do now.

That's the "case".

...

"That's the situation with that 'case'."

The next morning, Asakawa Riku arrived at the Shinonome Detective Agency, forcibly woke up that lazybones, and made her listen to his report.

Of course, Higashion Suetsuki still had a grumpy face that looked ten times more pained. She was chugging down black coffee and painkillers, and I was really afraid that she might accidentally kill herself.

"...Are you listening?"

He looked at the distracted guy and couldn't help but ask a question.

The data transmitted by the police last night was several tens of gigabytes at first glance, including a large number of videos and pictures, as well as transcripts and records of identity investigations, etc.

As part of his duties as an assistant, Riku Asakawa played and showed the entire program to the detective, regardless of how much she could accept, and read it all aloud to her.

"Do you have any idea?"

Suezuki finally spoke, first asking Asakawa Riku.

Asakawa Riku had already prepared his answer: "My guess is similar to the police's. The murderer is among the six witnesses, and it must be one or all of the doctors and nurses. Because the victim's limbs were cut off and his abdomen was mauled, such injuries could not have been suicide or an accident. It could only have been murder by someone else."

He pointed to the architectural plans of the illegal hospital:

“I confirmed that day that there were no secret passages connecting the basement and the operating room to the outside. Due to the sterile design, it was impossible for anyone to pass through the ventilation ducts. There were no signs of tampering with the surveillance cameras or computers. This indicates that during the time of the incident, the entire basement was in a ‘closed room’ state, with only these six people and the victim inside.”

Open the autopsy report:

"The autopsy report also proves that the deceased died between 10 and 11 a.m. that day, which is consistent with their testimony. The cause of death was internal organ rupture and massive bleeding. There were many instruments in the operating room at the time, so it was not difficult to cause such injuries. As for the subsequent cutting of the bones in the hands and feet, it should have been possible to do so with mutual cooperation."

However, because everyone was wearing surgical gloves and no fingerprints were left on the instruments, and the entire operating room was splattered with blood, it was difficult to conduct trace evidence examination.

"The problem now is that the current evidence is insufficient to arrest everyone, and we haven't found a perfect way to prove it. The testimonies of these six people cover for each other, all saying that an 'invisible monster' killed the patient. None of them described the shape of the monster, and the descriptions are so similar that it feels like they've been working together. It's very difficult to figure out."

Asakawa Riku poured out everything he had thought about all night; now he could only place his hopes on this professional detective.

But to everyone's surprise, after hearing all this, Mo Yue said something that he never expected:

"wrong."

"The prisoner is not among these six people."

Spring of Events: Chapter Twenty-One Suspicious Aspects

"The prisoner is not among these six people?"

Asakawa Riku frowned, not understanding what the detective meant: "Could it be that the crime was really committed by an 'invisible monster'? Is this case really related to supernatural forces?"

He remembered Chizuko-senpai's shikigami, [Okiku], a ghost with the ability to "cut off other people's fingers".

If there are other monsters capable of severing other people's limbs...

Could it be that the doctors and nurses weren't lying, and the truth was simply that the monster killed someone and disappeared?

“Monsters are not my specialty, but the murderer is not invisible, but a tangible person who killed the victim.”

"Itsuki said calmly, taking a small sip of his scalding hot coffee."

“A tangible person…” Because of this guy’s superpower, Asakawa Riku trusted the detective’s words. He changed his thinking: “Then it must be a [superpowered person]?”

He quickly made the connection to the fact that almost all the incidents last year involved superpowered individuals disguised as monsters.

It's not surprising that powerful superpowered individuals possess the ability to "cut," easily transforming people into that form, or the ability to "invisibly," silently infiltrating an operating room to become the eighth person in the secret room. Or, similar to the Spider Woman's "teleportation" ability, they can easily teleport away after killing someone, leaving no trace.

Thinking about it this way, superpowers really are like a bug in this world. With these abilities, reasoning basically can't follow the logic of common sense.

"If that's the case... then there's no way to investigate."

Asakawa Riku looked troubled. The information he received from the police indicated that there were only traces of six doctors, nurses, and the victim in the operating room; there was no eighth person.

The killer's abilities are still unknown, let alone how to identify them.

"There are several suspicious points."

Mo Yue didn't respond to him, but seemed to be talking to herself.

She huddled behind the luxurious table, her feet resting on an expensive chair, her back arched like a cat's. Her disheveled hair looked like it hadn't been washed in days, a far cry from the graceful, radiant figure she had been at the banquet. Yet, her face remained undeniably exquisite and beautiful, the brilliance in her eyes undiminished.

She only becomes serious when she's thinking; those eyes are proof of her superpowers. Her slender fingertips lightly tap her forehead, uttering deductions that seem almost prophetic:

"The first testimony comes from the anesthesiologist. Why was the patient's surgery, which was scheduled a month in advance, only being performed now? Her explanation of 'requiring temporary training for the surgery' is unreasonable. Subsequent testimonies reveal that the cosmetic surgery wasn't particularly difficult, and the surgeon was quite confident; training others was completely unnecessary. Celebrities undergoing cosmetic surgery must act quickly, squeezing in time within their schedules, as recovery is required and it can't interfere with their next engagement. The victim is a popular idol with a busy schedule; she couldn't possibly wait a month. In other words, this shady clinic wouldn't delay a patient's surgery for a month, otherwise they would lose all competitive advantage. The patient could easily go to another clinic that could perform the surgery immediately, instead of choosing this one. This shady clinic also seems to lack professionalism; they wouldn't sacrifice a profitable opportunity for training."

"The second testimony concerns the surgeon. Was he a plastic surgeon posing as a gynecologist, or a gynecologist posing as a plastic surgeon? What was his university major, or was he a surgical genius proficient in both? His skills and prestige are admired by others, so why would such a talent end up working in a shady clinic? We even questioned the two assistants about why they didn't work at major hospitals. Why is his statement so brief? Was it because of his poor attitude? Was he so afraid of being accused of medical malpractice? Had he been expelled from the normal medical system for a previous medical malpractice incident? Did he have any debts? Why was he the last to escape from the operating room? Was there something more important than the terrifying monster? Why did he go home before the police arrived? What is he hiding?"

"The third and fourth testimonies involve two assistants. Why are these two so closely intertwined? Are they a couple or conjoined twins? One is an honest, loyal, herbivorous professor, the other a terrified woman completely dependent on her boyfriend. Their statements are utterly meaningless; they only revealed that they had a motive, but they couldn't have been the first to act. Again, if it were a simple cosmetic surgery, two assistants wouldn't be needed. If two assistants are required, it's not a simple surgery. An arrogant surgeon wouldn't be thinking about training junior surgeons, and a corrupt clinic wouldn't pay idle staff. Their existence must have a purpose. These two insist they didn't witness the crime, instead shifting the blame to the nurses, indicating that something else must have happened below the face during the surgery, and they hadn't prepared a story on the spot."

"The fifth testimony comes from the scrub nurse. A cunning woman, she rattled off a long list of instruments to muddy the waters. The victim underwent only basic double eyelid and rhinoplasty procedures. The most basic scalpel, scissors, tweezers, suture needles and thread, hemostat, retractor, electrocautery device, marker, sterilization equipment, mirror, and magnifying glass were sufficient. Where did the extra instruments come from? Having extra spares means extra sterilization. Such an impatient woman doesn't seem like someone who would do unnecessary things. Speaking of which, I remember, can lidocaine and buspirone really be used for infiltration anesthesia? This type of anesthesia requires very small doses. Where were such powerful anesthetics used? Although these people are full of lies, they are right about one thing: such simple tools cannot be used to cut human bodies indiscriminately. Not everyone has superhuman strength like you, assistant."

"The sixth testimony comes from the circulating nurse. Don't be fooled by his obedient and cooperative appearance. Someone who can remain so calm in the face of such a situation is the one who can lie without batting an eye. Why did everyone else avoid talking about what happened, but he was the only one who dared to describe how the monster killed the patient? Was it because his perspective was the most complete, or was he the 'spokesperson' chosen from among them? But his statement is not without flaws. He said that the patient struggled violently in pain, so the surgeon's scalpel accidentally caused a serious wound on the patient's face. But imagine someone being slashed in the middle of a struggle; wouldn't the limbs fly off in all directions? Why are the limbs still intact on the hospital bed in this case? Did the patient die in extreme pain? Beneath her slashed and illegible expression, was it pain contortion or numbness with no expression?"

Spring of the Item: Chapter Twenty-Two Unsolved

"This……"

Asakawa Riku was stunned. He had thought he wouldn't be able to understand, but what the other person said was quite easy to understand. Although he spoke very quickly, it all made a lot of sense.

He had a strange feeling for a moment that he "had figured out a lot of doubts, but they were all jumbled together and he couldn't put anything into words."

"You actually memorized all of that?"

When Higashion Suetsuki was giving that long speech, she didn't even look at the notes on the table; she just talked on and on.

Asakawa Riku's testimony was exactly the same as what she had said, and he was able to pick out the contradictory points from the complex statements in such a short time.

"It's by this spot."

Mo Yue finally revealed a smug smile and pointed to her beautiful eyes.

It turned out to be the case.

I remember now. The other party not only has the ability to "foresee the future," but also the ability to "peep into the past." Perhaps it was through him that I saw the memories of when I was taking the statement.

Just like in the room at that time, besides the police and Asakawa Riku, there was also a female detective standing there. It was really a convenient ability for her to conduct on-site investigations without having to go to the scene.

She saw more than just cold words; she read the reactions, expressions, tones, and details of the witnesses, which allowed her to pinpoint the suspicious points so accurately.

Asakawa Riku finally understood why she needed an assistant; she was practically using him as a camera.

"What about medical knowledge?"

But he still has a question. The detective just mentioned the types of anesthetics and surgical instruments. Could these also be related to superpowers?

"That's what I learned from reading books."

"Nonsense, I've been here for so long and I haven't seen a single book here."

Asakawa Riku didn't believe this nonsense. Compared to the mystery club's activity room, which was piled high with books, the detective agency's reception area was more like an entertainment room, with video games as the main attraction.

He could only guess that perhaps the detective's university major, which he never attended, was medicine, which was why he happened to have knowledge in that area.

...Just like how she got her hands on that "dementia-inducing drug".

With this in mind, he didn't delve into the details, but instead returned to the case:

"Since your superpower is so convenient, why don't you just tell me who the culprit is? If it's not one of those six people, who else could it be? Is it a real monster?"

Even if the evidence isn't complete, it's better to arrest the person first. Maybe if you ask them, they'll confess on their own.

"I do not know."

To everyone's surprise, Mo Yue shook his head.