------
------
Tsk, tsk, tsk…
Seishū Minazuki suddenly felt a wave of "Damn, I can't compare".
This… this was the work of a true veteran.
A way to display divine power in public—done so smoothly, wrapped in something everyone was already familiar with, slipping into people's minds without them even noticing.
Yes.
Takeda Mie had Seishū Minazuki's curse energy on her.
He'd used a jutsu—Keika, a kind of pact—sharing a First-Grade Curse with her.
That way, he could see the world through Takeda Mie's eyes, and also use that curse to nudge her back on track if she ever strayed from the plan.
After all—
His system points were limited.
Dungeons, templates, special items… they all burned through points fast.
So Seishū had to live frugally, making use of every "actor" he had at his disposal.
Waste was a sin!
Closing his eyes, feeling the curse energy flowing, Seishū savored the sensation of the supernatural wrapped around him.
No need to rush.
Patience.
The real show was still to come…
The next day – Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department
.....
"…Are you serious?"
Megure Juzo couldn't help leaning back as he stared at the woman in front of him…
A downtown fortune-teller?
"It's Downtown Oracle, you rude young man."
The corner of his mouth twitched.
In all his years, this was the first time anyone had called him a "young man."
And here, in his own territory no less.
He glanced over Shinichi at Kudō, who was maintaining an awkward smile.
Don't look at me.
I didn't want this either.
But… this old lady had the real deal.
The list of names she'd given actually matched real people.
Still…
"Uh… is the altar really necessary?"
"Of course!"
Except—not really.
Takeda Mie confirmed it with confidence, but truthfully, the altar was more symbolic than anything.
It was her way of showing respect to the Fallen Ruler, King of Curses, Lord of a Hundred Ghosts.
As the divine envoy of the Fallen Ruler, she couldn't just summon his gifted spirit familiar without paying respects, could she?
And shouldn't these mortals get a glimpse of her "true skills"?
And while she was at it, maybe clear her name from some old, unfair accusations?
Her eyes, cloudy with age yet still carrying a certain depth, told the rest.
If she was going to make a display… she might as well make it a grand one.
Like that day—when she'd been lucky enough to witness the very realm of the gods.
Speaking of which, Takeda Mie thought of Yotsuya Miko.
A small, self-deprecating smile touched her lips.
That girl was far luckier than she had been.
From the start, she'd had the gaze of a god upon her.
Takeda Mie had thought the girl was just being haunted by vengeful spirits… only to find she carried blessings far greater than her own.
As for why a god would favor that child—well, in Japanese mythology, that sort of thing happened all the time.
One day a god descends to marry a mortal maiden.
The next, another god chooses a human shrine maiden.
It was nothing unusual.
So unusual, in fact, that Mie instantly lost interest in prying further.
She'd keep her mouth shut—unless the right time came.
And until then, not a word.
…Maybe I should give it a try.
After getting a nod from Shinichi Kudō, Megure Juzo studied this so-called Downtown Oracle carefully.
Honestly?
No matter how famous she might have been in religious circles once—those days were long gone.
Now?
She was just an old lady with unsteady legs.
If she didn't get in the way, that would be enough.
And yet here she was, wanting to get involved in a case that had the entire Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department tied in knots.
"How about this, young man? You prepare the altar for me, and I'll give you more information."
"…Fine."
Her tone was so matter-of-fact that Jūzō gave in.
He was convinced she was just making a scene.
But even if it was a scene—if she could give them useful intel, he'd swallow his pride and go along with it.
The case was that difficult.
And the pressure from above was enormous.
He'd never cared for these so-called occult experts, and right now, he was even more annoyed.
If she provided good intel, he could at least be sincerely grateful.
But to use the case as an excuse to "put on a show" and "make some side profit"…
He set things up with a sour expression.
Meanwhile, Shinichi Kudō casually tried to draw more information from Takeda Mie.
He'd been directly involved in this case.
He'd seen Seiichirō's sudden, unexplained death with his own eyes.
As a detective, he should be keeping people like her at arm's length.
And yet…
There was something in the calm, unruffled way she handled herself that made him pay closer attention.
He honestly couldn't tell anymore—was she performing, or did she truly believe those outrageous things she was saying?
"There's a curse at work. It needs to be removed."
"The curse will only grow stronger, until it devours the entire cycle of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches."
"Humans can't see it—unless they have spiritual sight."
"And human weapons can't hurt it. It's a true evil spirit… a vengeful soul."
Absurd!
Shinichi wanted to say it out loud.
But the one saying this had already given him clues—clues that had partly been proven true—and she was old enough to be his grandmother.
So he kept his doubts to himself.
He was the so-called savior of the Tokyo MPD, sure.
But this… this was outside his experience.
And Mie's arrival had drawn the attention of certain Tokyo elites.
They were watching.
Watching to see her fail.
Not that they'd say it outright.
Because—what if she was right?
If she was right, they could claim they'd only been concerned for the safety of a respected elder.
Still…
Most of them were just here for the show.
Jūzō worked quickly.
Following Mie's instructions, they rounded up every middle-class citizen whose fate aligned with the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches.
Each one was put in a separate, sealed room for protection.
It was then that Mie's eyes fell on the ever-smiling Haruno Yukinoshita.
Knowing there might be unknown dangers here, and still coming?
What was she after?
No…
It seemed Mie had misunderstood.
Haruno noticed the doubt in her eyes, but didn't bother explaining.
It wasn't like she'd be getting close to those potentially doomed people.
The isolation rooms were far from the police headquarters.
Monitors were more than enough.
After all, the Tokyo MPD bigwigs valued their lives.
This wasn't nearly as dangerous as some might think.
She had a passing acquaintance with Mie—enough to call it a mild friendship.
And when you have a friend, shouldn't you show up to lend some support…?
Hmph.
Another opportunist.
Jūzō no longer had the energy to point such things out.
Night was coming.
And every night was when the MPD tore its hair out over this case.
Cameras.
Everywhere.
Not just in the isolation rooms—
But also in the homes of certain powerful families.
They had to watch.
They would watch.
No one could hide anything from these elites.
They would never allow anyone to try to threaten them with bloodshed.
✦ Night fell over Tokyo.
Neon lights began to flicker on, crowds gathering in certain places.
The MPD headquarters, usually dark at night, was now blazing with light.
Inside the monitoring room, Jūzō, Shinichi, Wataru Takagi, Mie, and Haruno were all focused on the giant display of surveillance feeds.
"…It's here."
Mie's words dropped into the room like a stone in water—
and the atmosphere immediately shifted.
"....."