I Created Urban Legends in Parallel World
[Original – YakuMan]
[TL – MiT7]
[PR – Spades]
Chapter 16: Suggest Blocking It
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Nighttime at Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department.
The meeting room of Investigation Division 1 was thick with tension, the air heavy and stifling.
Standing at the head, Fuchigawa Kazuma, in uniform, looked worn out. His eyes were bloodshot, his demeanor weary. Scanning the room, he said gravely, "Nishino-san, give us an update."
"Yes, sir." Nishino, seated below, spoke bluntly. "Today, we've got 56 new deaths. All reports confirm brain death—no signs of foul play."
"Adachi: 4 cases."
"Shinjuku: 12 cases."
"Ota: 8 cases."
"Shibuya: 9 cases."
"Chiyoda: 15 cases."
"Meguro: 3 cases."
"Toshima: 5 cases."
Pausing, Nishino continued, "Of the 56 new cases, 54 were students. According to their classmates, all the deceased were delinquents—male and female. Combined with prior cases, the total student deaths now exceed 150."
The room's atmosphere grew even heavier. Silence hung, so thick you could hear a pin drop.
"Hell Girl…" Fuchigawa Kazuma rubbed his temples, his brain on the verge of shutting down.
On one hand, he didn't believe the world could harbor such eerie phenomena.
On the other, every death was brain death.
Some died at home, others at school, some on the street. From surveillance and witness accounts, they all dropped suddenly.
No killers, no culprits. Autopsies? Sudden death, brain failure.
Sure, Japan's sudden-death rate was high—tied to its social pressures. But 56 in one day? That was beyond reason.
Worse, the deaths were spread across Tokyo, yet nowhere else in Japan reported similar cases.
He'd scoffed at rumors before, but now Fuchigawa Kazuma was starting to waver.
Just then, the meeting room door swung open.
Before he could snap, the young officer who burst in stammered, "Chief Fuchigawa, check the forum—floor 5786."
Fuchigawa opened his laptop, the screen behind him lighting up.
Within a minute, he was on 2ch, in the pinned post, clicking the video at 5786.
The seven or eight people in the room watched without surprise—more disappointment. After days of reviewing footage, they knew these deaths had no warning signs.
But when the dark, bluish straw doll appeared on screen, soft gasps rippled through.
"A curse doll?"
"Straw doll?"
"That's the murder weapon?"
"…"
"Quiet!" Fuchigawa sensed the shift in mood. Investigation Division 1 was full of elites—fearless against thugs. But a mysterious urban legend? That was different.
The unknown was terrifying.
He stared at the palm-sized straw doll, watching the red string around its neck get yanked, the doll crumbling to dust.
Seconds later, the girl in the center collapsed, dead.
The room fell cold with dread.
They fought criminals, valued life. To see one snuffed out over a string—it was too casual, too chilling.
"Anything from the Cyber Division?" Fuchigawa didn't stop the video, letting it loop as he questioned the young officer.
The officer looked sheepish. Their division had hit a wall with this 2ch post. They'd asked the mods to delete it—impossible, they said. When Cyber Division stepped in, the post's weirdness stumped them.
For two days, they'd been stuck, just scanning replies for scraps of info.
He spoke up. "Some replies mention this happened at Kasugaoka High. The victim's supposedly named Mako, suspect's maybe Hase Reiya. But it's just comments— we can't verify."
The post itself was supernatural—uneditable, undeletable, IPs untraceable.
It was their division's kryptonite.
"Get a few people, track down Hase Reiya for questioning." Sure, some had claimed Hell Girl avenged them, but none mentioned a straw doll.
With belief waning, fewer admitted to seeing her.
This video was a lead—Fuchigawa sensed a breakthrough.
"No need," came a voice as the door opened again. Two young people stepped in, a man and a woman.
The man wore long sleeves, hands tucked inside. Pale-faced, average-looking, with white-streaked hair and an unnaturally thin frame. Round glasses framed squinted eyes that oozed disdain.
Aoji stepped forward, his tone dripping with contempt. "This weird case is mine now. Just follow my lead."
The young woman beside him moved up, nervous but composed, introducing herself. "Hello, Investigation Division 1. I'm Koike Oto, Aoji-sama's assistant. Regarding Hell Girl, HQ has assigned this to the Special Division."
"Special Division?" Fuchigawa sized them up, his voice low. "Who are you? There's no Special Division in the MPD. And… how'd you get in here?"
The others snapped to attention. It was late, but the MPD's entrance had guards. Two strangers waltzing in unescorted was wrong.
Before anyone could press, Fuchigawa's phone rang.
He eyed the pair warily and answered.
"Kazuma, it's me."
An aged voice came through.
At the sound, Fuchigawa instinctively bowed, clutching the phone respectfully. "Director Yasuda."
"Hell Girl's case goes to Aoji of the Special Division. He should be there by now. Follow his orders on the investigation."
"Yes, sir!"
Confused but obedient, he agreed without question.
"Alright, now that we're acquainted, I'm off to rest. See you tomorrow," Aoji said coldly, cutting in before Fuchigawa could speak. "Oh, and… I'd suggest blocking 2ch to prevent more victims. Personally, though? I wouldn't. More dead scum's no bad thing."