The Ghost of the Past Reappears

Kazuya Hattori took his half-dog-yōkai partner, Inuko Takeda, to her house and dropped her off. Then he turned his car around and drove home.

He sped through the empty highway amidst the city lights. His thoughts dwelt on his older sister, Kasane, and her handling of the Kagenashi yakuza thugs a few hours ago. Even his colleague, Inuko Takeda, had mentioned how amazing Kasane was in the face of the Kagenashi foxes and their kumichō’s heir, Yukihiro.

“Senpai’s sister is so cool!” she had said, holding her fluffy white tail tightly to keep it from wagging as he drove. “I want to get to know her better.”

A proud smile ran through Kazuya’s lips. He glanced at his family picture from thirteen years ago, hanging on the mirror in his car. It depicted him as a ten-year-old, the twelve-year-old Kasane beside him, and their late parents. Kazuya’s smile turned bitter as he eyed his father’s still image. Detective Jin Hattori was dressed in his police uniform in the photo, having served in the Paranormal Department, where Kazuya worked. The hatred for the Kagenashi Clan sparked in Kazuya’s heart again.

I swear I’ll avenge you, Dad! He thought. I’ll make Genzaburō Kagenashi pay.

Kazuya’s and Kasane’s parents died ten years ago in a fire, right after Jin Hattori discovered incriminating evidence on the Kagenashi Clan’s kumichō, Genzaburō. Therefore, Jin’s partner, now the chief of the Paranormal Department, Akechi Shinemori, and Kazuya both believed that Genzaburō had killed Jin, and his wife was caught in the middle. So, Kazuya had made it his mission to arrest Genzaburō Kagenashi. Recently, he discovered through his sister, Kasane, that Genzaburō’s grandson, Yukihiro, hadn’t been involved in their parents’ murder. So, he reluctantly took him down from his vengeance list.

Kasane can see Yukihiro, for all I care. Kazuya thought, grimacing with displeasure at the remembrance of his sister’s affair with the yakuza heir. He still didn’t condone it, but knew that he should respect his sister’s free will, especially after Kasane confessed that she hated the yakuza and Genzaburō Kagenashi as much as he did. She’s proven that she can handle herself. Kazuya reflected. I won’t meddle with Yukihiro again. But I’ll arrest Genzaburō Kagenashi!

He drove through the quiet, dark streets. But as he approached his neighbourhood, a gruesome sight unfolded before him: the third floor of a certain block was burning, only two streets away from his apartment. The firefighters were trying to contain the fire, and medics ran about, carrying injured people on stretchers.

Flashbacks from his traumatic past hit Kazuya, from ten years ago when he and Kasane lost their parents in a fire. The stench of heavy smoke only amplified these wretched memories. He stopped his car and stared at the chaos. But he didn’t remain frozen for long. He noticed the special forces of the Paranormal Department on the scene, his colleagues.

Chief Akechi Shinemori’s son, Jin Shinemori, led the special forces. He was a twenty-four-year-old man with a muscled build, red hair, and honey-brown eyes like his father. But unlike Chief Shinemori, or even Kazuya’s father, the late Jin Hattori, after whom he was named, Jin Shinemori was gruff and haughty. He and Kazuya had started as childhood friends due to their fathers’ close friendship, but fell out after middle school when Jin Shinemori joined the rude boys and became a bully. He had retained his surly attitude ever since.

Kazuya activated his Absolute Sight Magic. The pupils of his green eyes dilated, and the traces of magical energies became visible to him. He observed the flames through his zooming vision, trying to discern the lingering spiritual aura. Colour drained from his face. Although the fire carried no fox trace or the stench of burning spider lilies, its crimson blaze was uncannily similar to the one that killed his parents ten years ago. That fire, too, had borne no kitsune aura, but flared crimson like foxfire.

Kazuya sprang out of his car and ran to the scene. The firefighters had just put out the flames when he showed his badge to the officers and passed through.

“Jin!” He ran to his childhood friend. “What happened here?”

Jin Shinemori turned around, glowering at the intruder. Few dared call him by his first name, but he had recognised the mild, low voice. He snorted, emitting hot fumes from his nostrils – the quirk from his Explosion Magic.

“Scram, Kazu!” He snarled at him like a raging bull. “This isn’t your case to handle… not yet. I’ve got lots to clean up.”

“With all due respect, my apartment is just two streets away!” Kazuya shouted, knitting his brows. “I have the right to know what happened. This fire looked exactly like…” He paused, his throat running dry. He gulped and resumed more gravely, “like the one from that day.”

Jin Shinemori’s eyebrows lifted. He looked at Kazuya with a twinkle of compassion, but then frowned again and turned away.

“We were called three minutes before the tragedy,” he grunted. “A woman yelled something about a ‘fire monster’ on the phone. We arrived as fast as we could, but were too late, as you can see.” He gritted his teeth, upset about his failure and angrier about having to reveal it to Kazuya. “No one survived in that apartment. We’re gathering evidence now. You’ll likely find this case on Dad’s desk tomorrow.”

“M-May I see the bodies?” Kazuya asked, his voice trembling. “Please, Jin! I need to know.”

Jin sighed. Chills ran down his spine as he recalled the mutilated bodies. Although he disliked Kazuya, he should tell him the details… for his late godfather Jin Hattori’s sake.

“They were taken away,” he said. “But… The men were torn apart.” He looked significantly at Kazuya. “And the women had their hearts clawed out and missing.”

Kazuya’s eyes widened. He staggered back in shock. The horrific memories of his parents’ mutilated bodies struck him as if it were yesterday. There was no longer any doubt – the culprit in this incident was the same yōkai that killed his parents.

“Hey,” Jin’s gruff voice interrupted his traumatic thoughts. “I told you all you wanted. Now scram!”

Kazuya awoke from his daze. He opened his mouth, about to ask for permission to investigate the crime scene, but Jin clenched his fingers and emitted some explosive sparks from his palm – a clear threat.

“I told you, we’re cleaning up.” He snarled. “Don’t meddle in my business!”

Thus, Kazuya had to withdraw. No matter how sad he was to admit it, his Absolute Sight wasn’t a combative type of magic, and so no match for Jin’s Explosion. He knitted his brows, glowered at Jin for one last time, and returned to his Honda Civic. He drove off, upset.

When Kazuya reached his apartment, he found his grandmother, Rin Hattori, already asleep. He sighed in relief. At least, he wouldn’t have to explain himself to the old woman, who constantly worried about him and his older sister, Kasane. He quietly retired to his bedroom, exhausted from the hectic day.

But he couldn’t sleep. The memories from that day tormented him. The failure to save a politician, the skirmish with the kitsune yakuza, and then this fire incident, resembling the one from ten years ago that took his parents’ lives, but which he hadn’t been allowed to investigate.

“Screw Jin!” Kazuya whispered, glaring at the ceiling. His heart throbbed, the traumatic memories of his parents’ bodies still on his mind. The recent fire carried no kitsune aura, just as back then. He thought. And yet, it resembled crimson foxfire. Only nine-tailed foxes can erase their aura. It must’ve been Genzaburō Kagenashi, like back then! He snarled and clenched his fist. I’ll arrest him, I swear! But one thing is clear – Yukihiro is innocent. He was with us only a few hours ago. He couldn’t have caused this fire.

He turned around and shut his eyes, trying to banish the evil thoughts. After some hours of struggle, he finally fell asleep.