The Unresolved Case

A month passed after Kazuya and his friends ventured to the Demon Realm to save Yumi Shinemori. Ginrei’s secrets became widely known – that he’d been using his clones to pose as the different kumichō of the Kagenashi Clan for centuries. But, thanks to Dragon God Dairyū’s efforts and much to Police Chief Akechi Shinemori’s consternation, he wasn’t arrested. Now, he led the Kagenashi Clan in his true form as Ginrei, the 1133-year-old white nine-tailed fox.

The century-old case regarding the rogue nine-tailed fox, Kasai, was officially solved. Dragon God Dairyū executed Kasai for his crimes. Kazuya Hattori and Inuko Takeda, the detectives who helped solve the case, were promoted.

But Kazuya could hardly enjoy his promotion. The criminal he was most concerned about, the Flame Scorpion, who killed his parents ten years ago, remained undetected. He was in charge of the Takahata case now, which concerned a murder in his neighbourhood and was perpetrated by the same Flame Scorpion. But, even after a whole month, he hadn’t yet found any substantial clues.

It was a fine August morning. Kazuya was sitting at a table with his grandmother, Rin, and their friendly neighbour, the 70-year-old half-jorōgumo woman, Matsuri Kegawa. They were having breakfast in the dining room. Kazuya was having coffee, while Rin and Ms Kegawa had opted for some fresh herbal tea. There were also chocolate and fruit cookies, and chocolate pancakes on the table – Kazuya’s favourite. The TV was on, showing the news channel. They were reporting a public meeting of the National Yōkai Heritage Protection Association, or the NYHPA – a non-governmental organisation dealing with the protection of yōkai habitats and rights in Japan. They were declaring the Inari Woods a national yōkai reserve.

“We have successfully restored the burnt-down shrine in the Inari Woods,” Kenzō announced. As the heir of the Kagurayama Clan, he was one of the chief members of the NYHPA. He was leaning on the podium stand and speaking into the microphone before a crowd of people. “We believe it is time to declare the Inari Woods a national reserve. My father, Dairyu Ōji no Kami-sama, has discussed the terms with the chief guardian of the Inari Woods, the white nine-tailed fox, Ginrei Kagenashi. He has agreed to turn a part of the forest into a public recreational park, while the majority of the woods will remain off-limits to outsiders. I will give the word to Mr Kagenashi now.”

Kenzō stepped off the podium. Kazuya, Rin, and Ms Kegawa watched the TV with interest while munching cookies.

“That was your grandnephew, huh, Rin?” Matsuri Kegawa asked. The white pupils in her black jorōgumo eyes dilated as she gazed at Kenzō on the screen. “He looks handsome, alright! But a little scary, with those rainbow eyes… I’m not too fond of reptiles.”

“Thank you, Matsuri!” Rin blushed, happy for the praise. After all, Matsuri was a half-spider-yōkai, for whom reptiles were natural enemies. She was blunt in her speech, so when she praised Kenzō, she must mean every word, Rin thought.

“Oh, Ken’s scary not only to spiders, Ms Kegawa!” Kazuya chuckled, remembering Kenzō’s cruelty towards enemies.

On TV, Ginrei took the stand at the podium where Kenzō had stood a few moments ago. He had hidden his fox ears and nine tails, and appeared as a 33-year-old human with long, wavy white hair and crimson, vulpine eyes. He was dressed in a comely red shirt, thin black trousers and boots, and had a black suit hung on his shoulders. His finger was adorned with a silver ring with an amethyst gem, certifying his stance as the kumichō of the Kagenashi Clan of the yakuza foxes.

“Hmph, Kasane chose that as her boyfriend?” Ms Kegawa sniffed, glaring at Ginrei with disdain. She sipped her tea. “I told you once, Rin, and I repeat now: nothing good will come of your granddaughter’s relationship with that fox!”

“Well, I’m not sure…” Rin muttered, sad that her best friend disapproved of Kasane’s choice. She glanced at Kazuya, who didn’t fancy Ginrei either. She sighed. “He seemed like a decent man, despite his questionable past… And Dairyū no Kami-sama approves of him!”

“Uncle just considers him useful.” Kazuya furrowed his brow. “But I believe Kasane can handle herself.”

“Well, dragons aren’t the best judges, I’ll have you know!” Matsuri Kegawa rolled her black eyes. “Big, four-legged snakes, that’s what they are!”

Kazuya and Rin laughed at Ms Kegawa’s lovely grumbles. They had just finished their drinks when the news report neared its end.

“… And so, with the Kagurayama Clan’s and all of your cooperation,” Ginrei spoke into the microphone in his deep, seductive voice, glancing at Kenzō and then at the crowd, “I hope we can walk towards a brighter future together! The Kagenashi Clan and I promise to keep our word with Dairyū no Kami-sama regarding our operations. Now, what remains to be seen,”—he glared at the camera screen— “is whether the human government will uphold their law! We’ll put every effort into maintaining a peaceful relationship between our species. Thank you for your support!”

He bowed to the crowd and walked off the podium. The people applauded.

Kazuya glowered at the TV screen, his jaw tightening at Ginrei’s speech.

As if you care anything about the law… He thought, frowning.

A TV commercial rolled out on the screen. Kazuya stood up and adjusted his tie, getting ready for work. Ms Kegawa and Rin also stood up.

“Well, I’ll be off to university as well,” Matsuri Kegawa said. She pushed her long, neat white braid with ruddy tints off her shoulder and took her bag.

“Oh, right, you’re a professor of yōkai prehistory!” Kazuya brightened up. “Would you like me to drive you to work, Ms Kegawa? I… I want to ask you some questions regarding a certain ancient yōkai breed.”

“Oh, thank you, honey, but I’ll get there faster by train.” Ms Kegawa smiled. “You can drive me to the station, though! You want to talk about Flame Scorpions, I assume?” She stroked the amber gemstone of her golden necklace, where a tiny scorpion was embedded. “Rin told me about your new case, and about the culprit from… Well, you know…” Her black eyes turned dark blue – a jorōgumo’s display of sadness. “From that day.”

“Yes.” Kazuya sighed and cast his eyes down. He guessed Ms Kegawa was referring to his parents’ deaths ten years ago.

“Well, I’ll tell you everything you want to know about Flame Scorpions!” Matsuri Kegawa’s smile turned rueful.

She and Kazuya bid Rin goodbye and exited the apartment. They went downstairs into the garage, and Kazuya offered Matsuri a front seat beside the wheel in his grey Honda Civic. He took the wheel and drove out of the garage. They hit the road.

“So,” Kazuya said when they drove out in the street, “do you know how a Flame Scorpion could survive Dragon God Dairyū’s tsunami attack? I mean… Uncle told me it might be because the creature was a hybrid, but I’m not sure. Can such vicious creatures as Flame Scorpions even make hybrids?”

Matsuri Kegawa was silent for a moment. Then, she chuckled. She stroked her long braid with her purple claws.

“A hybrid, he said? Well, you’re correct to doubt that! Flame Scorpions killed their mates, so the chance of them mating with another species was slim. The yōkai that agreed to mate with them should’ve been powerful enough to hold their own against them. And they couldn’t mate with anything other than arachnids, crustaceans, or large insects. Now, praying mantises, the strongest insects, didn’t exist in the Flame Scorpions’ blooming era, so that checks out. It couldn’t be a crustacean either because water dragons are their masters, and so Dairyū no Kami would’ve known.”

“But then,”—Kazuya widened his eyes in dismay—“that leaves the arachnids, like spiders! Uncle mentioned them, too. That’s why I addressed you, Ms Kegawa – you’re half-spider. If anyone would know, it’s you!”

Matsuri Kegawa laughed, her spider squeaks mixed in her high-pitched voice.

“No spider would ever be as suicidal as to mate with a Flame Scorpion,” she said. “Spiders have always been survivors, whether in prehistory or the modern era. They don’t walk into their own deaths.”

“Then, how did that Flame Scorpion escape Uncle’s attack on Mount Unzen?” Kazuya raised his eyebrow.

He stopped the car. They had arrived at the train station. Ms Kegawa walked out and shut the door. She bent down and looked at Kazuya through the open window.

“It’s not necessary that it was a hybrid, honey,” she said. “Don’t you remember the 1792 volcanic eruption of Mount Unzen before the tsunami hit? – That must’ve been the Flame Scorpions’ defensive move, their last resort to survive. The hot lava could provide enough of a cover for the smallest one of them.” She smiled and waved her hand at Kazuya. “Goodbye now! And best of luck with your case!”

She walked off to the station. Kazuya knitted his brows and drove on, brooding over the matter. Ms Kegawa had answered all of his questions, and yet, he had only earned more puzzles. He was still no closer to solving his case.