Chapter 38

“Annihilation? That sounds pretty intense.”

“Ah, no, of course I don’t mean you should literally kill him. That would make you a criminal!”

Sasaki waved both hands in front of her chest to deny it.

“I just want you to socially annihilate that man.”

“…I see.”

“Can you do it?”

Sasaki asked, peering into my face.

“Socially annihilate him, huh…”

Honestly, it was hard to say.

Using clairvoyance and mind-reading spells might make it possible, but that would be useless unless Kengo Kadokura was secretly committing actions that deserved social condemnation.

“I couldn’t ask a normal detective something like this… Then, while browsing online bulletin boards, I happened to find out about Onitsuka-san. I figured this was my only option left.”

Perhaps showing her determination, Sasaki made no effort to look away from me.

Unable to help it, I averted my gaze.

Stirring my hot coffee with a spoon for no particular reason, I opened my mouth.

“…Understood. I’ll give it a shot.”

“Ah, thank you so much!”

“In exchange, there’s just one thing I want you to promise me.”

“W-What is it?”

“Hypothetically speaking—just hypothetically—if the media or the police ever question you about this in the future, absolutely do not mention me.”

I decided to muzzle her just in case.

“The media and the police…?”

“Yes.”

I was in a position where I had to kill a person once a week.

If someone marked me, I wouldn’t be able to move freely.

That would literally be fatal for me.

With the disappearances of Hosotani-san and Saeki, police officers and news media had prowled around me before, so I really wanted to avoid that kind of situation.

“D-Don’t worry. I won’t talk no matter what happens, so please rest assured.”

“I see. Then, could you show me a picture of Kadokura?”

“Yes… This is him.”

With that, she pulled a photo from her bag—perhaps from a company retreat or something—and pointed at a man in the front row with a bitter look on her eyes.

Huh?

Wait, haven’t I seen this man somewhere before…?

“Onitsuka-san, is something wrong?”

“Ah, no, nothing.”

I felt a fleeting sense of recognition toward the man in the photo, but I couldn’t place it.

It was probably just my imagination.

Anyway, now that I knew his face and name, I could cast the clairvoyance spell whenever I wanted.

“You can put the photo away now.”

“Ah, yes… Um, regarding the fee for the request…”

Sasaki broached the subject, looking slightly hesitant.

“I don’t really know what the going rate for this kind of request is, so how much would it be?”

She asked timidly.

“I managed to withdraw one million yen from the bank just in case, but if it’s going to be more than that, I can’t quite manage it right this second…”

As she spoke, Sasaki gently placed a thick brown envelope on the table.

“O-One million yen?”

“Ah, is it still not enough?! I’m sorry, I’ll definitely come up with the rest, so please don’t abandon me!”

“Ah, no, no, that’s not it. It’s plenty, it’s plenty, everything’s fine!”

“I-I see. Oh, thank goodness~”

Truthfully, I had no clue what the going rate for a detective’s fee was either.

Besides, this kind of request wasn’t something a normal detective would take on in the first place.

While listening to her, I had figured that getting around 200,000 yen would be a great outcome.

To think I’d get a whole million yen… Oh crap, if I let my guard down, my cheeks would start grinning.

Feigning calm, I replied,

“Well, consider that a success fee, so we’re good for now.”

And I brought my hot coffee to my lips.

“O-Understood.”

“Then please look forward to good news.”

I finished off my hot coffee, left Sasaki behind, and stood up from my seat first.

Putting my mask back on, I paid for both of our drinks at the register and left the coffee shop.

On my way back to the apartment, I immediately pictured Kengo Kadokura’s face and muttered “Ngarinse” inside my mask.

Instantly, the back of my eyelids projected an image of Kengo Kadokura riding a train.

Keeping one eye closed, I continued walking while closely monitoring Kadokura’s movements.

The face of Kadokura swaying inside the train still felt vaguely familiar.

Right after that, the train stopped, and Kadokura stepped down onto the platform along with the wave of passengers.

Then, as Kadokura rode the escalator swallowed by the sea of people, the next second he slipped the smartphone he was holding right between the legs of a high school girl standing in front of him.

“Ah, this guy…!”

That was when it finally hit me.

Kengo Kadokura was the voyeur who had tripped my radar the very first time I used the villain-perception spell.