Chapter 695

Meanwhile, inside the inn.

With such a heinous incident and situation having occurred, such a major accident having taken place, sure enough, YKC48's Kohaku Uta Gassen scheduled for tonight was entirely cancelled; on site, countless agents and management staff were making phone calls non-stop, inquiring about the development of the situation; NHK

That side also relayed word that, considering Nishino Miki's extremely vicious death and the immeasurable social impact, while waiting for the local Yamagata Prefecture Police to formally produce results, not only was YKC48's Kohaku appearance cancelled, but even Akasaka 46's Kohaku appearance was temporarily cancelled as well.

The Red Team was changed to be represented by the former Asian diva Hamasaki Ayumi, who has grown so fat she turned into "Baba-saki," and the former songstress Kuraki Mai, who "peaked at debut and declined year after year."

To a certain extent, the so-called "Heisei divas" are essentially just a continuation of female idols; after people grew tired of Akimoto's female idols they became obsessed with divas — Hamasaki Ayumi, Amuro Namie, Kuraki Mai, Utada Hikaru were all products of the turn of the century; however, with the passage of time, as the divas aged, their looks rapidly deteriorated, and excessive concert activities plus special singing techniques often ruined their voices quickly so their shelf life was not long; therefore, by this era they have all become has-beens, now reduced to relying on female idols stepping aside just to get a chance to show their faces on Kohaku.

Just at this moment, Sakura also arrived; Miyawaki Sakura greeted everyone and joined the 48 Group's ranks; Sashihara Rino saw her and could only smile wryly: "What are you doing coming here at a time like this?"

"Sakura devotes herself to 48, bowing and exhausting herself until death! At this time, I absolutely must be together with Mina-san!" Sakura declared with great backbone, hands on hips, then without changing expression indicated she was tired from the long journey and would go rest first.

Damn it, with such a vicious incident happening, absolutely must not affect my teeth!

Blood better not splash on me!

Likewise, Date, who was currently recuperating from injuries, did not immediately follow Uesugi Muneyuki to the scene; in the morning he changed his medicine first, rested a bit, and only got up to move around at noon.

However, Date seemed to have good luck; shortly after he got up, he saw the Red Slope Deputy Captain, Second Young Lady Moriya Akane — the one who haunts his dreams — take the initiative to strike up a conversation with him, asking very seriously and naturally: How exactly did it happen? Any news from Uesugi Muneyuki's side? How far has the investigation progressed? Any leads?

Especially, the Second Young Lady was wearing casual clothes! She wasn't wearing the Red Slope standard winter uniform, but was in casual clothes getting chummy with him right in front of him; plus he had already been added to her private Iine — could this mean he had formally entered her private life, become part of her private life?

The moment he thought of this, Date's waist didn't ache anymore, his legs didn't hurt anymore, his chrysanthemum became Mixue Ice City 200% sugar content US-exclusive sweet-as-honey, and he thought: Not to mention one bear and one wild boar, even if ten came, I'd kill them all before the Second Young Lady's eyes!

However, I am a military man!

A military man must have backbone!

Then Date selflessly told the Second Young Lady everything he knew, and promised to tell her immediately if there was any further news.

"Date-kun, you're really good." The Second Young Lady was a bit moved.

"You're welcome; if Moriya-san has any need, how could I dare not obey?" Date Nagamune said seriously.

After the Second Young Lady temporarily left, Date Nagamune was so excited he almost jumped up.

Uesugi-san! Grandpa Sōrei! And Lord Masamune, did you see? I'm going to succeed! I've already struck up a conversation with the Second Young Lady, become her friend!

What if? I mean, what if?

Now just waiting for her to graduate!

Date Nagamune was beside himself with excitement, but he didn't notice that the Second Young Lady indeed gave him a look with a complex expression.

The constitution of human society's order is a long process that has undergone very complex evolution.

The bottommost logic of order is violence; in ancient clan society, whoever fought best was the king.

The second layer of order's logic is morality; it is said the earliest origin of filial piety was the previous king's son, who because of martial prowess and ability to divide more spoils and obtain more guidance easily became the next king; but the succession of kings was often accompanied by bloodshed and slaughter; when the young king killed the old king he would often suffer moral condemnation and flash back to scenes of his father guiding and feeding him in childhood, ultimately forming so-called morality; and with the people's sustained loyalty and the king's sustained rule, both sides would form emotional bonds, thereby deriving the concepts of loyalty and gratitude/resentment.

The third layer of order is law; the birth of law originates from "homomorphic revenge," which has been mentioned earlier.

Moriya Akane originally pinned her hopes on Sohō Hinata's power; from Sohō Hinata alone, he is unquestionably a superior being of the third layer.

However, with such a vicious thing happening, Moriya Akane's thoughts had some fluctuations.

Date Nagamune is a police officer, a former Self-Defense Official, an old nobility, and currently the rising star before Uesugi Muneyuki's eyes.

More importantly, Date holds violence in his hands — legal violence.

Perhaps he isn't a very bad choice either, and he's even quite infatuated with her!

With such a vicious incident, if Red Slope's development is affected, her idol path will inevitably be shadowed; if the idol path fails she'll have to consider graduation; if she graduates, Date Nagamune is from a noble family and a public servant, and he's infatuated with her — perhaps he's a very ideal choice.

This thing called an idol, its status is too low; bluntly put, Sohō Hinata being willing to play with her is looking up to her.

Moriya Akane's face held a hint of deep meaning.

This young lady, I've read books!

"We all know, there indeed exists such a group of people living on the margins of society."

"Everyone, do not underestimate the survival capabilities and resource acquisition channels of this type of rough-sleeping homeless." Uesugi Muneyuki pulled up some photos of the environment near the scene: "They are active long-term in abandoned factories, garbage dump sites, redevelopment zones; those places are treasure troves of old tools, scrap metal, including all kinds of sharp implements. A discarded old bone cleaver, an industrial cutting knife, even —

A piece of sharpened heavy machinery fragment, could all become a murder weapon."

"These tools are often covered in iron rust and oil stains (consistent with smell and trace substances). For rough-sleeping homeless accustomed to using crude tools to solve survival problems (such as prying open cans, cutting materials), using them is not unfamiliar. As for physical strength — long-term rough sleeping, walking on foot, rummaging through heavy objects itself demands considerable endurance and even explosive power."

"If we go by what Uesugi Chief says — indeed." Inspector Yamanaka frowned tightly.

Although few in number, such people do indeed exist in Japanese society; some simply cannot adapt to modern society and urbanization, and will actively or passively choose to become this type of "rough-sleeping homeless"; even from a certain angle, quite a few were forced out by the government's "waterfront operations."

Japanese people originally hate privacy issues and hate having their own shameful matters exposed; when the window clerks very politely keep asking "Why were you fired?" "Why don't you seek help from family?" "How much savings do you have?" "Is the company's reason for firing you true? Why don't you contest it?" "What do you think are your remaining livelihood skills?" many Japanese cannot endure this repeated grilling; they would rather not take the 130,000 yen monthly welfare.

"The perpetrator choosing the rest stop's rear toilet as the dumping site is by no means accidental. That location is secluded, almost no one uses it at night, and the surrounding terrain is complex, facilitating approach and escape. A rough-sleeping homeless who wanders year-round on the city margins and near traffic arteries would likely be far more familiar with such locations than local residents."

"This type of rough-sleeping homeless really likes to use such public facilities to clean their bodies or even bathe in the middle of the night when no one is around."

"He knows where there are no cameras, where the patrol blind spots are, where he can hide and observe. He himself is a master of 'hiding.' Stuffing the corpse into a filthy toilet pipe — this disposal method seems 'perverted' and 'insulting' to ordinary people, but from the perspective of someone who may have long been numb to filthy environments, or even lives in similar environments, perhaps it is merely the most 'convenient' or the disposal method most conforming to their twisted cognition."

Uesugi Muneyuki said in a deep voice: "If that's the case, then everything makes sense!"

"What Uesugi Chief says indeed makes sense, and our investigation does indeed deliberately avoid this type of person." Inspector Yamanaka and the others pondered a moment, found it reasonable: "But then how to explain the sexual assault traces and strange ritual phenomena at the scene? If it's just simple sexual assault, why decapitate? If decapitation is the goal, why sexual assault?"

"This is also a question I've been pondering all along." Uesugi Muneyuki said in a deep voice: "At first glance, it is indeed strange; therefore our initial investigative direction was all toward the possibility of a fan, anti-fan, or someone familiar with Nishino Miki."

"But this conflicts to a certain degree with my earliest judgment that the perpetrator might be a random crime or a premeditated crime."

"As everyone knows, whether fan or anti-fan, although the motive is clear, it's unlikely they would sexually assault, decapitate, and dump in a toilet; if it's just a simple murder, why sexual assault?"

Speaking here, Uesugi Muneyuki's tone showed an extremely subtle change, as if narrating a detail pieced together from the whispers of the dead, a chilling detail: "Moreover, based on scene traces and some subtle signs in the autopsy — not yet written into the formal report — I suspect the perpetrator's initial 'plan' or 'impulse' may not have been complete sexual assault and decapitation. The sexual assault act more likely occurred after controlling the victim, due to long-term sexual repression, isolation, and the catalytic effect of the violent atmosphere at the scene, a temporary outbreak of intense physiological impulse. This is a behavioral layer more primitive and bestial, detached from meticulous planning."

"That is, caused by long-term sexual repression!"

"And this profile precisely matches the characteristics of random crime, premeditated crime, and this group of marginal rough-sleeping homeless!"

This explanation, like a powerful searchlight beam, pierced into the dark corners the police had never seriously examined.

It pulled the seemingly impossible image of a "rough-sleeping homeless perpetrator" from absurd imagination into a chillingly reasonable category supported by criminal psychology and environmental behavioral science.

Uesugi Muneyuki's expression was not good; this was his first time making a judgment without conclusive evidence.

But he knew he would face this day sooner or later.

A professional forensic pathologist must have the courage to make judgments!

Because this is Yamagata Prefecture Yonezawa City! This is Uesugi Shrine, where Lord Kenshin's remains rest!

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