We were prepared to respond quickly this year.

That was why we were able to start the investigation immediately by securing the crime scene.

The victim is the wife of the younger brother of the Houjou couple.

So she's an extremely suitable target for the fourth year's curse of Oyashiro-sama.

She has a horrible reputation among the locals.

After the incident, everyone said she deserved to be cursed.

...I have a general idea of who the culprit must be.

It's probably... Satoshi Houjou.

That innocent-looking kid.

There's even a motive.

The deceased abused his sister relentlessly.

So this would be in revenge for that.

Also, when he attended the inspection of the crime scene, he was rather frantic, yet also far too composed, as if he was totally unrelated to the incident.

My intuition from many years of police work tells me that eight or nine times out of ten, someone who acts like that is the perp.

I have no concrete proof, but if I question him and shake him up a bit, I have a feeling he'll confess.

"For the victim to be so beaten up, the culprit must have some blood on him as well.

If we can find that, then we'll have proof."

"Unless he's a complete fool, I'm sure he's already gotten rid of it by now.

If we can find any in the place he says he disposed it in after he fesses up, then we can convince the prosecutor too."

This was pretty insignificant as a standalone case.

...A confession from Satoshi Houjou would end it.

Everyone except me must believe that.

But if I look at it as a part of the series of mysterious deaths, it won't be so easy.

Either the Three Families of the village,

or the Sonozaki family alone, is directly involved in this.

If they are the ones pulling the strings, they must have instigated Satoshi Houjou into committing this crime.

......If so, Satoshi Houjou is someone who knows way too much about them.

The Sonozaki family's actions must remain hidden.

If he could connect them to the crime, would they let him run around freely?

Satoshi Houjou is a loving brother who cares very much for his sister, and they set him up to kill his aunt as the fourth year's curse.

After that... they will eliminate the one person who can connect them to the crime.

......Satoshi Houjou is not just a simple criminal.

He was set up.

And after that, my suspicions were confirmed...

For he abruptly vanished.

He disappeared in such a puzzling way.

He didn't run because he was afraid that his crime had come to light.

......Another culprit came into the picture.

He was already arrested for a different crime and furthermore, he died while in prison.

He confessed to information only the culprit himself would have known.

Therefore, he must be the culprit.

But as he's already dead, the investigation was closed.

Then Satoshi Houjou disappeared a few days after the festival.

......It's obvious someone doesn't want Satoshi Houjou to be connected to this incident.

My boss put pressure on me to close the investigation and to file Satoshi Houjou's disappearance as a separate incident.

He even handed the case over to a different section.

The way this case is closing so rapidly,

greatly resembles the same trick used two years ago with the Houjou couple's accident.

......There's no doubt it's the work of someone who can put pressure on the police.

As it happens... the Sonozaki family is the only one who can actually exact influence on the police department here in the Hinamizawa area.

They may think their trails are covered, but this points towards them more clearly than anything.

According to my informant, Oryou Sonozaki mentioned the fourth year's curse at the family meeting and hinted that she was the one behind it all.

...Hinting isn't strong enough evidence, but there is no mistaking that Oryou Sonozaki is the one pulling the strings.

I know they're the ones who did in the old man.

But I just can't grab them!!

The principal offender is still on the loose, but I'm sure he's being sheltered somewhere by the Sonozaki family.

...I have to locate him, and find that missing right arm!

I'll return the arm to his grave, and make the principal offender and the masterminds both bow down before it.

...However, just like how Satoshi Houjou disappeared, it's possible the principal offender has already been eliminated.

I bet he's already been killed and buried somewhere nobody can find.

If that's the case, then that's fine.

......I'll make the old hag who ordered someone to kill the old man slam her forehead on the ground before his grave.

...This, I swear...!!

After the fourth year's curse, people are already saying something will happen again next year.

Even with all my preparations, I couldn't prevent the incident from happening this time.

It's too late if something happens.

I must keep my eyes on the core of the village before something takes place.

There's a reason why I have to get to the bottom of this by next year.

Because... I'm retiring.

My mother has been wanting to go back to her hometown in Hokkaido, and for a long time, she's been asking me to move there when I retire.

I feel that's the least I can do for her, so I agreed to move to Hokkaido when I retire.

...So next year is my last chance to avenge the old man's death.

It happened four years in a row.

So more than likely, there will be a fifth curse too.

As a result of the series of mysterious deaths, the village has been tightly knit together since the dam protests.

They were told that betrayers will be punished in the name of the curse.

...To the masterminds, that's enough reason to continue with the series of mysterious deaths.

According to rumors, this year's victim, the aunt, was cursed because she didn't participate in the Watanagashi festival.

So there are villagers who believe that if they don't participate in next year's Watanagashi, they'll be cursed...

It'll be a huge festival next year for sure.

Something will happen.

The series of mysterious deaths in Hinamizawa,

also known as the curse of Oyashiro-sama.

...I will avenge the old man.

I definitely, definitely will...