"Keiichi!

I've been calling your name for a while!

You have a phone call.

...It's from Sonozaki-san."

"S-Sonozaki-san...... which one?

The older sister, or

the younger one...?"

"...I don't know.

Ask her yourself."

"H-

Hello...?

......Mion?

...Or is it Shion?"

"It's me.

...Shion.

Good evening."

"Shion!

Umm...

...Sorry about... last night.

...I got all riled up..."

He must have been worried about how I hung up the phone so suddenly last night.

"We're tied to the same fate.

Making sure the other is alright is the only way to guarantee our own safety."

"...Yeah... I agree."

"...We absolutely need to share whatever information we have.

...So that we don't die, like Takano-san and Tomitake-san did."

Gulp...

I heard Keiichi swallow loudly.

"Then... let's continue from where we left off.

...You'll listen without getting angry this time, right?"

"...Yeah.

...I'll be fine."

Keiichi agreed to be quiet and listen.

I explained the dangerous situation Keiichi was in once again.

Just like how some evil people in the village attacked Takano-san and Tomitake-san, they might attack us any day.

It was ironic, of course, that while I was warning him, I was also the one who made sure the curse would fall upon him.

"...Let's report anything we noticed that seemed strange.

...If we connect all the tiny pieces that we have...

then just maybe we'll find out who killed them...

Or maybe even the truth behind the incidents of the past few years."

"...Mm... you're right.

...You're right about that."

"...Then I'll start, since I suggested it.

...I feel like somebody has been watching me lately."

"What...?!?!"

I was making this up.

I just wanted him to realize how urgent the situation was.

"......It might be my imagination, but...

I'll tell you anyway.

...I think it's just me, but... if you feel like you're being watched too, Kei-chan, then...

...Maybe it's not just in my head..."

"W-Well... Don't worry.

...At the very least... Everything's fine with me."

It seemed like nothing had happened to Keiichi today, at least.

Now that the heads of all the Three Families were gone, it was possible the curse system had been destroyed entirely.

If that was the case, then Keiichi might not be attacked after all.

But if there was someone who did want to attack him, that meant part of the system was still alive.

In other words, my mission wouldn't be accomplished just yet.

Keiichi is like a litmus test in this situation.

I'd know whether or not all my enemies were gone depending on if Keiichi got bitten.

He sure is a very useful man.

After that, I went along with what Keiichi said.

I made sure he was fearful of Mion, as well as all of the Three Families.

I explained to him the possibility that the whole village was involved, and that the curse of Oyashiro-sama might be some sort of system.

Then I remembered Shion wouldn't know too much about the disappearance of the mayor, so I continued.

"...I just heard this myself...

Is it true... that Uncle Kimiyoshi went missing?"

"You mean the mayor...?

Wait, Shion...

you haven't heard?"

"I don't know anything!

...I just overheard my father talking about it on the phone again."

"...Yeah.

Actually... last night, after the meeting, he didn't come home, so the whole village was in a panic.

They searched all over Hinamizawa, but if they've found him, then I haven't heard...

The police should be searching for him as well..."

"Wh-Why didn't you tell me something that important right away???!!"

"S-Sorry...

I thought you already knew...

I didn't want to hide it or anything...!"

"............Kei-chan...

...What...

......What should I do...?"

"...What's wrong?

...Tell me.

We're not keeping secrets from each other, right...?"

"...I'm sorry.

...I... well, I didn't mean to hide it.

...It was just that, well, the conversation got turned around and..."

"...We're on the same side, right?!

I won't get mad, so just tell me..."

"I...

......

Uncle Kimiyoshi, I...

...I told him everything."

"......Old man Kimiyoshi... He's someone you feel comfortable confiding in, Shion...?"

"......Yes.

...He would... When I was little, he was really nice to me...

...All I did was play tricks on him... but he would always just smile...

...He listened to anything I had to say...

...He was such a kind person..."

"...C-Calm down, Shion.

...It's not like he's dead, right?

Don't lose heart so easily..."

Keiichi tried to make me feel better.

But he had no idea what was actually going on.

It really made me laugh.

"......That night...

...I told the mayor...

that we snuck into the ritual storehouse.

...Also that someone saw us... and was out to get us."

"...Does the mayor know how absurdly Takano-san and Tomitake-san died...?"

"......Yes.

...He knew about it.

...I told him that they died by Oyashiro-sama's curse... and that I could be made a sacrifice to calm his anger.

...I just said it straight out."

"...Right.

...What then?"

"...Uncle Kimiyoshi... didn't get angry.

...He smiled, then told me that if I was remorseful about it, there was no way I'd be demoned away...

...He was really...

...smiling... ...and he told me to leave it to... him...

...ngh...!!"

I actually got a little sad while saying that.

Uncle Kimiyoshi had been so reliable.

I was happy when he said that he would protect Shion.

I truly was happy.

If only he hadn't said anything to insult Satoshi-kun...!!

".........It's my fault.

...Because I... I confessed everything..."

"...Stop it, Shion...

...It's not your fault."

"No!

It is my fault!

I... I told him our secret...!

Uncle Kimiyoshi found out about everything...!

So... he had to have been killed!!

...It was right after I confessed to him, after all!!

He disappeared the same night... and he told me everything was going to be all right!!"

It was such a strange feeling.

I wasn't upset at all.

But as I pretended to be upset and mutter words of prayer for Kimiyoshi's safety, I started to feel that emotion growing inside me.

I was only pretending to be distressed to fool Keiichi,

yet the emotion I feigned began welling up inside me... ...It felt like I was being consumed by that emotion.

So the words coming from my mouth... weren't words I intentionally said.

...They were words that consuming emotion forced me to say.

It was like someone else inside of me was doing the talking instead...

And I was just watching that someone talk from a short distance away...

"I should never have told him!!!

All of this... should have only been our fault! Only the four of us!!

It wasn't something I should have told someone else!!

He got killed because I told him!

He got killed because he knew!

He got killed...

...

because I confessed to him!!!!

"

"Hey, stop!!

If they were doing that... then they would obviously have killed you before killing the mayor!

It doesn't make sense!

You or I should have been killed first!!

Why would other people die before us?!!"

"It does make sense!

They must be planning to kill us last of all!!"

"...Hah...?

Wha... What!?"

"...'They' start by killing those we're close to... and after they've caused us so much pain, then they'll kill us... That must be what they're doing!!"

What I just said scared even me.

Killing our loved ones first to harm us emotionally, and only then kill us at the height of our suffering.

Whoaaaaaa,

I felt something crawling up my spine.

That's awesome! It's an awesome idea!

I must not be human anymore. I really am a demon.

A human could never think of such cruel things!!

That would be one incredible Hell...

Your close friends dying one at a time after being tortured.

And after all that, you yourself get killed...

What a great way to destroy someone's life...!

Why was I getting so excited about this?

...Because I could get going with that plan right away!!

Heh hehehehehehe heh heh heh!!!

"...Ri...... Rika-chan!!

It's Rika-chan!!!!"

"......What?

...What did you say just now...?!"

"I... I, well...

...The truth is...

...I...

...I told her about it.

...I told Rika-chan...

...today!!"

"Rika-chan... You mean Rika-chama?

The one from the Furude Shrine?"

"Yes, Rika-chan!

...I felt... I felt so scared and uneasy... that I did it.

...I told Rika-chan."

"...When you did... what did she say...?"

"...The cat is worrying too much.

I'll do something about it for sure.

That's what Rika-chan said...!!

...I-I'm sorry, Shion!

I-I-I... I'm a bit... I'm worried about Rika-chan...!!"

"Ah, right! ...If you're that concerned, then don't worry about me.

Please, go find out whether she's safe."

"Y-Yeah...!

I'll do that!"

"I'll call you again tomorrow at the same time.

When I do, you'll know I'm still alright."

"...I got it.

I'll be waiting.

Okay, bye!

Sorry!

I'm hanging up!!"

Keiichi hung up roughly.

"......

Ah ha ha ha ha!!!"

What a hilarious conversation with Keiichi.

Everything was just too damn funny.

Keiichi Maebara,

go ahead and struggle helplessly.

Run all over the village and see if the curse is still alive.

Go ahead and see if my enemies are still around!

I laughed for a while and then calmed down.

I'd already got rid of the bicycles and shoes belonging to Rika and Satoko.

My house was, for the moment, taken care of.

I could expect Keiichi

to run around in a panic,

to ask for help from someone,

and then ultimately come to Mion.

More than likely, the youth group would end up looking for Rika like they did with the mayor.

...I'd probably have to endure another long night again, knowing nobody would find her.

I decided to wait until the phone rang.

I killed time by watching TV until it did.