Occultic;Nine

February 25th (Thursday)

Hey!

What? Have you gotten lost?

I finally found you.

February 29th (Monday)

"He decided not to go out for it began to rain."

The "for" in this sentence is a conjunction...

Chi...

Devils have possessed this park!

The lands of Musashino are corrupted by the electromagnetic waves of Wardenclyffe!

This park is, too, of course!

The experiments of Nikola Tesla are still continuing!

That is indeed the global system created by the Tokyo Radio Tower!

You've already noticed me gazing at you.

Such a cute guy.

Two large antennae point toward the Musashino area 24 hours a day!

Huh? That's weird.

I was told by the Yafoo! Auction seller that they'd deliver the Vanguard card here.

They are doing so confidently as people look around!

Maybe I shouldn't have trusted personal delivery after all.

People not openly showing their anger is proof that they are brainwashed!

Oh, maybe you're the one I made the deal with?

Oh, my handle is "Domo, I'm Zenigata."

I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're talking about.

Oh, pardon me.

Actually, I made a successful bid on a rare Vangua card on an internet auction.

The seller specified here as the rendezvous point.

I chose personal delivery

so that I could brag about it as soon as possible to all the snotty brats.

But it seems like I was careless and I was duped.

Man, I made a mistake!

But lately I hear there are many beautiful female Vangua players like you,

and so I approached you with a faint expectation of sorts. Yeah.

You're a cute student. Are you cosplaying?

Despite my look, I'm a college graduate with a job.

This is my work attire, too.

That means you must be older than me.

But still, my personal impression is that you are...

rather cute.

You just took something very important to me.

Oh, can you tell me what this important thing is?

My heart.

The corruption is not just in Musashino!

It's not just Tokyo, it's not just Japan!

By the way, what in the world is that old man?

He is "god."

It's already starting to spread all over the world!

You are acquaintances with a god?

No, I don't know him.

But you're drawing that old ma—

"god."

I'm doing it on my own accord.

He doesn't get mad at you?

Contrary to expectations, it seems okay.

I'm sure "god" is very tolerant.

Can I take a look?

Oh, this is really well done!

Are you a part of a wall-side circle?

No, wait. But this isn't what you'd call moe art per se.

But it's really well done!

It looks like I've seen this art style somewhere, too.

Are you a student? Do you go to art school?

No, I'm a student, but not of art school. I go to Seimei University right over there.

Do they have an art department over there?

They don't.

Your art is too good for an ordinary student!

That's right, this is Kichijoji!

Many manga artists live in Kichijoji.

That means you're a manga artist, as well?

Please, can I shake your hand?

If you do, I'll never wash my hands again for the rest of my life!

A manga artist yes, but I'm a doujin artist.

That means, you participate in Comiket, as well? What's your genre?

Boys' Love would be out of my radar...

But anyway, I think I've seen this art style somewhere in the past.

You're lying to me, aren't you?

Where did you see one of my books? I'd like to hear. Let me hear.

If all of this isn't a lie that you used as a pick-up line.

But I seriously can't remember. I'm so lame!

Right now, I'm really lame!

I'm sorry, but can you tell me your name?

It's okay if you tell me the title of a doujin book you've authored instead.

I may have read that book.

My name is Ririka Nishizono—

Yes, I know that.

So you did know from the beginning.

You're such a sneaky person.

Your "A Dark Water's Bottom" is the talk of the internet lately.

Did you know that?

- Are you really talking about the internet? - Of course.

By "talk" you mean something like "that book wasn't interesting" and such?

Right. I did read it myself, and indeed, it wasn't interesting at all.

But the topic was quite interesting.

Especially the story of the third chapter. That was marvelous!

The third chapter? Wasn't Boys' Love off your radar?

It is. But the content itself was something very interesting.

I'd been wanting all this time to ask you how you came up with that story.

I mean, people normally don't think of gouging out a tooth with a knife

as a memento after killing someone you love.

I don't think up any ideas.

Everything I draw are all based on the dreams I've had.

Anyway, about the CODE...

A cord? Like for earphones?

No, that's not it!

The one spelled out C-O-D-E. CODE.

I don't know much of it.

If you're drawing manga based on the dreams you saw,

are those dreams foresights?

This is a copy of a page from "A Dark Water's Bottom" that you drew.

There are letters written in the spot where I circled with red.

Letters of the alphabet. What did you write here?

- COLA. - That's not it!

You understand, right? You were the one that drew this.

You're right.

This is CODE.

So, what's the big deal about that?

A photograph that has something to do with my work?

This is a dying message that the victim of a certain murder had left behind.

Who are you?

You don't have to ask. You should already know me pretty well.

After all, despite my look...

I'm the detective in your manga.

Truly delicious!

Truly tasty!

Isn't it, isn't it? Why can't Gamota realize the wonderfulness of this flavor?

He's not here again today.

Maybe he caught an off-season cold.

It seems like he is home, though.

Oh, is that so?

The last I heard Gamotan's voice was when he answered the phone

in a really depressing voice.

Stop dramatizing it in an ominous way.

Oh, I'm sorry, I have to step out a bit.

Oh?

Hello?

Take care!

Oh, my...

Receipt 66,600 yen - Consulting fees Kurenaino Aria

That's why I said let's do a special on devils.

Here's Gamotan!

No. Oh, yes.

I'll return right away. See you.

Izumin, I'm gonna go home for today! Bye!

Okay, see ya!

Sarai Hashigami?

Hello there.

You were the one closest to him, but you ended up being the last one.

I heard that you didn't speak with your father too much.

Right. We didn't have a good relationship.

Especially after committing himself to bogus ideas like the occult.

Which means you respected him a bit until then?

Nonsense!

Dad, are you going to sacrifice everything you've worked for?

There is nothing that cannot be a subject of science. That includes the occult.

You know how many people were driven out from academia by saying that?

I also know that their intent was not corrupt.

Dad, their hearts may not have been corrupt.

But people that can see things that can't be seen,

the hearts of people that can do things others can't do... They're often corrupt!

Let's say that there really is a world where human knowledge falls short.

But there's no way for you to prove

that the people who act as mediators for that world are just!

If they're lying, then they're the only ones who'll know!

There is no mistake in what you say.

But there must be some way.

And I want to find it.

Dad, you said so often that you were going to make the super-theory

left behind by Nikola Tesla into reality!

Yet, why...

I figured it out as I explored deeper into the research Tesla left behind.

He may have found a world where the spiritual bodies, conscious astral forms, gathered.

I want to prove that.

Spiritual bodies? Dad, are you sane?

Fine, you can do whatever you want!

Science and engineering...

Professor Hashigami, an authority trying to resolve Tesla's super-theory

that had long been a mystery, suddenly turned to the occult.

I think there was some catalyst for him to do so.

I don't know anything of the sort.

It was all too sudden.

Because you're his son by blood, you're furthest from the truth.

This kid's the same as that other kid.

By the way, have you heard something about the Aveline Note?

What's that?

If you don't know, that's fine. Forget it.

Also, for today and tomorrow,

it's better for you if you kept your cell phone turned off.

What do you mean?

I'd like to talk to you again sometime.

My parents passed away when I was only ten years old.

Ever since, in this needlessly spacious mansion, I lived alone with Big Brother.