The concert had started, and I was pissed because I wasn't there to witness it thanks to my job. This really sucked. My frustration made me rougher than necessary with the man I was dragging across the floor.
"P-Please, wh-what have I done to deserve this kind of treatment?!" he screamed.
"Sorry, but you're under suspicion and need to be questioned," I replied. "You should have hidden that tattoo better."
"Tattoo? Which one? Don't tell me you think I'm a cult or terrorist member just because of a tattoo?"
"My intuition is telling me you're up to something bad. So no matter how unreasonable it seems, my suspicion stands."
"You're telling me you grabbed me because of something as stupid as a woman's intuition? Come on, you can't be serious! I paid with my own money to be here and watch the idols' first appearance! And now, because of a woman's intuition, I miss it and waste my money?!"
"You can yap all you want. I don't care."
I threw him down in a dark alley, his hands and feet now tied to prevent any chance of escape. If he could run even in these circumstances, it would be pointless anyway.
"Can you be a little more gentle?!" he shouted at me.
I stomped my foot beside his face, making him flinch.
"Hii!"
"I've got some questions for you, you bastard," I said. "Does the word Eclipse mean anything to you?"
I saw the slightest wavering in his gaze. Gotcha. This man was definitely affiliated with that cult.
"...I don't know what you're talking about," he stammered, his voice betraying a hint of panic.
"You don't have to deny it. I already know because of that crescent tattoo on your wrist," I said, my tone icy and unyielding. "Tell me, what exactly is a member of a cult doing in a public place with so many people around? Are you planning to assassinate someone?"
"What?! No!" he protested, his voice cracking.
"Then what exactly are you here for?" I demanded, my eyes boring into his.
"I've already made it clear—I have no idea what you're on about! Haven't I emphasized that I'm here to indulge myself?"
"Do you fancy getting hurt?"
"Tsk. There you go with those worn-out lines. Agents of the Administrations ought to afford the benefit of doubt to those they suspect wrongly. I fail to comprehend your intentions here, but your assumptions about me are entirely misguided."
"Hmm? Pray tell, precisely what have I done to warrant your suspicions?"
"For one thing, you dragged me all the way here and threatened me based on nothing more than a woman's intuition. And for another, you're suspecting me without a shred of evidence! If you want to arrest someone, maybe try bringing some proof instead of relying on baseless hunches."
"Why?!"
"There's something crucial I still need to understand."
There was something critical I needed to ascertain before making a decision about the man's fate. Despite my initial urge to incarcerate him, it seemed he had genuinely repented for his sins as a cult member and turned a new leaf. That's what my Intuition was nudging me towards, anyway. But I had to probe further.
"What happened to the women who were abducted by the cult?"
He averted his gaze, guilt flashing across his eyes. "I already told you, didn't I? The cult leader ordered us to carry out many reprehensible acts. That included kidnapping women, and then..." He faltered, biting his lip. "...sacrificing them in front of the statue of their evil god. I don't know their ultimate goal, honestly.
I only joined for the perks. But looking back, I think I grasp their agenda now. Frankly, I believe they were attempting to awaken that evil god. It's mere speculation on my part."
"Why do you think that?"
"Well, because all the women we killed in front of the statue were virgins. They believed virgin sacrifices would nourish the evil god and somehow bring it to life."
So that explained the wave of kidnappings targeting women. But if that was truly their aim, why did they suddenly cease their activities for ten years? Hmm? Perhaps they lost faith, but why was their name resurfacing now? It didn't add up. No, that wasn't the priority at the moment.
To unravel this mystery, I needed to be direct.
"Do you have any idea who the cult leader is?"
"Hmm. Oh, yeah. I know him. I've seen his face many times," he replied, his voice carrying a hint of recognition tinged with unease.
Good. If he disclosed the leader's name now, we could bring this investigation to a decisive close. We could capture the leader and put an end to their depravity.
"What is his name?"
"His name is..." Suddenly, he fell silent, his eyes staring ahead but vacant, turning milky white. "...name is..."
"Hmm? Hello?" I called out, but he remained unresponsive. What had seized him?
As I approached, intending to shake him back to awareness, I noticed blood trickling from his nose and then from his eye sockets. The crimson streams ran down his face, staining his features.
And then, abruptly...
Plop!
His head exploded with a nauseatingly wet sound. Blood and fragments of brain sprayed across the dark alley, splattering the walls and pooling on the ground. The visceral scene unfolded in grotesque detail, yet I felt no revulsion.
Everything around me seemed to blur into a haze, and a piercing, high-pitched ringing filled my ears, drowning out all other sounds.
The ringing was so intense, I couldn't even hear the distant sounds of the concert anymore.