Nightmare of a Hunter

*This article is about the novel. For the 2019 drama special of the same name, see Hunter's Nightmare.*

## Novel Information

### Series

*The Detective Story of Clinical Criminologist Hideo Himura*

### Publisher

Kadokawa
Kadokawa Bunko

### Release

January 2017
June 2019

### ISBN

ISBN 978-4-04-103885-7 (2017)
ISBN 978-4-04-107855-6 (2019)

***Nightmare of a Hunter*** (狩人の悪夢, *Kariudo no Akumu*) is a Japanese detective mystery novel by Alice Arisugawa in his Himura Hideo series.

## Synopsis

Alice is invited for a conversation with popular horror author Masato Shirafuse and his editor Hatoko Ezawa to visit Yumemori-sō, a mansion in the suburbs of Kameoka, Kyoto. Alice sleeps in the so-called "Nightmare Room", which is said to make someone have nightmares upon sleeping in it. The next day, an incident occurs.

### The First Incident

The next morning after having dinner at Revry and his nightmare encounter, Alice takes a leisurely stroll through the neighbourhood forest and enjoys the tranquil environment around Yumemori-sō. Shirafuse's neighbour, Moe Yahagi, informs him of the recent peculiarity surrounding a certain residence known as Baku House. However, according to Shirafuse, Yoriko Okita had arrived and stayed at Baku House the day before Alice and the others visited, and that she should have already returned home, therefore making the house currently unoccupied. When Shirafuse, Ezawa, and Yahagi go to Baku House to check it, they find Okita dead on the living room sofa, with her right hand cut off and an arrow stuck to her neck.

Alice, the first discoverer, photographs the scene and mails it to Himura while waiting for the police to arrive. The weapon was a non-practical decorative arrow which was given to Shirafuse as a gift from a fan, displayed in the living room with a bow.

The investigation proceeds while waiting for Himura's arrival. In the living room that became the incident site, there is a clear, blood mark of a hand on the wall that seemed to belong to Okita, and, from the testimony of the bereaved family, it is speculated that a bill belongs to Okita's stalker, Oizumi Tessai. Furthermore, the latter was found on the security camera of the nearest station on the incident, and a taxi driver who was driving Oizumi confirms that the latter arrived at the town, chasing Okita.

Moreover, on the night of the incident, a fallen tree had blocked the road due to a severe lightning strike, making it impossible to exit the neighbourhood by car, albeit otherwise possible for Oizumi, presumed to have entered by foot, to manoeuvre around the fallen tree and, therefore, escape the scene after the crime. In this regard, the case is apparently solved without Himura's intervention.

### The Second Incident

When the blood-stamped bill is appraised to be Oizumi's, they investigate when he might have been lurking in the house, which was sometime between his arrival and the incident. In the basement, they discover the corpse of Oizumi, with his left hand cut off.

The premise that Oizumi is the culprit collapses, and Himura and Alice begin to move in earnest. Himura speculates that the murder weapon that killed Oizumi is the bow from Baku House, and the vinyl string found in the basement belongs to the culprit.

Further investigation on the people concerned reveals the following information about the day of the incident:

* Okita and Oizumi were killed almost at the same time, but the appraisal reveals that Okita was the first.
* On the night of the incident, Revry's owners and their niece were at home (that is, at Revry).
* On his way back to Revry, a customer named Yoichi Yuge witnessed a lightning strike on a nearby tree blocking the path.
* The owner of Revry told the following morning that the road was unusable and requested for Shirafuse that night, who would pick up next day's guest (Alice), because it was too late for Yahagi.
* The fallen tree was removed the following morning due to the prompt action of the municipality, so there was no effect with picking Alice up.
* On the night of the incident, Yahagi was playing classics at a loud volume to counter the loud thunder, and Yuge, who passed by Yahagi's house on his way back to Revry, also testified.
* Shirafuse was cleaning the room for the next day's guest.

Moreover, the following information are uncovered surrounding the victims:

* Along with Okita's right hand and Oizumi's left hand, two old mobile phones and Okita's smartphone were found to have been carefully broken. Only Okita's fingertips were baked.
* The old mobile phone seems to be Okita's, but it is broken and internal data cannot be recognised. Another old cell phone is found at Okita's home, and there is a record of a brief exchange between reconnecting with Shinya Watase after their high school graduation and losing contact.
* Okita arrived at Baku House in memory of Watase's death, but there are testimonies that she seemed to be searching for something, such as a birdhouse in the garden.
* The late Watase had a painful past, but no one, including Shirafuse, knew about it (who knew Okita from the same high school).

## Characters

* Hideo Himura (火村 (ひむら)  英生 (ひでお) ): A 32-year-old clinical criminologist and associate professor at his alma mater, Eito University School of Sociology. With a course on criminal sociology, his desire to kill someone made him interested in the field. Born in Hokkaido, he eventually moved from place to place due to his father's transfer. He has lived alone in a boarding house in Kita-Shirakawa, Kyoto, where he has lived since he was a student. His parents passed away and has a good relationship with his elderly landlady, a relationship similar to a parent and child.
* Alice Arisugawa (有栖川 (ありすがわ)  有栖 (ありす) ): A 32-year-old mystery writer and Himura's friend since they were students at Eito University. Born and raised in Osaka, he currently lives in a 2LDK apartment in Yuhigaokacho, Osaka. He worked as a salesman for a printing company until he was 27 years old and made his debut after winning the Golden Arrow Award. He has been writing mystery novels since he was a student.

### Yumemori-sō

* Masato Shirafuse (白布施 正都): A popular horror writer who wrote the hit novel *Nightmare Rising* from his *Nairai* series.
* Ryōhei Mitsuishi (光石 燎平): The owner and chef of an *auberge* named Revry.
* Shizuyo Mitsuishi (光石 静世): Ryōhei's wife.
* Yumi Mitsuishi (光石 由未): Ryōhei's and Shizuyo's niece, who trains to become a chef.
* Yoichi Yuge (弓削 与一): A guest in Revry and a game creator.
* Moe Yahagi (矢作 萌): Shirafuse's neighbour and an illustrator.
* Shinya Watase (渡瀬 信也): A young man who lived in the so-called Baku House that belonged to Shirafuse. He also took care of Shirafuse's surroundings. Two years ago, he died at Baku House due to myocardial infarction. The nightmare he once experienced was Shirafuse's inspiration in his work.

### People who Arrived

* Yoriko Okita (沖田 依子): Watase's high school classmate. After returning to Japan, she came to know the death of Watase and wanted to see Baku House.
* Oizumi Tessai (大泉 鉄斎): Okita's former lover, who seemed to keep up with her after their separation.
* Hatoko Ezawa (江沢 鳩子): The editor of *Hakuyusha* and in charge of Shirafuse. She wants to stop Shirafuse from retiring with a horror novel. In her late twenties, she stays at Revry.

## See Also

* *Hunter's Nightmare*: A two-part episode adaptation from the 2019 drama special.

## Notes

1. ↑ A 2LDK apartment consists of two rooms in addition to a living, dining, and kitchen area. "L" stands for *living*, "D" stands for *dining*, and "K" stands for *kitchen*. The number "2" indicates that there is one room in addition to the main living area.

## References

1. ↑ 作家アリスシリーズ — Wikipedia (Japanese)
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 有栖川有栖「火村英生（作家アリス）シリーズ」『狩人の悪夢』あらすじとほんのりネタバレ感想 — I Want to Solve All Mysteries (Japanese)
3. ↑ 46番目の密室 — Wikipedia (Japanese)