Mikoto Saimyouji

* Manga
* Anime

**Mikoto Saimyouji** (西明寺 水琴, *Saimyōji Mikoto*) is a forensic 'troublemakers' specialist who handles troublemaker cases in multiple Tokyo jurisdictions.

## Appearance

Saimyouji is a young man with short brunet hair and unshadowed, "usually dead" eyes. His standard street attire for his visits with Corpse God consists of dark-hued T-shirts with minor sleeve variations and light-hued trousers.

## Chronology

At some point during Tsubaki Iwanome's detective career, he and Saimyouji have a conversation in which Saimyouji likens detective work to gamma knives. Saimyouji's comments, upon being recalled later, will cause Iwanome to have a breakthrough in understanding Fire-breathing Bug's *modus operandi*.

Sometime before Corpse God's reincarnation, Saimyouji breaks his right leg; this is unclear when this happens relative to the conversation above. His recovery progresses to the point where he can walk without aids. So—when he catches wind of a new Fortunetelling Shop established in Shinjuku—he deigns to visit the business despite his leg not being fully healed.

Saimyouji's visit to the Shop takes place approximately one week after Corpse God's reincarnation and involves extensive questions Saimyouji has prepared to test Corpse God's legitimacy as an occultist. During the reading, Corpse God 'divines' that Saimyouji works in medicine and has recently suffered a leg injury; Saimyouji reacts with astonishment when the pencil between them begins moving on its own, then with alarm when Corpse God warns of ill-tidings should Saimyouji fail to curb his video gaming habit. Later, Saimyouji remarks to Saki Aikawa that he is confident he had found the "real-deal occult *this time*."

Roughly two weeks later, one day after Phantom Solitaire flies a fleet of branded dirigibles in Shinjuku airspace, Saimyouji visits the Shop for a second time. Three notable customers follow him in the queue: two female students, one of whom is a Bug, and Phantom Solitaire, disguised as salaryman "Shouta Yamanoura". Saimyouji was still filling out his survey form by the time he reached the front queue and sat in the first of four chairs lined in the hallway; when the Bug leaned over to ask if he intended to have his fortune read, Saimyouji looked up to reply in the affirmative. Professing himself to be a "huge fan of the occult," he explains that he vigorously tested Corpse God's abilities during his first visit and was convinced that those abilities were genuine.

Saimyouji, by this time, has resolved to visit the Shop every day he has the time to spare. Whether he is among the crowd of rubberneckers who assemble outside the Abandoned Building the next day is unconfirmed. Still, he is at least aware of the reason for such commotion. Overnight, a live streamer captured footage of a "flock of invisible hands" emerging from the Building's rooftop, with Solitaire evading their grasps midair. The Shop is closed the following day for a police investigation but reopens in the morning for an atypically high number of clients, one of whom is Saimyouji.

The Shop's hallway is no less crowded when Saimyouji returns the next day. Upon overhearing a woman telling her two companions—an androgynous man and a child—that she is feeling 'chills', as if "something's in the air," Saimyouji interjects that the woman must be sensing some otherworldly power—after all, he exclaims, the fortune-teller here is the "real deal." He is pleased to oblige when the man requests he elaborates.

By the time the group reaches the four chairs outside the divination room, with Saimyouji again in the lead, the man—Civil—has informed Saimyouji that the three of them are foreigners who have come to Japan to visit the fortune-teller. Saimyouji accepts the notion of Corpse God becoming known 'abroad' without hesitation; identifying himself as someone who frequents the Shop as much as possible; showing Civil the invisible hand's footage uploaded on Proppen's YouTube channel, he explains the rooftop incident is responsible for the past two days' crowds and a police investigation of the Shop the day before yesterday.

Saimyouji expresses disagreement with the popular interpretation of the incident as merely another "Solitaire spectacle" based on his interpretation of Solitaire's character and actions. Though he believes Solitaire to be unmethodical and spontaneous, he has observed that Solitaire's actions scale in proportion to the number of viewers Solitaire knows are watching. Spontaneous as Solitaire seems to be and is, pulling such a stunt without forewarning makes little sense in the dead of night. Civil asks if Saimyouji is a mysterious phenomenon attacked, insinuating Solitaire, but Saimyouji demurs and quips it is just as possible that Solitaire was rehearsing an "elaborate dance routine." The idea of "a mysterious entity and a crook" dancing underneath the stars sends Civil into a fit of laughter, with Saimyouji quick to join in; both agree that the notion is delightfully dramatic/romantic.

Misaki Sakimiya summons 'ticket number 25'—Saimyouji's number—from the divination room's doorway. Before Saimyouji enters the room, he gives his name at Civil's request and suggests Civil look for him on social media.

## Etymology

* The name **Mikoto** means "water" (水)(**mi**) and "musical instrument"(琴)(**koto**).
* Mikoto's surname **Saimyouji** means"west" (西) (**sai**) "dawn" (明) (**myou**) and "temple" (寺) (**ji**).

## Trivia

* Saimyouji's given name is not revealed until Chapter 62, fifty-one chapters after his first appearance.
* Saimyouji's Twittia name is 'MIKOTO', and his account handle is @mikoto\_kansatsu. He has 14,000 followers.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 *Dead Mount Death Play* (Manga): Volume 2, Chapter 11.
2. ↑ *Dead Mount Death Play* (Manga): Volume 6, Chapter 51.
3. ↑ *Dead Mount Death Play* (Manga): Volume 4, Chapter 29.
4. ↑ *Dead Mount Death Play* (Manga): Chapter 62.