Akihito Narihisago/History

## Background

Prior to the events of the series, Narihisago was a homicide detective and colleague of Funetaro Momoki and Kokuryu Matsuoka, working in the 1st Investigative Division. At some point, he married a woman named Ayako, with whom he would have a child: Muku. Though the family was by all appearances a happy one, it's implied that Narihisago was often absent due to his dedication to his job.

On the 26th of October 2016, Muku was suddenly assaulted and brutely murdered by the serial killer "the Challenger", the tragedy led Ayako to spiral into depression and, despite Narihisago's best efforts, take her own life. At some point around this time, he unknowingly came into contact with John Walker, who exploited his new psychological vulnerabilities to influence his mind and exacerbate his mental issues, leaving him with a newfound urge to kill.

Grief-stricken and vengeful, after the Challenger was revealed to be Denshin Katsuyama, Narihisago drove to his mansion before the police could, stormed the building and immediately shot him dead, unintentionally saving Kiki Asukai (who had been locked in an arena under the building) from the same fate as his daughter. Afterwards, Narihisago was arrested and sentenced for Katsuyama's murder.

Two years later, after the invention of the Mizuhanome System and the formation of the Kura, Narihisago was recruited to pilot the Mizuhanome and traverse the id wells as Sakaido, the first "brilliant detective". Over the next year, he would go on to aid in the capture of at least four serial killers, among them "the Face-lifter", "Tounge-tearer", "Arm-twister" and "Thigh-severer", however, his hatred and urge to kill, combined with the knowledge of their psyche he gleaned from their id wells, compelled him to drive them to suicide.

## *ID:REMEMBERED*

Sometime after his transfer to the Kura and the resolution to the "Face-lifter Case", Narihisago thinks back to his life with Muku, Ayako and Ayako's younger sister, reliving their years together, and the pain of looking back at his memories. As he remembers Ayako's favourite song "Forever Memories", he is unable to get past the first view words before breaking down.

## *ID:INVADED*

### **FILE: 02 Jigsawed II**

In 2019, during "The Perforator" case, cognition particles are discovered by field analysts and sent to the Wellside staff, who have Narihisago dive into the resulting id well as Sakaido.

After Koharu Hondomachi is captured by Tamotsu Fukuda, the Perforator, and tries to kill herself, Narihisago is pulled out and, after taking a moment to compose himself, he is placed inside the new id well. After Sakaido is killed, Narihisago waits while the Wellside determine Hondomachi's location. Eventually, Momoki comes down to congratulate him for helping to catch Fukuda. He then asks about John Walker, but Narihisago doesn't have anything to say, who is surprised that Momoki and his team of analysts couldn't find anything about him and offers to dive again to find more information, but Momoki declines. Narihisago asks about Hondomachi, having deduced that she must have fought back and that it was her id well he dived into, expressing interest in seeing if anything about Fukuda's well has changed. Momoki asks if forgetting who he is bothers him, but Narihisago considers it part of the fun, especially since he gets to see Kaeru, which is almost like seeing his daughter, Muku Narihisago again.

Momoki ponders about the length of time since her death, but Narihisago changes the subject back to Fukuda, theorizing about how he saw himself as broken but not the world. Momoki harshly reminds him that Kaeru and Muku aren't the same person, and that he needs to separate himself from the id wells he dives into, lest he drives another criminal to suicide. Narihisago grimly jokes about the five people he's killed thus far, reassuring Momoki that he's just teasing and that he doesn't intend to relapse, though he admits that for him to truly stop, he'd need to stop diving into wells, something both of them know will never happen. He is then escorted back to his cell. There, as he settles into bed, he promises to move Kaeru's body the next time he's in Hondomachi's well, so she can die on her own terms.

### **FILE: 03 Sniped**

Narihisago reminisces about his wife and daughter and the life he led with them; the laughs he shared with Ayako, and his conversations with Muku about her being a police officer, eventually admitting that those conversations never happened since he was always busy with work and doubted she ever wanted to be a police officer, confessing he doubts he was worthy of the job himself, since he couldn't even protect his own family, remembering Muku's brutal murder at the hands of the Challenger.

After the Pyrotechnician's cognition particles are discovered, Narihisago is taken from his cell to dive in. On his way, Fukuda asks him where he's going, but Narihisago ignores him. After the Kura discover and capture Koji Fuyukawa, Narihisago returns to his cell, with Fuyukawa ending up in the cell opposite. He calls out the picture of people looking at and taking pictures of one of Fuyukawa, with the latter explaining that he merely finds it "real", believing the image displays the "emptiness of modern man's soul". Narihisago tries to defend them by stating that they're just trying to capture something incredible, but Fuyukawa claims it displays their lack of empathy, and when Narihisago points out that people only died because of his bombs, he says all he did was expose human emptiness, and that all life is meaningless.

However, Narihisago calls his bluff, pointing out that people die in mundane ways all the time, but to Fuyukawa, it's not worth looking at unless it's mass murder, claiming that when Fuyukawa was in the military, he was so enraptured by the destruction and death he witnessed that he was driven to recreate the scene, and that the shallowness he saw in others was just a reflection of himself. Though he tries to deny it, Narihisago calls out his desire to see others die and that he wasn't just looking at the onlookers, but the destruction itself, deriving pleasure from being the last one standing, a pleasure that he will never experience again, except within his memories. Grinning, Narihisago mockingly pities him, which finally pushes Fuyukawa over the edge, driving him to kill himself with his bedsheets.

Later as he sleeps, Narihisago dreams of Fuyukawa's id well where he sees Kaeru killed. Holding her body, he says he only wanted to save her, to which Kaeru says she knows, and that that is why he keeps coming back, with him saying he thought he had enough time. Kaeru then morphs into Muku, who asks that if the investigation isn't important, then why couldn't he be there with her and Ayako. Narihisago then awakes with a start once morning comes, grimly telling himself that Kaeru isn't Muku.

### **FILE: 04 Extended**

After Fuyukawa's body is discovered, Narihisago is placed in solitary confinement as punishment, while Fukuda is chosen as a replacement Mizuhanome pilot. However, due to Brilliant Detective Anaido's general incompetence, when cognition particles are discovered at a new "Gravedigger" scene for the first time, Narihisago is pulled from solitary to investigate the new id well, ignoring Fukuda's greeting on his way in.

After Genpei Oono is captured by the Kura, Momoki visits Narihisago as he wakes up. Narihisago is relieved to hear that the killer was captured, and asks if he was the real Gravedigger. Upon hearing he wasn't, he then asks if they were able to find Keiko Kikuchi, the victim and the girl that he saw in the id well, and is furious when he is informed that the live stream was in fact a recording, and that she was already dead when they found her. When asked if he wants to kill him, Narihisago asks if he can, and Momoki again specifies if he "wants" to. Narihisago explains his drive to kill, admitting he never actually wanted to kill them, but felt an overwhelming urge to kill them, realising that he had the power to murder them, so naturally he did so. When Momoki asks if he's going to keep killing, he says that he'd like to still think of himself as human, and humans don't act on base impulse alone.

### **FILE: 07 Thunderbolted**

As Matsuoka leads a team to Katsuyama's mansion to collect his and Narihisago's particles, he notes the spot where Narihisago shot him, and is surprised that Narihisago's cognition particles are still hyperactive after three years, remarking that his drive to kill must have been strong.

From his cell, Narihisago listens to Nahoshi Inami and Fukuda talk about Haruka Kazuta and Koharu Hondomachi. Since the Mizuhanome registers suicide as a drive to kill, he notes how in a single month she's been involved in two deaths and the arrest of a serial killer, making her eligible to become a brilliant detective, and assuming that she was in fact made one, then if she were presently diving, the only well she could be in was his own. Horrified at the thought that John Walker could appear there, he angrily hits his head against the wall to the point of bleeding. Fukuda tells him that doing so won't affect the Mizuhanome, which Narihisago knows. Fukuda points at the pointlessness of his actions, promoting Narihisago to shout at him to shut up as guards arrive to stop him.

Later, when being briefed by Sarina Togo and Shirou Kokufu, Narihisago reveals he knew they were in his id well, and asks if John Walker was in there. Togo confirms that they didn't find him, though Narihisago admits that regardless he must take responsibility for his actions, asking where Momoki is, since he would never send a proxy to deliver a message. When informed Momoki was arrested, he demands to know the charges, and Togo reveals that he is being tried for his crimes as John Walker, as well as the murder of Nishio Shirakoma. When he is shown the evidence, he flips the table, forcing Kokufu to pull a gun on him and him restrained. Pinned to the floor, he demands that when Momoki's id well be created, he be allowed to dive in.

### **FILE: 08 Deserified**

After Hondomachi's brilliant detective Miyo Hijiriido uses a Mizuhanome cockpit in Narihisago's id well and becomes trapped in Kiki Asukai's well, and after Anaido fails to rescue her, Narihisago is brought in, with the intent being to inject both him and Fukuda into what is assumed to be Momoki's id well with the hope that they find a second cockpit. Fukuda greets him and asks what it's like to know someone is wandering his subconscious, which Narihisago dismissed as it has no effect on his mind. He then listens and Fukuda and Togo talk about the potential issues with having two brilliant detectives in the same well, before they both dive in.

### **FILE: 09 Inside-outed**

After Sakaido wakes up in Asukai's well, he wakes up and finds himself staring at the ceiling of his old house, remarking at how used to his cell he'd gotten after three years. At that moment. Ayako gets up too, and notes how unusual it is for him to be up early, leaving him in shock. The two go to Muku's room to wake her up, and after seeing the two interact, Sakaido runs to the toilet, remembering everything up to that point, including his identity as Akihito Narihisago. he then notices the clock, which reads 6:45 AM. Beliving he only has two minutes before Anaido pulls him out, he rushes back to Ayako and Muku, still in the latter's room, and hugs them, much to their confusion.

After it becomes apparent that he won't get pulled out, the family have breakfast, he comes to the conclusion that the world he's in is an idealised version of the past, and that he's somehow regained his memory. Reading the news about the Challenger's latest victim, revealing the date to be the 26th of October 2016, he realises that with his memory, he has an advantage this time around.

At work, after arriving late to a meeting about the Challenger, he is chewed out, then leaves. Momoki follows him into the lift and demands he tells him what's going on. Narihisago expresses that he's glad to see him, and when questioned why he didn't return any calls, says he didn't want to get him involved in something with "Something with no effect on reality." When questioned further, he takes Momoki to Katsuyama's mansion and declares him the Challenger, to Momoki's shock, and tells him to go to the rear of the house to wait for his signal. When asked if he has any evidence, he tells him that he's been there before.

Ringing the bell, he asks to speak to Katsuyama, who lets him in when Narihisago calls him "Mr. Challenger". Meeting him outside, he greets him politely, and when Katsuyama inquires about his intentions, Narihisago states they're lucky in that they have the time to properly take advantage of the rematch, since he has the liberty of not racing against a SWAT team last time. Not understanding what he means, Katsuyama doubts his luck, and Narihisago tells him that they'll do things "his way", which Katsuyama interprets as being a fight to the death. When Narihisago asks if they'll be fighting in the basement, Katsuyama ominously says that it's "occupied" and leads him inside.

Once inside, Narihisago asks how they'll begin, and Katsyuama explains that "true combat" begins when both participants acknowledge its inevitability. Laughing at the implied nobility, Narihisago denounces him as nothing more than pervert who beat a fourteen-year-old girl to death. Kastuyama again has no memory of this, with Narihisago claiming he won't give him the opportunity to do form said memory. When Katsuyama warns him of his strength, Narihisago tells him to save the boasting for when he beats an adult, and when Katsuyama tells him he HAS, Narihisago disregards his words, claiming someone who enjoys beats women and children is the lowest of the low.

He charges Katsuyama, who easily evades and knocks him down, again inquiring as to what he means. Refusing to answer, Narihisago again attacks, only to once more get knocked down. This time, Kastuyama forces him into an armbar submission and breaks his arm. Struggling to suppress his cries, Narihisago claims he won't scream, but Kastuyama berates his childish fighting style, asking if he actually is a police officer. He proceeds to beat Narihisago even more, but when Narihisago tries to blind him with his blood, he's distracted long enough to be shot in the thighs.

When he asks about fight fair, Narihisago only says that they're fighting his way, and when he's distracted by his aching arm, Katsuyama tries to attack, only to get his face kicked in. Jumping on him, Narihisago tries to pistol-whip him, only for Katsuyama to grab it and lock his head between his thighs, slowly crushing his head, which Narihisago manages to interrupt with a few gunshots. After taking a moment to rest, Narihisago raises to his feet again, glad Kastuyama can still fight, but is caught in a leg lock, with his leg slowly being twisted. He goes to interrupt him with his gun again, only for Katsuyama to stun him with a punch to the head, followed by several more, and only stops when Narihisago shots him in the abdomen. After getting up, Narihisago gloats him into standing up again, only to knock him back down with a knee to the face and a headbutt. He then proceeded to beat his head until it breaks apart, and upon confirming Katsuyama's death, screams in victory.

Momoki then arrives, having entered from the back door, and demands to know what happened, which Narihisago ignores, telling him of the victim still in Katsuyama's basement. He passes out, and is then taken to the hospital by emergency services.

Waking at night in the hospital, Narihisago wonders around in his wheelchair until he comes across Kiki Asukai's room. Remembering her from when he dived in as Sakaido, he enters and introduces himself to Asukai, who notes that there are fireworks, before asking if she's Kaeru and part of the Mizhuanome, though he abandons this when it becomes apparent that she has no idea what he's talking about. She asks where the grey-haired man is, and when Narihisago confirms that she's referring to the Challenger, he suddenly sees a vision of Katsuyama telling someone with knuckle dusters to hit him for real, and that it "isn't a dream", so they'll die for real this time. He instinctively attacks him, but becomes confused when he disappears, and Asukai asks him not to mention his name, as it brings back bad memories, revealing that for as long as she can remember, she's been able to broadcast her thoughts to other people in the forms of words, memories etcetera. Narihisago notes that her dreams are included as well, before wondering how he knew that. He then hears whistling down the corridor, which Asukai reveals belongs to the one who will kill her tonight.

Narihisago hides to the side as the man enters, and hits them with Asukai's IV rack, and is shocked to see that it's Hitoshi Sonoda, a serial killer known as the "Face-lifter", who demands to know how Narihisago knows his name. When Asukai reveals he's a police officer, Sonoda is confused, since Narihisago must be "one of them" to even enter her dream, and is furious, stating tonight was "his turn". Demanding answers, Narihisago hits him again, only for him to suddenly disappear. Asukai explains it's because he experienced pain, whereas with her, she has to die in order to escape. Confused, Narihisago asks about the nature of the id well and why Asukai looks like Kaeru, and Asukai again tells him she has no idea what he's talking about, and when he asks where he is, she tells him that he's asleep in his room and entered her dream.

Narihisago then wakes up, finding himself back in his hospital room with Momoki, Ayako and Muku at his side, the former asks if he had a bad dream, as he was crying in his sleep, and reveals that the incident with the Challenger happened two days ago. Muku asks if the reason he was acting strange that morning was because he was prepared to die, but Narihisago reassures him that he wasn't. Momoki informs him that they need to discuss things, but that they can wait, as assures him that the incident with Katsuyama will be ruled as self-defence. Narihisago thanks him for saving his life.

Later, he returns to Asukai's room, who remembers him and asks if he came to confirm if what happened was real. He realises that their sharing of the dream made it some form of reality, and tries to share his interpretation, stating that they not only shared the dream, but he could read her mind. Asukai corrects him, saying that he entered HER dream, and he wasn't reading her mind, she was broadcasting her thoughts to him, confessing she's never had a private thought in her life. Narihisago asks why a serial killer was in her dreams, and she tells him that they're the only kind of people who appear, but Narihisago denies he is like Sonoda, and asks her about the nature of the world and if it's reality, before realising it's pointless to ask that to a resident of said world, and asks what Sonoda meant by that night being "his turn". Asuaki reveals that other nights other killers come to see her, and when Narihisago questions how she could be so calm, she just says that it's been happening for a long time. Understanding now, Narihisago realises that Asukai is the perfect victim, someone who can be killed over and over again, his words agitating Asukai enough for her to broadcast a memory of her death to him.

She apologised to him, admitting she can't stop broadcasting to him, but Narihisago reassures her that all he sees are flashes, whereas she experiences it over and over with death as the only escape. She reveals that at first it was only one murderer, who eventually began inviting others, and confirms Narihisago's suspicions that it was John Walker, sickening him. Asukai asks him to ask the doctors to stop giving her sedatives, as not only do they make it hard to concentrate, but the sleep forces her to relive her murders. Narihisago moves on and asks why Katsuyama wanted to kill her when he could do so over and over again in her dreams, and Asukai explains that dreams are no substitute for reality, and that Katsuyama wanted to be hurt himself as well as hurt others. Narihisago hopes that the knowledge that he's gone gives her some relief, and promises he'll find a way to end her misery.

Later, Narihisago heads to an area underneath the hospital and confronts Sonoda, who recognised him from Asukai's dream and asks how he found the area, with Narihisago informing him that Sonoda himself told him about in prison, and although he tries to protest that he hasn't done anything worth arresting him over, claiming that the dreams are nothing more than that, Narihisago hints that he will in the future. When Sonoda questions him about this and asks if he's "one of them" with "you-know-who", Narihisago informs him that he isn't, and when Sonoda realises that he's the one who killed the Challenger and asks if he's here to kill him, but Narihisago admits he's in no condition to fight. Instead, he tell him that he's going to tell him all he knows about Kiki Asukai and John Walker, promising him that afterwards, they'll talk about why Sonoda removes people's faces, but is too scared to remove his own, the resulting conversation driving Sonoda to indeed attempt to rip his face off before hanging himself.

The next day, Narihisago wakes from a dream seeing Ayako kill herself, finding Ayako next to his hospital bed aware of the bad dream, promising him that she would never die and leave him and Muku, who's tired from the fireworks festival, but will visit him in the afternoon. When she asks if he's sleeping well, he admits that he hasn't for a long time, and she admonishes him for not telling her, and when she tells him how important sleep his, Narihisago laughs and says he should try and help Asukai sleep. Though Ayako doesn't understand this, she hugs him, telling him that if she dies, it's just a dream, and that all he has to do is wake up.

### **FILE: 10 Inside-outed II**

Narihisago meets with Asukai again, reassuring her that she won't be seeing the Facelifter ever again, and asks her about the fireworks in her dream last week, since the fireworks festival was a week later. She explains that killers leave marks on her psyche when they enter, which can include things like their plans for the future, which Narihisago interprets as precognition for potential futures, though Asuaki just says her dreams are mostly painful. Narihisagi wonders if everything he's been through is just a dream, but dismissed it when Asuaki tells him how she once dozed off for a few minutes, but a serial still managed to find her and rip her arms off; Narihisago recognises them as the Armtwister. She explains that time in a dream isn't relative to time in the real world, and asks Narihisago what happened in his dream.

Later, Ayako and Muku say goodbye after a visit, and Narihisago begins to wonder if everything from Muku's death to him waking up in bed was just a long nightmare facilitated by Asukai's powers. As he recovers and leaves hospital, he becomes convinced of this theory, despite his lack of understanding about Asukai's dreams. Having already killed to serial killers in this world, he vows to keep going.

Whilst going to visit Asukai in the hospital, he bumps into Momoki on the lift, who's pleased to see him back on his feet, which Narihisago agrees with, and tells him that he's been with Ayako and Muku when Momoki asked, claiming his exhausted state is because of the recovery process. Momoki then tells him that he's handed in his report on the Challenger, and won't press Narihisago for anything else, who thanks him and assures him that him knowing Katsuyama's identity was just a hunch, and asks if Momoki's visiting Asukai as well, and asks how her condition is. He tells him that she's only getting weaker, like Katsuyama is still beating her, and Narihisago comments that, at least in her head, he still is.

The two enter her room, finding her with a strange helmet on in the presence of Shirakoma, who quickly leaves once the two enter, with Momoki following to ask his name. In the room, Narihisago informs Asukai that he's tracked down and killed the Arm-twister, Tongue-tearer and Thigh-severer, stating that he let them decide how they killed themselves, finding something poetic in how they chose to kill themselves using the methods they used on other people, wondering if they found a sense of completeness in the end. He also tells her that they weren't able to tell him anything new about John Walker, and asks her if she's found any clues, which she hasn't. He rightly guesses that she must have thought he was a figment of her imagination at first, understanding due to the wave of fear and doubt she was sending him. He deduces that after toying with her by himself, he invited other murderers into her mind to "share" her, who all jumped at the chance to kill someone without risk, even taking turns with her. Asukai's resulting anxiety then gives him a nosebleed, which he apologises for.

Dismissing her apology, Narihisago promises that he'll end things with the man who started it all: John Walker. Asukai however, tells him that it will never end, and that the ghosts of her tormenters will haunt her forever, and that the girl she was will "disintegrate" into the world. Narihisago picks up on the word "disintegrate", and Asukai explains that her end will come soon, when her body will dissolve and her mind will spill out into and fuse with the world. Narihisago tries to console her, but she reminds him of her promise to end her suffering, asking him to kill her while she's still human. He refuses, and Asukai again begs him to kill her, which he again refuses, simply stating that he is a police officer. She tries again, telling him to do it in order to save the world, having prohibited its destruction in her dreams, but Narihisago once again refuses, telling her that all he can do is hunt down the serial killers tormenting her. He then promises to go after John Walker, but tells her they can no longer meet, leaving abruptly and passing Momoki in the doorway without a word.

Over a month later, Narihisago is in bed with Ayako when Momoki calls him, letting him know that Asukai has vanished from the hospital, the event accompanied by thirteen nurses passing out with no sign of drugging in the order that they entered her room. All the security cameras malfunctioned, so Momoki asks Narihisago if he knows anything, but the latter tells him that he hasn't seen her since the visit a month prior. Momoki then asks if he knew of Asuaki's nightmares, which were so bad she feared falling asleep, which Narihisago pretends not to know about, before informing him that, based on the nurses' statements, all of them had the same dream. Narihisago dismisses the idea, suggesting that Asukai found a way to knock out the nurses and escape, which Momoki disagrees with, having visited her two days prior and having seen how weak she was. Narihisago apologies for not having anything to say and hangs up, reassuring Ayako that the call was about nothing important.

Sometime afterwards, Narihisago is in a car with Momoki, asking him if he's still investigating Asukai's disappearance. He confirms it, though he hasn't found many leads lately, having been told that Asukai had a psychic ability and was subject to research at the hospital by Shirakoma. Narihisago implies that he might have abducted her, but Momoki dissmisses that, since he has a solid alibi and hadn't been in contact with her for some time, worrying how much longer she can last, even with treatment. At that moment, Narihisago notices Kenta Obara walking past, remembering him from Fukuda's id well, though when Momoki questions him, he denies knowing him.

Realising that he still needs to deal with Fukuda, the Perforator, he later drives over to Fukuda's house with a gun to deal with him. As he's about to storm his house however, he is stopped by Hondomachi who orders him to drop his gun and turn around. Once he does, she recognises him and tries to tell him who she is and that he's in a well within a well, only for Narihisago to say he isn't. She tells him he dived in as Sakaido, only for him to fiercely deny knowing anyone called Sakaido. Confused, she tries to figure him out, asking how long he's been in the well and if it's set in a time where he's a cop, only for him to refus all her points. Trying again, she tells him that she entered using a cockpit she found in his id well, having only just arrived twenty minutes ago. This finally shakes Narihisago, who asks what the date is. Hondomachi tells him that it's the twentieth of April, 2020, and asks him again how long he's been there. Checking his phone, Narihisago realises he's been there for over two years.

With his realisation, the world around them begins falling apart, with Hondomachi theorising it's because of their meeting. Before she can fully explain it though, Narihisago snatches her phone and calls Ayako, who is at home with Muku, telling her to run with their daughter. Not understanding that he's talking about, they don't take him seriously, and Hondomachi tells him he needs to let them go. Ayako asks him where he is, and Narihisago, remembering all the times he's had with his family, tells her that his real body is in the real world, where she and Muku are gone. Muku begins talking, and Narihisago expresses his regret that he can;t be with her and her mother. She asks if he's going anywhere, and, tearful, Narihisago tells her that she and her mother are the ones who left him. Ayako takes the phone back and asks him if he's okay, which he confirms, and when Muku asks of he's coming back, he reassures her that he will, hanging up the phone.

Hondomachi expresses her sympathies, but Narihisago tells her that it's better this way. The two watch the id well collapse, unsure of what will happen, but still finding the world and its death beautiful. She asks about what he did during his two years and he tells her that he spent it with his family and doing police work, as well as something personal, remembering to tell her about all they've learnt about John Walker, including Momoki's incarceration. Deciding that Anaido must have abandoned him or died, Narihisago gives up hope on getting out, but believes that Hondomachi still has a chance, so they need spend the remainder of their time before the id well collapses finding clues. However, at that moment, Anaido pulls him out. Caught by surprise, he throws Hondomachi his notebook before he's pulled from the id well back into Sakaido's body.

After Anaido reveals to Sakaido that the identity of the corpse in their id well is none other than Narihisago himself, but also that they are in fact in Narihisago's id well, not Momoki's, Sakaido's memories as Narihisago return, and since he is in his own id well, a well storm is triggered. Looking into the massive sandstorm, Narihisago is horrified to see John Walker's face in the clouds, and screams in fury.

### **FILE: 11 Stormed**

Furious, Narihisago demands to know Anaido's motives, grabbing him by the shirt, and is about to punch him, when he realises that Anaido wants him to kill him. Anaido tries to egg him on, revealing that his plan was pre-meditated, but Narihisago lets him go, instead headbutting him to clear their heads so they can think, refusing to follow John Walker's schemes, realising that Fukuda's existence is inconveniencing him somehow, and asks why Anaido deemed his life so unbearable that he drilled a hole in his head. When Anaido doesn't respond, Narihisago notices he's frantically looking at the unearthed number plates. Thinking back to Anaido counting sand and his repetitive actions, he asks for his favourite number, which Anaido reveals is three. Narihisago then deduces that the reason Fukuda drilled his head was to escape his crippling arithmomania, which returns every time Anaido is injected into a well and, combined with his intellect, drives him mad.

Though sympathetic, Narihisago refuses to kill him as he has a job for him, pointing out the cockpit has vanished. Turning the discussion to his other id well, Sakaido asks Anaido if he can lead them to where he first saw the cockpit in the original well. Anaido confirms he can, but wonders if Narihisago will actually find what he's looking for. Taking notice of the storm's continued expansion, Narihisago realises that the Mizuhanome and the id well are continuing to update, which is why the cockpit vanished.

Anaido then leads them both to the spot he saw the cockpit, and the two start digging. Continuing his thoughts, Narihisago deduces that the cockpit Hijiriido was in was brought to their id well at the start of the well storm. Anaido complains about the brutal conditions, but Narihisago says since if the storm were less intense, they'd have to worry about people watching them. What he's saying makes him realise something, and he uses the allegory of short dreams feeling much longer than they actually are to question why time appeared to flow differently for him and Anaido since time is synchronised with the outside world when he dives in. Anaido theorises that the synchronisation of time is affected by the observation of a third party, with Narihisago adding that the same must apply to Hondomachi within the second id well.

Eventually, they dig the cockpit and Hijiriido out and remind her of her true identity, restoring her memories. She notes the id well's change in appearance, and Narihisago remarks that the lightning has finally abided after three years, and is now empty. After thanking Anaido, Hijiriido reveals that she was able to figure out the identity of John Walker: Takuhiko Hayaseura. He then instructs them to head back to Kaeru. As he leads them there, Anaido asks how Kaeru will help them, with Narihisago stating that if the brilliant detectives solve her murder, she won't harbour resentment towards them. Anaido questions who Kaeru exactly is and why she needs his help. Thinking to himself, Narihisago wonders about Kiki Asukai and all he's learned, trying to piece together what it all means. Arriving at Kaeru's body in the eye of the storm, the three can now be seen by the Wellside and are promptly extracted.

Afterwards, the real Narihisago wakes, along with Fukuda and Honomachi, who reveals John Walker's identity, just as the Mizuhanome's power is cut and contact with the Wellside is lost.

### **FILE: 12 Channeled**

With no way to communicate with the Wellside, the three stand up, though the guard tries to get them to sit down. Hayaseura then walks in with a loaded gun and shoots Narihisago in the stomach, who, through the pain, tells the guard to arrest him as he's John Walker. Turning his gun on Fukuda, Hayaseura forces him away from his cockpit and apologises to Narihisago for getting him involved, before shooting himself in the stomach and setting a timer on the cockpit. He explains that he is, at his heart, detected to the law, explaining that while he may have created a few serial killers, the establishment and future success of the Kura will justify his actions, before killing himself as he enters his own id well. Realising that Hayaseura intents to live forever as a brilliant detective, Narihisago dismisses Hondomachi's concern and gets into his cockpit, with her following him. He then yells at Fukuda to do the same once he turns down Hondomachi before diving in himself.

Later, when Sakaido visits Narihisago's id well, he finds the picture of his corpse and his family, remembers his past and triggering a well storm. After seeing Ayako and Muku one last time, Narihisago leaves the id well to continue his pursuit of Uraido. Returning to Hayaseura's central id well, he finds Hondomachi (Hijiriido, having remembered her true identity in her own id well) over Fukuda's body, having been shot by Nahoshi Inami, and asks if she's okay. Standing up, she reassures him that she is, and asks if once they find their way out, everyone's deaths will be undone. Narihisago admits he doesn't know, but tells her he thinks those that have a reason to come back will, the two of them hoping he's right, assuring each other that they'll live. Speaking to the id well, he tells Uraido that the brilliant detectives he created will send him to hell. Hondomachi finds it too dark however, saying they should hit him with "the spark of live", which he reluctantly goes along with.

### **FILE: 13 Channeled II**

Following Uraido into Katsuyama's id well, Narihisago attacks him from above as he stands atop of a giant fetus. However, his scream alerts him to his attack, and he counters, sending Narihisago flying and skidding across the pool of blood, waking the fetus, who begins screaming. Floating off him, Uraido chides him for his poorly executed suprise attack and for waking the fetus. Telling him not to lecture him, Narihisago runs up the fetus's arm and attacks him in the air, briefly exchanging blows until the fetus forces them to separate to lower ground.

Landing, Uraido chides his language, realising that Narihisago remembers who he is, which he confirms, telling him he can't take revenge for his past if he can't remember it in the first place. Uraido asks why, as both brillaint detectives and serial killers, the two of them can't get along, but Narihisago vehemently denies they're anything alike, calling him as a "fucking psychopath". Uraido continues, defining a brilliant detective as one who inquires for justice, and that Narihisago just doesn't understand his methods. At that moment though, Hondomachi appears riding a shark, which she steers out of the blood and onto Uraido, leaping off at the last moment. Narihisago congratulates her, though is left confused when she insists he call her "Hijiriido".

Uraido surfaces however to both their shock, despite having lost his arm and half his head, using Hondomachi's attack to prove his point, that the three are driven to manipulate and kill people, believing the definition of justice changes depending on what criteria one uses to judge, and that even if those two don't share his form of justice, someone else will on the outside, and since he cannot leave, the Mizuhanome must repair his data. He turns to Hondomachi, accusing her of using Fukuda to escape her id well. She denies this, tossing Uraido's hat into the air for Narihisago to grab, which he does, the two of them feeling the id well. Once back in Hayaseura's id well, Hondomachi passes Narihisago Fukuda's mask, which they use to enter his id well. As they fall from the sky, Uraido catches up with them and, after a brief struggle with Narihisago sends him crashing painfully into a platform.

As Uraido lands, he picks his hat back up and chides him for his sloppy revenge, which antagonises Narihisago, Hondomachi joining them a moment later, asking if he can stand. Uraido tells him to sit however, doing so himself on a chair behind him and telling them to calm down and talk, asking where Fukuda is, assuming he's waiting for their signal to spring a trap, doubting that he could even do so, calling him an insult to brilliant detectives. Narihisago however, tells him he'll be surprised and to just wait, causing Uraido to assume another surprise attack. Narihisago teases him however, asking him if he really doesn't know, and laughing at him along with Hondomachi, saying he must have forgotten he's dealing with two brilliant detectives. Suspicious, Uraido goes to get up, but is stopped when Narihisago said that he thought they would be civilised and discuss things.

At that moment however, Hondomachi tells Narihisago to let her handle things, starting by asking Uraido his thoughts on the number "seven", and upon hearing his reverence for it, she announces that all of this was due to his god-complex. She goes on to lay bare his machinations, stating he only limited himself to seven serial killers who had seven victims, and that once he hit seven killers, he intended to kill himself. Uraido counters her, however, with the eight killer, Narihisago, the Cornerer, who reacts negatively to his given moniker. but Hondomachi defines Narihisago as a "serial suicide inciter", and that he was created to force Hayaseura into a situation where he would have to kill himself. Uraido tries to deny it, Narihisago sums up everything by stating that Hayaseura was also bound to his "rule of seven", and that once it was hit, it was either arrest or suicide. Hondomachi calls Uraido out as a manipulator who thought he was god and refuses to allow Narihisago to play his given role.

Narihisago than suddenly brings down his deteatched hand, which he had been hiding from view, and grabs Uraido by the throat, pinning him to the seat, with Narihisago admitting that a suprise attack works best in silence. Hondomachi then reveals that the "chair" is actually a Mizuhanome cockpit, which she could only see because of her hole, and which only existed because of Brilliant Detective Anaido, acknowledging the help Fukuda gave them as she pulls out the control tablet, with Narihisago commenting on the success of the revenge as he pressed the button, injecting Uraido into Kiki Asukai's id well, deducing that, based on his and Hondomachi's timings, Uraido will likely wake up just before Hayaseura's first kill. Hondomachi then asks what to do now, with Narihisago admitting a brilliant detective wouldn't kill him. Hondomachi proposes she help, which unsettles Narihisago, who assumes she wants to kill him herself, but instead she smashes the tablet. Narihisago commends her, stating that now nobody can eject him, even on accident, and now they just have to wait, admitting to Hondomachi that he has no plan, and although she tries to rally him to try and solve something together, he tells her that his intellect is telling him to embrace hope, and that sometimes you should put your faith in a stranger outside your world, revealing that throughout his time as a brilliant detective, hope is what kept him alive.

Later, after Momoki convinces Kiki Asukai to return to the Mizuhanome, the surviving members of the Kura all wake up, including the Wellside, who promptly eject Narihisago and Hondomachi, the latter immediately checking Fukuda to see if he's awake, only to be disappointed when he appears still in a coma. Narihisago tells her it's alright to cry, but she tells him that one tear is perfect for him. Smiling, Narihisago thinks back to his family and Muku asking him if he's coming home. He responds that he will be one day, but not today, telling Hondomachi that sometimes it's good to run out of tears as she helps him out of the cockpit and out to receive treatment.

Some time later, Narihisago and Hondomachi prepare for a new dive, the former reassuring Momoki that he's up to it, before being not to lose his head in this new id well. After Hondomachi geeks about getting to explore a new killer's id well and Shirou Kokufu, the new Acting Chief, gives them the "go-ahead", Narihisago asks why he and Hondomachi aren't working in shifts, with Momoki explaining that as the real-world investigation takes priority, they need both quantity and quality from the id well. As they are injected, Narihisago monologues the experience, about how the voices of the Wellside cannot reach him, and even if they could, he wouldn't know them, about how he has no idea who he is, how his old body waits on the outside as he faces a new world ready for death. The only constant for him is a dead girl, who's been murdered, and that he is there to solve her mystery. He learns his new name, and comes to understand that everything in the new world has meaning, his life and her death intertwined as he realises that there is a job that can only be done in the new world, a job that can only be done by him: Sakaido, the Brilliant Detective.

## *ID:INVADED #BRAKE-BROKEN*

### **#01 Entrance**

After dying in an id well for the seventh time, Narihisago wakes up. After confirming with Momoki that the culprit is still on the loose, he tells him that he managed to see Kaeru this time. Momoki tells him that he needs more information, and Narihisago assures him that he can go back in and die. He is then reinserted.

### **#02 First Day**

Narihisago is seen being lead by his guards out of his cell to dive into the id well for the first time. Later on, after his first death, he grimly asks to be reinserted.

## *ID:INDEED*

*\*Note: ID:INDEED is not considered canon to the rest of the series.*