The Case of the Yadagami-sama Murders Pt. 2

**The Case of the Yadagami-sama Murders Pt. 2** (夜蛇神様殺人事件②, *Yoru yagamisama satsujin jiken ②*) is the 19th chapter of the *Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective* manga.

## Summary

Toto discusses the reported findings. Apparently the victim's direct cause of death was the blow to the head when he fell into the waterfall basin. The marks around the neck seem like they were left by a rope, but they have not been able to locate anything like the marks. Ron has lain beside the victim, swearing he will avenge him. The local police ask each other who the trio are, and one replies that one is a detective from police headquarters and his associates, and that the detective has been making quite a name for himself lately. Toto continues, saying the marks on the neck do look like snake scales, and Spitz asks if the victim really was coiled by a snake, if it was the snake that they saw in the hut.

The mayor arrives saying what they saw was Yadagami-sama. It dragged the surveyor out of the hut. Toto protests: there was no sign of anyone entering or leaving the hut. That would mean Yadagami-sama just disappeared. The mayor just says is there anything a god cannot do?

Mii asks her grandfather how he can just watch this in silence. Only villagers are allowed near the waterfall. Spitz says he did not know that, that he came to the waterfall every time he visited. But Mii says they gave Spitz permission due to his special circumstances. Also this is an exception since somebody died and the village is in an uproar. The mayor tells Mii that Spitz has become a detective and the man standing next to him (Toto) is a detective from Tokyo. Ron adds that Officer Isshiki is a famous detective to those in the know. Well then, what about him (Ron)? Both the mayor and Toto are flustered, but Spitz says to leave it to him, and says Ron is his hobby buddy in collecting rare wrapping paper.

Ron asks Mii what she was doing in the waterfall yesterday. Mii says she was making an offering to Yadagami-sama at the shrine. She explains that the waterfall is Yadagami-sama's birthplace. As thanks for protecting the village during the warring states period, the villagers make offerings at the shrine every day. Ron says that they really believe that Yadagami-sama exists, and Mii says of course he does, that he will continue to as he always has. The mayor pauses, then adds that the divine punishment against the surveyor was proof. The villagers have assembled and loudly concur that the man provoke Yadagami-sama's anger.

As the three walk a forest path, Toto says that he thought the villagers will attack them. Ron says when indigenous beliefs combine with a distrust of outsiders, people can show signs of group hypnosis. Ron wonders what is making the villagers act so fanatically. The folklorist meets them, and asks how were things at the waterfall. He introduces himself as Muroi. He has heard that Toto is a detective. They do not let outsiders near the waterfall so he was curious about him. He asks if it was true that the surveyor was killed by Yadagami-sama. Toto begins to say that he does not know if it was Yadagami-sama. The folklorist concludes himself that the man is really dead.

He continues: he has studied all sorts of regional gods, but Yadagami-sama is special. What sets it apart is the fact that it is a living legend. There are still reports about its power of disappearance. There was also an attempt to build a dam 15 years ago. But when the time came for the construction, all the heavy machinery disappeared. He adds that Spitz's brother disappeared 11 year ago, right? There is just no way one can spend time in the village and not feel Yadagami-sama's power, he says. He fell and lost consciousness deep in the mountains once, but when the came to, he was lying at the foot of the mountain. Thus recently, he became enthralled by Yadagami-sama, and have been thinking of moving to the villag.

But Ron asks directly: what was Muroi doing when it was raining yesterday? Muroi complains that Ron is suspecting him. He was visiting Yadagami-sama's shrine. Spitz says he has been there before, that it houses an enormous snakeskin. Muroi adds there are also fangs, eyeballs, and ancient scrolls and manuscripts about Yadagami-sama, a treasure trove of data. But for some reason, the shrine was temporarily closed yesterday. Since he had no choice, Muroi went back to Suzuki's house, where he has been staying. Spitz frowns. When Toto notices, Spitz says something is bugging him.

Toto reviews what they know about the events, focusing that there were no footprints in the mud outside the door, all the window bars were in place, nobody has gone in and out as Ron says, and they heard a loud BAM sound from inside but there was nobody inside the room they heard it from. Ron asks what he thinks that sound was. Spitz half-seriously answers: the sound of Yadagami-sama teleporting? Ron says he loves that sort of occult stuff too, but unfortunately he has never encountered the real thing. Toto asks if it's possible there is another culprit? Ron says of course, he won't even say there is a 100% chance, it's a 200% chance.

The local police acknowledge their arrival at the guesthouse. Toto repeats that the truth is they saw Yadagami-sama in the room with the tatami mats. So how did it disappear? Toto asks if there could be a hidden room somewhere, but the local policeman says they have already searched everywhere. The dust in the crawlspace above the ceiling is undisturbed, so it appears that no one has been up there recently. The walls and window bars are sturdy enough that no one could get through. They also checked under the tatami mats, but there is nowhere that someone could hide. But the policeman says there is just one clue, and points to Ron's Nandan brown sugar container. Ron notes so that is where he dropped it, he was wondering where it had gotten to after they rushed out yesterday. The brown sugar syrup stained the tatami, with the stain some distance away from the bottle. Toto tells the police it seems Ron just dropped the brown sugar bottle. In that case, the policeman says, they have no other leads.

Spitz becomes despondent and begins to wobble. He says that Yadagami-sama does exist, that even his brother didn't stand a chance against a god. He recalls his brother telling him he relies on others too much, but he has the ability to draw people's affection. He told Spitz to find some good friends and a path that allows him to help people, that he has high hopes for him. He asks himself why.

Spitz suddenly sits onto the mats as he looks out the window, saying he sees a white snake in the river, that it is Yadagami. But when Ron and Toto look out past the window bars, both of them see nothing.

Ron however notes that tatami mats again, sees a gap in the tatami mats, and that the brown sugar syrup stain is some distance away from the syrup bottle that has an evidence marker beside it. Ron asks the policeman where the brown sugar bottle was when they got there? The policeman says they put it back in the same place on the tatami after picking it up. Ron considers it, then grins.

He says that Officer Isshiki's face tells him that he cracked the trick behind Yadagami's power of disappearance. Toto realizes Ron has solved it. Ron says living legends are created by living people.

## Characters in Order of Appearance

* Totomaru Isshiki
* Spitz Feier
* Ron Kamonohashi
* Mayor
* Mii
* Muroi