Riddle Room Story: The Magic Spell of the Riddle Room

Author: Ryūsei Seikyūn
Translator: Han Rui
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-10-01
Features: Dark room, secret room, blood, death; The mind that saves the world! A grand plot, a suspenseful unsolved mystery, rooted in the historical legacy of 1,200 years ago! The Seal of the Secret Room—unveiling the incredible mystery of the secret room from the previous year!
At the beginning of the new year, a mysterious crime notice was scattered across various administrative agencies in Japan, signed by "The Lord of the Secret Room," who claimed that this year, 1,200 people would be killed in 1,200 secret rooms. Indeed, starting from January 1st, inhumane serial murder cases began. Terror gripped the nation, and the cases continued, with the number of deaths rising—no one could stop it.
The work is genuine, novel, interesting, and especially suited to the taste of a broad readership. It is not only an excellent recreational read but also holds certain literary value.
As soon as he returned to his office, Akashi Kōji sat comfortably on the cushioned sofa. He took out a cigarette from the cigar box, lit it, and took a deep breath, feeling slightly relieved. Since last night, he had been explaining the situation to the police, formulating access rules for the JDC headquarters building, inspecting the crime scene, and dealing with reporters' questions—there was not a moment of rest. Finally, he could be alone and quiet, and he felt much more relaxed.
At the same time, due to the constant state of high tension, the fatigue and exhaustion he had accumulated had now overwhelmed him. He felt slightly dizzy and extinguished the cigarette in the ashtray on his marble office desk.
—Take a nap. Closing his eyes, he completely relaxed his body. Sleep soon enveloped him gently.
Akashi fell asleep and had a dream. In the dream, he saw Jūkyūkyū.
Since the murder in the Saigusa family in 1979, Jūkyūkyū had always been Akashi's most capable assistant, someone who deeply understood him, and an intergenerational friend. At that time, the young boy, who was only six years old, had now grown into an outstanding young detective. His exceptionally striking appearance was a symbol of his mysterious aura. His flawless, androgynous face exuded wisdom. His waist-length black hair, like the night sky, harbored a mysterious enigma. His ideal physique was as perfect as a Greek statue. And his deep, autumn-like eyes, always hidden behind sunglasses, were the finishing touch to his overall artistic beauty. His almost unimaginably beautiful looks often left others in disbelief, even wondering if he was truly human. He was often described as beautiful to the point of seeming unreal, like a statue of perfect innocence.
Jūkyūkyū is currently on a mission to London, commissioned by DOLL (the International Legislative Detective Agency) and the British government, to assist in investigating a serial dismemberment case. The perpetrator of this shocking serial dismemberment case, which has terrorized the entire British Isles, claims to be the successor of the "Dismemberment Maniac Jack" and calls himself the "Dismemberment Demon Jack." Since the first murder and dismemberment case was discovered on Christmas Eve in 1993, at least 50 people have been killed. However, so far, neither the London Metropolitan Police nor the detectives representing DOLL internationally—including Jūkyūkyū—have made any progress.
Akashi had begun to vaguely sense similarities between the serial murder cases in the secret rooms in Japan and the serial dismemberment case in the UK several days ago. Regarding this, he had not yet had the chance to discuss it with Jūkyūkyū, who was currently in the UK.
—Yes. Jūkyūkyū should still be in the UK. How could he be here?
Jūkyūkyū was indeed in the UK. He could not possibly be face-to-face with Akashi right now. At this moment, Akashi also realized that everything around him was hazy and unclear. He quickly realized he was still dreaming.
"Akashi, I heard someone was killed in Phantom City again," said the elegant voice of Jūkyūkyū. His tone was clear, transparent, and melodious, as if one were listening to beautiful music.
"This time, the victim is one of the few survivors from that incident, a teenager named Koshiyama Katsuyoshi. Do you remember, Jūkyūkyū?"
Akashi knew that the so-called Jūkyūkyū before him was a figment of his dream, but he couldn’t help but voice these doubts. The investigation had now hit a dead end. Could he find any breakthroughs or insights from this exceptionally talented young man?
—Moreover, dreams are ultimately grounded in reality.
"Jūkyūkyū, what do you say? Did the Phantom City murder case really end?"
It was Jūkyūkyū who had personally solved the Phantom City murder case. Although there were still some mysteries left unsolved, he had firmly declared at the time that the case was closed.
"The world is constantly filled with mysteries. But Akashi—there are no unsolvable mysteries in this world. Only logical solutions. The Phantom City murder case is over. That is certain."
Akashi and Jūkyūkyū were silent.
The one who spoke next was Jūkyūkyū.
"If I may say so, there might truly be a connection between the serial murder cases in Japan and this one here."
"—These two cases have far too many similarities. Not only in their methods of operation, but even in the environments where the crimes occurred. Both cases involved numerous victims, yet no trace was left behind."
"Exactly. These two cases are indeed very similar. Even though they are currently being investigated as separate cases, they might ultimately lead to the same conclusion."
"—Akashi, stop overthinking ahead and look back instead."
"Look back? You mean the internal aspects of the case?"
"The internal aspects—or perhaps past cases would be more accurate. Anyway, this is my reasoning."
"The past. If necessary, we could also consider the past even earlier than the Phantom City murder case."
The environment around them grew increasingly misty. Soon, Jūkyūkyū was swallowed by the milky-white fog and vanished from sight. Meanwhile, Akashi was still fast asleep. He also remembered his son, Akashi Kōya, who had been killed in the Phantom City murder case.