Blood of the Guilty

Memory 16: Otaku

"Why did you pay the guy?" mumbled Exodus in confusion as they walked down the street.

"I felt bad if I didn't.." mumbled Minny, "And he helped us out too.. especially with my Magia.."

—

"This is only the beginning," said Christ as he pocketed the yen, "I've seen the presence of those living within this town disappear so fast. It aches me greatly that they were too weak to stand up to this murderer. If I may, I ask for your help to seek him out."

"That's why we're asking around," replied Exodus, "You didn't have to make an entire magic trick to get our attention."

"The unexpected must always be expected," Christ said with a smile.

"The Magia training was great and all..." said Minny, "But can you help us seek out more information on this murderer."

"With my abilities, I can have access to things that normal people cannot."

"Woah, like psychic powers?" asked Minny in curiosity.

"I can teleport full price bread and shoplift with ease," replied Christ.

"I hope they catch you," mumbled Exodus.

"However, I don't just use my Sight Magia with that," said Christ, holding out a ticket from within his pocket, "Run down by the street and go down into Joshiraku Otaku, a store owned by a friend. Show him this ticket, and he'll hand you some valuable information that I've been keeping for a while."

"Got it," said Minny, taking the ticket.

"I wish you both safe travels, and luck for the journey."

—

"This is it," said Exodus, pointing at the store, "Joshiraku Otaku."

The store looked small compared to the other buildings of Akihabara. It seemed like a cozy place that anyone could browse in and buy merchandise at an affordable price.

"Never mind," mumbled Exodus, viewing the price tags of a figurine, "These price tags are just as expensive as the other shops we've been to. Highway robbery."

Minny and Exodus immediately went up to the front counter where they met an employee who was smoking a cigarette. He wore a baseball cap and had semi-long black hair.

Minny waved the ticket towards the employee, "We're here to receive information from Christ please."

The employee had a puzzled look on his face, taking the ticket and analyzing it, "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean, ma'am. If you're asking for a refund, it's against store policy."

"No, we're just asking for information about the murderer," explained Exodus, waving her hands, "Christ said that there was special information regarding about him here."

"Tell me," said the employee, "What this Christ looks like?"

"He's an old man in his original form," said Minny, "But he can shape-shift into other beings."

"Then that's Christ alright," said the employee, walking towards the back rooms to snuff out the special information, "The man's an enigma. When I met him, his original form was that of a teenager. No one truly knows that much about him other than the fact that he's a loon of some sorts."

"Yeah, we could tell that pretty well," mumbled Exodus.

Finally, the employee returned to the two, holding a box of sorts, "Christ told me to anyone who gives me a certain ticket this box. It can holds the information that you requested for the Akihabara cases."

Exodus and Minny opened the box to find a single key card. Curious, Minny picked up the key card and inspected it.

"Level A Special Cases Database," Minny said, "St. Luke's International Hospital."

"A key card for a database?" asked Exodus.

"Not just any database," mumbled Christ as a figurine in one of the shelves, "It's where the files are hidden for the corpses of the victims from the murders."

"What!?" exclaimed Minny in surprise, "There were survivors? I thought that there were no traces left of the murders?"

"More importantly, have you always been here?" yelled Exodus in frustration, "You could've shortened this chapter by revealing yourself beforehand, you know!"

"That doesn't quite help word count, you know," replied Christ.

"So.. was Yosuke lying to us that there were no traces left of the victims?" asked Minny in worry.

"That's very unlikely," Christ explained, "It's just that the paramedics got to the bodies before Proiettilo could."

"You know about the Proiettilo branch?" asked Exodus.

"I have Sight Magia," smiled Christ, "Of course I would know all."

"Then that settles it," said Minny to Exodus, "We're going to have to break into this hospital and find out more about the victims. It could help us greatly when determining what kind of Magia the murderer has. That's vital information before we could confront him!"

"Got it!" smiled Exodus, "You're really getting into this investigation now, aren't you, Minny?"

Christ laughed, "Be careful now, you two. The path ahead of you lies very dangerous. I don't even need to see it to know that."