Storm of Fate

Chapter 17

"The job is done, my lord."

In the dimly lit room, shadows danced around the walls, cast by the flickering flames in the hearth. A man stood just a few steps away from another man, who sat in a high-backed chair, facing away from him. The only light came from the fire, which crackled softly, filling the room with a warm, crackling sound. The man in the chair exhaled a cloud of smoke, his voice carrying an undercurrent of menace.

"Good. That child has become increasingly troublesome lately. You've proven your worth once more, Kokushibo." The man spoke, his tone grave.

"I concur, my lord. Douma has indeed been a cumbersome obstacle, but I did not need to dispose of him myself. He met his end on his own." Kokushibo replied calmly.

"And what led to his downfall?"

"I suspect it was due to a certain red-haired man who calls himself a detective. I saw him and his companions just before the mansion was consumed by flames." Kokushibo explained.

"Did they survive?"

"I highly doubt it, but I couldn’t find any bodies that matched their descriptions among the ruins."

"That is of little consequence. We are moving to the secondary phase." The man in the white suit rose from his chair and turned to face Kokushibo. His blood-red eyes burned with a fierce intensity. "Even if they attempt to hinder us, their efforts will be in vain. We shall incite chaos and deliver unto these mortals a symphony of destruction."

"As you wish, my lord."

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Back on Baker Street, the detective and his team returned with a few new guests. Despite the recent life-threatening encounter, Tanjiro was resolute in his mission to uncover the mastermind behind the tangled web of schemes. He immediately moved to the wall where evidence and clues were mapped out, connected by red threads. The others in the room began preparing to add one more point to the board.

"You’ve done quite an extensive job with this investigation, detective," Kanao remarked, her tone impressed.

"Indeed, some of this information isn’t easily accessible," Senjuro added, examining the evidence.

"Well, I have my own network of connections," Tanjiro said, pinning a new document to the board. "Without them, I wouldn’t have come this far."

"What is all this? Why are you messing with the strings?" Inosuke asked, clearly confused.

"He's not messing around, you idiot," Zenitsu scolded.

"Inosuke, could you grab that thread over there?" Tanjiro pointed to a specific line.

"This one?" Inosuke asked, tugging on it slightly to confirm.

"Yes, now follow it," Tanjiro instructed.

Inosuke followed the thread, stopping at a pinned photograph. The image depicted old factories and rows of fishing vessels often seen at the harbor. Before anyone could ask, Tanjiro began his explanation.

"The first set of images shows a company based in this city—the Kumo Trading Group, formerly led by the Ayaki family," Tanjiro began. "They were involved in both legal and illicit transportation of goods, keeping their operations well-hidden."

He led them to the next point, which featured a photograph of a specific individual.

"The second image is of Enmu, one of the perpetrators in the case of the missing young women. He was found dead at the scene, believed to have committed suicide with his own concoction," Tanjiro explained.