The Two Who Rose

Part 6

Within the silent halls, Izumi walked with his hands inside his pockets and Taizou behind him. The detective tailed him like he was a chaperone. Izumi looked back. Taizou smirked, as sunlight shone on his sunglasses. Damned police, Izumi thought. He had no choice but to cooperate with this detective, not that he can help much.

"Why didn't you want those kids to help us?" Taizou said "The extra hands would help or are trying to protect them?" he wandered his gaze around the school.

"Don't act nice with me, cop."

"Show some manners kid," he smirked.

He had heard about this detective, an accomplished detective in the country which must mean that the police are serious about stopping this, Izumi thought.

They both entered the classroom, where a teacher was murdered in the same shape as Daichi was. Izumi scanned the room but no blood stains, which must've been cleaned when the police got her corpse out.

"Alright kid, I'll wait outside and leave this to you," Taizou walked out the door "Tell me what you discovered here once you're done." The door shut behind him.

Izumi patrolled around the room. There was no ghost like presence in the room, not even a glimpse or clue. This murder was not the same as Daichi. Yukana didn't do this....or else I would know so. A person in this school did it. Izumi heart sank. Who could've done this? And how can this be connected with Yukana? Could someone be working with her? Questions wandered in his mind.

Then he checked the area around the teacher's desk, which seemed normal, but his shoe pressed on something. A sound echoed. He looked down below and saw the floor tile, sunk down. He stomped on it, which crushed the tile, revealing a ladder going down under.

Door pushed opened. Taizou rushed into the room "What the hell were you doing?" he then noticed the hole. He stopped. "What...is that?"

"You're guess is as good as mine, detective." Izumi mused as his eyes shot through the darkness within the hole "I don't know who set this up but it maybe the killer."

Taizou lowered and stooped his head into the pitch black hole "I swear I checked the room and this was never here then..."

"The killer must've set up something else to avoid this entrance being discovered," Izumi said "Who came into this room with you or before you?"

Taizou stood up and stroke his chin "That Arashi guy in your class and the principal."

"The principal? I thought he was ill," Izumi said.

"He is? He seems pretty healthy to me," Taizou said "Though I had my suspicions on him lying about his illness so he can slack when I talked to him. Wait, you're suspecting the principal being involved in this?"

"We should check this entrance," Izumi said

Taizou pitched over a flashlight and both climbed down into the hole while Taizou held up light on his mouth.

The ladder's metal stank and its metal cold on Izumi's hands as he clambered downwards, deeper into the passage. He had noticed this ladder was made not too long ago.

They reached the bottom and pointed their flashlights around the stinking wide room, which looked like a medieval dungeon, grey bricks, and beneath them, a steel grate which covered sewer water beneath. There were other ladders leading in multiple locations. This must've connected the killer to every place in school. Izumi ambled behind Taizou. He heard rats in the corner. And water dripping down. Then he aimed his light on the water's general direction.

Two dead boys, stuck on the wall with their ribs slashed opened and all beneath the waist sliced. Izumi covered his mouth. Taizou's bugled his eyes "Fuck, more victims." He walked over towards the boys placed them on the ground. Flies buzzed around their bodies.

Izumi knew those two boys, both were Joshua and Daichi's friends. This was really related to the ghost but it's not the ghost who did it, it's someone in the school.

"Whoever did this must've been in a rush," Taizou said then he looked back at Izumi "You scared kid? This must've been tough to see."

Lowered his eyes, Izumi exhaled his breath to calm his nerves "I am alright, so let's continue investigating this place."

Taizou scanned the empty room with his light, which showed more another passage leading somewhere "Let's go then, I want this done so I can go home. We'll probably get this done when school's done so don't lose your composure."

That long huh, Izumi thought. This was already too much but he had to see more, or else, he would never be able to end this strings of murders. Followed the detective, Izumi continued.

A stinking odour burst out the darkness and it grew worse as they approached it. Izumi held his nose. This smell, its corpses again but how many people have died under here? He wasn't sure.

They continued striding deeper and deeper until the passage ended. This next room was smaller than the previous but stank as bad. Izumi had an urge to vomit but he endured on.

"Looks like we're in the school basement...." Taizou's voice shrilled within the everlasting darkness around them as he pointed his light "Shit, another one." He became silent.

Izumi walked over next to him then stood, stunned. Skin went pale. He winced. Flashlight dropped on the ground. He couldn't believe it. Why here?

Taizou looked back "Hey, get a damned a grip!" He rushed over toward him and shook his shoulder. Then his voice washed out into the background.

Izumi's eyes glued on the body he saw.

Leaning on the wall, down the ground, was a body.

The dead body was Yukana.

Izumi's breath became deeper and deeper, and sweat was soaking his face. So this is where she died.

"Damn it kid, get a grip!" Taizou shouted and slapped his cheek

Exhaled loudly, Izumi held his head and blinked quickly. I have to calm down, get a grip Izumi. This is not the time. He pushed aside Taizou and looked down "I am alright, we have to keep checking this place and figure out who was here."

"Look kid, I don't need a depressed and sad moron here so..."

"I said, I am alright so shut up and do your work," Izumi glared at him

Taizou chuckled in shock "Don't get cocky kid, I don't need some brat to tell me that," he walked by him and began scanning the room.

aN&dެ)