Hello.
Welcome to Shibasaki Detective Agency.

Let me introduce myself, my name is Nozomu Shibasaki.

Oh, don't be surprised.

If you are lucky enough, you can meet me in the office sometimes.

It's not like if I'm an important person. I'm traveling around for the sake of this office.
I'm only a detective. Someone who is "quite" normal.

I was very happy because my "kids" at the agency office worked hard to solve each case.

Especially, Naomasa. I really like him.
Oh, he doesn't like me? No, no. He is just shy.

Every kid here is special. I met them accidentally when I was on duty as a police officer. Maybe that is called fate.

When I first met them, they were only kids who didn't understand their "power". How to use it and how to control it. It takes hard work to convince them that their "power" can be used to help people.

Especially Sakuya. For myself, meeting an Onmyoji is something I never expected. You can say, it's like finding a needle in a haystack. Old saying.

Without realizing it and maybe slowly realizing, I can't let these kids just wandering around. It can be dangerous in various ways.

I understand there are many things that are difficult to explain. Something that happened to you. You can believe it or just ignore it. Therefore, we are here to answer and explain things that you might not find the answer.

How about me?
I'm only a former police officer.

***

Motoyama-chō,
Kōchi

Today we visited our clients in rural areas, a village that surrounded by hills in the mountainous region of Kōchi Prefecture. Our clients are wealthy families who have lots of land in the area for a long time ago.

The kids were very surprised when I returned. But, as usual, Naomasa doesn't show any expression. I was eager, once to see his surprised face when I returned.

"Sensei, where will you take us?" Rui asked while looking out from our car window. Only the view of the hills is visible when we passed the roads.

"You won't take us to a nice place, right?" Kiyoharu added. He looks focused on driving.

"I should have pairs up with Sakuya-kun's car, with Yui and Naomasa-kun. Yui brought a lot of snacks," Ayako sighed. She leaned in the backseat while looking out the window.

"Ehhh? Nobody wants to come with me?" I laughed, "Nobody wants to ride with an old man like me,"

"It's not like that," Ayako sighed, "After all Sensei, I don't think you are old. You still on your..."

"Ayako!" I stopped Ayako before saying it, "It's a secret, " I smirked, "Oh. It's seen. The village where our clients live," I pointed to a village between the hills when we passed a long bridge.

Ayako and Rui looked out the window. For Rui and Ayako who always live in the penthouse on the top of the building, they may be thinking, "Are you sure there are people who live there?"

"Are you sure there are people who live between the hills?" Ayako asked, maybe to herself.

15 minutes later we arrived at the village. The village is surrounded by hills. The main job of the villagers is farming. They plant various kinds of fruits and vegetables seasonally. The village Irrigation system is from a river that flows between the mountain and the hills. The road is good. But, the floods and landslides haunt this village almost every year.

If you look closely, it's a quiet and warmth village. Only native people live there. A lot of the land there, it is owned by a single family for generations and that is our client.

"I wonder how many families are live here?" Rui muttered while watching his surroundings from inside the car.

"Yui said there were 20 families live here with a population of 150 people," I said.

"Heh, Yui more and more resembles Naomasa," Kiyoharu chuckled.

"Isn't that right? I told Yui not to be too close to Naomasa-kun. Sakuya-kun can be jealous," Ayako pouted.

Ayako close to Yui and sometimes asked Yui to sleepover in her place when she's lonely. One time, she asked Yui to perform the psychometric on her, but Yui refused.

"Eh? It's not like they are dating, I mean, Sakuya and Yui," Rui said nodded.

"Um, but they are very close, you know. Sakuya really cares about Yui. You see how he always opposes using psychometry. He must be very worried," Ayako nodded her head, "Sakuya must like Yui," she added, looks like she's cheering for them.

"Does Yui like Sakuya too?" Rui looked curious.

"Yui is very predictable right?" Kiyoharu chuckled

I see. There's a lot of things happened when I'm gone.
The two of them, Sakuya and Yui. Old legend said everyone has their fate person. Two people who bound by fate will be together no matter how far they have gone.

"Oh. We've arrived. Behind the hill, is our client's house. Katsumoto's family," I pointed to a house hidden from behind a hill. Only the roof is visible from the roads.

"Sensei ... don't say ... this is the case of a haunted house again?" Ayako said with a worried face.

"Arghh! We almost became victims of vampires in the previous case!" Rui ruffled his hair, "No haunted house anymore! I'm sick of it," he sighed.

"Ha hahaha. Didn't almost all the supernatural events come from the haunted house?" I laughed at their behaviour. They are still kids after all. They should be having fun with their friends. And there they are. Investigations supernatural phenomena with an old man.

"So, Sensei himself doesn't know the details about this case yet?" Kiyoharu asked.

I feel silence  for a moment while looking out and watching the house. What's lurking around the family? A cursed? Haunted house?

When we arrived at the Matsumoto family's house. They welcomed us very warmly. The oldest son of the Matsumoto family, Shosuke Matsumoto and his wife, Satomi Matsumoto, welcomed us.

"Thank you for coming all the way here, Shibasaki-sensei," Shosuke-san welcomed us, "Other family members are on business. They will be back soon, please come inside,"

"We have prepared the room that Sensei requested. Let our servant bring your luggage," Satomi-san smiled softly at us.

"Don't worry. They will take care of their own items," I smiled at the couple.

The Matsumoto family house typically the Samurai residents with gate with rooms at both side, spacious main house, beautiful garden, four small house surrounded the main house, storehouse, and even vegetables garden. A large cedar tree in the left corner of the house seemed to be circled with sacred ropes, shimenawa.

"I hope you are not all tired. We have prepared lunch," Satomi-san said. She looks like a typical Japanese woman from the Showa era. Using a kimono with bun hair with her politeness.

"Don't worry, we want to be able to immediately talk to all family members," I said.

BRAGG !!

When we step into the house. Suddenly Yui fell on the floor.

"Yui !!!" Ayako screamed.

I turned back and saw Yui falling to the floor while holding her stomach tightly. Her face was suddenly pale white.

"Yui !! What's wrong ?!" Sakuya immediately running close to her, dropping all the items he was holding.

Yui said nothing, she half screamed. As if her voice couldn't come out. I can see that she is in great pain. She continued to hold her stomach while lowering her head in pain.

"Yui !!" Sakuya snapped.

Yui slowly grabbed Sakuya's hand. She still tried to say something but was unable to let out her voice.

"Yui !! Say something !!" Ayako shouted.

Everyone looks confused. The Matsumoto family looked panicked. I took a deep breath and then stepped closer to Yui. I looked at her for a moment.

"Yui ..." I touched Yui's head gently, "What's wrong?" I smiled.

Yui slowly looked at me with her pale white face. But, she start to breathe normally. She let off the grip on her stomach and looked at her both hand.

"What's wrong?" I asked again. My hand is still right on Yui's head.

Yui looked at me, "Something ... something ... stabbed my stomach hard. Stabbed it deeply ..." She said slowly, still shocked. Her body shivering when she talks.

"Stabbing your stomach?" Sakuya asked. Yui still leaned on him. She only nodded.

"What do you mean? Are you bleeding?" Rui asked and looked confused.

Yui shook her head, "I don't. But, it feels like it's real. It's not like a knife. It's like ... sharp objects. Very large sickle, like a wind...with a blade," she said.

So that's mean...

"Kamaitachi ??" Sakuya said with a serious face.

That what on my mind too. As expected from an Onmyōji,

"Kamaitachi?" Rui looked confused

"It's a Yokai in the legend," Sakuya said, "But, why there's..."

"Everyone!" I immediately stopped Sakuya. They all looked at me, "Everything is okay now. We should focused on the case," I smiled. I don't want to make a scene from the start. They nodded with various expression on their faces.

"It's really a unique way to start our investigation," Kiyoharu whispered.

"Please, my father is waiting," Shosuke-san said with a pale face, as did the wife. We just followed him to a room that was quite suspicious.

When Shosuke slide the door, an old man was lying on the Futon. Three young boys sat around him. We then enter and sit on the left side of the Futon. The old man then woke up slowly assisted by the three boys. One of them took a backrest so he could lean back.

"Shibasaki-sensei, I introduced. This is my father, the 5th generation Matsumoto family head, Hideo Katsumoto," Shosuke-san explained.

The old man bowed his head so did we. He looked at us and smiled, "Thank you for coming from far away," his voice sounded hoarse.

"Thank you for accepting us. Please lie down. You can talk to us while lying down," I said.

"No problem," Hideo-san nodded his head.

"These three children are my children. The far right, the oldest Kazuya, he was in the third grade of high school, the middle, the second son, Kenta, he was in the third grade of middle school, and the youngest is Kenji, he is in 6th grade, " Shosuke-san introduced his three sons.

"Thank you for coming from afar," the three of them said while bowed their heads.

I just thought you wouldn't meet young people with courtesy like they were in a big city like Tokyo. I mean. Sit politely, speak a polite language, and bow your head deeply. They grew up with discipline.

I took a breath, then smiled, "Hideo-san, I have heard from Shosuke-san if there is a strange incident that happened in your family. So, please tell us what really happened in your family?" I said.

Hideo-san fall silence for a moment. He then sighed, "I myself don't understand what happened to my family. But, our ancestors, moved to this area during the year of Tenmei. At the time, our ancestors was a well-known farmer and successfully planted artificial fruit that has not ever before, this area was given as a gift by the Shogun, "

"By the Shogun?? Really?" Kiyoharu shouted. Everyone look at him, especially the sons of Shosuke-san.

"Kiyoharu, you shouldn't intervene when old people still talking," I said sharply.

Kiyoharu looked depressed, "I'm really sorry," he bowed.

I sighed, "Please continue, Hideo-san,"

That what I said about the difference between a kid from a big city. Even though Kiyoharu is a monk, he always acts like a city bad boy. I mean, his family is a Buddhist monk.

Hideo then continued, "Previously this area was controlled by a Samurai family. But, they died due to catastrophic floods and landslides. Because this is a fertile village, the Shogun then presented this village to Matsumoto family in order to plant more fruits," Hideo-san said, "But, strange things began to happen to Matsumoto family," he sighed, "Every time the head of the household is changing, some family members die,"

We were silent. I can feel the atmosphere in the room feels tense. Waiting for what Hideo-san will say next.

"What I remember, when my great-grandfather died and my grandfather became an heir, four family members died. Four of them is my grandfather's brothers and a sister-in-law," Hideo explained, "They died of illness and accident. And during the funeral ceremony, two servants died. They complained of stomach pain, then died,"

We flinched and looked at Yui who is still holding her stomach with worried face. Kamaitachi? I never heard of anyone who died because of Kamaitachi.

"When my grandfather died and left this house to my father, three people died. My father's younger brother and two of my cousins ​​died of illness," Hideo-san answered, his voice weakening, "My condition is getting weaker. Therefore I plan to make my eldest son an heir, but, I feel afraid something bad will happen to this family again. For generations, our family trying to against the cursed, but it ended nothing. No priests come with a solution," he took a deep breath.

"Did something happen recently?" I asked.

The Katsumoto family looked at each other. They looked nervous.

"The pets of the children raised die without cause. Two dogs are kept by our children, five birds are kept by my younger brother kids, and the fish we have cared for years floated overnight," Shosuke explained, "Also ... the daughter of my brother in law fell into a pool a week ago. Even though she can swim and the pool is not so deep, she almost drowned. She said something strange," Shosuke-san looked nervous, "She said someone pulled her leg from inside the pool,"

"Sensei ..." Hideo-san fell silence for a moment then took a breath,  "I feel, is the time to stop the curse that happened for hundreds of years in this family. I can't die leaving a curse for my grandchildren. So, please help us find out what happened to our family, "Hideo-san bowed his head.

I took a deep and smiled, "Hideo-san, we will try our best to help you,"

"Thank you very much," I could see the relief in his voice and also the rest of the Matsumoto family.

I looked at the kids and nodded my head. Give them a sign that it's time to work.
I wonder, what has been following this family for about 200 years?
A cursed?

***