Tokyo Mystery Writers

In the story of the astrological murder mystery.

Astrologer Kiyoshi Mitarai and his friend and assistant Kazuki Ishioka flipped through the notebook, marveling at how the contents were exactly the thoughts of a demon.

They also developed a strong interest in the case.

Through various searches, the two eventually gathered the following clues (a character relationship diagram) and the order in which the bodies were discovered.

The first victim was discovered on April 15, 1936; she was the painter's second daughter, Tomoko.

Aquarius Tomoko was missing her lower leg, lead oxide was found in her mouth, and her body was dumped in the Hosokura Mine, covered only by a shallow layer of soil.

The second victim was discovered on May 4, 1936; she was the painter's third daughter, Akiko.

Akiko, a Scorpio, was missing her waist. When she was found, she only had her upper body and two legs. Iron oxide was found in her mouth. Her body was dumped in the Kamaishi Mine and buried fifty centimeters deep.

The third victim was discovered on May 7, 1936; she was Tokiko, the painter's daughter from his previous marriage.

Tokiko, an Aries, was headless. The severed neck was covered with red shells. Her body was dumped in the Gunma Mine and buried seventy centimeters deep. Based on the fact that Tokiko practiced ballet before her death, it can be inferred that the body belongs to Tokiko.

The fourth victim was discovered on October 2, 1936; she was the painter's fourth daughter, Yukiko.

Yukiko, a Cancer, was missing her chest and arms. Her body consisted only of her head and abdomen. Silver nitrate was found in her mouth. Her body was dumped in the Kosaka Mine and buried 105 centimeters deep.

The fifth victim was discovered on December 28, 1936; she was the painter's second niece, Nobuyo.

Nobuyo of Sagittarius was missing her thigh; her body consisted only of her upper body and lower legs. Tin was found in her mouth. Her body was dumped in the Ikuno mine and buried 140 centimeters deep.

Finally, there was the painter's eldest niece, Reiko. By the time Reiko's body was discovered, it was already the following year, on February 10, 1937.

Reiko, a Virgo, was missing her abdomen; her body consisted only of her upper body and the lower half of her abdomen. Mercury was found in her mouth. Her body was dumped in the Yamato Mine and buried 150 centimeters deep.

In short, the six bodies were discovered nearly ten months apart and can be roughly divided into two groups: one group consisting of Tomoko, Akiko, and Tokiko who were buried in shallow burial, and the other group consisting of Yukiko, Reiko, and Nobuyo who were buried in deep burial.

According to clues provided by the police, all six victims died from arsenic poisoning.

After their deaths, the parts of their bodies that possessed their guardian stars were removed (pictured).

The remaining bodies were abandoned in six mines in Japan. The bodies were not only smeared with or ingested with alchemical materials, but also decomposed to varying degrees due to the different times when they were discovered!

This chilling case greatly surprised Kiyoshi Mitarai.

What's even stranger is that, more than a month before the deaths of the six girls, on February 25-26, 1936, the painter Umezawa Heikichi had already died tragically in his studio.

All the windows in the studio were fitted with iron bars, making it impossible for any living person to enter or leave. Furthermore, there were no hidden doors inside the studio, and the toilet was also inaccessible.

The gate was not only sturdy, but also fitted with a latch that closed from the inside.

In addition, Tokyo experienced its heaviest snowfall in thirty years that day, and every visitor left their footprints, thus creating a double-layered enclosed space.

However, outside the studio in the snow, there were only two footprints similar to the painter's, and no trace of the murderer, which is truly unbelievable! (Picture)

Then came the painter's eldest daughter, Ichie, who was already married. On March 23, 1936, nearly a month after the painter's death, she was murdered and raped in her room!

The murder weapon used to kill Yizhi was a heavy glass vase in Yizhi's home, which had Yizhi's blood on it, according to clues provided by the police.

Yizhi was putting on makeup at the dressing table when she was struck on the back of the head by a glass vase because her back was to the murderer!

The entire case is extremely complex, with numerous clues, making it exceptionally intricate and elusive.

Just as Maijo Kyosuke wrote in the opening prologue, this was a murder case that was unprecedented in the entire world!

When Uyama Hideomi saw this, a look of utter shock appeared on his face.

He subconsciously picked up the coffee cup next to him and took a big gulp, the smell of alcohol instantly filling the air.

Sitting opposite him, Maishiro Kyosuke noticed that Uyama Hideomi had only seen half of the manuscript before stopping, and asked with some concern:

"Mr. Yushan, are you dissatisfied with the riddle in this story?"

Uyama Hideomi raised his head, stared at Maishiro Kyosuke with bloodshot eyes for a long while, and then burst into hearty laughter:

"No! Mr. Maishiro, it's not that I'm dissatisfied with the riddle; on the contrary, I think it's exceptionally well-written!"

"A complex and elusive grand scheme, three improbable murders meticulously planned."

"Especially your use of astrology to devise a plan to murder six young girls, take the parts of their bodies that correspond to their ruling planets, and combine them into the perfect goddess Asod—it's all incredibly ingenious!"

"I...I can't think of any words to describe your bold design!"

Hideomi Uyama raised his coffee cup again and took a big gulp:

"Although this is a horrific murder, I can't help but marvel at how elaborate the method of killing was!"

"Although I've only read half of the book, if I were to write a comment on the mystery in this book..."

"Then only an 'unprecedented, earth-shattering mystery' is worthy of this book!"

When Maishiro Kyosuke heard Uyama Hideomi's praise, the anxiety he had been feeling slowly subsided.

Unexpectedly, after praising him, Uyama Hideomi showed a somewhat troubled expression:

"I'm just a little worried..."

Maishiro Kyosuke, upon hearing Uyama Hideomi's words, retorted:

"Mr. Yushan, what are you worried about?"

Uyama Hideomi scratched his chin, a complex expression on his face:

"Mr. Maishiro, to be honest, the riddles in your book are truly too powerful; they can be called 'riddles from heaven'!"

"But when writing mystery novels, the worst thing you can do is overdo it."

"If you use too much force, it will backfire."

Uyama Hideomi's eyes revealed a mixture of admiration and worry as he gently stroked the manuscript:

"I'm worried that Mr. Maishiro, your imagination is only capable of creating 'heavenly riddles'."

"But they lack the hard power to provide a 'heavenly solution'..."

"If your answer is not satisfactory and convincing, you will be top-heavy, which means your expectations are too high. The more you expect, the more disappointed you will be."

"Even if you are shortlisted for the Edogawa Ranpo Award, it will be difficult to win the grand prize."

"Even if all your competitors were weak and you managed to get the publication opportunity by sheer luck, you'd only be a rapidly falling meteor in the mystery genre, never the brightest star!"

Uyama Hideomi looked at the manuscript, his expression extremely troubled:

"I'm worried... I'm very worried that the story won't turn out as I expect."

"After all, this is the strongest mystery I've ever seen in my fifteen years in the industry, or even in the entire history of detective fiction, without exception!"