He died in a dim alleyway, less than three blocks away from the restaurant.
The ground was stained, with dirty water streaming across.
His clean suit trousers were already soaked in filth.
One of his shoes remained on his foot, while the other lay several meters away.
The corpse sat slumped against the filthy wall.
His wide, open eyes and gaping mouth seemed as though he had something to say, but his throat had been slashed.
His trachea, along with his neck, was entirely severed.
However, the true fatal wound was the sword strike to his chest.
And just in case, the killer inflicted another stab to Sato’s right chest.
The perpetrator was an expert swordsman.
Not only skilled in ambushes, but also incredibly swift with their blade.
Resolute, with no intention of giving Sato even the slightest chance to survive.
So much so that Sato didn’t have time to react before being killed.
Jason crouched by Sato’s corpse, examining it while pondering.
Then, Jason looked toward the alley entrance.
By now, it was already dusk. The last rays of the setting sun cast their fleeting glow upon the street, where passersby stood at a distance, staring at the alley, whispering to one another—some fearful, others excited.
Not far away lay the bustling mall, teeming with traffic and shoppers.
In fact, this mall was the reason for the heavy foot traffic here.
Especially during the evening rush hour, streams of people were endless.
Sato had been thrown out of the restaurant.
He must have felt indignant.
Most likely, he’d be cursing inwardly as he stomped forward.
If he followed the crowd, he might have unconsciously wandered here.
Upon realizing his location, he’d have halted.
Perhaps turned around and left.
He shouldn’t have entered such a secluded alleyway.
"Someone asked to meet him here."
"Or perhaps he was drawn here by someone."
Jason swiftly reached an initial conclusion and stood to walk toward Ryosuke and Urashima.
The veteran detective was, as per experience, meticulously ’revisiting the crime scene.’
The young officer had just finished questioning nearby pedestrians with his team.
"Did you find anything?"
"Sato walked here on his own and was killed."
"No one saw anything during the entire process."
The young officer replied anxiously.
In cases of murder , a lack of eyewitnesses made solving it exceedingly difficult.
Although there were street surveillance cameras, their angles couldn’t cover everything—this alley in particular was a blind spot.
"Ryosuke, what about you?"
Jason continued asking.
"Sato must have been lured here by someone!"
Ryosuke said with great certainty.
Onodera, who had followed along, curiously looked at Ryosuke.
Nearby, Hanakaiin Itsuki also cast a curious glance toward him.
"The time it takes to get here from the restaurant!"
"From when Sato left to when Urashima reported, it was a total of 25 minutes. I just retraced the path—a healthy adult could only get here within that time by walking briskly without taking any detours."
"So, after leaving the restaurant, Sato came straight here intentionally."
Ryosuke raised a finger, explaining his reasoning.
Onodera muttered to himself.
Then, he noticed the surrounding stares, filled with an unusual look.
Immediately, he guessed why.
Ryosuke was an experienced and skilled officer.
He was too—or at least, that’s what his resume claimed.
However, his performance at the scene was far inferior to Ryosuke’s.
This made Onodera feel uneasy inside.
After all, it was a critical period: he had just aligned himself with Jason’s team, right at a time when he desperately needed to prove himself. If he showed incompetence now, the consequences would be dire.
Becoming sidelined would be the best-case scenario.
More likely, he’d be abandoned.
After all, there’s no need to keep someone without value.
Onodera had learned that well in his past life experiences.
He instinctively believed the same applied here.
So, a thin layer of sweat formed on Onodera’s forehead.
But suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him.
What remained was a confident smile.
Onodera first scanned the faces around him, then directed his gaze at Jason and began speaking steadily.
"People have flaws and strengths."
"Where there are areas of expertise, there are areas of ineptitude."
"Ryosuke excels in crime scene examination, while I shine in... gathering intelligence!"
At this point, Onodera deliberately paused.
Then, he gestured to suggest having a private conversation with Jason.
Jason didn’t reject the offer.
He wanted to see what information Onodera had.
Of course, Jason didn’t walk over alone.
Ryosuke followed as well.
Jason knew that his understanding of this world was shallow. In terms of hidden information or even basic common knowledge, Ryosuke and Hanakaiin Itsuki far surpassed him.
He needed someone to give him counsel.
As for Hanakaiin Itsuki?
The young Onmyoji sensibly stayed where he was.
Everyone has their private space.
Even good friends often struggle to share everything.
Besides, he didn’t want to make Jason feel uncomfortable.
After all, during their first encounter, they had misunderstandings.
Thinking about this, Hanakaiin Itsuki couldn’t stop lamenting inwardly.
Why do you have such good luck?
To have encountered someone like Jason as a partner.