According to the magazine’s description, the interviewee was a friend of the missing persons, who told the reporter that the students were mbers of the school’s Mystery Enthusiasts Club before they disappeared. Their hobby was supernatural phenona, and before they disappeared, they had taken a mysterious photo.
The reason that prompted them to take the photo was a feature in a paranormal magazine.
At that ti, unlike now, although the age of science had already begun, superstition was still rampant. Things like qigong and diums were popular, referred to as supernatural science, and there were even scholars researching these topics (whether they were frauds or fools is unknown), believing they could explain things like souls or feng shui from a scientific perspective. Thus, at the ti, supernatural research was not seen as a peculiar hobby in society; in fact, due to its nature, it attracted considerable discussion.
The Supernatural Research Society at Qianyuan Academy was the sa way. They believed that the location of Qianyuan Academy might be a place where mysterious energies gathered according to feng shui principles, so they should be able to capture such photos there. Using so thod, they ultimately captured a supernatural photo.
Shortly thereafter, they disappeared.
Because Qianyuan Academy was an elite girls’ school, the atmosphere at the ti was even more conservative than it is now. The students who attended were all from upper-class and wealthy families, so the disappearance of these students indeed caused quite a stir, and the police ford a special task force to investigate from all angles, but it ended with no results.
This information is known because the tabloid, to emphasize the peculiarity of the disappearance, also published reports on the case at that ti. It was likely to prove to readers that "despite the police’s intensive efforts, they found no clues, so it must be so incredible supernatural event."
In the end, the incident beca an unsolved case, reported by the dia as a "Divine Concealnt Incident," and ultimately ended with no conclusion.
One can’t help but say that the whole story is remarkably similar to a previous case. Is history truly a cycle?
After all, considering the current scenario, the police here would similarly list it as an unsolved case due to lack of clues or bodies.
"So, the photo that girl saw was actually taken by students at this school sixty years ago, and after taking it, those students disappeared... Now, she imitated her predecessors, took a photo, and then disappeared as well... or was eaten by a monster?"
At this point, Shajuye murmured to herself, and Duanmu Huai shrugged his shoulders.
"That’s actually quite normal."
After all, in Mary’s world, Duanmu Huai encountered similar situations with cultists who, when trying to deal with him, summoned creatures from the Isekai. As a result, the creature, once summoned, turned and ate the summoner—if no sacrifice is prepared, the unfortunate one is yourself. What’s so strange about that?
And those students were all amateurs. They probably never even thought about preparing sacrifices, so being eaten by the summoning creature was simply expected.
This also explains why nothing happened at the school afterward—after all, once the summoning creature finished its al without further orders, it would just dust off and return ho. So unless soone else summons it again, it won’t appear.
As for the monster, if Duanmu Huai hadn’t found it so quickly in the past few days, it might have disappeared on its own after a couple of days.
As for why this monster didn’t disappear imdiately this ti, Duanmu Huai suspects it hasn’t eaten enough.
Previously, five people went missing; this ti, only two.
For the monster’s size, two might not be enough for a full al.
If Duanmu Huai and Mianmu Zuoniao had been eaten, the monster might have peacefully gone ho to sleep. Then, there would be rumors of "people mysteriously disappearing, as well as those investigating the incident," ultimately turning into a horror story.
In reality, the monster would have simply eaten its fill and gone ho to sleep.
"What about the magazine?"
The source of both incidents was the paranormal topics published in a paranormal magazine, making it hard not to think more, although similar incidents are not uncommon. Many TV programs also ask audiences to send in their supernatural experiences and then turn the interesting ones into episodes for TV.
In fact, Duanmu Huai even suspects that perhaps those students who vanished sixty years ago had received the sa magic book, but unfortunately, too much ti has passed, and retrospection of the air-raid shelter itself was unsuccessful due to the magic circle.
As for what’s left inside—if it exceeded sixty years, it likely ended up in the trash.
"The magazine itself isn’t an issue, it’s just an ordinary paranormal magazine."
Yuko Shionji shrugged helplessly.
"I investigated its distribution, publication, and planning... everything is normal, it just looks like a simple third-rate paranormal magazine."
"And Qianyuan Academy itself?"
"It’s a private reputed school, well-known from its founding till now... Your sister attends it, so you should know better than ; I’ve never been to school. Of course, there are occasional suicide or missing cases, but looking over a century, it’s not too surprising."
Similar incidents occur in any school, as students themselves are emotionally unstable, especially during adolescence. Due to various reasons, suicides or incidents in a school are not impossible. Compared to other schools, incidents at Qianyuan Academy are relatively few, being a strictly governed elite school.
"So the clues have run dry?"
"For now, that seems to be the case, and your task wasn’t to investigate this, right? Didn’t you already eliminate the monster? Isn’t that enough?"
From Yuko Shionji’s point of view, it indeed seems that way; likewise for Duanmu Huai, if he hadn’t obtained the Ancient Essence, he would have thought the matter ended.
"Anyway, I’ll stay at the school for a sester... let’s see how it goes."
Duanmu Huai is not the type of investigator who relentlessly pursues the truth. His philosophy is: if you can’t find it, stop looking; eventually, the other party will reveal themselves.
Just like the King in Yellow, if there’s no way to thwart their sches, then wait for them to succeed and then smash them, being the Yellow Sparrow behind the mantis stalking the cicada.
Isn’t that how many adventure thriller movies are? The protagonist braves all sorts of dangers, solves traps, evades monsters, solves puzzles, and finally gets treasure hidden in the tomb. Then, when he climbs out with the treasure, the villain points a gun at him and easily takes the treasure away.
No decoding needed, no daring needed, simple and crude.
Duanmu Huai likes this approach.
Of course, if there’s anything Duanmu Huai dislikes, it’s movies where the villain gets the thing but doesn’t kill the protagonist. If it were him, he’d smash their head imdiately and toss the body into a ditch.
Well, wouldn’t be the protagonist then?
"So, should we continue the investigation? I followed your instructions and thoroughly looked into everything but found nothing related to the Light of the Universe Foundation."
"... No need, let’s wait for another opportunity to say more."
Duanmu Huai thought for a mont and decisively made a decision, while Yuko Shionji breathed a sigh of relief.
"Okay, let’s do it that way... By the way, it seems soone has co to see you."
Saying that, Yuko Shionji pointed at the screen with her hand.
Duanmu Huai turned his head to see Yotsuya Miko’s image appearing on the screen.
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