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--- Which...of the 18 layers of Hell am I in?
Martial Kim woke up with a painful start, twitching all over. It wasn’t because he was scared, neither was he enraged to the point his nerves didn’t listen to sense and reasoning. He just had zero control over every fibre in his body.
Those wired darts were incredibly potent. Even now, he can’t tell if he was dead or alive while his mind and conscious drifted in and out of a twilight zone. The sensation was worse than sleep paralysis.
--- Is this, the Nether Court of Mirrors? Where liars and deceivers are tried before King Yama, to show their true colours? These reflections make it look like I am in the company of my clone.
Martial Kim was focused on balancing his body in the chair he was forced in and little else. So it took him more effort than usual to squint. His vision removed the numbing blur to give him a better look of his surroundings.
A single room with black padding of some sort. The only thing existing inside was this triangular table, three chairs, and this large mirror was long as a bed. Just to be sure the ‘other person’ was not a doppelganger or illusion, he would try to move around to test for any natural delay.
Only to realize, his entire body was heavier than expected. Chains were coiled around his waist, his ankles, even his arms. All of it was anchored to this hook on the desk, like he was a horse tied to a post.
--- Is this a prison cell or interrogation chamber? I do not see any tools to punish the wicked and force a confession. Not even a fresh pot of fire to brand them, nor hammers and finger bending wrenches. Also, what are these manacles? I have never seen such restraints being so light and delicate. I feel like I can snap them if I part my hands...Oh...They are oddly tough.
Martial Kim bring up his wrist, clapped with a pair of hand cuffs. Slim, near the thickness of a novel book; light, barely noticeable if he didn’t lay his eyes on them.
--- Hmm. They are incredible tight. Practically pinching my skin. I wonder if this is some sort of guillotine for my hands – and if I do not speak the truth, they threaten to cut it off. Strange, most strange...speaking of bizarre, how did I enter here? I do not see a door.
The young master looked around. Other than the mirror, there seemed to be no means of entry. No obvious door whatsoever. His curiosity was soon sated, when one of the walls opened at random to reveal a hidden door within the padded walls.
“Good. You’re finally awake.”
“...Wh...who are you?”
“Oh come on, don’t play that game with me. You just assaulted over a dozen cops today, so don’t use that amnesia card on me!”
Detective Fraulein and another investigator stormed to one of the chairs at the table and sat down. She slapped a series of folders across the table. It didn’t intimidated the young master, rather it just made him recoil when those folders smacked his hands. To make things more difficult, she reached to the side of the table and touched something – making it blind Martial Kim in the face.
--- W-what!? Th-this light? A miniature sun, like back in Miss Keekee’s cabin? Does everyone have some form of sunlight cultivation!?
"Where have you taken Miss Keekee. She is innocent in all of this. If any harm were to fall upon her, I will not forgive you!"
The detective snorted, "To think, after all you've done, you're worried about your little girlfriend? What's the matter, mad that I stole your meal?
"W...what are you trying to say?"
"Keekee is your fourth victim, isn't she?” Detective Fraulein folded her arms in an inquisitive tone, “You put in a lot of effort to cozy up to her. No doubt you planned to get it on with her tonight, then choke her to death before she reaches the first orgasm huh?"
"P-preposterous!" Martial Kim would bolt to his feet--only to be snagged by the chains and fell back down. Not like he could break free, his muscles keep spasming from the shock, "I would never do such a thing to her! There is a misunderstanding, your honour!"
"...Y...your honour?"
"You may not wear the official garment, but you act like in the position as the one in charge of this judgment. That makes you the county magistrate, are you not?"
Martial Kim didn’t understand, why there was this audible silence between the two parties.
"...I am Detective Fraulein. Not a Sheriff of some wild west story!" The she couldn't believe what she just heard. Sounded incredibly stupid, even if it came out of a professional actor. Not wanting her headache to worse, she try to finish this interview quickly – so she can go to an emergency room or something. She felt the concussion about to catch up to her.
"Stop playing mind games and brain riddles,” she spat "We know everything: about the victim in the mountain. You strangled her and filed a report to put suspicious off of your back and chase after an imaginary guy! Nice try, but we’re not stupid!"
Everything seem to click into place for Martial Kim. Like a puzzle automatically sorting itself to show him the bigger picture. He objected, "I am not who you are looking for! What I said to your constable was true: I witnessed the murder. I was not the one who enact it! Please return to the scene of the crime and--"
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
"His name is Officer Roland,” The detective cut in, “Come on, that's what all you happy go merry killers like to say. It's not me, it's someone else. Another mad man, I'm sane. I got character witnesses, my background is clean, blah-blah. I am sick and tired of those criminal mind bullshit you all brag about!"
Detective Fraulein whipped open several reports, tossing some evidence in a bag across the table. "We got your finger prints all over the third victim. The water bottle you tried to force feed her with. And that needle you stabbed her with!"
--- Ah. Of course. I came into contact with that bottle, and that is indeed my Dragon Needle. I can see why everyone is being mislead. I need to clarify the truth and.....wait...What did she say?
"...Third...victim?" Martial Kim uttered with disbelief.
Detective Fraulein whipped out several printed pictures across the table, letting them slide over. Faces of several women – as well as a collection of their dead bodies left out in the open. Eyes wide dead, belts wounded tight through their necks, clothing torn and body defiled.
"Don't recognize them?" Detective Fraulein mocked, "They are your trophies, Mr. Belt Rapist. That's how you like to play your games: get on their good side as the ideal boyfriend, going so far as to take them on the dates and dinner. One perfect night after another, to build on that illusion of happiness. And when it's time to take it up a notch, you charm them into the bed – only to kill her in mid sex."
--- ... That...demon! If only I had known sooner! I would have cut that man down where he stood! Even if the god were to spare him, I shall not! He deserves no mercy! I should have executed him with a thousand cuts to avenge these poor!
But he didn’t – that is what Martial Kim was kicking himself over with a bitter taste in his mouth. The more he looked at the pictures of the mangled victims, his heart arched with every glance.
--- These maidens deserve justice – but it is pointless if the constables lock me here in place of the monster! I have to convince them and—
"Hey! I'm talking to you!" The detective snapped her fingers in front of the young master’s face. "Stop dazing off! I got eyewitness report stating you were messing around with the third victim. Not to mention, we got your D.N.A. all over her body."
"...Dee...eN...Aye?"
"Yeah. And we all know D.N.A. is irrefutable evidence!”
--- D....N...A? What is that? How is it irrefutable? What about it makes it as strong as finger prints and eye witness testimonies? I never heard of it, neither has this appeared in Imperial Text...How would I have missed such an important fact?
"Stop day dreaming. There is no way I am going to let you near victim number four. Keekee is going to stay safe away from the likes of you! You bet your ass I'll make sure of it!"
“Madame Detective!” Martial Kim cried out, "Please listen to reasoning! You got the wrong person--"
"Hah! Where have I heard that before!? Can't you guys think of anything better to say!"
"I am serious, madame detective! I saw the murder with my own eyes. A man of large build with a tattoo on his back in the form of a skull and snake! That is the culprit you are after, not me! And surely you can find a blue horse wagon that have no horses. A rare transport like that would surely stand out!"
"...What...is your major malfunction!?" Detective Fraulein bolted to her feet, hackles up and hissing, “Horse wagon? Horse wagon!? What else do you want to add to your so called statement: fairies, sorcerers, and dragons!? Why don’t you give your wizard friend a call to bail you out!?”
--- What in the world is she talking about? Did she lose her mind?
“Are you out of your mind or are you that sick in the head!” The detective snapped. “Just how delusional are you, creep!”
There were many questions and answers going on in Martial Kim's mind. So much so, he didn't know which to use or address. He knew half of them were useless to someone as stubborn necked as this Detective Fraulein.
"You can't run, Belt Rapist," the detective lashed out, interrupting the young master’s thinking, "Make it easy for all of us! There is no way you can weasel your way out of the court, even if you have the sleaziest lawyer known to mankind! Your finger prints were on the victim and the needle you used to stab the victim. It is only a matter of time, before we find the murder weapon – then your goose is really cooked!"
--- My goose? H-how can she talk about roast goose in a time like this!? Is she truly taking this investigation seriously!?
“Hey, hey, hey. Don’t you look at me like that, you did this to yourself!”
Martial Kim clenched his teeth back to—Whoa, hold up. He was suddenly struck with that feeling of Deja Vu.
--- Something is not right about all this. It has not been a day and they declared the victim in the mountain as suicide. They even went as far as refusing to accept my statement... Now this, what went wrong? Why does this feel all so familiar... Wait...Oh wait.
The pain disappeared, because that didn’t matter now. A single revelation numbed all of the young master’s senses, making his heart slow to a near stop and just stare into a deep void only he could see.
--- This, is all a trap. Exactly how I faked Fae Fae’s death...Ha...haha... Oh, the irony of it all. To think, I was a fool from the start – at my own game even.... Hahahahah...
"Hey." Detective Fraulein's snarl evolved into a beastly growl, "You find this amusing?"
"Find what amusing?" C-can she read my mind!?
“Why the smug look, hmm?”
--- Curses! My nerves lost control of my composure. A-are my thoughts showing up on the muscles of my face!? The twitch would not stop curling my lips up!
Before Martial Kim knew it, he was grabbed at the collar and rattled. Now, he knew how the criminals he captured felt on the receiving end.
“Funny huh, tough guy?” Detective Fraulein roared, “Playing the hearts of three innocent girls and killing them off like some big game hunt? What were you going to do to celebrate victim four huh!? SHOW OFF KEEKEE’S NAKED CORPSE TO YOUR BUDDIES AT THE BAR?!”
“I WOULD NEVER—”
“Ah, Kim was it? You got something on your face, let me wipe it off.”
SMACK! CRACK! POW! WHALLOP!
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