Ishikari’s expression turned frightened. Suga said.

“What about you? Do you see anything unusual?”

Ishikari shook her head.

“Nothing, I don’t think she’s coming tonight. I think I’ll be alright now; you can go home, Suga.”

Suga looked a little doubtful.

“Okay then, I’ll excuse myself.”

Ishikari smiled and nodded. Suga turned around and left, but Ishikari remembered something.

“Wait, Suga.”

Suga stopped in his tracks, then turned back to face Ishikari.

“Tomorrow is the day of Kagohara town’s annual celebration festival. Come to the area near the shrine if you are interested; there will be many stalls and performances, cultural performances, and so on. The event usually starts at 8 am.”

Suga was a little surprised to hear that, then smiled.

“Celebration festival? Of course, I will come. Thank you for telling me.”

Ishikari smiled and nodded. Suga walked to his bicycle, got on it, and left here. Ishikari looked at Suga momentarily, then went back into the house.

The time is 10:00 pm. Suga arrived at the inn and parked his bicycle in the bicycle parking slots beside the inn’s building. Suga walked into the inn, Nellson then flew after him. Suga walked down the corridor and ran into Mrs. Unjyo, wearing a kimono; they stopped each other in their tracks, Nellson landed on the floor near Suga and watched them curiously.

“What a coincidence, Hisoka san. There is something I want to tell you.”

Suga’s expression turned curious.

“What is it, Unjyo san?”

Mrs. Unjyo looked doubtful.

“This is about the Gasokami photo. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the negative film of it.”

Suga appeared to have expected that, then smiled.

“It’s okay, thank you for Unjyo san help.”

Mrs. Unjyo smiled; she then appeared to remember something.

“Tomorrow, Kagohara town’s annual celebration festival will be held near the shrine. This festival is one of the Kagohara town’s attractions. I suggest you come; there will be a variety of cultural performances, food stalls, and so on.”

Suga’s expression turned curious, then smiled.

“Of course, I will come. I’ll excuse myself, Unjyo san.”

Suga bowed politely to Mrs. Unjyo, who then did the same. Suga walked away from here, and Nellson then flew after him. Mrs. Unjyo then also walked away from here.

The time is 11:00 pm. Suga was in his room, sitting on a zabuton while reading his investigation documents. Nellson stood near Suga and watched him curiously. Suga looked at Nellson.

“If I remember again, the policeman’s face who attacked me looks like he hasn’t aged since 1987. But I can’t prove it because his face was pale, bruised in several parts, and also because of the forest's dark atmosphere.”

Nellson nodded.

“Unfortunately, I didn’t really focus on his face.”

Suga fell silent for a moment, thinking.

“There is information that makes me curious: about only sacrificed people who ever meet Gasokami in person.”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Nellson appeared to realize something.

“Don’t say that you want to sacrifice yourself.”

Suga smiled.

“We’ll see, if our investigation doesn’t progress, I’ll be forced to do it.”

Nellson looked at Suga in surprise.

The next day, the time was 7:30 am. Suga wore a shirt, long blue jeans, and sneakers. Suga walked out of the inn where several people around were wearing kimono or Yukata. Suga walked towards his bicycle and then got on it. Nellson flew after Suga and landed in the bicycle's front basket. Nellson turned his body, faced Suga, and spoke in a slightly whispered tone.

“People are excited about going to this annual celebration festival.”

Suga smiled and nodded. Suga’s expression turned curious.

“Right, I’m curious about what the festival will be like.”

Suga pedaled his bicycle away from here.

Suga arrived at an expansive two-story Shinto shrine area, with Shinto gates lined up in front of it on a concrete area with shady trees on the right and left edges of the front area. Classic Japanese plaster walls with a tiled roof on top surround this shrine. The wall entrance is a wooden double-door gate with a tiled roof above it, with smaller gates on the right and left. The three gates were wide open, and many people walked into the shrine area and then walked towards the shrine building to pray.

In another part of the shrine, another concrete area extends to the right and left, surrounded by shady trees. On the right and left of this concrete area are rows of various game and food stalls, including takoyaki stalls, cakes, shooting games, throwing games, various masks and accessories, etc. At the end of this area is a stage with a metal frame and tiled roof decorated in a classic Japanese-style building.

In front of the shrine area, Suga parked his bicycle in the bicycle parking slots provided near the entrance gate. Nellson looked at Suga curiously.

“Is it okay for me to go to a crowded place like this?”

Suga smiled.

“Of course, it’s okay. I’ll use the usual excuse if anyone asks about you.”

Nellson nodded. Suga walked into the shrine area through the gate, Nellson watched Suga for a moment, then flew after him.

Suga walked towards the shrine through the rows of Shinto gates. People’s attention was immediately drawn to Nellson, who flew after Suga, occasionally landing and waiting for Suga to pass. Suga prayed momentarily at the shrine, then walked towards the food, drink, and game stalls. Suga passed a metal board sign, which read the events that were planned to be held today. Some of them are the theatrical performance “Gasokami, the Guardian of Kagohara,” the traditional cultural dance performance “For the Protector,” and fireworks at night. Suga crossed his arms, reading the writing on this board with a curious expression.

“Interesting; we might be able to get a clue by watching all these performances.”

Nellson nodded and replied in a slightly whispered tone.

“That’s true, but there’s still some time before the first event starts. What are we going to do while we wait?”

Suga turned to Nellson and smiled.

“Of course, we play games.”

Nellson, standing on the concrete surface, looked up at Suga curiously.

Suga walked between the stalls available here and looked around him. Nellson was walking on the ground to avoid attracting too much attention and was left several meters behind Suga. Suga stopped in his tracks; his attention was focused on a stall that provided shooting games with toy guns to hit targets.

“Let’s try that game.”

Suga walked towards the shooting games stall where several people were playing. Suga looked toward the male stallkeeper.

“I want to try this game.”

The stallkeeper, a young adult man in his 30s, smiled.

“Of course, welcome to my stall….”

The stallkeeper’s words stopped in surprise when Nellson flew, landed on the stall counter's edge, and looked at the shooting target.

“What’s with this owl?”

Suga smiled.

“He is my pet owl, Nellson, who likes to do cosplay. He wants to enliven this event like people wearing kimono or yukata.”

The stallkeeper looked at Suga with a surprised expression, then nodded. The stallkeeper took one of the toy rifles displayed next to him and handed it to Suga. Suga received this toy rifle and aimed the weapon at the target. Suga’s expression turned serious, and he fired his toy rifle. Suga managed to shoot the target in the middle, surprising the stallkeeper, who invited Suga to choose one of the available prizes, and Suga decided on a key chain. Suga walked away from here, and Nellson flew after him.

Suga walked between these stalls and chose the one that caught his attention. Not long after, Suga ran into Ishikari, wearing a yukata, walking with her two female school friends who were also wearing yukata. Ishikari looked a bit surprised.

“So you came, Suga?”

Suga smiled.

“Of course, because I have arrived in this town, I should enjoy it.”

Both of Ishikari’s friends look surprised to see that Ishikari knows Suga. Ishikari smiled.

“Okay, enjoy your time here, Suga. I’ll excuse myself.”

Suga nodded and smiled.

“Yes, no need to be reluctant.”

Ishikari smiled and then walked away from here together with her two friends.

Suga walked around the stalls and noticed a group of people preparing to perform on stage; Suga looked at them curiously. The time is 9:00 am. People gathered and stood before the stage, waiting to see the theatrical performance entitled “Gasokami, the Guardian of Kagohara.”. Suga also gathered in the crowd, carrying a drink in his right hand. Nellson stood near Suga, looking hard to watch the stage because he was covered by the people standing around him.

“These humans are blocking my view….”

Suga turned to Nellson and looked a little surprised.

“Let me carry you.”

Nellson was slightly surprised; Suga picked up Nellson and carried him in his left arm. Nellson could finally watch the stage, although he was still having a little trouble. Due to the audience’s enthusiasm for the event that was about to start, the people around Suga and Nellson didn’t pay much attention to them.