Ryuga went silent for a while. He sat straight and calmly observed Hiryuu-san. A few moments later, he exhaled and began speaking in a solemn tone.
"I do trust you… and I have no reason to lie to you. These hooded people are a danger not only to Hina but also to my other friends, including me. The one thing I want is to get them inside jail. You don't need to suspect me about that.
"… The reason why I was so perplexed and shocked after seeing the hooded man's face was not because he was someone I knew, nor because I am a part of their crew.
"I reacted that way because of a single haunting reason. It's because that man didn't have a face to look at."
A chilling silence shrouded the office at once, heightened by the subtle breathing of every person present.
Contrary to what Ryuga expected, Hiryuu-san didn't show any aversion or disgust. She didn't seem to expect deceit either, at least not from what he could read.
"Elaborate on what you mean… a person having no face? I can't imagine an entity like that." Hiryuu-san asked.
Ryuga closed his eyes, rummaging through memories he desperately wanted to bury. The 'face' of the hooded man flashed before him, and an immediate twitch pulled at his facial muscles.
"That person's face was sewn. The eyes, nose, mouth, everything was sewn, and that sewing made a pattern. A symbol. A sigil. Whatever it was… a mirrored and normal 'D' adjoined together. His face was sewn to form that very shape. He had no mouth to speak, no nose to breathe. Yet he still spoke… still lived. Still breathed…"
Both Naoya-san and Hiryuu-san were momentarily stunned. Especially Naoya-san, since he had witnessed that man speak for so long. If the person was exactly as Ryuga described, then none of it should have been possible. It went against basic human anatomy and biology.
Just to clarify, Hiryuu-san asked, "Are you a hundred percent sure that's what you saw? You weren't drunk or hallucinating? Do you consume drugs by any chance?"
Ryuga shot her a glare but didn't retort. He simply shook his head.
Seeing his resolute, instant response, Hiryuu-san was stunned once again. From his upright posture, controlled breathing, steady eye contact, and stable tone, he didn't seem to be lying.
"Is it biologically possible to move your mouth, eyes and nose to another place on the body and still live?" Naoya-san mumbled, half to himself.
"It isn't. I'm not a major in biology, nor do I know much about surgery, but even I can be sure of this. It isn't possible."
Hiryuu-san had heard his mumbling, so she replied thoroughly. In her mind, she was perplexed. She didn't want to believe in a faceless person, but Ryuga genuinely didn't seem to be lying. And if he was lying, then his acting skills were truly world shattering!
Whether it was biologically possible or not. This wasn't a point worth debating. Ryuga knew that firsthand. It sounded absurd, and for a non-believer like him, it was a loud slap across the face.
Even he didn't want to believe it, but some things couldn't be ignored. Especially not because of some bias. That was exactly why he hadn't lied or made up anything.
'Ignoring the concern of safety, there are a lot of reasons why I want to unveil this cultist group. And the most prominent one is my thirst for knowledge. More specifically, knowledge about this faceless man. The mystery of this faceless man makes it worth investigating. I truly want to know, have these sewer rats really developed such profound surgical techniques?'
To unveil these cultists, Ryuga needed the police's help. And the chance to get that help had befallen upon him itself. He couldn't miss it. He just had to play his cards right.
"Hiryuu-san, I know I might seem like a lunatic to you. But what I said is absolutely the truth, and you know that too. But… spending time on what's true or false is worthless. What we should be doing is actively searching for these 'people' and seeing the truth for ourselves.
"You said you didn't have a clue related to these 'people', but I might have one. However, before I give you that clue, I need you to make a promise. Include me and Naoya-san in your investigation team. We need access to the data collected by your branch for our own investigation."
For the first time since entering, Hiryuu-san truly chuckled. She was amused by his audacity to blackmail the police. The boy had guts.
"You know what you're doing, right? Kami Ryuga?"
"You searched my history within a night. Possibly dug through corners of my life I wouldn't want to be public. I think I deserve this much leeway. Think of this as a barter system. You take something, you give something."
"Oo, and now you are accusing me of false investigation. You would be surprised to know how many charges I can put on you."
"Oh c'mon, you have been purposefully taunting me with my full name. Don't act as if I don't get what you're trying to do!" Ryuga's tone rose.
"Oh well, looks like you caught on… Sorry, Ryuga. I didn't mean you any harm. In my field of work, unless I show the other person my authority, they won't co-operate. Now, it has become a habit.
"Still, blackmailing me isn't the best option. You aren't a child, so don't act like one. This isn't some random burglar case. Around 88 people have gone missing over the past two years, kidnapped in the dead of night.
"There were no calls for ransom, no signs of human trafficking, prostitution, organ trafficking, or anything of the sort. They were kidnapped and then never spoken of again.
"As such, I won't babysit you. If you don't co-operate yourself, I can make you co-operate through other means. And trust me, they won't be pleasant."
Hiryuu-san's tone made it very clear. She would do exactly what she said. For two years, the police had no leads on the kidnapping cases. And now, when they finally had a clue…
Ryuga himself could guess the lengths they would go to in order to make him speak.