Because the surrounding area was dimly lit and the policeman was facing the forest, this policeman's face could not be seen. Suga looked at the policeman in surprise.

“Are you okay, sir?”

The policeman remained standing still and did not answer. Suga’s expression turned serious.

“You’re right, Nellson. There’s something strange about him”

Cautiously, Suga walked towards the policeman, but after Suga had only taken a few steps closer, the policeman walked into the forest, surprising Suga and Nellson. Nellson looks astonished.

“Why is that policeman suddenly entered the forest….”

Suga's expression turned astonished.

“As if he evading us….”

Suga walked closer to the part of the forest that the policeman had just entered and no longer saw him because of the forest’s darkness. Nellson flew out of the bicycle basket and landed near Suga.

“Should I chase him Suga?”

Suga’s expression turned serious.

“Wait a minute, Nellson. We stick together.”

Nellson nodded. Suga took out a flashlight that could be attached to his right shoulder and then cautiously walked into the forest. Nellson then flew after Suga.

Suga walked vigilantly between large and tall shady trees through the darkness of the forest, aided by his flashlight. Nellson flew after Suga and occasionally landed on the ground and waited for Suga to walk past him while watching the surroundings vigilantly. When passing some tree, Suga was surprised by a flock of birds that suddenly flew away. Suga looked around him in surprise.

“Damn, where did the policeman go just now.”

From Suga’s right direction, the policeman suddenly pounced on Suga and was about to claw him using his sturdy, sharp fingernails. Suga immediately drew out his katana from its sheath and parried this man’s claws attack, which collided hard against Suga’s katana, causing sparks. Suga withstood each other’s attacks with this policeman whose palms were not injured even though he was gripping the edge part of Suga’s katana, making Suga a little surprised. Suga’s flashlight clearly illuminated this policeman’s face, who had black eyes, pale white facial skin, and bruises in several parts. Suga was surprised as he thought.

“What happened to this man….”

The policeman became even more violent and then opened his mouth to bite Suga, but Suga blocked it with his katana sheat, so the policeman just continued biting without hitting Suga.

Nellson pounced toward the front of the policeman, causing them to fall backward together. The policeman lifted Nellson with his left hand, then threw Nellson strongly, who then hit a tree hard and crushed it. The policeman immediately got up from his fall with abnormal but stable movements. The policeman ran quickly toward Suga and then clawed at Suga with his long, black, sharp claws. Suga used his katana to fend off; their attack collided hard and caused sparks as if the claws were made of metal. The policeman continued to attack Suga with his claws, and Suga continued to fend off using his katana; the sound of their attacks’ collisions broke the forest’s quiet night atmosphere. Suga did not counter the policeman’s attacks because Suga looked doubtful and only continued to fend off as he thought.

“Damn, should I counter? This person is clearly not human.”

Suga parried the policeman's claws attack and then deflected it, causing the policeman's stance to be unsteady. Suga slashed his katana on the policeman's forearm and estimated injury caused by his attack would not be serious, to test how he should counter the policeman's attacks.

Beyond Suga’s expectations, the tip of his katana was like hitting hard objects, causing Suga’s slashing attack movements to become unsteady after hitting the policeman's skin and causing sparks. Suga’s katana slash attack tore the sleeve of this policeman's uniform but did not hurt him at all, not even a scratch. Suga was surprised as he thought.

“What the hell, how hard his skin is?”

Suga immediately moved away a few meters back and entered the defensive stance using his katana.

On the other hand, Nellson stood back after crashing the tree hard. Nellson immediately pounced toward the policeman from the back. This policeman appeared to know Nellson was about to attack him, then hit Nellson hard with his right forearm, causing Nellson to be thrown sideways, crash into a tree, and destroy it. The policeman stood in his place and looked at Suga sharply.

“Come to the village.”

Suga was surprised to hear that. The policeman was then thrown hard and powerfully further into the forest and disappeared into the forest’s darkness, surprised Suga. Nellson, who had just hit a tree hard, stood slightly staggering and also saw that unusual event happened to the policeman and was surprised. Suga said.

“What the hell? Damn, we’re going after him, Nellson!”

Suga ran towards the policeman who had been thrown, Nellson immediately flew after him.

Suga continued to run through the forest’s darkness steadily, Nellson flying close behind him. It didn’t take long for Suga to realize something, and he suddenly stopped running, causing his feet to be dragged on the ground. In front of Suga is a fairly deep ravine with a fast-flowing river below. Across the ravine is a forest with dense, big, and tall trees. Suga almost fell into the river if he wasn’t careful. Suga looked around in surprise, and his breath hitched.

“Where was that policeman?”

Nellson flew and landed near Suga.

“Should we fly after him?”

Suga appeared to realize something.

“No need. We’ve been chasing him and still haven’t seen him; he must have gone far. We’re going back to town.”

Suga then turned around and walked away from here; Nellson then flew after him.

Suga walked along the same path as before; Nellson flew after him while occasionally landing on the ground and watching the forest area vigilantly. Suga looked lost in thought.

“What happened to that policeman… he was suddenly thrown backward deep into the forest so quickly that we lost track of him just like that.”

Nellson looks astonished.

“Like there was an invisible force pulling him away.”

Suga’s expression changed to astonishment.

“Whatever it is, it feels very strange...”

Suga was silent for a moment in thought. Nellson appeared to realize something.

“Who was that policeman? His behavior was strange and violent. I wonder what kind of Yokai that have something to do with this....”

Suga turned to Nellson.

“I want to know too. Did you realize anything about this, Nellson?”

Nellson shook his head.

“Even I, a Yokai, was not familiar with this.”

Suga nodded.

“That policeman's skin was very hard, to the point that my katana slash attack was shaken when hitting him. His physical strength also felt stronger than normal humans, even though his attacks collided with Yokai weapon. I’ve never experienced or studied and heard of a Yokai case like this.”

Nellson nodded. Not long after, Suga found something that caught his attention. A shabby wallet lay on the ground, where Nellson had been struggling with the policeman before.

“There’s a wallet here.”

Suga picked up this wallet and checked the outer part of it. Nellson appeared to realize something.

“Maybe that policeman dropped it while wrestling with me before.”

Suga also immediately realized that possibility. Suga opened the wallet in his hand, which contained an ID card, old money, driver's licenses, etc. Suga checked the items in this wallet and was surprised.

“What is this? It feels like opening a time capsule.”

Nellson also watched curiously. Suga then checked the ID cards in this wallet, one of which was a police officer’s ID card, with a photo of a man wearing a police uniform:

 

Name: xxxx xxxx

Gender: Male

Position: Police Corporal

Year of service: Since 1977

 

Suga was surprised to see a familiar name on this ID.

“Wait, I think I know this person.”

Nellson looked surprised. Suga took out his smartphone from his overcoat’s inner pocket and checked the list of missing person cases victims in Kagohara village and town. Suga was surprised.

“This person is a policeman who was one of the missing persons in Kagohara village in 1987.”

Nellson was surprised.

“Even after decades had passed? What actually happened to him?”

Suga looked doubtful.

“I don’t know; he doesn’t act like a normal human being or even a Yokai’s human form. All those bruises and his violent behavior that even about to bite me.”

Suga put this wallet in his overcoat's inner pocket, then walked away from here.

“We’re getting out of here, Nellson.”

Nellson watched Suga for a moment, then flew after him.

The time is 9:30 pm. Suga pedaled his bicycle back to Ishikari’s house, with Nellson standing inside the bicycle basket. Suga arrived at Ishikari’s house and then pressed the intercom bell. Not long after, Ishikari opened the entrance door for Suga.

“How about your patrol, Suga?”

Suga’s expression turned serious.

“Just like what you experienced, I saw one of the missing victims too.”

Ishikari was shocked.

“One of the missing victims? Is that my school friend?”

Suga shook his head.

“No, but the other victims. The victim I saw also showed strange behavior.”