"The pain!" "I carry the burden of this great scar on my chest." "Sometimes, like now, an unendurable pain will come without warning." "Oh my, how awful!" "Please take it easy and rest, Mister Ichinomiya." "Once you've given me the manuscript, that is." "Come on, now." "You're already way past deadline." "Please hurry." "You're a demon." "That's right!" "What?" "She's a demon?" "No, it's not like that, Haruka!" "Reiko is a real human." "Now go and do what I taught you!" "C'mon, hurry up!" "It sure is nice out, huh?" "You know, your research on folklore is SO popular with our readers!" "Yeah, yeah..." "Huh?" "What's the matter, Haruka?" "Huh?" "What a beautiful person you are!" "It's such a lovely day." "Would you care to go for a walk?" "Okay..." "See ya." "What the heck is going on?" "!" "Yippee!" "The plan was a complete success!" "Yoko?" "Haruka's really handsome, and I thought if we use his looks as a weapon, women won't stand a chance!" "And I was right!" "You mean, YOU showed him how to..." "C'mon, Kantaro!" "Why don't you go out for a bit?" "You need to relax, okay?" "Relax!" "Breather!" "Relax?" "So that's what this is about!" "Thanks, Yoko!" "You're perfectly welcome!" "But you know..." "I'm surprised Haruka was actually willing to do that sort of thing." "Well, it's because..." "If you don't write that manuscript, we won't be able to eat!" "Huh?" "Go take a break, then come back and write up a storm, okay?" "Now I get it." "This is a whole different kind of pressure." "Hello!" "Ah, it's Suzu!" "The Forbidden Portrait" "Mimi o sumashitara kikoeru hazu" "Kimi o yonde iru kasuka na koe" "Sou, sanzen sekai no fukai mori no sono oku de" "Dareka ga sakebu yo, yoru o kojiakete" "Secret World tasuke ni yukou, veil no kanata e" "Hitomi tojite tobitate, mienai sekai e" "Inishie no (Woo)" "Tokoshie no (Woo)" "Secret World, Secret World" "Huh?" "You mean you don't know him, Suzu?" "No, I met him outside." "He seemed to be having trouble getting in." "Sorry to just drop in on y'all like this." "When I read that article about Mr. Ichinomiya's research," "I thought for sure that you'd be the one who could save her." "Save?" "I'm sorry, but would you mind telling us your name?" "I'm Seiichi." "Seiichi..." "What did you mean by save?" "Here..." "She's so pretty!" "Her name's Fumi." "She and I have been friends since childhood." "I'm beggin' you!" "Please help Fumi!" "Would you mind waitin' here for a second?" "Huh?" "Oh, sure." "Sorry 'bout this." "Fumi!" "No!" "Send him away right this minute!" "What are you talkin' about, Fumi?" "He's come here to help you!" "I won't see him!" "But, Fumi!" "What gave you the right to do this?" "But, Fumi!" "What gave you the right to do this?" "I will not see him!" "Absolutely not!" "It sounds like you couldn't get through to her." "Sorry..." "Why don't we just let her be for today?" "No!" "Not after havin' you come all this way!" "I'm awfully sorry." "Would you mind waitin' just a little longer?" "I'm gonna try to talk some sense into her." "Ah, all right then." "Are there any tea houses nearby?" "[Tea House]" "Is this is the place?" "Kantaro..." "Haruka?" "Uh-oh..." "If you're looking for Reiko, she's not in there." "An errand?" "She seemed to be rather concerned about the time." "Maybe she had some appointment she'd forgotten about." "Even Reiko can be a little careless at times." "Pardon me, Sir." "Oh, thanks." "My pleasure." "This cake is delicious." "I'll bring you another slice right away!" "You're having fun, aren't you?" "All I did was give my opinion of the cake." "Mr. Ichinomiya!" "Sorry to keep you waitin'." "So, you were able to convince her?" "Yeah, I guess." "Okay then, let's go." "Aren't you coming?" "Why would I?" "Well, we ran into each other, didn't we?" "Come with us!" "My cake is coming." "Oh, is that right?" "Fine, you enjoy your cake then!" "For goodness' sake!" "If you're going to come along, why don't you just say so?" "Leave some money." "I'm flat broke." "This is Fumi." "And?" "Show him." "Fumi..." "What is..." "The same thing is happenin' to her legs." "And it's all because of this picture!" "Because of the picture?" "Fumi's soul is bein' swallowed up by this picture." "It started about a week ago..." "She was gathering' acorns in Karasugamori." "She said the man asked to take her picture." "And then..." "The next morning, that picture was stuck in our door." "That's when Fumi's body started gettin' all strange." "And the worse she gets, the better that picture looks." "I'd trade places with her if I could." "When I think of how she must feel, I..." "Did you try going back to the photographer's studio?" "I tried, but I couldn't find it." "You couldn't find it?" "No..." "No matter where I looked, there was no studio anywhere." "So that's why you came to me?" "I thought about reporting' it to the police, but Fumi was against it." "Also, neither of us thought it would be a case that they could solve." "That's when I happened to read your article." "I see." "Is there anythin' you can do?" "Can you save Fumi?" "!" "Taking the case, huh?" "Haruka, were you listening in?" "It's pretty obvious how poor they are." "They'll never be able to pay you." "Probably not." "But..." "After seeing them like that..." "You sympathize with them." "I also understand what it's like to want to protect someone you love." "Sympathy won't keep your belly full." "Hey!" "That bun..." "Was given to me." "I think Yoko taught you something she really shouldn't have." "Oh, well." "Regardless of what he said," "Haruka ended up coming along after all." "Do you understand, Mr. Ichinomiya?" "If I don't have that manuscript today, we'll miss the deadline!" "Why do I have to do all this just for something that's not even going to earn us any money?" "Huh?" "Did you say something?" "It's nothing, really." ""It's nothing, really."" "Ah, I see." "Hey, Yoko?" "Kantaro and Haruka just snuck out the back door." "Is everything all right?" "There certainly isn't any photography studio here, is there?" "In which case, all we can do is try to find this mystery photographer." "That looks pretty fishy!" "Indeed." "Gotcha!" "Yeow!" "Huh?" "Sugino?" "!" "That hurt!" "What the heck are you doing?" "!" "I'm so sorry about that, Lord Sugino!" ""Sorry," my ass!" "That hurt like hell!" "What the heck are you doing in that getup?" "Ah, you found me!" "Mu!" "Oh, Muu-chan!" "You're a genius when it comes to hide-and-seek!" "You sure are great, Muu-chan!" "Hide-and-seek..." "That's the reason he was hiding?" "Mu?" "Mu!" "Ack!" "Muu-chan!" "You're supposed to be my wife!" "Why are you always clinging to this guy?" "!" "Mu!" "Well, I am just speechless!" "I'm sorry." "Sorry about that, Yoko." "I didn't know what was going on." "Don't worry about it, Suzu." "It wasn't your fault." "Exactly!" "It's Mr. Ichinomiya's fault for coming up with such a half-baked scheme in the first place!" "I'm really sorry." "Still..." "I suppose just this once I can let it slide." "Huh?" "You mean it?" "I just happen to be feeling pretty good today." "Check it out." "It's beautiful!" "Isn't it?" "I was taking a walk in the forest yesterday, when suddenly this guy came up to me." "Huh?" "Is that right?" "So you didn't see anyone in this forest either, Muu-chan?" "Mu mu, mu." "Has our investigation already come to a dead end?" "Things don't seem to be going well for YOU either." "Shut up, Demon-eater!" "Oh, there they are!" "Kantaro!" "Reiko actually encountered the mystery photographer?" "!" "It was right in front of us the whole time!" "Suzu!" "Reiko!" "Her face!" "Reiko!" "So, you were in Karasugamori." "Yeah, when I first met the man, I was in a hurry, so the other day I went out to the photography studio again." "But there wasn't any kind of studio in the forest, right?" "It will appear, I'm sure of it." "It will appear?" "Yes, when a suitable model comes across it." "Black magic, huh?" "Yeah, and now it's become clear that our opponent is after women." "Beautiful women!" "Huh?" "!" "Will this really work?" "Beats me." "Miss?" "Pardon the intrusion, but I am a photographer, and I have a studio which happens to be nearby." "Photographer?" "Oh my, I'd never have expected to see a studio here." "Please, step inside." "All right." "Oh, is something wrong?" "There's a demon in there." "And that means..." "Naumaku Sanmada Bazaradan Kan!" "Kantaro!" "Was that a familiar just now?" "The demon is inside!" "Upstairs!" "Kantaro!" "Up there?" "Haruka!" "I won't let you interfere!" "There you are, you damned specter!" "You've been possessed by evil!" "Nice job, Sugino!" "Stay there." "Jeez, could you be any rougher?" "Whoa, don't kill it!" "How about that?" "A demon-eater that won't kill demons." "The Shadow Woman..." "So it was you?" "I'm sorry." "Why did you do this?" "Their smiles..." "I was jealous of those women's smiles." "Smiles?" "That envy is what brought on the evil spirit." "Hey..." "Try smiling." "Huh?" "Demon-eater?" "It's no use." "I don't have a face." "I can't smile!" "Don't worry about that." "C'mon now, you have to try." "Looks to me like you CAN smile." "Is it true?" "Am I really smiling?" "Yeah, you've got a pretty smile." "So I can smile too?" "Oh, I see!" "Thank you." "I'm so happy!" "Thank you!" "What's with the face?" "Oh, nothing." "Now I get it." "This was another way to use the techniques Yoko taught you." "Wrong." "Mu, mu!" "All right!" "I'm so happy for you, Reiko!" "Please excuse me for the way I acted yesterday!" "Please, stop it!" "Come on now, look up." "Show me your face the way it's supposed to be." "Yes, you're very beautiful indeed." "Oh, my." "Yes, you're beautiful." "The most beautiful woman in all of Japan!" "Oh, honey..." "I'd gladly give my life for you." "May you both have long and happy lives." "Thank you." "He said Fumi made this." "I guess it's our payment for the job." "Say, Haruka..." "I could give my life too, if it were for you." "Just finish that manuscript before you die." "Otherwise, I'll starve to death first." "You're right." "All right!" "I'll give it at shot as soon as we get back!" "Yoru no machi de futo kimi o yonde ita" "Tooku hanaretemo kodoku wa boku o toraenai" "Mikata ga iru to kanjita toki ni" "Daremo ga kawaru" "Tsuyoku naru, naru, naru kara" "Mienai chikara wa kibou o izanau" "Mienai chikara wa kimi ga kureta yuuki sa" "Now then!" "What is the next oddity that will appear?" "Someone is after Yumeyakko, the number one geisha in Ryogoku!" "Kantaro, her childhood friend, hears her story and heads straight for the scene." "There, he encounters an eerie mansion full of dolls, and the masked man who is its owner." "What is the true identity of the shadowy figure that roams the halls of this locked mansion?" "When speechless dolls shed tears, an unheard-of terror arises from the depths of the abyss and threatens our heroes!" "Next time on Tactics, "Dancer in the Darkness""