gyuki

*pant*... *pant*... Matoimaru, tell me... we're almost there...

Yeah, real soon!

Pick up the pace! We've gotta stop him before he gives that scammer any more money!

Dammit, I'm not gonna let him do this...

*pant*... I've never heard you... talk about your family before...

What's your dad like...? Some kinda... super-burly Oni hulk?

Cause if he is... I dunno if I'll be any help talking him down...

Relax, Dad's not an Oni, just your average old Vulpo.

He adopted me when I was real young—didn't care I had Oni horns growing in. He raised me all the way.

I'm not gonna let him get dragged into any of the messes I've made since leaving home, so I've never really brought him up.

But since he’s the one who caused this mess, there’s nothing I can do.

Doesn't matter how, we've gotta get it through his skull he's being duped!

Scams like this have been on the rise in Higashi lately... I saw the news in Mitsukue reporting on it...

It's scary to think... Even your relative got hit...

Good thing you guys investigate fast. I woulda been way too late on my own.

We're here! This is the village!

Matoimaru maintains her breakneck sprint, her operator companion huffing for air as he straggles behind. The Higashinese village is still and quiet, a vista of peace in the rays of early summer.

A villager in thin clothes emerges onto the path to hail the two, only to halt upon seeing Matoimaru, whereupon he begins to wave enthusiastically.

Yo! If it isn't Matoimaru-chan! Finally made time to come back and visit us?

Hold on, what's the rush? Somewhere to be?

No time to chat! I gotta get home fast!

Matoimaru completely forgoes the usual pleasantries with the old man, merely jabbing in the direction of her house before dashing away from him.

The man stumbles back a step out of surprise, and shakes his head as he watches the Oni girl go.

Gone for so many years, and now she's suddenly racing for home? Is Eikichi in trouble?

...Surely not. Eikichi's not the trouble-finding sort.

Excuse me, sir, I'm sorry about this... Once I have the chance, I'll explain what happened...

Hold up, Matoimaru!

Watching the two figures speed off, the villager scratched his head in confusion.

And honestly, 'fake'? How can this be fake?

All I had to pay was a small processing fee, and they sent me the first payout just the day before. I've hit the jackpot, true and honest.

It's a fine opportunity, and I've no reason to pass it up—

What? You already gave them the money?

Matoimaru! I told you to stay out of this—why did you come back anyway?

You come home without a word, and look, you just barrel in! Look at the door! Look at the flower vase you knocked over! See?

Honestly, girl. Never mind the damage—what baffles me is I finally come into some wealth and all you want is to pull me away from it.

What do you want me to tell you, huh?!

Says you, Dad! I explained it to you and you still ignored me!

Lotteries like these are scams. I saw the exact same grift when I went to Kazimierz.

I've been around more than you now. It's your turn to listen to me. I'm serious. This is gonna screw you.

In fact, I'm so serious, I brought a coworker you can trust with me, he's... he should be here real soon.

We've looked into the scammer! We even know where he is, and what he's up to! That has to convince you, right?!

Yes, yes, Matoimaru, you've been places.

But you've been out there so long, you missed how Higashi changed. You don’t know what it’s like for us.

And don't tell me about Kazimierz. I know about Kazimierz, but this isn't Kazimierz. Higashi is in its boom era now, understand.

And you should learn to stop crying scam at every little thing. Remember Katsushi next door? I let you play at his place all the time when you were young.

He hit the jackpot too. He doesn't even live here anymore. I bet he's flying free in Mitsukue right about now.

Dad, be real for a sec!

Doesn't matter where in the land you are, you only get as much back as the effort you put in. I learned that in my very first year away from home.

It's because things are so much cushier now, because so many people want a quick and easy fortune, that all these scammers crawled outta the woodwork!

You can't give into greed like that! It just makes you into another mark!

Enough, enough! How can it be fake when I already got a payout? If this is how it's going to be, just get back to your job.

Look, once I get all the money, maybe you won't have to break your back out there anymore. We can move to the city and have ourselves an easy life.

Okay? Stop letting your anger speak for you.

Hold on... *pant*...

Sorry... Matoimaru... didn't think you lived this deep in the mountains...

Nice to... meet you, sir... I'm a colleague of Matoimaru's here...

Finally! Quick, help me talk to him! I suck at explaining all the details!

Listen to him, okay, Dad? We did the investigation. We know the truth. You'll understand once you hear it!

No, I know everything I need to. You're wasting your time, no?

(Takes a deep breath)

On the contrary, sir. Details in your letter raised Matoimaru's suspicions, and we amassed copious evidence while aiding her investigation to back our findings.

Scams disguised as notices of lottery wins have been reported all over Higashi. Did you receive a message telling you to pay a handling fee before you could receive your reward?

Just a little processing fee, yes. But look, I already got some money out from it, right?

How can this be a racket if they're paying me?

That's one of the methods these fraudsters use. They pay their victims part of the money, before asking you to pay even larger handling fees, bit by bit.

We've already tracked down where your messages are coming from, based on how previous incidents of this kind played out. The source is an insurance firm in Mitsukue.

If you could take a look here, these messages are all from the operating committee for a television program called 'Fortune 24/7', right?

But the reality is, someone from that firm is posing as this committee in order to send out these fabricated messages.

We advise you that you cannot trust any future communications that come from them, and you cannot continue to meet their demands.

Thank you!

See, here's an in-depth report from the Mitsukue papers. These are all the fake notices other people got, saying they'd won. They're basically the same as yours, aren't they?

You HAVE to believe us now!

Matoimaru pulls paper after paper from the operator's binder, and lays them all out on the tatami for her foster father to see.

She watches earnestly to see how he'll react, only for him to shake his head.

Settle down, Matoimaru.

You know we've never been wealthy. This is a chance for us to live the good life...

And none of the stuff you're showing me can prove the jackpot I hit isn't real.

Just go, the both of you. Don't try and test me with this rubbish.

Dad, even I learned not to get duped like I used to! How can you fall for this kind of scam?!

You—

Abruptly, Eikichi rises, and pushes Matoimaru out the door with both hands.

Enough! I have a life to live! Don't you bother me anymore!

Sir, please calm down! Sir!

But the operator's exhortations make Eikichi no less eager to get Matoimaru out.

She doesn't put up a fight. Removed from the room, she and her father stare each other down for a few fractious seconds, before she silently turns and leaves.

The operator can only hurry to gather up the scattered papers from the floor, before apologizing as he slips out of the room.

*Sigh*!

On seeing how the two have knocked over the entryway ornaments, Eikichi stamps a foot and sighs.

Matoimaru!

Don't give up. It's not over just because we didn't convince him. After all, it's true we don't have decisive evidence.

We're limited in how much we can investigate. Maybe we can wait for the authorities to step in after all.

The operator flips through his binder, poring over all the evidence within, failing to notice when Matoimaru suddenly lifts her head.

No. It's not catching the scammer that matters most. It's getting Dad to understand this whole thing's a racket.

Right, I've got it, the most decisive evidence there is...

If the scammer himself admits it, then there's no way Dad can keep claiming his win is real!

What are you implying?

We're gonna go to Mitsukue right now, and we're gonna get that sucker.

I'll make him confess, straight from the burdenbeast's mouth!

What? Matoimaru, we don't have the authority to just seize people like that. Without a warrant from the authorities, we—

Don't worry, I've got a plan. It starts now!