That night.
Kamikura Yasuo engaged in a tense negotiation with the president of Tokyo Medical University.
At the same time, the forensic examination of the child's body was underway.
And when the final report was slammed onto the president's desk, the once-defiant old man was left utterly speechless, his strength drained.
After everything was said and done, Mikoto removed her white lab coat and dashed out of the research institute.
Tonight was an important nightthe night she was supposed to meet her boyfriend's parents for the first time.
But by the time she arrived at the restaurant, his parents had already left. Only her boyfriend remained, sitting alone.
Even though she had restored Takano's reputation, the price she paid was her own three-year-long relationship.
At the same time, news about Mikoto's mysterious background was beginning to spread due to special circumstances.
"Episode OneEnd."
[240] Scripting the Dead
"Incredible! Absolutely incredible!!"
"The twists and turns in this episode gave me chills!"
"Most importantly, the first episode wastes no time in making its theme clear!"
"Without forensic specialists, a seemingly ordinary yet truly suspicious death would have been hastily dismissed!"
"Without their relentless efforts, the virus leak would have gone unnoticed, causing more harm! And without their unwavering pursuit of the truth, the real culprit would have never been uncovered!"
"What's even more remarkable is how the main story flows seamlessly while subtle side plots are skillfully woven in."
"Even though these details are only briefly mentioned, they enhance the depth of the narrative."
"The breakup at the end of the episode, for example, felt inevitable, considering the build-up."
"Given Babai's backstory, it's clear that the next episode will revolve around her!"
"But seriously, how did such a well-structured story come together in such a short time!?"
"If it were anyone else, I might have doubted it, but if it's Akifumi, I totally believe it!"
"This is the same person who wrote Madoka Magica and Steins;Gate! You can't judge him with ordinary logic!"
"Still, even if he's a genius, coming up with such a perfect story on the spot seems impossible! He must have had this idea long ago and refined it just in time for the competition."
"That actually makes a lot of sense!"
"Yeah, that explanation is much easier to accept."
"But either way, it's still insanely impressive!"
"Unfair! Everyone else is making up stories on the spot, but Contestant #13 gets to use his old work!"
"That's like failing an exam because you never studied, then complaining that others finished too quickly!"
"Seriously, why shouldn't he use the stories he's built up over time?"
"Instead of questioning him, maybe ask why the other contestants didn't have a story prepared in their minds?"
"..."
As debates raged in the livestream chat, Akifumi, having completed the first episode, finally leaned back on the sofa, deep in thought.
His expression suggested he was already planning the next installment.
Meanwhile, in the official judges' stream with Kana and the other three panelists, they had shifted their focus to other contestants.
After all, this was a competition, not Akifumi's personal showcase.
No matter how compelling his story was, they couldn't just focus on him alone.
As a result, none of them realized he had already completed writing the first episode in its entirety.
After a brief rest, Akifumi returned to the blackboard and began outlining the next episode.
Episode 2: The Last Words of the Dead
The Unnatural Death Investigation Lab, where Mikoto works, receives a request from the police to examine a group suicide site by carbon monoxide poisoning.
Four bodies are discovered. Detective Mori insists it's a simple case of suicide, but Mikoto insists on an autopsy!
The results confirm that three of them died from carbon monoxide poisoning, consistent with suicide. However, the last victim, a young girl, was found to have died from hypothermia!
Even more shocking, Mikoto finds a handwritten plea for help inside the girl's stomach!
It was murder!
Despite their superior Kurasawa's objections, Mikoto and her colleague Rokuro decide to investigate the message, determined to uncover the truth.
As they get closer to solving the case, they unexpectedly find themselves in danger.
With their lives on the line, Mikoto sends the only data she managed to collect.
Relying on that limited information, Nakado finally pinpoints their location just in time to save them.
Episode 3: The Unexpected Witness
Mikoto testifies in court as a witness for a murder case that happened six months ago, where a housewife was killed.
The defendant, her husband, Yoichi, pleads guilty, claiming he killed her because he could no longer endure her psychological abuse.
However, during the trial, Mikoto notices something unusualthe knife presented as evidence is not the actual murder weapon...
Episode 4: Who Do We Work For?
Sano, a devoted husband and father, dies in a sudden motorcycle accident one night.
Without life insurance, his wife and children are left without financial support. Desperate, the widow seeks help from the law firm where Mikoto's mother, Natsuyo, works.
Three possible causes of Sano's accident emerge:
Extreme fatigue due to excessive overtime at the factory.
A mechanical failure caused by a botched repair job.
A misdiagnosis by his new physician, who failed to detect a critical illness.
Each scenario points to a different responsible party.
But when Mikoto conducts the autopsy, the cause of death is officially ruled as an accident. However, is that really the full story?
As the investigation progresses, the hidden truth slowly emerges.
Meanwhile, the Unnatural Death Investigation Lab receives a death threat, and Nakado's dark past begins to surface...
Episode 5: Revenge From Beyond the Grave
Tired of Nakado's abrasive personality, Sakamoto finally quits.
With staff shortages, the two smaller teams are merged into one. Nakado is assigned to assist Mikoto's team.
That day, a young man named Suzuki visits the lab, requesting an autopsy for his drowned wife.
Though eyewitnesses claim she jumped into the river herself, Suzuki refuses to believe his wife would commit suicide. He pleads for them to find the truth!
Mikoto proceeds with the autopsy, until the funeral director, Mokurin, rushes into the lab in a panic.
He reveals that the body was stolen from the crematorium!
In other words, Mikoto, as the lead pathologist, has just committed corpse desecration!
[241] Monopoly of Truth
Since Akifumi was unaware of the situation, his actions were not considered a major offense.
However, the fact that someone would go so far as to steal a body just to uncover the truth piqued everyone's curiosity.
Time continued to tick away.
With each passing chapter, the audience's emotions and attention became more and more focused.
The live stream's popularity skyrocketed from an initial audience of just over 100,000 to now exceeding 3 million!
To put it into perspective, even if all the other contestants' viewership numbers were combined, they still wouldn't add up to half of Akifumi's audience.
Of course, as the competition progressed, he did not go into as much detail in his subsequent episodes as he did with the first.
This was partly due to time constraints and partly by design to hold something back.
While a story outline differs significantly from a fully developed narrative, the sheer brilliance of Unnatural Death ensured that even an outline was enough to captivate the audience.
The proof was evident in the live stream: despite the overwhelming number of viewers, only a few comments appeared from time to time.
The silence spoke volumes about how engrossed everyone was.
Meanwhile, in the official live stream featuring the judges, they had already shifted their focus entirely to Contestant 13's channel by the time Akifumi was drafting Episode 3.
Holding over 70% of the show's total traffic by himself, if the competition organizers didn't highlight his stream, they would be making a massive mistake.
Clearly, the officials were not that foolish.
Now, with six hours into the competition, Akifumi had already completed the outline for Episode 8, The Long Road Home.
He was now seated on the couch, quietly eating and restingor rather, contemplating the next part of his story.
Physically, he wasn't actually tired; his stamina was more than enough to keep going.
The breaks he took were more of a performance, a way to appear as a normal person in the eyes of the public.
While Akifumi rested, the three judges in the main live stream didn't stop their discussion for a moment.
"This kid is something else! He really caught us all off guard."
"Caught us off guard? More like scared the hell out of us!"
"But you have to admit, Contestant 13 is pretty lucky to have picked a theme he had already thought about before."
"As a creator, storytelling is all about accumulation. Instead of marveling at his luck, maybe we should ask ourselves why the youngest contestant has the most extensive preparation?"
"Well, let's not get too philosophical. People aren't here to listen to us ramble; let's talk about the actual stories."
At that, screenwriter Nojima Shinji couldn't hold back his excitement:
"To me, what makes Unnatural Death truly outstanding isn't just the engaging narrative. It's the fact that every episode tackles a major social issue."
"For example, Episode 1 highlights medical ethics and public trust."
"Yes, an unknown poison is dangerous, but does covering it up reduce the harm?
"Not at all. The data presented in the story makes it clear, concealment can be just as deadly. The truth being hidden erodes public trust in medical institutions."
"That alone is enough to cause widespread panic."
"In reality, forensic doctors aren't the ones responsible for uncovering such truths. Those in charge should be stepping up to address these issues head-on. But instead, they're afraid of the consequences, afraid of losing their positions."
"They only acknowledge the truth when the evidence is undeniable, forced to abandon their pathetic, disgraceful resistance."
"And it doesn't stop there. Every episode touches on a hot-button issue."
"Episode 2 discusses suicide, Episode 3 examines women's rights, Episode 4 delves into workplace exhaustion and overwork, Episode 5 explores revenge and the pursuit of happiness, Episode 6 touches on social gatherings, and Episode 7 deals with school bullying."
"Beneath each gripping case lies a deeper reflection on society. That, to me, is what makes this story truly remarkable."
As Nojima Shinji finished his explanation, countless viewers in the chat couldn't help but express their admiration.
"At first, I was just drawn in by how exciting the story was but now I realize there's so much depth to it!"
"No surprise there, it's the infamous 'Old Thief.' Of course, he'd write something with this level of depth!"
"This fits his usual style perfectly! His stories aren't just simple entertainment; they carry profound meaning beneath the surface."
"That's exactly why I love his work so much!"
"Seriously, how can there be such a massive IQ gap between people?!"
"I just want to crack open Old Thief's skull and see what's inside!"
"Unnatural Death isn't even an anime, but it's still incredibly compelling! If this gets turned into a drama, I'm definitely watching it!"
"Who says it can't be an anime? Different genres tell different stories, but as long as there's passion, anything can be adapted into animation!"
While viewers passionately debated, the judges continued their discussion.
"Nojima-sensei, you're too cunning! You stole everything I wanted to say!"
"Exactly! But beyond the hot-button topics, the structure and narrative techniques in this story are something every writer can learn from."
"To be honest, Contestant 13 is simply on another level compared to the rest of the competitors. It's almost unfair to the other contestants."
Hearing this, Kana Hanazawa who had been quiet for a while smiled wryly. "But according to the competition's rules, Contestant 13 is fully qualified to participate."
"Well, don't take it too seriously, Miss Kana. I was just making an observation."
After all, the ones being overwhelmed were the other contestants.
Though even he, a veteran screenwriter, had to admit that this level of storytelling was beyond him
It didn't matterhe wasn't competing against this monster, so why should he care?
"Look, Contestant 13 is standing up again."
"With only two hours left, can he finish his story in time?"
[242] Explosive Lines! Lemon!
A fire broke out in a mixed-use commercial and residential building, leaving ten charred bodies that were sent to the Unnatural Death Investigation Unit.
Since the corpses were completely burned beyond recognition, identifying the victims proved to be an immense challenge.
The sole survivor was critically injured and hospitalized.
Meanwhile, Rokurou's father arrived at the Unnatural Death Investigation Unit to inform them about the survivor's condition.
At the same time, he demanded that his son, Rokurou, be dismissed from his position...
After thorough analysis, each victim's identity was confirmed.
The man suspected of being the culprit whose skull showed signs of a severe blow and whose waist bore marks of being bound was, in truth, not the perpetrator at all.
All evidence pointed to the incident being a tragic accident.
The only reason this individual stood out from the others was that, when the fire erupted, he used the firefighting knowledge imparted to him by his father to save others.
As he carried victims downstairs, he discovered that the entrance had been engulfed by flames. Left with no choice, he returned upstairs with the victims on his back, hoping for rescue.
Unfortunately, despite his relentless efforts, help never arrived in time.
Upon hearing this, the man's father broke down in tears.
At the same time, after years of inactivity, another man resumed his criminal acts. The stalled clock of Nakado's pursuit of justice began to tick once more.
With a firm stroke of his pen, Akifumi stared at the board before him, deep in thought.
"Should I fully flesh out the next two episodes?"
The question lingered in his mind.
