Everyone stared at the screen. Akane Tsunemori's brow was the most deeply furrowed; she still couldn't let go of that incident.
No, rather than saying she couldn't let go of it—
It was more like the incident had driven a thorn deep into Akane Tsunemori's heart. That thorn might be softened or hidden away, but it would never disappear. Of course, as an Inspector, this was also a reality Akane Tsunemori had to face.
Reality was cruel.
It would not show mercy just because you were a delicate young woman.
"The virtual avatar's name is Depression, and it operated the social space Rainyblue. Although the account belonged to an eighty-two-year-old man, we found that his grandson had asked to use his name to open it. The grandson apparently died in an accident half a year ago." Facial photos and inspection reports appeared on the display one after another. "Yūichi Tokito, fourteen years old. Yet his 'Depression' continued operating after his death. His grandfather didn't even know how to log into social networks, and the branch's money seems to have been treated as pension funds."
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"Rainyblue too... It's super popular. I go there often."
Akane Tsunemori spoke with some surprise.
Rainyblue was the social space she frequented. She had never expected something so bizarre to happen there as well, and she could not help but be startled.
"More and more ghost avatars... So there really is a culprit."
Teng stared unblinking at the screen. After falling into thought, he reached that conclusion. Although Teng usually acted frivolous and unreliable, at crucial moments, his professional competence as an Enforcer was beyond doubt.
"Is it possible to operate several avatars at the same time?"
Ginoza asked.
It was indeed a question.
After all, avatars and real people were supposed to be one-to-one.