亜樹 直 Agi Tadashi is a Japanese manga storywriter, novelist and screenwriter. His original name is Shin Kibayashi (樹林 伸 Kibayashi Shin). He was born in 1962 in Tokyo, and graduated from Tokyo Metropolitan Musashi Senior High School and Waseda University School of Economics & Political Science. The penname "Tadashi Agi" is shared with his sister. Under the name Yuma Ando, he received the 2003 Kodansha Manga Award for shōnen for writing Kunimitsu no Matsuri.
The case in the volume and the modus operandi of the crime seemed a little farfetched, but there were some interesting elements in this too. The volume is a little darker than the previous ones, since there are some indications of sinister organized crime.
An agency called Pluto is planning murders for clients and with hypnosis and disguises as tools, they are safeguarding themselves and their organization. In fact, some agents of this organization also posed a life threat against a few members of the detective school, even going to the extent of going close to killing them to remove them from the path. This is both scary and terribly creepy.
IDOL’S CURSE AND A SINISTER TRAP The rivalry between Class Q and Class A heats up as Kyuu and Yukihira face off in a high-stakes deduction battle. Investigating the mysterious death of an idol, they uncover whispers of a haunting linked to a previous idol’s tragic accident. When the deceased idol’s sister is nearly killed, suspicion deepens. An ominous “shadow” appears, and Pluto, the criminal organization manipulating events from the shadows, sets a deadly trap for DDS, escalating the danger.
DEATH AT THE CONSTRUCTION SITE While working at a construction site, Kinta befriends an elderly coworker who hints at needing help with a mysterious problem. Before he can reveal more, the man is found dead after an apparent fall from the site. But Kinta senses foul play—was it really suicide, or is there a darker truth behind the old man’s death?
SECRETS BENEATH THE SCHOOL Tension rises when a strict new teacher, Tatsumi Hongou, clashes with Class Q. After Kinta is caught badmouthing him, Megumi and Kyuu take his place cleaning the building—only to stumble upon a hidden door leading to a deadly trap. Trapped inside with a venomous snake that bites Megumi, Kyuu must unravel the mystery and find a way to escape before Megumi’s life slips away.