Chapter 24

Chapter 24 is the twenty-fourth chapter of the Dead Mount Death Play manga.

Summary
In a flashback, an unseen individual (save for his arm) offers Tsubaki Iwanome (with black hair, and one hole per earlobe) tosses Iwanome a pack of Marlboro cigarettes. As Iwanome goes to take one of the cigarettes, he finds with the pack a small piece of paper with the mark from Chapter 23 written on its front.

Once the individual verifies Iwanome has memorized the mark, he uses his lighter to burn the paper in the ashtray. He orders Iwanome to never forget the mark, and to never show the mark to anyone else: "This mark is a signpost we need to follow. But it's also a one-way ticket to death."

In the present, Iwanome pulls the Corpse God—currently in Polka Shinoyama's body—up by his clothes and demands what he knows and why he drew the mark. The Corpse God replies that he has only shown Iwanome the way, and advises that Iwanome follow his heart.

Iwanome grits his teeth, but after a moment lets go of his anger and "Polka" both. Smiling, he pats the Corpse God's shoulders and apologizes with the excuse that he was simply startled; then, he hands "Polka" enough money to cover the reading and the shirt Iwanome wrinkled. He bids "Polka Shinoyama" adieu, but "Polka" corrects him that "the one who did the reading" was in fact the Corpse God.

Once outside the room, Iwanome remarks to Kōzaburō Arase that fortunetelling must mean a lot to "Polka"—though the name "Corpse God" sounds like the name of a troublemaker.

Inside the room, Misaki Sakimiya tells Sayo Shinoyama that the two men were cops. Sayo wonders if the men's visit pertained to the fire at the Shinoyama house; meanwhile, Xiaoyu Lei considers Iwanome's abnormal reaction and wonders if whatever was on the paper had something to do with the "fake Polka's" secret. Primed to snoop, he leaves the room after telling Sayo he is going shopping for dinner..

Iwanome and Arase head to a familiar eatery joint for lunch, where Iwanome exalts his meal of flavorful meat and shrimp before bracing for the spice. The two eat in silence for a little while, which Iwanome breaks by inviting Arase to say whatever he has to say: though he would prefer that Arase not feel it is necessary, he would rather that than silence.

Arase asks what happened back at the fortunetelling shop, and, when Iwanome admits he "lost his cool," says that was unlike the Iwanome he knows. He reminds Iwanome of the phrase, "If I'm the whip, then you're the poisonous honey"—a phrase Iwanome came up with, and he places his hands to his face in embarrassment. When Arase asks what was written on the paper, Iwanome requests that he gather his thoughts while they are on their way to their next stop. Arase agrees, relieved to have the "old Iwa-san" back, and Iwanome acknowledges that "it doesn't pay to lose [one's] cool." By being hotheaded earlier, he messed the situation up.

Once they leave the eatery, Xiaoyu spots them and prepares to listen in on their conversation. However, his built-in microphone is so sensitive it picks up the conversations of many passersby—still, he decides to follow them anyway, carrying his groceries all the while.

Back at the abandoned building, several people read the Closed sign on the fortunetelling window while the Corpse God, Misaki, and Takumi Kuruya talk. Takumi calls the event with the cops a 'disaster' and resolves to install more cameras around the building perimeter later on before wondering why Iwanome behaved the way he did. He assumes Iwanome was possessed by a spirit, but the Corpse God denies this. He further shakes his head when Takumi says, "What? So you just happened to draw something that pushed his buttons?"

Iwanome and Arase arrive at Clarissa's Bar, where Iwanome tells Lisa Kuraki various reasons why he likes her bar. Among them is the possibility he may "round up all the criminals I'm after in one go," and "best of all...that patron who frequents the bar."

All the employees eye him at the latter statement. He asks Clarissa "why [was she] hiding it," admitting that he'd given 'it' up but not quite completely: he couldn't bring himself to fully believe "that guy" would die so easily. She asks him what she means, but he tells her to stop playing dumb; he accuses her of being the only person capable of wiping away all traces of "him" for the past five years. Furthermore, he knows that Clarissa and Polka Shinoyama are linked—and he believes she planned him and "Polka" coming into contact.

Once the Corpse God makes sure Sayo is asleep, he says to Takumi that "he" asked him to leave the situation to him. During the divination, the Corpse God could not make out what "he" was writing in the dark.

At the bar, Iwanome confides that the last trick in "Polka's" reading was to draw something that only "that person" and Iwanome should have known about. If "they" talked to anyone else about it, Iwanome is sure that it would probably have been Clarissa.

Still lost, Clarissa asks who "this person" is, and Iwanome cites the inspector who used to act out with him and be a nuisance for the police—the same person who was Clarissa's "senpai." As he names the man, "Polka" simultaneously names the person who drew the mark for the cop to his friends: Hosorogi. Underneath the floorboards in the living area, an eavesdropping Xiaoyu resolves to research whomever Hosorogi is.

Misaki looks down at Hosorogi at the news he knows Iwanome, and Hosorogi replies, "Shinjuku's a surprisingly small world. Or perhaps I should say...it's deep."

In Tokyo Prison, a prison guard visits the Grocer's cell and identifies them as Inmate Number 243291343432497." The Grocer accuses him of making up the number, and asks Tena Sorimura if he really came such a long way to say only that to him.

The guard—Tena—takes off his hat, and says he is only here to do "some shopping"—though perhaps he will make "The Grocer" laugh one day. Taking out the scroll he stole from the safe, he shows the Grocer the mark upon it and says he will buy any information the Grocer knows about the mark.

After replying, "How could I not know it?" the Grocer agrees to discuss a deal.

Trivia

 * One of the overheard snippets of conversation Xiaoyu's mic picks up—"Majiri-san's apparently coming to Tokyo"—foreshadows Majiri Agakura's arrival in Chapter 50. Who said this is unknown.