The Secret of the Telegian

Tsudo becomes the Telegian killer to exact revenge on Onishi, Takashi, Taki, and Nikki, who betrayed him during their military assignment 14 years earlier. While guarding Nikki's secret experiments, the group smuggled stolen gold, but Tsudo objected to how they were handling it. The others faked his death by blowing up a cave, believing he was inside. Tsudo survived with Nikki and used her teleportation technology to systematically hunt down everyone involved in the betrayal.

The flashback shows Tsudo confronting the group about the gold, insisting it belonged to Japan's people.

Dr. Nikki developed a matter-transmitting device that can move objects or people from one location to another in seconds. The system requires a transmitter and receiver at separate locations. Tsudo uses the transmitter to send himself to different locations to carry out his killings, essentially using the technology as a tool for murder. The device operates using Cryotron transistor wires, which are a key clue left at crime scenes.

The fragment of Cryotron transistor wire found at the first crime scene hints at the technology behind the killings.

The gold disappeared because Tsudo and Nikki did not actually die in the cave explosion. They faked their deaths and returned later to retrieve both the gold and their corpses, taking only the bones to make it appear the bodies had decomposed. This explains why, when Onishi, Takashi, Taki, and Nikki returned to the cave a year later, they found the gold missing and only empty graves.

When investigators revisit the cave, they find the bones and gold missing, pointing to a deception.

Taki is killed to eliminate him as a witness and prevent him from revealing the truth about the 14-year-old gold smuggling operation. As one of the original four soldiers involved in the betrayal, Taki knows too much about the conspiracy. Tsudo views him as another betrayer who participated in the scheme and subsequent cover-up, making him a target alongside the others.

The investigation reveals Taki was one of the original group involved in the gold smuggling.

Tsudo uses Nikki's teleportation technology to locate and murder victims from a distance. Before each killing, he sends the victim an audio tape or note ordering them to a specific location, such as the Cave of Horrors. He then teleports to that location, carries out the killing with a bayonet, and teleports away. This is how he commits murders across different locations while evading capture.

The gold-plated dog tag and note inviting the victim to meet at the cave establish the pattern of summons before death.

Onishi retreats to a remote coastal village to avoid becoming Tsudo's next target. As one of the main conspirators from the original gold smuggling operation, he knows he is marked for death. He believes staying hidden will protect him from Tsudo's teleportation-enabled reach. However, Tsudo ultimately discovers his location and sends a transmitter to ensure Onishi's death.

Onishi's wary demeanor at the Military-Land Cabaret suggests he knows more about the danger than he admits.

Tsudo dies when the teleportation receiver is damaged by tremors from the destabilized machinery. While attempting to escape by teleporting, the malfunctioning receiver causes his body to dissolve into oblivion rather than safely transporting him. This marks the end of his long vendetta, and the technology that powered his killing spree ultimately becomes his undoing.

The machines are described as humming with ominous potential and prone to instability.

Dr. Nikki survives until the police locate her at the remote farm with her teleportation apparatus. While the summary mentions the police finding Nikki and the devices, it does not explicitly state her fate after the final confrontation. Her teleportation invention remains a threat even after Tsudo's death, as authorities warn about the dangers of such technology falling into wrong hands.

Nikki is shown developing the teleportation device in hiding, which becomes central to Tsudo's killing method.

The Cryotron transistor wire fragment is a key piece of evidence that connects the murders to Nikki's teleportation technology. This specialized component is essential to the functioning of the matter-transmitting device. The killer deliberately leaves this clue at crime scenes, establishing the signature of the Telegian and hinting at the advanced technology behind the killings.

The Cryotron wire is introduced as the first major clue pointing beyond a random killing.

The present murders are directly tied to the 14-year-old gold smuggling operation. Tsudo is seeking revenge against the four people, Onishi, Takashi, Taki, and Dr. Nikki, who betrayed him during their military assignment. Each victim was either directly involved in the original gold theft or participated in faking Tsudo's death to cover up their crimes. The pattern of killings mirrors the original betrayal.

The investigation reveals a growing pattern of military echoes intersecting with civilian crime.

The bayonet carries symbolic meaning for Tsudo, representing his military background and the weapon of a soldier. Using a bayonet channels his cold resolve as a former lance corporal and connects the present killings to his identity as a military man betrayed by his comrades. The ritualistic nature of the kills, sending warnings beforehand and using a specific weapon, reflects his methodical and personal vendetta.

Tsudo's military identity as Lance Corporal is established early in the flashback.