Synopsis
Mr. Ueno, a tenant of the tower block apartments at the Tsutsumi Housing Complex, jumps from the roof of one of the buildings in an apparent suicide. His is the latest of the thirty-two mysterious deaths that have taken place at the complex in only three years. Inspector Yamagawa and Inspector Takayama, two police detectives, investigate the death and find that it was impossible for Mr. Ueno to get on the roof, as the lock of the access door has long been rusted shut. The detectives try to find any leads regarding people who ever held a grievance against the complex.
Yamagawa interviews with the complex's manager about any suspicious occupants. He is told of a few residents that have caused problems with in the past, including: Mrs. Tezuka, an eccentric woman who was sent to a mental hospital after a miscarriage; Yoshio Fujiyama, also known as "Little Yo", a strong but mentally disabled man who was once accused of child molestation; and Yoshikawa, an abusive alcoholic. The manager also mentions Chojiro Uchida, nicknamed "Old Cho", a senile old man who lives alone. Yamagawa makes notes regarding these individuals.
Upon returning to the police station, Yamagawa interviews a housewife, who saw Mr. Ueno before his death, walking in an apparent trance past her apartment. She mentions that he wore a strange baseball cap with wings sewn on. During a later interview with Mr. Ueno's wife and son, the detectives learn that the cap went missing following Mr. Ueno's death. Mrs. Ueno also says she thought she heard her front door open the night her husband died. When a patrolman jumps from the complex with his pistol missing, Yamagawa tells his men to see if any of the victims' possessions vanished after their deaths.
Yamagawa goes back to the housing complex that night. After his pager goes off, Yamagawa calls the police station only to learn they did't contact him. Yamagawa realizes that the killer is watching him and offers the beeper as a trophy. To Inspector Yamagawa's fright, however, the beeper abruptly explodes. Yamagawa is pursued and taunted by the killer, in a putsuit that leads him to the roof. There, he meets Old Cho, floating in the air and possessing trophies from his many victims, including Mr. Ueno's winged hat. Yamagawa is later found to have jumped off the building.
The following day, a new girl named Etsuko moves into the complex with her family. When Old Cho uses his powers to drop a baby off a balcony, Etsuko uses her own psychic talents to save the child's life. Then, she confronts Old Cho about the deed, repelling his attempted attack. At the housing complex, Etsuko makes friends with Little Yo and Hiroshi, Yoshikawa's son. Meanwhile, Inspector Okamura, an old colleague of Yamagawa's, visits the complex. Okamura sees an ghostly apparition of Yamagawa; Takayama later sees a similar apparition. Old Cho levela a psychic attack on Okamura and tells him to never come back.
After leaving a playdate with Hiroshi and Little Yo, Etsuko is attacked by Tsutomu Sasaki, a young man who has been possessed by Old Cho. Old Cho makes Sasaki slit his own throat with a utility knife, severely traumatizing Etsuko. The following night, as Yoshikawa hangs out in the complex courtyard, Old Cho offers him the dead partolman's pistol.
In the morning, Inspector Takayama visits a Professor Kaneko to get his expert opinion on the recent events at the complex, as well as any information on Japanese shamanism. Professor Kaneko refers Takayama to a practicing shaman named Noriko Nonomura. After Takayama meets to Ms. Nonomura, they agree to travel to the housing complex to let her examine it for signs of supernatural power. At the moment of their arrival, Old Cho and Etsuko are having a psychic battle; Mrs. Nonomura realizes that Old Cho's murders are a consequence of his observing of the complex' children's games (thus retaliating against their parents), so terrified, she tells Takayama to protect the children at all costs. Takayama fails to understand the warning.
Meanwhile, a policeman appears at Old Cho's apartment regarding his patio doors, which were shattered at the same time Etsuko was attacked by the possessed Sasaki. The policeman and the manager are surprised to find the residence completely empty with no furniture, save for a ring the policeman finds near the broken patio door.
Later, Yoshikawa is walking around the complex when Old Cho telepathically takes control of him and uses Yoshikawa to kill a child resident of the complex, before going after Etsuko. The incident is witnessed by a number of people, who watch Yoshikawa enter the clinic where Etsuko is staying. The police promptly arrive. At the same time, Hiroshi and Little Yo are wandering the halls of the complex, when they notice Yoshikawa going after Etsuko. Yoshikawa, in his state of mind, shoots Little Yo. Sensing Old Cho on the roof, Etsuko teleports to face Old Cho and stop him. This leads to a gigantic battle across the apartment complex. Yoshikawa shoots Hiroshi and Little Yo kills him by crushing his head agains the wall; he enters the building to try to intervene in the battle, confronting the police; he is then faced by Mrs. Tezuka, who is carrying Hiroshi's corpse. When the building begins to collapse, Little Yo takes Hiroshi and leaps off the building, dying in the process; Mrs. Tezuka is then crushed by the debris. Etsuko then suffers a mental breakdown when Old Cho blows up a building with a gas main, killing many children that were witnessing the battle on their balconies, thus revealing the extent of her powers. Overwhelmed by Etsuko's power, a terrified Old Cho flees the scene seemingly unable to retaliate. Etsuko's powers kill two firemen and cause an explosion in the complex's entrance before she is calmed down as she meets her mother.
In the tragedy's aftermath, Old Cho is taken into custody like other survivors left homeless and is interrogated by Inspector Okamura, gathering very little information. Takayama tries to confront the old man, but he is attacked psychically by Old Cho by showing him images of Yamagawa's suicide and the taunts of Yoshikawa. Takayama develops an interest into him linking his senile conduct to Ms. Nonomura's words and begins keeping watch on him. While doing so in the complex's park, Etsuko enters the scene, to the serial killer's horror - his shaken expression of fear is shown in a hiperrealistic two-page close-up. Sitting down in a swing Etsuko focuses her powers against Old Cho. As he drops his cane in pain it is crushed by Etsuko's power, much to Takayama's shock. Old Cho then tries to put up a resistance by trying to destroy the swing where she is, but is easily overwhelmed and killed. Etsuko then teleports from the scene, leaving Takayama clueless of what just happened.
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