Tantei wa Mou, Shindeiru - Volume 1 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3 

 Yesterday’s enemy is today’s enemy, too 

“I didn’t think we’d be seeing each other again after all this time, Kimizuka.” 

We were on the deck of a luxury cruise ship. 

The individual who’d interrupted my conversation with Natsunagi and Saikawa was Charlotte Arisaka Anderson—and it was the first time I’d seen her in a year, since the day Siesta died. 

“Yeah, it surprised me, too. How’ve you been?” 

“You have no reason to be concerned about my health.” 

Oh yeah? Well, good to see you haven’t changed a bit. 

I thought I’d fire back with a lighthearted jab, but— 

“…Really, what on earth have you been doing all this time?” 

Suddenly, Charlie’s tone came down a step, and there was a sharp light in her large eyes. 

“‘All this time’?” 

“Since she died.” Charlie bit her lip. She was as beautiful as ever, but her expression was harder than it used to be. 

“What have I been doing…? Nothing, actually.” Thinking back over this past year, I answered honestly. 

I could have said I’d done something, but only very recently. After I met Natsunagi. 

“Yes, I imagine not,” Charlie answered derisively, as if she’d been expecting that answer. “You caught bag snatchers, went around searching for lost dogs and cats, received commendations from your local police… And you think that makes you a hero?” 

Oh, so she knew, huh? She knew about my tepid life. 

“Kimizuka—didn’t you have any intention of inheriting Ma’am’s job?” 

…I see. So that was what she’d wanted to say all along, huh? She’d been checking into what I was doing this past year because she wanted to say that. I seemed to remember Ms. Fuubi saying something similar to me at one point. 

However, my answer to that was: 

“For those three years, I was just the assistant. All I can do is assist.” 

And the one I was meant to assist was gone. I was powerless. 

“…That’s right. You were her assistant, Kimizuka. Her only assistant. So…” The sea wind carried her whisper far away. Charlie’s long eyelashes came down slowly, as if she was thinking about something. “Well? What are you doing here, then? Changed your mind?” 

By the time Charlie asked me that question, she’d reverted to her usual firm expression. 

“What am I doing here? Uh, I’m on a cruise.” 

“…I see. You don’t even know.” Charlie gave a disgusted sigh. “So it’s only a coincidence that you’re on this ship.” 

“…Is there something here?” 

I glanced at Saikawa, but she shook her head emphatically. Apparently, she had no idea what this was about. 

“Ma’am’s last wish.” 

“Huh?” 

“Just before she died, in order to bring down SPES, she left her last wish—her legacy—all over the world. One piece of it is dormant somewhere on this cruise ship. The analysis took time, but that information is sound,” Charlie said. “Although the analysis team isn’t part of my organization.” 

I remembered that part of the work wasn’t exactly her forte. Siesta had teased her about it quite a lot. Still— 

“Siesta’s legacy is on this ship…?” 

And Charlie was here to search for it. 

And today, by coincidence, I just happened to be on the same boat. 

Coincidence? Really? 

“But since you have no intention of carrying out Ma’am’s dying wish, it’s none of your business. You can just rot in your tepid life forever.” With that, Charlie turned to go. 

“No, hang on a second. Charlie…” 

“I’m not who I was a year ago,” she said. “I’m not the girl who couldn’t save Ma’am.” 

With that, Charlie told me good-bye…well, told her past self good-bye, in all likelihood. 

“I inherited that last wish.” 

The voice that rang out then was clear and carrying, the sort that traveled all the way to distant islands. 

Natsunagi stepped out in front of me, facing Charlie straight on. 

“And you are?” 

“I’m Nagisa Natsunagi—the ace detective.” 

This was getting dangerous; I could almost see the sparks flying. 

“Nagisa Natsunagi…?” Charlie said quietly, putting a hand to her chin, and then— 

“Oh, you’re the…” 

Her eyes went to Natsunagi’s heart. That had to be one of the most important items of information linked to Siesta. Had Charlie tracked that down as well? 

“I don’t suppose you’d want to play detective somewhere else, would you? I don’t want to see you using Ma’am’s life for a game of pretend,” Charlie said frostily, with obvious irritation in her eyes. 

“I’m not playing!” Nagisa shot back, setting her hand over the left side of her chest. “I was given this life, and that has to mean something! Siesta entrusted it to me! And so, I’ll be the one to find that legacy—I swear on this heart!” 

She’d snapped at me like this once, too; it was fierce and fiery, a declaration of war. 

For a moment, Charlie’s eyes went wide, as if Natsunagi had overwhelmed her. 

“—I see. Do whatever you want,” she said, promptly turning on her heel. “There’s no way you could ever replace her. I’ll be the one to inherit her last wish.” 

As I watched her receding back, I couldn’t think of anything to say. 

“Aw, she left…” 

Finally, Saikawa spoke up. Maybe she didn’t want the mood to get too heavy. 

“Um, I’m sorry,” she continued. “If I hadn’t invited you two onto this ship, this would never have…” 

“No, it’s not your fault, Saikawa.” I immediately rejected that idea. I couldn’t let my personal situation spoil Saikawa’s gesture of kindness. “It was more like, you know, a collision of really unfortunate coincidences,” I said, partly to convince myself as well. “You too, Natsunagi. I’m sorry for pulling you into all that.” 

“……” 

“…Natsunagi?” 

When I looked at her, her fists were clenched, her shoulders were trembling, and… 

“Nnnnnnnnggggghhhhhhh! Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” 

…her face turned bright red, and she started pounding her knees with her fists, again and again. 

“Kimizuka, do you think this is a greeting from abroad, perhaps?” 

“No idea… Makes me think of a gorilla more than anything, but…” 

“A gorilla, hmm? Did you know their official scientific name is Gorilla gorilla gorilla …?” 

“Yeah. And all of them have type B blood…” 

“Would you shut up about gorillas?!” 

Finally, the gorilla—er, Natsunagi, whose face was as red as an apple, launched into an angry diatribe at someone who had already left. 

“Arrrrgh, what a jerk! I’m playing pretend, huh?! I… Just how does she think I felt when I…!” 

Yeah, I know. I know you’re serious. 

If anyone was wrong back there, it was me. 

I’d been Siesta’s only assistant, and I had failed to carry out my role. Not to mention I didn’t even want to inherit her last wish. 

No wonder Charlie’d had it with me. I was the one who deserved the blame, not Natsunagi. 

“I am going to be the one who finds it. Her legacy. Count on it,” Natsunagi said, as I’d suspected she would. Her eyes were narrowed, and her fists were tightly clenched. 

“I think you’re getting a little too worked up about this.” 

“Huh…? You…think so…?” 

“Why don’t you go cool off in the pool? We’ve got time for that. Right, Saikawa?” 

“……! Yes! There’s even a waterslide!” 

Of course there was; this was a luxury cruise ship owned by the Saikawa family. Natsunagi’s swimsuit purchase was about to pay off. 

“Are you coming, too, Kimizuka?” 

“Uh, I’m…” I gave it a little thought. “Sorry. There’s something I need to do.” 

Yeah. The one who really needed to cool down was me. 

“…I see.” Natsunagi’s shoulders drooped a little, but she didn’t try to get any details out of me. She signaled to Saikawa, and they both turned to go. 

“See you later, then.” 

“All right, Kimizuka. I’m gonna burn the sight of Nagisa onto my retinas!” 

“…Yui, actually, maybe let’s not go into the pool together, okay?” 

 Welcome to hell, the land of dreams 

For a little while after Natsunagi and Saikawa had left for the pool, I stayed on deck, thinking. 

I met an enemy (comrade) of mine again after a year. It would have been easy to call this encounter a coincidence. 

But I knew we were in too deep for that. 

Natsunagi had taught me as much during the incident with her heart—you can’t just brush off people’s feelings or your reunions with them. The word coincidence is too irresponsible and fatalistic. 

I had to assume that every meeting and reunion in this recent chain of events meant something. Reaching that conclusion, I knew where I should be going next. 

After all, what I had to do now was talk things out with the right person. As for where I’d find her… Well, we’d known each other long enough that I could pretty much guess. 

I made my way through the vast ship, opened a door that was larger than the rest, and— 

“Ha-ha. Ah, memories.” 

The first thing I saw was long rows of slot machines. Toward the rear, there were green tables where you could play roulette and baccarat, with dealers running the games. 

This place was magnificent and debauched, a seething mass of human desires, a paradise of dreams, or hell itself—a casino. 

Casinos were illegal in Japan, but once you were out on the ocean, that law no longer applied. 

…Still, this really did take me back. 

Las Vegas, Macao, Singapore—a few years ago, when I’d been traveling all over the world with Siesta, I’d learned to gamble. On the occasional days when we’d used what little money we had to win big, Siesta and I had lived it up. 

Speaking of “living it up,” there was one day when we both drank liquor—something neither of us did as a rule—and got pretty drunk, and then… No, actually, I won’t tell that story. I’m sure it happened because we were, you know, young and thoughtless. 

Past stories aside, the important thing now was whether she was here, and…yep, there she was. 

“Ngh, why…? That’s my seventeenth loss in a row. Nobody else is losing…” She was slumped over a poker table, the blond hair she was so proud of comically disheveled. “Urgh, this just can’t be right. One more time… One more time!” 

Apparently having failed to learn her lesson, she took a twenty-dollar bill out of her wallet, intending to have the dealer convert it into chips for her. 

“What are you doing, you moron?” 

Seriously, I can’t just stand by and watch this. I landed a karate chop on that blond head. 

“Wh-who’s there?” Her shoulders flinched, and then she turned awkwardly to look at me. 

“What kind of idiot gambles herself to tears?” 

Charlie was sitting there, her eyes watery and pained. “Nnnnngh! Kimizuka, I can’t win…” 

“What happened to all that spirit you had when you were picking a fight with us?” 

Well, Charlie always had been like this. 

When the talk turned to Siesta, she tended to forget herself, but generally, she acted her age… Actually, her mature looks only made her childish moments more prominent. Frankly, she was kinda unreliable—and to borrow Siesta’s words, not the brightest bulb. 

…I didn’t say it, all right? Siesta did. 

“Why are you messing around with poker?” 

“…Well, they say this is Ma’am’s legacy, so I thought if I kept winning at the casino, it might, you know, turn up as a prize or something…” 

“I see. Good to see you’re still dim as ever.” 

Although, thanks to that, I did manage to guess where she’d be right away. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” 

“It means Siesta was really seeing you.” 

“Huh?! Ma’am really saw me? …Heh-heh.” 

Don’t give me that “heh-heh” business. One second she’s crying, then she’s mad, then she’s laughing… Seriously, there’s always something going on with her. 

“Switch with me a sec.” 

“Huh?” 

I took Charlie’s place in front of the young female dealer. “I’ll win back what you lost, at least.” 

“…A-and what are you going to ask me for in return?” Charlie backed away, hugging herself. This is why people say you’re stupid. 

“I’ll settle for a conversation.” 

“…Conversation?” 

“Later. We’ll go back out on deck.” I handed the dealer a twenty. “Just watch. I’ve always had a knack for poker.” 

I’ll show that ace detective, wherever she is, the difference between you and me. 

 That’s why I can’t be a detective 

“—I can’t believe you lost.” 

As I stood on the deck, staring vacantly at the ocean, someone was snarking at me from the vicinity of my knees, in a tone that would ordinarily be unthinkable. 

Charlie leaned against the railing with her back to me. “What the heck was that? You stroll in like ‘Oh, I’m so cool, I’ve always had a knack for poker’ and then you go and lose?” Charlie was sitting on the deck, hugging her knees. She looked up at me teasingly. 

“Oh, shut up. I just sort of thought I could pull it off, okay?” 

Long story short, I got destroyed at the casino. 

Humans have a hopeless tendency to see the past through rose-colored glasses. When I thought back carefully, I remembered that it had been Siesta, not me, who’d won big at the casino with that knack for poker. I’d only been granted her leftovers… That’s one hell of a trap. 

“That is beyond pathetic. Not only that, but you got sucked in even worse than I did and blew all the money you had. Talk about stupid. Talk about sick.” 

“I already feel terrible, so don’t pour salt in the wound, thanks.” 

Haaaah. Maybe I’ll borrow money from Natsunagi when she gets back from the pool. Swallow my pride, et cetera. 

No, this was a time to ask Saikawa. Everybody should have a rich friend. 

“Heh-heh. But yes, you were right,” Charlie said. “That was pretty funny.” 

Was it actually a joke all along? 

Charlie gave a contrived-sounding laugh. “Pfft! Snrk, snrk.” 

Come to think of it, it was the first time in a year that I’d seen that smile. 

For a little while, we laughed together quietly. 

“—So? What did you want to talk about?” 

The wind blew, changing the peaceful atmosphere. 

“Siesta.” As I answered, I rested my arms on the boat’s railing and gazed out to sea. 

“…We already had that conversation. It’s over.” 

“Says you. Communication is a game of catch, you know.” Up till now, my conversations with Charlie had always been more like dodgeball. 

“What could I possibly have to talk about, a year later, with Ma’am’s assistant, who didn’t try to carry out her last wish?” Charlie’s voice was cold again. 

Unsurprisingly, that was something she just couldn’t compromise on. I’d been chosen as Siesta’s assistant, and then after she’d died, I hadn’t tried to carry on her legacy. I’d averted my eyes from the beings I should have been fighting and stayed in my lukewarm life. 

And I was the one who hated myself the most for all of it. 

Yes. I bet that’s why Charlie was— 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you,” I said. 

She’d been concerned about me, her enemy—her comrade—all this time. 

“…I’d like it if you wouldn’t presume to know what I’m thinking.” 

“You even read all those newspaper articles about me.” 

“I—I just happened to see them; that’s all.” 

“And then you came all this way, just to see me.” 

“I told you that was a coincidence!” 

“Ow!” 

Charlie’s fist sank into my lower thigh… I guess I teased her a little too much. But really, I probably had worried her. I did feel bad about that. 

“Still,” she said, “since you did apologize, I’ll give you one chance.” 

“Oh yeah?” 

Charlie got to her feet and came to stand beside me. “Why didn’t you try to become a detective in Ma’am’s place?” Her eyes shone like emeralds, and they wouldn’t let me get away. It was too late to lie or pull a fast one. 

“…She… Siesta said something to me.” 

I remembered what had happened on that day, four years ago. In the sky, at ten thousand meters. 

On the plane that Bat had hijacked, Siesta told me— 

“You—be my assistant.” 

That was what she’d said. 

“That’s why I can’t be a detective. I couldn’t four years ago. I can’t now that she’s dead, either. I’m sure I’ll never be able to. I’ll always be hers: the ace detective’s assistant.” 

I can’t be her. But I can continue to live for her. 

“…Dummy.” The corners of Charlie’s lips curved up in a way that looked a little sad. “You’re the one who’s stuck in the past with Ma’am, not me.” 

Was that true? Maybe so. 

Even now, I’m sure. Siesta is my— 

“Well, it doesn’t matter.” Charlie smiled, then looked up ahead, far out to sea. “You should find Ma’am’s legacy, and your own answer, your way. Because I’m planning to do it my way.” Charlie pressed her lips together tight. 

I swallowed the “Thank you” threating to escape me and went for a grateful-sounding “Sorry” instead. “Her legacy, huh…?” Once again, I started to think about what Siesta had apparently left on this ship. “If your team got that information, Charlie, the enemy might have it, too… You think it’s possible?” 

“You mean SPES?” 

“Yeah.” 

When it came to information warfare, they gave as good as they got. On top of that, Siesta had been one of their greatest enemies. If they knew she’d laid the groundwork for something, they were bound to try to… 

“It is a definite possibility. Well, I do technically have an idea, but…” 

“A-an idea? You have an idea, Charlie…?” 

“…I see you’re desperate to fight me,” Charlie said, flashing the holster she wore on her hip. 

What did it mean that all the girls I’d met lately carried handguns? 

“I told you, remember? I’m not who I was a year ago.” The way she was puffing up was still more or less the same, though. “Oh, speaking of that. Kimizuka, starting today, let me borrow your cabin.” 

“Huh? Why? If you’re part of the tour, you’ve got your own.” 

“I have nothing of the sort.” Charlie tilted her head, straight-faced. “After all, I’m a stowaway.” 

“Don’t give me that!” 

Come to think of it, she was particularly good at covert maneuvers… C’mon, just pay the money. Don’t use it to gamble. 

“Give me the key to your cabin.” 

“That’s not fair at all. Actually, how did you get onto the boat? Did you use optical camouflage?” 

“Heh-heh. Industry secret.” 

For some reason, Charlie seemed extremely proud of this. She was puffing her chest out so far I wondered if her shirt would split open, so I wished she wouldn’t stop. 

“Optical camouflage, hmm…?” Charlie put a hand to her chin and murmured softly. Thanks to her mature looks, the pensive expression really suited her. Although for as long as I could remember, that face usually meant she was thinking What should I have for dinner tonight … ? or something along those lines, so it wasn’t much help. 

“Listen, Kimizuka?” 

Abruptly, Charlie looked up and asked: 

“Do you suppose there’s a way to get off this ship in the middle of the ocean?” 

 Cinderella before midnight 

After I’d parted ways with Charlie and her incomprehensible question, I met up with Natsunagi and Saikawa, who’d returned from the pool. 

After that, the three of us explored the vast ship together, searching for “Siesta’s legacy”…but we had no idea what we were even trying to find. Naturally, our search didn’t go well. 

While we were busy, the sun went down, so we decided to have dinner in the restaurant. The tour’s guest of honor, Saikawa, was busy making the rounds and greeting everyone, so Natsunagi and I were the only ones who got to eat. 

“This feels kind of weird.” Natsunagi was using her knife and fork to cut up her salmon meunière in the ship’s French restaurant. 

“What does?” 

“Sitting across from you and eating dinner together like this.” 

“You don’t want to?” 

“You know I didn’t say that.” 

Even filled with reproach, her eyes were remarkably cute. How nice it would be if her personality got just a little cuter, too. 

“Then what?” I said. “Are you saying that having dinner alone together is almost like a date?” 

“…It takes real guts to say that when you’re flat broke.” 

“I have no excuses to give there.” 

If it hadn’t been for Saikawa’s kindness, I wouldn’t even have been able to pay for our meals here, and I’d probably have spent the rest of my life on this boat working off my debt. Gambling is a terrifying thing. 

Speaking of gambling, should I fill her in on what happened with Charlie earlier? This morning, the two of them ended up goading each other into a fight, but I should probably tell her Charlie isn’t really all that bad. 

“Natsunagi, do you have time after this?” 

“Huh? Um, I don’t have anything planned. I’m just gonna shower, then go to bed.” 

“I see. In that case, there’s a little something I’d like to talk about.” 

“Talk? We could just do that here…” 

“Uh, the subject’s a little hard to discuss in a place like this.” SPES would come up as well, and we’d be touching on some sensitive stuff. I’d rather do that away from so many eyes. “There was a bar across the way, wasn’t there? Can I ask you to meet me there in an hour?” 

“Ummm… Me, by myself? Alone with you?” 

“Yeah.” 

This was really something I should fill Saikawa in on, too, but she was busy being the guest of honor right now, so it would keep. 

“I—I see. So you want to talk, alone with me, at a bar…and tell me something you don’t want other people to hear…” Natsunagi’s lips were moving; she was mumbling. She was looking down and, for some reason, blushing. “W-well, all right… Okay, so I’ll see you in an hour.” 

She speared her remaining meunière with her fork, crammed it into her mouth all at once, got up, and trotted away. What the hell was that about? 

“The main course isn’t even here yet,” I called after her. 

I’d really rather have given the extra food to Charlie, but she was probably relaxing in my cabin by now. She couldn’t actually have found a way off the ship. 

“Well, if we’d had dinner alone together, we’d have nothing to talk about.” 

Over the course of an hour, I somehow managed to finish a multicourse meal for two by myself. Then I headed for the bar where we’d promised to meet. 

“…Sorry to keep you waiting.” 

When I’d been sitting at the table for a little while, Natsunagi came in, right on time. To avoid being noticed, I’d chosen a spot away from the counter; we were in one of the booths in the back, facing each other across the table. 

…Even so. 

“You changed clothes for this?” 

“Huh? Oh, no, it just, um, happened? After I took a shower, this was all I had to wear.” 

Natsunagi’s outfit was a dramatic change from the casual clothes she’d been in before. She was wearing a low-cut dress, with a thin shawl around her shoulders. 

I mean, yeah, it was an appropriate way to dress for this place… But she’d taken more care with her makeup than usual, and I caught the scent of perfume. Was this why she’d hurried back to her room like that? So she could get ready? 

“Haaah, well, you can wear whatever you want.” 

“Whatever…?” Natsunagi pouted, looking a little cross. Had I said something wrong? “And? Um, the talk…” 

“Oh, right. Well, let’s drink while we talk.” 

The drinks I’d ordered before Natsunagi got here had just arrived. 

“Is it alcoholic?” she asked. 

“No, Cinderella.” 

“Me?” 

“The drink.” 

I’d ordered her a nonalcoholic cocktail by that name. For myself, I’d gotten a Shirley Temple, another famous virgin cocktail. I was sick of alcohol-fueled mistakes. 

“All right, just listen for a little while.” 

After we drank a toast, I began to tell her about Charlie as a person, including how I’d met her. 

“This was not what I thought it was going to be.” Once I’d finished my story, Natsunagi seemed to wilt a little. “…Well, I mean, this isn’t that … It’s just the influence of the heart’s owner, that’s all…” 

“What are you muttering about?” 

“—! …Huh? What?” she said, suddenly irritated. 

“Huh? Why did you just snap out of nowhere?” 

“I didn’t snap.” 

“No, you totally did.” 

“I’m telling you, I didn’t!” The toe of her high heel connected with my shin. “I’ll double-kill you!” 

“That’s not fair!” 

—Getting back on topic. 

“Anyway. I see what you mean. She’s not as awful as I thought she was.” As Natsunagi spoke, she took a sip of her cocktail. “Siesta was always on her mind, and she still is, even now. She’s so genuine it’s a little inspiring.” 

“Yeah. She’s genuinely dumb. Sometimes what she says and does is out there, but that might be one of the best things about her.” Although I’d die before I told her that. 

“You’re right… To be honest, I knew it, too.” 

“That Charlie wasn’t a bad person, you mean?” 

“That, too, but…the fact that I was in the wrong.” With a troubled smile, Natsunagi went on. “The things she said were right on the mark.” 

She must have been talking about their argument that morning. Charlie had told Natsunagi to quit playing detective. And Natsunagi had just admitted that she was doing just that. 

“I didn’t spend a long time with Siesta the way Charlie did, and I don’t have any strengths I’m really proud of. All I have is this heart…and the belief that I’ve inherited her last wish.” Her voice dropped to a self-deprecating murmur in the quiet bar. “I do know that much.” 

She was right. As Natsunagi herself admitted, she and Siesta were different in many ways. 

The color of their hair, of course. The way they spoke, their personalities, their principles, and even the way they carried themselves. 

Natsunagi could never become a Siesta doll. And yet— 

“What made you decide you’d accept Siesta’s role?” 

That day—the day when we’d learned that Natsunagi’s transplanted heart had belonged to Siesta—Natsunagi had decided to become an ace detective. Even when I’d told her she didn’t have to replace anyone, she’d chosen to take that path. 

But I still hadn’t really heard her thoughts on the matter. I’d decided her silence was something I should respect, and I’d looked the other way. But it was probably time to wake up. For both of us. 

“The thing is—I’ve had poor health ever since I was little.” Natsunagi narrowed her eyes, remembering the distant past. “While everyone around me was going to school, I was stuck in bed, all alone. My only friends were some picture books and a little teddy bear. When I saw idols singing and dancing on TV, I was so, so jealous of them.” 

In my mind’s eye, I saw a white hospital room, filled with the smell of chemicals, and a young girl with an IV drip in her thin arm. 

“I used to think, I’ll never go anywhere. I’ll never get to leave this room. I couldn’t study, couldn’t exercise. I was sure I’d never be anyone.” Natsunagi smiled, but I could see a hint of tears in her eyes. “It was really scary. But time passed, and then I flew out of my cage. I was given a new life; after that, I had no choice but to test out my wings. Only…I didn’t know how to fly.” 

“How to fly?” 

“Yeah… How to live. So I think I wanted an axis.” 

An axis, to help her live her life. 

When Natsunagi said that word, I realized it was probably the core of our entire conversation. 

“I wasn’t anybody, and then all of a sudden, I had to be. So I relied on this heart… I decided to model my approach to life on hers.” 

These were the true feelings she’d kept hidden inside. 

This was why she’d listened to the voice of that heart. She’d pursued the person the heart was looking for, “X”—me—and had taken up the role of ace detective. 

It had happened during the Saikawa incident as well. At first, I’d been planning on turning down the request, but Natsunagi had given a random reason to make us take it. Now I could understand the logic behind her unnatural proactiveness. 

Natsunagi could only find her way in life by using the ace detective—Siesta—as her axis. And that was just as true of me. 

“So it’s exactly as Charlie said. I’ve been playing detective this whole time. I know this is only make-believe.” 

“Natsunagi…” I tried to say something to her, but the words wouldn’t come out right. 

…Because we were the same. 

I had the same complex she did, and I didn’t know what I should do from here on out. Which meant that right now, I had no answers to give her. 

“I’m sorry. I’m going to call it a night.” Draining the rest of her cocktail in one gulp, Natsunagi stood up. 

“Natsunagi, I…” 

“Good night. See you tomorrow, okay?” As Natsunagi waved at me, her expression was no different from usual. That was how I knew this conversation was over. 

“Yeah, see you tomorrow.” All I could do was watch her small back get farther and farther away. “ ‘See you tomorrow,’ huh…?” 

That’s right—this isn’t over yet. 

I’d have to get my thoughts together and watch for a chance to talk about it again. For now, I decided to head back to my cabin…except Charlie took it over, didn’t she? If I tried quietly slipping into the bed with her, I’d probably wake up dead tomorrow. 

Well, that left only one option. I took out my phone. 

“Uh, hello, Saikawa?” 

“Yes, speaking … What is it? It’s kinda late, isn’t it?” 

“Are you in your cabin already? Sorry, but could you let me stay there tonight?” 

While I was there, I’d tell her about Charlie and what I’d just discussed with Natsunagi. 

“ … I’ll put on some cute undies while I’m waiting.” 

“What is wrong with you?” 

 The worst happens 

The next morning, the commotion outside the cabin woke me up. 

“Urk, ngh… What’s going on…?” 

“Nnnnngh, be quiet…Kimizuka…” 

“…Nn. Hey, stop. Let go of me, Saikawa.” 

Untangling myself from Saikawa, who was hugging my arm, I sluggishly sat up. 

“What the heck is all the noise about…?” Joints cracking and popping, I stepped into the corridor, and… 

“What the hell was that announcement?! Whose voice was that?!” 

“I don’t know! I don’t see any signs that someone got into the radio room, but…” 

For some reason, there were crew members running around in a panic. 

“Kimizukaaaa…?” 

“Hey, Saikawa, look alive. Something’s wrong.” 

Saikawa came over to me, rubbing sleep-dazed eyes. I was urging her to go wash her face, when— 

“Attention all passengers.” 

—an announcement in a creepy, synthesized voice echoed through the ship’s corridors. 

“We have a girl with us in the lounge.” 

Was this about a lost kid? Under most normal circumstances, that would have been the case. But from the way the crew members were reacting, this wasn’t an official broadcast. 

That meant— 

“The girl’s name is—Nagisa Natsunagi.” 

““……!”” 

Saikawa and I looked at each other. I had an awful feeling about this, and I knew it wasn’t just a feeling. 

“If this rings a bell with anyone, please hurry to the fifth-floor lounge.” 

“Saikawa… This is what I think it is, isn’t it?” 

“…Yes. I think the worst is happening.” 

“We have a girl with us.” 

If this wasn’t about a lost child, I could think of only one possibility. 

That girl, Nagisa Natsunagi, had been kidnapped. 

“See you tomorrow”: The words she’d said when we parted last night played in my ears, over and over. 

First, Saikawa and I went to Natsunagi’s cabin and confirmed that it was empty, then headed for the lounge mentioned in the announcement, the one on the fifth-floor deck. 

When we got to the entrance, it had already been closed off by ship security, and an inspection was underway inside. 

“Was Miss Natsunagi there?” Saikawa asked a security guard. As the owner of this ship, she had the right to know everything. 

“No. Crew members came running immediately after the announcement, but they found nothing.” 

The guard shot a glance at me, because I looked like an outsider, but Saikawa gave a small nod to indicate that I belonged. 

“…That being the case, we haven’t found anyone who appears to be the criminal yet, either.” 

“I see…” Saikawa looked down, apparently thinking hard. 

… Dammit, what’s going on? 

We’d followed instructions and come here, but we couldn’t even find Natsunagi, much less her kidnapper. 

“For now, go over the passenger list carefully. Then check all the cabins and compare the faces and names.” 

“Understood, miss.” 

Saikawa issued instructions to the security guard, searching for a clue that could get us somewhere. 

She was right. This was a cruise ship, out on the ocean. Even if there was a criminal, he couldn’t possibly have gone anywhere else. Natsunagi had to be on the ship somewhere. 

… Hmm? A way to get off this ship … ? 

“Hey, Saikawa.” I waited until the security guard had left his post, then asked my host, “Is there any way to get off this boat in the middle of the cruise?” Excluding regularly scheduled ports of call, of course. 

“Huh? Charlie asked me that same question yesterday.” 

“Yesterday? You talked with Charlie before I went to your cabin last night?” 

“Yes, in the evening. She came to see me.” 

What? When did that happen … ? “And? Did you tell her?” 

“Yes, well. I mentioned the lifeboats.” 

I see. Of course the ship would have those. So had Charlie really left the ship? If so, don’t tell me … Did she take Natsunagi along? 

No, I had to be overthinking it. Charlie had absolutely no motive for grabbing Natsunagi and jumping ship. 

“…Actually, Saikawa, why did you help Charlie?” Speaking of motives, I couldn’t think of a single reason for Saikawa to side with her… 

“Heh-heh. Didn’t you know, Kimizuka? Looking through solid objects isn’t the only thing this eye can do.” Saikawa touched the patch covering her left eye with her fingertips. At first glance, that didn’t seem to have anything to do with this situation, but…this definitely wasn’t idle rambling. “For one thing, it can also see whether someone is telling a lie or saying what they really feel.” 

“It can…?” 

“Yes. And last night, when Charlie came to see me, she didn’t tell a single lie. She said there was something she had to do, which was why she had to get off this ship immediately.” 

That did sound like the sort of thing Charlie would say. 

“I’m planning to do it my way.” 

It probably meant Charlie had an idea, and she had made a move before I had. 

“So I decided to help her just a little. After all, when a girl’s in trouble, I can’t just leave her there.” 

I suspected this story might be a white lie on Saikawa’s part. I really couldn’t believe that her sapphire eye had the ability to read minds. But Saikawa was probably doing the job she believed was right, in her own way. 

“…Still, why didn’t you tell me about it? I don’t mind if you helped Charlie out, but you could have mentioned it to me, couldn’t you?” I even stayed in your room last night because I thought Charlie had taken mine. 

“What? Well, I mean, if I’d told you, you wouldn’t have spent the night in my room, would you, Kimizuka?” 

“That was the goal there?!” No, seriously, what was she after … ? 

“Heh-heh! Just kidding. Did I make your heart skip a beat?” 

Then she gave an exaggerated wink with her right eye. 

… I swear. Unlike you, I don’t have the ability to detect lies. Gimme a break. 

But the tension had softened a bit. The next thing I knew, both my nervous sweat and the crease between my eyebrows had vanished. Maybe that was one of Yui Saikawa’s idol skills. 

“Miss Saikawa!” Just then, a security guard came running toward us from the lounge. “This was discovered on one of the counter seats inside.” 

He was holding a book. The title was— 

“The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes,” Saikawa murmured softly. 

I knew that book. It was a collection of short stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, detailing the exploits of the legendary detective. 

I took the book from the security guard and flipped through the pages…and a bookmark fell out. The page it had been marking was in the short story “The Adventure of the Gloria Scott,” a tale of the event that had led Holmes to become a detective. A ship had also sunk in that story. 

The bookmark had a message on it: 

At 8:00 PM , come to the main deck with the ace detective’s legacy. 

 How to use a three-billion-yen family treasure 

“Not here, either…” 

“Nope, guess not. Let’s move on.” 

Feeling a little dejected, Saikawa and I left the sit-down restaurant we’d been searching and headed for the next location. 

At the moment, we were walking around the ship on a search. Instead of Siesta’s legacy, we were looking for Natsunagi herself. 

“Dammit. So cheating isn’t gonna cut it, huh?” 

“I’m using my left eye, so I really don’t think we could have missed anything, but…” 

“Yeah…you’re right.” My fingernails bit into my palms. If the pain stimulated my brain, so much the better. 

I was thinking about the message on that bookmark. The criminal had demanded that we give them Siesta’s legacy if we wanted to save Natsunagi’s life. 

But we had no idea what that legacy was. The previous day, Charlie had told us only that something along those lines apparently existed, and we didn’t yet know what it was, specifically. Charlie also hadn’t known…and I doubted the criminal did, either. That was why they’d taken Natsunagi hostage and was trying to make us find it for them. 

That said, we’d learned one thing from this situation. 

“The criminal behind this is definitely a member of SPES, correct?” Saikawa asked. 

“If they’re asking for the ace detective’s legacy, that’s plenty of circumstantial evidence.” 

The day before, when I was talking with Charlie, she’d mentioned the possibility that SPES might be after Siesta’s legacy. After this kidnapping incident, I was sure of it. 

SPES was afraid of the seed Siesta had sown here, and they’d concealed themselves on this cruise ship to nip it in the bud. However, they hadn’t been able to find the actual object. Since we were also on board and connected to the affair, the enemy had lost patience and tried to shake us up. 

“Unfortunately, we don’t have a clue what it is, either…” 

So instead of searching for Siesta’s legacy, we’d switched to looking for Natsunagi instead. We went around every public facility in the ship, trying to locate her. We even used Saikawa’s left eye to search the cabins and other places we couldn’t just walk into. 

“This is the next one, isn’t it?” 

Our next stop was a big theater. They were going to perform a musical there that evening, and at this hour of the afternoon, a rehearsal was underway. Technically, no one was allowed inside, but we managed to use Saikawa’s authority to get in anyway. 

“Well? See anything?” 

From her position in the very last row of the theater, Saikawa scanned the whole place. Her left eye could see through the eye patch, beneath the floor, and beyond the doors; it saw everything. If the criminal or Natsunagi happened to be in this theater, Saikawa would be able to find them instantly. 

And the result was— 

“Nothing. Natsunagi isn’t here.” 

“…Okay.” 

If Saikawa said so, then that was that. There were still a lot of rooms we hadn’t searched, though. We had to act fast, before something happened that we couldn’t fix. 

“Saikawa, let’s go. We’re running out of time.” 

“…Um, Kimizuka. Could you calm down a little, please?” 

“We can’t afford to relax. We have to find Natsunagi fast, or else—” 

“Kimizuka!” As I tried to turn on my heel, Saikawa grabbed my right arm. “Kimizuka, that look in your eyes is scaring me.” She was gazing at me. 

For the first time, I realized there was such a thing as a gentle wry smile. 

“I’m always like this,” I retorted. 

“That’s a lie. You’re normally much kinder. Lies don’t work on me.” Saikawa said, releasing me. “Besides, I’m sorry. Using my left eye takes…quite a bit out of me.” 

“…It does? Sorry about that.” 

That hadn’t even occurred to me. If that was the case, I’d probably been pushing her a bit too hard. I closed my eyes and massaged the center of my brow, trying to reduce my anxiety. 

“It’s all right; calm down. Your hands squeeze. Your shoulders roll. Your breathing is rhythmic. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, then exhale. Your blood circulates. When you open your eyes, your cloudy vision will be clear.” 

“What was that about?” 

“It’s like my magic charm. I use it to calm myself down before concerts, when I’m so nervous, I worry my heart will explode. Why don’t we sit down for a minute?” 

I agreed to Saikawa’s suggestion, and we lowered ourselves into seats in the empty house. On the stage, they were running a rehearsal for The Phantom of the Opera. 

“I’m sorry I’m causing so much trouble. Pathetic, huh?” I muttered. I wasn’t living up to my role as the older one here. 

“Pathetic? Did you mean you, Kimizuka?” 

“Well, I am, aren’t I? When I heard Natsunagi was gone, I completely lost it…and then I started working you like a dog. I didn’t even think about how it might affect you physically.” 

If Siesta had been alive, she would have let me have it. Assistant fail. She probably would have fired me on the spot. I’d never be able to face her. 

“Heh-heh. You do say some funny things, Kimizuka.” 

“…I’m pretty sure I’m not brave enough to crack jokes in a situation like this.” 

But Saikawa was giggling, her petite body rocking with genuine amusement. “Kimizuka, you’re acting so apologetic for not meeting other people’s expectations, but—” 

She broke off for a moment, drew a deep breath, and then: 

“—I wasn’t expecting all that much from you in the first place!” She pointed at me, looking triumphant. 

“…Did you just roast me?” 

That didn’t seem right. I’d thought Saikawa and I had a pretty good, trusting relationship. 

“Oh, honestly! That’s not what I meant.” Saikawa turned her palms up and shook her head dramatically. “That’s the trouble with you, Kimizuka. You don’t understand anything.” 

She really is making fun of me, isn’t she? 

“Listen, when I said ‘I wasn’t expecting all that much from you,’ I meant it in a good way.” 

“Do you think you can get away with insulting people as long as you ‘meant it in a good way’?” 

“Regardless.” 

Hey, answer my question. Ugh, middle schoolers. 

“I was the same way, you see.” 

“…The same?” I remembered my conversation with Natsunagi the day before. 

“Like you, I couldn’t live on my own, either.” 

“I couldn’t live on my own.” When I heard those words, something clicked in my mind. 

“For me, it was my parents, and for you, it was Siesta. We both had people we couldn’t afford to lose, no matter what.” 

And then we did. 

“Once I lost the North Star of my life, I began to obsess over past promises…and then I very nearly did something I could never take back.” 

Past promises; irredeemable mistakes. 

I couldn’t ignore how this was connected to me. If I’d been in her shoes, there was no telling what I would have done. That was how important Siesta had been to me. 

“But then I got a big shock. The one who saved me was you, someone who should’ve been like me …and Nagisa.” 

“I see. So that’s why you…” 

“Yes. You and Nagisa, who were as incomplete as I was, tried to save me. You put yourselves in my place and encouraged me to move forward. That was why I was able to take your hands so easily.” 

This was what had been going through her mind in her dressing room, after the attack at the concert—when she’d made the choice to put down her gun and take our hands instead. I really didn’t know anything… I was an incomplete person, and a disappointment besides. 

Apparently, my papier-mâché facade hadn’t worked on Saikawa’s left eye. 

“I am really sorry, but I don’t expect any more than I have to from you, Kimizuka. So please don’t be any more considerate of me than you have to be. After all, that’s the sort of friendship we have, isn’t it?” 

Gently, Saikawa removed the patch from her left eye. In that blue, there were no calculations, sympathy, or deceit—no impurities at all. The color was endlessly deep and clear. 

“Yeah, that’s fine. It’s best that way.” 

Inwardly, I sent a compliment to Siesta, two years ago. 

The idol from Japón you had your eye on is here with us right now to protect your last wish. 

“But if you’re the ace detective’s assistant, Kimizuka, then perhaps I wouldn’t mind being your assistant instead.” 

“The assistant of the assistant of the ace detective?” 

“Yes, that’s right. Like a matryoshka doll or something.” Saikawa giggled as she spoke. “I don’t know if I can ever be your right arm, but I believe I can be your left eye, at least.” 

It was a reassuring promise. 

Even in a tunnel with no lights, I bet I’d be able to walk confidently, I thought. 

After that, we resumed our search of the ship, until we’d been through every room. 

“…We didn’t find her, did we?” 

The sun had set, and it wouldn’t be long until the appointed hour. In the end, we had no results to show for our efforts. 

“But, Kimizuka…” 

“Right.” 

The lack of results was the result. 

That led us to just one answer. 

From here on out, no deductions or diplomacy would be necessary. 

“It’s all-out war, you bastard.” 

 Light in the midst of hope (despair) 

When eight PM came and I went out on deck, all I saw was an expanse of black sky and black sea. Right now, except for me, there wasn’t a soul around… or so it seemed. 

Our opponent was the one who’d set the time and place, so they were bound to show. Actually, they might already be here. 

I strained my eyes in the darkness. 

I didn’t know where they were lurking. Even with Saikawa’s eye, we probably wouldn’t have been able to find them. After all, our opponent had a certain ability. 

During my conversation with Charlie, optical camouflage had briefly come up. Even Saikawa’s left eye hadn’t been able to locate the enemy. In that case, it had to mean they were using that sort of technique, a skill that would make them impossible to see. 

And during those three years, I’d already met this guy. 

“Enough messing around. Just get out here already—Chameleon.” I glared at the invisible enemy. 

You’re going to give back Nagisa Natsunagi. 

“Ha-ha. Now there’s a fine greeting.” Suddenly, a voice spoke from thin air. “I’m the one who’s been waiting for you, you know. I see no one’s taught you any manners since we last met.” 

He appeared at the very edge of the deck, with the black ocean behind him. 

For a moment, the air warped and twisted, and then a human silhouette faded into view. 

The lights illuminated a slim, silver-haired man with Asian features. Like Bat, he had a tentacle-like appendage, this one sprouting from his mouth. 

This was Chameleon, Natsunagi’s kidnapper. 

His long tongue and his ability to blend in with the scenery around him and disappear really suited his code name. 

I’d fought this guy once before, during my three-year adventure. 

Back then, he hadn’t shown himself at all, only hinted at his presence with his voice. This was the first time I’d actually seen him. 

“As this is our first reunion in quite some time, I would love to exchange some witty repartee, but…you’ve kept me waiting a very long while, you see. Let’s cut to the chase, shall we?” 

As Chameleon spoke, a vague figure materialized in the coils of his tongue. 

“Natsunagi!” I tried to run to her, but the tentacle-like tongue tightened its grip and raised her high into the air. 

“Careful. Stay where you are.” 

“Ghk…” 

The grotesque tongue, which looked as if it might be thirty meters long, carried Natsunagi over the side of the ship, holding her above the ocean. 

“Ngh…” 

Natsunagi seemed to be semiconscious; her eyes were closed, and she moaned as if she was in pain. 

“Just hang on. I’ll save you.” I reached toward the holster at my waist. 

“Ha-ha. Perhaps you should calm down a little.” 

“Shut up and get that nasty thing back in your mouth. You’re not a goddamn golden retriever. At least they’re cute when they do it.” 

Hell, you shouldn’t even be intelligible with it sticking out like that. 

As my irritation grew, I drew my handgun and released the safety. 

“Oh-ho. You’ve grown quite spirited. Before, you were merely that ‘ace detective’s’ shadow…” 

“Are you trying to give me flashbacks or something? Who wanted to get down to business, again?” 

…I was seething, and I needed to cool off. 

“What are you after?” I asked. 

Of course, I had to rescue Natsunagi fast…but I had another job to do, too. 

I needed to stall for time. 

Right now, the ship’s passengers were escaping into the ocean in the lifeboats, under Saikawa’s direction. This maneuver hinged on her charisma as the owner of the ship and as a top idol. However, it was going to take time to evacuate everyone. That was the ultimate mission I’d been assigned: Protect Natsunagi and buy enough time to evacuate all the passengers. 

“I believe I’ve already informed you of my objective. Several times. Hand over the ace detective’s legacy, if you would. Then, and only then, will I return this girl to you. No need for deadly toys,” Chameleon sneered, his eyes on the gun in my right hand. 

As we’d thought, Chameleon’s goal—or his objective as a member of SPES—was the legacy Siesta had supposedly left on this ship. It had to be a trump card that could bring SPES down. 

“I really wish I could, but unfortunately, we don’t have any idea what the legacy is, either.” 

“Hmm. So that’s your approach, is it? …Well, I did give you free rein all day and saw nothing to the contrary. I had hoped until just a moment ago that you would find it somehow. What a pity.” 

So this whole time, Chameleon had been watching us from his undetectable camouflage against the scenery nearby? In that case, he had to know we wouldn’t be able to trade Natsunagi’s life for Siesta’s legacy. 

“There you have it. So can you just give her back?” I lowered my pistol, attempting to negotiate. 

“I see. You do say such amusing things. Nonetheless, that would be no transaction at all. You need to offer something that will be worth my while.” 

“Worth your while? Well, let’s see. How about this? If you release Natsunagi here and now, I won’t fill your ass full of lead, and you’ll be able to run back home to your mommy, safe and sound.” 

“…Ha-ha. You’ve certainly grown cheeky, haven’t you?” Chameleon’s bearing was as infernally polite as ever, but his eyes were clearly annoyed, and his gaze bored into me. “You seem to misunderstand your position. You do not have the advantage in these negotiations.” 

Chameleon’s tongue squeezed Natsunagi, hard. 

“Ngh…ghk…!” 

“Natsunagi!” 

“Kimi…zuka…?” 

In the coils of Chameleon’s tongue, Natsunagi opened her eyes. She looked around, and it didn’t take her long to understand her situation. But she still smiled. 

“…Ah-ha-ha. It looks like I blew it. I’m sorry,” she murmured softly. 

If her smile was going to be so sad, I didn’t want to see it. 

“You didn’t find the ace detective’s legacy. Therefore, the first condition for exchange has been rendered invalid. We are in agreement there.” Ignoring our exchange, Chameleon made a new proposal. “In that case, I offer you a choice between the life of this girl and the lives of the passengers and crew who are still on the ship.” 

“……!” 

So he’d figured it out? He knew I was buying time and that we were still evacuating the passengers from the ship. Everything. But then why…? 

“What’s the point of killing the passengers? What’s ‘worth your while’ about that?” 

“Ha-ha. Firing my own words back at me? In this case, the lives of the passengers and crew are rather incidental.” 

“Incidental?” 

“Yes. My primary objective is merely to sink this ship. After all, the detective’s legacy is sleeping somewhere here,” Chameleon said. “If we are unable to locate it, we can still ensure no one ever will. If we cannot obtain it, we have only to destroy it. It’s extremely simple.” 

“…So you’re saying you’ll just kill the passengers while you sink the boat?” 

“Yes. It’s no more than an attendant result of achieving my objective.” 

When I heard that, my grip tightened on the gun again. But I still had things to ask him, so I gritted my teeth and hung on. 

“Then what about Natsunagi?! What does killing her get you?!” 

It was the life of a single girl. For a terrorist organization that had even created pseudohumans like this guy, there was no point in going after— 

“That is also simple: This girl has the blood of the ace detective in her.” 

“……!” 

My mind reeled. 

Had I been right? Was it true? 

SPES’s main target wasn’t me or Saikawa—it was Natsunagi. Not only that, but they were only after her because she had Siesta’s heart… 

“Don’t worry. I won’t kill her so easily.” 

“You won’t kill her…easily?” That didn’t make me feel any better at all. 

“Yes. After all, she holds that ace detective’s heart. Human experimentation, I suppose you could call it. From the tips of her toes to each individual strand of her hair—it is worth examining her in detail, don’t you think?” 

Chameleon’s eyes narrowed in a sly grin, and the tip of his grotesque tongue crawled over Natsunagi’s cheek. 

“—No!” Natsunagi arched backward, but the long, snakelike tongue wouldn’t let her go. 

I could see the agony on her face, above the dark ocean, in the grip of the tongue that stretched over the ship’s side. 

“Let her go, you bastard!” 

This time, I really did turn the gun on Chameleon. All I had to do was pull the trigger, and I’d put a bullet right between his eyes. 

“As I said, you should calm yourself a little. If you do, this girl will plunge headfirst into the ocean. It’s night. You’ll have no way to save her.” 

“Rgh…” 

Yeah, I know. You don’t have to tell me. 

And yet my impulses wouldn’t stop trying to overrule my rational brain. I held down my right hand with my shaking left hand—otherwise, it might just pull the trigger on its own. 

“Now then, make your choice, if you would. Will you save this girl’s life, or the lives of the many passengers on this ship? Those are your only options.” 

The choices he presented me with were the ugliest ones in the world. 

If I rescued Natsunagi, so many other lives would be lost. 

If I saved them, Natsunagi would be experimented on, then killed. 

There’s no way I can make that choice. 

But unless I did, both worst-case scenarios were bound to become reality at once… Plus, I knew these guys. No matter which one I chose, there was no guarantee that they’d keep their end of the bargain. That was how it had been during Saikawa’s incident. That was the kind of group SPES was. 

Then, right from the start, my choices were— 

“Kimizuka.” 

Suddenly, a voice called to me. 

“Shoot me.” 

Even in the darkness, her expression was as dignified as a solitary white flower blooming proudly on the brink of a cliff. 

“What are you talking about, Natsunagi?” 

In the coils of the tongue, Natsunagi could only take shallow breaths, but still, she kept her gaze fixed on me, trying to make sure I knew what she thought. 

“It’s easy, isn’t it? Think of the greater good. Or, what, have you lost your basic math skills?” 

“…Since when were you so utilitarian? That’s not like you.” 

“Really? Maybe not. Still, under these circumstances, what we need isn’t my passion, but the ace detective’s logic.” 

“You’re an ace detective, too, remember?” 

“No, I’m not. I’m nobody. I’m just a fake.” 

“That’s not—!” 

“Kimizuka.” Natsunagi said my name again. “When you said I didn’t have to be anybody’s replacement—it made me happy. Thank you.” She actually seemed to be smiling faintly. 

If I shot Natsunagi now, the enemy would lose his hostage. After that, he’d probably try to sink this ship, passengers and all, but I’d keep him from doing that, even if it killed me. As long as he wasn’t holding Natsunagi hostage, I could fire at will. Even if I couldn’t hope for total victory, I might be able to manage half a victory and take him out with me. 

That meant she was right. 

Natsunagi’s decision that I should shoot her was unassailably correct. It was the right call. 

In that case. What I needed to do was— 

“Kimizuka.” 

Natsunagi called my name, one more time. 

“Shoot.” 

In that moment…a long-ago memory flickered through my mind. 

It was the image of a white-haired girl, facing a vicious enemy all alone without telling me. 

She’d never hesitated to sacrifice herself. It hadn’t scared her. She was the sort of person who mistook self-sacrifice for the right choice. That’s why, back then, I’d completely ripped her a new one. Even now, I had a vivid memory of her face. I’d never seen her look so stunned before. 

As I remembered that scene…I thought, Yeah, it’s the same. 

Right now, Natsunagi was exactly like she had been. 

And so I was sure, right now… 

In that moment, when I heard what Natsunagi said, I decided on the choice I should make. 

“—I don’t care if it’s the right call.” 

I could see Natsunagi’s eyes widen slightly. 

“Did you say you were nobody?” I took a step toward her. 

Naturally, Chameleon was wary, and he made a move as if he was initiating some sort of attack—but a moment sooner, I’d aimed my gun right between his eyes. 

“…Yes. All I can do is copy how some other person lived. I’m just a fake. I’m nobody.” 

“Is that right? Then you should be glad.” I took one more step toward Natsunagi. “If you’re nobody yet, that means you can become anybody you want.” 

If you don’t know how to fly, let someone teach you how to beat your wings. 

If you don’t know how to live, just walk beside someone. 

You spent almost eighteen years lying in bed. Running the hundred-meter dash will be way more exhilarating for you than it is for most people. This world has so much for you to enjoy and discover. From now on, you can be anybody. 

“That’s why I’m doing this.” 

I pointed the muzzle of my gun at Natsunagi. 

“…My, my, we can’t have that. I intend to take this girl back to our hideout and enlist her cooperation with our experiments, you know. I can’t have her getting killed yet.” 

With a fake-looking smile on his face, Chameleon said his sickening nonsense. 

But this guy had made a huge miscalculation. Not that he had any way of knowing. 

On that pitch-black night, she’d made a promise to me. 

“Nagisa Natsunagi can’t die before I do.” 

Sorry, but that was the deal. 

I took aim and shot clear through the tongue Chameleon had wrapped around Natsunagi. 

“Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” 

Chameleon gave a snarling roar, and the tongue was sliced cleanly in two in a spray of blood. 

Natsunagi plunged toward the dark ocean—but… 

“Nagisaaaa!” 

…just before she hit the black water, a small boat with a mat in it slid under her. 

“Apologies for the delay!” 

Yes, Saikawa. That blue eye still shone in the darkness, and it was definitely worth three billion yen. 

 A golden banner flying in the night sky 

“You say I’m no detective, but … ” 

I can’t remember when it was, but I’d told Siesta she was more like a special agent than a detective. 

“In my mind, the definition of a detective is always ‘Someone who protects the interests of the client.’ I take pride in that work. That’s why I always have been, and always will be, a detective.” 

Siesta had still insisted that that was what she was. 

I’m sure that when she said “client,” she meant every other human on the planet. 

She’d said that being an ace detective was in her nature, and she’d smiled. That smile was almost too bright for me. 

“She’s all yours now!” I yelled to Saikawa as the distant flash of memory passed. 

Protect the client’s interests: no more, no less. If I could just do that, it would be enough. 

So what if you make a deduction? If you don’t use it to save people’s lives, there’s no point. 

Natsunagi had tried to save the people who were still on the ship at the cost of her own life. Saikawa had managed to rescue her in the nick of time. Without a doubt, they had both inherited the ace detective’s last wish. 

“They’re gone…” 

I watched the small boat race over the water; it had already carried the two girls far away. 

I couldn’t put either of them in any more danger. From here on, this was my job. 

“You’ve certainly sealed your fate.” 

Chameleon’s tone was still polite, but his formerly expressionless face was suffused with anger. 

I’d seen the bullet cut off his “tongue,” but he wiped the blood from his lips, then began extending that tongue again. It was like a lizard severing its own tail, then regenerating it. 

And reptilian was what he was. This guy had completely discarded his humanity. 

“I’ll show no mercy now. I won’t fail to do you the honor of killing you here.” 

The next moment, Chameleon’s “tongue” came speeding toward me. Like Bat’s tentacle, its tip morphed into a sharp blade. 

“_____!” 

Even if I’d seen similar movement before, it wasn’t an easy thing to dodge. 

I tumbled, evading, but it grazed my shoulder a bit. “Ghk! Ow…” 

Besides, four years ago, Siesta had been the one who’d dodged those attacks, not me. If this was how it was gonna be, maybe I really should have learned more self-defense. 

“Dammit!” 

In desperation, I fired at him. 

To be honest, from here on out, I was flying blind. 

It had been close, but I’d managed to rescue Natsunagi. And if Saikawa had come racing to us, that meant most of the other passengers must have been evacuated as well. 

In that case, it was okay now. I didn’t mind being the only one to go down with the ship. 

“…Whew.” 

I was able to get to my feet somehow, then loaded more bullets into my gun. These six were the last ones. 

“Well, well. Such clear resolve in your eyes. Do you intend to die alone?” 

Temporarily retracting his tongue, Chameleon narrowed his eyes, shooting me a glance. 

“Sorry, but no. I’m taking you with me. Two guys committing suicide together on the ocean isn’t the greatest ending, but that’s why nobody’s hired me to write their movie.” 

“Even now, you can still express yourself so eloquently, hmm? I believe you may be more suited to the profession of comedian than scriptwriter. If you run a variety show in hell’s second district, no doubt your audience will be showering you with tips.” 

Exchanging our unfunny gallows humor, we kept each other pinned down with our eyes. 

“Not that I have any intention of giving you my life in the first place. In addition, those girls you believe you helped escape—I’ll take their lives soon after I’ve taken yours.” The way Chameleon licked his chops made my stomach turn. 

“Why would you go that far…?” 

Even if Natsunagi said she’d carry out Siesta’s last wish, she was just a high school girl. Why would he go after her so tenaciously? 

“It’s all because of that heart.” Chameleon’s lip curled in exasperation. “I myself was only just informed of it, but—it isn’t normal.” 

It wasn’t…normal? 

Was he saying Siesta’s heart held some sort of secret? 

“Well, there’s no need for you to know. However, I will tell you that circumstances changed for us very recently.” 

“…What are you talking about…?” 

“To my relief, apparently the situation is not as grave as we had feared. In addition, the legacy the ace detective is said to have left on this ship is about to sink with it. Victory is ours. Ha-ha, ha-ha-ha.” Chameleon gave an unpleasant, mocking laugh. “After I kill you, I’ll pursue those girls to the ends of the earth, the bottom of the sea, the heights of the sky. I’ll torture them again and again and again, constantly, ceaselessly, until they cry and plead with me to let them die. I won’t stop until the very end.” 

I heard something inside me snap. 

“Oh dear, I fear I’ve spoken a bit too much. Let us finish this, shall we?” 

It didn’t even take me a second to realize I was going to slaughter this guy. 

“Do you require time to say your prayers?” 

“No. Unfortunately, I’m an atheist.” 

“Is that so? In that case—” Chameleon closed his mouth. 

Sorry, but the end of that sentence is mine. 

“—Die.” 

The “tongue” flew toward me like a bullet, but I slid and evaded it, getting in close to the enemy. 

My self-control was gone. I jammed my gun against his jaw, but— 

“How very naive.” The tongue curled back in an instant like a whip, striking my hand. 

“Ghk…!” I nearly dropped the gun, and while I was struggling to hang on to it— 

“You’re wide-open.” 

“Ngh… Khak…” 

—that long tongue sank into my torso, and I went flying as if I’d been hit with a metal bat. 

“Can’t—breathe…” 

I slammed into the deck, and my lungs stopped working properly. I’d probably busted a few ribs, too. I felt the blood retreating into the depths of my body, my temperature falling. 

If this keeps up, I’m gonna die. 

It was so abrupt. But this wasn’t a hunch—it was a conviction. 

“You must know a mere boy could never win against a pseudohuman.” 

Chameleon was coming closer. Somehow I managed to get to my feet, and I leveled my gun at him. 

…But I could barely even see him. 

Maybe because I was breathing shallowly, I couldn’t line the sight up properly. My feet were very unsteady, too. 

“There, you see? You can’t protect anyone.” 

“Just shut the fuck up!” 

I was firing at random. Most of the bullets missed their target, and the one that did fly straight at him, the guy deflected with his tongue. 

So he could change its hardness at will, too, not just its length? 

“You will perish here, and I will most assuredly kill the girls you helped escape with my own hands.” 

“…Ghk… Fuck you! Shut up!” 

I set my finger on the trigger, one more time…but nothing happened. I was out of bullets. 

“Yes, everything you’ve done has been useless. You, and those you tried to protect, will all die. Just like that damnable ace detective.” 

I’m going to die. That’s fine. After all, I should have died a year ago. In a way, I already have. 

Natsunagi, though. Saikawa. 

I have to protect them, at least. 

I have to protect the clients’ interests, their lives. 

I told Charlie I’m no detective, I’m just an assistant, but even if that’s all I am— 

“The ace detective’s last wish…was passed to me.” 

To my surprise, my legs actually moved. 

I remembered what Saikawa had said. 

My hands squeeze. My shoulders roll. 

My breathing is rhythmic. I close my eyes, take a deep breath, then exhale. 

My blood circulates. When I open my eyes, my cloudy vision will be clear. 

Maybe that sapphire eye had come to dwell in me. It couldn’t have, not really, but what about my ears? I pinned my hopes on my acoustic system. 

—And I heard it. 

I wasn’t the only one, either. Everyone heard that noise. 

“A helicopter?” 

When I looked up—there it was, in the pitch-black sky. 

“Kimizuka! Get down!” 

The words were so distant I wasn’t sure if I’d heard them, and I threw myself onto the deck, taking cover. 

In the next instant— 

“Eat lead, asshooooole!!!” 

Along with the ear-splitting roar of a strafe attack, a rain of bullets fell from the night sky, striking Chameleon. 

“Gwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!” 

High in the sky, in the helicopter’s open hatch— 

“I see you’re having some trouble with that fight, Kimizuka.” 

—stood Charlotte Arisaka Anderson, long golden hair streaming in the night wind as she blazed away with a machine gun. 

 Buenos días 

“Charlie…” 

Dazed, I looked up at the aircraft hovering in the dark sky. 

The rotor blades of the armed helicopter created ring-shaped ripples on the ocean. 

In the open door, Charlie was holding a machine gun, and in the pilot’s seat was— 

“Hey, it’s been a while, you damn kid! Finally decided to turn yourself in?!” Ms. Fuubi was using the helicopter’s loudspeaker to mock me. 

“Anybody with eyes can see I’m the victim here!” 

When I objected, Ms. Fuubi pointed at something on me. 

… Oh. Fair. 

A violation of the Firearm and Sword Possession Control Law. For the first time, she’d caught me red-handed. Geez, she’s talking like she’s a proper police officer or something. 

But wasn’t she the one who just brought out a military helicopter? 

“It’s fine if I do it! I’m a cop!” 

I’m not so sure about that. Also, quit reading my mind. 

Seriously. Don’t make me smile. Don’t reassure me; don’t make me feel I’m not actually all alone yet. 

“Ghk… Damn, you…” 

I heard a growl that seemed to come from the depths of the earth. 

Still bleeding, Chameleon got to his feet unsteadily. His narrow eyes were bloodshot, and he was gazing at Charlie and the helicopter that hovered in the night sky. 

“It’s been a long time, pseudohuman. I never wanted to see you again.” 

“Oh yeah, I recognize you…!” Chameleon’s manners were slipping. This was probably what he was actually like. 

“You too, Kimizuka. I thought I really wouldn’t be seeing you after this, but…” 

“…Tch. Were you planning this right from the beginning?” 

Wipe out the enemy with force. It was a pretty Charlie-esque way of doing things. 

Having sensed the enemy early on, Charlie had promptly gotten off the ship and returned with more firepower. Probably could’ve talked it over with me first, but… No, we’d never wasted time on that. Siesta used to give us hell for it, too. 

“…Still, I’m glad you came, Charlie.” 

Who’d have thought the day would come when Charlie would rescue me, after all this time? 

“Hmph! You can’t possibly have expected me to just shut up after a little girl like her spoke to me like that.” 

“Uh, you two are the same age.” 

I see… So Natsunagi’s words lit a fire under Charlie as well. I bet even Natsunagi herself wasn’t aware of it, but there was something about her— 

“Okay, Kimizuka, you stay back! It’s my turn now!” Charlie called. She leveled the machine gun that was mounted near the door, taking aim at the pseudohuman again. 

Too bad, huh, Chameleon? When that girl’s got a weapon, dragons and tigers are no match for her. 

“Go on, let’s see you dance!” 

With a one-liner like that, it was hard to tell who the villain was as Charlie began spraying the deck with bullets. 

“…Ghk!” 

Even with those injuries, Chameleon managed to dodge agilely. Every so often, he’d swing his hardened “tongue” and knock bullets away. 

“Rgh! You insolent—” 

It was an air-to-ground battle. 

But Charlie had the stronger position. 

Chameleon had his hands full trying to block the bullets raining down on him, and all he could do with his unrivaled weapon—his tongue—was defend. Faced with a never-ending storm of lead, he had no choice but to desperately run around the deck. 

“Kimizuka!” Abruptly, Charlie shouted to me in a voice loud enough to be heard over the gunshots. “I hate you! I hate your guts!” 

Oh, you do, huh? Well, the feeling’s mutual. Sorry, but I’ve never even considered trying to get along with you. 

“But… But! You were the one Ma’am chose! It wasn’t me—it was you! So as much as I hate you…I just have to leave it to you! If the woman I loved chose the guy I hate more than anyone, then—I have no choice but to trust you, don’t I?!” 

Her scream was like a prayer. 

She didn’t let her tears show. Instead, a rain of bullets poured down from the sky. 

I was sure Charlie was trying to grant her teacher’s final wish. 

“Kimizuka! This time, let’s make this mission a success together!” 

Yeah, I know. Trust me—I know. 

I was planning to do that all along. 

“Rraaaaaaah!” 

Possibly because she didn’t want to waste the time it would take to reload, instead of relying on the door gun, Charlie picked up new weapons one after another, mounting an unbroken attack on Chameleon. 

If she kept pushing like this, we could win. 

As I stayed under cover, I was starting to believe, but— 

“—Enough.” 

—when she changed weapons, there was a slight pause in the attack. 

Chameleon slumped, leaning forward—and abruptly vanished. 

“Charlie! Watch out!” 

“Huh?!” 

The next instant, the helicopter tilted dramatically. 

“Ghk! He got us!” 

From what I could see, the rotors were fine…but something was leaking from the body. 

“…Fuel, huh?” 

A fluid that seemed to be gasoline was dripping from the vicinity of the engine, falling onto the deck where we stood. 

The helicopter was flying significantly lower than it had been earlier. If they didn’t get that altitude back, there was no telling when it might crash. However, Chameleon had completely camouflaged himself, and we couldn’t see him. If things were like this, then… 

“Rgh! I can’t even tell whether I’m hitting him or not!” 

Charlie kept attacking indiscriminately with the machine gun, but she didn’t seem to be landing hits. In the cockpit, Ms. Fuubi was gripping the control stick, desperately trying to right the leaning helicopter. 

Dammit, once he gained the advantage by going invisible, we couldn’t even touch him. 

How were you supposed to fight someone you couldn’t see? If Siesta was here, what would she…? 

“Ha-ha. Now your attacks won’t hit me! Not even that ace detective could touch me!” 

The enemy was still invisible; his triumphant voice was the only sign of him. 

…Never mind that—what had he just said? 

Even the ace detective hadn’t been able to touch him? 

Had something like that happened? How did I not know about it? 

“I can see it in my mind’s eye even now—that damnable girl yielding to me in humiliation!” 

Oh. I see now. 

It was this guy. 

It was him. What happened to Siesta was because of him. 

I’d finally found her mortal enemy, in the truest sense of the word. 

And yet for some reason, my mind still felt calm. I had no emotions now. 

All I had was the mission to annihilate SPES—to annihilate this monster. 

Until that was done, I wouldn’t stop moving. 

“…! You killed Ma’am!” Charlie’s angry shout echoed over the battlefield. 

Yeah, I get it. I know how you feel better than anybody. 

But, Charlie, right now, you need to look at me. 

I brought two fingers up to my lips, gesturing. 

“Kimizuka? —Okay. All right.” 

I assume you understand that I wasn’t blowing a kiss. 

So. Let’s end this already. 

It’s time to slay this monster. 

“I’ve also been thinking it’s about time this woman quit smoking.” 

“…Yeesh. Fine, do what you gotta.” 

Charlie ignited the cigarette lighter she’d taken from Ms. Fuubi, then let it fall. 

…Onto the deck, which was covered in the leaked fuel from the helicopter. 

“Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!” 

Fire blazed up all at once, burning the whole area around Chameleon. 

Naturally, I was in range for some damage myself. But I’d always been planning on going down with this guy if I had to. 

“H-hot… G…gonna…” 

Apparently, his skin’s color-changing function didn’t work in that harsh environment, and Chameleon’s shape materialized again. He was surrounded by a pillar of fire, and he’d fallen to his knees, his long tongue hanging loosely. 

“Time to die.” 

Then there was one dull gunshot. 

With all her immeasurable emotions behind it, Charlie pulled the trigger. 

“_____! Gaaah!” 

With an inarticulate scream, Chameleon spat up blood. 

The bullet had pierced his hardened “tongue,” and it fell to the deck with a clunk. 

However, I could see the torn-off tongue began regenerating from the root again, and I headed toward the raging flames. Then I picked up the “tongue,” which had a tip as sharp as a blade. 

“—! Dammit, damn, I’ll—” 

The reptile in front of me was saying something. 

“K…kill. You…too…shame…fully…like that…ace…detective…” 

Ah. As long as that tongue kept regenerating, this thing would keep talking, huh? In that case— 

“_____! Ghaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” 

I slashed through Chameleon’s newly regenerated tongue, using the one I’d picked up. 

This is a blade. A double-edged sword you grew yourself. 

I struck again and again, shouldering the thoughts of so many people: my former partner, her comrades, the ones who’d inherited her last wish. 

“Stuh…stoooooooooooooooooop!” 

Ha, as if. Maybe you should have a taste of what you did to us. 

“Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!” 

If you’re going to regenerate over and over, I’ll just cut through it every time. 

Don’t ever speak again. 

“Aa… Aa, aaaah…” 

By now, the noises from the thing in front of me didn’t seem to mean anything anymore. 

But my right hand didn’t stop. I hadn’t done enough yet. 

Bleed more, more, more. 

Bleed enough for Charlie, for me, for Siesta. 

Please, I’m begging you. More, more— 

“—Please just die already.” 

I had no idea how many times I’d lopped off that tongue. Telling myself this was the last time, and praying that it would be, I raised the blade high, and— 

“……!” 

While the blade was still above my head, the ship lurched violently, and in the next instant— 

“Not…yet.” 

By the time I noticed, it was too late. 

“…—!” 

Chameleon’s long tongue was wrapped around my torso. I hadn’t cut through it completely yet! 

“Change…of…venue.” 

Then he slammed the long “tail” he’d grown into the deck. 

“Ghk…!” 

The burned, fragile planks fell away, and Chameleon dropped down to the deck below, dragging me with him. 

“Dam…mit!” 

Our midair battle lasted just a few seconds. 

I was still holding the remains of that hardened “tongue,” and I shoved it into Chameleon’s mouth. 

“Ghuh, gah!” 

The tongue that had been strangling my abdomen loosened very slightly. Battered as I was, I managed to get Chameleon pinned under me somehow and let him hit the floor. 

“Ow, ow, ow. Dammit, I was so close…” 

Where was this? What had we fallen into? 

The black smoke that billowed in through the hole in the ceiling made it hard to see, and I couldn’t make out anything clearly. I’d heard Ms. Fuubi and Charlie calling me as we fell, but I couldn’t hear them now. 

“First off, I need to regroup…” 

I had no weapon, and I didn’t know where I was. I couldn’t fight properly here. 

Dragging my leg, I put some distance between myself and Chameleon, who was just as beat up as I was. 

“…Wait, this looks a whole lot like I’m running away.” 

As I mocked myself in my dimming mind, I tried to figure out why I was still trying to survive after all this. 

“…Natsunagi, huh?” 

“I won’t die. Whatever happens, I won’t die and leave you behind.” 

Once again, I remembered what she’d said. 

That’s right. Since Natsunagi made that promise…I couldn’t die and leave her behind, either. 

After all, we hadn’t even said good-bye. 

When I finally reached the wall, I took another look around. 

“Ha-ha, nice. Well done.” 

I’d been here just the day before. This place was magnificent and debauched, a seething mass of human desires, a paradise of dreams, or hell—a casino. 

A truly fitting location for a final showdown. 

“_____, —you, —kill you.” 

Chameleon had regained consciousness. He got to his feet, leaning forward. 

My enemy was also torn up, but my hands were empty. I didn’t even have a weapon. 

How was I going to fight? 

…Not that I actually had any options. 

“Aaaaaaaaaaaah!” Chameleon roared, and the way he looked made me wonder if he even knew who he was anymore. 

Come on, bring it. 

I stepped forward with my left foot, pulling my right fist back. 

My weapon was my body. From this point on, it was mano a mano. 

“Wooooooooooooooooooooooooorgh!” Chameleon bellowed, and his long, bloodied tongue flew straight at me. 

“Rrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” I tensed my lower body and rotated my hips. 

Then, using my right arm, I wound up as far as I could, and— 

“—Are you stupid, Kimi?” 

I heard a voice. 

At least, I thought I had. 

But, I mean…there wasn’t anybody around to cut into this fight, was there? 

“Hand-to-hand combat with a monster? That’s not just reckless. It’s insane.” 

The next thing I heard was a gunshot—and then Chameleon’s scream. 

I saw a pool of blood. His long tongue had been sliced cleanly in two. 

“There, now that tongue will never be able to attack me again.” 

I’d heard something like that before. 

Then the owner of the voice leaped in through the hole in the ceiling and landed right in front of me. 

I recognized her back. There was no way I could have mistaken it for anyone else’s. Between this and that and the other, we’d barely been apart recently. 

Why was she here, though? She’d gotten away on that boat a minute ago with Saikawa. Hadn’t she? 

It was a natural question, but a certain theory made it vanish like mist. 

I was about to test that theory, but before I could, she turned around. 

Then she, Nagisa Natsunagi, said: 

“It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?” 

Ah. There it is. 

I’d know it anywhere. That hundred-million-watt smile was what I’d wanted to see for so long. 

“Yeah. Was that enough of a nap for you—Siesta?” 

 Those unforgettable three years I spent with you were… 

The person standing in front of me was Nagisa Natsunagi. There was no doubt about that. 

But. 

“It’s been a year since I saw your face. Your eyes look a little meaner.” 

What she said made it patently clear who she was on the inside. 

“If anyone looks different here, it’s you, Siesta.” 

She looked like Natsunagi—but inside, she was Siesta. 

Ordinarily, that would have been impossible, but for some reason, I could tell this was that sort of thing. 

If there was a reason behind it… 

“So you were still in there. In that heart.” 

Memory transference is a phenomenon in which the donor’s personality, interests, and preferences are reflected in the recipient after an organ transplant. While it hasn’t been scientifically proved yet, cases of memory transference have been observed all over the world, and Nagisa Natsunagi had experienced it as well after a heart transplant. 

Still, even if memory transference is a real thing, all the recipient usually picks up from the donor is their personality, their daily habits, and a few memories. 

Right now, though, Natsunagi hadn’t just inherited Siesta’s memories. Siesta herself had taken over. As if the master and servant had switched places. 

“You look like you’re thinking something rude again, Kimi.” Natsunagi—or rather, Siesta—frowned just a little crossly. “I’m only borrowing this girl’s body for a little while. I’m not going to possess her.” 

Siesta was speaking in Natsunagi’s voice, with Natsunagi’s face. 

It felt faintly strange, but even so, I said: 

“It’s great to see you, Siesta.” 

No matter how it had happened, our first meeting in a year made my knees weak—and I just dropped down onto my butt. 

“Did you always smile that way, Kimi?” Siesta’s eyes widened slightly. 

“I may have mellowed out a bit.” I did think I had, in a vague kind of way. 

While we were focused on our reunion… 

“—Gguh, lwah.” 

Farther back in the casino, Chameleon was bleeding from the mouth after Siesta’s shot, and he growled in a low voice. His eyes had rolled back, and the whites were bloodshot. Blue veins squirmed all through his skin. He was bending forward, tongue and tail lashing. There wasn’t a trace of his human self left. 

“Siesta, that’s enough chitchat. We have to do something about that guy first.” 

“Agreed. Well, that is why I’m here anyway.” 

Although there was no telling where she’d gotten it, Siesta opened a silver attaché case. Inside, there was a gun for me. Then, extending her left hand to me, where I sat on the floor: 

“Kimi—be my assistant.” 

When I heard her say it, my mind jumped back four years. 

It was the same. Just like the time we’d met, at ten thousand meters. 

Right now, the girl standing there was Nagisa Natsunagi—but my eyes saw Siesta as she’d been on that day, four years ago, clearly and vividly. 

…In that case, this was never an actual choice. 

“As you wish—ace detective.” I took Siesta’s hand and gave her my very best smile. 

“…That expression is straight out of a horror movie.” 

“Leave me alone!” 

We split up, fanning out to trap Chameleon between us. 

“Gwoooooooourgh!!!” 

Chameleon glared at us by turns, as if he was trying to warn us off. His tongue and tail writhed, attempting to catch their prey. 

“Be careful! He can change the length and hardness of those however he wants!” I circled around in front of the enemy, relaying information to Siesta, who was on his other side. 

“Huh? You’re sure you want that side, Kimi?” 

“Mm? Is there a problem with it?” 

Even if this was Siesta, she was borrowing Natsunagi’s body. I should be the one who faced the enemy head-on. 

“His tongue can’t attack me anymore, so I think having me take the front would work better.” 

“…I forgot.” 

Dammit, so much for showing off. 

“I see you still haven’t learned to pay attention.” 

“Shaddup.” 

Dodging the enemy’s attacks, we switched places. 

“Come to think of it, you always were like that.” As Siesta battled the enemy’s tail with her gun, she sounded nostalgic. “You’d say ‘Today I’ll put you up at this resort hotel’ and stride into a casino and blow all the money we had.” 

“Ngh… Well, that was ’cause you’d cried so much the day before about how you were sick of taking dumps out in the open. I just had to; I was hoping to turn the tables with one decisive win…” 

“Don’t make up memories.” The next instant, a bullet whizzed right past my face. 

“Watch it, Siesta!” 

“Would you quit trying to pin your crimes on other people? If this is about the time I accidentally saw you taking a du— Doing your business outdoors, I apologize for wounding your pride, but—” 

“We’re in combat right now! Don’t dredge up old memories!” 

I swear, this woman. 

She’s evading the enemy’s attacks like it’s easy and chatting about old times. 

…… 

… That’s what the old times were, though. 

“Hey, Siesta, I’ve seen you embarrass yourself, too, remember?” 

“What are you talking about?” 

“You know—that one time? When we two lightweights drank enough liquor to fill a bathtub, and after that, we—” 

“La-la-la, I can’t hear you.” 

“I told you, don’t point your gun at me!” 

Whoa! Chameleon’s tail smashed up a nearby gaming table, and the shards flew our way. 

It was so weird. 

The situation had been incredibly tense. I’d wound myself up tight over the thought that this was the final showdown…and yet, somewhere along the way, my shoulders had relaxed. 

Because Siesta was here. Just fighting alongside her made my body and heart so light, it felt like I had wings. 

“Kimi, did you forget we’re in combat right now? Don’t dredge up bad memories.” 

“Didn’t I just say—? Yeesh, you are so unfair.” 

Siesta and I fired our guns in unison. 

“Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” 

A direct hit. Chameleon dropped heavily to his knees. 

I grabbed that opportunity to reload. “Ha-ha. That’s rare. You almost never get that upset.” 

“My assistant is getting pretty full of himself. Since when were you the one teasing me?” 

“It’s like they always say: ‘Give a guy three days to grow, and you might not recognize him at the end.’ ” 

In our case, it had been a year. 

We joked around with each other enough to make up for that whole year we’d been apart—or as much as we could manage anyway. 

“…And? What happened after that?” 

“What do you mean ‘what’?” 

“You know. Um…” Siesta faltered, with Natsunagi’s face. “We drank liquor, we both got dead drunk, and after that, did we…y’know?” 

Her expression was uncharacteristically embarrassed, and I would have loved to see it on Siesta’s own face. 

“Didn’t you tell me not to dredge up memories?” 

“Well, actually, I was so worried about it, I couldn’t move on to the afterlife.” 

“Can we go back to the tearful reunion?” 

Just then, with a growl, Chameleon got back up. 

“Gohgyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” 

It was a roar unlike any noise he’d made before, and it shook the whole room. 

As if in response, Chameleon’s body changed. 

His vivid bloodshot eyes bulged out even further, and something like hardened scales began to sprout all over his body. With a series of dull cracking sounds, he grew far larger than any human, and his clothes ripped to shreds that barely clung to him. As if his body could no longer support its own weight, he lowered himself until he was very nearly walking on all fours, like a lizard or a dinosaur. He looked like— 

“A monster.” I gulped loudly. 

“His ‘seed’ has completely taken over.” Siesta came up beside me, exhaling. 

“Hey, ace detective, don’t bring out the jargon without explaining it first.” 

Geez. This was reminding me how rough those three years had been. 

How many times had I ended up in hot water because she refused to tell me any of the important stuff? And then she’d ride in to save me at the very last minute, all proud of herself and demanding gratitude. Argh, just remembering it was pissing me off. 

“Heh-heh. So many memories of that exact look on your face.” 

“You’re totally mocking me, aren’t you?” 

“They’re very fond memories, you know.” 

… Look, you can’t just say stuff like that. 

“—! Gohgyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” 

The monster roared again. 

Yeah, I knew how he felt. He’d morphed into his ultimate form, and here we were, ignoring him. That’ll make you wanna scream, all right. Just direct your complaints to the ace detective over here. 

Siesta and I got back into formation, pinning the enemy between us. 

“And? What did you really come back to do?” 

“What? Do you want me to say I came to save you or something?” 

“Man, you are not cute.” 

“Kidding.” 

Flying bullets, the smell of gun smoke—the scene was as surreal as a dream in the daytime. 

Bleeding slightly from a cut on her cheek, Siesta, the daydream herself, leaped across the battlefield. 

Jumping onto Chameleon’s rampaging tongue, she leaped again, landing a ferocious kick on the enemy’s head. 

The ace detective did a single flip and touched down. “The truth is, she asked me to,” she said as she turned around. “She said she wanted me to save you.” 

“Natsunagi asked you?” 

“Yes. I’d planned to leave everything to her from now on, but if she was going to beg like that… You know?” 

What kind of exchange had those two had, sharing the same body? 

The only thing I knew was that Natsunagi’s words had moved Siesta. 

At the same time, that meant this was an exception. Meaning… 

“So this is the last time. It won’t happen again. All right?” 

I could almost see the shadow of Siesta in Natsunagi’s face. Her straightforward gaze was fixed on me. 

“Yeah, I know.” 

This was our real good-bye. 

“Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” 

The fallen, monstrous Chameleon got back up and roared. 

In the next instant, he vanished. This had to be the last phase. 

“Siesta, be careful,” I said to her, now that she was beside me again. 

“It’s fine. Hang on, assistant.” 

“Huh? …Whoa!” 

And I was flying through the air for the first time in four years. 

Siesta had saved me like this back then, too. 

Pulling me with her, Siesta used her sense of smell to evade the enemy’s invisible attacks. 

“Apparently, letting you yank me around is just about perfect for me.” 

“…Where is this coming from, assistant?” 

……… 

“Were you lonely?” 

You think I’m that pathetic? No way. 

“I’m sorry.” 

Don’t apologize. 

“I’m sorry for dying first.” 

I told you, quit apologizing. 

“To tell you the truth, I hadn’t actually planned to spend three whole years traveling with you.” 

Hey, we can’t beat this guy and reminisce at the same time. 

“Coming to care for somebody would have been a foolish thing to do—it would bind me to this world. I was sure it would be a fetter in the way of my work.” 

Like I said, focus on the fight. 

There’s no telling when the flames are going to make it over here. 

“The next thing I knew, three years had passed. I must have taken more of a liking to you than I’d realized.” 

What’s wrong with you? 

You and I weren’t lovers, and we weren’t even friends. 

We were detective and assistant—just business partners, in an odd way. 

“I know. You didn’t think of me in any special way, and I didn’t treat you like anyone special. However—” 

Stop. It’s too late to say all that. 

I can say it; that’s fine. But you’re not allowed. 

Say I’m selfish if you want. But if you— 

“Those unforgettable three years I spent with you are the best memories I have.” 

If you say that to me, I’ll— 

“Are you stupid, Kimi?” Siesta patted my head gently. “What’s the point of digging in your heels with a dead girl? You did really well on your own this past year.” 

My throat stung, and my eyelids grew hot. 

What’s wrong with me? This isn’t … This isn’t like me at all. 

Seriously, gimme a break. If Saikawa and Charlie see me like this—if Natsunagi sees me, once she’s back to normal—they’re gonna laugh. 

I stepped away from Siesta to stand beside her. 

“You’re asking if I’m lonely? Sorry, but the friends I’ve got now are so noisy that I don’t have time to think about all that.” Several faces came to mind, and I gave a wry smile. “I’m not alone anymore.” 

“I see. Make sure you play nice with them, then.” 

We shifted to stand back-to-back, although it wasn’t clear which of us had moved first. 

It was Natsunagi’s body, but I felt Siesta’s warmth. 

When this fight was over, she would disappear. 

After she did, she’d probably never show up in Natsunagi’s body again. 

In that case… 

“Hey, Siesta.” 

“What?” 

“Uh, the rest of that story from earlier. We both drank liquor for the first time and got drunk, and then you asked me what happened…?” 

I was pretty sure we shouldn’t be having a conversation like this in what was probably the final phase of the final showdown. In a way, though, that was us in a nutshell. 

We stood side by side, my outstretched right arm lined up with Siesta’s left arm, so close that they touched. 

“Unfortunately—or maybe not, I dunno—nothing happened.” 

Then we both pointed our guns straight ahead. 

Our invisible enemy was bearing down on us. If we missed this shot, we were dead. 

But Siesta spoke. “It’s okay,” she said. 

Meaning there was no reason to hesitate. 

Siesta had never been wrong. Not once. 

And in the next instant, a loud electronic noise rang out from the perfectly empty space right in front of us. 

“Assistant!” 

“Right!” 

Siesta and I both aimed at that spot, fired at the exact same time— 

And then… 

…a dull sound, and a brief wail, told us it was all over. 

“I see. To tell you the truth, I might have slept with you once. I considered it, at least.” 

“Well, why didn’t you say so sooner? Next time, just tell me!” 

At the end, we burst out laughing like a pair of idiots.