Tantei wa Mou, Shindeiru - Volume 4 - Chapter 1

Chapter 1 

Don't listen to the little girl 

Half a day has passed since we made that oath in the morning . 

"So, shitty brat, I'll be sentencing you to twenty thousand years in jail." 

A red-haired policewoman  with a cigarette in her mouth and a demonic face approached my face. 

The name of the demon was Fuubi Kase. 

She summoned me to the penthouse of a high-rise apartment… 

"…That's unreasonable. I don't remember any of this." 

Why was I being reprimanded anyway? What was my crime? I was cornered to a large window overlooking the night, and barked back like a proud Pomeranian against a lion. 

"You don't remember? Ha, don't make me laugh." 

Despite her words, she didn't even smile. 

"Too bad, Kimihiko Kimizuka. You've been charged with speeding on a motorcycle, repeated firearms violations, assault, aggravation, and obstruction of justice." 

She glared at me and pointed at her right cheek. 

Last night, I faced off against Fuubi-san because of a certain reason. I punched her in the face…and some time passed, but her face was still swollen. 

"You say that, but you beat me up good." 

"Seems like you're in pretty good shape though." 

Well, that's true. Maybe it's this nature of mine that allowed my body to withstand such hits. I was worried that my ribs might have been broken, but they seemed fine. 

"That's why you're going to spend the rest of your life in jail with a happy set of extra crimes." 

Wait a minute, I want a lawyer! I have the right to do that! 

I looked around frantically. Yes, I wasn't the only one summoned to this room tonight. There must be three other reliable allies. 

"Hey, Natsunagi, how about you help me argue back…" 

"Woah! The bath's huge! There's a jacuzzi!" 

And for some reason…basically, I heard excited squeals from the bathroom. 

"Nagisa, why don't you wash yourself first?" 

And she's in there with Charl. 

What kind of detective doesn't help her assistant in a pinch? Right, there was one a year ago. 

"Well, goodness me." 

And right when a goddess abandoned me, another appeared. A girl gave me a helping hand. 

"Kase-san, can you forgive Kimizuka-san this time?" 

She's the super idol Yui Saikawa. 

She usually belittled me, but she, who seemed to be the mentally oldest, seemed to stand on my side. Saikawa was aside at the table alone, drinking milk from the mug, and said so. 

"It's true that Kimizuka-san was violent towards Kase-san. But it's to be expected after all—it's out of love." 

"Love?" 

Fuubi-san and I both tilted our heads in unison. 

"Yes, love!" 

Then Saikawa stood up and slammed the table. 

"Siesta-san is irreplaceable to Kimizuka-san. That's why Kimizuka-san can punch out any police officer or ?Tuner? for Siesta-san's sake. Kimizuka-san loves Siesta-san after all…from the bottom of his heart!" 

" I  KILL YOU!" 

"Kya~! Kimizuka-san's scary!" 

That girl needs to die.  I swore to myself that I would pursue the escaping Saikawa, even if she escaped to the depths of hell. 

"Oy, don't play tag in my house. Am I just a tsukkomi here?" 

"There's only one reason why I summoned you here. I'm warning you." 

We probably got the order of seriousness and comedy wrong, but we're  all back to normal. 

The four of us sat at the table and listened to Fuubi-san's explanation. 

"Nagisa Natsunagi, Yui Saikawa, Charlotte Arisaka Anderson, and Kimihiko Kimizuka... you will defy the ?Tuners? and defeat SEED in a different way. Are you sure you want to do that?" 

Her sharp gaze scanned every one of us. 

"Yes." 

Natsunagi answered. Without flinching, she looked back at Fuubi-san. 

"We won't let anyone be killed, and we won't let anyone be sacrificed. We will laugh together and win together in the end. That's our goal, and our victory condition." 

Yes. To make that happen, that night, our adventure prologue began. 

"…Hmph." 

But Fuubi-san snorted unhappily. 

Our current enemy was SPES and its leader, SEED. SEED claimed to be completely unsuited to the Earth's environment, and was looking for a human vessel to inhabit. The top candidate was Yui Saikawa—who  possessed the power of the Seed and did not show any side effects yet. 

Fuubi-san, one of the ?Tuners? fighting against the enemies of the world, decided to indirectly defeat SEED by destroying the vessel with her subordinate Charl; in other words, to kill Saikawa. Natsunagi and I learned of this, and Charl changed her mind, and we challenged her to a fight. 

"Ten days." 

Fuubi-san looked over at the four of us and said. 

"You've got ten days. Prove to me that you can defeat SEED during this time. That's the last bit of mercy I can give you." 

"And what if we can't do that?" 

"I'll kill that girl this time." 

So she said, and gave Saikawa a frosty look. 

"Kimizuka-san, I'm scared." 

Saikawa, seated next to me, pinched my cuff firmly. She's a feisty one, but she probably couldn't withstand the murderous intent of the ?assassin?. 

"Ah, don't worry. We'll protect you." 

"She's jealous of my youth and cuteness after all, no?" 

"Saikawa, please don't say anything that will make me unable to protect you." 

"Kase-san, you're almost 30 years old, but you'll still be young if you take care of your skin every day and live a stress-free life! Don't worry, don't give up!" 

"Saikawaa!" 

I take that back. 

Fuubi-san's temples were about to burst, and I immediately cupped Saikawa's mouth. 

"But if the four of us alone are to defeat SEED…" 

Then, Charl put her fingertips on her chin, probably to get back to the seriousness of the topic. 

At this point, we still knew almost nothing about SEED, the leader of ?SPES?. We only knew that it's a plant-like being from outer space, and that it could create " Android  clones" with special abilities—but. 

"In that case, it's best to ask someone who knows." 

I then suggested another person who could help, but wasn't around. 

"Siesta." 

Charl widened her eyes as though she was caught off-guard. Fuubi-san narrows her eyes, probably wanting to see through my intentions. 

"She always seemed to have a plan for solving a case even before it happened. That's why I'm sure she had her own plans to defeat SEED." 

It was, for example, the legacy of the famous detective—which Charl was looking for on that cruise ship about ten days ago. We were the legacy, but Siesta had left her preparations in various pieces. I wouldn't think such a well-prepared person would tell us to defeat ?SPES? or SEED without any hints. 

"So you're saying that Ma'am left something else to us, like the legacy?" 

"I haven't heard anything about that though…" Charl muttered in surprise. 

If that's the case, maybe there were any hints that only I, the only person who was with her for three years, could find. For example, I have been to Singapore and Hawaii with her, just to search for legendary treasures. 

Or more recently, a place that I'm also very familiar with. It's also the country I lived in right before I met Hel, the highest ranking member of ?SPES?, and left for the final battle—that's England. That was where Siesta and I spent quite the vibrant days together. Maybe there's a hint there… 

"—Ahh, so that's what she meant." 

I remembered something in the left chest pocket of my jacket. 

"Back when Siesta and I lived in London, I once saw her hiding something in a desk drawer in a panic." 

The drawer had a lock on it that even my picking skills couldn't open. When I tried to figure out what was inside the drawer though, Siesta said to me, 

" — Try snatching this key away from me another time." 

Siesta then gave a taunting smile and waved the master key, one of her ?seven tools?, between her fingertips. 

"And then ?Siesta? passed this key to me yesterday." 

I pulled out a small key from my pocket and showed it to Fuubi-san and the others. 

It was something ?Siesta? passed to me before she was sent on a helicopter to treatment. Just as Natsunagi received the musket gun, I too inherited one of the ?seven tools? from ?Siesta?. 

Now that we resolved our challenges, Siesta wanted me to defeat ?SPES?. This key was passed to me, which suggested that the legacy to defeat ?SPES? …SEED, was over there. 

"Say, you kept that house in London?" 

Fuubi-san asked suspiciously. 

"Well, sorta. Rent payments were deducted from my account , so I'm short of money." 

"? Then why didn't you stop paying?" 

"…Well, that's…" 

"Kase-san, please don't ask him anymore!" 

For some reason Saikawa interrupted the conversation. 

"Kimizuka-san doesn't want to lose his love nest with Siesta-san!" 

"Shut up! Saikawa, you're too blunt!" 

"I'm not joking though…" Saikawa murmured, but I ignored her. 

"Well, I want to go to London tomorrow." 

I decided to follow Siesta's footsteps . 

I believe there should be a clue that will help us defeat SEED…or understand SEED. 

"I'm coming with you." 

Natsunagi, seated opposite me, said so. 

"Well, it's the detective's responsibility to take care of the assistant, right?" 

"…Ah, that helps me out." 

I gave a wry smile and asked for help from Natsunagi , who seemed unwilling. 

"You two can go with your own plans. But the remaining two, Charlotte and Yui Saikawa…you'll need to learn some skills to fight SEED." 

Fuubi-san turns her attention to Charl and Saikawa. 

The skills in fighting SEED…speaking of which, over the past few days, Natsunagi and I acquired the abilities of Hel and Chameleon respectively. It seemed Fuubi-san decided to teach Charl and Saikawa the necessary skills to combat SEED. 

"First of all, Charlotte, there's one job I want you to do." 

Then she said and raised the corners of her mouth with intent. 

"F-fine with me?" 

For some reason, Charl stated in a question form, and her teary eyes were directed at me. 

…I noticed that, but I couldn't do anything. Forgive me. 

"And the issue here, Yui Saikawa." 

And right when Fuubi-san looked towards Saikawa, 

"Leave it to me." 

A moment later, there was the sound of a large window breaking behind them. 

The person entered this room from the darkness. 

"Bat?" 

A blond man in a suit stood there, grinning. 

Battle Preparations, done. 

"You sure have guts appearing before me like this." 

Fuubi-san stood up and whipped out a gun at Bat. 

"Haha, I've been waiting for the chance to appear during the questioning." 

Despite being the intruder, bat retorted casually and sat down on the sofa. The other day, with the help of Scarlet the ?vampire?, he slipped past the surveillance of Fuubi-san and the others and escaped from prison. 

"Have you forgotten what I meant when I let you out on parole?” 

Fuubi-san scowled sharply at Bat. Well, I remembered they had a deal during the Sapphire left eye incident. 

"I was going to make you Saikawa's sole watchdog, but you betrayed me." 

…So that was the original plan. Bat disobeyed Fuubi-san though, and the latter was trying to kill Saikawa, a potential vessel for the SEED. He tried to get Saikawa on his side, and it all happened on the roof of the TV station. 

"What, ain't I saying that I'm on your side now?" 

And Bat didn't even look at the gun pointed at him. 

"I'll take care of this Sapphire girl." 

He looked at Saikawa and suggested again. 

"Me?" 

On the other hand, Saikawa tilted her head in confusion. 

"Bat, didn't you already give up?" 

Those negotiations were supposed to have broken down the other day. 

"Hahaha, in any case, you and I have the same goals. That violent policewoman's cooperating with you, right? In that case, I'd be happy to join you." 

He must have been listening to this strategy meeting from afar with his prized ears. It seemed that even Bat, who was involved with SEED, wanted to join forces in defeating ?SPES? too. 

"What can you do?" 

Fuubi-san asks Bat, putting her gun down. 

"Awaken the left eye." 

Bat, sitting on the couch, squinting his murky eyes as he  replied so. 

"That Sapphire girl's human like me, and also has a ?seed?. I can evolve the ability of that eye to another level." 

Right. Bat too is also an ordinary human who had the ?seed? implanted into him. His situation was similar to that of Saikawa, whose left eye was surgically implanted along with the ?seed?. 

"What do you think, Sapphire girl? You may not be interested in fighting for revenge, but aren't you going to fight for your friends?" 

Bat changed the conditions of negotiation. That night, Saikawa didn't choose to take revenge against ?SPES? for murdering her parents. However, Bat knew that she treasured her friends more than anything else. ?SPES? had taken the lives of her parents that night. Even so, Bat knew that the Saikawa of today valued her friends above all else. 

"All right! Please take care of me, Bat-san!" 

Saikawa nodded back in agreement. 

"You sure about this?" 

I might be laughed at for being overprotective, but I asked Saikawa without a second thought. 

"Yes, of course. I can't always be protected…I want to be strong enough to protect you and everyone else, Kimizuka-san and the others.” 

Saikawa smiled and gave us a peace sign. 

"—Thanks, Yui." 

The next moment. Charl stood up and hugged Saikawa from behind. 

Charlotte, who was tasked by the ?assassin? Fuubi Kase to murder Saikwa, seemed to be completely reconciled with her. 

"Charl-san…" 

"Yui…" 

"Can I have a foot massage?" 

"Ah, yes." 

… Correction . It seemed Charl was still unable to look at Saikawa in the eyes. 

"But do you have anything like a plan?" 

I lean my body against the backrest and let out a long sigh. 

"Yeah. We're going to London, look for clues to defeat SEED that Siesta might have left behind. Yui-chan and Charl will train to fight SEED." 

Natsunagi followed up after me, and mentioned our future plans. 

"—Let me ask you something, Watson. Are you sure that's what you want to do?" 

But that deep voice stopped my dull thoughts in their tracks. 

And then he said, letting out a cigarette puff in a relaxed manner. 

"Well, it's nothing. I thought I heard something yesterday about bringing back the woman you love, like a protagonist's cry. I thought you're going to act on it or something." 

"! Don't put yourself in a position to mess with me too!" 

I stood up and slammed the desk to protest Bat's remarks… but he completely ignored me as he made himself comfortable on the sofa. Dammit, did he hear those words perfectly with those ears even from afar yesterday?" 

"Haha, don't get me wrong. What I'm trying to ask, are you really going to fight SEED? Isn't your biggest desire to revive the famous detective?" 

Bat smiled as he asked me. 

…Yeah, that's right. 

Ultimately, I didn't care about either SEED or ?SPES?. 

But I was told that Siesta's last words were  for us to defeat ?SPES?. She said we're her last hope, and we couldn't ignore her wishes. And— 

"If she revives when the world's destroyed, that defeats the purpose too." 

That's why I had to fight ?SPES? and defeat SEED. 

That's all it was. 

"Besides, I don't believe that the miracle of reviving Siesta can happen overnight." 

To revive the dead—I wanted to believe such a ridiculous matter, even if only for a moment, only because of the existence of the ?vampire? Scarlet that I met the other day. He's a real vampire, and had the unbelievable ability to bring the dead back to life again, but, 

"I thought you were going to ask that vampire for help, but I guess you weren't foolish enough to decide to do that after seeing that, right?" 

Bat frowned, probably recalling the same scene I did. 

At the rooftop of that TV station, I saw Chameleon revive from the dead. The ?undead? created by vampires could only have the strongest instincts when they were alive. Nobody would have wanted to revive Siesta in this manner. It would take a long time, but I had to find another way. 

"…Haa, maybe I shouldn't be saying this. " 

Fuubi-san scratched her head, as if to interrupt the conversation between Bat and me. 

"Since you're returning to London, there's someone like us who should be there. Maybe the situation might change a little if you tell that person." 

"A ?Tuner? ?" 

The trio I met so far were the ?famous detective? Siesta, the ?vampire? Scarlet, and the ?assassin? Fuubi Kase. I remembered it was mentioned that there were twelve of them. So who exactly was the ?Tuner? in London? 

"The ?Priestess?." 

Fuubi-san threw a photo at us and said, 

"That girl knows the entire future of this world." 

Déjà vu 10,000 meters in the sky. 

"Beef or Fish?" 

10,000 meters in the sky. 

I answered briefly with 'fish', the second most common phrase in English conversation books (the first being "Do you play tennis?"), and looked towards the seat next to me. I looked at my friend sitting next to me. 

"What about you, Natsunagi?" 

She didn't seem to notice the flight attendant's question. She had her earphones on, and was staring intently at the movie aired before her. 

"Sorry to disturb you while you're blushing and all at this sudden hot scene in a Western movie, Natsunagi, but don't ignore the cabin crew." 

"Hya!?" 

I removed the earphones from the side, and Natsunagi's shoulders jolted. 

"Wha…die-die-die-die-die twice already!" 

"That's not on the menu." 

So I ordered another set of fish for Natsunagi. 

"…Kimizuka, why are you such a terrible person?" 

We saw the flight attendant leave, and Natsunagi gave me a resentful look. 

That's weird. I played the role of a bad guy because I thought she would enjoy this. 

"Listen up, Natsunagi, you'll get bored of saints in three days, but you'll never get bored of bad guys." 

"What's with this idea that beautiful women get bored in three days…I won't get sick of them, but I'll be annoyed too. And now I hate you, Kimizuka!" 

Natsunagi squinted her eyes, giving me a dumbfounded look. 

Incidentally, few knew that beautiful women with bad personalities are those that people won't get sick of. 

Well, not mentioning who. 

"In other words, the more righteous you are, the more you lose out." 

"That's a bad lesson." 

"Ah, and just to note, the heroine who devoted herself to the protagonist until the very end was shot by the enemy while protecting him." 

"That's the worst spoiler ever!" 

Natsunagi clutched her head, "haa" let out a huge sigh, and switched off the power. 

"…You're detestable after all, Kimizuka. It's unenjoyable being with you." 

Natsunagi turned her head to the side, clearly pouting. 

But, 

"That said, Natsunagi, we'll be together for at least ten more hours." 

I said to Natsunagi, who stared out the window. 

Yep, we're 10,000 meters in the air, and Natsunagi and I were on an international flight to London. We got into a bit of trouble on our way to the airport, and missed a flight. However, we could only move forward to achieve our objective. 

"I know. We're not returning to Japan until I find Siesta's legacy and meet the Priestess." 

Yeah, Natsunagi's right. The Priestess was one of the ?Tuners?, the only clue to reviving Siesta. 

I remembered the explanation from Fuubi-san the previous day. 

"Priestess?" 

I scowled at Fuubi-san's comment. Fuubi-san mentioned her existence when we discussed the method to revive Siesta. But thinking about, it seemed like… 

"?Siesta? -san told you about it, didn't she?" 

Saikawa was the first to notice, and spoke up. 

A few days ago, when ?Siesta? first explained to me about ?Tuners?, I learned there was a "Priestess" alongside the positions of "vampire" and "assassin". 

"Yeah, that's right. I've never met her in person, and I don't even know her name—but it's said that the ?Priestess? can see everything in this world through her ability to predict the future." 

Fuubi-san replied while lighting a cigarette. 

"Predicting the future…that sure sounds like a ?Tuner? alright." 

We already encountered ?Androids? and a ?vampire?, so we really couldn't dismiss the ability to predict the future as "nonsense". 

I heard that ?Tuners? were appointed to combat the world's crisis. In that case, it's more logical to think that there's a ?Priestess? who could foresee future world crises. 

"If there is a future route where the famous detective can come back to life, the ?Priestess? might be able to guide you down that path." 

"…I see, so that's why you want me to rely on the ?Priestess?." 

I looked at the girl in the photo again. The photo was taken somewhere else discreetly. It's slightly blurred, but there's a girl with bluish hair and a face that seemed to be from the West. 

If she is able to see all the possibilities of the future, she may be able to find a way to bring Siesta back to life, not only through the vampire resuscitation method, but also through a miracle-making technique. 

"Well, if you're going to London to look for the legacy of the famous detective, you should consider meeting her as part of your itinerary." 

That could be the key to resurrecting the famous detective, Fuubi-san said coldly. 

It seemed Natsunagi and I had another objective for our journey. 

"But if you're traveling with Kimizuka-san, isn't that already part of your own route, Nagisa-san?" 

Saikawa suddenly interrupted. 

"Saikawa, don't turn another person's story into your love simulation game." 

"Yui-chan, no matter how many flags are raised, this guy doesn't have the guts…to do it…" 

Natsunagi, don't shake your head quietly with your hand on your chest. Don't give a smile like it's from a painting or something. 

"Oh well. So, Saikawa, I'm sorry, but please lend us money to go to London." 

"What? What kind of girl would lend money to a guy who's going out with another girl?" 

The younger idol was suddenly looking scary. Who's the girlfriend? 

"You deserve it. You proposed to me yesterday, and now you're looking for another girl. That disgusts me." 

"You're saying such misleading words too, Charl?! When have I ever…asked you to marry me…right. I guess so." 

In hindsight, I remembered making such a foolish remark during the battle against Fuubi-san. I didn't mean it, of course. 

"Wow! What's this, amazing…I'm really angry now, goodness!" 

"Natsunagi, your emotions are completely different from what you say. It's scary." 

I was on tenterhooks. I was really terrified of being alone with Natsunagi in this mode the next day. 

"…How do we meet this Priestess?" 

I asked Fuubi-san, trying to get back to the point. 

"Ah, actually." 

"It's my fault for suggesting this, but," so she said, looking unusually embarrassed. 

"It's said nobody could actually meet the Priestess." 

Ahh, I see. 

Apparently, just as a miracle couldn't occur that easily, my ideal sweet ending wouldn't come true that easily. 

"It's nostalgic." 

"?" 

We're on the plane, and once I incidentally blurted out, Natsunagi tilted her head next to me. 

"Well, actually, I took a plane four years ago." 

I was alone, carrying a mysterious attaché case. 

But at this point, we're 10,000 meters in the sky, just the two of us. 

"Yeah, this is where you two first started, Kimizuka and Siesta." 

Natsunagi said, looking at the white clouds floating outside the window. 

"Yeah, coincidentally…no, it was inevitable." 

It was all part of her plan. That's how the detective sitting next to me dragged me into three years of dazzling adventures. 

"Ah, your eyes look like you're remembering your ex or something, Kimizuka." 

"What do you mean, my eyes look like I'm thinking of an ex? Stop, don't show me the mirror." 

Perhaps it was because I was immersed in the memories of that day in the past. 

The next moment, I wasn't just hearing things. 

My ears picked up the voice of a flight attendant on her rounds. 

"Is there a detective present amongst the customers?" 

There are no Extras in this world 

Having heard that phrase, my memory instantly flashed back to four years ago. 

That incident, which later turned out to be a hijacking by the Bat, was the catalyst that resulted in me embarking on a three-year journey filled with extraordinary events. 

"My nature of getting into trouble really is working overtime here…" 

I never thought I'd hear the exact same line as that day, in the same situation. 

Faced with the reenactment of the incident four years ago, I cupped my head. 

"Are there any detectives among the customers?” 

I hear the voice of the flight attendant close by. 

I look up to see if I can't ignore it. 

"Is there a detective present amongst the customers?" 

The voice of the flight attendant soon approached. 

Ack, I couldn't ignore it after all?  So I thought, and lifted my head, 

"…I remember you're…" 

"It's been a while, sir. Thank you very much for your help." 

What's with this coincidence? 

The woman who bowed to me was the very same flight attendant, who informed Siesta and me about the hijacking four years ago. 

"It's thanks to you, detective and assistant, that we were able to get out of this trouble safely." 

Then she, who appeared to be in her late twenties, smiled slightly and said, 

"Actually, that day was my first flight. I'm sorry for the inconvenience…" 

She recalls the events of that day with an apologetic look. 

"Ah, it's nothing." 

I remember she panicked about the appearance of the ?Android Bat? at that time. Well, newcomer or veteran, I'd think anyone who could remain calm in such a situation would be crazy. 

"I apologize for being late in my introductions. My name is Olivia. It's nice to see you again—Kimizuka-sama." 

Olivia said and introduced herself. 

"Kimizuka, do you know her? Do you know…this flight attendant?" 

Natsunagi, who was meeting Olivia for the first time, tilted her head and gave me a quizzing look for some other reason, it seemed. 

"Not really. We just went through a little incident. We don't have a suspicious relationship going on." 

Speaking of which, I was really curious as to why I had to explain myself. 

"Oh, by the way, Kimizuka-sama, you have a different detective girl from you this time around." 

"Don't lead this conversation to another strange area!" 

"In any case, are you going to London for your honeymoon?" 

"Why am I being teased by a flight attendant now…?" 

Natsunagi appeared to be in a good mood. Ehehe, like hell with that. 

"I'm going to London to pick up a few things I forgot, and there's one person I really want to see." 

Well, I don't even know the name,  I added with a wry smile. 

"You're going to meet someone you don't even know the name of… that's quite a task you're taking on." 

Olivia said, narrowing her eyes softly. 

"So, what happened?" 

I felt that we should get down to business, and asked Olivia. 

According to Olivia—there's currently a situation at 10,000 meters in the sky that requires a detective, not a police officer nor a doctor. Apparently an android or a vampire or some aliens had attacked. 

I waited for her answer, thinking about how compared to four years ago, there were so many more choices. 

"Calling for Ms. Mia Whitlock in seat A20. If you hear this announcement, please ask the nearest flight attendant for help." 

Such an announcement was repeatedly made in both English and Japanese. While it's common to hear such an announcement for lost people at airports…I never thought I would hear it on a flight. Couldn't they go directly to the passenger seat instead? 

…Or, just maybe. 

"Is that passenger missing?" 

I asked, and Olivia nodded with a bitter smile on her face. 

"Yeah. The passenger was there when we took off, and suddenly disappeared." 

That was the reason for the strange in-flight announcement. The passenger Mia Whitlock had suddenly disappeared from the plane flying 10,000 meters in the sky. 

"Of course, we did check the passenger list before take off to ensure that all passengers were on board. When we started to serve the meals though, we found that a passenger was missing…" 

Olivia put her hand to her forehead, looking distressed. 

"So did that Mia Whitlock board the plane alone?" 

Next to me, Natsunagi leaned over and asked Olivia, who was standing in the aisle. 

"Don't put your hands on my thighs, and keep your head away from me, your hair is going into my mouth…" 

Unable to resist the smell of Natsunagi's sweet perfume, I remained in that position and listened to their exchange. 

"Yes, it doesn't seem like she was with anyone. An hour or so after takeoff, someone did see her leave her seat." 

I see…maybe she went to the restroom or something. 

After that, she never returned to her seat and just disappeared. 

"Have you searched the plane?" 

I ask in Natsunagi's stead, pushing her back into her seat. 

"Of course, we've searched everywhere possible, but we haven't been able to find her." 

"So you want a detective…?" 

Well, it's not as crazy as an Android appearing suddenly, but it's certainly more troublesome than I imagined. I sighed. 

"Yes, I saw your names on the passenger list." 

Olivia spreaded her rouged lips into a smile. 

"Oy oy, were you aiming for us right from the beginning?" 

I slumped into my seat. When Olivia went about asking "Is there a detective present amongst the customers?", she had been aiming for us right from the beginning… 

…No, wait. Something seemed off. 

"Hey, what happens if we don't find the missing passenger?" 

Natsunagi asked Olivia before I could think of it. 

To which she replied— 

"Well, we'll have to turn back to Japan." 

Don't say that with a smile… 

Apparently, our first task wasn't to find Siesta's legacy or to meet the Priestess, but to solve this secret room trick 10,000 meters in the sky. 

That's the promise of a mystery 

"Smells like a case." 

Natsunagi said with a grim look. 

"A case? There's another smell." 

I frowned but Natsunagi ignored me while scurrying around the cramped room. 

Yep, Natsunagi and I were in a small cubicle—a plane's restroom. Of course, we weren't planning anything, we're just investigating the situation. 

"Hmm, but I don't think…there's anything weird going on?" 

Natsunagi reached for the ceiling of the cubicle, but the ceiling board didn't look like it would be coming off. 

Of course, there's no guarantee that Mia Whitlock disappeared from this restroom. There weren't many places where ordinary passengers could visit, and this might be the place where it happened. 

"Maybe she got dragged down the toilet bowl?" 

I knew it wasn't the right answer, but I just mentioned my thoughts. 

It happened four years ago, at my middle school. They said that at 3 a.m., if one knocked three times on the third cubicle from the entrance, one would be dragged into the restroom by a ?Hanako-san?. The incident was stupendously solved by Siesta though. 

"Kimizuka, bend down a little." 

Natsunagi pointed to the toilet and tried to make me a victim of Hanako-san. 

"Natsunagi, don't use your assistant as an obvious sacrifice. I don't have the guts to do my business in public anyway." 

It's another matter if it's the white-haired detective though. 

"Well, shouldn't you be doing this instead, Natsunagi? I think you're into such things." 

"You're using my fetishes as a tool!? No, it's not a fetish!" 

"Oh, really?" 

"Don't start teasing when you feel like it! No, just don't!" 

Ignoring the flustered Natsunagi, I checked the private room thoroughly…but I couldn't find anything suspicious. Guess we're in the wrong place. 

We left the restroom and walked around the plane, searching for other clues. The cabin was cramped, and we really couldn't think of any place that any ordinary person would hide in. There's a rest area for staff members in this long plane, but we didn't see anyone around. 

"The only other place I can think of hiding, the luggage compartment, I guess?" 

I looked at the luggage rack above my seat as I walked on. Four years ago, Siesta had me smuggle in the musket gun discreetly through there. 

"Anyway, why does Mia Whitlock need to hide herself?" 

Natsunagi suddenly asked. 

"We've been assuming that she disappeared voluntarily, but isn't it possible that there's someone who made her do it? For example…" 

"Confinement?" 

I said, and Natsunagi nodded. 

I was thinking about this possibility...Mia Whitlock had been kidnapped and imprisoned somewhere by the perpetrator, but before I knew it, we were at the end of the plane, at the cockpit. 

"I guess this was the place." 

I met the "Android Bat" beyond this heavy door, and thus began my days of fighting ?SPES?. 

"So, is it possible that ?SPES? is involved this time around?" 

"With all these coincidences, we have to consider that possibility." 

It's just an application of what I've heard, something Natsunagi herself mentioned, that we shouldn't dismiss everything as just a coincidence, and we had to consider why that happened. 

There has to be a reason, a background, and a foreshadowing. With this in mind, I returned to my seat with Natsunagi. 

"I think the pieces are starting to come together." 

I folded my arms and sorted out the information and keywords we gathered so far. 

—Siesta's legacy, searching for the Priestess, the trip with the detective, the reunion with the flight attendant after four years, the missing passenger, the locked room 10,000 meters in the sky, confinement, ?SPES?, coincidence and inevitability. The only other thing that might be considered a clue was… 

"I don't know. I just don't know what I don't know." 

I looked at the in-flight meal that had been served to me, and muttered so. 

Thinking about it, it's been a while since I had such a real mystery-like challenge. Of course, it wouldn't be a mere mystery if ?SPES? and the like were involved. 

Either way, my dulled brain just couldn't come up with the right answer. I rubbed my temples lightly and suddenly turned my head to the side. 

"…You look like you're enjoying the food." 

I saw Natsunagi's sidelong face while she ate the in-flight meal like a high school rugby player. Don't enjoy the trip wholeheartedly. 

"…Kimizuka, you're not eating?" 

She finished her portion in no time, and glanced at mine. 

Seriously, is there a rule that a famous detective has to be a glutton? 

"If you really can't eat it, I can finish it up for you." 

"No, your tsundere act isn't cute at all." 

You're just a high school girl trying to appeal to your appetite. 

"So you mean that I'm cute when being a normal tsundere?" 

"Since you're aware that you're a tsundere, does that mean you admit that you're a dere sometimes?" 

"I-I didn't say that! I never said anything like that before." 

Natsunagi rambled on to cover up her miscue, and stood up. Right, we're equal. 

"Wh-what's with that little guts pose of yours?" 

"I'm always in a position where people make fun of me. I can only win against you as an opponent, Natsunagi." 

"I'm the lowest of the low?!" 

"Well, I guess there's a three way skirmish between me, Natsunagi and Charl." 

"Ah, so Yui-chan is above us…what's with this power balance?" 

"Maybe the problem is that all three of us are mentally immature compared to a middle school girl." 

But this was a rather complicated issue, so I stopped thinking about it. 

"More importantly, I'm talking about the missing passenger." 

We got some clues, but we're still far from the truth. 

"The Ten Commandments of Knox." 

Natsunagi gulped down my portion, and muttered with a serious look. 

"No, don't eat it. It's mine." 

I didn't know how she could give such a serious look, and she wouldn't answer even if I asked. 

"Knox's Ten Commandments, written by the British mystery writer Ronald Knox in 1928, states that there are ten rules that must be followed when writing a mystery novel." 

"Yeah, I know what they are. The rules are based on the idea that the reader should have a fair opportunity in solving a mystery…so what?" 

Well, Knox himself later published a work that broke the Ten Commandments, so the rule was only a guide. But why were we talking about it? 

"You see. I thought we would find something if we followed the same rules in solving the mystery." 

"…Wait, it's one thing if we're solving a mystery novel, but it's another to say whether the incidents we're usually involved in actually follow such rules." 

For example, Knox's Ten Commandments included 'All supernatural or preternatural agencies are ruled out as a matter of course'. But since we're currently fighting against ?Androids?, the rules unfortunately wouldn't pertain to us. 

"But it doesn't mean that ?SPES? is involved here, right?" 

"That's…true. It's better to think of what is applicable here." 

Speaking of the Ten Commandments, the clause that might help solve a locked room mystery like this one was... 

""Not more than one secret room or passage is allowable."" 

We spoke out in unison, and unwittingly looked at each other. 

"So what if we take this rule and reverse it?" 

"Yeah, there's one hiding place in the plane." 

Surely that secret room was somewhere Natsunagi and I couldn't easily enter. 

Of course, this assumption was based on the premise that the mystery could be solved like it was a novel. If that was the crux to solving this mystery though— 

"Kimizuka, I've figured it out." 

You hear me?  Natsunagi pointed her index finger at me as she said so. 

"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." 

She imitated the famous detective Holmes, and declared so with a proud look. 

"By the way, Natsunagi, did you enjoy the detective novel with all the sticky notes in the bag under your feet?" 

"...I hate you, Kimizuka." 

That future was predetermined a long time ago. 

"Here's some herbal tea. It's very hot, so be careful." 

With a skilled gesture, Olivia offered cups of tea to Natsunagi and me, who were seated on soft sofa-like seats. 

"So this is first class…" 

The comfortable seats showed the stark difference from the economy class I was used to. 

"These seats are empty to begin with. Please, help yourselves." 

Olivia smiled and stood in the aisle between Natsunagi and me. Certainly, there didn't seem to be any other passenger in these first class seats. 

"But, are you sure we can use these seats?" 

Natsunagi made an apologetic face as she poured an expensive looking drink into a chilled glass on the side table and gulped it down. Her words and actions surprisingly didn't match each other. At least drink the herbal tea that's offered, you. 

"Yes, you have my permission. Besides, it's probably not something to be discussed in front of the other passengers." 

Olivia said with a wry smile. 

"So, is it true that you have located Ms. Whitlock?” 

She asked Natsunagi and me, squinting her eyes. 

Once we figured out the truth, Natsunagi and I called Olivia over…and in turn, she assigned these seats to us, as a convenient place to talk. 

"Of course, that's what we're here to tell you…can I leave the rest to you, Natsunagi?" 

"Hmm, leave it to me." 

Natsunagi poured another full glass, and finished it. 

"You're the one who hid Mia Whitlock—Miss Olivia, no?" 

Natsunagi turned to the flight attendant standing in front of her, and asked so. 

"I see." 

On the other hand, Olivia gave a small nod. 

"I nearly argued out of instinct, but please let me hear your hypothesis first, detective. I think that's standard practice after all." 

She calmly urged Natsunagi to go on. 

"What makes you think that I had Ms Whitlock locked up?" 

"Because it was the only possibility left to me." 

In response to Olivia's question, Natsunagi told exactly what she once told me. 

"Kimizuka and I couldn't find her anywhere on the plane. In that case, wouldn't it be natural to assume she was hiding somewhere where ordinary people like us can't enter?" 

"…I see, so you assume it was done by a professional." 

Olivia chimed while listening to Natsunagi's reasoning. 

"Yes. That's why Mia Whitlock is probably hidden away somewhere out of reach of me and Kimizuka. For example, in the cockpit, or…or in the meal cart of the plane." 

Natsunagi said, turning her attention to the silver wagon near Olivia. 

These wagons were usually used to serve drinks and in-flight meals, but it was possible for a slim woman to fit inside one of them. That might not be the correct location, but it was possible to escape the locked room in this plane with the assistance of Olivia the flight attendant, as per a mystery novel. 

"Mia Whitlock is now under your supervision, Olivia…am I right?" 

And so Natsunagi pinpointed the truth of the matter, and the culprit. 

Yes, this was also in accordance with one of Knox's Ten Commandments, "The murderer must be present from the beginning of the story. The case started with Olivia's request, "Is there a detective present amongst the customers?" 

"…I see, that's an interesting theory." 

Olivia slowly closed her eyes and nodded quietly. 

"But what is my motive in doing so? Why would I imprison Ms. Whitlock, an important customer?" 

Yes, indeed. Olivia's right, one couldn't prove a hypothesis without providing a motive by the culprit. So, 

"As to why you locked up your valued customer…Mia Whitlock?, I'll explain in a few words." 

So I, like an assistant, attempted to supplement Natsunagi's reasoning, 

"No, let me explain this bit too." 

"Natsunagi, let me step up once in a while." 

With Natsunagi's approval (supposedly), I told Olivia my deduction. 

Because Mia Whitlock is the ?Priestess?, a ?Tuner? who protects the world. 

So I said, and Olivia narrowed her eyes. 

"What do you mean by Priestess?" 

"No need to play dumb now. I know you're involved in this side too." 

I recalled the first conversation I had with Olivia. She had teased me about having a different detective than last time…and said that she had relied on us because Natsunagi's name was on the passenger list. 

But thinking about it, it's strange that Olivia knew about Natsunagi, let alone me. Moreover, she was talking on the assumption that Natsunagi was a detective . In other words, Olivia knew about us. 

"So what makes you so sure that the missing passenger, Mia Whitlock, is the ?Priestess? you speak of?" 

"The fact that you've put us through all this trouble is already an answer in itself." 

Olivia knew what was going on, and played dumb as she pushed this troublesome case onto us. Clearly she had an objective, and as for what it was—it's definitely to prevent us from meeting Priestess, the purpose of our journey. 

This reminded me of Fuubi-san's comment before we left Japan, "It's said nobody could actually meet the Priestess.". It's not illogical to assume the ?missing passenger? and the ?Priestess? were related. 

"You had a mission, and you couldn't let us see Mia Whitlock. That's why you hid her somewhere on this plane." 

It must have been a coincidence due to my nature of getting into trouble—Natsunagi and I missed our flight, and we ended up on the same flight as the ?Priestess?. The ?Priestess? however couldn't meet anyone else on the plane, and hid herself somewhere in this plane since we probably knew her appearance—with the help of Olivia, the flight attendant. 

"I see. Certainly it does sound reasonable." 

But,  Olivia wanted us to continue with our reasoning. 

"You do realize that your hypothesis contains a major contradiction, don't you?" 

…Ah, bustered. That contradiction probably could overturn the premise of our reasoning. 

"You're referring to the contradiction…where you don't want us to meet with the Priestess , and yet you ask us to solve this case?" 

"Yes, that is correct. If I'm the one who caused this incident as suspected…it would be unreasonable for me to ask you to solve it." 

Of course, Olivia could have explained the details of this trouble to us as a flight attendant. However, if she was the culprit who caused this situation in the first place, it's obviously a contradiction. It's a strange situation…where the culprit herself asked the detective to solve the case. 

—But, the detective had already come up with a hypothesis that explained the contradiction. So, I entrusted her the role of explaining so, 

"You have a mission not to allow us to meet the Priestess." 

"But," Natsunagi deduced, as if sensing Olivia's true intentions. 

"Somewhere deep down, you wanted us to meet the Priestess…or maybe you're testing us with this mystery, hoping that we're worthy of meeting the Priestess." 

That's what we thought, and why the culprit deliberately asked the detective to solve the case. It's the same reason why Bat hijacked the plane four years ago—the culprit, more than anyone else, was hoping that the case would be solved. 

"…Well done." 

Olivia showed a faint smile, and finally acknowledged our hypothesis. 

"Yes, it was my initiative to have Mia Whitlock disappear. And as you said, you knew the reason why I, the one who caused this situation, asked you to solve it. 

"…In that case, who are you?" 

Natsunagi then asked Olivia the one question that remained unanswered, even after all the deductions she had made so far. 

"I understand that you don't want us to meet with the Priestess. But in what capacity are you helping her?" 

It was clear that Olivia was the culprit, but why would she, a flight attendant, do that? To this question, Olivia replied. 

"I come from a family that has been in the service of the ?Priestess? for generations—in other words, I am the messenger of the Priestess." 

She stated her identity without any pretense. 

"Also, the Priestess doesn't wish to meet any of the other ?Tuners?. I would thus screen anyone who wished to have an audience with the Priestess beforehand." 

…I guess. Olivia asked us to solve a mystery that was basically started by her. She probably wanted to see if Natsunagi and I were worthy of an audience with her master. 

Olivia herself established this mystery and tasked Natsunagi and I, the readers in this case, to solve it. That's why Knox's Ten Commandments were suitable this time. Given how calm and sane she was…it seems her panic four years ago when she saw the android Bat was just an act. 

"This was a test to meet the Priestess, wasn't it?" 

"Yes. Or perhaps it was just my wish." 

Olivia then noted quietly, borrowing a phrase from Natsunagi. 

I guessed she wanted us to be worthy of meeting the Priestess, her master, who was said to never meet anyone. She hoped for someone to meet the Priestess. 

"Do you have a future you want to change?" 

Natsunagi asked Olivia with an impressionable voice. 

It was as though she would betray her master, who was said to be capable of seeing the future. 

Just as a certain white-haired maid who would betray her master for the master's sake. 

"Well, we've been chatting for a bit too long, haven't we? I think it's time to get back to business." 

Olivia slowly opened her eyes and turned to leave without answering Natsunagi's question. 

"Please, detective and assistant, stay in your seats. Our destination is still a long way off." 

"…Wait a minute. That's a nice offer, but aren't we going to see the Priestess?" 

I thought since we passed the test, we got to meet the Priestess… 

"Hmm, yes. I personally would like that." 

Then Olivia said at the end, before walking away, 

"Only God knows whether you will meet the Priestess though." 

She put her face close to mine, and gave me the alluring smile of a mature woman. 

The Announcement signalling the end of the Romcom. 

More than ten hours later… 

After a safe landing, we arrived at the hotel where we would stay for the night. We checked in, and carried our luggage into the room. 

"So? Why a hotel?" 

Instead of celebrating our safe arrival, Natsunagi gives me a frustrated look. 

"Aren't we going to Siesta and Kimizuka's love nest?" 

I said it's not a love nest…anyway, Natsunagi was right. We had originally planned to go to that house after arriving in London. It would have saved us money on accommodation. 

"You say that, but I don't have the key." 

I rummaged the empty pocket and showed it to her. 

"Eh, doesn't it usually mean that it's stolen?" 

"It's unusual that it's stolen." 

This is the curse I was born with, the nature of getting into trouble. 

Initially, I was on my way to Siesta's house from the airport, but on the way there, I suddenly realized that my wallet was missing. The master key, one of the "seven tools", was also in the wallet, and we decided to base ourselves at this hotel for the time being, since we were taken by surprise. 

"The perpetrator must be quite a skilled pickpocket, by the way. A lot of pickpockets targeted me, so I've never been robbed by an ordinary person." 

"I don't want to have this habit…so, what are you going to do now?" 

"Oh, I've reported it to the police, but I don't think they'll find it any time soon." 

"Then what do we do? Drill the door down?” 

"Don't just destroy our love nest so easily!" 

"Even you're saying this ?" 

That was a joke. Don't take it seriously. 

"We have another goal besides finding Siesta's legacy, which is to meet the Priestess. So why don't we focus on that for now?" 

Of course, if we couldn't find the master key, we could only barge in and break the drawer , as Natsunagi said. The only thing I was worried about was whether Siesta installed a mechanism that would detonate a bomb if we didn't unlock it properly… 

"The Priestess, huh? Looks like we're really underestimated ." 

Eeeh, Natsunagi said with annoyance, and dove onto the bed. 

"Where do you want to be licked ?" 

"It's not a fetish revelation party!" 

It's not? 

Natsunagi was sprawled on the bed, flailing her legs about flailing as she let loose her foul mood. Her underwear was peeking out of her skirt, but I feared that pointing it out would cause too much trouble, so I just kept my mouth shut and watched on. 

"…The neck, I guess." 

"I don't know how to react to this serious reply, so please stop." 

I was a little taken aback by this sudden direct attack. 

"You're the one who asked this, Kimizuka." 

Natsunagi got up from the bed, sat in a girlish manner, and pouted her lips at me.. 

"That's not what I meant. What I wanted to say was that I don't like to be underestimated by the Priestess." 

I see. Natsunagi was unhappy that after she was tasked to solve a mystery, we didn't get to meet the Priestess. But, 

"Even the ?Tuner? Fuubi-san had never met her before. It would be unnatural for us to meet her this easily." 

In fact, just being indirectly involved with Priestess was a good start…it's not a coincidence actually, but rather that Olivia, her messenger, played a part. 

"We can only move one step at a time for now. Next time, we'll meet the Priestess through our abilities, and get her to observe a future where Siesta revives." 

Of course, I didn't know if that future existed, but I believed in that ridiculous wish, as just I swore under the dawning sun. 

"So please, famous detective, continue to help me get Siesta back." 

And so once again, I requested Natsunagi. 

"…Can't be helped." 

Then Natsunagi calmed down a bit, smiled thinly and said, 

"If you want me to act as a detective substitute, I'll accept it." 

It was basically a reenactment of the time I had promised her in the classroom after school that I would help her find the owner of her heart as an assistant rather than a detective. Natsunagi's greatest wish right now wasn't to be a ?famous detective?, but to get Siesta back. 

"So for now, let's think of a way to meet the Priestess." 

"Right. But first, I think I need to take a shower. So, please leave." 

Shoo,  Natsunagi gestured with her hand while trying to kick me out of the room. 

"You ask me to leave, but it's my room too." 

"Y-your room? Huh? Why!? You didn't get two rooms!?" 

"All the other hotels are full. There was only one room available here, just bear with me." 

"You should have gotten a twin bedroom!" 

"Don't worry, I'm not too worried about that." 

"I do! I care! About this!" 

Natsunagi's face flushed bright red from anger, and she jumped up and down on the small double bed while sitting in a girlish manner. 

"We lived together under the same roof the last time though." 

"That's different! It's just the two of us now!" 

"Don't worry, I won't do anything like that this time." 

"Wh-why is it that you're so insistent on avoiding such incidents with me!?" 

"Do you want such incidents to happen or not?" 

"I'm angry that you don't see me as a girl!" 

The heart of an eighteen year old maiden sure is complicated. Natsunagi collapsed under the blanket with a sigh. I'm going to sleep there later too, don't make a mess of the sheets. 

"…Eh, by any chance, do you hate me, Kimizuka?" 

"What's with that question that I'll lose my head if I answer it wrong even by a little bit?" 

So Natsunagi was someone with such a low self-esteem? 

I gave a dumbfounded smile, opened the door of the closet to put away my jacket, and saw a book in it. 

"… Ah, that's why I'm no good." 

At the same time, I heard Natsunagi's murmur. 

"I'm very emotional, and I'm different from Siesta…there's a difference in affection…" 

She started a tragic self-reflection class, it seemed. Good for her. 

But maybe it's a chance for her to salvage herself. 

Surely we would end up with a future we never expected. 

"Natsunagi, do you recognize this?" 

I took out the book from the closet, and held it out to Natsunagi. 

"Eh, this is…" 

Natsunagi widened her eyes at the item. 

She, who shared some of her memories as Hel , seemed to recognize it. 

Yes, we fought over this thing in London a year ago. 

"Yeah, no doubt about it—this is the ?Bible?."