Tantei wa Mou, Shindeiru - Volume 4 - Chapter 2

Chapter 2 

Mystery coexists with Fish and Chips 

After that, Natsunagi and I moved to a restaurant near the hotel and had lunch facing each other at a table. It was the famous detective 's suggestion that you can't solve a mystery on an empty stomach. 

"I never thought I'd see this again." 

I sighed as I side-eyed the book on the table. 

The back cover had come off, and most of the pages seemed to have fallen out in the middle, but…there's no doubt it was the ?Bible?. The proof was that after opening it, I found that it contained some of the events that Siesta and I had experienced over the past few years. 

"This can't be a coincidence…can it?" 

Natsunagi gave a conflicted look while picking up a potato. 

I first saw ?Bible? a year ago. The person who possessed it at the time was Hel, the other side of Nagisa Natsunagi. The ?Bible? contained a description of all events that would happen in the future, and as its original owner is SEED, and the executives of ?SPES?, including Hel, followed its instructions to invade the Earth. 

And now, after almost a year, reappeared before us. But as Natsunagi said, we couldn't just dismiss it as a coincidence. Why did this book come to us? Was it a trap set by SEED, or maybe? 

"— Priestess." 

I then mentioned the name of this existence. 

"Actually, I was thinking the same thing too." 

Natsunagi agreed with me. 

"The ?Bible? records future events. If there's anyone who's actually capable of writing this, my guess is that it's the Priestess ." 

Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking too. Of course, we couldn't completely deny the possibility that SEED has the ability to predict the future…but if anything, the Priestess was more likely to be capable. Fuubi-san and Olivia had testified so, and they were trustworthy. 

"In other words, the Priestess is the original owner of the ?Bible?, and SEED took it from her in some way in the past…this sounds plausible." 

And there was another reason to assume that the Priestess was the owner of this ?Bible?. 

I opened the current last page of the ?Bible? that was clearly missing pages. 

On it was written— 

"The monster ?Medusa? shall attack the city of London, huh?" 

Natsunagi squinted at the page, which was dated a week ago. 

If the prophecy was true, then it seems that the monster ?Medusa? was wandering the streets of London, huh? 

"I guess this is just another test from the Priestess’ camp . To determine whether or not we're really worthy of meeting her." 

"Guess it's natural to think so. Simply put, it's a message from the Priestess : 'If you want to meet me, mistress, you must defeat ?Medusa?, the monster terrorizing London'." 

"What was that creepy female voice? You're not imitating the Priestess , are you?" 

"Don't call it creepy. It's just me imagining how she's like, but well, that's how it feels, I guess." 

We never met, and she's got a messenger giving us all these complicated mysteries. She's definitely someone who just sits on her throne like a pompous, sassy, selfish girl. Maybe. 

"But are you sure you want to proceed with this first?" 

Natsunagi then questioned if my decision was justified. 

"We’re supposed to go get Siesta's legacy… and then we're going to find the Priestess . But now we're involved in another case. Aren't we getting further away from the answer here?" 

…Yeah, that's a good point too. 

The deadline for defeating SEED as set by Fuubi-san was in ten days. By then, I had to find Siesta's legacy  and meet the Priestess who was the key to Siesta's resurrection. Maybe I really didn't have the time to deal with an unidentified monster in a foreign country. But, 

"I can't go back to that house while turning a blind eye to what's happening." 

We had a case. I'm sure Siesta would be furious if I went home while ignoring it. She wouldn't ignore the fact that people were being attacked by the ?Medusa? monster somewhere at this moment. 

"…Is that so?" 

Natsunagi sighed, and muttered so, 

"Well, if you're fine with it, Kimizuka, so be it." 

She gave a reluctant smile. 

It seemed we had decided on our directive henceforth. 

"Besides, I have a few ideas about this case…" 

While Natsunagi tilted her head, I recalled an incident from a long time ago. 

"Actually, about two years ago, Siesta and I encountered ?Medusa? once." 

In legend, ?Medusa? —was a monster whose eyes were said to turn people to stone. 

But the one we encountered wasn't a real monster. The ?Medusa? in the Western-style house was a tragic man who, out of pity for his stepdaughter who was a vegetable after an accident, tried to use a special poison to inflict the same fate upon others. 

"Is that so…I guess you two already solved that, right?" 

"Yeah, unfortunately, I was a liability to Siesta." 

As Natsunagi had said, Siesta solved that case brilliantly back then. In that case, maybe this was a similar case…or maybe it's a case involving SPES and the power of the seed ? Either way, we had to investigate thoroughly. 

"Well, now that we've eaten our fill, let's do some fieldwork." 

As detectives and assistants, we were expected to earn our living walking like the detectives of the Showa era. Actually, I wondered how much the public knew about this case. Maybe we should start investigating exactly how much damage ?Medusa? had caused. So I thought as I was about to stand up…and then. 

"Kimizuka, is your body okay?" 

Natsunagi glanced at me and asked. I merely tilted my head at the sudden question, and then, 

"Actually, I've been waiting for the right moment to ask," she cautiously said. 

"Well, I'm scarily healthy." 

She's probably referring to the fight with Fuubi-san two days ago. I thought I broke a bone or two there, but…there's still some pain, but it wasn't really affecting my daily life. 

"Really?—No side effects?" 

…I see, so she's asking about that.  I finally understood her intent when I saw her anxious eyes. 

While fighting Fuubi-san, I consumed Chameleon's ?seed? to deceive her. The ?seeds? produced by SEED would grant those who ingested it special abilities, but if done so without proper treatment, it's said there would be various side effects. For example, Bat lost his sight…and I heard there's also a loss of lifespan. 

However, there weren't any signs for the time being, no such foreshadowing like…a loss of senses to the point where I can't even taste fish and chips. Of course, there might be such a risk someday, but at least for now, I'm in good health. 

"What, you're worried about me?" 

I teased Natsunagi. 

—But. 

"Yes, I'm worried about you." 

Natsunagi unexpectedly gave me a serious look. 

She stared at me in the eyes, and said. 

"It's not just me, … Yui-chan, and even Charl care about you, Kimizuka. Just as you're always worried about us, you know?" 

It's not all about receiving all the time. 

Human thoughts often moved in both directions. 

Natsunagi smiled at me—and to my chagrin, it's the same overwhelmingly cuteness that my ex-partner, the famous detective, used to have. 

"Is that the sound of falling in love?" 

"Too bad, I'm just ending off the story." 

The memories from a year ago, for two people. 

The next day, 

"Nice morning." 

We're on the second deck of the bus, looking at the streets, and I said so to Natsunagi who was sitting next to me. 

Natsunagi and I immediately began investigating ?Medusa? starting yesterday…we asked around, and got a clue, so we're on a bus headed to a certain place. Of course, we weren't exactly in the mood for sightseeing, but the exotic cityscape of a foreign country was really picturesque. I thought I would share such a scene with Natsunagi… 

"…" 

Natsunagi just stared blankly ahead, looking listless. 

"That dress looks good on you." 

I thought I might have done something wrong, so I gave her a compliment to cheer her up. 

I wasn't sure what clothes they were, but the black one-piece outfit was a little different from Natsunagi's usual image and seemed like it would be a good picture in a foreign country. 

"Kimizuka, if there's a once in a million chance that you ever get a girlfriend, you'll probably spend two seconds arguing and two seconds breaking up." 

"More than the latter part, I really want to argue the idea that there's a once in a million chance that I'll get a girlfriend." 

Apparently, I wasn't being ignored. Natsunagi finally directed her attention towards me. 

"You've been spacing out for a while now. What's wrong? Sleep deprived?" 

"Oh, it's true that your sleep-talking made it difficult for me to sleep." 

"…I don't remember at all." 

The downsides of sleeping on the same bed somehow showed their ugly heads here. 

I hoped I didn't unconsciously say something related to Siesta. 

"I don't know what it was, but you were groveling and apologizing to Yui-chan the whole time." 

"That's a hundred times worse than I expected." 

After all, I had an argument with Saikawa before I left Japan….I really wanted to make amends with her. 

"And also." 

Natsunagi then said with a wry smile. 

"I had a dream about her last night." 

The 'girl' Natsunagi spoke of was probably Hel, her alter ego. 

"Maybe it's because I saw the ?Bible? yesterday that I remembered the past." 

Yep, Natsunagi too would dream. 

She once told me that she had a conversation with Siesta, the girl in her heart, in a daydream. They definitely had a different world no one else could interfere with. 

"What did you and Hel talk about?" 

"…She seemed pissed off about something." 

Natsunagi clearly puffed her cheeks. 

Ah. In that case, what's the point of that conversation in front of the mirror? I thought they reconciled that time. 

"She told me not to shoulder everything." 

Natsunagi sighed in exasperation and repeated Hel's words. 

"She said she's going to bear responsibility for her own sins." 

…Well, she's as stubborn as always. Maybe that's the result after she experienced the overflowing emotions from Natsunagi. Hel decided that she would own up to her sins of killing innocents. That stubbornness of hers was probably a debt of gratitude to her master. 

"Well, I didn't accept that. We basically had an argument and a tussle." 

"Just like in Siesta's case, huh?" 

It seemed the three heads of the guard dog were still gnawing at each other's heads till this day. 

"Still, I never thought I'd be coming back to this country again." 

I looked at the scenery and recalled that I used to visit this city with Siesta. It's been almost a year since I was here, but having lived here for a few months, the images remained fresh in my mind. The signs and lights by the roadside seemed nostalgic to me. 

"It's been a long time since I was here too." 

Next to me, Natsunagi's expression suddenly relaxed, 

"Didn't we walk side by side here a year ago?" 

Natsunagi murmured as if remembering the distant past. 

Yeah, Siesta and I weren't the only ones here a year ago. Back, there was Alicia…or rather, Natsunagi who had transformed into Alicia through the power of the ?seed?, and who acted alongside us back then. 

"Just to be sure…but you were only Alicia in appearance back then, and actually Natsunagi, right?" 

"Yes. That was really me. Of course, I've only realized it recently." 

Natsunagi showed a faint bitter smile. 

It's true that a year ago, the first person pronoun of the girl I worked with wasn't Alicia's "watashi" or Hel's "Boku", but Natsunagi's "atashiI". She did look like Alicia with the peach-colored hair, but inside, she was really Nagisa Natsunagi herself. 

"But, I don't know. Maybe Alicia back when she was twelve or thirteen seemed to have made me a little livelier in words and actions. I'm not sure myself." 

Natsunagi recalled her past self from a year ago. 

"Well, she did look a little young. Your current mental age is similarly young too, Natsunagi." 

"Woah, and you used to fawn towards Siesta like a kid yourself." 

"I don't remember, and there's no record of it." 

"One day, I'll get Siesta to tell me everything." 

…Seemed like Natsunagi had another weird motivation to revive the detective. 

"Hey, look, isn't that the jewelry store we visited before?" 

Natsunagi pointed. While the bus moved by, there was a jewelry store with a glass panel. That was where she and I once visited when we were looking for the ?Sapphire Eye? about a year ago. 

"I remembered we didn't buy anything because we didn't have any money." 

"Yeah, we're still as poor as ever, aren't we?" 

It wouldn't be a bad idea to get Natsunagi to start a detective office and earn some money. 

"Well, the ring you bought for me from that stall was somewhat acceptable." 

Natsunagi looked up at me, somewhat happily. 

"… I forgot about that." 

"And then you put the ring on me, saying ‘Henceforth, till forever? Please continue to take care of me’~"' 

"You made me say that, now forget it!" 

"Don't~wanna." 

While we were chatting and talking about such meaningless stuff, the bus soon arrived at the nearest stop to our destination. After a few more minutes of walking, we arrived at— 

This is it, isn't it? 

Natsunagi murmured, looking up at the white hospital. 

That's one of the results of our investigation into the incident yesterday—a victim of the ?Medusa? attack was hospitalized here. 

"Come on, let's go." 

We entered the hospital, boarded the elevator, and went to the wardroom we had investigated beforehand. 

"But this incident doesn't seem to be as widespread as expected." 

Natsunagi said, seemingly recalling yesterday's investigation. 

In fact, we asked a few people on the streets, and not a single person out of twenty answered that they knew about Medusa , or anything similar. 

"Yeah. We wouldn't be here if we hadn't heard from the press." 

We wouldn't have progressed so smoothly if Natsunagi hadn't said yesterday that things were going nowhere. 

"I'm sure the paparazzi have already got the information. All we have to do is to eavesdrop!" 

"Don't say it so openly. Eavesdropping isn't something to be proud of, you know." 

"Well well, it worked out pretty well for us, thanks to your ability, Kimizuka." 

"…Yeah. Actually, it's perfect for covert operations." 

The power of invisibility from Chameleon's seed meant that I could turn invisible. It's easier to eavesdrop on people than to twist a baby's hand. 

"Now let's hope you don't get too ahead of yourself and enter the women's bath, Kimizuka." 

"Don't come up with such a realistic imagination. Stop it. Don't look like you're seriously praying." 

While we chatted away, the elevator arrived at the target floor. We went to the hospital room, resolved ourselves, and stepped in. 

And right before us, 

"So this is ?Medusa? 's victim?" 

Inside the ward room was a man who appeared to be in his forties. 

We quietly approached him. 

He's lying on the bed, breathing spontaneously and blinking occasionally, unable to speak or move a finger. He could really be described as petrified. 

"Vegetative state, huh." 

According to what I heard, the man was hospitalized a week ago. This coincided with the appearance of the ?Medusa? described in the ?Bible?... could it be that this unknown monster had used some kind of power to petrify him? Who, where, and for what purpose—right when I was thinking about this. 

"Hey, Kimizuka." 

Natsunagi said, staring at the face of the man lying on the bed. 

"Haven't we met this guy before?" 

After all, it seemed there were no mere extras in this world. 

This is where the story diverges 

We continued to investigate the case. 

We asked the doctor in charge of the hospitalized man for more details and visited other patients who were hospitalized with similar symptoms. Normally, it would have been difficult to obtain such information due to confidentiality, but Natsunagi's red eyes easily succeeded in getting the doctor to talk. 

Based on the information and circumstantial evidence we gathered, Natsunagi and I, after much discussion,  came up with a hypothesis regarding the identity of ?Medusa? and her motive for the crimes. It's definitely coincidental that both Natsunagi and I were the only ones who could have derived this answer. And so, at Natsunagi's request, we visited a certain place again. 

"We're finally here." 

The place Natsunagi spoke of was a churchyard on the outskirts of England. 

In the vast meadow at dusk, gravestones were lined up evenly. 

Natsunagi knelt down in front of a certain grave. 

"Sorry I'm late—Miss Daisy." 

Daisy Bennett . 

That was the name of the last of the five victims involved in the ?Jack the Devil? incident a year ago in London. Natsunagi paid her respects to the other four victims, and then placed flowers in front of the last one. 

"Natsunagi." 

I gently placed my hand on her shoulder. 

"…Yeah, I know." 

A series of murders occurred in London a year ago. The murderer was Hel, Natsunagi's alter ego, whose heart was damaged in her first battle against Siesta. She took the lives of five people and used their hearts as batteries in order to survive. 

However, this was not done in Natsunagi's consciousness, but at Hel’s own discretion. From a certain point of view, Natsunagi too was a victim who had her consciousness and personality stolen. 

"I've already accepted that past. I'll do whatever I can to redeem myself." 

Natsunagi's sidelong face didn't seem like one filled with sadness. 

At the same time, she came here because there was another thought hidden in her heart. 

"I'm fine here, Kimizuka. How about you go ahead with your work?" 

Natsunagi smiled at me and urged me to leave. 

"Are you sure? You're not going to miss me? You sure you won't cry at night?" 

"You think I'm a kid? I'm not you who tried looking around the entire house when you couldn't find Siesta, Kimizuka." 

Don't say it as if you saw it before. There wasn't such a past…probably. 

"Besides, you found the key, didn't you?" 

"…Yeah. I happened to find it at this time." 

Yeah, actually, when we're on the way to the churchyard, I received a phone call stating that my stolen wallet and master key were found. It seemed that due to a certain person's will, Natsunagi and I had to work separately. Well, good going, trying to split up the detective and the assistant. 

"You're a worrier, Kimizuka." 

I didn't mean to say that, but I guess it showed in my expression. Natsunagi was cupping her knees alone, and showed me a wry smile. 

"Don't worry. I'm not alone after all." 

"…You're right." 

That's right. Even without me around, Natsunagi wasn't alone. 

There's indeed another person here who had decided to fight alongside Natsunagi. 

"Well, call me if anything happens. I'll be on my way here in a giant robot." 

"Hm, mind if you scale down the worldview here? Reflect on your past or something?" 

So she said, but we're living in a world where we had to deal with aliens, vampires, and other unknown monsters. A leap of logic should be fine once in a while. 

"See you later." 

"Yeah, later." 

After a short goodbye, I turned to leave. 

I believe the girls would be able to overcome what's to come. 

A change in protagonists 

It was about fifteen minutes after Kimizuka had left. 

"Oh, do you know my daughter?" 

A woman who appeared to be in her sixties walked from the other side, carrying flowers. 

I stood up and greeted her. 

"It's been a while, Mrs. Rose Bennett." 

Rose Bennett—the mother of Daisy Bennett, the fifth victim of ?Jack the Devil?. A year ago, Kimizuka and I had visited her house with Siesta while pursuing the culprit. 

"I'm sorry to have disturbed you at such a difficult time." 

And I bowed even more deeply than before. 

Back then, she collapsed in front of us due to the heartache of losing her daughter. 

"…Erm, dear, did I ever meet you before?" 

The lady gave me a perturbed smile. 

But it's no wonder when I thought about it. At the time I visited her at her home, I was transformed into Alicia by the power of Cerberus' seed. It's no wonder she couldn't connect with my current appearance. 

"…Speaking of which, it's been at least a year since that incident." 

I tried to change the topic by looking at Mrs. Rose while she placed the flowers in front of the tombstone. 

"Time flies, doesn't it? Those painful days are becoming a thing of the past." 

Mrs. Rose answered with a forlorn smile. 

"The wounds from back then haven't healed, yet I was busy dealing with the media every day about the incident." 

"Yes, I heard that. And then there's the senator." 

The moment I said that Mrs. Rose's facial muscles tensed up. 

I was referring to the representative, a certain man who was elected after Daisy Bennett. He made a tearful speech saying that he would carry on Daisy Bennett's legacy, and was successfully elected. But he merely rose to power through such a stunt, and behind the scenes, he had made a fortune through illegal donations. He even mocked Daisy Bennet discreetly, saying that she had been a good stepping stone for him. 

"…So, young lady, you really know a lot. Where did you find that out from?" 

You're like a detective,  Mrs. Rose joked as she stood up. 

"But it's all right. I think they've learned their lesson, they're quieter these days." 

"Is that so?" 

"Oh, yes. Actually, it's my daughter's birthday. It's nice to know that there's someone besides me who remembers her." 

Mrs. Rose, unconcerned by my callous sympathy, gave a calm smile. 

"Yes, I know." 

Yes, I investigated beforehand that it was Daisy Bennett's birthday before I arrived. There wasn't a tradition to visit the graves in England at a certain time of the year, nothing like Obon in Japan. 

I knew that Rose Bennett would most likely visit her daughter's grave on this day. It wasn't a coincidence that I met her here. I came here to meet her. 

"Rose Bennett, you're ?Medusa?, aren't you?" 

I suddenly threw that hypothesis to her. 

"…Hmm, what are you talking about?" 

And with a faint smile on her face, Rose Bennett denied my words. 

"I know that there are rumors of such an incident in this area. But why do you determine that I am this so-called ?Medusa? ?" 

The corners of her mouth were raised while she asked the obvious. 

Why did I claim that Rose Bennett was the monster ?Medusa? ? And if that's true, what exactly was Rose Bennett's motive for becoming the ?Medusa? that petrified people? 

"It's as I just said." 

Yes. The media and the congressman that Mrs. Rose spoke of, the ones who tormented her,  were the victims of ?Medusa? that Kimizuka and I met at the hospital on this day. I remembered the male reporter in particular well, having met him a year ago at Mrs. Rose's house. 

Aside from those two men, there were several others who seemed to be victims of ?Medusa? … I found out through my investigation that they were all related to Daisy Bennett in some way. If there was anyone who held a grudge against them— 

"Mrs. Rose. You became ?Medusa? to avenge your daughter's death…No, to enact vengeance on those who tried to stain her honor." 

On a certain day, her precious only daughter suddenly died. She became a corpse who could no longer speak. 

She decided to punish those who tried to sully the image of her daughter even after her death and got them to suffer the same pain as her daughter who was petrified cold. That was when the monster Medusa was born. 

"That's it?" 

Before I knew it, the smile vanished from Rose Bennett, replaced by a heinous look. 

"It's just your speculation, a listing of common motives, with no concrete evidence." 

"…Yes, there's no evidence here." 

But, I continued. 

"I'm sure I'll find the poison if I search your house." 

Before we came to this churchyard, we had heard from the doctors at the hospital about the detailed medical condition of ?Medusa? 's victims. Using my red-eye’s ability, we were able to find out that a certain poisonous substance had been detected in all the victims. 

And according to Kimizuka, it was the exact same ingredient of the poisonous gas used by the owner of the mansion in the forest about two years ago. 

It's obvious then that ?Medusa? was also using a special kind of poison to render the target unconscious. If that's the case, then there should be a proof someday, even if we couldn't find it. 

Besides… 

"Mrs. Rose. I want to hear the truth from you." 

Kimizuka actually suggested that I bring some solid evidence with me before we came here. I shook my head and chose to persuade Rose Bennett instead. 

"…Because, I can't forgive them." 

Rose Bennett then smiled reluctantly. I was certain that smile wasn't directed at me, but at herself, in a self-deprecating manner. She knew her actions were wrong, even without me asking so, and yet— 

"Yes, it's me. I must be the monster you call ?Medusa?." 

As a mother, she wouldn't tolerate those who sullied her daughter's honor. She poisoned them and rendered them unconscious. 

"How did you get the poison?" 

I ask her how she got it. It's not something easily obtained in daily life. 

"…I forgot when it was. I found it in the mailbox one day." 

Rose Bennett muttered with vacant eyes. 

So someone cajoled her to do so after all… 

"Please tell me." 

The madam then asked me back. 

"One day, my daughter suddenly disappeared, reduced to ashes, unable to speak. No matter how much I want to talk to her, she wouldn't. In that case, what about those who defiled her and said as they please? What's wrong with shutting them up?" 

She said as she grabbed me by the shoulders…but before long, she collapsed helplessly. 

Rose Bennett never would forgive anyone for desecrating her daughter's death. The daughter wasn't able to talk about it, yet ignorant strangers started their hot takes for their personal gain. Rose Bennett became a monster in order to reject that reality. 

—What should I say to her? 

Would I be able to save her if I expressed the torrent of emotions into words, which Kimizuka described as passion? Would my words be able to get her to stand up like a crutch, just as I was able to convince Yui-chan when she held a pistol? 

—The answer, no. 

I couldn't save Rose Bennett in the past. The passion I shouted at her a year ago, in her home, was inches from reaching her…but it's no wonder. My appearance was fake back then, and I didn't even know of the sins I committed back then. It's too arrogant of me to think that I could save her. 

—What should I do then? 

Whose words could I use to save her? Who could wipe away the tears of a mother, crying in front of the tombstone of her only daughter? …There was only one answer. 

"Please, lend me your power." 

I untied the red ribbon that bound my hair and asked my other partner for help. 

A message from Niflheim 

"That's why I said I'd do it from the beginning." 

I held the red ribbon and complained to the consciousness of my master who is sleeping somewhere inside this body. Seriously, was there a point to that quarrel? I couldn't even sigh at how delicate my master was…no, her stubbornness. 

"Who are, you?" 

At that moment, the woman crouched in front of the tombstone looked up at me. 

My appearance hadn't changed, and only the inside was…did she recognize me by the terrible way I looked at her? 

Speaking of which, she's asking who I am? 

I see, that seemed to be a very philosophical question. 

"Who knows, I'm just me?" 

As per Master's request, I said as I looked at the woman sitting down there. 

"What you've obtained was just a shoddy product. The poison will only have a temporary effect, and they will wake up from their delirium soon." 

The main ingredient of the toxin was created by a certain ?SPES? member who was implanted with Father's ?seed?. 

That half-Android's code name was Jellyfish. 

Its scientific name was— ?Medusa?. 

The jellyfish's venom would lose its potency after a certain amount of time, but he has been selling it to the lower ranks of ?SPES? for some extra cash. 

It seemed this lady was taken advantage of by the loss of her daughter. The poison might seem an attractive medicine to her. It's great that nobody asked her for payment yet…no, I wasn't in a position to worry about that. 

"! Any closer and I'll shoot you!" 

Rose Bennett then pulled out a gun from the bag at her feet. 

"I see. You had that too?" 

Apparently, my appearance had made the situation worse. 

Interacting with people wasn't as easy as I imagined. I couldn't help but show a wry smile, thinking about how I would be reproached by Master. 

"…!" 

Rose Bennett held up her gun with trembling hands, for she seemed to be triggered. 

In truth, I would have liked to be hit by that bullet. She had every right to shoot me, and it was a chance for revenge. 

—But. 

That bullet won't hit me. 

The next moment, the bullet she fired missed me, her target, and left nothing but dry gunfire and smoke in the void. 

"I'm sorry, but I can't let Master die." 

"Don't come near…." 

The fear-stricken Rose Bennett collapsed backward and shuffled back. 

Did she think I was going to kill her? 

…Oh, right. Us ?SPES? had been obeying Father and our survival instincts to challenge the humans on this planet using the power of the ?seed?. It's only natural that they instinctively feared us. 

"But this isn't the reason why I'm standing here." 

Master did not call me out here to do this. 

The reason why I was summoned here, 

Was because there was something I could do, and she could not. 

Yes, Master had not fully mastered the seed that remained dormant in this body. The red eyes were just a trigger, and the true power of the Seed was in my throat, my voice. 

"The true nature of my ability is the ?word spirit? —whatever I say is imbued with spiritual power." 

The ?seed? created by Father would give any human vessel unique power. Us ?SPES? members were instructed by Father to continue attacking humanity. 

But, what if, 

If this ability could be used in a way aside from hurting people. 

If my ability of the ?word spirit? could be used to save others instead. 

"No, don't come here…Daisy…!" 

Rose Bennett looked up at me as I loomed towards her, and surely she subconsciously called out the name of her only daughter. I knelt down though, and made eye contact with her. 

Oh, I see. 

I guess that's what people call fear. 

I wonder if her daughter was terrified of me like this a year ago. 

Back when I was in a trance-like state, on the streets of London, I suddenly realized that there was a corpse before me. In order to save this body…Master's life, I dug her heart out. Again, and again. The five of them probably feared me before they died. 

"I am sorry for scaring you." 

I said to Rose Bennett, trembling before my eyes. 

And for the first time in over a year, I apologized to the five of them. 

"…?" 

Rose Bennett did not seem to understand my intentions. Her eyes were still shaking with anxiety…I guess it did not go well after all. 

I was not an intelligent ally of justice who always found the best solution through intellect and experience, nor was I some famous detective who tried to fulfill her high ideals through passion. 

Yes, I was merely a fake. 

I was merely a collection of formless consciousnesses formed that day, in a girl named Nagisa Natsunagi. 

I was a fleeting existence that could have been gone with the wind if a desire to need me…a wedge, was gone. 

"But now there is a wedge." 

I grabbed the red ribbon in my hand. 

I stood here, for I was needed by Master. 

Right, I could not imitate that white-haired famous detective. As I said, I was me. 

I would do whatever only I could do. 

It was surely a privilege granted to me, a duty I had to fulfill. 

"Rose Bennett. This is not a gift from me, but from her." 

My ability is ?word spirit?...There is power in whatever I speak, and I can even converse with those with whom I had direct blood contact. I still remembered the last words of Daisy Bennett, with whom I exchanged blood when I swapped her heart a year ago. 

"That's what she would have said." 

In front of the tombstone in the meadow at sunset. 

I bent my knees and told the mother Daisy Bennett's last words. 

"I love you, Mom." 

My name is Hel. 

Codename—Hel. 

The name of the queen of the underworld who ruled the realm between the living and the dead. 

The name of those feelings 

My vision suddenly recovered. The orange sunset appeared in my eyes. I could hear the sound of insects in the distance, and I felt my own consciousness taking control of my body again. 

"…Hel." 

The partner I summoned seemed to have accomplished her mission and returned inside this body. 

"Oops." 

Just then, Rose Bennett fell unsteadily onto my shoulder. 

Her eyes remained closed— 

"—Daisy." 

She mumbled the name of her only daughter who had died. 

And then, as if she had lost consciousness, she fell asleep in my chest. 

"I'm sorry." 

I'm sorry I couldn't save you back then. 

I apologized, remembering how I hugged her a year ago. 

I let Mrs. Rose lean against the tombstone for a moment, and called a cab with my cell phone. I was certain that after some rest on the way home, she should be able to wake up soon. 

Speaking of waking up, Hel mentioned that those who were rendered unconscious by the poison administered by her would recover naturally over time. In other words, case closed. 

"I can't say I've atoned for my sins." 

I murmured as I clapped my hand together before the tombstone, not insulting myself, but with resolve. 

There was no way this would absolve me of the sins of a year ago. That would never ever happen. I would do whatever I could do though to save others, without being trapped in the position of ?detective?. 

And at this point, my most important mission was to defeat SEED—and revive Siesta. The latter in particular was a miracle that surpasses even the thoughts of the flawless detective. To fulfill this though— 

"I'm counting on you, Kimizuka." 

I couldn't do it on my own. That's why I looked up at the sky, thinking of my reliable partner who was looking for that clue. 

Kimihiko Kimizuka—my partner, the boy who acted as my assistant. 

We met in a classroom after school a few months ago, but for some reason, I didn't feel like we were talking for the first time. I later found out that the heart in my left chest had traveled with him for three years. 

So I told myself that the reason why my heart would beat so fast when I saw him wasn't because of my own emotions—the truth was that I did meet Kimizuka a year ago, here in London. Back then, while I was in the dark, his words saved me. In that case, the real reason why my heart beat faster whenever I was next to him… 

"Just joking." 

I stopped reaching for the answer that was within inches. 

It would be criminal if I actually did that. 

So, everything— 

"Will continue after we get Siesta back." 

I told myself, and started moving towards the place where Kimizuka was supposed to be. 

—And it was just then that I heard a faint explosion in the sky far away.