Tantei wa Mou, Shindeiru - Volume 4 - Chapter 3

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Chapter 3

The World's Guardian

I left Natsunagi and went alone to a certain place to retrieve my stolen wallet and keys. The address mentioned on the phone stated it to be here…but...

"I don't have any good memories of this place."

The building before me wasn't a police station—it was the Palace of Westminster, the heart of England. A year or so ago, I was abducted by Hel and held captive here. The clock tower was where Siesta and Hel fought a fierce battle .

"Looks like I have to go."

I recalled these moments and entered.

Immediately, an English gentleman in a suit appeared and led me to an area forbidden to ordinary people . He brought me to a special elevator before he bowed and left. Apparently, the person who called me here was at the top of the Elizabeth Tower, within the spire.

"Well, that's quite the roundabout way of doing this — Mia Whitlock."

I thought to myself as I rode the elevator to the top.

Yes, I knew who was waiting for me without having to guess. It was probably Olivia, the flight attendant who stole my wallet … or rather, the key inside. Her sole objective was to determine whether or not we were worthy of meeting Mia Whitlock.

Olivia stole the key from the plane, guided our subsequent actions, and made us find the ? Bible?. She would then make the final decision on whether we were to solve the Medusa case. When Natsunagi and I realized Medusa's true identity and were about to solve it, she decided to contact me. Thus, the one waiting for me would most likely be Mia Whitlock, the ?Priestess?.

"I can't even throw a temper at how I got manipulated to this extent."

But this should be it. I wasn't going to leave until my request was fulfilled.

I swore and waited for the elevator to open. After the doors were opened, a spiral staircase appeared. I climbed the stairs under the dim light.

—And then.

"Is this the place?"

There was a door before me.

I resolved myself and turned the doorknob.

"…!"

A breeze blew, and I instinctively covered my face.

A gust of wind howled thereafter. It didn't take me long to realize that the wind was coming from a hundred meters above the ground.

The orange light shone upon my shielded face and closed eyes.

"…It's not a closed space?"

I got used to the ferocious wind and the glaring sun and finally opened my eyes. I was standing in a room that resembled a hotel room. The other side resembled a balcony, and a girl stood there, overlooking the city of London.

She was dressed in a white robe and scarlet hakama, a miko's garb.

The ?Tuner?, the guardian of the world, stood atop the clock tower, illuminated by the setting sun.

"Who is it?"

The girl then turned around at that moment, as if she had noticed my presence.

Her bluish hair swayed, and her beautiful eyes, large as a doll's, widened further.

"We meet at last, Mia Whitlock."

I said as I approached the guardian of this world.

"Tell me how to change the future."

For the sake of reviving Siesta, the ending everyone hoped for.

The End of the World, Volva's Prophecy

" That does not exist ."

Mia Whitlock had changed from her p riestess garb into plain clothes and spoke bluntly while sorting a large bookshelf at a side of the room.

I finally met the seer who was said to be capable of seeing the future and waited for her to finish the work she had to do in the clock tower every day in this room. I thought I would be able to fulfill my objective just like this…

"The future will never change. No matter how you struggle, you cannot change the final ending of the story."

The girl stated coldly, her back turned on me as she stood on the tips of her toes, wanting to put a book high up a bookshelf.

"Are you the only one here? I thought there would be other servants around."

I went behind her, took the book from her hands, and put it back into the bookshelf for her as I asked so. The one who guided me here was that flight attendant Olivia, and my main priority was to get my wallet and the key back.

"…I did not ask of this."

Mia's cute doll-like face looked displeased, and she, 20cm shorter than me, lifted her head at me.

"I do not know why Olivia lured you to meet me."

I see. It's true that when we were on the plane, OIivia appeared to desire for Natsunagi and me to meet Mia.

"In other words, I have no personal reasons to meet you, and I have no interest. If possible, I do not wish to meet you, nor breathe the same air as you. Will you please return home now?"

Mia deftly slipped aside and sorted her bookshelves once again.

…It seemed she really disliked me. No, actually, Mia's definitely abstaining from interacting with anyone else. Probably, definitely.

"Sorry, but I'm not leaving until I fulfill my objective."

I took a book from a pile on the table and asked.

"Mia Whitlock. Is this the ?Bible? ?"

Yes. I was referring both to this book in my hand, and all the books aligned on that wall.

"Is there a reason for me to answer?"

"My partner's solving a case now, as instructed by Olivia."

Yes. That ?Bible? from Mia Whitlock's camp was handed to us, and Nagisa Natsunagi was solving this case, so that should be a plus to us. On a side note, I too helped her sort out her books.

"…I do not think selling me a favor is particularly effective."

Mia seemed bewildered by it, and sighed so.

"Yes, that is correct. 100,279 books?all the ?Bibles? here were written by the generations of ?Priestesses?, including me."

She said and quietly pointed at the bookshelf inside.

"My ability to predict the future allows me to foresee the crises of the world, albeit in fragments. It was because of this that I became the ?Priestess?, and was tasked with recording the coming apocalypse of the world, Ragnarok , in the ?Bible?."

As Fuubi-san had said, the ?Priestess? has the ability to foresee the future… It's clear that she might have the power needed for me to fulfill my objective.

"Well, even if you do know the future, you cannot change it. It is meaningless to most people."

But Mia appraised her own ability thusly and shook her blue hair.

"Is there anyone else other than you who has such an ability?"

I stopped working, leaned forward, and asked Mia.

" Have you not learned in kindergarten that you do not get fed if you do not work?"

Mia sat alone in a tall chair and told me so with her eyes closed.

"They don't teach that in kindergarten. Don't use three-year-old kids whenever you like ..."

But it seemed that I had to work for the time being if I wanted answers. I put the books on the shelves as Mia instructed, though I didn't know who set the rules anyway.

The spines on the books contained disturbing words like ?Viral Pandemic?, ?World War ??, and also ?Vampire Rebellion?. Were these the world crises that the twelve ?Tuners? had prevented in the past?

"On a side note, the ?Bible? is a highly confidential secret?you may read it, but you should be prepared to never sleep again."

"Don't say such scary things with a straight face…"

Apparently, if I opened the book without permission, a higher existence would kill me.

With a tense face, I put the ?Bible? tagged as ?Alternate History? on the bookshelf.

"There can only be one person in this world with this power at any given moment. The moment that person dies, the power shall be passed onto another?like a god's blessing."

Mia answered my question while I was working.

"The original story started with Volva , a seer in Norse mythology. Countless ?Priestesses? appeared in the thousands of years of history, with her as the ancestor. There was also a ?Priestess? in your country. I do not remember her name, but I do know that over there, they call her ?miko?."

Mia then mentions the existence of a shamaness-queen who probably existed in Japan 1,800 years ago. Perhaps the saint, Agastya, whom Hel had mentioned in the past, was one of those who held this position.

"When did you get your powers, Mia?"

"About ten years ago. One day, I suddenly mumbled something about a natural disaster that was going to happen soon… My parents overheard it, and that was how it started."

Mia began to talk about her own past, along with details of her prophetic abilities.

"It would suddenly appear to my mind as an image, similar to a prophecy. I either verbalized it unconsciously or wrote it down on paper. That was how I started foretelling large-scale terrorist attacks and even the death threats of important people—and eventually, I became known as the child of God."

"Child of God…like, someone saw you?"

I say, and Mia gave a self-deprecating smile.

"Yes, that is correct. The certain 'someone' you speak of were my parents, who were closest to me. They noticed my ability, and started a religious cult with me as the leader—and started hoarding money.

It's natural for some people to think a child of God who could see the future would be a goose laying golden eggs. The bigger misfortunate for Mia was that the ones who had such ideas were her own family.

"Sorry to interrupt, Mia, but what do you want me to do with this?"

I asked as I held in my hands a dozen or so bundles of paper tied up with string. Unlike the other ?Bibles?, there was no cover, the first sheet had the word ?Singularity? scribbled in crude handwriting.

"Those are rubbish."

…I was sure I wasn't involved in this, but I felt like I was insulted along with this pile of papers.

"Whatever is written on there will never happen."

In that case, these had nothing to do with the ?Bible?. From what I knew, the ?Bible? would only record the decided future. I followed Mia's instructions and put back the bundle of paper.

"But this ability of mine can only predict crises in the world. I cannot, for example, predict the future of each believer."

Mia then picked up where she left off. Her parents started a religion based on their only daughter's ability to predict the future—but.

"That can be a religion too? It's like they're just waiting for a prophecy from a child of God…"

"Yes. That was why my parents often made up teachings from God. That was how they made money off their followers. They would threaten them subtly with the implication of divine punishment."

It certainly sounded like a classic cult. Mia then went on to tell a tragedy that could be found anywhere—but shouldn't.

Mia's parents came up with the idea of fabricating divine teachings and swindling money from believers. Mia herself opposed the idea many times, but she was rebuffed by the adults all the time. You're betraying your followers now?

As a young girl, Mia couldn't resist and was locked in the basement while she watched her parents do their evil deeds. That daily life however was replaced by something worse.

One day, a believer who had lost a lot of money due to a false prophecy set fire to Mia's house out of vengeance. That fire instantly swallowed up Mia's parents.

"My mother was a bad person. My father beat me up a lot. But, they were the only family I had—I wanted to use this ability of mine to see the future, and find a way to escape the fire."

Before I knew it, Mia stood by a large window, her fragile sidelong face illuminated by the sun that just wouldn't set.

"But no matter how I tried, my eyes could not see a future where they could be saved. To this world, my parents were insignificant."

That's right, Mia could only see events related to the world's crisis—not her parents, who were just ordinary people.

"…So, Mia, you're the only one who survived?"

"The fire could not reach the basement after all."

I did not need that kind of divine protection —she said self-deprecatingly.

"So, under such circumstances, how did you become a ?Tuner? ?"

How and when did Mia Whitlock, who had lost her family and was living alone in despair, become the ?Priestess? who fought the enemies of the world?

"The ?famous detective? stole me four and a half years ago."

Mia said, looking back at me.

"…Siesta was involved?"

In this context, the word 'stole' probably meant 'protected'. Siesta reached out to Mia, who had lost her family and was alone at the time.

"Did Siesta protect you as part of her job as the ?famous detective? ?"

"The ?phantom thief? was originally tasked to do so, but the ?famous detective? took over. I was told ‘That man alone is never to be trusted’."

Phantom thief? —we fought a similarly-named entity over the three years I journeyed with Siesta. Mia however was probably referring to the ?phantom thief? amongst the ?Tuners?. I remembered ?Siesta? mentioned that as one of the positions…but.

"What do you mean the ?phantom thief? can't be trusted? He's on the side of justice too, right?"

All the twelve ?Tuners? in the world were supposedly appointed to save the world from danger. I did hear of anomalies like Scarlet the ?vampire?, but…was the ?phantom thief? another such being?

"The ?phantom thief? is the only one of the twelve ?Tuners? who has clearly violated the Federation Charter and is a traitor. He is currently imprisoned deep underground for a terrible crime. The ?famous detective? was the only one who realized how dangerous he was before it happened. Thus, she did not trust the ?phantom thief? and took me out by herself instead."

Mia was referring to the Federal Charter that Charl mentioned. It seems this charter was a set of rules for the ?Tuners?.

"What did the thief do anyway?"

I knew the conversation was slowly going off track, but I still asked. How did an ally of justice who was supposed to protect the peace of the world end up being locked up like a criminal?

"He stole a part of the ?Bible? that no one but me should be allowed to touch."

Mia Whitlock said, and for the first time, a hint of anger flashed through her eyes.

"The thief then sold the ?Bible?, which contained the prophecy relating to SPES , to SEED in exchange for certain things."

"So that's where it's all connected…?"

SEED stole portions of Mia's ?Bible? through an entity called the ?phantom thief?. During the recent Bat jailbreak, SEED had tried to team up with Scarlet the ?vampire? …and it seemed he had been trying to use the Tuners for many years.

And so, having acquired the ?Bible? and knowing the future, SEED was able to predict crises before they happen. Siesta continues to fight against such opponents, and in the end, what awaited her was—

"Hey, what do you think?"

Mia walked towards me and asked.

"If a ?Tuner? 's task is to fight the world's enemies and end up dead—it is possible to prevent a crisis, but there will be new enemies. The battle will not end. We continue to fool ourselves and act like we are protecting the world, just with new contents, until the world is destroyed. Is this really the future you are looking for?"

Mia Whitlock's swaying wisteria eyes loomed right before me.

Surely that was the antithesis of my own wish.

"Can the future really change?"

So her answer was.

"No matter what future is chosen, it would merely result in a bad end where the world would die."

It was not a ridiculous conclusion, however. Mia had this ability to foresee the future, and those around her had been capitalizing on it. Even though she was saved by Siesta once, Siesta ended up sacrificing herself…and yet the enemies of the world were yet to be vanquished. As the ?Priestess?, Mia Whitlock was doomed to witness this hellish future for her entire life.

"Thus, I have decided to finish my duty in this clock tower until the day I die…or when the world is about to end. I shall not wish for anything more. I shall not think of changing anything. I shall not hope, wish, pray, and simply finish the task the ?famous detective? gave me with respect."

Mia Whitlock didn't wait for me to answer and made her own conclusion.

"…Ahh, now I understand your attitude."

I stood up and answered so.

As Mia had said, since she could only look forward to such a future, she naturally felt that anything she did was meaningless. She decided not to meet anyone until the day of calamity and would seal herself in this clock tower forever. I couldn't deny her choice completely, no matter how painful it was. Having thought of this, I?

"Sorry about that. I understand, but I can't agree with that."

I carried Mia in a princess carry.

"…Eh?"

And Mia blinked away in my arms.

What? What's with that feeble cry? Her character's ruined.

Did she think those words just now could convince me?

"Starting from now, let me tell you how unstable that future of yours is."

And then, right at that moment?there was a ringing alarm in this room, or rather, the entire building. On a side note, the glass window Mia was at suddenly shattered loudly.

"Wh-what!? What happened?"

Mia faltered. An explosion suddenly occurred outside, and the floor suddenly quaked.

What? You didn't know of such a future??sorry about that, though.

"Who do you think you're with right now?"

I carried Mia and ran towards the exit.

"I'll be troubled if you underestimated my nature of getting into trouble."

If you're a girl loved by God, I'm the man abandoned by the gods.

Sorry, I'll be involving you in a future you can't imagine .

"Where are you bringing me to!?" Mia shouted, but I carried her as I jumped beyond the wheel of fortune.

Searching for the one unique future route

We escaped safely from the clock tower and walked together on the streets of London where the sun had already set.

"Wh - why did it end up like this…"

Mia Whitlock looked around uneasily while being two steps behind me. The indifferent attitude she had until a moment ago was gone, and she waddled with her back arched.

"What happened just now…"

The clock tower suddenly exploded. Alarms blared, flames and black smoke swept across, and we escaped the clock tower.

"I don't know, maybe it was a terrorist attack."

"! Why are you still so calm?"

Mia said forcefully, and walked next to me.

"I-I feel a headache once I yell out of a sudden…"

The moment I assumed she was able to express her emotions well, Mia stumbled and sat there. It seemed she was always cooped in her room.

"A terrorist attack is rather normal, I guess."

"That is not normal at all."

Mia grabbed my outstretched hand and stood up.

"It's better to exercise a little bit. You have to go outside once in a while.”

"No, it is tiring."

"Don't say that with a serious face. Are you a NEET or something?"

Mia looked a little flustered by my words and quickly scampered forward.

"You need to be interested in the outside world. Get a hobby. You'll expand your horizons a little if you make a friend or two."

"Even if I do grow out of these tendencies, it is a matter of time until the world dies…"

"Your negativity is going through the roof!"

Well, she wasn't really exaggerating, but it was a little tiring for me to retort.

"…You are too loud. That frightens me, so please do not do so."

Mia half-turned around and gave me a reproaching look.

"Ah, sorry. I accidentally got into the conversation mood with those girls."

"What tension do the lot of you have during your conversations…?"

Finally, someone mentioned it. Well, it's not a problem I could solve on my own. You hear that, Yui Saikawa? And the other happy-go-lucky members?

"…Haa. Incidents really do happen with you around."

Mia sighed heavily,

"It was rather chaotic too a year ago."

She folded her hands behind her back and stared up at me.

"Ah, that incident happened at the clock tower too, right?"

About a year ago, the battle between Siesta and Hel took place there. They piloted a robot and a bioweapon respectively and went wild at the clock tower. It seemed though that Mia was also in that tower…and she must have seen that through the window.

"Would you mind helping with some cleanup for me?"

I see. There was quite a large commotion, but there weren't any onlookers, and no media reports…apparently, there were some powers at work behind. If she had any complaints though, please direct them to the white-haired famous detective.

"I don't know if you'll forgive me if I do that."

I pulled Mia's hand while we were walking on the sidewalk. The next moment,

"Eh?"

Mia's eyes widened at a broken flower pot that fell onto the spot she was standing at.

"Okay, let's go."

I let go of Mia's hand and continued with the stroll.

"…I guess I only get into unnecessary trouble when I am with you."

Mia arched her back like a kitten, probably annoyed by my nature of getting into trouble. For a while, she had been acting like a little animal.

But this was kind of within my daily routine. I needed her to play along a little bit more, just to show that the future can be changed.

"Didn't Siesta tell you that things often develop quickly?"

I call out to Mia, who has stopped.

"What is that about? I only played online games with S enp …the famous detective once in a while."

"What kind of connection do the ?Tuners? have anyway?"

Out of a sudden, there's an unexpected senpai-kouhai relationship. I was Siesta's assistant, Charl was her apprentice?and Mia was probably a cute junior who was unexpectedly troublesome.

While deep in thought about this, a tall red bus stopped at a bus stop next to us. Good timing.

"Listen. In our world, there's no room for common sense, hesitation, and anything that will slow us down."

"What do you mean, our world…? What are you explaining about out of a sudden…?"

"Alright, just follow me. Go with the pace of our story."

I decided this would be the perfect quote for me, and step onto the bus steps.

"That aside, you do not seem the type of person who would have many friends."

"Don't hurt people with offhand remarks."

"Then, back on point, I shall not become your friend."

"Yeah, I just need you to be part of my stupid dreams."

We chatted away, went to the back of the lower deck, and sat side by side.

"—Say, are you always like that?"

Mia sat by the window and asked me while looking out at the city at night.

"What do you mean like that? Smart, witty, good-looking?"

"You do not have to try and act the fool."

Well, I wasn't.

"I am just asking if you are always so reckless."

Reckless, huh? It's true that I didn't know where this bus was headed. I didn't know where were the stops going, who's going to board—but,

"But I know where I'm going to end up. I will revive Siesta back to life one day."

That was the future I wanted, the ending I was aiming for.

"Do you really think you can do that?"

Mia didn't seem surprised by my vow. I guessed she already knew. Maybe that's why she was avoiding me and Natsunagi so much, because she knew how far-fetched it was.

"Well, who knows?"

I don't know. That's why I came to see you.

—But...

"I think it's fine to have such an opportunist mindset."

Yes, I hoped so.

"…"

Mia didn't confirm or deny my words. She just kept looking out the window.

Even if a perfect happy end would be difficult.

Even if some compromise might be needed, and some things might be lacking.

And even if what awaited us might be a cruel ending where I might lose everyone and everything.

"There's definitely a lot of divergences in the future. Right now, we're going to choose based on our own wills."

I repeated the first and foremost purpose of my visit to Mia.

"—It certainly is a line only you would say."

Mia muttered such a ridiculous line.

Reality wasn't so kind to give me the time to ask.

"Sorry, guess that's the end of the chit-chat."

"Eh?"

Mia tilted her head, and then, there was a shrill scream of a woman. We turned to look in front—and there was a man in camouflage clothes wielding a rifle.

"A bus hijack?"

It certainly was my nature of getting into trouble at work.

That leap would go beyond the world.

"Th-this is why I do not want to go outside…"

In the seat next to me, Mia cupped her knees like a small animal and was all shriveled up. Maybe it would be rude to call her pitiful and cute.

"What do you think? You didn't see this coming, did you?"

"How can you be so gleeful in this situation…?"

Mia gave me a resentful look. We're finally starting to see eye to eye.

"My ability is not convenient like divination. I need a proper 'scene' to witness a future that will greatly affect the world."

This is why I do not know what will happen thereafter. Mia muttered.

"—Don't move. You're dead if you do."

The next moment, a gunshot rang.

The hijacker fired his rifle at the ceiling of the bus, and pointed the muzzle at us…well, seemed like we couldn't act easily.

"—Once our people are free, you lot can get off this bus. Our fates are linked here."

Haha. The man, dressed like a soldier laughed like Bat. It seemed he wanted to save his friends from beyond the iron bus. Was he planning to go negotiate with the police?… didn't seem like a smart way to go about it.

"What are you going to do?"

Mia whispered.

T he mood was tense, but luckily, we're sitting at the back of the bus, so we could see exactly what's going on. There were eleven passengers on the bus, including Mia and me, one driver, and one gunman at the front. The enemy had a weapon, and there were many civilians, so we couldn't act rashly.

"Yeah, what do you think though?"

"You cannot be relied on at the critical moment…"

"Olivia…" Mia put a hand to her forehead and called out the name of her subordinate. It seemed there's a fine line between cute and pitiful.

"It does not matter. It is a matter of time until the world ends…"

"I told you to stop with such negative thoughts."

There's a limit to how much of a Debbie Downer she should be. And in her case, it's not funny because she's not joking at all.

"Actually, I'll do my best if the detective instructs me, you know?"

"Please, have some pride in yourself."

"Mia, can I hold your hand for now?"

"Are you listening to me?"

She didn't say no, so I squeezed her small palm, and felt her body stiffen.

"…I have never held a man's hand before."

Mia muttered an excuse quickly even though I wasn't asking her, and sighed. Her hand was much colder than I expected.

"So what would Senpai do in such a situation?"

Mia addressed Siesta as 'Senpai', probably because she wasn't in the mood to conceal so.

"Well, she'll either drink tea or tease me."

"That is not helpful at all…"

Well, even back when the plane was hijacked, she was napping.

"…Even as a ?Tuner?, I am not good at such matters."

Mia then looked down and said self-deprecatingly.

Yeah, not all ?Tuners? had excellent combat skills. It just so happened that the trio I've met so far were like that.

There might be those who had exceptional brains, or in Mia's case, she became a ?Tuner? because of her ability to foresee the future. The world was regulated by the balance of these twelve.

"I do not have the ironclad devotion of the ?assassin? the world-destroying strength of the ?vampire?, or the death-defying courage of the ?famous detective?. I could not stop Senpai's bet at that time.

"Mia, you're…."

"—Who is it? Who's yapping away!?"

The next moment, the hijacker raised his rifle at the passengers agitatedly, and went to each passenger…before he could reach the back though, he turned back to the driver seat. It seemed he hadn't spotted us.

"…You may be right in that the future can change."

Mia then spoke to me in a softer voice. The sound of the engine would probably drown out her volume.

"Two days ago, I went to Japan. The future that I had recently observed had been altered, and I wanted to find out why."

"…I see. So that's why you were on that plane."

Mia usually wouldn't leave that tower. Why was she on the plane from Japan to London then? Finally, the reason was revealed.

"The future I knew about ?SPES? …was that the sapphire girl was killed by the ?assassin?, and SEED lost its vessel as a result. But that route was changed, and the lot of you were the cause of it."

…Ahh, yes. It's true that I chose to protect Saikawa and consequently kept SEED alive. This would have turned the world against us. As a ?Tuner? and ?Priestess?, Mia was responsible for guiding the world correctly, and this was an unexpected outcome.

"The future can change, but the ending shall never change."

Mia looks out the window of the bus stopped at a red light.

"Don't stop the bus."

The hijacker with the rifle at the front growled so.

"The ?famous detective? did change the future. But she died that day."

That must be the truth Mia hadn't told me yet.

That was probably the bet Mia mentioned, where she couldn't stop Siesta.

"Originally, the previous ?Priestess? stated in the ?Bible? that the battle between the ?SPES? and the ?famous detective? …would end in the latter's defeat."

"You mean that Siesta lost to SEED and Hel?"

"Yes. Senpai would die, and SEED would use the surviving Hel as a vessel. That was the worst possible future written in the ?Bible?."

It was probably written nearly ten years ago, Mia said.

"But four years ago, Senpai met you. And the two of you, little by little, began to change the future that was supposedly written in the ?Bible?."

…I wasn't able to do anything yet. She definitely wanted to change her fate then though.

"About a year and a half ago, I took another look at the future related to ?SPES?, feeling that I might be able to avoid Senpai's death. And the end result was—"

"Siesta and Hel had a mutual kill, and SEED loses its vessels?"

I said, and Mia squeezed my hand.

That actually happened to us about a year ago. In the end, no matter how slightly we changed the future, the final outcome…the bad end that was Siesta's death would remain.

"Of course, I did not want to give up. My family was ruined because of me…and I could not save my parents. Even so, I wanted to prevent my benefactor, Senpai, from dying… I guess she prepared herself for it at the time though."

…Yeah, that's how Siesta was. She knew her fate, and yet insisted to fulfill her duty as a detective until the very end. She sacrificed herself to contain the great evil and save Natsunagi, fulfilling the wishes of her requestor.

"And unlike me, Senpai had fought ?SPES? directly, and realized that SEED wanted the ?Bible?, so she was wary of and was prepared for the betrayal of the ?phantom thief?. That was when she suggested to me a way to capitalize on the situation.

"…You allowed SEED to steal the ?Bible? ? Knowing that the recorded future was wrong?"

It was Siesta's plan, basically a trap. The original ending of the ?Bible? was that Siesta would be defeated and the surviving Hel would be used by SEED as a vessel. Siesta deliberately gave the ?Bible? to SEED , knowing this future would never come.

SEED was so relieved to see the false future that he did not notice Siesta's bet. That's why SEED was attempting to use Yui Saikawa, who was supposed to be an insurance policy, as a vessel.

"As you said, it is true that the future can change. But the end result is the same."

Mia reiterates this conclusion in a voice devoid of emotion.

"It is true that by changing the future, some lives could be saved, and some wishes could be fulfilled…but some lives would also be lost. I…know this is selfish of me, but I would have preferred a future where my loved ones were still alive."

It must be a regret the Priestess couldn't shake off. Mia was saved from hell by her benefactor, and was determined to pursue a future where Siesta could be saved…but in the end, Siesta's will as a detective outweighs that. And thus, it was the worst possible ending for Mia.

That's why Mia wouldn't act. She wouldn't try to change the future. She just…observed. Just as she watched the battle between Siesta and Hel from the tallest clock tower in London a year ago, Mia Whitlock would continue to write about the future as she saw it until the day the world ended. What should I then say to her—

"But we're going to go beyond Siesta's will too."

Mia's eyes widened.

Was that because of what I said, or because I stood up so proudly?

"—Who's there!? Who's talking!?"

The hijacker aimed his rifle at me, but the muzzle pointed wildly. It's to be expected though. He couldn't see me.

"You don't want me to chit-chat during a hijack? Nope."

I took Mia's hand and bent low.

"You shouldn't be hijacking the bus while we're discussing something important."

Apparently, sudden extras would appear in this world after all. We're ten meters away from the perpetrator, and unless there was unexpected trouble, this fight would end in seconds.

"Wait, what are you doing!?"

"Don't worry, he can't see you either."

This was the power I got from consuming Chameleon's seed. That's why I held Mia's hand right from the beginning.

"I'm going to revive her, and then I'm going to say , ‘How about it?’"

I'm not going to stay in the palm of your hand forever. You may think you're dying alone, but I'll change that ending. And I'll change the future.

"…Are you serious?"

"If I wasn't, I wouldn't have come all the way to this foreign country."

The hijacker suddenly opened fire. The passengers' scream echoed.

Mia and I ducked into empty seats to dodge the bullets.

"So, please. We need you to find a future where Siesta can come back to life."

"…Do you really think such a future route exists?"

"If it doesn't, we'll create it. I'll get the world involved in this."

I took Mia's hand again and started running. The hijacker was right in front of us.

"Please do not run—that fast…"

But Mia, who usually shut herself in her room, panted hard while her feet got tangled.

…Oh, I see. She hadn't realized, huh?

"Mia, look at your feet."

The moment I saw this, I saw a shiny black pistol in the corner of my eye. Apparently, there was another hijacker among the passengers. Speaking of which, the guy resembling a soldier did say 'we'. Ack, I guess I set another flag by saying 'unless there was unexpected trouble'.

"Kimihiko!"

Mia shouted my name.

"I'll leave that to you, Mia."

I let go of her hand and tackled the other culprit standing up from the seat.

The other culprit let out a groan due to this invisible impact at his abdomen and let go of the weapon.

And instead, Mia was invisible no more once I let go of her.

"—! Brat, where'd you come from?"

The man in the military uniform at the front of the bus was startled by the girl who suddenly appeared before him. That in turn created an opening.

"Mia! You say you don't want to change the future, but it's too late! It's happening! Think about why you're wearing those shoes now!"

The moment I said this, Mia's wisteria eyes widened.

Yes, realize it. That's the gift the ?famous detective? gave to her troublesome junior who was holed up in the tower all this time… Siesta's thoughts that couldn't be reached took a great physical step forward.

"—Damnnn yoooooooouuu!"

The hijacker fires wildly at Mia.

But it's too late. The bullets flew into empty space.

Wondering why?

If you are, look up.

"Aaahhhhhh!"

Whelps, it's too late for that.

At this moment—the girl who had flown—high kicked down at the head of the uniformed man.

Yep, I knew that four years ago.

Those shoes of the famous detective could fly.

Foreshadowing for the distant future

"I am tired… I am never going out again…"

Mia walked down the street at night, her shoulders slumped to the point where one could practically hear how deflated she was.

After we succeeded in subduing the hijackers thanks to Mia's efforts, we were on our way back to the clock tower. Let's just hope the terrorist attacks would die down.

"Why do so many weird incidents happen when I am with you?"

Mia, walking next to me, gives me a reproachful look.

"Hmm? You're talking about me?"

"…Quite the nice personality you have, no? Of course, I am being sarcastic."

Mia sighed for the umpteenth time.

"It was just a coincidence that we ended up on the same flight.”

In hindsight, Mia Whitlock's ordeal had probably begun then.

"…Yes. Because of you, I had to spend hours in a cramped meal cart."

Oh, so our deduction was that correct? That's unfortunate.

"Why were you on that flight in the first place? I deliberately booked a later flight…"

Well, she must have asked Olivia to arrange it. But my nature of getting into trouble changed the future.

"Well, I just helped a cat stuck in a tall tree, and missed the flight."

"That's the reason!?"

"Well, that's the reason. Siesta gets angry if you underestimate cats."

There was a time when I was looking for a lost cat for work, and the cat I found was so cute and cuddly that I insisted on getting one myself.

"Are you saying it's because of how the ?famous detective? raised you?"

"…It's not exactly wrong, but please watch your words."

Well, maybe the reason why I was raised like this was due to this troublesome nature I have. The days I spent before I met Siesta must have affected me too.

"But, then—"

Suddenly, the cuff of my jacket was pinched weakly.

"It is your fault that I am in this state after all."

Mia whispered in a quiet voice, half a step behind me.

We're under a moonlit night, on the sidewalk lit by streetlights, I turned and met her gaze.

"I shall repeat as many times as I want. It is your fault that I left my room. It is your fault that I got involved in trouble. And…it is your fault that I do think of changing the future. Everything that I wanted to change the future, just a little bit. Everything is your fault."

"So,"

Mia Whitlock said, looking up at me.

"You will take responsibility, no?"

That troubled, yet expectant look on her face was the most human and beautiful thing I saw her do on this day.

"Yeah. I'll take the blame any time, no matter how many times it takes."

Now we're accomplices.

I, who was abandoned by the gods since birth, and the Priestess, who received unwanted blessings from God since birth.

We teamed up.

The enemy to be defeated, hyperbole-wise, was the future the gods ordained. That's a worthy opponent.

We smiled at each other for the first time and shook hands.

"Well, I've got a few girls I've promised to marry, so I guess you'll have to wait a bit."

"…I do not mean that. And you are definitely lying. No, I do not mean that at all !"

We had a pleasant conversation, and eventually returned to that clock tower. We ascended the private elevator and opened the door to Mia's room—and over there,

"Oh, Kimizuka, welcome back."

Inside the room was an unexpected person.

"Heh, another cute girl next to you. What, another potential bride?"

"What do you mean another?"

After a quick glance at Mia, I exchanged a few words with the detective who stared at me.

"Looks like you solved your problem too, Natsunagi."

Natsunagi was alone at the table, sipping tea.

"Yeah. Thanks to her, I guess."

A few hours ago, I split from the detective—Nagisa Natsunagi at the churchyard. It seemed that the Medusa incident was resolved successfully with the help of Natsunagi's other partner.

"Welcome back, Priestess .".

And there was another person in the room.

Olivia, dressed in a classical maid's uniform, bowed reverently to Mia.

"How was your somewhat vibrant day?"

"…Olivia, you fool."

Mia's face sinks into Olivia's chest with a sigh. This showed how strong their relationship was.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble you've had to go through, Master Kimizuka."

"It was troublesome alright."

Olivia gave a business-like smile and handed me a wallet from her pocket. I checked the wallet and saw that it contained the master key. Well, as far as the past few days were concerned, it seemed that the ?Priestess? 's attendant had been the planner the entire time.

"Well, I guess we're all here now."

Olivia smiled, made tea for me and Mia, and had us seated. And then,

"Please, don't worry about me. Let's get down to business."

Olivia took a step back and stood solemnly.

That's why Natsunagi and I came to see the ?Priestess? —we wanted her to observe the future when Siesta would be revived. We knew that Mia's ability only worked on events that had a significant impact on the world, but this probably would encompass the survival of Siesta, the ?Tuner?, guardian of the world.

"I shall ask again."

The first to speak was the ?Priestess? herself.

"Do you really intend to revive the ?famous detective? ?"

Mia, who had taken the top seat, looked straight at me and Natsunagi, who were sitting side by side.

Were we really ready for this?

Were we willing to walk the path of the carnage in order to create a miracle that defied the gods?

She asked as a ?Tuner?. And I said...

"If there's really no such route in the future as observed by you, Mia, I'll give up."

—But. Even so.

"If there's even a single path to that infinite carnage, I'll rid all obstacles with my own hands. That's our wish."

I thought to myself, that's a bit over the top.

But our backs were against the wall.

If we didn't have such a resolve, we wouldn't be able to stand on stage.

With that in mind, I swore an oath to the ally of justice as though I was the protagonist of a story.

"It's not just a hope. Starting now, today, we'll act."

Then Natsunagi, unafraid of meeting the ?Priestess? for the first time, said so.

"No matter the cost?"

"Yes. Unfortunately, we've come to a point of no return."

This time, I answered.

Yes, I already paid the price. I consumed the seed that day.

I didn't want to explain to Natsunagi or anyone else, but I was ready to give up my senses and my life to the plant growing in me. I knew that my wish wouldn't be fulfilled unless I risked that much.

Once she saw the resolve in my decision, Mia Whitlock the ?Priestess? said,

"Even in this world with vampires, it is impossible for a dead person to come back to life. I thus cannot observe the future of a dead person, and it is pointless—nevertheless,"

Then she said with a fleeting beauty in her smile,

"Kimihiko Kimizuka—if you really wish to be the singularity of the world, perhaps."

A letter from the famous detective.

"That's unreasonable."

I sighed as I walked alone through Baker Street at night.

After our discussion with the ?Priestess? Mia Whitlock at the clock tower, she kicked me out, saying, "I have something important to say to the other ?Tuner?". Thus Natsunagi, the candidate for the title of ?famous detective?, was left there.

In the end, Mia didn't say whether or not there was a future where Siesta would come back to life. But at least the negotiations hadn't broken down.

"I'll have to ask Natsunagi when she comes back later."

I'm sure that's what they're discussing right now. So I convinced myself and returned home alone. I wasn't headed to the hotel though.

No. I was going for my initial purpose of this trip.

"—It's nostalgic."

I walked down this street a year ago. But there was another person next to me back then.

We used to check out the clothes at the shop windows, shopped at the supermarket for dinner ingredients, and drank tea at her favorite cafe. Wherever I looked, there were traces of her in this entire street.

I walked through the familiar scenery, and the old building in the corner of the street appeared there. One of them was the place Siesta and I worked and lived at. I climbed the stairs to the third floor of the building without an elevator…hesitated for a moment, inserted the key, and turned the doorknob.

"I'm home."

I knew that no one was home.

However, I announced my return to the empty room, out of habit.

I pulled the curtains aside, and the room was illuminated by moonlight. The dining table, the sofa, the furniture, nothing changed. It's exactly as it was a year ago, just before we left for ?SPES? 's hideout to rescue Natsunagi. After I lost Siesta on that day in that place, I basically escaped to Japan.

"It's somewhat clean."

I had expected the room to be much dirtier, but there wasn't a single speck of dust in the room. No pizza box, no sweet wrappers lying around. The matching tea cups were tucked away in a cupboard. Siesta must have cleaned the place up before she left a year ago. She knew she wouldn't be coming back here.

I went to the bedroom, Siesta's room, with a bed and a small study. There's a small drawer with a lock at the desk.

"Yes, this is it."

I remember the exchange I had with Siesta over this drawer a little over a year ago.

At the time, I entered Siesta's study as I needed something, and she was acting suspiciously, hiding something in her desk drawer. Siesta immediately locked it and tried to make me guess what was inside like this.

"If you want to know what's in it so badly, why don't you try guessing for a change? If you can."

"You really don't want me to know, huh? I guess that's it. According to you, there are three great desires of humans, so I'd think it's something like a hardcore porno magazine…"

"Are you a fool?"

"Ack, that's unreasonable."

"I'm not you."

"Don't hit me back with a ' no u '."

"It's not a hidden folder on your computer."

"How much do you know!?"

"You should stop renaming the title to some obscure English magazine title. How naïve you are."

"Nailed it, I know, thank you, moving on."

"Other people aside, that is ineffectual on me. I opened it out of interest."

"I should have used a folder you aren't really interested in… Like, say, the latest top 100 Instagram spots."

"So in other words."

"?"

"…Don't show me such a real side when I'm not ready."

—Siesta quickly murmured and turned her unusually red face away from me.

"…I just remembered something completely irrelevant."

Regaining my composure, I switched on the orange fluorescent light and took out the master key I received from ?Siesta?. It's one of Siesta's ?seven tools? —a key that could easily unlock anything. I remembered she used that to intrude into my house when we first met.

"Come on, Siesta."

I prayed and inserted the key. There's a good chance it contained Siesta's legacy, hints to fight ?SPES?. But perhaps the Siesta of the past didn't know everything about ?SPES? either.

Perhaps Mia's prediction of the future, which Siesta had relied on, was not as complete as she had said herself. That's why Siesta took that gamble. Siesta probably didn't want to tell me anything important for those three years so that I wouldn't realize the consequences… Now that we completed our tasks, she surely would help us. With that in mind, I turned the key and opened the drawer,

"A letter?"

There was a letter in the drawer.

I cut the wax off with a paper knife and took out a letter from inside.

It was a letter to me that began, "Dear Assistant."

"Are you a fool?"

…That's unreasonable.

For some reason, I was insulted from the very first line of the letter. What the hell did I do to deserve this… I bucked up and continued with the second and subsequent lines.

"Truth be told, it's really disgusting to try and expose a girl's secret. I don't know how you're able to read the letter now, but the mere idea is scary.'

"No way, I did it through proper means."

Didn't your maid give me the key?

"But I'm guessing you found this because you were willing to go to that length to get the information."

Here it is, yes. That's right.

I want to know what you left behind about ?SPES?, and how to defeat SEED .

I look at the next line expectantly.

"I'd rather have strawberry shortcake than Mont Blanc."

"Like hell I care about this!!"

I almost threw the letter away. Don't be stupid, I didn't come to London to find out about this now…and Siesta, you ate both when I bought them, even mine.

"All joking aside."

"I didn't come here to play time-traveling jokes with you."

"I decided to pen my observations on ?SPES? and its parent SEED ."

And, finally, we're back on point.

I moved on to the next piece of paper.

"I suppose by the time you are reading this letter, I can assume that you have some knowledge of ?SPES?. Therefore, I will not go into the details. My hands are tired."

…Leaving aside the childish excuse at the end, Siesta's guess was correct. I did recover my memory of encountering SEED and knew about the existence of ?Tuners?, so I should be able to follow her words to some extent.

"First of all, the assumption is that SEED is the parent of all ?SPES? members—if SEED is defeated, the Android Clones will no longer be created, and the ?SPES? will be destroyed. Thus, we need to defeat SEED ."

Yeah, that's about the same plan we had.

That's why we're here, seeking information on SEED .

"But at the moment, it doesn't look like SEED is intending to show up anytime soon. My guess is that SEED itself doesn't wish to act conspicuously, let alone fight. It simply wants to satisfy its survival instincts, and its subordinates were the only ones involved in terrorist acts."

This deduction, coupled with all the intel we had, was extremely reliable. SEED never acted, but the executives like Hel were the ones acting—all in order to send Siesta, a potential vessel, to the battlefield.

The plan was to let Siesta grow in battle…or rather, to compete against the other potential vessel that's Hel, and also, to develop the survival instinct of the ?seed? that sprouted inside her… That was the condition to synchronize with the ?primordial seed? that was SEED .

" SEED is seeking human vessels, starting with me and Hel, because it is unable to adapt to the global environment. But if we can find out why SEED can't adapt to Earth—the details, that can be the weakness that defeats SEED."

…I see. One had to wonder what conditions caused SEED so much suffering. That would be the key to defeating SEED.

"For example, water, or air components such as nitrogen and oxygen. Is it possible that the SEED's weakness is something that is abundant on Earth, but does not exist on its original planet or in space?"

And so Siesta's thoughts continued onto the third piece of paper.

"The ?vampire? seemed to have obtained some clue, but I couldn't pay the price he demanded when we negotiated on a deal, so I couldn't get the answer. Do be careful of him too."

So it got something to do with Scarlet too? The price that narcissistic vampire demanded—wait, "And one more important thing. I said that SEED doesn't show its face very often, but…the truth is, I fought SEED once on that island about four years ago."

Four years ago—but given that this letter was written about a year ago, that would be five years ago now... Siesta entered that SPES facility six years ago, which means that a year after that, Siesta once challenged SEED.

"It wasn't even a fight, however. SEED's strength was overwhelming, and in terms of pure combat power, it was probably on par with, or even better than, ?vampire? and ?assassin?. I was utterly defeated and had to run away.

SEED's strength was equal to—or greater than the ?Tuners?. The young Siesta had no chance of winning at all. SEED probably let her go because she was a potential vessel, and it looked forward to seeing Siesta grow as a vessel.

"And sometime after that, I met a girl named Mia Whitlock, who can see the future. Mia became a ?Tuner?, and looked up to me as her senior … One day, she made an exception and showed me a ?Bible? portion relating to ?SPES?, for she feared for my safety."

What Siesta saw…was probably just as Mia had said on the bus. The initial record in the ?Bible? stated a future in which Siesta would be defeated by ?SPES? and Hel would become SEED's vessel.

"Through that experience, I realized that to change the future…to defeat SEED, we need to prepare very carefully. And to do that, I needed to gather more intel about ?SPES?. That's why I called out to you that day, up in the sky."

That was four years ago—10,000 meters above the ground.

Siesta, who had me bring the gun along, had intended me to be her assistant all along.

There must be only one reason, my nature.

With me around, the incidents… ?SPES? would approach me without question.

"Well, I took a nap and couldn't explain the plan back then."

Say…do you know how nervous I was back then? I suddenly got involved in a hijack, and the next thing I knew, I had to fight an ?Android?.

"But you unexpectedly decided to follow me…no, you're more hardworking than I thought. More importantly."

I was on the fourth piece of paper now.

"It was interesting chatting with you."

"Are you an idiot?"

I couldn't help but retort.

"And the next thing I knew, I dragged you along for three years. Sorry."

It was the same apology I heard once when Siesta appeared in Natsunagi's body.

…Seriously, you don't have to apologize.

"And maybe I'm still causing you trouble. Since you need this letter, it means that I failed to defeat SEED. I'm sure I'm causing a lot of trouble for you and…and probably for the people around you right now. As a ?famous detective? and as a ?Tuner?, I am most ashamed that I couldn't follow through with justice until the very end. At the same time, I'll like to sincerely apologize to all of you who are left behind."

Four pieces of paper in total.

The last letter concluded with the following.

"Lastly, I would have liked to give you a concrete list of actions you should take, but even I cannot predict the future one year from now. In particular, that nature of yours changes your environment all the time, and there is a high possibility that there might be actions even the ?Priestess? can't foresee. But that's why I'm going to stop here with just a little bit of hope for you. I look forward to you choosing a future that even I cannot imagine."

That was the end of the letter. It was a Siesta way to end a letter. While swimming in the idea that my actions are unpredictable, she somehow expected that we'll choose a somewhat unpredictable future.

"But I'm sorry. You probably didn't think that I'll choose to revive you."

I chuckled and laid down on Siesta's bed. Speaking of which, we once got drunk together, and caused quite a commotion…like, seriously.

"Come on, get up, Siesta."

And then we'd quarrel again, and it'd get awkward, one of us would apologize in an awkward manner, and we'd eat pizza, cake, drink tea, and joke around. I recalled these moments. I felt that I might even have a related dream.

I remained on the bed and gently closed my eyes.

On a moonlit night, you sw ore.

There was a sudden sweet scent.

It was reassuring, like the perfume of roses.

"Oh, you’re awake."

And when I woke up in the darkness, I saw a girl's face right next to mine.

"…What are you doing, Natsunagi?"

I intended to close my eyes for just a moment, but it seemed I fell asleep without realizing it.

"Just looking at you, sleeping like a baby."

"Don't just walk into a bed where a man is sleeping."

"Does that make you nervous?"

"In a different way, I can't stop sweating when I'm on Siesta's bed with you, Natsunagi."

I felt that I would be beaten up silently by Siesta in my dreams or something.

"So, why are you here, Natsunagi?"

Was she done talking with Mia?

"I mean, how did you get here? Taxi? It's not safe for you to be out alone so late at night."

"…Oh, so you do worry about me."

I could see Natsunagi smiling at me in the dim room. Alright, stop smirking.

"So, did you find what you were looking for?"

"Yeah, Siesta left me a hint in a letter. Starting tomorrow, we're going to have to make some changes to our plan."

So I said, but we hadn't figured out a clear plan. I was hoping Natsunagi would give me some advice…But for now,

"So Natsunagi, how did it go on your end?"

I asked, propping myself up on the bed with an elbow while I laid next to her. While I was here reading the letter, Natsunagi should have discussed with the ?Priestess? about the possibility of reviving Siesta.

"Yeah—it's fine."

Natsunagi then nodded with a sincere look on her face.

"The ?Priestess? did say that the possibility of that future…exists."

"Oh, really!—Then why was I the only one sent home just now?"

I was worried that maybe that route didn't exist at all, and she couldn't bear to tell me that … so they made me leave alone… That scared me.

"Ah, well, apparently she needed to get properly dressed to see the future. Maybe she found it embarrassing to be seen by you, Kimizuka."

What's that girly reason… Well, as long as it's not the worst-case scenario I could think of, nothing else mattered.

"But it looks like we still need to take some time to figure out what exactly we need to do to make that future a reality."

"I see… No, just knowing that is more than good enough for us."

I didn't think it was going to come true overnight. Maybe we had to calmly chat with Mia once. Even then,

Is there a way to get Siesta back? Really … ?

That dawn, I shouted.

I swore out loud that I would bring the detective back to life.

Part of it was surely because I was impulsive. I had no idea at all as to how we were supposed to fulfill this miracle that defied the gods.

But was there really a way to get Siesta back?

Would I ever be able to see her again?

"Hey, Kimizuka."

Suddenly, Natsunagi said in a light tone.

"Do you want to bring Siesta back to life?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Then, do you still love Siesta?"

"I don't understand what that has to do with this…"

What do you mean, ‘Then’? Goodness…

"We're not lovers, just work partners."

"I see, so it's a one-sided crush on your part, Kimizuka."

"Hey, don't make up your own assumptions."

"But it's nice. Think of it as a night during a school trip night. Do you want to gossip about love? How about that?"

"Don't get excited for strange reasons. Anyway, is this something boys and girls chat about… Ah okay, okay, stop poking me!"

She's being very persistent on this day … It's like.

"Natsunagi, you're not drunk, are you?"

I initially thought it was the smell of perfume, but was it alcohol? It's true that in England, the legal drinking age is 18.

"Who knows~ A girl always has some secrets."

Oh, that so? But since she's so dazed out, maybe this would end up as a black history on her part. Wouldn't she have a headache the next morning? I did, by the way.

"And? And? What do you really think of Siesta, Kimizuka? Come on, come on, I'm the only one listening.

But Natsunagi's annoying behavior continued.

She's not going to let me off that easily… Ack, got no choice here.

"I lied about us just being work partners."

I looked away from Natsunagi and turned to the ceiling as I answered.

"And your true thoughts?"

"… Just a slightly special work partner."

"Hyu~!"

"I knew you were making fun of me!"

I turned around and flicked hard at Natsunagi's forehead.

"Ouch! That finger flick of yours really hurt, Kimizuka!"

Natsunagi expressed her anger with a teary voice.