Tantei wa Mou, Shindeiru - Volume 4 - Chapter 6

Chapter 6 

The Final Showdown 

We said our goodbyes to Bat, returned to the car driven by Charl, and pursued after SEED. We narrowed down our search to buildings where the sun couldn't reach, and Saikawa's ?Left Eye? helped to effectively find the places he was likely to escape. 

Eventually, we arrived at a large shopping mall in the suburbs that was now in ruins. The demolition work hadn't started, and the entire building was covered in lots of vines. It's daytime, but the inside was so dark that we needed flashlights. We went in, and then, at the parking lot on the third floor—we encountered our target. 

"…Kimizuka, be careful." 

"Oh, Natsunagi, take care of Saikawa." 

I had Saikawa, targeted by SEED as a vessel, fall back along with Natsunagi. 

"Kimizuka-san… let's watch a zombie movie together later, okay?" 

"Yeah, you can sign up for a Prime membership while you're at it." 

Saikawa and I bantered… Charl and I exchanged glances, and we faced SEED together. 

"—So you're here." 

Dozens of meters away was the enemy, at the far end of the empty parking lot. 

It has long hair that's either grey or silver and seemed to have transcended nationality and gender. The expressionless face looked devoid of personality, and anyone looking would feel terrified of it. 

The ?primordial seed? could mimic the structure of the human body and probably could replicate other organic matter at will to some extent. The creature was covered in thin armor, but one could see some cracks in its neck, probably because it had been exposed to the sun even for a short time. It also seemed to be missing its right ear, and maybe the body parts hidden under the armor were damaged. 

"Why do you want to fight so badly?" 

I tried to reach for my waist, but SEED stared at me intently with its dark-purple eyes. 

"Is there a reason to fight? Think about it. Is it because I am what you call an enemy? Or is it because of the past, the death of your comrades, revenge, that you want to end it here? Do you fight to the very end based on such emotionalism?" 

I do not understand , SEED said in a voice devoid of any emotion. 

"So you have no intention of fighting?" 

Charl remained on guard, her hand still on her scabbard, her eyes narrowed as if searching for her enemy's intentions. 

"That had been my intention all along. There's nothing more pointless than wasting energy on a futile battle, don't you think?" 

Siesta did write something similar in her letter. SEED wasn't particularly fond of battle and merely had its subordinates carry out its own plans. 

"SEED, what the hell are you?" 

I posed such an abstract question to my enemy, one I had to know. 

"All I know about you is that you're a plant species from outer space, that sunlight is your natural enemy, and that you're growing a human vessel to overcome it—that's all. What are you, why do you insist on your survival instincts even at the cost of invading humanity?" 

In response to such an obvious question, SEED said, 

"I crash-landed on Earth over fifty years ago." 

Even so, it recounted its history without showing any hostility. 

It's as if SEED is the one trying to end this without a fight. 

"With an outer shell that can withstand temperatures ranging from absolute zero to 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit, I drifted through space as a ?primordial seed? —I was hit by a shockwave from a supernova explosion in a galaxy tens of thousands of light-years away, causing me to lose control and crash onto this planet." 

"Like a meteorite…" 

I recalled the modeling of the ?primordial seed? I saw the other day in the ?SPES? experimental facility. It appeared to be the size of a pebble. So this ?world crisis? landed on Earth unnoticed from outer space. 

"I fell into a dark, cold, desert-like barren land. And soon, because of that very coldness, I discovered that the outer shell was damaged." 

Probably from the impact of the crash, SEED continued. 

"Still, I continued to move with the wind. Gradually, the temperature began to rise, and at the same time, the surroundings got brighter—and that was when the anomaly began." 

"—The Sun." 

Charl muttered next to me. 

"I could see that the ?seed? was rapidly dying, but I knew that if I could get past this barren land, I would be able to escape from that high, distant source of heat… so I used the few remaining fragments of the outer shell as a shield, and rode the wind around the world." 

"… And then you realized there wasn't a place to hide on this planet? " 

Perhaps that's when the survival instinct really kicked in. 

"Kimizuka, over there." 

Charl shouted grimly. I stared intently at the enemy and saw that the right ear that Bat risked his life to cut off had begun to swell, like a bubble in water. Maybe it's beginning to regenerate itself through repeated cell division? 

"Eventually I learned the name of my natural enemy was the Sun, and I gradually learned the structure of this planet. The world has the concept of day and night, and there are various lifeforms like wolves, bats, and chameleons. And then—I learned that the rulers of this planet are called humans." 

…Yep. That's exactly what I saw from Siesta's letter and the lab. 

SEED invaded the bodies of animals and humans and studied their physical structures. As it collected samples one after another, it acquired the ability to mimic these creatures. This technology led to the invention of the ?seed?, which allowed for organs to be awakened… SEED led the clones created through saplings and humans who sought the power of the ?seed? and created ?SPES?. 

SEED wanted to use a human body as a vessel to overcome the sun, but the ? primordial seed ? would drain all the nutrients in humans, and the vessel would soon wither away. Therefore, in order to cultivate human vessels that would be compatible with the ?seed?, an experimental facility that was disguised as an orphanage was created and then Natsunagi, Siesta, and Alicia were chosen. 

"Yes, it has taken me fifty years ever since I landed on this planet. I thought I finally had the chance to fulfill my survival instincts." 

SEED looked away from us and stared into the distance. 

"But for some reason, the future I presumed never came. Both vessels were lost right before my eyes at the same time." 

That was the trick Siesta pulled on SEED with the trap she and Mia had set. 

"Now then, I shall ask you." 

The enemy's eyes turned to us again. 

"Why? Why are you so determined to thwart my purpose? What justification do you have for preventing me from fulfilling my survival instincts? I have no intention of destroying the human race. Those who fail to become vessels can simply survive as long as they don't get in my way. That should be enough to keep us apart. Why do you fight back?" 

SEED didn't necessarily want to fight. It tried to find a compromise through dialogue. However, it's a good thing for us. It's damaged, and we got the advantage in numbers, but there was no guarantee that we could win against an existence that even the ?Tuners? had difficulty dealing with. 

"I get what you're saying." 

I replied to SEED, still not wielding my weapon. 

"We don't want to kill you, and we won't attack you. We have no intention of denying your survival instincts, and if there is anything you need to do to survive, we will help you to the extent we can. But—" 

I turned around for a moment, looked at the girls there, and told SEED. 

"But you can't have Yui Saikawa. I won't let you sacrifice any of us." 

Neither Siesta, nor Natsunagi, nor Charlotte, nor anyone else—will be your vessel. I wouldn't allow anyone to be sacrificed just so that others can survive. Of course, I wanted to say this to the now-deceased famous detective. 

"Oh, now I see." 

SEED chimed. 

"I've finally figured out why there's such a fatal gap between you and me." 

"… What do you mean? What are you trying to say?" 

I had a bad feeling about this for some reason. My sixth sense told me that whatever the thing might say next would cause a definite rupture between us. There's no time to prevent it though. SEED said without pity. 

"You humans have long since fallen from the top of the ecosystem. Nevertheless, you refuse to become the cornerstone of a higher being, and that is against the laws of nature." 

Just as we humans used other animals as food to survive; SEED would satisfy its survival instincts by using humans as vessels. That, SEED argued, was the new rule of nature. 

"Do you humans feel guilty about eating cows, pigs, and birds? Do you feel special feelings for each and every one of them? That is the same logic. I have no shred of emotion when I use your bodies as vessels." 

"…!" 

Charl glared at it, the hand on the scabbard tightening. 

"You don't even feel gratitude for the ones who'll be your stepping stones? You don't care who it is, which species?" 

"Can you humans distinguish the faces of cows and pigs?" 

SEED's eyes widened, and tilted its head back greatly, cracking its bones. 

"…Ah, I see." 

At this point, I finally understood. 

SEED wasn't not talking to individuals like Kimihiko Kimizuka or Charlotte Arisaka Anderson. Just as a human being couldn't distinguish the faces of ants wriggling beneath the feet, SEED merely recognized us as a species called humans. 

That was why a year ago in London, Chameleon, an ?Android clone?, couldn't find the escaped Natsunagi (Hel). That was also why after a year later, even though they had worked together for a long time as ?SPES? members, Chameleon never recognized her even when they met again. 

SEED, its parent, naturally wouldn't see humans as individuals. At best, it would merely focus on whether the object before it was a suitable vessel. 

"Do you understand now, human?" 

SEED then stared at the four of us as a group, without blinking. 

"This is not about good and evil. It's a logical consequence of the way nature should be." 

To SEED, who wasn't really looking at anyone, I finally asked. 

"What if we still resist?" 

"Humans, too, show no mercy to their livestock." 

Yes, they don't. I couldn't deny that. 

I pulled the magnum from my holster and pointed it at the enemy. 

"I see. But the human race is more resilient than you think." 

The ending of Route X 

Multiple ?feelers? extended from SEED's back, their tips pointed at us. 

The enemy remains impassive as ever. And, as it said, it probably wouldn't attack aggressively to avoid wasting energy unnecessarily—It didn't mean that it wouldn't counterattack though. 

"Natsunagi and Saikawa, hide behind the pillars!" 

I said to them with my back turned on them, and stood forward alongside Charl. 

"What's the plan?" 

Charl gave me a cursory glance, asking me. 

"Oh, the usual." 

"Nothing special, huh?" 

And so, with the usual banter, we prepare for battle. That's how Charl and I always were, aside from the one-year gap. 

"Can I get a compliment?" 

Charl murmured, a little more childishly than usual. 

She wasn't saying that to anyone present. Charl was looking at the back of the great famous detective. 

"I'm sure I was jealous of Kimizuka." 

Charl didn't even look at me and started running towards the enemy we're supposed to defeat. With that, I grabbed my gun with both hands and ran towards SEED in another direction. 

"I was chasing after Ma'am, and you were walking alongside her. I felt that I wouldn't be able to close the gap…that's why I'm jealous." 

But,  Charl continued, 

"I realized that's okay—because," 

The agent had her blonde hair tied up in a single bun, and darted across the battlefield like the wind, dodging several ?feelers? that were focused on her. 

"As long as I'm one step behind you, I'll be able to protect Ma'am's back!" 

With that, Charlotte slashed at the approaching ?feeler? with her golden sword, and took a giant leap to get closer to the enemy— 

"—! Please stop!" 

But then Saikawa, who probably saw something with her ?Left Eye?, shouted from behind. At the same time, there was a huge tremor on the floor, both horizontally and vertically. 

"…An earthquake?" 

Charl too stopped in her tracks. 

N-no. It's not an earthquake. It's— 

"Surface of the Planet Exploding Seeds… My ?seeds? have already been scattered all over the planet." 

The moment SEED said this, large thorns grew from the walls and the floor of this parking lot we're in. This building was under SEED's control right from the beginning. 

"… Damn it!" 

I shot the entangling plants with my gun… but there's no end to them. A large number of them too attacked Saikawa and Natsunagi. Natsunagi's wielding the musket and managed to deal with the thorns, but Saikawa wasn't proficient with firearms and was quickly surrounded by the thorns. 

"Yui!" 

Charl, who was the quickest to break free, went to Saikawa's rescue. 

The golden sword danced its way through the thorns, and Charl, having cut them all down, was about to extend a helping hand to our friend—and then, 

"! No, Charl-san!" 

It seemed Saikawa detected something with the ?Left Eye? again and pushed Charl away. And then, 

"—!" 

SEED's "feeler" shot out from a blind spot next to Saikawa's neck. 

"Saikawa!" 

I couldn't see the depth of the wound clearly from this distance… but the location was horrible. There's blood oozing from the right side of her neck. 

"…That's strange. I did manage to help Bat-san because of this power…" 

Saikawa barely showed a smile on her pale face while the thorns choked her. The decision she derived from her ?Left Eye? was more precise than anyone else present, but this might not be able to protect Saikawa herself. 

"Yui…!" 

The moment Charl was about to run up to Saikawa again, the floor around Saikawa collapsed… and a large number of thorns grew from below us, seemingly swallowing her as she quickly vanished before us without leaving a word. 

"Saikawa…!" 

"Yui-chan!" 

My voice and Natsunagi's overlapped. At that moment, though, our hands couldn't reach our friend. 

"Aaahhhh!" 

Then, Charlotte, who was the first to make a choice on this battlefield, sprinted towards the SEED with her blonde hair in disarray. 

"Did you call that vessel a friend? How can you say so when you couldn't protect her at all?" 

Perhaps it wasn't SEED's intention to injure Saikawa, and he gave Charl a cold look. A ?feeler? sprouted from near SEED's spinal cord, and there was a steel-like silver on it, intercepting Charl's golden sword while she charged in. Finally— 

"…Ah." 

Before I knew it, Charlotte was thrown into the air. 

The sound of something being shattered could be heard. She then let out a brief groan of pain and was wrapped on the abdomen by the whip-like steel ?feeler? —and then: 

"Humans are still so fragile." 

She was then thrown out of the parking lots, beyond the plants that covered the building. 

"…How many meters is it from here to the ground?" 

Goosebumps broke out all over my body, and my blood ran cold. 

Even Charl wouldn't be able to withstand a fall from this height without being able to adjust herself— 

"Natsunagi! Go after her!" 

I gave a very vague instruction. I couldn't even tell if I was talking about Saikawa or Char. I just entrusted a very simple and important request to the famous detective, to save our friends. And then, I— 

"SEED…!" 

Without waiting for Natsunagi's reply, I sprinted to SEED alone, Magnum in hand. Thanks to Charl, all the thorns in my way were removed. 

"Two more?" 

A number of ?feelers? grew from SEED's back and attacked me. 

I would put all my experience to good use, pick out the fatal attacks, and shoot the bullets down the enemy's throat. That's all I have to do now. 

I felt no pain. This is nothing compared to the pain of losing someone I care about. With SEED in my sights, and black gun in my right hand— 

"Yes. That's how you boost your survival instincts." 

By the time I heard the enemy's voice, I was already rolling on the cold concrete. Was it the floor that's cold, or my body?  Apparently, I was hit by the enemy's ?feeler?, and I couldn't move my body. I didn't know if it was because of the hit in the vitals, or that I was bleeding too much. 

"—It doesn't matter now." 

I had to stand up before I could start talking. 

Then I'd start running again and destroy the ? primordial seed?. That's why I had to move this body that's heavy as lead at this moment. 

"Move!" 

I knew that. 

I knew that—but my body just wouldn't listen to me. I couldn't even feel anxious. My consciousness started to fade. 

It's the end of my story. 

I wouldn't be able to defeat SEED and eradicate ? SPES ? , nor would I be able to realize a future in which I could get my beloved partner back. I didn't have the strength left in me to overturn that reality. 

"—So this is it." 

I readied myself to die and stood up once again. 

Seeing me like this, SEED's expression twisted slightly for the first time. 

I didn't know why I could still stand. Maybe the ? seed ? I consumed granted me incredible physical and recovery abilities, or maybe I had an abnormal adrenaline rush since I was on the brink of death? 

 Or rather… yeah. 

"Because I swore to Siesta, I guess." 

She, who had never cried before me—yes, she swore to me with tears that one day, we would meet again. That's why I wouldn't allow myself to die until I actually met Siesta again. 

"That's my survival instinct." 

And with trembling hands, I pointed my gun at the enemy. 

"It's fine." 

At that moment, I felt a gentle touch that encompassed everything on my back. 

I didn't need to look behind to know who it was—it was Natsunagi. 

Nagisa Natsunagi hugged me from behind. 

"Kimizuka, you still have something to do, right? Have a little rest for now." 

The gentle voice entered my brain like hypnosis. I wanted to say something to her, but my eyelids defied my will and prevented me from talking. 

"Natsu…nagi…" 

And so I collapsed, and right before I fell asleep—I heard the girl with the fire in those red eyes declare to the vicious enemy… 

"I, the famous detective, shall defeat the world's enemy." 

Substitute detective—Nagisa Natsunagi 

"So that personality uses my ?seed? too?" 

SEED, standing slightly far away, looked down at me coldly as he said so. He probably saw me use the ?word spirit? Hel spoke of. 

"So you can determine my personality?" 

Was it because it personally raised this species (vessel)  with its own hand? If that's the case, maybe it's because it was repulsed by the excess number of failed breeds… Well, it didn't matter at this point. I had to fight this guy after all. I glanced aside at Kimizuka's sleeping face for the last time, put him aside, and stood up. 

"Where did you take Yui-chan to?" 

"I'll need some preparations before I can officially begin the ceremony." 

SEED didn't answer my question directly, but it sounded like Yui-chan's still alive. SEED probably wouldn't allow the body to die if she's going to be its vessel—That's why we could still save Yui-chan. 

"Are you going to get in my way too?" 

SEED saw me wield the musket and flatly asked. 

"I know you have another two personalities inside your body. Are you going to fight me without calling for them?" 

It's referring to Hel and Siesta? These two were supposed to be SEED's best hope as vessels, but thanks to Siesta's plan, their consciousnesses were sealed in this body—and SEED lost both potential vessels at the same time. 

If it tried to snatch my body that already had two powerful consciousnesses in Hel and Siesta, my body, the vessel, might be wrecked. That's why SEED gave up on trying to use this body as a vessel. Because of that— 

"Yes, I'll fight. If I switch places with Hel now…you'll think of using my body, right?" 

Right, it's because of the two powerful consciousnesses, Hel and Siesta, that we could prevent SEED's consciousness from invading. I wouldn't be able to handle it. That's why I had to protect this body from the outside… 

"Even when it disadvantages you, and you may die, you shall not become my vessel. Is that what you mean?" 

Yeah, I definitely couldn't allow SEED to get this vessel. If it managed to conquer its one weakness, sunlight, there's almost no hope in defeating it then. I couldn't let SEED steal this body—but, 

"You seem to be mistaken about something." 

I smiled and spoke. 

That famous detective too would smile in this situation. 

"I'm not going to give myself up as a vessel and I'm not intending to die." 

I aimed the musket at SEED and squeezed the trigger. The enemy ?feeler? blocked the bullet before it hit the main body, probably because it expected it. But—that was what I was aiming at. 

"Now your feelers won't be able to attack me again." 

Siesta too once used this red bullet that contained her blood—and anyone who got hit by it wouldn't be able to defy the shooter, the master. Thus, SEED wouldn't be able to attack me…or Siesta who's inside my heart. 

"I see. So she obtained such a thing after she lost to me?" 

SEED put down the ?feeler? extended off its back. 

"However, that was originally created by me, genetically engineered to prevent infighting between the same species. There are still countermeasures." 

So SEED said and swung the ?feeler? hard above my head. 

"…!" 

The attack hit the ceiling, and the large fluorescent lights landed in my direction. I barely managed to dodge, but the shattered glass still grazed my legs. 

"…You're not aiming at me, but at other objects?" 

SEED was planning to attack me indirectly. 

"I did not intend to use excessive force, but now that I have obtained a new vessel successfully, I shall take responsibility as the parent and rid all failed breeds before leaving." 

SEED flatly noted so and grew four ?feelers? from its back—each of them seemed to have a consciousness of their own, flailing their tips as they attacked the surrounding ceiling and walls. 

"T-they won't hit me." 

I said adamantly  and evaded the falling fluorescent lights and the splashing pillar fragments. Maybe it's due to Hel using my body for years, or maybe she's fighting alongside me, but I continued to evade the enemy attacks with superhuman dexterity. 

"This is for Charl." 

In a cloud of smoke, I shot a bullet through the air. The bullet hit the enemy's shoulder, and a green liquid different from normal human blood gushed out… But the enemy's expression didn't change at all and it tilted its head at an abnormal angle. 

"Taking revenge for your people?" 

"Charl's not going to die just from that." 

I replied, leaning my back against the pillar to catch my breath. 

"No, speaking of revenge." 

I raised the musket gun that was modified to allow for easier reloading, and fired another bullet again, 

"I'll let you suffer the pain Alicia experienced." 

I ducked down and charged towards the enemy. 

"So it is out of sentiments after all?" 

"……Ow……!" 

And before I knew it, I had branches beneath my feet, their thorns stabbed into my legs. My movements were sealed, and the enemy's ?feeler? lifted an abandoned car nearby, tossing it towards me. 

"Ahhh!" 

I fired at the plants beneath my feet, broke free from them— 

"Move, my legs!" 

I ordered myself using the ?word spirit? and prompted my bleeding legs to move. I barely managed to dodge the large metal block in the nick of time. 

But a deafening explosion occurred soon after. The car that crashed into the wall was severely damaged, and the leaking fuel was ignited. The multi-story car park covered with plants was instantly covered in flames. 

"…! It doesn't matter." 

I wiped off the sweat and blood running down my forehead, muttered to myself, and continued to reload. It was the last round I had. 

What could I do to defeat that guy? I always fought with burning emotions in my heart, and Kimizuka requested me… But we couldn't even talk to the enemy. To be honest, this guy didn't have the concept of emotions at all. What could I do to such an enemy anyway? 

"I'll ask once again." 

And at that moment, as if reading my thoughts, on the battlefield surrounded by flames, SEED asked me in an icy tone. 

"Why do you humans obsess so much with these so-called feelings? Why is it that sometimes, you prioritize emotions over your basic desire as living creatures, your survival instincts?" 

It wasn't a question to satisfy its curiosity. Perhaps SEED had been wondering this question ever since it landed on this planet, and asked so while looking at me. 

"—So you don't know?" 

It had so many chances to understand. 

I bit my lips, and amidst the flames, I yelled at SEED. 

"Alicia protected Siesta and me despite the danger—now that's friendship. Hel had been trying to get close to you, always giving her all for you—that's devotion. Yui-chan always thought about her parents and her parents treasured their one dear daughter—that's love. Charl inherited Siesta's will and finished her mission alone—that's passion. Albert-san risked his life to save his little sister—that's kinship. And Siesta entrusted everything to Kimizuka, me, and our friends—that's fury. Those are all human emotions. Humans are humans because these emotions exist!" 

That was the answer I could give at this point, with everything I got. 

"I see. I do not understand at all, but humans do not think of insect sounds as meaningful words after all." 

And in the midst of the fire, SEED said without changing expressions. 

"Now then, genetic reassembly is complete. I should be able to attack you now." 

SEED genetically manipulated itself in the middle of the battle…and the enemy ?feeler? that couldn't attack till this point was pointed at me. Kimizuka was still sleeping behind me, unable to escape. 

"…!" 

During that conversation with SEED, I never mentioned a certain person. 

My partner, the assistant boy—Kimihiko Kimizuka. 

He's so attached to Siesta more than anyone else, and even though he was going into forbidden territory for a human, he wanted to revive her no matter what—I shouldn't be saying what emotions he had. Maybe there's no word in this world that could correctly describe such emotions after all. 

That's why Kimizuka has to find it in his own future. He might have to go into the forbidden realm, fight the world, or even fight the ?Tuners? —but even then, Kimihiko Kimizuka would revive Siesta, and definitely revive Siesta. At this moment, I already found the route to that future. 

"Is that fine?" 

Suddenly, I recalled this voice in my mind. 

Two days ago, at the tallest clock tower in England, the girl who could see the future asked me a question. 

She had Kimizuka leave first and told me the consequences of defying this fate and breaking the taboo of reviving the dead. 

Just as there could only be a qualified ?Priestess? at a single moment, there had to be only one ?famous detective? at a given moment. Thus, if I wanted to establish a future where Siesta will be revived, I— 

"That's fine." 

I gave a clear answer to the question I wasn't able to answer back then. 

"It's to be expected." 

I was entrusted with a task. 

This was the mission I had to complete. 

"—I'm the substitute detective." 

It was decided a year ago. 

"………………!" 

At that moment, SEED's ?feeler? stabbed through my abdomen. 

"……………………! Ah……!" 

I felt an unprecedented amount of pain, and my consciousness nearly faded. The ?feeler? pulled out, and a dark red liquid splattered onto the floor. I'm probably a goner with such injuries—but even then. 

"Run, my legs!" 

Once again, I used the power of the ?word spirit? and ordered my body. 

Run, run. 

The pain didn't matter, I only cared about moving forward. 

"Maybe I'm no match for you!" 

I was in a hospital bed for so long, I couldn't even run a hundred meters at full speed. But at this point, I had legs that could run like this. There is a reason why I had to run. That's why my legs will never stop. 

"But one day, there'll be an existence that can defeat you!" 

With my last ounce of breath, I looked forward and declared at the enemy of the world. Then, using the flames and the black smoke as cover, I wielded a different weapon, not the musket gun, and charged forward. 

"For example, a Japanese idol can convince you with songs, or a blonde agent can beat you with force!" 

That weapon was something I discovered yesterday when I was leaving ?SPES? 's hideout, the experimental facility. It was one of the beloved blades my partner used. I quietly prayed for strength and gripped the hilt hard. 

"Or maybe a certain useless guy in a jacket can convince you with words, or maybe a certain white-haired famous detective can defeat you with unexpected tricks!" 

There's two meters until the enemy. I continued to run while under the cover of the black smoke—and using Hel's ability, I stabbed the red saber at the enemy's neck. 

"I won't have the chance to see such a future—but I'll say this now! The moment you reached this planet, your wish to defeat humanity shall never happen!" 

And then, at the very end of my battle. 

"…It's… not… enough?" 

The red blade was millimeters away from the enemy's head, but was blocked by the ?feeler? that had transformed into a blade—and then, 

"You too, Hel?" 

I heard SEED murmur in my hazy consciousness. 

"A hindrance." 

The moment SEED so, I heard a helicopter rotor from afar. It's probably reinforcements—SEED quickly vanished as it successfully accomplished its goal of capturing a vessel. 

"…This is it, I guess?" 

It seemed there's a limit to how much I could fool my brain with the ?word spirit?. My legs stumbled and I couldn't help but collapse to the floor. 

"Kimi…zuka…" 

Amidst the burning flames, I collapsed towards the fallen Kimizuka. 

The oxygen levels were dropping and I lost too much blood. It's hard to remain awake, or even breathe. However, I did my best to reach my hand…fingertips towards him. 

"Th-thank…" 

I couldn't finish my words. 

But at the very end, I fell asleep, content that I finally had the direction I always dreamed of. 

My name is Nagisa. 

Substitute detective—Nagisa Natsunagi. 

I, who was entrusted with the mission as the detective, shall entrust my will to the next combatant.