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Table of Contents
Prologue
◆The adventure that started again after a year.
◆The cold memories.
◆The maid dancing in the night.
◆The truth to that day, the last wish.
◆The famous detective swears once again.
◆The order beckons.
◆Plant city 20XX.
◆That's how we did it.
◆To all living things, all of them.
◆Till one day we all come home.
◆The original wish.
◆The three warriors.
◆The future entrusted by the one next to me.
◆The unfortunate prince.
◇The story of the happy swallow.
◆Epilogue and Prologue
◆Those who protect the living.
◆On a journey to read the fortunes of the world.
◆Two detectives, twelve justices.
◆That’s how the world revolves.
◆The scales of justice
◆The detective’s completely defeated.
◆The enemy’s name is Arsene.
◆Surely the buzzer will ring thrice.
◆The white devil, and where the soul resides.
◆The curtains open for the next story.
◆Those three dazzling years I spent with her.
◆The True End of Route X.
◆The client and the substitute detective.
◆Nagisa begins to run.
◆Where this muzzle is pointed.
◆The name attached to this feeling.
Prologue
The peach-haired girl who called me by the nickname ‘Nacchan’ got onto
the bed and laid out picture books on it. It seemed she wanted me to choose
one to read.
"Erm, Acchan? I'm also 12, you know. You don't have to read this to
me…"
But she's taking care of me, who's so weak that I couldn't go out, and
while I was grateful for this notion…
Acchan put down the diary she had always scribbled in, opened a picture
book, and started reciting it excitedly.
I felt completely healed just from her voice, but after all, it's too childish
to have someone read a book to me.
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She had a weird codename called Siesta and had a strange vibe to her.
She's no different in age to Acchan and me, but it felt as though she's a
mature adult.
I didn't know if it's a matter of perception, but it should be fine for her to
act like a carefree kid… I, still a kid back then, thought so.
I didn't know when Acchan stopped reading the picture book and joined
our conversation. She's always interested in everything, but she's twice as
likely to lose interest in something. On the plus side, maybe I should pick up
this sense of freedom from her.
"The story's about how a certain kind prince monument shared treasures
to the poor in the city."
Siesta slowly closed the book and silently closed her eyes.
And then, Acchan sat next to me, her legs swaying about.
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So the story's about a rich and kind prince who saved the people of a
city??
"But then."
"Hm, this kind prince monument had a sword ornamented with rubies,
sapphire eyes, gold leaves all over his body. The monument offered
everything to the people of the city, leaving behind only a heart made of lead
and a worn-down body."
Siesta said as she gently raised her hand over her left chest.
"That's so sad!"
Even though it's just a story, Acchan complained for the sake of this
monument.
Siesta's voice prompted us back, and I couldn't help but lean close to her
face.
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"This prince monument had a very important being who could understand
him."
""Understand him?""
And then Siesta spoke of ‘the reason behind the title of this book’—the
one swallow who accompanied him until the very end.
It's the story of a little black bird who, despite nobody understanding it,
remained by the side of its loved one until the very end.
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On that dawn, I swore after the battle against Fuubi-san that I would get
Siesta back one day.
Of course, I knew it wouldn't be easily fulfilled. That's why I was
prepared to bet everything I had. But now, that wish was really—
"You're not《Siesta》, are you?"
The maid appeared in my mind, and I couldn't help but ask.
I couldn't tell the difference between them just by looking at her.
"Are you a fool?"
That nostalgic line darted sharply from the changing room.
"After all this talking, you're still not sure?"
"…Yeah, I guess so."
There's only one person in the world who could chastise me with those
words—Siesta, that's you.
So my wish was granted.
However, there's one reason why I couldn't truly be happy.
For this, an irrevocable price was paid in exchange.
"But it looks like you were able to make contact with that girl."
Siesta's voice interrupted me just as my vision was about to be obscured
again. Judging from the flow of the conversation earlier, the girl Siesta was
referring to must be the maid《Siesta》.
"Yeah. I think I've gotten through all the challenges you gave me."
Siesta, through the maid, gave us challenges and led us to solve our own
problems. The only thing that Siesta miscalculated was that we chose a
different future from the one she had envisioned.
"Where is the maid《Siesta》, now?"
I asked Siesta, her master. Days ago, when I met《Siesta》at the former
hideout of SPES, she seemed to be alive inside a mechanical terminal.
"She's playing a different role now. And I came here after she passed the
master key to me."
I remembered that I had returned the key to that laboratory. Did that maid
foresee this right from the beginning? Did she know that Siesta would wake
up like this?
"Siesta, you—"
—How did you wake up?
I swallowed the question that was about to come out of my mouth.
I didn't need to ask, I knew.
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And Siesta herself probably knew that too. That's why she's here.
"So what I have to do now is to save our friends. To do that, I must defeat
SEED as soon as possible."
Then Siesta said what she had been wishing for, for the last four…no, six
years now.
Before she met me, Siesta encountered SEED on that island. It defeated
her there, took away all her memories of the facility, the organization, and her
friends. Even so, she never forgot her mission, and spent three years with me,
fighting SPES, all to pursue SEED.
At the conclusion of that story, Siesta lost her life, but she succeeded in
implanting her heart and consciousness into the body of her enemy, Hel…or
Natsunagi. That's why Siesta was able to share her memories with Hel and
regain the memories she had once lost.
"I forgot something important."
Behind that thin door, Siesta quietly noted.
"Six years ago, I met Nagisa, and I lost Alicia right before my eyes. I
couldn't let that past go."
Her voice sank. But I knew better than anyone else that this was not the
end of the story for the girl named Siesta.
"I won't forget anymore. I won't let it be taken from me. I won't be lost. I
won't lose. So, you,"
Siesta's feverish voice shot through the bathroom door.
"Just one more time, I want you to be my assistant."
Behind the polished frosted glass, a familiar silhouette emerges.
Four years ago, we had this conversation here.
I did remember turning her down back then. And when I thought of it, I
flushed my cheeks with hot water for the last time before answering.
"—Yeah. Please let me be your assistant again."
It's time to get out of the lukewarm water.
"So please, Siesta, help me figure out a way to save Saikawa."
A few days ago, Saikawa, the potential vessel of the《Primordial Seed》,
was abducted and taken somewhere by SEED. But if the goal was to turn her
into a vessel, SEED wouldn't kill her.
"Yes, SEED has always wanted a perfect vessel. But Yui Saikawa is
neither Hel nor me, and there is a high possibility that some preparation is
required to turn her into a vessel. I'm sure there's still room for us to help."
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Yeah, that's right. About ten days ago, right after I fought Fuubi-san, I
swore to《Siesta》…It was at dawn when I shouted at her, who was in
Natsunagi's heart.
"You're not going to tell me?"
I asked Siesta who was across the table.
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the truth.
I decided that I couldn't take Fuubi-san's statement at face value, and
hurried out of the wardroom…where I met a doctor. The man said he's the
director of this hospital and led me to a certain wardroom. And then,
"Nagisa Natsunagi's sleeping on a bed with a ventilator attached."
There were many tubes connected to her body, and it looked like they
were trying to save the life of a girl with the power of science.
"Then Nagisa is still…"
"I thought she was still alive, too."
Although the situation was certainly unpredictable, Natsunagi was still
alive. There is a possibility that she could be saved, and when I had that
glimmer of hope, the doctor said to me,
"Nagisa Natsunagi is now in a state of brain death."
Brain death literally means that the human brain has completely stopped
functioning, and there's no chance of recovery—zero. The patient will never
wake up again, and in many countries around the world, brain death is
considered to be legal death.
The ECG beat quietly thanks to the ventilator and the medication, but it
wouldn't last for long… Because Natsunagi has no relatives, nobody could
make the decision to take her off the ventilator, and this was the only option
left.
Not long after that, Natsunagi's condition suddenly changed drastically,
and no one was allowed to visit her. The last time I held Natsunagi's hand, it
was as cold as ice, so unbefitting of her name.
"That's how it is."
When Siesta heard what had happened, she lowered her eyes as if she was
pondering about something.
"We can't even check on Nagisa's current situation, huh…"
Yes. As I stated earlier, I wasn't allowed to meet Natsunagi at this point.
In fact, given the definition of no visitors, one could guess to some extent
what happened to Natsunagi. After all, Natsunagi is already—
"I don't know what Natsunagi's condition is now."
I drowned out the answer that should appear in my head and answered
Siesta.
"However, I do know of a person who might know why Natsunagi's in
this state."
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Then, as if changing the conversation, "It's been a year since we last saw
each other," and Siesta said with a smile on her cheeks.
Mia wasn't in London, but here in Japan. The last time she visited Japan
was to confirm in person a changed version of the future she had predicted.
This time, the world had reached a critical turning point when the《famous
detective》came back to life, but there was no way that the《Priestess》would
not come to observe this.
"And Mia might know what happened to Nagisa,"
"Yeah, at least she knows something behind the scenes that I don't."
That's why we're going to visit Mia. About a week ago, Mia and
Natsunagi had a secret meeting at the clock tower in London. We're on our
way to the place where Mia was supposed to be right now to find out what
was going on behind the scenes.
"But Siesta, are you okay?"
I asked, and Siesta nodded her head as if she didn't understand my
intentions.
"Well, you just woke up, and now you're moving."
In other words, after so long, I was concerned that I had taken Siesta
outside without paying attention to her body.
"I'm not so far gone that you have to worry about me."
But perhaps that was an unfounded fear, Siesta mumbled to herself as she
closed her eyes.
"Besides, we don't have much time."
"Yeah, I guess so."
It wouldn't be long before SEED takes Saikawa as its vessel. With that in
mind, I gave a little holler to the driver.
"Can you hurry up a little,《Siesta》?"
She glanced at me through the rearview mirror as she gripped the steering
wheel.
"You know, it's really annoying to be instructed by you, Kimihiko."
Right over there was the old maid version of《Siesta》—who had returned
along with the original famous detective. However, her body was returned to
the real Siesta, and now she has a completely new body…
"What's the matter? Have you fallen in love with the new me?"
Perhaps she noticed my gaze since《Siesta》asked me with a straight face.
"Even if you say it's a new me…isn't it still the same appearance?"
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In other words, there was a girl there with a body that looked exactly like
Siesta. The only differences between her and the original are that she's
wearing a maid's uniform and that she doesn't have a hair clip.
"Yes, because this is《me》."
Just a while ago,《Siesta》was repaired by a mysterious doctor based in the
research facility of《SPES》. If that's the case, then perhaps her new body was
also created by that doctor.
"But unfortunately, I am not optimized for combat. My body and mind
have become machines and I could have become a fighting maid robot."
《Siesta》noted, her expression not changing in the rearview mirror.
"A machine's heart? That doesn't sound right to me."
And then I complained to her.
"Someone who can wish for someone else can't be just a machine."
She disobeyed her master's orders for the sake of saving the latter…given
this contradiction, her heart is definitely real.
"Isn't that right, Siesta?"
"…Yes. I never thought I'd see the day when the lot of you would surprise
me so much."
It was a line of dialogue in which she honestly admitted defeat, but her
mouth seemed to loosen up.
"Then we'll have to come up with a name for you."
Siesta then turned her attention to the driver's seat. It was true that《Siesta》
should be given a new name, both in the sense of distinguishing the two of
them and also to grant her a new lease of life.
"You will give me a name?"
The car stopped at a red light and《Siesta》blinked in the mirror.
Then Siesta leaned forward in the back seat, put a moon-shaped hairpin in
the driver's silvery-white hair, and said,
"Your name is Noches."
Well, that's certainly a fitting name for the girl who bore the name of
midday until now.
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That was the common understanding that Siesta and I had arrived at
without speaking to each other. A year ago, Siesta had lost her heart and her
life, but her body was preserved in a cryogenic state and she continued to
exist in a state of suspended animation. Therefore, there's one necessary piece
required to truly bring Siesta back to life—the heart.
Due to the power of the《seed》, Siesta's consciousness remained in her
heart. In other words, as long as that heart could be returned to her body…her
physical body and spirit could be reunited once more, and she would be
revived. That's a simple story.
But there is one big problem with that, too big in fact. Siesta's heart was
buried in Nagisa Natsunagi's body. In the past, Natsunagi (Hel) had damaged
her own heart when she fought Siesta and then attacked random people on the
streets of London in an attempt to find a replacement. In the end, it was
Siesta's heart that finally fit the bill. Therefore, if she were to lose that heart
again, Natsunagi would—
"Yes."
Mia stared at me without changing her expression.
"Nagisa Natsunagi realized that possibility herself and told me. She said
to me, "If I die…this heart can be returned to its owner, then the《famous
detective》will be revived, right"?"
—As expected, Natsunagi resolved herself at that moment.
She decided that her death would bring Siesta back to life.
That's why, a week ago in London, Natsunagi had promised me.
"I'll get Siesta back, no matter what it takes."
No matter what it took, even if it cost her life.
"…Mia, didn't you try to stop her?"
I asked as I felt my nails claw into my palms.
"I did."
"! Then why…!"
"Because!"
Mia's scream echoed through the observatory.
"That's what changing the future is all about!"
She was the angriest she had ever been, her shoulders shaking furiously as
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she cried further. She burst into tears with rage towards me, or perhaps
towards herself.
"No matter how painful the choice is, if you really have a wish that you
want to fulfill, we…!”
…Yeah, that's right. That's what I asked of Mia. Together, we could get
Siesta back, and I asked her to find a new future route. This was the result.
A year ago, Siesta died and Natsunagi survived thanks to her heart.
And now, Natsunagi's dead, and the heart revived Siesta.
This was the only Route X ending that could fulfill the miracle I'd hoped
for.
"I made her do it, didn't I?"
I was referring to Mia and Natsunagi. I couldn't blame them.
"No matter what you sacrifice, no matter what the cost, don't stop trying
to make your wish come true.”
I remembered Bat's last words to me.
I thought I was ready for this the entire time.
I was so prepared to do this that I consumed the《seed》, and in other
words, I gave up my body.
Even if the《seed》would take a body part or some of my lifespan, I was
willing to do it as long as it could bring Siesta back to life.
…But I didn't think of the possibility that Natsunagi was thinking the
same thing. I didn't realize how much Natsunagi wanted to get Siesta back
and that it wasn't just me.
Yes, Natsunagi and Siesta had already met six years earlier than I did.
Their memories were stolen by SEED. They met as enemies and eventually
parted by death.
But that bereavement was due to Siesta's devotion to Natsunagi, who used
her own heart to fulfill Natsunagi's wish to live again, to attend school. So,
now that Natsunagi had regained her memory and knew of the whole story, it
wasn't unnatural for her to try to save Siesta, even at the cost of her own life.
"Nagisa gave a relieved smile."
Mia said, wiping her tears again and again.
"Of course, she never thought about dying in the beginning, but… even
so, she finally fulfilled her duty as a detective, and was able to repay the debt
to you and Senpai."
"…!"
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That's a mistake. Natsunagi wasn't the one who hadn't returned the favor,
it was me.
"I asked Nagisa, ‘Are you not scared? Is this fine?’ And then she said,"
Mia looked out into the distance,
"She said she was just returning what she owed. She said this is the right
route."
That was what Nagisa said, Mia recalled, describing what happened
behind the scenes that day.
"That can't be it, that's not the future I wanted…"
"Yes. I did not think it was right either. I was not supposed to think so."
Mia muttered as she looked beyond the glass window of the observatory
under the sunset.
"It is not the right choice. At least, I knew right away that that future was
not the one you, Kimihiko Kimizuka, wanted. After all you did to persuade
me, after all my emotions you moved, after all the help you gave me…if this
was the result, I felt I could not complain even if you beat me up."
"Still," Mia continued.
"I couldn't deny Nagisa Natsunagi's…zeal for that choice."
A single tear ran down Mia's face.
I wondered if Mia cried like this when she couldn't stop Siesta's bet a year
and a half ago.
"That is why I cannot bring myself to meet Senpai. I betrayed her wishes
and tried to put Nagisa Natsunagi's zeal first. That is why—"
"That's not true."
At that moment, a third person's voice echoed through the observation
deck, neither mine nor Mia's. Mia turned around, as though dragged by the
voice ripping through the air, and looked next to me.
"It has been a while, Mia."
It was the first reunion after a year between the Priestess and the
Detective, two allies of justice.
"Sen…pai…"
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"First of all, I'm the one who owes you an apology. I'm sorry, Mia."
Siesta then apologized to Mia.
"…Why, Senpai?"
Mia's round wisteria eyes flickered, as though she didn't understand
Siesta's intentions.
"I caused you trouble in the past because of my selfishness. I'd like to
apologize again for that."
It was a year and a half ago when Siesta planned to have the enemy steal
the《Bible》, with the possibility that she would ultimately sacrifice herself.
Siesta had requested Mia's help in realizing her plan.
"…You were just trying to fulfill your mission as a《Tuner》, Senpai. I did
not have the resolve."
Mia cried into Siesta's chest and let her tears flow.
"And now, once again, I… "
"That's different, too."
But Siesta grabbed Mia by both shoulders and insisted firmly.
"After all, we haven't reached the end of this route yet."
Mia's eyes widened.
"It's true that Nagisa's sacrifice revived me. But who says this is the end?"
And like Mia, my body trembled at Siesta's statement.
Just as I had vowed that this story would not end until I brought Siesta
back to life.
Siesta also hadn't given up on Nagisa Natsunagi, even in this desperate
situation.
"Okay, Mia?"
And so Siesta declared on this observatory, in the heart of Japan.
"I'm going to save Nagisa Natsunagi."
Just like she never gave up on me.
That's what Siesta promised Mia and me, or herself.
"…Really?"
Mia asked Siesta in a somewhat childish voice.
Siesta wiped away Mia's tears and said with a smile.
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"I'm sorry."
Then, after a moment, Mia bowed to us again.
But that's not what she said earlier.
"The future surrounding this《Primordial Seed》is unobservable to me now,
no matter how I try."
The original plan was for Mia to observe the future surrounding SEED,
the《world's enemy》, but that had ended in failure.
"No, that's to be expected. I know it's not always so convenient to see
what you want to see."
"…That, too, I suppose."
But Mia glanced at me as if she wanted to say something.
"What's wrong? Something you can't say?"
The people around me usually weren't the type to shy away from speaking
their minds.
"Maybe she's implying it's your fault?"
The first to reply was the white-haired girl next to me.
"You think I'm the reason why Mia can't see into the future?"
That's ridiculous. I looked at Mia and she awkwardly averted her gaze.
Really, me?
"What did I do?"
"You changed the future."
Siesta took over and said plainly.
"In the future I originally envisioned, you, Nagisa, Charl, and Yui would
have defeated《SPES》…SEED."
Of course, so she said, it was just a wish. That was Siesta's dying wish…
Me and Natsunagi, Charl and Saikawa, we're Siesta's legacy.
"But from there, all of you started walking a path that even I couldn't have
imagined."
…Yeah, that's right. I couldn't give up on Siesta, so I started exploring the
possibilities with Natsunagi and the others. It's a future that neither the
Priestess nor the Famous Detective could have imagined.
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And so here we are—Natsunagi lost her life, Saikawa got abducted by the
enemy, and Charl in critical condition. We've taken a route too far from
Siesta's expectations and my ideals.
"Now, the future is too uncertain."
Mia, who has been listening to us with her eyes closed, slowly opened her
eyelids and spoke,
"As a result of your disruption of the future, there is no longer a set route
for the battle against the《Primordial Seed》. There is no longer anything I can
observe, including the process of who will win."
That's the conclusion of the《Priestess》Mia Whitlock. Even she, a Tuner
who could see the future, couldn't foresee the end of this story—but.
"But that doesn't mean we've lost yet."
It certainly wasn't the route I had envisioned. I lost three of my most
important friends. But at this moment, there's still one last hope next to me.
"Right, Siesta?"
I stare at that hope called the famous detective.
If the future's uncertain, we'd just have to defeat the enemies of the world
with our own hands.
And then we'd get all of our friends back. That's the ending Siesta was
aiming for.
"Yes. That's why I came back."
Siesta's fleeting smile wasn't the confident face of a hero.
But in this current situation where there's no light, just having her next to
me gave me hope that I could still see tomorrow.
"Assistant."
Siesta pointed at my chest. I noticed my smartphone vibrating in the
inside pocket of my jacket, checked the name, and answered the call.
"Yo, shitty brat, about time you got out of the blankets, huh?"
I could hear a puff of smoke from the speaker.
The person on the other end of the line was none other than Fuubi Kase—
the one who had first informed me of the death of Nagisa Natsunagi.
"Fuubi-san, we still have Natsunagi after…"
"—Kimihiko Kimizuka."
A chillingly cold voice came from the phone.
"If you have time to cling to hope, take your weapon."
…Ahh, I knew. That's the person called Fuubi Kase.
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"What is…this…?"
A tad later, Siesta and I recovered from our mysterious ailment and rushed
from the Tower to the scene. However, the sight before us made me stand
still.
We were on the streets under the setting sun, there were long, thick plant
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"Assistant!"
A tad later, Siesta landed on the asphalt with a thud.
This one too is naturally inhuman.
"Long time no see, famous detective."
Fuubi-san grinned at the sight of Siesta, but she didn’t seem to be
surprised by the latter’s presence. It seemed she already realized that Siesta
had revived.
"I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused you after I died."
Siesta then apologized to Fuubi-san in a way that only she could say after
reviving.
"Also, I want to thank you for protecting everyone, including Charl."
And that's what she said too…though she’s giving Fuubi-san a cold stare
for some reason.
"Hmm? Yeah, right back at you."
Fuubi-san lowered me from the princess’ carry in a scary manner.
"So, what's the situation?"
Siesta then asked Fuubi-san again about what's going on in the city. Since
she called us all of a sudden, she probably had an idea of what’s going on.
"Somehow, it just happened suddenly and without warning. A huge tree
grew through a building in the middle of the city, and the ground cracked
everywhere. Then the plants started attacking people."
The police are panicking now, Fuubi-san sighed.
"You think SEED is around here too?"
I asked Fuubi-san. With all the commotion caused, it’d be hard to believe
the enemy isn't at the scene.
"I doubt it. I don't even know what the enemy looks like."
"Is it possible that you are the SEED?"
Siesta stated bluntly. I remember such an incident in London about a year
ago, when SEED contacted us by taking on Fuubi-san.
"Huh, did your deduction skills dull while you were dead?"
But Fuubi-san laughed off Siesta's comment.
"If I was really your enemy, I would have killed that shitty brat back
then."
Yeah, that's true too. It seems that she is the real Fuubi Kase.
"But if that's the case, then what?"
Siesta then looked at Fuubi-san incredulously.
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"Yeah, really hurry up. I've been matching your pace the entire time."
"…I'm starting to think it'd be faster if you carried me instead."
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looked up, thinking it was impossible, and a moment later, a gunshot rang
out. The bullet ripped through the wind and cut through the black smoke.
"It's still a hundred years too early for you to worry about me.”
Siesta, implying that I would never be able to catch up with her, held the
musket before me while I was on my knees. And in the distance, beyond the
flames of the explosion, was the silhouette of the enemy I had seen days ago.
"—It's been a while, but you haven't changed."
The black smoke cleared, and the《Primordial Seed》said to Siesta. SEED
shouldn’t be able to distinguish between humans, but it seemed to think of
Siesta, a former vessel candidate, as a special existence.
"You look different every time I see you."
Siesta replied to SEED with a blank look. Six years ago, Siesta first
encountered SEED, and most probably had seen her enemy transform.
At this point though, SEED looked almost exactly the same as it did when
I met it a week ago. Its long hair was a contrasting mixture of white and dull,
and armor covered up to its neck. Its expression was lifeless and neutral, and
its eyes appeared devoid of emotions…as if it had abandoned them
completely.
"I think there used to be a bit more of a human side to you."
However, Siesta unexpectedly said this, as if to say that even though
SEED was a seed that came from outer space, it used to be more human to
some extent.
"What are you talking about?"
But SEED, of course, tilted its head at an unnatural angle, as if it couldn't
understand human language.
It was not playing dumb, being selectively oblivious about them like Hel
did. The fact that Nagisa Natsunagi couldn't defeat it even after such passion
was proof that emotions didn’t exist in the《Primordial Seed》.
"That's enough discussion. I've already given the order."
Four《feelers》grew from SEED's back, and thick thorns sprouted from the
ripped ground. The《seeds》that were already cast across the world were
starting to bloom.
"The vessel will be completed soon. For now, let's first eliminate the
foreign enemies that hinder this survival instinct."
And with that, the tips of the plants SEED controlled, including
the《feelers》, all turn towards us at once. It’s right in the sense that there’s no
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room for discussion. What awaited us was truly the last battle.
Even though it got damaged in the battle days ago, could we actually beat
it in a straight fight? Now that night has fallen and the sun had set, we can no
longer expect the sunlight that was SEED's weakness.
"What do we do, Siesta?"
I ask my partner, the most reliable person in the world, as we stood side
by side.
"Don't worry, I've got an idea."
Ah, there it is. Such a relief. That's how I was protected under her big
umbrella for three years. Yep, so while I got carried up like this…
"…Hmm?"
Siesta picked me up on her shoulder and moved forward, darting through
the《feelers》.
Then, leaping through the air, she threw me behind SEED.
"That's unreasonable …!"
I rolled straight into the entrance of the building directly in front of us.
But that building was the very one we were heading towards.
"Take care of Yui for me."
"…Your words and actions always never match up."
In hindsight, whenever Siesta said she had a good idea, it was usually a
bad idea for me. But there was no time to complain.
"I'll be back in ten minutes."
I turned my back on the battlefield and went to Saikawa's rescue.
Ten minutes—that is, if Siesta could fend off the enemy's attack for that
long. For the time being though, I had no choice but to trust and respect the
choice Siesta made to send me out. Besides…I wouldn’t think she’d choose
to sacrifice herself now.
With this thought in mind, I walked through the deserted interior of this
fashion building—which just a few hours ago was supposed to be a vibrant
center of youth.
"Can’t use the escalators or elevators, huh?"
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The electricity supply was cut off, and the building was pitch dark. A
large tree grew straight up in the middle of the floor, and there were vines
growing everywhere. I walked through them and found a staircase leading to
the upper floors.
The building’s eight-stories high. I thought that I could go up to the roof
and jump down onto that big《fruit》. I always simulated this in my mind, but I
had a headache thinking…about how easy it was to save Saikawa.
Siesta’s fighting SEED right now, and Saikawa’s held captive by the
enemy. The critically injured Charl’s still in the still in the hospital, and as for
Natsunagi—
"…!"
I knew I couldn’t do much to alter their fates, and there's no point in
thinking about them now. Nevertheless, as I ran up the stairs two steps at a
time, their faces naturally appeared in my mind.
I thought I was alone, but then I realized that they were all around me.
Before I knew it, there were too many important things in my life. The
moment I found find something more important than myself—
"!"
I was halfway up the stairs between the fourth and fifth floors. On the
landing, I saw a figure crouched down.
"Are you all right?"
Perhaps it was a shopper who had failed to escape or a civilian who had
been abducted by the《feeler》.
It's too dark to see clearly, but I reach out to touch its curled back.
"—Gaa, aaaaah!!!"
But at that moment, the crouched shadow let out a screeching moan,
suddenly turned around, and lunged at me.
The figure grabbed at me like a zombie, but it’s not as strong as I thought.
I knocked it off its feet and put a gun to its head.
"You."
At the muzzle was Chameleon, a foe I'd seen many times before.
"…No."
But I soon realized it wasn’t the Chameleon I fought before—it's a doll.
About a year ago, I encountered SEED at the《SPES》experimental facility, it
cut off a piece of itself to spawn a clone—Perhaps this doll had a seed, and
while not being as powerful as an《android》, it was by definition a plant, an
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organism.
"Forgive me."
Still, I uttered so and shot the enemy in the head. Then the Chameleon-
like doll rapidly shriveled up, as if I were watching a plant wither in fast
forward.
"—I, t."
And finally, with such a strangled voice, the doll disappeared.
—it hurts.
I couldn’t help but think about the meaning of the words left behind.
Was it the urge to feel pain, to scream in that way, so different from
emotions? If the《Primordial Seed》had no emotions, then the《android
clones》created—
"—Mission, accomplished."
The voice came from behind me.
I turned to see a large, sharp claw looming before me.
"!"
I dodged it, lost my balance, and caught sight of the attacker.
"You're still as big as ever, Cerberus."
The《android》Cerberus was a two-meter tall man with the appearance of a
priest. Though this enemy ultimately changed its form into a full-blown
beast, just as it did in the past.
"I'm sorry, but I don't have time to deal with you."
I didn't hesitate to pull the trigger of my gun and silenced the enemy with
three bullets.
"—I, t."
Cerberus chirped with a faint voice, but it too was a doll. Normally, this
would have been enough to stop the enemy, but it took three bullets and
collapsed towards me as if it had run out of steam.
It was two meters tall, but I could hardly feel its weight, and its body
began to wilt while leaning against me. Finally, the proud wolf murmured
into my ear.
"—I want to live.”
It wanted to live.
It didn’t say it was in pain. It wanted to live.
Chameleon, Cerberus, all living things, all of them. Everyone wanted to
live, everyone wanted to stay alive, just as I wanted Siesta to revive, just as I
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I ran up the stairs and finally reached the door leading to the roof. I shot
the lock, kicked the door open, and stepped out.
"Here too…!"
The roof was covered with thick branches and leaves, and a canopy of
large trees was protruding from the top. I waded through them, heading
towards the edge of the rooftop.
"Saikawa!"
I looked down a few meters, and saw the giant《fruit》clinging to the wall
of the building. From afar, it looked like a distorted half-sphere, but when I
looked at it from above, it resembled the cross section of a pomegranate, with
Saikawa and the others sleeping inside, surrounded by its spherical reddish-
black flesh.
I made up my mind to jump down toward the《fruit》, which seemed
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It’s a self-deprecating voice stating that she’s still unable to move well.
"Well you sure helped me out here. How did you get to that building from
the hospital though?"
"That girl helped me get here."
Charl’s probably referring to《Siesta》…Noches. If that's the case, Noches
must have told her about the current situation of Natsunagi and Siesta.
"I see. You should go somewhere safe and rest…"
"Kimizuka."
I was about to hang up.
"Save our friends, please."
It sounds like a run-of-the-mill line of dialogue and would have sounded
more natural if we’re working as a platoon or a team. These words coming
from Charlotte Arisaka Anderson seemed so much more important, however.
"Yeah, I know."
That's why I summarized all the years of my thoughts into one word, and
ended the call.
"Saikawa, it's time for you to get up.”
Then I finally cut off the stalk-like connection between Saikawa and
the《fruit》and shook her awake.
"…Kimizuka, san?"
Saikawa woke up in a daze.
The ocean-blue eye peeped out of her left eye socket which was not
covered by an eye patch.
"Yeah, Kimihiko of Kimizuka-san's family.
I said, holding Saikawa in my arms like a princess.
"You've come to save me?"
"I'm being helped, too."
I was saved by Fuubi-san, Siesta, and Charl just now. Apparently, I
wasn’t strong enough to protect what's important to me alone. I was just
making do with whatever I could get.
"…You're still the same, Kimizuka-san."
Saikawa gave a dumbfounded wry smile.
"That's okay. You don't have to make a punchline every time."
"You don’t mind if I’m a little more wilful? Once in a while."
We hadn't seen each other for a few days, and we bantered away but the
rest of our conversation would have to hold until we got out of here…once
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everything’s over. I held Saikawa in my arms and got ready to leap to the
ground.
"Yes, but you don't have to act cool like that."
And Saikawa clung to me,
"You've always been cool, Kimizuka-san."
She muttered something softly, and it vanished with the sound of the
wind.
"Siesta!"
I returned to the battlefield and found Siesta a short distance away from
the building. Despite the little cuts on her forehead and shoulders, she
appeared to be standing firmly on her feet.
"That was quicker than I expected. I thought you wouldn’t be back in
another two hours."
…Underestimating me like always. I'd say I was two minutes late though.
"So, how’s Yui?"
"Yeah, she's fine…we got into a little argument at the end though."
It seemed her opinion of me plummeted when I decided not to jump off
the building, and chose to return to the building through the window. That's
unreasonable.
"I left her to Fuubi-san for now, so don't worry."
When I went downstairs with Saikawa on my back, I came across a red-
haired policewoman with an anchor-like device stuck into the outer wall of
the building. I asked her to rescue the others who were trapped inside
the《fruit》, so she's helping Saikawa and the others escape to safety.
"So, Siesta, what's your current situation?"
I look around again. Many of the buildings were wrecked and covered in
vines, and the ground was so splinted, the city was basically paralyzed.
"I guess it's round two now."
Siesta suddenly stared sharply at one of the collapsed buildings. Soon, out
of the cloud of dust—
"SEED…"
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SEED’s armor was partially shattered, and it appeared, swaying from side
to side. Apparently, for the past ten minutes or so, the《famous detective》had
been going toe-to-toe with the《world’s enemy》.
"I've got Saikawa back."
I stood next to Siesta and said so to SEED.
"You’ll never get Saikawa again. SEED, that’s the end of your
ambitions."
I point my Magnum at the enemy, while Siesta pointed her musket in
unison.
"—Yes, I know. That's why I had just retrieved the《seed》."
And then, in the depths of the SEED's colorless eyes, there was a brief
flash of blue light.
…Wait, did he use the《fruit》on the large tree to extract the《seed》from
Saikawa's body?
"The vessel I’ve been seeking is here."
And so, eight《feelers》extended from SEED's back, their tips all pointing
towards Siesta at once. There were too many to shoot back with bullets, and
these《feelers》would soon regenerate. We ducked behind a collapsed building
to avoid the enemy's attack.
"So I guess that's it."
Siesta, wiping the sweat and blood from her forehead, added to what
SEED just said.
"This is a repeat of a year ago. Now that I have a heart in my left chest,
and my body is currently intact. In other words, SEED is trying to set me up
as a vessel once again."
"So that's what this is about…"
A year ago, Siesta lost her privilege to be SEED's vessel when she died.
But now that she's come back to life, she's qualified to be a vessel for SEED
again.
"But don't worry. I won't become a vessel again."
Siesta said with a resolute expression, however.
"While you were gone, I actually noticed something."
"Well, what a coincidence. Me too."
We looked at each other and nodded. I didn’t know if we're both assuming
the same thing, but at least we're not misguided.
"Assistant."
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clones it creates."
Yes, while SEED continued to transfer its power, its own power had
weakened as it shared its abilities with its own subordinates and sowed
its《seeds》all over the planet. This was the truth that Siesta had realized only
because she had engaged SEED once before, and encountered it again several
years later.
Even so, while SEED should be much stronger than ordinary《Androids》,
its current physical regeneration ability had been weakened due to the sun's
rays, which Bat sacrificed his life for. The resurrected《famous detective》was
able to fight on equal footing.
"—I do not understand."
Then SEED said with its spine bent, its face facing the ground.
"Why would I go to the trouble of losing my powers and then share them
with a clone?"
It wasn't playing dumb or trying to bluff us. It really didn't understand.
"Because that's what you wanted, right?"
Then I'll at least remind it of its thoughts.
Perhaps it had forgotten that wish.
"SEED, what do you want? Your survival instinct—"
And so I said the hypothesis I'd derived in that building.
"It’s really just a way to get your offspring to survive, wasn't it?"
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before. The surface of its body was covered by some black scales that I hadn't
seen before.
"—Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
The monster that appeared to be about ten meters long ripped down the
traffic lights, crushed abandoned cars and rushed toward us on all fours.
"…!"
It's not something we could intercept with a gun. Siesta and I ran as fast as
we could to dodge, but Betelgeuse couldn’t stop in its tracks, and crashed into
the building behind us. The monster quickly turned around again and,
perhaps having sniffed out blood, immediately set its sights on us. We're
running out of time, and there's no way out.
"Assistant."
Just then, Siesta pointed upward.
I could hear an engine in the sky—reinforcements, perhaps arranged by
Fuubi-san, or maybe the military’s officially mobilized. A number of combat
drones appeared from beyond the moon, readying missile bombs.
"…Thanks for that, huh."
"I don’t think we’ll be safe either…"
Siesta and I nodded at each other and sprinted again as fast as we could.
Not long after that, we were hit by the sound of explosions and the heat of
the flames behind us. I could smell burned stuff, and,
“—Gooaaaaaahhhhhh.”
It was such a deafening roar that my eardrums would burst if I didn’t
cover my ears. It showed that the missile did indeed land on the monster. We
ducked beneath a pile of rubble, shielded ourselves from the hot air, and
watched as the black smoke cleared…
"—Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
The monster roared again. The black scales might have withstood the
attacks, or maybe it didn't care about the swirling flames, for Betelgeuse
extended dozens of its《feelers》at the drones flying above.
"If any one of those things crash on us, we're not going to escape
unharmed…"
Betelgeuse's《feelers》chased the fleeing drones through the night sky,
knocking them down one by one into the distance.
"While you still can,"
But then Siesta, right next to me, moved.
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I shielded Siesta, but there was no way I could protect her from the
enemy's attack. Right when I prepared myself for my demise.
—Zassshh, and then.
If I had to describe it, that was the sound of a large blade or spear slicing
through something. I didn’t feel any pain though, so my back wasn't gouged
by the monster's claws—which meant,
A girl wearing a black coat swung her red glowing saber to the side.
Her long hair flowed in the wind. The slight glimpse of her profile was the
face of the girl I wished to see again, no matter the cost.
Betelgeuse let out a cry of pain and reeled back. It was the pain caused by
a large wound in its right paw—Hel's cleaving red blade had shattered the
monster's scales.
"This sword is specialized to cut the cells replicated by the《Primordial
Seed》."
On the scorched battlefield, she turned and said, lowering the tip of her
saber.
She has fiery crimson eyes beneath her long glossy hair. She’s dressed in
a black and red cloak-like military uniform, just as she did when I met her a
year ago.
"Come to think of it, that sword was used to kill Cerberus back then…"
I recalled back to the night I first encountered Hel a year ago. Back then,
the saber wielded by Hel decapitated the《Android Cerberus》with a single
blow.
"And my own heart too, you know."
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That night, Hel's brainwashing ability was used against her by Siesta,
losing her heart to her own blade.
"It was originally entrusted to me by Father to prevent a rebellion among
my people."
Hel narrowed her eyes at SEED, standing beneath the giant monster
which stood slumped and unconscious with a hole in its stomach.
"I never thought I'd be pointing this at the Father."
There was a large cut on SEED's neck, beneath the shattered armor, that
hadn't fully recovered. Who inflicted that wound…that was the first question
she had to ask.
Days ago, there was a fight in an abandoned building. While I was asleep,
there was a girl who fought for her life. And now, the presence of this girl in
uniform in front of me brought me more than just additional fighting strength
—it brought me so much hope.
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Literally the next moment, she was slashing at the monster's other paw with
her red blade.
"…What happened to the talk about fighting together?"
Siesta, who was left behind, let out a frustrated whimper. I hope you'll
take this opportunity to understand how I feel.
"If you're frustrated, why don't you follow me?"
Hel turned around, looked at Siesta and smirked.
"…. I think I'll defeat you first."
Even so, Siesta bounced along and fired a bullet into Betelgeuse's missing
scales.
"With a body this big, one bullet won't do much good."
"I don't need you to tell me that."
The two of them bickered away as they continued to fight the monster.
From an outsider's point of view, it's like two sisters fighting. However,
having inherited the same DNA from the same parent through the seed, they
might actually be sisters.
"—Common DNA, huh?"
I was suddenly reminded of something a year ago, when Siesta and Hel
battled on that isolated island. At the end of it, Hel took Siesta's heart and
adapted it to her body, but since that heart had been returned to Siesta's left
chest by Natsunagi's plan. Whose heart then was in the left chest of
Natsunagi (Hel)…and whose heart was throbbing away now?
"—G-gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
The monster's high-pitched noise-like scream bellowed. It unleashed lots
of《feelers》at Hel and Siesta, who continued to bicker as they inflicted
irreparable damage on Betelgeuse.
"So, Hel, how are you moving now?"
Siesta took one look at Hel's left chest while pointing her musket at the
enemy. The new heart should be buried there…and it seemed she wanted to
know who the donor was.
"I, or we, are borrowing her life now."
"….Her?"
Then, leaving a frowning Siesta behind, Hel dives into the enemy's bosom
alone.
"—So, it is what it is."
And then I realized a possibility. Since they had the same clinical trials
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"Hel, that thing in your left chest is Alicia's heart, isn't it?"
When I said that, Siesta widened her eyes before Hel did.
Hel, on the other hand, blinked slowly for a moment, and opened her red
eyes that were illuminated with a quiet flame.
"Yes. We are now kept alive by her heartbeat."
"…How?"
Siesta's blue eyes flickered.
"Why Alicia's heart? Six years ago, she…. "
In the past, Alicia was supposedly dead after protecting Natsunagi and
Siesta in the《SPES》experimental facility. Nevertheless, why’s Alicia's heart
in Natsunagi's left chest now?
"Because she was also one of the candidates for Father's vessel. That's
why special measures were taken at that time."
Hel then recounted the information from six years ago that she learned as
a former executive of SPES.
"That day, she couldn't accept Father's《seed》, and her body died. But as a
potential vessel, her organs were a valuable sample—just as your body
survived cryonics, her heart alone was left behind in a special environment."
The explanation reminded me of the《SPES》experimental facility I had
visited days ago. Siesta’s will wasn’t the only thing there, Alicia’s will too.
"Alicia's heart has inherited SEED's DNA. That's why it's compatible with
your body."
Six years ago, at the experimental facility of《SPES》, Siesta, Natsunagi,
and Alicia were subjected to drug experiments under the guise of clinical
trials. The purpose was clear, to prevent their bodies from rejecting SEED
when they would one day become its vessels. The cells of the《Primordial
Seed》were implanted in their bodies as antibodies.
"This is the case. However, this heart was from when she was twelve
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years old….and since it hasn't fully matured yet, we cannot push ourselves
too hard with this body."
Hel said so, having played an important role thus far.
"So I cannot say I'm as strong as I used to be…"
As Hel was about to say this, she suddenly widened her eyes in surprise.
Siesta was crying in front of her.
"I'm sorry, Alicia."
A single tear fell from her blue eyes.
"I couldn't save you six years ago."
Siesta cried as she apologized to Hel's left chest.
That was her past before she became the《famous detective》. That's the
only regret she could no longer revisit. It was because of that day that Siesta
embarked on her journey to fight the enemies of the world.
"I was so weak back then. I couldn't protect you—but."
Siesta said proudly, her tears still flowing.
"Not anymore. I won't let anyone take what's important to me anymore.
So I want you to fight with me again, you."
And with that, the detective reached out her left hand to the friend in her
distant memory.
"My name is Hel, codename Hel, and as queen of the underworld, I shall
grant you this."
With that, Hel looked at Siesta in the eye and said.
"Thank you for remembering me."
It was the reply of Alicia's last wish. But now Hel informed Siesta of the
voice that must have come from the heartbeat in the left chest.
Immediately after that, the monster that had sunk to the ground bellowed
again. As a last stand, dozens of《feelers》grew from its back and swung
wildly. But those that were hit by the red bullets flailed aimlessly, unable to
attack Siesta standing in front of us.
"It looks like the story of six years is about to reach its climax."
"Yeah, let's end it now, all of us."
And so the black and white girls stood side by side, grasping their gun and
sword.
Was it just me?
My eyes caught sight of another small back between them.
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The exchange of lives seemed like an eternity, never letting up for even a
moment. But the battle, which lasted mere minutes, came to an end with a
short whimper from the giant monster.
"You did it, huh?"
As I saw Siesta and Hel huff their shoulders heavily, and opened my
tightly clenched fists.
"…Haa…haa, isn’t your pet not too well trained?"
"…!…Haa, they say that troublesome children are more adorable."
They bickered as they saw Betelgeuse sink to the ground at the foot of a
large tree that is now almost an integral part of the fashion building. The evil
monster was now finally stopped by Siesta's gunfire and Hel's swordplay.
"Finally, how did you manage to slip into the enemy's pocket and hit it
with bullets?"
"I didn't want you to take all the credit."
"Still an ally of justice who hates to lose, like always."
So they said, still facing each other. They weren’t enemies or allies, but as
comrades with a common goal, they succeeded in fighting together—
however.
"Be careful you.”
I warned as I approached Siesta and Hel. What would happen the moment
the《biological weapon》Betelgeuse was defeated? I knew more than anyone
else, since I was the one most affected by it.
"—Pollen."
Siesta squinted, staring into the distance. From the prostrate remains of
Betelgeuse, the buds of a large flower begin to sprout. A year ago, during the
battle against Hel, I was exposed to the pollen that were released from that
flower, and I lost my memory of the events of the past few hours. After that, I
spent a lukewarm year, forgetting the truth of Siesta's death and even the
wishes she entrusted to me.
And now, the same thing is about to happen again. So, I had to nip the
buds before they reached full bloom.
"Something's wrong."
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But this time, Hel stopped me from taking action. The next moment, all
the buds that had sprouted all over Betelgeuse's body began to wither at once.
At first, I thought it was because Betelgeuse had lost the power to bloom,
having been completely defeated by Siesta and Hel. However, once I thought
about who created Betelgeuse in the first place, the answer was obvious.
"—SEED."
Beneath the big tree, next to the fallen monster, a humanoid silhouette
appeared, swaying.
SEED, the parent of all the clones.
And before I knew it, the hole in the belly closed up like a regenerating
cell. Several《feelers》extending from its back started absorbing energy from
Betelgeuse on the ground. SEED was capable of sharing its power with
the《androids》, but it was also capable of retrieving the power it had given
away.
"Father."
Hel blurted out.
Her expression was obscured by her black hair blowing in the wind.
"—Why?"
SEED uttered noisily.
"Hel, why are you standing on that side? What is your mission? Are you
going to let our《seed》die out like this?"
And so SEED, reunited with his former right-hand for the first time in
perhaps a year, stated coldly without any emotion or sentiment whatsoever,
demanding for her to fight under it once more.
"I would like to say I always wanted to do that."
Hel then took a few steps towards the distant SEED and said,
"Unfortunately, I am no match for this famous detective. Throughout the
battle I saw it up close. I cannot inflict even a single fatal wound in this
state."
Hel's mouth slackened as she calmly analyzed the difference in strength
between herself and Siesta. She knew better than anyone that she would lose.
"Father, we have lost."
With that, Hel declared the end of the long-running battle between《SPES》
and the《famous detective》. She wasn’t just referring to herself, and
determined that at this point, even SEED wouldn’t be able to beat Siesta.
"—Then, Hel, be my vessel."
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The tip of Hel's saber, held in her right hand, was pointed at SEED.
That was the conclusion Hel came to. She had once been tormented by the
fact that she had no identity, and had questioned her raison d’etre. At this
moment though, she had discovered the answer by entrusting the proof of her
existence to others. And for Hel, that other person was a mirror that looked at
her from the outside and saw what she couldn’t with her own eyes.
Just as Siesta now tried to protect Hel’s own existence from the enemy,
and just as Natsunagi had taught Hel about the passionate emotions that she
had been unaware of, Hel had entrusted her course of action to a neighbor
who understood her better than she did herself.
"SEED, with this sword you gave me, I shall lead you there."
Hel's crimson eyes glowed, and her words were filled with her entire soul.
But that has nothing to do with her ability to use the《seed》. It was Hel's vow
to bring this story to a close.
"—As expected."
And SEED, standing next to the wilting Betelgeuse, quietly accepts Hel's
defection. There was no one left on the battlefield to join SEED.
Paradoxically however, the《Primordial Seed》remained is still here. The
future that SEED, whose instinct was to produce offspring, will choose on
this battlefield was—
"If the parent dies, the child cannot survive.”
A dark purple color appeared in SEED's dull eyes.
"Assistant, are you ready?"
"Yeah, for a whole year."
This was the beginning of the final battle between《SPES》and the《famous
detective》.
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SEED showed its will to fight again to protect its survival instinct to leave
offspring, and might be done collecting energy from the《biological weapon》.
Also, from both shoulders, huge《feelers》spread like a dragon's wings.
"Siesta!"
Seeing the enemy ready itself for battle, I grab my gun. At the very least,
it's not a situation where I could afford to slow them down.
"Yeah, let's go."
I attacked the enemy from the right side with Siesta, while Hel attacked
from the left side with the saber at her hip. Our first priority was to deal with
the two《feelers》that extend from both shoulders. We split into two groups to
deal with each one《feeler》.
"—First, the right ear, there is no need for this anymore."
A moment later, SEED's right ear pops off.
We stopped the moment we saw that but at that moment,
"...! I won't let you."
Sensing that something is about to happen, Siesta fired at SEED.
"These ears have already done their job. It is time to put that energy to
better use."
But before SEED finished his words, the《feeler》atop the right shoulder
transformed into a huge silver sword, repelling Siesta's shot.
"Now then, with this,"
With a violent metallic sound, Hel's red saber parried away the
silver《feeler》. However, she only managed to parry it and did not cut it.
"…"
Hel was forced on the defensive against the《feeler》that was sturdier than
Betelgeuse's scales.
"Next, the left eye, that too is also unnecessary."
SEED said this, and the light suddenly fades from its purple left eye.
"It already lost its true power seven years ago."
And now, the《feeler》on its left shoulder splits into dozens of pieces, and
they attacked Siesta, seemingly with a will of their own.
"There's too many of them...!"
Siesta tries to fight back with her musket, but the countless thin《feelers》
began to regenerate a few seconds after she shoots through them, and like
Hel, she was forced on the defensive.
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58 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
"You are not the one I entrusted this. I shall have it back."
"…, kaa, haaa…"
SEED's thin《feeler》dug through my body and pulled something out.
Reddish-black blood spurted from my mouth. My organs were gone.
"Chameleon's, seed…"
SEED pulls out the black mineral that was buried in my body and
absorbed it into his own body through the《feelers》. I then fell to the ground,
unable to reach SEED.
"…! Assistant!"
It was Siesta's voice. She rushed towards me while darting through
many《feelers》.
"…No, good.."
Siesta awakened and shot down all the《feelers》while I was in a pinch…
such a deus ex machina really was impossible though. If the enemy’s attacks
were spread out at this moment.
"……Ah."
As SEED had absorbed the reptilian《seed》from my body—before I knew
it, its《feeler》transformed into a giant snake and snared Siesta’s neck from
behind.
"Sie, sta…."
Siesta collapsed next to me, bleeding from neck to shoulder.
"…I guess, I messed up after all."
"That's why…you're too anxious whenever I’m in a pinch…"
When I got abducted by Hel, Siesta came to my rescue in a very
distraught state. The usually calm and collected famous detective acted like
this whenever this happened. Goodness—
"…Do you like me or something?"
"…Are you a fool?"
We bantered off as our faces winced in pain on the asphalt.
"—I knew it."
Then, beyond my blurred vision, the enemy looked down at us with those
eyes that had lost their light.
"You humans have emotions, which is why you put your lives in danger
like that, even if it means threatening your survival instincts."
Fool, so SEED growled ruthlessly as if telling the objective truth, without
anger or pity.
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60 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
At the moment Hel said this, all the plants growing from the ground began
to wither at once.
The eyes, which should have lost the light of SEED, still seemed round
and open.
"The relationship between you and me is just that of one who gives orders
and one who accepts them. Nothing more, nothing less."
Hel said quietly, describing the relationship that she and SEED had built
over the years. In contrast, Siesta and I were neither lovers nor friends, but
rather weird business partners.
"I was just a convenient pawn for you. I did not know what the《Bible》
really was, and I did not know that I was about to be made into your vessel."
…Right. When we first met a year ago, Hel just blindly believed in
SEED. Because of that bond, she wouldn’t use this opportunity as
Natsunagi’s alter ego to figure out the meaning of her existence.
But then, when Natsunagi took in Siesta's heart, the unconscious Hel
shared Siesta's memories and realized that she had been used by SEED all
along.
"I was angry, I felt betrayed. That's why I did not put up much of a fight
after I was sealed inside Nagisa Natsunagi by the famous detective. That is
probably why I am pointing my blade at you now that I am released."
But, Hel said, lowering her saber.
"I realized that you were just like me. Just as I tried to earn your trust, to
continue to exist with my bond to you, you really wanted someone to be next
to you."
It must have been a miscalculation on the《Primordial Seed》’s part when it
got too close to humans in order to survive on this planet. It unintentionally
acquired emotions that should have been repulsive to its survival instincts.
However, SEED lost its power and emotions as it created the《androids》.
The loss of one’s possession would be far greater than when one never
had it in the first place. For example, I lost the memory of the truth behind
Siesta's death, just as Siesta forgot the past when she met Alicia and
Natsunagi, and just as Natsunagi had long lost sight of who she was.
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So surely SEED was just like us. It was SEED itself who, more than
anyone else, was bewildered by the hole that had opened up in its heart,
losing its emotions with each child it bore.
"Father."
Hel called SEED once again.
She dropped her weapon and approached it with tears in her eyes,
shouting,
"I am the one you trusted, and I shall speak for you—Father, you are not a
monster! You wanted to be human, but you cannot be a monster! You lost
your eyes, your strength, your life, and the name of that feeling when you
were trying to protect your child is—"
At that moment, a chipped silver《feeler》extended from SEED's right
shoulder and pierced Hel's left shoulder.
"—!"
Hel's expression was one of bitter anguish, but she picked up the dropped
saber and swatted it away.
"Father…"
"No. That's not SEED anymore."
Siesta then eked her voice out while holding her injured neck.
"SEED's consciousness has already been hijacked."
By that《Uroboros》.
Siesta then looks up at the《Snake》extending from SEED's left shoulder.
With a deep noise, the serpent growing from SEED's left shoulder spoke.
It eliminated what little consciousness and emotion SEED had left as if the
serpent was now in charge and free to use the body. Perhaps《Uroboros》was
the name of the survival instinct that had taken root in SEED.
"—Blood. There's not enough blood."
And instead of SEED's head slumping downwards,《Uroboros》golden
eyes stared towards us.
"Assistant…"
"Siesta…"
Still unable to stand up, Siesta and I reached for each other.
"…Goodness."
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Looking back on it now, it may have been just the first words of a
tentative plan to realize Father's plan. It was just a convenient way to use me
as a vessel one day.
But at that moment, a certain feeling overwhelmed me. It was a bond that
gave me the will to continue living in this world. So I began to destroy the
world, following a book that would later turn out to be a prophecy called
the《Bible》.
“I know this is not justice.”
I told myself, and still wielded the red treasure sword that Father entrusted
me with.
This is good, so I thought. In that dazzling light, I clung to the stain of a
single black drop—hoping that by doing so, this existence would be
recognized by the world, by Father. If my mission was to be an enemy of the
world, then I would live only for that purpose.
The only thing I miscalculated was that I had somehow come to cherish
that light that I should have hated above all else…and I cherished Master,
whom I should have hated. Having realized this hesitation and weakness
created the current battlefield, I could not help but give a bitter smile.
"—No, when did it happen?"
Since the beginning, my relationship with Nagisa was that we were two
sides of the same coin, a mirror reflection.
Jealousy was the opposite of love.
"I am still alive."
The golden eyes of the《Uroboros》look down at me from afar as I fall to
my knees.
That's the embodiment of Father's survival instinct. If that was the case,
would my words from the outside world…not reach Father unless I drop that
head?
"You still stand? Do you still want to give me some blood?"
The snake coiled in midair, its red tongue flickering in the air. Surely it
was aiming to absorb my blood, which contains Father's DNA, to gain more
power.
"I do not want you to get the wrong idea."
I stabbed my saber into the ground and got up, using it as a support.
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I did not know why I could still stand, why I could get up. Apparently, the
snake did not know either. Well, it is to be expected if it is just instinct with
no memory or emotion.
But she did say it.
"What you wanted to leave behind is certainly alive on this planet! The
sapphire eye, the ruby sword, the lead heart –they are all on this world!"
The《Androids》were not the only things Father left behind on this planet.
There was a sapphire eye that could look into the hearts of men.
There was a ruby sword that glowed with flames of passion.
There was a heart of lead that would not break even in death.
All of them were supposed to be the things Father wanted to protect.
"—The ears to hear those words are lost."
At that moment,《Uroboros》swung its tail towards me, ripping through the
wind.
The snake smirked at me, but then its golden eyes widened in surprise.
The attack that aimed at my heart stopped just before it reached my left
chest.
I did not need to explain why the attacking blade stopped right before me,
or exactly who stopped the attack.
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"The survival instinct you insist on exists on this planet as love that
protects your children! That alone shall never die!"
That must be the essence of the《Primordial Seed》's initial survival
instinct.
It was the name of an emotion that Father himself had lost long ago.
"…! Such unnecessary, imitation …!"
The《Uroboros》glared at its host for a moment, and then, when I was only
a few meters away, it intercepted me with its massive fangs. As a result, my
body was thrown far backwards, as the blade of my saber met the enemy's
fangs.
"…I guess I was a little too reckless."
I tried to stand up from the abandoned concrete ground, but I could not
gather strength in my body, and I fell to my knees. Not much time has passed
since Alicia's heart took root in my body. In the first place, this body should
have died days ago, and it would normally be a miracle just to be able to
stand up like this now.
"—Ha, ha ha."
The snake laughed again, as if it is consuming the few remaining
emotions it has sucked out of Father.
"Those who rebel against the rules of life have no right to live again, nor
do they deserve to go against their own survival instincts."
And with that,《Uroboros》roared loudly and attacked me with its
poisonous fangs, flinging my body far.
"Sorry for being late, Hel. I was sleeping."
This time though, the Assistant boy of the famous detective spoke.
"As to be expected of my partner, here to help me."
I dared to laugh at that bold-faced lie, and got up with his help.
Then I hear a gunshot. The famous detective too seemed to have woken
up from her nap, and she stood with her long gun pointed at the《Uroboros》.
"Goodness, you lot are not hurt, are you?"
I sighed as I looked at the boy bleeding from his forehead and abdomen.
"Yeah. I couldn't keep that promise."
Saying that, he bit his lip.
—Promise. That must have been the vow he made days ago, when he
carried Nagisa Natsunagi on his back in that experimental facility. I won't
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When I said that, his eyes widened for a moment in seemingly surprise,
and then he smiled softly.
I wondered why I wanted to tell him this now.
And strangely, my mind was not calm.
"Take care of Master, Kimihiko Kimizuka."
I called out his name one last time and ran with the wind.
In the midst of this, my eyes met the blue eyes of a girl with swaying
white hair, holding a gun.
It had been a year since that certain day.
I asked the two enemies standing in front of me why they trusted each
other so much. But at that time, I could not understand their relationship until
the end, and I was sealed in the body of my Master. But now I understand…
that was what they said.
"That was a bond."
I thought to myself as I used the red treasure sword to unconsciously cut
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off the tail of the《Uroboros》that loomed before me. Finally, I exchanged one
last silent glance with the famous detective and kicked the ground hard.
"This is fine for me, and for her.”
I chuckled to myself, thinking this might be another form of bond—and
that I might be summing up the story a little too nicely.
At the very least though, I was able to establish a bond with my master…
Nagisa Natsunagi in the end. It was to share that with Father, and that was the
last mission I had to fulfill.
"My feet shall not stop."
Finally, I use the power of《word spirit》to command myself to do so.
Then the sword in my hand glowed red as if it were burning in response.
I put the remaining power of the《seed》in my body and my own
consciousness into this red sword, and destroyed the《Primordial seed》itself.
Surely then《Uroboros》would die out. My feet could not be stopped as I ran
forth towards《Uroboros》.
I was at the foot of the fashion building that the giant tree had pierced.
The tree had grown larger, almost completely engulfing the fifty-meter-long
building.
"I take full responsibility for all my sins.”
The wounds I inflicted on this world could never be undone.
I ran on the battlefield carrying the weight of all my sins, all the blood I
had spilled, all the lives I had taken.
The power of the《seed》and my consciousness ran through every cell in
my body. They were eventually concentrated in my palm and transmitted to
the ruby-colored sword.
"I believe this is love."
And then.
"Hel…!"
With Kimihiko Kimizuka's calling out behind me, my red sword pierced
the《Primordial Seed》in the abdomen.
"Aahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
I did not know what this feeling was.
It was neither anger nor sadness.
It just could not help but scream.
I imbued the power that seemed to shatter every bone in my body into the
sword I held in both hands, and thrusted SEED into the towering tree before
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me.
"—Ha!"
A small groan escaped from Father's mouth, who seemed to have
recovered when it looked up.
At the same time, he heard the monster's dying voice behind him.
The last enemy was rotting away at this moment.
"—Hel?"
Suddenly, I thought I heard a familiar voice.
That voice from six years ago, when I was given the name.
"Yes, codename Hel is here."
So I responded the same way I did that day, and gave a different answer.
"Father, let us go back. To the world where we belong."
It looked up at me, and I wondered if it was my imagination.
It seemed to be smiling a little, just a little.
"—Yes, I am a little tired."
Those were the last words I heard from Father, as if it were a normal
human being.
Slowly, slowly, I closed my eyelids as I fell into his chest.
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Siesta looked back at me. Her silvery hair was shining in the morning sun,
and she smiled at me as she joked away. I didn’t know if I could say she was
fine, but she seemed to have recovered enough to talk a little at least.
"Oh, Charl's here too."
I then spotted a blonde agent sitting on a chair near the bed, probably here
to visit Siesta, but Charl herself was still bandaged up, all over her body.
"…? What's wrong, Charl?"
But Charl has been silent for a while now, glancing at Siesta and looking
down at her hands. Charl, who had been so fond of Siesta, should have been
happy to see her again after such a long time and should have hugged her.
"Yes, that's what I expected initially."
Siesta seemed to have read my question and explained on Charl's behalf.
"She suddenly became embarrassed and didn't know how to treat me after
a long time."
"Ma-ma'am, please don't say that!"
Charl continued to look down at her lap, her face blushing like an apple.
"Charl, what kind of maiden in love are you?"
"S-shut up. It can't be helped…"
And it seems that her condition was rather serious since her vitriol remark
was lacking.
"…I never thought such a miracle would happen… No, of course, I
believed in it, and I was going to do what I had to do. But now that it actually
happened, I don't know what to do…"
Charl clenched her fists and let out a little whimper.
"—Come here."
Siesta, who saw her dear disciple acting so, called out gently. Charl's
shoulders jolted slightly, and she slowly raised her eyes.
"I'm sorry for making you sad."
Siesta apologized to Charl just as she did to me some time ago, and gently
patted her head.
"…Uuu…Ma'am, Ma'am…!"
Then Charl opened his eyes wide, and soon tears welled in her eyes. She
hugged Siesta, bawling a child.
"Seriously, why couldn’t you just be honest from the start?"
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I watched the scene for a moment, then let out a wry smile as I replaced
the flowers in the vase by the window.
"…I don't want to hear these words from you of all people, Kimizuka."
However, Charl, who overheard me talking to myself, popped up from
Siesta's arms and glared at me.
"You guys are still the same, aren't you? Can't you two get along a little
better?"
"There’s no future where Kimizuka and I will ever get along!"
And Charl, now resting her head on Siesta's thigh, swore at me.
"Here I thought we were starting to understand each other a little better."
"There are things that you know in your head, but you can't
physiologically handle, right?"
"Siesta, I'm sorry. It seems nothing has changed since a year ago."
Sitting on a round chair near the bed, I sighed, thinking that if we couldn't
get along after this incident, we never would.
"Fufu."
Surprisingly, Siesta loosened her mouth and patted Charl's head on her lap
as she said,
"This is fine. It's been a while since I've seen you two continue your
bickering act."
""It's not an act!""
My voice overlapped with Charl's, and we glared at each other.
And while we continued to argue away.
"Please don't hold a fun party without me!"
Yui Saikawa, an idol with pink and white mesh hair and an eye patch on
her left, entered the wardroom.
"Yui!"
Charl woke up and looked relieved.
But the position of her gaze on Saikawa was lower than usual.
"Hey, are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine! Not quite, but I'm fine!"
Saikawa, who was in a wheelchair, turned her head. Her lower body was
not badly injured, but she had not yet recovered enough strength to walk
around. Pushing Saikawa's wheelchair was the former maid version
of《Siesta》—Noches, who has been taking care of us all week.
"You're still wearing the same maid outfit, aren't you?”
75 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
76 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
it…but there’s still one person missing here. So I shook my head at Siesta's
words.
"There's another person who gets angrier than anyone else whenever she’s
left out."
Once I said this, Saikawa and Charl turned their heads.
That girl's name was Nagisa Natsunagi.
Alicia's heart transplant was a success, and she was awakened from
her《nap》caused by the《Primordial Seed》. In that final battle against SEED,
Hel sealed her consciousness forever, so it should have been no surprise that
Natsunagi's personality would awaken in her body.
But it's been a week since then. Even after all the injuries were treated,
she still hadn't woken up and was still sleeping alone in another wardroom.
"Of course I haven't forgotten."
How could I forget? Siesta said with her eyes closed.
But when she opened her eyes,
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After that, I placed Siesta in a wheelchair and headed for the wardroom.
The two of us went as representatives because we didn’t want everyone to
gather.
We walked down the old corridor of the small hospital, and when we
opened the door to the room we were looking for—there was a girl asleep on
a bed.
"Natsunagi…"
While pushing Siesta's wheelchair, I approached the girl—Nagisa
Natsunagi.
I dropped by this room so many times over the past week, but I’d yet to
see Natsunagi smile like she used to.
"It certainly seems like the conditions are right for Nagisa to wake up."
Siesta remained in her wheelchair and analyzed the situation while staring
at Natsunagi who was on the bed.
"But there are also aspects that us laymen can’t realize. There’s still some
serious damage accumulated inside her body, for example, and even if she
does miraculously overcome her brain-dead state with that《nap》, the burden
on her cerebrum is still unavoidable. She’s still in a vegetative state."
"Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. I've been reading a lot of medical books
this week, but I couldn't come up with much of a hypothesis as a layman.
Besides, in a special case like Natsunagi's, we can't rely on past cases."
That's why we need an expert at this time. A medical expert who once
saved Natsunagi's life, and who might be able to help her regain
consciousness again.
"—Before you start worrying about others, you two should be aware that
you are also seriously injured."
And behind me was a man's voice. I turned my head around…but the man
didn’t look at me as he went straight towards Natsunagi.
"She's doing well. There didn't seem to be any problems while I was
gone."
The man in the white coat murmured in a flat voice and adjusts the IV
connected to Natsunagi's arm.
"Thanks for your help."
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I said, and the man finally turned around to look at me across the bed.
He looked to be in his mid-thirties. He had bright blond hair, and contrary
to that, dusky eyes peeping out from behind round glasses. He had a
distinctive intelligent-looking face, and the white coat gave him the look of a
doctor, and also a wise researcher.
"Is it about this girl? Or are you talking about yourself? Certainly, I've
taken care of countless patients, too many to mention."
The man made a light-hearted remark with an indifferent expression on
his face. After all, he wasn’t the type of person to make jokes.
"Both. No, Siesta, Saikawa, and Charl…you’ve taken care of everyone.
Thank you."
And it's not just this time. Speaking for myself, this doctor treated my
injuries after the first time I fought SEED and was brought here. And also,
this man was the hospital director who I asked about Natsunagi's condition.
According to what I've heard, this hospital wouldn't accept ordinary
patients, and was a facility that would take in people in special situations like
us. In the past three years of our travels, both Siesta and I have been saved
many times by such back-alley doctors.
"No, you don’t have to thank me. That's my job, and that's the role I have
to play in this world."
…There was a subtle disconnect between our conversations. It's as if he
wouldn’t allow any alternate interpretation. It's as if he refuses to let us read
between the lines, or even to interpret otherwise.
"I’ve yet to tell you my name, no?"
And without reading the mood, the man told us with the same blank
expression as ever.
—Inventor, the first thing that came to mind whenever that term popped
up would be something akin to the world's greatest inventor, Thomas Edison.
Or if we’re to go further back in time, Gennai Hiraga of Japan, inventor of
the electric heater. Or perhaps this man wasn’t talking about such an ordinary
Inventor.
"A《Tuner》."
Siesta, who had been watching from the sidelines up to this point,
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intervened,
"He was involved in the creation of my《seven tools》, kept my body in a
state of suspended animation through cryopreservation, and also created
Noches with artificial intelligence—this is the back-alley doctor.”
…So that's how it was. We missed the opportunity to meet each other at
the《SPES》hideout two weeks ago, the unknown doctor who was based there
was this Stephen. He is one of the twelve《Tuners》protecting the world,
the《Inventor》.
"It's been a long time, Stephen."
Siesta, seated in her wheelchair, looked up at Stephen across from her.
It seems that the《Tuners》, the protectors of the world, are well acquainted
without my knowledge.
"Ah yes, now that I see you actually moving and talking, I can see that the
year-long therapy has been a success."
Stephen then narrowed his eyes at the patient he had worked so hard on
for so long.
Siesta, on the other hand.
"I owe my life to you and Nagisa. But, Stephen, if you consider it your
mission to save people's lives, please. I want you to save Nagisa's life this
time."
Once again, she begged Stephen for help, wanting to repay the favor she
had received from Natsunagi. She believed this man was the only one who
knew how to wake up Nagisa Natsunagi.
"Daydream."
Stephen called Siesta by her common name as he stood up and wrote on a
chart.
"That's a gross underestimation of me as a doctor."
The way he said it made me feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Not an overestimation?
He wasn’t being modest and going all 'I'm not that good'.
"I always do my best to save my patients and clients, pouring my heart
and soul into them, using all the knowledge and skills I have. I never regret
whenever the subject still doesn’t wake up, for I’m proud that I've already
done all I can do."
There was no hint of anger or frustration in his voice.
Siesta and I listened to Stephen, who was simply stating a stark fact.
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according to her previously stated intentions. But you didn't stop there."
Stephen then transplanted Alicia's heart into Natsunagi. Normally, a
patient who's been deemed brain dead would never recover. But Stephen still
went through with the second transplant because he saw a 1% chance of
recovery.
"Indeed."
Stephen spoke up with his back turned on us.
"That day, I transplanted a heart from the brain-dead Nagisa Natsunagi
into you. And that was the end of my work as a doctor."
But, Stephen continued.
"After that, I decided to work as an Inventor."
The blue eyes turned towards us, and he gave a wry smile.
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This was the reason why Stephen wanted to reach out to the supposedly
dead Natsunagi once again.
"So, after transplanting the heart from Nagisa Natsunagi into Daydream, I
also transplanted the heart of a girl named Alicia into Nagisa Natsunagi. I had
brought a spare heart from that facility in case Nagisa Natsunagi's heart was
too damaged to be transplanted, and it worked out well."
"So, Alicia's heart is here…"
Siesta blurted out while still in the wheelchair.
Natsunagi, Siesta, and Alicia all carry SEED-derived DNA from the
medication experiments they underwent six years ago. That's why their hearts
were compatible with each other, and why they were surgically matched.
"The two surgeries were successful, and there were no issues with the
transplants themselves. However, neither Daydream nor Nagisa Natsunagi
woke up immediately. As for Nagisa Natsunagi in particular, there was no
biological reaction that would overturn the diagnosis of brain death that I had
once made, and she seemed to be approaching her limit."
That's when you came to the hospital room that day, Stephen said. I
recalled that scene from ten days ago when I took Natsunagi's hand that was
getting colder.
"That's why I didn't overturn the diagnosis of brain death, in fact, I
thought the result was natural. If the dead could be brought back to life so
easily, there would be no need for the profession of a doctor."
…Ah, yes, that’s right. If we apply the logic of modern medicine,
Natsunagi was indeed dead at that time. But Stephen, perhaps three days
later, reversed his own view. On that day a week ago, Siesta woke up, and
Natsunagi (Hel) came back to life later. Siesta's heart, which was originally
hers, took three days to activate, and Natsunagi woke up from suspended
animation by SEED's command.
"I hate that shallow word 'miracle'."
Stephen repeated the same words.
"Why can't miracles happen every time? –How absurd that assumption is.
I only believe in things that are repeatable. In that respect, the《Primordial
Seed》, which brought two people back from the dead, should be called the
Philosopher's Stone, because it is repeatable."
"Then there's the miracle of waking up Natsunagi once again…"
As I said this to myself, I immediately noticed a contradiction.
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84 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
the greatest happiness of the whole. Numbers are everything. The greater the
number saved, the greater the justice. I don't have time to dwell on the wishes
of the dead as I continue to save the living."
The next patient is waiting, Stephen said as he left. I couldn't say anything
back as I saw the smiles on the faces of…Alicia and Natsunagi.
"Let's go back."
Siesta gave me another small tug on my cuff. I nodded silently and went
back to Natsunagi's wardroom, which I had left open.
"I'm sorry, Natsunagi. I spoke such strange things to you."
Then I spoke to Natsunagi, who was still asleep. I tried to take her hand…
but somehow I was too afraid to do so. Now that I hadn't figured out how to
wake Natsunagi up, I felt like I wasn't qualified to take her hand.
"…Hm? What's this?"
Suddenly, I noticed what looked like an old book on a nearby shelf. It was
near where Stephen had been standing in the first place.
"…That’s!"
I handed the book to Siesta, whose blue eyes flickered.
And when Siesta opened it…it looked like a child's picture diary. In it, a
dark-haired girl was sitting on a bed, surrounded by a white-haired girl and a
girl with peach-colored hair, and they were chatting away.
"It's Alicia's diary."
Siesta uttered and hugged the diary close to her chest.
"…If you're looking for answers, you've already found them."
I looked at Alicia's diary and Siesta's sidelong face and remembered.
There was a point when Natsunagi's body was awakened by Alicia's heart.
I saw three little girls standing side by side at that time. That’s the answer.
Even if it was a selfish wish, I still wanted to believe in that scene, in Hel's
words.
"Wake up soon, Natsunagi."
I called out to her while she remained sleeping in bed.
And then we’d have our usual silly bickering, like we always do.
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Three days have passed since then. In the meantime, Siesta and I, along
with Saikawa and Charl, continued to discuss and brainstorm ways to wake
Natsunagi up.
Stephen, the attending physician, has already withdrawn. He said
something like "there is nothing left for me to do," but that shouldn’t mean
"there is nothing left for anyone but Stephen to do."
With that in mind, Siesta mentioned the name of an expert who could
replace the《Inventor》, and the two of us immediately went to the place where
he was…or so.
"Hey, can I order some snacks?"
Siesta asked me, looking at the in-flight meal menu.
I never thought I'd be taken on a flight the day right after I got out of the
hospital…
"No, it's too expensive. I told you to buy it at the store."
"Well, what can we do when we barely made it due to the train trouble, so
what can you do? Mainly because of you."
Siesta's stern eyes turned to me. I'm sorry, but working with me means
you're bound to get into unexpected trouble. Don't you remember that?
"Anyway,"
Siesta looked at me as if she's switching sides.
"It's been a while since we've been on a plane together."
We're in the sky, 10,000 meters above the ground. It’s how I met Siesta
that day four years ago.
"Yeah, how many times have I flown with you since then?"
"I can't believe how many miles we’ve accumulated."
We giggled, remembering those three years.
Today's destination was New York, where we were traveling to a dizzying
world for the first time in a year, to meet someone and attend a conference.
"But are you sure we're safe?"
I inquired again about Siesta's condition. Siesta was more seriously
injured than I was, but as soon as she was able to walk, she immediately
discharged herself from the hospital and took a plane ride.
"Yeah, I'm in a bit of a hurry."
"Yeah, about Natsunagi and that meeting."
Then I asked Siesta about the purpose of this trip.
"So? What exactly is this conference about?"
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I say, and Siesta sips her tea with an indifferent face. Don't bring in your
own teacup as a matter of course.
"But we're going to see the most annoying person of them all."
…Oh. There's another reason why we're going to New York, I mean, to
the Federation Conference.
"The vampire—Scarlet."
I muttered, and Siesta gave a small nod.
"You know about him already, don't you?"
"…Not that I'm too fond of seeing him."
As rumoured, the《vampire》was the most abnormal existence of
the《Tuners》. I personally felt something unfathomable in the way Scarlet's
eyes looked at me. He also hinted that he had some sort of connection with
Siesta…
"It looks like something bad happened to you. Did he bully you?”
"…I just kind of don't like him. More importantly, do you really think
Scarlet knows how to wake Natsunagi up?"
Yes. That vampire was the key person Siesta mentioned, who we needed
to wake up Natsunagi. In anticipation of that, we were heading to the
Federation Conference where the《Tuners》, including Scarlet, were gathered.
"Well, it's only a possibility, though. However, he's still an expert on life
and death, so he's got a lot to say about human consciousness."
"…I, see?"
He’s a vampire who has the ability to bring the dead back to life with only
their strongest living instincts intact. He certainly has insight into human life
and death, consciousness, and the soul…
"But can we really rely on a vampire that’s supposedly fantasy-like
existence?"
"Are you a fool?"
"That's unreasonable."
It's been a while since I've heard this.
"Vampires aren't some imaginary entity from folklore, and they didn't
spontaneously appear anywhere."
Siesta said as she sipped her tea again.
"Things happen for a reason. There are causes. Don't ponder over them
and rely on convenient words like 'chance' and 'coincidence'."
I looked at Siesta’s sidelong face while she said something that I had
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heard somewhere before, and that face was similar to someone I wanted to
meet most.
"The origins of these vampires are…"
Siesta then tried to continue her vampire-related story.
"Oh, by the way, did you see today's horoscope? Taurus’ the worst."
"No, you're not very good at diverting the topic."
And you're only talking about unnecessary stuff. It'll just make you feel
depressed for the rest of the day.
"Goodness sake, don't hide important information for no reason. Explain
the situation to me from the start."
"Because it's fun to watch you freak out when you don't know anything."
"That’s for the worst reason."
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90 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
other.
"We're almost there, Assistant."
She didn’t say another word. As long as she called me by that title, our
relationship naturally remained the same.
Not long after that, the car came to a slow stop, as if it had reached its
destination. The backseat door opened and I followed Siesta out of the car.
"This is…"
At the end of a large garden was a magnificent palace-like structure. It
was the venue of the Federation Conference.
"Is it okay to hold a secret meeting in such a public place?"
"Don't worry, no civilians will notice this building."
Siesta said and walked towards the palace without hesitation.
"Is there a boundary or something or something…?"
Walking three steps behind Siesta, I took a step through the palace's wide
entrance.
"There are twelve《Tuners》in total…and so far I only know about half of
them."
I climbed the long staircase and counted the number of《Tuners》I
currently knew.《Famous Detective》Siesta,《Assassin》Fuubi Kase,《Vampire》
Scarlet,《Priestess》Mia Whitlock, and《Inventor》Stephen Bluefield, whom I
just met—and there’s also the《Phantom Thief》, whose existence I only
learned of recently, was currently locked away somewhere deep underground
for stealing Mia's《Bible》.
"There are other《Tuners》who were involved with you as well."
Siesta says, looking back at you for a moment.
"What do you mean? Could it be that Saikawa is actually a《Tuner》as
an《idol》or something?"
"The fact that you can only think of Yui shows your lack of friendships."
It's none of your business, and besides, there’s Charl too.
"Well, I guess you're involved without even knowing it."
You’ll meet them soon, so Siesta said, having decided not to explain
further at this point.
"For now, though, I think I'll tell you about some of the other members
you should be aware of."
"Yeah, nothing better than to be prepared."
It was a welcomed suggestion to someone who had been subjected to too
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many nerve-wracking surprises during the past three years on the road.
"Yes. The most dangerous ones are the《Mage》and the《Executioner》."
Siesta continued talking as she finished climbing the stairs and walked
down the long red-carpeted corridor.
"The《Mage》is an old witch-like granny who never comes out of the
forest…but she’s said to have once destroyed a village using a certain magic.
Her power was recognized and she was appointed as a《Tuner》."
"Can you be on the side of justice even if you committed a crime a long
time ago?"
Perhaps that secret art was judged to be useful in protecting the world.
"That's a difficult question…but if we’re talking about the guilt aspect. In
terms of the same crimes, the《Executioner》is inarguably the deadliest of
the《Tuners》."
"Well that escalated quickly. Aren’t the《Tuners》the ones who protect the
world?"
I guess like Fuubi-san and Scarlet, they’re not all on the side of justice
after all.
"I guess it depends on how you view justice. In fact, the job of
the《Executioner》is to execute criminals who could not be judged by the
outside world."
"…So, a necessary evil."
In this world, there certainly were cases that couldn't be judged by the
law. The dark hero 《Executioner》 was thus the one who would eliminate
such persons from behind the scenes.
"Yes. And with only a single scythe on the back, this《Executioner》mows
down the criminals lurking in the shadows. In terms of pure combat skill,
probably no worse than《Assassin》or even《Vampire》."
"The 《Mage》and《Executioner》, huh? If possible, I don't want to get
involved with them for no reason…"
That was close. Any more words and I would have set off a flag.
As I hurriedly covered my mouth, I arrived at a large door.
"Ready, Assistant?"
Siesta gave me a quick glance.
"From here on out, don't expect conventional wisdom to apply."
Yeah. I just need to remember what she said, and the other《Tuners》I had
met.
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We nodded at each other, and Siesta opened the door with both hands, and
the scene in the big room was,
"So what Rel is trying to say is, why is it that only the《Famous Detective》
is allowed to be so selfish?"
"Oh? You’re jealous of the《Famous Detective》and you want to do the
same?"
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same age as Siesta and I, but she's wearing a Magical Girl outfit from an
anime, and it suited the adorable face she just showed me for a moment.
However, from the beginning, her words and actions had been
consistently uncharming. I wonder if ‘familiar’ was her way of calling me her
errand boy. If that’s the case.
"…I don't see how that's going to benefit me at all, you know?"
"Of course you do. I'm sure you're tired of being an assistant to this
famous detective. It would be more fun to be a cute Magical Girl's dog."
"Did you just say dog?... I mean, why me?"
I didn’t need to jog my memory, and I was certain I’d never met this girl
before. Why is she trying to place me in the position of a dog…or an
assistant?
"Of course, Kimihiko Kimizuka, that’s because you are the world's—"
"—I'm sorry, but Assistant shall never be yours."
Siesta interrupted this exchange. Reloaded had been the one jostling since
this meeting started, but Siesta seemed to think it was time for a fight, and
although she didn't have a weapon in her hand, she started a cold war across
the desk.
"What? Are you trying to be possessive? I didn’t think you'd like a jealous
woman."
"I'm not talking about those silly feelings. This is a contractual issue."
"Contractual? After three or four years, contracts are usually revised."
"I'm sorry, but my assistant has a lifetime contract with me, and he has no
time to be your sidekick."
…There was some mysterious contract with Siesta that I was not aware
of.
Would this lifetime employment mean that I’ll have to be with Siesta until
death? That's unreasonable.…….…ah no, I guess not.
"Are you going to fool around like that?"
Reloaded then continued to bicker with Siesta again.
"If only Rel could use《Singularity》, she'd be able to work more
efficiently…"
"No, Reloaded, you’ve always done a proper job as the《Mage》."
At that moment, Flip gave Reloaded a few words of praise to defuse the
situation.
"…I said I’m not a《Mage》, I’m a Magical Girl. I told you I'd change my
The chilling voice made my heart ache. Reloaded, who had been so
arrogant, seemed to flinch for a moment, and then gave up trying to argue.
"Well, then, I guess it's decided."
As if not daring to read the tense atmosphere, Bruno's hushed voice broke
the silence.
"A new era requires new rules and new values. I'm proud of the young
people who are not afraid of change…or maybe this is just an old man
struggling to keep up with the new times."
Bruno said, gently stroking the cane in his hand with his fingertips.
"Thank you for your concern."
Fuubi-san bows her head to the《Informant》.
Like Siesta, she seemed to have genuine respect for Bruno.
"Haha, it's a request from a cute little girl."
"…Thank you for your concern."
Fuubi-san, who answered with the same line, showed a rare perturbed
look, and I couldn’t help but laugh…that was close.
"So, let's get down to business, shall we?"
—And Flip's cold eyes turned to me.
Oh, I see, I realized. The purpose of this meeting wasn't just a debriefing
on the defeat of the《Primordial Seed》. In other words, this.
"《Singularity》"
Flip said as he looked at me, the other《Tuners》all looked at me in unison.
"It's the irregularity that always appears when the times change
dramatically, that overturns the future as the《Priestess》sees it, that changes
the established way of the world—"
That's you, Flip told me.
Singularity— that's what Scarlet used to say. Or maybe Mia once said
something similar while looking at me.
The one who would change the future, the one who will move the world,
the Singularity…that’s me, Kimihiko Kimizuka. I laughed in my mind,
thinking, you gotta be kidding, there's no way that could be true, and then I
thought of all the foreshadowing that had occurred in my life.
For example, I've always had this annoying tendency to get caught up in
trouble, and it's because of my《Singularity》that unexpected things have been
happening around me. By the way, Hel once told me that my nature was
essentially the kind of thing that would change things and cause incidents,
and that I was the center of the world. And most of all, there was a certain
famous detective who took me 10,000 meters above the ground in order to
change the future, when disaster was around the corner.
Suppose it's all because I was that《Singularity》, that’s why incidents
happened around me, and the famous detective and enemies of the world
gathered around me, and eventually, even the future the《Priestess》saw was
changed. The real reason why I was able to do something as forbidden as
bringing the dead back to life was—
"I ask of you,《Singularity》. How do you relate to the world from now
on?"
Flip asks me once again.
"Well, thanks to the help of the other《Tuners》, Daydream was revived,
just as you had hoped. We also managed to get rid of the《Primordial Seed》by
accident, but this is merely a one-off. I don't think results are everything."
Flip Stuart crossed his fingers and rested his elbows on the desk as he
watched me fall silent. And like me, Fuubi-san and Mia couldn’t open their
mouths to argue. They may not have said what they did was wrong, but they
knew it wasn’t right.
Even though my choices angered Fuubi-san and made Mia cry, I still
managed to convince them. I tricked them. Then it's up to me, no one else, to
tell them.
"Assistant?"
Siesta looks at me in surprise as I suddenly stand up on the spot.
Until now I've only relied on the detectives. For the past three years, I've
been standing next to Siesta, overconfident that as long as she was there, the
case would be over, that my hopes would be fulfilled. But I got my
comeuppance and lost Siesta, and I spent a year in vain, unable to forget her,
and met another detective.
Natsunagi can live her life as only Natsunagi can. Even though I told her
so, I ended up asking her to continue working as a detective, and before I
knew it, I had become dependent on her. And like those past three years, like
the year I spent in a lukewarm bath, and for the past few months that I've
been standing up again, I've been clinging to and being helped by the
detectives—but,
"Isn't it about time we switched places?"
That's probably why I stood here on this day.
My legs were trembling slightly, but it’s nothing to be worried about. It’s
just me feeling tired from sitting in the same position for so long, or perhaps,
a shiver.
"Flip, so you're saying there was a problem with us trying to bring Siesta
back to life, is that it?"
I look over at the《Revolutionary》and everyone present at this meeting.
Surrounded by the《Tuners》, I was a mere civilian, and I wasn’t supposed to
speak. With the gazes of the heroes who had protected the world, what could
I say?
"In summary, that's what I'm going to say."
Flip answered for them all. His face remained unchanged, and he spoke
not as a politician on the outside, but as the《Revolutionary》in control of the
underworld.
"In the correct history, the《famous detective》should have been sacrificed
to save this world."
The detective should have been dead, so the guardians of the world
deemed.
Hearing this, my heart was strangely restless. The rules of the《Tuners》,
the stories recovered in the《Bible》, whether or not I was the《Singularity》,
none of that mattered. There was only one thing that mattered, and I had
"The loss of Siesta is a loss to all mankind, the world, the universe."
Ever since I met the detective that day, 10,000 meters above the ground,
those two had been there for me. They've saved me. But now it's the opposite.
Whether I'm the《Singularity》or not, it doesn't matter. The world doesn't
matter to me. The only things I can't compromise are...
Siesta and Nagisa Natsunagi.
I'm not letting the detectives die.
"……"
Silence fell over the room, and all I could was the sound of your own
heartbeat. Some of the seven《Tuners》glared at me, some smiled with
interest, and some stared indifferently into the void. Then, after a few dozen
seconds of silence that felt like an eternity.
"…That’s what I think, but I'll leave the rest for you big shots to decide."
"Are you a fool?"
I couldn't take the silence any longer, so I slunk back to my seat and was
greeted, as I expected, by Siesta's blank stare. Eventually, Siesta sighed
heavily and said,
"But thank you."
Her expression was somewhat troubled. Even so, there was a smile on her
pursed lips.
"Well, I can't let the Assistant work this hard and not say something, can
I?"
Then, Siesta stood up for me.
"Of course, I'm ready to take responsibility for this incident."
Then, looking around at the people in the room, she said in a calm
manner.
After the Federation Conference, Siesta and I went to a cafe near our
lodgings to have a light dinner. As we ate pasta and scones, we tried to
discuss further about the conference.
"So, what's the story, Siesta?"
I ask her as she neatly rolled up the pasta with her fork.
"Are you serious about quitting the role of《famous detective》?"
About an hour ago, at the Federation Conference, Siesta announced that
she would be stepping down from her position as《famous detective》and
appointed Nagisa Natsunagi as her successor. However, upon hearing this,
the reactions of the other《Tuners》(except for Mia) were subdued.
"Oh, you're talking about that? I thought you would talk about
the《Singularity》part."
Siesta wiped her mouth with a napkin, looking as clear as ever.
"I'd be lying if I said it didn't bother me at all, but…I have more important
things to do right now."
"Heh. I thought you were going to get angry again and say, 'You should
have told me about those important things beforehand’."
From the way she said it, I guessed Siesta was aware of my existence as
such. But at least now, that information was relatively meaningless to me.
"Suppose I really do have some kind of influence on the world, that still
wouldn’t affect my actions."
I've been living with this annoying nature of getting into trouble my whole
life. Giving it a different meaning wouldn’t change my thoughts or my way
of life. I had only one thing to do, one wish to fulfill.
"…I see. You've really grown up, haven't you?"
Siesta sat down to eat again, seemingly satisfied with herself.
"So? What I want to ask is, why did you suddenly decide to quit being
the《Famous Detective》?"
It sounded like a good story, but Siesta's specialty was to obscure
important stuff like that.
"My mission as the《famous detective》is to eradicate and destroy《SPES》.
Now that I've accomplished that, I don't think it's so strange that I'm resigning
my position as a《famous detective》, right?"
"…But I thought you were born with the nature of a detective?"
I asked Siesta, staring at the glass in my hand.
I could see my distorted face on the water surface.
"That's right. That's why, now that I've defeated my sworn enemy, I'm
going back to being a normal《detective》. That's all."
Siesta's mouth eased up as she stared at me.
"So, from here on, it's your story."
Her tone was soft, but she didn't allow any room for objection.
"…I see."
But yes. Even if Siesta stopped fighting the enemies of the world, she
would still be challenging the mysteries and evil that lurked in everyday life.
She wouldn’t just disappear from my everyday life just because she quit
being the《famous detective》.
"Assistant?"
I suddenly noticed that Siesta was peering into my face.
"…No, it's nothing."
Even though I had already decided to stop relying on the detective, I was
surprised at myself for assuming that Siesta would be next to me, I coughed
and cleared my throat,
"So you're saying that Natsunagi will take your place?"
"Yes. It's all thanks to Nagisa that I'm able to move my body like this now
and that we were able to defeat the《Primordial Seed》. I'm sure she can take
up the role of the《Famous Detective》better than me…no, Nagisa deserves
this role more than me."
I've lost, Siesta said, leaning back in her chair.
It was as if she was admitting defeat to Natsunagi (Alicia), whom we had
met in London just last year.
"Of course, that's if Nagisa still wants to be the《Famous Detective》. The
Nagisa now might have lost the power of the《seed》and returned to being a
normal girl."
"…Ah. That's why we need to ask Natsunagi herself about it."
We nodded at each other and confirmed our future plans. No matter how
much Siesta wanted Natsunagi to take over the position of《famous
detective》, that wish would not be fulfilled until Natsunagi herself woke up.
"That's right. I don't have much time, but I'll make sure Nagisa wakes up."
In fact, as a condition for Siesta's resignation to be formally conveyed to
the higher-ups at the Federation Conference, Nagisa Natsunagi’s attendance
was mandated. In other words, unless Natsunagi wakes up and takes over
Siesta's will, Siesta will remain the《Famous Detective》.
"But we didn't get to see Scarlet."
Siesta tried to meet the vampire to get a clue on how to awaken
Natsunagi, but unfortunately, he didn't show up at the meeting after all.
"I guess it's too early. I was sure it would be safe indoors."
Yes, vampires only show up at night. Like the《Primordial Seed》, it didn't
like the sun.
"But in the end, there were only seven《Tuners》in attendance."
The remaining non-attendees were the《Vampire》, the《Inventor》, the as-
yet-unseen《Phantom Thief》, and two more…no, one of them was
the《Executioner》that Siesta had mentioned.
"It's rather unusual to have more than a majority in attendance. We were
also lucky enough to meet the new《Magical Girl》."
Siesta muttered, moistening her mouth with tea. She was somehow able to
remain calm after all the intimidation.
"Did she say she took over as the《Mage》? Is it really that easy to replace
a position?"
Well, in this case, it might just be a change of title.
"Yes, it happens. There are more than twelve roles for the《Tuners》, and
they are chosen according to the time period. There used to be an《Exorcist》
and a《Swordsman》, I think."
"They're being replaced all the time, aren't they?"
"That's what fighting the《world's enemies》is all about."
Siesta's mouth twisted into a slightly lonely expression.
I was talking about a simple reshuffling of positions, but Siesta probably
interpreted it differently–the death of the《Tuners》. It seemed the《Tuners》
would be replaced on a regular basis.
"In fact, the《Executioner》I knew seemed to have disappeared in the past
year."
…I see. It's not that he didn't participate after all. Maybe another person
had already taken over the role of《Executioner》, or maybe the whole position
has been replaced.
And Siesta, knowing what her future would be, had been fighting
the《world's enemy》those three years. I had been standing next to her all these
years, but I couldn't notice her determination.
"More importantly, I'm thinking about Nagisa now."
Then, as usual, Siesta returned to the topic as if she had read my thoughts.
"As I said before, I think Nagisa's consciousness is in a deep sleep."
Holding her fingertips to her chin, Siesta tried to contemplate Natsunagi's
current situation.
"I thought I'd done my job, and I fell asleep, satisfied and relieved."
That's what happened to me, Siesta spoke of her past experiences.
She too had the experience of her consciousness living and sleeping in
Natsunagi's heart.
"…Hmm? Then how did you do it back then?"
"Back then?"
Siesta tilted her head slightly at my question.
"You know, on that luxury cruise ship, when I fought the berserking
Chameleon, you came to my rescue, borrowing Natsunagi's body, right?"
At least that time, Siesta woke up and came running to me.
"…Did that ever happen?"
"No, you can't play dumb like that."
But for some reason, Siesta looked away from me and twisted her head
unnaturally.
"Oh, I see."
And that's when I thought of a possibility. It seems that I acquired a bit of
reasoning power through my years of working as an assistant.
"In other words, you woke up in a hurry and couldn't keep calm when I
was in trouble."
"…"
"On an unconscious level, you just couldn’t help but worry about me."
"……."
Siesta's eyebrows twitched as she tried to maintain her composure.
I remembered back to the time when I was abducted, and she rushed over
to me in a robot, trying to act natural. So, in other words,
In the past, the Phantom Thief made some deal with the world's enemy,
the《Primordial Seed》, and stole Mia's《Bible》. Of course, this was a betrayal
that the《Tuners》, supposedly allies of justice, should not have committed,
and as a result, he was imprisoned in an underground prison.
"Well, it seems that there have been a lot of terrorist attacks here in New
York recently, with the aim of freeing Arsene, and Flip's guys are busy
dealing with them."
Fuubi-san then exhaled smoke from her cigarette and mentioned the name
of Flip, the《Revolutionary》who also works as a politician in the public
world.
"And it's not just New York, I heard that such incidents are being reported
here and there all over the world now. Do you remember any of them?"
Then Fuubi-san's sharp eyes turned to me.
"…Don't tell me the bus hijacking in London is one incident too?"
It happened about three weeks ago, when I was riding a bus with Mia in
London. There was a man with a gun demanding the police to release his
friends. Was he referring to the《Phantom Thief》Arsene…
"Are there that many of Phantom Thief's friends?"
There were people in New York and London…or around the world trying
to rescue, even if they had to hijack a bus and cause incidents.
"I've heard that《Phantom Thief》had a lot of help."
Siesta answered my question.
"But perhaps it was…"
"Yeah, those liberation activists are definitely not Arsene's friends."
This time, Fuubi-san followed Siesta's words.
"The proof is that they didn't know any concrete information about
the《Phantom Thief》, except for the alias Arsene."
If Fuubi-san was so certain, it wouldn’t be that these men were lying to
protect the《Phantom Thief》, right? If that’s the case,
"So they weren't《Phantom Thief》's friends, but just pawns to be used?"
"Or..."
Fuubi-san interrupted, extinguishing her cigarette with an ashtray.
"Or maybe Arsene has them at his mercy."
To save him from this prison.
He shall order the rest of the world.
"…How is that even possible?"
Did Arsene have some skill to control a complete stranger as if he were a
puppet?
"I don't know exactly how. But,"
Siesta replied with an unusually grim expression.
"He's the Phantom Thief—he can steal a human's mind and will too."
"…But if Arsene is planning to break out of prison now, isn't there
anything we can do about it?"
It’s said that Arsene was still imprisoned deep underground in some
country. If that's the case, we should take strict measures before anything else
happens—
"Yes, that’s right. I wish I could do that at least."
Fuubi-san replied on Siesta's behalf, exhaling smoke towards the ceiling.
"According to my incompetent superiors, the《Phantom Thief》Arsene has
already escaped from prison."
incident?"
It was about the attack by the mysterious masked men at the cafe where
we were having dinner. Unfortunately for them, there was a famous detective
among the customers. In the end, I didn't have a chance to make a difference
by the time Siesta routed the men in an instant and whisked them over to the
police.
We had accomplished our purpose and were thinking of going back home,
but right before that… Fuubi-san, who was still staying in New York,
contacted me about that incident, and here we are.
"Oh, those guys you rounded up yesterday? I had them tell me their
motive for causing the incident. Then they started saying some interesting
things."
Fuubi-san's interesting things certainly meant trouble for us. Nodding in
agreement, I listened to what she had to say.
"They said—let Arsene go."
Upon hearing this, Siesta, who had been sleepy until now, reacted with a
jerk. She put her fingertips to her chin with a grim expression. But I still
didn’t know why. Arsene? What’s with that name…
"It's Phantom Thief."
"…! Phantom Thief, no, wait."
Siesta looked at me and nodded.
"Yes. Arsene, one of the twelve《Tuners》, the traitor is the《Phantom
Thief》."
I've been told that's also an alias, Siesta said with a complicated
expression on her face.
The traitor, the《Phantom Thief》. The《Priestess》Mia Whitlock once told
me the reason why he was dubbed so.
"Well, so be it. We’ll first wake up Natsunagi, and when things settle
down, we'll meet again."
We had this conversation while dreaming of such a future.
"Do you want to go out somewhere together?"
"—Yeah, sure."
The buzzer rang, indicating the start of the performance.
prison, he could have easily escaped from the prison at that point. I can't
think of any reason why he would control a stranger from around the world in
this way."
Yes, Arsene's actual scheme to involve others seemed like a very
roundabout way of doing things. If escaping from prison was the sole goal,
there were more efficient ways to do so. There is a big discrepancy between
what Arsene could do and the actual results, and that’s the greatest mystery
of this case.
"Siesta, is there anything else you know about the《Phantom Thief》?"
Until now, Siesta hadn't been willing to talk about such things with me.
But now that I had learned of the《Tuners》and had gotten more involved in
the otherworld, there was no reason for Siesta to withhold information to
herself.
"Arsene has always been a man of many secrets. I don't know much about
him other than what he's capable of as a《Phantom Thief》. But what I do
know for certain is that his skills are—"
Siesta prefaced her statement with some information about the Phantom
Thief that I still didn't know.
"Those who had something stolen from them by Arsene will never be
aware of the fact."
"But, yes."
Instead, Siesta tapped me twice on the shoulder.
"You're able to see things from more angles than before. Let's keep it up."
"…That's the most annoying compliment I've heard in a long time."
"That's why,"
Siesta looked at me with her blue eyes,
"I want you to continue to support Nagisa Natsunagi."
As she said this, she lowered her left hand from my shoulder.
I was about to reply to her when she said,
"Assistant, I think it's time to go."
"Time…!?"
We were in a dark alleyway, the sun had completely set.
Out of the darkness, or as if melting out of the shadows of the lights, the
white demon appeared.
One of the twelve shields that protect the world—the《vampire》Scarlet.
He turned his golden eyes next to me, as though he was watching his prey,
and says, baring his blood-stained teeth.
"It's been a while—Daydream."
A white suit appeared in the dark, and the red tie was reminiscent of the
color of blood.
This man's name is Scarlet—and he's a real vampire.
I met him for the first time a few weeks ago, in the underground parking
lot of a TV station, and since then, we've been keeping a distance, neither
friend nor foe.
"Nice to finally meet you."
Siesta's eyes narrowed as she stared at the vampire, who stood with his
back against the wall.
Apparently, Siesta had timed it so that she could meet Scarlet here.
Vampires wouldn’t really appear whenever the sun shone, and Siesta wasn’t
really in the mood to enjoy the musical either.
"Hah, I see. You came back to this world because you wanted to see me
so badly?"
Scarlet nodded his head in satisfaction.
"No, that's not it. I only came to see you because I have business."
"No need to be shy, dear former potential bride."
"Scarlet, what did you just say? Bride? Siesta? Who?"
"Assistant, don't complicate things. Don't pull a gun now."
…That being said, there’s no doubt they had some history between them,
given what Scarlet had said. Maybe there’s a good chance that Siesta was
being blackmailed. If that's the case, there's something I should do as an
assistant, right?
"You're here again sooner than I thought. Human."
So I thought, and Scarlet's gaze turned to me as well.
"…Yea. There's something I need your wisdom on."
But at this point, I got something more important to talk about than
Siesta's history with this guy. I exchanged a glance with Siesta and got right
to the point.
"Scarlet."
Siesta said, taking a half step towards the vampire.
"Do you know how to regain consciousness in a person who won't wake
up?"
That's why, right after the《Inventor》, she wanted to consult
the《Vampire》.
As a vampire, Scarlet could revive the dead. The resurrected subject
would then be left with only the strongest instincts before it died. In other
words, the vampire could draw out the human instinct…the consciousness.
Siesta wanted to ask Scarlet how she could wake up her friend who remained
in slumber.
"Where do you think a person's soul resides?"
And Scarlet asked us a question in return.
"In the brain, or there?"
Scarlet's golden eyes look down at Siesta's left chest.
Where in the body does the human heart or soul reside?
Even if we were to replace ‘mind’ and ‘soul’ with ‘consciousness in a
more concrete way, the definitions still differed between different disciplines,
like philosophy, psychology, and medicine. Philosophy focuses on thought,
psychology on sensation, medicine on mechanical reactions based on stimuli.
There were also many different ways of understanding this aspect called the
human ‘consciousness’.
And so for Siesta, who probably was influenced by the《seed》, the
consciousness was within the heart in her left chest. On the other hand, Hel,
her sworn enemy, was sleeping in Natsunagi's brain as another
consciousness. If so, would Natsunagi, her Master, also have a consciousness
lingering in her brain? That might be the case scientifically.
"……"
The next thing I knew, Scarlet stared at me, a sneer plastered to the sides
of his cheeks.
"Is there a place for human consciousness? Well, I don't have the right
answer for that, either."
Then, Scarlet made a snide face.
You don't know either?
"This is the biggest waste of time…"
"This guy does things like this with a big smile on his face."
Siesta stared at Scarlet in disgust.
"I don’t have a choice in this. The《Immortals》I create can only revive
with its own instincts. My will has nothing to do with it."
"You don't think this is what you want?"
"It's the same as me not wanting to live like this."
Scarlet gave such an unintelligible response. I was about to ask what he
meant, but the vampire's beautiful yet terrifying profile made me hesitate.
"The only thing I can say is,"
The vampire spoke up again.
"Whether it's a single hair or a piece of a tooth, as long as there is a piece
of flesh, the dead can come back to life. In that sense, the human instinct
within all that DNA probably awakens the consciousness."
And once he said so, Scarlet reverted to his usual aloof expression.
Human consciousness runs through our body like blood from our toes to
the top of our head. The eyes look to tomorrow, the hand that grasps the
sword to protect someone, the heart never stops beating even after death, and
each organ contained an indelible will.
"Bat died."
While we were talking, I remembered that I had an enemy, and informed
Scarlet.
When I first met Scarlet that night, he was working with Bat, who was an
interested party at the time. Then, through a series of twists and turns, Bat
became an ally not of Scarlet, but of Saikawa and me, and eventually, as if
fulfilling his true purpose, he fought SEED and scattered.
"I see."
Scarlet muttered without any particular emotion in his voice,
"If you bring me a part of him, I can bring him back to life."
He offered such a suggestion, probably without malice, just as a vampire
should.
"No, it’s fine."
I didn’t need to speak for the dead, but he would never want to do that.
Because,
"Bat's wish has already come true."
He didn’t have to fight anymore.
I just wanted him to sleep peacefully.
"Well. I don't know what happened, but I'm sure that's a good thing."
Scarlet stared off into the distance, the night wind ruffling his silvery hair.
"There's one more thing I wanted to ask you."
Siesta asked Scarlet on my behalf.
"Do you know what kind of deal《Phantom Thief (Arsene)》made
with《Primordial Seed》in the past?"
What did Arsene receive from SEED in exchange for providing
the《Bible》? That might be a clue to unravel the mystery behind this series of
events.
"Well, I hadn’t been to that boring meeting in a while, so I don't know
anything about that."
But Scarlet shrugged and again didn't give us the answer we were looking
for.
"Besides, I'm only interested in my enemies."
Was he referring to the《world's enemies》as a《Tuner》? Or—
"Scarlet, what are you fighting against?"
The vampire didn’t answer my question.
His golden eyes just stared at the distant night moon with a dazzling glare.
"Oh, there's one thing I should have told you."
But Scarlet, as if suddenly remembering, turned his face towards us again.
"I have no way of knowing about the《Phantom Thief》, but I can disclose
Arsene.
"You pretended to be Flip Stuart for a month, and even attended the
Federation Conference of《Tuners》in that state, acting boldly as a moderator.
Even so, the fact that none of the other《Tuners》, including myself, noticed
the Revolutionary's replacement can only be attributed to your supernatural
nature as a《Phantom Thief》."
Siesta wasn’t being overconfident in her own observation of the
other《Tuners》. They certainly were capable of such, given that they had
handled countless《world crises》. Even so, there’s no doubt that the position
of《Revolutionary》had been stolen because the enemy was the《Phantom
Thief》Arsene.
"Those who had something stolen from them by Arsene will never be
aware of the fact."
That was exactly what Siesta had said the previous.
"I see. I suppose it's a bit short-sighted to think that you're only aware of
this because you're Singularity."
The man, still sitting at his desk, smiled and continued.
His voice was soft. It was round, warm, and soothing. I was so wrapped
up in that soothing voice that I didn't even notice for a moment that the first
person pronoun had changed. It was different from the cold voice I had heard
so often at the meeting.
"—Assistant."
Like a water-filled balloon bursting, my consciousness awoke with a
bang.
Next to me was a familiar figure, my partner, and I suddenly remembered
what I had to do now. Yeah, this man had already confessed that he’s Arsene,
the《Phantom Thief》. But he's still trying to calmly get us to talk about the
motive behind the switch.
"《Phantom Thief》 Arsene."
Siesta called out to the man who still assumed Flip's form.
"The reason you are disguised as Flip Stuart is to brainwash people all
over the world through the media."
Maybe that was just a hypothesis, but it’s true that Arsene had a special
skill that allowed him to manipulate others. If that was the case, he could
have taken the form of Flip Stuart and spread his voice around the world in
order to maximize his power.
"—I see."
Arsene muttered with a sigh, and a moment of silence fell over the room.
"Well, let me make one point, so as not to cause any misunderstandings."
But then it was Arsene who spoke up again. He propped his elbows on the
desk and crossed his fingers in front of his chin,
"I have nothing to do with the death of the《Revolutionary》Flip Stuart. I
was merely filling in for him right after he passed."
In a soft, rippling voice, he insisted that he had nothing to do with the
death of the man.
"Then what is your purpose?"
Siesta got up and stood in front of Arsene.
She’s not asking why the《Phantom Thief》replaced the《Revolutionary》.
We had already covered that.
"Flip Stuart was already dead a month ago, and yet he seemed to keep
appearing in the media. That means you broke out of prison at least a month
ago and lived to replace the《Revolutionary》Flip Stuart."
Then why, Siesta asked.
"Even though you've been outside the walls for so long, why on earth
would you be manipulating and inciting complete strangers to free you?"
It was a question that we had once dismissed as impossible on the streets
last night. There was no point in choosing someone outside the walls as a
collaborator if he could have escaped immediately.
But the fact was that Arsene was not only able to escape from prison at
any time, he was already free a month ago. So why was he manipulating
people in London and New York to get him out of prison for no reason?
To such a natural question, Arsene said—
"The fact that it doesn't make sense is the most meaningful thing to me.”
Arsene gives a zen-like, incomprehensible answer. Looking at Siesta and
me, "Don't you understand?" He continued.
related to the Primordial Seed—and neither Siesta nor Mia knew about it.
"So you've been trying to—"
Siesta's blue eyes narrowed. She finally realized that instead of her using
Arsene, the latter had been using her back.
"I don't like the idea of simply getting paid. I will steal what I truly want
with my own hands."
And Arsene walked past us.
"You think you can get away with this?"
I followed Siesta's lead and pointed my gun at the enemy.
"Escape? I've never wanted to run, not from anyone, not ever."
Just then, I heard an eerie clicking sound in my ear.
"It's just that no one can keep up with me."
Then a black gun flickered into view. Both Siesta and I were forced to
raise our hands in the air by the sudden appearance of men with muzzle
flashes to the back of our heads.
"…Are these guys being manipulated too?"
They were apparently city employees, judging by their appearance.
Perhaps they were being manipulated by Arsene's powers.
"No, they're not."
Arsene paused there for a moment.
"They're all working for me of their own volition."
But he left us to our own devices and went for the door.
"I'm sure you heard that the other day."
But the girl stopped him again.
Despite being held at gunpoint by men in suits, she…Siesta said to the
enemy behind her that was leaving.
We’re in a dimly lit room. The moonlight shone through the curtains, and
Siesta's smile became more radiant.
"…Who knows."
I knew I didn’t have to bluff it, but it still tingled me that Siesta could see
through me, and I involuntarily turned my head away.
"Tsundere men aren’t the in-thing, you know?"
"That's none of your business."
But today's Siesta didn't let that stop her from pursuing the matter.
"Then tell me one thing you like about Nagisa."
What's with the ‘then’? I had a similar situation almost three weeks ago…
well, I guess I had to answer this time too.
"…Natsunagi, well, anyway, she’s, well…cute, I guess?"
"……"
Why the silence? Or should I have said something about her personality
first?
"No, when I hear the word 'cute' from your mouth, it kind of makes me
shiver."
"That's unreasonable."
Don't get goosebumps over that.
Give me some credit. I tried my best to say something I wouldn't normally
say.
"Hmm. But now that I think about it, it's getting interesting."
"Interesting? It's not going to be fun for me, is it?"
"Because even when you’ve been teasing Nagisa and giving her the cold
shoulder, you've actually been thinking, 'My partner is super cute,' right?"
"Stop your calm analysis! I definitely didn’t make such a face!"
…Damn it, Natsunagi, you put me to shame.
"That's it, isn’t it?"
"So don't read my mind."
And you, get off of me. I pointed to the bed next to me and told Siesta to
move. Good thing I got a twin room.
"…No, that's not what I meant by that."
For some reason, the famous detective started to lie down beside me
instead of on the bed next to me.
"Oh, that's right. I didn't notice that."
She’s clearly doing this on purpose.
Siesta said in a monotone, stared at my sidelong face, and her face
relaxed.
"What do you want?"
"I was jealous of how much you talked about Nagisa, so how about…?"
"If you were more emotional, I might have hugged you."
"You're the one with no emotion in your words."
We said this to each other and ended up blowing out the wind.
"We haven't changed, have we?"
"Yeah, we're the same as we were a year ago."
We’re in a room with the lights out. Siesta and I stared at each other on
the narrow bed.
"Well, now that you've satisfied your need for sleep and appetite, I'm
actually wary of the possibility of you asking for the other one."
"…So you said I only have two major needs. And vigilance."
Siesta's eyes narrowed in frustration.
"You say that, but didn't you say that back then?"
"That time?"
It's been over a month now. When we fought the runaway Chameleon on
the cruise ship, Siesta, who had borrowed Natsunagi's body, said to me.
"I thought you could sleep with me for once…"
"…….!"
Siesta looked uncomfortable for a moment.
"…I was sure you'd be happy to hear that. It sounded like you wanted it
"Kimizuka-san, let me ask you again. Is Siesta-san really gone from you,
Kimizuka-san…or from us?"
Yui Saikawa turned her faltering eyes towards me, and we were in a room
in her mansion.
"Thank goodness you can walk again."
Saikawa had been in a wheelchair just a few days ago, but now she was
standing on her own feet.
"Please don't throw me off. I'm not talking about myself, I'm talking about
Siesta-san…"
Saikawa got a little angry, probably trying to reprimand me…only to stop.
"Kimizuka-san, you look awful."
"Haha, are you insulting me?"
"…There’s no need to try and joke it off."
Please sit down, Saikawa said, offering me a chair.
"…Now that I think about it, I kind of had a hunch."
So I plopped down in the chair and told the girls what I'd been thinking
before I came here… and what I'd been feeling about Siesta's behavior lately.
For example, Siesta had been saying stuff like she didn’t have time every
once in a while ever since she was revived. However, I had assumed this
might mean that we had to defeat SEED quickly or that we had to wake up
Natsunagi.
In addition, while saying that we had to hurry, Siesta actually took me to a
distant foreign country to meet with《Tuners》I hadn't seen yet, or invite me
out to a musical, or suddenly start reminiscing …but the inconsistency in her
words and actions was something I had experienced a year ago.
And above all, Siesta relinquished the position of《Famous detective》and
appointed Natsunagi as her successor. She said that she could continue to be
a detective even if she stopped being a《Famous Detective》, but there’s a
different meaning to her retirement.
"Perhaps, Siesta is—"
"—! That's not possible!"
Charl, who had finished listening to my story, looked down and shouted.
"Ma'am just came back to life, the《Primordial Seed》was finally defeated,
Nagisa will wake up, and we'll finally get to the happy ending she was talking
about, right? But Ma'am is going to …Ma'am can't just disappear again, that's
not…!"
"Are you saying that she’s trying to disappear before she becomes a
monster?"
That was Saikawa's usual spell. She gently took my opened hand.
"Siesta-san has made her choice. Now it's your turn to choose, Kimizuka-
san."
She takes off her eye patch and stares at me with two different colored
eyes.
"…Am I allowed to choose again?"
"Of course, it's your life, Kimizuka-san."
Saikawa approached me with a smile that somehow made me want to cry.
But I couldn't give her an answer so easily, considering that my
selfishness had caused the situation.
"We've always been like this, haven't we?”
It was Charl who looked away and let out a lonely sigh.
"We'd have conflicts, we'd argue, we'd fail, and then we'd get on the
wrong side of each other again.
Yeah, that's right. Every time we did that, Siesta would scold us, sighing
at us like we were idiots, but in the end, the detective would guide us down
the right way with a smile at the very end. But that Siesta is no longer here.
All because of my naive wish.
"Charlotte, I'm sorry."
The one person who can lead us to tomorrow is gone.
"The detective is still here!"
Charl came up to me with loud footsteps, angry or bawling.
She put her hands on my shoulders and yelled out loud.
"There's another detective in our group! Because that day, she told me…
that she was the detective, that she was Ma'am's legacy, that she wanted to
continue being the famous detective!"
The scene on the cruise ship someday comes back to my mind. Back then,
Charl had never acknowledged Natsunagi as the famous detective, thinking
that only she herself was worthy to carry on that mantle.
But now, Charl has entrusted this role to her. She had entrusted our
futures…and Siesta’s, to another famous detective who remains alive.
"Kimihiko."
Noches called out to me. In her hand was the key to her car.
Would the answer lie wherever Natsunagi was? Wouldn’t it just be
confronting a reality that we couldn’t change? I didn’t know.
"If you do not know, let go."
Noches, who had once been conscious in Siesta's body, said as she looked
over her back.
I felt a trace of the famous detective in her and found myself stepping
forward.
I knew I was making a mistake, and I was sure that my wish was nothing
but arrogance. My wish is so clear, but I couldn’t think of any way to make it
come true. I bite my lips, dig my fingernails into my palms, and my eyes turn
black at the thought that nothing will change.
"…What should I do, famous detective?"
If biting my lips didn’t change anything, I spoke up, at the very least.
Yeah. Before I got here, Charl shoved me back, as if to reproach me for
being so beaten down. She said that if I couldn’t find an answer, I should go
to another famous detective.
So I clung to her even though I knew it wasn’t the right thing to do. If
digging my fingernails into my palms couldn’t change anything, at least I can
say...
"—Please, famous detective, save Siesta."
Then I opened my stiffened fist and grasped the left hand of Nagisa
Natsunagi, who was asleep in her bed.
"Natsunagi…"
I called out her name again, stunned.
Nagisa Natsunagi, my classmate and partner, who I had once parted with
by death and who had been asleep ever since was now blinking in front of
me.
Then Natsunagi slowly raised her body and gave me a peace sign with a
mischievous grin.
"Hey, Kimizuka, are you crying? Ahaha, you missed me that much…!?"
I hugged Natsunagi as hard as I could.
"W-wait… Eh? Ki-Kimizuka…?"
I could hear Natsunagi's panicked voice right next to my ear, but I wasn’t
in the mood to check her face or her condition. But for now, if I could, I
wanted to stay like this.
"…! This is really unexpected…no, Kimizuka? …Eh, eeeeh~…"
Natsunagi stiffened and looked confused by this situation.
"Hey Kimizuka, is your character okay? You're not usually the type to do
something like this, are you?"
"…Shut up."
Argh, my nose got stuffy while I talked.
I hugged her tightly, trying not to let her see my face at least.
"…Ahh dear, guess I can’t help it."
I felt a soft touch wrap my back.
Natsunagi's arms were holding me.
"Yeah, I see. That's right, I've always wanted to be treated like this."
"But as I was looking at the sea, a small hand tapped me on the back."
Then Natsunagi's right hand reached out to her left chest.
"When I turned around, there was a cute little girl in front of me who
looked like she had just stepped out of Wonderland, like a doll. She was
desperately trying to say something, but for some reason, I couldn't hear her
voice."
Natsunagi clutched at her left chest…and her heart within, as though she
was remembering that moment.
Natsunagi already knew who was there, certainly.
"But then, I heard another girl's voice coming from her mouth. That voice
was also very familiar to me, and I couldn't separate the two… I found myself
following the voice, just moving along."
…Yeah, that’s how we always were. We've been moved by her voice
when she was our enemy and when she was our friend. She, who bore the
name of the underworld’s ruler, wanted to push Natsunagi back into this
world. And that word spirit spoke for the voiceless voice of the girl with the
peach-colored hair.
"What did she say to you?"
I asked, and Natsunagi looked up, saying.
The dignified face was different from any other Nagisa Natsunagi I had
seen. Nagisa Natsunagi, who has had several other beings in her heart,
memories, and consciousness, had thus wholeheartedly accepted the will of
those other beings, and surely was reborn again. The girl who had suffered
from being a nobody was no longer there.
"I feel like everything else went by so fast."
Natsunagi's expression suddenly relaxed.
"My body, every cell in my body was screaming to meet you. So I ran,
ran, and ran past the old Nagisa, now I’ve caught up."
I'm coming for you.
Then Natsunagi put her fist lightly against my chest.
"Why me?"
"Because, Kimizuka, you were so depressed that you couldn't pick
yourself up."
"We’ll surpass Siesta once again. Not just with our feelings this time, but
with our abilities."
After the meeting with Natsunagi, I made all the preparations I could, and
the next day, I went out to a certain city.
"It's almost exactly the same."
I crossed the barricade tape and entered the now uninhabited city. I
walked on, paying attention to the cracked ground…and soon came upon a
tall tree that had swallowed up the fashion building that had once stood here.
It was the city that was overrun by plants two weeks ago when we fought
SEED. This city was surrounded by barricade tape, with many collapsed
buildings fallen within, so civilians weren’t allowed to enter. There's only one
reason why I stepped into this place.
"Hey, what a coincidence."
I called out to a girl who had her back turned towards me.
She was standing there, looking up at the big tree. A silvery-white short
cut, a dress that resembles a military uniform. I couldn’t have mistaken her
for anyone else. The girl’s name–
"What are you doing, Siesta?"
I called out to her, and she turned around with her usual relaxed smile as
if she had been ready for a while.
"Nice to see you again, Assistant."
Codename, Siesta.
My partner, who had once disappeared, now appeared in front of me
again.
"What are you, a cat?"
It’s said that a cat about to die will leave its owner before its demise came.
"Who's my owner?"
Siesta gave me a dumbfounded look.
Then with a frustrated sigh.
"It looks like I’m being set up."
Looking up at the towering giant tree, she blurted out.
"I heard that the seal on the《Primordial Seed》was going to be broken?"
That's one of the preparations I made. If I were to persuade Siesta, I would
have to find her first. I knew that it would be pointless for me to just call
Siesta and say "I want to see you again," so I thought I should call a famous
detective instead of Siesta.
As long as Natsunagi hadn't taken her place, Siesta was still the《Famous
Detective》, and would never abandon her job. That's why I lured Siesta here
by having the《Priestess》Mia Whitlock lie that there were signs that SEED
would be unsealed.
"I did say there's a possibility of that happening someday."
"So, at least there is no immediate danger?"
"Yes, it might become indispensable to us humans instead."
"—Now then."
But right after that, we gave each other cold stares.
I'm here to stop you. Not to kill you, not to wound you. I’m here to keep
you alive, to protect you, so I pointed my gun at Siesta.
"Why do I have to deal with you?"
But Siesta didn’t want to deal with my resolve. And rightly so. There's no
reason for Siesta to go along with my defiance. If I lowered my gun, or if this
conversation broke, Siesta will walk away from us for good this time—so.
"I will pursue you with every means at my disposal, with the help of the
Saikawa family fortune, with the help of Charl's unit. I will chase you to the
ends of the earth, the bottom of the sea, even 10,000 meters above the ground
—everywhere."
I wasn’t going to lose to a famous detective when it comes to giving up.
"It's too much trouble, but you want to fight me here?"
Siesta, staring at the muzzle of the gun pointed at her and guessed my
intentions.
"Yes, this battlefield will decide everything. If you win, I will no longer
interfere with you."
"There’s no competition between us, right?—Besides."
But Siesta, seeing that I wasn't really going to shoot her, turned around.
"No matter how many times you and your friends come after me, I will
never be caught. I will complete my story on my own, in an empty place, at a
time where nobody else is around."
She said as she turned her back on me, and started to walk away.
This was Siesta's story as a famous detective. Did it start as soon as she
was born, or did it start six years ago when she made a connection with
the《Primordial Seed》at the facility? …I was only her assistant, so I didn’t
really know.
But, yes. I was Siesta's assistant. Then when did my story as an assistant
begin? Or when did the story of me and Siesta, the two of us begin? …At the
very least, I know that much. It was that day four years ago.
"Oh, yeah, Siesta, you are."
That's why for four years, I had decided on the line I was going to say
here.
"You're so scared of your assistant that you’re bluffing, saying that the
game has already been decided without a fight, and you're trying to end this
by saying I’d already lost. You’re just scared, aren’t you?"
As soon as I said this, Siesta, who had turned her heels, stopped in her
tracks. There was no way she could forget when or who had first provoked
her.
"Are you a fool?"
Siesta taunted me with her usual words.
But her voice sounded a little chippy on this battlefield.
And so, at the foot of the great tree overlooking humanity, Siesta and I
pointed our guns at each other.
It was the first and last big fight between me and Siesta.
weeks ago had left the place in disarray, so I was able to keep my cover.
"Do you really think you can beat me like that?"
"…!"
The voice of the famous detective descended from above my head, having
raised my own death flag. Before I knew it, Siesta was on the roof of the bus,
and she jumped without hesitation before kicking me in the right arm. The
pistol fell out of my hand.
"…In fact, I exceeded your expectations at least once."
I ducked my body under the bus for a moment, not paying attention to the
dropped gun.
"That's just out of emotion. It doesn’t matter if you can’t beat me through
skill."
Yeah, that's a good point, but I knew that too. I’d been thinking about it,
and so I stood on the battlefield. That's why I couldn’t simply retreat.
"…!"
When I saw Siesta's feet from under the bus, I jumped out of the vehicle
and opened fire with the other gun in my holster…but.
"…Seriously, I could have died."
Siesta seemingly anticipated this as her bullet whizzed right by my face.
No, it only grazed me by a few millimeters, and a thin stream of blood flowed
from my cheek.
"Do you want to die?"
Siesta tilted her head in a dumbfounded manner.
Still as relaxed as ever. So,
"You said it yourself—this is war."
I didn’t hesitate and continued to fire at Siesta randomly. Obviously, I
wasn’t going to kill Siesta with these bullets; that would be defeating the
purpose. In other words, this attack is based on the trust that Siesta will
dodge. But in the process, if just one bullet, just like the one that just grazed
my cheek, if just a little bit of the bullet grazed Siesta—
"I see."
Siesta dodged the hail of bullets with the movements of an action actor,
leaped high as if she just jumped off a trampoline, and landed on the rubble a
few meters above the ground. Then looked down at me with a blank
expression.
"Is there some kind of anesthetic in that bullet of yours?"
was trying to get me to admit defeat, as if this was a reenactment of how she
subdued Bat.
"…You've been calling people stupid for so long, and now you're finally
going to do it?"
But Siesta was right. If I didn’t want to be hurt, if I didn’t want to be
fatally wounded, I should probably back off here. But when I saw Siesta
holding the gun with her left hand facing me, a conversation I had with her
came to my mind.
It was an ordinary scene in my daily life. In terms of money, we had no
money, and we were sitting at a table in a cheap apartment in a foreign land.
Siesta was acting like most Japanese, holding chopsticks in her right hand
and poking at a side dish, so I asked her.
"Siesta, aren't you left-handed?"
She nodded her head dubiously at this obvious question. Of course, Siesta
had always eaten like that, and on the battlefield, she had held her gun with
her right hand. Still, I had mistaken Siesta for being left-handed because I had
been brought into this world by her left hand.
—Let's go on a journey, Siesta always reached out her left hand to me and
gave her billion point smile, so that’s why I made the mistake of assuming so.
"Are you a fool?"
Siesta chided me as usual.
"The hand that holds the gun is my right hand."
"You’re saying that while holding chopsticks?"
We exchanged a few snide remarks, but for some reason, Siesta smiled
and said,
"So from now on, I'll only offer my left hand to you."
Siesta's philosophy was both understandable and illogical. It’ll probably
be a cliché if I tried to explain it, but as long as I keep the answer in my heart,
she would continue to extend her left hand towards me. So that day, I didn’t
ask Siesta to explain any further.
If there’s one thing I knew, it's that Siesta is standing here on the
battlefield with a gun in her left hand that she should have been holding out
to me, and in Siesta's words—I wasn’t so stupid enough to know what that
means.
"…Yeah, you're right. I've lost."
Siesta held me up at gunpoint, I fell to my knees, pathetically admitting
defeat.
—But.
"So, can I just say one last thing?"
I was in the middle of an unobstructed scramble intersection.
I slowly stood up, raising my hands in the air as if to show that I have no
intention of resisting.
"Begging for your life?"
"Don't try to take my life when I've already admitted defeat."
I sighed as I saw Siesta with a threatening look.
"It's not that, it's just that I don't think I’ve answered the question…of why
I'm trying to stop you."
That's what Siesta asked me just before this battle started. Why won't you
let me die, the monster I'll eventually become? Why do you keep chasing me,
why do you keep trying to get involved with me? The answer that came to my
mind was so obvious, but that's why I didn't say it to Siesta.
Looking back, that’s how we always were. We didn't tell each other the
important things, we thought we understood each other, and we always found
ourselves at odds, yet believed in this invisible bond…no, it certainly
connected us, but after some point, we started to rely on it too much.
I was sure there was a bond between us, but we never confirmed it with
words because I didn't think we needed to. I thought we could communicate
by putting our backs to each other in a firefight.
"Thoughts are more than just words. It sure sounds good when you put it
like that."
I took a step, two towards Siesta, undaunted by the gun pointed at me.
"! What…?"
Siesta, perhaps unsure of my intentions, exerted more grip on the gun in
her left hand.
"I'm just trying to demonstrate that you have to say it to get it across."
It's been three years. We've talked so much.
But apparently, we've been slacking off a little too much.
"Why would I want to bring you back to life? Why did I think those three
years of trouble would be fun? There's only one answer to that question, isn't
there?"
I've never said this simple thing before. It seemed to me that if I said it,
everything would seem like a cliché.
I stood before Siesta and said these words, her blue eyes widened in
surprise.
I wasn’t going to try to explain whether this feeling was so-called
infatuation, family love, or neighborly love. I couldn’t name this feeling as of
yet. But still, that would be the closest and simplest word to this feeling that I
have had for the past three years, and still have till this point.
"Well, that’s surprising."
Siesta lowered her gun, probably without realizing it herself, and muttered
in an absent-minded voice.
"You never noticed that before, did you, Famous Detective?"
"…The problem was that your level of tsundereness was extraordinary."
We exchanged a few words, and then our mouths slackened.
Apparently, this time, my words had reached her.
"—But."
But a blue flame flickered again in the depths of Siesta's eyes.
"Some problems can't be solved by emotion alone."
A gunshot rang out. The bullet from her gun passed right by my cheek.
"You knew that. I'm not going to be persuaded by your confession now."
"I didn't mean to confess though?"
"Oh, I see. A marriage proposal perhaps?"
Why is this a choice? I chuckled as I raised my hands meekly again. I had
already admitted defeat, to begin with. I couldn’t resist at all when I had no
weapon at hand.
"After all, I'm no match for you."
But I'd known that from the start—because.
"From here on out, we'll take the challenge."
The next moment, there was a deafening explosion and a cloud of black
smoke.
"A hand grenade…!"
When Siesta noticed the intruder, she leaped backward and left the scene.
However, following Siesta, a girl burst onto the battlefield, cutting
through the black smoke.
"Is it not a little too cruel to not meet the maid who had taken such good
Even now, at fifteen years, I would sometimes sigh and wonder if I could
simply live a more decent life. Still, as long as I have this nature, I couldn’t
stand next to anyone, and no one could walk next to me.
"Well, I'm used to it now."
I chuckled as I stepped on the asphalt. I never had my parents since birth,
let alone friends. So I had to gain life skills on my own since my childhood.
"But sometimes there's nothing you can do on your own. Today is no
different."
Siesta spoke from behind me, as though she’s telling me to join her.
Today, I had trouble getting along with Charl and almost got hit by an enemy
bullet. Even so, Siesta came to my rescue in the end.
"You never know when you might lose me, you know?"
…You're the one who brought me on this journey, and now you're
suddenly being irresponsible.
"However, if I were to make friends with them, there's a possibility that
they'll be in danger."
Considering my nature, there’s a high chance of that. It’s not that I had
resigned myself to this, but that I simply realized it. I didn’t need a
companion to walk beside me.
"Where are you going?"
I realized Siesta's voice was coming from behind me.
"Are you a fool?"
I heard a voice to my left.
"It's this easy to stand next to someone."
Two black shadows stretched out in the orange of the sunset, staining the
pavement.
"Of course, I'm not your lover, and I'm sure I'm not your friend. I don't
even know if it's appropriate to call me a friend."
But, Siesta said, looking forward.
"I'm standing next to you now."
The orange light shone gently through her silvery-white hair. I couldn't
help but glance at Siesta's sidelong face, she looked so dignified and more
beautiful than any masterpiece or sculpture.
"Someday you'll have a friend, too."
Then Siesta turned to me and gave a gentle smile.
"And I'm sure that someday you'll be able to accomplish something
together."
…I didn’t know, I couldn’t imagine myself doing so. Maybe it’s just due
to my nature, and even if I did get a bunch of friends like Siesta said, they'll
be a bunch of weirdos.
"Well, if that really happens someday, I'll introduce you."
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it."
We began to walk side by side along the sunset path, stepping on the
shadows.
The explosion of hand grenades filled the battlefield with black smoke. A
girl jumped in the air, and her maid's uniform was fluttering in the wind.
"I'll leave it to you, Noches."
Holding my useless right arm, I moved to the shade of the rubble.
"I see. This is your companion now, I suppose?"
But just then, through the black smoke flickering in the wind, Siesta's blue
eyes caught sight of me for a moment.
Our consensus was that we didn’t want Siesta to die. If by definition,
those who share the same wishes and goals are friends, then the girl who’s
running with a sword in her hand was definitely one of them.
"Still, I didn't expect you to turn against me too."
In response to Noches, Siesta held up her gun and tried to fight back…but
at that moment, the weapon she was holding was shot down by a sniper from
far, far away.
"Charlotte, Yui, you too?"
Siesta took one look at the building in the direction the bullet had come
from, but then quickly turned her gaze back to the person she was now
facing.
"Noches, you weren't made for combat, were you?"
Avoiding the stab of the one-handed sword, Siesta voiced her unhappiness
at her former maid.
"Yes, as you can see, I have been bluffing in anticipation of this."
"So you have been planting seeds for two weeks to catch me off guard?
—She knew.
At gunpoint, Charl bit her lip and threw away the knife she was holding.
"I didn't expect you to point your blade at me too, Charl."
"An apprentice must one day surpass her master."
A moment later, for the umpteenth time, a single bullet grazed the ground
beneath Siesta's feet.
"How did you get this far with only your《left eye》?"
As it hit the rail, it made a violent metallic sound, distracting Siesta for a
moment. Meanwhile, Charl stepped back and pointed the muzzle of the gun
she had pulled from its holster.
"You think you can beat me with a quick shot?"
Siesta did the same, holding her pistol with her right arm straightened.
"…Well, yes. It's true that I'm still no match for you, Ma'am."
But, Charl said valiantly.
"Maybe all of us can surpass you."
That was the signal.
"I don't usually let people play this role without a license."
I straddled the motorcycle that was prepared beforehand, twisted the
throttle along with my head, and descended to the tracks below the platform
with the engine roaring. And then,
"…! Why did you do that?"
Charl threw herself over the edge of the tracks, and Siesta's eyes instead
turned towards me as I charged forward on the bike with the《famous
detective》musket at the ready.
"…I didn't give that to you for that purpose."
"Yeah, return to sender."
Since that day four years ago, it’s been my job as the detective’s assistant
to hand this over to you.
"But first."
The target’s about 20 meters away.
I readied my legs on the bike and used my free hands to fire the musket.
"Well, I certainly didn't expect this attack."
But, Siesta's blue eyes turned to me as I blasted down the deserted railroad
tracks on my bike.
"—For the third time, I knew you'd team up."
And with that, Siesta pulled the trigger in her left hand. The bullets we
shot at each other hit each other with the precision of a sewing needle hole.
Bam! And they were nullified in mid-air.
But by the time that happened, the bike I was riding was already in front
of Siesta. If I were to hit Siesta with this momentum…
"…Dammit."
I swerved and leaned my weight to the right as hard as I could, trying to
avoid collision with Siesta. Inevitably, my body is thrown into the air—
"Are you a fool?"
I thought I heard a voice seemingly reproach me for trying to do
something rash. And then, for a brief moment, I felt my body softly still in
midair.
"…Ow!"
But right after that, my body was rolling on the railroad tracks. I felt as if
my whole body had been whipped. Still, there was no time to gasp in pain or
catch my breath on this battlefield. I quickly looked up from the gravel to
check the battle situation, and what I saw was.
"Because this is a battlefield, Charlotte."
"—!"
A bullet fired by Siesta had grazed Charl's right shoulder. That shot was
surely a courtesy that should not be missed by agents who risked their lives
on the battlefield.
"…Not yet. Not yet, I'm Ma'am and…"
But Charlotte stood up again with blood pouring from her shoulder, still
holding her gun in an attempt to right her master's wrong. Seeing her
apprentice, Siesta seemed hesitant as she pointed her gun. Was she thinking
about where she should shoot to stop the target's movement for sure, or...?
"…Charl-san!"
Then a girl's shadow intervened. The voice of an idol, which I had heard
through the phone earlier, was ten meters away from me.
"—For the fourth time. I know that dedication too."
Siesta sighed and muttered.
There was a lag between the shot and the impact, and Siesta, aware of this
lag, must have noticed that the sniper was getting closer and closer. Saikawa
stood in front of the wounded Charl, gun in hand, and Siesta pointed her gun
at Saikawa.
"I will not let you."
At that moment, Noches intervened like the wind and kicked up Siesta's
right hand. The gun the latter wield flew high in the air.
"I'm sorry, but I might as well."
But that didn't stop Siesta from kicking Noches sharply in the stomach
again.
"—!"
Saikawa and Charl were knocked aside along with Noches, and the three
of them rolled on the gravel of the railroad track. Finally, there was no one
left to stand in front of Siesta.
"—Is this the end?"
She closed her eyes and took a deep, slow breath. After a few moments,
Siesta opened her eyelids again. Her blue eyes stare at us, and I couldn’t see
any emotion in them. In other words, the usual famous detective was standing
there.
"Nagisa can't come here, she's still asleep. So it's Priestess, Assassin…or
Vampire, but no matter who comes next, I won't lose."
Siesta said, picking up the musket I had dropped on the tracks with her
left hand, and she fired it high into the sky.
"I'm going to protect the world, so I will kill myself. If you want to
prevent me from killing myself, I shall defeat you, and protect you. This is
my last job as the《famous detective》."
That was Siesta's oath as a defender of the world, as a《Tuner》, an ally of
justice. In order to keep the《world destroying seed》from sprouting in her
body, Siesta must complete her story with her own hands.
of Siesta.
And Siesta misunderstood something else.
Siesta, I won't let you finish the job.
I immediately saw the chance to win.
"So? With what kind of people do you think you can work well with?"
I asked Assistant over a cup of tea in an open terrace cafe.
Today, Assistant made a mistake during a mission, so we had a debrief on
our way back—and this was an extension of that. I continue to talk to the
Assistant with the goal of getting her to make friends.
"What type of people do I think I can get along with?…"
Assistant, who was sitting in front of me, had an unexpectedly serious
expression on his face as pondered the question before answering.
"A big sister who’s generous and kind enough to accept my faults."
"You're talking about the type of woman you like, not as a companion."
Goodness, and I was the one taking this seriously.
"With that description, aren’t you just describing me?"
"What? That’s the exact opposite of you."
I wasn’t trying to joke, but he just joked at me. Really, I didn’t get him.
"I mean, you keep asking me that, but what about you, Siesta?"
And now, Assistant asked me. Do you have any friends? I could think of
several faces, Charl aside. For example, there’s the Priestess girl who lives in
the high clock tower, the red-haired policewoman who I would call a
comrade rather than a friend.
There were also others, such as…let’s see, I did have people I could call
my friends a long time ago, but I felt like my memories were foggy for some
reason…I couldn’t remember their faces or names, even though they were
surely there.
"…That's why I'm nagging you, right?"
I lost them, so that’s why I wanted Assistant to find friends…
"In the first place, I don't know what the definition of a friend or
companion is."
And so we sat on the terrace, sipping the same tea, watching the same
sunset.
There were four of them, but they were already wounded. If I dealt with
them one by one, I’d be fine. First, I'm sorry—
"Yui Saikawa...your left eye is a nuisance."
"…!"
That eye already has a level of dynamic vision beyond the reach of
ordinary humans. On the battlefield, it would be more useful than any heavy
weapon with firepower. I ran straight up to Yui to mitigate its ability, and she
seemed taken aback.
Of course, I didn’t intend to kill her, nor did I intend to hurt her blue eye.
This musket I raised was brought by Assistant, so it should contain a
tranquilizer bullet…no, it's possible that he only loaded the first shot in case I
took the gun. I had to try it first. I would let the bullet graze Yui by a few
millimeters, and hopefully, she'd sleep for a while. With that thought running
through my head as quickly as possible, I put my fingertip on the trigger and
—
"—!"
Just then, Charl crossed behind Yui. At this angle, the bullet would have
hit Charl who was behind…in the head. If it hit her in the shoulder, that could
also be a fatal wound.
"…It's so unlike you, Charl."
I lowered my weapon and stepped away, complaining to my apprentice
who had misread the situation.
"Master Siesta. This is a battlefield, a place where lives are exchanged,
isn't it?"
I suddenly felt a sharp killing intent and ducked, only to find Noches'
sword cleaving the spot where I had been a moment ago. If the tip of the
sword that was coated with an anesthetic caught me, it would all be over. The
number of restrictions almost overwhelmed my head, but I quickly aimed my
gun at Noches. She had a mechanical body, so she could shoot anywhere she
wanted. This time, I could be sure that—
"Noches…!"
Just then, Assistant leaped forward to protect Noches.
"…! Are you a fool?
I made a last-minute decision to fire a bullet into the void. Assistant’s
movements were beyond my expectations, and a bad hit could still be fatal.
"…You still have bad instincts as always."
The most recent case I remembered was the battle with Chameleon on the
cruise ship. Again, Assistant was in the wrong position and took the full brunt
of the enemy's attack. It was obvious that I was much better at taking enemy
fire than he is…in this case, Noches should be much better at taking enemy
fire than him.
"…Is that what you mean?"
In the moment, a bad premonition flashed through my mind, and at the
same time, a bullet passed right in front of me.
"I'm sorry, Charl-san, but Siesta-san might have noticed earlier than we
thought."
"Yeah, because Ma'am is the first and last master I've decided to respect
until the day I die."
A few meters away, Charl smiled triumphantly and pointed her gun at me
again.
"Evade or you'll get hit."
I knew right away that that wasn't a line she'd said to me.
"Yeah. But I'll be fine, more or less."
"—!"
Pam! The moment the gunshot rang out. I grabbed Assistant by the chest
while he was standing behind me, and we dodged Charl's bullet, falling
together.
"This is how Siesta will save us."
The Assistant, his back to the ground, gave a faint smile, and picked
himself up to point his gun at me again.
"Are you all fools…!"
I turned around at my four enemies.
"…So this is your last-ditch effort to push me over the edge?"
It's a foolish strategy full of seeming contradictions: if I was about to
attack someone, someone else will step in to protect them, and yet, these
friends wouldn’t hesitate to shoot each other. At first glance, it's hard to tell
whether they wanted to protect their friends or prioritize their goal of
stopping me. But if there is an answer to this contradiction—
"Yeah, Siesta, you'll never let us be killed."
A moment later, a bullet was fired by Noches towards me…or rather,
Assistant who was standing behind me.
"…!"
I flung my musket to the side and deflected it, but at the same time, the
pistol in Yui's hand took aim at me and Charl, who was on the opposite side.
"That’s why…!"
I didn't have time to speak. I pulled the trigger at about the same time that
Yui fired and shifted the trajectory of the bullet that was aimed towards Charl
with my own bullet.
—Yes, this is war, so I told myself, but I was going around, ensuring that
they wouldn’t die. I instinctively knew that the countless bullets flying
around the battlefield would eventually cause them fatal wounds. I
instinctively avoided them, but the four of them were taking advantage of my
hesitation, daring to put themselves in dangerous situations and trying to limit
my actions by rattling me.
"You’re especially hesitant when attacking Saikawa who’s not used to
fighting, and you’re a softie who unintentionally saved me from a motorcycle
accident. Your inability to kill your comrades is your strength and your only
weakness."
…I didn't hesitate at times like this in the past. I put the utmost emphasis
on completing my work, and I also believed that I could achieve the greatest
happiness of the greatest number by doing so. In fact, I was proud of the fact
that I had protected the interests of many clients by doing so.
That was why I used to think that such hesitation was 'naïve'. To someone
else though, it was 'kindness', and to another, it was 'passion'. And
unknowingly, I knew them all. That's why my heart was still beating loudly,
because of that hesitation—at this moment, this heart right now.
"…That’s a cowardly plan. Don't you think you're taking your lives for
granted?"
"Well, it’ll be rude not to risk our lives if Ma'am's life is on the line."
Charl said firmly as an agent. I shot her in the shoulder once for the same
reason before, so I couldn’t think of anything to say back. Then what I should
do at this moment—
"I won't let you escape!"
Yui's《left eye》foresaw my next action. I was about to leap and leave this
elevated train line, but I was momentarily distracted by a sudden, loud
explosion. Then I felt a loud vibration under my feet. It sounded like the earth
was rumbling, and in the blink of an eye, the scaffolding was collapsing.
"…Explosives."
I kicked the ground with only the strength of one foot. This battle would
soon come to an end. I sprinted, gun in hand, toward the last opponent I
needed to defeat.
"Kimizuka-san, on your right!"
Yui's voice said. Once he heard that command, Assistant threw himself
out of the way to dodge my gunfire.
"…! Are you sure you want to do that?"
Assistant rolled to the ground and fired with his left hand, while I dodge
with only the movement of my upper body.
"Say, Siesta, what's your wish?"
I heard gunfire again. Noches and Charl were somewhat far behind me. If
I got even a graze, I lose.
"My only wish is for all of you to live, that's all."
That's why I point my musket at them. To unleash the bullet that will keep
them alive.
"That can't be all!"
—Ugh, they’re persistent. My hand trembled slightly while Assistant
stood in front of me once again, my heart jolted annoyingly, and my shallow
breathing blurred my vision.
"H-how could you possibly know that!?"
"That day, you told me…!"
Assistant shouted with an anguished look. A year ago, I said this to
Assistant who fell asleep due to the《pollen》after the battle against Hel. It was
probably something I let slip just before he lost consciousness, a faint thought
"The clients you've always wanted to make happy are all the people in this
world. It's wrong that…the world doesn’t have you in it!"
No. I was happy.
I should have been happy enough.
I was.
"Siesta, I want you to live."
And when you say that, I just—
"Ah!"
Assistant fired a bullet aimed at my left arm to keep me alive. But at that
moment, I instinctively moved my left arm, swinging the musket to parry the
bullet away…still, my contradictory instincts asked my brain the same
question.
What do I really want?
"—I."
I asked myself again. I died once, I didn’t need to look good, I didn’t need
to be proud. I discarded my shame and pretense, and I didn’t intend to be
manipulative or deceptive.
Let’s ignore for a moment the position and occupation I'm in, and assume
that my past career and what I've said never happened. There’s no point in
thinking about the future, and I will pretend to ignore my responsibility to
this world for now.
Let's just say that I, a single individual, am here at this moment. What do I
want now, what do I want to achieve? It doesn't matter now whether it is
possible or impossible. I'm not talking about the unreasonable or reckless
stuff. If there's one thing I wish for—
"But I, the detective, must not let myself be defeated by Assistant (you)."
◇Buenas Noches
"Why…"
I blurted out, but I had actually expected Nagisa to come here.
Just like when I woke up and borrowed Nagisa's body to help Assistant in
the past, Nagisa would rush to Assistant's side no matter where she was.
People probably laugh at that as a deus ex machina, but that's how we were.
"It's been a long time, Siesta."
The arms that had been holding me gently left my body.
I saw Nagisa's soft smile before me, her long hair completely cut off.
She got me. I hadn't expected her to trick me by disguising herself as Hel.
"You haven't changed, Nagisa."
Somewhat frustrated that she had surpassed my expectations, I snapped.
"Really? I think this is quite the bold image change for me though?"
"I'm talking about what's inside. Anyway, did you get your heart broken?"
"…Please don't make it sound like I’m a losing heroine."
Nagisa stared at me with dumbfounded eyes, and then we laughed at each
other—but,
"…Hmm, huh."
I suddenly felt my body lose strength, and my knees involuntarily
buckled.
"Oops."
And as I was about to fall, Nagisa held me again. I didn’t remember being
hit by the anesthesia gun, but I just suddenly felt sleepy.
"I'm sorry."
Nagisa apologized with a quiet voice to my ear. I couldn't stand upright,
and my knees fell to the ground while I leaned against Nagisa.
"What is this…?"
Speaking of which, I feel a slight pain in my left arm. I managed to open
my eyelids that were getting heavier to check the spot, but there was no
bleeding. I felt something when Nagisa first hugged me—
"Sleeping pills."
It was Assistant's voice.
With his jacket all tattered, he approached me, borrowing Noches’
I wondered if Nagisa had already noticed it. No, maybe they noticed
because she had been working together with Assistant over the past few days.
The fact that I slept longer than usual on that trip to New York was also an
unconscious defensive reaction to protect my body.
"But, Assistant, you do realize that this doesn't make any sense, right?"
I opened my heavy eyelids to find not only Nagisa and Assistant, but also
Noches, Charl and Yui gathered there. They were all staring at me, and I felt
a little embarrassed…but yes, they were all Assistant’s friends.
It's okay. Assistant. It’s okay.
I felt at ease, so I told him that he didn’t have to do this.
"No matter how much you put me to sleep, this is only a stop-gap
measure. Besides, we can't guarantee that this will completely stop the
growth of the《seed》in my heart. In the years to come, the《world-destroying
seed》will sprout, and I may transform into a monster that may kill you all
someday. That’s why—"
"That’s the choice we made after knowing that."
Assistant got down on one knee and approached me, "Besides," he
continued.
"You know what Stephen gave me this sleeping potion for, don't you?"
"…I see. You really don't cut corners until the last minute, do you?"
That's right, the《Inventor》Stephen Bluefield wouldn’t help patients that
certainly couldn’t be saved. That's because he would devote all his energy
into lives that have a chance of survival. In other words, given that he
prescribed this medicine to me, there's always a safe chance for me, and he
wouldn’t let me give up on living. After all, I was the one who told Stephen
that philosophy at that time.
"—A complete defeat, it seems."
A detective should protect the interests of her client and ensure her wishes
come true.
Nagisa fulfilled both my wish ‘for the Assistant to be alive’ and their wish
‘for me to be alive’ at the same time.
The old me couldn’t have done that. Back then, I could only fulfill it with
my own death, but Nagisa made the same mistake I did once—and then
found the answer. At this moment, she had surpassed me.
"Ma'am! Ma'am…!"
My right hand was warm with tears and the warmth of a hand. Charl has
both hands wrapped around my right hand. She couldn't hold back the tears
that were dripping down her cheeks, and she would always be cute and
adorable, my number one student.
"…Hmm, I see. I was finally surpassed by the two of you."
My eyelids grew heavier as the medicine began to take effect again. Still,
I peered into Assistant and Charl's faces as though I was looking up at the
sky. Did you guys get along a little better? I didn’t know for sure, but one
thing is for sure.
"You’re stronger."
Strong enough to surpass me.
When I said this, Assistant's eyes widened in surprise for a moment, and
then his cheeks relaxed.
"Yeah, actually, making Charl and I look like we don't get along was part
of the plan. We're actually very close friends, you know?"
"Huh, ehh? …yeah, that’s right! I-I love you, Kimizuka!"
Charl's cheeks twitched as she smiled at the Assistant's recklessness.
"…Hmm. Well, that's good to know."
I couldn't help but laugh since I never dreamed that I’d see these two
hugging each other, even though it was just an act.
"It must be tough for you to have so many rivals, Nagisa."
"Ahh, ahh, I can't hear you."
Nagisa covered her ears in response to my teasing…and she smiled, just
like Assistant.
"Hey, Siesta."
"Hmm?"
Nagisa's shortened hair swayed in the wind.
"Thank you for giving me a place to stay, famous detective."
Nagisa laughed through her tears and said something she had said to me
before.
"No, me too."
I reach out a heavy hand and wipe away Nagisa's tears with my fingertips.
"Thank you for teaching me how to feel, famous detective."
Because of you, Nagisa, because of your passion, I'm sure I'm smiling
right now, wrapped in a feeling of incomparable happiness.
"Siesta".
Assistant was gently nudged in the back by Yui and Noches,and gently
"You're an idiot."
Then we all burst out laughing, Nagisa and Charl, and Yui and Noches, all
laughing. We were laughing and crying at the same time.
"I'll…we'll wake you up one day, I promise."
So, until then...
Assistant grabbed my left hand tightly.
Again, someday.
Ten thousand meters above the ground, in the sky.
Epilogue
room.
"Singapore, huh? You and I have been there before, haven't we?"
I recall such a distant memory. That time, I remember, we had fun at the
beach and the casino …but as usual, we were also involved in a terrible
incident. It’s the same old troublesome experience, a nostalgic tale, and one
that I hope I never have to go through again.
"…But well, maybe someday, you know."
We’ll go somewhere together.
I remembered that we had promised each other in New York, while
watching a musical.
"Well, I'm off."
I was the last one left, looking at Siesta's comfortable sleeping face.
The next time I would see her would be in four days, I said, feeling a little
regretful.
There was no reply, of course.
The detective is already—