Zaregoto

There are no flowers that do not wilt but there are flowers that do not blossom.

The world is absolutely unfair.

1

"-- you good-for-nothing!"

Professor Kyouichirou shouted with a cracked roar, and beat Shito-kun with his wooden staff. Shito-kun did not attempt to get out of the way, took a blow to the head, and crumpled to the ground. However, Professor Kyouichirou did not let up, and continued to lay into Shito-kun's body with his staff.

"Good-for-nothing, good-for-nothing, good for nothing!" he repeated.

We watched that.

With nothing to say or do, we watched that.

In that visitor room in the first ward. Shadou Kyouichirou, Koutari Hinayoshi, Neo Furuara, Miyoshi Kokoromi, Kasugai Kasuga. Uze Misachi, Oogaki Shito. And Suzunashi Neon, Kunagisa Tomo, myself. Those ten were gathered. This meant that everyone in the facility other than her were gathered here.

"--....."

At least an hour had passed since then, but a police organization had still not arrived. Misachi-san had apparently already handled contacting authorities after discovering the body, but our location so deep in the mountains plus the overnight rain affected their response. The roads probably were not affected much, so it should just take a bit longer to arrive.

A murder.

Is what it would be, would it not?

It did not sink in yet, but I think that should be right. It was not sinking in yet at all, that the Utsurigi Gaisuke that spoke so frankly yesterday would be killed, but that should be about right.

"Shit... it was supposed to be my turn for questions today..."

I mumbled that line while having Shito-kun being scolded reflecting off my eyes. If the reality were otherwise, what would I have asked that man? I feel like there were things I needed to ask, but I also felt like there was nothing to ask. In the end, Utsurigi was able to quit while he was ahead. Regardless of whether that was what he wished or not.

"-- please stop."

Said Misachi-san, clinging to the Professor's arm.

"Professor, calm down--"

"Shut up!"

Professor Kyouichirou then flung Misachi-san away, and on top of that, beat her with his staff the same way he did Shito-kun. Misachi-san covered her face with her arm and took the hit, and then with a small scream fell to the ground.

"Each and every one getting in mind--"

The Professor said, as he kicked Misachi-san's back.

"--....."

So easily they crumble.

Those things called people.

Right now, the small old man throwing a tantrum in front of me had not a shred of that presence, that veteran feel. Nothing whatsoever that I saw yesterday. In its place was someone like a child who just had a previous toy broken, someone just scattering things everywhere like an infant. Even a person of that magnitude falls apart this easily. For better or for worse, it was no longer the Shadou Kyouichirou that cowed me with his far superior presence.

That is why, if it were to have been me instead.

"How unsightly, Professor Shadou."

Right as Professor Kyouichirou raised his staff to beat Misachi-san once more, a voice that sounded like an fired arrow echoed around the room. Due to that, the Professor's arm froze at its apex.

The voice belonged to Suzunashi-san.

She sat in a chair with a leg crossed over the other, her jaw was raised as if to look down on the Professor, and truthfully, she looked at the Professor with disdain.

"Jeez -- I had some expectations because you had a grandiose nickname like the Mad Demon, but those expectations were way off. You've got a boring life, you. Unbelievably boring. A person who's lived sixty years loses control just because one person died, even beating on women and children while throwing a tantrum without ever bothering to check on the situation. Really, how unsightly, how unsightly, how unsightly--"

"Shut up! A girl who hasn't even lived thirty years has no right to talk back to me! You know nothing!"

The Professor shouted, and then he threw the staff at Suzunashi-san. Suzunashi-san did not bother to avoid it, and did not even blink. The head of the staff shattered at Suzunashi-san's forehead. Even then, Suzunashi-san simply snorted, "Hmph," and continued looking at the Professor with disdain.

A look that was truly as if she was simply looking at a pathetic animal. As someone who had been looked-at by Suzunashi-san like that before, I could more or less figure how the Professor felt. That look made you taste how small and insignificant you are.

"You... looking at me with those eyes--"

"Professor! Please stop!" Shito-kun yelled while still on the ground. "Calm down -- please cool your head."

"Calm! How can I become calm like this! If that dies--" the Professor turned back to Shito-kun. "If that dies, if that disappears what happens! Everything is over! Every thing that I've built up until now is done for!"

That -- Utsurigi Gaisuke.

"..... who," the Professor looked toward the table where everyone was seated with hostility-filled eyes. "Who killed that? Who did it! Who pulled this stunt and for what purpose! It's one of you wasn't it! You shameless immoral!"

The Professor shouted and slammed both hands on the table. However, no one responded. That was probably not because anyone was intimidated by the Professor, but rather simply, because no one had an answer to give toward that question.

Suzunashi-san was no longer looking at the Professor, as if she wanted to say there was no longer any value in looking. A bit of blood could be seen on her forehead, presumably from the staff. However, Suzunashi-san did not seem to care about that. She looked like she was thinking about something, but at the same time it could look like she was not thinking about anything.

And Kunagisa, sitting next to her, just quietly observed.

"--..... it is nonsense."

The start of this -- well, I do not know if it could be called that, but anyways, it was supposedly Shito-kun who first realized the abnormal. In the morning, Utsurigi did not make his usual call. That alone had happened several times to date -- oversleeping or forgetting or mischief, or other such rather Utsurigi-like reasons -- so he did not pay that much heed, but when he called Utsurigi, there was no response.

He thought something was off about that and let the Professor and Misachi-san know. And then the Professor ordered, go check on him, and Shito-kun obliged. This was around six-thirty.

And then Shito-kun discovered that. The bloodied body that had been violated all over with blades that belonged to Utsurigi. The murder art of the immoral that had been displayed on a whole wall, had been completely shown to him.

The discoverer of Utsurigi Gaisuke's corpse was Oogaki Shito.

"..... immoral....."

I do not know why the Professor used that word, but the meaning probably was straightforward. This was deep in the mountains, and thus in one way a sealed space. If someone inside were killed, then the suspect would therefore probably be one of the others.

In other words, a terrible and typical happening.

"-- well, let's calm down, everyone."

Just as an insufferable feeling was descending on everyone -- no, just as an insufferable feeling was about to settle in on everyone, it was Neo-san who changed the mood. As if he were about to play a joke on everyone, he lifted both of his hands and took a composed posture.

"There's nothing to gain from getting all hot-headed over this. Isn't that right? Professor. We need to think about what to do next."

"Next?" the Professor looked at Neo-san with irritation. "What do you mean to do now? There exists no next. Nowhere."

"Now now, it's not good to throw everything by the wayside like that. That's right, how about we make the person who did such an outrageous thing take responsibility. Come come, look at how out flamboyant it was, there's no way there's no evidence. Once the police arrive they'll figure it out right away. And then--"

"Suspect? It's one of you isn't it?"

"That's just short-sighted, Professor. Not like you at all, Professor Kyouichirou. Didn't we just have an intruder alert the other day? We can't just decide that it wasn't someone else. No, it must be. After all, even if this is a tough castle to crack, it doesn't mean it's infallible."

-- intruder.

I stiffed a bit at that word, though only to the point where no one would notice.

"I don't blame you one bit for suspecting an inside job, but that's not a good way to start. After all, we -- as researchers would have no reason to do that, right? That was a precious, precious specimen even for us."

"Neo!"

This time the Professor shouted in a different way. However, Neo-san simply waved that off and said, "Oh what does it matter."

"The Lady of Kunagisa and that bright-looking lady, even the boy must have figured. That's why they came this far. Isn't that right? Let's be through with deceiving and misdirecting and disguising against each other. Isn't this a situation to just open up?"

".........." ".........."

Neo-san said and looked at the Professor and Kunagisa, and while the Professor looked back silently with his teeth grinding, Kunagisa simply ignored the words, as if she had never heard them to begin with. Neo-san shrugged his shoulders, "golly golly."

"Well, that's that, let's continue. Anyways, that's why no researcher would want to kill Utsurigi-san. That's obvious. Then what? Would it be the Professor's secretary, Uze Misachi, or perhaps the assistant, Oogaki Shito-kun?"

Misachi-san and Shito-kun, still lying on the ground to the left and right of the Professor, reacted at the same time.

"However, this too cannot be. Everyone knows how loyal they are to the Professor. Not to mean any offence, but Shito-kun's devotion in particular is abnormal. Doing such a thing would obviously only draw the ire of the Professor, so it would be out of the question. Then, what would you do? Yes, you would suspect the Guests, the Lady of Kunagisa and her friends, but--"

Neo-san then turned toward us.

"This, too, cannot be. Because these three came to save Utsurigi-san. Save is a rather painful word to use toward us, but anyways they wouldn't be trying to kill him. Isn't that right?" and then Neo-san turned back to the Professor. "Then, Professor, it means nobody here is the suspect. Of course, that includes you."

".........."

I do not know if it could be called summarizing, but Neo-san's reasonable logic silenced even the Professor. No matter how furious or far his mental state was from being calm, whether down on luck or withered or shriveled or rotting he was still Shadou Kyouichirou, a man who could not simply ignore logic.

"And in that case, I can't think that anyone other than an outsider did it. Especially given that much of a performance, you know, maybe it's that enemy organization to the Professor? I think the Hariura Syndicate or the Visar Organization are particularly suspicious."

"..... they would never be so overt."

"Maybe. But the possibility is there. So I think it's too early to declare that there's an immoral within. Right? Isn't that right, everyone?"

Neo-san turned around as if seeking everyone's opinion.

".........."

Indeed, I agreed. His speech mannerism was extremely casual, but it was probably a means of smashing through the heavy feeling. At the very least, Neo-san succeeded in calming everyone -- especially the Professor -- to the point of being able think rationally.

Of course, that included me.

"-- Kokoromi-sensei."

I, I called to Kokoromi-sensei, who sat a small distance away from us. Sensei widened her eyes and responded, "Hm?" and then for some reason grinned a bit, and turned to me and asked, "What's it, my pupil?"

"..... what's it, got something to ask, my pupil?"

"..... sensei. Would you not be able to deduce some things just by looking at that?" I said, nervously. "After all, you are an expert in dissecting human beings. How Utsurigi Gaisuke was killed, the cause of death or something--"

"Heheh. I'd never'ave expected ya'd depend on me for anything. Life's pretty boring, but I guess it's worth living for moments like these," sensei gave me that look she always used to give me, that detestable smile. "Well I only looked at it, so there's nothing much t'say."

".........."

"Bled to death. If not, shock from his wounds. Well, anyone could tell that much, eh," the Professor began talking to everyone without looking at anyone in particular. "The time of death would be, yah, around last night, in the three hours from midnight to three in the morning, I guess."

"Rather large interval."

"Well yah. Normally when I wanna tell the time of death with a glance, I use their state of rigor mortis and the state of their eyes, but I haven't touched Utsurigi-san's body, and well ya know about his eyes."

Utsurigi-san's eyes, which were pierced with scissors.

"Sorry I can't live up to your hopes, but that's all I can tell ya now."

"..... thanks."

I nodded, and looked away from sensei.

Midnight to three... what was I doing then? If I remember correctly, I met with Kasugai-san around one, and then, after that--

"What here what here. Are you thinking of asking for alibis, young man?" Neo-san said. "Then there's a better way. Right, Uze-san?"

Misachi-san snapped her face up with a "What?" when she was suddenly mentioned.

"-- what is it?"

"Go take a look. At the door entry logs."

".........."

Misachi-san looked dubiously at the Professor, who irritably barked, "hurry up and go."

"..... understood."

Misachi-san nodded, and then quickly left the room.

Log...? I tilted my head to the side at the word. What did that mean? Ahh, perhaps that severe security system for entering and exiting the laboratory wards (card key, numeric password, ID, voice recognition, and even a retina scan--) recorded everything in some central computer somewhere. I see, then indeed, the time of the crime would be definitively narrowed down. After all, in order to enter the seventh ward--

"... to enter?"

My thoughts broke off there.

Right. It was not just a matter of records. In order to enter the seventh ward you would need to break through that severe security system. Someone without being registered with a key would not be able to even enter, much less kill Utsurigi.

Then -- I looked at Neo-san. Did Neo-san not realize? Because in that case, not one outsider would be able to step foot inside the seventh ward.

For example, the red Contractor, Aikawa Jun. She was so skilled in voice-mimicking and mind-reading, plus lock-picking that there would be no one to her right, and she was so far ahead that no one would be to her left, either (at least, according to her). It may be better to only half-trust her words given how much of a narcissist and how much self-confidence she needs to be to go around calling herself mankind's strongest, but I think even that Aikawa-san would not be able to break through that impenetrable wall. They were strict, logic-based machines, after all.

Neo-san simply sat his large and wide body on a chair while looking completely composed. There was no way of course that he had not realized it. There was no way that Neo-san would have failed to recognize the paradox that he himself had said. Then, was that simply a means of placating the Professor?

-- how shrewd.

I thought that once more. And as I thought that, I became even more calm.

As such, the truth is that the three of us -- Kunagisa and Suzunashi-san and I -- the three of us would not have been able to commit that crime. Because we were not registered as researchers, we would not be able to clear ourselves through the locks, and as a result, we would naturally be removed from the pool of suspects.

"--....."

At the same time, that rejected the possibility of her being the suspect. That left seven -- that narrowed the suspects down to the seven researchers who were in this facility to begin with. Because thy were the only ones capable of invading a ward, so this was certain. There were no large mistakes to this set of logic, no mistakes that would require significant changes to this set of logic.

I subtly doubted -- Professor Kyouichirou, Neo-san, Koutari-san, Kasugai-san, Sensei, and Shito-kun -- and Misachi-san, who had left the room. Seven people. However, what Neo-san had said earlier was not entirely a means of placating. I could not think of a motive for any of these seven people to kill Utsurigi-san -- and in such a brutal way. I could not think of any.

"But you know," Neo-san. "All last night I was just in my lab -- the fifth ward. How about you, Koutari-san?"

"Same here," Koutari-san gave a short reply. "No reason to walk at night."

"Same here, yah."

"I went outside once to walk the dogs. And I ran into that boy on the way, right?"

Kasugai-san said to me. I nodded silently.

"How about you? Professor?"

The Professor answered Neo-san's question irritably, "Same."

"I was here in this first ward the whole time, with Shito and Uze. That'll be apparent from the log."

"I see, and you?" Neo-san shifted his attention to us. "What were you all doing last night?"

"We were in the inn the whole time. I took a quick walk before it started raining, though."

"Mmhmm, a walk," Neo-san said with emphasis. "I see, a night walk, rather human. Hmm, then it would mean there's no suspect here. Because no one went by the seventh ward."

But Neo-san himself probably thought no such thing. To take a walk at night, and then lie about it, that is what a human does. Nothing said that everyone is honest to everyone.

"..... hey, Inoji," Suzunashi-san whispered so that only I could hear. "This is going to turn out to be a bit bad for us."

"---? Is it not already..." I glanced sideways at Kunagisa (she was still staring off into space) and whispered back to Suzunashi-san. "Not to take the Professor's words, but everything is over now... because Utsurigi was killed, so there was no point in us coming here, and we are just a bother now."

No, Suzunashi-san was probably not meaning that, but rather the police interrogation and such that would follow. We would probably go through a lengthy investigation process, and presumably, we would be considered suspects for a while, and would be stuck in the Aichi prefecture. We may be late getting back to Kyoto. I am a bored university student and Kunagisa is an unemployed hikikomori, so we do not mind, but Suzunashi-san has work (even if it is part-time). I thought that was the sort oftrouble she was referring to, but Suzunashi-san said, "that's not what I mean."

"I mean that it feels like the wind's blowing against us... really, nothing good ever comes of listening to Asano's requests... I won't say always even though it's always the case... and I still always listen to her even though I know it..."

"Um, Suzunashi-san?"

As I was bewildered by Suzunashi-san, who appeared to be berating herself, Misachi-san returned. She had a troubled expression, and first walked toward everyone, and then hesitated, and walked to the Professor. And then she whispered something in his ear.

"..... what?" the Professor blurted out, and he confirmed something with Misachi-san. "Are you sure about that?"

"Yes... there is no mistaking it."

She confirmed. I do not know what she confirmed, but in any case Misachi-san nodded. And then the Professor took that and looked like he began thinking hard. And then the Professor sat in his chair and turned toward the table. And then, still seated, he hunched over in more thought.

".........."

..... what in the world did Misachi-san tell the Professor?

No, what was said was not the problem here. The problem was that the Professor heard that and regained his composure -- or more accurately, the bottomless feel he gave was reminiscent of the first time I had seen him, and it was like he had settled back into his small physique. That he looked like that again was a problem for me. I did not know yet why it was a problem, but anyways, it was a problem.

In other words, I had a bad feeling. The same feeling I had when I confirmed my reunion with sensei swirled around my stomach. And that bad feeling had never once been wrong. Just like that worst fortune-teller, it never once missed.

"-- hmph."

The Professor raised his head, his body still hunched over. Suddenly, everyone looked at the Professor.

"It seems we're in quite some trouble, ladies and gentlemen."

Upon hearing the single word, trouble, I looked at Suzunashi-san. She had closed her eyes, and was looking like she was trying to sleep. It looked like blood had already stopped flowing from her cheeks. I turned my eyes back to the Professor. He had regained that wily, old grin and expression.

"--hey, Uze," the Professor looked at Misachi-san. "-- go contact the security guards at the gate. Tell them if the police arrive, turn them back."

"What..." Misachi-san looked surprised at the Professor's words. "But, what, why..."

"Who cares about the reason. Well, right, just tell them it was a mistaken report. A child's..." the Professor looked at Shito-kun. "... mischief."

"..... huh," Misachi-san nodded without understanding. She looked like she did not understand the situation very well -- no, like she did not understand the situation at all. "..... a mistaken report....."

"What? Hurry up and go."

"..... but, why....."

"Are you unable to work for me without asking for the reason every time?"

"No, that's not... I'm sorry, I'll be right back."

Misachi-san hurriedly bowed her head to the Proefssor, and then ran out of the room again.

"..... what's going on, Professor?" Neo-san asked, while staring at the door that Misachi-san had just passed through. "Turning back the police? I think that's insane. What did Uze-san whisper to you?"

"That's the thing, Neo. That's the thing," the Professor Kyouichirou grinned. "We're in quite some trouble."

"..... well, of course we're in quite a pickle. But that's a different problem. What good does turning the police back do us in solving our predicament?"

"Now listen."

The Professor waved off Neo-san's complaints. And then he paused for a few seconds, before resuming, "to start with, Neo."

"What you said is odd. The entrance to Utsurigi's seventh ward has a tremendous amount of security. No matter the intruder, no one can get through. At the very least, that's the case for Hariura or Visar."

The Professor emphasized at the very least with staccato. I felt weight behind those words that I did not understand. What was this elder trying to say?

Neo-san exaggeratedly followed the Professor's point with an "Ahh, that might be true. I never thought of that."

"However, does that still provide the grounds for suspecting the people within? Professor, we've all worked together for some time. I understand you're out of sorts because Utsurigi-san ended up the way he did, but it's a bit of a tough predicament for us..."

"Out of sorts? How rude. I'm not, at all. I'm extremely calm."

The Professor said, boldly, as if his early tantrum was an optical illusion.

"But, however, Professor..."

"Don't worry, Neo. I wouldn't suspect someone within without having proof, right? Wanna know what Uze just told me?"

While everyone probably had issues with the first half of his words, they were drawn to the latter half, and awaited the rest. Professor Kyouichirou played coy for a moment, and then,

"..... last night, there's no record of the Seventh Ward being opened."

He said.

"..... no record?" Neo-san repeated. "No record, so does that mean there's no footprint of someone entering the Seventh Ward last night?"

"Exactly. The last person to open the door to the Seventh Ward was Shito and... the Lady of Kunagisa and that boy, when that trio met with Utsurigi. Of course, if you think about it normally there shouldn't be an error in the log, right, Neo?"

The Professor this time emphasized if you think about it normally. As if he were trying to say that there exists a method outside of the norm. ..... perhaps the Professor already knew the suspect... already knew who the immoral was? It had only been an hour since the incident had been discovered, yet we may already be at the solution scene. However, not to take Suzunashi-san's words, but this is not a movie, and I am unable to predict the remaining time. Part of me thinks this is it, and part of me thinks we are still only half way. There was no way for me to know if there were only a few pages left.

My position was uncertain.

"Well then everything gets messed up. That means no one entered the Seventh Ward. Are you sure it's not a machine error?"

"That's impossible. You know that best, don't you?"

"Then..." Neo-san seemed to think a bit. "... in terms of possibilities, it would make Oogaki-kun or the Lady of Kunagisa or her friend the suspects, because they entered last... however in that case Miyoshi-san's estimation of the time of death would be wrong. Professor, that would make this an impossible crime."

"There's another problem, Neo," the Professor laughed with plenty of composure. "Well, settle down and listen to me. Calm down. It's unsightly for an adult to lose their composure. Uze investigated what went in and out of the Seventh Ward too... the records of whether the other researchers, including myself, entered or left."

".....? Other... you mean us?"

"There are others," Professor Kyouichirou said heartily. As if the more he talked, the more his excitement meter filled. Yet by contrast, it felt that my feelings... or rather my instinct, or something like it, sank ever deeper.

I was beginning to understand. I was not exactly sure what the Professor was wanting to say, but I was beginning to understand where he was wanting to head. And the composure that was wrought by it, that self-importance that was wrought by it. Jones' Principle. People who laugh despite the things going against them are already thinking of whom to blame.

Then--

"The result -- I'll say it because Uze isn't here, but the result -- is that at night, at the very least during the timeframe that Miyoshi said, no one left their own research ward."

Everyone sucked in their breath at what he said.

"Aside from one, anyways... Kasugai."

Said the Professor. Kasugai-san twitched in response to the Professor's words, with almost no expression.

"Kasugai left the fourth ward from around 1 AM for about five minutes. That would be the walking the dogs she referred to. But this isn't worth fretting over. That sort of spectacle could not be constructed in just five minutes."

"... well, thank you," Kasugai-san said with a tone of voice that sounded as if she wanted to continue, though I don't really understand. "Thank you, in any case."

"..... hm? Then, that would mean..." Neo-san said with a faltering voice. "..... huh? Then, Professor, that means there's even less of a reason to suspect us, right? We didn't leave our research wards. And there are no entry logs for the seventh ward. Then....."

"An impossible crime."

Kokoromi-sensei stole Neo-san's words.

"Wouldn'tcha think that's the case, my pupil?"

"..... I do think that would be the case....."

I chose my words carefully as I affirmed my teacher's words. Indeed, theoretically, if you were to accept the Professor's words at face value -- then it would mean no one entered the seventh ward, and it would mean that no one left their own research ward. In that case, if you were to summarize this with a simple word.

A sealed-room mystery.

Meant in a very physical matter sort of way.

"However, if this were to be an impossible crime--"

If that were what Professor Kyouichirou was trying to drive people toward, then what meaning would there be to telling the police off? Would it not be their time to shine if that were the case, I thought, as I remembered the pair of detectives from the Kyoto Prefecture Police. Then, naturally, I was able to see where the Professor was sitting.

He smiled triumphantly.

"Impossible? Such a foolish thing doesn't exist in this world. Everything is either possible, or already possible."

"But still, Professor, we're in such a situation, so why'd you turn the police away?" Neo-san asked my question exactly. "That doesn't make sense, then. Very unlike you, Professor."

"Come, come. Hey, Neo, how about thinking every so often? You'll end up with the title of idiot if you haven't figured it out by now."

"Idiot, then," Neo-san crossed his arms. "However, Professor."

"We aren't the only ones here are we?"

He said--

As the Professor turned his jaw at the three of us. After that, Neo-san with some surprise, Koutari-san without any surprise, Kokoromi-sensei who could not seem to care less, Kasugai-san who could not care less, and Shito-kun with eyes wide open, turned toward us.

I swallowed. Suzunashi-san still had her eyes shut. Perhaps she was truly asleep. When it came to Kunagisa Tomo by her side, she too did not seem fazed, as she simply sat with her eyes gazing off and not focused on anything in particular. Maybe she was thinking about how Raja Maharaja and Parappa the Rapper were related, or perhaps she was not. In any case, it was clear this was not a normal situation. I looked over our combat potential (though it was a depressing sight to behold) and then looked back at the others.

"I cannot allow that to pass, Professor Shadou Kyouichirou," I forced down the tone of my voice and said to the Professor. "You make it sound like we are the suspects, and that we are the ones who killed Utsurigi-san. Even the Professor has limits on how far things can be taken."

"Hmm? Hey, hey, I said nothing yet," the Professor said with a cackle, speaking down at us. "What're you getting excited about? Or do you have something you're hiding?"

"Once you are through suspecting your inner circle, you turn your suspicions to us? What a simple thing to do. Indeed, that building had no security at all, so we can leave at any time. However, Professor, we have an even bigger alibi than you, because we cannot enter the seventh ward. Whether the logs kept a record or not does not matter given that we do not even have a registered ID, so we would not be able to enter or even leave the seventh ward."

"Kahah! Alibi? I wonder! That word is too meaningless!"

The Professor cackled in a grandiose way, and then like a switch had been flicked, suddenly squinted his eyes and glared at me, then pointed his finger.

"You wouldn't be able to do anything alone, brat. You wouldn't be able to enter or leave the seventh ward. But you're not alone, are you? There's an incredulous thing among the three of you--"

He slid the finger that was pointed at me to the side, and the Professor -- pointed at Kunagisa Tomo.

"Right, Lady of Kunagisa?"

As expected, Kunagisa showed no reaction to that. As if she was hearing nothing at all, as if she was seeing nothing at all, she did not react. However, everyone other than Kunagisa and Suzunashi could not hide their surprise at the Professor's words.

"Wa-- Professor, but..."

"What? Neo. It's not something to be that surprised over is it? After all, the Lady of Kunagisa was the charisma behind that Cluster. The former leader and comrade of our victim Utsurigi Gaisuke. She can probably break through that level of security while humming to herself. Isn't that right, Lady of Kunagisa?"

Kunagisa did not react. In turn, the Professor seemed irritated... or perhaps it seemed he became a bit more desperate, as he immediately recomposed himself, laughed with a "hmph," and showed composure.

"No words because I'm right?"

"There is absolutely no logic behind that, Professor," I said, recognizing that I was speaking a bit quicker, yet still managing to calm myself down. "There is no reason that Kunagisa would be able to break through that superfluous security..."

"Not just break through. After breaking through, she deleted the logs. A roughshod method, but I can only say it backfired. Not bothering to touch the logs of other wards shows how she is just a child."

"This is absurd. There is no reason behind that. Just a child? Who are you to say that? If Kunagisa can break the lock, then you..."

"There's a reason," the Professor said. "There's a reason why only the Lady of Kunagisa could do the feat of breaking the lock and deleting the logs. After all, creating the management program for this system, designing this superfluous security, andmanufacturing the materials for this research facility at the mere age of 12 were all done by the Lady of Kunagisa."

The Professor said and pointed at Kunagisa again.

As for Kunagisa, again, she showed no reaction. She said not a word since she saw Utsurigi's brutalized corpse. However, I thought. If what the Professor said were the truth.

"She's an unbelievable genius, to the point that an ordinary person like you couldn't imagine. Even I can't understand it. However, that's why, Lady of Kunagisa... that becomes the reason for prosecuting the three of you."

"Prosecuting? Prosecuting?" I stood from my seat. "This is ridiculous. Such nonsensical reason would never pass!"

"Calm down, my pupil," Kokoromi-sensei interjected in the Professor and I's conversation. I looked at her and noticed that at some point, she had begun smoking a cigarette and had a can of cola in her right hand. When did this person do all this, really. "Didn'tcha hear Suzunashi-san say it's pathetic to lose control of yaself?"

"..... sensei."

"Professor. Ya know in that case a buncha things still don't make sense?"

Said Kokoromi-sensei as she pointed her cigarette at the Professor. I could not tell its brand, but it was a very thin, probably female-oriented cigarette. But she used to smoke cigars abroad, so perhaps she damaged her lungs?

"Doesn't make sense? What is it, Miyoshi."

"What Neo-san said a while back, ya know. These three came to save Utsurigi-san. So that'd mean they've got no reason to kill him, yah? The Lady of Kunagisa is the former leader of Utsurigi-san, as ya said yaself, Professor, so it makes even less sense. Same as none of us having any motive to kill Utsurigi-san, these three've got none either, ya know."

"You have such poor imagination, Miyoshi," the Professor said. "Let's do something called flipping our expectations around. After all, we're intellectuals, are we not? Well you are into biology so maybe it can't be helped..."

"Ahh, that statement unjustly discriminates against a certain sect of academia, ya know. Like ya sayin' math and engineering're better than biology, an expression that condescends others, ya know. Ain'that right, Kasugai-chan?"

"Absolutely. That's a statement that could only be spoken by an engineer that mistakenly believes that the world is made up of just their equations. One must be embarrassed to say that. Their sensitivity must be dulling from looking at Arabic numerals all day."

Kasugai-san added her pace to sensei.

Hmm. There is conflict even within science. I had always thought people of science were all of the same side, but it seems that was a mistaken assumption, I thought, a thought that was certainly out of place here.

That said, Kasugai-san, she was like that last evening as well; she seems like an apathetic person but she has a remarkably harsh tongue. I might like her, I thought, yet more thoughts that were certainly out of place here. By doing that, I escaped.

"That's not what I meant, but..." the Professor smiled wryly as he was beset by two female researchers. "Well let me take that back then, Miyoshi, and ask you if there's any basis for what Neo said about them having come here to save him?"

"..... basis?" sensei looked at us. "Basis... well, ya know, but....."

"For example if Kunagisa had come here to kill Utsurigi Gaisuke from the start?"

"Kill.....?" even sensei was forced to furrow her brows. "What? Whatcha mean? I don't get it."

"In other words, they came to this research facility to kill Utsurigi. If that was what they meant to do from the start--"

"That's preposterous!" I broke character and shouted. "If you want to talk about a lack of basis, that is certainly that! Why in the world would Kunagisa kill her friend and teammate Utsirigi? There is no reason at all for us to want to do--"

"Hey, hey, careful of your mouth, brat."

The Professor's shoulders trembled with laughter.

"Your fate is in my hands. You should be thankful that I turned back the police. Can't you feel my sympathy?"

"I can feel malice for sure, Professor Mad Demon."

The Professor simply happily laughed at my retort.

"However, Professor, what the boy says has merit," Neo-san asked the Professor. "Isn't that line of thought too forced? Indeed, I understand where the Professor is coming from, but--"

"Reason?" the Professor stopped laughing. "Are you saying that the Lady of Kunagisa has no reason to kill Utsurigi?"

"Huh--" Neo-san momentarily lost his train of thought. "Yes, even if the Lady of Kunagisa can break through security and erase the logs on top of that. Even so, for someone related to the Kunagisa Syndicate -- someone directly from the core of it, to kill Utsurigi-san without thinking--"

"You can't say that, Neo."

The Professor looked at Kunagisa.

"You're right, we don't know. I don't know the reason why the Lady of Kunagisa needed to kill Utsurigi Gaisuke. I can't think of any such reason at all. But who cares? It's unnecessary. After all, this Lady Kunagisa Tomo is--"

The Professor spoke something along the lines of what he had said moments ago. However, at the end of it.

"--×××××"

Before the Professor could finish, my body already moved. It was not subconscious. My body moved with comprehension and understanding and clear thought. However, my thinking had stopped. I took a single step on top of the table with my fist balled. And as I was about to continue running that way toward the Professor, a blow hammered the right of my head. It was a cola can. At the end of my vision was the sight of Kokoromi-sensei running toward me. I see, I thought it was unnatural that she suddenly began drinking cola, but Kokoromi-sensei had probably predicted this. I would realize that some time later, and the sight of Kokoromi-sensei ended up just reflecting in my eyes and having no meaning. I could not see anything. I could not hear anything. Could not see. Could not hear. Crimson. Everything was red. Blood color. Bloodshot eyes. Light and sound and everything was scarlet. However, Kokoromi-sensei's action had succeeded in stopping my motion for one moment. As I was about to resume running, from behind. From behind, Suzunashi-san who had caught up swept my legs out from under. My body floated in the air a bit above the large table. In that short moment, Suzunashi-san grasped my head and slammed it to the table with all of her weight behind it. The sound of the durable wooden table groaning. That may have been the sound of my bones grinding. Of course I did not brave myself so I felt the impact along my whole body but even so I tried to run toward the Professor that Professor Kyouichirou and I stretched out my arm and Kokoromi-sensei held it down. Sensei scolded me while slapping my cheek that had caused the cola can to burst and so did Suzunashi-san as she locked my left arm. It seemed like they were saying something but I could not hear. Calm down. What am I doing what. Wrong. Right thing I am doing.

Probably.

I think I went insane then.

The moment before Suzunashi-san struck me along the back of my neck to make me lose consciousness, at the edge of the red scenery in my left eye, I felt like I caught a glimpse of Kunagisa's blue hair, but I may have been imagining things.

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PaRappa_the_Rapper

2

When my consciousness returned -- when my consciousness recovered to the level where it could be called at least functional, we were located in a cage. A concrete floor, wall, and ceiling. A somewhat heavy feel. A melancholic feel. Listlessness, as if I want to get a little more sleep. As if I had just been watching a bad dream. However a bad dream is still probably better than a bad reality. To the point that I would be thinking such meaningless things.

Ahh, whatever. Whatever everything. The back of my head was ringing. My whole body, too. No mercy, at all. Suzunashi-san and Kokoromi-sensei both. No mercy or anything useless like that. Speaking of which sensei beat me a lot over there. At least half, no, at least ninety-percent was her letting off her melancholy, but if I think about it now, the remaining ten percent was probably justified. I said if I think of it now, but I had no intention of pondering that at this point. Not understanding until you get beat, not stopping until you get hurt. Truly, I have not grown one bit since then--

"Ah. Ii-chan, woke up?"

What clearly awakened my consciousness was that sort of Kunagisa's voice.

"Mornink."

"..... mornink," I replied to Kunagisa with a light pose, and awakened my prone body. "..... umm."

I looked around again.

It was a a cell, unchanged from when I had looked around while half-asleep. Myself, Kunagisa, and Suzunashi-san sat on the floor inside it.

"My. Inoji. You woke up. Great, great. I was worried if I hit you too much because you weren't waking up."

"Well, thanks..." I bowed my head to Suzunashi-san despite the awkward feeling of doing so. "Umm... where are we?"

"The fourth research ward. The basement of the research ward Kasugai-san uses."

"..... is that so? But, it looks like a prison....."

"These are the cages to keep the animals for experiments," Kunagisa laughed as she explained, for some reason enjoying this. "Ufufu-. This is the first time for boku-sama-chan, being stuck in a cage. First times are fun."

"This is my fifth....." I said, and I touched the steel bars. Obviously, they did not so much as brudge.

"Umm... I do not understand the situation very well... why are we in an animal cage? As long as we do not happen to have been monkeys, I do not think I can accept an explanation."

"Why of course, the Professor's orders. Or rather, Inoji, how much do you remember?"

"..... to be honest, not much. I know Suzunashi-san and Kokoromi-sensei beat me senseless..." I answered Suzunashi-san's question honestly. "Um... when I was on the roof in the morning, Suzunashi-san spoke to me, and..."

"No way. All the way back there? It'd be a huge pain in the ass to explain everything from there."

"Ahh, hold on please... I will calm down," and then I placed my back to a concrete wall and sat down properly. "... afterwards I tied Kunagisa's hair... hmm? Ahh, right, right. ..... yes, I remember."

"Good," Suzunashi-san nodded. "That saves us a lot of trouble, thank you."

"Ufufu, Ii-chan's memory's still the same. It wouldn't be surprising if you had amnesia from that beating though."

"....."

Huh? It seemed Kunagisa had returned to normal, I thought, as I asked Suzunashi-san,"So, what happened while I was asleep?" The decision to ask Suzunashi-san was based on Kunagisa having returned to normal, because that meant asking her anything would be futile.

"We're the suspects, basically," said Suzunashi-san. "And we were imprisoned here."

"..... thank you for that extremely succinct and clear explanation."

The fourth ward. The research ward governed by Kasugai-san. And then the basement... I felt like we had been turned into experimental animals, but whether that was any better than being a prisoner would be a delicate question to pose. To be imprisoned in this place, of all places, proved the Professor was nastier than I imagined.

Hmm..... come to think of it, for a certain murder incident it was my idea to imprison the suspect in an isolated location, but I see, this is how it feels to be on the other end. It is too late now but I shall never propose such an idea again.

"So, what exactly is going on?"

"Nothing at all, sadly. Well, the Professor said We shall relieve you of some freedom while we determine how to deal with you in the future. Don't worry, we'll do nothing cruel."

"I see....." if we were imprisoned in a basement after having been told he was not going to do anything cruel, I wondered what he would have done if he meant to do anything cruel. It was a topic that did not give me any goosebumps. "..... ahh, I am remembering everything. ..... wow."

Belatedly, I raised a surprised voice. I feel like I had been quite an idiot. "Well, that's how it went," Suzunashi-san said in an accusing manner.

"I didn't think there was any point in rampaging alone, so I obliged them, but... well, really, I figured nothing good would ever come of going on a trip with Inoji, but I didn't expect something like this. A pheromone for attracting accidents and incidents, I suppose. Attracting? Baiting might be more accurate, in this case."

"This is unexpected for me, too....." and this time, no matter how you might look at it, not a single ounce of blame could be placed on me. As long as it was not I that killed Utsurigi, I felt Suzunashi-san's moaning made no sense. "Truly, unexpected... this time I had thought nothing else would happen..."

"Ufufu, this is why I'm never bored with Ii-chan," Kunagisa happily laughed. "Really, it's never boring. Life is fun!"

"..... your friend was the one that was killed this time, you know."

"Hmm?" Kunagisa tilted her head to the side. "..... yup, but you know, what's done is done. You've gotta think positively in life."

"..... I suppose that is who you are."

I think that was the case, anyways. I think. That the Kunagisa from before was just weird. I think, for now.

"Anyways, the problem now... is how to break through this situation."

"Break through... what a wonderful goal, that," Suzunashi-san wrapped a hand around an iron bar. "Even I can't do anything about these. If Asano were here maybe something could have been done, but..."

"..... Miiko-san can cut iron?"

"Well, she can cut konjac at least. ..... but they do say that Iaido and Battoudou can both eventually cut iron. Well, anyways, no point talking about someone who's not here."

"Indeed."

I looked up at the ceiling. If it were a movie or something, there would usually be a handy ventilation shaft or something that we could use to escape, but as you would expect of a real-world problem, there was nothing of the sort. The world is not so kind to let you get away through such means. Gosh, no wonder the air would grow stale. Truly, do they not know how to treat people in a humane way? Anyways, based on rational observation, there appeared no means of escaping from this cage. It was locked with a lock that looked extremely sturdy, and none of us had any lockpicking skills.

"Still... that geezer really spouted some bullshit."

"Woah. Ii-chan just got really vulgar. What a rare occasion, to do that in front of people."

"I can get rare, too, you know. I can indeed, really. I hope they're not setting up torture after this?"

If you consider that Kokoromi-sensei is here, that becomes a possibility. Leaving aside whether she would actually do it, that sensei is brilliant at doing things that people hate. It was not for show or out of whim that she was given the name Early Harvester.

"But I doubt that, you know? Because that person tried to stop Ii-chan, right? If you'd managed to punch the Professor all hell would've broken loose. In that sense, Kokoromi-chan seems like a pretty good person."

"Good person... well, that might be."

Ignorance was bliss. Hmm, it seemed while I had been unconscious Suzunashi-san had given Kunagisa a lecture about Kokoromi-sensei. Given that it was Suzunashi-san, it had probably been relayed without saying too much.

"And you know, Ii-chan. The Professor didn't really say anything that nutty. He's always rooted in reason."

"Ah? Where. He's beyond preposterous. There's no rhyme or reason to the rhyme and reason. Even elementary school kids who haven't even learnt how to multiply reason better."

"I can't multiply-," Suzunashi-san butted in. "I quit school before I learned how."

"..... ....." ".........."

"? Feel free to continue?"

"Uh huh..... umm, what were we talking about?" I forgot out of shock. "Right, the Professor's reason being insane. Yes. No one has left their research wards. No one has entered the seventh ward. Therefore, the Kunagisa Tomo Crew are the suspects. What is with that? Even Goldbach's conjecture makes more sense."

"Crew," Kunagisa giggled in a snarky way. It seemed she liked the sound of crew. "Yup. Crew is good. Crew. Cruising along, as a crew. Or something. Ufufu."

".... well, better than bandits, anyways... do not change the subject though. I am already over capacity... how and why are you saying the Professor's reasoning has basis? Just because the Lady of Kunagisa was the leader of Cluster she can easily open a lock like that, is truly preposte--"

"I can," Kunagisa said, nonchalantly.

"---..... yes?"

"I can open that," Kunagisa repeated. "Pretty easily."

"Easily?" "Super easy."

I clutched my head in my hands at Kunagisa's curt response.

"..... what do you mean by that, Lady of Kunagisa?"

"Didn't you hear the Professor? Boku-sama-chan made the core of that system. Well, to be honest, Nao-kun and Micchan helped me too. So I know how that mechanism works, even before I read about it."

Micchan -- Kasumioka Douji-san. A close friend of Nao-san, and if I were to borrow Neo-san's words, a person who was once near the Core of the Kunagisa Syndicate. And currently -- well, leaving currently aside, a long time ago, before I met Kunagisa, she was always a trio with Nao-san and Kasumioka-san. That said, Nao-san and Kasumioka-san were both even less than newbies at electronic engineering. Then that would mean Kunagisa had constructed it alone.

"-- however, even so, you would need tools for that, would you not? If locks could be opened without keys just by knowing the system, everyone could become a lockpick. Even I know how the lock to my apartment room works, but I cannot open it without a key."

"Yup, true," nodded Kunagisa. "Without being Jun-chan there's nothing to do. But -- right, like, Ii-chan, like when we came into this research facility, you wrote our names, right?"

"Ahh. Wait, you were watching? I thought you were busy playing games."

"It's not like I'm playing games... anyways, the guard said then. These older means are tougher to mess with than relying solely on digital security."

"Did he," I did not remember, because it was so long ago. "Hmm. So?"

"In other words, high technology has high technology holes. To be specific, when boku-sama-chan went to the seventh ward to see Sacchan. If I'd borrowed a computer from Sacchan then and accessed the mother computer in Professor Kyouichirou's first ward. And then I created a new fellow account for boku-sama-chan. Of course, as a BBC. And then after killing Sacchan, I'd just delete it. I'd use a log-erasing tool and make it so nothing happened, including the door being opened in the first place."

Said that way, it did sound easy. However, that was just Kunagisa simplifying the explanation, and there must be plenty of protects, walls, defense programs, alert switches, and the likes.

-- but if it were Kunagisa.

Indeed, it might be possible. Kunagisa already came bearing a high set of skills, so if she knew the security management inside-out.

Mysteriously, it was as the Professor said.

"There're access privileges for computer security. At the very least, boku-sama-chan having an absolute advantage over everyone else is true. Come to think of it, it was actually Hii-chan that was really good at breaking through security... not that boku-sama-chan was bad at it."

"Hii-chan as in Double Flick?"

"Oh? Wowow, I'm surprised at Ii-chan's memory's functioning normally. Actually, abnormal is normal, so when it's functioning normally I should say it's abnormally functioning."

"Rather rude of you there. Utsurigi kept saying that name. Next to you and Chii-kun."

"Hmm. Sacchan makes no sense."

I felt like being told that by Kunagisa is tantamount to being done for, but well, nothing good can come of speaking ill about the dead. Even if it were directed toward that weirdo. That Utsurigi, who was crucified and killed -- or the other way around, killed and then crucified. After hearing that, Hi-chan or Chii-kun or Acchan and so on, would the people from Team mourn for him? As someone who did not directly know any of them, I could not make any deduction.

"However... what was that proclamation-looking thing? You just watch, 『DEAD BLUE』!!, was it? In other words, Shut up and watch, Kunagisa Tomo..."

"Who knows. Isn't it just warning boku-sama-chan to not do anything unnecessary? Like they're hammering in a loose nail. Heehee, yes, heeheehee."

It seems she had found the simile hammering in a loose nail amusing, as Kunagisa giggled. Though the mental build one would need to laugh at that play on words was beyond me.

"Unnecessary... trying to save Utsurigi? But, if that was unnecessary, then killing Utsurigi would ruin the point."

"I think you'll just have to table that question for now... because if you go there, you'll have to figure out why the suspect had to cut apart Sacchan so much, and why they took the arms away."

"But the first thing that comes to mind for someone relentlessly cutting apart a body is enmity..."

However, I could not imagine that Utsurigi, who had not stepped outside that building for over a year, could have wrought such enmity that he would end up in such a brutal state. Of course, that was if we limited things to within the confines of the laboratory, but -- I felt that I could not necessary remove the possibility because he may have done something while he was a member of Team.

"But, even if you can remove that lock. Even so, why would you kill Utsurigi... or rather, it would be hard to come up with a reason. Or rather, even before that, Shito-kun and I were with you the whole time you were in the seventh ward with Utsurigi. Leaving aside what you said with Utsurigi, that room had no computer, so it would have been impossible to access the mother computer, right?"

"Hahah. What a blissful thing you say, Inoji," Suzunashi-san laughed. "To the Professor, such a small detail is trivial."

"-- what do you mean by that?"

"In other words, as long as there's even a bit of reason, that's enough. It's not like the Professor seriously has any conviction that Ao-chan is the suspect. As Inoji said, the problem is whether he can force the matter through. This timelag is probably for that."

"Timelag?"

"Yes. The Professor is probably -- and not just the Professor, the whole faculty is probably reasoning out proof that the Kunagisa Crew were the suspects. Kasugai-san, was it? She said, I think a decision will be made on how to deal with you around five hours from now. Yes, we were just talking about that, until Inoji woke up."

"..... by which you mean?"

"In other words, Ii-chan," Kunagisa said without any care. "The Professor's probably wanting to make boku-sama-chan's replacement."

Instantly, I became aghast. Using Kunagisa as a replacement for Utsurigi? That. That meant.

"In exchange for not handing us over to the police, they would want her to help their research -- no, their experiments."

"That... that is definitely absurd."

"Yup. This situation is absurd," Suzunashi-san said with a bit of resignation. "I don't know how they intend to deal with myself and Inoji, but... right, probably hostages for Ao-chan. That's what I'd do."

"That..."

However, Kunagisa Tomo would indeed be a great replacement part for Utsurigi Gaisuke. No, she might be whole levels better. If what the Professor was doing was as Kunagisa predicted last night. Then Kunagisa Tomo would be the greatest of specimens for such an experiment. Utsurigi would have been sufficient, but Kunagisa would be best.

Ultra Humanoid Dogma.

"That... that is -- that is something that cannot be allowed--"

"Woah there. Don't go berserking again, Inoji. If I need to restrain that alone, I don't have any confidence I wouldn't hurt you. Miyoshi-san helped out last time so it went alright, but you'll need to be ready to break half your bones."

"..... I am fine. I am calm," I said, as I slammed my fist against the concrete wall. It hurt. "I am extremely calm. Yes."

"Nifufu," Kunagisa (despite this topic being about her) laughed, carefree. "This is kinda nostalgic. This sort of pinch situation, this danger-like situation."

What do you mean, danger-like.

"... you look like you are having fun, Kunagisa Tomo."

"Pretty much. But you know, this is nothing compared to when I met Ii-chan for the first time. It's not like our lives are on the line, or worse."

"..... anyways, this whole trip has been a waste," I said. "So, what shall we do now? What now, Suzunashi-san?"

"Nothing. There's nothing we can do like this," Suzunashi-san said. "Well, if I don't get back, Asano might notice and then have some sort of reaction... but that'd be like a couple days from now."

"In any case, being locked up thirty meters underground like this means boku-sama-chan can't do anything. They took away my phone and I don't have my PDA. Powerless powerless gravity-less."

"Why gravity."

I sighed heavily.

"Indeed... there does not seem to be a realistic means of breaking through this blockade--"

\\ \\ "-- oh, but there is a means." \\ \\ \\

That voice naturally, seamlessly interrupted my dejected line. The timing was perfect, as if the speaker had been waiting for her seat all along. It was not Suzunashi-san's voice nor Kunagisa's voice, and of course it was not my voice, and it came from the other side of the iron cage.

There stood Ishimaru Kouta with her arms crossed.

Without a peep and without any presence and without any portend, there.

The denim hunting cap worn down to her eyes, the denim coat, the laced boots. The eyes faintly peering from behind the glasses were sharply looking down at us. Grinning, as if she were enjoying the situation -- as if she were enjoying the situation from the bottom of her heart, just like Kunagisa, Kouta-san smiled.

"-- Greetings to those I meet for the first time. And good day to you, dear friend. My name is Ishimaru Kouta," Kouta-san said while smirking just enough that we could see her expression even in the darkness, and then she lightly raised her chin. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

Suzunashi-san warily scrunched her eyebrows and put herself on guard. Kunagisa's eyes widened and she tilted her head in wonder. I stood up with my back to the concrete wall.

"..... yo, Kouta-san. Thank you for last night," carefully, carefully, extremely carefully. "How bizarre to meet again here."

"I would say this is rather how opportune, dear friend," Kouta-san said with a brazen attitude and an overly-intimate choice of words, as if she were bantering. "Quite, truly, stale and cliche."

"..... what happened? Why are you here? Did you get lost?"

"Not at alllll. That is not the case, dear friend. Not at all," Kouta-san fought to stifle her laughter. "I was told that a rare species could be found in the cages, so I strolled by to take a peek. A rare species indeed, one that they say lunged after that Professor Shadou Kyouichirou."

"....."

"You do not laugh at all," Kouta-san sighed with exasperation. "Do you not know that smiles are a basic pillar of conversation? I am astonished that you can maintain a consummate set of human relationships. Or perhaps you are unable to?"

"Thank you for your warning, Ishimaru Kouta-san. However, I would rather die than laugh for no reason," I said and nodded slightly. "So, what do you want? How did you come this far to begin with?"

"A good question. However we shall keep that as fun for another day--" and then Kouta-san looked away from me a bit, and glanced at other two, Kunagisa and Suzunashi-san. "Fufu. Two ladies in a cage. What a splendid sight."

As if she wanted to say the one option part was in the way.

Suzunashi-san lightly smirked, "heh," at that spontaneous, unexpected line from Kouta-san.

"Inoji is surprisingly well-connected, to have two acquaintances in such an isolated place like this," Suzunashi-san said not to Kouta-san but to me. "Furthermore they're both women. You're like Ariwara no Nairhara ."

"Uh huh," I did not really understand that analogy.

"So, what is your relationship with this wonderful lady?"

"Last night, I requested that man's hand, but he magnificently rejected my advances."

Before I could answer, Kouta-san answered Suzunashi-san's question. She answered it.

"Is that not right, dear friend?"

"..... yes. Well, about one-tenths of that is the truth."

"Ten percent is sufficient to be the truth. However," Kouta-san adjusted her speech a bit. "The situation seems to have changed, so I am wondering if you might change your mind....."

"Persistent girls end up being disliked," Suzunashi-san finally turned to Kouta-san and spoke. "Is that not right, Mr. Dear Friend?"

In response, Kouta-san seemed to not shy away at all, and said, "That may be so." She was completely parrying the belligerent tone of Suzunashi-san. It may sound like nothing, but I know how incredible that is.

"However, I am somewhat obstinate. ..... I would prefer if you toned down your belligerency. I am not particularly an enemy. If anything, I feel that we could get along quite well... especially you," Kouta-san pointed toward me with her chin. "Do you not agree, dear friend?"

"You said you were told just now, didn't you?" Suzunashi-san did not respond to Kouta-san's question, instead posing her own question. "You were told, what do you mean by that, I wonder? May I take that as someone having told you that we were locked up here?"

"-- oh my. Did I let slip my tongue? Not that it matters much. Fufu, you're as astute as you look -- Suzunashi Neon-san?" Kouta-san laughed with even more pleasure. "However I wish you would put your astuteness to good use elsewhere. I said it at the start. But there is a means. Is that topic not more important for you three?"

A means. A means for breaking through this crisis.

Even Suzunashi-san fell silent at that. I glanced at Kunagisa, who was frozen in the same state that she was in when Kouta-san first appeared. In other words, her eyes were widened and her head was tilted to the side. Such is Kunagisa Tomo, whose thought sometimes freezes like this.

Kouta-san clapped her hands in front of her chest.

"In other words, this is what I am saying. Shall I lend you a hand?"

My face suddenly stiffened.

I remembered what happened last night.

"----....."

"You are suspicious? You are being suspicious of me? I understand your feelings. One cannot simply trust a person that spontaneously appeared out of the blue and offers such a thing. That is quite an ordinary response. However....."

And then Kouta-san stuck a hand in her pocket and pulled out a knife. It had a pointed shape that seemed less a knife and more an auger, or an arrow. Shorter than a blade, and designed in a rather impractical fashion. Yes, that was not a tool for stabbing people or breaking objects, but rather its main use was not as a blade but as an anti-lock blade--

"My. It seems you know of these types of knives? Consummate, that allows me to skip the bother of explaining," Kouta-san twirled the knife around. "This was a present from a friend, and I cannot use it particularly roughly, but anyways--"

And then she slid the knife into the keyhole of the steel lock placed on the iron cage. Clatter clatter, she rattled the hilt twice and thrice, and there was a sound of something being jarred open, and the door of the cage was freed from its restraint. It opened outward with a rusted squeak.

"-- now we do not need to bother with anything like trust and can resume with an objective reality."

"..... what do you want?"

Kouta-san gave me a distasteful look in response.

"You are quite rude. Did your mother not teach you that the first thing to do when you are helped is to say thank you?"

"Unfortunately I grew up absurdly pampered... and that has caused me to be distrustful of people."

"That is rather consummate, dear friend," Kouta-san laughed with a trace of nobility this time. "How trivial. How trivial indeed. Of course, my request is unchanged and the same as last night, dear friend."

"..... is that so."

In any case, I nodded.

The same request as last night, which meant.

"..... what if I were to refuse again?"

"Nothing. That is itself consummate. Feel free to refuse. In that case we shall simply part left and right," Kouta-san showed me both of her palms in a surrender pose. "I was strictly trained. Of course, not by my parents, but... in any case, If you want others to be friendly to you, you must offer them your kindness without expecting any compensation, first. Everything thus far has been a service."

"..... is that so."

How much could I trust her?

My dictionary lacks an entry for having faith in people I have met for the first time. And trust would certainly be out of the question. On top of that, this person -- Ishimaru Kouta, was no doubt a person of danger such that we would normally not be speaking of trust but rather of her level of danger. Given what transpired last night and, of course, what is currently transpiring.

And more than anything, her usage of the surname Zerozaki as a false name was the biggest red flag.

Once, I was taught by the red color that there are no human beings that would use Zerozaki as a false surname. And now the person in front of me boldly used that name and invaded without bothering to hide. What could that possibly entail?

However, yes however -- could the situation possibly worsen?

"Kishimaru-san, was it?" while I hesitated in responding to Kouta-san, Suzunashi-san spoke first. "Kishimaru-san, yes, you--"

"..... it's Ishimaru," Kouta-san said a bit miffed. "Ishimaru Kouta. Please do not mistake it."

"I apologize," Suzunashi-san shrugged. "I appreciate the offer, but we can't take you up on it -- I don't know what you're requesting of Inoji, but we can't take you up on it."

"My. Why would that be?" Kouta-san exaggeratedly tilted her head to the side. "What I am requesting may perhaps be something quite dull. For example, two thousand yen, or a deed."

"Because it would not be an exchange," Suzunashi-san. "We cannot leave here. Or rather, there's no point in leaving. There's no meaning to leaving this cage, right, Inoji?"

"..... indeed."

Indeed. It was as Suzunashi-san said. Even if we were to escape the cage, we would not be able to leave Kasugai-san's fourth ward. This building lacked windows, and the one entry and exit -- was lorded over by the problematic security lock.

Even if -- and this was a big even if but, even if what Kunagisa said were true. We could use a computer somewhere in this research ward and access the mother computer and clear the lock using security privileges or something. Then there is the possibility of escaping from this research facility. But in the end, the Fiat was probably being held down, and the gate was probably being guarded anyways. Furthermore of the three of us, only Suzunashi-san might have the physical ability to leave this mountain without a car.

Successfully escaping without dealing with that multitude of obstacles would simply end if Professor Kyouichirou were to call the police anyways, and so we would end up locked up one way or other. And that would be another good result for the Professor.

"-- that's why leaving and not leaving this cage doesn't matter to us, Kouta-san."

Suzunashi-san laughed with a bit of self-deprecation.

"I suppose this is what they mean by surrounded and trapped."

"No, no. At most this is simply pushed and tunneled. There is no reason at all to be in such despair," Kouta-san said and winked. "That is why this is an exchange. I have no intention of performing any exchange without merit for the other party. A proper exchange is when my merit directly relates to a merit for you, otherwise it does not become a true cooperative effort."

A truly splendid way of thinking. No, even I have to agree with that. What Kouta-san said was truly correct. However, even so, it was not just correct.

"Then, what do you mean? That means we are back at square one, about the means?"

"Absolutely, dear friend. As expected of the man I have chosen... truly wise, truly wise indeed."

".........."

I went silent and awaited Kouta-san's words. Suzunashi-san did the same. It was suspicious whether Kunagisa was listening to begin with, but she was silent, too.

"-- find the true suspect and prove your innocence."

Kouta-san finally said.

"Then, Professor Kyouichirou would no longer have a reason to imprison you. Is that not right?"

"-- true suspect?"

The true suspect being the murder and crucifixion of Utsurigi Gaisuke. The person who created the reason for us being locked up like this.

"-- that."

I placed a hand to my mouth and thought. I repeated Kouta-san's words in my head. Right. I had forgotten. In the end, someone had done that. Beyond just saying that the Professor's reasoning was absurd, I should have realized this alternate solution. Yes. That way, by successfully finding an answer, I could crumble Professor Kyouichirou's scenario.

This is an isolated location. A closed-off location. There are limited conditions. Then the true suspect. If the true suspect is within. Then. That would--

"That would certainly....."

"Not a bad thought," Suzunashi-san continued my words. "That is certainly not a bad thought. However, that's also not practical. It's cool to aim high, but we don't have time. Kasugai-san said a decision would be made in about five hours. We're done-for then. An hour's already passed, so there're four hours left. To figure out who the true suspect is within those four hours--"

"Four hours!" Kouta-san repeated Suzunashi-san's words like a song. "Four hours? Does that not mean eternity? Rather, we have too much time," and Kouta-san looked at me with a taunting expression. "-- right? Is that not right? Dear friend?"

"..... if you are going to help, then probably, Kouta-san."

I nodded in disagreement and disagreement.

As Suzunashi-san said, the situation is dire. As sensei said, this was not just a vicious murder, but a physically sealed room -- an impossible crime using a hard-locked room. A strict machine gatekeeper, and the reason for Utsurigi being crucified so brutally, and the meaning of the words on the wall. It seemed an overwhelming problem to begin with, and there was a time limit on top of it all.

However.

As Kouta-san said, that may be the best solution after all. Even if it may also be the worst solution.

"So? What shall it be? I shall not force you to do anything."

Said Kouta-san as she stretched her right hand out to me through the iron cage. Suzunashi-san no longer said anything. Kunagisa said nothing, too.

I resolved myself, and gripped that hand.

It felt like I had grasped the hand of a human being.

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldbach's_conjecture
2. bootable business card
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariwara_no_Narihira

3

Suzunashi-san and Kunagisa stayed behind in the cage, and Kouta-san and I went off to act. It might be overstating things to say that we had split into a passive group and an active group, but there was no point in meandering about as a large group, and everyone agreed that at least someone had to stay in the cage. In that case, we could not just leave one person (there was no guarantee that Kasugai-san would return only four hours later. Once the escape is discovered it would not only be scary alone, but dangerous), and the outsider Kouta-san could not be tasked with remaining in the cage either (I suggested it but they turned it down immediately, of course), so the three of us -- myself, Kunagisa, and Suzunashi-san -- could only allow one person to leave. Suzunashi-san resigned ("because I'm stupid"), which left either Kunagisa or myself. Objectively Kunagisa is certainly smarter than I, but it would not be good to entrust her in the hands of a suspicious person like Kouta-san, and I could not imagine Kunagisa doing anything stealthy. No doubt, she would be discovered within two seconds of leaving the cage. As long as Professor Kyouichirou's aim is Kunagisa herself, as long as she remains in the cage then even after being discovered, nothing rash -- yes, nothing rash -- would be done. In that case, it seemed the only option was for me to leave.

After that logic puzzle similar to a sheep and wolf and others crossing the river.

I left the dungeon.

"-- what nonsense."

I mumbled the usual line and faced Kouta-san. She pulled her cap down back over her eyes, and then said, "Please."

"Then shall we commence. There is nothing to be gained dawdling around in a place like this, after all."

"-- indeed. I agree," I nodded, and then I turned back to the cage. "Well, Suzunashi-san, I entrust this place... or rather, I entrust Kunagisa to you."

"I can't really accept the task with much confidence this time, but, well, leave it to be just a bit," Suzunashi-san said. "Inoji. We're placing our lives in your hands."

I was entrusted with something insane.

Please, entrust, placing.

Hey, hey, this is almost like.

We're trusting each other, or something.

"Ii-chan."

Kunagisa said in a way that could be called abrupt.

"Worst case... when Ii-chan thinks there's nothing left to do, you can call Nao-kun."

".........."

Call Nao-san. I understood what that meant. If there is direct danger to Kunagisa Tomo, to have to depend on that person's power.

"..... alright. I will do that. Really, as a last resort."

"And, Ii-chan. Remember?" Kunagisa looked up at me and continued from her seated position. "What boku-sama-chan said a long time ago. That one of Team's rules was to promise never to leak info about other members."

"..... yeah, you said that. Speaking of which, I feel like you said something like that."

"I'm breaking that promise."

Kunagisa said.

"-- yesterday, Sacchan said this. I guess it's time to restore my reputation."

Restore my reputation.

Utsurigi's reputation -- Green Green Green. That was his alias and his handle when he was part of Team as the ultimate, tyrannically vicious destroyer. Did Utsurigi say that he wanted to restore that? That he was going to restore that reputation? Then. Why did Utsurigi Gaisuke, who is no longer here after being crucified, say that? However, no, more importantly.

"Why are you telling me that now?"

"I thought it wasn't fair. I can't say anything more because we don't have time, but I wanted you to know," Kunagisa said with a rare calm. "Hey, Ii-chan. Ii-chan won't abandon me or hate me, right?"

"Of course not."

I answered immediately.

I was able to answer immediately.

But it was probably not Kunagisa who felt relieved at that, but rather myself.

"Stop confirming such obvious things. It is quite bothersome to need to answer. Something as pitiful as this is nothing to us, Tomo."

"Mm. That's good."

And then Kunagisa laughed carefreely as usual. That was enough. I resolved myself and then said, "Shall we go then, Kouta-san." Kouta-san nodded and began walking, "alright, then let us begin with formulating a battle plan."

"Recognizing and confirming the current situation. We must leave this building and go outside for that."

"Indeed. I know I asked earlier, but Kouta-san, how did you get into this building in the first place?"

"I shall explain next. Anyways, come along for now."

I quickly followed behind Kouta-san, who marched forward. There was soon a turn, which took the cage, and Kunagisa and Suzunashi-san, out of sight.

That was around when Kouta-san began giggling.

"-- what is wrong?"

"Nooothing. Quite well. Would it be friendship, or would it be love, or what would it be. The two are both quite attractive, dear friend, so which of the two are you after?"

"It is not like that, Suzunashi-san and Kunagisa both. I am truly after a samurai-like person who lives next door at my apartment," I answered in monotone. "And something like that is irrelevant to you, anyways."

"Fufu. Of course it has no relevancy to me. Everything about you is completely and irrelevantly unrelated to myself. That is certainly consummate. Yet even so, is it not normal to want to know more about the partner which whom I am about to share life and death, dear friend?"

"I have no intention of committing suicide with you, Kouta-san," I tried to act as uninterested as possible. "And on that note, it sounds like you know about me to some extent, but I know absolutely nothing about you. I cannot help but feel apprehension because of that."

"Apprehension. Very well. Please remain apprehensive. That is probably for the best," Kouta-san replied, continuing forward without dropping her pace. "As long as you keep your promise, I shall say no complaints. What I want is not trust but honesty."

"How pragmatic."

"Just realistic."

It was a conclusion to a truly pointless conversation. Part of me wondered if this was alright, and the other part felt that this was sufficient. After all, relying on this person was my only hope.

"-- this way."

Kouta-san pointed to a green, steel door. She unlocked the door with that knife, and then pushed the door. There were stairs leading up. From its position, it seemed these were emergency stairs.

"-- you came from here?"

"Yes. The elevator makes quite a sound and echo. Using it would give myself away immediately. Now. Quickly. We have a time limit do we not? It would be consummate to hurry."

After saying that to a hesitant me, Kouta-san began climbing the stairs. I could see that she was absolutely sure of herself. In other words, she had predicted everything that had transpired so far. That I would accept her request, and that I would dutifully oblige her, all of that had been planned. I shook my head lightly, and then took a step on the stairs. The door closed on its own, and the lock sounded. It seemed this door had a simple, automated locking mechanism.

"If I may amend one misunderstanding," Kouta-san said. "You are correct in saying that most things have gone as I expected, but even so there was one thing that I can say was unexpected."

"..... I said nothing."

"I thought you would take a bit longer to come to this decision," Kouta-san continued without responding. "Given your attitude last night. Of course, what happened is much more consummate; however, you do not seem the type to be this understanding. Despite the situation you were in, why did you accept my offer so quickly?"

"..... I have a friend," I sighed before answering. "A person similar to you. No, you two are not similar at all, and, it is not as if I understand you, or understand that person either, but your type... your positions, from a categorization standpoint, seem the same."

"..... hmm. How intriguing."

"Of course, that person is a contractor, a do-it-all sort of person," I said. "And not a thief like yourself."

"-- fufu. I see. That is also consummate..... I am not that black-suited lady, but indeed, it seems you are quite well-connected. Regardless, it is splendid that we have come to an understanding so quickly."

Black-suited? Who? Ahh, Suzunashi-san.

We passed by the door to the first floor, and Kouta-san headed toward the second floor.

".....? Are we still going up? There is only an entrance on the first floor, right?"

"You are troubled because we cannot enter or leave using that entrance, are you not? If you cannot go through normally, then it is consummate to try abnormal means. More importantly... more importantly, as I shall put it, what do you think?"

"What? Please be clearer."

"Hmmmm. This incident... well, it is an incident after all. This incident, how confident are you that you can solve it safely? I thought I should ask that, first."

"We are already not safe. Because we were locked up in such a place already..... but anyways, confidence. If there is one thing I can say," I was not imitating Kouta-san, but I held my answer back a bit. "I have experienced this sort of pattern a few times. And I have never once been unable to solve the mystery."

"..... surprisingly confident. I am slightly surprised."

"Just speaking from experience. Just. ..... or rather, this feels lacking," I said without any emotion. "Compared to the incident that destroyed Kunagisa and I, this is really lackluster. To have an old comrade of Kunagisa have his eyes stabbed through his mouth stabbed through his chest opened his stomach stabbed his legs nailed his arms chopped off and crucified and decorated with a blood message, well it might score a sixty."

"That is still a passing grade."

"Perhaps. ..... however, this is the first time I have a time limit. Four hours.... or maybe less. We would have to return by then."

"If you are unable to solve the mystery within four hours, what do you intend to do?" Kouta-san asked. "Despite what I said in front of the black-suited lady, you should not rely on me much. My objective lies elsewhere, and our relationship is just an alliance, so we are not sharing life and death so much as simply traveling on the same boat."

"I understand. Indeed, traveling on the same boat. Yes..... in the case that I am unable to solve anything."

"Would you call... Nao-kun?"

Kouta-san lowered her voice just a bit.

"That is a last resort. No, if we are to call cooperating with you the worst case scenario, then we would call that one the lowest case scenario."

If I were to choose that option -- if Kunagisa Nao were to learn that his sister Kunagisa Tomo were being treated in such a way, this incident would be dealt with not within four hours but within four seconds. Nao-san would resolve this incident with every power he can access -- no, he would destroy it, without a doubt. However, that. That cannot be allowed to happen.

"-- if possible, it is not an option I would like to choose."

"..... hmm? I do not understand... but it does appear you do not desire that option. Then, what do you intend to do? Would you call for that contractor you mentioned earlier?"

"That..... to be honest is also something I would prefer to avoid," I answered honestly. "That has nothing to do with best or worst case, but rather, yes. I would prefer to remain that person's friend. I want to remain just a friend with that person. I do not want to create something like debt or gratitude or anything of the sort, and I would like to avoid a business relationship even more."

I said, but I have already actually been in her care quite a bit.

"If it were just helping Utsurigi, I would not have minded borrowing her hand, but with things having blown out of control like this it becomes harder to ask for help."

"You do not want to bother that person because they are a friend? That is the opposite of my line of thought. What is a friend if one cannot help in a situation like this?"

"I have a lot of things going on."

That sort of thing is difficult to define. It is vague and unclear. Yet the more you attempt to clarify it, the more it becomes difficult to grasp, and it is not something that I am willing to expend significant effort on in order to clarify. Particularly given my current state.

"To me, living is the same as being contradictory," I said. "I am glad I was able to become that person's friend. To be a friend of such a splendid person, to be able to talk about pointless topics, to be able to eat together, to be able to sleep under the same roof, to be played around with, to be teased, to be punched, to be picked on. Anyways, I am glad I am a friend of that person. That is why I want one day for that person to feel glad to have been a friend of mine. It is pointless, but that is all."

"-- I see. ..... well, that is indeed consummate," said Kouta-san, who seemed for some reason pleased by my words, as she turned back a bit and looked at me with a glowing face. Surprisingly, that was rather, an attractive look. "Then, what will you do? If solving this mystery is impossible within four hours? To be clear, I would personally say that negotiating with that Professor would be impossible. To mollify that Mad Demon who even now is probably hammering away at his dodgy dealings."

"..... you were listening to us?"

"To an extent. That Kunagisa-san is being looked at as a replacement for Utsurigi-san, or something."

"Is that so. How astude, really... yes..... in that case, there is no other choice. I will give up."

"What a lie," Kouta-san immediately responded. "You do not look the type to give up so easily."

"Is that so. That may be true."

However, there was no lie in my answer to Kouta-san. It was entirely honest, entirely what I believed. Yes, in that case, I will give up. In that case, I will no longer attempt to resolve this in a clean manner. I will give up attempting to end this situation without dirtying my hands. I will not think to attempt to barely maintain this life of normalcy that I had kept for nineteen years, given the situation. I subtly made sure the knife in my pocket had not been taken away.

"Oh well. It is not consummate to keep dwelling on the case that the mystery is not solved. Let us think of more bright futures."

And then Kouta-san finished climbing the stairs. Finished climbing? In other words, this was the fourth -- no, that is not right,--

"-- the rooftop."

"That's right," Kouta-san nodded as she opened the door with that knife. "The rooftop."

I followed Kouta-san out onto the rooftop. It was still tiled, and there was a clothesline in front. It was probably put there for drying laundry. However, there were no traces of anyone having used it. Or rather, this place was so barren of human life that it was worth asking if anyone had ever set foot on the rooftop since this place was built.

There were puddles on top of several tiles. Remnants of last night.

This time I looked up and gazed at the weather. It was quite pretty. The vast expanse of greenery beyond the castle wall. This would be what they call picturesque: hardly any man-made objects in sight. Actually, it even begins to look unnatural because so much nature spread out before me.

Still, there was no time to be breath-taken by that scenery.

"Please don't go too close to the greenery. While the probability is low because none of the research wards have any windows, people walking between buildings can still see us."

So Kouta-san said, but she walked toward the greenery anyways. I was not able to understand the situation, and followed her.

"Um, Kouta-san. Are you going to say we are going to rappel down?"

"That is not a bad consummate, but that would not explain how I got in," Kouta-san said and then she stopped immediately upon reaching the edge of the fifth ward. And then she remained immobile. "..... well, please do follow after me."

She said that quickly, and then took a step back, and then with used the momentum to jump. Jump. in other words, right at the edge of the rooftop -- or if I were to explain this even more precisely, one millimeter before the gutter draining away the rain water, Kouta-san leaped. What lay ahead. Was just, nothing, and.

The fifth ward.

With elegance that made me imagine a twirl-like sound effect, Kouta-san landed on the other side, and then turned to me. Her left and right braids fell on her shoulders a couple second late.

"-- now, your turn."

"Now, your turn..." even I hesitated. "What do you mean now, your turn?"

"It is not much. A leap of just two meters is surely easy to an adult male, is it not?"

Two meters. Indeed, the distance between the fourth and fifth ward was probably around this much. As I had felt yesterday, the buildings in this facility were closely built, as if squeezed together. That was why jumping from one building to another was not impossible, as Kouta-san said. Still, even if it were just two meters.

I walked to the edge of the building and looked down. If I remember correctly, the fourth ward was four stories. However, each floor seemed to have been built taller than a normal building, so no matter how much leeway you gave, this building could not be shorter than some ten meters altitude. You would die even if you were to fall on your feet.

Of course, a two-meter jump is simple. However, if failure means death, it gains some pressure.

"My, my. I cannot imagine this to be the case, but perhaps you're a wuss? Quite a surprise to discover that my dear friend was such a chicken."

"..... how about the excuse that I am still underaged and not an adult?"

"If you want to say that you do not intend to break through the situation, if you do not want to show me that you are not a chicken, then by all means."

Spoken that way, it seemed I had no choice but to resolve myself. Kouta-san only needed a meter's worth of acceleration, but -- and that was probably enough even for myself too, but -- I took three, no four steps worth of distance, and then took yet another step back, and then I inhaled deeply, and then took another step back.

New genre: athletic mystery-solving.

"..... truly, nonsense from start to finish."

I mumbled, and then I began running. There was no mistake that I could jump. From the fourth to the fifth ward, jumping itself is simple. So the problem is before that, whether I could time it right or not. If I were to trip, that would be the end of the volume. Perhaps out of that fear, in the end, I jumped ten-some centimeters before the edge.

After the feeling of having been freed from gravity,

I felt the impact along my whole body.

"-- phew."

I landed on both legs. In a crouching position, I existed on the rooftop of the fifth ward. At the very least, the story did not end in an unseemly way like a red tomato or a squished pomegranate.

Clap clap clap, Kouta-san faux applauded, and then said, "Magnificent, dear friend."

"Around three meters. That far with that level of acceleration, hmm, would imply that you have a consummate level of athleticism."

"I favor both athleticism and literature," I gradually calmed by beating heart, and acted composed. I did not think there was any need to look cool about it, but, regardless of pride or self-esteem, I felt it would not be good to show Kouta-san much weakness. "So? Now that we are on the fifth ward, what do we do?"

"What do we do?"

"What are we doing next? If this building has a security at the entrance, then there is no change from the fourth ward. As you said we could do at the start, we did indeed leave the fourth ward... but if we took too much time, we might be found--"

-- just as I said that to Kouta-san.

The door to the interior of the ward far in front of me slowly opened, and speak of the devil, Neo Furuara-san appeared. With his round body covered by a white lab coat, and with tobacco in his mouth, as naturally as can be, the door opened and he walked toward us.

I hurriedly tried to hide myself, but of course there was nothing between the door and here to be able to do that, and soon, I realized there was no need anyways.

Neo-san cynically smiled and said,

"Yo, Ishimaru-san."

As for me, as for me who was supposed to be locked up in a basement, he gave me just a glance, and then he turned back toward Kouta-san, and toward Kouta-san, who was supposed to be an outsider and an intruder, Neo-san bowed deeply.

"I was supposed to greet you here, but things happened much faster than expected. Please forgive my rudeness in belatedly welcoming you."

"I don't mind," Kouta-san answered calmly. "More importantly, please prepare something to drink for my dear friend."