Hideo heard Tetsu mumbling, "EERF."
The words slipped out before Tetsu could catch himself, and he thought,
Crap. Why did I say that? If Hideo could hear it, then...
Hideo raised an eyebrow. "EERF?" he asked, curiosity piqued.
Tetsu corrected himself quickly, "No. I mean–" but Hideo interrupted.
"What is that?"
Tetsu's mind raced.
Wait. He didn't know?
"Ah. That's... Right. A detective organization," he said, trying to sound nonchalant.
"You mean EARF?" Hideo shot back.
"Yeah. EARF."
Tetsu felt a wave of relief wash over him. Maybe he wasn't totally blown at this point.
Hideo shook his head, a smirk forming on his face.
"You're kidding me. Stop watching fiction and thinking that it's real."
He let out a frustrated sigh, adding, "Fine. If you don't know. or you don't want to say who the culprit is, I won't do anything now, but if you're the true culprit, then I will kill you."
Tetsu tensed, feeling the weight of Hideo's words.
It sounded like a threat, but he managed to smile.
With a playful punch to his own chest, he said.
"Then let's make a bet."
Hideo narrowed his eyes.
"What bet?"
Tetsu took a breath; he had to be careful.
"Related to what you just said."
He briefly flashed back to moments ago when Hideo had whispered to Tetsu.
"I've found an evidence of the culprit."
However, he can't possible have the identity of the culprit without knowing about the EERF. It was clearly a made-up evidence.
He knew he had to turn this around.
"Three weeks. That's the time it should take for me to find the real culprit behind this."
"If I bring you the real culprit, you have to wear nothing in front of our class and apologize for blaming me."
"But if I can't, I'll tell you all of my secrets."
Yes, Tetsu thought.
Everything—even the EERF, the Darkside Destroyer.
He felt a surge of determination.
"However," he added with a smirk, "one more condition if I win."
"Let me punch you once, as hard as possible, for pissing me off all the time. If I lose, you can punch me a thousand times."
Hideo's eyes widened, and just then, a gust of wind swept through the two of them.
Hideo shielded his eyes, while Tetsu, unflinching, asked for a final decision.
"How is it? Do we have a deal here?"
With a sly grin, Hideo replied.
"Sounds like a deal."
He had a threatening yet amused glint in his eyes.
Tetsu dashed over to a nearby tree.
"Let me tell you," he said, flush with excitement.
"The punch won't be weak!"
He delivered a powerful punch to the trunk, nearly splitting it.
He turned to Hideo, his expression cocky.
Hideo winced.
"Jeez. I'm not going to return unscathed from this bet."
Tetsu chuckled, the tension easing.
"I don't know what kind of evidence made you so believable, but I will prove that it's wrong."
Hideo strolled away, tossing back a tease.
"Try to."
Tetsu headed in a different direction, determination bubbling inside him.
"I'll be waiting."
Hideo called over his shoulder. Meanwhile, hidden in the thick leaves of a tree.
Saya had listened intently, her eyes narrowing at Tetsu's words.
And if I couldn't, I'll tell you all of my secrets.
A memory flickered in her mind of a past conversation with Reiji.
"Kamizaki Saya," he had said, his voice firm. "I want to give you another secret mission."
Curiosity piqued, Saya had asked.
"What mission?"
Reiji's expression darkened.
"If Tetsu betrays us, kill him without mercy. Yes, and that means if he attempted to reveal our identity or any action that goes against us."
"That's a mission I can't do myself, so I'm entrusting you with it."
Away from her thoughts, Saya gazed up at the sky, which had turned black as night approached.
Tetsu. If you can't find the real culprit…
... then these three weeks will be your last.
The next morning, at the Darkside Destroyer's base, Tetsu woke up groggily, still burdened by yesterday's bet.
Ugh. Why did I make that bet?
He picked at his messy bed, contemplating the impossible task ahead of him.
How could I possibly discover the truth with only three weeks?
With a resigned sigh, he flopped back onto the bed.
At school, two different group of people standing on his table's right and left.
The group of students gathered on his left, condemning him.
"He's the murderer!" one called out.
On the right, his defenders shot back.
"No, he's not!"
"They were the last ones he was with. It's obvious he's the number one suspect!" the left side retorted.
The right defended fiercely. "They're his best friends! There's no reason for him to do that!"
"Isn't it because he's envious of Haruto and Mio?" the left smirked.
"Then are you suggesting that everyone who suffers a parental loss will always be a killer?" the right side shot back.
"We didn't!" the left exclaimed, exasperated.
"Yes, you did!"
"No!"
"Yes."
"No."
And it spiraled into chaos until one from the right nudged Tetsu, asking.
"Hey Tetsu, you're innocent, right?"
Nervously, Tetsu replied.
"Uh, yes. Of course."
"See? He's innocent!" the right side championed.
"But are you expecting that he would say the truth?" the left jeered.
Tetsu felt the weight of their gazes, anxious energy crackling in the air.
Just then, their teacher walked in, interrupting the bickering.
"That's enough. Sit down, everyone."
Reluctantly, they returned to their seats.
Someone from the right side gave Tetsu a reassuring nod.
"Don't worry, Tetsu. I know you're innocent."
Feeling slightly better, Tetsu said. "Thanks."
As geography class droned on, Tetsu's phone buzzed, and a message from Commander Arata popped up:
"Tetsu, there's a mission for you."
Later, Tetsu and Saya were at a construction site, both clad in professional vests.
The site was alive with the sounds of machinery and chatter. Dust hung in the warm air, and workers hustled about, focused on their tasks.
One worker glanced up, squinting.
"Who're you guys?"
Saya smoothly introduced them.
"We're inspectors. I need to meet the foreman of this project."
The worker pointed up.
"Our foreman is on the second floor."
"Thank you!" Saya replied, and they headed for the manlift, excitement thrumming through Tetsu.
Reaching the second floor, Saya faced a cluster of workers.
"Who is the foreman here?"
A muscular man stepped forward, wiping sweat from his brow.
"I'm the foreman. You two don't look like our usual workers."
Saya replied with confidence.
"We're inspectors. We've got a few things to ask you. Can we have some time?"
He nodded at the others. "Everyone, I'll be back in a bit. Continue working."
They moved to a quieter corner.
"I'm Oda Masaru, the foreman here," he said, an easy smile on his face.
"I'm Kinoshita Sayuri, an inspector," Saya replied
Pointing to Tetsu, she said.
"This is Ichikawa Teru, my assistant."
As they exchanged pleasantries, Tetsu felt a twinge of annoyance at being sidelined as the "assistant." He bit back his irritation.
"Inspectors from the city, right? What can I do for you?" Masaru asked.
Saya took the lead. "We're here to conduct a routine safety inspection. Have you noticed any… irregularities on site? Anything out of the ordinary?"
Masaru frowned, scratching his head. "Yea. There have been some strange things—constant tremors, mostly underground. Equipments keep malfunctioning too, breaking down for no reason. We've lost time and money because of it."
He pointed to a bent piece of machinery nearby.
"Like that crane. It just gave out yesterday."
Tetsu and Saya shared a look, silently acknowledging the connection. The tremors, the malfunctions… it all hinted at something deeper.
As the investigation unfolded, they moved carefully through the site, asking questions and observing the workers.
The soundscape around them was a cacophony of drills and chatter, a perfect cover for their true purpose. As lunch arrived, the foreman announced:
"Lunch break, everyone! Take a rest!"
Workers began distributing lunchboxes, and the smell of bento and instant noodles filled the air.
Tetsu was handed a lunchbox from Saya, expecting something substantial.
But he opened the box to find a tiny, compressed cube of food in a vacuum-sealed container. His disappointment was palpable.
"Seriously? This is a meal?"
"Just open it and try it," Saya urged, already unwrapping her own cube.
With a sigh, Tetsu said.
"But…"
"Just do it," she insisted, her gaze fierce.
He hesitated, then reluctantly popped the container open and took a bite.
His eyes widened. It burst with flavor—honey chicken, his taste buds awakened. He felt an unexpected surge of energy.
"Wow, no way!"
As Saya finished her own lunch cube, she smirked, pleased. "See? Told you."
Tetsu finished chewing, satisfied as he did. Soon, he coughed.
"Ahem."
"So, the tremors and equipment issues… probably an anomaly. But where is it coming from?"
Tetsu mused, the thrill of the investigation fueling him. Saya nodded, scanning the site.
"We need to narrow down the source of the tremors. Focus on the areas where the equipment damage is most severe."
Just then, Oda Masaru approached, worry etched on his face.
"Inspectors, you shouldn't be sitting here. This area is unstable, lots of loose rubble. It could be dangerous."
"Thanks for your concern," Tetsu said politely, maintaining their facade.
As they walked, Masaru opened up.
"You know, I graduated from the Shinohara University of Tokyo."
"The prestigious university?" Tetsu replied, surprised.
"What happened? With those qualifications, you could have any job."
Masaru chuckled, a hint of nostalgia in his voice.
"I dreamed of being a professional soccer player. I applied to clubs all over the country, and well… I wasn't good enough."
"When I was lost on what to do next, the old captain of this site offered me a job. I thought it would just be until I figured things out."
"But… I've made connections with the crew. They're good people. I couldn't leave them."
His sentiment hung in the air—unexpected bonds forged in the unlikeliest of places.
Suddenly, the earth shook violently beneath them. Tools rattled, and workers gasped, their faces paling.
"What was that?" Masaru shouted, panic rising in his voice. A terrified cry erupted from the crowd.
"It's a monster! It's coming out of the ground!"
Tetsu and Saya exchanged a quick glance. They had to move. They sprinted toward the epicenter of chaos, the panicked shouts of the workers starting to fade behind them.
They arrived at a gaping hole in the concrete floor, jagged and menacing—a dark void that seemed to pulse with an ominous energy.
From that abyss, a colossal serpent emerged, its dark red scales glinting ominously in the sunlight. Its massive head was adorned with rows of sharp teeth, and it glared at the terrified workers with glowing eyes that seemed to penetrate right through them.
"What the hell." Tetsu whispered, feeling his heart race.
The serpent, sensing the heat of its potential prey, coiled ominously, the air around it crackling with a surge of heat.
"How dare you injure my friends, you disgusting monster!"
Masaru bellowed, suddenly emboldened. Without hesitation, he grabbed a shovel from nearby, rushing at the serpent.
"I'll kill you!"
He swung hard, connecting with the serpent's head.
To his horror, the blow merely glanced off its tough scales, doing little more than angering the beast. In response, the serpent struck back, its massive tail whipping through the air and sending Masaru crashing into a pile of rubble.
"Mr. Oda!" cried Ichizawa, clenching his fists in fury.
"Saya, let's go!" Tetsu and Saya dashed toward the chaos, adrenaline pumping in their veins.
Workers were screaming and retreating, scattering in panic as the serpent moved like a freight train, its massive body encircling the steel framework of the building.
"We can't let it cause more damage!" Saya yelled over the chaos, determination fueling her voice.
Tetsu agreed, heart racing as he prepared to confront the creature.
"What do we do?"
"We have to distract it while we find a way to take it down!"
Saya shouted back, readying herself for the fight ahead as they prepared to charge into chaos.
Together, they ventured forward into the turmoil, a sense of purpose igniting within them.