"Mmm…"
The chirping of sparrows outside signaled morning. Normally, Shidou would've realized dawn had arrived, rubbing bleary eyes while hunched over his computer—
"Huh…?"
What was he thinking? Unable to grasp his own thoughts, Shidou blinked rapidly, rubbing his eyes as he rose from bed. Beside him—no one.
"…Thanks."
It wasn't a dream. He was certain, touching the faintly warm sheets while whispering words meant for her. For the girl who worried for him, scolded him, and loved him. To repay that love, to become a man worthy of her anger, Shidou Itsuka had to keep moving forward.
His mind was unusually clear. He could see something now. Exhilaration filled him. Perfect timing—he wouldn't stop here.
He had to create the future where she'd finish her words, where he'd claim what he desired—Kurumi's future.
"Shidou… Oh, you actually rested."
As he stepped off the bed with renewed resolve, the door opened, and Kotori entered. Her face showed pure relief, not a frown—wait, why did he expect a frown?
"Good. If you ignored us, I'd have punched you—wait, what's that bruise!?"
"…Bruise?"
"Your neck, your neck!"
His mind was clear, exhilarated, yet muddled with an odd awareness. At Kotori's prompting, he tilted his head, using his phone screen as a mirror. Sure enough, faint red lines marked his neck. Recalling last night's events, it clicked. The sharp, vivid marks—almost like a kiss mark—seemed to say, Don't forget.
He wouldn't. Never again. No matter what, he'd etch Kurumi Tokisaki into every cell of his body. He'd never repeat last night's disgrace. This was—
"…It's fine. A reminder, I guess."
"…What? Shidou, you into that? Gross—go hang with Kannazuki."
"That's a wild misinterpretation!!"
Being sidestepped by his beloved sister hurt more than expected. Being lumped with that perverse vice-commander was a unique kind of agony. Calling last night's near-death experience a reminder and love showed his utter lack of self-awareness. Love is blind, indeed.
"It's a joke," Kotori said, her expression anything but joking, sighing in exasperation.
"What's so great about such a heavy woman?"
"Hey, what's that supposed to—oh."
Too late. He'd practically confessed who left the marks. Sweat beaded on his forehead as Kotori shot him a half-lidded, accusing glare.
"Ohh, had fun last night, huh?"
"…A-Anyway, dear sister, don't you have something for me?"
"How do you know that?"
His desperate topic shift backfired as Kotori's suspicious gaze sharpened.
"W-Well, I mean—"
Why? Panicking for an excuse, he questioned himself. Why had he so confidently assumed Kotori had something to show him?
A faint headache made him clutch his head. Again. Seeing something he shouldn't know, with no reason why, left him fumbling for answers.
"What's wrong? Did you—"
"I'm fine, I'm fine! Come on, you said it like you've got something, right?"
He waved off Kotori's concern as she rushed toward him. Not now—there were bigger priorities. His clumsy dodge worked; though skeptical, Kotori produced the item.
"Fine. Here's what I wanted to show you."
"A white… card…"
Not the message card sent with the photos. The text was different. He read it slowly.
"Let's end this game tonight. Catch me—or everyone disappears…!!"
Clenching his teeth, he crumpled the card in anger. Of course. This was Natsumi's game—she controlled the rules, even tightening them at will.
"It was in the mailbox this morning," Kotori said. "If we take it at face value, Natsumi's settling this tonight."
"…"
"Shidou?"
Rules. Natsumi's game was simple: guess who she was among the twelve photos. Each day, someone vanished. That's it—just that…
Hand to mouth, Shidou sank into thought. Natsumi's rules were just that. Vanishing people, narrowing suspects… but were they really narrowing? If his hunch was right, every assumption flipped. There were no set conditions—only rules they'd assumed outside her game.
This was likely the fleeting discrepancy he'd grasped last night. But he needed more—the truth beyond what he'd seen. A fatal oversight, an impossible event even Natsumi's perfection couldn't avoid…
A whisper. The absolute words to win echoed.
"Eliminate the impossible, the implausible—that's the lie."
"—It's connected."
He saw it. The puzzle pieces fell into place, guided by words from beyond the board. Natsumi's identity was clear. But it wasn't enough. To make it certain, he couldn't do it alone. Failure wasn't an option—he had to corner her perfectly, crushing all possibilities.
"Kotori, I need a favor."
"…You realize you've got her face right now, don't you?"
A bold, horrific smile—something Shidou half a year ago would never have worn. Kotori frowned, unimpressed.
Her smile—Kurumi's—was bold, intimidating, transcendent. To resemble it meant…
"…Sorry, did I scare you?"
"No way!! As if I'd be scared of you—"
Now what? Kotori flushed, flailing in protest as Shidou scratched his head. He hadn't realized he'd mimicked Kurumi's smile so naturally. But being told he resembled her meant he'd found unshakable confidence.
After all, wielding Kurumi Tokisaki's victorious smile meant defeat was unthinkable.
"So, what's the favor? I'll do what I can."
"Right. It's—"
He explained his plan, including what he wanted to test, taking minutes to convey. Kotori considered briefly before agreeing.
Preparations were set. Failure wasn't an option. One mistake, and everything collapsed. As the white-clad girl warned, Shidou bore immense responsibility and pressure.
"I know. I'll overcome this."
A mystery far tougher than this awaited him. If he couldn't surpass this, his desired future with Kurumi was a pipe dream.
Clenching his fist, he answered her taunt: Can you find me? Foolish question.
"It's not can I find you. I found you, Natsumi."
"This is the simplest, fastest way to confirm."
"…Wow."
Simple and fast, sure, but brutally extreme—Shidou sweated as Origami stabbed knives into all twelve photos without hesitation. Her decisiveness was staggering.
In a Ratatosk underground facility, everyone involved brainstormed. Kotori, Kaguya, Miku… and, riskily, Origami, despite her anti-spirit stance. Shidou trusted her claim: "If no spirit power is detected, AST can't act." Besides, he'd dressed to hide the bruise on his neck.
They were systematically eliminating possibilities—Origami's stunt had brought them closer.
…Though, if Natsumi was one of those photos, this was beyond nerve-wracking. She sounded oddly disappointed, too.
"Seems it wasn't right," Origami said.
"Back to square one," Kaguya huffed.
"No—thanks to Origami, we're much closer."
Shock and skepticism turned to him. Naturally. Origami's suggestion—that Natsumi could disguise as inanimate objects or things of different sizes—solidified what he'd seen. Only confirming Natsumi herself remained. But would she reveal herself so easily, with Shidou this confident?
"…?"
Another headache. Something was off since morning… Annoyed, he touched his left eye—and a familiar, mechanical sound rang out.
"—Gah!"
He couldn't stand. His left eye was cut off from the world—no, it became his world.
"Shidou!!"
"Darling!?"
Someone shouted, distant. Not distant—force drowned out his hearing.
He saw. Saw. SAW. The future—unbearable.
"—Gah…!"
His head split. Painful, terrifying—
Analysis.
He couldn't bear it a second. Shouldn't see it. Didn't want to. His death, seconds away, forced upon him endlessly. No one could stay sane. An imminent death, inescapable, made him feel his place in the world vanish.
Analysis.
Not just death. He knew that. But facing countless deaths—dozens, hundreds, thousands—rendered reason meaningless. Only a madman or someone who'd seen death repeatedly could endure—
"Ku…rumi…"
Like her.
Completed.
Right. No time to be trapped by this. No time to stop. To save her, he couldn't waste a second. He didn't need to accept it all—just choose what mattered. He could do it. He, who knew her power's essence, who'd seen it.
One misstep meant falling into the abyss. Kill the fear. Choose, choose, choose. Shidou, resonating with her power's master, could do it. If he couldn't, he didn't deserve this power.
Selected.
"The game's rules: you're in these photos. If I can't guess, one person vanishes daily. If I name the wrong person, they vanish too… right?"
"Maybe… but I'll confirm. Your understanding's correct."
"B-But… if I had it, it'd vanish with me! I don't want to leave nothing for darling!!"
"You sent twelve photos. But the suspects—"
"Heh, who knows?"
Infinite parallel possibilities. Events that could happen. Humans call it the future. This power, summoning fleeting possibilities, was a glimpse of the emperor's honed edge—hyper-dimensional future prediction.
Shidou Itsuka seized the future.
"Shidou!!"
"Haa—"
His consciousness returned, vision snapping to one. Absurd—what he'd experienced was beyond comprehension. Asked to choose again, he'd refuse outright.
Breathing deeply, he calmed his racing heart. Rising, he met their worried gazes.
"…Everyone."
"You scared us!! Collapsing like that!" Kaguya cried.
"Don't worry us like that…" Miku sniffled.
"Shidou, strip. You might be injured. I'll examine—" Origami began.
"You're not a doctor, Tobiichi Origami. Stop it," Kotori snapped, grabbing her shoulder.
Collapsing in this situation caused a stir. Kaguya and Miku teared up in relief, while Origami tried to undress him, only stopped by Kotori's force. He'd worried them too much. "Sorry," he said, bowing.
But it was worth it. He couldn't explain how he used the power, but he could describe what it showed.
A possible future, the path he should have taken—or would've, in another Shidou's reality, not his.
As they sighed in relief, Origami stared silently, pressuring him.
"Origami? I'm fine now."
"Why did you mutter Tokisaki Kurumi's name? Explain."
"Uh…"
"Explain."
Her tone carried layers—why Kurumi, and probably why not her. He didn't recall what he'd done while collapsed, leaving him no answer. Kotori's glance screamed you're on your own, offering no help.
"Tch—anyway! We don't have time for this, right!?"
"…"
He knew his dodge was clumsy, merely delaying the issue. Origami's piercing stare confirmed it. But wasting time was the issue—a fact, not an excuse.
Tightening his expression, he faced the four and gave his answer.
"Listen—I know who Natsumi is."
"!?"
They gasped. Naturally. Shidou, collapsing moments ago, now claimed to know the elusive Natsumi's identity. Anyone would question his sanity. His actions lacked logic—because it wasn't deduction. It was a cheat in this game, a forbidden move in mysteries. Proper deduction followed steps, but Shidou laughed—who cares?
"You're watching, right, Natsumi?! Come out—let's settle this!"
His provocation echoed. Natsumi, confident in her ability, couldn't ignore such a taunt. Her pride demanded it.
Soon, the room's center warped, light spilling as Haniel appeared. A mirror manifested, sucking Origami in.
"!!"
"Origami!!"
He reached out, but her angel's power was unstoppable. As Origami vanished into the mirror, Shidou glared at Natsumi beyond it.
"Natsumi, you…!!"
"Penalty. You called me out, so this is fair, right?"
Her mocking grin taunted through the mirror. His blood boiled, but he forced calm.
"You—!!" Kaguya lunged.
"Calm down, Kaguya," Shidou stopped her.
"Why!?"
Rushing in was natural, but he held her back. Falling for this provocation was a mistake. Losing calm was a classic tactic—Natsumi feared him now. That's why she rushed the game with this penalty.
"No need. Trust me."
"…Okay…" Kaguya nodded, reassured by his smile.
Stay calm. Focus. Discard the weak Shidou. Switch. He needed the Shidou who could face Natsumi, a formidable player.
"Sorry for the wait, Natsumi. Ready to be won over?"
"Hmph, such confidence. So sure, you're fine with this being your last answer?"
Natsumi's lips curled in a provocative smirk. The next answer was final—guess wrong, everyone vanishes, and Shidou sinks into despair. As if that threat mattered now.
"Everyone, do you trust me?"
This wasn't just his fight. Could he bear the weight of their lives? Kaguya, Miku, Kotori—fear lingered, but—
"Of course we trust you! Please, Shidou… save Yuzuru," Kaguya said.
"Obviously! I know you won't leave me, darling," Miku added.
"Do it, Shidou!!" Kotori urged.
They all believed in him. Enough to erase his lingering fear and pressure. Nodding, he faced Natsumi.
He'd take everything back. And he'd win her over.
"Alright, let's end this game."
"Yes, let's. Who's me—?"
"—Yoshinon."
The game was over.
"…What?"
Her emerald eyes wavered, unable to process his words. For the first time, Natsumi showed real shock. Shidou felt the critical hit. He couldn't let her escape—he had to seize control.
"You disguised as Yoshino's dear friend, Yoshinon. The thirteenth among the photos—you, Natsumi."
"Wha…?"
"—You're incredible."
Beyond his anger at Toka's abduction, his words were genuine. Natsumi's strategies, her techniques—Shidou could never replicate them. He offered pure admiration for her cunning.
"I couldn't have done this alone. No one could. Only you could pull off such a bold trick, yet you left a truth for me to find."
"How…?"
"You never said there were only twelve suspects."
Misdirection. A magician's trick to divert attention. Natsumi used it masterfully, hiding the truth from them. Her added rules, making them deduce, were the trick to conceal Yoshinon, a non-human.
"Day one of the investigation. I was shocked the answer was there from the start—Yoshinon, sharing Yoshino's senses, shouldn't have dodged my phone thrown through a wall."
That first day, Yoshino and Yoshinon visited in Halloween costumes. Startled, Shidou threw his phone toward Yoshinon. She dodged it—shouldn't have. Yoshino couldn't see it, so neither should Yoshinon, her extension.
"Just… that?"
"Not just that. It wasn't enough for certainty. You made another mistake."
Her shocked face twisted as he continued with a bold grin. He didn't need orderly deduction because of her fatal error—at the worst moment.
"I asked Yoshino, 'This happened before, right? When you first met Kurumi at our house. What did I make?' Yoshino and you, as Yoshinon, answered."
"Yes… it was kaki-tama, I think."
"Wha—Shidou-kun, Yoshinon doesn't know that! Was that when Yoshinon was at Origami's place?"
"Natsumi, was it confidence or arrogance? I don't know. But Yoshinon, apart from Yoshino, is just a doll. She shouldn't know."
"!!"
A fleeting discrepancy in seconds of conversation. The only gap. If Shidou, in his panic, had forgotten it, he'd have lost. But he noticed—couldn't not notice. The something whispering within him—
"Normally, I'd miss it. Bad luck for you. Anything involving Kurumi—I don't forget a single word!!"
His love for Kurumi.
"…Shidou, that's kinda creepy," Kotori muttered.
"…Seriously?"
He'd meant it earnestly, but turned at her voice. Kotori nodded, and he groaned, facing Natsumi again.
Without Kurumi, he'd have followed proper steps, using Origami or another Miku's hints. Kurumi's involvement—a bug—disrupted everything.
"Normally, you eliminate the impossible to find the truth. But this was our game. We sought the impossible."
Not a mystery, but a magician's trick. Haniel's cheat created a pseudo-mystery. Shidou's cheat matched it. So what? He wasn't a detective—he was a conqueror.
"Not to brag, but I'm bad at orderly deduction—"
Pointing at Natsumi through Haniel's mirror, not as a detective but a victor, he shouted:
"This is our win, Natsumi!!"
She had no time to resist. Haniel acknowledged the victor, writhing and glowing. A blinding light forced everyone to shield their eyes—
"…Everyone!!"
All those taken by the angel returned unharmed. Kaguya moved first, spotting Yuzuru and rushing to her with whirlwind speed.
"Yuzuru!! Yuzuru!!"
"Haze… Kaguya. As noisy as ever."
"Yuzuru…!! Thank goodness!!"
Tears streaming, Kaguya clung to Yuzuru, who, waking, hugged her back gently. Watching, Shidou's strength drained, and he collapsed onto his rear.
"Shidou!!"
"Darling!! Are you okay!?"
"…Yeah, I'm fine. Just… drained."
Waving to Kotori and Miku, he signaled he was okay. The backlash of his bravado hit hard. Those without reiryoku resistance stayed unconscious, but confirming everyone's safety cut his tension.
Kotori, relieved, placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Good job… too early to say, but you practically solved it alone."
"Not alone. You and Miku helped. Thanks."
"Me too? But I didn't do anything…" Miku tilted her head.
"No, you did. In… another way."
He brushed off her confusion. Another Miku, from a future he couldn't reach, still helped.
Touching his collar, the bruise was gone, as expected. Its protection vanished silently, leaving a pang of loneliness and deep gratitude.
"Saved by you… again."
—Kurumi.
Was it her unconscious act, or her angel meddling? Either way, she'd saved him again. Picturing her elegant smile, he smiled too.
"Shidou!! What happened!? Where are we!?"
"…I'll explain when I've got energy. For now—welcome back, Toka."
"Hm… I'm back…?"
Patting Toka's confused head, he felt overwhelming joy at her return, tears welling.
"Now…"
The game was cleared. Shidou won, Natsumi lost. He wouldn't devour her, but she owed an explanation. With Toka's help, he approached the witch-hatted girl, Kotori and others surrounding her.
"The game's over. Explain why—huh?"
"…"
Natsumi timidly raised her face, and Shidou yelped. Not just her face—her small, hunched frame and expression were the opposite of the confident Natsumi. A child, not the glamorous woman he knew.
"…Natsumi?"
"A-Ahh… AHHH!!"
Realizing her state, she pulled her hat low, hunching in despair. Her gestures, expression, middle-schooler-like build—everything clashed with his memory of Natsumi.
That discrepancy, her reaction… Shidou and Kotori locked eyes, realizing her truth.
"…I see," Kotori said.
"Natsumi… you used Haniel to—"
"AAAAHH!!"
Cutting him off with a scream, she raised Haniel. The shattered mirror reformed rapidly, glowing as she transformed back into her adult form. Her hate-filled glare, like a storybook witch, pierced them.
"Twice… you saw my secret!! I won't forgive you. Never. You'll all pay!!"
"Wait, Natsumi—"
"Haniel—!!"
His plea was futile. Haniel filled the room with dazzling light.
"—Shidou, you okay!?" Kotori called.
"I'm fine!!"
The light faded quickly, vision returning. Kotori was safe, but the light's purpose—
"Shidou!! Shidou!!"
"Toka!! You're okay… huh…?"
His words faltered, body frozen. Kotori, too, stared in shock. Toka, now third-grade-sized, flailed in oversized clothes.
"Shidou, what's this!? I can't move right!!"
Not just Toka—everyone conscious, except Shidou and Kotori, had become child-sized. Not full regression, but enough to disorient. Naturally—adapting to a shrunken body was tough.
"What…!?"
"What did you do!!" Kotori roared at Natsumi.
Unfazed, Natsumi laughed—a deep, witch-like cackle.
"Heh, hahaha!! Perfect!! Stay tiny forever!!"
"Wait, Natsumi!!"
Ignoring his cry, she scoffed, mounted Haniel, and blasted through the ceiling, leaving Shidou reaching for nothing, Kotori glaring skyward, and everyone child-sized.
"…Normally, clearing a game gets you rewards. What a disastrous reward," Kotori muttered.
Lowering his hand, Shidou steadied himself. He wanted to complain or say he was used to it, but—
"…Yeah."
All he could muster was a tired reply to his sister.
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