Toward the future, one year from now
"Where…?"
When I opened my eyes, my surroundings were dark and unfamiliar. "...!"
My arms were handcuffed, and my legs were chained. The legs of the chair they'd put me in seemed to be bolted to the concrete floor, and the smell of mold stung my nostrils. My voice was echoing, too… Was I underground?
"It looks like you're awake."
A figure emerged from the darkness.
She wore a service cap, pulled down low, and a red military uniform with a stand-up collar. I could barely see her expression, but there was no mistaking her. It was the girl who'd abducted me and brought me here—
"Hel!"
I'd met her at that hotel, and then…
"Where is this place? Are you planning to…kill me?"
I gulped. Why had she gone to the trouble of separating me from Siesta then bringing me all the way here?
"Would you join us?"
I hadn't been expecting that at all, and for a moment, my mind went blank. "What are you saying?"
The next thing I knew, Hel was behind me.
"Yes, that was a bit misleading, wasn't it? —I want you to be my partner."
The voice made me imagine her tongue on my ear, and goose bumps broke out all across my skin.
"…I don't get it. What would you get out of having me as a partner?" "You don't think much of yourself, do you?"
"I prefer to call it modesty."
Even at a time like this, the nonsense just came naturally. In fact, maybe it was because I was in so much danger. If I didn't have my snark, I'd have a hard time hanging on to my sanity. This girl, Hel, was menacing enough to make me shudder.
"No, don't misunderstand. This is the shaking of a warrior." "I didn't say anything."
"If you think I wet my pants, you're free to check."
"I see. So you two joke around like that all the time." Hel smiled thinly, then finally stepped away from my back.
"…Didn't know you knew how to smile."
"Ah-ha-ha. That's a mean thing to say. What do you think I am?" Footsteps clicking against the floor, Hel walked around my chair in a wide circle. "A devil without emotions? A monster who doesn't speak your language? A villain you could never reach an understanding with? You really are unkind." Hel gave another thin smile. "After all, I'm just a girl."
Hel crossed in front of me. She was holding a thick volume she'd picked up somewhere, her eyes on its pages.
"I really doubt 'just a girl' could kill a comrade in cold blood," I retorted, remembering what Hel had done to Cerberus at the hotel.
"Comrade? Ah-ha-ha, no, no. That was nothing more than a component, there to carry the plan to a successful conclusion." Hel laughed aloud, as if I'd told a really funny joke. The sound was carefree, easygoing, artless—and cruel. Just like Hel herself, it seemed.
"Are you planning to use me and throw me away, too? Plus, you've got
nothing to gain by making me your partner."
I couldn't believe that was what she genuinely wanted. What was she plotting?
"You're asking what's in it for me?" Hel looked down at the book. "Before any talk of pros and cons, what's written in the sacred text is absolute, you know."
"The sacred text?"
Did she mean the book she was holding?
"What I have here is only a portion of it. Several things that will happen to you in the future are written in it."
"That's just crazy—"
"—And it couldn't possibly happen? And yet they have. For example, this sacred text definitely predicted that Cerberus would die there, and you would come here."
That had to be a lie. She was just talking about things that had already happened as if they'd been prophesied long ago.
"You don't look as if you believe me."
"Yeah, but don't take it too hard. I don't believe anyone but myself." "What a coincidence. I'm the same way."
We might be able to get along pretty well, then. Not that I want to.
"In that case, have you heard of the Leaves of Agastya?" Hel asked. The open book was still in her hands.
"The Leaves of Agastya… I'm pretty sure it was a book of prophecies written by an Indian holy man, a few thousand years ago…"
Siesta was always telling me miscellaneous information and trivia, and I got the feeling she had mentioned this to me. Long ago, the Indian sage Agastya had written revelations he'd received from the gods on palm leaves in ancient Tamil, or something to that effect. She'd also said that each person's future had been laid out in detail.
"This sacred text was created with the Leaves of Agastya as its foundation. Your future is written here as well." With her eyes on the open book, Hel walked around the spacious room. "For example, about one month from now, you'll go back to that normal routine you've always longed for and live as an ordinary high schooler."
"Not a chance. That ace detective would never let me go so easily."
Of course, if she meant we'd completely destroy SPES a month from now,
get our happy ending, and then go back to our normal routines, I'd welcome it, but…
"One year later, you will take up the mantle again, in a role that is closer to 'detective' than 'assistant,' and play an important role in resolving multiple cases."
"That's not happening, either. I've never been anything other than Siesta's assistant."
After all, there's no way she'd yield her cushy position as the detective to me, is there?
"A heart's forgotten memories, a miraculous sapphire worth three billion yen, and the legacy left by the ace detective. If you happen to remember these words a year from now, you'll be able to verify the answers for yourself."
"Look, what is this about? What are you saying?"
"What was it—your knack for being dragged into things?"
Hel closed the book. I hadn't told her about that. She couldn't be implying that the Leaves of Agastya had covered that, too, could she?
"I don't think that's quite it, though." "…What are you talking about?"
"You don't get dragged into things. You drag others in. You drag the whole world in," Hel said, pointedly spreading her arms wide. "That knack of yours is the power to transform everything and trigger incidents. You yourself are the center of the world. I'll make you my partner so that you can save it alongside me."
"I think you meant 'destroy it.'"
"As far as I'm concerned, they're one and the same."
"You're telling me that destroying the world will get you something you want?"
"You could say that." "What if I refuse?"
"Then you refuse." Hel spun around and started to walk away. "According to the sacred text, you won't be mine for a while yet. It's only that getting things done ahead of schedule would make Father—" She suddenly snapped her mouth shut.
Father? Who was that?
"It's too bad, though. Being my partner would come with a variety of perks," she went on. She was taking on a joking tone, as if she'd never made
that earlier remark. "First and most important, you'd be paid for doing nothing."
"Hell of a bargain to start with."
I'd love for a certain ace detective who insists on working me like a dog to hear that.
"You can play video games on a big-screen TV from morning to night if you want."
"Are you an angel?"
"You can have snacks and ice cream and cup ramen whenever you like, as much as you like."
"Are you a goddess?"
Hey, white-haired ace detective, did you hear that? A villain is promising to be my sugar mama. You've got two seconds before I flip.
"So what do you say?"
The girl in the military uniform held her right hand out to me, where I sat in the chair.
"Kimi— Be my partner."
With an artless smile, she made me a very attractive offer. And my response was:
"Yeah—of course not."
Sorry about that. I've always been a coward, and I base my decisions on what I have to lose, not what I have to gain.
"After all, I'd be more scared to make an enemy of Siesta than of you." Smiling a little at the ironic choice I'd been given, I turned Hel's proposal down point-blank. "You didn't even think I'd take your hand, did you?"
"Ah-ha-ha. You knew?" Hel grinned like a little kid whose prank had been discovered, turned, and walked away. While she had her back to me, I tried to figure out a way to get the handcuffs off.
Honestly, I'm impressed she had the nerve to extend her hand to me, when she was the reason I literally couldn't take it. She'd assumed all along that I was going to turn her down.
"In exchange, then, there's a little something I'd like you to watch."
The next moment, the room got a bit brighter. Hel must have flipped a light
switch or something. I looked around, and— "What…the hell…?"
For as far as I could see, there was something, hidden in the shadows.
It was in an iron cage, and it reminded me of an enormous reptile. However, I'd never actually seen a creature like it before. The closest thing I could think of was that Alien monster I'd seen in some movie a while back.
It looked close to four meters long. I didn't see anything resembling eyes in its head, and fangs sprouted from its enormous jaw. A viscous liquid dribbled from its mouth at regular intervals, and while I did see minimal signs of life, it was very still. Asleep, maybe?
"It's a biological weapon," Hel told me, indifferently. "Its breath holds a toxin that readily binds with atmospheric oxygen."
"…So you're going to use that thing in a terrorist attack? Here in London?" "Exactly. That's the history of the future, recorded in the sacred text. It's
God's salvation."
"In what religion…?"
Rgh, pseudohumans hadn't been enough for them? They'd had to make a thing like this? If they let this monster loose in a populated area… Actually, that reminds me—where were we now? Where was she planning to unleash that monster? We didn't seem to have left London, but…
"Oh, come to think of it, you asked where we were. I haven't told you yet."
Hel put a hand into the iron cage, caressing the biological weapon's head affectionately.
"We're under the building where the British houses of Parliament meet: the Palace of Westminster."
It's way too late to act cool
"…If you have a facility like this directly under the nerve center of the country, it seems safe to assume you've got a significant number of collaborators."
For the past three years, Siesta and I had been fighting SPES constantly, and yet we hadn't been able to completely stop their invasion. It had already progressed far beyond what we'd imagined.
"It's just as you say. We have comrades all over the world, in politics, finance, the police, the clergy… It's quite possible that someone right next to you is actually a member of SPES."
"That's one hell of a punchline," I snapped.
While Hel's attention was on the biological weapon, I used my teeth to take out the wire I always keep in my breast pocket. I pushed it into the lock on my handcuffs, then twisted it around at random, relying on instinct and long years of experience. I don't say I've got a knack for getting dragged into trouble for nothing. I'm used to getting kidnapped and locked up.
"Why would you tell me about that plot, though?" I stayed in the conversation, participating enough to keep her from getting suspicious. "What's the point of showing me that monster? Are you planning to make me its first meal?"
"Its meal, hmm?" Hel said.
From behind her, I saw her stop moving. "…Well, uh, just as a figure of speech."
I should not have said that. Whatever else they do to me, don't let me get eaten by that disgusting thing…
"You're on the right track, although you guessed wrong."
…That was close. I'd had an actual brush with death there.
Still, that "right track" Hel had mentioned was concerning. It couldn't be— "Are you planning to release that thing into the city and let it eat people?" "Oh, no, no. We've already given it plenty to eat."
"You have? …—!"
Was that what was going on…? The heart-hunt that had broken out lately, courtesy of Cerberus, centered on London. The true reason for those incidents had been—
"That monster eats human hearts?"
That was its food, or possibly its source of power. The biological weapon ran on human flesh and blood.
"Impressive. You really do have good instincts. I knew you'd be a fitting partner for me."
"—I told you I want none of that."
Finally, the handcuffs came off, and I quickly freed my legs. I'd heard wind; I started to cut and run toward the source of the sound—
"Where are you planning to go?"
She was onto me instantly. Well, if I'd run off, she would only have caught me anyway.
"You will be my partner someday, and I want you to watch what's about to happen, no matter what. Come, Betelgeuse." I assume that was the weapon's name.
Hel took something from the sleeve of her military uniform. "That black rock…"
I was pretty sure it was the object Hel had pulled out of Cerberus's chest cavity. If human hearts were this living weapon's energy source, this was probably the final key that would activate it.
"Betelgeuse, it's time to go to work."
With that, Hel pushed the small stone into the left side of the biological weapon's chest. And then…
"—grr, —guh, —!, ghkgyaaaaaah!"
A roar reverberated down the underground road. The bioweapon was awake.
As if its restraints had suddenly broken, the enormous monster thrashed its whole body against the metal cage, venting its agitation. Then—
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
In no time at all, with a ferocious crash, it burst out of the cage. Unable to control itself, the monster lunged at Hel, as if it meant to swallow her whole.
"Goodness, you're noisy." Hel's red eyes pierced the monster. In the next instant…
"—! Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
In motions too fast for my eyes to follow, Hel drew several sabers, then plunged them into Betelgeuse, all over its body.
"Settle down a little, all right?"
Betelgeuse suddenly turned meek, crouching down like a giant pet. "You're planning to let a monster like that loose? …You're insane." "It's destiny. It's my mission."
"In that case, this ends here and now."
"Oh, really? You're going to stop me on your own?" Hel's painted lips curved.
"That's a great smile."
"Hmm? Are you hitting on me?"
"I'm being diplomatic. Sorry, but there's no way I'll ever be your partner."
After that last casual exchange, we were both certain we'd be parting ways. "I see. That's a pity. For now, then, watch this city crumble." Hel leaped onto Betelgeuse, straddling its neck. She was probably planning to head
aboveground, then start by crushing the nerve center of the country.
However, I'd already told her. "This ends now."
"How, exactly? You don't even have a weapon, so how on earth…" "You've got the wrong idea. When did I ever say I'd be the one to stop
you?"
Come on. You know there's no way she'd let me steal the show. "—Assistant!"
Like a ray of light in the darkness, a warm voice filtered in to us from elsewhere in the facility.
"Assistant… Where are you?!"
It came closer and closer, until we were hearing it loud and clear from the left-hand wall.
"Assistant…! Where is my assistant?! Assistant!"
…Yeah, you don't have to yell it over and over like that. Calm down. I'm right here.
"Hello?! Assistant… He's not here… Where is he?! Where is my assistant?! Assistant… I can't find— Assistant…!"
Um… No. This is, uh… Is she okay?
Facing each other after this was going to be really awkward, wasn't it? "…! Argh, this wall! It's in the way! I don't need this right now! Ugh, just
break already! Get out of my way!"
The next moment, there was an earsplitting crash, and— "Assistant!"
Siesta, piloting a giant robot, smashed through the wall. Part of the cockpit was transparent, and her expression was more anxious and panicked than I'd ever seen it. The pale silver hair she was so proud of was completely disheveled.
However, although Siesta was panting heavily, it didn't take her long to notice me and assess that I was fine. We gazed at each other for a full ten seconds, and then—
"Whew. I swear, Assistant, you're an awful lot of trouble." "You missed your chance to act cool a while back."