Once Upon the Doubtful Detective

"For the first time I've involved myself in the problem, and you've chosen to doubt someone who'd rather sleep than move?"

Kafka Ikari, bearer of a unique innate Time spell: he can read five seconds into the future at will without praying to the Spirits.

As Tsukuyomi and I entered the shack for some detective work, Kafka voiced his anger over my recent action. Even if the tension mostly drained itself─he's weirdly dedicated to lying his back down the reclining chair─the strong sense of disbelief wafted in the room the size of a six-tatami mat apartment.

"You're so unfair, Yukihime. If you happen to coincidentally match a masked opponent I have, I'll hunt you down without even thinking about it."

"I don't remember you having the ability to read minds."

"You'd apologize the instant you enter the room," he clarified, and as to strangely slap me in the face, he extended, "I'd hate to see you bowing your head like you had a change of heart."

Tsukuyomi chuckled from behind.

If a change of heart can be seen from an apology, I'm damned from the thought I've never apologized to anyone before.

Oddly specific for Kafka to sling for my face… I walked past him.

I don't know what to feel about it, really─and I'll have to pretend I don't mind.

I sighed, edges of both tables I pressed my palms on. "More importantly─I think I see a point in the counterattack Naru wants to initiate. A heart-stopping skydive beyond the clouds, huh, Tsukuyomi?"

Let's take it back on track.

Kafka groaned, most likely recalling his experience.

For Tsukuyomi, he confirmed with a nod and gravitated towards seriousness. However makeshift was the room compared to the one at school, it's not like the brain chooses places where to think. I'm either a lone wolf or Amaterasu's partner, but I'd thought of imposing myself as king for them today.

"It definitely sounds like everyone from the classroom experienced hell out of that event."

"Yeah, it's definitely concerning─but whoever was responsible, I didn't touch the ground at the last second."

"What the heck is with that No Game No Life's first episode situation?!"

It's a low round table I need the most, but I didn't have it in the room─should've flipped one for the excitable outburst… like $#*% it's excruciating as an action.

I have no regard for such blasphemy out of my mouth.

In any case! Both guys didn't jump out, without being shocked by the suddenness. No such thing as 'surprise factor' persisted so I turned back. Man, the awkward atmosphere does like to haunt me once in a while. I know it's superficial but it poked, no use wasting thoughts over it.

Regarding the dilemma of a sudden skydive dilemma: I misread it wrong, because I thought they opted to grit their teeth falling in midair.

Naru is supposed to exact revenge 'exactly' by that flamboyant issue. If they didn't experience an extremely unpleasant experience… Kafka clicked his tongue and derailed my train of thought.

"No, what do you think the horror of falling for the first time caused?"

I stared at him for a moment.

"Dude, that's the thing!" Tsukuyomi suddenly 'related' to Kafka, like they were about to be thrown out the window. "It's like tasting fear of the unknown for the first time!"

Kafka did not receive him finely, though.

"Why do you not feel like you've gone through that at all?" He cried out─and got his laissez-faire attitude to the incinerator. "Even for Nadeshiko, you're both Mind Mages. You have no control of the situation!"

"Resilience, I think?" Tsukuyomi chained with a riposte, not minding Kafka's frustration at all. "It already happened, more like the point is defeated when there's no actual harm done."

You might not care, but I had the same sentiment.

"Kafka…You should be the one being vengeful," I suggested after ripping it off from the 'common sense' bulletin. "You were the one who had more control of the situation. You literally have control over time, you see, you could have overclocked."

"I easily panic, that's why!"

"Kafka… if you're irritated by it, why did you strongly refuse to take part in the plan?"

"Obviously because I'm too lazy to do so?" I don't know where he pulled the confidence from, but he stated as a matter-of-fact.

"So you mean to say it does warrant revenge?"

…And it's back to the inherent problem.

"I don't know… I want to but I'm too unwell for the situation. If I can help, but only from here and now," he answered, providing no clarification of my doubt towards Naru's objective. "I fell near home, if that's the information you want."

Clairvoyants excitingly come in handy, I don't even need to speak.

"Ooh…I found myself falling near home, too, so I instantly rushed to you, Yukihime!"

Once more, Tsukuyomi related to Kafka's claim, hence the delight.

All the while, the bridge was built in their remarks and has let the makeshift detective club operate for its sample glory.

The proper sequence, I cleaned the dustied map laid atop the square table. It conveniently happens that I'm a Black Mage─I cast Wind spell. If I have an affinity with Space Magic, then I'd have a portable vacuum cleaner.

Tsukuyomi helped in the preparation while Kafka saw himself out… for someone who said he'd help for the moment, he was quite quick to bail.

"Based on your experience, Amaterasu should have been with you, then…"

"No, I didn't see her. Like I said, why are you being so strangely codependent? That's the deepest sigh I've ever heard from you."

Map.

It's better to have it bigger, but you know what they say: "Beggars can't be choosers." I've apparently set it up for situations like it, but what I have in the club room was relatively larger in scale.

"Man, Kyoukaisenjou's psychological attacks got you good or something?"

"Don't refer to it as psychological attacks. It's only an unintentional drama."

"Yeah, yeah… come to think of it, how did it happen that she escaped you?"

"I was outsmarted."

Also, I finished clearing the map. Kafka entered to hand me over a ball of yarn he picked as he soundlessly chimed in… not meaning to show connection, but Tsukuyomi hung by the thread.

"Gosh, let it go please. I was outsmarted: there's no punchline in it."

"Oh, then, If we want to find them, we should have a clear lead."

"Exactly. All I can think of now is examining each and everyone's landing points: Get something out of it… although I'll tell you now, it's too convenient if we find a lead from it."

And so, we began connecting the dots.

It should be cumbersome how the whole process goes, as obvious as it plays out for you, so it's not worth the explanation. Only thing you'd want to know… we called into the atelier and coordinated with Nadeshiko─each of our classmates and Naru calling over their falling points. Disappointingly near their residences, none of them out of the expected mark.

Thirty minutes, more or less, has passed since we took it seriously─but it didn't give us a serious answer.

In his lively attitude, Tsukuyomi laughed at our ridiculed efforts. "Chaotically a mess of strings, and no singularity like a warehouse or an abandoned subway station."

Meanwhile, Kafka took it for himself to stretch his arms after the long work. "Frustratingly nothing, do you think it would bear us fruit if we decode whoever were those Time Mage and Space Mage collaborating with Kyoukaisenjou?"

"You're quick on the pace, huh, you didn't even mull over all the work we did and get nothing," I said.

"Yeah, because you built it into us that we won't get anything," he replied.

There's definitely a merit to what he said. I straightly went into thinking about the points provided by Kafka─albeit taking me back to the whole situation.

It can't be helped.

What can only be done is move forward…But I can't seem to wrap my head around all of it. "Nah, I'm too exhausted."

I excused myself from where I stood, finally to root myself down the reclining chair.

"Heh, you rejected the water earlier so you deserve it," Tsukuyomi teased, though caring enough to point to his backpack.

I took the privilege and opened to see a snack bar and another bottle of sports drink…How prepared, I wish I could have been like him. I took both, and indulged myself.

"Would you mind if I take it from here?"

Kafka sprang from out of nowhere─excitingly enough to step up for the mind work. Granted, he caught Tsukuyomi's doubtful eyes and playful smile smugly saying, "Can you?"

"It's been on my head for a while now so I might as well…"

He looked into my eyes after dismissing Tsukuyomi's suspicion.

"There's a strong Space Mage with the ability to transport thirty people at once, right?"

I nodded, consciously taking a bite of the protein bar.

"I don't know much about it since I'm a Time Mage, but I've had encounters before, like now, hostile and mysterious. They weren't capable of sending anyone to the skies, let alone en masse. Moreover, how they sent all of us to our homes… It's scary."

Kafka intently peered into my eyes, then for Tsukuyomi Origami─the most flippant among us three.

Kafka Ikari's thoughts came across him, thus the quietened shack in the middle of an abandoned farmland.

"It's as if they're telling everyone: 'Keep yourselves out. I'm stronger than all of you. I know where all of you live, and I can hurt your family without effort.'"