wner didn't like impatience in his shop.

While waiting for his coffee, Toshikazu absent-mindedly looked around the shop.

As usual, there were many customers, but it was not full.

Not wanting his gaze to seem too unpleasant, Toshikazu soon stopped looking around.

Then, hearing the ring of the cowbell on the door, he turned around to look at the person. It wasn't out of vigilance, but rather because he was bored that he did it reflexively.

He almost immediately stood up. It was an unconscious reaction to him seeing who had walked in.

"Oh, Inspector."

Laying eyes on the beautiful woman the same age as him, they opened a little wider than normal.

"Fujibayashi-san.."

The person who opened the door was the woman he was just thinking about, Fujibayashi Kyouko.

"It's been awhile, Inspector Chiba. May I sit here?"

She purposely avoided wearing conspicuous makeup, but upon closer inspection, she had features that were rather eye-catching. With an appearance similar to the first time they had met, Fujibayashi asked him a question.

"Ah, sure, go ahead."

Not noticing Inagaki knitting his brows —— not that he was pretending not to notice, but he really didn't notice —— Toshikazu nodded while replying.

Smiling, Fujibayashi sat down next to Toshikazu.

Toshikazu was aware of his unreasonable nervousness. ——Although whether or not it was truly "unreasonable" was something that he was not aware of.

"Owner, a blend please."

Putting her coat on the adjacent seat, Fujibayashi ordered the same thing as Toshikazu.

"Inspector, you don't seem to have changed."

"Yes, my only redeeming factor is that I'm quite sturdy." Even now, Toshikazu's voice seemed uneasy.

"Maa, how humble."

Fujibayashi replied with a polite smile. The side of Toshikazu's cheeks stiffened.

"By the way, is Fujibayashi-san on holiday today?"

The nature of her job wasn't exactly easy going. Despite knowing that, Toshikazu couldn't just directly ask her "Did you come here on duty?" without knowing if anyone was listening in.

"Yes. Since the coffee that the owner makes here is quite delicious."

While saying so, Fujibayashi bowed to the owner who had just turned to face her.

If Toshikazu had said the same thing, the owner would probably not have shown any response. It seemed that despite the fact that Fujibayashi's residence was quite far from here, she was a common customer in this cafe.

"Is Inspector on break too?"

"Uhh, well.. haha.. speaking of which, is Fujibayashi-san familiar with Ancient Magic?"

He really wanted to get up and run away, but he hadn't forgotten about the investigation. It wasn't as a man, but rather as a detective, that he remembered this woman's lineage.

"Yes, more or less."

"If you have the time to spare, could you please tell me a little about it?" Fujibayashi's and Toshikazu's eyes met.

"Sorry for the wait"

At that instant, the owner's voice cut in. A coffee cup was placed in front of both Toshikazu and Inagaki.

"I don't mind. But before that, did you have something you wanted to ask the owner?"

As Fujibayashi pointed that out, Toshikazu recalled his motive for dropping by this cafe. Unfortunately, it seemed that he couldn't just neglect his work.

Toshikazu wrote a request for an introduction to a specialist regarding magic for controlling corpses under the memo, then the owner returned it after writing his answer. Cramming the information into his head, Toshikazu then returned the paper to the owner. Seeing the owner's light smile, it seemed that was the right choice.

As for Fujibayashi, she came today truly just to drink the coffee, and have some light chatter with the owner.

He rose together with her.

"Owner, the bill. I'll pay for hers as well. Keep the change."

Before Fujibayashi could interrupt, Toshikazu passed a high limit money card to the owner. Inagaki, who stood up after Toshikazu, raised his brows in shock at the amount the card held. Though Toshikazu had included the cost of the information he received, he paid much more than the market price.

"It's a little too much."

The owner lightly knit his brows.

"Then please count it when we come next time." Toshikazu replied.

"I await your continued patronage."

The owner refrained from further dispute and slightly lowered his head.

Toshikazu, as he exited Roter Wald, accepted Fujibayshi's invitation for a ride. Inagaki's unmarked patrol car followed after them.

"Then, Inspector, the thing you wanted to ask about is related to the terrorist incident in Hakone, correct?"

Soon after heading out, Fujibayashi suddenly brought up the issue.

"..Yes."

Toshikazu decided to throw caution to the wind. He understood it was a good idea to just cut to the chase.

"There's something strange about this incident."

"Strange?"

Fujibayashi's hand was on the drive lever, but in truth the car was driving itself. This meant that there was no danger in turning to talk to someone sitting in the shotgun seat. Toshikazu had unexpectedly decent police training, so he was aware of this, but he still considered it a somewhat dangerous move.

It seemed his thoughts were more obvious than he realized, as Fujibayashi quickly turned her head back to face the road.

"Yeah, none of the perpetrators are alive."

"..Could they have escaped?"

Fujibayashi offered a logical response. "No."

Toshikazu flatly denied.

"The attack was concentrated in the hotel. The street cameras were still functional even after the incident."

"The cameras didn't show any of the terrorists running away from the scene?"

"Yeah. The terrorists that infiltrated the hotel were all captured by the cameras, and the identity of each one was confirmed. Some of the corpses have yet to be found, but we can say for sure that no terrorists escaped alive."

"Although the perpetrators were caught on the camera, they weren't stopped?"

Toshikazu was embarrassed to answer, but he didn't hide it and gave an explanation.

"We found no traces of explosives, and their appearances were rather normal, so there was no reason to stop them from entering a hotel that was open for business."

"..You're saying that if the Ten Master Clans had booked the whole hotel beforehand, the situation could've been avoided?"

"Well, yes. At the very least we could have greatly reduced the number of casualties."

Until the Master Clans Conference, Fujibayashi was a relative of the Kudou Family, which was one of the Ten Master Clans. What Toshikazu said inevitably brought about an awkward atmosphere.

Shaking that off, Toshikazu moved on to the main topic.

"In truth, there is one other odd thing about all of this.. my conjecture is that the terrorists were already dead by the time they had infiltrated the building."

"I see.. so you came to ask about "Doll Makers"?"

"Doll Makers?"

Toshikazu had tried to find researchers familiar with Necromancy Magic. He had no intention of asking about people who could control human bodies.

"The ones you're actually looking for aren't researchers, but Ancient Magicians called "Doll Makers". They're rumored to use forbidden magic that can control corpses, and they're a group that the Magic community are cautious of."

"That's.."

"They would definitely be your best bet, they're privy to knowledge in that field. They're more or less 'researchers'."

Fujibayashi turned to face Toshikazu again.

"But please be careful, Inspector. "Doll Maker" Oumi Kazukiyo's ties with Dahan magicians are by no means shallow."

At Fujibayashi's warning, Toshikazu's face stiffened as he nodded.

? ? ?

Friday, February 8th, 5:57 P.M. As instructed by Katsuto, Tatsuya had come to the front gate of the Magic University.

Tatsuya had returned home and then used public transportation to get there; he had gone out wearing an easy-to-move-in half coat over his tailored jacket. This made Tatsuya look even older than he did wearing his Magic Sigh school uniform. It was well-established in society that Magic University students looked more mature than their regular university counterparts. However, when they were dressed up like this, they looked even more mature than usual.

"Tatsuya-kun."

It was just 5 minutes past the agreed meeting time when Tatsuya was called out to by Mayumi as she came out of the school gate. She was casually dressed, wearing a duffle coat with a knee-length skirt and long boots over a pair of thick tights. Coupled together with how she was carrying her light tote bag with her shoulder, she carried the aura of a university student.. If he mentioned this to her though, she would definitely get angry. Standing side by side in their respective outfits, he definitely would be seen as the upperclassman.

"Sorry, have you been waiting long?"

"It was within the margin of error. Don't worry about it."

Mayumi had been out of breath when she asked her question, and Tatsuya responded to her rather frankly.

However, Mayumi seemed quite miffed by his answer.

"Jeez.. You're supposed to say ‘It's fine, I just got here too.'"

It seemed like Mayumi had expected to have some kind of casual dialogue with Tatsuya. Unfortunately, he didn't grasp the meaning behind her answer, but Tatsuya didn't hesitate to try and fulfill her request.

"I just got here, too."

However, this still didn't seem to satisfy Mayumi, and she gazed at Tatsuya with unamused eyes.

"By the way, wasn't Juumonji-senpai supposed to be with you?"

Without faltering or panicking, Tatsuya continued the conversation as though nothing was wrong.

Mayumi breathed out a seemingly deliberate sigh.

"..Juumonji-kun has gone ahead to a place where we can talk. I know where it is so just follow me."

Whether she was satisfied or had simply given up was unknown, but Mayumi prompted Tatsuya and then began walking.

Tatsuya immediately walked to her right side and kept pace.

Mayumi had already swapped the tote bag hanging from her right shoulder over to her left shoulder.

She had raised her right hand towards him several times, as if trying to invite Tatsuya, but in the end they simply continued walking without entwining their arms or holding hands.

Mayumi took Tatsuya to a spot which was about a 10-minute walk from the Magic University; it was a regular house that looked stylish at first glance. The only conspicuous aspect of the house was a terrace attached to the roof with a single round table and four chairs.

However, when they went inside, the first floor was revealed to be an empty, small-scale restaurant. Had Katsuto simply reserved the restaurant so that there would be no sign out front, or perhaps this restaurant didn't serve guests without an introduction from an existing customer?

"You can't enter this store without an introduction, which keeps out the riffraff. Also, Juumonji-kun has made many reservations here in the past, so we don't need to worry about the eyes and ears of other guests."

As if reading Tatsuya's thoughts, Mayumi provided an answer to his internal question. It seemed that he was correct on both points.

Leaving the building's external appearance aside, the first floor was a restaurant, so perhaps it was just common sense that Tatsuya kept his shoes on. As Mayumi walked with him, the heels of her boots clicked rhythmically on the floor.

"Sorry we kept you waiting, Juumonji-kun."

"It's fine, I just got here, too."

Tatsuya admired Katsuto's response, delivering the exact line that Mayumi had wanted to hear, but didn't voice his praise. How did he know that was the answer she had been looking for? These two had probably met many times prior to this.

"Sit, if you would."

Without speaking a word of what he had just been thinking about, Tatsuya obeyed Katsuto's suggestion and sat in front of him with a nonchalant look on his face.

Mayumi sat diagonally across from Katsuto; that's to say she sat next to Tatsuya. He didn't think it meant anything, which honestly was only natural as they both entered together side-by-side. It only made sense to sit like this. At least, that was Tatsuya's reasoning process.

Tatsuya's memories of being summoned by Mari and their conversation were still fresh in his mind. He would be lying if he said he was totally unaware that Mayumi liked him. However, to answer the question of whether he could see Mayumi like that, it was "No".

Tatsuya had come to terms with Miyuki's feelings, and had become her fiancé. However, that didn't mean he really accepted Miyuki's feelings.

For him, Miyuki was still his little sister.

Even now, he held no real romantic feelings for her.

Even if he had already decided on how to respond to Miyuki's feelings, his heart still wasn't in the same place.

In terms of romance, Miyuki alone was the absolute limit of Tatsuya's capacity. If he troubled himself with Mayumi, it would become an obstacle to his work. For that reason, Tatsuya had already decided to not even think about having that sort of relationship with Mayumi.

On that topic, the way Mayumi had been conducting herself till now had honestly been a big help for Tatsuya.

Based on how Mari had described things, there was no mistaking the fact she had really riled up Mayumi. Even if he didn't think about the reasons behind it, when he was given a harsh talking to by her, he couldn't help but become aware of it. When it came to inspiring others with agitation, it was much more effective if you hadn't known the other for very long. Tatsuya knew that deliberately winding others up wasn't just a technique for sensual affairs, but also for coercion and placation. Still, the psychological mechanisms involved were very similar.

With this in mind, Tatsuya had exercised caution, but fortunately, Mayumi had not shown any clear signs of having been affected in such a way. Tatsuya still had no clue as to what she was thinking about, but she couldn't tell what Tatsuya was thinking of, either. They were in the same boat.

"I know this is sudden, but have you learned anything new?"

In response to Katsuto's seemingly impatient question, Tatsuya and Mayumi looked at each other.

As a result of their eye contact, Mayumi spoke first.

"Unfortunately, we don't have any clues that stand out at the moment. We know that the terrorists came to Japan from America by sea, and based on our estimations, it seems likely that they arrived on land in Yokosuka. However, these are nothing but guesses."

"On our end, we've received some info from the USNA."

Mayumi was surprised at Tatsuya's words and Katsuto displayed a hint of surprise.

"From America? Just who do you have helping you out?"

High-level magicians attempting to leave the country were strictly controlled.

With that in mind, it was rather difficult for magicians to construct an overseas information network without being attached to a government agency. Among the Ten Master Clans, only the Mitsuya Family was an exception, due to their ability to obtain information while conducting transactions with weapons dealers. Mayumi and Katsuto had no recollection of the Yotsuba Family having overseas information sources.

"Well, it's complicated."

"..Sounds like it's something we shouldn't ask about. Sorry."

Realizing Tatsuya had deliberately been ambiguous, Mayumi lowered her head in embarrassment. Even if Tatsuya wasn't her equal as a member of the Ten Master Clans, attempting to pry into someone else's secrets was not praiseworthy behavior.

Tatsuya responded to Mayumi's apology with a short "No problem" without any further mention.

"According to the data, our terrorist mastermind is a magician named Gu Jie, formerly from Dahan. His English name is "Jiedo Heigu." Externally, he appears to be in his 50s, with black skin and white hair. Unfortunately, this data's authenticity cannot be verified."

Maya had also authorized the sharing of info related to Gu Jie with Katsuto and company. Tatsuya hadn't sought her permission to share this information, rather, she had directed him to do so. This would let the Saegusa Family start investigating him as well.

"There may be no proof, but considering our current state with no leads, it's useful information. Saegusa."

"Yes. We can use this information to pick out suspicious foreigners who have entered the country in the past two weeks."

Mayumi caught Katsuto's gaze and nodded.

"However, it is possible that they secretly entered the country."

"That's most likely the case. Even so, when someone makes movements like this, they always leave traces behind. If we narrow our investigation to the region between Yokosuka and Hakone, I expect we'll be able to find some clues. We can also get the local police to assist us as well."

The Chiba Family wielded the most sway over the police. At one point in time, it was commonly said that the Chiba Family accounted for around half of the people seeking to become magic policemen, especially riot squad members. However, in terms of the investigative branch of the Kantō region, the Saegusa Family reigned supreme.

Though all of that was irrelevant, as this was a massive incident. Even if they weren't ordered by a third party, it was only common sense that the police would be frantically searching for the culprit. They would be chomping at the bit for even the most trivial of clues.

And for Katsuto, that was something he understood without needing an explanation.

"I see. Then I'll trust you to take steps in that direction, Saegusa. As for you Shiba, please continue gathering clues."

"Alright, that sounds good."

"Understood."

The three of them looked at each other in unison and nodded.

"Any proposals from you two? If you have anything you'd like to ask, as well."

Tatsuya and Mayumi had no particular response to Katsuto's inquiry. Katsuto nodded.

"What do you two feel like eating? If you've got an appetite, I can have them prepare something for you right away."

He posed this question to the two of them. "Sorry, I'll be eating dinner at home." Tatsuya turned him down on his offer first.

"..I'll pass for now as well. Maybe I'll let you treat me tomorrow." Mayumi said so in an apologetic tone as she snuck a glance at Tatsuya.

"Okay, then. Then, you don't mind meeting again at this time tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah, that's fine."

"Understood. If something comes up, then I will let you know."

Tatsuya supposed that "something" meant that Katsuto might be working late into the night on the investigation. Perhaps he knew something, or perhaps he was holding back some details about his personal life, Tatsuya didn't press Katsuto for the details.

"Umm. I've got another business meeting after this. Shiba, do you mind taking Saegusa home?

Katsuto said so suddenly, although it wasn't likely that he meant for Tatsuya to go as a substitute for himself.

"H-huh!? No really, I'm fine."

Mayumi refused Katsuto's suggestion with a flustered face. If you were looking from the Magic University, this restaurant was on the opposite side of the train station. If they were to walk together now they might be seen by university acquaintances and become the subject of rumors.

"It's already getting dark outside. I'm not doubting Saegusa's ability to protect herself, but we don't know where the terrorists could be hiding. There's a possibility you might be targeted, so I can't permit a woman to walk home alone.

However, with the possibility that they might become targets for terrorists pointed out, it was hard to muster a counterargument. For this reason, Mayumi felt that her obstinate refusal just because of Tatsuya was all the more embarrassing.

"Saegusa-senpai. I'll take you home."

Katsuto had given Mayumi no way out, and Tatsuya's words cemented the result.

"..Alright then, if you would. I'll see you tomorrow Juumonji-kun."

"Yeah. Be careful going home."

Katsuto sent them off with those words, and Mayumi and Tatsuya departed from the restaurant together.

It was about 10 minutes from the restaurant to the Magic University. Then, another 10 minutes from the University to the Cabinet Station.

The sky was completely dark, with no moonlight or starlight to speak of. But, thanks to the streetlights, they didn't have to worry about not being able to see where they were walking. Still, visibility was severely limited when compared to this afternoon, so Mayumi's pace naturally became slower.

This kind of darkness was no obstacle for Tatsuya. He didn't take off and leave Mayumi behind, or start dragging her by the hand in a hurry, nothing like that. He simply matched her pace and walked alongside her.

There was nothing but silence between the two. Tatsuya had nothing to break the ice, and he understood that Mayumi was uncomfortable walking next to him.

"Ah.."

Just like that, they had come to the front of the University, and Mayumi suddenly raised her voice.

"It's snowing.."

Mayumi had stopped, looking up into the sky. As though her voice had been the signal, snowflakes were now fluttering down from the night sky, twinkling faintly in the city lights.

From a holder inside his coat, Tatsuya took out a thinly folded umbrella as well as the umbrella's separated handle. Due to improvements in raw materials, this umbrella was so thin that it could be kept inside a coat without becoming a nuisance; the shaft for the umbrella was so slim that it was difficult to hold by itself, which meant that when you opened it, you had to attach a handle to it. (Many such folding umbrellas featured switches on the handle that opened the umbrella.)

Tatsuya opened his umbrella and looked next to him; Mayumi was still staring up at the sky as the snow fell.

"Saegusa-senpai, you should probably get out your umbrella."

Mayumi turned at the sound of Tatsuya's voice and gave him a mischievous smile.

"..You didn't bring an umbrella?"

Mayumi shifted her eyes back and forth while still smiling.

Tatsuya had to consciously stop himself from sighing. In a modern era in which weather reports had become highly accurate, he didn't think that there were people who ignored the precipitation forecasts.

"Did you not check the weather forecast before you left today, or something..?"

"I was in a hurry this morning.."

Mayumi was wearing a grin as though she were bonking her own head for her carelessness.

Tatsuya held out his own umbrella to her. "Please use it."

"Ah, err, I'm fine really."

Mayumi had become flustered and couldn't answer naturally.

"It's just snow, not rain, and it's not even coming down that hard, so.."

"Yes. It's not coming down hard, which means that I'll be fine without an umbrella. Please use it, senpai."

"Umm, but.."

"If by some chance I end up letting you catch a cold, I'll be on the receiving end of a punch from Juumonji-senpai."

Mayumi let a chuckle slip at Tatsuya's seriousness as he offered her the umbrella.

"I don't think Juumonji-kun would resort to that sort of violence, but.."

Mayumi said so as she reached out to take the umbrella, but she didn't just take it from Tatsuya, she met his right hand with her left hand. She stayed just like that, with her body so close to Tatsuya that their shoulders could touch.

"Well, shall we go in together?"

An oncoming car passed Tatsuya on his left side. The sidewalk was wide enough so there was no danger. But for just an instant, the car's headlights lit up Mayumi's happy face, and made it stand out.

Her smile was like that of an innocent child.

"..Understood."

Still smiling, Mayumi released her left hand from Tatsuya's right hand. Tatsuya leaned his umbrella to the right, in Mayumi's direction.

? ? ?

Tatsuya took Mayumi as far as he could on his personal scooter. He originally intended to drop her off at her house, but when Mayumi had offered "Wanna come to my house? My family won't mind" with no warning or coercion in her voice, Tatsuya was left with no option but to quickly change plans.

As Tatsuya returned home, Miyuki was waiting for him in the entrance as usual. When she helped Tatsuya out of his half-coat, she caught the faintest hint of Mayumi's perfume which caused her to raise her eyebrows—but she said nothing. She didn't even pout or make a joke about it.

Ever since New Year's, she had become timid around Tatsuya.

She hadn't willfully changed her behavior, but there was no way she could simply continue acting as just Tatsuya's little sister.

Even when she was just merely Tatsuya's little sister, she never wanted to be disliked by him.

As his little sister, she had no sense of overhanging crisis. Now that things had changed between them, it came out in full force.

What if Tatsuya disliked her? The mere thought made her chest hurt. What would happen if she got jealous or mad at him and caused him to get angry, or if she pushed him too far? The images that assaulted her mind made her blood run ice-cold.

If she were his little sister, even if she were disliked, she was still family. The bond between brother and sister couldn't be cut.

But an engagement could be called off if one side came to dislike the other.

She'd lose her status as his fiancée, which she had worked hard to achieve. That was a nightmare that Miyuki couldn't bear. It wouldn't simply be "difficult to bear", she knew that she wouldn't be able to deal with it. She thought she'd never be able to get him back again, so she couldn't let him go. If she were abandoned by Tatsuya, Miyuki truly believed that she wouldn't be able to go on living.

"Did anything happen while I was out?"

Tatsuya had been facing away from her while having his coat taken off, and he now faced Miyuki to ask her a question.

"A message from Hayama came. I think we should talk about it over dinner, would that be alright?"

Miyuki responded with a smile that completely concealed her internal unease.

Minami joined them for a dinner for three, and Miyuki explained the contents of the phone call from Hayama to Tatsuya.

"Kamakura?"

"Yes. In the Imperial Mausoleum area of Nishigaoka in Kamakura, there is a hideout that Zhou Gongjin bought under a fake name. It's suspected that Gu Jie is hiding there."

"So they know that much already.."

He was curious about how they had identified this specific location. More importantly, if they knew this much, then why weren't they moving to arrest him?

"Onii-sama, is there something you're unsure about?"

Miyuki questioned him, reading the subtle change in Tatsuya's facial expression.

"Ah, no, just planning out how to handle this."

Tatsuya couldn't just reveal his doubts. If he told Miyuki, it would sound like he was blaming her for not confirming the situation thoroughly. Tatsuya himself didn't feel that way, but Miyuki would no doubt assume he meant it like that.

Tatsuya had realized that Miyuki had become terribly nervous, to the point that her facial expression was changing in response to every word he said. He was wondering that his little sister could possibly be so afraid of. However, there was nothing he could do to assuage her at the moment. He still couldn't whisper the words she wanted to hear into her ear.

"Let's consult Hayama-san about their battle plan for this later." With that, Tatsuya brought the discussion to a close.

? ? ?

At about the same time, Gu Jie had been preparing to leave his hideout in Kamakura.

He had been using Hlieskjálf and happened to intercept a transmission regarding the Hakone Incident, and that the mastermind was hiding in Kamakura. The actual address obtained in the intercepted data was incorrect, but it was still in the general area. If he lingered any longer, he would definitely be caught with no hope of escaping. Gu Jie knew that his time was short, but he had no intent of blowing himself out of desperation.

He was unaware his location was going to be compromised through his use of Hlieskjálf. Gu Jie had been careful to omit his position in outgoing transmissions and queries, so he felt intense unease regarding the capabilities of his enemies. If he didn't know how they operated, it was impossible to prepare countermeasures.

If he limited his search to Kuroba Mitsugu's outgoing transmissions, it was possible he could find some past data mentioning the location. But if his search terms were too specific, it might become obvious that Gu Jie himself-->>

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