“Kimizuka.”
“What?”
Our outstretched arms formed parallel lines, the muzzles of our guns pointed at the System—no, at its core. At the Akashic records that had to be inside it.
“You’re trying to look a little too cool.”
“Man, that’s not fair.”
We only fired two shots, but they were cloaked in firm, just wills, and they struck at the mechanism of the world.
✦ ✦ ✦
On the battlefield, the fight was over. The one who’d fallen was the immaculate justice, while the Ace Detective was still on her feet. The physical changes the System had made to them had reverted to normal.
Natsunagi, the victor, began walking toward me.
How had she gotten here? If the detective was here, then what had happened to her partner? But at this point, asking either of those things would have been boorish.
For a little while, we faced each other silently.
I’d first met this girl more than two years ago.
Nagisa Natsunagi had previously been under the control of another personality known as “Hel.” At the time, she’d had the Daydream’s heart inside her, and it had allowed her ego to retake control. I’d continued to protect and observe Natsunagi from a distance, as the Daydream had requested.
In the process, I’d had a thought. Watching this girl made me nervous. First and foremost—she was weak. Both physically and emotionally, she was far too weak. Natsunagi couldn’t take the Daydream’s place. She wouldn’t be able to inherit the Ace Detective’s last will.
I’d told myself that was fine.
If the other option was getting involved with this world in a half-assed way, I thought she should be a normal high school girl in a world far away from this one instead. That had been the Daydream’s wish, too, when she’d offered her own heart in order to save this girl. As a result, I’d made Nagisa Natsunagi an ordinary girl again.
…Even so, I’d pulled strings from behind the scenes and sent her to that high school because I’d held on to one faint hope. I hadn’t wanted to give up on the Ace Detective’s will, so I’d sent her to the same place as the Singularity.
Before long, those two had met. Or rather, they’d reunited. Then she’d come to me with a request: She wanted me to find the owner of her new heart. The detective’s will had returned in the form of passion.
However—and I shouldn’t even have to say this—we’d continued to clash. She was still naive and weak, and I was sharp with her. I asked her what good that “last will” was to the world, and I’d even brandished a knife at her.
Besides, even if her spirit grew stronger, it would be pointless if her body failed to keep up. No matter how unyielding her will was, it couldn’t display its power without a vessel that was durable enough to take it. As a matter of fact, Natsunagi had died once. Her blazing passions had consumed her and turned her to ash.
At that point, for the first time, I’d revised my opinion of her. I had acknowledged that she’d been a genuine Ace Detective. I’d thought I owed someone who’d carried out her mission at least that much respect. However, Natsunagi had come back. The light of her passion hadn’t gone out.
She’d acquired the fighting style her other self had used, and had developed the word-soul ability she’d always had an aptitude for. Then she’d fought enemies, averted crises, unconsciously honing her will as the detective… And now here she was, standing in front of me.
There was only one thing I needed to say.
“You’ve gotten stronger.”
The wind blew, tugging at my hair. Beyond it, I saw Natsunagi’s eyes widen slightly.
We hadn’t been competing. I hadn’t thought I was being stubborn, either.
However, I admitted defeat.
Today, the Ace Detective had definitely saved the Assassin.
“I see… Heh-heh. Want to shake hands or something?”
“Don’t get full of yourself.”
We exchanged a low, casual high five.
“That goes for both of us, though. I’m sure I’ll be counting on you again, too.”
“You’ll get yourself fired for violating the Federal Charter.”
“Oh, right, ‘Tuners are forbidden from colluding.’ Was that it? It does seem like that rule is basically just a formality these days, but…” Natsunagi smiled wryly. “What about this, then? What if we’re just a detective and a police officer? That would work, wouldn’t it?”
“You’ve gotten better at splitting hairs… Well, I’ll consider it.”
I wasn’t even sure I’d still be a police officer the next day.
Just as I was thinking about that…
“Things are getting shaky.” It wasn’t just the ground. The whole world seemed to be shaking.
And— “Natsunagi, you look…”
The detective was gradually turning transparent. This couldn’t be…
“I see. Kimizuka and Charlie must have broken the Akashic records,” Natsunagi murmured, looking up at the two-toned sky.
So he actually was here, too, huh? And with Charlotte. Apparently the two of them had pulled off something insane.
“The Akashic records have been broken, and the whole System is malfunctioning. Since only your ‘will’ is here, your existence is getting shaky. Is that it?”
“Yes, I think so. My body’s in Kimizuka’s hospital room right now.”
Unlike me, she hadn’t come here physically.
That meant I’d have to get out on my own. Would the Men in Black come all the way to the ends of the earth to give me a ride back?
“I’ll be waiting!” Natsunagi said firmly. Everything below her waist had already vanished. “We’re definitely going to need your strength in order to protect the world. I’ll head back first and wait for you over there!”
“Yeah. I swear I’ll come back.” I nodded.
Natsunagi smiled, looking just a little relieved, and then she was gone.
“Okay. What now?” First I had to get out of this wasteland and back to the ruin…but I had no idea where to begin. All alone, I thought.
“Actually, I guess I’m not alone, huh?”
I didn’t mean “in spirit,” but physically. There was still somebody else here. A demon of justice who’d just lost a battle to the death.
As I was turning to look at him…
“______!”
Without warning, the ground beneath me crumbled away.
Was this because the System was malfunctioning, too?
The ground’s data seemed to have been erased, and I floated in midair, left with nothing to stand on. Only the ground under my feet had vanished, though. It was now a cliff, but if I reached out, I just might be able to—
“Or maybe not.”
—But I’d reached it. Not the ground; I’d reached someone’s arm. I grabbed it, and it hauled me up.