Chapter 113, how about Chapter 113? The detective I was talking about…

Ayatsuji Yukito is a dangerous individual known as the "murder detective." Due to the unique nature of his special abilities, he is constantly under official surveillance.

...Well, maybe it doesn't count as "always being there," otherwise Ayatsuji Yukito wouldn't be acting alone at the café then and now.

"If we rule out the possibility of supernatural abilities."

The voice of Watanabe Tsuna Bandai came through Tsukino and Chiya's headphones. This boy, who was a computer genius like Shinmura Kou, used a voice changer, which gave his voice a strange and comical quality.

“Then there are indeed no other agents around you. I checked, and no one has noticed Ayatsuji Yukito's departure yet. Those who were monitoring around Ayatsuji's residence haven't made any extra moves.”

"However, you still don't have much time. The lady in the black suit who went out will be back in a while. Although I could create a little accident to buy you some time, that would increase the chances of being exposed... so we should try to avoid it. You'd better hurry."

Unlike Shinmura Kou, who has a rather nasty personality, Watanabe Tsuna Bandai is relatively easier to get along with.

Because of their current environment, Tsukino and Chiya simply listened quietly to the sounds coming from the earphones without replying to him, but Watanabe Tsuna Bandai was still able to chatter on and on with great enthusiasm.

Against this backdrop, Tsukino and Chiya succinctly discussed Aurora's situation.

Standing in front of the display cases filled with various dolls, chatting with doll enthusiasts you didn't just bump into in the store about strange tales about dolls... it's quite a unique experience.

Tsukino and Chiya spoke briefly as they looked at the dolls in the shop.

Undoubtedly, these dolls are also very exquisite and beautiful, but they lack the kind of awe that Aurora brought, which could easily be mistaken for real humans if not carefully observed and identified.

...But thinking about it, it makes sense. The "living feeling" brought by a doll that can jump, teleport, talk, and kill is certainly extraordinary.

The focus of this presentation is on "dolls".

As for Aurora, Tsukino and Chiya already knew it by heart, so when they were telling Ayatsuji Yukito these ghost stories, he still had the leisure to drift off a little.

—I didn't expect Ayatsuji Yukito to be so efficient.

However, it's not entirely incomprehensible.

Although the authorities are wary of Ayatsuji Yukito's abilities, that doesn't stop them from also recognizing their usefulness. Isn't this one of the reasons why the authorities, knowing the danger, have still kept Ayatsuji Yukito alive until now?

For this reason, Ayatsuji Yukito doesn't have much free time. Tsukino and Chiya know that he came to Yokohama this time because of the serial murders committed by the two men who died in the coffee shop that afternoon.

Now that the matter has been resolved, the follow-up processing is neither something that a detective who has already solved a case needs to care about nor is qualified to care about.

Before officially contacting Ayatsuji Yukito, who might possess information related to the dolls, Tsukino and Chiya naturally did some research. As a result, he also learned some things about Kyogoku Natsuhiko. They heard that the "sorcerer" was recently… well, anyway, Ayatsuji Yukito, who had just solved the murder case, might leave Yokohama at any time.

So, in order to save time, and given that Ayatsuji Yukito clearly has a decisive personality, he came tonight.

But even so...

After all, they were complete strangers with no prior connection. Although, aside from Tsukino and Chiya secretly leaving a message at the coffee shop, Watanabe Tsuna Bandai, with her excellent computer skills, had also silently contacted Ayatsuji Yukito online beforehand and successfully established contact with him from both sides, there seemed to be far too little actual communication between them.

Tsukino and Chiya cannot rule out the possibility that Ayatsuji Yukito informed official members about this unauthorized contact.

Although the possibility is very low, Tsukino and Chiya have made preparations in advance to deal with the worst-case scenario.

Even if the worst-case scenario were to occur, he could still escape unscathed thanks to his backup plan... At most, this trip to Yokohama would just be a wasted trip... No, considering some information that Ohma Kokichi provided after arriving, it's hard to say whether he will actually return empty-handed.

However, speculation is still just speculation. Tsukino and Chiya aren't mind readers, so they can't possibly know exactly what he's thinking. But at least—

"...In short, that's how it is."

Tsukino and Chiya finished their storytelling a little too quickly.

“I’ve heard some things about Detective Ayatsuji, and I know that you have a lot of knowledge about dolls, and you may have information about those ‘Western dolls’... So I contacted you without permission, hoping to get some help.”

At least from his first appearance to the subsequent interactions, Ayatsuji Yukito had made his stance clear enough.

“Sure.” Ayatsuji Yukito said succinctly, “I did learn some information about that doll by chance, but I need to know about the kind of superpower that is not innate but is born due to some kind of environment.”

Ayatsuji Yukito did not clearly explain his thought process in coming to the appointment and agreeing to help this stranger, nor did he say why he suddenly wanted information related to "calamity," but Tsukino and Chiya did not ask any further questions.

The black-haired boy heard Watanabe Tsuna's words and, in a voice that had been altered, promptly warned, "Watch out, Chiya. That lady in the black suit is about to go back. She should notice the detective's disappearance in two minutes."

That is 'calamity'.

The sounds around them did not affect Tsukino and Chiya's narration in the slightest.

"Unlike the supernatural abilities in Yokohama, calamities arise from the isolation inherent in interpersonal relationships. More specifically..."

Fortunately, unlike the strange dolls, the concept of calamity can be explained in just a few words. In any case, even the church, which advocates hiding the calamity from the general public, will reveal some information to ordinary people who have been accidentally caught up in the incident and already know about the calamity.

Tsukino and Chiya, who weren't members of the church, felt no guilt about explaining the definition of calamity to others. They were ordinary people who, though not experiencing calamity themselves, knew of its existence, so explaining this to Ayatsuji Yukito, who clearly also had a vague awareness of its existence, was perfectly acceptable. As for Watanabe Tsuna Bandai on the other end of the earpiece…

Sometimes, a skilled hacker may possess more information than he realizes.

"I know a doll collector."

Ayatsuji Yukito was clearly the type of person who disliked idle chatter. After Tsukino and Chiya provided the information he wanted, he immediately gave the information he already knew.

"In that person's house, there was a Western doll, gathering dust. It is said that the doll belonged to his family..."

*******

“Detective Ayatsuji, I knew you were here… If you want to buy doll-related items next time, you can let me know beforehand, instead of doing it again…”

The word "again" is truly ingenious.

Tsukino and Chiya thought about this again, but their mood was far less relaxed than when they were still in the coffee shop.

Because of what Ayatsuji Yukito had just told him... he roughly understood why Ayatsuji was willing to help. However, although this murder detective did provide some useful information, it was by no means good news.

Tsukino and Chiya, who had relaxed a little after not experiencing any strange events for a while, tensed up again.

Perhaps because the lighting in the store wasn't very bright, the slightly dim and yellowish light falling on Tsukino and Chiya's faces made his expression appear somewhat gloomy.

Tsukino and Chiya heard Ayatsuji Yukito call the woman in the black suit by her surname. Although she deliberately lowered her voice, her attire and slightly frantic demeanor still drew some attention. Therefore, Tsukino, aware of this, didn't pay much attention to the subconscious glances from those around her.

"...By the way, Detective Ayatsuji, is there anything else you want to buy? Hurry up and head back after you've finished?"

With the idea that "since we're already here," Tsujimura, after confirming that the person had simply slipped out to shop for doll-related items, did not force Ayatsuji Yukito to return immediately. Instead, after reporting that the person had been found, he appointed Ayatsuji to stay by his side and take on the task of "accompanying him shopping."

"Shut up, Tsujimura, I'm considering which one to choose."

"Waaah—"

They have such a good relationship.

As one of those who had cast a glance, Tsukino and Chiya lowered their heads, listening to the two's conversation while quickly typing on their phones and then pressing send.

So soon, on the other side—

"It seems that I won't need to take action for the time being."

In the brightly lit fast food restaurant, someone whom Tsukino and Chiya secretly considered a backup plan for the worst-case scenario picked up a cell phone from the table and glanced at the message that had just arrived with a half-smile.

[How was it? Did that detective I mentioned who might know something help you?]

After sending the new message, she put down her phone, picked up a hamburger, and took a big, satisfying bite.

Occasionally, people around her cast glances at her with no ill intent, only pure surprise, since the amount of food placed in front of her seemed surprisingly large.

However, having always had a good appetite, she was clearly used to it and didn't care about those stares. She simply enjoyed the large amount of food to fill her always hungry stomach.