Episode 2: Detective of Binding Chains

* * *

After the panic at the bazaar subsided, the Detective of Binding Chains was taken into custody by the Arboreal Knights without resistance. The final death toll was zero — largely thanks to Azure Academy's medical technology and mALEEa's quick thinking.

"Counting on you, Kotoyorozu-kun. This is an important mission, ja ze."

We were watching the interrogation room through a one-way mirror. Inside, the detective had been placed in a chair wearing a restraint suit. To avoid the effects of her detective ability, no one was within ten meters of her.

"Yes."

I'd received a request from President Elif. My job was to attend the detective's interrogation — to see through any lies or hidden feelings and report back to the president. Together, the two of us stared at the restrained detective.

"—Can you hear me, detective?"

When President Elif spoke into the microphone, the detective opened her mouth.

"N-nice to meet you. President Elif Anatolia. ...W-wh, I-I am... a C-rank detective from the Detective Association... my name is Haido Kurai... I-I'm sorry... for all this, so suddenly..."

The Detective of Binding Chains — Haido Kurai. Her heart was awash with tension, agitation, and fear. Even her voice coming through the speaker seemed to quiver.

"First, I'd like you to tell me. Why did you cause such a commotion at the bazaar?"

"I-I'm truly sorry. The Detective Association doesn't approve of contact with other organizations. If I wanted to speak with someone from Azure Academy, I had no choice but to come in person... As a detective, I-I had no other way..."

President Elif glanced over at me.

"She's telling the truth. It looks like she betrayed the Detective Association to come here."

"So this incident wasn't the Detective Association's intention... Whether that's good news or bad, I can't say."

President Elif thought for a moment, then pressed the mic button.

"All right. Tell me plainly — what is your objective?"

The detective's heart leaped. Frozen with fear to the point of paralysis, she opened her mouth.

"—Within days, this dimension will be destroyed."

The president and I were momentarily speechless.

"By the people of the Necromancy Dimension. This dimension will be wiped out without a trace."

"...Necromancy Dimension? Who are they?"

"Oh, sorry. That's a codename the Detective Association gave to a certain dimension. The dimension we're in now is called the 'Cherry Blossom Dimension.' Some distance from it lies the 'Necromancy Dimension.'"

People from another dimension — the so-called "Necromancy Dimension" — were coming to destroy ours.

Had Haido Kurai come to Azure Academy to warn us of this?

"The Corpse Soldiers of the Necromancy Dimension will target Ueno in Tokyo."

"...Ueno? What could possibly be there?"

"—The Iron Heart at Shinobazu Pond."

I let out a quiet "Oh" without thinking.

"I've seen that report before, in Ter-senpai's research lab."

President Elif operated her Ringphone and began downloading the report.

"But President. I'm pretty sure 'The Iron Heart' was listed as unidentified even in Azure Academy's research—"

"...No. That's not true."

President Elif nodded as if something had just clicked.

"Students ranked fifteen wings or below can only access falsified reports. That's how classified this Apocalypse is, even within Azure Academy. ...Here, look at this."

* * *

[No. 1000: "The Iron Heart"] — Stage 1: Initium

- Nature: Old God

- Details: A five-meter-long heart submerged in Shinobazu Pond in Ueno, Taito Ward, Tokyo. Composed of an unknown metal. Possesses an extremely wide-ranging Anti-Reality property that conceals the reality waves emitted by the Base Dimension from distant dimensions.

- Origin: Its origins remain unknown even in records left by Old Humanity. This suggests it is a device created by a civilization that flourished before Old Humanity.

* * *

I tilted my head.

"...I don't really get it. The 'Base Dimension' is the dimension we're in, right? And it emits... waves...? What does that actually mean?"

"Simply put — The Iron Heart 'hides our dimension from threats in other dimensions.'"

"Hides it? But people from other dimensions are all over the place, aren't they?"

The Boundary Region Trading Company, the Detective Association — they were supposed to be organizations from other dimensions. And I'd heard they operated freely, and obnoxiously, right here on Earth.

"Think of a hidden bar. Even if it's not on the map, people still find the place, right?"

The Iron Heart had the function of hiding our shop — our dimension — from the map. Sure, that would drastically cut down on first-timers and troublesome customers, but those who already knew the location could still drop by.

"Our dimension has survived far longer than others. A big part of that is said to be thanks to The Iron Heart."

Come to think of it, someone had mentioned this before. That this dimension was nearing the end of its lifespan. Maybe it had been easier to maintain the balance because dangerous customers had a harder time finding us.

President Elif pressed the microphone button with a grim expression.

"Tell me. Why is the Necromancy Dimension trying to destroy The Iron Heart?"

"Because the Necromancy Dimension is facing a crisis of collapse."

"...What?"

"From here, I'll speak quickly. I'll be killed soon."

That statement wasn't a lie. I could tell. From the very beginning, I'd noticed the terrifyingly strong resolve in Haido Kurai's heart — and an equal measure of fear alongside it.

"Are you familiar with the 'Star Whale' that exists in a dimension far, far away?"

"...No, I don't know it."

"The Star Whale is a lifeform that travels at light speed to the 1,298th power."

Whoa, hold on. Objects couldn't travel faster than the speed of light — that much I knew. But this wasn't the kind of atmosphere where I could point that out. If it defied reality, it was Anti-Reality. Being absurd was only natural.

"The Star Whale roams the outer dimensions, destroying tens of thousands of dimensions per second. And it has only one instinct — to seek out dimensions with intelligent life."

"D-destroying tens of thousands of dimensions per second...?"

A strained laugh escaped me. I'd fought several Apocalypses up until now. Some of them had been absurdly dangerous. But the Star Whale — it was in an overwhelmingly different league.

"The Necromancy Dimension lies in the Star Whale's path."

"...I see."

"There's only one way for the Necromancy Dimension to survive. Changing the Star Whale's course."

"In other words, using our dimension as bait?"

"Yes. If the Star Whale changes its destination to the Cherry Blossom Dimension, the Necromancy Dimension will survive."

"I see — so it all connects," President Elif said, face gone pale but putting on a brave smile.

"So The Iron Heart is in their way."

"If The Iron Heart's effect is removed, the Star Whale should head for the nearby Cherry Blossom Dimension."

1. Soldiers from the Necromancy Dimension were coming to attack our dimension.

2. Their goal was to destroy The Iron Heart.

3. If The Iron Heart was destroyed, the Star Whale's course would change.

4. In that case, the Star Whale would target our dimension and obliterate it without a trace.

(What the hell. This is genuinely screwed.)

It was a true Apocalypse-level crisis. One wrong move in this incident, and the universe would collapse — that much was certain. Something cold ran down my spine, like the fear of death itself.

"That's... I see... that's brutal. But there's one thing I don't understand. Let me ask one more question."

President Elif's voice trembled as she spoke.

"Haido Kurai-kun. ...Why... did you warn us about this...? You're a detective from a different dimension's organization — the Detective Association. In this matter... you're a complete outsider, aren't you...?"

The Detective of Binding Chains looked like she was about to cry. Frightened, she managed a small smile.

"I... I'm from this dimension..."

"What?"

"I was born in Kanazawa, in Ishikawa Prefecture, you know... Near Katamachi, in a public housing complex... Until I turned fifteen, when my detective ability manifested and I was taken in by the Detective Association... I lived in this dimension. As an ordinary — a completely ordinary high school girl..."

What appeared in Haido Kurai's heart was nostalgia. The festival at Kanazawa Castle she'd gone to with her parents as a child. Memories of walking through the snow with friends, snacking along the way. The people she loved.

"That's... it? That's the only... reason?"

"—Because it's my homeland. Of course I would."

The detective smiled. The very embodiment of cosmic absurdity — who inadvertently made those around her commit murder — cried like any ordinary girl.

"That's why... I decided to use it for this... my... last..."

A bright red stake pierced through the detective's chest.

"...Kurai-san!"

I shouted and started to rush into the room, but President Elif had my arm in her grip.

"This is... the Rose Detective's ability... It was slower... than I expected..."

* * *

[D-289: "Rose Detective"]

- Detective Rank:  (Surveillance-level)

- Detective Ability: Any living being whose name the Rose Detective has memorized will be murdered in a locked room. The method of murder is "a giant lance piercing through the chest." It is called the Rose Detective because of the vivid blood that scatters like red roses.

- Operation: The Rose Detective is kept confined in a room surrounded on all sides by concrete. When deployed, the target's real name is broadcast through speakers in the room continuously for 48 hours.

* * *

"Don't go, Kotoyorozu-kun. —She knew this would happen."

"...But!"

—Of course I knew. I'd been watching her heart the whole time. I knew her fear was directed at this retaliation. I knew she had accepted an inescapable death.

"The Detective Association... ugh... doesn't forgive... cough... traitors..."

With each murmur, another bright red lance pierced her body — as if punishing her. An overwhelming amount of blood spilled from the massive holes torn through her flesh.

"Please... President Elif Anatolia... Protect... my homeland... my family... You're the only one... who can save them..."

President Elif stared wide-eyed at the way she died, as if searing the scene into her brain. The president's slender arms trembled, but her gaze was steeled with resolve.

"—I promise. I won't let your courage go to waste."

The detective smiled. The girl who had tried to protect her homeland, even knowing slaughter and retaliation awaited her.

"On the last day... we buried a time capsule... with my friends... We promised to meet up again someday... I... I can't go anymore... I can't go... So... that's..."

Dozens of lances pierced the detective's body. She died all too easily.

"—Von. You heard all that."

President Elif — the girl who held incredible strength in that small body of hers — had already begun fighting. To stagnate the Apocalypse. To carry the burden entrusted to her.

"Yes, President. I've confirmed it. I've checked with the Bureau of the Unusual — they've detected suspicious portal waves near Japan and are urgently requesting our cooperation."

I was surprised by the words coming through Simon-senpai's Ringphone. What an incredibly efficient person.

"Understood. We should invite them immediately... no, we should go to them. They have a grudge against Azure Academy. We need to make concessions on things like this."

After muttering this, the president looked at me.

"Kotoyorozu-kun. You're coming with me. —The world is facing an Apocalypse."

"Yes! Of course!"

I nodded and left the room with the president as she walked briskly ahead. I took one last glance at the detective's remains, roses of blood blooming from her body. I carved her expression into my heart, vowing never to forget.

And so, Azure Academy's total war began.

The Iron Heart

A device created to conceal the dimension it inhabits from other dimensions.

No one knows who made it, or why.

Once, someone whose name is lost to time must have sought to protect someone dear to them.

Long ago, someone must have prepared for battle against something.

This is surely the lingering remnant of a story that will never be told to anyone, for all eternity.

Detective Association

An anti-reality organization whose purpose is the protection and management of “detectives” with bases across multiple dimensions.

They fundamentally do not condone intervention in other dimensions.

Because “detectives” are uncontrollable, and in most cases, it ends in tragedy.

There are no shortage of detectives who have turned against the Detective Association,

and to a detective, the Association is both a place of learning and a prison.