Memory 10 (significant negative)

[thinkoutsidethebox]

Battle in Kinzo's study with piece-Beatrice. [EP5] Form of a drop spindle - twist it in your hands. 9/10 uses remaining.

MOSTLY JUST THROWING THIS HERE FOR NOW BECAUSE IT'S... SUPER LONG. It is one of my favorite scenes though.

For the time being, Rudolf leaned out of the window and told Kyrie and the others in the courtyard to come back up since he was going to unlock the door.

Then, he pushed the button on the study desk and released the door's auto-lock.
There was a heavy clunking sound, and Natsuhi and the rest dashed in immediately...
"F, ......Father...... Good morning..."
"Sorry, but it isn't Dad. ......I'm the one who opened it."
".........Was Kinzo-san there?"
"Nope. ......It looks like someone slipped out of the bed, but you can't tell when that happened."
"And Natsuhi nee-san was the last person to meet him, right...? Around 11:00 last night. I wonder if that means he slipped out of the study sometime after that and went somewhere else..."
"Th, ......that's...... B, but Father is a fickle person... He used to sometimes say that he had a revelation in a dream all of a sudden, wake up in the middle of the night, and walk around the mansion. Isn't that right, Doctor Nanjo...?"
"Nn, ......y, yes, such a thing has happened before......Anyways, ......umm, he is a fickle person. R, right, Kumasawa-san...?"
"...Hoh, ...hohoho. That's true... He might have had some sort of strange dream and slipped out of bed... That happens a lot, yes......"
"Then where did he slip off to...?! Does this mean...that there's a good chance Father's been caught up in this crime?!"
".........See? We should have checked to make sure Father was safe from the beginning, right?"
"...Nn..............."
"We can't be sure he isn't in this room. Maybe the culprit tied him up and locked him in the closet or something like that."
".........Good point. Let's search."
"Th, ......this is the head's precious study... You mustn't touch things without reason...!"
"Ah yeah, that's right, There's something I need to tell you, culprit-san."
When Natsuhi heard this said from right in front of her, her heart froze.
......But Erika had only just happened to be standing right in front of Natsuhi when she said it. She had directed her words to the room at large.
......She hadn't been speaking to Natsuhi in particular.........
Natsuhi turned her back on Erika, trying to make it so that her faltering expression wasn't noticed...
"......I have a photographic memory. If you try to alter the crime scene by hiding some evidence, I'll know right away. ......Please don't slip up here and disappoint me. Don't you think that any mystery where the 'who dunnit' is solved by a culprit's slip-up or misspeak is only third-rate?"
".........I, ...I don't understand what you're saying, but try to refrain from incautious remarks. ......Father, are you there...?! Please answer me...!"
Natsuhi started walking around and calling out in a loud voice, refusing to let Erika say any more.
There was a knock.
Kyrie and the others who had gone down to the courtyard had returned.
"So Father isn't here after all?"
"He might be tied up and shut away somewhere around here. We were just searching for him."
".........I'm surprised he managed to shut himself away in a place like this for all that time."
".................."
"......Give it up, Nee-san. ......We can't change anything now."
"I wonder......what Madam plans to do......"
"......Get paid back for all the lies she's told up until now."
".........Shh. ...Let's leave fate in God's hands."
"Y......, ...yes......"
"............"
Many people clambered around Kinzo's vast study, looking here and there.
Inside the closet and in the bathtub.
Even in the refrigerator and under the study desk.

......They looked everywhere, almost as though they were 'it' in a game of hide-and-seek.
......However, not only were they unable to spot Kinzo, they couldn't even find a single suspicious mark...
"I, it seems clear that Father isn't here. ......That's enough. Please don't disturb Father's precious study any further."
"That's right, that's right... There's nothing the Master hates more than having things moved around without his permission..."
"Father's nowhere to be found. .........Maybe he really was caught up in the crime...?"
".........Th, though we can't be sure of that..."

Natsuhi averted her gaze once more.
"......It's alright, Natsuhi."
"......We truly do have our backs against the wall... On the off-chance that someone entered the study, I had planned to trick them by saying that he had probably gone for a walk somewhere. ......However..."
"Hmph. No one would believe that I'd get dressed up for a casual midnight stroll in a mansion where a murder has occurred and many people have been killed. Though I wouldn't put it past myself to do such a thing."
"Come now, Kinzo. Be a good boy and hide under the bed. ......It's alright, Natsuhi. You may remain calm. .........You can prove that someone exists, but you can't prove that someone doesn't exist."
"In other words, the human world is one in which regardless of whether something exists or not, you can make it so that they 'exist'. ......And the shadows which can make those things 'exist' form the world of us witches, the world of demons."
"......You mean...a Devil's Proof."
"Yes. .........So don't worry. The power of demons will most certainly protect you."
".........If it could protect the honor of Father and my husband, ...I wouldn't mind sacrificing this body of mine to demons."
"Your resolve is good. ......Don't be anxious. I most certainly won't

let Kinzo be killed・・・・・・・・・."
At that time, a dry sound suddenly rang out twice.
Erika had clapped her hands, seeking everyone's attention.

Though such an action should have been above a guest's place, for some reason, it already felt like a natural right of hers.

......After all, she was the 'detective'.
".........I think that's enough. Ushiromiya Kinzo-san is nowhere to be found in this study."
"Yeah, we've searched all the places where he could have been hiding. Dad's nowhere to be seen."
"Furthermore, we've found nothing that looks suspicious."
"Yes, we didn't find anything at all."

Erika said it again.
They hadn't been able to discover anything......
"In that case, we mustn't loiter around this room. Do you understand how angry Father would be if he learned that so many people were looking through his study...?! Eva-san, you said that you were prepared to take responsibility, didn't you? Are you prepared for him to break off relations with you for the rest of your life...?!"
"Th, that's for Father to decide...!! Not you!!"
"Silence, please. .........I'd like to lay out the situation. At 23:00 last night, the last person to meet Kinzo-san in this room was Natsuhi-san, right? Can anyone confirm that?"
"......Confirm...?"
"Yes, that's right. After all, the only one who claims that Natsuhi-san really did stop by here at 23:00 last night is Natsuhi-san herself. There wouldn't be a problem if Kinzo-san confirmed that Natsuhi-san really did come here last night, but that vital witness isn't here."
".........So you're saying that alibis are the foundation of a mystery?"
"Yes, that's right. Alibis are important. Of course, they're almost useless when it comes to the actual theory-making, but it's common courtesy to poke around those boxes."
"Heh. ......Even though you didn't ask for alibis regarding last night's murder, you are doing it for Grandfather's disappearance. ...You really are a fickle person."
"Oh, don't worry. Have no fear that I will fully examine everyone's alibis regarding the murders of the first twilight later."
".........So, can anyone confirm that Natsuhi-san visited here at 23:00? If no one can, we'll be forced to doubt whether Natsuhi-san really was the last person to spot him."
"......A, are you saying that I can't be trusted?"
"No, no, it's actually the opposite. I hope that you aren't the culprit. After all, that would make things reeeally boring. Only the worst third-rate mysteries have the most suspicious person as the culprit."
"...Natsuhi-san......is suspicious? W, wait a second. How can you say that...?!"
"He's right...! Calling Madam suspicious is the height of discourtesy...!!"
"Be quiet!! Doctor Nanjo, Gohda, thank you. ......Erika-san. ......Do you have enough proof to justify such a rude outburst......?"
"......Yes. Though it's so simple that it annoys me. Sorry to bother you with this TV drama-quality evidence, but if you don't mind..."
".........Why don't you just let us hear it?"
When Battler glared at her, ......a cold expression rose to Erika's face for an instant.

But it was only for an instant.
After smiling peacefully and gazing around at everyone, she started to talk.
She looked almost like the main character in a play who had come out onto the stage, bathed in a spotlight...
"It's about this morning. Please remember the time after the murders occurred, during the big uproar that followed. ......We wanted to tell Kinzo-san about the crime, but he wouldn't come out no matter how many times we called him on the telephone. Remember that time."
"Anyways, ...isn't it bad that we can't get in contact with him? In the worst case, Father might not even know that there was a crime! Right?!"
"......W, well, I wonder........."

Keenly noticing that people were starting to doubt Kinzo's existence, Kanon mumbled his words...
"............Who was the last person to meet Father...? ......And when?"
"I, ...it was me. Last night, ......up until the time of the uproar from when Battler-kun found the gold, I was in Father's study, giving the daily report."
".........So around 23:00 last night. ..................Heheh."

Erika chuckled significantly.
"A, and what's your point? Ridiculous."
"I think Kyrie-san probably did that intentionally. ......Am I right?"
"..............."
"Wh, ...what do you mean......by that......?"
"......I figured someone might fall for it."
"I see. Thanks, Kyrie-san. Actually, I was planning to say the same thing if you didn't."
"......I, ...is it really that important who saw the Master last...?"
"Yes. If we take the circumstances into account, then in response to the question 'Who met him last?', it was very odd for Natsuhi-san to instantly answer 'me'."
"Wh, ......why?! Madam told the truth without hiding anything...!"
"Be quiet!! Why do you think that was odd...?"
"Why are you so sure that no one else met Kinzo-san after 23:00?"
"W, ......well, ...that's because I watched as he went to bed. It's only natural to assume that he would then sleep until morning and not meet with anyone..."
"In light of the circumstances, it was easy to suspect that the last person to spot him had some kind of involvement with this case. ......If a normal person was in Natsuhi-san's position, they wouldn't say 'I was the last person to meet him. I met him at 23:00'. Right, Kyrie-san......?"
"..................Yes, that's right. ......A normal person would say 'I met him at 23:00. However, I'm not sure that I was the last person to meet him'. ......Something like that."
"<Good>. .........Claiming to be the last witness is usually quite difficult. ......That is, unless you know some reason which makes you sure that there were no other witnesses after you."
"......In third-rate mysteries, the last one to spot the victim is often the culprit. They killed the victim themselves, so they knew that no one else could have met the culprit later on...is how the argument goes."
"Hohoh, ...hohohoho... Couldn't that be nothing more than a minor misspeak...? It's not important enough to be picked up out of the blue and focused on..."
"Yes, yes, that's nothing more than nitpicking... Isn't it a little too early to suspect Natsuhi-san because of a little slip of the tongue like that......?"
"Furthermore, you mentioned needing a reason to be sure that no one else spotted the person in question...but of course, she had such a reason...! She left the room after seeing the Master go to bed! Following common sense, it's perfectly natural to assume that he probably wouldn't meet anyone else until the next morning...!"
"......No. That isn't natural at all. After all, Natsuhi-san, Doctor Nanjo, and Kumasawa-san all made this claim a short while ago. Please, try to remember."
"And Natsuhi nee-san was the last person to meet him, right...? Around 11:00 last night. I wonder if that means he slipped out of the study sometime after that and went somewhere else..."
"Th, ......that's...... B, but Father is a fickle person... He used to sometimes say that he had a revelation in a dream all of a sudden, wake up in the middle of the night, and walk around the mansion. Isn't that right, Doctor Nanjo...?"
"Nn, ......y, yes, such a thing has happened before......Anyways, ......umm, he is a fickle person. R, right, Kumasawa-san...?"
"...Hoh, ...hohoho. That's true... He might have had some sort of strange dream and slipped out of bed... That happens a lot, yes......"
".........Yeah. ......Grandfather often slips out of bed all of a sudden late at night......That's what you claimed."
"<Good>. Your memory is pretty good, Battler-san. .........In other words, it's well known amongst the people at the Ushiromiya head house, Natsuhi-san included, that there's a chance Kinzo-san might wake up in the middle of any given night on a whim and wander around. On top of that, they were aware that this happened quite often."
"......Isn't that odd? ...If you knew that Father often wanders around at night, there's no way you could be certain that he'd stay in his bed until morning. Right?"
"It really is......like a third-rate mystery. A lot of those have this part in the last 5 minutes where the culprit asks 'When did you figure out it was me?' and the detective answers..."
"Seriously...... That's why I feel let down. If it turns out that Natsuhi-san really is the culprit, this'll be worse than a TV mystery. ......That's why I want to clear away the suspicion surrounding Natsuhi-san as soon as I can. I want to make sure that this mystery isn't third-rate before I do anything else."
".........uu, ......gah......"
"......There's no need to get anxious, Natsuhi. This is a classic word game used by detective wannabes. ......So what's her point here? How could she corner you just with this accusation? In the court of hell, all of the demon jurors will declare you innocent. So calm down and don't get flustered..."
".........It may be true that Natsuhi oba-san looks suspicious when you say it like that. ......Still, it sounds like you're just nitpicking to me."
"But it is suspicious. ......Isn't this more than enough reason to suspect that Natsuhi nee-san is hiding something...?"
"Th, that accusation is entirely false...! And that's not fair, Eva-san...!! Aren't you the sole person who can confirm that I really was here at 23:00...?!"
".........Is this true, Eva-san?"
".....................Oh, did that happen? ......Heheheh, I'm sorry. At the time, I was losing my head because the gold had just been found, so I forgot all about meeting Natsuhi nee-san until just a second ago."
"So, Eva-san, you can confirm that Natsuhi-san was a witness at 23:00?"
"Yes, unfortunately. I'm able to acknowledge that one part of Natsuhi nee-san's story. ......But only that she came out of this room."
".........Wh, what are you implying?"
"Let me tell you what I'm implying. ......No, I've wanted to say this for a long time now. ...I really did feel like saying this in the middle of such a tragic murder case would be improper, but the timing now is just too perfect. .........You know what I'm talking about, don't you? ......Natsuhi nee-san.........?"
The servants gulped and held their breaths...

It seemed that they hadn't been able to hide it......after all.........
In the middle of this heavy silence, ......Eva fingered her trump card, and Natsuhi pretended to be calm.
Both space and time grew as heavy as lead...and swallowed up everything...
"Just when did Kinzo-san disappear, I wonder......?"
Erika's words, spoken almost casually, tore that atmosphere to pieces like shattering glass......
"......Simply put, we haven't met him once at the family conferences this year or last."
"That's right... We've suspected it since last year. ...Seeing as how my son and the others have just been killed, this may not be the time or place to pursue this. ......But there's a chance that this has something to do with the crime, so we will do just that..."
"It's possible that you have a motive for hiding Father's death. ......We can suspect that you're embezzling Father's assets."
"If Father were to die, an investigation would be conducted for the distribution of the assets and your embezzlement would be exposed. That's why you hid the fact that Father is already dead!!"
".........I see. That's more than enough for the 'why dunnit'. This keeps getting more and more third-rate. Aaah, ......boring."
"I, ......I don't know what you're talking about...!! You say I'm hiding the head's death?! I most certainly won't forgive...such a reckless accusation!!"
"That's right...!! In addition to Madam, the other servants take care of the Master on a daily basis, and they see him all the time...!! Genji-san, Shannon-san, and Kanon-kun...! Even Doctor Nanjo and Kumasawa-san meet with him often...!"
"......P, perhaps because he doesn't trust me, I haven't seen him even once since last year, but..."
"Be quiet, Gohda!!!"
"Eek!! M, my apologies...!"
"Aren't all of the witnesses besides Natsuhi-san servants employed by her? ......So you used money to make them follow your story...ah man, this is really third-rate. Pitiful, pitiful. .........I'm disappointed, Natsuhi-san. So I guess I'll have to finish this now."
"F, .........finish what......?!"
"Ushiromiya...Kinzo-san."
".........What is it, ...uninvited guest?"
"You don't exist, do you? ......You're a ghost whose death was concealed by those humans who didn't want it known because of the inheritance problem."
"......Hmph. ......Heheheheheheheh."
"Ghosts are supposed to quickly pass on to the next world. ......Even though this is the first time we've met, I've yet to give you a proper greeting. My apologies."
"......Good day, pleased to meet you. And goodbye!!!"
So close to Erika's face that you might just barely have been able to wedge a single sheet of paper between them, ......Beato's pipe stopped suddenly.
"And a good day to you too. ......I'm the Ushiromiya family alchemy counselor, Beatrice the Golden. I'll be your opponent in this fight from here on out."
"Glad to meet you, I'm the detective of this game, Furudo Erika. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance. And now, goodbye."
"So, you're Lady Bernkastel's next piece after Ange. ......I'm afraid I didn't get to fight with her to my satisfaction in the end. I'm glad I'll be able to lock horns with you this time, Lady Bernkastel's piece...!"
"............My master is almighty and all-powerful. A fool like you couldn't even begin to compare with her. I accept your challenge."
"*cackle*cackle*cackle*. You really are calm. ......Even though a witch has appeared before you and is about to fight with magic and fantasy. .........If you were Battler, you'd be lying on the ground, screaming that this can't be a mystery anymore."
"Yeah, even in the mystery genre, parallel universes like this have gotten popular lately. You know about Pure Reasoning Space and all that?"
"Ayatsuji Yukito doesn't make his debut until next year."
"You sure are picky for a witch."
"Hahha!! You think you're on the same level as a witch? Don't be so full of yourself, you mere human!!"

When Beato snapped her fingers, something bounced around the room at terrifying speeds...!!
It was the witch's stake.
The witch's wedge which contained the power of the blue truth within it...!
Of course, a mere human like Erika couldn't follow that terrible speed with her eyes.

Erika understood this, so she didn't attempt to look every which-way stupidly trying to spot it.
"You blockhead!! Take this!!"
With a terrible sound, Lucifer's blue stake buried itself into Erika's right collarbone.

It pierced all the way through her back.
Lucifer rotated and rebounded, landed in front of Beato, and disappeared, laughing shrilly.
Erika wasn't blown back.
She had just been run through deeply by the blue wedge.
".........So, this is that so-called blue truth. Well then, let me hear your opinion."
"You can't deny the possibility that Natsuhi met with Kinzo at 23:00. During the following six hours or more before you pushed your way into the study, Kinzo had many chances to escape this study! Because of this, you can't state decisively that Kinzo doesn't exist."
Beato announced that with an expression worthy of her title as witch.

Erika was silent.
......Was she too shocked to speak?

There was no anguish in her expression.
She was just quietly listening to Beato's blue truth.
No, ......judging by her disdainful expression, it's probably more appropriate to say that Beato's words went in one ear and out the other.
".........<Good>. Let's start with the classic moves. .........By the way, this thing really is stuck good. I can't take it out."
She tried pulling from the front and the back of the blue wedge that pierced her, but it didn't budge an inch.
However, her indifferent, relaxed expression didn't budge an inch either.
"You can't take it out! ......The blue truth can only be defeated by the red truth. ......For one such as yourself, a guest who came to this island at most a day ago, there is no truth that you could possibly know! That means there exists no red that you can use...! In other words, this is checkmate!!"
"......I see. So that's what kind of space this is. ......In that case, I'll need a piece worthy of fighting with a witch. ......I'm the detective. My position is to be an opponent for the human culprit. You are a witch. ...There does exist a fitting piece to use against witches and demons."
"Let me introduce you. .........Miss Dlanor. It looks like it's your turn."
"D, .........Dlanor...!!!"
"Ahhahahahahahaha!! I thought so, I was certain you'd bring that piece in sooner or later...!! The ten wedges with which to hunt witches, the archbishop of witch hunting, Dlanor!!"
"There's no more fitting piece in a battle against demons. I have my double, Erika, and the greatest natural enemy of witches, Dlanor. I've now taken control of the seventh rank with my two rooks. ......Let me show you, Lambdadelta. And you too, Beatrice. Now you'll see how useless your struggling is. ......*giggle*, ahahahahahaahahaahahahahahahahaha!!"
The air shone brightly, and the piece Erika had guided there showed its form...
That form resembled a clergy member perfectly suited for confronting an evil witch......
"Pleased to meet you. Dlanor A. Knox is my NAME."
Even though this space was like a bomb just waiting to go off, she introduced herself in a neat and frank manner.

......Her out-of-place appearance, completely different from those of the demons and witches, felt blatantly odd and had a kind of severity to it.
"......This is the first time I've met you, but I've heard all the rumors. Therefore, this truly doesn't feel like a first meeting."
"The same goes for me, <Miss> Beatrice. The detailed materials about you in Eiserne Jungfrau are summarized in 600 PAGES. I always read those, so this doesn't feel like a first meeting to me EITHER."
"The secretary of hell could summarize those 600 pages into 6 letters."
"Allow me to ASK."
"'Danger'."
"That's a good SUMMARY. When I get back, out of respect to you, I will summarize the materials related to you with only 2 more letters than that, a total of eight LETTERS."
"<Ｅｘｅｃｕｔｅｄ>."
".........So I'm <ｃｕｔｅ> now, *cackle*! You're too polite, my guest...!"
"Then let us CONTINUE. <Miss> Beatrice. I, Dlanor, the Head Inquisitor of Heresy, do humbly accept my role as your OPPONENT."
"My first move is over. If you can't remove the blue wedge from that Furudo Erika over there, then you might as well totter back up to heaven and get back to your usual boring job of stamping things!"
"......I ask that you take care of this wedge or whatever it is. It looks like Beatrice-san thinks she's already achieved checkmate with just this."
After making a show of tapping the blue wedge that pierced her with her finger, Erika shrugged as though taunting Beatrice.
"......B, Beatrice..."
"It's alright. I'm just toying with her a bit. ............After all, if things get bad, I can grab Kinzo and run out of here whenever I want. I can leave this room at any time and go anywhere."
"That is USELESS."
"......Hoh?"
"Now that you've met up with me, this is your DEMISE. Escape will not be PERMITTED. No one can ESCAPE."
"It's true that we can't deny the possibility that Father suddenly woke up and went somewhere. .........But you know what? I can state that such a thing couldn't have happened. Heheheh, you know why?"
"H, how could I know...?! Are you trying to say that you stood outside this door all night, watching to make sure the head didn't take a step outside...?!"
"Yes, someone was watching. This kid right here!!"
"Please, allow me to speak. Let it be known that entering or exiting through this door is impossible. The palace guards are ordered to blockade the study door."
The doors to heaven opened with a strong, unrelenting radiance like the sun's, announcing the arrival of Dlanor's underlings.

Those words were clad in the red truth and cut off the witch's method of escape.
"Siesta 410, right here!"
"Siesta 45, right here! It has been some time, Great Lady Beatrice! We were dispatched in accordance with Alliance Agreement #1516 and a request from the Great Court of Heaven. We apologize for the rudeness that is to follow...!"
"We've formed a precision blockade on the study door nyeh. I think it's best if you stay away from the door, nyeh? Kihihi!"
"Allow me to speak. I say again, from last night at 23:00 until the present time, the study door was not opened even once."
"Wh, ......what is that scrap of paper?"
"It's a completely ordinary receipt. But even so, this mere scrap of paper proves that you lied."
"Last night, when you came out of the study, Eva saw her chance and wedged a receipt into the crack of the door to the study...! And that fell down just now when Rudolf-kun opened the door for us...!!"
"Know what that means? In other words, from 23:00 last night until now, it's impossible that Father opened this door!!"
".........Wh, what'd you say......?"
"Rudolf. The window was locked, right?"
"......Yeah. That's why I smashed the glass."
"The other windows are all locked as well. They're built so that you can't lock them from the outside...!"
"Allow me to speak! Know that the windows were all locked! Palace guards, blockade all of the windows."
"By the name of Eiserne Jungfrau, I give the palace guards permission to make use of forbidden weapons."
"Understood. Entire force, Permission Granted for Use of Forbidden Weapon: Red Warhead. Begin Transmitting Activation Code!"
"Unya? The password doesn't work nyeh."
"410, turn caps lock off and try again...!"
"Siesta Squad, Precision Blockade for Study Door and All Windows Complete. We warn the Great Lady Beatrice that if anything is caught passing through these physically, conceptually, or by any other method, we will shoot without warning...!"
"Data Link from Archangel Satellite 4. Homing Format, Verdict-Model Conceptual Guidance...!"
"And on top of that, we've got Red Warheads nyeh. Impossible to shoot down, impossible to avoid, impossible to survive when hit. ......It'd smash even Lady Beatrice into little bits nyeh♪"
The Siesta Squad had laid down a pinpoint blockade over the door and all of the windows.

Escape would no longer be permitted through any of these...!
".........My, my. ......I should be doing the welcoming, but it seems I am the one being welcomed. I'm grateful for the courtesy call, and you've even brought the Siesta Sisters...!"
"Allow me to inform you that your paths of retreat have been cut off! Commander Dlanor, let us now remove the sin and purify...!!"
"You've done WELL. .........<Miss> Beatrice. I've had your paths of retreat TERMINATED. You cannot leave through the door, nor can you leave through the WINDOWS. Therefore, escape will now be PROHIBITED."
".........You think you've shut me in with this alone? *cackle*cackle*......"
The Inquisitor of Heresy in Heaven and her subordinates surrounded the witch.
The subordinates used a powerful barrier to cut off Beato's methods of escape.
......Demons fight, and as a result, they sometimes escape.

However, angels block off passages of escape, and as a result, they eradicate their targets without fail...!
"In other words, this study was a perfect closed room from the time Natsuhi nee-san claims she said goodnight until the time Rudolf opened the door...!"
"In that case, Father would have to be here. But there's not even a trace of him...!! Come on, what the hell is going on...?!!"
"Uh, ...gah............"
"I keep telling you to calm down...! The thought that I, Beatrice, could be shut in just because the doors and windows are closed is simply laughable."
"...Kinzo...I was just playing around, but it seems our guest has no such intentions. Let's withdraw before we lose our chance."
"Yes. I would not regret losing this life of mine, but for Natsuhi's sake, I cannot die yet."

Beato waved her pipe and the air was split vertically.
Then, a pitch black gate appeared there and slowly opened.

......It was a warp portal, the same as the pitch-black holes that Gaap used.
"I believe this was written on my files. An elusive phantom. Can appear from anywhere and disappear to anywhere...! As long as Kinzo has me, it will be impossible to capture him...!"
The pitch black gate opened.
That gate led from everywhere and to nowhere.

Both Beato and Kinzo would be sent to a place where no one could catch them, a place where no one could set foot in, much less chase after them...!
"Th, ...this is the study of the Ushiromiya family head. And it is also a room that Father helped to design personally. ......Do you think there would be anything strange about him having some way of getting outside without using the door...?"
"...Y, yes, that's correct...! There would be nothing strange about the Master having a hidden door...!"
"A hidden door?! Heh, and where would that be...?!"
"It's a hidden door, so I don't know. ......There are several devices and hidden doors in this mansion that only Father knows of. ......No one has seen them directly, but everyone in this mansion knows about them vaguely. Correct...?"
"Uh, ...ah, ......yes...!"
"......It's true that there have been always been rumors about hidden passages only the Master knows of..."
"I, it's true that Kinzo-san would probably like devices such as that..."
"Hohohoho...... And they are hidden doors, after all... No matter how much people such as ourselves might search,

it's only natural that we won't find them・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・."
".........I see. It's a Devil's Proof. You're saying we can't deny the possibility that a hidden door exists in this room."
"That's nonsense, a farce...!! Even considering that your lie about concealing Father's death is about to be revealed, how dare you...!!"
"That's right!! Just where in this study is there a hidden door...?!! Try and prove that it exists!!"
"Proof is unnecessary!! It's a Devil's Proof. It's impossible to find a hidden door and therefore impossible to disprove that it exists!! Therefore, no one can deny the possibility that Kinzo escaped from this study through a hidden door!!"
"I will not allow a hidden door to exist in this ROOM."
Beato's blue wedge, which had been fired off as a farewell gift, was crushed with a flash of Dlanor's long sword, ......and the pitch black gate was crushed as well...!
And it wasn't just crushed visibly and physically.

From that moment onwards, the warp portal which conceptualized hidden doors had been destroyed.
"Wh, why can someone like you, who is neither the owner of the study nor the Game Master, ......use the red truth......?! And what was that?! What do you mean you 'will not allow' hidden doors to exist?!"
"It's because this is the mystery genre. Knox's 3rd. It is forbidden for hidden passages to exist. Hidden doors mustn't exist in the mystery genre. Sorry about that."
"In this world, there are no other gods except our god, and no hidden doors EXIST. They must not EXIST, we won't let them EXIST. It is blasphemy against our GOD."
"......Enough pride in you to shock a witch... Hah, it's a pleasure greater than shock...!"
"Ahahahahahahaahahahahahahaha...!! Here it is, the ten wedges to pierce witches...!! Just like usual, it's the kind of irrational argument that I just love to hear...!"
"What a fool. The Devil's Proof might have been vague enough to let you escape from everything until now, but now that you're up against Dlanor, that move won't work anymore, Beatrice!"
"......As I thought, you're no different from any witch after ALL. I'm DISAPPOINTED."
"......Beato. ...It seems this isn't an opponent we'll be able to escape from easily after all."
"Please do entertain me, Beatrice-san. ......You should at least serve some tea for your guests. It doesn't even matter if it's third-rate!"
"Come on, please use the blue truth, and tell me how Kinzo-san escaped from the closed room study...!!"
"......Very well. Make sure you don't cry!!"
"It's possible that, after slipping out the door, Kinzo noticed the trick with the receipt and correctly returned it to its original place."
"Denial of that with the red has already been FINISHED. After 23:00, the door to the study was not opened even ONCE."
"Kinzo might have been a marvelous magician and an inventor, right?! He might have invented a drug that turns his body to mist and slipped out through the keyhole!!"
"No such drug EXISTS. It must not EXIST."
"Or maybe he invented a teleport device, right?! That possibility is impossible to deny because of the Devil's Proof!!"
"Such a machine does not EXIST. I will not allow it to EXIST."
"Oh, so you can examine every drug in the world? You can deny the existence of unknown scientific devices?! There's no way you can, it's a Devil's Proof! You cannot deny that they might exist!"
"I will REPEAT. By the name of god, I will not let such a drug or machine EXIST. I will not allow them to exist for all ETERNITY."
"The future, too?! Oho, so you think you can even deny something into the future of the human race?!"
"It's Knox's 4th. It is forbidden for unknown drugs or hard to understand scientific devices to be used."
"The progression of humanity, as well as techniques and knowledge that might be obtainable in the future, are decided upon by our GOD. And the denial of their existence has been proclaimed for ETERNITY. Therefore, I will not allow for such a technique to exist for all ETERNITY. It is not PERMITTED."
Beato and Dlanor had supposedly just gone through a massive exchange of red and blue.
......However, not only did Dlanor not take any damage, she also showed no signs of fatigue.
Beato might have been a fearsome witch, but blood flowed through her veins and she did breathe.
She felt both pain and fatigue.
But Dlanor......was like a doll made of marble.

She felt no fatigue, no pain, no hesitation.
Even if Beato's sharp wedges had aimed right for Dlanor's eyes, she wouldn't have shut them.

......No, it's doubtful that she ever even blinks in the first place......
"B, ......Beatrice......, hang in there......"
"......I've heard the rumors, but we really do share the worst compatibility. ......To think that dreams, hopes and even future possibilities are forbidden. The pride of the gods is overwhelming. ......I'd expect no less from a witch hunt executioner. It seems we'll never be able to drink together."
Even the strikes which had made Battler surrender over and over had absolutely no effect on Dlanor.

......Well, I knew that already more or less, but to think that I would be repelled so easily...
"Quite a formidable opponent..."
"Oh my, so even the great Goldsmith has gotten old and decrepit. Hearing those words come out of your mouth is rarer than seeing two comets in the night sky...!"
"Hmph. I'm not decrepit, I'm already dead."
"Hah, that's true. Sorry, but I won't let you be for just a little longer."
Beato experienced something she'd only rarely felt during her entire life.
......It was probably what we'd call 'hardship'.
Beato quietly brushed aside Natsuhi's hand that tried to comfort her, and she regained her posture again, showing off her witch's pride and her continued readiness to fight.
"Is that ALL? There was no need for me to come HERE. I'm DISAPPOINTED."
"I'm not done yet. I was just testing a few moves just now. I was only trying to measure your abilities."
"How foolish. Know your place, Golden Witch."
".........Lady Beatrice..."
Beato's expression became tense once again.
No longer was there any trace of mischief.

......The mood changed.
"The time for playing is over. Here I go. In that case, I shall acknowledge that Kinzo did not enter or leave the study. Why don't I accept your closed room?"
".........HMM."
"Let it be known that Beatrice has changed her pattern of attack."
Beatrice, who had until then thoroughly resisted the idea that a closed room existed, did an about face.
She proclaimed that she accepted that proposition.
Of course, this didn't mean that she'd surrendered.

This was a new attack of Beato's.

Dlanor noticed this and readied herself.
"What's going on? Why did Lady Beatrice acknowledge the closed room when she's trying to destroy it nyeh?"
"......Sh, she's probably trying to claim that Kinzo existed outside of this room. ......Confirmation that the Great Lady Beatrice's warp portal has reactivated!"
"Natsuhi claims to have 'talked with Kinzo in the study', but she never said that she spoke with him face to face. Therefore, if Kinzo was in a location other than the study, there is no contradiction as long as they held a conversation!"
".........nn-"

After bouncing at an erratic angle, the witch's stake pierced the top of Dlanor's foot.
"You sure are slow. ......Heheheheh, top of the foot, all mi~ne!"
"Natsuhi used the internal phone line in this study to speak with Kinzo, who was in another place! There's nothing strange about Kinzo, who hates the relatives, predicting that they would enter his study and leaving to go elsewhere. He might have gone to the hidden mansion, Kuwadorian!"
Asmodeus's stake, which contained the power of Beato's blue truth and pierced Dlanor's foot, changed into a blue wedge.
"Not bad, that makes sense nyeh...!"
"......Blue truth, effective."
A cyclone of gold butterflies swept up with Beato at its center.
......The magical power of the pitch black gate that had been smashed was once again refilled.
......If I can hold Dlanor off here somehow, this time, I'll be able to warp Kinzo out of the study, all the way to Kuwadorian...!
Dlanor moved clumsily, trying to pull the blue wedge out of her foot, but it didn't even budge.

Of course, Beato didn't miss this chance.

No witch would!
"I've got more, so get ready. There's a chance the Kinzo Natsuhi mentioned does not refer to the person himself! The Kinzo Natsuhi spoke of might have been another name for this room, right? Kinzo had taken refuge in Kuwadorian and was impossible to contact. Perhaps Natsuhi called this room 'Father', and by contemplating inside of it, she felt as though she had received some sort of revelation from Kinzo!!"
"We've stopped you from moving. You've already lost!"
Beelzebub's blue wedge pierced the base of Dlanor's neck!

Of course, even this didn't cause her to flinch, but her movements were restricted even further.
"......Interesting. Is that ALL?"
"You don't call it a full course dinner if you stop at the soups and hors d'oeuvres! I'll hit you with the main dish and the dessert at once, so watch your stomach explode and die!!!"
"Even if, as you say, this is a closed room and impossible to escape from, you can't deny the possibility that he is still hiding in this room. I'm not talking about a hidden door! He might be under the bed or above the ceiling! He might be hiding in a truly unobtrusive blind spot that only demons could know of, right?!"
"Or, it might be that Natsuhi, who was ordered to speak specially on Kinzo's behalf, considered herself both his representative and another Kinzo! In other words, it's possible that Natsuhi was also Kinzo!"
"I've got plenty more!! At 23:00 last night, Kinzo escaped out the window! Natsuhi watched him go, then locked the window!! This doesn't lead to any problems. In fact, it might be the most beautiful blue truth yet! How's that?! Dlanor A. Knox?! Hyahhahahahaaaaahhhh!! There are many ways to escape from this closed room!!"
"Know your foolishness in trying to oppose my master!"
"There's no need for you to argue back."
"Just lose and sleep for all eternity...!"
The Seven Sisters appeared from Beato's golden tornado one after another, and they pierced Dlanor with blue wedges.
Four blue wedges were buried into her neck, her chest, her gut, and her thigh.

Including the one buried into the top of her foot, she was pincushioned by five stakes.
"Aaaah, Beatrice-sama! What about my turn?!"
"I'll use you if I think of any more. Be quiet for now!! *cackle*cackle*, how's that, Dlanor the witch hunter?!! After skewering and burning so many witches in the past, how does it feel to be skewered by a witch this time?!! Hehhihhahhaaahhhahahahahahaha!!"
They were all ridiculous arguments, but they came fiercely one after another.

Though a total of five wedges pierced Dlanor, her expression didn't change in the slightest.

However, her movements had indeed been limited...
"Hyuu... Witches sure are scary nyeh... You can't beat twisted logic nyeh."
"They don't violate the Knox Decalogue... Effective...!"
".................."
"...W, ......well done, Beatrice...! Even if there was no one in this study and even if it was a closed room, that alone isn't enough to deny Father's existence...!"
"Against a normal opponent, I'd think the matter settled by now. ......But this is Dlanor. Head Inquisitor of Heresy! This ruthless woman killed even her father when he violated the Decalogue...! Kinzo, now!"
"Right...!"
Now that Dlanor had been pinned down, this was their last chance to recover their magical power and escape.
Once again, a pitch black gate began to rise slowly in front of Beato and Kinzo......

Though the gate had once been opened by simply drawing in the air, it wasn't so easy in the study now, filled as it was with the power of denial.
"Wh, ......what do you think, everyone?! No matter how much you question the state of this study, you can't question whether or not Father is in good health...!!"
"......Oh, so you say. Both you and I...had better not forget that we are part of this battle, right? I cannot fight against witches, but I can fight against you."
Erika grinned at Natsuhi with a smile more demonic than a real demon's.
"......Natsuhi-san. Let me ask again. ......Last night, you're sure you spoke with Ushiromiya Kinzo-san, right?"
"Y, yes. I have said repeatedly that I came to deliver a report for the day and to say good night...!"
"This may be a strange thing to ask, but since it's needed to prove your innocence, please answer me straightforwardly. ......Is this Kinzo-san you speak of the Ushiromiya Kinzo-san we all know of? It isn't a different person or thing with the same name, is it?"
"I, I'm not really sure what you mean...!"
"......It's like this. You didn't, for instance, start calling this room itself 'Father' after Father's death, right? That's what she's asking. You said you gave a daily report to Father before he went to sleep, right? That doesn't mean you gave a daily report to the wall here inside the study called 'Father' all by yourself, right...?"
"H, how rude!! Nothing of the sort happened...! Father is Father!! He is in good health! And I most certainly gave him a report and said good night to him last night...!! I'm not trying to trick you or talk my way out of anything!"
"I see. In that case, can you repeat what I tell you to? If you aren't tricking or deceiving us in any way, you should be able to repeat my words."
"F, fine. I'll repeat whatever you want...!"
"Repeat it. 'Ushiromiya Natsuhi did, at 23:00 last night, speak with Ushiromiya Kinzo in the same room as him, which was this room'."
"I, I, 'Ushiromiya Natsuhi did, at 23:00 last night, speak with Ushiromiya Kinzo in the same room as him, which was this room'!!"
"<Good>! Then I'll ask one last thing. ......Seriously now, Natsuhi-san, you didn't do anything such as throwing Kinzo-san out the window after your conversation and locking the window behind him, right? Because everything still makes sense if you did."
"Wh, why would I want to chase Father out the window?!! This is intolerable! This mockery is intolerable!!"
"Please, allow me to speak. Let it be said that the 'Kinzo' Natsuhi mentions refers to nothing other than Ushiromiya Kinzo."
"Please, allow me to speak! Natsuhi claims to have met face to face with Kinzo in the study at 23:00!"
"Ah, .........aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh...!!"

Natsuhi let out a cry, but it was too late...
She had been totally suckered in by their provocation...!
The blue wedge to the foot representing a telephone discussion.

The blue wedge to the neck representing the study itself being called Kinzo.
The blue wedge to the gut representing Natsuhi herself being called Kinzo.

The blue wedge to the thigh representing Natsuhi letting Kinzo escape out the window and locking it afterwards.
The four of them were smashed up with a thin sound...!
Because Natsuhi, 'the one who knew the truth', had denied them, those denials had gained the power of the red truth...!

Despite Kinzo's absence in this closed room, Beato had introduced five ways that Kinzo could still exist.
Natsuhi had carelessly crushed the premises behind four of those herself...!!
Only one wedge remained.

In other words, this was the last blue truth which could bury the contradiction of Kinzo existing in the study at 23:00 but not existing there later, after it had become a closed room.
There was only the theory that pierced Dlanor's chest, 'Kinzo is hiding somewhere in this room'.
With this theory, even if Kinzo didn't exist in this closed room of a study, he could 'exist' there...!

If this wedge of Satan's were to be crushed, their chances of escaping this room would become hopelessly dim......!
"Gghhh, .........ack...!! B, Beatrice-sama...! Quickly...escape while you still can...!! Ggh, gyah......"
Dlanor slowly grasped the final wedge, which still pierced her chest.

......Apparently, that vice-like grip was hurting Satan as though all the bones in her body were being broken.
"All that remains......is this one WEDGE. It was about Kinzo hiding somewhere in this room, CORRECT?"
"As the detective, I've searched all of those places. If I didn't find him, just where could he be hiding? *giggle*giggle*giggle*!!"
With the final wedge still sticking out of her chest, Dlanor slowly approached Beato...

If this wedge was taken out, ......then......!
"Allow me to ASK. Just where in this study is Kinzo HIDING?"
"Heheh, well then... Maybe he's under the bed?!"
"A check of that place has been FINISHED."
"Maybe he's in the bathtub!!"
"A check of that place has been FINISHED."
"Inside the closet! Under the desk! Behind the curtains!!"
"A check of that place has been FINISHED. Check FINISHED. Check FINISHED."
"Behind the bookshelf, behind the closet, under the carpet, under the floor, above the ceiling, behind the wallpaper, inside the sofa, inside the chair, inside the bed, inside the blankets, inside the walls, inside a rock, inside a stone, inside the room!!"
"CheckFINISHED checkFINISHED checkFINISHED
checkcheckcheck FINISHEDFINISHEDFINISHED
checkcheckcheckcheckcheckcheckcheckcheck
FINISHEDFINISHEDFINISHEDFINISHED
FINISHEDFINISHEDFINISHEDFINISHED
<Die The death>!
<Sentence to death>!
<Great equalizer is The Death>!!"
No locations would work against Dlanor by this point.

Dlanor took Beato's final desperate onslaught head on, turning everything back with a far stronger power of denial!
Beat them up!
Knock them down with overwhelming force!!

No longer does any place exist in this study for Kinzo to escape to...!!
Beato was blown back like a leaf dancing in the wind, knocked around over and over again like an empty can lying on a road.

By now, no matter how many times Beato used the blue truth, it wouldn't be able to defeat Dlanor's red truth...
"Hahahahaha, ahhahahahahahahaha...!! .........Witches are so pathetic. ......You just try to talk your way out of things endlessly, trying to confuse the truth. Let me borrow Dlanor's words. ......I'm disappointed, Beatrice-san. ...*giggle*giggle*giggle*giggle*!"
"......guh........., ............ggghh......"
Erika coldly delivered these decisive words to Beato, ......who was crawling on the ground.
"Detective's authority. The detective has the right to inspect all crime scenes. I have exercised this right. Therefore, I can say this."
"Kinzo-san is not inside this room. Furthermore, this room is a perfect closed room. From the above two points, I can state this fact: this room was empty the whole time. Natsuhi-san lied about having met Kinzo-san here last night! That makes this checkmate. Beatrice-san...!"
"*giggle*giggle*, ......ahahahaha, ahhahhahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahaha! How's that? Simply by the existence of this room! This level of reasoning is possible for Furudo Erika. What do you think, everyone?! Ahhahahahahhahhahhaaaahh!!"
At these words, the final wedge shattered, and at the same time, the pitch black gate which was about to open shattered once again.

This time, the warp portal had been completely destroyed...
No longer would Kinzo be permitted to exist in this room......or escape from it...
Beato struggled to her feet......but that was the best she could do.
She no longer had the energy to fight.
She had taken all of the denying red head on from close range.
It was all she could do to withstand a pain so strong it felt like she'd vomit up all her insides...
Even Beato, who had aimed for the title of strongest and most evil witch all this time, ......couldn't do a thing against a witch hunter.

No matter how sturdy a sandcastle you build on the beach, it can never win against the rising tide......
".........S, sorry, Kinzo.........Looks like...this opponent really was tough after all......"
"Beatrice, I thank you. ......You've done so much for me despite your remaining grudge."
"I guess it's true that your life flashes by when you see death coming. ......I've remembered how you once looked when you were young. .........You were annoyingly like Battler."
"I now pass on everything, my soul and the qualifications of the head, to Battler. I no longer have any regrets...!"
"............Battler...............My apologies......How pitiful......Though I swore to fight with you once again, ...I must settle my accounts with something like this..."
"..............."
To Beato, it seemed as though Battler had met her gaze.
......There was no way he could have.
This Battler was the piece Battler.
There was no way he could see Beato in this higher-level world.
However, his eyes really did meet hers.

Even though they couldn't have, .........Beato was sure they did.
As Erika, Eva and the others closed in on Natsuhi, questioning her over and over, ......only Battler stood apart from that tumult.

His expression held none of the enthusiasm and excitement that the other humans had.
It just piercingly and coldly surveyed the scene.
And the expression on his face......was a quiet displeasure. Anger.
He wasn't feeling compassion for Natsuhi because her lie was about to be exposed.

However, he couldn't excuse Erika, who called herself an intellectual rapist and was simply enjoying cornering Natsuhi and those who sympathized with her.
Then, he whispered softly.
".........It's useless."
Beato and the others definitely heard that...
"You don't think......Battler might...turn things around from this weakened position......?"
"......I probably could have done it, back in the day. ......And Battler can probably do it."
".........Battler..."
"Battler.........If you are indeed the man who will inherit everything from me, ......now is the time to prove it...! Don't let the Legend of the Golden Witch end here......!"
"It's true that I met Father here last night!! It's true!! And he spoke to me of the Ushiromiya family's glorious history, as well as the burden of bearing it..."
"Your lie has already been exposed, Natsuhi-san. We already know that you were alone in this room last night."
"Isn't it about time to give up and confess? Culprits who are bad at giving up tend to go with bad mystery novels. At least in the end, please prove that this is a slightly better third-rate mystery than that."
".........Aah, it's useless. It's all useless."
Battler, who had been silent off by himself up until then, spoke.

At first, it sounded as though he was attacking Natsuhi.
......However, when Erika realized he was glaring directly at her, her expression visibly clouded with displeasure.
"And just what......is useless?"
"If this is a third-rate mystery, then the detective is also third-rate. ......Listen up. I'm gonna become Grandfather."
"......B, Battler......?!"
"You'll become......Kinzo-san? Are you saying you'll become Kinzo-san and reenact his disappearance from this room?"
"......You couldn't possibly think you can deny my checkmate, right? ......Fool!!!"
"......What is this man SAYING?"
"Hey, new girls. ......This is your first game, correct? Sorry, but calling checkmate after something like that is totally useless. Yeah, it's all useless...!!"
"Wh, what are you talking about, Battler? You say you'll become Dad......?!"
"Yeah. I'll reenact it. I'll become Grandfather and disappear from this room."
"Y, you can't use the windows or the door, right?! How would you do it...?!"
"Did you find a hidden door?!"
"I don't have a clue either...yes, not a clue...!!"
*rustle*.

.........That sound wasn't just the noise of the onlookers fidgeting.
...It was a provocative chill that ran up Erika's spine.
".........Interesting. I see, you are the Ushiromiya family head, the one who bears the ring of the head. That should more than qualify you to stand in for Kinzo-san. .........Why don't you let us have a look at your theory?!!"
Erika's expression was no longer a provocative smile.
......It was malicious.
Extremely displeased.

She couldn't conceal her anger at having this very pleasurable time of hers ruined.
"......H, ......how will he...get us out of here......?"
"Heh, ......heheheheh.........I've got it. I see, so that move is still available."
"So you finally figured it out, you damn geezer. Hidden doors and hiding under the bed......all that stuff is so pitiful it brings tears to the eyes. This is THE Ushiromiya Kinzo we're talking about here. ......There's got to be a more thrilling and exciting answer."
"Exactly. How pitiful that even I couldn't think of it, even though it was about me. And how pitiful that the only one of my relatives to understand me is Battler, the kid who's returned after being gone six years. .........Battler, take my place. Do not shame me!"
"Sure, Gramps!! I'll teach these guests what the dignity of the Ushiromiya family head is all about!!"
"What are you planning to do..., Father...?!"
"Wahhahahahaha!! Natsuhi, Beatrice, watch! ......We'll show you what being the Ushiromiya family head is all about!"
"...That Battler, what is he trying to prove......?"
"There's no way he can do anything. ......This is a perfect closed room!"
"Natsuhi oba-san. Come over here. Now, move as I tell you to."
Battler called Natsuhi over to the window and whispered something to her with his back towards the others...
"......<Miss> Dlanor. You're ready for everything, right? It's not possible for Kinzo and the witch to slip out of this room, right?"
"Of COURSE. ......Gertrude, Cornelia. And the palace guards. Double check that the seal of this closed room is PERFECT."
"Please, allow me to speak. Our barrier is perfect."
"Allow me to speak. There are no hidden doors, and escape will not be granted through either door or window! Palace guards, when Battler hits the barrier, fire your arrows without hesitation!"
"S, Siesta Corps, roger. Battler-sama, prepare yourself...!"
"Escaping from this room...is impossible...!"
".........But he'll do it nyeh."
"H, how...?!"
"He's certain he can succeed even without any basis. That's what it means to be the Ushiromiya head nyeh...!"
".........True. Let's watch."
"Yeah. ...Let's see the majesty of Riiche's opponent...!"
"Then I'll begin."

Everyone nodded and watched Battler's every move...
"Grandfather was lying in bed like this grunting his understanding of Natsuhi oba-san's daily report or whatever."

Battler laid down on the bed himself.
As if it still mattered now, Erika grumbled about disturbing the crime scene, but no one listened to her.
"Then, I stop answering and sleep. .........Well, realistically speaking, I probably get tired of all that talking and only pretend to be asleep."
"Ahahahaha! You really do get it...!"
"I, ......I see that Father has gone to sleep, ...bow silently, and leave."
Natsuhi lowered her head to Battler, who was still lying down in the bed, and turned around...
Then, she started wandering around, as though doing an inspection of the room.
"......After seeing that Grandfather was asleep, Natsuhi oba-san probably did an inspection of the room before leaving."
"Of course, she had Shannon-chan and the others clean it every day, but she still checked it thoroughly herself. ......Making sure there was no dust piling up. Making sure that he hadn't run out of any consumables."
"Y, yes. This is the room of the precious family head, so I check everything carefully myself instead of relying entirely on the servants. I always do that."
".........Th, that's true. Madam usually checks things very carefully."
"Her inspection is very detailed, and she even checks all of the consumables in the washroom one by one."
"In other words, it's not just dust on the windowsill like you see all the time on TV. .........She checks to see that there's enough soap and toilet paper in the washroom. Though she probably doesn't have to do it each day, she's very devoted."
"Th, that is my routine. I mustn't slack off in my inspection of the head's room for even a single day."
".........So what's your point? Please keep any showing off to a minimum."
"*giggle*. So only the detective is allowed to show off?"
"Nn, gah, ......I, ...I'm...the...detective........."
"Since we're inside the study, you can probably tell, but even though we call it a study, it wouldn't be wrong to call it a second house inside the mansion."
"It has a sleeping room, a study, a washroom, and even a toilet and bath. In other words, it isn't a single room. You could call it a full house."
"......Thank you for the explanation of the room's LAYOUT. However, the move of having him hide somewhere in this room has already been DEFEATED."
"He isn't hiding. However, there has to be several blind spots. ......For example, if Natsuhi oba-san went into the bathroom to check the amount of toilet paper, most of the study would be out of her sight range."
"......In other words, for almost every location in the study, the observer would have disappeared."
"!! ......O, observer disappearance...! We've lost track of Kinzo...!"
"Let it be said that the witch's darkness is filling the study."
"Good. ......It's being filled with the power of darkness. Heheheheheheheh!"
"And so what if the observer...if Natsuhi left...? ......What next?!"
"When Grandfather noticed that fussy Natsuhi oba-san leaving, he got up."
"Why?!"
"Wahhahhahhahhahha!! On a mad night like this, nothing goes better with a drink than enjoying the mad weather of the night sky!!"
"......Because Natsuhi oba-san was in the blind spot of the bathroom, it becomes possible for Grandfather to walk about the study at will."
It was possible for him to move without Natsuhi's knowledge.
It was possible for him to move without contradicting what Natsuhi knew!
"Warning, Battler is approaching the study door."
"Allow me to speak. A noise rings out when the lock on the study door is released. Know that you cannot leave through the door without Natsuhi thinking something was odd."
Because Battler had acted as though he was heading for the door, Gertrude, who was sealing the door, immediately sent out a warning.
Maybe it was possible for him to leave the study while in Natsuhi's blind spot.

......However.
"That's right..., it's the sound!! We know that there's a loud sound when the auto-lock is released! Even if Natsuhi was in a blind spot inside the study, she wouldn't miss hearing the loud sound when the auto-lock is released. Of course she would find that odd...!!"
"Allow me to speak. Let it be said that Natsuhi did not hear the sound of the door opening while in the room."
The washroom and toilet are very close to the door.
Even if they hadn't been, that auto-lock always lets off such a massive sound.

She'd be able to hear that sound no matter what.
Now that Natsuhi had spoken with Erika and the others about the details of the previous night, she had made it quite clear that nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

The argument that Natsuhi would have failed to hear the lock would not work...!
"Please, allow me to speak once more. Kinzo entering or exiting through the door will not be permitted."
"Let it be said that this is a useless struggle! It is foolish...!!"
".........It's true that I can't break through the red of that Nee-chan by the door. .........But what about you over there by the window?"
".........!"
Turning his back to Gertrude, who claimed that leaving through the door was impossible, Battler locked his gaze on Cornelia, who stood in front of the window.
"Make sure you hold that barrier of yours up tight. ......'Cause you're gonna be

.........blasted away, got it?・・・・・・・・・・"
By now, Battler's target was clear.
.........It was Cornelia. And......it was the window.

He was going......to smash this closed room from the window.
Not expecting to be chosen as the target herself, Cornelia was overawed for just a second, but she quickly regained her composure.
It was rare that a struggling, fleeing witch would directly challenge the barriers she set up.
Furthermore, such witches were always fighting desperately on the brink of death!
"Please, allow me to speak. You are Battler's target, Cornelia. I ask that you be on your guard."
"Fool! God, have pity on this foolish lamb...!!"
"I'm no sheep. ......The head of the Ushiromiya family is an eagle. With one wing. ......Don't think you can keep me shut up in this study forever with just a flimsy window like that."
......Starting from a low posture, ......both silent and supple, ......Battler ran forward like a white leopard.
"............Th, ......this guy......couldn't possibly mean to.........!!"
"............ah!! Th, this is...............agh. A, allow me to speak...! There is no way to defeat my red! Know that your wish will not be granted...!!"
Cornelia thrust out both her arms and made a sign.
When she did, a red barrier closed in front of Battler.
"Know that this is useless, Ushiromiya Battler...! Know that my window is sealed from the inside and Natsuhi did not let Kinzo escape...!!"
"Natsuhi oba-san didn't let Grandfather escape. ......What if Grandfather snuck out, keeping it a secret from Natsuhi oba-san?!"
"Wh, why would Kinzo go out the window on his own?!!!"
"To me, jumping out into the rainy sky on a mad night is nothing more than a bit of fun to go with a drink!!!"
"But this is the third floor, right?! It's impossible!!!"
"Even you've jumped down a flight of stairs at least once in your life, right? Three stories is nothing for Kinzo...!"
"I wouldn't put it past him."
"Wouldn't put it past him."
"Th, that's...r, ridiculous......!!!"
Blue cracks appeared in Cornelia's red barrier, and it shattered with a crisp sound.

It was all far too quick.
It looked almost as though she'd gotten out of the way herself in fear of Battler.
"E, ...Endless Nine...!! Magic Resistance Power, Endless Nine!!"
"Cornelia-sama, you can't block it, retreat...!"
At the same time the barrier shattered, the window behind Cornelia's back was flung open.
The curtains fluttered for just an instant.
Though it was all filled with rain, the heavens and the courtyard were spread out in front of them...
A fitting exit for an eagle leaping from this closed room!
"Cornelia, repair the BARRIER!!"
"As you wish, Commander Dlanor! Kn, know that you will not be allowed to break this...!!"
Cornelia quickly came back to her senses and set up another red barrier.
......However, this was the last one.
"Please, allow me to speak...!! Then let us accept for the time being that Kinzo escaped through the window...! In that case, how did he lock a window which cannot be locked from the outside?! The window was locked from the inside!!"
".........Useless!"
"Yeah, it's all useless!!"
Kinzo and Battler grinned!

She thought this feeble red could block the charge of Battler and Kinzo, the two family heads?
"After Grandfather jumped out the window, Natsuhi oba-san probably noticed a slight draft. She then approached the window, realized that it was wide open, and quickly closed and locked it...!!"
"Natsuhi probably couldn't even imagine that I had slipped out the window!"
"Yeah!! So it's only natural that Natsuhi oba-san thought Kinzo was sleeping in bed!!"
Now that Battler had found the answer, the red barrier was more fragile than thin glass.
The red magical wall of certainty had been smashed again, so easily that it disgraced the name of certainty itself!
Unbelievable, right?

That barrier was more firm than any Ronove had ever used against Jessica.

And yet it had been......destroyed so easily...!
Though Battler was rushing fiercely and had almost reached Cornelia, she didn't step aside.
Her steel spirit, worthy of the name Eiserne Jungfrau, didn't allow her to step aside.
She took a charm from her pocket, placed it against the thin air, and made a sign.

Then, not red, but blue burned there.
Though it was far more frail than the red barrier, it was her last method of resistance.
"Y, you won't get through, you won't!! Let me speak, let me speak!! Be that as it may, this is the third floor...! How could a wingless human escape from the window......?!! Know that you won't get through, you wooooooooon't!!"
"Just quit your whining and watch!!!"
"This is the answeeeeeeeer aaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!"
Battler......jumped.
He burst through Cornelia and her blue barrier, knocked them away, .....and his body flew out the window through the darkness of the rainy sky.
The fragments of the blue barrier scattered, coloring the air beautifully.

The closed room......had been smashed open......!!
Battler......flew out of the mansion.
He was in the sky above the rainy courtyard.

......All of the raindrops became small round gems and were scattered through the air.

Battler flew through the treasure box world of the beautiful stormy sky, ......through the countless gems of rain that filled it.
In the sky over the world frozen in time, Dlanor and Battler faced each other.
If Battler, who had smashed and flown out the window, was like a knight leaping off a white horse, ......then Dlanor, who floated in the air waiting for him, was also a knight.
In the air above the courtyard surrounded by the Ushiromiya mansion and frozen in time, ......the true new head of the Ushiromiya family and the disciple of heaven who would test him crossed paths......
"......Well DONE. When you fall into the courtyard, whether you live or die, it won't change the fact that Kinzo could have defeated this closed ROOM...!! You who have thrown away your life and jumped are a MARTYR...!! Well done, you have smashed our closed room BARRIER. Splendid, Ushiromiya Battler!!"
"However, I am the Head Inquisitor of Heresy, Dlanor A. Knox!! I cannot allow you to escape out from under my NOSE...! Now, at the end, allow me the honor of crossing swords with YOU!!"
"Sure, bring it on. ......This game is surprisingly unrelenting."
In this world where the gems of rain......fell slowly like large snowflakes on a snowy field.
......Dlanor and Battler slowly.........crossed paths.
It seemed slow.

And yet, ......it happened in a flash.
Their gazes crossed and clashed like lightning.

Knight confronted knight head on, and it would all be decided in a single strike......!
Blue and red......crossed paths......
"Was it shown beforehand that a blind spot existed within the study for Natsuhi? If it wasn't shown, this theory will not be permitted. Knox's 8th. It is forbidden for the case to be resolved with clues that are not PRESENTED...!!"
Dlanor's double strike with both the blue and red blades reached out to slice Battler.........and missed.

Those long swords, which had never lost in a hundred battles, cut through the empty air......
"When we entered the study, its structure was clearly referred to. ......Too bad for you."
For the first time, Dlanor showed an expression.
......It was a sudden smile.

She had known since long ago that the study's structure had been referred to.
But she couldn't let him escape without making a single strike.
As an Inquisitor of Heresy, she could not do that.

So though she had known that she wouldn't make it, she had still crossed swords with Battler.
"Yes, I KNEW. ......That answer of yours doesn't violate Knox's 8th."
"......Here it comes. Don't regret it."
"Yes, COME."
In Battler's hand......was a blade that shone red.
That blade etched out the red truth......
'It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Kinzo's study was a small villa he had created inside the mansion'
'A study. A book archive. A place to sleep. And a bathroom and washroom. It was divided into multiple rooms'

That has already been shown.
And it suggests that there might have been a blind spot somewhere within the room...
Without any mercy, ...no, without any reluctance that would have been dishonorable, ......the sword of red truth cut into Dlanor.

It cut a beautiful hemisphere through the countless gems of rain that filled the sky......
"Well.........DONE......"
"............"
Time...exploded into life.
Both of them...fell through the courtyard.

One drifted down.
The other tumbled through the air.

Then, there was a soft sound and a dull thud.
......The first was the sound of Battler landing gently in the courtyard.
The second was the sound of Dlanor crashing down.
After crouching down for a while, .........Battler slowly stood up.

Though he had jumped down from the third floor, ......he had landed as lightly as though he had merely jumped over a fence......
"B, ...Battleeeeeeeeeeer.........!!"

Beato leaned out of the study window, looking to see if the supposedly wingless Battler had landed safely.
"Beato!! Come on, jump!!"
"Huh......?!"
"That window is our way out! ......So jump!! You aren't the kind of witch who can be locked up inside a closed room, right?!!"
The study was no longer a closed room.
She could jump from here, escape from here...!

By now, the closed room which had threatened to capture the witch and suffocate her had been destroyed.
"Y, ......yes...!! Y, you too, Kinzo...!"
"Go. From the moment Battler showed his answer, my spirit had already escaped from this room."
Kinzo's form became a group of gold butterflies and disappeared.
The closed room barrier had dissolved, and the power which denies magic had scattered.
Beato ran towards the window.
......That was the only exit from the closed room of this witch hunt.
After glancing at the subordinates of the Inquisitor of Heresy and the Siesta Sisters, she readied her wound-covered body and ran towards the window, just like Battler had done.

She looked like Cinderella running as she heard the bell toll.
"Th, there's no way we'll let you escape, Beatrice, Illusion of the Witch!!"
Erika flew at Beato, trying to latch on as Beato dashed, but it was like trying to catch smoke, and she landed face first on the floor.

......There's no way a human can catch a witch.
For one such as her, without love, even touching Beato was impossible...!
"Siesta Corps, shoot the witch! Shoot her dead!!"
"Alignment conflict. Unable to fire."
"Allow me to speak. I have no barrier prepared which can block Battler's blue truth."

Both Siesta 00 and Gertrude spoke with unbelievably calm voices.
"N, no one can stop them? Not Battler? Not Kinzo? Not Beatrice?! If these guys escape, ......m, ......my closed room, my theory...!! I'm......the detective, ...Furudo...Erika...kkggghhhaaaaaaaaaaaggghhgh!Gyaaaaaaaaaaggghhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!"
Erika crouched, screaming and clutching at her head.
"The great Golden Witch isn't gonna be defeated by something like that geezer's grubby study!! It's still just the first twilight! I'll teach these newcomers that your game isn't that easy!!"
Just like Battler, Beato also......jumped.
She drifted down through the rain treasure box world into Battler's chest.

......Battler caught her with both arms as though catching an angel's wings.
It was like a knight catching a princess who had been locked up in a tower, ......like a beautiful picture of a scene in some fairy tale...
".........Crap, I think I'm in love. ...Are all the Ushiromiya family heads guys like this?"
"If you were to write down the unprecedented feats of Ushiromiya Kinzo, ......you would probably have an uproarious tale longer than all the grimoires in the study put together. It seems the tale of the next head will be worth writing down as well. In fact, it already is being written. It's already a very, very long tale. ......Pu ku ku ku."
The demons giggled on top of the roof, holding umbrellas.
Then, they quietly looked down over the two in the courtyard.
"Hah, hahhahhahahahahahaha.........You're......not bad at all......"
"I guess all your games've toughened me up."
In shock, Beato.....actually praised Battler as he held her in his arms.

Battler laughed in his usual carefree way......
".........Th, ......this is........., impossible...impossible!!"
Erika looked down from the window and clenched her teeth, still clutching at her head.
Still holding Beato in his arms, Battler grinned back.
"Erika."
"......Wh, ...what is it...?"
"I'm not giving the riddle of the Golden Witch up to you. I'll solve it. ......That riddle belongs to the two of us. Right, Beato?"
"Y, ......yes...! My riddle is...yo......yo......"
"Yo?"
When Battler laughed evilly, Beato's face turned uncharacteristically red, but even so, she spoke while laughing loudly.
"My riddle is...yo......yours...
...yours alone...!! Ushiromiya Battler! I won't let anyone else solve it...!!"
"Heheh, listen to her, saying something like that...!!"
Battler snorted, amused that Beato had said something so unlike her.
And, still holding Beato in his arms, he spun around in a kind of waltz.

The falling gems of rain celebrated their overcoming of this trial......
".........He jumped down from the third story...? ......And he's alright...? He jumped down......and escaped from the closed room...? Th, this is ridiculous......This isn't reasoning.........it's insane!!"
If Battler had at least been seriously injured and writhing in the mud, ......Erika might still have had some ground to stand on.
She might have been able to claim that Kinzo couldn't have jumped down with his old body and gotten away unscathed.

......However, Battler stood calmly in the courtyard, looking up at Erika with the dignity of the victor.
"Everyone, I, ...I'll ask one more time. ......This is...impossible, right? There's no way a human could jump down from a third story and land unharmed...!! Isn't that right, everyone...?! Much less Kinzo-san jumping down from the third floor at his age!! This isn't reasoning!!"
Erika tried to get everyone's agreement and somehow turn things around, ......but their responses were no different from how they had been a short while ago.
"No, it would be possible for Kinzo-san."
"I wouldn't put it past Father."
"This is Father we're talking about......"
"There're plenty of crazy stories about that man. Somethin' like this wouldn't surprise me at all."
"Wh, ......what.........?!! I, ...is there something wrong in your heads, in your minds, people?!?!"
"At any rate, ......it looks like your closed room argument wasn't perfect."
"Ah, ......gggrrrrrrrrggh...!!"
Not only the servants, but the family members also agreed.
They all agreed that there was nothing strange about Kinzo jumping down from a third floor window.

J, just who in the world...is this Ushiromiya Kinzo person...?!!
"Well, I'll give you 60 points... Kinzo would have done it with a bit more flash in his younger days. It needs some more tweaking."
"Oh, and how much should it be tweaked?"
"W, well... Umm, ......h, he might have jumped down with me in h, his arms!"
"Got it. Next time, I'll jump down with you in my arms."
"I, ......if you think you can, just try and do it..."
Beato's voice grew very faint, and she gulped.
Then, her body suddenly became a group of gold butterflies and crumbled away.
It was because many people had rushed up to the window, and she was being bathed with gazes filled with the anti-magic toxin.
Beato's body became invisible to them and melted into the air...

So to their eyes, it appeared that Battler was standing all alone out in the courtyard...
"Battleeeeeeeeer!! You okaaaaaaaaay?!!"
"I, it looks like he's alright...! Thank goodness!"
"......I have LOST.........In that case, for the benefit of those people in the study as well, ......deliver the final blow to ME. Use your final blue truth to show how Kinzo escaped from the closed room of that STUDY."
There was no pain in Dlanor's expression.

...Pleasure and pain never showed up on her face in the first place.
However, she used her long sword as a crutch as she painfully rose to her feet, so it was easy to tell that she had taken heavy damage.

And despite her lack of an expression, you could tell that this was a loss she could accept.
Battler and Dlanor turned to face each other.
"Here I go."
"Yes, COME. ............"
As though readying herself, Dlanor quietly closed her eyes, but she still stood tall and maintained her air of dignity.
"This is my blue truth."
The blue power gathered.
......Battler slowly approached Dlanor.

Then, he faced the rainy sky and yelled out the blue truth.
"Ushiromiya Kinzo escaped from the study through the window when Natsuhi oba-san couldn't see him. Natsuhi oba-san didn't notice and locked the window. This way, Natsuhi oba-san saw Grandfather go to bed, and Grandfather was able to escape from the study without contradicting the lock of the window or the door sealed by the receipt. I have just demonstrated that it was physically possible for him to escape. Therefore, this battle is over!!"
The blue wedge flashed through the courtyard along with a blue bolt of lightning, and roared down towards Dlanor's forehead as she stared up at the sky.
"............ah."
".........Beato's game isn't easy. It's even doubtful whether the fallbacks of the mystery genre even work here. Your swordsmanship isn't bad, but you should be a bit more flexible in your thinking."
......A massive blue wedge which looked like a pillar......was above Dlanor's forehead......and had stopped with its tip just slightly touching her.

It didn't run her through.
......It made no mark larger than being poked with a pencil.
When Battler snapped his fingers, the blue wedge shattered and became a shower of translucent gems, .........no, drops of rain that poured down over the courtyard.

Dlanor sat down in an absent sort of way...
Amidst the thunder and rain, the successor to the Ushiromiya family faced the people staring down from the study and......spread his arms wide...
".........Welcome to Beato's and my game. Welcome, Furudo Erika......!"
"Ahhaha, ...............Ahhahhahhahha, kahhahhahhahhahha...!! I like it, Ushiromiya Battler...! <Good>, truly <good>...!! Ahhahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha...!! I'll chew it to bits, this riddle of the witch...!! All the way deep into its guts while it's still alive!! Ahhahhahhahhahhahahahahehyahhahahahha!!"
Battler and Beato both looked calmly up at Erika, who couldn't contain that evil laugh......
"Ohhohohohohohohoho, ooohohohohohohohohyahhyaaaahhh!! Ah, this is good stuff!! Erika, that was so laaaame, ehihhahhahahahahahahahaha!!"
"G......gah......... L, Lady Bernkastel.........M, my apolo...gies......"
"That face of yours. ......It's so incredibly laughable that I'd like to smash it and put a frame around it. *giggle*giggle*giggle*giggle*, my double is so...pathetic, pathetic, lame, lame, heheheheheheheehehehehihhhihihihihihhihahahyhahahahahahaha!!"
Bathed in the sneers of Bernkastel, the being who was like a mother to her, ......Erika was so ashamed that it looked as though she'd chew her lower lip to pieces...
"......This......resentment...will definitely.........definitely......... Gwaaaaaaahhh......!! Ushiromiya Battler.........Beatrice............Ushiromiya............Natsuhiiiiiiiiiii........iihhihihihihihihihihi...!! Hihyahhahahahahahahaahahaaah!!"
"This riddle is ours. ......I won't let anyone get in the way...!! Beatrice!!"
"Y, ......yes!"

Effects:
- USHIROMIYA BATTLER!!!! >(!!!!! BEATRICE!!! >(!!!

Comments

[itsalluseless]

hey

hey erika

u mad?

[thinkoutsidethebox]

SHUT UP!!! YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW ANYTHING!!!

[itsalluseless]

why you sound like you're mad :3c