image [https://i.imgur.com/AMmuOWl.jpeg]

----------------------------------------

October has barely begun when a letter is sent to the police station in Lière, a country to the east of Belium. It's here that 'XIII', the legendary criminal who's been on the loose for over a decade, is about to appear. Again and again, he defies the police and numerous detectives from all over the world — especially Belium — and yet he has never been caught. There have been times when they've come close, but 'XIII' continues to kill without changing his methods': defying the police and perhaps one or other private detective, rightly warns the police by letter where and when he intends to get rid of his targets, and also continues to eliminate only the 'scum' of society. After all, 'XIII' keeps eliminating only 'horrible' people with corrupted hearts. It's for this very reason that part of the world loves 'XIII' enormously. Some see him as a true vigilante, others as an idol. Some see him as God, others as Satan. Opinions are mixed and divided, even creating conflict in some relationships.

This time it was Deshya who was chosen by 'XIII'. Thanks to her performance during the 'FEDER' hotel affair, she was spotted by this legendary criminal, who wanted to challenge her for the first time. After her father's agreement — especially as both the Lière and Tetazo police chiefs requested that Deshya go — she was able to accept 'XIII's' "offer" and go to the wedding of 'Rosaline Monneige' and 'Sam Strife': it was then and there that the murders were to be committed. Deshya also meets 'Ei Anisato', a detective in Lière, 'Shinpei Kioru', a world-famous police detective who is often placed on 'XIII' cases and who also comes from Lière, and 'Mohammed Breizan', a local police doctor with black dreadlocks. It's with them that Deshya hopes to stop 'XIII' today — at least prevent him from killing anyone — including her father, who stayed by her side…

Unfortunately, 'Kiara Gommon', the bride's best friend, is killed. This happens after the wedding ceremony, when all the guests are at the 'AzureView' restaurant. After sending a message to Rosaline, telling her that she needs help on the roof, Kiara lands with a crash on the terrace, visible to all the guests from the large windows. French windows on the first floor. Mohammed quickly confirms that she did indeed die on impact, falling from the roof. They know that 'XIII' hasn't finished with the murders, as he's been using the plural in his letters.

And it was only a little later that 'Rampo Cention' was killed in the men's toilet. What's more, the two policemen behind the men's and women's toilets are found asleep by a special dart, fired from the gun they found much further away. Deshya eventually concludes that 'XIII' has run away out of disappointment with the performance of the police and herself, the detective chosen by 'XIII' for this investigation. However, before leaving and accepting her lack of smartness, she asks 'Mina Matze', one of the waitresses at the 'AzureView' restaurant, to quickly search the kitchen in the hope of finding a clue as to where Kiara had been hidden. She accepts without too much trouble and accompanies him there. Deshya begins to search a little here and there before Shinpei arrives in turn. After a short chat between the two of them, Deshya changes the meaning of her smile and turns to Mina.

- Isn't that right, Mina— well, 'XIII'?

CHAPTER 53

⎾Legendary Criminel VS Deshya: First Meeting ; Conclusion of a Challenge⏌

- ... S-Sorry?

Mina blinks at the ginger-hair girl, confusion legible in her eyes.

- Me... 'XIII'?

Deshya nods and Shinpei locks the door behind him with a sigh.

- You fooled me, Deshya Oveja.

He lets go of these words before returning with a smile on his face, one amused and happy.

- However, I'm delighted. I was honestly afraid you'd been pressured.

- Ahah, surely not.

Deshya shakes her head and takes a step back, watching Mina with her blue eyes.

- I have a goal in life that will surely be even more complex than understanding the tricks of 'XIII'.

That's right: find out why she looks the way she does. Where her fox ears and tail come from. Who's behind these attributes? Where was she during the 5 months she was missing? Why was she released? What caused her amnesia. Is the death — the "suicide" — of the doctor who analyzed her related to her attributes or a coincidence…?

Everything to do with her 'new identity'. Her appearance in this new World.

Learning the truth is bound to be complex. Even if not actively, she's been searching for over two years to find out what happened. She wants to know if she can confess the truth to her friends, or if she should keep the secret under her sweater. To know whether Korone is connected to her story or not. To understand everything that revolves around her.

And all this is more complicated than solving a single murder.

The mystery she wants to solve is her own.

- Your goal...?

Shinpei asks intriguingly, but Mina just squints without replying. Deshya runs a hand over her forehead to remove the few hairs in front of her eyes and shakes her head gently.

- Whatever. I wasn't lying: I think I can be disappointing sometimes. I don't know if I deserve the rank of genius, but I'll make sure I do.

She points at Mina with her index finger, raising her thumb... as if she were making a pistol. A gesture made by 'Maruno Uffite' when he spoke with the man who tried to murder the Deroom family.

- But I'm going to accept it today. Maybe I'll start to believe it.

She shows her white teeth to the woman in front of her or rather, the man disguising himself as a waitress.

- I accept today that I am Deshya Oveja, the fox eared detective, but also a genius. One who has understood your tricks, God of all Criminals.

She raises her index finger, pretending to pull, imitating the sound of his mouth.

- And who shot on your disguise to reveal the reality.

- …

Mina continues to remain silent, having stopped swinging her feet. Shinpei remains standing by the doors, arms crossed, but looking at Deshya.

- Well, Deshya.

- Ahah, sorry... I couldn't be as stylish as my friend…

She thought of the words he'd hurled at 'Axel Lymenn' that day, when he'd confessed to her that he wanted to send her to hell before it was prison, but she hadn't managed to speak in such an 'unbelievable' way as he had.

However—

- I'm telling the truth. I don't want to get a big head, I don't want to be someone who overestimates myself, but maybe if I accept that deep down I'm a genius for my age, that maybe I can outdo police detectives or adult private investigators, then I'll get better. So…

Then perhaps she'll understand the truth of her attributes one day. It's not by stooping or refusing to mount the podium offered to her that she'll succeed in reaching the heavens. Reach the truths that are even higher, that seem as distant as the stars as small as a pixel in the vault of heaven. What's more, she's proud of herself right now, because she's certain of one thing:

- I understand your tricks, your disguises, your lies, 'XIII'. Don't underestimate me," she says.

Mina frowns as she stares at the girl in front of her, but eventually sighs as she turns her face to Shinpei.

- And you're following her?" she asks.” 'XIII' is surely around or has fled, and yet you remain in this kitchen listening to this girl.

- You say she's just a girl, but she was chosen by you, by 'XIII' as the private investigator on this case. You'd never invite someone you didn't consider a good adversary.

Shinpei smiled as he looked at Deshya.

- She may be a teenager, but it seems that her mind works perfectly. She understood before I did, and I'm ashamed of my performance.

Mina is about to stand up and speak, but Shinpei forces her to remain seated. She frowns.

- Why are you so sure of yourselves that I'm 'XIII'?" she asks.” Are you idiots?

- For a woman described as cute, shy and almost too passive by Rosaline, you sure show some bite," teases the dark-haired detective.

- I don't mind being passive and not getting angry very often, but I do have the right to defend myself, don't I...?

- That goes without saying.

Shinpei approves, crossing his arms, unable to reply to this. Deshya sits down on the table behind her, making sure not to crush anything she shouldn't, ensures that her fluffy fox tail isn't flattened by her own pelvis and then speaks again.

- Anyway, we can find out whether I'm right or not simply by searching you... as well as proving that you weakly flinch your knees to walk. That way, you look smaller.

- You talk a lot, but can I ask why?” asks the waitress.” Besides, you told everyone he ran away.

- Don't play dumb.

Deshya shakes her head as if in disbelief; perhaps a sign of disappointment at this 'woman's' futile resistance?

- You understand very well now that I pretended to be disappointed, sad and even depressed only so I could be alone with you here — well, Shinpei understood my sign, so…

- Not only did I understand your sign, come to think of it, I also think I know how it all happened. If 'XIII' is Mina... Then I think I'll be able to deduce everything in turn," Shinpei cuts her off.

The detective was proud to have understood, but he was even prouder of Deshya for having done so before him. He's astonished too, but he hadn't underestimated Deshya for a second: that's why he'd been so astonished when she offered her 'deduction' to the room. If that had really been what she'd believed, that she'd succumbed to the pressure of the situation, then he'd have considered having overestimated her; here, she was proving him wrong. Even with what he thought of her, he even thinks he dared to underestimate her. Successfully luring 'XIII' here by playing an act of borderline perfection, even deceiving her father… Shinpei wouldn't dare to doubt her competence ever again. All he wants to know now is how she thinks the murders happened. Maybe she's come to the conclusion that 'XIII' is Mina and she's got it right, but she doesn't have the right plan for the murders in her head. That she's arrived at the answer by taking the wrong paths, using decoys. He doesn't think so, but he's waiting to hear the truth from the redheaded teenager.

- ... Uuuh…

Mina sighs and shakes her head.

- If you're so sure I'm 'XIII', then do I at least have the right to know why you think so? How could the murders have been committed if I were this criminal's disguise?" asks the waitress.” Do I have the right to learn the answers, or do you want to jump on me, rip the skin off my face and hope it's a disguise?

Deshya doesn't know if it's boredom or amusement she hears in 'Mina's' voice, but if she's right and it's 'XIII' in disguise, then she's sure he's amused and probably happy to know that Deshya hasn't given up. That she's played him. However, she knows there's 'something' missing from her words: her deduction. Her reasoning. The truth of this case. Of these two murders. Deshya turns her face to Shinpei, who shrugs.

- If we're right and the woman next to us is 'XIII', jumping on her to try and catch her won't do any good. Finally, he'll just run away without having the answers to these questions, which will disappoint him.

Shinpei therefore gives Deshya permission to talk about her reasoning for having arrived at the answer that 'XIII' is disguised as 'Mina Matze'. Of course, Shinpei wants to know if they've both understood the same thing, but buying time works in their favor. Even if Mina doesn't seem to be on her guard, Shinpei knows that the very moment he lunges at her, she'll make an easy escape. Shinpei isn't very muscular or strong, so if this 'waitress' really is 'XIII', he'll never be able to keep ‘her’ in his embrace. If it were Ei instead, then it would be something else. Either way, buying a little time is to their advantage.

- That's fine by me," Deshya says with a faint smile.

Still sitting in front of 'XIII', she agrees to reveal her deduction. Despite her rather confident and teasing air, she's actually happy that Shinpei and 'XIII' are letting her talk. She's so proud of having understood, so she would have been so sad if she couldn't 'take pleasure' in this way.

- First, you make sure that 'Mina Matze', the waitress you disguise, can't come to the party. Since she had to work here for the food and all that, she couldn't come to the wedding ceremony, so you stayed here and helped the others. You knew very well that the police officers weren't just going to suspect the guests, but also the restaurant staff, however, that didn't matter to you, given what you had planned.

Mina listens attentively, her gaze fixed on the girl's face, her arms crossed.

- Your whole plan took place here, at the restaurant, so you didn't have to prepare anything during the ceremony. It's sweet of you to let them get married in peace.

Deshya teases 'XIII' by taking on a slightly more childish voice, wagging her fox tail back and forth to taunt him. Shinpei doesn't know if it's because she knows that 'XIII' never hurts detectives or if she just wants to let off steam, but he's rather surprised to see her acting this way. However, Shinpei can't deny that he's already taunted 'XIII' in this way... a few times. However, it's not really his style, but when he's very happy with his plan or his own intelligence, he can let that side come out.

- Disguised as Mina, the waitress, you spot me, make sure you bring bread because if it's drinks or anything that stains, it would really look strange and I'd have to change, which was exactly what you didn't want me to do. You come across me and obviously I'll make sure you haven't placed anything inside my hood or anywhere else like in my pockets. But…

Deshya smiles and shakes his head.

- But then, I guess you're not just a genius at disguises…

She fiddles in her hair before grabbing something and ends up showing it to the two adults in front of her in her open palm.

- Looks like you're a genius at hiding little microphones in other people's hair.

This was what Shinpei had understood from Deshya's sign: 'XIII' had hidden such a thing on her. She'd checked her sweater after Mina had fallen on her, but Deshya hadn't thought to check her hair. It was by chance that she'd felt it while thinking, rubbing bits of her hair. Thanks to this, she was able to understand the ruses behind Rampo's murder, and this 'unlocked the truth' of Kiara's murder. That's how she also assumed that 'XIII' was Mina. The latter sighs again, a faint smile on her face.

- Someone forced me to stumble and I fell on you, Deshya. I'm sure it was 'XIII' who did it for—

- Yes, so that in case I find this microphone, I would think it was you who did it. If I hadn't found it now, but on my way home, then I would have thought of you, "Mina Matze", and maybe I would have realized too late that 'XIII' was still hidden as her. In fact, this case would have been solved no matter what and we would have understood that one of your disguises was 'Mina'? After all, I'm sure that the real 'Mina Matze' is fine at home, and that you've hidden her in her cellar, on her bed or in a cupboard, tying her up so that she can't tell anyone she's still there. You were probably going to tell the police the truth after you left tonight, weren't you?

- …

Mina says nothing.

- Today was just a test. A test to get a better idea of my skills. Would I have been able to understand in time, after you revealed yourself as 'Mina Matze', or would I have been blocked? Could I have solved the case before Shinpei or after? You got to know me through the FEDER hotel case and the fact that I solved murders and a kidnapping in September, but that wasn't enough to keep up with your tricks. However, sorry, 'XIII'.

She smiles broadly.

- You've just made me realize that I really am a genius. Not one who can't get any better, but one who's just going to get even better.

Mina opened her eyes wide, but quickly squinted.

- I can see you are getting a really big ego..." laughs "Mina" gently.

- Nothing at all. If I get a 10/10 on a test, does saying I was good mean I'm getting a big ego? If I manage to score several goals during a soccer match and say I've been very useful to the team, does that mean I consider myself superior to the others? I'm just facing reality.

She crosses her legs.

- I used to have trouble with the word 'genius', even though I accept it better than Tessa or Maruno, but now I can only think that, deep down, I am. Thank you for allowing me to accept myself as such, 'XIII'.

- Still saying I'm 'XIII', but if you think I'm this criminal just for that, then sorry, but you're just an idiot who's been manipulated.

Mina smiles in turn, having not moved from her seat, still seated next to Shinpei, who prepares to press the button on her walkie-talkie in an instant if need be. Mina crosses her arms, shaking her head in amusement.

- I hope it's not just that, your deduction. Otherwise…

Deshya waves her hand in front of her.

- This is just the beginning. If I thought you were 'XIII' just for that, then I'd feel pathetic. I'm not that stupid.

She therefore resumes her deduction.

- You continue to act like 'Mina Matze' until your first victim, 'Kiara Gommon', goes to the toilet. You must have put something in her drink to force her to go to the bathroom quickly, as you were waiting in the ladies' room at the time. You put Kiara to sleep by knocking her out, but since Ei had also come to check on her, you had to do the same with her. However, this wasn't a bad thing for you.

- I saw Kiara following you on the search. How could it have been me? Besides, when she fell from the roof, I was in the restaurant on the first floor with all of you," Mina defends herself.

- These are your tricks.

Deshya almost cuts her off, starting her sentence right at the end of Mina's. Deshya continues.

- You hide your Mina disguise in the ladies' toilets, probably somewhere you've prepared in advance, or in one of the tanks emptied in advance. I have to admit I can't say it like that, but we're bound to find a possible place to hide this disguise. Anyway... You disguised yourself as Kiara then.

- It's not possible," admits Mina.

She laughs softly before showing her teeth behind her big smile.

- I've been following your story a bit and it seems that Kiara wasn't in the bathroom, nor was anyone else. How could I have done it, if it's really me 'XIII'?

- May I respond, Lady Deshya?

Shinpei asks her as she watches, and the girl nods, a little embarrassed: that this detective known to all should ask such permission... Does she really deserve such respect?

- Honestly, you threw us for a loop. Well done, 'XIII'," says Shinpei, turning his face to the waitress.

- I beg your pardon?

Shinpei smiles.

- With Ei asleep inside the toilet, you didn't have to worry about anyone seeing you. There's always the possibility that another woman might come into the bathroom and see your ruse, but I'm sure you would have found a way out. After putting on Kiara's disguise, you did something simple: you took her out of the bathroom window, dropping her into the container outside. Of course, you had opened the lid beforehand and there was a blanket placed there on purpose, preventing Kiara from smelling or being covered in garbage.

- Disappointing…

Mina sighs and uncrosses her arms, frowning.

- Even if it seems logical, didn't you police look inside during the search?" she asks.” From what I hear, Kiara looked inside and Ei checked at the same time. Are you saying I made it disappear or that the cover was an invisibility cloak? And what, I got it from Albus Dumbledore?

She laughs at the two detectives beside her, but it's no use: it's clear from watching them that they're totally convinced of what they're saying.

- No, of course not. It's even simpler," admits Shinpei.

He smiled softly.

- Disguised as Kiara, you made sure no one could see and quickly passed Kiara to the other side again, sending her into women's toilets.

Mina frowns, but Shinpei doesn't stop.

- ‘XIII' is known for having great strength, so if luck was on your side, then you weren't seen by anyone. No one was in the bathroom at the time, so you could execute your plan without worry. What's more, if anyone had to go to the bathroom, you were certain that the police would have forced them into the upstairs one, since we wouldn't have wanted anyone in the ground-floor one. After all, we didn't want anyone polluting the ladies' toilets, since we had to look for clues and leads. If anyone else went into the toilets after Mina's supposed disappearance, then that would have been a problem for us. Anyway, with this certainty in mind, you sent Kiara back into the toilet, quickly closed the lid and then pretended to look inside to prove to Ei and the other policeman that nobody was in there. In this way, the possibility of Kiara being 'XIII' becomes impossible, given that nobody saw Kiara coming out of the ladies' room when Ei passed out.

- You pretended to hear Mina screaming so that you could continue with your plan and disperse everyone a little, but it was mainly to save time. In reality, even if we'd all stayed inside, you could have carried on with your plan without too much trouble. Above all, you made sure that the ladies' toilets became a place inaccessible to anyone and you sent Kiara back there to continue your plan," adds Deshya.” You returned to the bathroom through the corridor, making sure no one saw you, after leaving Ei's group, and continued with your plan. Given the size of the window, I don't think someone as muscular and wide as 'XIII' could get through it, so you had no choice but to take the corridor in a hurry. A risky plan, but with so many policemen around, if you were just going to place Kiara in the garbage cans, run to look for her and kill her on the roof, it's certain that someone would have seen you and your ruse wouldn't have worked.

Deshya sighs, but keeps smiling.

- You're so intent on creating complex, intricate situations to solve when you could kill your victims without a single trick behind it and no one would be able to stop you. You're crazy.

- …

Mina answers nothing, Shinpei listening in. Noticing that she's spoken so much, Deshya apologizes to the detective and lets her speak, but he smiles as he confesses that he wants to hear the rest of her mouth. She blushes embarrassedly, but clears her throat and continues.

- In fact, one of the policemen said he heard a noise just before you and Ei came out of the bathroom. The lid of the container also slammed shut on its own with the impact of Kiara's unconscious body in the trash can. What's more, I asked Mohammed for confirmation, but there are traces of waste on his clothes.

- He didn't tell me..." Shinpei says disappointedly.

- Sorry, I had to pretend not to understand to lure 'XIII' here without him suspecting anything…

She scratches her cheek as she speaks, a gesture that seems to be almost a tic for her. Shinpei smiles: he'd understood her 'plan' when she signaled that she had a microphone on her. He could say he's ashamed, but given this girl's intelligence and abilities, he can only take it for granted.

- That's all very well, but…

Mina speaks again.

- Let's pretend all of this is right... and then what? I'm with Kiara in the bathroom, which is great, but what's next? If she'd been found dead there, I can understand you thinking that, but she was thrown off the roof and died instantly, wasn't she? Nobody saw her or me in the corridor, did they? No one who carried a body outside in their arms? Are you going to tell me I threw Kiara through the window again?

- No need.

- I beg your pardon?

- That was the most complicated thing to solve.

Deshya continued to stare "Mina" straight in the eyes.

- Where was 'XIII' now? Still disguised as Kiara? Then someone would have seen him. Did he really take yet another disguise? He couldn't have taken on a dozen disguises, could he? So many questions…

Deshya sighs at the end of his sentence.

- In addition, Rampo was seen with a man, the two of them chatting as they left the restaurant. A policeman stationed outside also appears to have seen them.

- So I thought it was Rampo and 'XIII', both working hand in hand to get rid of Kiara," confesses Shinpei.

- …

Mina remains silent, waiting to find out what they're going to conclude about all this.

- Actually, I forgot one step. Before you even go back to the bathroom... Ah. Ahah.

Deshya shakes her head.

- It was so complex. Seeing Mina in the room, quietly serving a table and right next to us when Kiara died. You really are a weirdo, XIII.

Deshya stares intensely into "Mina's" eyes, a look as annoyed and annoyed as it is amused.

- You woke up the woman you locked in the kitchen after you put Mina's disguise on her and you probably spoke to her in her boss's voice, didn't you?

- !

Mina shows an annoyed expression in turn, one hand tightening.

- You probably asked her to stop resting or loafing, prevented her from understanding the situation and forced her to act quickly. That way, she'd work fast and hopefully no one would say her first name, since few people know her identity. If you make sure she doesn't serve anyone who knows her and might call her 'Mina', then all would be well.

- Why not use Mina herself directly, then?" asks the waitress.

- Because unlike the other woman you used, who's probably still on the reserve further down the road, bringing her here, making her work normally and without her saying anything is complicated. You could have threatened her and forced her to work with you, creating your 'alibi', but that's not your style. You get rid of your garbage and avoid hurting, threatening or doing anything bad to anyone else, right?

- …

- Then you go back to the bathroom, join Kiara and shortly afterwards wake her up.

- Hey, hey!

Mina hits the table beneath her.

- This is ridiculous!" she yells.” If I were to wake her up, then—

- You're really good, XIII.

Shinpei cuts off "Mina" in her sentence and smiles.

- Put a disguise on a waitress to create your alibi... and use the same technique on Kiara.

- !!

Mina opens her eyes wide and Shinpei squints.

- You disguised as 'Rampo' and Kiara as the chestnut-haired man nobody knows. It wasn't you that man, it was Kiara!

- What... What are you talking about?

- You can stop pretending. You're enjoying yourself, aren't you?" asks Shinpei.

- …

Deshya uncrosses her legs to the other side, her gaze not fleeing "Mina's" face.

- It's more or less the same process as with the waitress who's a fake Mina, but differently. It must have been you who called Rampo further on, although I don't know how, and used his identity to wake Kiara up and tell her that she's in danger or that the police have called her. I don't know what you said to manipulate her, but pretending to be Rampo, she followed you without a care in the world. If you'd taken her in your arms and walked out of the restaurant, even disguised as a man, we'd have understood straight away. With the two of you talking normally, it's more complex to understand.

- You really think so?

- Of course. That would explain why Rampo was seen in the hallway with another man no one had recognized, the same man the policeman seems to have seen outside the ladies' room. Well, he saw brown hair inside, so it's safe to assume you were disguised as this man just in case.

- Nonsense.

Mina sighs and shakes her head.

- So I would have taken Kiara up to the roof pretending to be Rampo? Wouldn't a policeman have seen us?

- Everyone was focused on Mina's disappearance, and the outside security wasn't good enough. I'm disappointed with our performance on that," admits Shinpei.

- ... Still!

Mina grits her teeth.

- And if you had spoken with the woman disguised as 'Mina', she who was supposed to have disappeared, you would have understood the ruse straight away, wouldn't you?!

- The message.

- What?

Mina blinks at Deshya, who has just spoken. She pulls out her own phone and shows the microphone she's kept in her hand.

- We went to get 'Mina'. Deshya squints again, clenching her fist.

- Since you were listening in, you knew we were going to talk to 'Mina', so you sent the message to Rosaline to stop us.

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

Shinpei realized this too late. If he had made the connection between the two events, perhaps he could have understood Kiara's murder from A to Z beforehand. However, it could have been a coincidence, and besides, how could he have thought of it when the situation was so complicated? He can't blame himself, although he feels he's a bit behind the times today. He can't always be at the top of his game, but he's still disappointed. Fortunately, Deshya is there.

- I would have understood anyway, but maybe a little after everyone else had left..." thinks Shinpei.

He has no doubts about that. He has confidence in his own abilities and his intelligence is above average, as he well knows. His problem is that he sometimes misses certain almost invisible details... Something Deshya seems to know how to do very well. This is surely his strength.

- So we couldn't talk to Mina, and since we thought she was the real Mina, we took her out of the list of suspects when we saw Kiara die in front of our eyes while she was still in the restaurant with us. Afterwards, you put her back to sleep, her part played. I don't know what route you took back inside, but I'm convinced that's how Kiara's murder happened. You stunned Kiara on the roof to stop her letting off steam, then pushed her off the roof as you fled. You also used your voice to shout for help and scream when she fell, although I confess I don't necessarily know why. Was it to draw our attention outside or to make us think she was still awake?

Mina didn't answer right away, but eventually sighed heavily... finally dropping a smile.

- I did it to make fun of her. So that 'Rampo', who was further away, could hear her…

"Mina" places a hand on her face…

And rips it off in front of the detectives, showing its real face: a man with blond hair.

- Because she was a piece of shit," concludes 'XIII'.

No longer denying the truth, he shows his true face to the detectives, with Deshya speechless. However, she quickly shakes her head and returns to her serious, smiling self.

- I knew it.

- I have to admit I had a lot of fun acting, but it didn't seem to do any good after all," the blond man let out.” May I ask how I killed 'Rampo', then~?

He licks his lips and smiles, staring at Deshya in a peculiar way. It’s not like a creepy way, but rather... as if he's ready to laugh with joy. It's a peculiar look, but it doesn't disturb Deshya, who speaks directly, accepting 'XIII's' 'request'.

- You're back as Mina and you already know what happened, so you can stay on the first floor. Since the police had to talk to the cooks and waiters, you had a little more room to hide the fake 'Mina' in the storeroom or somewhere nearby. What's more, since the kitchen is large and you can get in through the back too, you don't even have to be seen by everyone.

- I came in through the back, I admit it," says 'XIII'.” If I came through here and a cook saw me with the woman I was using to make it look like 'Mina' was in the restaurant, I don't think I could have stayed here.

He's not ashamed to talk about it, with an amused expression on his face. The scene is almost unreal: 'XIII' still has the waitress outfit on, chatting quietly with 'Shinpei Kioru', a detective who's doing everything to stop him, and 'Deshya Oveja', a 16-year-old girl in a fox sweater who'd never dreamed she'd be here just a few weeks before. No, even the day before yesterday, she wouldn't have believed she could be here.

- Somehow, you get 'Rampo' to drink or eat a laxative or medicine that forces him to go to the bathroom, you wait for him there and when Rampo goes to the pot, you knock him out. You don't kill him, but you make sure he can't make a sound.

- Hm, hm, and then~? You're going to say I disguised myself as Rampo and joined you, then? How do you explain that there was no one in his cabin?" asks XIII.

He looks almost like a child who wants to know what's going to happen next, yet he knows exactly what's going to happen next. Deshya has the feeling that if she makes the slightest mistake in her deduction, she'll be beheaded by 'XIII' in an instant... Disappointing him isn't going to upset her to the point where he'll kill her, she knows, but that's the impression she's getting right now.

- The Rampo who joined us was clearly you. At first, I couldn't believe it, since you continued the conversation directly, as if it were still the real Rampo, but when I realized that you could hear everything we were saying through the microphone in my hair, it was simple to understand. That microphone... how powerful is it?" asks Deshya.

- I could hear Rampo properly from where you were, so I'm proud of it. Well, even if I ask you to give it back, you won't, so I'll have to buy some more," replies XIII.

Deshya tucks it away in her pocket as she sticks out her tongue, letting him know he's right: she's not going to give it back. She doubts there'll be any fingerprints or anything on it, especially since if Deshya hadn't noticed it now, she'd surely have seen it in the mirror as she brushed her teeth tonight or showered before bed. She has no doubt that Korone would have noticed it too.

- And how do you explain Rampo disappearing~?” asks 'XIII'.

- It's as simple as that: you put it in the cabin next door. You made sure the door was closed and all you had to do was get in through the top, it's not like it's a locked room either.

- Eeeh…

- You came back as 'Rampo', stayed a while and pretended you had a big errand to run, making us think you might have ingested some laxative. Quickly, you moved 'Rampo' back into the cabin where he should have been, woke him up, killed him with a knife through the heart, making sure we understood that he was still awake when it happened, moved back into the other cabin, you put on a man's disguise and emerge from the bathroom as if you were a sick person. Then you change back into your 'Mina' disguise and make your way back to the great hall without 'Mina' seeming to have disappeared. Of course, before leaving the bathroom, you put 'Rampo's' howl of pain that we've heard as a ringtone on his phone, make sure it's on vibrate, put it between his two legs that you've spread and make sure he's this close to falling into the toilet tank if he's shaking. You probably unlocked his phone with your finger while he was still unconscious, or after you'd killed him, since fingerprint detection still works a bit after someone's dead. You call him a little later, making sure that it's not too late for Mohammed to understand that the murder took place several minutes ago, and the phone falls into the water, rendering it unusable and so you can't tell that he was called just before, nor that the ringtone has been reprogrammed to be his scream. The latter is surely one you've prepared in advance too, isn't it, 'XIII'?

She speaks again and again, each word lighting up a new star in the criminal's eyes.

- Of course, you also put the cops outside to sleep to make it look like you got out, but that was futile," adds Shinpei.” What's more, you let yourself be lured here by Deshya's acting…

- Ahahah!!

‘XIII' starts laughing and stands up clapping, taking a step closer to the teenager and looking at her without stopping laughing. Shinpei frowns and touches the walkie-talkie, but 'XIII' waves a hand in the air.

- There's no point in calling in the troops of police outside the door and behind the kitchen, my friend Shinpei," says 'XIII'.

- !!!

The detective grits his teeth.

- Is he suspecting it or does he knows...?" he wonders.

‘XIII' admires the girl in front of him, who is beginning to feel the pressure of his presence, but continues to act as if she has the upper hand. She knows very well that this is not the case, but she's also certain that this criminal isn't going to do anything to her.

- Deshya... Oveja, eh?

- This is me.

- I'm impressed. I didn't expect this much. Not this quickly.

‘XIII' chuckles before sticking out his tongue.

- I can't wait to see you again, little fox.

With that, Shinpei quickly grabs his walkie-talkie and orders all the policemen directly into the kitchen. The doors slam shut and 'XIII' turns around, smiling.

- You'll never be able to catch me without hurting me, Shinpei Kioru.

- !

And suddenly, smoke pours out of 'XIII's' body, blinding everyone in the room.

- ?!!

The policemen rush towards 'XIII', not sure where he is yet, Deshya jumping off the table to join Shinpei, avoiding being attacked by mistake. The smoke gradually disappears, as the policemen hold their pistols in their hands, searching for 'XIII' with their eyes. When the smoke has cleared…

The criminal is no longer visible.

- Maybe he's disguised as one of you!" shouts Shinpei.

He grabs his walkie-talkie and frowns.

- Ei! Did 'XIII' or anyone else just leave the restaurant?!

The inspector checking from the roof observes the surroundings, but…

- No one seems to have come out. Can you confirm this?

She addresses all the other police officers watching outside, but no one responds positively.

Shinpei grits his teeth: 'XIII' is one of the policemen in front of them.

However—

- S-Shinpei!

A policeman runs outside with his walkie-talkie in hand, shouting inside.

- ‘XIII' is seen outside! He's running west towards the lake!

- Confirm it! You stay here!

The detective first shouts into his walkie-talkie before addressing the policemen in front of him. Deshya stays by his side, scanning the kitchen to see if she can find anything with her eyes. However, she can't see anything... No disguise on the floor that he would have thrown away to replace it with that of a policeman. Besides, how could he have done it in such a short space of time? He may be a 'god' in disguise, but it seems almost... impossible. He's no 'Kaito Kid' either.

A few minutes later, 'XIII''s escape was confirmed by several policemen, as well as Ei herself. The policemen who were in the kitchen were all searched and their skins gently pulled to check it wasn't a disguise, but unfortunately…

- ‘XIII' ran away. Tsk!

Ei clicks her tongue and crosses her arms. Shinpei and Mohammed are sitting next to her, but unlike the woman, they show a slightly less disappointed, not annoyed, expression.

- He escapes again and again..." says the doctor.

- Even luring him into the kitchen didn't do any good, it seems," smiled Shinpei, looking at Deshya.” It wasn't a bad plan at all, he was just one step ahead of us.

Exactly: a secret passage leading outside had been dug into the floor, hidden by one of the kitchen's many tiles. He escaped through it quickly, the view of the police and the two detectives obscured by the smoke. If they'd had more time on their hands, they'd surely have checked the interior of the restaurant from top to bottom, just to make sure this kind of plan wasn't possible.

- Is that why he sent his letter so late...?" wondered Deshya

It would make sense. She sighed and sat down beside the bride and groom. The room is almost empty of guests, with one or two who have agreed to stay to reassure Rosaline and Sam.

- It wasn't the worst wedding, but I must admit…

Rosaline scratches her cheek.

- If I wasn't so happy to finally be Sam's wife, I think I'd have burst into tears. On the other hand, Kiara... Rampo…

Escaping from the kitchen, 'XIII' left an envelope on the table where Deshya had been sitting: the one that explained the reason for the two murders. Kiara and Rampo were working together to try to lull the bride and groom to sleep tonight and rape them while taking compromising photos. Afterwards, they planned to blackmail them by demanding money, or else they'd show the photos to their partner. An evil plan. However, it seems there's more to it than just this plan: Kiara had already harassed several boys at college by pretending to agree to go out with them or have sex with them, then saying it was without consent. Rampo would have heard this girl's rumors and decided to make money by manipulating people around them thanks to Kiara's intelligence and acting. In short, 'garbage', as 'XIII' so aptly puts it. Rosaline and Sam were very saddened to hear the news, but they feel they've had a narrow escape.

- Is it wrong to say that we were almost lucky that Kiara and Rampo died...?" asks Rosaline, her eyes showing only sadness and shame.

No one answers, but Gatito finally speaks up.

- Even the worst waste doesn't deserve the incinerator. It can always be recycled. But it's understandable that we're glad to be rid of it.

Rosaline looks at him attentively... and finally smiles. Deshya pats his father's ribs with a teasing smile.

- Will you be writing poems soon?

- Shut up. We're going home. Both of us.

Gatito grabs his daughter by the sweater and lifts her from her chair, taking her in one arm as if she were just a bag. She struggles, moaning in embarrassment, but Shinpei just laughs.

- We'll meet again one day, Lady Deshya.

The girl opens her eyes wide and turns her head towards the detective, who smiles at her.

- Our dear 'XIII' seemed to like you. If we don't succeed in catching him in the next few weeks... Perhaps he will contact you again. I'm sure we'll meet again," he says.

- Next time, we won't let him get away.

- That goes without saying.

He nods politely. Gatito places his daughter on the floor and pats her head.

- I'll be waiting in the car.

He leaves her to chat for a while before walking away, hiding his hands in his pockets, and exits the room. Deshya smiles, but quickly turns her face back to the Lière policemen.

- Thanks for everything, anyway," says Deshya.

- We've done nothing to deserve such an honor. Thanks to you for understanding his tricks before I did," smiled Shinpei.

- I've been pretty bad..." sighs Ei.” Next time, I won't let you knock me out!

- Still on about it, Ei?" chuckles Mohammed.

- Without it, maybe we could have saved the victims!

They all start laughing together, Sam watching them with a small smile.

- You can laugh in spite of what happened…

- Don't get us wrong: we're not trying to be rude. The investigation is now over, and if we're not joking about such a tragedy, there's nothing to say that our hearts won't sink," replies Shinpei, turning her gaze towards him.

Deshya fully understands what he means and thinks the same. She can't just let herself be affected by every murder she comes across. In just one month, she's already come across a lot of investigations. Unless she's been very unlucky for no reason, one thing is certain: she's going to come across murders again. Kidnappings. Maybe worse, maybe 'cuter' or 'quieter' mysteries. She doesn't know if it's life that's decided to have fun with her or if she was always destined to become a 'detective', but Deshya will solve whatever comes her way: because she's the genie with the fox ears. Just as she thought before, she needs to improve again and again to eventually find out the truth about her fox-like attributes.

- Maybe I'll have to start looking into it a bit more from now on..." she thinks.

She lives her life as a normal teenager — or at least she tries to -- but at the moment, it seems that life isn't accepting her. The murders that have fallen into her lap aren't the only reason she feels this way: Korone's arrival in her life also plays a big part. Whoever was the man who abducted her to talk to her... must also be connected with her; with Deshya. If she can find the slightest lead on him, manage to talk to him or find out his identity... Plus, she's also thinking about the man in the eagle hood who seems to be the one who killed the man with the sniper who almost shot Korone.

- Sounds like the perfect time to finally learn the truth, doesn't it?

She raises her face to the ceiling, as if talking to a higher entity. She smiles, squinting softly, and clenches her fists.

- Deshya?

The girl looks down apologetically.

- I was thinking about something, sorry," she addresses Ei.

- No problem at all. I hope this experience doesn't traumatize you.

She shakes her head.

- I have two incredible parents, a great little sister and great friends if I need to cry. I also have a psychologist I can count on. I'll be fine.

- That puts my mind at rest," smiles Shinpei.

- Same here, I'm glad. Honestly, I hope that if we meet again, it won't be at a crime scene.

- Considering how lucky I am at the moment, I think it will be!

She giggles to herself, but this amuses the policemen in front of her, as well as the bride and groom. She greets them, but Gatito comes back into the room unannounced.

- Dad?

He walks past her and arrives in front of Shinpei. He goes to question him about his action, but the red haired man offers—

- An envelope?

- It was on the windscreen of my car.

Shinpei looks at it and opens his eyes wide. Ei and Mohammed leaned in before squinting.

- T-This is...!

Deshya and the bride and groom are intrigued, as are the few guests who have stayed behind. Shinpei opens it, checks inside before shaking his head and blowing his nose.

- This 'XIII'... He'll never change.

He sighs and offers the envelope to the bride and groom.

- For you two.

- U-Us?" asks Sam, surprised.

Deshya advances towards the bride and groom, curious to know what the letter contains. However, Gatito takes her by the arm and forces her to follow him. She sulks at first, but seeing the lit-up, emotional expressions on the bride and groom's faces, Deshya calms down and just follows her father out of the restaurant.

- ... This envelope, is it—

- It's from 'XIII'. It says it's his way of apologizing for ruining their wedding.

- …

- There was a sum twice as high as what the wedding had cost them. On the back of the envelope, he wrote 'Use it for an even more sublime wedding, representative of your love'. What an idiot... He pisses me off.

Gatito clenches his fists and Deshya closes one eye, her arm crushed by her father's hand, and he apologizes by letting go of her. He sighs and heads for the car silently, his eyes showing an anger Deshya couldn't understand even if she saw them. Watching her father's back, she smiles.

- A criminal who gives away so much money and apologizes for ruining the party...? ‘XIII'... Hmph.

She smiles with a soft chuckle, turning back to the 'AzureView' restaurant just behind her.

- I hope they can have the best possible wedding.

With these thoughts, she runs to catch up with her father, reaching the car. He starts it up after they've both fastened their seatbelts, and drives off. At first, there's total silence, not even a sound from the radio, but eventually Gatito speaks up:

- Honey, too…

- Yes ?

She turns her face to him, expecting him to talk about the case, but quickly realizes she's mistaken.

- Your mother... Your mother had a nightmare today. If you could stay with her for a while before going to bed, that would be very nice of you.

- …

Deshya answers nothing. Gatito continues driving without moving his gaze from the road, having finished his sentence.

- ... Say, Dad... Why does Mom have nightmares?

- …

- Why is it that when she does it, she doesn't do well?

- ......

- Is it... my fault? Because I'm a fox? Nightmares of when I—

- No, but it's nothing.

- — got…

Gatito cuts her off, clenching his hands on the steering wheel.

- It's not because of you, I promise. She's better than before, but she... she keeps having these nightmares.

- Why can't I know what happened, Dad...? Why can't I?

- …

Gatito sighs softly.

- It's not that you can't know, it's that I'd prefer your mother to forget... If you were to know the truth, then... I don't know, knowing won't help her get better. It's nothing, it's in the past. It must be forgotten. Yes, we'd all better forget it.

- ... ?

However, Deshya doesn't get any more answers. She doesn't insist and looks out of her car window, while the sun has already set on the horizon.

On her way home, Deshya is greeted by her dog and her little sister, followed by her mother, who admits she was getting worried when her husband didn't answer. While taking off his shoes, the red-haired man apologizes.

- I was concentrating on the road when you called me..." he admits.

- It's all right! Did everything go well? Tell me about it around the table!

Fortunately, it seems that Pera is in a better mood than expected. Gatito wonders why, but deep down it reassures him: if even when she's having these nightmares, she can feel good, then he can only be pleased. He doesn't ask her about it, just reminds her what she's been having nightmares about, and walks down the corridor, watching little Korone walking ahead of him.

- Maybe having Korone helps...?" he wonders.

It's not that Pera doesn't love Deshya enough; quite the opposite, in fact. However, Deshya can't stay at home all day, unlike Korone, who doesn't go to school — at least not yet. Pera adores her daughter, as Gatito well knows: it's rare to see her sad when Deshya is at home, after all. She may be more tired or lacking in energy, but not depressed like she is when no one's around. Because of his work, Gatito can't be with his wife as much as he'd like, either. That doesn't mean he's not there enough for her either, just that sometimes he'd like to go home and be able to spend time with her. He can't help it, and changing jobs isn't something he wants to do, so he just accepts it: that's the way the adult world is.

- Did you manage to catch 'XIII'?" asks Pera, sitting down.

They all settle into their chairs and look at the cold dish that has been prepared by the redheaded woman. They quickly help themselves, Korone confessing that she helped a little, which makes her proud. Gatito strokes her hair and admits he can't wait to taste it, which makes the little girl smile even more.

- I could understand 'XIII's' tricks, but unfortunately, we couldn't catch him," Deshya admits. At least, it seems I lived up to his expectations, but he killed both his victims…

She would have preferred to save them, but unfortunately that would have been very complex. Even knowing the link between Kiara and Rampo, there's nothing to say that 'XIII' would have targeted both of them. So Deshya begins to tell a little about the beginning of the affair while eating with her family. She continues to talk, recounting one detail or another that doesn't necessarily concern the affair itself, such as the beauty of the bride and groom, her meeting with Shinpei Kioru or even Ei Anisato, as well as the sublime view of Lake Mille Feux from the AzureView.

- So we didn't know it at the time, but the woman who went to the bathroom was the first target of 'XIII'!" explains Deshya.” She was Rosaline's best friend, but given what we've learned about her, including the evidence provided about her activities... She wasn't very nice. I don't want to speak ill of the dead, but a…

- Real garbage!" says Korone.

- Ahah, yes.

- Oh? And 'XIII' killed her in the bathroom, then?" asks Pera, bringing the fork close to her mouth.

The girl shakes her head.

- XIII' knocked out 'Ei', the inspector, inside, and dragged the body of Kiara, the victim, through the roof.

The sound of a fork falling on a plate.

Deshya looks with confusion at her mother-

- ... K-Ki... Kiara...?

She, having her eyes wide open.

Gatito grits his teeth as he stands up: he hadn't thought of that! Korone blinks, confused. Deshya doesn't understand either, and Pera shakes her head.

- R-Red…

- Honey!

Gatito approaches Pera and pats her shoulder, but makes sure not to shake her. The woman shakes her head even more.

- S-Stop... D-Don’t…

- Deshya, get me a cold towel!

- W-What?

- Come on!

- A-All right!

Without understanding what was going on, she complied. Korone's eyes are filled with incomprehension, and she can see the terror on of Pera’s face.

- STOP!!!!

And she screams, holding her head, tears pouring out.

- Find your truth, the only truth, your only truth…

A certain man sings from the top of a building, sitting on the edge with a parachute on his back. The town of Lière is presented to him in all its splendor, the urban lights painting a magnificent picture.

- Then you will be able to seek what you really want…

The man's blond hair dances calmly in the night breeze.

- Everyday can be a hellish day... or one where angels cry of joy. Eh.

The man smiles and squints, looking ahead with a rather amused expression. With few clouds in the sky and twinkling stars in every corner, the beauty of the night is impossible to deny. A crescent moon, showing its third to the world, shines above the man — from 'XIII'.

- It was fun today. Shinpei was a bit tough with himself, since he'd probably have figured it out in time too. Anyway... Deshya was so interesting.

He cracks his neck.

- He's always so nice, saying he wants to catch me without using violent means. One day, he'll understand that he has no choice. That the only way to stop a monster is with violence... even if it means killing me.

He chuckles again as he thinks about it before standing up and turning around, not using his parachute: he'd thought he'd need it to flee, but it seems he's managed to avoid all the policemen. Now all he had to do was get home. Before descending from the roof through the door, he gazes up at the starry sky with a smile.

- I can't wait to see you again, fox-eared detective... Yes, because…

He shakes his head as he opens the door, an expression that only he can understand.

- Because you are you, Deshya Oveja.