On a dark and stormy night, as the clouds converged and unleashed torrents of rain upon the city, the shroud of mysteries began to dissipate, revealing fragments of the grand conspiracies at play. In the Boss detective's office, Hyde stood frozen in place while facing Midare's back in the darkness. She remained seated and facing away from him she said,

"You must kill Yamiko."

No why, what, or further explanation. It didn't sound real to Hyde. Like a terrible dream—no this was a terrible nightmare. The scene certainly felt similar to the climax of a novel. It was the climax of his reality, but how else was he going to solve this dilemma?

His mind was set on the rain outside. The end of class spelled the end of any remaining normalcy Hyde would have as from here, past those glass doors, was the dreaded path he longed for. The scene he set up prior, yesterday in fact, with Dakota's help and the cowboy thankfully wanted to lend a hand to help relieve the stress put on Hyde's shoulders. Stress all made up—Hyde didn't feel burdened by a thing after Midare gave the command. He was ready for this outcome as his first test to be a true detective, and ready to part from his caretaker's arms to take her place as an adult in life.

His eyes remained locked on the star-shaped sunglasses he had brought to school, a small attempt to conceal the sorrow that weighed on him. Not that anyone would ask him of all people why he was quieter than usual. Each passing second his arm grew more restless to the point where if he merely saw someone with a similar appearance to Yamiko his mind would melt. No one in his school could ever look as elegant and womanly as she did, he didn't have to worry about his hand moving on its own to wrap around her neck and ask "Why?!", that is what he wished to do. Asking her why she intentionally put her life on the line for a test that didn't assess anything. She knew him better than he knew himself, there was no reason to assess his performance any further than what occurred.

Sliding the glasses onto his face, his vision darkened under the lens. He was now prepared to do the unthinkable despite how silly his appearance may have been.

"Um, Hyde?" He heard Mary's voice which sent a chill down his spine. She walked towards him with her arms behind her back, shyly taking step after step to get closer to him at the school's entrance. "Did you… not bring an umbrella?"

"I did." Hyde held up his arm where his transparent umbrella was hooked. It wasn't a practical necessity, considering he was already wearing a yellow raincoat. Instead, it was a fashion statement. This conversation she began was leading to a deadend, since Mary also had her own raincoat.

After a pause she would realize it. "Oh…" She pressed her fingers together trying to come up with a new topic. Her genius was small, and she went for a low hanging fruit. "Why are you carrying an umbrella when you have a raincoat?"

None of your business, he wanted to say as he slid the star-shaped sunglasses onto his face, concealing where his gaze was directed. He was engaged in matters she wouldn't be able to comprehend. "I'm waiting for Dakota." he replied, inadvertently sidestepping her question.

"He should be coming soon but…" Mary tilted her head in an attempt to make her request innocent. "You've been rather distant lately. Do you want to walk back to the dormitory together?"

"No." He said outside his mind. "I'm busy. Besides, I'm riding my bike back home."

The second part softened the blow of rejection. He should've left it at no to wipe away her small smile. It wasn't that big a deal anyway since his destination wasn't the dormitory. Mary hummed and Hyde furrowed a brow in anticipation for another lackluster request or question—that's when Dakota arrived on the scene to whisk him away from this scene.

The boy and cowboy shared a glance and nodded to each other without words. Hyde waved lazily towards Mary. "Watch Hoka for a while." He then hurried outside with Dakota. Boarding his bike he took off in the rain.

The shape shifter had to do more than just disguise herself as Yamiko. She also had to copy her mannerisms, routine, and even jobs. The reason for her absence lately must've been from the real her hiding in secret so the fake her could leave herself open for Hyde to cross with. Yamiko, being the head and master of all things detectives, had many places she frequented. One of which was a greenhouse outside the city she managed all by herself.

She loved flowers. Often the flowers sitting on her front desk changed day by day or week by week. A small detail Hyde noticed after seeing a particular flower—a lily that was a mix of orange and purple. He pressed the bike's brakes stopping outside the transparently foggy building that could've been a one story house all on its own since the area it covered was huge. Both boys circled around to enter through the back doors, and before they fully ventured inside, Hyde motioned for Dakota to hide across from him and observe from a distance. His mission was to locate Yamiko amidst the colorful, artful arrangements adorning the tables. He couldn't name the flowers, but their vibrant stems and the way they were arranged felt like Yamiko's handiwork. As he meandered through the floral alleys he couldn't help but pause a few times, losing himself in the beauty of these living paintings. Before he could become entirely entranced, he discovered Yamiko gently pruning the leaves of what appeared to be a small shrub, he assumed. Again, Hyde didn't know the specific name but she looked peaceful cutting the overgrown parts of the tree.

Breaking free from his floral reverie, he called out to her, "Yamiko!" His steps quickened as he approached her side.

"Hyde..?" Her voice conveyed recognition, but she didn't look at him. "Do you need something?"

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He flipped down his coat's hood to see her face completely. "There's been a lot on my mind."

"I am here for you… tell me everything."

"Why did you… Why are we detectives? Before I met you at the train station I didn't know who I was. I could have become anything, but why a detective?"

"Midare asked for your reasons… Did she not?"

"I told her I fight for justice. That's all I said."

"Being a detective is more than just fighting for …justice." An idea, a concept that was vague in the minds of many, including Hyde. "So tell me… Why are you a detective?"

"I don't know." He paced while thinking left to right, not really having any answer as to why he made this decision. Yamiko probably thought of him as an idiot and she did, thinking to herself why she'd choose a dull idiot like him. Thoughtless and noncognitive for any future past the breakfast he ate that morning. She'd listen to him wax his philosophy about the spice of life being variety yet he had none compared to the people he encountered who lived very meaningful lives because they were unusual. Listening to his pace shuffling behind. His rant started to sound more like a play, with the same twists and turns that turned his life upside down.

An entire story that ended with him feeling torn inside. Her lips curled into a smirk. She couldn't keep herself from giggling at his plight and suggested he'd give up. "Run away… go home and move out of Osaka. You are not fit to be a detective spouting platitudes about justice. That's the reasoning of an idiot, however I'm no different. I will join you on your departure and together we can live peacefully elsewhere… Without Midare." She closed her eyes letting out another small laugh.

"Really? You think so?" Hyde eyes darted to fixate on Dakota crouched behind her; slowly he raised a fire axe.

"Yes." She nodded.

"I see—now Dakota!" Hyde suddenly shouted with the wave of his arm.

"Huh?"

She turned her head and caught a glimpse of a hatchet raised above her head swifty coming down on her back. Her body collapsed instantly but her mind was still conscious during her last seconds of life, screaming out as the pain dug into her shoulder coursed throughout her body all at once. The shock prevented her from doing anything but writhe on the ground.

"She's twitching!" Dakota winced and with a twist he ripped the blade from the bone it was caught on, spurring her to scream out again, begging him to stop.

"Hit her again!" Hyde commanded, shouting louder than her screams.

Dakota didn't hesitate like he did with the first blow. It was the first time he killed a person to his knowledge but it felt so gratifying destroying order with a savage weapon, a crude act of rebellion in other words. The second slam he made sure to dig in the middle of her skull, splitting her head open with a crack—blood flew up from her brain, any remaining conscience had been destroyed but her heart was still beating. If he had to guess from her perspective all she felt was pain and all she could perceive was monochromatic red in her darkening vision. Her arms flailed but fell limp after the amount of seconds counted on one hand.

Though dead she let out a cough and a waterfall of blood poured from her mouth then her wounds. Despite death already taking her, Dakota hacked two more times for good measure taking pleasure in digging the blade into squishy human flesh. The bone put up good resistance, that was the aspect of killing her that brought a grin to his face, before a frown and guilt took over his being and he left the axe implanted in her back.

Dakota stared blankly at the deformity he caused, stepping back to avoid the growing pool of blood from reaching his shoes. Yamiko died, severing Hyde's connection with all of his past. Both boys stepped back to lean slightly on the tables that formed the alley, trying to retain their sense of control. Hyde's head grew light seeing his caretaker deformed beyond recognition, flesh moved like paint drying on its own. There was a dripping noise in minor key, and it wasn't the rain tapping the rooftop glass. Hyde unbuttoned his bloodied rain coat to let the cold breeze air have an easier time touching his warm neck. Dakota did the same, even taking off his hat to fan himself with. Nothing needed to be said other than a brief discussion on how they were going to hide the body, in which Hyde fully took off his raincoat to toss over Yamiko's body.

Before they would leave they reflected on the death. Dakota turned to face Hyde, "Did you really mean what you said?"

And Hyde casually placed his hands on his hips, thinking up a snarky response at first before crossing his arms and letting his guard down now that he was alone in comfort. "Not all of it."

"So how did it go?! Were you scared at all, Hyde?"

"Not really."

"Tell me how you figured out it was Elite and not me. He used tanuki leaves to completely disguise himself, fooling even I for a time. I wanna hear everything." Yamiko rested her chin on her hands restless in her seat. Hyde sat across from her spinning his fork with his fingers, and between them was a plate of pancakes she made just for him under the cafe's moonlight. Reserving the cafe just for him and her to discuss, like a parent to her child. Though he didn't think of it the same way, feeling more like a hostage being interrogated.

The way he found out did make him feel smart, for a while. "I saw your shadows."

"Hm..?" She tilted her head confused at first then understood the clue. "Ah right. I suppose that was the one thing he couldn't mimic. At what point did you find that out? Was it when I arrived at the shrine?"

She was asking too many questions Hyde wasn't interested in answering because she already knew the answers to them. Being a better detective than he was—smarter, able to piece together the puzzle in seconds. What was the point in even being here?

His disinterest started to frustrate her. Her voice slowly returned to its strict monotone, "Hyde, as a detective you have to care about these things. How you confront criminals, conduct investigations… You must solve these problems more formally and work as a team with your friends."

With a smile he exclaimed. "Midare told me to kill him and I did just that, spick and span!"

"Hmph!" Yamiko snatched her fork and stabbed his unsuspecting hand before standing up out of her seat and taking her coat, watching him writhe on the floor after being stabbed suddenly. "This is not something you can be so carefree and reckless about! I hope you find real reasons for why you became a detective other than killing."

Turning up her nose, she stomped out pouting. The first time Hyde had seen her so angry. She was surprisingly violent too, knowing just where to strike. Where she stabbed with the fork nearly pierced his veins. He was lucky to only be left off with a concerned warning.