With the proliferation of the internet there's been an abundance of distress calls to investigate online threats. Police chief and staff of Kyoto's department has been in an uproar over online reports, only to find them false after investigating the scene of where the crime was supposed to take place. Absurd plots such as using fire magic to assault unfavorable politicians to extreme ends such as summoning a meteor to fall onto Osakaーspecifically the home of a rejected crush, because if anonymous couldn't have a girlfriend then no one could. All women are the same, except idols which many sought dark arts to string up and commit vile acts such as kissing their feet, or armpits in this case as shoulder cut outfits have been becoming a sort of trend in female fashion. And after a performance it would leave their arms sweaty, and many desired to whiff the aroma.
"Freaks, these criminals are freaks! Send Noble Third to investigate!" The police chief shouted and her peaking voice muffled over phone calls. Police staff rung up the local rising private investigation team, sending them backstage where they pulled aside the idol in question, and she would laugh and defer the investigation because such threats of armpit thieves were common and most importantly, false.
Eventually Noble Third had enough of her demands to investigate internet rumors and blacklisted themselves from the department, not that they needed to though since the chief's concerns gradually shifted towards magic crimes. An entire forum dedicated towards researching dark arts but not the kind of dark magic most would think of. Seeking to use magic to counterfeit society's structure in order to benefit themselves. Conjuring up fake credit cards and IDs, at worst there would be indepth plans on how to place a magic circle in the train station their bully took. Many were, again, fake threats from frustration but there was no telling when and if it could happen. The possibility still existed.
Thus after receiving a notice from The Director, she took off to the only ones that could solve an abnormality.
Each sunrise marked the anticipation of a fresh cup of coffee, and where better to indulge than the Royal Floral Cafe? A haven where the staff is made up of a diverse cast, from the owner with dark ruby eyes and drill-like hair exuding regal charm, to a pair of maid twins usually popping in solely to deliver boxes of ingredients though it often smelled of gunpowder. The head maid, a platinum blonde fox, tended to stay anchored behind the counter. However today her absence left a void for sore eyes.
"Black coffee and a plate of sugar cubes please." Said the middle aged salaryman. He strategically picked a spot where he could eavesdrop on nearby conversations. Positioning himself at a table in the center, he found solace in being both present and inconspicuous. A sense of calm washed over his shoulders knowing he was in good hands once Levin, that cool sunglasses bartender, departed from his table.
Moments later and a slam shattered his peace, and with widened eyes, the salaryman snorted when Hyde served his cup. "You sound real tough ordering black coffee and putting sugar in it." He then leaned closer to whisper behind a hand, "If I were you, I would order cream too to save yourself the embarrassment from the ladies."
The salaryman followed where his pointed finger led, to an unsuspecting female group of two, before causally sighing since this wasn't the first time Hyde badgered a customer. He was the unfortunate victim today whereas yesterday it was an old man. The salaryman replied, "I order black coffee everyday. A couple of sugar cubes keeps my days from feeling the same."
"But you remain a slave to a drink meant to be a delicacy!" Hyde used small silver tongs to pick a sugar cube and drop it in the coffee for him. "One, three, five—life continues to pile up but there's no change. If you went one day without coffee, would you relapse back into your old ways?"
The salaryman raised a brow. "What are you trying to say, sir?"
"I'm saying there is no freedom in the pitch black darkness lying in the center of coffee! Policemen eat an abundance of donuts and get fat, while men like us drown in liquidated beans and only become more bitter. We haven't changed at all!"
Ruena stopped by in the background of his speech, curious too by his clammer. "Bitter?" She muttered.
"I didn't know the cafe's staff were poets." The salaryman forced out a laugh. "Okay, I'll change my slave ways. Since you're so knowledgeable, what should I have ordered?"
Hyde tapped his chin before answering, "...Surprise me."
With that answer, the salaryman picked up his mug and splashed Hyde with scalding hot coffee, sugar cubes included. Watching him burn and melt was a horrific sight for Ruena, though everyone else saw through his exaggerated performance.
His harassment earned him the monotonous position behind the counter. Some of the blame was put on Ruena for not stopping him sooner and she accompanied his prison, choosing not to argue with Levin given how ruthless he was with just a few words. He was stern in everything he did, for example: in a case to maintain the peace in which they had to rescue a cat from a tall tree, the only advice he gave was to not fall and Ruena did just that, only out of necessity because the cat jumped to claw her. Levin looked at the gash she received and told her to walk it off. Likewise with Hyde drenched in burning hot coffee—his advice was; cool your head.
Silence settled between the two, a discomfort they both loathed. Hyde felt unfairly separated from customer interactions, while Ruena disliked the impression that she appeared lazy. Both let out a deep sigh, a pessimistic worldview set them as outcasts in Band of Detectives. Mary and Dakota were able to fit in so well, or maybe they didn't see the glass half filled.
A childish voice intervened, rescuing both from themselves. "Hey, Mister." Her tone slurred. Ruena turned her attention to a young girl, no older than herself. The police uniform was a blue buttoned blouse tucked into a tight navy pencil skirt with side slits. Dark pantyhose covered her legs and for some reason heels that weren't an obstacle but added a sexy appeal. Her hair was cut shoulder length with a braid crown rounding like a hairband. Closer observation with how the ceiling lights shone across the black strains revealed hints of blonde giving away that her dye was slowly fading, and the pointed tips of her ears poking out from the strains which tried to hide them.
Resting her chin on her hands and gazing at the detectives with slit-like pupils, "I just got off work, and I'm looking to relax for the day. Would you mind getting me a light drink?" She asked with a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips.
Ruena and Hyde blinked at the girl clearly too young to drink alcohol—Not that it stopped them from under the counter activities. Hyde reached for a sake bottle behind Ruena and placed it in front of her alongside a glass. "How about this?"
"I asked for something light. You didn't even look at what you grabbed!"
Ruena leveled a disapproving gaze at the girl. "You look too young to be drinking."
"Can't you see I'm 26 years old!" The girl exclaimed.
The statement felt like a bizarre prank being played on them, but any sense of humor vanished when she revealed her sharp fangs, transforming the prank into a sinister plot they could never have anticipated. "I am Dulivale! Vampire and the police chief of Kyoto's police department." Her voice boomed. A grand introduction that earned a small applause from Ruena.
"A vampire… a real life vampire!" Tension gripped Hyde. The term vampire was a tad misleading. They were rushès with a genetic condition in which they were birthed with an abnormal abundance of magic that continually burned the blood inside. To prevent their bodies from self-destruction, those with this condition adopted a pseudo-vampirism and later discovered a cure in alcohol. They were plentiful in the past before they were all killed mysteriously, no further elaboration on their sparse existence. Hyde could make a few guesses as to why, but more importantly—
Why did one appear out of the blue in the cafe? Dulivale had no comment on the extinction of her species; she wasn't here to give a history lesson and ethics. Pouring herself a drink in the glass Hyde provided, she consumed it in one gulp and then licked her lips with an unusually long tongue.
"Alright, allow me to cut straight to business." Dulivale dropped the pretenses and showed the true colors behind her innocent smile, if it wasn't apparently enough she was here for a dastardly reason.
"I'm here on behalf of the WMA!"
A red glint of light flashed across her eyes like lightning stretching across dark clouds.
"The Director demands Midare investigate a magician right now!"
SLAM!
The erupting crack of wood silenced the cafe. Heads turned, all focused on Levin who had grabbed the back of Dulivale's head and slammed it down on the counter, making her head rebound off the wood. Levin stood over her casting a tall shadow over her small figure. Blood poured from her nose and she covered leaking nostrils which also hid her smirk. She believed she could use the situation to her advantage. Picture this: a poor helpless girl beaten by a muscular bartender who was so abusive.
She was about to set her plans into motion when Levin waved his hands towards the customers in the cafe. "Relax everyone, It was just a mistake. My hand slipped and she fell." He calmly explained to defuse the eyes fixated on him.
Absolute bullshit, but the customers didn't want to attempt stopping Levin after witnessing his strength and muscles exposed from rolled up sleeves. The cafe gradually resumed its calm atmosphere as conversations resumed. Meanwhile Levin took out a napkin from his vest's pocket and offered it to Dulivale. "What's a representative of the WMA doing here?" His voice took a more curious tone.
"Bastard…" She spouted after a crack from her nose was heard. Snatching the napkin to stuff her nostrils, she struggled to stand but to her feet. A newfound sense of pride straightened her stance now that her occupation was revealed. Due to her broken nose, she took a nasally tone. "I'm thee poolice chief of Keeyoto's poolice deparment. We have cose ties with the Dubbu Em A."
"I see…" Levin flipped open his lighter then closed it as he always would. "But that doesn't answer my question."
"Teh Derectoor wans you too investagate a magicioon." Dulivale struggled to say even the simplest words. Digging in the pouch attached to her belt, she drew a form detailing the case. Levin took it to read over carefully since he could barely make out what she was saying. After his eyes scrolled to the bottom, he adjusted his glasses. "So The Director is on our tail. Makes sense, after all we're the only ones sweeping up the mess she pretends isn't there. I didn't expect her to send someone from the police department though. I'm expecting one hundred percent cooperation from you."
Dulivale scoffed. "You'll get ninedee purrcen."
"What about the other ten percent?" Hyde chimed in.
Dulivale glared at him. "For my damn nose!" She cried out, clutching the napkin to her bleeding nostrils.
"Hey," Levin called out to the fox-eared maid stopping her from disappearing into the kitchen with hands full of stacked plates.. "Is Midare around? Any idea when she'll be back?"
She didn't need to say as the door's bell jingled announcing the Boss' return. Midare stopped part way past the initial tables to wave Dulivale towards the stairway to her office. She was so graceful in her turn, hair swaying with as gentle as wind. How lucky Dulivale was, able to proceed with after sneering towards Levin. She took her ticket to speak to the Boss one on one and it was there the next case was presented.
Dulivale slouched onto the couch with a sigh of relief. "Thank you for saving me from your brute detectives. This lazy detective agency may be poor, but The Director assured me you had some redeeming qualities." She paused to dab her nose again. "I request assistance from your agency to solve a case that's been festering around my department."
"Mhm. Go on…" Midare swiveled around her desk as Dulivale explained the details. The vampire wouldn't notice Midare's hand hover over a pistol by her keyboard.
"I need your help in investigating an online terrorist group that threatened to unleash horrifying magic to terrorize the masses."
Midare withdrew her hand from the pistol. "An online terrorist group? If such a threat existed, I would have heard about it by now or earlier.."
"We weren't able to find their identity, or trace their online posts back to their base of operations because they were using fake addresses. I tried hiring Noble Third but counter magic is outside of their jurisdiction, and they have no interest in further collaboration with my department." Dulivale explained.
Crossing her arms, Midare struggled to find the words she wanted to say to put down her client's concern. It didn't seem like Dulivale was going to let the mystery subside, especially since The Director had sent her. "Is that all the information you have?"
"That's all the information we could get. The site they used to announce their threats to the world is called the chans. The things said on there are so vile, but this terrorist is the most horrid of all. If we can't find him, then the dark arts he's practicing…"
Midare stroked her chin, recalling the site's notoriety. She brought two fingers to her lips and blew an ear-piercing whistle. At the sound, both Lan and Lambda bolted up the stairs, bursting into the office and startling the police chief.
"Slavery?!" Dulivale shrieked, baffled by the sight of child maids.
"Maid domination!" Lambda responded with a raised fist.
"Please explain to my client that she has fallen for fake online information." Midare said.
"Such as?"
"The website you frequent."
This was Lan's speciality and Lambda allowed her to take the stage floor. Despite her usual shyness, she eagerly took center stage to discuss a topic she was passionate about. Fidgeting with her fingers nervously, she began, "S-so there t-this thing called… t-trolling."
Dulivale raised a brow as the maid blushed red hot, breathing heavily as she struggled to get a word out.
"Baiting OP… a vast technology… and… Tsuri…" Lan's face only got redder.
"Technology and fish..?" Dulivale pondered the words aloud.
"Lurk… more…" It was like steam burst from her ears, overheating to the point of exhaustion just thinking of how to properly elaborate to an office without completely blowing her own anonymous cover. Eventually, Lan collapsed sideways with a thud.
"What happened to her?!"
"It's doubtful the terrorist you're looking for is real. Like reality, anyone can speak as they please online. Until they carry through with what is said, a case cannot be made." Midare replied.
Dulivale's expression hardened. "An investigation must be opened. This is not a request from me, but from The Director."
"The Director, hm?"
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
"What are you thinking, Midare?" Lambda asked while picking up her flustered and giggling sister.
In response, she crossed her arms. "Gather the detectives."
Dulivale un-pocketed the warrant stamped with a four pointed star. "The Director explicitly wants you to open the investigation."
"Then I will accompany you."
"Today?!"
Midare nodded firmly, and Lambda took charge of her keyboard. The evidence gathered pointed to correlations between posts on The Chans, particularly those discussing magic in depth. This led the detectives back to the neighborhood district, this time with a different perspective. Thanks to the poor cyber security of the site, Lambda was able to compile anonymous addresses that led the detectives here.
"On we go to a new case~!" Sung Cheri, leading the march hand in hand with Hyde and Ruena while their superiors followed behind to observe. Cheri begged to accompany them moments before they left the cafe, an idea Ruena abhorred but smiled nonetheless only for it to flip when Midare bluntly downplayed their fighting prowess. The most they trained with and against magic was lighting a candle, once.
Hyde on the other hand was anxious about being watched by a policewoman vampire. If he turned around to look, their eyes would meet, and he feared her vampiric gaze would put him in a nightmare inducing trance. He opted to focus on a notebook filled with hastily scrawled notes instead. Unsure of their next move, he glanced around at the neighboring houses and settled on a random one across the street. "I think that's the suspicious house we're looking for. Let's go!" He declared, starting to move ahead.
"Wrong side, Hyde." Midare called out and promptly Hyde switched to the opposite home.
Knock knock, it's the police detectives. Probably the last thing people in such a small neighborhood expected, and when parents were pressed about their child potentially being an online threat, many explained their children had already moved out or were too young to operate a PC. None knew what The Chans was, leading the investigation to a deadend as Midare predicted. A futile expedition, all to appease the persistence of a policewoman who believed a dark wizard was hiding right under their noses. The last address was in sight and the end of this mundane journey to prove the populace's innocence.
A brisk knock roused a concerned mother who greeted the detectives with a wary glance. The sound of their shoes tapping lightly on the tiled floor echoed as they entered the wooden-floored house. Once they were seated, they had to give context behind their arrival, being that this was the last house Hyde got rather lazy explaining the circumstance.
The mother listened attentively, her expression growing more troubled with each word. "My son spends most of his time locked up in his room. He avoids interacting with anyone, even me. I find it hard to believe he could do the things you described. It's just too horrible."
Cheri interlocked her fingers. "This is undoubtedly the place."
"Yes..." Midare subtly affirmed.
Dulivale stood up, unintentionally slamming the table. "How can you say that with confidence? You didn't even ask a single question!"
"By saying it with confidence." Midare's response prompted a growl from the police chief. She continued, "If you don't mind, can you show us to your son's room?"
The concerned mother gladly guided the group upstairs to the corridor where her son's room was located. It was clear the door was locked, evident from the darkened wood in contrast to the light wallpaper around it. The mother knocked on the door and received no response. "It seems he's ignoring me again…" Her voice trailed.
"This is bad, Midare!" Cheri exclaimed. "It seems like he's a hikikomori."
The Boss nodded, recalling that Lan had been similar. Lambda labeled it "hikikomori syndrome," acknowledging that in some cases it was challenging to help those affected. The idea of Lan having a darker side seemed like an exaggerated notion until both novice detectives remembered their mission. While Dulivale ranted protocols to Midare, Hyde bravely reached for the doorknob. They couldn't give up and it was never too late to lay down the law. As he grabbed it and turned—
CHING! A collection of chains rattled on the other side. Darkness seeped from the creaking opening, and he quickly slammed the door shut. This was where Hyde's courage faltered. "Scary…" He muttered.
The concerned mother's head perked up, interrupting the one sided argument Dulivale and Midare were having. "I just remembered..! He said he would be out with friends today. They were going to meet at Kintetsu Nara station but he didn't tell me what he was going to do."
"That's our lead!" Cheri cheered and Dulivale shot her a glare.
"I don't understand how you can be cheerful about this. Lives are at stake here." The Police Chief turned to Midare, raising an eyebrow towards her interest to the door. "What are you looking at?"
"Go on ahead." Midare waved them away. "I sense magic sealing this door. I'm going to try to break it and look into his computer."
Dulivale only frowned and spun with the swipe of her arm. "Let's hurry. We might not have enough time before it happens."
The detectives exchanged glances, with Hyde shrugging and Ruena rolling her eyes. They hastened to keep pace with Dulivale as she hurried towards Nara's bustling station: Kintetsu Nara Station.
Stepping off the train into a fog of people was busy. It probably wasn't the best for a detective to stroll in with the sea but their destination was far, their culprit close. Following the crowd off the train like a collective, the moment they ascended a flight of stairs was when they could stop aside on a tiled pathway. The underground walkway was a straight way that split at the end, both leading to separate exits further down the halls. Lining the walls were small shops, whether it be souvenirs or restaurants.
Warm lights made the scene grey. Despite being populated, standing around still felt lonely. The culprit could be anyone.
"Anyone hm?" Cheri eyed Hyde's notes. He swiftly scribbled over it before drawing her attention to the surrounding scenery. "Well let's investigate. The culprit has to be nearby since he's just hanging with friends."
"Investigate where?" Dulivale said with the stroke of her chin.
"Alright let's split up." Hyde suggested and the three shared a nod before split in different directions leaving Dulivale stranded and confused towards their plan hastily brought about.
Half an hour later and they reconvened empty handed and without a single lead. The boy, being a hikikomori, didn't have an appearance that would draw eyes so none would trail where he disappeared to. Dulivale caught up to the detective circle, panting for breath. She gripped onto the nearest person for support. "You… have you found… anything..?"
Ruena struggled to stand straight being rocked about. "Nothing at all..!"
"A dead end." Hyde muttered, his expression grim. Once again, the group collectively pondered their next move, except for Dulivale, who managed to compose herself and waved her hand in front of Ruena's face. This gesture sparked a realization in Ruena's mind; she straightened up, drawing the attention of her companions.
"Midare mentioned that magic sealed his door. That means he's likely skilled in magic, which means we might be able to sense his presence." Ruena proposed.
"You're right, Ruena! Allow me…" Cheri placed a hand over her chest and closed her eyes letting the abyss carry all six senses to a direction unfounded. Hyde closed his eyes and clenched his fist to do the same. At first, he felt nothing, but gradually, he sensed Ruena and Cheri's magic, their energy as calm as a droplet slipping off a leaf. Slowly, his awareness extended to Dulivale's presence, and he felt a sensation akin to light pins prodding his skin. This wasn't the sensation he sought. Continuing to expand his range, he felt his skin grow cold and the hairs on his neck stand on end. Just as he was lost in his trance, a sharp sensation jolted his back, snapping him out of his concentration. Whirling around, he realized it was merely the surge of magic energy emanating from behind him.
Cheri felt it too, "I know where he is!" She said before running off.
Dulivale groaned. "Do you all just run without saying where you're going? An investigation requires apt communication."
Hyde rolled his eyes, stepped back and accidentally bumped into a girl. He turned around, bowing his head slightly to apologize but when their eyes metー "Huh? You kinda look suspicious."
The girl appeared plain, dressed in a pink track jacket and matching striped shorts. What covered her face were groucho glasses, bespectacled wear including a cartoonishly large nose and plastic mustache. Adjusting her wear, she replied confidently, "I'm not suspicious. Definitely not someone you have seen before, like an idol."
Dulivale interjected with a groan, "Don't tell me you're falling for her amateurish disguise. She might be connected to the hikikomori magician we're searching for."
Hyde hummed thoughtfully, scratching his chin as his gaze lingered on the girl. Before he could make a remark, she raised a finger. "You're searching for a hikikomori magician, right? I've seen one, but not the other. However, they could be one and the same. Here, take this." She thrust a crowbar into Hyde's hands. "Consider it a gift… from society's favorite." With a playful wink and a tongue sticking out, she dashed off towards her next destination, disappearing into the distant crowd.
Despite Dulivale's frantic cries for her to wait, the girl paid no heed. A groan escaped Dulivale's lips, transforming into a growl of frustration. "Let's… go," she grumbled, eager to conclude the investigation. Letting Hyde take the lead to follow Cheri's steps, they went to a desolate section of the station, finding the rushé standing by a door with a "Staff only" sign and without a doorknob. Her cat ears twitched hearing the group's footsteps behind and she turned to relay the news. A strange coincidence Hyde had just the tool to break open the door.
Society's favorite… an idol… The encounter brought more questions than answers. "I wonder if she was escaping from something… or someone." His thoughts overlapped Dulivale's insistence to not break into restricted areas without permission but there being a magician was all the authorization they needed to investigate.
For sure the hikikomori magician they were looking for had something to do with society's favoriteーusing restricted areas as a hideout, no doubt using his friend's position as a janitor or worse to access. After snapping open the locked door, Hyde turned to face Dulivale, "Are you coming?"
She vehemently shook her head and tapped her foot. "Uhm…" Her indecisive expression spoke volumes. "Tch! I'll stay behind to ensure no one attempts to follow you in."
Hyde nodded, a reaction that caught Dulivale off guard—she had anticipated him labeling her as scared or similarly inaccurate. He then proceeded to follow Cheri and Ruena, who had already hurried up a stairwell. Upon reaching the top, they encountered another door, this one equipped with a proper knob. He approached to find the sisters crouched by the door. "Waiting for me?"
"Shh! I can hear them…" Ruena whispered, pressing her ear against the door. Hyde moved closer to listen in, joining Ruena in eavesdropping on the animated conversation behind the closed doors.
"I'm telling you, that girl wasn't popular idol superstar Chise Chiyotanda! Look closely at her stiff movements, and the color of her hair too." He was complaining about something in specific, and Hyde could faintly hear singing presumably coming from his computer..? "Look, Look! Chise wouldn't do that. Clearly she has an imposter!"
Imposter, as in Elite..? That case was solved a long time ago. As the music played on, Cheri excitedly pointed out, "I know that song!"
"Really now?"
"Yes! It's one of my favorites. It goes like—"
Ruena covered Cheri's mouth. "You don't need to sing. Let's focus on how we should approach this situation. They could be powerful magicians."
"Only one way to find out." Hyde flung open the door and ran out with the crowbar raised. "Put your hands up, you're under arrest!" He practiced the line many times with a mirror. Sitting at an unfolding table were three guys wearing dark cloaks over their clothes, and upon hearing Hyde they freaked out of their seats then scrambled to put on their hoods to hide their faces under shadow.
One turned to the others in a panic. "I thought you said the police wouldn't investigate here. I thought we were safe!"
"They aren't police, look at their outfits!"
"Then what are they?!"
"Clearly people." The third chimed in.
"Quiet you, we know that!" The other two snapped back in unison.
A baffling sight. Ruena and Hyde both had to question if they were in the right place, if these were the proper culprits, and Cheri confirmed this is where she sensed the magic coming from. The robes were evidence of their skill with magic, adept at their craft and using the open sky as a place to hide as none expected a couple of shut-ins to discuss here.
"Enough!" The presumed leader aimed an arm towards the novice detectives. "Your trespassing has earned… no. Ahem! You will face the consequences of trespassing..!"
"You're going to fight them with magic? We'll be arrested for real if we do that." The second hooded boy cried, watching him struggle to reach behind his neck to pull out a short blade hidden under his robes.
"But what if they're Chise's security, onto our investigation? This could be our moment of glory. Imagine the headlines, rubbing shoulders with the real deal after exposing the imposter." He countered, lowering his sword. "Stop distracting me. I've been practicing this spell, and now's my chance to unleash it! Take this!"
Initiating his attack, he crouched down, touching the ground. From his fingertips emerged a spectral tendril that snaked towards the feet of the detectives. A magical bear trap materialized under them, swiftly snapping shut around their ankles. Cheri gracefully somersaulted out of harm's way, while Hyde found himself struggling to hold back tears. "Ouch, ouch, owww!" He attempted to pry open the trap's jaws, but his hands simply phased through it. "What kind of spell is this?!"
Despite the jaws sinking into Ruena's flesh, she maintained her composure. While the magic caused discomfort, her innate resistance shielded her from fully experiencing the illusion's effects. "It's some kind of magic seal I think. Although I still can't move my leg."
"You're a bunch of amateurs." The hooded Hikkikomori scoffed. "It's a non-type spell called the barbarity trap. Only magicians who have been studying for a month know this basic trapping technique in which the magician trapped is weighed down by their own magic. He aimed his sword at no one in particular, solely for dramatic effect. "I wouldn't expect fourth-rate magicians to know that. You're worse than trainees. I'm self-taught in the arts."
His hooded friends applauded his speech, but there was still the pressing issue of resisting authority lingering in the back of their minds.
"If it's a magic duel you want, I'll give it to you!" Hyde attempted to rise, but grimaced as the bear trap's grip tightened around his ankle, forcing him to kneel in agony. "Nevermind… Cheri, you can handle this one on your own…"
"Eh?! We don't have to have a magic duel." She frantically waved her hands and shook her head. "We can resolve this peacefully! Right Ruena?"
"Don't look at me, he's making his attack!"
Cheri spun around, noticing light glinting off a raised blade. The hooded hikikomori swiftly brought it down towards her, but it halted just inches from her forehead, prompting a gasp from him. His gaze followed up to observe the palm-grabbing technique employed to halt the blade's descent. With a deft twist of the blade, she used the momentum to flip the Hikkikomori onto his side. Capitalizing on the opening, she swiftly wrested the blade from his grip and discarded it aside.
However, he proved to be resilient. The Hikkikomori lashed out at Cheri's legs, compelling her to leap backward just within range of his next assault. Pressing his palms against the ground, he invoked his magic. "Eruption!"
A column of flames erupted beneath Cheri's feet, yet she gracefully vaulted over it. Hyde observed keenly and noted a pattern of red hexagons shielding her feet, enabling her to rebound off the volcanic eruption unscathed.
"Boil geyser!"
"Barbarity protruding trap!"
Two more pillars rose high, the latter resembling a stretched version of a bear trap that resembled a shark's jaws leaping out of water. Cheri effortlessly bounced off each pillar and countered the closing jaws with her own spell, conjuring a flame slash with a swing of her fist. The clash dissipated the flames like fireworks.
She descended from the sky gracefully but although her magic was powerful, it could only mitigate some recoil of her landing. The battle was fast, magic duels weren't a jokey spectacle, or rather they were a spectacle all participants had to work for. Much like toiling in a factory, a single misstep could prove fatal for a magician. Cheri was no doubt more skilled than the hikikomori she challenged here, but she still sweated like an amateur would after one spell.
Before the hooded Hikikomori could unleash his next spell, Midare made her entrance, declaring, "That's enough!" Instantly, all magic fizzled out upon her arrival on the scene and soon Dulivale stopped by her side.
"Shit! They really were with the police!" The hooded peanut gallery said.
"Huh? Why did my spell stop?" The Hikkikokori extended his arm and shouted the name of various spells but nothing left his hands or summoned beneath his opponent. He glared towards Midare. "This is your doing isn't it? It shouldn't be possible to cancel out non-type magic!"
"It is possible." Midare replied, pausing for emphasis. "Besides, I wrote the spells you were using. It's natural for a creator to have control over their creations."
His mouth hung open in disbelief, then he shouted, "You lie!"
Midare simply ignored his outburst. "If you're done messing around, he's not the culprit…"
Though he was perpetually online, he wasn't the culprit of whatever terrorist group Dulivale thought up. Most of his activities were about buying more and more statue wives and complaining about inflated prices. His intention was to disrupt the market somehow, a concept rife with economic jargon that Midare elaborated on, though it sailed over the heads of the detectives. In short, he was innocent unless he wanted to press charges for being wrongfully accused, and in turn the detectives could do the same for assault and resisting arrest.
Naturally the group of shut-ins refused to pursue the misunderstanding issue. Midare nodded approvingly. "Now, are you all uninjured?" And everyone nodded. Not even the illusion bear trap left marks when Hyde pulled his pant's cuff up to check.
She could declare the case closed—
"Wait a second!" Dulivale aimed a finger towards the hooded group. "We can't let them get away for trespassing, using magic without a license, loitering, and—"
"Ruena, Hyde, Cheri, we're leaving." Midare turned around motioning for her detectives to follow and like machines they followed her demand. The police chief could deal with the rest. Dulivale argued it was just another dead end. She insisted that the case would reopen soon, given the unpredictable nature of the internet. To be continued..?
Levin and the fox head maid had to deal with all the aftermath fines Dulivale purposely tossed their way.