Vile: *yawns* Man, writing these chapter intros gets boring, but I gotta fill some space. If you guys were wondering what took me so long to actually start this story, it's called "the return of school". I know, I hate it too, but it's something I gotta do. But at least I'm still here. :) Yet for some reason, I seem to not be getting reviews as much for this now. Oh well, sh*t happens, I guess.Enjoy the next chapter, folks!

Numbershot 80: Precious Melody

Chapter 3

Mitsume actually showed a stronger reaction at Taichi's words. "Are you insane? The damage caused by that card's destruction will be irreparable. The 100 Numbers must never be incomplete!"

"That isn't my problem… I only want my suffering to end!" He suddenly jumped the desk again and rushed right past Mitsume and the girls, out into the halls.

Mitsume stared after him. "You've started a game of tag… and I never lose a game of tag." The markings on her blindfold glowed once more, causing her vision to go cyan again. Sure enough, a red glow came into her sight. 'There you are.' With that, she walked out of the principal's office.

The girls were in total shock at what they had just witnessed. "What the hell…?" The brunette wondered.

Walking forward into a more obscure hallway in the direction, a noise made Mitsume stop. "You're an interesting figure, Mitsume." A voice said. The green-haired girl turned to see the figure of Kuronazo behind her when he clearly wasn't there before. "All this time I took you for another monster, but you're among the more humane of the Distributor's lackeys."

"You… How do you know about me?" Mitsume wondered.

Kuronazo produced a picture book, showing her the pictures of the previous night's incident. "You're as subtle as the crash of a gong. I knew something was off about you the minute I saw your blindfold glow. How odd that you never noticed me."

"I suppose I was… pre-occupied." Mitsume said. "I recall you from the tournament that day… Kuronazo."

"So I do have a fan." Kuronazo replied.

"Don't flatter yourself." Mitsume bluntly told him. "Now, what do you want?"

"Simply put, I'm here to make sure you fail."

A shift in Mitsume's blindfold indicated she was raising her eyebrow. "So, you are an ally of Yuma Tsukumo?"

"A covert one, but one nonetheless." Kuronazo replied. "As humane as you seem, I can't trust you around a suffering student with a Number, so it seems we have a hunt on our hand, with the Number as the prize."

"You think you have the potential to find him before I do?" Mitsume replied. "As you may recall, my vision is unparalleled."

Kuronazo chuckled. "Sight's only one of the five senses, and all of them are useless without the proper mind." He produced what appeared to be a torn-off piece of white clothing. "It only took me minutes to locate this evidence. Bolstered by accounts that the sufferer had torn through the area, I know his current vicinity. Do you?"

Mitsume scoffed. "You mock my visionary powers?"

"Hardly, but based on my observations so far, all you seem to know is where they are with no indication of where they've been; like a GPS leading you only to the destination." Kuronazo asked.

Mitsume flashed a smirk. "Your tongue's as sharp as your mind."

"I consider that a compliment." Kuronazo replied. "Now then, I have a job to do, as do you." He went to walk off. "May the better sleuth win." He then walked away.

When he was out of earshot, Mitsume spoke again. "…I plan to, Black Mystery. The Number will be mine." Following a different path in the direction she saw the glow, Mitsume continued her own journey. However, as she moved, she saw that the glow was also moving. 'I knew you wouldn't make things easy for me. But I have enough time to kill.'

*Meanwhile*

Kuronazo took his own path through the school, attempting to search for Taichi or any evidence of his whereabouts. He was quick to be perceptive of his surroundings, or else he would've stepped in his newest piece of evidence. Looking down, he saw what appeared to be a footprint made out of soil. "Hmm… Ah. The greenhouse recently re-soiled the grounds today. That would explain the loose soil." He then got an idea. "Perhaps I can find some clues there." Kuronazo went on his way to the greenhouse. Several people gave him weird looks because of his getup, but he paid them no mind: He had a case to work.

*With Mitsume*

Mitsume tracked the red dot that marked the Number across the school, but the path was becoming more and more erratic. 'That Number is assaulting his mind even more. If he doesn't relinquish it soon, the damage could become irreparable.' However, she was so focused on the Number that, when she rounded a corner into another hallway, she was tripped up by something. "Whoa!" As she fell, Mitsume quickly planted her hands on the ground in order to frontflip herself back onto her feet, then wheeled around. Her tracking vision was obscuring what was in front of her, so she disabled it. Her eyebrow raised. It was the same homeless man that she found the Number on the previous day, sleeping. Her mouth grimaced slightly as she gave him a light kick. "Wake up."

The man snorted as he woke up, but when his eyes were set on Mitsume, he freaked out. "Whaa!" He scooted back frantically, having a glare of both fear and anger. "Y-You! You took my precious melody from me!"

"And someone took it from me." Mitsume replied. "What are you doing here? This is a school building."

The man groaned. "It's not like I have somewhere to live, anyway…"

Mitsume sighed. "Just get out of here before the faculty finds you. You'll end up arrested." She then turned around and re-activated her tracker vision. "Now where are you…?" The red dot showed up again. "There." She walked off pursuit.

However, as she left, the man heard a sound grace his ears… a familiar one. 'My melody…'

*With Kuronazo, Minutes Later*

Within the greenhouse, Kuronazo noted several out-of-place elements, including footprints in soil and ripped-off plant leaves. "Hmm. This proves someone was here, yes, but I can't accurately say for certain if he was here." He noted. "And there's no clues as to where he might have gone." Kuronazo groaned. "I hate it when I hit a wall."

"What was up with Taichi-kun earlier?" A boy was hear saying. Kuronazo glanced through his mask to see another group of kids walking past. "He looked like he was gonna throw up."

"I know, right? Screeching like a bird." A girl said.

"What was that he said? Something about the incinerator?" Another boy said.

Kuronazo let out a grunt. 'As much as I enjoy that convenience, I can't let him get that card there.' He rushed off from where he was, heading in the direction of where the incinerator was.

*With Mitsume*

Mitsume kept tracking the Number as the path seemed to even out, but after a few minutes, the Number suddenly just stopped moving. 'Eh?' The Number just stayed in place for a few seconds, then it began moving again. 'What is he doing…?' Becoming more uncertain, Mitsume kept on her path to find the Number. However, after a few minutes, her over-focused vision caused her to fail to see what was directly in front of her… or who was in front of her.

BAM!

Mitsume recoiled from the impact, her blindfold moving a bit (not enough to reveal her eyes), but she fixed it, canceling her vision in order to see Kuronazo fixing his mask. "Watch where you're going." Kuronazo told her.

"I require focus in order to track the Number. I had no time to worry about you." Mitsume replied.

"Well, we have greater problems." Kuronazo replied. "I overheard conversation that the boy is heading for the incinerator to dispose of the Number."

"That can't happen. The 100 Numbers must never be incomplete." Mitsume replied. Then, the two of them heard a groan nearby. "Eh?"

"Over there." Kuronazo moved toward the voice, Mitsume following suit, and what they found shocked them. Lying in a heap in a corner was Taichi, shuddering. Dirt and red markings were visible on him, indicating that he was hurt. "What happened to him?"

"You can take him to the infirmary later. I have a job to do." Mitsume said, walking forward. Kneeling down, she began checking his pockets, but she was surprised. "Where is it…?"

"Perhaps you should remove your blindfold if you're having difficulty." Kuronazo mused.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Mitsume replied. Her blindfold glowed again, making her recoil. "Kuso..."

Kuronazo immediately recognized the tone of her voice. "Oh, don't tell me…"

Mitsume sighed. "Yes… The Number's signal isn't with him anymore." She turned to look at Kuronazo. "It's gone."

Vile: Oh dear, the Number's vanished! Things are getting tenser by the minute, at least I hope they are. XD If you guys liked this chapter, leave a review for me, and the next chapter will be out for all y'all tomorrow. Ja ne for now!