"Agh…how does that not get easier over time?" Ross asked as everyone recovered outside the Mystery Labyrinth.
"Don't ask me. There's gotta be a better way." Yuma said.
"Everyone, it appears we are witnesses to a historical moment." Fubuki said, having been jammed in with them.
"What are you talking about, Fubuki?" Leonora asked.
"I never would have imagined discovering such an advanced civilization underneath Kanai Ward! There must be treasures sought by adventurers deep inside! Had I known this was here, I would have brought along a whip and hat!" Fubuki said.
"Um, Fubuki…we're not underneath Kanai Ward." Yuma said.
Once again, the situation was explained to the team's Master Detective accompaniment. Unlike Halara, who quickly understood the rules of the otherworldly structure, and Desuhiko, who barely paid attention at all, Fubuki had an entirely different reaction.
"That's it!" Fubuki exclaimed in joy after the explanation was finished. "This is exactly the adventure I have been seeking! Hidden treasures inside a labyrinth…traps blocking our way…dangerous monsters… This labyrinth is the adventure I was born to take on!"
"I-I think that's a bit of an exaggeration…" Yuma rubbed his head.
"Does she really not get it? Well, that figures." Shinigami piped in.
"S-So you… You must be the God of Darkness possessing Yuma!" Fubuki said.
"Death, not Darkness." 9S said. "Shinigami's the one who creates the Mystery Labyrinths. She sort of acts as our guide through them…in her own sense."
"Right. If you defy me, I'll abandon you in here." Shinigami glared.
"Hey, that's way too harsh!" Kaito said.
"I see…so you are the guide to hell who dwells in the labyrinth. So you ARE the God of Darkness." Fubuki said. "Then you are plotting to interfere with us! I will not yield to you!"
"She's on our side, you silly goose!" Mayumi said.
"She doesn't get it at all…" Yuma sighed.
"Guys, focus! We came here to the Mystery Labyrinth for a reason." Yang said.
"Right. We got a case to solve." 9S said.
"If we were able to come here, we more than likely were able to collect enough Solution Keys during the investigative process. Shinigami?" Kaede asked.
"Coming right up!" Shinigami said as she went and threw them right up.
"Y-You were smuggling that many keys on you? You must be a serial burglar, God of Darkness! Your crimes are far worse than I Imagined!" Fubuki said.
"These are Solution Keys, Fubuki. They're physical manifestations of the evidence we collected for the case in the real world." Shuichi said. "We use them to interact with objects and other things inside the Mystery Labyrinth."
"I see… you use them to unlock doors?" Fubuki asked.
"Uh, not exactly…" David said.
"Maybe we should just move on. Before this talk goes into unexpected territory." Silver said.
"Right. Times a wastin', we need to clear this labyrinth!" Marcy said.
"Do not fear, Marcy! If it shall save your life, on my honor as a Clockford, I shall conquer this labyrinth and claim the treasures inside!" Fubuki declared.
"Well, at least she's motivated…" Mermista shrugged as they headed inside.
As soon as they got inside the labyrinth, a countdown clock appeared over their heads, set for about 2 hours.
"Huh? I can see numbers." Yuma said.
"It looks like a countdown. I told you guys a million times, the Mystery Labyrinth is the materialized form of the case from the real world. Maybe this is a recreation of the countdown timer that's causing Marcy such a headache." Shingami said.
"Oh no! I totally forgot about the bombs! So if you're saying that clock times out…?" Marcy said.
"It'll go KABOOM! You guys and the whole Mystery Labyrinth will be blown to smithereens! Kyahaha!" Shinigami laughed.
"What's so funny about that?!" Eddy demanded.
"Did you set up the bomb in this labyrinth? I see… a dirty trick befitting the god of darkness." Fubuki said. "Everyone, we must hurry! If we take too much time, the Labyrinth will collapse, along with the treasure inside!"
"That's what I literally just said!" Shinigami said.
"Let us make all haste to obtain the treasure and escape via waterfall out of the destroyed dungeon!" Fubuku said, running off on her own.
"Wait! It's not safe!" Yuma called to no avail.
"Curse Indiana Jones-esque fantasies…" Double D said as the group ran after her.
"That girl has no sense of self-preservation."
"Guys, relax. She's got that time rewind power. She'll be fine." Marcy said.
"Oh yeah…about that….powers and fortes can't be used in here." Shinigami said. "Aside from Master, all of you are just tagalongs."
"Oh….then yeah, we should pick up the pace." Marcy said.
"(If we're powerless in here, why are we able to use the same kinda gear Yuma has? Probably best not dwell on it right now.)" Vector said.
"I wonder why Fubuki's so eager for stuff like this?" Blake asked.
"From how she acts, I'd say she wasn't given a lot of freedom in the Clockford household." Mayumi said.
"You're not wrong about that. Fubuki is the heiress to the Clockford name, so it's only natural that her parents likely kept her sheltered from the outside world." 9S said.
"She never had the chance to act like a normal girl until she became a detective. What kind of life is that?" David asked.
"Man, now I feel kinda sorry for her." Jiro said.
The group soon went through a door at the end of an endless hallway and transitioned to a more deeper part of the labyrinth where sand was everywhere. They soon found Fubuki at the end of the cave near a lagoon, surrounded by a bunch of Qs.
"Fubuki?!" Yuma asked in shock of her predicament.
"Oh, everyone, take a look at this. These cute creatures and I have become the best of friends." Fubuki smiled.
"Those are Qs! They're a materialized mystery… Ah! She's already buried beneath them!" Yuma said.
Suddenly, Qs started amassing in two spots as two increased in size, which could only mean one thing.
"Uh oh… we've got company!" Ross said as the Qs spawned into Mystery Phantoms of Guillaume and Dominic. Guillame had yellow hair with mushrooms growing out of her head, as she was dressed like a crazy lolita and had pixie wings. Dominic meanwhile was even larger than he was in the real world, as his hands were outfitted with two spiked mace balls, Fubuki screaming at the sight of them.
"Fouuund you~." MP!Guillaume announced, looking at Marcy. "You're a terrorist, bomber, murderer, and… A maggot, who doesn't deserve to live! You murdered Shachi from the Resistance, didn't you~? Killing your own people makes you dumber than Dominic~."
"Ah…" MP!Dominic groaned.
"Marcy didn't do it! When we got to the roof, Shachi was already dead!" Yuma argued.
"Sorry, I can't hear you~! I don't listen to criminals~." MP!Guillaume taunted.
"How horrifying! So these are the labyrinths monsters?" Fubuki asked.
"Yeah, and unless we can get 'em outta the way, we'll never be able to move forward." Penny answered.
"Hey Dominic, you're good at doing laundry, right~? Grab a washboard, and give their filthy hearts a good scrub~!" MP!Guillaume ordered.
"Alright, I've had enough of this!" Marcy said, stepping forward.
"Marcy?!" Yuma said as she summoned her solution crossbow.
"You think you can brand Marcy Regina Wu as a terrorist and get away with it? I don't think so!" Marcy declared. "I'm right here if you want me so badly! You wanna get nuts?! Let's get nuts!" she challenged, aiming her Solution Weapon as MP!Dominic pounded his maces together and MP!Guillaume took flight.
Reasoning Death Match
MP!Guillaume & MP!Dominic
Warning! Dominic is being controlled by Guillaume while she presents her accusation, and can attack independently!
Shachi's Gun
Shachi's Actions
Security Camera Footage
"Just admit it~! Confess to shooting Shachi on the hideout's roof! How terrible of you to shoot an ally~! You even planted the gun on his corpse. All to make it look like a suicide. With no witnesses up there… You did as you pleased! Go die and be reborn already, okay?"
Marcy loads 'Security Camera Footage' into her Solution Crossbow and fires!
"I've seen through your lies!"
"I did not kill Shachi. I was still on the stairs when he was killed on the roof….and the security camera footage proves it!" Marcy called out.
Direct Hit! Deals 30 damage to Mystery Phantoms Dominic and Guillaume!
"Urgh!"
"Ah…"
The two Mystery Phantoms dispelled themselves into Qs, flying away.
MP!Guillaume & MP!Dominic fled the battle!
"The monsters… retreated…" Fubuki watched. "Marcy, you defeated those monsters! Splendid! I respect you as a fellow adventurer!"
"It's nothing…no big deal." Marcy said, trying to contain her excitement about being called an adventurer.
"Hate to say it Fubuki, but that's not the last we'll see of them. Mystery Phantoms are tough SOBs." Kaito said.
"He's right. They'll keep showing up until we bring every single detail about this case to light." David said. "Or…at least until we get to the true culprit."
"Yeah, Martina didn't put up much of a fight last time." Mermista said. "The case was given too much focus on the girls involved."
"Guillaume and Dominic's phantoms will be just like Swank and Seth's, then." Shuichi said.
"We need to keep moving, then. The more we solve in the Labyrinth, the better our odds." 9S said.
They soon got moving again down another hallway.
"By the way, why were they accusing Marcy of being the culprit?" Fubuki asked.
"Oh right, you don't remember since coming here." 9S said. "Marcy was framed for terrorism and murder."
"She was setting up the cameras that Servan gave her, and they contained explosives. On top of that, the real culprit shot Shachi, and they pinned all of it on her." David said.
"How terrible! I cannot fathom the possibility of someone so young committing both those acts!" Fubuki said.
"Yeah, but they don't believe I did it." Marcy said. "And I'm glad they don't."
"Then I shall also put my faith in you, Marcy!" Fubuki said. "In the entire time I've known you, you strike me as a girl who no matter what the circumstances, always stands by her friends! And you have an adventurer's spirit! You also want to see the wonders of the world, don't you?"
"You're not wrong about that. I mean, I've loved fantasy stuff as far back as I can remember. All the stuff I put Anne, Sasha and myself through was one thing, but the whole thing with Theodore and the d Elite?" Marcy asked before imitating her mind blown. "Since meeting these guys, I've seen tons of stuff thats blown my mind like… 50 times over!"
"Yeah…I was curious…I know he kidnapped you as backup for the Tumultuous 20 he put together but…how would he have known to take you girls?" Yaoyorozu asked.
"I dunno. All he kept saying was that we were on some list from some old organization. He kept calling it a coalition or something." Marcy said.
"That Heroes Coalition again? Seriously… Even after it was defunct, it was nothing but trouble." Jesse said before realizing something. "Son of a….he got his hands on that thing." he grumbled. "No wonder he got his members so quickly."
"Something you wanna share with the rest of the class?" Shinigami teased.
"Before it shut down, there was something important there. A magical list. It contained the names and locations of a large number of people with hero potential. Even our names are on it. That group kept it when seeking out potential members. Theodore must have snatched it up after it went defunct and used it to start his own team." Jesse said.
"So he got me, Anne and Sasha because we had the potential to be heroes in that Coalition's eyes?" Marcy asked. "Kinda flattering, but still no excuse for kidnapping."
"Well, he won't be going around doing that behind steel bars." Vector said.
"Yeah…" Jiro said the floor was sounding wet. "Uh, guys? Is it just me or is it getting wetter in here?"
"Huh?" Espio said as they noticed water rising as they proceeded further. "This must be in reflection of that ward that got flooded."
"Hmm… I wonder…" David said. "Kaito, you remembered that opening we saw from the rooftop, right?"
"Well, yeah. I did. I even said that you'd have to be an Olympic diver to make that jump." Kaito said.
"Right. I think we were on the trail of someone who could do that, but the Mystery Labyrinth is making it kinda fuzzy." Marcy said. "But im sure to kill Shachi, they had to have use something first."
Suddenly, the water level in the hall quickly rose up, submerging everyone's bodies to thier waists.
"Trap!" Rachel called out.
"I can float, so this is no problem for me. But you guys better figure something out quick." Shinigami said.
"Leave this one to me!" Mermista said.
"Mermista, wait! You can't use your magic inside the mystery labyrinth, remember?" P-Twilight
"Who says I need magic to swim?" Mermista asked as she dove into the water and swam using her human legs. As she did, a question was put in front of her with two islands to the left and right.
What Murder weapon was used in this case?
Left: Shachi's Gun
Right: a different gun
"We saw it clear as day on the roof… Shachi was murdered using his own revolver!" Mermista said, jumping to the left island as everyone followed her lead, pushed by the current.
"Well, that was quite the surprise." Double D remarked. "Never before have the events of a case caused something like this."
Just then, a ladder descended down in front of them.
"Nowhere to go but up it seems." 9S said.
"Fubuki, can you make the jump to the ladder?" Blake asked.
"I'm not so sure… truthfully, I'm not that physically adept." Fubuki said.
"Not to worry, Ms. Clockford, we can grab you." Double D stated.
Having faith in Double D's words, Fubuki jumped to the ladder as the group caught her, and they proceeded to climb their way up.
"So, Shachi was murdered with his own gun. Were there any confirmations on that?" Yang asked.
"Yes, the gun muzzle was still hot along with the scent of gunpowder being detected in the air, and out of all six bullets, only one was empty." Hermit said.
"Besides, there were no other weapons at the scene. It could only have been Shachi's gun." Maki said.
"Land ho!" Ed pointed up, a yellow portal awaiting the group. Passing through it, they found themselves in a sandy area.
"Okay, this place just keeps getting weirder and weirder." Chopper said.
"I am curious…are you all really new to being detectives? You are much more skilled at adventuring and your leaders have the titles of Warriors of Light." Fubuki said.
"Well, it helps that some of us have been through stuff like this before." Mayumi said. "But… Yeah, using logic to defeat our enemies is kind of a first for some of us here."
"We have a path forward. We need to keep moving." Yuuto said, before a swarm of Qs came from above and converged into MP!Guillaume and MP!Dominic.
"Too bad, so sad! You're not gonna make it through here!" MP!Guillaume laughed.
"These two are starting to annoy me, and thanks to all these bleeding hearts, I can't even take it out on the useless airhead…" Shinigami growled. "Somebody help me destress by turning these two into mincemeat!"
"We were gonna do that anyway." David said.
Reasoning Death Match
MP!Guillaume & MP!Dominic
High Voltage Lines
Parallel Gunshot Wounds
Shachi's Gun Designed by Iruka
Exterior Lock on Door
MP!Guillaume continues to focus her argument on Marcy!
"Even if you didn't fire the gun… A friend could have done it for you~! You ordered your accomplice… To snipe Shachi from someplace else! Your accomplice threw the gun over to you… And you put it right into Shachi's hand. That was your maggot master plan~! Where was the gun fired from? There's only one place it could be. You fired it from the building next door!"
David loads 'Parallel Gunshot Wounds' into their Solution Wristblade and swung at MP!Guillaume!
"No, that's wrong!"
"No, there was no way the shot could have been from that building." David said.
"I can attest to that." Mayumi said.
"The building next door is taller than the hideout. And if you fired, the wound would have been at an angle. But the shot was horizontal. Meaning, there's no way it could have been from the building next door!" Hermit said.
MP!Guillaume & MP!Dominic take 40 Damage!
"Ngh!"
"Ah…"
The two Mystery Phantoms collapsed, exploding into nothingness.
MP!Guillaume & MP!Dominic Defeated!
"That makes sense. Since the shot was straight, the gunman had to be at the same height." Shinigami said.
"It could have been that Shachi's head was at an angle too." Espio said. "Though if that were true, we'd find a bullet on the roof."
"But it's strange that they insist it was a homicide… If Marcy's not the culprit, it'd make more sense to rule it as a suicide…" Yuma said.
"It wouldn't be strange if it was a homicide actually." Hermit said. "Think back to the gun that was found."
"The gun…?" Yuma repeated, materializing the weapon in his mind, before he made the connection. "That's right! Normally the chamber swings out to the left on a revolver, but the one at the scene swings out to the right!"
"And why would that be?" Angie asked.
"...I-I'm not sure." Yuma admitted.
"I think I have a good reason why." Mayumi said. "It's because it's a left-handed gun."
"Exactly. Trying to reload it in your right hand would be difficult to do, but for Shachi it wouldn't because he would use his left hand." Hermit said.
"That's right, Shachi was left-handed!" Marcy remembered. "Iruka made that revolver especially for him!"
"So what does this mean now? Did Shachi actually kill himself, or is this still a homicide?" 9S asked.
"I think it's 100% a homicide." Mayumi said.
"I agree with you, Mayumi!" Fubuki nodded.
"No way, you're both wrong!" Shingiami said.
"Shinigami, enough." David said.
"B-But if the gun was left handed and designed for Shachi, only he could've used it! That totally screams suicide!" Shinigami argued.
"Just because he could, does it really mean he did?" David asked.
"David's right. Even if Iruka designed the revolver for Shachi to use specifically for a left handed specialist…. Does that mean only he could use it? Someone else could still fire it off were they left handed themselves." Gohan said.
"Guys, guys! Stop arguing. Let's take a vote to decide the method we check." Silver said.
A moment later…
"And it's decided. We're treating this…as a homicide." Silver said.
"Okay. Now that we can look at this as a homicide, let's figure out how the culprit was able to escape. After all, Shachi's corpse was the only thing on that roof." David said.
"Right… We were all heading up the stairs, the Peacekeepers were already raiding the hideout, and nobody saw the killer." Ross said.
"They had to make a quick getaway off that roof. Thus, I think they had to have an optimal escape route. But to many eyes, there were no straight roads off that roof except the door." 9S said.
"The only thing I can think of is that Storm Drain that was spotted off to the side. But that's a risky jump." Kaito said.
"Not unless you knew what you were doing." Mermista said. "It would take someone with pretty amazing skills to make that dive. Hate to say it, but I'd probably have a hard time making that dive myself."
"Wait, wasn't one of the Resistance members an expert diver?" Double D recalled.
"Yeah… Yeah, there was. It's starting to come back to me now." David said.
"Come back to you? You're saying you know who the killer is?" Kokoro asked.
"Yes." David said as the scene in the Mystery Labyrinth shifted to a rainy scene on top of some buildings. Servan, Iruka, Icardi and Margulaw were lined up. "The killer had to be a leader of the Resistance, as they are the only ones that had access to Shachi's gun. There is only one member of the resistance who had the skills necessary to make an escape like this possible…"
Target: Icardi
"It has to be you!"
"The killer is…Icardi." David said.
(Cue- Class Trial: Judgment Day- Project Eden's Garden)
"Wait, seriously? Icardi is the killer?" Eddy asked.
"Yes… Kaito mentioned that you would have to be an Olympic diver to make the dive into the storm drain. When you look at it from that particular detail… Icardi is the only member of the Resistance that has the confidence to make the jump." David said.
"Yeah, David's right! And he always bragged about his swimming skills whenever he could. And with how flooded it is, the Dohya District is perfect for him!" Marcy said before pointing at Icardi. "I can't believe you'd pin killing Shachi on me, and after you guys welcomed me into the fold like family! What do you have to say for yourself, Icardi?!"
"N-No! That's insane! I'm not the culprit! That's BS!" Icardi defended before Qs amassed around him and he transformed into a mystery phantom. As one, he looked like a demonic diver with a spiked air tank strapped to his back. "I didn't kill Shachi! I'm not the culprit!"
"Such a foreboding presence!" Fubuki gasped. "Is this truly the identity of the final monster protecting the hidden treasure?"
"He's getting desperate because we're nearing the end of this mystery." Hermit said.
"Yeah. But we know he is the only one capable of this crime." David said. "We just have to beat down whatever arguments he has, until he has no choice but to accept it."
"Sounds good to me!" Eddy grinned as the group drew their Solution Weapons. "Let's clean his clock!"
Reasoning Death Match
MP!Icardi
MP!Icardi is desperate! ATK & DEF rises!
Icardi's Talent
Servan's Traumatic Experience
Margulaw's Alibi
Iruka's Talent
"I'm not the culprit! Where's your evidence?! There are other Resistance members! I know! Margulaw is the culprit! Margulaw shot Shachi on the roof!"
Yaoyorozu loads 'Margulaw's Alibi' into their Solution Polearm and strikes him!
"Your evil knows no bounds!"
"There is no way it could be Margulaw. He has a credible alibi so he couldn't have shot him!" Yaoyorozu said.
MP!Icardi takes 20 Damage!
Resistance's Motives
Shachi's Gun Designed by Iruka
"If it's not Margulaw…then Iruka is the culprit! Iruka knows a lot about handling guns! She killed Shachi…and made it look like suicide!"
Espio loads 'Shachi's Gun Designed by Iruka' and throws a Solution Shuriken into MP!Icardi!
"You reap what you sow!"
"Iruka was the one who designed Shachi's gun. If she were the culprit and wanted to make it look like suicide, she would have known…to place it in the left hand, not the right!" Espio said.
MP!Icardi takes 40 Damage!
Icardi's Talent
Servan's Traumatic Experience
"It's not Margulaw… It's not Iruka…but you still can't say I'm the culprit! The culprit is Servan! He killed Shachi on the roof and messed with the corpse then escaped through the drain!"
Hermit loads 'Servan's Traumatic Experience' into her Solution Hack and fires!
"Hacked right through your logic!"
"Servan was traumatized after he nearly drowned. How could he have dived into a drain after going through that?" Hermit asked.
Critical Hit! MP!Icardi takes 60 Damage!
"Aaaahhhhh!" MP!Icardi screamed before dispersing into Q's as he fled.
MP!Icardi flees!
The group found themselves on a piece of rubble in the flooded district.
"We pushed him back, but his real soul still hasn't appeared." 9S said.
"We're going about this all wrong. We know Icardi framed me and killed Shachi, but we need to know why he did this stuff. His motive." Marcy said.
"The Mystery Labyrinth is a reflection of reality, perhaps the flow of water will lead us to it. " Jin said as the water dragged the rubble they stood on to a large bomb that was counting down.
"Ah…big bomb!" Vector said.
"I think it can be disarmed with a solution key." Marcy said.
"I got this!" Shinigami said as she slashed Yuma as a question appeared.
What was the culprit doing during the diversion?
"Diversion? Right…the goal wasn't to cause destruction. He wanted to use me and the bombs to keep the Peacekeepers distracted." Marcy said. "What was he doing while we disarmed the…" she said thinking back to the district. "I know what he was doing! While we distracted the Peacekeepers…he was flooding the district!" she said as they all entered through the door and started running up some stairs. "His goal was to use the water valves at the power plants and reservoir to flood Marunomon District."
"So they were trying to sow chaos. Like the resistance…" Perfuma said.
"No. That's not it. If they wanted to sow chaos, they could have just used the bombs. Meaning they didn't wanna destroy the district." Marcy said as they finally cornered Icardi. "Stop right there!"
"Wait…please. All of you, just listen. This…this was Shachi's wish." Icardi said.
"Shachi's…wish?" Vector said.
"Shachi…he always kept fighting for the sake of Kanai Ward. He wanted to close the gap between the rich and poor. This mission was to flood Marunomon District…to send the rich a message. But flooding it was just terrorism. It would only make them angry and not accomplish anything. So Shachi…decided to offer up his life. He wanted me to kill him, to make it look like the Peacekeepers did it. And are you really going to disregard his dying wish and sacrifice by revealing the truth?" Icardi said.
"Don't give us that crap. Shachi wouldn't want this." David said.
"Wh-What…? How…would you know? You know nothing about the Resistance!" Icardi said.
"I don't need to. I know his type all too well." David said.
"Marcy, don't listen to him. He's nothing but an idiot but you understand. You were only with us for a few hours but…" Icardi begged only to have his hand slapped away.
"Yeah…I do understand your plight, even Shachi's. Which is why I know…He would never offer his life just for some act like this!" Marcy said. "And this guy….he is not an idiot! He may be a little too eager at points, but…there's no way he would be a liar!"
"Shut up!" Icardia said before he transformed into his Mystery Phantom form. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"
"I won't! Shachi would never want to see anyone die!" Marcy said as a fortress arose around Icardi. "I…no…we…we will defend his honor…and expose you for the villain you really are!"
The fort soon dropped down into the canyon below as the others followed, Shinigami becoming God Shinigami once again and tossing everyone on top of her head. "Let's head to the truth, everyone!" she said as she made a mad dash for the fort, bashing through the walls and kicking away the iron balls along with jumping over spiked pits as she reached the fort.
"We were in a noble battle to end the disparity between rich and poor!"
Marunomon District Safe
Shinigami swung her scythe and brought the fort down as the group stood before a knocked down Icardi.
"Your plan had nothing to do with Shachi or the Resistance!" Yuma declared. "You just wanted the safes!"
"The safes?" Fubuki asked.
"Many places in that district use safes designed by Amaterasu, including the bank. They're airtight and can float on water. Icardi knew that and flooded the district. They'd normally be too heavy but if they were floating, they'd be easy to take. That's the truth. He used Kanai's Ward's features just to rob the bank. He is no resistance fighter, in fact, he took advantage of their beliefs!" Marcy said.
"Hmm… But there is still one thing about this whole thing I'm still not getting. Did Shachi…really need to die?" David asked.
"He was a part of his plan. Shachi either figured out or was close to it. Icardi…he just used him as part of the distraction, to make sure no one knew what he was really up to." Marcy said.
"I see. I figured that the whole thing would've been different if Icardi didn't kill him and just did everything else the same. Resistance would be crushed completely, Peacekeepers would arrest us, and Icardi would get away scot-free with no one realizing what happened until it was too late." David said. "But if Shachi was really that close to figuring it out, then it would make sense that he would take out loose ends. That doesn't make what he did any forgivable, though."
"Yeah, he was just a money grubber that used everyone around him for his own ends. He didn't care who was caught in the crossfire as long as he got his loot!" Tenko said.
"I …I hate this city. I was sick of all of Shachi's idealistic nonsense! Fighting the Peacekeepers wouldn't have changed anything. That's why…I was gonna take the money and get outta here. It's this city that's wrong. This rotten place." Icardi spoke.
"Yeah…I'm sure a lot of people thought the same about this city when they first came here." Marcy said. "But even so, there were still people who were willing to fight and change it. You…you just lost your way and went down a path you'd never come back from. But even so…thank you…for everything." she said with a bow before turning her back. "Okay, Shinigami…go ahead."
"Okay….time to boom-kill the bad guy!" Shinigami said excitedly.
"W-wait! Can't we talk about this?!" Icardi asked.
"I'm afraid not. You had your chance to talk before you killed Shachi. But you threw everyone under the bus to suit yourself. And now, it's time you accept your fate." David said. "It's funny, really. We usually feel bad about killing the culprits of these Mystery Labyrinths. But…no. Not this time."
"Kyahahaha! Now you're speaking my language!" Shinigami laughed, drawing her scythe, the group turning their backs to Icardi.
"No wait! Wait! Wait!" Icardi cried out before Shinigami blasted him, crying out as he and the Mystery Labyrinth died.
Mystery Dungeon Cleared!
Memento: Shachi's Gun
A gun gifted to the leader of the Resistance. A weapon its owner secretly hoped would never be used.
"I never wanted things to end this way…but what's done is done. I'll leave the rest to you. Please…save Kanai Ward…"
"Yes…we did it! We conquered the labyrinth. We're…!" Vector said as they were surrounded by the Peacekeepers. "We're still hosed!"
"There she is! The terrorist and her little loser flunkies! Capture them!" Guillaume called out.
"Oh come on! Why can't we pop out in a different place than where we entered?!" Penny asked.
"Oh boy…" Eddy groaned, getting ready to defend himself as Dominic loomed over him, ready to pound him.
"Hey! Leave him alone! I'm the one you want!" Marcy said, getting between the two. "You win. I'll hand myself over, but only if you let everyone else go free!"
"You think you're in any position to make demands?" Guillaume asked.
"Actually, it's not necessary." a voice said as a figure in a boat slowly arrived. This figure being shown as Halara.
"Halara!" Yuma called out.
"This one…has told me everything!" Halara said as they showed a tied up Servan.
"Servan? Oh…I get it. He must have been in on Icardi's plan. Makes sense since he designed the cameras." Marcy said.
"Got something you wanna say?" Yakou asked Servan, who was crying.
"I-I was threatened by Icardi to make those devices. I had no idea about the bank robbery, and I had no idea that would happen to Shachi! I-It's true! Icardi set everything up! I'll confess everything I know! Please spare my life!" Servan confessed.
"Ha! Hear that? Our girl is no terrorist! Meaning…you got the wrong person!" Vector said.
"Grr…" Guillaume growled, even as she made no attempt to stop the group from boarding the boats, receiving Servan in exchange.
"Pleasure doin' business with ya, officers!" Eddy threw up a mocking two-finger salute as the NDA quickly left the scene.
After a long boat ride, the group made it to a bridge and docked, regrouping on the street above.
"Phew… That was close, but we managed it this time around." Yakou let out a sigh of relief. "Sheesh, the way you all keep dragging us into trouble…is pure genius. You're lucky we even noticed what happened."
"Not sure that's a compliment…" Kokoro sweatdropped.
"Wait, if you all were alive, then where have you been?" Double D asked.
"Wait, you serious? Didn't Fubuki tell any of you about the backup meeting place in case we were ever compromised?" Yakou asked.
"No, we got thrown into all of this before she got the chance." Kirumi said.
"Oh! I just remembered about it!" Fubuki spoke up.
"Of course…" Yuuto sweatdropped, a motion shared by everyone else.
"Well anyway…glad you're all safe." Yakou shook his disbelief off. "We should get out of here before something else…" he started before a group of Peacekeepers surrounded the group, pointing guns at them.
"Aw…leaving so soon?" a voice said as Yomi was shown leading them.
"Y-You…" Yakou said in fear.
"Oh, hey Hellsmile. Say, where's your girlfriend?" Eddy asked nonchalantly as he kept his eyes on the Peacekeepers.
"Oh, my dear Martina? Why, she's right here." Yomi smiled as he held up a keychain with a small cube attached to it. "Doesn't she look wonderful?"
"O-Okay…" Eddy said, losing some of his nerve.
"What do you want, Yomi?" David asked. "If you're here about the terrorist act, we've already proved Marcy innocent."
"Oh yes, the mastermind's heart attack…" Yomi chuckled. "Well, regardless of whether or not she was aware…the fact of the matter is that she still planted bombs around the city. You think you can plead ignorance? Even small crimes cannot go unpunished. That is the meaning of justice."
"Your 'justice' isn't correct!" Marcy said. "Can't you see you're hurting people more than your helping them?!"
"I don't need to acknowledge the words of a terrorist." Yomi said coldly. "Now then, will you be a good girl and hand yourself over? Or will everyone here need to be given the death penalty?" he asked.
The group was on edge as they considered their options, Marcy steeling herself to step forward…
…that is until an arm wrapped itself around Yomi's neck, a Ki blade being positioned at his throat.
"Drop your guns!" Eddy yelled at the Peacekeepers. "Or the red-head gets it!"
"Eddy?! What in blazes are you attempting here?!" Double D exclaimed.
"They ain't takin' Marcy! I won't let 'em!" Eddy yelled. "Listen up, Yomi: you're gonna let Marcy go, take your boys, and walk away. Otherwise, you're gonna be a lot shorter…a head, to be exact!"
"You really wanna die like this?" Yomi asked in a cold voice, unafraid of the threat. "Go ahead. See what happens."
"Eddy, you've lost your mind!" Yakou yelled.
"Really?! You know what we can do! You said it yourself!" Eddy argued. "I could end this whole thing right now if I wanted to! Who's gonna try and avenge this jerk?! His girlfriend? She's a cube now! His employees? Heck, I'm sure they'd be more relieved than anything! After everything this guy's done, including torpedoing your sub…he shouldn't get ta walk away!"
"Attempting this to save a friend isn't what detectives do, Eddy! It's one of the rules here in Kanai Ward too: don't be a hero!" Yakou said.
"And when has that ever stopped us?!" Eddy said, the standoff growing more and more tense by the second. "Now…drop your guns and walk away. Now." he ordered.
"That will be enough, Mr. McGee." a voice said as the group saw Makoto approaching from the sky on a hot-air balloon, dropping down to the street in front of Yomi and Eddy.
"Whoa…what is he doing here?" Yakou said.
"Oh…it's Makoto." David said.
"Hello David. Hello Yuma. It's good to see you." Makoto said.
"Wait, you…do you have any idea who he is? That is the CEO of Amaterasu Corporation!" Yakou said.
"Yeah, we know. We've met him before." David stated.
"You what?!" Yakou asked in shock.
"It's true. He pulled Yuma and I out of the river." David said.
"What do you want?" Yomi demanded of the newcomer.
"What I want is for this standoff to come to an end." Makoto said. "Eddy. If you release Yomi, I'll have him drop the charges against Ms. Wu. She'll be free to go, as will the rest of you."
"...You promise?" Eddy asked waringly.
"I do." Makoto said. "I'm no enemy of yours, the WDOs war isn't with Amaterasu entirely. For the past few cases you've taken, you have only been at odds with the Peacekeepers as they've attempted to twist the truth. Understand this: I do not aim to control this city. Rather, like you, I wish to save it. And I cannot do that if the life of a promising young girl is taken."
"Wait… me?" Marcy asked.
"Yes, you, Marcy. I know who you are. I know a great many different things about you." Makoto said. "Exemplary grades at Saint James Middle School in everything but physical education. Disappeared along with you two friends for several months before suddenly returning. After your return and moving from Los Angeles to Massachusetts, you showed symptoms of PTSD, requiring you to be assigned a therapist, who suggested you take on an internship with the WDO, setting you on course to meet Vector. You're talented, you are resourceful, and most importantly…. You have a strong connection to the mind. Quite interesting."
"Whoa…that is both cool and terrifying that you know all that." Marcy said with both a smile and a shiver.
"So, Eddy, why not let Yomi go? He won't be taking your friend." Makoto promised.
Eddy was silent for a moment before he nodded. "...Okay." he said, dispelling his Ki Blade and letting Yomi go.
"So, Yomi, let's not quarrel here, okay? I'd hate for things to escalate again." Makoto said to the leader of the Peacekeepers. "Just this once, may I ask you to withdraw? Please."
"...You get one. You won't get a second." Yomi promised, then turned to the group. "The next time you catch my eye, there will be no mercy."
"For once…we agree." Eddy glared at the man.
Yomi snarled, but turned his back and headed off into the streets, his Peacekeepers following behind.
"As for you Mr. Furio, Yomi's action to destroy your agency was most definitely uncalled for. That is why I have prepared something special." Makoto said.
Makoto led the group to their previous hideout, where they saw a brand-new sub, exactly like their old one, waiting for them.
"I-It's back to normal?! Is this a CEO's power?" Desuhiko asked.
"His cursed powers have conjured a submarine…" Fubuki marvelled.
"I don't like it. This place could be bugged." Halara remarked.
"We'll do a complete sweep of the place." Penny said, 9S nodding in agreement.
"My agency… M-My…!" Yakou said in joy as the group headed inside to see everything as it was before the torpedo. "It all looks exactly the same!"
"Guess Amaterasu isn't so heartless after all." Jiro said.
"(Even still, The Ultimate Secret we're after is connected to Makoto and his company.)" 9S thought. "(Homunculi…was he the one who proposed their creation? He may have given Yakou his agency back, but we have to keep our guards up.)"
"Look Yakou, sorry Eddy went a little nuts back there. Honestly, we get why you're so afraid of Amaterasu. But we've abided by rules of our own for a long time. Even as detectives, we can't ignore them." Connie said.
"Look, it's not you I'm mad at." Yakou said, before he rounded on Eddy. "What the hell were you thinking back there?!" he shouted.
"I didn't have time to do the whole thinking thing!" Eddy yelled back, everyone backing away. "My friend was in trouble! Like heck I was gonna let them take her!"
"Of course we weren't going to let that happen! But you can't just threaten the leader of the Peacekeepers and get away with it!" Yakou said.
"I just did!" Eddy pointed out.
"And what we're you gonna do if Makoto hadn't shown up, kill Yomi?!" Yakou asked.
"...Maybe I would have." Eddy replied, everyone shocked at his statement. "What about it?"
"Wh-What about it?!" Yakou yelled in disbelief and anger. "Do you even know what the hell you're saying?! Killing him…that's pretty much a declaration of war against Amaterasu Corporation!"
"War?" Eddy said, before he let out a laugh that sounded…off. "War? Nah…one group like that? That ain't war. We've seen war. We've seen clouds stained blood red. We've seen more deaths than the entire WDO combined! We've seen worse things! Then you could ever imagine! That Yomi guy? He's flat out nothing compared to the nightmares we've seen!"
"...Look, maybe you can afford to treat him like a joke-" Yakou started.
"You're a joke!" Eddy yelled at the man.
"Excuse me?" Yakou asked.
"Eddy, don't you think you're going a little too far-?" Marcy tried to ask.
"You think I'm supposed to believe that you care about anything but yourself?!" Eddy snarled at the man. "We've been out there, pounding the streets, helping people, getting things done, while you've been cooped up here in your own private coffin, waiting to die!"
"...You don't know what you're talking about." Yakou said.
"Oh really?" Eddy demanded, fishing in his pockets and pulling out the picture he'd been carrying. "Then explain this to me!"
Yakou was stunned when he saw it. "...Where did you…?" he asked.
"You should keep better track of your stuff." Eddy snarked. "So, what's the deal? Yomi keeping her hostage? Is an assassin ready to take her out if you start showing some backbone?!"
"...That's…That's not what it is." Yakou said.
"Then why are you so scared?!" Eddy asked. "Why the heck are you a detective?! What does this girl in the picture even see in you, huh?! If she were here right now, you know what she'd see? A coward! Someone so scared that - that he can't even be bothered to do the right thing! She'd probably not even recognize you!"
"Eddy, ENOUGH!" David yelled at the boy in anger, causing him to stop, the sub deathly quite.
"...Here, take yer crummy picture." Eddy grumbled, putting the picture into Yakou's hand. "Come find me when you finally decide to grow a pair…and start helping this city, like you wanted us to do." he said, walking away.
"Eddy-!" Ed said as Eddy left the lounge area.
"Let him be alone, Ed." Double D placed a hand on his shoulder. "Mr. Yakou, we're terribly sorry about his behavior. He's usually not like this. I assure you, he'll receive a stern lecture for what he said!"
"...He couldn't stomach the idea that Yakou refused to allow us to seek the truth." Vivia spoke up.
"What do you mean, Vivia?" Princess Twilight asked.
"Sometimes, the truth can be more dangerous when it is revealed." Vivia said. "But your friend desires to press on. He refuses to give up on the truth. And Yakou's actions…he views it as giving up. Perhaps looking at Yakou is, in some ways, like looking into a mirror of the past."
"Looking into a mirror? But I don't think Eddy ever gave up." Marcy said.
"...He almost did once." Double D admitted. "Have we told you all of the time we sought out Eddy's big brother for protection from the other kids in our neighborhood?"
"Not fully, but we got a brief glimpse of him back in Mark's mind." Gohan recalled.
"Well…Ed and I didn't know how…twisted he was back then. I assume Eddy held out hope that perhaps he had changed." Double D said. "Only, as you all saw…he hadn't. He'd only become worse. Even after we disabled his brother, Eddy was…defeated. He admitted to making things up about his brother, trying to act like him to be cool…and how it all failed."
"Wait a second, so… all the scams, the tricks, the jerkish behavior... Eddy got it all from his brother?" Kaede asked.
"Indeed. As you can imagine, Eddy was left broken for a moment. But…everyone accepted him after he stopped acting like his brother." Double D said. "Then…then that day. The day when we learned how far Eddy's brother was willing to go for revenge."
"Right. He tried to run Eddy over, but got that pig instead." Yuuto remembered. "That's how you met Mark."
"Yes. If Mark hadn't shown up…Eddy spoke of running away again." Double D said. "That, I believe, is what Mr. Twilight is speaking of. Running away from problems instead of confronting them head on. As the partner to the Pokémon of Willpower…reminders of that time must shake him to his core."
"Can I ask you something, Vivia?" Marcy asked. "Who do you think is right? Eddy, or Yakou?"
"Not my place to say." Vivia said. "They're the only ones who can decide that."
"...Fair enough." Chrysalis remarked. "We'll have to resolve this conflict later. We need to get back to our investigation."
"Right. And hopefully, we'll be able to unravel the mystery of Kanai Ward without suffering any more than we already have." Shuichi said.
"Oh…oh my gosh. I just remembered something from when I was being a revolutionary. It's about the Homunculi!" Marcy said. "About the research and the lab work they did 10 years ago."
"What good is ten years of info…" Vector said.
"No…I'm saying…the lab where it all happened…it still exists somewhere in Kanai Ward!" Marcy said.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's try and go find it!" Vector said as the group all ran out…well…all but one.
"So damn eager…" Vivia said as he emerged from the fireplace. But…that thing…haunting after Yuma…" he said as he brandished a box cutter. "It has the power…to destroy the world."
Chapter 3: No Longer A Detective
END