Reincarnated Into A Dead Woman's Body In Another World-Chapter 368: Arc 5, - 62: Contingency

"I’m gonna need everything kid," Kazuo had both his hands pressed down on the desk as he stood.

The five of them stood at the other end, harried and mildly shabby; out the open office door, it seemed what few detectives there were, were pacing around and putting on their coats. Morgana stood at the doorframe, Kira nowhere in sight.

However, the detective in blue spoke, "They’re packing up and heading eastwards. Seems the ghouls’ve calmed down and the giant lizard’s nowhere in sight." Her eyes stopped glowing as she looked to them.

"Wyvern," Kazuo corrected.

Morgana leered to him and raised a brow.

"Looks like I was right," Jotou muttered to herself.

"You saw the thing?" Fumeko furrowed her brows.

"Got a description, figured that was enough to make a guess. Regardless, I didn’t actually see anything and the facts lie with the evidence so, everything you got," he asked for again.

Each of them went over what they could glean at the scene and who all was present. Their perspectives pieced a puzzle together as rain began drizzling outside and faint thunder began to roar.

"-eventually, we got back here," Fumeko finished.

"Do you need that in writing too?" Asobi tilted her head.

"No, I got everything," Kazuo had crossed his arms and one hand held his chin; his eyes kept darting around while he kept his gaze lowered. Finally, with a blink of his eyes, he glanced up to Morgana.

She on the other hand, kept her eye on the five till she got the chance to reply, "So, you didn’t face no new gods beyond that one."

"Not that we know of. The other casters we fought didn’t seem to have the same, power I suppose?" Hotaru squinted. "Other than that, it was the ghosts that posed more of a threat."

"But we didn’t see the spirit-mage this time. I think it was more so from whatever machine was at the back of the warehouse—the weird beacon.

It started humming and that’s when the ghosts showed up. Then again, I was kinda occupied so I’m not a hundred percent on that one," Jotou recalled.

Tiffany gave a nod, "Indeed. Tis from yonder place whence the spectres emerged and began their chorus to commence their ghastly assault upon us."

"Someone still would have to operate that machine and know how to. Meaning, that someone has a high likelihood of being present at the scene," Kazuo supposed without meeting anyone’s gaze. "I doubt it was some random cultist."

"Or they could be doing it remotely," Jotou added.

"That’s certainly a theory," one that he did not seem to think was accurate.

"Getting back to the point," Morgana continued. Her face grew more shackled by the second, "You ain’t got a confession or a hostage. Any evidence at least? Concrete?" her piercing green eyes fell on the short brunette.

Fumeko locked eyes with her, "No confession or a hostage. I had some files and papers with me, but I got tricked by that illusionist and lost everything I had on me at the time," her face was solemn.

The office grew silent.

...

Hotaru shrunk her shoulders down and Asobi wilted, whilst Jotou stood and crossed her arms. Tiffany glanced around, a little confused of the sudden tension within the room.

"This was the best chance to get the most details. Your words, right?" the detective in blue asked. Kazuo furrowed his brows at first, but then they relaxed as he looked at his daughter curiously.

Fumeko’s eyes shifted to the left and met back with Morgana’s stare. Soon, Morgana’s glare softened, "You told me to believe in you kid."

...

Fumeko unbuttoned the top button of her shirt and pulled out several sheets of paper she had tucked securely into her black undershirt. She flapped the slightly crinkled papers before she blinked to her father’s desk and set them down.

"There should be more," the girl in purple stated.

"More?" Kazuo raised a brow.

Just then, they all heard the door to the company burst open and the sound of wet shoes rushed towards the office. "Oh Detectivvveee~!"

"Oh no."

In inky black clothing from head-to-toe and a camera around her neck, the bubbly smile of a panting reporter was what they were met with at the office door.

Droplets of rain speckled her glasses and the brown leather bag she had slung around her to one side. Her pink eyes darted around the room, "Did someone set’me up for dramatic timing? Oooo, perfect~!" she scurried into the office.

Jotou watched as she dashed to the desk, "Did you get good pictures?"

Alicia beamed and hopped once, "It’s even better than good!"

Kazuo began to connect the dots, "Alicia was at the scene... You told her I presume," he peered to Jotou.

But before the blonde could respond, Alicia was practically already jumping in front of the detective’s face, "And lucky-lucky she did! I got’a crystal, glass, diamond clear photograph of a shapeshifting cult leader before the drake took flight!"

"Right, we should also mention, we may have failed to not make it a public hassle..." Hotaru raised a finger and winced an eye. "Not much we can do when a wyvern chases us through half a borough."

"Anywho, I just gotta develop the film and we got hard-hitting evidence!" Alicia puffed out.

Fumeko crossed her arms, "Ahem."

"Don’t worry little detective, I got everything y’sent," Alicia opened up her leather bag and took out papers, documents and a folded up map—all of them had wrinkles and lines where they had been folded multiple times.

The reporter laid out all of the bags contents onto Kazuo Namora’s desk. Fumeko continued, "This is everything I got," a small smug grin appeared on her face.

Tiffany attempted to keep her self-assured act together, but even then confusion swirled in her expression. Kazuo picked up the documents one by one and began examining them rapidly, "I can take a guess, but what exactly happened?"

"Well," Jotou spoke. "In the time we took to get to the warehouse, I called Alicia and she was available."

"Always am, especially if there’s a big scoop!"

"So, from what Meko’s said about her, I thought it’d be best to get a photo, if we could, of any of the new gods. That way, we have concrete evidence of a face.

Initially, the plan was that I was gonna taunt Lady F, that four-armed woman and try to draw the fight outside the warehouse after Fumeko could get what she could.

Once I drew her out, Alicia would take a picture from a hidden location nearby and run away as soon as she got a good picture of her. Unfortunately and somewhat fortunately, Lady F wasn’t there."

"But it worked out sooo much better! We got the picture of’the doppelganger. Which means, we got hard evidence for that real or fake prisoner in custody of the Dolpool Police Force," Alicia giddied.

Morgana folded her arms, "Why do you know that?"

"Ohhh, a woman has her charms~ Either way, it may not be enough t’convict him, but it surely’ll get the court’s attention."

"And in case I couldn’t carry everything I found, I’d Delivery Pocket whatever I could to Alicia outside the building and she’d bring it back to the company," Fumeko added.

"In terms of plans and contingencies, first of all was goading any of the new gods so Alicia could take a picture. Second, which was Meko’s plan, was to send any note or paper evidence to the nearby Alicia, since it wouldn’t drain much of her mana.

Third, we’d get anything we could after knocking several people unconscious with Hotaru’s siphoning and escape invisibly. Fourth, kidnap a hostage and flee like the third plan, if we couldn’t figure out enough.

Fifth, I wouldn’t cast Thundering Strike until the end when we’d need to leave and I’d blow up the warehouse to make a hole we could escape out of.

Sixth, Hotaru would stay invisible the entire time to siphon, heal or rejuvenate anyone. Seventh, Asobi would mess with the lighting in the area, so that anyone firing a gun would aim like a crab with a firearm.

And finally eight, Sobi would obscure the vision of any would-be pursuers by blinding them or making up illusions to confuse them," the blonde told.

A spotlight shone down on the blonde and gold glitter surrounded her, "Ladies and gentlemen, the Paranoiac!" Asobi cheered. "She also had ten other plans!"

Jotou kept her lips sealed and pouted... ’I’m not gonna explain every single one.’

"And Meko’s the reason we could even get all the information and evidence right there," Hotaru’s fangs glistened. "So, without her."

The spotlight switched onto the brunette, "Ladies and gentlemen, Detective Fumeko Namora!" Asobi cheered louder.

"W-well," Fumeko seemed to lock up. But then her brows furrowed and she took a deep breath in. "Yeah," she breathed out and looked to her father. "I definitely helped with the case. I mean, all this evidence has to lead this case somewhere."

"I’m curious about the car part of the plan, the one crashed into the side of the building right now," Morgana replied.

"Well, we didn’t expect them to pursue us. The plan kinda became impromptu when I had to hijack a car and a wyvern chased us across Mandrake, but hey, we’re here so," Jotou put her hands up.

"Speaking of which, there might be something in that car; since the cultists were transporting crates and whatnot in and out," Hotaru reminded.

"Now that’s a picture I gotta take! And right after that, the picture of the five, noble heroes who brought forth all’a this!" Alicia wiped her glasses off and checked her camera lens.

"So, dad...?" Fumeko called for.

Kazuo was looking from paper to paper in haste, "It’s gonna be a long, long night," he uttered to himself. He looked up and saw the face of his daughter past all the papers he held...

The feverish investigation in his mind came to a halt and he, just stared for a moment. As he took in the sight of his daughter, a soft smile curled upon his lips—one of pride. "You did good kiddo. Proud of you."

He had said it before, but this time, the brunette took it in poise and fulfilment. She only smiled brighter and she held her head higher.

Kazuo’s eyes then scanned over the crowded office, "For now, let’s check what’s in that car and continue the investigation. Morgana, gather everyone up—time’s of the essence."

Tiffany stood aside, not really knowing what to do or when to interject. She had blended herself into the room and she kept her head low. She felt her smile for Fumeko, but she could not help feel like a stranger in a classroom.

Together, most in the room departed from the office to inspect the vehicle. Only Morgana stood by the door still, to which Fumeko took notice and turned. "Is something wrong?" the brunette suspected.

"No, ain’t anything at all," Morgana shook her head. "Congratulations kid."

Fumeko grinned, "Hmph!"

"I’ll keep the fact you jumped into the sky and onto that wyvern to stab its eye, nearly getting stabbed yourself, away from your old man."

The arrogance faded quickly, "Well, he’ll figure it out anyway."

Morgana sighed and gave a dispassionate wave of her hand, "He’s a detective kid, not an omniscient psychic. In any case, good work. Hopefully it’ll continue," she walked out.

"I- It was gonna continue whether you said it or not Mrs Aetherton," she replied to the walking away Morgana. "...But thanks..."