Reincarnated Into A Dead Woman's Body In Another World-Chapter 369: Arc 5, - 63: End to a Wild Night

A few heads poked from above the boot of the car—umbrellas further covering the view of the pitch black swirling sky above. Thick brown cardboard boxes they found... Flipping out a pocket knife, Peter Werner slit open the packing tape.

Some raindrops seeped into the cardboard flaps and as Peter shined down his tube-like torchlight, he furrowed his brows, "...Should’a expected the unexpected, but didn’t expect the expected—guess that makes it unexpected don’t it?"

"Is that, a chair leg?" Jotou raised a brow.

Kazuo opened up the box fully, "Not just the leg."

"Requires assembly eh? Think it might be some magic thingamajig once it’s put together?" Peter threw out a theory.

"I wouldn’t be the expert," Kazuo took the pocket knife and ripped open another box; only to find flat, varnished, boards of wood and some metallic rods—parts for a shelf he figured.

"FLASH!"

Alicia bumped her head against Kazuo’s arm as she tried to get a better angle. "Cult’s interested in basic furniture, now that’s a’surprise. Could be some racketeering scheme—buy wholesale then sell’em at a high price; even a cult needs funding."

"Alicia..." Morgana glared at her from behind, umbrella in hand.

"Oh come on, don’t getcha pretty feathers in’a twist. I ain’t gonna publish anythin’ without permission—yet," she muttered the last word. "Besides, somethin’ smells fishy ’bout this and it isn’t the smell of new furniture."

"Regardless," Kazuo interjected, "We can’t be sure if it is a scheme like that. We can definitely look for expensive furniture on the market, but I doubt that’s it."

"With the amount of boxes and crates they were moving, they must be building something big. It could be connected to that weird beacon or the parts are being used for something else—a weapon, a wall, a ship? They could need the wood for something," Jotou supposed.

"You don’t need to stretch it that far," Kazuo held a hand to his chin while Peter kept an umbrella over them. "I think the purpose of the furniture is to be furniture. Some place is being redecorated—some place for a massive cult to recuperate most likely.

A base of operations? Pair that with the last operation of the cult—Marksman’s Wholefoods—and it adds up. Massive amounts of food and furnishings for a shelter. This particular evidence is as simple as point A to point B.

But that adds another complication," he sighed into the cold air. "Whether all of this is legally contracted with both companies in question, without either company knowing that they’re in league with the Deuctus Cult. I’ll have to look into it."

The others, either standing at the doorway of Investigations Co. or with an umbrella by the side, watched as Kazuo, Jotou and Peter all pushed the car off the pavement and onto the side of the road; after which, Jotou pulled the brake lever and took the key.

"Speaking of evidence, a rather large piece of evidence was pretty much driven here and into the side of the wall. Better keep it with us till we can get a make and a model," Morgana stated.

"Gonna have to work in the Thundering Blade’s automobile skills into the interview," Alicia made a mental note to herself.

"Regardless, all the evidence here’s gonna have to wait. We can have Heath run some files over to the GAS and Dolpool Police," Kazuo stated as he checked the back seat of the car.

Fumeko’s eyes narrowed, "Wait, so does that mean...?"

Kazuo grazed his hand softly along the tiny shards of broken glass. Under the yellow light pouring into the vehicle from the nearby lampposts, he spotted a small metallic ball and picked it up.

He carefully dusted off the bits of glass without cutting himself and looked back from the car. "It means we have sufficient evidence to be able to investigate more accessibly," he smirked to Fumeko as he said. "And that starts tonight."

"They’re moving out, fast. If we want to investigate, we’re gonna have to match their pace," Morgana’s piercing green eyes glowed.

"Pete," Kazuo called for and then tossed the metallic round. Peter caught it and then examined the bullet in his palm. "Also best to check for instruction manuals in any of these boxes and keep a note of them."

"I’ll get this checked," he pocketed the bullet. "You two fine investigatin’ first? I’ll get Quinn and see if he can rendezvous at the scene," Peter glanced up.

"We’ll handle it director," Morgana replied and walked on ahead with her arms folded. "Carriage should be here soon enough."

Kazuo put on a pair of gloves and checked around for his holster along his belt, before he patted it. He glanced up and around, "Peter, get the kids inside. As for all of you, best not to separate for now."

"Oh come on detectivee~ Same doesn’t apply t’me, I’ll handle myself. You’re gonna need those photographs soon, no?" Alicia pouted, but Kazuo had no trouble seeing the innocent smile she was trying to pull behind it.

"I’d rather you not, but when has that ever stopped you," he uttered, dead-eyed.

Alicia gasped, "So worried ’bout little ol’ me detective~?" she fluttered her lashes and placed her hand on her chest. Her bubbly smile arose, "Oh the horrors, the dangers, the perils I might face on’the way back t’my office!

Take me with you detective, right t’the scene of the crime, I gotta be protected at all costs!"

"No."

The reporter squeaked in shock, "You hurt me detective. Your orders are just too complex," she placed the back of her hand to her forehead and pretended to almost faint.

"Alicia," Kazuo was probably louder than he needed to be; it did get her attention though. "Good job. But seriously, be wary on your way back."

"Oh wowie, praise for me and now y’want me to go!?"

"..."

Her gleeful eyes of pink calmed down, "Alright, alright, I’ll be careful detective; good luck at the scene."

"And kiddo, no immediate rush, but Kineko..." Kazuo looked at his daughter with much softer eyes.

"...I’ll, take care of her..." Fumeko avoided his gaze.

"You might want this," Jotou tossed the car keys to Peter who promptly caught it. "It’ll be faster than a carriage for the most part—slowing down and parking might be a pain though."

Peter jostled the keys, "I don’t know how to drive Ms Howllett, most people don’t. Although..." he grinned as he faced the car. "Might look into a company vehicle. Maybe even pull some strings to keep this one after some repairs."

A few minutes later, all of them, except Kazuo and Morgana, were back in the company building. Peter was going about, making calls and shifting files around, before getting ready to depart himself.

"Well, I better be off," Alicia checked her camera. She hopped forward, one arm hooked Jotou in by the neck and the other had to bend down to hook Fumeko in—both into a squeezing hug.

She giggled loudly, "Oooo, thank you-thank you-thank you! Ah! Thanks for the call!"

"Yeah, yeah, we get it, thanks for the help too," Fumeko lightly slapped the arm grabbing her.

"My body’s sore Alicia, please..." Jotou rasped.

"Oh we gotta have an interview after everything’s been publicized~!" she finally let go and smilingly sighed with her hands on her hips. "Sorry t’have t’run and be abrupt, but I hope you’ll call on me again—happy to be of service~ See you lot ’round!"

She bade farewell and practically leapt into the rainy night outside. Crashing from the adrenaline and late hour, the spent five were left on their own within the building.

The first sound they heard was a growling... "Eugh... I’m really hungry," Fumeko repositioned her crooked purple headband while battling the tangles of her hair it was caught within.

"I wanna melt into a puddle," Asobi drooped and fell into the cushions of the sofa. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Mine glorious voice tarries still in its recovery," Tiffany rubbed her throat.

Without a single yawn at this time, "I’m completely fine," the wolf-girl smiled while her tail wagged.

"Sorry we all didn’t use our powers of siphoning," Jotou collapsed onto the sofa as well.

"We have powers of siphoning?" the elf popped her head up.

"Go back to being a puddle," the brunette side-eyed.

"The whole ordeal was stressful, but we lived," Hotaru reasoned. "I am mad about you being so reckless Fumeko, but still; proud of what you pulled off," her scolding tone shifted to that of joy.

Fumeko gave a smirk, "Was there any doubt?"

"Yes."

"..."

"It doesn’t mean I didn’t believe in you," Hotaru chuckled.

"I’ll take it..."

"In the meantime," the redhead turned to everyone, "Let’s go find a place to eat or at least get some food. Then we have to get back and take care of Kineko—can’t rest just yet."

_

The clock struck two and the rain decided not to cease on this end of Dolpool—coming in waves that struck the city like hails of bullets from the skies.

A barren street, a quaint, dimly lit diner sat in the corner. The soft hum of a jazz tune played from a scratchy gramophone in the corner, filling the warm air inside with a foot-tapping melody.

Rain trickled down the windows while the scent of fresh coffee and frying bacon wafted within, blending with the faint scent of petrichor.

Adorned with checkered black-and-white tiles and the walls had a few monochromous photographs showing the diner in its older days.

Red vinyl booths lined the side wall of the diner and on the opposite side, was long counter with chrome stools stretching to the end.

A thin old lady with her grey hair under a hairnet and complete with a frilly apron set plates of food along the counter, for the only patrons of the establishment. Pot of boiling coffee in hand, she went about her business.

The plates had barely hit the table, but the brunette in purple did not take a second look as she wolfed down on everything sizzling on the plate.

However, her brown eyes darted to the left and accidentally locked eyes with Tiffany. With puffed up cheeks stuffed with food, she gulped it down and started eating slower...

"Stella," Asobi called and Tiffany looked over. "How was everything today? You’ve been really quiet, are you sick?" she tilted her head.

Tiffany cleared her throat and proclaimed, "One such as mineself is impervious to the afflictions of malady. Nay, I am merely struck with reverence and spur.

I commend thee all as mine void-blessed allies. Uncertainty shan’t of course seal mine heart and the hunt of the wyvernous beast shan’t be our fate-struck end, neither mine.

Perils and scourges of this world, beware mine name and mine presence that of the void, for I, Stella Vespertillio, the Child of Void within the Sea of Stars, have strode into the doors of destiny and will not soon depart!" a ripple of transparent white waved up her eye as she laughed vivaciously.

"...That’s nice! I think..." the elf replied.

"Dearie, get off the counter," the old waitress scolded from the kitchen.

"A-apologies..." Tiffany—who had one foot on the counter and the other on the chair she was sitting on, her hand posed in front of her eyepatch—slowly got back down and sat on her seat.

Jotou, with her illusorily black hair, eyed Tiffany from the side. ’She’s probs friendless and lonely... I guess I knew the feeling—know the feeling of sitting quietly while everyone way above you was talking. At least she asserts herself.

It might be useful to keep her around all things considered. Her affinity is nowhere to the level of any of us and her experience in a fight is nearly nothing, but we all start somewhere; and it’s not like she didn’t give a stellar performance tonight... Did I make a pun...? Sigh...’

Tiffany sat upright and flipped her blonde hair back, that had lost most if not all of its coils. "So, if this venture was merely the prelude, what, pray tell, may supersede such endeavours?"

"What does come next," Jotou repeated, much to the relief of the befuddled Asobi.

Fumeko pushed her three empty dishes away, "I’m not actually sure... I think, we just have to wait. I have no idea what to expect, I don’t know what the cult’s move is gonna be. Plus, I didn’t get to examine all the evidence I got thoroughly, I was in a rush."

"It’s okay not to know, you figured plenty out Meko," Hotaru encouraged.

"Don’t be too hard on yourself detective, you did your best for tonight and it was more than enough. The case is going forward, something the whole of Dolpool couldn’t do for months.

You made a breakthrough and risked your life, to get crucial information to take down the Deuctus Cult. What comes after this, I think should be obvious, but something unpredictable will happen—when’ve we ever had a plan go smoothly?" Jotou stuck her tongue out.

"Yeah, leave the paranoia work to the paranoid one!" Asobi cheered and threw confetti at Fumeko from her wand.

"Yeah, just leave the paranoia work to me, I’m sure I’ll come up with-" Jotou’s head slowly turned to Asobi with glazed over eyes. "I’ll let that slide..." she muttered.

Fumeko let the smirk dance onto her face, "Yeah, yeah. Whatever comes, we’ll figure it out."

The brunette saw her reflection bouncing back to her in the dime light from several polished surfaces of the diner. Her smile grew brighter and she took a deep breath. Her heart felt no fear of what came next.

Her muscles were not tense and her chest did not feel tight. She knew this was just the beginning; her intuition knew this to be a path filled with struggles—but she’d stubbornly not accept any other way...

With that, they chatted away through the wee hours of the morning—a successful night, all things considered. A night filled with hope.

_

With each step they were stealthy. They crept around the building without a word till they found what seemed to be a back door.

"CRASH!"

The full force of his boot kicked the door off the hinges. Out of it stood Kazuo Namora, with a bronze-gold pistol in both hands. Sleek in design, it had a transparent cartridge of purplish dust on the right side of it.

A stiff, flat lever was on the same side below the cartridge, connected to the chamber. Softly glowing purple was a small ring of light on the same side as well, behind the cartridge, close to the handle.

"Gh..." Kazuo felt a few bones pop in his back. He groaned and stretched his back before moving in.

"You’re getting old detective," Morgana walked in after, her pistol in both hands and pointed to the floor.

"I’m only forty-three, around my peak. This is probably going to be me in my best form," Kazuo replied with his pistol aimed at the shelves and crates. He checked all around before moving further into the warehouse.

Morgana kept her head in a swivel, "That ain’t gonna stop the fact an older body’ll take its toll; you don’t realize how much you put your body through while you’re younger.

Now you in particular, with how you’ve gone through your younger years, I’m sure you’ll be fit till you hit the sixties. But the ailments already caught up, cause you’ve already pushed yourself too far well before thirty; a broken wing’ll catch up sooner or later."

"I’m not washed-up just yet..." he replied.

"Is that what you’re worried about for the kid," Morgana scanned the rafters above.

He sighed, but kept his gun pointed ahead, "There’s no denying it and I have to accept it," sombrely he put. "The kid’s gonna have to take care of her health if she’s gonna do the same things as me.

Push herself too much and the back problems are gonna start piling up," he closed an eye and stretched both his shoulders, before he finally breathed easier.

"Well, I’m sure once the war’s over and the kid settles down one day, she’ll take it easy—unlike someone else, she actually has a good head on her shoulders," she cracked the smallest of smiles.

Kazuo’s eyes glazed over as he groaned. "I can hope." They moved towards the centre of the warehouse, where they could notice the shattered windows, broken crates and some shelves at the point of falling over.

"Not like Malecise has made a move yet. But why worry about foreign enemies when the cult’s taken up the mantle," he continued.

"Your kid’s been in a few fights that changed the tides of war; Trailon’s no more, I’d call that massive."

"It’s not like I’m not proud," Kazuo aimed his pistol straight up to the ceiling and saw a body hanging by the clothes.

"Kira," Morgana called for and from the front corner of the ceiling, the white-feathered bird came out of hiding and glid down to Morgana’s side. "Good girl. Get her down will you?" Kira then flew straight up towards the person.

"Couldn’t keep them occupied for long," Kazuo remarked.

"There’s only so much distraction one bird can provide to a whole cult," she looked at the entrance, wide open. "We can go hunting for tyre tracks, but I think the trail’s long cold."

Up above, they saw a bright green-haired woman who was unconscious. Kira plucked her clothing off of the nail she had used to hang the woman up in the first place.

"Something’s on her leg," Kazuo noticed while Kira brought the body down and set it down. With a flash of his torchlight, he first examined the something he saw.

A small puncture wound by the lower half of the leg. From said wound, swollen nerves and patches of purplish skin travelled up the left leg all the way up to the arms and neck, slowly making its way to her chin.

Morgana checked for a pulse, "Still alive. Maybe for a couple of more minutes at best."

"There’s no chance of medical aid," Kazuo replied calmly. He traced his gloved finger against the wound and spread it open to get a better look, "Some form of neurotoxin, thin and deep. Conical—some sort of venomous barb, animal in nature."

"Tying up loose ends then," Morgana stated and stood up. Kira screeched with her wings open. "It’s okay girl, this ain’t your fault," she absentmindedly petted the bird’s head.

"We do know of a shapeshifter," Kazuo’s brows furrowed and he got up, glaring at the wound, then the body. "There’s a good chance we won’t be able to identify the toxin."

Just then, a breath of air was gulped by the woman on the ground and her eyes opened barely—enough to see two people and a bird standing over her. She coughed weakly.

"Don’t suppose you’re gonna cooperate with us," Morgana looked down.

Through hazy eyes, she gave out a breathless laugh. "Oh, to be a pawn. My master’s deemed me worthy to taste death by his own venom, coursing through my body, ah... I’m honoured- GH!"

Kazuo placed down his boot on the woman’s right knee and pressed down, "It’s up to you whether you want your last moments to be in pain or quick."

Morgana aimed her pistol for the woman’s head.

"I know fanatics like you enjoy this, so pick your poison, I don’t give a damn. I just need you to talk about your bastard gods," Kazuo’s eyes narrowed.

The green-haired woman had no strength to move her arms or body. She panted with a twisted grin, "You’re that detective. Hahahaa! Oh we come back stronger detective, much stronger.

The plans are already in motion and there’s nothing to stop the wheels for shifting. The tide shall be here. This is just the beginning of something much, much grander.

Everything will...go well. Everything will go... well. Come one dawn, shall... be... glorious da...y," the last of her life left her body.

As the haunting words left her lips, the two faced each other in a mix of anxiousness and anger. What was to come? They would need to find the answers soon. Through the wee hours of the night they worked—a night filled with dread...