Dryzza took a deep breath, her hand subtly signaling Esmeralda and Sai to lower their guard. She could sense the tension, the uncertainty, and yet there was an air of inevitability about the encounter with Tomoya.
“How did you know we’d be here?” she asked, her voice calm but probing. “Perhaps, did the mistress...?” She let her sentence trail off deliberately, hoping Tomoya would fill in the gaps, but he simply shrugged nonchalantly.
"She didn’t. Besides, she's already long dead," Tomoya said, his tone casual as though this confrontation were nothing out of the ordinary. "I figured it out a long time ago."
The subtle irony in his voice wasn’t lost on Dryzza. So, Tomoya had anticipated this, or at least some version of it. She narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing his calm demeanor.
If he had known, why hadn’t he intervened earlier? Why had he left them to struggle, to piece together the mystery of the grimoire without even a hint of guidance?
"You knew all along that I’d be the one to find the grimoire,” she continued, her frustration mounting, “yet you never lent us any help when we first asked to search this place?" There was an edge to her voice, a demand for answers. But Tomoya’s response was cutting, his words dripping with a mix of satire and truth.
"I didn’t know until you got yourself entangled in the past and exposed yourself in front of me." His tone was sharp, but beneath it lay a cold logic.
It hit Dryzza suddenly, the strange puzzle of their interactions. As bizarre as it seemed, Tomoya’s memories had likely shifted only once she had ventured into the past and crossed paths with him.
Time itself had bent around them, reshaping events. His recollections, his understanding of her role, had been altered only after she unwittingly involved herself in the timeline.
In essence, none of this might have unfolded if Dryzza had never stepped into the manor. Her very presence had rewritten fate.
She nodded slowly, the weight of realization settling in. “I see,” she said softly, her voice laced with a quiet acceptance of the strange logic that governed their situation.
But just as she began to process this revelation, Tomoya's tone shifted, and his words took on a more calculated edge.
"Then you must know that we are the one who should have that grimoire,” he declared, setting clear expectations.
His eyes flickered toward the ancient book that Dryzza still held protectively under her coat. He was no longer speaking in hypotheticals—his intention was clear.
Before Dryzza could respond, Sai and Esmeralda stepped in. “We found it,” Sai said firmly, his voice rising with a mixture of anger and determination. “Now it should be in our possession.”
The tension spiked, the unspoken threat hanging between them. But Tomoya only smiled, a knowing smile that instantly put Sai on edge.
“You know well, officer,” Tomoya began, his words measured and precise, “that evidence taken without any legal permit cannot be used in accordance with the law.”
The simple logic of his statement struck like a blow. Sai blinked, momentarily stunned by the realization. Tomoya was right. He was painfully right. They had entered the manor without any authorization, any documentation. Everything they had uncovered, the grimoire itself, could be legally inadmissible.
Tomoya’s smile widened, sensing the victory in Sai’s silence. “And besides,” he added, his voice soft but cutting, “miss officer here knows that you can’t do anything with that grimoire unless you can open it—which, unfortunately for you, you can’t.”
Dryzza’s hesitation was palpable as she clutched the grimoire tightly, her voice betraying her inner conflict. “Of course, no one can open it aside from Takumi,” she said, her tone both contemplative and cautious.
“However, why is he not here? I’d personally prefer to hand this grimoire over to him.” Her words, though delivered with poise, revealed her reluctance to trust Tomoya fully.
There was something about this situation, about him, that didn’t sit well with her, and she wasn’t about to part with such a powerful artifact so easily.
Tomoya’s smile widened, his demeanor dripping with a mix of amusement and condescension.
“Nii-san has more important matters to attend to,” he replied smoothly, as though his cousin's absence should be of no consequence to them. But his next words sent a ripple of shock through the group.
“You know the woman you had in custody earlier—Jess? She took something from us. I don't know what she'd do about it—if she could read Latin, then maybe open some damn portal to hell, who knows. So, I should really be having that grimoire."
The effect was immediate. Sai, Esmeralda, and Dryzza all shared a look of astonishment, their faces betraying their surprise. How did he know about Jess?
And what did she take from them? Portal what?
Now there are more questions to ask than answers to comprehend, but what had mattered more is how did Tomoya know about Jess's custody?
Every step they had taken in this operation was executed with precision, leaving no room for error or exposure. They had been meticulous, operating in the shadows, yet somehow Tomoya was fully aware of their every move.
The unsettling realization began to creep in—either Jess had betrayed them, or Tomoya was far more formidable than they’d anticipated. Did Dryzza's appearance in the pass had caused so much trouble?
Dryzza’s mind raced, searching for answers, but Tomoya’s mocking chuckle cut through the silence.
“You look surprised,” he said, his voice a mixture of amusement and superiority. “I am, after all, someone the cops would hate. I could crack all your data, steal every bit of information you have, without any of you even noticing.” His smile turned darker, more menacing. “So you’d better hand over the grimoire.” There was no room for negotiation in his tone—it was a command, not a request.
Esmeralda’s expression hardened as she processed his words. This man was more than just an ordinary adversary; he was someone who thrived on manipulation, someone with the skills and knowledge to dismantle everything they had worked for.
She felt the weight of his threat, not just in his words, but in the calm confidence with which he delivered them. Tomoya wasn’t bluffing—he was someone who had already anticipated every move they’d make, someone who had already calculated the outcome of this confrontation and without no doubt, Dryzza was the one who triggered it.
Dryzza, despite her growing apprehension, remained resolute. The idea of simply handing over the grimoire, an artifact of immense power, without fully understanding Tomoya’s motives, gnawed at her.
She glanced at Esmeralda, seeking confirmation, but in that moment, she knew they couldn’t let it go so easily. Tomoya may have known their secrets, but there were still things he couldn’t control—things only she and her team could decide.
As Dryzza stood there, holding the grimoire, her mind raced with the mass of the decision she was about to make. It was clear now that this relic, this powerful artifact, was beyond the comprehension and expertise of ordinary detectives like her and her team.
The supernatural wasn’t something they were trained to handle, nor did they possess the knowledge to wield such an item responsibly. The mistress’s words echoed in her mind—Takumi was the only one capable of unlocking the secrets of the grimoire.
There was no escaping the fact that this was a matter best left to those who truly understood the dangers involved.
With a resigned sigh, Dryzza finally relented, her voice soft but firm.
"Fine." The word slipped out like a hiss, carrying with it a sense of reluctant acceptance. Beside her, Sai and Esmeralda reacted with surprise, their eyes wide with disbelief.
They had been with her throughout this quest, sharing in the risks and the uncertainty, and now, at the moment of triumph, she was handing over their prize. Sensing their unease, Dryzza offered them a reassuring smile, hoping to quell their doubts.
"I'll explain everything later," she whispered, her voice barely audible. Despite their clear disbelief, both Sai and Esmeralda hesitated to challenge her.
Deep down, they trusted Dryzza—she had led them this far, and surely she had her reasons for this decision. Dryzza, after all, had been the one most attuned to the mysteries surrounding the grimoire, and if anyone understood what needed to be done, it was her.
Carefully, Dryzza took the grimoire out of her coat. The relic seemed to pulse with a quiet energy, as though aware that it will be passed onto the hands of a person who can can serve its initial purpose.
But before handing it over, she paused, her curiosity getting the better of her. "But before that," she asked, her eyes narrowing, "how did you figure everything out?"
Tomoya’s demeanor, which had been serious only moments before, shifted once more to his usual playful, almost mischievous air. His eyes sparkled with amusement as he responded, his voice tinged with a teasing tone.
"You didn’t notice me back there?" he asked, laughing lightly. "I actually sneaked in and overheard everything the mistress and you talked about."
Dryzza’s eyes widened in shock. "Y-You still remembered?"
Tomoya smiled, this time not with his usual sarcasm or mockery, but with a sincerity that took her by surprise. "How could I forget?" he replied, his voice softening in a way that hinted at a deeper connection.
There was something in his expression that made Dryzza pause, something that made her feel as though she had known him far longer than their brief encounters suggested and it's weird for her.
Tomoya’s hand reached out slowly, fingers curling around the grimoire in Dryzza's grasp. She hesitated for a moment, unwilling to relinquish the artifact so easily.
Yet, before she could fully process her reluctance, Tomoya pulled the grimoire from her hands with a firm, almost forceful tug.
"Thank you very much," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. The irritation on Dryzza's face, mirrored by both Sai and Esmeralda, seemed to amuse him greatly.
His lips twitched, as though he were suppressing a laugh, but the gravity of the moment kept him in check.
Tomoya’s face shifted to something more serious as he addressed them all. His eyes moved between the three, his tone carrying a weight that matched the solemnity of the night.
"I must warn you," he began, each word deliberate. "None of you should involve yourselves any further in this matter. As you might have already suspected, what has occurred in the past and what continues to unfold now—all of it is the consequence of a bond between humans and devils that never should have been done in the first place."
His words hit like a cold wave, freezing Dryzza, Sai, and Esmeralda in place. They had expected mysteries and strange occurrences, but this? The confirmation of something so dark and dangerous was more than they could have anticipated.
The three detectives exchanged glances, their expressions etched with shock and disbelief. Tomoya's words carried the weight of truth, but that truth was almost too much to comprehend.
Dryzza could feel the pieces of the puzzle clicking into place, but the picture it was forming was something she had hoped would remain obscured.
As if sensing their thoughts, Tomoya continued. "I shouldn’t be telling you any of this, really. It’s not something that concerns people like you—ordinary people."
His eyes locked on Dryzza, and in that gaze, she understood. He wasn’t speaking to them as a group anymore. He was speaking directly to her.
"But you were chosen by a friend." There was a knowing look in his eyes, a look that sent a chill down Dryzza’s spine.
The "friend" he referred to was no stranger to her—it was someone deeply embedded in her past, perhaps the man she had seen in her dreams.
Dryzza tried to argue. "But humans are already involved," she began, her voice shaking slightly. "And more will be dragged into this mess, sooner or later. The caller's warning—" She stopped abruptly, eyes widening in realization.
She had let more information slip than she intended. Tomoya’s expression didn’t change, though. He simply nodded, as if he had expected her to figure that out on her own.
"As I’ve said," he repeated, "leave this to us."
Sai, ever the skeptic, couldn't let the conversation end there. "What if you fail?" His voice cut through the heavy atmosphere like a sharp blade, challenging Tomoya’s confidence.
Tomoya sighed deeply, as if he had anticipated such a question. He knew that dealing with detectives meant there would always be doubts, always questions that needed answering.
"If we fail," he said slowly, "then it will fall to you to destroy the twin grimoires."
"The twin grimoires?" Dryzza, Sai, and Esmeralda echoed in unison, their confusion apparent. Tomoya nodded, his voice steady.
"Yes, there are two grimoires. This and the one I possess. Must we fail," his eyes suddenly pinned on Dryzza. "I trust you could find them."
His eyes flickered to the necklace in Dryzza’s pocket, and it all clicked. The ruby necklace, which had stayed with her even after they found the grimoire, hadn’t vanished because its purpose wasn’t fulfilled. There was more to be done, more to uncover.
For a moment, they all stood in silence, the weight of Tomoya’s revelation pressing down on them like an invisible force. Dryzza slipped her hand into her pocket, feeling the familiar coolness of the ruby necklace against her skin.
It made sense now. The necklace was a key, not just to one grimoire, but to both. She didn’t need Tomoya to say it aloud; the truth had already settled deep in her bones. The task ahead was far from over.
Finally, Tomoya broke the silence with a casual wave, as if what he had just shared wasn’t world-shattering.
"I better get going," he said lightly. But before he disappeared into the darkness, he turned back one last time. His eyes met Dryzza’s, and for a brief moment, there was a softness in his gaze.
"Oh! And don’t worry," he added, his voice quieter now. "Joline's daughter will be fine."
And with that, he was gone, leaving the three detectives standing in the eerie quiet of the night, burdened by the knowledge they had gained and the uncertainty of what was still to come.