The factory wasn't particularly large, but searching it with just two people wasn't exactly efficient.
To save time, Tokisaki Kurumi summoned three more clones to help with the investigation.
Normally, using Zayin (Eighth Bullet) would be too costly—after all, the time it consumed was something Kurumi alone couldn't afford to waste on multiple uses. But now? She had over twenty human batteries at her disposal.
The unconscious men scattered across the factory continuously fed her their time, so summoning a few extra clones wasn't much of a drain. She didn't mind the expense.
Besides, the clones weren't disposable. Once she was done with them, she could just tuck them back into her shadows and bring them out again whenever needed.
"Let's start investigating this place."
Kurumi clapped her hands, signaling her clones to get to work.
Five identical Tokisaki Kurumis quickly dispersed, scouring the factory for any useful clues.
Since everyone inside was already fast asleep and she'd disabled the surveillance equipment, there was no need for them to tread carefully.
"This is enemy territory for the Port Mafia, but it doesn't look like a base for the Special Division for Unusual Powers or the Armed Detective Agency." Kurumi crouched beside one of the unconscious armed men, rifling through his pockets for anything that might identify him. "Sneaking around in a place like this, armed to the teeth… they're definitely another underworld faction, just like the Port Mafia."
The Special Abilities Department was a government organization—if they wanted to do something, they wouldn't bother with a shabby place like this.
The Armed Detective Agency, on the other hand, was small but elite, usually operating in pairs. A large gathering like this wasn't their style.
Logically, that left only one possibility: this was a hideout for some criminal syndicate.
Sure, the Port Mafia was called the "King of Yokohama's Underworld," but at the end of the day, they were just the local big shots. Other regions of Japan had their own notorious organizations.
Territorial disputes between underworld factions were common. And when those factions had ability users? All-out brawls and deaths were practically routine.
"Maybe some out-of-town syndicate is trying to infiltrate Yokohama. But what are they doing here?"
Kurumi walked over to a stack of wooden crates nearby and knocked on one. A heavy thud echoed back—whatever was inside, it was packed full.
She didn't know what it was yet, but if the whole place was filled with these crates, then their contents had to be the reason these men were gathered here.
Carefully, she aimed her flintlock at the nails sealing the crate and fired. With a sharp crack, the nails shattered, and she lifted the lid.
Inside were bags upon bags of colorful, round candies.
"This?"
Kurumi opened one of the bags and plucked out a single piece.
Not reckless enough to taste it, she instead brought it to her nose and took a cautious sniff.
"No way a bunch of armed thugs are guarding a stash of… Skittles." She eyed the suspiciously vibrant candy with skepticism. "Well, staring at it won't reveal anything. Might as well check if the others found anything useful."
With a sharp whistle, her clones quickly regrouped around her.
"Anything worth sharing?"
Clone No. 1 spoke up first. "Judging by the equipment here, this is a drug-manufacturing facility."
"How can you tell?"
"Haven't you watched movies? I've seen setups like this a dozen times." Clone No. 1 gestured dismissively. "And those 'candies' in the crates? Definitely drugs. No way they're just rainbow-colored sugar."
"If they're drugs, then these letters make sense," Clone No. 2 added, holding up a stack of papers. "They've got details on the next delivery—time, location. But I couldn't find any past records. Probably burned for security."
"So it is drugs." Kurumi didn't look surprised. "That settles it. These guys are definitely part of some criminal group."
"Should we kill them?" Clone No. 1 asked eagerly. "Perfect chance to knock out a main quest. I'm not big on murder, but if they're bad guys, I'll gladly pull the trigger."
"Ugh, I don't wanna get my hands dirty," Clone No. 2 whined. "Just drag them into the shadows and absorb them. No mess, no fuss. If blood gets everywhere, my shoes will get sticky."
"Foolish. There's no benefit in wasting resources like that," Clone No. 3 adjusted imaginary glasses. "The smart move is to drain every last second of their time first. The main body's running low after summoning us—this is the perfect chance to refuel."
"Seconded," Clone No. 4 chimed in.
"Hold on," Kurumi raised a hand, cutting off the debate. "Before we decide how to deal with them, shouldn't we finish the job Mori Ōgai gave us? We know this is a drug factory, but we still don't know which organization they belong to. Any leads?"
"Leads…"
Suddenly, Clone No. 3 stiffened, her voice turning odd. "Hey… what were we just doing?"
"Huh? Investigating, obviously," Clone No. 2 replied.
"Yeah, but…" Clone No. 3's expression twisted. "Why didn't we just use Yud (Tenth Bullet)?"
A heavy silence fell over the group.
…Right. They could've just used the Tenth Bullet.
Even if everyone here was unconscious, that wouldn't stop the bullet's effect. A single shot would've dumped the target's entire memory into Kurumi's mind—organization, purpose, everything.
Kurumi coughed awkwardly and summoned her Angel without another word.
"Zafkiel."
The giant clock materialized behind her, its Roman numerals glowing ominously. From the X, a stream of dark energy swirled into her flintlock, forming a bullet of condensed time.
She took aim at what looked like the factory supervisor and pulled the trigger.
The spiritual bullet sank into his body—and instantly, a flood of foreign memories surged into her mind.
But she wasn't overwhelmed. Like watching a film, she observed every moment of his life, detached and unaffected.
The Tenth Bullet revealed all memories, not just selected ones. That meant sifting through useless information was inevitable.
After a moment, Kurumi blinked, shaking off the slight daze.
"We've got what Mori Ōgai wanted."
--+--
T/N: Oh nah thats crazy