Mayonaka no X Giten 12

Midnight Cross Method 12

p1: ===============================
[insert]: Has a hero appeared to save Hiroki in her moment of peril?!
Chapter 12: High School Girl Detective
Midnight Cross Method
Story: Yamaguchi Mikoto / Art: BAREISHO

p2: ===============================
The high school girl detective…
/ Aono Shin?

Yes. I am after the monster known as X.
?!

So am I… I’m searching for X, too!
!

p3: ===============================
I see…
/ So, while you switched bodies, your family member was…

I’ve been chasing after the culprit ever since…
Wait—
Wait one second! Do you properly understand your current scenario?
?

Both you and I came here relying strictly on the information that X was at this party.
/ Or to turn that around, we have no other information.
In other words…

There’s a possibility that I am X.

And yet you discussed yourself so easily?
…

p4: ===============================
No…
/ I don’t think you’re X.

On what basis?

I mean, if you were X, you surely wouldn’t have interrupted me to suggest that you might be X.

Even that might be a trap to trick you
/ and gain your confidence.

If you’re going to say that, then I throw in the towel.

I don’t have your powers of insight and deduction.
/ I could think all I want, but I’d just be jumping at shadows.
So I’m just going to believe the fact I see with my own eyes:

p5: ===============================
The fact that you’re the one
/ who saved me in my moment of peril.

I am certain you’re a good person.
/ The kind who can’t ignore a person in need.

…You remind me of an acquaintance of mine…
[insert]: You’re throwing me off my pace.

Well, that said… You seem thickheaded, but straightforward and honest, too.
/ If you weren’t, such a cute girl as she wouldn’t have leant you her body.

…Girlfriend?
Of course not!

[insert]: Achoo!

p6: ===============================
Can we get started back up already?
/ The party’s almost over!
[sfx]: Knock x2
A-Apologies. Please wait one minute more.

We no longer seem to have the time to hesitate.
/ Let us cooperate!

Assuming that X is amongst the four people besides ourselves,
/ there are two things we must do.
[sfx]: Flick

First, we must uncover the Cross Ability used by the one in the cap; or, failing that, avoid it.

That will allow us to snap his king-streak.

The second thing is, of course, to find X!

p7: ===============================
…So how do we find X?
I figured that I could manage something if I could at least use Silent Confession…

…But I’ve never read X’s heart. Can I make an accurate judgement?

If…
If you can narrow down potential suspects for X to one person…

I can determine with 100% certainty if that person is X using my Cross Ability.
!

…
However, I can only use it once per day.
/ In other words, the problem is that it’s hard to know where to use it.

…I can probably use my X Ability to help narrow it down.
Really?

p8: ===============================
Then our plan is obvious.
/ Use your power to weed out the candidates for X…
[sfx]: Scrape

[sfx]: Slowly

[sfx]: Snap
And you’ll use your power to determine if he is X.

All that remains is to believe in each other’s powers and overcome this situation!
[sfx]: Slide
Roger that!!

p9: ===============================
[sfx]: Click

Oh.
/ You’re finally back.

Could we refrain from any more interruptions?
/ It really kills my enthusiasm.
Yes… Our apologies.
[insert]: Hoh hoh.

You’re ready too, right, Mikuni-san? No more interruptions from now on.
[sfx]: Nod
…I understand.

So then, shall we continue on?!
[sfx]: Slide

p10: ===============================
Could you wait one second?

Garyuuin-san? Didn’t I just said there’d be no more interruptions?
No, no.
/ Remember what I said earlier?

That individual strikes me as clearly having too much luck.
/ Now see here. I would like to have at least one opportunity to be king.

Let’s make it a rule that whoever was the previous king has to be the last one to draw his lot in the next round.
[sfx]: Smile
…How does that sound?

I get it… If he’s picking last, even if has the power of clairvoyance, it won’t do Cap any good!

O-Okay.
/ I don’t mind.
!

p11: ===============================
[sfx]: Slide x5

So then, Cap-kun, here’s the last straw.

I was keeping a careful eye on him, but Cap didn’t do anything suspicious.
So we should be fine…

Who’s the king?!

p12: ===============================
S-Sorry.
/ It’s me again.

…Why?! Did he actually become king by sheer luck this time?!

So then, person number 3 will…
No—it’s not luck!

He has to be using some sort of power to pinpoint me…

Kiss the King.

p13: ===============================
K…
/ Kiss?

Oh. Based on that reaction, I’d say our number three is Mikuni-san?
…Huh? …Uh, umm…

On the cheek—
The lips, of course.
[sfx]: Scratch

…What do I do? Let him take my lips?
No, I can’t… What if this were Mikuriya’s first kiss?

Mikuriya trusted me when she lent me her body!

Think. Think!
There must be some way out of this…!

…

p14: ===============================
This is it!
Hey… Since we’re getting to play the King’s Game,

How about we kiss…
wih dis?
[sfx]: Point

Oh! That does sound good.
/ Given that, you can take your time enjoying the look on Mikuni-san’s face as you kiss.
Nice backup, Aono-san!!

I-I see…
That might be nice…!

p15: ===============================
[sfx]: Amph

[sfx]: Munch

[sfx]: Bite

Just like I thought! I can avoid Cap’s saliva…
[sfx]: Bite x2
And he can’t look away!!

[sfx]: Bite x3
…Just five more seconds…

…Four… Three…
Two… One…

p16: ===============================
Good morning.
Morning.
Good morning, Sensei.
Yes, hello.
High school chicks are total angels.

Quit it!
You were looking, weren’t you?!
It’s fine. I didn’t see anything.
/ Besides, I’m an adult. I wouldn’t want to look at a child’s underwear.
Damn! Why’re you wearing such freaking lewd panties, Shirai?!

Oh, I wanna do it with a high school chick.
I want their panties…
Their nails…
But the best high school chick in history is Miku-Miku.

p17: ===============================
…Sensei?

?!
[sfx]: Twitch
*Spit*!

Wow…
[sfx]: Munch x2
[sfx]: Swallow
I see, I see.

So you’re a schoolteacher.
/ At a girls’ high school, too…?
H-How do you—?!

And furthermore…

p18: ===============================
I know…
how you’re pulling off this phenomenon!!

My oh my.
/ Too bad, Cap-san.
Well, pull yourself back together for the next round.

Wait!
[sfx]: Grab!

I’ll be holding the lots from now on.

p19: ===============================
I get it!
[sfx]: Grin!
So the one using his Cross Ability to control this game wasn’t Cap…

It was Iida!!

Iida’s Cross Ability is the power to make someone draw an arbitrary lot: Perfect Choice.
He uses it to ensure Cap draws the King straw every time…

Afterwards, Cap used his Cross Ability, Maniac Community (Locked Message Board),
to determine who drew which number.
*Maniac Community can only share specific information agreed to by the other party.

I learned all of this information from Cap’s memories…
Which means…

These two were cohorts from the start!

p20: ===============================
There seems little problem to me.
/ The game’s more fun if everyone’s on even footing.
[sfx]: Pat
…

That’s true.
[sfx]: Smile
Let’s do as you ask.

We’re almost out of time, so let’s all pick our lots at the same time.
[sfx]: Grab
…Okay.

…This time was purely decided by luck.
Please, let me be King…

Then I’ll order everyone to look me in the eyes!

Who’s the king?!!

p21: ===============================
!
Shit! I’m not king!!
Then who is?!
Please! No more Cap!!

Kah kah kah kah!
/ The king is none other than I!
[sfx]: Grin
All right!!

p22: ===============================
Please notice, Aono-san…!
I’m #1.

So then, the king orders that…
[sfx]: Grin

Everyone stare into #1’s eyes for thirty seconds!

Knew you could do it!
You made sure to gauge just how long it takes for my ability to activate!

Oh?
/ Are you sure?
However, I ask that you look with the naked eye!

p23: ===============================
Well…
I don’t particularly mind.
[sfx]: Slide

So then? Who’s number 1?

It’s me.
Whoa, she’s beautiful.

I just have to look in your eyes for thirty seconds, right?

…3… 2… 1.

p24: ===============================
Does it feel good, Husband? ♡
[sfx]: Hah x2 / Boing

Of course I feel amazing, too. ♡
[sfx]: Squirm / Oh!
Huh…? You want to know just how good I feel?

p25: ===============================
However… Well, I’ve done this and that with other men besides you…
…Oh… You like it like that?

In that case, do whatever you like with my body. ♡
After all, your happiness is my joy. ♡

p26: ===============================
…What’s wrong?
[sfx]: Dizzy
N-No. I thought I was gonna get a nosebleed…

Th-That sure was something…
But she’s not X…
…Though she is a heck of a pervert…

I saw him earlier, so I already know…
[sfx]: Fidgeting
[sfx]: Thump x3
He’s not X.

How about her next?
[sfx]: *Stare*…

[sfx]: Sit

3… 2… 1…

p27: ===============================
…What…
…What is this?

I can’t see clearly… No; am I seeing it?
Is this what’s inside this girl’s heart?

…This might’ve been what Sachi saw, too.
For the time being, she’s my top candidate.

p28: ===============================
Last… This guy.

But he teamed up with Cap, so isn’t it unlikely that he’s X?
He’s probably just…

…Huh…?
…That’s strange…

I can’t see
even a glimpse of his heart.

No, that’s not it…
Silent Confession isn’t activating!!

p29: ===============================
Oh, my apologies.
/ One of my eyes is fake, so I can only half gaze at you.
[sfx]: Pop!

!!
/ Now that you mention it, at the start…
Man~… To be honest, last time? In the King’s Game, I was having so much fun I lost my own eye.
Do I have to be looking into both eyes for Silent Confession to activate?!

We will be returning to port shortly.
/ The party shall conclude the moment the boat docks.

Well? Have you narrowed it down?
[sfx]: Whisper

…W-Well…

p30: ===============================
There’s two candidates left.

I only have one shot—I can’t pick at random…
…Isn’t there something? Some deciding factor?

Ah!

…That’s right…
Come to think of it, at that moment, X…