Case 12 Section 3: Blatantly rock the mall, this time with feeling

>Warden identified due to his cognitive force readings.

'Doesn't matter. At best, I'll beat him up and ask what he's here for. At worst…' The Authority Rami within his thought nexus cloaked him in light black strands, the violence looming within the void fueling it to display might it shouldn't be able to produce.

Clang! Tallahassee collided with Vere's revolver as the two entered a deadly dance in the Shattered Skyscraper Mall. Vere's demeanor was calm as his smile seemed to deepen, driven by a misleading amiability that leaked into his movements.

A crisp parry with the body of the revolver reflected the panther motif katana. At the same time, his feet danced about in a ragtime-shaped silhouette mixed with the serpentine dexterity of a snake that reigned amongst its kind.

Austin swung over his head as he dodged, his foot planting itself in Koizuki's flaring chest as he backflipped away from the sword-swinging detective. Then, as he flew in the air, he caused a series of clicks as he rotated the chambers of his revolver, causing the Warden to dodge to the side to avoid his fire!

A fire that never came. As he landed on the ground, he witnessed first-hand the horrible footwork the Warden used. His strikes were swift and unerring; Vere could slightly glimpse at a phantom of a striking eagle behind each swing.

But…his footwork sucked so much that he would never be able to decisively deal with someone as experienced with moving their body. Not unless they fucked up.

>Detail Gained: (Poor Footwork…) Would you like to immediately check?

Of course, he did. Vere registered Koizuki redoubling his pursuit as he himself darted around, keeping himself within the range of flickering sword flashes yet just out of reach.

A hunchback tolls the bell. That was the confirmation he needed—enough that would allow him to go on to build something. The Detail was promptly plastered onto his conspiracy board, which formed in such a way that only he could see as it floated behind his head—an immaterial projection of his conjectures.

Koizuki's irritation intensified, his thought power churning within his respective nexus as it surged outwards in rich royal purple signatures. His sword dance promptly sped up as he rotated, stepping into his blows.

Meanwhile, Vere performed his Range Play martial arts to the best of his abilities. Taking on the brunt of the rookie's movement with weaving and deflecting parries—courtesy of his bouncing revolver—he continued to scan his opponent.

Sparks flashed and flickered amongst the confrontation's fervor as Koizuki got increasingly irritated. Something about the man's subtle confidence had pissed him off—his narrowing eyes and over-the-top evasions vexing him even further.

Couple that with the fact that he got the same feeling from the man as he got from a Trickster, and he was even more pissed that the type of man who would mock you while you fight didn't even bother to insult him. It was like his silence spoke volumes…

And—the thing that was the MOST annoying was the weak cognitive force he detected in the tall man. Although his body was formidable, there was no way that someone who just barely qualified as an entry B-Side inhabitant could stand up to him.

Who was he? Niigata Koizuki—the prodigy from the 'Sands! He may have left the dunes, but he forged forward with an unstoppable rhythm…

Yet this rhythm was broken up by a man who didn't even use a modern weapon. Instead, guns were only used by historians, fanatics, the desperate, and the obsolete. Yet somehow…

A barrel jammed in front of his face, and Vere manipulated his thought energy as an ingenious idea struck him. Gathering the black strands and coalescing them into a lump—which was then forced to explode (much like the signatures Koizuki gave off), they mimicked the shooting sound of a revolver at about 80% efficacy.

The lie was accompanied by a yellow-red flash—a mimicry of a muzzle flare. Koizuki was fooled by the [Bluff], dodging to the side as Vere evaluated him silently.

>Detail Gained: (Erratic movements).

Another sticky note was fixed with a mustard pin, and a red thread connected the two details he gained.

>(Poor Footwork…)——(Erratic movements). Check! There's a connection, and the details have been arranged accordingly. 2 Link = (Self-Taught). Case Understanding Lv 0 -> Lv 1.

If that wasn't enough, as Koizuki cleft downwards with both blades…Vere flourished the revolver in his hand as he rotated it rapidly.

The underside of the barrel halted the twin katana, and Vere's deep black eyes seemed to peer into the depths of Koizuki's pale white ones. An unsettling feeling crept over the prior as he felt as if he was being seen through—while a violet glimmer enshrouded Vere's rightmost iris.

A hunch formed, and a ring sounded before the hunchback could even get up to toll the bell.

>Detail Gained via [Hunch]: (Selfish behavior).

A pin stuck it into the conspiracy board, and as the red thread attempted to link it to the other detail, it simply faded.

'(Self-Taught)——(Selfish Behavior)…nah. There's no important connection…I'm missing something…!' Vere's pupils constricted as he felt stress gnaw at his mental stability.

Black wisps of thought energy coiled around his body, driven by the brief imbalance. The briefly unsettled man rammed his knee straight for the sky but, unfortunately…crushed against a certain white-haired aggressor's family jewels.

Koizuki's irises faded into nothingness as his eyes turned blindingly white. The cognitive force intensified so much that Vere's Rami couldn't protect him—forcing him back as power shredded bits of his jacket and cut thin lines in his exposed flesh.

"You…bastard…! YOU SHAMELESS BASTARD!!!" Koizuki's hair was aloft as the stands writhed like worms. Bright purple and royal purple entwined as a heavy sensation beat against the surroundings—Koizuki and his emerging Sensus at the center.

It sprouted from the purple haze atop his head, greedily sucking in the rich waves of thought power as it loomed behind his back. Vere was forced to take another step in retreat as the cognitive force of the Warden in front of him intensified.

Divine retribution was communicated by the violet streaks of light that blared out of his glazed-over eyes like lightning. The massive fist of the Loose Cannon Arbiter slammed towards Vere, the Sensus itself standing at 10 feet of height.

POW!

The fist sent the man flying as it spared him no quarter. Flesh bucked against bone as red blood was forced out of his lips, his orifices drawing crimson sanguine lines and puddles as he collided against a flat, unfinished storefront.

Koizuki snorted in disdain, his nose held upwards as if he were above looking at such a sight.

'Hah. Dance all you want to—but a decisive blow ends everything.' He was the destined star—the protagonist. The world itself would bend to his rule.

At least in his eyes.

Vere's were fixed on something else.

There was a rip in his glove. Hatred stained his pupils as mysterious black runes flowed within the depths of his sclera, unseen by even the eye of providence.

Though most of his hand was still obscured, a part was revealed. This same hand was the one that pried at the wall that encased him, red drops of blood painting the ground as he got back up again.