Let's go back in time a little, to the top floor of a large building near the police station.

Colonel Mikami, dressed in black, stood on the rooftop, looking out over a chaotic square in the distance. After gathering all the information, he immediately dialed a certain number on his phone.

Once the call was connected, Colonel Mikami began, "I'm deeply sorry to bother you so late, but there are some things I need to report."

"What's the matter?" came a slightly stern voice of a girl on the other end of the line.

"Well..." Colonel Mikami proceeded to succinctly explain the situation.

"Oh..." the girl's voice sounded a bit surprised, but not overly so. "Since things don't seem to be going as expected, I want to confirm whether appropriate actions should be taken. There has been quite a commotion at the police station."

"In other words, you need to step in and mediate, is that what you mean?" the girl teased.

"Yes, I believe it's necessary, considering all aspects," Colonel Mikami replied with a matter-of-fact tone.

"Well, even though something unexpected did happen, it doesn't really matter. After all, it didn't have much impact on the main issue. Besides, that guy, Katsuragi, should handle this mess later on."

Colonel Mikami took a moment to comprehend whom the girl was referring to before asking, "You mean Director Katsuragi?"

"Yes, since this is his jurisdiction. And this matter also involves his daughter, so he can't just pass it on to someone else."

"Miss Reimi Katsuragi, right? I did see her at the scene, so she has already clashed with the criminal?"

"And it seems that she even failed against him, despite being compared to the legendary Holmes."

"That's indeed strange. Although I don't know much about her, I have heard rumors that Miss Reimi Katsuragi has never allowed a criminal to escape. But now... could it be that the rumors are not true?"

Colonel Mikami concluded the current situation with a specific conclusion.

"I wish I could say that's the case, but unfortunately, it's not."

"Then perhaps it's underestimating the opponent or something like that?"

"Do you think she's the kind of person who would underestimate her opponent foolishly?"

After pondering for a while, Colonel Mikami replied with a puzzled tone.

"Well, it doesn't seem like it. Then why?"

The girl responded with a somewhat helpless tone.

"It's not that simple. It's not because she's weak. In fact, she does possess the ability to rival that Holmes. After all, she's known as the 'modern Holmes.' But only on the condition that man isn't involved."

"In that case..."

"It can only be said that the opponent is too strong or that she had the misfortune of encountering such a formidable opponent. After all, her abilities are useless in front of that man. Even if she were compared to Holmes himself, that person is far superior. I doubt even the real Holmes would be of any use. Besides, Holmes is just a fictional character. Perhaps this is the limit of Holmes."

"Since you put it that way, I have a question."

"A question?"

Facing this sudden question, the girl seemed a bit confused.

"Just out of pure curiosity, who do you think is stronger between you and Miss Katsuragi? Since both of you are geniuses, of course, I mean in terms of strategy. There's no need to compare in terms of physical strength."

"That's quite a peculiar question, indeed," the girl reluctantly responded, but Colonel Mikami persisted and asked further.

"I'm just genuinely interested."

"... "

Unable to resist any longer, the girl finally gave an answer.

"It's hard to say who is stronger. Maybe it's fifty-fifty in terms of deduction."

However, Colonel Mikami didn't seem satisfied with this answer and further inquired.

"What about in other aspects?"

Though pushing his luck a bit, the girl straightforwardly replied.

"In those aspects, it's undoubtedly my overwhelming victory. That should go without saying."

While this might sound conceited to ordinary people, Colonel Mikami, who knew the girl well, didn't think so. After all, he understood her better than anyone else."It's true, after all, you are a versatile genius."

"......"

For some reason, the girl didn't react. Well, it's understandable since she's used to receiving praise as a genius.

With this in mind, Lieutenant Sanshin asked another question with a mischievous tone.

"How about compared to that person?"

"......"

But for some reason, even after waiting for a long time, the girl didn't give an answer. The topic then inexplicably changed.

"Well, it's getting late. Let's just leave it at that for now."

Although the girl didn't answer, Lieutenant Sanshin tactfully didn't push for an explanation.

"So, it means we will still proceed according to the previous plan. Can I understand it this way?"

"You can interpret it that way if you want. And not only do we have to stick to the plan, but even if we encounter unexpected incidents, we must ensure that our tracks remain hidden."

"Understood."

After saying this, Lieutenant Sanshin's figure vanished into the darkness.