Shibuya

[Bloodedge]

'Weird. I might actually understand this shit. If that's how it is, though...' Yugi's thoughts never ceased. As much as he would have preferred spending his time thinking of more enjoyable things, that was a train of thought best avoided for the time being. If he kept mulling over the thought of being found, he'd wind up thinking himself into a situation which ruined the puzzle... and by virtue of that, the initial purpose. Never could he throw himself out there. Either Kimiko found him herself, or he would forever be left with questions he couldn't even bring himself to ask, or believe any positive answers to.

And so, he continued giving consideration to these powers and organizations. He was at the cusp of something potentially great; logic was at least on his side. The lad wasn't sure when he'd be able to test things for himself, but he figured it would have to be with something small, if he even showcased any special abilities. "Wrath. If something is triggered, consequences are selected at random... RNG," he mused. "The power itself is the ability to rewrite, though. It should be as simple as choosing the second criteria, directing repercussions to a specific target that can take the equal opposing force of the first action. It's just a basic lateral if I look at it that way," he said, comparing the situation itself to a puzzle. "Hmm. More like a game mechanic. I guess that should have always been the case, huh?"

The more he thought about the scenario, the more he thought it would be necessary to run tests for himself. He was given reason to believe his abilities from the other world could be accessed here in some capacity, but he wondered which ones. A single assumption could be made about something, at least. If it worked, he would have a very interesting answer to everything that came his way.

[Apollymi]

Taishou!? Was the response to the first text message sent. Off the books work. I require information as much as you can get on the Puzzle Club at my high school. Every shred of information you can find. Compile and send to me. I'll send your usual extra fee once you respond. Also sweep my home PC for bugs. I don't trust the cops. Another block was covered as Kimiko found herself around the corner from the house. The lass on the other side of the phone was quick to begin work, typing on one of her monitors at her work space while sending a text message through her phone mirror on the other. This girl was indeed exceptional at her work, so long as she was focused she could complete a great many tasks without causing any problems. If only her spending habits had this much focus. Hai. It'll be done. I'll send everything to you encrypted key. Pu33lerz. And I ran a quick sweep. You should really set an automatic empty for your browser history but I took care of it. A brief pause before Kimiko walked towards her house. At least her workers were always dependable. Hai. A quick bank transfer would occur as Kimiko walked back into the front door of her house. Surprisingly the evidence of the police presence was still there, but no officers were found on sight. "Tadaima!" the girl said announcing her arrival home, not that she expected anyone to meet her. She hadn't been greeted at home in quite a while, there was nothing to be worried about while she did a bit of remote work from home.

[Bloodedge]

There was so much to figure out about these powers, Sins, the cults in general, and whatever linked these two worlds. Yugi thought long and hard about all connected things while dilly-dallying in his room. He'd originally decided to think of such things to distract himself from the thought of being sought after by Kimiko, but he was now actively seeking a distraction just to have some mindless activity while his subconscious worked. In the end, he decided to pick up a puzzle. He took up a rotor puzzle in the shape of a circle, which seemed to be comprised of five jigsaw pieces, and began fiddling with it. The pieces were pushed inward and outward, revealing the intricate grooves that held all five segments together at multiple points for the sake of complexity. Never did Yugi seem bothered by the shape of this puzzle; he seemed to be using it simply to stabilize his thought process.

"Sin is absolute, right? If Wrath itself is wrathful, it would probably be expressed whether someone wanted it to be or not. It's pretty hard to not show rage even when trying to avoid it, after all." His thoughts were spoken aloud as he didn't seem to be fully disassembling the puzzle at all. By the end of his thought process, though, all five pieces separated at once in Yugi's hands. "But... nothing satisfies anger like a good vent. Sometimes, the only solution is to let it all out─"

[Apollymi]

There was no noise inside the Ashikaga household, as such the girl made her way to her room without stopping. This was in general what her life was, walking around this big house, which was usually empty aside from staff members who came and went on their own scheduled rotations. She rarely saw anyone she didn't pay outside of school and even when she went to her office building she felt alone. 'Wrong thought process...' she mused as she kept walking. Upon reaching her bedroom she stripped down to her lingerie and took up position cross legged at her computer desk. That ruby around her neck shining as it caught the light of her display. A small smile came to her face, what a strange amount of comfort she got from such a random item. She found herself rubbing it between her fingers in the same nervous manner she did her hair from time to time... feeling strangely close to the one who'd created it. Regardless she waited for a ping from her email. And while she did, she committed to going through the motions of her normal business transactions. She had no idea how long she was to be back in this world, but she couldn't let down all of those who depended on her while she was here. Her work load hadn't piled up while she was away so it wasn't as if anything was amiss. Some button clicks some read and answered emails and some instructions to her various staff members in case she was unreachable at any point in the next few weeks. These were the motivations of a girl who ran an entire business even as a teenager. By the time she was composing her last email a new one finally hit her private inbox. She switched tabs with marked excitement, typing in her encryption key to open the files presented to her.

"Sou ka... let's find out about the Puzzle Club." She spoke to herself as she often did when alone. She scrolled through the basics. The Puzzle Club at her high school was a group of like minded individuals who enjoyed the challenge of new puzzles. Various puzzles were often brought before them to be solved, any there would take them on. They also attended competitions against other schools. These included time trials and complexity leveling. "Ah, so like a guild of people who just do puzzles. Not terrible but I kind of get it..." she murmured. Going though she saw various articles listed about competitions attended and scores of those contestants going back three years. One set of articles in particular caught her eye. "Miura Seiji, ka..." her eyes traveled over the information and took in his various feats. "A third year student, in his first year he'd attended several competitions and consistently had the highest scores in all types of puzzles completed. If I thought he would have joined the club, I might believe this is the person I am looking for..." she said, opening up his file she had a look at his student photo as well as his grades and attendance. His school records stated that he'd joined the puzzle club and then quit. This brought great pause to Kimiko. "Well, I guess now I can't completely rule him out..." she murmured to herself. Though he'd rejoined there were many reasons that might have been the case, and he did mention being hounded constantly to do puzzles. Perhaps he'd joined the club preemptively so people would leave him alone? That didn't fit with what she knew of him enough, but maybe she didn't know enough yet? So far as she'd seen, the Geno Killer had managed a great number of different types of puzzles while they were adventuring together. It would be simple enough to assume that he'd simply grown bored at some point. "Miura Seiji, even if he isn't who I am looking for... he's the one to most likely have the answer, or at least another lead to follow up on. I wonder if it would be best if I came bearing a gift then?" Kimiko questioned her own motivations. She could potentially use one of her more complicated puzzle run-ins from her time in the other world as a litmus test. Either the lad would be able to complete it and she'd could further push him into talking to her. Or she'd show him and he'd admit to his involvement with her. Whether or not he was the answer or just another clue... this one boy seemed to be the most viable step in her journey towards finding the Geno Killer. With a plan in mind and her research done... she printed off a blank version of the Sudoku Super Giant. She spent a few moments at her desk there after, drawing in the runes which had been part of her Druid Ascension Puzzle. Once she was sure it was perfect she went about the rest of her daily life. Tomorrow she was going to school and then afterwards to club activities. She was going to find the Geno Killer.

[Bloodedge]

Miura Seiji was a young man whose attention was sought after by the entire puzzle club of their school. He didn't care; there was only one thing puzzle-related that kept his interest. He much preferred spending his free time gaming, or finding other sources of entertainment, as of late. On the following school day, perhaps it would be Ashikaga Kimiko who discovered the things which had his eye now. Sadly, the boy she sought would not even be attending this upcoming day. The life of a shut-in such as Aiba Yugi virtually dictated a minimum number of skipped school days, even in spite of his exceptional grades in all subjects. Ah, but it didn't matter if he showed up or not. Kimiko happened to be on his trail, whether she knew it or not... if she only managed to get the information she sought.

Lunchtime on the following day, Seiji sat alone in the puzzle club's meeting room. He had no intention of being in said room while their after-school meeting took place; they had nothing worthwhile to offer him. Perhaps someone would eventually appear with something worth his time, but for now, he would enjoy his lunch in solitude. In doing so, he leaned back in a chair placed next to a very specific, unsolved puzzle box that was highly regarded as impossible in its normal form. This, however, was not the normal version of even that puzzle. The standard version was referred to as the "dovetail box" due to having dovetails cut into four sides to make opening it a visual impossibility. It typically possessed a hidden set of diagonal cuts between its two halves to let it slide open when a ball bearing was ejected from one internal side to the other, but this one... was not even a box. This one in particular had twelve sides, and every two sides created a segment. There were six shifting ball bearings within, total. To solve it, each bearing had to be taken through three paths within the puzzle, and all had to remain in the puzzle's center for the entire puzzle to be taken apart at once. Inside, there was a box... and an additional item: a slip of paper with a phone number written on it. Sadly, no member of any puzzle club in the region had even become aware of how many bearings were inside this version of the dovetail box─ none could even dream of solving it, including Miura Seiji himself. That very puzzle was the only thing keeping him in the club to this day.

[Apollymi]

To be technical the next day at school had been pretty uneventful. Kimiko had returned but that was mostly because she was contracted to attend a certain amount of school all the time. She wasn't a slacker by any means either but socializing was never easy for her. Case in point, by the time lunch had rolled around the girl was almost as exhausted as most people would have been running a marathon. Forcing smiles, answering questions, pretending she had interest in anything other than her singular goal. Ah, but it was lunch time now and it was a time period she normally spent alone. One could not account for the amount of recharging that normally took place. Kimiko preferred to be out of the watchful gazes of her peers when she could, as such her disappearance after picking up a coffee was hardly worth anyone looking into. But she had work to do, her plan in general was to enjoy the cup of coffee she had and maybe spend a little time scoping out the puzzle club. She'd intended to find out the habits of one Miura Seiji from his fellow club members. She'd once heard that many club members spent time in their club rooms or with club members during off time. She figured such a place at lunch would be a reasonable enough time to do a little digging. "I was just wondering if anyone here had time to chat a bit... I brought..." imagine her surprise when she opened the door of this room to find the main subject of her targeted investigation alone in this club room. "Oh? Sumimasen... I didn't expect for it to just be one person here. I didn't mean to interrupt."

This scene was a bit too surreal to her. There was a boy alone in a room, eating lunch, a singular puzzle nearby. She had to wait his answer to find out a couple of things. 'Calm down Kimi, even if he recognizes you. Everyone at school pretty much knows you. Him being here, near a complicated puzzle... not enough proof.' She tried to reassure herself. Still she wouldn't join this lad if he didn't want to be bothered. She supposed she could try and fish for information a bit more directly but she didn't like such undertakings. She'd only gotten a baseline understanding of this lad, she needed more to work with to be perfectly capable of figuring out if he was the boy she was looking for.

[Bloodedge]

Seiji was mid-bite when, via periphery, he saw a shadow just outside the door. This was a very quiet part of the building at this particular time, so he also had the displeasure of hearing the footsteps on the way. One would have hoped those steps would keep moving past the door, but no... this female figure would enter the clubroom while speaking aloud. This rather famous girl intruded on side-swept, yet otherwise unkempt dark hair with a single red fringe on the left side, and a bit of blonde hanging just behind the male's ear. He was of average height as he sat lackadaisically in that leaning chair, setting sapphire eyes with a golden gleam upon the raven-haired lass.

He seemed nothing shy of surprised as he realized who this was entering the room. Stunned beyond words, he gulped down a mouthful of calamari. "Ashikaga... Kimiko ka─" he muttered under his breath. What could she be doing here, he wondered. Either way, it had to be something rather interesting. None would believe this girl to have an interest in puzzles, or the types of people who frequented this very room. "Iia, iia. To be honest, I shouldn't even be here at this hour. This room is a ghost town, but... that's pretty much why I show up for lunch. So? You brought what?" he asked, wondering what had been left unspoken in Kimiko's initial clause. From the expression on his face, he, too, sought information of some sort. He was made incredibly curious by the act of Ashikaga Kimiko showing her face in this room, and he would at least have the answer to that. "Oh, and have a seat, I guess. You're looking for something, right?"

[Apollymi]

Kimiko found herself looking at this lad mid bite. There was some sort of nostalgia here, a scene which she'd witnessed before in a very similar manner. But just because it was similar didn't mean it was exactly what she was looking for. Those bright eyes of hers still took in the sight though, how strange. It was very odd to be on the look out for signs but not be able to figure out if the signs were simply being applied because she was looking for them, or if they were actually there. 'Ugh, I should have paid more attention when Olga was teaching me about bias,' the lass thought. She likely owed her PR person a few apologies not the least of which was about her own inability to deal with people on a personal level. Ah, but this one recovered pretty easily, that was a decent sign but again not enough. "I brought a puzzle, mostly as a peace offering..." she mentioned. Still he'd said she could sit down and admitted that this place was normally a ghost town at this time, he stated he was here at a lot at this hour.

She walked over, sitting across from him, she sat the puzzle down on the table the Sudoku Super Giant which used the various Runes from the game AoE and her coffee to the other. when she took her seat, it came with a sweeping motion as she tucked her skirt in under her bottom. She also crossed her legs at the knee right over left and sat with impeccable posture. "And yes, I am looking for someone, but it's a bit complicated. Was it that obvious?" she asked rather directly before sipping from her coffee. The lass was rather direct, but still polite and cordial. She wanted information but the amount of thought this lad had going on in his head would likely determine exactly how honest she would be about what she was after. People were indeed very strange, and if she could find out what she wished to know without giving up too many of her own intentions. Just the same that smile of hers, fake as it was was plastered pleasantly on her face. Was this the type of lad to find her presence menacing regardless? Or would he simply not know how to react to her? Would he be a strange fan of hers? Or would he detest her? All were options but until she knew his exact stance she couldn't really proceed as she wished. But she'd learned a bit about people who liked puzzles so she could work with that as a base, and give no more or less information than was asked for as a testing grounds.

[Bloodedge]

"A puzzle, huh," he repeated. Surprise surprise, the one known as Kimiko entered the clubroom in the same way many others before her often did. Either normal students came with some overly-simplistic puzzle they were given, wanting it solved, or those from other schools (or even the same club) brought puzzles for the sake of issuing a challenge. However... Seiji would at least glance over this puzzle regardless. How strange it was that she would offer something as boring as a sudoku, but... what was this? "H'oh?"

Stuffing another bite of calamari into his mouth, Seiji lowered his chair to the floor. Kimiko admitted to looking for someone, questioning the obviousness of it. He had nothing to say immediately. He was already picking up a pen, and glancing over the puzzle. "Hmm," was his only utterance for some time. He did, in fact, recognize these symbols. Seiji was a very frequent player of AoE, and Rune Magic was not completely foreign to him. As for the puzzle itself, he appeared to be working through it with relative ease, if only by using runes that appeared within the puzzle as reference. "It couldn't be more obvious. Were you trying to make it anything else?" he asked. "If you were, maybe the puzzle club wasn't the best place to come."

[Apollymi]

The lad looked over the puzzle and then with only a simple shift in his expression grabbed a pen and began working on it. She knew it wasn't a truly interesting puzzle, it was meant to be used on someone else for this exact reason, that being said he didn't seem to show the same great love for puzzles that her target did. She could pass these moments of relative silence without much change in her disposition, if only because her mind was already hard at work. She'd come here with the intention of eliminating or confirming this man to be the one she was looking for, confronting him directly wasn't part of her initial method. With this slight shift in plans all of her thoughts had to be adjusted to directly dealing with the problem of another overly clever lad speaking to her. 'Clever people are always so sassy...' she thought, given the lads words when he finally spoke again. No speaking over the puzzle only working on it. Did he recognize it? The mental questions Kimiko asked herself were numerous and filed within her mind as separate things to be addressed at some point. Figuring out this young man's base knowledge was an important part of ruling him in or out as the Geno Killer.

"I wasn't trying to, at this point. The plan changed when you were the only person here. Admittedly, though if there had been more people, I would have expected to retain a certain amount of ambiguity. It's easy to hide in a room full of people, much harder to do so in a one on one situation. I simply gave up the pretense... I wouldn't want to be insufferable company," she said speaking of her own mental intention. "Besides the person I am looking for may be connected to this place, coming here was inevitable. I get the feeling I could have gotten away with my intentions seeming vague if it hadn't been you here."

[Bloodedge]

One by one, Seiji filled in the sudoku without so much as a hiccup in his execution. This puzzle was interestingly simple, yet with underlying complexity. All in all, he could call it a decent attempt, but he would not rate it very high on a personal scale he kept in his mind. As for her plan, he didn't really care one way or another. Of course, that wouldn't keep him from the commentary. "Ashikaga Kimiko, maintaining any amount of ambiguity... is an oxymoron, isn't it?" he joked. For her to say such a thing, was legitimately laughable. That face, that personality, that identity of hers, could never blend into a crowd no matter where she went in Shibuya. In fact, she could probably go halfway across the country and be recognized by the most random pedestrians.

"Besides... something tells me that unless you're trying to have this 'gamer's sudoku' solved, the person you would be looking for wouldn't just be found in this room when it's crowded. There aren't any gamers here. You'll most likely get the stereotypes─ fanny packs, pocket protectors, retainers and all that jazz. That is... unless you had a reason to believe I would be here," he stated as a glare boasting no ill-intend whatsoever was sent in the lass' direction. With that, the puzzle was complete, and slid across the table toward Kimiko. Now was time to address business. Ashikaga Kimiko didn't need to come here for the sake of having a puzzle solved, nor could any member of the club have been someone she had reason to look for. What she needed, then, was a link... and he had an idea what it might have been to. "So? What's the question you're not asking? Sorry to say, but this puzzle isn't good enough for you to have brought it as a challenge. I'd give it a 1.7 out of... that." At this final word, Seiji nodded his head in the direction of the club's prized puzzle: the impossible box kept in a glass case to his left. "Awesome game to base a sudoku on, though. Two points for creativity, so I'll listen. Call it a good mood based on nostalgia."

[Apollymi]

"Well, hiding in plain sight is a thing. An acquired skill..." she said her words were oddly sarcastic, but still truthful. A bit of a joke in her own way. The girl knew she was very recognizable, because of this, she was well aware of the sort of attention she would draw if she entered a room full of nerdy boys. She was a school idol after all, and if she wasn't at least a little aware of the effect that she had on people who were attracted to her, she couldn't have lived a normal school life. 'At this point I might as well change my name to Eira Gremory...' she mused. Though that wasn't really the truth. Unlike the leading female of that particular series, Kimiko couldn't bring herself to gather anyone around herself she considered a friend. At school she maintained a safe and cordial distance from everyone. No one to get upset with her or anyone else. Hell, she wasn't even a member of a single club, which is why she chose lunch as a time to invade. He finished the puzzle she'd given him, with about the amount of wit she'd expected from the one she was looking for. Even so, there was something off about his thought process.

There was a glare in Kimiko's direction, but she never backed down from that sort of thing. The smile on her face, shifted just a tad cracking her normal facade to become something more of a smirk. Still not the smile of happiness she presented to the lad she knew as the Geno Killer, but a bit more like the ones she showed people who sat across the table from her during business negotiations. This was still an exchange, and he'd given her more information so she'd give a little more in return. "I wasn't looking for you at first, I did need information though..." she said with the same tone and cadence she'd had this entire time. Her hands were clasped in her lap as she thought over the processes. He was slowly ruling himself out, though his follow up question was enough to make her hesitate. "Oh? Well, it's a strange question... I wouldn't ask it without knowing about the base knowledge of the person I was talking to... it would have given too much away for too little in return. I am on my own kind of clock after all..." she mentioned, though she still didn't ask the question. No there were more pressing things to observe as he compared the puzzle she gave him to another one, in a manner she wasn't used to hearing such things. This boy was definitely not the one she sought, she could be about 90 percent certain of that now. Ah, that was a bit disappointing, but also very exciting. What she was looking for was still out there. And something about that was still a bit exciting. Maybe she was a glutton for punishment, waiting was torture, but chasing solving puzzles, using all of her brain power to try and find something she well and truly wanted. That was an entirely new sensation for the lass. "I didn't make that puzzle, the game did, though it was originally generated for me. Also you were right, I didn't need help with it, I finished it a long time ago to complete an aspect of my build... it is a great game though. I also didn't actually ask for help either... I did call it a peace offering, after all. It was meant to let me blend in while I fished for information about you... so I could figure out how you were connected, Miura Seiji." she stated in a very business-like manner. This boy's talk of points being awarded would have made her think twice, caused a hiccup in her mind's processes, but he pointed out the other puzzle and just seeing it made Kimiko's heart skip a beat. Still she couldn't let go of what she'd put together in her brain just now so she spoke of it obviously. "What, a 3.5 minimum on your scaling for something to be worth your time.... who ever made that must be really interesting to you then." she mentioned. In that moment she chose her question and it was unrelated to her earlier inquiry. "Have you solved it?"

[Bloodedge]

"Depends on your build, doesn't it? We are talking about games here," Seiji said in the most nonchalant manner possible. Now that he was done with the sudoku, he slid over a blank piece of paper which he proceeded to scribble on. It seemed he was creating a new sudoku on the spot. He organized a 50x50 version of the puzzle, which he would have rated about a 4.0 on his scale. "Here. Call it a stepping stone," he said while sliding the new sudoku across the table.

It seemed Kimiko had no intention of revealing her true question without enough information beforehand. That didn't matter much; Seiji was simply staving off boredom. Now that the lass mentioned, it was true that she'd never asked for help with that puzzle. He was quite used to the others who approached with the sole intention of wanting a puzzle solved. "Hm. I guess you didn't. Since you didn't, have that one on me. It's a more fun challenge than what a video game'll throw at ya'." Kimiko's eyes were drawn to the puzzle he'd pointed out in a strange way, which brought his attention to it as well. This was the puzzle which determined the scale; nothing which scored too low in comparison was worth his time at all. Every puzzle he took of his own desire, was one which could get him even a step closer to that monster of a puzzle. When asked if he'd solved it, he could only shake his head. "That thing's the only reason I even came back. As far as puzzles are concerned, it's not even something anyone has been able to comprehend. It looks like a D10, or just a 3D jigsaw... but it also looks like a dovetail. It's got a lot more going on inside than that, though, so it gets counted as one of those impossible boxes. Everyone else wants in because it's the only way to get the person who made it into the club. No clue why they'd bother recruiting someone they could never compare to; they'd never see any action that way."

[Apollymi]

Kimiko watched as this lad created a new puzzle after finishing the one she'd brought. He called it a stepping stone and she looked at it with a raised brow for just a second. 50 by 50 was a bit extreme, that was quite a few numbers in combinations to keep straight. Still, it wouldn't be quite so bad, in fact her mind had already started working. 'Something about this is markedly easier than doing that other one, while having low base mana, after already using way too much and being scared half to death by a ghost~' she thought to herself. A wicked smile spread across her face in the moment. A hint at her true nature and more over a face she normally only presented to those who challenged her. "I have a lot on my plate already you know? But it's not like I can do anything but accept something offered so freely. I suppose I can add this to my to-do list~" she mused in the snarky manner of the personality most didn't see. That hidden clever part of her, which was normally masked behind her popularity, the part that made her dangerous in the business world. Her inverted pattern of thinking had her remove all but one kind of symbol and after picking up the pen, beginning to fill in the missing information block by block. There was no obvious rhyme or reason to how she did this, it wouldn't seem to make much sense as her pen movements went across the board in a spiraling order. Moving from the outside inward only to go back outside. If one cared to notice, she was filling in the symbols starting with the ones most present and spiraling the other ones in by process of elimination. Each minor pause was her filling in the details as her mind processed them. Much like how she used math to solve Rubic Cubes, she was using the processing power of her brain to fill in this large array of symbols.

She looked up when he began talking about that puzzle box if only for a second. If she needed more confirmation about him not being the lad she sought, it was all in the information of that headshake. "Sou ka, that was the information I needed..." she said softly. "Arigatou gouzaimasu~" Knowing that there was a puzzle he couldn't solve, meant that he didn't think like the Geno Killer thus he couldn't be that man. 'Oh, just wait... I'm really close now~' she mused. Her mind still working on that puzzle. While she was around the halfway point at this time, hearing what the lad had to say about the nature of that puzzle gave her a hint of her own nostalgia. "Hoh? That sounds pretty interesting. I do enjoy impossible things... I'm kind of doing something impossible right now," she mentioned, it having nothing to do with the Sudoku puzzle she was finishing and everything to do with finding out the identity of the Geno Killer. She'd come to understand a lot about that boy since meeting him. And knew they shared many of their views about people. "Maybe because they want him in the club, they don't care what that would mean for them. Most wouldn't care if they just wanted to use him. Of course, if you can solve it though... that means you could compare, so you wouldn't need him, right? I've heard puzzles say a lot about their makers~" her eyes flickered up with intensity as she took a sip of her coffee. She continued writing. She'd finish the puzzle before her and when it was done she'd sit her pen down and return her hands back to her lap. "I'd like to do that puzzle, and I'd like you to tell me who made it." She said, the name of the person who made that puzzle was what she needed, and if she was right about his personality there was likely something inside. He didn't put himself out there like that... so he likely wouldn't have agreed to anything outright, but... he made exceptions. She was such an exception in the other world and she knew how she'd attained that special status.

[Bloodedge]

"That's the ticket. Have fun~" he said when Kimiko accepted the sudoku. Seiji leaned against the table, chin rested atop his hand while observing her work. An open ear was kept all the while, but the majority of his focus seemed to be on her puzzle-solving technique. Kimiko utilized a very queer method, and yet everything she entered was accurate without question. Interesting. "You call that information?" asked Seiji. It wasn't that he wondered why she sought the person who designed that impossible puzzle, but rather why she didn't have more to go on than what he'd already mentioned. She spoke of doing something impossible at present. "Obviously it's not that," he said in reference to the ongoing sudoku. "That's the biggest part of it all. Getting that guy on your side is... well, literally as hard as the puzzle. . ."

There was more, but not at all in a good way. Seiji was also of a mind that carrying the entire team was a worthless endeavor, and it was exactly why he could appreciate the box's creator. In fact, what Kimiko had to say after her summary was something very... very familiar. "So you've actually had a conversation with him before?" he questioned, assuming the phrase 'puzzles say a lot about their makers' was one with Aiba Yugi at its core. Kimiko completed his sudoku, wanting to try her hand at the impossible puzzle... and wanting Seiji to reveal the identity of its creator. So, maybe she hadn't met that boy. "Guess not." Sadly, this was the part that was not quite good. He could allow her to try the puzzle in question, but there was no way he could speak the name of its creator. In fact, that was one of the conditions for it being allowed in the club. "No can do, Ashikaga," he said while turning to unlock the glass box containing the puzzle. "If you don't know who made it, I can't tell you. Guy doesn't like being pestered about stuff. But... I guess there's a loophole. Apparently, there's some weird thing about how the puzzle is how he can be reached. Don't ask; I've got no idea what it means. But! Whenever someone solves this thing here, they alone have permission to reach out... however that's supposed to work. I'm guessing the secret's inside the thing."