Hiori Jidaigeki Studio Park - Main Street
1

Emu

Listen

What's taking Tsukasa so long?
Do you think he's having trouble finding those dango?
2

Nene

Listen

That warehouse is pretty big...
Maybe I should've gone with him...
3

Rui

Listen

Hmm...
He did take his phone with him, so why don't we send him a message...
4

Tsukasa's Voice

Listen

You're wanted for arrest!!!!
5

Nene

Listen

Huh? That voice...

Sound Effect: Play

6

Tsukasa

Listen

Stop right there!!!

BGM: --:-- / --:-- Play

7

Emu

Listen

Hey, it's Tsukasa!
8

Nene

Listen

I knew it...!
Also, arrest? What's he talking about...?

Sound Effect: Play

9

Emu

Listen

Whoa!
A ninja just ran thataway!

Sound Effect: Play

10

Tsukasa

Listen

Thief! Cease! And! Desist!
11

Emu

Listen

Oh, Tsukasa's chasing after the ninja!
12

Rui

Listen

Perhaps that ninja is the thief who's been plaguing this park...
13

Emu

Listen

What?! That ninja's the thief?!
14

Nene

Listen

Yeah, he might be right...!
Tsukasa even called him a thief just now.
15

Emu

Listen

Then, we gotta chase after him!
16

Rui

Listen

Yes, let's go!
17

Rui

Listen

Nene, you go tell the nearby park staff about our possible suspect.
18

Nene

Listen

Okay, got it!

Sound Effect: Play

Sound Effect: Play

19

Tsukasa

Listen

Stop right there!!!

BGM: --:-- / --:-- Play

20

Tsukasa

Listen

(Darn it...!
I thought I would've caught him by now since he didn't get much of a lead on me.)

Sound Effect: Play

Sound Effect: Play

21

Tsukasa

Listen

(But this ninja thief's quick...!)
22

Tsukasa

Listen

(My training with Mikazukigumi has made me a much faster runner...!)
23

Tsukasa

Listen

(I'm so close...!
He's right in front of me...)
24

Shady Man in Ninja Outfit

...!!!

Sound Effect: Play

25

Tsukasa

Listen

(...!
I got a hand on his outfit, but I can't stop him!)
26

Tsukasa

Listen

(Hm? The back of this ninja's hand...)

Sound Effect: Play

27

Tsukasa

Listen

(...!
It's always crowded outside of the magistrate's office! At this rate...)

Sound Effect: Play

28

Tsukasa

Listen

Grr...!
I lost him! He's somewhere in this crowd...!
29

Tsukasa

Listen

(However, I'll surely be able to pick him out with the way he's dressed! Where is he...?)
30

Ninja Cast Member A

Attention, everyone!
The ninja class will be starting soon!
31

Ninja Cast Member B

We ask those who wish to learn the way of the ninja to please gather here!
32

Tsukasa

Listen

...!
N-Now there are ninjas everywhere...
33

Children

Wow, that sounds like fun!
I wanna go, Mommy!
34

Guests

Yes, it does look like fun.
Why don't we go learn together?
35

Tsukasa

Listen

(Too many people are gathering!
This is bad...)
36

Tsukasa

Listen

No...
I completely lost him...
Mikazukigumi Practice Area

BGM: --:-- / --:-- Play

37

Kijima

Listen

I see...
You spotted him in the warehouse and gave chase, but lost sight of him...
38

Tsukasa

Listen

Yes...
I feel so ashamed...
39

Kijima

Listen

No, don't be.
It took great courage for you to try to catch him after seeing him.
40

Kijima

Listen

However, we don't know what he might do when he's backed into a corner. So, please refrain from trying to catch him on your own next time...
41

Kijima

Listen

Be sure to ask a nearby adult or security guard.
42

Tsukasa

Listen

Okay...
43

Emu

Listen

Tsukasa looks really sad...
44

Nene

Listen

Yeah...
45

Rui

Listen

I understand how he must feel...
He was so close to catching the thief.
46

Tsukasa

Listen

...
47

Tsukasa

Listen

(I was so close. If only I were able to run a little faster, then I might've been able to catch him...)
48

Tsukasa

Listen

(And me catching him would've meant us being able to resume doing our performances...!)
49

Kijima

Listen

Still, Tenma, you've provided us with an incredibly valuable clue.
50

Tsukasa

Listen

Huh...?
51

Kijima

Listen

Our thief operating while disguised as a ninja. Knowing that is massive.
52

Tsukasa

Listen

But what if he decides to change or remove his disguise...? We wouldn't be able to identify him then...
53

Kijima

Listen

Actually, there are only a couple designated places in this park where people are able to dress as ninjas.
54

Kijima

Listen

One is the changing rooms for the cast. The other is the ninja village, which is approximately where your chase ended, Tenma.
55

Kijima

Listen

One of my troupe members just happened to be over there when Kusanagi sent me that message. I'm having them keep an eye out for anyone going to change outfits.
56

Kijima

Listen

However, no one besides children seems to have changed. Which means...
57

Nene

Listen

There's a good chance that the ninja is still wearing the same outfit?
58

Kijima

Listen

Exactly.
Now, we can't rule out the possibility that our perp is a member of the cast.
59

Kijima

Listen

But based on what the staff just told me, no one has changed since that time. They even have security camera footage to back up this claim.
60

Tsukasa

Listen

...!
Then...!
61

Tsukasa

Listen

That ninja is still somewhere in the park...?!
62

Kijima

Listen

Yeah, I think so.
63

Kijima

Listen

Naturally, he could change outside of the changing rooms, but there aren't many places in the park where you could do so out of sight. Not to mention how the entrances and exits to the bathrooms and the park itself are monitored by security cameras.
64

Tsukasa

Listen

Right... Which means...
65

Tsukasa

Listen

(We still have a chance to catch him...!)
66

Mikazukigumi Member

Still...
What does he want with that prop?
67

Mikazukigumi Member

Good question.
It's not like it's worth anything.
68

Rui

Listen

I have a feeling that he mistook it for the pot that's supposed to be on exhibit here tomorrow. The one in this flyer.

Sound Effect: Play

69

Tsukasa

Listen

What's this?
“See the renowned Kikuo Fujino's ceramic pots here at Jidaigeki Studio Park!”...?
70

Nene

Listen

So, he thought it was a priceless piece of art...?
71

Rui

Listen

That would be my guess.
He saw a similar pot in the part of the warehouse we're borrowing and had a misunderstanding.
72

Mikazukigumi Member

So, he's not a very good thief...?
I mean, why would anyone leave a priceless piece of art in a warehouse like that...?
73

Kijima

Listen

However, he's quick. Very quick.
Just like Chusuke the swift-footed thief.
74

Kijima

Listen

All this to say, let's keep warning the guests about what's been going on while keeping an eye out for him and trying to find that pot.
75

Kijima

Listen

He may've stashed the pot away somewhere, but odds are high that he's still dressed as a ninja.
76

Kijima

Listen

So, let's split up and look for any suspicious-looking ninjas. We'll patrol the ninja village, main street and tea district.
77

Kijima

Listen

You and the others will take the main street, Tenma, but please be careful.
78

Tsukasa

Listen

We will!!!
79

Tsukasa

Listen

(Alright, ninja...!
I'm going to catch you no matter what...!)
80

Tsukasa

Listen

Okay, we're back where we all were when we saw that thieving ninja, but...
81

Tsukasa

Listen

Hmm... How do we actually go about finding him...?
82

Rui

Listen

Which way did he go when you were chasing after him, Tsukasa?
83

Tsukasa

Listen

That way.
But there's a four-way intersection up ahead...
84

Nene

Listen

He could've gone in any direction...
So we really have no leads besides the possibility that he's still dressed as a ninja.
85

Tsukasa

Listen

Which means we'll have to do some good old-fashioned detective work...
86

???

Listen

<Oh, you all look so concerned. Is something wrong?>
87

Tsukasa

Listen

Hm? That voice...

Sound Effect: Play

88

Nene

Listen

Luka! What are you doing here...?
89

Luka

Listen

<Remember how you told us that you'd be doing your next show at the Jidaigeki Studio Park?>

BGM: --:-- / --:-- Play

90

Luka

Listen

<I wanted to see what it's like...
So, I decided to come take a look♪>
91

Luka

Listen

<But I began to wonder what was going on based on your troubled expressions.>
92

Emu

Listen

Oh, so!
This ninja thief stole a prop pot!
93

Luka

Listen

<A prop pot...? A ninja thief...?>
94

Nene

Listen

She's gonna need a little more information, Emu.
95

Tsukasa

Listen

We may want to start from the beginning here. The thing is...
96

Tsukasa

Listen

...which is why we're now looking for that thieving ninja and the pot he stole.

BGM: --:-- / --:-- Play

97

Tsukasa

Listen

We were just trying to come up with a way to find him since we're basically out of leads.
98

Luka

Listen

<Yes, I see...>
99

Rui

Listen

We believe that he's hidden among the guests and cast members dressed as ninjas.
100

Rui

Listen

So, as time-consuming as this is likely going to be, our best option may be to talk to everyone we see who's wearing a similar outfit.
101

Emu

Listen

Wait, how are we gonna know that we're talking to the real ninja thief?
102

Tsukasa

Listen

Oh, I think I've got that covered.
103

Nene

Listen

You do?
104

Tsukasa

Listen

I just recalled something, and already let Mr. Kijima know...
105

Tsukasa

Listen

While I was chasing him, I noticed these scars on the back of his right hand. Three lines like a cat scratched him or something.
106

Tsukasa

Listen

So, if it's him, we'll know once we've seen his hand.
107

Rui

Listen

I see. That's good to know.
It saves us the trouble of having to get everyone's alibis.
108

Emu

Listen

Right!
Now we just have to find him!
109

Nene

Listen

But this place is huge...
Just finding people dressed as ninjas is gonna be really hard.
110

Tsukasa

Listen

True.
We're dealing with a big crowd and poor visibility.
111

Tsukasa

Listen

I wish there were a more efficient way to investigate, but we'll just have to look at everyone we come across...
112

Rui

Listen

If only I'd brought one of my drones...
113

Luka

Listen

<Oh...♪
Hehe. I just thought of a wonderful idea.>
114

Tsukasa

Listen

Hm? A wonderful idea?
115

Luka

Listen

<Yes♪
Umm... Emu, would you mind lending me a hand?>
116

Emu

Listen

Huh? Me?
117

Luka

Listen

<Yes!
My idea should make it much easier to find this ninja thief♪>
Next Chapter: If I Had Been Faster