Conquering Villains and Capturing Targets Is Harder in Real Life than in Games

34: Mental health -1000! Your opponent has delivered a critical hit!

During the rest of the school week, Shizuka and Madoka interacted as they usually did and just like that, it seemed as if any remaining tension between the two had completely dissipated.

Yet, while their relationship progressed smoothly, the search to find the culprit harassing Shizuka was not.

"The perp is even trickier than we gave them credit for, the text they sent you was sent anonymously through an email instead of a phone number," explained Mika with a frustrated wrinkle between her eyebrows. "This means it can't be traced back to their phone so their personal details and location are harder to trace."

Fuyuki pursed her lips. "Damn, this psychopath really thought everything out, didn't they?"

"Mn," replied Mika with a nod. "I did, however, manage to uncover part of their email address with the help of Kataoka-san, one my butlers." She held up a slip of paper and printed on it was "xxxxxxxxxxxx105@smail.com."

"The x's are the parts that couldn't be decrypted. Kataoka-san said he'd need this specific software thing to decrypt it all, but we didn't have it on hand. However, I'm sure he'd be able to locate the software if we asked him to."

Shizuka shook her head lightly. "Tell Kataoka-san thanks, Mii-chan, but I don't want to bother him anymore than we already have." Plus, there's a good chance that such software would likely be illegal...

Fuyuki took the paper from Mika. "You think the "105" at the end means anything?"

"I'm not sure. We couldn't figure out whether they were arbitrary numbers added because the perp needed to have numbers in their email address, or if they had any real significance." 

"Unless the perp randomized their email id, then those numbers should have a meaning behind them. Normally, it's hard for people to come up with a set of arbitrary numbers at the top of their head. That being said "105" could stand for anything from a birthdate, to an address or even part of a phone number." Shizuka rubbed her chin mischievously. "Heh, this really is shaping up to be like a mystery novel, Fuu-chan."

Fuyuki lightly rapped the side of her grinning friend's head. "Idiot. Stop getting excited."

"But doesn't "High School Detective Yoshino Shizuka" sound impressive? Or what about "Ace Detective Shizuka Holmes"?"

Fuyuki rolled her eyes. "How is someone like you second in the entire grade again?"

Shizuka held her head up smugly. "Indeed, part of it has to do with my superior intellect but a greater part of it has to do with the fact that our rankings are determined relatively. So if you want me to put it into simpler terms for you, "Miss. One Hundred Seventy-Second," what I'm trying to say is that, rather than me being really smart, the rest of you are just really not smart."

With her eyes twitching, Fuyuki swiftly pulled Shizuka into a headlock. "To think I wasted time being worried about a conceited idiot like you!"

"Uwah, Mii-chan, help me!" wailed Shizuka. "After overexerting her tiny pebble sized brain, Fuu-chan's finally lost it!"

"You little—Who has a tiny pebble sized brain?!"

"Wah, don't tell me, you can't even remember the words I said less than a second ago?! Mii-chan, let me amend myself, Fuu-chan doesn't have a tiny pebble sized brain, she has a minuscule rice grain sized one!"