Korosuke nodded, though his stomach gave a loud growl. "That’s great, Kiteretsu-nari... but can the future tell us when the croquettes are ready?"

Kiteretsu sat hunched over the Kiteretsu Daihyakka , the ancient book of inventions left by his ancestor. He had just finished assembling a device called the —a small, brass-rimmed gadget designed to hear sounds from exactly twenty-four hours into the future.

Kiteretsu dialed the settings to exactly one day ahead. At first, there was only static, but then a frantic voice came through. It was Miyoko. "Help! Someone help! It’s trapped in the old warehouse near the river!"