* * * “You’re making things really difficult for me, you know?” We’re taken to a diplomatic reception room where a bald Caucasian diplomat appears to have been waiting for us. The business card handed to us says he’s a third attaché. Not a bad catch. But it’s not enough. He isn’t ranked high enough to know intelligence-agency secrets, which means only one thing: This is where the real mission starts. “I completely understand, sir.” I lower my head. To someone from a different culture, bowing might confuse them, but it’s surely not going to make them feel better. “Never in my career have I ever heard of someone seeking political asylum from a country as peaceful as this one. I could contact our State Department, but I know the answer is going to be no. Therefore—” “Oh, I don’t care about that anymore. Sorry for the trouble. I mean, I really appreciate you taking the time to speak with us, but to tell the truth, I’m not actually an author.” I take out a black notebook with gold-framed letters. “We’re with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s Public Security Bureau.” “S-security…police…?” the attaché asks in astonishment. I don’t blame him. The situation is a lot more serious when you believe you’re talking to the recipient country’s security police. “Due to the circumstances, we needed to take an unconventional route in establishing contact. However, this notebook should serve as proof that we are who we say we are.” I hold up my police notebook with the words PUBLIC SECURITY BUREAU written in gold on the black cover. Inside sits my picture beside my division’s name. The attaché opens my notebook and compares the picture to me. Of course, it’s a fake I created with my skill, The Matchless Poet, but it appears every bit as real as an official one. Therefore, he has no way of knowing just by looking at it that we’re lying. —But what happens next determines whether we’re in the clear. “For certain reasons, we must secretly obtain information possessed by your country’s intelligence agency. We would like for you to provide data on bomb engineering specialists within Japan. This is an issue of national security, so we need to be quick.” In one breath, I deliver the whole monologue I memorized prior to our arrival. “Th-this is absurd.” “I know it’s a lot to ask.” I double down. “If you do not possess the information we need, then could you introduce us to someone who does?” “There are indeed people from the intelligence agency who come here, but… This is not quite that simple.” “This is a time-sensitive matter. The lives of at least a hundred innocent people are on the line.” The attaché turns pale the moment he hears that people could die. He seems like a good person. “P-please give me a moment.” Sweating profusely in fear, he picks up the telephone and calls someone. Speaking in almost a whisper, he argues with them for a while, then hangs up before facing us again. “Oh, thank goodness,” the attaché says with a smile. “We usually cannot accept such requests, but…” I internally let out a sigh of relief, thrilled with how perfect things seem to be going. “Thank you very much.” “I spoke with the secretary on the phone, and she told me that my boss just happens to be having a meal with the Public Security Bureau’s director right now. My boss probably won’t be able to refuse a request from someone so high up. Phew. Thank goodness.” “…What?” “Your boss should be here in around ten minutes. Please make yourselves at home until then.” He wipes the sweat off his forehead, a relieved smile on his face. ……This isn’t good. This is not good at all. The Public Security Bureau’s director has the same amount of authority as the chief of the Metropolitan Police, but he probably doesn’t even have a clue about the bomb threat. Even if he did, he would never agree to go along with a scheme—let alone one by imposters—to steal confidential information from a foreign intelligence agency, especially when we still have no way to prove a bomb even exists. “No, we… That wouldn’t be good.” “Hmm? Oh, don’t worry about a thing. The intelligence agency surely wouldn’t ignore a request from someone as important as the Public Security Bureau’s director. So please make yourselves at home. I insist.” What are we going to do? This entire mission will have been for nothing if the director shows up. “That really wouldn’t be good. Because… Uh…” The attaché stares back at me in befuddlement. “The director cannot come here…for various reasons.” “Are you sure? What reasons would that be?” Damn it. I’m terrible at improvising. “He’s…very busy right now. He has a lot to do.” “I am sure he is quite busy, but they told me on the phone he could come and that it wouldn’t be a problem.” “Yes, that’s not what I meant, though. While he claims it wouldn’t be a problem, he has…many errands.” “…?” “Like…meeting an acquaintance who he’ll end up chatting with for hours, going to the public office to turn in some documents, going to the store to pick up some dog food…” “What is he, a housewife?” He tilts his head to the side, puzzled. Ugh. I don’t even know what I’m talking about anymore. “A-anyway, we cannot let the director know any of this.” “Do you mean…you came here without telling him?” “No, we, uh— Well…yes. Yes we did.” “That’s certainly no good. Why didn’t you tell him?” “We forgot.” “You forgot?!” He’s completely dumbfounded. “Yes, we… We were in a hurry, since it’s an emergency, so we forgot to call him. So, you know, it was a state of emergency…so we forgot to call him.” “Was there a reason why you said it twice?” “I have already told you all I’m permitted to say. Anyway, just bring us an intelligence operative to speak with!” Because the more I talk, the deeper this hole gets! “You do realize what you’re asking from me, yes? The whereabouts of our intelligence operatives are secret. An explanation like the one you gave isn’t—” “Yeesh… Guess I’ve got no choice, then.” Dazai heaves a sigh, then leans in. “First, I apologize for my inarticulate subordinate. Allow me to explain, sir. We had no choice but to come here in secret. There’s a mole in the Public Security Bureau who’s feeding information to the bomber, and we have reason to believe he’s a close adviser to the director.” “What?” “We’re working with internal investigators to identify the criminal and the mole leaking intel, which is why we had to come undercover. We fear the mole may detonate the bomb if they figure out we’re meeting with the director. So before that happens, we must find where this bomb is hidden.” The attaché’s face turns pale. “Th-that certainly is a serious problem. You should have just said so,” he says, glancing at me. “The reason my colleague didn’t say anything was because he was afraid of a leak. He may be a terrible liar, but he does it to protect confidential information. If you were in our shoes, would you just casually tell the police that your boss might be a mole?” “You have a point…” He nods in agreement. “Fortunately, we are close to figuring out who our bomber is. He was the mastermind behind a large-scale terrorist bombing overseas sometime in the past. This is an important investigation for the national security of your country, one which also protects the world from terrorists. With the help of your intelligence agency, I want to clean the streets of these antiestablishment incendiaries hiding in the system. So could I ask for your cooperation?” “Very well. I am at your service.” Dazai……… That was… That was amazing… “Come with me, please.” The attaché hastily stands and motions us to follow. He takes us to a private office in the embassy’s basement and, his expression tense, asks us to wait here. Dazai and I are the only ones left in the room. “I’d appreciate it if you’d stop picking on my attaché. He’s a really good person. In fact, that’s all he is.” A familiar middle-aged man eventually walks into the office. “You’re… You’re the man who was watching baseball in the waiting room… You’re the US intelligence operative?” It’s the same middle-aged Caucasian man in the black cap who had been idly watching the ball game on TV earlier. “My ID says I’m the office janitor, though.” He grabs the name tag on his chest and shows us. “So what are two busy detectives from the Armed Detective Agency doing here?” Dazai and I exchange glances. “You knew?” “It’s my job to gather information on issues occurring in this country, and when an organization of skill users starts making a fuss first thing in the morning, you can bet word has already reached halfway around the world. We’ve had our eye on you ever since you walked into the embassy.” It seems the omniscience of intelligence agencies isn’t limited to movies and novels after all. “We’re looking for the person who set a bomb in the city. They’re also responsible for a similar bombing overseas that claimed the lives of over a hundred people. Is there anyone like that in your records? The offender said, ‘The everlasting flames and blinding corona made it seem as if the sun itself had fallen out of the sky,’ and—” “Oh… I figured it was him.” The intelligence operative shakes his head. “You know who’s behind this?” “‘An everlasting fire and blinding white light’ sounds just like Alamta and his aluminum powder–based explosives. Here’s his file.” The intelligence operative pulls out a stack of papers from within the cabinet. “A man of Japanese descent, Zadkiel Alamta was a bomb purveyor for a Middle Eastern terrorist organization. We’ve been keeping tabs on him ever since he entered the country a year ago.” “Without even telling the authorities in Japan?” I retort as I pore over the documents. “We had our reasons. We wanted to capture him ourselves. Not only is he a bomber, he also sells explosives to terrorists of the same trade. If only we had his list of customers, we could arrest countless anti-American terrorists.” I flip through the pages where I see Alamta’s photograph and the details of his past crimes. “There honestly couldn’t be a worse bomb composition.” I tightly clench my jaw. “There are going to be a lot more than a hundred dead if this thing goes off in Yokohama.” Alamta specializes in railroad car bombs that contain a mixture of aluminum powder in slurry explosives. After placing a few hundred pounds of explosives in the passenger car, he lights the fuse remotely using a small electronic transmitter, such as a cell phone. He uses ammonium nitrate as his main raw material and acetone peroxide as an auxiliary material. Both ingredients are cheap, so bombs can be manufactured in high volumes. Judging by the composition detailed in the documents, anyone within a radius of about 650 feet of the blast would die instantly, and people out of range would be showered in the liquefied aluminum and exposed to the extreme temperatures from the blast wave. The only reason Alamta uses aluminum is to make sure he kills as many people as possible. Aluminum is a combustion promoter, which emits a blinding white light and increases the intensity of the explosive flames when it burns. Simultaneously, the blast waves would carry it, creating a cloud of extremely hot dust reaching over a thousand degrees Fahrenheit, which could burn the flesh right off a human body. To make matters worse, aluminum reacts with water to create a flammable hydrogen gas, meaning any contact with water would make more fire. Therefore, using the water from a fire hydrant to put out the blaze would only worsen it, making rescue operations difficult. “The everlasting flames and blinding corona made it seem as if the sun itself had fallen out of the sky.” He wasn’t exaggerating. The bomb is as dreadful as it sounds. If a bomb goes off in a densely populated place in the city, casualties could exceed a thousand when considering secondary disasters such as blackouts and other fatal accidents. Moreover, a train bomb could easily sneak past the police and into the city. We absolutely cannot allow it to be detonated in Yokohama. “Where is Alamta right now?” “He threw my colleague off his trail and went into hiding two days ago. We figured he was getting ready to do something.” Damn it. It looks like we’ll have to start searching for Alamta before we can find the bomb. I guess learning the bomber’s name and background is a step forward, though. It is highly likely that Alamta and the Azure Apostle are one and the same. However, it’s still unclear why he would threaten the detective agency. If he does have a grudge against us, then perhaps looking into the agency’s past solved cases could lead to some clues. “So, Mr. Spy, what do you want in return for this information?” Dazai chimes in with a chuckle. “Nothing. I can’t just sit back and watch hundreds of lives lost, even if they’re another country’s citizens. I am doing this for justice. I’ll gladly provide you with any information you need.” “Yeah, right. I dunno about Kunikida here, but I’m just a bit more cynical than that,” he replies with a grin. An American intelligence operative’s job is to advance the prosperity and security of his country, after all. The agent ponders in silence for a while before responding. “…If you catch Alamta, hand him over to us, not the Public Security Bureau. He’s going to give us a list of his customers whether he likes it or not.” “Hand him over to you?” I knit my brow. “If he truly is behind all this, shouldn’t you be questioning him along with the Japanese authorities?” “About that, Kunikida. These guys plan on torturing the bomber for information, and with methods so brutal they’re prohibited by international law. See, they wouldn’t be able to use such unethical means if they were to cooperate with another nation’s authorities. That’s why they want to take him into custody without anyone knowing.” “……” I look at the agent, who is silent and expressionless. It’s evident he’s not looking to make any excuses. Criminals aren’t the only ones who break the law and violate ethical standards. Nevertheless, a foreign secret intelligence agency won’t change their ways, regardless of how a nobody like myself might feel about it. “This isn’t an official meeting, and you haven’t leaked any information. Therefore, there is no reason for us to provide anything in return. Come, Dazai; we’re leaving.” After urging Dazai to get up, I turn on my heel and head for the door. “Tell the receptionist you’re from Fenimore Transport from now on. They’ll let me know you’re here. Anyway, I’m impressed you were able to make it this far with almost no clues. You have talent. If you’re ever fired from the detective agency, get in touch with me. We could use an agent like you.” “Wow. What’ll it be, Kunikida?” “I have no interest in joining an organization that doesn’t bat an eye even after hearing that a terrorist plans on bombing Japan. We’ll be leaving now.” I depart the office without even waiting for a response. The agent remains silent. Dazai and I return to the detective agency to organize the information from the documents. Approximately two hours remain until sundown. We have to capture the bomber Alamta and force him to tell us where the explosive is…within a mere two hours. We’re not without good news, though. I received some reassuring information when I contacted the agency. The moment I heard the news, I became certain: We can disarm this bomb. “Ah-ha-ha-ha! You guys would be lost without me!” I hear his usual boisterous laughter the moment I return to the office. “Ranpo! How did the case in Kyushu go?” “Oh, that? I took one look at the body and figured out who did it and how.” The man mirthfully sipping on his drink as he talks is Ranpo Edogawa, a senior colleague. “I heard what happened, Kunikida. Everyone’s been running in circles over some little bomb, huh? I really wish my colleagues could take care of themselves sometimes. You know, I didn’t even get the chance to sightsee in Kyushu thanks to you. Man, I really wanted to eat some onsen tamago, too.” “You have my apologies. However, we need your help.” “My help?” “Yes. Unfortunately, we were unable to solve this case on our own and are in desperate need of your assistance. I apologize for my incompetence.” After gazing at me for a few moments, Ranpo lets out a sigh. “Well…… Ah, fine, I guess I’ll lend you a hand! And there’s nothing to be sorry about, Kunikida. If there’s anyone to blame, it should be me for being too gifted! After all, Super Deduction is the greatest skill in the world, so coming to me for help is only natural!” With a boisterous laugh, he pats me on the shoulder. “You are absolutely right.” I wholeheartedly agree. “K-Kunikida, are you okay? You don’t have to hold it in,” Dazai timidly says. Hold what in…? What is he talking about? I’m perfectly fine. “Dazai, give Ranpo the files.” “Oh, sure. Hey, I’m the new guy, Osamu Dazai. Nice to meet you.” “Yes, I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m counting on you to find a good case. I’ll be the one to solve it, of course.” Ranpo’s eyes are locked on Dazai as he takes the documents. “So, newbie. Uh…Dazai, was it? Where did you work prior to coming here?” “Hmm?” Ranpo’s expression has faded, his eyes peering into Dazai’s as if he is searching for something. “I didn’t really do anything after finishing school. Was just kinda around, you know?” A few seconds go by as Ranpo silently stares at Dazai. Finally… “Oh, that’s nice. Anyway, welcome to the agency.” And that’s it. He begins laying out the documents across the desk as if nothing happened. What was that just now? “Dazai, what was that about?” “Don’t ask me… By the way, what kind of skill user is Ranpo?” Oh, right, I still haven’t explained it to him yet. “Ranpo’s Super Deduction gives him the incredible ability to deduce the truth about a case just by looking at it.” “What?! Is there really a skill like that?!” It seems even Dazai can hardly believe it. “Yes, and there are a lot of important people in the police and government officials who come to Ranpo every time they need help with a difficult case. His skill is what keeps this detective agency in business.” “I dunno, it’s just hard to believe a skill like that actually exists.” He doesn’t appear convinced. “You’ll believe it when you see it.” “Kunikida! Do you just need to know where the bomb is?” “Yes. We’re almost out of time. Finding that bomb is our top priority. We’ll be able to disarm it if we know where it is.” “So I don’t need to find this Alamta fellow, yes?” “The bomb comes first.” “Okay, then let’s get started! Ha-ha-ha! Sorry, everybody, it looks like your assistance won’t be needed anymore now that I’m on the case. Dazai, hand me those glasses.” Ranpo puts on the black-framed glasses that Dazai hands him. Putting them on is apparently needed to activate his skill. His eyes sharpen into a radiant gaze that could pierce through all of nature, and his mind becomes an oracle of the gods. Super Deduction. “…………………………………………………I’ve got it.” Ranpo sets his glasses down. “Wait. Seriously?” Dazai, standing behind Ranpo, holds his breath as he leans forward in curiosity. “Map.” Ranpo points. I get the large map of Yokohama from the bookshelf, then spread it out over the desk. Where did this maniac—an apostle of panic and fear—hide this weapon of pure evil and mass destruction? At a train station? A major hospital? A school? Perhaps a skyscraper, even? Or is it at city hall? What about a shopping mall? The worst-case scenarios pop into my mind, one after another. “The bomb is…” I wait with bated breath as Ranpo lowers his finger over the map. “…right here. This fishing-gear shop.” ……………………………What? A fishing-gear shop? I must be hearing things. Perhaps there’s a secret facility here? Or maybe they deal in illegal goods? “…I see,” Dazai mutters to himself after a few moments go by. “That’s it… That’s it! Ranpo’s skill is real! If you’re going to set a bomb, this fishing-gear shop is the only place that makes sense! Kunikida, we have to hurry!” “I see the new guy’s blown away by how amazing I am.” “I am! That was incredible! You are without a doubt an extraordinary detective! I’m so glad I joined this agency! Now come on! We don’t have time to waste, Kunikida! We’ll be able to make it before sundown if we leave now!” “But, Dazai, I…” “I’ll explain on the way! Hurry!” “Good luck, you two!” With Dazai dragging me by the sleeve, I reluctantly leave the detective agency behind. We get into the company car and head straight toward the fishing-gear shop. Since I prefer not to ride in a murder box on wheels, I decide to drive. “Now tell me what’s going on, Dazai,” I say to him. “Sure, I’ll explain, but you’re not doubting Ranpo’s deduction, right?” “If Ranpo says the bomb is in the fishing-gear shop, then it’s in the fishing-gear shop. I still don’t get why you believed him, though.” Ranpo has the ability to see the truth, and his Super Deduction has never let us down. But there’s something bugging me about Dazai being so easily convinced. “It’s simple when you look at the map.” I visualize the map in my head. The only things around the fishing-gear shop are roads, corporate facilities, and small shops. While there would be a fair number of victims, it lacks the viciousness one would expect from an international terrorist. “Stop testing me. I have plenty of other things I need to think about. Just tell me what’s going on.” “I thought about it after checking out the files we had on Alamta. He’s been behind multiple large-scale bombings around the world, but he never bombs the same place twice. He’s already bombed a luxury hotel packed with tourists, a military communications office, and a skyscraper’s support beams. He always chooses an area that would produce the most damage to his target. So what area is he targeting this time?” “Quit playing games and tell me.” “Alamta’s target is…the oil storage facilities.” A bolt of lightning shoots down my spine as if I’ve been hit in the head with a hammer. The petroleum complex in Yokohama! How did I not think of that? Yokohama, Japan’s most prominent port city, is the largest hub for transporting fuel by sea. There is a sizable plot of land at the port with numerous facilities that store oil and natural gas. Day and night, enormous amounts of fuel are carried out from those facilities to support industries throughout the Kanto region. Furthermore, the complex is surrounded by factories that use petrochemical-based materials, steel production factories, and petroleum production factories. If an explosion was to happen around the petroleum complex and the storage tanks caught fire, then the entire port would be engulfed in flames before long. The fire would most likely last for days, resulting in the worst industrial disaster this country has ever seen. Petrochemical fires are difficult to put out with water, which would even further prolong the destruction done. Not only would human lives be lost, but the domestic economy would suffer immeasurable damage as well. “I see. So you were so impressed with Ranpo because of how accurate his deduction was.” “No, that’s not why.” What? “What amazed me was neither the novel idea of targeting an oil storage facility nor Ranpo’s skill.” “Then what was it?” “Heh-heh. What surprised me the most was the fact that Ranpo’s ‘skill’ isn’t actually a skill at all.” …Huh? “Don’t be ridiculous. As if someone without a skill could really do something like that.” “That’s what makes it so amazing! Listen to this. When Ranpo was thinking, I sneaked up behind him and pinched some of his hair.” “What?” Dazai was indeed standing behind Ranpo the entire time, now that I think about it. But when did he—? “As you know, I can nullify people’s abilities just by touching them. I guess you could call me an anti-skill user. As long as I’m touching someone—no matter how powerful they may be—they will be unable to use their skill. So what I’m trying to say is…” Ranpo’s Super Deduction isn’t a skill? “Then that means—” “It’s just simple deduction. He reached a theoretical conclusion in the blink of an eye based on his own observations and inferences. He linked his knowledge on disasters, the files on Alamta, and the map of Yokohama to come to a conclusion in a matter of seconds. It was like I was watching a great detective from a novel find out who was behind the crime— Wait. No, it was more like watching the famous detective at the end of a novel after solving all the cases. Without leaving the building or meeting the suspect, Ranpo figured out where the bomb was simply by glancing at the files we gave him. He possesses tremendous deductive and observational skills that your average fictional detective could only dream of.” Deduction? What he’s doing is not a skill or a supernatural phenomenon but purely the product of thought? “But is that even possible? I mean, how…?” “That’s what impressed me. A skill would make this just another phenomenon, which wouldn’t even be surprising, let alone impressive. But Ranpo is utilizing his brain, something we all have, to reach these conclusions. So Alamta disappeared two days ago, thus probably not having enough time to obtain a permit to get into the oil storage facilities or disguise himself as a worker there. The easiest thing he could’ve done was use cash to rent a car, store the bomb in it, park it somewhere near the oil storage facilities, and leave it there. If the explosive’s effective casualty range is around six hundred fifty feet, then that would leave within that range only the shops that have an oil storage tank, and the only place at the port that meets these conditions is…” “The fishing-gear shop.” “Exactly. Of course, things like wind direction and how difficult it would be to discover the bomb are also factors, but… Wow! I still can’t believe how Ranpo figured that out just by looking at the documents we gave him. That guy’s got some serious powers of deduction and observation! And even Ranpo himself seems to think he’s using a skill. Man, that is one amazing detective. I need to start applying myself more.” I finally understand why Dazai was so impressed. No matter how divine it may be, a skill is nothing more than a bewildering phenomenon. However, things are different if these powers of deduction are something the person possesses on their own. Ranpo has solved far more than a few dozen cases in the past, to say the least, and he solved them in an instant with only a small amount of information. Not once has he been wrong. Calling what he does a superhuman feat still wouldn’t be enough to illustrate how unbelievable it truly is—an ability that surpasses all skills. I could only describe it as a divine skill rarely seen in Japan—no, in the entire world. Still, though… I look over at Dazai in the passenger seat. “I’ve never seen you marvel over someone else’s skills like that before.” “Huh? Really? Lots of things take me by surprise. Like, once, I tried to pick up a clam with my chopsticks, and it was still alive. I was so startled, I nearly—”
Chapter 9
24 min read