Bungo Stray Dogs Vol 1 Chapter 3.6

For the sake of organizing the information documents, Dazai and I returned to the Agency.

               The time left until the deadline at sunset is approximately two hours.

               Until then, we have to catch the terrorist that is Aramta and make him spit out the location of the bombs. In just a mere two hours.

               However, we have good news. There was a notice that help had arrived.

               When I heard that news, I had confidence. We can remove the bombs.

               “Ahahahahaha! You all are no good! Without me, the investigation can’t go on!”

               The moment we returned to the Agency, the usual loud laughter can be heard.

               “Ranpo-san! How was the case in Kyushu?”

               “Ah, that. With just one look at the corpse, I could tell who the criminal was and how he did the crime, so I quickly solved it and came back.”

               Nonchalantly sipping on his drink while answering is the senior detective, Edogawa Ranpo.

               “Listen up, Kunikida. Just because of one bomb, everyone is in such an uproar. Having a hopeless kouhai is really troubling, you know? Thanks to that, I had to cancel my sightseeing plans in Kyushu and came right back. And I even wanted to eat a hot-spring egg.”

               “I am sorry. But we need Ranpo-san’s power right now.”

               “My power?”

               “Yes…. By right, it should be a case we solve on our own…. But, we were unable to do so, and it even resulted in Ranpo-san’s aid. We are truly apologetic.”

               After staring at me, Ranpo-san took a deep breath and said, “Well – it can’t be helped! It’s nothing to be ashamed of, Kunikida. It’s my bad for being so talented! My ‘Super Deduction’ is the best of the best of abilities, it can’t be helped if you’re dependent on it!”

               While laughing loudly, he hit my shoulder repeatedly.

               “It’s exactly like you said.” I nodded deeply.

               “K-Kunikida-kun, are you okay? Can you endure it?”

               From my side, Dazai said timidly.

               Endure? What is Dazai saying? Isn’t everything as Ranpo-san said? 

               “Dazai, give Ranpo-san the documents.”

               “Ah, yes. Hi, I am Dazai, the new recruit. Please take care of me.”

               “Ahhh, yes I’ve heard. Please find lots of cases from now on. I will solve everything.”

               While receiving the documents, Ranpo-san’s eyes casually landed on Dazai.

               “New guy. Uh, was it Dazai? ….What was your previous job?”

               “Yes?”

              Ranpo-san became expressionless. He stared at Dazai. As if he’s looking for something.

               “After I am done with school, I haven’t done anything in particular and was just wandering around.”

               Even at Dazai’s answer, Ranpo-san didn’t say anything and keep on staring. After a few seconds, “I see. That’s good. Well then, work hard.” After he finished saying that, he lined the terrorist’s documents up on the table as if nothing had happened.

               What the hell was that?

               “Oi Dazai, what was that just now?”

               “I don’t know, even though I was asked. –Anyway, that Ranpo-san, what kind of ability user is he?”

               Oh right, I haven’t explained to Dazai yet.

               “Ranpo-san has an ability called ‘Super Deduction’. It’s an amazing ability where just by looking, he can see the truth behind cases.”

               “Such an ability exists!?”

               Even someone like Dazai is surprised.

                “Yes. He has many fans even among the police force and government clerks. Every time there is a case that is hard to solve, it always arrives to a request for Ranpo-san. He’s an ability user that supports the Agency.”

               “Suddenly, it’s so hard to believe in that kind of ability.” said a half-believing, half-doubting Dazai.

               “You’ll understand when you see it.”

               “Kunikida! Is it okay if I just find where the bombs are using my ‘Super Deduction’?”

               “Yes. There is no more time. The location of the bomb takes top priority. If we know where it is, we can remove it.”

               “So it’s okay if I don’t have to find where this Aramta-kun guy is, right?”

               “The bomb, before anything else.”

               “All right then! Ahaha, my bad, because I show up you people don’t have active scenes anymore. Dazai, hand me those glasses over there.”

               He put on the black-framed glasses Dazai handed to him. The use of those glasses means the start of Ranpo-san’s ability.

               Ranpo-san narrowed his eyes.

               His shining gaze pierced all of the universe, his thoughts surpassed the oracles of the gods.

–Super Deduction.

“…………………………………………………………….. I understand.”

Ranpo-san mumbled while putting his glasses down.

“Eh, seriously?”

From behind Ranpo-san, Dazai gulped and with a very interested look, leaned forward.

“Map.”

Ranpo-san wagged his finger. I took a map of the Yokohama area and its surroundings from the bookshelf and spread it open on top of the table.

A weapon of destruction that can kill hundreds of people. The one who made it is a bomb merchant who is the disciple of the man who screams dread.

Just what – what kind of crazy place have that kind of person chosen to install the bomb at?

Train station, a large hospital, school. Or a skyscraper, the city hall, shopping mall. In the worst case scenario, it’ll be somewhere unthinkable.

“The bomb is –“

Ranpo-san dropped his finger on top of the map. I gulped.

“Here. A fishing gear store.”

………………….. Huh?

A fishing gear store?

Did I hear wrongly? Or maybe it’s some kind of important secret installation, or a store that handles dangerous goods?

“….I see. I get it.”

After a short while, Dazai muttered.

“Of course, Of course it is! Ranpo-san’s ability is the real deal! Yep, other than this fishing gear store, anywhere else is impossible! Well, Kunikida-kun, hurry!”

“You must be awed by my greatness, right? New guy-kun.”

“Yes! Excellent, Ranpo-san is by no doubt, a matchless famous detective! It’s the best, I am glad I joined the Agency! Let’s go, what are you daydreaming for, Kunikida-kun, we can make it in time for sunset if we go now!”

“Oi…. Dazai, but…”

“I’ll explain while we’re on the move! Hurry up!”

“Good luck.”

Dazai pulled on my sleeve and I left the Agency, still confused.

We got on a car belonging to the Agency and headed for the fishing gear store. Due to the fact that the car will turn into a murder machine when driven by Dazai, I took the wheel.

“Explain, Dazai. What do you mean?” I asked Dazai who was sitting on the passenger seat while I am driving.

“I will explain, but first, Kunikida-kun, you don’t doubt Ranpo-san’s deduction, do you?”

“Yeah, if it’s Ranpo-san’s deduction then there is no room for doubt. The bomb is definitely in the fishing gear store. But what’s your reason for believing?”

Ranpo-san’s ability is the ability to see through the truth. There has never been a case where he missed. But what was it that made Dazai understand this?

“It’s clear just by looking at the map.”

At Dazai’s words, I recall it from my memories. Around the fishing gear store there were nothing other than roads, office buildings and small stores. Although I can’t say that the damage will be small, but for something an international terrorist is aiming for, it is not that vicious.

“Stop testing me. I have a mountain of things to think about as it is. Tell me the conclusion.”

“I thought about it after looking at the documents, but an international terrorist like Aramta has bombed many countries in large scales right? What’s more, he won’t bomb the same place twice. He picked tourist spots and high class hotels, army bases and post offices, skyscrapers and foundations of buildings. Well, what is he targeting this time?”

“Don’t waste time, quickly say it.”

“Aramta’s target – are the oil storage tanks.”

Realization crashed like a hammer hit my head.

Yokohama’s – petroleum industrial complex!

I see. Why didn’t I realize it before?

One of Japan’s many harbor cities that is Yokohama is the most important area for shipping fossil fuels. There are lots of storage buildings for keeping petroleum and other natural gases lined up. To support the many companies in the Kanto area, these fuels are carried and kept in large quantities.

What more, around the industrial complex, there are chemical, metal and fuel processing factories that uses these raw fuels lined up and their products supports important industries all over Japan.

If a bomb exploded around the industrial complex, the storage tanks nearby will catch on fire. It is certain that the fire from the explosion will spread all throughout the harbor. At worst, it can’t be put out for days, it’ll be the worst industrial conflagration in the history of Japan. It is hard to put out fire caused by fossil fuels, the damage will last for a long time. While it will cause harm to humans, more than anything, the impact it will cause on the economy will be unmeasurable.”

“I see. So the reason you admire Ranpo-san was because he guessed right?”

“Nope.”

What?

“The thing that struck me with admiration was the originality of aiming for the storage tanks and not Ranpo-san’s ability.”

“Then what is it?”

“Fufufu. The thing that surprises me the most is that Ranpo-san’s ability is not an ability.”

–Huh?

“What did you say? Don’t say dumb things, as if anyone can do something like that without an ability.”

“That’s why it’s so impressive! Actually, when Ranpo-san was deducing, I sneakily reached to touch his hair.”

“What?”

It’s true that Dazai was standing behind Ranpo-san all that time. But since when –

“As you know, when I touch the other party, I can cancel out their abilities, I am an anti-ability user. As long as I touch a part of their body, no matter how much of a great ability user that person is, they won’t be able to use their powers. In other words –“

Ranpo-san’s ‘Super Deduction’ is not an ability?

“Then –“

“That’s all just simple deduction. Just by observing and deducing, an individual can come up with a theoretical conclusion in a mere second. A map of Yokohama, Aramta’s documents, and knowledge on arson. Linking the information at hand, he came up with a conclusion on the spot. As if he is a great detective from a novel – No, the best part is after the detective solved the crime. A mediocre great detective can’t even hope to beat the Ranpo-san that can solve a crime just by glancing at the documents without going to the place of the crime or meeting the criminal. His power of deduction should really be feared.”

Deduction?

Not because of an ability, but results of simple thinking?

“Is such a thing even possible? Just how –“

“The part that amazes me is that. If he’s an ability user, it’s simply a result of that. I won’t care or be surprised at all. But the thing that Ranpo-san has are results of a thought that anyone can do. Aramta disappeared from the US secret service’s watch two days ago. Which means, he won’t have the time to obtain a fake ID and pretend to be a factory worker, right? The easiest way is to rent a car, load the bombs in it and park near the storage tanks. If the bomb’s range is 200 meters, then it should be somewhere near the tanks under that distance. The place that fits that category in the harbor is –“

“The fishing gear store mentioned earlier?”

“Yes. Although it’s a place hard to be found. To be able to pick this place out just by glancing at the documents is a really impressive observation ability! Also, it seems like he was indeed planning to use an ability. What a great person. I have to devote to him.”

In the end, I understood Dazai’s admiration. Indeed, even if it is a god-like ability, it won’t pass as anything other than it being an ability. But if said person has such great deducing skills, then it’s another story. The cases Ranpo-san solved before are not just ten or twelve. In all the cases he had worked with before, with just a glance at the information, he’s able to instantly see the truth behind them, and not once did he get it wrong. God-like is not enough to describe him; it’s something out of this world.

A non-ability user that surpasses ability users. We can say that there are gods among us in this country, no, this world.

Even so –

I looked at Dazai who is sitting in the passenger seat.

“It’s the first time I see you so surprised at other people’s abilities.”

“Eh, really? I am surprised pretty often. While reaching with my chopsticks to eat a clam and realizing it’s still alive, what a shock –“

“Not that. I feel like you see through everything about a person.”

Although Dazai has that eccentric behavior on a daily basis, it feels like he has seen all kinds of worlds. I don’t know why that is, but it feels like he’s putting up a front and masking his emotions. Underneath that easygoing exterior, isn’t there something more than meets the eye?

“Indeed, I more or less understand about Kunikida-kun. I won’t be surprised anymore. It’s because Kunikida-kun is more naïve than they think.”

“What did you say!?”

“That reaction is also really honest. That’s good, and then after you’re going to secretly fret over, “Am I really naïve?” That’s also good.”

“You –“

What did I want to rebut with? No matter what I say, I feel like he’s going to reply with, “Just as I thought.” I don’t want that.

“Well then, I am going to show you that I can surprise you one of these days. I will break through your expectations.”

“I’ll be looking forward to that. If you manage to surprise me, then I’ll treat you lots, okay?”

“Deal. Don’t forget it.”

“I won’t forget. No matter which way the bet ends up, I am not at a disadvantage. Look, we can see the fishing gear store.”

I dropped the speed of the car, and stopped at an alley where the store was still in sight.

Chapter end