Chapter 37: The First Battle Plan of the Kurumi Council
"Yes! Finally, I got it!"
After summoning more than a hundred clones, Tokisaki Kurumi had finally summoned the one she wanted. This put her in a much better mood. "One of the Four Heavenly Kings is finally summoned. I knew my luck wasn't that bad."
"It's clearly my luck that's good," Clone 66 protested.
"You're my clone, so your luck is my luck," Tokisaki Kurumi replied. "Well, even though I've used up all the time I gathered last night, I can replenish it tonight. The important thing is that the first step of infiltrating the Armed Detective Agency is complete."
Before she began summoning clones, Kurumi had been somewhat anxious. Although she knew of the existence of the Four Heavenly Kings, she wasn't sure how likely she was to summon them.
If she couldn't summon one of the Four Heavenly Kings, her plans to join the Armed Detective Agency and the Special Ability Division would be hard to execute. In that case, she would have to resort to sending an ordinary clone, but that would greatly reduce the plan's success rate.
After all, the people in the Armed Detective Agency and the Special Ability Division weren't blind; they could easily spot an ordinary clone that looked identical to the original.
Moreover, Kurumi didn't have unlimited attempts. If a clone's infiltration was discovered, the chance for a perfect completion of the side mission would be lost.
That's why summoning one of the Four Heavenly Kings was so crucial.
Tokisaki Kurumi placed a hand on Bandaged Kurumi's shoulder, speaking solemnly: "Bandaged Kurumi, I entrust this important mission to you. Don't let me down."
Looking dead inside, Bandaged Kurumi raised her lifeless gaze, saying nothing. She was crushed.
How had it come to this? After so many clones had been summoned as ordinary versions, why was she chosen as one of the Four Heavenly Kings? Her luck was just terrible.
Shrouded in a grey aura of despair, it seemed like small transparent spirits were floating from her mouth as she slumped in defeat.
Seeing her dejected state, the other clones gathered around to console her.
Sharing a common consciousness, they didn't think Bandaged Kurumi was being overly dramatic. In fact, they fully understood why she'd be depressed. After all, having to pretend to be an edgy, over-the-top character despite being a perfectly normal person was enough to make anyone gloomy.
One clone encouraged, "Hey, Bandaged Kurumi isn't that bad. At least you're not Loli Kurumi!"
"We all went through our chuunibyou (middle-school syndrome) phase. Now that we're Tokisaki Kurumi, being a bit of a chuunibyou is nothing."
"Look on the bright side. As Bandaged Kurumi, you're a significant supporting character with a lot of scenes!"
The others continued offering words of encouragement.
After a while, the defeated Bandaged Kurumi finally came to terms with her fate. She still looked glum, but at least she was now able to communicate.
"If I don't enter hell, who will?" Bandaged Kurumi sighed.
Since she had become Bandaged Kurumi, this was now her inescapable destiny.
Determined to complete the side mission, she steeled herself. "So what if it's chuunibyou? I'll just act the part!"
She closed her eyes resolutely, like a warrior preparing for battle. Gathering her emotions, she drew upon the spirits of various legendary chuunibyous like Rikka Takanashi, Kuroneko, and Kobato Hasegawa. In that moment of deep breathing, her entire aura changed.
Bandaged Kurumi opened her eyes, striking a dramatic pose typical of a chuunibyou. The previously dead fish-like gaze now shone with hope, peace, and love.
The gloomy aura disappeared in an instant, and she seemed to radiate a bright light.
"Ta-dah! Magical Girl Kurumi-chan, ☆sparkling debut☆!"
There was no resistance, no awkwardness, and no hesitation.
She was a natural!
What an incredible performance! It was as if she had killed her own ego!
The clones couldn't help but clap and cheer, marveling at how far her acting skills had reached.
"You did great! You really nailed it!"
"It's like you're the real Bandaged Kurumi. No, you are the real Bandaged Kurumi!"
"When we get back, we're definitely winning an Oscar."
Seeing Bandaged Kurumi seamlessly slip into her role, the original Tokisaki Kurumi let out a sigh of relief. She'd feared that after all the effort, Bandaged Kurumi would spend her life as a recluse in the shadow dimension. If that had happened, her chance at a perfect completion of Side Mission One would have gone up in smoke.
Luckily, things had turned out well, confirming that her willpower was indeed strong.
"Now that we have someone to join the Armed Detective Agency, the next question is how to actually join," Tokisaki Kurumi noted as the other clones were still celebrating the arrival of one of the Four Heavenly Kings.
"Let's not forget," she continued, "that Dazai Osamu and Edogawa Ranpo are in the Armed Detective Agency. Gaining their trust won't be easy."
Hearing this, the clones gradually quieted down. They exchanged glances, and for a moment, none of them spoke.
If the original could think of this problem, so could the clones. But in their joy over not becoming one of the Four Heavenly Kings, they'd nearly forgotten this far tougher issue.
How to infiltrate the Armed Detective Agency?
Leaving aside the rest of the members, the intellectual powers of Dazai Osamu and Edogawa Ranpo posed a real obstacle.
"Right now, they don't understand our situation fully. We need to approach them quickly while we still have the advantage."
"Agreed. The longer we wait, the more it'll work against us."
"But how should we approach them? And how do we get them to accept Bandaged Kurumi?"
"And at some point, they'll realize Tokisaki Kurumi has clone abilities. It's possible they'll deduce that Bandaged Kurumi is a clone too."
"In other words, we not only have to come up with a plan to get the Armed Detective Agency to accept Bandaged Kurumi, but we also need a plan to keep them from turning hostile toward her even if they find out she's a clone?"
"This is so hard..."
The clones started discussing their plan of action.
Joining the Armed Detective Agency was clearly no easy feat. It would be a long-term mission, and even after joining, they'd need to ensure Bandaged Kurumi's identity stayed hidden. Even if it was exposed, they'd have to ensure the Agency wouldn't act against her.
"The Armed Detective Agency is a just organization with abilities. We might be able to use that to our advantage."
As the others discussed, Tokisaki Kurumi spoke up, drawing their attention.
"Perhaps, we could try this..."
Chapter 38: The Everyday Life of the Armed Detective Agency
Three days later.
It was noon at Yokohama's Inner Port. As a coastal city, Yokohama extended the sea inland by constructing several main river channels through urban areas. At that moment, the calm river waters rippled with splashes as someone swam frantically towards the shore.
Upon closer look, it was a young man, dog paddling with one hand while clutching an unconscious man in the other, struggling against the current as he made his way to solid ground. After what felt like an eternity, he finally reached the shore, hauling both himself and the man to safety.
"Hah... hah... hah..." The swimmer a young man around twenty years old gasped heavily, exhausted. The short distance from the center of the river to the shore had been no easy feat, especially considering he was towing an unconscious person along with him. Soaked from head to toe, his hair and clothes dripping, he lay back on the grass, completely spent.
Once he caught his breath, he glanced over at the still, closed-eyed man beside him, and with great effort, crawled over to start compressing the man's chest.
"Cough... cough... cough!" The man suddenly came to life, sputtering and hacking as he expelled the water from his lungs, his coughing so violent it seemed he might hack up a lung. Eventually, he calmed down and looked around, somewhat dazed, at the familiar Yokohama scenery.
"So, I failed to die this time too, huh?" he remarked with a sigh.
"What do you mean, 'failed to die again,' Dazai-san!" the young man, suddenly energized, exclaimed. "Shouldn't you be thanking me for saving you? Do you realize how much effort it took to drag you to shore?"
"I never asked you to save me, did I, Atsushi?" Dazai replied nonchalantly.
"When a senior from the detective agency jumps into a river, of course I have to save him!"
"I was just doing something I enjoy, and you interrupted me," Dazai said, frowning.
"How can you call suicide a hobby?" Atsushi asked, bewildered.
"You have no right to judge my hobbies!" Dazai snapped back.
"Well, if you're so insistent on doing it, at least wait until after work and find somewhere private! Don't jump into the river in the middle of a job, yelling 'Ah, what a beautiful river!' and then proceed to drown yourself!"
The two waterlogged men bickered back and forth on the grass, disregarding any semblance of dignity. To onlookers, it might have seemed like they were arguing over something of great importance.
After all, both were key members of the Armed Detective Agency: Dazai Osamu and Nakajima Atsushi.
Though Atsushi was still a rookie, having been with the agency for less than a month and never completing a case on his own, Dazai was infamous throughout Yokohama. If infamous reputations counted, that is.
Dazai Osamu—known for his obsessive fascination with suicide, attempting it at any time, place, or occasion. His antics were infamous enough that clients frequently filed complaints about his behavior during cases.
["Dazai-san tried to hang himself using the rope that was used to strangle the victim and asked me to kick the stool out from under him."]
["Your detective has been attempting suicide for five minutes now. If you don't send someone soon, he might actually die."]
["The detective you sent is lying dead on my lawn. Please come collect the body."]
It sounds unbelievable, but regardless of the methods he tried, Dazai seemed blessed by fortune, always failing to die. The other detectives had long grown used to his antics. Some even pulled up a chair to see what new, absurd ways he would come up with next.
But why was he so obsessed with suicide? According to Dazai himself, it was purely an interest.
"Come to think of it, the first time we met was almost the same, wasn't it?" Dazai mused, suddenly nostalgic. "That day, you 'interfered' and saved me when I jumped into the river. If it weren't for you, I'd have already crossed over to the other side... assuming there is such a thing as an afterlife."
Atsushi, speechless, thought to himself. When you save someone's life, shouldn't they be grateful? Why did he feel only resentment? Did Dazai truly want to die?
This question lingered in Atsushi's mind as he tried to reconcile his understanding of his eccentric senior.
"Oh, by the way," Dazai said, as if suddenly recalling something, "you've been with the agency for almost a month now, haven't you?"
"Yeah, that's right," Atsushi calculated in his head. "Actually, it's been exactly 28 days."
"Twenty eight days? Whew, just in time to write the report," Dazai sighed with relief.
Upon Atsushi's acceptance into the agency, the director had given Dazai a task: observe the rookie for one month, assist him in integrating into the agency, and write an evaluation report on his performance. Dazai had agreed enthusiastically at the time but had completely forgotten about it afterward.
Reports were tedious and dull something Dazai avoided at all costs. Even the routine post-case reports were perpetually postponed until the absolute last minute, or more often, until someone else became so frustrated they wrote it for him.
This time, however, the report was a direct request from the director and was about Atsushi. If he neglected this task, he risked a pay deduction.
"Ahem." Dazai cleared his throat and suddenly put on a senior-like expression of care and guidance. "Atsushi-kun, how has your time at the agency been so far?"
"What's with this sudden question?"
"Well, I brought you into the agency and then sort of left you to fend for yourself, so I thought I should check in as a good senior should," Dazai replied with a straight face. "Have you adjusted well to everyone in the agency?"
Atsushi's expression grew complicated. If your coworkers included the suicide enthusiast Dazai Osamu; the sadistic Dr. Yosano, who was always eager to treat injured teammates; the eccentric field operative Miyazawa Kenji; the egotistical genius detective Edogawa Ranpo; the hot-headed traditionalist Kunikida Doppo; and the affectionate siblings Tanizaki Junichiro and Naomi, who were prone to public displays of affection... well, could anyone truly "adjust"?
As someone who grew up in an orphanage, Atsushi found himself clinging to normalcy in a workplace full of such peculiar individuals. He had survived thus far, but whether he had "adjusted" was an entirely different matter.
Chapter 39: A Traitor Among Us
"The seniors at the agency… their personalities are just too unique," Atsushi said with a wry smile, carefully picking his words, hesitant to fully voice his thoughts. In an agency filled with what could be called an odd assortment of individuals perhaps even misfits Atsushi had done his best to adapt to his surroundings. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was the one true outsider in this group. It felt as if he were a husky amidst a pack of wolves. On the surface, he might blend in, but upon closer inspection, anyone could tell something was out of place.
Dazai, picking up on the hint of self-doubt in Atsushi's smile, chuckled. "Atsushi, don't tell me… you think you don't really belong in the agency?"
"No, no! I'm a full-fledged member now I feel a sense of belonging," Atsushi replied nervously. "It's just that… every time I feel like I understand my seniors a bit better, they always reveal some shocking or even terrifying side of themselves."
"You have to understand, Atsushi, that everyone here has some secrets. The people in the agency can seem perfectly ordinary, easygoing even, but if something touches upon their hidden depths, their true natures are drawn out. It's quite normal," Dazai said with a casual shrug.
"Normal?" Atsushi muttered under his breath, feeling slightly unconvinced. "I don't have any such secrets."
Dazai stared at him, then burst out laughing, his expression shifting to one of bemused disbelief. "Wait… Atsushi, don't tell me you think you're the only normal one in the agency?"
"Compared to everyone else here, I think I'm pretty harmless," Atsushi muttered, feeling a little affronted.
Dazai chuckled even harder. "Harmless? As the ex-government listed 'disaster-grade beast,' now the wanted target of the Port Mafia, everyone here considers you the least normal one of us!"
"Being wanted by the government was because of my power going berserk! And as for the Port Mafia, I still have no idea why they're after me!"
"Like I said, everyone in the agency has their secrets, some they might not even know about themselves." Dazai gave Atsushi's shoulder a firm pat, as if encouraging him. "We're all oddballs in our own way, so none of us are in any position to look down on anyone else. Just relax."
Atsushi sighed, feeling more disheartened than reassured. "Is that supposed to be comforting? Why do I feel anything but comforted?"
"You'll know you've truly adjusted when you feel comforted by that thought," Dazai grinned. "By then, it means you've been fully integrated with the rest of us."
"That's definitely not going to happen."
"We'll see."
At that moment, they both heard a series of screams not far off. Gunfire erupted soon after.
Their conversation dropped immediately. Exchanging a quick glance, they raced toward the sound of gunshots, moving against the panicked crowd as they made their way to the heart of the commotion.
"Dazai, do you see anything?" Atsushi asked, running alongside him.
"Looking for enemies?"
Dazai glanced at Atsushi as they ran. "Last time I took you on an assignment, you were a newbie who dropped to the ground at the sound of gunfire. Now you're already willing to jump into the fray with me."
Atsushi blinked, as if just realizing his own growth. With a small smile, he replied, "I finally have a place where I belong, so I can't just stay useless forever."
"Are you no longer afraid?"
"Of course, I'm still scared. But…" Atsushi's expression steeled with determination. "I trust you, Dazai-san. And I trust the other members of the agency."
"Well said." Dazai smiled. "You've taken the most important step. Looks like your full initiation is inevitable."
"I'll never become…"
Just as they reached a crosswalk and were about to round a corner, Dazai stopped suddenly and held out an arm to halt Atsushi, who nearly stumbled in surprise. Dazai pressed a finger to his lips, signaling him to stay silent. Atsushi nodded, crouching low and taking cover beside him behind a wall.
They were close to the unloading dock a high-incident area where crimes were common. But gunfire meant one of two things: either the police were involved, or it was the Port Mafia.
In Japan, firearms were illegal, and ordinary gangs typically fought with baseball bats or, at most, katanas. Only the most powerful groups had access to guns, and in Yokohama, that meant the Port Mafia. So the gunfire here could mean either the police were in a life-or-death situation, or the Port Mafia was wreaking havoc in public again. Either way, the Armed Detective Agency had a reason to intervene.
Dazai peeked around the corner, taking in the scene at the intersection just ahead. He saw cars scattered across the road, some smashed together, some rammed into light poles and billowing smoke. Workers from the dock had abandoned tools and goods, some even losing their shoes in their haste to flee.
In the chaos, two girls with guns in their hands were engaged in an intense firefight, executing moves that defied human limits.
"An ability user," Dazai muttered.
"Give up," one of the girls said, her voice calm and commanding. She wore a striking red and black dress, holding the advantage in the exchange. "You know my power better than anyone. Why would you think you could escape after betraying me?"
Hearing the voice, Dazai frowned slightly. Three days ago, he had heard that same voice. This was the girl who had recently joined the Port Mafia and referred to herself as "Nightmare." Though he hadn't seen her face clearly before, the familiar tone revealed her identity.
"What's Nightmare doing here?" Dazai whispered, eyes narrowing. "And who's the other girl?"
"Dazai-san, you know them?"
"Can't say I know them. But I encountered that girl in red three days ago when your power went berserk. That's Nightmare."
"That girl is Nightmare?" Atsushi asked in shock. "And the other one?"
"No idea. But since Nightmare's calling her a traitor, it's likely she has some connection to the Port Mafia… or at least to Nightmare."
Dazai, narrowing his eyes, quietly slipped his hand into his coat to call for backup from the Detective Agency.
"Atsushi, are you ready to face an ability user?"
Chapter 40: Half-Man, Half-Tiger
"Fight an Ability User? And not just any Ability User, but one from the notorious Port Mafia?"
Atsushi Nakajima gulped, cautiously peeking out from behind the wall. The sight of the two girls fighting with superhuman agility and leaping from one surface to another was enough to make him quickly duck back, shaking his head furiously. "No way, no way, no way! Dazai-san, you're asking for the impossible! I can't even control my Ability; how could I even hope to keep up in a fight like that?"
"Come on, you've been with the Agency for nearly a month now. The President's Ability, All Men Are Equal, must have influenced your Ability by now, don't you think?" Dazai gave him a disapproving look. "You've got to toughen up, Atsushi. The reason Beast Beneath the Moonlight spirals out of control is because you lack confidence. The tiger inside you won't be controlled by someone who doesn't believe in themselves. If you can just muster up a bit of self-assurance, your control over the tiger will come naturally, especially with the President's help."
"Confidence isn't something I can just switch on," Atsushi said with a grimace. All his edges had been dulled during his time in the orphanage, where mistakes were met with punishment. Confidence was the last trait he'd been able to develop. Dazai knew that too. But circumstances didn't allow him to take things slow with Atsushi. The Port Mafia was relentlessly hunting him, and the sooner Atsushi could gain control of his Ability, the safer he'd be.
"Looks like I'll need to give him a bit of a push," Dazai thought to himself. Atsushi had already shown courage far beyond what he had a month ago. The change wasn't drastic, but the seed of bravery was there. Maybe, with the right nudge…
Dazai put on a serious expression. "Atsushi, we're more than twenty kilometers from the Agency. Even if they break every traffic rule, it'll take them at least fifteen minutes to get here. Do you think that girl can survive fifteen minutes?"
"Maybe... I... I guess?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, a pained scream rang out, making Atsushi's pale face go even paler. A deep dread welled up in him, and he peered around the corner again. His eyes widened in horror.
The fight had clearly shifted. The girl, who had been holding her own moments ago, was now badly injured. She'd been shot in the leg by Nightmare, causing her to stumble and collapse.
Even in pain, the girl didn't give up. Dragging her injured leg, she crawled toward Dazai and Atsushi's position, trying to take cover behind anything she could find.
"I told you, didn't I? You never stood a chance." Nightmare calmly approached, her voice icy. "You know my Ability better than anyone else. So why did you think you'd be able to escape after betraying me?"
Despite her wounds, the girl ignored Nightmare's taunts. Gritting her teeth, she continued to drag herself forward, inch by inch, putting more distance between herself and Nightmare.
Then, her eyes met Atsushi's.
Atsushi felt frozen, his entire being paralyzed in that moment. What should he do?
Run. That was it. He had to run. This had nothing to do with him. The Port Mafia was violent, ruthless, and far beyond anything he could handle. This girl was probably as dangerous as that terrifying Akutagawa. She might even be a bad person—she was a Port Mafia defector, after all. Why should he risk his life to help a criminal?
Trying to justify his cowardice to himself, Atsushi took a step back. The girl wavered as she saw his retreat, an internal conflict flashing in her eyes.
Finally, she stopped moving toward him. Using her good leg, she propped herself up and took cover behind an abandoned car.
"The battle isn't over yet!" she shouted, her voice filled with defiance. "As long as I draw breath, you won't defeat me!"
"Still resisting, are we?" Nightmare mocked, enjoying the spectacle. "With your power drained and injuries mounting, what can you possibly do?"
Atsushi was stunned. He'd expected the girl to keep crawling toward them, hoping for a chance of survival through their help. But instead, she chose to fight. Even though she had no chance of winning, she would rather face death than drag anyone else into her predicament.
Why? Why was she doing this?
A disturbing realization dawned on him.
"Could it be..." Atsushi's voice trembled as he looked at Dazai. "Is she... is she trying to protect me?"
Dazai nodded slightly.
The girl had locked eyes with Atsushi. If she were a Port Mafia defector, she might not recognize Dazai, but she certainly would recognize Atsushi the Port Mafia's current target.
She didn't call for help because she didn't want to put him in danger. So she chose to give up, to face her fate alone, sparing him from being dragged into her battle.
A deep sense of guilt blossomed in Atsushi's heart as he realized how he'd nearly abandoned her. Following guilt came a wave of self-reproach for failing in his duties as an Agency member. And finally, he felt anger anger at his own weakness.
From deep within him, he heard the powerful roar of a tiger echoing, filling his limbs with warmth and strength. White fur sprouted over his skin, and his nails sharpened into gleaming claws.
Dazai watched in delight. This wasn't a case of Ability overload, nor was it an instinctual outburst of survival strength. This was Atsushi consciously channeling his Ability, guiding it with his own willpower.
He had transformed into the Half-Tiger form of Beast Beneath the Moonlight.
Atsushi took a deep breath, his eyes fierce with newfound determination. Gone was the hesitation and fear, replaced by courage and purpose.
"Dazai-san," he said firmly, "let's fight together."
您可能也喜歡