Bungo Stray Dogs - Volume 4 Chapter 1 Part 6

Chapter 1 Part 6

The black cloth tightened even more. As their attire creased, the men’s innards groaned under the pressure.
“Wait…! It’s no lie! We came to this island to steal the weapon hidden here and give it to you!”
“He’s telling the truth!” added the other man. “Please just hear us out!”
Akutagawa looked back and forth at them with an impassive expression until eventually saying, “You have five seconds. But if your stories disagree even a little, you’re dead.”
“Th-there’s apparently an amazing weapon on this island.” Akutagawa didn’t even blink.
“Yeah, an associate of mine who works as a carrier in Europe in the black market told me about it,” desperately explained the other man. “It was apparently made by a skill user engineer in Europe during the end of the war, but a terrorist stole it and sneaked it onto this island.”
“A terrorist?” Akutagawa grimaced slightly.
“Nobody knows the exact specifications of the device, but I know what they call it. Codename: Shell. But the people who actually know about the weapon call it something else.”
The man paused for a moment as if he were afraid to say the ominous name.
“Annihilation.” “‘Annihilation’…?”
“They say it completely destroys everything within miles.” “Oh?”
Akutagawa narrowed his eyes. If a weapon of that caliber did happen to explode on this island, the blast would easily reach Yokohama. Therefore, if the terrorist wanted to, they could destroy the Port Mafia’s entire turf at the snap of their fingers.
“This isn’t the type of story we would usually believe, but we haven’t been able to get in contact with that carrier for the past few days. There’s been rumors he was killed after bringing the weapon to the island to prevent him from talking.”
“Yeah! For a weapon this good, we figured the Port Mafia could buy it off us for a hefty price! Then if you could take that money and forgive us
—”
“The story is too well-made for something you’d improvise to save yourself,” muttered Akutagawa in admiration. “What do you think, Higuchi?”
Higuchi, Akutagawa’s subordinate, suddenly walked out from behind a pillar in the distance. She was standing there to block the men’s path of escape if they tried to get away.
“It’s possible,” replied Higuchi. “Europe is home to many skill users, and I hear they manufactured many weapons during the war that only skill- user engineers could have created. If a weapon like that were stolen by someone, then it would be no surprise that they brought it here to avoid police authority.”
“…”
Akutagawa appeared to ponder for a few moments. “Just what is this weapon like?” he asked.
“The carrier said the weapon was inside a black briefcase, and it was made of an antique camera and a detonator and stuff like that…”
A camera—if a skill user created the weapon, then they could have fashioned it to merely look like a camera but be something special. The story checked out.
“What arrogance.” Akutagawa squinted with displeasure. “They are free to play with firecrackers in their own country, but I won’t just sit back if they’re in our waters. All violence and all triggers pulled here have to be done under the Port Mafia’s management. I cannot allow there to be any weapons of mass destruction in the sea near Yokohama without the boss’s knowledge.”
“Y-yeah! I knew you’d understand!” said the man, seizing the chance to explain himself. “We’ll find that weapon and give it to you, so please let us go!”
“What do you want to do, Akutagawa?” asked Higuchi as she looked at him. “Getting ahold of that weapon would be the perfect demonstration of force over other syndicates. If by any chance it somehow ends up beyond our control, we could simply sell it to the country’s intelligence agency in return for money and a favor. It would be worth having either way.”
“Right?! So please!” “I beg you!”
Each of the men pleaded.

“Hmm…”
Akutagawa quietly looked up at them, then said:
“Under normal circumstances, betraying the Port Mafia would be worth a thousand deaths. You would be tortured in every way imaginable until you regretted that you were even born. That’s how we do things. However, if you’re indeed telling the truth, then we have no time to waste on rats such as yourselves.”
“…! Then—!”
“By the way…” Akutagawa suddenly changed the subject. “The accountant you killed at the bank—he was a senior in the profession who had devoted himself to our organization for many years. He was highly trusted among the executives. The boss will probably attend his funeral as well. I, too, was personally acquainted with the man.”
The black cloth wrapped around the men tightened. The fabric, stronger than any steel, squeezed their arms, torsos, and legs.
“Gwaaah!”
“Aghhh!”
Cracking could be heard as the black fabric snapped their bones. Like wringing a rag, their flesh and bones slowly ground down, but the black cloth covering their entire bodies prevented anything from expelling.
“Out of gratitude for providing me with such valuable information—I will make your deaths quick so you will not feel any pain.”
Their flesh and bones could physically take no more. The cloth suddenly twisted, causing flesh and blood to squirt out like a squished tomato. Guts and blood spewed in the air, soiling the floors and walls of the tourist facility.
“Come, Higuchi. We have a new job to do.”
Without even acknowledging the puddles of blood he created, Akutagawa turned around and began walking away.
“Let’s go find that weapon.”
“As you wish,” Higuchi quietly confirmed without even reacting to the carnage, either.
Akutagawa’s eyes were already looking ahead as he led Higuchi out of the building.
“The ocean here belongs to the Port Mafia,” said Akutagawa as he stared into the distance. “Soon, those barbarians will realize they chose the wrong place to try to play god.”
“Mn…”
“Hmm…”
Kunikida and Atsushi groaned in the hostage cellar. Their hands were still handcuffed to the table, so they couldn’t even walk around the room. The guard keeping watch had already left; he could be back any moment now.
“What’s going to happen to us?”
“There are two possibilities: one good and one bad,” Kunikida plainly stated. “We could be tortured here until we start making up things to get them to stop, or if we’re lucky, they might take us somewhere in Europe where their intelligence agency can beat the information out of us.”
“Neither of those are good!”
“What do you want me to do? They think we’re working with the terrorist. They even took all our belongings, and I can’t use my skill without my notebook. More importantly, I honestly still can’t wrap my head around why that captain hired us without keeping any records. We won’t be able to convince them to let us go if we can’t figure that out.”
“We won’t?” “Not a chance.”
Atsushi looked up at the ceiling and contemplated.
What now? The whole catching-the-thieves thing fizzled out, and we somehow got caught up in something about terrorism, so they locked us in this room. The other agents were apparently locked up as well. The detective agency is going to dissolve before we even know what’s going on.
Was there nothing that could be done?
At a loss, Kunikida and Atsushi let out a sigh. That’s when… “Hee-hee-hee… Heh-heh-heh-heh.”
…a familiar voice came from somewhere.

“Did you say something, Kunikida?”
“No…” Kunikida’s face was pale. “That wasn’t me. But I’ve already got a bad feeling about this…”
Atsushi looked around the room. Of course, there was nobody else in sight. There wasn’t even a place to hide in this dreary, empty cellar. The only items in the room were a desk, some chairs, a landline phone, the ventilation hole in the ceiling, and a large garbage can in the corner…
Hmm?
Atsushi looked back.
A garbage can?
“Hee-hee-hee… Heh-heh-heh-heh…”
The round metal can rattled slightly. Atsushi and Kunikida exchanged glances as they watched the large cylinder shake for a few moments. While their hands were constrained, they managed to lean their heads in closer to the garbage when—
“Boo! It looks like you two are in a bit of a pickle! But never fear, for I, Dazai, heard everything that— Ouch?!”
Kunikida kicked over the garbage can, causing Dazai to roll all the way to the other wall.
“Owww… What do you think you’re doing, Kunikida?! Your deus ex machina just arrived in your time of need, and this is how you greet him?!”
“‘Deus ex machina’? Don’t make me laugh, you incombustible piece of garbage!” screamed Kunikida. “What the hell have you been doing?! Were you hanging out in that garbage can the entire time we were being interrogated?!”
“And here I thought you were going to thank me for sensing you were in danger and sneaking in before you got here.” Dazai pouted as he rolled around inside the garbage can. “I was waiting for all the guards to leave. And now that the coast is clear, I’ll just jump out of this and… Oops, I can’t get out.”
“Good. Hope you enjoy the incinerator.” Kunikida glared at Dazai. “How did you even know they were going to bring us here to begin with?”
“Because I knew you were going to get caught up in some trouble.” Dazai proudly grinned from inside the garbage can. “After all, I was nearby when you witnessed the captain’s murder scene.”
“What? You were in that underground hallway, too?”

“I couldn’t get inside the top secret zone, but I saw you being taken away. I’m tracking that English gentleman with the camera hanging around his neck, after all.”
Atsushi gasped and lifted his head. “Oh yeah!” He then hastily asked, “Dazai, you told me that ‘those thieves are nothing but a small part of the catastrophe that’s to come,’ right? Did you know about the terrorist threat?”
“What?” Kunikida’s expression changed. “Is that true, Dazai?” “If it were, would that change your opinion about me?”
“Don’t worry. My opinion of you can’t get any lower. Now spit it out.” “Ah, your praise brings a tear to my eye!” exclaimed Dazai with a grin.
“There isn’t much time, so I’ll be brief… Asking us to catch those thieves was just an excuse to get us on the island. Our real job is…”
Dazai paused. He then continued with a serious gaze, “…to prevent the Foreseer from detonating a skill weapon near Yokohama.”
“‘Detonating a skill weapon’?!” Even Kunikida couldn’t hide his surprise.
“The request came from a certain person in the government,” said Dazai. “As you know, this island has extraterritorial rights, which prevent other nations’ governments from intervening. That’s why we got the captain’s help to come up with some excuse to invite as many detectives to the island as possible. Meanwhile, I would sneak onto the island alone and uncover the terrorist’s pathway of entry along with a few other things—you know, like stealing a few coins that I’ll need during my stay on the island.”
That was when it suddenly hit Atsushi.
He sneaked onto the island…and stole some coins… “Call security!”
“Check what was stolen!”
“Hold on. So the reason you smuggled yourself onto the island, stole something, and hid from the guards was because…”
“Yep. It was all part of my secret mission.” Dazai winked and flashed him a smile. “By the way, I was trying to steal a gold coin to get into the top secret zone, but I didn’t have any luck.”
“Wait… You smuggled yourself onto the island…?!” uttered Kunikida as if his head were spinning.
“But I ended up having no choice but to change plans and come save you, since you got captured. It looks like I played right into the terrorist’s hands.”

“What do you mean?” asked Atsushi. “Us being captured was just a string of bad luck.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” said Dazai with a suddenly serious gaze. Atsushi looked at Dazai as he stared off to a single random point in space.
“It only took a single move, the captain’s murder, to flip everything upside down and push us into a corner. Without our local collaborator, we’re nothing more than a foreign element as far as this island is concerned. This slowed me down and, in a sense, helped the terrorist elude pursuit.”
“Are you saying the terrorist was trying to create this situation?”
Atsushi thought back to the Englishman he saw in the security footage— his emotionless, unwavering blue eyes even after he killed someone.
“Yep. After all, he wouldn’t have been able to throw up a smoke screen and escape intelligence agencies across the globe for all these years if he weren’t shrewd. Plus, his nickname is the Foreseer. What if he could really see into the future? Because if he could…”
If he could…then the detective agency didn’t stand a chance. “Dazai, do you have a plan?” asked Atsushi with a grave look.
Dazai silently stared back at him for a few moments until eventually his lips curled into a sly grin.
“Did you really think I wouldn’t?”
Atsushi felt greatly relieved to see that smile. This smile meant everything was going to be all right.
“Then please tell me what it is!” “It’s extremely simple.”
Dazai rolled around in the garbage can until he reached the middle of the room.
“There is only one way to clear any doubt that we’re working with the terrorist—we simply need to catch the terrorist ourselves.”
“…What?”
“You see that ventilation hole in the ceiling?”
Although still jammed in the garbage can, Dazai’s long finger suddenly pointed up.
“This room is underground, so the ventilation hole should lead straight up to the surface. Unfortunately, the hole isn’t that big, and the sides are made out of extremely smooth metal, so no ordinary person would be able to climb up it. However…”
Dazai let out a grunt as he pushed his legs through the bottom of the garbage can. He must have opened two holes for his legs earlier on. After that, he began rummaging around for something in the garbage until he suddenly whipped out a tiny needle. It looked as if it was once a paperclip of some sort, but it had been twisted and turned after being in the garbage for so long. Dazai skillfully bent the wire until it was straight, then reached out and stuck it into the handcuffs around Atsushi’s wrists. Not even a second went by before there was a click unlocking them.
“Atsushi, you’re small; you should be able to climb the walls if you use your tiger claws.”
Dazai grinned. Atsushi gulped.
“So you want me to do this…alone?”
“Neither Kunikida nor I would even be able to fit in that hole. Besides, you’re going to need someone to stay behind to buy you some time once they find out you ran away. We need the right people doing the right jobs.”
Sure, but…
Atsushi looked up at the ceiling. He would most likely be able to climb through the ventilation hole and escape. It wouldn’t be that difficult to shake off his pursuers, either. The problem was what came after that. How was he supposed to find the terrorist?
“Don’t worry. I’ve got a plan.” Dazai smirked as if he could read Atsushi’s mind. “Atsushi, have you ever gone fishing before?”
Fishing?
“No,” Atsushi honestly replied.
“This is just like fishing. You simply dangle some bait and wait. It’s the best way to catch someone who’s known for being elusive. You saw the footage of the Foreseer, right? Did anything particularly strange stand out to you?”

“‘Strange’…?”
Atsushi thought back to the footage. The suited Englishman who murdered the captain, his blue eyes—he was a peculiar man, but something that stood out about him in particular?
“The briefcase,” said Dazai with a wink as if he were revealing a secret. “I told you, right? He’s supposed to have a black briefcase. And yet, all the surveillance footage and witness testimonies suggest that he’s never even had a briefcase while he’s been here on the island. Do you know what this means?”
“Get to the point, Dazai,” Kunikida cut in. “We don’t have time. Just spit it out.”
“But this is what makes it fun…” Disappointment clouded Dazai’s expression. “According to my research, the weapon should be inside that briefcase. But the terrorist wasn’t carrying the weapon with him in any of the footage…”
“Maybe it’s hidden somewhere?” suggested Atsushi. “Somewhere safe where no one could steal it?”
“That’s a very good guess. But it would be near-impossible for us to find it now. There’s a much easier way to do this.” Dazai then tapped on his heel. “There’s a clock tower in the middle of the island,” he said. “It’s a very tall building that can be seen from anywhere on the island. It plays the same role as flying bridges do on ships. Anyway, I placed a fake black briefcase on the very top floor.”
“A fake?” Atsushi tilted his head. “But why? We don’t even know where the real one is.”
“It doesn’t matter where it is. What’s important is the fact that the real one is hidden somewhere out of sight. Atsushi, your job is to go to the clock tower and capture the terrorist once he takes the bait.”
Atsushi was in awe. He would have a chance of winning even if he ended up having to fight the terrorist one-on-one. In fact, he would have an extremely high chance of capturing the Englishman as long as he didn’t completely botch things up. Dazai was always a few steps ahead of everyone else. He had probably already come up with multiple schemes other than this one.
“That’s all,” said Dazai as he undid Kunikida’s handcuffs. “Unfortunately, you won’t be able to call me for help, since I’m probably about to get captured, too. It’s up to you to prove the detective agency’s innocence and set us free. You can do it, right?”
Atsushi knew—Dazai only asked people if they could do it when he was certain they could.
“…I can do it.” Atsushi nodded, his expression tense.
“Good.” Dazai smiled like a schoolteacher. “The ceiling’s quite high, so if you want to stand on Kunikida’s head to—”
“No, I’m fine.”
After briefly rotating his ankles, Atsushi measured the distance to the ceiling and slightly lowered his hips before suddenly lunging into the air. Clearing several feet in a single jump, he instantly reached the ceiling. He knocked off the steel net covering the ventilation hole with one transformed claw while latching on to the hole’s entrance with the other. Atsushi’s claws dug into the metal, supporting his weight. He then swung his body, pulled himself inside, and began climbing the shaft.
“Oooh!” Dazai squealed in excitement. “Look at you, Atsushi!
Impressive.”
But right as Atsushi looked down into the room to say something, the door to the cellar flew open with a clang.
“Hey! What was that noise?!”
The sound of multiple soldiers rushing into the room. The sound of Kunikida yelling something. The grating sound of metal clashing.
“Dazai?! Kunikida?!” Atsushi shouted from inside the ventilation shaft. “Don’t worry about us! Just go!” Atsushi heard Kunikida yell back amid
the commotion. He hesitated about going back to help them fight, but they would never be able to clear their names if he got caught now. Plus, it didn’t matter how strong these soldiers were. They wouldn’t be able to pull themselves up and climb through this ventilation shaft. Therefore, Atsushi’s only choice was to escape and follow through with Dazai’s plan.
I’ll be back for you guys soon!
With a look of sheer determination and the limbs of a tiger, Atsushi clawed his way to the top. The raucous scuffle in the background slowly faded until it could be heard no more.