Bungo Stray Dogs - Volume 4 Chapter 2 Part 4

Chapter 2 Part 4

Atsushi sprinted down the cobblestone walkway. Countless images flashed and disappeared before his eyes: the giant shell, the murdered captain, Wells firing a pistol, the light from the camera…
Atsushi was a member of the detective agency. He would be unfit for the job if he went and cried for help every time things became difficult. But even then…he might figure something out if he could find Wells. She was very knowledgeable about returning to the past, she had quite a bit of information on the island, and most importantly, there wasn’t much time left until she killed the captain because of a misunderstanding. The captain was going to be a dead man at this rate. Atsushi ran around all over the place in search of Wells, but everywhere he went was a dead end. She left no sign she was ever there, and it soon became clear why she was known as an elusive terrorist. Atsushi’s anxiety shot through the roof. Clinging to his last glimmer of hope, he headed over to the underground room in the woods. The iron doors were locked shut, so he broke the chain and peeked inside…but it was just an ordinary room. There was no Wells. There was no camera. There was only a cold darkness with an air of solitude.
Atsushi looked up at the clock tower and checked the time. It was 11:21. From what he could remember, it was 11:28 on the surveillance footage of the captain’s murder. There were only seven minutes left. He couldn’t tell anyone about what he learned last time, but if he didn’t take action, the captain was going to die. Atsushi pulled out his phone without even thinking about it and dialed the captain’s number.
“Yes…? Hello?” the captain said wearily.
“Captain, it’s the detective agency. Where are you?”
“Right now? I’m heading to the engine depot zone to get my ID reissued. Why?”
What should I tell him? How can I make him stop? I can’t think of anything.
“Could you wait a while before going?” Atsushi reflexively replied. “I can’t tell you why, but it is extremely important that you do as I say.”
“I apologize, but I am actually in a hurry,” answered the captain apologetically. “Security is going to take over the gold-coin case for me, but…the old man in charge is a big pain in the—ahem —a very serious man, so if I am even one minute late, he’s going to get angry and give me the silent treatment… Ah, I’ve never been more unhappy in my life. I feel like a lot of big things are happening to me every month lately. Sigh… Anyway, I will talk to you later.”
“W-wait!” screamed Atsushi, stopping the captain before he could hang up. “This is really, really important! A person’s life depends on it!”
“I’ll be more than willing to hear about it later; I have already arrived at the security room,” answered the captain in a worn-out manner. “When they reissue my gold coin, they are going to give me a new phone for security reasons, so I will have to call you back in ten or so minutes. Take care.”
“Wait…!”

But he hung up before Atsushi could say anything. Atsushi tried calling again but couldn’t get through. After calling a few more times, he heard a beep and a recording telling him that the number he was dialing didn’t exist. The phone number must have been deleted in the security room. There was no time. He wasn’t going to be able to save the captain or the island at this rate.
He thought about going after the captain and heading to this so-called security room, but he didn’t know where it was, and there was no guarantee he would be able to slow down the captain even if he went. Most of all… there was no direct correlation between saving the captain and preventing the weapon from being detonated. Atsushi would run out of time before he could find the weapon if he went to save the captain, which would defeat the entire purpose.
Atsushi wasn’t completely out of options, but he didn’t know which one was the right decision. There were dozens—hundreds—of things he could try, but only one or two of those would probably work. It would only take one wrong choice to lose everything.
“Maybe I should just go looking for this island’s so-called guardian and…,” he muttered to himself but almost immediately shook his head.
What is wrong with me? I can’t waste precious time turning to some legendary creature that doesn’t even exist. But then…what should I do?
“So this is where you’ve been.”
Atsushi turned around at the sudden voice. “Kunikida…”
“Having one or two agents randomly disappear doesn’t surprise me anymore.” Kunikida crossed his arms and walked over. “I’ll tell you a secret. I’m actually a detective. That’s why I immediately know when one of my men is acting strange… You know something, don’t you?”
Kunikida pressed him hard for an answer, but Atsushi couldn’t say a word.
“I knew it,” claimed Kunikida while scratching his head. “Sigh… I felt there was something else going on here, but I can’t believe you were the first one to figure it out. I know you aren’t keeping silent without good reason, but your face is telling me you’re in trouble.”
The words tried to crawl out of Atsushi’s throat, pressuring him to give
in.

“Is it something you can’t tell anyone?” Atsushi slightly nodded.
“And you can’t tell anyone why you can’t, either?”
He faintly nodded once more, then whispered in a feeble voice, “What should I do?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” replied Kunikida without missing a beat. “Talk to
him.”
“‘Him’…?”
“Yes, him. The man you’re thinking about right now,” continued Kunikida as if the answer were right in front of his face. “Preface it with how you can’t tell him what you’re about to tell him and ask for his help. I’m sure he’s somewhere on this island. He’s a repellent man. The worst of the worst. But if lives are at risk and you tell him you really need his help…” Kunikida paused, then deeply sighed as if he didn’t want to say it. “Just leave it to him, and everything will be okay.”
Atsushi nodded. He didn’t ask Kunikida to clarify because it was clear who he meant.
“Kunikida.” Atsushi’s voice was full of grim determination. “Could I ask you to come with me and not ask any questions?”

Atsushi and Kunikida ended up going to the storage zone. Each step Atsushi made was filled with resolve as he headed straight toward the place in his memories. While walking through the zone with brick storehouses on each side, a group of workers frantically came running over.
“Hey, did you see a tall guy with black hair around here?” “Hmm?” Kunikida curiously tilted his head.
Atsushi, however, pointed at the path they’d come from without even hesitating for a second. “I saw him running west.”
“Really? Thanks!”
The workers shared information while rushing in the direction Atsushi pointed to.
“What was that all about?” Kunikida stared at the workers from behind. “Did you actually see a tall man with black hair?”

“I’m about to.”
Atsushi walked straight across the stone path, then suddenly started to tiptoe.
“Uh…? What are you…?”
Atsushi placed a finger on his lips, signaling Kunikida to keep his voice down. After that, he silently approached a gray garbage can at the street corner before suddenly removing the lid.
“Boo!”
“Eep!”
Atsushi shouted, causing the garbage can to fly into the air along with the person inside.
“Dazai?!” Kunikida was dumbfounded. “What the hell are you doing here?”
After landing on his side in the garbage, Dazai simply blinked.
“I’m really sorry, Dazai.” Atsushi lowered his head into a bow. “I know I shouldn’t have done it, but I’m probably never going to get another chance, so I just couldn’t help myself.”
“…”
Dazai’s eyes were wide-open in astonishment.
“Are you mad…?” Atsushi timidly asked. “Um… I’m really sorry! I, like— I just acted on impulse, and…”
Dazai still didn’t say a word. He wasn’t moving, either. In fact, he didn’t even seem to be breathing.
“D-Dazai…? Dazai?”
Atsushi rushed over to Dazai and tried to help him up, but the moment he touched him, he leaped back in disbelief.
“H-he’s ice-cold!” Atsushi trembled. “He doesn’t have a pulse! He’s dead!”
His face pale, Atsushi looked back at Kunikida when all of a sudden… “Boo!”
“Ahhh!”
Being scared so close up caused Atsushi to stumble back and roll over on the ground.
“Ha-ha-ha! I never thought you’d be able to scare me like that! You’ve grown, Atsushi! The only way I knew how to reward you was by showing you my secret technique: Cardiac Arrest. It must be an honor.”

“So you’ve finally given up being human,” muttered Kunikida. He sounded thoroughly disgusted. “How does somebody survive even after stopping their own heart?”
“I learned how to do it during my quest to master the secret arts of suicide, naturally. Hearts don’t take long to start back up; it’s no big deal.”
“Nothing you say ever makes sense.”
While lying on the pavement and listening to their conversation, Atsushi gazed up at the sky.
I’ll never in a million years be a match for him, thought Atsushi.
But strangely, it was almost as if that thought cleared the fog before his eyes.
“Dazai,” said Atsushi, still lying on the ground, “there’s something I need to tell you.”
There was no more hesitation in his voice.
I was afraid to make a choice because my decision could end up killing millions. But I won’t hesitate any longer. If I have to make a choice to move forward, then this is what I choose.
“Then let’s hear it.” Dazai shrugged his shoulders gleefully. “But before you say another word, there’s something I noticed.”
Dazai took to his feet and looked down at Atsushi. His brown overcoat fluttered in the light ocean breeze. He then said:
“You’re the Foreseer—the man who can see into the future, aren’t you?” Atsushi closed his eyes and smiled.
Yep, I was right—there’s just no beating this guy.

Atsushi told Dazai and Kunikida everything: what happened with the thieves, the death of the captain, being held captive and running away, the encounter with Wells, the detonation of the weapon. He didn’t know what would help. He just tried to be as detailed as possible about what he remembered, including the people he talked with and the actions they took. Dazai and Kunikida listened silently until the very end. After finishing his story, Atsushi let out a deep breath. Kunikida then said, “If that’s true, then we are facing an unprecedented crisis.”
There were even more wrinkles between Kunikida’s eyebrows than usual.
“But can we truly say for certain that this isn’t something Atsushi dreamed up or some skill that made him hallucinate?”
“I doubt it,” Dazai immediately cut in. “Because Atsushi knew things about the weapon that only I was supposed to know.”
“But then…what should we do?” asked Kunikida. “That Wells person said, ‘If your friends change their actions, then it’s highly likely the enemy could change their mind as well, thus detonating the weapon even earlier’ than noon. She has a point. If we make a scene, then the enemy may very well decide to detonate the weapon immediately.”
“They would. I’m sure of it,” Dazai agreed. “You don’t need to put that much thought into it. This is a suicide mission. The person behind this intends to die along with the other four million victims. To the terrorist, noon probably just sounded like a good time to deliver the final judgment, so moving up the plan would be only logical if necessary.”
“And furthermore, we don’t even know who this person is or where the weapon is.”
Watching Kunikida and Dazai at a loss made Atsushi a little worried. Were the conditions too grueling this time? Would even Dazai have to call it quits?
“Hey, Dazai…? So…do you have a plan?” Having heard his name, Dazai looked up. “Did you really think I wouldn’t?”
After Dazai stared off into the distance with a cool gaze, he gave a slight smirk and admitted:
“We already have the advantage of knowing the future. To me, this job is easier than pie. It doesn’t matter if we don’t know who’s behind this or if there’s a time limit. We have so many leads that we can go off of.”
After Dazai began walking west, Atsushi hurried after him until Dazai suddenly came to a stop and turned his gaze at the townscape.
“Well, as long as there aren’t any new uncertainties popping up anywhere that Atsushi doesn’t even know about, that is.”