Chapter 5

The Black God Squad acted with incredible speed and resolve, cold-blooded and merciless, all to ensure the mission succeeded.

Soon, news that President Shiraishi's entire family and several relatives and friends had been murdered shocked the nation. Yet the killer could not be found. Under pressure from public opinion nationwide, the Ministry of Internal Affairs ordered the Special Division for Unusual Powers to deploy the homicide detective.

He was a blond young man dressed in British style, holding a pipe. Dark lenses concealed his reddish-brown eyes.

That was...

"Ayatsuji-sensei?!" Mizuki Tsujimura sprang to her feet in shock, unable to stop herself from looking at Ayatsuji Yukito beside her.

Ayatsuji Yukito toyed with his pipe. With his eyes hidden behind the lenses, his emotions were unreadable.

Ango Sakaguchi pushed up his glasses. "They deployed Ayatsuji Yukito..." This was...

Santoka Taneda folded his arms without offering much of a reaction.

Mori Ougai cast a seemingly casual glance at Ayatsuji Yukito. Someone from the Special Division for Unusual Powers? He seemed to be an important figure. Or rather, a dangerous one.

Junichiro Tanizaki recognized Ayatsuji Yukito and recalled some unpleasant memories. He quietly ducked his head, and his younger sister clung to him even tighter.

An Xinyi froze briefly when he saw Ayatsuji Yukito.

They actually sent Ayatsuji... Another, huh.

Of course, he was not afraid. Ultimately, until he fulfilled his ideal, he would absolutely never stop.

An Xinyi would not stop.

But if Ayatsuji Yukito failed to find the culprit, the Special Division for Unusual Powers would execute him.

So...

An Xinyi lowered his eyes and spoke into the headset hidden in his collar. "DD, initiate plan B."

"...Yes, sir."

Clang- At the sound, everyone turned toward the person who had made it.

The blond detective in the wisteria-purple hat wore a thunderous expression. The chill radiating from him made even Mizuki Tsujimura shift a little farther away.

"Idiot," Ayatsuji Yukito spat through clenched teeth.

"How can anyone be this stupid?! The great Ranpo can't watch this anymore!" Ranpo Edogawa tugged at his president's haori to block his own view.

Osamu Dazai gave a soft laugh. "Tch. What is this supposed to be?"

How could you possibly save Osamu Dazai like this?

Several of the sharper minds present had already guessed what would happen next. The others were utterly confused, but no one offered them an explanation.

Ayatsuji Yukito had to find the culprit, or he would die.

And after those members of the Black God Squad had been eliminated, An Xinyi was the only one left who had truly harbored murderous intent.

So he had to appear before Ayatsuji Yukito.

He carefully disguised himself, concealing every feature that identified him as An Xinyi. After all, Ayatsuji only needed to identify him as the culprit.

He appeared before the blond detective, and Ayatsuji Yukito saw him.

The detective in the British-style cape walked up to him.

"Name?"

"Hello."

An Xinyi answered with a smile, as though he did not know this was an invitation from death. "I am-"

I am the culprit.

"What's going on?" Those unfamiliar with Ayatsuji Yukito's ability were bewildered.

Realizing he could no longer conceal it, Santoka Taneda explained, "Ayatsuji Yukito's ability, Another, causes any murderer he identifies to die an unnatural death." There was no need to explain its specific conditions.

Those with blood on their hands, such as Mori Ougai, briefly caught their breath.

To think the Special Division for Unusual Powers had a trump card like this!

For a moment, everyone stared at Ayatsuji Yukito, but the blond detective could not even be bothered to raise his eyelids.

"Wait." Michizo Tachihara's eyes widened as he pointed at An Xinyi on the screen. "He knows what Ayatsuji Yukito's ability does, and he's still..."

Isn't he volunteering to die?!

With An Xinyi making no attempt to conceal his guilt, Ayatsuji Yukito would soon be able to confirm the killer's identity.

Yet even the homicide detective could not understand why this killer had willingly walked straight into his path.

As they parted, Ayatsuji Yukito instinctively looked An Xinyi over again. Suddenly, he noticed something on the skin beneath his cuff... Was that a tattoo?

"What is that?" For reasons he could not quite explain, Ayatsuji Yukito asked.

An Xinyi instinctively touched the skin on his wrist and smiled. "It's a very important number. I have to remember it."

Then he looked at Ayatsuji Yukito again and said earnestly, "Actually, I think you'd look lovely when you smile. Would you like to try?"

The last remark left Ayatsuji Yukito at a loss for words. He gave An Xinyi a long look, then left.

After Ayatsuji Yukito left, An Xinyi's smile faded. He pulled back his cuff, revealing the number "143" clearly etched into his wrist.

It would be over soon.

"What on earth is he thinking? He's such a strange person..." Mizuki Tsujimura could not help saying. Why? Why would he willingly die to protect Ayatsuji-sensei?

"Still, that line really did make him sound like a lecher." Mizuki Tsujimura cautiously glanced at Ayatsuji Yukito.

"If your language skills are that poor, stop displaying your stupidity," Ayatsuji Yukito said coldly.

"..." How infuriating! Ayatsuji-sensei's tongue was as sharp as ever!

"'It would be over soon'..." Chūya Nakahara scratched his head. Forgive him for not being one of those ridiculously brilliant masterminds. "What's that supposed to mean?"

But the masterminds who could have answered him had no interest in anyone else's questions. They watched the screen intently, their expressions grave.

He was going to die soon.

Ayatsuji Yukito would soon find the evidence he had deliberately left behind, and Another would soon lock onto him.

An Xinyi knew.

But it was all right. He did not feel sad.

His ideal would not perish. His convictions would not burn out. That was enough.

Then he noticed someone. A boy draped in a black coat leaned against something across the street, watching him with interest.

Without a doubt, this was merely another of Osamu Dazai's bored experiments.

No.

An Xinyi thought that he could not die at Dazai's hands now. Even under the effects of Ayatsuji Yukito's ability, he could not die at Dazai's hands.

And in truth, he did not want to involve anyone. He did not want anyone to bear the guilt of killing him.

Though I'm very sorry, Ayatsuji.

I still hope you'll live.

So... he looked up at the enormous billboard swaying precariously overhead and took that step.

Atsushi Nakajima quietly tried to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. The little tiger did not even dare breathe loudly. Scary. Dazai was so scary.

Mizuki Tsujimura, beside him, reacted almost exactly as he did. Aaaaaah, Ayatsuji-sensei was angry!

Death?

Blood sprayed, carrying fragments of shattered bone. The once-handsome boy lay on the ground, torn apart. Even the all-important number "143" on his wrist had become indistinct.

Blood blurred his vision. Through that wash of red, he saw a pair of feet.

Osamu Dazai looked down at An Xinyi. He was dying.

Would he go there, to that world of death one could visit only once?

Osamu Dazai crouched, then lay on his side on the ground, watching An Xinyi curiously with his uncovered left eye.

His life was draining away, yet he still did not ask Dazai to save him.

Why? Even if he was about to die, weren't people supposed to want to live?

An Xinyi struggled to keep his blood-filled eyes open. Ah, it's Dazai...

There's no mistaking him.

Thank goodness I didn't die at his hands.

With the last of his strength, An Xinyi smiled at Osamu Dazai.

A smile of tenderness that reached to the bone.

The russet eyes widened slightly.

The boy had stopped breathing.

Why smile? Was it because death was wonderful?

Osamu Dazai did not think so.

Osamu Dazai remained lying on his side for a long time before slowly getting up.

"So stupid."

"You couldn't even save yourself..."

And you said you would save me. How could you possibly do that?

Osamu Dazai walked away without looking back, his steps slow and dragging.

He had joined the □□ to find a reason to live. In a place so full of death, surely he could find one?

But he had found nothing.

"I'm tired of this."

"Tomorrow, I'll try drowning again."

"Huh? What the hell is this?" Chūya Nakahara stood straight up. "The protagonist dies right at the start?" Hey, hey, wasn't he supposed to make humanity immortal? How had he just... died?

Mizuki Tsujimura could not help looking at Ayatsuji Yukito, then swallowed the words rising in her throat. There was no question that An Xinyi had died at the hands of Another!

Would Ayatsuji-sensei be sad? After all, An Xinyi had willingly died to protect him.

"Don't use that simple brain of yours to guess what I'm thinking."

Ayatsuji Yukito delivered the cutting remark without expression. Mizuki Tsujimura choked on her response, then held it in, considering that he was in a bad mood.

Even Fyodor's violet-red eyes widened slightly. Then, as though something had occurred to him, he abruptly fell into thought.

Osamu Dazai's expression had long since turned thunderous. With his index finger slightly bent, he tapped the armrest lightly, offering a rare glimpse of his agitation.

Ranpo Edogawa pulled his beret down over his eyes and crunched his chips even louder in displeasure.

Soon, the screen lit up again.