Osamu Dazai's Entrance Exam (Bungo Stray Dogs 1)

“The bomb is…”

I wait with bated breath as Ranpo lowers his finger over the map.

“…right here. This fishing-gear shop.”

……………………………What?

A fishing-gear shop?

I must be hearing things. Perhaps there’s a secret facility here? Or maybe they deal in illegal goods?

“…I see,” Dazai mutters to himself after a few moments go by. “That’s it… That’s it! Ranpo’s skill is real! If you’re going to set a bomb, this fishing-gear shop is the only place that makes sense! Kunikida, we have to hurry!”

“I see the new guy’s blown away by how amazing I am.”

“I am! That was incredible! You are without a doubt an extraordinary detective! I’m so glad I joined this agency! Now come on! We don’t have time to waste, Kunikida! We’ll be able to make it before sundown if we leave now!”

“But, Dazai, I…”

“I’ll explain on the way! Hurry!”

“Good luck, you two!”

With Dazai dragging me by the sleeve, I reluctantly leave the detective agency behind.

We get into the company car and head straight toward the fishing-gear shop.

Since I prefer not to ride in a murder box on wheels, I decide to drive.

“Now tell me what’s going on, Dazai,” I say to him.

“Sure, I’ll explain, but you’re not doubting Ranpo’s deduction, right?”

“If Ranpo says the bomb is in the fishing-gear shop, then it’s in the fishing-gear shop. I still don’t get why you believed him, though.”

Ranpo has the ability to see the truth, and his Super Deduction has never let us down. But there’s something bugging me about Dazai being so easily convinced.

> “It’s simple when you look at the map.”

I visualize the map in my head. The only things around the fishing-gear shop are roads, corporate facilities, and small shops. While there would be a fair number of victims, it lacks the viciousness one would expect from an international terrorist.

“Stop testing me. I have plenty of other things I need to think about. Just tell me what’s going on.”

“I thought about it after checking out the files we had on Alamta. He’s been behind multiple large-scale bombings around the world, but he never bombs the same place twice. He’s already bombed a luxury hotel packed with tourists, a military communications office, and a skyscraper’s support beams. He always chooses an area that would produce the most damage to his target. So what area is he targeting this time?”

“Quit playing games and tell me.”

“Alamta’s target is…the oil storage facilities.”

A bolt of lightning shoots down my spine as if I’ve been hit in the head with a hammer.

The petroleum complex in Yokohama!

How did I not think of that? Yokohama, Japan’s most prominent port city, is the largest hub for transporting fuel by sea. There is a sizable plot of land at the port with numerous facilities that store oil and natural gas. Day and night, enormous amounts of fuel are carried out from those facilities to support industries throughout the Kanto region. Furthermore, the complex is surrounded by factories that use petrochemical-based materials, steel production factories, and petroleum production factories. If an explosion was to happen around the petroleum complex and the storage tanks caught fire, then the entire port would be engulfed in flames before long. The fire would most likely last for days, resulting in the worst industrial disaster this country has ever seen. Petrochemical fires are difficult to put out with water, which would even further prolong the destruction done. Not only would human lives be lost, but the domestic economy would suffer immeasurable damage as well.

“I see. So you were so impressed with Ranpo because of how accurate his deduction was.”

“No, that’s not why.”