To conduct the singing misfortune [Dazai and Reader]

Spider-lillies IV

I sit in the back of the company car, Osamu in the passenger and Kunikida in the driver's seat to avoid dying on our way to the location. Once on the road, Kunikida glances from the road to my brother, "Now tell me what's going on, Dazai."

"Sure, I'll explain, but you're not doubting Ranpo's deduction, right?"

"If Ranpo says the bomb is in the fishing-gear shop, it's in a fishing-gear shop. I still don't get why you both believed him, though."

"It's simple when you look at the map." I tilt my head, confused, as Kunikida still seems stumped. "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 on Alamta. He's been behind multiple large-scale bombings, but he never bombs the same place twice. He's already targetted a luxury hotel packed with tourists, a military communications office, and a skyscraper's support beams. He always chooses an area that would create the most damage to his target. So what area is he targetting this time?" I don't know who this Alamta is, but I suspect it's probably the guy they've found a lead on whilst at the embassy. "Quit playing around and tell me."

"Alamta's target is the oil storage facilities."

"I see. So you were so impressed with Ranpo because of how accurate his ability was." Osamu shakes his head, "No, that's not why. What amazed me was neither the novel idea of targetting an oil facility nor Ranpo's ability."

"Then what was it?" Osamu giggles, "What surprised me was that Ranpo's 'skill' isn't actually a skill."

"Don't be ridiculous – As if someone without a skill could really do something like that." Kunikida was rightfully shocked after no doubt believing the delusion since being introduced to Ranpo. "That's what makes it so incredible! Listen to this – When Ranpo was thinking, I sneaked behind him and pinched some of his hair. As you know, I can nullify people's abilities by touching them. I guess you could call me an anti-skill user. As long as I'm in contact with someone – no matter how powerful they may be – they can't use their ability. So what I'm trying to say is..."

"Then that means–"

"It's just a simple deduction. Ranpo reached a theoretical conclusion in the blink of an eye. He linked knowledge of disasters, the files on Alamta, and the map of Yokohama to come to a decision in a matter of seconds. Without leaving the building or meeting the suspect, Ranpo figured out where the bomb was simply by glancing at the files we were given. He possesses tremendous deductive and observational skills that your average fictional detective could only dream of." I nodded eagerly, "It was like watching a detective from the end of a novel solve everything."

"But is that even possible? I mean, how...?"

"That's what impressed me. A skill would make this just another phenomenon, which wouldn't even be surprising or impressive. But Ranpo is utilising his brain, something we all have, to reach these conclusions. So Alamta disappeared two days ago, thus probably not having enough time to obtain a permit to get into the storage facility or disguise himself as a worker there. The easiest thing he could've done was use cash to rent a car, store the bomb in it, park it somewhere near the oil storage facilities, and leave it there. If the explosive's effective casualty range is around six hundred feet, then that would leave it within the range only the shops that have an oil storage tank, and the only place at the port that meets that condition is..."

"The fishing-gear shop."

"Exactly. Of course, things like wind direction and how difficult it would be to discover the bomb are also factors but... Wow! I still can't believe Ranpo figured that out just by looking at the documents we gave him. That guy's got some crazy powers! And even Ranpo himself seems to think he's using a skill. Man, that is just one unbelievable detective. I need to start applying myself more."