Bungo Stray Dogs on Crack

The Surgical Gauntlet

The Armed Detective Agency office was buzzing with its usual afternoon energy when Yosano Akiko, the Agency's resident doctor, approached Nazuna Saito with an unusual glint in her eye.

"Nazuna-chan," Yosano said, her voice honey-sweet but with an underlying edge that made Nazuna instantly wary. "I've been thinking. As an Agency member, you should be prepared for any situation, including severe injuries. How about a little... endurance training?"

Nazuna raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued despite her better judgment. "What kind of endurance training, Yosano-sensei?"

Yosano's smile widened, reminding Nazuna uncomfortably of a predator eyeing its prey. "Oh, nothing too strenuous. Just a quick run through of, say, 40 of my most common operations. You know, to build up your pain tolerance and familiarize you with emergency medical procedures."

The office fell silent, all eyes turning to Nazuna. Even Dazai, usually so nonchalant, looked mildly concerned.

"Forty operations?" Kunikida sputtered, his glasses slipping down his nose in shock. "Yosano-sensei, isn't that a bit... excessive?"

But Nazuna, feeling a surge of determination (and perhaps a touch of recklessness), straightened her shoulders. "You know what? I accept your challenge, Yosano-sensei."

A collective gasp went through the office. Atsushi looked like he might faint on Nazuna's behalf.

"Nazuna-san," he said weakly, "are you sure about this? Yosano-sensei's treatments are... intense."

Dazai chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "My, my, Nazuna-chan. I didn't realize you had such a death wish. Perhaps we have more in common than I thought."

Ignoring her colleagues' concerns, Nazuna followed Yosano to the infirmary, her head held high. "How bad could it be?" she muttered to herself as the door closed behind them.

Several hours later, Nazuna was seriously reconsidering her life choices.

"And that," Yosano said cheerfully, setting down a particularly wicked-looking saw, "concludes our crash course in emergency amputations. Ready for the next round?"

Nazuna, her hair disheveled and her body aching in places she didn't even know could ache, managed a weak nod. She had lost count of the "operations" somewhere around number fifteen, right after the simulated spleen removal.

"You're doing wonderfully, Nazuna-chan," Yosano encouraged, reaching for what looked alarmingly like a bone drill. "Most people pass out around operation twelve. Your resilience is impressive!"

As Yosano launched into a detailed explanation of proper trepanation techniques, Nazuna found her mind drifting. She thought of sunny days, peaceful meadows, anything to distract from the current reality of being a living medical dummy for Yosano's enthusiastic demonstrations.

Time seemed to stretch and warp. Nazuna floated in and out of awareness, vaguely registering Yosano's running commentary on various medical procedures. At some point, she was pretty sure she hallucinated Dazai and Kunikida peeking in, their faces a comical mix of horror and fascination.

Finally, after what felt like several lifetimes, Yosano stepped back with a satisfied smile. "And that's forty! Congratulations, Nazuna-chan. You've officially survived the Yosano Surgical Gauntlet!"

Nazuna blinked, struggling to focus on Yosano's face. "It's... over?"

Yosano nodded, helping Nazuna sit up. "You did splendidly. A bit touch-and-go during the simulated organ transplant, but you pulled through admirably."

As Nazuna stumbled out of the infirmary, she was met with a mix of awed and concerned stares from her colleagues. Atsushi rushed forward with a glass of water, which Nazuna accepted gratefully.