In the Yokohama district, beneath a four-story old office building.

A young man in a white shirt opened the car door, leading another indifferent teenager out of the taxi. The latter had a strange doll-like demeanor, dressed plainly in clothes denoting poverty, and stood half a head taller than the former.

The young man in the white shirt glanced up at the fourth floor of the office building, his kite-colored left eye betraying no emotion.

An Edogawa Ranpo story was enough to engage his full attention.

The driver accepted the money and, noting their destination within the building, asked in a well-informed manner, “Are you gentlemen headed to the Armed Detective Agency?”

The young man in the white shirt turned back, instantly exhibiting the lively demeanor of youth. “Yes, I’ve heard they handle various discreet private requests here. Do you happen to know any insider information?”

Unaware of his change in demeanor, the driver kindly responded, “Their president and members are all good people, having resolved many dangerous troubles. If you have any difficulties that are hard to resolve, seeking their help wouldn’t be wrong. However, there are many skilled individuals inside, so overly ordinary requests might not be accepted.”

Just like how requests for finding lost pets would be disregarded by the Armed Detective Agency. As a taxi driver with broad social skills, this man had once had the fate of driving some of the members to work here.

“Overly ordinary, huh…” The young man in the white shirt lifted the corners of his mouth, his gaze meeting the fourth floor.

Edogawa Ranpo was leaning by the window, his detective hat almost falling off as he squinted at the two. In the next moment, he revealed an interested smile and gestured like a megaphone.

“Come up quickly!”

…

So, it can be said that Dazai   was not accustomed to interacting with pure and enthusiastic individuals, let’s add that as an additional note.

— And remarkably perceptive.

Dazai   in a white shirt and black trousers gave up thinking about how much he had been figured out, while the hand of Baikoku Maru led by him looked towards the direction of the fourth-floor window. The wall would obstruct his vision, but in front of Baikoku Maru, he could only see the clear and clean flame of life of Edogawa Ranpo, who was similar to “Dororo.”

【A pure white flame.】

【Is he the person we met last time? The height and size of the flame of life are somewhat similar…】

It’s not easy to distinguish people with whom you’ve only had a brief encounter.

Perception isn’t everything.

  Fortunately, the streets were filled with grayish-white flames, and pure white ones were rare, naturally drawing Baikoku Maru’s attention. White represented that the other party hadn’t committed any real wrongdoing, or their soul hadn’t fallen into corruption. Moreover, someone seen yesterday wouldn’t be easily forgotten today.

“Are you less nervous now?” Dazai   asked him in a low voice, clearly noticing that upon arriving in the bustling city center, the pedestrians and vehicles bustling along the streets early in the morning made Baikoku Maru feel anxious, to the point where he could only be dragged along by a taxi.

This further helped Dazai   understand Baikoku Maru’s mental state.

The other was accustomed to staying away from crowds.

Isolated for too long, even formidable combat prowess couldn’t make Baikoku Maru feel at ease in a crowd.

Dazai   saw this boring world very clearly. It was precisely because he understood the fickleness of humanity that he lost trust in others, only to encounter a simple and easy-to-understand Baikoku Maru after more than a decade.

“Let’s go up. Perhaps we might encounter a few more interesting individuals.”

After making the decision, Dazai   guided Baikoku Maru, who was walking alone in the darkness, up the stairs.

Baikoku Maru was no longer curious about the second pure white flame of life.

He only had eyes for “Dororo.”

If this was a journey…

Then let the journey of the plot be a bit longer, not ending too quickly. The plot is crucial, but the will that sustains him to live on is not solely for the mission but to experience a life that ultimately finds its way to the light.

On the fourth floor, inside the Armed Detective Agency.

Both formal members and informal interns arrived an hour early for work.

The reason being President Fukuzawa had informed them yesterday that there would be a special client seeking the assistance of the agency’s doctor today, and they were likely to arrive early. Furthermore, President Fukuzawa hoped that the members who weren’t on business trips would witness this assignment, pointing out that even Ranpo, the agency’s brain, couldn’t fully see through the client.

Even Ranpo couldn’t see through?

This statement piqued the curiosity of the members, among whom Kunikida Doppo, who was under Fukuzawa Yoji, continuously wrote the latest schedule in his planner to disrupt today’s arrangements. Noticing Ranpo’s actions, Kunikida Doppo exclaimed in surprise, “It’s rare to see Mr. Ranpo so happy.”

“It’s two young men; they’ve already come upstairs!”

The clerk, Haruno Kirako, glanced out the window and immediately brought two cups of tea, ready to receive the client.

On the usually empty chairs beside them, Tanizaki Junichiro, wrapped in a blanket, opened his eyes, weary from staying up late, muttering, “Why do I have to be here too?”

【It’s the president’s order.】

Kunikida Doppo answered in his heart, feeling extremely surprised. Tanizaki was a recluse who specialized in online intelligence. He rarely left his house, and the number of times he came to the office building could be counted on one hand.