Raising Hyakki’s favorability. He was 5 feet 6 inches tall ten years ago, and he is still 5 feet 6 inches tall now. Combined with his unique life flame, he seemed like an innocent child who knew nothing of the world, quickly putting Hyakki’s guard down.

 Ranpo held his hand. “I’m right here. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

【He has seen Dororo before, and he can definitely help me find her.】

Hyakki’s hand twitched, and he urgently wrote three Japanese characters on the back of Ranpo’s hand:

“Is it… Dororo?”

 Ranpo’s green eyes dimmed slightly.

Indeed, he was looking for him.

“Dororo?” The members of the Armed Detective Agency erupted into discussion. “Whose name is this?” “It sounds like a nickname, not a name.” “Does anyone know?” “I think Hyakki mentioned it once or twice, but he didn’t say anything when I asked who it was.”

Member Sakunosuke couldn’t find an answer, so he listened to the information his colleagues shared.

His mind drifted to another question ——

【So, parallel spacetime exists, huh?】

Noticing that his fostered youth, Sakunosuke, hadn’t joined the conversation, he walked over, patted his shoulder to comfort him, knowing he wasn’t good with words. “It’s better to speak out if you have any clues.”

Sakunosuke whispered, “I don’t know much about Hyakki’s past, so I’m helpless.”

The members of the Armed Detective Agency were mostly pure in their life flames. Even if some of them had killed people before, they had been whitewashed over the years of repentance and had become good people whom Hyakki could trust. This was similar to his foster father, Jukai, who used to be an executioner specialized in killing people but later became a prosthetic doctor. During the time he raised Hyakki, he had regained his pure life flame.

【Take me there, or let Dororo come find me.】

Hyakki silently pleaded with Ranpo, causing him to feel anxious and confused.

“Ah… it’s impossible to find Dororo,” he said, causing the office to fall silent.

They all heard the cruel words spoken by the strategist of the Armed Detective Agency: “Your Dororo has been dead for two years, dead beyond death. Just wait here in peace to go back.”

Two years ago? A corner of Sakunosuke’s heart skipped a beat.

This was a sensitive time.

The leader of the Port Mafia died at that time, triggering a conflict between the Armed Detective Agency and the Port Mafia.

“Why do you keep thinking about him?” Ranpo reached for Hyakki’s ponytail, diverting his attention, and feeling somewhat annoyed that Hyakki was bothered by such a person. “He’s not a good person. Aren’t I better than him? At least I haven’t made you cry…”

Hyakki covered his ponytail, the lifelike eyes on his mask making it hard to deceive him.

【Help me.】

He remembered that “Dororo” liked to put things on him, and he immediately found them, a pile of bugs appearing again in front of everyone, making them realize ——

Dororo was definitely not a normal person.

Would a normal person monitor Hyakki like this!

 Ranpo put these bugs from ten years ago back on his clothes, feeling somewhat resentful.

“Well, I’ll help you this once.”

Seeing as ——

You really like this person, and there’s a possibility of change.

 Ranpo held Hyakki’s hand like “Dororo” in his heart but didn’t interlace their fingers, radiating more goodwill towards a friend.

With the help of the members, they hailed a taxi and took Hyakki to a cemetery.

Fifteen minutes later, the two stood in front of a protected tombstone, surrounded by no life flames worthy of being called pure. Members of the Port Mafia secretly watched the two visitors.

Hyakki still hadn’t seen “Dororo.”

 Ranpo gazed at him, crouched down beside him, and touched the tombstone. “He’s just a coward who would do anything for his goals but doesn’t dare to meet you. Recognize him for who he is.”

“Don’t cry for him a second time.”

Pink smoke appeared, and the black-haired youth returned to his world in confusion.

The long-haired youth who reappeared remained silent after realizing what he had touched.

“Ranpo, don’t you feel guilty about this?”

“He doesn’t know anyway.”

 Ranpo felt like a gentle and kind person, perfectly fulfilling Hyakki’s wish.

If you can’t see it, you don’t have to know that the person you like is dead.

If you can’t hear it, you don’t have to be hurt by the truth.

Parting is temporary. Hyakki just needs to go back to see “Dororo”… right?

 Ranpo pulled Hyakki, who was looking at the tombstone, feeling a bit jealous of the dead person. “Let’s go back. I don’t know the way, and do you have the heart to leave the great detective here in the cemetery?”

The one who raised Hyakki in this world is Ranpo!

The twenty-four-year-old Hyakki said sadly, “I still don’t understand why he did this.”

 Ranpo walked ahead without looking back. “Don’t dwell on it. You’ll never understand his logic. If you keep thinking about it, you’ll become another Oda Sakunosuke.”

Hyakki whispered, “Isn’t it Sakunosuke?”

He had read Bunno.

 Ranpo nodded. “Interesting. I’ll tell him when we get back.”

Hyakki hurriedly said, “No!”

The two walked away.

In an orphanage in the suburbs of Yokohama, the forty-something-year-old director turned off an entire room of equipment.

Finally, he lit the yellowed envelope in his hand with a lighter.

“Dazai.”

“What is the opportunity you’re expecting…”

You, who died early, didn’t hesitate to use his hand to operate the spacetime machine, prolonging the crossing time. There must be a reason behind why you insist on sending Hyakki to another parallel spacetime.

Is there completeness and health that you are looking forward to over there?

Who can save Hyakki?

Mori, who had retired and secluded himself, twitched his mouth slightly, thinking about the Port Mafia’s lifelong illusionary member who had paid billions of dollars in transactions and the latest prosthetics provided by Mori. The combination of the two had forcibly restored Hyakki to normalcy.

You’re quite extravagant to repair a doll cursed from birth.

Poor Nakahara, the successor.

As the ashes dispersed, the orphanage returned to normal, and the director, with his psychic ability Alice, went to take care of the other orphans.

The world won’t stop functioning if someone is missing…

Like you, like me.