Chief Okita in Taisho

Two days later.

Suehiro Tetsugu found Okita Souji at the hotel.

Accompanied by Suehiro Tiechang was a young man with his eyes closed.

"Tiaoye picking chrysanthemums." He introduced himself.

"Did it actually take two days? It's really slow."

Edogawa was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, holding the piglet in his arms.He's surrounded by snacks, has a mouth full of chips, and eats like a hamster.

After seeing Tiaoye picking chrysanthemums, Edogawa ranpo chewed slowly, and said meaningfully: "It seems that the hounds are also very alert."

This wild chrysanthemum has an extremely keen sense of smell and hearing, and can even hear the heartbeat of opponents.There is a side of character that loves to play with opponents, and it seems that there are no fewer interrogators.

That's why I asked him to join us to hear if Seta-kun is really willing to join the Hound?

Really, why do adults like to make things so complicated.

"..."

Seemingly hearing Edogawa Ranbu's heartbeat, Joye Caiju "looked" at him.

Edogawa Ranpo looked back at him carelessly.

The undercurrent is surging.

Suehiro Tieshang said to Soji Okita, "I found the person you were looking for, and she is in an isolation facility."

"Come with us."

Isolation facility?

Okita Souji frowned slightly.

Why was Akiko locked there...what happened?

Edogawa Ranpo also asked to go together. On the way, Joye Caiju roughly explained the situation.

"The girl you are looking for is interesting."

"This is considered a high-level military secret—the chief of the health department wants to establish an "undead coalition" and use this girl's healing ability to keep the army fighting. "

How can it be?

Humans are not machines, even if the physical wounds are healed, the spiritual wounds are still piling up.

The battle situation is getting worse and worse.The soldiers were bombed countless times, were on the verge of death countless times, and the fear kept piling up, but finally they had to return to the battlefield.

In the end, everyone's mentality collapsed.

Among them, the most collapsed one was Yosano Akiko.

"The girl finally planted a bomb on the bottom of the ship and tried to blow up the base, so she was arrested." Suehiro Tetsuchi pointed to the outline of the small island in the distance, "That's right there, next to the old base of Changan Island."

Edogawa Ranpo suddenly shouted: "Wait a minute!"

"Are you going to go like this, at least you should think about it?!"

Edogawa Ranpo has "stupid adults" written all over his face.

"?"

Both Tiaoye Caiju and Suehiro Tiechang had varying degrees of doubts on their faces. "What's wrong?" Okita asked.

Edogawa waved his hands in disorder.

"Forget it, for the sake of buying snacks for Lord Ranpo—"

He pointed to the old base, "We need to go there first!"

Okita Souji looked at the Hounds and said, "Is it okay?"

"But you can..."

Tiaoye Caiju stroked his chin, his voice full of inquiry, "You seem to trust this child?"

Didn't even ask why.

Okita Souji rubbed Edogawa Ranpo's head.

"Because Ranbu-kun is very smart."

Edogawa ran his hands on his hips.

"Of course!"

This request was nothing, so the hound's boat temporarily turned around and went to the old base.

Ranpo Edogawa rummaged through the base, and finally picked up a metal butterfly hair accessory.

Afterwards, the group came to the isolation facility where Yosano Akiko was held.

"We won't go in."

Tiaoye Caiju and Suehiro Tiechang stood at the door, making a "please" gesture, "You guys go."

inside the facility.

Huddled in the corner with Akiko Yosano, seeing Souji Okita, she opened her mouth but didn't make a sound: "..."

Souji Okita has seen such eyes before, they are eyes that have lost their souls.

Numb, like a walking dead.

What happened to the girl who was so energetic back then?

"Long time no see, Akiko."

Souji Okita knelt down in front of her, "Do you still remember me?"

"..."

Okita Souji looked around.

"This is not suitable for chatting, shall I take you out first?"

Yosano Akiko's hands and feet are not bound, if she wants to escape, she can escape.

There is only one reason, she doesn't want to go out.

Sure enough, when Souji Okita tried to help her up, Yosano Akiko whispered: "...No."

"I can't go out."

Okita Souji stared at her: "Why?"

"My powers save lives so easily... If you stay by my side, life will become cheap," Yosano Akiko looked at her hands, "I can't live in this world anymore..."*

Okita Souji lowered his head slightly and did not speak.

Because of the angle, his face seemed to be covered with a shadow.

Edogawa Ranpo:?

After a while, Souji Okita spoke.

"I've been to one place for several years."

"Do you know what kind of place it is, Akiko, there are creatures called 'ghosts', and there is no way to kill them except sunlight and a specific knife. They feed on people, and I don't know how many innocent lives they have killed." The only thing that can fight against ghosts is the Ghost Killing Squad."

Okita Souji's voice was soft and gentle, but he could hear the deep consciousness inside.

"The powerful ghosts are beyond the reach of ordinary people. They are almost indestructible, and they can recover immediately after being injured."

"But people can't. People will be physically exhausted, their internal organs will be damaged, and their limbs will be broken. If they fight with all their strength to the end, they may only end up being swallowed by ghosts."

"In that case, they're still fighting—"

"In order to create a world without ghosts, in order to allow more people to live well."

"..."

Yosano Akiko's eyes moved slightly, something was slowly recovering.

"I……"

She opened her mouth, "Aren't they really going to die because of me? Is there really no problem with my existence?"

"If you were there," Okita Souji smiled from the bottom of his heart, with a warm smile, "you are a god, Akiko."

Edogawa approached in disorder.

"Trust him. This is the advice of a detective. A detective can't be wrong!"

"Do you want to see evidence?"

Okita Souji saw Edogawa Ranpo put the butterfly hair ornament he picked up earlier in front of Yosano Akiko, Yosano Akiko's eyes widened and tears welled up.

"Why?" She suddenly became excited, "I obviously haven't mentioned it to anyone, why—"

you will know? !

The butterfly hair ornament was given to her by a soldier brother.

The other party is very friendly to her, caring and enlightening in various ways.

In the end, however, he also had a mental breakdown and committed suicide.

"Master Ranpo knows everything!"

Edogawa fluttered proudly, "If you want to ask me anything, just ask."

"I..." Yosano Akiko looked at Souji Okita, "What should I do in the future?"

Is it really possible to go to that place called the Ghost Killing Squad? Wouldn't it be harming them?

Edogawa Ranpo did not speak immediately, but instead looked at Souji Okita.

Okita Souji squatted down again, at eye level with Yosano Akiko.

"Sorry, Akiko."

"?"

"Although I think my purpose is different from Mori Ogai's, the essence is still the same. I want you to help the Demon Slayer Squad, but the essence is still using you."

Yosano Akiko retorted subconsciously: "No——"

Okita Souji shook his head and interrupted her gently.

"But I didn't expect you to have experienced such a painful thing in the army."

"I'll still take you out, Akiko, and then you can choose where you want to go from the bottom of your heart."

"There are many places in this world that need you, not because of your ability, but because of your personality—there must be a place for you."

Saying that, Okita Souji put a small paper box in front of Yosano Akiko.

Yosano Akiko recognized it, "This is..."

A box from the pastry shop she worked at!

"This is a new product that just came out recently. The store manager said you will definitely like it."

"..."

Having said that, Yosano Akiko realized that she was a little hungry.

She slowly squeezed the hand holding the box.

"If you have the opportunity to report safety, the store manager misses you very much."

Director Okita said slyly, "After all, the guy who replaced you, he..."

"what!"

Edogawa jumped up in disorder, "Don't say it! Don't say it!!!"

Okita Souji laughed.

Yosano Akiko tilted her head:?

"why is it like this……"

Edogawa pouted at random steps, muttered a few words in dissatisfaction, then turned serious, and said to Yosano Akiko: "Speak your own thoughts."

"You've always been attracted, too, Seta-kun's tenderness—"

"Seta-kun's gentleness is understanding, no matter what happens, you can face it with a smile. But you also have a gentleness that is different from him."

"You don't want to see anyone die, that's why you suffer so much. It's because of this tenderness that your sorrow has value."

Director Okita was suddenly relieved: Has this little kid finally grown up?

Edogawa Ranpo reasoned it out mentally, but he didn't understand emotionally: why these people do this is really complicated.

Lord Ranpo couldn't figure it out.

After a long time, Yosano Akiko looked at Okita Souji: "I'll go with you."

Okita Souji nodded with a smile.

The three walked outside the door.

Not only Suguang Tiechang and Tiaoye Caiju, Fukuchi Yingchi also came.

"Finished talking?" Tiaoye Caiju turned around, squinting his eyes, which always made people feel malicious, "It's really a touching reunion."

"Isn't Jono-kun able to hear it?" Okita Souji replied with a smile.

"Although I really want to fulfill your wishes, she is a dangerous person recognized by the military and cannot be taken away so easily."

"but……"

Tiaoye Caiju looked at the boss.

Fukuchi Sakura twitched her mustache and answered, "If it's a request from your companion, it's not that you can't be lenient."

Hearing this, Yosano Akiko showed uneasiness on his face.

"Don't worry." Edogawa reassured.

"A request from a companion..."

Okita Souji chewed on this sentence and chuckled.

He raised his head.

"I can fight you."

Willing - join the Hound.

"However, I still have things to do. I will not be able to come to work until it is fully resolved."

Perhaps Hound really wanted Mr. Okita to join him, instead of carrying out the transformation experiment and not working for the time being, he agreed to both requests, showing enough sincerity.

The battle between Okita Souji and Fukuchi Sakurachi was inconclusive.Seeing Okita Souji's reaction when "Magic Sword Amamegozen" was unsheathed, Fukuchi Sakurachi unilaterally stopped the fight.

"It's the right choice for you to prevent Yu Yuqian from getting out of the sheath," Fukuchi Sakura said foolishly, "I'm sure I read it right."

Tiaoye Caiju also nodded.

"Listening to his heartbeat, it is indeed agreed to join."

In the end, Fukuji Sakurachi gave Okita Souji a military rank engraved with a hound's head as a token.

"Waiting for your report, Seta-kun."

On the way back, Edogawa walked up to Souji Okita in random steps.

"It's rare, were you angry just now?"

Just when Yosano Akiko expressed his intention to give up his life.

"Yeah," Okita Souji smiled, "I regret it a bit. I treated that guy a little softer three years ago."

Mori Ogai, see you in the future and chop once!

Back at the hotel where he was temporarily staying, Director Okita gave Yosano Akiko another room and asked her to tidy up herself.

Here, he is also helping Edogawa Ranpo find a job.

"do not want!"

The chaotic goddess scattered the newspapers with job advertisements everywhere.

"Work is so annoying, dealing with interpersonal relationships is so annoying, Luanbu adults don't want to work!"

But no matter how he loses his temper, Mr. Okita doesn't lose his temper.Every punch of Edogawa Ranpo was like hitting cotton, soft, which made him feel discouraged.

Yosano Akiko knocked on the door and came in with his hands on his hips.

"What are you guys up to?"

"Ranpo-sama doesn't want to work!" Edogawa Ranpo pointed at Souji Okita and complained, "Soujiro just laughs!"

Okita Souji laughed.

"Look, look, laugh again!"

Okita Souji looked at the sky outside the window and changed the subject: "It's almost time for dinner."

He noticed a prominent building in the city.

"Let's go there and have a look."

Landmark building.

Downstairs is a shopping mall, where you can go shopping, eat and drink. The 69th floor is a viewing floor, overlooking the entire Yokohama city, and Mount Fuji in the distance when the weather is good.

With his left hand and Akiko Yosano's right hand, Edogawa walked in disorder, and Soji Okita took the two of them up to the observation deck.

Generally, the viewing floor is full of guests who are going to watch the night view, but now it is only evening and there are not many people.

"What are those five buildings next to it?"

The Landmark Building is a representative building in Yokohama. Mr. Okita has heard of it, but he has never heard of the building next to it.

Every window is tightly sealed, and it is a one-way glass that can only be seen from the inside. From the outside, you can only see the blackness reflecting the light.

The five buildings are like this, like a closed fortress rising from the ground.

Edogawa approached in disorder.

"Ah, that—"

"Don't you know, that's the Port Mafia."

Mafia... huh?

Okita Souji chewed on the name, feeling strange in his heart.

At this time, he suddenly saw the black barrier on the top floor open——

Behind the glass curtain wall, a slender and thin figure in black was vaguely reflected, with a red scarf around his neck and a bandage around his left eye.

The other party stood in front of the window, as if looking at him from afar.

The author has something to say: I found that everyone wanted to be Chengsen, so I added a sentence of bandages (but it is the most reasonable to think of Chengsen).