"Hey… are you okay?"
The good-hearted Nakahara Chuuya felt a tiny bit guilty.
Hitting people was wrong.
Besides, there was no sense of accomplishment in beating up someone this weak. So why had he gotten so impulsive? It felt as though, within the white mist, an intense urge to fight had suddenly welled up inside him. Was that the effect of the other person's ability?
"If you're not good at fighting, then don't use your ability like that." Speaking from his own perspective, Nakahara Chuuya scratched his cheek and bluntly said something that could make a person cough up blood in frustration. "I can still hold back. If it were someone with a worse temper, they'd have beaten you to death already."
Shibusawa Tatsuhiko ignored him.
Smart people always thought too much; the more they thought, the deeper they trapped themselves in confusion.
He dispelled the mist surrounding him, but the sorrow of repeated defeats did not vanish along with it. He lacked offensive power. He lacked defensive power. He could not even defeat a child.
The "battle" ended, and the figures of the two reappeared in the real world.
The older of the two, the white-haired boy, was squatting on the ground with his face covered, his clothes slightly dirty as though he had just been beaten up. The younger orange-haired boy wore an expression of utter conflict, pacing around him in circles. He wanted to reach out and help him up, yet his goodwill was clearly unwelcome.
The boys and girls who had been watching Shibusawa Tatsuhiko pick a fight began whispering among themselves.
"Chuuya won again."
"Nobody can beat Chuuya. Well, except Chuuya's older brother."
"No way! Chuuya can still beat his brother until he's howling in pain. That damned Ranpo's just got a mouth too sharp for his own good. If Chuuya didn't keep protecting him, we'd have thrown a sack over his head and beaten him up ages ago."
"Ah, the books were right. Wisdom and martial strength belong to different domains—you can't have both."
"Chuuya gave that arrogant young master from outside a thorough beating. There won't be any trouble, right?"
"He'll probably be fine..."
Not knowing Shibusawa Tatsuhiko's background, they looked completely unconcerned. Their confidence was well-founded; in the Suribachi City district, hardly anyone dared bully a bunch of orphans like them.
Lowering his voice, Nakahara Chuuya said, "I won't tell Ranpo about this. Can we just pretend I never hit you?"
It was as if he had stepped directly on a landmine.
Shibusawa Tatsuhiko abruptly shot to his feet.
"I don't need your mercy."
His crimson eyes were glacially cold. The moisture that had nearly surfaced in them had already been forced back.
"A bet is a bet. A loss is a loss."
"I will fulfill Ranpo-kun's request, and as for you—"
"Next time, I'll personally take your power for myself. Your priority isn't any higher than theirs!"
What an unreasonable person.
Nakahara Chuuya wrinkled his nose in annoyance and wondered to himself, What does he mean by 'priority'?
Turning around, he looked at the companions who were cheering and celebrating his victory. Grinning broadly, he flashed them a V-sign.
Forget it. If there was something he didn't understand, he could always go home and ask his family.
It didn't matter if he didn't get it.
There had never been any shortage of smart people around him.
Shibusawa Tatsuhiko shook off the hand Nakahara Chuuya had extended to help him. Clutching his injured abdomen, cold sweat covering his body, he endured pain so intense that every nerve seemed to be screaming in protest as he headed toward the outskirts of Suribachi City.
He had come to Suribachi City looking for trouble, only to end up in such a miserable state.
Now, he wanted nothing more than to leave the terrifying place known as Yokohama as quickly as possible.
"Steward, take me home."
"Young Master Tatsuhiko? Young Master! What happened to you?! Should we call the police?"
"No—need—for—that—"
Shibusawa Tatsuhiko had been raised in luxury and pampered from childhood. Delicate and precious, he had never suffered any serious injuries before. Right now, all he could feel was a wrenching pain twisting through his abdomen. The fists of that gravity ability user had hurt far too much.
"I want to go back to Tokyo—!"
As for this backwater place, he admitted defeat!
The government officials of the Special Division for Unusual Powers recorded every detail of Shibusawa Tatsuhiko's movements that day. The only thing omitted was what had occurred inside the fog-covered area. Everything else was reported to the current head of the organization, Taneda Santouka.
After reading the report, Director Taneda laughed.
"So he ran off to compete with Edogawa Ranpo in a battle of wits, lost, and then tried to use his ability to seize the other party's power? And the result was that not only did he fail to obtain the ability Super Deduction, but Fukuzawa Yukichi ended up benefiting from the mishap and discovered that he possessed an ability of his own?"
Director Taneda immediately decided that the next time he met his old friend, he would make sure to tease the Silver Wolf, who had taken on the role of a babysitter.
What a miserable outcome.
No, no, no.
He should be congratulating Fukuzawa Yukichi on awakening an ability.
Coughing into his fist and forcing himself to become serious again, Director Taneda continued reading.
"Ability priority... That's quite a novel concept. Much like the theory Asou Akiya proposed last time regarding collisions between opposing abilities, it's full of wildly imaginative thinking. However, neither Asou Akiya nor Edogawa Ranpo is an ability user. At most, half of what they say can be trusted... No, make that one-third."
Looking at how pitifully Shibusawa Tatsuhiko had been toyed with, Director Taneda found himself unable to place much faith in the claims of intellectual types.
After all, nobody knew how many traps were hidden within their words.
Afterward, Director Taneda raised an eyebrow and said,
"So Shibusawa Tatsuhiko went straight to Suribachi City to challenge Edogawa Ranpo's younger brother? If I remember correctly, that's the orphan Asou Akiya wanted to adopt, isn't it?"
His subordinate immediately confirmed it.
"Yes. The Port Mafia Analyst has an exceptionally sharp eye. He recognized at a glance that the child was an ability user and took steps to bring him under his wing. At the same time, he left him to grow up in the comparatively chaotic environment of Suribachi City. In the future, he will probably recruit him into the Mafia."
Director Taneda nodded in understanding.
"There's nothing surprising about that. Asou Akiya never makes meaningless investments. Just look at Edogawa Ranpo. Those fools at the police academy let a genius like that slip through their fingers, yet a mafioso who had only met him once was able to recognize the value of Edogawa Ranpo's talent."
As for the ability to discern a person's potential at a glance, Taneda Santouka believed he possessed that much insight himself. He could do the same thing.
The only thing he lacked was Asou Akiya's talent for subtle guidance—the ability to nurture people so naturally that they scarcely noticed they were being led in the right direction.
Everyone had their own strengths.
People like Shibusawa Tatsuhiko, who stubbornly rammed headfirst into areas where others excelled, were comparatively rare.
As for Nakahara Chuuya, Taneda did not feel much regret over losing him. Ability users in Yokohama were scarce to begin with. Given the circumstances, it was entirely possible that the explosion years ago had stimulated the awakening of powers in an orphaned child who had lost both parents.
"How old is that orphan again?"
"Nakahara Chuuya, male, ten years old. He'll turn eleven at the end of April this year."
"Mm. The White Qilin really embarrassed himself this time. Make sure we keep the photographs. You did take pictures, right?"
"We did."
"Good. Then next time, we'll have something to use in negotiations with him."
"Director... isn't that a little inappropriate? The Shibusawa family isn't exactly easy to provoke."
"Neither are we."
Everyone wanted a share of the meat.
But there were too many mouths and too little to go around.
There were only a handful of truly powerful young ability users, and most of them were unruly and fiercely independent, with no interest whatsoever in joining a government agency.
If the Special Division for Unusual Powers wanted to genuinely secure the allegiance of the White Qilin, who was protected by the Shibusawa family, then a few tricks behind the scenes would be unavoidable.
Director Taneda thought about his steadily thinning hair, and his mood immediately grew heavy. Handing the file back to his subordinate, he said,
"After this incident, he'll come looking for us. The person responsible for maintaining contact with the White Qilin had better stay sharp."
"This White Qilin has been evaluated as a dangerous individual. We must keep his dangerous tendencies under control at all costs. The higher-ups have already included him as a candidate for a certain project. There can be no mistakes."
"Yes, sir!"
The government employee in the silver-gray suit straightened immediately, his expression turning solemn. He did not dare underestimate a national-level project.
As members of the Special Division for Unusual Powers, they were people who wagered their lives on the safety and future of the nation.
Meanwhile, another evening filled with laughter unfolded at the Asou residence.
The villa stood in seclusion, free from outside disturbances and offering exceptional privacy. Dense greenery concealed the grounds from view, shrouding everything in layers of shadow and foliage. The brightly illuminated European-style villa was effectively cut off from the noise and troubles of the outside world.
Whether Edogawa Ranpo screamed at the top of his lungs or bounced around wildly, there was no need to worry about disturbing the neighbors.
At that moment, he was standing on the sofa, waving a cushion triumphantly in his hand.
"Fukuzawa-ossan has an ability now! That's great!"
Nakahara Chuuya immediately protested.
"Get down from there! You're going to ruin the sofa!"
Dodging the hand that reached out to grab him, Edogawa Ranpo hopped to the side and became even more pleased with himself.
"Nope! Ranpo-sama is going to keep stepping on it. If a sofa is this soft and comfortable, what else is it for if not being stepped on a few times?"
Nakahara Chuuya said unhappily, "You still haven't explained why you had someone come looking for me!"
Edogawa Ranpo bounced to the opposite end of the long sofa and stuck out his tongue at him.
"Then the stupid little orange cat can figure it out himself."
Left with no other option, Nakahara Chuuya turned toward Asou Akiya and shouted, "Akiya-san! Please do something about him!"
Asou Akiya merely shrugged.
"Let him enjoy himself for a while."
Fukuzawa Yukichi was a guest in the Asou household and did not feel it was appropriate to say much. Sitting in his chair, he looked slightly awkward.
After all, he had come to seek Asou Akiya's help.
Balancing a tray in one hand, Randou gracefully brought over a cup of hot tea and set it on the coffee table in front of him.
Fukuzawa Yukichi nodded to the French ability user, whose power specialized in spatial manipulation.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome," Randou replied with a gentle smile.
Fukuzawa Yukichi then turned his attention to Asou Akiya.
"Akiya-san, have you been able to determine the nature of my ability?"
Asou Akiya picked a piece of fruit from the platter on the table, speared it with a fork, and popped it into his mouth before looking at the other man in puzzlement.
"Why ask me? Wouldn't it be simpler to ask Ranpo?"
Fukuzawa Yukichi answered honestly,
"Ranpo hemmed and hawed, saying he was afraid of misleading me. He suggested that I come ask you instead."
In the background, Edogawa Ranpo immediately shouted in protest:
"I did not hem and haw! Fukuzawa-san is just too dense! He didn't even know he had an ability!"
Asou Akiya chuckled.
"So that's what happened."
Fukuzawa Yukichi looked slightly embarrassed.
Asou Akiya raised an eyebrow at Ranpo.
In response, Ranpo wore an awkward, reluctant expression.
"Fine, this round goes to Akiya. You tell him. I don't want him wandering around confused forever."
Asou Akiya took another bite of mango.
The sweetness and tartness were perfectly balanced, much like this delicious and satisfying life.
"It's actually quite obvious. Fukuzawa-san's ability does not operate on himself. It's a support-type ability. Because it has never found a suitable target to support, its effects have never properly manifested."
"Huh?"
Fukuzawa Yukichi was genuinely startled by that conclusion.
After all, he had personally seen the ability that had been separated from him.
It had taken the form of a humanoid version of himself.
Moreover, the combat ability of that humanoid manifestation had been roughly equal to his own.
And yet, such an ability was supposedly a support type? The conclusion left him completely baffled.
Asou Akiya turned to look at Randou.
"Randou, last time you said you sensed something unusual, didn't you?"
Randou nodded gently and moved to sit beside Akiya.
"Yes. When Fukuzawa-san's emotions were running high, I sensed a trace of ability fluctuations being released from him."
Edogawa Ranpo immediately stopped fooling around and pinched his chin thoughtfully.
"That was during New Year's, wasn't it?"
Fukuzawa Yukichi fell silent and pondered the matter.
Meanwhile, Nakahara Chuuya could not stop himself from grumbling inwardly:
[Don't act like you could sense it too! You're a fake ability user! Randou-san and I are the real ability users here!]
As though he somehow knew Chuuya was talking behind his back, Edogawa Ranpo's gaze snapped toward him.
"Little orange cat, did you notice anything strange?"
Chuuya was too embarrassed to lie.
He could only admit shamefacedly,
"I didn't notice anything at all."
Asou Akiya: "Not noticing anything is the normal outcome."
Protecting his poor son from further bullying, he shot a glance at Ranpo, who was getting a little too carried away with showing off.
"Randou's sensitivity toward abilities is greater than either of yours. Even he wasn't completely certain at the time. It was only after he told me about it that I became convinced Fukuzawa-san might possess an ability."
Ranpo immediately picked up the conversation.
"So that's why you arranged for Shibusawa Tatsuhiko to come find me. You wanted to use his power to determine whether Fukuzawa-san actually had an ability!"
Asou Akiya replied, "That was only one reason. The main reason was to help you make a friend."
Edogawa Ranpo proudly declared,
"Ranpo-sama is a powerful ability user. I don't need friends!"
Asou Akiya turned his head and asked Randou, "How did this guy become even more chuunibyou than before?"
Randou sighed worriedly.
"Perhaps our educational methods were wrong after all."
Fukuzawa Yukichi immediately joined the discussion about Ranpo's upbringing.
"You should try to rein him in a little. It's not just that he constantly stuffs himself with snacks whenever he's outside and refuses to exercise—he also insists on making me carry him everywhere. People are going to laugh at him."
Ranpo immediately protested, "That's because walking is tiring!"
Asou Akiya said solemnly,
"Fukuzawa-san, I truly owe you my gratitude for taking such good care of Ranpo."
Fukuzawa Yukichi replied with a sorrowful expression,
"...Please don't just say that without doing anything."
Asou Akiya let out a helpless sigh.
"I only get the chance to spend time with Ranpo in the evenings. During the day, he's following you around while you work. The actual responsibility for his education falls to you. Please, don't hold back when it comes to disciplining him!"
Randou immediately voiced his support.
"That child is far too mischievous. We're relying entirely on Fukuzawa-san to keep him in line."
From behind them, Nakahara Chuuya spoke with undisguised schadenfreude.
"Ranpo, did you hear that?"
Edogawa Ranpo covered his ears.
"No! I! Didn't!"
Besides, Fukuzawa-san couldn't bear to hit him—
Well, he probably couldn't bear to hit him!
As long as he didn't go too far, anyway.
Returning to the main topic, Fukuzawa Yukichi still needed to understand the nature of his ability. It would be an important step toward building the reputation of an ability detective alongside Edogawa Ranpo in the future.
"As for your ability, I can't provide an immediate way to prove my theory for the time being," Asou Akiya said thoughtfully.
The name of Fukuzawa Yukichi's ability is All Men Are Equal, derived from the real-world Fukuzawa Yukichi's work "An Encouragement of Learning". It was, without question, a support-type ability designed to help subordinates control their own abilities.
After a moment's consideration, Asou Akiya suddenly changed the subject entirely.
"Fukuzawa-san, what do you think of Chuuya?"
Fukuzawa Yukichi straightened his posture.
"Chuuya-kun is kind-hearted and cheerful. He possesses a broad and generous spirit. He is an exceptionally rare and admirable child. The way you have raised him is something I should learn from."
Being praised so sincerely by Fukuzawa Yukichi, Nakahara Chuuya immediately turned red.
He grabbed a cushion and buried his face behind it.
Edogawa Ranpo darted over and poked him in the cheek.
"How embarrassing."
Chuuya shot him a glare.
Lowering his voice, Ranpo whispered, "Careful. If you keep glaring that hard, your eyes might pop right out."
Chuuya's expression instantly changed.
He hurriedly covered his eyes with both hands, terrified that his colored contacts might fall out.
Those green eyes were part of his disguise while living in this household! If the contacts came loose, everything would be exposed!
"How about this? If you're willing to trust me, why not take Chuuya under your wing for a period of time?"
Asou Akiya's proposal stunned everyone in the room.
"Although Chuuya isn't suited to the path that you and Ranpo are walking, the issues you're facing and certain issues he has happen to make for a perfect opportunity to conduct a few experiments."
Fukuzawa Yukichi considered the suggestion carefully before responding.
"What problems does Chuuya-kun have?"
Nakahara Chuuya immediately became nervous.
His eyes darted around anxiously.
How did this suddenly end up involving me?!
Edogawa Ranpo tilted his head, quietly observing the conversation between the adults.
As one of Chuuya's teachers, Randou also turned his attention toward the family's little orange cat and asked with concern,
"Chuuya, has something gone wrong with your ability?"
Chuuya shook his head vigorously.
"N-No! Nothing's wrong!"
Asou Akiya revealed part of the truth.
"Chuuya is still young, and his control over his ability isn't refined enough. It's very easy for him to injure others by accident. That's why I've told him to avoid using his ability whenever possible during everyday life."
His expression grew serious.
"However, if this continues for too long, his proficiency with his ability will remain low. In the long run, that will hinder his growth rather than help it."
He then turned to Fukuzawa Yukichi.
"Fukuzawa-san, if my guess is correct, then given your character and your fundamentally benevolent nature, your ability should produce a positive supportive effect on those whom you personally acknowledge and accept."
One of the most meaningful experiments in the world of abilities.
Could All Men Are Equal interfere with Upon the Tainted Sorrow?
Could it allow Nakahara Chuuya to gain control over the switch that activated and deactivated Corruption?
A Nakahara Chuuya who could perfectly control Corruption would, without question, stand at the level of a Transcendent.
The chances of success might be slim.
But the attempt had to be made.
Because if it succeeded, Chuuya would hold the reins of his own life and death in his own hands.
He would no longer need to entrust the switch to Dazai Osamu.
This was a father's love for his child.
"Then why doesn't it work on Ranpo—"
The words escaped Fukuzawa Yukichi before he could stop himself.
He immediately fell silent.
After pretending for so long, even he had begun to confuse himself over whether Ranpo was actually an ability user or not.
Asou Akiya replied with a perfectly serious expression,
"That's because Ranpo's control over the ability Super Deduction is exceptionally strong. It doesn't require outside interference, nor is there any risk of it running out of control."
The second nervous wreck in the room—Edogawa Ranpo—instantly blossomed with delight.
"Wahahaha! I knew it! I'm way more amazing than the little orange cat!"
"...Heh."
Despite his young age, Nakahara Chuuya had already mastered the art of smiling without any actual warmth behind it.
To hell with you, Ranpo.
I play along with your act because I'm giving you face, not because I'm letting you trample all over mine!
The conversation about abilities reminded Chuuya of something.
Turning to his father, he asked,
"Akiya-san, today Ranpo caused trouble outside and ended up leading an ability user from out of town straight to me. After he lost to me, he mentioned something called 'ability priority.' What does that mean?"
Asou Akiya answered,
"I believe that differences in rank exist between abilities. In certain situations, when two abilities come into conflict, an overwhelming disparity in their levels may allow the higher-ranking ability to claim priority. As a result, it can suppress the lower-ranking ability and produce an effect similar to nullification."
He continued calmly,
"Based on what happened today, we can conclude that Shibusawa Tatsuhiko's ability is incapable of separating our abilities."
"You, Ranpo, myself, and Randou—our abilities all belong to the highest tier."
Today, there was one more shameless person present besides Ranpo.
His name was Asou Akiya.
Nakahara Chuuya felt dizzy.
What? The highest tier of abilities?
Just how many ability users are there in this family, exactly?!
Fukuzawa Yukichi looked at him with a gaze filled with awe.
When it came to sheer shamelessness, he had to admit that he was completely outclassed.
Randou suppressed a laugh. Holding Akiya's hand, he guided it to his cheek. Beneath the warm glow of the crystal chandelier, his golden-green eyes overflowed with trust and affection.
—As long as I am strong enough, then Akiya is strong as well. No one will ever be able to expose the truth.
Asou Akiya returned his gaze with equal tenderness.
—Because of you, I have nothing to fear.
We will raise these children well. We will take care of this family.
By the time our lives come to an end, ours will be a life others can only envy.
Just look.
Everyone is moving toward a brighter future.