Chapter 39 Midnight Subway (8) Atsushi Nakajima and Kyoka Izumi...
With the help of Atsushi Nakajima and Kyoka Izumi, Takeichi managed to stand up straight, but he still relied heavily on the two of them for support.
Facing Dazai Osamu's scrutinizing gaze from the shadows, Takeichi pretended not to notice.
He lowered his head, his breathing was rapid and weak, and his brows were slightly furrowed as if he might faint again at any moment. But it was precisely this weak posture that perfectly concealed what Zhu Yi was thinking.
"Can you hold on, Mr. Takeichi?" Atsushi Nakajima asked with concern.
Zhu nodded, forcing a smile, his voice barely audible: "Don't worry too much, everything's fine except for some overdraft. We must stop this train as soon as possible."
"I've purified most of this train; its power has weakened. We'll need you now. I doubt I can be of much help. Sorry..."
"Thank you for your hard work. This isn't your fault, so there's no need to apologize." Kunikida Doppo's voice was calm and serious as he looked towards the front of the carriage. "The current weakened state of the ghost story presents an opportunity to resolve it, Mr. Ranpo. Are we on the right track?"
Edogawa Ranpo walked to the front of the carriage, his emerald green eyes looking towards the driver's cab: "The source is inside. Although Takeichi purified most of the energy, it is still operating according to the rules of this subway. We need to break it."
Dazai Osamu had somehow gotten to the front. He tried to push the driver's side door, but it wouldn't budge.
"We can't push it open. It seems it doesn't welcome us at all." He shrugged, but his gaze thoughtfully swept over some unnatural, tiny shadows on the driver's side door panel, as if they were wriggling with life.
“Let me do it.” Kunikida Doppo stepped forward, took out his notebook, wrote the words “master lock” on it, and then a key appeared after a flash of green light.
Kunikida Doppo inserted the key into the lock until it clicked, then gripped the door handle on the driver's side, pushed the door open a crack, and opened it after confirming there was no danger.
The driver's cab was empty, but the various instrument panels were strangely running on their own, with the needles swinging wildly. The scenery outside the window in front of the cab was the same as what was outside the window inside the cab: an endless expanse of darkness.
“That is…” Kunikida Doppo hesitated, unsure whether to go forward, because a constantly twisting and changing ball of light and shadow was floating in the driver’s seat, and it seemed that countless faces could be seen silently wailing inside.
This is a collection of subway ghost stories, and because of Takeichi's purification of the other party, its state has become extremely unstable.
"That's it!" Edogawa Ranpo exclaimed.
Zhu Yi raised his head, his wine-red eyes looking at the mass. As if sensing Zhu Yi's gaze, it became agitated and restless.
Then, the ball of light emitted a shockwave targeting the mind, causing everyone present to experience a sharp ringing in their ears and see bizarre and surreal scenes.
Zhu Yi first checked the current status of the ghost story on the system panel, and then redeemed items for soul stabilization in the system shop.
He pretended to suppress the discomfort of the mental shockwave, took out a bell from his pocket, and gently shook it—the bell made a clear and ethereal sound.
Kunikida Doppo and Edogawa Ranpo recovered from their brief dizziness, Nakajima Atsushi and Izumi Kyoka's eyes gradually cleared, and Yasha Shirayuki appeared behind Izumi Kyoka at some point, drawing her sword from its sheath.
Seeing that its mental attack had been neutralized, the ball of light and shadow became even more frenzied. Countless faces twisted and spun in the light and shadow, emitting wails. The pointers on the dashboard in the driver's cab jumped wildly, and the train shook violently once again.
“It seems we’ve been angered,” Dazai Osamu said. “Let’s finish this quickly.”
"Tiger Claws." Atsushi Nakajima activated his special ability without hesitation, his hands transforming into tiger claws, and he launched a fierce claw attack at the dark figure.
"Yaksha Shirayuki." Izumi Kyoka signaled, and Yaksha Shirayuki rushed forward, transforming into a sharp blade of light, striking the light and shadow before it could react.
However, as a high-level ghost story, the aggregate was ultimately formed from countless obsessions. On the verge of destruction, it unleashed its last strength to evade the attacks of Nakajima Atsushi and Izumi Kyoka. Instead of continuing to attack the two who were attacking it, it bypassed them and launched itself at Takeichi, who looked weak and had initially severely injured it.
This strike contained the power of all the souls that had fallen into this realm, far surpassing the previous mental impact.
"Mr. Takeichi!" Nakajima Atsushi exclaimed, but it was too late to rush back to help.
Izumi Kyoka stood to the side, drew her dagger, and tried to intercept, but was a moment too slow.
Dazai Osamu's pupils contracted slightly, and he took a step but stopped abruptly. He stared intently at Takeichi, wondering how he would respond.
In Zhu Yi's wine-red eyes, the rapidly approaching light and shadow were reflected. To onlookers, he seemed to be stunned or too weak to react.
Zhu Yi "reluctantly" raised the hand that wasn't holding the bell, seemingly trying in vain to block it, the moment the light and shadow touched his palm.
With a muffled thud, Zhu Yi was thrown backward as if hit by a high-speed train, crashing heavily against the carriage wall before sliding to the ground and remaining motionless.
The power of light and shadow clung to Zhu Yi's body, seemingly eroding him madly.
"Mr. Takeichi!"
Within his spiritual sea of consciousness, Zhu Yi tightly grasped the core of the ghost story. Facing this advanced ghost story that did not obey him, Zhu Yi did not feel angry.
"We are both very weak now, and in the end, we will both be injured."
"Let's talk."
In the real world, Zhu Yi painfully opened his eyes and shook the bell forcefully four times.
The power that was binding Zhu Yi became illusory. When the fourth bell rang, it seemed that it could no longer bear it and finally burst out with a dazzling white light like a supernova.
A white light swept through the entire driver's cab and even engulfed the rear compartments, causing everyone to instinctively close their eyes.
After the white light dissipated, the driver's cab returned to normal.
The dashboard stopped spinning wildly, the needles drooped limply, the darkness outside the window disappeared, replaced by the familiar dim lights and walls of a normal subway tunnel, and the sound of the train running became smooth and regular.
The core of the ghost story was completely destroyed.
The train began to slow down and smoothly moved towards the next normal platform.
"It's over...?" Kunikida Doppo was still in shock when he immediately looked in Takeichi's direction: "Quick, check on Takeichi's condition."
Atsushi Nakajima and Kyoka Izumi had rushed to Takeichi's side. Takeichi's face was ashen, his eyes were closed, and his breathing was so weak that it was almost imperceptible. Although the power had disappeared from his body, it seemed to have taken away all of Takeichi's life force, making him look closer to death than ever before.
"Mr. Takeichi, hang in there." Atsushi Nakajima hurriedly helped him up, while Kyoka Izumi knelt down, checked Takeichi's breathing, and frowned.
Dazai Osamu walked over, squatted down next to Takeichi, and gently placed his finger on Takeichi's carotid artery. The pulse was weak and slow. His gaze swept over Takeichi's bloodless face.
"He has already fainted."
“His internal injuries are severe and he needs to be taken to the hospital immediately,” Dazai Osamu said.
Just then, the train slowly pulled into the station, the doors opened, and outside was the station in the early hours of the morning.
"Let's get off first," Kunikida Doppo directed. "I'll go and evacuate the other passengers from the train."
Atsushi Nakajima carefully carried Takeichi on his back, with Kyoka Izumi standing guard beside him, and the group quickly began to move.
Kunikida Doppo and Dazai Osamu found several missing people on the train. They were trapped in the illusion and refused to leave, remaining in a daze even after the illusion disappeared.
In the corner of the last carriage, Watashita Mie opened her eyes. After the phantom disappeared, she did not get off the train immediately like the others, but stayed behind alone. She walked to the seat where her younger sister Mika had sat, gently stroking the cold seat, her eyes filled with complex emotions.
"Sister." A voice, extremely faint and seemingly about to vanish from Watanabe Mie's ears, rang out.
Watanabe Mie turned her head, but saw nothing. However, she recognized the voice immediately; it was Mika's voice.
"Meijia, is that you?" she called out urgently as she searched for the figure in the carriage.
"Sister, thank you... for not staying..." The voice was broken, filled with relief and blessing: "I'm... leaving... I'm really leaving."
With those words, Watashita Mie clearly felt that the heavy obsession and sorrow in her heart, which made it hard for her to breathe, were gently drawn away by some force, like a gentle hand.
She understood that this was her final farewell to the US and Canada, and also her reconciliation with the past.
Tears silently streamed down Miho Watashita's cheeks, but this time it was no longer pure pain, but a sorrow tinged with relief and the courage Mika had given her to move forward.
"Goodbye, America and Canada," she said to the empty carriage, her expression a mixture of laughter and tears.
She wiped away her tears, and then the carriage was pushed open by Kunikida Doppo and others, and Watanabe Mie looked over.
"Would you like to stay here for a while, madam?" Kunikida Doppo asked hesitantly. He noticed the other woman's moist eyes and thought it might be best to give her some private space to process her emotions.
"No, thank you." Watanabe Mie straightened her back and walked off the train with Kunikida Doppo and the others with firm steps. She did not look back.
On the platform, Kunikida Doppo had already contacted the Special Ability Division and a nearby hospital, and the ambulance and the Special Ability Division personnel arrived almost simultaneously.
Medical staff quickly lifted the unconscious Takeichi onto a stretcher and sent him to the hospital. Nakajima Atsushi and Izumi Kyoka wanted to follow, but were stopped by Kunikida Doppo.
“The Special Operations Department has taken over; we need to go back and report to the president,” Kunikida Doppo said, glancing at Dazai Osamu at the same time: “Dazai, you…”
"As for me," Dazai Osamu stretched, his gaze following the departing ambulance, "I have some things on my mind. I'll go to the hospital to check on things. After all, Takeichi-kun is kind of our temporary ally."
Before Kunikida Doppo could object, he casually put his hands in his pockets and followed the Special Abilities Division's convoy.
Edogawa Ranpo yawned: "Alright, alright, that's settled. Let Dazai worry about the rest. Kunikida, let's go back quickly, I want some sweets!"
Kunikida Doppo had no choice but to take Nakajima Atsushi, Izumi Kyoka, and Edogawa Ranpo back to the Armed Detective Agency first.
Hospital.
Special intensive care unit.
Zhu Yi was placed in a secret ward arranged by the Special Abilities Department, and his body was connected to various instruments that monitor vital signs.
Zhu Yi remained unconscious, his face pale.
Ango Sakaguchi arrived in person, and his expression turned somewhat grave as he listened to his subordinate's report.
"How is the situation?" Dazai Osamu asked, leaning against the doorframe.
Ango Sakaguchi looked over and adjusted his glasses: "His vital signs have stabilized, but his consciousness has not yet returned. According to the analysis of the residual energy at the scene and the descriptions from your detective agency members, he suffered extremely intense mental pollution and soul impact. It's a miracle that he survived. Moreover, that bell seems to have been activated by overdrawing his soul."
He paused, then looked at Dazai Osamu: "What did you discover?"
Dazai Osamu entered the ward, came to the bedside, and looked down at Takeichi's quiet, pale face.
"Ango... do you think it's easy for someone who can purify ghost stories, carries all sorts of strange gadgets, and survives that kind of attack?" Dazai Osamu asked softly.
Ango Sakaguchi paused for a moment: "His origins are indeed a mystery. But as it stands, he is helping us solve the ghost stories, and 001 blocked some of the attacks for him, and his condition is similar to what Takeichi showed."
"Help?" Dazai Osamu smiled, his expression ambiguous.
"Maybe. But I always feel that he's like a..."
“A beautifully packaged puzzle, yet it holds secrets we know nothing about.” His fingers brushed over the wires of the monitor beside the bed, but his gaze remained fixed on Zhu Yi’s face: “Especially after he purified, or rather absorbed, those things that shouldn’t have belonged to him.”
“Absorb?” Ango Sakaguchi frowned.
“It’s just a feeling.” Dazai Osamu didn’t elaborate. “Keep an eye on him, Ango. I suspect that when he wakes up, he might be somewhat different.”
While Dazai Osamu and Sakaguchi Ango were talking, no one noticed that Takeichi's eyelashes on the sickbed trembled almost imperceptibly.
Deep within his consciousness, there was not darkness.
Zhu Yi and Zhu Yi were sitting face to face.
Zhu Yi didn't know what he said to the other person; he only felt very tired. Then, [Zhu Yi] seemed to notice his condition.
“Leave everything to me,” said [Zhu Yi].
Zhu Yi shook his head.
[Zhu Yi]: "I know what you want to do, leave it to me."
"No."
"Why?" [Zhu Yi] looked at him with puzzled eyes.
"Because I know what you want to do."
...
A few hours later, the sky began to lighten.
The door to the ward was gently pushed open, and Atsushi Nakajima and Kyoka Izumi walked in carrying a fruit basket and a bento box. They were still worried and came to visit Takeichi after consulting with President Yukichi Fukuzawa.
When they reached the bedside, they were surprised to find that Zhu Yi had already woken up.
He leaned against the headboard, his face still somewhat pale, his wine-red eyes already open, quietly gazing at the gradually brightening sky outside the window.
Upon hearing the noise, Takeichi slowly turned his head to look at Nakajima Atsushi and Izumi Kyoka.
In that instant, Atsushi Nakajima inexplicably felt that Takeichi's gaze seemed somewhat... different.
Atsushi Nakajima couldn't quite put his finger on what was different. They still had those beautiful eyes, but the emotions within them seemed fainter, calmer? And it was somewhat like a fleeting feeling that Dazai-sensei had, rather than a change in demeanor.
"Mr. Takeichi, you're awake! That's wonderful!" Atsushi Nakajima suppressed his unease and happily stepped forward: "How are you feeling? Is there anything else that's bothering you?"
Izumi Kyoka silently placed the bento box on the bedside table, then frowned and looked at Takeichi.
Zhu Yi looked at them, a faint, slightly weak smile slowly curving up at the corners of his mouth.
"Thank you for coming to see me." Zhu Yi's voice was still a little hoarse, but steady: "I feel much better, but it's like I had a very long dream."
His tone was gentle, carrying just the right amount of gratitude and a hint of exhaustion from surviving a close call, just as before. But if you looked closely, you would notice that the curve of his smile was unusually perfect, as if it had been precisely calculated, and the depths of his eyes lacked the warmth that a genuine smile should have.
"It's good that you're alright." Atsushi Nakajima breathed a sigh of relief, attributing the unusual behavior to Takeichi's recent recovery from serious injuries: "The doctor said you were severely overworked and need to rest well."
“Yes, I will.” Take nodded, his gaze sweeping over Nakajima Atsushi before looking at Izumi Kyoka, and finally returning to Nakajima Atsushi. He asked casually, “By the way, Atsushi-kun, Kyoka-chan, thank you for your help this time. I wonder what the Special Ability Department’s plans are for me and these ghost stories?”
His question sounded perfectly reasonable; it was only natural for someone with special abilities who was involved in unusual events to care about the official attitude.
Atsushi Nakajima scratched his head: "Well... I'm not too sure either. It's Dazai-san and Sakaguchi-san who are handling it. But don't worry, the Armed Detective Agency and the Special Ability Division know that you were injured because of the ghost stories, so they shouldn't harm you."
"Is that so?" Zhu Yi responded softly, lowering her eyes, her long eyelashes concealing the fleeting darkness in her eyes.
The official attitude is currently friendly, but there is surveillance from Osamu Dazai and Ango Sakaguchi. It is unknown whether those old geezers will intervene. The Armed Detective Agency can be considered his protector and source of intelligence.
Cold thoughts surge like an undercurrent beneath the surface of humanity's remaining facade.
He looked up and once again revealed that standard, gentle smile that lacked any real warmth.
"That's good. Thank you so much... for your help."
The sunlight outside the window gradually brightened, illuminating the ward and also Zhu's pale face, which was shrouded in light and shadow.
Those wine-red eyes, under the light, had an almost transparent quality, as if they held a lot and yet were empty.
After Nakajima Atsushi and Izumi Kyoka left, Takei looked at the camera in the ward.
Meanwhile, Fyodor paused for a moment, then met Takeichi's sudden gaze on the screen. Fyodor thought the other had noticed him, but Takeichi glanced away and looked out the window again.
Meanwhile, on the walls of the safe house behind Fyodor, countless eyes peered out from the shadows in the corners of the wall, watching him intently.
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