SCIAW: Chapter 328/329

Chapter 328: Sato Miwako's Choice

"I guess so."

You really do know… Sato Miwako let out a sigh of relief, but she was even more surprised by Ren's methods.

After the Takahashi Ryoichi case, she already knew Ren had some kind of special ability, but she had never directly asked what that ability was.

But could supernatural powers really investigate things so clearly?

As an ordinary person, Sato Miwako couldn't perceive it, nor could she make a proper judgment with her own understanding.

"So, where exactly is the bomb?"

"There are six bombs planted on the central tracks of the Todou Loop Line."

"!?"

Sato Miwako was shocked again.

She already knew the bomber was a complete lunatic, but this time the incident was on a whole new scale.

"Is he… seriously insane?"

Sato Miwako tried hard to keep her voice down, or else her voice would have echoed throughout the entire office.

The Loop Line is used by so many commuters. If those bombs were to explode, the consequences would be unimaginable.

But Sato Miwako knew that if all six bombs went off, the passengers onboard would be completely wiped out.

"So, hasn't he always been a madman?"

"I've never denied he's a madman. What he's doing is his twisted idea of performing art. While I can admire someone's extreme dedication, I still despise such insanity."

Sato Miwako did her best to compose herself.

Now wasn't the time to get emotional. The bombs had to be dealt with first… She genuinely wanted to kill Moriya Teiji, but she knew what mattered most right now was solving the problem.

Supporting herself with one hand, she stood up, glanced at her colleagues in the office to confirm they were all busy on the phone, then sat down again and lowered her voice to continue asking:

"So, where are the explosives located?"

"I know the location of all six bombs. But can you persuade Inspector Megure?"

That… Sato Miwako froze for a moment. Indeed, this was the real issue right now. She couldn't explain everything to Inspector Megure, especially not something like explosives.

"The Metropolitan Police Department is already on edge. Senior officials are closely monitoring this case and have deployed large numbers of personnel. Your word alone won't be enough to sway Inspector Megure. Once you lose the initiative, the only way to convince him might be to expose me."

"I won't do that."

Sato Miwako rejected the idea without a second thought.

"Eh? Even if doing so could save many lives?"

"Even if it could save many lives. If I say something now, you might be put in danger. I don't believe those who discover your ability would ever let you go."

Sato Miwako knew she was being naive, but she still believed she was right. If the higher-ups found out that this child had such special powers, he would be forcibly controlled for sure.

"Officer Sato, if you act now, you could save a lot of people. Someone once made that choice, sacrificing a few to save the many."

"There's no such thing as 'a few' or 'the many' when it comes to lives. All lives are equal."

"Hmm, idealist, huh? Officer Sato, what you said is clearly too idealistic. This world isn't equal, and neither is life."

"But in my eyes, it is equal. When facing a bomber, I'll do everything I can to stop him, but I won't steer an uncontrollable train right into one person."

"You really are too idealistic. But I do admit, Officer Sato, that you're unique. You're not in a high enough position yet, so your heart hasn't been tainted."

Sato Miwako could hear that there was a subtle smile in the voice on the other end of the call.

"Well then, Officer Sato, how about I give you a suggestion?"

A suggestion? Sato Miwako instinctively raised her guard.

"What kind of suggestion?"

"Right now, you can't convince Inspector Megure the normal way, and you don't want to expose me. That means you'll have to take on some risk. What do you think?"

"Risk? I'm in."

"You're willing to take a risk? Alright then. It's 1:32 PM right now, just past the mark. There's still two and a half hours before the bombs activate. If Officer Sato is willing to act independently, then there's no need to convince Inspector Megure."

"Understood."

Sato Miwako immediately stood up, left her seat without saying a word to anyone, exited the Investigation Section 1 office, and took the elevator down to the underground parking lot.

She jumped into her beloved car, fastened her seatbelt quickly, and started the engine.

At that very moment, Ren, who was watching the news at home with Nagi in his arms, was casually lounging and staring at the TV.

"What a mad artist. Using such extreme means just to make the world remember his name. People in the arts really are a little off. Being too obsessed leads to ruin."

Nagi kept her eyes on the TV. The news was still broadcasting updates about the explosion in Shinjuku.

She actually agreed with Ren's assessment.

"You said it yourself, artists are paranoid by nature. They may have immense talent in one area, but they're also overly sensitive about perceived flaws. Every artist wants their reputation to be spotless."

"But using such cruel methods to leave behind an artistic legacy… that's not something any sane person would do."

Ren could see it clearly. He also understood why.

"Sanzenin originally wanted to challenge Kudo Shinichi, but he did not account for the news of Kudo Shinichi's death before executing his plan. He simply proceeded with his preparations."

"He was trapped by a change in circumstances. The Kudo Shinichi he wanted revenge on didn't even exist anymore. So he made some last-minute changes and ended up triggering the bomb too early."

"If he had just waited a little longer, his plan wouldn't have failed so easily."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 329: Using His Identity

The explosion at the museum happened too early. If it had been delayed to around 3:00 or 3:30 PM, the success rate of the plan would have increased.

However, the perpetrator seemed to be a bit overconfident.

Perhaps it was because this was his first criminal act, and it was directly tied to his artistic pursuit.

Blind self-confidence is fatal.

Of course, Ren still appreciated it when something this dangerous needed to be dealt with.

It was like watching a play. He enjoyed seeing such an overconfident artist ultimately destroy himself.

Sitting on his lap, Nagi elbowed Ren behind her.

"Even if he delayed the explosion, you would still have been able to handle it right?"

Ren nodded slightly, not denying it.

"It's possible. But in that case, the credit wouldn't go to Officer Sato."

"For certain cases, it's best if everything except the source appears personal. That way, credit goes to the individual. Otherwise, it easily causes bias."

"Of course, once things appear highly personalized, it also helps to keep my presence diluted."

Ren leaned back slightly, clearly understanding his own position.

"Before I gain absolute power, I'd rather not have too much contact with the police or public safety. I'm not like Kudo, who likes standing in the spotlight. I'd much rather sit downstairs in front of the TV."

I knew it...

Nagi wasn't surprised by Ren's answer.

She actually shared the same mindset.

Even if I plan to show my strength openly in the future, it's better to wait until I'm strong enough.

"So, are you thinking of starting with someone in the Metropolitan Police Department?"

But Ren shook his head slightly.

"No, I only contacted Officer Sato because I didn't want to go to a phone booth every time. I told her about the incident, and she won't reveal my identity. That saves me a lot of unnecessary trouble."

Ah, saving trouble again... Nagi felt like she had figured it out.

But on second thought, it really did match Ren's personality. He hated getting involved in things that didn't concern him. The best way to deal with those was to report them to the police.

After all, handling crime is the police's job. In this case, it was best to let the authorities handle it.

"But now, I'm starting to think maybe it's a good idea to develop Officer Sato into one of my believers."

But when he said that, Ren hesitated slightly.

"It's just unfortunate that I can't give Officer Sato a power that suits her right now."

As a police officer, the most appropriate Pathway for Sato Miwako would naturally be the Arbiter.

Unfortunately, Ren had not obtained the Nation of Disorder, so he could not bestow the power of that pathway yet.

"Then give her the power of a different Pathway for now. Once you find a more fitting one, you can replace it. The powers granted as gifts are different from those obtained through potion advancement. Gifted powers are obviously easier to control."

Nagi offered the suggestion.

Ren nodded slightly in agreement. The gift system really was more convenient in that regard.

"After this incident ends, Officer Sato will likely be curious. Regarding the Takahashi Ryoichi case, she should've already figured out that the incident from two years ago was connected to Chikako. She must be struggling to understand what she can't explain."

"Exactly. That's when we can let her witness supernatural power beyond her understanding."

"But isn't a stubborn person harder to recruit as a believer?"

Nagi reminded Ren that the one he was targeting this time wasn't just anyone.

"This isn't a believer cultivated by a god. This is just me, inviting her personally."

"It doesn't matter whether she spreads faith or not. I just think Officer Sato is interesting."

Nagi was briefly stunned, then quickly understood.

This wasn't an invitation made under the identity of some mysterious god, but an invitation from Ren himself.

It might seem like just a difference in wording, but it represented an entirely different meaning.

"Heh~ So you think highly of this policewoman... Well, there is a reason to save trouble, I guess?"

Nagi asked teasingly.

Ren smiled and pinched Nagi's soft cheek.

"On one hand, yes, it's about saving trouble. Having that kind of connection will be more solid than our current relationship. But the other reason is probably what Officer Sato said earlier."

"It was clearly a trolley problem, but she gave an answer that was even more greedy."

Instead of choosing between sacrificing one person or many, she chose to rely on her own strength to stop the disaster from happening in the first place.

That was the path of changing fate.

Since she gave that kind of answer and was even willing to take risks, then fate shouldn't remain the same.

Meanwhile, Sato Miwako, now driving, had quickly found the first bomb hidden in the middle of the railroad track based on Ren's instructions.

"There it is!"

Sato Miwako sat in her car, using binoculars to spot the bomb hidden between the tracks.

She immediately stopped the car and grabbed the electric drill from the passenger seat.

The guardrail here was relatively low, only about one and a half meters. Even with a drill in hand, it wasn't hard to get over.

Checking the timing of the trains, Sato Miwako seized the moment and rushed to the bomb's hiding spot.

A rectangular explosive was placed atop a railway sleeper, and on closer inspection, it had been firmly screwed in.

Good thing he warned me...

Sato Miwako quickly began dismantling the bomb.

Luckily, the drill worked efficiently. The explosive was detached in just ten seconds.

Considering the location was on an active railway line, she picked up the dynamite and the drill and left the site immediately.

Crossing the guardrail, she returned to her car.

Sato Miwako stowed the dynamite in a bag, then drove straight to the second bomb's location without stopping.

It was now 2:00 PM. There were still two hours left until detonation. She had enough time, but still needed to move faster.

She had to save at least 30 minutes to finish defusing the rest.

(To be continued.)