5
An explosion so loud Yuma feared his eardrums would burst shook the room. Like an earthquake, the entire building shook, swinging the chandelier on the ceiling like a pendulum.
“Soon, the Tower will be engulfed in flames due to the gasoline explosion and the chimney effect created by the spiral staircase in the center of the building. Soon this room will be engulfed in flames as well.”
“I see. I hope it isn't too painful.”
Yuma's voice was calm. For some reason, he wasn't afraid to die.
“In that case, I don't think there's anything to worry about. Since you're a doctor, I might not need to explain this, but in a fire, the most common cause of death is carbon monoxide inhalation. I imagine you'll lose consciousness quickly once you inhale the smoke. And...”
Tsukiyo threw away the detonator and leveled her shotgun.
“You won't die in a fire.”
“Are you going to shoot me?”
“Yes. After all, it's no good for a criminal and a detective to choose to die together. Doesn't it make more sense for rivals to go out in a spectacular final battle, clashing with all their might?”
“Maybe.”
Yuma answered as he stared at the barrel of the gun. Black smoke crept under the gap in the door. In an instant, the room was flooded with smoke until it coiled around the ceiling.
“We're running out of time, Yuma. Shall we proceed with the finale?”
“Go ahead. I'd rather be killed by you than die of smoke inhalation.”
“I'm honored. Well then, time to go.”
Yuma closed his eyes. The next moment, a thunderous noise rang out, shaking his internal organs. But the shock and pain he'd been bracing for never hit.
Eventually, Yuma opened his eyes and looked down at his body. There was no blood. Instead, a stinging cold wind was blowing on the side of his face.
Yuma reflexively turned towards the wind and gasped. The glass of the game room window had been shattered. It had probably been blown away by the shotgun.
Not understanding what was happening, he tried to turn to face Tsukiyo, but the moment he did, he felt a shock run through his neck. Every muscle in his body stiffened violently, then relaxed all at once. Like a marionette with cut strings, Yuma collapsed.
Seeing Tsukiyo holding a device in her hand, Yuma realized he'd been hit with a stun gun. “Wh, wha...?” His tongue was stiff and he couldn't speak properly.
“I'll explain later, but first, we need to evacuate.”
With that, Tsukiyo threw the stun gun away and put her hands under Yuma's arms, dragging him out the window shattered by gunfire.
“The glass shards might prick you a bit, but please bear with it. The broken window's letting in fresh air, which could cause a backdraft.”
Tsukiyo dragged Yuma's body across the field of snow with strength unimaginable from her slender frame.
When they were about twenty meters away from the Tower, Tsukiyo said “I think we'll be safe here” and let go of Yuma. Almost simultaneously, a sound like pottery shattering rang out, and the cone-shaped cap of the Glass Tower's display room exploded. A flaming dragon rose up into the snowy sky.
“That will maximize the chimney effect. But even though it couldn't be helped, it feels really bad burning the Kozushima Collection. Such a waste...”
Tsukiyo placed both hands over her heart in deep sorrow. Flames began to erupt from the windows of the Glass Tower one after another.
“Why... didn't you kill me...?”
His tongue was starting to regain feeling, but his body still couldn't move a muscle.
“The idea of disappearing into the flames hand in hand was appealing, but I decided to keep in mind my original intentions.”
“Original intentions...?”
“To meet a real great detective. The world is so vast, surely the person I'm looking for must exist somewhere out there. From now on, as a great criminal, I'll keep searching for great detectives.”
“Guess I wasn't good enough.”
Tsukiyo plopped down next to Yuma, sending powdery snow flying up.
“You're right. To be honest, you're far from the great detective I wanted you to be.”
For some reason, a sharp pain ran through his chest. Tsukiyo looked gently down at Yuma, whose lips were tightly pressed together.
“But even if you weren't the best detective, you were the ideal Watson. You were the best partner I've ever had as a great detective. It wasn't for very long, but I enjoyed investigating with you.”
Tsukiyo gently touched Yuma's forehead, causing his eyes to widen.
“So I decided to do one last job as a great detective. The most important job of all: saving my partner.”
Tsukiyo moved closer and gently placed her lips to Yuma's cheek.
“My farewell kiss. If it's just this much, we can still call it within the bounds of friendship.”
Tsukiyo gave a mischievous wink and stood up. She looked a bit reluctant to leave.
“We probably won't see each other again, but take care.”
Tsukiyo turned around and left.
“Wait! Wait! TSUKIYO!”
Yuma desperately called out to her back as it shrunk away into the distance. Tsukiyo stopped walking and turned around.
“You finally called me by my name. I'm so happy. Goodbye, my precious Watson.”
The moment the bashful, girlish blush finished forming on Tsukiyo's face, a sideways gust of snow turned the world white. Yuma reflexively closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the woman who had once been a great detective and was now a great criminal had vanished.
“Tsukiyo...”
His voice dissipated into the wind.
The flames that had engulfed the Glass Tower illuminated Yuma's face in red.