Vol 3 Chapter 24 – Basement Shower (【The Exonerator of the Maritime Nation】Arc)

“Hmm…?”

“What’s wrong?”

Mayuzumi turned his gaze toward her.

“It’s strange. There isn’t a trace of anyone here.”

After searching the movie theater, Hirata and Mayuzumi ultimately found no sign of anyone.

“Maybe Satsuki-san moved the moment you looked away?”
“I don’t think so. After all, that person is seriously dedicated to the mission.”

Hirata felt that Satsuki’s pallor proved she had been staking out without sleep. After a moment of thought, she reached a conclusion.

“I guess there must be an escape route somewhere.”
“An escape route, huh…”

Given that neither the Boss nor any members of the rival organization had appeared even once, it’s highly likely she was right. However, so far, there hadn’t been any suspicious spots inside the theater.

“We haven’t found any suspicious areas anywhere.”
“Then how did the Boss and the others move…?”

The two were left utterly baffled.

—————————————————

Second Search Inside the Theater

Suddenly, Hirata’s eyes caught sight of a locker.

“A cleaning supplies locker…”

It was just an ordinary cleaning closet—big enough for about two people. On a whim, she reached for its handle. She opened the locker door——————.

“It won’t open?”

No matter how many times she grasped, pulled, or pushed the handle, the locker wouldn’t budge—perhaps it was locked. Yet, there was no keyhole to be seen. Upon closer inspection, she noticed a small air vent near the top. With no key in sight, there was only one way to open this door.

“Is something wrong?”

Mayuzumi asked, noticing her demeanor.

“This locker won’t open. Can you force it open?”
“…? Well, if it’s just that much.”

Following her instructions, he reached for the locker door and pulled it forcefully, as if yanking it out.

With a sharp “Baki!” sound, as if something had broken, the locker opened.

“——————— Finally found it.”

Inside the opened locker, there were no cleaning supplies whatsoever. Instead, the bottom was open and a ladder was propped inside. Moreover, a flashlight was mounted above, and by pressing its switch, it illuminated the inside of the wall.

“This definitely leads somewhere.”
“Yes, it does. Hmm.”
“Hirata-san!?”

Without any hesitation, while Mayuzumi was considering whether to proceed, Hirata used the ladder to descend.

“What if there’s a trap?!”
“We’ll deal with it when it comes. Right now, finding the Boss is our top priority.”
“…I guess we have no choice.”

With that, Mayuzumi continued stepping onto the ladder.
“You really don’t have to overdo it.”
“Are you saying I should do everything by myself…?”

Mayuzumi let out a small sigh right then, and Hirata snorted at him.

—————————————————

“This looks like the main location.”
“It definitely has the feel of someone living here…”

At the bottom of the ladder, a room about 12 tatami in size spread out before them. There was a bed and a table. In addition, household appliances such as a refrigerator and a microwave were scattered about. It was set up to the level where one could resume living at any moment.

“Hmm…?”
“What’s that sound?”

About five minutes after entering the room, as they listened carefully, a sound began echoing through the space—zaa-zaa, like the sound of rain falling. That was the sound.

“Rain? But this is underground… which means…”
“…the sound of a shower?”
“———————That’s it.”

There were three doors in the room. In a room with such a lived-in feel, having a bathroom wouldn’t be surprising.

—————————————————

“So, does that mean someone’s behind this door?”

The two pressed their ears close as they stood before the door from which the shower sound was emanating. Hirata reached for the doorknob. If the person inside was in the middle of a shower, they’d be completely unguarded. Quietly, she opened the door.

“Just as I thought…”

Beyond the door, a washroom and a bath lay before them. The two exchanged glances and nodded subtly; they were on the same page. Hirata drew her karambit knife with her right hand, and Mayuzumi clenched his fist, his expression fully prepared.

“Let’s do this.”

Hirata slowly extended her hand and signaled with a finger.
“3…”
“2…”

The countdown reached its end.

———————————————”1.”

As soon as Hirata finished counting down, the two of them kicked the bathroom door open with force. Inside, a figure was in the midst of taking a shower.

“Behave. If you resist, I’ll kill you.”

Hirata pressed the karambit knife she held against the area around the neck’s artery. At the same time, Mayuzumi restrained the person’s lower body to prevent any movement.

“…?”

Hirata and Mayuzumi exchanged puzzled looks. There was virtually no resistance at all; rather, the person appeared unnervingly calm—as if they had already accepted their fate.

“You’re awfully calm. Have you given up already?”

Judging by the build, the person was male. Hirata circled around to get a clear view of his face.

“Eh————————.”

For Hirata, this was someone unbelievable. Only a few days had passed—yet for her, it felt like an eternity. A cherished presence. The person in the shower then spoke.

“Hirata… Mayuzumi? What kind of joke is this…?”

In an instant, Hirata fainted and collapsed. Red liquid began flowing from her nose.