Sato Miwako couldn’t turn on the siren. That would only alert everyone nearby that something was wrong at the municipal building.
With that in mind, she had no choice but to drive normally.
At the same time, she turned on the radio in her car.
It was already 3:55 in the afternoon, exactly as expected.
[We now interrupt this broadcast with an urgent special report!]
Here it comes... Sato Miwako’s expression hardened.
[We’ve just received a chilling warning! All passengers currently riding the Toudou Loop Line are advised to remain calm and avoid panicking!]
[A letter was received from a man claiming to be responsible for the Shinjuku bombing. He has planted six bombs along the Toudou Loop Line. Starting at 4 PM, if any train on the line fails to maintain a minimum speed of 60 kilometers per hour, the bombs will detonate!]
A direct provocation, as expected... Sato Miwako felt a chill run down her spine.
Everything was precisely timed. If she had been even thirty minutes later, the bombs planted on the tracks would have already exploded.
Fortunately, she had made it in time.
Thinking back on how she had recovered all six bombs gave her a brief moment of relief.
Sure enough, Moriya Teiji had made his announcement in advance, just as predicted. He was extremely confident in his planning and setup.
Inspector Megure should be able to stall for a while. There was still over an hour until sunset. Based on Moriya’s personality, the bombs placed in the Beika Municipal Building likely wouldn’t detonate before then.
But once the sun set, it would be a different story. These wouldn’t be light-sensitive bombs—more likely, they were time bombs.
Gripping the steering wheel and staring at the road ahead, Sato Miwako couldn’t suppress a wave of irritation.
Hurry up! I don’t have time for this!
Just then, the previously congested road started clearing, as if responding to her plea.
She glanced to the side and immediately understood.
The Todou Loop Line... No wonder it wasn’t jammed anymore.
The radio announcement had made people avoid the Loop Line area. Some clearly believed the bomber’s threats and chose not to risk being near the tracks.
After all, no one wants to be caught in a derailment caused by an explosion.
That was likely the reason the previously jammed road had suddenly cleared.
She quickly followed the flow of traffic, accelerating to keep pace and pass through this section smoothly.
However, while traffic near the Loop Line had eased up, other roads remained heavily congested. In fact, some were even worse than usual.
Annoyed but patient, Sato Miwako finally reached the Beika Municipal Building and parked nearby.
After taking a moment to compose herself, she exited the car, grabbing the prepared bag from the passenger seat.
Looking around, she saw that the municipal building was still full of people. Despite the bomber’s public warning, many seemed to think it didn’t concern them.
Sato Miwako quickly entered the building and pulled out her phone to contact Ren.
"I’ve arrived at the municipal building."
"Right on time, just as predicted. As you enter—no, even at the entrance—look upward. You’ll spot a time bomb with a considerable yield."
Sato Miwako stepped inside and began searching above the entrance. In a well-concealed spot high up, she saw it: a live time bomb, its digits steadily counting down.
"Don’t worry. That one’s fairly stable. The bomber is a perfectionist and an architect. He knows demolition principles. He wouldn’t make a faulty device."
"Then I really ought to thank him for being such a perfectionist," Sato Miwako muttered sarcastically.
"Officer Sato, you really should be glad he’s not a half-baked amateur. If he were, this whole operation would be far more dangerous. His perfectionism doesn’t just apply to design—it extends to his technical knowledge."
"But perfectionists tend to be paranoid. As long as no flaws appear, they believe everything is under control. That works in our favor."
"Also, don’t alert anyone in the building. It could spark a panic."
"These bombs are set to go off at 10 PM. You’ve got five hours. They are strictly time-triggered, with no remote detonation mechanism. They can even withstand a few bumps."
Sato Miwako took a deep breath. She knew the real challenge was just beginning.
She had to retrieve all of the bombs in five hours. It was no easy task, but there was no other choice.
"I’ll prepare and start now."
She quickly located a restroom, entered a stall, and pulled out dark blue work clothes from her bag.
She packed away her original uniform and changed into the work attire.
A matching baseball cap and a pair of thick gloves completed the disguise.
Wearing this, no one would question her movements within the municipal building.
Of course, this wasn’t her own idea—it had been suggested in advance.
She slung the bag over her shoulder and transformed completely into a municipal maintenance worker.
With that, her bomb retrieval operation officially began.
Meanwhile, Ren was lounging at home, watching the news.
"Tsk. Those reporters really aren’t afraid of death. They’re like sharks that smelled blood."
The Metropolitan Police Department had responded quickly, evacuating civilians along the Todou Loop Line as soon as they received the warning.
But the reporters, completely unfazed, had gathered even closer to the danger zone, cameras rolling.
"They’re always like that. Moriya Teiji didn’t plan this aspect, but he used the media’s obsession with real-time reporting to his advantage. He can just sit at home and watch TV to gauge the situation."
"Using reporters, huh? They’re not exactly helpful to police operations."
"Do you think they care?" Ren chuckled.
"All they care about is climbing the ranks. Whether or not they help the police is irrelevant. After all, it’s not like the police can arrest them over something ."
"But thanks to all the focus being drawn to the Todou Loop Line, no one is paying attention to the municipal building."
"That gives Officer Sato the perfect window to act quietly."
For every 200 PS = 1 extra Chapter. Support me on P/treon to read 30+ advanced Chapters: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves
(Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)