Pathway to Japanese Literature
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Role of the CipherAuthor: Unno Juza
| Original Title | 暗号の役割 |
|---|---|
| Author | 海野 十三 |
| Genre | Fantasy & Sci-Fi |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In the shadowy underworld of Tokyo, a relentless game of wits unfolds between the enigmatic Phantom Crime Lord Utou Tenku and the tenacious, perpetually hunched Detective Fukuro Nekoneko. Their stalemate fractures one frigid night when Nekoneko, stumbling drunkenly through Toranomon Park, overhears a clandestine exchange about a murdered prospector and a hidden hydrargillite mine. A violent brawl leaves him battered but clutching a mysterious briefcase containing Utou’s most guarded secrets. Days later, a pickpocket’s ambush delivers an even greater prize: a ciphertext pointing to a fugitive’s hideout. As Nekoneko painstakingly deciphers the code—unraveling grids of katakana and hidden messages—he sets a trap, only to find himself ensnared in Utou’s counterplot. Gas masks, paralyzing agents, and midnight raids blur the line between hunter and prey. Yet beneath the theatrics of stolen documents and feigned retreats lies a deeper truth: in this duel of cunning, every victory is provisional, and trust is the deadliest cipher of all. The game continues—silent, lethal, and far from over. |
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