Pathway to Japanese Literature

The Mysterious Old Man

1

No one knew when the man with the mysterious face known as the Mysterious Tower King had first appeared.

It was at the very beginning of this summer that the siblings Ichihiko and Michiko first laid eyes on that Mysterious Tower King. It was a very long stretch of coastline in Chiba Prefecture known as Kujūkuri Beach. Ichihiko was a first-year middle school student, and Michiko was a fourth-year elementary school student. When summer vacation began, the two soon came to this Kujūkuri Beach. The siblings were most unfortunate, having lost both parents when they were young. Afterward, they had been taken in by their young uncle named Homura Sōroku, who saw to it that they attended school in Tokyo from his care.

As for Homura Sōroku, some of you may already know him—he was a famous young detective. The name Detective Homura must surely be one you’ve heard somewhere before. Uncle Homura was quite knowledgeable about machinery. He was a Bachelor of Science, after all. Uncle Homura had sent the siblings, who had just begun their summer vacation, to play at the villa located on Kujūkuri Beach.

Kujūkuri Beach was quite a scenic spot. And it was truly vast—so much so that it felt almost desolate. It was a few days after Ichihiko and Michiko had come there that they encountered the Mysterious Tower King. As the siblings were playing at the water’s edge collecting shells, there came from behind them a heavy crunching sound—the noise of sand being trodden upon. “Who could that be?” When they turned to look behind them, a tall, lanky old man was walking unsteadily with a bent back. He was carrying a large bag on his shoulder, though what it contained remained unclear.

Ichihiko glanced up at the old man’s face from below at that moment and thought, "Hm?" This was because the old man’s face was truly peculiar.

2 Though one might say the face of the old man crunching heavily across the sand was extremely strange, it was by no means a scary or frightening face. No—rather than fearsome, it was quite a comical face. It was like the comical masks worn by performers who appear on makeshift stages during festivals—those who make people laugh with antics, like the *hyottoko* with its lopsided grin or the *tide-blowing* mask. Among these masks, his face most closely resembled the sharp-mouthed tide-blowing one.

(Ha ha ha, that's so funny!) Ichihiko had been about to laugh, but thinking it wasn’t right to laugh at an old man, he hurriedly stifled his laughter. The tide-blowing-faced old man passed behind the siblings in a manner suggesting he hadn’t noticed a thing. And then, with the bag still on his shoulder, he trudged off along the beach toward the other side. “Michiko, did you see that old man’s face just now?” “Yes, I saw it.” “The mouth was pointed like a fox’s and looked so funny!” “You saw it too, Big Brother?”

“Yeah, I saw it for sure. I really wanted to laugh, and it was so hard holding it back. Ha ha!” “Oh ho ho!” “Michiko, want me to show you a little imitation? Look, like this—” As Ichihiko pursed his lips, bent his waist, and shuffled unsteadily across the sand where the old man had passed, Michiko clutched her stomach and rolled with laughter—Oh ho ho ho!

Michiko had laughed so hard she could barely breathe, but when she noticed her brother Ichihiko had grown unusually quiet, she suddenly realized— “Big Brother, what’s wrong?”

Ichihio crouched down without replying and stared fixedly at the sand. “Mitchiho—come here and look! There’s something stran—”

3 "Michiko! Come over here!" "There's something weird--"

At Ichihiko’s voice, Michiko was suddenly startled as if her heart had been seized and dashed to her brother’s side.

“Look! There’s something like this lying here.” When they looked where Ichihiko was pointing, there lay a single key of peculiar shape on the sand. “Oh, a key.” It was undoubtedly a key, but one that seemed about ten times larger than a normal key. It was jet-black in color, and the jagged teeth-like cuts of the key formed a shape that resembled the tower of a Western castle. What was even more suspicious was the carving attached to the part where one grips the key. Upon closer inspection, it was shaped like a monkey’s head. The carved monkey had its large mouth open and was posed as if gazing upward at the sky with upturned eyes.

Ichihiko seemed to have taken quite a liking to the key, as he continued playing with it in the sandy area for a long time.

But then, something came clattering toward them. When they looked, it was none other than the old man with the tide-blowing mask-like face. The old man came up to Ichihiko and Michiko while glancing around restlessly.

“Young ones—you haven’t seen a monkey-headed key fallen around here, have you?”

he asked in a muffled voice. “Old man, is this it?” When Ichihiko showed the key that had been buried in the sand,

“Ah! This is it! This is it!” Then snatching the key from Ichihiko’s hand，he ran off down the path he had come without even a word of thanks． “Big Brother．That old man is such a strange person．He didn’t even say thank you，” Michiko said in a voice tinged with anger． Ichihiko simply answered “Yeah” and continued staring intently at the old man’s retreating figure．His face showed an unusual seriousness．

Mysterious Incident

1

It was the following morning that Ichihiko and Michiko learned of a major incident that had occurred off Kujūkuri Beach.

What exactly was this major incident? Battleship Awaji—well, I’m sure you all would immediately say, “Ah! That state-of-the-art battleship!” Yes, Battleship Awaji was indeed a magnificent warship that the Imperial Navy took pride in before the world. It had been built at the naval yard and had not even been a month since it began sailing the seas. Unlike any battleship before it, it possessed tremendous speed and bore a completely different, mysterious shape unlike any previous warship. It looked exactly like a fortress floating upon the sea, just as someone had remarked.

The Battleship Awaji had somehow mistaken its course last night off Kujūkuri Beach and run aground on a shoal.

Even a large, state-of-the-art battleship running aground on a shoal—isn’t that strange? The navigator stated that he absolutely had no recollection of having made any mistake. But strangely enough, while Battleship Awaji had been sailing off Kujūkuri Beach, it had somehow been drawn toward land, and by the time they realized something was wrong, it was too late—the ship had already run aground on the shoal. From that point onward, no matter how much they tried moving the engines, the ship did not budge an inch. Before long, seawater began entering through cracks in the battleship’s bottom, and the massive hull tilted until its prow pointed upward.

Because this had occurred at midnight, the commotion was tremendous. The villagers were awakened by Battleship Awaji's blaring emergency steam whistle and immediately rushed to the pitch-dark shore, it was said. At that time, the battleship had turned on its searchlights and was continuously sweeping them across the sky. Ichihiko and Michiko had been sound asleep and remained unaware of these events until morning.

2

When Ichihiko and Michiko learned of last night’s mysterious incident, they were so astonished that they rushed to the shore without even eating breakfast. “Ah! That’s Battleship Awaji.” “That’s incredible!” “Oh, it’s tilting so much.” “Big Brother, I wonder if that battleship isn’t going to sink.” “Hmm, hard to say. Let’s ask someone, Michiko.” The siblings threaded their way through the crowd of people gathered on the shore, searching for someone knowledgeable about the incident. Just then, a boat reached the shore, and sailors came clambering out noisily from inside. One of them approached a policeman who had come for security and began talking.

“Officer, do you think we can gather enough straw mats?” “Here in this village, we won’t be able to gather as much as your sailors proposed, but we should manage about half that amount.” “As for the remaining half, we’re sending people out to collect it from nearby areas now, so there’s no need to worry.” “Understood. I need you to hurry.” “They say the tide will keep receding rapidly from here on—the battleship will only grow more precarious.” “Sailor, how did this happen in the first place?” “Was it the navigator’s error?”

“No—that’s not how it happened at all,” replied Petty Officer Kohama firmly. “There’s no explanation except sheer mystery here! That massive hull had been pulled toward land before anyone realized what was happening—exactly like iron filings drawn to a magnet.” The policeman scratched his head. “How peculiar...” “Peculiar?” The petty officer leaned closer with grim emphasis. “If you think that’s peculiar, wait till you hear what came next.”

“What? You mean there's something even stranger?”

The policeman turned pale with surprise and stared at the sailor’s face. “Yes. The even stranger thing is the battleship’s mast—this is made of steel, you know. Part of it has melted and it’s bent like candy, you know.”

3

When Ichihiko and Michiko heard the sailor’s puzzling story about how the distressed battleship’s mast had somehow become bent like candy, they raised their eyes to look out to sea—and sure enough, there it was: the rear mast, twisted from its midpoint like a bent candy stick.

“Even though there was no wind blowing, you know.”

When the policeman addressed the sailor,

“Th-this is no joke, Officer! That’s a steel column—do you think it would bend from just some wind?” “I see… That does make sense. This has turned into something truly inexplicable.” The policeman finally threw in the towel.

Just as the roar of airplanes began to be heard from one part of the sky, six aircraft silhouettes came rapidly closer from the south. “Ah! Scout planes.” “How gallant!” And Ichihiko was absolutely thrilled. The scout planes had formed two groups of three each, but upon reaching directly above the tilting Battleship Awaji, they began circling round and round. They must be taking aerial photographs from the aircraft. After a while, two of the planes turned their noses around and began to withdraw steadily.

Behind them, four scout planes, now scattered apart, continued to buzz around endlessly in the skies above Kujūkuri Beach. “Ah! They must be keeping watch over this whole area from above.” “Big Brother, this has turned into something really serious.” Michiko widened her eyes and tightly gripped Ichihiko’s arm. However, this commotion on the shore was only the beginning. By noon, destroyers and ships of strange shapes—unidentifiable as either warships or merchant vessels—had come gathering from who knows where, numbering about ten vessels, and the waters offshore had become quite lively.

Detective Homura

1

As the commotion grew increasingly intense, by afternoon the Naval Landing Party had boarded boats and arrived at the shore. And they immediately went on alert. Out at sea, the massive Battleship Awaji lay tilted after running aground, surrounded by warships of all sizes that encircled it. In the sky, navy scout planes with red-painted tails circled, while against this backdrop, the Naval Landing Party kept watch on the shore, their bayonets glinting.

This seaside village, which had been nothing more than a quiet fishing village, transformed overnight into a commotion resembling a battlefield.

“Oh! If it isn’t Ichihiko and Michiko!” “I was wondering where you’d gone—Uncle was getting worried, you know.” With those words came a person who gently tapped the siblings’ shoulders.

“Ah! Uncle Homura!” “Uncle, when did you get here?” “Ah! Here I am at last!” “Somehow I had a feeling I’d come.” “Ah, I see.” Uncle was all smiles. As for the siblings’ uncle—I’m sure you know who he is by now— it was none other than that renowned young detective-scientist Mr. Homura Sōroku.

“Hey, Uncle. About that battleship running aground and the mast bending—there must be some dreadful reason behind it, right?” When Ichihiko posed this blunt question, Detective Homura pursed his lips and replied, “Yeah, about that—there’s something I want your help with.” “Do you know anything about that tower built on the hill over there?” With that, Homura pointed far into the distance.

“Uncle, where is this tower?”

2 “I mean that tower.” “It’s quite far from here—didn’t you notice?”

When the siblings looked closely in the direction Homura was pointing, they could indeed see something resembling a tower in the shadow of the hill. “Uncle, you mean that thing?” “That’s right, that’s right. It should be directly opposite where Battleship Awaji ran aground—exactly facing it.” “Uncle, is there something suspicious about that tower?” “Well, I can’t say anything definite about that yet. Here, Ichihiko—there are binoculars here. Use these to look at that tower.” Uncle Homura took out a strangely shaped pair of binoculars from his pocket. At first glance they appeared ordinary, but when their front sections extended forward, they took on a form like a snail stretching out its antennae. Peering through them revealed a view surprisingly large and clear despite their compact size.

“Well? You can see the tower clearly, can’t you? Is anyone watching from the windows? Keep a close eye out.” The binoculars’ exceptional clarity had left Ichihiko staring blankly at the structure, but at his uncle’s urging, he began meticulously inspecting each of the three-tiered windows lining the tower’s flank. The windows appeared so vividly defined they might have been within arm’s reach. Then something shifted. The purple curtain hanging over the topmost window began parting slowly from its center toward both sides.

“Oh! There’s someone inside the tower!” “What? Someone’s there?” “Hand me the binoculars.”

“Wait a second, Uncle.” As Ichihiko kept watching the curtain through the binoculars, a face cautiously peered out from between its folds. That face! That bizarre face! “Ah—that face!” Startled, Ichihiko jerked back from the eyepieces. Whose face could that have been?

3

“What kind of face was that?” With that, Homura took the binoculars from Ichihiko’s hand and immediately raised them to his eyes. However, to Homura’s eyes, the face of the mysterious figure on the tower that Ichihiko had seen no longer appeared. “He seems to have withdrawn his face already.” “Ichihiko, what kind of face did you see?” And, fully embodying Detective Homura Sōroku, Uncle kept hold of Ichihiko. “Uncle, that’s the strange face.” “It was like a tide-blowing mask.”

Then Michiko also joined in, “Oh, you mean that strange old man.” “Oh, that’s right.” “When Big Brother and I happened to pass by there yesterday, we saw it and laughed.” “Because it was such a strange face!” she giggled. As Michiko recalled that comical face with its protruding mouth, she couldn’t help but laugh. “Anyway, the truth is, Uncle here has come all this way under orders from the authorities to investigate that tower.” “Well then, Michiko, since it’s dangerous, you stay home and wait.” “Uncle will go check it out with Ichihiko.”

Michiko was somewhat dissatisfied, but since Detective Homura stopped her, she reluctantly ended up returning home to keep watch.

The Mysterious Tower stood about one kilometer away from there. Behind the tower stretched an unusually dense forest for the area, while before it, between the structure and the sea, lay a hill shaped like a reclining figure. Though Ichihiko and Homura maintained a hurried pace, reaching their destination still required thirty minutes. Drawing near, the tower loomed taller still—a structure that visibly pressed down upon them from above.

“Uncle, there’s an entrance here.” “Hmm. Is that so? “Let’s see if it opens.” As he said this, Homura carefully pulled on rubber gloves and tried turning the door handle, but it wouldn’t budge an inch.

4

The Mysterious Tower King huddled in a sturdy armchair firmly placed in the tower's topmost room, facing away.

“Ah ha ha! Do you really think that door would ever open for you lot, no matter what you do? Ah ha ha ha!” The Mysterious Tower King kept looking at the wall and burst into harsh, cackling laughter. Indeed, for some reason, this wall displayed the same scene as the tower’s entrance, showing Detective Homura and Ichihiko wandering about in front of it. It looked exactly like a movie was projected there, and also as if a magic mirror had been hung. After all, the scene at the tower’s lower entrance could be seen in this upper room of the tower.

“Ah ha ha ha! Have they still not given up? Then let me give you a proper scare!”

As he said this, the Mysterious Tower King picked up a microphone with a long tube attached from the desk and brought it to his mouth, “Hey now, why are you loitering around my tower?” “Hah! You’ve been peeking into the keyhole!” “Keep up these antics and I’ll douse your heads with poison gas right now!” What came raining down upon Homura and Ichihiko was a booming voice like a cracked bell. “This is unbearable. “Ichihiko! Run—now!”

With that, Detective Homura—unlike his usual self—voiced weakness and began to flee.

“Ah ha ha! Look at you now!” The Mysterious Tower King continued laughing raucously. Who exactly was the Mysterious Tower King? But one thing was certain—this Mysterious Tower contained astonishing devices powered by state-of-the-art science.

Then, might this have some connection to the incident where Battleship Awaji was now stranded offshore? And yet, why did that brave Detective Homura turn tail and flee?

Sand dune

1

Detective Homura and Ichihiko were yelled at by the Mysterious Tower King, so they fled at full speed. After running about five hundred meters from the Mysterious Tower, they found a spot where the wind had piled sand into a hill. Seizing this opportunity, the two dove into its shadow. From the shadow of the sand dune, when they looked back at the Mysterious Tower behind them, there appeared to be no signs of anyone chasing after them nor anything resembling poison gas. The two let out sighs of relief.

“Oh come on, Uncle! For a detective, you’re such a coward.” “This is ridiculous—shouting ‘Run, run!’ and fleeing like that…” With that, Ichihiko remained lying in the shadow of the sand dune and teased Uncle Homura Sōroku.

Detective Homura grinned slyly and, “Heh heh heh, I must’ve looked like quite a coward.” “That’s exactly how it should be.” “That Mysterious Tower King is using some sort of television device to see us sneaking up as clearly as if he could hold us in his palm.” “But since we can’t see their commander on our end, there’s no way to wage a proper battle.” “In times like these, if we act like complete cowards and make it seem we’ve lost all nerve, they’ll think they’ve truly won and grow complacent.” “Then when they drop their guard, we watch for that opening and strike. What do you think – sound like a good plan?”

“Huh— So Uncle Homura isn’t such a coward after all.” “Because I didn’t know that, I was so disappointed earlier.” Homura grinned slyly again.

“Now then, Ichihiko—this time we must finally devise a plan to storm the Mysterious Tower.” “How on earth can we manage to sneak into that tower?”

“Well…”

Even Ichihiko was at a loss with this.

2

How on earth could they manage to sneak into that Mysterious Tower? Where could they possibly begin climbing that towering high tower? The entrance door had a lock.

But that wasn’t all. Whenever anyone approached near the tower, the Mysterious Tower King would immediately become aware of it. After all, he was on the third floor with a television-like device that showed every detail of the entrance’s vicinity. Considering this, infiltrating the Mysterious Tower presented layer upon layer of difficult challenges.

“How about it, Ichihiko? Can’t you come up with a good idea?” “I don’t understand anything at all.” “If you don’t understand anything, that won’t do. You need to think harder.”

“Uncle, are you thinking of something?” “Yeah, truth be told I’m in a bind too. But at any rate, if we go during daylight hours, the Mysterious Tower King will spot us. So approaching at night seems wisest—that much I do know.” “Ah! Now I see! You’re brilliant, Uncle.” “And after that—what then?” “After that… well—that’s precisely where we’re stuck.”

“Uncle, how about we take a ladder or bamboo pole, set it up against the first-floor window, break the glass, and go in?” “That won’t work. I checked the windows carefully earlier—there’s another iron door that closes outside the glass windows. Once night falls, those windows will surely be shut tight with iron doors. We won’t get in easily.” “That’s a problem.” “No good from the windows.” “If only we had a duplicate key for the entrance door…”

“Key?” At that moment, Ichihiko suddenly remembered the monkey-headed key. That was the large, oddly-shaped key which the Mysterious Tower King had dropped on the sand yesterday.

3 That’s it! If that key were here，maybe the entrance would open.

Ichihiko muttered to himself. “What? A key?” “Ichihiko, do you have that entrance key?” Detective Homura exclaimed in surprise. So Ichihiko explained that he didn’t have the key now, but that he had picked up a strange key on the sand yesterday, and that shortly after, the Mysterious Tower King had turned back and come to take the key away. “What a terrible mistake!” “If we had that key now, who knows how useful it might have been…”

Detective Homura said regretfully. Ichihiko felt just as regretful as Detective Homura, but at that moment, he suddenly noticed something.

“Hey, Uncle. If you know the exact shape of the key, you can make another one just like it, right?” “What do you mean, you know the key’s shape?” So Ichihiko explained that when he had been playing with it yesterday, he had pressed it into damp sand and made several impressions of the key. And he added that there might still be one or two impressions of the key left where he had played yesterday.

Upon hearing this, Detective Homura leapt up with joy.

“That’s useful information!” “Well then, why don’t we go search for them right away?” The two jumped out from the shadow of a sand dune, dashed off, and arrived at the beach where Ichihiko and Michiko had played yesterday.

Fortunately, yesterday’s wind had been weak enough not to blow away the sand, and since it was a damp sandy area, the key impressions Ichihiko had made remained here and there.

“Hmm, perfect! With this, we can make a duplicate key!” Homura, overjoyed, firmly gripped Ichihiko’s hand.

4

Detective Homura and Ichihiko approached the entrance of the Mysterious Tower step by step. And it was just when they had drawn near enough to reach the entrance door with one more step that— Suddenly, from above their heads, a voice like a cracked bell came crashing down.

“Hey, who’s there? Back again with your little duo?”

The voice was so sudden and loud that the two of them instinctively froze in place like trees.

“Hey, Uncle, what should we do?” “Hmm.” Homura could only groan.

Then, immediately following that, from atop the tower once more resounded a voice like a cracked bell.

“Still dawdling? If you keep dilly-dallying, I’ll really douse you in poison gas this time!” That voice was indeed the Mysterious Tower King’s previous scolding voice. And perhaps as if poison gas really had begun to emerge, another red light came on atop the tower. “Hey, Ichihiko. It’s a shame, but let’s fall back.” Homura said regretfully.

“Uncle, are we really retreating after all?”

“Yeah, there’s no helping it. Even though we went through the trouble of preparing a key, with things like this, it’s better not to push too deep for what comes later. Alright, on three, let’s dash out. Don’t run in a straight line now. You’ve got to run while changing direction abruptly from time to time, like the teeth of a saw. If you don’t do that, there’s a risk of being shot from the top of the tower.” And Homura’s caution was thorough to the last detail.

And so, despite finally nearing the Mysterious Tower, Homura and Ichihiko were ultimately noticed by the Mysterious Tower King and, regrettably, had no choice but to turn back. Would they lose their courage altogether because of this failure?

Mysterious Wooden Box

1

Now, it was the night of the following day.

The area around the Mysterious Tower was shrouded in darkness as usual, and the third-floor window still had its yellow light burning, just like yesterday.

The night had deepened, and the hour must have been nearing midnight.

Just then, from beyond the tower, came the rumbling sound of wagon wheels.

Before long, what appeared before the tower was a carriage loaded with large wooden boxes. The driver sat atop his perch but seemed drunk, perhaps on sake, and was singing a strange off-key song. The emaciated horse pulling the carriage followed along, plodding wearily as if annoyed by this drunken driver.

“Hey, you old nag! Move faster!” “Don’t you know what this whip in my hand can do?” The whip cracked sharply through the air.

The emaciated horse whinnied sharply as if unable to bear the pain and suddenly broke into a gallop. At that moment two wooden boxes loaded on the cart tumbled down one after another with a clatter. This was likely caused by the carriage abruptly starting forward.

The driver seemed unaware that two wooden boxes had tumbled down onto the sand. He drove the poor emaciated horse onward, cracking his whip repeatedly while shouting something unintelligible. And just like that, they vanished into the darkness.

Two wooden boxes were left on the sand. Who would come to retrieve them and when?

The place where these wooden boxes had fallen was exactly in front of that Mysterious Tower's door. It remained unclear whether the Mysterious Tower King had seen these wooden boxes from inside the room or not. Then came what happened about twenty minutes later.

The two wooden boxes, seemingly forgotten by everyone, then mysteriously began to crawl quietly over the sand. It was as if the wooden boxes had turned into living creatures. What on earth had happened here?

2

What in the world was the Mysterious Tower King doing inside the tower?

The Mysterious Tower King was burying his strange face in his bedding and snoring loudly at that moment. The Mysterious Tower King had made it his practice to sleep briefly once night grew late. After sleeping about two hours, he would rise again and work from midnight until dawn. This was what they called the Mysterious Tower King's intermittent sleep. However, he suddenly awoke to a ground-shaking rumble - the sound of a large wooden box tumbling from a carriage before the tower with a thunderous crash.

“Wh-what was that? Did that blasted battleship fire its cannons?”

With that, he got up from his bedding and attempted to project the television onto the wall.

This television apparatus was fitted with something like a car’s steering wheel, and when this was turned, the lens moved. Wherever the lens was directed, the scenery outside the tower could be projected onto the wall at will.

It wasn’t just during the day. It projected clearly even at night. The television apparatus was far keener in sensitivity than the human eye; even things invisible to human vision could be distinctly projected onto the wall through its power. The Mysterious Tower King directed the lens toward the battleship and cast the nighttime seascape onto the wall. When the battleship fired its cannons, there should have been cannon smoke. Thinking this, he looked—but no smoke rose at all.

“Then what could that sound have been?” With that, the Mysterious Tower King, puzzled, turned the television apparatus this way and that, but found nothing unusual. There were only two large wooden boxes lying in front of the tower. And he could see the carriage that had dropped its cargo moving away into the distance.

“What... How absurd. “Was that the sound of those boxes falling? “Ah... So sleepy... So sleepy.”

And with that, the Mysterious Tower King burrowed back into his futon.

3

By the time the two wooden boxes began crawling stealthily toward the tower entrance, the Mysterious Tower King had already switched off his television apparatus and burrowed into his futon. Had he remained awake just a little longer, those suspicious creeping boxes might have entered his field of vision. This marked an uncharacteristically grave miscalculation for the Mysterious Tower King. The twin wooden boxes pressed flush against the tower's entrance. Then the containers rose smoothly upward as two legs sprouted abruptly from beneath each box. Both boxes underwent this transformation, though one developed long sturdy legs while the other grew short spindly ones.

Before long, a round hole opened up in the side of the wooden box with long legs. After a moment, a hand slid out from the hole. The hand kept feeling around the entrance door. Upon closer inspection, the hand was indeed gripping a large key. It was a large key. If there had been someone who approached and looked closely, they would have noticed a monkey carving on the grip of that key—and if told this much, you would have by now understood whose hand was emerging from this box.

Exactly. Inside this large box was Detective Homura Sōroku. And inside another small box was the boy Ichihiko. The two of them had done things like entering bottomless boxes and hiring a carriage to blind the Mysterious Tower King's eyes. Now, Detective Homura's hand—gripping the key—reached the keyhole. The key slid into the keyhole as if being sucked in.

“Now I’ve got you!” When the key was turned, the lock opened with a clank. The two of them were absolutely overjoyed. After throwing off the boxes they had been wearing, they quickly leaped into the tower and firmly shut the entrance behind them.

The inside of the Mysterious Tower they had entered for the first time!

Spiral Staircase

1

The inside of the Mysterious Tower was pitch black.

Detective Homura and the boy Ichihiko switched on the flashlights they had prepared. When they shone their lights around, the area was like a storage room filled with all sorts of incomprehensible machines piled up in heaps, broken and left as they were.

“Uncle, what kind of machine do you think this is?”

With that, Ichihiko gently pulled Homura’s arm and asked. “Hmm, this machine, huh. “I’m not entirely sure, but the one over here is a machine that generates electricity, and then the one over there is, no matter how you look at it, a container for compressed air. “There are various other things as well. “They all seem to be broken. “Why would someone collect such things?”

And Homura shook his head in a manner that suggested he was utterly perplexed. What came into view next was the spiral staircase attached to the center of this room that felt like being inside a round tin can. A spiral staircase refers to a narrow set of stairs that isn't straight like a regular staircase but twists around and around. The two of them climbed up to the second floor along it.

This second floor was also pitch black, but when they shone their flashlights around, they found it to be impeccably organized, with beautifully lacquered black switchboards and an array of other complex machinery neatly lined up.

“What is this place used for?” “Hmm, I don’t know.” “But it looks just like a battleship’s engine room.”

“Having a battleship’s engine room inside a tower is strange, isn’t it?” “Hmm, strange indeed. There must be some reason for this—now, there must surely be a room where the Mysterious Tower King is located above here. Ichihiko, stay strong!” With that, Detective Homura encouraged Ichihiko and placed his hand on the handrail of the spiral staircase leading to the third floor. 2 The Mysterious Tower King’s room would be there—just one more climb up this staircase. Detective Homura was also starting to get flushed, his breathing growing rough. As for the boy Ichihiko, he appeared in a posture like a kitten stalking a mouse, his body curled up.

Stealthily ascending the spiral staircase step by step，the two found their foreheads growing clammy with oily sweat before they knew it．Homura tightly gripped his trusted Colt pistol in his right hand．The boy Ichihiko，holding a coil of rope，positioned himself to throw it at a moment’s notice． Homura，standing at the forefront，looked down and made a hand signal． (Hey Ichihiko—we’re finally reaching the stairhead．) (The Mysterious Tower King’s right there．) (You ready？)

With that unspoken message, he finally steeled his resolve. Brave as he was, Ichihiko was still just a boy. Since he wouldn’t take no for an answer about coming along, Uncle Homura had reluctantly brought him—but now, when thinking of the dangers ahead, Uncle Homura’s worry was no small matter. Detective Homura quietly peered at the situation on the third floor through a gap in the staircase. In the room, only a single dim desk lamp emitted a faint glow. In the circular room, numerous bookshelves stood lined up. On the table lay an incomprehensible machine left haphazardly mid-assembly. A high-legged bed could also be seen.

Homura signaled to Ichihiko and listened intently. From somewhere came the roaring sound of snoring. (Got him—the Mysterious Tower King is sleeping on that bed.)

"Alright—if that’s the case, now’s the time to strike," Homura smiled warmly, beckoned Ichihiko closer, and whispered in his ear.

3 Detective Homura leapt over the "final step" of the staircase and sprang up onto the floor. And the flashlight he swiftly shone now directed its beam toward the bed where the Mysterious Tower King slept—

“Ah!” Homura involuntarily took a step backward. For he had discovered that through the thin feather quilt draped over the bed, the Mysterious Tower King’s eyes were staring fixedly in their direction. The first glimpse of the Mysterious Tower King’s face—Ah, what a bizarre face it was! Homura had aimed his pistol at the Mysterious Tower King’s eyes and resolved to pull the trigger immediately if the opponent moved. However, from somewhere came a deep, rumbling sound—unmistakably snoring.

(This is strange.)

Then, the boy who had followed from behind pointed at the bed, “Uncle. The Mysterious Tower King is sleeping with his eyes open!” “Hmm, is that so?” It was only the faintest of voices, but when it reached the ears of the human-hating Mysterious Tower King, he bolted upright from his bed. “Ah—! Slept well!”

Just as he raised both hands, Homura— “Don’t move.” “Move and I’ll shoot!” “Keep your hands raised.” “Lower them and I’ll shoot!”

When he shouted, the Mysterious Tower King finally noticed and flinched with a start. And he slowly turned his grotesque face toward Homura,

“Who might you be—? Ah, the pest who’s been skulking about my tower.” “And dragging this brat along too.” “Fancy yourselves clever for cornering this King? A fatal miscalculation!” “Ah ha ha ha!”

And the voice of the Mysterious Tower King echoed spitefully through the room.

4

“To think you’d barge in where I’m sleeping—what audacious brats you are.” “Ah ha ha!”

With that, the Mysterious Tower King sat cross-legged on his bed and burst into loud laughter.

“What nonsense! Your evil scheme has already been completely exposed! Stay put!”

As Detective Homura brandished his pistol, “What’s this? You think you can threaten me with such a pistol?” “You’re a complete fool!” “I possess such fearsome power that I could effortlessly run even the Empire’s newest battleship aground if I so desired.” “What’s there to fear from a mere pistol like that?” Detective Homura and Ichihiko both gasped sharply upon hearing this, as though their chests had been seized. Just as they had been painstakingly investigating how such a bizarre incident as the stranding of the Awaji could have occurred, the Mysterious Tower King personally confessed, “That was my doing,” so their astonishment was beyond words.

“Wh-what are you saying? Lies! All lies! There’s no way you could have pulled off such an audacious feat on your own!”

As Homura shouted, “Heh heh.” With that, the Mysterious Tower King laughed creepily,

“There’s no need to be so shocked just because I spoke up. I merely let you hear that as a parting gift for your journey to the underworld.” “Wh-what? A parting gift for the underworld—? I don’t recall surrendering to the likes of you!”

Then, the Mysterious Tower King let out a dry cackle as if something unbearably amused him, "What’s this? You don’t know that once you enter this tower, you can never leave again?" "Bwah ha ha!" When Ichihiko heard this, he could no longer bear it and clung to Homura’s waist. Homura, sensing danger, took up his pistol and aimed at the Mysterious Tower King’s outstretched leg on the bed before pulling the trigger with a sharp tug.

5 Aiming at the Mysterious Tower King, Homura pulled the pistol’s trigger—a thunderous shot rang out, and the bullet pierced through the Mysterious Tower King’s leg with a pop—but contrary to expectations, the Mysterious Tower King appeared through the smoke, grinning slyly.

“Oh no, this is bad!”

And then another shot followed! However, the Mysterious Tower King merely continued to grin slyly.

When Homura tried to fire the third shot, the Mysterious Tower King raised his hand to stop him. “Don’t waste your bullets.” “What?!” “There’s nothing here at all. Look well—your pistol bullets are dangling right here in mid-air, aren’t they?”

With that, the Mysterious Tower King pointed his long finger toward Homura from his bed.

At first, Homura couldn’t make any sense of what was happening, but when he looked closely where the Mysterious Tower King was pointing, sure enough, two bullets were indeed bizarrely suspended in mid-air. It was precisely at the midpoint between Homura and the Mysterious Tower King where they faced each other. The two bullets neither fell downward nor remained neatly lined up side by side, facing forward. “Uncle, the Mysterious Tower King is using magic!”

With that, Ichihiko whispered rapidly to Homura. “Ah ha ha! That bratty kid called it ‘magic,’ did he? Magic’s some vulgar trickery—this here’s none other than my Magnetic Force Technique!”

Magnetic Force Technique? What could this Magnetic Force Technique be? It seemed to refer to the power of a magnet that attracts iron, but could such a powerful magnet really exist?

“Look here! The bullets you fired cannot pass through this invisible magnetic wall I’ve created, you see. Now then—will you surrender?”

6 Homura and Ichihiko stood dumbfounded by the Mysterious Tower King's utterly bizarre power. Even if you fired a pistol, since the bullets would stop mid-air as if buried in an invisible wall, such weapons proved completely useless.

The Mysterious Tower King let slip that he had used this same power to draw in Battleship Awaji—what terrifying force this must have been. And what a dreadfully eerie tower this was!

That said, neither Homura nor Ichihiko had any intention of surrendering to the Mysterious Tower King here. They harbored not a single effeminate thought. They had firmly resolved that they must defeat this fiend with all their might, no matter what.

“Hah! You two are making such serious faces.” “Still thinking of whether there’s some way to defy me, are you?” “Ah ha ha! You’re not getting away with that!” “This time, it’s my turn to dispose of you.” “Brace yourselves!”

As he said this, the Mysterious Tower King attempted to get down from the bed on the far side and turned his back. (Now's the chance!)

Detective Homura, boldly seizing the moment when the Mysterious Tower King turned his back, lunged at him from behind with a shout of "Hyah!" “Wh-what are you doing?”

The Mysterious Tower King sneered. Then, turning around and extending one hand, he shoved Homura away with a heavy thud. “Agh—” The sheer terror of the Mysterious Tower King’s strength left Homura feeling as if he had been struck by a car.

Even Homura ended up tumbling head over heels and collided with the wall behind him with a heavy thud. As if that had been a signal, there was a loud clang, and something large and black came crashing down from the ceiling. Homura called Ichihiko's name. And the two, still clinging to each other, instinctively ducked their heads.

Iron Cage

1 What in the world was the large black thing that had fallen from the ceiling? The true nature of the Mysterious Tower was finally revealed, and it was a mystery upon mystery.

“Ah! This is an iron cage!” Homura looked around him and was shocked. What had fallen from the ceiling was indeed an iron cage.

It was an iron cage formed by circularly arranged iron bars that reached from the ceiling to the floor, measuring five meters in diameter.

Once it had come to this, even if they tried to escape, they couldn’t. Unless the iron cage was pulled back up to the ceiling, it seemed there would be no way to escape from this enclosure. Even if they fired pistols, the bullets would no longer reach the Mysterious Tower King, and moreover, having been surrounded by an unexpected iron cage, Homura and Ichihiko could neither move a hand nor a foot. “Ichihiko, we should have investigated more thoroughly before coming in here. As it is, it’s as if we went out of our way to come here just to get captured by the Mysterious Tower King.”

At this, Ichihiko, the boy, raised his surprisingly spirited face,

“You’re no good, Uncle. Now that we’re like this, whining about it won’t help a bit! Instead, cheer up and think! If you put your whole heart into thinking, you’ll find something brilliant again!” “Well said, Ichihiko. Uncle was wrong to show weakness. Now let’s buck up and fight the Mysterious Tower King!”

Then a muffled snicker sounded from nearby. When they looked up with a start, there was the Mysterious Tower King peering into the cage and laughing contentedly.

“Ah ha ha! What are you talking about? You won’t be escaping this tower anymore. You’d best resign yourselves!”

2 “No matter what you say, I’ll prove it by escaping from this tower in style!”

Detective Homura, from inside the iron cage, stared intently at the Mysterious Tower King.

“Oh? That’s quite brave of you! Well then—think it over thoroughly! I’ll send you lot to a place perfect for thinking!” A place perfect for thinking?

What in the world could that place be? The Mysterious Tower King smirked, walked back to the bed, and turned his back. “Ah! I’ve got it! “There’s a secret button over there!”

Ichihiko shouted. "A secret button—that might be it." Homura, clutching the cage bars, stared intently at the Mysterious Tower King's back. He must have pressed the secret button, causing this cage to descend from the ceiling. Was it also because he had pressed that secret button that the fired pistol bullets had stopped mid-air? Now then, what kind of button did the Mysterious Tower King intend to press this time?

“Ah ha ha!”

Then, the Mysterious Tower King, who was affixed to the bedstead, turned toward them and laughed. “What are you—” Homura and Ichihiko glared back.

At that moment, just as the floor where the two stood lurched with a jolt—oh, how strange—it began smoothly descending downward. It was exactly like riding an elevator down.

“Ah! What are you going to do with us?”

They shouted, but it was already too late. The floor on which the two stood steadily descended, eventually lowering them into a pitch-dark room fourteen or fifteen meters below, and came to a stop. Apparently, they had descended from the third floor to the first. “Ah! It stopped.” “It’s pitch black; I can’t see anything.” “Let’s try turning on the flashlight.” Homura took out a flashlight from his pocket and twisted the switch with a click.

3

The flashlight suddenly illuminated the pitch-dark first floor. “Uncle, this is definitely the first floor after all!” The boy Ichihiko shouted. That’s right—it was undoubtedly the warehouse-like first floor they recognized. Detective Homura remained silent, intently surveying their surroundings. “Uncle Homura, isn’t there any way to get out of this iron cage?”

“Hmm, this iron cage isn’t going to work.”

As he spoke, Detective Homura was shining his flashlight along where the iron cage met the floor when something struck him, and he tightly gripped young Ichihiko’s arm.

“Ichihiko. “You mustn’t make loud noises.” After giving this warning first,

“Look here.” When Ichihiko looked where Homura pointed, the iron cage was floating about twenty centimeters above the floor. Ichihiko, having already grasped what this meant, covered his mouth to stifle a cry of surprise. “Ah! This log lying on the floor is blocking it—that’s why the cage isn’t lowering fully. “This is heaven-sent luck! “Ichihiko, you’re small—try crawling through this gap between the cage and floor to squeeze out.”

“Yes, I’ll try it!”

Ichihiko immediately lay down on his back on the floor and carefully crawled out from under the cage headfirst. It was dangerous. If at this moment the log were to come loose from the iron cage, Ichihiko’s soft body would instantly have been severed at the torso by the thick circular metal base fitted to the cage’s bottom. Dreading that very outcome, Homura pressed down on the end of the log barely lodged inside the cage with all his strength.

4

The perilous adventure continued. Ichihiko squeezed through the narrow gap beneath the Mysterious Tower's iron cage, desperately trying to escape to the outside.

His head successfully emerged on the other side. Ichihiko kept desperately kicking the floor with both legs. Then his shoulder emerged beyond the cage bars. Next came his hand. "I'm all right now!" After that, he slipped smoothly out to freedom. "Uncle, I made it out!" "Do you think you can get out too?" With that, Ichihiko gripped the iron bars and peered toward Homura.

At that moment—the iron cage began to move with a clang. That must surely have been because when Ichihiko exited the cage, in his excitement he had kicked it with his foot—the vibrations reaching the Mysterious Tower King’s ears—who, upon realizing there was a gap in the iron cage preventing it from fully descending, was now attempting to forcibly lower it further. The log began to groan. The iron cage pressed down on the log with all its might, attempting to crush it.

But it was a log. Even if what was pressing down from above was an iron cage, it shouldn’t break so easily. All that could be heard was a creaking sound, but the gap showed no sign of narrowing. “Ichihiko, why don’t you try lifting the other end of that log with all your strength?” “The gap might open up a bit more because of that.” As expected of Detective Homura. He noticed a very crucial point. Ichihiko grabbed the end of the log protruding far outside the cage and, with a grunt, tried lifting it with all his strength.

Another loud creaking sound rang out, and sure enough, the gap between the cage and the floor widened by another five centimeters. “Got it!” Homura bravely inserted his head under the cage.

5

Detective Homura strained with all his might. When he inserted his face sideways into the gap between the cage and floor, his head successfully emerged on the other side. However, it suddenly caught at his chest.

“Ichihiko, put your back into it!”

Ichihiko's arms felt like they were about to snap. But determined to get Homura out of the cage here and now, he planted his feet firmly, poured all his strength into his hips, and with a grunt, heaved the log upward. Homura’s body emerged a bit further, but this time Uncle Homura’s buttocks got caught. At this moment, Ichihiko’s arms were on the verge of giving out, and in the instant he slightly loosened his strength, the iron cage obediently descended. “Ouch!” “Agh—!”

Uncle Homura’s buttocks were caught, and he let out a scream. Given that Uncle Homura’s buttocks weighed a full sixty-two kilograms, it was only natural that getting them caught would hurt. I thought if I’d known this would happen, I should’ve been born a scrawnier man, but it’s too late now. The one who was surprised was Ichihiko. He pressed the log against his shoulder and, with a grunt of effort, applied force—when suddenly there was a sharp snap, and the iron cage crashed violently against the floor. When he heard that sound, Ichihiko thought Uncle’s torso had split in two, and in his shock, his head went completely fuzzy.

"What's wrong, Ichihiko? You need to pull yourself together!" At Detective Homura's voice, Ichihiko finally regained his composure. When he lifted his face to look, there was Homura—the very person he'd been so worried about—who had somehow slipped out from under the cage and was now supporting Ichihiko's body. Uncle had escaped by a hair's breadth, having nimbly leaped out before the cage came crashing down. "Ah, Uncle, you made it out!" _Ah,_ I _didn't know what to do!_ _Thank goodness._ _Thank goodness._

With that, Ichihiko, overjoyed, wrapped his arms around Uncle’s neck and hugged him tightly.

6

They had successfully infiltrated the Mysterious Tower King’s tower, but were repeatedly subjected to dangerous ordeals—there were even two or three instances where they thought their lives were truly over—until at last, through sheer persistence, Homura and young Ichihiko managed to somehow squeeze through the iron cage. They could count themselves lucky.

However, even though they had escaped the cage, that didn’t mean their danger had passed.

“Uncle, let’s go up these stairs again and take on the Mysterious Tower King!” Just as a crow that had been crying moments ago was now laughing, Ichihiko—who had shown considerable timidity earlier—suddenly grew bold the moment Uncle Homura escaped from the cage. And he wanted to launch another assault on that infuriating Mysterious Tower King—to sink his teeth into that flat nose of his. Homura, who had been listening to this, lightly patted Ichihiko’s head while,

“But let’s regroup here for now. To defeat the Mysterious Tower King, we must come prepared with more formidable weapons—otherwise, there’s no way we can take him down. Just think about how Battleship Awaji was so thoroughly defeated—that alone makes it perfectly clear. We had underestimated the Mysterious Tower King too much. The Mysterious Tower King is a scientific fiend twice or three times—no, ten or twenty times—more terrifying than we had imagined. It’s a shame, but this is far beyond what the two of us can handle.”

Homura said bitterly.

“So we’re just going to run away from here? How lame!” “So lame…” “We don’t have time for complaints,” Homura countered. “This door here—we just opened it moments ago. Let’s get through and make our escape.” While steadying the boy, Detective Homura threw open the door he’d previously unlocked with the monkey-headed key. They expected to see Kujūkuri Beach glowing pale in the night—but no such vista greeted them. Instead, an unanticipated earthen wall stood flush against the doorway, sealing their exit completely.

Naval Inspection Team

1

In the officers’ room of the stranded Battleship Awaji, the headquarters of the Naval Inspection Team for this incident had been established. The Naval Inspection Team was responsible for investigating how this terrifying incident had occurred and determining what damage had been inflicted upon the battleship and its crew members. The commander of the Naval Inspection Team was Lieutenant Shiota, the First Division Leader of this battleship. This appointment had been ordered by Captain Anzai alongside this major incident. Of course, aside from this, search teams dispatched from Tokyo and prefectural police stations were each conducting their own investigations, but Lieutenant Shiota, as this was an incident that had occurred on the warship he was crewed on, wanted by all means to investigate it himself.

At that moment, Lieutenant Shiota was in the officers’ room, spreading out a map of the area on a large table and huddling with officers and petty officers from the Naval Inspection Team to consult. “I can’t make heads or tails of this.”

With that, Lieutenant Shiota shook his thick neck sideways. "Among the investigation team dispatched from Tokyo, there was supposed to be a detective named Homura Sōroku—so why hasn't he shown up here since then?"

“Well you see, Lieutenant Shiota,” said Petty Officer Kohama as he raised his robust face—clean-shaven cheeks bearing a bluish tinge like a Daruma doll’s rounded visage—while speaking. “That appears rather irregular.”

“What seems strange?” “He’s staying at a villa up ahead, so we’ve sent messengers multiple times since this morning. But at that villa, there’s only a young relative named Miss Michiko, and he himself left with her brother Ichihiko and still hasn’t returned.” “Hmm, I wonder where he went.” “The young lady said she didn’t know the details either, but apparently there’s talk that he went to see that tower over there.”

“What do you mean, 'tower'?” “Where is this ‘tower’ located?” “Well, you see, I believe it refers to the tower that was visible right ahead from the bridge.”

2 “Ah, you mean that tower?” From this response, it appeared Lieutenant Shiota had already known about the Mysterious Tower. Of course he would. After all, it stood visible right before the stranded battleship. “Hey, Petty Officer Kohama—did you dispatch anyone to that tower to check on Homura?” At this, the petty officer scratched his head, “No sir, we haven’t taken that step yet.” “But Lieutenant Shiota—why are you so concerned about Detective Homura?”

“Well, it’s like this. I once read a book called *Detective True Stories* by Homura Sōroku during our previous long-range deployment. That book might still be somewhere around here. Detective Homura is some sort of scientist—an eccentric who goes around subduing science-wielding villains with his innovative detective techniques. So since he’s come to this area for our Battleship Awaji incident, I think he’ll surely play a significant role. I’d been secretly counting on that, but it’s strange he hasn’t returned to the villa.”

With that, Lieutenant Shiota tilted his head deeply in thought.

Some time had passed since then.

The one who hurried down the stairs was Petty Officer Kohama. Panting roughly, he rushed into the officers’ room. “Lieutenant Shiota, i-it’s terrible!”

The lieutenant, who had been sitting before the table deep in thought about how to proceed with investigating this incident, looked up intently at Petty Officer Kohama’s flustered face,

“What is it, Kohama? Aren’t you clucking about like a panicked hen again?” “W-well, there’s reason enough to flap! I was hatched in the Year of the Rooster, you know.” “I’m aware of your zodiac sign. What about this emergency?”

“Th-that’s right! Lieutenant Shiota, please go up to the deck immediately. Even you would surely turn pale—something terrible is happening!”

3

Upon stepping out onto the deck came word that something terrible had occurred. Lieutenant Shiota immediately hurried up the companionway with Petty Officer Kohama in tow. From Battleship Awaji's deck stretched Kujūkuri Beach's long shoreline—unchanged and beautiful as ever. Yet nothing particularly alarming met Lieutenant Shiota's eyes. "Petty Officer Kohama—what exactly constitutes this 'emergency'?"

Then Petty Officer Kohama stretched his arm out before the lieutenant and pointed toward the coast. “Lieutenant Shiota, please look at that. The tower that was standing over there has completely vanished, hasn’t it?” “What? The tower has vanished?” “Who would actually do such an absurd thing?” “But that absurd thing has truly happened. Then, Lieutenant Shiota—can you see that tower?”

“There’s no way it can’t be seen—I was certain that tower was right there, but…”

With that, Lieutenant Shiota shielded his eyes with a hand from the deck and peered restlessly around the spot he remembered, but the tower was nowhere to be seen.

(This is strange. I was certain it stood near that grove—why can’t I see it?) Lieutenant Shiota’s face gradually turned red. Then, conversely, his face suddenly turned pale.

Lieutenant Shiota clenched his fist and rapped the railing. “This is strange. Kohama, you were right. That tower has certainly vanished.” “It’s just as I said, isn’t it?” “Hmm, this is indeed a grave situation. If that tower has disappeared, what on earth happened to Detective Homura who went to investigate there?”

4

The Mysterious Tower that had stood on Kujūkuri Beach had vanished without a trace in a single night—even Lieutenant Shiota was utterly astonished by this.

“This needs to be scouted immediately.” “Petty Officer Kohama, prepare the Naval Landing Party immediately!”

Petty Officer Kohama snapped to attention with a salute and dashed off. Before long, the piercing sound of a bugle ordering assembly could be heard. Before long, a squad of Naval Landing Party members, resplendent in their white gaiters, came rushing up to the deck.

“Attention! Sound off!”

Gripping their bayonets firmly, the sailors quickly lined up. Lieutenant Shiota stepped forward before them,

“We will now land and conduct a reconnaissance mission. If circumstances require combat, go forth prepared for it!”

Combat? The sailors, upon hearing "combat," thought to themselves: (Perfect!) To have combat here in our home territory was a godsend. They resolved to fight fiercely, stabbing and stabbing and stabbing away. But what manner of being could this enemy be? Lieutenant Shiota did not say a single word about that matter. The Naval Landing Party immediately lowered the boats. And boarding them, they began rowing toward the coast.

Truly, a mysterious event occurred indeed. The scenery of the coast now devoid of the tower somehow became utterly hollow.

“Landing!”

The Naval Landing Party all jumped from the boats into the shallows at once.

There, with Lieutenant Shiota at the lead and Petty Officer Kohama accompanying them, the Naval Landing Party valiantly marched toward the grove where the tower was believed to have stood. The grove was deathly silent. The white sand and green grass all remained utterly silent. Where could the lost Mysterious Tower be standing?

One Mystery of the Mysterious Tower

1 On the first floor of the Mysterious Tower, Detective Homura and the boy Ichihiko were tilting their heads repeatedly in puzzlement. “Uncle Homura, why has this tower’s exit been blocked by an earthen wall?” “Hmm, even I don’t quite understand it. But you see, Ichihiko, this isn’t so much an earthen wall as it is a soil layer.”

“Huh? Loach.” “Loach—you mean that whiskered fish they use in Yanagawa hot pot, right?” “Why is this soil loach?” Uncle Homura began to chuckle softly.

“Soil layer doesn’t mean the loach fish.” “The soil I just mentioned is called a soil layer.” “In other words, if you dig into the earth, what lies beneath is a soil layer.”

“Oh, it’s just regular soil? I thought you meant the loach fish, so that’s why I was so surprised!” “Well, you do come out with amusing things now and then. Thanks to you making me laugh just now, I’ve managed to calm down quite a bit.”

With that, he smirked, "Therefore, Ichihiko, there's one more thing I must thank you for—while explaining to you what a soil layer is, I managed to solve the mystery of this soil blocking the exit." When Detective Homura stated that he had solved the mystery of where this strange soil layer had come from, the boy Ichihiko’s eyes widened in astonishment. “You solved it? “Uncle solved the mystery? Then hurry up and tell me!” “Why did they bring such soil here?”

“When you think about it, it’s really nothing special,” Homura said nonchalantly. “In other words, since this soil layer is what you’d find when digging into the earth, that means this Mysterious Tower has now descended from the surface into the ground like an elevator. There you have it—isn’t that an interesting way to think about it?”

2

Homura’s theory that the Mysterious Tower had descended from the surface into the ground like an elevator was an extraordinarily bold perspective. “Uncle, is that really true? The Mysterious Tower descends like an elevator? Ha ha ha ha!”

And this time, Ichihiko burst into laughter. “Not at all funny,” Uncle Homura said with utmost seriousness. “Listen carefully, Ichihiko. “When we unlocked this entrance’s lock and entered this room, of course there was a road outside the door.” “But now that there’s no road beyond the door—only a soil layer—doesn’t that mean we must conclude the tower has burrowed underground?”

“But I just can’t believe the tower would actually descend!” “Ichihiko, listen—even elevators exist that can hold fifty or a hundred people. Since this Mysterious Tower King possesses machinery powerful enough to drag a battleship to his tower, raising and lowering this structure would be trivial for him.” “Oh... Oh, I see!”

Ichihiko felt, for the first time, that he somehow understood why the tower had descended underground. Of course, dear readers, you had long ago understood that perfectly well. The Battleship Awaji’s Naval Landing Party searched the ground desperately, but the reason there was neither shadow nor form of the tower there was that this Mysterious Tower had descended underground. The tower’s rooftop had taken on the appearance of having donned the sandy plain like a hat. Therefore, when the tower’s summit descends to ground level, it becomes indistinguishable from the surrounding sandy plain. Then, when the wind blows in, scattering sand this way and that, it becomes utterly impossible to discern where the Mysterious Tower lies buried.

One of the Mysterious Tower’s secrets had thus been unraveled through Detective Homura’s mental acuity. If the Mysterious Tower King were to learn of this, what on earth would he think?

3 “So, Uncle Homura, if we dig upward through this soil, we’ll be able to reach the surface, right?”

Ichihiko pointed at the soil layer visible outside the tower's entrance. “That may be true, but we can’t just start digging.”

Just as they were saying this, suddenly, above the two of them, a voice like a cracked bell boomed.

“Bwahaha! Enough of this idle chatter!”

That voice was unmistakably the detestable voice of the Mysterious Tower King blaring from a loudspeaker. “Ah! You’ve revealed yourself again, Mysterious Tower King! Rather than merely threatening us with your voice, why not descend here yourself?”

And Detective Homura retorted. “Fuhuhuhu... What nonsense are you spouting, you greenhorn?” “However, you correctly deduced that the tower has burrowed into the ground—I must say I’m impressed.” “But this tower’s power isn’t limited to just that!” “You couldn’t possibly know what this is capable of!” “No—I’ve delayed disposing of you lot by wasting time on explanations.” “Well then, it’s about time I get started.”

After uttering those eerie words, the Mysterious Tower King’s voice abruptly cut off. “Uncle, what do you think the Mysterious Tower King means by ‘disposing of us’?” Ichihiko asked worriedly. “Nah, it’s nothing major. Even Uncle’s a man. Do you think I’d let myself be killed without a fight?”

As they were saying this, suddenly—though none could say when he had appeared—the Mysterious Tower King stood imposingly behind the two of them.

“Bwahaha! Have you both prepared yourselves to die?” “What are you—” As he turned around, Homura deftly pulled the pistol’s trigger and fired two shots at the Mysterious Tower King, but the bullets failed to strike him—apparently that formidable bulletproof power was still active.

4 “Ohohoho! Did I not just inform you that such pistol bullets could never pierce this King’s body?” With a malicious grin, the Mysterious Tower King slid his feet forward, inching closer to Homura and Ichihiko. Homura thought it was hopeless, but still wanting to save Ichihiko at least, he shielded him behind his back. If the Mysterious Tower King took a step forward, he would take a step back. As they were steadily forced backward by him, the two were finally pressed tightly against the wall.

“Now, let’s begin!” The Mysterious Tower King suddenly bellowed at the top of his voice and raised a football-sized sphere he had been concealing high above his head. “This is the murder-ray lamp.” “You’ll see this light activate now—but that moment will be your last!” “You understand, don’t you?” “By then, the murder-ray will be burning your entire bodies pitch-black!”

Ah—dangerous! Dangerous! When switched on, that murder-ray lamp would light up instantly. If that happened, Homura and Ichihiko would burn black and die—their lives now candles before the wind. (What do I do?) Ichihiko clung to Homura. Homura stood statue-still, glaring at the Mysterious Tower King. “Wait!” Homura shouted at him.

“What’s this, greenhorn? Has your life become precious to you?”

“No—you’re the one who should watch out. When I look at my watch now, it’s exactly the time when our navy’s massive cannons will begin bombarding this tower. It’s you whose life is in danger!” “What—is that true?” “Of course it’s true. If we hadn’t made such preparations, why would the two of us weaklings ever enter this dangerous tower?”

5

Upon being informed that the Mysterious Tower would be bombarded by the Battleship Awaji, the Mysterious Tower King was shocked.

“Ah! They’re going to bombard us! I didn’t notice that!” These shocked words seemed to spring from the very depths of the Mysterious Tower King’s being. Leaving Homura and Ichihiko behind, the Mysterious Tower King scrambled up the stairs in panic. He now returned to his private room on the third floor and peered intently into a peculiar machine. This was an ingenious underground telescope. A device that allowed one underground to clearly observe the surface above.

This was like a submarine periscope, with the light’s entrance positioned high atop the zelkova tree near the Mysterious Tower. From there downward, it formed a tube that passed through the trunk of the zelkova tree and burrowed into the ground. Then, curving sideways from there, it extended toward the Mysterious Tower—but at that bend there was a reflecting mirror. Even if the Mysterious Tower rose above ground or burrowed underground as it was now, those inside could still properly observe the scenery above ground. Truly, the Mysterious Tower King was a fearsome inventor. He still had any number of fearsome machines at his disposal.

When the Mysterious Tower King peered through it, no matter where the Mysterious Tower might be, he could see the Naval Landing Party wandering about searching the ground, so he thought it was all over.

“It can’t be helped.” “It’s a shame, but I suppose I’ll have to escape.” Having said that, the Mysterious Tower King proceeded to turn on each of the large switches atop the nearby control panel one by one. When he finally turned the large handle last, a strange, ominous reverberation came rumbling up from underground. The reverberation gradually grew louder and more intense, until it became so violent that it nearly deafened them.

Flying Tower

1

Suddenly, a terrifying noise erupted in the Mysterious Tower’s basement!

What in the world could that have been? Ratta-tat-tat! Ratta-tat-tat! In any case, that was undoubtedly something the Mysterious Tower King was causing. Both Detective Homura and the boy Ichihiko, who were on the first floor, were terrified by this tremendous noise. The surrounding walls were clanging as if struck with hammers. The floor underfoot was vibrating with an unpleasant, buzzing intensity.

“Uncle, what kind of sound is this?” “Well, I’m not exactly sure, but it seems like there are explosions going off underground.” “Could it be an earthquake?” “No, it’s not an earthquake. The Mysterious Tower King, upon hearing that he would be bombarded by the battleship, seems intent on escaping. In that case, he probably intends to move this Mysterious Tower somehow.”

“How’s he going to move it?”

“Well, that’s—” Just as he was saying this, the floor along with the walls suddenly rose with a groaning creak. As they thought this, it crashed back down with a boom. Since they could no longer remain standing there, they lay down on their stomachs. The room boomed and shook, rising and falling four, five times, until with an even louder noise, it whooshed upward.

“Ah! It took off!” “Hmm, he’s done it—”

Homura and Ichihiko sprang up as if on cue, grabbed the iron frame of a small window beside them, and peered desperately outside.

Now, what scene could have appeared before their eyes at that moment?

2

Inside the Mysterious Tower, trembling with a roaring, tremendous noise!

Detective Homura and the boy Ichihiko clung to the window frame and peered outside! “Ah! This is—” A cry of intense surprise burst from both their mouths simultaneously.

The utterly unexpected scene outside the window—ah, how could such a thing be possible? What appeared there was not that red earthen wall. Nor was it the familiar scenery of a forest surrounded by white sand beaches and the blue sea that the two had grown accustomed to. It was an empty sky. But no—it wasn’t that there was nothing at all. White clouds floated here and there. That was all there was. Where had the land and sea gone?

They strained themselves to find the land and sea. For when they pressed their faces tightly against the window frame and struggled to peer far below, they finally spotted the land and sea surface—now reduced like a small pattern beneath their feet. To their surprise, the Mysterious Tower had already separated far from the earth without them noticing. And then, heading toward the sky, it went flying at a tremendous speed with a whooshing sound.

“Ichihiko, this is serious. “We’re flying through the air right now.” “Huh? We’re flying through the air?” “So that’s what it was.” “My head’s gone all fuzzy.” That made perfect sense. The Mysterious Tower with the two trapped inside was now flying through the air like a bullet. What they had believed until now to be nothing but a tower was no ordinary tower. It became clear that it was that rocket plane said to travel through the sky faster than airplanes.

3

At that moment, Detective Homura and Ichihiko, confined within the Mysterious Tower Rocket, found themselves on an unexpected aerial journey.

The one piloting the Mysterious Tower Rocket was none other than the Mysterious Tower King. What could the Mysterious Tower King’s real name possibly be? No one yet knows it. This rocket is essentially a type of aircraft shaped roughly like an artillery shell fitted with tail fins. The difference from airplanes lies in their propellers—airplanes have them while rockets do not. Therefore, rockets also lack engines. As for why this rocket travels through the air, it is because there is a hole in its rear section from which gas violently jets out. By that force, the rocket advances forward.

The gas was stored inside the rocket. The gas used by the Mysterious Tower King was QQ Gas—a powerful gas unknown anywhere in the world. This had been thoroughly cooled， solidified into a plaster-like state， and canned. When used， opening the can’s lid caused QQ Gas to transform into gaseous form and jet out violently with a fierce hissing sound from the hole. The reason for cooling and solidifying it was that in a vehicle like a rocket requiring large quantities of gas， storing it in gaseous form within would leave too little space to contain much. By cooling and solidifying it into a plaster-like state， the volume became much smaller. For instance， even a roomful of gas， when cooled and solidified， became about a small scoop’s worth of powder. Therefore， even when storing a considerable quantity， it didn’t take up much space.

The Mysterious Tower Rocket had developed a roof-like structure without anyone noticing, its form becoming streamlined. Moreover, tail fins had been extended from its midsection before anyone became aware. The aged Mysterious Tower had completely transformed itself into this cutting-edge rocket there. What an awe-inspiring Mysterious Tower this was! 4

The vanished Mysterious Tower had suddenly transformed into a rocket plane and leapt into the sky, leaving everyone astonished at this development.

Those who were most astonished of all were the naval landing party members from Battleship Awaji who had been diligently investigating the sandy area near the site at that very moment. From land that until then had appeared as nothing but flat sand, a rocket—suddenly sprouting wings from the Mysterious Tower—burst forth with a thunderous roar and crash. Even for Imperial Army warriors renowned for their brilliant combat feats, they could not help being astonished.

Even Lieutenant Shiota, the commander,

“Whoa, what’s that?!” After that shout, he could only stare blankly at the Mysterious Tower Rocket as it climbed into the sky for some time. “Stand and fire! Aim!”

The lieutenant finally regained his senses and issued a command. But when he realized that attacking from behind now would be futile, the lieutenant ultimately did not order the commencement of firing. Instead, signalmen were selected, and vigorous semaphore signals were exchanged with the flagship. Aboard the flagship too—utterly taken by surprise—the sailors on deck could only watch in stunned amazement at the trailing gas plume from the rocket. But before they could even register the valiant roar now echoing across the decks, two carrier-based aircraft shot into the sky via catapult power. This was to pursue the Mysterious Tower Rocket. The crew consisted of the famous Lieutenant Kanaoka and First Class Aviation Petty Officer Mikuma.

However, even these skilled pilots soon returned to the ship in disappointment. A report was issued from the air. “Commander. “We attempted pursuit, but their speed was far too great—there was nothing we could do. “We have finally lost sight of the Mysterious Rocket Plane in the direction of due north.”

5 After that, the Mysterious Tower Rocket’s whereabouts became completely unknown. Were Detective Homura and the boy Ichihiko safe? What was the Mysterious Tower King plotting next? Lieutenant Shiota, leader of Battleship Awaji’s inspection team, felt utterly distraught over how matters had developed. Then Michiko—Ichihiko’s younger sister—came inquiring about her brother out of concern, leaving Lieutenant Shiota’s heart boiling like a seething cauldron.

“Oh, Miss Michiko, please have a seat.” “This is truly a terrible situation.” Michiko’s eyelashes were wet with tears from worry. “Lieutenant... Will Big Brother never come back?” “Uncle Homura has also gone with them, and I have no one left to depend on.” “If I were a boy, I’d chase after the Mysterious Tower King and rescue Big Brother and the others, but…”

Lieutenant Shiota also blinked rapidly and, while gently stroking Michiko's head,

“There’s no need for you to worry so much, Miss Michiko.” “We will definitely find them.” “Since subjecting this ship to such a terrible ordeal also appears to be the work of the Mysterious Tower King you mentioned, Miss Michiko, I believe we must absolutely subdue the Mysterious Tower King with our own hands.” “However, that Mysterious Tower King possesses terrifying weapons that even we experts find utterly perplexing.” “Therefore, even in subduing him, we must first conduct thorough research.” “Accordingly, after consulting with the captain and others, we have decided to request Dr. Ōtone—known as Japan’s foremost scientist—to join us and lend his wisdom.” “If Dr. Ōtone comes, there’s no doubt we’ll find an excellent method to subdue the Mysterious Tower King.”

6

Dr. Ōtone was not only Japan’s foremost scientist but also its most eccentric character. He was always shut away in his underground laboratory and hardly ever emerged. Even when visitors came calling, he wouldn’t show his face unless in an exceptionally good mood. Thus, those who glimpsed Dr. Ōtone—with his thick corrective glasses and gaunt, diminutive face framed by wild whiskers—were deemed remarkably fortunate. Typically, people conducted business through the telephone installed in his residence’s entryway, discussing matters over the line with the doctor sequestered in his inner sanctum. Yet even this telephone sometimes proved futile when Dr. Ōtone refused to answer, leaving determined visitors no choice but to stubbornly camp in the entrance hall for days on end, redialing repeatedly.

Dr. Ōtone’s visit to Battleship Awaji occurred a full three days after the promised date.

“Oh my, this has become quite dreadful, hasn’t it?”

Dr. Ōtone climbed up the gangway with a beaming face while patting his waist.

Captain Sōma, along with staff officers and Inspection Team Leader Lieutenant Shiota, were waiting to welcome Dr. Ōtone. “This was clearly done by a secret weapon of tremendous power,” he remarked. “Fascinating.” “We must investigate this at once.” From the deck below, Dr. Ōtone gazed up at the bridge warped like candy sculpture, shaking his head repeatedly in awe. “Dr. Ōtone, please have some tea.” Michiko took over for the sailors and served black tea.

“Oh—” Dr. Ōtone’s eyes widened in surprise. “Well, have battleships started using female attendants these days? Ah ha ha!” Michiko flushed crimson. 7 Dr. Ōtone contorted his bamboo-pole-thin frame this way and that as he painstakingly examined every warped section of Battleship Awaji’s hull, its steel twisted and melted like sugar sculpture. Each discovery made his eyes glint fiercely behind thick myopic lenses and sent ripples through his unkempt beard.

“Lieutenant Shiota, I’ve largely completed my inspection. What’s most intriguing is this ventilation duct here.”

With that, Dr. Ōtone turned to the ventilation duct standing beside him. This ventilation duct was a large air passage tube resembling the grotesquely enlarged bowl of a traditional smoking pipe. It had been constructed from iron plates, but now lay twisted as though battered by a typhoon, its surface pocked with countless holes of varying sizes. “Lieutenant Shiota, I’ll be taking this ventilation duct with me.” “I must bring it back for thorough analysis.”

Having said that, Dr. Ōtone took out a piece of chalk from his pocket and drew circular marks and triangular marks around the holes of the ventilation duct. Then he took out a camera and meticulously photographed each of those sections. Once that was done, Dr. Ōtone took out a strangely shaped pair of scissors he had hidden somewhere and began cutting through the iron ventilation duct as if it were cardboard, crunching through it with ease. “My, what sharp scissors!”

“My, what sharp scissors!” Michiko remarked in admiration as she watched from nearby. Dr. Ōtone suddenly whirled around with a scowl. “Girls mustn’t chatter so.” Thinking she’d been scolded for interrupting his work, Michiko’s lips began to quiver. At that moment, a large hand reached out from behind her and gently patted her head.

When she turned to look, it was Lieutenant Shiota’s hand.

Where was the Mysterious Tower?

1

Michiko found Dr. Ōtone—who kept conducting bizarre research aboard Battleship Awaji—to be a truly frightening person. Yet Dr. Ōtone remained completely indifferent to whatever Michiko might think of him, mumbling incessantly under his breath as he paced about the ship’s interior. Inspection Team Leader Lieutenant Shiota stepped forward before the doctor,

“Dr. Ōtone, where do you think that Mysterious Tower Rocket has gone after committing such terrible acts?”

Dr. Ōtone’s eyes gleamed fiercely from behind his myopic glasses,

“Well, as for that matter, I’ve got a general idea.” “It’s most likely somewhere uninhabited.” “Places like the coast or deep in the mountains—that sort of location.” “Dr. Ōtone, how do you think we should go about clearly locating it?” “That should indeed come first—investigating what kind of force the Mysterious Tower’s scientist used to melt the battleship’s iron plates.” “Once we understand that, we can create something like a receiver sensitive to that mysterious force, install it on a plane, and by flying while following the direction where the force intensifies, we will surely reach wherever the Mysterious Tower is located.”

“I see. That’s an excellent method.” “In that case, we must have you investigate this mysterious force—but how many days do you estimate it will take?” “Well, I can’t quite say—” Dr. Ōtone pressed a hand to his forehead for a moment, then... “Well, I’ll take these iron plates from the ventilation duct back and finish the investigation as quickly as possible.” “Well then, I’ll be going now.” “Dr. Ōtone, are you leaving already?”

“In such an unquiet place, proper ideas won’t emerge.” “Now then, farewell.”

With that, Dr. Ōtone left without looking back and hurriedly made his way back.

2

At the same time, Petty Officer Kohama came rushing out onto the deck.

“Lieutenant Shiota, this is a major crisis!” “What’s this, Kohama? This isn’t like you—you’re flustered.” “Ahahaha, I may be flustered. Anyway, we’ve started to figure out the Mysterious Tower Rocket’s whereabouts.” “What? The Mysterious Tower Rocket’s whereabouts—” At this, Lieutenant Shiota jolted and moved his thick eyebrows. “Well, that’s clever. However, Dr. Ōtone did say that until we understand the true nature of that mysterious force emitted from the tower, there’s no way to determine its whereabouts.”

“Did Dr. Ōtone say such a thing? However, the wireless squad has now captured a wireless telegraphy signal believed to be emanating from the Mysterious Tower. It was a very weak wireless telegraphy signal—initially audible for only about twenty seconds—but it was indeed calling Battleship Awaji.” “Hmm.” At this, Lieutenant Shiota leaned forward. “We struggled in hopes of deciphering some meaning from the signal, and while we could confirm that a message was being transmitted, the code was fragmented, making it difficult to discern any clear meaning. However, since only Battleship Awaji’s call sign was repeated many times, we realized, ‘Ah, so they’re calling us here.’”

“Hmm, and then—” At this, Lieutenant Shiota urged him to continue. “So we gave up trying to discern what they were saying and instead immediately began investigating the direction from which the wireless telegraphy signal was coming.” “Excellent.” “And have you determined the direction from which the wireless telegraphy is coming?” “Yes, the initial wireless telegraphy vanished almost immediately, but after about five minutes, the same signal came in again, so we succeeded in capturing it.”

3 Petty Officer Kohama continued his report earnestly before Lieutenant Shiota, explaining how they had measured the direction from which the mysterious radio waves had come. “Lieutenant Shiota, the direction has appeared on the direction finder’s scale.” “Which direction is it?”

At this, Lieutenant Shiota took out the map and spread it. “Understood. This is Kujūkuri Beach. Let me attempt to draw a straight line from true north angled approximately five degrees east across this area.”

With that, Petty Officer Kohama drew a straight line with a red pencil across the map. “It’s this direction.” The direction in question passed near Katori Shrine in Chiba Prefecture, entered Ibaraki Prefecture to thread between Lake Kasumigaura and Lake Kitaura, pierced through Ōarai Coast east of Mito, then extended from Hitachi Mine toward Nakoso Barrier.

“Hmm, it’s the northern direction.” “Incidentally, it would be good if we could determine exactly which point...” “Understood. We attempted that as well.” “Did you manage it?” “Yes, as Destroyer Tachikaze happened to be sailing approximately 200 kilometers east of Kashimanada at the time, we had them measure the direction of that mysterious radio wave.” “Unfortunately, the sea was violently stormy with heavy rain and high waves, so Destroyer Tachikaze’s wireless squad struggled considerably and took time, but they still managed to determine it in the end.” “The direction of the mysterious radio waves measured from Destroyer Tachikaze was determined to be approximately ten degrees north of due west.”

“I see. If it’s tilted ten degrees north of due west—that would place it around Hitachi Mine or between there and Nakoso Barrier.” “Yes, if we draw the line, it comes out like this—”

With that, Petty Officer Kohama began drawing a line with a blue pencil from the Pacific Ocean and pulled it all the way west. Then, the point where the red line drawn earlier and the blue line just now drawn intersected was none other than Nakoso Barrier!

4

Direction finders were truly indispensable machines. By measuring the direction of weak radio waves emitted from the Mysterious Tower’s hidden location from both Battleship Awaji at Kujūkuri Beach and Destroyer Tachikaze sailing in the Pacific Ocean—and thereby accurately pinpointing Nakoso Barrier as the location—it had to be called a truly excellent machine. The fact that our Japan possessed direction finders splendid enough to boast of to the world was truly heartening.

Lieutenant Shiota's face was indeed brimming with joy as he tightly gripped Petty Officer Kohama's hand, “The direction finder has accomplished a greater feat than Dr. Ōtone!” “I see, is that so?” “Why, Dr. Ōtone did say that determining where the Mysterious Tower’s rocket went would be quite difficult.” “I see. Shall I inform Dr. Ōtone that we’ve determined the Mysterious Tower’s whereabouts?”

“Yeah.” With that, Lieutenant Shiota fell silent for a moment, “Well, let’s not inform him. I have my reasons.” he said meaningfully. Be that as it may, could that faint mysterious radio wave truly be emanating from the Mysterious Tower? In that case, who could be sending that signal?

What could Detective Homura and young Ichihiko, who had been confined in the Mysterious Tower, be doing now?

Be that as it may, Lieutenant Shiota reported all details from Petty Officer Kohama’s investigation of the location emitting mysterious radio waves to the fleet flagship. When the Commander-in-Chief heard this, he immediately ordered a reconnaissance squadron dispatched toward Nakoso Barrier. Lieutenant Shiota and Petty Officer Kohama were also to join that group and bid farewell to Kujūkuri Beach. They invited Michiko aboard the warship to deliver parting words and vowed to rescue Ichihiko and Homura.

Reconnaissance Planes Depart

1 Having surmised that the Mysterious Tower King’s hiding place was likely near Nakoso Barrier, Lieutenant Shiota and Petty Officer Kohama bid farewell to Michiko and boarded the reconnaissance plane.

The reconnaissance squadron immediately took to the air. With their wings aligned straight, they flew northward, ever northward. Kujūkuri Beach soon shrank until it vanished from sight.

“Lieutenant Shiota, there was a report that six bombers from Hiraiso Base had also departed toward Nakoso Barrier.”

With that, Petty Officer Kohama, who had been operating the wireless equipment aboard the plane, informed the lieutenant through the voice pipe.

“Hmm, I see.”

At last, it had been decided to subjugate the Mysterious Tower King. However, would the Mysterious Tower King be defeated so easily? After a while, Lieutenant Shiota, “Hey, Petty Officer Kohama—has the Mysterious Tower’s wireless signal said anything clear since then?” Then, from inside the voice pipe came Kohama’s voice: “Since leaving Battleship Awaji, we haven’t received any of those mysterious radio waves at all. We’re still working as hard as we can to locate it right now.”

he said. "I see. It's worrying that they aren't transmitting any wireless signals." "If we ascend higher, wireless signals should come through more clearly—so if they're transmitting from over there, we ought to pick them up." While he was saying this, Petty Officer Kohama suddenly cried out, "Ah! Lieutenant Shiota! It's coming through! It's coming through!" "It's definitely that mysterious radio wave." "The reception is very clear now." "This time we should be able to decipher the code!"

“That’s wonderful. Keep that wireless signal steady!”

Now, what kind of message could the wireless transmission from the Mysterious Tower be conveying? Lieutenant Shiota waited with bated breath for Petty Officer Kohama’s report.

2

Petty Officer Kohama was intently listening to the mysterious radio waves that had begun to be heard again aboard the plane. Dah, dah, dah, dit-dah. Dit, dit, dit, dah-dit. “Hmm, I’ve got it! I’ve got it!” With that, the petty officer pressed the receiver to his ear with one hand and waited in readiness, determined not to miss a single character.

Then, at last, the mysterious radio wave began to spell out a message. Now, what message would it bring? “Make peace with the Mysterious Tower King, Homura.” The message read, "Make peace with the Mysterious Tower King, Homura." Petty Officer Kohama found the message utterly unexpected, but he immediately reported it verbatim to Lieutenant Shiota. It was Lieutenant Shiota who was surprised. “What’s this? You’re saying we should make peace with the Mysterious Tower King—? Has Homura Sōroku gone mad? Or perhaps this is a forged message from the Mysterious Tower King.”

How could we ever forgive the Mysterious Tower King—that ruffian who utterly destroyed Battleship Awaji, the Imperial Navy’s greatest capital ship? The wireless message from Detective Homura urging reconciliation with the Mysterious Tower King simply didn’t add up, no matter how he considered it. Could it be that Detective Homura had finally been taken prisoner by the Mysterious Tower King and was being forced against his will to transmit such a wireless message? “Hey, Petty Officer Kohama. Was that wireless transmission just now sent using the same wireless telegraph we heard on Battleship Awaji before?”

“Yes, I believe it’s the same one. The volume has increased, but their equipment appears to be highly unstable—the signal wavers like a drunkard’s stagger.” “Hmph, just like your footsteps on the night we landed.” Then Lieutenant Shiota—amidst his astonishment—displayed the composure of a warrior and teased, “Oh, come on now...”

With that, Petty Officer Kohama scratched his head.

3

Aboard the plane, Lieutenant Shiota crossed his arms and pondered who on earth had sent the wireless transmission that read, “Make peace with the Mysterious Tower King.” _Then, this must indeed be a wireless transmission sent by Detective Homura. If the Mysterious Tower King were using the wireless telegraph installed in the Mysterious Tower to send a message, it wouldn’t be such a weak and unstable transmission._

They could only conclude that Homura had surrendered to the Mysterious Tower King.

At that moment, a wireless message came in from the bomber squadron that had taken off from Hiraiso Base. “Main force holding position over Kashimanada at altitude three thousand meters. Prepared to commence bombing immediately upon your orders. Squadron Leader Captain Matsukaze.” The message stated that the bomber squadron was circling at three thousand meters over the sea and would immediately commence bombing anywhere as soon as Lieutenant Shiota issued the order. At last, the terrifying aerial bombing attack was prepared.

So, where would they bomb? They had to quickly locate where the Mysterious Tower stood hidden. When Lieutenant Shiota reached the airspace over Mito, he informed the entire squadron of their respective reconnaissance routes, and it was decided they would now scatter to search for the Mysterious Tower concealed on the ground. Now, which reconnaissance plane would distinguish itself? 4:10 PM! The long-awaited message—“The Mysterious Tower is in sight!”—was transmitted from one plane. At this signal, the plane carrying Lieutenant Shiota also hurriedly headed in that direction. When Petty Officer Kohama received the report stating “The Mysterious Tower is in sight!”, he deeply regretted having failed to spot it himself. Given that matters had reached this point, he directed his telescope toward the ground and strained desperately to catch a glimpse of the Mysterious Tower as quickly as possible.

It was in the mountains slightly west of Nakoso Checkpoint, roughly between the Yamaguchi and Ibaraki Coal Mines, that something round—like a single fifty-sen silver coin that had been dropped—appeared.

4

“Ah, there it is!” “Yes! The Mysterious Tower is visible!” Both Lieutenant Shiota and Petty Officer Kohama in the reconnaissance plane instinctively leaned forward from their seats.

“Contact the Bomber Squadron!” At Lieutenant Shiota’s shout, the communications officer immediately activated the wireless device and contacted the bomber squadron commander. “Yes, this is the Bomber Squadron Commander.”

Lieutenant Shiota took the microphone and reported the state of the Mysterious Tower visible below. And immediately requested that they commence the bombing. “Understood. We will proceed immediately with all aircraft.”

“I’m counting on you.”

Then, in less than ten minutes, the wings of the bomber squadron appeared from the eastern sky. The wireless communications of both squadrons began actively exchanging messages. Before long, their coordination was fully completed. The bomber aircraft split into two squadrons, each maintaining an altitude of 4,000 meters, and advanced quietly over the Mysterious Tower. Both Lieutenant Shiota and Petty Officer Kohama, from aboard the reconnaissance plane, held their breath and watched the operation intently.

Before long, the lead plane of the bomber squadron flying ahead first sharply lowered its nose. The following planes also followed suit, lowering their noses one after another. It was a dive bombing attack. From the fuselage of the aircraft, five or six jet-black objects were suddenly released. They were bombs. The bombs clustered together neatly and plummeted rapidly downward. The bomb group from the second plane chased closely after them, rapidly pursuing the Mysterious Tower on the ground.

What would happen now? They thought that in just a few more seconds, a great explosion would occur—blasting away the earth and sending black smoke billowing into the sky—but in reality, it did not happen. Truly strange—the explosion simply wouldn’t occur.

5 Inside the Mysterious Tower should be Homura Sōroku, who had sent the wireless message urging peace with the Mysterious Tower King, as well as the boy Ichihiko. Nevertheless, dropping bombs upon the Mysterious Tower was something he found deeply disheartening. However, since this tower that had become an enemy of the Imperial Navy could not be left standing even for a day—no, even for an hour—Lieutenant Shiotta consequently steeled himself and ordered the bomber squadron to release their payload.

The bombs plummeted downward but then fell completely silent, leaving the bombardiers utterly bewildered. “We dropped the bombs, but they aren’t exploding!” Then, a strange message arrived at Lieutenant Shiota’s location. “They dropped the bombs, but they aren’t exploding—is that what they’re saying?” “That’s impossible!” “Hey, Petty Officer Kohama.” “Hah, I can’t make heads or tails of it.” “The bombs aren’t exactly taking a nap.”

The bombs dropped by the six bombers all ended up as duds. What on earth happened?

Lieutenant Shiota resolved to dive the reconnaissance plane and investigate the situation on the ground. “Dive! Altitude around 100 meters!” “Conduct reconnaissance of the Mysterious Tower along the north-south axis!”

Upon issuing such orders, the reconnaissance plane immediately began descending toward the ground like a hawk diving toward its prey.

Lieutenant Shiota took up binoculars and was intently observing the area around the Mysterious Tower.

At that moment, Lieutenant Shiota tilted his head slightly, “Ah! What is that?” “Hey, Kohama! Look there!” “Where? On top of the tower?” “On top of the tower?” What mysterious scene could have appeared at the bottom of their binoculars?

6

Aboard the reconnaissance plane that had descended to low altitude, what Lieutenant Shiota and Petty Officer Kohama saw was the Mysterious Tower wearing a strange umbrella. What did this strange umbrella look like? It was that many dud bombs were lined up on the same plane about five or six meters above the tower’s summit, appearing exactly like an umbrella covering it. “This is strange. The bombs we dropped from above aren’t falling down—they’re just hanging there suspended in mid-air like that. I wonder what the reason could be.”

“Lieutenant Shiota, this resembles sorcery.” “This is shocking!” Petty Officer Kohama too stood utterly bewildered. Lieutenant Shiota had been standing with arms folded, deep in thought, then finally gave a firm “Hmm” and nodded.

“Kohama, let’s try firing the machine guns at the Mysterious Tower.” “Have all reconnaissance planes unleash a full barrage.” “Issue the order!” Lieutenant Shiota resolved to commence machine gun fire. The order was immediately issued. The five pilots following Lieutenant Shiota’s command plane readied their front-mounted machine gun triggers and awaited further commands. Before long, “Prepare to fire at the Mysterious Tower!” “Target the third-floor windows! Circle the tower and open fire!” “Open fire!”

No sooner had the order been given than they unleashed a furious barrage—rat-a-tat-tat, boom-boom-boom—pouring down intense gunfire for over a minute.

“Cease fire!” And then, the gunfire stopped dead. It was truly mysterious. Despite the Mysterious Tower’s windows clearly having plate glass panes, they weren’t shattering in the slightest. If bullets were hitting the Mysterious Tower’s outer walls, there should have been something like smoke, but they couldn’t see that either. Even Lieutenant Shiota was growing impatient as he stared intently at the tower.

Then—

7 At Lieutenant Shiota’s command, the six reconnaissance planes began fiercely firing their machine guns as they circled round and round the Mysterious Tower. Of course, they were firing machine guns aimed at the Mysterious Tower, but for some reason, not a single bullet was hitting it. “This is strange.” And those unaware of the Mysterious Tower King’s sinister power tilted their heads slightly. Where could the bullets have gone? Had someone been near the tower at this time and looked closely, they would have seen the bullets suspended motionless in empty space about one or two meters beyond the tower’s walls, scattered like sesame seeds.

Lieutenant Shiota had been busily adjusting the focus of his binoculars from the plane, but when he perceived that a wall of bullets had formed in this manner, he smiled faintly.

“Good, this should do it.” “Lieutenant Shiota, what do you mean by ‘good’?”

Petty Officer Kohama asked.

“Hmm—in other words, we’ve completely surrounded the Mysterious Tower with bombs and bullets.” “Right? That’s how it is.” “The bombs we dropped from above are spread out like an umbrella several meters above the tower’s roof without falling down, while the bullets we just fired have formed a bullet wall around the Mysterious Tower.” “Therefore, the Mysterious Tower has ended up surrounded by bombs and bullets.” “With this, it’s as if we’ve placed a cage over the Mysterious Tower from above.” “Even if the Mysterious Tower tries to leap out, the bombs and bullets block its path, preventing any escape.” “What do you think? It worked perfectly, didn’t it?”

Lieutenant Shiota looked very pleased.

But everyone, wasn’t Lieutenant Shiota’s thinking mistaken? Had the Mysterious Tower truly become like an eagle in a cage? After all, their opponent was none other than the Mysterious Tower—a structure that possessed a mysterious power repelling all metal fragments!

The Mysterious Tower King’s Search

1

The Mysterious Tower King dashed here and there around the third-floor room of the tower, opening desk drawers and flipping over the futon as he searched frantically for something.

“It’s not here, it’s not here. Where could it have gone?” When the Mysterious Tower King raised his face, it became apparent he had covered his head completely with something like a black cloth that day. In other words, his face was wrapped in a black cloth. The suspicious Mysterious Tower King had grown more suspicious than ever. “It’s not here, it’s not here. Where on earth did it go?” Then the Mysterious Tower King glanced around restlessly.

“Still not here… How strange…”

Though the Mysterious Tower was now completely encircled by bombs and bullets, he showed not the slightest concern for such matters. Instead, he kept fussing about with a black cloth pulled over his head, muttering repeatedly, “It’s not here, it’s not here.” It seemed something terrible had happened.

At that moment, the telephone's call bell began ringing piercingly. However, the Mysterious Tower King paid no attention to such things. Moreover, on the control panel in the room, a red "Caution" light kept flashing on and off, warning the Mysterious Tower King of something—but he paid no attention to this either. What on earth could the Mysterious Tower King be in such a panic about? The floor below—that is, the second floor of the Mysterious Tower—there was a machinery room. There were all sorts of complicated, incomprehensible machines lined up, among which three cylinders—each about the size of a postbox—stood spaced apart. It had never been clear what these were until now, but just as this commotion was happening, the lids of the cylinders popped open with a clack, and three Black operators poked their faces out from inside.

2

Until now, it had been thought that only the Mysterious Tower King lived within the Mysterious Tower. But on its second floor stood three cylinders—each about the size of a postbox—all with their lids now open, from which unexpectedly emerged the faces of Black operators. How astonished Detective Homura and Ichihiko would have been had they witnessed this! Who could these Black operators inside the cylinders be? And what could they have been doing inside them?

“Hey Jean. I wonder what Master’s up to.” “Yeah, Ken. The bell’s clanging away to signal danger, but…” As the two Black operators spoke worriedly, another named Pon interjected: “If the tower gets destroyed, there’s no helping it. Let’s try moving it ourselves.” Pon said. Jean and Ken startled, their large eyes darting restlessly. “No good! No good! If Master doesn’t give proper orders, the tower won’t move right!”

“That’s right—what Jean says is correct. But rather than that, isn’t there a way to quickly find out what Master is up to?” “That’s impossible. Once we’re in these cylinders, we’re chained up—there’s no way we can get out even if we tried!”

There was a person who had been listening intently to this conversation from halfway up the stairs leading to the floor below.

He, perhaps judging the moment right, quietly finished climbing the stairs and suddenly revealed himself before the Black operators. The ones who were surprised were the Black operators.

“Whoa, Master!” Why had the Mysterious Tower King, who should have been on the third floor, come up from below?

3 Jean-Ken-Pon—the three Black operators—were in great panic. They promptly retracted their heads into cylinders and tried rattling their lids shut through trembling hands—but their frantic state made proper closure impossible. "Hey! You lot!" "Stay right there!"

“Hold it right there!” said the Mysterious Tower King, who had come from downstairs.

“Yes sir!”

The three Black operators stuck their necks out again, with the lids still placed on their heads. At that moment, the Black operators thought, "Huh?" It was because the Mysterious Tower King was wearing strange clothes. It was a loose, coat-like garment with an unusually long hem. It was an outfit the Black operators had never seen before. (Master is wearing strange clothes!)

And all three of them thought exactly that.

“Hey, you lot! You can hear that alarm bell ringing, can’t you?”

“Y-yes sir!” “As you all know, that is signaling that part of this tower has been damaged.” “Yes, yes.” “Since it’s dangerous to remain like this, we must move the tower immediately!” “Yes, that’s exactly right, sir. We’ve been saying that ourselves since earlier, sir…” “Then move it immediately. And make sure you move it carefully!” “Master, which direction should we move the tower?” “Hmm, that would be――”

The Mysterious Tower King paused to consider, “That’s it—launch this tower to descend to Yokosuka Naval Port.” “Huh?! Yokosuka Naval Port?!” “That’s dangerous!” The Black operators turned pale upon hearing “Yokosuka Naval Port.”

4

“To think it’s Yokosuka Naval Port—I’m shocked!” With a deep sigh, the Black operator in the cylinder implored the Mysterious Tower King. Another Black operator uttered in a trembling voice, “If we take this tower to Yokosuka Naval Port, it’s as if we’re deliberately marching ourselves into captivity.” The sole remaining Black operator, full of vigor, “No, that’s not true at all! Whether it’s Yokosuka Naval Port or anywhere else, if we fight with the pride of our tower—the magnetic cannon—the naval port will be smashed to pieces! I’m not worried. You lot have nothing to worry about either.”

He puffed out his chest and shouted. “No—there’s plenty to worry about! In the naval port, there’s more than just cannons. Japanese sailors are quite strong! They’ll come right into the tower. The magnetic cannon can’t fully stop humans!” “At that time, we’ll defeat the sailors with the murder beam.”

“No, no!” “The murder beam—there’s only one of them!” “If a horde of sailors charges in, we won’t be able to kill them all in time!” “No, it’s not impossible!” “No, no! It’s no good!” As the Black operators vehemently argued amongst themselves, nearby, the Mysterious Tower King—clad in a long mantle like those worn by Arabian kings—listened with a stern expression. “Be quiet, you lot!” “It’s my order.” “Now hurry up and launch it to Yokosuka!”

When he waved his hand, the Black operators—startled by the Mysterious Tower King’s fierce demeanor—retreated their heads into the cylinders. These Black operators served as drivers of this Mysterious Tower. They were exceptionally skilled drivers whom the Mysterious Tower King had specially trained. Just as the Mysterious Tower was finally about to launch again, the loudspeaker mounted on the ceiling suddenly emitted a harsh, grating noise.

5 Suddenly, above their heads, the loudspeaker blared out with a harsh, grating noise! The three Black operators were startled again. However, the one who was even more startled was the Mysterious Tower King. He quickly bent down, grabbed a wooden fragment that had fallen on the floor, and in one swift motion hurled it toward the ceiling’s loudspeaker. The wooden fragment missed the loudspeaker and fell straight down.

At that moment, a hoarse voice burst forth from the loudspeaker. “Koura, Jean, Ken, Pon. “Do not fly the tower toward Yokosuka! “It’s my order. “Those who disobey will have their souls roasted alive later!” The voice that spoke was identical to the Mysterious Tower King’s. “Oh my! Master is standing right there, yet his voice is also coming from the third floor!” The Black operators were utterly flabbergasted. “Koura, quickly send it to Yokosuka! “Can’t you see this face of mine?!”

And then, the Mysterious Tower King inside the room bellowed. “Heh heh... In that case, to Yokosuka—”

The Black operators bowed their heads while, in their hearts, (Hmm... No matter how they looked at it, this Master’s face was undoubtedly his own, but his way of speaking seemed slightly different.) However, they couldn’t believe there could be two people with the same face as their Master. (Somehow, this had become impossible to understand.)

As they were thinking this, from above their heads, “Koura! Jean! Ken! Pon! “Don’t you recognize my voice? “The one standing before you is an imposter claiming to be me! “You mustn’t obey him!”

“Huh? Then in that case—” With that, the three Black operators rolled their eyes about—looking up at the ceiling one moment and staring at the face of the Mysterious Tower King in the room the next. “I’m right here giving orders, so what are you lot making such a racket for?” And then, the Mysterious Tower King in the room was displeased.

6

The Mysterious Tower King of Face and the Mysterious Tower King of Voice! Inside the tower, two Mysterious Tower Kings had come into being. The Black operators were at their wits’ end. Why? Because while the Mysterious Tower King of Face ordered them to fly to Yokosuka, the Mysterious Tower King of Voice commanded that they must not fly to Yokosuka. Which one were they supposed to obey?

If Detective Homura had been there, he would have identified which was the real Mysterious Tower King. Detective Homura should have been inside this tower, but he still hadn’t shown himself. As for young Ichihiko—who could know where he was or what he might be doing? “What are you dawdling for? Hurry and fly the tower to Yokosuka—” “No—you must not fly the tower to Yokosuka!” It was a clash between both Mysterious Tower Kings—the one of face and the one of voice. Outside the Mysterious Tower at this moment, Lieutenant Shiota’s formation of planes banked their wings repeatedly as they pressed fierce assaults. Machine guns raked the tower’s windows with gunfire—rat-a-tat-tat! bang-bang-bang!—pouring down relentless fire. This overwhelming onslaught was more than enough to make the Black Operators quake with terror.

The three Black operators, trembling, exchanged glances among themselves. Then, appearing to have reached some sort of agreement, they all hid themselves inside cylindrical compartments and closed the lids. Then, before long, the engines roared to life. The tower rattled violently. The numerous meters on the switchboard all moved their needles at once.

Clang clang clang, roar roar roar. “Fly to Yokosuka!” “No. Fly toward the Pacific.”

Both Mysterious Tower Kings were shouting at each other, but their voices merely echoed futilely within the tower. No sooner had the Mysterious Tower shaken with a thunderous crash than it shot into the sky faster than an arrow, hissing white gas as it went. Oh no, dangerous— Even though the bomb umbrella was obstructing the path ahead— A tremendous explosion

1

The Mysterious Tower finally broke free from the Nakoso Strait anchorage and leaped out toward the vast sky. Here, having once again transformed into the Mysterious Tower rocket and taken flight, the bombs that the bombing team had dropped formed an umbrella-like shape above it, obstructing its path. Because the tower plunged straight into that formation, all hell broke loose. Boom, clatter-clatter-clatter, clang-clang.

A violent explosion occurred. The area was blanketed in jet-black smoke, creating a scene as though a mass of evening storm clouds had descended. Flash flash flash, flash flash flash. Whether from the explosion's flames or electricity—no one could tell—a blinding light flashed with indescribable intensity. The squadron of over a dozen planes under Lieutenant Shiota’s command circled around it, watching this terrifying spectacle unfold in awe. Could it be that even the mighty Mysterious Tower had been shattered to pieces there?

No, no—that was not the case. At that moment, breaking through the upper part of black smoke thick as a mass of evening storm clouds—a monstrous behemoth resembling an artillery shell suddenly leaped skyward toward the heavens!

“Ah! The Mysterious Tower Rocket burst out from there!” “Right—that’s the Mysterious Tower Rocket.” “Don’t let it escape!” “All units—full speed pursuit!”

Lieutenant Shiota issued a major command to all aircraft. Oh, how miraculous! The Mysterious Tower Rocket slipped through the midst of the many bombs clustered like an umbrella that were exploding and soared up into the sky. Upon closer inspection, the Mysterious Tower Rocket showed no signs of damage anywhere. And no wonder—the Mysterious Tower Rocket had launched after fully charging its magnetic cannons in advance, so all the iron bomb fragments were blown away.

2 The Mysterious Tower Rocket blew away the bomb fragments and revealed its terrifying form above the sunset clouds. From its rear, gas hissed out—under the setting sun’s glow, it shimmered white at times, red at others, and yellow still others—making the Mysterious Tower Rocket appear all the more eerie.

Lieutenant Shiota led the reconnaissance squadron through gaps in the clouds as he pursued the Mysterious Tower Rocket. Petty Officer Kohama edged closer to the lieutenant’s side, biding his time for the right moment to engage. “Kohama! Our plane’s at full speed already, yes?” “Yes, Lieutenant Shiota—we’re maintaining maximum velocity.”

“I see. If we don’t catch up quickly, night will fall. Then searching will be a hassle.” “Hah! This time, no matter what, I intend to catch up and shoot it down with a body-crash tactic.” “Hmm, agreed. I plan to crash this plane into the Mysterious Tower Rocket’s tail fin and wreck its rudder. If we disable its rudder, even that Mysterious Tower Rocket won’t be able to fly no matter how hard it tries!”

“I see, that’s a brilliant plan, sir.” “Understood! I’ll give it my all, sir!” Lieutenant Shiota, true to his role as squadron leader, had devised an excellent strategy. However, while destroying the opponent’s rudder through a body crash sounded straightforward in theory, actually executing it proved remarkably difficult. Would it work?

The Mysterious Tower Rocket abruptly pointed its head upward and surged skyward. No sooner had it done this than it suddenly swung its rudder and darted southward. Then once more it jerked upward, climbing into the heavens while violently shaking its rear end. There was no discerning its intended flight path. Its movements resembled those of a stumbling drunkard.

3

It was only natural that the Mysterious Tower was leaping this way and that like a drunkard’s footsteps. For inside the Mysterious Tower, the Black Operators were shouting to each of the two Mysterious Tower Kings—threatened by opposing commands—and flying chaotically, now toward the heavens, now horizontally.

Before they knew it, the Mysterious Tower emerged over the Pacific Ocean.

The remaining light of the sunset was gradually fading, and now the surroundings were about to plunge into complete darkness.

Lieutenant Shiota exerted every ounce of strength to pursue the Mysterious Tower Rocket through the sky. Thanks to the Mysterious Tower Rocket’s floundering, Lieutenant Shiota’s plane finally managed to draw near its vicinity. “Just a bit more—persist!” Lieutenant Shiota kept urgently encouraging the pilots. “Aim for the rudder mechanism. Use this side’s wheel to kick apart that rudder mechanism!” Following the lieutenant’s lead, every reconnaissance plane—having grasped his intent—desperately gave chase, each determined to be the one that would ram and destroy the Mysterious Tower Rocket’s rudder through body-crash tactics.

At last, the long-awaited opportunity arrived for Lieutenant Shiota’s plane. Because the Mysterious Tower Rocket had stopped emitting gas while remaining pointed upward, the rocket’s ascent speed gradually decreased under its own weight. The rocket would probably soon flip around to face downward and swiftly begin moving horizontally. It was just like an Immelmann reverse turn.

As the rocket lost its ascent speed and hovered in midair, Lieutenant Shiota did not miss the opportunity: “Now’s the time! Vertical maneuver! Disable the enemy’s rudder mechanism!”

With that, he issued an extremely bold command.

4 True to his reputation as an exceptional military officer, Lieutenant Shiota issued the body-crash command at precisely the right moment. The reconnaissance plane carrying the lieutenant, still executing a vertical turn, aimed at the Mysterious Tower Rocket’s tail fin and collided with a thunderous “boom!”

“Hmm, how’s that?” With desperate resolve, they collided. Using the airplane’s wheel, they kicked away the Mysterious Tower Rocket’s tail fin. With a violent sound, the enemy’s tail fin was torn off, and something like sparks flashed brightly. The reconnaissance plane was sent hurtling as if flung, tumbling through the air, and Lieutenant Shiota along with all those aboard were left reeling with dizziness. But the brave pilot persisted and restored the tilted aircraft to its original state. If he had dawdled any longer, they might have crashed, but he managed to pull it back just in time.

“Rejoice! The aircraft’s intact!” The pilot shouted.

The rubber wheel was unexpectedly sturdy, and it kicked away the opponent’s tail fin without issue.

By that time, Lieutenant Shiota and Petty Officer Kohama had finally recovered from their dizziness and were able to open their eyes.

“Where did the Mysterious Tower go?” “Huh? We’ve lost visual!” The two men leaned out from their seats, looking up and down. “Ah—there it is!” Petty Officer Kohama had spotted it. “Oh—it’s there! Where?” “Where?” “That’s it. “You can see it there, piercing through the sunset clouds and falling downward.”

Looking where Petty Officer Kohama was pointing, sure enough, the Mysterious Tower Rocket—half of its surface illuminated by the setting sun—was falling, trailing its tail into the shadow of the clouds. And the aircraft was shaking and wobbling, its nose swaying erratically.

5 Lieutenant Shiota once again issued orders to all planes to pursue the Mysterious Tower Rocket.

All planes pursued the Mysterious Tower Rocket as fiercely as peregrine falcons, but their opponent, shaking and wobbling erratically, finally plunged into the sea with a mighty splash. “Ah! The Mysterious Tower Rocket has dove into the sea!” “No—it crashed. “Hurry up and get directly above that to take a look.” The Mysterious Tower Rocket—which had been thought to have flown off somewhere—sank into the waves of the Pacific Ocean as its momentum finally waned, leaving Lieutenant Shiota and his men utterly dumbfounded.

The reconnaissance planes descended to just above the sea surface and searched to see if the Mysterious Tower Rocket was visible. But the black sea lay perfectly undisturbed, giving no hint of where it had swallowed the rocket. Reluctantly, Lieutenant Shiota ordered all planes to withdraw slightly further away and maintain a wide vigil over the sea surface. That was because he thought the Mysterious Tower Rocket might leap out from between the waves at any moment.

However, the Mysterious Tower Rocket never showed itself again. And the sky, which had been approaching dusk, grew steadily darker until it finally turned into a pitch-black night. In this situation, they could no longer search for the Mysterious Tower. Lieutenant Shiota thought regretfully, but unavoidably left the remaining matters to the destroyer squadron that had just arrived at full speed and finally decided to withdraw from the area.

Where had the Mysterious Tower Rocket gone? And what had become of it? What could the Mysterious Tower King and Detective Homura have been doing? Wrapped in countless mysteries, the black sea that had swallowed the Mysterious Tower continued sleeping quietly.

Charcoal-burning Old Man

1

The Mysterious Tower Rocket, which had vanished into the waves of the Pacific, had not shown itself even once after that. The destroyer squadron maintained their maritime vigilance day and night, always lying in wait with the intention of blasting the Mysterious Tower Rocket with their cannons should it emerge from the waves, but their target remained hidden without a trace.

There, the story shifted to the mountains near Nakoso Barrier.

The charcoal-burning old man found a boy who had lost consciousness in the mountains. It was strange enough that a boy had come to such deep mountains, but equally strange was how his clothing and feet showed no signs of having traveled. When he helped him up and checked, the boy had an injury on his right leg. Immediately treating the wound and taking him to the hut, the charcoal-burning old man busily set to work on this unexpected task.

It was a full thirty minutes later that the boy finally regained consciousness.

When the boy came to his senses and saw the old man’s face, he was startled and tried to flee, but since his leg wouldn’t move, he collapsed face down onto the straw mat. “Ouch! Ouch!” Shouting, he clutched at his throbbing leg. Who could this boy have been? It was Ichihiko. It was none other than Ichihiko-kun, whom you all know well—speaking of Ichihiko, he should have been inside the Mysterious Tower, so why had he ended up lying in these mountains?

“Does it hurt that much?” “You’re a boy—endure it! Endure it!” The old man kept tending to Ichihiko. Ichihiko clenched his teeth and asked, “Grandpa, what’s the fastest way to send word to town?”

2 The Charcoal-burning Old Man, asked by the injured boy about the fastest way to send a message to town, studied his face intently as he replied: “Even if we send word to town, there ain’t exactly a heap o’ ways to do it. ’Tain’t no different method ’cept me trudgin’ down this mountain myself.” After answering,

“But you—how’d you end up in a place like this?” “And just who on earth are you, huh?”

he asked with evident suspicion.

The boy, seemingly in pain from his wound, grimaced but eventually opened his mouth. “You mean me?” “My name is Ichihiko.” “What’s that—Kazuhiko, ya say?” “That’s right—I’m Ichihiko. "I escaped from inside the Mysterious Tower." “That’s when I ended up getting hurt like this.”

The injured boy was none other than Ichihiko. This was the utterly unexpected situation—Ichihiko, who should have been confined within the Mysterious Tower alongside Homura Sōroku, had somehow been cast out into the mountains.

However, there was no way the Charcoal-burning Old Man could make sense of the name Ichihiko or the term Mysterious Tower. “What in tarnation’s this ‘Mysterious Tower’ thing you’re talkin’ about?” he asked nonchalantly. “You don’t know about the Mysterious Tower?” Ichihiko widened his eyes and, “Look, it’s about what happened yesterday. A lot of planes came and were dropping bombs from the sky, weren’t they? They were doing that over there beyond this mountain, weren’t they? That was the planes attacking the Mysterious Tower and bombing it from the sky.”

“Ah! So that’s what that was,” “I thought they were just military exercises.”

“Military exercises? Grandpa, you’re so carefree! And didn’t you see that huge tower trailing fire as it shot into the sky? That’s the Mysterious Tower, you see. I escaped from inside that tower, you see.”

3 “Ah! So that’s what they call the Mysterious Tower, eh?” “Oh that! I saw it too!” “Now you say you escaped from there—but what business had you inside that tower in the first place?” The Charcoal-burning Old Man’s eyes grew round with astonishment as he fired question after question at Ichihiko. Though Ichihiko could have filled hours recounting his adventures to the old man, more pressing was his need to report everything—every event leading up to his escape from the tower—to Lieutenant Shiota without another moment’s delay.

“Hey, Grandpa. “If we dawdle, there’s no telling how terribly Japan’s battleships might be destroyed by the Mysterious Tower King! “So you see, I need to meet with naval personnel or police officers as soon as possible. “If we don’t hurry, something terrible will happen. “Hey, Grandpa. “I’m sorry to ask, but could you go down the mountain and let someone know I’m here?” Ichihiko said with eagerness evident on his face.

Upon hearing that Japan’s battleships might be terribly destroyed, the Charcoal-burning Old Man was so startled he nearly jumped out of his skin. The reason was simple—this old man’s only son served as a sailor aboard a battleship. Battleships mattered greatly, and so did an only son. “Alright, I’ll go inform the villagers now,” he declared. Wait—come to think of it, wasn’t there a faster way to send word than hiking down the mountain? Of course, they’d agreed with the villagers never to use that emergency signal unless the world turned upside down—but if this Mysterious Tower King planned to smash Japan’s battleships to splinters, then busting out the alarm should be justifiable.

Having said that, the old man took the sickle hanging at his waist, cut down a thick bamboo growing nearby, trimmed it to an appropriate length, and drilled a hole in it. What could the old man be making?

4 “Grandpa, you cut the bamboo—what exactly are you making with it?” As he watched the sickle gripped in the old man’s hand moving skillfully, Ichihiko said admiringly. “Yeah, this here? This here’s my special bamboo horn.” “What’s a bamboo horn?” “Don’tcha know what a bamboo horn is?” He was taken aback. “Just watch and see.”

With that, the old man was busily working on the bamboo tube he had cut to about fifty centimeters in length, and then finally broke into a smile,

“Alright, the bamboo horn’s done!” “This should sound good!” Then, placing the bamboo horn to his lips and facing the distant village at the foot of the mountain, he blew out a big breath. Hoo-oo, hoo-oo, hoo-oo, hoo-oo. The bamboo horn began resonating with a loud, beautiful tone that carried sonorously through the air. The sound echoed across the mountainsides, trailing off in a long “woo-oo-oo” that reverberated far into the distance. “Ah, what a wonderful sound!” Ichihiko forgot his wound’s pain and became utterly entranced by the old man’s bamboo horn playing.

The old man pressed the bamboo to his lips over and over again, puffing out his cheeks like rubber balls as he kept blowing long signal tones. “Alright, this should be enough for the bamboo horn’s sound to reach the villagers’ ears.” “Grandpa, will people from the village really climb all the way up here when they hear that horn?” “That’s right. They’ll come rushing up in alarm. When you blow it like this, they can pinpoint exactly where we are.”

“Can’t you vary how you blow the bamboo horn to send messages to the village below?” “You’re asking if we can vary how we blow it to send messages? That’s impossible—I can’t keep my breath going long enough.”

5 The Charcoal-burning Old Man shook his head and said regretfully that using the bamboo horn to send messages to the village below was impossible as he couldn’t sustain his breath long enough. Hearing this, Ichihiko felt somewhat disappointed. However, since having the villagers huff and puff all the way up from the village below into these mountains and then back down again to run an errand to Lieutenant Shiota would clearly be a double hassle no matter how he thought about it, he racked his brains to see if there might be some other good way to communicate.

At that moment, something caught Ichihiko’s eye.

That was the Charcoal-burning Old Man’s charcoal kiln that had been built there. “Hmm, this was something good that caught my eye.” Ichihiko involuntarily muttered to himself and called out to the Charcoal-burning Old Man.

“I found something good! With this, sending messages to the village below will be a piece of cake!” “Huh? What’re you talkin’ about?” “It’s about that charcoal kiln. When you light it, smoke’ll come billowing out from the chimney. Then you climb onto the roof with a cloth or plank and block then release the smoke—do it quick-like, and you’ll get short puffs in bursts. Do it slow, and you’ll get long ones. That way we can make short and long signals with smoke, just like telegraph Morse code. If someone down in Fumoto Village knows Morse, they’ll see our smoke signals and think ‘Aha—they’re saying such-and-such!’ So here’s the plan—I’ll spell out the Morse code, and you climb up to adjust the chimney smoke into short or long signals. Whaddya say, Grandpa?”

“Well now, you’re a sharp one for a youngster!”

The Charcoal-burning Old Man was impressed.

6 Morse code communication using smoke! Ichihiko knew something remarkable. However, this was not something Ichihiko had come up with; in fact, it was a communication method that indigenous people had used in ancient times. Though it seemed to have been forgotten by now, upon closer consideration, this was an extremely convenient method of communication between such remote mountain areas far from human habitation and Fumoto Village. In this way, even though they are no longer used now, there are some truly excellent things among those from the past. Those who continue to actively use good, useful things from the past without concern for fleeting trends—these are the people we may truly call excellent.

The boy Ichihiko skillfully put to use the smoke communication method he had once read about in a book and remembered. The Charcoal-burning Old Man climbed onto the kiln’s roof, stood by the chimney, and while looking at the long and short symbols Ichihiko had scribbled down on a scrap of paper, covered the chimney with a cloth, alternately blocking and releasing the smoke, continuing this laboriously as sweat poured down his face. The message stated that Ichihiko had escaped from the Mysterious Tower and was here, so they should come to rescue him.

As the Charcoal-burning Old Man continued sending smoke signals under Ichihiko’s direction, he inwardly doubted whether this would truly reach Fumoto Village—certain that while the sound of his bamboo horn might reach the villagers’ ears, this lengthy message Ichihiko had now entrusted to him would never make it to the village below.

But what do you know? Before long, a column of smoke began billowing straight up into the windless sky from within Fumoto Village. “Well, well—they’ve sent up something like smoke signals from the village too. “Are they trying to copy us?” As Grandpa stared wide-eyed, the village’s smoke below began breaking into short and long bursts according to code, so he was utterly astonished and started transcribing the symbols onto a scrap of paper.

What message were the village’s smoke signals conveying toward the mountains?

Lieutenant Shiota’s Arrival 1

Smoke signals could be seen rising from Fumoto Village. With the Charcoal-burning Old Man’s assistance, Ichihiko had his injured body moved to where the signals were visible.

What message had the signal from Fumoto Village conveyed? “SHIODATAIIGAMUKAENIIKU” It meant that Lieutenant Shiota was coming to pick up Ichihiko. Ichihiko was dreamily astonished at how Lieutenant Shiota had learned of his whereabouts so swiftly. At that very moment, Lieutenant Shiota had been making inquiries via police telephone from the airbase to Fumoto Village below, asking whether they had heard anything or witnessed unusual occurrences since the previous day. The villagers responded that smoke signals were currently rising from the back mountain and urged him to be notified—thus, communication with Lieutenant Shiota was successfully established.

“Oh, I’m so happy! Lieutenant Shiota is coming! I’m so happy! If I can meet the Lieutenant, I’ll immediately relay Uncle Homura’s message and have them subjugate the Mysterious Tower as soon as possible. How on earth will Lieutenant Shiota come all the way into these mountains? I wonder if he’s coming by airplane after all.” With that, Ichihiko suddenly perked up considerably. The Charcoal-burning Old Man, who had been watching this, was overjoyed, feeling that his efforts had been worthwhile.

It was exactly around eleven o'clock before noon. A single plane approached from the eastern sky. The plane came right over Ichihiko and the old man's heads. Ichihiko lay on his back waving a white cloth while the old man vigorously sent up smoke from the charcoal kiln to signal the plane. Perhaps in response to their signals, the plane began circling repeatedly while gradually descending. It descended from 1,000 meters to 900, then 800, and soon shifted to a low altitude of 500 meters.

2 As the red-tailed plane circled above Ichihiko and the others while gradually lowering its altitude, a bundle consisting of a person and cargo connected together was soon tossed out into the air from it. "Oh, what's that?"

The Charcoal-burning Old Man squinted his eyes, blinking rapidly as he gazed up at the sky. “Ah! A parachute! Lieutenant Shiota is going to come down by parachute! Ah, that’s incredible!”

As he was saying this, a large, pure white, flower-like parachute suddenly blossomed in the sky. It was at a low altitude of approximately three hundred meters. Due to the human's weight, the parachute swayed back and forth. The parachute came steadily downward. Having apparently determined the wind's direction, it descended with remarkable skill toward where Ichihiko and the others were, settling down quietly. "Old Man. I want to get up, I want to get up!" "Now, now—you mustn't push yourself like that. You mustn't forget you're injured!"

Meanwhile, the parachute carrying Lieutenant Shiota steadily descended, passed over Ichihiko and the others’ heads, and landed with a thud on the mountainside beyond. Lieutenant Shiota tumbled head over heels and seemed to roll down the mountainside, but the moment he did so, he unfastened the harness securing the parachute and sprang upright on the ground. Witnessing this, Ichihiko instinctively shouted “Banzai!”

Lieutenant Shiota immediately rushed over to Ichihiko’s side. While comforting the boy, he skillfully disinfected Ichihiko’s wound with the medical supplies he had brought and wrapped a temporary bandage tightly around it. “Lieutenant Shiota, thank you. Thank you so much.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. “But more importantly, you’re remarkably energetic, Ichihiko. “Even sailors couldn’t match your energy! And how on earth did you escape from the Mysterious Tower?” “What happened to Mr. Homura?” “Hurry up and tell me.”

3

Ichihiko received Lieutenant Shiota’s attentive care, regained his vigor, and thereupon began to recount the full story of how he alone had escaped from the Mysterious Tower. “I was so surprised.” “Because the Mysterious Tower let out a tremendous roar and soared high into the sky.” “Then it went buzzing around through the air everywhere, and as I clung to the window frame in anxious suspense about what would happen next—with a great thudding tremor—the tower came to a quiet stop.” “At that moment, I thought I might have already died and been laid in a grave.” “I was truly terrified at that moment.”

“Hmm, I imagine that’s exactly how it was.” Lieutenant Shiota nodded deeply.

Lieutenant Shiota nodded deeply.

“It was after that that Uncle Homura began his activities.” “Uncle painstakingly investigated the second floor of the Mysterious Tower.” “Inside the Mysterious Tower, besides the Mysterious Tower King, he discovered that Black men were living inside strange cylinders.” “The Black men would obediently follow any order from the Mysterious Tower King and skillfully operate the machines.” “Hoh, I see. Good—he’s done some excellent investigating there.”

“Before long, Uncle Homura said he absolutely had to let me escape. “I refused at first, saying I didn’t want to run away alone. But Uncle Homura argued that unless I escaped and informed Lieutenant Shiota and the others about crucial matters, the Mysterious Tower King would keep rampaging forever and harming battleships. So I finally agreed. “Then Uncle Homura spent ages breaking open the iron window frame. I jumped out through that narrow space—that’s when I injured my leg.”

“Is that all? Was there no other message from Mr. Homura?” “Well, there’s one crucial message.”

4

“What? This crucial message from Mr. Homura—what’s it about?”

With that, Lieutenant Shiota firmly grasped Ichihiko’s hand and pressed him again. “Well, you see—”

With that, Ichihiko closed his eyes for a moment and thought intently. Because this message was exceedingly important, he was taking great care to ensure it was conveyed to the lieutenant exactly as Homura had instructed.

“That’s right—Uncle Homura said this.” “Hmm—” Lieutenant Shiota listened rigidly. “Well, he said that you must be sure to meet Dr. Ōtone.” “And he said that you must check whether there’s any change in Dr. Ōtone’s body—whether something’s different about it—and be sure to investigate that thoroughly.” “Hmm, hmm. “So he’s telling us to meet Dr. Ōtone.” “And he told you to check if there are any changes in Dr. Ōtone’s body, right?” “Hmm, I see now.” “After all, Mr. Homura really does seem to be quite the great detective!”

With that, Lieutenant Shiota seemed deeply impressed by some thought he held to himself. There must have been something that occurred to the lieutenant. The detailed accounts of Ichihiko’s confinement in the Mysterious Tower showed no sign of ending as one story led to another. It was discovered that the wireless telegraphy transmitted from the Mysterious Tower had indeed been sent by Detective Homura. Lieutenant Shiota looked astonished at how they had acquired a wireless device again, but according to Ichihiko’s account, Homura had found a broken radio receiver in the junk-filled storage room on the first floor, rewired it into a shortwave transmitter, and—thanks to vacuum tubes and batteries that hadn’t been disconnected—managed to transmit as they had witnessed.

5

“By all means, meet Dr. Ōtone!” The message from Detective Homura that Ichihiko had brought back caused Lieutenant Shiota great distress. If it was such urgent business, why hadn’t he sent a wireless telegraphy message from inside the Mysterious Tower? The lieutenant found this puzzling. Though he had sent Ichihiko out of the Mysterious Tower, Detective Homura—who tried to make Ichihiko, uncertain of when he might meet Lieutenant Shiota, convey this crucial matter verbally—seemed to have some reason behind his actions.

After careful consideration, Lieutenant Shiota concluded that if he were to broadcast this matter via wireless telegraphy or similar means, Dr. Ōtone might become aware of it, which would be disadvantageous. In other words, he concluded that Homura’s suggestion to meet with Dr. Ōtone meant that it absolutely had to be done without letting the doctor know. Why would it be bad if he found out? That would likely become clear in due course.

Lieutenant Shiota made a firm decision. He also made Ichihiko promise to keep secret Detective Homura’s instruction to visit Dr. Ōtone and not to speak of it to others. In return, the lieutenant promised that when going to meet Dr. Ōtone, he would definitely take Ichihiko along. In this situation, meeting Dr. Ōtone became an extremely critical matter.

As this was happening, the rescue team ascended the mountain. The wound on Ichihiko’s leg was promptly treated by a real doctor. There had been significant bleeding, and it turned out the bone at his ankle was dislocated. But since the boy himself remained spirited, and the doctor assured them he would fully recover soon, everyone felt reassured.

The rescue team placed Ichihiko on a stretcher and began descending the mountain. Ichihiko met Kōhei Kiguchi, the Charcoal-burning Old Man who had saved his life, expressed his gratitude, and departed from there.

Hospitalization

1

The sea where the Mysterious Tower Rocket had sunk remained under strict surveillance by our destroyer fleet. Submarines and even divers were deployed to search the waters thoroughly, but the Mysterious Tower Rocket’s whereabouts were still unknown.

The search team kept altering their methods with unwavering determination to locate the Mysterious Tower Rocket. This was Ichihiko.

Thanks to Lieutenant Shiota and the rescue team members, he entered the hospital immediately upon descending the mountain and received careful treatment. The news promptly reached his younger sister Michiko as well, so Michiko, who had been aching with worry in her little heart, rejoiced as though it were a dream. And she got into the car sent to fetch her and hurried to the hospital, taking many hours.

“Oh, Big Brother!”

As Michiko rushed into the hospital room and reached Ichihiko’s bedside, he lifted a surprisingly lively face,

“Oh Michiko! You came! Big Brother’s injury isn’t serious at all—you don’t need to worry about it.” “Oh! Is it really that minor? I’m so glad! But does it hurt?” “It doesn’t hurt! Just stings a little. The hospital director said I’ll be able to walk in four or five days! I’m fine—what worries me is Uncle Homura.” “Oh! Uncle Homura! What about Uncle?” “Well... I’m in a bit of a bind,” Ichihiko said hesitantly,

“I told Uncle I didn’t want to escape alone.” “So I kept suggesting we escape together, but Uncle just wouldn’t listen.” “Uncle said he still had work to do in the tower. I didn’t want to leave, but I did as he told me and came back alone to report.”

2

“Big Brother, you don’t have to feel so bad about leaving Uncle Homura behind. No one thinks you’re a bad child at all.”

Michiko was trying her hardest to comfort her brother Ichihiko. To hear of it was to know the admirable closeness of their sibling bond. Who in the world was to blame for tormenting such sensitive siblings like this? Needless to say, it must be the fault of the Mysterious Tower King, who had destroyed the Imperial Battleship Awaji with his mysterious force and had since committed various terrifying and hateful acts. What kind of person, exactly, was this Mysterious Tower King? Until now, this matter had remained largely unknown.

For Ichihiko and Michiko, though it spanned just five short days thereafter, it was a very happy time when they ate meals together, sang songs, talked, and at night slept side by side with their pillows aligned in the same room—things they hadn’t done together in so long. Due both to that and Michiko’s devoted nursing, by the sixth day Ichihiko could walk almost normally. Michiko watched Ichihiko’s figure walking away through the hospital garden and shed tears of joy.

Ichihiko was now completely healthy.

“Well, I’m all right now. Lieutenant Shiota was supposed to come today—he should be here any minute now.” “When Lieutenant Shiota arrives, I have something to ask.”

Michiko asked worriedly. “Yeah, I have a promise with Lieutenant Shiota, you see.” “What kind of promise?” “The promise is that he’ll take me to Dr. Ōtone’s place. But you mustn’t tell anyone about this. Uncle Homura would get angry.” Just as he was saying this, Lieutenant Shiota entered the hospital room resplendent in his military uniform.

**Departure**

**1** “Ah, Lieutenant Shiota!” “Oh, Ichihiko.” “Oh, Michiko’s here too.” “You both look happy—Ichihiko, you should be glad.” “I just asked the hospital director—he says your injury is apparently all right now.”

The three laughed together happily in unison.

“Lieutenant Shiota, you haven’t forgotten our promise, have you?” “Oh! The promise.” “Ah, that matter.” “But as for that matter—well, just leave it to me—”

“I don’t like it when you say things like that,” “I’ve been waiting so long for this!” “Please let me accompany you.” “I believe that’s the quickest way to save Uncle Homura.”

Lieutenant Shiota remained silent for a while but eventually asked Michiko if it would be all right to take Ichihiko along. Since Michiko had of course agreed to that, Lieutenant Shiota stood up with an “In that case...” “You’ll understand why I’m concerned soon enough, but getting to that eccentric Dr. Ōtone’s place is going to be quite an undertaking.” Lieutenant Shiota patted both their heads while expressing his feelings just a little. After hearing Homura’s message and giving it much thought, Lieutenant Shiota had come to consider visiting Dr. Ōtone an extremely significant matter.

What in the world could be so significant?

After parting with Michiko, Ichihiko boarded a naval car with Lieutenant Shiota and set off.

Their destination was Dr. Ōtone’s research institute on the outskirts of Tokyo. When the car approached Dr. Ōtone’s residence, Lieutenant Shiota turned to Ichihiko and, “Ichihiko, do you know about carrier pigeons?”

“Carrier pigeons?” “Not only do I know about them—I’m actually quite skilled at training pigeons too!” “I see. That’s impressive. Then I’ll entrust you with two carrier pigeons. With these, make sure to hang them at your waist.”

With that, he handed over the carrier pigeons with rings attached to their legs.

**2** “When should I release these carrier pigeons?”

Ichihiko looked up at Lieutenant Shiota’s face and said.

“When the proper time to release them arrives, you’ll undoubtedly recognize it.” Lieutenant Shiota cast these cryptic words.

At last, they alighted from the car. This was before the gate of Dr. Ōtone’s residence.

Lieutenant Shiota casually pressed the button of the bell attached to the gate. They waited for a while, but there was no response from inside the gate.

“There’s no response at all.” “Hmm—no response,” Lieutenant Shiota muttered. “Come to think of it, no response might actually be standard here. There was a rule that you had to ring it with a special pattern—ding-ding-ding-dong-ding—to get through to the inner areas. I just remembered that now.” With that, he pressed the bell button again. Ding-ding-ding-dong-ding. And then—

Ding-ding—the response bell atop the gatepost rang. And the gate door set into the high, castle-like wall creaked open inward. It was a small door, about the size of a crawl-through door. “Let’s go in.” Lieutenant Shiota urged Ichihiko onward and passed through the small gate.

“Dr. Ōtone is at his residence, right? Since the bell rang.” “Well, maybe...” “But we sent a special code just now, and the bell rang in response—it must have reached Dr. Ōtone’s ears!” “Hmm, I wonder...” The two walked steadily through the cellar-like space. Before long, the entrance came into view.

3 At the entrance to Dr. Ōtone’s residence stood a famous telephone. It was said that securing an audience with Dr. Ōtone proved exceedingly difficult—so much so that one reportedly had no choice but to first conduct all business through this very device.

Lieutenant Shiota signaled to Ichihiko and picked up the telephone.

“Hello, this is Lieutenant Shiota. I have urgent business and have come to meet with Dr. Ōtone.”

With that, Lieutenant Shiota spoke into the transmitter, regardless of whether the other party could hear him or not. “……”

There was no response at all. “Hello?”

Lieutenant Shiota said in an even louder voice. “Is Dr. Ōtone out, perhaps?” Ichihiko looked up at the lieutenant and said.

Lieutenant Shiota shook his head. “—Since this is urgent business, I’ll beg your pardon and enter.” Then a response came through the telephone from the other end. The voice was so low that it was impossible to understand what was being said.

“What is it? I can’t quite make it out. Once we’re inside, I’ll state my business properly.” With a composed air, Lieutenant Shiota opened the entrance door. “Now, Ichihiko, come along with me.” Lieutenant Shiota boldly proceeded upward. A corridor that seemed endlessly long stretched into the depths ahead, and they resolutely advanced through it. (Is it really okay to enter someone’s house without permission?) Ichihiko fretted over such concerns, but Lieutenant Shiota remained unperturbed. After all, not a single soul was visible inside the house—there was no one to object.

“Well, that far end there is Dr. Ōtone’s living room. Everything will become clear once we get there.”

4 They came to the front of Dr. Ōtone’s room.

At the dim end of the corridor, a heavy door stood tightly shut. Lieutenant Shiota and the boy Ichihiko stood before that door. "Is Dr. Ōtone here?" Ichihiko asked Lieutenant Shiota quietly. "Well... hard to say."

As he said this, Lieutenant Shiota knocked lightly on the door. There was no answer from inside the room.

Lieutenant Shiota knocked lightly on the door again. But from beyond the door, there was still no response.

“Is Dr. Ōtone out, perhaps?”

“Hmm, hard to say.”

Lieutenant Shiota tilted his head slightly. Considering that Dr. Ōtone was a well-known misanthrope, it remained unclear whether he was truly absent or not. Thereupon, Lieutenant Shiota steeled himself and roared before the door.

“Oh! Dr. Ōtone!” The room remained deathly silent.

Lieutenant Shiota raised his voice even more,

“Oh, hello, Dr. Ōtone! I am Lieutenant Shiota. This is urgent, so please open up immediately.”

Even still, the room remained deathly silent. "Oh, hello, Dr. Ōtone!"

For the third time, Lieutenant Shiota shouted in front of the door. When he had called earlier, though he couldn’t clearly make out what was being said, there had been someone—whether it was Dr. Ōtone or someone else—who had responded in a low voice, so the lieutenant had thought that at least that person would hear his voice and come out now.

It was exactly at that moment. It was then that a suspicious voice came from beyond the door. ——

5

From beyond the door, a person’s voice was heard for the first time.

“Ohh, ohh, you’re being too loud! I’m conducting research! I won’t meet anyone who comes! No good today! Go away!” Dr. Ōtone barked hoarsely.

Lieutenant Shiota and Ichihiko exchanged glances. “So the doctor is here after all,” Ichihiko whispered quietly to Lieutenant Shiota. “Hmm, Dr. Ōtone was indeed inside here after all.” The lieutenant mused with a surprised expression, seemingly impressed. It appeared he had assumed Dr. Ōtone would be absent. “It seems he isn’t properly hearing that you’ve come.” “Why not try calling again?”

"That's right." "Let's try calling again."

Lieutenant Shiota once again raised his voice and called out Dr. Ōtone’s name toward the door.

Then, a reply came from inside the room.

“Oh, oh, you’re so noisy. “I’m in the middle of my research!” “I won’t see anyone!” “No good today!” “Go home!” Ichihiko heard this and thought that given how things were going, Dr. Ōtone would never agree to meet them. When they looked at Lieutenant Shiota, his face had turned bright red for some reason. “Lieutenant, what’s wrong?” Lieutenant Shiota did not even attempt to answer this and, for some reason, took out a notebook and pencil from his pocket. And glaring at the door, he called Dr. Ōtone’s name for the third time.

Then came a reply from inside the room. "Ohh, ohh! You're being such nuisances! I'm conducting research! I shan't receive anyone! Absolutely not today! Be gone with you!"

When Ichihiko looked, Lieutenant Shiota was earnestly writing something.

Unexpected Mechanism

1 “Lieutenant Shiota, what are you writing there?” Ichihiko asked quizzically. “Oh, this is it. Hmm.” And Lieutenant Shiota glared at the door to Dr. Ōtone’s parlor and said in a groan-like voice.

“Wh-what’s wrong, Lieutenant Shiota?”

What could be irritating Lieutenant Shiota?

“Oh, Ichihiko, come here for a moment.”

At that moment, Lieutenant Shiota blinked his eyes as if coming to his senses and called Ichihiko.

“Y-yes? Wh-what is it?” “Read this.”

Saying this, Lieutenant Shiota held out the notebook he had been writing in to Ichihiko. When Ichihiko took the notebook and read the lieutenant’s hastily written notes, he found the following written inside: “Oh, oh, you’re so noisy. I’m in the middle of my research! I won’t see anyone! No good today! Go home!”

Then, after a line, there were more phrases written next. That is: “Oh, oh, you’re so noisy. “I’m in the middle of my research!” “I won’t see anyone!” “No good today!” “Go home!” These were the phrases. Both the previous phrases and the later ones had exactly the same things written. “Lieutenant Shiota, this is strange—you’ve written the same thing twice here. Are you feeling unwell?” When Ichihiko asked this, Lieutenant Shiota shook his head and,

“There’s nothing wrong with me—with my body or anything else. What’s strange is that the doctor’s responses from behind this door are always the same phrases. It’s like he’s pressing a rubber stamp—he keeps repeating the same things, like ‘Oh, oh, you’re so noisy.’” “What does that matter?” “Ichihiko, don’t be surprised. The doctor isn’t here. The doctor isn’t in this room, I tell you.”

2 Lieutenant Shiota made an unexpected declaration: "The doctor isn't here."

"But that's strange," said Ichihiko with a look of unconvinced puzzlement. "But Dr. Ōtone was just speaking inside this door a moment ago, saying things like 'No good today, go home,' wasn't he?"

Ichihiko couldn’t bring himself to believe Lieutenant Shiota’s words. Lieutenant Shiota’s face grew redder and redder, as though he was struggling to suppress his racing heart. “Ichihiko, my theory must be right. Dr. Ōtone isn’t here. I’ll prove to you right now that I’m not mistaken.” Lieutenant Shiota was determined to show Ichihiko that Dr. Ōtone wasn’t behind this door. Ichihiko found it all very strange. He remained certain this was nothing more than the lieutenant’s misunderstanding.

Lieutenant Shiota pulled out a small paper package and a long electric wire from his pocket. “What is that?” “This is explosives.” “We’re going to set this up at the entrance and blow the door open.” Being a military man, Lieutenant Shiota’s approach was remarkably bold. If this were a detective, they would have used duplicate keys or heavy timber to break in instead. The unyielding door was finally shattered with a thunderous explosion.

Lieutenant Shiota and Ichihiko waited silently in the shadows of an underground passage some distance away, holding their breath as they anticipated the explosion. “Alright, now we can get in!” The lieutenant motioned to Ichihiko with his eyes and dashed toward the door. There around the lock gaped a hole roughly the size of a porthole. When they pushed against it, the door slid open smoothly.

“Alright, let’s go check further inside.” “Whether Dr. Ōtone could actually be there—”

3 Before the smoke from the explosives had even cleared at the entrance, Lieutenant Shiota leaped into the room.

Ichihiko felt slightly sickened, but thinking that retreating over such a thing would disgrace the boys of Japan, he resolutely followed behind the lieutenant and leapt in bravely.

“Ah, so this is what he was doing. Hey, Ichihiko! Come over here quick and take a look!”

Lieutenant Shiota shouted loudly from beyond the smoke.

“Huh? What did you say?” Since Lieutenant Shiota seemed to have found something unusual, the boy Ichihiko rushed there with his heart pounding. Then the lieutenant pointed at something resembling a phonograph resting on the table. “What’s this?”

“Oh, Ichihiko! This is a phonograph. But it’s different from an ordinary phonograph. You see, when someone calls Dr. Ōtone’s name from this side, the record disc starts spinning on its own—that’s how it’s rigged to make a voice come out of this machine.” “Huh? What did you say?” “Don’t you get it? In other words, Dr. Ōtone isn’t in this room—this phonograph has been planted here instead. When you call the doctor’s name three times outside the entrance, inside here the disc starts spinning and you hear his voice through this thing—‘I’m busy,’ ‘Won’t meet you,’ ‘Go away!’ So anyone hearing that would think he’s actually inside. But in reality, he’s nowhere to be found. Someone built one hell of a decoy here. We nearly swallowed it whole.”

Having said that, Lieutenant Shiota tried calling Dr. Ōtone’s name repeatedly from this side of the machine. Sure enough, on the third call, Dr. Ōtone’s voice—(Ah, how annoying…)—came flying out of the phonograph. Ichihiko was surprised and could only stare wide-eyed—

4

In Dr. Ōtone’s laboratory, there was no sign of the doctor anywhere—only a phonograph from which his voice came flying out. What a strange contraption this was! For what purpose on earth had this strange contraption been built in the doctor’s room like this? And who could have made this contraption?

“This is really strange. Lieutenant Shiota, could it be that Dr. Ōtone dislikes speaking with people, so he’s using this contraption to drive away anyone who comes here?” “Hmm, that’s one possible interpretation. But Ichihiko, on the other hand, couldn’t it also be considered this way? In other words, Dr. Ōtone went out of his way to set up this contraption to make it appear as if he’s holed up in this laboratory.”

Indeed, that could also be the case, Ichihiko thought, impressed by the lieutenant’s idea. "But why would someone of his standing go to such complicated lengths? If he’s here, he should say so honestly; if not, he should say he isn’t—that’s proper. Would Dr. Ōtone really do something so dishonest?" Because Ichihiko steadfastly believed the doctor was a truly great man, he argued. Lieutenant Shiota considered Ichihiko’s words carefully before meeting his gaze and beginning hesitantly,

“Hey Ichihiko, there’s something about the doctor’s recent actions that just doesn’t sit right with me.” “Moreover, didn’t we have a message from Homura-kun telling us to meet Dr. Ōtone without fail?” “Could it be that Homura-kun also said that with the intention of warning us to be careful of the doctor?”

Ichihiko couldn't clearly grasp why Lieutenant Shiota would say such a thing. Quickly reading his expression, Lieutenant Shiota tapped Ichihiko's shoulder and, "Come now—let's rally and confront this mystery head-on. Apologies to the doctor aside, first we must search this room thoroughly."

The Mask-Faced Mysterious Tower King

1

Now shifting our story—here we are inside the Mysterious Tower everyone had been waiting to see.

Oh? Are you asking whether the Mysterious Tower still retained its proper form?

That’s correct. The Mysterious Tower was still intact.

The Mysterious Tower, pursued by Lieutenant Shiota’s squadron and vanishing into the waves of the Pacific, was never again spotted by the monitoring ships at sea thereafter. However, in truth, that tower lay still at the deep, deep seafloor beneath the waves. The depth there was said to be four hundred meters, making it an extraordinarily deep part of the seabed. The sunlight no longer reached there, and the surroundings were pitch black, with soft, smoky mud—like dissolved ink—spreading gently and flatly as far as the eye could see. Not even seaweed grew there. It was exactly like a sleeping desert.

Upon that ooze bed, the Mysterious Tower lay stretched out, remaining perfectly still. However, in the tower’s windows, the dim electric light from within was reflected, making them appear as if a monster had opened its eyes and glared at its surroundings. Now then, what on earth was happening inside the Mysterious Tower?

This was the second-floor engine room. Because the Mysterious Tower was lying horizontally, all the machinery inside were laid out horizontally as well. The three thick iron cylinders containing the three Black Operators were all laid horizontally.

Where could Detective Homura be?

And then—what was the Mysterious Tower King, the very subject in question, doing now?

“How about it? Had enough yet? Don’t you think it’s about time you surrendered?”

It was a voice that sounded somehow familiar shouting from behind the third-floor stairs. In the shadow of the stairs crouched a figure—when it turned its face this way, there appeared the familiar mask-like visage of the Mysterious Tower King. To whom on earth was he calling out with commands like "Surrender already"?

2

A strange conversation unfolded inside the Mysterious Tower. “W-what?! Who do you think would surrender?!” “You phony Mysterious Tower King!” Oh my—that voice was unmistakably the Mysterious Tower King’s. When they looked for the source of the shout, they discovered a suspicious figure lurking behind the first-floor stairs, peering their way. The man had completely wrapped his neck in what appeared to be a black cloth.

That’s right—this was the “Voice Mysterious Tower King.” The one showing their face from the third-floor stairs was the “Face Mysterious Tower King.” In other words, the two Mysterious Tower Kings had been issuing self-serving commands to each other, thoroughly confusing the Black Operators piloting the tower. The battle between the Voice Mysterious Tower King and Face Mysterious Tower King appeared to still be raging. Two Mysterious Tower Kings—what an absurd situation!

Which one on earth was the real Mysterious Tower King? “What do you mean ‘phony’? You’re the fake Mysterious Tower King! If you’re so upset, take off that cloth covering your face and show your real mug to the Black Operators and me!” “R-Ridiculous!” The Face Mysterious Tower King spat out those words, but then the Voice Mysterious Tower King let out a pained groan. He appeared thoroughly weakened. “Enough already. Why don’t you just surrender?”

“No way! The invincible Mysterious Tower King would never surrender to a fraud like you or let this crucial tower be taken!” The Voice Mysterious Tower King remained adamant in his refusal to surrender when suddenly he seemed to realize something. “Ah, right! You can bluster all you want, but this tower can’t remain lying still at the bottom of the deep sea forever! When a certain time comes, it’s programmed to self-destruct! You still claim you’re not alarmed by that?!”

3 The "Voice" Mysterious Tower King and the "Face" Mysterious Tower King remained glaring at each other across the machinery. Now neither could approach the equipment nor retreat backward. They absolutely had to force their opponent’s surrender here—otherwise they couldn’t even eat. Both Mysterious Tower Kings hadn’t eaten for several meals, leaving their stomachs utterly empty. The Black Operators agonized over which side to support, though their own stomachs fared better. This was because they had stockpiled provisions and water beforehand to endure extended stays inside the cylinders. They lived exactly like pilots during interminable flights.

The ones gradually growing tired were the two Mysterious Tower Kings. The Voice Mysterious Tower King threatened the Face Mysterious Tower King: “We can’t stay at the bottom of the sea much longer! The tower will soon explode!” urging him to surrender—but Face absolutely refused. What in the world would happen? “Hey! Stop struggling and obey me!” “If this tower blows up killing us all—what good would that do? Don’t you agree?”

And the Voice Mysterious Tower King persisted. “I don’t care about explosions! I’m perfectly fine being shattered to pieces here along with the Mysterious Tower.” “That’s reckless. You only have one life.” “You’re that desperate to cling to your life?” The Face Mysterious Tower King let out a dry cackle. “Then why don’t you make the Mysterious Tower leap up from the seabed?” “No good. In our current getups, this won’t do. The Black Operators can no longer tell which of us is the real Mysterious Tower King. So they don’t know which command to follow.”

“Then what are we supposed to do?” “Return what you stole from my room.” The Voice Mysterious Tower King seemed ready to weep.

4 “Are you ordering me to return what _you_ stole?” “Ah ha ha! Now you’ve shown your true colors!” “With meals beyond your reach, your prized murder-ray lamp rendered useless, and Black Operators defying orders—under such disgraceful circumstances, what choice remains but pathetic whimpering?”

And the Face Mysterious Tower King laughed brightly, “Alright then, I’ll listen to your request and return that thing for you.” “Come here.” “Huh? You’ll really give it back?”

And the Voice Mysterious Tower King, greatly delighted, inched closer. "Whoa there! You mustn't come any closer like that." "Raise both hands high." "Raise them higher than your head." "Otherwise I'll tell the Black Operators about that secret you fear—" "Wait—"

And the Voice Mysterious Tower King shouted in a pained voice.

“If you return that, I’ll do anything you say.”

Having said that, the "Voice" Mysterious Tower King raised both hands high above his head and quietly approached the "Face" Mysterious Tower King. The Face Mysterious Tower King smiled with satisfaction upon seeing that. The opponent had surrendered.

“Come on, get over here.” “Get in behind here.” and pointed to the dark corner near the stairs. The Voice Mysterious Tower King, who had hidden his face with a furoshiki cloth, had now lost all his initial vigor and was dejectedly obeying the Face Mysterious Tower King’s every command. What made him act that way? This was of course because he feared that if the Mysterious Tower remained completely submerged in the sea, it would explode after some time and he too would inevitably perish.

The Face Mysterious Tower King suddenly bound the Voice Mysterious Tower King's hands behind his back.

“You will truly return that, won’t you?”

And the Voice Mysterious Tower King pressed again.

5 With the Mysterious Tower possibly exploding if kept submerged too long, even the Voice Mysterious Tower King—who had come to value his life more dearly—now surrendered to the Face Mysterious Tower King. His hands were pulled behind his back and tightly bound.

“Now that things have gone as you said, quickly return what you stole as promised.”

And the Voice Mysterious Tower King pressed urgently. "Hmm, I will certainly keep my promise." "But before that, I must thoroughly inspect your body. Otherwise, it's too dangerous for me to rest easy." "What? Inspect my body?" "Tch! I don't recall making any such promise." And the Voice Mysterious Tower King panicked.

“Don’t spout such nonsense! If anything, *I* never promised not to inspect your body! If you dislike that, I’ll simply wait for the Mysterious Tower to explode.”

“No, no, no! That won’t do.” “That won’t do.” “If the tower explodes, I won’t survive.” “Well, I suppose there’s no choice.” “Go ahead and search me thoroughly!” “See there? Making me go through all this unnecessary trouble.” Having said that, the Face Mysterious Tower King approached behind the Voice Mysterious Tower King and began meticulously examining his body from top to bottom. And sure enough, concealed beneath the Voice Mysterious Tower King’s clothes was a network of mysterious force lines that repelled bullets. Additionally, he discovered the power source that supplied magnetic energy to those mysterious force lines. Promptly, he removed those dangerous devices.

“There! Now your body has lost its power to repel bullets.” “You’d better behave.”

A deep sigh from the Voice Mysterious Tower King could be heard. "Please return that quickly." "Very well, I shall return it." With this declaration, the Face Mysterious Tower King pressed both hands against his own visage. Now then - what fresh development was about to unfold?

Mask and Face

1

Now, inside the Mysterious Tower, an unbelievable and mysterious event was taking place. The "Face" Mysterious Tower King, who was showing his countenance here, placed both hands on his face and, with a heave-ho of effort, pulled it clean off. He had taken off his face. Eyes, nose, mouth, and even the hair on his head—all remained perfectly intact as the Mysterious Tower King’s facial skin peeled away like the skin from a bean. Oh, how gruesome!

Blood? It seemed certain that a great deal of blood would gush forth, but that did not happen. Homura Sōroku’s face, drenched in beads of sweat, appeared from beneath it.

So it was a mask. What an ingenious mask it was! When Homura Sōroku discovered this mask beside the Mysterious Tower King's sleeping quarters, there lay what appeared to be a severed head! At this thought, his heart nearly stopped in shock. Moreover, wasn't that severed head none other than the Mysterious Tower King's own? The shock doubled.

But upon calmly inspecting it, he realized that what he had thought was a severed head was in fact a remarkably ingenious rubber mask. This mask did not merely conceal the front of the face like ordinary masks or face coverings—it completely hid the ears, neck, and entire head, and even had hair properly growing from it. It was a specially made mask that completely enveloped everything from around the throat upward, much like a glove conceals the entire human hand. It was made of high-quality raw rubber, formed into that familiar tide-washed face of the Mysterious Tower King, with its surface dyed a subdued brown. The mask’s seam lay hidden within the hair behind the ears, using an especially small version of the snap-fastener clasps commonly seen these days, allowing it to be easily fastened or torn apart.

2 When Homura discovered the Mysterious Tower King’s ingenious mask in the third-floor bedroom, his shock was unlike anything he’d experienced lately. But then, wondering where the living body of the Mysterious Tower King could be, he looked around—only to be startled a third time when he heard soft snoring sounds coming from the bed. When he looked at the bed, the bedding was indeed bulging in the shape of a human body. However, he had his head completely buried inside the blanket.

“So that’s it—” And Homura, already prickled with tension, mustered his courage and approached the bed. Trying to peer at the person’s face beneath, he quietly lifted the blanket. If what he had just seen was the Mysterious Tower King’s mask, what did the real Mysterious Tower King’s face look like? A jumble of eagerness to see and dread shook Homura’s chest. ――And at last, he saw it!

He saw! He let out a sigh.

The Mysterious Tower King lay on the bed sleeping face downward. What Homura saw was merely the back of a middle-aged or elderly man’s head where russet hair mingled with white. Should I wake him and see his face?

Homura had considered doing so but ultimately abandoned the idea. If the Mysterious Tower King were to awaken here and go on a rampage using those terrifying weapons of his, it would be disastrous. Instead—before the Mysterious Tower King could notice—he would create some complications for him. With that resolve, Homura kept firm hold of the mask while dismantling or disabling as many nearby mechanisms as possible. Then carrying the mask downstairs, he put on the Mysterious Tower King’s disguise before a mirror.

Homura let out a cry of surprise once more at this ingenious mask that had completely transformed him into the Mysterious Tower King.

3 What an ingeniously crafted mask! A state-of-the-art mysterious mask designed to envelop the entire neck! The face of that mask was none other than the Mysterious Tower King—the possessor of unprecedented destructive power! And now, Detective Homura, holding the mysterious mask in hand, was facing off against the masked Mysterious Tower King. The Mysterious Tower King had both hands bound behind his back and could no longer use them. “Now, I’ll return this mask to you once! In exchange, you’ll obey my orders this time and make the Mysterious Tower fly toward Yokosuka. Got it?”

As Detective Homura boasted triumphantly, the masked Mysterious Tower King hung his head powerlessly,

“Very well.” “Under these circumstances, I will do exactly as your honor commands.” “For my part, I wish to escape this seabed at the earliest possible moment.” “What I fear most is that this tower rocket might explode before we surface.” “Why does staying underwater for too long cause an explosion?” The Mysterious Tower King feared that if the rocket remained submerged in the sea for too long, it would explode, but Homura did not understand why such an explosion would occur and was simply puzzled.

“That is because when salty seawater seeps into the chemicals that serve as the raw material for the rocket’s propulsion gas, they gradually heat up, causing a dreadful explosion.”

“Then you should just keep seawater from getting in.” “That won’t work.” “It seeps through gaps in the metal walls no matter what.” “Now, Mr. Homura—return the mask quickly!” “Yeah, it’s right here.” With that, Homura finally held out the Mysterious Tower King’s mask. “Ah—with my hands tied like this, I can’t put on the mask.” “Untie these ropes.” “Ah—my hands ache!”

4 It was all well and good that he had returned the mask to the Mysterious Tower King, but because the Mysterious Tower King’s hands were bound behind his back by Homura, he couldn’t put on the mask and was now demanding that the ropes be undone.

Homura, hearing that, shook his head firmly. “No, I won’t allow it. If I were to untie your bound hands, there’s no telling what terrible things you might unleash.” “Ah, it hurts! It hurts!” The Mysterious Tower King writhed frantically. Were his hands really bound so tightly by the ropes that it hurt this much? “It’s not even that painful, so stop trying to scare me with all this ‘it hurts, it hurts’ nonsense.”

“No! It truly hurts! Ahh—it’s agony!”

“No matter how much it hurts, I’ll never untie you! Then I’ll put this mask on your face myself!” “What? You would deign to put the mask on my face yourself?” The Mysterious Tower King let out an exaggeratedly long sigh. “Why are you sighing so dramatically?” “This hardly qualifies as a sigh. Now please put the mask on me immediately.”

“Hmm, I’ll do it right now.” With that, Homura took the mask in hand and approached the Mysterious Tower King, who was masked with a cloth.

“Right. First, I must remove that face covering—” With that, Homura set down the mask and reached out both hands to grasp the Mysterious Tower King’s face covering. Ah, now at last the Mysterious Tower King’s face covering was being pulled off. What kind of face lay beneath that face covering? His heart pounded! Homura’s chest thudded with a pounding beat.

Seeming to have quickly perceived that, the Mysterious Tower King shouted in a threatening tone from beneath his mask. “Come on, hurry up and remove the mask! But Detective Homura—don’t lose your nerve when you see my true face beneath this mask!”

5 As the Mysterious Tower King was now about to have his mask torn off, at that very moment—"It’s fine to remove the mask, but don’t lose your nerve when you see my true face beneath it!" —was his parting threat. “Hmm...—” Homura involuntarily groaned at the unsettling words the Mysterious Tower King had uttered. What a sudden ambush of a threat! Indeed, the Mysterious Tower King’s words seemed to pierce straight through Homura’s heart. What manner of terrifying face lay beneath the cloth enveloping the Mysterious Tower King’s entire head? Even someone other than Homura would surely feel dread at seeing what hid under that mask—wouldn’t they?

Especially here, inside the Mysterious Tower Rocket lying sideways in the deep sea where there were no neighboring houses. An eerie aura pressed in relentlessly, and pores stood up like grains of millet.

“What do you take me for? Who’d fall for such scare tactics!” Homura retorted as if shaking it off. “Then put the mask on quickly.—” The Mysterious Tower King urged. Homura, finally seized by an odd feeling yet steeling himself with the thought that whatever might happen, wrapped both hands around the back of the Mysterious Tower King’s neck and began to untie the knot of the cloth. At that moment, even Homura must have felt terrified at the prospect of seeing the face beneath the Mysterious Tower King’s mask—the hands he had wrapped around the back of the King’s neck trembled violently of their own accord.

The Mysterious Tower King seemed to have been eagerly awaiting that outcome since earlier. “Yah!”

With a thunderous roar, the Mysterious Tower King’s knee drove into Homura’s lower abdomen with terrible force. It felt as if the skin of his stomach might tear. There was no way to endure it.

“Ugh... nngh...—” With a pained groan, Homura’s body stiffened like a log and collapsed.

6 Being completely preoccupied with removing the Mysterious Tower King’s mask, he had failed to guard against the kick that came flying his way. As a famous detective, it was an extremely embarrassing thing—Homura would regret this blunder for years afterward—but given it had been such a breathless moment when the true face beneath the Mysterious Tower King’s mask was about to be revealed, that was precisely why he had made such a mistake. “Hmph… heh heh heh… Serves you right!”

The Mysterious Tower King, his earlier panicked voice now gone, reverted to his usual detestable hoarse tone as he looked down at Homura lying collapsed on the floor. “……” Homura lay sprawled on the floor like a corpse without even letting out a groan. Now this was a crisis. Would Homura’s breath cease entirely like this? “Hmph, heh heh heh…” “He couldn’t even back up his big talk.” “However, since he’ll likely regain consciousness soon—right, I should put on that precious mask now while I can.”

With that, the Mysterious Tower King hurriedly squatted on the floor and snatched the mask resembling a tide-blowing face from Homura’s hand. And holding up the mask before his eyes, he examined it with an air of admiration, “Hmm, this mask is truly well-made.” “You won’t find a better mask than this one.” “After all, it fits perfectly to the face.” “When I laugh, this mask laughs along.” “And when I get angry—angry I do—this mask gets angry too.” “Wear this, and it’s made so well that no one would even realize it’s a mask.”

With that, he held up the mask and pulled it completely over his head from above.

At that moment, the Mysterious Tower King smoothly removed his own mask, so his true face—the subject of such great mystery—should have been revealed from beneath it.— 7

The Mysterious Tower King had undone the cloth that had been wrapped around his own face, so at that moment, his true face should have been revealed from beneath it.

However, it was most regrettable that at that moment, no one had witnessed the long-awaited true face of the Mysterious Tower King. The reason was simple—Detective Homura lay unconscious on the floor, and the three Black Operators were huddled and trembling inside their iron cylinders. There was no one else present to observe the scene. If only the Mysterious Tower King had been facing me, the author, but unfortunately he had turned his back this way, so it was most regrettable that this time I could not see his true face.

Even if I tell you this, there’s no need for you all to be disappointed. For as long as brave Detective Homura, the great Lieutenant Shiota, and even young Ichihiko and Michiko—small yet remarkably clever—continued striving, the day would surely come when they unmasked the Mysterious Tower King’s true face beneath his disguise. When would that be? With each incident, the secrets of the rampaging Mysterious Tower King gradually closed in around him. Then, it would not be too long before the Mysterious Tower King’s true identity was revealed.

Now, the Mysterious Tower King put on the mask and completely returned to his original self. If Detective Homura knew about this, he would leap into action, yet he still lay dazed on the floor. “Hmph, heh heh heh,” sneered the Mysterious Tower King. “I could kill you right now, but what’s most urgent isn’t that—it’s making this tower rocket rise from the sea. I don’t have time to waste on finishing you off.” “Right, I’ll tie this guy up again to keep him from moving.”

The Mysterious Tower King took out a long rope and swiftly wound it around Homura’s body.

The Perilous Mysterious Tower

1

Due to the Mysterious Tower King, Detective Homura’s body was finally bound tightly with coarse rope. The Mysterious Tower King let out a sigh of relief there for the first time.

“Hmph, heh heh heh…” “There, this should do.” “With this, everything has returned to how it was.” “After all, I am the Great Science King.” “There is no one in all the world who dares to oppose me!”

Just as he was saying this, a loud *clang* rang out. The meter needle attached to the control panel began spinning rapidly. Following that, the alarm bell began ringing shrilly.

“Oh no! Oh no!” “Ugh—oh no! Oh no!” The lid of the black cylinder popped open from inside, and three Black Operators’ faces abruptly appeared. All three looked utterly lifeless, trembling violently as they scanned the room. The Mysterious Tower King nearly collapsed from shock, “Ah—so it’s finally begun…—” He dashed to the control panel, seized the large handle, and with a strained grunt, wrenched it around. This opened a nozzle that began spewing a potent acidic chemical.

The sharp *clang* was indeed caused by seawater seeping into one of the Mysterious Tower's gas chambers and beginning to corrupt the vital ingredients. As this corrosion progressed, it became all too clear that it would soon lead to a catastrophic explosion that would reduce the tower to splinters. Thus the Mysterious Tower King deployed the powerful acidic chemical he had prepared in advance, using it to neutralize the seawater's corrosive effects. Fortunately, this proved effective—the ominous clanging ceased entirely. Yet there remained no guarantee against further seawater infiltration from unknown sources at any moment. Dangerous, dangerous.

2 Because the Mysterious Tower had been submerged in seawater for so long, the time of great peril had now arrived. Once, the Mysterious Tower King himself took hold of the handle and suppressed it using a strong chemical, but at any moment—no, even as they spoke—a terrible explosion might occur. The Mysterious Tower King realized there was no time to waste even a single second longer. Fortunately, having put on the mask he had seized back from Detective Homura and resumed his usual guise as the Mysterious Tower King, he believed the Black Operators would now obey his commands without suspicion.

If that were true, then saving the Mysterious Tower from explosion had to be done now—right now. Having reached this conclusion, the Mysterious Tower King suddenly whirled around to face the three Black Operators and bellowed.

“Hey! From what I’ve been watching, have you all lost your minds?” “Unlike your usual selves, today of all days you’re acting nothing but peculiar!” “Why do you stand there blankly brooding when I’m right before you?” “Or do I appear as two beings to your eyes?”

Hearing this, the three Black Operators were astonished. Because, after all, the Mysterious Tower King had suddenly started saying strange things.

(He said things like “Do I appear as two people?—” but there had indeed been two Mysterious Tower Kings.) Or perhaps—as the Mysterious Tower King said—was it actually my own mind going haywire that made me see two of him? Come to think of it, there can’t possibly be two of the great Master Mysterious Tower King. Then was I dreaming in broad daylight?) Each of the Black Operators thought this to themselves. They seemed to have been completely deceived by the Mysterious Tower King. Rather than seeing it as having gone well, the Mysterious Tower King further raised his voice,

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?! You lot—get to your stations now! We depart!”

3 Because the Mysterious Tower King was speaking in his usual booming tone, the three Black Operators who heard this completely forgot that they had seen two Mysterious Tower Kings just moments before. None of them voiced it aloud, but each in their hearts, (This is bad.) No wonder the master got angry. (I was having dreams since daytime, after all.)

And so, completely unaware that they had been cleverly deceived by the Mysterious Tower King, they cowered at his command, retreated into the cylinder, and positioned themselves squarely before the machinery that moved the Mysterious Tower.

“Listen well.—Next comes flight preparations.” “Yes, sir! Flight preparations are complete.” The Black Operators answered through the voice tube.

“Very well. “Now, we depart!” “Aye-aye!”

With that, the Black Operators let out a shout and began operating the complex machinery they were accustomed to using. *Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle, gurgle.* From the rear of the Mysterious Tower, which lay sprawled on the seafloor, large white bubbles began rising frantically. *Clunk, clatter-clatter.*

The machinery whirred and screeched, followed by a creak.

With a metallic scraping sound, the Mysterious Tower began to move with a groan and a creak. The sound of the machinery began to grow increasingly clamorous with each passing moment. At the same time, the Mysterious Tower’s neck rose smoothly upward, until soon—just like the usual Mysterious Tower—the floor became level and the walls stood upright. Gurgle, glug, whoosh! With a monstrous roar, the Mysterious Tower shot up from the deep seabed to the surface in one mad dash! No sooner had its eerie head broken the sea surface than the tower soared high into the air with a whoosh.

4

Behold! The Mysterious Tower Rocket emerged from the seabed and soared high into the air once more!

Because sunlight did not reach the seabed, nights were of course pitch black, and even during the day everything remained completely dark, making it impossible to discern the time from one’s surroundings. But when they emerged into the air like this, they realized their surroundings were now at the break of dawn—still early in the morning when night had barely lifted. The large crimson morning sun, resembling a vermilion basin, was dimly visible beyond the thick sea fog that hung densely over the ocean that morning. The fog was—for the Mysterious Tower King—truly a heaven-sent blessing, or so the Mysterious Tower King himself believed as he rejoiced in this thought.

But should such a heaven-sent blessing truly be granted to the Mysterious Tower King? Indeed. What he had rejoiced over as divine providence appeared to have been nothing more than the Mysterious Tower King's own hasty assumption. Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat. Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom. Vroooom, vroooom, sputter-sputter-sputter.

The intense sound of machine gun fire suddenly rang out. And the thunderous roar of engines drew near! "Planes!" "Those are reconnaissance planes from our surveillance team!" "What bold action! Pushing through this thick fog, they keep approaching closer to the Mysterious Tower." "Hah! There they are again. What noisy airplanes!"

The Mysterious Tower King made a disgusted face. “If they came head-on, I could shoot down as many as come! But damn it all, these enemy planes lately seem to know the weakness around my rudder mechanism—they keep attacking there relentlessly. It’s unbearably dangerous!” With that, the Mysterious Tower King clicked his tongue crudely.

Pursuit intensified!

1

The Mysterious Tower Rocket, having surfaced from the seabed and now free from explosion concerns, found itself engulfed in thick fog upon leaping into the air—only to be spotted by the lying-in-wait surveillance squadron and subjected to an intensely urgent pursuit. “Damn it, damn it!”

With that, the Mysterious Tower King peered into the control panel, absolutely furious. “Ah, dangerous! Another plane—”

On the control panel were about three square-cut window-like openings, where white fog could be seen moving across a curtain-like screen in their depths. This was the televiewing curtain-like screen created by the Mysterious Tower King for observing the scenery outside the tower.

Oh, a plane! Suddenly, the figure of a single plane appeared on that televiewing curtain-like screen. Whose plane could that be? No need to ask— Because there were Hinomaru on its wings and fuselage—as anyone could immediately tell—it was our naval plane. Earlier, when the Mysterious Tower Rocket emerged from the sea surface, our surveillance squadron—seventeen planes that had been lying in wait—immediately gave chase. But between the dense fog and the rocket’s speed, they gradually lost sight of it, and what should have been a decisive pursuit seemed to have come to nothing.

However, there was one plane that persisted until the end—the tenacious aircraft now appearing on the Mysterious Tower King’s televiewing screen was that very plane. This plane was the reconnaissance aircraft piloted by Petty Officer Third Class Aoe—abbreviated as Aoe Sankō. The co-pilot reconnaissance petty officer was none other than the aforementioned Petty Officer Kohama. “Hey, are you sure pushing yourself that hard is okay?”

Petty Officer Kohama called out through the voice tube to Petty Officer Third Class Aoe, who was single-mindedly steering the helm. 2 Petty Officer Third Class Aoe—the tenacious one who had been asked by Petty Officer Kohama, “Are you sure about pushing yourself so hard?”—puffed out his dumpling-round face in slight irritation. “Petty Officer, let me tell you—since the Sino-Japanese War, once Aoe here sets his sights on something labeled an enemy, not even once have I ever let it escape without smashing it to bits. Whether I push myself or hold back, until we shoot down that Mysterious Tower Rocket, I won’t consider anything else.”

“What do you mean by ‘anything else’?” Petty Officer Kohama asked. “By that, I mean things like running out of gasoline, the enemy’s anti-aircraft guns laying down heavy barrages, or even myself dying—those are what I call ‘external concerns.’” “Hmm, so you don’t consider things like running out of gas, the danger of enemy barrages, or even your own death? Then, you’re worried about me dying, are you?”

“Oh, not at all—I’m not worried about either my own life or my superior’s.” “In the first place, the very fact that you boarded my plane is your misfortune.” “Or maybe—” “What do you mean, ‘or maybe—’”

“Ah, I’ve got this terrible habit of getting so carried away I just blurt out whatever’s on my mind. What’s this? Has the Petty Officer grown fond of his life?” “Don’t be ridiculous! When I was young, I didn’t value my life three times as much as you do.” “What about now?” “Now? Now I don’t value my life ten times as much. So, you’re pushing yourself this hard with the piloting, but from my perspective, your effort’s still nowhere near enough.”

Upon hearing this, Petty Officer Third Class Aoe’s face turned as red as a lantern.

3

(My efforts still weren't enough. If it were me, I'd push harder—) Teased by Petty Officer Kohama, Petty Officer Third Class Aoe—whether angry or not—felt his face turn pale instead of its previous lantern-red hue. "Even pushing this hard still isn't enough? Letting you look down on me would disgrace the Third Class Petty Officer name! Fine then—I'll go all out! I'll do it even if I die! Until I ram this plane into that wobbling Mysterious Tower Rocket over there, I won't ease up on speed no matter what! That damn rocket bastard—who'd let it escape now?"

Petty Officer Third Class Aoe, trembling with warrior-like intensity, glared at the Mysterious Tower Rocket and furiously increased his speed. The corners of his eyes looked ready to split open. Petty Officer Kohama watched this from behind and smiled faintly.

Petty Officer Kohama had not teased young Petty Officer Third Class Aoe out of spite. After all, their opponent was the Mysterious Tower Rocket. With ordinary means, they could never catch up. Even the efforts of Petty Officer Third Class Aoe—known as Persistent Aoe—were still insufficient, so he had ended up deliberately provoking him. The petty officer’s plan had struck true. The young Petty Officer Third Class Aoe, once a boy aviation soldier, demonstrated piloting skills bordering on superhuman as he desperately pursued the Mysterious Tower Rocket they were in danger of losing sight of.

At times they were at a loss in dense clouds; at other times they made sharp turns to change direction—it was a tremendous pursuit. Time and again they nearly lost sight of it, yet somehow managed to cling to the pursuit; as they pressed on relentlessly, both planes unknowingly climbed to an altitude of seven thousand meters.

4

Seven thousand meters in the sky!

Now the reconnaissance plane was about to catch up to the Mysterious Tower Rocket.

The fog cleared, and the clouds were gone too. The sky stretched out vast and open. The Earth vanished somewhere. Below, dense clouds resembling the cotton stuffing of a futon spread out endlessly.

“Hey, Aoe. “You finally pushed yourself.” “Well done!” For the first time, Petty Officer Kohama offered a bit of praise. “N-not yet, sir!” Petty Officer Third Class Aoe shouted back. “What? Still not?”

“That it is.” “I have yet to fully demonstrate my signature efforts for you to witness, Petty Officer!” “What?” “Are you saying you’ll keep pushing yourself even now?”

“Now I shall truly give it my all!” Petty Officer Third Class Aoe sent his beloved plane surging through the vast high altitude now clear of obstructions. All the while, Petty Officer Kohama kept busily tapping the telegraph key. As he was aboard Aoe’s plane for reconnaissance duty, he was reporting every moment of the Mysterious Tower pursuit observed from the aircraft to headquarters via wireless telegraphy.

“Currently, the distance between our Aoe’s plane and the Mysterious Tower Rocket is 1,500 meters. The area is completely clear, with excellent visibility.”

When he sent this, a reply soon came from headquarters, urging for further reports.

Petty Officer Kohama was busy—encouraging Petty Officer Third Class Aoe, monitoring the Mysterious Tower Rocket, and sending wireless telegraphs to headquarters. Before long, Petty Officer Third Class Aoe’s desperate pursuit bore fruit as his plane finally drew parallel to the Mysterious Tower Rocket. The two aircraft—enemy and ally—aligned their noses and flew straight ahead. The windows of the Mysterious Tower became clearly visible. Petty Officer Kohama pressed the telescope to his eye.

5

The sole reconnaissance plane carrying Petty Officer Kohama and Petty Officer Third Class Aoe clung tenaciously to the Mysterious Tower Rocket. The Mysterious Tower Rocket and the reconnaissance plane now flew parallel to each other at an altitude nearing 10,000 meters. Petty Officer Kohama ceaselessly observed the Mysterious Tower Rocket’s condition while sending detailed reports via wireless telegraphy to headquarters. “At this moment, the Mysterious Tower King has shown his face from the tower’s window.” “He’s glaring this way with terrifying eyes.” “Ah, he pulled his face back!”

Petty Officer Kohama’s reports were quite detailed. It was thought that the Mysterious Tower King had withdrawn his face to once again inflict harm upon the reconnaissance plane, and sure enough, before long, the reconnaissance plane’s engine began acting strangely. “Petty Officer Third Class Aoe, doesn’t it seem like the engine’s about to stop? You’re not pushing hard enough!” “That’s not it. I’m pushing it hard, but the engine isn’t responding. It shouldn’t be giving out yet, but something’s wrong.”

“Ah, so that’s—” With this realization, Petty Officer Kohama glared at the Mysterious Tower Rocket. It was clear that those mysterious force lines emitted from the rocket were attempting to silence their engine’s operation. Immediately, Petty Officer Kohama sent a danger signal to headquarters.

“Due to the mysterious force lines emitted by the Mysterious Tower Rocket, the engine is about to stop.” “I think any further pursuit may be difficult.”

Then, a reply signal came in from headquarters.

“Hold on for thirty more minutes! We’re arranging a rescue team on our end.” “Hold on for thirty more minutes!” Given the engine’s current state, would it even last thirty more minutes?

Stratagem

1

Hold on for thirty more minutes!

Aboard Aoe’s plane pursuing the Mysterious Tower Rocket, Petty Officer Kohama ground his teeth. Despite Petty Officer Third Class Aoe’s efforts that defied human limits, the engine’s condition worsened like the eyes of a deathly ill patient. (We finally caught up to the Mysterious Tower Rocket—if this keeps up, we’ll fall behind and get left in the dust.) Determined to cling to the tower at all costs, Petty Officer Kohama racked his brains and devised a plan.

At that moment, something occurred to Petty Officer Kohama. That was the long rope loaded on his beloved plane. This was a sturdy hemp rope used for rescue operations, the kind every warship carried. Petty Officer Kohama attached a steel anchor to the very end of the rope. That anchor was a small one, about the size of a watermelon.

After completing it, Petty Officer Kohama revealed his brilliant plan to Petty Officer Third Class Aoe. Petty Officer Third Class Aoe was utterly astonished. However, given that sticking close to the Mysterious Tower Rocket for thirty minutes would be impossible without such an attempt, Petty Officer Third Class Aoe ultimately agreed to follow the plan.

“Alright, I’m counting on you.” “Now I have no choice but to rely on your piloting skills!” “Stay sharp!” Petty Officer Kohama encouraged him. “I-I’m fine.” “I intend to keep fighting even if it kills me.” “Now please lower the anchor!” Petty Officer Third Class Aoe admirably accepted the task. Thereupon, Petty Officer Kohama began to slowly lower the rope with the anchor attached at its end outside the aircraft.

2

The Mysterious Tower Rocket was attempting to escape high into the sky!

Aoe's plane was in hot pursuit, determined not to let it escape. In the reconnaissance seat, Petty Officer Kohama, mustering every ounce of his ingenuity, first lowered the hemp rope with the anchor attached.

The hemp rope grew longer and longer. Due to the weight of the anchor attached to its end, the hemp rope swayed back and forth. And the anchor began swinging more and more violently. “Whoa, a right turn!” When Petty Officer Kohama shouted into the voice tube,

“Right turn!” Petty Officer Third Class Aoe steered the rudder. Then, the airplane tilted its wings and, in the blink of an eye, swung around splendidly to the right. It moved ahead of the Mysterious Tower Rocket. The Mysterious Tower Rocket reduced its speed again. And finally, just barely, it slipped past the hemp rope dangling from Aoe’s plane.

“Ha, ha, ha! It seems the Mysterious Tower Rocket is finally in trouble.” “At this point, it must be too dangerous to pick up any speed.” “No wonder—the Mysterious Tower Rocket’s rudder was only half-functional to begin with, you see.” Earlier, Petty Officer Kohama had broken about half of the Mysterious Tower Rocket’s rudder using a body-ramming tactic. From that point onward, the Mysterious Tower Rocket had become unable to fly straight as desired. When it tried to fly straight, it would spin around in circles; when it attempted to descend, the rocket’s nose would lift upward—just like a drunkard driving a car. This had the Mysterious Tower King himself in quite a predicament.

Now, at that very moment, the hemp rope with the anchor attached suddenly appeared right before its nose at the worst possible time, making it increasingly difficult for the rocket to fly. If it didn't reduce speed, it couldn't abruptly change direction.

3 The Mysterious Tower Rocket was beginning to appear disoriented. However, Petty Officer Kohama, in the midst of pursuit, had no intention of easing up over something like that. “Hey, Aoe! It’s finally time to show me your advanced flying skills here!” “Yes, I’ve been waiting for that.” “I will certainly subdue the enemy.” Petty Officer Third Class Aoe responded in a spirited voice. “Yeah, keep it up just like that. I’m counting on you.” “Now, try piloting exactly as I command.”

“Yes, understood.” “Then I’ll issue the command—first, a sharp climb!” “Yes, sharp climb!” Before his voice had finished echoing, Aoe’s plane stood vertically in midair. The engine roared violently. The plane climbed rapidly! “Ah! The Mysterious Tower Rocket’s fleeing to the right!” “We won’t let you escape!” “A loop followed by a sharp dive to the right!” Aoe’s plane traced a beautiful circle through the air and spun around once. Then—as soon as it completed the maneuver—it pointed its nose downward and swooped with ferocious speed like an eagle pouncing on a lumbering ox.

“Nice work, nice work! Impressive technique—just like my younger days. Though truth be told, I was a tad better back then.” Petty Officer Kohama said this. At the controls, Petty Officer Third Class Aoe rolled his eyes, uncertain whether he was being complimented or mocked.

Meanwhile, the anchor rope began swaying in a strange manner, thrashing through the air like a giant serpent. The Mysterious Tower King was surprised. It was too dangerous; he couldn’t keep flying the rocket. He scolded the three Black Operators who were steering, barking orders like "Move more to the left!" and "Climb higher!", his entire body drenched in sweat as he shouted commands. However, the Mysterious Tower Rocket gradually cowered in midair.

4

Seeing that the Mysterious Tower Rocket began advancing while dangling in midair, Petty Officer Kohama,

“Now’s the moment!” he shouted. What could he mean by “now”?

At that moment, Petty Officer Kohama issued an unusual command to Petty Officer Third Class Aoe. “Hey, Aoe! Perform continuous loops around the Mysterious Tower Rocket!” Continuous loops—that was an immensely difficult order. Moreover, being told to circle round and round the Mysterious Tower Rocket made this an extraordinarily challenging task. This was precisely where the pilot’s skill would be demonstrated. “I shall now commence performing continuous loops around the Mysterious Tower Rocket!”

No sooner had he repeated the command than Petty Officer Third Class Aoe yanked the control stick. Then, no sooner had Aoe’s plane sharply raised its nose than it drew a beautiful large curve in the air and closed in on the Mysterious Tower Rocket.

The Mysterious Tower Rocket, seemingly pinned under our reconnaissance plane's glare, trembled violently as its silver bulk quaked. Petty Officer Third Class Aoe seized the moment to demonstrate his piloting prowess, circling round and round the Mysterious Tower Rocket - now above it, now below.

The long hemp rope with the anchor gradually formed into a loop. Petty Officer Kohama extended the hemp rope to its full length. The anchor gradually fell behind, and eventually came to the front of the reconnaissance plane. When he extended the hemp rope, the anchor drew even closer to the reconnaissance plane.

“Petty Officer Third Class Aoe, make your turns tighter! And hook our hemp rope onto the tip of the anchor!” Petty Officer Kohama shouted.

“Huh? You want to hook our hemp rope onto the anchor?” Petty Officer Third Class Aoe asked back, as if doubting his own ears.

5 When the hemp rope with the anchor being dragged behind Aoe’s plane encircled the Mysterious Tower Rocket like a ring, Petty Officer Kohama ordered them to hook their hemp rope onto the tip of the anchor. Even the unflappable Petty Officer Third Class Aoe could not conceal his look of surprise at this unusual command. “Right! Hook our hemp rope onto the tip of the anchor! Hurry up! But do it properly!” Petty Officer Kohama said encouragingly.

“Yes. I’ll do it.” Petty Officer Third Class Aoe answered in a reassuring tone, his words few. And he pulled the control stick even closer to himself.

The plane tilted sharply. The anchor floated lightly over the plane’s nose and drifted backward. It was an aerial anchor cast. What an incredibly difficult acrobatic feat! Petty Officer Kohama was pressed against the window, gazing intently outside. The hemp rope with the anchor attached at its tip and the hemp rope he was paying out from the aircraft were visible side by side. “Hmm, almost there! Stay calm, steady, and bold!”

Petty Officer Kohama, unable to contain himself any longer, cheered on Petty Officer Third Class Aoe through the voice tube. Petty Officer Third Class Aoe did not respond. Gripping the control stick, he was at the peak of tension at that moment. His eyes, ears, and heart could see, hear, or feel nothing but the anchor and hemp rope reflected in the mirror.

The anchor and hemp rope gradually drew closer.

“Almost there. Aoe, stay focused!”

Snap!

The anchor and rope collided violently in midair. He thought he saw sparks flash distinctly. The moment he thought “Ah!”, the anchor was sent flying with a whoosh.

“Damn it!”

6 A daring aerial maneuver! Just when they thought their rope had caught perfectly on the anchor's tip, it sprang away with a sharp twang! "Damn it!" The one who shouted was Petty Officer Third Class Aoe at the controls. "Hmm, what a waste." Petty Officer Kohama, riding along in the aircraft, groaned in response. The aerial stunt had failed at the crucial moment. "Sir, I'll try again." "Hmm, keep your focus."

At this moment, the repelled anchor destroyed the beautiful ring that had been painstakingly formed in midair.

While pursuing the Mysterious Tower Rocket, Petty Officer Third Class Aoe had to once again remake the rope into a whirling ring around the tower’s hull.

Petty Officer Kohama could only groan. Before long, the hemp rope obediently pulled back the anchor, and a beautiful ring was drawn in the sky.

Time and again, the Mysterious Tower Rocket tried to slip out from under this rope, yet ultimately failed to break free!

Seizing the moment, Petty Officer Third Class Aoe twisted the aircraft, maneuvering this rope closer to that anchor. Due to the continuous aerial loops, even these two brave men began to feel intense headaches at this moment. If they continued performing too many aerial loops like this, they would grow faint and might eventually die. However, Petty Officer Third Class Aoe was using sheer willpower to prevent that outcome.

“Ah, just a little more!” The moment Petty Officer Kohama involuntarily blurted out, the anchor successfully caught onto the rope. It was Petty Officer Third Class Aoe’s achievement. The rope, still caught on the anchor, slid smoothly so the loop gradually tightened smaller. Now, what would happen next?

Finally appeared. The rope caught on the anchor slid smoothly and skillfully tightened around the Mysterious Tower Rocket’s hull. The rope was now tightly holding down the Mysterious Tower Rocket’s rudder from above. Aoe’s plane was hanging from the end of that long rope. “Cut the engine!” Petty Officer Kohama barked an order. The order was to cut the engine. What would happen if they stopped the engine there?

The one who was utterly astonished was none other than the Mysterious Tower King. Just as he was overtaken by the plane, outflanked to obstruct his rocket’s flight, and clicked his tongue at what a spiteful wretch they were, this rope came and bound itself tightly around the rocket’s midsection. And since that rope pressed down on the crucial rudder, the rocket’s flight grew increasingly arduous. In this state, it was as if both arms and legs of a walking person had been bound—unable to run, and even walking became a tremendous struggle.

But what a reckless, daring approach by Aoe’s plane! Now Aoe’s plane completely stopped its engine. Therefore, pulled by the rocket, just like a tender boat tied with a rope to the stern of a large ship, it followed obediently behind, moving in accordance with the rocket’s flight. “Tch! Doing something like that and hanging there…”

The Mysterious Tower King watched the scene outside the window through television and clicked his tongue loudly several times.

“If this continues, we’ll never escape to our destination.” “Isn’t there some way to smash that plane to pieces?” The Mysterious Tower King’s fierce eyes gleamed as he glared resentfully at Petty Officer Aoe’s plane dangling midair on the projection screen. 2 Because Petty Officers Kohama and Aoe—those two daring heroes—had tethered their beloved plane to the Mysterious Tower Rocket with a hemp rope through their bold, death-defying gambit, the Mysterious Tower King burned with rage. If things continued this way, wherever the Mysterious Tower Rocket went, Aoe’s plane would follow endlessly—there could be no greater nuisance.

The Mysterious Tower King stuck his head out the window and glared resentfully at Petty Officer Aoe’s plane, but— “Hmm, good good.” “That’s it.” “I’ve found an excellent way to destroy that plane!”

With that, he pulled his face back from the window. What had he come up with? After all, the Mysterious Tower King possessed various formidable weapons, making this a terrifying situation.

On this side were Kohama and Aoe—the two brave men. Their beloved plane was connected to the rocket with a hemp rope as previously mentioned and continued being pulled along. The engine had already been stopped. In the pilot seat, Petty Officer Third Class Aoe was desperately steering only the rudder.

“Hey, Aoe, you’re flying well!”

Petty Officer Kohama called out. “Understood—since it’s unnecessary to operate the engine, this allows us to conserve gasoline. Most efficient indeed.”

“Ha ha ha! Saving gasoline for the nation’s sake—that’s the spirit.” “But the Mysterious Tower Rocket has settled down completely now.” “Yes, it has settled down.” “However, if it speeds up, it can’t fly straight, you see.” “As you know, since the rocket’s rudder is broken and our hemp rope is pressing down on it from above, we can build up speed but can’t fly in the direction we want.” “In other words, we have absolutely no idea where it’s flying to.”

“Yeah, I have no idea where we’re flying. Our altitude’s 10,000 meters now, but we’ve got no clue which prefecture we’re over—can’t see a thing below.”

3 Aboard Aoe’s plane—tethered to the Mysterious Tower Rocket and gliding through 10,000-meter skies—the two brave men, Kohama and Aoe, kept up their carefree banter without so much as a flicker in their expressions.

“Petty Officer，this feels truly splendid! First off，since we don’t need to run the engine，we don’t require gasoline—plus there’s no engine or propeller noise making everything pleasantly quiet. Only that blasted gas noise from the Mysterious Tower Rocket ruins it.” “The gas racket’s bad enough—but this stench! With the propeller stopped，that foul air pours down on us mercilessly from above.”

“In that case, shall we put on our poison gas masks?” “Nah, it’s probably not that bad.” “Ending up at the rocket’s rear was our misfortune.” “Well, once you get used to it, it’s not so bad.” “I don’t find the foul odor of the gas that bothersome.” “Well, not feeling it that much—color me impressed, coming from you.” “I’m having a pretty rough time.” “Well, there’s no need to praise me so much.” “You’re being unusually modest today, aren’t you?”

“I’m afraid it’s nothing to praise. The truth is, I’ve had a cold since yesterday, so my nose isn’t working.” “What? You’re saying you have a cold and your nose isn’t working? Ha ha ha! Well then, you should be able to stay as cool as a cucumber even if you smell something foul. Ha ha ha!” “Heh heh heh...” Petty Officer Third Class Aoe laughed somewhat awkwardly.

At that moment, the Mysterious Tower King’s face appeared from the window again. After glaring sharply at Aoe’s plane, “Heh heh heh. Now then, Japanese sailors—invoke the name of your god while you still can!”

4 The Mysterious Tower King thrust his head out of the rocket’s window, glared sharply at Aoe’s plane below, and uttered an ominous threat—"Invoke your god’s name while you still can"—but what exactly was he preparing to unleash? “Look—the Mysterious Tower King’s showing his face at the window again!” “Ah! He’s got something in his hand!” While the two brave men, Kohama and Aoe, shouted warnings to each other, the Mysterious Tower King leaned halfway out the window. In a flash, he pressed a concealed mechanical device firmly against his chest and assumed a combat stance.

“Ah! He went and brought out something like that!” “What could that be?”

“Well, it resembles a Bergmann gun, but it’s an intricate weapon—about as complex as three Bergmanns put together.” “Right, that’s unquestionably a weapon.” “What’s he planning to do?” “Regardless, prepare for battle.” “Don’t waver now.” The Mysterious Tower King braced the mysterious weapon against his chest and aimed it toward the rocket’s rear. A strange sound soon reverberated, and from what seemed to be the weapon’s muzzle, a thick pale-purple light abruptly shot forth.

A pale purple beam! While they were wondering what it was, this beam began incessantly caressing the rocket’s rear. When the beam struck the rocket’s outer wall, a strong yellowish-red flame burst upward from the point of impact. “Oh, that must be the magnetic cannon! This is my first time seeing it!”

And Petty Officer Kohama did not even try to take his eyes away from the binoculars. The fearsome power of the magnetic cannon! It was now emitting a pale purple light while fiercely melting the metal.

5

The Mysterious Tower King had finally begun using the magnetic cannon. Leaning halfway out from the window of the Mysterious Tower Rocket flying through the air, he kept pointing a peculiar device downward. The rear of the Mysterious Tower emitted yellowish-red flames as it began melting fiercely. Petty Officer Kohama and Petty Officer Third Class Aoe watched this spectacle without blinking, their gazes fixed intently. “Oh, that’s it! “That’s definitely the weapon.” “It’s a fearsome weapon that bursts into raging flames and melts when applied to metal.” “That’s the weapon the Mysterious Tower King prizes most.” “Ah! Just as I thought—the Mysterious Tower Rocket’s wall is melting away!” “Hey Aoe, look at that!”

“Sir, this is my first time seeing it.” “Is that the renowned magnetic cannon I’ve heard about?” “But what on earth does the Mysterious Tower King intend to do by melting the walls of the rocket he’s riding in?”

The Mysterious Tower King was doing something utterly bizarre. The magnetic cannon was incessantly emitting pale purple mysterious force lines. “Yeah, you see, that Mysterious Tower King guy was aiming for the anchor we hooked onto the hemp rope.” “In other words, if he melted that anchor, he thought the hemp rope would come undone—that’s why he was doing it.” “Ah, so he intended to melt the anchor?” “He should’ve just cut through the hempen rope instead of going after that anchor.” “The Mysterious Tower King wasn’t thinking things through, was he?” “Ah, ha ha ha!”

And Petty Officer Third Class Aoe laughed. However, he was mistaken. "That’s not it. Aoe, the magnetic cannon has the power to melt metal, but its force isn’t as effective against non-metallic materials. That’s why that pale purple beam can melt steel plates but can’t burn through hemp rope. This should make it clear why the Mysterious Tower King is targeting the anchor instead of the rope."

Petty Officer Third Class Aoe was both impressed and surprised, muttering, "Hmm, so that’s how it works."

6

The Mysterious Tower King vigorously brandished the magnetic cannon.

The rear of the Mysterious Tower Rocket was melting fiercely, but the crucial anchor stubbornly refused to melt. “Hey, that Mysterious Tower King guy’s hands are shaking—he can’t even hit the anchor properly!” And Petty Officer Kohama laughed in amusement.

“What do you say, Sir? Shall we try showering them with machine gun fire?” “Yeah, machine gun bullets probably won’t reach them properly—the magnetic cannon would just deflect the bullets.” “But I can’t stand just standing here watching the Mysterious Tower King fiddling with that magnetic cannon!” “That’s not it. I’ve been constantly communicating with headquarters this whole time. If I tell the commander that we can see the Mysterious Tower King operating the magnetic cannon now, he gets pleased and orders us to observe more closely and report in detail. For now, let’s stay still and keep watching what the Mysterious Tower King does.”

“Ah, I see. So headquarters is pleased with the reports about the magnetic cannon?” “But it’s agonizing to just sit here doing nothing.” “If only my arms were longer, I’d smash a punch right into that ugly face of the Mysterious Tower King from below!” Petty Officer Third Class Aoe found it agonizing to keep watching fixedly as the anchor was being burned by the magnetic cannon. “Look, Sir! The hemp rope has started smoldering with a hiss!” “What? The hemp rope has finally caught fire!”

Because the metal walls of the Mysterious Tower Rocket were melting away in a gooey flow, the surrounding temperature had grown intensely hot until finally the hemp rope began smoldering with a hissing crackle. While they kept watch, thinking this spelled trouble, the hemp rope at last erupted into bright crimson flames that burned with fierce intensity.

7

This was bad. Because the hemp rope connecting the Mysterious Tower Rocket and Aoe’s plane had burst into fierce flames, a terrible crisis had now erupted. Petty Officer Kohama had been tapping the telegraph key to report to the headquarters commander via wireless, but upon seeing this situation, “Hmm, so it’s finally caught fire.” “The Mysterious Tower Rocket intends to detach itself from our plane and escape!” “We can’t hold out any longer!” “Hey, Aoe! Start the engine!” “We need to move fast!”

He restarted the engine and issued orders to prepare for flight.

“Yes, starting the engine.”

Petty Officer Third Class Aoe immediately repeated the command and turned the ignition device. Then, the engine roared to life once more, and the aircraft body lurched upward. “Hey Aoe, the hemp rope’s about to snap! Are you ready?” “Y-yes. We’re all set—we can fly now.” As they spoke, the Mysterious Tower King—who until now had been preoccupied with the hemp rope binding the tower’s rudder and the anchor—now adjusted his stance and turned toward Aoe’s plane.

“Oh， Sir!” “The Mysterious Tower King has turned this way!”

“Yeah, I’m watching. Is he planning to blast us with that magnetic cannon?”

As they were saying this, the Mysterious Tower King indeed turned the magnetic cannon toward the two of them. And there he was—the Mysterious Tower King—opening his mouth wide as he sneered spitefully, as if declaring “See what happens now?” After all their hard work in pursuing the Mysterious Tower Rocket this far, it seemed as though Aoe’s plane was finally about to meet its doom.

Of course, the two brave men had already resolved in their hearts to die honorably, so they did not falter. Even so, it was frustrating that their plane was finally going to be destroyed by magnetic force lines here.

Aerial Stunt

1

The hemp rope connecting the Mysterious Tower Rocket and Aoe’s plane was now engulfed in crimson flames, burning fiercely. No matter how sturdy the hemp rope was, it was clear that in this state, it would soon burn out completely.

When the hemp rope burned out completely, they would have to part ways once again with the Mysterious Tower Rocket they had managed to cling to. If they parted ways this time, they doubted they would be able to cling onto the Mysterious Tower Rocket so easily again. “Hmm, what a shame. It’s pathetic that we’re just standing idly by watching the hemp rope burn out like this.” Petty Officer Kohama gnashed his teeth in frustration, filled with regret.

“Petty Officer Kohama.” Petty Officer Third Class Aoe called out. “What is it, Aoe?” “There is something I must earnestly request your permission for.” “What? What are you asking me to permit?”

“That is—I mean to climb across that hemp rope and leap into the Mysterious Tower Rocket.” “Wh—what are you saying?! Are you saying you’ll climb along the hemp rope and seize that Mysterious Tower? You’ve come up with an audacious plan, hmm.” Even the valiant Petty Officer Kohama was astonished by the astonishing Mysterious Tower capture plan devised by young Petty Officer Third Class Aoe and let out a thoughtful groan. “Alright, Aoe. Go ahead with the rope traversal.”

“Oh! You’ve given permission?” “I’m glad.” “Yeah—be bold, but don’t rush.” “The hemp rope’s burning fiercely now. I’ll grab onto it and climb up right away.” The young warrior Petty Officer Third Class Aoe unbuckled his belt and sprang from his seat. In an instant, he nimbly leaped onto the hemp rope connecting his plane to the Mysterious Tower Rocket.

2 Petty Officer Third Class Aoe’s aerial adventure began. Hanging from and traversing ropes was something he excelled at, but given that this rope was flying through the air at a tremendous speed, it was no simple feat. At any moment, the fierce wind threatened to blow his body away. “Aoe, stay strong!”

Petty Officer Kohama raised his arm from the reconnaissance seat above and encouraged Aoe. Petty Officer Third Class Aoe responded by nodding slightly in acknowledgment to his superior.

Two meters, three meters—Aoe’s body moved forward little by little.

Petty Officer Kohama immediately reported this valiant young warrior’s actions to the main force via wireless telegraphy.

Then, immediately in response from the main force— “A fresh page in our Imperial Navy’s military history was splendidly adorned by Petty Officer Third Class Aoe’s heroic deed this time.” And thus arrived a wireless message bearing an honorable citation.

Upon receiving this, Petty Officer Kohama rejoiced as though it were his own, “Hey Aoe, a citation from the Commander!”

he shouted, but Petty Officer Third Class Aoe, engrossed in traversing the rope, showed no sign of having heard—a truly regrettable situation. Following this, the main force notified them that a fresh attack squadron was now rushing toward the scene and instructed them to hold out a little while longer. Petty Officer Kohama had indeed splendidly accomplished his communication with the main force.

At that moment, he suddenly noticed and looked up to check on the Mysterious Tower King’s current state—oh no—this was bad! Leaning halfway out of the window, wasn’t he repeatedly aiming the muzzle of the magnetic cannon he held in his hand toward Petty Officer Third Class Aoe? Ah! Dangerous!

3

The Mysterious Tower King aimed the magnetic cannon out the window, relentlessly targeting Petty Officer Third Class Aoe’s body. Whenever a pale purple light streaked through the air, crackling sparks scattered from the Mysterious Tower’s iron walls along its path. Whether due to some quiver in the Mysterious Tower King’s grip or not, fortunately, his shots had missed Petty Officer Third Class Aoe’s body up to that point, and the young officer could be seen crossing the rope with undiminished vigor.

“Oh, Aoe! Hang in there!” Petty Officer Kohama involuntarily clenched his fist and swung it. However, observing the situation—while things had gone relatively safely up to this point—the danger would now suddenly and rapidly increase as they drew closer to the Mysterious Tower. Would Petty Officer Third Class Aoe indeed accomplish this grand aerial adventure—the rope traversal between the rocket and the plane?

The hemp rope burned more and more fiercely. It seemed he could see it burning through before his very eyes.

At that moment, Petty Officer Kohama, who had turned his gaze back toward Aoe, let out a startled cry. “Ah! It’s caught fire! Aoe’s body has caught fire!” Now this was a crisis. Until this very moment, there had been nothing wrong, but white smoke now billowed out from around Petty Officer Third Class Aoe’s waist. Having noticed this, Aoe—still hanging onto the rope—vigorously shook his waist. His pants had caught fire, and his body must have become unbearably hot.

“This won’t do!”

Petty Officer Kohama’s eyebrows furrowed into a pained upside-down V shape. For him, witnessing his subordinate’s peril before his very eyes was a painful experience. “Ah, Aoe must have had a knife or some iron-made object hanging near his waist. The magnetic force lines struck it, causing the iron to turn bright red and melt, which made the fire catch on his clothes. This is bad. If left alone, he’ll burn to death.”

Hanging from the single hemp rope connecting the reconnaissance plane and the Mysterious Tower Rocket, the brave Petty Officer Third Class Aoe inched closer to the tower as his clothes began to smolder. Seeing this, Petty Officer Kohama in the plane felt his chest tighten. Aoe must not be allowed to burn to death there. But from this distant plane, there was no way for hands to reach even Petty Officer Third Class Aoe’s burning clothes.

"This is bad..." Petty Officer Kohama stared at his subordinate’s perilous state and trembled violently. He had to find a way to save him. Given this situation, Aoe’s life wouldn’t last more than ten minutes, and he was beside himself with worry.

*This is bad...—That’s it—I’ll die with Aoe.* Having thought of something, Petty Officer Kohama peered into the seat compartment. He retrieved a leather pouch containing drinking water from under the seat. After hanging this leather pouch at his waist, he unfastened his belt and abruptly stood up from the seat. He hurriedly cut into the leather pouch with his knife and made three or four small holes. Then, this time, he swiftly tied the bottom of the leather pouch with a string and fastened the end of the string to his left wrist. What on earth was he trying to accomplish by doing this?

Of course, it was a last-ditch attempt to save the subordinate.

Petty Officer Kohama’s preparations appeared complete. In that instant— “Hah—!” With this shout, Petty Officer Kohama swung down from the plane and seized the hemp rope stretched taut to the Mysterious Tower Rocket.

Ah—finally, two brave warriors hung from the hemp rope. The rope now bore a substantial weight. Could it indeed withstand such a burden? For when one looked, that very hemp rope blazed with raging flames where it bound the Mysterious Tower’s hull.

5

What a perilous sight this was! The hemp rope binding the Mysterious Tower’s hull was ablaze with raging flames, with the two brave warriors now hanging from it, greatly increasing the burden on it. The hemp rope looked ready to snap at any moment. If the rope were to snap cleanly from the Mysterious Tower’s hull, what would become of the two warriors? At that moment, Petty Officer Third Class Aoe finally noticed his own clothes were burning.

“Ah! This won’t do!” The fire clinging to his clothes was searing his body inch by inch. He desperately wanted to smother the flames, but both hands remained trapped. In that raging torrent of wind, gripping the hemp rope with one hand while supporting his body proved utterly impossible. Attempting it would mean instant plummeting.

Petty Officer Third Class Aoe finally gave up on traversing the rope and wriggled his body vigorously. He desperately tried to extinguish the fire clinging to his clothes, but as the wind grew fiercer, the flames only blazed more intensely. Alas, even Petty Officer Third Class Aoe—who had been valiantly advancing toward the Mysterious Tower—now teetered on becoming a human torch destined to burn to death—

“Hey, Aoe! Hang in there!” Suddenly, a familiar voice reached Aoe’s ears. “Oh!”

When he looked back, there unexpectedly hung Petty Officer Kohama behind him—when had he arrived?—also clinging to the rope and approaching this way. “Ah, Chief!” Hot tears streamed down from Aoe’s eyelids. They were tears of gratitude, moved by Petty Officer Kohama’s passionate concern for his subordinate. “Hey, Aoe! Don’t lose your strength.” “I’ll put out the fire for you, so just hang on a little longer.”

he shouted—but would Petty Officer Kohama truly be able to rescue Aoe, now engulfed in flames?

The Panicking Mysterious Tower King 1 If any comrade had witnessed the figures of the two brave warriors, Aoe and Kohama, hanging from a single hemp rope stretched across the Mysterious Tower—their perilous lives entrusted to it—they would have been overcome with gut-wrenching anguish. The Mysterious Tower King looked down upon this scene from the tower’s window, his agitation growing increasingly apparent. Still cradling the magnetic cannon in his arms and twisting it about, his flustered state made it impossible to properly aim the magnetic force lines where he wanted.

Just once—whether by a fluke hit—the magnetic force line struck the bracket supporting the wheel of Aoe’s plane. Then, terrifyingly, that bracket burst into blue flames and began to drip and melt away. The wheel, having lost its support, spun round and round as it fell downward. Though the magnetic cannon had imparted intense heat to the bracket, it did not subject the human bodies to such severe temperatures—in this case, that proved a stroke of fortune for the two warriors.

“Just a little more.” “Aoe, hang in there!” The stalwart Petty Officer Kohama, undaunted by the fierce airflow, swiftly moved along the rope and drew near to Petty Officer Third Class Aoe. “Petty Officer Kohama—”

“Oh, Aoe! Don’t you dare slacken your resolve! If you’re going to die, you aren’t allowed to until I say it’s okay!” It was Petty Officer Kohama issuing this drastic command. Before long, he finally reached where Petty Officer Third Class Aoe hung suspended. “Hey, Aoe! I’ll put out that fire!” “Can you really do that?” “Don’t worry—I’ll douse it for sure.” Petty Officer Kohama clamped the string tied to the bottom of the water-filled leather pouch between his teeth, bent his neck sharply, and pulled. The pouch flipped over, water cascading out through its torn seam like a waterfall.

2 What an ingenious idea! Petty Officer Kohama skillfully moved his neck and wrist, pulled the string tied to the bottom of the leather pouch, and caused the water inside to gush out like a waterfall from the tear. “Hey, Aoe! Stay still for a bit!” Petty Officer Kohama, hanging from the rope with both hands, twisted his body to pour the water flowing from the pouch onto the uppermost part of Aoe’s burning uniform.

The amount wasn’t much, but the trickling water thoroughly soaked Aoe’s crimson-burning uniform from above. As the absorbent fabric rapidly became drenched through, the fire’s intensity began to weaken. “Ah, it’s working!” No sooner had the water in the leather pouch run out than Petty Officer Kohama pressed down on Aoe’s trousers—where smoldering embers still glowed—with both legs, stamped on them repeatedly, and finally crushed out every remaining spark of fire.

The iron knife that had ignited the flames plopped down from Petty Officer Third Class Aoe's scorched pocket. When facing the Mysterious Tower King, nothing required more caution than metal fittings. Petty Officer Kohama remained a composed and magnificent warrior through it all. Through carrying out this firefighting task with endless vigilance and bold decisiveness, he managed to save his subordinate who had already been on the verge of becoming a human torch.

Suddenly freed from his predicament, Petty Officer Third Class Aoe rejoiced with tears of joy. What a commendable superior officer he was! “Ah, sir, I—” he began, but his chest tightened and he couldn’t continue. “You fool! What are you crying like a girl for in front of the enemy?” Suddenly, Petty Officer Kohama’s angry voice erupted.

3 Petty Officer Third Class Aoe had nearly become a human torch, but through Petty Officer Kohama’s courageous efforts, the flames on his uniform were extinguished just one step before that point. If this had merely been a rope dangling in midair, it might still have been manageable—but this was a rope stretched taut between the Mysterious Tower Rocket and Aoe’s plane, a daring feat performed while whizzing and whooshing through the sky. One could only marvel that they had pulled it off at all.

The fire had been extinguished, but Petty Officer Third Class Aoe had, unsurprisingly, lost some of his vigor. The fire clinging to his uniform had scorched his body—how excruciating it must have been. Petty Officer Kohama quickly noticed this and grew concerned. After all, the terrifying wind was blowing against them so fiercely as to nearly tear their bodies from the rope they were hanging onto—the agony was beyond description. “Aoe, stay strong! The Mysterious Tower King is glaring this way!”

Petty Officer Kohama kept encouraging Aoe.

However, another source of concern was growing more urgent. That was the loop of the rope tied around the rudder of the Mysterious Tower Rocket. This was being buffeted relentlessly by the wind and blazed fiercely, but there was no way to reach and extinguish the flames. Petty Officer Kohama, still hanging onto the rope, clenched his teeth in frustration. "Heh heh heh! Look at you now!" The Mysterious Tower King pointed gleefully from the window and laughed. What a despicable fellow!

Creak! The rope slackened slightly, and a strange sound traveled along it. No sooner had they registered this than the rope connecting the Mysterious Tower Rocket and Aoe’s plane finally snapped, completely burned through. Ah!

4

This was bad! The rope connecting the Mysterious Tower Rocket and Aoe’s plane had finally burned through completely. "Ah! The rope's snapped!" "Oh no!" shouted Petty Officer Kohama and Petty Officer Third Class Aoe.

With that, the end of the rope detached from the Mysterious Tower, and swaying through the air with the two military men still hanging from it, plunged downward in a great arc. ——

What a terrifying sight!

The long rope suspending the two naval servicemen swung to the opposite side with a whoosh, like a wall clock’s pendulum. “Ah—dangerous!” No sooner had the thought struck them than the plane shot upward. The rope—having first sagged vertically—rebounded with such force that it whipped up with a shrill whistle. “Ah! It hurts! It hurts! My arm’s breaking!” It was Petty Officer Third Class Aoe’s anguished cry. Realizing disaster was imminent, Petty Officer Kohama clenched his teeth and urgently spread his legs—immobilized midair—toward Petty Officer Third Class Aoe, straining to clamp them around his comrade’s torso in a desperate rescue attempt.

“Oh no!” By the time Aoe shouted, it was already too late—his hands were slipping off the rope. Petty Officer Kohama’s legs clamped shut on nothing but empty air.

By the time the voice reached Aoe’s ears, his hands had already slipped free from the end of the rope. (Ah! Aoe let go of the rope!) Before Petty Officer Kohama’s eyes, everything suddenly went dark.

“Aoe! Aoe! Aoe!” Petty Officer Kohama continued to call out Aoe’s name in a voice that could tear his throat apart, with all his might. But Aoe——

I no longer have the courage to write what happens next.

The demise of the tenacious Petty Officer Third Class Aoe!

Plummet.

1

Even Petty Officer Third Class Aoe, who had been such a tenacious fighter, was no demon god; having exhausted both his strength and resolve, he finally became an honorable sacrifice. "What a waste... What a waste..." As he contemplated his subordinate's tragic fate, Petty Officer Kohama felt his chest might burst.

However, he had no time to leisurely shed tears. For he knew all too clearly that he, hanging onto the rope, would soon meet the same fate as Aoe. His arms felt like they were about to slip out; his body felt like it was about to be torn away by the wind. He could almost see the Mysterious Tower King’s malicious face peering this way and laughing. "You damned Mysterious Tower King—are you trying to shake even me off?!" "Don’t joke around! I’m Petty Officer Kohama!" "Who do you think would let themselves get shaken off just to please you?!" "Damn it!"

Petty Officer Kohama gritted his teeth, resolved that imperial soldiers couldn’t let both of them be shaken off like this—for the honor of their navy, he’d cling to this rope even if it killed him.

The rope from which Petty Officer Kohama hung whirred and hummed violently. The airplane was above the rope, but since no one was piloting it now, it began to fall gradually, spinning round and round along with the rope. “Hmph, who do you think would let themselves get shaken off?!”

Gradually, the swaying of the rope subsided. The rope and airplane had begun to fall together, which was why the swaying had subsided. Petty Officer Kohama’s arms felt slightly relieved.

If they continued like this, both the airplane and Petty Officer Kohama would gradually gain speed as they fell downward, and before long, they would collide violently with the ground. Petty Officer Kohama had also noticed that from the start. Taking advantage of the rope’s loosening, Petty Officer Kohama—seizing what might be his last chance—gathered all his strength into his arms and began hauling himself up the rope.

2

Enduring both the grief of losing his subordinate and the fierce wind force, our brave warrior Petty Officer Kohama mustered all his strength and began to climb the rope with strained grunts. Fortunately, Petty Officer Kohama had trained extensively in this kind of rope climbing aboard ships. He climbed rapidly upward. The belly of the airplane was now almost within sight.

The airplane, which had maintained level flight until then, suddenly tilted its wings. It seemed likely to soon plunge into a nosedive. In that case, the speed of the crash would become extremely violent.

(I have to climb up now!) Petty Officer Kohama, resigned that this might be his final effort, exerted all his remaining strength and climbed up the rope with strained grunts. His head thudded against the airplane's belly - success! (Got it! Just one more push!) Petty Officer Kohama's courage multiplied a hundredfold. His hand finally grasped the airplane seat. (Alright! I'm back!) Now came his moment of triumph. Using his signature apparatus gymnastics technique,

“Hyah!” With that shout, he leaped into the cockpit—the very seat where Petty Officer Third Class Aoe had been sitting. Of course, Aoe was nowhere to be seen. Something hot surged through Petty Officer Kohama’s chest once more, but this was life and death. Shaking off the feeling, he swiftly fastened himself with the band Aoe had left behind. (Good enough.) (Now to fly.)

Petty Officer Kohama then noticed that the aircraft was falling nose-down, spinning in a corkscrew. If this continued, it would only collide violently with the ground. When he hurriedly pulled the horizontal stabilizer with all his strength—to his joy—the nose of the plane rose sharply.

"I’m safe now!" Petty Officer Kohama secured his survival.

3

Petty Officer Kohama’s chest felt ready to burst with thoughts of Petty Officer Third Class Aoe—now gone forever—as he sat alone in the aircraft. Until moments ago, they had ridden together in this plane. They had chased the Mysterious Tower Rocket while encouraging each other, battling against the Mysterious Tower King. That brave comrade’s presence could no longer be seen aboard. "That damned Mysterious Tower King—not even cutting him eight ways would satisfy me!"

Petty Officer Kohama, having finally managed to level his beloved plane as it plummeted, raised his eyes and searched the sky for the Mysterious Tower Rocket. However, the sky above was filled with clouds, and the silhouette of the Mysterious Tower Rocket he sought was nowhere to be seen. “Tch, he managed to slip away. No—I won’t let them escape no matter what until I’ve avenged Aoe!” Petty Officer Kohama coiled up the hemp rope that was hindering flight and pulled it into the cockpit. Then, bravely taking firm hold of the upper rudder and setting the engine to full throttle, he began a ferocious steep climb. Fortunately, the engine was in perfect condition, so Petty Officer Kohama felt relieved.

As he threaded through the clouds, Petty Officer Kohama's eyes darted searchingly in every direction. Though the clouds obstructed his view, he wondered if he might spot the Mysterious Tower Rocket through a gap in the cloud cover.

However，there was no sign of the enemy anywhere. Moreover，the clouds grew increasingly thick and swirled，and he could no longer tell where he was flying. Signs of a storm could even be felt. “What a disappointment… If we keep this up，we’ll just waste gasoline being led around by the clouds．No choice—let’s get out of them．” Even if he tried to escape the clouds，before he knew it，dense clouds like old cotton batting had completely enveloped Kohama’s plane，and he could no longer tell where any breaks in the clouds might be． Petty Officer Kohama’s heart grew only more impatient．

With desperate strength,

1 Despite having steeply climbed，Kohama’s plane，now forced to descend again after being obstructed by dense clouds，plunged rapidly through the clouds． “Ah！Five thousand… four thousand eight hundred… Need t’descend faster！”

Petty Officer Kohama pulled the horizontal stabilizer even further, lowering the nose, so the plane plunged downward like a bullet.

“3,900... 3,700 meters.” Still no break in the clouds. “These damned clouds cling like they’re kin to the Mysterious Tower King himself.” Yet the clouds showed no sign of parting. 3,000 meters... 2,800— “This makes no sense. Since when do clouds grow this dense?” Gritting his teeth at the impenetrable cloudbank, Petty Officer Kohama kept his beloved plane plunging downward through the murk.

The surroundings grew increasingly darker, feeling as if they were plastered into a wall. Before he knew it, rain was cascading over his flight suit like a waterfall. Even Petty Officer Kohama, who had grown accustomed to aerial life, was experiencing something like this for the first time. An ordinary person might have burst into tears. Petty Officer Kohama, gripping the control stick, continued to plummet rapidly. Nine hundred meters, seven hundred meters—

The clouds still drifted everywhere. Before long, through the clouds, he spotted something dark far below.

“Ah! I see it. Land or sea?” Before the roaring, plummeting aircraft, what surged up from below was the raging open sea, its white-crested waves whipped into fury. The rain, like glass rods, was violently lashing the sea surface.

“This is terrible. “This storm is monstrous!” The plane appeared to be flying through water. Visibility was desperately limited. Pursuing the Mysterious Tower Rocket was utterly impossible.

2 “I’ve had my fair share of life at sea, but this is the first time I’ve encountered such a fierce storm.” Petty Officer Kohama continued piloting his beloved plane through the driving rain, flying just above the sea surface. “Now where on earth is this sea surface?” He knew he was over the Pacific Ocean—but the Pacific was vast. Checking the compass told him his direction, yet pinpointing his exact location remained beyond him. In times like these, if you received a radio beacon signal, you could properly determine your current location. A radio beacon transmitted its lighthouse’s name via wireless from what was called a wireless lighthouse.

Petty Officer Kohama turned on the receiver switch in the rear seat. And he tried putting the receiver to his ear.

However，no matter how long he waited，no sound came from the receiver. "This is strange... The switch is properly on，so why can’t I hear anything?"

He tried everything he could, but he simply couldn’t hear anything. Unfortunately, it became clear that the receiver had broken down. “Oh no, I’m in trouble.” “I’ve completely lost track of where we’re flying now.” He then tried switching on the transmitter, but it still didn’t work. The wireless equipment had become unusable for both sending and receiving. Before long, the surroundings had darkened as if night had fallen, and visibility had reduced to where even fifty meters ahead was no longer visible. Close call! Close call! This was the precariousness of being one step away from disaster.

Far from pursuing the Mysterious Tower Rocket, continuing to fly like this became dangerous. Petty Officer Kohama gripped the control stick as if his arms might snap, planted both feet firmly against the raging storm, and desperately struggled to overcome this crisis. But battered by rain and wind, the plane now flew at low altitude with its wheels barely skimming the sea surface. Agh!

3 The wireless on which he relied was useless; his beloved plane was battered by rain and wind, its wheels frequently washed over by raging waves with a splashing roar. Although he had once saved his life in midair, it now seemed that Petty Officer Kohama’s fate would finally end here.

“If I were to self-destruct in enemy territory, that would fulfill an imperial soldier’s true purpose—but what’s the point of dying after crashing into that damn mad sea?!” “Alright! I will conquer this storm and sea no matter what!”

Petty Officer Kohama shouted thus from the cockpit. The flight goggles were completely fogged over; they were useless now. The wings seemed on the verge of being violently swallowed by the waves several times over. It was the fierce onslaught of natural forces that human strength could do nothing against.

Nevertheless, Petty Officer Kohama continued flying. That was after two and a half long hours. Where and how he had flown—after two and a half hours of unrelenting flight that allowed not a moment’s respite—even this brave warrior found both his spirit and physical strength utterly spent. He thought the moment had finally arrived when the waves would gulp down the wings.

"What a waste. What a waste to die without avenging Aoe."

Petty Officer Kohama clenched his teeth, blinked rapidly, and glared down at the pure white waves below. That was the moment. He suddenly noticed a jet-black, whale-like object lying ahead.

“Ah! What’s that?” “A whale?” Petty Officer Kohama blinked rapidly as he stared at this dark shadow, and color rushed to his cheeks.

“Ah! That’s an island!” “An island!” An island was found. To see an island’s shadow one step from death—what divine aid this was! Petty Officer Kohama’s spirits surged a hundredfold. “No matter what, I have to reach that island—” What followed was a frenzy. Where and how he had flown—when he came to his senses, the plane’s engine had stopped completely.

4 Petty Officer Kohama looked around as if in a dream. The storm was still raging violently, but beneath the airplane was not the usual rough sea with high waves but a pure white sandy beach. The airplane had embedded one wheel deep into the sand and had come to a stop tilted to one side.

Where on earth was this place? In any case, he had narrowly avoided being swallowed by the raging waves along with the airplane—at least that much had been saved. Probably, Petty Officer Kohama, amid the storm—his entire body exhausted like cotton, his eyes blurred, his ears ringing with a dull roar—persisted through sheer military spirit and,

(What—am I going to collapse over something this trivial?!) He seemed to have steeled his resolve and landed in a desperate frenzy. Though it was a sandy beach, it remained solid ground. When the plane collided with the shadow of a sand dune with a thunderous crash, the violent jolt appeared to snap Petty Officer Kohama back to his senses. But it was a great fortune that the brave warrior's life—which had hung in peril—was narrowly saved. Battered by the rain, Petty Officer Kohama unfastened his seat belt and stood up.

(Where on earth am I?) Inside his head was a high-pitched sound ringing like birds chirping. Forcing his stiff neck that refused to turn as he willed, Petty Officer Kohama scanned his surroundings when a strangely shaped tree came into view.

“Ah! That looks like a palm tree—but why would one be growing in a place like this?”

Petty Officer Kohama could no longer make sense of what was what.

“Hmm...”

With a single shout, he slumped back into his seat as if collapsing.

Where was that seaside with palm trees?

Dr. Ōtone's Residence

1

Here, the story went back a little in time.

The location was Dr. Ōtone’s estate grounds.

The familiar Lieutenant Shiota and the spirited boy Ichihiko were busily searching every corner of the suspicious doctor's room. Both of them, following the words Detective Homura had specifically cautioned them about, were thinking they needed to solve the mystery of the doctor's residence quickly.

What on earth could the relationship between Dr. Ōtone and the Mysterious Tower King be? And why did that Mysterious Tower Rocket, which soared through the sky like Pegasus, possess such terrifying new scientific weaponry? And what could they possibly intend to do next? When would this grave secret ever be unraveled?

For now, let us continue to observe the activities of Lieutenant Shiota, young Ichihiko, Detective Homura—currently confined within the mysterious tower—and the brave Petty Officer Kohama, who lies unconscious on that enigmatic shore.

“I’m really not cut out for searching through people’s belongings. This is, after all, Detective Homura’s specialty.” Even Lieutenant Shiota, known as the fleet’s brain, seemed somewhat overwhelmed by the unfamiliar task of searching through rooms.

“Hey, Lieutenant Shiota—do you think Dr. Ōtone is a villain?”

Ichihiko called out from behind the lieutenant, who was sticking his head into the cupboard. At this question, Lieutenant Shiota, startled, pulled his face out of the cupboard.

“A villain? Well, that’s precisely what I can no longer grasp. I originally believed Dr. Ōtone was truly a respectable scholar, but as we’ve been searching through his house like this, I’ve gradually started feeling strange about him. Now that you mention it, when Dr. Ōtone came to the warship once before, his speech and deportment did seem rather odd. Though he was called an eccentric doctor, he wasn’t that fidgety in the past.”

2

The conversation between Lieutenant Shiota and Ichihiko had cast a dark shadow over the master of this house, Dr. Ōtone. They had searched the house thoroughly, but no matter where they turned things over, there were only mountains of Dr. Ōtone’s enthusiastic research materials piled up, with no suspicious letters to be found. Additionally, though many inexplicable machines stood lined up, these too lacked the large-scale mechanisms characteristic of those equipped on the Mysterious Tower Rocket.

From this perspective, Dr. Ōtone could only be perceived as a respectable and dedicated scientist. Lieutenant Shiota finally sat down on the round stool in the center of the room, removed his military cap, and let the breeze hit his buzz-cut head. “Unfortunately, we haven’t found anything suspicious. Ichihiko, you sit there too. Ah, right! I have something good here. These are specially made naval caramels sold on warships. When you eat these, not only will your fatigue be cured, but you should also come up with brilliant ideas. Now, take as many as you like.”

With that, the lieutenant offered Ichihiko caramels in a blue box. “Oh, thank you. I had no idea there were such handy caramels.” Ichihiko also sat down on a stool of the same shape next to the lieutenant and took a bite of one of the green caramels. It was indeed delicious, and his mouth felt refreshingly cool.

“So, Ichihiko—the naval caramels are quite delicious, aren’t they?” “Yes, I really love them!” While the two were sucking on the caramels with relish, something strange had already begun happening in the room. When they sat down on the round stools, it began—but Ichihiko was first to notice. “Ah, Lieutenant Shiota—this is strange. This room is moving.”

3

“This room is moving.—Indeed, this thing is definitely moving!” Lieutenant Shiota was surprised, stood up from his chair, and looked at Ichihiko. Ichihiko was darting his eyes around. “Ah, this room is steadily plunging downward—” “Hmm, indeed it’s descending.” Young Ichihiko once again vividly recalled the shock he had felt when, during his previous infiltration into the Mysterious Tower with Homura, the room he had been in had similarly descended along with the floor. When he told the lieutenant about it, the lieutenant, keeping his sword drawn close, nodded deeply.

The two could think of nothing but how far down this room would go. *Thud.* The floor shook faintly, and the moving room came to an abrupt halt.

“Ah, it stopped.”

“Hmm, it’s stopped.” The two exchanged glances and let out relieved sighs. What an unexpected mechanism had been installed here! “I wonder if elevator-like devices like this are popular nowadays?” The boy brimmed with curiosity. “Well, who knows about that—” The flustered lieutenant, at that moment—for some reason—held his breath,

“Oh! That thing started moving. “Ichihiko, the mechanical cabinet behind you is moving!”

“What?” When Ichihiko looked back, he was startled. A cabinet containing microscopes, barometers, and various other physical and chemical instruments was quietly sliding sideways into the wall.

The two held their breath and stared at the cabinet moving by itself. After the cabinet had moved away, a single door unexpectedly appeared where it had been. The basement's mystery!

4 It was already strange enough that Dr. Ōtone’s laboratory—carrying Lieutenant Shiota and Ichihiko—had descended downward like an elevator, but once it fully settled, the cabinet containing experimental instruments slid smoothly sideways into the wall, which was yet another marvel. And then, behind where the cabinet had been, an unexpected door appeared—where it led remained unknown—making the mystery deepen all the more.

“Oh! A door! This must be the entrance to Dr. Ōtone’s secret chamber. Ichihiko, I don’t know what’s inside here, but we shouldn’t let that stop us. Let’s press on as far as we can go!” Lieutenant Shiota turned to Ichihiko and encouraged him. “Yes, I’ll charge in too. There’s nothing left that could surprise me now, no matter what comes out!”

“Good, that’s the spirit, that’s the spirit.” Lieutenant Shiota found the boy—whose vigor belied his slight frame—to be admirably dependable.

"By the way, this door—how does one open it?"

With that, Lieutenant Shiota approached the door. "Oh dear, there's no keyhole or anything here." And Ichihiko too brought his face close to the door alongside him and said.

Strangely, on that door, there was no keyhole or anything at all. "Hmm, maybe there's a push button or something here?" "Well, let's try pushing it by hand." When Ichihiko lightly touched the door to push it, the door smoothly slid upward as if repelled. "Oh! It opened just from me touching it. Ah, I see—it's set up so we can dive right into the depths here."

Now, what lay beyond the opened door? 5

The interior of the mysteriously gaping door was pitch black, its contents unseen. "What on earth could be inside here?"

Lieutenant Shiota and Ichihiko stared fixedly into the interior for a while, but it was pitch black, and they could see nothing. Thinking there might be someone present, they strained their ears and listened intently, but there was no sound at all. “Lieutenant Shiota, shall we try jumping in?” Ichihiko said cheerfully. “Hmm, wait a moment. I’ll test it first—” Lieutenant Shiota took out a pistol and fired a shot with a thunderous report toward the ceiling of the room.

A high-pitched clang—the sound of something hard being struck—was heard amidst the gunshot. However, despite the gunshot startling them, not even a single mouse came scurrying out.

“It’s safe now! Advance!”

Lieutenant Shiota was the first to jump into the room. Next came Ichihiko. Then something strange happened.

The moment the two of them leaped into the room, by some mechanism, the lights inside flashed on brightly. “Hmm, everything from top to bottom is built with the latest technology.”

Lieutenant Shiota was impressed. "Why would someone construct such a secret room?" "Hmm, I wonder what the reason could be. If Detective Homura were here, he'd figure it out right away." With that, Lieutenant Shiota surveyed the room.

This was a bare, empty room with nothing in it. "It's strange that there's absolutely nothing here." "This is odd. It's strange that they'd go to the trouble of keeping a secret room completely empty." Ichihiko said in his best boy detective manner.

Whereabouts of the Bloodstains

1 “Lieutenant Shiota, don’t you think there might be some even more elaborate mechanism here?” As he spoke, Ichihiko looked around the empty secret room. When had he picked it up? It seemed he was imitating Homura’s detective techniques.

“Hmm, I see. Then, Ichihiko, you search over there. I’ll take this side.”

Lieutenant Shiota and Ichihiko split to the left and right and began searching the room.

Ichihiko was crouching low, scanning the floor as if he might lick it, as he moved about. Then he discovered darkened stains dotted here and there on the floor. “Ah! There’s something strange—”

When Ichihiko shouted, Lieutenant Shiota immediately came running.

“What is it, Ichihiko? This strange thing—did you find something?” “It’s here. The darkened stains continue all the way to the far end.”

“Hmm, this is it?” Lieutenant Shiota squatted on the floor and crushed one of the darkened stains with his fingertip. It was crushed with a squelch. And a reddish-black liquid splashed out slightly.

“Hmph, this is suspicious.”

Lieutenant Shiota brought his fingertip to the tip of his nose. A pungent, metallic stench suddenly struck Lieutenant Shiota’s nostrils.

“Ah! This is blood! It’s the smell of blood!” “What? Blood?”

Well, they had found something major. What could the old pool of blood that had spilled in the secret room of Dr. Ōtone’s residence possibly tell?

Where could Dr. Ōtone have gone? Would he know about this pool of blood? Lieutenant Shiota and Ichihiko exchanged glances in silence for a while.

2

In Dr. Ōtone’s secret room, bloodstains dotted and soiled the floor!

Ichihiko was startled, but as he traced where the dotted bloodstains led, they eventually came to a stop in the corner of the recessed room. “Lieutenant Shiota, the blood stops here.” “I see. Now where would it lead from here?”

The two searched every nook and cranny of the room’s corner. Then, at the very corner of the wall, there was a monkey-faced ornament about the size of five one-sen coins laid side by side pasted there. “Oh, there’s something here!” “Let me see. Well, this seems to be a monkey-faced carving, but it’s an ornament that doesn’t suit this empty room.”

The monkey-faced ornament was made of iron or something. "What on earth could this be?" Ichihiko fiddled with the monkey-faced ornament. He tried pulling it, but it wouldn't come off. But when he tried pulling it sideways, the monkey-faced ornament moved. And from below, a keyhole unexpectedly appeared. It was an extremely large keyhole. "Oh my! There's a keyhole here!"

Lieutenant Shiota also squatted there and leaned in closer. “Indeed, this is a major discovery. “It’s definitely a keyhole, but to have one in a place like this—what sort of mechanism could this be? “However, look here, Ichihiko—this keyhole is unusually large. “It must require an exceptionally large, specially-made key. “I wonder if that key has dropped somewhere around here...”

Having said that, the lieutenant looked around the room restlessly again. Ichihiko did not answer and instead stared fixedly at the large keyhole.

3

The large keyhole beneath the monkey-faced ornament! The boy Ichihiko was thinking intently.

(It's a keyhole I feel like I've seen somewhere before—) Behind him came the clack-clack-clack of Lieutenant Shiota's approaching footsteps. "What a disappointment. There's no such large key anywhere here, Ichihiko." "Ah! That's it!"

At that moment, Ichihiko jumped up and shouted. “I have this key!” Lieutenant Shiota was startled. “Huh? What did you say?” “You have this key?”

“That’s right. I just remembered now. This must be the key that fits into that monkey-faced lock!” “What? A monkey-faced key?” “Yes, that’s right. That’s the key that the Mysterious Tower King dropped at the seaside. I made a copy of the key using the original as a model and have it with me—the entrance to the Mysterious Tower also opened with that key.”

“I see. “Hmm, that’s an extraordinary key.” “Do you have it now, Ichihiko?”

Lieutenant Shiota asked in return, his breath coming heavily.

“Of course I have it! I’ve been keeping it in my pocket like a good-luck charm this whole time.”

Having said that, the boy searched his pocket and took out the key. It was a large key with a coppery sheen, its grip formed into a monkey’s face. “Oh! This is indeed a magnificent key,” “Let’s try inserting it right away to see if it fits!” Lieutenant Shiota took the key from the boy and tried fitting it into the corner keyhole. Then the key slid smoothly into the hole.

4 The monkey-faced key smoothly slid into the keyhole. Now then, what was about to begin in Dr. Ōtone’s underground secret laboratory? Lieutenant Shiota and the boy Ichihiko squatted before the keyhole and took a brief breather. “The key went in smoothly. Shall we try turning it?”

“Yeah, it went in smoothly. I have no idea what this key is for, but let’s try turning it anyway.” Because the keyhole was located in such a bizarre corner, neither of them could begin to guess what would happen when they turned the key. “Well then, I’ll turn the key. Is that okay?”

Ichihiko twisted the monkey-faced key to the right. Then, with a click, the lock released smoothly. “The lock is undone.” “Hmm, it’s undone?” It was the moment they exchanged glances that it happened. Just as they heard the roaring sound of a motor spinning deep underground somewhere, a screeching metallic noise rang out, and the entire wall before them began to rise quietly.

“Oh. The wall is rising upward.”

“Hmm, I see. “There’s still another room beyond this wall. “Ichihiko, come over here. “There’s no telling what might jump out from inside—” Lieutenant Shiota shielded the boy behind him. He kept his eyes fixed on the wall as it continued rising with eerie noises. Screech screech screech. The heavy door kept ascending upward. From below the wall, the floor of the room beyond came into view. Yet they couldn’t discern what lay within that room. The only certainty was that the bloodstains continued inside.

Mysterious Machinery

1

The heavy wall door of Dr. Ōtone’s underground secret laboratory was still rising with a grating screech.

Where had Dr. Ōtone—renowned as a researcher of new scientific weaponry—gone? Since appearing on the battleship Awaji the other day, no one had seen Dr. Ōtone. The doctor who had taken back many iron plates from the battleship Awaji—which had been damaged by magnetic cannons—was supposed to investigate them, but was the doctor really investigating them? The boy Ichihiko thought Dr. Ōtone was a highly suspicious doctor. Lieutenant Shiota, on the contrary, seemed to trust him quite a bit.

Which was true would likely become clear in time, but from Ichihiko’s perspective, no matter how much one might be a scholar conducting secret research, installing such suspicious contraptions throughout the residence was more than enough to arouse profound doubt. Considering that Dr. Ōtone’s laboratory had mechanisms where entire rooms descended like elevators and that the monkey-faced key previously held by the Mysterious Tower King had fit perfectly into the corner keyhole they had just discovered, it seemed Dr. Ōtone and the Mysterious Tower King must share some sort of profound connection.

What could that deep relationship possibly be? The heavy door continued to rise with a grating screech. And finally, the area that had been a wall was fully opened.

Now at last, the interior was visible. Oh, that room was as spacious as a small warehouse. It seemed it hadn’t been opened for some time—a musty, moldy odor wafted out from within. “Hey, come out!” Lieutenant Shiota shouted toward the dark room. However, the room remained utterly quiet.

2 “There doesn’t seem to be anyone here.”

Lieutenant Shiota turned to Ichihiko and said.

“But it’s dark inside, so I can’t really tell.” “Wait.” “There’s a light switch there.” “I’ll turn it on now—”

When he pressed the switch on the inside of the wall, the room instantly brightened.

“Hmm, what is that?” Lieutenant Shiota approached the strange machine lying on its side in the center of the room.

“What could it be?” Ichihiko also approached it and scrutinized the machine closely. It was a machine for which there was no better description than "utterly strange." First, to think of something similar, imagine a large python that lives in tropical regions, coiled up with its hood raised. However, this serpent did not have one head—it had seven. When examined closely, the tips of those heads were flared open like trumpets. That part looked exactly like an acoustic detector. It was lying on its side, its long neck extended limply. The entire structure, though varying in size, was made of pipes, so it also resembled a monstrous earthworm. It was truly a mysterious machine.

Lieutenant Shiota stared fixedly at this, his breathing gradually growing ragged. His complexion first turned red, then later changed to blue. “Lieutenant Shiota. What kind of machine is this?”

Ichihiko also felt an eerie chill run down his back and moved closer to the lieutenant.

“Hmm, this is likely a type of Reverse Cannon that Dr. Ōtone was researching,” said Lieutenant Shiota. “What’s a Reverse Cannon?” Reverse Cannon was a name Ichihiko had never heard before. What on earth was this seven-headed monstrosity of a machine meant to accomplish?

3 “As for the Reverse Cannon, you see—” Having said that, Lieutenant Shiota shuddered violently. “Is it such a frightening machine?” “Yes, if this were completed, it would be a terrifying machine that would render all previous weapons obsolete.” “However, it was said to be extremely difficult and likely wouldn’t be achievable for another ten or twenty years.” “In other words, the Reverse Cannon works like this: suppose you fire a pistol at an enemy.” “Normally, the bullet should pierce through the enemy’s chest—but if they possessed a Reverse Cannon at that moment, instead of striking them, the bullet would reverse course and hit your own chest, killing you.”

“Ah, I see. So that’s why it’s called the Reverse Cannon?” “But is such a thing even possible?” “Well, they said it probably couldn’t be done, but looking at this machine lying here now, it closely resembles the one Dr. Ōtone had previously let slip.” “Wait.” “Let’s examine it more thoroughly.” Having said that, Lieutenant Shiota was meticulously inspecting the machine when, after a while, he exclaimed loudly,

“Ah, I’ve got it!”

“Oh, you figured it out?” “It says ‘Reverse Cannon for Counter-Magnetic Cannons—’” “Ichihiko, look here.” “It’s carved on the pipe on the back of the machine in Dr. Ōtone’s handwriting.” When Ichihiko peered in, sure enough, carved on the back of the thickest pipe were the words “Reverse Cannon for Counter-Magnetic Cannons.”

“Then we can rest easy now. With this, we can defeat the Mysterious Tower King’s magnetic cannons.” “But it’s not that simple, Ichihiko.” “Why is that?” “But look here—the Reverse Cannon is terribly broken, isn’t it? Moreover, we can’t even see where Dr. Ōtone has gone—he’s nowhere to be found!”

4

The Reverse Cannon—which seemed capable of defeating the Mysterious Tower King’s magnetic cannons—was lying in Dr. Ōtone’s secret chamber, but unfortunately, not only was the Reverse Cannon broken, but Dr. Ōtone, who had invented it, was also nowhere to be found.

Lieutenant Shiota and Ichihiko exchanged glances and sighed.

“We must find Dr. Ōtone as quickly as possible.” “You’re right—why would Dr. Ōtone leave such an important machine here? Where could he have gone?”

Just as he said this, Ichihiko suddenly remembered something. That was about the eerie blood trail that had continued from outside.

(That’s right. That blood trail! It led into this room... What happened to it?)

That blood trail! (That led into this room... What happened to it?) Ichihiko adopted his boy detective persona and began examining the blood trail.

The blood had spilled across the floor in great quantities upon entering this room. It formed streaks as if something had been dragged along the floorboards. Following the trail led to the table in the back corner. Blood pooled heavily both atop and beneath the table. What's more, beneath it lay a single pair of trousers soaked through with blood.

“Ah, such a thing—” When Ichihiko picked it up, the trousers were heavily soiled with blood and appeared to have been slashed to shreds as if by a knife or something. “What’s wrong, Ichihiko? What? You’re saying there was a blood-soaked pair of trousers?” Lieutenant Shiota rushed over, picked up the trousers, and examined them intently under the electric light—but suddenly his complexion changed,

“Ah, these striped trousers look familiar.” “Dr. Ōtone always wore these striped trousers!” “Then Dr. Ōtone—”

Ichihiko's Detective Eye 1

1

Due to that mysterious figure known as the Mysterious Tower King—who had destroyed the battleship Awaji and shot down airplanes—our navy finally determined this to be a grave crisis and resolved to formally subjugate him. After all, since they were dealing with the Mysterious Tower King who possessed rare new weapons, their strategy proved quite challenging. First and foremost came the announcement that a secret fleet had been organized. Rear Admiral Ikegami was appointed as its commander, but this secret fleet was created in such complete secrecy that even within the navy, many remained unaware of its existence.

The formation of a fleet to subjugate the Mysterious Tower King was something that had never occurred before.

Even seeing that, one could understand just how greatly our navy regarded the Mysterious Tower King as an enemy to be feared.

In the commander’s room of the flagship Rokko, floating in the ○○ Naval Port, Rear Admiral Ikegami was now gathering his staff officers for a secret meeting. There, the faces of Lieutenant Shiota and Ichihiko could also be seen. No—far from merely being visible, the two were now in the middle of reporting on Dr. Ōtone’s residence to the commander. The commander and his staff officers, utterly astonished by Lieutenant Shiota’s bizarre report, were wide-eyed, shaking their heads, and clenching their fists.

“Those striped trousers must indeed belong to Dr. Ōtone.”

The commander pressed for confirmation.

“Yes, I firmly believe so.” “So, what happened to Dr. Ōtone after that?” “Dr. Ōtone seems to have gone somewhere, leaving these blood-soaked striped trousers behind.” “We conducted a thorough search of the secret chamber, but ultimately, we were unable to locate Dr. Ōtone.”

2 “As long as we do not know Dr. Ōtone’s whereabouts, we cannot state anything definitively, but it would seem he was attacked by the Mysterious Tower King’s gang. What do you think?”

Rear Admiral Ikegami asked Lieutenant Shiota. “Shiota concurs with Your Excellency’s assessment.” “Dr. Ōtone is a scholar of national treasure caliber engaged in pioneering research.” “This must have posed significant interference to the Mysterious Tower King.” “Therefore, we presume they assaulted and eliminated Dr. Ōtone.” “That would indeed be the logical conclusion.” “However, the young Ichihiko here maintains a divergent perspective.” “I earnestly request we hear it directly from the boy himself.”

Lieutenant Shiota turned to look at Ichihiko, who was sitting beside him.

“What? You’re saying this boy has a different opinion?” “Then I would very much like to hear that.” The commander also knew well that Ichihiko was Detective Homura’s nephew. Wondering what this boy would say, he suddenly broke into a smile and gazed at Ichihiko.

“I believe Dr. Ōtone is an extremely suspicious person.” “Because Dr. Ōtone’s residence is full of suspicious things.”

“Full of suspicious things—” “First of all, Dr. Ōtone’s laboratory moves up and down like an elevator.” “A similar mechanism existed in the Mysterious Tower too.” “Uncle Homura and I were once put into a cage because of that mechanism and dropped down one floor.” “If there’s anything suspicious, go ahead and tell us all.” The commander urged Ichihiko with an eager expression.

“The second is this monkey-faced key.” Ichihiko produced a large key on the table with a clink.

3

“What? A monkey-faced key?” The commander took the large key and gazed at it curiously, “Secondly, that this key is suspicious—”

“Yes, the secret chamber at the very back of Dr. Ōtone’s residence was opened with that key. However, that monkey-faced key is one the Mysterious Tower King carefully keeps. To open the entrance of that Mysterious Tower, it still cannot be done without this key.”

With that, Ichihiko fluently stated what he believed.

“So, what are you getting at with that, hmm?” “Yes, Your Excellency, Commander. As I have just presented, the Mysterious Tower and Dr. Ōtone’s residence share many similarities.” He paused briefly before concluding, “Therefore, I believe the Mysterious Tower King and Dr. Ōtone might be part of the same group.” “What?! Are you saying the Mysterious Tower King and Dr. Ōtone are allies? That’s quite an outlandish answer.” He laughed derisively. “Ah ha ha!”

The commander involuntarily laughed. “But I just can’t think of it any other way.” “But listen, Ichihiko. Dr. Ōtone is a national treasure-class scholar whom we respect, whereas the Mysterious Tower King is a hateful enemy who opposes our navy. To think those two are allies seems rather far-fetched, don’t you agree?” “But I just can’t think of it any other way.” The boy Ichihiko persisted with uncharacteristic determination.

“But listen, Ichihiko.”

Then, this time, Lieutenant Shiota opened his mouth and,

"If, as you say, the Mysterious Tower King and Dr. Ōtone are comrades, isn't it strange that Dr. Ōtone's pants were soaked with blood? Because comrades killing each other would be unnatural." "I think that was done by the Mysterious Tower King to deceive us. He pretended to kill Dr. Ōtone, but actually—actually..." The boy Ichihiko panted, hesitating whether to voice what came next.

The Petty Officer's Revival

1

What had become of Petty Officer Kohama?

Petty Officer Kohama, who had broken through the great storm and finally found land to make an emergency landing on the coast—and who had fallen unconscious in the cockpit just like that—you all must remember this.

It might have been any amount of time later when he suddenly came to—the night had completely given way to dawn, the once-fierce storm had vanished without a trace, and the sky had turned so perfectly clear it seemed like a lie. “Ahh, it’s hot!”

The blazing sun’s rays were striking the petty officer’s body directly. It seemed the intense heat had caused him to regain consciousness. “Ahh, I can’t stand this heat.” “It’s so hot!” “Throat’s dry—completely parched.”

Petty Officer Kohama took out a water canteen from under the seat, closed his eyes, and gulped it down noisily with relish. When he suddenly noticed, this was a water canteen bearing the name of Petty Officer Third Class Aoe. The memory of Petty Officer Third Class Aoe, who had fought the Mysterious Tower King and met a heroic end, now resurfaced vividly, and Petty Officer Kohama shed tears in a steady stream. “Hey, Aoe. Can you hear my voice from somewhere in the sky? I’ll definitely avenge your death. Just watch what I’ll do!”

While muttering to himself, he noisily gulped down more water from the canteen, “Hey, Aoe, I’m drinking water from your canteen right now.” “Thanks for the treat. Aren’t you hot?” “What? You say since you’ve become a god, it’s not hot at all.” “Alright, alright, I get it.” “Well then, I’ll treat myself to another sip of water from your canteen.” “Ah, my apologies.”

Petty Officer Kohama, while performing his one-man act, once again noisily gulped down water from the canteen and finally emptied it out completely. He must have been extremely parched. No wonder. Between his struggles since yesterday and this current heat.

2

“It’s so hot.” “Where is this place?”

Petty Officer Kohama got down from his seat and entered the shade of the airplane. “Ah, it’s broken.” “The wings are smashed to bits.” “You served me well, my beloved plane, but there’s nothing more to be done.” His beloved plane had been hit by the Mysterious Tower King’s magnetic cannons, battered by the storm, and had its wings broken in the rough landing—it had gone through hell. Having drunk plenty of water, Petty Officer Kohama felt greatly invigorated. Furthermore, after taking out aviation rations from under the seat and eating them, Petty Officer Kohama finally became fully revitalized.

“Alright, I’m back to full strength.” “By the way, I should look for a house with a telephone.”

Petty Officer Kohama stood up and exited from under the broken airplane.

Shielding his eyes with a hand, Petty Officer Kohama gazed intently at the surroundings. “Where on earth am I?” “This is a very desolate coast.” Since there was a sand dune behind him, Petty Officer Kohama climbed up it. He thought that if he climbed to a high place, he would get a good view. “Huh? I-I don’t see anything that looks like a house!” Not only were there no houses along the coast, but beyond it stretched an endless sandy plain where neither houses nor utility poles could be seen.

"He was surprised. 'It looks just like an uninhabited island.'"

An uninhabited island?

As he looked at this desolate landscape, he truly began to feel as though he were on an uninhabited island.

“If I’ve crash-landed on an uninhabited island, this is quite a predicament!” However, Petty Officer Kohama didn’t look nearly as troubled as his words suggested. He kept scanning his surroundings intently when he noticed that beyond the sandy plain stood a not-very-tall mountain with a strange shape—angular like the teeth of a saw.

3

The saw-toothed mountain discovered on the uninhabited island!

Petty Officer Kohama thought he would go to that saw-toothed mountain and try climbing it. Perhaps there might be a fisherman’s house or something beyond the mountain—that’s what he had thought of. Petty Officer Kohama began walking through the grassland toward the mountain. The sunlight was intensely strong, and his head felt like it was burning into hazy smoke. But he pressed on vigorously through the sandy grassland.

When the grassland ended, there finally stood the saw-toothed mountain piled high with rocks. Petty Officer Kohama was greatly intrigued by his desire to quickly finish climbing the mountain and see what kind of scenery lay beyond it. "In this situation I'm just like Robinson Crusoe." "Please let there be even one house where people live beyond that mountain."

Robinson Crusoe is the protagonist of a famous castaway novel. Petty Officer Kohama finally came to see the summit of the saw-toothed mountain right before his eyes.

“Alright, I can finally see the other side! I should hurry up and climb it.”

Petty Officer Kohama’s footsteps suddenly became lighter. Finally managing to climb over, he peered through the rocks at the summit of the saw-toothed mountain to the other side. The look of shock on Petty Officer Kohama’s face at that moment was beyond description.

“Whoawhoawhoawhoawhoah! This is bad! Surely I can’t be dreaming... can I?” Petty Officer Kohama slumped limply onto the rock. Faced with such an utterly unexpected landscape, even this formidable petty officer seemed shaken to his core. What on earth could lie beyond that mountain?

Do not be surprised. Beyond the mountain, the land was completely flat, and seven or eight Mysterious Tower Rockets stood lined up on the ground like bamboo shoots.

4 Petty Officer Kohama had imagined that beyond the mountain lay a vast coastline where deep blue waves lapped against a white sandy beach—but his imagination had been completely off. Beyond the saw-toothed mountain, the ground had been properly leveled into what looked like a splendid airfield. Yet the surprise didn’t end there—not only were there one or two Mysterious Tower Rockets, which he had believed to be the sole specimen in existence, but eight of them stood lined up in total.

“This is mind-blowing!” “What sort of person could own that airbase over there?” It wasn’t an airbase—it would be more accurate to call it a Mysterious Tower Rocket base. All those countless Mysterious Tower Rockets—whose could they possibly be? And what could they be planning by gathering them in a place like this? The more he thought about it, the more formidable this secret base became. Petty Officer Kohama had never once imagined there could be so many Mysterious Towers on Earth.

"I could go down and investigate, but if I'm found, they'll never let me leave alive again." "My life means nothing, but until I inform our navy about this secret base's existence, I mustn't die or be captured." At that moment, Petty Officer Kohama remembered that the radio equipment in his beloved plane—which had crashed along the coast with its wings shattered—remained undamaged. Resolved to use it to urgently notify the fleet, he pivoted and sprinted down the saw-toothed mountain.

He ran vigorously， jumped onto the broken plane， and tinkered with the radio equipment． To his relief—perhaps by divine aid—it worked perfectly． Petty Officer Kohama repeatedly called out to the fleet’s wireless team． Then， suddenly， a response came through． “Oh！ A wireless message from Petty Officer Kohama！ We thought Kohama had already crashed into the sea and died， but he’s properly called out to us！”

The wireless team were surprised and delighted.

5

The wireless message Petty Officer Kohama had transmitted from the remote island left the fleet’s wireless team utterly astonished.

Then, for some time, both sides engaged in vigorous wireless exchanges. "What is your current location and status?"

When they asked Petty Officer Kohama this,

“I lost sight of the Mysterious Tower, flew around recklessly in the storm, crash-landed on what seems to be an uninhabited island, and broke its wings. “The airplane can no longer fly. “However, there are no abnormalities with my body, so I request your reassurance—what has become of our flight team that was reportedly dispatched for support?” Petty Officer Kohama answered and asked again. “Our dispatched flight team was blocked by the storm and ultimately failed to encounter either the Mysterious Tower Rockets or your airplane—do you know where that remote island is?”

“I don’t know. However, I’ve discovered something significant. On this island, there is a saw-toothed mountain. On the western side of this mountain, there’s a large airfield where seven or eight Mysterious Tower Rockets are gathered. Therefore, I believe this island is the base for the Mysterious Tower Rockets. I want you to quickly inform Lieutenant Shiota about this.”

Then, the wireless team appeared utterly astonished. For a time, there was no reply, and Petty Officer Kohama even began to think the wireless equipment had malfunctioned.

Before long, a wireless message from the fleet could be heard again. “Your report was indeed extremely significant. To determine your remote island’s location, transmit radio waves continuously for five minutes starting now. We will measure these waves with direction finders to pinpoint your position. Regardless, as our invaluable scout, you must persevere there resolutely. We now request immediate commencement of five-minute radio transmission.”

6 Petty Officer Kohama activated his beloved plane’s radio equipment and transmitted radio waves continuously for five minutes. At headquarters, they measured these radio waves with direction finders and aimed to pinpoint Petty Officer Kohama’s current location.

Before long, the news—both joyful and astonishing—that Petty Officer Kohama was still alive began spreading from one place to another.

The main force’s wireless team was urgently calling Submarine HO-19. The submarine had been cruising near the South Sea Islands at the time, but upon receiving the wireless summons, it immediately responded by wireless. “Your vessel shall immediately measure the bearing of the distressed aircraft.” “Aye aye!” The direction finders of both the main force and Submarine HO-19 determined the direction from which the radio waves emitted by Kohama’s plane were coming.

When they combined both results and plotted Kohama’s plane’s position on the map, they finally pinpointed it. 36 degrees north latitude, 144 degrees east longitude! That was the position of the distressed aircraft.

That place was in the sea approximately 300 kilometers almost due east from Inubōsaki.

No—it wasn't in the sea. Though it doesn't appear on ordinary maps, there is in fact a small island there.

The island’s name was the dreaded Shirokotsu Island!

This island was supposed to be uninhabited. However，there had been several instances since ancient times when natives lived on this island. However，in every case，none of them ever returned from this island to their original settlements. When other natives later went to check，they found that their predecessors had turned into white bones. This happened every time. Shirokotsu Island

1 Such was Shirokotsu Island - a place shrouded in mysterious legends. None dared inhabit it out of fear. This was Shirokotsu Island that all had come to believe stood as an uninhabited island by then.

It was reported that Kohama’s plane had made an emergency landing on that Shirokotsu Island. They said its wings had been broken beyond flight capability, and that Petty Officer Third Class Aoe had met a heroic end. Even this alone constituted staggering news, yet it was further reported that in the shadow of Shirokotsu Island’s mountains, eight Mysterious Tower Rockets stood towering shoulder to shoulder. What could this be if not a crisis of the highest magnitude?

However, discovering its location was the most favorable development. “Your position has been determined—36 degrees north latitude, 144 degrees east longitude—believed to be Shirokotsu Island.”

From headquarters, they immediately informed Petty Officer Kohama of the results. And they issued an order for him to send more details about the island’s condition. “Very well. “First, I will describe the terrain. “In the center of the island, there is a sawtooth-like hill, and to its east…”

And so, the wireless transmission had continued sending text up to that point, but suddenly cut off with a snap. After that, no matter how much they pressed, it remained dead.

What had become of Petty Officer Kohama?

But no—this was no mere mishap.

On Shirokotsu Island, a fierce struggle was now underway. Petty Officer Kohama had been desperately maintaining wireless contact with headquarters when suddenly hands seized his neck from behind in a viselike grip. It was a total ambush.

Petty Officer Kohama had to let go of the telegraph key soon after sending the distress signal.

“Wh-who are you?!” It came only from deep within that place. Petty Officer Kohama seized the arm of the assailant choking his neck and finally executed a shoulder throw. Then a massive brawl erupted. Who in the world were these attackers who had suddenly appeared?

2 Brave Petty Officer Kohama, without even a moment to catch his breath, slammed the assailants swarming from all directions—front, back, left, and right—onto the aircraft’s deck face-up with shoulder throws, hurled others away with his signature hip throws, and raged about like a raging lion. Even the assailants who had attacked Petty Officer Kohama seemed to falter slightly in the face of his ferocious struggle. And then, keeping their distance on the sand, they stood glaring at Petty Officer Kohama.

Petty Officer Kohama, for the first time, surveyed the enemies who had ambushed him in a row.

The number of enemies was fourteen or fifteen. It was an overwhelming number of opponents for a single petty officer.

“Wh-who are you?! What are you going to do to me?!” Petty Officer Kohama, without showing the slightest hesitation, bellowed at the enemies. “Guh... ugh...” The groaning members of the enemy force included Black men here and there, and others wearing strange jackets called rubashkas—a type of Russian shirt. Those wearing the rubashkas appeared to be white people.

One of the white men began speaking in fluent Japanese. “You climbed that mountain over there and saw everything below, didn’t you? Confess!” His words were exceedingly polite, but the enemy’s stance was fearsome. He could probably speak polite Japanese like this but was unable to use rough colloquial Japanese. “What’s this? ‘Confess,’ you say? Ahahaha! Don’t make me laugh. This is Japanese territory, isn’t it? You bastards are the ones who should explain what the hell you’re doing here! Now, start by telling **me** that!”

Petty Officer Kohama stood firm like a Niō guardian deity and glared intensely at the white man who appeared to be the enemy’s leader. The enemies began to panic slightly.

3 “Speak! You bastards—” “What are **you** doing within Japanese territory?!” At Petty Officer Kohama’s solemn words，the enemies who had attacked him began fidgeting restlessly. “Well? If you know your wrongs，surrender.” “Behave yourselves，and I might spare you.”

Petty Officer Kohama had instead overwhelmed the enemies. Then the white man who seemed to be their leader barked a command in some foreign tongue. "Hmm. Coming at me?" The enemies made their eyes gleam like monkeys' and began inching closer toward Petty Officer Kohama again. "You—move and you're dead! Can't you see this?" The white enemy leader suddenly thrust his pistol toward Petty Officer Kohama.

Pistols were also gripped in the hands of the other enemies. “Going to shoot? If you manage to hit me, that’ll be some comfort.” Petty Officer Kohama seemed completely unfazed by the terrifying threat of pistols and such.

This was because he had already discerned that they wanted to take him prisoner rather than kill him.

Sure enough, about ten enemies without pistols rushed in all at once at the signal. “Oh, here you come. “Do you want me to throw you around that badly?”

Petty Officer Kohama, without waiting for the enemies to approach, proactively leaped at one of them. “Hah!”

With a brilliant tomoe nage throw, he flung his opponent’s body like a waterwheel. The remaining enemies, caught off guard, collapsed on the spot in a heap, bracing themselves with both hands. Seeing this, Petty Officer Kohama clenched his fist like a turban shell and began smacking the cheeks of the nearest enemy—one resounding slap after another. Oh, what a satisfying sound it made! —

4

Petty Officer Kohama continued grappling with over a dozen enemies at the seaside. “Well? Do you surrender!” He shouted as he threw, bellowed as he hurled, and knocked down the burly enemy men. Both the Rupashika man and the Black man were crawling on the ground, groaning “unh, unh”.

Boom.

Boommm.

That was when. The gunshot rang out loudly— “Ugh...”

Petty Officer Kohama collapsed with a thud onto the sandy ground. The enemies had fired the pistol. When they saw Petty Officer Kohama collapse, the enemies regained their vigor and began gathering around him. Petty Officer Kohama kept propping his arms on the sandy ground, trying desperately to rise, but he couldn’t manage to get up. And no wonder—he had been pierced through the thigh by a pistol bullet. Fresh blood stained the trousers red and continued to spread.

When the enemies saw that, they all at once piled on top of Petty Officer Kohama. They intended to take him prisoner by any means necessary. “Y-you bastards think I’ll let you capture me?!” “Take this, you bastard!” Petty Officer Kohama used only his arms to throw the enemies off once more. Truly a fierce petty officer he was.

At that moment, the enemy leader treacherously crept up from behind Petty Officer Kohama. Seizing his moment of carelessness, he raised his leg and drove his hard shoe into the back of the petty officer's head with all his strength, delivering a brutal kick. "Gah!" No amount of bravery could withstand such a blow to the skull. Petty Officer Kohama groaned in agony before going limp, his limbs splayed lifelessly across the sand. A collective sigh of relief rose from the encircling enemies.

Secret Fleet Conference

1

Aboard the warship Rokko anchored at XX Naval Port, the meeting continued with Secret Fleet Commander Rear Admiral Ikegami and all his staff officers present, along with Lieutenant Shiota and the boy Ichihiko.

Commander Rear Admiral Ikegami stared fixedly at the boy Ichihiko’s face, “Now, don’t hold back—let’s hear your thoughts, Ichihiko." “The Mysterious Tower King made it look like he killed the doctor—what does that accomplish?” Ichihiko was still mumbling uncertainly, torn between speaking up and holding back. “Now Ichihiko, as the Commander said—go ahead and boldly state your thoughts.” Lieutenant Shiota also added his voice from nearby, encouraging Ichihiko.

“Yes. “Then I’ll speak my mind plainly.” With that, Ichihiko rose straight up from his seat. “From what I have observed so far, whether it’s the elevator-equipped laboratory in Dr. Ōtone’s residence or the secret room that opens with the monkey-faced key, they are identical to what the Mysterious Tower King has installed inside the Mysterious Tower. “Therefore, Dr. Ōtone and the Mysterious Tower King seem to be part of the same group. “However, Dr. Ōtone’s bloodstained trousers were discovered in the secret room of that mansion. “It seems there has been some mistake regarding Dr. Ōtone’s circumstances. “At first glance, it would seem that the Mysterious Tower King infiltrated the mansion and killed Dr. Ōtone. “However, I find it strange that the Mysterious Tower King would kill his own important comrade just as he’s about to launch a major operation. “I—I think... "I think that the Mysterious Tower King and Dr. Ōtone are not separate people but the same person."

“What? Are you saying the Mysterious Tower King and Dr. Ōtone are the same person? Hmm… That is a bold theory.” The Commander was taken aback. “To elaborate further, I believe the Mysterious Tower King is in fact Dr. Ōtone disguised.” “What?! Dr. Ōtone is the Mysterious Tower King—”

2 “Are you saying Dr. Ōtone is the Mysterious Tower King?”

What a bold idea.

At the boy Ichihiko’s bold words, the Commander and his staff officers could only exchange glances for a time, none able to find words to speak. After a while, it was Lieutenant Shiota who finally broke the silence.

“Ichihiko. “No matter how you look at it, that’s far too bold a conclusion! “It’s unthinkable that such a respected national treasure scholar would become a great traitor.” “But there were various suspicious things discovered at Dr. Ōtone’s residence.” “How should we interpret those suspicious matters?” “Now, if we tentatively assume Dr. Ōtone has disguised himself as the Mysterious Tower King, wouldn’t all these questionable details be neatly explained?” “The fact that Dr. Ōtone’s mansion and the Mysterious Tower share identical mechanisms and use the same key—doesn’t everything fall into place?” “No matter how you consider it, I believe the Mysterious Tower King is Dr. Ōtone in disguise.”

“There’s some truth to what Ichihiko says.” “However, I simply can’t bring myself to believe that Dr. Ōtone has become such a contemptible traitor.”

Lieutenant Shiota still could not bring himself to believe everything Ichihiko said. Just at that moment, there came a joyous report from the main force to Commander Ikegami: a radio message had been received from Petty Officer Kohama, who had gone missing while pursuing the Mysterious Tower Rocket.

“Oh! A radio message from Petty Officer Kohama has been received!”

“What?! Kohama is alive?!”

It was Lieutenant Shiota who leapt to his feet.

“Hmm, it seems he is alive. He has reportedly made an emergency landing at the Mysterious Tower Rocket base constructed on a deserted island.”

3

“What?! There’s a Mysterious Tower Rocket base on a deserted island?” “What exactly do you mean by ‘base’—” The staff officers and Lieutenant Shiota were stunned by this abrupt report of a base.

The Commander was looking at the front of the telegram,

“The location is Shirokotsu Island at 36 degrees north latitude and 144 degrees east longitude. There are reportedly seven or eight Mysterious Tower Rockets assembled there.” “Hmm—we thought there was only one Mysterious Tower Rocket, but seven or eight? This poses a threat our navy cannot afford to underestimate.” “Precisely. A single Mysterious Tower Rocket already reduced the state-of-the-art battleship Awaji to scrap as you witnessed. If seven or eight were to attack simultaneously, even our Combined Fleet would stand no chance.”

“Unfortunately, it is exactly as the Commander has stated. If they were to attack us with shelling, bombing, or torpedo attacks, our fleet would have full confidence in delivering a crushing counterstrike. But if they bring those magnetic cannons—unheard of anywhere else in the world—our steel warships would be no different from cardboard ships before bullets.” “Hmm, regrettable—this has become quite a predicament.”

Even the officers renowned for their military valor became very unenthusiastic when they considered the destructive power of the Mysterious Tower Rocket’s magnetic cannons.

At this moment, Lieutenant Shiota rose from his seat, “In that case, I believe there is only one path we can choose.” “In other words, we will manufacture the Counter-Magnetic Cannon discovered in Dr. Ōtone’s secret chamber and equip it to our warships and airplanes.” “Hmm, we have no choice but to proceed that way, but isn’t that Counter-Magnetic Cannon reported to be broken?”

4

Even a single Mysterious Tower Rocket was proving difficult enough to handle, yet according to Petty Officer Kohama's radio message, there came a report that seven or eight such rockets were stationed at Shirokotsu Island—a revelation which left everyone utterly astonished. The Counter-Magnetic Cannon invented by Dr. Ōtone, upon which they had pinned their hopes, lay in the doctor's secret chamber—broken and useless. Lieutenant Shiota stood deep in thought before the Commander until at last his face revealed a look of resolve,

“Commander, would you leave the matter of the Counter-Magnetic Cannon to Shiota?”

“What? Are you telling me to leave it to you? Lieutenant Shiota, what do you intend to do?”

“Yes, sir. “I will thoroughly examine the Counter-Magnetic Cannon once again. “And I intend to attempt repairs to make it functional somehow.” “Lieutenant Shiota—do you truly believe you can repair the Counter-Magnetic Cannon?” “Yes, sir. I previously had various discussions with Dr. Ōtone concerning new weaponry, so while recalling those exchanges, I would like to actually tinker with that Counter-Magnetic Cannon. “I believe acting even a day sooner rather than just thinking at our desks will lead to victory. “Whether the Counter-Magnetic Cannon can be repaired or not—in either case, I believe we’ll get an answer faster if we start working on it immediately. “While we ardently desire to capture Shirokotsu Island at once and remain concerned about Petty Officer Kohama—who went silent after landing there—to truly defeat the Mysterious Tower King opposing our nation, there’s currently no path except researching this Counter-Magnetic Cannon. “Therefore, I will endure—closing my eyes and covering my ears—to begin a battle of wits with the broken cannon. “I earnestly request your permission.”

“Very well, I shall permit it.” “You need not attend to the secret fleet duties for now.”

Blue Prison

1

This was Shirokotsu Island.

Brave Warrior Petty Officer Kohama had unfortunately been kicked in the head by the mysterious gang and fallen unconscious. As for what happened around Petty Officer Kohama after that—he knew nothing of it. He couldn’t tell exactly how much time had passed since then, but at any rate, Petty Officer Kohama had regained consciousness alone. When he came to, the crown of his head throbbed with such intensity it felt as if it were about to split open.

“Ah, it hurts!”

Even the Petty Officer couldn’t help but let out a scream. When he gingerly brought his hand to it, the area was swollen up like a bean bun had been placed on it. “D-damn it! How dare you put me through such hell...!” Petty Officer Kohama snapped his eyes open and darted his gaze around. “Now, where could this be?” The surroundings were a pitch-dark place with not a single electric light on. And it was extremely cold, his body shaking violently.

When he groped around and felt the area, the floor was hard and damp.

"Hah, considering this," he thought, "I’ve finally been captured by the Mysterious Tower King’s gang and thrown into some cellar or something. Tch, d-damn... How disappointing. How infuriating. For an imperial soldier to become a prisoner of war—the ultimate dishonor. And to suffer this before avenging Petty Officer Third Class Aoe’s righteous death—it’s truly maddening... I’ll smash my way out of here and regain my freedom!"

Petty Officer Kohama gnashed his teeth and pledged to fight valiantly. At that moment, for some reason, a blue light suddenly shone down from above Petty Officer Kohama’s head.

2

A blue light suddenly illuminated from above his head! “Oh—” And Petty Officer Kohama looked up.

Then he realized a single blue electric light had turned on high above on a ceiling that seemed to be about twenty meters up from below. At the same time, with the blue light now illuminating the state of the room where Petty Officer Kohama was, everything became much clearer. It was a truly long and narrow room. He felt as if he were inside a chimney. The area where Petty Officer Kohama lay had a circular floor with just enough space for a person to lie down with limbs stretched out. From there upward extended a straight cylindrical black wall.

“Hmph. This prison seems designed to the Mysterious Tower King’s taste.” Thinking there might be something like a ladder on that black wall that would allow him to climb up, he carefully examined it. However, there was nothing that could serve as a foothold—it was an utterly smooth wall. At that moment, a doubt flashed through Petty Officer Kohama’s mind.

“Why did the blue ceiling light turn on just now?” He wondered if this meant someone was about to shoot him with a pistol from above. So he did not move a muscle and kept his attention fixed warily on the ceiling. At that very moment.

“Bwahaha!”

Suddenly, laughter like a cracked bell resounded from above his head.

Petty Officer Kohama gasped sharply. “Ahahaha!” “Hmph, so it was you after all.” “You’re the aviator who relentlessly chased my rocket across the skies.” “What’s with that ridiculous face?” “Hah! You’re startled because you can’t tell where I’m watching from, aren’t you?” “Ahahaha! From here, those goggling eyes of yours are plain as day!” The voice was unmistakably that of the Mysterious Tower King!

3 The Mysterious Tower King’s hoarse voice echoed down thinly and eerily from above the ceiling. The voice could be heard, but strangely, the Mysterious Tower King’s figure was nowhere to be seen.

Petty Officer Kohama, forgetting even the pain of his wounds, glared fixedly in the direction of the Mysterious Tower King’s voice. What could the Mysterious Tower King be planning to do now?

“Bwahaha! Even if you make such a terrifying face, it’s already useless.” “Once you enter this prison, you’ll never get out again.” “You’d better start chanting your prayers early right about now.”

The things the Mysterious Tower King said were, as always, nothing but detestable things. At this moment, Petty Officer Kohama sharply raised his eyebrows, “Hey, Mysterious Tower King! Why did you put me in a place like this? What exactly have I done?” “You know already, don’t you? You attacked the Mysterious Tower Rocket I was riding in midair. At that time, I took out one person, but I failed to kill you. I was regretting that very thing when you came intruding into this Shirokotsu Island yourself, didn’t you? And though you likely didn’t notice on your end—from that hilltop, you got a full view of the Mysterious Tower Rocket’s base, didn’t you? The fact that there’s a Mysterious Tower Rocket base in a place like this is an absolute secret. Since you’ve come to know that, I have no choice left but to kill you!”

“Hmph, so that’s all? What a stupid reason.” “What do you mean ‘stupid’? How dare you speak so disrespectfully!” “But that’s exactly how it is! The fact there’s a Mysterious Tower Rocket base here—I already fully informed headquarters via wireless. So now it’s no secret anymore. Too bad for you.” “What?! You informed them via wireless?”

The Mysterious Tower King’s voice suddenly changed in shock. Seizing the moment, Petty Officer Kohama, “The main force said they’ll launch a full-scale attack here any moment now, I tell you!”

4 “What?! They’re going to launch a full-scale attack here?!” The Mysterious Tower King involuntarily shot back. Petty Officer Kohama had raised his voice to declare that their naval air forces would attack this Shirokotsu Island, and even the Mysterious Tower King seemed genuinely startled by this revelation. “How about that? Surprised?” The Mysterious Tower King offered no reply to this, and for some time afterward, no voice could be heard from above the ceiling.

“Hey, Mysterious Tower King! How about surrendering at this point?” “I won’t do you wrong!”

From inside the prison cell, Petty Officer Kohama shouted at the Mysterious Tower King in a booming voice. "What nonsense are you spouting? For a prisoner, you're one mouthy, impudent brat!"

And so, the Mysterious Tower King finally seemed to have lost his temper. "Well, stay right there and keep boasting all by yourself." "Before long, I'll make you shut up through your own doing." "Ah yes—before that, I'll give you something special to see." "What?!" "Hmph—do you even comprehend what manner of place you're in now?" "Very well—I'll open the door and show you the outside." "Once you see this, you'll grow properly meek. Now... I'll open it."

Before the Mysterious Tower King’s voice had even finished, strangely enough, a creaking sound came from above his head, and a square hole opened in the wall. And a blue light smoothly streamed in.

Oh? What could this be?

Petty Officer Kohama, using his arms to lift his aching body, peered into the square hole that had opened in the wall above his head. “Ah! This is—!” Petty Officer Kohama involuntarily let out a loud cry. Outside the square hole in the wall, thick glass had been installed, but what lay beyond it was a terrifying view of the seabed.

5 “Well? Can you see outside the window? Take your time and enjoy the view.” With those words，the Mysterious Tower King’s voice vanished from above the ceiling.

Outside the window was indeed a deep seabed. Illuminated by the blue light, large fish could be seen swimming. The seaweed clusters swayed gently, appearing like a forest buffeted by wind. It was an undeniably eerie sight. Before long, the light from the room where Petty Officer Kohama was confined—seeming to pierce into the seabed—drew fish swaying toward the glass door.

Petty Officer Kohama, who had been staring fixedly at it, suddenly gasped in shock. As fish came thudding against the window from outside became visible, when he scrutinized them properly, they were no ordinary fish—they were truly monstrous creatures. They were sharks measuring four or five meters long, and sea serpents. All those dreadful fish appeared ravenous, baring their fangs as they approached the window where Petty Officer Kohama's face was visible—one after another. It was a horrifying seabed spectacle.

(Is the Mysterious Tower King planning to have me eaten by these fish?) As he thought this, Petty Officer Kohama felt a chill run down his back. But getting eaten by fish like this would be a waste. Wondering if there was any possible way to escape from here, Petty Officer Kohama tried touching the wall with the intention of climbing it, but the surface was slimy and slippery, making it utterly impossible to scale. Even the brave warrior was disheartened—and at that moment,

“Mr. Kohama, I’ll save you now.”

And then—suddenly, from above his head, an unexpected voice rang out. Petty Officer Kohama, startled to his feet, looked up. At that moment, a single rope smoothly descended from above.

Homura Alive

1

A single rope had suddenly been lowered into the terrifying underwater prison! Petty Officer Kohama was so startled he could hardly believe it wasn’t a dream. Though he couldn’t know what lay ahead, he thought seizing this chance to first escape the underwater prison would be best—so he grabbed the rope and began climbing vigorously upward. As he climbed through the narrow, chimney-like underwater prison using the rope, he found a single horizontal hole had opened up just before reaching what would have been the ceiling.

The rope had been lowered from there.

“Ah! There’s an escape hole here!” When Petty Officer Kohama glanced at the horizontal opening, there appeared—illuminated by electric light—the figure of Homura Sōroku straining to pull the lifeline rope.

“Oh! Homura! You’re safe?” “You’re safe?” Overwhelmed with joy, Petty Officer Kohama involuntarily cried out—but Homura, (Shh.) (Keep quiet.) signaled with his eyes and gestures.

It seemed Homura was terribly afraid of being detected by the Mysterious Tower King during the rescue of Petty Officer Kohama. Petty Officer Kohama, too, immediately understood this, so he silently hauled in the rope and crawled into the horizontal hole where Homura was.

“Homura, thank you for saving me.” As Petty Officer Kohama instinctively reached his hand toward Homura, Homura firmly grasped it in return, “No, it was nothing.” “But more than that, I’m so incredibly happy I was able to meet you here unexpectedly, Mr. Kohama.” “You’re the one who’s really held out here on this island.” “This island seems to be the Mysterious Tower King’s base, but just what is he planning, I wonder?”

“I’ll explain that later on. However, I don’t have time to explain that now. More importantly, get out of here right now!”

2 “You want me to run away right now?” As Petty Officer Kohama stared at Homura's face, “No way! I’m not running away.” “I’ll face the Mysterious Tower King one-on-one and capture him alive!” “That bastard’s pure evil.” “Not only has he betrayed our navy—he killed my trusted subordinate Aoe!” “Now that I’ve come this far, I’ll stake my life to take down that Tower King!” For Petty Officer Kohama，the death of Petty Officer Third Class Aoe must have been profoundly bitter.

“Wait, please. There’s a proper time to take down the Mysterious Tower King. In any case, let’s meet again tonight. Even now—if he checks the television mirrors—both you and I will be seen completely. Once spotted, we’ll be killed without mercy. Now—no delays—get out of here immediately!” Homura fervently pressed Petty Officer Kohama to desert.

“I see. “In that case...Regrettably, let’s escape from here for now.” “Which way are we escaping, then?” Petty Officer Kohama finally suppressed the unrest within. “You’ve understood, haven’t you? “Now then, please follow me this way.”

Homura coiled up the rope he had brought, bundled it into a coil, hoisted it onto his shoulder, and took the lead. The tunnel continued quite a long way ahead.

Homura and Petty Officer Kohama crawled with all their might until their kneecaps ached and swelled. The horizontal tunnel curved many times, but finally came to an end, and in its place, they emerged into a gaping cavern. Petty Officer Kohama finally stretched his back and let out a weary upward stretch. It was a fairly spacious cavern. The dampness seemed to indicate they were indeed near the sea. Homura took the lead and pressed against the rocks repeatedly.

3 Homura kept pressing against the rocks until at last a gaping hole opened. The moment it did, a yellow light rushed in.

“Mr. Kohama. “This is the secret entrance to the undersea dungeon.” “Now then, let’s get out of here.”

“Oh, this feels just like reading an adventure novel. Well, if it’s where you’re going, I’ll follow you anywhere.” “Yes—please don’t speak too loudly and follow me.”

The two exited through the secret entrance/exit. Outside was a bright moonlit night. In the clear, deep navy-blue night sky, a perfectly round moon hung, shining like a silver tray. “Ah, what a beautiful moon.” “I wonder if even Shirokotsu Island is bathed in such beautiful moonlight...”

Up until now, Petty Officer Kohama had been thought of as nothing but strong through and through, yet upon seeing the moon, he spoke such tender words. A true warrior is not merely strong; they also possess such tenderness in another aspect of their being. Homura, however, could not afford such a leisurely state of mind. If they were discovered doing such a thing by the Mysterious Tower King or the guards, that would be the end of them. Therefore, urging Petty Officer Kohama on quickly and repeatedly, he took the lead and dashed down the sunken path resembling a trench that ran straight ahead.

“Where are you going?” Petty Officer Kohama, realizing he must not fall behind, chased after Homura and followed swiftly. The sunken path twisted and turned its way toward a low hill, and upon reaching the summit, there stood a small brick structure resembling a guardhouse. “Now then, please come in here.” Urged by Homura, when Petty Officer Kohama entered inside, the interior measured about four and a half tatami mats in size, with straw piled mountainously within.

Morning at the Watch Hut

1

A small brick-built guardhouse—inside it, straw piled up like a mountain! “Ah, this makes for a pretty good bed!” Petty Officer Kohama scrambled up the straw pile with childlike innocence.

At this moment, Homura,

“Now then, Mr. Kohama. A considerable amount of time has passed, so I will return to the Mysterious Tower Rocket for now. Once night deepens, I shall come again properly. Until then, please remain hidden here.”

“There are things I want to ask right away, but I’ll save them for later.” “Then make sure you come back later, you hear?” Petty Officer Kohama didn’t want to send Homura back, but reluctantly sent him away. Afterward, he lay spread-eagled on the straw and stretched out luxuriously to sleep. He must have been utterly exhausted. Before long, he was sound asleep.

By the time Petty Officer Kohama awoke, dawn had fully broken, and bright sunlight streamed in smoothly through the window. "Oh no—dawn's already broken." "Hmm... Detective Homura said he'd come last night but never showed his face." "What on earth happened to him?" The fact that Homura—who had made such a firm promise—hadn’t come last night filled Petty Officer Kohama with unease. He worried that perhaps Homura had been detected by the Mysterious Tower King for rescuing him from the undersea dungeon and was now suffering terribly because of it.

Petty Officer Kohama descended from the straw and began his usual calisthenics. After days of fierce struggle, every joint in his body ached unbearably. However, after repeating the exercises several times, his body gradually seemed to recover. When he finished, Petty Officer Kohama cautiously and quietly approached the window. At that moment, his eyes took on a strange gleam as he exclaimed, “Oh!”

2

This watch hut stood in the rocky outcrop atop a low hill. From there, the base of this island's Mysterious Tower Rockets could be seen in a single sweeping view.

Though it was the dreadful Shirokotsu Island, the morning scenery was exceedingly beautiful. The Mysterious Tower Rockets standing like a forest on the square below were bathed in morning sunlight, their entire forms gleaming silver as they glared skyward, poised to launch at any moment. In that square was a lone figure wandering aimlessly. He appeared to have dropped something—his back bent round as he intently searched the ground. As Kohama kept watching, this person gradually drew closer while deep in thought.

"What could that man be searching for?" Petty Officer Kohama felt great interest and continued watching the man's actions intently from behind the window.

The man gradually approached the hill. After a while, the man suddenly raised his head. At that moment, Petty Officer Kohama was finally able to see the man's face directly. At that instant, Petty Officer Kohama involuntarily—

“Ah! That’s the Mysterious Tower King!”

he shouted and clenched his fist. That was indeed the Mysterious Tower King. A person with such a strange face couldn’t possibly exist twice.

From then on, Petty Officer Kohama stared even more intently at the actions of the man approaching this way. Before long, Petty Officer Kohama pressed his lips into a straight line, "That’s it. Alright—I’ll head out now and capture the Mysterious Tower King! That bastard hasn’t noticed I’m here yet. Hmm—this just got interesting." With that, Petty Officer Kohama tapped his arm and grinned.

3

Petty Officer Kohama realized that the figure approaching the watch hut on the hill where he had been hiding was unexpectedly likely to be the Mysterious Tower King, and he leaped out of the hut. (If I can successfully get behind the Mysterious Tower King, I should be able to capture him after a brief struggle. If I can just capture the Mysterious Tower King, no matter how many Mysterious Tower Rockets they have, or even if their base is here on Shirokotsu Island, the Mysterious Tower King and his men will have no choice but to surrender to me. Yeah, this is a truly brilliant idea. Alright, I'll capture the Mysterious Tower King!)

Petty Officer Kohama’s heart raced with excitement at the joy of having captured the Mysterious Tower King.

He left the watch hut behind and, picking his way through the rocks, gradually descended the mountain. From time to time, he peered out from behind rocky corners to observe the Mysterious Tower King’s movements, but it seemed the Mysterious Tower King still hadn’t noticed him and continued searching the ground intently. Good, good. If things keep going like this, he definitely won’t notice for a while yet. Come on, quickly get behind the Mysterious Tower King! Petty Officer Kohama’s pursuit grew increasingly fervent. This was far easier than descending from a warship’s yardarm.

But wasn’t Petty Officer Kohama overdoing it a bit? Detective Homura had greatly feared that Petty Officer Kohama would be spotted by the Mysterious Tower King’s allies, yet here was Kohama boldly leaving the hut to pursue the Tower King, making him seem somewhat reckless. Before long, Petty Officer Kohama finally succeeded in getting behind the Mysterious Tower King. The Mysterious Tower King, still unaware, continued searching the ground. Under these circumstances, the Mysterious Tower King was as good as in Petty Officer Kohama’s grasp.

“Take this!”

Petty Officer Kohama lunged at the Mysterious Tower King from behind, along with a battle cry.

The Great Brawl

1 "You bastard!"

Petty Officer Kohama lunged at the Mysterious Tower King from behind and pinned him down on the sandy plain. “Ugh...” The Mysterious Tower King exerted his great strength, trying to throw him off from below. Not about to let that happen, Petty Officer Kohama quickly wrapped his right arm around the Mysterious Tower King’s throat to choke him—but in that instant, the Mysterious Tower King sank his teeth deep into Kohama’s arm. “Agh! That hurts!” Bitten like a dog, Petty Officer Kohama inadvertently loosened his grip.

Then, the Mysterious Tower King’s waist sprang back like a steel plate, and in an instant, Petty Officer Kohama was sent sprawling onto the sandy plain with a heavy thud.

“Damn it!” Petty Officer Kohama was no ordinary man. No sooner had he been slammed down onto the sandy plain than he sprang upright. Then, turning on his heel, he lunged like a bullet toward the Mysterious Tower King’s chest. “What the—?!” “Grh...” Petty Officer Kohama and the Mysterious Tower King grappled face-to-face, becoming like a yokozuna grand champion and an ōzeki challenger locked in sumo combat.

Petty Officer Kohama prided himself on his strength, but the Mysterious Tower King was also extremely powerful, so he could not let his guard down. As they grappled with heaving exertion, Petty Officer Kohama found an opening to apply his signature throwing technique. Seizing the moment, "Hah!"

With a thunderous roar, he hurled the Mysterious Tower King’s large body onto the sandy plain with a heavy thud. The Mysterious Tower King tumbled and rolled like a heavy barrel, but when he finally managed to right himself on the sandy plain, he now held a strange-shaped pistol-like object in his right hand. Petty Officer Kohama froze in shock.

2

“Come on, try coming closer. I’ll shoot!” The Mysterious Tower King stood on the sandy plain holding a strangely shaped pistol aimed squarely at Petty Officer Kohama’s chest. Even this brave petty officer recoiled slightly at the sight. The bizarre pistol in the Mysterious Tower King’s hand looked certain to pierce through Petty Officer Kohama’s heart if matters continued unchanged.

Petty Officer Kohama stood glaring fixedly at the Mysterious Tower King. Petty Officer Kohama’s breathing grew gradually rougher. Clammy sweat streamed down from his forehead to his cheeks.

“Grah!” Suddenly, Petty Officer Kohama's body rolled across the sandy plain. He rolled with a rumbling sound and attacked the Mysterious Tower King’s feet. In that situation, the Mysterious Tower King couldn’t tell where to aim his pistol. Bang! Bang! Fierce gunfire rang out. The sand whirled up white. "You bastard!" Before anyone knew it, Petty Officer Kohama stood up on the sandy plain. When he seized the Mysterious Tower King’s pistol-wielding right hand, he used a one-arm shoulder throw to hurl the Mysterious Tower King’s body like a waterwheel.

"Grh..."

Petty Officer Kohama mounted the groaning Mysterious Tower King like a horse. The strange-shaped pistol was kicked away by Petty Officer Kohama’s boot with a sharp thud, flying off to a distant rocky outcrop. “How’s that? If you can move, then try moving!” The Mysterious Tower King had been bound with his hands behind his back using a belt. The Mysterious Tower King, having completely lost his vigor, plopped down onto the sand.

“I’ve finally captured you alive! You’re weaker than I thought!” Petty Officer Kohama raised both hands and shouted “Banzai!” in a booming voice.

3 The Mysterious Tower King was captured.

Petty Officer Kohama accomplished a great feat. It was a joy that soared to the heavens. Once bound, the Mysterious Tower King was surprisingly weak.

Petty Officer Kohama, at this moment, thought to drag the Mysterious Tower King into the tower and occupy the rocket. If he captured the Mysterious Tower King and occupied the Mysterious Tower Rocket as well, this would truly be an extraordinary feat.

With his spirit doubly emboldened and energy at its peak, Petty Officer Kohama— “Move!”

Petty Officer Kohama dragged the Mysterious Tower King along. The Mysterious Tower King, contorting his face into a fearsome visage, could do nothing but glare at Petty Officer Kohama, having fallen completely silent. The Mysterious Tower Rocket visible nearby—judging from its apparently repaired rudder mechanism and repainted fuselage section—was believed to be none other than that very same hateful Mysterious Tower Rocket that had taken Petty Officer Third Class Aoe’s life. Therefore, this must be the command unit of the numerous rocket squadrons. Petty Officer Kohama, thinking that occupying this first would be the best course of action, dragged the Mysterious Tower King toward the entrance.

The rocket’s entrance was open.

At that moment, four or five Black men and an Eastern-looking man wearing a Russian-style shirt emerged from inside. However, upon seeing Petty Officer Kohama, they appeared startled and began reaching for the pistols at their waists.

“Wait!” Petty Officer Kohama called out. “You’re free to shoot, but if you do, how about I take this Mysterious Tower King’s life right before you pull the trigger?” With that, he stepped forward and pointed the pistol he had seized from the Mysterious Tower King. Seeing this, the enemies were twice as shocked. The Mysterious Tower King’s life was firmly in Petty Officer Kohama’s grasp. They couldn’t fire carelessly.

4

“Well, how about that? Even if you want to shoot, you can’t do it like this, can you? At this point, you lot should just obediently surrender!”

Petty Officer Kohama raised his voice loudly and shouted. Petty Officer Kohama thought that this loud voice would reach Detective Homura. If it reached him, he would come rushing here immediately, and how overjoyed he would be—that was what Petty Officer Kohama had thought. But for some reason, Detective Homura was nowhere to be seen.

(What’s happened to Detective Homura?) Petty Officer Kohama couldn’t make sense of it at all. However, he couldn’t afford to dawdle, so he herded the bound Mysterious Tower King and his surrendered underlings forward, finally entering the Mysterious Tower Rocket. It was a split-second event.

Suddenly, the entrance door of the Mysterious Tower Rocket slammed shut with a bang. “Ah—!” By the time Petty Officer Kohama cried out, the door had already closed completely. Though both the Mysterious Tower King and his underlings had been stripped of their freedom by Petty Officer Kohama and left utterly unable to move as they pleased—leaving him fully confident in his control—how had this happened? No—at that very moment, some unknown figure hidden in the rocket door’s shadow had snapped it shut even before Petty Officer Kohama could fully step inside.

“Hey! Who are you? “Try any funny business and I won’t let you get away with it! “Don’t you bastards know that I’ve got the Mysterious Tower King’s life in my hands—that whether he lives or dies is entirely up to me?” He bellowed. And then, at that very moment— “Ha ha ha ha!” someone laughed boisterously in a loud voice. 5

“Who are you? Who dares to laugh so loudly? The Mysterious Tower King you all rely on is right here, captured by my side!” Petty Officer Kohama reproachfully directed a warning toward the source of the boisterous laughter.

“Ha ha ha ha!” The voice laughed again as if finding something unbearably amusing, “What grand claims are you spouting? You’re under the delusion that you’ve captured the Mysterious Tower King there, aren’t you?” “What are you saying?” Petty Officer Kohama shouted back.

Petty Officer Kohama shouted back.

"You're the one talking nonsense here! Whether what you've caught is the Mysterious Tower King or not - try taking off that mask and you'll know immediately!" "Ha ha ha ha!" "Huh—?!"

When told to remove the mask, Petty Officer Kohama was startled. At last he became aware of something. Under these circumstances, he needed to quickly uncover the truth. Petty Officer Kohama stared fixedly at the face of the Mysterious Tower King he had captured alive. As he scrutinized it, there seemed to be no mask worn at all. Nevertheless, thinking it prudent to check, he gripped the Mysterious Tower King's face and gave a forceful tug—whereupon the facial skin peeled away smoothly without any resistance.

“Ah! It was a mask!”

Peeling off one layer revealed beneath it the face of a Black man with a peculiar gaze. A Black Mysterious Tower King? Petty Officer Kohama was at a loss as to how to process this, utterly bewildered by the situation, when once again a loud voice boomed from above the ceiling, “Ha ha ha ha! “How’s that?” “Finally figured it out?” "The fake Mysterious Tower King’s mask had finally peeled off." “If that’s the kind of Mysterious Tower King you want, I can show you as many more as you like!” The unrestrained laughter resonating mockingly from above the ceiling was undoubtedly that of the Mysterious Tower King.

6

“How about it, Petty Officer Kohama? Why don’t you just surrender already? By now you should’ve figured everything out! Since we discovered your escape attempt, we cleverly lured you back into the tower through our stratagem—that’s how it works!” “Ha ha ha ha!” The Mysterious Tower King laughed even more uproariously. Petty Officer Kohama finally grasped how thoroughly he’d been deceived by the tower’s master. When he raised his eyes to survey his surroundings—fourteen or fifteen grimly armed Black operators had materialized from nowhere during their exchange—their gun barrels now formed a perfect ring aimed at the petty officer.

(It's hopeless!) Petty Officer Kohama felt such gut-twisting regret he thought his intestines might tear. But with matters having reached this point, there was nothing left to do. He threw down both his pistol and everything else on the spot, then crossed his arms.

“That’s right. That’s how you need to behave properly. That’s a fine resolve. Hey everyone! Bind this soldier upside down and put him in the usual place for a while.” By the Mysterious Tower King’s order, Petty Officer Kohama was—to his bitter regret—bound tightly around his torso with thick rope and taken outside the rocket once more.

Before long, he was blindfolded, hoisted up by a large group, and once again thrown with a heavy thud into the usual undersea dungeon. This time, with his torso and both hands tightly bound in rope, he couldn’t move his body freely like before. Petty Officer Kohama spent day after day in this undersea dungeon. He waited hopefully, thinking Homura might come to his rescue again, but no matter how much time passed, neither his figure nor his voice appeared before him again.

Was it despair?

Petty Officer Kohama’s heart had grown slightly clouded, but then one day——

Command Room

1

This was the command room of the Mysterious Tower.

This command room was located in a corner of the third floor of the Mysterious Tower.

The Mysterious Tower King sat alone in the command room, intently examining a map. What kind of map was this? It was none other than a large map of the Pacific Ocean centered on Japan. The Mysterious Tower King wore an expression of immense satisfaction.

On the map, tracing circles around Japan with his fingertip, "Heh. At last, this area is about to become mine. Then all that remains are countries that aren't fearsome at all."

The Mysterious Tower King shook his shoulders and chuckled eerily. This command room was laid out exactly like a telephone exchange room. Since all machinery terminals within this Mysterious Tower Rocket converged here, simply sitting in this room allowed control of the Mysterious Tower. No—not only within this Mysterious Tower, but other rockets could be controlled the same way. In other words, the Mysterious Tower King now sat before that command switchboard, studying the map. It was an exceptionally well-made command switchboard. And this machine was as vital to him as his own heart.

Bzzzzzt. Suddenly, the alarm rang, and the red warning light came on. That was signaling that a radio message had come through to the Mysterious Tower King. The Mysterious Tower King picked up the receiver. “Oh, you’re Surveillance Plane 109, huh? “What’s your business?”

“Yes, this is Surveillance Plane 109. We’re currently flying near Ogasawara and have spotted a large air force formation heading far northeast.” “What do you mean—a large air force formation moving northeast at this hour—”

2

At the radio message reporting that a large air force formation was flying toward the northeast, the Mysterious Tower King in the command room was shocked.

The Mysterious Tower King addressed the surveillance plane that had sent the radio message,

“Hey! Give me more details. Whose planes are they? And how many?” Then came a reply: “Well... I don’t know whose planes they are. To be honest, I’ve been worried about that from the start—even when looking through the electronic telescope, none of the planes have any national markings. They’re truly suspicious aircraft.”

“Planes without markings... Hmm, suspicious.” The Mysterious Tower King—himself inherently suspect—labeled something else suspicious. The absurdity hung thick: which side truly deserved suspicion? “Considering their shape, you should recognize their country of origin.” “Well... no—I can’t say.” “I’ve never seen planes of that design before.” “Not Japanese planes?” “No—Japan’s never fielded aircraft like those, to my knowledge.”

“Just how many planes are there?” “I can’t give an exact count, but at a glance there seem to be around one hundred fifty.” “I see. A squadron of one hundred fifty mysterious planes—exactly. You! Fly straight into that formation. Let’s see how they respond. If they fire first, we’re authorized to return fire. While engaging, confirm the enemy’s identity and radio back immediately.”

“Yes, understood.” “Then let’s pursue that formation immediately.” “If we push to full speed, I estimate we can catch up within an hour.”

3 The northbound unmarked flight formation—just which country’s squadron could it be? The Mysterious Tower King was deeply troubled by what the large flight formation was aiming for. Somehow, he couldn’t shake the feeling that they would soon come attacking Shirokotsu Island, where they were stationed.

As this was happening, another warning light lit up before the Mysterious Tower King, followed by the alarm bell beginning to ring. Another urgent radio message was coming in from a different location.

The Mysterious Tower King jolted in surprise. When he picked up the receiver, this too turned out to be an alarm transmitted by one of the Mysterious Tower King’s subordinate surveillance vessels. “Report: A massive fleet of warships is currently heading northeast at full speed across Kashima-nada.”

Hearing this, the Mysterious Tower King was so shocked he nearly leaped to his feet.

“What’s this? Now you’re saying a massive fleet of warships is charging northeast at full speed? That’s a rather concerning direction.”

If you draw a line northeast from Kashima-nada and keep steadily extending it, it will eventually reach near Shirokotsu Island. It was reported that a massive fleet of warships was advancing along that line.

Earlier than that, the surveillance aircraft had discovered an unmarked large flight formation flying north over the Ogasawara Islands and reported it. However, subsequent reports indicated their course had gradually shifted slightly eastward, revealing they were targeting Shirokotsu Island. And rightly so—our secret fleet had finally sortied to launch a valiant battle against the Mysterious Tower King’s forces.

The secret fleet consisted of an air force unit and a naval fleet, but the two had arranged to join forces slightly short of Shirokotsu Island.

Lieutenant Shiota and Ichihiko the boy were aboard the fleet's flagship. They kept constant watch on the ship lookout's reports.

4

The Mysterious Tower King finally realized the secret fleet’s attack.

“Hmph! You insolent Japanese Navy—daring to attack this Shirokotsu Island from both sea and air? It seems you’ve forgotten my Herculean might. Very well! If that’s your game, I’ll make an example of you first—a blood sacrifice for Japan’s annihilation!” The Mysterious Tower King seethed with rage. Then he immediately ordered the Mysterious Tower Rocket Unit to prepare for deployment.

“Hey, everyone! How dare those impudent Japanese air forces and fleet come attacking us here! We’ll crush them mid-course before they ever reach Shirokotsu Island! All units—prepare for immediate deployment!”

Now, prepare for deployment!

Beginning with the Mysterious Tower Rocket aboard which the Mysterious Tower King rode, suspicious individuals rushed into its accompanying aircraft.

The ladder was rolled up, and the entrance doors and windows were firmly closed.

Next, the engine roared to life with a thunderous rumble.

At that moment, a telephone call came through to the Mysterious Tower King from inside. “Hey, what’s going on?”

“Ah, Boss?! “Something terrible has happened!” That voice belonged to the first Black Operator.

“What’s this ‘terrible’? Explain precisely what happened!” “We repaired that rudder recently, didn’t we?” “Yes, we did.” “That rudder has now failed. I merely attempted a minor adjustment when flames suddenly erupted from its control motor. It ceased functioning entirely. What should we do?” “What do you mean, ‘what should we do’? This is disastrous! Now we can’t launch at all! Why did that motor combust? This is your fault for negligent oversight! As penalty, I’ll have you executed!”

5 Just as they were about to deploy, the command rocket of the Mysterious Tower Rocket malfunctioned, throwing everything into chaos. Enraged, the Mysterious Tower King began shouting at the Black Operators. But the damaged motor refused to be repaired so easily.

“This is a problem. Hey, if that motor gets fixed quickly, I won’t kill you—I’ll let you live.” The Mysterious Tower King, equally troubled, threw out appeasing words to the Black Operator overseeing the motor. “Huh? If we fix the motor fast, you’ll really spare me?” The Black Operator leaped up joyfully at this unexpected mercy. But the motor’s defect refused to yield. They discovered the damaged section required replacing the entire motor. After retrieving a replacement from the underground warehouse and installing it, they finally had hope of repair—but the procedure proved so time-consuming that immediate completion was impossible.

Meanwhile, from the surveillance team came reports that the secret fleet was steadily advancing and the danger had finally caught up. They realized that any further delay would result in Shirokotsu Island being attacked.

The Mysterious Tower King，unable to remain calm，paced around the command room like a caged lion but finally reached the limits of his patience． “Ah，there’s no help for it．Alright，I’ll depart later then．Let’s have the remaining rockets intercept and attack the Japanese forces．”

The Mysterious Tower King decided to remain in this command rocket while all other rockets headed toward the Japanese military’s secret fleet. “Then I leave it to you all.” “There’s no need to hold back whatsoever.” “Whether they’re Japanese warships or planes—incinerate them on sight with the magnetic cannons!”

The time for battle approaches.

1 At a point one hundred kilometers southwest of Shirokotsu Island, the Mysterious Tower King’s rocket squadrons finally clashed with our secret fleet’s naval vessels and air squadrons. The situation at that moment presented a truly dreadful spectacle. The rocket squadrons formed a horizontal line and pressed resolutely forward. Their altitude remained perilously low at 1,000 meters. In response, our air squadrons split into three trapezoidal formations, all maintaining an altitude of 3,000 meters. One squadron advanced toward the center of the enemy rocket formation while the other two launched flanking attacks from both sides.

The vessel fleet lagged far behind by ten kilometers, with the flagship at the center and all other ships arranged around it in a five-column vertical formation, advancing at full speed. At this moment, the sky stretched perfectly clear with endless visibility. Moreover, the sea lay as smooth as spilled oil, save for several long streaks of waves trailing behind the warships. The fleet had dispatched over a dozen reconnaissance planes that were intently observing the approaching rocket squadrons' course and formation while relaying constant reports.

At this moment, when one looked up at the flagship's upper decks, four or five unfamiliar machines—each roughly cannon-sized and oddly shaped—stood lined up on the deck, all seemingly glaring in unison at a single quadrant of the sky. These were none other than the Counter-Magnetic Cannons rumored to have been researched by Dr. Ōtone. What role would these Counter-Magnetic Cannons play henceforth? At this very moment, Lieutenant Shiota stood on the bridge alongside the boy Ichihiko, keeping watch over what lay ahead.

Moment by moment, the hour of battle drew near.

At that moment, the report that the vanguard air unit had finally commenced combat reached the radio communications unit.

2 “Hasn’t the motor been fixed yet?” The Mysterious Tower King was deeply troubled.

“Yes, we’re almost there.” The Black Operator answered timidly. “Just a bit more? Then we should be able to depart in about thirty minutes.” “Yes, well... about that...”

“Won’t it be fixed in thirty minutes?”

“However, a rather troubling issue has arisen…” “What do you mean by ‘troubling matter’?” “Is there another problem?” “Yes,” the Black Operator replied hesitantly, “upon inspecting the external motor just now, we’ve found that it too has malfunctioned.” “What? Explain yourself!” “The external motor has malfunctioned as well?” “Why wasn’t this reported earlier!”

“Yes… you see…” “What do you mean? Explain yourself!” “There was no malfunction at that time.” “But upon inspection now… we’ve discovered… the external motor has failed.”

“Hmm, that’s odd.”

The Mysterious Tower King tilted his head and sank into thought.

“Wait. The motor that had been fine earlier was now malfunctioning upon inspection—ah, I see.” “This isn’t a natural failure—someone must have deliberately wrecked the motor to interfere with us.” “And that someone must be hiding somewhere nearby.” “Heh heh… Is that how it is?” “Exactly.” “Now, summon everyone and search every corner here. You’ll surely find that culprit.”

The Mysterious Tower King declared that whoever had damaged the motor must be lurking nearby. Just who could have sabotaged the Mysterious Tower Rocket's motor?

3 Before long, Black Operators and members wearing Russian-style shirts gathered in large numbers. And then, they set about searching for the culprit responsible for the motor burnout.

“Well? Still haven’t found him?” The Mysterious Tower King was growing increasingly agitated.

“Ah, the alarm bell is ringing. It appears to be a radio report from the advance team.”

Another Black Operator came running to the Mysterious Tower King. “Tch—to have this commotion erupt right as we’re about to engage the Japanese military! What wretched timing. Hey! I’m tracking the battle situation here—hurry up and find that saboteur!” In the face of such overwhelming demands, how keenly the Mysterious Tower King must have regretted having only one body to manage it all. “Hello? This is the King. Report—how goes the battle?”

Then came a reply from the other end: “Ah, Commander?” “The Japanese military has completely surrounded our rocket unit.” “If we ascend, enemy air squadrons await above; if we descend, enemy fleets lie below.” “And now thirty large planes approach from ahead at tremendous speed.”

And this was the report from the operative he had appointed as Deputy Commander. “What? If they’re pressing us this hard from all sides, we’re done for! Use our Invincible Magnetic Cannons to blast those Japanese planes and warships out of the sky and sea right now! If we keep dragging our feet and let them storm Shirokotsu Island, we’ll be in real trouble! Fire those magnetic cannons—now!” “Well… About the magnetic cannons… It’s just that they’re…”

“What now? What are you talking about? What’s wrong with the magnetic cannons? Speak quickly!”

The Mysterious Tower King’s face turned pale once more. “Yes… It would seem the magnetic cannons are… behaving rather oddly…”

4 “You say the Magnetic Cannons are acting strange? Hey—is that true? Hurry up and give me details!” The Mysterious Tower King instinctively gripped the microphone. First the motor malfunctioned, now the Magnetic Cannons were acting up—it was disaster piling on disaster, like a wasp stinging a tear-streaked face. “No—we’ve actually been firing the Magnetic Cannons nonstop since earlier. But instead of planes and warships melting away like sludge when hit... somehow the enemy remains completely unaffected.”

“That’s impossible! “It must be that you’re using the Magnetic Cannons wrong.” “After all I taught you, you all are still useless, I see.” “No—we are definitely firing the Magnetic Cannons.” “If you’re firing them without error, their planes and warships should be getting destroyed.” “They should either melt away with red flames instantly or, if things go well, explode all at once.”

“Oh no, this is bad! Enemy planes have come right up close! We’re about to begin a life-or-death battle! I’ll report afterward—cutting radio contact now!” “Very well! Fight hard! I’ll post bounties—two thousand yen per plane shot down! Ten thousand yen per warship sunk!” There was no reply.

The Deputy Commander must have begun battle with the Japanese military. What would happen? Whether the battle would be won or lost, the Mysterious Tower King could not rest easy.

“I need you to come here at once.” Suddenly, the voice of the Rupashika man rang out right beside his ear. “What? Did you catch the villain who wrecked the motor?” “No—that isn’t it.” “Um… Petty Officer Kohama—the one we had bound up—is missing.” “What? That Japanese serviceman is gone?” “And there’s one more astonishing matter.”

5 “And this ‘other astonishing thing’—what on earth is it?” The Mysterious Tower King asked the Black Operators with a snarling face. “Ah—that… That would be Detective Homura, who was tied up inside the third mechanical cylinder—he has disappeared.” “What? Homura’s not in the third mechanical cylinder?” “Then there’s no one to operate the third mechanical cylinder—is there?!”

“Ah, yes, that is correct.” “That’s a problem! Everything’s gone to hell! This rocket might as well be dead! To think it can’t even sortie now—is there anything more infuriating?!”

The Mysterious Tower King stomped his feet with heavy thuds, seething with frustration.

According to this account, Detective Homura had been tied to the third mechanical cylinder of this Mysterious Tower Rocket and assigned the role of operating that machinery. This was when, during the battle with our naval planes over Nakoso Barrier, one of the Black Operators died. Thus, in place of that Black Operator, Homura Sōroku—who had been captured earlier—was forcibly placed inside the third mechanical cylinder and was forcibly taught how to operate the machinery.

The clever Homura had pretended to be bound inside the cylinder but had somehow become able to come and go freely from it. He was the one who rescued Petty Officer Kohama from the underwater dungeon; after hiding him on the mountain and intending to return that night, he was detected by the Mysterious Tower King and ultimately could not go. However, this time he finally managed to rescue Petty Officer Kohama. By burning through the motors inside the Mysterious Tower and such, he left the Mysterious Tower King completely at his wit’s end.

Now then, where could Detective Homura and Petty Officer Kohama be hiding at this very moment? Just at that moment, behind the Mysterious Tower King and the Black Operators—who were exchanging troubled looks—there came a soft click.

Two Heroes

1

Behind where the Mysterious Tower King and the Black Operators stood, there was a soft *click* and a rustle!

The Mysterious Tower King did not miss hearing it. “Who’s there?”

And what do you think met the eyes of the Mysterious Tower King as he turned around? That was none other than the two heroic figures of Detective Homura and Petty Officer Kohama.

“Don’t move, Mysterious Tower King!” “Surrender! Move and you die!”

“What?!” The Mysterious Tower King, his face contorted with fury, shouted back at the two heroes who had suddenly appeared—but then he saw something, “Ah, that’s dangerous! Dangerous! Hold on!” At this, the Mysterious Tower King suddenly panicked and began trembling violently.

“Ahahaha!” “Is this really so terrifying?” “But didn’t you make this yourself?”

Petty Officer Kohama sneered. What he now held under his arm and aimed at the Mysterious Tower King was none other than the Mysterious Tower King’s treasured Death Ray Lamp. This Death Ray Lamp was something Homura had previously located and kept track of. This time, we had made off with it and, in a reversal, were now pointing it at the Mysterious Tower King’s chest—which is to say, the tables had turned. Although the Mysterious Tower King had not feared pistols or rifles in the slightest, upon seeing this Death Ray Lamp, he began trembling violently—as though he had become a completely different person. And no wonder—the Mysterious Tower King, who had created it, knew better than anyone just how terrifying the Death Ray Lamp truly was.

The Mysterious Tower King—This was bad… "Something crucial had been stolen!"—ground his teeth in frustration, but it was already too late. Petty Officer Kohama had carefully aimed the Death Ray Lamp at the Mysterious Tower King’s chest and wore an expression that said he’d pull the trigger immediately if there was even a twitch.

“Now then, Mysterious Tower King.” Homura took a step closer to the Mysterious Tower King from the side.

2 “Now then, Mysterious Tower King.” When called by Homura, the Mysterious Tower King shifted his terrifying eyes beneath his brow, “What is it, Homura? You’re the ones being cowardly! Stealing my precious Death Ray Lamp to threaten me? You’re not fit to stand in the wind’s path!” “What the hell are you saying?!”

Petty Officer Kohama said angrily. “Who’s the coward here? You’re the one who’s done countless cowardly and wicked things! Do you remember the crime of killing that brave Petty Officer Third Class Aoe, above all else? He was a loyal and devoted warrior who should never have been killed by a coward like you! In contrast, you dying by your own Death Ray Lamp—that’s exactly what you deserve!”

“W-wait.” “Hold your fire for a moment.” “In exchange, I’ll obey whatever you say.” The Mysterious Tower King, perhaps realizing he was outmatched, suddenly surrendered.

“What? You’re saying you’ll obey us? In that case—”

Petty Officer Kohama kept his eyes fixed on the Mysterious Tower King and— “Will you hand over command of this Mysterious Tower Rocket Corps as per our orders?” Upon hearing this, the Mysterious Tower King was shocked, his eyes darting back and forth, but—

“Well, that’s—” At this, he hesitated to reply. “You refuse? Then I’ll turn this Death Ray Lamp on you!” As Petty Officer Kohama braced himself,

“Ah! Dangerous!” “W-wait!” “For someone called the Mysterious Tower King, you’re making a poor show of facing your end.” Detective Homura remarked with an exasperated look from the side. “I have no choice.” “I’ll hand command of the rocket corps over to you.” The Mysterious Tower King spat out the words. Yet even as he spoke, he kept anxiously straining his ears as if waiting for something.

3 The Mysterious Tower King finally surrendered to Detective Homura and Petty Officer Kohama. There was nothing more gratifying than this. “Now I feel a weight off my chest.”

Petty Officer Kohama rejoiced as if he had captured the demon’s head. Detective Homura took another step forward and poked the Mysterious Tower King’s side, “Now then, Mysterious Tower King—now that it’s come to this, I’ll take back what I’ve lent you for so long.” “What exactly did I borrow?” The Mysterious Tower King looked puzzled and glared back at Homura. “Ahahahaha, have you already forgotten? It’s exactly that mask you’re wearing on your face right now.”

“Wh—what?!”

“You remember, don’t you? Last time I tried to take off that strange mask you’re wearing now and was defeated by you. Now is the time—I’ll rip that mask off. Let’s see what kind of true face lies beneath it...”

“Ah, please spare me that—if the mask’s secret is revealed, everything ends—but I want to remain masked until my final moment.” “I don’t want anyone to see my true face.”

“Now that it’s come to this, what are you saying?!” “We were supposed to receive all command authority here.” “Whatever you do, you just have to follow orders.”

“W-wait! Don’t humiliate me here! When the proper time comes, I’ll remove the mask without fail—just wait a little longer!” “Hmm… Understood.”

Homura nodded deeply at this moment. "What's wrong, Homura? Did you figure something out?" Petty Officer Kohama asked. "No, Mr. Kohama—I've realized what true face lies beneath this mask." "Huh? What are you talking about?" "In other words, beneath the Mysterious Tower King's mask lies a face we know all too well."

4 Detective Homura stated that beneath the Mysterious Tower King’s mask lay the face of someone they knew. Petty Officer Kohama was surprised,

“Whose face is that?” “That is――”

Homura involuntarily flushed red with excitement and pointed at the Mysterious Tower King as he— “It’s precisely this—Dr. Ōtone’s face lies beneath here.” “Speaking of Dr. Ōtone—you mean that national treasure-class scientist Lieutenant Shiota often mentioned?” “Are you saying Dr. Ōtone has disguised himself as the Mysterious Tower King?” “Well, I just can’t make heads or tails of it.”

“Well, precisely because he’s Dr. Ōtone, he doesn’t want his mask removed in front of us! How’s that for hitting the mark, Mysterious Tower King?” Homura pointed at the Mysterious Tower King’s face. “No, I am not Dr. Ōtone.”

The Mysterious Tower King said.

“You claim you’re not Dr. Ōtone? No—you must be him! Just take off the mask! This is an order—remove that mask!” “Very well! Then I’ll remove the mask!”

For some reason, the Mysterious Tower King unexpectedly obeyed Homura’s words. And he placed both hands on his face.

At that moment, the alarm bell began to ring shrilly.

“Ah! Mysterious Tower King! What’s that?” “It’s a battle report from the Rocket Corps.” “Let me get to the transmitter!” “No—don’t move!” “If you move, I’ll use the death ray lamp!” Petty Officer Kohama shouted.

“Hey! Hurry up and take off the mask!” This was Homura’s voice. Just as the alarm bell stopped ringing, a voice from the Rocket Corps commander engaged in battle came through the loudspeaker. The Mysterious Tower King’s eyes gleamed unnaturally. 5

From the loudspeaker resounded a battle report from the Rocket Corps commander engaged in combat, addressed to the Mysterious Tower King.

“Commander, our Mysterious Tower Rocket Corps has suffered unexpected defeats, and the morale of our entire force hasn’t improved one bit.” “What? Defeated? There’s no way that could happen! Why not just keep mowing them down with the Magnetic Cannons?” The Mysterious Tower King involuntarily shouted.

“However, Commander, the Magnetic Cannons are completely ineffective. When we fire them at the Japanese fleet and planes, they show no reaction whatsoever. Then—as if red-hot iron were pressed against us instead—our aircraft suddenly heat up and begin sputtering flames. It’s chaos. Something’s terribly wrong here.”

“Are you saying that when we fire the Magnetic Cannons, we end up burning instead?” “Hmm, that’s strange.”

The Mysterious Tower King breathed roughly, seething with frustration. Detective Homura and Petty Officer Kohama had been intently watching this scene from earlier. According to the battle report from the enemy rocket corps commander, their secret fleet had been overwhelmingly dominant as of late. For those two fighting against him—Homura and Kohama—there was nothing more gratifying or empowering than this turn of events. “Ah! That’s it!” The Mysterious Tower King struck his hand forcefully as realization struck him mid-sentence. “Commander! It appears they’ve deployed those Counter-Magnetic Cannons I kept hidden! Every ship and plane must have been retrofitted with them when we weren’t looking! Cease firing our Magnetic Cannons immediately—every shot we loose only brings us loss! Worse than loss! Those projectiles rebound straight back at us—incinerating our own rockets and crews! Disastrous! Utterly disastrous! You there—order every last rocket unit into full retreat at once!”

The Mysterious Tower King, frantic, shouted commands into the microphone.

“Commander, even if you order us to retreat now, it’s already too late.” The commander’s voice was half choked with tears.

6

“You say it’s too late—why is it already too late?”

The Mysterious Tower King, as if scolding the defeated Rocket Corps commander, demanded to know why it was already too late. “Well… The reason is that the damage to our rockets is too severe—Commander, I deeply apologize.” “Hey, speak clearly. How much damage have our rockets sustained?” “Yes. It’s truly difficult to report, but upon surveying the area now, the only rocket still flying in the sky is our single remaining one.”

“What?! Only your single rocket remains? “And where are the other rockets?” “Well—during the ongoing battle since earlier, they were struck by the Counter-Magnetic Cannons. All became engulfed in flames, fell into the sea, and never resurfaced.” “Wh-what is this?! “So all others were destroyed by the Japanese forces? “Th-that’s too harsh! “Do you know how much effort I spent building such a massive rocket corps?! “Instead of helping destroy Japan’s military strength as I planned, they only sank the battleship Awaji and a dozen planes—now we’re completely defeated instead!” “Ah, how regrettable!” “What pathetic comrades!” “What a fearsome Counter-Magnetic Cannon!” “I’ve failed.” “Not properly handling that cannon was my mistake.” “But I never dreamed Japan’s forces would infiltrate that secret room!”

The Mysterious Tower King turned red, then blue, and stamped his feet as he seethed with frustration. However, with only one rocket remaining, there was nothing that could be done.

“Hey, Mysterious Tower King! It’s about time you act like a man and surrender!” Petty Officer Kohama tore into the Mysterious Tower King with a voice like a broken bell. The Mysterious Tower King resolutely raised his face but then wordlessly lowered his head.

True Face

1

“It’s over.” The Mysterious Tower King’s sigh reached Homura and Petty Officer Kohama with painful clarity. The Mysterious Tower King appeared pitifully crestfallen.

“Hey, take off the mask!”

Detective Homura pressed.

“Alright, I’ll take it off now. Now that it has come to this, I have no choice but to obey your commands, gentlemen.”

With that, the Mysterious Tower King—uncharacteristically meek for his usual self—spoke and covered his face with both hands. Ah, now at last the Mysterious Tower King’s mask would be removed. As for what kind of face lay beneath that grotesque mask that seemed to mock others—Detective Homura and Petty Officer Kohama felt their hearts race with anticipation while simultaneously sensing an intense eeriness. The Mysterious Tower King casually removed the mask. In the same manner as removing a gas mask, his entire face and hair came off cleanly.

And now, what kind of face lay beneath that mask: a moment so tense it stole one's breath. The Mysterious Tower King had been looking down for a while, but eventually quietly raised his face.

Was it the face of a demon god? Or was it the face of Dr. Ōtone, who had been called a national treasure scientist? No—it was neither of those. It was the flat face of a young Western man. It was the face of a Westerner they had never seen before. (Oh, so this is the Mysterious Tower King’s true face!) Both Homura and Kohama couldn’t help but feel somewhat underwhelmed.

“Here—this is my true face. Take a good look.” That voice remained unmistakably the hateful voice of the Mysterious Tower King they had always known. Thus, this young Westerner had been wearing that grotesque mask while committing all those audacious acts of evil. “What in the world is your true identity?”

Petty Officer Kohama, unable to contain himself any longer, pressed the Mysterious Tower King with a question.

2

"My background? That's none of your concern," said the Mysterious Tower King roughly panting. "I meant to destroy the Japanese Navy and reduce the East to chaos, but I failed." "Now that I've failed, I have nothing more to say."

With that, he firmly pressed his lips together and fell silent. Could this young Westerner be some sort of invention-obsessed madman? The circumstances of his upbringing were truly fascinating enough to make anyone want to investigate them. Homura, who had been staring blankly at the Mysterious Tower King’s true face with his mouth shut all this time, now took a step forward and— “Hey, Mysterious Tower King! To tell you the truth, I’d thought the Mysterious Tower King might be Dr. Ōtone in disguise. However, seeing you remove that mask made it clear my assumption was wrong.”

With that, Homura bit his lip slightly,

“Now, there is one matter for which I must demand an answer from you, Mysterious Tower King.” “Huh? What’s that?” “It concerns Dr. Ōtone’s whereabouts. Where is Dr. Ōtone now? Tell me that at once!” “I know nothing of that.” “I won’t tolerate ‘I don’t know.’ We know the Mysterious Tower King broke into Dr. Ōtone’s residence. We also know Dr. Ōtone’s jacket was left behind, drenched in blood. Where did you take the great scientist? Is Dr. Ōtone still alive, or did you kill him? I won’t accept ignorance on this matter!”

Homura pressed forward with a fierce countenance, as if to seize the Mysterious Tower King by the chest.

The Mysterious Tower King moved his mouth wordlessly for a while, but soon seemed to have resolved himself, “Do you want to know Dr. Ōtone’s whereabouts that badly?” “Then I have no choice.” “I’ll guide you there now and hand Dr. Ōtone over to you.” “What? You’ll hand over Dr. Ōtone?” “Then, is Dr. Ōtone on this island?” “Yeah, that’s right. “I’ve imprisoned him in the cavern above.”

3

Upon hearing that Dr. Ōtone was imprisoned on this island, both Detective Homura and Petty Officer Kohama were surprised and overjoyed. “Then hurry up and lead the way.”

By the Mysterious Tower King’s side, Detective Homura kept close watch, while from behind, Petty Officer Kohama followed with the death ray lamp. In case the Mysterious Tower King tried to escape, he intended to immediately use this death ray lamp.

The Mysterious Tower King climbed the slope and entered the familiar cavern. The interior was dimly lit, and beneath it lay that fearsome undersea dungeon. “Mysterious Tower King! You threw Dr. Ōtone into the undersea dungeon!” “You monster!” “No—not the undersea dungeon.” “Inside this cavern lies another large room.” “Now enter through this crevice in the rock.” “The ceiling’s low—mind your heads.” “What? You’re telling us not to bump our heads?”

Homura and Kohama, instinctively lured by those words, looked up sharply. At that moment, their eyes shifted away from the Mysterious Tower King’s body to the jet-black rock ceiling. That was precisely how they had fallen completely into the Mysterious Tower King’s trap. Using Dr. Ōtone as bait, the two had been lured there. “Hah!” The moment the Mysterious Tower King let out a loud cry, his figure vanished into the crevice in the rock.

“Ah—he got away!” Homura and Petty Officer Kohama tried to give chase immediately, but at that moment noticed that beyond the crevice in the rock lay a deep valley and drew back in shock. Gyaaah! A soul-freezing scream rose from the valley floor. They realized this was the Mysterious Tower King’s final cry—he had likely fallen to the valley bottom and smashed his head against a jagged rock.

“Oh, that’s—”

“Yeah—the Mysterious Tower King’s self-destruction.” Detective Homura and Petty Officer Kohama, without thinking, approached from both sides and firmly clasped hands.

4

The Mysterious Tower King had apparently self-destructed at last.

Detective Homura and Petty Officer Kohama wanted to inform the secret fleet of this good news as quickly as possible. To convey this information, there was only one method available at present. That was to use the radio equipment of Mysterious Tower Rocket No. 1—currently out of order and stranded on the sands of Shirokotsu Island. It was quite a hectic task. Leaving behind the rock cavern where the Mysterious Tower King had perished left them deeply reluctant. They couldn't shake the feeling that the Mysterious Tower King might come crawling up from somewhere nearby, covered in blood.

“What should we do, Petty Officer Kohama?” When Detective Homura anxiously sought his counsel, Petty Officer Kohama laughed and, “Nah—no matter how strong the Mysterious Tower King was, once he’s dead, he’s not scary at all.” “But if you’re that concerned, Homura, stay here for a while.” “In the meantime, I’ll use the rocket’s radio to contact the fleet.” “Will you be alright on your own?”

“Of course I will! First off, with this Death Ray Lamp, even if thousands of the Mysterious Tower King’s subordinates remain behind, there’s nothing to fear.” Since Petty Officer Kohama had stated this in true military fashion—firmly and decisively—Homura finally became resolved as well, and here the two of them split up, going their separate ways. “Alright, Petty Officer Kohama. I’m counting on you to contact the fleet. And once you’ve finished your task, please return to this cavern immediately. I fully intend to track down Dr. Ōtone no matter what. If what the Mysterious Tower King said wasn’t a lie, Dr. Ōtone must be hidden somewhere in this cavern.”

“Very well. “I also agree with tracking down Dr. Ōtone’s whereabouts.”

Petty Officer Kohama said that and departed.

A New Mystery

As Petty Officer Kohama exited the rocky mountain and descended toward the plains of Shirokotsu Island where the rocket was visible, within the desolate cavern, only Detective Homura remained.

As Petty Officer Kohama exited the rocky mountain and descended toward Shirokotsu Island's plains where the rocket stood visible, only Detective Homura remained within the desolate cavern. This dim cavern interior was far from pleasant. Though nothing but rocks met his eyes, he couldn't shake the sense that monstrous beings might dwell there too. He felt certain some creature lurked behind those stones - yellow eyes gleaming as it secretly observed Homura's every move.

(Why do I feel so uneasy?) (Have I suddenly become a coward?) Homura sat down on the base of a rock, looked around his surroundings, and posed such questions to his own mind. When he listened carefully, a booming sound echoed. It seemed there was a cave somewhere where seawater surged in. Homura still did not know the location of such a cavern. Flap-flap-flap-flap.

Suddenly, an intense flapping sound was heard overhead, and a mysterious bird came swooping in.

“Oh!” Homura was startled and stood up. This time, the mysterious bird was startled and fled to the other side with another noisy flap-flap-flap of its wings. The mysterious bird flew into the crevice in the rocks where the Mysterious Tower King had thrown himself, but after some time, it let out a spine-chilling cackle and flew back toward where Homura stood. (Something feels off here.) (I can’t let my guard down.)

With that, Homura suddenly rose to his feet and hid himself in the shadow of a rock. And then—what do you know? The crevice in the rocks began to glow faintly. It seemed like a fire was burning over there. What in the world...?

2

Why had the other side of the rock crevice lit up? Detective Homura hid himself in the shadow of a rock and, without blinking an eye, stared fixedly in that direction. Then, before long, a hand lantern emerged from the crevice in the rocks. It was an old-fashioned fish oil lamp—the kind Western fishermen often used—that produced light by burning fish oil. The fish oil lamp was supported by a single arm.

Who could it be? Then, this time, a head appeared beyond the crevice. Detective Homura held his breath and continued watching intently. The mysterious figure held the fish oil lamp high, sweeping its light across the cavern. It was an extremely cautious approach. At that moment, Homura could clearly see the face of the mysterious figure illuminated by the fish oil lamp. “Ah—!” For some reason, Homura froze in shock. His arms gripping the rock trembled so violently that even he himself could feel it—such was the intensity of his surprise.

It appeared to be someone Homura knew. Moreover, it appeared to be someone utterly unexpected. Who on earth could that have been?

After confirming that no one was inside the cavern, the mysterious figure finally came crawling up through the crevice in the rocks. And while still paying close attention to their surroundings, they seemed to be intently pondering something.

At that moment.

Homura jumped out from the shadow of the rock. And he sprang out before the mysterious figure. “Oh, Dr. Ōtone!” “What?!”

3 “Dr. Ōtone!” When addressed by name, the man started violently. He instinctively staggered backward—oh, dangerous! There lay the rock crevice where the Mysterious Tower King had previously fallen. “Wh-Who goes there?” Dr. Ōtone rasped out hoarsely while stammering. He kept moving his hands behind his back, frantically feeling across the rocks. If an escape route existed, he clearly meant to flee.

“Ahahaha, you may not know this, Doctor, but I am a detective named Homura Sōroku. I came all the way here out of concern for your whereabouts. From what I observe, you seem safe for now—contrary to our worries—and nothing could bring me greater joy.” Homura’s heart was already pounding with excitement at having found the doctor. He wanted to take the doctor’s hand and pour out every word of joy he could muster. After all, he had finally found the doctor—a scholar hailed as a national treasure for our nation—who had been believed to be ninety percent dead. Given this, it was only natural for Homura to be overcome with excitement. However, he thought that startling the doctor too much would be unwise and was doing his best to restrain his heart, which was about to leap out of his chest.

“Ah, Detective Homura. “I do believe I’ve heard that name somewhere before. “I am truly grateful indeed that you came to search for me. “However, I was startled when you suddenly leaped out in front of me. “Heh heh heh.”

Dr. Ōtone seemed to have finally calmed down.

“Dr. Ōtone, what exactly led you to come to this Shirokotsu Island?” Homura inquired about what had been weighing on his mind. “Wh-why do you ask why I came to Shirokotsu Island? Th-that is... in other words, it was all that detestable Mysterious Tower King’s doing!”

4

An extraordinary encounter within the cavern! Facing Dr. Ōtone, Detective Homura’s heart still raced. According to Dr. Ōtone’s explanation, he had been brought here by the Mysterious Tower King. “That must have been quite an ordeal for you.” “Now that we’ve found you, we’ll protect you with our very lives.” “Please rest assured.” Homura could not help but say that to console Dr. Ōtone.

“Ah, thank you so much. What luck to be saved by you all.” Dr. Ōtone answered tersely.

“Dr. Ōtone, I was just about to leap at you,” “Because you emerged from that very crevice where the Mysterious Tower King had fallen earlier, I jumped to the conclusion that he had regained his breath and started crawling out.” “It was truly a dangerous moment.” “Yeah, I was surprised too.” “Because you suddenly called out to me.” At this, Detective Homura changed his tone and,

“Doctor, where have you been hiding all this time?” he asked.

“Well, you see, it’s… how do I put this.” “I think you’re already aware, but beneath where we now stand lies an underwater prison.” “They say there are five or six of them in total, but I was confined in one of those.” “I wanted to escape from there somehow, and after devising various plans, I was finally able to break out today.” “There’s nothing happier than this.”

“Of course I can imagine. When word spreads across the mainland that you’re safe, Doctor, everyone will be astonished—there’s no telling how overjoyed they’ll be.”

When he heard this, Dr. Ōtone let out a relieved sigh and nodded.

5 “So, Doctor, when you were climbing over that rock toward us, did you not hear the Mysterious Tower King’s scream?”

Detective Homura pressed Dr. Ōtone about what he had been wanting to ask for some time now. Then Dr. Ōtone nodded deeply, “Ah, indeed, I did hear it. A tremendous voice rang out overhead. No sooner had I thought that than a person came falling down from above and plunged into the valley bottom. So that was the Mysterious Tower King?” Homura’s eyes lit up as he heard this, “Ah, Doctor, did you witness that as well? That was fortunate. So what final end did the Mysterious Tower King meet?”

“Well, that’s—” The doctor rolled his eyes and continued, “I don’t recall clearly, but from what I gather, the Mysterious Tower King’s body was slammed onto a rock at the valley’s bottom.” “At that moment, he let out an anguished cry.” “There I was, clinging to the rock, peering down apprehensively—but by then, the Mysterious Tower King’s figure had vanished from the stone.” “Oh ho! So does that mean the Mysterious Tower King escaped?” “No, that’s not it,” the doctor said, shaking his head firmly. “After striking the rock once, his body rebounded violently and plunged into the water with a great splash. That place allows no escape.” Through jagged rocks, icy black seawater churned in swirling whirlpools. “It’s a cavern like hell itself.” “Not even the Mysterious Tower King could survive there.”

Dr. Ōtone firmly believed in the death of the Mysterious Tower King.

Detective Homura nodded deeply, “So beyond that visible rock crevice lies such a terrifying place? However, given it’s the Mysterious Tower King we’re dealing with—a man stubbornly clinging to ill fortune—it wouldn’t be strange if he’d miraculously survived. I’ll go down to the valley floor now to check whether his corpse has surfaced.”

Slippery Cliff

1 Detective Homura was resolutely determined to ascertain the Mysterious Tower King’s death. According to what Dr. Ōtone had just recounted, the Mysterious Tower King had fallen onto a rock, severely injuring himself, before plunging into an abyss where pitch-black seawater swirled in a vortex—but Homura was determined to verify this himself. “Dr. Ōtone, would you be so kind as to guide me?” “Well, yes—I am terribly tired, but—”

Dr. Ōtone stammered but soon, as if he had reconsidered, "Alright." "Since it's none other than a rare guest who's come all this way, I'll show you around." "Come over here." "We'll be descending from here."

Dr. Ōtone took the lead with a fish oil lamp and began descending along the base of the rocks at a steady pace.

Detective Homura, feeling dizzy at the terrifying cliff he saw for the first time, followed Dr. Ōtone and carefully descended. Dr. Ōtone, remarkably energetic, took the lead and descended smoothly. Homura seemed liable to fall behind at any moment.

(The doctor’s awfully energetic.) Moreover, he seems to know this cave thoroughly. Homura secretly marveled to himself.

Dr. Ōtone’s fish oil lamp had already descended the cliff and was emitting a faint, hazy light on a rock at the bottom of the cavern.

At that moment, the doctor’s eyes glinted sharply. Dr. Ōtone’s eyes remained fixed on Homura, who clung to the rock base while fully absorbed in his descent. Homura didn’t notice the doctor glaring at him with such frightening eyes. "Oh no!"

With a shout, Homura cried out. In an instant, his foot slipped on the wet rock base, and he slid down with a heavy *thud* to where Dr. Ōtone stood.

2 What felt incongruous was Dr. Ōtone's demeanor.

Just now, when Detective Homura’s foot slipped, causing him to slide down the rock base in an instant and land at the doctor’s feet, Dr. Ōtone was momentarily startled into inaction; but had Homura not slid down then and instead lingered clinging to the cliff, who knows what suspicious move the doctor might have made next. Speaking of which, at that moment, Dr. Ōtone’s right hand had already extended toward his waist, as if he had been about to reach for a pistol or something similar.

Detective Homura's fortune—having slid down with a scraping sound to the doctor's feet—had to be celebrated on his behalf. Yes, this was none other than the man who called himself Dr. Ōtone, someone you could never let your guard down around. Even that clever Detective Homura still hadn't noticed it yet, had he? They stood within a terrifying cavern devoid of any allies. Having narrowly escaped peril once, what calamity would now come crashing down upon Homura? The very thought made his anxiety grow unbearable.

“Dr. Ōtone, I nearly broke my hip bone there. Oh! That startled me!”

Dr. Ōtone suddenly put on a forced smile, "That was truly a dangerous spot—you should always watch your step."

“Ah, thank you. Oh, I’m alright now,” said Homura as he stood up beside Dr. Ōtone, “Now then—if I may ask—which rock exactly did the Mysterious Tower King collide with?” “Ah... that rock—” Dr. Ōtone stammered while glancing about restlessly before continuing, “Yes—that rock there... I believe it was certainly that one.” When they looked where Dr. Ōtone indicated, there lay before them a small flat rock resembling an island, encircled by swirling seawater.

When Dr. Ōtone pointed to the rock where the Mysterious Tower King had collided with his body and Homura looked, he saw it was a small, island-like reef surrounded by raging tidal currents. “Ah, that one?” “That’s a terrifying rock.” “After the Mysterious Tower King’s body struck that rock, where did it bounce off to?”

Detective Homura asked nonchalantly. “Hmm, that’s over here.” “It’s to the left of that reef.” When Detective Homura heard this, he felt a strange sensation. If one assumed that the Mysterious Tower King’s body had fallen from a crevice in the rock and struck the reef visible before them—and if it had then rebounded and plunged into the tidal current—it should inevitably have landed beyond the reef. That it had fallen to the left was indeed a strange thing.

Next, Homura asked Dr. Ōtone to lend him the fish oil lamp. He then used it to illuminate the reef. In his estimation, when the Mysterious Tower King's body had struck the reef, he must surely have bled. He hoped they would find traces of that blood. Yet strangely enough, nothing resembling blood could be seen on the reef. Nor did it appear the tide had washed it away.

Homura tilted his head slightly. *Hmm—this doesn’t add up!* Homura thought about asking Dr. Ōtone the numerous strange questions that had arisen. But wait—!

*(There's something about this Dr. Ōtone—he's a suspicious character.)* *Hmm—what in the world could be going on here?* Homura had finally grasped that point. Thinking this, when he reflected back on earlier events, numerous suspicious aspects came to light. *I can't let my guard down for a second!*

4

Dr. Ōtone was the untrustworthy presence in this treacherous cave. Detective Homura awoke as if from a dream and was startled.

Come to think of it, it was strange that this man calling himself Dr. Ōtone had emerged from the crevice in the rock where the Mysterious Tower King had fallen. No—it wasn’t just that. The flustered manner in which Dr. Ōtone had responded when Detective Homura called out to him was deeply suspicious.

*(This Dr. Ōtone is no ordinary man.)* *(This has become a grave situation.)*

According to Dr. Ōtone’s account, the Mysterious Tower King had fallen onto the reef—yet there was no blood. He looked into the swirling seawater, but he could not see the Mysterious Tower King’s corpse, nor was there a single one of his belongings floating there. The reason they thought the Mysterious Tower King had died was his fall from that crevice in the rock into this cavern, followed shortly thereafter by a scream. At present, there was no conclusive evidence beyond this to confirm the Mysterious Tower King’s death.

(This was no time to let my guard down. If I wasn't careful, the Mysterious Tower King might still be alive nearby! And then there was this suspicious Dr. Ōtone. Not to mention being trapped in this terrifying cave whose layout I couldn't grasp!) That was Detective Homura for you. He pieced together an excellent deduction and finally sensed the grave danger creeping up behind him. (What should I do now?) It was at that exact moment—as the detective jolted alert and pondered his next move—

A muffled pop. A strange, low explosion sounded right behind Homura.

“Ah—!” As he thought this, Homura turned around to see thick yellow smoke billowing up from the rock where the sound had just come from. The moment he did, a pungent, unnatural stench assaulted his nostrils. Ah—it’s poison gas!

5

Dr. Ōtone stood calmly in the smoke. A gas mask—when and where he had retrieved it from—was fitted over his face. “Agh—!”

Detective Homura felt an intense pain in his throat and eyes and clawed at them frantically with both hands. This was a cowardly poison gas attack. It was too late to call it cowardly now, but until this very moment, he had never imagined he would be treated to poison gas by Dr. Ōtone.

“Heh heh heh.” “How does it feel? Suffocating?”

The voice resonating from beneath the mask!

“Ah—you’re the Mysterious Tower King!” Cough, cough, cough—

Homura collapsed onto the rock and coughed violently. The voice with which he had shouted "You’re the Mysterious Tower King!" emerged thin and hoarse, as though clawing through his shredded throat. When had Dr. Ōtone begun using the Mysterious Tower King’s voice? Dr. Ōtone approached with unnerving composure, drawing near Homura as he thrashed upon the ground.

“To make such a fuss over getting hit with this weak gas—what a pathetic weakling!” “Modern detectives ought to carry gas masks around at all times!”

Dr. Ōtone kicked Homura’s body with all his might using the tip of his shoe. What a terrible thing for a doctor to do! “Hey, Detective Homura! This time for sure, I’ll kill you! There’s no one who interferes with my plans like you do! You should be grateful I’ve let you live this long!”

Dr. Ōtone had fully transformed into the Mysterious Tower King and pulled out a silver cylinder from around his waist. Apparently, this was a Death Ray Lamp modified in shape.

What will become of Detective Homura?

The Greatest Mystery 1

On the rocky reef within the cavern, Dr. Ōtone and Detective Homura clashed! In the midst of poison gas drifting like yellow haze, Dr. Ōtone—using the Mysterious Tower King's voice—searched for Detective Homura while clutching a Death Ray Lamp in one hand. "Ah, there you are." The fish oil lamp swayed violently as he found Detective Homura lying prone on the rocky reef.

It was over. Detective Homura's life hung by a thread. The death ray was trained on Homura - one press of the button would end everything.

The reason Homura lay prone on the rocky reef was to barely evade the poison gas. Below, rough waves splashed against the rocks where a faint wind had stirred. Thus even as the heavy gas tried to pool below, the waves drove and scattered it upward. Then from some hidden passage came a sudden gust of wind rushing through. Ever-composed Detective Homura had barely caught his breath in these scant safe zones—now Dr. Ōtone’s Death Ray Lamp aimed to strike the final blow.

Suddenly, Homura was kicked. “Ah—ouch!” He involuntarily let out a cry. “Heh heh... Still alive, are you? Now taste the Death Ray Lamp and perish!” “Wait! There’s one last thing I want to ask.” “What? Out with it!”

“Are you Dr. Ōtone, or are you the Mysterious Tower King?” “That’s irrelevant. Go on, start chanting your prayers already!” There was no time left. Homura’s body rolled over heavily and plunged into the rough waves with a splash??

2

“Ah—he fell!” Dr. Ōtone, caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events, forgot to press the Death Ray Lamp’s button and peered restlessly at the turbulent water’s surface where Homura had fallen. The loud splash echoed through the cavern for a while, rippling its walls with a *woaan-waan* reverberation, but eventually it too faded away. “Wh-where has he gone?” “Did he drown, or was he dragged into a whirlpool?”

He held out the dimly yellow-lit fish oil lamp near the seawater and peered intently, but he could neither see Homura’s head nor hear the sound of splashing water. Homura, who had fallen into the rough waves, vanished without a trace.

Had Homura finally been swallowed by the waves and drowned? Or was he still alive somewhere? Within the cavern, the rough waves made a sound like dragging a massive stone mill as they continued to flow, creating fierce whirlpools as ever. These rough waves surely knew whether Detective Homura was alive or dead, but unfortunately, they could not speak.

However, after some time had passed, Detective Homura suddenly regained consciousness. When he came to his senses and looked around, he realized his breathing had somehow become much easier without him noticing. And when he opened his eyes to look properly, there he was lying stretched out on a rock. He felt like he was dreaming. "What about the Mysterious Doctor?" He sprang up with a jolt. As he looked around his surroundings, he realized the situation felt distinctly different from before.

A single beam of light was shining dazzlingly, filling the atmosphere with a brightness incomparable to the previous cavern.

At his feet, rough waves crowned with white foam surged high and receded low in an ebb and flow. And even a sound like the roar of the sea could be heard.

3

Detective Homura realized he had miraculously escaped immediate peril. At the very moment the Death Ray Lamp was about to be activated, he thought it better than letting his body be burned by such a weapon, and resolutely threw himself into the sea. However, his body was immediately caught in a violent whirlpool, and he lost consciousness; during that time, it passed beneath the seabed, slipped under rocks, and emerged once more into this separate bright cavern. That place appeared to be a cave entrance leading directly from the sea.

Most likely, his body had been carried by the tide flowing into the sea and pushed up onto a rock protruding at the narrowed waterway. Detective Homura was truly a man of endless good fortune. In this way, his life had been spared, but as he was tossed about by the raging currents, his body had struck hard rocks countless times, leaving his entire body wracked with throbbing pain and rendered him utterly unable to rise. Unfortunately, he decided to wait for a while to recover and continued lying on the rock for a long time. Then, all sorts of things began to come back to him.

(I wonder what happened to Petty Officer Kohama...) He grew concerned about Petty Officer Kohama's situation. (Is that person truly Dr. Ōtone?) (His voice resembled the Mysterious Tower King's - but how could that be?) Everything defied explanation. (Yet in this world, no matter how strange things seem, there must be no mystery that can't be solved! If I just engage my mind properly, this mystery will undoubtedly unravel!)

Perhaps even the gods rejoiced at Homura's vigor, for just then something soft and squishy collided with his head.

4 What had struck Homura Sōroku's head on the rocky cavern entrance with a soft *pokari*?

It was soft and squishy, with an unpleasant texture to the touch. When he picked it up, Homura was startled. “Ah! This is—!”

And it was no wonder he had involuntarily let out a cry of surprise. The squishy thing Homura had picked up was a mask made of soft, high-quality rubber. It was a mask that the Mysterious Tower King often used. “I’ve found something incredible!” Homura held the mask toward the incoming light and examined its surface again, but—

“Ah! This is the Mysterious Tower King’s true face!” And once again he let out a cry of surprise. What an extraordinary thing! The mask in Homura’s hand was none other than the face of that Westerner they had believed to be his true visage— That was not the low-nosed, high-cheekboned face of Shiokuki. The Westerner’s face that had appeared after removing the Shiokuki mask! Until this very moment, they had believed without question that this was the Mysterious Tower King’s true face—and yet, astonishingly, the mask Homura had picked up was that very Westerner’s visage.

“What a strange thing! If this isn’t the Mysterious Tower King’s true face, then what on earth could his real face look like?”

Homura’s thoughts were momentarily thrown into disarray, leaving him in a daze. After some time had passed, he finally noticed the terrible fact. “That’s it! I’ve got it!” “The Mysterious Tower King’s true face is—” Terrified to voice what came next, Homura involuntarily swallowed his saliva there, but— “—the true face is none other than Dr. Ōtone! Dr. Ōtone had been wearing multiple masks to fully become the Mysterious Tower King. So, the true identity of that detestable Mysterious Tower King was, surprisingly, Dr. Ōtone!”

5

Utterly unexpected! When they stripped away the Mysterious Tower King's disguise, his true identity proved to be Dr. Ōtone. Though Detective Homura believed this conclusion logically sound and irrefutable, the sheer unexpectedness of it all left him repeatedly questioning whether he might be trapped in some dream. "No—without a doubt, Dr. Ōtone was the Mysterious Tower King!"

Homura clearly declared to himself. There was no mistaking it. Yet the greater mystery remained—why would Dr. Ōtone, a scientist hailed as a national treasure, become such a detestable figure as the Mysterious Tower King when unmasked? This was the great enigma that simply had to be solved. The Mysterious Tower King’s terrible deeds must all lie hidden within that very mystery. Why? Why? Why?

Homura’s courage surged a hundredfold. If Dr. Ōtone—who had thoroughly penetrated our naval secrets—was indeed the Mysterious Tower King, then we could not allow that situation to persist for even a moment. By all means, we had to capture the Mysterious Tower King and solve the great mystery of why he had committed such evil deeds; otherwise, that would pose a grave threat to our national defense.

It was once believed that the Mysterious Tower King had died, but now, unfortunately, that conclusion had to be revoked. The Mysterious Tower King was still alive. The Dr. Ōtone they had seen in the cavern was none other than the Mysterious Tower King himself. Therefore, not only was the Mysterious Tower King still alive—he must have escaped that cavern and was undoubtedly plotting some new evil scheme.

The Mysterious Tower King in the guise of Dr. Ōtone—where was he now, and what was he doing?

“I can’t remain like this!”

Homura stared intently at the far side of the roaring tidal cavern.

Ah, superior officer—

1

Now, the story shifted to Petty Officer Kohama. Petty Officer Kohama parted with Homura and headed toward the Mysterious Tower rocket. The Black Operators had now become completely docile. The Black Operators, deprived of their master, were like tigers turned into cats. Petty Officer Kohama, bracing himself with the death ray lamp, entered the radio room of the Mysterious Tower. And then, he promptly summoned the secret fleet.

“I request Lieutenant Shiota. This is Petty Officer Kohama on Shirokotsu Island.” Having said that, he took the radio and called out repeatedly. The fleet, at that moment, was vigorously engaged in combat from both sky and sea against enemy rockets still airborne and surviving foes who, though fallen to the waves, kept attacking without surrender.

Of course, this battle appeared to have resulted in the secret fleet's victory. However, the one remaining rocket in the air stubbornly refused to surrender. That was because the enemy commander was putting up fierce resistance. This last remaining rocket was, for some reason, remarkably sturdy. While they were somewhat at a loss, a radio message from Petty Officer Kohama came in, and Lieutenant Shiota, who was on the bridge of the battleship Rokko, stepped up to the microphone.

“Oh, Petty Officer Kohama!” “This is Lieutenant Shiota.” “You’re still alive!” “I’m so glad!”

First, Lieutenant Shiota rejoiced at his subordinate’s safety. “This is Petty Officer Kohama.” Hearing his superior officer’s voice, he couldn’t say how much his resolve strengthened. “Ah, Lieutenant Shiota! How overjoyed I am to hear your voice, sir!” he said, but in that instant, his chest unexpectedly tightened with emotion. 2 The radio communication between Lieutenant Shiota and Petty Officer Kohama continued— “Lieutenant Shiota, Detective Homura and I have successfully defeated the Mysterious Tower King, so please rest assured.”

Petty Officer Kohama reported this, but it was his own misunderstanding—the Mysterious Tower King had not been defeated and was still alive and wreaking havoc. Petty Officer Kohama knew nothing about Homura’s encounter with the Mysterious Tower King. It was not unreasonable for him to report in such a manner. “What is the status of your battle?” In response, Lieutenant Shiota reported the enemy’s crushing defeat while also conveying that one remaining enemy rocket was still putting up fierce resistance.

“We’ll fight tooth and nail until we take down that last one!” “Then we’ll storm Shirokotsu Island—it’s the Mysterious Tower King’s stronghold.” “Ah! You can make it here?” “That’s even better news.” “This island’s the spitting image of the Mysterious Tower King’s nest—teeming with unsolved mysteries and what looks like every weapon under the sun!”

Having said that, Petty Officer Kohama listed various things he had seen and heard up to now. It goes without saying what an excellent report this was for the secret fleet. The fleet had now resolved to advance toward Shirokotsu Island as their ultimate destination. In that case, they had to quickly shoot down the enemy rockets now. From the sky came the aircraft squadron; from the sea surface came the naval vessels—joining forces, they launched an assault on the final rocket.

This rocket, having quickly realized that the Magnetic Cannon was no longer of use, was now focused solely on escape. From the rocket’s tail, it emitted black gas to lay a smoke screen, fleeing desperately, relentlessly fleeing.

3 Right now, both sides were engaged in a game of cat and mouse. Neither the Magnetic Cannons nor the machine guns were being fired; the rocket was focused solely on fleeing, while the secret fleet was equally determined to catch up.

As this went on, the terrifying game of cat and mouse gradually drew closer to Shirokotsu Island. Lieutenant Shiota kept urgently relaying updates to Petty Officer Kohama. Having heard this, Petty Officer Kohama resolved that he too must find a way to launch this Mysterious Tower rocket and intercept the enemy commander's vessel fleeing toward them from the opposite direction. Petty Officer Kohama approached where the Black Operators were working. "Hasn't this Mysterious Tower rocket budged yet?"

he asked. “No—it still won’t budge. “Given how badly it’s broken, you can probably imagine—it’ll take quite some time to fix.” The Black Operators said. Petty Officer Kohama thought they would start repairs immediately, but that wasn’t the case. The sight of them reluctantly repairing the broken parts was as clear as day. Seeing this, Petty Officer Kohama seethed inwardly. At this rate, there was no telling when the repairs on the Mysterious Tower rocket would be completed. Having thought this through, Petty Officer Kohama turned to the Black Operators and,

“You all—I’ll grant freedom to whoever fixes the broken parts fastest. I’ll safely send you back to your home countries.” “Huh?” The Black Operators stared in astonishment. “You mean...the fastest worker gets freed from slavery?” “You’ll make us free men and return us?” “Is this true?” “Exactly as I said.” Hearing this, the Black Operators became entirely different people, clattering and clanking as they threw themselves into repairing the machinery together.

The rocket would likely be fixed soon.

4

While the Black Operators were noisily competing to repair the faulty parts of the Mysterious Tower rocket, the one who casually strolled into the entrance of the Mysterious Tower was none other than Dr. Ōtone. “Who could that be?” The Black Operators blinked their eyes. Dr. Ōtone, putting on a completely unfamiliar face, attempted to ascend to the radio room upstairs. At that moment, Petty Officer Kohama spotted this and,

“Stop! Who are you?”

and aimed the death ray lamp. “Oh, so it’s you. Just now, in the cavern over there, I heard from Homura—for my own sake, I did something truly inexcusable.” “Who are you? I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before.” “Are you referring to me? It’s truly regrettable that you don’t realize. I am Ōtone.” “What?! Dr. Ōtone!”

Petty Officer Kohama's eyes flew wide open in shock. "That's right—I remember clearly. "It's Dr. Ōtone—the one I met on the warship and various other places. "Doctor, we thought you'd been killed by the Mysterious Tower King." Even as he spoke, Petty Officer Kohama never once looked away from the doctor's face.

“It’s no wonder you’d think that,” “For some reason, the Mysterious Tower King wanted to make it seem like I was dead.” “I was suddenly captured by the Mysterious Tower King and his men who burst into my laboratory and brought to this island.” “And I was confined in that cavern—had a terrible time of it, I tell you.” “Just now, I was rescued by Detective Homura—nothing could’ve made me happier.” “But when I listened carefully, they said without you flying here by plane, this victory would’ve been impossible.” “No—what an achievement! What an achievement!”

Dr. Ōtone repeatedly praised Petty Officer Kohama. Being praised by the doctor, Petty Officer Kohama didn't feel bad about it—dangerous, dangerous—the doctor's eyes were darting around.

5 Inside the Mysterious Tower rocket.

Petty Officer Kohama had just finished contacting the secret fleet and was about to heave a sigh of relief. Just then, Dr. Ōtone unexpectedly came to visit, doubling his joy. Petty Officer Kohama had no idea that Dr. Ōtone was the terrifying Mysterious Tower King, so he trusted the doctor with his whole heart. What a dangerous situation. If only nothing would go wrong— Dr. Ōtone was darting his eyes around, looking for an opening to take down Petty Officer Kohama.

Just at that moment.

A sudden violent noise erupted outside the window. Rumble, rumble, rumble. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. Then something—a white flash like lightning—stabbed into Petty Officer Kohama’s eyes. “What’s that?”

Petty Officer Kohama immediately rushed over to the window. His face suddenly stiffened. "Ah, a rocket!" "The rocket has returned to the island!" "What?! You're saying the rocket has returned to the island?"

Dr. Ōtone also approached the window. Sure enough, it was unmistakably a rocket. It was one surviving unit of the Rocket Corps that had been severely dealt with by the secret fleet’s reverse cannons in the skies over the Western Pacific. “Oh! That’s the rocket with the commander aboard!” Dr. Ōtone involuntarily shouted that.

“What?! The commander’s rocket?” “Who is this commander?”

Petty Officer Kohama, detecting something in the doctor’s words, asked. “The commander’s rocket—that is, the rocket carrying the highest-ranking underling of the Mysterious Tower King as its commander—how about it, Kohama? If we wait for that rocket to land and capture it—”

The Shining Rocket

1

When Dr. Ōtone—who was in truth the Mysterious Tower King—proposed capturing the commander’s rocket, Petty Officer Kohama gave a firm nod. “That’s it! Alright—let’s capture that rocket! This’ll make one hell of a catch!” Petty Officer Kohama, the fearless warrior who’d been itching for action ever since crash-landing on Shirokotsu Island, resolved to seize the rocket as ordered by the Mysterious Tower King and charged down the stairs.

“Where are you headed, sir?” A Black Operator asked worriedly. At that moment, the Mysterious Tower Rocket had been repaired and was nearly ready for departure. Therefore, due to Petty Officer Kohama’s promise, the Black Operators were rejoicing that the time when they would finally have their bodies freed had drawn near. “There’s a rocket landing now—I’ll go capture that." “Wait here!”

“Understood.” That said, the Black Operators were so shocked by Petty Officer Kohama’s audacious declaration that they couldn’t find any words to say afterward. “You just wait there now!” With that brusque remark, Petty Officer Kohama dashed outside. At that moment, an intense noise of gas erupting from the rocket’s tail threatened to deafen Petty Officer Kohama! At the same time, the area was completely enveloped in a thick, white smoke-like haze. Petty Officer Kohama thought he had lost sight of the rocket, but just then—with a whoosh and a gust of wind—the massive gray rocket kicked up sand as it landed in a grassy field four or five hundred meters away.

“You bastard! I’ll capture you!” Petty Officer Kohama dashed off like a hunting dog.

2

Finally, the surviving commander’s rocket had landed. Petty Officer Kohama sprang off the ground, trying to cover the four or five hundred meters as quickly as possible—the moment he did, "Oh! Dangerous! This is bad!" With that shout, Petty Officer Kohama threw himself flat onto the ground. Boom! A deafening metallic cacophony! A blinding flash erupted, followed instantly by a world-shattering roar. Shrapnel whistled through the air—bomb fragments slicing through wind. Petty Officer Kohama had spotted the falling bomb overhead and pressed himself against the earth to avoid its deadly spray.

The intense bombing continued unabated. What in the world was happening? In truth, this was the final moments of the commander’s rocket. The commander’s rocket had fought valiantly against the secret fleet and its air units, but due to the Counter-Magnetic Cannon, it was finally dealt a crushing blow. The magnetic cannon—its lifeline—had been destroyed and rendered unusable. Even so, after fleeing as far as possible and landing at its base on Shirokotsu Island, it was mercilessly pummeled by the pursuing air unit.

Once the magnetic cannon had been destroyed, the power to repel bombs and shells was lost. Targeting that moment, our aerial unit rained down a shower of bombs. Petty Officer Kohama had narrowly escaped with his life. At that moment, he recalled another rocket. When Petty Officer Kohama looked back, what he saw clearly through the smoke—seared into his eyes—was the sight of the Mysterious Tower Rocket taking off.

Boom-boom! Boom-boom! “Ah，damn it!” “Wait!” he shouted，but it was too late—the Mysterious Tower Rocket had replaced the commander’s rocket and soared into the open sky．

3

“Those Black Operators looked like they’d surrendered, but in the end they tricked me and escaped with the Mysterious Tower Rocket!”

Petty Officer Kohama, overwhelmed with frustration, struck the ground several times while lying prone, but it was already beyond help.

However, as I’m sure you’ve already realized, it was not the Black Operators who had abruptly launched the Mysterious Tower Rocket—it was Dr. Ōtone. Dr. Ōtone had been waiting for such a moment to arrive. Moreover, if they dawdled any longer, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t be caught in the crossfire of the secret fleet’s bombing. Boom-boom-boom! Whizz! Thud-thud-thud! From the ground, even while half-destroyed, the commander’s rocket was ceaselessly firing shells skyward. Even as an enemy, the commander’s rocket was admirable. In response, our aerial unit also began repeating fierce dive-bombing attacks there as their final stand. The ground became enveloped in smoke, plunging the area into darkness.

“This is insane!” At this point, even Petty Officer Kohama had no idea what would become of his fate from here on out. One explosion after another, bomb fragments raining down—they were so intense that they momentarily made him forget his frustration at having let the Mysterious Tower Rocket slip from his grasp.

Some minutes later. The commander’s rocket that had been on the ground finally exploded with a tremendous roar. And the rocket became a mass of flames, its fire endlessly scorching the heavens and creating a dreadful spectacle. Due to this massive explosion, Petty Officer Kohama seemed to have finally sustained two or three wounds on his body, and a stinging pain began to spread. However, upon checking, he found that fortunately, they were nothing but superficial scratches. Rejoicing in his indomitable military fortune, Petty Officer Kohama stood up resolutely from within the smoke.

4 Petty Officer Kohama’s frustration was beyond compare. The Mysterious Tower Rocket they had worked so hard to capture had somehow left Petty Officer Kohama behind and soared into the air. Choking on gun smoke, Petty Officer Kohama looked up at the sky time and again, but there was no sign of the Mysterious Tower Rocket—only the eerie roar of the rocket reverberated thunderously.

“What is this? They finally managed to get away completely! Disappointing!” Petty Officer Kohama refused to yield to his painful wounds and stood up. He thought he should now send an aerial signal to inform his comrades that both he and Homura were on this island. Just as he started moving toward the hill where Homura was—thinking this would be the best approach—a figure suddenly leaped out from within the smoke.

“Oh, Mr. Kohama!” When “Mr. Kohama” and my name were called, Petty Officer Kohama looked sharply toward the voice. “Hey, Mr. Homura! Since we’re still under bombardment, moving around too much could get you killed! What brings you here?”

Detective Homura was soaked through from head to toe. “No—I went through hell. In the cave up there. I encountered Dr. Ōtone—because of him, I nearly lost my life!” “Ah! Dr. Ōtone came here earlier too—” “What? He came here? And what became of him? Mr. Kohama—you weren’t harmed?”

When told that, Petty Officer Kohama clicked his tongue in frustration. “He got me—completely outmaneuvered! Even though I’d finally occupied the Mysterious Tower, Dr. Ōtone showed up and sweet-talked me into stepping outside... Then, as if it’d been waiting for that exact moment, the Mysterious Tower launched into the sky!”

Unexpected Message Tube

1

Amidst the gun smoke, Detective Homura and Petty Officer Kohama, who had managed to reunite, felt their courage multiply a hundredfold. “Mr. Kohama, what should we do now?” “I know that. “I’ll take down the Mysterious Tower King no matter what. “And I’ll completely take over this base no matter what.” “I understand. “Then, what should we do for now? “The battle has already begun in the air. “Yet we have neither planes nor rockets. “It’s a shame that even if we wanted to take to the air now, we can’t.”

“Yeah, I’ve been regretting that since earlier.” “Ah, if only I had an airplane—I’d chase the Mysterious Tower King to the ends of the earth…” And Petty Officer Kohama rubbed both his arms, looking deeply frustrated. An aviation petty officer without an airplane, and in the sky, a fierce aerial battle raged on. Truly, Petty Officer Kohama’s state of mind was heartrending.

At that moment. Amid the billowing gun smoke shrouding the island, the ferocious roar of propellers abruptly drew near.

“Hey Homura! Can’t tell if it’s enemy or ally, but there’s something flying low coming our way.” “Quick! Get yourself hidden over there!” “Ah, understood.”

While they were saying this, several planes broke through the gun smoke and approached overhead. “Ah—friendly attack aircraft! Look out! Take cover!” Quickly discerning the type of aircraft, Petty Officer Kohama exclaimed. Vividly emblazoned on the wings was the rising sun! Those were indeed friendly attack aircraft. But why would they be flying at such a low altitude? If they were to carry out a ground attack, the lives of both Homura and Kohama would now be in truly grave danger, like a candle flame in the wind. The two of them lay perfectly still, like fossils.

2

Ground attack? The lives of Petty Officer Kohama and Detective Homura were in peril. However, the attack aircraft squadron flew past over the two men’s heads in an instant. Fortunately, there was no ground attack either. “Ah… We’re saved!”

Homura raised his head and looked back at where the aircraft had flown away. “Hey Homura! Those planes are definitely going to circle back, so when they do, wave your hands like crazy to signal our allies. If they spot us correctly from the air, they’ll definitely lend a hand.” “I see. Alright. I’ll signal the plane with all my might.” While they were saying this, sure enough, the ferocious roar of propellers once again drew near. Fearing that missing this opportunity would let their allies’ aircraft depart elsewhere, Petty Officer Kohama urged Homura to join him in shouting at the top of their lungs while flailing their limbs on the ground to signal their presence to the crew above.

At that very moment, the squadron let out a deafening roar and streaked away, skimming just above the men's heads. *Now what? Did my signals reach our comrades on the plane?* As he thought this, propellers began to roar for the third time. This time the planes flew even lower. Then the propellers suddenly halted midair. "They're landing!"

Petty Officer Kohama dashed off. "Huh? Are they landing?" Upon hearing this, Homura also followed.

The three attack aircraft landed splendidly on the sand. Then, sharply turning their rudders, they approached the two. From the aircraft, their comrades were frantically waving their hands. Petty Officer Kohama, overwhelmed with emotion, felt his eyes involuntarily cloud over.

3

“Hey, Homura! Hurry up!”

Petty Officer Kohama shouted this and immediately began running toward our attack aircraft that had just landed. Petty Officer Kohama, upon seeing his comrades, could no longer remain still. Detective Homura, grasping Petty Officer Kohama’s intent, immediately began running after him.

“Hey! Hey!” From the three attack aircraft that had landed perfectly in formation, our brave airmen descended to the ground and called out repeatedly toward Petty Officer Kohama and his companion.

“Hey! I’m coming now!” Petty Officer Kohama steeled himself.

“Homura! Hurry up!” Petty Officer Kohama’s eyes shone, and his chest pounded. Ever since crash-landing on this Shirokotsu Island, unexpectedly seeing the figures of his comrades brought him joy beyond measure. Gradually, the figures loomed larger. “Oh, Petty Officer Kohama! You’ve managed to stay alive!” Having said that, one of the flight-suited warriors came stomping over. Seeing this, Petty Officer Kohama—

“Ah, Lieutenant Shiota! You were my superior officer?” “You were my superior officer?” Petty Officer Kohama shouted. Overwhelmed with joy, hot tears gushed from both eyes. Desperately suppressing the urge to embrace someone, he stood at attention and snapped a hand salute. Lieutenant Shiota returned the salute with evident satisfaction, gripped the petty officer’s hand, and patted his sturdy shoulder. “Well done surviving unscathed.” “When your wireless message reached the fleet, everyone who heard it wept tears of joy!”

As Lieutenant Shiota said this and turned around, there stood his long-awaited crew members who rushed toward Petty Officer Kohama with a cheer, surrounding him in such jubilation they seemed ready to embrace him. At this moment, Petty Officer Kohama straightened his posture: "What weighs heaviest on me is Aoe's fate." "I must apologize for causing Aoe's death."

4 "Aoe met a tragic end. But it can't be helped—this is war." Lieutenant Shiota patted Petty Officer Kohama's shoulder and said comfortingly. "Kohama intended to avenge him but ended up crash-landing and destroying the plane. From then on, Detective Homura kept encouraging me in all sorts of ways. Oh! Detective Homura—I thought he came along with us, but he isn't around here, is he?"

Where had Detective Homura gone? “Ah, isn’t that Homura over there?” When they looked where Lieutenant Shiota pointed, far ahead—about three hundred meters behind them—there stood Detective Homura, vigorously trying to pull out a large cylinder planted in the ground. “That’s Detective Homura.” “What could he be doing?” “I’ll go check.” When Petty Officer Kohama started running, Lieutenant Shiota and the others followed suit, dashing toward where Homura was.

“Hey, what’s wrong, Homura?” “Ah, Petty Officer Kohama! Ah, Lieutenant Shiota! You came!” “Let’s save the greetings for later—look at this.” “It’s terribly imposing and large—it appears to be a communication cylinder dropped from the sky.” “What? A communication cylinder?”

“Yes, I’ll pull it out now.” What could have come out of that communication cylinder—the one that Homura, ever alert, had discovered? He found a large sheet of paper inside the cylinder and unfolded it. When he opened it, he was shocked. It was a row of strange characters written in blood. “What’s this?” “Oh! This was written by the Black Operators inside the Mysterious Tower King’s rocket.” “When we read the message—it says to immediately remove the fuse device hidden under the haystack in the hut on the hill. If our rocket makes a low-altitude pass over it, the entire island will explode within one minute. Be warned.” “*Black I Bird*.”

Divine Retribution

1 The fuse for the entire island’s destruction!

That was under the hay piled up in the hut on the hill! What a terrifying mechanism that was. Moreover, according to that astonishing message from the Black Operators, if the Mysterious Tower Rocket were to approach that spot, the entire island would explode within a mere one minute.

“Now everyone, we can’t afford to dawdle. Please prepare the planes for immediate taxiing. I will now climb that hill and cut the fuse for the island-wide explosion hidden in the hut.” With that declaration, Detective Homura immediately broke into a run. “Hey, Homura, wait!”

With that shout, it was Petty Officer Kohama who gave chase after him. "I won't let you go alone. I'm coming with you."

At that very moment— A suspicious drone echoed from a corner of the sky. That gut-churning sound could only mean one thing—the Mysterious Tower Rocket was flying back toward them. Lieutenant Shiota jolted upright, “Petty Officer Kohama! Detective Homura—fall back! No time for the hill now!” “Get to the plane!” “Move it—return here immediately!”

Lieutenant Shiota shouted. Since the lieutenant’s order had been given, there was no helping it. The two of them snapped to attention and turned back.

“Look at that! “The Mysterious Tower Rocket is coming this way! “Get on the planes quickly! “If we’re not careful, the island might blow up while we’re taxiing!” Upon Lieutenant Shiota’s order, all members boarded the attack aircraft. Kohama and Homura had seats made available for them on the second aircraft and boarded it. The propellers whirred. The three attack aircraft taxied across the ground in a brilliant formation—but at that moment—the astonishingly large form of the Mysterious Tower Rocket loomed before their eyes.

2

The attack aircraft, their formation flight executed brilliantly, took off from Shirokotsu Island and soared into the air. From the lead aircraft, Lieutenant Shiota was continuously relaying orders via radio to Numbers Two and Three.

“All hands, battle stations!” In the second aircraft, Detective Homura, who had squeezed himself aboard with difficulty, was huddled as small as possible behind Petty Officer Kohama in the pilot’s seat, clinging on. The violent wind pressed fiercely against Detective Homura’s nose and mouth from directly ahead, and the agony was beyond description.

“Number Two, cross over the hill and reverse course—secure the front of the Mysterious Tower Rocket from above!” “Number Three, follow the lead aircraft and attack the Mysterious Tower Rocket!” Upon the command, Number Two aircraft immediately broke away from the formation. And flying over the hill where the fuse was buried, it soon executed a brilliant reversal. At that moment, Lieutenant Shiota’s lead aircraft and Number Three mustered all their might in an almost vertical ascent, ascending above the approaching Mysterious Tower Rocket.

There, the Mysterious Tower Rocket swooped down, billowing thick white gas from its tail. As the Black Operators had informed, the Mysterious Tower King was finally approaching the hilltop—it appeared he intended to ignite the fuse for Shirokotsu Island’s destruction using his magnetic cannon’s power.

Rat-tat-tat! Rat-tat-tat! As if challenging them, from above came the machine gun fire of the lead aircraft and Number Three. The Mysterious Tower King thrust his terrifying visage against the glass window, "You dare interfere?" "What good are mere machine gun bullets?" "Take this magnetic cannon!" When he unleashed a ferocious magnetic force from the Mysterious Tower's tip, a purple light streaked upward through the air!

Danger to the lead aircraft and Number Three! At that very moment, as if he had been waiting for it, Lieutenant Shiota flipped the switch on the Counter-Magnetic Cannon.

3 Had the Counter-Magnetic Cannon's switch been activated even a moment later, both Lieutenant Shiota's lead aircraft and Number Three would have had their wings torn off with no alternative but to crash. However, a split second sooner, the Counter-Magnetic Cannon intercepted the powerful magnetic current and deflected it back to the ground.

“Ah, this is bad!” It was the Mysterious Tower King who shouted. The powerful magnetic force he had fired rebounded back, instantly melting the window he had been peering through into a viscous pool and blowing a gaping hole through it, from which a fierce wind came rushing in. The machinery inside the tower clattered noisily, and the lightweight Mysterious Tower King was nearly blown away. “Grrr, I won’t be defeated!” The Mysterious Tower King clenched his teeth, took the downward helm to lower the Mysterious Tower Rocket’s nose and flee in that direction—but just then,

“I’ve been waiting for this! Petty Officer Kohama is here! This is vengeance for Aoe—face your reckoning!”

And Kohama’s plane charged head-on. The Mysterious Tower King aimed his magnetic cannon in that direction, but it immediately rebounded back. “Z-Zannen! “To think I’d be struck down this brutally by my own Counter-Magnetic Cannon!” The Mysterious Tower King turned deathly pale. When he looked down, searching for any remaining escape route, he realized that if he flew just skimming over that hill, he might be able to break through to the other side.

“Hmm, got it! “That’s the one path!” With that, he twisted the helm and swooped down over the hill like a swallow—but just as he was about to clear it, the hill exploded with a deafening roar that seemed to rend heaven and earth. The sky became a solid mass of fire. Rocks and mud spewing up from below resembled a volcanic eruption. The Mysterious Tower’s midsection could be seen split cleanly in two, but what transpired beyond that point remained unclear. Flames and smoke enveloped everything.

4

The Mysterious Tower King’s Demise! The explosions on Shirokotsu Island continued one after another; heaven and earth grew ever darker as hellish flames blazed fiercely across the island’s surface. The Mysterious Tower King’s body had likely already turned to smoke and ascended skyward. The attack aircraft crews who had been relentlessly firing upon the Mysterious Tower Rocket were moments away from pursuing their foe when—protected by divine power shielding the righteous—they narrowly escaped disaster at the final instant. Yet even these valiant men reportedly retained no memory for some time of how they had turned their helms or moved their control sticks. When awareness returned, they found themselves spinning like autumn leaves at five thousand meters’ altitude. They appeared to have been hurled skyward by the great explosion itself—a miracle their aircraft remained intact through it all.

Why did such a great explosion occur? It was because the strong magnetic force fired by the Mysterious Tower Rocket had been repelled by the Counter-Magnetic Cannon, and the fuse had already been ignited one minute before the Mysterious Tower Rocket crossed over the hill. And just as it was about to detonate, the Mysterious Tower Rocket of its own accord plunged into it.

Lieutenant Shiota, Petty Officer Kohama, and Detective Homura all returned safely to the fleet. There, Ichihiko had been eagerly awaiting the warriors' return. Then everyone set out on their triumphant journey in high spirits.

“Hey, Uncle Homura, why did Dr. Ōtone become the Mysterious Tower King and do all those bad things?”

Ichihiko asked Homura from the deck while bidding farewell to Shirokotsu Island. “Well, you see, it’s like this. Dr. Ōtone was a member of a secret society that’s now plotting to overturn the world. It was an extremely dangerous situation for Japan.” With that, the detective heaved a deep sigh.

With that, the detective let out a deep sigh.