Chapter 74

Skyfall, Part 1 (SKYFALL 其の壱,) is the 74th chapter of the Bungo Stray Dogs manga.

Summary
With her strength, Teruko stops the entire aircraft from penetrating the casino hotel. Tachihara instantly informs Teruko of the enemy's next plan, but he stops midway as he spots various RDG1800 coins spill from the aircraft, which triggers another explosion. Tachihara manages to catch Teruko from falling, after the two cooperated with each other in containing the blast and with pushing down the aircraft off the hotel floor.

Tachihara explains that the coin bombs would be eventually disseminated through the casino guests and, upon taking the coins with them outside the casino, the coin bombs shall be detonated throughout the world. Since money is a commodity that people keep close with them, the enemy must be aiming to merely slaughter the people by such mundane weapon.

Teruko and Tachihara realize that the terrorists were not targeting the casino, as the casino itself is the terrorist. Indeed, four hours prior the casino incidents, Ango explained to his team that the third stage of the Decay of the Angel would be global terrorism through indiscriminate killing through the use of coins. Eventually, people would stop trusting financial firms with their money, and an economic crisis would inevitably take place not long after. Teruko then heads out with Tachihara to the communications room in an attempt to hijack the bomb's detonation signal and reveal the casino's plot to the entire world. Upon exiting the room, the two Hunting Dogs are surrounded by armed casino guards.

Nearby, Atsushi hears that the Hunting Dogs have finally began fighting, just as Dazai predicted. Though Kyōka thinks that the communications room must be laid with layers of defense due to its importance, Atsushi is undeterred to complete Dazai's threefold plan: to capture the casino manager, prevent terrorism, and form an alliance with the Hunting Dogs. As Teruko easily outmaneuvers and beats down her opponents, Sigma remains steadfast in the ways that he, an ordinary person, can do.

At Meursault, Dazai asks Dostoevsky why he chose Sigma to protect the casino. He deduces that, with Sigma's non-existing history except from three years ago and his ability that can exchange the information his opponent wants most with the information he wants most, Sigma's goal is originally not terrorism. Moreover, because no intelligence agency had any information regarding the Sky Casino's origins, Dazai theorizes that the Sky Casino was not built 13 years ago, but rather eight days ago thanks to the power of the page. Upon existing, the casino became their terrorist base and became payment for Sigma upon using his ability.

As they conversed in codes, a document with their decoded message arrives from Japan, but the guards are shocked to read mere nonsense "deciphered" by the decoders, since they figured that the two inmates have been improvising their conversation codes throughout their stay. Dostoevsky reveals to Dazai that Sigma was sent to the frontlines because of his strength, at least in their erstwhile game. He tells Dazai that the strongest are not those with abilities nor authority, but rather those who have nothing else. Specifically speaking, Sigma, after all, does not have his own past.

Tachihara manipulates the guards' guns, compelling them to retreat. As the guests head out of their rooms, Teruko gets weakened after stopping the aircraft earlier. A couple of guests then approach the two, asking if they are from the police. Tachihara then assures them that they are not there to harm the guests, but the lady immediately stabs him, after which her spouse shatters a wine bottle on him. The Hunting Dogs find out that Sigma has issued a bounty on their heads in exchange for erasing anyone's debts. Dostoevsky thinks that Sigma can burn down even the Hunting Dogs with his demonic persistence and sense of belongingness with the casino, believing that the most fearsome thing in the world is an ordinary person filled with desperation just like Sigma.