Episode 22

Part 1: Poe and Ranpo / Part 2: Moby Dick, Swimming in the Sky (其の一『ポオと乱歩』/ 其の二『天の海をゆく白鯨のありて』) is the 22nd episode of Bungo Stray Dogs anime series. It aired on December 02, 2016.

Synopsis
Ranpo receives an invitation to a detective game from none other than a writer-detective named Poe. He's initially indifferent until Poe reveals what the reward would be should he win.

Summary
Ranpo and Yosano confront the Guild member who sent an invitation to Ranpo, though Yosano admits it seems to be a trap. A mystery is posted on a door for the two to be allowed entrance, which Ranpo easily solves. As they enter, they meet the Guild's architect named Poe, who compliments Ranpo — the man he wishes to defeat — for having solved his puzzle on the door.

Ranpo asks the man who he is, much to Poe's chagrin. Poe re-introduces himself as the one that Ranpo had beaten six years ago, but Ranpo ignores him and opts to head back. Poe halts him to have him participate in his Deduction Game by solving the chain of murders in Poe's novel. Though Ranpo is initially uninterested, Poe promises to give them intel about the Guild's weakness should he be able to solve the mystery. After Poe praises his Super Deduction, Ranpo grabs the novel and reads it with Yosano.

Poe sets the scene: one night during a certain era, the protagonist awakens from a strange sound in his room in a mansion, where guests are trapped due to a snowstorm. Just then, Poe activates his ability, which transports readers into a novel's setting. As Ranpo and Yosano are transported into the novel's world, Poe welcomes them to the mansion of tragedy.

The protagonist was Ranpo, who uses a spare key to open the room door. He sees a stabbed victim, locked windows, two closed doors, and the spare key in his hand. Ranpo quickly hides the spare key and realizes that he has lost his glasses. Guests arrive at the scene, including Yosano, who checks on the victim. In his final moments, the victim points at a door, which Ranpo opens to reveal a message that reads, "Welcome to Locked Room".

After clearing the scene, Yosano informs Ranpo that she cannot activate her ability and about the victim's identity as the mansion's manager. Ranpo conjectures the case to be an impossible crime, but Yosano finds Ranpo out of his usual demeanor in solving the case. He reasons out that he would not be able to solve the crime without Super Deduction, given that abilities could not be used in that setting and that he does not have his glasses. Yosano suggests they deduce the truth on their own, but Ranpo refuses to perform a typical detective's procedures such as interrogation and investigation.

In the end, Yosano and Ranpo interrogate four guests at the mansion, who all provide an alibi during the time of the murder. A guest suggests how the crime might have occurred, but Ranpo dismisses his theories. Yosano commends his deduction skills, but Ranpo bluntly thinks otherwise. In reality, Poe remarks on how the mystery is challenging even for Ranpo, who wishes to take revenge. By nighttime, Yosano locks herself in her room and awaits the murderer, who attacks her.

Ranpo rushes to her room and finds her fatally injured. She apologizes for failing to catch the culprit and leaves matters in the hands of the world's best detective, for whom the Agency was founded. Yosano then thanks Ranpo for inviting her to the Agency.

As her spectacles fall to the ground, Ranpo wears them while Poe laughs after Yosano's demise. Suddenly, Ranpo and Yosano return to the real world, shocking Poe. Ranpo points out Poe's mistakes and deduces that the murderer is Ranpo himself. In short, Ranpo deduces that the murderer and the author are accomplices. Poe becomes devastated at his loss, though Ranpo commends his development after their competition, showing that Ranpo has never forgotten about him.

As Yosano and Ranpo leave the room with the file on the Guild's weaknesses, the latter bids Poe farewell and advises him to work harder for Ranpo's sake. Along the way, Yosano suggests they celebrate Ranpo finally learning the truth of his non-ability. Ranpo insists that he does have an ability since he does not wish to be deemed an ordinary person.

Later, Dazai and Ranpo devise a way to take on the Guild, settling with their plan by sending Atsushi. Meanwhile, Mark escorts Lucy to John after she helped Atsushi escape Moby Dick. She admits to letting Atsushi escape though she knows that the Guild has countermeasures for her ability. John then consults Louisa on their next course of action.

Dazai visits Ango in the hospital and tells him that the Agency's Dr. Yosano has agreed to treat his injuries. In return, Dazai asks a favor from Ango regarding his subordinate captured by the military police and wishes her to be set free before their clash with the Guild. Recalling her as the killer of 35 people being held in an unmanned plane, Ango informs Dazai that the Special Division for Unusual Powers may grant her immunity from an extrajudicial plea, given that she is truly an Agency member. Ango accepts his treatment offer, though he asks Dazai why his airbag did not deploy after the vehicle rammed into theirs; Dazai merely smirks at him.

Tanizaki explains to Atsushi that Kyōka needs to pass an entrance exam, a secret test, to determine whether she truly qualifies for the Agency. Atsushi worries about Kyōka's success in the exam since she often escapes by hurting others. They arrive at the library, where Tanizaki introduces Atsushi to the Agency's micro-assault fighter, the Night Crow, hidden within the building. For his solo infiltration, Atsushi is escorted by Tanizaki to the Guild's airship. At the same time, Akutagawa enters Moby Dick after infiltrating an air vessel.

With Dazai guiding him, Atsushi successfully lands on Moby Dick, which seems to be evacuated. He enters a room and encounters Herman M., who hints that the Moby Dick shall soon turn the Guild's enemies into ash, including the airship itself. For instance, John, Louisa, Mark, and Lucy start evacuating from the "Moby Dick Bomb", an operation that would incinerate Yokohama, including the Agency's and the Port Mafia's headquarters from the damage to be brought by Moby Dick.

Atsushi tells Dazai that they should abort the mission at once, but Dazai asks him to proceed as planned. He places his trust in Atsushi to stop its descent within an hour, being the only one in the aircraft at the moment. Herman tells him that the vessel can be stopped by a control terminal, which is being thoroughly guarded in the office on the highest floor. Mid-operation, Mori contacts Dazai, while Atsushi encounters Akutagawa aboard the Moby Dick.

Manga and Anime Differences

 * The manga shows Mark sobbing at Lucy's reasoning when she helped Atsushi escape, though this episode apparently shows him with a neutral reaction.
 * When Tanizaki and Atsushi arrive at the library, they meet several agents in the manga, while encountering a single person in this episode.
 * In the manga, Tanizaki and Atsushi are initially anxious as they head towards Moby Dick aboard the Night Crow. Their apparent nervousness aren't portrayed in this episode.