Chapter 146

A freezing bomb locks Osaragi in place, and though she works herself loose from the ice, dread keeps her from striking back. Because Natsuki's suit renders him invisible, she reads him as a spirit and freezes up entirely. With Kaji lending a hand, Natsuki uses her panic to slip Mafuyu and Shin toward a quieter wing of the museum.

The scene reveals that Kashima has lost faith in the Order's capacity to disarm the device planted inside Mafuyu safely. That doubt drives him to track down Natsuki, and the search reunites the two brothers on warm terms after their long estrangement.

Once the explosive comes out of Mafuyu cleanly, Natsuki chides him for the reckless bid to enlist with the Order and floats the idea of walking away from the family for good. When Mafuyu frets about their father hunting them down, Natsuki brushes the worry aside, noting the man is a mediocre killer who poses little real danger.

The calm breaks fast: Kaji points out that the removed bomb has not stopped counting down. A flashback shows Uzuki quietly rigging the device to defeat Kashima's plan. Shin bundles it in cloth, chills it rock-solid using one of the freezing devices Natsuki carries, and flings it clear of the building, where it goes off without hurting anyone.

Osaragi mistakes the invisible Natsuki for a ghost and is left too frightened to fight. Natsuki and Kaji extract Mafuyu and Shin to another part of the exhibition. Kashima, doubting the Order, reunites with his brother Natsuki. Natsuki removes the bomb from Mafuyu and proposes cutting all family ties. Kaji notices the device is still armed, and a flashback exposes Uzuki as the one who tampered with it. Shin freezes the bomb and throws it outside, where it detonates harmlessly.

This installment belongs to the Assassin Exhibition of the Century Arc and appeared in Volume 17. Its Japanese title, Obake, translates to Ghost, a nod to Osaragi's terrified misreading of Natsuki. Uzuki's hidden manipulation of the bomb sets up the ongoing threat that his sabotage will keep undermining the heroes' efforts.