Bungo Stray Dogs - Volume 5 - Chapter 6

CHAPTER VI 

6—1 

The highway connecting Kanagawa Prefecture and Tokyo was closed off, but there was a car parked on the prefectural border. It almost seemed to be watching over Kanagawa. That car belonged to the Special Division’s surveillance group. It was impossible to see what was happening over in Kanagawa due to the white mist covering the prefecture. As they carefully watched the fog from a distance, it suddenly turned red. 

Furthermore, the fog, which had remained stagnant as if kept in place by a thin film, slowly began to waver. However, by the time one of the agents noticed, it was already rapidly approaching. The agent immediately slammed on the gas pedal, but it was too late. The moment the fog swallowed the car, it stopped accelerating before sliding to a full stop. The passengers once inside had vanished. 

After the red fog devoured the earth, the planet would undoubtedly look like a floating red apple from space. There would be no humans left on its surface, nor any signs they ever existed. It would be a true paradise, and with that, the Dead Apple would finally be complete. A dead planet covered in red fog—that was what Fyodor had planned and sought out. Nothing other than death could wash away the original sin of man, so it was only fitting for the sin, which started with a fruit, to end with one as well. Perhaps nobody other than Fyodor ever realized that the knife in the red apple was alluding to this moment. 

The red fog gradually grew more powerful to devour every single soul. 

“The fog has begun spreading!” 

An operator’s voice yelled in the Special Division’s operations room. The measuring gauges creaked. Each worker pleaded for an explanation of what was going on. 

“The singularity’s variance is immeasurable!” 

“If the fog continues to spread at its current speed of twelve and a half miles per hour, the entire Kanto region will be engulfed in approximately one hour and thirty-five minutes—twelve hours and thirty-six minutes for all of Japan, and a hundred and sixty-eight hours for the whole planet!” 

Murakoso, an agent with long, wavy hair, frowned while blowing a bubble with her red gum until it popped. “You’ve gotta be kidding me!” 

A shrill sound stood out among the various noises. 

“Hmm…?” Aoki, who noticed the sound, opened his eyes wide. “We’re receiving a call from England’s secret military agency.” 

Ango leaned forward in his chair. “…! The Order of the Clock Tower?” 

He immediately connected to the call. SOUND ONLY appeared on the LCD screen when an alluring voice greeted them: 

“How do you do?” 

Everyone in the Special Division stiffened as if they had been struck by lightning, then swallowed their collective breath. 

It was Dame Agatha Christie—an enticing woman who could charm someone with only her voice. 

Even though she was speaking through a machine, her overwhelming air of authority was palpable. 

“On behalf of the European nations, allow me to express my sympathies for the crisis your nation finds itself in.” Her voice was brimming with refinement and deceit as she continued, “Therefore…” 

This was a farewell call. 

“…I have dispatched a skill user to incinerate the fog before it spreads to other parts of the world.” 

“Incinerate…?!” Ango’s throat had turned painfully dry. “What’s their ETA?” 

“Exactly thirty minutes from now, at daybreak…,” she replied with her clear and beautiful voice, then promptly hung up. Her call was not a proposal but a declaration. 

In fact, several British bomber planes were already en route to Japan as well. The European nations were planning on disposing of Tatsuhiko Shibusawa and sinking Japan along with him. 

Thirty minutes. There are only thirty minutes left. If we don’t do something about the red fog before then… 

“…Yokohama will be burned to the ground.” 

Ango’s dazed comment was lost in the operations room. Nobody could utter another word. Only the crude noises of various machinery remained. 

6—2 

The wind howled. Dust danced in the air as the red fog whirled about. Tatsuhiko Shibusawa, now with a red crystal shining on his forehead, grinned with ecstasy as he stood among the ruins of Skull Fortress. Broken shards of glass glimmered in the moonlight. A shadowy figure casually approached him. 

“Tatsuhiko Shibusawa, correct?” 

The man with the sharp, cold voice was Akutagawa, but without even waiting for an answer, he promptly summoned Rashomon. 

“Tenma Tengai!” 

Black fabric instantly expanded, wrapping around Akutagawa’s limbs before covering his entire body. In this form, he was using Rashomon’s blades not as a weapon but instead as armor. This was his strongest form, but he could only maintain it for a short amount of time. 

“Oh?” Shibusawa’s eyes sparkled with intrigue. “So you two are skill users as well… I thought everyone would be dead by now.” 

“You two?” 

Bewildered, Akutagawa looked around until he found Kyouka standing right behind him. He slightly knit his brow. “What are you doing here?” 

Undeterred, Kyouka indifferently replied, “I just want him to live in the light.” 

It wasn’t lip service. Her words were genuine as she faced Shibusawa with determination. 

“I’ll take care of him…” Her eyes locked on Shibusawa as she cried, “Demon Snow!” 

Her skill materialized, and its sword sliced through the air, creating a huge impact in the space. 

Akutagawa and Kyouka. Rashomon and Demon Snow. 

Shibusawa looked at their skills and made his excitement no surprise. “Amazing… Never did I dream that anyone—two people at that—would take their skill back!” 

Kyouka glared at Shibusawa as he smiled like an innocent child. 

“It’s not just the two of us,” she said, to which Shibusawa narrowed his eyes. 

After all, she knew that the skill users of Yokohama wouldn’t go down so easily. 

Amid the confines of the mist, the leader of the Port Mafia, Ougai Mori, muttered to no one in particular, “It’s finally come to this…” He gazed at the red fog covering the sky. “What do you plan on doing, Dazai?” 

However, he didn’t seem all that concerned. It was as if the situation were but an afterthought. 

“At any rate, I suppose I should be more worried about myself right now.” Ougai heaved a sigh while taking out a handful of scalpels. An adorable little girl on the other side of the fog leaped out at him. 

“Guh… Elise!” Ougai winced. 

“I love you, Rintarou!” 

Elise wasted no time in kicking Ougai to the ground. On her forehead glowed a red crystal. 

Ougai tumbled before coming to a stop. “Even the fake you is adorable, Elise! I can’t bring myself to hurt you.” While it may have sounded like sarcasm to an outsider, Ougai was entirely serious. He watched a giant syringe materialize in the girl’s arms. “Now,” he started. “The optimal solution would be—” 

He suddenly heard metal hitting metal. It was the sound of two swords clashing. Ougai knew this rhythm. Having a good idea who the sword’s wielder was, he looked over to find the president of the Armed Detective Agency fighting his own skill nearby. The two Yukichi Fukuzawas were facing each other with swords in hand. 

Their gruesome swordfight was reminiscent of a dance, and Ougai’s eyes could hardly keep up with their speed. Through labored breaths, Fukuzawa said, “A swordsman with the same skill set as myself… Normally, I would be honored to have such a sparring partner, but…” 

“I possess an even more perfect spirit,” Fukuzawa’s skill claimed softly. “While your talents may be unmatched, your swordsmanship is too sincere. You cannot defeat me with a sword that knows no guile.” 

“…!” 

Fukuzawa narrowed his eyes and scowled as his own skill brazenly lectured him. Ougai suddenly called out to him, and Fukuzawa glanced in his direction. 

“What a coincidence, Doctor Mori.” 

“Having a little trouble there, Mr. Fukuzawa?” As Ougai approached, it was apparent from his expression that he had a plan. Fukuzawa noticed and immediately knew what he was getting at. 

“I believe I just figured out how to solve it,” Fukuzawa replied. 

“Excellent. Our typical actions are most effective at times like these, are they not?” 

With their backs to each other, they shared their intentions without ever voicing them. They knew what the other wanted. 

As Elise charged toward Ougai with her giant syringe, Fukuzawa’s skill readied its sword. Immediately, Fukuzawa and Ougai traded places. Fukuzawa sliced through the crystal on Elise’s forehead while Ougai threw a scalpel as a distraction before pulling out a pistol and shooting the gem on Fukuzawa’s skill. Fukuzawa had no problem attacking Elise, and Ougai had no problem with being cunning. They had switched enemies to better suit their compatibilities. 

“So those scalpels aren’t your only weapons…” Fukuzawa turned his back to Ougai. “I’ll have to be more careful from now on.” 

Ougai cynically smirked at Fukuzawa, who began to walk away. “You showed no mercy, even to a cute little girl. The lone swordsman Silver Wolf is one wicked man.” 

“That was nothing more than a monster,” promptly replied Fukuzawa. By the time he finished his sentence, an adorable young girl appeared before Ougai. 

“What do you think you’re doing leaving me behind, Rintarou?!” 

There was no red crystal on the pouting little girl’s forehead anymore. 

“Ah, Elise… The one and true Elise.” Ougai pathetically grinned from ear to ear. 

“A monster either way if you ask me,” said Fukuzawa as he disappeared into the distance. It was evident that both of them had regained their skills after destroying the crystals. 

6—3 

While the battles throughout Yokohama continued, Akutagawa and Kyouka faced off against Shibusawa, who now possessed the power of the dragon. The three of them were in the ruins of what once was the Yokohama Settlement. Akutagawa, armored in Rashomon’s fabric, sprinted forward with incredible agility. The speed and power of Rashomon powerfully propelled his fist, and yet, Shibusawa didn’t even flinch. Akutagawa’s punch went straight through his body, for it wasn’t a physical body. 

“…?!” 

Akutagawa opened his eyes wide, feeling as if he had punched through an illusion. Shibusawa smugly cackled, then said, “I have already passed through the gates of death… How do you plan on killing someone who is already dead?” 

He then finished his sentence with a vigorous kick to Akutagawa’s stomach, sending him flying back. Akutagawa couldn’t even touch him, and yet Shibusawa’s attack connected. It didn’t make any sense. 

Akutagawa used Rashomon to regain his footing. “You abomination…” 

But glaring at Shibusawa wouldn’t do anything, either. Demon Snow lowered her stance and soared toward the enemy with her katana in hand. Shibusawa’s burning eyes gleamed as he ran at Demon Snow. They clashed. The white blade grazed the air before snapping in half in Shibusawa’s hand. 

Neither in power nor in ability were they a match for him, but Akutagawa and Kyouka didn’t have the luxury of giving up. 

6—4 

In a daze, Atsushi stood in the prison cell–like stone room. 

“Your soul demonstrated that will to live when you killed me… So show me your soul—your spark!” Shibusawa had loudly demanded before disappearing from the room of memories. Atsushi was the only one left. 

“Spark of life…?” Atsushi softly uttered to himself. “What does that even mean? I don’t have any spark. I was actually kind of relieved when the fog took my tiger powers from me, because that meant I couldn’t hurt anyone anymore. I thought that proved that the tiger and I were separate entities all along…” 

However… 

Atsushi saw evidence of what happened six years ago: how he killed Shibusawa and how he survived after almost being killed himself. The tiger’s savage claws were frightening. There was no mistaking that. 

“But…,” quietly uttered Atsushi. “The tiger saved me that day…” 

The room suddenly vanished before his eyes, and a path appeared in its place. The path was shrouded in darkness, making it impossible to see what waited ahead. 

Even so… 

Atsushi bit his lip and took the first step forward. He figured it was better to walk into the darkness than not move at all. He heard the tiger’s roar coming from somewhere, but for some reason, he seemed to accept it. 

“No matter how far I walk or run, the tiger will still follow me…” 

Did it all begin when Atsushi opened the white door? Or had this been going on long before that? Even after Atsushi lost his skill, the tiger still chased after him. Even after he destroyed the red crystal on the tiger’s forehead, it still felt like he was by Atsushi’s side whether he liked it or not. 

Atsushi used to be afraid that the tiger was inside of him. It terrified him. 

But…, he thought, is the tiger nothing more than something for me to fear? 

…No. I think—I’m sure that’s not all it is. Because whether it brings me fear or courage, the tiger is part of me. 

“It’s just like how I can’t run away from my own heartbeat…because you’re my strength to keep living.” Atsushi lifted his chin and peered into the darkness. The howling of the tiger grew nearer. “I can hear you clearly now. I understand what you want to say.” 

After he addressed the tiger inside of him, Atsushi began to run. It was as if the beast was telling him to pick up the pace. 

Atsushi’s eyes lit up. “I know! Everyone’s fighting for their lives!” 

He was no longer going to be afraid of his past and be at the mercy of merely a small part of himself. 

“So I’ll say the same to you: Hurry up if you don’t want to get left behind,” Atsushi ordered. He then called out its name—the part of himself he had finally come to accept: 

“Let’s go, Byakko!” 

The tiger leaped toward Atsushi’s extended hand as it howled beneath the white moonlight. 

6—5 

“…!” 

Shibusawa slammed Akutagawa into the ground. The intense impact caused the black fabric armor to emit a pale light before disappearing. His demonic armor, Tenma Tengai, had reached its limit. Rashomon reverted to a black overcoat and covered Akutagawa’s collapsed body. Shibusawa immediately tried to pierce his heart until Demon Snow intervened with its sword. Nevertheless, he seemed to have anticipated the attack as he calmly deflected the blade, then used the momentum to swiftly kick Akutagawa. The powerful blow sent Akutagawa flying back into the rubble. Rashomon, having used up the last bit of its strength, was hardly able to protect him. Akutagawa crashed into a block of concrete, sending a cloud of dust into the air. His entire body was in agony. Bruises, broken bones, organ damage—different types of pain mixed together, and he found himself unable to even breathe. 

Demon Snow tried to strike while Shibusawa still had his leg in the air from the kick, but it too suffered the same fate. Shibusawa simply pretended to have his guard down so he could lure it over. He blocked the skill’s incoming blade with his arm, then threw a punch at blinding speed, knocking Demon Snow away from Akutagawa. The skill uncontrollably flew back until it crashed into one of the few remaining buildings, which then came crumbling down, burying it alive. The only one left was Kyouka. 

“I’ve gladly accepted the sparks of your lives.” 

Kyouka braced herself as Shibusawa approached her to strike. 

“Now you will spend the rest of your days as parts of my collection…” 

“…!” 

Shibusawa’s fingernails then grew into claws. But right when he was about to hit Kyouka and deliver the final blow… 

A pale light suddenly appeared out of nowhere. 

Shibusawa reacted to the unannounced presence, but before he could even brace himself, a trail of light rammed into him with a thunderous roar. The shock wave gouged the earth and kicked up an explosive gale. 

Kyouka promptly closed her eyes. After the dust finally settled, she opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was the silhouette of a nimble, muscular white beast. Kyouka was speechless. 

Why? she wondered. After enduring the first hit, Shibusawa created some distance between them. His lips curled into a sneer. 

“The dragon and the tiger… I see now why they are called rivals,” he said, seeming to be strangely enjoying this. “The Russian man who told me about you said that the dragon is the true form of the chaos that all skills possess. Which means…” Shibusawa scrutinized the beast. “…You, the white tiger, are the one who resists all skills.” 

The beast’s silhouette glowed blue as it took the form of a human. Akutagawa sat up out of the rubble and weakly clicked his tongue. “About time, Man-Tiger.” 

Kyouka, however, appeared to be regarding Atsushi in a somewhat sorrowful manner. Shibusawa, Akutagawa, Kyouka—while each of their expressions were different, they were all watching the same person. Atsushi only looked at Shibusawa after transforming into a half-tiger, half-man. The scars on his body were already healing thanks to his tiger skill. He got into position with his claws. 

“Here to kill me again, Atsushi Nakashima?” asked Shibusawa. 

Kyouka jumped when she heard the word again, and Akutagawa narrowed his eyes a little. But Atsushi didn’t even blink. He had been ready to pay for his sins. 

“I’m just sending something back to where it belongs,” he replied. 

Atsushi instantly leaped toward Shibusawa with unbelievable speed and threw the first punch. 

“Don’t get the wrong idea, though,” murmured Shibusawa. “I’m not blaming you for what happened.” 

The power of the tiger connected with Shibusawa’s stomach through Atsushi’s fist, sending the man flying. Shibusawa’s body carved a groove in the ground as his body slid through the dirt. He didn’t even have time to fade out his physical body to avoid the attack like he did with Akutagawa. 

“Yes. This—this is what I wanted,” revealed Shibusawa in delight as he rose to his feet. Atsushi, however, never expected he was going to defeat him in one hit, so he was already closing the distance for his next strike. Shibusawa prepared to counter and grinned as if to say he’d hardly felt a thing. 

“I knew you were special!” he yelled. 

Their arms crossed, and there was a loud thud. Atsushi’s fist buried itself in Shibusawa’s face. 

“Ha-ha-ha! Boredom is foreign to me now!” guffawed Shibusawa as he grabbed onto Atsushi’s extended arm. “I finally understand the meaning of life!” 

“…!” 

Right as Atsushi was about to deflect Shibusawa’s fist, Shibusawa kneed him in the stomach and sent a dull pain through his body as he was tossed backward. Atsushi’s body hollowed the ground, and a cloud of dust rose into the air. 

Akutagawa ground his teeth in irritation. “Rashomon!” 

He stood, glaring at Shibusawa. His overcoat wriggled, and the black strips of fabric grew a jaw like a hellhound, which immediately pounced at Shibusawa. 

“You’re wasting your time!” Shibusawa said with a laugh. 

He grabbed the incoming strips of black fabric with both hands, then vigorously pulled them forward. 

“…?!” 

Akutagawa’s eyes flew open, but it was already too late. He couldn’t escape, and Shibusawa wasn’t going to let go of Rashomon. Akutagawa tried to attack by extending the black strips of fabric Shibusawa was holding, but Shibusawa deflected each blow, then brandished the fabric like two whips, spinning Akutagawa in the air. Rashomon was overpowered. 

“You are weak,” jeered Shibusawa before swinging his arms down, slamming Akutagawa into the ground. 

“Demon Snow!” yelled Kyouka as her skill swung its sword, but Shibusawa promptly deflected the blade. 

“Doing the same thing over and over again will get you nowhere,” he coldly stated. 

Dink! 

A rigid sound echoed. Shibusawa blocked the blade with his arm. Demon Snow immediately pulled her blade back, then relentlessly swung it multiple times. Each slash was soon followed by the sound of wind brushing off the blade. However, her blade never reached Shibusawa. 

“See?” he said with a cruel smirk. Shibusawa raised his sharp, elongated claws, but his target wasn’t Demon Snow. It was Kyouka. 

As she tensed up, Demon Snow rushed in front of her to protect her. The claws tore right through Demon Snow, and the impact shot Kyouka into the distance. 

“Demon Snow!” cried Kyouka in a pained voice. Her skill then disappeared as if it had faded out of existence. 

“No…!” As Kyouka soared through the air, her eyes went wide with anguish until her back slammed against the ruins of an old building. 

“…!” 

Kyouka braced herself for the impact, but no matter how long she waited, she didn’t feel any pain. Instead, she felt someone’s arms gently wrap around her. They were Atsushi’s. Shibusawa had kicked him to the ground, but he immediately noticed that Kyouka was in danger and rushed back to save her. 

I’m so glad I made it in time. 

Atsushi deeply exhaled with Kyouka in his arms. He wasn’t fast enough to prevent Shibusawa from attacking, but at the very least, he was able to catch her before she actually crashed into the ruins. The damaged building behind them crumbled. Atsushi stared fixedly at Shibusawa and racked his brain. Shibusawa was strong. He literally possessed inhuman powers. Neither Atsushi, nor Akutagawa, nor Kyouka could defeat him. So what could they do? 

“…We won’t be able to protect our home unless the three of us work together,” muttered Atsushi, filled with determination. 

“…!” 

Atsushi met Kyouka’s astonished gaze and asked, “You can summon Demon Snow again, right?” 

“…” Her eyes trembled with fear. 

“Kyouka. Man-Tiger,” Akutagawa called out. He staggered back to his feet, then looked fixedly at them. “You know…what you need to do…right?” 

Atsushi nodded. “Yeah, I do,” he decisively responded before facing Shibusawa once more. 

“Kyouka.” He stood with his back to Kyouka, the one who had been leading him all this time. Facing Shibusawa, he confidently whispered, “You never wanted to hate Demon Snow. She will listen to you. I promise.” 

Kyouka snapped up her head in astonishment, and Atsushi could sense how she was feeling even without looking back. He began to run. He roared as he threw his claws at Shibusawa. 

Shibusawa narrowed his crimson eyes. “That naïveté of yours is a sight to behold.” 

They collided. 

Atsushi and Shibusawa were battling once more. Sometimes, they threw and dodged punches. At other times, they focused on defending while waiting for an opening. They went back and forth, vying for the upper hand, so it wasn’t going to be easy for Akutagawa or Kyouka to help. Nevertheless, Atsushi was still at a great disadvantage. In fact, Shibusawa was starting to dodge each of Atsushi’s strikes while landing every one of his own. Atsushi braced his legs so he wouldn’t get knocked back like earlier, but he was struggling. Kyouka could see that, and she tightly clenched her fist. Inside her hand was the old cell phone. 

“Demon Snow!!” she cried. 

Right as Shibusawa was about to pummel Atsushi, Demon Snow suddenly descended upon him from behind. Flower petals scattered in the fog, and a beautiful kimono fluttered in the wind. Shibusawa didn’t even have enough time to look back before Demon Sword’s sword pierced his chest. 

“…!” The blade skewered him to the ground. 

Without wasting a single moment, Atsushi yelled, “Akutagawa!” 

“Don’t try to order me around!” barked Akutagawa as his overcoat quivered. Dozens of black blades emerged from his back, then began boring holes into the ground as they crawled toward Shibusawa. The torrent of black blades surrounded the Collector to form a cage. But before the cage finished trapping Shibusawa inside, Atsushi rushed over and slipped in with him. 

“You’ve got nowhere to run now,” he assured Shibusawa. Atsushi raised his claws into the air and impaled him. “Haaaaaa!” 

The cage shook with intense fury. Atsushi’s punch sent Shibusawa flying back. Atsushi swung his fists and dug his claws into him over and over again. Shibusawa’s bones snapped and blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth. 

But even though he was writhing in pain, he laughed. “This… This is what I have been waiting for.” 

Shibusawa sprinted up to Atsushi and kicked him in the chin. 

“…!” 

Atsushi’s brain rattled, and the world around him began to spin. 

“This elation that death brings me…,” Shibusawa said to the staggering tiger, “…can you feel it, too?!” 

The horn-like crystal on his forehead brilliantly shone until a red light suddenly shot out like a laser and tore through Rashomon’s cage. The vivid light disintegrated the jet-black blades and drenched the world in red. The blast wave was so powerful that it even reached Akutagawa and Kyouka outside the cage, forcing them to grab onto the ground so they didn’t get blown away. 

Before anyone had even realized it, Shibusawa had gathered the red fog around them and enclosed Atsushi and himself in a red sphere of light…as if he were telling Atsushi that he wouldn’t let him run away any longer. 

“Show me once more the spark that resists each and every skill!” 

The crystal on Shibusawa’s forehead glowed red once more. 

A powerful, blinding red light. 

Atsushi’s body slowly transformed as he bathed in its radiance. The powerful spring in his step vanished, and his muscular arms covered in white fur returned to normal while his claws simply vanished. The power of the tiger gradually faded, and a pale skill crystal emerged from Atsushi’s chest. 

“Come! Show me that skill once more!” Shibusawa reached for the crystal. 

He’s gonna steal my skill. 

This was just like what happened six years ago. Atsushi was overcome with excruciating pain, and an unbearable sense of loss gnawed at his heart. 

But I won’t let him! 

“It’s beautiful…,” muttered Shibusawa in admiration. “This is the ultimate skill!” 

“The tiger isn’t a skill!” screamed Atsushi, pouring his soul into every last word. “The tiger is me!” 

He desperately reached out, opposing fate with every fiber of his being, and grabbed the pale crystal. 

“…!” 

Atsushi felt a warmth on his palm as his power gradually returned to its rightful owner. A pale-blue light wrapped his body, and the Byakko’s power returned. His fingernails extended into claws, and his body became covered in fur. He felt himself brimming with the tiger’s power. His body had grown used to it now. 

Atsushi immediately tried to crush Shibusawa’s head with both hands, but Shibusawa grabbed Atsushi’s hands with his own. Their fingers locked. 

“Mn…!” 

Their powers clashed. Their muscles were at their limits as their bones creaked. They pushed as hard as they could, and their arms began to faintly tremble. Atsushi glared ferociously at Shibusawa, who was practically nose to nose with him. 

“…I understand everything now,” muttered Shibusawa with the same desperate expression as Atsushi. “I know why you’re here, why you appeared before me, and what his words truly meant.” 

Their energy sent the fog swirling. Shibusawa was the only thing reflecting in Atsushi’s eyes. As if he was starting to crack open, a shadow began devouring Shibusawa whole. 

“You…” Shibusawa laughed as the dark shadow continued to take over his body. “You are the angel who will save me…” 

The scars on his face glowed. 

“Ah…,” he moaned with evident satisfaction as his body continued to be stripped of its flesh, swallowed by the darkness. Even his beautiful features and pale skin were stripped away. Not a single strand of white hair remained. All that was left in Atsushi’s hand was a skull. 

A skull with the claw marks of a tiger. 

Nothing more than the bones of a man who died six years ago. 

But Atsushi didn’t relax his grip. As if he wanted to erase all the contradictions and return the past to the past, he crushed the skull… 

…to make sure that something like this would never happen again. 

The bones shattered, and the skull broke apart until it was ground into a fine powder. The remnants of the skull then turned into particles of light that streamed about, and a pale-blue light appeared in Atsushi’s hands. 

The light spread from within his hands, slowly swallowing the fog that Shibusawa created. The venomous-red fog disappeared, and the pale-blue light stretched across Yokohama just as daybreak began. It was as if the beautiful light was purifying all that it touched. By the time the red fog cleared, the darkness reigning over the sky had started fading into gray. 

The long night was finally over, and the morning sun had started to rise. 

Atsushi gently descended onto the surface as he watched the pale light born from his hands. After letting out a sigh of relief, he smiled at Kyouka, who looked deeply worried. Her tense expression gradually loosened. Out of the corner of his eye, Atsushi saw Akutagawa wordlessly departing the scene. 

“I have confirmed the disappearance of the singularity and the fog,” came Aoki’s trembling voice from the Special Division’s operations room. After a brief moment of silence, the room erupted in cheers and laughter. Even Ango instinctively sighed in relief as his body went limp, and he dropped into his chair. The operator’s similarly relieved voice assured everyone that the Order of the Clock Tower confirmed they had aborted the mission. 

Around the same time that day… 

In a room filled with stately, traditional furniture was a woman perched on a couch decorated with intricate embroideries. 

“How unfortunate,” she muttered after hearing the news in Yokohama, then elegantly picked up her porcelain teacup. “The smell of a burning nation goes so well with tea.” Her whispery voice was calm and collected. She lowered her somewhat distant gaze upon the surface of her amber-colored tea. 

The morning sun slowly rose over the crystal-clear skies of Yokohama. People were returning to the ruins of the downtown high-rise district, the highways littered with countless cars, and the abandoned fast-food joints. 

A small-framed man wearing a black overcoat wandered the remains of Skull Fortress in search of something. It was Akutagawa. 

A voice suddenly called out to him from the shadows of the rubble. 

“The hell are you doin’ here?” 

Akutagawa turned his gaze in the direction of the crude voice to find Chuuya slumped over on the ground. He’d clearly been through a lot since Akutagawa last saw him, and his trademark hat was nowhere to be found. It must have fallen off somewhere nearby. 

“Dazai’s all right. Still an idiot, but all right,” Chuuya lethargically uttered as if he could read Akutagawa’s mind. 

“…” 

Akutagawa abruptly straightened his back and bowed. But as he quickly started to walk away, Chuuya added “Hey” and stopped him. “Gimme a hand, will ya?” he asked, flashing a toothy grin. 

The abnormalities caused by Shibusawa’s fog gradually dissipated as the sun of a new day rose. Ranpo Edogawa leisurely strolled through the Armed Detective Agency. 

“I don’t have a skill, and I’m back now, so I guess everything worked out.” 

The agency office was a mess. Chairs and documents were scattered about the rooms. Perhaps the only things still in one piece were the safe and its contents. Ranpo snacked on a few sweets that were inside the safe while looking out the blinds at the sun. 

“Atsushi’s really starting to get things done. Don’t you agree, Dazai?” 

Snap. A snack cracked in half between his teeth. The man who would reply to Ranpo’s question was already on his way to meet up with Atsushi and Kyouka. 

It’s finally over, Atsushi thought while he and Kyouka gazed at the mountain of debris once known as Skull Fortress. The darkness of the night had made it hard to tell, but the morning sun showed it clearly: The city was in a rather dreary state. Of course, it made sense, given what had happened. Nevertheless, Atsushi was inwardly relieved that the battle ended before things got even worse. He was relieved that he was able to protect someone important to him, at the very least. 

All of a sudden, Atsushi heard footsteps approaching from behind. He and Kyouka immediately looked back to find Dazai wearing his sand-colored overcoat. Atsushi quietly stared at him. It felt like it’d been ages since they last met. 

“Atsushi,” began Dazai with a calm expression. “About what happened, I—” 

“You were trying to protect the city, right?” 

Atsushi broke into a smile before Dazai could even finish his sentence. He naturally felt a warmth in his heart. 

Dazai’s surprised expression turned pensive. “Do I really look like the kind of person who would risk his life to save others?” 

Atsushi blinked at him quizzically because, to him, it was obvious. There was no doubting Dazai was a good person. He had no idea what Dazai even meant with his question. 

So Atsushi simply nodded and replied in earnest, “Well…yes.” 

Dazai’s eyes bulged slightly. Before long, he smiled in amazement. His grin was bitter, yet sweet. 

“Whatever you say,” he muttered, then ambled past Atsushi and Kyouka. He gazed into the distance. “…I really hope he was able to fill his boredom and loneliness with something in the end.” 

“Are you sure this is what you wanted?” Kyouka asked Atsushi with a worried gaze. Atsushi looked down at the ground. He knew what she meant. That was why he had to pick his next words carefully. 

“…I could probably seal away this memory just like how I’d forgotten I’d killed him before. But…” He paused, then lifted his head. “…I’m okay with this.” 

His unshakable will glowed in his eyes as he put his honest thoughts into words. 

“At the very least, right now I’m proud we were able to protect this city together. Because being able to live side by side with you and everyone else…is something just a bit more wonderful.” 

“…” 

Relieved, Kyouka relaxed her worried expression into a smile. Dazai, who was watching them over his shoulder, gently smirked. It seemed like he was reminiscing about the days long gone while taking delight in Atsushi for who he was. As if their smiles were contagious, Atsushi’s lips curled upward as well. 

Out of nowhere, a familiar voice yelled in the distance, “Dazai, you idiot! You’re still alive?!” 

It was Kunikida. When the three of them looked back, the rest of the Armed Detective Agency members were walking their way. Tanizaki’s head was hung low in exhaustion; Kunikida was waving his hand; Kenji seemed as cheerful as ever; Yosano had her head held high; and Fukuzawa was taking calm, quiet steps forward. Their smiling faces looked even more radiant amid the bright scenery of Yokohama. 

“Everyone’s okay,” observed Atsushi in relief. 

“Of course they are,” replied Dazai. “We’re the Armed Detective Agency, after all.” He shot Atsushi a placid smile. “Right?” 

Atsushi grinned from ear to ear and nodded. 

“Right!”