Bungo Stray Dogs: Gaiden

Prelude: The Waterfall of Reiou

"On the cliff above the waterfall there were two shadows.
The first was a tall young man.
The other was an older, white-haired man.
Facing each other, sparks flew from their gazes within the silence.
This is because – the two of them were arch enemies.
Sworn rivals, one of them is destined to take the other's life, and they both understand it is their destiny that one of them must lose their lives.
And so, that destined day was today. That such a place became their place of destiny, the two already knew it. They also knew that the other understood.
They it was silent.
The torrents roared.
The setting sun shone dimly."

—–

The forests surrounding them, the wet rocks, the waterfall basin that disappeared far below their feet - everything was covered in a pale mist, a pale mist that left their appearances a haze.

A secluded place.
The twilight hour.

The land was located on the edge of a border – in the gap between this world and the afterlife.

The tall young man opened his mouth. "What you're going to encounter from now - is your death. Savor it, Kyogoku." It was a voice that carried well, and was so cold even a cold-blooded snake would tremble from its chill.

A hunting cap and sunglasses.
Skin as white as the dead.

Cold air drifted only around the young man, and as though in fear the misty rain avoided him while falling.

The older, white-haired man he faced laughed in response.

"Magnificent. You're truly magnificent, Ayatsuji-kun." A tattered kimono covered the old man's body - an outfit like that of a hermit's. The mud-colored eyes with a thousand years of ingenuity in them closed.

Dimples that were simultaneously childish and wicked were carved into his cheeks.

With an easy-going and pleasant voice, his voice held absolutely no anger. He had the air of a good-natured old man one could find anywhere.

However, the young man he called Ayatsuji-kun narrowed his eyes in displeasure at the sound of that laughter.

"Don't laugh, you old monkey man. Your sordid laughter grates on my ears —– Do you remember how many crimes you've committed?"

"Goodness me? What crimes do you speak of? You would arrest and treat a timid, kind old man as a criminal, you don't have enough respect for the elderly, do you? But I am obeying the normal laws. I always cross the street when the light is green."

The white haired man's easy-going voice never faltered.

"What a funny joke. Well then, I shall list them for you since you're going senile. 29 cases of extortion, 38 cases of abetting murder, theft, confinement, and assault. If you include the attempted crimes as well that makes a few hundred cases of heavy and light crimes. However – you never dirty your hands. The Suodo and Gozu incidents. These incidents shook many people, but despite being the ringleader, you didn't leave any evidence behind. All those who bore the penalty were the executors who didn't even realize they were manipulated."

The older man did not deny it, he merely deepened his smile.

To see such an expression caused Ayatsuji's brows to furrow in displeasure.

" Even the government was unable to interfere, since you did not commit any crime." Ayatsuji raised a hand, cutting through the cold air, "That too ends today."

Ayatsuji's raised hand seemed to glide into his breast pocket, and soon took out a single copper coin.

"This is from the mass killing in the museum, proof you're the ringleader behind everything." He turned the coin to display the front of it. "A bag filled with coins from the museum's coin display was used to beat an old man to death. They were then brazenly returned to the display case, that's the trick of your weapon disappearing. From this coin the bloodstain of the victim, and your fingerprint was detected."