Spain Without The S!

Chapter 2: Rescue Mission

  Kenji happily picked up the phone for the second time that day, "wow! We sure are popular! Detective Agency Speaking!"
  "Kenji, put Yosano on the phone."
  "Oh wow! Hi, Dazai! Yosano?" He took the phone from his ear and looked around. The poor kid was completely unaware of the strange tone in Dazai's voice. Kenji rushed over to the medical room, "Yosano? Dazai wants to talk to you!"
  Yosano looked up from her papers, "what?"
  Kenji handed her the phone with a smile, "Dazai's on the phone."
  "Oh, thanks, Kenji..." she said, sounding a bit confused. Then she put the ["ear to her phone" XD typos be funny sometimes] phone to her ear. An instant later her eyes widened. She dropped the phone and grabbed her bag. Kenji recognized it as the bag she used when she needed her ability.
  "Someone hurt?" He picked up the phone off the floor, his chipper aura staying the same.
  "Yes." She said shortly as she rushed out the door, pushing up her sleeves.
  "Good luck!" He called after her. He shrugged as he returned the phone to its proper place and then went back to watching it and waiting for another call.
  "You know we have receptionists to do that job..." Ranpo said, taking a lollipop from his mouth to talk.
  Kenji nodded, "yeah, but I like to talk to people! It's like making a new friend every time I pick it up!"
  Ranpo furrowed his brow and his eyes seemed to close more than they were, "you sure are a strange kid..."
  Kenji giggled as he stroked the raccoon napping on the table, "when are we going to give him back?"
  "When Poe decides to meet my demands," Ranpo said shortly, placing his sucker back where it belonged.

——

  Huffing, Yosano threw the door open, "where?!"
  There were three others already in the room. Dazai was standing perplexed, he seemed to have previously been pacing. Akutagawa had his back to the door standing in front of what seemed to be a window. And Kouyo was standing near the corner, as far away from the glass as possible, looking quite disheveled.
  Dazai stepped aside, "Akutagawa."
  He moved to where Kouyo was, revealing what was behind the window.
  Yosano dropped her bag, approaching the one-way window. "What... is that?..."
  She saw so, so many bodies in the room. If that room used to be white, she wouldn't have been able to tell. Almost everything was coated in crimson. She stared in horror at the contents of the room. She could pick out one or two people still breathing, if any.
  Dazai opened the door, "you won't need to do anything but touch him. I need you to stay behind me at all times. I cannot protect you otherwise." He rested the door against his foot as he rolled up his sleeves.
  He unceremoniously unwrapped his arms and let the bandages fall to the floor listlessly. His arms were covered in countless scars. Yosano would normally be concerned about it, but her worries were directed somewhere else.
  "You mean that thing is-" her throat caught. That couldn't be possible...
  Dazai nodded grimly, "the longer we wait, the less likely we'll succeed."
  Yosano nodded and briskly followed Dazai out.
  Kouyo slowly walked to the glass and pressed a hand against it, "please..." she whispered a silent prayer.

——

  Downstairs, Dazai and Yosano were met with about eight men in heavy armor standing by the door.
  They all looked solemn and determined, "ready when you are."
  "Rush in and stay as close to the walls as you can. Don't try to get his attention, he'll kill you."
  "He?..." one asked quietly, as if to himself.
  Dazai glared, irritation lacing his words, "you weren't even told what you're against were you?"
  There was no response.
  Dazai shook his head, "Nevermind. In you go."
  The mafioso threw the door open and ran inside, all brandishing different pipe-shaped metal rods with clasps on the ends.
  Dazai entered, making sure to stay between his old friend and Yosano. If she got hurt, all would be lost.
  "Chuuya," Dazai called out. It came out quieter than he wanted. It was more difficult to speak than he expected.
  The beast was already rushing at one man, creating a gravitation bullet as he lunged.
  Dazai screamed out his former partner's name, bolting across the room.
  If he could hear Dazai, he didn't care. The demon known as Corruption desecrated the mafioso, seeming to take delight and fulfillment from his screams.
  Even having seen Chuuya like this many times, Dazai still hated it. He was always afraid his skill might not work, or-
  He shook the thoughts away, continuing forward, "the second I touch him you must use your skill immediately!"
  Yosano nodded as she kept up with him, "right!"
  The room seemed so large. Dazai's feet couldn't seem to move fast enough and time seemed to slow as he approached.
  He made one last attempt at calling out to the person who had given him a reason to live as he closed the all-too-long distance.
  The monster turned partway towards Dazai, having at least heard him, even if it couldn't understand. It's vacant expression and blank eyes sent a wave of terror down Dazai's spine. But he couldn't afford to feel afraid. He pressed on, grasping the mafia executive's arm with both hands. A second after Dazai's, Yosano's hands clamped on as well.
  In a burst of light, No Longer Human took effect, and a second after that, Thou Shalt Not Die activated.
  As the slithering red coils slinked away into Chuuya's core, all his external injuries closed up.
  As his blue irises returned, they looked empty. Then, his eyes rolled back into his head as he collapsed forward. Dazai, catching him, held onto him tightly.
  "Rrg! It's not enough!" Yosano cried out, "I could feel it! There's internal damage!"
  Black tendrils surrounded Chuuya, lifting him up, "where to?"
  Dazai turned to see Akutagawa and Kouyo in the doorway.
  The stench of the blood finally reached Dazai's nose. You would think he would be used to it, but it was always just as sickening.
  "This way!" Kouyo turned and ran. Akutagawa trailed after her, Chuuya safely tucked away in Rashomon's cloth. Yosano rushed after them and so did Dazai.