Stormbringer: Bungou Stray Dogs

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Verlaine accepted his feelings with a cool smile.

"That's fine." Verlaine's voice seemed to have a note of affection in it. "You still need time to come to terms with your sorrows and decide. But ultimately, you will do as I say. As proof of that, let me show you something."

Verlaine placed his free hand over Chuuya's forehead.

Then, something strange started to happen.

".... Gah..!"

The air started to tremble as the atmosphere burst. Invisible electrical discharges caused red and black sparks to shower near Chuuya's eyes.

Chuuya opened his mouth, but he couldn't breathe. His throat had completely rejected the action of breathing. It felt like something repulsive was about to crawl up out of his throat.

"We'll keep the 'gate' a little bit open from now on." Verlaine's voice held the gentleness of a lullaby. "It's not a lot, just a thin hair opening that can close in an instant. But that'll be enough. With this, you'll come to understand."

A wind was created from inside Chuuya. It was coming from a terrifying place invisible to the naked eye. The wind caused the surrounding buildings to creak and the earth to tremble.

Adam endured the tremors in the earth, staring at Chuuya as if his eyes had been glued to the scene.

"Detecting amplifications to the ability. Observing high-energy rays thought to be Hawking radiation, numbers continuously climbing." Adam automatically gave a report of the disaster. "Due to the phase transition, the quantity of heat emerging is destroying the space... Oh no!"

The shouting Adam raised his pistols and emptied the magazine. Special, deadly bullets were aimed accurately at Verlaine's forehead, eyes, elbows, and throat. But.

"Those in the audience shouldn't touch the performers."

The bullets had been stopped once it lightly touched Verlaine's skin, and it was reflected by a powerful gravitational force in the opposite direction. By chance, one of the bullets went through his shoulder.

Adam cried out in pain and rolled on the ground.

At about the same time, Chuuya let out a scream.

The voice was completely devoid of a soul. The shrieking voice didn't belong to Chuuya. It didn't even sound from this world, let alone from a human.

There was a black flame.

"We're too late...! Deploying the shock and heat resistant panel!"

Adam shouted, rolling so he could raise his left arm. His elbow split open and expanded to make a shining, silver shield. Adam hid himself under a heat and shock resistant, superalloy metal shield, made up of nickel, chromium, iron, molybdenum, and titanium. And then, he kicked the ground to retreat.