The Dark Era

Ch.15 Back From The Dead

"I had a feeling it was you."

There was a brief pause before Chuuya continued.

"I only have memories of part of my life. Unlike you, I didn't lose my memories from trauma. My very life has only existed since that day eight years ago. Everything before that is darkness."

Chuuya pauses again. Dazai and I listen closely to what he had to say. He begins explaining what he remembered.

"Somewhere in that darkness, I floated aimlessly. Someone's hand broke through the bounds of that void and dragged me into the outer world. That hand was yours, wasn't it?"

Randou's grin got wider a bit.

"Where did you find me? I followed this case to simply find that out. Now, tell me everything."

"Of course. You're worthy of knowing."

Having said that, Randou activates his ability and targets Chuuya. Before Chuuya could move, Randou sends him flying backwards. Chuuya flies pass Dazai and I and into the darkness of the next room.

"He can't defend himself with gravity?" Dazai questioned.

"Unlike a bullet, the subspace I control doesn't abide by the laws of physics." Randou explains. "The subspace is a separate world, closed off from regular space."

While saying this, Randou drops a sparkly, yellow cube that went right into the ground. Once it disappears, the floor beneath us started glowing. A giant yellow box started forming around the two of us.

"Dazai-san?"

Before it could completely seal us, Dazai pushes me out of the area. I'm on the ground as Dazai is competely sealed. Randou's ability then proceeds to engulf the whole warehouse.

"You cannot come in unless I invite you. Nor can you leave."

"You've left Ori-chan and I outside while deploying your subspace. You must know what my ability is then."

"Son of a...!"

Chuuya suddenly shot into the air. Randou looks ups and watches.

"I'm surprised that didn't kill you. I suppose I should have expected as much from the Arahabaki's incarnation."

Chuuya aims and tries to kick him, but Randou jumps out of the way. He summons another box to stand on while he was in  the air. Chuuya takes aim again to only stop right in front of him. Randou was using his ability again.

"Chuuya-kun. You won't be able to touch me in this space, but I can attack you as much as I wish."

He sends a cube into Chuuya's stomach, forcing him into the ground. As dust filled the air, he sent three more. But Chuuya dodges them and starts running as Randou summoned more cubes after him. He runs along the wall of the big box Dazai was in. Once at the end, he takes cover behind it. He looks inside the box, right at Dazai.

"Any ability that touches that dolt gets nullififed. If you try to quarantine him with your subspace, you'll make a good trench for me."

"True, his existence is heretical. The ultimate anti-gifted, with no peer even in the west."

"The west?" Dazai asked.

Randou just smiles a creepy one.

"Still..."

"Dazai-san!"

Dazai just barley manages to dodged most of the attack from his attacker. There was now an old man in the box with him, holding a huge red, metal sythe. Dazai looked surprise to see him. He lands on the ground as he begins to bleed. The old man managed to slice across his chest.

"Dazai-san!" I bang on the box.

I...don't understand. My voice my be higher, but I'm not worried about him. I don't feel any emotion ...So why do I feel the need to be by his side?

"What's this? Shiori-chan being worried? That's not normal for you, dear." Randou smiles at me.

"You're wrong. I feel nothing. It's my job to protect Dazai-san and follow his orders. Let me in."

Randou uses his ability to restrain my hands and feet.

"How about you watch."

"How've you been, kid?" the old man asks Dazai.

"You look well for someone who's been dead, Boss." Dazai grips his chest in pain. "Or rather, former boss."

I understand. This man was in the video Mori showed us. He's the man Mori killed.

"There's no way he could have hurt that idiot with his special ability." Chuuya thinks out loud.

"You got me. The former boss's giant scythe isn't an ability. It's real." Dazai replies.

"So it could kill you, then."

Dazai doesn't say anything for a second.

"The former boss is dead." He looks at Randou. "What did you do, Randou-san?"

"My ability can turn corpses stored in my subspace into supernatural beings I command. However, I can only control one at a time."

Dazai grins at the corpse as he stands.

"That's amazing. You've been hiding that abiliy from the organization this whole time? Just who are you?"

"I was formerly a gifted western spy. I came to this nation to obtain a high-energy being the government of Japan had suposedly discovered."

"And that's Arahabaki."

Randou looks towards Chuuya.

"My sole prpose for this plan has been to kill you, Chuuya-kun, and subsume you as the replacement supernatural being for the former boss."

He looks back at Dazai.

"Dazai-kun, if the boss were to learn what you just have, he would attempt to have me assassinated. I regretfully ask you to die with Chuuya-kun."

Those words stuck with me.

Dazai...die with Chuuya?