Bungo Stray Dogs - Volume 5 Chapter 4 Part 1

CHAPTER IV

4—1

Above the hissing vat of boiling iron was Akutagawa hanging on for dear life. After falling off the ledge due to the broken handrail, he managed to grab onto the bridge one level lower, though it was nothing more than a single floorboard. He was only hanging on by his left hand; it wouldn’t be long before he fell. To make matters worse, Rashomon was still there as well.
Akutagawa had survived this far, but he still couldn’t let his guard down. He fixed Rashomon with a penetrating glare, observing its every move, and just as he expected, it approached him and swung its dark blade. It was determined to finish the job. Akutagawa remained calm as he shifted his body, avoiding the blade and crawling back onto the bridge. Akutagawa and Rashomon were facing each other once more.
Rashomon struck first. It unleashed numerous pieces of black fabric that transformed into a cage of swords. Akutagawa dashed about, trying to escape. Each attack he dodged sent a black blade into the bridge that hung over the vat of molten iron, gradually destroying it. The wires holding up one side of the bridge were cut, causing it to slant until the back half dropped into the vat. The sound of metal slowly liquefying followed.
Before he even realized it, Akutagawa was standing in the middle of the bridge with nowhere to go. If he went forward, he would be met with Rashomon’s blade, but he couldn’t go back because the bridge was slowly lowering into the blast furnace.
“Tsk. He almost has me within reach,” Akutagawa resentfully spat after lightly clicking his tongue. As long as Rashomon kept launching its black fabric at Akutagawa, he would be able to dodge—which was why it leaped

at him to deliver the final blow. “Just as I’d planned.”
Once Rashomon was only a hair’s breadth away, Akutagawa grabbed the skill and threw it over his shoulders. The momentum helped launch Rashomon into the vat of molten iron. However…
“…!”
…it didn’t melt along with the iron as Akutagawa had hoped. A face wrapped in black fabric peeked out of the molten metal. Rashomon somehow survived temperatures hot enough to melt steel. It slowly ascended the half of the bridge that was sinking into the molten iron.
“…I wouldn’t expect any less from my skill. However…,” Akutagawa softly muttered as he pulled a grenade out of his overcoat. The Armed Detective Agency wasn’t the only armed organization out there. What kind of mafioso would come to a fight empty-handed?
Rashomon seemed to be slowing down, for there was something sticking to its feet with each step like glue. It was iron.
Rashomon’s body was covered in molten metal from the vat that was slowly cooling and cementing its feet onto the metal bridge. The skill appeared bewildered as to why its legs wouldn’t move, so Akutagawa pulled the pin from his grenade to capitalize on this moment. He dodged Rashomon’s attacks while sliding down the bridge, squeezing the grenade with a roar. Then right as he got close enough, Akutagawa shoved the grenade inside Rashomon’s stomach. There was a flash of white light, and the red crystal inside the disembodied skill disintegrated. The humanoid skill then turned into a black mist and was absorbed back into Akutagawa’s body, returning to him. The hellhound howled from his coat.
“Good… This is where you belong,” Akutagawa boasted.

Atsushi desperately ran through the mist in the darkness of the night. He was being chased by the tiger, its powerful legs propelling its body off the ground as the beast roared. Atsushi had no idea how far he had run, where Kyouka and the others were, or even where he was now. All he knew was that fleeing the tiger was his only option. He could see something that resembled an iron mill like the one he saw earlier, which meant he was probably still on the factory’s property. Atsushi sprinted until he found himself surrounded by thick gray pipes, but the moment after he turned around, he was mauled by the tiger. He managed to barely dodge, but its claws grazed his right arm, and the impact sent Atsushi flying backward.
“…!”
He slammed into the ground, which knocked the wind out of him. His body could hardly move now, let alone function. It was all going to be over if he didn’t think fast. Fighting through the pain, Atsushi lifted up his head to look for something—anything—until he eventually noticed a block of concrete big enough to fit perfectly in his arms. Its surface was so smooth that he wondered how such a large chunk of debris had broken off.
He could use it as a weapon or perhaps for defense as well. At the very least, it was better than nothing. Atsushi frantically approached the concrete block and picked it up. Just then, he heard the violent sound of metal hitting metal nearby.
“…!”
Atsushi looked around in search of the source of the noise and saw that Kyouka was still fighting Demon Snow. Apparently he’d been running for so long that he managed to get this close to them. He watched as Demon Snow nimbly readied its sword.

While Atsushi was fleeing the tiger, Kyouka was desperately locking blades with Demon Snow. Although she managed to somehow escape death when her cell phone caught her off guard, she was already dangerously low on stamina. She also had no idea how much longer her dagger could last. Unlike her skill’s blade, Kyouka’s dagger was slowly getting whittled away
—just like Kyouka herself. Moreover, while every swing of Demon Snow’s sword was intended to kill, Kyouka was more hesitant, which contributed greatly to her struggle. Demon Snow attacked once again, its beautiful mask entirely expressionless. It was no more than a murderous puppet.

This demon is the embodiment of slaughter. I…
Kyouka deflected Demon Snow’s blade with her dagger.
I…
Various emotions raged inside Kyouka’s heart. Demon Snow swung its sword on instinct. It hurt and killed others as if it were only natural. However…
And yet, I…!
Clang! Kyouka’s dagger finally broke as she was locking blades with Demon Snow.
“…!” Kyouka gasped. The tip of Demon Snow’s sword rapidly approached. Her vision began to waver, and she felt as if she could hear her phone ring.

“…And yet, you wish to use that power to protect everyone, don’t you?”

“…!”
Kyouka stopped breathing for a moment. She saw the gentle smile of a kind woman flash in the back of her mind.
Kyouka… She could almost hear the woman affectionately say her name.
Mom.
Her voice didn’t reach the woman. She couldn’t talk to her. But even then, she could take those warm words along with the sweet smile and etch them into her heart. She could even make a vow.
“…!”
Kyouka felt something warm trickling down her cheeks.

The illusion she saw was over in a split second, but by the time she snapped out of it, Demon Snow’s sword was already mere moments away from her neck.
She’s going to slit my throat and kill me.
But the instant she thought that, a voice called out to her: “Kyouka!”
She jumped. It was different from her mother’s voice but still just as warm. A tear rolled down her cheek.

“Kyouka!”
By the time Atsushi found her, Kyouka was only moments from being killed. The tip of Demon Snow’s sword quickly closed in on Kyouka’s throat, but Atsushi sprinted in between them while calling out her name and blocked the attack with the hunk of concrete he was carrying. He was still on the receiving end of the impact, but he didn’t care. After all, he was at least able to protect Kyouka. While still blocking the blade, Atsushi whispered to the astonished Kyouka to aim for the red crystal. Demon Snow’s sword was deeply embedded in the block of concrete, meaning it would have trouble maneuvering as long as Atsushi held on to the block.
“Now!”
“…!”
Kyouka promptly responded to Atsushi’s signal. She launched herself off the ground and threw herself at Demon Snow. In her hand was her kimono’s cord, which was usually wrapped around her right shoulder. Kyouka wrapped the cord around her skill’s neck as she landed, pressing her back against Demon Snow’s in order to use her weight to strangle it. This was an assassination technique used to silently sneak up on the target and dispose of them before they could even say a word. Kyouka then took the hilt of her broken dagger and smashed the red crystal on Demon Snow’s forehead. The shards glittered as they dispersed before a red light swallowed the skill. Not long after, Demon Snow disappeared along with the light.

Did Kyouka get her skill back? Atsushi tried to check when, all of a sudden, the tiger, who had been watching, attacked him once more.
“…!”
I let my guard down…!
The tiger charged straight at him and bit down on his right leg. Just as Atsushi thought he was done for, the tiger picked him up and ran off, concrete block and all. He could see Kyouka start to panic and scramble after them, but the tiger was simply too fast. With Atsushi in its mouth, the beast moved with such speed that it appeared to fly through the gray backdrop. Atsushi was in so much pain that he started to lose consciousness. The tiger suddenly came to a stop in an area surrounded by pipes, likely a dead end, then tossed Atsushi like a bag of bricks. An excruciatingly sharp pain shot through his shoulder when he slammed into the ground, and his entire body creaked. But even then, Atsushi forced his wounded body to sit up.
The tiger suddenly jumped for Atsushi’s head. Its jaw opened as if to swallow him whole. The tiger’s fangs were fatal, and death was approaching Atsushi. The hairs on Atsushi’s body stood on end, and his neural circuits raced to relay all this incoming information. Faced with impending death, Atsushi snapped.
Enough…!
Like hell I’m gonna die here!
The will to live consumed him. He feverishly slammed the block of concrete into the tiger’s chin.
A shout—a cry—a roar shook the air around it.
There was no way of telling whether the beastly howl came from Atsushi or the tiger. Nevertheless, an impact followed, and the tiger uttered a shriek. But Atsushi still felt it wasn’t enough and kicked the block of concrete forward into the tiger’s mouth, sending Demon Snow’s sword, which was still embedded in the concrete, right through the beast’s upper jaw. The white blade pierced the red crystal.
“…!”
The crystal was reduced to dust, and along with a radiant light, the tiger eventually disappeared.
Did I win…?
The block of concrete collapsed to the ground.

Silence returned to the pipe-walled pathways, and there were no signs of the tiger returning.
I did it…
Atsushi, overcome with relief and exhaustion, felt his legs give out and he dropped to the ground. Kyouka, who had been chasing after him, rushed over and crouched by Atsushi’s side.
“You’re hurt!” She checked the wounds on Atsushi’s arms with a worried gaze.
“I’m fine… Once my powers come back, those’ll all get better on their own with my tiger’s healing ability.”
After Atsushi assured her he was all right, Kyouka let out a sigh of relief…but she immediately looked up, apparently having noticed something. Curious, Atsushi followed her gaze until he saw a jet-black tower standing in the mist. The bizarrely shaped structure seemed to subjugate the moon and rule over the night. It was the perfect home for a demon lord.
Skull Fortress.
That was where the man behind this fog—Tatsuhiko Shibusawa— should be. After defeating their skills and getting their powers back, all they had left to do was take care of Shibusawa. They just needed to go to Skull Fortress. More importantly, that was where Dazai was. Atsushi had no idea why he was there, but he was sure of at least one thing:
Dazai will know what to do once we save him.
Atsushi had felt Kyouka glance in his direction when he’d muttered those words.
All of a sudden, someone held an old cell phone out between Atsushi and Kyouka. It was Kyouka’s phone that had fallen on the ground earlier. The one trying to hand it to her was none other than Demon Snow. No longer was there a red crystal on its mask’s forehead. It didn’t seem hostile, either. Kyouka stood up and gently took the phone from its hands—as if she were handling something precious. Demon Snow then softly glowed before being absorbed back into Kyouka.
This is it…
“…You got your skill back, huh?” asked Atsushi. Kyouka faintly nodded, then tied the cell phone’s strings together and hung it around her neck. Atsushi was relieved to see her like that, but there was still one problem—his own skill. Atsushi looked down at his body and furrowed his brow. “My tiger’s healing powers haven’t come back yet.”
He was still riddled with wounds and in immense pain.
I defeated the tiger, so why…?
“Why did only your skill return and not mine?”
But Atsushi’s question was only met with a few heavy coughs in the distance. Cough. Hack. Approaching them was Akutagawa, who seemed to be having trouble breathing. His fight had apparently been rough, but while his body was covered with scars, his eyes were brimming with confidence. His dignified stance made it clear who the victor was.
“…Did you get your skill back, too?” Atsushi asked Akutagawa, who now stood right in front of him. Both Kyouka and Akutagawa fought their skill and won, just as Atsushi had.
“So why am I the only one who hasn’t?” He clenched his fist out of frustration.
“You fool,” spewed Akutagawa. “Have you seriously not figured it out yet?!”
“…!”
Atsushi tensed, taken aback by the sudden insults. The first thing that popped into his head was the memory of the director at the orphanage insulting him in the same manner…along with that majestic white door. The images ran through Atsushi’s mind over and over again, but he had no idea what the door meant.
“What…?” muttered Atsushi absentmindedly.
I want to know the answer, but my brain won’t let me think. My head hurts so bad, it feels like it’s about to split open. But why?
“Why?!” he cried. Atsushi didn’t understand what was going on. His arms naturally curled around his body as if to protect himself. A memory of a mysterious door and a skill that wouldn’t return—were the two somehow related? Did Akutagawa know something? The frustration caused Atsushi to faintly tremble. Akutagawa then strode by him as his black overcoat flapped in the wind.
“Akutagawa!” Atsushi screamed in spite of himself. “What’s that supposed to mean?! Answer me!”
But Akutagawa didn’t look back. He simply disappeared into the fog as he headed toward the fortress.
Why…? Why…?! Why am I the only one who doesn’t get it?!
An indescribable fear crept up Atsushi’s body. Kyouka, who had kept quiet until now, tightly pursed her lips and instructed, “You’re hurt badly. Stay here and rest.”
“Huh?” Atsushi stared vacantly at her, his mouth agape. He couldn’t process what she had just said. Kyouka turned her back to him.
“Kyouka…?” He called out to her, his voice wavering. “I’m sorry for not telling you. I didn’t want you to know.” “Know what?”
After a brief moment of hesitation, she answered:
“…That I control Demon Snow with my cell phone.” Kyouka glanced back at Atsushi. “…And that I actually didn’t want to hate her.”
“…”
I had no idea she felt this way…
Atsushi was overcome with shock and guilt that he didn’t know—that he didn’t even notice.
“I’ll carry out the mission,” promised Kyouka with a calm, determined expression. She then began to walk up ahead into the fog where Akutagawa disappeared as well. She was heading to the fortress.
“Kyouka! Wait!”
Atsushi tried to chase after her, but his wounded body could hardly move. He tried to stand up, only to immediately fall back down. Atsushi couldn’t drag himself off the jagged ground.
“Kyouka…!” he screamed, feeling as if his vocal cords were going to shred. But no matter how many times he called her name, his voice didn’t reach her. The fog began to grow thicker until Kyouka was no longer visible. Then, the fortress vanished beneath the mist. And eventually, the white darkness absorbed Atsushi as well.