The members of the Port Mafia noticed once again that Dazai Osamu had a new companion by his side.

This youth wore a half-face mask, his black hair tied into a ponytail. He was neat and efficient, with highly realistic and flexible prosthetic hands and a left leg. He walked as if he existed in another world, indifferent to others, and usually stayed in Dazai’s or Mori’s office, avoiding contact with anyone else.

He did not kill.

He despised those who were utterly devoid of any good intentions, responding to violence with violence.

He and the King of the Sheep from Leibo Street had once forcefully intruded into the Port Mafia’s headquarters but were not held accountable. His identity and background were mysterious, with rumors suggesting that even the previous leader was very interested in him, wanting to keep him as a collectible puppet. During his stay at the Port Mafia headquarters, he successfully thwarted an internal assassination attempt on Mori, earning Mori’s praise and tacit permission to continue his ghostly presence at headquarters.

In just three days, various rumors spread wildly. In the midst of all this, Hyakki slept on the office sofa. Unless Dazai temporarily entrusted him to Mori or Yumeno, he would stay by Dazai’s side, unable to completely shake off the fear from his shattered worldview.

A strange world.

Without the script’s support to maintain his sense of security.

His mind was afraid of the vast, pale white outside. In his sleep, he repeatedly dreamt of his adoptive father and sometimes dreamt of Lady Nui’s hands reaching out to hug him, as well as the unsettling feeling of floating to the surface in a basin.

That river flowing into the distance, the feeling of rocking in the darkness, marked the beginning of Hyakki’s journey.

From birth, he was destined to be abandoned by his father, who cruelly sacrificed his unborn child to demons in exchange for prosperity in the Daigo territory, setting off the main plot of Hyakki’s battle against the demons in the “Dororo” world. He was born so disfigured that he was hardly recognizable as human. The midwife, disobeying Lord Daigo’s orders, did not abandon him in the wild but, out of pity, placed him in a wooden basin, letting him float down the river in search of life.

That time, he survived, meeting Jukai, who was on the verge of suicide, guided by fate. This time, he unconsciously traveled through time and space, separated from his adoptive father, and encountered the white flame lingering behind him.

He thought the other person was Dororo, the heroine from the original story who admired him.

The other person took his hand.

His soul suddenly settled down, finding a place to belong. Over the years, only Jukai had cared for him, and he naively believed that the second person to treat him specially must be Dororo.

“Yes, she is Dororo.”

Everyone who showed him compassion was like Guanyin Bodhisattva, but not everyone could be his Dororo.

“She stayed with me, gave me food, clothes, and comfort. Her life force was as soft as cotton candy.”

“She could sleep in my arms, holding me like a doll every night.”

“She… was willing to kiss me.”

“She loved me…”

No matter what kind of person Dororo was, Hyakki received a serendipitous affection.

Just as the other person never despised his hideous true form, he wouldn’t care about her appearance. When he closed his eyes, the entire world was the color of the soul. Dwelling in a dark world, he was no longer alone.

However, it was still painful when that perception was torn apart.

—Where should I go?

“Is Hyakki dreaming?”

During the lunch break, Dazai finished reading the Port Mafia members’ files and gently woke him up.

On the black leather sofa, Hyakki, who had just woken up, looked a bit dazed.

Dazai, out of boredom, measured the length of his legs with his thumb and forefinger. Hyakki, who was still growing, was getting taller. His left prosthetic leg couldn’t keep up with the growth, and he had to rely on insoles.

The advantage of Hyakki’s lack of tactile sensation was that he remained unaware.

Thinking about it this way, Dazai found it quite amusing to have a nominal “boyfriend.”

“In the dream…”

The bandaged boy in the black suit leaned closer, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips.

“Were there any pretty girls?”

Ever since learning from Mori that Hyakki thought of him as a girl, Dazai wasn’t surprised things had come to this point. If a girl slept by his side every day and took care of him, he would also wonder if she liked him or had deeper intentions.

The simple-minded Hyakki could only think of… love.

Hyakki silently hugged this mass of gray flames. The flame’s waist was still very slim, as if it could never gain weight.

“As long as Dororo is there, I can endure day after day in the darkness.”

He had someone he loved.

“Put aside the script in your mind.”

Meaningless characters and scripts, worthless transmigration agency.

“Start over.”

These simple four words weighed heavily on Hyakki’s heart, causing a deep discomfort. It was like a beast, scared to its core, trying to embrace new things for the sake of its human companion, voluntarily leaving its comfort zone.

Dazai watched him intently, noticing the subtle changes beneath his lifeless exterior.

Was Hyakki beginning to accept reality?

Impressive.

Whether it was his instinctive actions in the midst of collapse or his self-regulation abilities, his survival skills were exceptional. His desire to live overcame all obstacles…

Dazai didn’t hold back his praise: “This is the Hyakki I first met.”

“Even a devil would be moved by an angel.”

Dazai allowed Hyakki to hold his waist, resting his chin on Hyakki’s shoulder, while thinking of something else: “What Bai Lan said came true. The people I sent couldn’t find Shibusawa’s body. Someone saw a white-haired youth leaving that place…”

Bai Lan, who was “visiting” the Port Mafia, had finally provided accurate information and gained some freedom, no longer confined to the interrogation room.

With nothing to do, he wandered into Dazai’s temporary office, deciding to recommend a caregiver for Hyakki.

“I promise, he’s one of the rare good guys in the Port Mafia!”

“Good guy…”

Dazai immediately thought of someone, looking suspiciously at the amused Bai Lan.

Bai Lan enthusiastically said the name: “Sakunosuke.”

As expected.

Dazai’s reaction was lukewarm. He hadn’t forgotten Sakunosuke’s role as a tool. He patted the adjusting Hyakki, who was once again a bit tense, particularly towards Bai Lan. Dazai glanced disdainfully at the white-haired youth whose soul was steeped in sin, deserving of execution.

“Alright, I understand… Stay away from Hyakki.”

“…”

Bai Lan was disheartened.

A few hours later, a lower-ranking Port Mafia member received a direct summon from Dazai.

Oda Sakunosuke: “???”

He paused his chores for the day and returned to headquarters under the envious and speculative gazes of his colleagues.

Honestly, he wasn’t particularly surprised.

The pitiful, disabled boy was named Hyakki. His friend was the King of the Sheep, Nakahara, and the person they were looking for was called “Dororo,” who was actually Dazai Osamu, a prominent figure beside the Port Mafia leader. When Nakahara and Hyakki had barged into the Port Mafia headquarters, Sakunosuke had been on the outskirts, tasked with blocking them, and had witnessed the two boys’ audacious actions. Hence, he knew that the “Dororo” they were looking for was Dazai.

Based on the above, Sakunosuke discovered a magical secret unknown to outsiders.

The person on the phone claiming to be the father was Mori.

The person on the phone being called daughter was Dazai, and the son-in-law was Hyakki.

So.

Dazai was the illegitimate daughter of the Port Mafia chief?

In the high-ranking rooms of the Port Mafia headquarters, a knock on the door was heard. After a weapon check, a young man with reddish-brown hair entered the room. With his hands behind his back, he calmly stated, “Hello, I am Sakunosuke, a lower-ranking member of the Port Mafia, here at your summons.”

No one responded immediately.

Sakunosuke glanced around the room. On the sofa were Dazai, playing a game, and Hyakki, sitting quietly. Hyakki turned to look at him briefly before burying his face against Dazai’s back, looking quite dejected.

In the far corner of the room sat a foreign-looking white-haired youth, intensely focused on a racing game, his fingers moving rapidly. An almost person-height mirror placed in front of him reflected the light, perfectly obstructing the lines of sight between the three of them.

“Game over! I win!”

Bai Lan raised his hand in a victory gesture, though the mirror greatly hindered his gloating.

“Tch.”

Dazai, playing this game for the first time, looked down on the veteran player, set the game console aside, and finally turned his attention to the visitor.

“Sakunosuke, it’s our first meeting, but you should be somewhat familiar with me.”

“Hmm.”

Sakunosuke recognized his voice.

“I am the person Hyakki was looking for. There was a bit of a disagreement earlier, and I didn’t want to deal with him. Later, he and the little midget forced their way in… and you played a part in that.” Dazai said faintly. Sakunosuke, not feeling caught, responded calmly, “You’re welcome.”

Dazai was momentarily taken aback, noticing Bai Lan taking a video with his phone.

“What are you doing?” he asked Bai Lan.

“Recording your first meeting.” Bai Lan replied with a bright smile.

An unusual light flickered in Dazai’s eyes as he looked at Sakunosuke more seriously, hinting at a cold analysis. Did he have a connection with this Sakunosuke in a parallel world?

Sakunosuke, caught in the crossfire, maintained a principle of saying and doing little in the face of the inscrutable youth.

Not understanding their conversation, he decided not to try to comprehend it.

“You don’t need to do those chores anymore.” Dazai pointed to Hyakki, who was in a poor mental state. “You’re responsible for looking after him. If anything happens, call my private number. If there’s a problem, find me. If it’s a problem I can’t solve, find Mori.”

Confused for a moment under “her” fingers, Hyakki followed the direction to look at the white flame at the door.

“He’s the kind-hearted person who helped me twice. He knows Dororo.”

Hyakki nodded.

No matter how Hyakki interpreted it, Dazai assigned the task to Sakunosuke, believing it was a better use of his abilities than doing chores. Sakunosuke was kind enough, had the experience of a killer, and his combat skills wouldn’t be a hindrance. His main focus would be to act as Hyakki’s caretaker.