In the chief’s office, Dazai Osamu glanced at the screen of his phone, a shadow briefly crossing his mind. Every time he left for a moment, this superpowered individual would find a way to exploit the situation.

However, Hyakki trusted this person, so Dazai begrudgingly chose to trust Hyakki’s judgment.

“Is there something wrong, Dazai?”

“Nothing… Mori, have you investigated Ranpo thoroughly?”

“Just as you mentioned, he has started to act restlessly.”

Mori’s gaze was as sharp as a scalpel, not bothering with Dazai’s distraction. He took out a remote control and pressed a button. The office dimmed, and a projection screen displayed the previous chief’s grave.

The Kusuo’s quasi-executive, Ranpo, was secretly visiting the former chief’s grave!

It was known that Ranpo had previously supported Mori and was a high-ranking member of Mori’s faction, earning a certain level of trust.

Dazai cast aside extraneous thoughts and analyzed Ranpo’s purpose through the video. “He’s a spatial ability user with seemingly insufficient offensive capabilities. Visiting the former chief could be to steal the corpse, seek evidence of Mori’s assassination of the chief, or perhaps gain some benefit from the former chief’s body…”

Mori set down the remote control. “Regardless of his reasons, he’s no longer on our side.”

Dazai had been waiting for Mori’s confirmation. His hawk-like eyes blinked with subtle insinuation.

Mori smiled. “You naughty boy, I’ll leave this person for you to handle.”

Dazai responded crisply, “Thank you, Mori.”

Incidentally…

Dazai disliked the distasteful nickname but endured it for the sake of the benefits he would receive.

Mori thought to himself: Only a child would be so concerned with a nickname.

After discussing official matters, Mori brought up the subject of Hyakki’s recovery. “How is Hyakki’s condition?”

“Very good.”

“Bring him to me in a week for suture removal.”

“No need, I’ve learned how to do it myself.”

“Dazai… you don’t need to be so guarded with me. I won’t harm Hyakki.”

Dazai didn’t believe Mori’s integrity for a second, suspecting that any harm would be done before it was mentioned.

Mori sighed internally. With Dazai’s vigilance, it would be difficult to obtain firsthand information about Hyakki, which would significantly limit his conversation topics with Natsume.

Just as Dazai was about to leave, Mori suddenly offered a piece of advice.

“Be mindful of moderation until you’re sixteen.”

“???”

### Dazai’s Reaction

After a moment of blankness, Dazai’s hawk-like pupils constricted, and he looked at Mori with the gaze one reserves for a pervert.

“Mori, what nonsense are you thinking? There’s no way I’d touch Hyakki!”

“As you wish.”

Mori nonchalantly organized the contracts and documents on his desk.

Having shared a bed for so long, feigning purity was useless; eventually, Dazai would develop an infatuation with the doll-like boy. It was a pity his good intentions went unrecognized—after all, engaging in such activities too early wasn’t good for the body. Given Dazai’s physical condition, it was easy for him to suffer from nutritional deficiencies and fail to grow taller.

The Next Day…

The old seal, covered in intricate patterns, was finally completed.

Following the prescribed steps from the Time Travel Bureau, Hyakki activated the seal’s power.

In disbelief, Kusuo watched as his brother and a disabled monkey managed to capture the Hound of Tindalos, solving a high-difficulty problem that had troubled him for months! Using his “size alteration” ability, a micro-spherical building covered in old seals appeared in Kusuo’s hand. Inside, the “mini hound” howled frantically but refused to bash against the walls.

The dog in a cesspit, stinking to high heaven.

Kusuo used telepathy to hear the Hound of Tindalos’s feelings of “fear.”

**Perfect.**

He planned to tell his mom that he had adopted a slightly ugly dog.

“Kusuo, lend it to me for research!”

Kurumi, unwilling to let his hard-earned topic disappear, tried to grab the spherical prison from his brother. Kusuo let him try, but Kurumi’s expression stiffened the next second, letting out an “ouch” as he failed to hold onto it.

The thing was too heavy!

Kusuo easily caught the “room” again, not feeling its weight.

He then looked at Hyakki, who knew a lot. Hyakki couldn’t see, hear, smell, or sense the Hound of Tindalos, and likewise, the hound couldn’t perceive him. It was as if two beings from different dimensions were passing each other in the dark. Without Kusuo’s description of the creature, he wouldn’t have known there was such a “simple” solution nearby, easily resolving his vacation troubles.

**Hyakki, I’ve successfully imprisoned the hound. Thank you.**

Kusuo expressed his gratitude in return.

Kurumi, able to read minds through his brother’s expression, snarked, “He brought that hound here!”

Kusuo ignored him, listening instead to Hyakki’s unknowing but slightly joyful thoughts.

**I’m glad I could help you.**

Without a script, without a persona, Hyakki let go of his restraints. He no longer feared his identity being exposed; he was just Hyakki, free from the burden of playing someone else.

Hyakki’s life flame had never fallen into corruption; it remained pure, stemming from his steadfastness.

He was here to experience the vicissitudes of life.

The tragic result he faced was due to his carelessness, a consequence he had to bear.

**I am who I am, irrelevant to anything else.**

**Yes, you did very well.** Kusuo said blandly. **That dog has killed many people. Without its endless pursuit, I can return to my school life.**

Hyakki was unaware that the hound had thwarted Bai Lan’s plan to destroy the world. He quietly listened to Kusuo’s words.

Kusuo’s inner voice added, **You’ve helped me once. In return, what do you want?**

Hyakki was taken aback.

Under the gazes of two abnormal members of the Saiki family, the disabled boy in the wheelchair showed a look of confusion. His black hair draped over his shoulders, and though traveling to another world hadn’t changed his courage to face the storms, he didn’t know how to ask for something or seek a reward for a moment. Or perhaps he had been disappointed too many times.

In these fourteen years, reality had changed him greatly.

**I can do anything.**

Kusuo, fearing Hyakki wouldn’t believe in his powers, emphasized his words. Then he heard Hyakki’s voice, tinged with sourness and apprehension, as if afraid to shatter a beautiful dream.

**Can I… recover my health?**

Hyakki had many desires, but only those who have lost something understand its value. Without a healthy body, he couldn’t even see the person he liked, couldn’t use real hands to hug Dororo, couldn’t clearly see Dororo’s face, living in constant fear in the dark.

Kurumi was astonished to see a hint of a smile on Kusuo’s face.

The pink-haired boy, with a cold and detached demeanor inappropriate for his age, avoided interacting with anyone and disliked owing favors. His sole wish was to live a low-key, ordinary life. For someone nearly omnipotent like him, being moved by another’s life was almost impossible. But Hyakki achieved it.

Hyakki’s persistence and kind heart symbolized the humanity Kusuo cherished.

He embodied the essence of being human.

Living purely.

Kusuo replied, **Yes.**

In that instant, Hyakki heard the sound of his fate being paused, as the deity ended his tragedy.

As flowers bloomed and withered, the world revealed different facets every day.

Perhaps…

Embracing hope would welcome a beautiful future.