When Nakahara once again encountered Hyakki, it was at the entrance of a sushi restaurant, where he happened to see Dazai as well.

The lackluster hoodie-clad youth instantly erupted.

“Dazai…!!!”

The ground beneath his feet cracked, chunks of earth upheaved, and a drastic change in gravity centered on him!

Hyakki’s attention was drawn away by the vast expanse of burning crimson flames. His muscles tensed, giving rise to the illusion that his own evil power, about to be released by the demon god, was burning along with them.

The moment his fighting instincts kicked in, his back was embraced by Dazai Osamu, clinging to him like sticky taffy.

Dazaiforcefully wrapped his arms around Hyakki’s neck, hanging onto his back, and leaned out to look at the infuriated Nakahara, a piece of crab sushi still in his mouth, slowly munching away.

“Well, well, King of the Sheep.”

Dazai Osamu’s cheeks pulsated like a hamster’s, and after three seconds, he revealed a malicious grin.

“Raising a bunch of little lambs, working hard to earn a living every day. How’s that going? In my opinion, you don’t need to target Shirase. After all, who in the Underground Market hasn’t done a little mischief? Maybe they’ve just robbed someone and accidentally killed a person. Now, everyone in the Underground Market knows you’ve gone outside to work.”

Listen, is this even human speech?

In response, Hyakki remained steadfastly in front of Dazai Osamu, shielding him from the overwhelming hostility.

In front was the core, dark-red demon, and behind was the innocent “Dororo.”

Who needs to ponder who the bad guy is?

“The biggest mistake of my life was taking in you, a troublemaking bastard!” Nakahara had endured this bitter experience over the past month. As one of the formidable Espers, the King of the Sheep, feared even by the harbor mafia, he had reluctantly taken up part-time work in the normal society to earn money and support his family.

The resentment of the tangerine-haired youth towards Dazai reached its peak, with Hyakki inadvertently becoming a target as well.

“So you two do know each other!”

Hyakki’s left leg returned to his body, solid evidence as clear as day.

[…]

Hyakki subtly struggled, unable to free himself from Dororo without harming them. If all else failed, he might have to flee with Dororo on his back.

Sensing Hyakki’s intentions, Dazai Osamu’s lips curled up, continuing to taunt Nakahara, “I’ve known Hyakki for a long time. I’ve seen him save a child who was about to be killed by the harbor mafia. Who would have thought that someone would specifically target those who uphold justice, just to protect the wicked? Truly befitting of the ‘King of the Sheep,’ who declares, ‘Invade the sheep’s territory, and you’ll face fierce retaliation,’ isn’t it?”

Nakahara’s face alternated between pale and flushed; after all, those were his own words.

Suddenly, Nakahara seized on a key point, “His name is Hyakki?”

Dazai sensed a hint of concern in Nakahara’s tone and immediately changed his tune. “You misheard. His name is Dazai, a semi-automatic puppet left by my ancestors.”

Nakahara was disgusted and yelled, “Clearly, I didn’t mishear! He’s human! How could he be a puppet?”

Dazaiscoffed, “Have you ever seen a human that can be dismantled and reassembled?”

Nakahara hesitated, realizing he hadn’t.

Hyakki, seeing the demon god still hesitating to attack, couldn’t help but feel nervous. If the demon god excelled at seducing humans and used some method he didn’t know to erode Dororo’s spirit, it would be disastrous.

He began to step back, intending to flee with the person behind him from the demon god.

Observing this, Dazai coldly stuck out his tongue. “I lied.”

Nakahara Chuuya, his suppressed anger erupting, immediately launched an attack, frightening Hyakki, Dazai Osamu, and the patrons and owner of the sushi restaurant behind them into panicked screams.

A crimson fist was intercepted by someone.

The incredibly powerful gravity punch was unexpectedly blocked by Hyakki’s unsheathed right hand for the first time!

Not only was Hyakki slightly surprised, but Nakahara also widened his eyes, a hint of vigilance and surprise flashing in his deep blue gaze. Their respective reactions were observed by Dazai Osamu, and upon skin contact with Hyakki, “No Longer Human” nullified Nakahara’s proud trump card, gravitational nullification!

The next moment, Nakahara was heavily kicked by Hyakki, crashing into the wall on the opposite side of the road.

The vehicles on the road abruptly stopped, and those with the gas pedal slammed it, fleeing in fear, unwilling to intervene in the recent fights that had been rampant in Yokohama.

Dazai lazily leaned on Hyakki’s shoulder and said, “No need to hide from him.”

Releasing his restraint on Hyakki, he seized his left hand and confidently walked away, thinking to himself, “With me around, even the strongest esper in the world is nothing but my defeated underling.”

Esper Ability—No Longer Human.

An extraordinarily rare esper ability, an absolute anti-esper ability rarely seen in the world!

Nakahara got up with minimal damage, dusted off the dirt from his face, but surprisingly ignored Dazai Osamu, who was seething with hatred. Instead, he stared intently at Hyakki. “Do you know about Arahabaki?”

Hyakki didn’t have a clue what he was talking about; he couldn’t even hear properly.

Dazai burst into laughter.

In response to Nakahara, the black-haired youth pulled out his right hand expressionlessly, unsheathing his sword. He left his left hand to Dazai Osamu, while his right forearm took on the form of a weapon, swinging towards Nakahara!

Nakahara’s patience ran out, and he retaliated in a frenzy. “Is it so difficult to answer?” His entire body was once again enveloped in the red light of his esper ability, with highly concentrated gravitational factors shining intensely. It was unbelievably clear to Hyakki, who had been blind for many years, that Nakahara was a demon god disguised as a young boy, extremely deceptive.

Well, he definitely had to be slain.

Hyakki’s indifference and murderous intent remained unwavering.

Arahabaki? Arahabaki the Conqueror? Meanwhile, Dazai’s mind was filled with various thoughts. Arahabaki was the name of a divine spear in Japanese mythology. What connection did it have with Nakahara and Hyakki? Nakahara seemed to have been searching for Arahabaki in the Underground Market…

[Translator’s Note: Arahabaki is a God of Calamity]

Without hesitation, Dazailet go of Hyakki’s hand and calmly released him, eager for battle.

【Tell me the answer through battle, Hyakki.】

The clash between Hyakki and Nakahara was an unexpected event beyond fate, yet it was also a destined battle after their crossing. The only one who could witness their fierce battle was Dazai Osamu, the third person connecting their fates.

From initially dodging and being unable to escape the gravitational suppression, to adapting to the power of the demon god and launching a relatively weak counterattack, this was the third time facing Nakahara. Despite Nakahara’s outwardly emotional demeanor, he never abandoned his reason. As they fought on, Nakahara felt increasingly uneasy, sensing that Hyakki was adapting to his esper abilities at an unimaginable speed!

How was this possible? Could a human achieve this?!

Nakahara’s uneasy feeling reminded him that Hyakki was exceptionally adept at adapting to the power from Arahabaki and was gradually gaining a stronger sense of restraint against him.

He finally stopped restraining the hand that had been in his pocket all along and used it to block Hyakki’s strikes without reservation.

Dazai exclaimed in surprise, “Oh, the little guy stopped fishing in his pockets.”

Veins bulged on Nakahara’s forehead.

While fiercely retaliating against Hyakki and forcing him back, he roared, “I’m not short! I’m still growing!”

The psychological damage caused by his height further fueled Nakahara’s rage. Despite being just around five feet tall, he remained composed and steady under repeated provocations. He was no longer the lone wolf who drove the harbor mafia out of the Underground Market and then beat up Shirase in the GSS armed organization—he was the King of the Underground Market!

The pressure on Hyakki rapidly increased. The limbs his foster father crafted for him were not made of steel; while they enhanced his agility and speed, they also reduced his ability to withstand pressure.

Gravity, always present.

“Why am I able to fight him, surpassing mortal limitations, with the power of the demon god?”

Hyakki tumbled in mid-air, evading punches and kicks while slashing at Nakahara with his sword. His beast-like instincts were fully manifested, and once he entered a perfect state of combat, he could anticipate Nakahara’s next move.

“The twelve demon gods took away my organs but left their power within me to protect me from death easily. I will use the remnants of their power to defeat them…”

“I want my eyes, my voice, my face… my hands and feet!”

“I will reclaim them!!!”

The residual power of the demon gods in Hyakki’s soul concentrated through his fragile prosthetics into this single strike!

With this strike, Nakahara glimpsed a momentary illusion.

Hyakki’s body was covered in eerie red flames, resisting his own gravity. Parts of his pristine body were invaded by flames, his life force boiling, resembling his own self plunged into a state of impurity.

Nakahara managed to enhance his defense in time, but it was a step too late. His left hand came into contact with the long sword, and as the ordinary warrior’s sword chopped down, it left a long and narrow wound, breaking through the gravitational force. The long-forgotten pain emerged on Nakahara Chuuya, born into this world as the “Arahabaki.”

“Hiss, it’s been a while since I’ve been injured.”

Nakahara covered his left hand, which was bleeding profusely. The wound was deep enough to expose the bone, fortunately avoiding any damage to the tendons.

He was starting to question life a bit.

Are you really my kind, and not the kind that specializes in killing our kind?

Hyakki’s condition, however, was a bit different. Filled with an extreme desire to slay the demon gods, he overlooked…