In that fleeting moment of birth, he cried out loud.

His mother, maids, and nurse in the delivery room all heard it, but after the lightning and thunder, he was deprived of twelve vital organs by a demon, his skeletal structure devoid of skin still lacked a complete layer of muscle, blood flowing, the person without limbs had a bare body, frightening everyone, and that sharp cry of the infant became the only sound of survival for Hyakki in the world.

The statue of Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara was placed on one side of the delivery room, facing Hyakki. The statue, after the birth of the baby, had its head severed by an invisible force, barely managing to protect his life.

From then on, he became like this.

Unaware of Hyakki’s past, Shirase was mentally dazed, especially when she heard Dazai’s words piercing deep into her heart: “Hyakki’s inner eye can discern good from evil, others cannot easily approach him. In his view… Miss Doctor is a good person.”

A simple sentence, yet tears welled up in Shirase’s eyes.

“Am I a good person…?”

Forcing soldiers to be unable to die, constantly regenerating, and ultimately committing suicide in the collapse of the battlefield, the death angel, after many years, was actually considered a good person by a sightless young man.

She had never killed anyone, yet countless soldiers despaired and hated her because of her.

She… couldn’t save the people she wanted to save.

Ranpo unexpectedly interjected, “That’s right, you’re a doctor who saves lives. You’re the most important member of our Armed Detective Agency. He will think you’re a good person because he sees into your heart.”

Shirase was shaken to her core.

Osamu smirked, “The heart?”

Ranpo refused to turn around, sitting with his legs crossed on the chair, his back facing them like the enigmatic figure in a poster.

With analytical prowess surpassing Osamu’s, he confidently stated, “None of us here have ever killed anyone or committed crimes out of selfish desires. The president, due to his past profession, cannot be seen as a good person in Hyakki’s eyes. But all members of our Armed Detective Agency stand on the side of justice. Who we are, the president is.”

In the end, Ranpo endeavored to cleanse Fukuzawa’s and uplift the spirits of the members.

Shirase wiped away any unnecessary fragile emotions and faced Hyakki squarely.

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Shirase, the medical officer of the Armed Detective Agency. I don’t know if you can feel me speaking, but thank you for your recognition. My ability is ‘Please Don’t Die,’ which allows me to perfectly restore those on the brink of death to full health.”

It was an ability that would be highly sought after in the outside world.

“Rest assured…”

The seventeen-year-old girl, who had experienced war at a young age, began to dismantle his prosthetic limbs. With Osamu’s assistance, they positioned Hyakki, who had lost his limbs, on the seat. Osamu shielded Hyakki’s incomplete limbs with his body, allowing only Yaeko Shirase, as a doctor, to have a clear view.

“I will definitely restore you to a normal human form.”

The ability “Please Don’t Die” was a reflection of Yaeko Shirase’s innermost thoughts: please don’t die.

With determination, Shirase’s hands, touching Hyakki’s shoulders, emitted the glow of her ability. Rosy-colored lights scattered, resembling tiny butterflies dancing. The ability enveloped Hyakki, devoid of any evil aura, akin to the power of rejuvenating life, astonishingly without the need to first inflict severe injuries!

Because! This person has always been on the brink of death!

Dazai Osamu released his hand.

Hyakki was engulfed by the dazzling light erupting from the darkness, instinctively turning his head towards Dazai Osamu. His lost hands began to gradually regenerate under the healing power of the ability. Bones and muscles grew in the forearm of his left hand, slowly forming a palm!

His face started to regain its skin, with eyes, nose, and lips appearing accordingly. The gruesome muscle layer, previously unbearable to look at, was now partly covered with the face of a human youth—a countenance even more splendid than a mask.

Such was the miracle!

From the extreme ugliness, beauty that humans ought to possess was born.

Hyakki suddenly broke free from the darkness, his pupils unable to discern anything under the glaring white light. Instinctively, he sought “Dororo” behind him, panicked beyond measure.

At any time, in any place, “Dororo” was his direction of sight.

Dazai Osamu revealed a dry, faint smile.

“Hyakki…”

Surprisingly, there was nervousness deep in his heart, his facial expression stiff, trying to show his good side.

What kind of smile was it? Would such a smile be accepted by Hyakki?

However.

Osamu noticed that Hyakki’s “regrowth” had stopped, with only half of his facial skin restored, while the other half remained peeled away. His gray-brown pupils still hollow, lacking any focus on himself, only continuously shedding precious tears.

“What’s going on?!” Osamu exclaimed in shock and anger.

Yaeko Shirase’s breath hitched. Her infallible ability couldn’t possibly fail!

“Hyakki!”

Osamu wanted to touch him but hesitated to activate “No Longer Human” on him.

After the miracle on Hyakki halted, it suddenly reversed. His skin disappeared, and the newly grown limbs lost their muscles first, then the bones, reverting to the appearance of severed limbs.

The step Shirase had prepared to detach the false spine also came to a halt.

Her face turned pale with shock.

“…”

The ability applied to Hyakki had failed.

From darkness to seeing the light, then sinking back into blinding white light, it took only a few seconds. Hyakki couldn’t fully grasp the sensation, but the moment he shed tears felt painfully real.

[“Did I… just recover?”]

[“Why is it still dark, why do I still see the world through my mind’s eye?!!”]

Hyakki’s stable mind began to waver, struck by confusion and a sense of defeat.

Ranpo jumped off the chair and rushed over, looking at the horrifying truth. He first covered his eyes, affected by the shock, then spoke with difficulty.

“It’s a power akin to a curse.”

“Impossible!”

Osamu’s hand was already placed on Hyakki’s body, disregarding his visible face, attempting to dispel the negative forces that had taken away Hyakki’s organs. “My power can eliminate all abilities!”

“But—” Ranpo looked up, “what if it’s not an ability?”

Osamu fell silent, his eyes darkening.

The truth that he didn’t want to face was finally revealed, mercilessly exposing that Hyakki became the person he was after birth not because of any ability but due to an unknown entity.

The power, akin to a “curse,” was imprinted on Hyakki’s body, filled with malice.

—”Your body can never be whole.”

Hyakki felt someone wiping his face, the mask not put back on. The person who always avoided looking directly at his entire face stood before him, illuminating the path ahead with a white flame of life.

Remembering Hyakki’s true face and seeing the ugly visage of the youth, smelling the scent of blood, his upper body’s white shirt also stained with the other’s blood, both becoming dirty. His face devoid of the false smiles of the past, now plain and simple, he spoke to the unseen in a relaxed manner.

“You see, I’ve blocked out the darkness. If I can’t see it, then I won’t look at this world.”

In the world of the mind’s eye.

The flames of the youth’s life truly blocked out the darkness for him.

The boiling power of the demon was suppressed, and a crimson light spread throughout Hyakki’s soul, corroding his spirit but never able to taint the pure white flames of life.

Humans, sometimes fragile, sometimes just needing a bit of warmth to survive.

Hyakki was no exception.

He lost the world but gained his own “Dororo.”