In July, the summer was scorching.

Under the intimidation of Yumeno’s supernatural abilities, the situation of the port’s mafia reluctantly stabilized. No one wished to see that terrifying ability appear in Yokohama again.

Meanwhile, the liaison between the Special Force Division and Dazai was a low-ranking member of the port’s mafia.

He accidentally brushed against Dazai Osamu’s shoulder, hurriedly apologized, and before leaving, whispered the codeword for the liaison: “625”.

June twenty-fifth, the Abillity Special Division’s transaction.

Dazai brushed off the black coat on his shoulder as if shaking off falling dust, then took Hyakki, who was visiting Yumeno Kyusaku, out to have some fun. They kept a low profile, not like formal members of the port’s mafia who had to clock in for work every day, but more like people operating outside the underworld.

Mori indulged Dazai in experiencing the darkness, not rushing things. This gave Dazai and Hyakki  enough freedom, preventing them from becoming mere cogs in the mafia at a young age.

“What should I send?” Dazai played with his phone, swapping SIM cards. “Let’s send them what they care about most. If they come looking for me, it’s probably for this.”

【Yumeno has been safely sealed.】

Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he saw a very enticing branch ahead.

“Hyakki! Let’s go over there!”

A few minutes later.

Hyakki , confused, had his yukata’s belt untied by “Dororo”. He could only hold his clothes and squat under the tree, silently gazing up. Dazai hung the belt on the branch, tied a knot, stepped on Hyakki’s shoulder, jumped up, and smoothly hung his head into the belt hanging in mid-air.

“Ah… I’m going to die… My last words are about today’s weather… Cough cough, it’s really nice…”

Dazai made the gesture of a hanging ghost, sticking his tongue out.

What pleased him most was Hyakki  obediently squatting below, not getting in the way, the dead eyes reflected on the mask mirroring the scene of his hanging, like a qualified witness.

Breathing became difficult, Dazai squinted, trying to experience the feeling of suffocation that Hyakki  had experienced last time.

Why could Hyakki  struggle for survival while suffocating…

No desire to call for help.

No desire to move.

In the haze of his long-lost suicide, Dazai gradually lost consciousness. Hyakki, who wouldn’t scream, was really great; otherwise, the noisy atmosphere would have affected the suicide scene.

When the white flame of life hung in the air for no apparent reason, Hyakki didn’t rush to help, simply thinking that “Dororo” might be hanging clothes or drying a quilt. At worst, he was right in front of the other person’s eyes, and if there was anything needed, he could easily guide them to complete it.

Nearby, pedestrians had started to exclaim, “Someone is attempting suicide!”

Still, Hyakki didn’t react, his fingers touching a wildflower under the tree, guessing it was a flower.

And then.

In the moment when the white flame of life weakened.

With a swift sword strike, Hyakki  severed whatever had trapped “Dororo” and caught the falling person. Dazai held his throat, coughing frantically, pushing away Hyakki  holding him. Hyakki ‘s chest was hit with an elbow, but he didn’t feel the bruising pain. Dazai gently placed him under the tree.

Hyakki ‘s yukata lacked its belt and slipped off with slight movement, revealing the obvious joint of his prosthetic limb.

Ignoring where he was, ignoring others’ curious gazes.

He simply did what he had to.

Dazai laughed as he coughed, plucking the wildflower that Hyakki  had been playing with earlier and placing it on his head. The fragile flower quickly slid down from his bangs.

From April to July, Hyakki ‘s hair had grown a bit longer, bangs covering his eyes, and his neat ponytail had reached his chest from his shoulders when he slept at night. He had grown by half a centimeter in height. It appeared to be a healthy growth change, but behind it lay ominous developments. Dazai seemed to intimately embrace Hyakki , his fingers tracing his back, counting the vertebrae.

“Hyakki… cough… how much longer can you hold on?”

【Is Dororo counting vertebrae?】

Hyakki  trusted his foster father’s skills. They surpassed modern medicine and bordered on black technology. In the world of anime, all unreasonable things were feasible.

【I can hold on for about half a year.】

“Will it break?”

【If I can’t find my foster father after six months, it’ll be troublesome to ask him to help me build a new spine.】

“Hyakki  would turn into a doll, only to be displayed in a showcase for people to admire.”

【I won’t be able to stand straight.】

“In that case…”

【In that case…】

Dazai Osamu’s voice overlapped with Hyakki ‘s heartbeat, but their perspectives on the matter differed.

“Hyakki  would become useless.”

【Before losing the ability to move, I will do my best to slay the former demons.】

After losing all five senses, if he lost the ability to move freely, Hyakki  would rather choose to die alongside the former demons. If the demons survived, they could eat his corpse.

That way… his foster father wouldn’t find out.

Hyakki  held “Dororo” in his arms, cherishing every moment spent with him.

Dazai looked curious: “Are you expressing reluctance to part with me?”

He went to pull up the fallen yukata.

“No need.”

“I haven’t saved you; you’ve saved yourself.”

Dazai Osamu, who failed in hanging himself, held up the other’s…