Learning to walk, something so easy, is not something that someone like Hyakki, who has been disabled for over a decade, can easily expect.

For Hyakki, learning to walk holds as much significance as a baby’s first steps in life.

He is getting closer to being like an ordinary person again.

“Hyakki, come over here,” Dazai said softly, not offering assistance. Even the most doting parents would grit their teeth watching their child stumble while walking; what more from someone as rational as Dazai.

Learning to walk is something that everyone must accomplish.

Maintaining a one-meter distance from Hyakki, Dazai guided him from the front, his gaze fixed on Hyakki. With the suppression of the illusion lifted due to the contract’s connection, the incredible illusion once again appeared on Hyakki. The marionette, clothed in human skin, with a delicate face, moved toward him, its toes gripping the ground, supported by the prosthetic limbs beneath its yukata.

Each step is a step forward in life, a confirmation of Hyakki’s will to survive after crossing over.

【I want to live.】

【I want to defeat those demons and reclaim the remaining organs.】

【I want to live to see the day when I meet Dororo again and return to see my foster father…】

【I’m sorry I didn’t choose you…】

【Dad.】

After receiving his right leg, Hyakki no longer harbored resentment towards the Time Bureau, acknowledging within himself that Jukai was his father, not just a plot character who saved him under the dictates of fate.

During the instrument’s examination, Hyakki behaved exceptionally well, lying down as instructed. He speculated that “Dororo’s” father, besides being a bandit leader who dealt with villains every day, miraculously possessed medical skills. Such scenes of body recovery would naturally amaze people from ancient times.

“It’s a leg that perfectly matches the bone age… it’s as if it has always grown together, without ever having been lost.”

Sensing Hyakki’s muscles were still prone to injury, Mori diligently bandaged his right leg, ensuring that even though his body was healthier, the easily injured muscle layer wouldn’t be exposed to the air—especially since it would frighten others.

【Being so obedient, Hyakki, makes you as adorable as a puppet you control.】

Mori couldn’t help but marvel at how the brain forcibly ignored the previous horrifying scenes.

Illusionists are amazing!

Dazai skimmed through the test report, “Hmm, so it means the right leg has recovered?”

“Rather than saying it’s recovered, it’s more like it’s returned.” After securing the bandage, Mori adjusted Hyakki’s yukata to cover his thighs, then gently helped the young man who was lying down and seemed unsure whether to sit up.

“Perhaps we’ve all been mistaken. His bodily organs are stored somewhere, and when certain conditions are met, the organs return to his body unscathed… And I’ve noticed that this right leg is incredibly strong, with bone density and muscle distribution even more robust than those who exercise regularly.”

Mori got straight to the point, displaying an ability not inferior to reading a script.

Dazai exclaimed with raised intonation, “Oh.”

Mori subtly warned, “Don’t scheme about what to do with Hyakki. He needs rest.”

Dazai complained, “Mr. Mori, you’re someone who’s always looking for something new. If you haven’t ensnared Hyakki yet, do you think he’s yours? Is my labor not valuable anymore?”

Ignoring Mori’s explanation, Dazai pushed past him, allowing the pure white flame of life to once again enter Hyakki’s world. Hyakki sat there for a while, watching with endless fascination.

He didn’t need to worry about what was happening outside; Dororo would always come to him.

Finally, a small smile appeared on Hyakki’s face.

Like a daisy that had weathered storms.

Forever pure.

Dazai firmly remembered this unwavering vitality, but that wasn’t enough. There were many things to do in the future if he wanted this person to walk in the sunlight without being ostracized like a normal person.

“Hyakki, call me.”

“Dororo.”

“No, since you rely on me for sustenance, you should call me master. Hurry up and call me master.”

“Dororo.”

…

Alice, who had been avoiding Dazai, appeared and tugged on Rikodu’s sleeve. “They’re so boring.”

Mori chuckled silently. “Don’t disturb Dazai’s childlike innocence.”

Dazai shot him a sharp look when he wasn’t looking.

Who was the child here?

But in Mori’s eyes, none of them had truly grown up. There wouldn’t be such emotions between adults; only in the green and naive days would such bonds be nurtured.

Dazai felt a bit parched and went to find water to drink, finally getting a moment’s rest after being busy for so long.

While Dazai was away, Mori, with evident curiosity, asked, “Hyakki, what am I to you?”

Alice also looked at him with curious blue eyes.

In Hyakki’s eyes, Rikodu probably wasn’t just a simple villain.

Relying solely on intuition, Hyakki silently looked at the blazing flame of life in Mori — still burning bright.

What should he call this crimson figure?

At this moment, Hyakki had already decided that “Dororo” was the person who would accompany him for life. Even if there were future difficulties, they wouldn’t be able to separate. The main quest in the world of “Dororo” wasn’t about romance. Even if he was exposed for learning a bit of Japanese ahead of time, he couldn’t bear for “Dororo” to leave him and be with someone else.

So, Hyakki set aside his identity as a time traveler and spoke the Japanese term.

“……しゅうと.”

“Huh?”

Mori choked on his own saliva, coughing repeatedly, which made Dazai, who had returned, suspicious.

“Mr. Mori, what are you saying to Hyakki? He can’t hear you anyway.”

“…I have never underestimated Hyakki’s intuition.”

Mori’s expression was somewhat restrained.

Until he walked out of the room, Mori’s back trembled, and the smile on Alice’s face seemed eerie. In that moment, the thoughts of the esper and his own ability overlapped.

“Can you still have a girlfriend in the future, Dazai?”

Because —

Hyakki referred to him as “father-in-law.”