Chapter 3: O Grantors of Dark Disgrace...
The mission was supposed to be easy. There had been a few disturbances in weapons shipping, some shipments unaccounted for. An underdog had reported seeing a foreign group hanging about one of the warehouses the Port Mafia used. And so, the plan was to set up a trap, use the Black Lizard's efficiency combined with Akutagawa and Chuuya as backup just in case there were any extraneous variables, and wipe out the group. Simple and efficient. Obviously, nothing could go wrong with the plan.
Everything went wrong.
The unaccounted variable? An ability user. A gravity manipulating ability user. As such, everything went to shit.
Chuuya cursed as he flung his knives with deadly accuracy, downing half a dozen men as he manipulated the gravity to send them plunging through bodies and chopping through limbs. Across the room, Tachihara yelled out in pain as a knife stabbed through his arm, while Gin ducked another knife that flung itself her way.
A blue aura surrounded the knives, courtesy of the other gravity manipulator, controlling them much like how he himself would, as they raced towards his subordinates with alarming alacrity. Biting out another curse, he threw out a hand towards the knives, fighting for control over them while Gin helped Tachihara retreat. The knives spun in place, red warring with blue until both colours melted into a sickening purple that tore the blades apart, shards sent flying in every which direction.
Gritting his teeth, Chuuya locked eyes with his opponent, vaguely wondering whether this was how Odasaku must have felt when he faced down Gide, one ability user to another. With a shout, he sent a pillar flying towards the gravity manipulator, his ability being cancelled out as the enemy sent it flying right back to him. He barely missed it, propelling himself up and over the chunk of concrete while his subordinates scattered.
In that slight pause between blows, Chuuya cast a quick glance towards the rest of the room. Too many of the Black Lizards were down, either dead or dying. Even Akutagawa and Hirotsu were struggling, both ability users pushed to the point of exhaustion with their overuse. Port Mafia was losing, and they could not afford that, not with Mori's expectations weighing down on them all. And with that, Chuuya made a Decision.
He turned towards Akutagawa, garnering his attention by hurling a knife into the enemy behind him that shrieked and fell back, spasming. "Call Dazai!" Chuuya shouted, sending another pillar flying to stall the other gravity user. "Call him and tell him to get here now!" Grey eyes widened. "Chuuya-san – "
"Go!" He roared, flinging a hand towards Akutagawa, using For the Tainted Sorrow to shoot him out of the room. With those few precious seconds while he was distracted, the other gravity manipulator sent bodies flying towards him, some of them from his own side, some of them from Port Mafia. There was no time for Chuuya to separate them, and he winced as they slammed onto the floor in a splatter of blood and gore. With a shout, he tossed a chunk of the concrete floor towards his opponent, then ripped his gloves off and chanted the words he'd sworn never to utter again.
"O Grantors of Dark Disgrace, Do Not Wake Me Again!"
The resulting wave of madness sent everyone reeling back in terror, some vomiting as their stomachs rebelled against the hair-raising, spine-chilling feeling of unnaturalness that spread through the entire building and spilled to the surrounding area. Chuuya screamed, blood vessels popping and veins burning as power coursed through him, tearing down his meagre walls and surging through his limbs in an unstoppable rush.
The last thing Chuuya knew was of pure madness descending into his mind, taking over his control and sending him spiraling into nothingness. Faintly, he wondered whether Akutagawa had gotten away safely. He hoped so.