Vol 1
Ch 8
"Look out!" Chuuya shouted with alarm, sensing another gravitational smack down from Paul Verlaine.
Verlaine hailed upon Alu what looked to be a bunch of various vehicles. "Annoying," Alu groaned. She caught Chuuya's hand. Chuuya blinked in surprise.
Why was she holding his hand?
Alu's hair began to turn white. Chuuya stared, wide-eyed. "Don't lose sight of yourself, and you'll be alright," Alu said simply. Then she let his hand go and a moment later, all the cars that Paul Verlaine had chucked in her direction, were merely juggled and placed back on the ground neatly and tidily.
Chuuya's hand felt oddly empty.
Alu doesn't tell Chuuya but she made the contact in order to absorb some of his 'soul' energy. It wouldn't hurt him, but as a host to a demon fox, again, she needed chaos to feed his appetite. And Chuuya was weirdly delicious. Of course, having Arahabaki was no doubt the big reason why.
Still.
Just a little contact was enough to supercharge Alu and she could sense it, inside herself. Juubi was beginning to connect back to her again.
Chuuya took the opportunity of Verlaine being beat down to rain upon him more punches, but this time they feel different. For the hit that he landed, he sensed that Verlaine did something he hadn't done before—despite Chuuya's best efforts.
He was straining.
Verlaine grit his teeth, dodging the impact—barely. He still found himself at a stalemate in power with this mere little girl. And Chuuya? This is frustrating. And puzzling.
She has an unusual ability.
But something doesn't feel right.
Is it even an ability that she's using? That thought creeps into the back of Verlaine's mind in an almost subdued manner.
Alu appeared and punched him —casually in the gut. But it feels like his insides jostle. She is hitting him but she has no intention to kill him? Verlaine realizes she is canceling out his ability with hers— but he can't even give what she's doing a proper name. If anything, it felt entirely spiritual.
Verlaine feels himself arc like a trapeze artist that's sleeping, before landing in the damaged grocery store —barely cushioning the blow with his mustered ability.
"I'll kill you," Chuuya landed, already readying a 'finishing' blow but Alu put an arm on his shoulder.
Chuuya was beyond words with his fury but that touch made him pause.
He grit his teeth, glaring at Alu. The look on her face made it clear she didn't want him to kill Verlaine. "Stay out of this," he snarled.
"I can't do that," Alu said, softly, "I'm sorry."
Chuuya didn't want to turn on this person who was clearly trying to help him but he snapped—regardless. "You've done enough to make me look weak! This is my fight to finish!"
"Chuuya, killing only continues the cycle of hate," Alu's tone made Chuuya flinch. She was lecturing him? A mafioso? It was absurd. He bristled but at the same time, her squeeze on his shoulder made him feel something else. It was like her touch was trying to calm him down. Not just his mind. But his anguished soul.
"I am thinking —our escape probability has gone up by 60% because of the help, so now is a good time to run away," Adam still wanted to run away with Chuuya but Chuuya shot him a glare.
"Look, I appreciate your help—-though I don't even know you, but from here on out, I'll handle this," Chuuya said darkly to Alu, ignoring Adam.
"Killing him won't change the outcome," Alu said bluntly.
Chuuya grit his teeth. He wasn't stupid. He knew that. But. He snapped at her. "I'm not a child! I know that! I'm going to kill him as a message to anyone else who thinks they can screw with me!"
"There's a better way to send that message without adding to the body count today," Alu said, serious.
Chuuya bristled even more. He didn't want to hit her. He knew that in hindsight, he probably shouldn't. Whatever ability she had, was strong enough to counter this monster's after all. But. "You don't know that person he killed like I do! You don't know what this bastard took from me! I want to end his life! Otherwise, how can my friend's spirit Rest In Peace!?"
Alu quieted.
Chuuya was a bit surprised. She wasn't going to stop him? Good.
Alu let Chuuya's shoulder go but before Chuuya could resume, she moved ahead of him. Then, she did something unexpected.
She hugged him.
He paused, despite everything, to see what she was going to do. He couldn't help it. It was like being transfixed. "I won't pretend to understand the grief you're feeling," she said softly. "Just know that, I'm angry too." She pulled back.
Chuuya struggled internally and externally for a response. She didn't even know them. Yet she cared about Lippmann's death as though Verlaine had taken someone from her as well? Did she know Lippmann? No, that wasn't it. But her own tone —-no her tight expression—rang with no deceit of her own. She was speaking the truth. She was angry—it felt like it was almost on his behalf.
His face expressed everything he couldn't put into words. Twisted. He just felt twisted. But Alu's look was genuine. She wasn't telling him reasons why he shouldn't kill Verlaine, he realized. She was just opening the door instead of alternatives. Unlike Dazai who encouraged death and destruction as the only answer…this girl was the first —genuine person— in Chuuya's life to propose…something else. Someone not telling him the 'right' thing to do like the parrots and broken records in the police. Just a person.
A person that simply cared about how Chuuya was feeling.
It was unspoken, but it was clear that she would prefer Chuuya to not spiral out of control—to rely on her just a little—for emotional support of all damn things that Chuuya never thought he'd have to stupidly lean on anyone for.
Certainly not a stranger.
And yet here he was, oddly anchored. Oddly holding it together—somehow. All thanks to her. A damn random Good Samaritan did exist in this messed up world, how unexpected. In a world prescribed for pain and self-assured destruction, people like her apparently did exist. Chuuya just had no idea why he was the one the universe decided to pick on today.
His pride was still there and he shook, gritting his teeth. He had to kill Verlaine. He just had to. He wondered if Dazai was laughing somewhere and that really got his blood pumping as well.
But just then, Alu stomped over to where Verlaine is currently now raising himself from the rubble. He used his ability to help with the blow but even that barely cushioned him. Wiping blood from his lower lip, he is now in full on assassin mode.
Alu meanwhile, is in full on torrential lecture mode. "Meaningless life, meaningless death, equality of both? What the hell shit are you on, huh?!" She yelled, startling Chuuya and Adam. Verlaine meanwhile was still recovering though his eardrums were not granted that same luxury. "I don't believe that life is meaningless in itself! It's a pain in the ass to breathe sometimes, sure, I'll vent! I'll drink to that, even! But don't you go spouting your jaded nonsense to Chuuya! If you want to have this breakdown or whatever, then get some therapy, dude!" She yelled, flapping her arms like a deranged bird. "Or you know, try to find people that aren't assholes to be friends with!"
—
The dark teenager stands, shutting the laptop he was on up until now, and pursed his lips. He can't explain it, but this girl is oddly amusing. Killing her would be a waste…but he is undecided. There's a good chance that she will die anyways, though that seems unlikely.
"Interesting," he says, gazing out of the building he is in.
Before him is the expanse of the block. He is closer to the fight than first indicated. But that's not why he gazed out the window. No, he had made an intriguing observation on the girl.
His phone rang.
"Yes?" He said, picking up, calmly.
'The data you sent over, has it changed?' It was his boss. His tone had no hidden emotion. It was genuine shock.
The young man stared out at the clouds in the sky, as though subdued. "No. According to what is still being recorded actively—despite all of Verlaine's ability, that person is managing to ensure that there hasn't been a single casualty through their own ability."
His tone was hard to discern.
But one thing was clear.
That person was going to be hunted by this wolf in sheep's clothing.
—-
Chuuya's eyes fall once more on the corpse of his friend. His expression twisted. What does this even mean for the others?
It suddenly hits him.
Her words. She had spoken in the plural sense. It didn't just include Lippmann.
The horror.
The possible reality.
What did she know?
What did he not?
"No…" Chuuya's expression crumples with horror. "No! No!" He yells suddenly, alerting Alu from her mini rant to the Verlaine sack of shit.
Alu quickly walked over to Chuuya. "Chuuya—?" She sees the body. Her eyes flicker. It all makes sense why he had a sudden outburst. Ah that's right. She remembered now the terrible reality of the fate that Chuuya's buddies had faced. She had only just recovered after all from Verlaine. No thanks to that bastard dropping her from a fricken building. Jeez. Chuuya had the best manners and he preferred to punch things in the face.
"Tell me something," his voice is shaking as he looks at her now. "Answer me this. D-Did he…are they all?" He can't even bring himself to finish.
But, the look Alu had just then, was all Chuuya needed to know.
"Enough."
Alu felt herself suddenly slammed with the crushing weight of what feels like an energy ball. Or more accurately, an asteroid. But it's not. It's just anti-gravity. Raw, antigravity, that presses in on her from all sides. Alu grit her teeth. And then she cried out in pain, feeling everything at once crush in on her. It's a terrible feeling. The absolute worst. She must look as bad as she feels because Chuuya is mortified.
She feels herself suddenly connect with the fifth floor of some office building a good few blocks away from Chuuya. Half of the building itself rattles, and shatters from the sheer force Paul Verlaine just unleashed.
Flexing what she could, she redirected her energy to ensure that she absorbed the full brunt of Verlaine's power—like a charger. People screamed. People were in shock. But Alu managed to protect them all. They ran like ants scattering and Alu ensured the evacuation was possible, her spiritual pressure ensuring that whatever Verlaine unleashed, would be countered with equal force—to cancel it out.
Did that sound logical?
Heh.
Humans were illogical and irrational for a reason.
But they weren't the only ones.
Despite everything, Alu would not allow even one casualty today—that included Verlaine.
The damage? Devastating.
Ow, this hurt like a bitch.
It looked like playtime was over.
—-
"I suppose I will have to get creative with how to kill that cockroach," Verlaine sighed, adjusting his suit, irritated at the ruffles. "But no matter. I suppose she is useful for keeping my senses from dulling. I was tiring of always being unbeatable. Perhaps she will give me an entertaining way to spend my time. Now, where were we? Oh yes. Little Brother, you need to stop keeping such terrible company. It'll affect you later on in life you know."
Chuuya swung his arm at Verlaine.
Verlaine once more, despite all the fighting up until now, just took a breath like he was bored and pulled Chuuya back into the sandbag position he had him in before he was so rudely interrupted before.
Adam's own body was unable to counter the sheer force of Verlaine's current gravity on Chuuya. Adam is forced to kneel, just to keep his inner circuitry from frying.
Chuuya was done. He was done cowering. That girl had come to his aid. But he was a proud mafioso too, dammit. He had to pull his weight. He had to get revenge—for all of them. "I won't let you." Chuuya's voice vibrates through his throat like an earthquake. "I'll never let things go your way. Never."
Verlaine is smooth as water, even after all this stuff that happened with Chuuya and Alu. It's almost scary how he just compartmentalizes and moves on from one emotion to the next. Chuuya shivers. In a way, it feels like he's the one who is just 'lines of code'.
"That's alright." There was even compassion in his voice and expression, despite the scratches to his face from when Alu had fought with him. "I know you need time to choose, worry, and understand. But you'll eventually decide to follow what I say."
With no warning, he gripped Chuuya tightly by his throat. " I'll show you proof of that now."
Verlaine gently caressed Chuuya's cheek with his free hand.
Then, the abnormality started.
"...gh…!"
The surrounding space vibrates. The air bursts. Invisible electricity sparks red and black from Chuuya's eyes.
Chuuya opened his mouth. But he can't breathe. His throat is prohibiting the very action of taking in air. Because, something horrible was trying to crawl out from the back of it.
"I'm going to open the 'gate' for a little bit now." Verlaine states, with the softness of a lullaby.
"It's not a big deal. It's only going to be the size of a hair, a gap so small it'll close immediately. But that would probably be enough. To make you understand."
Wind was blowing out. Not from anywhere in the world. But from inside Chuuya. From some horrifying, invisible place. The wind makes the surrounding buildings creak, and the ground, quiver.
Adam, withstanding the shaking, watched Chuuya as if his eyesight was sewn on him.
"Detecting expansion of ability phase. Observing high energy waves, possibly Hawking radiation, increasing in number." Adam's throat kept expelling the details of the situation. "Phase transition causing the emission of heat in the annihilation space...this is bad!"
Yelling, Adam shot all of his raised guns. The specialized assault-type warheads precisely hit at Verlaine's forehead, eye, throat, and elbow. However.
"Let the audience avoid harming the performers."
The bullets stop right at Verlaine's skin. And are rejected back with powerful gravity towards the opposite direction. They shoot straight at Adam, the attacker, and yet they clatter, falling short of his shoulder.
Verlaine already has his intention solely focused on Chuuya—he doesn't notice they never made it to their intended destination.
Adam finds this outcome illogical. Highly improbable. "Inconceivable," he utters, eyes wide, looking now at the bullets on the ground—because he has no idea logically why they didn't pierce him directly.
And virtually at the same time, Chuuya yells.
Everything became black fire.
—
Well.
Ow.
That was all Alu could think as she groaned inwardly, eyes comical little swirls on her face. She had landed in the office floor of some building. It was only just evacuated—through lots of mutual screaming— so she was alone at the moment.
Glass was strewn everywhere.
The blow Verlaine had launched winded Alu.
She was pretty strong thanks to Juubi, but she still wasn't strong enough. She could practically hear Juubi nagging her to 'do this properly' but she disliked a body count and would do her best to focus her energy and save people rather than making excuses as to why they couldn't be saved.
She had to pull her weight.
Because she couldn't save those people important to Chuuya. Was this repentance or guilt? Both, most likely.
She grimaced, sitting up. Her clothes were all but tattered.
She blushed.
Oh this was terrible! She didn't want anyone coming in on her now!
But just then, her body glowed, and a simple white kimono top with pants appeared on her body, along with simple silver knee high boots with blue waves on them. Alu's heart went B-thMp. She knew who that was. It was Juubi.
Her hair color returned to normal as well.
"J-Juubi?" She croaked out, eyes wide. "Hey…talk to me…"
There was no answer but Alu hugged her clothes to herself, gripping her new sleeves in her fingers. Juubi was alive. He was helping her. Alu knew that previously, she had made it so she was solely human as to not come off putting but in this particular time stream universe she was thrust in by Azuki, it was clear those old rules were gone.
Alu's eyes wandered but they stared at something not actually there. In order to survive a monumental asshole like Verlaine, she had no choice but to call upon her demonic power—and in doing so, reveal that she was not an ordinary ability user with a simple gift. She groaned. "Tch, why is it so hard to keep a low profile!" She whined, rubbing her head profusely.
At least like this, she knew she couldn't die. Unfortunately, that meant that others would find out soon enough and she'd be at the top end of every bounty hunter's hit list. Alu sweated. Oh damn. Ranpo's demand that she join his organization went into her head just then. Alu's heart flopped. She missed the ADA. She wondered if Kunikida was even in the ADA right now.
"Hah…" she rubbed her temple.
B-DA-TH-DMP.
Black fire. She didn't see it physically. She saw it erupt in her mind. Because, she felt Chuuya's soul just then— snap open like a window in a tornado storm.
Alu felt something akin to a sudden surge of pure raw energy suddenly blast through the building she was in. "!?"
But just then, it stopped?
It felt so quick, like barely a breath had passed.
Alu breathed hard.
What the hell was that just now? That raw energy—mixed with Chuuya's internal scream. No, not just his screaming. The screaming came from his soul. It had wailed in grief and agony, but only for a split second.
Then it had closed.
Abruptly.
Alu's face dropped.
Oh no.
She knew why it had stopped. Because she sensed it. She sensed another presence now on the scene where Chuuya had just unleashed Arahabaki. "Oh no, not that guy," she twitched. Seriously, where had he been before all this? She was going to—no, no, she huffed. He didn't know her in this timeline. If she yelled at him it wouldn't make a difference. Actually, he'd probably just shoot her. Or kidnap her. Chop her for parts in the black market. Alu shuddered, hugging herself. Just how dark was this kid gonna be?
She already had some idea he was dark from when she'd first met him.
Even though she had suppressed her more demonic attributes, she could 'read' memories from the soul tied to specific strong emotions. If the emotion was strong, the memory was clear. The reverse could be true as well. Alu knew her prowess as a demon had to do with the fact that Juubi was no ordinary demon himself.
He was a ten-tailed Kitsune.
So far, the only one of his kind.
Kitsunes typically go up to only 9 tails, but that's nothing to sniff at. Each tail holds a power that is powerful, natural, and destructive. In Juubi's case, though he never told Alu his own backstory in great detail, he had made 'the ultimate sacrifice' to obtain the tenth tail. That tail is why Alu could do so much spiritual stuff, as well as hop around other worlds and dimensions.
But, Alu grimaced. Did that mean the fight was over? Did that mean Paul Verlaine was detained? Shit, she had to get closer. Alu lithely moved from the building. To avoid air detection, she hilariously took the stairs—because no one would suspect someone powerful just casually walking down stairs right?— and by the time she got to the bottom story she wanted to pummel Verlaine for the sole reason of having her go down stairway hell.
Wheezing, comically, she made it finally to the bottom of the building. She took a deep breath, and stepped outside—- to about ten, no—- fifteen Port Mafia vehicles, and a lot of armed personnel. Alu gulped. Well, grand.
She didn't see Dazai anywhere, but that was of little concern as she saw who stepped out of the vehicle closest to her just then. It was casual, slow, as though not to alarm her, like having a bunch of guns pointed right at her wasn't alarming enough. He had smoothed back dark hair, calculating eyes like a cunning animal, and wore his Saturday morning Cartoon villain coat. On either side, as he stepped out were armed guards. However, no Elise. Alu wondered if he was trying to conceal his ability to use it as a surprise attack against her.
Ah, that would be a predictable deceptive tactic Ogai Mori would pull.
"Ah, young lady, I am glad to see you are well," Ogai Mori spoke politely, a gloved hand over his heart. "Please, do not be alarmed. I apologize for the guns, but one can never be too careful."
"…you must feel real tough pointing all that ammo at someone who literally just helped out one of your own," Alu deadpanned, crossing her arms, glaring at Mori, with exhasperation in her tone.
Mori blinked. He had not expected her to be so calm about this. Or to lecture him. It was amusing. He gestured to the men to lower their weapons. The men looked uneasy but one look from their boss and they complied. "Apologies. Again, I take it then, you are not on the side of the enemy?"
Alu huffed, putting her hands on her hips. "I'm not on anyone's side, buddy," she said. "However, to clarify, I support my friends—so in that sense, I am on Chuuya's side."
The mafia personnel couldn't believe she just casually called the Port Mafia Boss 'Buddy,' or Chuuya a 'friend', but Mori continued to be bemused. Perhaps she didn't know who she was dealing with. No, Mori could sense it from her demeanor. He could tell. She knew exactly who he was. There was no need to be so informal though. Although it was clear that Chuuya really didn't know who this girl was. From this point forward, Mori knew that Chuuya would harbor some attachment to her—it was only natural especially after what had just transpired and he planned to use it to his full advantage to ensnare this person.
"Ah, I will let your rudeness slide, as I understand you are not a part of my group," he said, brushing aside the fact he sensed she was a foreigner despite her attire. "However, it would entertain me if you would join me…"
"Not interested," Alu deadpanned. "Wait, unless it was for lunch? Was it an invitation for lunch?" She perked up immediately.
Mori paused, comically. Inwardly, he wondered just how little self preservation this girl had. But then again, she had just caused a powerful dangerous threat like Paul Verlaine to actually be dragged into the equivalent of a 'stale mate' as Dazai had put it. No, Dazai wanted to procure her, and Mori was in agreement. This powerful ability would make the Port Mafia undeniably the only powerhouse in Yokohama. And, she apparently had a thing for following Chuuya around. "Are you hungry?" He asked, with a smile. "I suppose after the superb battle you just had, you would be a little bit, huh?"
"Ah, wait, no, I can't," Alu sighed loudly. "My momma told me, 'never take candy from a stranger', so, bai!~" With that, Alu shot straight up into the air, but after crouching and leaping over all the vehicles like she was floating on air.
"Don't shoot!" Mori commanded as his personnel tensed.
The girl ran off.
But, Mori had a feeling that wouldn't be the last time he'd see her. He tilted his head, still smiling.
"Sir, we failed to detain her," one of his men said.
"Not at all, Hirotsu," Mori mused aloud. "She's already been ensnared in our little web." He of course meant Chuuya. If Chuuya was involved, that girl would definitely show up again.
"I see," Hirotsu, an older man with graying hair, sighed.
Mori sighed. "Someone like her with a childish personality can be so rebellious, you know? It's best to work with her, not against her, right?"
The leer on his lips at the thrill of procuring this rough diamond was one of the few things that brought some joy back to the black heart of this Port Mafia Boss. That and he'd be damned if he lost her to a certain silver haired samurai bastard's little 'club'….
