It was very hard to ignore Atsushi's worried puppy eyes. He said nothing. He stood there, staring at his mentor with pitiful eyes. The doctor was helping Dazai get more comfortable in his bed so he could face everyone. He held a smile, despite the pain that radiated throughout his entire body. This pain was stunning him and inviting him to go back to sleep.
In this new position, things were worse. Now, he could also see Akutagawa. His face was closed and his eyes were filled with a thirst for revenge, mixed with concern. Dazai turned his head slightly, trying to gaze at a more passive face. Kunikida, adjusting his glasses with seriousness, fully fulfilled this role.
Once everyone settled around Dazai, they began to share the latest events of their fight against the decay of angel. The brunet told his last memories and explained under a dismayed and troubled look all the events of the prison of Meursault. He told them the last thing he remembered was freeing Bram's from the sword that had impaled him.
His colleagues also share the adventures they had experienced before this fateful moment. Then, silence settled again, uncomfortable. Atsushi shifted in his chair a little uncomfortably. He cleared his throat and hesitated before starting.
"Chuuya Nakahara-san, he..." he hesitated yet again. " When Dazai-san lost consciousness, he left you in our care."
Atsushi glanced sideways at Akutagawa, as if waiting for his approval.
"Bram-san kept telling us that it was too late that Fukuchi had already obtained One order. That he was going to take control of all the armies... Then, Chuuya-san jumped down from the building and disappeared."
Atsuhi paused.
He took his hands together, twisting them side to side.
"And we were worried about you, Dazai-san... You were barely breathing... We had to get you to Yosano-san as soon as possible. So, I went to get you to her. .. And, I came back to continue the fight. But, when I came back, there was a huge... a really huge crater that had swallowed up the entire prison of Mersault and the airport... It was as if they had never existed."
Atsushi paid no attention to Dazai's surprised looks. He looked at his hands gripping the chair. His mentor's surprise lasted only a moment before being replaced by his impassive, dark face.
"Akutagawa and I went to see..." he continued with difficulty. "We couldn't find any trace of Chuuya-san and Ranpo-san..."
Atsushi was on the verge of tears. He felt helpless. Dazai shared his sentiment.
Ranpo had disappeared with Fukuchi. Kunikida, Tanizaki and Fukuzawa had suddenly been sent into Poe's book. Yosano had each of their injuries treated. And it had already been three days that they had been looking for information on their missing comrades.
After a while, Akutagwa finally spoke. In a weak voice, he said "Chuuya-san used Corruption, didn't he?"
He glanced at Dazai, who glared at him, heavy with implication. Atsushi looked from one to the other, confused.
"Chuuya-san did all that damage!?" he realized belatedly.
Dazai nodded, before closing his eyes. He had no way of knowing if Ranpo and Fukuzawa had managed to escape the explosion created by Chuuya. Inside him, he was seething. It was not a good outcome. Of all the scenarios, this was far from the best. He sighed. Dazai reached out to Atsushi as he opened his eyes again. He asked her for her phone. While the young man obeyed wisely. Yosano put an arm between them, fighting back. Dazai needed rest. that was enough for today. The brunette ignored the doctor's recommendation and took the phone from Atsushi.
He instinctively dialed the number on the phone. Someone picked up on the other end of the line.
Dazai didn't even say hello, he went straight to his question. "What happened to Ranpo?"
The person on the other end sighed. "I thought you were dead..." He remained silent, waiting for an answer that never came. "I don't know. Chuuya's ability swallowed everything. There's no traces of anything left..."
His colleagues looked at Dazai with curiosity and apprehension. His gaze was dark, staring at the wall in front of him.
"Then, where's Chuuya?" he finally asked.
Ango licked his lips before answering "As I said earlier, I don't have any info-"
"Where's Chuuya?"
The informant sighed, he couldn't win against Dazai "When the European agency found him, he had no pulse."
"Don't play fools with me, Ango." his tone was icy. "They would have told you directly if he was death."
"Dazai-kun, it's a bad idea-"
"Where."
"They treated him and he is under their custody." Ango let out, defeated.
"Why?"
The informant knew the sens of this question. Dazai wasn't asking why the european agency had healed and imprisonned Chuuya. He asked him why Ango didn't do anything agaisnt it.
"My hands are tied, Dazai-kun. Chuuya-san destroyed the-"
"Are they really?" Dazai voice give his collegeage shiver.
Ango pinched his nose under his glasses, resigned. "I'll see what I can do..."
His caller hung up abruptly.
Note : I doubt it's possible to make a phone call in Poe's book, since it shouldn't be connected to the real world in such a way. But, I didn't want to write how they got out of the book and came back in. So yeah, for the sake of the story, phone call can be made in Poe's world, 'cuz I'm a lazy writer...
