~~~~Shiori's P.O.V.~~~~
Odasaku and I arrive to the art museum within minutes. We enter the building to find Akutagawa kneeling on the ground, left leg injured, and a man standing over him. He had the barrel of his gun pressed against the center of Akutagawa's forehead. They don't seem to notice us.
"Farewell." the man said.
He was about to pull the trigger when he suddenly turns towards the entrance. Odasaku shoots the gun out of his hand and it flies across the room. The man jumps back to put more distance between us and himself. He stares at us as if he couldn't believe of what he's seeing. Odasaku keeps his gun trained on the man as I walk up to Akutagawa.
"You are injured. Time to go." I speak with my monotone voice.
"What? Get away from me, you damn puppy!" he barks at me.
I just pull Akutagawa's arm around my shoulder as I help him up. Once standing, I rush to flee.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?! Don't help me! Let go of me, immediately!"
"Can't. It may not look like it, but Dazai-san wouldn't want you to die... I wouldn't either."
He just continues to glare at me. I peak behind me to find the man simply smile as he watches us with a mad look in his eyes. I look forward and leave with Odasaku. Once outside, Odasaku throws Akutagawa over his shoulder and we begin running.
"My name is Oda Sakunosuke. Dazai informed me what was going on, so I came to help."
"I wanted to help Odasaku-san." I simply explain.
Upon hearing Odasaku's name, Akutagawa's eyes widen, as if a lightbulb just went off. Odasaku's face filled with shock. He just got a vision...and I think I know why.
Without a second to spare, I pull Akutagawa off Odasaku and kick him far from us before he could activate his ability. He lands on his feet a few feet away from us. But his injury causes him to fall to one knee.
"Shiori..." Odasaku looks at me.
I just continue to stare at Akutagawa.
"I don't need your ability to know what he's thinking." I simply explain my actions. "He was going to kill you, wasn't he?"
Odasaku doesn't answer. That means I was right.
"Know...what I'm thinking?" Akutagawa begins to speak while taking heavy breaths. "Yeah, right! Damn you...little copy, stop acting...like Dazai-san!"
"Dazai-san said that we couldn't beat Odasaku-san. Even if we had a hundred years to do so. You just wanted to prove him wrong just now."
"Little b*tch."
"Attention seeker."
He was about to attack me when-
"This is not the time to be fighting!" Odasaku raised his voice a bit.
"Yes...sorry, Odasaku-san."
"...I don't understand... What does Dazai-san want me to do?!"
In a violent frenzy, Akutagawa targets Odasaku with his supernatural ability, but Odasaku suppresses the attacks with his pistol and eludes him. Akutagawa seem to have a bad case of deja vu.
"You too?!"
'You too?' Does he mean that man was dodging his attacks? But...no one, besides Dazai and Odasaku, can evade his ability. That man... What Odasaku did next reminded me of my mentor.
Odasaku closes the distance between the two in an instant, piercing Akutagawa's defenses with a solid punch.
"...Sorry, but my friend sees something in you. I have to bring you home safely... For his sake...and Shiori's as well."
The blow sends Akutagawa flying backwards. He lands on the ground hard. He was out, cold.
"...A premonition."
A voice from behind. Odasaku keeps his reply short and sweet.
"Care to elaborate?"
"I had a premonition...that we'd meet a certain supernatural ability user in this country."
The man walks towards Odasaku and I as we face him.
"My name is Gide. We spirits of the dead have come to find the person who will free our souls."
"If you're interested, I know someone in the funeral industry who will give you a discount."
Despite Odasaku's flippant remark, Gide closes his eyes and laughs.
"No need... I just found the one we've been searching for."
Gide aims his gun at Odasaku the same time I aim mine at him. He smirks as he looks at me.
"Well, if it isn't Shiori Nakajima. I was hoping you'd be badly sick by now. You should be bedridden. After all, not eating isn't healthy."
"...Why don't you want me involved in this battle?"
"Because of your ability, we ghost don't want to die in a nightmare. We want to be at peace when we die."
"...I don't care. Darkness-"
"I mean by your true ability."
That statement alarmed me, but I make sure not to show it. I don't say another word. Odasaku looks at me from the corner of his eye.
"What does that mean?" he asks me.
"...Nothing."
"You mean to tell me that you haven't told anyone what you can truly do? Mind if I enlighten your friend here?"
I pull the trigger, but his simply steps to the side.
"Aren't we secretive."
"Young ladies have their secrets. If she wishes not to tell anyone, then I'll leave it."
"Odasaku-san..."
Gide just grins.
"I won't say it if you don't wish to know. But I will say this. Her true power outrivals every ability user on this planet. She could control the whole world if she so wished it. So it's interesting to me on why she won't use it. Instead, she's using 'that' ability."
"How do you know about this?" I asked.
"I know everything that happened to you before the Port Mafia. Your former captain would be proud if he could see you today."
I shoot again...but I missed.
"You already tried that. Now it's my turn."
He focuses his gun on Odasaku. By the look on Odasaku's face, he predicts where Gide is going to aims his gun in a vision he's having. I can tell he plans to counter. But then a look of surprise fills his face.
"What...?!"
"Something wrong?" Gide smirks. "I haven't even taking the shot."
Gide continues to aim his gun at Odasaku, not having moved an inch. A bullet has, in fact, yet to be shot. Odasaku aims his pistol back.
"What did you do?!"
YOU ARE READING
The Dark Era
Fanfiction[Second Book] This is a time before Shiori ever found her twin. A time where she was all alone and struggling to survive. She even stood at death's door. That was until a certain young mafioso found her... . . . . . . . . (Hello again. This is the s...
