Territory of Light (Bungou Stray Dogs X OC)

Beast X Dead Apple 9: Scarlet Sky

"Hello, Yuko-chan..."

Atsushi and Akutagawa immediately turned their backs to see a woman joining them. Akutagawa's eyes widened upon seeing her senpai together with them. Even Atsushi, who barely knew her, somehow felt surprised after seeing her.

A familiar woman.

"Dazai," Yuko said in a low tone after seeing Dazai on the edge of the building.

She closed her eyes for a second before turning to the two youths in front of her.

"Hi, Akutagawa-kun, congratulations on finding your sister. She's now safe, she's with the Agency." She then turned to Atsushi but she just smiled.

Atsushi stared at her in a daze, feeling something familiar in her that he couldn't understand well.

"Akutagawa-kun, Atsushi-kun, I'm going to give you a piece of advice..."

"Don't tell anyone what we talked about here. If three or more people will know it at the same time, the world will become unstable and the possibility of this world to disappear in the Book would increase." Dazai said, earning the attention of the two young men.

"Am I right, Yuko-chan?"

"Indeed, it is." Yuko replied, continuing to walk towards Dazai, passing between Akutagawa and Atsushi.

"More than two people..." Atsushi made a head count on the people at the rooftop and stopped.

"Please, wait!"

There were four of them.

Akutagawa, who also realized the situation stopped and called for her superior immediately.

"Tsushima-senpai! You couldn't be? Senpai!"

"Akutagawa-kun, don't worry. She's an exception. Her ability and the Book are both compatible with each other and so it'll not cause any damage." Dazai explained before looking at Yuko in front of her, curious about what she's doing.

Yuko wasn't looking at Dazai, she was looking at the scenery behind him while in deep thought.

She was silent.

"Man in black. Why did you do it? Why stick to stop the disappearance of this world?" Akutagawa spoke somehow contemplating about Yuko's ability as well.

If she can manipulate abilities at her will, then shouldn't she just prevent this 'world' from disappearing? However, Akutagawa didn't fully understand it.

Just as Yuko's ability was indeed compatible with the Book and is powerful on its own, no one is fully capable of changing reality.

"I'm not really particularly interested in this world, Akutagawa-kun,"

"However, it's the only world in which he lives and writes novels...I can't let that world disappear." Dazai answered, fulfilling the silence between them.

As Akutagawa and Atsushi slowly stood up, both understanding what Dazai wanted them to do, no questions were left to ask anymore.

"Tsushima-senpai..." Akutagawa called once more.

Even if the man in black told them she was an exception, it was still bothering him.

Especially that she's Oda's wife, his mentor's family, Akutagawa somehow felt responsible.

"You should go now, Yuko," Dazai said in a low tone.

Yuko glanced back to Akutagawa and Atsushi, smiling at them softly.

A smile that was very similar to Dazai as Atsushi recognizes.

"Go." She said to them. "I just want to speak with him alone."