Chapter 39
There was no human in the world who could defeat Verlaine in pure hand-to-hand combat.
Sakaguchi Ango turned off his phone, walking towards a darker place. Shaking off the Port Mafia members monitoring him wasn’t difficult. Sakaguchi Ango pushed open the door at the end of the corridor, predictably seeing Nakahara Chuuya waiting there.
Before this person approached him, Sakaguchi Ango had always thought he was only the strongest in terms of brute force.
But he was actually able to deduce that the “senpai” Kazuya mentioned was him just from those files.
This shouldn’t be the case.
Sakaguchi Ango frowned.
Using the list Dazai Osamu gave him, changing the order of Verlaine’s assassination targets to put Mori Ougai last, incidentally inducing him to sever Nakahara Chuuya’s ties with the Port Mafia, buying enough time to counter Verlaine—this was the information the Special Abilities Division initially had.
However, when he called his companion, the reply he got was [Kazuya knocked out the executive officer and used his authority to access the database].
This was the downside of letting him make friends freely. Before this, Asuka Kazuya had no interest in where he came from.
Sakaguchi Ango was silent, having disagreed with this approach from the beginning.
“What’s your plan with Dazai?”
Before Nakahara Chuuya could speak, Sakaguchi Ango asked this question first.
“There’s no benefit in cornering Verlaine. There’s a monster residing within him that’s even more terrifying than he is now. Once the personality’s instructions are lifted, something even worse will happen.”
Nakahara Chuuya didn’t answer. His gaze shifted indifferently, finally landing on Dazai Osamu, who was leaning against the wall behind Sakaguchi Ango.
“That’s also within my expectations,” Dazai Osamu said casually. “Once Verlaine-kun enters that state, our ambush will begin.”
Four hundred and twenty-two Port Mafia combatants, and twenty-eight offensive ability users—sacrificing some to achieve the final goal.
What a cruel and sober plan.
Sakaguchi Ango was expressionless: “You don’t care even if you know this will severely damage the Port Mafia?”
Dazai Osamu shrugged: “It’s better than being completely annihilated. Are you hiding some information, able to come up with a better plan than mine?”
“…” Trying to extract information?
Sakaguchi Ango naturally wouldn’t tell him anything that involved a higher level of confidentiality.
The young man’s gaze swept over the wound on Dazai Osamu’s face, guessing it was from being beaten up by Nakahara Chuuya when he mentioned this plan.
“What do you even take human lives for?”
Nakahara Chuuya, who had been silent, crossed his arms, straightening up and expressing his dissatisfaction with this secret conversation.
“What an idiot, wouldn’t it be better to just surround and attack him from the beginning?”
“There’s nothing we can do about it,” Dazai Osamu chuckled, shifting the blame without hesitation. “I don’t know much about Verlaine-kun, all the information was secretly given to me by Kazuya-kun.”
“Speaking of which, the Special Abilities Division seems very concerned about him knocking out his companion.”
Sakaguchi Ango turned his head, thinking about the meaning of this sentence for a few seconds: “When did you start contacting each other?”
“From the beginning,”
Dazai Osamu spread his hands innocently.
“After all, Kazuya-kun isn’t an idiot, he can tell who is truly sincere to him. If it weren’t for the past friendship, the name written on the list wouldn’t be that unlucky Special Abilities Division member killed by Verlaine, but you, Ango.”
A few days ago, Verlaine personally visited the Special Abilities Division, easily killing the person after forcing him to reveal Asuka Kazuya’s childhood experiences.
Sakaguchi Ango knew about this, his expression grim.
Because he knew very well that a large part of the current situation was caused by the Special Abilities Division.
To Chief Taneda, Verlaine had no value. A Transcendentalist from Europe, other countries wouldn’t allow such an existence to remain in Japan.
So defeating Verlaine was important, and ensuring Kazuya’s loyalty was also important.
If it weren’t for Dazai Osamu’s intervention, the Special Abilities Division had also discussed whether to recruit Nakahara Chuuya.
But that would make things difficult to control.
After all, they had deceived Kazuya from the beginning. If these two met, they might join forces to retaliate against the Special Abilities Division.
“Then why drag me into this?”
Sakaguchi Ango had a headache, still not understanding why Dazai Osamu insisted on this secret conversation.
“Kazuya is Kazuya, I can’t tell you anything more.”
“Just kill this guy,” Nakahara Chuuya said.
Dazai Osamu: “Tha–”
“Shut up, you’re next.”
Nakahara Chuuya’s expression was cold, no longer having the patience to wait.
First the Flags, then Kazuya, then telling him that so many people had to be sacrificed in exchange for information the Special Abilities Division already knew, that was impossible for Nakahara Chuuya.
He would never forget the Flags’ tragic state, nor would he forget how Verlaine, after defeating him, personally carried away the unconscious Kazuya.
“I haven’t finished,” ignoring Nakahara Chuuya’s threat, Dazai Osamu dropped his fake smile, looking into Sakaguchi Ango’s eyes, no longer stopping Nakahara Chuuya’s actions.
“You didn’t tell us that information, but you told Kazuya.”
“I’m the one who wants to ask why,” Dazai Osamu said. “Why do you think so many people have to be sacrificed to stop Verlaine’s plan, that Kazuya alone is enough? Although his ability has infinite possibilities, Verlaine has more than just his ability, he also has unparalleled assassination and information gathering skills.”
Sakaguchi Ango lowered his eyes. He heard Dazai Osamu’s deduction and also felt Nakahara Chuuya grabbing his collar, but he didn’t resist at all.
He shouldn’t have interfered.
Sakaguchi Ango reflected on himself.
Chief Taneda kept him in the dark, probably anticipating that he would interfere. According to the plan, he should have been sent to Europe by Mori Ougai.
But Sakaguchi Ango had objected from the moment he saw Asuka Kazuya. He had been against keeping such a dangerous existence in the Special Abilities Division from the beginning, and also against sending the young Asuka Kazuya on solo missions.
So what if he couldn’t die?
The pain had already distorted the child’s personality.
“You did something unnecessary,”
Sakaguchi Ango only said this.
“Even if the Port Mafia did nothing, there wouldn’t be any sacrifices as long as it was just Kazuya. But he’s too tired, I don’t know when he’ll wake up next time.”
“Of course, this is just my opinion, the Special Abilities Division doesn’t think so.”
Under Dazai Osamu and Nakahara Chuuya’s gazes, Sakaguchi Ango sighed with a headache.
“His friend is dead, that police officer who saved him, along with the police officer guarding him, just died in the hospital.”
He pursed his lips, meeting Dazai Osamu’s dark, empty eyes.
“Dazai, is he also on your list?”
He had that dream again.
Asuka Kazuya stood in the corner, watching Verlaine attack the black-haired man.
But unlike before, this dream didn’t last until the end.
“Hello, Kazuya.”
The voice that had appeared in his head before spoke.
The young man wore rabbit earmuffs and a thick scarf, his gloomy eyes lowering as he spoke.
“I didn’t expect to meet you at this time. Did Verlaine come looking for you?”
Asuka Kazuya didn’t want to talk, his head tilted to the side, staring blankly at the crowd passing by in the alley.
Rimbaud waited patiently for a long time before seeing him turn his head and call out the name “Arthur Rimbaud.”
The young man smiled in relief.
Asuka Kazuya narrowed his eyes, asking bluntly, “Why are you here?”
Rimbaud’s gaze fell on the wounds on his body, replying calmly: “You were originally created to remember that data, so storing new data is also very easy.”
Initially, to prevent Kazuya from being bored during their missions, Rimbaud stored some things in his brain.
This was the gift he and Verlaine gave Kazuya that day. Rimbaud hadn’t expected that there would be a day when it would be used.
Asuka Kazuya thought for a moment, replying perfunctorily with an “oh.”
Rimbaud tilted his head, watching him sit on the ground, hugging his knees.
“Not going back?”
“No.”
“Verlaine is very worried about you.”
“I don’t need him to worry about me.”
Asuka Kazuya looked up, stating the facts in a flat tone.
“I hate him. Didn’t he also kill you?”
Rimbaud shook his head, approaching him with an amused smile: “Verlaine didn’t kill me. Speaking of which, I was the one who told him that abandoning emotions is necessary to complete missions.”
It was Rimbaud who rescued Verlaine from the research facility. He gave Verlaine that hat that could block outside instructions, hoping he could become a true human.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. Rimbaud didn’t realize until his death that he had imposed his own thoughts on Verlaine, what he gave Verlaine was nothing but self-righteous sympathy.
Asuka Kazuya turned to look at him, looking down at the scarf Rimbaud had wrapped around his neck: “Then I hate you too.”
Rimbaud nodded: “It’s understandable that you hate me after I left you alone for so long.”
Asuka Kazuya’s punch landed on cotton, turning his head away with a snort.
What was the use of waking up? It was just a cycle of resistance, then being suppressed by Verlaine’s force. Asuka Kazuya knew very well that he couldn’t hold on much longer. His ability couldn’t even heal himself anymore, just maintaining the lives of over a dozen people was exhausting.
Then he thought again.
It would have been better if he had stayed in the Special Abilities Division and not gone out from the beginning. Then Verlaine wouldn’t have found him, and wouldn’t have thought of looking for others.
Asuka Kazuya snorted disdainfully, resting his chin on his bent knees.
Rimbaud sighed, reaching out to pry open his clenched fists.
“It seems Verlaine himself can’t figure it out either,” Rimbaud lowered his head, undoing the chains on his hands. “Whether he wants his younger brother, or to vent his hatred towards humanity, he hasn’t figured it out himself.”
“I’m not his younger brother,” Asuka Kazuya immediately retorted, trying to pull his hand back, but Rimbaud’s grip was tight, not giving him the chance. “He wants to kill all my friends, I won’t acknowledge him as my older brother.”
Rimbaud blinked, chuckling softly upon hearing this: “Then do you want to know how to defeat him?”
Asuka Kazuya didn’t fall for it. Seeing Rimbaud’s smile, he refused with a snort: “If you wanted to help me, you would have already, are you trying to brainwash me like Verlaine?”
“That explosion made me lose my memory for a long time,”
Rimbaud corrected him, seriously reaching out and tucking his golden hair behind his ear.
“I didn’t remember your existence until they mentioned your name in the Port Mafia.”
After losing his memory, Rimbaud gained the name Randou. He stayed in the Port Mafia for a long time under this identity. He wasn’t afraid of death, but he wasn’t willing to die like this, so with the thought of “I must find Kazuya,” he left himself a way out during the decisive battle with Nakahara Chuuya and Dazai that day.
“You’ve grown up,” Rimbaud sighed. “You broke through the program’s limitations even without your memories, if Verlaine and I had always been with you, you might have grown taller.”
“I already said I’m not your younger brother,”
Asuka Kazuya said angrily, imitating Nakahara Chuuya’s fighting techniques, giving Rimbaud a decent punch.
“What’s so good about being tall? What’s so bad about not being tall? Dragging others in without permission, and always saying I was born from some program–”
Rimbaud’s hand enveloped his fist, tilting his head to avoid the attack from his other hand.
Asuka Kazuya’s technique had improved considerably. He used Rimbaud’s shoulder as leverage, flipping over and attempting to attack the back of the young man’s head.
That was where humans were most vulnerable. If hit, even if not fatal, it would cripple him.
“You finally remembered this gift?”
But familiar footsteps came from behind. Rimbaud didn’t turn his head, pulling his younger brother into his arms.
Verlaine glanced at Asuka Kazuya, who was biting Rimbaud, his gaze falling on the scarf around his neck.
“Stop instilling the idea that he’s human,” Verlaine looked up, calmly speaking to Rimbaud. “It’s no good for him, it will only make him feel even more lonely.”
Blood flowed from the bite wound.
Rimbaud ignored his injury, turning his head to meet Verlaine’s eyes.
“Did you ask Kazuya?”
“No need to ask.”
“You completely forgot, today’s the day.”
Verlaine was stunned, recalling how Rimbaud grabbed his shoulder that day after returning from a mission, saying he would bring a gift for Kazuya on the way back.
To celebrate the day they were born—only Rimbaud would persistently celebrate his and Kazuya’s birthdays.
“I didn’t forget,”
Verlaine said, looking up at the corner of the crimson cube.
Manipulating all matter within subspace—this was Rimbaud’s ability.
“He doesn’t need to celebrate his birthday.”
“Then there’s nothing we can do,”
Rimbaud said, releasing his younger brother.
The previously messed up scarf was tied again. Asuka Kazuya looked up, puzzled, and saw Rimbaud leaning closer.
The young man’s breath landed on his face, tickling him slightly.
Having the data meant that within this subspace he personally created, Kazuya had the possibility of manipulating his ability.
Rimbaud naturally wouldn’t be willing to die. He still wanted to personally teach this child one day, guide him to a more distant place.
“I’ve been waiting,”
Rimbaud smiled, putting his hand on his lower back and pushing him forward.
“Kazuya, I’ve been waiting for the day you remember me.”
