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It all happened in the blink of an eye.
One moment, the joint mission between the Agency and the Mafia was going swimmingly, the next some random guy was punched by Chuuya and the redhead was suddenly going wild. The detectives had no idea what was going on as a sudden blast first made them fly, then caused them to painfully slam into the ground, immobile. No matter how they tried, not even the strongest among them, Kenji and Atsushi, could stand up, instead all of them were practically making out with the ground, slowly being crushed by the steadily increasing force.
Then they heard the laughter. It didn't sound human in the slightest and chilled them to the bone as it echoed throughout the abandoned streets some new organization had tried to claim as their territory, only the Port Mafia used it as a buffer area for their own conflicts and business.
Following the laughter, the atmosphere completely changed, as though the very air was being sucked out into a void. Then came the booms and explosions, for once not caused by Kajii or Kunikda, since both of them were as immobile as everyone else. That was when the detectives noticed the Mafia members with them on the mission were in the same predicament and most of them were just as confused as the Agency was. Only Akutagawa, Gin and Hirotsu seemed to know what was going on and the fear on their faces and the dread in their eyes were surely not reassuring at all.
"What's going on!?" Yosano managed to yell from the rear of their group, having been more support than active combatant, along with Junichiro. She was barely heard over the chaos going on mere meters away from the downed group.
The only bright side in this whole situation was that their enemies were in the same, if not worse predicament. After all, Chuuya had been on the frontlines, had speared through the group like a comet and infiltrated their flimsy formation so he can deal with as many people without the rest of the allied groups didn't have to endanger themselves.
"Corruption," Akutagawa replied with gritted teeth. "Dazai-san said that there were reported rumors of a newly minted Ability user who can cause others to lose control, which is deadly for Chuuya-san. We had no further information on the Ability user but Dazai-san had gone to search for them in the base."
"He shouldn't be far and all this noise ought to catch his attention," Hirotsu added, trying to use his Ability to help him detach himself at least a little from the ground, just enough to reach his phone, but it was no use. The force was too strong, it made it impossible for other Abilities to have much effect. Rashoumon and Demon Snow were both pinned down near their masters, too, also immobilized.
"It won't matter," the Ability user himself called, sounding both manic and dejected. "I've been recruited specially to deal with this thing and as many Mafia members as it can take out with it. Nothing can stop my Ability once it activates other than the death of the affected."
"You've obviously never met Soukoku," Gin muttered.
"Dazai-san will never let Corruption take Chuuya-san," the three mafioso in the know replied in unison, absolutely certain of this.
"It won't matter. We'll all die until he gets here or reaches that thing, if he even can. It'll tear him apart."
The Agency grew worried at this, as did Kajii, Tachihara and Higuchi. The rest of the Port Mafia, though, didn't look the slightest bit concerned, even as the explosions started going off closer to them and the cries of their enemies being decimated reached their ears in abruptly cut off screams and disgusting squelching and crushing sounds.
"We're doomed," Junichiro whimpered miserably, only to jolt when a foot appeared in the corner of his vision.
"Oh yee of little faith," Dazai said teasingly, yet his tone was more serious than the Agency had ever heard. It was almost as shocking as the fact that Dazai was able to so casually stand within Chuuya's range as though the crushing weight of gravity had no effect on him.
Then again, considering there was a faint outline of bluish-white light surrounding him, that was probably exactly the case. After all, the change in gravitational force was Ability-induced and No Longer Human nullified not only Abilities, but effects of Abilities as well.
"Dazai-san," Akutagawa called, drawing the man's attention. "It's been at least three minutes already. Chuuya-san is-"
"Going to be fine," Dazai cut in, refocusing on his partner as he started walking towards the epicenter of chaos and carnage. "I just need to deal with him first," he said coldly, coming to a stop in front of the Ability user who had caused this whole mess. "You've been recognized as a threat to Yokohama. Moreover, you've been labeled as a threat to my dog. And I'm a very good owner, so I don't let threats to my dog go just like that."
"Dog?!" The man repeated incredulously. "That thing is a god of destruction and mayhem and you call it a dog!?"
"Of course," Dazai said breezily. "The words are similar enough in English, aren't they, Mr Samuel Beckett? Your Ability, Murphy, is really troublesome in regards to my dog, but I suppose that's why they told you to go up against the Chibi in the first place. Heavens know the slug will never check out his opponents once a fight starts; at that point, it's either up to me to supervise him or he learns his lesson too late. Still, this is a lesson no one else will get to learn from you."
"Are you threatening to kill me? Because I-I know you don't kill anymore! I've been told by the b-boss!"
"Yes, well, Dostoevsky can't accurately calculate how a Soukoku fight will go. But you are in luck," Dazai replied casually, in an almost sing-song voice, as though he wasn't discussing murder. "I won't kill you~ I made a promise I intend to keep until circumstances are too dire to ignore. However~ I'll give you a show before you meet your maker~"
"But you just said you won't kill me!?"
"I won't," Dazai replied with a shrug. "But he will," he said, waving towards Chuuya to gain his attention. The rampaging god vessel caught sight of him in no time, zeroing in on the only 'challenger' left standing. The sick grin stretched further across Chuuya's bloody lips.
"Dazai, you idiot! Are you trying to get us all killed!?" Kunikida yelled but Gin shushed him and anyone else that dared make a noise that might attract Chuuya's attention to them and away from Dazai.
Chuuya took a first, heavy step towards the brunet, creating a small crater.
A graviton bomb started forming in his hand.
Dazai smiled and took a step away from Beckett.
Chuuya, resembling more beast than man, took aim.
Beckett screamed.
It cut off as only he and his nearest perimeter blew up.
Dazai remained in his place, even as the creature kept walking forwards. Chuuya's laughter had dissipated by now and the surroundings were eerily silent, any noise crushed by the low thrum of unimaginable power keeping gravity under the redhead's control. The Agency started struggling when Nakahara was steps away from the genius and even Tachihara, Higuchi and Kajii panicked over Dazai's fate.
Dazai, though, just extended a hand and kept it there. "What a good doggy you were today, Arahabaki. But I want my loyal German shepherd back, please."
With a whine, Arahabaki, the god of calamity and black flames, who'd helped Nakahara Chuuya make gravity his plaything, leaned forward and nuzzled Chuuya's head against the taller male's hand even as No Longer Human immediately flashed to light up the night, returning Chuuya to the forefront of his mind and body. The ginger gasped and his knees buckled, but Dazai was there to catch him before he could fall to the ground.
The force of gravity returned to its natural constant and the survivors of the shitshow - the Agency and the Mafia members - could finally not only move, but breathe properly. Yet all they could do was gawk at Soukoku as Dazai gently lowered them to the ground, whispering something - an explanation, perhaps? - into his ear as the shorter male eventually gave up resisting and just fully leaned against him.
"What the hell was that?" Kunikida asked, surprising everyone with the curse. "Dazai, explain yourself! How ... What was that?! How did you-"
"I don't think that's any of your business, Kunikida-kun," Dazai cut in coldly, making the blond stiffen in surprise. He stood up with an almost unconscious Chuuya leaning against him, supporting him with surprising ease for someone who looked so lanky and thin. "I don't think he needs Yosano-sensei treating him ... Eh, Chuuya?"
"I think ... I'll be fine," the gravity manipulator grunted out. He certainly didn't feel like any of his organs raptured or ceased to function. And it was a familiar enough feeling that he could definitely tell by now. The only reason he even ever survived Corruption after a too long usage is that he housed a god in him; Arahabaki certainly both destroyed and repaired its host's body as it pleased. Something to both be resentful and thankful for.
"Dazai-san, I have called for an extraction and cleanup crew," Hirotsu said, approaching the partners. "Will you be staying with Chuuya-san or should I arrange-"
"What a silly question, Hirotsu-san~ Of course I'll be staying with the Chibi. Who else will make sure the slug doesn't accidentally get stepped on by the very extraction crew meant to take him home? What kind of owner would I be if I let something like that happen?"
"Shut ... up, you ... bastard. I'm not ... your ... d-" And Chuuya finally succumbed to sweet unconsciousness despite not having used Corruption for too long. Dazai was ready for it and simply huffed. He hefted the shorter male onto his back and casually started strolling past all the craters Chuuya and Arahabaki had left in their wake.
"Well, we'll be off now~! Don't expect me to come in for work tomorrow, Kunikida-kun~ Goodnight~!"
The Agency members just watched him go, unable to connect their lazy, eccentric coworker with the man easily carrying off Nakahara Chuuya as though this was just another day in his life.
"We'll have to inform the Boss that Chuuya-san will be unavailable for the next couple of days," Gin commented, dusting herself off, even taking off her mask for once to better breathe after having all the air crushed out of her for so long.
"I don't think he'll have a problem with that," came the dry reply from her older brother. "It's practically protocol for Soukoku post-Corruption, especially under these circumstances."
At all the confused glances being tossed about, Hirotsu explained. "Chuuya-san has been forcefully triggered to use Corruption a total of three times before since we found out about that part of his Ability. Each time, Upon The Tainted Sorrow needed some time to settle back down and the god Chuuya-san houses would purposefully be louder and rowdier so Chuuya-san can't rest."
"GOD!?"
Hirotsu ignored the shrieks from the Agency and Kajii, Higuchi and Tachihara, continuing his explanation. "As Dazai-san's No Longer Human is the only thing that can stop Corruption and ... tame Arahabaki, he'd stay by Chuuya-san's side and in constant physical contact until they were sure everything was back to normal."
"One of the reasons Chuuya-san hates Q so much is because Q was almost the instigator of the fourth instance where Chuuya-san was controlled by another or someone triggered Corruption while he was under their control," Akutagawa added, coughing a bit. "Had Dazai-san not reacted quickly enough, half of Yokohama could have been destroyed five years ago."
The detectives could only gape at that information.
"So Chuuya-san really has a god inside him? That wasn't just over-exaggerated rumors?" Kyouka asked.
Gin shrugged. "Depends on the rumors you've heard, but no, most of them aren't exaggerations. Like, at all."
Hirotsu nodded. "For instance, Chuuya-san and Dazai-san really did fight a 'Godzilla wannabe' when they were sixteen. The Ability-based dragon from a couple of months ago was a piece of cake when compared to Guivre."
Kunikida's eyes bulged. "That was Nakahara!?"
"And Dazai!?" Yosano gaped.
The in-the-know mafioso could only shrug. "That's Soukoku." Even though the Akutagawa siblings hadn't been there for the incident itself directly, they had been close enough to the epicenter of the shitshow to know enough rumors even before meeting Soukoku while Hirotsu had had front row seats for most of Soukoku's most famous and infamous battles.
"S-so this is just a normal Tuesday for them?" An incredulous Tachihara asked worriedly, eyes wide as they shifted to stare in the direction Dazai had disappeared off to with Chuuya on his back.
"Pretty much, yes," Hirotsu replied and the siblings just nodded. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a call to make before Kouyou-san starts worrying or Mori-san starts panicking that Dazai-san will come for his throat."
And the detectives were simply too stunned to speak, let alone react to the casualness of such a declaration to their Boss' possible safety or, you know, life. He acted as though this was normal. The Akutagawas did, too. And the Agency had thought that they were the oddballs here! Even Higuchi and Tachihara silently agreed to the sentiment.
But as they all collectively lost their mind, several blocks away, a certain genius was humming his favorite song as he piggybacked Port Mafia's strongest Ability user and best martial arts expert after the latter had practically traumatized their coworkers. Said man was snoring gently into his ear, completely at ease in the familiar position of being draped over Dazai's back. This was completely normal for them. This was Soukoku, these moments after Corruption when all walls are down and all sincerities were bared, when all the world fades away and it's just them. Having survivors to Corruption was always strange, the rare few times they'd had allies on the battlefield with them when Soukoku was needed for a Soukoku-level mission/threat. Dazai was usually the only one there when Chuuya let it rip and the only one there when the flames of Corruption were finally extinguished within Chuuya, by his touch, nonetheless.
This really was just a normal Tuesday for Dazai and Chuuya, even after four years of separation and a reunion as enemies.
And this really was very normal for Dazai, to save Chuuya from himself and the god he was a vessel to. Really, he was such a good dog owner, the Chibi should be more grateful for him. Not many would treat their dogs so great! Though, Chuuya was also a faithful dog.
And not just Chuuya, but his unwanted tenant, too. To think it would be so easy to train Arahabaki ... Much easier than it was to train Chuuya, honestly! At least for Dazai, it was. Arahabaki knows, others weren't as successful, from the scientists who've captured it, to Rimbaud down to Verlaine and then any and all fools who tried to take Chuuya from Dazai by making him lose control to the beast within him. Dazai had, of course, known they could potentially face such a problem so he'd made sure to assert his 'dominance' over the embodiment of calamity.
All it took was one single touch and suddenly a demon could control the rage of a god. Dazai found it greatly amusing and often teased his partner about it in the following years.
Because, really. Dog or god, when tamed is there a difference?
Perhaps, but not for Soukoku.
No, not for Soukoku.
(Arahabaki learned the hard way.)
(And everyone else, even harder.)
OWARI