Osamu Dazai and the Dark Era (Bungo Stray Dogs 2)

I turned around.

The Mimic leader stood at the forest’s entrance with three of his men. Since I could no longer hear any gunfire, you could’ve even described the man-made forest as tranquil in that moment.

“I am André Gide. We ghosts came in search of…the one who will free our souls,” the leader claimed.

He had striking features. If he were wearing a fancy suit with a glass of wine in hand, I could see him being an actor in a movie. However, there was a certain quality to the timbre of his voice that sounded like something from decades past.

“Well, I know this guy who works at a funeral home. I’m sure he’ll give you a discount if I put in a word for you.”

“That won’t be necessary…because I just found who I was looking for.”

At the same instant, Gide shot his pistol, aiming for right between my eyes. It was an extremely accurate shot, but knowing it was coming five seconds in advance made it easy to dodge.

I took half a step to my right. One bullet hit me between the eyes, the other through my heart. The assault weapon’s soft-point bullet broke through my cranium and into the back of my skull, sending me flying from the impact.

The vision ended there.

My skill showed me the future. While suppressing the panic flashing through my mind, I swerved to the left, contrary to what I did in my vision. However, the moment I dodged, a bullet was buried in my skull. The inside of my head shook from the impact, sending a soft, damp sound through my skull.

The vision ended there.

I stood in a daze. Gide hadn’t moved since he got there. He was still aiming his gun right at me and hadn’t even pulled the trigger yet. I was suddenly thrown into a deep pool of confusion.

What’s going on?

“Your confusion is my confusion as well,” Gide said after lowering the gun. “Because you can do exactly what I can. You have the skill to see danger that involves you seconds before it happens. I saw a future where you moved right, so I adjusted my aim accordingly. However, you ‘saw’ that future and swerved left instead. And I saw that future as well… Do you understand what I’m saying?”

We have the same skill?

“Your ability to observe the future is omnipotent. No one in this world can kill you…with the exception of me.” Gide’s cheeks tensed as his lips vaguely stretched to the sides. It looked as if he was smiling. “And the only one who can bury me is you. You are the sole person who can end this war.”

His smile was truly from the heart. It was as if someone had injected ice-cold poison into my veins. I almost reflexively pointed my gun at him.

“Yes. Just like that,” Gide replied as if he were begging for it. “That bullet alone can stop this war. You’re a member of the Mafia. You should want nothing more than the head of your enemy.”

The muzzle of my gun was pointed at Gide. Everything he said was true. There was no telling who would win in a match between two people who could see the future. But there wasn’t anyone else in the Mafia who could even make him sweat.

I took in a deep breath before exhaling with the muzzle still aimed right at the enemy. Then I lowered my gun.

“I’ll pass,” I replied. “I came here to save my ally. And honestly, I haven’t killed anyone in years.”

“………What?” That was the first time I heard a note of surprise in his voice. “Are you…not with the Mafia?”

“The Mafia’s full of all different kinds of people.”

“Guns are tools to kill, and this is a battlefield.” Gide gradually raised his voice. “So let us fight! Let us fight with all that we are—a battle that tears away at our souls! All a war needs is a single bullet. Even if you don’t shoot, you will have no choice but to fight back if I do!”

He aimed his gun at me. Only moments prior, I “saw” him fire.

“Everyone’s obsessed with fighting. They can’t get enough of it,” I said. “But not me. I’m interested in living. What interests me is how you guys live and what drives you to war. And if you die, that information will be forever lost.”

“There is no life more important than death!”

Gide pulled the trigger.

I had a vision.

The bullet hit me as I bent backward to dodge. I ducked, yet I was still hit. I tried swerving to the side, but the bullet connected. Each condition was superimposed as it played out through my head.