"Wild Duck Country"

If we only analyze it based on his outfit, he is still wearing the same white top and black overalls, with the belt hanging down like a long black tail, with a playful arc. His slanted bangs are a bit messy, but still neat. Apart from a few obvious scratches on his top, he doesn't look like he has any major problems overall.

But this time his expression changed completely.

That's the look of a predator.

.

[The Beast Under the Moon] Nakajima Atsushi, who has the ability to transform into a white tiger, participated in the attack on the woman in red for whatever reason.

It was not the old woman like the ghost woman now, but another thing wearing the same ritual clothes, but the appearance was quickly forgotten. But it didn't matter, it was considered an abnormality that suddenly appeared tonight.

I somehow regained my human form, but I couldn't leave this place. I kept wandering around, and could only see all sorts of hideous and horrible shapes. The gutted duck alone was enough to make me suffocate if I thought about where it came from.

Like a joke, they trapped everyone here, creating an open space like a slaughterhouse.

Fear? Maybe, but for beasts, fear is not a bad thing, but a clarion call to attack after feeling threatened.

His yellow pupils were narrowed, sharp as a tightly bent bow. His beast-like intuition made him lock onto the woman who was leading Alice towards him.

"Mr. Dazai——"

"Alright, Atsushi-kun."

Dazai Osamu walked towards Nakajima Atsushi with a brisk pace, gently placed his hand on his shoulder, and stopped his forward steps with an attitude that did not allow him to argue. "Oh, you look really scared."

Atsushi-kun, Kagami-chan, you came just in time.

As long as we can restrain the dwarf, we can get rid of this big trouble quickly.

Now it is not a question of who she belongs to, but whether anyone can calm this chaos. I don't think Dr. Mori would be so unkind.

"This is simply too much. What if such a lovely Atsushi-kun is frightened to death?"

Dazai Osamu sighed helplessly and looked at me.

"This is all your fault," he said plainly.

"Is it my fault?"

I felt a little aggrieved, "But he wanted to come here on his own initiative."

"There's nothing I can do."

Although I don't know why he was singled out by Fujiwara, at least I didn't see him today.

If this were still my story, I would probably send him out quickly and give him a set of core values ​​to memorize.

"It's better for children not to watch horror movies."

And then say something like this.

But this is Fujiwara's fault! I never take the blame for the mistakes of the characters I write.

Besides, as I said, there is no other way.

I lowered my eyes with a weary expression.

"Yeah, yeah, you're obviously a coward, even worse than me, lululu."

Alice helped out.

Nakajima Atsushi looked in front of him in a daze. The tabletop covered with oil stains was now empty.

No, that's not what happened.

Just now here is a table of...

"Did you see something, Atsushi-kun?"

"Gone... yes..."

Nakajima Atsushi said with difficulty, he still couldn't control his instinct and observed the expressions of everyone. Izumi Kyoka was forbearing, Alice was curious, she lowered her eyes and moved the air between her cheeks, as if she didn't care about anything in front of her, showing unusual ease... There was also an old woman teasing a duck, her clothes - she was a ghost too!

"…There are ducks eating people!"

Finally said it!

It's not a question of whether it's scary or not, but how can I, as a human being with reason and feelings, see myself in such a state?

"Then just pretend you didn't see it and forget about it."

Dazai Osamu emphasized his tone.

What he actually wanted to say was to completely forget about the chaotic feeling of having a confused worldview and just be sure of who you are. You know, Chuuya hasn't struggled for a long time.

Ah, does this mean that if he had been a little later, Nakata would have really thought that he was a duck?

Dazai Osamu fell into deep thought.

Nakajima Atsushi's pupils, stretched to the point of a needle, still couldn't relax. It even seemed that he was stretched to the limit. With one more stimulation, he would turn into a white tiger on the spot.

That's when it gets terrible and embarrassing.

"Atsushi-kun looks like this..."

Dazai Osamu looked at me again.

"Alas, Atsushi-kun used to get scared even by the sight of a tiger."

There was a hint of condemnation in his eyes again.

I had to point to myself, "...my fault?"

My eyelids twitched subconsciously. Although I looked helpless at the unreasonable parents, I was already crying in my heart.

So what should I do now? I am just an ordinary third-rate horror writer, and now I am at the bottom of the food chain with everyone else, helpless. Although I am good at theory, I have never put it into practice. The best I can do is tell them how to end this story.

But the person involved is still here. If we discuss this issue so openly, will I be in danger of losing my life?

"Bingo!"

Dazai Osamu snapped his fingers, took out a blood-stained manuscript from his pocket, and walked over. "Since you already know you are wrong, then--"

"I did something wrong."

Was interrupted by an old voice.

The old woman used her wrinkled skin to squeeze out a dowdy smile, which made people feel a breath of death coming over them. "I have waited for so long, and finally--"

She raised the orange duck in her hand and laughed, "Thank God for your blessing!"

The ducks crawling on the ground raised their heads like pilgrims. The water in the big pot was bubbling and boiling, and the flames at the bottom of the pot were licking fiercely. There was a false joy everywhere. Only a white duck in the cage watched everything coldly. He was the only duck with clear eyes.

Even though he was the one who had been in the assimilation state the longest.

"Mr. Dazai, the longer the time, the greater the impact will be."

"I'm already having a hard time controlling my pace."

Dazai Osamu thought of the information that Izumi Kyoka whispered to him when he approached Nakajima Atsushi just now.

This is also the reason why Quan Jinghua has not taken any action yet.

The funny thing is, it only takes ten minutes to learn everything about ducks, but ten minutes later, you have to learn how to be a human all over again.

The chefs in the shop, or the "butchers", each brought a carefully made "gift" and moved over step by step. Around the bonfire, the children's joyful and ethereal laughter could be heard.

Children? How can there be children if all this is done by people who are forced to participate?

Dazai Osamu took this opportunity to quicken his pace, even running, without concealing his actions at all.

He had an idea that even he himself thought was incredible. No, since he could come up with it, it meant that it must have its rationality.

The lady in front of him still had that helpless smile on her face. Even after he touched her, the helplessness became more obvious, with a hint of mockery and guilt.

There is no other way.

she said.

Under the influence of [No Longer Human], nothing happened. The butchers, soaked in oil, still walked over, and the children still smiled ethereal smiles.

She did not use her powers.

As expected! She was shocked by the layout in front of her, and she was not worried about his approach at all, and the duck suddenly changed his attitude. All the clues were connected, and the truth began to become clear.

It all started with the sword of [Yaksha Shirayuki].

Although he didn't fully understand the principle, Dazai still took out the gun.

"I didn't expect to use this method... I really got into big trouble."

He sighed, his pupils dark and bottomless.

"Then tell me how to solve tonight's farce."

"Otherwise, maybe I'll have to ask you to go to Sanchuantu."

The cold machine was facing my head.

I spit out the bubbles that were swirling around my cheeks, breathing slightly to maintain the rapid oxygen consumption required by my rapidly accelerating heartbeat.

Boom, boom, boom.

There was no trace of the heartbeat.

This happened several times this evening.

The shivering feeling from all the blood flowing backwards through my brain completely dispelled my sleepiness.

"I can't die yet." I exhaled softly, "There are still many stories that have not been written."

I pointed to the manuscript in his hand.

I definitely didn't say such a stupid thing out of professionalism. It was an instinctive avoidance of something more terrifying than death. It wasn't for me, but for them. There would be more serious consequences that no one could bear.

I wanted to say more, but there was no way. Something had opened my weird eyes, twisted ears, and incomprehensible secrets. I saw, heard, and knew what was happening.

What I didn't know was that people within a few miles felt this brutal, chaotic, crushing, indescribable glimpse.

Like a huge eye looking straight ahead.

There is no other way.

How could I tell him without being seen, heard, or known?

"It's already like this, it is what it is, just accept it."

I didn't retract my finger from the manuscript.

"I've already died like this once, so why would I tell you?"

How can I tell him to use magic to defeat magic?

It takes a duck to beat a duck.

He had no expression, as if all the light had entered his iris-colored pupils and could never come out, leaving only a deep black.

"If you don't kill me, I'm going back."

I said this with the determination to die, and immediately prepared to run.

Things change over time. I have already listed no less than three people on the blacklist, and they will retaliate (persecute) me.

This is probably the original reason why we were bound together.

In the end, I chose to retreat strategically. He didn't shoot, and I didn't look back.

The wind was cold and silent, the night was long and deep, and the leaves were rustling.

I sincerely hope they can resolve this story.

After all, there is still a long way to go.