Horikita Manabu had not spent much time before running into this fellow countryman in the building.
However, the two did not get much of a chance to exchange pleasantries.
Horikita Manabu sharply noticed that, for some reason, the crowd downstairs had begun a strange kind of "relay."
One person after another reached out without warning and patted the shoulder of a passerby beside them.
Then, the person who had been touched would turn and assimilate the next target.
One glance was all it took.
Horikita Manabu was certain that this was the work of a Devil!
Without hesitation, he grabbed the still-confused Yamada Albert and turned to run toward the higher floors, where there were fewer people.
As they moved, Horikita Manabu explained in a low voice:
"Listen. This world has creatures known as 'Devils.' They seem to be born from humanity's fear of certain concepts."
"The deeper the fear, the stronger the Devil. That means each Devil has its own special abilities—for instance, the Blood Devil controls blood, and the Gun Devil uses firearms..."
"Judging from the assimilation happening downstairs, it's most likely the ability of some kind of Doll Devil."
Yamada Albert nodded as if he only half understood, following Horikita Manabu all the way to a railing on the fourth floor.
While Horikita Manabu let him rest briefly—
Yamada Albert instinctively turned his head and glanced down through the glass railing at the atrium below.
That single look made his scalp tingle.
The faces of those passersby who had been touched had already gone stiff, their features even developing obvious puppet-like dents and cracks.
Their hands, meanwhile, had twisted into something resembling sharp blades.
"What an overbearing ability... You get assimilated just by being touched?"
Yamada Albert could not help muttering.
Horikita Manabu pursed his lips, but