Chapter 51

Echo, Part 1 (其の壱,) is the 51st chapter of the Bungo Stray Dogs manga.

Summary
Dazai holds down Atsushi and Akutagawa in a moving truck, joking around and making them work together with them. He tells them that they should go after the virus ability user and then Dostoevsky. At the suspected place of the Rats (a coal mine), many guards armed stand watch. As Atsushi and Akutagawa sneakily head in using their abilities, the Agency stays alert to make sure none of the guards suspect a thing.

In the mine, Akutagawa is determined not to disappoint Dazai and threatens to kill Atsushi so he can do the mission alone. They get into an argument, but Atsushi goes a little too far by saying that Dazai probably abandoned him for always killing anyone in front of him, resulting in Akutagawa going silent. Suddenly, the two spot two guards, and Akutagawa activates Rashōmon to restrain them. Akutagawa corners the two guards and demands that they lead him to their leader. The two agree.

Fyodor is contacted by one of the Port Mafia members, who informs him that the two directors infected with the virus have disappeared since their last sighting at an old mansion that has then been blown up. Afterwards, the mafioso demands Fyodor to instruct him on how to disarm the bomb strapped on him, though Fyodor tricks the man that makes him pull the wrong wire, killing him instantly.

Akutagawa and Atsushi are led to a door that is locked. With Katai's help, they try to unlock it, but the security is too high, compelling them to instead prioritize searching for the virus ability user. Atsushi wonders why Dazai made the two of them together, but Akutagawa advises him to merely trust Dazai's judgment and plans instead of understanding him. As Akutagawa questions Atsushi why he chose to agree with the mission, Katai suddenly tells them that he has discovered the virus user's location, two meters behind them. The virus user named Pushkin, one of the guards restrained earlier, shoots Akutagawa and manages to scar the latter. As Pushkin escapes with a mine cart, Akutagawa falls down, who turns out to be infected with the virus.