The Book (本, Hon?) is a supernatural book desired by different parties of ability users. Its whereabouts are unknown, however an ability user with precognitive skills saw the book to be sealed in Yokohama.[1]
A page stolen from the Book is currently in possession of Kamui.[2]
Description[]
It is a single copy of a novel with all of its pages being blank and a piece of literature where anything written inside becomes the truth.[3] According to Fitzgerald, only one copy of the Book exists and is impervious to any kind of flame or special skill.[1]
According to Taneda, a page was once taken out of it for research purposes. The page also works just as well as the sealed Book that it came from.[4]
However, it has its own restrictions and abilities:
- The text written in it must maintain a consistent causal relationship with itself.[4]
- It demands narrative consistency. As such, one cannot simply write "Once upon a time, humanity died out."[4]
- What is written in the Book or page must follow a narrative of a story. In accordance with restriction number 2, anyone using the page must make a number of events occur with their own efforts in order to follow the flow of the narrative. Only then would certain desired events written in the Book or page become reality.[5]
- A page takes effect when one side of it is filled with writing.[5]
BEAST[]
According to Osamu Dazai, the Book is more or less the origin of the Beast world. In the Book, one will find an infinite number of potential worlds that can branch out into an infinite number of different paths depending on the choices made and conditions set. The moment something is written on a page in the Book, a world tailored to what was written is "summoned" in which the potential world inside the Book and the real world change places.
Hence, the term "world" refers to both single physical reality that exists outside the Book and the infinite possible worlds that are tucked away inside the Book. In this world, orders from the outside can rewrite this world or even destroy it.[6]
History[]
Very little is known of the Book. Santōka Taneda suggested that it was part of an unknown ability user's power, but Ranpo Edogawa later refuted this, saying it was created by “something beyond our abilities.”[7]
It was known that Sigma was created using the Book three years ago.[8]
Plot[]
The Book has yet to be seen. Fitzgerald mentions it to Atsushi Nakajima, whom he claims is the 'guide' to the Book itself, as it is located in Yokohama.[1] Fitzgerald intends to use the Book's power to revive his deceased daughter, in hopes of improving Zelda's mental state and restore his family.[9]
The Rats in the House of the Dead, particularly Fyodor Dostoevsky intend to wipe Yokohama clean of its ability users in order to secure the Book. Unlike the Guild who has personnel and money to raze the city, the Rats use a "cannibalism ability" in order to bring down both the Armed Detective Agency and Port Mafia and easily aid them in securing the Book. Fyodor seeks the Book in order to purify man for their sins and intend to use it to make a world free of sin and ability users.[3]
The Decay of the Angel succeeded in stealing a page from the Book using the information they have taken from Taneda's knowledge. With it, they wrote a scenario to frame the Armed Detective Agency for a large hostage-murder situation, resulting in Nikolai Gogol's apparent death and the Agency as scapegoats for the attack.[4] It is known later on that Sigma is one responsible for the act.
The Sky Casino along with its thirteen years of history is also made using the page stolen from the Book.[10]
Fyodor adds one line to the page and change the information to not trust the agency's innocence. Hence, all the world's police detectives and investigative agencies will not act on any evidence someone framed the Agency. However, due to Tachihara's realization of his true identity as a mafioso and believing that the Agency is not a terror group, a rip appears on the stolen page.[11]
During Atsushi's encounter with Sigma, Sigma tells Atsushi the location of the page using his ability, allowing Atsushi to know the its current location which is being carried by the Decay of the Angel's leader, Kamui.[12]
During Ranpo's broadcast, he shares information about the page where anything written can be turned into reality. He further tells that the true culprit wrote that "the Agency is behind the "Decay of the Angel" case" and "all police agency firmly believe that the Agency is the culprit" and tells the people to think with their own soul.[13] Due to Ranpo's announcement, some police authorities defends Ranpo and allows him to escape before he can be sent to jail.[14]
BEAST[]
Dazai used his ability that can nullify other abilities, and used it to create a point of Singularity, which forced the worlds' fragments to connect. This successfully let him read the memories of the Osamu Dazai who exists outside the Book.[6]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 28.
- ↑ Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 83.5.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 46.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 58.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 70.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Bungo Stray Dogs: BEAST.
- ↑ Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 59.
- ↑ Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 75.
- ↑ Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 35.
- ↑ Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 71.
- ↑ Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 77.
- ↑ Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 79.
- ↑ Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 80.
- ↑ Bungo Stray Dogs Manga: Chapter 81.