Lost at Sea | BSD x OC

12] sea dogs ✧˚

                                                           ⋆.ೃ࿔*:･₊ ⊹

"It's over, Akutagawa."

"Wretched sea dogs.." The black-haired man muttered under his breath, coughing into his elbow.

The guy was fairly tall and lanky. His hair was short, two pieces falling in the front, the ends faded to white. He wore an oversized, black trench coat with a white cravat tucked in the front. His size was a stark contrast to the force of which he had yanked Luna away. Her ribs and shoulders felt bruised and sore.

Atsushi immediately came to Luna's aid, tearing away at the door to the carriage to create a better opening for her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her out.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. It's fine." She uttered with wide eyes, although everything in her brain was screaming at her to say the opposite. Her focus immediately shifted to Dazai, where he upbraideth the man in black.

"I knew you would show up. Did you really not learn your lesson after that embarrassment with the weretiger?" Dazai smirked at Akutagawa, though there was a hint of distaste in his expression.

The man didn't reply.

"Who sent you?"

"Boss."

"Ah.. I'm assuming it was his order as well to break clause four of the charter of Hanako Island and start stealing our goods?"

"Wait, what do you mean 'stealing our goods?' Atsushi asked.

There was a short period of silence.

"The reason we're so low on resources right now.." Dazai's gaze shifted from Akutagawa to Brigg. "..is because of them."

Dazai then walked over to Brigg.

"I hope you're proud of your accomplishments thus far, the sum you must've raked in is probably just through the roof!" He taunted, getting in the man's face. Brigg glared daggers back at him. Dazai then spoke in a low voice.

"To be able to forge a drug such as corterin and see the demand skyrocket so quickly, steal our distributions and take a quarter of the proceeds for yourself, yet somehow that still wasn't enough for you, so you had to drag your daughter into your own dangerous schemes."

"Like you're some pretty little saint, boy. Don't forget we know all about you." Brigg spat.

Dazai let out a deep laugh, but his expression quickly became void again.

"Hand it over."

Brigg stared up at him, refusing to budge. With a quick kick to the shin from demon snow, however, Brigg reached into his pocket, pulling out the turquoise necklace, to which Dazai promptly took.

"How do you know about the corterin?" Akutagawa suddenly asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Dazai held his hands up after pocketing the necklace. "These villages are infested with addicts.."

"Huh.. so is that what was up with Hakai village?" Kyouka wondered, mostly to herself.

"What do you mean?" Luna muttered. Kyouka looked at her.

"When the men were helping Kenji and me load the carriages with weapons, we noticed something was off.. They were acting a little hyper. Like they just ate a lot of sugar. I know because I've done that before. But instead of sugar.. It was drugs."

Luna's thoughts went back to the bar. The owner, specifically.

'Lord Dazai, please... please dance with me!" He'd knelt down.

'We call him 'cool pop.''

Now that she thought back to it, he really didn't seem like he was in his right mind. No one there did. It was an incredibly upbeat atmosphere–everyone was shouting joyfully, playing instruments, and dancing, though she did not have any suspicions at the time. She believed that was just how they were. But it would make even more sense if they were on some sort of stimulant that made them act that way.

"Forget the drugs." Akutagawa spoke. "What makes you think you'll possibly get anywhere now just because you have this girl?"

"Well, you're the one who tried kidnapping her, are you not? For one thing," Dazai glanced at Luna. "She's obedient. Just like a good dog should be."

"Tch." Luna wriggled in Atsushi's grip. What kind of thing was that to say to someone?

"Also," He continued, walking back over to an annoyed Akutagawa. "Much unlike you, she's unpredictable. But you, by showing up here today, you just made things so much easier for us.. I really ought to thank you. Whereas you're rummaging around fighting for scraps, we've secured a real shot at reviving the island."

Akutagawa glared at the brunette. There was a fire burning somewhere in his eyes, somewhere hidden deep beyond the gray vastness.

"All we're doing is fighting back against the war you waged on us. It was the King's guard who drove us into this corner in the first place."

Dazai actually couldn't help the smirk from growing on his face as he said that.

"You know what I think?"

There was a brief moment of silence. An uncanny, moment of silence.

"The mafia is infested with abhorrent brats who thrive off the likeness of each other and the labor of others, all under the guise of petty, petty excuses. The things you and Brigg did today alone–it's treason. On multiple accounts. In fact, I could do you both the liberty and give you your potential court dates right now!"

The mafia? Luna internally questioned, then looked at Brigg.

"Save it," Akutagawa's teeth gritted. "We'll retreat for now. But I should warn you, we won't be the only enemy." He said before he yanked Brigg out of Kyouka's grasp.

Dazai watched both men go. He seemed to be thinking over what the man just said. Was that a bluff?

Luna just stared, still in awe and disbelief. So that was the mafia Brigg had warned her about, only to reveal himself to be working with them. Sacrificing his own child for the sake of a piece of jewelry? It was he who deliberately went up to her in the bar that day. It was all for this. It made her blood boil.

"Piece of shit." She uttered.

"Ah, watch the mouth, little lady.." Dazai approached her, extending his hand to her. "Can you stand?"

"Yes.." She accepted, letting him pull her to her feet.

Dazai kept her hand, gently placing her necklace in it. He studied her hand for a moment. Her knuckles were a bit battered. Her clothes were slightly torn, and her hair disheveled. She was going to need a trip to Doctor Yosano's.