Rememberance

Chapter 13:

 *time has passed and we are at the battle with the Guild*

Akutagawa hid behind a pile of crates as the guards of the Guild walked by. As soon as their backs were turned, he leapt out and instantly killed them with his ability. As they fell to the ground, lifeless and bloody, he clicked his tongue in annoyance and continued walking.

Ever since that day...that day he met the weretiger....Dazai-san continued to drift away, further and further from him. Over time, Dazai had moved on completely. He didn't even care about him. Akutagawa was painfully reminded of this whenever he trained alone and constantly pushed himself to his limits. He was getting stronger by the day, but there was always going to be that empty spot in his life where Dazai could've been, should've been...

***

Ever since he met the weretiger, several things...changed. One of Akutagawa's most skilled subordinates, Kyouka Izumi, had also betrayed the Mafia and joined the Agency. All because of that damn weretiger.

Jinko ruined my life...he took everything away from me...

Ever since Kyouka had left the Mafia, after Atsushi had beaten him in their most previous battle, the Guild had arrived in Japan and began taking over Yokohama. Mori and Fukuzawa, both wanting to prevent this, sent him and Atsushi to sneak onto the Guild's giant ship, the Moby Dick, in order to confront the leader.

However...Akutagawa was having a hard time focusing on the mission at hand...because of what the weretiger had said before delivering the final blow to his face.

People need to be GIVEN approval to feel that they can keep living....why can't you understand such a simple thing!?

Akutagawa looked down at his feet angrily.

What a bastard.

Akutagawa knew this fact more than anyone. Who was Atsushi to tell him that!? He had suffered far too much, ever since Dazai left the Mafia. And on that day...on that day...as he fell into the sea...just before he blacked out...he remembered what Dazai had said to him after replacing him.

My new subordinate is MUCH better than you...

No...this can't be true. Akutagawa is more powerful. That weretiger will never be stronger than him.

Jinko hasn't been through what I've been through...he'll never be better than me!

Akutagawa continued making his way down the tunnels of the Moby Dick, until he stopped dead in his tracks. Standing a few feet away from him was Atsushi, who appeared to be talking to someone on an intercom.

"You..."

***

"I've found you, Jinko..." Akutagawa hissed, glaring over at Atsushi. Atsushi's eyes widened and he glared back, quickly morphing into a weretiger and charging forward. Akutagawa quickly summoned his shield and blocked, which Atsushi leapt over and aimed a punch. Akutagawa dodged at the last moment, and they both stood still in their fighting stance.

"It seems you've improved your acrobatic skills, Jinko," Akutagawa calmly remarked.

"Why are you here...?" Atsushi asked, ignoring this.

"Tch. I should be asking you the same question,"

Atsushi opened his mouth to reply, until he stopped and said something into a small device.