"Akutagawa." I growled as the boy ignored me, walking closer to Atsushi.
"It's nice to meet you. I am Akutagawa, one of the Port Mafia's dogs, as they are." Akutagawa said to the trembling boy.
Akutagawa coughed, bringing his hand over his mouth as Higuchi stood up, walking over to him.
"Akutagawa-senpai! I can handle this myself." Higuchi started but was interrupted as Akutagawa back-handed her in the face, making her glasses fall to the ground.
"I believe my orders were to take the weretiger alive! And yet here you are, gunning everyone down. You useless cur! Stand down." Akutagawa ordered to Higuchi as she mumbled an apology.
"It's not her fault, you were the one that sent her in without any backup." I said as Akutagawa glared at me with his cold metallic eyes.
"Guess you were too naive to think that the Agency was going to let a weretiger waltz around the city without someone to protect him in case. What took you so long to get here anyway, couldn't meet your other mission fast enough?" I taunted as Akutagawa turned to look at me, walking towards me as he loomed over me.
I didn't back down as Akutagawa and I glared into each others eyes.
"Take the weretiger alive? What are you after?" Atsushi asked, confused by what we were saying as I broke my gaze with Akutagawa.
"The Port Mafia has its eyes set on you and you alone." I said as Akutagawa just scoffed.
"Your fellow agents lying there just got caught in the crossfire." Akutagawa said as I glanced at the two bodies behind us, both soaked with blood.
The weretiger gasped, "This is because of me?" He asked.
"Indeed. That is your karma, weretiger. You will cause ill for everyone around you, just by being alive." Akutagawa answered as Atsushi gasped again, as if a memory flashed across his mind.
"My karma?" Atsushi muttered softly to himself.
"Ability: Rashoumon." Akutagawa said as wind whipped around him, his black coat transforming into the shadow beast, barrelling towards Atsushi as I pulled Higuchi to the side.
The weretiger gasped as he saw the ground beside him, broken and carved deep by Akutagawa's beats, hovering in front of him.
"I missed on purpose that time, of course. But my Rashoumon has poor taste. It devours anything and everything." Akutagawa said as I moved Higuchi away, her head hung low.
"I intend to take you alive, but if you continue to resist, I'll take your leg next." Akutagawa threatened as the weretiger trembled in front of him, frozen in fear.
"Why... Why me?" The weretiger asked when a small voice came from behind us.
"A... Atsushi-kun." Tanizaki said as I whipped around to see him struggling on the ground, blood leaking out his wounds.
His younger sister, Naomi coughed too.
"Run, Atsushi-kun." Tanizaki said again as I used my wind manipulation to limit the oxygen levels he was taking in, stopping him from speaking more.
I glanced at Atsushi, watching as he hung his head, eyes squeezed shut and jaws clenched.
I could tell that he was debating whether he should run or stay behind and fight us.
Not that either option would make a difference.
Suddenly, the weretiger yelled as he ran to Akutagawa who sighed.
"Choosing death over surrender... How tiresome." Akutagawa said as Rashoumon shot towards the weretiger.
He ducked just in time before his head would be detached from his shoulders as he slid on the ground and picked up Higuchi's gun and firing at our backs.
Immediately, I used my wind manipulation to stop the bullets before they could touch Higuchi or me as I saw the bullets stop right before hitting Akutagawa, which I was slightly disappointed at.
The bullets all clacked to the ground as Akutagawa scoffed.
"That move wasn't half bad. But in the end, it was a fool's last stand." Akutagawa said as the coat behind him formed Rashoumon's mouth.
"I told you. My black beast is indiscriminate. It devours anything and everything. It consumed the very space bullets were attempting to cross to reach me. Neither flames or spears can reach me without space to traverse." Akutagawa explained as I just turned to Higuchi.
"I'm a failure." Higuchi said as I clenched my teeth together.
"Damnit Higuchi, Akutagawa's just putting you down. Don't listen to a word he says." I said when suddenly the weretiger screamed.
I whipped around as I saw the weretiger on the ground, clutching the stump of his leg where blood leaked out and onto the concrete.
Akutagawa coughed again as he turned around to face me, eyes narrowing at me.
"What are you doing here?" Akutagawa asked as I scoffed, a smirk forming on my face.
"Didn't think I would show up?" I asked as Akutagawa continued to glare at me, opening his mouth to say something but suddenly there was a loud thud as we all turned our heads to see Atsushi on the wall.
"What?" Higuchi asked as there was a blue light forming around him.
"His right leg regenerated." Higuchi said as I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes and say, "Yeah, no shit."
Suddenly, a tiger replaced where Atsushi had been as Akutagawa smiled.
"This is how it should be." Akutagawa said, pushing Higuchi out of the way as the tiger jumped forward, landing between Akutagawa and Higuchi.
"Akutagawa-senpai!" Higuchi shouted, obvious concern in her voice.
"Stand down, Higuchi!" Akutagawa said as Rashoumon shot towards the tiger.
The tiger leapt up, landing on the tendril as Akutagawa's eyes widened in shock.
"What?" He asked as the tiger leapt to him.
Unfortunately, Akutagawa was able to form a barrier between them, however was pushed towards the wall as Higuchi gasped.
"Senpai!" She said as she raised her gun to the tiger.
"You..." She said as she shot rounds of bullets at the tiger before the gun clicked, no bullets coming out.
"The bullets can't pierce its skin..." Higuchi muttered before gasping as the tiger looked at her, taking a step towards her and leapt at her.
"Rashoumon... Agito!" Akutagawa said as I used my own wind manipulation to push Higuchi out of the way.
Rashoumon's jaws closed around the tiger, splitting him in half as the front half with the head fell where Higuchi was seconds ago.
Akutagawa coughed as he looked at the tiger, "I was supposed to take you alive..."
However, the body of the tiger faded as I glanced around.
"This is... So I just ripped apart a mirage... then..." Akutagawa mused as I saw the tiger appear from behind Akutagawa.
Akutagawa grinned as he saw the tiger, "Rashoumon... Murakumo!" Akutagawa said as a gigantic clawed appendage of Rashoumon extended from his arm.
I was going to stop Akutagawa before he could actually kill the tiger, however, a certain movement from the corner of my eye kept me in my place.
"Okay, that's enough!" Dazai-san said as he stepped between the two of them as he touched Rashoumon and the tiger, light flashing from them as their abilities were nullified.
I watched as the tiger transformed back to Atsushi as Higuchi blinked as she looked at Dazai-san.
"You're one of the detectives... Why are you here?" Higuchi asked as Dazai smiled.
"I'm the type who can't stop thinking about what a beautiful lady might be up to. I decided to secretly listen in." Dazai-san said, holding up a little device.
A bug.
"Impossible." Higuchi said as I rolled my eyes, already anticipating this move.
Higuchi fished out the microphone bug from her pocket, staring at it.
"Back then... You had already seen through my plans even then." Higuchi said, crushing the bug in her hand.
"Say y/n, you haven't found anyone yet so how about double suicide?" Dazai-san asked me as I turned to Dazai-san.
"First of all, Dazai-san, I would rather have you acknowledge my strength than my looks. And second, what happened to Chuuya?" I asked, slightly glaring at him as Dazai-san stiffened for a second before turning to Atsushi, who had collapsed on the ground.
"Come on, wake up, Atsushi-kun. I don't want to carry three people back at the same time." Dazai-san said as I sighed, shaking my head.
"You think we'll let you go alive?" Higuchi asked as she raised her gun at Dazai-san's back.
Akutagawa chuckled before turning serious, "Don't Higuchi. You can't win."
"But, Akutagawa-senpai..." Higuchi said but was disregarded as he turned back to Dazai-san.
"Dazai-san, we'll retreat for this round. But the weretiger will be the Port Mafia's someday." Akutagawa promised as Dazai-san turned around to look at him.
"Why?" Dazai-san asked.
"Simple enough. That weretiger has a bounty on him from the black market. The bounty sum is seven billion yen." Akutagawa explained as Dazai-san smiled.
"Now, that's very generous." Dazai-san mused.
"We'll pay a visit to your Agency at a later time. The Port Mafia will claim that seven billion." Akutagawa said as Dazai-san stood up.
"Is that a declaration of war on the Armed Detective Agency?" Dazai-san asked he smirked.
"Try it... if you dare." Dazai-san taunted as Akutagawa glared at him slightly.
"You are an insignificant small-scale operation, whereas we are this city's darkness made incarnate. We have connections in this city's politics and economy at every level." Higuchi said.
"An agency with a dozen or so operatives will become ashes along with your entire office in less than three days' time. No one has opposed us and lived." Higuchi said as Dazai-san had a bored look on his face.
"I know all that." Dazai-san said, scratching the back of his head.
"Indeed. You know that better than anyone... being an ex-Port Mafia member, Dazai-san." Akutagawa said as Dazai-san smirked.
"What?" Higuchi whispered before Akutagawa turned on his heel.
"We're leaving." Akutagawa said as Higuchi fumbled for a minute, looking at Dazai-san before walking after Akutagawa.
I stayed a little longer before turning on my heel as well.
"Not going to ask for my acknowledgement again?" Dazai-san taunted softly as I clenched my fists.
"I'll be back for the weretiger. And then you'll see what I can do." I answered as I jumped up, landing on the roof before walking away.
- - -
Hello readers, hope the book is going well and I just want to thank you again for the votes and comments! Much appreciated!