-Fyodor's Plan 3/3-
-Riki's POV-
Aimlessly I speed through the road, brushing against April's cool weather.
Why?
Why, why, why?
Why does it have to be him?
I drag my legs one in front of the other, pushing the ground with every ounce of my strength. My ears sizzle like I'm inside a cyclone.
He was more than a boss to me. Countless days when I couldn't earn, I found myself roaming around his store, hoping for a little bit of kindness like he offered the first time I came into this world. And every time he gave me, he never returned me with an empty hand. I didn't had to beg, he made it seem like he was forcing his generosity on me. He kept on giving and giving until I gathered the courage to beg for something. A job.
The half-dead, unmotivated man was the sign this world was worth fighting in— until I met Odasaku.
A pebble falls under my shoe. I lose balance and blast forward. My hands touch the ground, ripping apart the flesh as I turn transparent, protecting the rest of my body.
I clench my fists as blood floods out of my hand. I look at my hands, the skin is completely shredded. There's a faint dark glow around my hands.
I see, Karma is controlling my actions.
I lay my head down on the paved surface, trying to calm down. I can't do anything impulsive. Fyodor's against me, he preys on people's emotions. I can't let him win.
A few moments pass by as I lay there unmoving, controlling the flow of my breathing. Eventually my heart calms down, causing the glow around me to disappear. It's almost as if a switch was turned on, my thoughts clear up.
Masato-san, it's undoubtedly him. Fyodor used Hiroto to torture me, Gin to manipulate me, of course the one who shot me from behind has to be someone I know. Masato-san's guilty, saddened expression today is the proof.
Hiroto might willingly want to hurt me, but what about Masato-san? Karma was on multiple times around him. His emotions towards me were never bitter or filled with malice. It was warm— as if he appreciates my presence. He even brought me flowers today. It's not logical to think he betrayed me...
Purple Hyacinth...?
He didn't betray me after all!
I spring up. My hands are healed but soaking wet from blood. I turn visible and brush my hands against the road, getting rid of the blood.
Dazai told me not to jump into anything bizarre without worrying about my safety. Logically, if I run toward Masato-san's store, I wouldn't be in danger. I fill up my lungs with air and set my gaze on the street, ready to run once again.
It doesn't take half a minute to reach there. I wait until my breathing turns normal. Forcing a smile, I step inside.
"Masato-san, I'm here."
"Oh-! You're already here?" He's crouching near an aisle, organizing the products. Seeing me he stops and turns toward me, "They let you out?"
"Pfft- not really," I laugh looking at the counter, away from Masato-san. "I ran away!"
"Honestly..." He lets out an exasperated sigh, "Your stuff is by the counter, you left a hair band in the staff room, pick everything up and leave. I don't want signs of you near my store."
"How cruel..." I smile, his attitude is the same as always. "Hey, Masato-san— how's your mother?"
"..."
"Is she still in the village?"
"...She is."
"She let you leave knowing your delinquent history?" I shove my hands inside my pant pockets to generate comfort.
"She did..." He diverts his gaze away, slowly standing up.
"She didn't." I draw in a long breath, slowly shaking my head. I look at him, "Did she?"
"What do you mean-?" His eyes widen, "You think I lied-"
"Purple Hyacinth." I raise my tone, interrupting him, "Seeking for forgiveness, expressing regret."
"..."
"You're the one who shot me from behind, aren't you?"
Excruciating silence covers the room, we stand there unmoving. The clock ticks on the wall monotonously, filling up the absolute tranquility.
He opens his mouth after a while, nodding once, "I am."
"Why?" I whisper. The living corpse that used to lie lazily behind the counter seems more lifeless now. I cast my gaze down, incapable of bearing it. "Did Fyodor take your mother hostage?"
"I wish!" He says, a heartbroken smile all over his tone. "It was a price to pay. I had to help him capture you in exchange for something."
"What is it?" I look up at him. If it's not some sort of manipulation, what else is there?
"Revenge."
His response throws me off, "Against who? Me? Did I-"
"IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU! NONE!" His sudden scream shuts me down instantly, "I had no interest getting you involved! Not even a single second have I pondered harming you for this worthless desire of mine!"
The guilt in his tone, the regret on his face, and the anger flashing in his eyes are somewhat animalistic, vicious. Is he really the Masato-san I know?
"It's odd, isn't it? I'm not supposed to feel like this." He forces a shattered smile, "I thought I could die there..." His right hand loosely extends toward the counter, "And as my worthless corpse decays, I'd finally, finally be free... no desire, no hope, no future, nothing..."
"I don't know what changed..." His breathing lurches, "I don't... really... It was the sixty-ninth day... I made you go home, you kept on getting hurt, turning into a fucking walking zombie... I couldn't make you work... thought I'd leave the city, giving you enough money for the time being... I made up a lie to convince you..."
"Then a man came." A violent glare overcomes his saddened gaze, "With a funny hat and a flashy coat. Skinny and frail, eyebags bigger than mine..."
"...That man knew everything. Every single thing. I don't know how. But he did... He said he'd help me with my revenge. Revenge against Mori Ougai."
Revenge against Mori?'
The words stab inside my ears. I freeze in my place, staring at the man forgetting to blink.
So the assassination threat Dazai is handling... Came from Masato-san?
"No..." I choke words out. My lips tremble, I press the back of my left hand over them, muffing my cry, "No... please no... this is- this is..."
Out of my control. Out of Dazai's control. Port Mafia will kill him.
"I know... it's impossible, dangerous... But he gave me a plan, assistants... everything... in exchange for having me capture you, and break your legs."
"My legs...?"
"I broke them." Tears drizzle down his eyes, "With my own two hands..." He gapes at his hands with eyes full of tears.
"I didn't... I didn't want to... I really didn't!" He looks at me, tears rolling down his usual unbothered face, a look I never imagined I'd see. "I didn't, didn't want to hurt you."
"Why?" I cry out, no longer capable of holding myself back, "Why? Why? Why? I don't understand! Why you? Why you? No... please.. please tell me it's not true... why you? Why... why him... Why does it have to be him... He-"
"Why...? I'll tell you. It was four years back when my father moved into this city... wanting to open a store. ...But we had no idea the city was run by the mafia."
He pauses, shifting his gaze away, "My father opened the store, and instantly a mafioso dropped by, asking for us to pay the money for protection. But- My father was a stubborn man." He brokenly smiles, "He refused."
I don't say anything, he continues, "That little shit tried being difficult, I beat him up till he screamed back home."
"The night, about thirty mafiosos came with guns, ordering me to beg for forgiveness... I didn't. They shot my mother...They shot her dead!" His eyes tremble, recalling the horrifying memory, "I was a teenager! if you beat me, you could get me to beg, but- but shooting my mother?"
"..."
"They beat my father until he laid flat on the ground. They paralyzed him from waist down." He bursts into tears again, "...I begged them to let him live... I agreed to give them money and whatever... they left that day. I took my dad to the hospital... mother was buried in the village. Dostoyevsky told me... this entire raid... was planned by the military tactician, the doctor of the mafia, Mori Ougai."
"He did...?"
"To set an example of what happens if one stands up against the mafia..."
"Are you sure it was him? Fyodor is a skilled liar!" I cry out desperately, "I-"
"It doesn't matter if he did or not, when he became the boss he had a few of my friends hunted down and killed."
I don't say anything, he looks at me with anguish darting in his black irises, "Tell me, Won't you want revenge? Won't you? If somebody shot your mother-"
I look down, biting my lip. There's nothing I can say to mend his pain. There's nothing I can say that would stop him from wanting revenge. Tears trail down my cheeks, dripping on the floor relentlessly.
"I just... I just want it to end... this... pathetic feeling inside my chest."
"You will die..." I whisper.
"I know." He smiles, somewhat defeated, "But I'll take him out with me."
"You won't be able to..."
"Why not? I have a good plan-! A few ability users, Mori's haters, many people helping me out. I can do it!"
"You'll be met with someone— a brown-haired, bandaged person who takes on so much pressure that robbed him of his youth... who's forced to act serious when all he wants to do is joke around, who's constantly rebuked for his childish behavior whenever it shows itself..."
I slowly look up at him. Through my blurry vision Masato-san seems utterly empty, a void, "But he's unbelievably brutal, cruel... he claims that's how he likes to be, he claims that's the way to end his loneliness... he'll find you, he'll kill you."
He smiles, wiping his tears, "For someone who constantly slaps me with "might and it depends", always expecting the opposite, you're putting on too many "will" talking about him." He walks toward me, "Such faith in his skills, someone you treasure?"
"He's considerate you know?" I close my eyes, sniffling as the unresting tears flow out faster, "Really, really considerate... if, if you don't join today in the assassination attempt... he might... might help me cover up your crime... he might let you live..."
"Might, huh?" He gently smiles, stroking my hair, messing it up badly. I look down at the white floor as he whispers, "I adore you...I wanted to step in as your guardian, but war messes things up always, doesn't it?" He lets out a harsh breath, stroking my hair one last time, "I'll always envy Sakunosuke."
His cotton shirt rustles colliding with my cardigan as he brushes past me, "Don't give him too much trouble... he loves you a lot."
A lump emerges in my throat once again. I swallow. My voice cracks into million pieces as I breathe out, "What's the plan?"
"Doesn't involve you."
"It does, doesn't it? Fyodor- planned this to get to me." I don't turn back at him, "He knew his first attempt would fail from the start. This was his backup and actual plan."
"..."
"Tell me, Masato-san... just once, clearly... tell me."
"I'm sorry... I don't wish to involve you any further. You go, live your life. Don't bother." He draws in a breath, "I'll just..."
"Don't go!" I turn toward him desperately, screaming at the top of my lungs, "Masato-san! Please! Don't!"
He gives me a sad look. Logic will no longer work. I activate Karma. A crushing, pathetic emotion clouds my brain.
An emotion that makes you want to thrust a knife into your throat. An emotion that makes you want to skin yourself alive.
An emotion that has no end.
An emotion that only grants you freedom— through death.
"I see..." I crumble to the ground, "There's no helping..."
He forces one last smile. He leaves as I sit there frozen, incapable of moving. Ten, twenty, thirty minutes pass by in silence. The air around me gets heavier and heavier, trying to crush me inside my bones.
What am I gonna do? Nii-san... what am I gonna do? I don't wanna hurt you anymore, I don't wanna trouble you by getting hurt anymore. What am I gonna do? I can't let Masato-san die. Not when he's feeling like that... Not after the words he said.
If I run to where the assassination takes place and get spotted, I can no longer live here. Port Mafia will become my enemy... even Dazai can't save me from it.
I see. This is the plan.
"Riki-san!" A terrified shout snaps me out of dejection. I look at the panting boy, "Are you okay? Did that guy hurt you? Why are you on the ground?"
"Nishikata-san..." I whisper, "What are you doing here...? Dazai-san sent you to stop me?"
"N- no... he said to keep sight of you."
"Eh?" I blink twice, "He didn't ask you to stop me?"
"No?" He looks equally confused.
"What did he say?"
"...Just to not lose sight of you...no matter what."
"He didn't tell you to stop me...!" My heart pounds loudly as I jump up, "Right?"
Dazai never stops anyone from doing what they want to do, if he has control over the situation. The only time he tried to stop someone was when Odasaku left to fight Gide. Because he knew Odasaku will die, there won't be any return...
If Dazai didn't ask Nishikata to stop me, means the situation is completely under his control.
"Yeah...?"
"He's giving me a chance..." My fists clench subconsciously. "Right. Then why the fuck am I hesitating?"
"Wh-?" Nishikata tries to say something but I push him out of the store, he falls flat on his ass. I lock the store and plunge the keys into my pockets.
"Hey." A new voice speaks from behind me. I turn behind to see a black-suited youth standing. About the age of eighteen, "Is this store run by someone named Masato Shun?"
"Yes. But it's closed. Come back later."
"Is that so?" He smiles awkwardly, "Might I know who you are?"
"Akutagawa..."
"Uh, thank you Akutagawa-chan. I'll come by later." He waves, walking away. I furrow my eyebrows at his way. Who is this guy?
"Riki-san?" Nishikata's voice forces me to focus, "This guy-"
"I have a favor to ask." I interrupt the boy who still hasn't picked himself up, "You're on Dazai-san's squad, you must know where the boss's assassination threat will take place, right?"
"I don't quite know- I was sent out pretty early this morning." He stands up brushing his back, getting dirt off it. "But I heard the boss takes that route most of the time-"
"Oh, yes... that." I nod, "It's a given he'll take that road. Thank you."
I've stalked the mafia and pretty much every criminal organization till Odasaku told me off after he joined the mafia. I know the Mafia's secret routes. There are seven routes the mafia boss uses to get to secret meetings and such.
"Are you going there?" He almost screams, creasing his forehead, "You'll be killed if you get spotted!"
"I won't. My guardian devil is watching over me." I show him a peace sign, "Bye!"
"Wait! If I lose sight of you this time I'll surely die!" Nishikata shouts desperately, stopping me from running off.
"I'm gonna be in ______. You can follow if you want." I smile, "But... I can't take you with me. I'm just gonna run- you know. Run."
If Nishikata is with me I cannot use my other two abilities. I run off, not explaining anymore.
My plan? I don't have any. I just know I need to bring him out of that hellhole before he gets spotted. Rational explanation, logic, manipulation, forcing... anyway possible.
I turn transparent in a remote place and run inside the said route. It's located in the middle of the woods, connected to the highway that leads out of the city.
It's absolutely deserted, not even a bird is singing amidst the countless green trees. I run around the entire woodland, and of course, countless mafiosos hiding behind the long grass or behind the trees.
No wonder the birds are quiet. Fucking mafia, the absolute disturbance of nature.
A black car enters the area about twenty minutes later, I peek inside. One person is sitting in the passenger sit, wearing Mori's clothes, but not him.
Body double? Mori ain't even gonna be here? Man, talk about coward!
Suddenly the ever-so-serene grassy land moves, a black-suited figure jumps out. He has an automatic rifle in his hand. He shoots the nearby mafiosos around him.
What the fuck? Why is he shooting his companions?
More and more such attack breaks out. The enemy and the mafia are dressed in the same clothing, it's impossible to tell them apart. The mafia is a huge organization, so the mafiosos have no clue who's enemy and who's friend. But the enemy doesn't have such weaknesses.
"Hey shitheads!" A familiar yell echoes in the skies. I look up, Chuuya is standing on a giant rock, a few kilometers up from the ground. Upon his shout, most of the black-suited man dives onto the ground, except for a select few. The enemy.
A cocky smirk takes place on Chuuya's lips, "Enemy confirmed!" He declares, smashing the rock into pieces.
I momentarily freeze in awe. It took Chuuya only a second to take control of this absolute mess! I wanna see how it plays out, but I can't stay here. I need to find Masato-san. Masato-san should be... where the body double of the boss is.
I run toward the car's location. As expected, Masato-san is hiding behind one of the trees, wearing black, like the rest of the attackers. He brings out a small device and presses a button. Few meters from us a fire blasts up, shaking the ground beneath me as if a volcano erupted. The tires screech on the ground, trying to avoid the blast. The car's door storms open. The body double runs out of it. Masato-san looks content as he stands up, attempting to reveal himself.
I jump at him turning visible, stopping him before he takes a step, "Masato-san! We can still leave!!"
"Why are you here? How- how did you-?"
I grab his wrist, "Listen to me. That's not Mori-san, that's a body-double!"
"What?" He snatches his hand away, "You're lying!"
"No-, I'm not!! The mafia knows about this attempt!"
"But Fyodor said Mori's still gonna take this route!"
"The mafia learned of his involvement way earlier than Fyodor calculated. They changed whatever plan they had- Fyodor's plan won't work anymore."
"But- but..."
I activate Karma, brushing past his strong despair and hopelessness. There's a small strand of hope, I try to heighten it, "Just, listen to me okay? You shouldn't kill Mori. He killed someone's most treasured friend once. That person was devastated- but you know, even though he was completely capable of taking Mori's life, he didn't. Why do you think so?"
He watches me as I continue, "Because if Mori died, the Port Mafia won't function normally anymore. Yokohama will be attacked by countless criminal organizations, countless more families will be ruined, just by his death. Countless orphans like me will have nowhere to go but the streets!"
Something inside his heart unlocks. His eyes widen, understanding the situation, "You're... right..."
"So please, let's le-"
"Riki- move!" He suddenly shouts, pushing me out of the way. A bullet strikes a tree where I was just standing.
"Come on then! There's no reason you should be here!"
"I- I can't get out of it..." He shows a vest under his suit, "It's a bomb... it'll blow up if I try to take it off..."
"I can remove-" I attempt to touch the vest. But a strong pipe-like object presses behind my head. A gun.
"Shun, don't leave the plan." A shaky female voice speaks from behind me, almost in tears "We're risking our lives."
"The plan wo-"
"Shut up girl!" She screams, pressing the muzzle harder against my head. " You're gonna die if he doesn't do his job right."
Masato-san's eyes grow wide, "Bu- but Mori isn't-"
"I won't hesitate to kill her!"
"Masato-san don't worry, she won't be able to kill me-"
Another guy approaches me, pushing a piece of cloth inside my mouth, "Stay quiet if you don't wanna die, witch."
"I- I'll... Just-" Masato-san runs toward the car, showing himself wide open in the street.
Should I turn transparent? If I move, they might shoot me. From point-blank range, if it hits my skull I'm dead-
Gunshot roars behind me, and the woman holding me suddenly let loose. I twist my hands out of the guy's grip and punch him in his face, he tumbles over as I look behind, Nishikata. The gun he's holding is still letting out smoke.
He sprints toward me, holding the gun in his two hands. He shoots the guy I knocked out in the chest twice, instantly killing him. My eyes widen at the sight. There's no way that cowardly kid from the slum who never stole a piece of bread just killed two people.
"Ar- are you okay?"
I take out the cloth from my mouth, "I-"
"Who's there?" A scream directed in our direction makes us turn, even without seeing his face I know who it is. Chuuya.
"Riki-san leave. You cannot be spotted here-"
"No- Masato-san-"
A strong hand wraps around my stomach abruptly. Another over my mouth. The scene in front of me changes in a flash.
"What the fuck?" I scream, snatching myself out of the mysterious grip. I was in greenery all this time, but everything around me is a bright blue sky. A rooftop.
"Teleportation." A reserved voice speaks from behind me. I turn around. He's the guy that approached me near Masato-san's store.
-
-Neutral POV-
"Who are you? Enemy?" Holes create on the ground as Chuuya walks over to Nishikata. "I don't recognize you!"
"I am-"
"My subordinate." Dazai's lazy voice interrupts him. His trench coat slowly sways hanging from his shoulder as he walks over, "Are you done taking out the trash?"
"Where the hell were you all this time?"
"Over there." Dazai points to his right, "Keeping watch through my favorite binoculars."
An irk mark appears on Chuuya's face as he prepares to shout, but one of his subordinates runs up, "Chuuya-san! Few of our own just started attacking us-"
"What? Traitors?"
"Not really." Dazai shakes his head, "Told you there's a body possession ability user right? It's him."
"Tch!" Chuuya spits on the ground, running back. The subordinate follows him.
"Where's she?" Dazai asks when Chuuya is finally out of view.
"She just suddenly disappeared, it happened so fast! I swear I tried to keep my sight-"
"It's okay." Dazai cuts in, pointing at Masato, "Stop that guy."
Nishikata runs toward Masato instantly. Masato stops at his track when Nishikata threatens him from behind, aiming his gun at him. He holds his hands up in the air. Dazai slowly approaches the two.
"No will to fight back?" He asks.
"A child is gonna take my life." Masato turns toward Dazai, his tone returning to its usual dead. "Great."
"How unfortunate." Dazai softly laughs in response, "You were going to meet someone older, she can make most people reveal some unhinged details. I don't want you to blurt out a name to her, so sudden change of plans."
"I didn't want revenge..." Masato whispers, glancing at the grey road. "It's all Dostoyevsky's fault."
"Right. You're faultless, a saint descended on earth." Dazai ridicules, putting his hands in his pocket. "Nishikata-kun—" Dazai mutters calmly, not shifting his gaze from Masato, "Give us some space."
Nishikata brings down his gun and walks away wordlessly.
Masato sits down on the paved surface. He spits, "Shoot me, make it quick."
"Wouldn't that be unfair?" Dazai snickers, "I can name two people who'll gladly rip you apart limb from limb if they hear about your antics. What's your excuse? You had no choice but to give in to Fyodor's scary demands?"
"I-"
"Oh wait! I don't wanna hear it." Dazai raises a hand, interrupting him, "I'm so annoyed at you I can just shoot you dead, but I'm aware of the things you did for Riki-chan. If you weren't genuinely kind to her, I'd have suspected and kept an eye on you, oh how you fooled me! It's understandable she wants you to live even after what you did."
"And you know, I adjusted so much, just so she can have a chance to save you, and you just had to be insufferable and waste time." Dazai sounds utterly displeased, as if a kid whining about not getting his way, "Now I have to run my mouth dry for no reason, explaining why the last-minute change needed to happen, because the previous strategy was more than enough! Mori-san can survive a stupid bomb threat without anyone guarding him."
"Da-Dazai-san..." A call echoes from behind Masato, Dazai lifts his head up to see Riki standing in front of them, shaking visibly, "A-are you gonna kill him?"
"Not only him, but also you." Dazai smiles sweetly, "You've messed up."
"Pl- please don't kill me!"
Dazai's smile gets wider. He pulls out a gun from underneath his coat slowly. Masato's breathing freezes at the sight. He jumps at Dazai, snatching the gun away in an instant.
"Don't you dare hurt her!" He hisses coldly.
"Oh." Dazai looks at him, "That's not her. She'd say 'go ahead and kill me'. It's actually a running joke between us nobody knows about, meaning Fyodor also has no clue."
"What are you talking about?" She gulps loudly, clenching her fists.
"It's Fyodor's plan to have her marked as the mafia's enemy." Dazai shrugs lazily, "He worried since I'm roaming around freely, I might stop Riki-chan from ever entering this place. So he made sure an imposter does the job of showing her face here."
Masato turns toward the girl standing behind him. The fraud looks horrified, she takes a step backward. "M-Masato-san, he's lying! I'm-"
"No..." Masato shakes his head slowly, "You're not even wearing the same clothes." He aims the gun at the girl and shoots without any warning. Two bullets strike her head, she falls down on her back.
Dazai brushes past Masato, walking toward the girl writhing in pain. He reaches out to her face and makes contact with her skin. The girl turns into a bald, 40-year-old male in split second. Dazai moves his hand away in shock, staring at the dead body with disgust.
"Great, now I'll have nightmares of her being an actual middle-aged uncle." He mutters under his breath.
"You... you knew I'd take away your gun," Masato calls out. "You just didn't want to shoot her... so you made me."
"You've clearly never heard the rumors about me. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot anyone!" Dazai closes his eyes and faces upwards, "It's a mere coincidence you did the job for me."
"No wonder she speaks so highly of you..." Masato whispers.
"I'd rather not hear how she speaks of me—" Dazai stands up, turning towards Masato with a menacing expression plastered on his face, "From a person I'm about to kill."
-
-Riki's POV-
"Oshiro Masashi, I work for the government." He introduces himself, "I've been searching for you quite a long time."
"Why- did you bring me here?"
"Because you're stupid! I couldn't believe your stupidity when I overheard what you're going to do! You think you can save someone who pulled that stunt toward the mafia boss?" He looks angry, "Ugh!"
"What do you fucking know about stupidity?" I run toward the edge of the building, "God, where are we?"
"Far away from Yokohama."
"Please, please, return me! Return me!! I need to-"
"He's dead, give up. A5158 or that Dasai kid must've killed him already."
I fall down on my knees, tears running down my face. "YOU BASTARD! WHY? I JUST NEEDED A SECOND! I COULD'VE SAVED HIM!"
"On your expense? Ah no, I don't think so." He crosses his arms, "I need you to live for a job. If you die I won't be promoted."
"Your promotion is more important than someone's life?"
"If that someone's a criminal, yes." He nods.
"ASSHOLE!" I jump at him.
Masashi disappears from my sight. Almost instantly a strong hand pushes me from behind. I tumble over, failing to keep balance.
"Give up."
I pick myself up and run after him. He disappears again. I desperately look everywhere, but there's no sign of him. A leg shoots up from the ground, attempting to kick me. I kick the leg instantly and jump up. He disappears again.
"Dammit dammit dammit!" I cry out. "Let me go!! He can still be alive!!"
A kick lands on my face. My lips smash against my teeth, filling my mouth with blood. I fly backward and slam against the parapet.
I spit out a mouthful of blood and stand up, charging at the guy once again. I know he will disappear. I activate Karma and send a fright wave toward him. He collapses on the ground as I deactivate Karma, all in the duration of a second, and kick him square in the face.
"You bastard take me back!!"
-
-Neutral POV-
"Your gun is in my hands. How are you gonna kill me?" Masato questions. But he doesn't aim the gun at Dazai.
Dazai's left hand was inside his pocket all this time, he brings out, holding a remote-shaped object, "One press in the button, and your vest will blast off in million pieces, along with you."
Masato quickly checks his pockets, trying to locate something but fails. He scoffs, "I see, that's why you had to brush past me even though the entire road is empty."
"Glad to see you're having your last laughter already." Dazai turns cold, narrowing his eye at the frantic man.
"Boy... first tell me, was it Mori himself... who had my mother killed?"
"Do you think I care enough to know your idiotic backstory?"
The ruthless tone of his voice throws Masato off, he gazes at Dazai with a hurt expression, unable to blink.
"But luckily for you, I did my homework." Dazai clicks his tongue, "It was the previous boss's command, Mori-san only set it in motion. You can blame it on him, or the entire mafia for all I care."
"You're quite the trash-talker," Masato whispers. His grip tightens on the gun's handle. "But thank you... for being honest."
"I can still let you go, you know?" Dazai speaks after a while, checking his fingernails. "Chuuya likes to absolutely annihilate the enemy, so there's not going to be anyone other than me who knows of your involvement. But you can't ever return to Yokohama."
"..."
"Fyodor will track you down, he'll try to recycle you for another attempt to harm her."
"I know." He swallows, nodding slowly.
"That doesn't bother me, I'll stop his next attempt too." Dazai looks into Masato's eyes, "But next time I won't let you live."
"So you're sparing me..."
"I have no interest in showing such mercy." Dazai shakes his head, looking down lazily, "Whether you live or die doesn't matter. No one will question me if I set you free, no one will praise me if I kill you. And it's not even gonna be exciting killing you either."
"I see—" Masato suddenly smiles, softening his gaze at the brown-haired bandaged person Riki described as cruel yet considerate.
"Thank you, boy."
The words make Dazai lift up his gaze and properly pay attention to the man sitting on the ground. His pupils dilate as Masato holds the gun against his head.
"Protect her from that sick bastard, I'll count on you."
A gunshot rings. A bullet probes Masato's skull, dyeing the ground crimson. He falls down on his side.
"Aaa—! The first time I attempt to show kindness it ends in suicide." Dazai exhales, "Maybe I'm not cut out for such deeds!!"
Dazai walks toward the lying body. The content smile on Masato's lips, the look in his empty, lifeless eyes seems unbothered to Dazai.
It's not a resentful expression. It's not a terrified, tortured expression. It's not an ugly, frightened expression like all his victims had.
It's peaceful. A suicide that didn't occur because of despair. A suicide that didn't occur because of hatred for life. It's a suicide where the person happily chose to conclude his life, letting go of every resentment toward the world.
This is the first time Dazai saw such a death. He freezes in his place, stunned and awed.
"How beautiful..." He whispers.
-
-Riki's POV-
"He's dead!" Masashi groans, disappearing in front of me again. He appears from the top. I throw myself to the side. His foot lands on the ground. I kick it, causing him to lose balance and slip. Before his head hit the concrete, he disappears again.
"Stop disappearing you damn coward!"
He appears in front of my face, inches away. He blows a punch at my face. I throw my head back to avoid it. Before I pull myself back he grabs my right hand and pins it on my back.
I instantly step to my left before his other hand gets to lock me in the position. I twist my wrist and free it. I deliver a kick at his face with my left leg, but he slaps it down.
"You can fight, I'll give you that." He huffs. I kick at him again, this time using my super-speed. My shoe comes in contact with his face, he disappears once again.
A gun cocks behind me, I twirl to see him holding a gun at me. His other hand is pressing down his nose, blood flowing out of it.
"How filthy," I mutter.
"Winning is better, even if it's cheating."
"Even against a poor fifteen-year-old?"
"If that kick landed properly, I would be dead lying at your feet now." He laughs.
I move out of the gun's way, Masashi disappears and appears from behind.
Bang!
A bullet runs at my thigh. I pull up my sneaker and kick the bullet, sending it toward Masashi's direction with twice as much speed.
He freezes, not understanding what happened. I run and move him out of the bullet's way, It disappears into the sky, towards a tall building.
"I really hope that doesn't hit someone," I say, "That's a government-issued gun, you'll be screwed."
"..."
I punch him on the face, "You dumb asshole. Return me!"
"No..." He heaves.
I grab his collar, "Just- just- please!! I can still save him-!"
Masashi stands still under my grip, closing his eyes. After a minute of silence, he waves his hand in the air, making a small hole emerge. Inside that, I can see it.
A person lying on the ground. No one near it, blood still pouring out from a wound on the side of his head. My hand loses strength, buckling down from Masashi's collar.
"No..."
"Geez, you broke my nose." He presses his nose with his thumb and index, "Agh!"
"Return me..." I whisper. Burning hot tears run down my face as I stare dead at the ground beneath me, mind utterly blank.
"You saw that wound? That was from a gun... it wasn't A5158... it was-"
"SHUT UP!" I scream, glaring furiously at him, "NOT A SINGLE DAMN WORD!"
"Dazai Osamu killed him."
"SHUT THE FUCK UP BEFORE I KILL YOU!" His face becomes blurry due to tears harshly rushing down, "KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT!"
"Agggh!!" He screams out, holding his head tightly. Blood runs out faster from his nose. He collapses on the ground.
Karma! No... He can't find out! I need to calm down!
He pants, letting go of his head, "What the hell? Are you a siren? Your scream is so damn powerful!"
"Wh-where are we?"
"Tokyo..."
"Not too far away from Yokohama then... I'll run back home."
"I will return you dammit! I brought you here for safety!"
"What the fuck do you want from me?"
"...Wanted to capture and take you to the government, but superior order came there's no more need of that." He turns his face away, "Tch, ruining weeks' work with a single piece of paper..."
"Then... you have no more business with me."
"I have! I want to arrest Dazai. He killed your boss, if you testify against him-"
"Shut, your, damn, mouth!" I mutter quietly, "Where the fuck do you get the audacity from?"
"Wh-"
"You damn bastard is the reason I failed to save Masato-san, and now you're pinning the blame on someone else? You son of a bitch, I'll testify against you."
I walk over to the edge, Masashi watches me, "Wh- How is it my fault?"
"Just a second... and I would've saved him," I whisper, standing on top of the parapet. I turn to him. Tears flood down my eyes, "You monster."
I fall back. I turn transparent before Masashi gets to run and check.
~
"You're here... Do you realize what time it is?" A soft call makes me open my eyes. I'm lying on a grassy land, the smell of the soil is comforting. Everything is completely dark, the moon didn't rise today. A cool wind blows past making me flinch. I look at the person standing near me.
"I cried myself to sleep." I scoff lightly.
"On a graveyard?" He questions, "Are you not afraid of ghosts?"
"It was still day when I fell asleep. Besides my siblings are here." I point behind his legs over my head, showing the lined-up gravestones. "This is calming. This giant tree over my head, the sea near me..."
"It's nine pm, Riki-chan."
"Don't you have work?" I focus on his face, "Night is for the mafia after all!"
"Are you angry at me?"
I smile, not responding. What kind of expression does he have right now? What kind of words should I use to respond? What is the correct action? I don't know.
"What exactly happened there?" I whisper.
"We chatted, he thanked me—" He pauses, sighing, "And pulled the trigger on himself."
"I figured so..." I swallow my breath, shifting my gaze from him. "The wound was on the right side of his head, he was right-handed. His legs were folded meaning he was sitting down— and he was lying on his side facing front— meaning he was talking with someone standing in front of him. That person cannot shoot him from the side."
"I can easily temper with the body to seem like that, you know?"
"Did you?"
"No." He shakes his head.
"He was emotionally exhausted..." I huff, "It's not Dazai-san's fault any of this happened, but I wish I could punch that boss of yours."
He laughs slightly, "I can't help with that."
"You know—" I grit my teeth, "Since Fyodor decided to be an absolute bastard, I'll reveal his ability to you. It can cause instant death through a single touch. There's probably a few more explanations, but the ability is basically that."
"I'll remember that." He hums with an incredibly soft voice, making me wanna cry again.
"If you can, please hold him from behind so I can punch him without dying."
He giggles, extending his hand toward me, "I'll do that."
I pout at his gesture, "I'm so tired, I was taken to Tokyo by a dumbass. I attempted running back home, but lost my way eleven times!! I don't even have the strength to hold your hand. Will you carry me home?"
"I'll be smashed flat on the ground if I attempt that."
"I'm not that heavy!" I whine, taking his hand. He pulls me up, "It's about time you start going to the gym!"
"Can I ask who your kidnapper was?"
"A government worker. He had a teleportation ability, and almost beat the living shit out of me. Then I broke his nose."
He laughs out loud, letting go of my hand, "Next?"
"He shot at me... I kicked the bullet toward him. He got scared and then I seized him! Then he had the guts to tell me 'the government said I should leave you alone, but testify against Dazai Osamu so I can arrest him!'" I twist my face, mocking Masashi, "Dumbass!"
He looks at me, even in utter darkness I can sense the smile glinting on his face, "Did you?"
"I'd rather die!"
"Pfft- A few of such murder charges are hanging on my name already! You won't have to die for such matters~" He breaks out laughing. He stops laughing to turn serious, "I'd rather you don't die at all."
"I want the same for you, but you keep trying don't you edgy boy?"
"Are you by any chance—" He blinks a few times, "Drunk?"
"I just... have a lot to say today."
"RIKI!" A scream echoes all over the cemetery. Odasaku
"Remember how Fyodor was planning something I can't get you out of? That's that." Dazai laughs and points at the entrance.
"Oh... I can handle it perfectly."
"How-?" He looks at me, "What do you plan on doing?"
"Watch me," I say, skipping over the staircase, and running toward Odasaku without hearing his response.
----
Characters appearing:
Dazai Osamu
(OC) Akutagawa Riki, (OC) Masato Shun
(OC) Nishikata Makoto, (OC) Oshiro Masashi
Chuuya Nakahara
Oda Sakunosuke
Mentioned: Dostoyevsky Fyodor, (OC) Nishimura Hiroto, Akutagawa Gin, Mori Ougai.
(A/n: You thought they'd have a misunderstanding, but it was me, honesty and directness!!!
I have exams coming up, so I don't know when the next chapter will come out. But I'll try my best to put them up.)