Our Existence

Ch.27 The Better Student

"Ohh, ohh, lovers can't die alone~ Yeah, yeah, but they can die together~"

Dazai was currently singing another one of his suicide songs as his head hung low. It's been a day since we've been kidnapped by the Port Mafia. I'm so bored.

"...Hmph."

Suddenly, shaped like a guillotine, Rashoumon tears through the air and into Dazai's throat. Rashoumon should have delivered a fatal blow, but instead dissipates as it touches Dazai's neck. That was the power of No Longer Human. Dazai raises his head and smiles.

"Oh... I didn't realize you were here." Dazai spoke.

Akutagawa enters the room and walks up to us.

"You two are not unaware of the fate that awaits those who get chained to these walls."

"This brings back memories of when you were still new."

"Both your sins are great. The sudden abandonment of your duties and your disappearances. Furthermore, you two stand against the Port Mafia as it's enemies. Hardly fitting conduct for a former executive and his assistant, his perfect copy."

"Or for someone who was formerly your boss, I suppose...?" Dazai smirks.

That comment ticked Akutagawa off. He hits Dazai with his fist. Dazai darkly smiles back as blood weeps from his lip.

"You are not impervious. I can hurt you without using my abilities. Just as I can kill you if I feel so inclined."

"Aren't you special?" Dazai provokes.

Akutagawa goes silent.

"I have to say, you were a real hassle to teach. You're slow, you're always hot-headed... And then there's that half-assed ability of yours. Why couldn't you act just like Shiori? She always followed orders. She would train nonstop, evening when everyone was asleep. She never had emotions, making her decisions clear. And her ability helped this organization in many ways. Evening ways you don't know about."

Akutagawa clenches his fist with rage, but fights back the urge to las out. If he did, he would just prove Dazai's point.

"Oh, I forgot, you hated being compared to my true student. She was everything you weren't."

I couldn't help but smirk as well. That pissed Akutagawa off more. He swings his fist in my direction next. But Dazai's words stop him right before his fist connected with my face.

"You touch her, I'll put five bullets in you this time."

Akutagawa glares at me with so much hate.

"I remember that. You were mad that my training was going better than yours. You beat me up until you severely broke both my legs and arms. It was so bad, I had to relearn how to walk and use my arms once they healed. Once I fully healed, Dazai-san let me torture you anyway I saw fit. But I said no because I didn't care. I had no emotion back then. So Dazai-san put four bullets into your body as punishment for hurting his favorite student. "

I glare at the jerk in front of me.

"I wish I'd said yes. I would have put you in the most horrifying nightmare... There would be nothing left after you'd kill yourself."

"Of course you were perfect. You were this man's exact clone. You copied and did everything he did. But you know what..."

He leans down and gets in my face.

"That doesn't make you better then me."

"Oh? Are you saying your better then Dazai-san?"

"No, I'm saying your nothing more then a copy. Your not the original thing. Your bond to make a mistake sooner or later. And once you slip up, I'll be there to kill you. I promise, I'll be the one to kill you."

"And I wish I can say the same to you. But you're not worth my time."

Ignoring Dazai's warning from before, Akutagawa grabs my hair and slams my head against the wall as hard as he could. I let out a little yelp when my head made contact. My head...it hurts so much. Akutagawa forces me to look at him again.

"Your nothing. Your useless. You copy that man because you know how useless your true self is."

"Your...wrong. I am useful, more than you anyway. If I ever forget that, I have Dazai-san, my twin, and the agency to remind me. Those people know I'm useful and they care about me. So call me useless again, I won't need my ability to make you want to commit suicide."

Akutagawa goes silent as he straightens up.

"That bravado will be gone in a few days. We will crush your detective agency and claim the tiger for our own. And then, you two will be executed. Gnash your teeth and claw at your sides while you two hear of the demise of your organization and your subordinates."

"I wonder if you've really got it in you. My new subordinate is Shiori's older twin, making him far more competent than you, you know?"

Akutagawa loses control the moment he hears this and hits Dazai as hard as he possibly can.