Vol. 6

Ch. 14

Kunikida could tell Mori wasn't joking, and he looked at Odasaku like a kicked duck. "Why didn't you say anything?" He yelped, dropping Dazai like he was something hot.

Dazai rubbed his throat, finding Kunikida's hilarious reaction momentarily alleviating his current predicament of everything else that was going on. However, being throttled, he realized something. His eyes widened. He had an epiphany. "It's not a what but a 'whom."

The others stared at him for clarification.

"A stands for the main key player in all of this, and guess who that is," Dazai said, glancing at Odasaku, as Odsaku frowned at him quizzically.

"Um, who?" Kunikida loudly asked, scratching his head, frustrated.

"Our one and only, lovely ZuZu-Chan~" Dazai said brightly, gesturing to the door.

She clapped her hands, slowly, coming into the room now, gaze on Dazai who did a gentleman bow as to salute her entry. "You're as sharp as ever, Osamu."

"Well there are only a few members in Fyo-yo's group and frankly, the one thing that I couldn't understand is your role in all of this," Dazai brightly explained, beaming at the woman.

"Haha, did I stand out?" the woman asked, bemused, tilting her head at Dazai.

"More like, you didn't fit in," Dazai's smile continued to grow until he had a dark leer on his expression, staring her down. "You work with Charley's gang and only came over to Fyodor's side to get Alu for yourself. She's not actually with Fyodor right now, is she?"

Elise tensed, her eyes now immediately trained on this woman that Dazai was talking to.

The woman just rested her chin between her fingers formed in a thinking pose "v" shape almost. She smiled. And Elise felt her frustration bubble. "You're after her for her fox ability, aren't you!"

"That foolish person has no more ability," Azuki declared, eyeing the others in the room. they all looked at her like she was talking nonsense, but she tilted her head at Elise. "That's right, in order to prevent the death of Oda Kōsuke … your adoptive son, as well as all of the orphans, she made a sacrifice she herself is unaware of…" Azuki hummed and gestured to Odasaku. "Nothing is given for free, everything has a price to pay, or a debt that is owed… but time and time again… it's the interest accrued over time that will really gut you for all your worth~"

"Dazai…what the hell is she talking about?" Odasaku asked, bewildered, glancing to Dazai for clarification more than anything although he didn't know if Dazai would know any more about this person's strange dialogue but Odasaku's expression twisted to shock as it was clear that Dazai did know what this woman was talking about—his own expression was hard and serious.

Mori offhandedly wondered if now was a good time to leave. Considering Odasaku's ability, Mori didn't really want to have Elise on the other side of an angry Papa Odasaku's gunfire. But Elise stood, transfixed as well, glaring at the woman.

"Go on, tell him, Osamu," the woman taunted the cloudy faced darkly expressionless man before her.

"Shut up," Dazai snarled, and he lunged for the woman, to tackle her, just then. She moved easily out of his grasp, and she just giggled.

"Would you rather I tell him then? Very well~" Azuki moved with an inhuman speed, landing like a cat next to Odasaku, before Odasaku swirled, dodging her thanks to his activating ability.

She pouted. "Oh come now, I'm not going to hurt you~ Nothing I do is gonna hurt you more than the betrayal you'll feel when you learn what Dazai has been keeping from you this whole time~" she taunted Odasaku.

Odasaku glared at her. "I trust Dazai," he said coldly, even though a part of him felt uneasy. What would Dazai keep from him so adamantly? Dazai was someone with secrets sure, and Odasaku figured if Dazai wanted to tell him, then it was as a need-to-know basis.

"Ah yes, your lovely bromance," Azuki deadpanned, with a shrug.

Dazai looked at Odasaku, both panicked and touched. Odasaku trusted him enough to not care what this woman was going to say. But, that relief felt momentary and fleeting. Wouldn't it be natural to want to know now that she had planted that seed? But, Odasaku's expression was hard and he clearly had no interest in being pitted against Dazai further.

Azuki dodged a sudden strike from Chūya. "Scary temper, you should watch it~" She teased him, dodging gracefully, and sitting like a gargoyle now, grinning at all of the men in the room.

"You'd seriously hit a girl?" She chided Chūya.

"The way you talk…and act…reminds me of Dazai. What can I say, I'm easily pissed off when it comes to dealing with a bastard~" Chūya snarled. "Though in your case, I suppose you'd be a —!"

"Gold star for the angry chibi!~" Azuki was smiling and she cut him off. "You're the sharpest tack in this room, Nakahara~" she praised him.

Odasaku, Dazai, and Mori all stared at Azuki. Wait, was she implying something?

Elise snorted. "What the hell? You're not Dazai! Don't go trying to distract us with folly to take our focus off what is really pressing!"

Dazai inwardly sweated. He had to agree with Elise in this instance. Besides, the absurdity of the claim was just really out there. Mori couldn't help but feel inwardly bewildered. He glanced at Dazai but it was apparent that the blue screen of death was already turned on his face. Actually, Mori never recalled any other time Dazai ever had that expression on his face. Well there really was a first time for everything—even for someone like Dazai.

"If I may interject," Kunikida held up a hand, frowning.

The others honestly forgot he was there. "Yes?" Azuki tilted her head at Kunikida.

"Are you saying you're Dazai…?" He asked for clarification. Specifically his own. His head hurt. God, he wanted to drink. If only he was twenty.

Azuki giggled. "What? Would it really surprise you all to know that he was cloned as a baby and I was the result of underground experimentation?" She asked, brightly.

Chūya stared at her in shock. Wait, she was a clone? What the hell. That was his backstory! And a female Dazai? Oh dear lord, the horror of that being a reality made Chūya wanna puke. His instinct was to immediately kill it before it could lay eggs.

"You're lying," Elise spoke up again, deadpan, pointing at her.

"Oh? What makes you say that?" Azuki tilted her head, bemused at Elise now.

"Because I can sense it," Elise frowned, glaring, frustrated.

Mori gazed at his ability, wondering what was actually going on in her head. Because of Alu, it felt more and more like she was disconnecting from him at times and that was frustrating for Mori to say the least.

"Everyone's a critic," Azuki sighed, putting a hand on her hip. She turned to look at Odasaku again, smirking as Dazai protectively stepped near him, ready for anything funny that Azuki may try to pull.

"Do you think it's funny?" Chūya fumed, glaring at her.

"I think the clone story was pretty clever," Azuki brightly stated, knowing it would rub Chūya the wrong way.

Chūya hated the teasing. Unlike Alu, this person felt so much like Dazai. Heartless, an asshole, someone who laughed at the torment of others and held no regard for the lives he stepped on. He had once thought that perhaps he could try to get along with Dazai. When they were 15 and Chūya discovered the truth about his origins, it had been Dazai after all, who stated that as long as Chūya did his job, that being a clone didn't matter to Dazai. At the time, Dazai had sounded like he was saying that Chūya held value despite being a clone but now Chūya knew better. Dazai only kept him around as long as he was useful. He was a tool to him, just like everyone else. He could feel Arahabaki in his mind. "Stop joking about things like that," he found himself snarling.

"I'm still not following," Kunikida sighed, but he stepped between Chūya and Azuki. Chūya blinked, and tried to step around Kunikida. Kunikida spoke. "Regardless of whether or not you're a clone…you are here to help us fix things, is that correct?"

Azuki tilted her head at Kunikida. "Ah, I see. As long as I have some use it doesn't matter if I'm a clone," she reiterated, and Kunikida frowned, irritated.

"Clone or not, shouldn't matter," he stated bluntly.

"Oh, you should have this pep talk with Chūya then, considering he's the experimented human form of Arahabaki~" the girl beamed brightly at Kunikida as Chūya finally snapped.

Chūya felt someone grab his wrist. He looked to see who he'd be pummeling and was surprised to see Dazai. He didn't want this guy to touch him, but he felt Arahabaki pushed down, and though still angry, knew that Dazai was stopping him from going berserk mode. "How do you know that!" he snarled at Azuki, distressed.

Kunikida gazed at Chūya now, eyes wide.

Chūya hated that look. It was one he rarely got since he kept his history under wraps, but now this complete stranger knew as well. Dammit, Chūya felt like a freak on display. He was trying hard to be like a wallflower, but instead, he was just another freak after all.

"Ah, Rintaro, the clown is dying," Elise poked the unconscious clown with the toe of her boot. She picked him up wordlessly, and glared at Dazai. "I'm leaving with Rintaro, but you better not keep information about Alu from me," she hissed as she turned on her heel to leave with Mori.

Mori glanced at Dazai, but knew that Dazai wanted to handle this, preferably without him there. With a small sigh, Mori consented to his angry ex-subordinate's wish, bowing out with Elise, leaving just Kunikida, Chūya, Dazai and Odasaku now alone with Azuki.

"Demon foxes, clones…what the hell," Kunikida groaned.

"Just say it, you think I'm a freak too!" Chūya taunted him, angry now and needing to sink his fangs into something. He tried to whip his wrist out of Dazai's grasp but found that Dazai's grip was hard. He wasn't letting go much to Chūya's chagrin.

"Why would I think that?" Kunikida deadpanned, frowning at Chūya.

Chūya paused.

Kunikida didn't appear to be faking it. He looked genuinely puzzled and Chūya felt only angrier.

"Because I'm not human!" He bitterly spit out at Kunikida, not caring that Odsaku now knew the truth either—if Dazai hadn't already told him which Chūya was certain he probably had, considering Dazai had loose everything around that annoying red head.

"Do you not cry when you're sad? Do you not feel hunger or joy?" Kunikida asked, gazing at Chūya.

Chūya blinked and he glared at Kunikida. "So what if I feel those things! I know they're just ghosts of any real humanity!"

"By that definition, I think you're just as human as the rest of us," Kunikida said, with a sigh, before turning back to Azuki.

Chūya's blood was simmering and he was filled with a sense of bewilderment. Dazai sighed, and he knocked Chūya out with a swift blow, tired of holding his hand and also not in the mood right now for a philosophical conversation about Chūya's humanity or lack of it, right now. Dazai had his eyes locked on the woman claiming to be somehow tied to himself.

Azuki smirked. "Right now, the dominoes are all falling into place," she hummed.

"If I kill you, I wonder if that will change anything," Dazai mused loudly, pointing his gun again at her, eyes cold. "Clone or not, I feel nothing for you or your agenda."

"So quick to pull that trigger," Azuki sighed, putting her hands behind her head, unperturbed. "Nakahara has a much better temper than you, isn't it ironic?" She giggled, beaming at him.

"How do you plan to help us help Alu,—and you— please put your gun away!" Kunikida asked her while also attempting to smack the gun out of Dazai's hand. Although Dazai nimbly dodged Kunikida and Kunikida ended up awkwardly wrestling with Dazai for the gun. Dazai glared at him coldly, irritated and punched Kunikida in the stomach.

Odasaku's eyes flickered and he went to Kunikida's side, quickly. "Dazai— we need to not fight each other!" He frowned.

Kunikida coughed, struggling to rise to his feet. "Ugh, that hurt, you jerk!"

Azuki blinked. "I'm already helping her," she beamed.

"Come again?" Kunikida asked, eye twitching.

Azuki waved a hand breezily at the men, standing, just staring at her. "I gave her the tools she needs to save that boy already~"

"That's great!" Kunikida said, brightly.

"Of course, there will be a price, there always is~" she smirked darkly at them again. "Those orphans you 'adopted' are fated to die in a terrible explosion caused by the organization Mimic…and Odasaku will be fated to fight Gide to the death, as you cannot change that which is inscribed~ But, for the sake of defying a destiny where Odasaku and the orphans only die, I wonder how she will taunt fate this time around?"

Odasaku had this terrible feeling that this woman was not lying. For some reason, though he was safe, though he was alive, he'd felt it for a while now. Like a small voice had been telling him that he wouldn't always be there for Dazai, more and more. Like there was a weight, suppressing him and the orphans' ability to feel safe and free. He had thought it was his concern over Gide's case, but now…Odasaku wasn't so sure.

Odasaku gazed at the woman and then he turned to Dazai again to see that familiar expression of horror.

"You don't mean," Dazai's tone was terribly strangled, like he was suffocating and could hardly breathe.

Azuki just smirked like a demented cat. "That's right, in this timeline, in every timeline that you and that girl tempt fate, Odasaku and those kids still die, over and over again!"

Dazai felt his gun, usually a symbol of strength for himself, drop out of his hand like it was made of lead. So, it really was too good to be true? He had attempted to push down his cynicism as it appeared that Alu's claim to save his friend had come through countless times, but here was a perfect stranger, who appeared to have all the answers—even more prepared than that girl. "I see," he said, voice empty and cold. He'd managed to avoid Odasaku being taken from him by this world for over a month, but was this it? Was there even any point in believing there was possibly a world, a reality, where he and Odasaku could just live, unchained by the burdens around them?

No, that was a childish dream. Dazai knew it was time to wake up. But, he found himself stupidly, pointlessly, just clinging to the tiny dreg of hope—Alu's voice— telling him that she could save him. Save his friend. Even as it felt like the strength he'd built till now came crumbling down around him, Dazai wasn't ready to give up. Even now, he just found that he didn't want to stop believing. It was silly and stupid. How could he or that girl stop fate from taking anything from either one of them?

"Everything I wish to hang onto, is taken from me in the end…" Dazai shakily said. If this was it, if this was really all there was to expect then what was the point in even trying anymore? Dazai felt numb and heavy. His eyes felt oddly wet as his frustration grew. He grit his teeth. He felt like crying. How pathetic.

"No," Odasaku said bluntly, staring at Azuki. "I don't believe that this is all my life amounts to in the end—that our lives are just meant to end like that," he said fiercely, glaring at Azuki, with a fire that Dazai wasn't used to seeing, lit in his expression. "If you're saying that girl is trying her hardest to keep me alive, to keep my orphans alive, then I will do my part too! I don't blame Dazai. He didn't tell me because he didn't want me to become overwhelmed. He only cares in the end about me because we're friends! " He fiercely declared.

"How romantic," Azuki giggled, but she pointed at Dazai, who looked more like a statue right now more than anything. "Even if he were to sacrifice the orphans to keep you alive? Or, like in one alternative reality, he got his hands on a useful little book and rewrote it so he would die instead of you! How sweet, right?"

Dazai didn't know what she was talking about—he knew about the book but he hadn't personally found it— but it did sound like something he'd do. That's when it dawned on Dazai that he really did care a whole lot about Odasaku. Cared enough about him to want to die for him just so Odasaku could be happy?

Odasaku protectively stepped in front of Dazai. "I trust Dazai with my life. Even if he can be a bit eccentric at times. I don't want him to die for me, though, so that I will have to make it clear to him." Dazai looked down, knowing that Odasaku's disapproving, concerned look was staring into his soul.

Azuki pouted, with a huff, hoping to antagonize Odasaku and disliking it not working "It's so cute how you trust him and value him as a friend…Would he still consider you anything at all, considering you planned to shoot him at Fyodor's behest?" She added, making gun motions with her hands.

Dazai trembled.

Kunikida kept his mouth shut, honestly too overwhelmed by all of this to make much sense of any of it.

Odasaku grit his teeth. "I didn't plan to shoot him."

Dazai's eyes flickered. He looked at Odasaku, like a timid wet animal drenched. He was surprised. He had thought, really thought, that Odasaku had planned to shoot him. It was the expectation that made him loathe himself.

"Before it came to that, I planned to shoot myself."

Dazai's eyes widened with horror and he looked at Odasaku, but Odasaku just gazed at Dazai, with a twisted expression of apology on his face. "Odasaku…?"

"I knew for a while…that ever since Alu came into the picture, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was weighing down on me… I thought originally it was everything going on with Fyodor and Gide, but now…?" Odasaku's eyes brimmed with tears, and Dazai wasn't used to seeing his friend look like this, but this evening had already been emotionally taxing on all of them. "I felt out of place, and now…I know why…" He reached out a hand to touch Dazai's face, where he'd been injured before. "I am not a strong person, despite your faith in me, Dazai. I can't protect what is most important to me, after all. You and that girl are the ones really protecting the orphans from harm. I'm powerless without you. I knew if anything happened to me I could entrust the happiness of the orphans to you, Dazai. It is selfish of me to place this burden on you, I know. But if I could alleviate your burden—make it even just a little lighter, I thought, it was the only way…" he hugged Dazai, tightly. "I'm sorry, Dazai. I'm a terrible friend."

Dazai's throat clenched. He wanted to deny this, and yet, he found he couldn't say anything at all. This Odasaku still cared about him but the woman Azuki had a point. Just as she had taunted Dazai about caring about Odasaku still if Odasaku turned on him, would Odasaku turn on him if he knew about the fight they'd had about the boy in the previous timeline? "You're…no…that's not…" Dazai grit his teeth. He had to get it together. He had to do it for Odasaku's sake. For his own sake as well. But the tears fell anyways. Dazai's breath hitched, and he tentatively dug his fingers into Odasaku's coat, burying his face into Odasaku's chest, ashamed and conflicted. Odasaku deserved someone better than Dazai by his side. But Dazai just couldn't let him go, even if it would save him. Dazai knew in his black heart that he genuinely resented the orphans. In all honesty, he wished they would take Odasaku's place. He selfishly wanted Odasaku to care about him and in his mind all he could think was that Odasaku wasn't the terrible one.

A bright light emitted around Odasaku and Dazai just then. Odasaku became enshrouded and Dazai's eyes widened with alarm. "!?" The light was blinding. It wasn't hot. It wasn't cold. But Dazai clung to Odasaku regardless, as the light came down on all of them in the ballroom, until everything, including himself, were blinded, fading to white.

—End Vol. 6—

Stay tuned. the adventure continues in Alu's introduction to StormBRINGER, the light novel.