A Love Like War

by psychncislover

The city of Yokohama was maintained by two Mafia Families. When an enemy targets the Nakahara Family, they find their only hopes lies in an alliance... with their greatest enemy, the Tsushima Family. But their help comes with a price - a marriage between the two heirs! Will both sides survive not only this enemy, but each other? Soukoku!

2. Prologue, Pt 2

One Week Later…

Fukuzawa glanced up at the outside of the small tea house, looking inconspicuous enough, if not for the reason he was there for. He glanced over to the side, watching his two companions for their reactions.

Doppo Kunikida looked unruffled as usual, his prized notebook gripped tightly in one hand while the other was held up as he checked his wristwatch. At the other end of the spectrum, Junichirou Tanizaki looked more nervous than he's ever remembered the teen looking before. Not that that's a big surprise, to be honest. Anyone would be a little nervous when they found out they were going to a meeting with a rival Family, after all. And with no explanation to boot.

"Mr. Fukuzawa?" Tanizaki asked, his voice a little wobbly.

"Yes?" the silver-haired man asked, looking over at the teen again.

"Not to be rude, sir, but why am I here?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm sure there were better options to bring with you rather than me, to such an important meeting." And by important, he meant dangerous.

"That's obvious, Tanizaki." Kunikida answered instead, pushing his glasses up. "It's the ideal solution." At the teen's continued confusion, he explained, "If something were to happen, your Ability is our best option to get out of the situation with minimal bloodshed."

Tanizaki looked a little shocked at that before straightening up, and finally steeling his nerves. "Of course. I understand." He looked at the two older men. "I will do my best, then."

Fukuzawa gave him an appreciative nod but before heading inside, he gave the other two a serious look. "During this meeting, let me do most of the talking, understood?" He got immediate nods from the two, thankfully. "Alright then, let's go."

The three Nakahara members entered the small tea house, glancing around briefly before a young blonde woman, dressed nicely in a kimono, greeted them. But Fukuzawa couldn't help but notice that, as Kunikida spoke with the woman, the room was completely empty, something that seemed odd for the time of day. Also, the blonde now leading them further into the building seemed rather familiar, like he's seen her somewhere before…

But before he could think anymore on that topic, the woman was then asking them to hand over their weapons, which they did—one katana and two handguns—smoothly, not wanting to make a scene; understanding why that was asked of them. The blonde then bowed to them before knocking on the door she led them to, sliding it open when she got an affirmative sound from inside. Bowing once more, she left the group, heading back to the front of the room with their weapons in tow.

Stepping into the doorway, Fukuzawa counted three people sitting in the almost square-shaped room, and from what he could see, they were all armed in one way or another. One he knew always carried at least a gun and a few scalpels on him, on the second he could see the slight outline of a gun holster underneath the jacket, and from the way the third was sitting, a gun was mostly likely tucked in the waistband at the back. Unarm them while keeping weapons for themselves; seemed about right, if he was being honest. They would've done the same thing. And it wasn't like they were powerless without conventional weapons anyway.

The occupants in the room were each glancing at them curiously as well, though one had an amused smile now settling on his lips. That man, sitting neatly in the middle of the low rectangular table, was the one Fukuzawa knew quite well—Ougai Mori, the Underboss in the Tsushima Family, his counterpart. He was also a person Fukuzawa's known for many years, even before they rose to their current positions; in all honesty, their relationship was quite… complicated. Even he didn't know what they were. The man was a confusing riddle most of the time. Another quick look around the room showed him that the man did not have his Ability active, as he didn't see the form of the young blonde girl Mori's Ability took anywhere.

His eyes then flickered over to the redhead sitting to the left of Mori, recognizing him as well—Sakunosuke Oda, the man who was in charge of the Tsushima's legal affairs; it made him Kunikida's counterpart, as the blond man handled the legal affairs of the Nakahara's. And if the rumors were to be trusted, he was quite dangerous as well. It was the third man in the room, wrapped almost head to toe in white bandages, that threw Fukuzawa for a loop. Burgundy brown eyes met his with amusement, head tilted to the side and a slight smirk lifting his mouth; no doubt he just read Fukuzawa's confusion.

What was Osamu Dazai Tsushima, heir apparent of the Tsushima Family, even doing at this meeting? Mori, as the second-in-command, was more than enough representation for this meeting, there really was no need for the brunet to be here.

"Yukichi Fukuzawa, Underboss of the Nakahara Family." Mori finally spoke, his steady voice breaking the quiet. "It's been quite a bit of time since we last saw each other."

"Underboss of the Tsushima Family, Ougai Mori," the silver-haired man responded as he stepped further into the room, the other two following behind. "It has been some time. I hope you've been well."

"Very." Mori answered, tilting his head before motioning to the open cushions in front of the wooden table. "Why don't you and your friends join us? The tea is quite good here. Oh!" He then acted as though something just occurred to him, which was a farce, of course—people like Mori, those with a chess master's mind, had almost everything planned out, almost nothing truly surprising them. "Where are my manners? Let me introduce you. I don't believe you've met them before." Mori motioned to the redhead next to him, "This is Sakunosuke Oda, our lawyer, among other things, and this," he motioned to the brunet at the head of the table, "is Osamu Dazai, our head strategist and, of course, the Tsushima Family's only heir."

Fukuzawa respectively bowed his head to the two men before motioning behind himself. "And this is Doppo Kunikida and Junichirou Tanizaki, my associates." The two nodded their heads as well before finally taking a seat, Fukuzawa situated across from Mori and the other two to his left.

The first thirty minutes of the meeting was basically spent preparing, and then enjoying, the tea as both sides collected their thoughts. Neither side wanted to be the first side to break the silence, but the Tsushima's were just too curious to stay quiet any longer. They were never big on not knowing something, though that didn't mean they didn't suspect things.

"So, Yukichi, what is this about?" Mori finally asked as he looked at the other man, one of his hands idly stirring the contents of his tea cup, before tilting his head to the side. "You can imagine our surprise when we received your letter, written and signed by Kansuke Nakahara himself, asking to set up a meeting." He folded his hands and rested his chin on top of them. "I must say, you've piqued our curiosity."

Fukuzawa took a sip from his cup, enjoying the soothing flavor, before placing it back down on the table and looking back at Mori. "I assume you know about the attacks that have been happening to us over the past few months?"

"It might have crossed our desks at some point." Mori said nonchalantly, which really meant that yes, we are well aware of what's been going on.

"We now know the identity of the group behind these attacks." Fukuzawa stated, causing both Kunikida and Tanizaki to look at him in surprise. They hadn't been read in yet to these new facts, no one else had, Kansuke thinking it best to keep the information close, until this meeting, at least. "A foreign organization with interesting origins." All Mori did was raise an eyebrow, but nodded for Fukuzawa to continue, so he did—telling the raven-haired man, as well as everyone in the room, all that they've discovered thus far, but keeping out certain facts (something that didn't go unnoticed by Mori, or Dazai).

Once Fukuzawa was done with his explanation, he sat back and waited for Mori's response, taking another sip of his tea.

"That is all very… interesting, Yukichi," Mori finally said, brushing back a piece of his hair, "but I don't see what any of that has to do with the Tsushima Family."

Well, it's now or never. "The Nakahara Family wants to… request your assistance in this matter." Fukuzawa finally got out, ignoring the gaping expressions on both Kunikida and Tanizaki's faces—that was also kept a secret until now.

"Oho?" Mori's eyebrows raised, slightly surprised. "Is that so? Why is that, I wonder."

"It was brought to our attention that your help is required if we wish to stop our problem." Fukuzawa answered, folding his hands together within his yukata's sleeves.

A smirk graced Mori's face, his bright magenta eyes sharpening almost instantly. "Just what does Ranpo have to say about all this, then? Last I checked, he was your strategist. Wouldn't it be better to talk to him?"

Fukuzawa fought the urge to grind his teeth, or throw his cup at Mori's face—the man always brings out the violent in him, especially when he asks questions he already knows the answers to. But he answers anyway, "This was Ranpo's idea, actually." The smirk growing on Mori's face gave away that the man did already suspect that.

"So you wish to, what exactly?" Oda asked when it looked like Mori wasn't going to add anything else.

Before Fukuzawa could answer that, the brunet at the head of the table, silent up until now, answered with, "That should be obvious, OdaSaku! They want an alliance." His reddish-brown gaze was alight with amusement, yet as sharp as a blade. "Isn't that right, Mr. Fukuzawa?"

The silver-haired man paused for a moment, looking at the young heir thoughtfully, before nodding. "Yes, that is correct, Mr. Tsushima."

A look of almost childish disgust flashed across the brunet's face then. "Don't call me that! It makes me sound so old! Just call me Dazai. Everyone does."

The three from the Nakahara Family were a little taken aback at this behavior, coming from the heir of the other Family. If Fukuzawa didn't know any better, he'd write off this boy as a childish fool… but he does know better. Knows enough to know that Osamu Dazai Tsushima was regarded as a prodigal genius, even more so than his own father, and his skills and mind alone have earned him quite the reputation as well as the nickname the Demon Prodigy. He was the last person you ever wanted to face off against. He also always had several ways out of anything anyone could throw at him.

"Very well, Dazai… but you are correct." Fukuzawa said, eyes now focused on the young heir. "We don't have any hope of beating our enemy alone, Ranpo made that quite clear to us." He laid his hands on the table, looking between both Dazai and Mori seriously. "We, the Nakahara Family, wish to ask you, the Tsushima Family, for an alliance."

Dazai hummed out thoughtfully before looking over at the raven-haired man. "What do you think, Uncle Mori?" But by the tone of his voice, not only did he have an answer, he also knew something like this was going to happen.

Mori looked over at his nephew, eyebrow raised in bemusement, before back over at Fukuzawa again. "If we were to accept your proposal, what would be in it for us?" His smirk widened. "Unfortunately, we can't just hand out our assistance from the good of our hearts, especially to the Family we've been fighting with for decades."

Fukuzawa resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "We are very well aware of that. Which is why my boss gave me the authorization to give you whatever you ask for," he paused before adding, "within reason, of course."

"Mr. Fukuzawa?" Kunikida then questioned, surprised, as he looked over at the other man. What was happening here?

Fukuzawa held up his hand to silence the blond man, eyes never leaving Mori's.

The raven-haired man's eyes almost glowed eerily, fingers tapping a pattern on the table. "That is very tempting." His eyes slid over to Dazai's, the two appearing to have a silent conversation with just their glances, before Mori nodded slightly and looked back to Fukuzawa. "We might have an idea on what we want."

The silver-haired man raised an eyebrow in question, motioning for him to continue.

"My dear brother-in-law has actually been thinking about an alliance with your Family for a few years now." Mori started, ignoring the surprised faces of the three in front of him. "After he and Kansuke Nakahara rose to power, it seemed the two did what they could to… untangle our Families from each other's businesses." He paused to take a sip of tea. "If I'm being honest, I was surprised at how well it all worked out. So, there's never really been a good enough reason to make an alliance." He tapped his fingers on the table once more. "But the true problem with alliances is not in making them, but in keeping them."

"What do you mean by that?" Fukuzawa asked, head tilted in question.

"Have you ever read the works of Schelling?" Mori questioned back instead of answering. "Or perhaps you're more familiar with Kissinger?"

"Both are researchers of strategic studies." Dazai offered when Fukuzawa, and the other two, remained quietly confused. "Taught by a certain you-know-who."

"I do read Sun Tzu." Fukuzawa said, looking between Dazai and Mori, not quite sure where this was going.

"There is a parallel between state warfare and the strategies of illegal organizations such as ourselves." Mori continues on, ignoring the near palpable confusion in the room. "No one exists to punish either of us, should we violate agreements. What if the Tsushima Family suddenly breaks this agreement? Or, what if the Nakahara Family betrays us? The party that trusted in the agreement would be the only one to suffer. Under circumstances that reward the first to commit a betrayal, a half-hearted alliance cannot be established." He took another sip of tea before continuing. "The only possibility is for complete cooperation."

"Is that not what we're asking for?" Fukuzawa asked after he digested Mori's words.

"You are," Mori nodded, "that is true. But words alone are meaningless."

"Then what—" Fukuzawa was cut off.

"There is, however, a rational path towards a proper alliance." Mori said, ignoring Fukuzawa's words and leaning back a little. "Advance payment is the essence of trust."

"What does—" the silver-haired man started again but Mori continued talking like he hadn't spoken.

"One party initially incurs a loss up front, with the prospect of gaining a return hundreds of times over." Mori locks his eyes with Fukuzawa's then. "Only then will an alliance quell bad blood."

"What are you suggesting?" Fukuzawa asked, wishing the raven-haired man would get to the point.

"For you to offer up that advance payment, of course." Mori answered, waving his hand around in the air. "You are the ones asking for our help. In a matter that does not directly affect us. But if you give us this advance payment, your return will be our assistance in forcing this foreign organization out of Yokohama. Which is what you're needing."

"What were you thinking of for this "advance payment", Ougai?" Fukuzawa asked, barely restraining the urge to snap.

Mori laced his fingers once more before resting his chin on them—his usual thinking pose. "Between two Families as steeped in hate as ours, there's really only one thing that will assure the alliance will hold, with almost no chance of a betrayal."

Fukuzawa had about enough of this man talking in riddles. "Ougai, would you just get to the point?"

His frustration caused the raven-haired man to smirk in amusement while Dazai and Oda exchanged eye-rolls. "Very well, no need to get upset." He waved his hand, like Fukuzawa was being the unreasonable one. "What is needed is a union."

Fukuzawa's frustration was replaced with confusion once again. "A union?" Mori nodded his head, still amused. "What kind of union, exactly?"

"Maybe union was a poor word choice." Mori said with a fake apologetic tone. "I think marriage works much better." He locked gazes with Fukuzawa again. "Does that clear things up?"

Not in the slightest. "A marriage?"

"Yes, a bond such as that between the two Families is exactly what is needed for this alliance to work." Mori added, and, despite the amusement still present in his gaze, Fukuzawa could tell the other man is completely serious. "Both Families would have something at stake, and more reason to keep up the agreement."

"And who, exactly, would be getting married?" Fukuzawa asked, almost afraid of the answer. "It couldn't be just anybody."

"You are correct. Therefore, it would have to be two very important people from both organizations, people who would be more than enough to… persuade everyone to keep the peace." Mori said, tapping his chin in fake thought, but of course the man already knew. "Like, say, the heirs of both Families?"

Complete and utter silence reigned as Mori managed to shock Fukuzawa, Kunikida and Tanizaki with this proclamation. That was not who they thought Mori would say.

"I think you broke them." Dazai finally said after the silence stretched to five minutes long. "It doesn't look like they'll be cognizant any time soon, so… I'm going outside!"

"To do what?" Oda asked, exasperation clear in his voice. He could already guess.

"Weeellll, there was this lovely tree we passed by on our way here," Dazai began, eyes sparkling, "and it looked like the perfect height to hang myself from!"

Oda rolled his eyes. Of course.

"We're not quite finished here, Dazai." Mori said in an almost bored, though still sharp, tone. "Please remain seated."

Before Dazai could reply to that statement, Fukuzawa suddenly, and finally, spoke up.

"You want to wed the heirs of two of the biggest Mafia Families in Yokohama?" he asked, still shocked. "Just to cement a short-term alliance?"

"Well, who is to say that the alliance doesn't last longer than dealing with this enemy?" Mori questioned with a small shrug. "Like I said, my boss has been thinking about an alliance for some time."

Fukuzawa would never understand the minds from the Tsushima Family. Never.

"So, what do you say, Yukichi?" Mori asked, keen eyes watching him closely. "Do we have an agreement?"

"At this point, I would need to talk with my boss about this." Fukuzawa finally said, folding his arms in his sleeves once more. "Giving you territory or money is one thing, marrying off his daughter to the heir of a rival Family is another. So—"

"Not her." Dazai suddenly interrupted, looking lazily at Fukuzawa.

"Pardon?" Fukuzawa asked, glancing at the younger man with confusion.

"She's not the one who would be used in this arrangement." Dazai stated, arms crossed over his chest, before leaning back to look at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Though she would be quite the beauty to commit a double-suicide with…"

"Dazai…" Oda groaned out quietly, giving the brunet a look.

"Then who?" Kunikida asked this time, as confused as Fukuzawa was.

"Kouyou Ozaki Nakahara is not Kansuke Nakahara's only child, is she?" Mori asked, rhetorically, of course. "Therefore, she's not the only heir."

Fukuzawa's stomach dropped. "You mean—"

"Yes." Dazai all but purred, eyes looking almost crimson in the light as he gave Fukuzawa a searing look. "The son. Chuuya Nakahara is the heir required to make this work." He rested his chin in his hand then, smirk still present as he spoke again, cutting off Fukuzawa's coming retort. "It is him, or we have no deal."

There it was, the famed Demon Prodigy. It sent shivers down the spines of the three Nakahara members; it was such a radical change in personality.

Any counterargument Fukuzawa could come up would not be good enough, it would not dissuade this boy from what he wanted. And it seemed what he wanted was Chuuya. This could be a problem…

Fukuzawa sighed silently before meeting the brunet's gaze head-on. "Alright, I understand you conditions." Kunikida and Tanizaki gave Fukuzawa a startled look, which he ignored. "But, like I said earlier, I will still need to talk to Kans— Mr. Nakahara about this."

"Of course!" Dazai exclaimed, his personality shifting once again. It was enough to give anyone whiplash.

"We'll give you a week, then." Mori continued, getting Fukuzawa's attention. "If we don't hear back from you, we'll assume you are rejecting the deal and no further discussions will be had."

Fukuzawa nodded his head. "That sounds reasonable." He then pushed himself to his feet, the other two following after him, before bowing his head. "Thank you for the tea."

Mori just gave him an unsettling smirk, reminding Fukuzawa of a predator just then. "Don't take too long to think, Yukichi. This is a one-time only deal. It won't happen again."

Fukuzawa nodded his head once again in understanding before leaving the room, Kunikida and Tanizaki walking after him. They grabbed their weapons from the blonde woman, Fukuzawa taking notice of the intense, almost calculating reddish-brown gaze she gave them, before exiting the building, heading to the awaiting car that would take them back to base.

As they drove, Fukuzawa couldn't help but let his thoughts wonder. Why Chuuya? Why was Osamu Dazai so insistent that it be Chuuya as the chosen heir, rather than Kouyou? Other than the fact that Dazai might just swing that way, there was no reason to be so dead set on having Chuuya. An arranged marriage wasn't built on romance, it was purely strategical. So why would it matter who it was that Dazai married? That wasn't even the worst of it. He was dreading relaying this to Kansuke, but more so to Colette. It would not end well.

---

Character Descriptions

- Doppo Kunikida: scapula-length, mildly wavy, spiky dirty blond hair, worn back in a neat ponytail by a chocolate brown band, with fringe parted to the right; deep green-gray eyes; a light tan complexion; a slim, muscular body with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and V-shape of the torso; sharp eyes; 6'2"; frameless rectangular glasses with chocolate brown arms; a black wristwatch—around left wrist
Role: Consigliere/Executive of the Nakahara Family; Head of Legal Affairs of Nakahara Enterprises; Head of the Silver Wolf Guerrilla Squad
Age: 22
Birthday: August 30
Nationality: Half-Japanese/Half-English
Ability: Doppo Poet
made objects written on the papers of his notebook come into existence, but did not work on objects larger than the notebook—such objects included wire-guns, handguns, grenades and flash-bangs; able to use pre-written notes as a means for his object summons; able to remotely activate, transforming those pre-written notes into objects, which could come in handy when supporting others from afar
Capabilities/Weapon(s) -
expert in Close-Quarters Combat, Kung-Fu, Judo, Jujutsu, and Muay Thai
expert marksman/sharpshooter: an expert all-around master marksman, highly skilled in wielding conventional firearms with virtually unerring accuracy; due to impeccable hand-eye coordination, capable of firing multiple shots in a few seconds, strike enemies's weak points with extreme accuracy and directly hit small targets in the greatest of distances; able to hurl objects with extreme speed and accuracy, both in direct aim and complicated rebounds/interactions; extremely capable of hitting multiple targets in a few quick shots and directly hitting small targets in the greatest of distances; had limitless patience; able to plan meticulously; capable of intense concentration for long periods of time under adverse conditions
high-class lawyer, master assassin, and skilled in diplomacy, public speaking, calligraphy, espionage, intelligence gathering, infiltration and sabotage
skilled lip reader, thief, pickpocket, lock picker, bluffer/fast talker, concealer, sleight of hand, and escape artist
Beretta 92FS INOX: a double/single-action semi-automatic pistol that employs an open-slide, short-recoil delayed locking-block system; slide, barrel and internal parts are all stainless steel, while the alloy frame is anodized to match the color and finish of the other components; black stippled-textured soft rubber grip absorbs the recoil while affording a firm and positive grip
Main Outfit: a beige-yellow waistcoat; a black dress shirt, a red ribbon tied into a bow around the collar; beige-yellow dress pants; a black belt with a silver rectangular buckle; brown dress shoes; Beretta 92FS INOX—kept in back-waistband holster

- Junichirou Tanizaki: medium-long, spiky ginger orange hair, parted in the middle, with spikes sweeping downward, M-parted fringe, and a light gray barrette clipped on the left; hazel eyes; a fair complexion; a slim, wiry body with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and V-shape of the torso; 5'8½"; light gray metal earrings
Role: Giovane d'onore of the Nakahara Family; Kansuke's Personal Assistant in Nakahara Enterprises; Second-in-Command of the Silver Wolf Guerrilla Squad; High School Student at Yokohama Private Academy (3rd Year/12th Grade)
Age: 18
Birthday: July 24
Nationality: Japanese
Ability: Light Snow
allowed him to transpose the entire space into a digital realm, covering the affected area with "snowfall"; projected illusions in a certain range of area around him; able to superimpose the imagery onto himself and others, making them impossible to locate
Capabilities/Weapon(s) -
expert in Close-Quarters Combat
effective marksman: an effective marksman, highly skilled in wielding conventional firearms with virtually unerring accuracy; able to hurl objects with extreme speed and accuracy, both in direct aim and complicated rebounds/interactions
skilled in espionage, intelligence gathering, infiltration and sabotage
skilled thief, pickpocket, lock picker, bluffer/fast talker, concealer, sleight of hand, and escape artist
Smith & Wesson M&P: a full-size service pistol; a short recoil-operated, locked breech, striker-fire semi-automatic pistol; an extended, rigid embedded, stainless-steel chassis; a low barrel bore axis; a fine-tuned, crisp trigger with lighter pull; a tactile, audible trigger reset; an aggressively-textured grip with an optimal 18-degree grip angle; a high-strength polymer frame with a matte black armornite durable corrosion resistant finish; a white-dot front sight; a white-two dot rear sight
Main Outfit: an off-white V-neckline, oversized sweater with a black stripe lining the collar; a black tank top; light blue denim jeans; a black belt with a silver rectangular buckle; brown laced shoes; a red hoodie—wrapped around the waist; Smith & Wesson M&P—kept in back-waistband holster

- Ougai Mori: shoulder-length, straight raven black hair with twin chin-length side-locks and a few strands left loose over forehead; bright magenta pink eyes with a strange pattern on the pupils; a fair complexion; a lean, wiry body with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and V-shape of the torso; 5'7"
Role: Underboss/Second-in-Command of the Tsushima Family; CEO/Head Surgeon of Yokohama Medical Hospital; Surgeon/Doctor
Age: 40
Birthday: February 17
Nationality: Japanese
Ability: Vita Sexualis
able to "configure" Elise in any way he willed—he could make her levitate, chase after an enemy at high speed, and make her save him no matter what; could summon Elise at will and make her attack his enemies with a barrage of large medical equipment; destroying Elise did not permanently kill her, and she could be re-summoned
Elise: female; ~12-years-old; waist-length, curly golden blonde hair with straight-cut bangs and a red bow at the crown of the head; sky blue eyes; a fair complexion; a petite, slender body with a banana-figure, petite bust, and flat stomach; 4'8"; a red long-sleeved dress with a white collar, white frills and a pink bow around the collar; black/dark gray-striped stockings; black Mary-Jane flats
Capabilities/Weapon(s) -
expert in Kenjutsu, Ninjutsu, and Close-Quarters Combat
expert marksman: a very accurate marksman skilled in sharpshooting; accuracy was virtually unerring; able to hurl objects with extreme speed and accuracy, both in direct aim and complicated rebounds/interactions
genius intellect: an expert in game theory and war tactics
highly-qualified and expertly-skilled doctor, surgeon and pharmacologist
master tactician: a masterful strategist; able to formulate battle strategies and brilliant tactical sense allowed to alter any strategy to fit the changing needs of the situation
possessed an instinctive ability to "read" behavioral characteristics and manipulate people
skilled in psychological warfare: art of manipulating the mind to get the desired reaction from the victim
master assassin and skilled in espionage, intelligence gathering, infiltration and sabotage
skilled lie detector, lip reader, cryptographer, thief, pickpocket, lock picker, bluffer/fast talker, concealer, sleight of hand, and escape artist
Scalpels: a stainless steel knife with a small, sharp blade
Glock 19: a mid-size service pistol, shooting the 9x19mm pistol cartridge; a short-recoil operated, striker-fire semi-automatic pistol; a high-strength polymer frame; a milled steel slide and barrel with a matte black Tenifer finish; a safe-action trigger system; an integral accessory rail; a white-dot front sight; a white-bracket rear sight dovetailed into the slide and drift adjustable; slide cycles on 4 hardened steel guide rails within the frame; two standard 15-round magazines, or two 10-round magazines
Main Outfit: a black trench coat with a large, upturned collar that had to snaps on it—left open; a black suit jacket; a white dress shirt; a grape purple tie; black suit pants; a dark brown belt with a silver buckle; dark brown leather, knee-high, low-heeled boots—worn with pants tucked in; a long blood red scarf; white leather gloves; Glock 19—kept in back-waistband holster; hair's worn swept back into a low ponytail by a tan band

- Sakunosuke Oda "OdaSaku": medium-longish, straight, messy dark cherry brunet hair with choppy fringe parted in the center; sapphire blue eyes; a light tan complexion; a lean, muscular body with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and V-shape of the torso; a light amount of stubble on chin; 6'1"; a black leather wrist-cuff—worn around right wrist
Role: Consigliere/Executive of the Tsushima Family; Head of Legal Affairs of Tsushima Corporations; Head of the Black Lizard Guerrilla Squad
Age: 27
Birthday: October 26
Nationality: Japanese
Ability: Flawless
the ability to predict 5-6 seconds into the future; an extremely powerful Ability that rendered most surprise attacks useless, as he could see them coming 5 seconds before; the future that he saw was also limited to his current decision—if he decided to change his actions based on the vision he saw, then he'd see another future play out, one that might reveal another danger that he wasn't able to see before, and it might be too late to avoid it at that point
Capabilities/Weapon(s) -
expert in Close-Quarters Combat, Wing Chun, Kung-Fu, Karate, Judo, Jujutsu, and Muay Thai
expert marksman/sharpshooter: an expert all-around master marksman, highly skilled in wielding conventional firearms with virtually unerring accuracy; due to superior eyesight and impeccable hand-eye coordination, capable of firing multiple shots in a few seconds, strike enemies's weak points with extreme accuracy and directly hit small targets in the greatest of distances; able to hurl objects with extreme speed and accuracy, both in direct aim and complicated rebounds/interactions; extremely capable of hitting multiple targets in a few quick shots and directly hitting small targets in the greatest of distances, never missing; had limitless patience; able to plan meticulously; capable of intense concentration for long periods of time under adverse conditions
high-class lawyer, master assassin, and skilled in espionage, intelligence gathering, infiltration and sabotage
skilled lie detector, lip reader, thief, pickpocket, lock picker, bluffer/fast talker, concealer, sleight of hand, and escape artist
twin Glock 19: a mid-size service pistol, shooting the 9x19mm pistol cartridge; a short-recoil operated, striker-fire semi-automatic pistol; a high-strength polymer frame; a milled steel slide and barrel with a matte black Tenifer finish; a safe-action trigger system; an integral accessory rail; a white-dot front sight; a white-bracket rear sight dovetailed into the slide and drift adjustable; slide cycles on 4 hardened steel guide rails within the frame; two standard 15-round magazines, or two 10-round magazines
Main Outfit: a beige-yellow blazer coat with brown buttons on the cuffs—left open; a taupe brown dress shirt—worn loosely and top few buttons left undone; dark green dress pants; a brown belt with a gold rectangular buckle; brown oxfords; a black shoulder harness—worn underneath coat with twin Glock 19 kept holstered

- Osamu Dazai Tsushima: medium-longish, mildly wavy dark chocolate brunet hair with fringe gathered at the center of forehead and twin jaw-length side-locks; burgundy brown eyes; a light tan complexion; a lanky, lean, wiry body with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and V-shape of the torso; handsome features; narrow eyes; an aristocratic nose; sharp cheekbones; a strong, angular jawline; entire body covered in multiple scars, from a variety of origins; 5'11"; entire body wrapped in white bandages, only leaving head, hands and feet uncovered
Role: Consigliere/Executive/Head Strategist of the Tsushima Family; Heir Apparent of the Tsushima Family; Executive Vice-President of Tsushima Corporations
Age: 22
Birthday: June 19
Nationality: Japanese
Ability: No Longer Human
allowed him to nullify others' Abilities on contact; relied on skin contact; always active, and as such, he could nullify any Ability, even while restrained, as soon as it touched him
Capabilities/Weapon(s) -
expert in Close-Quarters Combat
effective marksman: an effective marksman, highly skilled in wielding conventional firearms with virtually unerring accuracy; able to hurl objects with extreme speed and accuracy, both in direct aim and complicated rebounds/interactions
genius-level intellect: a certified genius; ruthlessly intelligent and methodical with a sharp wit, displaying both keen observation and analysis skills; able to formulate strategies that took advantage of the situation and everyone's capabilities
master tactician: a masterful strategist due to genius intellect; able to formulate battle strategies and brilliant tactical sense allowed to alter any strategy to fit the changing needs of the situation; mind whirled at an inhuman speed, strategies planned and set out leagues ahead before anyone else could even begin to think
master interrogator: a master in questioning others with the goal of eliciting useful information; may involve a diverse array of techniques, ranging from developing a rapport with the subject to outright torture; a specialist at torturing people for information
possessed an instinctive ability to "read" behavioral characteristics and manipulate people; specialized in reading and manipulating others with mere words
skilled in psychological warfare: art of manipulating the mind to get the desired reaction from the victim
master assassin, expert computer hacker, and skilled in espionage, intelligence gathering, infiltration and sabotage
skilled lie detector, lip reader, cryptographer, thief, pickpocket, lock picker, bluffer/fast talker, concealer, sleight of hand, and escape artist
Glock 22: a full-size service pistol, shooting the .40 S&W pistol cartridge; a Gen4, dual-recoil operated, semi-automatic pistol; a high-strength polymer frame; a rough grip texturing; a modular back strap; a reversible magazine catch; a steel slide with a matte black Tenifer finish; a dual recoil spring assembly; a safe-action trigger system; an integral accessory rail; a white-dot front sight; a white-bracket rear sight dovetailed into the slide and drift adjustable; slide cycles on 4 hardened steel guide rails within the frame; three standard 15-round magazines or three 10-round magazines
Main Outfit: a sand-colored trench coat with a plum brown inner-lining, the belt left untied—left open and sleeves worn rolled up slightly; a chocolate brown waistcoat; a pale blue dress shirt—sleeves worn rolled up slightly; a brown bolo tie held together by an azure blue jade pendant; beige khaki dress pants; a black belt with a silver rectangular buckle; dark brown dress shoes; Glock 22—kept in back-waistband holster

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Next chapter's up! Now things are starting to happen. Also, Mori's words in the middle of the chapter I borrowed from the Anime - Episode 21, Double Black. I honestly couldn't think of any better way to say it then he did in that one. Side note, amazing episode!

I'd like to say that, yes, I'm aware that I'm basically repeating a lot of the same information but it is on purpose - given the fact that things are getting set up and explanations have to be given. I also feel like Mori and Fukuzawa's relationship would be a lot like Dazai and Chuuya's - just something that makes sense to me. They're also close enough to each other that they call one another by their first names (I did that on purpose). And yeah, I know the introduction of Kunikida and Tanizaki might seem a little rushed, but I just needed to get them introduced and part of the story, and this seemed the best way to do so. Also, Oda is going to be alive in the fic, if it wasn't already obvious. He acts sort-of like Dazai's older brother/handler/babysitter. He will be important later on as well. Up next, we meet the other main character! Here comes our petit mafia!

Oh, and one more thing I forgot to add in the first note - the characters who are 18 and under will still be in school, attending Yokohama Private Academy (a prestigious, private educational institute within the city that caters from kindergarten to high school), and most are either Junior High or High School students (and yes, I'm going by the grades from a Japanese perspective, obviously, but I hope I get it right since I got the info from the internet, being an American and all).