In the distance, the sun fell over the horizon as Ango made his way through the bustling city streets of Yokohama.

It had been a long day for him, full of meetings with self-entitled officials. It was always exhausting listening to them drone on and on about metrics and the importance of maintaining the proper power structure of the organization. Still, Ango was just glad that the day was finally over, rather than needing to go into overtime, because for a long while that was definitely where it seemed like things were going.

Still, he had one more stop before he headed back to his apartment: the grocery store.

His apartment was quite honestly lacking in the food supply at the moment and with the guests that he had recently acquired that would need to change.

Generally, when it came to himself and food, Ango would just snack on things whenever he had time. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd had a real cooked meal. It wasn't healthy, but he was honestly just so exhausted that he just didn't care enough to do anything about it.

Stepping inside a corner store, Ango set upon finding something to eat.

After browsing through the aisles for several minutes he settled on a salad kit, wafu dressing, and some packs of crab ramen.

Back in the Mafia, Ango remembered that Dazai seemed to have some sort of strange love for crab. Ango hoped that he still did.

Making his way to the front counter, Ango was quick to pay before leaving with his bagged items. This time, headed back to his apartment.

However, upon making it back and walking up to the front door, Ango's hand hovered just above the doorknob rather than twisting it and walking inside immediately.

It was because, on the other side, Ango could hear the faint sounds of laughter. It made a bittersweet feeling curl in his chest, as he was reminded of all the times that he and Odasaku had shared with Dazai.

Ango hadn't heard laughter in his apartment in four years and it hurt him to think that things would never be that way again.

Odasaku was dead.

And Dazai… well, Dazai hated him.

But Ango didn't blame him for that. He couldn't blame him for that.

He'd played a part in the events that had led to Odasaku's death. So, if Ango were Dazai, then he'd probably hate himself too. Then again, Ango already hated himself so who even needed all of those extra steps in the first place? It was all the same in the end.

Finally twisting the doorknob and heading inside, Ango set the groceries down on the counter.

In the living room, Dazai and A5158 were playing some sort of fighting game on his Wii.

Well… he couldn't exactly say it was his.

Back when Odasaku had still been alive, the two of them along with Dazai had all pitched in for the gaming system as something to do after long work days. So occasionally, after much-needed drinks at Bar Lupin, they'd head back to Ango's apartment to play around on it.

Ango personally had never been really good at gaming nor was it something that he did very often in what little free time he did have. However, he'd always enjoyed playing with Odasaku and Dazai, because with them it had been fun and that was a feeling that he didn't often experience in his life.

As for the reason why Ango had it in his apartment it was because it'd been decided at the time of purchasing it that he was the most responsible out of the three, regardless of his inclination towards gaming.

After he departed from the Port Mafia, Odasaku died, and Dazai defected, Ango had considered throwing away the device along with all of the games that they'd pitched in to buy, but could never actually bring himself to do it.

He couldn't let go of the last piece he had of Odasaku.

He couldn't let go of the last piece he had of Dazai.

And sure, Dazai wasn't dead. But to Dazai, Ango basically was.

He missed how it used to be, but what had happened had been his own fault.

He didn't deserve to mourn it.

Seeming to finally notice his appearance, Dazai and A5158 quieted, turning off the device and setting the controls aside.

"I got crab ramen and salad," Ango said, unpacking the groceries. "It should only take about five minutes to prepare."

"I'm not very hungry, thanks though," Dazai dismissed, before disappearing into his designated guest room and leaving Ango alone with A5158.

Ango was flooded with disappointment as he was left alone with one of the last people he felt comfortable around.

However, it was apparently Ango's lucky day as A5158 was quick to dismiss himself just as well, heading straight after Dazai.

So much for buying food for them.

Preparing a salad and placing crab ramen in the microwave, Ango watched the plate turn round and round.

Lots of people liked A5158, but Ango had never really understood the hype. A part of him felt bad because he knew how close Dazai was to A5158 and since Dazai was someone who Ango really did care about, he felt guilty that he hated his best friend or whatever they were to one another. Honestly, Ango couldn't entirely tell.

But that was beside the point.

The reason that Ango did not favor A5158 was because of his impulsiveness. He ran straight into almost all of his problems without well-thought-out plans or an ounce of fear because the might of his ability had deluded him into thinking that he was near unstoppable.

Throughout his life, Ango had seen many people who were exactly like that.

All of them had always ended up dead one way or another and all of them held something that Ango could never obtain. Something that he desperately wanted, but felt too far out of reach to ever grasp.

Bravery.

Deep down, he wanted to be that kind of foolish. He wanted to be that kind of bold. He wanted to be that kind of fearless.

But something was holding him back.

Fear.

The ephemerality of life terrified Ango. He couldn't be someone like A5158 because he was petrified of what could come after his inevitable death. After all, if any kind of afterlife did exist, he knew for sure that with the life he'd led he would not be going to any sort of haven. Nothing would stand in the way of that.

So he let Odasaku die and he let Dazai hate him for it without trying to do anything to prevent either from happening.

At least that way he was still alive right?

He was still here. That had to count for something.

But still, he was envious.

So, when he came into contact with people like A5158 who were valiant and brave, he tried to belittle and dehumanize them like how he referred to A5158 by his id number rather than his actual name.

He was a coward. A terrified coward.

But he'd long ago decided that it was too late for him to change anyway. So, what was even the point?

The beeping of the microwave sounded, pulling him from his thoughts, and signaling that his ramen was finally done.

Popping open the door, Ango grabbed the steaming noodles from the machine and set them down on his kitchen table next to his freshly prepared salad. However just before he could eat, the echo of impatient knocking sounded at the door filling him with suspicion.

He didn't have any visitors to expect today, especially with Dazai and A5158 here. Perhaps, it could be solicitors, but they didn't often frequent his complex so that wouldn't make much sense.

A gut feeling in his stomach told him to stay far away from the door, but as the banging got increasingly louder Ango grew too irritated to care.

He was probably wrong to think something was off. Besides, if it was anyone dangerous they'd be more likely to quietly sneak in. This behavior really was more akin to eager missionaries or overly-enthusiastic salesmen.

He'd just have to send them away. Solicitors could be so annoyingly persistent.

With an exasperated sigh, Ango swung the door open, prepared to turn away whoever it was.

Normally, he'd look through the peephole first to determine who it was before opening the door, but after the exhausting day that he'd had it just slipped his mind.

It was something that Ango would regret for the rest of his life, as his eyes widened in shock.

No.

There was no way that they could have found them already. There was no way that they could have found them at all. Ango had taken every precaution in the book to avoid this encounter and yet, the consequences of his miscalculations were standing right in front of him.

Terror ran down Ango's spine. Desperately, he tried to slam the door shut. However, it was far too late now, as the firm grip of a one-armed man caught the door. Distantly he wondered how that had happened.

"That's no way to treat a welcomed guest, Sakaguchi," Dostoevsky said as he forced his way inside, Nikolai Gogol and Sigma tagging along right behind him, "now, why don't you tell me where Dazai and Nakahara are?"

Stumbling backward, Ango held his hands up in surrender.

He was no match for someone like Dostoevsky and so just like that Ango gave up.

"They're in there," Ango said, pointing towards the door to the room that Dazai and A5158 had disappeared into.

"How kind of you to tell us so quickly. You have my sincerest thanks, Sakaguchi."

Dostoevsky made a gesture to Gogol who in return pulled out a pistol from his holster. He pointed it in Ango's direction.

Ango's panic increased tenfold as he took several more steps backward, trying to increase the distance between himself and the deadly weapon now pointed in his direction.

"I'm cooperating alright? You don't need to shoot me. Just tell me wh-."

Two loud bangs rang through the air.

Then silence.

There was no way in hell that Chuuya would be spending any time with Ango that he didn't have to and luckily Dazai felt the same way.

Dismissing himself and heading straight after Dazai, Chuuya disappeared into the room grateful that he wouldn't have to deal with that awkward situation any longer.

He never did understand why Ango hated him so much to the point where being around him made Chuuya feel like pulling his hair out, but whatever the reason was it hardly mattered so long as he didn't need to be anywhere near that cynical asshole.

What Dazai had seen in him back when the two had still been a part of the Port Mafia, Chuuya would never know. He was just grateful that Dazai at least seemed to notice the lack of appeal that that man held now.

In the room, the man in question was sitting at a small desk, beginning to lay out pieces of scratch paper and scrawling plans out on them in messy handwriting.

Now that the distraction of the game was gone, he was right back to work.

Chuuya almost groaned out loud. They had already talked about this. With everything going on they just needed a break from it all, even if it was only for a day. Nevertheless, here Dazai was already scrawling out plans when they'd decided to take a break today this morning.

Everything had been going so well before Ango got back.

Fucking bureaucrats. They always had to ruin everything.

"Dazai, what the fuck are you doing?"

Silence.

"Dazai, we literally talked about this, this morning."

Silence.

Hot irritation running through his veins, Chuuya walked up to the desk and reached out to swipe the papers.

"Goddamnit, Dazai I swear to-."

"Chuuya! Just stop it, alright? I know, but I need this… I have to… I have to fix this. This is all my fault and if I just… if I just…" Dazai's voice caught and his shoulders tensed. He looked almost vulnerable. "What if I'm finally losing it? In the past I've always been able to get out of nearly every situation I've ever been in, but now… Chuuya the people that I care about keep dying left and right and I… I don't know what to do anymore. Why don't I know what to do? Please, I can't do this… just tell me what to do. How do I fix this? Why doesn't anything make sense anymore?"

Worry pooled in Chuuya's gut. He cast his gaze to the side.

Words were failing him. He had no idea what to say and honestly, he didn't think that there truly was any answer that would ever satisfy Dazai's question.

So, he did the next best thing. He forced himself to be vulnerable too.

"You'll figure it out… I mean you always do. Ever since we were kids, you've always been one step ahead and it's always so fucking annoying... but not always in a bad way. You're probably the smartest person I've ever met and look Dazai, don't let that get to your fucking head. I mean that academically because in terms of common sense you're still a total idiot. It's just that I... I know you'll figure it out, okay? Just not today. Take a break today and then we can do this tomorrow. Together."

Dazai was quiet for a long time before he finally spoke again, sounding uncharacteristically small.

"What if I still fail?"

"Then you fail, but look Dazai, that's not gonna happen."

"But how do you know?"

"Because I trust you alright? I just know… I just know, because I... because I fucking lo-."

Chuuya's eyes widened and he shut his mouth before he could finish that sentence. That was stupid. He couldn't say something like that. How fucking idiotic could he be?

"Because you what?"

Panic raced through his chest, as he searched his mind for a convincing lie only to come up blank.

However, Chuuya was saved from answering that question as the sound of two gunshots piercing through the air sounded just beyond the door.

Instantly, the two of them shot into action, the conversation disappearing from their minds for the moment as they raced out of the room and into a horrific reality.

Ango was unnaturally still, as blood seeped from two bullet holes buried deep into his left shoulder and leg. Chuuya would've thought he was dead if not for the faintest rise and fall of his chest.

And then, there was him and his accomplices.

Fyodor Dostoevsky, Nikolai Gogol and Sigma.

The devil and his circle of demons.