Bungo Stray Dogs - Volume 7 - Chapter 3

Phase.03

Chuuya’s and Dazai’s fists collided.

“Tell me who’s behind this!”

“No way!”

Chuuya swiftly closed in on Dazai without letting him finish his sentence, then unleashed a powerful downward kick. Dazai leaped into the air, evading the attack. He spun and used the momentum of his descent to swing his weapon down.

Chuuya raised his hands and blocked the black metal club, which was around the size of an adult male. The moment Dazai landed, Chuuya unleashed a flurry of punches.

“You really don’t know who did it, do you?!”

“No, I do. Unlike a certain little schoolboy.”

All Dazai could do was block the onslaught. He stepped back, retreating until he found himself trapped in a corner.

“Take this, and this, and this! You’ll never win in a fight if all ya do is block!”

Chuuya chose a high kick for his finisher—a powerful move that would launch his opponent into the air. However, Dazai wasn’t going to let this brief opening slip by.

“Ooh, too bad!”

He quickly pressed a button, making his on-screen character glow with energy. His metal club emitted a destructive beam of light that struck Chuuya’s character.

“What the…?! Wait—!”

But Chuuya’s shouting was drowned out by loud electronic sounds. The metal club kept swinging until countless rays of light filled the screen: attack, attack, attack, attack. The barrage of blows still didn’t stop. All Chuuya could do was watch in utter disbelief until his character eventually fell face-first on the ground, and the word VICTORY appeared over Dazai’s character’s head.

“I guess that’s that,” said Dazai. “Did you learn your lesson?”

“Damn it! One more match!”

Dazai and Chuuya were at an arcade downtown. The electronic sounds were vibrant; the customers, loud. The pair were seated at opposite arcade cabinets playing a fighting game against each other.

“I don’t mind playing another round, but you’re still not going to beat me. I’m good with my hands, after all,” Dazai boasted with a wave of his hand. “Anyway, it’s time for you to keep your end of the bargain. Loser has to obey one command like a dog, no matter how humiliating it may be. Now, what should I have you do?”

“Damn it… I was so confident I’d win…!”

After departing Randou’s estate, they found themselves with conflicting opinions. Chuuya insisted that they go straight to the enemy’s hideout while Dazai argued that they should thoroughly prepare to make the job easier. Their argument further escalated when Dazai wouldn’t say who was the mastermind behind the black flames. However, Mori had given them strict orders not to solve their problems through violence or threats.

Therefore, they picked what they deemed the fairest method of deciding things: arcade games. The loser would have to obey the winner no matter what.

They ended up playing close to a hundred matches, but that’s a story for another time.

“You must’ve bought that confidence of yours out of the bargain bin,” Dazai jeered, swinging from side to side in his chair. “You want to know why you lost? Because your skill is strong. It’s so strong that you never learn to be cunning and strategic. You’re stunted not only height-wise but mentally as well. That’s why you can’t win. Not in video games and not in a battle of wits, either.”

“‘A battle of wits’?” Chuuya glared at Dazai. “I don’t remember agreeing to something like that, and I sure as hell don’t remember losing any argument! You just claimed you know who did it. As if I’m gonna believe that!”

“Understandable. But you still haven’t figured out who’s behind all this, right?”

“…Huh?”

“Did you? Or did you not?”

“What do you think?” Chuuya averted his gaze, grimacing. “…Course, I…”

“Hmm? What was that?”

“…know, but…like…”

“What? I can’t hear you.”

“Of course I know who did it!” Chuuya snapped. “Stop actin’ like you’re so much smarter than me, ya twisted freak!”

“Ah, my apologies. Then let’s play a game. Whoever catches the perpetrator first wins. If you win, I’ll call off the bet we had. But if I win, you’re my dog for life.”

“Psh. You think you can scare me with a threat like that?” Chuuya eyed Dazai haughtily. “You’re only bluffin’ anyway. Whatever. Let’s do this. You think I can’t be crafty and strategic? Pfft. As if I’d show you what I’ve got up my sleeve.”

“That’s the spirit, little man. Quite a speech for someone who responded to cheap provocation. Here, let me give you some head pats.”

“Keep your filthy paws off me!”

Chuuya kicked Dazai’s hand away before he could touch his head. As always, he’d kept his own hands stuffed in his biker jacket the entire time.

“By the way,” Dazai suddenly added after observing Chuuya’s kick, “I still haven’t seen you fight with your hands yet. Even when you fought Hirotsu and the GSS, you only used kicks. Your hands are always in your pockets. Got a reason for that? Afraid of breaking a nail, perhaps?”

“Hell no. And who cares how I fight? It’s got nothing to do with you.”

“Aha. I see. So you’re being sloppy on purpose.” A know-it-all look appeared on Dazai’s face. “There seems to be some sort of internal contradiction here…or perhaps conflict. You never know what’s going to happen in a fight between two skill users. Just like how you had the advantage against Hirotsu, perhaps there’s a skill out there that rivals even yours. And you won’t know until you run into it. That’s why in our line of work, you never, ever let your guard down during random encounters. Of course, I’m the exception, since I can nullify skills… So what are you thinking when you fight? Why are you putting yourself at a disadvantage?”

“Mind your own damn business.” Chuuya averted his gaze.

“Then I’ll rephrase my question. Why are you looking for this powerful deity Arahabaki?”

“Because…” Chuuya started to say something, but he froze.

“Hmm? What’s wrong, Chuuya?”

Chuuya swiftly turned his back to Dazai, looked down, and pulled up his hood to hide his face.

“Don’t say my name!” he hissed in almost a whisper. “And don’t talk to me, either! Just quietly stare at the screen or something until they leave!”

“‘They’?”

Dazai looked around until he noticed two guys and one girl around their age at the entrance, surveying the arcade as if they were searching for something. There was nothing particularly unique about them; they were just ordinary kids one would expect to see downtown. Each one of them, however, had a blue band around their right wrist.

“Those blue bracelets they’re wearing… That means they’re members of the Sheep.”

Dazai stared at the three teenagers, then at Chuuya, who still had his back turned to him.

“Is there a reason you’re avoiding them?”

“You think this looks like a good time for me to run into them?!”

“Oh… Now I get it.”

Dazai put a thumb to his chin and pondered for a quick moment before a faint smirk made its way to his face. He then shouted:

“Come on, Chuuya! We’ve got work to do! Boss’s orders!”

“You piece of shit!” Chuuya squeaked furiously. The three teenagers’ faces lit up almost at once.

“Chuuya! Phew… We finally found you! We’ve been looking for you everywhere!”

The trio waved at Chuuya as he let out a deep sigh. He then put on a composed expression and walked over to them.

“Hey, guys. Looks like you’re all okay. Thank goodness.” He spoke in a mature voice. There wasn’t a hint of unease on his stony visage.

“What are you doing goofing off around here?” The silver-haired guy in the middle pouted. “You know that Akira and Shougo and the others got abducted by the Mafia, right?!”

“Don’t worry,” Chuuya replied impassively. “I’m taking care of it. I’ll get all eight of ’em back safe and sound.”

“You’re ‘taking care of it’? In an arcade…? They’re talking about you back home, y’know. They say you’re the Mafia’s errand dog now! Do you have any idea how hard I’ve been working to dispel those rumors? I—ahem. Fine, whatever. Just break into wherever the Mafia’s keeping them and kick some ass! Like you always do!”

Dazai’s eyes sparkled. He appeared to be quietly enjoying the Sheep’s conversation.

“First things first,” said Chuuya. “Hear any new rumors about Arahabaki?”

“Huh? Oh…” The silver-haired teen exchanged a troubled glance with his friends. “Of course, we’re looking into it. We’re tracking all the rumors and trying to find out where they’re coming from, but there’s been a lotta talk these past two weeks especially. Rumors about people seeing the black flames or the old Mafia boss have been spreading like the plague. Before that, there were just lots of bits and pieces of information—barely even whispers…”

Dazai suddenly chimed in. “Then what’s the oldest verifiable rumor?”

Everyone stared at him.

“Yo… Chuuya? Who’s this guy? He lookin’ to join us?”

“Yeah…something like that.” Chuuya glared at Dazai, then returned his gaze to the Sheep. “Just tell him what he wants to know. Sorry.”

“Uh, fine…”

Although clearly not thrilled about the idea, the silver-haired teen looked back and forth between Dazai and Chuuya before explaining. “The oldest rumor of any definitive damage is probably the one from eight years ago: the giant explosion that created Suribachi City at the end of the conflict. There’s nothing about Arahabaki’s destruction before that.”

“I knew it…” Dazai nodded with a knowing look.

“Hey, Chuuya. Is this guy really a new Sheep member? You know you’re not allowed to bring new people in without approval first. I get that you’re the strongest and you contribute the most to the group, but you’re still technically just one of thirteen Council members. Doesn’t help that a lot of people already think you overstep your authority. Plus—”

“I know,” interrupted Chuuya in a deep voice.

“You do? …Guess I shouldn’t worry, then. Who cares what the others are saying anyway? Everyone depends on you, and that’s the only thing that matters.”

The silver-haired boy lightly clapped Chuuya on the shoulder.

“Now, let’s hurry back and come up with a plan to save our friends. They got kidnapped on the factory road across the river. I was actually there too, but I managed to hide until the enemy left.”

“Hang on. You went to the factory road?” Chuuya asked sharply. “Did you go to steal booze again? This is war, ya know! And you got that close to the Mafia’s base?! That’s like begging to be kidnapped!”

“Quit yelling.” The boy frowned. “It’s not like we went to kill anyone. We’re only acting in self-defense just like the rules say. Besides, isn’t this our chance? The Sheep always get their revenge. You lay a finger on us—we pay you back double. Right?”

“Yeah, but—”

“Chuuya, you’re always telling us that anyone who got dealt a different hand in life has a responsibility to fulfill. So you gotta use your powers to help us fix things!”

The silver-haired boy tried pulling Chuuya by the shoulder. “Now, c’mon! Let’s go!”

Clap. Clap. Clap. A sudden round of applause.

“I’m impressed.”

It was Dazai. His lips curled into a smile as he continued his leisurely clapping.

“You guys are fascinating to watch. Chuuya’s got all that berserk firepower, but here he’s like a sheep getting stared down by a wolf. It seems that leading an organization is more difficult than I’d ever imagined. Maybe I oughta give Mori a shoulder massage when I get back.”

“You little suicide-obsessed—”

“Listen, Sheep—you can’t take Chuuya with you. He has a job to do. Port Mafia’s orders.”

“Excuse me?” The silver-haired boy glared at Dazai. “You talking about the rumor? I literally just said it was bullshit. Plus, no way Chuuya would never submit to the Mafia…”

He looked over at Chuuya, but his leader’s heavy expression seemed to make him suspicious.

“Seriously?” the boy muttered, taking his hand off Chuuya. He then stepped back incredulously. “Chuuya, this is some kind of joke, right? Or part of a plan, at least? Like you’re trying to destroy the Mafia from the inside or something?”

“No, it’s true,” Chuuya replied firmly with a shake of his head. “The Mafia’s boss isn’t joking around. Outsmarting him ain’t no picnic, either. Doesn’t help that I’m being watched.”

“You’re being watched?”

Chuuya stared pointedly at Dazai. After a few seconds went by, the Sheep appeared to realize what he meant and instinctively recoiled.

“By this kid…?!”

The three Sheep took a few steps back. Although they had clashed with the Mafia a few times before, this was their first time meeting someone who reported directly to its boss.

“Yep,” said Dazai. “Nice to meet you all.”

“Ch-Chuuya! What’re you doing just standing there?! This guy works for the Port Mafia’s boss, right? Kick his ass and tie him up! Then we can exchange him for— Wait. Actually, just kill him.”

“Oh my. That took a dark turn.” Dazai raised his hands playfully. “I give up. I can’t take on four people at once. I’ll do anything you want me to. Just please don’t kill me. Hmm… Oh, I know. I could ask Mori to release the hostages.”

“…What?”

Despite their bewilderment, Dazai took a cell phone out of his pocket, pressed a few numbers, and put it against his ear. “Hey, Mori? How goes it? That stomach ulcer still bothering you? …Oh, I see. Getting bigger, huh?”

He sounded amused. “The job’s going smoothly. We’re just wrapping things up. About that—I actually wanted to ask you a favor. Do you think you could release the Sheep hostages? Uh-huh. Yep. Immediately. Unharmed. Don’t worry. I’m doing things just like you taught me… All right. Later.”

Dazai pressed a button, then stuffed the phone back into his pocket. “The hostages should be free now.”

The Sheep exchanged baffled glances.

“Wait, wait, wait. You’re telling me this punk has the authority to release hostages? He sounded like the one giving orders there.”

The silver-haired boy still looked doubtful until he eventually checked his phone, and his eyes opened wide.

“Hey…! He was tellin’ the truth! I just got an email saying everyone’s back home safe!”

The three Sheep rejoiced. Chuuya glared at Dazai questioningly.

“What are you scheming?” he demanded. “What was that?”

“A gesture of friendship.” Dazai wore a mysterious smirk. “Now, let’s go. We’ve got a job to finish.”

“Oh, you do? Ha!” The silver-haired boy laughed as if Dazai were an idiot. “Chuuya’s not gonna help the Mafia with any work. You lost your bargaining chip when you released the hostages!” He tugged at Chuuya’s arm. “C’mon, Chuuya. Let’s go! Everyone’s waiting for us!”

But Chuuya didn’t budge.

“…Hello?”

“Sorry, but you guys go back without me.” Chuuya shook his head.

“Huh? …What’re you talking about?”

“I’m gonna capture the enemy.” Chuuya’s expression was stiff.

“But, like, you were just being threatened by the Mafia, right?” The boy wore a forced smile. “You’ve got a more important job to do now: revenge. It’s time to make the people who kidnapped Akira and the others pay. We already know who’s behind it: an assault group called Black Lizard. They’re strong, but they’re no match for you. Come on—we’re leaving.”

The silver-haired Sheep grabbed Chuuya’s shoulder and pulled, but Chuuya still didn’t move. Not even an inch.

“Chuuya, seriously. This is getting old.”

“Arahabaki comes before that.” It looked as if Chuuya had forgotten how to move the muscles in his face. “I already made a bet with this guy to see who’d find it first, and I’m not gonna let him win.”

“Who cares about some stupid bet?!” the silver-haired boy shouted. “What’s gotten into you? Seriously. Everyone’s waiting for you to give this enemy a beatdown! That’s the only way we Sheep can protect our turf! We’ve only made it this far because everyone knows they can’t mess with us! And you’re just gonna throw all that away ’cause of some stupid bet?”

“That’s enough, little lamb,” Dazai chimed in. “Chuuya can decide for himself how he wants to use his powers. And he found something more important than protecting you all. You should be happy for him.”

The Sheep stared at Chuuya in disbelief.

“Chuuya, you can’t be serious about this. We won’t be able to fight back without you. Our turf’s gonna get swiped before the week’s over! Don’t tell me that…” The silver-haired boy took a step back. “That the rumors were true? Did you betray us? …You’re really gonna join the Mafia if you finish this job, just like they’re saying?”

“The Mafia has nothing to do with this. This is my own problem.”

“Really? Then can you prove that?”

“He can’t. All you can do is trust him,” Dazai interjected once more. “Isn’t that enough? You’re friends, right? …Now, come on. It’s time for you to go.”

After realizing there was no use in arguing, the three Sheep reluctantly left, occasionally looking back at Chuuya’s unflinching expression.

“You better not forget who took you in when you showed up outta nowhere without a soul to turn to, Chuuya: us Sheep and no one else,” the silver-haired boy said as he departed. “So fulfill what you were meant to do. Take responsibility for the hand you were dealt. You’re the one who always says that, not us. This is the responsibility of someone who was dealt a good hand in life. Maybe you oughta think real hard about that one more time.”

Chuuya didn’t respond. He simply watched silently as the Sheep left him in their wake.