★彡[ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴏɴᴇ ʟᴏᴠᴇꜱ ᴄʜᴜᴜʏᴀ]彡★

The One With Atsu, Aku, And That Guy They Punched

He's actually going to do it.

Atsushi was all too familiar with that look of murderous intent. He hadn't seen that particular emotion on Akutagawa's face in such a long time. But still, there was no mistaking that it was  that very same cast from when they first met.

The expression was not only hateful, but merciless. Like Atsushi were no one and nothing. Like he could be cut down without a second thought or single regret.

The best way to escape from this situation would be to transform. At once and immediately. But in addition to his headache, Atsushi was also feeling incredibly drained. He wasn't entirely sure what was happening, but a part of him had understood that he was in the process of prying something off of his brain. 

All in all, he was in no condition to fight.

Dazai's words echoed in Atsushi's head:

He's not exactly himself right now.

What had his senior meant by that? Was Akutagawa in a state similar to Atsushi's? Or to put it more accurately, in the state that Atsushi had been in moments earlier? That would make more sense -- because at the moment, while Atsushi was worn and depleted in strength, Akutagawa was brimming with hostile energy.

What should I do?

It was evident that Atsushi wasn't getting anywhere with his struggling, so that didn't leave him with many other options.

"Akutagawa..." he managed to wheeze, "...you don't want to do this."

Akutagawa's face was a mask, "Yes I do. If you're out to hurt Chuuya, then you're no more but a blight on this world, devoid of the right to live."

Devoid of the right to live. Akutagawa knew exactly what words hurt the most, huh? 

Perfect! 

That must mean the real him was still inside there somewhere!

"If you kill me, Dazai would never approve of you."

"Dazai? Who cares what Dazai thinks? "

"You! You do! You always have!"

Akutagawa didn't say anything. But he also didn't slice Atsushi's throat open, so that had to be some progress.

"You...you used to be under his command, remember?"

"So? It wasn't Chuuya's command."

"He trained you, he protected you-"

Atsushi felt bile rise in his throat, "...and then he left you. Without so much as a word. And he knows the only thing that'll ever give you any validation in life is his praise, but he refuses to spare any. And then, worst of all, he chose someone else to take under his wing. Me."

He felt sick speaking so badly of Dazai.

But Dazai was never going to be the same man to Akutagawa as he was to Atsushi. And Atsushi was going to have to use that.

"He did leave, didn't he?" Akutagawa mumbled, "...and he set a bomb underneath Chuuya's car! I'll be killing him next after you."

The bladed tendril wound back.

"Goodbye."

Reminding him of Dazai hadn't worked?! That left Atsushi at a loss. Akutagawa's obsession with earning Dazai's praise was practically his sole character trait.

The tendril came streaking forward.

"You promised me that you wouldn't kill anyone!"

The tendril stopped. The tip had already pierced skin, a single bead of blood trickling down the curve of Atsushi's neck and welling in his collarbone.