Bungo Stray Dogs Oneshots

Akutagawa Drabble - A Fear No Longer

Title - A Fear No Longer

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Character - Akutagawa Ryuunosuke

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Type - drabble

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TW: mentions of death, mild violence, mentions of bad living conditions.

Some people fear it, others revel in it. It depends on who you are, really. Your perception of death depends on what your mindset is. If you want to live and value your life, then you'll fear death or dislike it. If you hate your life and find no use in it, you'll want to die and maybe even revel in it. Sometimes views can change due to harsh conditions and experiences. That's what happened for one male.

Akutagawa Ryuunosuke, growing up, learned to forget about his fear of dying. He never feared it due to how close he was to death every day. He suffered through poverty, starvation, abandonment, and a lack of proper care. His sister, their friends, and himself were orphans. They were homeless and they needed someone to help them, however, help didn't always come that easily. They worked for their fills and they toiled through hours of work in exchange for food, clothing, a bath, and other things. The farmers they lived by were kind enough.

Life, in itself, was hard enough for them but there were also people to be weary of. Once, someone came to their group and attempted to kidnap one of them. In this event, Akutagawa found his ability. He'd killed the attacker in cold blood that night and people in the area began to learn about what skill he possessed. People feared him, yes, but he didn't mind. Gin and their friends didn't either. They saw it as a way to protect their little group.

They continued living like this for a long time. The group eventually got used to working for their fills and they were loyal to each other. Ryuunosuke, Gin, and a few other kids grew to become the main defenders of the group. They lost their fear of evil men because of Ryuunosuke's ability. However, something new instilled that fear one day.

It was their friends' slaughter. Gin and Ryuunosuke saw it unfold one night and they couldn't stop it. A small battle ensued, people shouting and around five gunshots being fired. There wasn't much damage to their assailants but all of the two siblings' friends had been killed that day. Those two were the final survivors. They ran away and as they ran, a feeling burned within Ryuunosuke. He hated those people. He wanted revenge. He wanted their blood to spill.

Several months later, Ryuunosuke devised a plan to get revenge. Going on the cover of darkness, Akutagawa headed out to kill his friends' murders. However, much to his disappointment, he found that his plan had already been done by a man named Osamu Dazai. Dazai took the two siblings in and raised them in the Port Mafia. That was where Ryuunosuke lost his fear of death indefinitely.

Harsh training, countless times of being on the verge of passing out due to exhaustion, being shot at on multiple occasions, and being tormented on a regular basis changed him. He became a killer, an assassin, someone who takes life and brings death in it's place. He assumed Death's position. He slaughtered and killed. He brought results. He lost his fear of death by becoming death itself.

That's how he overcame that fear. Be careful now, those who may read this. You'll never know when death, in the form of Akutagawa Ryuunosuke, will appear at your door. Pray that you'll never have to meet it in that form but if you do, pray that it'll end quickly. Don't ask for suffering.

Be careful and fear Akutagawa Ryuunosuke, one of the many personifications of Death.