Wilted Flower ~ Chuuya x Non-Binary Reader

Chapter 29

Y/n POV:
'Now that I'm thinking about it, how did Fukuchi manage to cut off Atsushi's leg without using his space-time sword? It doesn't make any sense...'

I'm pulled from my thoughts when I notice red smoke coming from the front of the ship.

'That's the signal.'

"Akutagawa," I say, signaling that it's time to go.

"Go on ahead. I'll be right there," he says as I nod and quickly change out of my disguise so I can be by Atsushi's side as fast as possible.

'Alright. I got this. I've imagined several different scenarios and outcomes over and over again, and how they might be altered by Fukuchi's space-time sword.'

'I'm prepared for anything.'

Atsushi POV:
'I'm scared. I'm not afraid of the enemy. I'm not afraid of pain. I'm afraid of being alone. I was always alone in the orphanage. But now, I'm so afraid of loneliness. The Detective Agency members were separated because of the Decay of the Angel incident. I thought I was alone. But Kyouka-chan was beside me. And then, Francis, Y/n-san, Ango-san, and Lucy-chan helped me. But now, I'm really alone. Somebody, anybody, please, fight alongside me.'

"I'm here. You're not alone, Atsushi," a voice speaks out from behind me.

I turn my head to be met with Y/n kneeling down to my level with a comforting smile on their face, this being the first time that I've seen their face without the mask covering their mouth. The rest of their outfit was the same.

"Y/n-san... you... you're here," I say in disbelief.

"Yup. I made a promise, didn't I?" they say, keeping their same smile.

"I see you have a companion. You know, a flash of the sword creates pain. And a flash can end it. I'll put the both of you at ease," Fukuchi says.

Y/n POV:
"You won't need to do that. For every time that weretiger is plunged into suffering, he returns as an even more troublesome enemy. And Y/n has gone through many struggles as well, eventually reaching the title of executive despite never having killed anyone. That is the extent of their strength," I hear Akutagawa say, indicating that he was finally here.

"Akutagawa?! You're here too?!" Atsushi asks in shock.

"I'm only here on Dazai-san's orders, same as Y/n," he says while jumping down from the arch he was previously standing on. "To collect information, detected by neither friend nor foe. To never aid unless a smoke signal is seen. Those were his orders."

"Ranpo-san's smoke flare! Ranpo-san predicted that, too?" Atsushi says.

"And another one! This one looks like even more of a pain in the ass to shut up than the previous one," Fukuchi says.

"I have no intention of revealing your identity to the outside," Atkutagawa says.

"Is that so?" Fukuchi questions.

"My job is to feed the fish. I'll be sending you into the ocean minced. The meat of a mastermind ought to be quite nourishing," Akutagawa says, later sending three blades from below the ground to attack Fukuchi but he was able to dodge them by jumping backwards.

"What an insolent Gifted you are! Can't you see that I'm your senior!" Fukuchi shouts.

"All lives are equal," Akutagawa replies.

'That line doesn't feel right in this context.'

"Why are you always like this? You should be escaping to report the truth!" Atsushi shouts.