Suribachi's vagabond (english vers)

Chapter 7 part 2 : Uprising

There was no way out.

The only exit was blocked by Kobayashi, and it only led to a room filled with enemies. They didn't stand a chance of making it out alive, the head of this organization was certain of that.However, unlike what he had planned, Kobayashi wasn't the trusted man he could rely on for his safety. He had shot his own superior, who collapsed to the floor with a muffled thud, followed by a long silence. No gunshot. The shot had been perfectly silent... preventing anyone outside the room from realizing what had just happened.

The silence was interrupted by the sound of Kobayashi's footsteps as he walked towards the desk.

He had a certain presence... maybe even an almost natural elegance, and that, even after committing murder, was undeniable. Yet, despite the distinguished aura he exuded, Toru felt far from reassured about what he might want from them. After all, he had just discreetly killed his superior, and the only witnesses to his act were her and Dazai. It would be extremely easy for him, once the office doors opened, to accuse them. What's more, knowing that he'd been chosen to guard his leader, it was clear that he was a trusted man, likely even his right hand. The rest of the organization would probably never suspect him... whereas eliminating Toru and Dazai without fearing repercussions from the Port Mafia was now entirely within his reach. Even if, in the best-case scenario, the mafia managed to crawl out of this mess, they could easily dismiss it as additional damage caused by those armored soldiers. Toru and Dazai understood this all too well. Moreover, using Toru's power against him to escape, knowing he was likely their best asset right now, wasn't a wise choice... it was better to keep that to themselves for now.

On the other hand, making such an accusation didn't seem to be his intention... No... He had been waiting for this moment for ages. Ambitious, he'd bided his time to end the reign of this repugnant man, to whom life had been far too kind. Patiently, he gained his trust, bit by bit, until he became the sword of Damocles poised to fall at the first opportunity... Surely, he sought to take over the throne on which the man had sat for far too long, wielding the power he had been unjustly granted with the utmost foolishness, like some grotesque beast lacking all intelligence.

So... what did Kobayashi want from them now?

The blond man crouched beside the man he had just killed, looking down at him with crimson eyes, a slight smile on his lips. That satisfied expression quickly gave way to irritation, even disgust, when he noticed that his shoes had been slightly stained by the blood seeping slowly onto the carpet. He sighed, stood up, and took the seat the deceased had occupied just moments before.

"No one will miss him, anyway..." he muttered with another sigh, resting his cheek against his fist and crossing his legs with perfect nonchalance as he settled in to face the two young people standing calmly before him. He widened his eyes, almost as if he had suddenly remembered their presence, before smiling again, his lips curving into a delicate smirk.

"You're looking for that English vessel that recently arrived, aren't you?"

Dazai smiled back, nodding slightly.

 "Indeed..." he said softly, his gaze darkening while keeping his smile as he addressed him.

Kobayashi chuckled lightly, tilting his head slightly, before reaching for an envelope on the desk. He pushed it gently across the surface with his gloved hand.

"Here's everything you're looking for,"
 he stated nonchalantly, his fingers resting subtly on the envelope, as if to signal that, naturally, there was a condition to his cooperation.

"You see..." he began softly, his gaze drifting between Dazai and Toru.

"I have no desire to oppose the Port Mafia. I only want one thing: for you to help me remain at the head of this organization and for a lasting alliance to exist between us once all of this is over."

Toru raised an eyebrow, starting to understand what he was implying.
"So, until then... you'll have a way to keep things under control?"

Kobayashi smiled even wider, finding the young woman's insight somewhat... delightful.
"I am fully capable of doing so... but for a limited time."

He let out an amused smile before continuing:
"You see, my power, The Factory Ship, allows me to create an oppressive industrial zone, forcing those within it to become obedient workers, gradually weakening them and allowing me to make them execute simple commands. The thing is, if a person resists long enough, they gain the ability to trigger a temporary revolt, increasing, to my dismay, their physical abilities significantly for a brief moment."

He paused, a darker smile on his lips.
"Well... if you want my opinion on the matter, the idea of a revolt against oppression doesn't exactly displease me."

He sighed, as if the thought of rebellion didn't bother him, then sat up slightly, a strange glint in his eyes.
 "That said, leading a band of broken wretches devoid of any sense of thought holds absolutely no interest for me."

"These idiots were loyal to their leader only for the illusion of gratuitous violence they could exercise freely," he added in a murmur, almost to himself. He seemed lost in thought again, as if the notion of social revolt amused him. After a few moments, he raised his head and fixed his gaze on Toru and Dazai, a slight smile on his lips.

"I give them a chance to prove their worth. Those who resist will be spared." He spoke these words as if in reflection, then focused on them for a moment, his eyes gleaming with a twisted satisfaction.

"So... what do you say? The Mafia would only benefit from this..."

Dazai let out a slight chuckle as Toru briefly glanced his way, exchanging a quick look with him as he approached the desk, his smile still plastered on his lips.

All things considered, she saw no downside. What's more, Kobayashi, though clearly calculating, didn't seem to have objectives opposing those of the Port Mafia. On the contrary, he seemed like a much more interesting ally than the idiot who had occupied his place moments earlier. He was simply using the situation to carry out what he had long been preparing... but in doing so, he was saving as much of his organization as possible. After all, he had to be fully aware that if the mafia made it out, the first thing they'd do would be to make them pay for letting those soldiers into the port.

Toru decided to stay back, leaving Dazai to handle the rest. After all, her position as the head of the hunting faction didn't make her a legitimate intermediary between the mafia and Kobayashi; Dazai was far better suited for this kind of negotiation... and, anyway, she was far too exhausted to engage in diplomacy.

Dazai moved towards the desk and gently took the envelope with his slender fingers, while Kobayashi's hand pulled away, his smile widening, almost as if to show his satisfaction. Now free of the envelope, his hand joined the other against which he'd rested his cheek, allowing him now to lean his chin on both clasped hands.Dazai opened it silently, tilting his head with curious eyes as he pulled out the paper inside. Everything was there, from the location, to the name, down to the smallest detail about the ship's equipment.

"Everything's here." He simply said, placing the paper back into the envelope before handing it to Toru, who took it silently, observing it quietly.

Kobayashi nodded before standing.
"I hope my services will be to your liking afterward as well..."
He said, casting a brief glance around with disdain.

"This office décor will really need a change... that old pig had absolutely no taste." He muttered aloud before realizing the implications of what he'd just said... though Toru wasn't the type to focus on such things and hadn't even noticed his slip.

The blond man quickly walked towards her and bowed respectfully, taking her hand delicately. "My apologies, I certainly didn't mean to include you, my dear." He murmured, bringing her hand close to his lips.

"May I?" He asked politely, waiting for an answer.

Toru froze, looking in Dazai's direction as if to ask what she should do... was it more diplomatically correct to kick him like she would anyone else, or should she politely decline?

Dazai, who had clearly noticed her gaze, tilted his head slightly, pretending not to understand what she was trying to convey to him... He seemed to want the situation she had found herself in to last a bit longer... No doubt, he found it amusing... maybe almost... cute to see her lose her composure over such a small thing, considering the cool-headedness that usually characterized her in much more... dangerous situations. She, who typically reacted so little, he relished seeing her with an expression other than that usual "neutral" look always plastered on her face.

Toru's expression crumbled at Dazai's reaction, making a mental note to return the favor at the first opportunity.

Kobayashi, who sensed her discomfort, let her hand slip from his fingers and straightened, elegantly placing his hand over his chest, a refined smile on his lips.

"Once again, I apologize. I had no intention of causing discomfort."
He said politely, opening the door for them.

"Nevertheless..." He continued, his voice soft.

"...I hope this alliance will be beneficial for us all." He said, as if to end this meeting on a better note than his previous misstep, which Toru wouldn't even have noticed if he hadn't mentioned it himself...

Dazai, struggling to regain his composure, nodded before leaving the premises with Toru, leaving Kobayashi to his fate, the sight of the body on display for all to see as the office door was opened...

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A little later, in the southern area of Yokohama's port.

Toru and Dazai were on their way to their destination: the boat with which their enemies had arrived. It was probably around noon, since the sun was now at its zenith... However, Toru didn't really focus on the discomfort caused by the day's heat, as her mind kept returning to what Kobayashi had said when they were still in the office.

"Do you think his ability will let him get away with it as planned?" she asked quietly.

Dazai, walking slightly ahead with his arms behind his head, stopped in his tracks, his expression suddenly curious as he turned to face her."Why do you—"

He suddenly started smiling mischievously."Oh... are you worried about your prince charming?"

Toru quickly raised her gaze, a grimace of disgust distorting her face."Excuse me?!"

Dazai chuckled softly."Sorry, it's just that I knew you'd make that face... and it was worth it,"
 he said, before stepping toward her with a faint smile on his lips.

"More seriously... why do you want to know?" he asked gently.

She shrugged, her gaze directed downward."I don't really know... I just wonder if his ability really allows him to do that. Who knows, an ability like that could be a threat," she explained softly.

"I see..." he said simply before taking her hand."Well... if it reassures you..."

He continued, bowing slightly, bringing his hand to his lips before placing a kiss on her delicate skin."If he does manage to escape, I can assure you, if you consent, that no one but me will be allowed such... familiarity, if that's what worries you."

Toru raised an eyebrow."Are you really trying to make up for what happened earlier?" she said, trying her best to hide the effect his gesture had on her for a brief moment.

Dazai smiled sheepishly, letting out a small laugh as he resumed walking.

"I'd try,"
he said, sighing deeply as they neared their destination, as if this moment reminded him of that little detail that wasn't working in his favor.

"We're almost there," he grumbled.

Toru nodded as they finally approached their target, the small ship now clearly visible... and moreover, matching the exact description in the document provided by Kobayashi.However, Toru's neutral expression suddenly darkened as she noticed something... the place was unguarded... could it be that...?!

Without wasting another moment, they reached the boat. However, there was no way to board from the dock. Toru then used her ability on herself to lift into the air, her expression darkening as she observed what had happened inside.

She descended a few moments later, her expression giving Dazai just enough of a hint for him to understand what she had seen...

"They've gotten ahead of us, haven't they?" he asked, a dark smile curling on his lips.

"Yes..." Toru replied with frustration.


"...They're all dead."

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