Bsd meets beast Bsd

Chapter 27 (Chapter 3 part 1 in the novel)

My name is Sakunosuke Oda.

"I thought it was Albert Einstein." Tachihara said which made Tanizaki, Atsushi, Kenji and Ranpo laugh.

"I swear to god Tachihara, Ill fry you in the air fryer for 20 minutes at 180 degrees if you don't shut up." Gin said (A/N - Anybody get the reference?)

 I'm a detective with the Armed DetectiveAgency. Some say the quickest way to get to know someone is to find outwhat they do for work. They may have a point, but that rule doesn't applyto me. Why? Because I don't have the mentality or the talent to be adetective. I'm just an ordinary, worn-out guy. Nothing more than a two-bitagent. No different from a cigarette butt on the ground. 

"At least you're self aware. That is a good thing." Chuuya said scoffing. After all he never liked the man who made Dazai leave port mafia. 

"Thank you?" I came out more like a question from Oda's mouth.

Two years ago, I solved the "Azure Apostle" case and joined thedetective agency. I can still remember those days like it was yesterday. Onemoment, everything was leaning to the right, then the next, everything wasleaning to the left. The case was rocky, so I grabbed onto the closest thing Icould, and it took everything I had just to hold on and wait it out. It wasmere coincidence that I was able to solve the case. Beginner's luck.Nevertheless, I managed to solve it, which meant I passed the test. Eversince then, I've been solving whatever cases the agency throws at me tomake a living. I take care of orphans, drink coffee, and on my days off, I doa little gambling before writing novels in the kitchen at night. 

"Guess some people don't change no matter what universe they are in." Mori said smoothly. 

That's mylife. It's a humble, cozy life. Nothing to brag about, but I like it.Today's work at the agency was a little peculiar, though.

"Peculiar? Aren't all ADA cases like that?" Yosano asked

"More peculiar than usual I guess." Atsushi replied.

 I was walking down the shopping arcade to meet someone. It was almostnightfall. Everyone was quietly coming and going like creatures of the deepsea as the orange evening sun sank into the horizon. There was a stain at theend of the pavement where someone threw up last night.

"Ew" a lot of people in the room said.

 A young man'ssilver bicycle passed by me, its wheels lit up like some sort of spacecraft.The townscape was the color of dingy coffee jelly. I just couldn't bringmyself to hate this place.My job today had to do with the new recruit Akutagawa. He'd brokeninto the Port Mafia's headquarters, an underground organization that hadspread its roots deep within this city. Saying he had a few screws loosewould be putting it lightly. 

"I appreciate the compliment." Beast Akutagawa said sarcastically.

"You can't blame me after reading my thoughts without my consent." Oda defended. 

He might as well have smashed his bones with ahammer and fed them to the wolves. That would've made more sense thaninfiltrating the Mafia's headquarters. Incidentally, I was the one who'dinvited him to join the detective agency.Once again, I'd shot myself in the foot. As always. At this point, it hadbecome a bad habit I just couldn't shake, so all I could do was accept it. 

"Oh wow. Your faith in me is absolutely mindblowing." Beast Akutagawa said again to which Oda had no comebacks. 

What I needed to do now, however, was worry about the new recruit, sincehe was a hundred times more messed up in the head than me.The new guy—Akutagawa—was a powerful skill user who had beenthrough hell and back many times. If anyone was capable of penetratingPort Mafia's defenses and reuniting with their sister, it was Akutagawa.But that's the end of the line for him. Akutagawa would never be able toget his old life back. Port Mafia was like the night breeze that blew throughthe darkest areas of this city. Not even a single back alley or gutter was outof their reach. 

Hearing this, all the mafia members looked smug.

"Oh great now their head is more inflated with ego than usual." Ranpo muttered.

Even if Akutagawa managed to get his sister back and escapetheir headquarters, Port Mafia would find them, hang them upside down,and parade them through the streets. They would slit the siblings' throats,put them on hooks, and show everyone what happens to those who opposethe Mafia.That was why the president gave me orders to rescue them—to makesure Akutagawa saved his sister's life and they returned to the agencysafely. My job was to help them after they escaped.There was no way the Mafia would let either Akutagawa or his sister go.It'd make them look bad. If they let an intruder like Akutagawa go free,they'd just seem weak to anyone outside the Mafia, and if they let his sisterleave, they'd appear weak to those inside the organization. 

"You seem to understand our ways very well detective." Mori said.

"I pride myself in having good observation skills." Oda replied politely while the older hummed.

Money orprivileges weren't enough to wipe the slate clean. What could we do, then?After much consideration, I came to a single conclusion: Threaten them. 

"Bold of you to assume that will shake us." Chuuya said with a dangerous edge to his voice. 

That was the only way. Tell the Mafia that I was going to give thegovernment information on them that would sink them for good. Then, inreturn for this information, they would promise to leave Akutagawa alone.To do this, however, I needed help from someone on the inside. It couldn'tbe just any collaborator, though. It had to be someone who played a pivotalrole in the Mafia. Ideally, someone who worked close to the heart of theirmoney. After all, money was like blood to the organization, and a livingcreature can't survive if you pump poison into its bloodstream.I investigated and tracked criminals working underground until I found"the one": a Mafia accountant who handled their finances.

"You must be foolish to think that will help you." Koyou said.

"Doesn't hurt to try." replied Oda.

 He was an oldman who'd worked for years as the organization's safe keeper bylaundering their money. His hobbies included bonsai and chess. He'd askedto meet at an old bar in a back alley. 

"The bar is there too?" Chuuya asked. It was a dear place to all mafia members.

It was nightfall, and the bar still wasn't open yet, but the wooden doorwas ajar—maybe he'd pulled some strings for us. I walked through thedoorway and began descending the staircase. The dark, dry staircase to thebasement made me feel as if I were going back in time. I could faintly hearjazz music coming from the bar.The inside was as cramped as a shoebox and quiet. A counter, barstools,various brands of bottled liquor lined up against the wall—but no bartender.The man I was planning to meet was already sitting in the back.

"That doesn't seem like an old man." Kenji pointed out.

 Hestared despondently at his liquor-filled glass while running his fingeraround the rim. I blinked. 

"...Who are you?" 

It wasn't the old man who was sitting there.The person raised his head when he heard my voice and looked up at methrough his long eyelashes. His lips curled into a smile so subtle I thought Iwas maybe imagining things. 

"Hey, Odasaku. Long time no see," said the young man wearing a blackovercoat. "Still too early to have a drink?" 

"Oh things seem to get more interesting here." Fyodor said smirking, knowing that he was close to getting his answers.

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