Ambivalent • DazaixReaderxChūya

6. Purpose

New blood drips from your shoulder, a sharp black dagger made of cloth ripping through you, red energy surrounding it. You gasp at the now familiar searing pain, similar wounds covering your whole body by now. You are drowning in the stench of your own blood, Akutagawa's insults repeating over and over in your head.

You don't know how long it's been since you agreed to stay with the Port Mafia, but you are sure it hasn't been more than 2 weeks. In those days, you have been training non-stop under Chūya, but there were days when he wouldn't be there, off on his own mission, and it was other mafia dog's turns to rough you up.

Today, it was Akutagawa's turn, and oh how much he enjoyed it.

While you have gotten much faster, and much more versatile with guns (your preferred weapon, thanks to a training session with Higuchi), you were still no match for this demon. Akutagawa knew that, and he took full advantage of it. He would never let you get close enough for you to use your ability on him, and he moved just fast enough that you only escaped his Rashomon either in the nick of time, or not at all. Mostly not at all. Your bullets could never pierce him, while all he did was catch you again and again.

You cough up blood as Akutagawa retreats his ability, hands and knees both on the ground, your usually neat [h/c] hair plastered against you in knots, crimson red tainting its colour. Your black training attire was ripped in almost all areas, and your face had new cuts carved deep. Yes, you are in pain, but you are also exhausted and starving, but you can not let anyone see you in such a state. You must always look stronger than you feel.

Akutagawa, however, sees right through you.

"I thought you'd be a bit more fun after spending so much time with the others, especially Chūya, a Port Mafia executive." He sighs, hands in his pockets, far from tired. "Have they really taught you so little? No wonder they haven't let you out of this building yet. They should have just left you to die. The weak are meant to die to make way for the strong"

That word again. Weak. He never lets it go, like he has something to prove.

With difficulty, you get up, one hand putting pressure on your shoulder and the other handing loose, trying to keep yourself steady. You're shaking, using everything in you to stop your knees from giving way.

"You...are just as miserable as I am...if you need to harass me to find some meaning to your life when you aren't killing." You say with so much loathing that even Akutagawa's usual angry face distorts with genuine surprise.

"I will not die, I will not let someone as empty as you win." You continue, breathing heavily as you walk forward.

Akutagawa looks you over, and you can no longer read his face, which scared you more than when he looked at you with hatred.

You keep going towards him, reaching for his arm before a part of his Rashomon wraps around both of your wrists keeping you back. Your [e/c] eyes meet his grey ones steadily, pain erupting through your weakened shoulder as Rashomon starts slithering up your arms, grip tightening and pulling them down behind you.

"You best get to the infirmary, it would be a shame if all of Chūya's time bled out on the floor and died feebly." Akutagawa says softly but with a harsh tone, his face inches from yours before he straightens out and throws you to the side, letting your arms go. He then pauses at the doorway and looks back at you. "But then again, maybe it would finally shut his arrogant ass up."

-❦-

After making your way out of the dark and cold room used to train you, you make it to your room instead of the infirmary as you usually did, determined to fix yourself up. You didn't want anyone else to see how beaten up you always looked after going against one mafia superior.