The moment his phone went to voicemail for the third time in a row, Dazai knew something was amiss. After their failed divulgence conference with Akutagawa, Dazai looked for other ways to help his former subordinate, such as turning his efforts towards finding the culprit for the boy's current condition. In the meantime, he'd provide Akutagawa with the much needed alone time to gather his thoughts and hope, when he was ready, he would reach out to Chuuya. His husband was always better at dealing with the emotional side of things, which was true even when they were teens. If there was anyone who could support Akutagawa in his time of need, Chuuya would be the best to lean on. Dazai had already tried to be a rock to lean on but after his secrets were revealed, that dissolved trust probably crumbled along with his lies. He was unsuccessful in his attempts to console the child through such a world changing declaration, so he hoped Chuuya would be able to pick up where he failed. Once Dazai had found a clue or anything that may help Akutagawa, he had promised Chuuya he'd call and that was what he was doing... yet no answer.

Three miscalls. Three miscalls. THREE MISCALLS! Chuuya never let it drag on to three. His husband was fast on his feet so, given the slim chance his phone was far away, he'd still be able to easily answer by the time the third call came, yet he was sent to voicemail once more. Hearing that overly nostalgic ringtone of teenage Chuuya cursing him out for the third time in a row made Dazai want to drop his phone in fear. If Chuuya wasn't able to answer it by now something must've gotten him seriously tied up, but how? Chuuya was an expert fighter and rarely let anyone take him by surprise, and even in battle he managed to answer the phone. Dazai had vivid memories of Chuuya answering many calls from the boss, whilst midfight, and not giving any signs he was otherwise preoccupied... so why were his calls left unanswered?

An immense wave of fear fell over him, suffocating Dazai from every side. His eyes widened and his heart raced all whilst his mind went into a panic. Chuuya wasn't answering the phone.... but he always answered the phone. Dazai's breathing started to pick up in pace as his thoughts turned darker and darker in his mind. Chuuya's been attacked.... no worse caught off guard so no chance of picking up the phone or was their an attempt to call him. What if this happened a while ago? Chuuya is missing! Was he hurt? Has he been missing for a while....probably-  Akutagawa! The kid was alone with Chuuya, if Chuuya's gone so is he. His family is missing! That fact violently dawned on Dazai, very abruptly, and he found himself having to hold onto the wall or else he felt like he would fall to the ground. The world was collapsing in on itself and Dazai was stuck in the eye of the storm with no way out. He was alone. Isolated. Lost. Those he cared for deepest had vanished within a blink of an eye and Dazai was struggling to process it all. His breathing was becoming nearly nonexistent, and his heart was beating at an impeccable speed. The sound of his heartbeat echoed in his ears, and his rushed breaths sent ricochets through his body. Everything was vanishing around him; it was all falling apart. Soon it was just him and the wall. A single wall became his lifeline. Dazai felt if he dared to let go, he too would vanish. Perhaps that would be preferable to this current hell. Simply falling and vanishing from this world. Maybe Dazai should give it a try and with that he let go and fell.

Yet he didn't vanish. He felt the hard ground push against his knees but even more he felt a pair of reassuring hands hold him up. A rope of kindness was keeping ahold of him, preventing Dazai from vanishing from this world. Looking up at his saviour Dazai saw a soft ray of calmness radiate from a gentle smile. The gentle smile of his mentee. Sweet Atsushi was holding Dazai up by the shoulders, providing a solid pillar of support to keep him standing. Dazai felt his breathing steady to a normal pattern and his heart slowly regulated itself into a peaceful rhythm. Seeing his student come to him in his time of need lit a flame of hope; a message that told him that this wasn't the end. Atsushi had given him a life ring when he was drowning in the ocean of despair and he'll gladly take it. Dazai will take that life ring and use it to bring him back to safety, land where his sanity awaited. Time still moved on whilst Dazai fell apart and that was time he could have used productively. Chuuya and Akutagawa are missing, so what? Dazai is a tactical genius and someone has just messed with the people he cares about. He wasn't a demon prodigy for nothing. Whoever took his loved ones should make their final wishes because when Dazai finds them, they will regret ever being born. Dazai was done with wallowing in self pity and fear. With the aid of a supporting friend, he found his footing once more and with this newfound determination Dazai would be sure to enact his vengeance.

 Getting off his feet, Dazai brushed his clothes and patted Atsushi on the back,

"Come on Atsushi, time to get to work!" Dazai commanded, flashing a devilish smile as he marched back to the Agency.

      ⚪⚪⚪

Darkness. In a small room, hidden somewhere unknown, every corner was surrounded by it. There was a dim bulb illuminating the shadowy cell, besides that there were no other forms of light. The cell was cold. Frosty air creeped in through the gaps in the bricks. The bricks themselves dripped water from condensation. The slow repetitive drip was on a continuous loop, going on to the point it could make someone go mad. The bars of the cell were the sole thing in the cell that was maintained and appeared in a new condition. It was a shiny metal, impossible to break, and beyond its cold, hard bars was an abyss of black. The place was the perfect home for the monsters that lurked in one's nightmares, and was the ideal place to scar vulnerable kids. Anyone could tell that from one look at the place, and no one knew that better than the man who'd been sat in here for hours. Chuuya Nakahara sat in the middle of the cell on high alert, just as he'd been for all the hours that had passed.

It was deathly silent. Chuuya could hear nothing but their hushed breaths and the ongoing drip, but even then that felt too much. This place gave off an aura that silence was all that was accepted and nothing else was welcome. His body was stiffly frozen, fearing the consequences if he dared make a sound. The hairs on his body were standing upright in attention and his heartbeat was running out of control. This desolate room was bringing up memories from a childhood long forgotten... and it was forgotten for a good reason. It was a place of fear and torture, locked in a cell or locked in a lab, with experiments constantly performed. They were memories he much preferred hidden away, to never be seen again, yet when trapped in a location that all but mirrored one of his nightmares, it was terribly hard to ignore those dreams. However, Chuuya knew he didn't have the privilege to succumb to fear. He had to get control of his emotions in order to ensure his safety. He's done it before. Back then he was just sixteen and still didn't manage to avoid torture but he managed to free himself. This time he wouldn't let it go that far, not just because he doesn't want it to but because he can't allow it. This time he wasn't the only one at risk of harm.

Laying beside him, even now unconscious, was the still fourteen year old Akutagawa. The poor boy was thrown in here not long after him but was still yet to wake. Perhaps, in a bitter turn of fate, this was for the better. If maybe Akutagawa had been hit so hard he'd been knocked into a coma that wouldn't necessarily be terrible, because it meant he wouldn't have to face the reality of their situation. Waking up in an unknown place, where their safety wasn't confirmed, wasn't ideal for any child, but for a kid from the slums who finally got a taste of comfort and safety, for all that to suddenly be thrown away and, to make matters worse, end up in a harsher place, the pain that brought was a pain Chuuya never desired for the young teen to experience. Akutagawa had already had one life changing truth to face, he didn't need another on top of that. A dangerous turn of events is never a reality a child should wake up to. Sadly, that was what they had been given and Chuuya could only pray Akutagawa would be saved for even a minute longer.

As the seconds passed and Akutagawa remained asleep, Chuuya tried his best to protect the defenseless child. The redhead had gathered the boy onto his lap and was gently running his fingers through his hair. Comforting the boy through nightmares and lulling him back to sleep at any signs of wakefulness, in order to latch onto that small moment of ignorance, just so he can stay safe in his dreams. Perhaps it was cruel to deprive him of the truth but it wasn't a reality anyone deserved to face. The longer Akutagawa remained ignorant in dreamland the better, so he continued to caress the boy and rock him to sleep. Chuuya wished he could do more than the bare minimum but stuck in a cramped cell, in horrid conditions, whilst having no energy to move more than an inch, made doing anything else practically impossible. It was clear to him that whoever took them had injected him with something, whatever its purpose he was unsure of, but Chuuya was at least aware it had a side effect of draining his energy. He was reduced to nothing more than a drowsy mess, completely useless. 

Spotting a similar puncture mark on the boy beside him,  he could deduce that the kid was submitted through the same thing he was and that it might explain why Aku was taking so long to wake up. Akutagawa was currently only a small child and at that was a child who had spent most of their life in the slums. He had poor body constitution, compared to Chuuya who was an adult with plenty of muscle mass and a well developed immune system; it wasn't surprising that he was reacting worse to the injection than a full grown adult. If the redhead felt like all his energy was being sucked away, then that was surely true for the kid to an even greater extent. Hopefully whatever they did would wear off soon because Chuuya couldn't bear to see such sorrowful vulnerability on Akutagawa's unconscious face. However, the injection wearing off would do little for aiding Chuuya's dreams of escape. Their captors weren't idiots. Whatever reason they had been captured, they were here for a reason. There was a purpose to their kidnapping and when there was a purpose there was also a strong desire to Keep their victims right where they were. They weren't going to just be freely given a get out of jail card. If only things were that easy.

Unfortunately the world wasn't the benevolent fantasy place everyone wished it to be. In reality it was a cruel place filled with terrors and misfortune; a place where any hope of escape was crushed by the presence of a thick metal band sitting tightly on Chuuya and Akutagawa's wrists. This band imbued a strong electric signal into the holder's body, which subdued their ability into a dormant state. Regardless of how hard Chuuya called on for the tainted sorrow, as long as that band was there, his ability would not respond. To make matters worse, every five seconds, the band would send an unnecessarily sharp electric shock through his body, that served no other purpose but to keep him in line. The shocks were consistent enough that occasionally he could forget about them, leaving them to become a simple numbing pain in the background. However, at random moments the voltage would skyrocket, sending spirals of agony through his body, and once again, bringing attention to the torture device connected to him. Whoever was in control was really testing his patience... but he was utterly powerless to fight back, regardless of how frustrated this whole ordeal made him.

At this moment in time, Chuuya truly felt like a caged dog. He was stuck in the doghouse, trapped at his owner's will. However, he wasn't one to sit still patiently. Chuuya Nakahara, the Port Mafia's top martial artist, Mori's right hand man, the second half of double black, was a very capable man who was never known to sit down quietly. He was loud and emotional and most importantly stubborn as hell. If there was one thing their captors weren't prepared for, it was Chuuya's perseverance. No matter how bad things got, he wouldn't give in. He had a child's life, a friend's life, in his hands and he'd be damned if he dared let them touch a single hair on his delicate head. Whilst Chuuya was here, Akutagawa was safe; whilst Chuuya was here, the boy would be protected. He'd been in this situation enough times to have a good idea of what to do. Even though being here was a tormenting experience for Chuuya, he wouldn't let the kid down. Not now and not ever. Whether it was formulating an escape plan or getting a message out to Dazai, he'd figure a way out. One way or another, he'll make it happen, so for now please can Akutagawa stay safely asleep in his arms. Just looking down at the boy, he prayed they'd have enough time to sort things out before he awoke. 

⚪⚪⚪

A brightly lit conference room, a table filled with serious faced detectives and a projector powerpoint containing intel, set the scene for one of the most intense meetings ever. Dazai was sat next to Atsushi, both men were exceptionally nervous but filled with motivation to get to the bottom of this mystery. Two people had gone missing and a wrecked apartment was the only remaining evidence. One's boyfriend and one's husband had fallen off the grid, nowhere to be found, but they weren't going to let it stay that way. This meeting wasn't just about finding the missing loved ones but tracking down the culprit and putting an end to all of this mayhem. It wasn't  just a matter of principle, it was about doing what's right but most importantly making sure this damn miscreant can get what they deserve. Wallowing in pity and self-hatred isn't going to help anyone. It was time to get down to business.

"Lay it out for us then." Kunikida instructed, and with that the meeting officially got to a start.

The projector went from slide to slide as Ranpo explained each piece of evidence that everyone's work had gathered and why it led to this conclusion. Various points from background research and Dazai's first hand experience, they all seemed to have no connection, but all of it came together to create a blaring red arrow pointing at their prime suspect: Ellen Datlow. A port Mafia member with a grudge against Akutagawa- there's a motive checked. Means of accomplishing the goal of deaging the victim also got a big tick- there have been sightings of her in contact with various people with age-related abilities. It was as if she was running around with a big sign saying it's me, i'm the culprit, but at the same time taunting the detectives because, although all evidence pointed to her, the way she's going around screwing things up is making everything exhausting. The fact she's been seen with multiple age-related ability users makes it increasingly hard to track down the specific one responsible for Akutagawa's current predicament. She really is a pain in the arse. Anyway, to drive the final nail in the coffin, the same night the victims vanished, she coincidentally fell off the grid as well. No one in the Port Mafia has seen her in the last 24 hours... but Ranpo isn't going to let that hold them back. With the detective agency's combined effort, they're going to track her down and put her behind bars. Dazai is going to make her pay.

Ellen Datlow look out because Dazai's coming for you, coming with fury in his eyes.

⚪⚪⚪

Back in the nightmare filled cell, years had appeared to pass. There was no way to follow the passing of time, so what had merely been an hour felt like a year spent in misery. There were no windows in this horrid place, so the movement of the sun was basically useless, and with water drops acting more as a catalyst into insanity than a clock, time had become pretty foreign for the pair. However with everything remaining perpetual, whatever amount of time passed, it all became pretty pointless. Who needs to know how many seconds have passed if you're still in the same cell and are making no progress in changing that. Chuuya had long given up on the concept of time forever ago and was more focused on other matters. Whether a second or minute had passed were worthless compared to intel gathering or escape planning. 

Down in this dreary hell, a single moment frozen in time, escape and safety was all that mattered. With that as his goal, Chuuya had sat quietly churning idea after idea in his head, letting the world around him blur into oblivion. Mindlessly he caressed the sleeping boy in his arms, calming Akutagawa's nightmares having become an autopilot action. All focus and remaining energy had been rerouted to figuring everything out. Don't get him wrong, he was still a drowsy mess unable to properly stand, but he was a drowsy mess who could still at least think and think he did. From formalating deductions on why they were taken, to creating propositions on escape or reaching out to help, were all ideas Chuuya went over. Some of the ideas Chuuya thought of held some real fruition, mainly the reasons why they were here but hey understanding the reason for your capture can always help aid your escape. Chuuya knew from working with Dazai to not discard the cause of their situation as useless because in the end it may very well save their lives. Despite that, Chuuya was no closer to freedom than he was at the beginning.

Searching through every possibility, he had formulated hypothetical plans and how well each idea would play out, processing any problem thoroughly. However after each and every thorough replay in his head, Chuuya ultimately always hit a roadblock. To summarise everything: firstly, Chuuya could conclude that the person who took them was also connected to the person who deaged Akutagawa, whether they directly had the ability mattered little; next this was related to Dazai but likely wasn't a hostage situation- Chuuya really couldn't see any sane person try threatening his husband with them as bargaining chips - if that was the case, they'd be under stronger supervision; what was more likely was the idea that they were bait. Their purpose wasn't a bargaining chip but as a magnet to draw Dazai in. This realisation made Chuuya want to shut down any idea of escape because even if they managed to leave, Dazai would still get drawn here and Chuuya wasn't going to abandon him. This led him to try and plan a way to reach out and prepare his husband but sadly he kept hitting the obstacle of his nonexistent energy. At this point in time, Chuuya was no different than a simple rag doll. He could barely move so forget about sending out a message. 

"OW!" Chuuya screamed, lurching forward slightly.

Another painfully sharp strike of electricity shot through his body, at an alarmingly high voltage. If Chuuya hadn't been shocked by electricity so many times already in his life, he was sure his veins would've been fried. What the hell is up with this maniac? It's bad enough that he's been drugged and thrown in a beastly place but the fact he has to deal with these shocks is just insane. Sure he's not going to get five star treatment but at this point Chuuya is really questioning if he's even wanted alive to begin with. Continuous shocks- standard treatment, but this russian roulette voltage game is just demented. If they don't want him formulating plans, then come down here and fucking tell him, instead of throwing him to the side like forgotten trash. It's not the fact he's being tortured that's ridiculous, he's mafia he knows bad guy 101, it's the bloody fact it's happening just because and at such extremes at that. There's not a single camera in sight so entertainment can't even be used as an excuse. What mad man tortures their victims to such brutal extents and doesn't even watch it. God just thinking about it is driving him mad. What idiot wastes resources on victims like this. The simple shocks were working as a perfectly fine deterrent from escape- this extra bit is just cruel. The throbbing pain in his body made Chuuya want to cry and scream simultaneously. How hard was it for him to catch a fucking break in this hell hole?

However, despite the excruciating pain, the sudden shock had the single benefit of dragging him out of his mind because the second Akutagawa's eyes started to flutter open, Chuuya instantly spotted it. It was clear the drug was still having a strong effect on the boy; the poor kid was struggling to simply open his eyes. Chuuya's heart throbbed for the boy with each blink of the eye; he felt as much relief as Akutagawa did when he finally opened his eyes properly. The poor boy's eyelids still felt like they could drop at any second but at last Akutagawa was actually looking awake. The drowsiness was affecting him just like it was with Chuuya and the redhead could feel how the younger was seriously leaning on him for support. All of the boy's weight was on Chuuya's lap but what was worse was the fact that Akutagawa didn't even look aware of that. Instead he looked so weak. With the kid awake, Chuyya could finally get a proper look at him and from just a quick glance, Akutagawa seemed like the same kid they found when he was first deaged. He was ghostly pale making the bags under his eyes very prominent; where his arms were once clean, there were now numerous bruises and the already sprained ankle wasn't doing any better. From the short time between Chuuya being taken and Akutagawa being captured, the kid had gone through a lot. Chuuya was simply relieved to see that there was some improvement from when they first found him: the kid finally had some meat on his bones and actual strength in his body. They managed to do some good for him at least and that good wasn't going to stop there.

Now that Akutagawa was officially awake, Chuuya was going to fully divert all his focus on protecting the kid. At this point in time, he was just a child but he was also his subordinate and friend. If he was at his full strength and age, Chuuya would still see it as his duty to look out for him; just because the man was strong doesn't mean he can't be protected nor does having someone look out for him make them weak (Dazai take notes), therefore, now Akutagawa is nothing more than a vulnerable kid, Chuuya's drive to protect him was felt even more. Being in a dungy cell, in gloomy darkness would make anyone terrified but waking up in one was even worse. Now Akutagawa was awake, Chuuya couldn't delay the inevitable any longer and had to explain the reality they had been pushed into. Fortunately or unfortunately, Akutagawa didn't look as terrified as he expected but he did seem very on edge, yet appeared as if this situation wasn't far from the norm of possibilities that could happen to him. Chuuya wished this kid could've had a good childhood, or at least a semi-decent one, instead of the shitshow he received. Nevertheless feeling sympathy for what can't be changed is useless right now. Akutagawa was still leaning on him but his eyes were slowly scanning their surroundings, taking in their situation. 

"We've been kidnapped, haven't we Chuuya?" Akutagawa asked his senior with a confidant certainty in his voice,

"Yes we have." Chuuya bluntly admitted. There was no sugarcoating this, especially with how the kid had already figured most of it out. This wasn't an outcome he ever desired but from another cruel twist of fate this seemed to be another day in Akutagawa's life.

There was silence for a few minutes as the two remained frozen in time, unsure of where to go from here, but what Akutagawa uttered next Chuuya couldn't decide if it was the best or worse thing he had to hear. With a shaky breath and a muffled whimper, the boy crawled deeper into Chuuya's embrace, speaking out his most honest truth.

"I'm sorry for being weak, Chuuya, but i'm scared. I'm very very scared." Akutagawa weeped into Chuuya's chest, trying his best to hide his fear.

Was he relieved or saddened to hear those words fall from his mouth? Chuuya didn't know the answer. Over the course of just a few moments, he had gone through many conflicting emotions in relation to how the kid may be feeling but to actually hear it out loud was completely different. A child who'd been through so much already, could still be scared. Regardless of how Akutagawa's past forced him to grow up fast, he was still a kid. A kid who needed to be protected. The only question Chuuya had, could he be good enough to fill that role? Over all this time, he feared about Dazai taking care of a child but now it was his turn, he wondered if he was even suited for this. Nevertheless he had a duty to fulfill. Akutagawa had been placed in his care and no one on God's green earth was allowed to hurt him and get away with it. His friend wasn't weak for being scared and he hated that it was the child's first thought, but he was so glad he could be trusted to tell him. Chuuya wrapped his arms tightly around the younger in a protective manner, making sure the boy felt safe. It was ok to be scared.

"It's ok to be scared." Chuuya promised, rubbing calming circles into Akutagawa's back.

He had tried to whisper the promise quietly in order for it to be for Akutagawa's ears only, but he can sense an unwanted attention was brought about by the phrase. When he uttered the reassurance, Chuuya could swear he could feel a fearful coldness drip down his spine, to the extent he'd bet his life on the fact they weren't alone anymore. Cautiously, his eyes darted around the room, trying his best to discern any new movements in the dim lighting, whilst simultaneously keeping his movements as subtle as possible in order to not draw Akutagawa's attention. He was only just starting to become calm in his embrace, the executive didn't want to suddenly put his friend on high alert again. However, due to this limitation, it was incredibly hard to distinguish anything different in this bleary cell. Additionally, he didn't want the new arrival to realise he was aware of their presence so he had to be especially careful.

When Chuuya's eyes met with another pair staring through the cell bars, that were much more menacing than words could describe, his body came to a sudden halt. The eyes were yellow and sharp like razor blades, staring into his soul. They were fixed on him and the boy and whenever he looked away, they were still staring when he looked back. Those eyes were the predator and they were the prey and Chuuya had just walked straight into their trap. By the malicious glean in those eyes, it was clear they wanted to be spotted and by seeking them out, Chuuya had done exactly what his captor had wanted. He had unintentionally played into their hands. For however long they had been watching them, Chuuya couldn't tell but now they had been spotted he knew something worse was to come. In fear of Akutagawa's safety, Chuuya abruptly pulled him closer, which alerted the boy's attention due to the sudden movement, but it didn't matter since he was unable to turn around. Chuuya wasn't going to let Akutagawa even catch a glimpse of those daring eyes. 

"It's ok to be scared." An eerie voice echoed through the bars, making Akutagawa's hair stand up. He didn't recognise the voice but understood it meant him harm.

"It's ok to be scared, Akutagawa. Otherwise things wouldn't be as fun." A playful voice taunted again, the words echoing around the cell,  the voice's owner emerging into the moonlight to reveal their captor's face.

Before them stood a young lady, probably in her early twenties likely only a year older than Akutagawa (when he was his proper age). She was a rather petite girl, being only a few centimeters taller than Chuuya himself, but she had such a suffocating presence that her small stature was barely noticeable. This suffocating aura gave off a larger than life feeling, where one knew they would be crushed if they stepped an inch out of line. It was an aura that was expected of mafioso and one Chuuya could radiate himself if he so desired. However, this aura was tainted with jealousy and pride. Chuuya could tell by the way she stared down Akutagawa and snarled at him, that at heart she was a petty girl, no different than a child throwing a tantrum. Yet when a demented child at that, was given access to the resources they had, such incredibly dangerous carnage could easily befall them. From this point on, the pair were walking a very thin line and any wrong move would set off that dynamite, that was close to exploding!

"Ellen Datlow, I presume." Chuuya simply stated, no emotion in his voice, providing nothing more than the words from his lips for her to play with.

"I'm honoured, yes that's me." Ellen pridefully bowed with a snarky grin, pushing the cell door open with a swift move. Oh how Chuuya wanted to punch that smirk off her face and if it wasn't for the ability suppressant and these shocks, he would have done so right then and quite violently at that. However he was tied down, being constantly shocked with his ability in sleep mode, so for the meantime he had to be a good boy.

"What do you want?" Chuuya wearily asked, keeping a firm grasp on Akutagawa.

"That's our precious executive, straight to the point!" Ellen yelled out with flare, "i'll get to that when i get to that."

"Then at least tell us why you are here?" Chuuya carefully requested, trying his best to not step over that thin line, and not give her more ammo than desired,

"I'm bored!" She screamed, elongating the bored as she hung her head, "Our guest of honor is still not here."

A smile of satisfaction tried to pry its way onto Chuuya's face but he had to do his best to hold it back. Now was not the time to let his pride get the better of him. Emotions and gloating could wait till another day, but nevertheless he was still smiling and secretly celebrating in his heart, because he was right. Chuuya knew it. They were bait. There may be more to their capture later along the line of her plan but in its initial first steps, they were needed as bait, just as Chuuya had predicted. Dazai may have been the genius strategist half of double black, but Chuuya's mental attributes were not one to be underestimated either. There was a reason soukoku worked so well together. Dazai may be thinking up all these master plans but Chuuya was always expertly following along, never missing a step because he was on the same wavelength as his husband. Maybe they weren't on the same level of intelligence but Chuuya certainly had plenty of smarts of his own- he didn't get to being an executive through raw, brute force alone. It was his skillful and strategic thinking that placed him in that role, and it was going to be that skillful thinking that was going to get them out of this alive.

First things first, he needed to ensure their safety till Dazai arrived. There was no longer any doubt the guest of honour they were waiting for was his husband, and the fact his delayed arrival had to led to their captor's boredom, which brought her here, did not spell out any good signs for them in the meantime. For the time being, Akutagawa was safe in his arms and was a good distance away from the threat. However, she was staring down the kid with a deadly hunger and it wouldn't be long till she made her move. Chuuya really hated to admit it but from all the electric shocks, the fight that got him in this situation and the drug he was injected with, he was incredibly beat and when the time came, he'd be unable to stop her pulling the kid from his arms. His heart dropped at the thought of having to see someone he cares about be hurt and be incapable of stopping it.

Just as predicted, after only a few seconds she pounced!

One moment Akutagawa was safe in Chuuya's arms, trying his best to block out the nightmare around him and the next he was pulled into the monster's grasp, forced to face the nightmare he wished to ignore. In a chaotic panic, Akutagawa wriggled and writhed, screaming his lungs raw and exerting energy he did not have, because screw propriety and screw pride; he was bloody scared. In the span of 24 hours, what he knew to be fact turned out to be a lie; his reality had been flipped and messed with until it was no longer understandable; those he thought he could trust had become strangers within a matter of words and when the dust had seemed to break and the gentle waves of disorder had started to calm down, the rug was pulled from his feet once again and he woke up in this hell hole. Akutagawa just wanted to be happy. He just wanted to be safe. Why couldn't he just have that? Was it too much to ask for? Why couldn't the pain stop? And now he was in the grasps of his captor and happiness was a distant memory so fuck formalities, he was going to struggle like his life depended on it.

From the corner of his eye, Akutagawa could see Chuuya staring distraught and regretful. His protector couldn't save him, but it was ok, he had tried. As he swung his arms around and tried to pull himself away from the monster holding him down, he felt dazed and faint, the noise of the panic overwhelming his senses. He was unsure anymore if the screams were his or Chuuya's; he couldn't tell if the endless thumping was the world pulling down on him or his heart racing; he didn't know if the world was becoming blurry or was he just crying. Everything was too much at this point and Akutagawa's only instinct was to fight. He hit and scratched and screamed at anything that spooked him, hoping his attacks reached his intended target. His breathing was staggered and heavy and his plain attacks were fueled by simple fear. It all seemed to be slowly building and if he didn't escape quickly, Akutagawa may be consumed by it forever. Just as the battle was about to reach a climax, everything came to a sudden stop.

Ellen had thrown him across the room and Chuuya was fortunately quick enough to catch the boy's head, to prevent him crashing into the brick wall. The chaos and struggle was over. A battle that lasted a lifetime but in fact the events had only spanned a matter of minutes. It took a brief two minutes for the events of Ellen grabbing the kid, Akutagawa fighting back and her throwing him across the room to play out. Just two minutes. It was unimaginable but it happened. Akutagawa couldn't care less how long or short the interaction was, a single second of it was unbearable. It had happened so fast but so slow at the same time. Every fear and pain had latched onto him and all he could think to do was fight. Too much had happened in the past 24 hours and he no longer had the patience and safety to wait and see. In Chuuya's arms he was safe and now he was back there, he felt strong enough to look the monster in her eyes.

"You utter disgrace of a human being!" Ellen furiously screamed as the child cowered below her, "I have no idea what Dazai ever saw in you."

Fearing for Akutagawa's safety, Chuuya pulled the boy close to his chest and twisted round in a swift motion just as a hard object made contact with Chuuya's back. The pain flared out in sharp bursts across his back, putting the electric shocks to shame. It pulsated in excruciating flares that shimmered out only to come back worse, but the redhead had gotten worse and it wouldn't take long to adjust to it. The same couldn't be said for Akutagawa. His body was way too frail to withstand such an impact and if that attack had hit him as it was intended to, it could've likely broken a bone or put him closer to death. If it wasn't for Chuuya's quick reflexes, Akutagawa would've been in tremendous pain right now. That monster was likely not happy Chuuya had shielded Akutagawa from the blow, but she better get used to it because as long as he could still move, he'll be protecting him the best he can till his last breath. Daring to see the cause of his injury, Chuuya turned his head back only to be shocked by the weapon behind him. That fucking maniac had literally pulled a solid brick out of the wall in her rage and lobbed it at a fragile kid. Such audacity and idiocy left him unable to hold back his words.

"Are you fucking crazy!" Chuuya yelled, shocked out his mind, "He is fourteen and already injured. Being hit by a brick could've fucking killed him."

Rage was now burning through Chuuya's veins because how dare she. What made her think she could do such a thing? This woman had to be mad if she thought it was fine to murder her bait. Akutagawa had only scratched that wretched woman and she felt that was a good enough excuse to deliver him a brick to the face. Audacity! She better be thanking her lucky stars that he's unable to stand at the moment, because if he could Chuuya would pummelling her so hard she'd be six feet underground. Although he can't stand, if she dare comes within arms reach, he'll be sure to give her a good beating for sure. How dare she!

However Chuuya couldn't stay rageful for long because Akutagawa was still here, within his arms. He needed to keep a clear head so he could keep him safe. The poor boy was already starting to break down once more, now realising how close he was to death. Batting on about the seriousness of the matter would do nothing to help the kid calm down. To add on further, Ellen was starting to look a little ashamed and mad at herself at the realisation she could've killed the kid. Whatever she had planned, death for Akutagawa wasn't part of it or at least not until the end and yet she had allowed her emotions to get the better of herself and almost ruin her whole plan.

"You infuriating animal. You can't stop fucking with my plans." Ellen screamed once more, throwing another brick but this time towards the other wall. Chuuya couldn't decide if he was ashamed or unsurprised that she refused to accept blame for her actions and instead preferred to pin it on those she despised. People like her were always the ones at fault for never getting where they wanted in life.

"First it was you taking Dazai as a mentor from me and now this. You never know how to stay in your place." Ellen spat, picking up a handful of rocks and throwing them at her victims. Her weapon was less likely to cause death this time but was sure to hurt just as much. Who cares, Chuuya would protect him right? Well Ellen had had enough and she pulled out a device from her pocket to ensure he stayed out of the way.

 "OWWWW!" Chuuya violently screamed as the voltage shot up to an incomprehensible level. He fell flat on his back and seized as the electricity ricocheted through his body.

"Chuuya!" Akutagawa gasped simultaneously as his friend screamed. 

"Until our guest of honour arrives, you're going to pay for all the trouble you've caused me." Ellen commanded, pushing the words out her mouth with an angry fire. Akutagawa just cowered helplessly at the pain to come. He'll fight back of course but Chuuya was right, he was already injured. How much more of this could he take?

   ⚪⚪⚪

The room he entered was not one he wished to enter ever again, but in the name of those he loved, Dazai pushed on into the abandoned warehouse. The abandoned warehouse where he lost his best friend. Where Odasaku died in his arms and asked him to fight for the side of light. Dazai was back in the place that caused his life to change forever. When his dear friend died, Dazai initially wanted to burn this building to the ground but didn't have the time; his priorities were on leaving the mafia and those plans didn't allow an allocated slot for revenge arson. Oda was dead. Burning the building wouldn't bring him back. All that was left for Dazai was to go into hiding, blowing up his husband's car in the process as a bonus. Having left the Mafia, Dazai never imagined he'd ever come back here but here he stands in the centre of a strangely, well lit and well decorated warehouse, waiting for what was to come.

Red bunting covered the place spreading from wall to wall, joining together in the corners with silver balloons. From the ceiling there were a range of paper streamers curling down in an assortment of patterns. Finally, the pièce de résistance was a rather eccentric sparkling, shimmering welcome banner that was hanging down from the balcony opposite the entrance. It was a rather gawking display and an impossible sight to miss. The way the light refracted off the sequins embedded in the words could blind a person if the day was any brighter. The quantity of the decorations created the feeling of an impressive display however all was not as it seemed on the surface. The bunting fabric was fraying and some were even dangling off the walls by a single thread. The balloons were all partially deflated and there were clear signs of decorations being hung where older balloons had popped. Every other streamer adorned a rip somewhere on its body whilst all of them were covered in dust and cobwebs. The only thing that appeared in pristine condition was that ridiculous banner which just demanded attention. It was incredibly hard to not stare at it.

"I see you're admiring my handiwork. I'm quite glad about that. I sewed each individual sequin by hand you know." Ellen strolled out into the light, appearing centre stage on the balcony singing her merry tunes of self compliments. It was quite appalling to watch.

"I'm here." Dazai bluntly stated, unimpressed by Ellen's display of eccentrics.

"Finally!" Ellen joyfully complained, "We were waiting for ages."

"We?"

At that moment, Dazai was forced to stand back as two figures were brought into the room and thrown over the balcony, landing harshly on the dense concrete flooring of the warehouse. It was difficult to tell how badly injured the pair were from the fall due to already being scattered in cuts and bruises from head to toe. The younger of the two appeared to have been beaten black and blue: his left eye was swollen and his right ankle mirrored it being swollen to a similar horrid degree. There were obvious cuts on his abdomen and in the area's clothes concealed, the blood stained fabric revealed all of the scars underneath. The poor boy's arms seemed terribly frail, a strong breeze could blow and it would tear him to shreds, and with all the purple bruises decorating them, it was surprising they were yet to break. Finally, the young kid's skin was deathly pale, where it could be seen between the bruising, and if it wasn't for the clear rising of the chest, it would be hard to tell if he was even alive. Fortunately, the older one had gotten off less harshly. Like his compatrient, his skin was scaringly pale, like he was competing with a ghost, and there was clear sheen of sweat dripping from his forehead- perhaps a sign of a fever or worse. Unlike the younger boy, he was left unharmed from any other injury besides a sole bruise on his back.

Seeing the ones he loved in such a disastrous state lit a flame of fury in Dazai's heart and he wanted to raise all hell on earth right then and there. How dare she lay a hand on them! How dare she even lay a single finger. This will not go unpunished... he will insure that. However, priorities in order, Dazai wanted to make sure the two were safe first. Once Chuuya and Akutagawa were out of Ellen's grasp, he'd then enact his vengeance and make her wish she was never born. In order to do that, he needed to calm the storm in his heart. Put on the poker face he knew far too well and never letting his opponents know how much they hurt him. Dazai will remain stoic on the outside and keep those he loved safe. For now he needed to be brave. Keeping an unchanging expression, showing no signs of the anger within, Dazai moved further into the warehouse, bending down as he approached the pair.

"Touch them and they die!" Ellen suddenly bellowed, causing Dazai's hand to freeze inches away from Chuuya's face.

"The bands on their wrists are encrypted to release a deadly electric shock- ONE that will kill them instantly- if someone, besides me or another person wearing a band, touches them." She calmly declared, "My apologies Dazai, but i don't have anymore bands so you'll just have to keep your mitts off them, unless you want them to die, then be my guest."

A cruel smirk found its way onto her face as she relished in the fact that Dazai was completely at her mercy. The infamous demon prodigy had to halt his killing urges and bend to her will... all because there were people he cared about. It wasn't insanely uncommon in their line of work but creating bonds was severely advised against because it immediately put a person at a disadvantage, providing a weakness an enemy could use; a weakness she could easily exploit. She'd been planning this for years ever since Akutagawa took her place. She studied anything that held an attachment to Dazai and figured out how to use it against him. Ellen was going to make him regret not choosing her. She was a prized specimen for her age, specifically recruited into the organisation by the boss himself  so when the time came for Dazai to take on a subordinate, why was she surpassed by an utter nobody like Akutagawa. Ever since the day that bastard took her place, she'd been training hard and determined to show Dazai how wrong he was. It was only when she met that ability user did the last piece fall into place. Now Dazai was at her knees and she was going to make him learn the consequences of his mistakes. The demon prodigy mattered greatly to her- he just needed to be re-educated.

"I hope you've had an eventful past week or so." Ellen blissfully asked, strolling down the stairs without a care in the world. She moved with complete elegance and swiftness it was as if she was gliding through the air. In her mind she was just having a casual conversation with a fellow colleague; the idea of threatening him had never crossed her mind. Her hostages were simply necessary tools to aid her in her attempts to teach her 'friend' and open his eyes once again.

"It must've been so awful to be stuck with him again." Ellen relayed, barely managing to mask the disdain in her voice whilst she stared down at the stain in her life. Akutagawa, the poor boy, was stuck trembling at his captors feet, trying desperately not to flinch when she nudged him with her foot. Ellen's hatred for the young boy swallowed her whole and blinded her to any other logical thinking when he was in the room. Akutagawa had already had a glimpse at that hatred; it was a glimpse but more than enough for him to wish to never witness again. Whatever happened now, he prayed Dazai wouldn't piss her off enough to put him through that agony again.

"I am sincerely sorry but it was a lesson that needed to be taught. You had to be reminded of what he was like. That pathetic waste of space!" Ellen spat each word harshly, staring down her nose at the menace below. Regardless of how unlikely it may seem, she was at this moment quite composed but was only one step away from losing her cool, if anyone made even slightest wrong move, the floodgates would open and she'd let all hell loose.

"No need to apologise. I should instead be thanking you." So far so good, Dazai's words were making Ellen smile with pride and her ego grow with glory. "It was a chance to fix my mistakes. It was a pleasure to have him."

"WHAT!"

Wrong move.

The floodgates had opened and there was no way of closing them back now. What formerly was a composed woman, standing before them was now a raging fire of fury. Pure anger burned in her eyes and her whole body seemed to be lit in an aura of flames. Her simple presence could now burn anything in sight. To make matters worse, the air around them had suddenly turned a freezing cold which only served to heighten the heat of hatred that was radiating from her. Ellen's eyes were wide open, frozen in shock and distaste for the words that were just uttered. Her breathing was heavy and harsh, smoke escaping in each exhale. Just by the wrong words being spoken, she had instantly transformed into a furious dragon who was incapable of doing anything but burning the world down and they were all trapped in this small warehouse with her.

Right now Chuuya wished he was still unconscious so he didn't have to witness the mess his husband had caused. He couldn't tell if Dazai was trying to save them or kill them. Come on Dazai, please fix this mess so he could buy time for Chuuya to enact his own plan and sort out his situation. Currently, he was being tactful playing dead, keeping all attention off him but if Dazai didn't find a way to channel Ellen's fury down then everything would be for nought. She was becoming a flaming, erratic mess and neither friend nor foe were safe.

"THAT'S NOT RIGHT. THAT'S NOT RIGHT." Ellen screamed, shaking her head erratically, failing to comprehend the very idea that being with Akutagawa, especially him as a child, was a pleasure. 

"YOU WERE MEANT TO SEE HOW AWFUL IT WAS TO HAVE HIM. you had forgotten he was a menace." Ellen whispered to herself, seeming to have found some composure but in actuality it was just another level of hysteria.  "He's somewhat strong now as an adult, so it was understandable you forgot how he was a worthless insect to begin with. It was only through YOUR moulding did he grow. ALL THAT EFFORT WAS TOO GRAND FOR A PIECE OF SHIT LIKE HIM! You were meant to see that in the end it wasn't worth it... he hadn't grown enough to deserve the effort you wasted on him." Ellen cried out, almost pleading with Dazai, wondering why things had gone the complete opposite of the way things were meant to.

"Akutagawa wasn't weak." Dazai admitted, looking down sorrowfully at the frozen boy at Ellen's feet, "I was the one who was in the wrong."

What happened next Dazai wasn't prepared for: the strong willed girl he'd known so well had broken down into hysterics, laughing manically over his words. Never once in his time of knowing her had he ever seen her laugh. Ellen was always so serious and ready to cause violence. She never let loose in the way of childlike laughter; the closest she ever got was reveling in the kills of her mission with a devilish smile or playing around manipulating those surrounding her. Those were the things that had drawn the demon prodigy to her but it was nothing more than trivial curiosity. Nothing like his love and humanity he got from his husband or the strive and hunger he saw in Akutagawa's eyes. She was never going to go any further. Even when her dreams were brought down in shambles, with the introduction of Akutagawa, she never once cried nor laughed, so seeing it now was an eerie sight. She was laughing so hard tears pricked at her eyes, and she had to hold her stomach to not fall over.

"I understand now." Ellen declared with newfound clarity, "They said you had changed but i never imagined it would be this bad." 

Her cackles continued to grow.

"Your re-education is just going to require a little more effort, but it will always be worth it my dear demon prodigy." She sang, all too happy to enact her 'help'. Pulling Akutagawa to his feet, Ellen pushed him towards Dazai with that eerie smile he knew too well.

"Now Ellen-"

"Doll collection!" Ellen yelled summoning her ability in a bright flash. All of a sudden there were strings protruding out from the young boy's body and Ellen, all too confidently, moved her fingers as she controlled the strings and in turn controlled Akutagawa. Against his will, Akutagawa was pushed towards Dazai at a break-neck pace, his limbs not obeying his orders. Next, the unthinkable happened, rashoumon was summoned without its owner's consent and started to attack Dazai. The ability cleverly avoided Dazai's skin whilst hitting him constantly with great strength at precision. It moved too fast for Dazai to keep up and to increase the problems, rashoumon also ripped up the floor sending dust and debris his way, making defending himself even harder. 

"I've grown Dazai, even without your guidance and now look, i can even control the ability of the victim under doll collection- a perfect puppet." Ellen boasted, running back up the stairs to start up the projector. She smiled so much and laughed so hard, it was incomprehensible that she felt anything other than joy. Unbeknownst to her Chuuya was skillfully working in the background to undo her plans.

"Now tell me Dazai, is this really the boy you hold such ridiculous pride for." Ellen asked as the projector started to play. Dancing upon the white wall was a collection of videos that could only be described as Dazai's worst nightmare in this moment of time.

On the back wall of the warehouse, memories that one never wished to recall were played out for all to see. Vivid videos of Dazai and Akutagawa's training sessions were depicted on the wall. Clear images of Dazai screaming at the poor boy, kicking him across the room at his failures. Shouting and mocking him at his inadequacies. The cruel words he had uttered in the past, the poisons he had enacted upon the boy, that tormented him till this very day echoed loudly out the speakers. His greatest mistakes were displayed out where Dazai was forced to face them. These videos, the memories, they were all things he had done. They were honest facts of the past. It was too cruel. Some may argue that to survive in the Mafia, Dazai had brought Akutagawa up in the best way possible but that's just an excuse. People under Kouyou's tutelage or Chuuya's etc. never suffered this greatly and they still flourished. Dazai had gone too far. Dazai had corrupted and tormented what was once a gentle soul. There was no one at fault except him.

Dazai's eyes were fixed to the screen as he watched his greatest mistakes play out before him. He couldn't force himself to look away, even when debris scratched his face and rashoumon punched his gut, Dazai stood his ground and faced his past head on.  After everything Dazai didn't flinch once, even when the memory of him shooting Akutagawa in the name of teaching displayed itself on screen. He wouldn't avoid something he had done. He had forced Akutagawa to learn and develop fast, using fear as a catalyst. If at any time, Akutagawa's drive to survive had faltered, he would've surely died. That day so many things could have gone wrong and after teaching Akutagawa once again, he knew he could've done it a better way and not traumatised the kid. Akutagawa tried so hard to please him and this was what he got in return. Even today, Akutagawa has to suffer because Dazai can't properly face his mistakes and instead ignored the kid he broke the most.

The pain and regret of the memories was only made even more excruciatingly painful because amongst the videos of their training sessions was surveillance camera footage of Akutagawa secretly crying in cupboards hidden throughout headquarters, only to emerge out as if tears had never fell because he couldn't show weakness. He could never be vulnerable... yet tears still fell in secret. Akutagawa was only human after all and the pain he went through would shatter him eventually, bit by bit. Tears would eventually fall but being weak was so ingrained in his head as something he couldn't do, that he would hate himself everytime he let one escape; Akutagawa hated it so much that he eventually turned to a solution Dazai never wished he found. Dazai stilled and let out a gasp as he saw a video he was ignorant of and wished it never came into existence. The sight of a fifteen year old Akutagawa slicing his own arm made Dazai want to throw up. His body felt so heavy with guilt to see the same solution he felt ashamed of using, being taken part in by his student and the fact he only just found out today made everything sting a little bit more.

"Surely, this can't be your pride and joy of a subordinate. The boy who cried in secret. A pathetic baby." Ellen spat once more but Dazai couldn't care to listen, his gaze was focused on the boy before him. The boy he had broken, forced to hide away and cry alone- never to be comforted.

Akutagawa was stunned at the videos he was watching; Ellen had momentarily paused her puppet's attack to instead force him to watch the pain playing out, the pain he once lived through. Akutagawa saw red and darkness. his mind flashed back to the gunshots and the cruel voice in his head. His heartbeat raced again as he was reminded of all his nightmares from these  past few nights. The same nightmares Dazai had comforted him through. The terrors of his dreams attacking him now played before his eyes. His nightmares were real? Dazai was his nightmare? But Dazai was his saviour, his friend... how could this be? Was his mentor a monster, was that what he was meant to be or had been? If so, Why had he ever put his trust in him? The boy stared at the videos but felt disconnected from them. They felt close to his heart but at the same time were a distant memory. He didn't know if he wanted to believe the sight; he needed to know they weren't true. Pleadingly, he stared at his mentor and was shocked to see guilt in his eyes instead of hope. Akutagawa waited for an explanation, an excuse... but all he got was a simple:

"I'm sorry." Dazai weeped, not knowing anything else to say. He couldn't deny the truth. It was his wrong doings he had to make up for but in that moment all he could do was apologize. Years worth of regret and sorrow was soaked into his words as lone tears dripped down his eyes. He wished he could deny everything and reassure the boy that needed him but honesty was all he could give.

"Pathetic." Ellen laughed once more running down the stairs, feeling on top of the world. "Why should you say sorry? He failed you as a student."

"I FAILED HIM AS A MENTOR!" Dazai yelled in a fit of fury, one Ellen had never witnessed before- it was his turn to be angry. He was the one who messed up and he was more than ready to admit it. He was more than ready to accept the consequences. Dazai wasn't going to let anyone pin the blame of his mistakes on anyone but himself. How dare she criticise Akutagawa! He was a greater student and person than she'll ever be. If it wasn't for Dazai she would've rotted away, unlike Akutagawa who would've fought hard to live even without him. How dare she not know her place! It was about time she learnt her own lesson. With fire burning in his eyes and an uncontrollable rage in his heart, Dazai marched up to Ellen slapping her across the face which flung her through the room. She had barely any time to stand up before Dazai kicked her square in the stomach, pushing her back down again. Throughout all this torment, she never relented once with her laughter. There was clear fear in her eyes when Dazai picked her up by her neck but she never backed down, continuously laughing throughout.

"YOU ELLEN DATLOW ARE NOTHING MORE THAN A USELESS DOLL SUCH AS THE BEFITTING ABILITY YOU HAVE. HE BECAME A WORTHY STUDENT DESPITE MY TUTELAGE AND IF I SHOWED HIM AN OUNCE OF CARE HE WOULD'VE FLOURISHED EVEN MORE." Anger ricocheted in Dazai's voice, yelling his heartfelt opinions at the insect below him.

"I would've grown so much better." Ellen croaked out, struggling hard to breathe as Dazai slowly tightened his grasp.

"You would've shattered like glass." Dazai snapped.

Unable to bear the sight of this abomination to mankind, Dazai increased the speed he choked the life out of Ellen, revelling as she writhed and tried to break out of his hold. Even the Mafia didn't deserve such a waste of space as her. Dazai's heart was blackening over again and his face darkened with joy at seeing her life fade away and he subtly laughed as she pleaded with her own eyes for him to let her go. A nice taste of her own medicine hey. Don't mess with the demon prodigy. However just as Dazai was thinking that, Ellen's eyes quickly widened to an intense extreme to all of a sudden stop and then her body went limp. Dazai was at a loss for a second; he hadn't choked her tight enough to kill her yet, so how did... but when he looked down... he understood. Poking out of the corpse was a sharp tether of rashoumon, that had sliced straight through Ellen's heart. A tether as sharp as a blade that killed her in an instant. Dropping the body revealed Akutagawa and Chuuya standing behind only a few meters away, their bands broken on the floor, Chuuya's work finally complete, stunned at the sight they had witnessed. Dazai had lost himself in a fit of anger. His eyes widened, aghast at himself because he had almost become the man he once was. The man he tried so desperately to change from.

"I'm sorry. He acted before i could stop him." Chuuya gasped, panting heavily, partially from shock and the adrenaline from getting the bands off. He was holding Akutagawa tightly in his arms, as the two swayed slightly. He was ashamed of himself for letting bloodshed fall onto a child's hands. Dazai and Chuuya held a stunned glance and for moment there was a stilled silence where all that could be heard was their heavy breathing and the beating of their hearts.

"Those are my nightmares." Akutagawa choked out, gesturing towards the videos still playing, finally breaking the silence, a few tears slipping from his eyes, "Nightmares are just dreams."

Akutagawa didn't need to say anymore because Dazai understood. The past was the past and Dazai had proven he had changed to Akutagawa. The past was just a dream so please don't soak your hands in blood in his name. Dazai's heart was touched because the young kid dirtied his own hands to protect his. To this day he was still a better man than he was in the past and he had Aku to thank for that. Discarding the body aside, Dazai ran up to his family and hugged both Akutagawa and Chuuya tight. Everything was ok now. It was all over at last.