Dazai followed Mori out of the car and stood quietly in front of the Port Mafia headquarters. The tall and dark building rose against the cloudy sky. It looked cold, heavy and merciless.
This was the place where he had been shaped. This was the place where he had been trained, beaten and turned into a weapon. This was the exact place where the boss ruined everything he cared about.
Dazai thought he would feel anger or hatred so sharp it would break his ribs. Or maybe he would feel fear. But in the end, he felt none of that.
He only felt hollow deep inside.
He did not even flinch when the heavy doors opened and the grunts escorted them inside. They walked through the familiar halls that Dazai once knew by heart. He memorized every corner, every window and every hidden route of this building as a child.
But until now, it all looked the same. Yet somehow, it felt like he was walking through the ghost of his past instead of the real thing.
His footsteps quietly echoed on the polished floor. His bandages was hiding his face and no one spared him a second glance. The boss had kept him hidden from everyone years ago. And now, that secrecy helped him slip through the mafia like a shadow.
Only one person recognized him.
Soon, a familiar old man stepped out from a side hallway. It was Hirotsu. The moment Hirotsu's eyes landed on him, Dazai saw surprise flash like lightning across the old man's calm face.
But only for a second. Then Hirotsu nodded politely as if nothing happened and looked at the doctor beside him.
"Mori-san." Hirotsu greeted the doctor. "You've come quickly."
Mori smiled.
"Of course. I heard the boss's condition required immediate help."
Hirotsu's gaze quietly moved to Dazai. He studied him and taking in the bandages and the blank look on his face. Seeing this, Mori placed a hand on Dazai's shoulder.
"This is Dazai Osamu." he casually said. "A ward I have been caring for a while now."
Hirotsu slightly raised a brow while pretending to see him for the first time.
"I see." Hirotsu said in a voice that held no hint of recognition. Then he politely bowed his head. "Welcome. I am Hirotsu Ryuro."
Dazai returned the gesture without hesitation.
"Dazai Osamu. A pleasure to meet you."
It felt a little strange to call himself by a name that wasn't his and acting like Hirotsu was a complete stranger. But Dazai had to get used to it. And besides, it was so easy to do.
Because the old Tsushima Shuuji, the boy who trusted, obeyed and waited for his sister's arrival, had drowned in that lake.
Dazai Osamu was all that remained.
Soon, Hirotsu stepped aside.
"The boss is waiting inside. His condition has gotten... unstable."
Mori's smile only grew.
"I see. Then let's not waste time."
They continued walking through a long corridor. The walls here were darker, quieter and heavier. Every guard they passed bowed to Mori and didn't even look at Dazai twice. To them, he was probably just another injured stray that Mori picked up.
Dazai kept his head slightly down and letting the bandages hide half of his face. Mori's steps were calm as if he were heading to a pleasant meeting instead of an unstable mafia boss. But halfway down the corridor, Mori suddenly spoke. His voice was soft and almost playful.
"Dazai-kun." Mori called.
Dazai turned his head slightly.
"...What?" Dazai asked.
Mori didn't look at him. He just kept walking with his hands behind his back.
"Do you remember when you told me you wanted to die?"
Dazai's eyes narrowed.
"Yes."
"And do you remember when I told you I would grant that wish once you did me a favor?"
Dazai's steps slowed a little.
"Of course."
Mori finally turned his head and smiled at him.
"A small favor in exchange for your wish to make your death painless and quick." Mori continued. "I told you I would ask for it when the time came."
Dazai stopped completely. Mori stopped too before turning to face him fully. His eyes were now gleaming with something dangerous.
"Dazai-kun." Mori softly said. "Today is that day."
Dazai stared back.
"I see."
Mori placed a gentle hand on his shoulder as if he was comforting a child.
"Good boy." he whispered. "Then follow me. I will tell you what I need from you soon."
They began walking again. The boss's heavy doors were close now. Soon, Mori pushed open the heavy door and Dazai followed him inside.
The room was almost pitch black. There was only one dim lamp flickering in the corner and it was making the shadows stretch long across the floor. After that, the sharp and bitter scent of medicine mixed with the metallic tang of gunpowder hit Dazai's nose.
Dazai ignored it and looked around until he saw the man lying on the bed now. It was the boss. And he was nothing like the boss that little Shuuji had once feared and obeyed.
The old boss looked like a shadow of his former self. He looked thinner, paler and his wrinkled skin was hanging loosely over his shaking bones. His eyes were now wide, unfocused and staring blankly at the ceiling.
Dazai stood silently at the doorway and watching the boss for a moment.
The boss's head slowly turned his head when he noticed their presence. His gaze drifted toward Mori and then to Dazai. But there was no recognition in his eyes. Not even a hint of awareness.
Even the man who had raised him like a tool did not know who he was anymore.
Soon, Mori approached the bedside with polite calmness. His coat swayed softly as he moved.
"Dazai-kun." Mori said without looking back. "Just stay there."
Dazai wordlessly stepped further inside and stopped a few meters away from the bed. He just waited and watched everything while he felt nothing.
After that, Mori began checking the boss. He checked his pulse, pupils and the color of his skin. But halfway through his check-up, the boss suddenly started mumbling. His voice was hoarse and cracked like broken glass.
"...kill..."
Mori paused and lifted his head. The boss's fingers twitched. His voice grew louder.
"...kill those who oppose the Port Mafia... Kill them all... leave no one alive..."
He sounded delirious and lost. He was no longer the terrifying figure he once was. The boss was now a man drowning in madness.
But Mori ignored it. Instead, he gave him a polite smile.
"How are you feeling today?" Mori asked like a professional.
"Kill them. Kill them all! The enemy organizations, the Military Police... All of them! Kill those who stand against the Port Mafia! Kill them! Kill! Kill! Kill them all!"
Mori almost let out an amused sigh.
"Boss, that is rather irrational." Mori gently said. "And such orders will only destroy our organization."
But the boss didn't hear him.
"Kill everyone! Everyone! Kill everyone now!"
His voice grew rougher as if the last spark of his sanity had broken.
"Blood... More blood... No mercy..."
Mori dropped the stethoscope onto the bed. And then he picked up something else. It was a scalpel. Dazai didn't move. He didn't have to ask what Mori was planning.
The boss's babbling grew louder and almost frantic.
"Kill them! Kill them all! Kill—"
Mori smiled softly.
"I understand." he murmured. "I agree that someone needs to die."
Mori leaned forward. In one swift and clean motion, he drew the scalpel across the boss's throat and made a deep and long slice.
In an instant, blood sprayed across the white sheets, onto the wall and onto Mori's coat and face. The boss's body jerked once before it stopped moving. His blood flowed freely onto the bed and soaking it.
Silence fell after that.
Mori calmly wiped his cheek with the back of his hand and sighed with satisfaction.
"As you can see, the boss has unfortunately passed from his illness."
Blood was still dripping from the scalpel in his hand. Mori softly sighed before he turned toward Dazai.
"And he appointed me as the new boss of the Port Mafia." Mori continued with a crazed look in his eyes.
Soon, his eyes gleamed.
"And of course, I have a witness."
Dazai looked at him. His expression was blank, his eyes were empty but his heart was quiet. He simply stood there and watching the corpse of the man who destroyed his life. But he absolutely felt nothing.
No joy.
No revenge.
Not even relief.
Mori stepped closer to Dazai. The blood in his arms was dripping and staining the floor with every step.
"Are we clear, Dazai-kun?" Mori asked with a smile on his face.
Dazai's gaze drifted briefly to the corpse and then back to Mori.
"...Do whatever you want." he quietly said.
Because for him, this was all the same.