Chapter Text
Nakajima Atsushi was hungry. He was accustomed to the feeling, but that didn't make it pleasant. As atsushi sat on the bank of the artificial river, he was surrounded by ghosts from his past. They wanted him dead, but atsushi found he was too stubborn to die. The images were suddenly ripped from his mind's eye by the luminescent claws of a spectral tiger.
"Byakko," Atsushi muttered, reverently, as the tiger prowled closer to the forefront of Atsushi's thoughts. "You're a god, why do you stay with a dying child?" He asked the beast. It chuffed, and Atsushi scowled. "You silly thing," the beast purred. "I will not let you die, so long as we are connected. Even if I have to take over your body." Atsushi chuckled at the god's declaration, clutching his stomach in pain.
A motorcycle raced past behind him, but he didn't turn. He sighed forlornly at the flowing water. "Not even any fish to eat." He muttered. Byakko growled in the back of his head. Atsushi could hear a horde of pounding feet behind him, and he turned to look. The military police were training, marching along the side of the road. Atsushi watched them pass, nervous, before turning back to the water. As he did, he noticed a thin pair of legs, twitching and sticking out of the water as they flowed downstream. "Barely enough meat to eat." Byakko sighed as a flock of birds flew over and began pecking at the legs. Atsushi sighed before standing up. "I won't eat anyone, and besides, he may have a wallet on him," he said. "Byakko, will you grant me the strength to save him?" Atsushi asked the god. It grumbled but obliged, granting Atsushi it's limbs.
He dove into the water, reaching the twitching legs in a second. He banished the claws from his hands to pull on the stranger's coattails. Once the water was shallow enough, Atsushi used the riverbed for leverage and threw the stranger onto the bank, before crawling up after him. The tiger recalled it's legs, and Atsushi panted for breath. Atsushi saw the stranger pull himself into a sitting position out of the corner of his eye. "You were floating down the river." Atsushi explained. "Are you okay?" He asked.
"I... made it." The stranger said. Atsushi worried that they were going into shock. "Damn," he said, his face rapidly morphing into a scowl. "What's that?" Atsushi asked, panicked. He could hear Byakko chuckling in the back of his head as he questioned what he heard. "Tell me," the stranger began, standing up. "Are you the one who interrupted my submersion?" He asked. Atsushi pouted, "you don't remember? Yes, I saved your life- wait. Submersion?!" The stranger's sentence suddenly clicked in Atsushi's head. He turned, panicked, towards the coated man.
"Don't you get it?" The brown haired man asked, turning away from the sunset over the bridge to stare at Atsushi. "I was trying... to kill myself." He explained. Atsushi flinched, pulling his hands up. "Suicide?!" He asked, his fingers twitching. "Sure! And I think everything was going just swimmingly." The stranger joked, before his expression flattened. "But you... interfered, and ruined my day." He finished. "Is he scolding me, for saving him?" Atsushi questioned in his mind. "That does seem to be the case, how peculiar." Byakko said, it's interest piqued. "-goal is to commit a completely clean suicide, without burdening anyone." The stranger explained. "Yet I did trouble you, so really the fault lies with me."
Atsushi stood up as the taller man spoke. "I should apologize, or better still, make it up to you." He said, just as Atsushi's stomach released a growl. "Are you, by chance, hungry?" The stranger asked as atsushi began to sweat from sheer awkwardness. "The truth is, I haven't eaten in several days." Atsushi said with a sigh. The strangers stomach let out a growl that Byakko would be proud of. "How odd, I'm also hungry." The stranger explained.
Atsushi was sweating even more, but quickly refocused. "Lucky coincidence." He said, hopeful. "But I'm afraid the river has taken my wallet." He said, turning out his pockets. A twig and some rocks fell out of one side, and a large frog jumped out of the other. Atsushi started after the frog, his mouth almost watering. It hopped away before he could do anything, and Atsushi sighed. "Just my luck." He whined. The stranger was starting at Atsushi contemplatively, before someone began yelling from the other side of the river.
"There you are, you troublesome blockhead!" The new stranger said. "May I have your eyes?" Atsushi asked Byakko in his head, not trusting the stranger yet. The tiger god obliged. Atsushi could see the new stranger's yellow hair and perfect outfit as clearly as he could see the brown haired stranger's bandages. The new stranger was holding a book, and given his glasses, Atsushi assumed they enjoyed reading.
"Oh hey, you found me! Nice work Kunikida!" The brown haired stranger shouted across the water. "Nice work?" The newly named Kunikida asked, annoyed. "And just who caused all this work, you suicidal maniac?! I've had enough of this. Do you realise how often you disrupt your schedule with your shenanigans?!" Kunikida asked. The long coated stranger ignored the blonde. "Hey, I know." He began. "I just had a great idea. He's a colleague of mine from work. Let's have him treat you to a meal." The stranger finished.
"HEY! ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?!" Kunikida bellowed. The stranger was not. "So tell me, What's your name?" The stranger asked. Atsushi stammered at suddenly being addressed. "Err, Atsushi Nakajima... Sir." Her said. "Very good." The stranger had a satisfied look on his face. "Why don't you come with me, Atsushi. What would you like to eat?" He asked. "Ask for steak. The bloodier, the better." Byakko requested. Atsushi smiled at the tiger god's antics. "Umm. Well, if it's not too much trouble..." Atsushi trailed off as Byakko began whining in the back of his head about his choice in the meal. "-eed to hold back." Atsushi heard, as Byakko calmed down. "I'd really love some chazuke." He requested.
The bandaged man turned away as he chuckled. "So a boy on the brink of starvation wants to eat chazuke." The stranger said. Atsushi could hear Kunikida's shoe tapping over the sound of the water. "Very well, let's have Kunikida treat you to thirty large bowls of it!" The stranger declared. "Don't you get all generous with my money, Dazai!" Kunikida growled. "You're Dazai?" Atsushi asked. "Yep, that's my name." A breeze picked up, catching Dazai's coattails and waving them. "It's a pleasure to meet you, my new friend. I'm Osamu Dazai." He introduced himself, at last.
Atsushi and Dazai met up with Kunikida on the other side of the water, where he formally introduced himself. He berated Dazai the entire trip to the tea shop. Where the sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon. "You're unreliable and you're a fool, Dazai." Kunikida was saying as atsushi zoomed back in from his delicious distraction. Byakko was purring loudly in Atsushi's head in contentment. "Who says, 'whoa, that's a nice river' and then jumps into it in the middle of a job?" Kunikida asks Dazai as atsushi continues to stuff his face with delicious rice. "Now we're late. I'll have to revise our whole schedule." Kunikida was explaining. "You're obsessed wi-"
Dazai's voice got cut off by Byakko in the back of Atsushi's head. "It is a full moon tonight. If you do not wish for me to take control, remain in that building. The moonlight will not reach you enough to trigger the shift." The tiger god explained. "But I thought you wanted to experience the world again?" Atsushi questioned, confused. He had slowed his eating to focus more on the simultaneous conversations. "-be a suicidal maniac!" Kunikida was saying.
"You mean, he's tried to kill himself before?" Atsushi asked. With his mouth full, it was harder to understand, but Kunikida understood. "Be quiet." Kunikida said to Atsushi, sitting down. Atsushi hadn't even noticed him standing up. "And nowhere in my projected expenses is there a line item for a million bowls of chazuke for a snot nosed kid." Kunikida continued. Atsushi leaned forward slightly, focusing on this conversation as opposed to his discussion with Byakko. "What kind of work are you in?" Atsushi asked, his question warped almost beyond understanding by the food in his mouth. "And now he's got questions." Kunikida said, frustrated. "Well, you keep talking about it." Atsushi said, frustrated. His statement was as warped as before, and Dazai was staring at him in confusion. "Fine, I'll tell you. It involves the military." Kunikida explained. "How are you two communicating with each other?" Dazai asked, dazed.
Atsushi sighed in content once he had finished his food. "Oh, I'm so full." He groaned. "I've had enough rice to last me a good ten years." Atsushi sighed in bliss. "I strongly suggest you show a little gratitude after you are this in my dime." Kunikida growled out lowly. "You're a real life saver." Atsushi said, calming down Kunikida almost immediately. "I came to Yokohama straight from the orphanage. It was like something was calling to me. But I've had nothing to eat and nowhere to sleep since. I thought I'd starve to death." He explained. Dazai was staring blankly. "You're from... an orphanage?" He asked, confused. "I was, yes. But they kicked me out." Atsushi explained.
"Sounds like a real philanthropic organisation." Dazai said, sarcastically. Kunikida looked over at his co-worker. "Look, Dazai. We're not a couple of do-gooders going around, helping hard luck cases." Kunikida began, before raising his book. The word "ideals" was written on the cover. "We've got a job to do." He finished. "That reminds me. You said that your current job involves the military. What kinda work do you do?" Atsushi asked, leaning forward slightly. "We're private investigators." Dazai said, a snug look covering his face. "Investigators." Atsushi repeated, fascinated.
"But we handle more than lost pets and cheating spouses. Our office has... uniquely gifted Investigators. We're the armed detective agency." Kunikida explained. Atsushi flinched back in shock. "Are they after us, Byakko? Should I run?" Atsushi asked his god, whose presence in the front of Atsushi's mind calmed him significantly. "Calm yourself. They are not the agents of any god, unlike you. Be afraid only if they confirm their intentions." Byakko explained. Atsushi refocused on the unique sight of Kunikida shattering his pen as he wrote in his book. Kunikida began growling incoherent sentences as he strangled Dazai.
"So... about the job you said you're both working on." Atsushi began. Kunikida turned his glare on Atsushi. "What!" He snarled and Atsushi flinched back, apologizing profusely. "Actually, since you mentioned it, today's job doesn't require any secrecy. It's for the government. We're looking for a Tiger." Kunikida explained. Atsushi's breath hitched. "Now I run, right? They're after us, after you!" Atsushi thought, panicked. "I am a god, and you are mine. Nothing they can do could keep us contained. Use your innocence to learn more of what they know about us." Byakko instructed. Atsushi knocked his chair over and collapsed onto the floor. "What are you doing?" Byakko asked. Atsushi smiled internally. "Using my innocence." He explained to his god. "-wrong, Atsushi?" Dazai was asking. "I-I'll be leaving now. G-goodbye." Atsushi stuttered, crawling away. He felt Kunikida grab him by the collar.
"Not so fast." The blonde said. Atsushi began running in the air, speeding up his breathing. "Do you know something you're not sharing with us?" Kunikida asked. Atsushi slumped in defeat, hanging from the man's grip. "Don't try." He muttered, before looking over his shoulder at Kunikida. "There's no way for you to stop that beast!" He declared, ignoring Byakko growling in his head.
"Really now, tell us what you know of the Tiger." Kunikida said. Atsushi turned away, letting the cold shake him. "It follows me, wherever I go. If it's been seen around here then I have to go now!" Atsushi said, working himself up and trying to sprint away again. "Please, just let me go!" Atsushi begged, and Kunikida obliged. He released Atsushi's collar, leaving the boy unbalanced. Kunikida grabbed Atsushi's flailing arm and used it to keep Atsushi on the floor, alongside the knee on his back.
"Look, kid. Either pay for the food with your arm or tell us everything." Kunikida demanded. "Now, now, Kunikida." Dazai said as he stood from the table and approached. "Whenever you ask questions, it quickly deteriorates into an interrogation. You've been talked to about this." Dazai finished. Kunikida scoffed and got off of Atsushi. "Let me try." Dazai said, crouching down. "Okay, now what do you know about this Tiger." Atsushi sat up, clutching his shoulder in pain. "What should I tell them?" Atsushi asked his god. Byakko prowled closer to the front of his mind. "Half truths. They are too smart for lies, and they would only break the feeble trust you have so far built." Byakko suggested.
Atsushi looked up at Dazai's expectant and Kunikida's concerned faces. "Sorry, the voice was loud, anyway." Atsushi ignored the concerned glance between Kunikida and Dazai, to begin his story "The tiger used to ransack the orphanage. It ruined the vegetable garden, decimated the chicken coop and would empty out the food warehouse. Luckily, no-one died. But the orphanage was already tight on funds. I was locked out because I was the oldest. One less mouth to feed. That beast forced me out of my home." Atsushi flinched back suddenly, assaulted by the voices from when he was kicked out.
Byakko chased them away just in time for atsushi to hear the tail end of Dazai's sentence. "-agic tale." He was saying. "But back to the tiger, you said it follows you?" Kunikida asked, ever stoic. "It shows up wherever I go, like it's tracking me. I'll see if In reflections and shadows, but it's too fast for me to see it properly. When I was walking around the Tsurumi neighborhood, I saw it in a safety mirror. I heard people scream, and ran." Atsushi explained.
Dazai leaned over. "How long ago was that Tsurumi encounter?" Dazai asked. Atsushi paused to consider. "Four days ago. Yeah, that sounds right." Atsushi said. Kunikida nodded. "That corroborates the last known reports of the tiger sightings." He explained, snapping his book shut. Dazai closed his eyes and hummed, before focusing on the boy. "Atsushi, are you free tonight?" Dazai asked. Atsushi's entire body shivered. "You being the man eater's target presents an excellent opportunity." Dazai explained. Atsushi was confused about the "man eater" comment, but didn't say anything. Dazai turned and wrote something down before turning back towards Atsushi.
"Would you please help us find the tiger?" He asked. Atsushi immediately slang up from where he was sat. "Forget it, no way!" He declared. Dazai ignored him and handed a note to Kunikida. "Please give this to the agency president." He said. "You two are going to catch this animal?" Kunikida asked, concerned. "You should confirm his information first." Dazai looked up at the blonde. "Didn't you just do that with your little book?" He asked. Atsushi could feel Kunikida's anger rising as he snatched the note.
Seeing their interaction was done, Atsushi reminded them of his presence. "I'm not doing this, okay! I know what you're thinking, you're planning on using me as bait!" He declared. "There's a reward, you know." Dazai said before atsushi could keep arguing. Atsushi flinched back. "There's a what now? A reward?" Atsushi could feel Byakko chuffing in the back of his head, excited by the prospect of money. Atsushi spun around. "No, I can't. You are not gonna tempt me with a little money!" He could hear Dazai typing away at something. "But just so I'm perfectly clear about my decision, how much is the reward for this case?" Atsushi asked. "This much." Dazai said, simply. Atsushi barely glanced over, before his jaw dropped at the number of zeros. "That will be mine!" Atsushi declared, forgetting that it was him they were after.
Atsushi sat in the warehouse, grateful that the moon had been obscured by the clouds. "Dazai, sorry to interrupt, but what are you reading?" Atsushi asked lifting his head from his knees. They were both sat on boxes just out of the patch of moonlight leaking into the warehouse. "A good book." Dazai said. "I'm surprised you can read when it's this dark." Atsushi stated. "I have excellent nighttime vision. Besides, I've read it before. I know everything that happens in this book." Dazai replied. Atsushi smiled awkwardly at the man. "But then, why are you reading it again?" Atsushi asked. "A good book, is always good." Dazai said.
Atsushi's smile shrank slightly, and he pulled his knees to his chest. "I've never even seen the tiger, will it really show up here?" Atsushi asked. "I know it will." Dazai said, flippantly. "But don't worry, when it shows up, it'll be no match for me. I may not look tough, but I'm with the agency for a reason." Dazai explained. Atsushi placed his head back on his knees.
"I admire your confidence. In fact, I'm rather jealous of it. They called me a good for nothing back at the orphanage. And now. I don't even know where I'll sleep tonight. Our house I'll get through tomorrow." Atsushi felt the hallucinations surrounding him again, and he clenched his eyes tight to ignore them. "No-one would mind if I did in a ditch somewhere or just disappeared forever." Atsushi explained, feeling byakko chased off the last hallucination.
The clouds began to part, and Dazai looked up. "Well then, I think it will be soon." He said. As if on que, atsushi heard a cluster l clatter deeper into the warehouse. Atsushi stumbled away from the suspicious noise. He stepped to the edge of the moonlight. "I just heard something back there." Atsushi said nervously. "Yes, me too." Dazai dismissed. "What if it's the tiger!" Atsushi said, looking towards Dazai. "Not quite, I think the wind just knocked something down." He said, not even looking up from his book.
Atsushi gasped suddenly. "Why don't you care at all?" He asked. Dazai snapped his book shut. "Calm down, Atsushi. Tigers don't suddenly appear out of nowhere." He explained. "But then, why are we here?" Atsushi asked. "Because something doesn't add up. Why would the orphanage abandon one child if they couldn't provide for the rest. It wouldn't help at all. And I think you know that. It's why you aren't worried the tiger will kill you. Tell me, Atsushi, why aren't you in the moonlight?" Dazai asked. Atsushi sighed. "Because you weren't ready to meet the tiger. But now you are." Atsushi explained.
He took a deep breath, before beginning to recite a familiar chant. "Byakko, you who governs over the western skies. I grant you my body, for this night of the full moon. Return from the heavens and experience the world you watch over!" He chanted, dodging back when Dazai tried to grab him. He ended up in the middle of the moonlit patch, as he felt the shift cover his body. He took a deep breath and sank back into his mind, allowing Byakko to take over.
He watched the god toy with Dazai, allowing him to dodge out of the way of attacks, and limiting itself to destroying only crates and the ground, as opposed to collapsing the warehouse. Dazai was surprisingly agile, able to predict the Tigers movements. "What an impressive display." Dazai said, dodging a swipe of Byakko's claws. He didn't put of the way of a leap next, "you could snap a person's neck." The bandaged man climbed up a stack of boxes, "you could tear a man's heart from his chest." He complimented, frustrating the god.
But it was no use. Dazai was cornered. "Come to think of it, this isn't a bad way to meet my doom. Being eaten by a Tiger." He said, finally pulling his hands from his pockets. "But even all your strength couldn't kill me." He declared, the light of his ability shining behind his palm. "My ability is: No Longer Human." Byakko leapt at the man, only to be caught in his hand by his ability. "My ability allows me to reverse anyone else's power. It works through a simple touch." He explained. But Byakko still managed to claw the man's arm, cutting four slashes into the forearm. He hissed in pain, but his ability finally worked, turning the tiger into Atsushi.
He slowly sank to the floor, groaning as he placed his right hand against his head. Our, at least, trying to. Atsushi noticed that his hand was a claw before he could cut his face into ribbons, and banished it. But Dazai saw it. He was staring, shell shocked as he clutched his slashed up arm. "There you are, Dazai." Atsushi could hear Kunikida's familiar voice.
Atsushi turned and saw Kunikida running up. "You're late Kunikida, I've located our predator." Dazai said, starting at Atsushi. "What do you mean?" He asked, approaching the duo. Atsushi sighed. "Byakko, grant me your claws." He said. He watched the surprise on both of their faces when his forearms shifted into that of a Tiger. "Partial transformation?" Dazai muttered, astonished. "Of course, and what was with this note?" Kunikida asked. Dazai read it to himself. "My, what a lovely and concise note!" He said and Kunikida sighed. "You left out one vital detail. Next time, you better tell me what's going on. Thanks to you, I brought in agents who weren't even on call. I suppose it is lucky though. Yosano, could you look at the fool's arm, please." Kunikida requested.
Three people had arrived without Atsushi noticing. The woman, who must be Yosano, rushed forward to tend to Dazai's arm. "I hope you know that first round is on you." She said, pulling out a fresh roll of bandages. The hat wearing stranger glanced around the warehouse, before staring at Dazai. "Didn't go quite as expected, did it Dazai? But don't worry, Edogawa Ranpo and his ultra-deduction will always be here to pick up the pieces." He said. The third stranger, dressed like a farmer, rushed over to Atsushi, staring at his claws in awe. "How sharp are these?" He asked in awe. Atsushi blushed slightly, banishing the claws before answering the question. "I haven't found anything they can't cut through, so..." he trailed off, focusing on Kunikida as he spoke.
"Now what, Dazai? He's been designated a security threat." Kunikida asked, checking his book. "I've already made my decision." Dazai said, before pausing and staring at Atsushi. "He'll be joining the detective agency!" He said flippantly. "Cool!" The farmer whispered. "Seriously?" Yosano said, tightening Dazai's bandages sharply. "Dazai, you are an idiot." Ranpo said. Both Kunikida and Atsushi began yelling at Dazai for deciding without any other input. "Atsushi, calm down." Dazai said, happily. "We'll room you! And, you'll be paid." Atsushi completely froze, considering. "Can I hand myself over to the military to get the reward money and then just leave? Live off of that?"
Ranpo laughed. "I'm afraid that that won't work, little were-tiger. You wouldn't be able to leave like you think you can." Atsushi sighed. "if you're offering me money, I don't mind." Dazai laughed and clapped. "Perfect, then let's get you back to the dorms!"