BEAST Chapter 16

Evil is the 16th chapter of the Bungo Stray BEAST manga.

Summary
Clutching the watch and the "happy birthday" greeting, Atsushi recalled the orphanage director's words on how owning a clock is proof of having an owned established will and mused that the watch must be quite an expense given the orphanage's financial condition. Thinking back to moments ago, Atsushi surmised that the orphanage director might have been extending his arms towards him, akin to a father reaching out for an embrace.

Filled with confusion, Atsushi thought back to when everyone in the orphanage sans himself knew that he was the man-eating tiger, whose many rampages were kept secret since then. Atsushi eventually discovered that the tiger once killed a researcher, which the orphanage director covered up. In essence, Atsushi recounted how the orphanage director would always lock him in the basement to deal with the aftermaths of the tiger's rampages and to prevent further damage.

All the while the orphanage director kept the tiger's identity from him, Atsushi harbored hatred towards him, with the orphanage director once instructing him to despise him and never himself when he would finally embark in the outside world filled with demons far sinister than him. Atsushi then tried to think of what the orphanage director would think of him once he became someone he could be proud of, though he never found—would never find the answer—since he killed him, much to his misery and remorse.

Back to the present, Atsushi lashes out on Akutagawa and asserts that he did not have any other choice. Refuting such claim as a weakling's excuse, Akutagawa attacks him with Rashōmon: Ishiyumi and restrains him on the wall, revealing to have used Rashōmon to cut under his skin and constructed Spatial Distortion to prevent his attacks from reaching his muscle and bone, which is Akutagawa's trump card and last line of defense that he did not expect to use so soon.

Akutagawa claims to understand Atsushi's fear and atonement, stating that regret is the worst feeling in the world. In order to not regret again, Akutagawa pledges to discard Atsushi, an obstacle standing between him and his sister. Gin then interferes through the intercom and urges her brother to give up and go home.

Gin tells him that she accepted the Mafia boss's invitation out of her own volition four years ago and claims that Akutagawa does not have anyone important in his life after all. Unlike the Mafia's violence done with intent and reason, Gin perceives that Akutagawa's destruction involves even the people he loves and destroys everything.

She then affirms that Akutagawa was born on the side of evil, much to the latter's bewilderment. Failing to understand her, Akutagawa professes that he has been fighting to dispel their comrades' regrets and to take her back. He then asks what he must do to get her back, but Gin merely tells him that he would never make it back alive if he continues his killings regardless what kind of person he is and that him being alive would suffice for her. Atsushi suddenly fully transforms into a tiger and crashes Akutagawa into the window, plunging both of them to fall off.

In Bar Lupin, Oda asks Dazai if they know each other and wonders if he was referring to him with the name of Odasaku, which Dazai confirms. After Oda takes his order, Dazai then introduces himself and proposes for a toast, to which Oda refuses out of mistrust. Dazai then earnestly tells a funny story to Oda, who notices Dazai's eyes to be firmly looking straight at him.