Chapter 83.5

Toward the Complete Answer, Part 2 (凡テノ答へ 後編,) is the second part of the 83rd chapter of the Bungou Stray Dogs manga.

Synopsis
Ranpo reveals to Atsushi that Kamui is Ōchi Fukuchi, Fukuchi immediately tries to cut Atsushi when Ranpo shoves him out of the way, Ranpo being sliced by the sword, only to disappear into Edgar Allan Poe's ability after reading a novel written by Poe, escaping. Before completely disappearing, Ranpo tells Atsushi to escape as he has no chance of winning and that Fukuchi's ability is "... The weapon he holds..." His words cut off as he was transported into the novel. Atsushi decides to fight Fukuchi, yet is terrified by the fact he is alone, hoping that he wouldn't have to fight Fukuchi alone.

In another part of the ship, someone watches through binoculars before taking off their hat, the someone is Akutagawa.

Summary
Silently, Ranpo walks past Atsushi and grabs smoke candle from an electrical box, lighting the flame seemingly to make a flare. Atsushi is confused, knowing that if the police saw the flame they'd get into trouble. Fukuchi stands sternly, opening his sword when Ranpo turns to Atsushi in a serious manner.

Ranpo apologizes, saying he was wrong when Fukuchi's sword swings through the air and Ranpo shoves Atsushi out of the way as he is sliced by the sword. Ranpo begins to transport into a novel, narrowly dodging the attack as he dematerializes. Both Atsushi and Fukuchi are surprised, Ranpo tells Atsushi to make sure he escapes, as he has no chance of winning. Atsushi recognizes the book as Poe's mystery novel, "10, 001 Shelters". Atsushi gets a flashback of Ranpo telling him that if the novel were to be destroyed, he'd probably never return, so he should protect it to the end. Before Ranpo is transferred into the book, he begins to tell Atsushi that "Kamui's ability is the weapon he holds..." before being cut off and disappearing, the book falling to Atsushi's feet.

Suddenly, Fukuchi begins to laugh, his head falling into his hand as Atsushi uncomfortably stares at him in shock. Fukuchi says he expected that he'd be discovered by the kid and that in his military days he was referred to as "The Man of a Hundred Faces" in undercover missions. Atsushi freezes in shock, asking if he is Kamui. Fukuchi casually says his face muscles are tried, walking over to a railing and leaning against it as he complains about how bad acting like a different person is for your body. Suddenly becoming serious as he says it'll just be 6 more days of patience, Atsushi realizes that the memory he received from Sigma, Kamui's blood lust, that the katana was the Hunting Dogs', Military Saber. Atsushi asks Fukuchi why he would do such a thing being a representative of justice and a close friend of the director. Fukuchi agrees that he is close friends with Fukuzawa, up until a certain point when Fukuzawa didn't go into the battlefield. A flashback of Fukuchi during his military days, yelling in distress as multiple amputated limbs fly around him, the scene cuts to another flashback of a figure standing in front of 4 headless corpses tied to a chair.

Fukuchi explains that's how their paths were divided for eternity, he notices that the ship is nearing the docks and asks if that's alright with Atsushi. Fukuchi apologizes to Atsushi for using and taking advantage of him and tells him he has 2 options. Confront him or escape, saying both of them won't be easy as he can't afford to let Atsushi return alive because of his knowledge of his true identity. Suddenly, Fukuchi pulls out a small piece of paper, Atsushi flinches. Fukuchi says it's the page, the reality-altering device, and the source of everything. Saying if Atsushi could take it from him, everything would go back to normal, and the agency would be saved. Atsushi debates on what to do, thinking that if he won, the whole incident would be solved. But if he lost, he and Ranpo would die, and then the agency would continue the alliance with the Hunting Dogs, only to be backstabbed and annihilated. Atsushi gets a flashback of Ranpo telling him to escape, and that he has to chance of winning, then to some agency members, Ango, and Lucy. A visual of Dazai in his isolation prison following the flashback, Atsushi steps forward, silently challenging Fukuchi. Atsushi thinking how if he ran, Fukuchi would still catch up, so he'll fight until a way out appears.

Fukuchi hums, standing up as Atsushi thinks back to how he and the agency have managed to defeat many difficult and strong enemies up to now, he can't forgive this man, the man who has tried to ruin the agency. Fukuchi asks Atsushi if he plans on fighting on that leg, Atsushi is confused until he realized the lower half of his leg is amputated. He immediately falls to the floor, in immediate shock on how he barely felt anything. Fukuchi asks why Atsushi is so surprised, as he became aware of his ability from that kid. It's revealed that Fukuchi's ability is the ability to increase the efficiency of the weapon he holds by a hundred times. That being why Atsushi didn't register his leg being amputated for the duration he did, Fukuchi tells Atsushi to stand up. Atsushi thinks back to when Akutagawa first cut off his leg using Rashomon, and that this is not the first time. Atsushi struggles into a crouch, dragging his injured leg on the floor as the tiger's regenerative ability stops the bleeding and the leg begins to swell. Fukuchi acknowledges the impressive regenerative properties Atsushi's ability holds, then asks if his head grow back if he were to cut it off. Atsushi freezes, back into his thoughts. He is afraid, but not because of the enemy or the pain he thinks, Atsushi tells himself he is afraid because he is alone.

Atsushi thinks back to how when the Decay of the Angel incident made the agency scattered, but then Kyouka appeared by his side at the perfect time. The same happened with Fitzgerald, Ango, and Lucy. "But now, I'm truly alone", Atsushi thinks back to if he wins, this whole thing will be over, but if he loses the world falls into ruin, everything is decided by my actions he thinks. Atsushi thinks how solitude scares him, but at the orphanage, solitude was the norm for him. Atsushi wishes there was someone fighting at his side, anyone.

The scene cuts to a group of people poting out how it's noisy over on the deck, another asking if that is smoke. One of them suggests calling the police as the group moves closer towards the sounds. A figure stands with their elbows on the railing, looking through binoculars in the smoke, seeing it's a smoke candle. The figure takes off their hat, revealing their identity as Akutagawa. Akutagawa removes the binoculars from his face, saying that the impossible prediction has come true.

Chapter Notes

 * Fukuchi reveals himself to be Kamui, the leader of Decay of the Angel.
 * Information on Fukuchi's ability is revealed.
 * One of Fukuchi's aliases was "The Man with a Hundred Faces".