[Dazai watches Fukuzawa's face. The President is an honorable man, one he's put his faith in for the past four years, and has had no reason to distrust him. Yet, all the pieces of the story don't mesh neatly. In what situation would Fukuzawa need to strike to kill, rather than disable, if Fukuchi was distracted with the other Agency members? And if his injury was as severe as he says ... how was he able to land that blow in the first place?

And then there's the broader situation around all this. The Agency being accused of a crime, the Hunting Dogs chasing their President down, only for their leader to be slain by his hand...Fukuzawa would never abandon one of their own, but he's not reckless, either. During the cannibalism incident, he insisted the Agency not go to war with the Port Mafia, even if it resulted in his own death. Would he truly put the whole Agency in a position where they'd be permanently on the run, in exchange for their lives? Mori wouldn't, but he's different. Dazai did leave for a reason.]

...There's still something you're not telling me, I suspect. You have your reasons, I'm sure, so I won't press, but I would like to know -- what becomes of the Agency from here? Do you have evidence of Fukuchi's guilt that will clear our name, or is our association finished?