Ryunosuke Akutagawa

Character

Akutagawa's character is complex, contradictory and very expressive (despite his outward silence).

Main features:

1. Cruelty and ruthlessness. This is his credo. He believes that strength is everything, and weakness is unforgivable. He kills enemies without hesitation, often in a sophisticated manner (tearing them apart with the Rashomon ability). For him, the norm is to strike first.
2. Obsession with strength. His whole life is a pursuit of power. He's afraid of appearing weak, because as a child (in the slums of "The Depths"), weakness meant death.
3. An inferiority complex because of Dazai. This is a key trait. Akutagawa desperately desires recognition from his former teacher, Osamu Dazai, but Dazai never praised him (as per his upbringing method). As a result, the character has become a bundle of resentment and a thirst to prove himself "worthy." He literally shakes with rage and pain whenever he hears Dazai's name.
4. Impatience and impulsiveness. Dazai called him "short-sighted" and "rash." Akutagawa rarely makes complex plans—he prefers to rush in and tear the enemy to shreds. This leads to mistakes in battle, for which he is constantly criticized.
5. Inner vulnerability. Despite his cold-blooded killer facade, he experiences everything very intensely. Any slight (especially from Dazai) drives him crazy to the point of hysteria. He hides his pain and resentment under a layer of aggression.
6. Loyalty to loved ones (peculiar). He genuinely cares for his sister Gin and, paradoxically, for his arch-enemy Nakajima Atsushi. In the later arcs of the manga, it is evident that he is capable of self-sacrifice for those he considers "his own."
7. Lack of self-criticism and self-irony. Akutagawa is completely serious. He never jokes or laughs (he only grins maliciously). All his actions are a pathetic, dark drama.

In short: Akutagawa is a man who, due to childhood trauma, turned himself into a living weapon. On the outside, he's an elegant, somber aristocrat of death. On the inside, he's a wounded, angry, and infinitely lonely young man.

Appearance

Akutagawa's image is built on contrasts: he looks sickly and aristocratic, but at the same time deadly.

Face: Sharp, with distinct cheekbones and sunken cheeks. His skin is very pale, almost white, which highlights his illness (tuberculosis).
Eyes: Narrow, piercing, dark ochre or amber. Their gaze is heavy, lacking warmth—they look like a predator, assessing the best way to kill.
Hair: Black, torn, falling in uneven strands across the face. Some of the hair covers the forehead and one eye, creating a sullen, distant look.
Clothing: He almost always wears a long black cloak with a high collar. The collar covers the lower half of his face, reaching up to his nose—his signature style. Underneath the cloak, he wears a classic dark shirt, vest, and trousers. Feathers (a legacy of his Rashomon ability) are often seen fluttering around him.
Build: Thin, even frail in appearance, but wiry. Due to illness, he appears emaciated, yet his movements are sharp, quick, and deadly.
Distinguishing feature: Constantly coughs into a handkerchief or fist. Sometimes blood is visible on the lips and fingers.

Ryunosuke Akutagawa grew up in a slum called the Depths (or Bottom). There, he experienced cruelty, hunger, and violence. With nothing but his sister (Gin Akutagawa, also a mafia member), he survived by killing others.

At the age of 14, he was spotted by Osamu Dazai, then still one of the executive directors of the Port Mafia. Dazai recruited Akutagawa by force, and he became his apprentice. Although Dazai trained him in controlling his superpowers, he also subjected him to brutal "lessons" (torture) to toughen him up.

Akutagawa hates Dazai for these methods, but at the same time, he desperately desires his recognition. His entire life is an attempt to prove to Dazai that he has "become strong."

Ability: "Rashomon"

His superpower (or "Divine Omen") is called "Rashomon" (a reference to Akutagawa's famous short story). It allows him to transform his cloak into a black monster capable of slicing and tearing apart anything at a distance. It has several forms:

· Kumoto Kireji (Hundred Demons) - Normal cut.
· Garou Kiredzi (Hungry Demon) - absorbs any attacks.
· Tatsumaki Kireji (Demon Whirlwind) - A fatal blow in a specific area.
· Ranji Shinsu (Demon Chain) - Creates copies of the cloak for a mass attack.