...

And we still don't know his ability.

Wait
Spoiler
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Fyodor couldn't be dead because Dazai 'confirmed' his death... in front of Nikolai and Chuya. If there is a lead to Fyodor, it would be found with Nikolai or Sigma. Dazai wouldn't admit anything he knew to Nikolai, but he has to admit Dostoevsky's death to Nikolai. Nikolai doesn't need to know if Dostoevsky is alive or not. If Nikolai thinks Dostoevsky is dead, then there isn't much that he can do. If Nikolai thinks Dostoevsky is dead, he can be convinced that Dazai thinks Dostoevsky is also dead and Nikolai is easier to track than Dostoevsky if he ever does go to Dostoevsky or contact him.

Dazai tells Chuuya that he'll "leave this one be", which for a terrorist that can teleport is strange. Dazai probably doesn't know where Dostoevsky is - he didn't know where he was last time either. He used uh Fitzgerald to help him find Dostoevsky - he didn't actually know where he was. It's probably the same case this time. At most, he can make an estimate.

With Chuya, well, Chuya knowing would be like everyone else knowing. Chuya needs to think Dostoevsky is dead along with Dazai for everyone to think Dostoevsky is dead. Once Dostoevsky thinks everyone knows he's dead, then he'll move. That, and Dostoevsky probably already knows that Dazai knows he's alive or at least the possibility is that he's alive.

The helicopter is also empty, although Fyodor was stabbed with a metal beam. There isn't any blood on the seat and the severed arm doesn't make much sense. The helicopter fell into the wall starting from the blades. The helicopter is still mostly intact so the only thing that could have severed Dostoevsky's arm like that is a severed door or a large piece of glass. But the door isn't severed, it's torn off. The helicopter landed with Dostoevsky's side to the explosion, but there's little damage to the actual helicopter. idk it seems odd that the door is so neatly opened and the hood and everything is intact.

Even if he was physically dead, I still think the fact that his ability is unknown means that there's something else. If his ability had no effect on the story, we'd know what it did - or a character would declare it if it had been previously hidden, like with Tachihara's. The fact that his ability is insisted on as 'unknown' means that it will be 'uncovered' at some point - and by another character.

When Dostoevsky says uh eli eli something something, in context, it could actually be read as his god abandoning humanity, rather than Dostoevsky. It could also be interpreted as Dostoevsky using his ability, because an ability is a sin, and it was originally interpreted as Jesus being abandoned by God because he undertook the sins of humanity. Dostoevsky believes that abilities are sins (ig, idk what goes on his head) and so that means Dostoevsky is going to use his ability.

If Dostoevsky was really as arrogant as he was, then as an arrogant person, he should have been horrified at his death or the failure of his plans - not smiling like a shoujo manga protagonist. That or, Asagiri doesn't know what arrogant people are like. There's no such thing as defeat for them. He has a dun dun dun a backup plan... please let him have a backup plan.

Finally, Dazai said a contradiction.

He said Dostoevsky would only trust those he could control, but he also said that Dostoevsky had no other method than to use the undead, although they aren't controlled by Dostoevsky - neither is Stoker technically. Dostoevsky was surprised to know that the undead that had been uh freed, but he's not stupid- He knows that Dazai's uh allies are trying to stop Stoker. There was always the chance that they would succeed - which they did. Stoker was a ticking time bomb on Dostoevsky's end and he relied on them? Stoker was never in Dostoevsky's control and Dostoevsky should have known that.

And this manga is telling me Dostoevsky got tricked with ducking contact lenses? You're telling me Dostoevsky, who is on par with Dazai, can't read Chuya's acting? Dazai getting shot, sure, but Chuya? Seriously? Chuya? Of all people? I'd believe it if it was Fukuzawa even, but Chuya?

tdlr: my excuses for why it's not possible that Dostoevsky is dead because he shouldn't be dead.

Can you explain more why Chuuya's acting wouldn't be believable?? I mean it tricked most of us, but I really wanna hear ur take on this cuz daamn those are some nice observations (⊙…⊙ )

it's just... unlikely.

Dostoevsky can remember which cards in a deck are which cards by the scratches on their back. If the zombies follow orders with no hesitation, then it's unlikely that Dostoevsky didn't notice some small discrepancy between Chuya and the zombies.

Also, there should be a sheen on his contact lenses (which weren't drawn, but if you wear contact lens there IS a small difference on the uh shininess of your eyeball), which considering he can seen the lines (...) on the back of a card, shouldn't be that difficult to notice.

What I'm basically saying is, is Chuya smarter or Dostoevsky smarter...?

And would Dostoevsky seriously not have a check in place to even see if Chuya was a zombie???

And why not just use Chuya to kill Dazai there? That would solve everything... And sure Chuya can't use his ability but Chuya can still beat the shit out of Dazai. PLUS Chuya has a gun and probably a knife on him vs. prison clothes???

It just- Doesn't make sense. Which is my general opinion on this arc honestly...

but genuinely, asagiri doesn't seem to care about these kinds of semantics considering he labelled Chuya as someone who could manipulate gravity, although Chuya does way more than just manipulate gravity.