[Atsushi looks up at that, wide-eyed. He hadn't expected Chuuya to be so adamant about not fighting for either of the cities; if anything, Atsushi had been worried that Chuuya would do just that, and so tip the balance of any war to come. (And yet, would Atsushi have been so worried if he was convinced that Chuuya would fight on "his" side? He can't honestly be sure. War makes everyone a hypocrite, he thinks.)]

I haven't. That is: -...

[It's a lie, isn't it? Even if he doesn't want to fight, even if he wants to avoid war if at all possible, he's picked a side whether he wants to face it or not.]

I live in Olympia. If the city ends up under attack, I will defend it... but I'd rather try to avoid war altogether.

Not that there's a lot I can do.

[He's just one guy, without the power and influence of an organization like the Armed Detective Agency, and even without the cunning and intellect of someone like Dazai. He used to be doing just fine, never accomplishing anything and being totally helpless. But now... After everything he's done with the Armed Detective Agency, going back to that helplessness is incredibly frustrating.

He'd been fine when the planet had seemed at peace, and he was managing to build a simple but happy life for himself, entirely on his own strength. But with war on the horizon, not being able to go that extra mile is torment.]