Arthur Rimbaud
Rimbaud (Rantaro)'s story is a tragedy of espionage, amnesia, and self-discovery. His entire life revolves around the "Arahabaki" incident and his tangled relationship with his partner Verlaine. 🕵️♂️ The Spy's Trip to Japan His real name is Arthur Rimbaud, and like Verlaine, he was a top-tier European espionage ability user (a "Transcendent"). About eight years ago, the two infiltrated Japan with the goal of seizing "Arahabaki"—a high-energy life-form secretly researched by the government. 💥 Betrayal and the "Arahabaki" Explosion During the mission, his partner Verlaine betrayed him, and the two clashed. To escape his pursuers, Rimbaud tried to absorb the power of "Arahabaki," but accidentally damaged the safety device, triggering a catastrophic explosion that created Yokohama's famous Suribachi. Chuuya was born as Arahabaki's humanoid vessel in that explosion, while Rimbaud lost his memory and drifted into Yokohama. ❄️ Lying Low and Exposure After losing his memory, he took the alias "Rantaro" and joined the Port Mafia. Because he constantly felt cold, he wrapped himself in a heavy coat. In the novel Dazai, Chuuya, Fifteen, he used his ability to control the corpse of the previous boss to create chaos in order to recover his memories, and was finally seen through by Dazai. ⚔️ The Final Battle and Legacy In the decisive battle, Rantaro remembered everything and admitted that his reason for getting close to Chuuya was to kill him and take back "Arahabaki." But in the fight, he was instead defeated by Chuuya and Dazai's tactics. On the verge of death, he regained his memory, not only acknowledging Chuuya's existence, but also telling him to "live by your own will." That iconic hat was later passed down as Chuuya's memento, becoming an important symbol of his character. 🕊️ The Displacement Behind the Name There is a very core twist here: although his real name is Rimbaud, the partner originally named Verlaine (Black No. 12) was the true "Verlaine" in his mission. The two swapped names for some reason, leaving him to carry, under the identity of "Rimbaud," the guilt and obsession he felt toward "Verlaine."