Sigzai

Sigzai is the slash ship between Sigma and Osamu Dazai from the Bungou Stray Dogs fandom.

Vampire Infection Outbreak Arc
Dazai and Sigma meet in Chapter 95 when Dazai and Fyodor are freed out of their cells by Nikolai. A couple chapters earlier, Dazai says he had read up on Sigma and knew beforehand Sigma’s ability, the fact Sigma has no past self, Sigma knew the location of the page and so sent Atsushi to retrieve him for that information, and was confused as to why Sigma would be a threat; noting Sigma had no true intentions of ‘terror’. They don’t speak much of officially meeting at first as Sigma is ‘just an assistant’ for Nikolai. He is merely in the background for a while, since Fyodor and Dazai are injecting their lethal dosages, but it’s clear that Sigma thinks Dazai is odd for finding joy in doing such a thing with a blush and a smile. At the ending of Chapter 97 Dazai chooses Sigma as his tool in the jail break instead of one from the selection provided to him on silver platters. Fyodor and Nikolai show shock to this and Sigma stares in confusion.

In Chapter 98, Dazai basks in the freedom of not being in his cell, and when Sigma continually interrogates Dazai on why he chose him, Dazai jumps up and announces how the place is like ballroom. He grabs Sigma’s hand and waist and starts to dance with Sigma who repeatedly questions him. Sigma doesn’t pry himself away from Dazai notably thought he shows annoyance and asks ‘why did you choose me?’. Sigma snaps and tells Dazai to stop and Dazai pauses the dance, smiling contently and teasing Sigma. The latter angrily gets up and throws a swing at Dazai, telling him to stop fooling around since their lives are at stake.

In this same chapter it becomes clear that Sigma believes Dazai is untrustworthy and just like those that have used him before, and dislikes the fact Dazai chose him as a ‘tool’ when he wishes to not be controlled by anyone anymore. While this isn’t explicitly stated to Dazai, he must notice the glares and the hostile behaviour, and deems that Sigma is interesting and promises to get him out of the prison alive.

Starting in Chapter 101, after the declaration that Chuuya is going to be on Fyodor’s side as a team, Dazai begins to unveil some of his plans and his secrets to Sigma- for example the fact he is communicating with Ango, and how he plans to exterminate Fyodor. Absentmindedly, Dazai also comments in his head that Sigma strikes him like an Atsushi-esque character. Like many before him, Sigma is astounded by Dazai’s abilities and smarts; evident by his reactions to finding out how he’s communicating and getting information from outside (via his heartbeat), and seeing that Dazai gained control of the security room undetected (using a time stopping ability, in which whenever time is stopped only he can move around thanks to his nullification skill) all while floundering and seeming more stupid than anything- though, Fyodor later reveals that he gained control of Meursault itself even before then.

In Chapter 105.5, Sigma shows that he sees Dazai as something inhuman, though not necessarily in the sense that he is the likes of a demon, but in a ‘super-human’ way, since he’s just too smart, which Sigma has gathered from all previous interactions. Dazai tells him after a small game of ‘rock paper scissors’ that he won because of body language and not some kind of magic, and no one, not even he, can go past the knowledge or wisdom of mere human beings; he can only know what there is to know, he is not all knowing; no one is, no one is super-human nor an average human. In the same chapter, the two become serious when Sigma expresses his doubts in himself, and expresses to Dazai that he must not be worthy of the truth of his plans, and that’s why he has acted how he has, all fun and games. Though, this thinking is immediately shut down by Dazai, scratching his head and saying he simply didn’t think that Sigma would be able to understand; not because he is dumb, but because he has been used in the past and that may make it difficult.

Despite the fact it’s revealed Dazai does have some true intention of using Sigma for his ability, to find Fyodor’s plans, Sigma can recognise that Dazai is doing all of that to also help the agency, and seems to take Dazai’s ‘use’ for him in a different way than what has been previously displayed with other characters that fit in a category Sigma calls ‘the ones who manipulate him’. Sigma thinks back to the times he has been used, confused at the idea that Dazai is not merely using the agency, and the agency is not merely using Dazai. To add even more confusion, after initially assuming the worst out of Dazai’s intentions, it’s admitted before they ascend in the elevator that the second reason Dazai chose him is because Fyodor and/or Nikolai would have made sure he stayed silent if he hadn’t, effectively saving his life in the process of everything.

It’s in the end of Chapter 106 that hope seems lost for the two since since Fyodor manages to escape his own drowning sequence started by Dazai with help of Chuuya who used his ability beforehand to make the doors keeping the water drowning them faulty, Fyodor then commences his own drowning sequence inside of the elevator that they had just entered with the plan to leave the prison and help the agency. Dazai ensures that Sigma gets pushed under the water, at first taken as a threat, but quickly proven to be protective when the water that was filling up around them burst into flames above by the odd slimy liquid on the wall found before by Dazai touching there.

Translations for Chapter 106.5 are provided by: @darkestjay.868 and @bsd_edits on Twitter.

Chapter 106.5, shows how the two work together. Sigma slowly loses air underwater, going perfectly according to Fyodor’s plans. Mixing together the anxiety of drowning, the fear of fire, the pain from the lack of oxygen, and the hope that came with seeing the flames dissipate- a chance for air, Sigma went to rise up above the water and take a much needed gasp for air.

It doesn’t quite hit him why Dazai pulls him back down, the reasonable fragility of his trust in Dazai showing in the fact he immediately thinks he’s stupid for deeming the man trustworthy, until they meet eyes and it must click. The flames didn’t go out due to the water, it was due to the lack of oxygen that had been consumed by those flames, and one breath above the water in the carbon contaminated air would cause an instant death, meaning Dazai had saved him again. Dazai grabs Sigma’s cheek in the anime and pulls him close, while in the manga this scene ends with Dazai and Sigma’s lips parted open.

Dazai uses Sigma’s small pistol and jumps off his shoulder into the dangerous outside to break into the elevator wires and causes it to malfunction, sending the doors open, the water out, and safe air back in. This also triggers another sequence, one that starts to eat away at the wires holding the elevator up, and the box falls to its side. Before Sigma can fully slip to the bottom, Dazai bends his knees and puts his hands on Sigma’s back, claiming he promised he’d get Sigma out alive before using his entire weight from his feet to shove Sigma forward and out of the elevator right before its collapse. The last thing Sigma sees is Dazai with a smile descending down, the words ‘I leave the rest to you’ the last words said.

Translations for Chapter 107 are provided by: @ranpoedgw, @cinnamoniio, @mykozai, @aku3mo, and @ryunsque on Twitter.

In Chapter 107 Sigma and Dazai have now been separated. Sigma is walking along the wall looking tired, and wonders in his head if Dazai is alright because of what happened in the elevator, an proceeds to think about how Dazai before entering had seen all that would have happened yet still did it for the sake of the agency. He also says that when they were under water, Dazai held the expression of understanding of falling and defeat- yet he still took action. He then ponders what Dazai meant by ‘leaving the rest to him’ since he’s still confused as to what an ordinary man like him could do.

On the ground, he then finds a note that says in Russian: ‘Save me’. Just a panel later, we see Dazai walking with a trail of blood behind him, and he collapses saying something is broken, one of his bones that could be anywhere on his legs (summary writer can’t tell exactly where because it all looks like spaghetti), then waves up to Fyodor since he moved himself to a camera. Sigma then finds Fyodor in that room and shoots his shoulder.

Whenever Fyodor tries to tell him that all Dazai said was to manipulate him, to give him hope of joining the ADA, because what Sigma needs isn’t a home but a relationship of mutual dependency which is brought on by his feelings about Dazai- Sigma shuts him down and tells him even if it is all a trick, in this game of manipulation Dazai had won. He thinks this because Fyodor trying to make him not trust Dazai would only mean he’s afraid of the gun held to his head. The chapter finishes with Sigma asking Fyodor what he is.

Quotes
"In this world there’s no such thing as a super-human nor an average human."

- Dazai to Sigma, Chapter 105

"If I didn’t choose you, Dostoevsky or Gogol would’ve taken steps to make sure you stayed silent."

- Dazai to Sigma, Chapter 105.5

"Dazai is just like the others, the “ones who manipulate me”… So what is this feeling?"

- Sigma thinking about Dazai, Chapter 105.5

"You and I have a promise, I said I’d bring you back alive."

- Dazai to Sigma, Chapter 106.5

"I leave the rest to you."

- Dazai to Sigma, Chapter 106.5

"At first you wished for a home so that you wouldn’t be used by other people, but after observing Dazai you realised just a lonely home isn’t enough. What you need isn’t a home, but trust. Not favours or transactions, but a relationship of mutual dependency. […] It’s a trick with which Dazai has ensured your heart."

- Fyodor trying to convince Sigma that Dazai has only used him and caused these feelings for manipulation, Chapter 107

"You tried to incite distrust in Dazai and get me to put the gun down. In this game of manipulation, it’s Dazai’s victory."

- Sigma standing his ground after thinking back to Dazai having plans to save the agency and entrusting him with ‘the rest’, Chapter 107

Fanon
Sigzai first became popular after Dazai chose Sigma to ‘use as a tool’ and detoured from Nikolai and Fyodor. Free from his cell, Dazai had danced with Sigma down the halls while Sigma became increasingly agitated at Dazai’s lack of care considering the severity of their situation. From then on, people became interested by yet another ‘annoying character x annoyed character’ ship in the fandom. Despite their seemingly ‘agitate to agitated’ dynamic, in the short time they have so far shared, Dazai has made an effort to help Sigma feel some worth, and to gain trust again after losing it by acts from Fyodor; each time he has thought Dazai to be just the same, he is proven wrong, and it introduces a more welcoming and deep feeling to their building relationship that many enjoy.

While the ship was considered since their first interaction, some shippers of Kunikidazai took notice of their dynamic due to its stated similarities in Chapter 105. Dazai himself even states that Sigma is his new Kunikida.

Events in Chapter 106.5 and its anime adaptation made it blow up in popularity. There was a panel that looked a lot like the two were about to kiss or share air, while in the anime Dazai grips Sigma’s cheek and pulls him close. This is still being debated and fueled by confusion as to why those panels looked how they did and if Dazai had an intent of sharing air with Sigma

Fandom

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Manga
Translation credits can be found in the ‘Manga’ section of this wiki just before the chapter summaries if they’re needed.