Tatsurou woke in the morning, feeling groggy. Last night was a nightmare -a temporary one- but still terrible. The thing Muroi had injected into him felt alive. When the tentacles injected something inside him Tatsurou wanted to rip his skin and flesh to get rid of whatever was inside him. But in a few minutes, that feeling disappeared.
That wasn't the worst of it, though. The worst was when Tatsurou left the medical room Shizuru-sensei appeared and asked him what he was doing, snooping around about Muroi. His heart sank for a moment, but he managed to escape her questioning.
But it wasn't over. When they were about to return home, they spotted Shizuru flirting and spending time with Muroi. That was the moment they knew Shizuku had decided to investigate him. They tried to call Ryuji, but he wasn't answering. They waited until night, and still no answer. Tatsurou wondered if Ryuji was busy or if something terrible had happened.
Tatsurou shook his head. Time to prepare for school. He went to the bathroom and took a shower, changed his clothes to a school uniform, and went for breakfast. His sister was already there, laying breakfast on the table. Even though they had servants to do house chores, no matter how many lectures their father gave, she never stopped.
“Good Morning Rinko-nee.” Tatsurou greeted.
“Good Morning Tatsurou, come have breakfast.” Answered Rinko.
They sat across from each other, just the two of them. It was always like this. The estate was full of people -clan members, servants, their parents- but somehow, this house felt empty. Lonely. Tatsurou wondered why. Was it their father? Rinko's status as the prodigy, setting her apart? He didn't have an answer.
"Tatsurou, did Ryuji call this morning?" Rinko asked.
"No. I'll try calling him again when we get to school."
Rinko's brow furrowed. "I wonder if something happened to them during their mission."
"I'm sure it's fine. It's Ryuji. And they have Sakura and Asuka with him." Those two had consistently high combat scores, and their ninja arts were powerful. They are a powerful ally to Ryuji.
But there was another one. Kirara, was it? Tatsurou didn't know much about her, he'd kept his distance after she made her dislike of him clear. Now that he thought about it, she seemed to dislike men in general. No one knew why. A knot formed in his stomach. Was Ryuji okay with her? He hoped so.
Once they finished, they left their home with no one to say goodbye to them. As usual, they went to their usual spot to wait for Yukikaze. On their journey, he made a call, and surprisingly, someone answered.
[This is Ryuji. Who's calling?]
They started their conversation, and Tatsurou kept his distance from Rinko despite her wanting to listen in. He could hear her muttering under her breath -something about slicing Ryuji-.
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They met up with Yukikaze at their usual spot.
"So did that idiot finally answer the call?" Yukikaze asked, crossing her arms.
"Yeah." Tatsurou nodded.
"Well?" She raised an eyebrow. "What did he say?"
Tatsurou met her gaze. "That we should tell Shizuru-sensei the truth about Muroi."
This caused both girls' eyes to widen in surprise. "O-oi, didn't he want to keep this a secret?"
"Yes. He fears Muroi might have caught wind of his identity as a spy, considering there's a potential of another spy working there."
Tatsurou remembered what Ryuji told him. "Ryuji said: If you expose Muroi now, some of the students may be killed, or worse. Keep silent for now."
This surprised them again. "W-what did Muroi do to the students?" Rinko asked. Then she realized. Anger quickly rose. "Tatsurou… did he do something to you?"
Tatsurou could only stay silent.
"Tatsurou-kun." Yukikaze turned as she quickly realized what Rinko meant. "I-I—let's just kill him. Kill that bastard!" She said with rage.
"NO!" Tatsurou quickly rejected it. "He did something. I can't tell what, but he did. I don't know what will happen to me. Maybe I'll become a mutated monster or a meatball. All I know is, if Muroi is exposed, me and others will suffer."
Those two could only stay silent until one of them spoke.
"Hey, are you free this evening?" Yukikaze asked.
"Yeah, why?" Tatsurou asked.
"I want you to come over to my place."
"Sure, I'll come."
"I wonder what you plan for us to do there," Rinko asked.
"Rinko-senpai." Yukikaze blushed. "I only want Tatsurou to come."
"Huh? Why?" Then a moment struck. "O-oh, I understand."
Tatsurou also realized what this entailed and could only blush.
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Tatsurou parted ways from the girls and visited Shizuru at the teacher's lounge. There she sat, working on some papers. Probably a surprise quiz for today. He hoped not. English wasn't his strong suit -well, neither was it for everyone in the classroom- minus some people, especially Yukikaze, who apparently learned English easily through playing Western video games.
Tatsurou quickly regained his focus and pushed the thought of the quiz aside. Now he needed to talk to Shizuru. He walked up to her and greeted her.
"Good morning, Shizuru-sensei."
"Ah, good morning, Tatsurou-kun. How can I help you?" Shizuru returned the greeting with a smile.
"Yeah, about yesterday… about Muroi. I want to be honest about that."
"Oh? Thank you, Tatsurou-kun." Her expression softened. "Sorry about yesterday with the constant questioning and being stern with you. I was simply worried since I saw you come out covered in sweat and breathing heavily."
Right. He hadn't been in the best state of mind after leaving the medical room.
Now Tatsurou leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Muroi… he is a spy. A demonic one."
Shizuru's eyes went wide. "Are you sure?"
"I have evidence." Tatsurou pulled out his phone. "A voice recording."
She stared at the device, then back at him. "When did you have suspicion he was a spy in the first place?"
Tatsurou hesitated. "It wasn't me. It was Ryuji."
"Ryuji?" Shizuru's brow furrowed. "The young magician?"
He didn't know exactly how Ryuji had figured it out. The Third Eye, probably. But he wasn't about to reveal that. "Yes. He was suspicious that Muroi was a spy. He asked us to find evidence."
"Well, I understand. Still, he should have asked for help -like Asagi or Shiranui-." Shizuru's expression hardened. "Anyway, I'll ask Asagi on how to approach him and eliminate him."
"Don't, please!" Tatsurou begged. "There's another thing. Ryuji said this: If you expose Muroi now, some of the students may be killed, or worse. Keep silent for now."
This only made Shizuru go silent. She still wore her beautiful, calm expression, but beneath it, anger rose. Her precious students were in danger, and there was nothing they could do.
"Tatsurou… you're okay, right?" Her voice softened. "What did he do to you?"
"I-I can't say. There are certain sentences, certain words. I can't say. If I do, it… hurts."
Shizuru's jaw tightened. "Tatsurou-kun, you can skip class today. Go to the research facility. We need to find a way to cure you."
"But wouldn't Muroi find out?" Tatsurou shook his head. "Shouldn't we stay silent for now? There are probably other people in the facility working for him. And there might be places he's bugged." He swallowed. "Ryuji… he may have friends who can cure this."
Shizuru sighed, relenting. "You place too much hope on him." She paused. "You're right, though. We don't know if he's bugged the facility, or how many places he's bugged." Her gaze softened. "You can still skip class if you want."
"No, it's okay." Tatsurou forced a small smile. "I'm feeling fine for now."
After all, as long as he didn't cross the line, he would be fine. Now he just had to wait for Ryuji to return tomorrow.
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As the day turned to afternoon at Midoribashi Academy, Kosuke was currently playing baseball with the baseball club, helping them train for the tournament. He was the batter, taking a stance as he waited for the pitcher to throw. The pitcher pulled his arm back and leg in a quick motion and threw a fastball at him. Kosuke managed to react and hit the ball. The ball went high, then quickly came down, and someone caught it.
Kosuke reset his stance, ready to hit another ball. He could hit a home run using his Taimanin strength, but that wouldn't be fun, and it would also increase the pressure to make him join their club.
Just then, someone came running onto the field, shouting and drawing everyone's attention.
"Kosuke! There's a really hot girl looking for you!" It was Takuto, calling for him. Huh? Why would he do that? Kosuke figured he would just ignore her request and keep flirting with her.
But who would visit him? He suspected either Sakura or Asuka, and he had a feeling it was Asuka.
"Yo, Kosuke-kun! Your big sis is here!" Asuka appeared, her voice bubbly. She struck a pose with a peace sign and a wink.
To Kosuke, she was just acting like her usual charming self. To everyone around her, their hearts swooned at her beauty.
The baseball team quickly approached her and started asking questions, which Kosuke couldn't help but be annoyed by. Thankfully, the captain managed to shoo everyone away and called a quick break. Then the captain approached him.
"Thanks for helping us, Kosuke-kun. You can leave with your sister."
"She's my childhood friend, not my sister, senpai." Kosuke waved goodbye. "Good luck with your training."
With that, he walked away. As he approached Asuka, he noticed Takuto flirting with her.
"Hey, you must be new in the city. Want to hang out? I know a lot of nice places we can have fun."
Kosuke didn't know why, but he couldn't help wanting to punch him. Probably because Takuto was planning to get her into a position to assault her. But he doubted it, Kyousuke had thoroughly disciplined him.
Asuka was annoyed, not caring what Takuto said. She only wanted to spend time with Kosuke and Kosuke alone. Then she noticed Kosuke looking weird. She'd never seen that expression on him before, though that was probably because they'd been separated for years. He looked angry?
Kosuke quickly approached and inserted himself between them. "Asuka, what are you doing here?"
Asuka was a bit perplexed by this, then quickly realized. ‘Kosuke is jealous.’ The thought made her heart race. ‘He's jealous that this guy was flirting with me? Kosuke! He loves me!’
Her heart pounded at the idea that Kosuke viewed her as more than a childhood friend. More than a sister.
Asuka quickly calmed her heart. "Kosuke-kun, I just wanted to visit this academy. I'm surprised you play baseball. But didn't you say you don't join any clubs?"
"Just because I don't join one doesn't mean I can't play with them."
"Oh, I only saw glimpses, but I think you're pretty good at baseball."
"Well, I did join the baseball tournament last year."
"Really? Do you plan on joining this year? I want to see you play in the tournament."
"Well, no. I'm not really interested." Thanks to being superhuman, he hardly got any challenge.
"You should reconsider, Kosuke-kun." The captain of the baseball club suddenly appeared.
"Listen, I-"
"Kosuke-kun." The captain's hand landed on his shoulder. "Your sister here wants to see you play. She wants to see your talents, your brilliance. When will she ever get a chance?" His voice grew dramatic. "Especially since I'm graduating this year!"
Kosuke stared at him. "What does you graduating have to do with anything—"
"Come on, Kosuke." Asuka's voice cut in, softer now, almost pleading. "I want to see you play in the tournament."
Kosuke looked at her, those pleading puppy eyes, and sighed. "Fine. I'll play."
"YES!" The captain pumped his fist. He could graduate high school with one more tournament win under his belt.
To Asuka, this meant she could watch Kosuke play the tournament. And what's more, he did it for her because she simply asked. Her mind wandered to those romance stories where a guy promises to propose after he wins a sports tournament. Maybe something similar could happen.
To Kosuke, he didn't know why. Maybe after being separated from her for years, he had grown a soft spot for her. Maybe he could ask his brother what this feeling was.
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The afternoon had set for the trio as Ryuji, Sakura, and Kirara started their day at the mall. The two girls decided to go shopping after hours of helping with paperwork - though mostly on Ryuji since he is the only one who knew how to write a report-.
Still, a part of him felt they should be searching for the missing children in Senzaki. But…
His mind drifted back to that morning. Gin's voice echoed in his memory. Don't worry about it. Go have fun. We've already got someone in Senzaki looking for the kids. Since last week.
Here Ryuji was now, just tagging along. He didn't know what girls liked or enjoyed, so he let them decide where to go and have fun. As for himself, did he have fun? Not at all. But that didn't matter. As long as they were enjoying themselves, it was enough.
They stopped at a clothing store. Ryuji looked around and started thinking if he should start buying clothes. ‘Why am I even thinking about this? Of course I should. I don't have enough clothes.’ Most of his clothing came from the Sanctuary, which was only meant for emergencies. So he didn't have many options for clothes.
He started picking and inspecting which clothes he liked. Of course, he hesitated to choose, so he decided to ask the girls for their opinions. "So which one suits me? This one or this one?" He picked a shirt with a Star Wars theme and another with a Dragon Ball theme.
"Why are you asking us that? It's a generic T-shirt. Just pick the one you like." Said Kirara
"Really? Sorry, I'm just not into fashion and kind of afraid I'll accidentally pick the wrong one."
"Is that so?" A plan formed in Sakura's mind. She picked a bunch of clothing. "Then try this one, this one, and this one."
Ryuji blinked and considered for a moment. He trusted her judgment. "It'll take some time to change, I've only got one working arm, so be patient, alright?" With that, he headed into the changing room.
Kirara couldn't help but look at Sakura. "What was that?"
"Come on, this is the perfect time to see Ryuji in various clothing."
Kirara raised an eyebrow. Then Ryuji opened the door, revealing what he was wearing. She realized what Sakura meant. The mix of jacket, T-shirt, and jeans made him attractive. He was already good-looking, but this just enhanced it.
Ryuji tugged at the collar, oblivious. "Hmm… I don't know. These things seem… expensive?"
Sakura waved a hand. "What? Come on, Ryuji. Surely you have more than ten thousand yen in your bank."
"I don't have a bank account." He made a mental note to fix that. But could he? He didn't have proper documentation -no identification card-. Well, he did, but it would show him to be over 70 years old, since he was from the past. Maybe he could find someone to forge a new one for him.
"W-well, surely you've got cash." Sakura's eyes narrowed slightly, a new suspicion forming. Had he been poor before?
"No, I- wait." Ryuji pulled out his wallet. "I think I got some allowance." He opened it. "It's 200,000 yen."
Sakura brightened. "See? That's a lot of money. You can splurge a little."
Ryuji's expression turned wary. "Of course. The moment I decide to spoil myself, all my money disappears. I can't risk it."
Kirara stared at him. "Are you the type who can't control his spending?"
"No." He scratched his head. "If anything, I try to spend as little as possible. I don't like buying expensive things, okay? It hurts throwing that much money away."
Sakura and Kirara exchanged a look. Then Sakura smiled.
"Alright. Then I'll buy those clothes for you."
Ryuji blinked. "N-no, you don't have to." He shook his head quickly. "I'm a guy. I shouldn't be relying on your money." It was pathetic that he couldn't buy those clothes himself.
"Eh? But I want to see you wearing these clothes. Especially on our future dates."
So Sakura still held hope that they would get together. Honestly, Ryuji just felt guilty about it. "I'll buy these clothes myself."
"Can you try some of these on?"
And so he did. One outfit made him look like a punk kid with a Metallica shirt and rip jeans. Another was winter clothing. And lastly, he dressed up like a teacher with a button shirt, chinos, and even glasses.
Then Ryuji noticed something was wrong. "Uh, where did you get these glasses?"
"From me, of course." A man stood there, golden blond hair catching the light like spun gold. His eyes were green -sharp, clear, like cut gemstones-. His face was beautiful, his body slim, making him look androgynous. "Long time no see, Ryuji. Remember me during your idol days?"
"L-Luka… you're here." Ryuji's voice wavered before steadying. "What a coincidence." Kanzaki Luka, a popular male JPOP idol in his world. "You seem to be doing okay, judging by your clothing." He finally got over his surprise.
The girls could only stay silent as they are shocked by the sudden appearance of a celebrity.
"Ah, well, what can I say?" Luka's smile was effortless, practiced. "Whether I'm here or there, none of them can resist my beauty. Of course, mixed with my natural talent, they all fall for me."
"Right… Well, anyway, I'm kind of busy, so can you…" Ryuji moved his hand in a shooing gesture.
"But don't you want my input on this?"
"No."
"Hmph. Ruined the mood. Typical." Luka's gaze shifted past Ryuji. "Though, who are your friends?" He slowly approached them. "Two beautiful girls. How greedy of you, Ryuji."
"Can you just leave? If you don't, I'll carry you and throw you out of here."
"Carry me? Throw me?" Luka's smile turned wicked. "To bed, where you can ravage me?"
"Just leave!" Ryuji was not in the mood for sex jokes, not after last night. Not knowing he'd done it with someone because he was drunk. Sakura suddenly decided to enter his room without knocking or checking on him, just waltz in like she owns his room. Actually, could that act be considered rape? He wasn't in the right mind to consent. Then realization hit, he should stop thinking about that. He didn't want to start hating Sakura.
"Haha." Luka chuckled. "Well, I better get going. I have a commercial to do. Oh, here." He tossed something at Ryuji, a business card. "Call me if you want to relive your idol days. Oh, and keep the glasses." With that, he was gone.
Silence settled over the three of them. Sakura was the first to break it.
"R-Ryuji!" Her voice pitched high. "You're friends with a popular celebrity? A-and you used to be an idol?!"
Kirara said nothing, but her eyes were wide. The revelation had clearly caught her off guard.
Ryuji sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It was only for a week, okay? I accidentally injured one of the members, so I got forced to be a replacement. There's nothing to be impressed about."
Kirara recovered. "I see. That must have been during Luka's early career since there was never mention of you in his career and played any role in his stage performance." She tilted her head. "But why didn't you want to be an idol?"
Ryuji's expression flattened. "Because I don't want to, that's all. And I have a duty to uphold." He sighs. "Let's just buy these clothes and get lunch."
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Once they finished shopping, the three went to lunch at a family restaurant. After they ordered their food, Ryuji went to the bathroom to take a huge piss. He'd drunk too many of his favorite energy drinks, thinking they would help replace lost energy—the anemia caused by donating his blood to Oiwa-. What a fool he was.
While Ryuji was away, the two girls talked. For Kirara, this was an opportunity, a chance to understand why Sakura had latched onto Ryuji so quickly.
"Hey. Why do you like Ryuji? You've only known him for a couple of days."
Sakura blinked, as if the question itself was strange. "Well, is there something wrong with that? I mean, sure, we've only known each other for a short time. But that short time was enough to see that Ryuji is an amazing person." She smiled, bright and certain. "And I want an amazing person to be my boyfriend! Plus, he looks cool -especially his eyes-. They look really cool when he wears glasses."
That's her reason? Kirara stared at her. Because he's amazing? And the eyes, despite having the gaze of a tiger, he really did look good with glasses.
She couldn't understand it. "Well, surely you have a type, right? I mean, there are plenty of guys in the village who can do what Ryuji does." Though, if she was being honest, most of those were experienced veterans. The students? Average. Forgettable. She couldn't even name one talented male student off the top of her head.
Come to think of it… the girls were the ones who stood out. Rinko, Maika, Yukikaze. The men were mostly average while the women were top-notch.
While Kirara was lost in thought, Sakura had already rattled off her answer. "Well… I want a guy who can cook, clean the house, and occasionally play with me when we have free time."
Kirara's expression went flat. "So a househusband, then?" She stared at Sakura with deadpan eyes. Of course Sakura wanted a guy who would spoil her. "Well, Ryuji doesn't seem like that type. I mean, look at him. He probably spends all his time studying and training." After all, the man knew magic, swords, and firearms. Not exactly the stay-at-home type.
"Let's just ask him when he comes back." Sakura's face lit up. "Oh! There he is."
Ryuji slid back into his seat. "Hey, guys. What are you talking about?"
Sakura leaned forward, eyes sparkling. "Ryuji, do you know how to cook?"
He blinked. "Yes. Why?"
"And do house chores?"
"Again, yes." His brow furrowed. "What kind of question is this?"
Sakura's smile turned sly. "Hehe… What do you think of becoming a househusband?"
Ryuji considered it for a moment. "Um, okay, I guess? I get to stay at home and watch over the kids. It's not a hard job."
“Then let’s get married once we graduate!”
"No! You can't!" Kirara's voice cut through the air, sharper than intended. She caught herself, forcing her tone down. "I-I mean, you shouldn't think that way. You and Ryuji aren't even dating."
Ryuji's eyes narrowed. He caught it -the sudden spike in Kirara's emotions-. The way her composure cracked for just a moment. "Yeah…" He looked away from both of them. "You shouldn't place your hopes on me. You'll just end up disappointed."
"I think you'd make an amazing boyfriend." Sakura laid her head gently on Ryuji's shoulder.
Ryuji's annoyance flickered, but he kept it hidden. Their drinks arrived. Sakura's was orange juice, Kirara's lychee, and Ryuji's a simple glass of water. The energy drink had left a film on his tongue – he needed to wash it away.
"So, Ryuji." Kirara set down her glass. "About Luka. What is your relationship with him?"
"Eh… just friends, I guess?" Ryuji shrugged. "He really likes me for some reason. Even begged me to become a fellow idol." He took a sip of water. "Of course I refused. He respected that decision and we went our separate ways."
"He's really amazing," Sakura said, her eyes bright. "In just a year, he's already everywhere in Japan. Makes me wonder if he's even human."
Ryuji's voice was flat. "He isn't."
Silence.
"Uh… what?" Sakura's smile faltered.
Kirara's eyes are sharp, focusing on Ryuji's answer. "What do you mean?"
Ryuji set down his glass. "He's not human."
Sakura asks. "Then… What is he?"
"A demon. An incubus to be exact." Ryuji's tone was direct. "But he doesn't prey on humans the way you'd expect. He preys on attention. He took his natural incubus abilities and trained them, refined them. Now he's perfected a subtle form of hypnotism -through singing, or just through talking-. You don't even realize it's happening."
He took a sip of water, letting the silence stretch. "Don't worry. He isn't one of those… horny demons." A faint smirk crossed his face. "He's too narcissistic to fornicate with low commoners." The last words dripped with a mocking aristocratic drawl.
Then their food arrives and Ryuji happily chowed down. Though the girls took time to understand what just happened.
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After lunch, they took a walk and made a stop at the claw machines. Sakura lingered at the front of the arcade, eyeing the prizes.
"Ryuji-kun, I want to try that claw game?" Her voice was hopeful.
"Sure. Go ahead."
Sakura nodded, inserted a 100 yen coin, and took the controls. The claw dropped, grasped weakly, and came up empty.
She sighed. "I always lose…"
"Stay back." Ryuji stepped in front of her. "Let me play. Which toy do you want?"
Sakura pointed at a teddy bear, the one with a scar over its right eye. It wasn't even cute. But Ryuji didn't question her taste. He pulled out a 100 yen coin, hesitated for just a second, then fed it into the machine. He positioned the claw above the bear. The claw descended, grabbed, and rose. Ryuji grabbed the right side of the machine and pushed it sharply left. The claw swung, the toy slipped, and it dropped straight into the prize chute.
Ryuji plucked the bear from the chute and held it out to Sakura. "Here."
"Thanks, Ryuji!" She threw her arms around him in a tight hug. Ryuji stood there, stiff as a board.
Kirara watched with narrowed eyes. "Why did you tilt the machine?"
"Because claw machines are rigged." Ryuji said, still frozen in Sakura's embrace. "The claws are designed to loosen up. The chance of winning without a little help is almost zero. After all, how else would the owner make money?"
"Hehe, Ryuji so smart." Said Sakura.
"Alright. Let go of me now." Ryuji turned his head toward Kirara. "You want a plushie, Onisaki-san?"
Kirara's cheeks flushed. She hesitated, mind racing. A plushie? For her? She couldn't possibly.
"I'll take that as a yes." Ryuji inserted the coin.
"W-wait! I don’t want it!"
"It's too late. Already in. So which one do you want?"
Kirara sighed and calmed down. "I want the polar bear one."
Ryuji nodded and repeated what he did. Once it was done, he handed it to Kirara. She used it to hide her blushing face.
Ryuji, on the other hand, couldn't help but feel he was making a mistake. There was a possibility Kirara might catch feelings for him. ‘No, she won't. She dislikes men. At best, she just likes me. That's all.’ Ryuji could only pray he was right.
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Somewhere across the city, a different kind of conversation unfolded. In a smoky bar, two figures sat in shadow. One was human. Unremarkable, in a jacket and plain shirt. The other was an orc, his presence commanding: muscles straining against leather, a wild mohawk jutting from his scalp.
"I can't give you the next batch." The human's voice was flat. "Our operation's been dismantled. The head of it is dead."
The orc's jaw tightened. "This wouldn't have happened if you didn't delay."
"And risk Victor and that half-breed Taimanin finding out?" The human let out a dry laugh. "Not a chance. It was inevitable, I suppose. That female demon is mentally unstable. Of course, the fault's mine. I brainwashed and broke her."
The orc growled low in his throat. "Grr. What now? Are you getting back to Edogawa? Or moving your operation elsewhere?"
The human leaned back, his chair creaking. "I'm leaving the city. Far, far away from Tokyo. No more shipments of children."
The orc's voice rumbled. "That's not the deal, human."
"And I'm ending the deal." The human's tone was final. "A member of the Ding clan is already trouble. The Edogawa Agency has me watching my back. And now the Miyatake is here." He pulled out his phone and turned the screen showing Ryuji.
"So?" The orc scoffed. "He is just a Taimanin. Sure, they're hard to take down. But with careful planning, we can manage. We can use the children…"
"You don't get it, do you?" The human's voice dropped, cold and sharp. "Miyatake Ryuji is not someone that can be easily taken down. Using children as hostages won't work. It'll just make him consider worse tactics."
The orc scoffed. "Pft! Scared of a human? Listen, my boss already hired a couple of powerful, skilled demons. Specialists in fighting Taimanin. Bought straight from Oboro herself."
"So?" The human leaned in, a creepy smile spreading across his face. "Ryuji isn't a Taimanin. Neither is Victor. He's a mage, like me. And here's something you need to understand about mages." His voice dropped to a whisper. "The more experienced we are, the crazier we become. And Ryuji?" He chuckled. "He's got a few screws loose."
Then figures materialized behind him. Cloaked, hooded, faces hidden from the bar's dim light.
"I'll give you these. Another batch. Loyal, powerful demon slaves."
The cloaks fell away. The orc's eyes went wide. "H-how… these people…" These demons were well known and powerful so how did this human…
The human smiled. "It's easy to break them. Demons are sinful by nature, their hearts and minds already full of darkness. I just let that darkness consume them." He glanced at the line of broken figures. "That demon woman who was kidnapping children? An early experiment. These ones…" He spread his arms. "These are complete. They won't go crazy."
He let the orc process that, then stood. "Consider this repayment for the batch I couldn't deliver. Now I must go, I have a plane to catch."
He left the bar, returned to his apartment, grabbed his luggage, and hailed a taxi. The cab pulled over revealing a driver with sunglasses and a hat. He slid inside and shut the door. "Keisei Bus stop."
"Yes, sir." The taxi pulled into traffic. Then: "Sir, can I make a quick stop first?"
The man scowled. "Tch. Where?"
"To a graveyard."
Before he could react, a blade punched through the seat. Pierced his back and through his stomach making the blade appear out to the front of his abdomen.
“Y-you're… Victor!"
"You bastard!" Victor ripped off his hat and sunglasses, his eyes bloodshot. "You made me go through so many sleepless nights. Any last words?"
"F-fuck… y-you…" The man's hand dove into his pocket. A grenade. The pin flew.
The car erupted. Fire and metal screamed into the setting dusk. Pedestrians shrieked, phones raised, recording the inferno. A car door tore free and slammed into a lamppost.
Then Victor stepped out of the burning wreckage. His clothes hung in tatters. His face and body was a ruin of charred flesh, but he was still moving. He leaped, soaring to the rooftop of a nearby building, disappearing from the crowd's horrified stares.
On the rooftop, his face began to shift. Burnt skin flaked away like ash. Wounds knitted, bones reset, features smoothed back into place. Within moments, he looked untouched.
Victor touched his cheek, now whole. "If only my regeneration could fix my lack of energy."
He exhaled, relaxing his shoulders. The job wasn't over. He still had to eliminate the hired anti-Taimanin unit. The rest, he'd work with his cousin to crush them.
"Victor-kun." A woman's voice, a concerned one. "Are you alright?"
Victor's head snapped up. A woman stood before him, long turquoise hair, green eyes. Beautiful, mesmerizing even, to most men. To Victor, she was just another headache.
"Makishima-san, what the hell?" His voice was sharp. "Didn't I tell you to hide at Senzaki Dark Casino? There's an anti-Taimanin unit crawling around here."
"Kurenai-sama wants to help you." Her tone was calm, unshaken. "So we scoured the city to find you."
Victor exhaled through his nose. "Kurenai…" He shook his head. No point in arguing. "Tell her I don't need help."
Ayame's eyes narrowed. "You know how stubborn Kurenai-sama is. She really cares for you." Her glare sharpened. "And you should care for her too."
Victor's voice was flat. "I'm already babysitting her sister. I don't have the energy to care for Kurenai."
Ayame's eyes flashed. "Who asked you to babysit her? Kurenai-sama is an amazing woman. She doesn't need men to protect her."
Victor didn't answer. But his thoughts turned inward. ‘Zhiyong asked me to.’ Zhiyong had asked him to watch over Kurenai because Zhiyong's girlfriend—Kurenai's mother—had requested it, and Zhiyong in turn had asked Victor. As for why, she couldn't do it herself. Her being alive had to remain a secret.
"Ayame! Did you find Victor?"
Victor looked at the new arrival. There she was, Kurenai herself, stepping onto the rooftop.
"V-Victor, you're here." A blush crept across her cheeks. Then her eyes widened. "Are you okay? Your clothes look burned and shredded. Did you get caught in the car explosion?"
Victor managed a tired smile. "Yo, Shinganji-san. I'm fine, see? No scratches." He tilted his head. "Since you're here… want to suck my blood?"
"W-what? No, I… well." Kurenai fidgeted, then straightened her shoulders. "Victor, I told you, I don't want blood. That's what demons do. I want to stay as a human if I can." She met his gaze. "And call me Kurenai."
"Shinganji—"
"Kurenai."
Victor exhaled. "Listen, there are people out there who drink human blood and eats human flesh. And some of them even ask for consent first before devouring their corpses."
Ayame's voice was deadpan. "Aren’t those cannibals? Stop messing with Kurenai-sama."
"And if cannibals can do it, so can you."
Ayame's eyes narrowed. "What's your point? Look! You're just confusing Kurenai-sama!"
Victor looked down. "I don't know. I'm just spouting bullshit." He paused, then added more quietly, "But I mean it. You shouldn't be ashamed of your demon side, Kurenai-san. It's part of who you are."
"O-oh…" Kurenai fidgeted, her cheeks flushing. "Thank you, Victor-kun. That's… kind of you to say." She hesitated, then glanced away. "So… how's Da— I mean, how is Zhiyong? I haven't spoken to him in a while."
Victor shrugged, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Same as always. Buried in work. You know how he is."
Kurenai nodded, then looked back at him, her expression softening. "If you ever want different work you and Zhiyong could come to the village. I'm sure you'd find something there." She met his eyes. "You're both good people, Victor. You shouldn't have to work with NOMAD."
Victor shook his head. "Thanks for the offer, but I'll have to pass. So will Zhiyong." His expression hardened. Their work with NOMAD isn't finished yet. “Now head back to the casino. Stay hidden until I've dealt with every anti-Taimanin unit in this city."
"But I want to help!"
"Look! What's that over there?" Victor pointed past them. Both women turned. "Smoke bomb!" He hurled the canister. It hit the rooftop and burst into thick smoke.
The girls coughed, waving the haze away. When it cleared, Victor was gone.
"Victor…" Kurenai's voice was barely a whisper. "Does he think I'm a burden?"
"Victor!" Ayame's shout echoed across the rooftop, then dissolved into bewilderment. "Seriously? Why did he announce his move? What a weirdo." She sighed, long and heavy. "Let's rest, Kurenai-sama. Then we'll find him again."
Ayame's frustration simmered. Victor always played lone wolf, handling every problem himself until it broke him. She thought of the day Kurenai found him sleeping in an alley, mistaking him for a hobo, too exhausted to make it home. The night he got drunk and spilled out how much he hated his job to Ayame. Jubei helped lessen the load, sure, but only a little. She'd never met anyone who loathed his work so much yet so dedicated until he passed out.
.
.
.
Evening settled over the village. Tatsurou and Yukikaze said goodbye to Rinko and headed toward the Mizuki manor. They walked side by side, their footsteps falling into rhythm, the space between them shrinking with every step.
Tatsurou gathered his courage and reached for her hand.
At that exact moment, Yukikaze reached for his hand.
Their fingers brushed, and both flinched back, faces burning, neither willing to admit what they'd just tried to do.
Tatsurou took a breath. ‘Stop being a coward. She wants this. I want this.’ He shot his hand out, quick and decisive, startling Yukikaze. This time, he didn't let go.
Tatsurou… Yukikaze's cheeks were crimson, her heart still racing. They walked the rest of the way in silence, hands clasped, until they reached the Mizuki manor's front door.
When they entered, Shiranui was in the kitchen. "Ah, Yukikaze, welcome home." Her gaze shifted to Tatsurou. "Ara? Tatsurou-kun? What brings you here?"
"I invited him, Mama." Yukikaze said. "We'll be in my room."
Shiranui smiled. "Alright. Tatsurou-kun, will you be staying for dinner?"
“Yes I will.”
With that, they went upstairs and into Yukikaze's room. They dropped their bags and collapsed onto the floor, resting for a bit after the long walk. Yukikaze then crawled toward her gaming console.
"Hey, Tatsurou-kun. What games do you want to play?"
"Uh, I don't know. I haven't played one in a while."
"Yeah, once you enter Gosha Academy, all you do is training, training, and more training. Like you care more about training than me."
"You know that's not true." Tatsurou's voice was soft. "I just want to get strong enough so I can stand beside you and Rinko-nee."
"Tatsurou-kun…" Yukikaze paused, her hand hovering over the console. "I've been thinking. About that day when you and Ryuji had that short spar during PE." She looked at him. "I want to say, you are strong. But compared to me and Rinko, the gap is wide." A breath. "And I'm sorry."
"Sorry?"
"For not noticing sooner. For being arrogant. For looking down on you." Her voice dropped. "For assuming you were weak."
"Yukikaze, it's okay. You don't have to—"
Tatsurou stopped. She was in front of him, faster than he could track. Her face was flushed, her eyes trembling, shifting side to side.
"Tatsurou-kun…" Yukikaze's face drew closer and closer.
Tatsurou could feel Yukikaze's breath, her sweet scent. He was about to get a kiss, and all he could do was sit there frozen, afraid of ruining the moment.
Then he felt something soft press against his left cheek. "Huh?"
"S-stupid! Were you actually expecting a kiss on the lips?" Yukikaze laughed nervously, not admitting she had chickened out. "Come on, let's play Super Smash Bros. Ultimate EX."
Tatsurou sighed with relief. Despite not getting the kiss he wanted, he was relieved that Yukikaze's feelings for him were real. Right now, he had to try his best to make this official. Then Tatsurou felt something on his hand , a red thorn wriggling from his fingertips. Right, the artificial Ninja Art from Muroi. Maybe he could use this on Yukikaze to—
Then something flashed in his mind. An image of his senpai, looking disappointed. 'What am I doing? Using this on Yukikaze just because I can't wait?' Forcing her to do it. He wouldn't use it. He would wait until he made Yukikaze fall for him properly. No shortcuts. He would work hard so that his relationship with Yukikaze would last forever.