An Ability could reveal the projection of its user's inner world.
From that alone, it was easy to see that Randou was someone who lacked a sense of security.
Rather than saying that his Ability created a subspace, its true core lay in corpses. His greatest trump card was his ability to read corpses and create corresponding humanoid Ability constructs from them. If the true nature of his Ability were ever exposed, every nation in the world would immediately raise its standards for safeguarding the bodies of deceased Ability users by several levels.
After all, no one wanted this man reading the corpses of their country's strongest Ability users.
No one wanted him stealing the power they had possessed in life.
—"The Medium," Arthur Rimbaud.
That nickname suited him far better.
He trusted the dead.
He trusted the humanoid Ability constructs under his control.
And the process of stealing power was, to him, a series of thrilling adventures.
Unfortunately, before he could truly shine on the international stage, he was betrayed by Paul Verlaine during an intelligence mission infiltrating Japan. The two engaged in a fierce battle, and on top of that, his attempt to read the "Unknown Energy Entity" ended in failure midway through the process. The resulting power leakage subjected him to an explosion at point-blank range.
And thus came the event that Asou Akiya spent three years meticulously orchestrating: "picking up a corpse."
A non-Ability user from a small nation in the Far East entered into a "fake" romance and, in the end, obtained an amnesiac Transcendent as his lover.
Three years later, the cold and arrogant Arthur Rimbaud had transformed into the gentle and romantic Randou.
Yet traces of his original nature could still be glimpsed whenever he dealt with enemies.
Even now, he remained capable of making people tremble with fear.
When Randou assigned a humanoid Ability construct to protect Asou Akiya, the direct significance of that act was that he was splitting off a portion of his own power and giving it to him.
The humanoid Ability construct obeyed Akiya's commands.
Its priority ranked above even Randou himself.
Randou loved him.
Randou also understood that his own personality could be unstable at times, and that the Ability he had awakened was far too powerful.
Compared to him, the other Ability users in Japan were like children playing with tricks.
The difference was akin to a magician who could conjure small fireballs suddenly encountering an archmage who could turn an entire sea into flames with a casual attack.
He worried that one day his Ability might malfunction and harm the person sleeping beside him.
If that happened, at least one humanoid Ability construct would be there to shield Akiya.
"Looks like I'll be working late again today."
Looking at the assignment displayed on his phone, Randou wanted to sigh. Instead, he forwarded the information to Akiya.
A major client was expected at the casino that evening.
He and several colleagues had been assigned to maintain order there and prevent attacks from hostile factions whose relations with the Port Mafia had recently become increasingly strained.
Unable to see Akiya, Randou temporarily separated from his colleagues and headed to a nearby convenience store to buy something to eat.
He looked up at the store sign that read "Family", and a gentle smile appeared on his face.
Stepping into the twenty-four-hour convenience store, he found everything he could possibly need laid out before him in neat rows.
Compared to other convenience stores, this one carried far more imported goods.
On the snack shelves, French-labeled treats seemed to beckon irresistibly to Randou.
On the stationery shelves were the pens and notebooks he was most accustomed to using, ensuring that he would never have to worry about them going out of stock.
On the household goods shelves were winter warming products that were never removed from inventory. There was even a classic pair of Chinese long johns displayed prominently in plain sight, practically begging someone to take them home.
In a small voice, Randou said, "I'm still not buying them."
Moving leisurely between the compact aisles, he selected several convenience foods and a packet of tissues to carry with him.
He was someone who cared deeply about the quality of life. However, whenever he could save time, he was perfectly willing to eat convenience foods.
More importantly, after trying them, he would always report his opinion to Akiya.
Any food he disliked would either be removed from the shelves altogether or relegated to some forgotten corner of the store. Meanwhile, the things he loved most would be placed in the most visible locations.
"Today, I'll have sushi."
Picking up a box, Randou headed toward the checkout counter.
Behind the register stood a female clerk working part-time to support her studies. She had a round face, and although her features were ordinary, her smile gave her the warm familiarity of a little girl from the neighborhood.
She asked, "Sir, are you very cold?"
Randou had been asked the same question countless times since coming to Japan.
"Yes," he replied. "A little. But once I get home, I won't feel cold anymore."
The girl worked quickly, separating his purchases into two bags before handing them to Randou after he paid with his card.
When she noticed the exquisite gloves covering his hands, as well as the elegant details of his attire, she could not help feeling a little self-conscious. At the same time, she was shyly curious.
She was like a small Japanese woodland creature—gentle, fragile, and almost pitifully delicate.
The sight unconsciously reminded Randou of the Akiya he had first met.
Back then...
Akiya had not been nearly as poised and self-assured as he was now.
Whenever he faced Randou, there had always been a trace of awkwardness and embarrassment.
Yet hidden within those evasive glances had been unmistakable joy.
In that oppressive era, it was as though the sunlight of midsummer had spilled from the depths of his eyes.
Randou let out a soft laugh.
One hand lifted the shopping bag, while the other rose to the collar concealed beneath his scarf.
Beneath the layers of fabric rested a gemstone necklace, warmed by the heat of his body.
Next time he would make a greater effort to learn about Akiya's past.
Having finally become somewhat accustomed to life within the Port Mafia, Randou made this decision.
At one o'clock in the morning, Randou experienced firsthand the nocturnal nature of the Mafia. Suppressing a yawn, he rode alone in a taxi back to his villa.
The driver did not dare strike up a conversation with him.
The long-haired young man seated in the back was bundled up from head to toe as though he lived in the depths of winter. His expression was indifferent, and a chill like the heart of a cold season seemed to radiate from him. He was clearly not someone an ordinary person would casually approach.
Then Randou's phone rang.
The moment he saw who was calling, warmth instantly softened his brows and eyes.
"Akiya? You're still awake?"
"Mhm. Wait for me another ten minutes. I'll be home very soon."
"Have the bathwater ready for me, mon chéri."
He had grown accustomed to mixing French into his Japanese, as though he took genuine delight in speaking with his lover that way.
The taxi driver was a local. From Randou's accent alone, he could easily tell that the man had lived in Yokohama for a long time. Catching a glimpse of Randou's expression in the rearview mirror as he chatted on the phone, the driver could not help sighing inwardly.
Rich people really don't have such things as worries.
The interior of the taxi was small, and it was easy for the driver to tell that the voice on the other end of the call belonged to a man.
A same-sex couple.
A relatively rare sight in Japan.
The taxi eventually arrived at its destination, stopping beside a large flower bed in front of the villa. To enter the private garden grounds, one had to walk up a flight of stairs.
The moment Randou stepped out of the vehicle, he saw his lover waiting outside for him.
Asou Akiya was dressed in black silk pajamas, both the top and bottoms matching. Standing beneath the streetlights, he looked relaxed, domestic, and refreshingly clean-cut.
A handsome man looked good no matter what he wore.
Akiya first thanked the driver for bringing Randou home safely.
Afterward, he paid the fare in cash that he had prepared beforehand.
The amount was neither too much nor too little—it happened to be exactly twenty percent more than the actual fare, effectively serving as a personal tip.
Considering that Randou had come all the way from the casino and the journey had been rather long, after completing this trip, the driver could comfortably return home and call it a night.
Any resentment the driver had felt about delivering a passenger to such a remote villa district in the middle of the night vanished completely.
Safety came first, so the driver did not linger. Instead, he said gratefully, "Good night to both of you."
In high spirits, he drove off.
Randou looked at Akiya's rather thin clothing and instinctively opened his mouth to speak.
Asou Akiya immediately replied with practiced familiarity, "I'm not cold. It's quite warm outside. The air conditioner at home isn't running in cooling mode, and I left the bathtub faucet on. If we don't go back soon, the hot water is going to overflow."
Randou felt his words being blocked before he could even say them. His eyebrow twitched ever so slightly.
Akiya teased, "What were you about to say? After all these years, is there still anything about you that I don't know?"
Randou replied, "Guess what I bought and put in my pocket."
Akiya froze.
The fake mastermind's attempt to show off in front of his lover had failed spectacularly.
"What else could it be—"
Akiya tried to casually change the subject, only to find Randou watching him with an amused smile that wasn't quite a smile.
Shrugging, Akiya surrendered.
"For that, you'll have to ask Ranpo."
Randou reached into his pocket and pulled out a high-value casino chip, handing it to Akiya.
"A souvenir."
Looking at the Port Mafia's version of currency, Akiya immediately understood.
"You won it?"
"Yes." Randou nodded. "I tried a little gambling. See? Akiya is still very smart."
Accepting the gift, Akiya said, "Thank you. I'll treasure it."
To return home, they had to climb a flight of stairs.
Walking shoulder to shoulder with Randou, Akiya chatted and laughed as they made their way upward.
"Randou, if you were ten years younger, would you hop across on those stone posts over there instead of taking the proper path?"
"No. That's too childish."
"Ranpo and Chuuya love taking the unconventional route."
"That sort of behavior should be corrected. If they're too mischievous outside, people will say they weren't properly raised."
"Then Randou can be the one to educate them."
"Akiya is trying to slack off~. Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you something. I don't have much experience with gambling. I lost one hundred thousand dollars tonight..."
Akiya's foot slipped.
He quickly regained his balance.
Nothing serious.
Just one hundred thousand dollars.
Rounding things up, that basically meant Randou's souvenir was worth one hundred thousand dollars.
Randou declared confidently, "I won't lose that much next time!"
With the weary air of someone who had seen too much of life, Akiya asked:
"How much overtime pay do you earn for a single night of working security duty?"
Randou thought about it for a moment.
"Around twenty thousand yen, I suppose. They're quite stingy."
Asou Akiya forcibly held back his tears and replied with perfect composure, "Don't worry. I'll make a suggestion to your superiors and ensure that you never have to work such exhausting overtime shifts at the casino again."
For the sake of twenty thousand yen in overtime pay, you lost ten million yen!
Cherish your wallet.
Stay away from casinos.
The funds required to support Randou would only continue to multiply over time.
Not a single yen would ever be reduced.
A beauty of this caliber could only belong to the strong—
—or rather, the rich.
...
After washing up, Randou lay sprawled across the bed, reading a book while warmth still lingered on his skin from the bath.
His hair was wrapped in a towel while a hair mask worked its magic. The skin that had been concealed all day beneath layers of clothing was faintly visible through his robe.
Judging from his figure alone as he lounged on the bed, Randou possessed an elegance and sensuality worthy of an international male model. His physique was practically the embodiment of the golden ratio—long legs, a narrow waist, and impeccable lines from hips to shoulders.
Only those who had shared a bed with him could truly understand just how thoroughly a French beauty could drain a person of their energy.
"Pour me a glass of warm water at forty degrees Celsius."
Randou issued the command casually.
A male figure abruptly appeared out of thin air.
Wearing a thoroughly bewildered expression, Nishida Shibashi, who had originally been enjoying his hard-earned free time in his luxurious residence, suddenly found himself standing in the bedroom shared by Asou Akiya and Randou.
A curse nearly escaped his lips.
However, his body automatically obeyed the command and moved to fetch water.
The problem was that he had absolutely no idea where the hot water was kept.
"Why are you here?!"
Having just come out of the bathroom after gathering up the dirty laundry, Asou Akiya was startled by the unexpected sight of Nishida Shibashi.
Holding an electric kettle, Nishida Shibashi's face twisted into a ferocious expression.
"I have no idea either."
The moment Akiya saw the man's posture—which looked exactly like that of a part-time household worker—he immediately understood what had happened.
To prevent Randou from developing the habit of ordering Nishida Shibashi around at all hours after doing so during the day, Akiya walked over to the beautiful Frenchman reclining on the bed and gently persuaded him:
"Randou, let's use Kimura Seimei tonight instead."
Without even looking up, Randou said, "Kimura Seimei looks average. His hair is dyed, and he has the appearance of a petty delinquent. He doesn't fit my aesthetic standards. I don't particularly want to see him in my daily life."
Asou Akiya asked, "Then what about Watanabe Yukisada?"
Turning a page in his novel, Randou answered leisurely, "Too old."
Akiya blinked.
"Huh?"
Not only was Randou picky about appearances when it came to his "servants," he was even picky about their age?
Just how demanding had this man been in the past?
Behind Akiya, Nishida Shibashi's hands trembled.
What exactly had he just heard?
Kimura Seimei and Watanabe Yukisada had apparently become their people, yet they were being criticized at night for not being handsome enough and for being too old!
The world of Ability users was far too dangerous.
Not only was one's life at risk, but even one's chastity seemed alarmingly unsafe!
If Randou's aesthetic standards were used as the grading scale, Kimura Seimei would score fifty-nine points—an outright failure.
Watanabe Yukisada would score sixty-five points, barely scraping past the passing line.
Nishida Shibashi had the advantage of having been at his peak and possessing acceptable taste, which earned him a score of seventy-five points. That was already considered top-tier within the entire Port Mafia.
There had long been rumors that appearance was one of the criteria for recruitment into the Port Mafia.
Turns out those rumors were not entirely false.
The people Randou usually encountered at headquarters were rarely, if ever, unattractive.
As for Asou Akiya?
Randou and Akiya were the perfect example of beauty existing in the eye of the beholder.
In each other's eyes, the other scored a perfect one hundred.
"Don't even think about ordering me to do that sort of thing!" Nishida Shibashi snapped angrily.
"That sort of thing?" Akiya was unaware of the private conversation that had taken place between Randou and Nishida, and a strange feeling arose within him. It seemed that Randou was treating the humanoid Ability created from reading Illuminations as an all-purpose tool.
"It's nothing."
Randou tilted his head back.
"Akiya, I want some hot water. I'm thirsty."
Akiya took the cup from Nishida Shibashi's hand and carried it over.
Holding the cup for him, he watched as Randou took small sips of the warm water.
The collar of Randou's robe had fallen open, revealing a broad expanse of his chest. After his bath, the pale skin there had taken on a faint flush. The sight was enough to make one's heart skip a beat.
Unable to help himself, Akiya reached out and pulled the robe closed again.
Randou said carelessly, "It's not like there are any outsiders here."
Akiya: "..."
His head whipped around instantly.
He looked directly at Nishida Shibashi.
Nishida Shibashi's face was practically covered with the words "despair" and "humiliation." Completely unmoved by beauty, he remained steadfastly and unquestionably heterosexual.
The moment he noticed Akiya looking at him, the Port Mafia executive immediately took a large step backward, refusing to enter the couple's bedroom.
"Impossible!"
Veins bulged on Nishida Shibashi's forehead as he declared without the slightest hesitation:
"At worst, I'll die right here!"
Randou replied coldly, "You make it sound as though dying is something you're capable of doing."
At that point, Akiya finally understood the source of the conflict between the two men.
He laughed so hard that his stomach hurt.
"Randou, don't phrase things so ambiguously. It's not as though we're asking him to sell his body."
Randou rolled over on the bed, continuing to weaponize his charm with complete abandon despite the late hour.
"I don't mind, Akiya."
"Hm?"
"I gave him to you. That means I can accept you spending time with him when I'm not around."
"..."
The air seemed to freeze for three full seconds.
Rewind one minute.
Deciding to pretend he hadn't heard that explosive statement, Asou Akiya indulgently tapped Randou's nose.
Then he lowered his head and said in a gentle voice that Nishida Shibashi could clearly hear:
"As long as I have you, I'll never want a second person."
As if, after being thoroughly drained by you, he'd still have the energy to go play with some convenient substitute!
There was none left!
Absolutely not a single drop remained!
Fine, fine, French people are extraordinarily gifted—couldn't you spare a little pity for your Japanese-brand boyfriend?
...
When Nishida Shibashi saw the sudden tenderness flowing between Randou and Akiya, he finally relaxed.
At least he no longer had to worry about one of them suddenly deciding to act like a beast.
"Wait a minute—"
A horrifying realization struck him.
"How am I supposed to get back home?!"
In response to his question, the seemingly easygoing Asou Akiya offered a solution:
"Walk home by yourself. No need to thank me. Just be careful on the way, and don't let the Port Mafia discover that you came out of my house."
Nishida Shibashi's heart filled with every curse word imaginable.
Yet for the sake of his own survival, he endured it.
With heavy footsteps, he slammed the door behind him and stormed out.
As he descended the staircase, a door on the other side of the second floor suddenly opened.
A sleepy-looking boy poked his head out.
Black hair. Green eyes.
His youthful face was filled with curiosity as he stared at Nishida Shibashi outside.
"Wow, is this our family's third part-time helper? Mister, could you walk a little more quietly?"
"..."
Part-time helper my ass!!!
Nishida Shibashi nearly lost his mind.
He fled the villa at top speed, never wanting to appear in this terrifying den of monsters ever again.
Outside a bedroom on the second floor, Edogawa Ranpo was about to close his door when an irritated voice from his guardian rang out from elsewhere in the house.
"Ranpo! It's already two in the morning! You're still awake?!"
Edogawa Ranpo slammed the door shut at lightning speed and shouted back:
"I'm sleeping!"
He was definitely not secretly playing video games.
...
Randou was fairly satisfied with the fact that their household was no longer composed of only the two of them.
At home, there was Akiya, who took care of him.
There was the clever and quick-witted Ranpo, who unfortunately had no idea how to read the atmosphere around him.
And every now and then, there was Chuuya, who would come over from the Suribachi City district and stay for a short while.
At night, he spent warm and affectionate moments with his lover.
During the day, he worked for the Port Mafia.
Compared to writing poetry, this life felt far more fulfilling.
As a result, he had already set down his pen and, for the time being, had no desire to send poems to French publishers.
After all, such things depended on inspiration.
Remaining in the Port Mafia's combat division and witnessing the full spectrum of human emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness—had already satisfied most of his craving for excitement and stimulation.
There simply wasn't enough time left for writing anymore.
Randou had found himself a perfectly reasonable excuse for not writing poetry.
In his spare time, he preferred reading the works of others, replenishing his spiritual nourishment. The pleasure of stealing a moment of leisure amid a busy schedule was especially satisfying.
No matter how much his overseas fans exploded with frustration, their outrage could never reach him here.
Reader letters?
Since Akiya likewise had no time to bother with such things, Randou's usual practice was to toss the reader mail that publishers forwarded to Akiya straight into the fireplace and roast it into charcoal.
If nothing else, it provided a pleasant amount of warmth.
The only problem was...
Every now and then, a razor blade would come out of the flames.
By the end of July, undercurrents were surging throughout the Port Mafia.
Nishida Shibashi reluctantly continued teaching Asou Akiya within the organization, contributing the valuable experience he had accumulated while surviving in the underworld.
As contact between Nishida Shibashi and Akiya increased, the Port Mafia Boss no longer misunderstood the nature of their "relationship" and came to acknowledge Akiya's loyalty.
Under Nishida Shibashi's constant habit of finding fault and deliberately targeting him, Akiya appeared every bit the pitiful victim.
The affairs taking place in the upper ranks had little effect on the combat squads.
Randou took out a book written in Latin, intending to use it to teach Chuuya. Unfortunately, there was no translation available, and for a ten-year-old child, reading it was understandably difficult.
As a result, he made a "convenient" detour to the Port Mafia's Translation Department.
Why let the benefits flow to outsiders?
If he was going to spend money, why wouldn't he hire someone from the same organization to do the translation?
Outside the Translation Department's office, a graceful and refined French young man stepped through the doorway.
"Hello. I'm Randou from the combat division. Could I trouble you to do some additional translation work on a Latin text?"
After holding himself back for so long, Randou finally extended a curious little hand toward uncovering his lover's past.
By making contact with the colleagues who had once worked alongside Asou Akiya.