S-2876 • L3 Sintoluna • D18 Libesi
"Sintoluna tunes sky and path. Libesi releases the ripened thread. The tide traces a silver curve. The story carries steadily on, in a living rhythm."
Kurokawa stretched along the edges of Kurayami no Sora like a labyrinth of narrow streets, bound in a shadowy embrace.
Worn buildings bore faded paint, and old signs whispered forgotten stories. An electric tension ran along the sidewalks, fed by the façades of bars and brothels, where lime-green, magenta, and amber neon flickered to lure passersby.
Gaiawave music pulsed between the buildings. Heavy rock roared through open doors, while alternative pop drifted from more discreet establishments. Smoke, alcohol, and street food permeated the air.
Inoue had sent Hikaru away. He wanted some time alone.
The nanoengineer had brought Tanu along, though the robot had not stopped complaining since they left.
"That old man, too… always wants his precious solitude. Screw him. Another idiot."
Hikaru raised his eyes to the sky. The Moon illuminated an icy void that night. Cold as Chiyo's gaze when she had left him behind.
Why had he thought of her just now? Had his mother thought of him before…? He cut the thought short. He would rather not discover the answer.
He entered an alley.
Eight gokudos were waiting for him.
No. There were more. Many more. Hundreds were stationed throughout the surrounding buildings.
"We're finally gonna get you, osuinu." One of the men snickered, displaying rotten teeth.
"Idiot! What have you gotten us into?" Tanu's eyes glowed red. The robot advanced. His frame began to reconfigure. His paws expanded, revealing laser cannons. Reinforced armor rose around his torso as nanoplates aligned to protect him.
Sunglasses slid over his sensors and projected a digital reticle. Combat drones emerged from his back. Gears turned. Lights pulsed. Within moments, the little raccoon dog had transformed into a war machine.
"BAKA, BAKA, BAKA! IDIOT MASTER! WHAT HAVE YOU GOTTEN US INTO?! HE'S AN IDIOT, BUT HE'S MY MASTER! STAY AWAY FROM THE MASTER!" An electromagnetic blast cut through the air.
It struck his core directly.
Tanu stopped.
His lights flickered frantically before going dark. His metal body collapsed, retracting its combat structures until it returned to its original raccoon dog form.
"We came prepared for that robot of yours, sucker." The man grinned. "Can't wait to try you out."
Hikaru drew his katana. But a dart lodged in his neck.
Darkness swallowed him.
When he became aware of his body again, a wave of heat was sweeping across his skin. Any contact set it ablaze. The slightest touch sent shivers through him.
His senses were uncontrollably heightened. Smells became intoxicating, colors vibrated with unbearable intensity, and sounds resonated as though passing directly through his nerves.
His heart raced. A primal shift was taking place inside his chest. Desires he did not recognize invaded his thoughts. Euphoria. Vulnerability. Imposed sensations, impossible to push away.
Everything exposed.
Hikaru's body felt intensely awake, though he did not understand what was happening. Chikushō. He opened his eyes slowly. He was in a room illuminated by languid lights.
Familiar laughter filled his ears.
The bastards.
He tried to pull away. Could not. His arms and legs were bound.
His kimono had been loosened to the waist, leaving his skin and tattoos exposed. On his back, an imposing dragon spread its dark scales, its piercing eyes turned toward whoever beheld it. Stylized cats, cherry blossoms, and waves ran along his spine. A feline curled around his heart. Draconic patterns branched across his chest and forearms.
"We're only getting started, pretty face…" A cloying whisper brushed his ear.
Hikaru felt disgust. But his body responded to the stimuli in a way that went entirely against his will. What had they done to him? Why would his senses not obey him?
"Kore nan da kuso?! DA KORE KUSO?!" What the fuck was that? What the hell was happening? A shout came from somewhere in the room. "WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?! FUCK, WHAT IS THIS?!"
The commotion brought glimpses of blood scattered across the floor. One of the men was hurled through the window.
The man over Hikaru turned. "What are you doing, Riko?"
An android with a silver finish lunged at him. There was no time to defend himself. The impact threw him backward. Glass shattered. Both disappeared through the window.
Hikaru's eyes widened even further.
An intense presence enveloped the room. A man entered. He wore a long black coat and kept his face hidden beneath a hood. He inhaled deeply. Closed the door calmly. His footsteps crossed slowly through the pool of blood on the floor. Then he clicked his tongue.
The sound traveled through Hikaru's ears as he followed every movement, unable to break free.
The stranger approached the chair. Placed his hands on its armrests and leaned over the nanoengineer.
His citrus scent reached Hikaru. Surprisingly pleasant. Very different from those men's nauseating odors.
Without asking permission, the hooded man ran his tongue along Hikaru's neck. He tasted something like dark chocolate.
"They gave you Erosen. I heard it lasts ten hours." His voice was husky, enveloping, resonant.
Hikaru shuddered involuntarily. A sigh escaped him. Damn it. He did not want to react that way.
Rough fingers touched his face. The cold metal of rings pressed against his skin as the stranger lifted his chin to study him. Two amber eyes gleamed beneath the hood. His smile hinted at a dangerous promise. There was deliberate provocation in that gaze. And curiosity too.
For the first time, the man was looking beyond the nanoengineer's appearance. As though trying to reach something in his soul.
Who was Hikaru, after all? What lay behind that resistance? But at that moment, what he found was fear. A fear that did not interest him as much as the other sensations induced by the substance.
Even so, he did not immediately move away. Hikaru's involuntary reaction fascinated him. The nanoengineer gave off a scent of bamboo and metal, intensified by the heat coursing through his body. The stranger had never noticed anything like it.
He dragged over a chair and placed it before him. Sat down. Then lowered his hood.
Wavy strands fell over his forehead. His hair was divided into two colors: half dark brown, half white. The same combination appeared in his eyebrows and eyelashes. His skin was bronze.
He rested his elbow on the chair's armrest and settled with his legs apart. Brushed his fingers over his own lips, grinning. His golden eyes remained fixed on Hikaru. Laden with provocation.
Kuso. Who was this guy? Hikaru tried to understand why the man's mere presence sent electric shocks through him.
The Erosen was still working. His body reacted without permission while he remained bound to the chair. Waves of unwanted sensations rose again and again, mingling physical pleasure, revulsion, and fear. Perspiration warmed his skin. His breathing remained ragged.
The hours dragged on.
The stranger remained before him, watching with an interest Hikaru could not understand. Hikaru resisted the substance's effects. Tried to regain some control over his body. He wanted to sleep. But could not.
The man's presence unsettled him. Challenged him without a word.
The sensations induced by Erosen confused him, making the physical attraction imposed by the drug mingle with fear and the desire to pull away.
It was disturbing. Frightening.
And despite all his resistance, that figure kept drawing him in.
Eleven hours later, the nanoengineer finally collapsed.
Exhausted.