Belly of the Beast

"Tell me doctor, how's the project going?"

"Everything is according to your plans Lord Shinsuke. Soon it will finish just as you expected."

"Good, keep me updated."

Standing near the glass window Akagi gazed upon the cloudless night sky and glossy neon lighting twinkle that surround him, after talking a well-known associate arranged with him to take control of his well-devised plans for insurances if everything fails.

Wearing his favourite attire as the white long sleeve bottom-up shirt and black trousers Akagi sits on the chair, alongside the opened laptop on the desk with various books and a fine glass of wine, and shattered chess pieces along with the board lying on couch.

After regained his memory, the warmonger and a misanthropist Akagi Shinsuke convinced himself to not take any rash actions rather study facts about the Royal Mutants Society, his final resort to revive his Operation Recommence, Tereko provided every useful information, but she does not know a lot about RMS, Akagi went to Misaki's for help, but even she refused, despite what he'd hated, waiting and strategizing were his only option; until something turns out.

'It's so boring, sitting all day, evade working if I can, all in all the passing days are boring, I need some simulation."

"Shinsuke there is a news you need to listen."

While utterly bored surfing on the Internet, drinking wine, or reading bunch of books, Akagi's conscious alert when Tereko came in, claiming with news.

"What have you discovered?"

Akagi said nonchalantly, gazing up the laptop screen.

Tereko sighed, said before toss the new reports on the table,

"Ichiro Kyousuke is crowned as the new Supreme One of Brittonia Empire or he will be."

"Ichiro is crowned because the Coup he staged, media, the press will say what he commanded, nothing new about it."

Hearing such outdated news, Akagi's excitement perished as he irritatingly corrected Tereko's errors about the news he already knew,

"What good are you? became meaningless as the world."

"Huh? Did you say something?"

"Nothing,"

"Oh, anyway I go to the bathroom? It's been a long day, need to refresh myself."

Akagi slowly snarled at Tereko's remarks for the sulkiness he has been suffering from the recent days nevertheless she heard nothing, goes to the bathroom.

It's been a while Akagi and Tereko live in the same penthouse and Akagi didn't have any problems since they sleeping on the separate beds though it often annoyed Akagi when Tereko made unreasonable sex-appeal to attract him.

Tereko Shiori is a very attractive young woman, long blonde hair, have appealing buxom and work with Brittonian Intelligence Service still she failed to attract his attention, despite Akagi have the decency to show any interest.

Nevertheless task-oriented Akagi informed Tereko when she came out from the bathroom drying her hair, donned a lavender robe,

"It's says Byron Kyousuke died in a heart attack, I assume it's very convenient for Ichiro Kyousuke to use his Hikaru Eye to brainwashing the masses, maybe crowning the himself as the Supreme One is the beginning."

"I doubt that,"

Said Tereko confidently,

"Although it possible he can manipulate the higher-ups to influence his political gain but Kyousuke Ichiro is an academic, fully believe that he is on the side of righteousness and draw strength from it and that his opponents are not."

"I doubt that ruling Imperium States and it's colonies with an iron fist is a righteous thing to do."

"Whatever you think of Ichiro Kyousuke, Shinsuke, trying to reason with him isn't much good either, because many of them like him believe that if you're not with them, you're against them."

"..."

Akagi frowned, disappointed in Tereko's quick-witted tongue and disappointment is what making him sulky nevertheless since the topic about Ichiro Kyousuke, Akagi informed Tereko a little bit of information about him,

"Ichiro Kyousuke is a Darkfallen Variant, just like you and the other members of the Code Phoenix Program. And yet, despite I manipulated various spies to keep me informed still, I don't know how much extracted Darkfallen formula still left."

"Why is that important?"

Tereko questioned, leaned back Akagi's table, right near his leather desk chair,

Akagi sighed, nervously tipping his pen on the desk and said grimly,

"He extracted my Darkfallen evolved remanufacture blood from me and made it a formula which more acceptable to humans less deadly, I don't know how much does he have or how he intends to use it,"

Akagi was out of ideas to glance at Tereko's face,

"You know you can find the details with yourself."

"Huh what!?"

"Yeah, just go to MRC Facility, ask or look around and that's it."

"It's easier said than done, I gained much notoriety around MRC's and with unable to attend Intelligence Service's meetings is bad enough."

Tereko overly exclaimed when she heard Akagi's absurd idea, going in and steal something though she did steal many secret information solely for Akagi's bidding and now she gained suspicion from the both MRC's and Intelligence Service higher ups.

However, Akagi is a cold, heartless tenacious bastard, also very manipulative as he uses his honeyed persuasion to change her mind,

"You know what, I believe you can do whatever you want to,"

"Eh? W... What?"

"It's true, strong people who has clear goals will always succeed no matter what cause; they will always fight their back through. If you want to do it just do it no matter what."

"I, I don't think I can do this."

"Yes, you can Tereko,"

Akagi compassionately pat Tereko's shoulder, slowly massaging it,

"As long as you can your calm demeanour, holds no grudge against anyone then you be safe. The person with no motive is the person with no suspect." Akagi confidently quoted, "You know one day back in my high school there was a bully and his friends intentionally buzzing loud music in front of my lab, knowingly I was there, doing assignment. He was on his whim, kept on playing the music, forced me step to out, politely lower the volume at first, haven't say anything, just went back to the, peacefully. Eventually the Bully again higher the volume, I went forward shockingly, this time — crashed the music system by a big metal rod."

"Then what happened?"

"The bullie's jaw-dropped about my actions, I knocked him the leader, when touched my shoulder, by the same rod. and made a deal with the rest to blame all to the leader while he's unconscious, I made up things like: that the teachers and Principle were disturbed, before the principal and good old president of the student council Masamune knew about this, they might've spare the punishment since I lied to the rest they were in a big trouble since some other student complain about them earlier.

The group gradually agreed and complained everything about the bully to the principal long before they realised what happened, I tricked them, telling a lie which doesn't exist after they spilled the subject up to the Principal. Always fool your enemies, if they don't know who you really are, what you want, what you after, they can't know what you plan next."

"You think I can do that?"

"Of course, you can, I believe in you."

"Mm... I will head tomorrow then."

"Alright. It's already late go back to sleep."

When Akagi shared his high school experience which has nothing to do with the current task; he believes sharing something personal helps him gained trust and sympathy from others. proving that Akagi Shinsuke was always being a refine genius manipulating Tereko to go receive more information without her awareness.

After convinced Tereko, Akagi again sit down, continue what he was doing on the laptop, Tereko gaze upon Akagi happily then look at his prosthetic finger placed steadily beside the laptop. Tereko asked him in a deadpan manner,

"Does it bother you?"

"What is?"

"Your ring-finger been severed, knowing you never been married officially, taking away the hopes of your bride slipping an engagement ring into this finger, must be lonely, lacking the concept of a healthy married life, live happily ever after."

"I adore aloneness, helps me to think more clearly, more excessively,"

Akagi snorted with a belief of pride been a loner,

"Beside I have plans, goals to achieve, can't risk being distracted by something as petty as a love life or a senselessly pathetic marriage."

"Oh, everyone has it's needs and yet I haven't found out why you're always gloomy and depressed like that, did someone die? or you've been possessed by a demon?"

"None, I don't usually find anything funny or something to smile at."

"Or maybe you need someone to help you getting away from your boredom and weariness."

As the night went on, surrounding hustle slowly quite down, Tereko passionately squeeze Akagi's hand near the desk, kneel near his lap, smiled seductively at him, eyeing with ravishing aura and tossed her blonde hair attempt to dally with,

"I been very interested in you since your file reached my desk, I know how you lost your finger, in that time me, myself were suffering from my own problems, attempted to end my life until you showed up, saved mine."

"So? You were kinda stupid, trying to kill yourself in the rooftop."

"Still like I said, everyone has it's needs, your ring-finger may not be present but it doesn't mean you can't enjoy yourself,"

As the sweet flirting stopped, Tereko slightly slide her robe, with her the other hand traveling around Akagi's thighs and said soft, murmuring tone,

"I never abandoned you, seeing you in pain is unbearable for me, I want to help you, letting out your darkest desire, wildest animal instinct as the lovers do."

Akagi melancholy gaze down upon Tereko's shiny ample bosoms which she purposely wears a robe while nothing on the inside, her cheek flushed red, craving for something that most men want out from a woman, especially if woman as voluptuous as the blonde beauty Tereko.

Though it won't affect Akagi's stone-cold soul, someone who feels nothing emotionally, like his heart is empty, nothing inside except blood flowing through his veins, to a person who doesn't believe human morality how can he believe love? He's sickened by the sexual and romantic values of most if not all the others, and find it sickening that anyone would even think that he would stoop to the same level. May come off to passers-by as merely haughtiness which exactly is the case, he was always extremely imperious, haughty and pretentious, but if Akagi's personal values in question remembers a world or a time in which his values still existed, were far more common, maybe even the standard.

Akagi's slender finger cradled Tereko chin, while eyeing her, he said vaguely,

"You're nice girl. And I understand you want to help me--"

"Mm-hmm..."

Tereko hummed, smiled been delighted, hoping finally Akagi showed some interest in her.

"But I afraid I cannot help you to satisfy your desires, therefore have to find someone else."

At the most unpleasant moment, Akagi stood up, leaving Tereko coldly, go to his bedroom get some rest.

"Its already late go back to sleep. You need to resolved than the average human being, and above the basest human instincts, until then goodnight Tereko Shiori."

"Mmm..."

Tereko couldn't help but to pout to her failure, unable to crack Akagi's cold exterior.

Nevertheless, Tereko held no grudge against Akagi, she goes back to her room with complaints.

Tereko was a daughter well-known Chinese journalist who got big on socialism after her father became a politician who gained massive support with his charisma and ability to rally the people to keep anti-war protestors at home and to publish pro-war propaganda against Brittonia's campaign taking over free Southeast countries behalf of Chinese Confederacy when she was 6 years old. Obviously Brittonia Foreign Ambassador eventually confiscated everything and her parents defected to the Hong Kong because the disagreed with the dated system of rule in the Brittonia Empire, she was by the time she deported to TYZ away from her family,

Brittonia owned Tereko in exchange in her family life, where she trained to be an assassin, having killed many powerful figures during her life mostly enemies of Brittonia Empire, but she's also taught about utilizing and handle other weaponry expertly, including knives and poison, Tereko puts up a front of being very shy and withdrawn social events, this exterior hides a ruthless and detached killer who will do whatever it takes to complete her mission.

After Akagi's captured with the beginning of Code Phoenix, she joined in as a successful Darkfallen Variant ever to achieved Blue Hikaru-Eye, while continue taking assassination contacts.

While working under Code Phoenix, she assigned to assist Takamatsuke Hatteki/Akagi Shinsuke as his inferior partner.

After Akagi's manipulated Tereko, she devoted to Akagi and clear that she has also been heavily affected by her time with Akagi. Because of this, she was easily manipulated into believing that Akagi cares for her after Akagi pretends to have saved her life. Akagi originally plans to kill her away after he makes good use of her.