Interlude I

Councilman Ogura Shoji— no, that's not exactly right, he's still Secretary Ogura Shoji, but it's only a matter of time— led his nightly conquest into the hotel room.

They were an odd pair, the two. The dictionary definition of a dichotomy; a tall, astronomically beautiful woman who could put supermodels to shame, and a short, obese man who looked way older than he really was. Many would cry out for the unfairness of it all, but Ogura Shoji knew there was nothing more natural than this; women were attracted to money and power, so how could someone in Ogura's position be found wanting when it comes to the matters of flesh? In fact, rare were the nights he spent alone since coming to beautiful Tokyo.

Of course, now he knew that while money and power were enough to attract women, he needed a bit more to truly conquer them. And conquer this one he would, oh yes, he wouldn't let a woman like this slip from his fingers. So, as much as he regretted it, he moved his grubby hand away from this specimen's marvelous rear and sent her further into the room while he turned to lock the door.

Discretely, he picked up an unlabeled capsule from his pocket and popped a single pill from it into his mouth.

And there it was. The sensation he was waiting for. It never failed to shake him to his core. His heartbeat spiked sharply in his chest as liquid fire seems to pour into his veins, a sudden weight grew in his torso and started to pulse power and energy into his muscles, and more importantly, his pant audibly stretched to the breaking point as his modest-sized member grotesquely swelled into the monstrous proportions that now felt more familiar than his normal one.

After taking a brief second to steady his balance, he turned, seeing his soon-to-be toy leaning over the window, the gloom of Tokyo's nightlights perfectly framing her shapely silhouette.

Oh, what a find she was! Older than what he usually goes with, but not enough to be considered a stale Christmas cake, dark, silky hair pulled with a complex yet elegant knot, loose silvery dress that did a lazy job covering the out-of-this-world curves, bluish eyes that shone playfully in the side-glance she gave him as she swayed her large, childbearing hips and presented that big, round, barely-covered ass to him.

The little minx.

Ogura let out a muffled grunt as he walked towards her, the unnatural hunger growing in his core, pushing him like never before. His touch made the woman gasp this time around, and he felt her shivering as he dragged his boated fingers over the exposed part of her back, circling them around and inside the laughable unconstrained dress so he could grab those magnify tits that almost seem to spill from her sides from the angle he was looking.

"You like that, don't you? ku ku ku." He chuckled his nasal chuckle that sounded like the peak of masculinity to his ears.

"Yes~" The woman panted as his fingers dipped and sunk into her chest's malleable flesh. Good, he thought, the faster her breathing is, the faster his new musk will take hold.

He delighted himself with the sounds she made when he found the hardening nubs of her nipples and twisted them. The fabric of her dress now hung uselessly between her breasts, so he decided it needed to go. Licking over the skin of her spine, he trailed upwards until he hooked his teeth over the dress' tie on the back of her neck and pulled. It came off easily, almost like it was designed to do precisely that, and the silvery fabric quickly fell from her voluptuous form.

Ah yes, Oguro let out another of this nasal chuckle, this time trying to get his own breathing under control as his body flared up in desire. His eyes drank her vision like it was an oasis in the desert, paying special attention to the swell of her rear, a large, wonderful bubbly heart-shape framed by a very thin thong, something that had been criminally hidden from him until now.

The woman moaned, pushing her whorish ass against his crotch until her devilish soft cheeks sandwiched his enormous bulge. The overwhelming heat of her core barely contained by the tiny triangle of her slutty underwear.

That was the last drop.

He seized her by the scruff of her neck and threw her to the bed, finally having a full look over her glorious, near-naked form.

Look at that clouded look! How he loved it! Confused enough to not question, yet aware enough to flare up in surprise and fear when he fishes the monster out of his pants. Once again, he mentally thanked his wonderful patrons' generosity for provide him with those wonderful pills, so many fun nights, so many yet to come.

He wiped the excess droll from his lips and practically jumped onto the bed, making sure to pin the woman under his prodigious weight as he did so— he had a few that tried to run at the sight of his monstrous member in the past— And quickly forced her legs open—drinking the view of the tiny thong along with the delicious prize it held. She was less wet then he would have imagined, but he didn't have the mind to care.

"You are mine now, my pretty- Guh!"

… It started in his right hand, the one that was in the process of tearing the underwear off her, to be precise. Eager fingers suddenly locked in place over the soft flesh of the woman's inner thigh, freezing when they should be ripping the offending piece of cloth instead. He wasn't even able to process what'd happened when the paralysis shot from his hand to his arm and then to his shoulder. A current of energy so powerful and so precise that it cut like a dagger of pure ice through the fires of his arousal. His heart Bulged inside his chest as every muscular function of the organ activated at the same time in violently erratic patterns.

Ogura would have gasped in pain if he was capable of doing anything at that moment.

The single, longest second of the would-be-Councilman Ogura Shoji's life passed, and nothing else came for him after it. With heart stopped and his mind blank, the obese corpse fell over the Taimanin.

Uehara Rin slowly blinked at the ceiling of the hotel's room, needing a moment to process what had just happened. She dipped her eyes down to the fat shoulder pressing against her chin, feeling the weight the slightly smoky corpse put over her body. No movement save for the twitching after-effects of the shock, definitely no pulse or heartbeat.

Her target was dead.

With the same effort one would do to move a bedsheet from their bodies, Rin casually flipped the obese mass to the side. It rolled from the bed and knocked over the nightstand as it crashed meaty to the floor. Still, the Taimanin pay no attention to it, her thoughts lost somewhere else as she slowly pushed herself to her feet and mechanically made her way to the bathroom to wash away the demonic-infused sweat before it could overcome the protections she'd set up.

She has killed her target… But it wasn't supposed to be like this.

Oh, she was always going to kill him, of course. Ogura Shoji's life was condemned from the moment he stepped into this room… but she was supposed to pleasure him first, to drag him into an endless pit of ecstasy and take advantage of his vulnerable state make him confess what he knew; secrets of the party, the name of his associates, his demonic patrons… This room had been meticulously prepared with a series of jutsu and spells to soothe his mind and encourage talking for this very purpose.

Yet she has killed him before he could properly have his way with her. A premature murder, a failure in all aspects… it was the first time she failed in this kind of assignment.

And she couldn't even tell why she'd done it. She just... reacted.

Rin finished reapplying the lipstick and popped her lips together to actuate the color. She allowed herself a brief sigh before exiting the bathroom, walk over to collect the expensive piece of silvery rag that passed as dress these days, and wrap it around her body. She let out another, longer, sigh as she saw that the piece amount to basically twin straps over her chest and a pelvic curtain that let her legs completely bare.

Dreadfully airy.

Without even looking at the corpse, Uehara Rin exited the room. The door closed behind her and completed the form of an Ofuta paper that was placed on its edges, activating its effects.

The new jutsu would conceal the room until the appropriate time for the body to be discovered.

-0-0-0-​

The Yukihiro golden tower was quickly becoming one of the most sought after luxury hotels in Tokyo city. While it lacked the age and renown of its competitors, it made up for it with extravagant rooms and installations equipped with the best money could buy for both comfort and technology. That, combined with the optics of a strapping newcomer trying to complete with the more traditional and established hotel chains did wonder to catch people's attention.

What better place to commemorate a new political party that was steadily growing in popularity and trying to compete with older, more establish parties than a hotel that was basically doing the same? Rin pondered about this dynamic while she rode the elevator downward to the fourth floor, rather than directly going back to the party hall. She strode into the maze of corridors with confident steps, assured that she wouldn't stumble with any bystanders along the way. The entire hotel had been booked for tonight's celebration, so there shouldn't be anyone inside that isn't supposed to be here, she and her teammates included.

She made a brief round across the corridor, making sure there wasn't anyone close that would stumble on her as she moved to her destination. As soon as she was sure, she turned her mental gaze inside herself, focusing on the inconsistencies about the size and length of the corridors, before forming a quick hand seal and muttering a released chant. When she opened her eyes, she saw a corner of the corridor she couldn't even perceive before.

Now, to actually open the door to room number 412, another short ritual was required. Still, she blazed through the brief, but deviously tricky process with a single-mindedness that could only be achieved after years of practice.

It was dark inside, the lights were turned off, the heavy curtains were drawn tightly together, but otherwise, the room wasn't any different what one would find in this area of the hotel, save for the faint musky scent of sex that still hung in the air, but was already being filtered by the AC.

Rin found her current team leader sitting by the desk, her naked skin gleaming in the laptop's screen glow. She ignored the three drowned corpses by the bed and made her way toward her.

"Report." Her leader asked without turning her head. Her tone was professional, but there was a hint of levity there, a consideration for her fellow veteran, perhaps?

"… This one was unable to find anything useful. My deepest apologies."

To her surprise, Rin found herself saying that rather than admitting her mistake, which she certainly would have done before… before Nerima.

The other taimanin in the room interpreted her moment's hesitation in her own way, and flashed her a grin.

"You are too hard on yourself sometimes, Rin-san." Mizuki Shiranui, the Taimanin of the Crashing Waves, leaned back, making the leather chair creak under her weight. The healthy bosom that matched and even surpassed Rin's own swayed pendulously in her following chuckle. "They're politicians. There is always more dirt to be found with that lot. We'll find a better target next time."

"…Yes." And there would undoubtedly be a next time; a true taimanin must use her body just as much she uses her blade, for the good of the corp.

The corp…

"…Dumb bitch."

She shook these thoughts from her head; a mission isn't time for uncertainties.

"More importantly, watch this." Shiranui reached out and tapped a few times on the laptop keys. A video feed of another hotel room, one where their last teammate was performing her duties appeared, it has been muted, but the definition of the image was startling.

"That's… impressive," Rin admitted. She wasn't one for technology because she used to fry any that got too close before she could get her powers under control, and never got in the habit after she did. Still, she noticed that this laptop was… much slender than the bulky ones she'd seen in the market. Corp assets, maybe?

"I know, right?" Her leader's grin got a little wicked. "Now, not only we'll have audio brides, but we'll have some interesting videos as well. I'm sure the public would love to see what their, very respectfully married, politicians do on their downtime."

"… Did you that for every room?" Rin gave words to her growing apprehension.

"Wasn't possible due to the timeframe, only a single one." She shrugged. "So, I thought it'd be better in the room where the guy needs to get out alive."

Of course, Rin thought while she focused on the video. Yoshida Toranosuke, the man they are supposed to escort and make sure he leaves the party unharmed. His protection is the mission's primary objective with any opportunity for information gathering or demon slaying planned around it. As its often the case for this type of mission, the best way to do it was to seduce him away from the danger to a secure location prepared beforehand, then keep him happy and distracted with something no men can resist. The video of the act might even be useful later, after he grows his influence within the party.

Rin watched the young man convulsed in pleasure as he tried and failed to match the pace of the taimanin riding him. She was young, this one, only three missions under her belt, but had high praise from those who work with her. Rin could detect hesitation on her carnal techniques, though. It must be why she was chosen for this role; a taimanin must become comfortable with using her body early if they wish to have a prosperous career.

… Even though there are much better ways to use her body, Rin has come to find out, a heat blossoming in her chest as her thoughts drifted towards her Aruji…

She pushed these thoughts back and focused back on the mission… but she got to admit it the subject just seems to frustrate her more and more.

"…It's a waste." She couldn't hold her voice in, so she gestured at the screen and clarified. "This mission. She could have done it on her own."

And it's true; protection mission in a political party with minimal demonic influence; well within the parameters for the new girl, but to give that to Uehara Rin… even with her recent record, was among the top taimanin of the current generation for a reason, and Mizuki Shiranui was a living legend. They should have been assigned to something more important.

Her leader's eyes shone in an odd way as she cocked her head to face her "Ara? That's unlike you, Rin-san. Are you questioning our superiors' decision?"

Rin blinked. She just did that, didn't she? She doesn't remember doing that since… ever

Shiranui waved her off before she could explain herself.

"I agree completely. I don't know exactly what the council is thinking, but this mission is far below our level." The taimanin threw her arms back and over her head, locking together her fingers as she stretched so much her back arched from the chair and her colossal chest bounced powerfully. "Still, I don't dislike missions like that once or twice." She added with a smile.

And the reason was obvious for anyone who knew the woman; it was the exact reason some of the more veteran taimanin prefer to slow down after a certain point. Rin cleared her throat, wondering if she should bring that up. She and Shiranui aren't exactly friends, more like friends of friends. Reiko was the one that was closer but now… she made her decision.

"How… How is Yukikaze?" Rin was glad she's managed to remember the name halfway through.

Her question had a… drastic effect on her leader, so much so Rin had to blink when she saw it. In a single moment, the Taimanin of the Crashing Waves went from her relaxed, casual posture to almost bouncing off the chair with excited energetic.

"She's adorable! I started her training, you know, she picked up fast, as I knew she would. Now she's stalking around the house trying to hide in tight spaces while following her dad around, and it so darn cute! Oh, how I struggle not to flip her up and hug her when she tries it on me, but its sooo worth it in the end when she preens at the dinner table and goes all 'Mama, I have bested you!', kyahhh! Her little smug smile and blushing cheeks make me explode each time!"

And just like that, her impressive, professional, controllably casual leader was gone, and what left with her place was an overly proud, broadly smiling mother who couldn't help but to prattle on and on about her daughter. She wouldn't look like she'd be out of place in a cafeteria, gossiping among friends, her naked state, and hypnotic bounce notwithstanding.

"T-…This one sees." Was all Rin could make out from the barrage.

"That reminds me, Rin-san!" The enthusiastic mother was suddenly on her feet, grasping one of Rin's hand.

"Ye… Yes?" She asked, not managed to look away from the shining magenta eyes.

"Could you please help Yuki-chan with her powers?"

… It took a second for her to process the request; it was not what she was expecting. "Her power is related to electricity?"

"She hasn't manifested yet, but a mother knows." Shiranui's smile turned a bit cheeky. "That, and she already fried two of those little handheld game of hers. I remember Reiko-chan commending something about you having—" She stopped suddenly, her mouth clapping together.

"It's alright..." Rin gave her a genuine smile to ease her worries. "This one would be honored to tutor your daughter, Shiranui-san, she'll do what I can to help."

"Rin-san…" The older woman shook her head, a different kind of smile present on her face. She transferred her hands to Rin's shoulders. "I'm glad to see you're doing better."

Doing better… That's right; things are more complicated so so much more complicated now… but she's doing better.

"I guess I found a reason to fight." She found herself saying.

Shiranui flinched, looking almost startled. "F-First person—"

Training and experience are what kicked in next. Two veterans Taimanin perceived a relevant change in the immediate environment, and they both simultaneously turned to the laptop screen. Seeing that the last Taimanin throw herself from the near-unconscious young man and was putting a show of a surprise, meek woman pulling the sheets over her naked form, at the edge of the screen, Rin could see the shape of two men moving.

"Trouble," Rin said unnecessarily.

Shiranui nodded with a note of cheerfulness. "So it seems we should get going then. Yoshida-san needs to be relocated."

"…Shiranui-san, please put your clothes on before you leave the room."

-0-0-0-​

They were standing on the rooftop of an office building. The hotel they'd just been through shining in the background. Mizuki Shiranui put a foot on the edge, leaning her body forwards and drawing a breath from Tokyo's thick urban air, her short brown hair blowing in the cutting wind.

"Little incident there at the end, but the client is safe, the main objective is complete, and we got a lot of useful information about this new political party and all their dirty business. That's a win in my book," She turned to look at her team with a smile. "Good work, girls."

"Yes!"/ "Yes!" Two nearly identical followed, Shiranui chuckled; they're both so formal.

"Alright, you know what to do, lay low, keep out of trouble, keep moving. I want the report delivered in due time."

Once again, she received affirmation, which she nodded to. Finally, she turned around and, with the barest flickers of her leg muscles, launched herself into the next building, where she neatly disappeared amidst the shadows of the night.

Rin relaxed some tension from her shoulders. The disbanding phase of a Taimanin mission— where each took off in different directions to different safe houses to avoid being followed— was associated with the passing of the most critical part of the mission in her head, so he allowed herself to wind down for a bit, and have her first real look at the last member of her team.

Igawa Asagi was her name, Taimanin Asagi, no epithet yet, the latest of an ancient and influential Taimanin family and daughter of another living legend on the caliber of Mizuki Shiranui. Rin had the honor of working with the girl's mother on a few occasions before her mysterious disappearance, and she could safely say the girl was her mother's spitting image, only younger and… less sure of herself.

The girl was looking at the distance; right hand on left arm, hugging herself close… no, that was not exactly it.

"Are you ok?" Rin asked, attracting a brief look of surprise.

"Yes, Uehara-senpai, thank you for your concern." She responded with a bow, but it was clear it wasn't everything. Rin could practically see the words unwillingly forcing their way out. "It's just… I…Um…"

"Was it the mission? Your role in it?"

The girl paused for a couple of seconds and then nodded.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Rin asked, already predicting the reason.

The girl curled over herself a tiny bit, her shoulders shaking, from the cold, or from the discomfort. Rin didn't know, but she wasn't surprised by what came next.

"I have a boyfriend." The girl admitted quietly.

One of the most common conflicts of a Taimanin— of a kunoichi in general. It had become much more prevalent nowadays, in modern times, as the women involved with the business aren't waiting for their retirement anymore, and can actually choose partners outside of a restricted pool. Rin lost count of how many times she was in this position, having this exact conversation.

Naturally, the response was at the tip of her tongue. It was easy, logical, and straightforward. She'd spoke variations of the same sentences many times in the past, most of the time, they were enough to comfort the girls, they were usually well trained enough that being reminded of their role was enough to drown any concerns, and if they weren't, then they learn to deal with it.

The words, arguments about the duty of a Taimanin, about the vows they took, gathered her throat… and refused to get out.

She… knows now, the difference between using her body for missions and…not for them. She never thought that sex, the carnal act she long since made into an art to entertain, and a weapon to use, could hold so much meaning that she…

… She couldn't bear the fact her body would have been used by that pig of a man of before. No, the thought of lying with any men other than her Aruji formed a pit of revulsion inside her belly. She never felt anything like it; it was if she would be sullying something… precious.

Hypocrite, she thought, after so much time arguing the necessity and validity of their methods, she never once stopped to consider the other side.

The younger Taimanin didn't notice Rin's internal conflict; she just lowered her head to the side.

"I know what you're going to say, Uehara-senpai. That it is my duty, that it is what I've been trained for. I know its all in the name of the Corp but—"

"…ious, you dumb bitch."

"Fuck…" The words erupted from Rin's mouth, and she bit down the rest before they could make their way out.

For a moment, there was only a shocked silence hanging between them.

"Senpai?"

"… We must strive to fulfill our duty, yes. But there are less obvious, sometimes more efficient ways to do that." Rin began, getting surer as she went on. "Take this mission, for example, the main objective was the protection of Yoshida Toranosuke during the party, but we did not need to seduce him to do so, or at least, did not need to do the act, with the right preparations he could have been placed in induced sleep, maybe even with a tailored carnal dream for effect. That way, it would have left you ready for any surprises. You might have even been able to intercept those corrupted humans before they entered the room. As it is, we managed to acquire information that might be useful in the future, but considering the size and influence of the party, it might be in the far future if it still holds up at all. So a tertiary objective at best." That was enough for most Taimanin; Rin had preached the same in the past. "There are more ways to go about a mission Taimanin Asagi. You must take them into consideration each time you are in the field."

The young woman considered these words, and Rin found herself doing the same, even though they came from her.

"Rin-senpai… Thank you." She looks down with a rueful smile, before glancing up again. She looked better, less tense. Rin was glad her improvised speech was of some help. "… It would be nice to know about that early, though." The girl muttered under her breath, but Rin heard it even over the wind.

The older Taimanin sighed.

"That said, we must still follow the leader's directive, and trying to argue against Mizuki Shiranui about the merit of seduction objectives is an exercise in futility, she is extremely fond of the tactic, a bit too much for her own good." To be fair, it's not without reason. Even specializing in the annihilation of the demonic, Taimanin are remarkably adept in the art of seduction, even more so than the common kunoichi, so they usually get excellent results from it. Rin suspected it was something about the tendency Taimanin have to be more… shapely than most women, and she remembers Shiranui saying something along the lines of 'It'd be a waste not to use it!' once.

Asagi blushed, clearly having heard some stories herself. Shiranui's carnal escapades are just as famous as her battle prowess. Rin could only hope young Yukikaze grows up to have more sense. "Um, I don't get it. Doesn't she have a husband?"

Rin signed, that subject again. "There are three types of men in a relationship with a Taimanin; the ones that know full well what their role demand from them and accept it." Usually being Taimanin themselves. "The ones who know nothing, or don't know very much about it." Her lips tightened a bit at that. Aruji-sama… "And then, there is Shiranui's husband… Let's just say he likes to hear the details of what his wife gets up to."

"…O-Oh."

Once again, silence reined between the two women. But this time, it was broken by a giggle.

Rin's more sedated laughter joined the young woman's at some point. There was still a lot in their minds, and there was a lot left unsaid between them. But it did raise their spirits.

And for this moment, that was all they needed.

-0-0-0-​

Of course, the night, and technically the mission, hasn't ended yet.

It would only end when Rin got to the safehouse and hunker down for a while as the dust settled. Granted, there isn't much dust to settle this time around, but Rin didn't get where she was by not being careful.

So that's why she was hopping from rooftop to rooftop across, blending into corners and shadows as she traveled in a seemly random route.

Rin was a picture of a professional Taimanin, stoic, beautiful, eyes scanning all they could see while deciding on invisible routes for her body to follow, absolutely picturesque.

Her thoughts, however, were a mess.

Without the mission or a companion to help her focus, she kept looking back on her performance on hotel, her conversations with Shiranui and Asagi, the way she acted…

Her heart raced more and more she realized how she came off to them. What was she thinking!? Was she so unbalanced that she blatantly displayed her thoughts like that!? Apparently so, and not only to her long time comrade, who certainly noticed something amiss but also to an entirely new Taimanin she didn't even know! If Asagi so much whisper something to their superiors there would be an investigation, and Aruji-sama would…

Aruji-sama...

…It all came back to him, Ōe Hiroshi, the boy, no, the young man who crashed into her life and turned everything upside down. Rin wasn't stupid; she could see how their meeting and his continuous presence had affected her so much. It has been the wrong period of her life, right out of a stream of increasingly disastrous missions that saw her pushing her abilities to the limit just to avoid the worst fate, having to face multiple punishments and the wider consequences of her failures afterward, all culminating in the sacrifice of someone she cared deeply about. In the end, she, a Taimanin with years under her belt suffered something she always thought herself too strong to go through, a complete mental breakdown.

It was almost poetic that she met him right on the day after it, waking up in his home no less.

Then, he saved her, pure and single, she was ready to give up, almost relieved really, but he fought for her anyway, powering through chemicals that would incapacitate any unprepared civilian just to have a shot at saving her.

At that moment, she… woke up, was that the right expression? A spark of… purpose had lit up inside her breast, and weeks of spiraling depression that would certainly result in her death on her next mission were push back for it; she had to make Nerima safe for him, it was her responsibility.

Yet… by that time, she was already captivated.

She became invisible during the day, looking for clues where none would, yet her eyes followed him wherever he went, watching as he lent his help to everyone he met without discrimination or hesitation. She probed for rumors and information in the dark, and yet tales about his kind actions and how quickly he integrated himself in a close community came up just as frequently as suspicious places and odd disappearances. She watched him sleep at night and it became harder and harder to convince herself it was only for his protection.

And in the end, she…

She…

"Isn't it obvious? You dumb bitch."

Was in pieces again.

Isn't any wonder then that she immediately scurried back to the closest thing she had to a pillar at that moment, the only thing in her life that made some semblance of sense? She wasn't thinking right. In fact, there wasn't any kind of rationality involved when she went to see him that night. She was just unnaturally hot, and tired, and emotional and… needing to be close to someone.

And he pulled her closer than anyone had and rebuilt her from the ground up, and he didn't even realize he'd done it.

For then on, her days were nothing but joy.

She hit the rooftop of her safe house, almost stumbling in her last step. She was unbalanced like never before, and she knew it. Her mission had brought her down to reality and forced her to confront what she was putting off all that time; her new life with her Aruji is incompatible with her life as a Taimanin, she was certain of that now, tonight was nothing but proof of that, how could she perform well as a weapon of the Taimanin Corp if she wants to be wielded by another? Is the Corp even…

I-Is the Corp even…

The smell of blood, ozone, and unspeakable chemicals were thick in the air of the warehouse. Bloated bodies and scarred appendices littered the floor. In the middle of it all, a sinful row of naked women tied side by side in moaning, yipping heap as the rogue particles in the airs stimulated their already over-stimulated bodies into new heights. They pumped their hips in the air, seeking to be filled, not even noticing the state of their captors.

On a throne of blades and welded metal, a monster of an orc sat; large, fat, powerful, before this night, he was a shining example of his race, now; his arms and legs hung cauterized by his sides, his barrel chest was crisscrossed with a tapestry of Lichtenberg scars and struggled to pull even the smallest of breaths, and his once-proud manhood now sat mutilated across the room.

Uehara Rin stood, panting above him. Her uniform hanging by straps, every cut and wound burning with unnatural poison, her core raging with the fires of a powerful, artificially created arousal that fought to overwhelm her very consciousness, yet she stood firm, keeping lighting blade humming against the creature neck. She had to know.

"I've closed every door, erased every trance, clouded every memory before I came to Nerima. No one but the council themselves knew my location. So tell me, how did you find me?" She demanded.

The orc laughed a cruel, drawn-out, evil laughter of the ones that would curse as they fall. Then, he rasped out the words that would stick in her mind and gnaw at her thoughts in every moment of weakness from then on.

"Isn't it obvious? You dumb bitch."

Is the Taimaning corp even worthy of her services?

She shook her head and tightened her mask of composure, striding across the empty corridor of the tiny building with a purpose she didn't feel. She didn't want to be here, she didn't want to write a report, or face whatever investigation Shiranui or Asagi would throw at her. She wanted to go back to Nerima, to the arms of her Aruji-sama, where her days are bright, simple, and so wonderfully fun. Her—

She stopped her hand in the process of turning the door handle. In a single moment, all her conflicted thoughts melded away to give place to combat instincts.

Her sword let out a quiet hum as the blade of concentrated lightning journeyed across the door. The low-quality wood came apart like a jigsaw puzzle as she bashed her body through it, her hand seizing the neck of the figure waiting for her inside and slamming them against the opposite wall.

It didn't even take a second.

"GA-H!" The figure let out a raspy gasp, their throat locked inside Rin's tight grip. "Guu- H-Hey, What gives— WUAH!" Was their reaction when they noticed the tip of Rin's lighting sword pointing straight at their nose. "Wait, Wait, Uncle, Uncle, Uncle! I give! I give! Don't kill meeee!!"

…

… It took all her experience to keep her composure. Rin was used to demons acting unexpectedly and even holding on tightly to their human disguises in moments of high stress in order to get a Taimanin to lower their guard. But it's the first time Rin saw one so… pathetic-looking.

The maybe-demon/definitely-home-invader was a woman of her age, wearing a dark, three pieces suit with a bright red tie. She wore her strawberry blonde hair in a branch that fell down her shoulders and her emerald green eyes were wide with fear due to the proximity of the sword. Now she was frantically apologizing and making excuses while her expression and mannerisms twisted and squirmed in an over-the-top, almost comical way. Some of her tears and boogers dripped down to Rin's hand.

She didn't let go; she was a professional after all… but ew.

"Who are you!?" Rin hissed. Bringing the tip of her swords close to the woman's skin.

"I-err-you see-HIHHH, Scarylightsaber!!!" She jumped as a tiny arc of lightning shot from Rin's sword to the woman's cheek. "Alright, Alright! You win! You win! Little help here, boss? BOSS!?"

Rin frowned. If this woman thinks she would fall for such cheat trick she had another thing coming—

"Well, now."

Uehara Rin, a veteran taimanin known by her enemies and allies as the Sparkly Taimanin.

Froze.

"I told you she wouldn't like to find you inside her safehouse, my dear subordinate-sempai, no matter how 'epic' your dramatic appearance would have been. Ku ku ku."

"M-Mou! S-Stop calling me subordinate-sempai! M-My poor self esteem can't handle this kind of abuse, you know!?" The blonde woman whined.

Rin was… Rin was eighteen years old again; it was her second time leading a team of her own, and her first truly major mission. She tracked down a child trafficking route from Japan to its roots in Thailand's city of chaos, figured out the identity of the demon leading the operation, and mounted an attack.

When she and her team arrived at the facility… there wasn't a facility anymore.

And the demon, an enormous pit fiend… was weeping like a child.

Her lightning blade disappeared; she reversed her grip on her bladeless sword handle and struck the blonde woman on the side of her head, robbing her of consciousness. In the same movement, she twisted on her heels, her second sword handle going to her hand while she reactivated the blades and faced the new threat.

He was standing by the door, the lights of the corridor casting deep shadows over his form. A man of unremarkable height and unremarkable build, wearing the same three piece suit and tie as the blonde woman who now lay unconscious on the floor. Rin could see the outline of that distinct light blue hair that could only belong to one person and felt the intensity of the two shining dots that gleamed at her from the shadows.

"Ah, must you be so rough with my subordinate-sempai? It was just a harmless prank, you know?"

These eyes, this weight… There was no doubt about it.

"Ayasaki Hayate." She spoke the name of the man who once did the impossible and ruled the city of chaos, Roanapur itself, with iron firsts. "You're supposed to be dead."

"A common mistake, my dear, you are not the first one, nor will be the last one to make it. As you can see, I'm certainly not dead, I merely had an explosive job interview, and the rest of the world got confused." He shook his head softly as if reminiscing about a funny joke. "But let's not bore ourselves talking about me when you are the most interesting person in the room." He smiled. "You are a hard woman to find Uehara Rin-san."

Rin tightened her grip on her weapons, arc of lightning starting to spark around her.

"Why are you here, Asure Viper?" She quietly twirled on the sole of her left foot, solidifying her stance and losing the hidden blade she keeps there, just in case. "If killing is your objective than this one assures you; she will not be a easy prey."

The mercenary cocked his head to the side, his shadowy features forming a broad, slithering smile that sent a chill down Rin's spine.

"Kill you? My dear, I'm not here to kill you."

"I'm here to recruit you."