Years have passed.
Minisu City.
Waking up in a comfy bed beside a beautiful naked woman was something ordinary for Victor these days. Don’t mistake him for a womanizer, there was nothing sexual happened between those two, even though Victor had grown into a fine young adult. With a throbbing headache, Victor left the bed, he looked down to find himself completely naked. He then turned to the woman sleeping beside him. She was certainly a lustful sight to behold, an hourglass glass figure and curve at where it’s matter. Her long silky black hair draped over her shoulders as she slept soundly under the thick blankets.
Orbs of light began to dimly shine through the paper window, Victor slid it open to reveal a city prepared for the coming night. A city unlike his home, this land was blessed with a massive flatland. Because of the size of this land, a wall is proven impossible to build because of its never-ending expansion.
The only wall of protection can be seen is around the castle in the center of the city; the castle itself is built with each floor stacked on top of each other that resembled a pyramid of stairs. Though some buildings have a short wall of their own, a large courtyard such as a Dojo, or Noble’s houses, or establishment which require a large space.
Waking up to greet the night was not unnatural for Victor, it was part of his new profession. To put it more precisely, it was the only profession he could get because of his birthplace. Victor grabbed a bottle of Sake and chugged it down like it was freshwater. Baggy eyes and a frown accompany his expression, this wasn’t the same Victor as before, something had broken him.
The naked woman moaned as she slowly woke up, “Vic? Isn’t it too early to be drinking?”
“It doesn’t matter what time it is. I drink when I want to drink.” Victor took a seat on the edge of the bed.
The woman sighed as she crawled up to Victor, and pressed her unfiltered bosom against his back. Those two soft melons were a god’s gift to man, anyone who ever felt those things against their skin would instantly react with intense thirst, but Victor showed no sign of interest, “You used to be so innocent. I remembered you would blush when I teased you like this. Now look at you, only judging by your dozen scars, a person could tell how many fights you have thrown yourself into.”
“Haruhi, can you back off? You’re too heavy for me.”
“Boop,” She pressed her finger against Victor’s cheek and pouted, “Never told a lady that she’s heavy.”
“I’m sorry, okay? Now can you get off me? I got work to do.”
“No one goes to work with a bottle of Sake first,” moaned Haruhi as she lay on the bed again.
“The Sake helps me at ease, you know that.”
“Haa...Anyway, your back tattoo is always a pleasure to look at. I love the sea, it must have cost you a lot of money to get that. Too bad it's only drawn on the left of your back, not your right.”
“Haruhi, you better get ready or you're going to be late. Again.” Victor stood up and made his way to his neatly folded clothes.
“Sure, sure, if only you would stop passing out drunk on the floor again, it’s hard enough to carry you back to bed,” said Haruhi as she stretched her body on the bed.
After wearing his pink kimono and sky blue pants, Victor turned and stared at the familiar Katana; The Man-eater. It was leaning against the drawer; its handle was tied to the sheath to keep the blade from being drawn. He took and slid the sword between his belt then made his way to the door.
“Your hair is getting long, should I call the other girls?”
“There's no need. I prefer it this way,” Victor tied his blond hair into a ponytail.
Closing the door behind him, Victor walked down the flower-scented hallway, every door led to a bedroom for the courtesan that’s living here. This part of the building served as the residential area for most of the workers here and also adjacent to the Pleasure Palace where man or woman came to relieve their frustration or sometimes wanted a company for a drink or three, and of course, both of the choices required payment.
The doors opened and a large number of half-naked women greeted Victor, “Hey handsome, care to join me for a drink later?”
“Victor…” purred the ladies.
“Victor, ahm!” moaned the other one.
“Come on...I know you want me,” the woman revealed a pair of succulent thighs using the slit of her dress, “or do you prefer the three of us?” Two other women suddenly came out of nowhere and caressed his body, but Victor walked it off.
“Don’t listen to those old crones, come on, and join me. I’ll show you a good time,” a beautiful man implored Victor to enter his room.
Some of them were eyeing Victor up and down with lustful eyes, these women were good at their job to lure prey into their bedroom. At first, it was off-putting for Victor, but nowadays he just has gotten used to it. Though not every man or woman who worked here tried to seduce him, all of them are actually nice and good people. The reason why they try to seduce Victor is because of the bet they had with each other: whichever woman or man could get him to lay with them would win the cash prize.
Walking through the curtains door, revealed him to the extravagant lobby draped with red curtains, expensive erotic arts, and decorated with carnations of Mauves while a heavily scented strong aphrodisiac lingered in the room. There were already tons of customers roaming around the main floors with a drink in their hands and a pair of their breasts against their arms. Making his way down the stairs, he leaned against the wall at the bottom of the stair with his arms crossed under his chest.
Another peacekeeper nodded at Victor from across the lobby, or at least that is what they would call themselves. Their jobs are mostly taking care of rowdy guests that get way too handsy and violent. However, sometimes they had to deal with troublemakers, gang members, people who didn’t pay, or all sorts of people who is a threat to the courtesans. After Victor confirmed that there was no threat in the lobby, he made his way through the main door.
The moment he stepped outside, he was greeted with a mob of locals passing by. The red-light district, a place where local or foreigner could get a good drink, woman or man, or even illegal item. It offers everything and truly almost anything. It is the only place where this kind of immoral activity was legalized by the uppermost top, not only the lower and middle class visited this place, even the upper class did.
The mob parted in the middle like a stone in a river, they only made way for three kinds of group, the noble, the law enforcement, or the gang. For tonight, it’s the law enforcement, they called themselves the Teikoku Keisatsu: Imperial Police. Every large city has it. They live by the code, a sort of honorary system that was etched into their mind to follow and obey. One could tell whoever worked for the Imperial Police just by his posture alone, straight and proper. However, most of them that are active wore a military uniform, black and white, no armor, but a Katana on their belt and white gloves along with a full black and gold embroidered Breton cap. They atheistic bleed unification and discipline.
They marched down the street uncompromisingly. If you want to live, better make sure you move out of the way or else face the consequence. However, Victor had lived in this city for years now, he knows that some of them aren’t what they seem to be, some are corrupted and degenerate that would use the law at their pleasure. It’s better to not get involved, that has been Victor’s way of living nowadays; to not get involved.
Steam escaped from Victor’s lips, the season was changing, winter was near. After the Police disappeared in the crowd, Victor slid through the passerby and into the alley beside the Pleasure Palace. Only a few knew about the humble food stall, hidden in darkness and only illuminated by a couple of lanterns. This stall only sells a certain type of food, a variety of fish meat and vegetables boiled in rich soup, the people called it; Oden. It’s more peaceful in the alley, despite being close to the crowded street behind him.
In that stall, an old man manned the bar, he had a welcoming smile as Victor took a seat on the stool. After warming himself by the soup heat, he looked at the board game beside him; a square wooden plane divided by two-color white and black, a game of Go. A simple game, whoever surrounded their opponent and captured the most stone won the game. Victor took the black stone and took one white piece off the board.
“How are you, Exiled Prince?”
“I thought I told you to never call me that.”
“My apologies, Victor. If you haven't noticed, old age is starting to get to me.”
“It’s fine. I never liked the title, exiled or not, I don’t like being called a Prince.”
“Here you go, the usual.” The old man placed a bowl of Oden before Victor alongside a small bag of coins.
Victor pushed the bag of coins, “The same as usual.”
The old man sighed, “I think it’s about time you give up on the search. It has been years, no man has that kind of tattoo here. Even if he did, you could never find it. That kind of tattoo is too well hidden even from the uppermost level.”
Victor slammed his clenched fist against the bar, the bowl of Oden shook, and he growled through gritted teeth, “The same as usual.”
“Calm yourself.”
Victor snapped out from his anger, “I’m sorry.”
The old man served him a cup of Sake, “What are you going to do if you found him?”
Victor took a quick glance at his The Man-eater, “Her Katana has only one rule, and he will learn what it is.”
“I know what you are going to do when you find him, but I want to know is; what you are going to do after you kill him?”
Victor chugged the cup of Sake and ate one of the fish meat before standing up and walked away. The old man tossed the bag of coins and Victor caught it, “Take the money. I don’t need it, you’ve already spent so much. Besides, you have taken care of my girls without fail, at least I owe you that. I promise you I’ll find him. In the meantime, go think about the answer to my earlier question.”
Storing the coins inside his pocket, Victor walked away and back into the Pleasure Palace. That old man used to be a toymaker, but he found a better business. First, it was a toy shop then the most successful Pleasure Palace in the district and then a small humble Oden stall. He had connections, from bottom to top, a powerful man, but as humble as one could be. However, do not underestimate that old man, who knows what will happen if someone crossed him.
Victor leaned against the same spot at the bottom of the stair and watched people come in and come out. Some stayed, but most of them leave with empty pockets. The night went out just like usual, as time went by, the drunker Victor became. Suddenly, one of the girls tapped on his arm, “It’s break time.”
He nodded his head and made his way to the bar where he took one of the seats, he raised his finger, and the bartender nodded his head. He brought him the usual drink, a more potent drink only for Victor. He sat there with a solemn gaze against his drink, but his solitude was interrupted when a certain courtesan leaned against him.
“Haruhi?”
“Yep, it’s me. Your favorite girl,” She smiled brightly and Victor replied with his own half-smile.
“Hardly.” Victor always wondered how could she smiled so brightly every day.
“So tell me, Vic, what are you moping about?”
“I have done nothing, but searching and chasing after someone, that may or not live in this city. I have no clue, no lead, nothing, but I kept searching.”
“What’re you going to do if you finally find this chosen one?”
“Something bad...but, it’s not about finding him, it about after. I don’t know what I’m going to do after I did what must be done--nothing comes to mind.”
“Hmm, I do a little bit of fortune-telling, you know for the guests, they love it. Do you want to give it a go?”
“You know, I don’t believe in that kind of thing.”
“Come on, I’ll promise you, it won’t be that bad. Now, give me your palm.”
Victor extended his palm at her, Haruhi gently took his hand. She always accidentally glanced away when she saw his hand, it has nothing but scars. So much pain behind those scars. Haruhi couldn’t imagine what kind of life he went through, even her painful life is a pale comparison to him, judging only by the scars on his entire body. Haruhi never pry about his past and Victor did the same too, that’s why she respected him and trusted him more than anyone else because Victor wasn’t the type to judge or care.
She shook her head and traced the line on his palm, “Oh, there’s a love line right here. Look like someone got a girl in the future, and judging from it, she will be the most beautiful and kindest person around unlike a dirty, ugly girl like me.”
“That’s not true, you’re the most gorgeous and kindest lady in this fine establishment.”
“W-What?” That statement was a bit sudden for Haruhi, she never thought he would say that to her face, so suddenly. Her face was red before she smiled brightly, she tucked a loose hair behind her ear and turned to the lobby, “You heard that girls? Victor just told me that I’m the best girl around here!”
“Sure he did,” one girl from the top floors yelled out.
“Best at sucking,” commented a girl in the corner of the room.
“No one is best at sucking like me, if you know what I mean,” Haruhi countered the sarcasm and comments, They all giggled and laughed before resuming back to work. Victor sighed and frowned half-heartedly while she raised her eyebrow.
“You know I have to defend my best girl spot.”
“Is that all? Hardly a good prediction.”
“Okay, okay, I’m gonna do it for real now,” She placed her hand on his palm again and closed her eyes.
There will be pain, suffering, war, family, and inheritance. It was disturbing to watch the amount of blood that will be shed before his path, the loss he will experience in his future and the absurd amount of suffering he will feel at the end of his destiny. However, nothing saddened her more when she saw Victor, triumph against all odds, but...
“Die and be reborn again as a legend. You will die, but you will have your crown,” Haruhi had muttered all of it without thinking. The woman opened her eyes, realized what she had said, and when she looked up, she found shock and anger in her friend’s face. Victor swept his hand away and quickly walked away from the bar, leaving her behind without saying anything.
“Vic, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean about the death part.”
“It not about death. It’s about the crown.”
“What?”
“Nevermind. I need time alone.”
Victor couldn’t believe it, he never told her about his past and he doubted the old man would break his promise. He cursed himself, wondering if it was his fault, did he muttered it aloud without even noticing it. Victor then took the same spot where he had guarded and pondered a bit. In the corner of his eyes, Victor noticed Haruhi’s guilty expression, but he had to look away, one thing he didn't want was to get involved.
Crack, boom!
Suddenly, the ceiling collapsed, dust and debris were pouring down onto the lobby. People were screaming and panicking as they evacuated the lobby. Victor and the other guards closed in with their weapons readied. The cloud of dust dissipated and revealed two men; and judging for their attires, an Imperial Police and a Pirate.
Just perfect: trouble.
