Jiro stares, frozen in fear, as the man sat with quiet menace.
The man looks too young to be called the Master. Dark hair fell lightly on his forehead, matching his quiet, unsettling calm. A crisp white suit hugs his frame, spotless and sharp, as if even the dust dares not touch him.
But it's his eyes that are the most unsettling. One is ordinary, unreadable. The other, narrow and serpent-like, glows with a faint, unsettling light.
"What a surprise," the man says, a faint hiss curling beneath his words as he breaks the silence.
"Just when I thought I'd have to dust off an old toy, I find I've got a new one instead. Come closer, won't you."
Jiro stays rooted, fear holding him in place.
"I'm only going to give you one warning. And that is, when I tell you to do something, you do it. Now get ove—"
Jiro cuts in, anger flashing.
"Just because everyone calls you master doesn't mean I have to listen to you!"
His voice tightens.
"I'm not going anywhere, no matter how many warnings you give."
He studies Jiro with interest. "Ah, a bold one," a low chuckle escapes him. "I like that."
"Now let me go!" he yells. "I want to go home!"
The man snaps, "Enough! This is your home now. And how long you remain is up to you."
He reins himself in, letting out a slow breath.
"Disappoint me, and I'll quickly find you somewhere else to belong."
Jiro's thoughts return to the boy in the dark, barely holding onto life.
"H-how could you do that to a kid? Why would you..."
He cuts off Jiro, "It seems you've already met some of my other toys, though they're all pitiful.
"As for your question..." He pauses, a smirk curling on his lips. "...because I like it."
"Now, enough talk. It's time we had some fun ourselves." He slowly rises from his chair.
Jiro's fear turns to anger as he grabs a nearby candlestick, gripping it tightly like a weapon.
"I won't let you hurt anyone else," he says, eyes locked on the man, shaking with anger.
"Yes! That's the spirit!" The man's eyes gleam with twisted joy as he approaches.
As the man enters striking distance, Jiro attacks. He dodges with casual ease, letting the blow slice through the empty air.
Jiro swings again. "Why do—" He swings harder. "...you people—"
Again with a last desperate swing. "...have to be so evil?"
The man effortlessly dodges each strike.
With a sly grin, he strikes back. "You're going to have to try harder than that!" he mocks, delivering a quick kick to Jiro's side that knocks him to the ground.
Pain flashes across his face, but he springs back to his feet.
"I hate you!" Jiro shouts, moving in for another strike.
The man easily sidesteps the attack, and with another kick, he sends Jiro sprawling back to the floor. "Yes, that's it! Hate me! Don't hold back!"
With a grunt of pain, Jiro barely gets to his feet before swinging the stick, sluggish and off-balance.
He intercepts the candlestick effortlessly and counters with a powerful punch to Jiro's stomach, sending him collapsing to his knees.
He gasps in pain as the stick slips from his grasp and drops beside him.
"Is that it? You're finished?! Where did your fire go?" His voice sharpens. He grabs Jiro by the hair, yanking him to his feet. "Get up!"
With a scream, he channels all his strength into a desperate overhead swing.
The attack is cut short by a sudden knee to the stomach, knocking Jiro back down onto the floor, face-first.
"More!" the man snarls, striking Jiro's back repeatedly with his foot.
Jiro lies motionless, broken, his vision fading. The man steps away, taking a few paces before turning his back.
His fingers trace a picture on the nightstand as he says, "You lasted longer than most of my toys I'll give you that. But, I'll have to bring in another to quench my app..."
A candlestick crashes into the back of his head, cutting off his rant mid-sentence. He spins around, eyes burning with fury.
Jiro stands, trembling, barely holding himself up, still unbroken.
The man grins, "It seems the night has only just begun..."
Outside, a gentle breeze rustles leaves against the stone walls encircling the compound.
Naku's head suddenly rises over the wall as he scans the perimeter.
It's quiet tonight. Two guards by the gate, two more posted at the doors. Only one making rounds. Shouldn't be too bad.
He hops over the wall and begins his descent, gripping the stones set into its surface and moving nimbly from foothold to foothold.
He touches down and quietly moves behind a cluster of bushes, peeking through the gaps in the foliage.
Two guards remain stationed by the gate, rifles slung over black suits, their bodies relaxed and unmoving.
One guard mutters to the other, "I swear, this shift feels longer every damn night. Think anyone'd even notice if we took off early?"
"Are you insane? If any higher-ups hear that, you're done for. These guys are straight-up crazy, I heard a guy looked the boss in the eye and he fed him to his snake."
"Oh, come on. You're just screwing with me because I'm the new guy. That thing's, what, like a foot long?"
"Yeah..."
"They cut him up into pieces..."
He laughs nervously, to himself. "Well, I'm just trying to make some cash and leave as soon as possible. Once I've got enough, I'm getting me and my girl an apartment in Tokyo."
"That's good to have a goal, kid. Keep your head down, work smart, and maybe you'l..."
A sudden, heavy thunk crashes against the back of the man's head. He collapses flat to the ground. Naku stands silently behind him.
The guard lets his rifle fall, snagging the sling as it drops. Hands up, he pleads, "Look, this job isn't worth it! I promise you'll never see me again, just let me go."
Naku presses a finger to his lips, warning him to stay quiet, then motions for him to lower the weapon to the ground.
Moving with caution, the guard sets the weapon down. Naku gestures with a flick of his hand, telling him to go.
The man takes off, muttering, "Why couldn't I just get a normal job? People feeding people to snakes and shit... I should've just kept working for that shady car salesman." His voice trails off as he slips out the side gate.
That makes three still outside.
Naku presses on, advancing deeper into the compound.
He glides silently around the fountain, taking cover behind the tall, tangled shrubs that surround the stone basin.
He spots the patrolling guard moving closer to his position.
The guard presses his radio. "Front gate, come in. Repeat, front gate, come in..."
Naku is there in an instant, the gourd's string snapping tight around the man's neck, silencing him from behind.
That leaves just the two at the entrance.
He slips behind a thicket of brush, carefully observing the guards at the door.
Here goes nothing.
He downs a long drink from his gourd.
The guards linger in place, quietly swapping small jokes as they glance around the perimeter now and then.
Naku staggers forward, swaying. "Do you guys, uh... happen to know where my... uh..."
"What the hell?" the guard mutters to his partner.
"A drunk old guy? What the hell is a drunk old guy doing here?"
Naku shuffles toward them, stumbling with every step.
"Hey, stop right there!" one of them shouts.
He keeps rambling drunkenly, edging closer with unsteady steps.
"Not another step, old man!" They raise their guns at him.
But Naku's already within striking distance, with a sharp swing, he forces the guard's rifle off target, putting himself out of the line of fire.
Using his momentum, he spins over the guard's back and throws him to the floor.
He loses his balance, and trips over the downed guard, landing hands-first on his rifle.
They wrestle back and forth, both trying to claim it.
With a swift spin, Naku swings the rifle and sling off the guard, then follows up with a hard blow to the head using the butt—knocking him out cold.
He jumps onto the grounded man, striking him again in the stomach with his feet before rushing into the building.