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By the time they’re deep into the Science Lab, there’s no time to turn back and heal at Trish’s Spring. A quick meeting suggests they need to press on, but the pressure keeps mounting, unconscious party members recovering after battle without any time to prepare for the next fight. When a squid corners them around a particularly tight bend in a comically narrow hallway, there’s simply no time to strategise. They have to survive.
The Malaques comes too fast for Katsuya to heal, the splash taking Maya and Baofu in the first wave, before knocking down Ulala and Nanjo in the second. By the time he’s hit by a gnarled Skewer, Katsuya’s on his knees with no other option but to speak. He’s done contacts like this before, but never alone; there’s always been at least someone else alive to back him up from behind.
Still, all he can do is hope this demon understands his grief. Has he ever been this close to doom since joining Maya in this fight?
Gazing over at Nanjo’s lifeless body, skin covered in a clammy sheen of water, a wave of agony floods Katsuya’s chest. “No matter how many times… Seeing a person’s death just breaks my heart.”
The squid in front of him, Kanaloa, if they had the name right from previously contacting him in the Sewers, frowns at him, grief all over his features. “I… I’m terribly sorry.” There’s fear in his gaze, but is there… excitement too? It’s better than anger; he has to press on, and pray he understands.
“You’ll always have a place in my heart, Nanjo-kun… Rest in peace.”
“Ah… I’m sorry once more,” Kanaloa replies, his tentacles wavering anxiously, yet with a degree of anticipation that’s still unexpected. What happens when he reaches the height of his fear and excitement?
“Nanjo-kun, I didn’t think your death would affect me so deeply… I’ve lost an important person in my life.”
He braces himself for whatever Kanaloa has to say next, but what comes from his wet maw is enough to surprise him still. “I… I will go with you…”
“Huh…?”
Kanaloa relaxes his tentacles, crossing the floor to him with lowered eyes. “You… You love that man, don’t you?”
The urge to deny rears its head inside Katsuya, until he realises what he’s said out loud. “Well… there are many ways for humans to love one another—”
“You don’t need to play the fool. Invoking your heart so many times can only mean one thing, can it not?”
Katsuya meets Kanaloa’s bulging red eyes, lids leaving them narrowed but warm. “P… Perhaps. It’s not exactly acceptable for me to admit that though.”
“Who else is around to hear?” With a eerie, toothy grin, he extends a tentacle towards his bloodstruck body, water dripping from his lips. “I must say… I’m interested in you.”
“I’m flattered, but…” Pain flares from Katsuya’s hip where the Skewer dug through his skin, and he lowers a hand to his side, blood blossoming under the fabric of his dress shirt. “Nnh…”
“We could make a deal.”
Katsuya gazes up, pain in his eyes as he slides a hand under his blazer to the wound. It’d be unspeakably rude to heal now; as good as declaring the battle back on, and his life forfeit.
“What’s on the table?”
“Carnal pleasure for the two of us, before we part ways.”
Pressing his lips together, Katsuya feels at the wound once more, blood slick against his fingers. “I’ve never… well, I’m sure it’s not unexpected for a human, but I’ve never done this with a demon before, and I have no idea where to start.”
“Why not let me take the lead?”
That’s dangerous, but his options are rapidly diminishing as his body aches with stabbing pain. “Alright then. I’ll take it.” He extends a hand, which Kanaloa shakes with a slick, thick tentacle. “Now, what should I do?”
“Enjoy yourself.” A tentacle extends towards his other hand, and Katsuya steps forward nervously. Should he take off his trouse—?
“Aaaaaugh!” Kanaloa binds his arms and legs in an instant, lifting him towards his towering head. Whatever defiance of gravity his squid-like body holds captures him as well, and he finds himself entangled, front flush with the curve of his head as his back arches to adjust. “Ohhh… I have pants…?”
“Don’t panic; my slick is enough to break through such a trivial thing as fabric.”
“Ohhh— but they’re designer!”
“Don’t your healing spells heal any damage to your clothing too?”
“Oh… right.” Katsuya thanks every good deed he’s done for the fact all his comrades are unconscious, unable to see the tentacles stroking at his crotch as they melt the fabric with every caress. After a brief moment of terror, there’s only wet, slippery pleasure as every erogenous zone below his hips erupts in pleasure. “Ahhh… oh, that’s really good…”
Two tentacles wrap under his blazer, melting his dress shirt in a way that should make him panic, but only leaves his heart racing. “You’re quite pent up! I like that.”
“Not my fault… I’ve had work…”
Kanaloa wriggles his head, and Katsuya rocks his hips against him as best he can, finally finding something he can do with skill. “Oh, aren’t you eager?”
“I… I have practice at this… uh, the grinding bit! I just haven’t done it with anyone else before…”
“I can only imagine.” The thinly veiled jab doesn’t land the moment his head’s scales coax him hard, the blood that would be leaving his wound channeled straight between his thighs. “What else are you skilled in?”
Katsuya wrinkles up his brow in thought, only to gasp as the tentacles across his chest pinch at his nipples. “Ahh—! You can do that?”
“Of course I can. I have exceptionally good control of my limbs. Now, my question—”
“Yes, yes, I’m good at… self-pleasure? And maybe a bit of kissi— mhh!”
Kanaloa slides a tentacle between his open lips, and Katsuya gags as his mouth opens wider for it, the slippery appendage filling his mouth with a taste like saltwater. “So it seems you are.”
“Mmmm…” Is this a kiss? He can’t stop the throb that betrays exactly how this leaves him feeling, but Kanaloa doesn’t mind at all.
Parting his thighs, he slides a tentacle up his shaft, before wrapping it around and squeezing him tight enough to leave him leaking. “Ohoho… Already excited, and we’ve barely started?”
He can’t help it! The tentacle doesn’t leave his mouth, stealing every word on his tongue, so it doesn’t matter really, does it? All his focus goes into wrapping his lips around his thickness, hips shivering as another tentacle sneaks between his arse cheeks. “Mmmm…!”
“You’re practically vibrating with arousal… Are you that eager to take me?”
They’re moving far too fast for Katsuya to process what’s going on, everything feeling like a dream racing out of control, but hasn’t everything over this past week? What’s another demon pushing the limits of reality, pressing his tentacle into his hole to test how tight it is?
“Could it be… you’re a virgin?” Kanaloa’s voice trembles with excitement, words cool but purposeful. “No wonder you’re brimming with energy…”
He can tell? The tentacle contracts, and Katsuya shudders as it pushes against his entrance, before slipping in with ease after that initial resistance.
“Nhhh…! You’re far tighter than I expected…”
“Mmmm…” Whatever comforting sound Katsuya tries to make comes out far more lurid, as if he’s moaning with pleasure. It’s not far from his true feelings, but it’s still embarrassing to admit as the tentacle fills him to the hilt, before sliding out slowly as it expands.
“I’ll work you up to what’s in your mouth. How does that feel?” As the tentacle sits tip-deep in his hole, Katsuya can’t help curling his toes in his half boots, the anticipation too much as he nods his agreement. “How agreeable, nodding around me like you are…”
The tentacle at his lips finally slides out for a moment, and Katsuya takes an indulgent breath in. “I want it… I do…”
“Feeling overwhelmed?”
He nods gently, resting his head on the tentacle dripping with his spit. “Yes… It’s so good, but… we’re moving so fast, aren’t we?”
“Aren’t we both wanting this as much as each other?”
“I… suppose so.” Maybe this is the natural pace of lovemaking, but Katsuya’s head spins even as the tentacle pushes back inside him, expanding a little more with every inch. “Ahh— ohhh, that’s… that’s big…”
“I’m not even at my full size yet.” Kanaloa chuckles, like bubbles floating up from the ocean floor, as he bottoms out once more. “Ohoho! Why are you shaking?”
“Haaaaa… Feels good…” There should be more intelligent words on his tongue, but they all disappear as Kanaloa pulls out, then thrusts in. “Fuck—! Ahhh, that’s hitting the… hitting the spot…”
“You’re leaking.” The tentacle wrapped around his cock squeezes him tighter, and Katsuya moans keenly, a drop of precum trickling onto Kanaloa’s slickness. “Now I understand your worries about moving too fast…”
Yet he doesn’t change a thing, plunging in and out as Katsuya whimpers softly into the air. “Ohhh…! Ahhh, it’s too good!” All he can do is frot against the tentacles and scales that work him up and hold him down, pleasure building as his muscles tense and release.
The tentacle that was between his lips glides across them once more, and Katsuya opens them without thinking, want writ large across his gaze. “What’s wrong? Do you want more?”
“Please…”
Kanaloa burbles with laughter, flicking his tentacle across Katsuya’s tongue. “Mmmm, you’re so aroused… Is being filled at one end not enough for you?”
“N… Noooo… I jus— I want you to feel good too…”
When his tentacle shoots across the back of his tongue to his throat, Katsuya gags, eyes on the brink of tears as he swallows, sucks, does whatever he can to keep his gag reflex from engaging as Kanaloa groans softly. “You’re so tight at both ends…”
“Spluhh… ohhh, I can take it again!” Katsuya has no idea why he begs the moment Kanaloa leaves his mouth, but Kanaloa thickens in response, leaving him panting desperately as he toys with his lips. “Ohhh… let me take it, please…”
“Are you sure?”
As he nods, the tentacle inside him throbs, massaging his prostate with every thrust. “Haaa… everything feels so good… if I can make it good for you too—!”
“How amenable… If you insist, I won’t deny you that pleasure.”
Katsuya goes to thank him, only for the tentacle to shoot to the back of his throat once more. “Ghhk—!”
“Mmmh… Hearing you choke on me, while you’re so stiff and tight…” Kanaloa bubbles with want against Katsuya’s ear, as if from the depths of the ocean. “I won’t last either…”
It’s impossible to pinpoint what sends Katsuya over the edge as Kanaloa thrusts in and out of him at both ends, but he explodes with pleasure the moment his tentacle reaches its maximum thickness. “Mmmh! Mmph! Mmuh…!”
His eyes cross behind his red-paned shades, cock spasming in Kanaloa’s constricting grip as he shoots ropes of cum across his scales. He doesn’t stop as Katsuya writhes in his grip, his climax running hot through his veins, but only intensifies his movements as Katsuya softens, then stiffens once more.
“Mmmh…?!”
“Seems someone’s eager for round two.”
Katsuya shudders with confusion as overstimulation courses through him, before giving way to pleasure rubbed raw. “Muhh, muhh, muhh…” When his eyes open, they’re bloodshot, almost as red as Kanaloa’s behind his glasses as he nears his second peak. “Uhhh—!”
“Ahhh, yesss… Just like that…” Kanaloa hisses, a wave disappearing out to sea as the tide of pleasure turns once more. “If you continue like this—!”
There’s no way Katsuya can suck or fuck politely anymore, bouncing and breathing heavily through his nose as tears stream down his cheeks. It all feels indescribably good… so why does it ache? His hole strains around Kanaloa’s length, and despite his best attempts at keeping it together, he moans desperately into his tentacle as he flicks his nipples once again. Any more, and he’ll—!
This climax scratches at his nerves, overstimulation sharp as it chops at his mind until there’s nothing left but sobs and loads shooting weakly onto his stomach. “Mmmh… Hh…”
“Ahhh, a little more…” In a torturous twist, Kanaloa doesn’t stop again, this time speeding up as he groans into the air. “You’re perfect… ah, what did you say your name was?”
Katsuya could die of embarrassment, but he can’t even answer with his massive tentacle in his mouth, rubbing the back of his throat raw. “Ghhh…”
“Right, that’s it… Suou. Not that Suou, but a number of my brothers have met you on your quest.”
What’s there to do but nod, body thrumming with euphoric agony? “Mmmh…”
“Haaa… you’re going to send me over the brink, Suou…” The tentacle in his hole twitches, and Katsuya whines, going weak as pleasure wracks his body once more. “Oh, isn’t it good I’ve got you tight? You wouldn’t be able to hold yourself up if you were on your feet.”
Once more, he nods, legs jelly in his grasp. “Mmmm…”
“Ohhh, I’m on the edge, Suou… Won’t you be good and take all of my load?”
“Mmmm!” Katsuya moans in response, doing his best to move as that telltale heat builds in his core once more. “Mmmm…”
“Don’t strain yourself… I’m sure your climax will foll— ohhh!”
The eldritch moan shoots straight to Katsuya’s cock, stiff and purple as Kanaloa flicks his tip with a teasing tentacle. “Mmmm…” That’s merely the start though, as every tentacle constricts, thickening and dripping with salty slick. How could every inch of him not thrum with pleasure, from his reddened lips to his aching hole?
“Ahhh, ahhh… Prepare yourself—!” There’s no time to say more, as ink shoots from the tips of every tentacle, clouding in the air as Katsuya squeezes his eyes shut. If it’s anything like proper cum, it’ll only ache if it meets his eyes.
It’s perfect inside him though, in his throat where he swallows and swallows the briny fluid, or his hole where it leaves him full and warm, even if it must defy physics. Every movement is rhythmic, Kanaloa’s groans powering him on as his own peak nears. He can bring him to the finish. He’ll do it, with the most inhuman cum down his throat and tentacles writhing against him.
But the moment Kanaloa lets loose one last shudder from head to toe, Katsuya’s resolve crumbles in the blink of an eye. “Mmmh… uuuhh!” Already raw-nerved, his peak doesn’t punish them any more, but instead pulls from the last of his spell reserves to drop a bomb of warmth across his flesh. “Muhhh… unhh!”
His load splatters onto Kanaloa’s scales, followed by soft gasps of pleasure around the tentacle in his mouth. When it mixes with the cloud of ink however, his cum takes on a dark colour that writhes around, eyes glowing as Katsuya shoots load after load around it. They all take on the same dark hue, unbeknownst to Katsuya with his eyes squeezed shut, as squid ink billows onto his cheeks.
What he does know is that this peak, while less intense, hums warm through his body, and he doesn’t want it to stop. By the time the last shot of cum lands somewhere between himself and Kanaloa, he squints one eye open.
The cloud of ink has dissipated somewhat; he opens his eyes fully, yet it’s only when Kanaloa pulls out that he catches sight of the black masses scooting across the floor. “Huh—?!”
“They won’t hurt you. You created them, after all.”
“What are they?”
Kanaloa lowers him to the ground, pointedly ignoring his question. “I enjoyed that quite a lot… I hope I can see you again, and have a second round with you.”
Too overwhelmed to press the point, Katsuya’s legs give out the moment he tries to stand up, falling to the floor while his side instantly flares with pain. “Ah—! Yes… I agree. I just need a bit of time to recover…”
“That’s fair enough. I’ll see you another time, Suou.”
How polite for a demon… “See you later, Kanaloa.” The dark little blobs crawl across the floor past Katsuya, but he can’t find it in himself to worry. He lifts his head, meeting Kanaloa’s flaming red eyes one last time, before exhaustion turns the world dark in an instant.
“Sergeant Suou? Sergeant Suou!”
That’s the first thing Katsuya hears, followed by a wet cough and splutter in an impossibly refined voice. “Nanjo-kun…”
“Can you open your eyes? Your SP’s been drained completely, and… well…”
A familiar snicker starts up next to him, although that too gives way to a hacking cough. “Aagh… Yeah, are we gonna talk about his clothes?”
“Suou-san, eat this.” A Snuff Soul slides under his tongue, and Katsuya lets it dissolve, body still too weak to move. “Don’t be hard on him… It looks like he gave everything so we wouldn’t die here.”
“Sergeant, are you in pain?”
When he opens his eyes, shaking his head far slower than he’d like, three worried heads shield him from the harsh overhead lights, and Baofu towers over them, gazing at him with a half-smirk. “Ahhh…”
“Cast Media.” Nanjo stares at him with an aura of seriousness that supersedes every interaction they’ve had prior to this point, and Katsuya summons Matsuo-sama with a weak lift of his hand.
The warm blue glow envelops the entire party, Maya coughing once more with relief, before patting Katsuya’s shoulder comfortingly. “There you go… That feels better, doesn’t it?”
“I didn’t know detectives wore Featherman underwear.”
“Ulala!” Maya swats at Ulala’s arm, giving Katsuya an apologetic look. “That demon did a lot of damage… You should go for another Media.”
Instead, Katsuya gets up on his elbow, wincing in pain as he peers down his body. Slashes cut the sides of his dress shirt, no longer cut to the nipples, but there’s a pointed opening in his pants that leaves them looking like chaps, as well as burn marks at the edge of his sleeves and trouser legs. After three orgasms he’s embarrassingly soft, yet it’s far better than them knowing anything transpired while they were unconscious.
The blue glow envelops the party once more, and the wound at his side stops aching. “Oh… that’s better.”
“Geez, what happened to your pants?” Baofu chuckles softly, in better spirits as he lights a cigarette just a few metres away from a sprinkler. “I can still see Pink Argus, or whatever the fuck her name is.”
“Pink Azas,” Katsuya corrects quietly, going to cast another Media before realising he’s out of SP again. “Ahh… could I have another Snuff—?”
“Sorry, Suou-san… We were running low before this, so… ah, I don’t really want to say it, but can you hold on until we’ve made it to the next floor?” Ulala gives him an apologetic smile, and he nods back. “Thanks, Suou-san. I’ll make it up to you sometime.”
“Yes… We ought to make tracks.” Nanjo extends a hand to Katsuya, and he takes it gratefully, relieved to see his lips a normal shade of wet and undrowned. “Sergeant, if you want to talk about it later, I’m always here for you.”
“Thank you, Nanjo-kun…”
“I’ve had my own brushes with dire moments in battle. Dying to poison, falling ill in a haunted mansion… oh, and the time I nearly killed a friend thanks to a particularly nasty charm.”
“A… charm?” Katsuya frowns, fixing his watch on his wrist, ever so slightly discoloured thanks to the slick.
“Yes… I was charmed by an enemy, and ended up slicing my friend’s— ah, that doesn’t matter now.” Nanjo gazes at him curiously, tilting his head with intrigue. “Why do you ask?”
“Hmm… I wonder.” It’s hard to hold his gaze when there’s still a hole in his pants that gives him away, one that Maya and Ulala swiftly turn away from when he glances over at them. “Does a charm give the charmer power over the charmee?”
“I suppose so. Enemies made us turn on each other, and I tended to do the same.”
“You charmed enemies?”
“Aizen Myouou, at the time, was quite skilled at afflicting the enemy with all manner of status impairments.”
Katsuya would give anything for something to soothe his nerves, but as the party continue pacing down the hall, he mulls over this fact nervously. “Hmm… so you say.”
“I wouldn’t worry, Sergeant Suou. If you’d been charmed, you’d know immediately.”
“No… I mean, how do you know you’ve charmed a demon?”
Nanjo frowns at him, thinking for a moment. “Their demeanor changes nigh on immediately. They become extremely docile, if not downright submissive, and will act in accordance with whatever you want.”
“Hmmm…” Submissive? Sure, Kanaloa started off demure, but things escalated— “Ah, Nanjo-kun, may I ask something in confidence?”
They glance ahead to where the women are whispering to one another, and Baofu leads from the front, before Nanjo nods. “Of course.”
“Is it possible… they might have preyed on my subconscious?”
“Entirely possible. The Sea of Souls is linked to the unconscious mind— which is the subconscious you’re referring to— and they may well have picked up on something you were not even aware of.”
“Hmmm.”
“You’re ‘hmm’ing a lot, Sergeant.”
“My apologies… I’m just thinking through something.” But what could that demon have picked up on?! He saw him grieving for Nanjo-kun, and began hitting on him immediately after he confessed. “Do demons come with their own baggage, perhaps?”
“Some do, but… Sergeant, if you need another head to think on things, I’m at your service.”
Despite his best attempts to muffle it, Katsuya chuckles softly behind his hand.
“Did I say something strange?”
“No… not at all, Nanjo-kun.” Katsuya smiles towards him kindly, shaking his head. At his service, hm? “I do feel Kanaloa may well have understood me perfectly, and seized the moment.”
“Seized the—?” Nanjo stops talking quickly, turning away with a blush. “Is that so…”
The air hums with quiet tension as Katsuya slips his hand into his pocket, gazing at the monotonous walls while he wills the blush from his own cheeks. After turning another corner, he glances back at Nanjo to find him turning away hurriedly.
“Heh, you’re welcome to say hello.”
“Sergeant… What goes through your mind when you’re on the cusp of death that leaves a demon propositioning you?”
Katsuya straightens his tie, the blush finally reaching his cheeks. “I had no options but to grieve, and something about it must’ve reached his heart, I guess.”
“You guess.”
He grins shyly. “Is it wrong of me to?”
“Not at all, but… may I ask who?”
There’s another silence as Katsuya watches Nanjo curiously, gazing at the wall until he peers back, cheeks instantly lighting up once more. “Heh, no need to worry, Nanjo-kun. You could say he’s… number o—”
“No need to flatter me.” He turns away again, but this time, Katsuya can spy a smile on his lips. “I… Heh. We should get out of here before we solve this predicament, mm?”
“That’s a sensible idea.”
Nanjo snickers dryly, biting it back once he sees Katsuya isn’t looking away. “We’re unlikely to get any privacy to talk this out with… those two constantly looking at the hole in your pants.”
Even if Katsuya suspects it’s to get the heat off him, he still shifts his gaze forward, sending Maya and Ulala into a fit of giggles as they avoid his eyes. “Media.”
Matsuo-sama casts a blue glow around the party that shuts them up, and with a gentle feel, the gap in his pants is filled. “Took you long enough, Suou.”
“Shut it, Baofu,” he snarks back to the gold-suited man carrying the lead. “I’ve been busy.”
“Busy showing everyone Blue Swan on your balls?”
“Demon at ten o’clock!”
The party forget their squabble the moment Maya draws her gun, Katsuya aiming his in turn as the Lich turns the corner with a menacing smile. “Heheh…”
“Who’s on first?” Ulala yells, scrambling to check her Orb of Solving. “Ahh… Suou-san, hit them—”
“Did someone say Suou?” Kanaloa rounds the corner; a different one to before, judging by the extra frothing at the lip, but no less menacing. “Heh, you’ve got to see this…”
“Was this what you were telling me about?” The Lich snickers, arms covering their sneering lips. “The man who’ll take cock after co—?”
“For the last time, they’re tentacles!”
The party stare blankly at them, before Nanjo coughs politely. “Are you initiating contact, or are you giving us permission to kill you?”
“Oh, we’ll kill you first…” Kanaloa casts its flaming eyes on Katsuya, a bubble floating into the air from its lips. “Then we’ll have our turn with Suou.”
Two minutes is all it takes to kill them, but as Maya and Baofu loot the bodies with concerning efficiency, Ulala flashes Katsuya a worried look as Nanjo sidles up to him. “Suou-san, I don’t like that…”
“They won’t get their way.” Nanjo gives the corpses a hard look, before flashing Katsuya a warm smile. “Besides, you saved us. Nobody’s allowed to say a single word against you unless they want us against them.”
“What, not even me?”
“Baofu, please…” Maya folds her arms coolly, as Baofu shoots Katsuya a teasing smirk behind his shades. “Save it for later?”
“Fine… Whatever.”
Nanjo nudges Katsuya with a smile. “You did wonderfully.”
“Thank you.”
“No, really. That Malaques worked wonderfully for weakening the Lich.” And as Ulala goes to help Maya retrieve a Pulinpa card from its coat, Nanjo slides his hand into Katsuya’s. “I hope to see more of you in action, Sergeant.”
“I thought you said you weren’t going to make a move until we were out of here.”
“I don’t recall being so explicit… but hand holding never hurts.”
Katsuya hums in assent, before shivering. “Ahhh… still. I’d rather not get teased by Baofu, as pathetic as that sounds.”
“I understand.” Nanjo’s hand slides out of his, but not before he squeezes him calm. “Don’t worry. I won’t be so careless in battle from here on.”
“Heh… I appreciate that, Nanjo-kun. Thank you.”
“Say no more, Sergeant Suou.” They share a lingering gaze, before Baofu hurries past them in a huff, eager to get moving. “Ah, I ought to keep him in line. Do you mind?”
“Not one bit. I’ll make sure Serizawa-kun and Amano-kun don’t see me as just a pair of Featherman briefs.”
Nanjo snorts. “I wish you luck, Sergeant.”
“As I, you, Nanjo-kun.” When Nanjo turns around, Katsuya has to remind himself it’s not permanent, and that nothing is truly guaranteed. He can handle being sandwiched between the women for a while. “Ah, Amano-kun, Serizawa-kun… I’ll stay with you two for a moment, if you don’t mind.”
“Katsuya-san! Can you help me count tarot cards?”
“And what she means is, can you help me count tarot cards? I’ve got a big stack of Tower cards, and unfortunately, Ma-ya’s got designs on summoning that stupid squid when we get back to the Velvet.” Ulala sighs, passing him half a stack of cards. “Something about a more powerful Malaques, or better Media… I dunno, but—”
“Finished. You’ve got sixty here.”
“Oh… Thank you, Suou-san.” Ulala’s eyes widen as she passes him the next stack, watching in silence as he counts. “Ah… we need ninety-six for Kanaloa—”
“Perfect. Exactly… ninety-six tower cards in total.” A shiver runs down Katsuya’s spine, but he shrugs it off with a smile. “I suppose we’ll see him once we’re back at the Velvet then.”
“Yeah… Hopefully he’ll have calmed down by then.”
The three of them share a quiet laugh, before Katsuya sighs to himself. So he might well be wielding the thick-tentacled Kanaloa soon enough. Would he behave if he was his persona user, or would he disobey, testing the limits of his libido?
Part of him can’t help but worry; another tingles with excitement as the sensation of being bound by his tentacles runs through his head once more. If he can sense his subconscious desires, it might be a good opportunity to experiment. With all these possibilities rushing through his mind, Katsuya thrums with emotions unfamiliar as he nears in on the centre of the lab, two doors away from disaster and one away from solace.
Beyond the doors, dark blobs rush away to towering tanks of shame and desire. Even if the blind man sensing them can’t tell who they’ve come from, he knows disrupters are coming, smiling as he tosses his baoding balls. If they’ve already dabbled in darkness, it’ll make them all the easier to defeat. On the other hand, if the resonance he senses from them is the one he’s after, he might well end up foiling the Singularity before he even gets a chance to chase his Master.
No matter. The Kegare enters a smaller container, marked up with special characters as opposed to the usual JOKER. If these Persona users wish to stray from the light, who is he to stop them, when this only puts them in a weaker position?
A floor and a room away, the Persona users can’t hear him laughing, baoding balls clinking in his hands. Let them come; let them precipitate their own doom.