Chapter 8: Ikebukuro Ordeal

Hunger takes over his senses when the man can feel his stomach grumbling due to hunger. The last thing the homunculus remembered was the familiar face of the crimson tuxedo informant entering his view. After hours has passed, the fatigue and hunger took a toll on his entire body. He’s hungry for a soul to devour.

However, the informant's images keep popping into his brain. Blossoming into the homunculus gray-colored brain. Sadly enough, his quiet time didn’t last that long. The sound of footsteps resonates in the hallway, alerting the homunculus about the presence of strangers gathering in front of his apartment. 

Kazuto goes into his bedroom, uncertain about what he should do next. He remembered the words from the professor were not to attract attention. However, he was beyond hungry at that point. He’s starved for human souls, and the berating sound of a metal baseball bat irritates Kazuto’s ears.

His scarlet pupils shine in the darkness, an entity whispering inside his mind for food. Even if he tells the deadly voice to quiet down, the hunger in his belly stops him from making any rational decision. The group of men gathers in front of his new apartment, seemingly rattling the new resident with fear.

“I’m so alone, I’m scared” Kazuto whispers to himself, cradling in his bedroom. 

Professor Mizuno told him that killing is a sinful act, and nothing about it is good. However, his hunger can no longer be contained. Perhaps, it’s his time to feast upon the men who disturb his tranquility. The man yells his name like a barbarian, asking if the room occupant is a boy named Kazuto.

The homunculus open the door, and his eyes widened with the spectacles of muscular men with weapons in hand. These men enter his house and thrash his house like maniacs. Kazuto tightened his fist as the man throws his fist on the homunculus clear face. He was just a young man with the mind of an adolescent.

Seeing as they tear apart his apartment upside down, Kazuto’s shining eyes look for a certain object frantically. He sees the picture of him and Professor Mizuno being set on the living room coffee table. One of the grunts pushed the coffee table upside down, causing the photo frame to shatter.

“Leave her alone” Kazuto widened his saddened eyes. “That’s her photo! Leave this house alone!”.

Kazuto fights back when he saw the goons don’t show any sign of stopping their hideous act. They stomped on the photo, repetitively like it was a piece of trash. Kazuto was then pushed down by one of the men, the bald one keeping his eye on the frantic Kazuto. Amused that the young uns only pays attention to the shattered photo frame.

“What’s with you and the photo, kid?” the baldie asks him teasingly. “On a side note, you look like a girl from above huh”.

The baldie pins him below him, feeling dominant over the skinny white-haired man.

“Let go of me, I don’t like this” Kazuto cries. 

“No one is asking your opinion kid, we’re just doing business here” the baldie answers proudly. “Maybe we can have fun with you before we left though”.

The muscular man pokes his shorts as if telling him that he wants something more than the young man screams. He lost his mind, his hunger overtakes him. Kazuto’s vision darkens, letting the creature inside him feast her hunger upon the men who ruin his new home. 

*    *    *

In another place…

The red-suited informant had an online meeting with a certain man. That man is no other than Kazuto’s father. He crossed his hand in his orchid chair, he claims that he’s sick and tired of waiting for the informant games. The informant introduces himself with grace, Cain Lockhart is a famous informant to be reckoned with.

The young man loves people watching as if he’s above all mankind. However, his antics make some of his clients dislike him. Surely, he did his job well. However, his characteristic is unpredictable and twisted. None of the kindness he emitted is genuine, he only did it for the sake of what people called ‘money’.

The transaction items that humans use to satisfy their desire and dreams. 

“You haven’t told me about your recent findings, aren’t you the best informant in Japan? They haven’t tracked my son? Your fame is certainly nothing but a lie” Masaki growls under his breath.

“Relax, Mr. Masaki! You need to calm down and let me handle this matter” Cain laughs in a relaxed manner. “Ikebukuro is a small place, so there’s nothing to be feared”.

“I hope so, Cain” the man growls. “Do not disappoint me”.

Masaki closes his call abruptly, leaving the sly man alone with his laptop. Cain closes his ivory laptop, glancing at the large windowsill behind him. Admiring the starry night from his office, he can only hope the homunculus is as strong as they say. 

After all, if he didn’t survive the ordeal he has given to him in this city, then the homunculus is nothing but an empty toy to fiddle with. Still, the night is young and so is Cain's energy. He was thinking to buy something for dinner outside, rather than staying in his penthouse cooking.

"I wonder what should I buy," he thought happily in his mind. "I already had sushi yesterday, so perhaps a simple miso ramen would do the trick for today?".

Cain wears his suit and shoes, leaving the house to traverse the crowded Ikebukuro street. He went to his favorite ramen stand, the owner greeted him politely as he asked him the menu.

"The usual?" the old man asked Cain.

"You know me so well, Mr. Takeuchi" Cain smirks. "Yes, please! The usual ramen".

As the old man cook the dishes the informant asked, the informant glanced at the full moon above. A moment of serendipity fills his mind when his eyes stare at the full moon in trance.