It was quiet here.
In truth that bothered him more than anything. Here, locked in this room, surrounded by nothing but silence… it scared him with how quiet it was. The static, that insistent buzzing in the white the white noise he'd grown used to hearing when there's dead silence was… gone.
So yeah, being here; it felt a bit unnerving, out of place even.
As for here, well… that turned out to be an interrogation room in a prison. The prison in question, going by the 'Garden of Sinners' and located on a manmade island some 5 kilometers from Japan's mainland. They shoved extremely dangerous criminals in here, and it didn't matter if they were human or demon in nature. In the latters case, some of the worst demons in the world that Japan had managed to apprehend were sent down here.
Personally the young man in question, wasn't too sure he belonged here. Mean, sure he'd been killing a few senior citizens, men, women and children without remorse but he had a 'good' reason for doing what he did. They weren't random killings brought about by some psychopath, no. Everyone he went after was a criminal in some way or form. Rapists, slave owners, drug dealers, human-traffickers… . Simple criminals with dirty jobs. It wasn't his fault that some of them were politicians and government officials. It wasn't his fault that some of them were children.
Just thinking about that little piece of information made him think back, his attention drifting to some snot nosed punk he'd killed a few months ago in Morino city. Nagisa Haruki if he remembered corrected; little shit was associated with a club called Paradise and was using their resources to drug and sex up his adoptive mother and teacher.
Honestly, to this day he still wasn't sure what had happened to the kid. One minute he'd been lucky in finding Paradise, saw the kid there and his older buddies and their new 'toys'. Next thing he knew everyone was dead, and he was busy pounding little chunks of wet bone into the floor. Little Haruki didn't have a face when he stopped, hell, there wasn't even a recognizable piece of the little bastard when he was done with him.
That hadn't been the first kid he'd killed, hadn't been the first time he lost control either, and it sure as hell wasn't going to be last.
Pushing that bloody memory away, the young man, known to underworld circles as the Hunter, just took a breath as he leaned back in his seat, and waited.
Someone was gonna come in soon, and if he was right someone was already watching him from behind that one way glass screen that was covering a wall.
He wasn't sure when they'd get the courage to step in and get this over with, but when they did, he'd be here, waiting. It wasn't like he had anywhere else to go at this moment.
So he waited.
And waited...
And waited some more.
"God I'm bored." The Hunter muttered as he closed his eyes, leaning on the table as he got ready to take a few minutes to nap only for the sound of the door finally opening. "Oh now you come in." He mused. "Just when I was considering clocking out."
"My apologies." Opening his eyes the Hunter found himself staring at an elderly man with full white hair and a beard. The suit looked good on him, the Hunter realized. "Had to get some things together."
"What kind of things?" The older man didn't answer as the Hunter just stared at him for a moment, eyes momentarily widening before they started to narrow. He knew this guy, not personally, but he knew about this man. Yamamoto Nobushige; the Chief of Investigation Unit - "Section 3" - of the Ministry of National Affairs and Public Safety. 'I wasn't expecting the Chief himself to come talk to me.'
"You recognize me." Yamamoto stated as he caught the change in the young man's posture as he settled down on the table across from him. "Then you know who I am, Hunter."
"And no doubt you know who I am."
"Do I know?" Yamamoto muttered as he set a file on the table. "May I?"
"Go right ahead." The Hunter muttered as Yamamoto opened the file. "No doubt that you've already read it anyway…"
"Yorugami Setsuna; Age 20. Eye color: light blue. Hair color: onyx-black. Height: 185 cm. Weight: 193kg. Blood Type: O Negative. Marital Status: Single. Nationality: Japanese. Birthday: November 30. Birthplace: Kyoto." Yamamoto stated as he looked at the young man before pulling something out of the file. "You grew up with your parents who had you take martial arts and kendo when you were a child, you stopped after their funeral when you were 12." Setsuna frowned, a bad memory coming to him as he nodded his head. "After their death you started getting into trouble, not to the extent of getting into criminal activity but you are reported to have gotten into a number of fights and had to spend some time in a Juvenile Detention Center. After you got out, turned your life around, got back into school where you're currently in the top 20 ranking. And in your spare time you work at a local Bar B Que joint known as Ashura." Yamamoto stated as he lowered the file and closed it. "Shall I go on?"
"You're not really here to tell me what you know about me." Setsuna muttered as he leaned forward and crossed his arms on the table. "So please, can we skip the pleasantries, Yamamoto-san? What is it that you want from me?"
"I'm looking for answers." The elder man stated. "Because you're from Naka, we can't find anything about you, so unfortunately we have to go by what you say…" He explained. "So tell me, why did you become a vigilante, and why did you kill Reiichiro Tomari?"
Reiichiro Tomari…" Setuna took a minute to think back. Reiichiro Tomari was an agent of Section Three who served under Yamamoto Nobushige himself. Setsuna's latest kill, and the one that they had finally caught him for, just a few hours ago. "I bet you already have the answer for that." Setsuna muttered. "But you still want me to say it, don't you?" Setsuna made a noise as he glanced at the one way mirror that covered a wall. "He was a bastard." He said simply. "He was a liar and a manipulator like everyone else I killed." He admitted. "And like them and every other government official I killed, behind the scenes he had a lot of dirt on him, connections with slave traders and the like." Setsuna muttered a hint of disgust on his face before he composed himself.
"That is a very bold declaration." Yamamoto stated. "Saying one of my own agents was doing illegal work behind my back."
"It's the truth." Setsuna stated. "Have you heard of Tendo Kazuma? He owns the House of Greed and is responsible for a lot of illegal acts in both Tokyo Kingdom and Yomihara. That bastard Reiichiro was his insider into the Japanese Government. He wanted some new girl called Shinganji Kurenai and in exchange Reiichiro would get some girl named Makishima Ayame." Setsuna explained as Yamamoto narrowed his eyes.
"Shinganji Kurenai." He muttered the name under his breath. "Makishima Ayame…" He muttered the second name. "Where did you hear those names?"
"I have a… well I can't call her a 'friend' but I met this girl when I found them. Called herself Felicia, and said she was pretending to be a slave to bring down the House. She's the one who told me the girl's names when we met up."
"Felicia was there?" Setsuna could feel the red flag being raised in the background.
"You know these women…" It wasn't a question.
"Makishima-sanis an agent of mine." Yamamoto admitted. "She is also a very close friend to Shinganji-san." He told him as Setsuna blinked before looking elsewhere in thought.
"So they knew each other." Setsuna finally sat upright. "There's always some kind of connection between captives isn't there?" He muttered. "Anyway Felicia and I cleaned out the House of Greed and I went for the Insider. The rest is history." Setsuna stated. "If you don't believe me, ask that agent of yours, and look through a dead man's backlogs. You'll find all the proof you need."
"I've already spoken with Makishima-san." Yamamoto admitted. "She admits that you saved her and the other girls. She would like to thank you in person one day."
"Like that's gonna happen." Setsuna made a gesture to his surroundings before leaning on the table again and closed his eyes.. "I've only been in here a few hours, but I know how this works. I did something bad and now you're going to lock me up for the rest of my life." Yamamoto didn't say anything about that.
Instead…
"Why did you do it?"
"Hm?" Setsuna cracked an eye open.
"Tell me, Yorugami Setsuna, why did you do this? Why did you become the Hunter? What drove you to want to hunt down Japan's criminal organizations?"
"Someone's gotta…" Setsuna muttered. "You know as well as I do that Japan has been rotting for the longest now - before either of us were born. Sure some want to blame the stupid cold war between Chinese Union and the United Federation of States. Sure some want to place blame on the demons that set up shop and their Demon Tech… and some just place blame on those uncounted crime syndicates that have dug their roots so deep into Japan's insides they're basically scraping out the bone marrow." Setsuna paused as he seemed to reflect on something. "In the end it really doesn't matter, does it? Japan is a shadow of its golden days and nothing can fix it." He admitted with a shrug. "I sure as hell can't fix this country, but I can at least clean it up a bit, don't you think?"
"That is an inspiring little piece." Yamamoto admitted. "Did you write it yourself?"
"Believe it or not, I did." Setsuna chuckled.
"I see." Yamamoto stated as he cracked a small smile that quickly disappeared. "But as inspiring that piece may be, that's not your real reason."
"Well, damn." Setsuna chuckled again. "I was hoping I could get you with that one." He admitted. "But you're right; everything I just said, that's a good speech for a public announcement or a court hearing, but we both know that's all it's for." Setsuna sighed as he stopped smirking. "Truthfully, I could care less." He admitted. "I could care less about Japan, I could care less about restoring it to its golden age. I wanted to do that, I would have set out to become something else. A police officer, a politician, one of the government agents like you…not…" He sighed, gesturing to himself. "Not this. Not the creature you call the Hunter." Setsuna mused. "I took the short route. I became the Hunter because this corrupted nation hurt me. It hurt me in a way that the wounds it left can't seem to heal properly. I became the Hunter because I want to share that pain with those who hurt me, and maybe, just maybe, I can prevent the corruption from hurting others and making more creatures like me." He made a nose. "That's my reason. I'm just a little kid lashing out at the world that hurt him." He admitted as Yamamoto stared at him.
"I'm impressed." Yamamoto stated. "You're very insightful." He mused. "You know why you're doing this, and it sounds like you know it's wrong."
"It comes with being self aware." Setsuna admitted. "I've been the Hunter for quite a while now, and I had time to reflect on what I'm doing and why I'm doing it. Not to mention why I can't bring myself to stop." Setsuna admitted. "I don't want to stop. I'm a little kid that's angry and hurting. I just direct my pain and my anger at certain people - bad people…" Setsuna fell silent. "But eventually, that's not gonna be enough." Yamamoto stayed silent at the confession. "Eventually I'm gonna stop directing it at the 'right targets' and start directing it at those that are 'wrong targets'... until eventually I just start lashing out at the entire world." He mused before seeming to think to himself. "Wow." He muttered. "That was oddly therapedic." Setsuna muttered as he seemed to think. "Hey, you think you can either come in every week so we can do this or can you see if they allow therapy here? I think it'll be good for me."
"The world outside may have better therapists." Yamamoto stated as he stared at the young man. "And I believe I know just the place with better accommodations.."
"Really, what prison might that be?"
"It's not a prison." Yamamoto stated as he stared down the youth. "It's a job offer." Setsuna just stared at his older counterpart before leaning forward.
"You want me to work for Section Three."
"Not for." Yamamoto stated. "With." He paused. "Given your earlier speech, there's no doubt that you're aware of Japan's situation with both international and domestic syndicates." Yamamoto rested his hands on the table as he interlocked his fingers. "We wish to make use of your skills to protect it from these forces."
"That so?" Setsuna muttered. "In exchange for helping keep Japan secure, I stay outside the 'Garden'…" Setsuna paused. "Hm~ i get a choice between taking the job or getting life in prison right?" He paused again as he looked back at Yamamoto. "That sounds like a simple choice, but is it really? I mean I'm in no position to say no, am I?"
"Make no mistake, you are." Yamamoto stated. "Just know, if you say yes, you leave this place behind. You will be given training and missions you are expected to complete. If you say no, you will be left here. In the Garden of Sinners." Yamamoto stated. "The choice is yours."
"Again, it's a simple offer and I'd have to be crazy to say no to." Setsuna mused. "How long will it take to get me out of here?"
"As soon as I hear the words." Setsuna smiled slightly.
"Then I'm all yours, Yamamoto-san."
Notes
Nagisa Haruki _ The protagonist of another one Lilith Black's games called Fallen Wife. Set in the same world and time period as the Taimanin games.
Shinganji Kurenai _ Origin Taimanin Kurenai
Makishima Ayame _ Origin Taimanin Kurenai