This chapter takes place in the time after Norio leaves Joshua and Teruhiko but before he meets up with Shinobu in volume 8. Canon diverges from that point to my fanfic.

Trigger warning, this chapter has noncon, violence, and murder.

Two

He ran into an alley with a dead end. It was a mistake that would cost him everything.

Tsuburaya Norio heard the heavy footsteps behind him. He didn't have time to regret his mistake. He quickly spun around and immediately began throwing punches while screaming. He took the first person off-guard, and slugged him in the jaw. But he didn't have time to savor this victory as the second man ducked away from his punch and speared him to the ground. Norio was winded, but then his bangs were seized and his head was slammed into the ground. He saw stars.

Norio had sensed the difference immediately. His mind had been muddled and his heart had ached so terribly. He had finally dried the tears he hadn't been able to stop from spilling when…it happened. He couldn't pinpoint exactly what had been different, but as he sat at a closed outdoor cafe moping, he had…felt a strange sensation around him. Like an invisible coat had been lifted off his shoulders. He had looked up and around in confusion, but then felt his phone buzz in his pockets. When he checked his phone screen through he saw Teruhiko's name, and he shoved his phone back into his pocket without reading his text.

When he lifted his head, he saw that he was suddenly surrounded by five men. Three cats and two dogs. All of them emitting their soul appearance.

Madararui.

"Don't kill him, you bastard!" someone yelled. It sounded muted in Norio's ears. "He's no use to us dead!"

"He punched me!" came the angry reply.

"Just shut up and gag him! I'm first!"

Norio's eyes widened as dread and horror surged inside of him. He tried to sit up, but his vision spun and he felt dizzy. Before he could react one of the men grabbed him and forced him back down. Norio found his voice and screamed, "KUNIMASA, HELP!" — before a handkerchief was shoved into his mouth.

HELP, HELP, HELP, KUNIMASA—

The five Madararui were then upon him, grabbing at his body and tearing at his clothes. They maintained their human forms but they still overpowered him. Norio struggled, and a part of him hoped that the noise they were making would draw attention even in the middle of the night, but when he felt a pair of hands grabbing for his belt he felt a spike of adrenaline and screamed anew against the gag, kicking with his legs with all his might.

NO, NO, KUNIMASA HELP, ME, NO, NO, NO, NO—

"Do you have the condoms?" someone asked.

"I was only able to get enough for one each, so we have to make it count!" another replied.

"Good, I have a bootleg womb. The seller said it should form in thirty seconds the moment we shove it in."

Condoms? Bootleg womb? W-What are they talking about?! Norio realized that he didn't want to know and struggled harder, kicking out his legs with all his might. KUNIMASA—

"Damn it, bend him over!" the first person shouted.

Norio was turned over, but he was able to spit out the handkerchief and he sucked in a large breath to scream, "KUNIMASA! KUNIMASA, HELP ME! KUNIMASAAAAAAAA!"

WHERE IS HE WHERE IS HE WHERE ARE YOU KUNIMASA—

"Get that fucking gag back in his mouth!" someone shouted.

"Hold on!" a new voice protested. "He keeps calling for "Kunimasa"! That's the Madarame heir!"

"So?!" the first voice demanded.

"'So'?! If HE is referring to the Madarame heir by his first name without an honorific, then this guy must be his mate!"

Norio went still, and relief flooded his body, even as the handkerchief was shoved back into his mouth. Yes, yes, PLEASE understand—

"That's impossible," the second man said bluntly.

"How so?" the skeptical man asked.

"Because they announced the Madarame's heir's betrothed this afternoon and it WASN'T him." Norio was nudged hard with his foot.

….What? Norio thought disbelievingly.

"He's right," the first man said. "And besides—this one is naked."

Naked? Norio blinked with confusion. W-What does that mean?

"Right," a fourth voice chimed. "For a ready and willing Return to Ancestry to be out without a blind on…he is obviously worth nothing to the Madarame family."

Blind! My blind is gone?!

Norio had remembered the peculiar sensation he had felt earlier, before he was accosted by the five men. And he remembered how both Kunimasa and Yonekuni had instilled in him how necessary it was for Norio to wear a blind—a "shield" that would hide his scent and soul appearance from other Madararui.

But it was GONE?!

Why is it—Why don't I—?! Norio's eyes widened in horror. Kunimasa. No. He didn't—

"Let's get this done," the first man said. He seized the back of Norio's pants and began to pull them down.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Norio shrieked.

A burst of power erupted from his body, striking his assailants and sending them flying into opposite walls. Norio ripped the handkerchief out of his mouth and tried to stand so he could flee. His pants quickly slid down his legs and he grabbed them to pull them up—

A hand grabbed his ankle and tripped him. Norio faceplanted onto the ground but didn't remain idle. He spun and lashed out with his free foot, slamming the flat of his sneakered-foot into the face of the man who grabbed him. It the man who he had punched. He heard a crunch sound—probably the man's nose breaking. The man screamed with rage but let Norio go, and Norio scrambled back to his feet. He turned to flee, but as he turned he saw the man whip his coat back, and he saw a holster hanging—

GUN GUN, HE'S GOT A GUN, WHY DOES HE HAVE A GUN—

Norio screamed and turned, and he ran towards the mouth of the alley. The noise they had created had attracted no attention. He ran for his life, but his vision blurred and head ached and so he stumbled—

BANG!

Norio felt a hard punch in the middle of his back, and he stumbled a little more, but he regained his footing and took off running. He felt a sudden urge to press a hand to his torso.

"YOU STUPID FUCKER! WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU DONE?!"

Norio heard the shout behind him, but didn't pause. He left the alleyway and ran blindly down the sidewalk. He could hear his breathing in his ears. Strange…his knees felt weak. He couldn't stop stumbling. He had to stop stumbling so that he could get away. Wasn't fight or flight supposed to get you away as fast as you can?!

He suddenly didn't have the strength to run, but continued stumbling. Norio looked down, wondering why his legs weren't working, and that was when he saw the blood.

No…not blood. BLOOD. It looked like he was covered in blood from the chest down. Norio stopped and stared in confusion. Where did the blood come from? His hand was coated in blood. He lifted his hand away from his torso…and that was when he saw the hole.

….It wasn't a punch. It wasn't a—

Norio coughed, and blood gushed from his mouth. Instinctively he raised his hand, and the blood filled his palm and overflowed. Panic settled in quickly and he whimpered. Hugging his chest with both hands he tried to run but he was rapidly losing strength. He tried to scream for help, but more blood came out. He coughed and gagged, hunching over. He looked over his shoulder to see if his assailants were chasing him. They were not, but he saw a trail of blood on the sidewalk behind him. Tears flooded Norio's eyes and spilled down his cheeks, his breathing heavy and ragged. He turned around to flee again, but when he took a step he collapsed face-first onto the sidewalk.

No, no, no, please no…

Norio tried to stand, but he could no longer move his legs or arms. "Help me," he croaked, choking on sobs and his own blood. "Help…me…"

I want to go home, I want home, Mom, Dad, please…

Darkness was brimming around the outer rim of his vision and he cried harder. Wouldn't it be fitting for him to die blubbering like a baby? Everyone was right. He was a crybaby and useless. No wonder Kunimasa didn't love him.

Kunimasa…Kuni…

His teardrops created a small puddle on the sidewalk underneath his head. Strange…so strange…he thought he saw fish swimming around inside the puddle of his tears.

Kunimasa…why…

A pair of shoes. Well made filled his vision. Then a pair of knees. Someone was kneeling beside him. Kunimasa?

The world continued to fade away. Norio felt his mouth move, but he didn't hear the words that he was saying. But the moment the breath left his body, the darkness claimed him.

Blood was still billowing out across the sidewalk. His tears were still leaking from his partially open eyes. There were no other signs of life.

Vulnera pressed his fingers hard against the side of the young man's neck, but there was no movement in the artery underneath his fingertips. Vulnera however didn't want to move his hand away. His fingers continued to move along the boy's neck seeking a pulse, but he could not find one. He was forced to concede when the puddle of blood expanding from underneath the boy's body almost touched his knees.

Vulnera's upper lip rose in a snarl. The young man's body was facedown, but it was easy to see by his disheveled appearance, clothes torn and pants undone, bruises, and a bullet hole in the middle of his back, what exactly had happened to this poor boy. A horrific act of violence that ended with the murder of an innocent.

"Kunimasa...what did I—do to—deserve…this?"

The young man's last words whispered in his ears. Vulnera shook his head in sorrow and…rage. "What a damn shame."