Episode VIII: Knocking on Hell’s Door
Lust was the only thing she knew, and the pursuit of power. That was it--nothing else was important. Lives, souls, ideas, histories, they were but letters and words with no meaning at all, but lust and power were the essences of her life, the blood in her veins and the thump of her soul. She had the desires of a ravenous animal, and would go after something, anything, for her own possession and satisfaction. She especially yearned for that which she could not have--or to be precise, that which she should not have. Privately, she dreamt of the younger man seated several rooms away, his utter presence perhaps as powerful as her own insane wants.
“I can’t stand it,” whispered the woman to herself as she imagined him again. There was no denying it--this was a lust for him, an insane desire of barbarism for everything he had. It was not just mere physical attraction that brought her eye to him: he was powerful, and definitely mad in the head, yet with the frozen patience of a glacier and the unstoppable fiery rage of a volcano. He was quite literally what she wanted, he who had everything and wanted to unleash it all on the worlds…
“I can’t stand it,” she whispered again. His mind was racing, nearly numb from such inner calculations, patiently sifting through everything and considering the path he took and what paths would be there for him in the future. He was so busy with himself that he didn’t know she was there, wanting him, hating the distance between them, aching to fulfill the desires of power and lust and want…
And to see whether or not he really sought peace at all. She hoped he didn’t.
Alone save for the tall woman standing right next to him, Kagai Shazou stared out at the darkness of space and finished his glass of wine. He reasoned that he did not like the taste of its remains and spat it out on the floor, then tossed the glass at the window, shattering it into shards. The window remained pure, as it was the only means of protection against the death of outer space, and the woman standing next to him didn’t move. A lesser person would enter in and clean it all up, as usual, leaving him to brood over the next phase of his life.
“A necessary evil…” This was the only thing he said. The woman did nothing at all.
One year previously…
“I want to know the truth! Why in the world did the protective government, who prides itself on safeguarding the people, ever have the nerve to cover up a terrorist massacre?? Were they really paid, like you said they were? If so, then such corruption should not be allowed to live at all! How can people live in a world where the very force that swears upon protecting them can be bought off by monsters and starving jackals??!!”
“I agree completely, young Shazou. There is no longer any justice in this world. How is it that a planet full of riches and treasures can exist and thrive, and where people kill others so they can grow fat and rich, while elsewhere in the universe, my very own daughter and granddaughter are starving to death?”
“Why did you suddenly bring them up? I’m talking about a large organized system of rule that was being besmirched by wickedness and evil, not your own personal vendettas!”
“But were you not also brought into this business through a personal matter?”
“…I…… Ah, yes, uh… I see what you mean… But if your family is suffering, then why are you here??”
“They, too, are a part of this masterful scheme. Keeping them lean and hungry is perhaps the best thing I can do for the moment. Eventually they may yet rise up, declare injustice, and strengthen my own forces with theirs. My son-in-law and that other girl in particular are essential parts of this play, whether they really know it or not.”
“Your wickedness is no less than the evil of the people that I am intent on slaying! But you are the lesser of the two evils, Grady, and so I would trust a filthy worm rather than a deadly snake.”
“Hmm, that’s all right by me.”
-----
“Scarlet.”
“Yes, sir?” spoke the woman. Kagai motioned towards the door with his head.
“Retrieve Galaga. I am in the mood to see if our goals are ready to meet. Tell her I may have a plan for the next movement.”
“At once, sir.” The tall woman removed herself from Kagai’s side for the first time that day, and went off on her own into the next room--and then the next, and the next. She found herself in a bedroom eventually, the well-guarded room of Galaga Starik. She had permission to enter in, where the entire place was darkly-lit save for a flaming-red section of the room, where Galaga sat pleasuring herself in her own way.
The three-way alliance of Kagai Shazou, Galaga Starik, and the brutal Grady Dorina had been officially forged a year ago, when all three of them agreed on a single devastating motive. They each had their own reasons for forging the alliance: Kagai sought revenge, truth, and damning justice against the government that betrayed him, Galaga was searching for a slave of hers that had stolen her daughter, and Grady was just a very brilliant madman whose goal was nothing short of dominance and power.
It worked out, though of course there was friction. Kagai despised Grady to a healthy degree because the man cruelly allowed his own family to live in poverty, while he kept his distance from the deranged Galaga, who lusted after the younger man feverishly. Grady admired Galaga, though the younger woman had almost no interest in the grizzly old man, and he thought of Kagai as little more than a piece of empty paper perfect for adulteration. Still, the alliance worked, and soon all their goals would be met in a single conflagrating swoop.
“Master Kagai calls you,” stated the tall woman as she entered into Galaga’s room. Galaga was much shorter and (in her opinion only) much more attractive than the tall, dusky-looking woman at the door, despite her more advanced age. She was an exotic creature, a petite dark-skinned beauty with maniacal red hair and eyes like an abyss, sucking in everything around. She wore colorful clothes of yellow, red, orange, pink, and violet, oftentimes showing off many parts of her body not normally seen on regular persons. There was an obvious sense of wickedness that radiated out from her like light from a candle, but the woman at the door did not fear her at all.
“Ah, but why didn’t he send himself instead?” replied Galaga coyly. “I would have loved to have seen him again. Ha, can you imagine what kind of dreams I’ve been having about that delicacy?” She hissed in a deep breath, arched her head back, and ran her hands over her smooth skin as she daydreamed again.
“That’s very sickening, Galaga,” stated the woman plainly. “A woman your age should not be having those thoughts. Please stand up and come to Master Kagai at once.”
“You’re in no position to be ordering me around!” snapped the smaller woman. “I could have you killed with a single order! I like a woman with guts, but you have such gall as to address me formally and direct me around! I should kill you, indeed!”
“I have no loyalty to you whatsoever, so I am not obligated to respect you in any way,” stated the younger woman. “If you provoke me into a fight, I will defend myself unto my death--but I would much rather you consider a more peaceful option, and come when the Master calls you.”
“He is your master, Lady Scarlet,” stated Galaga firmly. “Not mine. You may tell him that if he refuses to come here and see me himself, I will not come to him like a mere serving wench. You forget that I too am master over many people’s lives.”
“Against their will,” corrected the tall woman, named Scarlet. “I have willingly served Master Kagai since I was old enough to walk. Now are you going to come, or shall I use force?”
“Step over here first,” whispered Galaga, beckoning Scarlet over with a wave of her finger. Galaga Starik had a few hypnotic skills sewn into her mind, and could manipulate a person’s actions if their minds were weak enough. But the tall lady Scarlet did not move at all, at least not because of any hypnotic means. She simply kept her gun drawn and aimed as she approached the older, smaller woman.
“What is it you want?”
“Just you,” whispered the woman. Before Scarlet knew it, the door had slammed shut and the woman was pouncing on her, pressing her body and mouth against her as she ravenously fulfilled one of her secret, forbidden, lustful desires.
Though Scarlet personally detested Galaga, she reasoned that her master never specified when the older lady should join him…
---------------
“I see…”
“What?” whispered Galaga, completely breathless from the mindlessness of the previous ninety minutes. Scarlet gazed down at the woman she had unwillingly shared herself with, a studious expression on her stoic, plain face.
“Master Kagai was right,” she murmured, her husky, empty voice blowing against Galaga’s sweaty face. “There is no love in you at all, just animal lust and brainless desire.”
“I could say the same about you, miss zombie,” retorted Galaga, running her hand gently over Scarlet’s cheek. The taller, younger woman didn’t flinch or blush, and sighed as she rolled away and sat up. She regretted everything, and was embarrassed of the stink of loveless depravity that had hugged itself over her bare, perspiring body. Her long death-blue hair matted against her body like a second skin, covering up shame and the lust that had transferred over against her will.
“I did not love you because I do not love you,” she said simply, keeping her naked back turned. “I had no intention of doing anything with you at all, save ordering you to the Master’s side. I believe he has a new plan brewing, and he wanted to know your opinion.”
“But you gave in to my wants anyway,” noted Galaga playfully, running her hand across Scarlet’s bare backside. “Although you were absolutely terrible in bed, my sweet, and I don’t believe I shall lust after you much more after today. By the powers, is your Master this dreary in--” Before Galaga could say another word, Scarlet whirled around and dug the barrel of her gun straight into her neck, silencing her effectively. A look of deadly, calm, perfect fury burned in her empty eyes, both stoic and infuriated, and her finger touched the trigger lightly.
“If I were you,” whispered Scarlet emptily, “I would not insult my Master anymore and follow his orders.” She slowly put the weapon away, climbed out of the damned bed, dressed in a robe, and headed towards a shower room to wash herself free from the sinful stains she had allowed to collect on her body. An unusually apropos maxim entered into her head just as she disrobed once again and fell under the curtain of cool water:
Necessity makes a good bedfellow.
---------------
Kagai Shazou, unaware of the depraved action that his partner inflicted upon his bodyguard, kept to himself as he stared out the window. He allowed himself to stew and stew for as long as possible, building up all the anger, spite, and injustice he felt towards those that had scarred him, until it all came out in a smooth, fluid motion, like water bursting from a dam. He had done so much already yet so much had yet to be done, and allying himself with the likes of Grady and Galaga allowed him to move at a speed more impressive than his own.
He heard the door to the observatory open, and on the other side was Galaga Starik, cleaned and refreshed and hungry for more.
“Why did you keep me waiting for two hours, Galaga?” asked Kagai. “I am a patient man but I am not divine. Tell me, at once.”
“I didn’t want to come at first,” replied Galaga in a syrupy-sweet voice, as she slinked over to the younger man. “I was a bit spiteful over the fact that you think you can casually order me around. I thought you had forgotten who I really was--but I decided to humor you, and came here after some… deliberation.”
“Scarlet can alter the truth at times; I was requesting and not demanding.”
“Ah,” she smiled, “well then, that’s different! I would have gladly come if that was the case! Gladly indeed… It is too bad that miss Scarlet chose to alter your words. Yes, quite bad indeed…” Suddenly, Galaga froze as she felt the tip of Kagai’s long razor-edged katana blade poke her throat. Being used to weapons touching her neck (and other things as well), she regained her stature and merely smiled.
“Shazou, are you flirting with me?”
“Do not insult Lady Scarlet again, Galaga,” growled Kagai calmly. The silvery-haired young man came from a noble lineage and could indeed be calm and passive, but when his anger erupted, entire organizations felt his fury. He did not fear Galaga either, though nearly ten whole star systems did. She smiled, though, and apologized.
“I’m sorry. Oh, but I am turned on by the way you just now glared at me! Do you realize how utterly sexy you are, Kagai? I could just melt in your arms and--”
“Now you’re insulting me!” he snapped, jabbing her neck with the tip of his blade again. Galaga cringed, not used to other people chastising or threatening her, and apologized.
“…I’m sorry. I was only speaking my mind. I just lust after you constantly every day…”
“Only because I have power and you bear a physical attraction towards my body!” he snapped bitterly. “Lady Starik, a woman twelve years my senior should not be disgracing herself like that! It is a sick perversion, and if I did not need your great influence, I would not care if you died this very next hour, especially not at my own hands! Now, stay silent!! I have a proposition for you!”
“All right, all right,” sighed the older woman. “I’m sorry. You’re not the only one who has their own goals, now. I just want my daughter back, that’s all.”
“An admirable dream; now be quiet.” Kagai glared at the older woman intensely for a few more seconds, making her lust after him only more, then turned around and began to walk towards the window, where a computer terminal fell from the ceiling. The image produced was that of a man at least twenty years older than Galaga, a large and grizzly cuss with white hair and a short stubbly beard. His eyes were just as deadly as Kagai’s, and what little clothing the computer allowed could be seen as a black trench coat. It was Grady Dorina, the eldest, most brilliant, and perhaps the most diabolical member of the trio.
“I am busy. What do you want?” was all he said.
“Galaga’s personal venture notwithstanding, I think we may have a way of bringing the ‘other’ essential piece of the puzzle into play. Does Wind know anything?”
“Oh, he knows everything. He even went along with the plan. It’s amazing how easy he is to manipulate. He thinks it’s all because of the ‘love’ he has for my daughter and granddaughter, but whatever gets the job done is good by me. I am still disappointed that the ‘other’ piece was lost to us and sent to that worthless resistance, and let us not forget the destruction of the Demon’s Twenty. I am still hurting from that loss.”
“You don’t need to be hurting any more, old man,” sang Galaga darkly. “It’s true that the original members of that order were wiped out, but we’ve managed to recruit nineteen more who are even more brilliant and diabolical in nature than the last group. If we let it leak that the Demon’s Twenty has been resurrected, it could draw the ‘other’ piece out.”
“Hmm… I suppose… but you’re forgetting one element, the strongest of them all and the only one who truly understands the design of the tool.”
“I may have some late-breaking news for you, Grady,” said Kagai. “It seems as if your brilliant brainchild was not exactly killed in that explosion. Let us just say that… he has yet to acquire all three strikes that send him away from the game.”
“So the thirteenth demon is still alive??”
“He is indeed,” replied Kagai, almost tempted to smile. “So what do you say to that?” There was silence from Grady’s part for awhile as the old man thought over the newest development in the master plan. If the Demon’s Twenty had been revived stronger than ever, and if their star player was still kicking, then there was hope yet that the goals of the three allies could still be met.
“Hmm… let me think…”
“The infamous Demon’s Twenty will not fail, but how about I extend my own range of influence to further insure victory?” offered Galaga. Grady paid her attention, but Kagai couldn’t care less. She continued with, “The All Unpaid Helpers corps could post out a just bounty for your tool, or else my daughter, or both, and we’d get a few mercenaries on our side. I don’t like dealing with bounty hunters, but most of them work cheap and they’re expendable.”
“I’ll only agree to it if you have some definite person in mind,” growled Grady. Galaga smiled.
“Actually, I have three. Grady Dorina, have you ever heard of Asuka Honmisei, Bloodstorm, or Matthew Dark?” A pleasant intermission in conversation developed, and in that time, Grady’s mouth slowly turned up from a skeptical frown into a smile of pure evil delight, and then into a wicked chuckle. Even the stoic Kagai couldn’t help but smirk.
“Galaga, sometimes your brutality amazes me…”
“Mmm, and does it turn you on?” she sang, rubbing her bare shoulder against his arm. He merely snorted and took a step away from her, giving enough indication from his body language that it did not. She snorted out a laugh and congratulated herself on her idea.
“Very well,” chortled Grady in between laughs. “Send out a bounty to those three. Make it sound like they’re doing the most noble and honorable thing imaginable. The foolish bounty hunters of the world will believe anything as long as it has a price tag on it!” He laughed out loud, but Kagai, thoughtful as always, was not in a laughing mood.
“So, they will go out and hunt ‘her’, then you’ll use her and the other one to further your own campaign. If what you’re saying is true, then they could be the only ones powerful enough to release the mythical Ice Djinn Aisuna from her prison--considering she isn’t freed right now.”
“Oh, she is,” grinned Grady wickedly. “The fool that has her in his possession just doesn’t know how to use her right. I’ll be patient and wait for my turn, and then, all of our goals will be met!”
“It sounds like a good plan,” agreed Kagai. The image on the computer vanished as the machine rose back up into the ceiling, and with a calm smile, Kagai waved the long silvery hair out of his face and nodded at Galaga. That single action alone nearly succeeded in melting her innards.
“By the powers, Kagai, you’re sexy!” she whispered breathlessly. He only gave her disgust.
“I would rather disgrace myself on a stake than disgrace myself with the likes of you,” he muttered bitterly. He quietly walked away to have his privacy, making Galaga want him only more. With her satisfactions unmet, the woman breathed in a sharp hiss and wondered where Scarlet was. Chances were, the woman had already found her Master and was guarding him with her life, silently and motionlessly as she always had been and always would.
“Damn,” she whispered to herself. With nothing else to do, Galaga had no choice but to march back to the one place where people would grovel in front of her, and give the order to issue out a “peaceful” bounty for her daughter and the elusive “tool” mentioned by her accomplices. When it finally hit the streets after about a day’s worth of work, the basic description read as follows:
WANTED, ALIVE ONLY
The capture of Lantariz C. Tornheart and Ichi of the Angel Rebellion
50,000U reward for each, and the gratitude of Galaga Starik
TOP PRIORITY! THE LIVES OF THESE TWO ARE INVALUABLE!
Thanks go out to Lan-chan for Galaga (isn’t that an Atari game?), and RealFolkBlues for Kagai. Grady is my own. I know their character traits are a little off, but this is only the first chapter on them. Double apologies (?) for the Scarlet/Galaga femme-slashing scene, but I thought a bit of girl-loving, no matter how depraved, was in order. The next chapter should have softer fluff, and speaking of which! Lantariz and Shellby continue to explore the galaxy, and as they pick up a trio of familiar hitchhikers, things turn from bad to worse! Look out, Tara!
Back to Lux Aeterna Index - Back to Original Fiction Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction