On the six-panel monitor that covered the room's wall, the image from the Tachibana family's room glowed. Three tan-skinned youths were glued to the screens, engaged in a heated debate over which of them would get to 'personally' attend to which woman.
"That one's breasts are huge," one said, pointing at Koharu. "I'm taking her."
Another grinned. "You only get to call it once. The black-haired one is mine. Those curves... exquisite."
The third was extremely pleased that Kyouka, whom he had his eye on from the start, was left for him. The plan was simple: they would drink their drinks, and the rest would follow like clockwork. But there was a problem. They weren't drinking.
"They still haven't drunk," the first one grumbled. "What's going on in there?"
"You don't think they noticed because we used too much of the drug?" the second one asked nervously.
The third youth slapped his friend on the back of the neck. "Don't be stupid! It's odorless. Not even a dog could smell it." Still, a sliver of doubt gnawed at him, as this was one of the rare times they had used a high dose.
Just then, they saw Yuu on the screen, walking toward the corner of the room. "What's he doing?" one of them asked.
Suddenly, the screen went black.
"What happened? Why did the feed cut out?"
The second youth leaned closer to the screen, his brows furrowed. "That kid..." he whispered. He didn't need to finish his sentence; the implication was clear.
A silence so thick you could cut it with a knife fell over the room. If the kid had found the camera, it meant they had been discovered. That should be impossible. Still, the seed of doubt had been planted.
The third youth checked the other screens. He noticed momentary static on some cameras and another feed flickering. He relaxed. "The camera itself must have malfunctioned. Look, some of the others are having minor issues too."
This explanation calmed the others somewhat, though the second one's doubts hadn't completely vanished. The third youth tried to push away the unease he felt as he recalled Yuu's ice-cold glare from the beach. "I'm going to check the massage parlor," he said. "The camera in there should be fine."
As soon as he left the room, the innkeeper entered. She had a tray with fresh sake. "Would you like something to drink before you get to work?"
One of the youths immediately took a glass. The other asked hesitantly, "Is something wrong? They didn't notice, did they?"
The innkeeper replied with a calm smile. "Of course not. They're peacefully drinking their sake."
Reassured by this, the youths began to sip their own sake. Shortly after, the third youth returned from the massage room. "No problems, the camera's working," he reported. "But the wiring is old. The malfunction in that room was definitely a technical issue. We need to replace the cameras after this job."
This diagnosis dispelled the last remaining traces of doubt. After the innkeeper left the room, the youths set a timer and finished their drinks, discussing what they would do with the money they were about to earn. They didn't even notice the relieved yet cold breath the woman let out behind them.
"You will switch the drinks," Yuu had said, his voice calm but threatening. "We start by giving them their own drugs. Understand?"
The woman had hesitated, but the look in Yuu's eyes left no room for argument.
"Yes, I understand."
A dark smile had appeared on Yuu's face. "Good. Then...."
Time passed. The youths' dark skin had turned a slight shade of pink from the sake they drank. Their impatience grew. Finally, the one keeping the timer stood up.
"It's time. Let's go."
But he stumbled slightly as he rose. "Something feels weird," he mumbled, then waved his hand dismissively. "Whatever. Let's have some fun."
As they walked down the corridor, they didn't realize their control over their bodies was diminishing with every second. Two of them headed to the massage room, while the first one went to the Tachibanas' room to retrieve the girls. He knocked on the door several times, hard.
"Hello? Would you like to take advantage of our massage service?" He tried to sound polite, but his voice came out unsteady.
There was no answer. And no light was seeping from under the door. The drug must have taken effect, he thought. They must be waiting like lambs to the slaughter. With this thought, he decided to claim the first prize for himself and barged in.
The room was pitch black. After taking a few steps, his foot caught on something, and he lost his balance. Just as he was about to fall, a hard blow to his head sent the world into darkness. As his consciousness faded, he felt a shadow emerge from the darkness and catch him.
"Shhh," whispered a young man's voice. "You don't want to wake anyone, do you?"
Yuu's breathing was ragged as he silently lowered the unconscious youth to the floor. For the first time in two lives, he had harmed someone like this. His hands were trembling; he clenched them into fists. He glanced over at Kyouka, Yuka, and Koharu, sleeping soundly at the other end of the room. He was doing this for them. He would not let this night turn into a tragedy.
He felt the dark particles, the Incarnation of Malice, flowing from the youth's body into his own skin. This only solidified the plan in his mind. "I won't let this bullshit happen to anyone," he whispered and began to drag the unconscious body outside. The body felt surprisingly light. In that moment, he didn't notice Kyouka, who was secretly watching him.
Kyouka held her breath at the scene before her. This wild and determined side of Yuu both terrified her and, as a mother, made her worry for him. She had heard him threatening the innkeeper, but she didn't understand the reason. She was afraid Yuu would harm himself. She had to find out what was going on. She slowly got out of bed and silently slipped out of the room to follow Yuu.
The other two youths in the massage room were getting impatient. "What's taking him so long?"
Just then, the door opened, and Yuu walked in. He wore a forced smile.
"What are you doing here?" one of them hissed. The other asked cautiously, "Where's our friend?"
Yuu's smile vanished. "Your friend," he said, his voice as cold as ice. "Is unconscious. Just like you're about to be."
Those words were enough to spur the youths into action. "Bullshit, kid!" they yelled as they got to their feet. But one of them collapsed to the floor before he could even stand up straight. The other was struggling to stay on his feet. Their bodies were on fire, their muscles weak.
"This... is impossible! When?" one of them snarled. He instantly knew the answer. The sake... The innkeeper... "That damn whore," the other one spat.
An amused expression appeared on Yuu's face. "This drug," he said mockingly, "is letting you taste what you had planned for the girls. You've fallen into your own trap."
The youths looked at him with a mixture of fear and rage. Their pleas of "You can't do this!" and "We'll give you money!" turned into muffled moans under the effect of the aphrodisiac.
Yuu leaned down toward them. "I won't dirty my hands with your pathetic blood," he said. "But consider this karma. The price for what you've done."
They continued to beg in desperation. "We promise, we won't touch your family!", "We just wanted to have some fun, please forgive us!"
Yuu's rage flared. "Fun? You call playing with people's lives fun?" He gripped the ashtray in his hand and walked toward them. "You will pay the price for this."
Without losing control of his anger, he struck them both with measured but hard blows. The look of shock and pain on their faces as they lost consciousness did not change the expression on Yuu's.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, when he heard the sound of someone gasping in fear behind the door. A sarcastic smile formed on his lips.
"Don't worry. I won't do anything to you for helping me. For now."
It was the innkeeper, frozen in fear. "D-did you kill them?" she stammered.
"They're just unconscious," Yuu said. "They wanted women, didn't they? We'll give them what they wanted. Now... grab an end."
The innkeeper obeyed in terror. As they began to drag one of the men, someone suddenly appeared before them.
"Yuu, what are you going to do to them?"