The Foundry Pt. 01

Jun blushed. "No need! I-I can do it myself!"

"You can barely move," Takuya said, unfazed by Jun's shyness. "Besides, I could use a shower too."

Jun's heart pounded hard against his tiny chest as he nervously watched Takuya shed his tank top and pants. He stepped in the shower next to Jun, completely aware of Jun's flustering. Takuya thought it was cute the way he was so awkward around him, he let him be.

"I'm proud of you, ghostie," Takuya said under the humming of the shower.

Jun blushed and looked away. "R-really?"

"Really." Takuya glanced over at the smaller Cursed, his golden eyes trailing Jun's slender body up and down. 'Why does he look so soft?' Takuya thought as he studied Jun's body. 'It's kinda turning me on, actually.' He reached out and ran his hands over Jun's slim waist.

"Whoa! Hey!" Jun cried out, startled by Takuya's wandering hands. "Wh-what are you doing?"

"You have a really small waist," Takuya said bluntly, oblivious to Jun's blushing. "Not healthy."

"I-it's fine!" Jun said, completely red. "I'm just naturally small boned! Th-there's no need to molest me!" He quickly scooted away from Takuya, making sure the Reaper couldn't see how red his face was and how loud his pounding heartbeat was.

Takuya looked at the Ghost, who seemed to be cowering into a corner. He shrugged and continued on with his shower. "Hm. If you say it's fine, then I guess so."

'What's wrong with me?' Jun thought, still clutching his pounding chest. 'He was just worried about me and making sure I was okay. And how did I respond? By making him feel like a total creep!'

He snuck a glance over at Takuya. 'He's been nothing but helpful to me. He's really nice. I never expected someone like him here, in prison. And come to think of it, I never thanked him. Ever. For everything he did for me! I'm such a spoiled brat!'

"Takuya?"

The Reaper grunted in acknowledgement, his back still turned. "Wha?"

Jun paused, making sure his word choice was perfectly correct. "I ... never got a chance to properly thank you."

"For wha?" Takuya turned his head around.

"Everything!" Jun exclaimed, blushing. He turned around to face Takuya. "Training me. Helping me. And supporting and believing in me. Thank y--"

"You're so proper," Takuya interrupted, snickering. "It's kinda cute. You don't have to thank me for every little thing, ghostie. I gotta admit, I didn't want to do anything for you at first, but now I'm glad I did. You're a good kid."

Jun turned around, his eyes locking with Takuya's. He could feel a blush zoom to his face, but this time, he didn't care to hide it. He couldn't. His body was stuck under Takuya's intense gaze.

"You know," Takuya said in a lower voice, "I never noticed how cute you are. But then again, I don't think of other guys as cute." He reached out and brushed Jun's wet hair out of his blue eyes.

Jun let out a small gasp at the Reaper's touch and leaned against the shower walls. His legs felt unsteady with Takuya touching him, threatening to give out at any moment. His breaths became short as his heart began pounding harder against his small chest.

"Relax," Takuya said. His voice was so low and short, it almost sounded like an order. He moved in closer to the smaller Cursed.

Jun couldn't help but trail his eyes down Takuya's naked body, studying his muscular bare chest and arms, down to his well sculpted and defined abs, and down to the breathtaking, impressive length between his sturdy legs.

Jun gasped and quickly took his eyes away, feeling his own well up with his lustfulness. He backed himself into the wall, falling harder than ever for Takuya. 'Oh god,' he thought, his face burning with lust.

"Don't be scared," Takuya said, his deep voice almost as soft as a whisper. "Relax kid, okay? Look at me." His hand moved under Jun's quivering chin and gently lifted his head up, their eyes locking again. "Do you like me?"

Jun's body became intensely hot underneath Takuya's gaze. His voice was stuck in his throat, unable to make any sounds. Answering him, and in a bold move, Jun reached up, pulled Takuya down and kissed him passionately.

The Reaper was shocked by Jun's boldness, but smirked inside. 'Bold move kid,' he thought. He leaned his much larger body onto Jun's, trapping the smaller Cursed against the wall and himself. With one hand cupped around Jun's soft, round ass and the other resting on the wall, Takuya returned the kiss, thrusting his experienced tongue into Jun's mouth, darting every way all around inside.

Jun tried to cry out in shock at the unexpected entry by Takuya's tongue, but whatever sound he made was muffled in their locked mouths. He used his own tongue to dance and entwine with Takuya's, following the older Cursed's lead.

Takuya played with Jun's tongue piercing, tugging it and running his own tongue over the smooth metal. Jun's hands snuck around and clung onto the Reaper's muscular back as they kissed, a gentle moan of pleasure emanating from the younger Cursed.

CHAPTER NINE: Suspicions

"To be honest, Sogen, that Blood Bath was a lot more exciting than I expected," Mudora said, flopping down on his bed. "And I was really excited too."

"Short and sweet," Sogen replied. "A very impressive first victory. I expect great things from Jun. He's got much potential, and I think only Takuya can unlock it."

Mudora nodded in agreement. "They've got a good relationship going on. Jun really responds well to Taku's teachings."

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Mudora opened it and found Inari standing behind it, with a box of chocolates in his hands. A wide smile covered his face. "Where's our little winner?"

Mudora laughed, taking the box from him. "Come on in, Inari. He's in the shower right now, but thanks for the sweets! I could use some chocolate right now."

"Well, they were ... for ... Jun, but I guess you could have some," Inari said, chuckling at Mudora's love for sweets. "I take it you guys watched his Blood Bath?"

Sogen and Mudora both nodded. "And I take it you did too?" Mudora asked in a mouthful of chocolates.

"I always watch the Blood Baths," Inari replied quickly. "My cellmates are kinda boring, so I gotta pass the time with something. And boy, I'm glad I watched tonight's! Tell me you weren't amazed with Jun's comeback!"

Their conversation was cut short when the shower door slid open. Behind it was Jun, fully dressed with a flustered, blushing look on his youthful face. He looked guilty, as if they all knew what he and the Reaper were doing in the showers just minutes ago. Takuya walked up behind him, eyeing Mudora, Inari and Sogen suspiciously.

"What were you guys talking about?" Takuya asked, patting Jun's back and gently nudged him to walk.

"Oh nothing," Inari answered. "Just about how awesome Jun's Blood Bath was! Up top man!" He high fived Jun, congratulating him. "Woo, boy! I'm not looking forward to Sayuri tomorrow. She's gonna be in a pissy mood, that's for sure."

"Isn't she always like that after she loses?" Takuya asked, turning on the TV. He flipped it to the soap operas.

"Yeah," Mudora said, his head hanging. "Fortunately, she doesn't lose much."

Everyone was quickly hushed by the sound of their door unlocking. With a click, it swung open and standing behind it was the brutal Chief Warden Sakina and her assistant Minami.

"Monthly cell routine checkup," she announced, entering their room.

She studied each corner of their cell with a close eye. The weight set. The card table. The TV lounge. Her cold gaze fell on the trembling Mudora and Inari, then the calm Sogen, then the unfazed Takuya, then Jun and the many thin cuts covering his body from Sayuri's Noir Jour.

"You." Her voice was low and stern. She pointed a long, sharp, shiny nail at Jun. "Where did those cuts come from?"

Jun looked at his cut covered arms. "Oh, th-they were from my Blood Bath."

Sakina narrowed her shiny brown eyes at him. "Blood Bath?"

Jun nodded meekly. "Y-yes, ma'am."

A slight look of confusion washed over her face. She seemed to open her mouth to speak, but decided against it. Without a word, she nodded to her assistant and they both left the cell, shutting the door and leaving the Cursed standing there, confused.

"Miss Sakina? Is everything alright?" the Chief Warden's young assistant asked. She pushed up her glasses, anticipating the warden's answer.

"No." Sakina looked back at the closed door of Cell C2. "Everything is not alright. Minami, why don't you head back to headquarters?"

Minami nodded and saluted. "Yes, ma'am! But, um, what about you, ma'am?"

"Tell Chief Guard Gohi to continue the cell checkups in my stead. I'm going to pay a visit to our dearest little weasel Gatekeeper," Sakina answered sharply, heading off towards the elevator.

'Something isn't right,' she thought as she paced down the dark corridors of the Foundry. 'Those cuts looked too thin and precise to be from a prison brawl. And the way they got along rules out any possibility of cellmate discord. So where exactly did they come from? What's this 'Blood Bath' nonsense?'

"What's her deal?" Mudora asked once the door shut. Fearful of the warden's wrath, he waited until he was certain she couldn't hear him. "Usually our room searches last for an hour. That one was barely two minutes!"

"I think my cuts must've scared her away," Jun said, looking at his arms. "Although I doubt it. Sakina doesn't look like the type to be scared of things."

"Who knows what goes on in that child's head?" Sogen said. "She has her reasons for doing things. Let her be."

Mudora shrugged. "Well, whatever her problem is, let's not let it bother us. Come on, Jun! Let's play some video games!"

"No!" Takuya cried out defensively. "I'm watching TV here!"

"Well then the solution's simple," Inari said. "You turn off your dramas and we'll play the video games!"

"But this drama is good," Sogen said, siding with Takuya. "It deals with life problems, so you young children could learn a thing or two from it."

"Dramas are not fun!" Mudora said, stomping his foot down. "Games are educational too!"

As the Cursed in Cell C2 scuffled over the TV, Sakina tapped her foot impatiently at the slow elevator as it hummed, taking her to the top floor. She folded her arms, closing her eyes and grumbling, as it finally reached the peak and the doors slid open.

Hajiro was sitting at his desk, making paper airplanes and whirring noises with his mouth. He smiled widely when he saw the Chief Warden storm into his office. "Ah! Chief Warden! What brings you here?"

"What's going on here?" Sakina asked bluntly. She narrowed her eyes at him, her lips drawn together in a thin, no nonsense line. "I want answers."

Hajiro paused and put his airplanes down. His smiled faded. "Whatever do you mean?"

Sakina sighed at his incompetence and crossed her arms. "Jun Kimura. Cell C2, A-Block was found covered in multiple wounds, claiming they were from a 'Blood Bath'. Either he's spouting damn nonsense or something's going on here. Are you aware of this?"

The Gatekeeper gulped nervously as the Chief Warden stared him down. "Why, no of course," he said after a while. "I'm sure that's just prison lingo for something trivial. Nothing nefarious worth getting worked up over, dear Sakina."

Sakina's cold brown eyes stared intensely at him, as if she were still suspicious of him, but then averted her gaze and nodded slightly. "Understood." She turned around and marched out of his office without another word.

Hajiro waited until the elevator reached the bottom floor before typing into his computer, pulling up a list of inmates. His sneaky eyes scanned over the list, muttering to himself as he eyed each name.

At lunch the next day, Mudora and Inari sat with Jun by the windows, discussing the Skills of Soul. The main dish that day was boiled liver with mashed potatoes - and as Mudora and Inari rambled on about the history of the Skills, Jun poked the mushy liver around on his plate, his mind still a jumbled mess from yesterday's shower with Takuya.

"I'm impressed with you, Ghost."

Jun jumped at the sudden voice that spoke to him. He whirled around to find Sayuri standing behind him, her head wrapped in bandages and her right arm in a cast, held in a sling over her shoulder. One thing Jun noticed right away, possibly because her 'innocent girl' ruse was up, was that her cheery pink dress was now replaced with a frilly gothic black dress - much more intimidating and darker than the last one.

She smiled, although it lacked her fake bubbly aura. It was more of a smirk, the ones she used in their Blood Bath. "I never thought I'd lose to you. Hell, that was your first Blood Bath, wasn't it?"

Jun nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, but should you really be walking around? You look really injured." He was mad at her for tricking him, but seeing her like that struck guilt into him.

"You dumbass." Sayuri chuckled. "Number one rule of the Foundry, never sympathize for the enemy. But nice to see underneath all that cuteness is still a caring heart."

"Enemy?" Jun repeated.

"Everyone here can be your enemy at any moment," Mudora said. "We can all be friends, then boom. Next thing you know, we're face to face in a Blood Bath. Although I wouldn't go so far as to say 'don't sympathize', but do keep your guard up. Sayuri, have a seat. You look unstable."

Inari snickered as the Revenant plopped down beside him, pouting and fuming. "You dumbasses are all idiots."

"That might be so, but at least they didn't lose to a rookie."

The four of them turned to find Takuya and Sogen approaching them. "Well well. If it isn't little Miss Shadow," Takuya said mockingly. "How's that arm?"

"Good enough to sock you, if that's what you're asking, you dumbass," Sayuri answered, not even looking at him.

"Hey, don't be bitter just 'cause you lost," Takuya retorted, reaching over Jun's plate and stealing a liver. "The kid's a lot stronger than you all think."

Jun smiled inside. He appreciated everyone who cheered him on, but he was the happiest knowing that Takuya supported him.

"Anyways, someone as wounded and injured as you should be resting, not walking around," Takuya continued. "Or insulting the healthy and mobile."

"Zip it, you damn muscle head," Sayuri fired back. "I'm not some weak little girl. I can handle myself."

"Clearly," the Reaper muttered under his breath.

"Anyways, Junnie," Sayuri said, turning away from Takuya, "Inari and the others were thinking about having a celebratory get together in honor of your first victory. Only if you want to, though."

Jun shrugged his shoulders shyly. "I-I don't know. I mean, is it that big of a deal? I just ... I don't know."

"Are you trying to say that I was so weak that I'm not that big a deal?" Sayuri asked angrily. She jumped to her feet, ready for a rematch. "I'll rip you to shreds, dumbass!"

"C-calm down, Sayuri," Mudora said, with Inari holding onto her in case she did something reckless. "He didn't mean you, right Jun?"

Jun nodded quickly, hiding behind Takuya.

Takuya laughed and ruffled Jun's head. "Come on, ghostie. It is a big deal. Especially for you. We can have it in our room, tomorrow night!"

"O-okay," Jun said slowly. He was a bit hesitant to have a celebration as he didn't want to seem big headed, but if Takuya insisted it was okay, then he went along. After all, he was completely taken with the handsome, older Cursed.

"Then it's decided!" Takuya said. "Somebody make sure to raid the vending machines, cause the café's not gonna let us sneak food!" Everyone laughed at him, including Jun and Sayuri, slowly rekindling their friendship.

While the Cursed planned Jun's celebratory gathering, the Chief Warden and her jailors back in Headquarters felt the air grow suffocating as she grew increasingly moody and snappy. She sat behind her desk, her brown eyes darting back and forth the room, studying her subordinates.

"M-Miss Sakina, is everything alright?" Minami asked meekly, carrying a cup of tea. The Chief Warden's temper was infamous amongst the staff, so they all took caution in approaching her.

Sakina huffed and glanced at her young assistant. "Suspicion keeps you agitated." She took the cup and sipped it, then crushed it with her hand.

Minami flinched. "Suspicion?" she repeated, adjusting her hat nervously.

Sakina stood and looked up, closing her eyes and sighed. "I paid a visit to the Gatekeeper yesterday. I just wanted to clarify a few things."

Minami nodded. "Yes? Were you able to discuss them?"

Sakina balled her fists in anger. "There's something going on at the Foundry that I'm not aware of!" the Chief Warden cried out angrily, slamming her fist into her desk, causing her officers to jump and flinch. Even the steel nerved Chief Guard Gohi seemed to be a bit shaken and frightened by the furious Sakina.

"I'm the warden! I have this place under complete control! Every nook and cranny of this place is under my jurisdiction! I run both A-Block and B-Block and yet there's something that I don't know about!"

The room of prison staff was quiet, not a single word or peep out of them. They were all terrified of Sakina's wrath, but despite that, they trusted her and remained fiercely loyal to her, although they dreaded when she went on a temper rampage.

The Chief Warden kicked her chair away, eyeing the prison system filers typing furiously away at their computers. "You all are trained staff!" she snapped, pointing at them. "Why haven't you all figured out anything about this?!"

The filers stood and saluted, unsure of what else to do in a time like this. "M-ma'am! Please forgive us, ma'am, but Hajiro has everything in the system locked under a Class S security code! W-we can't access it at all!"

"That damn fucker!" Sakina could feel her anger boil inside. She balled her hands into tight, angry fists, then punched her desk, breaking a hole in it. "Apparently you all can't handle the task! I'm taking over and doing things my way now! Anyone who gets in my way will be shot and discarded!"

The jailors and guards clung to each other in fear and huddled together. "W-we'll be right b-behind you, C-chief Sakina!"

Sakina grinned mischievously. "What other choice do you all have? But in any case, I thank you. Investigation squad, continue your attempts into hacking Hajiro's system! Everything he's hiding has got to be in there! Patrol squad, I'm increasing your perimeters and frequency two folds! Question and interrogate everyone you see out of their cell! Minami!"

Minami jumped and saluted, hurrying not to further infuriate Sakina. "Ma'am!"

"Go get Jun Kimura from his cell," Sakina ordered. "And bring him here."

CHAPTER TEN: The Cunning, the Conniving, and the Twisted

"Takuya Kougi, twenty two, the Reaper. Imprisonment length, five years. Skill of Soul: Demon Forger. The power of the underworld."

"Mudora Yamagi, nineteen, the Apparition. Imprisonment length, three years. Skill of Soul: Scarlet Tempest. The power of whirling flames."

"Inari Gozen, twenty, the Phantom. Imprisonment length, five years. Skill of Soul: Feral Thorn. The power of vicious nature."

"Sogen Sozo, sixty four, the Spectre. Imprisonment length, twenty eight years. Skill of Soul: Illumination of Above. The power of burning light."

"Sayuri Touya, eighteen, the Revenant. Imprisonment length, three years. Skill of Soul: Noir Jour. The power of twisting shadows."

"Suzumei Sunderwicci, nineteen, the Banshee. Imprisonment length, eight years. Skill of Soul: Cacophony. The power of disruption.

"Hirachi Hitaki, twenty four, the Hallucination. Imprisonment length, eight years. Skill of Soul: Devil's Dance. The power of desires."

"Michyeo Jigen, twenty four, the Wraith. Imprisonment length, five years. Skill of Soul: Dos. The power of doubles."