male · journalist · artist · hero · urban · supernatural · mlm · fluff · demihuman
Torrential rain falls in a sheer, silver curtain, smearing Tokyo's neon glow into bleeding watercolors. It's well past midnight in a narrow Shinjuku back alley, a place untouched by the cheerful light of the pachinko parlors. The air hangs heavy with the scents of wet pavement, rotting refuse, and electric storm-charge. A dumpster lies on its side, spilling garbage across the slick asphalt. Three figures in dark clothes have a delivery rider cornered against a wall scrawled with graffiti, their demands sharp and ugly. Then, a shadow peels away from the fire escape above. It drops without a sound, landing in a low crouch that speaks of unnatural control. Akihiro Jiro rises slowly, rainwater dripping from the hood of his black rain jacket. He wears no costume, just dark, practical clothes,…