[Ghouligan]

Unfinished business is such a nebulous term.

When you utter the phrase into a sweaty, lawyer’s ear as they scramble across the ground of an empty alleyway, they think back to all the wrongs they’ve committed. The criminal defense attorney was notorious for getting the wrong people off their charges. Had it been a one-time affair then Antoine would have thought him doing his job. Everyone deserves a second chance. And this man was granted plenty throughout his life. Every case was another chance to break his pattern. Instead, he reinforced it with every corrupt bone in his body. Antoine understood what the law was for. And in kind, he carved out his identity in the niches the law could not reach.

By this point, he had given up on Español as his default language. People were more inclined to speak English. Beyond that, he’d be marking himself as a target when he wasn’t a husk of a being. When his body was flesh and bone and not an amalgamation of forces — his best impression of a human being.

“Hinata. Mei. Asahi. Yuki.” Antoine walked forward. “Do you remember them?”

“Yes!” The lawyer screamed. English. “I saved them! You have the wrong person!”

“Do you remember what they did?”

He gulped.

“Tonight,” Antoine aimed his pool stick at the man’s head as he whimpered. The lawyer’s head was the billiard ball. “You pay for your sins.”

---

Shion Utsui

[Shion Utsui]

結晶の夜。 The veil of night was darker than usual, or that's what Shion thought. Having been assigned no shifts to patrol the streets due to the system being unable to find him a suitable partner, the youth was on his own outing in the streets of Tokyo. Window shopping alone while also having a cup of hot cider on a bench in the park bench later on. Though, none of those actions really brought the type of joy Shion could look back on and feel happy about. If only there was someone to be with, someone assigned to him, someone he could actually stand. Someone. As he turned the corner to try and take off on Toto, not really feeling like walking across the streets alone any longer, the thought of being back in bed for training tomorrow was cut short by the whimpering of a human. ". . . !" Four names. Shion could recall that one of them was played over the news some years ago, back when he was still with his family. A suspect of some kind that was ultimately let go. Well, he would have recalled if he knew the slightest hint of what the man with the pool cue was talking about. All Shion could focus on was the shock from witnessing what couldn't be described as anything but an execution that was about to happen. Quickly ducking behind the corner, he knew that he had to do something before the man would truly get a pool cue stuck through his cranium. Shion tried to regulate his breathing, knowing that he was getting himself into a fight that he could very well lose- as he knew next to about the vigilante he was about to confront. But just as he was about to resort to a hail-Mary and rush in on Toto, his magenta eyes landed on a certain object next to him, before Shion's spur-of-the-moment plan sprang into action. Whirrrr- A cracked brick shot through the air towards Antoine, the assailant clearly visible in the light emanating from the street meters away, before the short silhouette exclaimed. "Toto! Get em'!" The alien creature, expressionless as always, shot diagonally upwards towards the black sky, spreading their feelers to imitate wings before diving down like a crashing UFO towards the vigilante's head. All that needed to happen was for Antoine to get away, or simply have his execution interrupted. Hoping that would happen, Shion would rush towards the two, attempting to grab the lawyer by the collar and wrench him away- shoving him towards the exit of the alleyway with all his might. To safety. "Run! Get to the police station!" Shion didn't know this person, or what they had even done to incur the wrath of the man with the pool cue. But one thing that remained constant in his mind, was that such extrajudicial killing was wrong. For someone to get what they deserved, they needed to be put through due process in court. Ghouligan

MADE BY NIGHTBLOOM

[Ghouligan]

There are a few specks of light in the alleyway. It becomes all the more noticeable when it warps and wanes as an oncoming shadow approaches. Antoine turns his head, and the indented sockets where eyes would have rested look to the brick midair. It’s inches from his face when it comes to a complete halt. It floats, unmoving.

Company. Antoine lets out a sigh. There’s no breath to escape. A bodyguard? Or perhaps a hero?

But there’s more to the attack. From above, a creature strikes down, ugly and twisted, only to be met with a pool stick. Antoine would swat it away. In exchange, they stole his prey. Antoine quickly makes his assessment. This person is a hero. One who desperately places themselves in other people’s business.

The lawyer runs free and heads toward the police station. It’s a ways from here, but as long as the hero keeps Antoine busy, he should be safe.

It’s a nice thought.

Unfortunately, the unwelcoming, sour taste of reality settles into his throat as he feels a brick collide with his knee. It breaks. The lawyer falls to the ground, screaming. Bone is protruding from his skin as his blood stains the concrete. He thinks death preferable to pain. In a moment of weakness, he pleads for mercy with whatever divine entity he has crossed.

“Who are you?” Antoine asks, poolstick at the ready. “And what is your relationship to that man?”

---

Shion Utsui

[Shion Utsui]

結晶の夜。 A sensation similar to a static shock passed through Shion's neurons as Toto was whacked away, though all it did was make him realize a second late that the brick had been deflected towards the exact stranger he was trying to protect. It was almost funny how the gap in skill was a literal chasm between the two. Neither of his attacks even left a scratch on this man, and he did this all with. . . was that a pool cue? It wasn't even a proper weapon! The weird-looking alien creature returning to his side, cold sweat enveloped Shion as his gaze rested solidly on the vigilante. Screams of the injured lawyer reaching his ears from behind him, he was clearly deliberating on what kind of response was appropriate. Especially when Ghouligan's tone was so calm, almost casual. "M-My identity's not important!" Toto clambered into his arms, straightening themselves out as Shion's hands grasped around their torso to wield them as a weapon, bracing it towards Antoine. "Listen, I don't know who you are or who he is! All I'm doing is stopping a murder!" The youth with the magenta hair shouted from across the alleyway, trying to control his breathing between sentences since the worst thing he could do was appear afraid or agitated before a stronger opponent. This battle between them was mental as much as it was physical. And despite not fulfilling Antoine's desire to know his motivations, Shion shot back a question in return. "Why were you trying to kill him? How would your parents feel if they knew you were doing this!" Despite the face being obscured by the mask, he could tell that this vigilante wasn't too far off in age from himself. Odds were likely that they had parents rather than not. Though, Shion thought so because he didn't know Antoine's story at all. He knew nothing. Ghouligan

MADE BY NIGHTBLOOM

[Ghouligan]

The situation reset.

There were three distinct parties to keep track of. The first was himself, then there was the lawyer, and between those two people was this hero and their alien pet. As a husk of black, ever-undulating wisps, he was not one to judge the creature beside him. Antoine was, however, one to judge their motives. But there were no motives — none he could make sense of.

Antoine spoke not the language of the land. The foreign tongue was strange and unfamiliar, only recognizable through his time here and a few shows his late friends were obsessed with in leisurely time. He did not move. He let them speak until their body said the one thing he understood.

They finished speaking.

A moment of tension fills the air. The lawyer muffles their screams. The fear is worse than his knee. His impending death rattles in his ears. And the demon seeing the situation come to a halt speaks in tongues.

“I don’t know Japanese.”

---

Ghouligan

[Shion Utsui]

こんばんは。 It should have been clear from the beginning. Shion didn't even know why he tried communicating if the vigilante addressed him in English in the first place. Nothing about this was good. The lawyer behind him was still crippled and bleeding, and person who attempted murder couldn't understand a word he said. And as much as he wanted to help stop the bleeding or call the authorities, he was scared that taking his eyes off the masked man for a second could end in his neck being snapped. Gritting his teeth, Shion moved his arms swiftly and dragged Toto across the ground in front of him sideways, drawing a line in the ground that wasn't really there- but one Ghouligan would be able to understand. "No. . . come- cross!" The youth said in broken English, unsure if what he said really meant what he was trying to communicate. Don't come over this line on the ground. That sentiment should have been clear, judging by how the alien broom was still held like a weapon by their companion. Ghouligan

MADE BY NIGHTBLOOM

[Ghouligan]

Don’t cross the line.

Antoine didn’t need to share a language to understand that. But he appreciated the attempts at English, as broken as they were. It’s better than his Japanese by a significant margin. Perhaps the language might be worth looking into if he were to continually have these run-ins until finding his brother, after all. For now, he’d live in the moment. He’d live in the moment when his life coincided with another’s death.

A declaration of war. A chance to reconsider their position. A favor to a misguided child. He would walk to the line and not a step further. His eyes, two imprints of black mass hidden behind the skull mask he wore, would peer into theirs. Should he blink, should he waver, should he hide his inner essence from the demon in front of him, then Antoine would know the true nature of the hero. And whether they were a hero at all.

He crossed the line.

---

Shion Utsui

[Shion Utsui]

道の終わり。 [Now Playing: Psychotic Heartbeat] The harsh reality was that Shion's bluff had failed. His opponent was clearly stronger, and they were aware of that fact. As soon as that foot crossed the threshold, the youth's mind immediately went into overdrive. He wasn't the type to freeze when threatened. Shion knew that running away was the smarter choice. Ghouligan would take the lawyer as bait and leave him alone. If he stayed, he would lose in at around 98% of possible outcomes. But would a hero run away? If no one found out, their image would be saved. The dead lawyer would come up in the news as a simple murder, and no one would guess that Shion was even there to see it. It was that easy. "Dummy." Shion said, clearly. More to himself than the mighty foe before him. Run away and for what? To betray what he believes in? What would be the point in fighting another day if he consciously made the choice to allow a murder to happen? No matter how low the chance, if there was a possibility of 1/100000 over nothing- He would take it. His heartbeat was the furthest it had ever been from calm right now. Cold sweat felt like it was covering him, and his legs felt noticeably weaker. But there was also the adrenaline. A life-or-death situation that pushed Shion's body to be more reactive and fidgety than ever. "Hup!" Shion struck first. With a practiced split, he quickly lowered himself to the ground with Toto, holding onto him for dear life as the alien flew forward with their companion on top. They were aiming for Antoine's legs a few feet away, trying to ram into them like a bullet train full speed. Ghouligan

MADE BY NIGHTBLOOM

[Ghouligan]

Antonine used physics against them.

If they wanted to fight, he’d oblige. The harsh reality of the world would seep into their psyche. Antoine would make sure of it. The air beneath his feet would increase in friction, creating a barrier for the alien — it’s as if the air turned to stone. They’d collide into it and knock the hero off. Antoine would target their direction and lariat them, slamming them into the ground afterward.

There wasn’t an intent to kill. And through Antoine’s weakness, the hero might find ways around his tactics. But the truth would inevitably reveal itself. Their naive innocence would fall to a man of pure, unfiltered ambition. A man who has carved their identity in the souls of others. A man who carries the burden of every sin he’s judged.

The hero would feel the weight he carried.

And they’d buckle.

---

Shion Utsui

[Shion Utsui]

道の終わり。 The youth's torso would be met with the harsh reality that true fights were far from anything resembling the training he underwent. Pain, pain was coursing through his nerves as his back and the spinal cord behind it met the concrete below him, harder than usual. "Ghk-" Toto spun off course as fluid leaked out of Shion's mouth. He gasped for breath for a few seconds after the sensation of ramming into an invisible barrier before being forced to the ground left him in shock, his brain produced an image of complete white for a moment before he could get his bearings. But when those seconds were over, he only coughed twice, before letting out a noise that almost sounded like a growl. A scowl of defiance was on the youth's face, one that clearly showed that he wasn't done yet. Shion rolled to the side, before skillfully leaping towards the wall in front of him. He kicked himself off the surface, willing Toto to pick themselves up from their position behind Antoine that they had clattered to.  "Hai!" He yelled out to focus his will on forming his legs into a stepping kick towards the vigilante from the upper side, with the alien under his control darting towards Ghouligan's lower half from the other side.\ He couldn't let that stop him. As long as this body lasted, it was Shion's duty to keep going. Ghouligan

MADE BY NIGHTBLOOM

[Ghouligan]

Antoine only needed a moment.

Defeating the hero was child’s play, but it couldn’t get in the way of his mission. When the hero and their pet were momentarily dazed, Antoine lifted his pool stick. Tossing the eight-ball into the air, he’d slam the ball into the lawyer’s head.

Their head indented, before imploding. The concrete floor was littered with pink and red as brains and blood spread themselves. Even in death, the lawyer tried to run from his accursed fate. His judgment had only begun. The cosmos would weigh his heart in hell. A

Antoine thought it important that the hero see their failure, their powerlessness. The world was harsh and cruel and unforgiving. And while he saw no personal ill-will towards the uninformed cog, Antoine needed to show him the truth of what was to come. The glitz, the glamour, the success… it was all for show.

Antoine only needed a moment.

Precision was his greatest strength. While his quirk’s nature was powerful in itself, he used it sparingly. With great power came great sacrifice. He tastefully navigated the fight, creating the subtle of moments to impede the enemy.

The hero and the pet might have thought themselves successful. With his aim toward the lawyer, he was unable to defend himself. Except that wasn’t the case. An invisible barrier would block their path. Molecular friction from the air would be enhanced to replicate a concrete wall. When they would collide against their respective surface, they’d be still for a moment.

And Antoine only needed a moment.

His pool stick would slam down against their skull, hoping to put an end to the fight. If his assumptions were correct, then by dispatching the host, the quirk would fall, too.

---

Shion Utsui

[Shion Utsui]

失敗。 Antoine only needed a moment. The one in a million chance that Shion had hoped for, never came.  In fact, as his strike was once again impeded by the vigilante's power, the lawyer's death following that mistake only made the youth's head turn towards the carnage. Rather than worry about himself, his head was filled only with thoughts of the person he failed to save. Ah- instead of fighting him head on, I should've tried to run with him to safety. His regretful thoughts spoke to him so. And the regret itself stemmed from the knowledge that nothing could be done. Shion looked back at Ghouligan, only to see the pool cue raised above the man's head to strike him. Their cranium as the target. This was the end, it seemed. Through the holes in the mask Antoine wore, he could have seen that an expression that was unfamiliar for many of the victims of his revenge was on the youth's face. Antoine needed only a moment. A moment to see the calm smile of acceptance. Shion's arms were outstretched towards the vigilante when the pool cue made contact with the skin of his forehead. An embrace to welcome what he thought was an imminent death. His body would immediately slump like a bag filled with nothing but potatoes after the hit, crumpling over like a paper figure in water until he was as motionless as the corpse only a few meters away. But despite Shion losing consciousness, the tulpa refused to disappear. Though now, it made no attempt to attack Antoine. Toto simply sat by their friend, completely docile as their blank eyes looked at the masked man. Ghouligan

MADE BY NIGHTBLOOM

[Ghouligan]

Contact.

The pool stick made its mark and knocked the hero unconscious. Credit where credit’s due. He fought desperately to the very end. Their will was so persistent that despite their state of being, their quirk persisted, even if their hostility wavered.

“They’ll live,” Antoine spoke in English. He knew they wouldn’t understand him, but on the off chance, this alien was smarter than it let on, then… “Keep them safe.”

Sirens blared.

The police were nearby. While there wasn’t an immediate threat posed to him, he was a cautious individual. He pressed his pool stick against the ground in front of him and drew a line, reciprocating the boundary.

Antoine’s eyes looked at the pool ball by the man’s skull. Good. Japan should know that someone is here cleaning up their messes. The eight-ball would serve as a symbol that he was here as more than a visitor. Ghouligan would pass his judgment on Japan and everyone in it.

He walked away.

---

Shion Utsui

[Shion Utsui]

悔み。 Blood, red as the one from the corpse Antoine had made himself, dribbled from the unconscious hero's forehead. The blunt trauma, despite succeeding in taking down Shion in a non-lethal manner still managed to leave a mark. It was inevitable with the difference in strength. Hit a fragile doll, and cracks will appear in the porcelain. The masked man would hear a disgusting noise behind him.  If he had ever witnessed childbirth with his own eyes, the sound was akin to the tearing of the pelvic canal to make way for the grown fetus. The slurping sound of afterbirth being expelled in the placental stage. Resembling a dentata, what appeared to be a mouth grew vertically along the "stem" of Toto. Within that mouth, Shion's head had been enveloped completely. Had it been the appearance of the blood that caused the alien to take this course of action? It would be a question with no answer, as the tulpa's bearer was unconscious and about to enter its digestive tract. More and more of Shion sank into Toto, their neck and hair no longer being visible any longer. Ghouligan

MADE BY NIGHTBLOOM

[Ghouligan]

Antoine stood at a crossroads. His freedom stood before him but the sound of a paranormal creature gorging itself on the innocent drowned out the police sirens. He looked back at the scene and saw the wretched creature consuming its own host. Or perhaps that creature was the host itself? Was it possible for what Antoine presumed was the hero to be the quirk? Or was the sinister truth lurking below?

The police arrive just in time to see Antoine pulling back his pool stick. He slams it against the eleven-ball and looks to destroy the accursed creature before him. He would be lying if he said he understood what was happening, but consumption of another was a tough sell. Even if he was incorrect, he made the right call.

“Don’t get any closer,” Antoine warned in English. “It’s dangerous.”

Thankfully, one of the officers understood the language. While they were wary of his appearance, they weren’t too eager to confront the cannibal before them — even you could even call them that.

What the hell are you?

---

Shion Utsui