CW: Explicit language, violence, mentions of sexual abuse/non-con, mentions of sexual slavery.
At first, he laughs. Because really, what else can he do? It’s preposterous. Beyond preposterous. That the Faceless Devil , the leader of the Otsuki Rebels, should claim to be his father.
The Rat throws his head back, laughing loudly, manically, seat teetering dangerously under his convulsing body. He laughs like it’s the funniest fucking thing he’d ever heard, and not a single person challenges his mirth, all stunned into silence by his reaction.
“My old man’s a deadbeat asshole who fucked off to the West,” Rin gasps, rubbing away his tears. Scattered chuckles weave through his words. “If this is how you recruit, your tactic is shit.”
Masao, suddenly rather reticent and austere, gives a short nod. His expression is grim. Disappointed. “I should have expected such a response,” he says, quietly. “Rin, I must apologise for leaving you and your mother alone for all these years. It was not my intention to have you living in squalor for so long. However, your mother’s illness…” He trails off with a grimace. Nothing more needed to be said.
At the mention of Dasom, Rin’s mirth dissipates like smoke on a windy day. All traces gone, as if they were never there to begin with. He glares at the Faceless Devil, pitiless, cold. Something in his face intrigues the older man, who narrows his own gaze, searching for the source of this sudden shift in demeanour.
There’s something familiar in that coldness.
“I did the best I could to keep you and your mother safe,” Masao continues. “Had my most trusted people keep a close eye on you. Money, I sent as much as I could. But after you lost the house, things became difficult to control. And there was little more I could do from the West.”
The raven lowers his head, an audible grinding from his teeth as he tries to control his surmounting rage. His hands are shaking, white fists upon the table. His hair falls over his pale, twitching features – though one could easily see that singular eye, glowing red between black strands.
Masao startles, a look nearing awe crossing his features. “Rin–”
Rin stands so suddenly, his chair tips over with a loud clang. None dare breathe too loud, lest it disturb the volatile silence that follows. Pressure mounts for every second that passes, but Rin is unharried.
He moves like he’s wading through mud. Every step towards the door, jerky and sluggish. His head bowed so low, none could see his face.
But just as he’s about to touch the handle – he freezes.
His mind tells him that he should leave. He has to leave. If he doesn’t leave now, he’s just giving into the weakest, most loathsome part of himself.
His mind tells him to leave. His body refuses to obey.
There’s something in the chaos, the noise, that stirs. Something deep in his gut that radiates up to and through his chest. It’s like scalding acid, sharp and clear, a saving grace in his uncertainty.
And so, allowing his body to move for him, he spins on his heels, stalks back to the table, and kicks Otsuki Masao from his chair.
There’s red in his vision as he lets himself go. ‘Give into the monster’, as Luna says. He’s had enough of breaking himself down into palatable chunks.
Masao allows Rin two hits before he clamps his thick, steel-like arms around the smaller form. The youth’s near crushed, his limbs pinned to his body, and he’s mercilessly suffocated – but he still struggles. He thrashes and snarls and bites, even releases his Luna light, but nothing appears to have true impact.
He’s trying so desperately to hurt this man who has, for his entire life, hurt Dasom, and in turn, hurt him. The very man he blames for his lifetime of miseries, now here in the flesh before him, and all he can do is wriggle like a hooked worm.
Minutes pass, and Rin’s pathetic stamina wanes, leaving him panting and limp in Masao’s hold. He glares at the Otsuki with as much hatred as he can muster. It’s not enough to express the true depth of his emotion.
Seeing the maddened look in his son’s face, Masao flinches ever so subtly.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Let me go,” Rin seethes. “Let me go or I’ll tear your fucking throat out.” He lunges demonstratively, snapping his teeth like a rabid mutt.
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“I got nothing to say to you,” the youth spits, pale lips quivering.
Masao glances at Gou, who has risen from his seat in alarm. He gives his general a reassuring nod, before releasing Rin from his grasp.
The raven wrenches away from Masao and scrambles to his feet. He doesn’t sit however – opting to lean against the backing of his chair, panting, shaking, as he glares around the table.
Rin scoffs and shakes his head. “‘Course. Everyone fucking knew except me.” He shoots a particularly ugly look at Small, who flinches and shrinks into his shoulders.
“Aim your wrath at me,” Masao says, calmly righting his chair and sitting down. “They were simply following orders.”
“And what orders were they?” Rin bites back.
“To keep you safe.”
Rin barks a mirthless laugh, slapping a palm against his forehead. “Well, they sure did a shitty job of it. Didn’t even notice I was locked up in the Rose Palace for half a year.”
Masao frowns tightly, shadows falling deeply across his sharp features. “When you went missing, we did all we could to find you. By the time we realised where you were, you had already escaped from Kahin’s clutches.” He gives the youth a flicker of a smile. “I am impressed at how you handled yourself. And how you handled the business with Father Blossom. You make me proud.”
Something in Masao’s response draws a simmering glare from Nuwa. Beside her, Bo lowers her gaze, as though she were guilty. Of what, exactly, Rin couldn’t know.
“Save your damn pride,” Rin snaps, fingernails digging deep gouges in the wood. “Explain why you abandoned Dasom. Now.”
Masao links his hands together, staring blankly at the table. Particularly, the Western Territory, painted in red. “When you were born, the West was a dangerous place to be. It was, and still is, an active warzone. The only territory not entrenched in conflict was the East. Not only that, but what rebel would dare hide his family in the Imperial Capital? It was the safest place for you and your mother.”
The raven runs a hand through his hair, trying to calm his ever-raging emotions. Blood roars in his ears. “So you dumped us in Hanjuyang and let us fend for ourselves, huh? If you were so concerned for our safety, why not just stay and protect us yourself?”
“While I loved you and your mother dearly, I still had my responsibilities in the West. Our revolution was brewing, and I had to be there to ignite it.” Masao raises his eyes to the irascible youth, deep creases of worry and regret lining his face. “I could not be selfish, Rin. Not while the people suffered. I hope you understand–”
“Do you want to know what my first memory is?” Meeting Masao’s calm visage, Rin gives him a wicked grin. “It’s Bo bringing me back to life after my own mother killed me.”
The man reacts viscerally – every muscle tensing, but not in shock.
“You knew,” Rin mutters, darkly. “And yet, you let us continue on. You let Dasom get worse, until she started pissing away all our coin on drink. And you didn’t even step in when we lost the house. You weren’t there when we moved to the Slums. When she started beating me, convinced that I was evil incarnate. You weren’t there when I was enslaved at the Rose Palace and forced until I was spitting blood. You weren’t there when Blossom tried to kill me, when Korain hurt me, when my friends were dying around me. When I–” When I bloodied my hands tens of times, just to survive. Rin’s voice cracks, falters. He doesn’t notice his nails splintering from the sheer pressure of his grip.
“…Where were you when she died?” His rage is replaced with an eternal chill – brittle and still like the frozen surface of a lake. “I watched her burn. You should have watched her burn too.”
Masao brings a hand to his face, hiding his expression. He says not a word for minutes.
Rin collapses into his seat, drained of everything. Energy. Emotion. Care. He’s just so damn tired. There’s a phantom warmth upon the small of his back. Rin swallows the sudden lump in his throat. I wish you were here, little lord.
Masao lowers his hand and finally speaks, his voice hoarse, “Your mother–”
“Say her fucking name,” Rin snaps. “Dasom. Not ‘your mother’.”
The man takes a deep breath as if to brace himself, and says, very quietly, “Dasom. She should not have died in that way. I knew Kahin had followed her to Hanjuyang, but I did not think that her depravity would extend to such violence. Least of all against your– against Dasom. They have a history–’
“And everything that happened after is because of you. You talk of responsibility – how are you gonna take responsibility for the utter shitshow you created?”
“Kid–” Gou starts worriedly, but Masao pats his general on the arm. Silencing his concern.
“I take responsibility as of now,” the Faceless Devil says, straightening his spine. He looks his son directly in his eye. “I have returned to reconnect with you, Rin. I wish to make up for my absence, however much I can, although I know nothing I ever do will ever atone for my mistakes.”
Rin curls his upper lip. “Pissing yourself twenty cups into wine is a mistake. Sleeping with the first guy you see ‘cus you’re high and horny is a mistake. Abandoning your family and letting them die, just so you can go start a fucking war is not a mistake.” He meets that steady gaze unwavering. “Don’t bullshit me, Otsuki. Tell me why you’re really here.”
Masao gives the youth a sad smile, though he cannot contest. “I speak only the truth when I say that I am here to be your father,” he says, slowly. “However, I am also here to expand our numbers. We buried the roots of the revolution in Hanjuyang not long ago, and though we are steadily growing, the Eastern field is comparatively barren. Hanjuyang is vital to our success, Rin. And I hope you might join us in the fight.”
There it is again. The invitation to join the rebellion. It’s what he needs to fulfil his contract with Hwan Sun. Just a simple affirmation will ensure his future with his little lord. Of course, it’s complicated by the fact that Hwan Sun has contracted him to spy on his own father – not that the man means anything to him. But now he has the full attention of the Faceless Devil himself, plus his inner circle, and his risk of being exposed as a mole has exponentially increased.
It’s a huge risk. If he gets caught by the Otsukis, he could be put to death. If Hwan Sun finds out that he’s the Faceless Devil’s son – death. Neither outcome is particularly appealing.
But good things don’t come without a modicum of risk. Through one of his favourite past-times of gambling, Rin knows that high risk equals high reward, and that they were usually the only games worth playing.
“You must be deluded if you think I’d want to join you–” he starts, heatedly.
Masao quickly cuts him off in a steely tone. “This fight is not about you and I, Rin. It is far bigger than that, you know this well.”
The raven purses his lips and slumps back in his seat, arms folded tightly. He doesn’t say a word, silently acquiescing to Masao’s point.
The Faceless Devil continues, resting a hand upon the table, just over the Eastern Territory painted an offensive royal blue. “The people of this Empire have been subjugated for decades under the Mother’s rule. Do you see how they have arrested almost half of the Slums? For what reason, other than to assert the Mother’s oppression? They will eradicate every trace of independence, starting with the poorest district.” He spreads his hands and stretches his fingers out across the territory. “Your friends, those who you care about the most, they will be the first to go.”
“Kid, this is exactly what you’ve been looking for,” Otsuki Gou adds, a crooked smile etched upon his broad, sun-beaten face. “Haven’t you been seeking our attention for months? This is your purpose, kid. We are your purpose. The people are your purpose. I know your father’s a bit of an ass, but like he said, this isn’t about him.”
“Thank you, dear cousin, for your endless support,” Masao says, dryly.
The General gives a mock two-fingered salute. “Anything for you, dear leader of mine.”
“Cousin?” Rin blinks at the big man who responds with a cheerful wink. “Anyone else I’m related to that you failed to mention?”
“Just Gou,” Masao says, smiling plainly. “He followed me to the West during my initial travels. We created the House of Otsuki together.”
“Created?” Rin frowns, unsure of how he feels about the name. “You mean that’s not your House?”
“I am from no notable House, however that not does diminish my worth. Otsuki is a second name anyone may adopt should they desire. A name for the nameless.”
A name for the nameless.
Rin too had created a name for himself, where there was none. Rin the Rat. A name created in defiance. To own his gutter-like status and wear it like a badge of honour, he gave himself something that many Slummers lack. He gave himself protection. A shield to deflect the waste of the world that would see him broken. Better to be an enduring pest than a fleshy human vulnerable to the cruel elements.
For the first time, he’s able to see past his own hatred of his father, and see him for what he symbolises. See him as the Faceless Devil, the man who gave the nameless a name, a purpose, and arms.
“If I join, what will you have me do?” he says, cautiously.
“You will start in training with the other fresh recruits,” Gou says with a wide grin, taking Rin’s question as affirmation. “During which you work under a senior Otsuki, your mentor, as a tyro. After we assess your strengths and talents, we’ll then assign you a suitable role.”
“Lemme guess – I’m to be your ‘tyro’?” Rin glances at Masao, brow raised. The man dips his head in confirmation. “…Can I request to change my mentor?”
“Kid, if this is going to work, you’ll have to set aside your personal feelings,” the General chides, though not without humour. “Save that energy you’re expending on anger. You’re going to need it.”
“You called for us, Rin, and we listened,” Iris says with the sternness of the Guildmaster. “During our hunt, you proved your thirst for change, and your willingness to do what must be done to enact it. You are an Otsuki through and through, even if you should not know it yet.”
“So much for ‘neutral party’,” Rin mutters, rubbing his face tiredly. “If I join you, I’ll do it under one condition.”
Masao straightens in his seat and nods. “I will hear it.”
“You have to help me get rid of Kahin.”
The Devil stares at Rin, illusory features stony and grave. “Unfortunately, that is one condition I am unable to meet.”
Rin scoffs, “Is that right? For what bullshit reason are you refusing to take down Dasom’s killer?” Every word drips with pure venom, his vehemence as caustic as his demeanour.
“Kahin is one of the Mother’s most valuable pawns. If we move against her, it would be the same publicly declaring our presence before we are readied for battle. From what the Guildmaster tells me, you are aware of a conspiracy involving Kahin and Blossom. I cannot upset the fine balance we have and risk the safety of the people without the full scope of knowledge.” Masao raises a hand just as Rin swells to heatedly protest. “I want as much as you to vindicate Dasom. However, much is at stake here. Lives not just hers. That includes mothers, who may be ripped away from their children, much like Dasom was from you. Is this what you wish?”
Rin glares down at his hands.
If he wants to keep his contract, he needs to play the obedient rebel. If he wants Kahin, he risks his position in the rebellion, and in turn, he risks the contract. If he risks the contract, he risks the one definite path to legitimately be with his little lord. He may then have to take drastic measures to keep Jun, measures that may incite his lover’s wrath, his hatred. Or he’ll be sidelined, forever doomed to watch his lover live out his days with another.
Either way, he’s cornered. There is one clear path that he must take, to ensure his own success. And it comes at a great cost to himself.
It feels like he’s giving up a piece of his soul, when he forms the next words, his hands trembling, his heart moreso. “…No. I don’t want that.”
“Then you will forget Kahin. For now.”
Rin feels a burning prickle in his eye. “Fine.”
“I want to hear it, Rin. I know that she is the reason for your activities in the Slums. That you have scores of men loyal to you alone. I know how deep your rage festers, and so I must hear you say it.”
The youth lowers his head, until hair obscures his face. The surge of emotion intensifies, erupts, and engulfs, until there remains nothing but an aching emptiness. It’s a welcome curse. “I will forget Kahin.” His voice is as hollow as he feels.
Somewhere, in the distance, the acrid stench of smoke seeps into his periphery. The flickering of an inferno.
Masao rises from his seat, followed by Gou, then the others. In synchrony, they bring two fingers to their lips, palm their chests, and thump with a closed fist. The resounding thud echoes through the chamber, an exclamation to their salute.
“Then we welcome you, Otsuki Rin, to the revolution.”
Rin having a surname feels strange,I’m not used to it yet
Thank you for the chapter!! <3
Hehehee well he hasn’t 100% accepted it yet! Thank you for reading!! <33
My heart is breaking for rin i can’t believe it omg WHEN WILL MY BOY BE LEFT ALONE AND BE HAPPY WITH HIS LITTLE LORD
In aaaaabout erm….looks at watch another million words VuV OK THANK YOU FOR READING <333