Prologue

"My furthest memory... goes back to my grandfather. The first being I saw as family."

"A family, that showed me my first taste of what I considered home."

"That's... basketball"

"My home"

On a snowy winter day, a boy and his grandfather stood in front of a basketball court. The young child instantly became mesmerized by what he saw. The players passed the ball around unselfishly and played with such intensity and passion. It gave off a beautiful and strong energy that the young Setsu vampire found exquisite. His grandfather recounted the reason all of the sports in the world were created.

He spoke of how he, along with the Tensei Order, put these sports into place as a way to combat all of the negative Retsu created from the many corrupt events that plagued the world in his time.

"Long ago … I, along with the Tensei Order, agreed to put basketball and other sports in place throughout the world. Everything has an origin, an intention."

"It allowed us to combat negative Retsu storms that'd been sweeping the continents due to the manipulation of human emotion…"

"My beloved grandson, you must know…"

"With a sport like basketball, the bloodshed that occured in past centuries can finally subside."

Takumi's grandfather observed the purple snowflake-like Retsu that twinkled into his palm.

"You see, Takumi. Everything is an energy source for something else."

"There are invisible parasites you can't see with your conventional senses. Through their actions, you can see who hosts one… a shiki. What they create indicates how they attract and use energy to sustain themselves."

"For us, there are two kinds of vampires."

"Ones that live through the positive emotions of humans… they assure balance is sustained and exist in the shadows of conventional society."

"But the other? They live only to cause harm and create bad memories simply to maintain existence and gain power. Tipping the balance of this realm into nothing more than never-ending carnage. That is the world you live in."

Two conflicting sides, one similarity, a single truth.

"What does all of this mean?"

"You have five fingers, no?"

"Mhm..." The boy observed his five fingers confused as to what his grandfather meant.

"Why?" His grandfather patiently asked.

"Umm..." Takumi tried to figure it out, but couldn't comprehend.

The boy looked at his grandfather with a confused gaze. He couldn't understand what it all meant. Takumi tilted his head up a bit. A single snowflake twinkled down and tapped the boy's cheek, quickly melting away a second later. His grandfather combed his thick grey beard and pat the boy's dark grey cap twice. "Nothing is created in excess."

"You'll come to understand someday. As long as you remember what this old fellow told you. For now, enjoy the game."

Orbs of colorful lights floated around the court recording the different angles of the game and playing them on the big screens, as the crowd watched in a massive undersea dome. Tei grabbed his grandson by his shoulders and lifted him up onto his lap. The old man laughed in a jolly manner as a peanut vendor called out "Nuts, Nuts! Get your warm nuts here!"

Tei waved his index finger around and caught the vendor's attention. The vendor walked down the stands past the cheering crowd. He nearly dropped the smaller bag he had taken from his cart in the process, but stumbled and caught himself when he reached Tei and Takumi. The vendor shook the small and large bags around and asked, "Which do you want, small nuts or big nuts?!" Takumi giggled, squinting his eyes a bit and asked his grandfather "Is he nuts? I'd take both!" His grandfather shrugged, ignoring his grandson's odd joke and handed the vendor a hologram chip which the vender scanned with a card, as the hologram chip disappeared into the vendor's card. "We'll take the big nuts," Tei let the vendor know and took the warm bag off his hands.

The vendor turned away, but a devious grin formed on his face. "Those biiig nuts for a small boy like him? Are you sure he wouldn't want the small ones?" The vendor turned back around and attempted to hustle, but Takumi removed his dark grey mittens and dug the mittens into one of his blue jackets pockets. The boy plunged his small pale hand into the bag and swapped a load of the nuts into his mouth.

Some of the peanuts fell down onto his lap and down on the floor where the crowd ahead trampled over them when they rose up to chant. Tei pat the boy's side with a faint smile. "Now, now Taku. Eat them slowly. Be graceful like the players out there." Takumi nodded and settled on his grandfather's lap. Tei turned back to the vendor, who had already walked away after remarking, "Woah... the mouth on that kid." Suddenly the crowd erupted into a chant once more as one of the players had broken through the three-man defense that attempted to get in his way. "Let's goooo seaaa dogsss! CHA CHA CHACHA CHAAA!!!"

Retsu, light particles which are only visible to Setsu, emanated from the crowd and the players who dashed down the floating court with emotion. The boy's soft orange hair swayed back and forth as he cocked his head back, following the particles over to the court in amazement. Tei lifted Takumi onto his shoulder and stood up. The boy cheered along as well, and leaned down over his grandfather's head nearly falling forward. Takumi checked if his grandfather was cheering as well, but the elder man had a worried expression on his face. His grandfather muttered something that the boy couldn't hear because of the crowd. Takumi made out the words from the way his lips moved. "Never drink blood… for that is the day, you will regret it."

Looking back, the phrase replayed in his head. On and on as wild flames danced around him, burning his rib cage. He paid no attention to the stinging flames eating away at his clothes. The flames, much like what had happened, enveloped his surroundings and filled him with rage...

"This is Ukiyo Tadako reporting to you live from over the Tokyo Tower! A blazing violet flame has enveloped most of the city, with the Eitari Bridge and Soto Towers being the source!" The woman held on tightly to the bar that kept her from falling out of the moving aircraft.

"It has been burning fiercely, with no sign of stopping anytime soon!" The woman lightly coughed before continuing.

"And a sea of strange purple clouds have taken up the skies, making navigation very difficult. We apologize for the inconvenience, and our hearts go out to the unfortunate ones stuck in all of the chaos."

"Zoom in for a close up! I think I saw something down there!"

"Oh dear Gosh, no! THERE'S A CHILD! A BOY IN THE FIRE, THE EITARI BRIDGE IS COMING DOWN! PULL UP, PULL UP!"

The events that transpired soon after forever marked a change in the world and would come to be known as "Ultimo Momento 33."

"This can't be…" Takumi continued blinking in front of his grandfather's gravestone. Heavy rain struck his shoulders and nourished the small weeds that grew along an old Buddhist stone.

Months following his grandfather's death, he tried visiting the Ogimachi Park his grandfather used to take him to. He went to that park in hopes of making friends. His parents weren't around for him, and those closest to him were the mute watchdogs who simply kept an eye on him from afar.

All he had was a basketball to keep him company. It brought him happiness, but it wasn't enough, since he had no one to share it with. He hoped to change this, so he tried approaching a few of the children near the court, but every time, they'd all be called away from the young Setsu.

Takumi wondered what it was he had done. "Is there something on my face? Why are they looking at me like that?" Every time he came to the park, it was the same case. He often found himself sitting at a bench near the court, alone, as people passed by and other children laughed and played together.

On one occasion, one child from that bunch, broke away and attempted to go greet the lonesome boy...

But was hauled away immediately.

"Come over here! I told you not to associate with that boy!"

"He's a little monster like the rest of those tyrannical fiends! Just what you'd expect of a Hachi heir."

"Don't say that so loud! He might hear us."

"For someone from a Rikuto line, he sure doesn't use his head." Some laughed.

"They don't care, and that little shit's one of them!"

"Oh no, he's looking this way... let's go."

His heart sank after everything he heard. All he could do was lower his head in shame, drowning in complete isolation. He felt like running off, but there was nowhere to go. Hours passed, but he didn't want to go back to the estate yet. An unfathomable pressure beared down on the boy's chest. A feeling unknown to him until that moment, showered onto him like the rain.

Drenched, he tapped the basketball silently humming a tune that his grandfather often sung to him. He found himself reminiscing about his birthday, when his grandfather had given him the basketball.

The curves were much like the smile his grandfather always bore around him. He ran his small fingers along the black lining as he spaced out till his grasp on the ball weakened. The basketball

slipped off of his lap, rolling into a far off puddle.

Despite the urging of those watching him, Takumi walked himself from the city to the outskirts of his estate. He arrived by nightfall, soaking wet. As usual, no one awaited him other than his butler Alto and a few maids. That night, Takumi spent his time awake, reading a book in front of a cackling fire. The book detailed mechanics behind different kinds of hop steps to execute on a basketball court. The boy soon closed the book, tossing the book into the room's fireplace. For the rest of that week, he remained indoors under the spell of a fever. He remained by an opened window, until he felt the urge to feel the breeze that blew along the patio. He spotted a chipmunk playing with a chestnut and it seemed to be having fun, adding to his own desire to lighten the dull mood. With nothing better to do, Takumi decided to play alone on his private basketball court instead of going into town like he usually would.

He found himself standing in front of the basket. It stood high, reminding him of his short stature, and incapability to properly dunk. Half-heartedly, he swung his hands up and tossed the ball. He didn't do so with much energy or intention, so it barely hit the ridge of the rim and came back down and bounced off behind him. He could sense the team of Setsu assigned to keep watch over him. Takumi tightened his small fist and went over to a cart filled with basketballs. He grabbed one, as his eyes glowed a dark violet and one of his fangs slid past his lip. The boy twisted over and furiously chucked the basketball at a tall bush. It flew through, striking one of the Setsu right across the face. Takumi grabbed a second ball and swung it out to another bush off of the court. He repeated this, chucking them with all the Setsu strength he had. They easily flew up like bullets, ricochetting everywhere. The five Setsus assigned to him had no choice but to scurry off, as one of them reported the behavior as he ducked behind a tree, maneuvering away. He turned around to inspect the inside of the cart. At the far bottom, he saw one last ball remaining and could sense another Setsu who hadn't moved. Whoever it was, didn't give off a strong vibe like the others, so Takumi hadn't noticed until then. He grabbed the last ball, tilting back to swing it overhead. "RAAAAHHH!" The ball flew too high. Takumi nearly tripped back onto his rump and looked up at the still rotating ball. It continued spinning towards a cloud, then came back down, disappearing right behind the tall bush wall. Takumi listened closely, but contrary to what he expected, he heard a soft voice let out a whimper.

"Owwwwwwww." Takumi got up and ran off to check who it was. Instead of going around, he dashed towards the bush wall and scaled it until he was at the top and looked down to see a small girl with her hands over her head. He squinted, looking around and then jumped down, landing at her side. Takumi got a better look at her. She wore gardening clothes and had a patch on the lower section of her pants. Her clothes were covered in dirt and her hair was a mix of lime green and orange.

"You're a gardener?" he asked her. The little girl didn't hear him due to how low he spoke and was too busy searching for her glasses. Takumi almost laughed at the sight of her grabbing a pair of pliers and trying to place them on her face. He went over to her side after picking up her glasses and handed them to her. She placed them on, and saw a basketball at her side. She instinctively reached for it and rubbed her glove along the ball.

"W-Woahhhh, a ball. I've never seen one this color." She took in the purple basketball's other features, namely the smaller white orbs littered along its sides. Takumi quietly watched her press her ear against the basketball.

"What's inside of this thing?! It's pwehty heavy," she wondered aloud, giving the ball a sniff. She reached down for a second plier from her tool box and brought them up. "Guess I'll find out!" A ray of sunlight glistened against the pliers, hitting Takumi's eyes. Takumi quickly moved in right before she stabbed the ball, moving back protectively. "Ay! You don't stab a basketball, you play with it!"

The little girl tilted her head in confusion. "Play? But it felt really heavy, is there another ball in there? Like Dolls in dolls!!"

"No, you're just weak. You play with it like this." Takumi brought the ball low and gave it a few dribbles, then leaned back up, placing the basketball to his hip.

"WOW, IT BOUNCED!"

"You've never…" Takumi thought to himself, observing the girl's clothes again. He noticed some dirt on her cheek and then felt soil rub against his palm. Soil that was on the basketball she had been touching. "Figures. She's from a lower clan."

"Say, say! You said that's a 'bashketball'?"

"Mhm." Takumi tossed the ball over to the girl. She caught it and brought it high over her head. It provided her with a shade from the sun as she twirled around. He really liked how impressed she seemed to be.

"Want to try playing? I can teach you," he offered. To his surprise, she jumped right at the offer, literally running to him.

"I would, I would!" Right then, she turned back, remembering she still had bushes to trim. "Awww, but I can't right now. I have bushes to make pwehty."

Takumi found her pronunciation strange, but brushed it aside, giving her a nod. "I'll help you, give me one of those pruners."

Surprised, but grateful, she almost gave him the one she had in hand, but noticed the Hachi Rikuto emblem along with an expensive platinum watch that slid down the boy's wrist and into her view.

She stopped herself, sliding the tool behind her back timidly. Her action made Takumi visibly saddened. "Uh…" His hand remained out, but dropped to his side. "Should have expected that." He internally grit his teeth.

She kept her hands behind her back. She couldn't quite see and leaned in to get a better look at him. "Sorry," she softly said.

Takumi spaced out, staring down at his shoes.

"Hmmm, cheer up! I'll go to you right as soon as I finish!" She told him, thinking up the idea and not wanting to see him sad. Her response snapped him out.

"I promise!" she said with a wide and childish smile. Takumi blushed, unable to say anything. He shifted his sights to a random green bat nibbling on some berries from a tree.

"My name is Naowi! What's youw name mwaster?" she asked, reaching out for his hand, only for her to realize her glove was covered in dirt. "She has an accent," Takumi noted.

Right when she was about to pull her hand back, she was surprised that he took her hand. The grasp sent shivers up her arm, but she didn't fall over as he kept her from doing so.

She looked up, to see him rubbing one of his eyes with the back of his other hand silently. Though he didn't seem to outwardly cry, she spotted a tear trickle when his hand parted from his eye.

"I'm Takumi. Do you… mean what you said?"

She listened and found his question strange but shook her head hard, leading him to press his hand up to her forehead to stop her from continuing out of fear that she'd snap her neck.

He felt her hand slip away, the sensation of her palm being replaced with a vacant gust. Naori brought her hand up to give him a thumbs up, followed by a wink.

"You bet I do, Ta-", Naori stopped herself from saying his name.

"What?"

"Want me to call you master?"

"N-No! Tak is fine!"

"Okay! Taaaku!" A giggle followed soon after she faced away from him. Naori knelt for her tool box.

"When you're done, come over to the court. It's right behind here. Remember… you promised." Takumi glanced past his shoulder to her waving his way. She agreed and to his surprise, she did show up later that day.

From that moment on, he told her where they'd meet. She often took turns shooting a basketball at his guidance. The two grew closer over three weeks. However, around the fourth week, she wasn't near the bushes where he often found her. He grew uneasy when he went to the small underground home where she lived with her family. None of them were there either.

Takumi suddenly recalled Naori's sister reprimanding her for getting close to Takumi and hastily apologizing to Takumi for her "dirty sister associating herself with a saint such as yourself" and asking for forgiveness as she trembled in place. Trying to lighten the mood, he replied, "It's fine. I'll forgive you if you bring me in for dinner." Before he could get an answer, he felt a strong presence bear down on him. Turning his head back, he locked eyes with something eight feet tall. A being with a thick, ten foot log stacked on his shoulder, waved down at Takumi, tilting his neck aside to reveal a cheery smile that resembled Naori's. "I'm Kaan, Naori's father. If you help me cut the log, you can eat with us." Takumi agreed. Recollecting those nights eating alongside the family around a yellow dancing fire briefly made him smile. Takumi exited the memories upon stepping on a twig.

He checked the area out. All of their belongings were still in the home, but they weren't. Worry filled his head as a team of three Ikigai Setsu arrived in full uniform, and informed him that his mother wished to see him. "After all these months… why now? That witch." Hoping that the three Setsus wouldn't ask him why he was at the location they were at, Takumi agreed to go with them.

It wasn't until he was inside the estate, on his way to his mother's private quarters, that he grew anxious. None of the three said a single word the whole time. Takumi spotted blood along their sleeves.

"Tell me, were you three on some sort of mission?" asked the boy. None of them responded. Once they arrived at the fortress of a door, they stepped aside and knelt down beside the violet carpet Takumi stood on.

The doors parted, creaking until they pressed back completely. At the center, a pale robotic bat hovered. It registered a beam of data onto Takumi, then spoke. "Lady Kiyoko will be here shortly. Please come in, make yourself comfortable."

Takumi took a few steps towards the pale bat. A creature made of metal without a sense of life inside. However, as soon as he approached it, the wings lifted. It hovered out of the room. Takumi watched the doors slowly move inwards until they closed shut.

His mother's office.

He'd never been inside of it before, so a part of him was excited, but also frightful, considering none of his other siblings had been there. Takumi's gaze flickered left and right, finding himself surprised at the simplicity of it all. He went off to a crystalline pufferfish statue floating over a coffee table. A slur of colors rotated around it. Nothing too special about it. His brows raised high while he squinted around and found nothing peculiar in her office. He expected it to be more frightening, for spiders and webs to be strung all over the place.

Instead, what he found was a very homely office. Expensive furniture no less, designed in a ceremonial tea style. There weren't any seats, so he stood there. One hour turned to four. Takumi eventually sat down on the bare floor and right when he did, he heard the doors open, as the lighting from the hallway shone into the now dimly lit office.

The lights flicked on right after. Takumi looked up to see simple inlaid lights on the ceiling that didn't harm the aesthetic of the room. Not that it mattered; he merely wondered why they weren't on when he initially entered the room.

"My sweet little boy, you mustn't be sitting, mommy expects you to be strong in her presence." A slight reprimanding, but no anger was heard, as he nodded in response. Though not daring to upset her, he remained seated.

"Is that why she made me wait for hours?" Takumi wondered, rubbing the last sense of drowsiness from his eyes.

"You must be hungry with all that waiting, so I preplanned."

"I have somewhere to be, what do you want from me?" Takumi turned his cheek to her, not looking her way.

"This won't take long," his mother responded with ease, not a hint of displeasure from her, despite his cheeky attitude. Takumi grew uneasy and his body stiffened, since he wasn't used to her lenient approach, prompting him to glance her way. He observed her curved smile on only one side of her face.

At her signal, which was a snap of her fingers, the door opened once more to reveal a maid entering. A large covered plate was brought in, and she stood near Takumi. The boy sniffed, his nose twitching as he felt the tantalizing scent wafted up to his nose. However, that couldn't distract him as he grew suspicious; an uneasy gut feeling made him feel sick to his stomach. A familiar smell. One that he didn't know how to comprehend.

"That scent…" Takumi thought, before outwardly stating, "Mother… I'm not hungry."

"Oh, really? Hmm, what a waste. Well, maybe you'll grow hungry after seeing what mommy has prepared for you."

Takumi stood up, clenching his fists, as his mouth slowly parted when the realization was beginning to set in. That scent.

"No way…" The plate was placed onto the rug by the maid that hadn't uttered a word and the lid lifted off.

Takumi dropped to his knees at the sight of what lay at the center of the plate.

Naori's severed head.

He saw the edges of her neck had tattered skin that was beginning to discolor. Her skin was deathly pale, and he knew it wasn't because she was indoors, but because death had found her. The smell of blood that should have been enticing now made him nauseous as he stared at her, his hand wanting to reach out for her. To hold her and offer comfort because he could see the pain etched onto her face despite the blank expression. Almost like she was sleeping when it happened.

"Go ahead, have a taste! There's not that much, since she's so bony… but it should be fine because you were so fond of her. The other parts have been saved for you after you finish that." The woman briefly paused to witness her son's expression. "Her sister was more proportionate though. I thought all lower breeds are putrid, but that one… she tasted fairly well. Fo-"

"SHUT UP!" Takumi's hearing ceased; he could see his mother talking in his direction before she turned and said something to the other two Setsus present.

His heartbeat was the only thing he heard. And then, all of his rage came out in a single scream. He took off straight for his mother. However, right when he jumped up to slash at her face, he realized his mistake. The Setsu who had been speaking to her blitzed Takumi with only a single move, as if it was child's play. Takumi was kicked up by the Setsu who had been casually nodding their head as Takumi's mother spoke.

He felt all of the oxygen leave his body upon colliding with the egg-shaped ceiling. A thud was heard from his back connecting to the top of the room before he fell onto the floor, sprawled out like a rug with glass raining down. The seconds felt drawn out and the next thing he knew, the second Setsu guard walked over to him. He stared right into his eyes with petrifying terror, before swiftly turning over and striking his gut, hurling Takumi back down in an instant, directly onto the arm of the first one that had struck him.

Takumi felt his spine crack, causing him to let out a pained cry, followed by the Setsu grabbing the back of the boy's collar. The Setsu swung him down to the ground, pinning Takumi's arms behind his back as Takumi struggled to move; he heard his mother's laugh, a daunting one.

He glared up at her and saw her pristine face look at him with malicious amusement. Despite her beauty, he knew the inside of her was twisted; she carried the corruption his grandfather spoke of when he was alive. She looked at him like he was nothing more than a toy. "I'm gonna rip her face off!" he told himself as saliva burst out the corners of his mouth due to the effort he put into wiggling out of the Setsu's strong pin, until his struggle resulted in his shoulder popping.

Still, Takumi tilted his head up, snarling his fangs at his mother like a wild animal. She only stared at him with the same calculated gaze as she lifted a hand. Her palm pressed against her hair, tied in a sleek ponytail; all his movement had ruined her perfect image. The one she stared at within his eyes, her reflection. In frustration, he smashed his forehead, only crying out in anguish, knowing he'd never hear Naori again. He'd never see her smile. Her laugh, even the smallest of things meant so much now. Memories of seeing her severed head replayed on and on as his irises dilated to the slightest detail.

"Gotz, bring that to me," he heard his mother say. The plate shattered upon being tossed to the floor without care, causing the head to hit the ground, rolling towards him. Blood trailed behind Naori's head, and her hair seemed limp as it spread across the floor. His mother went over and stood behind Naori's head. The Setsu yanked Takumi's hair back, forcing him to stare at the head of his friend. Her blank gaze made him blanch; there was no spark in her gaze or the familiar excitement when she saw him.

"You see, this is what happens when you play with insects, my little Ta. I tried to give you some freedom. I really did. I watched you. If you wanted playmates so badly, you should have come to mommy. You cannot associate yourself with such beings for it-" The rest of what she said faded again. Takumi's eyes dilated as he was beginning to lose himself to madness. Naori's eyes faded into a quiet blankness as they stared at him. He noticed the trail of tears that slid down her cheek. A dark red continued to ooze out from the stump of her head, slipping across the ground.

"I'll… get you all back for this!" His threat silenced them all. Takumi's vicious eyes were dead set on the Setsu who kept him pinned to the marble floor. Veins formed into a "Y" along the corner of the boy's eye, shifting to a soft pink.

"I'm going to kill you, I PROMISE!" The boy's hoarse voice sent alarms, a vibe unlike any other coursing through the guards body, enough for him to soften his hold, if for only an instance. Takumi got a good look at him, assuring he'd make good on his promise.

"Repeat that, please," his mother spoke with a cold sigh. Takumi again attempted to free himself, desiring nothing more than to slaughter the monstrocity before him.

"Nao… nao… NAAOOORI!!!" He wailed her name, hoping she would answer back, but she never did. Naori could never answer his calls anymore.

With a single slam of Takumi's head, all went black.

[If the series interests you, please leave us a comment and rate! The feedback really helps. Check out the Webtoon too and enjoy the series! : Takumi - Ordinary Life of a Setsu Vampire | WEBTOON (webtoons.com)