Lord-Campione

Chapter 07: Broken Waffles and Burning Bridges

Adrian’s body felt like a bag of broken glass as the elevator hummed its descent into the depths of Cadmus. The 52nd floor. He had heard whispers from other subjects about what lay below—the monsters, the ones they called genomorphs. Cadmus’ “artificial lifeforms.”  

Artificial my ass, Adrian thought, his eyelids heavy from the sedatives. He’d seen enough in his two years here to know the truth. The genomorphs weren’t created; they were forged. Broken people, fai...

Chapter 06: Breaking Free

Adrian wasn’t sure how long he’d been in Cadmus. Days bled into weeks, weeks into months. Maybe longer. Time didn’t matter in the hollow, sterile corridors of the facility, where the lights never dimmed, and the screams of the other subjects echoed endlessly. But Adrian remembered everything.  

That was his curse.  

He remembered the faces of the guards who dragged him in, their gloved hands gripping his arms so tightly he thought they’d snap. He reme...

Chapter 05: Fire From The Mortals

Winning was survival. And survival was the only thing Adrian knew how to do anymore.

The underground fighting ring wasn’t glamorous—it was barely legal, if you could even call it that—but it paid. Enough for food. Enough for a roach-infested motel room when he got lucky. Enough to keep going. 

The arena itself was buried deep under an old nightclub in Washington, D.C., hidden behind thick metal doors and layers of sweaty men in cheap suits who guarded it like it was t...

Chapter 04: Subject KR-2

“Why don’t you cheer, boy?” Mrs. Hightower’s scratchy voice startled him. Adrian blinked, looking up to see her staring down at him, her eyes sharp and knowing. “Don’t you feel better knowing they pushed that bastard Darkseid back where he came from?”

“No,” Adrian whispered.

She tilted her head, crouching down so they were eye level. “Why not?”

Adrian clutched his bear so tight it hurt. “They didn’t stop him,” he said, his voice trembling. “They...

Chapter 03: Darkness Descends

The night dragged on. Adrian couldn’t remember the last time he had felt so small. His mom sat beside him on the couch, stroking his hair as she whispered, “It’s okay, baby. We’re safe. We’re safe.”

But Adrian wasn’t sure he believed her. The screams outside didn’t stop. The news kept showing the same awful images: people being carried off, buildings crumbling, heroes fighting but looking overwhelmed. Adrian clung to his mom, trying to block it all out.

Then the ...

Chapter 02: Left behind by Justice

Later that night, Adrian lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. The apartment was quiet now, except for the sound of the TV in the living room. He could hear his dad’s voice, low and soft, as he talked to his mom. They weren’t fighting anymore, but they weren’t laughing either.

Adrian hugged his stuffed bear close, his new soldier sitting on the nightstand beside him. He thought about Batman, and the missing girl, and the way his mom and dad looked at each other when they thought he...

Chapter 01: Prologue

Adrian sat cross-legged on the living room rug, his crayons spread across the floor in a messy rainbow. His little hand gripped a red crayon tightly as he focused on his masterpiece: a picture of his mom, dad, and himself standing in front of their apartment. He made sure to draw their apartment door exactly right—a crooked “4B” written in black marker above the peephole. His mom always said it made their door look cheap, but Adrian liked it because it was theirs.

“Adrian, don�...

New Dawn Chapter: 031

Tysone had this odd feeling that he had just stumbled upon an important plot point. Maybe it was because he knew that, at its core, this world was an anime one, and meeting that old man seemed too convenient, like it was part of the plot. But the man was real. Flesh and bones.

He was clearly a character with a backstory; the limping made it obvious. Maybe he was a retired cop or a veteran soldier. Perhaps he was even an assassin or some superhuman criminal from an anime he never watched...

Chapter no.48: Wild Yamato Nadeshiko

The soft hum of the bike’s engine filled the silence between them as Kozen drove, his grip on the handlebars tight. Saeko sat behind him, her arms wrapped around his waist, leaning into him as if she’d always belonged there. The city lights blurred past them, a kaleidoscope of neon and shadow, but Kozen’s thoughts were a jumbled mess. He wasn’t sure where this was heading—or if he even wanted to find out.

The hotel came into view, its glowing sign casting an eerie glow over th...

New Dawn Chapter: 030

Now that the Rage Room took off, and new personnel was hired to properly manage the place in his absence, Tysone found himself with a lot more free time in his hands. Saya was skilled at the administrative part of the business, and Mai was a huge promotion banner that attracted customers left and right. 

All Tysone had to do was make an appearance or two to make sure everything was going smoothly. 

With that taken care of, he could finally dedicate ...

Chapter no.47: Saeko's Views

The morning sunlight filtered through the sliding paper doors of Saeko’s bedroom, casting delicate patterns on the tatami mat. The room was as flawless as ever, everything meticulously in place: her folded futon, the polished wooden floors, the neatly arranged kendo trophies and certificates that lined one shelf. Perfection. That was what her family demanded. And that was exactly what she gave them.

She moved with quiet efficiency, sliding her door open and stepping into the hallway. ...

Chapter no.46: Love or A Check Box part: 2

“Miku,” Kozen murmured between soft, lingering kisses. “I—“ Another kiss, deeper this time. “I need you—“ Kiss. “So—“ Kiss. “Much.”

She sighed, letting herself sink into his warmth, but then grinned and playfully shoved him off, so he rolled onto his back. Before he could react, she climbed into his lap, pressing herself close as he leaned back against the headboard. She felt like she couldn’t get close enough, like there was something in him she wanted to ho...

New Dawn Chapter: 029

What does success taste like?

Cigarettes, alcohol, and a warm, welcoming pair of breasts? Or is it something else entirely? Like, the scent of freshly printed cash that was still hot, and the feeling of it sliding against your fingers?

Who the fuck knows?

Still, Tysone felt like laughing. 

“Why are you cackling like some meth head?” Saya said, warily. She stood next to him on the rooftop of a very tall building. “You seriously had to come up here to watch th...

Chapter no.45: Love or A Check Box

Miku slumped over her desk, tapping her pen absently against her notebook as she tried, and failed, to focus on the lesson. Her thoughts kept drifting back to Kozen, and the way he’d turned her down so casually that morning. She couldn’t help feeling a pang of disappointment every time she replayed the conversation in her head.

He was her boyfriend. They’d had such a great time together over the past week, going on dates, talking for hours, laughing until their cheeks hurt. So why...

Chapter no.44: Recruitment

Kozen blinked his eyes open, squinting against the faint, dim glow of the single bulb hanging from the low ceiling. He looked at his watch and sighed. Exactly twenty minutes of morning sleep—done. Even though he’d been following this fragmented sleep schedule for months now, cycling through short naps around the clock, he still didn’t like it. It grated on him, always waking up on someone else’s terms, always jolted into half-consciousness before he was ready.

It was logical, an...

New Dawn Chapter: 028

Saya sighed, her fierce gaze softening just a bit as she looked away, crossing her arms defensively. It was a begrudging acceptance, and honestly, Tysone was more than okay with it. "Fine. But don’t think I’ll just roll over and hand her everything. I’m not some pushover, Tysone.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Saya. You’re a sweet cupcake, aren’t you?” He chuckled. A tired sound that had Saya not react as aggressively as she would’ve otherwise. Then he turned to Mai. “And...

Chapter no.43: Butterflies and Young Love part 2

Their third date was a spontaneous picnic at the park. Kozen had texted her one morning, asking, “Feel like taking a break from homework?” She didn’t need to be asked twice.

They spread a blanket under a big cherry blossom tree, surrounded by petals that fell softly around them like pink snowflakes. Miku had brought sandwiches, and Kozen had surprised her with a box of mochi for dessert.

“This is nice,” Miku murmured, gazing up at the branches, her mind lost in the momen...

Chapter no.42: Butterflies and Young Love

Miku’s feet pounded against the pavement as she ran, her breaths coming in short, panicked bursts. Her mind whirled with a thousand questions, none of which she could answer. Who was that masked figure? Why were there bodies on the ground? And if Kozen was truly alright, he could get seriously hurt while telling her to run?

Her fingers trembled as she pulled out her phone and dialed the emergency number, clutching it so tightly she could feel her pulse in her hand. The operator’s ca...

New Dawn Chapter: 027

“Listen up, folks. It’s simple.” Saya’s loud voice easily drew everyone's attention. Tysone had just come back when he stumbled upon her peddling like some obnoxious seller. “¥3000 for 15 minutes. You get to smash boring stuff. Yes, that’s all you get. ¥7000 for half an hour; and we’ll throw in some more toys for you to play with. If you want a more extended session with expensive items to break, the price range is anywhere from ¥15000 to ¥30000. We’ll do a small discount ...

New Dawn Chapter: 026

“Mai?” Tysone’s brow furrowed. “What are you doing here?”

It wasn’t as if he hadn’t mentioned his business to her, but he had never invited her to try it out. He couldn’t deny that it was a pleasant surprise—a public figure such as Mai could draw a lot of people to his establishment. 

His furrowed brow smoothed over, and his lips curved into an eager, flattering smile. 

He was about to take a step forward, in her d...

Chapter no.41: Fighting The "Oni" part 2

[ One Year Before Present Day ] 

The evening air was thick and humid as Saeko walked through the empty courtyard of her family estate, the glow of paper lanterns casting faint, flickering shadows across the garden path. The scent of freshly trimmed pine and the delicate perfume of cherry blossoms mingled in the night air, but to Saeko, it smelled more like a prison.

She paused by the koi pond, staring at her reflection in the water. The pale moonlight traced her features—a ...

Chapter no.40: Fighting The "Oni"

Fifteen days till the apocalypse. That’s what the letter had said.

Kozen still had the crumpled paper tucked into his pocket, the words etched into his mind even though he could recite them by heart: Take some rest, love you. Good luck. Rika.

It wasn’t the message itself that disturbed him. Rika was dramatic, sure, but this? This was a whole new level. She’d sent him that letter, and then she and Takashi had just… disappeared. No warning, no goodbyes.

Kozen had laugh...

Chapter no.39: Meeting The "Oni" part two

The bright lights of the arcade flashed around them in every direction, bathing Miku and Kozen in a kaleidoscope of neon colors. The sounds of beeping machines, blaring sound effects, and coins clinking filled the air as they maneuvered their way through the crowd of kids and teenagers. Kozen walked with a confident ease, his hands shoved casually into his pockets, but Miku could see the glint of excitement in his eyes.

“So, where do we start?” Miku asked, glancing around at the end...

Chapter no.38: Meeting The "Oni"

The soft hum of Miku’s alarm filled the room, vibrating lightly on her bedside table until she reached over, eyes barely open, and slapped it into silence. She lay there for a second, half-wrapped in her tangled blanket, staring up at the ceiling as her mind struggled to boot up. Another day. Another school morning. Nothing special. She gave herself a few more seconds, savoring the quiet, before finally sitting up and stretching.

The faint smell of coffee and something burnt drifted u...

New Dawn Chapter: 025

Of course, Tysone didn’t really mean those things. But Saya didn’t take his words for it, and continued to brood throughout the rest of their time together.

Saya looked pretty adorable when she was mildly distressed.

"Then again, with your personality, it's more likely you'll drive them off." Tysone whistled. "If that happens, we'll need to give you a personality makeover as well as the appearance of one."

She gaped and narrowed her eyes. Then she pinched her nose, exudi...

Chapter no.37: Takashi's obsession and Rei's Return

Takashi glanced over at the empty desk, his eyes narrowing as if he could will her into appearing just by staring hard enough. It had been sixty-four days since Rei stopped coming to school. sixty-four days of hearing nothing from her, of watching her friends act like everything was fine, like she hadn’t just vanished. She hadn’t even answered his last messages—not even a single-word reply.

He’d tried asking a few people about her at first. Mostly the girls who sometimes hung ar...

New Dawn Chapter: 024

The following days passed in a blur. Tysone got in contact with the owner of that abandoned store and managed to strike a fairly good deal, overall. Considering the condition of the building, it didn't take much haggling on his part. With a down payment and an official-looking purchase agreement signed between the two of them, Tysone had taken control of the small venue.

He'd have let Saya do the negotiations, but he figured that with him cutting quite an imposing figure, he'd be more s...

New Dawn Chapter: 023

Yuriko and Souichirou stared at him with slightly widened eyes. Whether they were about to reply was irrelevant, Tysone continued, his tone calm. Almost placid. "In fact. I don't really need your help. Admittedly, it'd be beneficial and crucial, but not essential. If you think my idea has some genuine merit, both from a political and business standpoint. I'd appreciate it if you could approach me on more equal grounds, as arrogant as it may sound."

"Then. It's on you, if you ch...

Chapter no.36: Mother and Son talk

Kozen and Rei sat on the front steps of the house, their clothes disheveled and stained dry blood, their expressions calm, though their appearance betrayed the chaos they’d just caused inside. Their hair was messy, and the occasional streak of blood on their hands that neither of them bothered to wipe off. Despite everything, they sat there quietly, sipping on juice like it was the most normal thing in the world.

“He deserved it, right?” Rei asked, her voice soft, but there was an...

Chapter no.35: Revenge

The moonlight shimmered across the surface of the lake, casting soft silver ripples that seemed to stretch endlessly into the night. Rika stared at the scene, unmoving, her thoughts swirling with the same unrelenting rhythm. Kozen’s words echoed in her mind, over and over, refusing to be silenced. The cool night air did nothing to calm the storm inside her. She’d been sitting here for hours, trying to counter his words, to come up with any reasoning that would justify what she had done. B...