Under the dark veil of night, duty and pleasure danced together, lovers incapable of parting though seemingly opposed. Within the pulsing walls of the Stellan club, truth and lies mingled freely like old friends over drinks, boundaries blurred by vibrant beats and dim lighting. Secrets ran rampant in conjunction with excitement here, where life's reasons and regrets checked differences at the door to indulge in a temporal tryst of discretion and mystique.

The siren calls of Stella summoned Tōga yet again, an Inferno Dragon Slayer and Rune Knight unable to resist its allure. Though today held no foreboding untold magic set to rouse the dead in phantom choruses, the dire situation still pulsed with its own dark beat. Reports of vanished women, last seen drugged in Stellan walls, drew him back now under orders to investigate, but Tōga would have easily come of his own accord, duty and longing intertwined to guide his steps through the familiar electric streets. What matter the reason when fate sang its seductive melody, beckoning him into the neon underbelly that held as many secrets as these Taboo magic, shadowy and enticing in equal measure.

Navigating the throbbing artery crammed with bodies, Tōga delved deeper into the pulsing heart of the Stella club. Strobing rainbow shards illuminated his path down the tight hallway, a kaleidoscopic gateway to forbidden fruit. At last the passage spilled him out into the debaucherous main chamber, music pounding through sweating flesh and unchained spirits alike. In this den where lust ruled as king, inhibitions vanished as quickly as virtue. Control was but a distant memory, carnal dance and reckless abandon spinning continuously under the erratic lights. Here, desire shone brighter than reason within the mountain of tangled limbs, never resting in their worship of fickle pleasure. Like a siren, the electric Eden called to the soul with sweet poison, a tempting neon garden blooming brilliant sins without shame or remorse.

Like a flickering phantom, Tōga weaved through the churning sea of bodies, his pink spiked hair catching the lights in flashes of vivid color against the swirling shadows. He strode like a shapeless dark specter, black clothes drinking in the dim atmosphere only to solidify under the capricious strobes scattering across the dancefloor. Keen brown eyes pierced through the erratic darkness, combing restless crowds for any sign of abnormality amidst the chaotic revelry. He prowled the neon-lit underworld, both nowhere and everywhere at once, blending into obscurity one moment and standing out in sharp relief the next as the fickle lights toyed with his form. Methodically scanning ever deeper through the pulsing labyrinth of careless bliss, the Dragon Slayer stalked his unknown quarry.

---

wc: 443

A lone pink-haired buoy bobbing in a sea of darkness, Tōga sat anchored amidst the flashing midnight chaos, hair glowing a neon beacon to signal he still breached the churning tides. Normally one carried away by fun, ready to plunge into pounding beats and gyrating bodies swaying hypnotic invitations, but not tonight. An investigator with mysteries to unravel could not abandon mission for mere diversion, no matter the demons of delight dragging razor claws down his stoic resolve, seeking to shred duty and draw him into debauched depths. So the pink pharos stood fast, controlling the call of revelries swirling around him, holding back tempestuous hunger to indulge in strobe-lit flesh and abandon. Like a siren’s sweet song, the writhing dance floor tried to lull him into euphoric negligence with promises of excitement he denominated sinful – at least for now. Straining at the leash, debauched dragon lurked below determined surface, wishing to drown investigations and control in a sea of reckless pleasure. But duty anchored him firm...for the moment.

Yet fate conspired against duty's chains, weaving temptation from the darkness. “Oh?” Tōga’s murmur died swiftly in throbbing air, snatched away by pounding beats and tangled bodies. Soft curves crushed against him, assailing hardened resolve as purple hair spilled over alabaster skin, porcelain perfection meeting his gaze. The smoky scent of carnal promise intoxicated the air around her svelte form, exotic and sweetly cloying like opium wafting through the neon night. Drowning deep in the pools of her eyes, the siren song sounded once more, a wordless invitation to drown himself inside this mysterious temptress. Lashes fluttering demurely, she asked the dangerous proposal without uttering a word, every motion crafted to stir insane wanting where sensibility once stood guard.

"Ooooi, Hello!" Tōga's greeting fought through throbbing beats and roaring revelry to reach the confident beauty who'd dubbed him "cutie pie." Swiftly bowing in Joyan courtesy, he struggled not to impose upon the crushing throngs hemmed around them. Packed tight as sardines adrift a shimmering mirage of bodies, the dragon slayer and dazzling siren swayed in the tiny island carved out just for two amidst the greater ocean.

“Oh yeah, it’s my first time here. Seems to be a cool place,” he exclaimed, a charming smile swept across his features as he engaged her further.

“You like it here?”

---

wc: 387 [830]

Amidst sensory chaos, Tōga's nose twitched too swiftly to register. But subconscious alerts blared, detecting foulness lurking beneath cloying scents. Something sinister tainted each lungful, its insidious tendrils weaving anonymity through pounding beats. The dragon slayer knew that phantom stench awaited the right moment to strike. So he stalked the lurid scenes, aware the decay would reveal itself if he haunted this nest long enough. For now, mystery and foreboding saturated each breath in Stella's false paradise. But the hunt had begun.

Amusement glinted in bold eyes as he returned her playful volley, only to have the vixen vanish. She reappeared in a blink, amethyst silk spilling over bare alabaster. “That was quic—Ahhh!" Her fingers encircled his, pulling with irresistible force into the writhing sea. Aqua orbs flashing bright beckoned through shadows, daring with libidinous promise. Glimpses of smiles and silken skin tempted despite hazardous waters. Anchored by her siren song, the warrior plunged headlong into thrashing waves, ready to drown himself in this sea witch rather than nameless bodies. No mystery what fate had dragged him here, but whether for triumph or surrender still balanced on an edge...

Guided by her bewitching presence, Tōga let himself be drawn into the frenetic epicenter of twisting forms. Pressed close in the churning throng, their peculiarly-hued locks intertwined intimately - pink and purple mingling in daring tandem amidst the reckless revelry. Her exotic scent overwhelmed his senses with each sway in synchrony, his vision narrowing until neon and shadows blurred together. Gliding through a sea of blurred bodies moved by music's ancient rite, he leaned in close, her ear a seashell capturing his soft query

“I’m Tōga by the way – and you are?”

---

wc: 282 [1112]

"I'm more of a pineapple and yuzu kinda guy," Tōga exclaimed, perfect ivories flashing as he lifted unintended innuendos into the buzzing air. His grin betrayed guileless delight at her "cherry boy" jest, taking the quip as purest face value. But behind aqua eyes glinting through shadows, hidden meanings and sly looks spoke to assumptions of the slayer's first blush innocence in this den of deviance. While he fenced with literal fruits, her blade slid between rib and marrow to nick at unbloodied proclivities - or lack thereof. The riposte of laughter on his tongue proved parry to her clever thrusts, deflecting prurient punctures with wide-eyed charm. Yet despite dancing unaware on the razor's edge, instinct drove him towards her steel. For though words slipped past his ears, the promise in her every undulation whispered temptation's siren song in lush prophecies his flesh longed to fulfill. Dark and sweet, that mystical hymn hinted at forbidden trysts destiny herself now seemed eager to ordain...

“Well, it’s nice to meet ya, Ursula-chan,” Tōga exclaimed. As delicate limbs draped over his shoulders, they swayed as one - twin stars orbiting through darkness to rhythms and strobing beacons. Their private heaven swirled to colliding passions as reality's boundaries fell away, distance vanishing unconsciously. Held rapt in her eyes, the slayer drowned in luminous pools, swaying to her body's wordless plea in secret codes his flesh rushed to decode. Sweet gravity pulled them into closer, more dangerous orbits.

“You come here often?"

---

wc: 247 [1359]

Amusement crinkled Tōga's eyes, laughter glinting off teeth as his siren stumbled over unfamiliar honorifics. Exotic culture tripping up even this quick-witted temptress. But not for long.

“My bad! I always forget everyone isn’t familiar with Joyan traditions… hmmm, how to explain it,” Tōga rifled through dusty archives seeking answers, but recollection eluded amidst quaking walls and cajoling physically close. As music crescendoed, so too her words infiltrated his senses, crowding out thought. Focus narrowed to this sanctuary - her form undulating against his in reckless abandon. Words evaporated, obliterated by reality's base ecstasies now opening eyries of primal instinct. Even honorifics tangled no more as hot breath promised her clandestine corners and hedonic grottos awaited his shy “cherry’s” bold discoveries.

"You want me to pop y—" Tōga's inquiry severed as he noticed Ursula's subtle stumble, resolve buckling as legs turned to gelatin beneath her svelte frame. "Are you okay?" Brow furrowing in concern, the slayer's arm reflexively secured her waist, embracing with protective strength to brace the beauty erect. Unsteady in her patent heels but determined to persevere, his enticing 'cherry' nevertheless melted against corded muscle as she rested innocent curves into his ready support. Softened features and steadying limbs spoke the chivalrous heart behind flirtations, the bedrock of honor upholding gaiety's façade.

---

wx: 215 [1574]

“Yeah, after a few drinks, I get a little woozy, too,” Behind casual tone, Tōga's gaze scrutinized, fished for clues if more than alcohol unmanned this partying habitué. Amethyst eyes unfocused, seeming to swim before him, hinted at deeper venom in supposedly innocuous cocktails. Incrementally releasing her, he subtly tested if wiles alone undercut her balance. But as his arm withdrew, her lolling body betrayed need for stalwart support still. Outwardly remaining her anchor, inwardly the slayer tallied puzzle pieces refusing to align. Holding her hypnotic gaze all the while, those liquid pools hinted that greater secrets lay submerged behind the warning in her eyes.

Beneath the schizophrenic lights, Tōga tracked every detail - from the sheen of moisture jewelling her skin to minor tremors barely perceptible to less discerning eyes. Strobes slashing intermittent illumination only sharpened his extrasensory perception, capturing each minute tell like a photograph's freeze-frame. "Want me to get you some water? We can sit down if ya like," he offered, warm fingers brushing damp violet strands behind her ear with practiced gentleness that belied strength's potential. Ever the altruist anchoring the bedlam, concern for her comfort eclipsed the chaos' contagion. For though firmly entrenched in revelry's epicenter, the noble warrior retained his human heart.

---

wc: 208 [1782]

"Yeah, let's go get ya some water! Probably dehydrated!" Tōga suggested brightly, ever the optimist even as accumulating evidence argued more sinister forces at play. Beneath the clinical eye tracking her steady deterioration, denial wrestled intuition observing the siren's graceful strength sapped bit by bit. Like a marionette with sliced strings, her limbs jerked and lagged to unseen commands as balance barely answered her insistence on maintaining poise. Yet she persisted despite rebellion in the very flesh, that indomitable spirit shining all the brighter against bodily betrayal. But payload unknown rode her bloodstream now on spreading tendrils of black, eyes blown wide by more than beat or chemicals, will losing out to sneaking toxins promising cadaverous compliance soon.

With delicate care, Tōga wrapped a supportive arm around Ursula's wilting frame and steered them towards the beckoning oasis of the bar. Cleaving through writhing tides of oblivious merrymakers, the odd couple carved out a slow path gingerly avoiding further upsets to her precarious balance. The sentry maintained his vigilant watch as they went, scanning for clues or threats in this lascivious sea. What unseen menace swam alongside through darkened waters, circling ever closer to his vulnerable charge? As they breached the crowd at last, Tōga leaned intently over gleaming counters, perception focused wholly on the innocuous attendant. "Two cups of water, please." Deceptively casual words masking shrewd assessment, cataloging details with precision despite outward ease. For fate had brought him to this glittering abyss for greater purpose than merely pleasure or chance encounters. And now suspicion narrowed scrutinizing sights set firmly upon this bar, seeking within its polished confines the genesis of gathering storms on the horizon.

---

wc: 276 [2058]

"Hahaha, something like that," Tōga replied easily, tone balancing playful flirtation with compassionate concern. Lighthearted distraction to brace her spirit even as keen sights swept for answers to her faltering strength. Attentive as any sentinel, he monitored their drinks' unimpeded delivery while maintaining focus on his lovely ward. Not a single shift in her veiling pallor nor imperceptible sway escaping hawk-eyed notice despite conversational distraction. Whatever sorcery held Ursula in its thrall no longer crept but galloped through defenseless form, claiming more territory with every arrested breath. So Tōga rallied her with gentle tones and stalwart presence, an emotional bastion against the spreading toxin while racing urgency sped analysis and response.

"Here, drink this," Tōga gently urged, passing a frosted glass as slender limbs closed around him. Willowy chains linking to pull her sinking form fast to his sturdy trunk. With utmost care Tōga braced their embrace, cradling her quaking body against unrelenting muscle as he administered the restorative drink. Guiding cup to paling lips with all a nurse's attention, his own hovered just above the vulnerable shell of her ear. “Don't drink too fast,” soothing susurrations carried, loud music and louder fears drowned out by selfless compassion. Sheltered within corded arms, the whispered timbre resonated through contact itself, gentle admonition and encouragement seeping into very blood and bone.

"Where did you get your drink from earlier? Must have been somethin' nasty in it," Tōga ventured, voice neutral as a counselor's. Careful not to let probing eclipse compassion, he delicately pursued facts without pressuring her waning faculties. Patient tone and reliable strength supported Ursula while keen mind built theories, narrowing down concoctions capable of this cruelty. Lashing out against unknown assailants, fury kindled in defense of this blameless victim. But sympathy smothered anger's spark; securing innocence came first now. So gentle inquisition interspersed with the drink carried daintily to bloodless lips. The knight vowed no investigation would distract from his duty: safeguarding compromised purity within his sheltering custody.

---

wc:328 [2386]

Tōga strained to decipher slurred murmurs escaping Ursula's leadened tongue, garbled messages drowned by sensory bedlam and crumbling physical control. As responses deteriorated into disquieting moans, his bracing hold tightened in unspoken reassurance - a bulwark against her slipping slide towards oblivion. Shadows gathered behind the siren's fluttering lids while tortured muscle screamed surrender, slackening further against supportive bulk in unwilling concession. Yet still she clung stubbornly to consciousness, rallied by comforting arms and brilliant smile radiating faith through the battles no longer solely hers to fight. Jaw clenched, he girt them both with dogged optimism even as her eyelids surrendered their unwinnable war.

"It's gonna be alright," Tōga soothed, the healing balm of belief to calm gathering storms. With infinite patience he coaxed precious fluid past her resistance, buying time with watery drops. Sentry sights swept the churning landscape, cataloguing familiar faces behind counters, impressions from that initial reconnaissance. Somewhere within these gilded halls, heartless agenda conspired to rob purity for profane purpose. He had captured the sight of the bartenders and barbacks when he first arrived, so he had those as leads. For now, he needed to tend to Ursula. If she’d allow him, he’d try to help her out of this club, carrying her if need be.

---

wc: 210 [2596]

"We'll getcha some air," Tōga promised, securing slackened limbs with gentle care. Her wilted form gathered tenderly, the slayer lifted liquid limbs and lolling head to rest weakly upon his frame. With the gait of a lion, cautious not to jostle precious cargo, Tōga turned his back on the valley of shadows to carry her to clearer skies. Twin hearts pulsed in offbeat fury against one another as they emerged from the sweltering dark - hers flailing against poison's erosion, his thrumming shared defiance. The world crystallized to this singular moment: an unflinching soldier bearing broken beauty braced carefully as he carried her to escape past monstrous silhouettes warning of worse fates narrowly evaded.

"Excuse me - pardon me," Tōga intoned politely despite hastened pace, navigating through waters unwilling to readily part. Repeated incantations granting grudging passage bearing the witching hour's ragdoll prize now fully hostage to potion craft’s dark art. No doubts lingered of sinister forces leaching life and volition; the slayer cradled their handiwork, marveling how innocence still clung to shredded scraps of awareness. Breaching the tumultuous sea at last, a deluge of silence flooded senses as the door opened to muted night. Crisp air kissed Ursula's clammy temples, caressing away the fetid club clinging to limp hair - a writhing memory left buried behind in shadows, But they had escaped the primordial caverns together, Perseus as stalwart champion and bewitched belle both preserved from ravening monsters.

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