The early morning quiet is shattered by the sound of the explosion, frightening the chirping crickets and birds into hesitant silence. The run down suburb of Dead Drop quakes from the falling stone and metal of the demolished building. The few bystanders choke on the cloud of dust created, while one, a young Asian girl with long red hair, sobs for her lost home.
Several months pass and this same girl receives an anonymous donation as well as plans for a building. She decides to contact a few of her close friends, as well as her new friend who once ran the club at the base of her old building. She shows them the plans, and the check to cover the cost of the new building’s construction. They look at each other with concerned looks, their faces betraying the general question: Where did the money come from? They decide to go ahead with the project, even forming a Limited Liability Corporation to protect them from personal liability for business problems. They chose to call this new corporation after Meite Neiro, hence the name: Neirocorp.
The building is built, the apartments above available for rent, the club on the ground floor open; music pounding, nude bodies writhing on dance poles. All goes well until a rift forms between the management and Axel is left to run the club with little help. His manager took many of the staff with her when she left, having been treating the club as her personal harem. The club stands empty now many nights, the profits plummeting. The original partners in the corporation begin to walk away, one by one, until there is only the Asian girl, her twin sister, her fiancée, and the club owner left. With money running short and the bitter end in sight; a letter comes for the girl and her sister.
The two sit in the back room up Pizza Slut, staring at the envelope, neither one wanting to open it. The letter is housed in a business stationary envelope that they both recognize: Hikimo Industries Japan, their father’s company. Akirameta is afraid. She has not seen her father since she ran away at fourteen. She believes he has no knowledge of the next 5 years of her life, being forced into prostitution and stripping for a very cruel man. He didn’t know about her personality split that created Huntress. She has avoided any contact with her father and had even changed her name for a while to keep him from finding her. But here was a letter, obviously from him. He had tracked her down.
She sighs and picks the letter up, opening it quickly before she can lose her nerve. She reads it over, an odd look of surprise mixed with dread on her face. Gen puts a hand on her arm comfortingly and asks her what it says. The letter was written in Kanji:
My daughters,
I am aware of your lives in Dead End. You have brought shame on our family with your actions, and will now atone for them. Your little company is now mine. You will now work for Hikimo Industries USA and secure a foothold in Dead End for me and my partners. This is non-negotiable. Akirameta, you have shown an ability to run a business, as well as…other skills, so you will take over this club, and run it for us. Gen, you have shown an ability to gain peoples trust, so you will work on the recruiting side of off the business. All other decisions are up to you. Do not further dishonor me.
Your Father.