Meaning of Freedom

Where does identity begin and upbringing end?

In a world where genetically-engineered werepeople make up 30% of the population yet remain deeply dehumanized, a young werehyena named Noburu Yuki was raised in the shadows of Tokyo. Born to a single mother, Hinata, his early life was a struggle against hunger and bullies, softened only by his mother's song - a mantra to "laugh when you're sad" - and his dreams of becoming a hero like the legendary Yasuke and the Blue Ranger. But the dream shattered at twelve when the Takahashi-kai yakuza came to collect. Attempting to defend his mother with a plastic katana, Noburu was instead abducted and coerced into the syndicate's service. Stripped of his name and forced behind a steel muzzle, the boy who wanted to be a hero was forged into "Kerakera" - a living weapon for the very monsters he once tried to fight.

*This is written as part of a larger story; a fighting game project named "Willpower Theory," but can also be read stand-alone - it just has a slightly inconsistent voice, as some parts are written in Wiki-style paragraphs.

Cover illustration: YuriMacob on deviantART

CONTENT WARNINGS - Contains non-glorified themes of:
yakuza (gangs),
kidnapping,
grooming,
violence,
predjudice/dehumanization,
slight underage drinking,
implied death.