#hell guard

Part of the hell guard jabber au Well

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Part 1 here

Gachiakuta Main Masterlist | Main Masterlist @shayinstarlight୨୧ | ©shayinstarlight

The courtyard is alive with celebration. Lanterns hang in curved lines overhead, glowing in warm gold against the velvet darkness of the night. Laughter spills across the stone paths, mingling with the low hum of traditional music drifting from the far side of the grounds. Warriors who usually stand rigid in formation now relax in loose clusters, cups in hand, shoulders unburdened for once by duty.

At the edge of it all stands Goka.

He remains in full Hell Guard uniform, layered shoulder armor catching the lanternlight in muted flashes of bronze and steel. His dark robe falls heavy and straight against his broad frame, the chest plate bearing the Hell Guard symbol polished to a quiet shine. The kasa on his head casts a shadow over his sharp eyes, leaving his expression unreadable to most.

He stands like he always does,still, disciplined, observant.

He expects you.

At gatherings like this, you are usually never far. You orbit him without shame. Your arms slip around his neck from behind. Your chin rests on his shoulder while you murmur his name just to watch his jaw tighten. You tug at his sleeve, whisper in his ear, test the limits of his stoicism with a smile that promises trouble.

“Goka… Goka, look at me… Goka-Goka please look down i cant reach your lips..Goka..Goka-”

But tonight?

Nothing.

No warmth at his back. No teasing voice brushing against his ear. No fingers tracing idle patterns along the armor at his waist.

At first, he does not react. He tells himself your absence is irrelevant. He is not a man who requires constant attention. He does not depend on anyone’s orbit.

Then he hears you laugh.

The sound is unmistakable,bright, playful, deliberate.

But it does not come from behind him.

It comes from across the courtyard.

His gaze shifts subtly in that direction.

And there you are.

You stand close,too close,to one of the taller Hell Guard recruits. The man is broad-shouldered, freshly armored, still carrying the slightly stiff posture of someone eager to impress. You face him fully, your hand resting casually on his shoulder as he speaks.

Casually.

But your fingers tighten just a little too deliberately.

Your head tilts upward as you smile at him, eyes shining beneath the lanternlight. You laugh again, leaning in as if whatever he says is the most captivating thing in the world.

And then

You turn your head.

Your eyes find Goka’s across the courtyard.

You know he is watching.

Your lips curve slowly. Not wide. Not playful.

Slow. Intentional.

Without breaking eye contact, your grip on the recruit’s shoulder tightens. You tilt your head further, letting it rest lightly against the man’s shoulder in a way that appears natural to anyone else but unmistakably staged to him.

The recruit keeps talking, oblivious to the silent war unfolding.

Goka’s jaw locks.

He does not step forward. He does not call your name. He does not interrupt.

But something shifts in him.

His posture grows straighter. The relaxed stillness he held before sharpens into something taut. The air around him feels heavier, like the moment before a blade is drawn. Warriors standing nearby instinctively shift their weight, sensing the subtle tightening of authority around him.

Possessiveness coils beneath his composure.

He continues to watch.

Later, when the night grows louder and cups refill, the same recruit says something that makes you laugh again. This time, you rise onto your toes and press a quick kiss to his cheek.

It is light.

Playful.

Gone in a second.

But it is intentional.

And Goka sees it.

He does not look away this time.

The shift is immediate and almost tangible. The men near him quiet without knowing why. The music continues, but the space around him feels charged, as though lightning has settled just beneath his skin.

He waits.

He watches you finish your conversation.

He watches you excuse yourself with a smile.

He watches you slip away from the lantern-lit courtyard and into the main building.

And you know he is coming.

You can feel it in the way the air changes behind you.

Your smirk deepens as you walk down the corridor, steps unhurried, confident. You turn into a side room and slide the door open, stepping inside without hesitation.

Footsteps follow.

Heavy.

Measured.

Controlled.

The door slides shut behind him with a firm sound.

Then

Click.

Locked.

The sudden silence in the room feels almost loud after the festival outside. You lean casually against a wooden table, crossing your arms as if you have all the time in the world.

“You followed me,” you say lightly, as though this is an amusing coincidence.

Goka removes his kasa slowly and sets it aside. Without the shadow of it, his eyes are fully visible now dark, sharp, no longer distant.

They are focused entirely on you.

“You seemed occupied tonight,” he says. His voice is low, controlled, but there is something beneath it now. Something tightly restrained.

You tilt your head, feigning innocence. “I thought you were too busy to be distracted.”

He takes a step forward.

The distance between you narrows.

“You kissed him.”

It is not a question.

You shrug, as if the matter is trivial. “And?”

Another step.

Now he stands close enough that you feel the heat radiating from beneath his armor. He towers over you, broad shoulders blocking out much of the lanternlight. The authority he wields on missions the authority that makes men fall silent at a glance is now directed entirely at you.

“You are reckless,” he says.

“You didn’t seem to mind when I bothered you,” you reply softly, meeting his gaze without hesitation. “But when I stop… suddenly you notice.”

You see it in the way his eyes sharpen. In the subtle tightening of his mouth. In the shift of his breathing.

He moves closer still, bracing his hands against the wall behind you without touching you directly. The space between you disappears, yet he leaves just enough room that you could step away if you wished.

You don’t.

He leans down slightly, forcing you to tilt your face up to meet his eyes.

“I do not play games,” he says.

You smile.“But you were losing.”

Silence stretches between you, thick and electric. His gaze drops briefly to your lips before returning to your eyes, as though he is weighing something dangerous.

“You will not use another man to provoke me again,” he says quietly.

It is not loud. It is not explosive.

But it is firm.

Possessive.

A statement wrapped in discipline rather than chaos.

You lean closer, until barely an inch remains between you. Your breath brushes against his mouth.

“Then don’t make me,” you whisper.

The tension hums in the space between your bodies.

Because this is the moment he understands something he has been refusing to admit

He does not like seeing you belong anywhere but near him.You finally broke through the armor he hides behind.

Not with force.

The Nijiku siblings' relationships are so interesting.

It's obvious Kyouka has a soft spot for Zanka, and that she favours him over Goka, despite Zanka being disowned while Goka is following the Nijiku clan playbook to the letter.

I wonder if this is because she sees a part of herself within him? Beyond their obvious physical resemblance, neither of them stood on the golden throne. Could she have had the potential to become a giver?

And yet, the top panel makes it clear that she only sees Zanka as the child he was when he left the Hell Guard, she is incapable of acknowledging his growth within the Cleaners. He's 17, nearly a man, an adult, and yet he remains her baby brother. She portrays Enjin as a villain, a con-man, almost a groomer to justify the loss of her sibling, rather than blaming the structure within which they were brought up for forcing them apart.

It's also obvious Goka despises Zanka - could it be because he has gained their olders sister's favour, despite his inability to conform to the Hell Guard's ideal?

Goka has spent his whole life diligently climbing the ranks, doing everything asked of him to try and meet his sister's and clan's expectations and yet he fails to do so for reasons he doesn't fully understand.