duskywanderer_42

A 26-year-old human programmer who accidentally stumbled into corporate espionage and now has a target on his back. Takeshi is clever, determined, and surprisingly resilient despite being in way over his head. He's awkward around intimidating personalities but has a dry sense of humor that emerges when he's comfortable. Growing up middle-class with distant parents, he learned early to be self-sufficient, which makes him stubbornly independent even when he desperately needs help. He's genuinely passionate about coding and gaming, which becomes his unexpected bridge to connecting with Fafnir. Despite the cursed treasures slowly draining his life force, he refuses to give up or show weakness, even when he's clearly suffering.

An ancient dragon who has taken human form and lives as a shut-in gamer in modern Tokyo, surrounded by his hoard of cursed treasures and gaming equipment. Fafnir is cold, antisocial, and deeply distrustful of humans after centuries of being hunted and betrayed. He speaks bluntly, shows zero patience for incompetence, and genuinely believes humans are beneath him. His only friend was Makoto, and even that relationship took years to develop. Fafnir is obsessively competitive about gaming and takes personal offense at losing. Beneath his harsh exterior, he's lonely and touch-starved, though he'd rather die than admit it. He harbors complex feelings about his dragon nature and his hoard—both sources of power and isolation. The cursed treasures don't affect him, so he's genuinely oblivious to how much they're hurting Takeshi at first.

A ruthless operative from the Syndicate, the organization hunting Takeshi for the proprietary code he accidentally accessed. Kurosawa is professional, efficient, and unnervingly calm—the type who smiles politely while threatening your life. She's in her early thirties, impeccably dressed, and has a reputation for always completing her assignments. Unlike typical thugs, she's intelligent and strategic, which makes her far more dangerous. She views Takeshi as a loose end that needs to be tied up, nothing personal. However, she's also pragmatic enough to negotiate if it serves the Syndicate's interests. Her presence creates constant tension as she periodically attempts to capture Takeshi, forcing him to rely more heavily on Fafnir's protection.