YAMAZAKI

**YAMAZAKI** is an upcoming cyberpunk webcomic, to be released on Tapas and Webtoons. It takes place in Hunter Metropolis, a post-apocalyptic city meant to be a mix of Neo-Tokyo from Akira, the franchise that inspired Soaked Street Grandeur, and New York City. It is the prequel to Soaked Street Grandeur. The story is about the titular Yamazaki and his life prior to and a little after meeting Shotaro Seita, alias Akira.

## Plot

### Chapter 1

Takeru is a boy followed by death, gifted with the ability to change his voice timbre and volume. His mother committed suicide and his father was negligent and emotionally abusive. His best friend, Katsuo, believed him when Takeru said he could see monsters and spirits and cheered him on until he was brutally killed by a monster lingering near Takeru's home. Stricken by grief, Takeru swore to never become close with anyone again. The monster, whom he named Katsuo, followed him for a year before he asked it to kill him. He was saved by a woman named Sencho Oslan, who killed the monster, but died herself in the process. He began to lash out and fight, having run away from home, before getting into a fight and being left to bleed out in a back alley. He is rescued by Shotaro and Akibo, where he is interrogated and offered a place in Akibo. He renames himself Yamazaki, starting his new life as part of a biker gang.

### Chapter 2

Yamazaki goes out on a rampage with Mogu and Genzo, where he learns that they were part of a group of high schoolers with nowhere to go in life until meeting Shotaro, who, albeit unwillingly, offered them a place, a new life, and a family. They tell him stories about Shotaro's early years as a gang leader, and Yamazaki is shocked to hear he's the one who started the biker epidemic, at only the age of 11, four years ago. Yamazaki is a little afraid of Shotaro and is especially surprised when he shows up at his apartment's door with a thick envelope full of money. Shotaro doesn't speak to him, simply leaving. The next day, Yamazaki notices that the others have a few new clothes, accessories or coats of paint. Hashiya pulls Yamazaki aside to explain that money is the only way Shotaro can make himself feel he can keep them around, even if they've been by his side for all this time, and that Shotaro is much kinder than even he thinks. Yamazaki nods before awkwardly asking if he can go with Shotaro to get his bike touched up. Shotaro turns him down but says they can do something later if he still wants to.

### Chapter 3

Devin and Sal help Yamazaki train and learn more about the versatility of his ability. He goes out on his own before running into Shotaro sitting by a fountain, out of his red jacket. They talk for a bit and Yamazaki learns Shotaro has a younger sister he's checking in on. Shotaro threatens to kill him if he ever says anything about this to anyone outside Akibo but Yamazaki says there's no need because he wasn't going to in the first place. Yamazaki asks Shotaro why he calls himself Akira, and he explains he saw the film Akira when he was young and realized that many of the powers of the characters are similar to his. Yamazaki, in turn, explains that his name is a combination of his own last name and his best friend's, before he had promised his best friend he'd protect people by killing the monsters. Shotaro explains they're called bastards by biker gang members, and that almost everyone in Akibo has had a bad experience with them in the past, and that he is no longer alone. Yamazaki asks Shotaro why he invited him to join but Shotaro doesn't answer, simply telling him to figure it out himself as he leaves him behind before getting a call from Hashiya, asking where he is.