Ninja Gaiden Koibito

Beta Build: The Butterfly


The night air was cool and crisp as it swept through the empty streets of Tairon. Hayate dashed down the street, as swift and quiet as the breeze. He finally stopped, taking cover behind the stone edge of an apartment building. Hayate eased his masked face around the corner to take a cautious glance at Serpents Plaza. He was not one to be caught running into an ambush.

Hayate took in the scene at once. The majestic Serpent Statue stood in the center of the circular plaza. A lone figure leaned against it, facing away from Hayate’s hiding place. The figure was sporting a long trench coat and fedora, both a deep shade of gray. The slender frame and tilted hips made it rather obvious that the figure was female.

Hayate was still considering the best route of approach when another person appeared. This one was male, and a burly one. He staggered into the plaza in what Hayate instantly recognized to be a drunken shamble. The man wore a tattered wool coat draped over worn and frayed overalls. His clothing was a mishmash, leading Hayate to conclude that he was down on his luck. The drunken man approached the woman leaning against the statue, and Hayate spotted the nearly empty bottle of booze in his right hand as he raised it in greeting.

“Hey, honey!” The man’s voice boomed, and his words echoed eerily off the stone buildings around them and dissipated into the night’s deep silence. “Why’a out ‘ere all ‘lone? Iss dain-drusss….ta be ‘lone by ya self.”

The coated woman seemed not to notice the drunkard as he shambled up next to her beside the imposing statue. He leaned in close, and Hayate could only imagine the stench of his booze-riddled breath as he spoke.

“Don’ wanna talk?” He drunk leered at her. “Tha’s fine with me. I le’ my hands do the talkin’…”

As the man’s filthy hand came up toward her, the coated woman spun around. Her elbow flew into the drunk’s nose, and Hayate heard a sickening snap. The man stumbled back, mumbling incoherently and covering his face with his hand as blood flowed down over his mouth. His other hand slipped into his pocket, fetching a switchblade that gleamed in the streetlights. With surprising speed, the man extended his right leg, stretching it out in front of him, ready to lunge with his blade.

With a practiced fluidity, the woman grasped the man’s knife hand at the wrist. She pulled herself toward him, planting her left foot on his extended knee. Before the joint gave out, she vaulted herself up, practically running up his torso, and planted a devastating kick to the man’s face with both feet. She flipped back, landing smartly on her feet as the man’s limp body skidded half a dozen feet across the stone plaza. He did not get up.

“Impressive.” Hayate spoke up as he stepped into view. “For a moment I thought you would require assistance.”

“I’m glad you appreciated the match.” The woman turned to face him, her dark face lit with a brilliant smile. “It’s been too long, Hayate.”

“We have met?” Hayate frowned as he searched his memory. “I do not recall your face.”

The woman laughed lightly. “That would make sense. Here, does this help?”

She reached up and tilted her fedora down, covering her eyes with the brim. Hayate’s eyes narrowed as he studied her chin and mouth. Then his fists clenched as realization dawned. He assumed a fighting stance.

“I faced you atop the DOATEC tri-tower.” Hayate nodded. “But there you wore a mask.”

“I enjoyed the match, Hayate.” She took off her hat, revealing a strikingly beautiful face and tightly styled ebony hair. “The destruction of DOATEC’s base was no mean feet, either. Thank you, Hayate.”

“I do not understand.” Hayate shook his head. “Who are you? What is your connection to DOATEC?”

“My name is Lisa.” Her dark eyes glittered. “And we both share a close connection to DOATEC, Hayate.”

“You know nothing about me.” Hayate spat.

“I know of your imprisonment and I know of Project Epsilon.” Lisa’s features tightened with sorrow. “I know what they did to you, Ein.”

“My name is Hayate!” He roared with sudden fury. “They stole my life from me!”

“I’m sorry… Hayate.” Lisa looked down. “I just grew so accustomed to calling you… that name.”

“You were part of it?” Hayate fought to restrain his rage. “I should kill you!”

“You really don’t remember me at all, do you?” Lisa’s eyes filled with tears. “You remember nothing of Epsilon?”

“You and your DOATEC cowards made sure of that!” While Lisa’s tears seemed genuine, Hayate was not about to let his guard down.

“I know you have no reason to trust me.” Lisa swallowed hard, blinking away her tears. “But the information I’ve gathered is vital for both Ryu and your sister Kasumi.”

“And I should just stand here and listen to your lies?” Hayate squared his shoulders. “Never. Ryu and I shall find a way without help from the likes of you.”

“Hayate, wait!” Lisa spoke as he turned to leave. “There may be a way I can prove myself.”

“I would doubt that.” Hayate sneered over his shoulder. He paused for a moment, torn between his pride and curiosity. At last, he turned back to address Lisa. “What could you do to prove yourself?”

“I may be able to…” Lisa hesitated. “Understand that it may not be pleasant…”

“What is it?” Hayate snapped, growing impatient.

“Restore your suppressed memories.” Lisa sighed. “It could be painful, but…”

“Do it.” Hayate commanded.

“Are you sure?” Lisa shook her head. “I can’t guarantee what might…”

“Now.”

“Epsilon Meme Restoration Code Delta Oscar Alpha: DEAD OR ALIVE.” Lisa spoke loud and clear, her voice a strong monotone.

A searing pain sliced through Hayate’s consciousness. He cried out, falling to his knees as unleashed memories flooded his mind. It was an interminable torment that threatened to split his soul apart. Names and faces, too numerous to count, sped past his mind’s eye. And then, just as suddenly as it began, it was over.

“Hayate?” Lisa knelt down next to him, her face twisted with anxiety. After a moment, she spoke again, with a growing sense of panic. “Ein?”

“No…” The ninja shook his head slowly, looking up at her. “It’s still Hayate.”

“Do… do you remember anything?” Lisa bit her lower lip.

“I remember.” Hayate stood slowly to his feet. “I remember…everything… Lisa.”

They stood facing each other in silence for a long moment. Hayate’s face was taut with a strange uncertainty. It was as if full knowledge was somehow far more confusing than the years of uncertainty had been. His mind was whole once more, but his heart was another matter.

“It was you.” Hayate whispered. “You let me go. You freed me.”

Lisa simply nodded once, never breaking eye contact with him. Hayate shook his head slowly. “But why? Why take the risk?”

“I…” Lisa finally looked away. “I think you know.”

Before he could say anything, lightning knifed through the clouds overhead and thunder shook the ground. The next moment a curtain of rain fell across the plaza, drenching them both within seconds. Lisa finally broke the silence.

“We should find shelter.” She gestured for him to follow her. “I know a place where we can dry off.”

Lisa led him to the jeweled doors that Hayate and Ryu had passed through earlier to find Han’s Bar. Instead of going through the ornate door, however, they turned to the right. As they past by, Hayate heard a voice cry out over the thunder that he instantly recognized as Ryu’s. Hayate did not bother to rush to his friend’s aid. He had spent enough nights at Gen Fu’s dojo to know that Ryu’s cry was not borne of pain. With a sly grin, he shook his head.

“Here we are.” Lisa stopped in front of a small store front. She produced a key from her coat pocket and opened the door. “The owner is away for the time being. He was kind enough to rent me his back room.”

Inside, Hayate found himself surrounded by a marvelous assortment of weapons. Masterfully crafted devices of combat lined the walls, and the air was filled with a wonderfully cozy aroma of a sword-maker’s furnace. Hayate closed the door behind them, latching it securely. He turned back and saw Lisa lighting several lanterns, casting a warm glow over the dark wooden interior.

“You should get out of those wet clothes.” Lisa suggested as she lit the last lantern and walked behind the store’s counter, bending down to fetch something.

“I have no other garments with me.” Hayate shifted uncomfortably.

“Put this on.” Lisa stood back up and tossed him a dark green towel. “I’ll start the furnace and set our clothes out to dry. We have some time. I don’t think Ryu would like to be interrupted for a while.”

Hayate nodded vaguely. Lisa turned away to fidget with one of the lanterns as he disrobed. Wrapping the towel securely around his waist, he set his damp ninja garb next to the furnace as Lisa stoked the flames to life. Hayate noticed that Lisa had kicked off her rain boots and set her fedora out to dry, but had not yet shed her trench coat. Though it puzzled him, he did not ask about it.

“I heard you fighting those dragon monsters.” Lisa said by way of conversation. “Were you hurt or anything?”

“Nothing serious.” Hayate said. “Just a little sore. Those beasts had formidable strength.”

“Would you like a PTRM?” Lisa asked brightly. “You…you do remember what that is, right?”

“Post Training Relaxation Massage.” Hayate nodded. “Yes, I remember. You were in charge of physical therapy during my… imprisonment.”

“You do remember!” Lisa smiled. “So… would you…?”

“Certainly.” Hayate nodded.

Lisa cleared some space on the counter and Hayate laid face down, using another towel as a makeshift pillow for his face. Lisa’s slender hands began working over his muscled back, working the residual tension of combat from his body. Hayate closed his eyes, taking time to consider his reclaimed memories. He recalled the many brutal testing sessions during the course of Epsilon, and the great relief he had always felt when he retuned to his cell to find Lisa waiting to assess the damage and do what she could to repair it. He had refused to speak to her at first, but as the testing wore down on him, he had eventually turned to her for what little support she was able to offer. Were it not for her, Hayate was certain that he would have died there.

Lisa’s hands rolled across his lower back, and he felt a sudden striking cold as the sleeve of her damp trench coat brushed his skin, making him flinch involuntarily.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Hayate.” Lisa half-giggled. “Here, I’ll fix that.”

Hayate heard the trench coat fall to the floor, and soon Lisa’s hands were once again kneading warmth back into his body. Her strong fingers worked down the back of his thighs and calves, then back up his body to his shoulders. The counter shook slightly as Lisa climbed up; straddling Hayate’s lower back to give her better leverage for the deep tissue massaging.

Hayate was finally letting himself relax, enjoying the feel of Lisa’s hands working his biceps and shoulders. He had been on the hunt for so many years, he could not recall the last time he had touched a woman, let alone been given a marvelous massage.

“Ok, Hayate.” Lisa spoke, her voice oddly anxious. “Turn over.”

Hayate twisted over beneath her, leaving his eyes closed as he settled onto his back. He took a deep breath, waiting for her to begin on his chest. He waited… and waited. After almost thirty seconds he cleared his throat.

“Something wrong, Lisa?” He asked lightly. When there was no response, he finally opened his eyes. “Lisa, is something…”

He stopped short. Lisa straddled his abdomen, her knees on either side of his ribcage. She was completely naked. Hayate stared up at her striking face, then his eyes traveled down her graceful neck to the rich ebony orbs of her breasts, and down her trim stomach to the marvelous beauty of her womanhood between her smooth, long legs.

“I know this isn’t fair.” Lisa spoke softly. “I know I’m out of line, and that after what they… what WE did to you in Project Epsilon, you have every reason to hate me. Whatever you say next, I just want you to know that I didn’t free you just because it was the right thing to do. I had less noble reasons.” Lisa stared down at him, her eyes full of fear and trepidation. “Well? What are you…”

Lisa was cutoff as Hayate pulled her down into a deep, long kiss. Hayate’s tongue slipped into her warm, moist mouth and he felt her melt against him. The towel at his waist rose up as his manhood awakened, growing stiff as Lisa’s hands roamed over his face and through his thick hair. Lisa broke their kiss and smiled.

“Oh, god, I’ve wanted you for so long!” She gasped. “My hands have been over every inch of your body, but I could never do what I wanted with you.”

“No Lisa, you haven’t had every inch of my body.” Hayate grinned as he reached down past Lisa’s thigh and ripped the towel from his waist. His long shaft sprang up, tapping the crevice of Lisa’s toned butt.

“Inside me, Hayate.” Lisa’s eyes were blazing with desire, and she licked her lips. “I want you inside me, right now!”

Hayate reached down and grasped his rod. Lisa shifted slightly and he guided his pulsing member into her dark folds. Lisa purred as the head slipped past her nether lips, arching her back as inch after inch filled her inner depths.

“Finally! Ohhh….yes…” Lisa’s eyes filled with tears of joy.

“Ahhhh! It’s…ohhh, nnngh…. It’s been so long!” Hayate gasped. Years of unfulfilled sexual desire had at long last been unleashed. “The feel of a woman around me! I’d forgotten…Ughhhh! By the Ancestors! And to have a woman as beautiful as you, Lisa!”

“Oh, Hayate! You feel amazing!” Lisa moaned, churning her hips against his groin. “You’re so big, Hayate! Your cock is so HARD! My breasts! Please, your hands…oh, on my breasts!”

Hayate’s hands slid up Lisa’s torso and grasped her generous mounds. Hayate marveled at the feel of her breasts as his strong fingers kneaded her flesh, eliciting passionate moans from the American vixen as she rode him.

“That’s right! Squeeze them! Oh! Uh-huh….YES!” Lisa groaned in pleasure as he worked over her orbs. She reached down and pulled Hayate’s head up to her bosom. “Lick them, lick my breasts! I want to feel your tongue; I want to feel you suck on my nipples!”

“With…ahhh…with pleasure…mmmm…” Hayate nibbled and suckled the russet tips of her luscious mounds. His hands groped her gorgeous breasts as his mouth mauled them while Lisa’s slender hips continued to gyrate around Hayate’s overwhelmed member.

“Oh, yeah! That’s it! Unnnghhh!” Lisa nodded as she watched the ninja work on her bosom. She ran her hands over his arms, admiring his amazing musculature. “God, Hayate! You’re so strong!”

“Your body…ohhhh…nnnghh…” Hayate’s right hand roamed around Lisa’s back and down over her taut buttocks, cupping the toned flesh as she grinded against him. “Your body is perfect, Lisa! And your womb is…hot…and so TIGHT! Oh, YES!”

“God! Oh, lay back, Hayate…” Lisa pushed the ninja’s shoulders back down onto the counter and leaned over him. Hayate watched as Lisa’s breasts compressed against his hard chest. Lisa grasped his shoulders in her hands, and used the leverage to ride him with a savagery that Hayate had never known. Lisa’s fleshy orbs slid up and down his chest in delicious friction while her vessel pumped his cock over and over with a desperate hunger.

“Yes, Lisa! By all that is righteous! YES!” Hayate’s eyes burned with lust. He reached down and grasped Lisa’s butt with both hands, pulling and pushing her pelvis as she bucked on top of his shaft. “Nnnngh! Your speed is like the wind!”

“I’m gonna come soon, Hayate! Unnnghhh!!!” Lisa groaned low in her throat as she felt Hayate’s burning rod stroke her inner walls. “I, ahhh…I want us to come together!”

“Of course. I- oh…yes, I am coming!” Hayate bucked up into Lisa’s canal as hard as he could, lifting his butt clear off the counter. “Come with me, Lisa!”

“YES!!! OH GOD!” Lisa screamed as her body shook with an explosion of ecstasy. “HAYATEEEEEE!!!”

“Aaaarghh!” Hayate bore down against the tempest of pleasure, trusting his training to take over and internalize his orgasm. His member pulsed within Lisa’s shuddering womb, straining to be let loose. His training held, but he was sorely out of practice. His orgasm would not release him; instead his loins remained ablaze with indescribable heat. He felt Lisa slip off of him and they both looked down to see his rod in a fit of spasms, twitching back and forth uncontrollably. “Ahhh!!! I can’t…ohhhh!!!....nnnnghhh! It won’t stop!!!”

Lisa grabbed hold of his arm and turned him over, bringing him up on his knees facing away from her. Hayate shook as his groin continued burning with unfulfilled desire. Lisa pressed herself against his back, her waist pressing against Hayate’s quivering gluts. She reached around his waist and wrapped both hands around his wildly shaking cock. Lisa began stroking him madly, her hands pumping the hard organ as Hayate groaned in desperation.

“Come!” Lisa cried, yanking the ninja’s shaft with all her strength. “Come for me, Ein!”

“I---AHHH!!! LISAAAAAA!!!” Hayate roared, thrusting his hips forward in an ictus of bliss. His testicles clenched and a deluge of seed shot from his member. Lisa’s hands continued pumping him, urging volley after volley bursting from his loins.

At last his orgasm diffused into his body. Hayate and Lisa both fell backward onto the counter, the ninja lying next to the American wrestler. After a few moments, Hayate rolled onto his elbow, looking down at Lisa’s sweat-ridden nude body in quiet amazement.

“Thank you.” Hayate whispered.

“Well,” Lisa sighed. “You just have do this more often.”

“Lisa, you were amazing.” Hayate frowned, hating himself for what he was about to say. “But I am a shinobi. I cannot promise that…”

“No, no, don’t apologize.” Lisa smiled up at him. “I’m not expecting a wedding ring. This was something I’ve wanted to do for so long, and I wouldn’t mind doing it again sometime. But I….well… I have someone. It’s pretty serious.”

“Oh…I see.” Hayate swallowed, somewhat shocked. “He is a fortunate man.”

“Well, you see…” Lisa laughed lightly. “This someone isn’t a fortunate MAN.”

“Ah.” Hayate blushed in spite of himself. “That’s…interesting.”

“Oh.” Lisa grinned. “You have no idea. We should probably clean up the counter before we go.”

“Just one thing.” Hayate said as he climbed on top of her.

“Yeah?” Lisa smiled as she reached up to wrap her arms around his broad shoulders.

“My name is Hayate.”


_________________________________________________________________________________________

Writer Commentary


Instead of just titling this chapter after Lisa, I opted for “The Butterfly” to make the featured girl a little less obvious. There’s something of a catch-22 when it comes to naming a chapter. On one hand, I want the reader to easily navigate the chapters to get to the girl they want to read about. On the other hand, as an author I hope to make each girl’s entrance a pleasant and stylish surprise. Of course Lisa’s wrestling alias “La Mariposa” actually means “the butterfly” so it’s not too obscure a title after all.

One of the most impressive things about Ninja Gaiden for me was the design and persistent use of Tairon as a central hub. Ryu traveled to all sorts of interesting places, but Tairon’s ever changing cityscape was always there to welcome you back. The old merchant Murumasa is not seen in this chapter, but his shop serves as the location for Lisa and Hayate’s tryst. Like the roof of Han’s Bar in the last chapter, and even the cabin on the airship in the first series, I enjoy featuring areas that reader has played through in the game since it allows for my limited descriptive abilities to be supplemented by the reader’s memory of the location.

Pairing Lisa and Hayate was a fairly simple decision. Lisa’s official character history has her being involved with the Epsilon Project, and it’s hinted that she helped Hayate to escape, so the two shared a connection of some kind. The first part of this chapter is a simple action sequence where Lisa puts the smack down on some poor drunk before leading Hayate to Murumasa’s shop.

The sex here isn’t necessarily all that inventive or different than what’s come before, so the eroticism of the scene is more dependent on the relational dynamic between the two characters. Hayate first feels suspicion and anger toward Lisa, but after she is able to completely restore his suppressed memories, things become a lot more friendly. There’s a certain urgency to the sex; impulsive desire with a touch of romance. I’m not sure why it worked out that way, but I’m very happy with it.

Hayate is stylistically very similar to Ryu, especially when compared to Eliot. The differentiating factor is Hayate’s lack of practice. Ryu has been bedding gorgeous, vivacious women extremely frequently, but who knows how long it’s been for Hayate? Hayate is able to be a bit more in awe of the pleasure and Lisa’s body than Ryu would be, and there’s an element of novelty for him. Lisa is in some ways releasing her pent up guilt over what she did to Hayate by making love to him. The internalized orgasm, which we take for granted with Ryu, goes awry with Hayate. He gets caught in an incomplete orgasm, but Lisa is able to finish him off manually. It is interesting to note that in the heat of the moment, Lisa calls him “Ein”. A part of her still thinks of him as he once was during Project Epsilon.

While the Beta Build is all about matching up quasi-permanent partners, Lisa and Hayate are far from an exclusive item. Lisa reveals that she is already committed to a relationship with another woman, who we know to be Tina. Fortunately they have a pretty open relationship, so the occasional fling with a ninja is totally acceptable for those two girls.