Kenji Sasaki ran down the passageway trying his best no to slip. Raw sewage swept like a river to his right. Sweat covered his body and the salt from the sweat stung his eyes behind his glasses. Not bothering to wipe his face Kenji ran on. He could hear the sounds of his pursuers. Fortunately for Kenji he was small and agile while the two Yakuza thugs behind him were big and clumsy. Unfortunately they had guns and Kenji didn’t have anything, not even a pocketknife.

It was dangerous to be running in the sewers, but the Yakuza had orders form their Oyabun to send Kenji to his ancestors before he was ready to go. Kenji blamed Mariko the daughter of the gangster. If it wasn’t for her, he would never be here running for his life. It was only a week ago that Kenji was employed as a music teacher for Mariko. How was he to know that she was the daughter of a Yakuza Oyabun? At first Kenji was a total professional, teaching her the proper fingerings of the flute. What a fool he had been. The vixen had started to seduce him by rubbing her body up against him and later she expressed her undying love for him if only he would kiss her. Not being a strong man, Kenji kissed the girl passionately. That was when her father walked in.

Needless to say Yojimbo Hakade wasn’t greatly pleased by the sight of his daughter kissing her music teacher. This was also the time that Mariko betrayed Kenji. She told her father that Kenji had forced himself upon her. Kenji was so shocked that he just stood there. It was the slap from Yojimbo that brought him out of his fugue. They Oyabun said that no music teacher was going to force himself on his daughter. Fearing for his life Kenji fled. The only thing he took with him was his treasured silver flute. He had been running ever since.

Kenji let out a cry when h is foot slipped on some slime and he fell a little. The thugs who then took some time to take a couple of shots at him heard his cry. The first shot missed him completely, but the other grazed his scalp. Pain exploded in his head and Kenji fell into the sewage and was swept away.

There was the feeling of falling and then blissful unconsciousness. Kenji didn’t know how long he lay on the shore of some forgotten cavern deep under the city but was the biting that really brought him around. Something was biting his arm. In fear Kenji skittered back much to the annoyance of the thing biting him. Digging into his pocket Kenji pulled out his lighter and prayed that it still worked.

In the flickering light of the lighter, Kenji saw the rat. The rodent was the size of a large cat. The rat had been chewing on his arm and retreated a little when Kenji brought light in the space around them. Fearing that the rad would attack him again, Kenji quickly gathered together some dry paper from the mound of trash at his back to build a fire. The rat seemed fearful of the fire and stayed away but it never left. With a fire going Kenji rummaged through the heap for more combustibles.

Kenji finally had a decent fire going, but the rat rather than fleeing sat there watching him. Kenji felt a little more relaxed, other than the bite on his arm and the scratch on his scalp, pulled out his flute. The rat seemed to stare intently at the flute. Checking to see if the flute was damaged, Kenji started playing. The notes seem to float through the air of the sewers. The placed seemed to have a natural acoustics as the music echoed back and forth.

What amazed Kenji so much was the rat. It seemed to be rocking back and forth with the motions of the melody. Kenji was so amazed that he stopped playing and the rat stopped rocking. Again when Kenji played the rat rocked. To Kenji this was fun and he played a jaunty tune and the rat practically danced. Fear of the rodent faded quickly after that. Over the next few hours Kenji experimented with different tunes. It was simply amazing thought Kenji. By using the flute he was able to control the rat.

Kenji explored his new word with his rat at his side. Time passed and more rats came and they too acted as the first. Kenji started to see the rats as his subjects and he was their king. Using his flute Kenji was able to command the rats to steal things for him. At first it was just food and clothing, but later when Kenji started calling himself Rat King that his subjects started stealing valuable things as well.

However for all the jewelry and money the rats have brought him, Rat King still felt incomplete; for what is a king without a queen, and if his queen displeased him he could always feed her to his rats. Mariko was to be his first bride. Rat King was in love and his subjects would bring her to him.

Sasaki always felt that he was an outcast in life. No one really loved him. To find a true love is one of Sasaki's most fervent goals. However, no matter how hard he tries, how many women he kidnaps, and no matter how many treasures he gives to his true loves it never seems to be enough. Woman that he takes for his brides are always crying and moaning about how they don't want him to hurt them and that they want to go home. After a while it even gets on his nerves. It is at these moments that Sasaki knows that these wretches couldn't be his true love, and again looks to the world above for a new queen. The old queen quickly forgotten. The Rat King's subjects take care of those not found worthy.

Sasaki never was good at rejection either. He could never understand all the rejection he recieved, and rejection was a sure way to anger Sasaki. Those who angered Sasaki often became fodder for his minions. However, the loss of an old queen has never bothered Sasaki the Rat King one little bit. Sasaki is a forward thinker. The past is the past.

Years of living in the sewers being chased by bloodthirsty yakuza has taught Sasaki the value of being cautious. Sasaki doesn't commit a crime without a lot planning, and his plans always have several places for escape.

"Hounded out by one and all! Met with hatred far and wide! No kind word from anyone! No pity anywhere! Mariko...Mariko....Why? Why? Who will love the Rat King?!"

The Rat King is able to command rats and other rodents. He can cause a plague of rats to appear as if by magic. Those not thoroughly protected could receive horrible wounds from the rats. Naturally rodents of any kind will answer to the Rat Kings commands. Rat King can mentally communicate with any rodent as well. He can also see through the eyes of his rodent minions, and Rat King often uses the rats as spies. No one notices rats that often. In addition to the regular sized rats that always seem to be around Sasaki, he has four rats that tower over the rest. These four are his most faithful minions.

In addition to his mental powers over rats, Rat King can reduce his size down to the size of a rat. When that small Rat King is hard to hit, and can hide with the best of them. The Rat King shares another power with rodents. He's able to flatten himself out in such a way that Rat King can squeeze through the smallest of cracks.

Sasaki is a scrawny individual. He has large ears and buck teeth. His hair looks it has been cut with a knife. For clothing Sasaki wears a pair of torn and dirtied trousers. On his feet he wears a pair of geta. His chest is bare.

However, over all of this Sasaki has a purple cloak with a high collar that he stole from a theater company. He thinks the cloak makes him look regal. Sasaki often has one of his rat followers riding on his shoulder.