Canal Crash
Shion hadn’t acknowledged Hajun’s presence for an entire hour.
It wasn’t that she hadn’t noticed. She had.
The first few minutes were a coincidence. It happened. The paths from Limbo weren’t that many, and if they were both heading out at the same time, it made sense that their paths might overlap for a bit.
Then the minutes stretched. And stretched. And stretched.
From Limbo to the outer roads.
From the outer roads to the ferry crossing.
And now: the Canal District.
Shion had been pointedly ignoring him.
Not because she thought he was following her. No, she didn’t think he was that pathetic (…probably). But something about their silent, accidental parallel travel irritated her in a way she couldn’t quite put into words.
She had seen how hyped he was when Hayato gave him the delivery job. It was childish. Immature. Unfitting for someone who-
No. She stopped the thought.
It didn’t matter. She wasn’t thinking about him.
Another few minutes passed.
Finally, she exhaled sharply, as if surrendering to some internal struggle.
Then, without turning to look at him, she spoke.
"...Are you going to keep walking like this the entire time?"
The heads of passing strangers turned toward her. Shion was used to this. Too used to it. A natural consequence of her appearance, men and women alike drawn to her as if she were a rare gem in a pile of dull stones.
Hajun, on the other hand, was experiencing the opposite effect.
People glanced at him and then looked away.
Some out of unease. Others out of secondhand embarrassment. A few out of mild disgust.
But despite that, he didn’t seem to notice. Or if he did, he didn’t care.
At Shion’s words, he finally glanced at her.
Not defensive. Not offended. Just matter-of-fact.
"I'm just going where I'm going."
Shion’s jaw tightened slightly.
The deeper one ventured into the Canal District, the louder and denser the chaos became.
The gurgling riverways mirrored the ceaseless flood of people pressing through the streets— merchants barking prices, hagglers arguing, street performers weaving illusions of fire and shadow. The air was a suffocating blend of exotic spices, incense, and the metallic tang of freshly butchered meat.
Above, wooden walkways and iron bridges crisscrossed the waterways, granting movement to those who wished to avoid the street-level crush. Red lanterns dangled from storefronts, flickering with contained spirit-fire, marking establishments with good fortune.
Shion barely spared Hajun another glance after their last exchange, returning her focus to the shopping list in her hand.
It was a mess of hastily written characters, shorthand notes, and crude little doodles marking locations. A few items were circled. Some were underlined. Others had question marks beside them, indicating potential replacements if the preferred item wasn’t available.
It was organized in a way that made perfect sense to her.
Hajun, however, had tilted his head slightly, glancing at it.
She noticed.
She tried to ignore it.
She really, really tried.
But before she could mentally override her irritation, he spoke.
"...I’m lost."
Shion halted.
Her grip on the parchment tightened slightly.
A deep, slow inhale.
Then, without turning, she finally said:
"You don’t say."
Hajun didn’t seem embarrassed about the admission. If anything, he sounded vaguely amused by it.
Shion exhaled sharply.
It wasn’t her problem. It wasn’t her problem.
…But.
She took in the street around them again.
People were still staring at her.
But they weren’t approaching.
They weren’t coming up to her, pestering her, trying to initiate conversation or flirt or bargain.
Her presence always attracted attention.
But Hajun’s?
Hajun’s presence had the opposite effect.
He repelled.
A rare, most useful phenomenon.
And so, with another sigh, she folded her list.
"Fine. Come with me."
Hajun blinked. "For real?"
"If you get in my way, I’ll change my mind."
Hajun considered this.
Then, with a shrug, he fell into step beside her once more.
Their first stop was an apothecary tucked between two larger, grander shops— almost easy to miss if you weren’t looking.
The sign above the door was faded, but the scent of dried herbs and crushed minerals drifted from within.
Inside, the walls were lined with glass jars, paper-wrapped bundles, and delicate wooden boxes.
Shion approached the counter, where a tired-looking man with deep-set eyes lazily glanced up.
"Two ounces of silver lotus powder, aged if you have it."
The shopkeeper grunted, reaching under the counter to pull out a carefully wrapped packet.
Shion paid without haggling.
Hajun waited outside like a dog.
The next stop was a tea shop.
Unlike the apothecary, it was vibrant, lively, filled with the sound of boiling water and gentle conversation.
Shelves stacked high with ceramic jars, each labeled with intricate calligraphy.
Shion browsed with quick, practiced movements, plucking up a modest tin of deep amber oolong and a smaller, far more expensive container of dragon’s breath jasmine.
The owner, an elderly woman with a single gold tooth, tried to engage her in conversation.
But as soon as Hajun stepped in behind her the woman’s expression subtly shifted.
The usual chatter stopped.
No one wanted to make eye contact with him.
For once, Shion could simply buy what she needed and leave.
…Maybe this wasn’t so bad.
Hayato, ever the picture of relaxed charm, leaned back against his seat with his arms draped over the backrest. He had long mastered the art of looking engaged without actually committing to much.
Tsugumi, seated beside him, was far more attentive. Unlike Hayato, she was actually taking this discussion seriously.
Which was why, after a pause in the conversation, she was the first to glance around the room and take stock of their guests.
And that was when she noticed.
"...Where’s the guy that came with you?" she asked, casually but pointedly.
For a moment, no one answered.
Then, Hayato snapped his fingers as if the realization had just hit him.
"Ahhh, so that’s why I was feeling so relaxed," he mused, voice tinged with amusement. "I thought something was missing. Turns out, being surrounded by only beautiful women has a way of putting a man at ease."
The reaction was immediate.
Aoi, who had been calmly sipping from a cup of tea, lowered it just enough to shoot him an unimpressed glance.
Mika didn’t say anything, but her expression managed to convey a deep, lingering exhaustion with merely a single slow blink.
And even Kaguya, sitting with her sword propped against her chair, made a disgusted face, and Hana, who hardly reacted to anything, narrowed her eyes slightly.
"...Joking," Hayato added after a beat, raising his hands slightly as if to defend himself. "Kidding. Probably."
Aoi exhaled, setting her cup down.
"That is strange, though," she murmured. "He was the one who personally requested to join us for this visit."
Hayato tilted his head slightly. "And none of you noticed him leaving?"
"Shigure departed while the discussion was ongoing," Hana said in her usual monotone. "Before leaving, he informed me that ‘duty called.’"
Kaguya, sitting a little too properly for how informal this meeting was, gave a sharp nod.
"As expected of a fellow Overseer!" she declared. "Even while socializing, he remains committed to his duties!"
At this, Faisal finally made a sound, something between a scoff and a mirthless chuckle.
"You think he left for work?"
Kaguya blinked at her. "What else would it be?"
Faisal made a vague gesture.
"Oh, I don't know, probably anything other than actually enforcing the law."
Kaguya immediately frowned.
"That’s not true! He’s an Overseer, he has a duty to uphold the order of Youdu!"
"He has a duty, sure," Faisal said, unimpressed. "And sometimes, he even does his job. But don’t kid yourself, if he left in the middle of a meeting, it wasn’t to handle official business."
Kaguya huffed. "Then what was it for?"
Before Faisal could answer, Mika, who had remained silent up until now, finally spoke.
"...Probably went after his sister."
Silence.
Then, Kaguya, clearly struggling to process this, pouted.
"What?"
Mika, still exuding an aura of dead-eyed disinterest, leaned her elbow against the table, resting her cheek against her palm.
"He does this a lot," she said. "I don’t know why you’re surprised."
Kaguya pursed her lips and crossed her arms, displeased.
"That’s incredibly unprofessional of him," she muttered, brows furrowed in frustration.
Faisal, satisfied, let out a the slightest hum.
"Welcome to reality."
The bridge was old but sturdy, a weathered stone pathway arching over the endless flow of commerce and water. Beneath them, ferries loaded with cargo weaved through the canals, ferry workers calling out to each other over the ceaseless din of the marketplace. The air smelled of damp stone, fresh-cut wood, and the faint tang of fish being sold at the nearby docks.
They were crossing the bridge, midway through her list, when it happened.
Without warning, a third presence appeared between them.
A smile that was, by all conventional measures, handsome. Popular. Well-received. The kind of smile that made people instinctively lower their guard.
But the moment he opened his mouth all of that collapsed.
"Commoners should, at the very least, bow in reverence when standing beside my sister."
Shigure’s voice was light, almost amused, but the words themselves dripped with condescension.
He hadn’t even turned to look at Hajun yet.
But then, slowly, his gaze shifted.
"So, if that's the case for commoners..." His smile stretched. "What does scum like you think you’re doing, just casually standing next to her?"
Hajun, for his part, barely reacted.
Maybe he didn’t care.
Maybe he didn’t understand.
Either way, his expression remained blank, right up until the moment he puked a mouthful of blood and collapsed.
It was a sudden, visceral thing. One second, he was standing. The next, he was on his knees, blood spattering onto the stone.
But more than the blood, more than Hajun’s lack of reaction, the strange thing was that Shion didn’t react either.
Not even a flinch.
If anything, she simply looked at him, then at Shigure, then back at Hajun again, before exhaling sharply and looking away.
Hajun, coughing, wiped the blood off his lips with the back of his hand.
"...What the hell?" he muttered.
There was no indication of an attack. No sign of a blow landed.
Hajun himself didn’t seem to get it. But Shigure, he was thinking.
Because just now, he had used a technique.
Eon Convulsion.
A technique that froze time in an instant, giving him the window to strike multiple times without resistance.
A technique that, in that suspended moment, had allowed him to strike Hajun’s Aura System directly using Divergent Lifestreams.
Shigure should have been satisfied.
The blows had landed. Hajun had already collapsed, coughing up blood. His fingers had struck precisely where they needed to, each touch unraveling Aura like a tangled thread. Five fingers, five strikes, five ruptured points.
Yet something wasn't right.
Divergent Lifestreams should have done more.
It should have forced Hajun’s Aura circulation into disarray. It should have left his body and mind reeling from the breakdown. But at most, all it had done was cause organ damage.
Shigure could tell, the technique hadn’t failed.
No, it had worked perfectly. It had landed. It had done exactly what it was meant to do.
But Hajun was the problem.
Whatever was keeping him together, whatever monstrous nature governed his existence, it didn’t operate on the same rules as everything else. It didn’t care about the natural balance of techniques.
A normal person struck with Divergent Lifestreams would find their Techniques harder and harder to use.
This idiot?
Still functioning.
If he were anything else, he’d already be half-dead on the ground, wheezing through shredded lungs.
Shigure’s smile remained, but his eyes gleamed with something new.
"Interesting."
He could be assaulted, robbed, killed and there would be no repercussions. The Overseers wouldn’t intervene. The law wouldn’t move. Hajun existed outside it all.
Which meant Shigure had free reign to take out his annoyance.
Hajun wiped the blood off his chin, staring at him, then frowned. "What's the big idea?"
Shigure’s smile widened.
"Shut up and die."
Shion watched.
She didn’t move. Didn’t intervene. Didn’t say a word.
She simply watched the exchange like she was waiting to see what would happen.
Hajun exhaled through his nose, eyes half-lidded. "You're dumb."
Shigure tilted his head. "Oh? No, the dumb one is you."
Hajun opened his mouth, then closed it.
That was all he had.
He turned to Shion, shrugging slightly as if to say that was all he could do. "He got me," he admitted flatly.
Then, another blow.
This time, no Eon Convulsion. No time stop. Shigure simply moved.
Not teleportation. Not phasing. Just pure, ridiculous speed.
His fingers sank into Hajun’s ribs, rattling his organs. The impact sent another violent shudder through Hajun’s body. More blood. More damage.
"That’s twice now," he said, stepping back lightly. "You should stop talking to my sister so casually."
Hajun wasn’t listening.
Instead, he moved to grab him.
Shigure effortlessly avoided it.
Not with a dramatic dodge. Not with a burst of power.
Just slight, effortless movements. Tilting his head. Leaning back. A half-step here, a shift there.
He was completely unbothered.
"You really are stupid," Shigure continued. "You can’t even touch me."
Hajun lunged.
Shigure tilted his body.
Miss.
Again.
Miss.
After a few tries
he shifted his stance. Instead of trying to grab Shigure, he pulled back his fist, coiling it tight, winding it up.
Shigure immediately recognized the movement, this time, it was a real punch.
He avoided it all the same.
But the force of the strike alone was monstrous.
The air seemed to compress violently around Hajun’s fist. The sheer pressure rolling off of it sent a shockwave through the bridge, scattering loose debris and causing the canal water below to ripple in wild, chaotic bursts.
Shigure, despite dodging, felt it.
The moment he stepped aside, the raw force behind the punch tore through the space he had just been standing in.
If he had stood there even a second longer, the results would have been… well, messy.
Yet before Hajun could even process that, Shigure’s leg rose in a sharp, graceful arc.
And then, impact. A clean, fluid kick to the chin.
Hajun barely even had time to register it before his body was sent reeling backward, his balance obliterated. His back hit the bridge, breath forced from his lungs, world tilting upside down.
And in that skewed, inverted vision, he saw Shion.
Looking down at him, head tilted slightly, expression as unreadable as ever.
She sighed. “Why don’t you just give up and get it over with?”
Hajun blinked, upside-down, processing her words. “What?”
“Give up,” she repeated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
He frowned, still staring up at her. “I won’t.”
Before she could respond, Shigure’s voice rang out in exaggerated disbelief. “Shion, how can you talk to that thing like it’s a person?”
She didn’t even hesitate.
“Shut up,” she said flatly. “I hate you, and I hope you die.”
Shigure staggered.
A violent, shuddering moan left his lips. His knees nearly buckled. He had to grab the bridge’s railing to steady himself.
Hajun stared at him, then at Shion. Then back at Shigure, who was clearly reeling from the verbal abuse in a way no normal person would.
This was so stupid.
“I’m leaving,” she said simply, already turning on her heel.
But then she froze.
Her hand instinctively moved to her pocket only to find it empty.
Her brows knit together in irritation. The list was gone.
A slow, taunting wave caught her attention.
Shigure, still panting slightly from his earlier… reaction, held the paper between two fingers, grinning smugly.
“You’re looking for this, aren’t you?”
Shion’s expression darkened. Of course.
He must have taken it the moment he stopped time. Now, they couldn’t just leave.
Her gaze flickered toward Hajun, and her lips curled into something between a smirk and a sneer.
“Well, retard,” she said dryly, hands on her hips. “Looks like this is your second job for the day. Aren’t you happy?”
Hajun wiped more blood off his chin. “Not really.”
Shigure, still holding the list, gave Shion a coy look. “Why don’t you try to take it from me?”
Shion, without missing a beat: “I don’t even want to get close to you. You’re disgusting.”
Shigure moaned again.
His entire body visibly trembled.
Hajun and Shion both watched in disgusted silence as Shigure fully folded inward, knees weakening again, his breathing sharp and unsteady.
This was, objectively, the worst man either of them had ever met.
Shion watched in absolute boredom as Hajun was thrown again.
His body twisted through the air, a blur of pinkish hair and rattling chains, before slamming down onto the bridge. He barely had time to get his hands under him before Shigure’s foot dug into his ribs, sending him tumbling across the wooden planks like a discarded ragdoll.
Pathetic.
She had expected at least some kind of retaliation. But so far? Nothing.
Hajun had strength, that much was undeniable. But skill? Technique? He was getting humiliated.
Each time he lunged, Shigure would shift, using Hajun’s own momentum against him. A hand on the wrist, a pull, a pivot, and just like that, Hajun would be airborne again, flung sideways, upside-down, back-first, rolling, crashing, bouncing.
Shigure wasn’t even hitting him properly.
He was just… redirecting.
Even now, Hajun charged in again, throwing his weight forward in an attempt to grab the Overseer, but Shigure caught him by the elbow, twisted, and flipped him completely over his shoulder. Hajun crashed back-first onto the wooden planks of the bridge, hard enough to make them groan under the impact.
Shion sighed.
She wasn’t really interested in what was happening. If she was watching, it was only because it was happening in front of her. Otherwise, she had no real investment.
Her gaze drifted to the side, over the railing of the bridge, toward the waters of the Canal District below. The surface rippled with the occasional boat passing through, narrow wooden vessels gliding beneath the web of bridges and crisscrossing walkways that made up this part of Youdu. The air smelled of damp wood, fish, and the faint, spicy scent of cooking from nearby stalls.
Another loud crash pulled her attention back.
Hajun had been tossed into one of the stone pillars holding up the bridge this time. The impact cracked it slightly. He slumped forward, but before he could get his footing, Shigure was already there, twisting his arm, sending him spiraling back into the wooden planks.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Shion shifted her weight, resting her chin on her palm.
God knew what she was thinking.
Eventually, after far too long, she spoke up.
“Just get it over with already.”
Hajun, despite being sprawled out on the bridge, bleeding, panting, and thoroughly beaten, suddenly grinned.
“Heh. Was thinking the same thing.”
Before either of them could question him, he moved.
His hands went down to his ankles.
And then, the sound of metal unfastening.
The shackles around his legs fell away.
To anyone else, they looked like simple restraints, just iron rings attached to the chains wrapped around his limbs. But in reality, those things were impossibly heavy.
Or rather, they were exactly as heavy as they needed to be to keep Hajun struggling. Constantly adapting to his strength, constantly weighing him down, never allowing him to move freely.
But now?
Now, they were gone.
For the first time in who knew how long, his legs were light.
Hajun shifted his stance, rolling his shoulders, feeling the difference immediately. Yeah. This would work.
…Or so he thought.
Because the second he tried to take advantage of it-
He got flipped again.
Thrown, twisted, redirected, slammed down, kicked aside, tossed, grappled, flipped. It was as if nothing had changed.
Shigure wasn’t even trying that hard.
Eventually, Shion let out a long, drawn-out sigh.
“Hey, idiot.”
Mid-throw, Hajun’s head snapped up. “What?”
She scowled. “Use your head for once.”
Hajun went completely still.
For a long moment, he seemed to be thinking.
Long and hard.
Shion arched a brow. He was taking his time with this one.
And then...
His eyes lit up.
He had something.
A real plan, maybe?
For the first time, Shion actually watched with genuine curiosity.
Hajun stomped down.
A massive, splintering CRACK rang through the air as the planks beneath their feet gave out entirely. The supports beneath them shattered, sending both Hajun and Shigure plummeting down into the canal below.
Shion blinked.
For a split second, she actually thought Hajun had something in mind.
But then she got a good look at his dumb, panicked expression.
…Oh.
It was an accident.
Still, it gave him the perfect opportunity.
Because in midair, Shigure’s speed meant nothing.
With no ground to maneuver on, he couldn’t dodge the way he had before. He was wide open.
Hajun had a perfect shot.
But Shigure had the perfect counter.
Everything froze.
The shattered planks and support beams hung in the air, suspended mid-collapse. The weightlessness of the fall was no longer an issue. Shigure simply stepped onto a piece of debris, balanced effortlessly, then hopped to the next, ascending back toward the unbroken portion of the bridge.
By the time time flowed again, he was back above, standing on solid ground.
And Hajun?
Still falling.
Shigure leaned over the edge, watching him plummet. Smirking.
"Wow! How unfortunate!" he called down mockingly. "Such a tragic accident! Ahh, my heart weeps for you, truly!"
Hajun hit the water with a loud splash.
Shigure waited for him to resurface.
He didn’t.
One second. Two. Five. Ten.
Shigure crossed his arms, still smirking. “Hey. You’re not drowning, are you?”
Another few seconds passed.
“Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter,” Shigure continued. “I’m more than willing to count this as a loss. But of course, we can’t let this go unpaid. You dared talk with my sister like a normal person.”
He took a deep breath.
And then, dramatically, he announced it to the heavens.
"I declare your karmic debt has increased by a thousand times!"
No response.
Shigure sighed. "Fine. Make it ten thousand."
Still nothing.
"A hundred thousand!"
Still. Nothing.
"A million! A billion! A trillion! A quadrillion! Whatever absurd, meaningless number came to mind, he shouted it. The sound echoed through the Canal District, drawing a few strange looks from passing boats.
Shion’s eyebrow twitched.
This was getting ridiculous.
Shigure, utterly oblivious to her growing irritation, kept going.
"A number so high it bends the very fabric of reality! Heh, yes, that will do—"
"Would you shut up?"
Shigure immediately shuddered.
His whole body trembled.
He moaned.
Shion, now thoroughly disgusted, turned away.
The moment passed, but the irritation remained. She wasn’t sure why. She didn’t care about Hajun. She didn’t care if he drowned. She didn’t care about anything happening right now.
So why did something about this scene bother her?
Why did the sound of Shigure's voice, the way he kept raising the stakes, claw at the back of her mind?
Like an echo of something old.
Like a memory she didn’t want to remember.
…Enough.
Before the feeling could fester, she acted.
Her mind stretched back—rewinding.
Eon Reversal.
The world lurched.
Reality folded inward, bending through the thin veil of subspace. Time unspooled itself.
And suddenly she was back.
Standing on the bridge, right after she had told Hajun to use his head.
But this time, she already knew what would happen.
She said nothing and just watched.
The events played out the same way.
Hajun stomped.
The bridge shattered.
Shigure, thinking himself clever, tried to stop time again.
And failed.
His eyes widened. "What—"
For the first time, Shigure hesitated.
That single fraction of a second of uncertainty was enough.
Shion’s ability had already taken effect.
Infinite Inertia. All of her remaining aura had been used for this.
For the first time, he couldn’t escape.
As the broken bridge crumbled beneath him, he found himself truly falling.
He caught sight of Shion from the corner of his eye. His breath hitched.
“…Ah.”
Understanding washed over him.
So that was why his ability had failed.
She had done it.
She had actually used a technique on him.
His wonderful, cruel, beloved sister. Shigure shuddered.
"Oh, my dear, sweet, hateful sister," he murmured to himself, eyes filled with reverence. "You've blessed me. You've finally touched me. To think, I-"
Before he could finish, a shadow fell over him.
Something ugly.
Hajun.
His hand clamped onto Shigure’s collar.
Shigure blinked. Surprised.
His gaze, once devotedly locked on Shion, was suddenly filled with Hajun’s hideous, grinning face.
“Gotcha.”
Shigure barely had time to look disgusted before-
CRACK.
Hajun headbutted him.
Hard.
The force snapped Shigure’s head back.
And then both of them hit the water.
Hajun returned from the water, soaked to the bone, dragging a limp, drenched Shigure behind him like a sack of spoiled rice. The brother's arms dangled lifelessly, his head lolling back and forth as Hajun hauled him up the embankment, leaving a trail of water and unconscious shame in his wake.
With a careless thud, Hajun dropped Shigure’s motionless body onto the wooden planks of what remained of the bridge.
Then, he turned. Shion was still there.
Standing a few paces away, her arms crossed, her breath shaky. Something was wrong. She looked… flushed.
Her usual cold, detached stare was hazy, almost unfocused. A faint tremor ran through her shoulders, and her breath came in slow intervals like she was trying to suppress something.
Hajun, being the kind of guy who punched first and thought never, didn’t think much of it at first.
Instead, he grinned.
"See? I did what you told me." He knelt down, planting his hands on his knees, grinning up at her. "Used my head and everything."
No response.
Hajun blinked.
Shion was still standing there, but something about her was… off.
Her entire body looked rigid, tense, as if holding back something overwhelming. A thin sheen of sweat clung to her skin, and despite the cool evening air, her cheeks were burning hot.
Hajun tilted his head.
“…Oi.”
He reached out, about to check on her.
SWAT.
Her hand shot out, slapping his away before he could touch her.
Hajun blinked again.
"Oi, oi. What’s your deal?"
"Don't. Touch. Me."
Her voice was low.
Strained.
Like she had to force the words through gritted teeth.
Hajun frowned. "You got a fever or somethin’?"
Shion didn't answer immediately. Instead, she exhaled sharply, her fingers twitching against her sleeves. Her aura, or rather, her lack of it, wasn’t helping. Her body was screaming for replenishment, and thanks to her Recovery Disposition, it wasn’t going to settle down without physical contact.
Her heartbeat pounded in her ears. Every inch of her skin felt hyper-sensitive. The sheer absence of Aura had triggered a reaction so intense that even standing still was a struggle.
She refused to acknowledge it and swallowed hard.
"I just need to meditate," she muttered, deliberately not looking at him. "Now stop bothering me."
Hajun stared.
Scratched his head.
Muttering about meditation and needing rest, yeah, she was sick. But he couldn’t just leave her here like this. And he also couldn’t carry her, because she’d just swat him again.
Shion, still struggling to regain her composure, suddenly heard the sound of wheels.
She blinked.
Hajun reappeared in front of her, standing next to a rickshaw he had somehow acquired in under thirty seconds.
She stared at it.
Then at him.
Then back at it.
Then at him again.
“…Are you serious?”
Hajun just grinned.
"Look, we broke the bridge," he reasoned, gesturing toward the gaping hole in the wooden planks. "Can’t just stand around here. Might as well get goin'."
Shion narrowed her eyes.
“…We?”
"You," she corrected, deadpan. "You broke it, dumbass."
"Yeah, yeah." Hajun shrugged. "C'mon, just get in."
Shion let out a slow breath, rubbing her temple. Everything was irritating. Her body, her head, him.
But… he wasn’t wrong.
Staying here wasn’t an option.
“…Fine.”
She stepped onto the rickshaw.
Settled herself.
Crossed her arms.
"Just don’t-"
"Hang on," Hajun cut her off, gripping the handles. "It’s gonna be a bumpy ride."
Shion blinked.
"Wait, what- "
BOOM.
Before she could finish, Hajun took off.
The rickshaw lurched forward with ridiculous force, launching down the uneven streets.
Shion’s head slammed against the back. Everything went dark and she was out cold.
Her body felt heavy, sluggish, as if she had been submerged in honey. A faint heat clung to her skin, lingering, insistent.
The scent of incense and perfume wafted through the air. It was thick, intoxicating, a blend of jasmine and something richer, muskier. Silk sheets brushed against her arms. A large, overly plush mattress cushioned her weight.
She blinked, disoriented.
The ceiling above was painted with an ornate mural, depicting a scene of divine revelry—figures entangled in passion, lips parted, bodies draped in gold and wine.
Her fingers twitched.
Where…?
Shion pushed herself up slowly, her head still fogged. The dim lighting cast the room in deep reds and purples, warm candlelight flickering against the lacquered wooden walls. Heavy silk curtains hung around the bed, their golden embroidery catching the light.
She could hear the faint, distant sound of laughter. Music. Voices speaking in hushed, teasing tones beyond the walls.
Something in her stomach sank.
This place…
She swung her legs over the side of the bed, the cool floor beneath her feet sending a small shiver through her skin. The moment she moved, she felt it again, that same, unbearable warmth coiled deep within her.
She gritted her teeth, swallowing down the heat rising in her throat. Now was not the time.
Shion pushed herself to stand, albeit unsteadily, and took a step forward.
Her hands ran across the dark wood of the vanity, its surface scattered with perfume bottles, jewelry, and makeup. A polished mirror reflected her flushed face, her normally composed expression hazy, unfocused.
Her fingers curled.
She turned, forcing herself to focus.
Across the room, a window.
Shion made her way toward it, gripping the frame as she looked outside.
And what she saw made her stomach drop.
Devil Moon.
The city beneath her pulsed with life, the neon glow of vice and indulgence illuminating the streets.
Crowds of yokai, succubi, and vagrants wandered through lantern-lit alleys, slipping into smoking lounges, fighting pits, and shadowed dens. Laughter, the clinking of glasses, and the telltale sounds of pleasure filled the air like a drunken haze.
A brothel.
She was in a brothel.
Shion’s breath caught.
Wait.
She couldn't remember what happened after Hajun took off.
Just a blur, being thrown around, jolted by the movement, and then... nothing.
A cold, sick dread began to settle in her stomach.
Her recovery disposition.
The location.
Did something happen?
And more importantly...
Where the hell was Hajun?!
Shion pushed open the door, stepping out into a lavishly decorated corridor.
She moved quickly, her heartbeat hammering against her ribs.
The lounge was filled with people, clients and courtesans. Velvet couches lined the walls, where men and women lounged in various states of dress, speaking in hushed tones or laughing freely. The air was filled with perfume and smoke.
The moment she stepped in, heads turned, eyes locked onto her.
A drunken oni leered at her, stepping forward. "Hey there, sweetheart. Didn’t know we had someone like you here. You new?"
A fox courtesan smirked. "She’s gorgeous. Maybe the Madam brought in fresh talent?"
Shion’s face remained blank, but inside, a deep annoyance began to rise.
She ignored them, stepping deeper into the lounge, her eyes scanning the room.
She couldn't see him.
She needed to get out of here. Why even bother looking for him? She was about to turn around when she spotted him.
Seated at a low wooden desk, off to the side, back against a wood-paneled wall, a book open in front of him though he was frowning at it as if it had personally insulted him.
Across from him, a red-skinned yokai woman in a black silk robe, her legs crossed, chin resting on her palm, watching him with clear amusement.
Shion stopped in her tracks.
A thousand questions crashed into her skull all at once.
Hajun noticed her a second later.
He blinked.
Then tilted his head.
"Oh. You're awake. See Candy, I told you she'd wake up pretty fast. She's the one that prepares breakfast every morning after all!"
Candy, because that was who this must have been, looked at her, then back at Hajun, then back at her again before a slow, knowing smirk spread across her face.
Shion opened her mouth.
No words came out.
"Oh, sweetheart," Candy purred, "you’re cute when you’re confused."
Shion finally found her voice.
"…What the hell is going on?"
Hajun shrugged.
"What, this?" He gestured vaguely at the book in front of him. "I’m learnin’ to read."
Shion’s brain short-circuited.
"You-what?"
Candy chuckled, eyes gleaming. "Your boss racks up quite the tab you know? Color me surprised when I see Hajun’s the poor bastard sent to pay it for once."
Shion turned to Hajun, her eyebrow twitching.
"And your first thought when I needed a place to meditate was this?"
Hajun nodded, completely serious.
"Boss says this place is ‘relaxing,’" he explained. "You needed to meditate, so I figured—hey, why not the place where the boss always relaxes?"
Shion felt like she was losing her mind.
Candy leaned in, resting her cheek against her hand. "He got lost at first, though. Poor thing was wandering around looking like a stray dog."
Hajun grunted, scratching his head. "Tch. Took me a bit, yeah, but I found my way. Guess I get what you meant now."
Shion narrowed her eyes. "What?"
"You said I should use my head. I remembered the name of the street!"
Shion exhaled sharply.
Fine. Fine. She’d let that slide for now. But-
"Wait," she muttered. "The things I had to buy-"
Hajun waved a hand.
"Got ‘em already."
Shion froze.
"You… what?"
"Yeah. Took the list from your brother." He pulled out a crumpled, faded slip of paper, the ink smudged and barely readable from whatever hell it had been through.
Shion gaped. "How did you-"
"Couldn't read it too well," Hajun admitted, "but Candy helped."
Candy grinned, flashing sharp white teeth. "Nobody would sell to him, you know, what with him being a karmic outlaw." She casually inspected her nails. "So I handled the buying."
Shion narrowed her eyes.
Candy's smirk widened.
"For a fee, of course."
Shion’s eyebrow twitched. "…You charged him?"
"Of course I did, sweetheart. Do I look like a charity? Your boss already owed enough money as it is."
Shion crossed her arms. "With what money?"
"Ah," Candy purred. "That’s the best part."
Hajun smirked then pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it onto the table.
A wallet.
A familiar wallet.
Shion stared.
Then she recognized it. It looked exactly like her old wallet, the one that she got rid of some time ago.
"Wait, Is that..."
"Your brother’s."
"Ah, I see. Good." hearing that her brother not only got beated but also robbed made her calm down.
Hajun nodded. "Took it off him before I dumped him in the canal."
Candy burst into laughter. "Oh, you should’ve seen the state of it! Waterlogged, smelled like a dead rat—but still full of money." She tapped her cheek, looking smug. "And since I was handling the purchases, well, I took a little… compensation for my trouble."
"A hefty tip," Hajun muttered.
Candy winked. "Pleasure doing business."
Shion inhaled deeply.
Then exhaled.
Okay. Fine.
The things she needed were already bought. Hajun, somehow, through some unholy unnatural chain of events, had figured things out on his own.
She would process this later.
For now-
"I’ll meditate," she muttered.
And without another word, she turned and walked back to the room.