"My dearest guests."

His voice was tranquil and mellow. 

An alluring smile adorned his attractive face, and he turned to meet their eyes. The kimono he wore was starting to slip from his shoulders. 

"You probably visited me at the wrong time."

"Rugi!" Haru grinned, before he paused. "Why are your clothing always so loose like usual?!" 

"Rugi! What's happening?" Kiyae asked frantically, frowning.

The same man wiped the trace of blood off his lips. He adjusted his kimono, giving his sword a few swings. 

"Hmmm," Rugi chuckled lowly, pointing the sword forward. "A fight with myself." 

Haru and Kiyae were bewildered. 

Whereas, the hole created in the chaos, someone started to walk through it. 

"Hahaha!" 

It was Jehan with his navy blue hair. 

"How's that? I'm strong now, aren't I?"

Rugi sighed. "So you are the annoying and arrogant one, that likes attention."

"What did you just say?!"

"Ah, prideful too."

"...s-so is that an insult or a compliment?!" Jehan barked out. 

Haru and Kiyae felt a drop of sweat rolling down their face. 

It's an insult. 

Haru nodded. 

Definitely an insult. 

Kiyae nodded as well.

"Hey Kiyae. Doesn't that blue hair guy look a lot like...Rugi?"

"He does--hold on, now that I look again, both Rugi and this guy seem to resemble someone…"

Haru and Kiyae narrowed their eyes. In that moment, a certain ash blonde-haired man popped up in their minds. They widened their eyes, looking at one another at the same time and their amazed gestures imitated one another. 

Meanwhile, Rugi raised his eyebrows at Jehan's question, shaking his head. “It’s neither, I am simply making an observation of my own.”

Jehan twitched in irritation. “What am I? Some kind of test to you?!”

“No, no…” Haru waved his hand. “Rugi does this to everyone.”

“He likes to observe people for what they are,” Kiyae shrugged. “A test to him? Close enough.” 

Rugi did not answer, musing to himself. “I wonder how many souls you have absorbed now…” 

Fortunately, these words weren’t heard by Haru or Kiyae. 

Rugi recalled their first meeting and how he pummeled Jehan into the ground with ease. Their second meeting, Rugi managed to overpower Jehan as well but he needed to exert more effort. 

It seems like this third meeting... 

I won’t be so lucky.  

Rugi stared at the bloodstain on his finger, a deep crease on his brows. 

“Hey, Rugi, you know…” Haru pointed to him and Jehan, tilting his head. “The two of you really resemble him.” 

Rugi looked at Haru. “Him?” 

“Yeah, him,” Haru nodded. “Xue.” 

Rugi smiled enigmatically. 

Upon seeing his smile, Kiyae faltered with a grimace. “There he goes again, smiling like that. It creeps me out.” 

Whereas, if it was someone else other than Kiyae that saw his smile, they would be swooning. His pretty smile was simply too fatal. 

On the other hand, Jehan wasn’t pleased at being treated like a bystander in this conversation. He clicked his tongue, rushing towards Rugi with his claws and Rugi assumed a defensive stance. 

All of a sudden, two people stepped in the way, blocking Jehan with their own weapons. They slid back from the force of the attack, standing beside Rugi. 

“Well, I don’t really know what’s going on but…” Haru swung his sword around, exhaling. 

“...we’ll help you, Rugi.” Kiyae punched her knuckles together. 

Rugi raised his eyebrows. 

Maybe I am lucky this time.

Rugi smiled once again. “Thank you, and it’s inevitable that our host would take a liking to you.” 

“...what?” 

“Huh?” 

Jehan harrumphed, charging in for another round. “Three against one yet again.”

The deafening noises of weapons clashing echoed throughout the alleyway and empty streets. 

Jehan was adept in his claws, alas, against three skilled fighters, even if he had absorbed back many souls, Jehan found himself on the losing end. With no other choice, he was contemplating on resorting to his last method. 

Haru and Kiyae were nothing like the average bodyguard. 

“By the way, Rugi,” Kiyae kept her eyes on Jehan, alert. “Did you happen to meet a pretty black-haired gal? Knowing your speed of gathering information, you’ll know her name.” 

“Cecil Lan.” Haru continued. “Sounds familiar?” 

Rugi paused. “She’s...the one I saved earlier.” 

“Saved?” 

He nodded, and a short moment passed before he gasped. 

“...!” 

Rugi looked at the two of them. “Not good.”

“...?”

“What?” 

Haru and Kiyae snapped their heads to Rugi. 

“She’s in trouble--” 

They fended off another attack from Jehan, hopping out of the way to avoid Jehan plunging attack. Amidst the fighting, Rugi hollered over to the two of them. 

“I sent Cecil to Tsuki! But the person she’s with right now--” 

Rugi staggered back from an attack from Jehan. The moment he made the connection that the guard he sent to accompany Cecil was definitely not on his side, Rugi felt his heart plummeting. 

He knew this feeling very well. 

Anxiety. 

For a woman he had only known through information, and seen for the first time not too long ago, Rugi realised he had already grown attached. 

“What’s wrong with Cecil?!” 

“The person I sent her with, is likely a spy planted by Ephert!”

Rugi was still startled by his apparent concern for Cecil, since it was normally people who would grow attached to him instead, upon the first meeting. 

“How did that even happen?!” Haru exclaimed. 

“I...I was preoccupied with other matters at that moment,” Rugi sighed with a frown, looking at Jehan. “Too preoccupied.” 

Kiyae was the first to move among them. “I'll find her, just help Rugi out, captain.”

“Wait, Kiyae--”

She tapped the ground with her foot and a stone pillar shot out, tossing her into the air. Kiyae flipped in the air, landing on the roof of the building and dashing off. 

She boosted her speed with more stone pillars wherever possible. 

Meanwhile, Jehan heard these exchanges of words and he smirked to himself. At that moment, a burst of aura flowed out from him, making Rugi and Haru look back at him. 

“What the--” 

“What’s he doing now?!” 

The two of them widened their eyes in surprise, seeing an ominous black aura drifting out of Jehan’s body. 

Rugi recognised that aura in an instant. 

“...this is…!” 

“Cecil Lan?” Jehan chuckled dangerously, his eyes turning red like a demon. “I’ll get to her first.” 

A pair of black spiky wings sprouted out from Jehan’s back with a sickening cracking sound, black lines tracing all over his arms and legs. His appearance resembled a half human and half demon. 

Haru staggered back in horror. 

“What’s wrong with him?!”

“Are you crazy?” Rugi raised his voice, losing his composure. “Don’t you know what dark magic does to humans? Especially us?!” 

Haru heard Rugi’s words clearly. He was even more horrified at this point. 

Jehan chuckled dangerously, disregarding Rugi’s words. He surged forward, soaring into the air and following after Kiyae. 

“As if I'll let you do something like that.” Rugi frowned, stretching his hand out. 

A trail of water current appeared out from his hand, shooting into the air and chasing after Jehan rapidly. There were drops of sweat evident on Rugi’s face as it slid down, his expression grave. 

“Kiyae, behind you!” Haru yelled out, sprouting out fire from his fists as he put his sword away. He shot straight up into the air, following right behind Jehan and Kiyae. 

Kiyae heard her name being called out, their voice vague. She frowned, halting in her steps and turning her head. She was surprised to see Jehan hot on her tails, and moreover, the drastic change in his appearance. 

“Heh.” 

Jehan smirked wider, reaching out for Kiyae. 

“You are coming with me, to lead me to Cecil Lan.” 

Despite not being able to hear him from this distance, Kiyae knew that he was up to no good with his devious expression. 

Kiyae leaped down from the building to the ground, landing safely and as she did so, multiple stone pillars were conjured up behind her. Jehan easily punched and kicked through them, smashing them into smithereens. 

Haru was right behind them, along with Rugi’s water current. 

“Kiyae!” 

“Tch. What ridiculous strength, just like Xue.” 

Kiyae lifted her arms, shielding her face. The broken pillars coalesced, forming a shield in front of her. 

Jehan landed a punch at the same time just as the trail of water swallowed him up. 

Just then, Haru appeared from the side and threw a kick at Jehan trapped within the water current, flames licking at his legs. There was an explosion of smoke and the entire street was eventually covered in thin, white vapour. 

Meanwhile, within the thin layer of white smoke, there was an intense battle of elements taking place. 

***

Cecil found a mirror in the staff room. 

She undressed her kimono halfway, standing in front of the mirror with her back facing it. Tilting her head back slightly, she observed the ghastly wound on her shoulder. 

It was a huge contrast against her pale ivory skin. 

The wound was similar to what she received from Yelena’s chakram in the past. Black ominous tendrils spread out from her wound, and even if it wasn’t a deep cut, the dark magic still managed to seep into her body. 

“That looks horrible,” Cecil muttered to herself. “And it’s definitely spreading.” 

She could see the black tendrils extending out, as if it was anticipating the prospect of gobbling up her entire being. 

“What causes it to spread? Is it like poison?” Cecil mused to herself, grimacing. “Or is it from something else?” 

Somehow, she knew that the system inside of her would have an answer. 

“Do you know what causes it to spread, AI500?” 

Just as she was about to receive a response from AI500, the door to the staff room was slammed open. 

Cecil barely had time to cover herself up, especially due to the pain on her shoulder. To her relief, the person at the door was the employee that helped sneak her into this place earlier. 

Unfortunately, their look of aghast made her feel apprehensive. 

“You have to run, now.” 

“Wh-what’s happening?” Cecil shielded her bare shoulders from their sight and she frowned deeply. “Don’t tell me...they are inside here finding me?” 

The female employee nodded. 

“They are forcing their way in, strong enough to overpower the guards. Even if there is an unofficial rule that they cannot disrupt our business, they are still checking the faces of our customers and the rooms that anyone could hide in.” 

“How many of them are there?” 

“Four of them.” 

The composed look on Cecil’s face grew cold. 

“...no need to run.” 

She summoned out her dagger, gripping it tightly. 

“I’ll take care of it myself.” 

The earth elemental energy started to flow out from Cecil, a sign she was preparing to fight. At that moment, a sharp pain jolted throughout her body, originating from her shoulder. 

Cecil almost cried out in pain, her kimono growing loose and slipping down from her shoulder. Her wound was back in full view, especially from the mirror. 

The female employee who saw this from afar covered her mouth in horror, her hand trembling slightly. 

[ Using your elemental powers expedites the process. ]

[ The dark magic will eventually consume your elemental energy and overwhelm your mind, if you continue using your earth element. ]

Cecil turned to look back at the mirror, biting on her lower lip. The black tendrils crawled down from her shoulder down to her neck, touching her back. 

“So that explains the pain.” 

[ Just like the warning from earlier~ 
If you do not cure this wound quickly, you’ll die~ ]

“...” 

“Who was the one saying earlier that it wasn’t time for me to die?” 

[ As stated previously, this and that are two different things-- ]

“You useless system! Scam system! There’s no need to state it twice, is there?!” 

[ You asked me twice. ]

[ (; ]

“...”

Cecil was already in excruciating pain, and the system in her head was already tempting her to cough out blood. 

...well, that is, if the system was even an actual system. 

The female staff member seemed on the verge of tearing up, stuttering in her words. 

“Ar-are you sure you still can fight...with that...wound?” 

Cecil quelled down her anger, taking a while to respond as she shook her head. “No, I won’t fight them. If I were to make a mess in your workplace, wouldn’t you be in trouble for sneaking me in?” 

Besides, I wouldn’t be able to fight them properly now. 

The female employee was taken aback by Cecil’s words. 

“What is this place anyway?” 

“This place…?” she hesitated at Cecil’s question. “It’s an entertainment club.”
 
“What does this place specialize in?” 

“...dancing. We are known for being the best.” 

Cecil smiled at that answer. 

What a perfect opportunity. 

Cecil took out her ointment from her storage ring, dabbing and rubbing it at her shoulder. She felt her shoulder growing numb and she moved it around. 

“Are you lacking any dancers at that moment?” 

“We are...lacking one, since there was a big fiasco of one dancer being discovered as a spy.” 

The female employee witnessed this, horrified at Cecil shrugging the wound off like it was nothing. 

However, the next few words from Cecil dumbfounded her. 

“Would you mind bringing me to your superior?” Cecil requested politely, smiling amiably. “I’ll take that empty dancing spot. Right now.” 

“But I--” 

“If you are concerned about dancing outfits for my tryout, I brought mine.” 

Cecil took out an outfit from her storage ring, resting it on her arm as she showed it to the speechless employee. 

“Look.” 

“...” 

In the end, the female employee hurriedly guided Cecil to her superior. It seemed like Cecil would not take “no” for an answer. Moreover, if Ephert’s mercenaries were to find her, the female employee would not be able to bear the guilt of sending someone to their death. 

However, before she took Cecil to her superior, she advised Cecil to wear a face veil. Apparently, it was mandatory for dancers in this club to wear a face veil and it was another convenient excuse for Cecil to disguise herself. 

“Will this bandage do as a temporary face veil?”

“Good enough.” 

She would be safe from Ephert’s mercenaries for a while now, another less headache for her since the wound on her shoulder was the most critical problem right now. 

Well, it would be one less problem if she manages to impress the superior with her dancing skills. 

Cecil tapped her fingers on her chin, her fingers pressing down lightly on her temporary face veil. 

“If it comes to no other choice,” she whispered to herself. “I’ll have to grovel down on my knees and beg the superior.”

Cecil nodded. 

In a desperate situation like this, being shameless and having no dignity took priority. Her life was more important.

***

After being updated on the circumstance, Hana became unusually quiet. It was apparent how she was blaming herself for everything. 

Despite the reassurance from Kai and K’xug, Hana still knew she was partially to blame. She didn’t understand why she was always having fainting spells, especially at the worst timing. 

K’xug and Kai were waiting for the return of Haru and Kiyae. However, with each passing minute, they grew more and more impatient. Alas, they were also afraid if they were to leave now, they would miss Haru and Kiyae by accident. 

“This won’t do at all!” Kai exclaimed, standing up from the couch. “They might have encountered some problems along the way!” 

K’xug crossed his arms, closing his eyes as he sighed. 

“I...I want to go find Cecil.” Hana muttered out, her voice lacking her usual cheeriness. 

K’xug snapped his head towards Hana. 

“Alone?” Kai frowned, shaking his head. “Definitely not alone, Hana.” 

“I don’t want to sit here...and do nothing,” Hana wringed her fingers, her voice cracking a little as she sat on the bed. “Unlike all of us, Cecil is on her own! And the others...they may be injured as well!” 

Hana was completely right. 

Haru and Kiyae had each other. 

K’xug, Kai and Hana were together. 

Yun and Ryo, along with their crewmates, were all together as well. 

Cecil was the only one separated and alone. Moreover, with a serious injury that was fatal was time passed on. 

The worst of all, they were all separated with no way of contacting one another. Neither group had any way of updating their situation. 

“One of us needs to find her ourselves,” Kai spoke up, nodding. “I’ll go by myself. K’xug, you should stay here with Hana, just in case Haru and Kiyae come back. Or if anything else happens.” 

Hana wanted to retort, but K’xug gently placed his hand on her shoulder. 

“Don’t worry, Hana,” Kai grinned toothily, tapping on his head. “There are many of us inside here thinking of how to save Cecil too!” 

The soul fragments nodded along with Kai’s words, all except Isleif who was fuming at the lost opportunity to claim the body for himself. 

Moreover, he was muttering to Kai to kill those that brought harm to their precious Cecil. It needed to start with gouging their eyes out before tearing their limbs apart. 

Kai naturally treated Islief like empty air. 

“But…” 

“I’ll come back with Cecil,” he spoke in a reassuring tone. “I promise.” 

Hana hesitated, standing up from the bed slowly and walking up to Kai. “Be careful, Kai. Along with...everyone else.” 

Kai grinned toothily once again, glancing to K’xug. 

K’xug was conveying the same words with his different-coloured eyes. 

Somehow, yet again, Kai could just understand him like how Xue understood him. 

Kai approached the wooden doors, sliding them open and he looked back once more at Hana and K’xug. 

“We’ll be back before you know it.” 

With those words, Kai disappeared in a flash, the sliding doors still left open. Hana stared at the doorway where Kai previously stood, her hands clasped together as she closed her eyes. 

Please. 

Let them all be safe. 

She prayed to herself, fretful. 

***

《 start 》

How can I grow attached so quickly?

Does this even make sense? 

It’s like I had said. 

If I truly met someone like her in the past, she is someone I would never forget. 

Someone...we would never forget. 

Why is that so?

《 stop 》

***

Long rant ahead. Read if you want. Lemme know if you want a TLDR (too long didn't read) note from me. I guess.

Author's Note: I understand that many people are frustrated with the way