Chapter 04 - Anemone

(Unknown location — 2:33 AM)

"So basically, you failed. Again. Am I hearing this right?"

Reo resisted the urge of tearing herself away from the grasp of the smaller girl, feeling compelled to kick her head out of existence. Why was she like this in the first place? No words of encouragement? No promise of there being other opportunities soon? She just had to play the non-essential role of a teasing bitch at every moment? Time and time again, Reo had the smallest bit of hope that her team or whoever her overseer was had finally gotten fed up with the white-haired wretch and made her an EXILE's dinner.

Unfortunately for her, this girl was always there. Like an incessant fly attracted to dung, there was no getting rid of her.

"She caught me off guard. That's it." Her more severe injuries were mostly healed, though she had a disappointing feeling that a majority of the scars would be permanent for years to come. "A little extra info on her being able to perform EXILE mimicry would've come in handy. It feels like that was left out on purpose."

"Not on purpose," Reo's eye twitched as her anger compelled her to look at the condescending smirk on a girl with snow-white hair and crimson antennas sticking from her fluffy locks. Reo found herself growling as the antennas convulsed amusingly. "We genuinely weren't aware of the fact that she could do that. Maybe it's a recent Quirk development? Regardless though, this girl sits comfortably as the biggest fugitive in the country. If you thought that bum-rushing into a fight with her would be that easy just because you got shiny new toys in you, then you're dumber than you look, huh? Bugs Bunny."

Reo clenched her teeth momentarily. If it's one thing this little brat had, it's the audacity. "Yeah, because the bitch that looks like she sucks crumbs and dumpster juice off of floors would know a thing or two about looking stupid, wouldn't she?"

Giggling, the girl quickly retorted. "Considering that I have to see you bruised, bleeding, and chewing dirt coming onto the airwalk while I'm as spotless as ever, I think I fail as the perfect model for stupidity. You certainly looked the part just a few minutes ago when you needed MY help—!"

"Sister. That's enough."

A deep and airy voice resonated within the room, startling both Reo and the girl that was the source of her headache. The firm yet calming cadence came from the opening of the medical bay where a boy with tousled locks that matched the hue of chestnuts calmly entered the room.

Suddenly, with his presence, the room was filled with a tranquil atmosphere that diminished the hostility without a trace. His eyes were a brilliant shade of light blue, though artificial lines were connecting from his corneas to his pupils that gave off a reddish glare as he looked over the two of them with a tired and passive gaze.

The markings underneath his eyes and on the bridge of his nose sent shivers down Reo's spine for a moment. She could feel the danger fulminating from him like radiation. Reo hadn't experienced her instincts going into such an indescribable frenzy in a long time. However, she expected as much with him being hailed as one of the greatest soldiers in CHRYSANTHEMUM. Still, she wasn't sure if she expected him to look like this.

Reo blushed slightly when she saw that outside of a hazel-colored trench coat with fur in the hood, leather pants, and heavy-duty boots displayed with BLOOM's insignias, there wasn't a single shirt in sight. His immensely toned chest and abdomen were out for the world to see. Good lord, he was chiseled to hell and back.

"Stop ogling, Bugs," Sister gave her a stern gaze before skipping over to the boy, smiling at him sweetly and innocently. Reo bit her tongue for the moment, even if she had a lot more to say. "Sorry, Brother Hide! We were just bantering around!"

Hide said nothing, only pointing to the door for Sister to leave. She happily complied (though she didn't hesitate to stick her tongue out at Reo beforehand).

Reo watched the tall boy sigh to himself before turning his attention to her. It seems like even BLOOM's finest could get a bit frustrated with that girl's presence. How or why she was in CHRYSANTHEMUM and above her, Reo would never know. Besides having a decent healing Quirk, that Sister brat didn't seem to have much else to offer outside of a smart mouth.

"I apologize for her," Reo watched him bow momentarily, keeping his hand within his pockets while doing so. "She's admittedly one of the more… outspoken members of our ranks. You'd be better off ignoring her."

"Hmm, a little easier said than done," Her stare was fixated on the metallic floor of the airship's medical bay, finding it hard to look into his eyes. Why did they look so… welcoming? "So… I'm assuming you aren't here to keep me company until we head back to base? Pray tell, what does the almighty Hide want from a lowly HOUNDS operative?"

"Don't sell yourself short," Hide calmly passed her, admiring the cutting-edge technology installed throughout the entirety of the room. Eventually, he found a seat beside her and pulled himself close enough to give her his full attention. "I know that Sister's words can seem harsh, but that's just how she is. You held your ground as well as you could've before we came along."

Reo merely scoffed, though there was a small part of herself that felt conflicted. "Not good enough…" She didn't know whether to be disappointed in herself for being bested again or happy with the fact that Nyght had escaped long before they could show up

"You're still new to all of this," Reo tensed at the feeling of her visitor placing his hand on her shoulder. Where was he getting with this? Why was he talking all soft and shit to her like he was some sort of guidance counselor? Why did she kinda like it!? "Failure is always going to be inevitable. It's a fact of life. The important thing is that you live to reevaluate those failures and prevent the same outcome in the near future."

Reo looked over to examine him with narrowed eyes. "You know, for someone who is supposed to be BLOOM's golden standard of humanity, you're friendly. It's a stark difference from what I've heard about you in the past…"

"I have different moods for different people on different occasions," Hide snapped his fingers and from out of nowhere, an owl landed upon his shoulder, staring into Reo's soul as she glared right back. "Now, I need you to tell me some things regarding Nyght. It looks like you two have a history?"

The once calming aura of the room dissipated without a trace. In a matter of seconds, it was replaced by an onerous atmosphere that caused Reo to freeze in her spot. Hide continued to offer her a smile, but there was something drastically different in regards to his demeanor. There was a tension that seemed almost vaporescent, like the entirety of the enclosure would crumble and burn away into madness if she made one wrong move.

"On behalf of CHRYSANTHEMUM's orders, I am to interrogate you. I need as much information as possible. Give me every little detail you assessed in your history with Nyght. I ask that you do not lie to me either, Inaba Reo. I will know. Start from the very beginning."

(Shinjuku Ward - Broken Dr3ams Nightclub -2:45 AM)

It truly didn't matter how many extensive trips she made into the city of Tokyo. Nehan would always suffer from an overwhelming sense of whiplash whenever she compared the abrogated half of Tokyo to the bustling and effervescent side of the city.

She could hardly fathom how things could remain so ostentatious and ornate in the face of such dangerous forces flanking on both sides of the prefecture. In a way, it was truly a testament to Ailurophobia's fearlessness. As much as it troubled her, Nehan knew that her worries were on the wrong person. Ailurophobia was a survivor above all else. Even before the BLOOMING day, she would have ruled seven schools at once at the ripe age of eleven.

The depth of her mulberry purple eyes reflected the coruscating glow of the Red Light District. She was hardly fazed by how these streets could make or break nearly anyone depending on their courage and strength. For someone like Nehan, she had a lot of both. Why would she feel intimidated in the slightest? Throughout the crowd of loud sleazeballs, scammers, murderers, dealers, and small-time societies/gangs trying to acquire work or get on Ailurophobia's good side, she felt almost ostracized for multiple reasons.

Maybe they were well aware of the fact that she was likely the strongest person here. Maybe they knew that she was close with the ruler of this entire district. Hell, they were so intimate that she could hardly come close to counting how many times she had seen the gang leader in a rather provocative light. Did they know? Were they jealous?

Regardless of whatever their problem was though, all of them seemed wise enough to only keep it to sharp glares and unflattering comments underneath their breath. Maybe this would be a great night after all.

As she came deeper into the crowd of teenagers looking for a good time (or to give someone a bad time), Nehan noticed an increase in the number of wildcats prowling the streets as if they were on guard duty. She was getting closer to where she needed to be.

Nehan blew away the fringe of bi-colored hair covering her eyes as she contemplated using her broom instead of dirtying her boots in the filth-ridden streets of Kabukicho. However, the appearance of a Bengal cat as large as her torso coming around to rub its head along her legs quickly changed her mind.

It amazed yet terrified her. With one command from Ailuro, these things could wipe out almost everyone in this entire ward and nobody even had the slightest clue.

As the sounds of bass rumbling through the asphalt of the streets compelled her to come closer, she had finally come upon her destination. It was practically impossible to miss. The club itself seemed almost kaleidoscopic, with a myriad of psychedelic colors shimmering throughout the outside area.

Holographic displays of cats could be seen on all sides, solidifying the theme of the club quite easily. Not only was it massive in size, but the line was just as large to match. The prismatic glow of the club shone upon those hoping to get into the appropriately named Broken Dr3ams and exposed yet another skirmish that caught Nehan's attention.

"Either you're fucking illiterate or you think I'm some sort of fucking joke. Let me in the goddamn club, I know that I'm on the goddamn list and even if I'm not, who cares!? I'm bigger than some shitty list!"

"Bigger? Honey, that square-shaped region in those cheap-ass leather pants tells me that you aren't bigger than anything. Go suck a railroad spike and head out. I won't tell you again."

It would seem that some were more desperate than others. Sure, she knew that she needed to hustle into the club, but why in the hell would she miss a free show?

"I'm not going anywhere until you let me into that club," The heckler itching to get his ass beaten on this late night of debauchery was a teenager with bear-like qualities. He almost seemed like a carbon copy of some generic bear that Nehan would find in the background of an ancient animation flick. They even had a red nose to match. Then again, that could be a clown nose, which would be rather fitting in all honesty. "Jesus Christ, your boss needs to get a handle on this place! Between the ugly ass exterior design and clueless bouncers that would rather be all snappy and rude, it's all going to hell!"

"Yep! Right alongside you if you don't stop stinking up the streets with your wide ass and get moving! Don't make me turn you into a carpet, teddy." The bouncer in question was immediately recognizable. With mossy-green hair styled into a wavy ponytail, a fangy smile that had a seductive yet dangerous edge, and a combative tank top with military pants that hugged her figure enough to expose her toned body, she was nothing short of a drop-dead beauty.

She would legitimately knock anyone dead as well. The large and scaly tail extending from the lower part of her back was proof of that as it cracked the asphalt with the smallest thump.

'Cold-Blooded…? I haven't seen her in ages…' She was on bouncer duty tonight? Good lord, whoever this bastard was, he deserved everything that was coming his way. She wasn't one of Ailruophobia's right hands for no reason. 'This poor dumbass…'

Almost as if her mind had been read, Cold-Blooded ignored the incessant heckler to temporarily look into her direction. She smiled at Nehan immediately, nodding for her to head into the club without waiting in line. "Head on in, Endless. Boss is waiting for you upstairs. Get yourself a free drink on the way up~!"

"Hold the fuck up," Nehan nodded but before she could even skip the line, the same insufferable idiot from before wasted no time in protesting Cold-Blooded's decision. "I didn't see you checking the list for her! What the hell makes this broad so special that she just gets to walk right in without a fuss!?"

"Multiple reasons," Cold-Blooded nonchalantly checked the sharp ends of her serrated nails as the source of her headache tried to play tough. "For one, our girl here is a regular, she's done work for the boss and just so happens to be her best friend, and guess what!? She's actually important! I know that might seem like a foreign concept to you, but it's true!"

"You've got a LOT of fucking nerve, bit—!"

WHACK

If Nehan blinked, she was pretty sure that she would've missed the grand finale that she'd been waiting for. With enough force behind her movement to create a whistling effect, the entirety of Cold-Blooded's fist metamorphosed into an unfathomable size as her now scaled knuckles slammed deep into the upper jaw of the annoying bastard. The lower half of his face was barely hanging on by a thread as the bottom row of his sharp teeth shattered upon impact, digging deeply into the roof of his mouth.

Nehan chuckled before casually side-stepping to avoid dirtying herself from the burst of blood that had erupted from the brutal attack.

"Got a little too comfortable there with calling me out of my fucking name, huh!?" As his back smacked hard against the pavement, Cold-Blooded wasted no time in stomping over to plant the steeled toes of her boots right in the middle of his face. "I dunno, maybe it's my fault!"

With a resounding snap, his snout was now split directly through the middle. Most of those in line gasped at the sight of his nasal bone piercing through the mangled area of his furred skin, but Nehan wasn't fazed in the slightest. "Guess that's what I get for forgetting my name tag but next time, you'll know me as Cold-Blooded. Not Bitch. That's a title more befitting of street punks like you, now get the fuck up."

He did not get up. In fact, his eyes gradually becoming more and more dilated meant that he couldn't get up. Blood cascaded from his nose and mouth, forming a pool of crimson red liquid as all remained silent.

"Ugh," Cold-Blooded was always one for living up to her namesake though. "I'll get someone to come and get him to a medic later on. He should be fine there. Alright everyone, just… step over him or something! Or step on him! I don't care!"

Grinning, Nehan walked over to greet her with a smile and a hug. "Gotta say, Shiraishi… you haven't changed a bit."

"Why would I ever, sweetheart?" Cold-Blooded gave her the coyest wink as her arms shifted from having iridescent scales and back into her usual smooth skin. "Now get in there and enjoy your night."

"With pleasure," Nehan patted her shoulder as she walked through the entrance. "Oh and thanks for the show as well. Free entertainment as always."

"Considering how many dumbasses we get on a night-to-night basis? Yeah, your streaming subscription to our daily ass-whooping channels are forever unlimited. Thank you for being such a wonderful customer!"

Anxiety bubbled within the pit of Nehan's stomach as she cautiously strutted through the varicolored paths of the nightclub. She kept her drink cradled close to her bosom with every passing step, not wanting to risk having someone bump into her and ruin her night in a single instance. For others, the bass-heavy music thundering throughout the club might've invoked a feeling of triumph or euphoric happiness. If anything, it only made her more on edge than she needed to be.

Nehan sighed to herself, doing her best to keep her distance from all of the commotions. Every step she took seemed more and more familiar as she made her way deeper into the nightclub. Despite the heavy influx of prancing crowds, the layout evolved from overwhelming to comforting once she'd made eye contact with a massive security guard that allowed her to pass into an entirely different section of the discotheque.

'God, it's like night and day…' All of the high octane energy from outside of the enclosure was almost non-existent in the VIP area. The atmosphere felt far more sophisticated. Most of all though, it felt like a second home for her. Nehan felt as if she could lower her guard without the threat of repercussions when it came to the softer vibe of the club.

None of those around seemed to pay her much mind as she continued through room after room, especially since most of them were more interested in gossiping and their drinks. Cats were scattered throughout the hallways, greeting Nehan with deep purrs as she turned the corner to reach a looping staircase. It was all coming back to her now.

Nehan finally reached the top and was face-to-face with another one of Ailurophobia's trusted guns standing outside of her office. The deathly white skin, faceless appearance, and strangely well-kept suit were instantly recognizable to Nehan.

"Heya, Whisper, it's been a while. Is the kitten in her cattery? She wanted me to check up with her, so I figured I'd drop in."

Whisper merely nodded. Nehan wasn't surprised. There wasn't much that you could do to communicate if you didn't even have a face. Sign language was a thing, but who had time for that anymore?

Without another word, Nehan folded her arms across her chest and bowed. Straight after walking into the room once Whisper allowed her entrance, Nehan's senses were clouded with an accustomed aroma that settled into her soul faster than she could blink. It was sweet in a toxic way. The source of the aroma was standing directly in front of an expansive window, their mesmerizingly pink eyes carefully looking over the rabid crowd below.

"And here I thought that you were going to leave me hanging," Ailurophobia was dressed as lavishly as ever, which was far from a surprise. It didn't matter if she was at an outing or in the comfort of her quarters. She was obsessed with looking good. "How long has it been since I last messaged you? An hour or so? And you weren't here right afterward? That's no good. What if I had work for you? I would've had to dock your pay!"

"Gimme a break, girlie." Nehan rolled her eyes, setting her satchel to the side and removing her Nossokia jacket to reveal a black cut-out crop. She didn't miss how Ailurophobia nonchalantly wolf-whistled at her as she did so. "Pervert much?"

"Oh please, don't think my senses missed you gawking at me when you walked through the door." Ailurophobia stretched her arms as her tail sashayed with her hips. Briskly, she approached the pink couch that Nehan had made herself comfortable on. "And besides, my cousin and you aren't an item anymore, so what's the harm in staring?"

Nehan clenched her fist slightly but did her best to not show any outward emotions. Ailurophobia didn't mean any harm by it, but the subject of her failed relationship with New Japan's biggest fugitive was still quite a sore spot for her.

"Ah, I'm sorry, Nehan, that was… bad timing on my part." Ailurophobia, unsurprisingly, saw right through Nehan's facade and sighed apologetically. "When's the last time you and Samejima talked anyways?"

Nehan grimaced. "We literally haven't spoken since we broke up. She's been out there doing her own thing, and I've been trying to keep myself afloat. The last I heard from her, she was rolling with… Masako."

Ailurophobia's face immediately soured. Both of them were very aware of New Japan's self-proclaimed champion. Ever since they were kids before BLOOM's arrival, Masako was always another nuisance for Nehan that made grabbing Samejima's attention a mission. Nehan and her had many spats because of how bothersome she could be.

"Well," Ailurophobia leaned closer to bring Nehan into a soft hug. Nehan accepted the physical affection with no issues. "If I know my cousin as well as I think I do, I feel that she's taken the break-up as hard as you have. I mean, how desperate does she have to be to even consider giving that bitch the time of day!?"

Nehan gave Ailurophobia a taut frown. "I dunno… Masako is a lot of things, but she's definitely not ugly."

"Of course not," Ailurophobia placed her slender hands within Nehan's own palms. She winced at the cold feeling of her friend's mechanical index finger, but it hardly fazed her once the warmth of her light-brown skin blesses her own. "But you know what is ugly? Her personality. I swear, I'd be happier to see a staph infection than her."

Nehan nodded. Masako was definitely a bitch, there was no doubt about that.

"But guess who has a wonderful personality~?" Ailurophobia tightened her grip on Nehan's hands, nuzzling her softly as her fangy smile brightened. "Guess who Samejima's first girlfriend was? Guess who literally swept her off her feet in a matter of days and knows her better than anyone else?! Outside of me, of course~!"

"I mean, I'm definitely not the nicest person either," Nehan retorted. She couldn't resist the teasing smile that made its way onto her face as Ailurophobia's bright smile faded into a look of unamused annoyance. "And if you know her so well, why isn't she responding to you~?"

Nehan barely flinched when Ailurophobia flipped out one of her serrated nails and smacked it lightly against her forehead. Fair enough. She deserved that.

"You'd do well to remember that I'm your senpai before your friend," Ailurophobia's bottom lip was tucked out as she resumed sipping from her tall glass. "And as such, I don't think that you should be talking to me like I'm some alley cat on the side of the gutter!"

"You're so darn defensive, it's actually pretty cute."

"Yeah, well, you certainly won't be very cute when I rip those eyes out and use them for pool stick cleaners!"

"You know you love me~!" Nehan grinned lovely as she swiftly snatched Ailurphobia's glass (much to her annoyance) and took a sip of her drink. "The proof? Your death threats become way more pathetic when it comes to people you care about."

Ailurophobia gave Nehan the quickest slap on the back of her neck, which the latter was still hardly fazed by. "Shitty threats or not, you'd better believe that I can make them happen if I wanted to! Count yourself lucky!"

Ah, if she had a single digi-yen for every time she'd heard that, Nehan was confident that she could start her own empire. "Uh-huh, sure. Thanks though, Ailly. I really appreciate the pep talk."

Ailurophobia gave her the smallest smile but grunted impassively as her fluffy tail swung with her while she stood to approach her overseeing window. "No problem, you stupid bitch."

Tsunderes at their finest. The act never got old to Nehan in the slightest. "So! What are we gonna do to get in contact with Samejima?"

Ailurophobia fell completely silent, not even giving her the time of day. Nehan blinked. Was she legitimately angry? She knew that Ailurophobia had her more temperamental moments, but she normally took her banter well enough.

And that's when she noticed Ailurophobia's eyes sharply aimed into the crowd. The deepening scowl on her face was all it took for Nehan to simply stand and see what had caught her attention.

Speak of the devil. The very person they were looking for was right in the crowd of the club, starry eyes, midnight purple hair and that same dumb smirk on her face. Any other time, Nehan would've felt a mixture of joy, love and immense annoyance since she was pretty much ghosted for god knows how long. However, she finally noticed that not only was Nyght covered in a set of new scars (she'd ask her about that later), but she was being followed by a group of around eight or so guys that shoved their way through the crowd without caution.

She knew Nyght was aware of them but knowing her, she probably didn't care enough to see them as a threat. It was understandable because the grime and rusted attires they wore gave away their affiliation.

"Ailly," Nehan's voice deepened, no longer holding the friendly chime from earlier. "How did GROVELERS get into the club?"

Ailurophobia sneered as she crushed her glass between her hands and acknowledged Nehan once again. "Railroad and his boys were nice enough to clear out a recent rat problem amongst our ranks not too long ago. I figured I'd give them a bit of kindness for once and allow them a free night in the club."

Nehan cracked her knuckles. "Seems kinda funny that they chose the day Samejima comes in to make use of that offer."

Ailurophobia nodded. Nehan could practically feel the anger radiating from her and knew that she was bound to snap on the drop of a dime, and that would spell disaster for everyone within a ten mile radius. "I'll handle this—"

"No," Nehan placed her hand on Ailurophobia's shoulder. The risk of her handling the situation was far too great and she knew that. "You stay up here, I'll handle them. We don't need you calling too much attention to this place as it is. BLOOM makes it too risky."

Ailurophobia pouted. She lightly smacked away Nehan's hand and crossed her arms. "I'm not some toddler, Nehan. I know how to keep myself under control."

Nehan merely stared in response. It didn't take long for Ailurophobia to break the defiant stare-down and roll her eyes.

"Fine. Just… handle them fast, okay?"

"It's me. I got this~!"

She was starting to wonder why Tokyo smelled a little more like shit than it usually did. Now, it was pretty obvious as to what was causing the horrific stench in the first place.

"Heh! Figured you'd be able to dodge forever, huh? I knew all I needed to do was bide my time and wait for you to come around! Look who decides to show up after all this time? It's nice to see you again, Nyght."

Between the impressively terrible BO, the yellowed dice in his mouth that he had the nerve to call teeth, and his grody fashion sense, she certainly couldn't say that the feeling was mutual. What is it with Grovelers and having the worst hygiene on the face of the earth?

"Lemme tell ya, Railroad," Nyght hardly paid them any attention as he surrounded her table with a group of around eight of his men. "I might not be all that thrilled to see you, but I'm sure soap and water would love to reconnect with you at some point. That's if you don't scare your own bath water though."

"Mouthy little bitch as always," Railroad's (literally) rotten smile never dampered as he removed his dirty and matted hair from his eyes and sat close to Nyght. He only chuckled more when he saw her raise her hands and scoot over after making a choking motion. "I'll leave the smelling all prissy to the women. Real men embrace the natural odor that nature gave us! It's how we solidify our status as alpha males!"

'Oh brother,' Anyone who unironically used male dominance hierarchy was already considered a creep in her book. It only made sense that Grovelers of all people followed that stupid ideology. "Well, could you please be alpha males somewhere else? You're starting to attract flies and I'd like to finish my food without you getting maggots in it… or other things."

"Aw, see, now that's just not fair," She could barely see the brown in his bloodshot eyes as they wandered from her legs to her chest. It was starting to make Nyght feel sick to her stomach. She really didn't wanna have to expel energy on these guys, but it was looking like she'd have no choice in the matter. "Me and my boys have missed you, Nyght. Feels like you kinda left us hanging the last time we met! You know… when you hung us over that fucking skyline and chained us to that bike to drive us there?"

Nyght snickered. Did that actually happen? She couldn't remember it herself but if she did, god, she was so proud of it. Comedic genius, she was. "That was a thing? PFFFFFFFT! Well, hey! It looks like you're still here, aren't you!? So no harm done, right?!"

Nyght only just realized that she was cornered on all sides of her table. The smiles on the faces of Railroad and his crew fell flat, their expressions becoming malicious in an instant.

Nyght sighed tiredly, only offering them a small yet ominous smile. "Boys~? Come on. We all know how this fight is gonna turn out."

"Maybe so," Railroad stood to his full height as his meaty hands gripped the table separating them and tossed it to another part of the club. The muscles in his arms were quivering in the midst of it all, begging for him to release his full strength. The music continued, but the surrounding area immediately grew a bit quieter as he closed in on Nyght with his gang. "But I think I'd stand to gain a lot on the off chance you lose. I didn't miss how you walked with a limp on your way here, Missy. You're injured. And when me and my boys make an example out of you… maybe we can have some fun with that sexy little body of yours. Bet you'd look so much prettier getting throat fuck—!

"Long time, no see… how about you stick to your name and take a train out of here?"

Ahhhhhh, she knew that voice very well. It looks like she was gonna get a show tonight.

"Who the FUCK SAID—"

WHACK

Railroad never even saw what was coming. The very moment that he turned on his heels to violently address who had gotten in his way, a fist collided with his jawline, immediately snapping the lower half of his face like a twig. Blood and broken teeth flew from his mouth and rained from the sky as he was sent reeling. It wouldn't end there though. As he quickly swung his arm to retaliate with a blow of his own, it was caught in the hands of his attacker as she easily lifted him over her shoulders and slammed him down to the ground.

"Heeeeyyyy, Nehan~!" Nyght decided to chime in dreamily. "You want some help?"

"Nah," Nehan refused to relent as she pressed her boot harshly against Railroad's broken jaw, pushing him deeper into the ground as she turned to wink at Nyght. "You finish eating your food, okay? I got this son of a bitch for you."

"Y-Y-Y-!?" Despite his dizziness, Nyght was amused to see that Railroad knew exactly who was holding him. She didn't need to understand his unintelligible muttering to know that he was scared out of his mind. "Y—"

RIIIIIIIP

CRACK

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Without a hint of struggle on her end, Nehan barbarically twisted and mangled Railroad's arm in a single moment. His shriek of pain was almost deafening once his smut-covered skin flailed and shredded apart as bones splintered enough for blood to explode from the newly created opening. A series of sickening pops echoed throughout the now panicking crowd as Nehan finished it off by jerking backwards and completely separating his left arm from his shoulder.

"AAAGGAAAAHHHHHHHH!" God, there was something oddly satisfying about the blood cascading from the severed stump as Railroad desperately tried to grip Nehan's leg with his other hand. It had been a long time since she'd seen a Groveler flop like a fish.

The best part? Nyght knew that the worst was yet to come.

Nehan nonchalantly tossed Railroad's amputated arm into the sky and caught it gracefully. She didn't miss how one of Railroad's boys finally jumped into action, his frog-like body catapulting high along the ceiling of the club before descending upon her.

He never even got to touch the ground as Nehan simply caught him by the throat with the same hand she had mutilated Railroad with. To anyone else, Nehan's grip didn't even seem strong enough to wrinkle paper, but the abhorrent crack that could be heard as the poor fool tried to punch his way out of her grasp told an entirely different tale.

SNAP

A subtle flick of her wrist was all it took for the Groveler's eyes to bulge and slip out of his skull as the extraocular muscles snapped from holding them in place. His neck was now turned to an entirely different angle as he immediately went limp before being tossed into the disparaging crowd like used garbage.

Any other time, Nyght would've discarded her food in disgust by now, but the American styled burgers weren't easy to come by these days! While several of those attending the club scattered, she slipped her hand into a plate of fries left behind by one of the patrons before turning her head back to the fun.

"B… B… Bleashh…" Nehan only turned one eye to Railroad, sneering in disgust as his unmanicured nails reached to weakly grasp the leg pressed against his head. "Ha...v...e… m-me—!"

THUMP

To say that her boot went through his head like wet paper would have been an understatement. There was no resistance. No pressure. It was as if it happened as naturally as breathing. However, the thick viscera that erupted was unsettling for those that had not become accustomed to the harsh reality of New Japan

His eyes had ruptured into several slivers from the force, the slightest hint of his retina skidding across the floor as the rest turned to a grey paste on the ground. It was barely noticed however, as his already smooth brain had become an even smoother slick across the ground. Like garnish on a horrifying dish, powdered remnants and shards of what had been his skull now decorated the viscous mass.

The only item that seemed to have escaped the display was Railroad's tongue. Lifting her boot away from the sinuous and mucous-like strands of gore, she seemed to take enjoyment in explicitly pulverizing that pathetic tool of an even more pathetic man.

And it was easily one of the hottest things Nyght had ever seen in her entire life.

The rest of the Grovelers could only gawk incredulously at what had just transpired. For a tiny second, the smell of piss radiating from the group grew a few notches louder before they scattered and followed the dispersing crowd in a state of unfructuous panic.

Nehan roughly scraped the soles of her shoes against the floors of the club before looking over towards Nyght with a tender smile. Nyght couldn't stop herself from biting her lip as she stood to approach Nehan with an alluring gaze.

"Hey." They were now face-to-face, with little between the two of them but air and opportunity.

"Hiya." Nehan took one hand and placed it against Nyght's cheek to wipe away the tiniest bit of blood. "Are you okay?"

Nyght saw no reason to respond with words. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Nehan's waist to close the distance between the two of them and placed her lips against hers. It was surprisingly soft and shy, almost like a schoolgirl closing in to kiss her crush for the first time ever. It definitely wasn't like Nyght's usual kisses, but the passion was still there.

She tasted as sweet as she always did. The familiar taste of blueberry and pineapple blessing Nehan's taste buds as they embraced to deepen their kiss brought about sweeter memories from times before her and Nyght had separated.

Nyght had to force herself to pull away as she nuzzled Nehan's neck, cooing cutely as she immersed herself in her galvanizing scent. "I missed you."

Nehan cradled the skinnier girl's neck in response, slowly massaging from her back to her waist. "I missed you more."

Nyght giggled, pulling away to poke Nehan's nose. "Don't make a competition out of it, You know I don't like to lose."

"You must love getting beat as well, huh?"

Uh-oh.

It has been mentioned once or twice but for the sake of reiteration, it should be stressed that, again, Nyght wasn't afraid of much.

However, the word "much" was an imperative part of that revelation.

There was one fear that would never cease to leave her in a trembling state of consternation. Nyght mentally collected a list of suboptimal lies and excuses to save herself from enduring too much pain as she smelt the sweet fragrance of her fear creeping along the tip of her nose.

Ailurophobia was a very fitting name for her by all accounts.

This is why she preferred dogs.

Nyght felt naked and exposed once Nehan cautiously let go of her to back away slowly, leaving her at the mercy of her catty cousin. Turning slowly, she swallowed in an attempt to down her anxiety and put on the sweetest smile she could muster. "Ailly! Kaori-chi, my darling cousin, it's been so long, hasn't it!? About a couple of months!? Half a year?"

"One. Year. And a half." Nyght was not given a smile in return. Ailurophobia's expression was completely placid. She would've looked as if she died standing up if it weren't for her ears and tails flickering back and forth due to obvious agitation. "I should know, I've been keeping count."

Nyght trembled softly. "R-Really?"

"Really." Ailurophobia portentously walked towards Nyght, crushing one of Railroad's brain fragments underneath the pressure of her heels as she did so. Was it the heels or did she get taller? "It's been a year and a half and what have you given me? No calls, no texts, no visits… no nothing. If I didn't know any better… I'd say that you've been avoiding me."

Oh no. That was exactly what Nyght was doing.

"That was so not what I was doing, Kaori-chan!" Nyght blatantly lied as she backed away to hide behind Nehan… who only moved further backwards to prevent her from doing so. Coward. "It's just, I've been so busy with this and that! That and this! I can barely keep up with the time of day, let alone the—OUCHIE!"

It only took a millisecond for Nyght to register the pain surging through her noggin, reminding her of the head trauma that Reo had given her a few days ago. Saying that her skull felt like it had been clubbed with a cannon would've been an understatement. Ailurophobia's right hand hasn't missed a step.

Nyght hadn't even recovered from the slight daze caused by Ailurophobia's bap against the noggin before being crushed in a headlock from her cousin. A high pitched squeal erupted from Nyght as she was slowly dragged into the back area of the club whilst Ailurophobia furiously rubbed her cheek against hers.

"Don't start giving me any more of those damned lies, you idiot!" Meanwhile, Nehan could only chuckle and follow nervously as she watched Nyght getting tore a new one from the neko. "And be still so I can get my scent on you! You're telling me that you couldn't take two fucking minutes out of your day to have a pleasant conversation with your family?! Am I that much of an inconvenience to you!?"

"It would've been a helluva lot more than just two fucking minutes with you and you know it!" Nyght helplessly flailed to try and push Ailurophobia away. Maybe she should've stopped trying to reason with a sociopathic family member and focused more on breathing. "Do you know how easy it is for BLOOM to trace that sort of shit!? I ain't got time to be on the GiPa for hours with you just to hear about—OUCHI!"

"Don't you talk to your older cousin like that!"

"We aren't kids anymore, Kaori!"

"Yeah, well, if you wanna get any older and not die at seventeen, I suggest you lower your damn voice!" The walk back up to Ailurophobia's office was only a minute, but the constant bickering between the two cousins made the trip feel like an eternity. A part of Nehan missed this though. She missed the two of them in general. "Now step your gay ass in my office and sit the hell down! I've got some information that you'd better appreciate!"

"Hmph," She was too filled with spite once Ailurophobia finally released her. She wasn't going to listen to a damn thing. All she had for her was a pout and closed eyes. "You can kiss my ass!"

"It's about BLOOM, but since you want to be a little shit, fine."

"Tell me everything you know, Kaori-chan, I'm all ears~!"

"Kiss my ass."

"Hey, that's my line!"

Nehan sighed, pulling Nyght to sit down on the couch beside her. "Jima-chan… chill, okay?" Pulling herself closer to massage Nyght's shoulders, Nehan looked at Ailurophobia and mouthed for her to continue.

"Hm. Anyways…" Ailurophobia pointedly flipped her hair before sitting down and gathering her thoughts. "I'm sure that you two have heard about that fancy new resort they have in the Aokigahara forest, yeah?"

"Yamanashi prefecture, right?" Nyght hummed. "Yeah, I've been through there a few times, though I have no fucking clue why they'd want to make a resort in a place where people went to literally go to kick the bucket. It's weird."

"People are weird in general." Ailurophobia brought out a sharpener for her nails as she continued. "And the girl overseeing the place is also a bit of an oddball. She seems nice enough, if a little… off in the head and overbearing."

Nyght snickered. She gave a slight nudge to Nehan, who only looked away with a tired frown "So she's just like you? I don't see the issue! Is she a narcissist as well? Maybe you two could scissor or some—!"

FWIP

"Wah!" If Nyght had been a second late in dodging, she would've been an arts and crafts project due to the pair of… scissors sticking through the wall. "Hey, that could've killed me! I mean, that's hilarious, your comedic timing is impeccable but still! I thought you missed me!"

"I don't necessarily need you alive to have you around, my dear Jima~!" Ailurophobia winked. It wasn't one of her usual winks either. They were alluring. This was a "try me, bitch" wink. "Now can I finish? Or do you have any more of your jokes to let off?"

"Hmmm—!"

"While you're thinking about it, please be advised that I'll be gathering more things to throw to match them as you do so. Although, I might not miss that face by accident next time."

Nyght sat up right immediately. She crossed her hands and legs to assume the "good girl" position. "Point heard, considered, and it has been accepted! You may continue!"

"Anyways," Ailurophobia tossed two packets to the duo, snickering as Nyght clumsily caught hers between her fingers. "I think it's pretty strange how some people who tend to visit this resort have a habit of not returning. I had one of my associates there. Boost. You might be aware of him?"

Boost? Yeah, Nyght had heard a thing or two about him. She didn't really keep up with upcoming mercs or hot-shots, but she'd heard that name being passed around here and there by Mr. Wasteland. "Isn't that the guy people claim can clear light speed?"

Ailurophobia nodded gingerly. "Not exactly sure of his exact top speed or if it comes close to that, but yes. He's fast. Reliable too. Nehan worked with him once or twice."

"A little talkative and full of himself, but he's decent." Nehan played with Nyght's hair, twisting a single finger around her soft and midnight-purple locks. "And you know me, I hardly like anyone."

Nyght hummed softly. "I'm talkative and full of myself, but you love me."

"Unfortunately."

"OI!"

"Regardless of that," Ailurophobia's tone silenced the two girls, with the weight of her words doubled down by uncertainty and worry. "I haven't heard a peep from him for the past few weeks. Unlike my cousin here, this is very unusual for him. If I'm willing to guess, there's a good chance that his GiPa has been scrambled and taken off of the radar by one of BLOOM's communicative jammers."

"And your only chance of coming across those is if you're in BLOOM territory or closing in on BLOOM personnel…" Nyght added to the conversation, no longer smiling or joking for what might've been the first time since she'd entered the club. Nehan eyed her closely. Her smile was there, but it wasn't as genuine. She had a worrisome shimmer in her eyes that was always present. Hunger. Determination. Rage.

All Nehan could do was sigh quietly to herself. She had hoped that at the cost of her company, Nyght would take a moment to slow down and not see everything regarding BLOOM as a mission of urgency. It was okay to take a few moments to breathe. Knowing when to take to the shadows to recover wasn't a weakness like she thought it was. Then again, that was something that Nyght could never understand. In fact, she chose to ignore any suggestions of submission when it came to BLOOM.

In a way, she was glad that it was Ailurophobia giving her this information as opposed to Nyght finding out herself because that meant one thing.

"Right!" Nyght stood up from the couch and clapped her hands twice, almost as if it was a sign of confirmation. "So shady resorts and potential BLOOM activity! Looks like it's time for me to work my magic!" Nyght made jazz hands as she slowly danced for the exit of Ailurophobia's office. "Thanks for the good looks, cousin! I knew I could always count on you—!"

"Hold it right there."

Finally, there was the moment Nehan had been looking for. Ailurophobia gave Nyght one more look before glancing in Nehan's direction. She had seen what Nehan saw.

Nyght grimaced before turning around to face her cousin one more time. "Look, if this is about the whole ghosting situation, I really am sorry—"

"I'm actually having Nehan check this out before letting you get involved." Ailurophobia's voice remained impassive yet firm. A talent befitting of someone with an empire like her own. "In fact, if all goes well, I'd rather not have you get involved whatsoever."

Nyght raised her eyebrows. That look on her face provided so many statements without her saying a single word. It was almost as if she was questioning Ailurophobia's sanity, wondering if she was even aware of what she was asking of her. A long and uncomfortable silence followed afterwards. Neither of the two girls took their eyes away from one another, showing that signs of conflict were already along the horizon.

"Is that right?" Nyght was the first to break the moment of complete speechlessness. "And why is that? You give me information for the sole purpose of teasing me or something? What was the reason? Why do you think that I'm just going to adhere to your rules on this in the first place?"

"Don't give me that shit, Samejima." Ailurophobia eyed her closely. The undeniable blaze of resolve shimmered in her eyes as she kept her calm composure. "For one, you come into my establishment and think that I'm going to be ignorant to those bruises and scars that are lingering all over you? You think I didn't see you limping in here?"

"I'm fine." That was a lie. Recovering, yeah, Nyght might have been doing that, but she definitely wasn't in fighting shape. Nehan was confident of that. "A little wobble with some scratches and you overreact like usual. Cut me a fucking break."

"It was that Red Hare girl, wasn't it?"

Nyght didn't respond immediately. Her eyes blinked for one or two seconds before she looked off to the side. "And? What does it matter? You should've seen what I did to her. It's not like she defeated me, you know how my battles with her always go."

"Wait, Red Hare?" Nehan decided to get involved, no longer feeling up for being on the sidelines. "You're still dealing with her? Is she the one that did this to you?"

"Listen," Nyght pinched her nose whilst tapping her feet against the ground as she moved away from the door to fully face both Nehan and Ailurophobia. "This literally isn't even a big deal. I have some of Iyasu's mushrooms packed in the trunk of NEBULA. I'm doing well in handling each one that I take, and they've already started doing most of the work in healing me up! Hell, my concussion is completely gone now!"

"She concussed you?" Nehan yelled. "She's never been able to do anything like that before."

"She's gotten a little better, what can I say?! So what!?"

"Why are you acting like we are being unreasonable when we're merely looking out for you in the first place!? Are we not allowed to be worried about you?"

Nyght stalled, but Nehan knew that she wasn't gonna budge so easily. Her gaze might've softened for about a second, but that was very short-lived as Nyght growled out of frustration.

"Maybe you're not allowed to worry about me, considering that the two of you get very controlling when it comes to my safety! I know how to handle myself!"

"Like Blessing, right?"

Nygfht flinched. In the blink of an eye, her defensive stance was left in a pile of rubble as she stared at Nehan incredulously. Fuck, she really had a way of taking things too far in their spats. Nehan couldn't stop shaking her head after what she just said. That was not okay. Nyght didn't deserve that. She needed to apologize immediately, but her pride made it very difficult. She wasn't wrong, Blessing was legitimately horrible to Nyght when it came to being controlling, but she needed to keep her composure and remember that beneath that hardheadedness, Nyght was a lot more sensitive than she let on.

"I'm… I'm sorry, Jima-chan. I didn't mean for that to slip out."

Nyght wasn't even looking at her. A shadow hid her expression as she looked to the floor and twiddled with her fingers.

Ailurophobia stared at Nyght with the slightest bit of regret as she sighed before approaching her. "Listen, Nyght. We don't want to control or manipulate you. Please understand that our intentions are for preserving your own safety because you're so valuable. Not just to us either, you're valuable to so many others too. You're important. And because of that, your health is important."

Ailurophobia caressed her cheek. Nyght surprisingly didn't flinch away from the touch. In fact, she leaned right into it, nuzzling into the palm of her cousin's hand like her life depended on it.

"Just take a breather, girl. BLOOM isn't going anywhere any time soon, so why rush it and risk losing yourself in the process?" Nehan could now see more of Nyght's face as Ailurophobia forced her to look at them. It was that docile look that she'd grown accustomed to. Nyght could pull off the kicked puppy look better than anyone else she knew, but this was a genuine face full of sadness from her ex. "Stay for a few days. Rest up. Nehan will be back soon and by then, you'll be up and ready to go. Before we label this resort as an issue, we need reconnaissance to actually confirm our suspicions."

"I can do reconnaissance," Nyght softly whimpered.

Ailurophobia cringed whilst she hugged her close. "Oh, baby. No. No, you can't."

Nyght immediately scoffed and pulled herself out of Ailurophobia's embrace. She was smiling though. Nehan was grateful to see that she had brightened up quicker than she expected her to.

"Fine!" Nyght then looked over to Nehan, jokingly placing her hands on her hips as she turned her nose up. "But hey! You listen to me, girlie! You get a single whiff of BLOOM, you come running back to me on those sexy legs and tell me about it!"

Nehan rolled her eyes but didn't hesitate to pull Nyght close by her waist to kiss her cheek. "Fine~! Before that though, it's been a while since we went out on the town! Mind giving me some company for the night?"

Nyght only winked before leaping into Nehan's arms, who caught her with relatively no effort. "On the town we go, Nee-!"

"Hold it."

The effervescent energy filling the room was wiped without a single trace as Ailurophobia spoke up. Nyght and Nehan both froze on the spot as the owner of the club was now standing with two buckets and mops in hand. Where she got them from in such a short amount of time, they'd never know. However, they gulped as she pointed a claw towards the bloodied mess Nehan left on the outside.

"Get the fuck out there and clean that mess, or I swear to god, BLOOM will be the last thing you two will ever have to deal with."

Of course. Cleaning. This was the last time Nehan tried playing the bodyguard role.

"Do we at least get paid?"

"Yeah. You get to live another day."

"Sounds like a very poor incentive to me."

"Didn't ask, get to work."

(Nara Prefecture - Woodland areas - 6:24 AM)

Sunlight peeked in through insignificant crevices along the outside of a small hut. It was surrounded by an abundance of wildlife, prancing freely with beating hearts among a flowery landscape with assorted hues. It wasn't your average hut either, it was a hut alighted with colors that were almost whimsical in appearance. There were patterns decorating the outside that seemed as if they should've existed outside the reality of humanity. Vibrant was hardly the word to describe it. It simply didn't do it justice.

Then again, the colorful nature of such a hut could've been seen as a metaphor, and that metaphor alluded to the bright-minded individual that inhabited it.

"Hnnnng… Moxie's stomach angry, making dumb demands! Moxie get up when she gets ready! Not listening to you! Food comes when Moxie gets rest!"

Okay, maybe bright wasn't the best comparison, but she was definitely just as unorthodox.

Moxie gritted her teeth, growling out in frustration over the rising volume of her stomach's uproar. Had it really been that long since she last ate? Her last meal was only over a day ago, and her gut wanted to be a drama queen about it! She took a few seconds to flip her pillow to the other side, relishing in the chilly feel of the unweathered pillow against her face. It did absolutely nothing to silence her stomach though. Unfortunate, because Moxie was just as stubborn.

Her eyes opened to reveal dark amber eyes as she stared up to the ceiling of her safe space. It was morning already? It seemed like nighttime was always gone the moment her head hit the pillow and her eyes closed. Why did daytime have to last so much longer?

A sigh escaped her. She roughly slapped her stomach in an attempt to quiet it down. Violence was usually a good way of shutting things up, right? Why wasn't it working now? If anything, it only made her tummy hurt more than it already did.

This was so unfair. Why were there so many things in the world that she had no control over!? It was her tummy after all. She should be able to dictate when she was hungry and when she wasn't!

It rumbled again. At this point, it was clear that she had no chances of heading back to sleep any time soon. Besides, if her appetite didn't wake her up, the sunlight beaming into her face would've gotten to her anyways.

"Hmmmmph, fine!" Moxie huffed angrily. "Moxie will get dumb food for apple tight! Stomach wins this round! When Moxie get you food, shut up for the rest of the day!"

Moxie begrudgingly tossed her legs to the side of her bed, letting loose a loud yawn as she examined her surroundings. A lot of her belongings were still present along the shelves, which were mainly made from multicolored paper to accommodate the variety of souvenirs she had gathered during all of her travels outside of her territory.

She murmured to herself before making a beeline towards her familiar little mask, which was paper-made and shaped to recreate the facial structure of deer's skull. Putting the mask on, her eyes looked downwards, causing her to pause as she realized that she was still in her sleeping clothes.

Moxie had now found herself in a quandary, humming to herself as she realized her indecency. Should she simply take the lazy route and do without her usual hunting gear? It was so early, and the wind would only feel refreshing to her skin since it's been a rather long time since her last venture out of the hut. Then again, she liked her hunting gear. It looked good on her! Not only that, but if she were going to hunt, protection would be needed in order to get a bigger meal on her plate.

And low effort meant less dinner, and that would only comfort her appetite momentarily before her stomach was raging for something else in the next hour. Oh yeah, the hunter's gear was going to be brandished today. Moxie flipped her bangs from over her right eye as paper suddenly seemed to materialize out of thin air, straight from her skin like it was just another day for her. Bit by bit, an enclosing wall made from the substance surrounded her, giving the small girl privacy as she changed out of her bedroom clothing.

One wouldn't think that this level of privacy was needed when you lived in the middle of almost nowhere, but Moxie didn't like to take chances.

However, That didn't matter. Today was a day of opportunity, and Moxie refused to let it go to waste.

The Kami Shinigami was back on the prowl.

So… it's been a while. I deeply apologize for that hiatus. A lot has happened since the last update. School, family issues, moving, and I have a girlfriend on top of it all. Needless to say, it was HARD to find the time to write. REGARDLESS, THE WAIT IS OVER! And now? Now we're going into full overdrive, nonstop momentum! This chapter was supposed to be much longer, but I feel like proper pacing would call for it to end here. I don't want to hit you guys with everything all at once!

Thank you all so much for your patience! Don't really have much to say outside of that, so! Ciao!