Arc 1: Prologue: Lixue
The night crawls deeper into darkness. Only the faint sounds of distant midnight loafers and passing traffic echo through the streets. Streetlamps cast pale streaks of light across the pavement. I clear my throat—raspy since winter began—and tug the black coat Mori gave me tighter around my shoulders. The wind howls faintly. Shoving one hand into my pocket, I raise my gun with the other.
The aide has already bitten the curb—literally. Teeth meet concrete with a crack before I follow through, shattering his jaw with the thud of my boot. He lies there, wincing—yet lacking the nerve to cry out.
"Perfect," I mutter, the corner of my lips curling into a slight smile.
One, two, three—and many more. I've been shooting constantly, making a bloody mess splatter across the ground.
"There's no point in shooting a dead body."
Familiar now—wasn't it? The voice echoes through the dark alley, reaching the dead end like it knows exactly where I'm standing.
How am I not surprised by the familiarity?
I crack the slide back, loading my gun, and whip around to fire. The shot rings out—but the moment my gaze lands on the figure, the bullet whistles past, close enough to slice down the lock of brunette as it flutters to the ground, light as a petal. He dodged.
"Or you missed… once again."
The figure steps close enough for the flickering streetlight to catch his face. He speaks again.
"Still can't aim for shit."
"You kept the hair long."
"Didn't think you'd be the one to cut it."
I lower my gun, exhaling—almost shakily.
"Four years... and this is how I meet my replacement," he adds.
I stand still, not even bothering to raise an eyebrow.
"Tired of being a mummified relic, I see."
"You didn't answer." His tone sharpens.
"That wasn't even a question—just another sarcastic line. Pretty standard coming from you. I'm the demon prodigy, right? Loyal to my blood."
He smirks, voice dropping into a venom-laced whisper.
"Oh, dear step—when will you learn?—Devils aren't loyal to anyone."
Sirens wail in the distance. The cops have been roaming the streets for days, hunting the culprit behind the recent murders—and now, they're coming here.
I need to find an exit. I glance up at the black-streaked buildings—
"You shoot, I cover," he says.
I stare at him for a moment. Is he really willing to do that? There has to be a trap. Yet, I catch the same glimmer in his eyes I saw back in the dark eras. He seems… sincere.
"I fall," I say, without thinking.
"…I drag," he completes, without hesitation.
I give him a stern nod as he turns toward the alley's opening.
The officers enter, holding their tiers—raised, shouting reports halfway through.
He turns back to the corpse, unfazed by my vanished figure—disappeared into thin air.
From the rooftop, I steal one final glance before hopping behind the ledge and walking away as the wind howls.