Shana stood there lazily, waiting for Duyen to come back from the public restroom. Just by standing still, she already drew the attention of nearly every guy walking past. As usual, Shana wore a tight black off-shoulder mini dress that barely reached mid-thigh—a style many girls would call "shameless," but Shana had been dressing like that for centuries. It amplified her natural beauty and allure so well that she didn't even need to use magic.
Men passing by glanced at her, their expressions struck dumb with lustful awe. Some were so stunned that their girlfriends had to smack them across the face. Normally, Shana would enjoy this kind of attention—she'd taken pride in being admired by humanity for thousands of years—but lately, she didn't feel the same thrill anymore.
She wasn't sure why. Maybe ever since she bonded with Duyen, something in her had changed. The attention from men didn't feel necessary anymore. Actually, she had completely lost interest in it. Even flirting with them felt exhausting now. Her connection with Duyen had sunk too deep—so deep that she couldn't think about anything… or anyone else.
Shana let out a sigh, allowing the hungry gazes to cling to her while she leaned against a lamppost, lazily sucking on a lollipop. Oddly enough, that made her even more alluring…
Then something caught her eye.
She heard two kids shouting.
"Look! My level 60 nine-tailed fox spirit is totally gonna destroy yours!"
Curious, Shana walked over. She saw two little boys around nine or ten sitting at one of those arcade machines on the sidewalk—the kind that costs 15,000 VND per round. It looked like a fighting game.
On-screen was a poorly drawn pixelated pink-haired girl with ridiculously huge boobs, a ridiculously curved butt, an unrealistically skimpy outfit, and nine tails swishing behind her in 8-bit animation.
Shana raised an eyebrow. Ah, so this is how humans imagine her kind?
Opposing the fox spirit was a muscular martial artist dude bursting with abs.
Shana stayed behind the boys, mildly intrigued though she was sure the fox spirit would win.
Five minutes later, the nine-tailed fox lost—leaving Shana genuinely shocked.
The boy controlling her slumped.
"Ugh! The fox spirit character sucks. Weak skills and barely any combos. I'm picking someone else."
A vein popped on Shana's forehead. She folded her arms over her chest and tried to keep her cool.
"Hey," she began, smiling tightly.
"A nine-tailed fox spirit is actually very strong. Extremely strong, okay? If you lost, it's just because your skills are terrible."
The boys turned around, staring at the stranger. They saw a breathtakingly beautiful woman with wavy reddish-brown hair and a confident, seductive smile. But her charm didn't affect them at all. They just stared and scoffed.
"Uh, who are you?"
Mildly embarrassed by their blunt reaction, Shana laughed lightly.
"Oh, who I am isn't important, right? But don't you think the fox spirit is strong?"
The boys snickered. "Strong where? She's trash."
Shana grinned through clenched teeth, cursing them inwardly. Oh, these insolent little demons—if this were a few hundred years ago…
She quickly cleared her throat, forcing herself to calm down. After all, they were just kids. Still, stupid historians had completely ruined her image—no wonder humans had no respect left.
"Anyway, forget that," Shana gestured dismissively. "But like… don't you think that design isn't even realistic? Look at me, I'm way prettier than her, right?"
The kids frowned.
"You? Prettier than her?"
Shana was THIS close to snapping. If she weren't in the middle of a busy street, she would've given them a 'lesson.' Instead, she tried to reason with them.
"Like, come on. Her design looks so plastic. And pink hair? Plus she's weak. You kids don't understand true beauty yet. When you grow up and actually touch gr—"
"Let's go. I think this lady is crazy," one of the boys said, dragging his friend away.
Shana froze, humiliation hitting her like lightning.
You disrespectful brats…
She let out a low, wicked laugh, placing her hands on her hips.
"Five hundred years ago, you little punks would've been sacrifices for me…"
How utterly disgraceful…
She stood there fuming as the sky slowly turned red with sunset. Just then, she spotted Duyen running toward her anxiously. Shana's annoyed expression instantly vanished as she shifted into a flirty, seductive posture.
"Oh, Duyen~ You were gone in the bathroom for so long. You made me wait forever~"
But Duyen ignored the flirt completely. Her face looked panicked. She grabbed Shana's hand, startling the fox woman.
"Shana! I saw her!"
Shana blinked. "Saw who?"
Duyen caught her breath and spoke urgently, "Nayeon! I just saw her. Here. Hurry!"
Shana was thrown off by Duyen's panic. Nayeon? How could she possibly be back? Wasn't Duyen just seeing things?
But she didn't have time to ask—before she realized it, she was already running after her.
They rushed around the lakeside park where Duyen swore she'd seen Nayeon. A Japanese cultural festival with anime and cosplay booths was being held there, making the place crowded and chaotic. Finding someone now felt nearly impossible.
Shana scanned the crowd anxiously, even her supernatural senses struggling to locate Nayeon amidst the sea of people. She squeezed Duyen's hand.
"Are you sure you actually saw her? Maybe you just… miss her too much and imagined—"
"I did NOT imagine it!" Duyen insisted. "She was really here—oh, there she is!"
She pointed at eleven o'clock, and Shana followed her gaze.
Her eyes widened.
There stood an incredibly cute girl with familiar twin braids, dressed in a pink ao dai. Surrounding her were several strange men in black, looking like personal bodyguards.
Shana narrowed her eyes, her voice low with irritation.
"That troublesome girl again…"
Duyen couldn't wait another second. She shot her arm up in excitement, shouting at the top of her lungs.
"NAYEON! NAYEON!"
Her voice vanished in the roaring sea of people, as if there was no way her words could ever reach Nayeon.
Nayeon was browsing through some cute merch when she suddenly felt a buzzing sound in her ears—like someone was calling her name. Confused, she turned her head… and saw Duyen. Tall, standing above the crowd, desperately stretching her arm forward, calling out to her.
Nayeon's heart dropped. A burst of joy and panic exploded inside her at the same time. She felt like she was about to cry. She raised her arm and tried to call back, trembling.
"DUYEN! DUY—MMMPH!"
Two men in black suddenly appeared, grabbing her arms and covering her mouth. Nayeon fought as hard as she could, struggling wildly, but she failed. They dragged her away, disappearing from everyone's line of sight.
Shana and Duyen saw everything. Their eyes snapped toward each other in horror—then both bolted into the crowd, forcing their way through as fast as they could.
Once they finally broke free from the festival chaos, Duyen scanned the area and spotted the men in black carrying Nayeon over one of their shoulders as they disappeared into a narrow alley.
Without hesitation, the girls sprinted after them with all they had.
"HEY! YOU BASTARDS! PUT NAYEON DOWN, NOW!!" Duyen shouted, her voice burning with determination.
But the kidnappers were fast. They darted through alley after alley, twisting through unfamiliar streets. Just when Duyen thought she was close enough to grab one of them—A group of men in black stepped out and blocked the path ahead.
Shocked, Duyen spun around—but another group had already sealed off their way back.
One of the men—a tall, muscular brute who looked like their leader—cracked his knuckles and spoke in Mandarin that Duyen couldn't understand a word.
"Kid, this isn't your turf. Go play somewhere else before I smash you to pieces."
Duyen stood frozen, clueless about what he'd said—but Shana understood every word. Her eyes narrowed, fury burning within. She stepped forward, and with a dangerous calm, long, sharp claws extended from her fingers—ready to tear them apart in a blink.
But before she could attack, Duyen moved in front of her—blocking her path.
Shana blinked in surprise.
Duyen glared at the man, raising her fists into a fighting stance.
"Alright then… all of you. Come at me."
Everyone froze.
Even Shana stared at her in disbelief.
The men in black burst into laughter.
"You? Gonna fight us? Alone?"
Duyen didn't care. Her fists clenched tighter, her eyes blazing. The only thing in her mind was saving Nayeon. She didn't care who stood in her way.
Seeing this, Shana silently withdrew her claws, intrigue flickering in her eyes. She decided not to interfere—not yet. Something interesting was unfolding.
The leader clicked his tongue, annoyed by Duyen's fearlessness. He didn't have time to waste. Best to end this quickly.
"I won't go easy just 'cause you're a girl… GET HER!"
At his command, the whole group charged at Duyen like a raging storm. Some wielded tonfas, others metal pipes, others nunchucks. They were clearly not ordinary thugs—they were trained fighters.
Yet Duyen was unnaturally calm.
Their movements suddenly slowed in her eyes—a phenomenon she couldn't explain.
In a flash, she dodged every attack effortlessly, shocking even the leader.
She snatched a metal pipe from one of the men—and went wild.
Bodies crashed to the ground like falling dominoes. Each hit came with sickening thuds, scattered teeth, and splashes of blood.
Shana folded her arms, watching with a smirk. She even whistled in excitement as each thug was knocked flying.
There was something glowing in Duyen's eyes—something inhuman. It clouded her consciousness, driving her into a trance-like rampage.
Until suddenly… she snapped out of it.
Blood splattered across her cheek.
She stood frozen, horrified, as the beaten men groaned on the ground in agony.
Duyen panicked and dropped the pipe.
"Oh my gosh, I—I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! I swear!"
But the injured men scrambled to their feet—or crawled in terror—and fled.
"Wait!" Duyen tried to chase them for answers about Nayeon—
But an invisible force slammed her back, throwing her painfully to the ground.
"DUYEN!" Shana rushed over, catching her in her arms. "Are you hurt?!"
"I'm fine, but…" Duyen looked toward the empty alley. There was nothing there. But Shana could feel it—a terrifying power still lingering.
Suddenly, a violent gust of wind blasted toward them. It was so strong it sent heavy trash cans flying.
Shana gritted her teeth, using her own force to shield them.
No way... this power—this strong?! She pressed more energy into her arm, holding Duyen tightly with the other to protect her little lover.
After a few intense seconds, the storm faded. Or rather—the one who caused it was gone.
Shana gently helped Duyen back to her feet.
Duyen stared at her blankly. "What… the hell was that just now?"
Shana looked at her, worried and deep in thought. She wasn't sure how to explain—but one thing was certain.
Someone powerful had just made their presence known.
And they were not ordinary.
When it came to Nayeon, she barely had time to scream before a group of men dressed in black covered her mouth and dragged her into a black limo. She fought and kicked, but it was no use—not until they finally released her.
"Ugh! Disgusting! Your hand tastes like dirt, you creep!" she snapped angrily, wiping her lips in disgust.
From the shadows, a tall, stunning woman with unnaturally long white hair stepped forward. She wore a tight black bodysuit that hugged every curve like darkness itself. The moment she appeared, the men in black bowed respectfully.
"Lady Jou!"
"Miss Jou!"
Yu—known to them as Lady Jou—barely acknowledged their greeting. Her face remained cold, emotionless, like a porcelain doll without a soul.
Her eyes shifted to Nayeon, who sat stunned with a bright red handprint still burning on her cheek. Yu's brows twitched ever so slightly. She turned her icy gaze toward the man who had hit her.
"Phong," she said calmly but with an edge that could slit throats, "next time, wash your hands before laying a finger on her."
The man—Phong—froze in fear. "But Lady Jou, I—I already washed—"
Yu simply raised her hand, and he went silent instantly.
Nayeon, however, was not in the mood to stay quiet.
"Damn it! What the hell do you want from me!?" she yelled. "The girl earlier was Duyen, do you even know that!?"
Yu stared expressionlessly.
"It's not the right time yet. You can't see her now."
"Why not!? You said I had one day of freedom! One damn day! Why are you keeping me away from Duyen!? What are you plotting!?"
Yu didn't bother answering. Instead, she gave a subtle nod to Phong.
He stepped forward, pulled out a syringe, and injected it into Nayeon's vein before she could react. She thrashed weakly—but the world blurred, her body growing heavy.
"I'm sorry," Yu said quietly, almost gently. "This is also to protect you."
Nayeon collapsed, unconscious.
They laid her inside the limo, shutting the door with a dull thud.
Another subordinate approached Yu and whispered, "Lady Jou, your guest has arrived."
Yu let out a soft hum and turned.
Mina was being escorted toward her by two of Yu's security guards. Their eyes met for the first time…
And both of them had the same purpose in mind.
---
Later that night, on a private artificial beach…
Haruna staggered barefoot on the soft white sand, a bottle of red wine dangling loosely from her fingers. She was wearing nothing but a revealing bikini, her skin flushed from alcohol. The waves glowed faintly blue from bioluminescent algae, painting the night in eerie beauty.
From a distance, Valko spotted her—and his irritation flared.
"Haruna!" he barked as he stormed toward her. He grabbed her shoulders.
"Haruna! Do you hear me!?"
Even through her haze, Haruna recognized him instantly. Her lips curled into a drunken grin as she threw her arms around his neck.
"Valko! Finally… I've been waiting for you… Do you know how long I waited for you?"
But Valko pushed her away the moment he caught the reek of alcohol on her breath.
"Oh, for God's sake, Haruna—you're drunk!"
She giggled stupidly.
"Drunk? Who, me? No, silly… Maybe you're the one drunk…"
He groaned, snatching the wine bottle from her hand and tossing it aside.
"Enough. You're going back to the hotel, and first thing tomorrow, you're going home. Aunt Tomi is furious you ran off here!"
"Let go of me!" Haruna jerked out of his grip, glaring at him with glassy, unhinged eyes.
"You're just like the rest of them! Here to criticize me, right!? Yeah, it's all my fault, huh!? So what!?"
Valko sighed heavily, trying once again to pull her along. "Haruna, please, I'm begging you—just come back."
But she yanked away again, screaming, spiraling out of control.
"Mina this, Mina that! Why is everyone worshipping that bitch!? Aunt Tomi, those stupid shareholders—everyone says she should've been the CEO instead of me! Tell me, Valko… What part of me isn't good enough!?"
Valko clenched his jaw. He didn't want to argue about Mina—not with her like this.
But Haruna suddenly clung to him, her voice turning low and sultry as she whispered against his neck:
"Do you know what makes me happiest…? Taking everything away from her. Even this position… even you, Valko… Hell, I could even give you a child…"
"Haruna, don't… not like this—"
Before he could finish, she crashed her lips against his in a desperate, burning kiss. One fueled not by love—but by jealousy, ego, and madness.
On the glowing sand beneath the night sky, they tangled together, losing themselves in a reckless haze. Haruna, breathless and wild, hurriedly tugged at her bikini, pulling it off with trembling urgency as if she needed to prove something to someone who wasn't even there.
They were too lost in feverish making out to hear the soft click of a camera from the nearby hillside.
Buried in the bushes, a sleazy reporter named Minh smirked as he snapped photo after photo.
"Gotcha," he whispered with vile satisfaction.
"This is gold~"