They stood at a distance, looking down at the village.
It was definitely not a small village—not even close. A vast residential system spread out before them, houses packed tightly together, forming a vibrant, ancient-looking district. Massive steam pillars constantly released thick plumes of vapor for no apparent reason. A warm layer of mist enveloped the entire village, shielding it from the bitter cold outside.
How could a place like this exist here? In a land known for its bizarre and brutally harsh climate?
Yet somehow, it looked more peaceful than Nayeon had imagined.
She squinted into the distance and noticed large watchtowers scattered around the village. Figures stood atop them—women with an unsettling presence, wearing fox masks and revealing, old-fashioned traditional outfits that were far too short to be practical.
Nayeon felt a chill crawl up her spine. This idea felt… wrong.
Her instincts told her that they might find what they were looking for here—but they would definitely have to pay a price.
Suddenly, Yu spoke. Her voice was flat and cold.
"They're inside. Shana and Duyen. Mina and Dao too."
Nayeon spun toward her in shock.
"All of them?! How did Mina and Dao get there so fast?"
Before she could process it, Yu continued. Her tone remained calm, emotionless—but there was a faint urgency beneath it.
"They're in trouble."
Nayeon stared at the distant watchtowers, anxiety tightening her chest.
Whatever was happening, she couldn't let them face it alone—even though she had no idea what the hell was going on.
She nudged Yu's shoulder, forcing a rare note of bravery into her voice even in this dire moment.
"…We'll get closer to the village and go inside. First—"
Yu didn't hesitate. She followed Nayeon's lead instantly, like a loyal puppy.
The two struggled down the hill, hiding behind snow-covered stone outcrops to avoid being spotted by the strange female guards. Luckily, for reasons unknown, the women didn't seem particularly alert. Some even left their watchtowers, drawn into what looked like singing, drinking, and celebration.
Thanks to that, Nayeon and Yu reached the fence without much trouble.
As soon as they crept close, they heard loud arguing from inside. Harsh, heated voices clashing.
One voice stood out clearly.
Mina's.
Nayeon immediately searched for a gap in the fence, but couldn't see anything—everything was blocked by something inside. She pressed her ear closer, trying to make sense of the chaos.
After a while, the argument seemed to end. Silence fell.
To be honest, Nayeon hadn't fully understood what they were saying anyway—despite having once worked for a multinational corporation and spending time in Japan.
"It sounds like they took Mina and Dao somewhere…" Nayeon whispered. "They kept saying something about meat or—"
"They said they're going to eat Mina and Dao," Yu said bluntly.
Nayeon's eyes widened in horror.
"What!?"
Yu nodded firmly, repeating everything she had heard.
"They said the wedding between Shana and Duyen is about to take place. And that they'll wash Mina and Dao, starve them, and—"
"Wait—stop!" Nayeon raised her hand, panic written all over her face.
"You're saying… they eat people?"
Yu froze for a moment, then nodded again. Nayeon knew Yu couldn't lie. That realization shattered something inside her. She grabbed her head.
"What the hell is happening…? Where the hell are we?"
Their whispered conversation had grown loud enough to draw attention. They heard the gate opening.
Panic surged through them—nowhere to hide.
Then, guided by instinct, Nayeon spotted a large cargo crate filled with vegetables. A brown falcon perched calmly on top.
She quickly shoved the vegetables aside and climbed inside. Yu followed without question. They closed the lid.
Moments later, several fox-masked women approached and stopped when they saw the crate—and the falcon. The bird stared at them with deep, pitch-black eyes.
The women exchanged glances.
"So fast?" one muttered.
They moved to open the crate, but the falcon suddenly spread its wings violently, blocking them.
The women flinched back, laughing awkwardly.
"Easy there, buddy."
"Looks like the delivery girl's pet. I always see it on her arm."
Another woman sighed, resting her hands on her hips.
"Haru told us to be careful today—too many uninvited guests. But if it's a delivery, it should be fine."
They skipped the inspection. Each woman lifted one end of the carrying pole and hauled the crate into the village. Their abnormal strength kept them from noticing the strange weight inside.
Inside the crate, Nayeon let out a silent sigh of relief.
Peeking through a small crack, she caught glimpses of the village's bizarre liveliness.
A festival?
According to Yu, Shana and Duyen's wedding was happening.
Did that mean all these women belonged to Shana?
But why would Duyen agree to marry her here?
Yes, Nayeon knew their relationship had been developing—but a sudden wedding in a place like this?
Did Duyen even know what was truly going on?
The crate was set down. The women talked briefly, then—shockingly—began touching and embracing each other on a fur mat right there. Their moans were unmistakable.
What the hell…?
Nayeon's face burned.
Hot steam seeped into the crate, turning it unbearably warm. Sweat beaded on their foreheads. Nayeon didn't dare make a sound.
But Yu did.
Without hesitation—as if she had been waiting for this exact moment—Yu opened the lid and slipped out gracefully.
Nayeon whispered in terror,
"Yu!? What are you doing?!"
Yu didn't answer.
Her slender body moved silently. Like a shadow, she approached the two women.
"Huh—?"
Before they could react, their bodies stiffened.
A thin needle, attached to an almost invisible metal thread, had shot out from a snake-shaped ring coiled around Yu's finger. One woman convulsed briefly before collapsing unconscious onto the other.
The remaining woman shoved the body aside and lunged at Yu with terrifying strength, fangs bared like a predator.
"Who the hell are you?!"
Yu was completely overpowered. Her arms were slammed to the floor before she could inject another dose.
At that moment, Nayeon hurled a ceramic jar straight at the woman's head.
It shattered.
But her head wasn't even scratched. She turned toward Nayeon, snarling.
Terror froze Nayeon in place.
Then—Yu struck.
A poisoned needle plunged into the woman's neck. Her body locked up, then collapsed onto Yu, eyes still wide open. Nayeon rushed over, pushing the woman aside.
"Are you okay?!"
Yu nod. Dust smudged her face, but she seemed unharmed.
Nayeon glanced nervously at the two naked, unconscious women and murmured,
"I'm sorry…"
She helped Yu to her feet. Outside, the festival noise drowned everything out. No one had heard a thing.
Nayeon peeked through the door. Facing these women head-on was far too dangerous.
"What do we do now?" she whispered.
Yu looked around the house they had been brought into. It was well-stocked—tools, supplies, even a fire pit where some kind of meat was simmering.
But they couldn't stay. Not when the women could wake up at any moment.
The tranquilizer Yu used came from a rare toxin she had discovered recently. It grew deep within the misty forests of Gassan, in Yamagata, Japan—strange purple hydrangeas. Just stepping into their scent could kill a human, granting them a death no different from eternal sleep.
Yu had tried harvesting and cultivating them, experimenting endlessly. Every attempt failed.
In the end, the flower had only one purpose. Peaceful death.
And yet—It couldn't kill these women.
Shaking off her wandering thoughts, Yu noticed the yukata the two women earlier had stripped off to make love. She pointed at them.
"Nayeon, we can wear those."
Nayeon blinked in surprise. She picked up one of the yukata from the floor and held it up in front of her face. It was so thin it barely qualified as clothing—more like a piece of fabric than anything else. Her face twisted in pure concern.
"What the hell is this…?"
She glanced down at their completely naked bodies. These people really wore things like this without any under.
Nayeon shot Yu a suspicious look. Yu immediately looked away.
Moments later—or rather, it barely took any time at all—they slipped into the revealing yukata. It was so short it barely covered anything, and an uncomfortable feeling crawled up Nayeon's spine.
She herself looked… manageable.
But Yu? Yu was far too tall for the thing. On her, the yukata looked absurdly skimpy and downright ridiculous.
Nayeon couldn't even bring herself to feel embarrassed—one look at Yu and she had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing.
"Oh my god… couldn't they at least wear pants?"
This was insane.
They quietly slipped out of the house, skillfully putting on fox masks and blending into the villagers celebrating the festival. People bowed to fox-shaped paper effigies, danced wildly, and drank together, making it easy for the two of them to pass unnoticed.
Surrounded mostly by women, Nayeon and Yu gradually stopped feeling so self-conscious about their bizarre outfits. Some people here were outright naked, after all…
Suddenly, a woman grabbed Yu by the hand. A villager wearing a fox mask. She lifted the mask just enough to expose her mouth so she could drink, and she was clearly drunk out of her mind.
"Hey—hey, where are you two going…? Stay and drink with us…"
Yu froze. Nayeon immediately tugged Yu's arm and waved her off.
"Ah—uh—we need to use the bathroom! No drinking!"
The woman didn't seem ready to give up. She slung her arms around both Nayeon and Yu, making them shudder. The scent of alcohol—sweet like pear blossoms—mixed with the heavy, aroused air of women around them. Nayeon nearly felt dizzy.
The woman leaned in and whispered,
"Then… do you two want to go see the prison where the two new human girls are being kept?"
Nayeon stiffened instantly.
"You mean the tall platinum-haired one and the loudmouth who keeps yelling about finding her lover?"
Even in her drunken haze, the woman looked surprised.
"Haha… you sure know a lot, don't you? Yeah, those two. We wanted them moved to a different holding area. But for some reason, Haru insisted on putting them somewhere special—way too clean for creatures as lowly as them."
She pointed toward a tower built of elegant tiles and bricks. Her speech grew slurred.
"One of them is so noisy… and stubborn. If only she'd accept the truth—that Lady Duyen is going to become Lady Shigonami's consort… Then our descendants could continue serving theirs…"
Nayeon was utterly shocked. Duyen… agreed to the marriage?
And Shana didn't seem like the type to force her into one—though she clearly wasn't human enough to think like one, either.
The drunken woman continued,
"…We need to hurry with the wedding. Lady Duyen doesn't have much time left…"
What?
Not much time… for what?
Nayeon was about to ask more, but the woman collapsed on the spot, completely passed out from drinking.
The two exchanged a tense look, then glanced up at the tower.
"Damn it… do we even have another choice?"
They took off running toward the tower, unaware of the strange gaze of a pair of twins watching them from afar.
The tower itself wasn't properly guarded—everyone was lost in the decadent festival below. Nayeon and Yu easily climbed the crimson spiral staircase leading all the way to the top.
There, they found an incredibly luxurious prison chamber, decorated with folding screens painted with serene mountains and rivers.
Inside were Mina and Dao, both dressed in pristine white furisode.
Dao clutched her head, dizzy and confused, while Mina looked utterly hollow—as if all will to live had drained from her body. She muttered over and over like someone on the verge of madness.
"… Duyen…"
Seeing her friend like this terrified Dao. Mina had always been rational. Cold. Brutal.
She hadn't shown a shred of hesitation when she shot Hasuko in the head right in front of Dao—something that still haunted her til now. Even knowing Hasuko was still alive somehow only made it more horrifying.
And now they were trapped in this tower. Forget saving anyone—saving themselves felt impossible. Worse still, these grotesque beings wanted to… eat them.
Dao's thoughts were a complete mess.
Maybe sinking to the floor and mumbling nonsense like Mina would be easier.
Suddenly, both of them heard hurried footsteps rushing up the stairs. Probably those fox-masked village women.
But no.
The figures who appeared made them freeze in disbelief.
Mina's eyes widened as she stared at the person standing before her. Then she broke into the brightest smile she'd worn in ages and cried out,
"Duyen!"