The night was restless. The wind howled low, whispering warnings through the desolate plains, rustling the broken branches left in the wake of Nine's hunt. His breath came slow and measured, smoke curling from his lips like a furnace preparing to ignite. Beneath his ribs, a familiar energy simmered, hot and volatile, itching to be unleashed.
Across from him, Reijin stepped forward, his stance sharp and poised, blade drawn in a flash of silver. The air shifted—thickened—as his qi surged, engulfing the sword in a violent glow.
Nine tilted his head, exhaling through his nose. "Shin told you."
Reijin spat onto the scorched ground. "I don't need that fool to see what you are." His voice was taut, laced with bitter venom.
Nine smirked. "Bitter you ain't the heir, huh? Can't even become a Lord and ended up a lapdog." His laughter cut through the night, sharp and taunting.
Reijin blurred.
Steel glinted.
Nine barely flicked his wrist, and the instant their weapons met—
CRACK!
Reijin's blade shattered like brittle ice. Shards flew, catching the moonlight before scattering uselessly to the ground.
Nine clicked his tongue. "Really?" His eyes flicked to Pride, standing tall in the distance, watching. "Only Lords can match each other." He tapped his temple, a cocky smirk playing at his lips, daring him.
"HUNGRY!"
A monstrous wail tore through the air as Gluttony lunged, his grotesque claws swiping for Nine's face.
Nine's body twisted on instinct. The air around him screamed as his form blurred out of reach. Gluttony's claws met empty space, his weight throwing him off balance.
Then, the chaos began.
Gluttony's wild attacks were relentless, carving through the landscape like a rabid beast. The ground trembled beneath the force of each impact, unfortunate trees shattering like brittle bones under his hunger-fueled wrath.
Reijin darted in between, a phantom in the fray, aiming for the split-second gaps in Nine's defenses. His movements were precise, his strikes lethal—until they weren't.
Nine danced through them.
His body twisted, evaded, shifted with unnatural grace. His counterattacks were fluid, seamless, as though he could see every move before it even happened.
Then his gaze snapped upward.
Pride.
Descending from above, his sword flashing like a vengeful star.
Gluttony in front.
Reijin behind.
The moment stretched, frozen in time.
Then—
BOOM!
Flames erupted from Nine's body, a violent surge of green fire swallowing the battlefield. The ground scorched beneath his feet, smoke spiraling into the night sky.
Reijin barely managed to roll away, his robes catching fire, embers biting into his skin as he groaned in pain.
Nine twisted mid-air.
A claw caught his cheek—a whisper of pain, a single red line blooming across his skin. But Pride's sword? The needles meant to paralyze?
Missed.
A blur of chaos followed.
Three Lords clashed in a cinematic frenzy of speed and power. The ground crumbled beneath their feet, dust spiraling into the air, the sheer force of their blows sending shockwaves across the battlefield.
The night crackled with power—
Until—
WHOOSH!
All at once, they halted.
A presence.
New. Unnoticed.
But now undeniable.
Nine's wild grin stretched as he turned. "No way."
From the darkness, a figure appeared.
Honu.
With a deafening crash, he landed, and within seconds—
He was snoring.
The battlefield, once thick with tension, suddenly became absurdly silent.
"You two," Pride finally spoke, and for the first time, he laughed. "I see. You've paired up."
Nine raised a brow. "What? Jealous?"
"Fuck you."
"No, fuck you." Nine frowned.
They stared at each other, unblinking.
Pride's smirk lingered before he turned away. He kicked Reijin as he passed, the injured warrior groaning but forcing himself to stand.
Gluttony, back to his wailing, continued his lamenting cries of hunger.
Pride's final words, however, struck a nerve.
"I saw your wife. Once."
Nine's entire body tensed. His jaw clenched, but he didn't speak. He wanted to ask but no answer would return.
Pride chuckled at his reaction, satisfied, before disappearing into the night.
Nine's fists twitched. His veins burned with the violent urge to chase.
To rip.
To kill.
"You winning... is uncertain... if you continue," Honu mumbled.
Nine exhaled through gritted teeth. "Helping me now doesn't mean I owe you a favor."
Then, he leaped.
The boar. He needed to get back.
BOOM!
A crash sounded beside him.
Honu, having used his explosive technique, landed heavily next to him.
Nine rolled his eyes. "Dumbass." He adjusted the boar on his back and started walking towards him. "Perhaps I can repay the favor by helping you reach the southern regions?"
"No... no... no..." Honu groaned, voice drowsy, but his lack of energy only made Nine grin.
"Here you go."
Nine grabbed his hair.
With a casual swing, he spun Honu in circles at superhuman speed before launching him into the sky.
Honu's panicked flailing became a distant blur.
Satisfied, Nine adjusted the boar and leaped into the night.
---
Aya yawned.
"You should eat," Colla said, nudging a plate of sizzling meat toward her. The fat crackled, sending waves of mouthwatering aroma into the air. "Maybe he's not coming back tonight."
"No." Aya folded her arms, chin resting on her knees. "I want him."
Colla sighed and gave up, eating the food herself.
"You two are obsessed with each other," she muttered, chewing. "I thought you were at least normal."
Aya chuckled, her expression softening. "It's not that," she murmured. "I just... I can't shake the thought that Nine's change is inevitable. The essence inside him... no one knows what it will do. I'm just—"
"Savoring every moment," Colla finished for her.
Aya nodded.
Colla exhaled. "I'll help you when that time comes. I'll bring you and the children to safety." A determined pause. "Though, honestly, I don't think I can outrun him."
Aya leaned against her, smiling. "Thank you. But I can't leave him." She laughed softly. "You know that. He's relentless."
They sat in silence.
Then—
"Aya."
She shot up.
A figure stood at the entrance. His arms wide open.
Just like the old times...
Aya ran.
Threw herself into his embrace.
Nine caught her effortlessly, his arms securing her as he spun her around, their laughter echoing into the night.
Two souls.
Made for each other.
Colla rolled her eyes, chewing on another piece of meat. "Seriously? It's only been a day."
But as she watched them, a quiet thought settled in her mind.
You can never really separate them.