Shin blinked, struggling to part his heavy eyelashes. A pricking sensation, like countless needles piercing through his muscle fibers, made him realize he was still alive. Looking around, Xie Xingchen's private lab—Zero Horizon's underground base—was steeped in quiet stillness. Shin's entire body was tightly wrapped in white bandages, both hands bundled up like a pair of wooden pestles.
Right beside the edge of the bed, Loona was slumping over, nodding off, her slender shoulders gently rising and falling with each breath.
Shin moved his neck with difficulty, rasped out in a dry, weak voice:
— "Thought I was dead... Who knew I'd still be breathing!"
Hearing the familiar sound, Loona startled awake. Her round eyes blinked at Shin a few times before tears suddenly streamed down her face. Pouting her lips, she shouted in an annoyed huff:
— "You idiot big brother!! Do you have any idea how many emergency potions I had to brew just to drag you back from the grave?!"
Watching his little sister cry while scolding him, a wave of warmth and pity washed over Shin. He tried to raise his heavily bandaged hand, gently resting it on Loona's head to soothe her. Loona puffed out her cheeks in a pout, but still leaned in to enjoy her brother's touch.
Shin forced a dry smile, quickly changing the subject:
— "So... are you sure this medicine doesn't have any side effects?"
Loona wiped her tears, bursting into a mischievous grin:
— "Heehee... well, that depends entirely on your luck!"
POOF!
The second Loona finished her sentence, a light puff of white smoke erupted from the top of Shin's head. Immediately after, two long, snow-white rabbit ears shot straight up, twitching and trembling lightly!
Shin stared blankly, eyes wide in total disbelief, completely rendered speechless by this ridiculous side effect.
Loona clapped her hands in delight, her eyes sparkling:
— "Wow! You look so cute like this! Let me go call everyone in! Oh, right, that girl named Kiriko woke up way before you did!"
Saying so, she pattered out toward the living room to inform the rest of the squad of Shin's recovery.
Just a few seconds later, Yanagisawa Kento casually walked over to the doorway. Crossing his arms, he leaned against the doorframe, his cold eyes scanning his brother from top to bottom, lingering particularly on the rabbit ears twitching atop Shin's head.
Kento smirked:
— "Living with you for so many years, I'm only now learning you had a kink for growing rabbit ears."
He pulled a cigarette pack from his pocket, drew out a stick, and flicked a small spark from his fingertip to light it. Taking a leisurely drag, Kento exhaled a thin trail of smoke and glanced at Shin:
— "Want a puff?"
Shin looked helplessly at his heavily wrapped hands:
— "How am I supposed to smoke with hands like this?"
Kento stepped closer:
— "Let me help."
He placed the cigarette between Shin's lips and held the flame to light it for his brother. Shin took a light drag and slowly let the smoke trail out, tasting the faint bitterness on the tip of his tongue.
Kento asked:
— "How is it? Your first time smoking."
Shin slightly knitted his brows:
— "Just average... Is everyone out in the living room?"
Kento turned around coldly, walking off:
— "Everyone's waiting for you! Hurry up before they start worrying."
Seeing Shin prepare to sit up, Loona stepped forward to help, but Shin waved his hands, gesturing for her to let him walk on his own. Despite the dull ache racking his body, Shin stubbornly stood firm on his feet, slowly walking out to the living room.
In the spacious living room of the underground base, all members of Zero Horizon were gathered on the sofas. Sitting directly opposite them was Akai Kiriko. Thanks to Loona's medical care, she had fully recovered, looking as fresh and lively as if she had never been through that brutal life-or-death battle.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Seeing Shin slowly walk out with rabbit ears perched on his head, the atmosphere instantly grew lively.
Xie Xingchen smirked:
— "Oho, you're awake?"
Kamishiro Seijuro smiled:
— "Looks like he's still plenty energetic!"
Roxy Vance crossed her arms with a grin:
— "Hmph, as expected of our leader!"
Kwon Tae-Joon raised a steaming bowl heartily:
— "Want some black bean noodles, Shin? Just cooked up a big pot for the whole crew!"
Shin calmly approached, taking a seat in the open space beside the Mikami siblings, Ren and Rei.
At this moment, everyone turned their attention directly to the half-fox girl sitting across from them. Noticing all eyes on her, Kiriko appeared quite flustered. She bowed her head slightly, her voice deeply sincere:
— "Thank you all for saving me... I thought I was certainly going to die or be left behind in that desolate wasteland. Yet you brought me back here to heal my wounds... Is there anything I can do to help you in order to repay this debt?"
Xie Xingchen leaned lazily against the sofa, letting out a long yawn as if on the verge of falling asleep:
— "Sigh, lucky for you little Loona was here!"
Kento leaned against the wall, exhaling a puff of cigarette smoke as he asked in a deep voice:
— "You belong to Shikoku no Chishitsu (Order of the Four Extremes). Why did you attack us out of nowhere?"
Kiriko looked up to explain:
— "I was merely following orders from above to eliminate any individual possessing Sophion energy exceeding allowed limits... Truth be told, I only joined the organization recently."
Seijuro narrowed his eyes:
— "So you were newly recruited into Shikoku no Chishitsu?"
Kiriko nodded:
— "That's correct. I was invited to fill the officer seat left vacant by my predecessor."
Roxy raised an eyebrow in curiosity:
— "So who was this predecessor you mentioned?"
Kiriko pondered for a moment before answering:
— "I only know that person went by the alias Saka X. Rumor has it they disappeared under mysterious circumstances, or perhaps died long ago."
Kwon Tae-Joon set his bowl of noodles on the table, asking seriously:
— "Could you tell us how Shikoku no Chishitsu operates? Also, where do you come from, and what on earth is that demon sword?"
In the corner of the room, Ling Mo silently glanced at the Katana Akeomi resting at Kiriko's hip, his sharp gaze fixing firmly on her. Shin remained silent, attentively catching every word.
Kiriko slowly explained:
— "Members of the Four Extremes Order rarely meet face-to-face, as most missions are assigned directly and individually by superiors. We only meet in person during full high-level conferences. From what I know, the organization consists of four direct officers—two women and two men—along with a supreme leader."
Xie Xingchen chimed in, blinking:
— "That supreme leader is Qin Wuhuang, right?"
Kiriko nodded in surprise:
— "Yes! He is the supreme head, though I've never met him in person, only hearing his name through classified documents."
Xie Xingchen nodded knowingly:
— "Makes sense. That guy rarely shows his face to begin with."
Kiriko continued to share about herself:
— "As for my origin... my name is Akai Kiriko. My Akai family has maintained a long-standing swordsmanship tradition passed down through countless generations. As for this demon sword..."
She turned to look at the Katana Akeomi, a flicker of complex emotion passing through her eyes:
— "This is Akeomi, a supreme treasured blade of our family. By rule, it can only be passed down to those of pure blood. As for me... I am a half-blood, as my father was a fox-hybrid while my mother was pureblood."
Tae-Joon asked in confusion:
— "Then why weren't you killed when you were completely consumed and controlled by it?"
Kiriko explained:
— "Because under normal circumstances, that sword would instantly tear apart anyone who dares to act as its host. But for those with blood ties to the family, it's different. The only person in the past who ever possessed and completely suppressed this sword was my grandmother."
Kiriko's eyes dimmed:
— "My mother told me that back in the day, my grandmother was gifted Akeomi by someone. That person said my grandmother was the only one with enough power to suppress the demonic soul within the blade, and future generations of our family could do the same if they were capable enough."
Seijuro stroked his chin, impressed:
— "Your grandmother must have been a notorious master back then... So who was the person who gifted her the sword?"
Kiriko shook her head:
— "My grandmother was the strongest figure in our family's history. As for the identity of the person who gave her the sword, I know nothing at all. Only my grandmother knew his name, but I'm not sure if she left behind any clues... She passed away long before I was born. All of this was told to me by my mother."
Reaching this point, Kiriko's face suddenly flushed bright red. She lowered her head, her fox ears drooping in embarrassment as she stammered, unable to find her words.
Roxy blinked in confusion:
— "What's wrong with you?"
Loona tilted her head curiously:
— "Is something wrong, big sister?"
Kiriko twirled her fingers together, her voice as quiet as a mosquito's hum, yet clear enough for the whole room to hear:
— "Our Akai family... has an ancient tradition... If a woman of our family is completely defeated in battle by any man... that woman must... willingly marry the man who defeated her..."
Upon finishing her final sentence, Kiriko bashfully covered her face.
SILENCE!
The entire living room plunged into absolute silence for three whole seconds.
Immediately after, everyone turned their heads in unison, pinning their gaze squarely onto Shin—who was sitting there with rabbit ears on his head!
Shin's eyes widened, pointing his bandaged finger at himself in sheer shock:
— "EH?! Wh-What did you say?!"
Mikami Rei slapped his thigh hard, bursting into laughter:
— "Oh my lord! Our leader is about to get married!!"
Xie Xingchen instantly snapped fully awake, chiming in playfully:
— "Well, isn't that nice, Shin! A wedding out of nowhere!"
Loona giggled hysterically:
— "Haha! Lucky you, Big Brother Shin! A pretty and super talented wife!"
Kento leisurely puffed out smoke, smirking at his brother:
— "Need me to send you over to ask for her hand at the Akai household?"
Shin instantly panicked to the point of leaping onto the sofa, flailing his bandaged hands frantically:
— "Hey, hey! I'm still student age! I don't wanna get married yet!!"
Seijuro crossed his arms, shaking his head in mock disdain:
— "Weak excuse! Calling yourself a student with that tall, built body of yours?!"
Shin frantically tried to explain:
— "But I really don't want to get married yet!!"
Seeing Shin waving his hands in a frantic panic, Kiriko smiled gently and waved her hands to reassure him:
— "It's alright, Shin... That's just an ancient family tradition, not a mandatory rule."
Hearing this was like catching a lifeline, Shin immediately pointed around the room, shouting:
— "See?! Did you guys hear that?! She said it's not forced! Stop teasing me!"
The Zero Horizon squad burst into hearty laughter at Shin's expense, completely dispelling the heavy mood left behind by the battle. After a round of banter, everyone finally settled back into the main topic.
Kiriko looked at Shin with determined eyes, making a serious request:
— "Would it be alright... if I asked to join Zero Horizon with you all?"
Xie Xingchen spoke up first:
— "That's up to our Leader to decide. However, I want you to use your position to gather internal intelligence on Shikoku no Chishitsu. The Federation is hosting a massive upcoming auction, and I already have invitation passes. Can you pull this off?"
Kiriko nodded without a second thought:
— "Understood! I will definitely help you all! I no longer wish to work for Shikoku no Chishitsu anyway... I've realized the Federation higher-ups are hiding extremely shady schemes. Furthermore, I once overheard that... the Federation is carrying out numerous illegal trades involving alien species, though I don't have concrete proof yet."
Hearing this, Roxy's eyes flared with intense killing intent, her dog tail thumping hard against the floor:
— "We have to demand justice for the other races! Those sitting high up in the Federation have ruled for too long—we'll make them taste the bitterness of the oppressed!"
Shin looked at Kiriko and nodded in agreement:
— "I look forward to you doing a good job. As for the marriage thing... just make sure never to speak of it again!"
Kiriko smiled sweetly, her fox ears twitching gently:
— "No problem, Shin! I'll do my absolute best!"
Just then, Loona stepped out from the laboratory, holding a bottle of deep purple, furiously smoking potion. She smirked slyly:
— "Hey everyone! I just brewed up this new enhancement potion! Who wants to volunteer as my guinea pig?"
Seeing the purple potion, Xie Xingchen's face turned pale as he shot up from his seat:
— "Oh no, guys!!"
Seijuro took a quick step backward:
— "I think... I'd better be taking my leave!"
Shin backed away in horror:
— "Woah! Hold on, Loona!!"
Roxy laughed heartily, springing forward:
— "Let me help you catch guinea pigs, Loona!!"
Zero Horizon's underground base once again plunged into a lively and chaotic scene filled with laughter…
(To be continued)