Chasing Shadows, Chasing Secrets

Another couple of days passed, during which they continued their training. Many of the younger demons learned new techniques, while those with prior experience focused on enhancing their strengths and addressing weaknesses. Among them, Kahn stood out for obvious reasons, displaying determination by persistently challenging Rei in an attempt to secure a victory. What a bullhead — she thought, amused.

During the time spent at the shelter, she noticed that everyone has their own work to do and that even if A-Yin has the title of leader, he rarely controlls them, preferring to jump from one activity to another without ever stopping. She's never seen him alone for more than five minutes, nor particularly attached to anyone during their daily life, except for Zhou.

Right now, Rei is strolling toward the central square, where some minor demons chatter. 

Behind her, the sound of footsteps is heard. 

She turns around, annoyed. What a pain. Even in the dark, she sees perfectly, albeit in grayscale, yet there doesn't appear to be anyone of interest behind her. Despite this, she senses a demon hiding in the shadows. Continuing to walk, she turns left into a narrow street flanked by two wooden houses. Another almost imperceptible crunch catches her attention.

Glancing around, Rei notices that if she goes straight, she should reach the armory, but her pursuer likely knows the area better than her. Deciding to head toward the forest, she maintains a calm pace to avoid arousing suspicion. In the serenity of the vegetation, only the rustle of leaves can be heard. The trunks of the trees ahead grow large and imposing, perfect for hiding. She shifts her steps to the left, deluding her pursuer into moving in that direction. Her petite body slips into the dense vegetation, disappearing and moving in the opposite direction.

The fubai glances up, anticipating that he might climb to get a better view, or at least that's what she would do in that situation. From the corner of her eye, she perceives the tip of a boot. Abruptly, Rei ducks into the bushes as she approaches behind a tree and smiles at the view, sure to find Lì. 

Instead, she sees long black hair cascading from broad shoulders, swaying in the wind. A-Yin?

With controlled movements, Rei jumps and clings to one branch and nimbly leaps to the next. 

The trembling of the wood catches his attention, and the demon turns around, finding Rei's face in front of his.

"So, what were you looking at?" she asks, and A-Yin smiles back, shaking his head, "I was taking a walk in the fresh air, weren't you?"

"You don't have much to do if you have the time to follow me everywhere," Rei remarks, leaping forward and landing on the branch where the demon sits. She positions herself beside him, resting her hands not far from his. Her lilac eyes meet his icy blue gaze. "If you wanted to get to know me, you could have just offered me something to drink."

A chuckle fills the air, but then he responds thoughtfully, "You really are cocky, saying those things to me."

"Right." Her eyes wander briefly before returning to him as she leans in, close enough to feel his breath. "Who am I to criticize how the boss makes a move on me? Maybe it works with someone else."

A-Yin stands up and extends his hand to help her, but she frowns and gets on her feet. "Let's grab something to drink," he suggests calmly, leaping off the branch. The fubai briskly follows him, and together they head toward the inn.

As they are approaching, the demon turns to her, a smirk playing on his lips. "So, what would you like to drink? Something strong, to match that fiery spirit of yours?"

Rei meets his gaze, a sly smile forming. "Surprise me. But don't think this means I'm letting you off the hook for stalking me."

"I'd expect nothing less from you," he says, holding the door open for her, before entering the room.

The place is relatively small, run by sweet Dora, a granny with a flair for meat pies, and her grandson Wyatt, skilled in stealing the heart of everyone. As soon as Lì notices the fubai, he waves his hand in the air, beckoning her to come closer. The rectangular table is surrounded by two small benches, accommodating a maximum of four people. Lì and Kahn occupy the one on the left, sitting facing each other side by side.

"Wu should join us soon." says Lì. 

Khan's gaze is grim, implanted on Rei's forehead.

"Don't tell me you're still upset about our little fight." Rei nods to the innkeeper, points to the amber bottle, and he starts fumbling with the glasses. "To make up for it, I'm offering you this round."

Four glasses of rum are brought to the table. A-Yin takes one for himself, playing with it as he looks at the liquour. He gets one closer to Rei, who grabs it and drinks all of it, not letting a single drop inside it. 

"My offer to help you is still valid." she adds calmy. Kahn looks at the beverage, takes the glass in his hands, quaffs it, then slams it on the table. "Tomorrow afternoon in the armory."

"We will use a spear."

He widens his eyes, glaring at her. "I'm not a sissy."

The comment makes A-Yin grin. The demon's army Kahn was part of, was one of the hardest and bloodiest in Diyu. The use of weapons that were not melee was seen with mockery, so they forced all comrades to wield large and heavy blades, with apparent results: those who could keep up were seen as a berserker with scary strength. 

Rei chuckles at Kahn's reaction, only to get severe and demanding. "Right, you are just a clumsy, slow and uncoordinated demon. You will use the spear and improve."

The leader swallows the rum all at once and knocks the shot glass down on the table. "Harsh words for someone I've never seen with a spear in hand."

A smile curls her lips as she gives him a quick look. "There's a lot of things I'm good at."

He giggles in response, then shifts his gaze to the funny sight of the muscular one, who looks unsatisfied and adds, "But joking aside, I agree with her that you should try it. I think you are more suited to it than the ax." 

Kahn snorts, grabs Lì's glass, and drinks. "Fine." 

"Where did you learn to fight? Alone?" Rei's question makes his amber eyes widen. Despite his fingernails clenching against the mug, signaling slight tension, Kahn bursts out laughing rudely. "First of all, girl, you're fucking rude. And second, if he heard you talk about his teachings like that, you would already be dead."

A-Yin imperceptibly smiles as unpleasant memories flows to mind, but he doesn't comment. The silence lasts a little more than a moment because Rei stops drinking and exclaims, "Huh?" A white eyebrow rises, giving her a confused expression, to which Kahn replies, "Lord Third. War or the 3 meters pile of shit, as I like to call him."

"What!?" Rei exclaims, stupefied, slipping the glass into her hands. It makes a thrush, and a few drops gush onto the table as she adds, "It's impossible. Your form is so imperfect. How could a Greater Demon have trained you?"

"Seriously, stop being a jerk." Kahn quips as the others laugh, then asks, "Moreover, why? Do you think he cared about us? We were just meat." A veil of sadness shrouds the demon's gaze, prompting him to order a beer as a means to drown the haunting memories of the past. So many lost friends. 

Lì pats him on the shoulder, and Kahn starts talking again, "Not that the others cared about us, too." He wets his lips with the malt drink and fixes his gaze on Rei. "You have never been to Diyu, so maybe it's difficult to imagine. How do you picture them?"

A grimace appears on her lips. There are several stories, myths, and songs about the Five. Still, their origin, their real names, and their essence has been shrouded in a cloud of mist for centuries, to the point that sometimes they almost seem to have never existed, as if the humans wanted their wrath to be devoured by the depths of the earth so that it could never emerge on the surface. After thinking about it for a while, she replies, "I imagine Famine being thin, almost skeletal. Pestilence full of buboes. Madness, almost incomprehensible as if he is never really lucid and present." 

Her finger slides on the circular edge of the glass, and her gaze is lost for a moment in the amber liquid. She isn't drinking it, yet she feels a bitter taste in her mouth. "War, ruthless." Her voice shuts down for a bit, when a slight nudge wakes her up, and Rei raises her head, noticing A-Yin's curious look. "What about Deception?"

"I don't know. The Fourth is the one who has the least myths about him. Hardly any bard sings about his gestures. Apart from the only mention among the Five Greater Demons, his role in the War of Closure is never told. I think the fact that nothing is known is consistent with his title." She shrugs and asks the three demons, "Have you ever seen him?"

Lì shakes his head, probably too young to even clearly remember the demonic continent, and A-Yin appears deeply absorbed in his drink at the moment, so the only one to answer is Kahn. "No, never. Unlike the others, Deception never showed his rasuah or his face. It is said that there was a time when he often feasted and celebrated in his palace, but no one ever saw him. He was always hidden behind a mask from which two red eyes and white hair emerged. The celebrations lasted long until one day the court turned red and was called The Crimson Palace."

The story caught the attention of the fubai, who is increasingly curious and has another question. "What do you mean red?"

"He does not have a good reputation. It's said to be red because of his extravagance and vanity. He used to disappear into it to demonstrate opulence and pageantry." The leader's voice makes Rei shift her lilac eyes on him as she plays with her drink. "Do you know him?"

He shrugs and responds, "Nope, It's one of the rumors that went around before the doors closed, but not much is known, and what is said is mostly garbage." 

"I thought you knew everyone." she says sardonic, and he replies, "This may sound strange, but I'm not a big fan of the Great Demons. Most of them are arrogant, extremely powerful, and unwilling to leave room for those below."

"Most of them?"

He grins ironically. "We don't have enough news about some of them, do we?" He scratches his chin and adds, "Moreover, I spent most of my time here in Rèn, so I don't have much information about Diyu." The comment is accompanied by a disinterested look at the empty mug resting on the table. The fubai looks back at Kahn and asks, "Returning to the Palace, have you ever been there? How is it?"

"The Third has always despised anyone who wasn't him. He has always prevented us from frequenting other demon regions. I can only tell you that in the evening, it lit up with small orange lights that brightened the night."

Her lips curl into a gentle smile, and so does that of the leader when he hears her say, "It seems warm."

A-Yin is going to comment when the inn door opens, and Wu's tall, slender figure stares at them. Rei nudges A-Yin, getting closer to make room for her on the bench, then gestures for her to sit down. Yet, her green eyes rest earnestly on the fubai; bothered by her figure, she turns and walks out.

"Or I guess she won't join us." a chuckle escapes from the Rei's lips, making Lì laugh. 

"I don't think she likes me very much," she adds, then nods to the innkeeper, who leaves the bottle on the table. The fubai fills a liqueur glass and hands it to the red demon, who mutters a shy "Thank you."

After another round of drinks, A-Yin searches for Wyatt. Upon finding him, he smiles and instructs him to come closer. The young demon quickly trots toward them, stopping a few steps from the leader with a serious expression, awaiting orders. Wyatt boasts light blue skin, a short and messy bob of beautiful deep blue hair, and two gracefully curved horns framing his childlike face. His large, round eyes attentively follow the leader's gaze. A-Yin places a hand on Wyatt's head, giving him a firm and affectionate caress that seems to shake his entire body. 

"Don't be so careful. I won't eat you! Bring us all the liquor you have for a good endurance game. The first one who passes out pays!"

Lì puts his hands on his face and sighs, please don't. Wyatt nods vigorously and disappears into the little tavern, returning shortly after with four large jugs in his skinny arms. Kahn looks at him, uncertain whether to help him or not. It seems that the young one could crumble under their weight.

"Do you really want to play? You'll never beat me," Rei declares, raising the empty glass and chuckling.

A-Yin shrugs. "We'll see. Who else joins us?" His amused gaze turns to the muscular demon, who nods and then looks toward the red one. There he goes. Lì glares at him, annoyed, and shakes his head. "I don't want to vomit my soul tomorrow, and you shouldn't exaggerate either. Last time you ran through our reserves for a month, and I had to carry you to the central ward."

The leader laughs and comments, "The next day, you couldn't stand up straight."

"Just because someone gave me a friendly pat on the back that blocked me for a week."

"I never said it was for the alcohol."

Lì's expression becomes increasingly disconsolate, realizing that this time, he will likely have to carry even Kahn, who appears much heavier than the leader.

In a moment, the three glasses are full to the brim, are raised and slammed against each other in a fierce toast, then drained all in one breath. The rum goes down fast and hot, pinching Rei's throat. She lowers her mug on the table and laughs, screaming, "One!"

The two drinking buddies follow her example, and the game lights up in general euphoria. In the sixth round, the muscular one chuckles more than usual and begins to stagger. 

"Kahn, you have the face of a lost puppy, every time Wu is around you, you follow her with your eyes." the fubai says, amused. The statement seems to confuse him and makes him blush suddenly, shaking his head as brown locks of hair fall on his amber eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Lì watches him with a smile. He holds alcohol even less than I do.

"Oh, come on! I can see you like her. You should hit on her."

A-Yin raises an eyebrow and comments with a grin. "Worst case scenario, you'll be legless. If you know what I mean."

He doesn't, but the red demon does and shakes his head, chuckling nervously as he closes his legs. Angry Wu is terrifying, but something tells me Rei is much worse.

His golden eyes rest on the merry fubai. She has darkened cheeks and white hair strands tied in a braid as the rest falls softly on her shoulders. Her petite frame is clad in snug black trousers blending with the color of her skin, boots adorned with metal details, and a wide, lightweight jacket covering her chest and arms. He feels his breath getting heavy as he lingers on her bare clavicles, descending further down, just above the thin white strings that close the shirt's neckline. Suddenly, the loud noise of a glass slamming on the table's wood makes him wince. A-Yin looks at him, amused. He relaxes his fingers from the empty jug and says, "The next round is for Lì, my laborious little bee. What would we do without him?"

The red demon immediately lowers his gaze and holds a shiver of discomfort for that without said, as he was looking at her, while the other three shout, "Cheers!" clapping their glasses.

The evening continues lively and hot. After about twenty rounds of drinking, Kahn collapses heavily on the table, with a cheek crushed on the wood while murmuring between hiccups, "Do you- hich- you want to t-train with me?" Then he makes a loud sob that makes Rei and A-Yin laugh. Lì rises and sighs, then he rolls up his sleeves, looking for someone sober enough to be able to help him. Only Wyatt still looks lively, so he stops him and forces the young lad to help him. Together they raise the heavy demon and begin to drag him out of the tavern. He weighs a ton, damn muscle-head.

"Hurry back!" Dora's voice echoes from the kitchen door. The blue demon mumbles something incomprehensible and exits the room, using his foot to close the door. A-Yin catches Lì's doubtful gaze from the corner of his eye before him and the blue demon disappear outside, then he turns his attention back to Rei. Her lilac eyes are more feverish than usual, but she's still sober.

"With the old ladies out of the way, now we're getting serious." he says. 

She smiles at him, showing her canines, and fills the two jugs, commenting, "You'll regret challenging me!"

His lips curl up, and they both take up the challenge. After a few more rounds, the sting of alcohol begins to curl up in their stomach as the atmosphere seems more and more jovial, despite the inn having slowly emptied under their careless gazes. Rei pushes the glass away and shakes her head. "I need to be honest with you." 

The simple sentence is interrupted by an amused chuckle. She is forced to start again and adds, "You don't do shit."

The demon's round lips part in shock, and he guzzles another glass. The rum no longer slides down that easily, and the room starts to spin. "I am the leader, and I have great responsibilities!" With a smug smile, he points the finger at himself, and the fubai lowers it ironically saying, "Like delegating everything to others?"

"You always mistreat me."

"It's not true." she snorts, crossing her arms as hair falls over her pouting face. The expression amuses him, and, with a mischievous smile, he states, "Alright, love."

"Love?" 

"You are always so lovely. How can I not call you that?"

Rei is about to fight back, to give him a little push, but her hand stops mid-air, and her eyes narrow on the bottle. "I hate it, but I'm too tipsy to say something."

"Are you admitting your defeat?"

She shakes her head and drinks another glass, aware of her wrong choice.

"You intrigue me." A-Yin asserts amused as he plays with the empty bottle. "I don't understand where you come from."

A sly smile settles between her flushed cheeks. "Why do you care? You should just be glad I jumped into your arms."

The distance between their faces shortens, and the demon grins.

"Or you wouldn't have known of my existence and failed!" Rei says, then bursts into a rowdy laugh as she feels her eyes slightly moist. "I can imagine your lost expression as you look around, confused for the seal of the sun that does not resonate."

Despite the belly laugh, the sound is warm and soft and rings pleasantly in his ears. He pauses to look at her, smiling at the sight of her dark cheeks and her eyes closed for amusement. Rei usually has a severe and threatening expression with others. Despite reserving a few giggles and ironic glances for him, A-Yin never saw her so relaxed, and he must admit it is nice. 

The liters of rum flow like boiling water through her body, so Rei takes off her jacket, then brings her hair back, which flips over her nape creating a faint and fleeting cold breeze that brings light relief to her skin. His icy eyes linger on her bare shoulders and then slowly descend to her neckline, focusing on each small mole that adorns her cleavage. "What can I say? Sometimes life really smiles at me!" 

He motions for Wyatt to bring another bottle, which he rests on the table. It is the last one that the young demon is willing to serve the two. He does not look up and does not speak, yet in his mind, he curses them for having drained half a cellar in one evening. Grandma won't be happy.

A-Yin fills the glasses, and some amber liquid falls on his fingers, leaving them sticky and sugary. Despite his failing sight, he keeps drinking. "I'm serious. No one has ever seen a fubai. Don't tell me you've lived all this time in the woods!"

"Uhmm." she murmurs from the sip of her new drink, narrowing her lilac gaze on him. "Of course not!"

"Where have you been then?"

"I left the RiShi Pit when I was a little girl. You can tell I've been wandering ever since." then Rei shakes her head and chuckles, "I can't tell you all my secrets, then it's not funny!"

They cheer their shots and quaff the rum. "You're right. Then I couldn't discover them one by one."

His gaze turns serious, and he asks, "Is that why you want to open the gates of Diyu? Revenge?"

A cruel smile draws on her ethereal face, and she says, "Yes, humans haven't been particularly nice to me."

Rei plays with the empty glass, swinging it between two fingers, and in a low voice, asks, "And you? Why do you want to open them?"

"Those bastards of my brothers are stuck there, and I'd like the two worlds to merge, with no one winning and no one losing."

Her lilac eyes widen in surprise. "You want something impossible. I didn't make you so romantic."

"Does it bother you that our goals are so different?"

"No. Once the doors are open, the two of us will go our own way."

A-Yin reaches out to her face. His fingers glide over her cheek, as he pulls her closer. "And, will we meet again?"

"Maybe not, or maybe yes, and we'll fight or not. Who knows what will happen!?" Rei chuckles, amused. "Who cares? For now, our partnership will work."

A sly look rests on her lips, and A-Yin slowly caresses them with his thumb. "You need me, and I need you, right?"

"Right." she whispers, then smiles and gently pulls his wrist away. "Let's finish this bottle! Poor Kahn paid for it."

The demon giggles and pours two more glasses. The rum runs out quickly, scrapes sharply against their throats, and dulls their minds. The last bottle gives the two the coup de grace, and their fields of vision become dark and confused.