Kyouka trudged through the door of her apartment, every step dragging as though her boots were made of lead. Her body glistened with sweat, the faint metallic tang of dungeon air still clinging to her skin. She let out a long sigh, throwing her bag onto the floor without care.
"...Goddess, I'm tired."
Her muscles ached, her throat felt raw, and her mind swirled with fragments of the day—the shriek of monsters, the crunch of bone beneath steel, and the endless march through twisting tunnels. For all her training, for all her excitement at finally being part of Valkyria Fang's expeditions, the reality was brutal.
She glanced around the apartment. The lights were still off, the silence unbroken. "...Looks like mother's not back yet."
Talking to herself felt natural. It filled the emptiness of the room. She slipped off her gloves and leaned against the wall.
"First floor of Orbis... huh." She let out a short laugh, tired but amused. "And we've only cleared about ten percent. Can you believe it? Ten percent but who knows if those numbers are even accurate. NDA could be bluffing to us."
Her eyes unfocused, replaying what the guild had said at the debriefing.
The NDA—the National Dungeon Authority—had officially named the new dungeon Orbis. A sprawling, multi-layered labyrinth that appeared on the city, its entrance had swallowed more explorers than Kyouka cared to count within a short period of time. And today, she had stepped into it for the first time.
"different flora variants, wild boars that looked twice the size of normal boars, even those weird stone beetles... ugh." She wrinkled her nose, remembering the acidic smell of crushed insects and the weight of beetle shells. "At least the materials sold well..."
She exhaled deeply, pressing her forehead against the cool wall. "They're still searching for the catalyst to open the second floor. Destroy, harvest, analyze—just like always. But from the stories I've heard... dungeons like Orbis last centuries. Centuries..." Her lips curved into a bittersweet smile. "At this rate, I might not even live long enough to see the third floor."
The thought was sobering. Dungeons were legacies, not conquests. Hunters lived and died, generations rising and falling, while the labyrinth remained almost eternal until someone like Lan's ancestor, who conquered the dungeon, came along.
Kyouka straightened, feeling the sticky cling of her damp clothes against her skin. She groaned.
"...I seriously need a bath."
She tugged at her jacket, peeling it off as she walked down the hallway. One by one, pieces of her equipment dropped onto the floor—shoulder guard, belt, boots. By the time she reached her room, her shirt clung to her like a second skin, and she tossed it aside without hesitation.
Her room was a mess—clothes scattered, books stacked haphazardly, weapon oil stains on the desk. She didn't care. Wrapping a towel loosely around her hips, she sighed in relief at the sudden lightness of being half-naked. In this world, women didn't bother covering their chests in the bath; only men did. It was the custom, and she followed it without thought.
She padded barefoot to the bathroom, pushing open the door.
A wave of hot steam greeted her, rolling out like mist from the dungeon itself. She blinked against the fog.
And then froze.
Through the haze, a figure sat in the bathtub—broad shoulders above the water, dark hair damp, eyes half-lidded in relaxation.
"—Ah!" Kyouka yelped, nearly dropping her towel. She slapped her hand over her eyes, heart hammering. "S-sorry, Ren! I didn't know you were here!"
The figure shifted, turning his head lazily toward her. His voice was low, casual, but carried a teasing warmth.
"It's fine, Kyouka."
Her face burned, the heat of the steam nothing compared to the heat in her chest. She wanted to bolt, but her feet refused to move.
"Come on in," Ren said. "There's room."
"N-no way!" she blurted out. "I—I can't. That's... that's improper!"
Ren chuckled softly. "Improper? What are you talking about? We used to bathe together all the time, remember?"
"That was when we were kids!" she snapped, still covering her eyes.
"We are still kids in our mother's eye." His tone softened, almost wistful. "Besides... to me, Kyouka, you'll always be a little reckless elder sister who charges ahead without thinking."
Her breath caught. Something about the way he said it—gentle, familiar, yet carrying a weight of memory—made her chest tighten. Slowly, hesitantly, she lowered her hand.
The fog swirled, revealing Ren more clearly. He was reclined in the tub, water lapping at his chest. His body, lean but defined, glistened with droplets. The sight made her cheeks burn hotter.
Ren patted the water in front of him. "Come. Sit. I need to talk to you."
She bit her lip. "Talk... in the bath? Really?"
"Really," he said simply. "I know as soon as you leave the bath, you will fall into your hibernation to never wake up,"
Kyouka exhaled, torn between reason and an inexplicable pull. Finally, with a reluctant groan, she stepped forward. The tile was warm beneath her feet, the steam wrapping her like a blanket.
She tried to sit opposite him, but the tub was smaller than she remembered. The moment she lowered herself in, her knees brushed against his. Her heart lurched.
"Not enough space," Ren remarked, lips curving faintly. "Just sit here." He tapped his lap.
Her entire body stiffened. "Y-you're insane! I'm not sitting there!"
"Why not? It's fine." His eyes locked onto hers, steady, unwavering. "Come here."
She shook her head furiously. "No way!"
But then—he reached out, fingers curling lightly around her wrist, pulling her closer. Her resistance faltered. Maybe it was the heat, maybe it was exhaustion, maybe it was the way his voice dipped softer when he said her name—
"Kyouka..."
Her chest tightened again. Against her better judgment, against every alarm bell ringing in her mind, she let herself be guided. Awkwardly, stiffly, she lowered herself onto his lap.
The water rippled around them. Her back straightened, every muscle tense. She could feel his warmth against her, too close, too real.
"This is ridiculous..." she muttered, avoiding his gaze. "Why am I sitting on my younger brother's lap like this? Shouldn't it be other way...and not naked both of us,"
Ren leaned forward slightly, his breath brushing her ear. "Maybe. But sometimes ridiculous things are the ones worth remembering."
Her pulse quickened.
For a moment, silence stretched between them, filled only by the soft ripple of water and the drip of condensation from the ceiling. Then, Ren's voice dropped—calmer, steadier, carrying a weight she hadn't heard before.
"Kyouka... there's something I need to tell you."
She blinked, startled by the sudden change in his tone. "About your academy?"
"No." His hand rested lightly on the rim of the tub, fingers drumming once before stilling. He exhaled. "I awakened to a power."
Her breath caught, and she turned fully, the words striking her like a shockwave. "...What?"
He gave a faint smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "It happened recently. I already told Hiyori... and Mother."
Kyouka's expression faltered. She hadn't expected that. A twist of something unfamiliar coiled in her chest, heavier than surprise.
Ren noticed, his gaze narrowing. "You don't look happy about it."
She looked down at the steaming water, voice quiet. "Do you even know what kind of power you awakened to?"
"Not yet," he admitted, watching her closely. Then, softer: "But you don't look nearly as glad as I thought you would."
Her lips pressed into a thin line. Finally, she whispered, "I would've been. Back when I was just a dumb girl who thought guilds were all about saving people, hunting monsters... that powerful people were good people who protected the weak."
Ren tilted his head. "And they're not?"
Her eyes hardened, though her body trembled faintly against his. "They're not, Ren. I saw it myself in Orbis. People left behind to die in the dungeon just because they didn't belong to the right guild."
The water swayed as she shifted, tension tightening her shoulders. "Nina Raj... Selene...Lan Xinyue from Sirius people like them are the ones who will be interested in you now that you've awakened. And that's why I can't be happy about it."
For a long moment, Ren just studied her, the flicker of amusement tugging at the corner of his mouth. Then, deliberately, he leaned closer, voice low and teasing. "Of course I'm not scared of people like that. Not when you're here to protect me."
Her heart stumbled. She hadn't realized how near his face had gotten, how his hand, once idly resting on the tub, now hovered close to her back, almost brushing her bare chest.
The warmth in her chest grew heavier, harder to ignore. Why do I feel this way...? Why does it feel like... I don't want anyone else near him but me?
She clenched her fists in the water, cheeks hot, but her voice came out softer than she intended. "You're... unfair, Ren."
His chuckle was low, intimate, sending ripples through her composure. "Unfair? Or just honest?"
The silence between them tightened, charged—balanced on the edge of something Kyouka couldn't really understand about herself.