The meeting point was a nondescript parking garage in Kyoto's industrial district. Kaito arrived precisely on time, a large envelope tucked under his arm containing the fabricated evidence of Shien's death.
Snow fell softly outside, coating everything in white. Winter had settled over Kyoto with a vengeance, the temperature well below freezing.
The intermediary was a thin man in a cheap suit, unremarkable in every way—exactly the kind of person who could disappear into a crowd. He examined the contents methodically: photographs of Shien with bullet wounds (carefully staged with real wounds and blood and a bit of make up), Shien's actual mobile phone , and detailed photos of the "kill site" in Aokigahara.
The intermediary nodded once, satisfied.
High above, perched on a steel beam, a crow watched the whole interaction.
The intermediary handed Kaito a burner phone and it rang immediately.
"Proceed to the pickup location," a distorted voice instructed. "Coordinates are being sent now."
Kaito drove for twenty minutes through snow-covered streets to a dry cleaner on outskirts of the city. Inside, a single figure waited—a woman in her fifties with dead eyes.
"The note," she said flatly.
Kaito produced the torn half of the 1000 yen bill. The woman matched it with her half. Perfect alignment.
She took a briefcase from under the counter and unlocked it presenting to Kaito.
Kaito checked it carefully—counting a few bills, examining the watermarks—then nodded. The woman left without another word.
Kaito waited five minutes, then departed with the money.
Unknown to either of them, a crow followed the woman to her next destination.
Shiu Kong's Office - Two Hours Later
Shiu Kong sat in his modest office above a ramen shop, smoking a cigarette and reviewing the photographs one more time. Outside, snow continued to fall, muffling the sounds of the city. Everything checked out. The Zenin heir was dead, the contract fulfilled, and his commission secured.
He allowed himself a small smile. It took far longer than originally estimated but at least the job was done.
A knock at the door.
"Come in," Shiu called, stubbing out his cigarette.
Mei Mei entered, immaculate as always in a tailored suit, her silver-blue hair braided perfectly.
Shiu's eyes widened slightly. "Mei Mei-san. This is... unexpected."
"Hello, Kong-san." She smiled pleasantly, brushing snow from her coat. "It's been a while."
"It has." Shiu gestured to a chair, his mind racing. Why is she here? "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I'm looking for information about a contract. A billion-yen hit on Zenin Shien."
Shiu's expression didn't change, but his hand twitched toward the drawer where he kept his gun. "You know I can't reveal client information. Professional ethics."
"Of course." Mei Mei sat gracefully, crossing her legs. "I wouldn't dream of asking you to compromise your principles."
"Then why—"
The temperature in the room dropped even further.
Shiu felt it before he saw it—a presence behind him, massive and suffocating. He started to turn—
A fist crashed into his face with the force of a sledgehammer.
Shiu's nose exploded in a spray of blood and cartilage. He flew backward, his chair shattering beneath him as he slammed into the wall.
"Hello," Shien said pleasantly, stepping into the light. "Surprise! Motherfucker !"
Shiu's eyes went wide as dinner plates, blood pouring from his ruined nose. "You're—you're supposed to be—"
"Dead?" Shien grabbed Shiu by the collar and hauled him upright. "Yeah, about that."
He drove his fist into Shiu's stomach. The broker doubled over, retching.
"Who hired you?" Shien asked calmly.
"I dont kn—"
CRACK.
Shien's fist shattered Shiu's jaw. Teeth scattered across the floor like dice.
"Wrong answer."
Shiu tried to scramble away, but Shien caught him by the ankle and dragged him back.
"Please—wait—" Shiu gargled through the blood filling his mouth.
Shien stomped down on his knee. The joint bent backward with a wet crunch.
Shiu screamed.
"Who hired you !"
"I'll tell you!" Shiu sobbed through broken teeth. "Just—just make a binding vow! Promise you won't kill me or hurt me! Please!"
CRACK.
Another rib snapped under Shien's heel.
Mei Mei helped herself to a chair checking her phone oblivious to the brutal interrogation taking place.
Shien crouched down, grabbing Shiu's face with one hand, forcing the broken man to look at him. "Here's what's going to happen. You're going to tell me who hired you. And in exchange, I promise not to kill you or hurt you physically. "
"I...—"
Shien drove his thumb into one of Shiu's broken ribs. The broker shrieked.
"Binding vow will only work. If the other person is willing, So you can keep the money and i will heal you and wont hurt or kill you. What do you say ?"
"Yes! Yes! Binding vow!" Shiu gasped.
The weight of the binding vow settled over them both, absolute and unbreakable.
"It was Naoya Zenin," Shiu wheezed. "Your brother. He... he wanted you dead before your Special Grade appointment. Said you were... were a threat to his position as heir."
Shien's expression didn't change, but something cold and terrible settled in his chest.
Naoya. My half-brother in this life.
In his previous life, he'd wanted a brother. As a kid he envied other kids who had sibling and how much fun it seemed. Shien knew deep down it was likely him but did not believe Naoya would be that stupid. It saddened Shien that even blood relatives could not be trusted, the allure of power and money was too great.
"Where is he now?"
"Meeting me... this afternoon. Bridge on the... the outskirts. Route 7. Three PM.... To collect... the proof of death."
Shien placed his hand on Shiu's chest. Reverse Cursed energy flowed, and Shiu gasped as his injuries healed—broken ribs mending, jaw resetting, nose reconstructing itself. In ten seconds, he was physically whole again.
"You're going to that meeting," Shien said quietly. "You're going to hand over the package. And you're going to act like nothing is wrong. Understand?"
"Y-yes."
"Good." Shien stood. "Mei Mei will be watching. If you try to warn him, I'll know. And our binding vow only prevents me from killing you. It says nothing about what I'll do to everyone you care about."
Shiu nodded frantically.
Shien walked to the door, then paused. "Oh, and Kong-san? Dont Fuck it up !."
He left without another word.
Mei Mei stood, adjusting her suit. "Always a pleasure, Kong-san. See you this afternoon."
Route 7 Bridge - 3:00 PM
The bridge was old, spanning a deep river gorge on the outskirts of Kyoto. Snow fell steadily, covering the road in a thick white blanket. The afternoon light was dim, filtered through heavy clouds.
Naoya Zenin arrived precisely on time, alone. with no guards or back up wanting to keep his involvement a secret .His breath misted in the frigid air as he waited.
Shiu's car appeared through the falling snow right on schedule.
"Kong-san," Naoya greeted with a nod. "I trust you have good news."
"The best news, Naoya-sama." Shiu bowed, trying to look as professional as possible. "The package, as promised."
He handed over the envelope. Naoya examined the contents—the photographs, the phone, the evidence.
A slow smile spread across his face, his breath misting.
"Excellent work. The brat is finally—"
Movement.
Naoya's head snapped up, instincts screaming danger—
Shien appeared out of nowhere, materializing from the falling snow, moving faster than Naoya's eyes could track.
Shien foot was a blur landing a devastating kick to the back of Naoya's legs.
CRACK.
Naoya screamed, collapsing onto his knees as his legs buckled beneath him, completely destroyed.
Before he could even process the pain, Shien's fist caught him in the chest. The punch carried so much force that Naoya's entire body lifted off the ground and flew backward like a missile.
He crashed through the bridge railing, tumbling through the air. He slammed into a tree trunk with bone-breaking force, the tree itself cracking from the impact. Snow cascaded down from the branches.
He bounced, tumbled, crashed through two more snow-covered trees before finally slamming into a boulder over three hundred meters from the bridge.
Naoya lay there in the snow, broken and bleeding, barely conscious. His leg was pointing in a obscene angle shattered beyond repair. Every bone in his body screamed with pain as he spat out blood trying to breathe.
Footsteps crunched through the snow.
Shien walked down from the bridge, unhurried. In his hand was a pistol—a simple 9mm Glock, taken from Kaito's supplies. His breath misted in the cold air.
Naoya tried to crawl away, dragging his ruined body across the snow with his arms, leaving a trail of blood. Snow clung to his hair, his clothes.
"You—you fucking—whore son ! I should have killed you in the crib! —" Naoya coughed blood onto the pristine white snow. "The clan—will know—you'll never—be heir—you're dead—you hear me?! DEAD!"
Shien said nothing.
He simply raised the gun and fired.
BANG.
The gunshot echoed across the gorge, muffled slightly by the falling snow.
Naoya's head snapped back, a neat hole appearing in his forehead. His body went limp mid-curse, the words dying on his lips. Blood pooled in the snow around his head.
Shien stood there for a long moment, staring at the corpse. Snow fell on both of them, slowly beginning to cover the body.
He felt nothing. No grief, joy or satisfaction.
Just cold, empty contempt.
He grabbed Naoya's body by the ankle. With his superhuman strength, he swung the corpse in a wide arc and hurled it with tremendous force. The body sailed through the air, arcing high through the air before splashing into the icy river well over a hundred meters away. The current caught it immediately, dragging it downstream into the darkness.
Killing his own brother was a new low, but then again he was left with no choice. The man was a snake. Shien thought, watching the body disappear. And I feel... free.
Back on the bridge, Shiu Kong stood shivering, waiting for Shien to return.
Mei Mei approached from the other side, her heels crunching in the fresh snow, her crows circling overhead.
"You did well, Kong-san," she said pleasantly.
"I—I kept my end of the bargain," Shiu said quickly, backing away, his feet slipping slightly on the snow. "I didn't warn him. I did exactly what Shien-sama asked. I can go? right ? you know i keep my mouth shut. "
"Of course you can go," Mei Mei said, her smile widening. "Shien-kun promised not to kill you."
Relief flooded Shiu's face. He started toward his car, crunching through the snow—
Then he saw it.
The axe in Mei Mei's hand, gleaming in the dim afternoon light.
"Wait—" His voice cracked, his breath misting rapidly. "We had a deal! Shien promised—"
"Shien promised not to kill you," Mei Mei said, her tone almost conversational as she hefted the weapon. "I made no such promise."
"No—wait! I have money!" Shiu stumbled backward, hands raised, slipping on the snow. "hundred of millions! I can pay you! Whatever you want! Name your price!"
"Oh, Kong-san." Mei Mei tilted her head, examining him. "You really don't understand, do you?"
She took a step forward, as he took a step back.
"Let me explain something to you," she continued, her voice soft and casual. "Shien-kun is my most precious investment."
Another step forward, snow crunching.
"I have worked quite hard to tie myself to him and staked my future success on it." Her gentle smile never wavered. "So tell me, Kong-san—what do you think happens to people who threaten that?"
"I didn't know it was him! I swear! It was just a contract! I was just doing my job!"
"You facilitated a contract on his life." Another step forward. "You took money—a great deal of money—to see him dead. You coordinated with assassins, provided intelligence. You're not just a loose end, Kong-san."
She raised the axe slightly, snow swirling around them.
"You're a liability. And I don't leave liabilities when it comes to protecting my investments."
"Please!" Shiu was crying now, tears freezing on his cheeks, backing toward the edge of the bridge. "I'll disappear! You'll never see me again! I'll leave the country! I'll change my name! I'll—"
"You're right about one thing," Mei Mei said, her expression almost serene. "I'll never see you again."
She moved.
The axe swung in a perfect arc through the falling snow, faster than Shiu's desperate, terrified eyes could follow. His Head sailed clean off as blood sprayed in a wide crimson arc across the white snow, painting it red.
Shiu body twitched on the floor as blood poured out like a geyeser.
Mei Mei pulled the axe free and examined the bloody edge as she talked "You see, Kong-san, Shien is going to be magnificent. The most powerful sorcerer of his generation. Perhaps of several generations."
Mei Mei continued, as if nothing had happened. She produced a handkerchief from her pocket and began cleaning her axe with methodical precision, the blood freezing on the blade. Not a single drop had touched her coat.
Her crows descended, and within moments began their grisly work.
Mei Mei walked back toward the center of the bridge, wiping the last traces of blood from her weapon. Snow fell heavily now, already beginning to cover the evidence.
Shien walked back onto the bridge through the falling snow and stopped.
He looked at Mei Mei standing there cleaning her axe, snow catching in her silver hair.
Something primal and hungry stirred deep in his chest.
She killed him without me asking or hinting. She understood immediately that the binding vow would have prevented me from doing it myself, and she just... handled it. No wanted to test limits of a binding vow. Saved me a lot of trouble.
He smiled at her, genuinely impressed and deeply grateful.
"The suitcase of money is in the car," he said, his breath misting in the cold air. "It's yours."
"How generous. My Shien-kun really knows the way to my heart." She wiped the last of the blood from her axe with deliberate precision, as they walked towards the car.
She glanced at him, and her expression softened slightly. "You handled yourself well today."
Shien nodded as they neared the car she walked closer, her hips swaying naturally with each step, her heels crunching in the fresh snow.
"I assume your problem has been... resolved?"
"Permanently," Shien confirmed.
"Good." She stopped just in front of him, close enough that he could smell her lavender shampoo. "You're getting used to doing what needs to be done."
"I never wanted to be clan head. If he helped me like any big brother and took care of me. I would have gladly supported him for the position. Pompous idiot ...what a waste." Shien shook his head in disappointment rather than sadness.
"I am almost thirteen years old and already killed and tortured so many people." He watched his breath mist in the air between them. "This clan hates weakness, so I convinced myself I was just playing a part - good person pretending to be a monster" He stepped closer. "But i am starting to realize. I am not pretending anymore... I am a monster."
Mei Mei's smile widened. "My My ... i did not know murdering people, could be such a enlightening experience."
Shien grinned an animalistic grin, He realized how arousing Mei Mei looked the hilt of her axe in hand leaning on the car.
Shien grabbed Mei Mei by the waist and yanked her against him roughly, his mouth claiming hers in a fierce, hungry kiss.
She responded immediately, arms wrapping around his neck, returning the kiss with equal intensity as she pulled him against the car. "God you taste like strawberries.." Shien groaned in to her mouth. Mei Mei giggled " its the lip gloss" she said as she resumed kissing him. His hands roamed her body, under her stylish coat, she had on a form-fitting black bodysuit—the kind with a plunging neckline edged in delicate lace that showcased her cleavage. The material clung to every curve, and through it he could feel the heat of her body contrasting with the winter air.
Shien broke the kiss to trail his mouth down her jaw to her neck, biting the soft skin there.
Mei Mei gasped, her breath misting. "Oh Shien... " She slid her coat off and laid it on the car her hands on the back of his head threading her fingers through his hair. In the background a murder of crows were pecking into Shiu's corpse.