Kazuya reveled in the skies of Hoshikuni. Zooming through the big puffy clouds, the dazzling rays glistening upon his pale blonde hair, and the cold wind’s touch rushing past him which soothed both his mind and body. After a stressful day, this was exactly the kind of feeling he needed to leave everything behind and just enjoy life. Or at least that was how it was until the tengus came joining their flight.

These crimson-beaked dark-winged birdmen kept chattering on and on without concern to the person coincidentally listening to them. From petty arguments about a rare fan’s ownership to full-blown dramas pertaining to the interrelationship between two particular tengus whom Kazuya had no idea about. Honestly, if they weren’t yokkaebis with ethereal bodies, Kazuya would’ve swatted them with a large dosage of flames.

If only I didn’t make a contract with you …

[Oh, regretting it now? Didn’t you always want to know the voice of our kind?]

I’d rather listen to songs than these sorts of ramblings.

[Then I’m afraid you’re stuck with me for the foreseeable future. Your story has yet to come to a close after all.]

Even after these three years, Kazuya never understood Suzaku’s cryptic inserts.

Looking over to the pristine ocean filled with stone ruins was the special ninth district. Otherwise known as Gangbyeon, the final city of the ancient Yongsoli Kingdom long submerged underwater after the cataclysmic event known as the ‘Day of the Shattered Sun’ 500 years ago. The same day also caused the blazing fire that engulfed the Ranshao Mountain, where the capital of the onc prestigious Lhongzie Kingdom resided. Not long after, the mystical Nibokai Forest devoured the ruins of the Ryuken Kingdom.

That day marked the end of Hoshikuni’s kingdom era and the start of the new era, which later was succeeded by the Reformation Era after the Prima War and the collapse of the Radiatunica Empire. A wonder as to how these three once-upon-a-time enemies united to become one people. Even Thoth could not decipher most of the records of the New Era. Regardless, what remained of the three kingdoms were purely on a cultural standpoint.

Contrary to the organized and functional architecture of Ryuken and the grand and decorative Lhongzie, the Yongsoli people opted for an elegant and simple design for their houses. Flat rectangular structures up to two stories high, built along the river-like pathways, stretching from one side of the beach to the other, and facing the ocean which seeped into the local waterways, where boatmen ferried their canoes while singing ballads of old to the passengers, who listened in relaxation, as their eyes lay sight upon the white cherry blossoms yet in full bloom.

A favorite tourist spot for foreigners, with many yashars, eskans, and irdjayans strolling below. Most crowded outside the grand estate’s complex, taking roadside pictures and purchasing food and souvenirs from shops and kiosks lined outside the estate’s walls and lone gate, guarded by many women in green uniforms with peacock feathers sticking out their hats. And within the inner compound was a stone courtyard carved in the image of a nine-tailed fox.

[What impertinent gazes], Suzaku snarled at the people innocently booking up in awe.

“How come you only complain when it comes to yongsolians and foreigners?” Kazuya asked. “As I recall the ryukenians and lhongzians also looked to you with the same gaze.”

[Intention differs between the people of ‘sword’, ‘literature’, and ‘dance’. You of the ‘sword’ perceive me with great curiosity. Your little junior, who is of the ‘literature’, holds me with great regard and esteem, a more fitting image to my role in your legends. As for these ‘dancers’ …]

Her golden eyes turned to the beach, where water dancers tread their feet upon the ocean’s surface, moving to the ebb and flow of the waves thrashing upon the ruined pillars of the ancient kingdom. Such a beautiful dance, and yet Suzaku’s expression only soured. It puzzled Kazuya, who could not help but be entranced by the wonders cast upon each individual movement.

[Oh? Is this master of mine seeking a new partner? While I don’t endorse the idea, they’re certainly better than that old partner of yours.]

“That’s a first. I never took you for a wingman,” he said. “But first things first, let’s head down before we cause even more commotion.”

[Mine form now is but a dragon. Knowing you humans, I’m afraid what you ask is an impossibility.]

“Then let’s end this commotion in a more festive manner. Surely, you will not disagree?”

[No need to say twice.]

And in one fell swoop, Suzaku dived through the skies in a straight line toward the courtyard. Her long body suddenly shrunk, limbs replaced fins, her glorious crimson scales reverted to pristine white bleached by splashes of red and black. Suzaku returned to become a koi and went back inside Kazuya’s forearm.

Free falling in the air, devoid of a parachute or wings. However, Kazuya needed neither. He twisted his body, expelled flames from his boots, and rocketed through the air like a hurling meteor, making impact upon the center of the courtyard. A ring of fire spread outwards—dispersed by the sudden appearance of seven figures now standing upon the monk statues presiding the area. Once the dust settled and Kazuya, who landed safely, scanned his surroundings, he saw the familiar furry tails and fox ears of his greeters.

Kitsunes, or, in Gangbyeon’s mother tongue of shingeul, Gumihos, humanoid yokkaebis with fox-like features. Each had their faces covered and each was of different colors: red, yellow, blue, green, violet, and black. Surprisingly, unlike previous encounters, they now took the forms of adults instead of children. Kazuya’s crimson eyes then darted upon the violet-colored gumiho, whom he had never met before.

Their leader, the black-colored gumiho, approached Kazuya with a dignified stride and promptly bowed his head. Like all non-contracted yokkaebis, the gumiho spoke in strings pricked to a harmonious rhythmic play, of which Kazuya himself could not understand, but his own contracted yokkaebi could.

[Geomjeong respectfully greets your arrival, but asks why you did not care to enter from the front door], to Suzaku.

Kazuya replied, “Because this is an urgent matter. And even if I did go through the front door like a normal person, would you have given me entry.”

[He’s right about that. Knowing you, you would just bar him from even stepping foot into the compound.]

The gumiho’s song pitched and his gestures exaggerated slightly.

[Right, right. I understand how this master of mine has left many unreasonable headaches to you and your brothers.]

Oi! Who’s side are you on?

[In any case, this does appear to be an important matter, so do allow him the chance to meet your master. I’m quite certain that that is what she would want as well.]

The black-colored gumiho deliberated his choices, when his ears suddenly peaked as did his brothers’. The six of them, seemingly having made their decision, then gathered around Kazuya, holding each other's hands, followed by a long melodic howl that set his vision to distortion. One second he was looking at the estate’s main building, the next second he found himself inside an ornate room, where no light came through the screen windows, yet somehow illuminated regardless.

Just when I thought I finally understood Inyo …

The six gumiho reverted to their fox forms, prancing around the floor and furniture before gathering around the lone middle-aged woman sitting while smoking on a pipe. She wore an elegant yellow-green hanbok, her deep violet hair wreathed like a blooming flower, pinned by gold needles and tied by ribbons.

“Welcome, Ryosuke-shin, to my humble abode,” a noble-like voice emanated from those vibrant lips, sporting a gentle yet dangerous smile, belonging to the woman who called herself the Verdant Lady. Ji-Hye Yun, governor of the special Gangbyeon District. Special as in was given more autonomy compared to other districts, having a matriarchal succession rather than polling. “It’s been quite a while since I last saw you.”

“It has indeed. Thank you for giving me time,” he replied.

“No need to be thankful. My schedule has been clear for a while now, so meeting a friend does not take my time at all. Please, have yourself some of Gangbyeon’s delicacies.”

On the table between them, she presented a plate of honey-filled cookies, rice cakes, and hot pancakes, neither of which he was fond of, yet Kazuya forced them in regardless. The immediate sweetness slashed his teeth like daggers, as he tried to maintain his poker face so as to not be rude, not giving any satisfaction to the Verdant Lady, who now hid her smile behind her yellow fan.

“Delicious are they?”

“They certainly are,” he said, while putting up a smile. “Thank you for your kind hospitality.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” she chuckled. “Should I order more? I have an abundance of cakes ready for serving.”

“Thank you, but I’ll have to decline. I did not come here to dine.”

“How unfortunate,” the Verdant Lady glanced upon her gumihos, who promptly swiped the leftovers on the table, leaving empty plates which then vanished to mist. “Then we shall get started. I assume you’re here because of the situation regarding the Divine Droplet distribution in Gangbyeon? Can’t say I didn’t expect it, though what I didn’t expect is the fact that you came here so late. It’s a problem that has been going around for a month. I even sent a letter just in case.”

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Kazuya shot a bewildered look, while at the same time trying to recall the letters he received over the past month. A certain memory of an indistinguishable letter with yellow seal popped, buried underneath the amount of documents sent by every single precinct during a hectic day regarding a new rule just implemented upon the Murikami Order.

“It seems I’ve made a blunder on my part. Forgive me,” he spoke apologetically. “There’s also another reason. Thoth’s age has finally come up to him, so the KRI are working to maintain its functions, while trying to make a replacement for the ages to come.”

“I see … Then it can't be helped. The First Archmage has granted us much over the centuries and his great wisdom shall forever change our futures. That is if we, his people, are able to carry on his legacy. Please, take a look at what I’ve recently acquired three nights ago.”

The Verdant Lady snapped her finger and the blue gumiho howled. A screen door appeared out of mist, sliding to reveal a woman dressed in black and had her face covered. At first, Kazuya thought she was a jeoseung saja, the Yongsoli equivalent to the Ryuken’s shinigami, yet from the heat he sensed coming out of her, the woman was in fact human.

Kazuya would’ve liked to confirm it with Suzaku, but she became silent for some reason. Perhaps the nature of this worldscape prevented their communication. Had he not had an amicable relationship with Lady Yun, this room would’ve been the perfect trap. ‘There was no case if there was no body’, so the saying goes.

Back to the woman, she also came out with someone or rather leashed in someone. It was a … let’s just say a ‘dog’. It was a ‘dog’ with his tongue out, drooling, gasping, and wore only underwear, while gazing into space with heart-like eyes. Kazuya’s stomach curled, expression turned to disgust, eyes barely able to look upon the hideous sight. Memories of an old case sprung, when a particular body of a serial-killing case was found with the similar object sticking out of his behind.

“Lady Yun,” he calmly spoke. “I hold deep respect for you and wish not to incur your anger by any means, but for the love of all that is holy and sane, please explain this.”

“He's a puppy,” she replied, simply. “Well, he’s now a puppy. Before he was but an ordinary street performer under the pseudonym of Im Chan-Yeol. While not as talented as the many who have come here to pursue a career in arts, many have been taken in by his sweet and tranquil melodies, or at least that’s how it appears to be on the surface. Take a look at what we’ve found in his person and many more like him.”

The red-colored gumiho summoned and walked into a miniature screen door, walking out with a bottle of golden liquid. The indistinguishable color of the Divine Droplet substance that had long existed since the end of the Prima War. However, the composition looked slightly altered, with its hue being far shinier and far purer than the ones the Murikami Order has recovered over the years.

“You must be wondering and the answer is yes. The ones distributed around Gangbyeon have been the highest of quality,” told Lady Yun, as the red-colored gumiho brought more and more of the same vials in, stacking up to three full crates of DD. “Neither one is diluted. All have the same composition, though it remains unknown as to what the secret ingredient is.”

She was right. Even after three centuries, the core makeup of the Divine Droplet drug has yet to be unraveled. They said that the recipe had been passed down through the family line, but the family itself also remained a mystery and they had evaded the eyes of the Murikami Order through all this time.

And now, they’ve risen again, except this kind of production line would require a factory to supply it. Still, every manufacturing plant would require a permit to be able to work. While the idea of small factories spread throughout the land might seem plausible, the routine checks done by the Tenth Division ought to prevent suspicious factories without a permit from being immediately closed down. That was unless the core division was to be corrupt and in league with the family, thus allowing the possibility of even a large-scale factory somewhere in Hoshikuni.

“Do you have any ideas?” Kazuya asked.

“Unfortunately no. These people are more cautious than I anticipated,” she replied, then turned to the ‘dog’, caressing his chin which caused the ‘dog’ to bark joyfully. If he had a tail, he would certainly wag it out, though thankfully he didn’t have one. “And yet, here I have my sweet little puppy, whom I met through sheer luck. Please, tell this man who gave you these illustrious vials.”

“Yes, I will. WOOF! WOOF! I will, I will!” the ‘dog’ turned to the now appalled Kazuya. “The Tenjiyu Family gave them to me. WOOF! WOOF! It was the Tenjiyu Family.”

So, after all these years we finally got a name, but why now? Kazuya continued to be puzzled, wondering if the ‘dog’ in front of him was actually a high-ranking seller, enough to know the name of this supposed cartel.

“They were so kind. So understanding,” the ‘dog’ continued. “Everything was going well. WOOF! Then it got even better thanks to this guy.”

“This guy?”

“Yes. There was this guy who joined two years ago and everything became so much better. It was so lonely back then, but this guy came in and the family became more whole and everyone gets a new chance in life. Everyone, even me got to … got to see …,” the ‘dog’ suddenly bawled his eyes out. “My kids … I thought I lost them, but they were there! I saw them! They were there! They were …”

The ‘dog’ slowly turned its head toward the golden vials within the crate, eyes then shifted toward the vial on the table, focusing on it intently. “Give it to me,” he muttered. “Please give it to me. I need to see them. I need to see them. Please, GIVE IT TO ME!”

The man jumped at Lady Yun, arms aimed to pincer, only to be reeled back by the woman holding his leash, yet despite his tightened neck, the man continued to try to grab the DD vial as if he was desperate to do so. The Verdant Lady gazed with disappointment, sighing and said, “Ten drops of aphrodisiac and the mind of an addict can yet be tamed. A shame …”

“He doesn’t look like a DD addict though,” Kazuya added.

“He’ll look like one in a week. Most of whom you see are those suffering withdrawal symptoms. Those still in use look like no more than your ordinary citizens. At least that’s how it is for this particular quality,” she explained, holding the vial up close and tapping it, before suddenly swallowing it down her throat.

“What are you doing?!” Kazuya bellowed, unable to comprehend her action.

“Sometimes, the best way to understand a mad man’s view is to see what they’re seeing,” Lady Yun cleaned her mouth and opened her eyes, which dilated due to the drug’s effect. Her gaze peered past Kazuya and toward the wall, staring intently and longingly as if there was someone there. “How cruel,” she chuckled, laughing at the vision which she’d been granted.

“Then vomit it out. I’ll help you to—”

“No need. I can now understand why people are so willing to take this drug, even more so than the old diluted versions,” her stare shifted to her side, her hand then began to hold and caress the air, looking shocked after two strokes followed by a single fallen tear. “She really does feel real.”

“Who are you seeing?”

“My sister,” she said. “My poor little sister, back before her innocence was taken, before her time in that awful place she was brought to.”

Kazuya never knew she had a sister, who appeared to have passed away probably for a long time. Such was the Divine Droplet’s effect. To bring back those who its users have lost or missed so dearly, whether it be a spouse, a child, a sibling, a friend, or just someone who’d made a long lasting impact on them. Kazuya even wondered who he’d see should he ingested one, not that he would dare to. Drinking an illegal substance would mean a one-way ticket to unemployment. However, the thought still persisted at times.

For the sake of Lady Yun, Kazuya kept her mouth shut, allowing her to momentarily revel in what seemed to be a loving memory. Curiously, the six gumihos gazed into the Verdant Lady with piercing eyes, hounding at her with beats and whistles, snapping her back to reality.

“Ah, forgive me. I showed you an unsightly scene,” she said, taking in a different vial from her person, likely an antidote. “It really was surreal. That I can say much.”

“I’ll turn a blind eye to this. However, as for this crate …,” Kazuya took one vial for analysis and was about to set the rest on fire, when the DD vials suddenly reacted. Crackles erupted, its shine grew exponentially, then his eyes were in disbelief, as the space around it started to fold in of itself, as if the ‘reality’ of this room was being distorted. The same went for the vial on his person, folding the ‘reality’ of his hands till it looked weird and twisted, yet Kazuya felt no pain nor the breaking of bones.

The blue-colored gumiho swiped the vial of his hands, throwing it into a newly-opened screen door, followed by the other five blasting the crate into the void. The door closed shut and a loud thud occurred, an explosion from the sound of it. Fortunately, the gumihos managed to contain it, and Kazuya’s hand appeared fine as usual. Still, the memory of what occurred remained bizarre and uncanny.

What exactly were the core ingredients of a Divine Droplet drug? Past research indicated that it bore no reactions when made contact with magion, yet here it was, reacting to the mere thought of setting it on fire. Could the higher-quality be responsible? Or was there something else that the analysts missed?

Regardless, a new use for the drug had been found and the repercussions could potentially be insurmountable. The factory and its inventor must be eliminated, and the only one who had a clue was the depressed-looking ‘dog’ right below his foot.

As it was with every case given to the Third Division, time was of the essence, thus Kazuya grabbed the ‘dog’s’ neck and lifted him off the ground. So light, he thought, thinking about the many days he’d spent using and doubting these cursed drugs as well as his time in imprisonment here.

He ordered, “Tell me everything you know, and leave no details untouched.”

The ‘dog’ gasped for breath, yet gave up fighting after two seconds, submitting himself to an end by suffocation. Kazuya gritted his teeth and threw him across the floor, unsheathing his sword, but stopped halfway by Lady Yun.

“There’s no need,” she then turned to her servant. “Take him back, and this time, have him set on a rehabilitation period.”

The black-dressed woman bowed and dragged the sorry-excuse-of-a-person back into the screen door, which then closed and vanished. Meanwhile, Kazuya was puzzled and furious as to why the Verdant lady protected him, however, she remained calm.

“I’ve already done my interrogations of him. What he said just now was truly all the information he had.”

“There’s only so much that talking could do. Moreover, you should’ve sent him to Jigokuni the moment you captured him.”

“And have him be tortured from day to night? Effective as they are, I’m afraid I do not agree with your nation’s wretched methods. Not in ethics. We both know that’s not it,” she returned to sit. “What use is a criminal when he does nothing but rot in a cell after all is done? Surely, there are plenty more ways that puppy of mine could be useful towards. A little nudge is all he needed to be set back on a more productive path.”

“As true as that may be, it still doesn’t change the fact that this case is facing a stagnation, which could result in unforeseeable consequences for this district or the rest.

“You must be forgetting about something, Ryosuke-shi,” her light violet eyes then gazed upon his crimson ones, with her posture now bearing semblance to the noble and dignified governess she now spoke as. “The Gangbyeon District runs on its own autonomy. What happens within our borders is to be dealt with by her own people and by I as her ruler. No need to worry, for I indeed have been running my own investigations for a while now and will cooperate with the Third Division in sharing information as we always have. That is so long as you do not interfere with our affairs.”

The Verdant Lady lay beckoning to Kazuya, who couldn't help but be intimidated not just by her, but also by the six gumihos now staring at him. He knew well of where his authority lay, and thus, made no argument toward Lady Yun, who clearly had every intention to prevent the fall of this district—this tiny kingdom of hers.

As much as he hated it, Kazuya could only wait and carefully watch out for any moves the now discovered Tenjiyu Family shall make. Once they made another mistake, it would finally mark an end toward this growing crisis.