A few months ago, Junpei had been sleeping peacefully in his room, the stillness of the night surrounding him like a blanket. But something stirred him awake — an instinct, or maybe a nightmare. His eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the darkness of the room. The faint glow of moonlight seeped through the edges of the curtain, casting pale shadows across the floor.

Rising from his bed, Junpei moved silently toward the window. With a quick motion, he drew the curtains aside, letting the full light of the moon spill into the room. The silver glow bathed everything in an ethereal light, cool and almost otherworldly.

For a brief moment, Junpei stood still, breathing in the quiet night. His gaze drifted to the coffee table in the corner of the room, where a half-full glass of water sat. He strode over, his hand reaching for the glass, but just as he raised it to his lips, a prickling sensation raced down his spine.

Without hesitation, Junpei spun around, his body reacting faster than his thoughts. His fingers flicked sharply, and three shurikens made of lethal, purple Aura materialized between them. He hurled them toward the window next to his bed, the deadly projectiles slicing through the air with great precision.

The sound of Aura clashing with metal echoed as the shurikens were deflected mid-flight, their momentum halted by an unseen force. Junpei’s eyes narrowed, his heart pounding as the silhouette of a figure appeared in front of the window. The light behind it made the figure a mere shadow, but the tension was palpable.

In an instant, both warriors collided. Junpei’s Aura dagger flashed to life in his hand, its purple hue illuminating his features in the gloom. The figure countered with a short sword, the clash of their weapons creating a spark that briefly lit up the night. Aura rang against metal, and the force of the strike sent both of them skidding back across the room.

For a breathless moment, they stood apart, the moonlight casting their shadows long on the floor. Junpei's eyes locked onto the figure as it stepped forward into the light, slowly revealing itself.

First, the figure’s lower body came into view — a short, frill skirt fluttered with each step, the bare skin of her exposed thigh catching the moonlight. And then he saw it: a tattoo, intricate and unmistakable, one that Junpei recognized immediately. His breath caught in his throat.

The figure stepped further into the moonlit room, her face finally becoming visible.

“Hey, Junpei,” a familiar voice drawled. The smirk, the wild eyes—it was her.

Lucia.

The last person he expected to see tonight.

His heart pounded, but he kept his stance firm. ‘Lucia…of all people?’

Her long black hair, streaked with yellow, glistened in the moonlight, and the way she carried herself hadn’t changed—dangerous, playful, and always on the edge of chaos. She held her short sword at the ready, but her eyes, gleaming with mischief, were what unnerved him most.

“Lucia... what the hell are you doing here?” Junpei muttered, his voice low, barely controlled.

But Lucia just grinned wider, her sword lowered as if she hadn't just appeared from the shadows. "Miss me?"

***

The storage room of Junpei's shop was small, and cluttered with crates, old inventory, and the faint scent of cardboard mixed with aged wood. The dim light from a single bulb hanging overhead cast long shadows, adding to the secretive nature of their late-night meeting. Junpei leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching Lucia with cautious eyes.

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Lucia, on the other hand, was as relaxed as ever. She sat in a creaky wooden chair, her legs casually crossed as she munched on an apple. The soft crunching sound filled the quiet room as she seemed entirely unfazed by the gravity of her sudden appearance.

She wore dark, form-fitting clothes—a black tank top that revealed her toned waist and abs, a long black jacket draped over her shoulders, and a short checkered frill skirt that looked like it had been stolen from a high school uniform. Her boots tapped lightly on the floor as she shifted in her seat. To anyone else, she would have looked like the perfect mix of beauty and danger, but to Junpei, she was just an irritating little girl.

His gaze briefly lingered on the tattoo inked on her exposed thigh, the same mark that stirred unwanted memories in his mind. He quickly averted his eyes and cleared his throat, keeping his tone flat.

"So... what brings you here, Lucia?" he asked, his voice steady but carrying an edge of suspicion.

Lucia smirked as she took another bite of the apple, chewing thoughtfully before answering, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief beneath the hood of her long jacket. "Oh, you know... couldn't resist checking in on my brother’s favorite underling. Missed me?"

Junpei rolled his eyes, his back still pressed against the wall. “You’ve always been full of yourself.”

"Can you blame me?" she shot back, tossing the apple core into a nearby crate with perfect aim. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, her eyes narrowing as she sized him up. "But seriously, Junpei... you've been busy."

Junpei tensed, though his expression remained unreadable. “Cut the crap. Why are you really here?”

Lucia let out a small laugh, running a hand through her long black hair. "Straight to the point. Fine, fine." She glanced around the cramped room, as if making sure no one else was listening in, then leaned back in the chair, crossing her legs again.

Her smile faded away. She had a serious look on her face as the shadows started twirling in the room.

“A request was made to assassinate you.”

Junpei snickered as he asked, “Who would dare?” His voice filled with power and suppressed rage.

Lucia leaned back in her chair, casually reaching into the inside pocket of her long black jacket. With a sly grin, she pulled out a small folded paper and held it up between two fingers, shaking it slightly before tossing it toward Junpei. It landed at his feet.

"Here," she said. "Thought you might want to see this."

Junpei bent down and picked up the paper, unfolding it slowly. His eyes scanned the content, the address on it making his stomach tighten slightly. It was his address—down to the exact room where he slept. He didn’t let his expression change, but his mind was already calculating.

Lucia continued, watching his reaction with amusement. "Lately, I’ve been... diversifying my portfolio, you could say. Traveling around, doing assassinations for clients. Orders come through the Hidden Internet, or I get them via the Black Markets in different countries."

She uncrossed her legs, leaning her elbows on the armrest. Her tone was light, almost playful, as if she were discussing her favorite movie star.

"The Black Market here in Japan handed me this particular order." She gestured toward the paper in his hand. "Your name wasn’t mentioned, just the address and the room where you’d be sleeping. No other details. I only found out who my target was just before our little skirmish back then."

Junpei’s fingers tightened around the paper, his face remaining unreadable. "You haven’t lost your touch," she added with a grin. "You’re still sharp—haven’t gone soft like I thought you might have. That was a nice surprise."

Junpei glanced up, raising an eyebrow but keeping his voice cool. “Glad I could impress.”

Lucia chuckled, her voice dropping a bit lower, more serious now. "Anyway, the job was to kill you in your sleep. Your price was listed at around fifty million USD." She paused, letting that number sink in for a moment before continuing, her smile widening. "For that much, any assassin would sell their soul. Don’t you think?"

She leaned forward, elbows resting on her knees as her eyes glimmered with a twisted sense of humor. “But I’m very benevolent.”

Junpei snorted, folding the paper and slipping it into his pocket. He tilted his head, giving her a sideways glance as a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "Indeed. You’re all heart, Lucia."

Lucia winked, settling back into her seat with a satisfied grin. "Well, I couldn’t let you die that easily, could I? Where’s the fun in that?"

“Wait, if you had recognized me, why did you attack me?”

“Just because,”