Dagon, the Great Priest of the Fish-Men.

Shino faced the elder, his gaze unwavering as the old Fish-Man raised a coral-like staff. The intricate patterns along its length shimmered faintly as he tapped it against the ground.

“Since you’ve come, you won’t be leaving.”

At his command, the fishermen ceased their work. Their heads turned unnaturally, stiff movements revealing blank, lifeless eyes. All of them now stared at Shino, Shen Yu, and Ye Long.

Shen Yu glanced nervously at Shino, who exhaled slowly, raising his hands in mock surrender. “Well… we were just passing through.”

Shen Yu blinked in disbelief. “Huh? No way, bro. Aren’t you supposed to be some big-shot prince? Why are you backing down like this?”

Shino gave him a helpless shrug, his calm demeanor betraying nothing.

The old Fish-Man didn’t even bother replying. With a dismissive wave of his hand, the Fish-Men swarmed forward, binding the trio with ropes.

Moments later, they were thrown into an underground chamber. The iron door slammed shut behind them with a resounding thump.

“Bro, what are you doing?” Shen Yu burst out, struggling against the ropes.

Leaning against the damp stone wall, Shino simply smirked. “Didn’t you want to investigate the Fish-Men? Now’s your chance. Isn’t this a perfect opportunity?”

Shen Yu could only glare in exasperation.

The air grew colder as Dagon descended into the room, his dark golden eyes glinting in the dim light. He walked with a measured pace, his gaze locking onto Shen Yu.

“I heard you’ve been here before,” the old Fish-Man said, his voice almost conversational. “Why didn’t you say goodbye? Was our hospitality lacking?”

Shen Yu gritted his teeth. “You want to eat me. What do you expect? For me to stick around and wait for the main course?”

Dagon blinked, then let out a low chuckle. “Eat you? My dear boy, I’m afraid you’ve misunderstood.”

He spread his arms, his webbed fingers catching the faint light. “We do not eat humans. That is a myth born of ignorance. We are the children of the ocean, pioneers of evolution. Humans are not our prey.”

“Then why capture us?” Shen Yu demanded.

“To honor you,” Dagon replied with a sly smile. “You stand on the threshold of a grand transformation. You shall join us on the path to evolution. Offer your bodies and minds to R’lyeh. With the blessings of the sea, we will become unparalleled!”

He raised his right hand, beginning a chant in a deep, guttural tone. “A o oa Xi Ya Ke Che…”

“Priest!”

The chant was abruptly interrupted by a voice from the stairwell. Dagon turned, his expression darkening as a younger Fish-Man approached, whispering urgently in his ear.

Dagon’s eyes widened slightly. “They’ve found it?”

The messenger nodded.

“Good. Good!” A grin spread across the old Fish-Man’s face, his sharp teeth glinting. “With the ancient artifact we recovered last time, my standing in the Dagon Alliance will reach unprecedented heights!”

Shen Yu caught the words, his brow furrowing. 'Alliance? Ancient artifact?'

Dagon turned back to them briefly. “Watch them closely. I’ll return shortly.” With that, he left the chamber, ascending the stone steps.

Two Fish-Men guards stepped into the room, their grotesque forms blocking the exit.

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Shino’s lips curled into a smirk. “About time.”

Without warning, two crimson blades formed in his hands, striking the guards from behind. The blood-forged weapons latched onto their throats, pinning them against the wall.

Thump! Thump!

“Agh!” The guards gasped, their bulging eyes meeting Shino’s cold stare.

Shino stepped forward, his voice steady. “Two questions. First, what’s the alliance Dagon mentioned?”

The guards coughed, struggling for air. One managed to rasp, “Th-the Dagon Alliance…”

“And what’s it for?”

“We… don’t know,” one choked out. “Only Priests… are part of it…”

“How many Priests are there?”

“We don’t know…”

Shino’s eyes narrowed. “Fine. What about the ancient artifact? What is it?”

At his question, the guards exchanged a glance. Then, in a sudden burst of movement, they lunged at Shino.

But the blood blades tightened, slamming them back against the wall with deadly force.

Thump!

“So it’s a secret,” Shino muttered, his expression darkening.

One of the guards wheezed desperately. “W-wait! I’ll tell you… just… let me go…”

Shino eased the pressure of the blood blades. The Fish-Man fell to his knees, gasping for breath. “The ancient artifact is… it’s…”

Before he could finish, the Fish-Man suddenly threw his head back and let out an ear-piercing yell. The sound echoed through the chamber, sending shivers down their spines.

“What the—” Shino swung his hand, a blood thread slicing through the ropes binding Shen Yu.

“Run!” he barked.

Before Shen Yu could react, Shino grabbed him by the arm. In a flash, two crimson wings unfurled from Shino’s back, gleaming faintly in the dim light of the cellar. With a powerful thrust, they shot into the air, the damp, salty air rushing past as they burst through the ceiling’s weakened stone.

Thump!

Outside, the scene was chaos. Countless Fish-Men surrounded the area, their eyes glowing with malice under the moonlight. Their gills flared as they snarled, but they were bound to the ground. None could fly.

Hovering above the throng, Shino scanned the sea of faces. His sharp eyes darted over each Fish-Man, searching for someone—or something—but finding no trace of his target. Without hesitation, he shifted his wings and soared into the night sky, pulling Shen Yu along with him.

From below, a lone figure in a black raincoat watched their departure. Silently, Ye Long tugged his hood further over his face, blending into the crowd of Fish-Men before vanishing like a shadow into the chaos.

...

On a vast, empty highway under the pale glow of the stars, Shino and Shen Yu finally descended. The chill of the asphalt seeped through their shoes as Shino let Shen Yu go, his wings folding seamlessly into his back.

Shen Yu wobbled slightly, his knees still weak from the dizzying speed of their escape. He struggled to steady his breathing when Shino crouched down, his tone flat and deliberate.

“Now that we’ve seen what we wanted and asked what we needed to ask,” Shino said, glancing up at him, “do you have any plans?”

Shen Yu took a moment, still reeling, before meeting Shino’s gaze. “Plans? Shino, regarding the Ancient Artifact, the Dagon Alliance, and everything beneath the sea—aren’t you the least bit curious?”

Shino shook his head, his expression unchanging. “Not curious.”

“Not curious?” Shen Yu echoed, incredulous.

“Curiosity killed the cat,” Shino said bluntly. “Tracing the source of everything will only hurt you.”

Shino rose to his feet, brushing dust from his coat. “Our classmate relationship ends here. This is a pool of muddy water that someone like you can’t wade through.”

Stunned, Shen Yu stood frozen. “I can’t,” he said softly, “but you can! You’re here!”

Shino turned his back on him. “I, Shino, just want to live a normal life.”

“That’s a lovely thought,” came a voice from the other side of the highway, smooth and sharp like a knife against stone.

Both turned toward the sound. Emerging from the forest, Ye Long stepped onto the asphalt, his black raincoat glinting with dew under the moonlight.

“In times like these,” Ye Long continued, his voice low and cutting, “who can truly live a normal life? Especially when you and I aren’t human. Monsters can’t escape conflicts between monsters. You should know that by now.”

Shino’s eyes narrowed as Ye Long approached. “What do you want?”

Ye Long ignored the question, glancing toward Shen Yu. “You’re curious about the Dagon Alliance and the Ancient Artifact, aren’t you?”

Shen Yu hesitated but nodded.

“I can tell you,” Ye Long said, his tone measured, “but I need something in return.”

Shino crossed his arms. “What?”

“Help me steal something,” Ye Long replied simply.

Shino didn’t flinch. “Be specific.”

“Help me steal an Ancient Artifact.”

“Not helping,” Shino said without a second thought, turning away to leave.

But Ye Long’s voice stopped him cold. “If all you want is to live a normal life, why did you come here?”

The words hung heavy in the air.

Shino hesitated, his steps slowing. The truth gnawed at him—a truth he had kept buried even from himself.

The real reason he agreed to Shen Yu’s request wasn’t just curiosity. It was personal.

Months earlier, Shino had tried to contact his younger brother, Chino. Despite repeated attempts, there was no reply. Finally, he’d turned to his mother, who told him a bitter truth: Chino had severed ties with the family long ago and disappeared without a trace.

Shino searched relentlessly, but every trail led to a dead end. Chino’s presence was erased, as if swallowed by the world itself.

Until one day, Shino overheard a haunting rumor whispered in the alleys of the city.

When someone vanishes without reason, they’ve likely become a Fish-Man—or worse.

A warning followed:

If you have a friend who’s gone missing, don’t look for them. Because once you find them, you’ll be next.