The world dimmed for a fleeting moment as the carriage rumbled into the tunnel of the main gate, while the sounds of the outside world were muffled by the thick stone walls that had stood for millennia.
"Behold," Dove spoke with a proud grin, "…Shinkotsu."
Then, light exploded at the end of the tunnel.
As the carriage burst out from the shadows and into the city proper, the muffled silence was instantly shattered by a wall of noise so vibrant it felt like a physical blow.
Nico's eyes widened with his jaw practically unhinging as he pressed his face against the glass, mirroring Nom-Nom beside him.
"Holy…"
If the line outside the gate was a painting of diversity, Shinkotsu was a living, breathing, chaotic masterpiece of civilization.
They had emerged into a massive, sprawling plaza that served as the beating heart of Shinkotsu's entrance.
