Morning arrived without ceremony.
The ship hummed softly beneath Raizen's feet as he stood near the narrow window of Room 201, arms folded, eyes half-lidded as sunlight reflected off the distant sea. The events of the previous night lingered in his mind like a bruise—faded, but still tender.
Behind him, Aoi sat on the edge of the bed, tying the sash of her yukata with deliberate care.
Neither of them spoke for a while.
Not because there was nothing to say—but because saying anything felt unnecessary.
Raizen broke the silence first.
"You didn't sleep much," he said calmly, without turning around.
Aoi paused. "…Neither did you."
He gave a small huff of agreement.
She finished tying the sash and stood, walking closer to him. Not clinging. Not hiding. Just… present.
"…Thanks for staying," she said quietly.
Raizen glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "You don't need to thank me for that."
She looked away. "…Still."
A knock echoed through the hallway.
Both of them stiffened.
Raizen's hand instinctively moved toward his side—but there was no blade there. Just the faint vibration beneath his ear.
Click.
—Testing. You awake, Ashen Crown?
Raizen froze.
"…Senji," he muttered.
Aoi blinked. "What?"
Raizen pressed two fingers to his ear. "You hear that?"
"No."
Another faint hum.
—Good. Means it's working. Microchip's stable. Audio-only for now.
Raizen exhaled slowly. "You implanted that while I was asleep, didn't you."
—Correction. You were half-dead and muttering tactical nonsense. I took advantage.
"…I'm going to hit you later."
—Add it to the list.
Aoi stared at him. "Who are you talking to?"
"Senji," Raizen replied. "He's not answering knocks."
As if on cue, another knock came—harder this time.
Aoi moved toward the door, then hesitated.
"…He usually leaves early," she said. "If he's gone, we should find him."
Raizen nodded. "Yeah. Something tells me he didn't just go sightseeing."
They stepped into the corridor.
The ship was alive now—crew members moving crates, retainers training on open decks, the scent of oil and salt mixing in the air. Voices overlapped in different languages.
Raizen scanned the area, mind already predicting Senji's likely routes.
If I were him… where would I go first?
A sharp pressure pulsed behind his ear again.
—Stop thinking so loud. It's annoying.
"…You can hear my thoughts?"
—Not literally. But you always make the same face when you're scheming.
Aoi frowned. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Raizen said. "Senji's nearby. Somewhere crowded. Somewhere loud."
"…A market?"
"…Or a gadget district."
They moved fast.
⸻
The lower deck marketplace was chaos in motion.
Merchants shouted over one another, lanterns swung from metal beams, and the sound of clanking machinery echoed from workshops carved into the ship's underbelly. Senji loved places like this—too many stimuli for anyone to track him easily.
Aoi stayed close to Raizen's side, eyes sharp, scar faintly visible beneath the morning light.
"…I don't like this place," she muttered.
"Too many blind spots," Raizen agreed.
They passed a shop overflowing with mechanical lenses.
Then—
Someone laughed.
A sound Raizen didn't recognize.
But Senji did.
Across the narrow walkway, Senji stood frozen.
His posture—always relaxed, always loose—was gone.
A girl stood in front of him.
Dark hair tied high. Sharp eyes. A presence that felt practiced.
"…Lu Shouxing," Senji said quietly.
She smiled. "Long time no see."
Raizen slowed.
Aoi narrowed her eyes.
They approached just as Lu stepped closer, arms folding casually.
"I haven't seen you since our graduation at Spy Konjutsu Settsu Junior High," she said. "You disappeared."
Senji clicked his tongue. "You make it sound dramatic."
"Oh, please," she replied. "You know how Mr. Takamori was. Forced us to separate units. Said we were 'too similar.'"
She leaned in.
"Wait, Senni—"
"Oh hell naw," Senji snapped, stepping back. "Get off me already. And don't call me that."
Raizen raised an eyebrow. "…Friend of yours?"
Senji sighed. "Unfortunately."
Lu turned her gaze to Raizen.
Her smile widened—calculating, curious.
"…And who is this?"
Raizen met her stare evenly. "Someone not impressed."
She laughed. "I like him."
Aoi stepped forward half a pace.
"…Who are you," she asked flatly.
Lu glanced at her, eyes lingering on the scar.
"…Interesting," she murmured.
Raizen felt the chip vibrate again.
—Okay, heads up. She's dangerous. Not hostile. Yet.
"…You couldn't tell me that earlier?"
—Wanted to see your reaction.
Lu clasped her hands behind her back. "So these are your teammates."
Senji groaned. "Don't call them that."
She tilted her head. "Still rude."
Raizen leaned slightly toward Aoi. "Bathroom excuse," he whispered.
Aoi blinked. "…Now?"
He nodded.
"Trust me."
She hesitated, then grabbed his sleeve firmly.
"I'm not letting go," she said.
"…I figured."
They turned to leave.
Lu laughed softly. "Running already?"
Senji smirked. "You haven't changed, Lu."
Her eyes sharpened. "Neither have you."
As Raizen passed, the chip pulsed hard.
—Training hall. Ten minutes. We need to talk.
Senji laughed suddenly—loud, wild.
"Hehehehe—!"
People nearby stared.
Raizen sighed. "You enjoy this too much."
—Absolutely.
Aoi glanced back once.
Lu Shouxing was watching them go.
Smiling.
The threads had begun to tighten.