The world came back into focus before his eyes in the form of gray blotches. He opened his eyelids and felt the pain flood his skull. The first thing he noticed was the cold floor beneath him, somewhat slippery and sticky with blood.

He tried to get up, but when he put weight on it, sharp pain shot through his left arm. He cursed under his breath as he collapsed again, frowning as his vision blurred.

He tasted metal in his mouth and brought his right hand up to wipe his blood-stained lip. He was still in the kitchen, pots and utensils scattered across the floor from the fight that had nearly finished him off.

His right arm trembled as he grabbed onto a counter near him. He managed to stand, every muscle in his body screaming in pain and the world felt like it was swaying. He looked at his left arm; the bandage was shredded and soaked with blood, with new cuts that had nothing to do with the wound that actually mattered. He grimaced in pain, but another thought was far worse compared to that.

Juno... where's Juno? he thought, turning his head, and only saw Yves lying on the floor, unconscious. Gin felt barely a hint of concern, but he really had no real attachment to him. He would only keep him alive because that's what Juno would want, and coming to this place would be pointless if the human died, but his true priority was her.

He swallowed and blinked several times to focus. He noticed Ain was there, perched on a counter watching him like he was a wounded bird. His ears twitched and he straightened up.

“Well, well,” Ain purred, “still alive, huh? Not exactly glowing with health, but alive.”

Gin clenched his jaw and didn't respond. Not just because Ain was clearly being annoying, but because words couldn't form properly in his head.

Ain jumped down from the counter, walked toward him, and hopped up onto the one right in front of Gin, tilting his head.  “You took quite the beating. Left arm’s a mess, and look at you, all bruised up.” He extended a paw and stopped a few centimeters from Gin's face.

Gin's single eye looked at his paw, then back at Ain, frowning and pressing his lips together.

“Don’t bother me.”

Ain's eyes widened, and then he smiled, showing his fangs. His expression like a child who'd found a new toy. He lowered his paw but didn't move away.

“You used to be more fun, before you got so... obsessed.”

Gin simply turned, scanning the room again, more lucid now. He observed every corner, every shadow to see if he could find a clue about her, but there was absolutely nothing. Just Yves, still breathing, and Ain, still talking.

“She's not here, by the way. If that's what you're looking for. Sereph took her.”

Gin gritted his teeth. “Where?”

“Great question, Chucky,” Ain laughed. “You know Sereph's not exactly the type to leave a trail, and your condition...” he gestured with his tail at Gin's arm, “...isn't exactly encouraging for a chase.”

“I’ll find her,” Gin said, his voice somewhat hoarse.

Ain let out a purr. "Yeah, I believe you. It's what you do, you consume yourself over her." He chuckled under his breath, like it were a joke only he found funny.

Gin inhaled deeply, thinking about his next move to get Juno back. Ain watched him, tail swishing across the counter while kneading with his paws. Ain looked like he was mulling something over, and out of nowhere he dropped what he'd clearly been holding back.

“So how’d it feel, by the way? When Sereph outed your little secret in front of everyone?”

Gin frowned.

“Must’ve stung.” he grinned. “All this time playing the stone-faced protector, and then, bam! Everyone finds out you're just as screwed as the rest of us.”

“Shut up,” Gin muttered.

“Oooh, come on,” Ain leaned toward him. “You're embarrassed. It's adorable, but you shouldn't be. Juno didn't seem angry or anything, just... surprised. You're the one making it weird.”

“I said shut up.”

Ain paused, his small body seeming to tremble with excitement. “Fine, fine. But I’ll say this much–”

He straightened up and his eyes seemed to gleam.

“You’re not the only one who’s made a pact.”

That made Gin freeze. He slowly turned his head toward him, and his voice came out too low: “What the hell did you just say?”

The cat's smile widened even more. “She made one with me. Not as flashy as yours, I'll admit, but still quite... binding.”

Gin exhaled through his teeth. “You used her.”

“Hey, I offered and she accepted,” he replied. “No tricks, no persuasion. She's braver than you give her credit for.”

“You shouldn’t have.”

“Why? Because you hate pacts?” the cat's voice got deeper. It seemed like he was going to say something more, but he kept it to himself.

Gin closed his eye for a moment, letting the fury spread. Then he spoke quietly:

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Oh?” Ain licked his paw.

“None of that changes the only thing that matters now.” He opened his eye. “Finding her.”

Ain stared at him, his face serious, thoughtful, impossible to read. "Alright."

Then he noticed something gleaming at the edge of his vision. There, under a counter, was Juno's dagger, almost imperceptible in the shadows. It barely had any blood on it, and what was there was already dry.

Gin approached slowly, as best his body would allow, and when he bent down to grab it, intense pain shot through his spine and he felt like it was exploding behind his eye. He held his breath and bit the inside of his cheek to keep from making any sound. As he grabbed it with his good hand, he realized Juno had fought, at least a little. Thanks to the brief training he'd given her, and he felt something in his chest imagining it.

He turned toward Yves, still on the floor. He looked at him for a while. He didn't really care, but Juno wanted him alive, and that was the only reason he was still breathing.

He limped toward him, ignoring the pain, and stood beside Yves, looking at the idiot's unconscious face. He had blood on his forehead and a split lip. Probably a concussion, but he looked peaceful, and that irritated Gin even more.

He lifted his foot and kicked him. Softly.

Yves groaned and stirred slightly. His fingers curled reflexively and then relaxed, without opening his eyes.

“Wake up.”

Nothing. He gave him another kick, this time in the ribs. Yves hissed and moved, his head lolling to the side.

“Up,” Gin repeated.

Yves groaned, shifting slightly. “Nngh… five more minutes,” he mumbled, slinging an arm dramatically over his eyes.

Gin's expression stayed flat, and without another word, he drew back his foot and kicked Yves again, harder this time, square in the side.

“Ow– okay! Okay, I’m up, I’m up!” Yves bolted upright with a yelp, hair sticking out in all directions. His coat was half-wrapped around his waist and his shirt collar askew.

He blinked rapidly, looking around like the room might start spinning. “Where– wait, where the hell am I?” His eyes darted around, still unfocused. “Did I– did I drink something weird? Why does my mouth taste like old bread? And why does my face feel like I got hit by a horse?!”

“You got hit by Sereph,” Ain said from where he lounged nearby, chin in paw. “Right in the face. Like– bam.” He gestured with a swipe of his paw. “It was very dramatic.”

Yves winced and instinctively cupped his cheek. “Oof… no wonder it feels like my jaw tried to separate from my head.” He started gently massaging his face. “He could’ve ruined my pretty face. Like, permanently. That is so uncool. Is there a bruise? No, don’t answer that, I’m fragile.”

Ain smirked. “What a weird little creature you are.”

Yves muttered something about facial structure and natural charm under his breath, then groaned as he leaned on a nearby chair to pull himself to his feet.

Then the panic returned. His eyes darted around the room again. “Wait, wait, where’s Juno? Is she okay? Is she here? What happened after I blacked out? Did we win?!”

“No,” Gin said, sitting down in a nearby chair with stiff, pained movements. He sat carefully, and the blood from his shoulder had soaked through his clothes.

Yves looked at him properly and went pale. “Uh, dude. You look like you lost a fight with a blender.”

Gin didn't respond, just breathed sharply as if he had broken ribs, which was highly likely.

“You're bleeding through your entire arm,” Yves added, now visibly worried. “Should you even be conscious? Like, genuinely asking, because that's a lot of blood and you're... here. Sitting. Like it's nothing.”

“It’ll heal,” Gin muttered, closing his eye and letting his head tip against the wall behind him.  “Just need a minute.”

Yves looked at Ain, who only shrugged. “Demon stuff,” Ain said. “Pain is temporary.”

“But Juno–” Yves started, then stopped himself. “Where is she? Please tell me she escaped from that creep.”

He looked at Gin for a while, waiting for an answer that didn't come.

Yves’s stomach dropped. “She didn’t…? No. No, no, no. We have to find her. We have to. She– she came into that cell for me, didn’t even think twice.”

“I’ll find her,” Gin said quietly, something fraying in his voice. “I don’t care how far Sereph takes her.”

Yves took a half-step forward. “Yeah, okay, we will. Together. So what's the–”

“No.” Gin opened his eye and looked at Yves. “You’re not coming.”

Yves froze. “Huh?”

“Go to Devil Town. There are places there you can hide. Stay out of sight, and don't follow me.”

Yves raised his eyebrows, mouth slightly open as if struggling to process his words. “You… you want me to run away?”

“I want you to live,” Gin snapped. “You don't belong in this. You don't know what Sereph is.”

“I don’t care!” Yves shot back, louder now, stepping closer. “You’re hurt, you’re literally leaking! And she’s my friend!”

“This isn't a game, Yves. You're just human. You'll die.”

“So what?!” Yves shouted. “You think I’m just gonna run and hide while she’s out there, alone?”

He huffed.

“I already know I'm not as strong as you,” he said, voice breaking. “I know I can't match demons. I can't create shadow weapons or any of that crazy demon stuff, but I'm not leaving her.”

Gin just looked at him, and something shifted in his gaze. Respect, perhaps, growing inside him for the first time.

“I won’t slow you down,” Yves said, quieter this time. “And if I do, you can leave me behind. But I’m going.”

Gin just sat there, blood-soaked and silent, one arm limp in his lap, his breathing rough but slowing.

Ain, still perched on the counter, let out a laugh. “Well, that was adorable,” he purred, tail flicking.

Still, he didn't speak, and Yves watched him closely, waiting for an answer. Gin's single eye stared at nothing, and then, slowly, he closed it, lashes brushing his cheekbone. His right hand, the healthy one, closed over his knee.

“Fine,” he finally murmured. Just that, not a trace of emotion in his voice.

He leaned back in the chair, his broad shoulders sinking, and for a moment he seemed... drained. Both physically and emotionally.