Another couple of days passed, as they continued their training. Many of the younger demons learned new techniques, while those with prior experience focused on enhancing their strengths and addressing weaknesses. Among them, Kahn stood out for obvious reasons, displaying determination by persistently challenging Rei in an attempt to secure a victory. "What a bullhead," she thinks, amused.

After a shower and clean clothes, Rei feels her body toned and relaxed, her mind a little more unburdened.

During her time at the shelter, she noticed that everyone had their own work to do, while, even though he is the leader, A-Yin rarely controls them, preferring to jump from one activity to another. She's never seen him alone for more than five minutes, nor particularly attached to anyone during their daily life, except for Zhou.

Rei strolls toward the central square, where some minor demons chatter. Behind her, the sound of footsteps. She turns around, annoyed. Even in the dark, she sees perfectly, albeit in grayscale, yet it looks like there's nobody there. Despite this, she senses a demon hiding in the shadows. Continuing to walk, she turns left into a narrow street flanked by two wooden houses. Another almost imperceptible crunch catches her attention. I just need to figure out where you're hiding. 

Glancing around, she notes that if she goes straight, she should reach the armory, but her pursuer likely knows the area better than her, so she goes toward the forest, with a calm pace to avoid arousing suspicion. In the serenity of the vegetation, only the rustle of leaves can be heard.

As the trunks of the trees become large and imposing, perfect for hiding, she shifts her steps to the left, leading her pursuer to follow. Her petite body slips into the dense vegetation, disappearing and moving in the opposite direction. She glances up, anticipating that he might climb to get a better view, or at least that's what she would do in that situation. From the corner of her eye, she perceives the tip of a boot. Abruptly, Rei ducks into the bushes as she approaches behind a tree and smiles at the view, sure to find Lì. Instead, she sees long black hair cascading from broad shoulders, swaying in the wind. With controlled movements, Rei jumps and clings to one branch and nimbly leaps to the next. 

The trembling of the wood catches the pursuer's attention. A-Yin turns around, finding Rei's face in front of him. 

“So, what were you looking at?”  she asks, and he smiles back, shaking his head, “I was taking a walk in the fresh air, didn't you?”

"You don't have much to do if you have the time to follow me everywhere," Rei remarks, leaping forward and landing on the branch where the demon sits. She positions herself beside him, resting her hands on the scaly wood not far from his. Her lilac eyes meet his icy blue gaze. "If you wanted to get to know me, you could have just offered me something to drink."

A chuckle fills the air, but then he responds thoughtfully, "You really are cocky, saying those things to me."

"Right." Rei's eyes wander briefly, then return to him as she leans toward his figure. "Who am I to criticize how the boss makes a move on me? Maybe it works with someone else."

A-Yin stands up and extends his hand to help her, but she frowns and gets on her feet. "Let's grab something to drink," he suggests calmly, leaping off the branch. The fubai briskly follows him, and together they head toward the inn.

The place is relatively small, run by sweet Dora, a granny with a flair for meat pies, and her grandson Wyatt, skilled in stealing the heart of everyone. As soon as Lì notices the fubai, he waves his hand in the air, beckoning her to come closer. The rectangular table is surrounded by two small benches, accommodating a maximum of four people. Lì and Kahn occupy the one on the left, sitting facing each other side by side.

“Wu should join us soon.” says the red one. The gaze of the muscular demon is grim, implanted on Rei's forehead.

“Don't tell me you're still upset about our little fight.” Rei nods to the innkeeper, points to the amber bottle, and he starts fumbling with the glasses. “To make up for it, I'm offering you this round.”

Four glasses of rum are brought to the table. A-Yin takes one for himself, playing with it as he looks at the liquor. He gets one closer to Rei, who grabs it and drinks all of it, not letting a single drop inside it. 

“My offer to help you is still valid,” she adds calmly. Kahn looks at the beverage, takes the glass in his hands, quaffs it, then slams it on the table. “Tomorrow afternoon in the armory.”

“We will use a spear.”

He widens his eyes, glaring at her. “I'm not a sissy.”

The comment makes A-Yin grin. The demon army Kahn was part of was among the hardest and bloodiest in Diyu. The use of weapons other than melee weapons was met with mockery, so they forced all comrades to wield large, heavy blades, with the apparent result that those who could keep up were seen as berserkers with scary strength. 

Rei chuckles at Kahn’s reaction, only to get severe and demanding. “Right, you are just a clumsy, slow, and uncoordinated demon. You will use the spear and improve.”

The leader swallows the rum all at once and knocks the shot glass down on the table. “Harsh words for someone I've never seen with a spear in hand.”

A smile curls her lips as she gives him a quick look. “There’s a lot of things I’m good at.”

Her words please him, and he giggles in response, then shifts his gaze to the funny sight of the muscular one, who looks unsatisfied and adds, “But joking aside, I agree with her that you should try it. I think you are more suited to it than the ax.” 

Kahn snorts, grabs Lì's glass, and drinks. “Fine.” 

"Where did you learn to fight? Alone?" Rei's question makes his amber eyes widen. Despite his fingernails clenching against the mug, signaling slight tension, Kahn bursts out laughing rudely. "First of all, girl, you’re fucking rude; and second, if he heard you talk about his teachings like that, you would already be dead."

A-Yin imperceptibly smiles as unpleasant memories flow to mind, but he doesn't comment. The silence lasts a little more than a moment because Rei  stops drinking and exclaims, “Huh?” A white eyebrow rises, giving her a confused expression, to which Kahn replies, “Lord Third. War or the huge pile of shit, as I like to call him.”

“What!?” Rei exclaims, stupefied, slipping the glass into her hands. It makes a thrush, and a few drops gush onto the table as she adds, “It's impossible. Your form is so imperfect. How could a Greater Demon have trained you?”

“Seriously, stop being a jerk.” Kahn quips as the others laugh, then asks, “Moreover, why? Do you think he cared about us? We were just meat.” A veil of sadness shrouds the demon's gaze, prompting him to order a beer as a means to drown the haunting memories of the past. So many lost friends. 

Lì pats him on the shoulder, and Kahn starts talking again, “Not that the others cared about us, too.” He wets his lips with the malt drink and fixes his gaze on Rei. “You have never been to Diyu, so maybe it's difficult to imagine. How do you picture them?”

A grimace appears on her lips. There are several stories, myths, and songs about the Five. Still, their origin, their real names, and their essence have been shrouded in a cloud of mist for centuries, to the point that sometimes they almost seem to have never existed, as if the humans wanted their wrath to be devoured by the depths of the earth so that it could never emerge on the surface. After thinking about it for a while, she replies, “I imagine Famine being thin, almost skeletal. Pestilence full of buboes. Madness, almost incomprehensible, as if he is never really lucid and present.” 

Her finger slides on the circular edge of the glass, and her gaze is lost for a moment in the amber liquid. She isn't drinking it, yet she feels a bitter taste in her mouth. “War, ruthless.” Her voice shuts down for a bit when a slight nudge wakes her up, and Rei raises her head, noticing A-Yin's curious look. “What about Deception?”

“I don't know. The Fourth is the one who has the fewest myths about him. Hardly any bard sings and dishonors his gestures. Apart from the only mention among the Five Greater Demons, his role in the War of Closure is never told. I think the fact that nothing is known is consistent with his title.” She shrugs and asks the three demons, “Have you ever seen him?”

Lì shakes his head, probably too young to even clearly remember the demonic continent, and A-Yin appears deeply absorbed in his drink at the moment, so the only one to answer is Kahn. “No, never. Unlike the others, Deception never showed much of his rasuah or his face. It is said that there was a time when he often feasted and celebrated in his palace, but no one ever truly saw him. He was always hidden behind a mask from which two red eyes and white hair emerged. The celebrations lasted long until one day the court turned red and was called The Crimson Palace.”

The story caught the attention of the fubai, who is increasingly curious and has another question. “What do you mean, red?”

“He does not have a good reputation. It's said to be red because of his extravagance and vanity. He used to disappear into it to demonstrate opulence and pageantry.” The leader's voice makes Rei shift her lilac eyes on him as she plays with her drink. “Do you know him?”

He shrugs and responds, “Nope, it’s one of the rumors that went around before the doors closed, but not much is known, and what is said is mostly garbage.” 

“I thought you knew everyone.” she says sardonically.

“This may sound strange, but I’m not a big fan of the Great Demons. Most of them are arrogant, extremely powerful, and unwilling to leave room for those below.”

“Most of them?”

He grins ironically. “We don’t have enough news about some of them, do we? Moreover, I spent most of my time here in Rèn, so I don’t have much information about Diyu.” The comment is accompanied by a disinterested look at the empty mug resting on the table.

The fubai looks back at Kahn. “Returning to the Palace, have you ever been there? How is it?”

“The Third has always despised anyone who wasn't him. He has always prevented us from frequenting other demon regions. I can only tell you that in the evening, it lit up with small orange lights that brightened the night.”

Her lips curl into a gentle smile, and so does that of the leader when he hears her say, “It seems warm.”

A-Yin is going to comment when the inn door opens, and Wu's tall, slender figure stares at them. Rei nudges A-Yin, getting closer to make room for her on the bench, then gestures for her to sit down. Yet, her green eyes rest earnestly on the fubai; bothered by her figure, she turns and walks out.

“Or I guess she won't join us.” a chuckle escapes from Rei’s lips, making Lì laugh. 

“I don't think she likes me very much,” she adds, then nods to the innkeeper, who leaves the bottle on the table. The fubai fills a liqueur glass and hands it to the red demon, who mutters a shy “Thank you.”

After another round of drinks, A-Yin searches for Wyatt. Upon finding him, he smiles and instructs him to come closer. The young demon quickly trots toward them, stopping a few steps from the leader with a serious expression, awaiting orders. Wyatt boasts light blue skin, a short and messy bob of beautiful, deep blue hair, and two gracefully curved horns framing his childlike face. His large, round eyes attentively follow the leader's gaze. A-Yin places a hand on Wyatt's head, giving him a firm and affectionate caress that seems to shake his entire body. 

“Don’t be so careful. I won’t eat you! Bring us all the liquor you have for a good endurance game. The first one who passes out pays!”

Lì puts his hands on his face and sighs, Please don’t. Wyatt nods vigorously and disappears into the little tavern, returning shortly after with four large jugs in his skinny arms. Kahn looks at him, unsure whether to help him. It seems that the young one could crumble under their weight.

"Do you really want to play? You’ll never beat me," Rei declares, raising the empty glass and chuckling.

A-Yin shrugs. "We’ll see. Who else joins us?" His amused gaze turns to the muscular demon, who nods and then looks toward the red one. There he goes. Lì glares at him, annoyed, and shakes his head. "I don’t want to vomit my soul tomorrow. You shouldn’t exaggerate either. Last time I had to carry you to the central ward."

The leader laughs and comments, "The next day, you couldn’t stand up straight."

"Just because someone gave me a friendly pat on the back, that blocked me for a week."

"I never said it was for the alcohol."

The expression of the red demon becomes increasingly disconsolate, realizing that this time, he will likely have to carry even Kahn, who appears much heavier than the leader.

In a moment, the three glasses are full to the brim, are raised and slammed against each other in a fierce toast, then drained all in one breath. The rum goes down fast and hot, pinching Rei’s throat. She lowers her mug on the table and laughs, screaming, “One!”

The two drinking buddies follow her example, and the game lights up in general euphoria. In the sixth round, the muscular one chuckles more than usual and begins to stagger. 

“Kahn, you have the face of a lost puppy. Every time Wu is around you, you follow her with your eyes.” the fubai says, amused. The statement seems to confuse him and makes him blush suddenly, shaking his head as brown locks of hair fall on his amber eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Lì watches him with a smile. He holds alcohol even less than I do.

“Oh, come on! I can see you like her. You should hit on her.”

A-Yin raises an eyebrow and comments with a grin. “Worst case scenario, you’ll be legless. If you know what I mean.”

He doesn’t, but the red demon does and shakes his head, chuckling nervously as he closes his legs. Angry Wu is terrifying, but something tells me Rei is much worse.

His golden eyes rest on the merry fubai. She has darkened cheeks and white hair, tied in a braid, as the rest falls softly on her shoulders. Her petite frame is clad in black trousers blending with the color of her skin, boots with metal details, and a wide, lightweight jacket covering her chest and arms. He feels his breath getting heavy as he lingers on her bare clavicles, descending further down, just above the thin white strings that close the shirt's neckline. Suddenly, the loud noise of something slamming on the table's wood makes him wince in the chair. A-Yin looks at him, amused. He relaxes his fingers from the empty jug and says, “The next round is for Lì, my laborious little bee. What would we do without him?”

The red demon immediately lowers his gaze, as he was looking at her, while the other three shout, “Cheers!” clapping their glasses.

The evening continues lively and hot.