Chapter 18

It was around 9 p.m. now, and The Den was mostly empty, save for the few people who were still around talking, and the group of people who were told to help Genji take down Copperhand. Out of them, only Dare and the short guy with green highlighted hair were present, with the others turning in for the night. Pip and Ripper had already gone to their respective rooms, though Genji was still sitting at the table, wanting to talk to Gin.

He spotted her sitting at the bar, nursing a drink as she looked out the window. Genji mustered up the courage to speak with her. As he approached, she turned to him and motioned for him to sit next to her. Genji took a seat, feeling nervous, and then cautiously asked, "Do you not like me?" Gin took a sip of her drink before replying, "No, not really," her cheery tone replaced with a more somber one, as if she had become a different person now that there were fewer people around.

Genji felt a tinge of sadness in her response, but he couldn't blame her. After all, he had been lying about his origins, but it was for his own self-preservation. "Can I ask why?" Genji inquired as she took another sip of her drink. "No point in asking. I can't say why," Gin replied, rubbing the bags under her eyes with a hint of weariness. Genji felt confused by her answer and pressed on, "What do you mean?"

Gin emptied her drink, then turned to him and said, "There is just something about you, something that just doesn't sit right with me. To me, it feels like you shouldn't be alive." Genji's eyes widened in response to her blunt honesty.

Gin continued, her voice carrying a hint of somberness, "When I see you talk to others or when I'm talking to you, it feels like I'm talking to a corpse." Genji's heart raced, wondering if she somehow knows about his ability. *There's no way she knows, right?* he thought anxiously, hoping to keep his secret hidden. Gin seemed to notice Genji's irregular breathing and added, "Come on, you're going to 'take down' Copperhand, right? You can't be freaked out by something I say." With that, she got up from the bar and waved with her back turned at him before heading upstairs.

Genji sat there, freaking out, thinking to himself over and over again, *She doesn't know, she doesn't know, she doesn't know.* His heart pounded in his chest as he tried to calm himself, taking deep breaths to steady his nerves. Unaware of Gin's gaze from the second floor, he continued to battle his inner turmoil.

Gin watched him with a predatory grin, her eyes never leaving his anxious form. *Oh, the power I hold over you,* she thought, amused by his obvious distress. *You're hiding something, and I will find out what it is. There's a darkness about you, something unnatural. I can feel it.*

*But patience, dear Gin,* she reminded herself. *Tomorrow will bring chaos, and in the midst of it all, I'll have my answers. Just wait and watch.*

As Genji struggled to regain his composure, Gin's mind buzzed with excitement for the events that would unfold. She couldn't wait to see how tomorrow played out and what secrets would be revealed. With that thought, she turned away, leaving Genji to wrestle with his fears and secrets.

Genji's night was mostly sleepless, haunted by nightmares of his past deaths. Each time he closed his eyes, vivid memories of those tragic moments would flood his mind, jolting him awake in a cold sweat. The relentless cycle of fear and exhaustion made it hard for him to find any respite. Nevertheless, he knew he needed rest for the challenges that awaited him tomorrow. So, despite his troubled mind, he kept trying to drift off into slumber.

With the first light of dawn already seeping through the window, he finally managed to fall asleep, only to be awakened shortly after by a knock on his door. Genji groggily got up and opened it to find Ripper standing there with an energetic grin.

"Morning, mate! Ready for the big day ahead?" Ripper asked with enthusiasm, seemingly unfazed by the early hour.

Genji rubbed his eyes and nodded, trying to shake off the weariness. "Yeah, as ready as I can be, I guess."

"Good! Get yourself ready, and let's head down for breakfast," Ripper said, patting Genji on the back.

As they made their way downstairs, Genji could feel a mixture of excitement and anxiety bubbling inside him. The events of yesterday were still fresh in his mind. He was about to face Copperhand, the feared ruler of the slums.

And then the thoughts of 'why' were coming back to Genji's head—why was he doing this? But to prevent himself from falling into the depths of those thoughts once again, he remembered what Pip had told him and his own mantra, helping him move on for now.

As they reached the main floor of The Den, Genji saw Pip sitting at a table, chatting with some of the others who were told to help with their plan. Pip saw them and waved, and the others turned their attention towards Genji and Ripper. They quickly arranged some chairs for them, and as Ripper sat down he gestured for Genji to sit next to him.

Genji swallowed as he remembered how they treated him last night but decided to give them another chance. He sat down as some of the workers brought their meals to the table. "Don't worry, I already ordered for you two," Pip said with a warm smile, her kind gesture easing some of Genji's tension. He looked at his plate, which was filled with eggs and sausages, and started eating. The aroma of the food filled the air, and he couldn't help but feel a bit more at ease. *The more I stay here, the more I think I got isekaied into fantasy Britain,* Genji thought with a touch of amusement, trying to find humor in his strange situation.

But as he finished his meal, Ripper cleared his throat and said, "Alright, boys and girls, it's time to hatch up a plan to take down Copperhand!" His casual tone belied the seriousness of their task, but everyone turned their attention to him and Genji, their faces filled with anticipation.