Chapter 51: Between Cliffs and Chaos

The journey to the Shadowed Cliffs started out peacefully enough. Birds chirped, the air smelled like wet earth and morning dew, and for the first thirty minutes, nobody tried to kill them.

Then Ryuuji found the curse berries.

"I swear these are edible," he announced, proudly holding up a handful of suspiciously glowing purple berries.

"They're literally buzzing," Hotaru said flatly.

"Only a little."

Before anyone could stop him, Ryuuji popped one into his mouth. Instantly, his face twisted into the shape of someone who just swallowed molten lava and regret at the same time.

"WHY DOES IT TASTE LIKE ELECTRICITY?!" he screamed, rolling on the ground as sparks crackled around his hair.

Tora burst out laughing, nearly dropping his laptop. "That's what you get for trusting the 'pretty berries,' idiot!"

Even Sai cracked a small smile, though he quickly turned away to hide it.

Kuro, sitting smugly on Hotaru's shoulder, flicked his tail like he was saying, Amateurs.

After a few more Ryuuji incidents (including falling into a mud pit trying to flirt with Mira, and getting his shoe stolen by a hawk), the mood shifted when they reached the first cliff path. The air got colder, the wind sharper, and the laughter faded into silence.

Sai took the lead, his every step precise, like his body still remembered the traps.

"Step only where I step," Sai warned. "This path is lined with tripwires, pressure plates, and —"

Ryuuji stepped on something. Click.

"AND WHAT?!" he yelped.

Sai grabbed his collar and yanked him back just as a volley of poisoned darts shot out of the rocks. They missed Ryuuji's nose by half a centimeter.

Mira facepalmed. "We've been here ten seconds."

"Hey, at least I'm keeping it exciting!" Ryuuji grinned.

Hotaru shook her head, but her smile betrayed her amusement. Even on dangerous ground, they were still themselves — a chaotic, dysfunctional, oddly lovable team.

But the deeper they went, the quieter Sai became. His movements got sharper, his eyes colder. Hotaru walked beside him.

"Memories?" she asked softly.

Sai nodded. "This was where we trained to forget we were human."

There was no joke for that. The others instinctively fell silent. The only sound was the crunch of their footsteps and the whisper of the wind.

At the edge of a narrow cliff ledge, they found something unexpected — a single white flower growing in a crack between the rocks. Sai knelt beside it, his fingers hovering just above the petals.

"She used to plant these after every successful mission," he whispered. "To remember the lives we took. Even if no one else cared."

Hotaru crouched beside him. "That means somewhere, deep down, she's still human too."

Sai stood up, face unreadable. "We'll find out soon."

Before anyone could respond, Kuro's ears shot up, fur bristling. A low growl rumbled from his throat.

Hotaru gripped her sword. "We're not alone."

From the shadows ahead, figures stepped out — cloaked, masked, weapons gleaming in the faint light. Former assassins of the House of Crimson Frost — the very ghosts they were hunting.

Ryuuji sighed dramatically. "I didn't even get to flirt with anyone yet."

Mira drew her daggers. "Shut up and fight."

And with that, the battle at the cliff's edge began — and their hunt truly came alive.

End of Chapter 51

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