Megumi sat in a public bath house, feeling the steam rising from the hot water. It was in one of the more 'high-standard' sections of the slums, giving it more of a low-class feel rather than an utterly miserable one.
He didn't mind, though, letting the heat of the bath calm his nerves. Currently, his clothes were being washed, because the bath house also had a washing machine installed to it. Very convenient for him.
'Especially since I haven't washed for two days,' Megumi didn't notice it until after he woke up this morning and trained with his Cursed Tools and Shikigamii, pitting them against him. Other routines consisted of attempting to use The Inverted Spear of Heaven while his Shikigamis were out and about, attempting not to accidentally touch them with the blade.
It was then that sweat started to build up on his body, and realized how terribly he smelled, leading him to find a place where he could wash himself up.
'It would be good if I can go for Piercing Ox next,' but Megumi wasn't too confident, and might need to resort to other measures to tame it. 'Okay...I'll tame the Ox tomorrow, I need to do this fast.' Back on Earth, Megumi took things slowly and didn't put too much emphasis on the need to tame his Shikigami.
Now? Megumi was in what was practically a modern fantasy world where he shouldn't even exist. 'I don't have much leeway for slacking off now,' he closed his eyes into a meditative trance, focusing on his flow of Cursed Energy. 'Ten more minutes in this bath, and I'll start training again.'
He called back to the ease of use in which Sukuna had developed Positive Cursed Energy in his body, and applied the Reverse Cursed Technique. The man had done it so much and so proficiently that it was basically muscle memory... Or soul memory, imprinted on his body for the length of a month.
With the reminder of what it felt like from Round Deer, he began focusing further on the feeling.
***
Swire paced back and forth in the LGD office, watching as Ch'en held her phone. The low beeping sounds of a call being forwarded. It was pretty irritating to see the dragon lady touching the possessions that belonged to the tiger lady; Swire knew that this was a professional matter.
Hoshiguma stood by, a resigned look on her face. She was practically already having second thoughts, predicting this would not go well.
"Is she gonna pick up?" When Swire first received a call from Ch'en last light, she was already in bed, far too tired from the tiring day at the LGD. So the other lady asked her for contact with that dirty rat, Swire hadn't registered it and told her to flip off. Hanging her up in the process.
It was only then it fully processed that she jolted up from her bed and called the dumbass dragon lady again, demanding answers on why she wanted to call that person of all things.
The explanation was quite logical, but because it was Ch'en who thought of it, Swire would never recognize it as so. Since the black haired guy they were after was found in the slums, and hasn't been seen anywhere of the main city of Lungmen, Ch'en had deduced the man must reside in there. WHich also could connect him to Lin Yushia, especially since they both knew of the 'Mercenary's Tavern' created by the Rat King and managed by his daughter.
It was most likely Hanshi was on the board, and the mysterious man killing that bastard had made the dragon lady connect the dots.
Swire was a bit frustrated when that company poser died, since her branch of the LGD was tasked with investigating his crimes, so having the job taken away from her by a likely criminal was not a good feeling. 'Hanshi was a bastard, but he could've at least died after his crimes were exposed...'
Being a rich person inheriting wealth from her family meant that she had to also learn about shady business practices that go on in the background. That meant the tiger lady had a keen awareness of the practices Hanshi's company was going through.
The beeping stopped, the three residents perking up and turning to look at the phone. A sense of unease and tension filled their chests.
"...Swire?" Lin's voice came from the device.
"It's me, Ch'en," the dragon lady spoke out bluntly, not a hint of tact in her voice.
Swire couldn't help but wince and pinch the bridge of her nose, 'nice job there, dumbass...'
"Oh? You couldn't personally call me from your phone?" The woman who controlled the underworld of Lungmen had an accusatory voice. It would be bizarre for anybody who had seen her in public to act this way.
"You and I both know I don't have your phone number," Ch'en spoke out, before realizing her slight mishap
"Oh, and I wonder why?" Lin shot back with a rhetorical question.
"That's besides the point," Ch'en spoke out, an edge to her voice. "I know you left a mole in the LGD to send you information."
"And you have done the same with the slums, correct?" Lin spoke, a barely noticeable sass in it.
"Then you should know we're searching for a black haired man, no animal features, wearing a black haori and white Higashin gi," Ch'en decided to get straight to the point. "Tell me, do you know anything about him?"
"..." Lin stayed silent on the line, a bad move on her part.
"You know something, don't you?" Ch'en narrowed her eyes as she leaned closer to the phone.
" Hoshiguma and Swire are close by you, am I correct?" Lin replied.
The group looked slightly shocked, but quickly recovered. It was to be expected after all, they were dealing with Lin Yuhsia.
Swire let out a sigh, "I'm pretty sure that was obvious."
Ch'en gave her a glare, before turning back to the phone.
"Then let me say this once, don't interfere," Lin's voice came out once again, "I have this handled."
"What-," before Ch'en could question her, the call hung up. "-Damn it!" Her grip on the device tightened, the object straining against her applied force.
"Hey! Don't break my phone!" Swire yelled out, running to the woman.
"Tch," Ch'en tossed the phone to the tiger lady, the latter stopping to catch it with ease before inspecting for any damages.
"Well, shit, I guess that's that," Swire shrugged, "what were you expecting anyways?"
"At least anything," Ch'en muttered through gritted teeth.
Hoshiguma lowered her head and sighed, shaking it in the process, "well, there's not much we can do to change her mind- Ch'en?" The woman spoke, but cut herself off to call her friend. "Where are you going?!"
"You two investigate more on the Blood Hounds, I'm going to the slums," a resolute voice left her mouth. Ch'en walked towards the office door.
Hoshiguma and Swire watched her leave silently, the two already knowing that they couldn't prevent her from her decision. She was as stubborn as Lin.
"Well, there goes that dragon bitch, again," Swire shrugged.
"...I'll go after and check on her, you stay here to investigate the Blood Hounds," Hoshiguma spoke to her as she also began moving to exit the building.
"Seriously-? Alright, fine," Swire heaved a sigh while shaking her head. "Stay safe out there."
"I will," after all, Hoshiguma also knew the slums, almost better than Ch'en.
Her footsteps stopped echoing as the only one who remained in the building was Swire.
***
Megumi walked through the streets, the late morning daylight pouring down on him. He was walking in the more commercial district of the slums, and didn't feel the need to hide himself as the LGD were barely active in this area.
Even if they were, it was usually a lazy group of them who didn't take their job too seriously, so he could just hide in the shadows.
After finishing up training, showering, and washing his clothes (which were slightly moist), Megumi was attempting to go back to the 'Mercenary's Tavern' for one more commission before he decided to sneak into the main city of Lungmen.
'I need to visit a library and figure out what this world is like,' his gaze turned to the passing animal people, all of various different racial features. 'Is there a pattern? Are there other countries that parallel my previous one?' Too many questions were itching to be answered to the man.
Megumi paused his steps, glancing towards an alleyway not illuminated by the rays of the sun. He watched as a well dressed trench coated man coerced some slum kid to enter along with him. Megumi narrowed his eyes, already knowing what was happening. 'These gang people... They're way too obvious with their outfits,' they practically stuck out like a sore thumb in the setting they were in. Couldn't they have at least tried to look like they belonged to Lungmen?
Fushiguro Megumi promptly hid in the shadows, trailing the two in the back alley. He kept his ears out, listening to what was being said.
"Hey kid, want some quick easy money?" The trench coated man whispered as he bent down closer to the child.
"...Yes?" The child, probably not knowing any better, looked up at the man with a confused look.
"Alright, just deliver this to the location on this paper, is that clear?" The stranger handed what looked like to be a securely wrapped package and a piece of paper. "I'll even give ya' down payment, come on, isn't this just a steal?" Along with that, he reached into his pocket and handed a 100 LMD bill.
"A-ah..." The kid took it with shaky hands, not believing his eyes.
"Hey, now just go to where it says, you know where it is, right?" The man continued coercing him, speaking in a 'friendly' voice.
The child glanced at the piece of paper, a flash of recognition in his eyes, "y-yes, I know where this is exactly!"
"Come on then, go along," the man pitted the child on the shoulder, a grin forming on his face.
"Ok..." with those words, the child moved to leave the alleyway...
Before a blackened figure stepped out of the shadows, snatching the item.
"Ah!" The child looked surprised, nearly falling over. His hands still held the LMD he was given, but the hand that took the packet didn't reach anywhere near the money.
"What the hell?!" The trench coated man stepped back, shocked at the scene.
"Hey bastard," Megumi spoke out, starting to feel like he was back to his delinquent beating days, "leave kids out of your damn crime business." With those angry words, the black haired man raised the hand that held the package.
His body blurred forward.
The criminal tried to reach for a dagger in his coat, but found his own face slammed against the object Megumi took.
BAM!
Once the impact was made, the Ten Shadows user let go of the object as it fell to the ground, along with the gang member.
Said child stared at the scene frozen. That was before he snapped out of his stupor, turning around and making a run for it.
Megumi squatted to the downed man, who was clenching his broken nose. "Are we clear?"
A low glare in his eyes was all that was needed to trigger the man's fight or flight response.
The man decided to fight.
With a dagger still in his grip, the trench coated man launched his hand forward, "fuck you kid!"
Megumi watched in silence, seeing the dagger right before his eye-
Before swatting it away, snapping the man's wrist in the process.
A crunching sound was heard as the weapon flew and embedded itself into the alleyway wall, leaving small bits of rocks falling to the ground.
"A-agh! Shit!" The man grabbed his broken wrist, a blood mess of a face scrunching up in pain.
The black haired man was starting to get sick of this, grabbing the other man by the hair and slamming his head down.
BAM!
A splat of blood made itself on the ground below, starting to pool up with each passing second. Megumi sighed as he stood up.
Another scum of the streets he had to deal with. Megumi was wondering if this would start to catch up to him, alerting the nearby gangs about him messing in their business. 'It doesn't matter much, anyways.'
He had many methods to deal with them. With one more look at the unconscious body of his enemy, Megumi turned around to walk away
'Well, there's that.'
***
The same process happened when Megumi reached the Mercenary's Tavern, knocking and saying the code.
It was a different person this time, much to his... Indifference, at least the man didn't look like he was afraid of him at all.
Though, they had a slightly surprised look, something Megumi attributed to his suppressed aura. 'It probably still gives off a strange feeling, huh?'
Unknowingly, the entrance attendee held a phone behind his back, typing in a number as Megumi made his way to the front of the bar.
Those who sat on the tables lined at the bar and tables around the large room were all practically different faces, only some being the same. Not that Megumi took the time to memorize them.
Sitting at the bar, the baristas looked relatively surprised. This caused Megumi to give them a confused look, "what?"
"Ah, apologies, what would you like to order?" A woman barista with Vulpo ears stood up with a slightly nervous look, but quickly got into professional manners.
"I'm just looking for another commission," Megumi said.
"Okay, understood, please give us a moment," the barista slowly walked to the back door, taking her sweet time.
'...Why is she so slow?' Megumi wasn't one to judge, but he remembered how the previous barista that got his last commission was pretty agile with it. 'Actually, did all the baristas depart?'
The other baristas that were with seemed to have disappeared, but Megumi just shrugged it off. Placing his elbow on the counter, he rested his chin on his palm. 'Hopefully this doesn't take too long...'
***
Lin Yuhsia sat in the back of a black car going through the streets of Lungmen. After her call from Swire-, wait no, Ch'en; the woman was in a slightly bad mood. Staring out the windows, she took in the familiar sight of Lungmen's towering structures.
'...If only the slums could develop like that,' but due to the slums consisting primarily of infected, it would be a harder endeavor than it already was.
The chauffeur kept his eyes on the road, taking a few turns here and there as Lin closed her eyes. 'Hmm... I wonder when the Blood Hounds will make their next move.'
The Blood Hounds, a gang, not famiglia, made their way all the way from Siracusa to Lungmen. Lin didn't know the specific reason, but it was most likely because they wished to build power and influence here before they aimed to become a famiglia.
'They should know then, that Lungmen and its slums are no pushovers,' her eyes opened once again, this time in a low glare.
Beep.
"Hm?" Lin picked up a messenger receiver from the car door inventory,before analyzing the message. 'Oh?'
It was linked specifically to the number she had given the baristas at the Mercenary's Tavern, meaning 'that man' was there.
"Change of plans, stop the car," Lin spoke to the chauffeur.
He stepped on the brakes gently, the car slowing down on the parkable side of the road, "something catch your eye, madam?"
"I've received a message, I can get there myself," Lin opened the door, and stepped out. 'After all, I can move far faster than this clumsy car.'
"Ah, safe travels then, madam," the chauffeur nodded his head, watching as the woman turned into a pink and black static flash, disappearing from his view.
***
Megumi stared at the commission, raising an eyebrow. 'Are there none on the Blood Hounds?' The one he was staring at was for... 'Rhine Labs?' Providing security for their newly established laboratory here? 'Isn't it a bit sketchy that they have a commission here?' Wouldn't that cause a huge scandal if it were leaked out?
'Or are all of these mercenaries trusted people?' They had the code to the tavern after all, which meant something. 'Besides, this one is from the backdoor again, is that supposed to be important?' But if it did mean that the backdoor ones were of higher clearance? Why did he receive one on his first day here?
Setting it down, he spoke to the barista, "I'll take this then," before standing up-
"Ah, wait!" The barista... Grabbed his arm?
"Excuse me?" Megumi looked at her blankly. Or rather, what his current expression was blank, but he himself was confused.
"U-uhm..." The woman looked like she wanted to say something, the baristas on the sound watching the scene experiencing second-hand humiliation.
If their tense mouth and twitchy movements were anything to go by.
"We... Offer free meals and drinks to those who have finished their first commission!" The Vulpo woman finally spoke, still keeping a hold on his arm.
The mercenaries sitting on the other tables across the rooms looked at each other, wondering if they had ever gotten a free meal when they had finished their first commission. None of them have.
So what conclusion did they come to? The woman probably wanted to 'hit it.'
"...Ok?" Megumi said, sitting back down, 'the commission starts during the afternoon tomorrow, so it doesn't really matter.'
"So... What would you like to order?" The woman now held a strained expression, trying her best to smile as her social reputation was dying by the second.
While Megumi was making his decision on what meal he wanted (it didn't really matter since he couldn't taste anything), the other baristas sent her pitying looks.
The woman was going to be their sacrifice for keeping him occupied.
Operation: Stall the terrifying black haired man, had begun.
***
Lin Yushia stood at the door, having leapt across multiple buildings to get to this area of the slums. She wasn't that exhausted, but rather, felt slightly warmed up.
Giving it a knock, she recited whatever she wanted to in her voice, the entrance attendees would always recognize it after all.
She walked in... To be presented with the sight of three baristas grasping onto a black haired man, practically begging him not to leave.
The other two baritas were each holding dishes in their hands, walking towards the man and trying to present it to him.
"W-wait! Please try this too-!"
"This is our most excellent-!"
The man looked confused, trying to break out of their gasp as the mercenaries at the tables snickered at the scene, some even breaking out into full laughs.
Lin Yuhsia was used to many bizarre sights, but this certainly took the cake.
The woman shook her head and walked forward, clearing her throat as she did so, "ahem!"
The baristas all paused, leaving the group causing the ruckus to turn to her.
Megumi looked at her with a raised brow, wondering who she was.
The mercenaries all knew who she was, and promptly shut their mouths and shifted back to their previous conversations.
The baristas? They were all terrified.
"I believe this is an unsightly scene, no?" Lin Yuhsia spoke out, the corner of her lips just barely twitching.
Silently, they immediately snapped themselves into a line, Megumi looking at the scene with a tired expression.
"Ah, now that we have that out of the way," Lin was trying her best to look presentable, "would you spare a moment of your time?"
"...Is it mandatory?" Megumi wasn't going to question the previous scene.
"It isn't, but-" Lin spoke with her eyes closed, but immediately stopped when Megumi walked past her.
"Don't have the time, then," was all he said, making his way to exit the building. 'What a weird day...' His walk was halted when a vice grip was made on his shoulder. Megumi turned around... to be met with an irritated mouse.
"...Please, it relates to very important matters," Lin was wondering if the man even knew who she was at this point.
Megumi held a conflicted expression, wondering if he should comply. From what he could tell, this woman was an important person, if she could go around and command the baristas like that. The mercenaries around them seemed to have gotten quieter too...
"Alright, I'll follow," Megumi let out a huff, relenting to her demands.
The Mousse woman smiled, returning back to her practiced politeness.
"I see, then... Let's get started," Lin walked to the bar, entering the back while Megumi followed her. The baristas nervously made way for the two.
'...This is gonna be a long one, isn't it?' Megumi steeled himself for what was to come, letting out a small breath of air.
"You first," Lin opened the backdoor, letting him enter.
Megumi complied, walking through as he saw what it truly looked like. What was more surprising was that there was another door at the back of the room.
"Ah, just one more room," Lin spoke to him while holding a key, making her way to it as she inserted the object inside.
With a click, the door opened, revealing what looked to be an office. Lin stepped in first this time, before motioning the black haired man to follow.
Lin sat on the other side of the desk, while Megumi remained standing, a neutral expression plastered on his face.
"Please, have a seat," Lin motioned for him.
Megumi stared at her, attempting to see anything through that mask of hers, "...What do you want?" He took a seat.
"Ah, I believe we can get straight to the point, no?" The woman looked at him with a different look this time, a calculative one. 'Now that I have a better look at him... They were right, his presence is...' Quite terrifying, like staring at a bloodied walking corpse.
Megumi kept silent, waiting for her to say her piece.
***
A/N: Megumi and Toji are very similar.
Megumi: Acts like a thug after beating up multiple delinquents in middle school.
Toji: Acts like a thug after he accidentally trips a person over.