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After their thrilling match and their passionate kiss beneath the spotlight, Gen and Meiji felt more liberated than before as they walked hand in hand back to their apartment. Once inside Gen slammed his friend onto the bed, the sound of creaking springs filling the room along with their panting screams. Over the next hour, the bed would bounce as their shadows undulated on the wall.

They barely ever spoke, other than moaning each other's names as their hands wrapped round each other tight, fingers dancing across their backs as Meiji's mandibles tickled over Gen's beak. Soon they fell asleep, exhausted but happy in their embrace.

Dawn would come, the bird still on top of the beetle with their bruised bodies glinting in the sun. A trashy sci-fi movie was playing at 5am, with badly-animated space ships that juttered over the black canvas.

"Morning." Meiji nibbled his friend's beak. "Sleep good?"

"Mmmhhh yeah," Gen smooched him back, "hope I didn't hurt ya too bad."

"Nah, my hips are kinda sore, you were riding the fuck outta my dick."

"Maybe stop being so sexy then."

They both smiled as Gen rolled off of his friend, sitting up naked to watch the oddly-jank movie as Meiji got up to get a bowl of cereal.

"So you just wanted to try out?" asked Gen. "The arena I mean."

"Yeah!" Meiji poured two bowls. "You always go on about how fun it is."

"I'm on a mission Mei-chan, I still gotta work."

"Yeah but, every day you come back just happy as hell, I wanted to see for myself cuz...hope I wasn't cramping your style-"

"You kidding that shit was GREAT!" Gen pumped his fists. "I mean okay, mission aside, that was a really fun fight we had, I never like...fought you that much before."

"Well I mean," the beetle sat down handing him his cereal, "first few times when I got assigned to ya, you butted heads with me often."

"Yeah but that was like little things, just me being an ass, this was a BIG fucking fight! Now I know why a lotta dudes respect you."

"Nah that's just cuz I make cool blades, I never really fight anyone, except for vashers."

"Even before you met me?"

"Yep." Meiji spooned his cereal. "My parents were soldiers in Kankoran, did I ever tell you?"

"No?" the bird started eating his. "What sorta stuff they do?"

"Mom was a soldier and dad worked in like radio stuff. Grandpappy looked after me while they were away, and well...they got killed when the Janjanbari bombed their tent."

"Shit...that's heavy dude, I'm sorry."

"Naw it's cool, anyways what I'm getting at is my grandpappy was always there for me, and he taught me two important things. First, how to make some cool-ass blades, and two, not to tar everybody with the same brush. When he told me what happened to my parents, he made sure I learned that it was just one little group of people who did it, not an entire country."

"Ohhhh..." Gen nodded smiling, "I getcha...damn your grandpa sounds cool."

"Yeah," Meiji slurped from his bowl, "he was the coolest, he told me that, if I ever see a vasher picking on somebody else, don't ever let it slide. Stand up for those who can't protect themselves."

"Soooo why are you in the Jinuchu?"

"Well...I'm kinda figuring that out, honestly." The beetle rubbed his horn. "Maybe cuz I thought I could change it from the inside, or maybe it's cuz they're my best customers."

"Okay, hold up." The bird sat up chewing through his cereal. "Why you making blades if you're about justice and shit?"

"Well, everybody needs protection."

"But you know most creatures are gonna take your weapons to fight and bully others?"

"No, I don't." Meiji shook his head. "I dunno what creatures are like, I just make the blades, I can't decide what they do with themselves. Blades are only as good as the ones who wield 'em, and once I hand that to you, that's your responsibility. I'm not responsible for what you done with your sickles, am I?"

"No..." Gen looked away, "I guess not. Sooo what are we doing tomorrow?"

"OH, yeah, I gotta pick up that Mondo Bay for Saureno-san."

"Yeah, hey why'd you make that kinda bet with him?"

"Cuz it's fun!"

"Dude, what if he asked for champagne?!"

"I dunno," Meiji shrugged, "he seemed like a cool guy, not into expensive shit. Reminded me of my grandpa."

"Well I'm glad I'm not paying," Gen rolled his eye."

"That's cuz YOU kicked my ass real good!" Garonba hugged him tight. "I'm proud of ya Gen, you know that right?"

"Really?" the bird sneered. "What's there to be proud of?"

"Making it this far, not being dead, the good stuff we done around Issincho like helping out them kids!"

"Ohhh yeah...SHIT!" Ganbe shot up nearly spilling his cereal. "I forgot to tell you, so uh, two days back, before I got you them muffins, I found this weird box in Chinatown with Orama-san."

"Yeah?" the beetle gasped. "Was it a treasure box?!"

"Sorta, there was this governor who hid three treasures that nobody ever found, a tiara, a bracelet and a ring."

"Ooooh shit, that sounds mystic as hell, are they cursed?! Not-cursed?!"

"I dunno, but Orama found this box with a clue inside and I'm starting to think it might be related."

"Yeah, it'd be super weird if there was more than one treasure hunt. What you wanna do?"

"We'll go ask him, the full moon's supposed to be tonight so, we'll find out then!"

They took a shower together, savouring the water and each other's bodies with a scouring of gel and sharing a teflon towel. Dressed in their black jacket and blue hoodie, Gen and Meiji stepped out to a brisk cool autumn morn. The air was sharp with a cold sting in their tails, heading towards the homeless camp where most of the creatures were still sleeping in frosted tents.

The trees were bare and gathering white flakes, scattering them over the river to mask its foetid gleam. The air was thick but not heavy, cold blankets pressed on their backs that could easily become rain at any minute. They took a long walk to the east and found themselves drawn to the library, remembering in a month's time the promise of warmth.

"Oh, good morning."

A small relief came to them as they felt the heating hum through the building. At her desk was Liang Quan Niu, the older bull librarian with half-moon glasses and pleated dress.

"Hey ma'am," Meiji waved polite, "hoo it's cold out there."

"Indeed," she smiled, "would you like to come and warm up?"

"Why?" Gen stiffened. "You want something?"

"No, I'm offering. You did help me with the flyers, and as long as you don't cause a disturbance I'm willing to have you indoors."

"Oh...th-thanks," the bird bowed, "sorry um, Niu-san, how's uhh how's business?"

"Good actually!" She rubbed her hands with glee. "I've had more folks than usual come through, no memberships yet but those flyers are already paying off."

"Oh cool!" Garonba pumped his fists. "You gonna do the Christmas thing?"

"Mmhmm, and I hope you'll come too, then I can show you I put my money where my mouth is."

"Well, it's not your money," Gen grinned leaning back, "it's ours and the government's."

"Don't be pedantic," she waved her finger, "it doesn't suit you, Ganbe."

He chuckled with a nod and headed in with Meiji. Biscuits were offered by the staff and occasionally a cup of coffee, already a new routine being put in place for the coming winter. It was quieter than usual without the teens, the elderly folks filling up seats to take advantage of free snacks as they bantered with their friends. Taking a moment to savour the silence, they grabbed some manga to read whilst nibbling on cookies.

"Yo, check this out." Meiji showed off a page where two warriors fought with spears. "This dude's going next-level with the tech, he's flipped his spear round so the enemy's blade cuts in the bottom of his staff!"

"So?" Gen squinted.

"So the blade's gonna get trapped, and the hero's gonna twist it hard to rip that sword away and disarm him!"

"What if the sword just chops through the wood?"

"Firstly, it's a naginata, secondly, they said it was oak, you can't chop that in one hit!"

He turned the page and it was just as Gen described, the hero's trick of trapping the enemy's blade causing the foe to lose his halberd in one spin.

"Daaaamn," Ganbe chewed on a biscuit, "that's pretty sick!"

"Yeah, maybe I can use that in the arena," the beetle grinned, "when do we go back?"

"Tomorrow, that means we got...five days 'til I finish my mission."

"Ey-ey, let's not think about that," Meiji rubbed his friend, "let's just take it easy, we had a real good fight so we gotta rest up much as we can."

"Yeaaah...you're right," the bird smooched him, "thanks bro."

Meiji blushed at the sudden kiss as they kept reading. Once they finished with their manga, spending a long hour decompressing in the peaceful sanctum, they were about to return to the shelves when Gen pulled Meiji back by the collar.

"Hey, bro, hold up you see them two?"

Pointing towards a large window, they spotted a small comfy table with a tall athletic scorpion in a polo shirt, and a slender frog with messy brown hair in a pink shirt.

"That's them from the golfing place right?" asked the bird.

"Yeaaah it is," the beetle nodded, "wanna go spy on 'em?"

"You know I do."

They walked closer as discreet as possible, sliding behind some shelves nearby to keep out of view.

"So where you off to today?" the frog asked.

"I'm expecting a call in a minute," the scorpion rolled his eight beady eyes, "getting some new clubs."

"Wait, but, you bought some last week."

"They needed to be varnished."

"They don't pre-varnish them, that's really weird-"

"They're a special order, come on, keep up Keromatsu."

"Oh, s-sorry," she blushed about to eat a cookie.

"Don't," he put his hand on her, "too much sugar'll throw off your drive."

"But, it's just one cookie-"

"Do you want to take this seriously?" The arachnid tightened his mandibles. "I thought you wanted to go pro."

"So I can't eat...anything sweet?"

"Only after we're done with lessons, then you can pig out."

"Um, y-you shouldn't say that, Mesobuchi."

"...sorry." He sneered pulling away the biscuits. "But you gotta treat your body like a temple, even in golfing, creatures think it's all about swinging a big stick and hitting a ball but if you can't put your core, your arms and your legs on top, you lose a lot of drive in that swing."

"I-i understand." The frog bowed. "I should eat less sugary things anyway, I'm quite lucky to have all this."

"You sure are." Mesobuchi flexed his four arms and two large pincers. "I had to give up a lot of things to get this bod, and I can't teach you if you're not willing to put in the same."

"Right. I need to be serious...you know it's funny, I wouldn't have thought about trying to be professional if it wasn't for you, I just liked playing golf for fun!"

"Hey it's good to have a hobby, but even better if you can profit from it."

"Yeaaaah it's just a lot more work than I thought," she blushed with a grin, "to think you of all creatures would be the one to get me there too."

"Yeah," the scorpion pulled out his phone, "been a lotta years since high school huh?"

"You seem a lot different now, less...well, you were a real bully back then. Always putting me down and making me feel bad."

"Yeah I was an asshole," Mesobuchi kept tapping away, "you put up with me a lot, and now I'm gonna reward ya by making you the best damn golfer on the range."

He stretched his arms and stood up with the hooked curving tail behind his back.

"I gotta take this call, watch my bag will ya?"

"Sure!"

She nodded as he left, Gen and Meiji following from the shelves as the scorpion entered the reference section. Surrounded on three sides by the lush mahogany shelves, Mesobuchi called up on his phone and lowered his voice.

"It's me. Yeah I'm with her now, she's coming along nice. Surprised how easy a bitch she is even after remembering me."

The punks gasped quietly at the scorpion's grin.

"Yeaaaah yeah once we get her signed up, we'll pull the contract on her and she's ours. Nah she's fine, she's not amazing but, that'll make it drag out longer for her, which means more money for us from the bank of Keromatsu."

He tapped along the top shelf with his long stinger tail.

"I screwed her out of her money before, she's not gonna say no, she's got no spine. Once she's dry, I'll dump her ass like I did in high school, she'll never see me again. What? Nah I didn't target her especially...was just a bonus that made things easier...I already knew how to twist her arm."

Gen and Meiji pulled back quick with a shake of their heads, scuttling away to the manga section nearby in hushed murmurs.

"That fucking SHIT," hissed Ganbe, "Kiyo-san was right, that dude's taking her for a ride!"

"Wait, he has a car too?" gasped Meiji.

"Wha-NO, jus-...fuck, we need to do something, that prick's screwing her out of her money!"

"We can't start something in here, Niu-san'll kick us out!"

"...I got an idea." The bird grinned. "Take two books, small ones, then come with me."

"Wait, what?"

A muttering in the beetle's ear made him grin. They walked over to the frog still sitting by the window, as she checked her phone with Mesobuchi's bag slung over the opposite chair.

"Heeey uh, are you Keromatsu?"

"Um, yeah?" she turned towards Gen.

"Awww shit, I saw you at the golfing centre, damn your swing is like, kickass!"

"OH, th-thank you!" she blushed with a soft ribbit. "Are you a golfer too?"

"Well, sorta," he sat down on a chair behind her, "I was doing it for like shits and giggles cuz I usually do baseball, but it seems pretty neat!"

"I never been to the batting centre."

"It's awesome, a li'l more tense than golf cuz the ball is coming at you, but I wanted to slow things down, play some golf, and I saw you just knocking them out left and right like 'damn this girl's got moves!"

"Hahaha, thank you!" Keromatsu grinned turning more towards him. "If you want I can give you some tips."

"For real?" Gen nodded. "That'd be awesome! I'm Ganbe by the way."

"Keromatsu, nice to meet you!"

Shaking hands he made sure her eyes were on him, whilst Meiji slipped two books into the scorpion's bag.

"So I keep like, hitting my balls way left and I got no idea why, you got any help on that?"

"Oh, well," the frog patted her fingers, "that means your clubface is off, probably because your grip isn't strong enough. Lemme just get a-"

"AH, hey!" Gen snatched a magazine from a rack. "Lemme show you how my grip is, you can tell me what I'm doing wrong."

The bird rolled up the piece as she kept eyes on him.

"Alright well, your hands are too counter-clockwise, they leave the clubface open. What you gotta do is, make a V with your thumb and forefinger-"

"Like this?"

"Yeah, point it to the right side of you like this," she took the magazine and showed, "if you can see at least two of the knuckles on your left hand, you're good."

"Ohhhhh."

He saw Meiji give a thumbs up and leave before the bird nodded.

"Damn that really works, thanks a lot!"

"No problem!" she beamed. "Just remember that, and you should be fine."

"Nice nice, alright, I gotta get back to work, good luck with your golfing!"

"Thank you!"

The bird slipped the magazine back in the rack and was gone before Mesobuchi even saw them. Sitting up with his beetle friend in the manga section, they kept out of sight as Meiji went to the front desk and reported to Liang Quan Niu about a suspicious individual. Gen hid himself behind a heavy book about Sub-Saharan African nations, and watched the chaos unfold when Mesobuchi tried to leave.

"Excuse me, sir!"

The ox stopped the frog and the scorpion at the front hall.

"May I check your bag for a moment?"

"Uhhh, what?" Mesobuchi sneered.

"What, what's going on?" asked Keromatsu.

"Just a formality," Liang put up her hands, "may I see your bag?"

"No," the scorpion crossed his four arms, "why don't you tell me what I'm being accused of?"

"I am not accusing you of anything-"

"Then you don't get to see my bag, come on Keromatsu."

"Sir." Meiji stood barring the exit. "Come on bro, I saw what you did."

"What?"

"You gonna check out those two books in your bag?"

"Tch, no?" scoffed Mesobuchi. "I got no books in my damn bag."

"What are you saying?!" gasped the frog. "Mesobuchi-san's not a thief, how dare you!"

"Then it's cool if you show us right?" The beetle offered his hand. "Come on, we're not gonna take it, we're a library."

"Ugh, I thought this place was chill, not freaking airport security."

"Fine." The scorpion opened his bag showing several clothes. "There, see, nothing."

"No?" Meiji rubbed his chin. "What about under the clothes?"

"Ugh, seriously, alright look there's noth-...wait, what?!"

The golfer stuttered at the two books hidden underneath. Quan Niu gasped along with Keromatsu as they all stared in outrage at the scorpion.

"Th-that, what, what the fuck?!" he snapped.

"Mesobuchi what is this?!" cried the frog. "You weren't, were you?!"

"The fuck you think I am, I TOLD you to watch my bag!"

"What, i-it's not my fault!"

"Is it?!" his stinger reared above his head. "I did NOT have those books in my fucking bag, YOU know that, you were there with me all day!"

"W-well, no," she rubbed her cheeks, "I-i had to go to the toilet at one point-"

"Are you calling ME a thief now?!"

"Sir!" The ox stepped up towards him. "I am willing to not involve the police, if you just hand over the books-"

"NO, FUCK THAT!" he spat through his mandibles. "I'M NOT A THIEF!"

"Uhhh, the books are in your bag dude," Meiji shrugged leaning back, "whaddaya call that?!"

"I-I WAS SET UP, THIS IS BULLSHIT!"

"Do NOT use that language here!" snapped Niu. "Hand over the books, and leave quietly!"

"M-mesobuchi come on!" the frog grabbed his arm. "Just give them back, you didn't need to do thi-"

"I DIDN'T FUCKING DO IT YOU DUMB BITCH!"

Slapping her back with two of his arms, she went flying into the wall and crumpled against a potted plant. The bull rushed over to her side as Mesobuchi tried to run, before Meiji tackled him with a hard shove and grabbed his huge pincers as Gen came rushing in.

"HEY, what's going on?!"

"BRO, WE GOT A THIEF!"

"I'M NOT A FUCKING THIEF YOU SHIT-EATING BUG!"

The scorpion slammed his four fists into Meiji's gut, before stiffening his sharp piercing tail above his head like a sword ready to come down. Suddenly it snagged when Ganbe lashed out with his sickles, wrapping the chain round it to yank him back with a stagger. Catching his footing, the scorpion turned to grab the bird in his arms and lift him up high in a crushing bear hug.

Slamming him down on the floor, he tried to stomp Gen but the one-eyed library assistant wrenched his sickle-chain back to pull the scorpion aside, giving Meiji time to come charging through. Hearing the pounding steps of the beetle, the scorpion lowered his body and thrust his tail between Garonba's feet, flipping him high like a pancake to launch him over the librarian's desk.

"The fuck's your problem?!" snapped Gen.

"MESOBUCHI STOP!" the frog cried with bruising head. "IT'S NOT WORTH IT-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" the arachnid pointed at her. "I'M NOT GONNA LET SOME BOOKWORMING FUCKS ACCUSE ME OF SHIT I DIDN'T DO!"

"THEY WERE IN YOUR BAG!"

"YOU CALLING ME A LIAR?!"

He marched over to Keromatsu, snapping his tail like a whip to shrug off Ganbe's chain as he braced his claws to teach her a lesson. The bull however stopped his tracks, and when he tried to backhand her with his large pincer, Quan Niu suddenly palmed his face before booting his stomach with a hard hoof.

"GUUH! YOU F-FUCKING BITCH!"

"MESOBUCHI STOP!"

The frog was beside herself in tears as she backed away, frightened at the vicious scorpion who lunged with his stabbing tail towards the older librarian. She dodged with a shocking speed before driving her elbow in his gut, but he countered with two punches to her head that broke her glasses as she fell.

He grabbed Keromatsu by the hair and made for the exit, the frog struggling by instinct until something tripped up his foot and dragged him back. Ganbe's sickle wrapped round Mesobuchi's foot, the tightening chain scraping on his pants as the scorpion tried to kick and turn his body to shoot out his tail.

Keeping the bird occupied in dodging his piercer, the golfer stumbled back on his feet and swung his bag to try and catch Ganbe's head with a wallop. The bird blocked with his fist and grabbed the straps, pulling the scorpion to bend him over the desk where Meiji was waiting.

"PEW PEW, YOU'RE DEAD CRIMINAL!"

"A-AAAAGH, FUUUCK!"

With a book scanner in hand, Garonba flashed Mesobuchi with a blinding red light, wrapping the cord around his body and tail, whilst Gen binded his arms with the sickle-chain.

"You're under arrest," said the bird, "by order of the book police for library crimes!"

"You have the right to remain silent," said Meiji, "which you should because it's a library."

"YOU F-FUCKING ASSHOLES, I WAS FRAMED DAMMIT!"

"I would have heard you out," said Niu the ox rubbing her cheek, "had you not assaulted your friend AND also me AND my assistants."

"Mesobuchi-san," whimpered the frog, "wh-why did you do it? If you really needed books you could have said-"

"You think I want your pity money?!" the scorpion spat. "I got enough of it already, this is nothing!"

"Wait, wh-what?"

"Save it for your bail," the bull warned wagging her finger, "the police will be here and THAT you will have to pay for."

"Like hell I will," sneered the golfer, "Kero-chan'll make sure I'm out, won't you?"

"I...I-i," Keromatsu clutched her face, "y-you want me to pay your bail?"

"Only if you wanna be succesful. You know how many fucking hours I dumped into your sad little hands swinging around clubs like a baby? I made you good enough to be pro, you're nothing without me."

"But, b-but I, you're a criminal now th-this isn't right! You didn't even apologise or give back the books!"

"I don't have to apologise for shit!" the scorpion wrestled against his restraints. "You're going to pay for my bail, that's your job, you pay for my damn service, you should be thankful to have me!"

"Fuck off," snorted Gen, "you seriously need this guy?! He looks like a chode."

"Bite me you cock-eyed bitch, Kero-chan's gonna do what I say cuz that's what she pays me to do-"

"No." The frog stiffened her arms with a huge frown across her face. "That's...that's not what I pay you for."

"Uh, what?"

"I paid you to make me better at golfing, because you're very skilled at it, and you taught me some good things that help me improve. But I am not paying for your bail, I'm not paying you just to do what you say, especially after you assaulted me!"

"Hey heyyyy, Kero-chan...come on," the scorpion made a kissy face, "I got carried away, wouldn't you be after being accused of a crime you didn't do?"

"I would explain it wasn't me and return what was lost, not make a scene and beat everyone up!"

"What're you gonna do, walk out on me? You couldn't do that in high school even when I sucked you dry."

"No...you're right." She stiffened her pose and took a deep breath. "I'm done with you. Kiyo-san was right, you...you never changed."

"Wait, hold up!" Mesobuchi staggered towards her. "you can't back out, we made a deal!"

"We're done." The frog took her leave. "Thank you for the lessons, Mesobuchi-san, but I no longer need your patronage. I hope you find bail soon from...whatever friends you have left."

"K-kero, KEROMATSU! GET BACK HERE DAMMIT, I'M NOT PAYING FOR THIS SHIT!"

"Shut up, bookrobber," Meiji jabbed at him, "you can think about your time in the...the big house with the bars, and, the chains they got, I dunno I never been."

"You mean jail?" Gen patted his head.

"Nah dude, that's when your bread gets all hard and mouldy."

After the bull called the police, they arrived to the library with proper cuffs to restrain the scorpion. He was dragged off with a sneering look at the two assistants who waved cheekily back to him, Gen hiding his sickles before the cops came with tired eyes and ragged uniforms. They knew he was Jinuchu, but frankly they did not care, having enough on their hands with just one easy victory.

"Thank you for the help," said Niu bowing, "it's always hard to deal with thieves."

"No problem Niu-san," Meiji gave a thumbs up, "damn you got some MOVES on you though, where'd you learn that?"

"Tai chi," she chuckled, "did it for my cardio at first but then realised that in Issincho, it's always good to learn self-defence."

"Need anything else?" Gen put his hands in his pockets. "I gotta say this library kinda kicks ass to chill in."

"I'm glad you agree," the bull sat back at her desk, "doesn't it feel good to give back to your community?"

"It's alright," he shrugged, "just glad we stopped an asshole really."

"It's shameful." Lian shook her head. "To think some creatures never change, like it's in their nature. I'm glad to see that you two can change for the better."

"Course we can!" Meiji hugged Gen. "We're the best boys around, especially Gen-chan!"

"Awww duuude," the bird blushed, "come on I wanna get back to reading that manga."

"I'll call on you when I need you," the bull clasped her hands.

The rest of the morning went by at a slow crawl as Gen and Meiji took time to nap and read in different parts of the library. The sun crept across the windows reaching towards noon, the slanting rays shifting across the books and turning the shelves to a warm rosy hue.

Once they were fully rested, they left back onto the streets and made their way to the homeless camp, to find the locals all huddled round the burning pot of stew. A small motley crew of a kappa, an otter and a tiger hunched in robes sipping their soup.

"Yo, Kiyo-san!"

The serpent looked up as she wheeled close on her board. It was the first time they had seen her smile, a warm genuine grin from her gleaming fangs.

"I just met Kero-chan," she beckoned them over, "said a bird and a beetle protected her when Mesobuchi flipped out at the library."

"You're welcome," Gen clicked his beak with fingerguns, "she finally rid of that fuck?"

"She apologised and we made up, I really owe you two. You didn't even have to do that, but...well, now I'm glad I put my trust in you."

"Just doing our job," Meiji bowed, "wait, no, is it? I'm not sure."

"You guys seen Orama?" Ganbe asked bending down. "We got something we wanna ask."

"Nope," Kiyo shrugged, "sorry, you wanna leave a message?"

"Ehhh...yeah, if he's around tell him we're meeting up tonight at the uh-"

"The place where the treasure lies," the beetle waved his hands like a wizard casting a spell, "he'll know what we mean."

"Heheh, right," the snake rolled her eyes, "you boys love your damn treasure hunts, alright I'll let him know."

"Cool, you need anything else?"

"Nah we're good, thank you again. You done more than enough for me."

"Alright well, later."

The bird waved them off and went strolling north, Meiji following after as he clucked his mandibles in a rattling sound.

"Full moon tonight," he said mysteriously, "you excited?"

"Yanno, kinda?" Gen looked back to him. "Since Orama-san told me about what it could be it's starting to sound more legit."

"Pfffft come on Gen, you know you were hooked when we found that key in my forge."

"Yeaaah I guess so. You wanna go to the batting centre for a bit?"

"Sure!" Meiji slapped his back. "Let's pop some home runs!"

At the northwest border of Issincho, the batting centre awaited with the sound of pinging steel ringing through Gen's ears. Excitement filled him as his fingers became antsy, strolling inside before he spotted an unusual sight in one of the cages.

"//Alrigh' hold it like this.//"

"//Mmhmm.//"

"//Stand there with yo feet on thuh plate.//"

"//What is the goal of baseball anyway?//"

"//So, you got two teams and thuh players run around thuh diamond everytime a ball's up in the air, an' when thuh ball's up high, the other team's gotta run round all thuh bases an' back home to win points.//"

"//Huh...alright, that sounds pretty fun.//"

In one of the cages was Zillatopoulos in his New York tee and jeans, helping the Alaskan Delitraux get a feel for his bat as she shuffled her long reptilian feet over the plate. The komodo dragon looked thinner without her overalls, wearing a long-sleeved shirt and shorts that showed off her thick legs.

"Is that Junior-san?" Meiji gasped. "Who's that with him?"

"Ohh, it's that girl he likes," Gen grinned thumbing himself, "I set 'em up with each other yanno."

"Wait for real? You playing matchmaker now?"

"Yeah he'll deny it, but uhhh," the bird swept a hand over his steel mohawk, "I was pretty baller hooking them up, Junior was all like 'aw nooo i'm too shy' and I was like 'welp, i'm walking up to tell her that you're into her'."

"Wait," the beetle scratched his horn, "you went and talked to her, and told her about him even though he wasn't ready?"

"Yeah, awesome right?!"

"...mmmm, I mean, glad it worked but that was kinda shitty dude.-"

"Oh what, not you as well!" Gen threw his hands. "Fuck I was trying to do a nice thing!"

"Just seems kinda pushy is all, I mean I wouldn't have done it."

"Whatever it worked so shut up!"

"//Don' worry 'bout thuh first ball,//" continued Zilla pointing down the range, "//first couple tries you gotta get a feel fer it, so just focus on hittin' em, rather than hittin' good.//"

"//Alright,//" Delitraux nodded, "//we don't have baseball on the islands, so this'll be fun.//"

"//Well this ain't like real baseball it's more uhhh, like, swing practice.//"

He stepped back as she braced herself for the first ball, eyes piercing with a hunter's focus as she watched the hologram pitcher take the shot. The first ball she met went straight into the stratosphere, cracking off the bat to bounce against the roof and thunk down into the home-run target, much to the shock of everyone watching.

"WOAH!" gasped Gen.

"//HOOHOO SHIIIIT!//" Junior clapped with hands up high. "//Daaaaamn girl you SMOKED that bitch!//"

"//Hmhm, is that it?//" Komai grinned looking back. "//Maybe I was lucky.//"

"//Alrigh' let's see how you go round two!//"

The second shot was another fastball. It too she knocked straight to the target, more directly like a missile. Gasps of awe came round the centre as ball number three took a curve to the left to try and fake her out. She wasn't fooled, smacking it outwards to once again hit the target. Four, five, six and seven all curved different ways, with ball number eight sweeping high to drop down for her head. Nothing fazed her, as Delitraux hit a perfect ten to the sound of a klaxon.

"What the FUCK?!" the bird clutched his head. "Shit, even I haven't done a perfect ten!"

"Well!" Meiji smirked rubbing him. "Now you REALLY gotta step it up to beat her."

"Jeeeez, the fuck is she on, no way this is her first time, she's gotta be cheating!"

"//God fuckin' DAMN girl!//" Junior pumped his fists strolling up to her. "//You sure this your first time?!//"

"//It's no different to back home,//" she twirled his bat then handed it back, "//plenty hunting in the highlands gave me a good eye for this.//"

"//Woah, huntin'? I thought you were a fisher.//"

"//I am, that's just hunting in water.//" Komai patted his cheek. "//The Unangan islands are full of dangerous things if you don't watch your step.//"

"//Shiiiit,//" he blushed as they walked out, "//you a real badass, so why you come out here?//"

"//Tried to start my own fishing business in Hokkaido...didn't last, so I ended up with Kunashir Shipping who sent me down here. What about you?//"

"//Aww I just wanted to fish, I love it! Worked through various places, then got like a chance to go to Japan, I said fuck yeah, I always wanted to see Japan! My Japanese kinda sucks though, never wuz good with languages.//"

"//I can teach you if you like,//" the komodo slipped her arm round him, "//I had a pretty good start with English and Unangan.//"

"//Oh naw naw I don't wanna hassle ya, I got Mr. Kingston teaching me anyhow-//"

"//Kingston? Is that your boss?//"

"//Uhhh...k-kinda?//" Zillatopoulos stiffened his neck. "//He's like, a boss in another job.//"

"//Two jobs huh?//" She nodded approving. "//You're a lot more dilligent than you look, I respect that.//"

"//I mean it's fun to goof around but, ya gotta work at sum point righ'? Can't all be play, then it gets boring.//"

"Hey guys!"

Meiji waved as they came closer. Junior high-foured them both, with Delitraux giving a curious look at Gen who cocked his head.

"Hope we're not bothering," said the beetle, "we just came to knock some balls."

"Cool!" Zilla gave a thumbs up. "This Delitraux-san!"

"Nice to meet you," she bowed, "you a friend of Junior too?"

"Oh, sorta," Garonba rubbed his hands, "more like, I know him through Gen-chan, we saw you knocking them home runs, that was SICK!"

"Thank you. We were just heading off, so, good luck batting."

Her smile was insufferable to Gen, as he struggled not to speak despite his head quivering with insult. He wasn't sure if she meant it or not, but he marched over to the cage regardless and decided to just vent it out with some swings. Four balls didn't hit their target, causing him to rant and snarl before he tried again, and got closer with only two balls missing instead.

It took Meiji a few wrenchings of the bat for Gen to stop and not exhaust himself, as they took time to relax with some ice cream and burgers in Hannyakita Park. For the rest of the day they took things slow, trying to busy themselves much they could to pass time. At the park they met their fellow conspirators as Dirtblade, Gutblade and Nevar all waved to them, the kids all in striped shirts with their pretend-weapons sheathed.

"AHOY Marbul, ahoy Deadeye!"

"AHOY!" Meiji waved back. "Howsit going guys?"

"Gooood," the one-eyed pup wagged her tail, "any news on the treasure?"

"Yep," Gen nodded, "we know where it is, and we're getting it tonight."

"SWEET!" the mole cricket pumped his claws. "Whatcha think it's gonna be, diamonds?! A cool sword?!"

"I bet it's a whole box of coins!" said Garonba doing a jig. "Just a big buncha doubloons!"

"Wouldn't it be koban?" the young raven rubbed her beak. "I don't think Spanish pirates came out as far as here."

"You don't know that!" the beetle shook his head. "Coulda been Spanish special ops!"

"How old you think this treasure is?" Ganbe bonked him. "This can't be more than like sixty years, it's probably jewels."

"But DOUBLOONS bro, that's the cool pirate shit!"

"It's not going to be doubloons," Nevar agreed crossing her armwings, "a Spanish pirate wouldn't have come out here, to hide their treasure and then write it in Japanese."

"Why not?!"

"Because then all of us can read it and find it!"

"Maybe he wanna give it to us!"

"Pffft, that's stupid!" Dirtblade cackled. "Nevar's right, it's probably like old koban."

"But I want it to be doubloooons!" Meiji shook his fists. "You always see them big round coins in movies, when it's a treasure chest and it's all like glowing."

"Then go to Europe and start diving," Gen ribbed his friend, "look, whatever the treasure is, it's gotta be something good."

"What if it's liiiike, old baseball cards?" gasped Gutblade pulling her ears.

"Why'd a pirate want baseball cards?!"

"I dunno, don't pirates play sports?"

"Gutblade they don't play baseball!" the mole cricket waved his hand. "You can't play it when you got peglegs."

"UHH, not true!" Gen thrust his finger. "Yomichiro, '97, Nagoya Wyverns, he had a pegleg and he was pitcher!"

"Wait...seriously?!"

"Yeah, they called him the Spinner, cuz he would spin on his wooden leg before he pitched, dude had some CRAZY screwballs!"

"Huh, cool! Alright sure, it might be baseball cards, do they get a lotta money?"

"If they're old enough yeah, you could pawn 'em good."

"Hey, I never asked," Garonba pushed back against a tree, "what would you guys use the money for?"

"Mmmm," Gutblade tapped her chin, "I wouuuuld, buy fifty tons of ice cream!"

"Woah, that's a lotta ice, can you get that much?!"

"You can!" Nevar raised her wing. "There's a place you can buy things in bulk, outside of Issincho, one time Ellis-san bought a whole crate of cabbage there."

"A whole CRATE?!" squeaked Ganbe clapping his head. "How, WHY you need that much cabbage?!"

"It was for dinner, we...had a lot of guests."

"You think if we got enough money they'd let us in your house?" Gutblade turned to her. "I never been inside, it looks so cool."

"I-it's not, really," the raven blushed, "I like your house better, your aunts are great."

"Mmmm, they are super cool, hey what about you Dirtblade, what'd you get with the money?"

"OH, I wanna get a new house!" the cricket thumped the earth. "Live closer to you guys, so we could just hang out, then I'd get some stuff like a new TV, maybe a NeoFight, OH a new bed!"

"Wait, a bed?" Gen smirked. "Don't you got one?"

"No, not for me, for my dad. He sleeps on the couch cuz we don't got enough room for two beds, but I wanna get one for him so he sleeps better."

"Oh...aww jeez." The bird simpered with a smile. "That's...real nice of you kid."

"What about you Nevar?" the boy turned to his friend. "What would you do with the money?"

"I...I don't know," the crow kicked the dirt softly, "maybe...I could help you buy that house?"

"What, noooo it should be something for you!"

"I-i don't need the money, you've seen where I live, I'm fine."

"Then...why're you out here?" Gutblade sat on the grass.

"Because you're my friends," Nevar smiled sitting beside, "you don't treat me different like the others do at school, just because I have money. Everyone thinks if they're nice enough to me I'll buy them something but...you don't. I don't care what the treasure is, I care about being here with you, both of you."

The puppy hugged her with a happy grin, Dirtblade joining with his claws wrapped round as Meiji went to join before Gen pulled him back with disapproving nod.

"Alright, we better go," Ganbe stretched his arms, "we'll letcha know how it goes tomorrow."

"Sure!" the cricket high-foured him. "Good luck!"

"Thank you for the help." Nevar bowed.

"Bye Marbul-san, bye Deadeye-san!" Gutblade waved to them with joy.

Heading out the park, the grown-ups went to the liquor store first thing to grab a full bottle of Mondo Beach. The largest one they had was easily in their budget as they returned home to put it away for safekeeping. Before they headed inside, Garonba went to the sad little lot next to their place where the old barren tree stood at the corner.

"Checking on Pommy?" the bird chuckled.

"Yeah, it's been a rough week," Meiji shrugged, "but you still gotta check on your friends."

"So Pommy's your friend too?"

"Course he is, he listens to everything I say, like you."

"I don't get why you like this tree so much," Gen shook his head, "I never see it grow anything."

"Does it have to?" The beetle looked up. "Everyone grows at their own pace."

"Easy for you to say, you got your own business."

"Yeah but I was lucky, I had a grandpa who was cool and treated me right but...I don't got any friends, never had any until you."

"What, fuck off, everybody likes you!"

"Oh sure they LIKE me, but they're not friends, more like I just know them." Meiji pulled him in for a quick hug. "You're the only dude I really trust Gen. Sure you can be a li'l grouchy but we have fun, we like the same things, we kick ass real good, you're fun in bed-"

"H-hey, not in front of Pommy!" the bird pushed him back joking. "But yeah, you're the only one I trust too, and...well, the only creature round here that I...REALLY like."

"You reaaaaally like me?" the beetle grinned wide.

"C-come on, don't make me say it."

"Gen-chan, you gave me dinner and took me to the movies, and we're standing under a tree in November...hey, yanno this is JUST like Roses and Tulips."

"What's that?" snorted Gen.

"The first manga I ever read." Meiji rubbed his arm and leaned back against Pommy. "It was the first time I knew I liked boys, when I read it. These two guys worked in rival flower shops, their families hate each other and are always trying to get each other out of business with like sabotage an' shit. But these two guys, they always meet up after closing time and one thing led to another."

"Damn," the bird snickered, "even your gayness comes from manga, that's so you."

"Well, yeah," Garonba blushed, "I had a lotta time to myself while grandpa was working, so I took my pocket money and bought manga every week. So there's this one scene, there was a big fire in the shop, shit's getting real. And this guy Ron, meets his pal Julian under the tree and is telling him 'I can't go back home, I hate everything they've become'. So Julian asks 'Where will you go? How will you live?' and Ron says ' I dunno, just anyplace that's not home, because...I don't have a home anymore'. And then Julian takes his hand."

He took Ganbe's hand and pressed it to his chest.

"He says...'I'll be your home. Wherever you go...I'll wait for you there."

"You...Mei-chan."

"I know you had a shit life. I know you got nobody else out there, no family, no nothing. That's why I wanna be your home. It's not much out here and it sucks being in Jinuchu but at least you got a home...with me."

Gen felt a smile fluttering from his beak as he pulled him in an embrace. It was the deepest kiss he had given him, sudden and frenzied with passion, the sounds of Meiji chittering in his ears as he felt his mandibles tickle along his beak.

Their tongues danced under the tree, their arms wrapped round each other, the bird pressing him against the trunk and kissing deeper, claws rubbing the bark and their breaths turning soft. They walked back to their home, put away the Mondo Beach, and took a long quiet nap in each other's arms between kisses.

For the first time in months, Gen did not fear the silence. The rumbling of Meiji's lungs filled his ears, the tickling of his mandibles when Ganbe smooched every one. The TV would stay off for an hour, as they basked in the quiet with their hands stroking each other.

After they woke up, they watched another old terrible movie about a brain in a jar that was capable of summoning a skeleton army. The skeletons were surprisingly on-model, but the brain's voice was so over-the-top, that neither of them could take its vengeance seriously with guffaws ringing off the walls.

Once it was 11:30 at night, they walked up Restaurant Row and snuck through the back streets to find the old Violon Autumn. A few thugs had been out wandering the streets but were easily dispatched by the two, as they watched and waited for the moon to cast its light.

"Jeez this is kinda creepy," Gen muttered.

"It's okay dude," Meiji grinned, "there's probably no skeletons under here to raise up and kill us."

"Wha-DUDE, why would you say that?!"

"I said there PROBABLY wasn't!"

"UUUGH now you got me all creeped!" the bird shivered. "Better not be a cloud coming by to fucking ruin this."

"We're good," the beetle patted him, "I checked the weather all week, this is the perfect night."

The tower was rather eerie with the moon risen behind it. The long shadow of the building cast itself at an angle, but the two flower statues on its front had a different path. Through the windows of the old building, moonlight came filtering through to give them their own shadows.

"Hey, Gen?" Meiji looked to his friend. "Why do they call them skeletons?"

"Dude, NO," Gen sighed palming his face.

"Cuz they don't weigh like tons, I mean if you're big-boned sure but maybe they should call them like skellepounds or maybe-OOH skellitres!"

"Why do you fucking CARE, I'm not a boneologist!"

"I just think they got the wrong end of the stick, I mean bone, definitely the wrong end of it, how do you measure a skellitre?"

"You just GET one!" Ganbe snorted back his laughter. "They got them in like hospitals and shit!"

"Yeah but where do they get them?! Do they, what, they take the bones out if someone dies?"

"NO, Mei-chan, they just...I-i don't know!"

"Bro." Garonba clutched his friend. "What if...what if the hospitals are stealing our bones?"

"Wha-...why, why would they do that?!"

"To make skellitres with and creep us out!"

"STOP calling them skellitres you dipshit, wait!"

They checked their phones as it beeped 12am. The moonlight was a perfect zenith, the flower statues crossed their shadows in a sharp X over one specific tile. They rushed over and dug into the stone, Gen pulling it up with his sickles as Meiji helped rip it free. Digging down they soon hit something solid, and brought out a steel box.

"Oh shit," the bird gasped, "it...it's legit."

"It's real," Meiji grinned, "it...it's really real. Aaaaaaah!"

He pumped his hands and did a little jig before they high-foured.

"We got the treasure broooooo, hell yeah!"

"Hahahaaa fuck, I can't believe it c'mon open it up!"

"Right!"

Pulling out his key from the Forge, Garonba gently inserted it. It was a perfect fit, the two gasping as they carefully opened the box. What they saw inside was a miraculous, beautiful thing that Gen had seen briefly on the edge of his imagining. Then it was gone.

A burst of smoke caught their bodies in surprise as they stumbled back from the explosion. Someone grabbed the box, long pale tendrils as Meiji pulled i back and Gen reached for someone's foot. It kicked back at his head, but he swung out his sickles and ripped through a brown coat The attacker pulled free, punching Meiji's face before running with the box back the way they came.

The boys stumbled after, calling out the thief but as soon as they turned through the corridor to the small enclosed yard, there was nothing. The sound of something mechanical zipped above their heads as they looked up to see the thief on a roof.

"Wha...what the fuck...ORAMA?!"

"Evening boys," the squid saluted to them, "sorry it had to turn out like this."

"But...what?!" Gen gasped rubbing the smoke from his eye. "What the fuck's going on?!"

"You thought I was coming along for the adventure? I have my needs, and I needed you with all the pieces you had."

"You were planning this the whole time?!"

"Well, not entirely," Dogu patted the steel box, "I was searching for the treasure already and was planning to dig up where that Morag statue was, but then those kids beat me to it. I did need antihistamines though, thank you for saving my life."

"N-NO!" Meiji stomped his foot. "ORAMA-SAN, DON'T DO THIS!"

"Sorry boys, I got debts to pay, I pissed off a lotta folks and I'd rather not have them all on my ass trying to kill me."

"What about the kids?! We promised them, that treasure's theirs, it's all they been wanting!"

"Look." The jellyfish pinched his beady eyes. "Life's not fair sometimes. I'm a thief, it's what I do, I spent a lotta time and money on this treasure, and with this stuff at last, I can finally put all this behind me and retire. What the hell are a buncha kids gonna do but leave this stuff sitting in a toybox?"

"You...y-you BASTARD!"

Garonba shot a napalm rock from his throat as Orama dodged. Meiji tried to shoot him down again, and again, but he was too far away to hit Dogu fast enough, the squid almost taunting with how his body swerved past the obstacles until Meiji staggered to the ground.

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" The beetle grabbed a rock and hurled it feebly. "GIVE IT BACK, GIVE IT BACK THAT'S FOR THE KIDS!"

"HEY, MEI-CHAN!" Gen tried to pull him away. " COME ON, CHILL!"

"YOU THINK THIS IS JUST A GAME, HUH?! Those kids spent two months, TWO MONTHS searching for treasure, and you FUCKING WALTZ IN AND TAKE IT?!"

"Yes?" Dogu sneered turning over the box. "Look, I don't get why you care about those kids bu-"

"SHUT UP! You know how much it SUCKS living here?! I'm not an idiot, I know they need help, all they got is each other when life's hard enough!"

"Don't give me that speech, I know plenty about life-"

"One of 'em's lost an eye cuz her mom beat her so hard, one of 'em's got a mom who's losing her mind and can't even remember what her daughter looks like, and there's a li'l boy, whose dad's gotta be a sex worker, and he gets NO HELP from anybody, cuz all the other parents don't wanna hear about it! That treasure was gonna get 'em out, THAT TREASURE WOULDA GOT 'IM A NEW PLACE TO LIVE!"

"Listen, buddy, if you care about them so bad you can help them yourself."

"THIS IS ME HELPING THEM! YOU'D STEAL THEIR TREASURE, THEIR GODDAMN DREAMS?! YOU-...y-you..."

For the first time since they had known each other, Gen watched Meiji fall to his knees and sob with a heavy gasp, clutching his chest with shivering cries as Orama looked nervously around him. It was a terrible sound, the beetle shaking through his entire body with pounding fists into the cobbles.

"P-p-please...don't do this," he whimpered, "I just, I-i just wanted to do something good for the kids, something to give them hope, in this goddamn place."

"I...listen, I don't-"

"Wh-what kinda thief goes an' steals a kid's dreams huh?! That what you are?! You're not a thief...you...you're just a bastard."

"You don't think I understand holding onto dreams?" Dogu snarled. "No...this box...it's got my friends' dreams inside it too."

He stared down upon Garonba, who looked all the world like the smallest beetle in the city. Gen shuffled over to hug his friend, who shook through his arms with such an impotent rage he had never felt in him before. Dogu stepped back, disappearing from their sight as the lonesome sound of an ambulance rang out from the distant streets.

"Mei...Mei-chan?"

"What."

"You...you alright bro?"

"...I just wanted to give those kids something good." Garonba pushed against Gen's embrace. "I just wanted to do something right...I know I screw up a lot on things but...you know what it's like to have your dreams crushed, I didn't want them to think the world was bad. You know how hard it is to keep smiling all the time?"

"I don't...I don't know what you mean," Gen shook his head.

"It's bad enough Jinuchu got the runaround on this place that...maybe I just wanted to put more smiles back in the world than the knives I put out. I know you're right about the creatures that buy my stuff, that not all of them are gonna use them for good. So I try to do good in other ways like...helping them kids."

"...you know what." Ganbe pulled him up to grip his shoulders. "We're not giving up. Orama's snuck out, but he can't get far and it's too late for anyone to give him a ride. We get up tomorrow, we talk to Kiyo-san and she puts out the feelers."

"But, we got the Eight Wonders tomorrow, we won't have time-"

"Kiyo-san can handle it, she's got her network and she trusts us. I won't let those kids' dreams die either, you're right. I just thought you were being a damn kid yourself but now, I realise why this was so important to you."

"Yeah." The beetle rubbed his neck. "I just...couldn't find the right way to say it until now."

"Then let's do this." Gen slapped his arm. "We finish up on Eight Wonders, get back to Kiyo-san and hunt that thieving bastard."

A faint smile tried to return to Meiji's face between the tears down his cheeks. They walked back through the streets, the moonlight shining on their backs as they returned to their beds with weary hearts.

The next morning, they rushed straight down to Kiyo-san and explained everything they could. Gen decided to keep vague about the actual treasure hunt, and instead say that Orama had stolen something of vital importance to them. She understood, patting their hands and assuring them that her network would find him over the course of the week.

With their minds somewhat soothed they took the bus to the Yokohama docks, approaching the Eight Wonders underground where they could vent their frustrations in the ring. The first thing Meiji did was give Saureno his Mondo Beach, the old dinosaur chuckling with hands rubbing over the bottle.

"Hohohohohhhh, ohhh boys you spoil me."

"Happy uh...early Christmas," said Garonba, "hope you like it sir."

"Oh I sure do, this'll take me straight back to my childhood. You boys want a drink?"

"Uhhh yeah," Gen shrugged, "I'll take a-"

"NNNO!" Meiji stopped him. "You can't drink before your fight, you know alcohol dehydrates ya!"

"What?! Come on Mei-chan don't be a wuss-"

"Bro, you wanna be fighting fit right, give it your all hundred-percent? S'not a good idea to drink."

"Mmmm he's right," Saureno nodded sagely as he popped the bottle, "tell you what, come back the end of the day, I'll share a drink with you both. If I haven't drunk the damn thing dry."

"Fiiine," Ganbe shrugged, "guess it'll be something to look forward to."

"Right," the beetle slapped his back, "alright, we better head off, take care Saureno-san."

"You too kid," the old T-rex raised his glass and took the first sip, "mmmph...gods you made an ol' kaiju happy as a clam."

"Happy as a...wha?"

"Oh, sorry, old phrase just ignore that, the drink's already getting to me hehehah!"

His smile cracked across his old lips as his little eyes gleamed with joy. The punks felt their hearts swell with his infectious cheer before stepping out the office, and heading back to the arena where they would wait for their first match. Garonba's debut under Team Kong would be a blazing success, as he whizzed round the arena with a different weapon than before, and battered his opponents with a blunted Chinese sword.

His grace was exceptional, dancing like a ballerina as the blade twirled in his hands when he sliced and chopped through his opponents. Few of his foes could even match him, for if his weapon failed to stop them, he would dispose of it and go bare-knuckle with his drill-hands to finish them off. Gen smiled watching from the sidelines in admiration of his friend's dexterity, but at the same time he noted an odd tension in his movements.

Normally the beetle was whimsical, clumsy but earnest in his attacks yet always hitting on point. Here he seemed like a professional, his thrusts precise and his strikes relentless with eyes piercing forwards. It made Ganbe worry, as he headed off to the bathroom.

"//So what's she like?//" a deep American voice rumbled within.

"//She's like, damn,//" a young New Yorker sighed, "//she dance like a queen, she beat ass with that spear, yo she took out like a fish at twenny feet!//"

Slinking into the bathroom, Ganbe saw Zillatopoulos and Konnor Kingston at the urinals. He almost turned back to leave and wait his turn before he heard his name in conversation.

"//How'd you two meet?//" asked the gorilla.

"//Aw well, it's kinda dumb,//" Junior shrugged, "//so Gen, yanno Ganbe, he saw me peeking out at her while she was doing sum breakdancing, an' he wuz like 'hey you wanna talk to her' but I wuz all shy so he went out an' asked her for me.//"

"//Well, that was nice of him.//"

"//Really? She said it wuz hella rude an' I shoulda done it mahself when I wuz ready.//"

"//Hmmm, well, the lady's always right, that's something I learned in marriage.//"

"//For real?//" The sound of trickling water thickened as Zilla looked to him. "//Whut wuz yer wife like?//"

"//Gentle, but firm,//" Kingston kept looking at the wall, "//softest voice I ever heard, like I could put it in my hand and hold it safe. Met her at the Empire State, a wind picked up hard and she almost fell, but I grabbed her in time.//"

"//Ohoh shit!//"

"//We started talking, we fell in love. She didn't even know I was a boxer, I think that's what made me like her more, that she wasn't...part of my world, if that makes sense.//"

"//Naw I feel ya boss,//" Junior grinned nodding, "//you still together?//"

"//No,//" Konnor looked down shaking the last drops, "//that was a long time ago, about thirty years now.//"

"//Thirty...wait, didn't you come out here thirty years back?//"

"//Yep.//" The gorilla washed his hands in the sink. "//Life in America didn't work out for me, or my family.//"

"//Whut happened?//" The lizard joined him soaping his hands.

"//I had a son. Kiko his name was...he wanted to follow his old pops, be a boxer, it was charming. I thought he could tough it out as good as me, thought all he had to do was dance around the ring and punch but...turns out I forgot all about the papers, the media, crawling into every single part of your life.//"

"//Well, isn't that how it is when yer famous?//"

"//Some handle it well. My son didn't. Everywhere he went the press kept comparing him to me, putting him in my shadow, no matter how many times I told them to let him stand on his own feet. They were insidious, gave him no peace, disrupting every part of his life...kept crawling inside his skull.//"

"//Whut...whut you mean, boss?//"

"//You ever heard the phrase 'it was beauty that killed the beast'?//" Kingston sighed heading to the door. "//It was fame that killed my son.//"

"//...I...I'm sorry, boss.//" Zilla took his hand. "//I didn't mean to open that up.//"

"//It's fine,//" the gorilla patted him, "//you're a good kid, your father must be proud of you.//"

"//Sure is. You think I should tell him 'bout Komai?//"

"//I don't want to make decisions for you-//"

"//Naw naw, boss, you...you done a lotta good fer me, you help me believe in mahself, I...I wanna know whut you think.//"

"//...how about, you introduce me to the lady?//" the old boxer smiled with. "//I'd like to meet her.//"

"//Whuh...really?//" Zillatopoulos blushed rubbing his neck. "//I-i, well, that, damn that's kinda weird cuz, I told her you were like mah boss.//"

"//You haven't told her about the Eight Wonders? I'm surprised, all the talk you gave about her being a badass I thought she'd be perfect for this.//"

"//I-i didn't wanna tell her too much too soon!//"

"//Hmhmhm...alright.//" Kingston nodded. "//Tell me when you're ready. I hope things go well for you...Niko.//"

"//Thanks...boss.//"

The iguana smiled as they both left the bathroom, Gen waiting outside trying to look as inconspicuous as he could. Taking some time to relieve himself and gather his thoughts, he walked back to the Saureno team dorms and bumped into a battered Meiji.

"EYHEYYY BRO!" the beetle hugged him tight. "HOOO! That fight was fun as shit!"

"Dude you alright?!" Gen chuckled.

"Yeah you should see the other guy, damn this place owns, you got your turn coming up?"

"Uhhh, not sure, I was gonna go rest."

"Couldya give this to Saureno-san?" He handed over a yen note. "I broke something when I first came in, one of his glasses so, this is to pay him back."

"You didn't do it when we were there?"

"Naw I forgot, was too focused on getting him that drink, could you do it for me? Just cuz I gotta talk with King-san."

"O-oh yeah, sure," Ganbe took the money, "I'll do it now."

"Thanks bro." Meiji hugged him. "Hope your wish comes true."

"My...what?"

An odd grin came from the beetle as he headed off to his team quarters, leaving the bird confused as he walked through the dorms to Saureno's office. He knocked on the door, but there was no reply. He knocked harder, but still came no reply.

"Saureno-san? It's Ganbe. I uh, listen my buddy Mei-chan said he broke something of yours, I got his money to pay you back. Saureno-san?"

He pushed the door open carefully and slipped inside, before closing it immediately behind when he pulled back in shock at the scene before him. Saureno was slumped across the table, his glass fallen off the side and the bottle of Mondo Beach half-empty.

"S-saureno-san?! Saureno-san!"

Gen rushed over to try and rouse him. No response. He checked his breathing, saw his eyes glazed over and even when he frantically smacked his head, there was nothing. He pulled him down onto his back and listened for a heartbeat. Silence. Lifeless.

"...fuck." Ganbe looked at the glass trickling with drink. "Oh fuck...f-fuck, no you didn't...M-mei-chan?"

Fear crept under his shock, the bird clutching his beak as he struggled not to scream.

"N-no, no no no no no, fuck, Mei-chan you didn't, you didn't...fuck!"

Tears trickled from his eye, torn between horror at his friend or the relief that he felt in not needing to kill. With that second emotion rising, he looked towards the dresser to the side and immediately opened every drawer.

"Y-you didn't do this, you can't, you're not like that, holy f-fuck Meiji what the fuck did you do?!?"

Despite his words Ganbe kept searching, his heart beating fast until he felt sick with a burning tongue. Scouring through papers and shuffling through documents, his legs shook until he spotted it at last. A deed for a property, titled only as " LOT ZERO" with an unusual stamp in the centre that resembled a rose. He folded it carefully in his jacket, closed the drawers then propped Saureno up to look like he was sitting. He grabbed the glass and the bottle of Mondo to hide under his coat and ran discreetly out the office.

He tried not to run, sneaking past everyone in the dorms and keeping close to the walls, skirting round the outside of the arena and making his way straight to the exit. No one noticed him with all eyes on the fight, between a goat carrying an axe who faced a muscular ant. Much to his surprise, he found Meiji waiting for him with a thumbs up.

"How'd it go?!" he lowered his voice. "You got it?!"

"M-Meiji." Gen opened his coat to show the bottle in his hand. "What...what did you do?"

"Oh, I drugged it. Don't worry he's just fallen asleep, he'll be out for a while but it's just a real deep sleep."

"No. Meiji." Gen shoved his friend against the wall. "What, the fuck, did you DO?!"

"Wha-I told you! I drugged him with sleeping meds!"

"MEIJI, HE'S FUCKING DEAD!"

"No he's not don't be stupid!"

"I checked his pulse! I slapped him, he didn't wake up, his eyes are all glassy cuz he's dead!"

"Wha-...what?" Garonba's eyes widened. "But...n-naw, no he...Tagasuki said it was just gonna put him to sleep, so you could grab the deed."

"It...what?" Ganbe reared back. "Tagasuki?"

"Yeah he um...he knew you were having a hard time, so that time me and him were in the parlour? He told me to go in the circuit, convince Saureno to drink something that I then drug with a sleeping medicine."

"Mei...Meiji. Oh gods Meiji." Gen clutched his beak with a stifling sob. "Meiji he's fucking dead, Meiji you killed him."

"Dude come on, n-no, Tagasuki wouldn't trick me like tha-"

"THERE'S NO FUCKING HEARTBEAT!" his scream was swallowed up by the crowd. "I checked him dude, he is FUCKING dead, we gotta go, we NEED to go, if they find out-"

"Find out what?"

Both of them stiffened when they heard the deep rumbling of Konnor Kingston. Gen put on his most non-suspicious smile and turned with a painful grin.

"Find ouuuut that...KING-SAN didn't get a bottle of good juice, a-after Saureno-san got some, y-yeah!"

"Ohh?" The gorilla loomed over him. "And why would that be a problem?"

"W-we didn't, we, um, d-didn't want you to get jealous, King-san!"

"Heh. That's cute. By the way, Ganbe, I wanna ask you about something."

"UHH, wh-what?"

"It's private, come with me. Garonba, good work out there."

"No problem sir!" the beetle nodded too eager. "Just uh, really good hustle out there, I-i uh better get back to my Forge, got uh HOO a whole buncha commissions!"

"YES, you should!" The bird quickly hugged his friend. "Here's uh, here's your money back too, for that THING I asked you for?"

"The...the thing?"

In his hands Gen pushed the deed into Meiji's hoodie, the beetle understand with firm nod.

"Riiight yeah, I was uh, sharpening your blades, gotta make sure they keep good."

"Yeah yeah good," Ganbe sighed relieved, "right, that, I'll see you when my rounds are done!"

"Sure! See ya back home dude!"

They hugged as if one of them was going to war, almost painfully tight with a stifling shudder to try not to weep. Meiji took his leave through the tunnel to the lift, whilst Ganbe shuffled nervously behind the great ape into his office. The door closed behind as Gen felt the air turn thick in his lungs, trying not to shiver from the twisting in his gut.

"How's things going with Saureno-san?" the gorilla leaned on his desk. "You've been a promising fighter, well-liked, popular with the crowd."

"YES, th-thank you!" Gen bowed eagerly. "E-everything's awesome, this is the best thing I ever done, being with you guys and well, i-it's just so much more free here than back in Issincho."

"So why did you kill him?"

He couldn't stop himself. The look of guilt flashed over his eye too quick to hide and Gen knew he was done the moment he tried to step back. He would not reach the door before the giant hand of Konnor Kingston clutched round his throat, and lifted him high off the floor with a single grip that threatened to crush his neck.

"Why...a promising fighter such as you, would kill one of my oldest friends, and the one who gave you a chance to prove yourself?"

"I-i-i...GHRRKH, wh-what, h-how did-"

"I went to see him earlier today, whilst you were watching your friend fight out in the ring. Slumped over his table, the bottle and glass, the bottle your friend brought because Saureno made a bet with him."

"I-i, guh, I-i can explain!" whimpered Gen.

"Can you?" His fingers tightened with gritted teeth. "Who sent you here?"

"GUH...GEH...G-gihei! J-jinuchu!"

"Why do the Jinuchu care about the Eight Wonders?"

Gen was pinned to the wall beside the door, his legs kicking in sputtering gasps as the bottle fell from his jacket to roll across the floor. He sobbed with a whimpering shriek, grasping at Konnor's hairy limb that tightened a bit harder. The monster's eyes burned with fiery vengeance, yet his voice remained eerily calm that frightened Gen even more.

"The only reason you still have a beak, is so you tell me why you poisoned Saureno."

"I-i...can't!" he squeaked. "Th-they...th-they would kill me!"

"Then let's ask your friend, Garonba, see what he knows." Kingston reached for the door. "I'll have Clover-san bring him back, and if he doesn't comply, I'll break his legs. If you still don't tell me what I want, I will rip his goddamn head off and make you watch."

The last words came with a trembling fury, shivering up Konnor's arm and through Ganbe's head as he whimpered:

"I-it was me...I-i poisoned him! M-mei-chan's g-got nothing to do with this!"

"You poisoned the bottle?"

"YES! D-don't hurt Mei-chan, p-please! I-i used him, h-he's a fucking idiot!"

"The skilled crafter of the Forge, you used him?"

"HE'S A FUCKING MORON! H-he thinks the sun's being pulled by a fucking chariot, like some dumb kid!"

"Hm...he did say that." Kingston rubbed his chin.

"I used him," Gen sighed submitting, "I used him...to do my mission."

"What was your mission?"

"K-kill...Saureno. T-to get the deed."

"What deed, like a property deed?"

"Y-yes. It...I sent it away. I didn't wanna k-kill Saureno, b-but if I didn't...Gihei would k-kill Meiji."

"Why would your boss kill the master of the Forge?"

"H-he...h-h-he...he's in my family. The Tagasuki family."

Konnor slowly put him down, giving Gen a chance to breathe whilst keeping the hand round his throat.

"He doesn't do much in the clan, h-he's just my handler, a-and my supplier. B-but I drugged the bottle, my boss knew I was a coward and w-wouldn't kill him, so he told me, he gave me something that was a sleeping drug, he said. I'm sorry. I-i'm really sorry, King-san, y-you gotta believe me I didn't wanna kill him!"

"You couldn't bear the thought of your best friend dying...so you kill mine instead."

Kingston grabbed the bird's shoulder with a painful crunch, causing him to yelp and fall to his knees as he felt the creaking of his bone. The fingers dug into his flesh, twisting them like leather as Gen shrieked with a trembling sob. The creak turned louder, groaning in his ear as Konnor slowly crushed his shoulder blade, almost cracking it like an egg.

"I don't give a damn what your reasons are. I don't give a damn what Jinuchu want, or why they want it. But I believe in fairness. So I think it's only fair...that you, should be punished by your peers."

"_A-AAAAA AAAARGH! _"

The second hand grabbed his other shoulder, crushing it faster with such force that Gen felt his ribs bend outwards. Konnor pushed his joints back as the bird screeched even harder.

"I won't kill you yet, Ganbe. But one way or another...you'll wish I had for betraying me."