Mei Mei walked with her trademark grace through the cracked and twisted asphalt of the outer ruins, her cursed axe slung casually across her shoulder. The streets were silent except for the soft crunch of glass beneath their feet. Beside her, Ui Ui followed—eyes to the ground, fingers clenched, face dim.
The sun above was choked by gray, unmoving clouds.
"Why are you looking so gloomy?" Mei Mei asked, glancing sideways without breaking her stride.
Ui Ui didn't answer right away. His lips trembled slightly before parting.
"Why wouldn't I be sad…?" he muttered. "You're going to die soon."
Mei Mei stopped walking.
She turned her head, her cold yet calm gaze falling on him. "Yes," she said bluntly, "I am going to die soon."
Ui Ui clenched his fists tighter.
"But that's exactly why I brought you," she continued, walking forward again. "I need you to see it. To carry my will. If I fall in this game… you'll continue the fight. You'll make sure Kenjaku doesn't win. You'll carry my burden until the end."
Ui Ui swallowed hard. "You always talk like you're never afraid of death."
Mei Mei chuckled softly. "I'm not afraid of dying. I'm only afraid of dying for nothing."
She paused in front of a rusted street sign, her eyes following a slow gust of wind that pushed dust and leaves down the alleyway.
"Kenjaku has made a game out of bloodshed," she muttered. "So I'll play. But I'll choose the rules."
They kept walking, the horizon slowly swallowing their silhouettes. The winds carried whispers of cursed energy deeper into the city. Death loomed ahead—but Mei Mei had never looked more alive.