"Dusk, if you wish," said Zhu Jiuyin calmly, "I can pull that child's consciousness from her fragile body and place it within your painting. That way, she could stay by your side for as long as you desire."
"...There's no need. That child has already made her own choice."
"Heh... Are you sure it's not you who's afraid of letting her lose herself in your art? If you didn't interfere, I doubt she'd refuse a peaceful, eternal dream within your painting. Once inside, she might never wake again."
"..."
"You don't even know if that would be good or bad for her, do you? You want her to return to her ordinary life... That's one of your flaws, Dusk. For beings like us, our influence on the short-lived races is inevitable. Once that influence exists, why bind yourself with false restraint? Setting that girl free from your painting doesn't erase the bond between master and disciple."
"...Why are you so invested in this?"
"Because I care about my friend, of course~ Put that sword down! I'm serious!"
"That child has already decided."
"Alright, alright, it seems I'm worrying for nothing again. But terrans change their minds so easily... perhaps when she's old and frail, she'll regret the choice she made today~"
"She won't."
"Oh? Is that your confidence as a master?"
"...Stop twisting words and don't meddle, Zhu Jiuyin."
"Come on, if you didn't care about that little girl, I wouldn't even consider doing something that troublesome. You think pulling someone's soul out is easy?"
tsk... there goes another chance to raise my favorability score.
---
In a movie theater in Lungmen.
How did things end up like this?
Dusk sat between Zhu Jiuyin and Nian, not even interested in the movie she'd been eager to watch.
She really couldn't understand—why did Nian insist on tagging along with her and Zhu Jiuyin?
Does she seriously have nothing better to do?
Dusk glanced irritably at her right, where Nian sat munching popcorn and staring at the screen with the focus of a predator.
And why did this idiot agree so easily?!
She turned left. Zhu Jiuyin was calmly sipping a drink through a straw, his attention fixed on the movie as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world.
He had actually agreed—without hesitation—when Nian had smiled and said, "Oh? You two are going to see a movie? Take me along, won't you?"
No hesitation. No thought. Just yes.
In short—Dusk was extremely displeased.
Unfortunately, neither Zhu Jiuyin nor Nian seemed to notice.
Or rather—they were pretending not to.
Nian, of course, knew full well her little sister wouldn't want her around. But that only made her more determined to come. She wanted to see for herself what kind of person her sister's new "friend" was.
As for Zhu Jiuyin...
He genuinely thought Dusk didn't really mind.
From his years of experience dealing with her, he'd concluded that Dusk often said "no" when she meant "maybe." Her words and her emotions rarely matched.
She might look annoyed, sound irritated, but deep down—she probably wanted to spend time with her long-lost sister.
Hmm... I recall the short-lived ones have a word for this sort of personality... What was it again? Ah—tsundere, right?
Without his ability to read minds, the Black Snake could only rely on intuition and guesswork—hardly an exact science.
Besides, he had no siblings himself, and thus no understanding of what "sibling affection" even was.
All he could do was observe, gather examples, and adjust his understanding one case at a time.
Still... I wouldn't mind meeting the rest of your family someday, Dusk~
The Black Snake, who'd long sought the freedom to die a natural death, was not one to let any chance for deeper understanding—or opportunity—slip away.
At the very least, he wanted the choice.
Just as he had chosen not to possess Dusk, the one he considered a friend…
he also wanted the ability to act when the time came—to seize fragments of "Sui" when he saw fit.
When or how he would use that power, only Black Snake himself knew.
---
After the movie, the three made their way to a teahouse.
Nian had tried her best to drag them into a nearby hotpot restaurant instead—but, unfortunately for her, both Zhu Jiuyin and Dusk firmly refused.
Dusk never liked spicy food, so naturally, Zhu Jiuyin sided with her.
After all, compared to Nian—whom he'd only just met—he was much closer to Dusk.
"The movie just now was pretty good," Nian said confidently as they waited for their tea and snacks, "but I still think there's room for improvement."
"Oh~?" Zhu Jiuyin tilted his head, feigning interest. "And what brilliant insight does the great Director Nian have for us this time?"
"Heh, you've come to the right person," Nian replied, full of self-satisfaction. "When it comes to filmmaking, I'd say I have a bit of confidence."
Then, without warning, she pulled out a stack of papers from her bag—a script—and handed it to Zhu Jiuyin with an exaggerated flourish.
"But first," she said proudly, "why don't you take a look at this little masterpiece I wrote myself? Maybe then you'll understand what I mean."
...Impressive?
Zhu Jiuyin and Dusk exchanged a silent glance.
Neither of them really knew what to expect.
After all, one of them had never met Nian before today, and the other had last seen her before movies even existed.
Curious, Zhu Jiuyin began flipping through the pages.
His expression didn't change once. Slowly, methodically, he turned page after page—until at last he reached the end.
Then, without a word, he handed the script to Dusk.
"What's with that weird face?" Nian asked, raising an eyebrow.
Dusk accepted the script, scanned a few pages… and stopped. Her face twisted in visible pain.
"Nian," she said flatly, "I beg you—please don't insult the art of cinema with this trash."
Zhu Jiuyin sat between them, his smile frozen in place as the sisters began to bicker.
Inside, however, his mind was in turmoil.
Her taste is… truly unique. I don't understand it at all.
While Dusk and Nian argued back and forth, Zhu Jiuyin quietly bent down and picked up the discarded script Dusk had tossed to the floor.
He flipped it open again.
Hiss... it's so strange... he thought, eyes narrowing. Let me take another look.
---
"Hey! Where are you from?"
"...Ursus."
"Name, identity, purpose of visit. Are you infected?"
"You may call me Talulah," the woman replied calmly. "Leader of an organization devoted to improving the lives of the Infected. I've come to Lungmen to negotiate a deal with Wei Yenwu… And yes, I am infected."
"Hah! That's a hell of a joke—wait... I've seen your face somewhere before."
"..."
"..."
"...(Lungmen Profanity) All units on alert! We've identified the leader of the terrorist group known as Reunion—Talulah! Be on the lookout for any accompanying members!"
"Please, there's no need for hostility," Talulah said evenly. "Reunion bears no ill will toward Lungmen. Perhaps you could report my presence to your superior?"
"Don't try any tricks! I've already called for backup! Our senior inspector will be here any moment!"
"Very well," Talulah replied softly, unclasping her cloak. "I can wait… but—"
Her golden eyes glinted coldly beneath the dim lights.
"—I don't like having weapons pointed at me."
The guards' eyes widened as the guns in their hands began to glow red-hot.
One by one, they dropped them with cries of pain.
Clang!
The molten metal hissed as it struck the floor, forming glowing puddles of slag.
Surrounded by guards who now watched her warily—too afraid to approach—Talulah allowed herself a faint, mirthless smile.
So… my Originium Arts haven't dulled after all.
She still remembered some of Kashchey's teachings:
"When we seek cooperation, showing strength can be its own form of diplomacy. At the very least, it reminds our partners to consider carefully the consequences of rejecting, deceiving, or betraying us."