Mina looked at Yu with open suspicion when Yu suddenly mentioned Kim Nayeon's name—especially here, and especially at a moment like this. But then something seemed to click in her mind, and her expression shifted to one of realization.
"I do remember hearing you say once that she was very important to Shana's destruction, didn't you?"
Yu merely clicked her tongue and folded her arms.
"Whether we can actually destroy her is another matter entirely. But yes, it's true—she possesses a relic that could be used to hold Shana by the throat. Or at least, that's what we believe for now."
Mina frowned, clearly dissatisfied with the answer.
"You believe so? Then does that mean there's truly no way to kill Shigonami Shana? I don't care whether she's a god or a demon… As long as she's alive, I won't know peace."
Yu cast a sidelong glance at Mina as she spat out her curses toward Shana without the slightest hesitation. The sight genuinely surprised Yu—how could a mere mortal harbor such a petty yet deranged hatred? Still, she only shrugged.
"Fine. If you want Shigonami Shana dead—even if it's a purely physical death—then I suppose I can help you."
At last, Mina turned to face Yu. In her eyes burned a resolve so cruel it was almost frightening.
"…That's fine. As long as she suffers."
Yu could only sigh and shake her head. She gestured for Mina to follow her downstairs, into a hidden living area beneath the bank. It was fully equipped with everything an ordinary person might need, though it lacked the spotless luxury of the villa where Yu had once imprisoned Nayeon.
Yu led Mina to a room enclosed by iron bars on three sides. Inside stood only a narrow single bed, a metal table, and a toilet. At the center of the room was a young woman, looking utterly worn down, dressed in a lace-trimmed gown that was surprisingly clean. Both of her ankles were shackled, the chains fixed to the wall.
It didn't seem like she had been held there for very long, yet Nayeon's face betrayed unmistakable depression and exhaustion. The innocent, carefree charm she once had was completely gone. The stark contrast made even Mina freeze for a moment.
"How did she end up locked away like this? I remember you used to treat her fairly decently."
Yu, however, only shrugged, as if she couldn't care less.
"That was that Yu. As for me? I don't particularly care what happens to her. And the more her resistance escalates, the more problematic she becomes. Indulging her clearly wasn't the right approach, was it?"
For some reason, Mina couldn't quite agree with Yu's reasoning. Or perhaps it was the glaring contradiction between the Yu of now and the Yu she remembered that unsettled her. She didn't particularly care how Nayeon would be treated, but Yu's shifting attitude was impossible to ignore.
Just who was she, really?
And why was she so obsessively fixated on Shigonami Shana?
While Mina was lost in thought, Yu had already reached out and unlocked the iron bars, allowing them both to step into Nayeon's temporary "cell."
Hearing the door open, Nayeon slowly lifted her head, her movements heavy with fatigue—as though she had already given up on any hope of escape. But the moment she saw Yu and Mina standing side by side, all of her anger, resentment, and fear erupted at once.
Her eyes widened in terror as they darted between Yu and Mina. Grinding her teeth, Nayeon tried to lunge forward, swinging her arm toward Mina.
"KAMAKIRI MINA!!!"
The chains around her ankles abruptly halted her movement.
Mina, however, didn't step back or show the slightest fear. She merely widened her eyes a little in surprise—she hadn't expected Nayeon to react so violently.
"You look like you're… still alive, at least," Mina blurted out.
Nayeon's face flushed crimson as she screamed, fury blazing in her eyes. Every word that came from Mina's mouth made her skin crawl.
"Alive, my ass! Do you know why I'm here?! If it weren't for your ridiculous pride and your insane jealousy, would I have ended up like this?! You're the one who sent people to beat me half to death—who else could it have been?!"
Hearing the accusation, Mina briefly showed a hint of discomfort, even though her expression remained cold and composed. She rubbed her hands together and looked away.
Because Nayeon was right. Mina had done it.
Or rather… she had nearly had Nayeon killed.
Yu, upon hearing this, couldn't help but let out a impressed chuckle. She turned to Mina, admiration written plainly on her face.
"You're more of a mafia than actual mafia."
At Yu's remark, Nayeon abruptly stopped shouting and shifted her attention toward her. She scrutinized Yu from head to toe. She was still a breathtaking beauty, with long, snow-white hair—but those reddish-orange eyes and that sinister smile were unmistakably different.
Nayeon muttered under her breath.
"…You're not Yu."
Yu blinked in mild surprise, pointing at herself before bursting into laughter at Nayeon's bewildered expression.
"Me? Not Yu? Well, does that really matter?"
She stopped laughing, then sneered as she deliberately stepped closer to Nayeon, taunting her.
"If it weren't for me, she would've been sold off to some old, ugly man as a wife by now. Without me, how would she have escaped the pursuit of her own older brother? How could she have obtained the power she holds today? All she had to do was sit comfortably in the seat of inheritance and enjoy it."
Those words left both Nayeon and Mina utterly stunned. They had never heard anything like this before. For Nayeon especially, the shock was overwhelming—she suddenly realized that everything Yu had told her in the past was likely true.
But through the mouth of this impostor, it seemed that Yu was entangled in something far more horrifying.
The "false Yu" merely let out a soft, rattling laugh.
"So really, the best thing she can do is obediently submit to me. I've already given her more freedom than she deserves, just to indulge her. But now, time is running out. Kim Nayeon—if you don't bow your head now, when will you?"
Nayeon shuddered slightly, instinctively stepping backward—only to find a wall behind her. There was nowhere left to run. Her hands moved unconsciously to cover her chest as her gaze flickered between Yu and Mina.
"…You're just trying to use me to deal with Shana. I won't let you get what you want. Never."
At those words, Mina immediately frowned in anger. She was clearly displeased. Did Kim Nayeon not understand her situation at all? Or had she been locked up for so long that she'd gone completely stupid?
Yu merely clapped her hands in slow applause.
"Impressive. I applaud your decisiveness. But let me ask you something— you knew from the very beginning that Shana is a nine-tailed fox, didn't you?"
Nayeon glared at Yu, still holding her defensive stance. She didn't answer, but her silence alone was more than enough. Yu continued,
"…Then you must know very well who Shigonami Shana truly is. She is, by nature, a monstrously cunning and brutal creature. Do you have any idea what she's been doing over the last two thousand years?"
Yu began circling around Nayeon as she spoke, her voice dripping with contempt.
"Everywhere she goes, corpses pile up like mountains. Any dynasty she sets foot in collapses—its ruler either kills themselves or goes mad. She kills without hesitation and never feels an ounce of remorse. Just ask Mina. Am I wrong?"
Nayeon shot a glance toward Mina. Mina avoided her gaze, replying indifferently, almost perfunctorily,
"…Yes. She came to my territory once. Killed over a hundred people in five minutes. She even slaughtered my closest aides."
Nayeon snapped her head back toward Mina, probing, "Is that really true?"
Yu didn't even wait for Mina to answer.
"You heard her clearly, Kim Nayeon. Shigonami Shana is exactly that kind of abhorrent monster. So tell me—why are you protecting her? Isn't now the perfect time for us to put aside our grudges and work together to eliminate a common enemy?"
"Work together… to eliminate a common enemy?"
Nayeon repeated Yu's words as if she had just heard the most ridiculous joke imaginable. Then she burst out laughing. Her laughter echoed throughout the basement, unsettling even the calmest among them.
"Fine. Let's assume everything you said is true. Shana really is a monster. So what? She's still better than a bunch of so-called humans who never shut up about morality while pretending to be righteous—people who deceive their friends and murder their husbands just to get what they want. A bunch of filthy, two-faced vermin."
Her words weren't aimed at anyone by name, but everyone knew exactly who she was mocking. Mina's face flushed crimson with rage. She shouted,
"What the hell did you just say!?"
Nayeon let out a scornful chuckle, clearly pleased—she knew she'd struck a nerve. Unafraid, she pressed even harder.
"What? Feeling guilty, Mina? I'm just curious, that's all. There's no way Shana would suddenly massacre people for no reason—unless the ones she killed were serving someone else… someone with ill intentions toward Duyen…!"
Slap!
A sharp crack rang out as Mina struck Nayeon across the face before she could finish her sentence.
Everything was painfully clear now. Duyen was Mina's absolute breaking point—no one was allowed to speak her name like that.
One slap wasn't nearly enough. Mina lunged forward to hit her again. She immediately reached for a nearby wrench, about to charge—
—but Yu stepped in just in time.
"Grrr!?"
"Calm down, Mina!"
Yu grabbed both of Mina's wrists, restraining her from attacking Nayeon again. Mina was completely out of control now. Yu could only rush to calm her down.
"If you lose your composure like this, you'll delay the search for Duyen. Right now, she's still in Shana's hands. Who knows what she's doing to your precious Duyen? Calm down—unless you want to ruin everything."
Mina froze. The wrench slipped from her hand and clattered to the floor.
At this moment, Duyen was the one word that could shake Mina to her core. What Yu said felt like the worst nightmare she could ever imagine. Her fury dissolved into crippling dread—an overwhelming mix of anxiety, jealousy, and terror.
All at once.
Her lips trembled as she whispered, "Duyen… my Duyen…"
Nayeon looked on with disgust at Mina's state. She was clearly unhinged.
Once things finally settled a little, Yu continued. Her tone was no longer mocking—it turned serious, almost urgent, as she addressed Nayeon.
"Nayeon. We don't have much time left. You have to help us. This is for Duyen's sake too."
Nayeon clutched her burning cheek, staring at Yu in disbelief.
"And what does this have to do with Duyen?"
Yu replied calmly,
"You already know that Shana and Duyen share a soul-binding pact. Explaining it in detail would take too long, so I'll simplify it. This pact allows Duyen to resonate with a fraction of Shana's power—just enough to keep her alive."
Yu paused.
"But unfortunately… she doesn't have much time left."
Before Nayeon could even react, Mina snapped her head toward Yu, her eyes filled with terror.
"What do you mean!? What's wrong with my Duyen!?"
Yu shrugged.
"That's just how it is. Shana needs to absorb energy to sustain her power. And guess where that energy comes from? Human life force. And that's not even counting the fact that Duyen once suffered a severe accident—she lost a significant portion of her spine during regeneration. Shana used illusions just to keep her alive."
Her voice remained cold.
"But that won't last forever. Duyen is already counting down to her death."
"What!?"
Both Nayeon and Mina cried out in panic.
Only Yu turned away, hiding a twisted smile and a sinister expression as she muttered under her breath—too quietly for anyone else to hear.
"…Unless… heehee… but we'll deal with that later…"
While Mina stood frozen in shock, completely shattered, Nayeon was the only one who managed to remain rational. She scoffed.
"Hah! I don't believe it. Shana would never do anything that could harm Duyen. Whatever pact they made, she did it to save her life!"
Yu turned back around. The wicked smile was gone, replaced by an unsettling look of resolve.
"Believe it or not—that's your choice. But you don't have many options now. You have to come with us."
As she spoke, Yu leaned in close to Nayeon's face, her voice threatening. But Nayeon didn't back down. She shoved Yu away forcefully and wiped her mouth.
"Go with you? Go where exactly?"
Yu narrowed her eyes.
"…To Japan."
The words were enough to make even the devastated Mina look up. Nayeon stared at Yu in disbelief.
"Japan!? Are you insane!? Right now!?"
"Yes," Yu replied without hesitation.
"Right now."
Suddenly, the sharp metallic click of a handgun being cocked rang out behind Yu. She froze instantly.
Dao's voice echoed coldly through the room.
"Don't move. Or I'll shoot."