Duyen received Shana's attentive support, allowing her to stand up and slowly walk around the grounds of the old house. It was a spacious, open structure with countless sliding doors thrown wide open. Cool, gentle breezes drifted through the rooms, creating a feeling that was at once fresh, ancient, and strangely unfamiliar. The faint, soothing scent of sandalwood lingered in the air, calming the mind and easing the heart.
Duyen took a deep breath in and out. Even the air here seemed to comfort her, if only a little. Her tears had dried; all that remained was the sound of the wind, lifting and playing with her hair. Even the sensation of her bare feet touching the tatami floor sent a thrill through her body. Perhaps it was because it had been so long since she'd been able to use her feet as they were meant to be used.
Then, through the wide-open doorway, Duyen noticed something ahead of her. The view was hazy, washed in white. A gust of wind carried sparkling flecks of dust that landed on her cheeks, cold and damp, before melting away. Her face suddenly flushed when realization struck her.
"This is… snow…?"
Shana smiled knowingly at Duyen's excited whisper. Duyen slowly lifted both hands, letting the wind brush against her palms. The snowflakes—like tiny shards of ice—melted instantly in her hands. She turned to Shana with a radiant smile; even as the cold began to creep in, her cheeks burned warmly.
With a tender gesture, Shana held Duyen's hand and guided her closer to the edge of the veranda. The white mist gradually parted, revealing a breathtaking sight before Duyen's eyes.
Layer upon layer of old houses lay below, half-buried beneath thick snow, like something straight out of a fairy tale. The house they stood in rested on a hill, overlooking the entire village below. Everything was blanketed in dense mist, as though the village itself floated atop the clouds.
Duyen felt both exhilarated and frightened. She glanced down at her feet—just one more step, and she would touch the snow. The cold made her shiver, yet strangely, it wasn't as freezing as she had imagined.
Was this a dream? But then Shana gently brushed her fingers across Duyen's forehead and whispered, her breath clearly visible in the air:
"Welcome… to my homeland. The Village of Mist."
"The Village of Mist…?"
Duyen echoed softly, excitement lacing her voice.
Calling it a village of mist made sense—it seemed submerged in layers of drifting fog. Yet instead of fear, Duyen felt nothing but awe. Its beauty was too magnificent for words. Still, with snow piled so thickly, it should have been far colder than this.
Both she and Shana wore only thin cloaks—almost as if they were barely clothed at all—yet she didn't feel nearly as cold as expected.
Was this truly the place where Shana had once lived, long ago?
Suddenly, Duyen heard the distant murmur of a crowd. She looked toward the road leading up the hill and saw a group approaching—women wearing fox masks, carrying lanterns that glowed with a pale blue light. They all appeared to be female, dressed in delicate yukata of various styles and colors. There were so many of them that Duyen felt a chill run down her spine.
She instinctively stepped back. But Shana laughed lightly and wrapped an arm around Duyen's waist in a playful, possessive way.
"Shana… they—"
"Relax, sweetheart," Shana said casually. "They won't hurt you."
The masked women drew closer and closer until they were only a few meters away. Suddenly, they stopped in unison, standing stiffly. An eerie silence followed, then quiet whispers rose from beneath their masks—soft, excited murmurs spoken in Japanese.
"Oh my… is that really her…?"
"She really is beautiful…"
"She does look just like…"
"So similar…"
"Exactly like her…"
Duyen tilted her head, confused—she couldn't understand what they were saying. Shana, however, wore a proud, almost haughty smile as she stepped forward, her hand never leaving Duyen's waist.
"Hey," she scolded lightly, "mind your manners."
At Shana's rebuke, the fox-masked women startled and fell silent. One by one, they removed their masks, leaving Duyen stunned.
Beneath them were breathtakingly beautiful women, each lovely in her own way. Shrouded in mist, their beauty seemed even more otherworldly. Strangely enough, all of them shared the same luminous blue eyes as Shana.
At the front stood a beautiful woman with a bright smile and a high ponytail. A smudge of soot marked her face, but it did nothing to diminish her charm. She looked at Shana and Duyen with open admiration.
"My apologies, Lady Shigonami," she said politely. "I was simply… overwhelmed by Lady Duyen's beauty. Just as you said—she truly is stunning."
Duyen was surprised that the woman spoke her language so fluently. Her face flushed with embarrassment at the compliment. When the ponytailed woman's gaze shifted directly to her, Duyen grew even redder.
"Lady Duyen," the woman continued warmly, "my name is Haru. From now on, I hope you'll allow us to serve you with all our hearts."
Still caught off guard by Haru's friendliness, Duyen didn't know how to react—especially when Haru stepped closer and gently took her hand. Beside her, Shana cleared her throat softly, a hint of irritation in the sound, but Haru merely smiled wider.
Under this sweet but overwhelming pressure, Duyen could only respond in kind. She bowed politely, smiling shyly.
"Hello… my name is Duyen—"
Before she could finish, another beautiful girl suddenly leapt between them, her excitement twice that of Haru's.
"Hello, Lady Duyen! I'm Hasuko!" she exclaimed.
"Oh, My great fox—your skin is incredible!"
Before Duyen could even process what was happening, Hasuko's cool, slender hands—slightly rough with calluses—began gently stroking Duyen's arm, sending waves of embarrassment through her.
"Ah—thank you, I—" Duyen stammered.
She didn't get to finish before more girls crowded in, talking over one another as they eagerly reached out to touch her.
"Really? I want to touch her too!"
"Me too! Me too!"
"Don't push! Let me first!"
Some held Duyen's hands, others grabbed her legs, and a few were bold enough to slip their hands straight inside her cloak. The strange, ticklish sensations made Duyen burst into laughter.
"E-Everyone, please calm down—calm down—haha… hahaha!"
And in the blink of an eye, the crowd tore her out of Shana's arms, leaving Shana staring wide-eyed in shock. Together, they lifted Duyen up, tossing her into the air like a basket of flowers. Surrounded by so many beautiful women—each of them carrying a faint, sweet scent like osmanthus blossoms—they sang as they carried her downhill.
Duyen squirmed and laughed at the ticklish sensation.
"Everyone, calm down… thank you… calm down—hahaha!"
Shana stood frozen for a moment as they carried Duyen all around the village. Her lips twitched, veins slowly rising on her forehead in fury.
"Those damn little brats… honestly—DUYEN IS MINE, YOU KNOW?!"
Shana's voice echoed across the entire village, but the girls only laughed in response.
"Lady Shigonami is angry again, hehe."
"So she's jealous, huh?"
"Oh my~"
They all burst into laughter.
Only Duyen was flustered and embarrassed, reaching out toward Shana while laughing helplessly.
"Shana! Shana! Haha—help!"
Shana could only sigh before rushing over, snatching Duyen back from the cluster of beautiful women. Once again, Duyen was pulled into Shana's arms, held possessively.
Hasuko crossed her arms, pouting as she spoke in mock annoyance.
"Lady Shigonami, you're really no fun at all!"
Shana snapped back,
"You're the ones who took it too far!"
Hearing Shana's scolding—half humorous, half adorable—the girls weren't afraid in the slightest. In fact, they laughed even harder.
"Don't worry, Lady Shigonami. We're not stealing her from you."
They said it amid light, tinkling laughter, making it impossible to tell whether they were serious or not. Shana's face turned red as she clung tightly to Duyen, sulking.
Seeing this side of Shana, Duyen couldn't help but laugh out loud, which only made Shana sulk at her too.
"What? What's so funny?" Shana snapped. "Since when did you start siding with this bunch of brats?"
"It's nothing, it's just…"
Duyen didn't even know why she couldn't stop laughing. It was simply that Shana had suddenly become too cute. The way she sulked at them yet never punished them somehow made Duyen feel strangely warm inside.
Someone handed Duyen a fur-lined leather boot, and her feet finally touched the thick snow. Only then did she get the chance to really look around the village.
Old houses stood tightly packed together, illuminated by glowing red and blue lanterns. Massive chimneys breathed out constant waves of warm steam, blending with the mist heated by coal-fired furnaces that everyone took turns guarding at full capacity. No wonder their faces were all smudged with soot.
Duyen could even feel the intense heat radiating through the air. Was this why she still felt warm in the bitter cold of winter?
The stone-paved roads were laid with uneven, handmade slabs. Beautiful women wearing fox masks and revealing yukata walked back and forth, each carrying long spears or heavy axes. When they saw Shana, they bowed respectfully. When they saw Duyen, they giggled and whispered things she couldn't understand.
And yet… there wasn't a single man in the village.
But was that really the strangest thing here?
Duyen had seen far stranger things before. This place truly had been Shana's home.
Startled, Duyen realized that all the women—including Shana—were staring at her intently, as if waiting for her to say something. Unsure of what to say, she blurted out the first thought that came to mind,
"This place is really beautiful…"
The girls' expressions collectively fell in an oddly dramatic way.
"Oh, is that all?"
"I told you, she's not paying attention to us that much."
"Yeah, her head's full of Lady Shigonami anyway~"
Duyen flushed deeply, waving her hands in panic, not even sure what she was trying to explain.
"N-no! I mean—!"
"Hm?" Shana let out a sharp huff, a dangerous smile curling on her lips that made Duyen shiver.
The girls pressed in closer, teasing her mercilessly.
"Oh? So you're saying you don't think about our Lady Shigonami?"
"Oh dear~ turns out Miss Duyen is a playgirl~ oh no~"
Duyen's face burned red as she waved her hands even harder, desperately protesting.
"That's not it! That's not it! I mean—I mean—"
Her voice grew smaller, softer, unbearably shy.
"…I… really like… Shana…"
Her answer left all the girls gaping in shock. Even Shana herself froze. Haru squinted and pointed at her.
"Hey, why are you surprised too?"
Caught red-handed, Shana snapped back,
"Have you run out of things to ask?!"
But beneath her sulking tone, Shana wore a subtle, knowing smile, her heart pounding wildly. She was deeply moved by Duyen's words. They were so simple—yet why did they make her this happy?
Suddenly, a burst of steam hissed out from the mouth of a fox statue. Haru placed her hands on her hips and turned to Shana and Duyen.
"The water's ready. You two should go bathe."
Duyen asked awkwardly, "B-bathe?"
Haru laughed, "Sorry, Lady. Everything must feel a bit rushed. Welcome to the Town of Mist. And all of us are—"
As she spoke, Haru put her fox mask back on.
"…Shigonami."
At once, the other girls shouted in unison,
"We all carry the name Shigonami!"
"That's right!"
Duyen softly repeated the name,
"Shigonami…"
Did they all share the same family name as Shana?
Shana smiled as she wrapped an arm around Duyen's waist.
"Yes. This is my home. And this will be our home."
Duyen looked at her, confused. She didn't fully understand what was happening—but standing here with Shana and all these women, she felt a strange sense of familiarity.
The blue flame burning in their chests seemed to recognize one another…
---
Elsewhere, Yu, Mina, Nayeon, and Dao landed abruptly in the middle of a snowy forest. The cold swallowed them instantly—especially the girls wearing dresses like them.
Nayeon went from one shock to another, screaming,
"Oh my god! It's freezing!"
The others hugged themselves, shivering. A sudden shift from tropical heat to a cold climate was impossible to adapt to right away. Nayeon hurriedly shoved her head into Dao's fur-lined coat, startling her.
"I'm sorry, I'm so cold…"
Dao didn't mind at all—her teeth and lips were chattering violently anyway. She even hugged Nayeon tighter.
"OH MY GOD, IT'S FREEZING!"
"FREEZING!"
Mina hugged herself silently, enduring both the cold and the human loudspeaker behind her. Irritated, she shot Yu a sharp look. The white-haired girl lay face-down in the snow, barely clothed—if it could even be called clothing.
Yu slowly lifted her head, looking at Mina and the others. Her face was expressionless, but there was a hint of confusion in her eyes—dull gray eyes, completely different from before. Mina blurted out,
"You're… a different Yu?"
Yu didn't answer right away. She simply hugged her slender, trembling body and stood up. Her flat, robotic voice said it all.
"…She left abruptly."
For some reason, Mina felt relieved that this Yu had returned. She asked,
"Where are we?"
Yu looked toward a bustling town in the distance.
"…Based on what I know, this should be Hokkaido."
"…Can you use magic like the other Yu? You know—teleport us straight to Shana?"
Yu shook her head.
"But I know where she is."
Mina hugging herself as she forced her trembling body forward through the snow.
"Fine. We're already here. Follow me."
They all shared the same confused expression, but had no choice except to follow Mina's lead. The moon slowly rose as the sky darkened. Staying in the forest any longer would only be colder—and far more dangerous.