Three hours drifted by as Minazuki glided silently through the sky, its massive, manta-like body cutting smoothly across the wind. The sun hung low, casting a warm gold over the mountain ranges they passed. After nearly a year in isolation, the wide expanse of the world felt… different. Freer. Quieter. Almost peaceful—if not for the chaos they'd left behind in the mountains.
Yun Che sat near the front of Minazuki's broad back, legs crossed, arms behind his head, enjoying the breeze. Jasmine sat beside him, eyes half-closed, letting the crisp air brush against her hair. And directly in front of them, Retsu knelt gracefully on Minazuki's back, her long hair fluttering like a river of midnight.
She would have been serene—
If not for the adorable twitching of her fox ears.
"Young master, Jasmine-san," Retsu finally said, cheeks faintly pink, "how much longer do you intend to toy with my ears and tail? It's… it's really ticklish."
Beside her, Jasmine had one hand on Retsu's left ear, gently rubbing the soft fur as if studying a rare artifact. Yun Che mirrored her on the right side, flicking the ear with deliberate mischief.
Their voices overlapped without hesitation.
"As long as we desire."
Retsu stiffened, letting out a tiny involuntary "Hnn~" that she tried—and failed—to suppress. A faint purr rumbled in her chest before she clamped her hand over her mouth.
Both Yun Che and Jasmine grinned.
Finding out Retsu could purr had doomed her from the start.
What began as innocent curiosity about her new hollow features had evolved into a coordinated campaign of teasing that pushed her to the brink of trembling. Yet… despite her complaints, her tail swayed in tiny, betrayed arcs behind her.
Sometimes, even she had no idea whether she wanted them to stop…
or never stop.
After a particularly loud purr vibrated through her, she gave them a glare so weak it might as well have been a plea.
"…You two are unbearable."
"And yet you haven't run away," Jasmine said dryly, still tugging her ear.
"Yes. Suspicious," Yun Che added with a sly grin.
Retsu covered her face with both hands, ears flattening in mortification. "I—I simply do not want either of you to fall off Minazuki…!"
"Sure, sure," they both said at the same time.
Retsu's tail poofed in embarrassment.
For a few minutes, the only sounds were the wind, Minazuki's deep rhythmic breathing beneath them, and Retsu's occasional soft whimpers whenever someone's finger grazed the base of her ears.
Then Yun Che's tone shifted—curious, thoughtful.
"Retsu," he said. "You mentioned something before. About Yachiru."
Jasmine's fingers froze mid-tease. Her crimson eyes opened fully, sharp and alert.
Retsu stiffened.
Her fox ears stood upright—practically broadcasting her emotions. She slowly turned around, her expression a mix of hesitation, calmness, and lingering shyness from all the teasing.
"…Yes. I did."
Yun Che leaned forward slightly. "What exactly did she say? And how… connected are you two now?"
Retsu lowered her gaze.
The wind blew gently as she searched for the right words.
"Yachiru… is still with me. Inside the mask. Watching the world through my eyes." She touched her chest lightly. "We are one soul split into two sides. Yin and Yang. Light and Shadow. Retsu… and Yachiru."
Jasmine narrowed her eyes. "So she's still conscious? Aware?"
"Very." Retsu's cheeks reddened. "She speaks to me even now. Often. Sometimes… too often."
Yun Che raised a brow. "Too often?"
Retsu fidgeted.
"She, um… she teases me. A lot."
Yun Che blinked. Jasmine smirked.
Retsu continued, flustered.
"She calls you 'her prey' now, young master… and she said something about 'taking turns' with me if I ever—"
Retsu abruptly slapped both hands over her mouth, ears flattening, eyes wide.
Yun Che: "…"
Jasmine: "…"
Yun Che coughed lightly. "A-Ah. I see she hasn't changed."
Jasmine stared at Retsu with an expression that said You poor innocent thing.
Retsu curled into herself, tail wrapping around her like a blanket of shame. "Yachiru is… troublesome."
"And entertaining," Jasmine muttered under her breath.
"And dangerous," Yun Che added. "But… if she's cooperating with you now, then that's good news."
Retsu nodded softly.
"She accepted me. And I accepted her. So long as we share the same heart… we can coexist."
Yun Che smiled warmly.
"That's enough for me."
Retsu's ears perked up. Her tail swayed. And she looked at him with that gentle, soft smile she reserved only for him.
Then Jasmine gave the back of her head a poke.
"Finish the story later. For now—"
She grabbed Retsu's ear again.
"We continue."
"H-Hyaah—! Jasmine-san!"
Yun Che took the other ear.
"Scientific purposes."
"Y-Young master, please—!"
"Have mercy, you tw—"
Retsu suddenly froze mid-complaint, as if silenced by a force neither Yun Che nor Jasmine could see. Her ears twitched. Her expression shifted. Then, with a soft breath, she continued calmly:
"Yachiru said… she should explain herself in person."
"How…?" Jasmine asked before Yun Che could.
Retsu didn't answer. She simply closed her eyes.
A soft shimmer rippled across her face.
SHRRRK.
Her half-hollow mask reappeared on the right side of her head, blood-red patterns pulsing. Retsu's gentle blue eyes darkened—swirling into crimson with vertical black pupils. Her aura turned sharp, predatory, ancient. When she opened her mouth again, her tone was deeper, older… and unmistakably sinister.
"Ara… Konichiwa."
Yun Che's muscles tensed. Jasmine's hand hovered near her waist.
"Are you… Yachiru?" Yun Che asked cautiously in Japanese.
The fox-masked woman tilted her head, lips curling into a wicked smile.
"Don't worry, I can speak the language of this world. Unohana Yachiru. Pleased to meet you, Yuuki… and Jasmine."
Her presence was entirely different from Retsu's—heavier, darker, but strangely elegant. Jasmine stepped forward, eyes narrowing.
"What exactly are you?" she asked.
Yachiru raised two fingers to her lips, giggling behind them.
"Ufufu… you could call me Retsu's other self. The personality forged from her thousand years as Kenpachi. I lingered even after death—until a certain someone" she tapped her mask playfully "fed me a Ten-Tailed Demon Fox soul. The result is this delightful form you see before you."
"W–Wait… Ten-Tailed?!"
Yun Che's voice cracked as the realization hit him like a hammer. He had given Yachiru the power of a Ten-Tailed? His stomach tightened.
Thank the heavens Retsu had won—had subdued her before that monstrous power could spill into the world. If she hadn't… the consequences would have been unthinkable.
Jasmine blinked. "...Just like Zangetsu and Hoyuu."
Yun Che nodded slowly. "So you really are Unohana Yachiru. From Soul Society."
Yachiru's lashes fluttered in amusement.
"Oh my, you do know me. How flattering."
Jasmine tilted her head. "Soul Society…?"
"A world from my past," Yun Che answered briefly, eyes never leaving Yachiru. "And she's one of the most terrifying women it ever produced."
"Ufufu… only the old me," Yachiru purred as she stepped closer. "You, however…"
She leaned in—too close—and inhaled softly along Yun Che's neck.
"Mmm. Such pure energy. Fresh. Tempting. No wonder that girl clings to you like a kitten."
Yun Che stiffened. "Uhhh… thank you?"
Jasmine stared. "…Did she just smell you?"
Before either could pry further, Yachiru flinched, clutching her head.
"Tsk. I can't maintain this link for long. It's my first time borrowing Retsu's body—it's… irritatingly limiting."
As she steadied herself, her red eyes sharpened. A cold, lethal aura spread like a blade across the air.
"One warning, Yuuki-san."
Her voice dropped—dark, low, and deadly serious.
"Retsu is like my twin. Our hearts and senses are linked. Whatever she feels, I feel."
She leaned forward, eyes narrowing dangerously.
"If she loves you… then I love you as well."
A beat.
"But if you break her heart—"
Her killing intent flared like a crimson storm.
"I won't hesitate to break your face. Even if she begs me not to."
The air trembled.
Then the mask cracked—disappearing in a swirl of light—
and Retsu gasped softly as she returned to herself, blinking in confusion.
Rather than reacting with fear, Yun Che simply smiled—warm, steady, and reassuring. He reached out and gave Yachiru a gentle pat on the head.
"Don't worry, Yachiru. I've always cherished Retsu, and I'll continue to do so for the rest of my life. She's a dream come true for me. And if what you say is true…"
His smile widened.
"Then it's an honor to have your affection as well."
Yachiru's grin softened into something far more pleased—almost smug.
"Ufufufu… Mama likes you more."
"…Mama?" Yun Che blinked. He did not have that one on his bingo card. Of all the titles he expected from Unohana Yachiru—Kenpachi, Demon, Butcher of a Thousand Battles—Mama was definitely not one of them.
Yachiru leaned in again, her voice dropping to a sultry whisper.
"We'll meet again once Retsu and I strengthen our bond. Until then… take good care of her for me."
Then—without warning—she sniffed Yun Che's neck again and gave it a slow, teasing lick.
He jolted like she'd electrocuted him.
"Ara… be cautious, Yuuki-san," Yachiru purred, her tongue still tingling with mischief.
"Mama prefers her prey fresh."
As the last of her demonic aura faded away, the mask dissolved—
and Retsu stumbled forward, regaining control of her body.
Her face was crimson.
Her ears trembled.
Her tail fluffed so violently it nearly doubled in size.
She didn't dare look Yun Che in the eyes.
Yachiru licking his neck—boldly, shamelessly, suggestively—had detonated a nuclear-level embarrassment in her heart. Worse, the word "Mama"… and the way she said it… Retsu didn't know whether to faint or scream.
She understood one thing clearly, though:
If she wasn't careful, that shameless fox spirit might actually steal Yun Che's attention.
"Retsu?"
Both Yun Che and Jasmine called out at the same time.
Retsu whipped her head toward them, flustered beyond belief.
"Y-Young master! You can call me Mama as well!"
There was a moment of silence.
Yun Che's reply was immediate, crisp, and absolutely firm.
"No. No. That will not happen. We are the same age. I am very normal. And I am not calling you Mama. For now."
His hands came up defensively as Jasmine let out a long, defeated sigh beside him.
"Honestly… we are collecting weirdos," she muttered under her breath.
As for Yun Che…
he rubbed his neck where Yachiru had licked him, realizing one terrifying truth:
He would need to be extremely careful.
Because dealing with Retsu alone was hard enough…
But dealing with Retsu and her unpredictable, seductive, murderously protective inner demon?
That was a whole new realm of danger.
====================
Three hours earlier, distant rumbles rippled across the mountain range—low, rolling detonations that carried the distinct timbre of cultivators clashing. Yun Che and Retsu exchanged a brief glance, already coming to the same conclusion. The timing was too perfect.
Retsu's Bankai had drawn them like flies to blood.
Someone—or many someones—had reached the last known spot of the heavenly phenomenon and were now fighting among themselves. Trying to seize control. Trying to determine who the mysterious "demonic prodigy" might be.
Yun Che let out a short exhale, untroubled.
"Let them fight. They won't find anything but ashes."
Retsu nodded, her fox ears flicking as she sensed the chaos in the distance. "Their movements are disorganized. They're not prepared for what they're chasing."
More and more signatures flickered across their spiritual senses—far more than when Yun Che had awakened his own Bankai. Their presence blanketed the entire region, like insects swarming a corpse.
"Cultivators… sect elites, assassins, hidden clans, dark practitioners…" Retsu murmured, narrowing her eyes as she counted at least seven powerful auras clashing at once. "All of them, searching for the source."
Yun Che snorted.
"They can form a line for all I care. We're not going back there."
With that, they turned away from the chaos exploding behind them and continued their journey toward Cyan Town, the wind rustling through Retsu's long hair as Minazuki bore them across the skies.
They had other matters to attend to—family, unfinished scores, and a homecoming that was long overdue.
As the clouds parted around them, Yun Che lifted his hand. A faint shimmer appeared beside him—a translucent system screen materializing with a soft chime.
"Alright, let's see our little fox's updated stats," he said casually.
Retsu flushed at the word "little," but leaned closer anyway.
Yun Che's eyes scanned the display, and a sharp grin tugged at the corner of his lips.
====================
Name: Unohana Retsu (Yin Soul)
Body Age: 18
Description:
Unohana Retsu's Yin Soul was intricately forged by the system—summoned into a newly crafted, youthful body, stripped of all memories from her previous life. She stands reborn as a blank slate, yet with the immense potential and instincts that once shaped her into a legend. Her soul is dual in nature: Retsu embodies the Yin, while Yachiru manifests her Yang, forming two halves of one terrifying whole.
Level & Core Attributes
Level: 41 (Spirit Profound Realm – First Level)
Spirit Pressure: 51,000 / 51,000
Soul Combat Prowess: Earth Profound Realm – Seventh Level
Soul Body Prowess: Spirit Profound Realm – Seventh Level
Soul Powers: Soul Reaper, Hollow
=======================
Inner Powers – Unohana Retsu's Exclusive Ability
◆ The Essence of Yin and Yang
Description:
Deep within her soul lies an extraordinary, almost mythical force—the Essence of Yin and Yang. When invoked, Retsu's left eye glows a brilliant blue while her right eye burns with a blazing red, signifying the awakening of dual supreme forces within her.
This power grants her an overwhelming boost in combat:
100% Increase (Full Realm Boost) – When she balances Yin and Yang together or using either on both eyes.
50% Increase (Half-Realm Boost) – When she channels only Yin or only Yang on one eye.
The true brilliance of this essence is its dual cultivation capability. She can simultaneously wield opposite elements that should naturally conflict with zero backlash or instability.
Fire and Water.
Light and Darkness.
The impossible becomes possible—but only while the Essence is active.
If she does not invoke it, the elements remain dormant.
===================
Elements Available for Cultivation
===================
Yang Elements:
Fire
Darkness
Yin Elements:
Water
Light
Description:
This inner force elevates Retsu into a uniquely dangerous existence—one who can seamlessly harmonize what should never coexist, making her a dual-elemental cultivator of terrifying potential.
Zanpakutō:Minazuki (Flesh-Drop Gorge)
Shikai – Special Ability
When released, Minazuki manifests as a one-eyed, flesh-bodied creature with extraordinary healing capabilities. Its presence is calming and restorative, capable of mending severe wounds with its gaze alone.
Minazuki can also transform into a flying beast, large enough to transport passengers across vast distances—allowing Retsu and her allies swift and effortless travel.
Bankai:Minazuki (All Things End)
A terrifying Bankai born from her darkest self—representing decay, dissolution, and absolute carnage.
========================
Below are its full abilities:
◆ Blood Execution
Every successful slash grants 1 Blood Point.
Every kill grants 10 Blood Points.
Each Blood Point increases her combat power by 1%, stacking up to her current maximum capacity.
Current Maximum Capacity: 100 Blood Points
Resets when Bankai ends
Capacity increases with cultivation
==========================
◆ Blood Authority
Each strike injects venom into the target.
With this venom, Retsu can forcefully control opponents—especially those stronger than she is.
Manipulation costs Blood Points
No Blood Points are spent if the opponent's cultivation is lower than hers
The stronger the target, the higher the cost
A terrifying domination art.
==========================
◆ Blood Restoration
By consuming 1 Blood Point, Retsu restores:
2% Stamina
2% Health
2% Reaitsu
This can be used repeatedly so long as points remain.
==========================
◆ Blood Detonation
Allows Retsu to detonate the venom inside the target's body.
The explosion's magnitude depends on how many Blood Points she sacrifices
Can devastate multiple enemies or obliterate a powerful foe instantly
==========================
◆ Blood Resurrection
With this sinister art, Retsu can devour a fallen enemy's body and convert it into a Blood Knight—a loyal undead servant bound entirely to her will.
Blood Point cost varies by desired cultivation
Bodies can be stored inside her inner world
Current limit: 4 Blood Knights
Command Phrase: "Arise."
==========================
◆ Blood Manipulation
A versatile Bankai technique allowing Retsu to reshape Minazuki into any weapon of her choosing.
Scythe
Spear
Sword
Chains
Any shape her mind desires
Minazuki's form flows like blood—changing shape at her command.
==========================
This is Unohana Retsu reborn—Yin and Yang merged, Hollow and Shinigami intertwined, healer and executioner combined.
A walking calamity forged to protect the one she loves.
==========================
[World of Slaughter Domain (Cooldown: One Hour)]
Within the depths of her Bankai, Minazuki, Retsu commands one of her most terrifying abilities—the World of Slaughter Domain.
This domain does not simply alter the battlefield; it redefines it.
When summoned, reality itself twists into a nightmarish arena drenched in crimson haze, where the laws of life and death become indistinguishable. The air thickens with killing intent, and the sensation of countless unseen hands reaches from the shadows, whispering screams of the fallen.
Inside this macabre sanctuary, Retsu's combat strength doubles—a staggering 100% increase in overall power. Every movement becomes ruthlessly efficient, every slash sharpened with lethal intent. Her blade sings with inevitability.
But the true horror is reserved for her foes.
Those who fall to Retsu within this domain suffer a cruel fate:
half of their combat prowess is stripped away, stolen as though the domain itself devours their existence.
For each enemy she slaughters inside this realm, Retsu gains 50 blood points, feeding her ever-growing storm of power.
The World of Slaughter is not a battlefield—it is a harvesting ground.
=============================
[Name: Unohana Yachiru (Yang Soul)]
Description
Unohana Yachiru, once a dominant consciousness within Unohana Retsu's soul, hails from a bloody legacy carved deep within Soul Society. Feared as the primordial Kenpachi, she reveled in endless combat—until the day Zaraki Kenpachi surpassed her, delivering the death she yearned for.
Her soul, heavy with sin, was condemned to Hell, where she earned the grim epithet "Death Sword."
But fate had other plans.
When the system summoned her, Yachiru was granted an impossible second life—reborn within Retsu through the Hollowfication serum containing the soul of a Ten-Tailed Demon Fox. Now, she dwells within Retsu as her inner Hollow, carrying every memory, every scar, every ounce of ruthless instinct from her millennium-long past.
Her presence is both guidance and danger—mentor, monster, sister, and shadow.
Age:Over a thousand years
Soul:Hollowfied Ten-Tailed Demon Fox
==============================
[Visored Form]
Yachiru's Visored manifestations come in two powerful stages.
First Form — Hybrid Fox Visored
When Retsu dons her first mask, her body transforms into a hybrid of woman and fox—ears, tail, and an aura thick with suppressed bloodlust.
This form grants her a 20% increase in combat strength, though it represents only a fraction of the full power Yachiru once wielded. Retsu's body can currently manifest the power of one of Yachiru's ten tails.
===============================
Hollow Techniques
Sonido:The Hollow-exclusive movement art that surpasses Flash Step in raw speed. Retsu blurs through space in an instant, leaving shockwaves where she once stood.
Tailed Beast Ball: By mixing her reiatsu with Yachiru's monstrous Hollow energy, Retsu can forge a massive sphere of condensed destruction—an attack capable of wiping out entire sections of terrain.
Tailed Beast Cero:If compressed and reshaped, the same energy can fire as a Cero—razor-focused, annihilating anything in its path with surgical devastation.
================================
Capabilities
===============================
Kido Master
Once a legendary master of spiritual arts, Retsu retains an innate affinity for Kido. Even without her old memories, her soul remembers the flow of incantations—the precision, the control, the deadly efficiency. Offensive, defensive, healing, and binding spells are all within her grasp.
Master of the Sword and Hand-to-Hand Combat
Her swordsmanship remains unparalleled—calm, graceful, and merciless. Paired with flawless hand-to-hand combat skills, she stands as a true master of every battlefield distance.
Movement Techniques
Flash Step Arts (Senka / Utsusemi / Speed Clones)
Retsu's mobility draws from the pinnacle of Shinigami movement arts:
Senka: A lightning-quick strike that bypasses the enemy's guard to cut vital points.
Utsusemi: A technique that leaves behind an afterimage decoy, evading attacks with ghostlike grace.
Speed Clones: High-level movements so fast that duplicates appear, disorienting and overwhelming opponents.
With time, and with Yachiru's influence, her mastery of these arts will only grow sharper.
============================
"Holy hell, she's even stronger than in her previous lifetime."
Yun Che exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, eyes sweeping over the translucent screen again. "Her abilities might not match Zangetsu or the other Zanpakutō in terms of type, but damn… they're terrifying in their own right. Anyone who picks a fight with her better make sure they've written their will first."
The increase wasn't just numerical—it was monstrous. Elegant, deadly, terrifyingly efficient. And the unsettling part?
If this wasn't even close to her peak in Soul Society… then what she could become now was beyond imagination.
He silently vowed that he would help her unlock every layer of this new self. Properly. Safely. Completely.
Retsu—now calmer, composed, and with a maturity that set her apart from the shy girl she used to be—pressed herself against Yun Che's chest. Her fox tails curled around him in a soft, warm embrace, while her Inari-styled Hollow mask perched delicately at the side of her head like the ornament of a shrine maiden with a dangerous secret. She seemed to be testing its weight, adjusting to its presence, perhaps exploring how the mask shifted her senses.
Yun Che tried his absolute best to remain unbothered.
Jasmine, meanwhile, watched with narrowed eyes and a grin sharp enough to cut steel. That grin hid something else—something she refused to acknowledge even to herself.
Jealousy.
Watching Retsu wrapped around Yun Che like a loyal fox spirit stirred something uncomfortable in Jasmine's chest. She had long denied yearning for such closeness, but seeing them like this made her wonder—just briefly—what it would feel like to stand beside him the same way.
Before she could spiral any further, she reverted to the Jasmine everyone knew.
She punched Yun Che in the head.
Bam.
"Oww! What was that for?!" Yun Che groaned, rubbing the sore spot with his free hand as Retsu clung tighter, eyes soft and amused behind the mask.
"For being an idiot," Jasmine snapped, crossing her arms with a frustrated huff.
"What did I do? I didn't say anything!"
"You don't have to say anything to be an idiot."
"That doesn't make sense!"
"Neither do you." Jasmine clicked her tongue and abruptly changed the subject with the grace of a woman sidestepping her own feelings. "Anyway—why are we stopping at that town?"
Yun Che blinked at her, trying to decipher whether she was acting out of impulse, stubbornness, or something else entirely. Eventually, he resigned himself to treating her moods with the same caution one uses when handling explosives.
"Well," he began, adjusting his posture as Retsu snuggled closer, "nothing complicated. I'm just looking for a proper meal."
Jasmine raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.
"We've been living off the forest for nearly a year. Hunting beasts, cooking with wild ingredients, eating whatever the hell I could grill or boil." He sighed wistfully.
A longing gleam appeared in his eyes.
"I just want to see what this world has to offer. A tavern meal, a cooked dish, tea that doesn't taste like herbs I ripped from a bush… maybe something spicy. Something nostalgic. Something normal."
Jasmine blinked.
"…That's it?"
"That's it."
Retsu nodded softly, her voice echoing through her mask with a doubled tone.
"Young master has been cooking for us for months. A meal prepared by others would be a pleasant change."
Jasmine clicked her tongue again—but this time with less irritation.
"Fine. But if the food tastes terrible, I'm blaming you."
Yun Che laughed under his breath.
"Deal."
They continued gliding through the skies upon Minazuki's massive form—toward Cyan Town, toward food, toward Yun Che's lingering business with the Xiao Clan… and toward the next set of events fate surely had in store for them.
"I think your cooking is more than good enough. Both Retsu and I enjoy it," Jasmine replied as she shifted closer, her earlier irritation fading into something gentler.
"Thanks," Yun Che said, scratching his cheek. "But I still want to taste what this world has to offer. Ever since I reincarnated, I haven't tried a proper meal from an actual town. The system can give me spices, but even the best chef wants a break from his own cooking."
He spoke casually, but there was truth beneath it. For nearly a year, he had fed them with his own hands—hunted beasts, foraged greens, whatever the forest provided. He had managed to recreate dishes from his previous lifetime, earning praise from Jasmine and even coaxing adorable reactions from Retsu. But Yun Che longed for something else: the feeling of sitting at a table, smelling food prepared by someone else, savoring flavors unique to this world.
There was another reason too.
Clothes.
The system store was stocked with Bleach outfits—Shihakushou, Quincy robes, Hollow gear. Great for battle. Terrible for blending in. Wearing all-black Shinigami uniforms in a busy town was asking to be recognized immediately.
He wanted something different. Something his.
"Do either of you want anything when we get to town? Clothes, accessories… underwear?" Yun Che asked with a teasing grin, turning toward Jasmine.
It was a callback to the original story—where Jasmine often requested feminine items.
Jasmine, however, only snorted. "No. Shirayuki already explained that kimonos don't require undergarments. And this one—" she gestured proudly at her red floral kimono with a gold obi, "—is more beautiful than anything even the Realm of the Gods can produce. It moves well, it's comfortable, and it's elegant."
Retsu nodded modestly beside her, dressed in a purple kimono adorned with soft pink blossoms—purple chosen because she had learned it was Yun Che's favorite color.
Yun Che laughed. "You do know some kimonos are meant to be worn with underwear, right?"
Jasmine rolled her eyes at him.
But then her expression shifted—serious, almost hesitant.
"Yun Che… there's something I need to tell you."
He straightened immediately. "What is it?"
"I haven't been completely honest with you. Retsu shared her truth with you. You shared yours with her. And I… kept mine hidden." Her voice softened, but the weight behind it was unmistakable. "Jasmine isn't my real name."
Yun Che blinked.
Then smirked.
"Figured."
Jasmine froze. "…What?"
"You introduced yourself as 'Jasmine,' which follows a naming pattern from a certain country in my world. So I assumed it might be a title or alias. Considering the existence of celestials here, I guessed it was your Divine Realm title."
Jasmine stared at him, stunned.
"Yes… Jasmine is my title. The Heavenly Slaughter Star God—one of the twelve star gods," she admitted, meeting his gaze with quiet resolve.
Yun Che remained calm, too calm. Not because he didn't care—but because he already knew.
"Why are you not surprised?" Jasmine demanded.
Yun Che tapped his temple. "System database. It knows titles and realms, but it still lacks data on names. So I decided it was better for you to tell me yourself. I didn't want to pry."
Jasmine lowered her gaze, bangs hiding her eyes.
"So… you really don't know my name?"
"Nope," he lied smoothly.
There was a tiny spark of relief inside her—a spark she quickly smothered.
"You… are an unpredictable lecher," she muttered, cheeks turning red.
"The 'lecher' part is totally uncalled for," Yun Che groaned. "And how long do you plan to pretend you're asleep?"
"Ara… ara~ I've been caught," Retsu purred as she stretched, still wrapped around him. She sat up, meeting Jasmine's eyes before speaking gently.
"Jasmine-san, we've been together for months. And what young master said is true. You may think you stand alone, but you have him. You have me. You have Shirayuki. You have all of us. We won't abandon you. Not in this world. Not ever." Retsu smiled warmly. "You're my first friend."
"Retsu…" Jasmine whispered, caught off guard by the sincerity.
"And," Retsu added with sudden mischief, "we might even be sisters in the future~"
"With this lecher? Absolutely not!" Jasmine shot back instantly, face crimson.
"As I said," Yun Che deadpanned, "the 'lecher' part is still unnecessary."
Jasmine tried holding back a laugh. She failed.
A moment later, all three of them were laughing—loudly, freely, genuinely. Their laughter echoed across the forest and into the sky, dancing in the wind.
A trio bound by fate.
A trio bound by trust.
A trio bound by something none of them were ready to admit yet.
But one thing was clear:
Traveling together felt right.
Traveling together felt like home.