By the time Lucian downed his fifth can of beer, his tongue was already going numb.
He was never much of a drinker, but a man's fragile pride always whispered I can handle it, which was how he ended up hyping himself up like this.
Meanwhile, Hoshiguma had already finished over a full crate—three times what he'd had—without even flushing.
Lucian had never once seen her drunk. Not even tipsy.
He really couldn't compete…
Lucian surrendered. "H-Hoshiguma… I still have to open the shop tomorrow. Maybe we can stop for today…"
She gave him a half-smiling look and handed over another can.
The entire room reeked of alcohol, and to Lucian the smell alone was practically a sedative. He could only obediently keep drinking.
Seeing how docile he was, Hoshiguma burst out laughing. "You're way too easy to push around. You better be careful—someone shady could get you drunk and drag you home. 'Drinking culture is outdated,' right? As a modern young man you should boldly say no."
"That's my line!" Lucian slapped the table—then hiccupped.
Hoshiguma, bold, brash, and mischievous, was someone Lucian had met right after first arriving in Lungmen.
Or more accurately—she was the one who picked him up.
Back then, he'd just drifted into Lungmen with absolutely nothing. Even though he'd managed to get in, he didn't know the city layout at all.
People in the Slums helped each other, but they were extremely wary of outsiders.
Especially considering Lucian had Exusiai with him.
Two young, good-looking Angels who looked like they'd run away from home—most people saw that as a pair of plump, easy targets.
He could accept whatever happened to himself, but there was no way he'd let anything happen to Exusiai.
So when he was hesitating at the edge of desperation, wondering whether he should stoop to begging, Hoshiguma spotted him while he was frozen in indecision in front of a candy shop:
"You've got terrible instincts. Ask anyone else for help and at worst you'd get stripped or sold. But if you go to this shop? Forget your dignity—they'll bleed you dry."
Lucian learned much later that this candy shop belonged to the Rat King.
Lin was a kind grandfatherly figure—but only toward people he found useful.
If Lucian had gone to him then, he absolutely would've been squeezed dry of every scrap of value he had.
Remembering that moment, Lucian shook his head with a laugh. "Hoshiguma, you scared the hell out of me back then. A huge Oni towering over me with that terrifying expression… that was the first time I seriously thought an Oni would drag me away. You were scarier than any Originium beast out in the Wilderness."
"Shut it."
Hoshiguma grabbed his face and pinched hard. "Don't complain about me being too tall—you're just short. You've grown a lot these past few years. Keep going and try to surpass me."
Lucian grinned. "That's… a stretch. I'll do my best."
And he really did treat Hoshiguma like an actual big sister—utterly unguarded around her.
Back then, Hoshiguma was already a dominating presence in the Slums.
No one knew what she'd been through before coming to Lungmen—only that she arrived alone from Higashi.
With just a shield and an absurdly tough body, she quickly carved out her own place in Lungmen's underworld—without relying on the Rat King.
She never bullied the weak or caused trouble. Loyal, righteous, terrifyingly strong, and an absolute juggernaut with alcohol. She was like a wandering heroic ronin straight out of a comic.
Thanks to her, Lucian had managed to get his footing and find a way to survive in Lungmen.
To someone who had seen the brutal reality of Terra, Hoshiguma back then had truly been a beacon of justice.
He continued, flushed from drink, "I'll only drink with you, Hoshiguma. No one else could force me… And who would even try something with me? If it were some other woman who drank like this, I'd warn her, but you're different. You can't get drunk, right?"
"Oh? You're worried about me?"
Still drinking one can after another, Hoshiguma smirked. "I can get drunk. But seeing it won't be easy. Not even you and Ch'en together could pull it off. How about next time the three of us drink? I'll help you get Ch'en wasted and drag her home."
Lucian jolted violently and shook his head. "No no no no NO. I don't want to die. Whether it's being chopped up by Inspector Ch'en or shot by El, no thanks!"
"Tch. Still not drunk enough."
Hoshiguma clicked her tongue in disappointment—an absolutely terrifying sight.
Oni had a reputation for being violent and impulsive—barely rated above Sarkaz among the public. But Hoshiguma was the exception of exceptions.
She rarely talked. She was cold, to the point of being aloof.
And she never smiled around outsiders. Lucian had only ever seen her relaxed like this around him and Ch'en.
Being one of the chosen few she invited to drink was an honor. So even though she knocked him out every time, he kept showing up, pretending to complain.
After a few more cans, even his Halo started wobbling.
He slurred, "Hoshiguma… how's it in the Lungmen Guard Department? No one giving you trouble, right? If something pisses you off, tell me. I'll deal with it."
"Oh? So brave now."
Knowing he was drunk, Hoshiguma leaned her cheek against her hand, amused. "Of course I get trouble. Look—who else do I drink with besides you and Ch'en? I'm from the Slums. My criminal record will never disappear. I've been stuck at the same rank for three years; everyone who joined with me either got promoted or died on duty. Guess how badly the higher-ups want to promote me twice in a row?"
"Damn it! I'll go deal with that bastard Wei Yenwu and his corrupt cronies!"
Lucian slammed back another drink, shouting things he'd never dare say when sober.
Seeing him angry on her behalf, Hoshiguma's smile widened.
She spoke calmly, "Chief Wei gave me a chance. Letting someone like me rise this far is already bending the rules. Even if he swapped me out, it wouldn't matter. The superiors, the other officers, even the citizens—my identity as an Oni already puts them on edge. If they knew I was from the Slums too? They'd plaster the whole department with protest letters. That's the label stuck on me. It's not something I can scrub off."
She stated the cruel truth in the most matter-of-fact tone, and even drunk, a chill ran down Lucian's spine.
Reality was harsh. Heroes existed only in fantasy.
For countless reasons, Hoshiguma going from a mafia enforcer to a Guard Department inspector was already like reaching the heavens in a single step.
But only she knew what she'd paid for that step.
Even now, many in the Slums thought she'd betrayed them—sold out her own people for glory.
Unlike Lucian, she no longer had anywhere to return to.
The unfairness of it all made Lucian's chest twist with frustration. He completely lost his restraint. "Come on, Hoshiguma! Cheers! Tonight I'm drinking you under the table!"
"Well said."
Hoshiguma grinned wickedly and clinked cans with him, egging him on.
…And then.
It didn't take long. Unsurprisingly, Lucian collapsed face-first onto the table.
The Holy Son snored thunderously, his cheek smushed against the wood.
Even his Halo turned red and fell off—lying on the table completely detached from him.
Hoshiguma blinked in surprise, picking up the Halo. "You Angels really have weird body structures… what even is this fluorescent lamp? Does it have texture?"
After a beat of hesitation, she stuck out her tongue and licked it.
Lucian: "…!"
His whole body twitched—then went still again.
Hoshiguma made a fascinated noise. "Amazing. It really does have sensation… Then how can it detach like this? Is it just you, or all Angels?"
Besides Lucian and Exusiai, she'd never met other Angels. And because of various… conflicts, she wasn't going to ask Exusiai.
But it didn't matter.
Hoshiguma set the detached Halo on the table, and it slowly faded out of existence.
Only Hoshiguma knew this: when Lucian got drunk, his Halo vanished.
Without it, he looked completely ordinary—no racial traits at all. To people of this world, it was bizarre.
Hoshiguma picked him up effortlessly and laid him on her bed.
Sitting at the edge, she looked down at his defenseless sleeping face and chuckled, pinching his cheek. "Weren't you going to drink me under the table? Useless. You've grown a lot, sure, but your face is still such a baby face… no wonder Swire likes you so much."
Working in the same department, she of course knew Swire was obsessed with Lucian.
She didn't know Swire's exact reasons, but the face was definitely part of it.
How did she know?
Well—because she felt the same.
She snorted. "And you said men can't get taken advantage of. If I snapped a photo right now and sold it to Swire, guess how much she'd pay? You owe me so much."
Hoshiguma leaned over Lucian, her long green hair falling like a curtain and covering both their faces.
…Lucian's snoring cut off.
Something was blocking it.
For an instant, only two uneven breaths filled the quiet room.
Hoshiguma pulled back slightly, breathing heavier. "All booze… and sweet."
Lucian always thought Hoshiguma was the exception for her race—calm, rational, self-controlled.
He was wildly mistaken.
As she leaned down again, the hunger in her movements was pure, authentic Oni.
The night was still long.
And Hoshiguma's "reward time" had only just begun.