Chapter 16: Lokni, The Town of Rain

The sky was overcast. Large grey clouds surrounded the land and spanned for hundreds of miles in every direction. A canal ran down the hillside, carrying all of the rain and recycling it for other uses. There was a slight breeze that kept temperatures at cold levels.

Two figures could be seen trekking across the hillside. They were dressed in all black, and one of them wore a large metal kasa, or ronin hat. A few days had passed since their initial departure. The slingshot accelerator had lowered their travel time by almost three or four days.

"...There it is." Shu muttered.

Now at the top of the hill, both members of Silent Night could see the city skyline. A massive column of rain covered the city like a torrential shower. Tall spires rose from the rooftops and stretched into the sky. The majority of the buildings here were tall, similar to skyscrapers. Stained glass windows were everywhere.

A clocktower was in the middle of the city, and it was taller than any of the other buildings and spires. The ticks of the grandfather clock were drowned out by the downpour of rain.

"Shu." Rin called out.

"Hmm?"

"...Hungry." She declared.

"We're almost there. Let's eat when we arrive."

"Mnn." She nodded.

The final part of their journey began as they went down the common road. The sides of the road were muddy, so they made sure to remain on the path. Multiple civilians could be seen exiting the city. All of their belongings were with them. It seemed like they were leaving for good.

Shu took a step and appeared in front of a bystander. His ominous clothing and mana breather left the old man intimidated. The young samurai raised his palm to halt the civilian's movement.

"Hey. Where is everyone going?" He asked.

Unfortunately, he'd forgotten that his voice was scratchy and distorted due to the breather. The old man raised his arms to defend himself. Fear covered his features.

"Ahhhh! Don't hurt me! I've done nothing wrong!" He exclaimed. Shu deadpanned. It was just a question.

"...What? Do not fret, old one. I'm only curious about the circumstances." The sleepy swordsman explained. He pointed to the symbol of a crescent moon on the side of his mask.

"You-You're with Silent Night! Oh goodness, why are you all so terrifying?!"

"Old man…Answer the question."

"Apologies, esteemed one! A lot of people are done with this place. It's cursed! Ever since a few weeks ago, people have been disappearing. Blood stains are the only remains left in their homes!" The innocent geezer said. Shu frowned.

"...I see. You may carry on then."

With those words, the lazy swordmaster walked away. Rin was already catching up. He nodded his head toward the entrance. That gesture was enough for her to understand. It was time to enter.

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The first thing Shu realized after exploring the place was that he needed an umbrella. The young man was already soaked from the rain. The snow demon was perfectly dry, her metal kasa shielding her from the downpour. It was only now that he wished he brought one. Every member of Silent Night had one, but it was up to them if they would wear it or not.

Large gargoyle statues could be seen on the majority of rooftops that weren't civilian based. Some held greataxes while others sported long double sided twin blades. It was an interesting observation.

"Shu! Food!" Rin exclaimed while pointing to a nearby restaurant. It was a ramen bar. People could be seen slurping up noodles through the window panes.

"Mnn." He hummed in agreement.

Upon entering, a tired man with sunken eyes approached. He seemed incredibly depressed as if he'd lost everything. Upon reaching the two, he passed out two menus.

"What can I get for you?" He asked unenthusiastically. The man wasn't fazed at all by their outfits.

"...Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen." Shu answered.

"Udon!" Rin exclaimed.

"Coming right up. Find a seat and we'll return with your orders."

The man trudged back to the kitchen to relay the new orders. Rin sped over to a table near the window and sat down. Shu casually followed. He was getting used to this weird girl's antics. It didn't seem like she grew up with home training.

As they waited for their food, the sleepy samurai noticed a middle aged woman at a table further away. She was quietly sobbing while an older woman with grey hair rubbed her back. Shu focused on their conversation.

"I can't do it anymore…I can't."

"You can, my daughter. Please don't give up."

"I can't find my son, mom! My little boy! He disappeared. There was only blood in his room! He's gone. Gone! Just like all the others…Why me?! I've worked so hard!" She cried. The older woman sighed.

"This curse is terrible. The gods have forsaken this city. We should leave at once like the others. I…I think something is crawling around at night."

Hearing this conversation, Shu frowned. It was ominous. After looking at the other tables, his frown deepened. Not a single person carried a smile. It was as if the weight of the world was tearing them down. Like they all lost someone close to them.

"Shu."

The young samurai turned back to Rin, who was staring at him intensely. He didn't say anything and waited for what she had to say. The dark ronin had a serious expression on her face.

"I won't help you find the cause of this. I will only be assisting with combat. This is your mission, and we need to know that you can make smart decisions on your own. Only then will you be allowed to go unsupervised. Your battle strength isn't the only thing that matters to Silent Night." She declared.

Shu raised an eyebrow. He wasn't expecting her to be so serious. Either way, it's not like he was going to ask for her input. He'd been alone for an extremely long time already. If he wasn't able to make smart decisions, he wouldn't have even made it to Valsir.

"...Ok." He responded. It didn't matter to him.

At this moment, their food arrived. Rin immediately dug in while Shu removed his breather. He could hear conversations all throughout the place. They all spoke of the curse.

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