Shihon woke up with a cold feeling that crept and dug into her entire existence.

An indescribable, disgusting sense of fear that permeated and clung unto her insides was unable to be shaken off of her as her heart pounded within her chest with a hellish dread, and she sat up instantly, inhaling and exhaling deeply with a visibly trembling body.

What...the hell…..is this…?

Her teeth chattered, a sharp pain lingered in her lungs every time she took a single breath in, and her eyes watered.

She wanted to cry, she wanted to yell, she wanted to scream, but the lump in her throat and the silence that escaped her lips every time she tried to open them persisted.

She had never felt this way before. Never in her entire life, since the day that she had hatched from that egg inside of Liohime's pouch that sat in the bedroom closet until now.

Trying to calm herself down, it took several seconds before she could even shift her attention to her surroundings, and her entire body froze.

She was sitting up in an unknown bed, in an unknown room, shrouded in complete darkness, and immediately, a thought quickly rushed into her mind.

Master..?

Liohime Kitagami was nowhere to be found, and the last time that she remembered seeing him was in the bar that was situated close to home.

So, where am I…?

Unease filled the air as it was continually expunged from her deep but quick breaths. Within a world that she had no clue of, she slowly slid off of the bed and stood up.

She had to understand where she was at. Her first instinct was to head straight to the door, but every step that she took seemed to make her sway, so she immediately leaned on the wall near the bed and held her forehead with her left hand.

F-Fuck, there's no way I drank that much. Why am I feeling as if I'm-

She paused.

As if I'm….

…Still in a dream.

She stared downwards, noting the polished, pristine solidified floorboards that she currently stood on and winced.

Everything that she saw in the dark was a slight haze.

The more she attempted to concentrate on what she was experiencing, the more she felt like she was trapped within a reality that shouldn't exist.

She could tell that something was up by the fading crackling sound around her, by the hazy atmosphere, and by what she saw next as a chill ran down her spine.

As soon as she raised her eyes, she saw herself.

Shihon, barely managing to stand up, stared in horror as Shihon slept silently and soundly in bed.

She held her breath, unable to take her eyes off of the peculiar scenario, and her thoughts spiralled out of control as she continued to gaze at the sleeping beauty.

This isn't real.

This isn't real. This isn't real. This isn't real.

This isn't real. This isn't real. This isn't real. Please, help me. Someone. Anyone. This isn't real. I know it isn't. It surely isn't.

So why…

Why does it feel so-

Creak.

The sounds of the floorboard creaking a few feet away from her caught her attention, and like a robot, she mechanically twisted her head.

A dark figure engulfed with a shadowy black and blue stood, staring straight back at her.

No visible features except for its eyes appeared, which were two glowing circles of a shimmering light blue.

Its body was like a woman, but it also resembled a horrifying monstrous form that stood on its hind legs.

And before she could speak, scream, hell, even breathe, its arm stretched out slowly…

Pointing.

A darkness that resembled claws grew from its palms as it motioned hauntingly to the young woman in bed.

And from there, it spoke with a ghastly, deep, feminine voice.

"KINEN…IS COMING."

--And Shihon yelled out at the top of her lungs as she got up from bed, convulsing with fear as she woke up from her nightmare in the Kimetsu Hotel.

***

Liohime gulped.

So this is what was really up.

A setup had been planned for a test of both his and Jolene's combat skills, disguised as an emergency meeting from the client of the Paradisus Legion.

Thus, they both had no time to prepare specifically for this challenge, and they were put on the spot against four others to say how well they could last against them.

However…

"Ah, and Magical Beasts are also allowed for both parties involved."

That sentence from Matsuo Yamamoto, the Chief of the Shinigami Soldiers, had hit him hard.

As far as he knew, all of his other co-workers had their own personal Magical Beasts with them, and each one of them were most definitely prepared to use them in this situation.

Meanwhile, Shihon was…

S-Shit, will she still be alerted if I try to send out a mental link to her? And even if she responds, will she be able to hold her own if she's still….well, tipsy?

"Hahaha, what a surprise!" yelled Jolene enthusiastically, who welcomed the challenge. "This is gonna be fun, don't you think, Shrimpdick!? It's just like old times!"

"L-Like old times!? What are you even fucking talking about!? We never did this shit together before!"

"Just a heads up, you guys! All of you are gonna be sent packing by the both of us, so get ready to eat the concrete below you!"

"Try not to injure each other too much, will you?" pleaded Matsuo, already noting Jolene's thirst for violence. "I want my members ready for the upcoming mission."

Still, in his mind, Matsuo Yamamoto was eager to witness the synergy between the two that now held their backs to each other and anticipated the oncoming onslaught.

Show me the fruits of your labor based on your training. Show me just how much you've improved.

He smiled, keeping his gaze fixed intently on Liohime, who was a major part of his life.

Show me that you're ready to handle your last mission.

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