It was only natural that an emergency meeting was called to determine the direction they would take the city after the unprecedented disaster. Seni tapped his fingers, glancing at everybody seated around the table.

Huan finally spoke up. “So what with this rotten arm on the table?”

“This is my divine organ,” Weishan replied. “Well, it was. It has unfortunately rejected me, and thus, I have gathered every capable person I know of to this table to determine who I shall pass it on to.”

“Then why are none of the city council members here?” Liuan questioned.

“Who?”

“Nevermind.” She turned towards the other Syndicate leaders. “For all of you who don’t know what we’re dealing with, this is an ancient artifact known as a divine organ that will grant a powerful boon to you. Remember what the boss was saying about one of us having the chance to become an immortal?”

Seni couldn't help but glance at Min, whose expression hadn’t changed. 

Taiwei shoved her hand under Huan’s chin and shoved his hanging jaw shut. “Hold on. So it rejected the boss? How does that happen? I think we deserve to know exactly what we’d be getting ourselves into. Please give us an explanation.”

“Gladly,” said Weishan. “You could say that these divine organs have a will of their own. An entity known as the Outcast inhabits this one. We can’t say for certain who or what these entities are - or were - but it’s as if their consciousnesses are embedded into these organs. No, that may as well be the case. The users of these artifacts need to keep them satisfied, or else they will attempt to take control of your body.”

“Satisfied? How do we satisfy a dismembered, rotting arm?” the slim man with the ponytail asked.

“Think. What would an Outcast want?”

“...Acceptance into society?”

Weishan leaned back into his dusty old chair. “Close. Someone who was cast out, but watched from the sidelines as others achieved happiness...in other words, what they would desire is, without a doubt, companionship. Love, even.”

Seni glanced at Min once more. This time, his face had tightened up, and he had leaned forward to listen more intently.

Just as he bent his body over the table, the finger bones of the dismembered arm twitched. Everybody focused their gaze on the divine organ.

“I’m not the only one who saw that, right?” said Seni.

It stretched its fingers outward and twisted its wrist, then swiveled and pointed its bony index finger.

Everybody looked at Min.

“No!” Huan shouted, breaking the silence and causing nearly everybody to jump out of their seats. “All the hard work I put into the investigation! I single-handedly carried the entire squad trying to squeeze evidence out of those gangsters!”

“And that’s why I prepared three million Aen before we started. You’ll find the money in your kitchen,” Weishan responded.

 Huan relaxed and nodded his head. “T-three million. Right”

When Min looked at the dismembered arm, he found himself getting lost in its details. As he squinted his eyes, he noticed strange, intricate carvings etched onto the bones like runes. He could only describe the effect as getting tunnel vision, like there was nothing else in the room. It wrenched his gaze away from the surroundings, claiming his eyes as its own.

Min reached out his hand to the arm and touched its surface. The bones shuddered, then reached out and grappled on, Their fingers intertwined as it pressed itself against Min’s forearm. It phased straight through his skin and melted into his flesh, somehow fitting perfectly into his right arm.

 

Liuan had been giving Taiwei a tour of her brothel and introduced her to the prostitutes that had worked closest to Liuan.

Although the air was filled with a rosy scent that made Taiwei tingly inside, it was a welcome change of pace from the smoky warehouses and meeting rooms that were filled with smoke while she was still the head of the drug trade.

Ever since the Boss had decided to focus on solving the problems of the city, they had completely stopped their narcotics industry. It was partly due to his regained passion for the well being of humans, and partly because the flood had also destroyed most of their inventory of drugs. 

“Are you really leaving?” a dark-haired prostitute asked.

Liuan smiled. “I’ll remember you all. But I’ve got some business to do with a friend from the past.”

“You can trust me,” Taiwei spoke out.

The prostitute turned away. “Mm. We’ll see.”

Just then, the large set of polished doors swung open. Sunlight flooded in, immediately ruining the dim yet warm lighting that had been set up, sparkling in the puddles that had formed on the street outside. 

Seni waved a hand in front of his nose. “Whew. What’s with the smell in here? Liuan, have you been working in an aphrodisiac-filled hooker mansion this entire time?”

“It’s not aphrodisiac. It’s the perfume,” she replied.

“Same thing. Haven’t you heard what those salesmen claim that their cologne will do to women? Well, at least it isn’t pheromones released from all the lovemaking going on in this cum cave.”

“Please do not refer to my establishment as a ‘cum cave’ ever again.”

“Gotcha. Anyway, I was going to explain where we plan to go after we leave, just so you know what you’re getting yourself into. Trust me, I hate the cold as much as you do-”

Liuan rushed over and clapped her hand over his mouth. “Quiet! We’ll talk about this in a more discreet location. You never know who might be listening.”

He nodded. “Mmf.”

She picked him up like a child and carried him directly to her private office, attracting strange glances from every corner. A drop of sweat began to form on her forehead when whispers started to circulate. 

Slamming the door behind her, she plopped Seni down on a cushioned chair, and she sat behind her incredibly empty desk.

“I thought you’d have at least one small statue in here,” Seni commented, looking around the office.

“I just had this place cleaned out. So, you were saying?”

“Right. We’re going to Hintar.”

Liuan folded her hands together and leaned forward. “Escaping to another country?”

“That’s the most logical decision. I want to set up base in Hintar, preferably in another city so we don’t get attacked without a bunch of witnesses around. Also, I plan to find the blade of my sword in the mountains. Then, after we get it back, we head straight for-”

“Hold on! In the mountains? Putting aside how dangerous it is, precisely how did the other half of your sword end up in the Hintar mountains?”

“No clue. I just remember it was the last place when I had an intact sword, so that’s where I’ll go to look first.”

“Couldn’t you just get another blade forged?”

“Come to think of it, you’re quite right. It’s not exactly a priority. I’d consider your suggestion more if I didn’t lose a blade that had three runes carved on it. Do you have any idea how rare a weapon with three runes is, let alone one!? It’s our family heirloom, Zhou Liuan!”

“And precisely what will you do if we don’t find it?”

“Then we’ll sail straight for the Western Continent off the coast of Hintar.”

“So, let me get this straight. People are after you because you have the Librarian’s Brain, and someone has already destroyed your house in the countryside less than a month ago. Would you mind describing the assailant for me?”

Seni briefly considered whether or not it was a good idea to reveal this information, then shook his head to clear his thoughts. “Yeah. Sure. It was this phoenix guy with these big flaming wings and bird feet. Those claws were deadly sharp. He probably had some expensive armor on, and a...spear or something? Maybe it was a halberd. Or pike. I’m not exactly well versed in weapon terminology, you see.”

“A half-phoenix immortal, expensive armor, long weapon...hold on, I’m sure he visited this city. If I remember correctly, our dear friend Taiwei once met that guy in one of those expensive pubs. They struck up a conversation, and at the end of it, he left her one of his feathers to put in her hat.”

“Really?”

“Well, either that or they had a one night stand after she consumed at least two gallons of alcohol, and she found one of his feathers in the bed at dawn.”

He tapped his chin with his finger. “So that means we know for sure that guy was here. Did she mention what he talked to her about?”

“I don’t think anyone can remember what they talked about after drinking as much as she does every time she walks into a bar.”

“Okay. It’s a better lead than nothing, I guess. Maybe we should check with the city guard - no, nevermind. Someone might have seen me during last night’s scuffle, and I get promptly thrown in prison after that stunt with the river.”

Liuan laughed, then rubbed Seni’s soft hair. “I believe we can do much better than that. Let’s try and speculate. So if he came into this city, it’s probably because he was tracking the Librarian’s Brain down, right? He shouldn’t be any older than you, so I can guess that he didn’t use magic or something to figure out where it was. Maybe you can tell me what I’m thinking.”

Seni widened his eyes. “Holy shit, I’m mentally disabled. In other words, we know for certain he got help. He wasn’t alone in this whole thing. Still, why would they send a young immortal out on a crucial mission like this?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “Honestly, it beats me. Maybe their organization is small, and they split up their searches to cover more ground. Either way, we just don’t have enough information. Let’s continue with our initial plan to escape to Hintar. To me, it seems like a good idea, especially since that guy could have ties to the Empire’s government.”

 

Min was packing Seni’s books into their travel sack, along with enough supplies to last the entire journey, and his entire life savings (most of which had been lost when the inn was destroyed). His head perked up when he noticed someone running up from behind, his ears slightly twitching the sound of their footsteps. 

“W-wait! Min!” the man shouted.

“...”

Ainsworth leaned down, panting. Although he looked somewhat disheveled, there didn't appear to be any injuries on his body.

“I thought you were going to leave us alone from now on,” Min stated. 

“Mate, I know. I know.  It was a stupid thing to say. Either I come back to you guys, or I get hunted down for the rest of my life. The Syndicate is gonna kill me, Min. I was there with you. They know that I know their identities.”

“Well, have they tried coming after you?”

“No, but are we going to wait around until they do!?”

Min groaned and realized they were going to have to hunt animals on the road in order to procure enough rations for a party of four.

Seni noticed Ainsworth and chuckled the moment he saw him. “I can’t believe you’re still alive.”

“Anybody mind telling me who this is?” Liuan said.

“Some guy we picked up from the shitty district. Although, by the time your boss is done rebuilding it, I’m guessing it won’t be as shitty.”

“Former boss.”

“Right.”

She walked over and stuck her face directly into Ainsworth’s, staring into his eyes and sizing him up. “Are you sure you want to bring this guy with us?”

Seni sighed and shook his head. “Believe me, I know what you’re thinking. He’s a human, so he’s just gonna hold us back. But he knows way too much. I’m not going to leave him here to get tortured by the next immortal who comes looking for divine organs.”

Ainsworth nervously stepped away from Liuan and bowed. “Woah, rockfill out critical paperwork, strawberry.”

Liuan stared at him in silence, wondering if he was all right in the head.

“He says, ‘it’s a pleasure to meet you’.” Min translated. “Foreign accents take a bit of time to get used to.”

Seni lightly clapped Min on the back. “C’mon. Let’s get going. Time is money, right?”

He nodded in response, hauling the travel pack over his shoulders. “Right.”

They walked through the streets, taking in every sight around them. Construction workers were busy repairing the damage done to the city. Min turned to look at Seni, who had shirked his gaze.

“No need to worry about it. You might have caused at least a million Aen of property damage, but what’s done is done,” said Min, laying a hand on Seni’s shoulder.

“...I probably killed a bunch of innocent people, too.”

“Mm. Well, you know, the good thing is that you’re showing remorse over it. I mean, I personally don’t really give a shit about other people, but it’s good to have someone with a conscience in the squad. If you were like the other immortals, you wouldn’t even blink when thinking about it.”

“I give a shit,” Ainsworth argued. “Seni, it’s not okay to-”

“Oh, shut up. Aren’t you the one who revealed everything about us the moment they started hurting you a little?”

“Seni, how much did you get paid for babysitting these two?” Liuan remarked. 

When they arrived at the city gates, a long line of the Syndicate guards were lined up along the sides of the street. They raised their spears and pounded them into the ground, creating a rough rhythm, then knelt in near-perfect synchronization.

Huan had been standing in the middle of the road to greet them and walked up to the party of four.

He and Ainsworth exchanged an awkward glance before he cleared his throat and presented them with a rucksack.

“‘Scuse the performance. We only had a couple hours to rehearse. In any case, I…” he began, then trailed off into silence. “Okay, okay. Fuck this script. Liuan, I’m gonna miss you. But more importantly, here’s a share of my bloody reward money. Considering I’m now filthy rich, it wouldn’t hurt to lend some help to a friend in need.”

Liuan smiled brightly and spread out her arms.

Huan nervously stepped forward, then took a deep breath and embraced her in a warm hug. 

“This means a lot to me,” she whispered in his ear. “Thank you.”

He sniffled, holding back a tear. “...No hard feelings with any of you guys, right?”

Min walked up to pat his shoulder. “We’re not that petty. If that were the case, we wouldn’t be any more mature than you youngsters. Or Ainsworth.”

Reluctantly, Huan stepped aside as the city gates rolled open. Sunlight streamed through the gap, and Seni had to blink his eyes a couple of times to adjust to the radiant light from outside. The party of four all exchanged glances, then stepped forward.

 

The scene was grotesque, to say the least. 

Masumi stroked his beard, then placed his hand on his hip. He looked at Ryota, who also seemed to be in deep thought.

The body was splayed out against the wall, pinned to the structure by metal spikes. Whoever the murderer was wanted to be found out. This type of display was meant to send a message.

Most people had vomited after witnessing the sight, especially with the intestines hanging from the disemboweled belly. The eyes were rolled back, with slashed cheeks that caused the mouth to be constantly held open wide. 

In other words, an absolute bastardization of the human body.

“So, how’d he die?” Ryota asked.

Masumi cupped his chin with his hand. “It’s difficult to say until we’ve got this poor fellow taken down and autopsied. Still, I can make a few guesses.”

Squinting his eyes, he focused on the man’s shredded clothes and ripped skin. 

“These lacerations,” he muttered. “You see those slashes? They’re slashes, Ryota. He wasn’t hacked by an ax. Judging by their position, his tendons were probably cut. I don’t know if he was killed by the disembowelment since it could have happened after he already died. Sometimes, sick bastards will make dead bodies look even more gruesome to spread terror.”

“Maybe he died from blood loss, looking at all those injuries. Looks like a hundred terrible wounds on his body,” Ryota commented.

“...What’s taking the guards so long? We need this body taken down. The citizens are terrified - okay, someone just stepped on my tail.”

Whipping his head around, Masumi glared at a man who was sitting on the floor, shaking and pointing at the dead body. 

“Se-S-S-Seiji!” the man stammered in fright. “He...what happened to him!?”

It was as if the frightened man hadn’t even noticed Masumi, seeing nothing but the dead man hung up on the wall.

Ryota and Masumi nodded their heads at each other and approached the man.

“Seiji? Was that his name?” Masumi questioned, leaning down.

“O-oh! Uh, um, sir! I didn't see you there, I, I…”

Masumi let the silence trail on for a while.

“Right! Right, sorry. His name was Seiji,” the man replied, scratching his head.

“Who was he? What was his job? What was his family name?”

“Do-Domen, sir. Domen Seiji! I, uh, I don’t really know much about ‘im, but he was a nice enough guy.”

Snapping his fingers, Masumi turned on his heel. Ryota followed, grabbing the man by the arm and taking him with them. 

“Come,” said Masumi. “We’re going to take a look at the records. Hopefully, this Seiji fellow is actually registered here, or else we’ll have nothing about him.”

“And he’d better have been paying his taxes,” Ryota growled.

 

AN: I wonder if it would look better if I put in these transitions between the scenes.

For example-

 

The Chosen Undead fell to the ground as his body was once more eviscerated in a flurry of blades.

"Git gud," the Dancer declared as she performed Sulyvahn's iconic performance known as the default dance on top of his charred corpse.

 

...

 

"Damn I'd fucking bend Gwyndolin over a rail and smash his boypussy, you know what I'm saying?" Ornnstein exclaimed.

 

Basically, I'd put the "..." ellipses transition between the scenes.