Mikino clicked her tongue in frustration, her body quivering with rage at the thought of being Tsukino's subordinate.
'Lucien!'
His name stormed through her mind, fueling her anger. First, he had restored her eyesight, then tied her up in a pit, and finally, forced her to serve under the lowest member of Yurei.
She grabbed cups of sake, downing them one after another.
'Does he think I lack conviction to execute my revenge on my own?'
She consumed more sake, and by each cup her anger seemed to skyrocket.
'Who needs Yurei? I was planning to take revenge on my own from the start! I'll never go near their base or the Primordial space again!'
Just as she finished drinking, a sweet voice teased from beside her, "That petite is indeed your boss, and you're already here before the meeting time."
Mikino turned toward Saruko's direction, though she couldn't see her with the blindfold on. She gritted her teeth, recognizing the voice as one of the women who defeated her last night.
Saruko chuckled, sitting next to her. "No need to worry, we all want to take care of the gambling den, and until then, we'll be allies. You get that, Mikino Kasturagi-rin."
For a fraction of a second, Mikino's mind went blank as she recalled Tsukino's words: "I'll take care of the gambling den; you focus on investigating the Hakuren District, our next target."
Mikino's face paled as she realized she'd been tricked.
However, a plan formed in her mind, and her lips curled into a smile.
'Maybe I can use the Zaha Organization to reclaim my family's property. They're here to take it down, after all.'
Mikino poured Saruko a cup of sake, smiling as if last night's events were just a dream. Her acting skills were impeccable, honed from her time in the camp and her role as an automaton in Yurei - she could be considered the best in the field.
She asks, "When do you plan to take down the den?"
Saruko took a sip, replying, "Today, of course. The earlier, the better."
Before Mikino could process the words, Saruko vanished into thin air, leaving only a whisper:
"Thanks to the commotion you caused yesterday, the gambling den has its eyes on you. Now that you're here, they might just take you out. Let's meet on the second floor... if you're still alive, that is."
Mikino's face contorted in confusion, and she muttered, "Aren't we supposed to be allies?"
A husky voice responded from behind her, "I could be your ally, that's only if you buy this big sister of yours some sake. Big sis loves a good drink, you know?"
Mikino turned, smashing the bottle of sake into the woman's head. As the woman's head thudded against the table, Mikino grabbed it, pounding it repeatedly, yelling;
"I don't need you! I can do this on my own! Why would I need someone with me when I came into this world alone?"
Mikino poured a bottle of sake on the girl's face, ignoring the her screams as she threw her toward the burning essence sticks on the table, leaving fate to decide her fate.
The crowd began cheering at her violent act, and Mikino's expression darkened, muttering, "That cousin of mine must have put me through the hunt."
Using her nose, she picked up a familiar scent from last night, belonging to the female announcer.
She teased, "Can I make some money out of this?"
The announcer trembled for a few seconds before scurrying about, carrying two large baskets.
She waved a bell, capturing everyone's attention, and yelled, "Both contestants and spectators can participate! Those betting on Mikino from Yurei to be slaughtered in this hunt, place your bets on my right. Those betting on her survival, place your bets on the basket on my left!"
Almost everyone rushed to place their bets on the announcer's right, leaving Mikino rummaging through her hidden stash of Kojin notes – the space in between her chest.
However, her expression immediately sank as she took only a 50 platinum Kojin note.
'Lucien, how dare you search a girl's body while she's unconscious?! I won't forgive this humiliation, even if it takes a thousand lives!'
Mikino's frustration was palpable, her anger etched on her face. She became the only person to place a bet on herself.
When the betting process concluded, the announcer yelled in joy, "As per the law of the first-floor hunt, you're all allowed to use Akiraka and any elemental release Tama! Let the hunt begin!"
As the words faded, Mikino grabbed three bottles of sake and hurled them at the individuals wielding katanas, knocking them out.
The spectators applauded, and Mikino clicked her tongue in frustration.
She approached the table with the most sake bottles and began throwing them at the people on the first floor.
"I'm blind, I can't see where I'm throwing!"
As curses rained down on her, she laughed maniacally to herself.
'You heartless jerks! Don't praise me, you're the ones who bet against me! Why would I give you a good show?'
Mikino's emotions flared, and she scattered burning essence sticks everywhere, starting a fire when they touched the sake on the ground.
Fortunately, someone used an ice release elemental Tama to extinguish the flames before they spread.
Someone yelled, "Let's end that woman's life! We outnumber her, but she's unpredictable. Who knows what she'll do next? She might explode her Tama to take us down with her!"
Mikino grinned teasingly, "I'll defeat you all with my bare hands."
As her words faded, dozens of samurai charged towards her, drawing their katanas imbued with Rei and various elements.
Mikino snicked, rushing forward, she kicks the first samurai's head, making it face the opposite direction.
"Hahaha! You'll regret this!"