Dead Man's Tales: HSOTD

The bright lights of the arcade flashed around them in every direction, bathing Miku and Kozen in a kaleidoscope of neon colors. The sounds of beeping machines, blaring sound effects, and coins clinking filled the air as they maneuvered their way through the crowd of kids and teenagers. Kozen walked with a confident ease, his hands shoved casually into his pockets, but Miku could see the glint of excitement in his eyes.

"So, where do we start?" Miku asked, glancing around at the endless rows of games.

Kozen smirked. "Well, you did say you were the 'queen of Mario Party.' Let's see if you can live up to that title."

"Oh, please. You're going down," Miku shot back, her competitive streak flaring up. She led him to a console where two seats were set up side by side, each with a joystick and a set of buttons. The screen lit up with the colorful chaos of Mario Party as they dropped in their coins.

They chose their characters—Miku, of course, went for Yoshi, while Kozen selected Luigi with an indifferent shrug. The game started, and within moments, they were both absorbed in a flurry of button-mashing, laughs, and groans.

"What's the matter, Kozen? Too slow?" Miku teased as she snagged a coin just before he could reach it.

"Oh, don't get too cocky," he replied, narrowing his eyes with a grin. He leaned forward, giving the game his full attention as he rapidly smashed his buttons, pulling ahead in points.

But Miku wasn't one to back down. She elbowed him lightly, trying to distract him, and he chuckled, shoving her elbow right back with just enough force to make her character stumble in the game. She let out a mock-outraged gasp, laughing as she focused harder, determined to catch up.

They spent hours hopping from game to game, going from dance simulators to racing games to classic fighting games. Kozen turned out to be surprisingly terrible at Dance Dance Revolution, which left Miku in stitches as he missed step after step, his face flushed from both the effort and the embarrassment.

"Laugh it up," he muttered, glaring at her as she doubled over, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Hey, I'm just impressed you didn't trip and fall flat on your face," she teased, breathless from laughter.

But when it came to the shooting games, Kozen had the last laugh. They tried a zombie shooter, and while Miku's character was overrun by the undead within minutes, Kozen was clearing levels with a calm, precise aim that left her gaping.

"Were you secretly training for the apocalypse or something?" she asked, a bit in awe.

Kozen shrugged, reloading his digital shotgun with a smirk. "Maybe. Or maybe I'm just good under pressure."

The two of them laughed and bantered back and forth, challenging each other, cheering each other on. At one point, they even won a plush Yoshi toy from a claw machine, which Kozen immediately handed to Miku with a rare, soft smile. She hugged it to her chest, feeling a strange warmth as they continued their playful rivalry.

By the time they finally left the arcade, the city was bathed in the soft glow of streetlights, the world around them quieter as they walked side by side through the evening streets. Miku felt a strange lightness, a kind of happiness she hadn't expected. She couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed so much.

Kozen glanced over at her, his expression thoughtful. "Didn't think you'd hold your own that well," he admitted. "You're tougher than you look."

"Is that a compliment?" she asked, raising an eyebrow with a smirk.

He shrugged. "Take it however you want."

They walked in comfortable silence for a while, their footsteps echoing softly against the pavement. But then… they heard it.

A loud thud from somewhere down the dark alley they were passing, followed by a sound like someone coughing… or choking. Miku's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively took a step back, her eyes darting toward the shadows.

And then the smell hit them—a sharp, metallic tang, unmistakable. The iron scent of blood.

Kozen's expression shifted instantly. Without a word, he stepped in front of Miku, his arm coming up to gently but firmly push her back, creating a barrier between her and whatever was lurking in the alley.

"Stay back," he murmured, his voice low and tense.

Peering over his shoulder, Miku's eyes widened as the alley came into view, illuminated by a single flickering streetlight. Bodies littered the ground—men in leather jackets and ripped jeans, bloodied and broken, sprawled across the concrete in twisted, unnatural angles. A faint groan came from one of them, but the rest were deathly still.

And there, standing among the carnage, was a figure cloaked in dark fabric. The cloak billowed slightly in the night breeze, and the figure's face was hidden behind a traditional oni mask, its horns gleaming under the streetlight. In one gloved hand, the figure held a sheathed katana, the weapon resting by their side, but the air around them radiated menace.

Every instinct in Miku's body screamed at her to run. She could feel her hair standing on end, her body paralyzed with a primal fear. It was like standing in front of some predator, something dangerous.

"Miku," Kozen whispered, his voice strained. "Leave."

She hesitated, glancing at him, wanting to argue, but the intensity in his eyes silenced her. This wasn't a suggestion—it was a command.

"Go. Now," he said firmly, not taking his eyes off the figure.

Her legs felt like lead, but something in Kozen's tone pushed her to move. She took a step back, then another, and before she knew it, she was running, her footsteps echoing down the empty street. She glanced back only once, catching a final glimpse of Kozen standing there, facing down the figure as if he belonged in that world of violence and shadows.

She didn't stop running until she was far away, her chest heaving, her mind reeling. The night was silent around her, but the image of that masked figure and the smell of blood lingered in her mind, haunting her.

Who was that? And more importantly… Who exactly was Kozen?

Author Note: More chapters on [email protected]/LordCampione.