"After the First Hunt"

The city's hum lingered even after the Maga was gone. Neon reflected off wet pavement as Tao pushed open the sliding door of a small restaurant tucked beneath her apartment. The faint smell of miso and grilled fish wrapped around the two of them, chasing away the metallic tang of the night.

Tao slipped her sunglasses into her coat pocket, her braid damp from the rain. She chose a table by the window, its glass fogged by the warmth inside. Sitting with her usual measured grace, she motioned for the other to join her before ordering in a low, unhurried tone.

When the bowls arrived, steam rising into the dim light, she rested her elbows lightly on the table. For a while, the only sounds were chopsticks tapping and the city murmuring beyond the glass. Then her eyes lifted, steady and unreadable.

"You handled yourself better than I expected. Most don't make it through their first night in Gokurakugai without panicking. You didn't freeze. That matters."

She sipped from her cup, the faint clink of porcelain punctuating her words.

"But don't mistake survival for victory. You'll need more than reflexes here. More than stubbornness." Her gaze lingered, probing. "So tell me... why are you really taking on this work? What keeps you in the streets when you could walk away, like so many others?"

She leaned back slightly, exhaling. The smoke from her earlier cigarette seemed to cling to her still, faint in the air between them. There was no rush in her tone, only patience—the kind of patience that made silence feel like another form of pressure.

"I need to know if you're doing this out of discipline... or debt."

Her eyes remained fixed, waiting, as the rain tapped softly against the window. She set her chopsticks down, crossing her arms loosely on the table. A faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips, not quite playful, not quite kind—something sharper, though not unfeeling.

"You remind me of Alma in his early days. Too many questions in his head, but no answers worth holding onto. At least he had the courage to stumble forward."

Her gaze narrowed, lingering on her companion's face as if trying to peel away the surface.

"Tell me. When you stepped into Gokurakugai tonight, what did you hope to find? Safety doesn't exist here. Nor mercy. So... what did you expect?"

She reached into her coat, pulling out her cigarette case, flipping it open with practiced ease. The flame of the lighter briefly lit the curve of her cheek before the glow was swallowed by smoke. She exhaled, leaning back.

"You don't need to answer right now. But eventually, you will. Because if you don't know your own reason..." She let the thought trail off, a soft click of her tongue filling the space. "...then this city will give you one. And trust me—its answers are never gentle."

Her cigarette smoldered between her fingers as she turned her gaze back to the window, watching the rain trace long lines across the glass. After a moment, she spoke again, softer this time.

"Still, you're here. Eating with me. Breathing after your first hunt. That's something worth noting."

The silence that followed wasn't heavy—it was deliberate, an invitation. Tao didn't press further, but her eyes remained steady, waiting.