Howard stood at the hotel reception desk, the tropical decor of the lobby a stark contrast to the exhaustion he felt after a long day in Siesta.
The employee behind the counter, a young Vulpo with fox-like ears and a bright smile, was busy typing away at a terminal.
Howard adjusted his sunglasses, still tucked into the collar of his loose white shirt, and cleared his throat, his voice polite but tinged with hope.
"I was wondering if you have an extra key for my room—or Ch'en and Hoshiguma's, since they've misplaced theirs. I'm happy to pay for it."
The Vulpo employee looked up, her golden eyes apologetic as she shook her head.
"I'm sorry, sir, but we don't have any extra keys available right now. We've had a lot of traffic from visitors and locals alike—Siesta's been busier than ever this season."
"We've had to slow down secondary key issuance to manage the demand. We'll have more ready by tomorrow, though."
Howard sighed, running a hand through his dark hair, his red eyes reflecting a mix of resignation and understanding.
"Alright, I'd like to pay for it now so I can pick it up tomorrow, then."
The employee nodded, her smile returning as she processed the request.
"Of course, sir. I'm happy to oblige."
She tapped a few more keys, generating a receipt for the payment, and Howard completed the transaction with a quick swipe of his card, the ring with the Laterano emblem glinting on his finger as he did so.
With a nod of thanks, he turned and headed back to his room, hoping the night wouldn't bring any more surprises.
When he opened the door to his room, the scene that greeted him was almost too much to handle.
Ch'en and Hoshiguma were still asleep on the bed, sprawled out in their swimsuits from earlier that day—outfits that barely covered anything.
Ch'en's small white shorts and top clung to her strap along the frame, her blue hair fanned out on the pillow, her dragon tail curled around her leg, and her breathing was soft and steady.
Hoshiguma, lying next to her, was in her strappy-pant swimsuit; the boob-covering shirt shifted slightly in her sleep, her green hair a mess, her Oni horns peeking out from the tangle.
The transparent jacket she'd tied around her hips was now bunched up beneath her, leaving little to the imagination.
Howard's face flushed, his red eyes wide as he quickly averted his gaze, muttering to himself, "This… this is too much."
Deciding to distract himself—and desperate for a moment to clear his head—he headed straight for the bathroom, stripping off his beach attire and stepping into the shower.
The warm water cascaded over him, a soothing current that helped him relax as he reflected on the events of the day.
The beach, the massage with Ch'en, the dinner, the stargazing—it all felt like an unavoidable lewd event straight out of some cliché novel.
He glanced down, his voice a low grumble as he addressed his own body, "Calm down, 'monster.' This isn't the time."
After finishing his shower, Howard wrapped a towel around his waist, his dark hair damp as he stepped out of the bathroom.
He crossed the room to the small refrigerator, pulling out a can of soda and popping it open with a satisfying hiss.
He sat down in a chair near the bed, sipping the drink as he observed the sleeping girls, their peaceful expressions a stark contrast to the chaos of their usual lives.
Fortunately, Howard didn't really need sleep at the moment—another side effect of his transformations—so his thoughts turned to his most recent actions.
The mission in Laterano, the confrontation with Gavriel and the Siren, the ring from the Pope, and now this break in Siesta—it had been a whirlwind, but he was grateful for the chance to bond with Ch'en and Hoshiguma, even if it came with its share of awkward moments.
His thoughts were interrupted by a strange sound—soft groans coming from the bed.
Howard frowned, setting his soda can down as he stood to investigate.
The groans were coming from Hoshiguma, her face scrunched up as if lost in a troubling dream, her Oni horns shifting slightly as she turned her head.
Concerned, Howard approached, noticing that the blanket had slipped off her in her restlessness.
He gently picked up the cover, draping it back over her, his movements careful so as not to wake her.
But before he could step back, a hand shot out, grabbing his wrist with surprising strength.
Howard froze, stunned, as Hoshiguma's grip pulled him down.
He stumbled, falling onto the bed, and Hoshiguma's body followed, her weight pinning him beneath her.
The towel around his waist was the only barrier between them as her chest pressed against his, her swimsuit doing little to hide the warmth of her skin.
Howard's mind flashed with panic, his red eyes wide as he stared up at her.
Hoshiguma's yellow eyes fluttered open, hazy with sleep and alcohol, her breath tinged with the scent of the beer she'd had earlier.
She whispered his name, her voice a low, drunken murmur, "Howard…" as she leaned closer, her face inches from his, her Oni horns casting a shadow over him in the dim light of the room.
Howard's heart pounded, his mind racing as he tried to process the situation, caught between embarrassment, shock, and the very real need to extricate himself before things escalated further.
This night in Siesta was proving to be far more eventful than he'd ever anticipated.
***
Howard lay pinned beneath Hoshiguma, his body still wrapped in nothing but a towel, his mind reeling from the surreal turn of events.
He tried to carefully shake her off, moving as gently as possible to avoid waking Ch'en, who slept just inches away on the bed.
But Hoshiguma's strength, even in her drunken state, was unyielding, her Oni heritage making her grip like iron.
Howard's thoughts raced.
How can she still be this strong? —as he realized he couldn't flinch, couldn't move without risking a bigger disturbance.
Hoshiguma's face drew closer, her breath warm against his ear, sending a shiver down his spine that set his mind into a frenzy.
A single breath from her was enough to make his heart pound uncontrollably, his control over his cells the only thing keeping him from losing it entirely.
If he didn't find a way out soon, he might do something he'd regret—something incredible, but entirely inappropriate given the circumstances.
Her voice, slurred with alcohol, whispered against his ear, her tone teasing yet dangerously sincere.
"I like seeing you like this, Howard... When you're so stressed out."
Her hand slid to his throat, her fingers gently massaging it, the pressure both intimate and unsettling.
She lifted her head, her yellow eyes glinting with a mischievous spark as she added,
"I've always wanted to see you agitated… You always act so arrogant, you know."
Howard's eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat.
This side of Hoshiguma—a playful, almost predatory side—was completely unknown to him.
He'd known her as a steadfast, dependable ally, her strength and loyalty unwavering, but this drunken flirtation was a new and startling revelation.
Before he could process it, she lowered her head again, her lips brushing against his throat, and then she bit him—not hard enough to break the skin, but enough to send a jolt through his entire body, his mind screaming with the need to escape.
His thoughts zeroed in on one goal: getting out of this situation before it spiraled further.
Summoning his strength, Howard managed to grasp Hoshiguma's arms, carefully but firmly moving her off him, her body heavy but pliable in her drunken state.
He exhaled in relief, thinking he'd finally freed himself—until another hand grabbed him, pulling him back down with surprising force.
It was Ch'en. Her crimson eyes, hazy with alcohol but burning with a playful intensity, locked onto his as she spoke, her voice a mix of mock indignation and slurred amusement.
"That's unfair, Hoshiguma… trying to steal my target." Before Howard could react, Ch'en pinned him down, her strength as a Lungmen officer evident even in her inebriated state.
She lowered her head, her blue hair brushing against his cheek, and whispered, "I'd like to try it too."
Then, mirroring Hoshiguma, she gently bit his neck, her dragon tail curling slightly in the air as she did so, the sensation sending another wave of panic through Howard.
Hoshiguma, not to be outdone, leaned in again, her green hair falling over her shoulder as she closed the distance, her yellow eyes gleaming with drunken mischief.
Howard's mind screamed, "This is too dangerous!—as the two women, both under the influence, pressed closer, their intentions unclear but their actions overwhelming.
His towel was slipping, barely clinging to his waist, and the situation was teetering on the edge of something he wasn't prepared to handle.
With a surge of adrenaline, Howard unpinned himself, his movements swift as he gently but firmly pushed both Ch'en and Hoshiguma back onto the bed, ensuring they were lying down safely.
He stood, breathing heavily, his heart pounding as he adjusted the towel, the fabric now hanging precariously low. He wanted to give in to the moment—part of him ached to—but not like this.
This was obviously the result of alcohol's influence, their hazy minds clouding their true feelings.
He couldn't read their thoughts, not when they were this intoxicated, and until he truly understood their feelings for him, he couldn't let this go any further.
Ch'en and Hoshiguma, their brief burst of energy spent, settled back into sleep, their breathing evening out as Howard watched over them, his own breaths coming in slow, deliberate exhales to calm himself.
He stepped away from the bed, his mind still racing, and quickly dressed in a random t-shirt and shorts he found in his bag, deciding he needed to leave the room to clear his head and rule out any further chaotic possibilities for the night.
As he walked through the hotel hallway, the dim lights casting long shadows on the tropical-patterned walls, he noticed a strange smell—a metallic tang that cut through the salty air of Siesta.
His red eyes narrowed, his senses sharpening as he recognized it: the unmistakable scent of blood.
Howard's senses sharpened as he followed the metallic scent of blood through the hotel hallway, his red eyes scanning the tropical-patterned walls for any sign of its source.
The smell grew stronger as he approached a room just a few doors down from his own, the faint glow of a flickering light seeping through the crack beneath the door.
He knocked, his fist rapping against the wood, his voice low but urgent.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" Silence answered him, the only sound the distant hum of the ocean outside.
Then he saw it—a small puddle of blood, dark and glistening, leaking from under the door, staining the tiled floor of the hallway.
Howard's heart sank, his instincts kicking into overdrive.
Without a second thought, he smashed the door open with a powerful kick, the wood splintering as it gave way, revealing the grim scene within.
He rushed inside, his breath catching in his throat as he saw her—a woman lying dead on the floor, her body surrounded by a pool of blood that had spread across the room.
Her skin was pale, her eyes staring blankly at the ceiling, her expression frozen in a silent scream.
But what made the scene even worse, what turned Howard's stomach, was the gaping wound in her chest.
Her heart had been ripped out, the cavity a brutal testament to the violence of her death, the blood still fresh as it seeped into the carpet beneath her.
Howard stood frozen for a moment, his red eyes wide with horror, the reality of the situation sinking in.
Siesta, a place of relaxation and escape, had just become the scene of a murder—and a vicious one at that.