Shin and Han stared in disbelief, the weight of the situation sinking in like an anchor to the chest. The words didn’t seem to make sense at first, and neither could they fully process the scene unfolding in front of them. They were in a cage, surrounded by the unnatural presence of the undead, the creaking and groaning of the ship’s hull adding to the surreal atmosphere. Yet, here was Lulu—a notorious leader of the Deadman Fleet—offering them the unthinkable.

She had her weapon pressed against her own forehead, a serene, almost playful smile on her lips, as if she were inviting them to join her in some twisted game. And, absurdly, she was right. The choice was theirs. The gun, an older model enhanced with aether crystals, was now positioned just within their reach, the metallic surface gleaming under the dim light of the hold.

All they had to do was take it.

Take it, and end her life.

Lulu: "Still too scared to pull the trigger?" she had taunted again, her voice chilling with excitement.

The absurdity of it felt like a punch to the gut. Here they were, captured and bound, surrounded by enemies with no apparent way of escape, and yet Lulu—the very embodiment of that threat—was practically handing them her life.

Shin's heart pounded in his chest. He could feel the weight of the decision pressing down on him, suffocating him. To kill her would mean victory, yes—but at what cost? Would it be worth it? Would they even succeed in escaping after committing such an act? Or would it only provoke the other undead and bring about a swift, violent end to their lives?

Lulu: "This is the part where you decide," she murmured, as if savoring every moment of the tension.

Slowly, Shin rose to his feet, his body stiff with tension as his mind raced through the possibilities, each more terrifying than the last. The cage that separated him from Lulu seemed to shrink with every step he took, its bars no longer a barrier but more of a reminder of the choice that lay ahead. His gaze locked on the weapon Lulu had offered so casually.

The murmurs of the other captives fell away, the quiet anticipation of the scene thick in the air. Time itself seemed to stretch and distort, the sounds of the creaking ship and the rustling of the undead growing muffled, as if the very universe was holding its breath.

He reached out, his fingers trembling as they wrapped around the handle of the gun. The sensation was strange, as if the weapon itself was alive with aetheric energy, pulsing beneath his fingers.

As Shin’s fingers curled around the grip, Lulu’s smile widened, her blue eyes gleaming with malicious delight. She leaned in slightly, her gaze never leaving his, watching with what seemed to be an excited anticipation.

Lulu: "Maybe you have more balls than I thought," she said, her voice dripping with both amusement and dark satisfaction.

Her words were like a cruel taunt, designed to provoke, to push him further into this twisted game she had orchestrated. But Shin didn’t flinch. He didn’t hesitate.

The room was silent, save for the slow, rhythmic sound of Shin’s breath. The other captives, too, held their breath, unsure of what was about to unfold. The tension in the air was palpable, thick enough to choke on.

Shin clenched his jaw, his grip tightening around the gun as he steeled himself for what was next.

In a flash of instinct and sheer will, Shin wrenched the gun from Lulu’s grasp. He then pointed it directly at the lock to his cage, heart pounding in his chest, his breath coming in sharp bursts. This was it—the moment where he had to act, where survival hinged on a single pull of the trigger. He squeezed the handle, his finger pressing down on the trigger with all his might, ready to unleash the power within the aether weapon.

But nothing happened.

A single, hollow click was the only sound that broke the silence. The gun, once poised to fire, remained inert, the barrel pointing uselessly at the lock. Shin’s eyes went wide with confusion and disbelief.

Lulu's cackle pierced the stillness, loud and mocking, echoing off the walls of the ship’s hold. The sound was both triumphant and cruel, the kind of laugh that stung like salt on an open wound.

Lulu: “Hahahahahahaha!” she laughed, her voice bubbling with sadistic amusement. "I might not be scared of dying, but did you really think I would make it easy?"

Shin’s grip tightened on the gun, his knuckles white, but it felt more like holding a dead weight now. His heart sank as the truth hit him like a wave crashing against the shore.

Lulu’s mocking smile widened as she pointed directly at the Jinsil cuffs that bound Shin’s wrists.

Lulu: “That’s an aether gun, you fool. You can't fire it without your aether.”

Shin felt the heat of humiliation rise to his face, the tight, unbearable pressure of his restraints suppressing his aether almost suffocating him. He had been so sure, so certain that the weapon would be his ticket out, his way to break free. But it had all been a cruel illusion. Lulu’s laughter echoed louder, her voice dripping with mockery and superiority.

Lulu’s voice oozed with a dark amusement as she spoke, her words tinged with an almost venomous sweetness.

Lulu: "But I must say, that was interesting! You're the first one to try it that way. And, perhaps the first to realize that killing me would really screw you all over. It's my magic that keeps this ship afloat. If I die, you all drown."

Shin stood frozen for a moment, his mind racing to catch up with her revelation. He had never imagined that someone like Lulu, someone so deranged and twisted, could be so intricately tied to the ship's survival.

He gritted his teeth, his hands flexing at his sides, still bound by the Jinsil cuffs. He hated feeling this helpless.

Lulu, sensing his frustration, took a step closer to him, her tattoo bone-laden form casting a long, twisted shadow over him. Her smile widened, twisted into something almost feral.

Lulu: "For giving me such a good laugh," she purred, her voice low and malicious. "I’ll make sure you’ll be the last to die."

Her words dripped with promise, but it wasn’t one of mercy.

A sudden, deafening explosion reverberated through the entire ship, causing the wooden hull to shudder violently. The force of it made the ship tilt dangerously to one side, throwing Shin off balance, sending him tumbling into the bars of the cage with a loud clang. Lulu, caught off guard, stumbled backward, nearly losing her footing as she gripped the edge of the bars to steady herself.

Lulu: "What the fucking barnacles was that!?" she screamed, her voice filled with a mix of frustration and disbelief. She staggered back to her feet, her eyes wild with a fury that matched the chaos surrounding her.

Before anyone could fully process the situation, a voice called down from above, cutting through the frantic noise of the rocking ship.

Deadman Salor: "Admiral Lulu! It’s Admiral Chanely from the 6th division of the Deadman fleet!"

Lulu’s eyes widened, her face contorting into a mask of irritation and disbelief.

Lulu: "Fuck me!" she swore under her breath. "Is she still pissed off at me for winning that bet?"

Without another word, Lulu snapped her head toward the stairs leading up to the upper deck, her bone-laden tattoo form casting a grotesque silhouette in the dim light of the hold.

Lulu: "Fucking Chanely..." she muttered to herself.

Shin, still reeling from the impact of the explosion, slowly pushed himself upright, his body aching from the fall. His heart hammered in his chest as he took in the chaos around him—the ship groaning, creaking, and swaying with the force of whatever had struck it. His mind raced, torn between the uncertainty of their situation and the small flicker of hope that Lulu's distraction might provide. Whatever had just happened, it had shaken the ship to its core, and that might be their one chance to escape.

Shin’s grip tightened around the aether gun, his heart racing as he eyed the exposed flame aether crystal embedded in the side of the weapon. It glowed faintly, casting reflections on the rusted metal of the cage around him. The idea had only just come to him in the split second of chaos—using the aether crystal’s volatile energy to his advantage. He had no time to waste.

Without hesitation, Shin raised the gun, positioning the exposed crystal directly against the rusted lock that kept him imprisoned. He slammed it down with all his strength, the force of the impact sending a shockwave through his arm. The gun's aether crystal shattered, releasing the contained energy.

The crackling of released aether filled the air in an instant, a bright burst of energy exploding from the gun. The concentrated burst of raw aether flooded the lock, igniting the stored energy in a violent eruption. The cage shuddered violently as the blast tore through the lock, the metal twisting and distorting from the sheer force.

The moment the cage door swung open, the metallic screech of the bars echoed through the hold, cutting through the tension in the air. The sudden rush of freedom was short-lived, however, as the programmed undead on guard immediately reacted to Shin's movement. Its eyes, glowing with that eerie cold blue light, snapped to him as they shuffled forward with slow, deliberate steps, the rustling of their tattered uniform and armor filling the still air.

The undead raised a heavy saber, its blade catching the dim light as it swung down in a swift arc. Shin’s instincts kicked in. His arms, still bound by the restrictive jinsil cuffs, moved with a fluidity born of years of combat experience. He raised his arms just in time, using the cuffs to block the swing of the blade. The force of the blow jarred his body, but he used the momentum to his advantage. In a smooth, controlled motion, Shin twisted his wrist and knocked the saber from the undead's grasp. The blade clattered to the ground with a metallic clang.

Before the undead could react, Shin dropped into a low crouch and sprang forward, his hand shooting out to grab the fallen weapon. He gripped it tightly with both hands, his muscles straining as he rose to his full height. Without a moment's hesitation, he swung the blade up in a wide arc, his movements sharp and decisive. The edge of the saber met the undead’s neck with a sickening thud, slicing cleanly through the decayed flesh and bone. The undead’s head rolled off its shoulders, the body crumpling lifelessly to the ground in a heap.

Shin stood over the fallen corpse, breathing heavily as he surveyed the scene.

Shin: “Come on, Han. We’re getting out of here,” he said, his voice low but urgent.