The estate was massive. Two hectares of forestland, with an Upperland-inspired mansion standing right in the middle. Arched columns led you through hallways, and lamp posts lined the driveway.

  Eight shadows slinked past the trees. Lit by lingering beams of moonlight that filtered through the leaves.

  “Kizuna,” Pachi whispered, the underbrush shifting as he carefully crouched by K’s side.

  The latter had been scouting ahead, making sure there weren’t any guard dogs let loose during the night.

  “What?” K asked, still preoccupied.

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to infiltrate Chin Hae’s estate right now,” Pachi said in a soft, but adamant voice. “You have not spent a single hour training with your troupe. You’re going to lead them to their deaths.”

  K looked down the wide expanse of land in front of him. They were about fifteen feet away from one of the estate’s many entryways. This one was a back door to the kitchen, where security was the most lax.

  “They won’t be harmed, Pachi,” K muttered. “I am the only one that will complete this mission.”

  “What?” For the first time, K saw a look of pure shock filter in Pachi’s face. “What are the rest of the troupe going to do, then?”

  “They’re here so that Master Banzai will believe that I was able to command them." K shrugged, already running toward the kitchen door.

  ‘Not to worry, Sire. We will complete this mission within the span of a few minutes,’ Hun assured. He had still not regained his non-physical form. This time, he was in the shape of an ant, tucked carefully in K’s frock coat.

  “Wait!” a hand grasped at K’s wrist.

  On instinct, K flipped the enemy onto their back, shoving them onto the grass. It was only when the scent of a crackling bonfire and smoke reached his nose— that he realized who this was.

  “Mamoru,” K breathed in surprise. The boy must have rushed over to him using his Wheel of Wind and Fire. “What are you doing?”

  “What’re you doing! We’re supposed to do this mission together,” Mamoru insisted. Behind him, K could make out Pachi, slowly walking over to them. The rest of the troupe was hot on his heels.

  “I don’t care,” K let his eyes grow empty and dull. “Now, if you don’t let go of my wrist… I’ll slice it clean off.”

  Mamoru trembled viciously, clearly horrified. And yet, he didn’t let go. Instead, he whispered, “Please, Mr. Phantom— wait, no… Kizuna. You might die there. You can’t go alone.”

  “This can’t be true, right?” Shinju stepped into view, finally reaching the pair. “We can’t just sit out here.”

  “Shinju…” K sighed tiredly. He hadn’t expected this level of chivalry.

  “Go ahead, if you want,” Wen sneered as he drew closer. “You can die, for all I care.”

  “That is,” the twins replied, before K could, “Quite rude, Wen.”

  Zhao followed closely, nodding along. The Common words seemed to be caught in his throat. But he was able to mutter something in a foreign language K couldn’t place.

  K cleared his throat, “None of you have to worry about Banzai punishing you for not doing this mission. I’m going to lie to him, so there’s not reason for you all to—”

  “I thought the Golden Phantom was supposed to be a genius,” Mamoru shook his head. “Don’t you get it? This is a suicide mission, if you go alone.”

  “This is nothing,” K waved a hand. “I’ve gone on more dangerous missions than this.”

  “Kizuna, listen,” Pachi leaned closer. “Word of the Golden Phantom’s abilities has reached the Triads’ enemies. You won’t have the element of surprise on your side, anymore. They’ll have contingencies and strategies in-place to battle against you.”

  K’s eyes narrowed. This is the first time he’s heard of this.

  Was this why Banzai wanted him to form an intelligence agency? Because the well of secrets surrounding the Phantom had run dry?

  For a spy, this could be disastrous.

  ‘Perhaps this troupe will be more loyal than you initially believed, Sire.' Hun sounded impressed, too.

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  “Just go and do your job.” K hissed at his Beast, who obeyed and fluttered off his shoulder to slip through the kitchen door’s gaps.

  Pachi finally found his way over to K. “Master Banzai made it clear. These missions cannot be accomplished by you alone. You can’t complete them by just relying on your Blessing.”

  K grew silent for a moment, appraising all of them. He saw their eyes— brimming so wonderfully with life and humanity.

  K couldn’t say the same thing for himself.

  At this moment, he was not Kaiso Lahn. He was just the Golden Phantom, vessel and wielder of the Beast’s Blessing.

  He thought back to the butterflies that glided above him, at the end of his latest mission.

  K knew that if he needed to call upon the Phantom at any point in this mission; the entire troupe would be caught in the crossfire.

  They would perish, as meager little insects.

  And K wasn’t going to let that happen.

  Because Pachi was right: K wasn’t a very good spy.

  He was just the cage that housed a monster powerful enough to mow down all of his enemies. All he knew how to do was unleash the Phantom.

  Like Pachi had said, K didn’t know anything about his fellow man.

  He could not be a leader. A teacher. A partner.

  They’d only be hurt by his hands. Just like what K always did to the people he cared about.

  Just like what he had done to his brother. The limp that Chet sported was evidence enough of that.

  “I’m sorry,” K whispered.

  “Kizuna!” Pachi called one last time as Hun managed to unlock the other side of the door. K slipped through, locking the door behind him to keep the others from following.

  Hushed whispers echoed from behind the door, panicked.

  K squared his shoulders, and ignored them as he began to tiptoe his way through the massive kitchen. The room was left dim and abandoned in the middle of the night.

  He had chosen this day specifically to break into Chin Hae’s estate because it was a working holiday. This meant that there would be no employees or maids present, since most of them had headed home for the weekend.

  This left the estate’s hallways devoid of all life. If he needed to channel the Phantom— Chin Hae shall be the only victim.

  K slinked through the kitchen, dining room, and expansive drawing room. Hun shadowed after him, this time in the shape of a snake— looped across K’s shoulders.

  He thought back to Chet’s note. While the Militia wasn’t confident about the golden ticket’s uses; it was quite common in the criminal underworld. Enough that K knew exactly what it was.

  It was obvious that Dae-Jung ran his own trafficking ring. But in order to perform purchases, he’d need a front.

  Something that would allow large amounts of money to flow into his hands. Without attracting the attention of the Ministry, the Militia, and its Enforcers.

  The easiest way to do that would be through generous donations. He’d invite patrons interested in his trafficking ring to a show. Allowed them to make a donation— in exchange for a child or two.

  Of course, if the matter could be so easily solved with money; Banzai wouldn’t have sent K to complete this mission.

  The ticket was most likely folded among documents, stashed in bags or satchels. So, K quickly made his way toward any foyers, cabinets, and drawers.

  Dutifully, he went through their contents. He even allowed Hun to slip off his shoulders to help him with the search.

  They had gone through two foyers, every single closet, and table in the vicinity— but there was still nothing.

  ‘He may have kept it in his office, Sire,’ Hun supplied. ‘Perhaps even his bedroom.’

  “We’ll visit the bedroom last,” K assured. “I don’t want to step in there unless absolutely necessary.”

  Just as K turned around to ascend a flight of stairs—

  The sound of footsteps reached his ears.

  It was a child.

  Before K could duck out of the way, a small boy by the age of eight or ten hastily made his way down the stairs.

  The boy had an awful bruise around his eye, nursing an empty plate in his hands.

  Instantly, the child dropped it to the floor in abject shock when he saw K.

  “Xian, Botan!” a voice thundered from above. It was a man’s.

  The boy flinched terribly as the voice carried down the entire house. “I told you that you’ll be having no dinner until you’ve learned your lesson! So what in the eight hells are you—”

  “Go ahead to the bedroom and office,” K barked at Hun. “I’ll deal with this.”

  ‘Yes, Sire.' Hun zipped past him. His body snarled apart and snapped back together until he was in the shape of a hawk; soaring up the staircase.

  Without Hun by his side, K couldn’t channel his Beast’s Blessing. He needed to deal with this using his own prowess.

  The boy cowered beneath his gaze, a pitiful display.

  “You seem to have received quite the punishment,” K observed, staring the child down. He hadn’t heard of Chin Hae having a son. Perhaps he was the child of a servant, or…

  A taller figure finally joined them.

  Before either of them could react, a harsh hand came down upon the child’s cheek. The man— Chin Hae, K realized— roared, “You’re cleaning up this damn mess, you bastard child!”

  Well, that explained it.

  A boy born out of wedlock— hidden away in his father’s estate to be kept from the eyes of the world.

  K didn’t want to waste his chance. The man hadn’t noticed him yet.

  The most efficient way of dealing with this would be to knock out Chin Hae and his son, and leave with the ticket. He'd steal a few valuables on his way out. The crime would be mistaken as a simple robbery.

  And in order to knock them out, K had to get close. Before Chin Hae could notice his presence, he bolted up the stairs.

  The man slowly turned to him as K slammed the edge of his hand down on Chin Hae's neck in a brachial stun.

  “Well, well,” a long, stick-like appendage grabbed onto K’s wrist before he could deliver the final blow. “If it isn’t the Golden Phantom.”

  K was rooted in place.

  Chin Hae had been expecting him.