Threads of Venom

Part 1: "Threads of a Prophecy

"Okay, hear me out," Mei said, spinning in her chair, her glasses reflecting the glow of her monitors. "This Bai guy isn't just some random snake-demon hybrid. He's part of something big."

Miko leaned against the desk, arms crossed. Her bruises from the night before were still tender, but she'd brushed off Mei's offers of help. "You've been on your conspiracy blogs again, haven't you?"

Mei huffed. "No! I hacked into the Hunter Guild archives. They're all encrypted, but I got through enough to find mentions of a prophecy." She pulled up a grainy scan of an old scroll. The text was written in ancient kanji, accompanied by a crude illustration of a figure holding two glowing blades, standing between a human and a creature with serpentine features.

"What's it say?" Miko asked, leaning closer despite herself.

"Roughly? 'The fangs of two worlds will meet, and balance will be tested.'" Mei gave her a pointed look. "Sound familiar?"

Miko rolled her eyes. "Yeah, because every old legend has vague nonsense about balance and chosen ones. It's probably just a coincidence."

"Sure, because running into a half-snake guy on your first solo hunt is totally normal," Mei said dryly. "Face it, Miko. You're in the middle of something way bigger than you think."

---

Part 2: "A Dangerous Reunion"

The dimly lit room smelled of incense and damp earth, its only illumination a flickering lantern hanging from the ceiling. Bai stood in the center, his posture relaxed but his gaze sharp as a knife.

"You shouldn't have come here," he said, his voice low and edged with warning.

From the shadows emerged a tall figure, their features obscured by a hood. "And you shouldn't be playing games with the humans, Bai. You know how this ends."

Bai smirked, though his eyes remained cold. "Do I? Or are you just afraid I'll rewrite the rules?"

The figure stepped closer, revealing a face scarred by age and battle. Their voice dropped to a whisper. "The hunters are stirring. They've already lost control of the weaker demons. If they find out about you—"

"They won't," Bai interrupted, his tone hardening. "Unless someone tells them. Careful, old friend. I'd hate for our long-standing truce to end over a slip of the tongue."

The figure's laughter was humorless. "Still so arrogant. But remember this: you're not invincible, Bai. Even a snake can be crushed underfoot."

Bai didn't reply, watching silently as the figure disappeared back into the shadows.

---

Part 3: "A Truce of Necessity"

Miko found him in a derelict courtyard, surrounded by crumbling stone walls overtaken by moss. Bai sat on a broken pillar, his silver hair catching the moonlight.

"You again," he said without looking up. "Don't you have demons to chase?"

"Don't you?" Miko shot back, stepping closer. Her daggers were sheathed, but her hand rested on their hilts. "I have questions, and you're going to answer them."

Bai finally turned to her, his golden eyes gleaming. "Bold of you to assume I owe you anything."

Miko's jaw tightened. "What's your deal? Why are you so interested in me? And don't give me that cryptic 'balance' nonsense."

Bai sighed, standing gracefully. "I'm not interested in you, hunter. I'm interested in what you represent." He paused, as if weighing his next words. "There are forces at play here that you can't begin to understand. Walk away before you get in over your head."

"Not a chance," Miko said, stepping closer. "If you know something about my parents—"

Her sentence was cut off by the sound of footsteps, fast and heavy. Before either of them could react, a group of armed figures burst into the courtyard, their faces obscured by masks.

"Hunters," Bai muttered, his expression darkening.

---

Part 4: "Enemies on Both Side"

The first attacker lunged at Miko, a blade aimed straight for her chest. She twisted, narrowly dodging the strike, and countered with a slash of her dagger. The masked figure fell, but two more were already advancing.

"Don't just stand there!" she shouted at Bai, who was watching the chaos with mild amusement.

"Fine," he said, almost lazily. With a flick of his wrist, a wave of shimmering energy erupted from his hand, sending three attackers flying.

"What the hell was that?" Miko demanded, barely managing to block another blow.

"Magic," Bai replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You might want to keep up."

Together, they moved like a storm, Miko's blades flashing and Bai's powers crackling through the air. But the attackers kept coming, their coordination too precise to be random.

"This isn't a normal hunt," Miko said between breaths, her back against Bai's.

"Brilliant deduction," he replied dryly. "Let's survive first, chat later."

---

Part 5: "A Fragile Alliance"

The last attacker hit the ground with a thud, their mask cracking to reveal a human face.

Miko bent down, panting, and yanked off the mask. "They're not demons," she said, her voice heavy with realization. "They're hunters."

Bai knelt beside her, studying the fallen figure with a frown. "Not just hunters. Guild-trained. Someone sent them to kill us both."

Miko looked up at him, her expression a mix of suspicion and reluctant trust. "Why? What's going on here?"

Bai stood, brushing the dust off his coat. "That's what we're going to find out. Together."

Miko hesitated, every instinct screaming not to trust him. But she couldn't deny that they were in this mess together now.

"Fine," she said, standing. "But if you try anything—"

"You'll stab me, I'm sure," Bai interrupted with a smirk. "Let's move."

As they disappeared into the night, neither noticed the shadowed figure watching them from a nearby rooftop.