The neon lights of Kabukicho bathed the streets in an otherworldly glow, casting long, shifting shadows that seemed to dance to the rhythm of the city's heartbeat. Ryusei Kurogane, his steps purposeful and confident, strode through the maze of narrow alleyways until he arrived at the unmarked door of The Whispering Lotus.

He pushed the door open, the low hum of conversation and the faint scent of aged wood and incense washing over him.