Jaja is in a room that resembles a hotel but isn't. He zips his pants up and exclaims, "Wow, that was amazing." He looks down at a woman on her knees. Jaja reaches into his pocket and gives her 500 pounds. "That's more than anyone on this island makes for a week's worth."

  

  

  The escort stands and smiles. "Thanks, babe."

  Jaja walks into the living room, kicks his feet up on a couch. Elsa sat beside him lying on his shoulders. Lux comes out of another room, shirtless with boxers on.

  

  

  Another escort comes out of his room after, feminine with lipstick and a thin frame. His voice is deep but with a female impersonation. "You forgot to pay me too, hammer man."

  

  

  Roxer hands him money. "Remember what I said, don't ever tell a soul about this."

  The escort male replies, "Yes, zaddy."

  Roxer looked to Elsa "Dating a prostitute is not a good look bro."

  Elsa "Excuse me I am a retired sex worker, I'm dating Jaja now."

  Roxer "Gross."

  Jaja asks, "Hey, Roxer, so exactly what would happen if people found out you were, gay or is it bi? Why not just own it?"

  

  

  

  

  Roxer stands up, his abi pulsating from him. Jaja puts his hands up in a surrender motion. "I ain't gay or bi, I'm just letting off some steam, ya know me, bro. I'm only interested in conquering the sisters trinity."

  Jaja, still hiding, says, "Right, right."

  Roxer says, "Come on, get dressed, let's go hunt some parasites."

  Elsa "Jaja, I want to watch movies with you!"

  Jaja "I'll be back Elsa"

  

  

  Elsa pouts.

  The Dragon Hive breathed like a living city.

  Amber light filtered through layered honeycombs overhead. The air vibrated with the low, constant hum of bees, not frantic, not lazy, but steady. Civilians moved with practiced efficiency, some harvesting thick golden honey, others reinforcing hexagonal structures with resin and metal. Wings fluttered past. Everything worked because everyone worked.

  Jaja walked beside Roxer, hands behind his head, eyes scanning the hive.

  "Hey, Roxer," he said. "Say we go beyond the Bronze Wall and wipe out all the parasites... what then?"

  Roxer didn't slow.

  "Don't forget who we are," he said calmly. "The Skylands were never meant to stay divided. My families goal is to unite them all again, bring together the Brothers' Trinity, that means Heculeans like you and the Gamblers. Once that happens will rule civilization in the sky just as we did on the surface in the old days."

  

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  Jaja frowned. "What about the Empress?"

  Roxer nodded. "Will be getting rid of her too or I'll make her one of my wives"

  Jaja blinked. "Wouldn't that make you emperor of Dragon Hive?"

  "That's right."

  Jaja let out a low whistle. "welp, not like I believe any of that will ever happen but we're bros so I'll support your dream."

  

  

  Roxer chuckled. "Little bro... You are not locked in."

  Jaja scowled.

  He summoned his Wind Sword.

  The air shifted.

  A silent wave of compressed wind surged outward, ripping through the Shibuya District of Dragon Hive. Market banners snapped. Honeycomb shutters rattled. Dust lifted.

  Jaja felt it, a disturbance.

  "Got it."

  They launched forward.

  They landed in a busy market square.

  Stalls overflowed with goods. Civilians laughed, bartered, moved shoulder to shoulder. The moment Roxer and Jaja stepped in, heads turned.

  

  

  Whispers spread.

  People stared like predators who had spotted something rare.

  A woman rushed up. "Can I get an autograph?!"

  

  

  "Of course," Jaja said, already signing.

  Another voice shouted, bold and loud.

  "Hey Roxer, you're hot as hell. I'd give you a night of fun anytime."

  Roxer smirked. "Oh really? How about now?"

  

  

  Jaja froze mid-signature. "Bro... the parasite?"

  Roxer waved it off. "If it's hiding, that just means it's a coward. We'll kill it later, increasing your body count as a man is far more important."

  He pressed his hand on Jaja's shoulder "A man must always conquer little brother, never forget that."

  Jaja "One day it's gonna fall off."

  Roxer "Never."

  Roxer took her to the back alley, the air thick with the smell of rain and grime. They wasted no time, their lips crashing together in a desperate, hungry kiss. She moved down his body, her lips tracing a path of heat that made Roxer nearly lose his mind. He closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation, lost in the moment.

  Then, a sudden, cold sensation interrupted him. Something slimy. He opened his eyes and looked down, his stomach turning.

  

  

  A disgusting, grotesque parasite was latched onto him, its wet body wriggling against his skin. He let out a scream, a loud, piercing shriek that echoed off the brick walls, sounding exactly like a seven-year-old girl.

  "Ahhh!"

  Instinct took over. Roxer scrambled backward, crawling away as fast as he could while yanking his pants back up, leaving his dignity on the alley floor.

  The creature began to grow. It screeched.

  

  

  Roxer tried to summon his hamer but his Abi wouldn't activate.

  The Parasite spike spoke "I drained your abi, now I'm going to devour you, you're nothing to me but a sack of meat."

  For the first time Roxer was terrified "This one can talk and it drained my Abi."

  

  

  Jaja appeared around the corner, his hand already on his weapon. "What happened? Why are you crawling on the ground?"

  Roxer scrambled to his feet, breathless and panicked. He stuttered, trying to fabricate a lie. "T-That thing... I went into the alley with her... we were about to make out until I sh, sh, she... I went to use the bathroom."

  "It's a parasite," Jaja stated, his voice grim. He stepped forward, scanning the shadows.

  

  

  "Yeah, damn it," Roxer hissed, trying to compose himself. "Almost got me."

  Jaja looked down at Roxer's unfastened pants. "Why are your pants down and where is the woman you were with?"

  Roxer "She ran off "

  Roxer froze for a second, then looked away. "I think my pants unfastened when I was running."

  "Well, let's get it," Jaja said, drawing his wind sword. "It's not getting away."

  They chased the creature through the narrow alley. Jaja slashed with his wind sword, severing the parasite's legs mid-flight. The creature thrashed on the ground, but Roxer didn't hesitate. He slammed his hammer down onto it, smashing it into the pavement. He brought the hammer down again and again, relentlessly, even as the creature was already gone.

  Jaja stepped up beside him, panting heavily, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, bro. I think it's gone."

  Jaja let out a heavy breath, a chuckle escaping his throat to mask the lingering rage. "Yeah," he said, giving a thumbs up. "Just needed to make sure."