The battlefield had quieted, rubble settling and smoke fading into the sky. The party was battered but alive — Hikaru wincing from her arm, Daji adjusting her kimono, and Brush catching his breath. Crunchyroller's smile was infectious, her streaming aura now calm and warm.
But one member of the party clearly wasn't ready to relax.
Jaki Onna staggered forward, her cheeks flushed, eyes glinting with a mix of fatigue and mischief. "I… need… a drink," she slurred dramatically, swaying as she pointed at a nearby pile of supplies.
Brush raised an eyebrow, glancing at her. "Again?"
"Yes! Again!" she exclaimed, flinging herself toward the stash like a hurricane of chaos. "After surviving Blackmail and acid paint snipes, I deserve this!"
Daji rolled her eyes, ears twitching, but couldn't help a small giggle. Hikaru shook her head with a smirk, muttering, "She really never changes…"
Crunchyroller chuckled, floating above them. "Let her have it. She's earned it… in her own… unique way."
Jaki Onna finally plopped down, clutching a bottle she clearly wasn't meant to open yet. She took a swig, exaggeratedly sighing with relief. "Ahhh… this is what victory tastes like!"
Brush couldn't help but grin, shaking his head. Even after battles that pushed them to the brink, her chaotic energy somehow kept the party alive… in spirit, at least.
As the party shared this rare, fleeting moment of levity, Brush glanced at each of them. Hikaru's tired eyes met his, Daji gave a shy smile, and Jaki Onna… well, she was already halfway through another bottle.
He smirked. "Yeah… maybe Crunchyroller is right. Maybe this party can go on forever."
And somewhere in the calm after chaos, even a drunken punch-happy Jaki Onna felt like a piece of home.