Iris’s vision blurred. Or rather, it was blurred. Blood trickled into her eyes, obscuring her sight. The stinging sensation was agonizing.
But closing her eyes now meant death.
So she kept them open, bloodshot and burning. Hunt, beside her, was in a similar state.
How long had it been since Amelia had uttered those cryptic words, “I’ll be back soon,” and merged with Evrys?
The creature, deeming them sufficiently weakened, finally revealed itself.
It was an amorphous being, neither human nor beast, but a grotesque amalgamation of both. The only discernible feature was a pair of glowing red eyes.
Iris and Hunt instinctively recognized it as the source of their troubles. They unleashed their remaining strength, which seemed effective at first, but quickly proved futile.
The creature, unfazed by their attacks, oozed closer. The shimmering heat from their swords sliced through it, but the wounds closed instantly. It simply reformed and continued its advance.
As if the previous waves of magical beasts had been mere reconnaissance.
With a flick of its tentacles, it swatted them away like flies. A simple, unrefined attack.
The impact sent jolts of pain through their bodies, already weakened by fatigue.
‘Why is such a powerful being so cautious?’ They managed to wound it again, momentarily halting its advance.
The reason was simple: Evrys. She was the strongest among them. But she was unconscious. That’s why the creature was so hesitant. Iris glanced back at Evrys, still clutching the ice, still asleep.
Rationally, they should abandon Evrys and flee. Losing the sole heir to the North and the Imperial Princess would be a devastating blow.
But the thought of abandoning Evrys never crossed Iris’s mind.
Perhaps she believed that leaving the creature unchecked would lead to the world’s destruction, as Amelia had warned. Or perhaps she simply couldn’t bring herself to retreat.
Wanting to minimize casualties, Iris spoke to Hunt.
“Hunt,” she said.
“Escort the Princess and retreat.”
Hunt considered the suggestion. It was a sound strategy, if the roles were reversed.
“You should be the one to retreat, Grand Duchess,” Hunt argued.
Iris brushed the blood-matted hair from her face.
“I refuse,” she said firmly.
“Do you realize how irrational you’re being?”
“…”
“Before it moves again… retreat.”
Hunt spat out a mouthful of blood, a dark, viscous stain on the snow. Just then, the creature began to reform. Hunt raised her sword, urging Iris to reconsider.
“We’re running out of time. You know what the right thing to do is.”
Iris knew, logically, that Hunt was right.
But she couldn’t.
Seeing Iris’s resolute expression, Hunt sighed. She couldn’t convince the stubborn Grand Duchess.
Then, she would fulfill her duty as the Princess’s guard.
Amelia’s words before losing consciousness weighed on her mind, but this was the most rational choice available. Hunt didn’t believe she could defeat the creature. She wasn’t even sure the unconscious silver-haired girl could.
“If you change your mind before I leave… tell me,” Hunt said, offering Iris one last chance.
Iris remained silent. She knew her decision was irrational, so she had no response to Hunt’s offer.
But she knew she would regret leaving, forever.
Better to make a choice she wouldn’t regret.
Iris steeled her resolve.
Hunt shook her head inwardly and reached for Amelia. Or rather, she tried to. But Amelia’s body, somehow stuck to Evrys, wouldn’t budge. Hunt felt a cold sweat trickling down her back. Their only hope now was the sleeping girl.
She drew her sword again and moved closer to Iris. Iris looked at her questioningly, but the creature attacked again, leaving no time for further discussion.
Having been interrupted repeatedly, the creature became more aggressive, lashing out with its tentacles. The shimmering swords sliced through it, the severed pieces writhing on the ground.
Then, something changed. The amorphous creature began to take shape, forming a vaguely humanoid figure. It pulled the severed pieces back towards itself and formed a sword-like appendage.
Silence fell between Iris and Hunt. Were they stunned?
The creature lunged. There was something familiar about its movements.
The clash of their swords was no longer a clean slice, but a resounding clang. Pain shot through their muscles and bones, but somehow, Iris anticipated the next attack.
A swipe across her blade, followed by a horizontal slash.
Just as she had predicted. The movements were strangely familiar, reminiscent of Evrys’s swordsmanship, though cruder. Still, it was difficult to defend against. If not for the lessons ingrained in her body, Iris wouldn’t have been able to block it.
But even with that knowledge, Iris and Hunt were exhausted. The shimmering heat around their swords, though different colors, flickered weakly, as if about to dissipate.
‘How much longer?’
Despite the seemingly endless battle, Iris’s red eyes burned brightly. The creature, after exchanging a few more blows, tilted its head, as if puzzled. Then, it sprouted more tentacles from its back and charged again.
“That’s… cheating,” Hunt muttered, resigned.
Iris, too, felt the cold touch of death. But she raised her sword. Hunt, seeing Iris’s resolve, did the same. Just then, a voice spoke from behind them.
“You two are such idiots.”
Startled, they turned to see a woman rushing towards them.
A woman with dazzling silver hair, her clothes ill-fitting, the sleeves too short, her legs exposed. Only her chest seemed adequately covered.
The woman, wielding a familiar sword, attacked the creature, effortlessly countering its movements. The swordsmanship that had seemed so similar to Evrys’s was now being dismantled before their eyes. The creature’s tentacles were sliced off, writhing on the ground.
Stunned, Iris and Hunt turned to see Amelia watching the woman with a weary expression. Evrys was gone.
‘…Could that be…?’
The resemblance was striking.
The iconic silver hair, the flawless swordsmanship, the familiar sword with the red gem. All hallmarks of Evrys.
Except… she was taller, her features more mature.
Her small chest, however, seemed unchanged.
Iris’s lips moved soundlessly.
“Evrys…?” she whispered.
The woman replied without pausing her attack.
“Yeah. Just wait a moment.”
Evrys continued her assault, dicing the creature into smaller and smaller pieces. She began to chant, and a bright light gathered around her, forming glowing chains that bound the writhing black mass.
The creature struggled, but the chains pulled it towards the ice Evrys had been clutching.
The ice pulsed with darkness, then shuddered and fell still.
A swift and decisive end.
Evrys brushed her hands and turned to Iris. Their eyes met. Evrys hesitated for a moment, then placed her hand on Iris’s head, gently stroking her hair.
“You’ve worked hard,” she said softly.
Iris, still dazed, was brought back to reality by the warmth of Evrys’s hand.
“It was nothing,” she replied.
“I knew you would say that.”
Evrys chuckled, her eyes filled with complex emotions.
Then, she shrank.
“Ah, it’s over already,” she said.
The shrinking figure, the hand on her head… it was the Evrys Iris knew. It finally hit her. Evrys was awake.
“Let’s go back and talk,” Iris said.
“Alright.”
The four of them, and one sword, left the blood-soaked snowfield and returned to the villa. Only a large chunk of ice, filled with darkness, remained, surrounded by splatters of frozen blood.