Claws raced down the mountain path at full speed, with Nox and Audrey riding on his back.

Snow blurred past on both sides as his four legs carried him forward with absurd agility for a creature of his size.

Nox sat behind Audrey, hugging tightly the bag he had hidden in the tavern.

More specifically...

He was hugging the bottles.

He opened the bag for the tenth time.

Checked the contents.

One bottle.

Two.

Three.

And several more.

They were all still there.

Nox let out a relieved sigh.

"...Good."

Audrey glanced at him over her shoulder.

"Are you counting them again?"

"No."

He counted them again.

"I was just making sure they’re still here."

Audrey let out a small laugh.

"I didn’t know they meant that much to you."

"They’re the only stable thing left in my life."

He closed the bag again.

Satisfied this time.

The icy wind struck their faces as they continued descending.

After several seconds of silence, Audrey spoke again.

"...You know?"

Nox looked up.

"Hm?"

She watched the trail ahead.

"I don’t think those inquisitors were looking for you."

Nox blinked.

"What?"

"They didn’t seem interested in avenging the woman who killed Elsa and Sienna either."

The demon thought about it.

Honestly, it made sense.

The lightning inquisitor.

The gauntlet-wearing one.

The one Claws had fought on the rooftops.

They all seemed to have another objective.

Nox rested an arm on the bag.

"Considering the drunk samurai disappeared at the same time..."

He shrugged. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"I’d say they were looking for her."

Audrey nodded slowly.

"I think so too."

The huntress smiled faintly.

"Even so..."

Nox raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

She lowered her gaze to her hands.

"It was strange."

"What was?"

"Dawn."

Nox immediately remembered the woman emptying an entire bottle of whiskey like it was water.

"...Yeah. Pretty strange. And definitely an alcoholic."

Audrey shook her head.

"Not that."

Her eyes softened.

"The way she recognized my power."

Nox remained silent.

Audrey continued.

"When she said that a woman with a title can recognize another woman with a title..."

She clenched one hand slightly.

"I felt something."

Nox listened carefully.

"Ever since you gave me this title..."

Dark energy briefly flickered around her fingers.

"I’ve felt more confident."

Her voice grew quieter.

"Stronger."

She turned around.

Looking directly at him.

"Thank you."

Nox remained silent for several seconds.

Then he opened the bag.

Pulled out a bottle.

And uncorked it.

"You’re welcome."

He took a drink.

"But for now, we should celebrate something more important."

Audrey raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"That we’re still alive."

Nox smiled.

"And that we can still get revenge on the Church."

He raised the bottle.

"And the gods."

Audrey let out a small laugh.

Nox rummaged through the bag.

He pulled out two hollow horns.

The same ones Audrey’s sisters used as drinking cups.

He poured some liquor into one.

Then handed it to her.

"Want some?"

Audrey looked at the drink.

Then shook her head.

"I’d rather have something without alcohol for now."

Nox looked disappointed.

"One day you’ll learn."

Then he downed the contents in a single gulp.

His eyes lit up.

"...Oh."

Audrey sighed.

"What?"

Nox examined the bottle.

"This one is much smoother than the one we tried before."

He licked his lips.

"It reminds me of vermouth and soda."

Audrey had absolutely no idea what that meant.

So she simply opened one of the milk bottles they had found.

Took a sip.

And blinked.

"...It’s fresh."

Nox turned his head.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah."

She looked at the bottle.

"I don’t understand how it’s still being preserved this well."

Claws let out a small growl.

He seemed interested in the conversation.

Then...

Something moved within the grass.

Ssshhh.

Ssshhh.

Ssshhh.

All three of them froze.

The sound was coming from the side of the path.

From a cluster of snow-covered bushes.

Claws stopped abruptly.

Nox nearly flew off his back.

"Whoa!"

The massive bear growled.

Staring directly at the vegetation.

Audrey narrowed her eyes.

Nox raised an eyebrow.

"...Did you hear that?"

Ssshhh.

Ssshhh.

The sound came again.

Like something slowly dragging itself forward.

Audrey rested a hand on her bow.

"Yeah."

Nox stared at the bushes.

Then smiled.

"I’m hungry."

Audrey looked at him.

"...What?"

"Maybe it’s some kind of animal."

He stretched slightly.

"We could hunt it. You’re good at that, right?"

He looked at Claws and grinned.

"I don’t want to end up eating you."

The bear immediately turned his head.

And growled at him.

Nox raised both hands.

"It was a joke."

Another growl.

"Okay, maybe not entirely a joke."

Claws bared his teeth.

Audrey finally laughed.

"I’ll check."

Without waiting for an answer...

She jumped.

In a single motion.

Landing on a branch several meters above.

Nox watched in amazement.

"...Everything you do keeps getting more unfair."

The huntress ignored him.

Nox climbed off the bear’s back.

And hid behind a tree.

Drawing one of his demonic daggers.

Claws began approaching slowly.

Step by step.

Without making a sound.

The noise continued coming from the bushes.

Ssshhh.

Ssshhh.

Ssshhh.

Something was moving in there.

Nox swallowed.

For some reason...

It didn’t feel like an animal.

Claws slowly pushed aside some branches with one of his enormous paws.

And then...

Everyone froze.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Nox blinked.

Because what was inside the bushes...

Made absolutely no sense.

It was the upper half of the inquisitor’s body.

The same woman.

The same broken armor.

The same red hair.

The same infuriating smile.

She was dragging herself across the ground using both arms.

Leaving a long trail of blood behind her.

Ssshhh.

Ssshhh.

Ssshhh.

That was the noise.

Her hands dragging across the snow.

The inquisitor slowly lifted her head.

And saw the group.

"...Oh."

Nox opened his mouth.

Then closed it.

Then opened it again.

"..."

The woman smiled.

"Hello again."

Nox slowly approached her.

Without taking his eyes off her.

"What the hell?"

The inquisitor tilted her head.

"Hm?"

Nox pointed toward the missing lower half of her body.

"HOW THE HELL ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?"

The woman looked offended.

"What a rude way to greet someone."

Nox stared at her for several seconds.

Then pointed at her again.

"WE CUT YOU IN HALF!"

"Yes."

"WE THREW YOU OFF A CLIFF!"

"Correct."

"YOU’RE LEAVING A RIVER OF BLOOD BEHIND YOU!"

The inquisitor glanced at the trail behind her.

"...Now that you mention it, yes."

Nox turned toward Audrey.

"Is it just me, or should this woman be dead?"

Audrey was still standing on the branch.

Watching her with absolute suspicion.

"...She definitely should."

The inquisitor sighed.

As if she were tired of hearing the same thing.

"Stop bothering me."

And she resumed dragging herself through the snow.

As though there were absolutely nothing strange about the situation.

Nox felt a chill run down his spine.