⑄ 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚛𝚘𝚠'𝚜 𝚓𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚊𝚕 ⑄

『 Act X: ambush 』

"keep up, lantern-holder - we are on borrowed time."

"I would be faster if you hadn't FROZEN ME earlier!!"

"true, I suppose - but isn't thunder the fastest element?"

"I - y- wh - ... let's just finish this."

the faceless made a small hum sound, before promptly teleporting ahead a few meters.

"the Core is in the center of the grove, is it not?"

"I think so, yeah," the antlered god-killer mumbled, before summoning an electric construct a good five meters ahead of the overseer, teleporting in front of them.

[ why am i helping her anyways ... even if we made a deal ... it doesn't matter - i should kill her right here right now - ]

"move."

"wh -"

he let out a startled yelp as the faceless snatched the back of his hood, pulling them back - then promptly decapitating an attacking god-killer, a spell of frost shattering the head and any remains of the body.

the lantern-holder stumbled back, digging his heels into the tangled undergrowth. he blinked, shivering a bit at the sudden cold.

the tall figure shook the black blood off their spear's blade, pointed ear twitching. the jewelry adorning their veil and horns made soft ringing sounds, the only noise disturbing the quiet clearing.

"...anyways."

she spun her spear, before holding it out to dismiss it. the only sound that disturbed the near-silence of the decayed path was the faint rattling of her spine-tail.

"lead the way, lantern-holder."

somehow, her eerily calm demeanor was more chilling than the fact an old friend had almost killed him with no hesitation. the way she simply stood there, seemingly out of place - a pillar of elegance - among a bloodied, rotten grove.

he inhaled shakily, starting to walk past her. oh, how the ice that danced on the burnt grass shot through his boots - how unnerving.

[ why are they trusting me - why ? - ]

there was a beat of silence.

he froze dead stiff.

.

.

.

' kill her, mitsuaki. ' came that wretched voice.