— Humans...?
The beautiful pink-haired young woman seed just as surprised as they were to find other people in that place.
"Who is this...?"
Samael wondered for a mont.
But soon returned to staring into the distance, his thoughts drifting amid the lack of focus caused by the previous night.
Bel took a small step back, making it clear that the conversation was now in Liu's hands.
She cast a quick glance toward Samael.
The boy remained distracted, gazing at the horizon.
"...Where is yesterday's mountain?"
He could no longer see it.
That colossal mountain that seed to split the world in half had simply vanished.
Noticing that Samael was still acting strangely, Liu naturally stepped forward as the group's representative.
The pink-haired girl watched the silent blindfolded young woman approach while the two boys remained behind her like guards.
The black-haired boy had empty, lifeless eyes.
The other... had unusually colored hair and seed ntally detached from the place.
— Who are you? — Liu asked coldly, pointing her sword at the stranger.
The girl tilted her head slightly.
— Wouldn't it be more polite for you to introduce yourselves first?
Her smile was gentle.
But then she glanced around at the skeletons scattered throughout the ruined city.
— Although... in this hell, I suppose nobody really cares about manners.
She looked back at them.
— Nice to et you. My na is Cyrene. I'm a Native Arican.
Liu's eyes narrowed slightly.
"A native...?"
"There are still living humans in Arica?"
If that were true...
It would completely change everything they knew about the continent.
— Now that I've introduced myself... who are you young people? — Cyrene asked as she took a few steps closer.
Her smile remained calm.
Far too gentle for a place like this.
Liu hesitated for a mont.
She considered lying.
But in the end, she chose to tell the truth.
— We're governnt agents sent to assess the state of Arica.
After answering, she slowly lowered her sword.
Still cautious.
Cyrene's eyes widened slightly.
— Then you know how to leave this place?
For the first ti, genuine emotion appeared in her voice.
Hope.
— At the mont, we can't leave. — Liu replied.
— But you know how to leave eventually, right? — Cyrene asked quickly.
Liu hesitated.
She wasn't sure whether she should answer honestly.
Cyrene could be dangerous.
But in a place like this...
Any potential ally was precious.
— I'll answer under one condition.
— What condition? — Cyrene asked.
The wind passed through the bones scattered around them as her long pink hair danced softly.
The scenery made the conversation feel strangely heavy.
Uncomfortable.
— If you answer one question... we'll answer yours.
Liu kept her crimson eyes hidden beneath the blindfold while carefully observing the girl.
Cyrene nodded without hesitation.
— Of course. What would you like to know?
— Are there other people here besides you?
Cyrene fell silent for a mont.
Then answered calmly:
— Yes. I have several companions trying to survive alongside in this ruined world.
Liu couldn't tell whether she was telling the truth.
There was sothing about the girl that felt too strange.
Before she could respond, Samael spoke absentmindedly:
— She's telling the truth.
He briefly glanced at Cyrene...
Then returned to staring at the distant horizon.
Liu frowned slightly.
She had no idea how Samael knew that.
And honestly...
She wasn't even sure he was ntally reliable at the mont.
But still...
It was the only confirmation they had.
Bel discreetly moved closer to her.
— Hey... — he whispered near Liu's ear.
She turned slightly toward him.
— I can't sense any soul essence from her.
His empty eyes remained fixed on Cyrene.
— It's as if she isn't an Awakened.
That imdiately put Liu on alert.
Cyrene didn't seem like a Nightmare Creature.
But she didn't seem human either.
Not entirely.
Even so, Liu needed to uphold her side of the agreent.
— We have a way out... after we cross Arica.
For a mont...
Cyrene simply froze.
Then a smile slowly appeared on her face.
An unbelievably beautiful smile.
But above all...
A real one.
Relief.
Hope.
Happiness.
All of it appeared within that simple smile.
And it was at that mont...
That Samael felt sothing.
His Animal Reflex suddenly flared violently.
But he heard no footsteps.
Felt no presence.
Detected no movent whatsoever.
And yet...
Sothing was there.
Samael slowly turned his head.
And froze.
A girl was standing absurdly close to him.
Far too close.
Her long purple hair swayed gently in the wind.
Her violet eyes remained locked onto Samael's golden ones.
She was so near that he could feel her breathing.
Her face seed perfect.
Without a single flaw.
There was sothing almost unreal about her beauty.
Inhuman.
For a brief mont, Samael sincerely felt that only Haru could compare to her in that regard.
The girl simply observed him curiously.
Silently.
And the most terrifying thing...
No one had noticed when she arrived.
Not Liu.
Not Bel.
Not even Samael's Animal Reflex had properly detected her approach.
Then...
Samael felt her strength.
And in that instant...
His entire body turned cold.
Cyrene seed weaker than them.
But this girl...
Was absurd.
Ridiculous.
A Master.
No.
Sothing worse.
Samael sensed more danger from her than from Wein and Yuji combined.
Far more.
She carried a strange presence.
It was as if the world itself reacted to her existence.
As though reality automatically recognized that this creature stood above the rest.
For a brief mont...
As the two stared at one another...
Samael felt as if they had both been isolated from the world itself.
As though the space around them had vanished.
Even if it was perhaps only an illusion.
Then the girl finally spoke:
— You encountered one of those things... didn't you?
Her violet eyes remained fixed on him.
And only at that mont...
Did the others finally notice her presence.
Shock imdiately appeared on Liu and Bel's faces.
Cyrene rely let out a small sigh upon seeing her.
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