After rummaging through different clothing, they finally discovered a dress that seed perfect for Yumina. At first glance it appeared too large for her fra, but as soon as she slipped it over her shoulders, the fabric shimred faintly and shrank, adjusting to her exact size.
Yumina ran her fingers along the fine stitching, blinking in surprise. "Are you sure you want to give this to ? It looks... expensive." Her voice wavered, as though she were an uninvited guest trespassing in soone else’s wardrobe. A small frown tugged her lips, the familiar feeling of being the poor friend stepping into a rich friend’s ho settling in her chest.
Tyla chuckled, waving dismissively. "I don’t even know if this belongs to . For all I care, it could have been collecting dust here for years. Besides—" her grin turned sly, "—what were you planning to wear instead? One of those bunny girl costus from the previous house?"
Yumina froze mid-gesture; her eye twitched and she blushed — she had almost worn it.
"Hmmm... should I kill her, so this embarrassnt will be buried here forever?" she thought, but cut herself off before she could strangle Tyla on the spot.
"I can hear you," Tyla said.
Huffing, Yumina muttered sothing under her breath about bad taste and went back to changing.
When she finally stepped out, the place seed to grow still. The sleek black coat clung to her figure like second skin, its texture resembling hardened leather yet gleaming faintly under the pale light. It was built for battle— sturdy, fitted with flexible joints, and secured by a wide belt at her waist. The snug fastening emphasized her lean, agile fra, while the fur-lined dark trousers and high boots guarded her against the biting cold. She looked every bit the wandering rcenary: hardened, resilient, yet radiating the fiery energy of youth not yet subdued by the world.
Tyla whistled softly. "Now that’s the look of soone who can scare a small army."
Yumina flexed her hands and brought her gauntlets together in a self-fist bump, sparks faintly crackling where tal touched. "Alright. Let’s go and finish them."
Before she could march off, Tyla cleared her throat with an exaggerated cough. "Ahem. Hold on a second." She pointed toward a dimly lit walls branching to the side. "While you were busy changing, I decided to look around a little. And... I found sothing."
Yumina followed her finger, annoyance still simring in her chest. But the mont her gaze landed on the far end of the passage, her eyes widened, her breath caught, and the irritation lted into shock.
"Haaa..." The sound escaped her lips before she could stop it.
Tyla tilted her head, clearly enjoying Yumina’s reaction. "Well? What do you think?"
"H-huh..." Yumina stamred, still too dumbfounded to form words.
----
Earlier that Day...
Half an hour had passed since Yumina was saved by Tyla and the two of them managed to escape into the snowy wilderness.
anwhile, inside the crumbling house, Yaso was fuming. His temper flared as he slapped one of his lackeys across the face so hard the man staggered.
"Darn it... are you guys deaf or what?" Yaso roared, his voice echoing off the cold stone walls.
He turned his glare on another guard slumped against the doorfra. Without hesitation, he kicked the man square in the ribs. The lackey groaned and stirred, clutching his side as he woke up.
"Bro... did you have fun? You were shouting in joy..." the newly conscious man asked with a grin, his tone full of expectation.
The other lackey widened his eyes in panic and frantically signaled for him to shut up, but it was too late.
Yaso’s expression went cold. He tilted his head, smiling faintly, which made the two lackeys shiver. "So you heard shouting... and didn’t co?" His tone was almost calm, which made it worse. "I see."
"Just like you said, bro — we didn’t disturb you at all!" the lackey grinned nervously, "Eh? W-wait... why are you lifting your foot, bro?"
Yaso lifted his foot as though to smash the man’s face, but after a mont, he slowly lowered it again. The air grew heavy with dread.
"I’ll kick you later. For now... find that girl." His voice snapped like a whip. "Those two aren’t alone. Soone else was there — soone strong enough to knock out. Go find them. Tell the boys to spread out and search every corner."
"Yes, bro!" the two shouted in unison, saluting before scrambling away like frightened dogs.
Yaso clicked his tongue in irritation, his mind racing. "Tsk... I’ll interrogate that other guy myself." He muttered under his breath as he strode toward the old tower that served as his private quarters.
The steps creaked under his weight as he climbed its winding steps. Most of his lackeys had already scattered, combing the ruined stronghold and the snowy fields beyond for any sign of the girls. But Yaso wasn’t worried about them. He had another source of information.
At the top of the tower, in a damp room that slled of rust and mold, Luman was still tied up. His arms were bound tightly behind him with thick rope, his head slumped forward as he remained unconscious.
Yaso smirked and grabbed a wooden bucket sitting in the corner. The water inside had partially frozen from the bitter cold, a thin crust of ice clinking against the sides as he lifted it. Without hesitation, he dumped the freezing contents over Luman’s head.
Gasp!
Luman jerked awake instantly, sputtering as icy water trickled down his face and neck. His entire body shivered violently, the cold gnawing at his skin like knives.
"Who is the third person?" Yaso demanded as he drove a heavy kick into Luman’s chest, forcing him back against the wall. He pressed down with his boot, grinding against Luman’s ribs. "Answer ."
"W-what? Third person? What are you even talking about?" Luman wheezed, his voice raw with confusion. A mont ago he rembered he was handing over sothing to Yumina, the girl with gauntlets who rescued him — his savior — and then darkness. Now he was here, drenched and freezing, with this thug towering over him.
"Heh." Yaso’s lips curled into a cruel grin. "Just woke up, huh? That’s fine. I’ll wait." He dragged a chair across the stone floor with an ear-splitting screech and sat down directly in front of him, his gaze never leaving Luman’s face. "But you’d better tell who the third person is... before I lose my patience."
Luman’s mind spun. His body trembled, not just from the cold but from fear. Who was this guy talking about? Third person? What happened to Yumina? Soone saved her? If so, revealing anything could put Yumina and her ally in even greater danger.
He clenched his teeth, trying to think fast.
But Yaso leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, eyes gleaming with malicious delight. "Confused? Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you understand soon enough."
---
Night had fallen, yet the bandits still scoured the snowy wilderness, lanterns swaying in their hands as their shouts echoed across the frozen hills. But inside a certain chamber of the old tower, a much darker scene unfolded.
Smack!
Luman’s head jerked sideways, blood splattering onto the floor. A second blow followed, then a third, each fist crunching against his face with brutal rhythm. His breath hitched, teeth rattling, vision swimming.
Yaso stood over him, chest heaving, his fury far from satisfied. With a growl, he slid on a blackened glove, its surface gleaming like steel. His hand looked less like flesh and more like a weapon forged for killing. He drew back his arm and drove his fist into Luman’s stomach.
"Urrghhh—!" Luman’s strangled cry tore from his lips. His body curled up, twitching like a worm under a torch, every nerve screaming from the impact.
"Talk!" Yaso snarled, grabbing his collar and shaking him. "Where are they? Who’s the third person with you?!"
But before Luman could even cough a word, a voice cut across the tension.
"Are you asking about us?"
Yaso stiffened. Slowly, he turned his head.
A woman stood in the doorway, radiant under the lantern light. Snowy white hair cascaded down her back like threads of moons, her figure tall, elegant, flawless. Her beauty was so overwhelming that Yaso’s jaw went slack. Even Yumina, who followed behind her, seed dulled in comparison.
Luman, battered and broken, looked up through half-lidded eyes. The mont he saw her, his pain faltered— just for a heartbeat —replaced by awe.
The woman, Tyla, walked forward with calm grace. Her smile was soft, disarming, yet her steps carried a quiet authority. Extending her hand, she placed sothing into Yaso’s palm.
"Here," she said gently. "Is this what you’re looking for?"
Dumbfounded, Yaso took it without caution. It was a small box, blinking faintly with a rhythmic beep... beep...
His eyes widened. "An... explosive charm—!"
His eyes shot upward, but the beauty was gone. So was Yumina. Even the battered Luman had vanished without a trace. The room was empty — Only a small pearl rolled across the floor.
BOOOOM!
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