–I know you're there. You can come out now –Rouge said, plunging her enormous sword into the river.
It was as if the rushing current could cleanse their sins, carrying away the blood—yet the stains remained stubbornly on the blade.
–We're not going to talk about this, but if we want to stay alive we need to eat something –Rouge continued.
Luck ignored her and simply walked toward the scattered remains of the fallen demons, or at least what was left of them.
He made his way to the largest corpse, a blue-skinned, winged demon, and plunged his fingers into its battered pouch, hoping to find something edible.
"Finally… it's been ages since I had proper meat—normal, good quality meat," Luck thought as he recalled the vile taste of angel flesh. He pulled out a few strips of dried red meat—not the finest cut, but something was better than nothing.
–I can't find anything in the other bags. Seems this guy was the leader—he must've grabbed whatever scraps the others left –Luck said, finishing his search.
–Of course. He needed a lot of food to feed that huge mouth of his—talks too much to ever starve –Rouge replied, watching him chew.
"She's acting like it's no big deal. She must really be used to this," he thought.
–Whatever. Let's grab some water and get out of here. Who knows when that archangel will catch up to us; maybe we find an exit soon –Luck added.
"How optimistic…" he mused.
---
Luck and Rouge kept walking without pause, hoping to find an exit from this lifeless place.
But they only encountered more corpses. Some were riddled with bite marks, others starved to death—after all, demons needed constant sustenance to maintain their magical forms, especially in such a barren realm.
–Could you stop gorging yourself? Save some meat… you're going to end up like those skeletons at this rate –Rouge snapped, casting him a menacing glance as if he were prey.
A shiver ran down Luck's spine as he remembered a whisper he'd heard in the cave.
"That lizard over there said Rouge wanted to eat me… I hope that was a joke," he thought.
–Hahaha! You should've seen that look on your face! –Rouge laughed, a strange, sad grin flickering across her helmeted visage, like a sorrowful clown.
Since they met, Rouge had never once smiled genuinely. No happy moments, only endless bloodshed.
Suddenly, an icy gust froze Luck's bones—the temperature shifted by some cruel magic, without warning.
–Do you have some coat hidden in there? –Luck asked, rubbing his arms to keep warm.
–Here. Not like I need it with this armor on –Rouge replied, tossing him a luxurious leather coat as if it were just another trinket.
He struggled to slip it on while the gale fought to strip it from his thin arms. The cold eased but did not relent.
"I never thought I'd find a place colder than the Abyss…" he thought, teeth chattering.
Just when he thought he'd acclimated to subzero cold, the frost vanished. In seconds the temperature soared, and a howling sandstorm pounded them with blistering heat and swirling grit.
–Seriously? You really have the worst luck, human –Rouge said, pivoting to watch him battle the furnace-like blast.
But Luck stood frozen, his muscles seized by sudden paralysis.
–L-Luck? –she called.
His human body had finally given out—a simple muscle spasm, combined with the extreme heat and inadequate clothing, sent him crashing to the ground, unable to move.
Rouge took cautious steps toward him. His body lay rigid, his eyes flickering helplessly.
Despair.
Luck felt himself slipping away, wishing to sink into the sand and become nothing.
Rouge couldn't help but see him as a liability, burdened by his fickle fortune.
She hesitated, her sword-hand flexing, tempted to drop everything and flee.
But her mind reminded her of her wounds—her arm still throbbed from the clash with divine force, and her dominant hand was bruised raw from the climb.
–You really are one lucky bastard –she muttered, ripping off and discarding the expensive coat.
She hoisted Luck's limp form—and even his sword—onto her back, pushing through the pain, and ran as fast as she could to find shelter.
By instinct, Luck had always manipulated those around him to survive.
But this was the first time anyone had trusted him completely, with no tricks or lies.
Seconds stretched into minutes, minutes into what felt like hours, until Rouge finally spotted a colossal structure in the distance.
She carried him through the archway without hesitation. A vast, spiraling staircase unfolded before them, each step carved into impossibly smooth stone.
Beyond lay the most astounding sight Luck had ever beheld: a sprawling city extending for hundreds of miles. Miraculous buildings of impossible shapes and vibrant colors rose in every direction. At its heart hovered a massive crystal fountain, suspended like the city's pulsating core.
The entire metropolis lay beneath a colossal dome of magical energy. Maintaining such a barrier would consume oceans of liquid mana.
–No one… no one would keep this place intact by themselves. It has to be some kind of mechanism –Rouge observed.
With that, she tightened her grip on Luck and jumped onto the first step, lest the sand swallow the staircase.
CRACK
Her greaves clanged on the polished floor that served as the city's ground. Pain shot through her knees, but she pressed on.
She set Luck down and raised her gaze. Through the slits of her black helm, all she saw was destruction.
Once-glorious buildings lay in ruins, blood-stained rubble everywhere. Piles of demon corpses formed grotesque mounds—many missing limbs, others charred to ash.
–Demons… I've never had a spasm before. That one felt so strange –Rouge said, massaging her temples.
Luck regained consciousness, brushing sand from his hair.
–I'm dirtier than a pig. I'd kill for a hot bath right now –he said hoarsely, and Rouge merely nodded, still processing the bizarre climate shift.
But then a creature burst from an alley: a serpent-shaped demon torso, severed in half yet still alive and gasping.
–I'm not… going to die here. I have to see my family… –the demon wheezed.
Those words struck Luck like a hammer: What if we die like idiots? My wife and daughters are waiting for me at home…
The same demon who had wept for his family just before the war.
A luminous figure surged out of the alley, chasing the dying demon. With one brutal motion, he drove a blackened spear through its heart. The beast's chest exploded in a crimson spray; bones splintered as its inky carcass collapsed. Mastema caught the still-beating heart in his gauntlet, watching dark ichor drip between his fingers like a predator savoring its prey.
–See how fragile life is? –he whispered, voice cold as stone. Sparks of charred flesh flickered at the edges of his cloak as he stepped forward, crunching over crushed bone. Rouge and Luck froze, the echo of dripping blood drowning out all else.
–Playing with prey is the best part, don't you think? –Mastema continued, rolling the heart in his palm. –You sinners deserve every moment of fear.
He flung the heart at Rouge's feet; it rolled to rest against her boot.
–A human still breathing… astonishing –Mastema said, turning a grin on Luck. –Most of your kind don't last this long in my playground.
Luck's compass rattled in his pocket as if recoiling from the angelic presence. Rouge raised her sword—but her grip trembled under the moment's weight. Mastema's laughter rang through the shattered city like breaking glass.
–Don't bother –he warned softly. –I wouldn't want to spoil the fun.
Then, with deliberate slowness, he squeezed the heart. It burst into a cloud of black pulp and sparks that drifted upward like cursed embers. The acrid stench of sulfur and iron filled the air. In an instant, he vanished into a swirl of shadows, leaving only the echo of his final promise:
–Your torment is only just beginning.
Luck drew his small blade and flung it at the spot where Mastema stood—hoping to buy the knight a moment's advantage.
In that moment, Rouge launched herself at the emptiness, her massive sword swinging in a flurry of blows. She struck dozens of times, each swing splitting stone and echoing in the silent city. But the phantom figure darted through her attacks as if playing a game, each dodge effortless.
–Now it's my turn –he taunted.
She felt a searing pain tear through her chest. Rouge's armor buckled as a spike of pure, white-hot light impaled her breastplate. Scarlet blood spurted from the wound, showering her ashen cheeks and spattering across Luck's face. He gasped, the metallic tang of her life's essence coating his lips.
Rouge staggered, sword falling from her grasp, her eyes covered in darkness.
Luck stumbled back a step, his hands trembling uselessly at his sides. His chest tightened, rage and helplessness clawing at his throat as he watched the blood pool beneath her.
"Luck... What a fucking joke."
He stumbled forward, fists clenched and trembling. I can't save her. I can't save anyone... not even her.