Linnea’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of her daughter’s name. Her protective instincts kicked in, her eyes narrowing as she scrutinized the two women standing before her. “Who are you, and how do you know my daughter?” she demanded.

Maria smiled warmly, her eyes softening as she spoke. “I’m Maria, and this is Celaine. We’re… let’s just say we’re acquaintances of Hana.”

Linnea’s tension eased slightly, but she remained vigilant. “Acquaintances, huh? And what brings you to Sylphidia, especially during such a storm?”

Celaine, who had been observing the remnants of Grax’s group with a bored expression, turned her attention to Linnea. “We’re on a bit of a mission, you could say. In fact, I’d say we just got one step closer to our goal.”

The tavern’s tense atmosphere shifted as the patrons tried to return to their conversations, albeit with frequent glances toward the group.

Linnea assessed Maria and Celaine, trying to gauge their intentions. Maria looked kind and trustworthy, but she wasn’t sure about Celaine. That green-haired woman reminded her of a certain fox…

“…You said something about Mira when you walked in. Do you know her?” Linnea asked, staring into their eyes.

Maria nodded. “We’re actually looking for her.”

Linnea’s eyes narrowed as she became alert. She didn’t care about Mira, as that woman was like an unkillable cockroach, but her daughter was with her! If these people had ill intentions…

“…And what would you do once you found her?”

“Well…” A light blush crept up on Maria’s face. “It’s a bit embarrassing to say it in public, but… She is my f-fiancee, so I suppose we’d talk?”

“…”

Linnea’s eyes slowly widened as she looked at the beautiful woman in front of her. Her brain short-circuited for a moment, wondering if she heard her correctly. “…I’m sorry. I don’t think I heard you properly. Can you repeat that?”

“Mmhm~ I’m Mira’s fiancee!” Maria then showed off her ring. “See?”

“…WHAT?!”

Linnea’s mind was reeling. Mira’s fiancee? The very thought seemed ludicrous, yet the sincerity in Maria’s eyes and the ring on her finger told a different story. She shook her head, trying to clear the shock. “Well, that’s… quite the revelation.

But why are you looking for her here?”

Maria’s expression grew slightly somber. “We’ve been separated due to… certain circumstances. I’ve been trying to locate her to… well… I guess you could say discuss our differences.” Her face darkened for a moment, frightening Linnea and the men at the table, before she returned to normal. “And perhaps, to bring her back with me. Or join her.

I’m not really sure yet.” She smiled lightly.

***

On the other side of the continent, the two that they were talking about had run into a little issue.

Wherever they were going, the blizzard had suddenly worsened.

Mira wore an annoyed expression as she trudged through the deepening snow, her eyes scanning the ever-whitening landscape. A large pair of [Paragon Wings] extended from her back, protecting them from the icy chill, but as the wind picked up, she grimaced.

“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Mira jumped up in the air, attempting to take flight, only for the wind to drag her along its course, pulling her back to the ground. “Just let me fly!”

Left with no other choice, she could only make her way through the blizzard on foot, which was nothing more than a huge waste of time.

Hiding on her back, Hana spoke into Mira’s ear, “Look on the bright side! Maybe we’re close to something amazing, and that’s why the storm’s worse!”

“As if! I’d rather eat dog shit than believe my luck would be so good!”

“…”

The blizzard’s fury intensified, its howling winds morphing into ferocious roars as if mythical beasts were unleashed upon Mira and Hana. The air grew darker, the day seemingly turning into night, as ominous clouds swirled above them.

Mira grunted and pushed forward, her body leaning into the biting wind. “This is ridiculous,” she growled, her voice barely audible over the storm’s rage.

Hana, clinging tightly to Mira’s back, peeked out, her eyes wide with both fear and awe. “It’s like the storm is alive!”

Suddenly, the air crackled with electricity, bolts of lightning zigzagging across the sky, striking the ground with fierce intensity. Mira felt the electric charge build around her, the hair on her neck standing on end.

“Damn it!” she cursed as a bolt of lightning struck nearby, sending a wave of energy through her body. She gritted her teeth, focusing her power to create a protective barrier around herself and Hana, shielding them from the storm’s wrath.

But the blizzard had more tricks up its sleeve. The ground beneath them shuddered, the snow-covered surface cracking open to reveal gaping crevasses that plunged into the abyss. Mira’s eyes narrowed as she navigated the treacherous terrain, her every step measured and precise.

With every step, it seemed to worsen, and for a moment, Mira wondered if it was even worth continuing. ‘I don’t know what’s ahead. It could very well be nothing, and we just happened to run into a bad part of the storm.’

Still, Hana’s previous words echoed in her mind. ‘But… there’s also the possibility of running into something. Hell, even if I turn around, who’s to guarantee that things won’t get worse?’

She shook her head and continued to move forward. ‘Might as well just keep moving. At some point, I’ll reach the other side!’

For what seemed like hours, she trudged through the deepening snow, looking like a moving snowman. Hana, even with Mira’s protection, was basically an ice cube at the moment. The only thing keeping her from getting frostbite and dying was Mira’s Qi running through her body, forcefully keeping her alive.

Mira wasn’t entirely sure how the blizzard was penetrating her defenses, but from what she could gather, it wasn’t doing so forcefully. Even if the wind was ten times stronger and faster, it still shouldn’t be able to pierce through her Qi.

She could only conclude that it had some unique properties that allowed it to ignore defenses.

Just when she thought things couldn’t get worse, she collided with an invisible force. Stumbling back, she scowled, extending her hand to touch the ‘wall’ before her. It rippled under her touch, a wall of energy that seemed impenetrable.

“A barrier?” Mira’s mind raced, her eyes scanning the surroundings for any clue to its origin. With a determined grunt, she summoned her scythe and pumped destruction Qi into it.

She swung with all her might, her scythe tearing through the barrier, creating a tear that shimmered like water. Without a second thought, she leaped through the opening, Hana clinging to her as they braced for what lay beyond.

As they emerged on the other side, an intense light flooded their vision, momentarily blinding them. As their eyes adjusted, the sounds of battle filled their ears, the clash of weapons and the shouts of combatants echoing through the air.

Before them, a scene of chaos unfolded. Monks clad in white robes fought fiercely against people from various Sects. In the background, a majestic castle extended into the sky.

‘Hmm?’ She ignored the battle ahead and looked around, no longer feeling an intense wind or cold piercing her. The reason for that was clear at a glance. ‘No more blizzard?’

Although the sky was still covered in dark, menacing clouds, that’s it. There was no snow, ice, or anything like that falling to the ground.

“Mira! We’re free!” Hana shouted and was about to jump out of her tails, but Mira stopped her.

“Not yet. We still have to deal with that.” She pointed to the battlefield ahead. Her eyes twitched as she heard the monk’s voices, constantly screaming about their ‘Lord’.

‘Looks like the graveyard will gain a few more additions.’

Hana’s expression turned weird seeing them, feeling a bit complicated. “…How’d they get here so fast?”

“…I was wondering the same thing. Maybe the ones we faced were just the stragglers?”

“…Maybe.”

“Anyways, let’s get this over with and check out that castle!” Mira exclaimed as she jumped into the sky, flapping her [Paragon Wings]. Filling them up with Qi, weaving them together with her creation ability, she dashed above the battlefield.

‘Since none of them are my allies,’ Her wings flapped, sending hundreds of icy feathers crashing toward the ground. ‘I don’t need to be careful.’

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

…

..

.

As the icy feathers plummeted toward the earth, each impact resonated like thunder, sending shockwaves across the battlefield. The combatants, both monks and sect members, were caught off guard, their battle cries turning into shouts of alarm and pain as they were blasted apart.

Mira descended from the sky with an icy cold expression. Her [Paragon Wings] folded behind her, and she landed gracefully in the center of it all, her presence alone commanding attention.

“Who dares interrupt our sacred battle?!” bellowed a monk clad in white, his eyes blazing with fury as he confronted Mira.

Mira’s gaze swept over the scene, her lips curling into a smirk. A black sticky goo coagulated around her scythe as her [Death Dominion] spread out. With a sweeping motion, the black goo extended into a thin line and cut the monk who dared to yell at her in half.

“You hairless apes really know how to piss me off, huh?”

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