Lunnaux had no choice.
She hauled Noa onto the horse and kicked it into a desperate sprint, the wind tearing past them as hooves thundered against the dirt. Behind them, three Kuro soldiers burst from the ridge, bows already drawn.
Arrows hissed through the air.
"Damn it," Lunnaux snarled. "They're still following us."
"Stop the horse," Noa said through clenched teeth. "I'll fight."
She shot him a furious glance. "Shut up. Look at yourself—you're not even in a fighting condition."
"Just stop," he insisted. "I've fought my entire life. I won't run now. I was built to kill from childhood."
Her grip tightened on the reins. "What…?"
Before she could question him, a sharp cry split the air. An arrow struck the horse's flank. The animal collapsed mid-run, sending both of them crashing into the ground.
Pain exploded through Lunnaux's body as she rolled to her feet, sword already in hand. More arrows flew, but she deflected them with quick, precise movements, steel ringing through the forest.
She grabbed Noa, pulling him toward the trees.
Another arrow struck her shoulder.
She didn't stop.
Ignoring the burning pain, Lunnaux forced herself forward until she spotted a narrow cave hidden beneath thick roots and stone. She dragged Noa inside just as the forest fell silent.
The Kuro soldiers searched for a while, voices echoing faintly through the trees, but eventually they moved on—convinced their prey had fled deeper into the forest.
Only then did Lunnaux slump against the cave wall.
With a sharp breath, she snapped the arrow shaft and pulled it from her shoulder.
"Damn it…" she muttered, then looked at Noa. "Are you okay?"
He struggled to focus, his voice weak. "Y-yes… but your shoulder—"
"Don't worry about me," she said. "It'll heal. But your leg…" Her eyes narrowed. "It's bent."
Noa exhaled sharply. "Looks like it's broken."
"Oh my god—what do we do?" Panic crept into her voice.
"Don't panic," Noa said calmly. "Get a stick. Tie it to my leg."
Lunnaux quickly found a sturdy branch, tore a strip from her clothing, and bound it tightly around his leg to keep it straight.
"What about you?" Noa asked. "Your injury—"
"I'll manage," she replied. "I'll just tie it off."
Noa tore a piece of cloth and handed it to her.
She blinked, then smirked. "What was the need for this?"
"You tore your clothes for me," he said. "I tore mine for you. Simple."
She laughed softly.
"What's so funny?" Noa asked.
"I thought you didn't care about women at all."
He frowned. "What made you think that?"
"Well," she said lightly, "you attacked me pretty brutally."
"Oh… sorry about that."
"It's fine," she replied. "I've faced worse."
"From who?"
"My father," Lunnaux said quietly. "He used to beat me."
Noa stiffened.
"My family was poor," she continued. "I was forced to work, to earn money. If I failed… he punished me. They never wanted a girl. When I was born, my father beat my mother for giving birth to me."
Noa swallowed. "I'm… sorry."
"It's okay," she said. "What about you? Your childhood?"
He let out a bitter breath. "Mine wasn't any better than yours."
She looked at him in surprise.
"My mother was tortured by her family for marrying my father," Noa said. "And my father was killed for marrying beneath his caste."
Lunnaux's eyes widened.
"I was left alone," he continued. "Starving. Homeless. Then a man took me in. Gave me food. Shelter. A family—or so I thought."
His voice darkened.
"He trained me. Broke me. Whipped me with iron if I stopped. I lost two fingers once… and when I woke up, they were back."
"What… how?"
"They weren't mine," Noa said flatly. "They were my parents' fingers. He kept them so I'd never forget why I lived."
Realization struck her. "He was your grandfather?"
"Yes," Noa replied. "That was his version of love."
Silence hung heavy in the cave.
"When I learned the truth," Noa continued, "I killed him in his sleep. I was sentenced to death—but someone saved me. Took me away. Only for me to be tortured again elsewhere."
Lunnaux clenched her fists. "Those bastards…"
"We can't change it," Noa said quietly. "That was our fate."
"Yeah," she whispered. "I guess so."
Suddenly, footsteps echoed outside.
The cave entrance darkened.
"So," a voice sneered, "this is where you were hiding."
Three Kuro soldiers stepped inside.
"You're dead now," another laughed.
A third licked his lips. "Let me taste your blood first."
"Damn it…" Noa muttered.
"What do we do?" Lunnaux whispered.
"Stay back," Noa said, forcing himself up. "I'll handle this."
"You're injured!"
"I don't get injured," he replied, eyes cold. "I just get rusty."
Limping forward, Noa attacked—but his broken leg betrayed him. A blade slashed across his leg, and before he could recover—
Steel pierced him.
Noa die's
"Noa!" Lunnaux screamed.
Rage consumed her.
She charged, cutting down two soldiers in a blur of fury—but before she could finish the last one, an arrow struck her from the shadows.
Figures emerged from the forest.
Not three.
Dozens.
Her sword clashed against a heavy mace, the impact chipping her blade.
"Damn it…" she breathed.
A towering Kuro soldier stepped forward, grinning. "It's over, white-haired trash. You'll pay for what you did to our men."
He raised his sword.
And brought it down.