blood and snow

After what felt like hours of tracking through the deepening snow, Ichino caught a glimpse of something moving in the shadows. He quickly drew his blades, every sense on high alert.

From the bushes, a massive bear-like monster lunged at him. Ichino jumped back as the beast roared, shaking the very air around them.

Ichino's eyes widened behind his mask. I've never seen a bear like this. Its fur is red, and it's bigger than any bear I've encountered.

Before he could fully process the thought, the beast attacked again. He barely blocked the strike, managing to kick it in the face. The creature didn't even flinch.

The beast snapped at his leg with massive jaws. Ichino jumped back just in time, his heart pounding.

Damn it. I have to do better. For Higo.

The creature attacked relentlessly. Ichino dodged and slashed its arm. The beast roared in pain—a sound almost human in its agony. Seizing the opportunity, Ichino aimed for its head, but the creature dodged with unnatural, human-like intelligence.

Still, his blade landed a powerful slash across its chest.

The beast collapsed. Ichino panted slightly, watching carefully.

Then blood-red flames erupted from the wound on the beast's chest, shining so brightly they were almost blinding. The creature rose again, its wounds closing before Ichino's eyes.

Impossible.

The beast lunged for his head. Ichino braced for impact, but a saber intercepted the attack, sending the creature flying into the trees.

Lily and her remaining guards stood between Ichino and the monster. She turned back to look at him with a smirk.

"Look at this. The great hunter saved by the princess. It's almost laughable."

"What the hell are you doing here, you witch?" Ichino growled.

Lily's eyes flashed with anger, but she smiled through it. "Haha, that's not how you respond to the person who saved your life. How about: 'Oh great Lily, you saved me. I am forever in your debt'?"

Ichino stood up, dusting snow from his cloak. "Mind your own business."

"This is my business," she responded dismissively.

A dark laugh echoed from where the beast had fallen. Through the settling dust, a figure emerged—a tall woman, around six-foot-nine with long red hair. Her body seemed to be held together by flowing blood itself. She laughed wickedly.

"It's been a while since I got to use this form. Thank you. I'll enjoy ripping you all apart."

Lily's expression hardened. "One of the legendary Unkoi of Destruction. The Third Star of Blood—Sefa Aldemir."

"Haha, I'm so well known! But I don't like it when insects say my name," Sefa said.

In an instant, a powerful blast of blood shot toward Lily's chest. But Ichino pushed her aside, taking the hit himself. Half his arm was severed, and he fell to the ground screaming in pain.

Lily's eyes widened. She ran to his side, kneeling beside him. "Dammit, you idiot! You didn't have to do that!"

Ichino struggled to his feet. "That makes us even."

Lily's hands glowed with an ethereal light, and ice began forming over his wound, sealing it. "What the hell—"

Ichino grabbed his remaining sword, holding it with his good arm while Lily froze the wound. "I don't get what's going on here, and I don't care. You killed my brother, and I won't forgive you for that." He placed one of his blades in his mouth. "All I care about is having your head."

His voice blazed with hatred, his eyes burning with bloodlust.

Sefa smirked, clearly enjoying his rage. "Brother, you say? I do remember killing someone who smelled like you. He was a very kind boy, risked his own life to save all the others. Haha." She conjured massive blood spikes behind her. "I really enjoyed killing him. He even died with a smile. It makes me laugh just thinking about it."

"DAMN YOU!" Ichino dashed forward in pure rage.

Sefa threw several spikes, but Ichino cut them down with inhuman speed. He closed the distance and slashed with the blade in his mouth, cutting her throat. But the wound healed instantly.

Ichino jumped back, breathing heavily.

"You done, idiot? You can't kill it that way," Lily said calmly, her remaining men surrounding Sefa to block her escape.

"What do you mean?" Ichino demanded.

Lily groaned in annoyance. "You don't know what Unkoi are, do you?"

The screams of Lily's men being slaughtered filled the air as Sefa tore through them effortlessly.

Lily dashed at Sefa, her attacks quick and perfectly aimed at weak spots. But Sefa caught her off guard, grabbing her skull and slowly crushing it. Lily screamed in agony.

Sefa's hand suddenly fell off, releasing Lily. Ichino's sword protruded through a nearby tree—he had thrown it with perfect accuracy.

"Don't touch her, you bloody witch!"

Sefa laughed darkly, summoning more blood spikes around her. "You really are one annoying insect. But judging by your bloodlust, you won't stop until I'm dead. So I should probably kill you first."

She rushed toward Ichino. He dodged and countered with a stab to her back, but it passed through harmlessly. Sefa punched him away, sending him crashing into a tree with a thunderous impact.

Lily appeared beside him as he struggled to his feet. "The only way to kill an Unkoi is to slash right through its heart."

Ichino looked confused. "That thing has a heart? It looks like it's made of nothing but blood."

Lily groaned. "YES, dumbass. You really don't know anything about Unkoi, do you?" A spider-like spirit appeared from her back. "Ling."

"Yes, master," the spirit said quietly.

"This is an Unkoi. It's what allows us to use magic," Lily explained.

"Magic?" Ichino looked even more bewildered.

"We don't have time for this! We have to beat Sefa before we're both dead!"

Ichino placed his blade back in his mouth, his eyes burning with determination. His past flashed before him—the laughter and smiles of his brother, the simple times of childhood.

Eight-year-old Ichino running home: "Mommy, mommy! Is big brother home?"

Luna smiling: "Of course, he'll be back soon."

Young Ichino beaming: "Great! He promised to show me his super special move again!"

Then a guard running to Luna, bowing at her feet, crying: "Miss Luna, I'm so sorry, but Higo... a strange beast appeared, and he... he told us to run. He fought it off alone..."

Luna falling to her knees: "No, no, no, no..."

The guard's trembling hand reaching for Higo's blades, giving them to young Ichino: "He said... even if he doesn't make it... get stronger, Ichino."

Ichino snapped back to the present as Sefa dashed toward him. He dodged and slashed her side, but the blade passed through her body like water.

Lily struck from behind, actually doing damage. "The only way to harm an Unkoi is with magic, dumbass!"

Ichino stepped back, watching Lily fight. "Well, how am I supposed to fight it then?"

Lily blocked a strike from Sefa. "Easy. DON'T!"

Sefa grabbed Lily's arm and threw her toward Ichino. "You really shouldn't be having relationship problems mid-fight."

Ichino caught her. Lily's face flushed with anger. "WE ARE NOT IN A RELATIONSHIP, YOU ASSHOLE!"

She summoned a barrage of icy spikes, shooting them at high speed toward Sefa's weak spots. But Sefa casually slapped them all away with tendrils of blood, laughing darkly.

"You surely are an aggressive one. I say, boy, how do you handle such an aggressive partner?"

"I manage," Ichino replied.

Lily turned to him, slightly flushed, but quickly composed herself and faced Sefa again.

"If the only way to harm her is with this magic thing, then can't you give me some magic?" Ichino asked, already placing one of his blades back in his mouth.

Lily sighed. "Yes, I can, but why are you so obsessed with killing this thing?"

"For my brother. This is my fight. The only people who have to get hurt from it are me and her."

Ichino glanced at Lily's men—some were being treated by others, some were already dead.

"Fine. But if you die, that's on you. Got it?"

Lily focused her magic onto Ichino's severed arm, manifesting a new arm of ice over the wound.

"Damn, you gave me a new arm," Ichino said, flexing his new icy fingers.

Lily created an icy bow, pointing it at Sefa. "It'll defrost in thirty minutes, so be quick. I'll cover you."

Sefa clapped her hands together, blood flooding the ground around her. "Are you done? If you are, please come on. I've grown bored, so you better entertain me."

Ichino felt power coursing through his body as he twirled his blade and took a step forward. "Lily, cover me."

"Got it." She launched frozen spikes as Sefa countered with bloody ones.

Ichino dodged through the chaos, but Sefa summoned a monstrous blood beast that charged at him. He slashed in a forward arc, cutting it in half before it could reach him.

Sefa's smirk grew as she formed a blood spear, her eyes wild with bloodlust. "Come at me, boy! Show me how determined you are to kill me!"

Ichino rushed forward faster than before. Lily shot an ice arrow directly into Sefa's arm, but she shook it off and thrust the spear at Ichino.

He moved forward, blades singing through the air.

"Higo Style Final: Goddess of the Snow!"

In a flash of swirling snow and gleaming steel, Ichino struck. His blades traced arcs of light through the air, each movement a prayer, each strike a memory of his brother.

Ichino fell to one knee, breathing heavily. He turned his head to Sefa.

"Burn in hell."

Sefa grinned as her head separated from her body and fell to the ground. "You wish."

Lily's eyes widened. "He did it!"

She turned to her remaining guards. "Everyone, treat anyone who can still breathe!"

The knights immediately began tending to the wounded.

Ichino's head started spinning, and he felt his body shaking as if it were tearing itself apart from the inside. He screamed in pain.

"Damn it... what's happening to me?"

Lily walked up to him, her eyes cold as ice once more. Ichino dropped to his knees, and Lily stood over him, hands on her hips.

"Idiot."

Blood fell from his mouth as he collapsed completely.

Lily sighed and shook her head. "I knew this idiot wouldn't survive it."