[Realm: Uhorus]

[Location: Verdantis]

[Embereach]

"My disappointment is immeasurable," Ingrid sighed, flicking thick black blood from her gauntlets with a sharp snap of her wrist.

The dark fluid splattered across the snow in heavy streaks, staining the white ground beneath her. Around her, the aftermath of the battle stretched across the ruined district. Broken stone littered the streets. Entire walls had collapsed inward, and windows were shattered. Snow drifted through the air, mixing with ash, dust, and the traces of foul Abyssal residue.

The massive headless corpse of the unique Abyssal Creature lay crumpled in the center of the ruined street, its enormous frame twitching only slightly. Thick black steam rose from the stump where its head had once been, the flesh still spasming as if refusing to fully accept death. Around it were the remains of dozens upon dozens of smaller Abyssal Creatures, their twisted forms scattered across rooftops, embedded into broken walls, or torn apart so violently that pieces of them still clung to nearby structures.

Some of the corpses had already begun dissolving into dark sludge, their forms collapsing inward before evaporating into foul smoke. Others remained intact, frozen in their final moments.

Ingrid's emerald eyes swept over the destruction calmly.

"That was underwhelming," she murmured quietly to herself, her voice level despite the carnage around her. "For something capable of forcing behavioral adaptation among the lesser Abyssal Creatures, it wasn't too difficult to kill."

Her gaze shifted toward the breach in the northern wall.

Or rather, the crude blockage she had created.

Large chunks of collapsed stone and timber had been forced together into a makeshift seal, uneven rubble piled high enough to temporarily obstruct the opening. Snow slid down the ruined debris while clawing sounds echoed from somewhere beyond it.

The only reason the breach was not currently being overwhelmed again was likely because the Abyssal Creatures had spread elsewhere after the barrier collapsed. Some were probably still funneling toward the city. Others were no doubt attempting to create additional entry points. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Ingrid folded her armored arms lightly over her chest.

"Still, the fact that the Abyssal Creatures are capable of more than just pure brute force…" Her eyes narrowed. "This bodes ill."

The reports they had studied until now painted the Abyssal Creatures as mindless horrors. As violent as they were numerous. Dangerous through sheer overwhelming numbers alone.

But this?

This had been different; the lesser creatures had hesitated and observed. Then they merged intentionally, and that alone changed matters considerably.

"If they are capable of adaptation on a wider scale," Ingrid continued quietly, mostly to herself, "then eventually they will stop wasting bodies on ineffective assaults." Her gaze lifted toward the distant blackened sky beyond the walls. "And once that happens, conventional defenses will become increasingly obsolete."

A cold wind swept through the ruined street, her long black hair shifted softly behind her armor.

"Whoa! Someone had fun here!"

The loud voice shattered the silence so abruptly that one of Ingrid's eyes twitched, but she did not flinch.

But the irritation was immediate.

Slowly, Ingrid turned her head toward the source of the voice, already knowing exactly who it belonged to before she even looked.

Of course.

Ysabel.

The blonde woman stood several meters away with both hands shoved lazily into her pockets, stepping over rubble with absolutely none of the tension someone should have in the middle of a battlefield. Her wrinkled white shirt swayed lightly in the freezing wind, utterly unsuited for the weather as usual. Snowflakes landed in her messy blond hair while her dull red eyes lazily surveyed the destruction around them.

She let out a low whistle.

"Damn," Ysabel muttered. "You really did make a mess."

Ingrid stared at her in silence for a moment.

Then she spoke flatly.

"Ysabel, do my eyes deceive me," Ingrid questioned with a raised brow, "or has my captain finally deigned to stop being a useless bum and actually do something?"

Ysabel recoiled dramatically.

A hand immediately clutched her chest as if she had just suffered a fatal wound.

"That's too damn harsh!" the Knight Captain cried out, stumbling backward half a step. "You can't just attack a woman's heart like that right after she arrived."

"You seem alive enough."

"Ingrid, seriously, where's your compassion?" Ysabel complained. "Your poor captain came all the way out here because she was worried."

"You came because you were bored."

"That is slander."

"It is an astute observation." Ingrid shot back.

Ysabel grimaced before sighing heavily through her nose.

"Hmph. And after I came all the way here to help with my awesome power too."

Ingrid glanced around the ruined district pointedly.

"I already handled most of the Abyssal Creatures here," she replied evenly. "Lady Fiona is currently dispatching the remainder throughout the city. Therefore your arrival is late and largely unnecessary."

Ysabel blinked once.

Then twice.

Her shoulders sagged dramatically.

"Ouch," she muttered. "You really know how to make a woman feel unwanted."

"You are unwanted."

"So cold…"

"In comparison to the weather?" Ingrid questioned.

"See? That." Ysabel pointed accusingly at her. "That dry thing you do."

Ingrid merely stared.

Ysabel eventually sighed again before walking forward, stopping beside the enormous corpse of the unique Abyssal Creature. Her previously lazy expression faded slightly as she studied it more carefully.

"Oh," she said quietly. "So this is a thing."

Ingrid noticed the small shift immediately.

Ysabel crouched slightly beside the corpse, placing one hand against the blackened flesh. The creature's remains hissed at the contact.

For the first time since arriving, the strongest knight looked genuinely attentive.

"That energy's nasty," Ysabel murmured. "Way denser than the usual trash."

"It demonstrated higher intelligence as well," Ingrid informed her. "The lesser Abyssal Creatures intentionally merged to create it."

That got a reaction, though it was a small one.

But enough.

Ysabel's dull red eyes lifted toward Ingrid again.

"They merged?" she repeated.

"Yes."

"And coordinated beforehand?"

"Correct."

"Huh."

Ysabel straightened slowly, the joking ease from earlier diminished somewhat.

"That's not great," she admitted. "If they're starting to evolve their responses mid-conflict then things are gonna get ugly real fast."

"I reached the same conclusion."

For a moment, neither spoke, the distant sounds of the Abyssal Creatures outside still rang behind the city walls. Crashes, roars, and the occasional tremor beneath their feet.

Then Ysabel suddenly grinned again.

"Well," she said, rolling her shoulders lazily, "guess that just means we gotta hit harder before they get any smarter."

Ingrid stared at her. "That is an incredibly simplistic interpretation of a severe problem."

"And yet I'm still right."

"…Unfortunately."

Ysabel barked out a laugh at that before nudging Ingrid lightly with her elbow.

"There we go," the blonde woman said smugly. "See? You do know how to talk like a normal person."

"I preferred it when you were not speaking." Ingrid sighed.

"Aww. You say the sweetest things."

"Please cry already."

"I might," Ysabel declared dramatically again, wiping at imaginary tears. "My own vice-captain bullying me in the middle of the apocalypse. This is a very tragic moment."

Despite herself, Ingrid exhaled quietly through her nose. It was not amusement but close enough that Ysabel immediately noticed.

"Oho?" the blonde knight leaned closer. "Was that almost a smile?"

"No."

"Liar." The Knight Captain accused.

"As ever being annoying suits you poorly." The young knight stated.

"And being grumpy suits you perfectly." Ysabel grinned lazily before her expression softened just slightly. "Still good work, Ingrid."

The younger knight blinked once; Ysabel rarely sounded sincere. Which made it harder to dismiss when she did.

"You protected the district," the captain continued. "And you kept your head while doing it. Not everyone can."

Ingrid looked away for a brief moment toward the ruined breach.

"It was simply my duty."

"Yeah," Ysabel said softly. "But you did a good job."

"But we got our work cut out for us," Ysabel said after a moment, letting the joking tone ease from her voice as she stretched both arms above her head. "Apparently there's a particularly nasty looking Abyssal Creature heading our way."

Ingrid's emerald eyes shifted toward her captain at once; Ysabel still somehow looked relaxed.

Ingrid found that more irritating than reassuring.

"And is there a reason," Ingrid questioned dryly, folding her armored arms across her chest, "why the 'strongest knight' is here speaking to me instead of handling said apparent 'nasty' Abyssal Creature?"

Her tone carried no real heat, but there was enough annoyance behind the words to make the meaning obvious.

Ysabel grinned anyway.

"General Mai said she'd take care of it," the blonde replied easily, waving one hand dismissively as though discussing something trivial. "And you know me, I wouldn't wanna steal the spotlight from others. Gotta let the younger generation shine every now and then."

Ingrid stared at her silently, a long pause followed.

"Or," Ingrid finally deadpanned, "you are simply lazy."

Ysabel's grin faltered for exactly one second before she sighed dramatically, shoulders slumping forward.

"Damn," she muttered, rubbing the back of her neck. "You really know me too well, Ingrid."

"You make it painfully easy."

"That hurts, y'know."

"It should."

Ysabel clicked her tongue before glancing around at the ruined streets again. This time, however, some of the humor faded from her expression. Her dull red eyes lingered on the collapsed rooftops, the shattered windows and the streaks of black blood dragged across the snow where civilians had clearly fled in desperation earlier.

"Still," she murmured, "the city's salvageable with me here. Imma stop every Abyssal Creature."

The confidence in her voice was casual and surprisingly not boastful or forced, she was certain. That more than anything else made Ingrid pause.

Despite the way Ysabel carried herself—like some drunken wanderer who accidentally put on a knight's coat and stumbled into command—there was a reason people called her the mightiest knight.

Ingrid had seen it before.

The terrifying ease with which Ysabel could erase enemies. The way monsters stopped feeling threatening once that woman finally bothered to move seriously.

And perhaps that was why Ingrid found her so aggravating.

Someone with that much power should not look so unmotivated.