In front of Nox and Dawn, cracks slowly began to spread across the massive prison of ice.

Crack.

Crack.

Tiny bolts of lightning escaped through the fractures.

"It won’t hold much longer."

Dawn never took her eyes off Olive.

Her katana remained raised in guard.

"We should help the others."

Nox glanced away for only a moment.

A few meters away...

Misty rolled across the ground to avoid another punch from the Inquisitor with the massive gauntlets.

The stone pavement exploded beside her.

Catherine appeared behind the woman, using her new bone claws to carve several gashes across her back.

But the cat girl still didn’t seem to have full control over those new powers.

She attacked far too quickly, but lacked precision.

They couldn’t coordinate.

Misty tried to cover her.

Catherine kept changing positions.

In the end, they only got in each other’s way.

"This isn’t going well..."

Nox frowned.

Then he looked back at Dawn.

"I need you to distract her."

She turned toward him in surprise.

"What?"

"Just for a few seconds."

"We don’t have time."

"Please."

Nox’s expression became serious.

"Trust me."

Dawn remained silent for a few moments.

Eventually, she nodded.

"...Fine."

At that exact moment, lightning began flashing from Olive’s eyes.

Electricity surged through her entire body.

The frozen chains started trembling.

The massive greatsword embedded several meters away began to shake.

Dawn’s eyes widened slightly.

The weapon shot through the air as though pulled by an invisible force.

It pierced the ice.

The blade even drove straight through Olive’s arm.

The Inquisitor gritted her teeth.

She didn’t even scream.

Blood slowly dripped onto the frozen surface.

Then...

She smiled.

With one brutal pull, she lifted the greatsword.

The entire prison of ice exploded.

Frozen shards scattered throughout the alley.

Olive planted one foot on the ground.

Then the other.

With a single clean swing, she shattered the remaining ice around her legs.

She was free.

Blood still trickled down her arm.

The Inquisitor stared at the wound.

Slowly, she ran her tongue across the blood.

"Mmh..."

She smiled.

"Now..."

She raised her greatsword.

"Stop playing with me."

Her eyes glowed with electricity.

"Fight seriously, Princess."

Dawn smiled back.

"That’s exactly what I was waiting for."

Ice spread across the ground once again.

The two women vanished.

Their swords collided once more, shaking the entire alley.

◇◆◇

Nox quickly surveyed the battlefield.

Normally I’d say we have the advantage because we outnumber them...

But...

He couldn’t see Tessa through the sea of flames.

Dawn was still facing the woman who had defeated her once before.

Misty and Catherine were slowly being overwhelmed.

And Audrey...

She was probably several streets away by now, fighting across the rooftops.

No.

We need something that changes this fight.

He took a deep breath.

"System."

A blue screen appeared before him.

Among the various options...

His eyes landed on a familiar one.

Demonic Weapon Gacha.

He still had one draw remaining.

Nox smiled.

"...Well."

"It’s time."

He glanced toward Dawn.

"Please..."

"Give me something good."

The system responded immediately.

[Current Draws Available: 1]

[Use Draw?]

"Yes."

[Drawing...]

The enormous roulette wheel appeared before him.

It began spinning.

Swords.

Axes.

Spears.

Bows.

Hammers.

Crossbows.

Everything flashed by so quickly that he could barely distinguish the silhouettes.

"Come on..."

In front of him...

Dawn and Olive continued clashing like two monsters.

Every strike froze another section of the alley.

Every collision unleashed crackling lightning.

Little by little...

Olive was gaining the upper hand.

The chains from earlier had weakened Dawn far too much.

Hurry...

Hurry up!

The roulette wheel gradually slowed.

A sword.

A scythe.

A crossbow.

And finally...

It stopped.

[Reward Obtained.]

[Ashbringer.]

"...Ash... what?"

A cloud of black ash appeared before him.

Slowly, it took shape.

It was a long, black weapon.

Elegant silver engravings ran along its frame.

Nox gripped it with both hands.

"..."

He stared at it for several seconds.

"...A firearm?"

He turned it over.

Tried opening a few mechanisms.

The system responded once more.

[A Demonic Ash Rifle.]

[Used to hunt demons.]

Nox raised an eyebrow.

"...A rifle?"

Another window appeared.

[Generates and fires infinite Ash Bullets.]

[The bullets can alter the target’s senses.]

Nox immediately smiled.

"...That..."

"...sounds perfect."

◇◆◇

He spun around.

His gaze found Misty.

The dancer had just been struck by another devastating blow.

Her body bounced across the ground.

The Inquisitor with the massive gauntlets advanced without slowing down.

Catherine appeared behind her.

Her bone claws pierced several joints in the golden armor.

Slash.

Slash.

Slash.

But...

The woman smiled.

Every hit only seemed to make her stronger.

Her muscles began swelling.

Her breathing grew heavier.

So did her strength.

Of course...

Nox realized.

She’s a Berserker.

The more damage she takes... the stronger she becomes.

Catherine kept attacking, unable to understand.

She was only making her enemy even stronger.

The Inquisitor raised one of her enormous fists.

Ready to crush Misty once and for all.

Nox took a breath.

He rested the strange weapon against his shoulder.

"I hope this works..."

He didn’t actually know how to fire it.

He simply aimed.

And pulled the small trigger.

Click.

Absolutely nothing happened.

"..."

"...Huh?"

Then...

A completely black bullet shot forward.

Not even Nox could follow it with his eyes.

It sliced through the air.

Struck the side of the golden armor.

Tac.

A clean hit.

The Inquisitor barely turned her head.

She looked at the tiny mark.

"...What the hell was that?"

She didn’t seem injured.

She wasn’t even bleeding much.

She raised her fist again.

But...

Her arm trembled.

"...What?"

Her movements became sluggish.

Her breathing changed.

Her entire sense of balance seemed to collapse.

She blinked several times.

The alley began spinning before her eyes.

"What..."

"...did you do to me?"

Misty’s eyes widened.

Now!

She spun on one hand.

A powerful kick slammed directly into the Inquisitor’s chin.

The woman was launched several meters backward.

She rolled across the ground.

Tried to stand.

But staggered.

Catherine didn’t waste the opportunity.

Her claws appeared once more.

Slash.

Slash.

Slash.

The cat girl carved several new gashes into the armor.

The Inquisitor tried to defend herself.

But everything seemed to move too fast.

Her vision had doubled.

Her reflexes no longer obeyed her.

"Damn you..."

Nox smiled as he looked at the Ashbringer.

"...I like it."

◇◆◇

Another clash shook the alley.

Olive forced Dawn back several steps.

Lightning completely engulfed the greatsword.

The princess blocked another strike.

But her breathing grew increasingly labored.

Without taking her eyes off her opponent...

She shouted toward Nox.

"Are you done with whatever you were doing yet?!"

She deflected another thrust.

"Because I’m going to need a hand!"

Nox slowly lowered the Ashbringer.

A smile appeared beneath the Marauder’s mask.

"Of course."

He gripped one of his Demonic Dual Knives with his free hand.

While resting his new rifle along his other arm.

He smiled.

Because he knew...

He finally had the power to turn the tide of the battle.