The cold air bit at Ren's cheeks as he and Luxy stepped through the shattered doorway of the dungeon. The sound of distant gunfire faded behind them, swallowed by a chilling silence. Every breath they took turned into a thin mist, rising into the dim blue glow that illuminated the frozen wasteland ahead.

Ren stopped mid-step, his eyes widening. "What… what the hell happened here?"

In front of them stood dozens of massive ice pillars, each taller than a trees, their surfaces gleaming like polished mirrors under a light so bright it nearly blinded them. The entire area shimmered with pale radiance, and at the very center, atop the tallest pillar, was a glowing figure. The brilliance pouring from her body made it almost impossible to look directly at her.

Ren instinctively raised an arm to shield his eyes. "That must be our angel…" he muttered under his breath. "And these ice pillars… there's only one person I know who could make something like this. The Ice Queen."

Luxy's expression darkened slightly. Her wings twitched, and she whispered, "She should already be dead if she fought with that thing." She pointed toward the glowing angelic figure in the distance. "No one survives clashing with an Angel of Judgment."

Ren frowned. "Then whoever's standing there right now is bad news. We should find Kyouka and get out of here before—"

Luxy interrupted, her voice tightening. "Easy for you to say. She already noticed us."

Ren froze. "What?"

Before he could react, the light at the top of the pillar flared. The figure vanished from sight, leaving behind a burst of falling snow and glittering particles.

In the next heartbeat, that same light appeared right in front of them.

Ren's eyes widened as he jumped back instinctively, his shoes skidding over the ice. Luxy's wings flared slightly, her usual calm demeanor faltering. For the first time, she looked uneasy.

The light dimmed, revealing a woman with long silvery hair that shimmered like frost. Her wings were vast and radiant, feathers glowing faintly with divine light. Her eyes, a piercing icy blue, locked onto Luxy with a strange mixture of emotion.

Ren's hand reached for his weapon on reflex, but he couldn't bring himself to draw it. There was something overwhelming about her presence.

Then, Luxy whispered softly, almost under her breath, "Sister…"

Ren blinked. "Wait… sister?"

A moment of silence followed. The realization hit him like a thunderbolt. He looked between them, his brow furrowing. "Well...I should have guessed that part."

The angel turned her gaze toward Ren for a second, her expression unreadable. Then her attention shifted back to Luxy.

The air between them thickened, a tense silence stretching out as snowflakes drifted down around them. It felt like time itself had slowed, as if even the air was holding its breath.

Then, without warning, the angel stepped forward.

Ren tensed, expecting a fight, but instead, she wrapped her arms around Luxy and pulled her into a soft, almost affectionate embrace.

"I missed you," the angel said, her voice melodic and sweet, completely at odds with the power radiating from her. "My dearest sister."

Ren stood there, completely thrown off by the sight. "What… what's going on here?" He looked at Luxy, eyes narrowing suspiciously, as if asking what this was supposed to mean.

Luxy glanced back at him over the angel's shoulder and gave a small shrug, mouthing silently, I have no idea.

The angel smiled, pulling away just slightly to look into Luxy's eyes. "I've come to take you back," she said gently. "You don't belong here among mortal trash. It must have hurt you when you fell to this world. But don't worry anymore. I got a special permission from Mother herself to bring you home."

Luxy froze. Her pupils trembled as her body stiffened. "What…?"

The angel nodded happily. "Mother's mood has been so good lately. Probably because Father has been filling her up with plenty of divine essence these days."

Ren's face twisted slightly in disbelief. "Did… she just say—"

Luxy cut him a sharp glance, her cheeks coloring slightly.

Ren coughed awkwardly. His mind couldn't help but wander. So that goddess is getting divine juice from the father god… that explains a lot about that terrifying image I have of this goddess.

The angel's radiant gaze suddenly turned toward Ren again, this time colder than before. "And what is this?" she said, her tone dripping with disdain. "A filthy mortal standing so close to my sister?"

Ren didn't respond. He simply stared back, his expression unreadable.

The angel's lip curled slightly. "Disgusting. I can't believe she's lowered herself to walking beside… trash."

Luxy's eyes softened slightly, though her tone was firm. "Don't mind him," she said, stepping slightly between them. "We have more important things to talk about."

She reached out and took her sister's hand gently. Her grip was steady, her expression unreadable. "Let's go somewhere else and talk."

Ren frowned. "Luxy…"

She looked back at him and smiled faintly, though her eyes told a different story. "Go find your thing," she whispered. "I'll do my job."

For a moment, Ren didn't know what to say. He wasn't sure what she was planning, but the seriousness in her eyes told him one thing—she wasn't about to run away to heaven.

He nodded slowly.

A small laugh escaped her lips.

The angel looked between them with slight irritation, as if the exchange itself was beneath her. "How strange," she said softly. "You've changed, Luxy. You used to despise these creatures. Mother was right… this world corrupts everything it touches."

Luxy's expression didn't waver. "It sure does, sis. It sure does."

As soon as Luxy left with the angel, Ren walked through the aftermath of destruction, his boots crunching against the frozen land.

Craters dotted the ground like open wounds, each one still steaming from the smoke that had torn through moments ago. The air smelled faintly of ozone and ash, a strange mix of heaven and hell.

Ren exhaled slowly, his breath turning into a ghostly mist. "So this is the first floor of the dungeon…" he muttered to himself. "From what I heard this is supposed to be a mountain and foggy area...but looks like that angel and Lan Xinyue's battle changed lot of things,"

He kicked a chunk of ice aside and looked around. The silence was unsettling. Not a single monster cry, not even the hum of monsters that usually roamed the first floor of any dungeon. Just stillness.

"Is this really the dangerous first floor of one of the most dangerous dungeons?" he murmured. His voice echoed faintly in the emptiness. "Or did that angel really wipe out everything here?"

The thought made his chest tighten. He didn't know if it was relief or fear. Maybe both.

He kept walking, each step heavy with caution. The light from above had faded, leaving the dungeon in a dim blue twilight. The walls glimmered faintly, like veins of ice glowing with trapped magic. His eyes scanned the ground carefully, searching for any sign of movement, but all he found were marks of battle—deep sword cuts, melted stone, and traces of blood.

Then he noticed something else. A trail.

Drops of dried crimson led deeper into the dungeon, smeared as if someone had dragged themselves along.

Ren crouched down, touching the ground with his fingertips. The blood was old, cold to the touch, but it still pulled at something inside him.

He clenched his jaw. "Kyouka…"

Without another word, he started following it.

The deeper he went, the thicker the metallic smell of blood became. His heart beat faster with every step, his mind running through worst-case scenarios he didn't want to believe.

Finally, after a long walk that felt like hours, he saw something. A faint glint ahead.

Ren's eyes narrowed, and he broke into a run.

When he reached the area, he stopped dead in his tracks.

The place was a graveyard. Weapons scattered everywhere—guns, swords, grenades, broken backpacks, even pieces of armor and jackets half-melted from heat. The ground was scorched black. The walls around the area were cracked and warped, like a storm of fire and light had ripped through everything.

He took a few slow steps forward. Bodies were lying everywhere. Some were burned beyond recognition. The smell of burnt flesh hit him hard.

Ren's throat tightened as he forced himself to look. He'd seen death before, but not like this. Not this raw.

Then he saw it.

A small figure among the charred remains, half-covered by ashes. The faint shape of twin daggers glinting in her hand. Daggers he recognized.

His eyes widened. "No…"

Ren walked closer, his steps trembling slightly. His breath hitched as he knelt down. The body was scorched black, skin burned, hair gone, eyes shut. But those daggers—those were Kyouka's. The same curved blades she had carried since the first day they met.

For a long moment, Ren just stared. His hand hovered in the air, unsure if he should touch her or not. The silence pressed on him like a weight.

His expression didn't change, but his eyes said everything.

There was no scream, no outburst, no tears. Just that hollow look, the kind that came from losing something too heavy to process.

"Kyouka…" he whispered. "You idiot. You always rush in without thinking."

He forced a breath, his chest trembling slightly. "How are you going to protect me now?"

He closed his eyes, feeling his jaw clench so tightly it hurt.

He reached out slowly, brushing away some of the ash from her face. The skin was cold and rough beneath his fingertips. His voice cracked, barely above a whisper. "You… didn't even get to yell at me one last time."

Then, suddenly, a sound broke the silence.

Cough.

Ren froze.

He blinked, staring at the body. "…What?"

Another cough came, weak but unmistakable.

Ren's heart leapt into his throat. "No way…"

He leaned in closer, eyes wide. The burnt body twitched slightly, and a faint, ragged breath escaped from its mouth.

Then, before his eyes, something impossible began to happen.

The charred flesh started to peel and flake away, revealing faint patches of pink skin underneath. The blackened wounds shimmered faintly, glowing with a soft red light. The smell of blood filled the air, and slowly, painfully, the body began to heal.

Ren's eyes reflected the miracle happening before him. "This… this is miracle?" he muttered, almost in disbelief. "But that shouldn't be possible… not from this state."

He watched as the burnt skin receded, muscles reformed, and a familiar face started to appear beneath the healing glow.

Kyouka.

Her eyes were still closed, her breathing shallow, but her face was there. The same face he knew—scarred, strong, and somehow still beautiful even after everything.

Ren swallowed hard, his mind spinning. "What the hell happened to you…"

He looked at her again, his expression shifting from shock to resolve. "No time to think."

Without hesitation, he slid his arms under her body. Her skin was still raw, sticky with blood and half-melted flesh, but Ren didn't flinch. He lifted her carefully, holding her against his chest. Her blood smeared across his shirt and arms, the smell of burnt flesh clinging to him.

But he didn't show disgust. His face was calm, focused. Determined.

He stood up, tightening his grip. "You're still breathing. That's all that matters."

The ground trembled faintly behind him, reminding him that the dungeon wasn't entirely stable. He looked back once, scanning the ruined battlefield one last time, then turned toward the exit.

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