The streets were dead quiet, and the night air chilly.

Noah streaked through the shadows, boots pounding against cobblestones slick with the night's damp, his cloak snapping in the breeze behind him.

Above, the moon hung in the air, casting thin light over the entire district.

In the distance, the hazy shimmer of the barrier erected by the Investigation Authority sealed off the perimeter, glowing faintly for all to see.

No one could go in or out without the Investigation Authority's permission.

That meant only one thing. Snake was trapped in here with him.

Noah's orange eyes narrowed.

The dart that had buried itself into Marlon during the fight hadn't been a random act. It had been an intervention.

A calculated effort to keep the man in the fight.

That meant there was a silent hand pulling strings from the shadows.

Snake.

And now, Noah intended to drag him into the open.

A flash of movement caught his eye.

A slim figure vaulting over a toppled cart, cloak trailing.

It was Snake.

Noah surged forward, shadows slipping from his feet as he leapt, closing the distance.

The chase tore through the district, weaving between abandoned stalls, shattering through doors, and bounding up walls.

It was as if the entire district had been emptied for this operation.

Snake moved with unnatural grace, twisting his body in midair to grab a ledge and swing himself upward.

Noah followed relentlessly, flash stepping to close the gap whenever Snake tried to pull away.

They crashed through an old tavern, Snake kicking through the second-floor window to vault out, and Noah bursting through the dust and shards a second later.

As Snake moved through the night, flipping around acrobatically, he looked like he'd been born for this.

He vaulted stairwells, bounded across balconies, and even flipped off a chimney to land on a slanted roof.

But Noah was faster.

Each time Snake twisted, Noah mirrored with Flash Step, his tail lashing out to anchor him when footing wavered.

Finally, Snake scrambled up the tiles of a tall warehouse roof, skidding to a stop at the edge.

He turned, chest rising and falling, eyes glowing faintly under the moonlight.

Noah leapt after him, landing lightly on the tiles, blocking the only way out.

They stood there, two hunters in the night.

Noah's shadows curled around him like smoke.

"Hello, Snake," he said softly.

Snake grinned at Noah. "You know me? Wow. I didn't know I had such a dedicated fan."

"What did you do to Juniper?" Noah asked, his voice low.

Snake cocked his head, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand.

"Juniper? Who's that?" His grin widened, teeth glinting. "You'll have to be more specific, friend. I've had my hands on so many."

Rage sparked in Noah's chest. He didn't hesitate.

His hand snapped out, a deep, dark ball blooming to life above his palm.

It ignited and the air rippled, folding inward as reality split.

White walls unfolded around them like shifting glass, snapping into place.

In an instant, the rooftop was gone.

They were inside the Pocket Cube.

Snake blinked, glancing around at the thirty-foot white chamber, the walls faintly transparent, showing only a distorted shadow of the world outside.

He chuckled. "A Void spell. Clever. Guess you don't want the neighbors watching when you bleed."

Noah didn't respond. His tail uncoiled with a soft hiss, and his shadows slid up the walls like liquid ink.

Then he lunged.

Snake moved like a viper, arms snapping up in eagerness.

His attacks came fast, each one carrying more strength than Marlon ever showed.

Noah twisted, Flash Stepping behind him, but Snake flowed with the movement, spinning into a counter-kick that slammed into Noah's ribs.

Pain shot up Noah's side.

He gritted his teeth, retaliating with a quick spell, Rot.

Snake dodged, but the spell brushed his arm, his flesh blackening.

He hissed and snapped the damaged skin away with a crackling surge of energy.

Noah threw a Frigid Hunger blast that left a sheen of frost across the floor.

Snake slipped slightly, and Noah's tail lashed out, wrapping Snake's leg and yanking him down.

Snake hit the ground hard, rolling away before Noah's fist slammed into the tiles.

"You fight well," Snake panted, his smile never leaving. "Better than the drunk and the cripple. But you're still—"

His words cut off as Noah's tail snapped again, catching his wrist mid-strike.

Then he yanked the man forward, and brought his knee up into Snake's chest.

Bones cracked. Snake coughed blood.

Before Snake could recover, Noah struck again, his tail latching onto the other arm.

With a guttural growl, he pulled, the sickening sound of tearing flesh echoing in the chamber.

Snake's scream tore through the cube, high and raw, as his arm ripped free at the shoulder.

Blood sprayed the white walls, sizzling as Noah's shadows absorbed the droplets.

Snake writhed, collapsing onto his knees, clutching the gory stump.

His grin was gone, replaced by twisted pain and shock.

His regenerative energy flickered, trying to close the wound, but Noah's shadows pressed down, smothering it.

"You'll heal eventually," Noah said, his voice cold.

He crouched down, grabbing Snake by the chin and forcing him to look up into his glowing orange eyes.

"But before you do, I'll break you again. I'll give you pain you didn't think possible. Pain worse than what was given to me."

"Worse than what you gave her."

Snake spat blood, eyes wide with both fear and defiance. His body trembled violently.

He tried to laugh, but it came out weak and broken.

"You'll talk," Noah continued, his grip like iron. "And when you do, you'll beg me to end it."

Snake tried to respond, but his voice was lost in a ragged groan. His head lolled to the side, eyes rolling back.

The fight was over.

Snake collapsed onto the white floor of the cube, his body twitching, blood pooling beneath him.

"Don't worry." Noah stared down at him, his chest heaving and tail twitching with unspent fury. "This is only the beginning."

And with that, Snake passed out from blood loss.

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