A battlefield of ice stretched across the eastern city of Bruswa.
Shattered buildings lay buried beneath layers of frost, while shadows danced under a fading violet sky. Neve, her white hair streaked with slivers of frost and her ice katana in hand, moved like a ghost across the battlefield, weaving between screeches and the crash of claws against blade.
The cold wind howled. Blood-colored mist swirled in the air.
Then—A call crackled through her comm crystal.
Jessie: "Heyy! I've finished up on my end. I'm heading your way now."
Neve (parrying with a swift backstep, her tone composed): "Of course you did. These vampires aren't anything special. Though I'll admit… it'd be easier if we could just blow up that planet floating in front of the moon."
She glanced up. The red moon pulsed behind a shadowed celestial body—unnatural, humming with vampire presence.
Jessie: "Ugh, don't remind me. I tried cracking it earlier. There's a barrier—something strong enough to keep me out. Which means one of these bloodsuckers is orbiting it. Probably their top general."
Neve: "Then we'll just kill every single one of them until we find him."
Jessie: "Would've been nice to have Kazimir or Riah here. Either of them could probably bypass that barrier in a heartbeat."
Neve (cutting down a vampire mid-conversation): "We've got this. This isn't world-ending yet. It just feels like pest control."
Jessie: "Hah, alright Ice Queen. I'll let you focus."
Neve (twirling her blade): "You weren't even distracting me. Cold weakens them. This one can barely keep up."
The call ended. Neve let out a small breath—and smiled.
Her tone softened.
Neve: "Alright… no more games. Let me give you a peaceful death."
The vampire before her—muscular, armed with blood-forged gauntlets—snarled. He cracked his neck as crimson light gathered at his feet.
Neve's right eye shimmered—icy blue, pulsing with energy. Frost spiraled around her as she raised her katana.
She tilted her head playfully.
Neve: "Mind telling me your name, stranger?"
The vampire grinned, wings unfurling behind him.
Koda: "Name's Koda. I'll admit, you're a beautiful, strong woman. But don't think you've seen everything. I've been holding back—just like you."
Neve (with a high-pitched, cute tone): "Oh my… really~? Then show me everything, handsome."
Koda: "Heh. Don't come crying when you die."
A red sphere of destructive energy exploded from Koda's body. The ground beneath him ruptured. Blood lightning cracked the sky. Wormholes tore through the clouds. His transformation completed—horns sprouting from his head, claws lengthening, his chest bare, dark wings spreading wide like a devil come to life.
Neve clapped gently.
Neve: "Wow~! You've got wings, horns, muscles… too bad you're not my type. Or strong enough to be my man."
Koda: "What did you just—?"
But she didn't let him finish.
Neve's expression turned solemn.
She whispered, barely audible:
Neve (chanting): "Fall beneath the weight of silence."
The words echoed like a spell.
Suddenly—Stillness.
Her blade shimmered with pale light… then vanished. Frost crept silently in all directions. Trees cracked from the inside. Metal snapped like brittle thread. Heat itself—gone. Movement—frozen. Time itself seemed to hesitate.
Koda staggered.
He tried to speak—but his voice froze in his throat.
Neve walked forward like a hymn. Measured. Unshaken. Crystal roses bloomed beneath her steps. Her breath visible in the frozen air.
Koda, now trembling, had to look up at her.
As his body slowly decayed, snow blooming from his fingertips, he stared in helpless awe.
Neve: "I combined everything I've mastered… just for this. Do you feel pain?"
Koda's eyes widened. He couldn't answer.
She stepped closer.
Neve (gently placing her hand on his cheek): "It's okay… don't force it. It ends now."
In the next instant—everything shattered.
The vampire disintegrated into diamond dust, the sculpture of his final form collapsing into snow. The battlefield fell into absolute silence, save for the gentle hum of Neve's sword as it reappeared in her hand.
Crystal frost bloomed around her feet.
Then—
Cheering.
The people emerged. Civilians poured from hidden shelters, disbelief in their eyes. Some wept. Some raised their fists in celebration.
Three small children rushed through the snow, throwing themselves at Neve—hugging her legs, her waist.
One clung to her stomach.
She smiled warmly, dropping her blade gently into the snow as she knelt.
Neve: "You're all safe now."
She ruffled each child's hair as more citizens gathered behind them.
The wind finally moved again—soft, clean, cold.
And Neve stood at the center of it all—a queen of winter, sword humming quietly in the snowfall, her breath steady.