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A year later.
In the middle of a snowstorm high up in the mountains, dragon-like beasts were darting through the blizzard.
If you looked closer, you'd notice Esdeath among them.
She was riding one of the creatures, blade in hand, and without hesitation drove her sword straight into its neck.
Blood sprayed as she yanked the weapon free, leapt into the air, and landed on another beast's back. With the same ruthless precision, she cut it down in seconds.
It didn't take long. What was once a pack of dangerous predators now lay scattered in the snow, their blood soaking into the white ground.
At the center of the carnage, Esdeath flicked the blood off her blade, then started walking toward the open snowfield not far away.
Waiting there, standing silently as though expecting her, was Venom.
"Finished your fight already?"
Venom's voice was low, but he could sense the heavy stench of blood clinging to her.
"Just a warm-up," Esdeath replied with a smile. To her, it was nothing more than stretching her muscles before the real battle.
"Good. Then show me what a year of training has done for you."
Venom's mouth curled slightly, and in the next instant he charged forward.
Esdeath darted aside in a blur, narrowly avoiding his strike. His fist slammed into the ground, shattering it into fragments.
She used that opening to slip behind him and slash across his back—but her blade barely left a mark.
Venom felt the movement instantly and spun, throwing a heavy punch. Esdeath sprang backward, her boots skidding across the snow as she dodged.
He didn't let up. With a single step, Venom closed the gap and swung again, his fist like a hammer.
Esdeath raised her sword just in time, bracing it across her chest. The impact was brutal. His strength blasted through her guard, sending both sword and wielder flying.
She hit the ground hard, rolled through the snow several times, and finally came to a stop.
"That all you've got? Stop holding back—show me everything."
Venom stood his ground, glaring at her from across the snowy field. He knew she was stronger than this.
Esdeath pulled her sword out of the snow, rose to her feet, and dashed forward in a flash of steel.
Venom's grin widened. He lifted his left arm, ready to block.
But instead of striking head-on, Esdeath twisted her blade at the last second, sliding past him and thrusting at his side.
"A feint? Clever. But useless against me."
Venom tilted back just enough, letting the sword whistle past his chest.
Esdeath abandoned the blade mid-strike, using her momentum to spring onto his back.
For once, Venom looked surprised. He hadn't expected her to use such a move.
She scrambled up to his neck, pulled a dagger from her belt, and drove it toward his head—
—but a tendril shot out from his body, wrapping around her wrist before the blade could land.
Another tendril lashed out, coiling around her ankle, and in one swift motion lifted her off the ground, dangling her upside down in front of him.
"Not bad," Venom said, eyeing her with something that almost sounded like approval. "You've improved a hell of a lot this past year."
"Even so… I still can't beat you."
Esdeath's voice carried a trace of frustration. No matter how much she grew, he remained far ahead.
"You little brat, you're never satisfied, are you?"
Venom sighed and ruffled her hair with one massive hand. For someone who had progressed this fast, she was still hungry for more. That hunger, though, was exactly what kept her moving forward.
"I'll become the strongest, no matter what," Esdeath said, her eyes flashing with determination.
Her stomach growled loudly.
Venom chuckled. "Ambition's great and all, but first, let's feed that empty belly of yours."
He slung her over his shoulder and headed off through the snow.
Before long, they reached a small campfire.
"Wait here. I'll be back in a minute."
Venom gave her a quick order, then turned and left.
Esdeath crouched beside the fire, quietly waiting.
Moments later, the ground began to tremble with heavy footsteps. She turned her head and saw Venom returning, carrying a beast so huge it looked like he'd hauled back a mountain.
He dropped it by the fire with a thunderous crash.
"Time to show you some real skill."
Blades sprouted from the backs of his hands, gleaming in the firelight. With a few swift cuts, he began butchering the creature.
Not long after, the smell of roasting meat filled the snowy night.
"....."