"She might still be unconscious," Jack said.
"We can't be sure," Duke replied.
"Come with me, Duke," Vance said, leading the way upstairs.
They moved cautiously, each step creaking beneath their weight. The dim candlelight flickered against the worn wooden walls as they stopped just outside the door where the girl was resting.
"Hey, Vance, I'll go in first. If she attacks, you'll have a clear shot to take her down," Duke suggested.
"This plan is risky... but we have no choice," Vance agreed, gripping his sword tighter.
Duke slowly pushed the door open. The hinges groaned loudly, the sound cutting through the silence.
"Huh? There's no one here," Duke muttered, scanning the empty bed.
"Looks like she ran away," Vance said, his brows furrowing.
Duke stepped inside, a strange pressure settling in the air. He carefully checked both corners of the dimly lit room, his pulse steady but alert. He turned to Vance and gave a quick hand signal. "It's clear."
Just as Duke opened his mouth to speak—
**BAM!**
A sudden, brutal punch slammed into the back of his head.
"Ouchhh!" Duke grunted as his vision blurred. He staggered forward, then crashed hard onto the wooden floor.
Vance reacted instantly, his sword flashing in the candlelight. He swung at the masked girl, the blade slicing through the air—
But she was faster.
At the last second, she twisted her body, dodging with inhuman speed.
"Shit… unbelievably fast!" Vance cursed under his breath, adjusting his stance.
He swung again, but she weaved through his attacks, her movements sharp and precise. Then, with perfect timing, she lunged forward, driving her fist into Vance's stomach.
"Ughh!" Vance gasped as the wind was knocked from his lungs.
Meanwhile, downstairs, Jack tensed as he heard the chaos above. His grip tightened around his sword, his knuckles turning white.
Upstairs, Duke groaned and forced himself back to his feet. Gritting his teeth, he charged at her—
She sidestepped at the last second.
Then, in a single, fluid motion, she turned—
And dove straight through the window.
The glass shattered into shards, glittering under the moonlight as she dropped down—
Directly onto Jack.
"What the—?!" Jack barely had time to react before she crashed onto him.
Her knee **slammed** into his face.
"Aghhh!" Jack's head snapped back violently, pain exploding through his skull. Blood spurted from his nose as his body slammed onto the cold, hard ground.
"Damn you, witch—!" he growled, agony lacing his words.
But she wasn't done.
As he struggled to push her off, she twisted with sharp precision, shifting her weight—
**And drove a vicious, bone-crushing kick straight into his stomach.**
"AGHH!" Jack's body convulsed, the air ripped from his lungs. White-hot pain shot through his core. He gasped, coughing violently, his vision swimming.
But before he could recover—
She was already moving again.
Duke lunged through the broken window, landing smoothly in the snow. His breath came out in sharp puffs as his eyes locked onto her.
But before he could react—
She was gone.
She **raced through the darkened streets**, her figure barely visible against the snowy backdrop.
Vance rushed down the stairs, his eyes wide.
"Duke, help Jack! I'm going after her!" Duke shouted, his boots kicking up snow as he sprinted after the masked girl.
"Duke, stop! Don't chase her!" Vance called after him.
But Duke didn't stop.
He tore through the icy streets, his heartbeat pounding in his ears. His breath burned in his chest, the cold air biting at his lungs.
"Damn, she's fast!" he muttered, pushing himself harder. "But she's already ill—she won't be able to keep this pace for long."
Still, he wasn't foolish enough to underestimate her. Chasing her alone was reckless—
**And he knew it.**
"I need to find some guards. If I don't, I'll have to retreat."
Weaving through narrow, frost-covered alleys, he scanned the streets—
Then—he spotted them.
Two guards stood near a crackling bonfire, their armor gleaming under the flickering light.
"Hey! The masked bandit is getting away!" Duke shouted, his voice cutting through the night.
One of the guards frowned. "Masked bandit? Did he just say—"
"You heard him! Let's go!" the other interrupted, already moving.
Duke exhaled in relief. "Now we actually have a chance!"
The two guards moved quickly, positioning themselves in the girl's path. She skidded to a stop, forced to change direction.
"Hey, you go with the one chasing her. I'll cut her off from the other side," the first guard instructed.
"Got it," the second guard replied.
The second guard sprinted toward Duke, glancing at him. **"Huh? You're just a kid?"** he muttered in surprise.
"Not the time for that," Duke snapped, keeping his focus ahead.
"She's fast," the guard muttered, struggling to keep up.
"But she's slowing down," Duke observed. "She was even faster before. Her illness is catching up to her."
"That'll make it easier. Jax is coming from the other side—she has no way out," the guard said confidently.
The girl's movements faltered. **She was losing speed.**
A sharp turn appeared ahead. The masked girl took it first—
**BOOM!**
A sudden **shockwave** exploded around the corner, slamming into her with full force.
She flew backward, her body **crashing into the wall** before collapsing onto the snow.
Duke and the guard skidded to a stop, their eyes widening.
"That was Tempest Strike, right?" Duke asked, narrowing his gaze.
"Yeah, it must be Jax," the guard confirmed.
Without hesitation, they sprinted toward the fallen girl.
She staggered to her feet, her breaths ragged—
But she was trapped.
Jax stood firm in front of her, blocking the only open path.
To her left, Duke and the guard closed in.
The right side was walled off.
She had nowhere to run.
"Surrender," Jax ordered, his voice firm. "It'll be easier for both of us."
The masked girl remained silent, shifting into a combat stance.
Jax sighed. "So, you wanna fight? Fine by me."
The second guard glanced at Duke. "Kid, stay back. We'll handle her."
Duke hesitated, then nodded. "Okay... but don't underestimate her. She's dangerous."
Both guards readied their swords—while she remained unarmed.
"She's pretty confident… even without a weapon,"Duke thought, tension gripping his chest.
Then—
A strange pressure filled the air.
Jax, Duke, and the guard tensed.
The ground shuddered beneath them.
"What's this feeling…?" Jax muttered, his grip tightening.
Then, the air around them quivered.
"She's using her Kendra energy! Stay sharp!"Jax warned, panic creeping into his voice.
Her hands crackled with energy, faint sparks flickering between her fingers.
Jax and the guard stood ready—until—
**SHNK!**
A blade pierced through Jax's back.
Straight into his heart.
Jax's body stiffened. His sword slipped from his fingers.
His breath caught in his throat. "B-But… how—?" he gasped, blood spilling from his lips.
A second masked figure stood behind him, their blade still buried deep in his body.
The guard stood frozen, eyes wide. "Jax…?!"
Duke's heart pounded violently.
"No!" He lunged forward.
"You bastards!" the guard roared, fury igniting in his voice.
He charged—
But before he could reach them—
**THWAM!**
A Third masked figure leaped from the rooftops, a massive, double-handed hammer raised high—
And brought it down onto the guard's head.
**CRACK!**
Blood splattered the snow.
Duke froze.
Terror gripped him.
Was this how he was going to die?