The girl froze, her red eyes snapping toward the source of the voice. Her miasma wavered, the tendrils retreating slightly as she scanned the shadows.
Another voice, casual and light, echoed from the opposite side.
"Yeah. If not, you're going to be in huge trouble. Especially when it comes to our soldiers~"
The girl's lips curled into a snarl, her grip on Marcor tightening as she tried to locate the speakers. The air around her grew thick with tension, the darkness pulsing with unease.
"Who dares..." she began, but her words were cut short as two figures stepped into view from opposite ends of the ruined street.
One stood with his arms crossed, a faint, playful smirk on his lips, his posture relaxed but radiating an unshakable confidence. The other leaned against a crumbling wall, one hand in his pocket, the other resting casually on the hilt of a sword at his waist.
"Now, now~" the first one said, tilting his head. "We wouldn't want this to get messy, would we~?"
