They lingered there for a moment longer than necessary, foreheads nearly touching, eyes locked. Two yanderes staring each other down with the same quiet hunger, the same unspoken promise. Needy. Possessive. Perfectly aware of how dangerous that combination was, and entirely unconcerned.
Then Kaiden straightened, hand finally leaving her head as he turned forward.
"Let's get going, shall we?"
Aria nodded instantly, smile still glowing, already shifting into battle-ready focus as the moment passed.
And just like that, the hunt commenced.
…
Hours later, the world felt quieter.
The battlefield they'd left behind was a ruin of torn earth and butchered monster remains, ground chewed apart by repeated impacts and magic discharge. Cratered stone still smoked in places, and the metallic tang of blood hung stubbornly in the air.
