The blood moon hung high in the sky, the spire of the old chapel in the mountains groaning with a creaking sound in the wind.
"I will kill you," Crimsonlyn cried as she fled. Nightbloom kicked the stained-glass window apart, shards of glass raining down like a storm. She twisted her feet into spirals and leapt, her crimson eyes blazing in the night.
"Run, keep running!" she licked the blood from her nails, laughing wildly. "I want to see how long you can last."
Twenty metres away, clinging to an oak branch with one hand, Crimsonlyn's shirt was half-soaked red with blood seeping from the wound in her side. She offered no reply, merely surveying the terrain with cool precision—behind the church lay a steep slope, dense with pine trees. Perhaps the landscape could be exploited...
"Tsk. Ignoring me?" Nightbloom narrowed her eyes, suddenly springing into motion!
Crimsonlyn instantly released her grip, her body plunging in free fall. With sheer willpower, she maintained her balance, rolling to dissipate the impact just before crashing into the ground. Behind her, a thunderous crash echoed as the demon's claws tore the oak trunk clean in two. Nightbloom probed the trunk with a hand, peering down at her.
Crimsonlyn plunged into the pine forest, her footsteps nearly drowned out by the thick pine needles. Her right hand gripped a military knife—her sole weapon—its handle engraved with a now-faded serial number.
The rustle of wings echoed through the trees.
"You think hiding in the woods will help?" Nightbloom's voice came from all directions, its echoes tinged with mockery. "I can smell the scent of your blood, you know~"
A pine branch suddenly shot out from the side. Crimsonlyn sidestepped, only to see the entire pine tree uprooted, sweeping towards her in a whirlwind of black mist. She lunged forward, her back still scraped by branches, leaving several bloody gashes.
"Gotcha." The devil's soft chuckle rang in her ear.
Crimsonlyn didn't turn back, delivering a fierce blow with her elbow! The moment a muffled groan echoed, she spun and swept her blade in a silver arc. Nightbloom jerked backwards, yet a bloody gash still split her face. Crimsonlyn sneered, "Is that all you've got?"
"You dare mock me?" A furious shriek sent birds scattering from the trees. Nightbloom transformed her nails into blades and fired them, grazing Crimsonlyn's temple.
Flames illuminated both bloodstained faces, and revealed their surroundings—unnoticed, their chase had driven them to the edge of a cliff-like precipice.
Crimsonlyn stepped on loose rock; pebbles tumbled into the abyss. There was nowhere left to retreat.
Nightbloom tilted her head, black blood dripping from her wound. "Why aren't you running?" She deliberately moved closer. "Rest assured, I'll break your bones one by one—"
Before the words were finished, Crimsonlyn lunged! At the instant of collision, she changed direction, her military dagger aimed straight for the throat. The demon blocked hastily, only to see the human woman suddenly release her blade and seize her wounded wing!
"You—!"
Both lost their balance simultaneously, tumbling over the cliff's edge.
As they tumbled downwards, Nightbloom extended her claws, driving them into Crimsonlyn's shoulder while clutching her throat with deadly force. Pine trees, rocks, and moonlight spun wildly before their eyes. In the final moment of descent, Nightbloom pulled her close, embracing her in a desperate attempt to take her down with her.
Waves crashed against the shore. By now, both had lost their memories...
Icy seawater lapped at Nightbloom's cheeks, the salty spray filling her nostrils. She snapped her eyes open, coughing up several mouthfuls of water. Through blurred vision, she saw herself lying face-down on an unfamiliar stretch of sand...