“Move that one carefully—make sure not a single scratch gets on her, or you’re dead.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Ugh… can’t trust these idiots. I’ll come along, so hurry it up.”

“Yes, sir!”

The hound sighed as he turned away, a dissatisfied expression on his face. He didn’t trust his subordinates, and it showed. He brushed the dust off his sleeve irritably, only to feel a sharp pain in his wrist.

*Looks like I twisted it when blocking that fox’s attack.*

“Tsk.”

He should have beaten her down more. He wanted to leave her half-dead, but with eyes watching him, he had to hold back. The hound glanced at the guest standing nearby.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“…Annoying bastard.”

He muttered a curse under his breath. Nothing was going his way. The rain dripped down his face as he raised a hand to wipe it off.

*Whooosh—*

The storm raged on, wind whipping across the deck, which shuddered under the pounding waves. The hound pushed his wet hair back with frustration. Even in this unstable weather, he stood firm, his balance unshaken—a testament to his training.

“Damn storm… hope it dies down soon.”

He muttered, annoyed, and took a step toward the interior to escape the rain when a faint voice reached his ears.

“…Burn.”

An unfamiliar sound.

Suddenly, an eerie sensation washed over him.

“…?!”

A shiver ran down his spine, banishing the cold as an intense heat surged behind him. The hound spun around, eyes wide with shock.

Before him, brilliant flames flared to life.

“What the—!”

His brow furrowed instinctively, not just from the light blinding his vision but from the raw fear coursing down his spine. Instinct screamed at him, warning him of the danger.

*This is bad.*

No.

*This is deadly.*

For the first time in a long while, he felt fear. The hound’s face showed his uncharacteristic surprise as his gaze landed on the girl standing amidst the swirling flames.

*Whoosh—*

The night sky was cloaked in intense heat. Below it, a fox stood, staring at him with a calm expression. Her hair glowed red, and her dark eyes gleamed crimson.

In an instant, the atmosphere had changed completely.

“…Hah.”

The hound couldn’t help but chuckle.

“What’s this now?”

The girl stepped forward. The hound muttered a curse and fumbled to draw his sword. His shoulders quivered like those of prey.

“Damn it.”

The predator-prey dynamic had shifted.

---

*What was life?*

When she looked back at her years, what line held the deepest meaning?

It was a simple question, yet she found it hard to answer.

Perhaps until now.

Or even beyond.

It might be a question that defined her life, even in death.

The fox had struggled to find the answer.

Always.

Relentlessly.

*Slash—!*

A fierce cut sliced through the air, red lines trailing like molten fire. The searing strike lit the sky with a radiant glow.

“You damn…!”

The hound’s face twisted in surprise as he barely managed to block the strike.

*Clang! Screech—!*

Steel clashed, and sparks flew. A tortured sound filled the air, and then pressure surged, driving the man backward. He gritted his teeth and tried to hold his ground.

But it was a futile effort. With a simple twist of the girl’s blade, he was flung back.

“Argh…?!”

*Thud—!*

The hound crashed against the ship’s outer wall, struggling to steady himself.

“Huff, huff…!”

He gasped for breath, legs trembling. His eyes, filled with disbelief, focused on the fox standing there.

“Damn beast… how…!”

“…”

Irene stood still.

Unlike the agitated hound, the air around her was as still as death.

*Whooosh—*

Her red hair fluttered in the wind, and the fox’s crimson eyes blinked calmly amidst the flames. She looked serene.

“This can’t be.”

The man’s voice shook.

It was ridiculous.

He had fought with all his might, but he hadn’t landed a single effective blow.

Irene stood, undisturbed.

*This feels strange.*

She reflected. The heat burning on her hands was like nothing she had ever felt before. The beautiful flames coated her sword.

*Crackle—!*

It felt almost omnipotent.

She had reached a new level.

At this moment, it felt as if she could cut down anything.

The fox took a slow stance.

“You said I’d never beat you.”

Her lips moved. Her voice, gentle yet clear, cut through the storm.

The hound frowned.

“What?”

“You said I was just a beast who’d lost to you twice, and it was my fate to keep losing.”

“What’s your point?”

“I wonder if it will be the same a third time.”

“Are you taunting me? You dare, you little beast?”

The hound let out a hollow laugh, incredulous.

He wasn’t used to this.

With the powerful backer of the “businessman” behind him, he was always the oppressor, wielding his strength to torment others.

He rarely experienced what it was like to be on the weaker side.

But.

“This time, it’ll be different.”

The fox raised her sword toward him.

“Here I come.”

“Enough! I’ll rip that mouth of yours so you’ll never speak again…!”

Even now, he couldn’t abandon the illusion of his dominance.

The hound’s reaction was aggressive.

He gripped his sword tightly. Wind-green mana surged, whipping the storm into a frenzy.

It was his special ability: wind magic entwined with swordsmanship. In a storm, it was especially powerful.

The man’s eyes glinted as he charged.

“Die!!”

To Irene, the scene moved in slow motion.

The gleaming sword, the wind coiling around the ship, the ferocious vortex.

She felt as though she could track even the smallest speck of dust.

*It’s so quiet.*

She lifted her sword.

*Crackle—!*

Sparks danced from her hand. A pale light enveloped her blade, growing brighter.

*I…*

*What is life?*

Born as a lowly flower, living and withering in obscurity.

What meaning did it hold to live?

*“Find your own star.”*

She looked back at the path she’d walked.

The pain of loss, the sadness of foolishness, the lonely path she refused to bend.

All those memories aligned into a line.

*Grief, regret, rage, weakness, resilience, despair.*

But even so—

*Defiance.*

The fox’s unblinking eyes burned with all the steps she’d taken, sparking into a flame.

The heat pushed back the cold of the storm.

*Whoosh—!*

*My name is…*

What is life? Without hesitation, she would answer.

Life is a spark.

Burning fiercely, fading at the end like the embers of a flower.

A beautiful, singular blade.

One exhaled breath.

A single heart held within.

And when given a name—

“Crimson Flame.”

The fox whispered.

In the next moment,

A scarlet brilliance erupted from her sword.

An attack that carried the essence of her life.

The fox inhaled, gripped her blade tightly, planted her feet.

And swung her life forward.

*Shhk—*

A single, seamless line was drawn.

It cut through the hound’s body and soared into the storming sky.

The crimson fire lingered, slicing through space.

Then—

*Boom—!*

It burst, devouring everything.

The hound fell.

His upper body separated, collapsing without even a scream.

He crumbled into black ash, scattered by the wind.

“…”

The storm, once howling, fell silent.

The fox looked up.

Only a scar remained in the sky.

The split clouds revealed a clear backdrop beyond.

A sea with no wind.

The message was clear.

“It’s… done.”

The sky, once unreachable.

She had finally cut it down.

---

“Hah…”

Irene stumbled, struggling to keep her balance.

Her breaths came in ragged gasps.

She leaned on her sword like a staff.

Despite the immense power of the slash that could have sliced through a storm, the ship remained mostly undamaged—only a few scorched marks left behind.

In that instant, she had adjusted the trajectory with the finest control.

The open deck had helped, too.

If the battle had been indoors, the ship might have sunk with the hundreds of prisoners aboard.

*Was it luck?*

She touched her brow.

A headache blurred her vision.

As she wavered, soldiers hiding nearby cautiously peeked out.

Were they waiting for an opportunity?

“…”

She swept her gaze over them, and they recoiled in fear.

Having witnessed what just happened, they were visibly shaken.

Even though she looked exhausted, they didn’t dare approach.

Irene stood, steadying her breath.

*What now?*

Her energy had been depleted long ago.

She had overcome a massive obstacle, but even breathing was difficult now.

*Swish—*

Her hair, once red, returned to its original color.

The omnipotent feeling faded away like the receding tide.

The fox bit her lip, fighting off the fatigue.

*Not yet.*

The hound was dead, but it wasn’t over.

Soldiers were still waiting.

The ‘guest’ watched her from a distance, eyes flicking her way.

And at the bottom level, people still needed her help. 

The situation felt impossible. Could she make it through? Even if she couldn’t, she had no choice but to try.

Irene steeled herself, gripping her sword as tightly as she could. Just as she summoned the last bit of her strength—

*Clap—*

The sound of clapping rang out in her ears.

It was a familiar and unsettling sound.

“…”

Suddenly, someone stood behind her, gently embracing her.

A warm touch melted the chill in her body. It was a comforting embrace.

Irene reached up, grasping that arm tightly. Her lips trembled as she whispered,

“You… you were watching all along.”

A playful reply followed.

“The fox I raised decided to run away, after all.”

A kind voice.

The snake rested his chin on her shoulder, a soft smile flickering across his face.

“You did well, Irene.”

“…”

“Rest for a moment. I know there’s much you want to say, but it can wait.”

“…Alright.”

The fox nodded, and the boy’s cheerful smile widened as he lifted her gently, cradling the exhausted girl in his arms.

For a while, Irene let herself sink into that warmth.