Marshal cracked up, slapping his thigh as he laughed. "Did you only notice it now?"
Wyn's mouth twitched in a guilty manner. It seemed that he had genuinely not noticed.
The disciple rested his forearm on the snow deity's shoulder in a friendly manner.
"Heh, you can be surprisingly oblivious for how meticulous you are," he quipped, dragging Wyn forward.
The snow deity reached into the folds of his robe and pulled out a small container of healing salve.
Upon seeing that, Marshall's eyebrows almost jumped to heavens in amusement. "Do you always carry that around?"
"I prepared in advance," Wyn stated, offering the salve.
"Come on, there's no need," the disciple waved the container away, keeping himself from laughing too much. "I've stepped on glass before, this is just a scra—atch!"
Marshall lifted his foot, frowning at the piece of glass sticking out. "Damn it, I jinxed myself!"
He hopped around the broken bottle and slumped against a wall. The snow deity followed and knelt beside hi.
"It's fine, I can do it," Marshall waved him away, pulling the piece of glass out. Blood trickled down his heel like a steady stream. The wound wasn't deep, but it sure was bleeding freely.
Wyn pulled out a bandage. The disciple's eyes widened in amusement again. Did this guy have the entire medical box stuffed into his inner pockets?
"It will be faster if I do it," Wyn insisted, reaching out to inspect the wound.
Marshall nodded. It would have saved him the fumbling. Although Marshall wasn't that clumsy, his medical skills were nowhere near Wyn's.
"Close your eyes for a moment," the snow deity directed, ripping off a corner of the bandage.
"Huh? Why?"
"Just do it."
The disciple complied, sighing. After a moment, a wet cloth touched his foot and he looked over in confusion. Wyn used the damp piece of bandage to clean the wound. However, there were no wells nearby, nor had it rained.
It didn't take long until Marshall started chuckling knowingly. "Eh-hey...!"
"There is nothing funny about it," Wyn asked with a straight face, focused on the task.
The disciple snickered, trying to stifle his laughter as he asked, "You just admitted that you spat on the bandage!"
The snow deity's face flushed slightly, but he didn't break the concentration, ignoring the teasing. Marshall's cheeks ached from chuckling, and Wyn's reaction only made it funnier.
As Wyn applied the healing salve, a cool, ticklish sensation spread across his sole, bringing another wave of giggling.
"Stop laughing," the snow deity murmured.
"I'm not!"
"I can hear your giggly breaths."
"Pff... Ahem... Shall we keep going?"
"Stay still for one minute, I am not finished."
"What, you're gonna spit straight on my foot this time?"
"..."
"Your glare loses its effectiveness over time. You know that, right?"
"Hush. Let me focus."
➳ ➳ ➳
As the two trudged through the ravaged streets of the unguarded parts of Chara Town, the sun had swiped its fingers across the horizon, leaving dim orange gashes between the clouds.
For a while, all they saw were ashes and scorched wood remains. The acrid stench of smoke and burnt wood still lingered.
They passed the street where the war began, and Marshall paused by the sweltered entrance of Nai Eatery. He solemnly observed the wooden sign that had been taken by the fire, the letters almost visible, but not quite.
All he could do was hope that Mrs. Edith was safe. There was a distant sense of guilt gnawing at him for not making sure she got away safely. But he stuffed the guilt back down and looked away.
Wyn glanced at him, then slowly shifted closer and gave him a pat on the shoulder. The gesture was unexpected enough to prompt a laugh from Marshall.
"Hey, I'm fine!" he assured, returning the pats energetically. "Stop worrying about me, I'll start to think you like me!"
The snow deity let out a huff of laughter but moved along without denying. Marshall's gaze followed him closely, the skin on his cheeks warming. What was that?
They could already see the faint outline of the safe zone's barrier shimmering in the dusk. It stretched in a three meter height like a translucent wall of spiritual energy, flickering with golden glow.
As they approached, they noticed the increasing number of guards patrolling the perimeter of the barrier. They were clad in reinforced armor, each wearing a pair of silver shoulder blades, their expressions tense and alert.
"Looks like we're close," Marshall murmured. "All that's left is to figure out how to get in..."
Wyn nodded, his eyes scanning the area for any potential threats.
As they drew nearer, a shrill cackling echoed through the remnants of the town. It was a sound blood-chilling enough to alarm everyone present.
The guards' heads snapped in the direction of the noise, their hands instinctively reaching for their weapons.
"Demons," Wyn whispered, his hand also on Cheimon's hilt. "Stand back."
Marshall's gaze flitted between the guards and the snow deity. "Stand back? What are you planning to do?"
Frenzied giggles shattered the silence. Demons poured from the shadows, red-fleshed faces grinning with twisted glee.
The guards formed a defensive line at the barrier's perimeter. Their weapons crackled with spiritual energy as they prepared for the onslaught.
Marshall and Wyn were hiding by the side of a crumbling building, waiting to see what would follow.
Amidst the bloodshot eyes scanning the area hungrily, a large creature with carmine scales emerged.
The muscles in Marshall's face fell. The scaled beast was as tall as three grown men. Each step grinded the cobblestone road, leaving behind a footprint as if it were walking on sand.
Fortunately, the beast was moving at the speed of a relaxed turtle. The rest of the demons were like a bunch of ants in comparison.
As the first wave of demons lunged at the barrier, the guards raised their weapons. Black blood spilled, demons falling to ground one after another.
The air was filled with the crackle of energy and the shrieking roars of the demons.
Wyn waited until all the guards were fully engaged with the oncoming demons, then stepped out from his hiding spot. He pulled Cheimon from its sheath, then pointed the tip of the blade to the ground.
Marshall's brows furrowed as he watched the snow deity in puzzlement.
Wyn took a deep breath. In one swift motion, he slashed upwards. From the silver blade, a powerful blizzard erupted, bursting forth.
Snow swirled in a furious vortex that rapidly expanded to a ten meter radius. The temperature plummeted as the storm intensified, enveloping the area in a thick, frosty haze.
The blizzard had stunned the demons, halting their movements temporarily. All cackling and screeching died down.
Marshall squinted through the dense fog, but he couldn't see anything. He could only hear the heavy steps of the carmine-scaled beast echoing ominously.
Dum... dum... dum...
Then, a shadow darted through the snow. It came into focus only when it was at an arm's reach from Marshall's face.
"Gah!"