Slaugher Of The Cohort (4/4)

bit rushed, also changing dialogue for inner thoughts with ' ' now

The last remaining was Changing Star. He didn't know how he could go against her, but he had to find some way.

All 3, Cassie, Kai and Effie, all defeated by his hands, but it felt like fighting mundane humans, and now he was reaching the final boss.

With that out of the way, Sunny approached Nephis, his boots crunching softly against the snow.

The Weaver's Mask concealed his expression, but he knew she could still read him.

The sky above was pale, the cold settling into his bones, but the heat of the moment, the stare down between them kept him warm.

Nephis stood a few steps away, arms relaxed at her sides, watching him with quiet patience. Yet again, she looked beautiful under the snow and he wondered how she was like that at every moment.

Feeling confident about his previous victories, he tilted his head slightly and spoke in a sarcastic tone, contrasting his appearance. "You know, I think I'm on a winning streak today."

Nephis raised an eyebrow. "Are you?"

He glanced at the direction where he had left Effie and Cassie, both still recovering from their losses. His lips curled beneath the mask. "I'd say so."

Nephis didn't respond. She only exhaled softly, then bent down, gathering a handful of snow in her palm.

'Straight to the point, huh?'

Then, without warning, she moved.

Her throw was fast. Expected of Changing Star, her moves were powered behind a powerful force. It wasn't as reckless as Effie's, nor as calculated as Cassie's; It was more precise, effortless. A flash of white cut through the air.

Sunny shifted his body, sidestepping at the last moment. The snowball zipped past, but another one was already following.

'Already?!'

He barely had time to react before it struck his shoulder.

The icy cold burst across his arm, but he was already countering. His fingers dipped into the snow, forming a tight ball before launching it straight at her.

Nephis moved without hesitation, her body shifting fluidly. The snowball missed, barely grazing the edge of her coat.

And the flurry commenced. Another throw. Another dodge. Then another. It was too fast, that the author himself must of not wanted to write this due to his slight fatigue.

It was a snowball fight, evident to the white ball of mass being tossed around, but at this point could you even call it a snowball fight?

More like, it was a full fledged fight.

Nephis lunged, her speed forcing him to move. He barely ducked in time before another snowball came for his face.

He retaliated, sweeping low, trying to catch her off guard, but she was already leaping back, light on her feet.

Sunny pressed forward, refusing to give her space. He feinted to the left, then twisted his torso, sending a sharp throw toward her side.

For a split second, he thought he had her.

But then she shifted at the last possible moment.

Time felt as if it had skipped, like someone was pressing the 10 second skip button. First it was him catching her off guard…

The next thing he knew, his feet were no longer on solid ground.

He hit the snow hard, breath leaving him in a sharp exhale. His vision spun, the world tilting before he realized what had happened.

Nephis stood over him, a faint smirk tugging at her lips.

"Tch. What are you smiling about?" He glared at her through the mask, though it was covering a slight poutish expression from him.

He barely had time to react before she reached down, fingers brushing against the mask.

In one smooth motion, she pulled it off.

"H-Huh? What are you?-"

The cold air hit his face, but before he could say anything, she leaned in.

Her lips met his. Her cold lips pressed onto his, sharing the warmth between them.

By the time she pulled away, the smirk had returned.

A familiar heat rushed to paint his cheeks slightly red. He stared at her, unable to form any words in his head.

Nephis tilted her head slightly, still looking down at him. Her silver hair caught the faint light, strands falling over her face as she regarded him with quiet amusement.

"Your winning streak," she murmured, "has just been broken."

Sunny let out a slow breath, feeling the cold seeping into his back. His gaze lingered on her for a moment before he huffed, tilting his head back against the snow.

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered. "Enjoy it while it lasts. I'll get my payback."

Nephis raised an eyebrow but didn't reply. Instead, she straightened, stepping back and tossing his mask down at him. He caught it easily, wiping the snow off before returning it into his soul sea.

As soon as he sat up, a heavy slap landed on his back.

"Damn, doofus," Effie cackled. "Didn't think you'd go down that fast."

Sunny barely managed not to flinch at the impact. He turned his head, narrowing his eyes at her.

"You were all teaming up on me." His anger was justified. It was a simple and harmless game of a snowball fight with pairs, and yet the plan all along had been to target Sunny.

Effie snorted. "Oh, so that's why you're so grumpy?"

Cassie, still brushing snow from her coat, spoke up. "Technically, I was only helping Effie. You were just caught in the crossfire."

Sunny exhaled through his nose. "That's the same thing."

Effie grinned, nudging him with her elbow. "Don't be a sore loser, sunshine."

He scowled. "I'm not."

She gave him a skeptical look but didn't push further. Instead, she stretched, rolling her shoulders before turning to Cassie.

"Alright, I think that's enough fun for one day. My arms are sore, and my stomach is empty."

Cassie nodded, gathering her staff. "We should get going before it gets colder."

Effie shot Sunny one last smug look before turning away. "You coming?"

Sunny waved a hand dismissively. "You go ahead. I'll catch up later."

Effie shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Cassie hesitated for a moment, then followed. The two disappeared down the snowy path, their voices fading as they walked.

That left just him and Nephis.

He exhaled, shaking his head slightly. "You didn't have to knock me down that hard."

Nephis, standing a few steps away, glanced at him. "You would have done the same."

He scoffed but didn't argue. He pushed himself up, brushing off the remaining snow before stretching his arms.

For a while, neither of them spoke. The cold wind whistled softly through the trees, the remmants of their fight evident through the countless snowball stains on trees and the multitude of footsteps.

Then, after a moment, Nephis looked at him again.

"…Payback?" she asked, a small glint in her eyes.

Sunny glanced at her, then smirked.

"Eventually."