Parts of Frost’s hair began to change again. One bundle of strands located to the right of the golden cluster next to her right eye turned to a shade of deep red.
The blood that poured from her wounds coagulated immediately. It wasn’t because of her healing Skills or natural healing factor. Rather, it was her blood alone that refused to spill.
“You were an Honored One? Uriel anointed you?”
Her blood formed an intricate web. She had no idea what this Profession did. It was still so vague to her. What surprised her the most was the ‘Ascension of Light Through the Path of Flames’. That was what allowed her to resonate with the Light, allowing her epiphany to bear fruit to this Profession of hers.
She could feel her fangs sharpen ever so slightly. Suddenly, the horrible taste of Iscario’s blood mellowed out to something more palatable. It was impossible to tell what exactly had happened, but she already knew that her senses had heightened significantly.
As a result, it only further increased her pain.
“No. The ‘Amalgam’. You’re everything and nothing at once. A Healer. An Honored One. A pretend human. A Corrupted…!”
“… an Angel…” Iscario uttered breathlessly.
He only just realized how mystical Frost’s appearance was. The sheer number of rods jutting from her back gave the illusion of her bearing wings. This divine being bled for humanity, and humanity could only torture it.
The ring cracked. It would only be able to take one more strike. She didn’t know how to manipulate her blood, or if she even could. It simply floated around her and did nothing else.
“Amalgam. This world isn’t even your place to call home. Your meddling… and that hideous hybrid with white hair is the reason why things can never go accordingly!”
One last strike caused the ring to shatter.
“I was waiting for you to break that ring! It’s exactly moments like these that you should remember that even if the world turns its back to you –!”
The large, bold back of a certain white-haired woman appeared before her. She blocked Iscario’s attack and sent him staggering backwards, distancing him from the now vulnerable Frost.
She turned to face Frost momentarily, her eyes welling with tears as she brushed a hand against her bloodied cheeks.
“– Then I’ll be by your side. Frost… didn’t Nav tell you that breaking the ring would bring me here?”
“… Nav didn’t know. Either that, or I zoned her out… I’m…”
“Don’t say you’re sorry. Don’t say another word…” Jury begged.
Frost could only imagine what was going through her mind. She was on her deathbed. If it weren’t for her engagement ring breaking or if the teleportation failed, then Frost would have died this very instant.
“I won’t get hurt. I’m stronger than I used to be.” Jury showed Frost her left hand.
It was no longer a claw, but a hand. A real, albeit rugged hand. But it was Jury’s, and any part of Jury was worth loving.
… I didn’t think Jury would come. No… I didn’t want her to come. Iscario’s not an ordinary enemy. And with Jury here…
“Jury. Pay attention. Iscario… I don’t know if you can take him on right now. Ngh…”
“… I don’t know either, but I’m not going to let you die alone!”
Ah… Geez, Jury… That’s how I must’ve looked in her eyes, huh. Tch…
There was no way Jury was going to win against Iscario. Her HP was nowhere near enough to tank a single hit from the False Lances of Annihilation.
“The hybrid beast. Of course. Two monsters were bound to fall in love. How utterly disgusting. Amalgam… I’ve come up with a perfect idea. You too should learn how it feels to lose something irreplaceable!”
Countless rods appeared in the skies. Jury immediately recognized the hell she had entered, but like Frost, she did not back down.
“Child tainted by Qliphoth… Perish before the eyes of your precious Amalgam!”
The rods came crashing down. They moved at a speed that Jury could not feasibly comprehend, resulting in her missing an opportunity to launch a counterattack.
But luck was on their side.
“I’ve grown tired of these interruptions!” Iscario roared, watching as a dark veil blocked every single one of Iscario’s rods.
“And I’ve grown tired of intervening unnecessarily in this world.”
A sultry voice spoke as a pair of hands reached from behind Frost. A warm figure somehow managed to embrace despite the countless rods sticking out her back. Then, a dark purple portal opened before them.
“But I was called here by the function of Dark Forest Clock I lent to a flawed optimist.”
A woman wearing a dark funeral suit walked out. She cleared her throat as she rocked her head around and held both her hands behind her back. Their face was a splitting image of Jury, and their hair was tied back into a long ponytail.
“O’ Amalgam a pleasure to make your appearance at your 11th hour. And an honor to meet this world’s version of relatively tamed version of the Original.”
The Little Frosts must have activated the Dark Forest Clock.
“Be at ease, Jury. I’m not here to steal what’s yours. Cotnrary, I’m here to defend what’s at stake. One minute…” Dark Memoria trailed off, her eyes lingering on a shadow behind Iscario. “Hmm. It may not be enough time to keep this one safe. Haaah. The choices you made brought you here to near death, Amalgam. And yet, all I can say is that you’ve done more than I can imagine.”
Her gaze then moved towards the Icon of Judgement.
“… Jury. It would be best if you stay beside our Frost and prepare to grant her Invulnerability. Allow me to take over from here.”
“… You’re going to fight Iscario?”
“Oh? No. I’d rather not spend my time on insignificant morsels.” She disregarded him entirely and pointed at the same plume of darkness behind Iscario.
It was the same that had delivered the Lance of Annihilation.
“I’m here to fight another thorn that wasn’t supposed to intervene in worldly affairs, as per the deal. Just relax, Frost. Jury.”
She removed her black gloves and held out a hand, forming another dark sphere eerily similar to Iscario’s Qliphoth Field.
“You’re in good hands now.”