Rockie Grey the Steel Bug made their debut. Or was it he? She? Red whimsically pondered on nonsensical things as her life hung on by a thread.

  Red | HP: 630

  It was more than Snow’s measly 400 HP. What was more important than the total amount of HP remaining was the percentage that was left. Red barely survived on nearly 4% of her total HP pool, which was rapidly pooling beneath her.

  “Rockie… Heh. You’re one hell of a tough meal to crack.” She jokingly said, her voice filled with pride seeing another creature struggle to penetrate Rockie’s shell.

  But it was not perfect.

  < [Cut Them Down!] >

  Rockie only had 650 ATT DEF, whilst this attack dealt 800 ATT damage. With a HP pool of 15,000, it wouldn’t be long until Rockie would succumb to the same fate at them.

  “Brrrr!” It cried as it tanked the great axe with relative ease, although a large imprint had scarred its shell.

  They needed to act quickly. Rockie had no way to deal with The Huntsman due to its lack of ranged abilities. It was no more than a living shield. It stood triumphantly in the face of certain death.

  “Rockie… move your body slightly when the axe comes down.” Red uttered as Snow threw her shield aside and hurriedly attempted to Heal her wounds. “The shape of your shell… is round. The axe won’t be able to get a good hit on you!”

  “[Minor Healing]. [Minor Healing]. [MINOR HEALING]!”

  Particles of light momentarily materialized on her body, only to fade into oblivion.

  Snow convulsed. Straining oneself to use magic whilst out of Mana was known to reduce one’s lifespan. While the effect did not apply to Healers, it was debilitating, nonetheless.

  “Work! Please work! If it doesn’t work–!”

  She plunged her hands onto Red’s chest and grimaced, unable to stare into her empty eye socket. Immediately, white and red particles lifted from various wounds. Flesh restored itself in the pattern of a lattice before becoming fully sealed.

  “– [Bloody Exchange]! Your wounds… your suffering… I’ll bear them on my body.”

  But not all wounds could be healed due to the complexity, such as her internal injuries, her shattered skull, and her eye. Furthermore, the rod impaled into her could not be removed as it would instantly kill her.

  Snow struggled to sit over her. The agony of such wounds surpassed what her physical body was capable of withstanding.

  Red’s HP was 16,500. What Snow suffered, as a human with only 400 HP, was more than 10,000 HP worth of pain.

  “You…”

  “I have to… Because this is what I am! This me… The Snow you know… Is not what you think! I’m a Healer! But I’m not normal! This blood… these eyes… It always… always ends like this…”

  She didn’t have to save Red.

  The misconception she had of Snow only caring about the Huntsman shattered once more. To be willing to turn one’s body into a canvas for her caused the receding wave of wrath to return by tenfold.

  Her mangled hand reached into the air. It disappeared into an infinitely dark tear in space.

  “Neither… am I… Human… Monsters… I had no idea humans can transform into monsters so easily…”

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  //////// < WARNING > ////////

  < You are rapidly approaching the First State >

  < “Kill the sensation I once had.” >

  She dragged a small, tiny weapon from her Dimensional Storage.

  “You… sure talk a lot… My HP ain’t gonna come back, but you, Mister Huntsman… aren’t going to either.”

  “Red…? How can you…?”

  < “It must be chopped down.” >

  < [Cut Them Down!] >

  < [Cut Them Down!] >

  < [Sorrowful Plough] >

  The Huntsman swiped at them from behind. A dull tang rang out as his gallops punctuated the air. He ran 20 meters ahead and came to a standstill.

  “Did Mister Huntsman… intend to kill you when he met you?”

  “… You’ve been hearing him too… I thought you’d – Ghh… Ignore it…”

  “Is it because of what you are?”

  “… It was. But Mister Huntsman… protected me… always… I don’t care if he wanted to kill me. I always thought of him as… as the father I never had.”

  The anguish of Snow.

  The desperation of Rockie.

  And Red’s unending hatred.

  She held the weapon upright and poked Rockie’s underside. She then caught a glimpse of The Huntsman pointing his discrete crossbow straight at them.

  “DODGE NOW ROCKIE!” She bellowed and immediately grabbed Snow as they rolled to the side.

  < [The Poisoned Oath] >

  < “The finale is here. Fulfil the task. A hired Huntsman has but only one choice.” >

  They evaded a massive crossbow bolt. Red heaved her own impaled rod around, feeling it scramble her innards. By now her chest cavity was one big pit of mush. She took one last breath as she felt the sensation overwhelm her again.

  “The Corrupted’s using his memories of a past he’s ashamed of. But he’s talking like he regrets letting you live. Is that how you truly feel, Mister?”

  < “I was supposed to kill you that day.” >

  “Wrong answer.”

  Then, as her eyes suddenly shone like crimson stars in the night sky, she reeled her Fairytale’s Bane over her head.

  “ROCKIE! BIPOD! WE’RE GONNA PUT MISTER HUNTSMAN DOWN OUT OF HIS MISERY!”

  Rockie dove into action. Her Fairtyale’s Bane suddenly weighed tens of kilograms. It slammed into Rockie’s back. The sheer impact caused it to create an imprint of itself into the dirt.

  //////// < WARNING > ////////

  < Your Emotional State Has Risen to The First State >

  Red mist formed into the palm of her only functional hand. Rockie faired well compared to last time. Back then when it served as her bipod it could not bear the weight of her crimson, two-meter-long firearm.

  But now? It was manageable for her metallic companion.

  “A Justica Arm?”

  “No. I don’t know what that is, but it’s not anything you’ve ever seen or heard before! I’ll make it known! Every tale, every story – and every damned enemy that tries to get in my way will know its name!”

  There was no point in considering where to place the shot. The voices did not accompany the formation of her bullet this time. The bloody mist which represented their emotions converged into a singular point, creating a crimson bullet.

  The purest manifestation of her infinite hatred was slotted into the chamber of her rifle. She slammed the level shut, locked it in place, and then took aim through the oversized scope.

  However, it was not just Red who was experiencing emotional throes.

  < Snow Has Entered The First State >

  13 Chapters ahead over on the

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