With the demon gone, Evangeline sighed softly, her breath misting in the cold air as she held her sword. The blizzard howled against her armor, the icy winds biting at her ears and pushing loose strands of hair across her face. Still, she pressed forward through the snow without hesitation.

Each battle left her more dissatisfied, not with her performance, but with the number of medallions she had gathered.

For all her effort, it felt like she was trudging endlessly through this frozen world, her every step watched by the silent eyes of the storm itself.

Sliding down a steep slope, she found herself gazing upon the vast landscape below. Beyond the snow-covered ridge stretched a valley crawling with monsters and demon beasts scattered in every direction.

She sighed in frustration, not because she thought she couldn't defeat them, but because it would take far too long to cross that distance and hunt them all down.

"It's not like I have the same destructive power as the great dragon Ashergon," she muttered, her voice nearly lost to the wind.

"Able to destroy entire regions with a single breath."

Even so, giving up wasn't an option. This was a competition, and knowing who she was up against, she doubted her rival would play fair.

"I need to think outside the box," she whispered, her tone dry.

"Think like an edgy, psychotic killer with no morals whatsoever."

The words came out half-jokingly, yet there was a trace of sincerity behind them. She wished Damon were here to hear that line,

if only so he could argue about what counted as "psychotic."

He certainly wasn't. At least he would say so.

"How do I kill everything downhill within a short time?" she murmured, her golden eyes narrowing thoughtfully.

Then her lips curved into a thin smile. She turned to glance back at the mountains, at the thick blankets of snow clinging to their peaks. The plan came to her like a flash of light.

A short while later, Evangeline disappeared into the blizzard. When she returned, the preparations were complete.

Standing alone amidst the swirling snow, she raised her hands. A golden glow flared to life between her palms, growing brighter and brighter as she poured her magic into it.

The light spread through the storm, radiant and blinding, piercing the clouds above and washing the world below in gold.

It was beautiful, too beautiful. And that beauty drew everything to her.

From far across the icy plains, monsters and demon beasts turned toward the glow, compelled by the golden radiance. They began to converge on her location, howling and screeching through the storm.

Evangeline stood perfectly still, the snow rising around her boots as she waited.

She counted the echoes, dozens, then hundreds. When the ground itself began to tremble, she knew enough had gathered.

She knelt, thrusting her sword into the frozen ground.

Then the mountains behind her groaned. The earth cracked with a deep, resonant rumble. A roar followed, not of a beast, but of violent natural forces, as the white peaks came alive. The snow broke loose, folding down like a massive, devouring wave.

The avalanche descended with unstoppable force.

The horde of monsters shrieked and scattered, but how fast could they run compared to the speed of the mountain itself? The wall of snow and ice swallowed everything in its path.

Evangeline didn't move. Her Duskglass armor shimmered with faint light as she braced herself, gripping her sword to anchor her body to the ground. The whiteness engulfed her.

Then came silence.

When the last echoes of the avalanche faded, the world was still again, pure and cold.

From beneath the thick layer of snow, a faint glow emerged. A golden gauntlet broke through the surface, followed by a snow-covered figure dragging herself free. Evangeline exhaled, shaking off the frost clinging to her armor.

The landscape before her was a grave of white mounds and broken beasts. Hundreds of monsters lay buried beneath the snow.

She smiled faintly. "All that's left is to pick up the medallions."

And so, the proud swordswoman abandoned the long, arduous method of battle, if only for a while and became a gatherer.

By the time she reached the foot of the mountain and the edge of the snowfields, her spatial ring overflowed with medallions. She smiled in quiet triumph, her golden eyes reflecting the scattered light.

"How much I've changed," she whispered. "I'd never have thought to use the terrain to bring such devastation."

Her smile faded slightly.

"I was lucky. The plan was reckless. Even with my precautions, I could've easily been buried too."

Her boots pressed into the snow as the white slowly gave way to patches of green grass. The storm eased, and she found herself descending into a valley where the snow met the earth.

A faint rustle broke the silence behind her.

Evangeline turned sharply, sword in hand. The snow shifted and then, with a loud puff, something burst out from beneath it.

"Ouch… my head. It's so cold…"

Evangeline froze mid-swing, lowering her blade in shock.

The voice was familiar and so was the face. A young beastkin girl, clad in crackling lightning-touched armor, stood before her. A massive greatsword was strapped to her back.

Leona brushed snow from her hair, her golden eyes locking onto Evangeline's with mild annoyance.

"Were you trying to bury me or something?" she asked flatly.

"I saw the light and came to find you… I almost died, you know."

Evangeline blinked, guilt washing over her. Maybe she hadn't thought that plan all the way through. There were enemies everywhere, yes but also a few unfortunate allies.

"Ah… sorry about that, Leona," she said awkwardly.

"Didn't realize you'd get caught up in it."

Leona crossed her arms, her ears flicking irritably.

"Sorry? No, no sorry isn't enough. I'm taking your lunch and dinner. For a week."

Evangeline couldn't help but smile at her tone.

"You can have my lunch for a month if you like."

Leona's ears perked up in surprise. "Really? But what about you? You can't just starve yourself, no that won't do."

"It's fine," Evangeline replied calmly.

"If I run out, we can always raid that wretch who's been hoarding food in his shadow."

Leona's lips twitched, immediately catching on.

"You mean Damon."

The two shared a brief laugh at the thought of pestering him.

"Speaking of Damon," Leona said, "where are Matia, Sylvia, and Xander? He'd probably say you cheated."

Her words tumbled out quickly, as usual. Evangeline didn't mind, Leona's free spirit was part of her charm.

Before she could answer, a deep voice echoed through the air, the unmistakable tone of Emperor Kronos, announcing a bounty on the head of Amon.

Leona's smile faded.

"Hmm… something tells me we'll be meeting this Amon guy sooner than we'd like."

Evangeline bit her lip, golden eyes glinting in the quiet valley.

"I'd prefer not to meet him at all," she murmured.

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