Dust hung thick in the air, swirling in lazy currents above the wreckage. Beams of feint light pierced through the ruined buildings, their glow barely cutting through the murky haze.

  Alice's arms trembled, her breath quickened, and her ankle was a mass of pain.

  But they had done it. The last survivor had been pulled free. Their once terrified cries became relieved sobs as they melted into the crowd.

  She turned to Paul.

  Tears streamed down his soot-stained face as he gave her a victorious nod. Then, a weak, exhausted smile broke across her lips.

  Behind them, the civilians they had saved gathered. Some clung to each other, weeping. Others laughed, their joy hesitant but genuine.

  And for a moment, Alice finally exhaled.

  (We did it, Akuma. We saved everyone… So hurry up and kick that thing's ass already.)

  It was then that she heard it.

  A low rumble, like bones splintering beneath the weight of a grinder.

  Her gaze snapped upward. A massive slab of stone looming above her, dislodged from a ruined building.

  There was no time to react.

  Her breath hitched and her body froze…

  The world turned black.

  The impact completely crushed her. Her bones, flesh, everything pancaked in an instant.

  The others turned at the sound, their celebration cut short by the deafening impact. Confusion spread through the group, everyone checking if each other was alright.

  Only Paul understood what had happened.

  He had been standing right beside her. He had seen it. Her death.

  At least, that's what he'll live the rest of his life thinking.

  In reality, Alice gasped, finding herself somewhere else entirely. Specifically, the opposite side of the street.

  She was cradled in someone's arms. A girl to be exact.

  She was young -perhaps in her early twenties- with a firm, athletic build. And she was beautiful, so much so that even Alice took note of it.

  Her striking blue hair that shimmered like the sky above, and piercing eyes that mirrored its gradient.

  And for some strange reason… she was wearing a maid's uniform.

  “Are you okay?” the girl asked, her voice calm and steady.

  Alice, still reeling from the shock of nearly dying, barely managed a response. Her voice came out as a raspy whisper.

  “I-I think so…”

  “That's good. Grandpa would've scolded me if I let you die.”

  Then, with the same casual air, the girl nonchalantly dropped Alice onto the pavement.

  Alice yelped as pain shot through her, annoyance flaring in her chest.

  “Hey, is it cool if I drop you now? You're kind of heavy.”

  A vein twitched on her brow, her momentary gratitude burnt to cinders.

  “You already dropped me!”

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  She tried to push herself up, but pain flared in her ankle, a reminder of her earlier injury.

  Noticing her struggle, the strange girl leaned closer, tilting her head slightly.

  “Are you hurt?”

  Alice hesitated. That concern in her eyes… she hadn't expected it. She had already written this girl off as cold and heartless.

  “Oh, uh… yeah…” Alice admitted, rubbing her ankle. “…It's completely shot. Can't move it at all.”

  Without hesitation, the strange girl reached for a small, metallic cube attached to her waist. In an instant, the cube unfolded, morphing into a sleek, light-blue pistol with glowing white streaks along its edges.

  A book appeared in her other hand, radiating faint stars. Its title was written in bold, gleaming letters, reading Vitality. Below it, in smaller print: By: Rin.

  Alice's eyes widened at the gun barrel pointed at her, instinctively shrinking back.

  “Ah… W-What are you doing?”

  “Hey, I'm gonna shoot you now. That cool?”

  Alice threw her hands up defensively, panic flashing across her face.

  “No, it's not cool–!”

  Pow!

  A shockwave rippled through the air, making Alice's hair flutter. But there was no bullet. Instead, a burst of blue light exploded from the barrel, dispersing into shimmering star-like particles.

  The light wrapped around her, forming a translucent cocoon.

  Soon, the pain in her ankle vanished and the exhaustion in her limbs faded. The aches, the bruises, every single wound… gone in seconds.

  Alice's breath caught. She patted herself down in disbelief, flexing her once-injured ankle. She’d expected her death. Instead, she felt… oddly refreshed.

  “What… just happened?” Her voice wavered between awe and confusion.

  “...I healed you.”

  Alice probed her miraculously healed ankle.

  “What do you mean you healed me?"

  The strange girl sighed, a sense of impatience flickering across her expression.

  “It's exactly what it sounds like.”

  Then she straightened, her eyes narrowing.

  “Look, I'll explain later. Right now, we need to find and recover the AntiGod.”

  Alice stiffened, the word striking a memory like an old circuit board.

  “The… AntiGod…?”

  The memory that flashed into her mind was the demon. Specifically, the moment it called her that.

  Rin turned away, walking with purpose causing Alice to scramble to her feet, rushing after her.

  “Wait a sec!” she demanded, grabbing Rin's sleeve. “What even is that? The AntiGod, I mean. And why are you guys looking for it so badly?”

  Rin didn't answer, causing an uncomfortable silence to stretch between them.

  Then…

  The pressure in the air shifted.

  Suddenly, Alice felt heavy, as though unseen chains had wrapped around her body.

  “I'd ask that you not lump me in with that demon.” Rin finally said, her voice low yet sharp.

  Alice gulped down, a chill rushing down her spine. She released Rin's sleeve, taking a half-step back.

  “S-Sorry… I didn't mean to upset you.”

  “It's fine...” She replied, slightly easing the tension. “I can tell you're a good person… What's your name?”

  Alice's eyebrows rose at the sudden question, surprised by the shift in her tone.

  “Oh, um… Alice. Alice Inari. What about you?”

  “Rin Ark.”

  Another silence. This time an awkward one.

  Alice took it upon herself to try and melt the ice.

  “…I just realized, I never actually thanked you for saving me, did I.”

  “…”

  “Well, thanks a bunch, Rin!” Alice said, offering a tentative smile.

  "………"

  Alice cleared her throat, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt, hoping that would somehow reset their conversation.

  “So, uh, that healing gun… What exactly is it? Sorry, I'm new to all this magic stuff.”

  “…”

  “…”

  “…It's a divine artifact.”

  Alice nearly tripped, a smile of recognition forming across her lips.

  “Oh, yeah? …I've, uh, heard about those… Things that do those things… right?”

  Her voice rose in pitch, the obvious lie hanging in the air.

  For the first time, Rin chuckled. It was a quiet, almost amused sound. Alice hadn't expected that, her shoulders relaxing slightly at the sound.

  “Divine Artifacts…” Rin explained, her tone softening, “…are weapons created to kill gods. They're one of the only ways humans can fight back.”

  Alice felt a chill creep down her spine, goosebumps rising on her arms.

  (Fight back…?)

  Before she could ask more, Rin suddenly stopped, her posture alert.

  “The AntiGod should be around that corner.”

  Alice's breath caught as she turned the corner, her heart nearly sinking out of her chest. Her voice emerged as a strangled cry.

  “Akuma!”

  She darted forward, dropping to her knees beside him.

  His body was covered in angry burns and rashes. Steam hissed from his pores. His eyes, once bright and burning with life, were dim and hollow. Then again, it wasn't much different from how they usually looked.

  Alice's lips parted, her hands trembling as they hovered uselessly over him. Raw panic clawed at her throat.

  “No need to freak out…” Rin interjected.

  Alice barely registered her words, but she did see Rin take out the glowing cube once more.

  “…He'll be as good as new in no time.”