-

The dense foliage rustled again as the figure stepped into the dim moonlight. But it was no ally.

It was Clorinde.

Furina's breath hitched. Of all the people she could have run into, why her?

The Champion Duelist of Fontaine stood with her hand resting on her gun, her piercing purple eyes locked onto them. Her presence was as composed as ever, yet there was something heavier in the air-something unspoken.

"Furina. Yoshika." Clorinde's voice was calm but firm. "You shouldn't be here."

Furina, despite her initial shock, straightened herself and put on her usual dramatic bravado. "Oh, please! I go where I please! And what exactly are you doing lurking in the shadows like some overzealous guard dog?"

Clorinde remained unreadable, but she didn't move. "I'm here on orders."

Yoshika's expression darkened. "Whose orders?"

Clorinde didn't answer immediately.

That silence was enough.

Furina's eyes narrowed. "It's Neuvillette, isn't it?"

The way Clorinde's expression didn't change confirmed it.

Furina scoffed, crossing her arms. "So, what? He sent you after me? I thought we were past that whole 'watching over the fragile former god' phase."

Clorinde finally moved, taking a single step forward. "It's not just you he's concerned about." Her gaze shifted slightly toward Yoshika.

Yoshika met her stare, unfazed. "So, what's your objective? Are you here to bring us back? Or to stop us?"

Clorinde's fingers brushed the hilt of her sword. "If necessary."

That was all the warning they got.

Yoshika moved first.

Her spear clashed against Clorinde's blade in a swift motion, sending sparks flying in the dim rainforest. Furina immediately stepped back, her hand gripping her sword as she summoned water around her, ready to intervene.

Clorinde was fast. Too fast. She deflected Yoshika's attack with precise movements, her stance unwavering. Even against someone like Yoshika, she remained composed-controlled.

"You don't have to do this," Yoshika muttered, pushing back against Clorinde's blade.

Clorinde exhaled. "Then turn back."

Furina, finally having enough, unleashed a surge of water, forcing Clorinde to break away from Yoshika. "Oh, no no no! I am not turning back just because Fontaine's most uptight duelist decides to chase after us!"

Clorinde landed smoothly, already aiming her gun. "Then you leave me no choice."

The gunshot echoed through the rainforest.

-
𝖠𝖭 𝗇𝗈𝗍𝖾: 𝖰𝗎𝗂𝖼𝗄 𝗋𝖾𝗆𝗂𝗇𝖽𝖾𝗋! 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋𝗌, (𝖭𝖾𝗎𝗏𝗂, 𝗅𝗒𝗇𝖾𝗒, 𝗅𝗒𝗇𝖾𝗍𝗍𝖾, 𝖺𝗋𝗅𝖾 𝖾𝗍𝖼.) 𝖠𝗋𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝗍𝗎𝗋𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖻𝖺𝖼𝗄, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖢𝗅𝗈𝗋𝗂𝗇𝖽𝖾 𝗀𝗈𝗍 𝗌𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝖻𝗒 𝖭𝖾𝗎𝗏𝗂 𝗍𝗈 𝗅𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖸𝗈𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗄𝖺 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖥𝗎𝗋𝗂𝗇𝖺!!><