The quiet town of Takabetsu was covered in a blanket of thick snow. The night had finally come, and the moonlight lit up the streets. There was no living thing in sight, just the way the black-clothed figure liked it.

They continued walking down the streets, their black getas click-clacking the stoned road. A row of minkas stood side by side, and not one was lit up. The village was asleep, getting ready to start their day again in the morning. The snowdrops grew heavier as the figure continued walking. They knew it was a matter of time before a blizzard began.

"Psst." A voice called out, prompting the figure to walk forward and place their pale hand on the hilt of their sword. The shadow-like figure then relaxed when they recognised who it was.

"You should not have scared me like that, Mina." They softly said. A tall, young woman came out of the corner she was hiding in. Her pale cheeks were reddened from the cold, and her brunette-coloured hair was pulled into a side bun with a purple ribbon tied around it. She wore a light blue yukata with pink floral patterns and a white fur collar. Her bright, brown eyes stared at the figure's sharp red ones.

"I thought it would be funny to scare you," Mina replied, covering her mouth as she let a giggle out. "Also, I'm going in for my shift; a ramen bar should be opened somewhere for us to eat." Mina rambled as her eyes roamed around the quiet streets, trying to find something open. "Perhaps not," Mina commented, then she grabbed the young woman's arm and began pacing towards the forest. "We'll just have to cook at my house then."

"Mina." The young woman called out. Her red eyes were filled with worry. "You don't seem like yourself." She added, forcing the girl to stop.

"What do you mean, Tsubaki?" Mina questioned herself as she turned around. A cold breeze blew over them, and the silence mixed with the heightened tension became too unbearable. Mina stared at Tsubaki, taking in all her features. The swordsman had pale skin with sharp, crimson-red eyes, plump rose lips, and long black hair that she tied up into a ponytail. Her bangs were bluntly cut, covering a forehead, and the red ribbon she had gifted to the woman was wrapped around the ponytail. She wore black attire that had the top half of a kimono and the bottom half of a Victorian gown. It was unusual, but yet again, everything Tsubaki did was unusual.

"You seem preoccupied, worried even," Tsubaki commented. She was making an astute observation. Mina couldn't hold it in anymore. First, her nose reddened, then the outer corners of her eyes. Soon, a pool of tears started pouring down her face.

"I, uh, Reina's been taken." She sobbed out, holding her chest as it tightened. Tsubaki's eyes widened. This was the fifth girl this week. "They said since me being a kamuro wasn't enough to pay the debt, they needed her. Father sold them, Reina. Lord, she's only fifteen." She continued. Mina dropped to the ground, her happiness fading just like that. Tsubaki crouched down and scooped the girl up, holding her close.

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"We'll figure something out." She promised.

*****

Maisie shivered for the nth time. They had stopped in a random forest to rummage through the luggage in hopes of finding winter clothing. Thankfully, they did. Now here Maisie was, trekking through the mountains of snow, pulling the white fur coat closer to her body as she tried to remain warm. Kalthona had decided to forgo the winter clothing, stating that her body heat was enough. Maisie, however, was still worried.

"Surely walking around in nothing but a flimsy t-shirt and overalls isn't going to protect you from the cold."

"I'm a fire magic user. My body temperature is always high." Kalthona answered, making Maisie feel a little stupid for even speaking up. The group continued walking through the snow until Hide, who led the group through this wretched path, stopped.

"There seems to be a village up ahead!" He explained, covering his eyes from the blizzard. Bonney joined him, looking down at the village.

"Seems dead." She commented nonchalantly. Hide agreed. Maisie, Lyon, and Kalthona caught up with them and also looked down.

"Reminds me of your village, Hide," Kalthona commented. Lyon, who had the map, opened it.

"We're probably at Takabetsu village." He explained. Maisie tip-toed to peer over his shoulder to look at the map, and this action greatly discomforted the knight, so he stepped to the side. Maisie, in turn, rolled her eyes.

"So childish." She muttered, hoping that he heard. Lyon ignored her, then rolled up the map, placing it in his pocket. Unexpectedly, the ground began to shake violently. The group raised their guards as Lyon unsheathed his two hands. A massive motherion emerged from the ground and flew into the air. The hideous moth-like creature was hard to look at, and Maisie found herself hiding behind Kalhona. It began spitting mucus towards them. The elf then watched as it melted the snow.

'It's acidic.' She thought.

Lyon zoomed forward, practically vanishing from the line of sight. Within a second, the motherion was sliced in half, and Lyon was back by the group's side. Maisie could only stare at the blonde man with wide eyes as her mouth was agape.

"You like what you see." He taunted, effectively squashing the tiny bit of admiration she had felt for him.

"Okay, now that's out of the way. Let's begin ascending down the hill." Hide instructed, wiping off the snow from his black jacket. He could barely feel his feet anymore. After a bit more unflattering words were exchanged by the elf and knight, the group began descending the hill. As soon as they arrived at the village gates, Bonney was unnerved.

"Even during the night, some things would remain open, but it's like a ghost town." She remarked, her blindfolded eyes scanning the area. Hide hummed in agreement. They continued walking down the stoned road, Kalthona holding on to Maisie, as she was afraid.

"You mustn't walk around so brazenly as strangers!" An old, croaky male voice spoke up. The group turned around to see an old man crouched over with a bamboo cane in his hand. He wore a beige yukata with patchwork stitching all over it. His greying hair was styled into a topknot, and a beaded necklace hung from his neck. "I urge you to come inside before they come." Without much struggle, the group followed the man into his house and sighed in bliss at how warm it was.

"Well, then, what brings you to Takabetsu?"