CHAPTER 34: CH 34: GUESTS FROM OUTSIDE - PART 1

The snowstorm was merciless, a wall of white swallowing everything in sight. The howling wind tore at their suits, the icy flakes clinging to the glass visors and blinding them with every step.

Four figures trudged through it, heads bowed, bodies hunched against the cold.

"This is pointless. There’s nothing out here. Just snow and more snow. We should turn back before we get buried alive."

One of them muttered, his voice muffled through the breathing mask.

Another quickly nodded.

"He’s right. Visibility’s zero, and if we lose our way—"

"Then we die out here."

The third finished grimly. His hands trembled slightly as he adjusted the rifle slung across his chest.

But before any of them could say more, a sharp voice cut through the storm.

"Shut it."

The three men froze, glancing toward the figure standing ahead of them. She was taller, her stance unwavering even in the blizzard.

The flames embroidered on her uniform marked her as different—and dangerous.

Her visor reflected the snowlight, but even without seeing her face, her fury was clear.

"Cowards! If you’re that eager to run, go. But don’t come crying when your food privileges are taken away. One more failure, and you’ll starve."

She spat.

The soldiers stiffened. None dared move. They all knew her temper. They’d known it before, but ever since that incident a year ago, it had grown worse.

Now, even a sideways glance could earn them a burned hand—or worse.

Gulping, the three fell back into line behind her.

She turned, her voice hard as the frost beneath their boots.

"Keep moving. If you value your lives, you’ll keep walking."

Step by step, they pushed deeper into the storm.

At first, it was the same as always—bitter cold, snow lashing at their suits, every breath a struggle. But slowly, the soldiers began to notice something strange.

One of them blinked, lowering his arm from shielding his visor.

"...Huh?"

Another tilted his head, confused.

"Is it me, or... is the storm... lighter?"

The third soldier slowed, raising his glove as if testing the air.

"I... I can see more clearly. The wind—it’s not hitting as hard."

Even through the roaring snow, the difference was undeniable. The storm wasn’t biting into them anymore. Their boots no longer sank so deeply.

The woman noticed too. A grin tugged at her lips, sharp and dangerous.

"Well, well... what’s this?"

Her eyes gleamed behind the visor.

"A storm that weakens the closer we get? That’s no natural blizzard. It’s a spell. Something to keep intruders out."

She lifted her hand, flames sparking faintly around her glove despite the storm.

"And if someone bothers to hide this well... it means whatever’s inside is worth a fortune."

The soldiers exchanged nervous glances, but this time, their fear wasn’t for her. Hope flickered in their eyes. Treasure. Shelter. Power. Whatever it was, it was better than endless snow.

For once, they were glad she hadn’t turned back.

Minutes later, the storm broke.

The blizzard that had nearly swallowed them whole simply... vanished. The soldiers stumbled forward into a clearing so different it stole their breath.

Warmth.

Real warmth.

One soldier ripped his glove away and pressed his bare hand against his neck.

"I... I’m sweating. Are you sweating?"

The others tugged at their collars, heat prickling against their skin. It wasn’t unbearable, but compared to the frozen hell outside, it felt like stepping into another world.

Above them, light filtered through the air—not the gray gloom of snow, but something golden, gentle. Almost like... sunlight. The kind the legends spoke of.

"This can’t be real...Sunlight? After all this time?"

One whispered.

Another soldier laughed breathlessly, tugging at the edge of his helmet.

"Do you think... we can take these off?"

"Don’t. Don’t get stupid. This isn’t paradise—it’s a trap waiting to snap shut. Stay sharp."

The leader’s voice snapped like a whip. Her boots crunched across the softened ground as she strode ahead.

Chastened, they adjusted their rifles and followed, though their eyes still lingered on the strange golden glow above.

She didn’t slow. Her flame-wreathed presence was enough to keep them moving.

Then she stopped.

The air shifted.

Her boot had barely touched the ground inside the clearing when a deafening crack split the silence.

Snow burst upward in front of her as a bullet buried itself in the earth, mere inches from her toes.

The woman froze, eyes narrowing.

"Stop right there!"

A voice barked.

The soldiers whipped their heads around, hearts hammering. From the shadows of the trees, a bulky man stepped forward, rifle raised, barrel gleaming in the false sunlight. His grip was steady, his stance firm.

"Hands up. All of you. Stay right where you are until we know you’re not a threat."

He ordered.

The leader’s grin returned, slow and sharp. Flames flickered faintly along her fingertips as her soldiers stiffened in terror behind her.

The clearing had guardians.

And they were not about to let intruders walk in unchallenged.

______

Berry narrowed his eyes, stepping forward just enough for his voice to carry.

"You’ve crossed into our land. Names. Now. Who are you, and what do you want here?"

For a moment, the strangers hesitated. The bulky man’s rifle stayed trained on them, his finger brushing the trigger. The woman at the front, however, only smirked beneath her visor.

"Names? That’s cute. You think you’re in a position to ask?"

She said, her tone mocking.

Berry’s lips pressed into a thin line, but before he could respond, the woman flicked her hand sharply. It was a signal—small, quick, but her men caught it instantly.

"Now!"

The leader barked, flames flaring around her arms as she lunged forward, intercepting the bulky man before he could fire again.

Her subordinates didn’t hesitate. They moved like hounds loosed from a chain, weapons raised, charging at the defenders without a second thought.

This wasn’t the first time they had been ordered into reckless combat, and none of them dared question her.

The air cracked with gunfire and the hiss of flame, the peaceful clearing suddenly torn apart by the clash.

Berry gritted his teeth, realizing fast that negotiations were already off the table.