The wind in the snow rustled. One pale, ghostlike lizard-headed creature after another darted through the woods, swinging sharp claws at the bloodstained figure standing in the forest clearing.
Behind those snow-white lizard-headed creatures, an Old Man in white robes wreathed in red radiance surged forward among them like a streak of light.
The dagger in his hand gleamed with a cold red light, carrying frenzied, chaotic power that seemed intent on taking lives as it stabbed forward.
The bleak, cold wind swept up the snow between the mountains and forests, scattering dense flurries.
The snowfall beneath the sky seemed to grow even fiercer at that moment.
The white lizard-headed creatures had already drawn close to the figure at the center of the Snowy Plains. The girl's eyes beside him were crimson, and she had already lost control of her body.
In that lonely expanse of white snow, the figure had no allies left.
The crimson small knife hid in the gaps between the lizard-headed creatures, waiting for the monsters to attack first and test the opponent's moves.
It waited for a perfect opportunity to kill him in a single strike.
Yet beneath the stillness of the Snowy Plains, the bloodstained figure standing among the trees did not move. He merely gripped the hilt of the blade on his back and stood there.
Looking closely, his eyes had closed at some point. He tilted his head slightly, as though listening to the wind in the woods.
Before the lizard-headed creatures could close in, the girl beside him was quietly pushed away from the dangerous center by an invisible force.
The nearest lizard-headed creature had already extended its claws before his chest, yet he remained unmoved.
Dense claws emerged from all directions around him, seeking to tear apart his body.
Yet