Hayato burst through the wall of ice, wings flaring as he shot into the open sky. Shards of frost clung to his robe, glittering briefly before scattering in the wind.
Behind him, a second blizzard detonated, the cold biting at his heels.
"Oh come on, that's overkill!" he shouted, banking hard as the gale shredded past him and turned a billboard into frozen confetti.
"Overkill is mercy compared to what you deserve!" Nabi's voice rang out like a hymn, carried by the storm. She streaked after him, her butterfly wings leaving trails of icy light.
Hayato darted between two office buildings, flapping hard to slip into the narrow gap. Nabi raised her hand, and a spear of ice shot forward, slicing through the space where his head had been a second ago.
"Hey! Watch the face! This is premium material, you know!" he yelled, twisting out the other side.
"You call yourself an angel, yet you prey upon the weak. Pathetic!"
"I relieved him of a cursed chicken, thank you very much! That was a public service!"
"You stole his last meal!"
Hayato wove through neon signs and power lines, the city lights flashing across his wings. Nabi's icy gales followed, leaving rooftops dusted white with every miss.
"You don't understand," Hayato huffed, diving low past a busy street. Horns blared as the wind of his wings knocked papers and umbrellas flying. "If I hadn't eaten that chicken, he would've—uh—exploded! Violently!"
"Lies!" Nabi descended after him, her hand glowing as another wave of frost launched forward. A lamppost instantly froze solid, cracking under its own weight.
Hayato twisted upward, barely dodging the strike. His heart raced, not just from the pursuit but from the realization that she was fast. Way too fast.
"Lady, I think you've got trust issues!" he shouted, looping around the TV tower and kicking off a gust of wind to rocket higher.
"And I think you've got lying issues!" she snapped, appearing behind him again, her wings shimmering as she raised another blast.
Hayato gritted his teeth. If she doesn't cool off soon, I'm a popsicle.
He flapped hard, pushing himself into the open night sky, the city glowing below them like a sea of stars. Nabi was still there—unyielding, merciless, beautiful, terrifying.
And she wasn't slowing down.
The next blizzard slammed into him like a freight train of ice. Hayato had no time to dodge, his body was hurled across the sky and smashed into a massive billboard. Sparks rained as the metal frame shuddered, neon lights flickering from the impact.
He groaned, wings trembling as he pulled himself behind the mangled sign for cover. Frost clung to his robe, his skin stinging from the cold.
"That's it…" he muttered, voice low, eyes narrowing. "I've had enough of this snow princess act."
His annoyance boiled over, flaring into something raw and dangerous. His wings flexed, feathers rattling with every breath as he fought to steady himself. A cold spark flickered in his dark eyes, anger sharpening into something lethal.
Nabi hovered in the open air, searching, her wings shimmering with frosty light. "Come out, deceiver! You cannot hide!"
Hayato's left hand trembled. Not with fear, but with reckless, pent-up irritation that begged for release. With a snap of his fingers, the air warped. Metal groaned into existence as a sleek shotgun materialized in his grasp, its barrel gleaming under the fractured light of the sky.
He leveled it with sharp precision, gaze narrowing on her wings. A faint spark ignited in his eye as he exhaled.
"Let's see how you like it! Seppuku Bankon!"
The roar of the shot cracked the silence, echoing like thunder. The slug ripped through the gap between them, the recoil jerking through his arm. It struck hard against Nabi's left wing, the force exploding into a spray of light as the blast carved the air, leaving only the ripples of violence in its wake.
She cried out as one of her delicate butterfly wings buckled, the icy glow sputtering. Her balance broke.
"No—!" Hayato's annoyance vanished in an instant, replaced by panic.
Nabi spiraled downward, wings faltering as she plummeted toward the streets below.
Without thinking, Hayato launched himself off the billboard, wings snapping wide as he dove after her. Wind tore at his robe, the city rushing up fast beneath them.
"Come on, come on—!" His hands reached, the world narrowing to the single falling figure.
At the last moment, just before the ground could claim her, he caught her in his arms.
They crashed onto a rooftop instead, Hayato's wings flaring hard to cushion the impact. Both tumbled across the gravel, skidding to a breathless stop.
Hayato blinked, panting, still holding her close. "Yeesh…" he muttered, half to himself. "Talk about a first date gone wrong."
He set Nabi gently on her feet, his arms still trembling from the dive. Nabi's eyes flickered; still icy, but softer now. She glanced at her damaged wing, then back at Hayato.
"…You saved me," she said quietly, almost in disbelief.
Hayato rubbed the back of his neck, trying not to look too smug. "Yeah, well… letting you turn into fairy roadkill didn't exactly feel angelic. I might scam the occasional fried chicken, but I'm not heartless."
Her expression wavered, shame creeping in. "I… misjudged you. I let my anger blind me. I attacked you without understanding, and for that… I'm sorry."
Nabi blinked, then let out a half-laugh, half-sigh. "Don't sweat it. Honestly, I should be the one apologising. That lightning bolt? Yeah, not my finest moment. I… don't exactly have the best control over my emotions" He wiggled his fingers; his shotgun fizzled out like a bad lightbulb.
Nabi studied him, then nodded. "Then I must also apologise for pushing you so far. I should not have assumed the worst."
For the first time, her tone lost its blade-like edge.
Hayato straightened, brushing off dust from his robe, and extended a hand. "Alright, truce? Name's Hayato. Hayato Tadanaka. Angel-in-progress, occasional fried chicken connoisseur."
Nabi blinked at his awkward smile, then allowed herself the faintest one in return. She took his hand, her touch delicate but firm.
"Nabi Shin. Angel of the Watch."
The city lights shimmered around them as their hands lingered in the glow, two strangers meeting not as enemies, but as something closer to allies.