Starlight blanketed the silent void. Quiet, but suffocating with pressure.
Four figures stood spaced apart.
A long-brown-haired woman moved first. With quick, trained reflexes, two polished pistols glinted in her hands. One was pointed straight ahead, the other swept to the side, as if ready to shoot anyone who breathed too loudly.
"Move even a little and I'll put holes in your heads," she said, voice hoarse and cold, full of hatred.
Facing her, a golden-blonde girl wrapped in tattered combat gear raised her long weapon. Her body was tense, eyes burning with anger.
"If you go first, I won't hesitate to pull my trigger either," she replied flatly, though her tone trembled with held emotion.
Now they trained their guns at each other, small steps shifting on that endless ground.
"You arrogant bitch," the brown-haired woman hissed, fingers already resting on the triggers.
"Your mouth's filthier than your smell. Try me—I'm used to getting rid of trash," the blonde shot back, narrowing her eyes with venom.
Silence pressed heavier. Their breaths echoed among the stars. Only the scrape of shoes and the metallic click of weapons could be heard.
A little to the side, a white-haired woman stood calm. A faint smile curved her lips, her hands tucked casually into the pockets of a white coat. Her eyes sparkled—not with fear, but with an eerie curiosity. She didn't raise a weapon—no need. Her gaze alone made the hairs on the back of one's neck stand up.
And among them all, a black-haired teen stood frozen. His face was pale, cold sweat trickled at his temples. His eyes widened, flicking from the pistol barrels to the tip of the long gun, then to the white-haired woman's thin smile.
"W-what… what is this?! Hey! Stop! You—don't—" his voice broke, too weak to cut the tension.
Yet both pistols remained trained, fingers ready on triggers. Two sharp eyes, two wounded souls, now faced off in a suffocating cosmic silence.
The void felt like a coal ready to burst into flame at any moment.
The tension squeezed the cosmic space. Two guns pointed at each other; the distance between them could collapse with a single pull.
Then, a soft voice spoke.
"Hey… aren't you drawing your guns a little too quickly? We don't even know why we're here."
The white-haired figure finally spoke. Her faint smile lingered, eyes glittering as if she enjoyed the chaos before her. Hands stayed in coat pockets, calm—like this was a small game.
The brown-haired woman glared, her teeth grinding.
"Tch… that smile. I know the type—people who hide rot behind a sweet face."
The smile didn't fade. If anything, it grew, gentle but cutting.
"Oh? I'm just trying to calm things down. What's wrong with smiling?"
Click. The twin pistols didn't just point at the blonde now; they shifted slightly toward the white-haired woman as well.
"Don't make me sick. People who smile like that… are usually first on my list to kill," she hissed, pressing the trigger harder.
The blonde, who'd been holding back her emotions, added in a hoarse, sarcastic voice,
"If you want to shoot, then shoot. I don't trust that slippery face either."
The white-haired woman's smile didn't waver. She even chuckled softly, as if savoring the threats aimed at her.
"Interesting… you all behave like wild animals just let out of their cages. Full of wounds, easy to flare up, and too quick to point guns."
In the whirl of tension, the black-haired teen could only take a step back, his face ashen.
"W-wait! Are you serious?! We don't even know where we are… why are you trying to kill each other right away?!"
No answer came. Only heavy breathing, a faint smile, and the cold muzzles of guns ready under the starlight.
The atmosphere heated up. Every second felt like it was waiting for the first shot.
The brown-haired woman's finger tightened on the trigger. Two barrels pointed straight at the white-haired woman's face, who still wore that thin smile.
"Enough," she hissed. "That smile makes me sick. Smile like that again and I'll blow your brains out and leave them on this floor."
The white-haired woman merely raised an eyebrow, eyes narrow as if testing them. Her smile didn't fade.
"Oh, you really are the type who shoots first and asks questions later, huh?"
The long-haired woman's breathing grew heavier. Her eyes reddened, hands trembling as she fought the urge to fire.
"SHUT UP!!"
Just before the trigger was finally pulled—
"Stop!"
A panicked shout split the air. The black-haired teen suddenly lunged forward, reflexively stepping in front of the white-haired woman as if to become a human shield.
Cold sweat drenched his temples, but he stared straight at the pointed pistol.
"Please… stop! We don't even know where we are… if you kill each other now, what good will it do?!"
The brown-haired woman snorted, eyes wild.
"You stupid kid! Get out of the way if you don't want to die! You think this is a joke?!"
"That's why I'm telling you to stop!" he shot back, voice trembling but resolute. "If we keep this up, we won't get any answers!"
The blonde on the other side still held her weapon trained, her gaze sharp with doubt. Her hand didn't waver, as if ready to exploit the chaos at any moment.
Tension thickened. Heavy breaths, clicking guns, and hateful stares filled the cosmic space.
The situation grew more fragile. Two pistols still aimed and one long weapon remained cold in hand.
In the middle of the stand-off, the white-haired woman spoke again. Her voice was calm, light, as if no two gun barrels were almost touching her face.
"This kid…" she said quietly, eyes shifting to the trembling black-haired teen standing before her, body shaking but not retreating. Her thin smile softened a fraction.
"…has more courage than you two show with your guns."
Her gaze flicked to the twin pistols trembling in the brown-haired woman's hands, then to the blonde still aiming her gun.
"You only know how to point. But he…" she tilted her chin slightly toward Ritsuka. "…he stands here unarmed, trying to stop bullets that haven't been fired yet. That's much harder."
The brown-haired woman snorted loudly.
"Shut up, bitch! Don't pretend you know anything!" Her pistol shook harder; a vein throbbed at her temple.
The blonde didn't speak, but her look softened a little. A small doubt pierced her anger, though her weapon stayed clenched.
Ritsuka stood frozen. His heart hammered, cold sweat flowing, but he dared not move. The white-haired woman's words sliced into his head, adding to the confusion that was already about to swallow him.
"Why… would you… want to kill each other?" Ritsuka begged, voice breaking. "If we're all trapped here, wouldn't it be better to talk first?!"
Silence for a moment.
Then a small, sharp laugh—light but cutting—echoed. The white-haired woman's smile thinned into something colder, her eyes fixed on Revy, who now looked even angrier.
The situation still hadn't calmed. If anything, it felt more fragile. One wrong breath, one finger twitch on a trigger… and the stars would witness the first spill of blood.