The Vixen's Gambit: Tonight We Hunt

"Still… still no sign of civilization...?"

Several figures trudged across the desolate wasteland, their condition far from ideal.

Grumble~

"Kiana, your stomach is distracting me." The expressionless gray-haired girl didn't even turn around; she knew exactly where the sound came from.

"Sorry, Bronya, but I'm really hungry..." Kiana rubbed her stomach, surveying the endless expanse of sand with despair. "Even for a survival challenge, this is hardcore."

Even she, a seasoned solo traveler who'd braved mountains and deserts, had never been dumped in the middle of a wasteland with zero equipment.

"Kiana, you didn't pay attention in survival class, did you? This is the consequence—though I'm hungry too…"

If Lihua were here, her eyes would have bulged out of their sockets. The speaker was a white-haired little girl who looked almost identical to her.

Theresa Apocalypse, the homunculus created by Otto using Lihua's DNA, raised as his granddaughter, future principal of St. Freya High School—and Kiana's aunt (or godmother).

"Principal, your genes let you devour anything. Theoretically, you could just eat dirt."

"Bronya, what kind of suggestion is that?! I'd rather die than eat dirt!" Theresa vehemently rejected Bronya's proposal.

"Auntie, use your invincible Judah and think of something!"

"Judah seems to be broken after that fight with Kevin. It's not responding… Kiana, you can control some Herrscher powers now, right? Can you try teleporting us out?"

"I was hurt too badly fighting Kevin. It's a bit…"

"This place isn't exactly conducive to healing… Sigh, Kiana, you need to train harder."

"You're one to talk, Auntie! You were the first one down! Bronya lasted longer than you! You didn't even participate in the final battle!"

Kiana's words made Theresa flush. "That's not 'going down'! I was ambushed! How was I supposed to know he'd target me first?!"

"Maybe you look like his nemesis..."

Despite being stranded in the wilderness, Bronya, leading the way, couldn't help but smile at the bickering behind her.

It had been a while since she'd heard Kiana and the others banter so energetically… Kiana had been so worried and serious lately; it wasn't like her.

Though they were all battered from Kevin's beating, barely able to use their powers, lost in a wasteland, this atmosphere felt strangely comforting.

The carefree Kiana was back.

During the final attack, space had fractured. Though Bronya was down at the time, she'd seen that more than just the three of them had been swept up… She wondered where the others had ended up.

But whether it was Durandal and the others, Kallen and Eleanor, or even Mr. Welt, they were all more reliable than this group. They'd probably be fine.

Their own situation was more concerning. They'd circled the wasteland twice without seeing any sign of civilization—

Suddenly, Bronya's eyes lit up. Her past as a child soldier allowed her to catch a subtle change at the edge of her vision.

"Kiana, Principal, there's a city ahead!"

"Bronya, not the 'city in the distance' trick again. It won't work…" Kiana said dejectedly. "You said the same thing this morning."

"Not this time." After squinting to confirm it wasn't a mirage, Bronya finally relaxed. If they didn't find civilization soon, to prevent the awkward scenario of two Herrschers starving to death in the desert, they'd have to resort to Theresa eating dirt to power herself up and going for help.

-----

"Wh-where are we? Shenzhou? It looks kind of similar, but also subtly different…"

"Who cares, Kiana?! There's a restaurant! A restaurant!"

Theresa, pampered since birth, had never experienced hunger like this. After escaping the battle royale of her creation, she'd been spoiled by Otto, Kallen, and Eleanor. Starving for days was unacceptable. Her eyes lit up at the sight of a small restaurant. She grabbed Kiana and rushed inside!

Bronya, though the youngest, was the most composed. She observed their surroundings.

Many people were staring. Such treatment was expected for outsiders—but their gazes held no wariness or hostility, only curiosity, as if they were wearing strange clothes.

Bronya looked down at her outfit. Though tattered from survival and the fight with Kevin, her blue dress, received after becoming a Herrscher, shouldn't be anything special. Kiana and Theresa's combat suits were also fairly standard.

But that was back on their Earth, where everyone was fashionable, hair dyed in vibrant colors, bodies adorned with leg rings and accessories.

But here…

Bronya scanned the crowd again. Most hair was black, some dyed yellow or reddish-brown, but no bright colors. The clothing was simple. And most importantly—no one was wearing leg rings!

This was wrong, so wrong. Everyone should have a leg ring, male or female. Maybe a few people might go without for a while, but not an entire street.

Combined with the spatial rift and the city's strange, off-kilter feeling… could they have traveled to a world without leg rings?!