Conquest kept running but the gap between her and Mazikeen kept closing. Her lungs burned as she gasped for air, steam pouring from her mouth with each breath.
Not only that but the cold had seeped so deep into her body that her legs had gone numb.
It was only a matter of time before Mazikeen caught her. And even if Sloth had said Lucifer wanted her alive, who's to say that Mazikeen would follow those orders.
As she held on to the Igarashi sword, it bothered her that despite carrying him this whole time, she still didn't know what he was capable of.
She hoped that when the time was right, she could test what this version of Igarashi could actually do.
While running, viscous liquid dripped from the edge of her blade. Her eyes narrowed at it.
What caught her attention was that even when Igarashi turned into a sword he still kept his dark sticky texture.
That's when an idea crossed her mind. What if she used his slime as a projectile to blind Mazikeen. It was worth a shot, especially since it was either this or nothing.
Conquest tightened her grip and swung the sword backwards. The tip of the blade whipped toward Mazikeen's face as a glob of dark slimy liquid flung off the edge and hit Mazikeen square in her left eye.
Mazikeen's stride broke. Her hands shot to her face as she clawed at the slime covering her eye. But it wouldn't come off. No matter how much she scraped and pulled, the slime clung to her like glue.
Conquest found this odd. Since the last time Mazikeen dealt with Igarashi's slime she gently wiped it off her face like it was nothing.
But this time it stuck. it could have been that when Igarashi is on the attack he could make his slime adhesive. For now she kept that detail in mind.
Conquest cut hard to the right, and pressed herself behind the thickest tree she could find. Her back hit the cold bark as she clamped a hand over her mouth.
She could feel Mazikeen behind her, the crunch of snow under her boots getting closer with each step. She had to think fast.
She took a quick glance ahead and a frozen lake greeted her. However, if she kept moving forward she would be out in the open.
Mazikeen and the two Demons Of Sin's would spot her instantly. She bit down lightly on her finger as the reality set in. Her options were limited.
The snowfall had gotten worse since the sun went down and the wind had picked up, pressing the cold through her jacket and into her skin.
Ignoring the pain, she was at least thankful that there were no humans around. In her condition she could barely protect herself let alone a passerby.
She leaned to the side and took a quick peek. Mazikeen had just peeled off the last of the dark residue from her eye and flicked it off her fingers.
Within seconds she dropped her head low, scanning the ground and snapping her gaze between the trees like a bloodhound.
Conquest gripped the Igarashi sword tight in her hand. She needed a plan. Something to stop Mazikeen from following her.
Additionally, to also find a way to get out of this forest without any of the Demons Of Sin noticing her.
Her eyes went wide as an idea hit her. She remembered how Igarashi's slime stuck to Mazikeen's face like glue.
She assumed that If it could stick to her skin, then it could possibly stick to the ground. And if Mazikeen stepped on his slime, it could stop her in her tracks.
It was worth a shot.
She dropped the Igarashi sword onto the snow and willed him to change form. It dissolved and spread into a dark liquid that covered just enough ground for someone to step on.
Conquest stepped back and immediately her breath caught. The dark substance sat against the white snow like ink on paper. Anyone with half a brain would notice it.
She quickly crouched down and scooped snow into her hands. The cold bit into her palms as her fingers turned a deep red with each handful.
Still, she packed it over the slime, layer by layer, until every trace of Igarashi was buried beneath the white.
Conquest sat down and pressed her back against the bark. She didn't have much of a plan beyond this so it had to work.
In a few seconds she would announce her location to Mazikeen and hope that Envy and Sloth would stay true to their word and not intervene.
And as much as she didn't believe them, it was all she could do.
She closed her eyes as the snow landed on her face and melted down her cheeks. A strange urge to bite down on her finger crept into her mind.
It was definitely not because she was hungry or anything like that.
Horsemen didn't get hungry to begin with. But now that she thought about it, it might as well be her nerves. She wasn't ashamed to admit she was a little worried.
But not scared. That would be ridiculous for someone of her caliber.
She was a Horseman after all. Nevertheless, the only way she thought to get rid of this feeling was to bite down on her fingers.
Every breath while she was biting had a soothing sensation behind it that made her whole body relax.
Then she pressed her shoulder against the tree and leaned around the trunk. Mazikeen was approaching the trap. She had to execute the plan now or miss her chance.
It's now or never…
Conquest got up and slammed her foot into the tree. The sound tore through the forest as birds scattered from the branches above.
Conquest took that chance to run to a different tree and pressed herself behind it.
Mazikeen's head snapped toward the sound as she broke into a full sprint.
Here she comes.
Mazikeen's boots hit the snow one after the other. Her stride closing the distance to the trap.
Three... four... five... six...
Then it happened. Mazikeen's right foot landed on the trap and her body jerked to a stop. Her left foot came down a second later and locked in place.
The slime crawled up from the ground and coiled around her body and arms until only her head was left exposed.
Yes!! It worked.
However, Mazikeen didn't struggle at all. It was almost like she let it happen. No. She was reading too much into it.
She shook her head and pushed that idea out of her mind.
Conquest's eyes drifted upward through the gaps in the trees. Envy and Sloth still circled above the general area where Mazikeen got trapped.
Leviathan and Sloth still circled above the general area where Mazikeen got trapped. But the forest was too dense and the visibility too poor for them to see what was happening on the ground.
Unfortunately, she had the same problem. All she could make out were their black wings cutting through the darkness above.
She pulled her jacket tight around her body as she marched toward the trapped Mazikeen. While looking straight into her left eye, Mazikeen kept that same emotionless face she always had.
Conquest couldn't help but wonder what caused her to side with the Demons of Sin. Especially since Mazikeen had been close with Sasaki, who if she might add, hated the Demons of Sin.
"What do you want from me, Mazikeen?"
Mazikeen stared at her but remained silent.
Oh…Of course. How could I have forgotten?
Mazikeen couldn't speak. After all, she had told her about it, back when Yuki still had this body.
So, at the least she could do was let her write in her notebook.
Igarashi loosened the slime around her hands but kept the rest of her body locked in place.
But in the next second, Mazikeen made a series of hand signs which opened up a portal behind Conquest.
The force hit Conquest without warning, wrenching her backward as the snow beneath her feet was torn away.
"What the hell!"
Conquest grabbed Mazikeen's right arm on instinct as her body flailed from the force of the portal.
The swirling black hole behind her felt familiar.
Then it clicked, this was the same technique Mazikeen had used back in Yuki's house to trap the doll spirit.
While flailing Conquest eyes met Mazikeen's. And for the first time ever, Mazikeen held a sly grin that reminded her of Sasaki Shin.
Conquest gritted her teeth.
"Damn you, Mazikeen!!"
Mazikeen's hand came down like a blade and split Conquest's forearm in two.
Blood sprayed across the snow as Conquest's grip gave out and the force of the portal ripped her backward off her feet.
The void swallowed her whole, crushing the air from her lungs. Everything above her grew smaller as the darkness pulled her down.
Meanwhile, Mazikeen stood at the mouth of the portal, growing further away by the second.
Then Mazikeen's lips moved. It was subtle but Conquest caught it. But there was no chance she was forming words.
After all, Mazikeen had told her that she lost her voice a long time ago.
It could have been that Conquest was seeing things. After all, the deeper she fell the harder it was to trust her own eyes.
The void dragged her further down until Mazikeen was no longer a person but a silhouette fading into the distance above.