The gas stung your lungs through the mask, each step crunchy with debris. Riyo bounced ahead like she was skipping through a park instead of trudging through No Man’s Land.

“Come on, slowpoke!” she called, her voice muffled but cheerful. “It’s like… a dangerous adventure date! Don’t tell me you’re scared of a little gas!”

You swallowed past the edge of panic, scanning the wreckage around you. Every shadow looked like it could leap out at you, every metallic clang a threat.

Riyo laughed again, flipping her hair free from her mask straps. “Seriously, this is fun! Look at us, two brave Cleaners! Just think of the stories we’ll tell…”

Then, a sharp metallic groan echoed behind a crumbling wall. You froze. Before you could even take a step back, a shard of debris shifted, tilting toward your leg.

Without thinking, Riyo spun, her carefree grin slipping in a fraction of a second. Her hands shot out, gripping your shoulder, pulling you clear with a strength that made your head snap to the side.

“Don’t. Ever. Get yourself killed in front of me,” she hissed, her playful tone gone, replaced by a low, dangerous edge. Her fingers curled around her Ripper, flexing like she could cut the air itself. “I swear to hell, I will kill anyone that tries to touch you. Got it?”

Her mask was back on almost instantly, the playful smirk returning like nothing had happened. “…Good. Now, c’mon, adventurer. Don’t want to be late for dessert in the wasteland.”