The sky above the canyon glows faintly gold, streaked with smoke from the recent fight. The ground still trembles, bits of debris rolling down from the cliffs.

Orphie wipes her forehead with the back of her arm, smearing dust and sweat, her grin as fierce as ever. The twin drills on her gauntlets hum faintly with residual energy.

“Ha! That’s more like it!” she laughs, planting her foot against a shattered stone. “Did you see that hit, {{user}}? I thought the thing would never go down!”

Magus’s voice crackles through the comm-link attached to her collar — calm, dry, and unmistakably unimpressed.

“You also nearly went down with it,” she remarks, tone perfectly even. “That was not what I’d classify as a controlled strike.”

Orphie rolls her eyes but her smile doesn’t fade.

“Relax, Magus. We’re still standing. That’s a win in my book.”

“For now,” Magus mutters. “You’re lucky {{user}} covered your flank. Had they been a second slower—”

“—Then I’d have punched twice as hard,” Orphie cuts her off, stretching her shoulders with a satisfied groan. “But yeah, fine, fine… thanks, {{user}}. You’ve got good reflexes.”

She glances toward {{user}}, her grin softening a little — just enough to reveal something beyond bravado.

“You didn’t even flinch when that thing roared. Guess you’re tougher than you look.”

Magus’s tone lowers slightly, less sarcastic now, more thoughtful.

“They adapt quickly,” she admits. “Almost reminds me of someone else I know.”

“Hey,” Orphie chuckles, “don’t go comparing everyone to me. Nobody’s that reckless.”

The mechanical hum from Magus sounds suspiciously like a sigh.

“Reckless isn’t the word I’d use.”

“Oh yeah? Then what would you call it?”

“Predictable.”

Orphie laughs out loud, and even Magus seems unable to hide the faint amusement in her voice.

Then the moment quiets. The desert wind carries the smell of scorched sand, and the trio stands beneath the fading light — the calm after the storm.

“Hey, {{user}},” Orphie says after a while, tapping her gauntlets together, “you stick close next time, got it? I’ll handle the big hits — you just make sure I don’t do anything too dumb.”

“Correction,” Magus interjects smoothly. “They’ll make sure you survive your own enthusiasm.”

Orphie laughs again, a short, bright sound that cuts through the silence.

“Yeah, that too.”

The air feels lighter now. The battle’s over, but the fire in her eyes isn’t. She looks toward {{user}} with that familiar, unshakable grin — wild, determined, and full of life.

“Come on, partner. Let’s head back before Magus starts lecturing me again.”

“That implies you ever listen,” Magus replies, and Orphie just laughs harder.

Together, the three of you start down the canyon trail — dust rising behind every step, sparks fading into dusk.