As they drew closer to the lighthouse, Nicole glanced back at Ella with a determined expression. "We've got this," she said reassuringly before returning her focus on the ice creatures ahead. Together, they fought their way through the remaining enemies and finally reached the safety of the lighthouse. Panting heavily from exertion, they leaned against its cold walls to catch their breath.

Nicole let out a relieved breath as they made it to the lighthouse, looking at Ella with admiration. "That was tougher than I thought," she admitted, wiping sweat from her brow. "But we did it." She glanced around, making sure there were no more creatures nearby before continuing. "We should check on Cappu and see if she needs any help."

"Yes!" Nicole shouted as she saw the enemy leader's head roll across the floor, finally defeated. She turned to face 星之向 with a grateful smile, pumping her fist in the air. "You did it! Together we saved the day." Her voice was triumphant, but there was also an undercurrent of relief as they realized they had come out of this mission unscathed.

As for Ellen, she stood stoically beside Nicole, her ice scissors still at the ready.

Nicole turned to Ellen with a pleased expression. "I'm so glad you were able to join us today," she said, giving her partner's arm a friendly squeeze. "We couldn't have done it without you." She paused for a moment before adding, "And I hope you don't mind my saying this, but you've really gotten stronger since the last time we fought together."

Ellen nodded slightly in acknowledgment, her ice scissors finally lowering as they stood victorious in the control room.

Ellen followed closely behind Nicole, making sure they stayed together as they weaved through the trees. The night air was cool against her skin but did little to calm her nerves; she could feel the tension radiating from both of them. "You okay?" she asked quietly, glancing back at 星之向 as they ran.

"Fine," he growled, not meeting their eyes. Nicole shot him a sideways glance but didn't say anything else as they continued onward toward the village.

"Alright," Nicole said with a nod, not sounding convinced but deciding to let it drop for now as they sprinted on. They couldn't afford any more distractions right now; the mission was too important. The village depended on them.

Nicole's heart leapt into her throat as they were all suddenly teleported to different spots on the ground. She whirled around, searching for their new partner in the darkness, but he was nowhere to be seen. "星之向!" she shouted, her voice echoing through the night. There was no reply except for the sound of battle fading into the distance.

Ellen placed a comforting hand on Nicole's shoulder. "We need to regroup," she said grimly.

Nicole nodded, her expression grim. "But where should we go?" she asked, glancing around the unfamiliar terrain. They had no idea which direction their new partner had been teleported in, or even if he was still alive. The thought filled her with a cold dread.

"We'll just have to trust our instincts," Ellen replied, her voice steady despite her own concerns. "And hope we find him before it's too late."

Nicole glanced at their third partner before nodding to her. "Let's move," she whispered, leading the way out of the data storage room. They hurried back through the corridors, careful not to make any noise that would alert security.

As they reached the exit, Nicole peeked around a corner and saw a group of guards closing in on them from both sides. "We're surrounded," she hissed under her breath. "Ellen, you take care of those two by the doors;

Before either Ellen or Nicole could respond to their third partner's question, they heard the sharp sound of glass shattering as something collided with a nearby window. They glanced at each other, then over at the window, just in time to see 星之向 throw herself through it.

"Now!" Nicole hissed, darting out from behind her cover and sprinting towards the guards, her ice scissors at the ready.

Nicole raised an eyebrow but kept her tone light. "Easy there, tiger!" She teased gently while Ellen blushed deeply, stammering. "J-Gabriel! Not so tight, okay? Let's just focus on getting to shelter first." Despite her words, she didn't stop holding him close.