Neo lowered his blades and stared at the corpse.
The bastard lay twisted across the sand with one arm bent under him and blood soaking into the dune in a dark, ugly patch that the wind had already started to spoil at the edges. A few moments ago he had been smiling, talking, sliding around Dry Scar like the whole place had signed itself over to him. Now he was just meat cooling in the open.
Alice stood a few steps away, axe still in hand, breathing harder than she liked. She followed Neo's attention to the forming Soul Core above the body and understood immediately.
"Go ahead," she said, voice low and rough from the fight. "You killed him. It's yours."
Neo did not waste time pretending otherwise.
"Glad we agree."
He stepped forward and picked up the Soul Core.
