Akeno and Boros embarked on their perilous journey to the Western nation, navigating treacherous forests and rolling hills.
As night descended, they settled into a well deserved rest, their weary bodies rejuvenated by the morning light.
With each passing day, their conversations flowed effortlessly, fostering a deepening trust and friendship.
Their bond strengthened, forged in the fire of shared adventure and mutual respect.
Six days into their journey, Akeno and Boros reached a village where summer and winter coexisted, one side of the forest was lush and green, while the other was blanketed in snow.
Akeno's excitement was palpable as she gazed out at the surreal scene.
Boros's serious expression was a stark contrast to Akeno's growing excitement, "Calm down, Akeno let's keep moving."
Akeno's eyes a mix of wonder and frustration, "How can I calm down Shiro? It's the middle of summer and it's snowing!"
Boros's expression remained unyielding, "I don't care about the weather, we've wasted enough time already."
He glanced at Akeno, his eyes narrowing "Six days have passed, how many days left until the tournament?"
Akeno's reply was prompt, "Eight days."
Boros nodded, his expression thoughtful, "Good, if we keep this pace, we'll reach the western border by next week."
They trudged through the snow, undeterred by the biting winds and icy drifts. Their mission drove them forward.
Time lost all meaning as they walked, the clouds and air so thick with snowy mist that day and night blended into a seamless white haze.
For two days they pressed on, non-stop, their footsteps the only sound in the desolate landscape.
The snow had ravaged the land, leaving behind a trail of destruction and desolation. The village was gone, erased from the face of the earth, leaving them alone and exposed in the frozen wilderness.
"Shiro?" Akeno's voice was barely audible over the howling wind.
"Yes?" he replied, his eyes scanning the snowy landscape for any sign of her.
"It's cold." she whispered.
"Yeah, I know." he said, his voice low and cornered.
"M-my legs...can't take it anymore" she stammered.
Boros's heart skipped a beat as he turned to face her, his eyes widening in horror as he saw her crumpled on the ground,
"AKENO!", he yelled, sprinting towards her and gathering her into his arms, "Stay with me, Akeno, tell me you're just sleeping." His voice was a frightened and faint whisper.
"Her legs....are almost frostbitten." Boros's face twisted in a snarl of concern as he quickly tied his clothes around her legs to keep them warm.
He heaved her onto his back and took off in a sprint, his legs pumping furiously as he desperately sought shelter from the merciless storm.
Boros's gaze darted back and forth as his eyes scanned the desolate landscape, his voice an urgent mutter, "Shelter, Shelter, Shelter….." he repeated the word like a mantra, his feet pounding the snow-covered ground as he searched for a place to hide Akeno from the storm.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he spotted a building in the distance, it's wooden beams weathered to a silver gray.
The structure looked like it was on the verge of collapse, but Shiro didn't care, it was shelter and that's all mattered.
"Yes!" Boros yelled, his voice echoing through the stormy night.
"Don't worry, Akeno you'll be fine" but as he turned to check on her, his excitement faltered, "Akeno? Akeno?" he shook her gently but she didn't respond.
Panic set in as he sprinted towards the house, sliding the door open with a burst of adrenaline.
Inside he found a woman huddled on the floor, her back against the wall. She looked like she'd been sitting there for hours, maybe even days.
Boros's gaze locked onto hers, and he saw a flicker of fear in her eye.
"Leave me alone" She whispered, her voice barely audible "I won't give you anything." She said with fear while pointing a knife at Boros.
But Boros didn't hesitate, he rushed towards her, his eyes pleading. "I need your help," he said, his voice low and urgent.
The woman's eyes flashed with anger, 'Help? Can't you see I'm barely holding on.' She said to herself, her eyes welling up in tears, But she bit them back, refusing to give in to weakness.
Boros's words tumbled out in a rush, his eyes locked on hers, "Hey can you hear me? I need your help, this girl…..she's hurt, I need you to look after her."
The woman's gaze flicked to Akeno, then back to Boros. Her eyes narrowed her expression skeptical. But then her gaze dropped, and she saw that Boros was standing there in nothing but underwear.
Her eyes snapped back up, her face pale with shock, "Y-yes", she stuttered, her voice barely audible.
Boros's face set in a determined mask, "Thank you, I'll be back, I promise I'll protect you in return." He wrapped her arms around Akeno and took off, leaving the woman staring at him in stunned silence.
"Wait!" She yelled, but Boros was already gone. She collapsed to the floor with Akeno in her arms, "I'm sorry, stranger" she whispered, her voice barely audible, "I'm already at my limit."
Hours later, she woke to warmth, she opened her eyes slowly, her gaze locking onto the familiar figure sitting before her, "It's you...you came back." She whispered her voice husky from sleep.
Boros nodded, "I promised I would." As they spoke, Akeno's eyes flickered open.
Akeno's voice was a sleepy murmur, "Shiro?" she rubbed her eyes, trying to shake off the haze of skeep.
Boros's face lit up with a warm smile, "Akeno! You're awake!" he exclaimed, his eyes shining with relief.
Akeno's face crumpled as she threw her arms around him, tears streaming down her face, "Thank you," she whispered, her voice muffled against his chest.
"I heard you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, "Every time you called my name, I heard your voice, but I couldn't answer."
"I'm so sorry for worrying you."
Boros's arms tightened around her, his voice a great rumble, "It's okay, I'm just glad you're okay."
He handed her a piece of bread, his eyes encouraging, "Here, eat this."
The mysterious woman's voice was a low murmur, "Is that bread?" Boros nodded, "Yeah…want some?"
The woman's face was a map of shadows, but as she reached out to take the bread, the firelight illuminated her face.
Akeno's eyes widened in shock her mouth dropping open as she stared at the woman.
"Kinuko?"
Kinuko's eyes snapped to Akeno's face, "How do you know my name?" she asked, her voice low and guarded.
As she drew closer to Akeno, her expression changed from wariness to shock.
"Akeno?"
she whispered her eyes wide with recognition. Akeno's face lit up with a warm smile as she pushed Boros away and dove into Kinuko's arms.
"Kinuko!" she exclaimed, her voice muffled against Kinukso's shoulder, "You're okay!"
Kinuko's arms wrapped tightly around Akeno holding her close.
"And so are you," Akeno replied, her voice filled with emotion.
Boros's eyes flicked between the two women, his expression curious, "You know each other?" he asked.
"Yeah she's a member of my-"
Kinuko's hand flew to Akeno's mouth, her eyes darting to Boros before returning to Akeno.
"Akeno," she whispered, her voice barely audible. Akeno's smile faltered for a moment before she nodded, "It's fine, I trust him." Kinuko's gaze lingered on Boros's before she nodded, "Okay if you say so."
Akeno's smile returned, her eyes sparkling with amusement, "Kinuko's a member of the Eraba clan." She explained, her voice filled with a sense of pride.
"I see" Boros replied.
"That aside how is this makeshift shelter still standing," she asked Boros, "And where did you find dry wood for the fire, not to mention the bread and herbs to treat our wounds?" her gaze locked onto his seeking answers.
"You caught on, huh?" Boros said, a hint of smile playing on his face, "I reinforced the shelter's pillars with ice to keep them standing, and to keep the cold out I sealed the windows and patched up the roof with ice too."
"As for the bread, dry wood and herbs….remember when I left you to watch Akeno? I took a trip to the part of the forest where it wasn't snowing to find supplies."
"The part of the forest where it isn't snowing is at least a two days journey from here." Kinuko said her eyes narrowing with skepticism.
"How did you manage to get there and back in just a few hours?" Boros shrugged, "I'm just that fast, I guess, besides I couldn't leave Akeno with a stranger."
Akeno's eyes widened in surprise, "Wait Shiro…..ice?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Boros nodded, his expression matter-of-fact, "Yeah, I'm a longinius user."
Akeno's eyes widened in surprise, "And you didn't tell me all this time?" she asked, her voice tinged with hurt.
But before Boros could respond, Kinuko interrupted, her voice thoughtful, "I wonder what caused this massive snowstorm in the middle of the summer."
Boros replied with no remorse
"It was me."