It was snowy stormy. The intense snow storms, heavy snowfall, extremely low visibility, and strong winds made Ritsuka struggle to move. His bad luck came to him in this blizzard condition.
Ritsuka was supposed to disappear along with his servant Mash. Even if he hated the result to forget everything. He accepted it as his worst punishment. But instead he found himself in this situation.
Ritsuka can feel the air on this mountain is very aggressive. This situation made him remember like he was in some singularity. He wants to know why he can still remembered his journey and how he had his command spells with him. Shouldn't his version disappear along with his timeline?!.
He doesn't know how this situation occurred. And He had no time to think about it either, because he was Fighting with a Gaint monster in this heavy Storm.
When he opened his eyes in this dark night, he was greeted with by this mad crazy snow Monster.
Ritsuka Fujimaru exhaled, his breath freezing instantly Through the unnatural fog, he could see the clear picture of the thing.
It was a towering Gaint of ice and dark power. Every time he breathed, the temperature dropped another ten degrees.
"This creature reminds me of Britain lostbelt Crused monsters!" Ritsuka hissed, as he struggled to move quickly.
Ritsuka didn't retreated but He stood his ground against it, his mana glowing. With the little Mana he had after final battle, He summoned his Shadow Servants.
A shadow of Saber Alter appeared, She released her Noble phantasm right away. The attack clashing against Giant's armor. The Giant screamed and knocked back in pain.
The gaint Swing it's tail at them, A wave of wind launched at them.
The shadow grabbed Ritsuka waist and jumped back to dodge the incoming attack. The Gaint roared as it stood up and saw its Armor upper part got destroyed by the previous attack. He opened his mouth wide and attacked Ritsuka freeze breath. Salter shadow used mana blast to Sheild Ritsuka but the impact send him tumbling back into the waist deep snow. The salter attack hit the giant mouth and sent him few inches back.
The Gaint rushed towards them like hungry mad beast. The gaint with massive body was barely stopped by Salter shadow.
Salter shadow Swing her sword again, Ritsuka struggled to rise, his boots sliding on the snow permafrost layer. The atmosphere was his greatest enemy now and the lack of oxygen made the situation difficult for him.
The gaint understood it's disadvantage in close range battle and choose to fight from distance. It created ice spikes in mid air and shot them all at Ritsuka and shadow servant.
Shadow Salter tried her best to protect Ritsuka but few ice spikes hit them in this foggy atmosphere.
Ritsuka tried to dodge, but the fog deceived his eyes. The ice spike pierced Ritsuka's chest, narrowly missing his heart but pinning him toward the frozen snow.
Fortunately, Ritsuka grabbed the spike before it went through deep in his body. He removed it as he saw his shadow servant disappeared from the attack but his skin searing with frostbite.. His damaged mystic code did it's best to protect him. He didn't even his have all 3 command seals. He used all of them before in final battle. He has to wait for them to recover.
His blood covered the white snow. He put his hand to stop the wound. His white jacket got covered in red.
"Stun"
Ritsuka gasped, pointed his hand at the Gaint.
A burst of Gandr reinforcement magic hit the Giant paralyzed him.
From the shadows of master, a shadow came out and jumped into the Storm. The purple flames glowing like lava. The shadow took the sword and disappeared in mid air.
Slash!!
Eh!!
In next second, flames surrounded the Gaint. A sword with flames of Vengeance cut it's chest open.
Before it can understand what's going on. The shadow stabbed his hand in it and grabbed the core. He ripped it apart from the gaint.
The Gaint shattered in snow as it fell down.
"First Aid."
Ritsuka held his hand over the wound as a green light emanated from his hand.
With little Mana, he couldn't heal his wound totally. But it's better than losing more blood. The wound still didn't closed.
However the wind still didn't stop it's storm. From the dissolving remains of the ice gaint, a fragile figure emerged. It wasn't a monster, but a old man with skin the color of frostbite. He looked like a character came out of fairy tales.
The shadow of count Dantes throw the core at Ritsuka as it saying the job done before disappearing into Ritsuka shadow.
Ritsuka knelt, his breath coming in ragged, painful hitches. He reached into the snow and picked up the Core. A small, pulsing sapphire of pure winter energy. With trembling legs, he walked toward the old man. Ritsuka was so tired but Still kept moving.
"Are going to kill me?"
"Yeah, but I prefer not to do it." Ritsuka looked at the core in his hand. "Still it depends on you"
The old man looked up, his face filled with shame. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice sounding weak. "I lost control over myself. The dark nature in ... the cold... it made me like this. I should have prepared myself."
"You are a divine spirit aren't you?"
"I can't deny."
"This storm is unnatural. Feels like something caused it!"
"Yeah, that's why I came here to investigate it. It seems you experienced this type situation before. You are unfazed by this"
"I can't deny either"
Old man gave a weak laugh at the young man returning his words back to him.
"If you can solve this problem. You need this." Ritsuka held out his hand, offering the glowing Core. "I don't have any use of it."
The old spirit stared in genuine shock. he just looked at Ritsuka's blood stained white jacket and the way the boy"s knees shook from exhaustion.
"Why are you giving it back?" the old man demanded, his voice raised a little. "Why show kindness to me? I am cursed spirit. I almost killed you. Didn't you learnt anything from fairy tales?! You will regret this. You should be like everyone and ignore a cursed one like me."
"Yeah," Ritsuka walked a little closer to him. "but, I also know miracles happened in fairy tales. If you solve the situation. I think it's good." Ritsuka managed a small, tired smile. "I'm being kind to you not because you deserve it, or because I'm expecting a reward from you. It's my choice. Your actions don't get to change my nature."
The old man let out a sudden, sharp laugh. "You are cursed the movement you showed your kindness to me." He sounded like pure disbelief. He reached out and took the Core. The moment his fingers touched it, he regained his strength, the light in his eyes returning to icy blue.
"I'm Ritsuka Fujimaru,"
"If you don't mind," Ritsuka panted, blinking away the frost on his eyelashes, "can you tell me... about this place? Where am I?" He turned his head for a second to shield his eyes from a spray of snow. When he looked back, the old man was gone. There was nothing left.
"I shouldn't have expected a traveling companion in this place." Ritsuka began to walk. His every step was heavy. He tried to use his first aid Skill, but his mana is over.
He should a Find shelter to recover mana or find a Leyline. The latter option is very difficult in the weather. So he should find a place to rest until he recovered mentally and physically.
The big mountain and freezing fog are making him struggle to find a path. He was moving on pure willpower now, his vision blurring. He needed a cave, a tree, anything to break the wind before his strength give up.
He tried his best to stay conscious to look for shelter.
'Atleast, I should avoid the big storm before it increases again and wait until the storm stopped'
'Uhhh what happened to this world?!! Storms are raging everywhere and the long sea is frozen, what unnatural disaster happened here? I have seen a snowy season this bad in my life before in Russian lostbelt.'
Ritsuka still kept walking, but the result he got was nothing, he didn't find a single man made shelter, or a cave to take shelter in. By the time he realized that he was already in the highlands around the mountain, the night was getting late, the pain in his chest wound was eating him away, the storm was getting bigger.
But suddenly Ritsuka's gaze stopped at all the high climbs, where he saw a very long staircase passing through the steep, wide ravine, the bridge stairs looked very sturdy even though it was hit by the storm. and there was the only beautiful, very large building resembling a castle whose walls were made of snow crystals.
"What the?"
Just as Ritsuka amazed by the castle appearance. The coldness increasingly pierced his skin. He realised that staying outside isn't a option anymore with such strong storm. This strange ice castle is his shelter for today.
The design of castle is beautiful. Ritsuka stared at the gate forgetting his pain in his chest for a moment. The long stairs with a beautiful shape bordering the cliff, which were large and even installed firmly without budging even though there were storms from various sides.
((The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside
Couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I tried
Don't let them in, don't let them see
Be the good girl you always have to be
Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know
Well, now they know))
Ritsuka's ears twitched slightly, faintly a woman's singing could be heard from inside the large castle, even though it was faint his sharp ears were quite sure that the voice was not an illusion in his head.
((Let it go, let it go
Can't hold it back anymore
Let it go, let it go
Turn away and slam the door
I don't care what they're going to say
Let the storm rage on
The cold never bothered me anyway))
Ritsuka approach the gate slowly, but the singing continued, making the black hair young man pause in front of the castle's gate to listen. The beautiful voice continued to sing, somehow there was joy in the lyrics, but on the other hand, there were also lyrics that showed sadness and loneliness, but they were all bottled up.
((It's funny how some distance makes everything seem small
And the fears that once controlled me can't get to me at all
It's time to see what I can do
To test the limits and break through
No right, no wrong, no rules for me
I'm free))
TEEER!!!
The sound of the large gate automatically opening made Ritsuka's eyes widen in surprise. Ritsuka saw other side to see if someone was persent. He doesn't know if he got permission from the owner or this gate opened itself in mistake, considering that he hadn't even asked for permission to enter, but the sound of singing continued to be heard, making the man curious. For a moment, he decided to enter. He will ask permission directly from the owner.
As the singing continued, Ritsuka entered the castle. He was amazed by it. He saw two beautiful stairs were visible on the left and right ends to upper floor and a replica of a water fountain in the middle, all in bluish white, with snowflake ornaments along the walls, which looked faded like a transparent mirror.
"Cool" he praised it.
As he looked up, Ritsuka was amazed again, above him was a giant chandelier made of crystal ice. what kind of person made a beautiful, magnificent castle and perfect carvings on the highest mountain without a single human inhabiting it?
Only Then he realised, maybe the owner of this castle was a mage who is excellent in ice magic magecraft. Strangely he only met one spirit with ice power after coming to this place.
DRAAAKK
A loud bang was heard, making Ritsuka look towards the direction where the sound came from. As he turned back, the singing stopped immediately, and making someone run towards the basement to check him out.
"Hey, who are you!??" The female voice with half panicked questioned him. The woman doesn't know how this average good looking man somehow managed to be in this place.
Ritsuka surprised to see the owner of the voice, a woman with bright blonde hair, single braid and sideways with a beautiful blue dress, along with the bright white glowing color she was wearing.
"I apologize for entering here without per..," Before Ritsuka could say apology and ask permission, the woman started talk again without giving him a chance.
"And what are you doing here?"
"I'm ," The woman interrupted the conversation again, making Ritsuka frown a little.
"I beg you to leave this place immediately," said the woman, immediately turned toward the upper stairs, though the corner of her eye still continued to pay attention to Ritsuka's movements.
Ritsuka considered his given options and knows staying here is right decision. Ritsuka can tell this woman isn't with bad intentions towards him which is good sign.
Before the woman disappeared from his sight, Ritsuka's voice was heard loudly, making the woman stop walking.
"Hey wait I apologize," Ritsuka said reflexively ignoring the pain of the wound in his chest and limped towards the end of the crystal stairs. But He stumbled, nearly collapsing as pain increased in his chest.
Blood began to soak through his jacket again, droplets staining the polished ice stairs. Ritsuka's words made the woman look back at him. "Please... I'm sorry for coming in without permission. There's a storm outside. Can I stay here? Just until morning. That's all I ask,"
"W-what!?" she said, there was a tone of disapproval in her words. Then Her eyes fell on the blood.
"You're... injured."
"Yeah," he exhaled weakly. "Just fought someone. I dont need much. I"ll sit by the entrance. I won't touch anything. I just need some time to recover." said Ritsuka, hugging the wound on his chest with his hand and small blood drops began to seep out and left on the floor tiles.
"Can I trust you? how can I trust a person who I just met? You're a stranger. I don't even know who you are.," said the woman with a scared look, making Ritsuka frowned faintly in confusion, even though the woman acted brave, but for some reason there was a fear in this woman.
"I can keep my word," Ritsuka replied then sighed, he had no other intention, other than getting shelter, sitting or sleeping on the floor was more than enough if he got the chance here.
"I don't believe you. Stay away from me... and you'll be safe." She shook her head slightly
'Stay away from her'
Ritsuka noticed it immediately.
'So she thinks she's the dangerous one.'
He doesn't have any right to get into her personal matters. He swallowed, forcing himself upright despite the burning pain in his chest.
"Please," he said again with calm voice. "There's nowhere else. No town, shelters, and No caves. I checked before coming here on my way."
"I don't even know where I am," he continued. "Everything here...it's unfamiliar." he said in a pleading tone. Just like her, he too can't say his situation.
Her gaze sharpened.
"Stranger... you're not from Arendelle, are you?"
"Arendelle?" he repeated quietly.
"AHK!" Before answering the woman's question, Ritsuka fell down, hitting his body on the hard ice tiles, then closed his eyes tightly, along with a sound of pain that was getting more and more muffled from there.
Simultaneously a step on the stairs was heard.
"Hey... You're hurt! You're bleeding a lot!" The woman's voice was heard again and Ritsuka could hear her voice closer than before, when Ritsuka opened his eyes. He found the woman was not too far from him, and gave him a worried look, it turned out that behind her avoidant side, this woman had a caring side towards a stranger.
"Don't worry about this, I just need to rest ," said Ritsuka trying to get up and then leaning his body on the edge of the stairs as support with his position half lying down looking at the woman with a reassuring smile.
"You..." The woman seemed to be trying to get a little closer even though she didn't want contact or touch him, Ritsuka knew that she cared about his condition, but she was afraid of something, atleast he was glad that she isn't your average Mage.
"Everything will be fine. When the sun rises, I will leave this place." Ritsuka said with a calm look at that moment, right now he needed a little energy to try to recover to use his frist aid Skill, and then he would go look for another place to recover.
"Okay, but keep your promise," the woman hissed, and Ritsuka just nodded while smiling slightly.
"Yeah, well do," he said.