FROOOOOSSSH!
The howling sound of whooshing frost echoed through the world as two figures walked through a land of drifting white.
"Tsk, why am I even here at all?"
The voice, full of bitter complaint, came from a fat panther plowing through the thick snow, his pitch-black fur half turned white from the downpour.
Beside him was another figure, a man dressed in white made even whiter by the endless rush of snow.
Both of their movements had been reduced to tiny steps, taking one at a time with great difficulty as they resisted the biting cold and the powerful breeze that tried to force them off their feet.
Still, each persisted, albeit with great difficulty.
"Truly an intense amount of snowfall..."
Ryuk mused beneath his breath.
He had never seen snow this powerful before, and to think they had been in a place bathed in golden rays of sunlight just a couple of hours ago.
According to the map, this was the shortest route to Snow Fallio, the only place in the Celestial Wingo Realm filled with such a great amount of snow.
They needed to reach the city, and this was their shortest route.
Though those words were now doubtful as they’ve probably been walking for more than 70 hours.
"Hey, Ryuk," Void called from the side as he turned to the Void panther.
"Open up that garden rift of yours. I need a break!"
He said this as a hailstorm of snow almost dragged his paws off the ground as he bitterly resisted.
"I lost it," Ryuk replied, planting a step and continuing forward.
"Lost it? What does that even mean? I thought that was a soul‑bonded artifact!"
Void said in disbelief, puffing into a cloud of smoke to appear by his side.
"Yes, it is. But... my soul got stripped of every bond, so... I lost it,"
Ryuk replied calmly, but then,
WHOOOOOOOOOOOSH!
A strong gust sent him flying backward, and he landed on his belly, hands gripping the snow tightly.
He crawled forward, his hands gripping something solid under the snow, and he hauled himself back to his feet.
Looking ahead, surprise filled his eyes.
It was as though they had scaled a towering mountain, and now, at its summit, with a city lying just below.
A city that sprawled across the snow‑covered land, surrounded by a barrier that reduced the amount of snow falling, allowing only tiny flakes to drift gently into it.
"You! You blockhead!"
Void cursed from below as he fell flat on his stomach.
Ryuk rolled his eyes and grabbed the panther’s pointed ears.
"You!?"
Void lashed out with a paw, but halted as it noticed the light.
It looked downward, its breath catching in its throat.
Just beneath them was the city.
A city glowing with clear light, signalling only one thing.
"Warmth!"
In an instant, Void puffed out from Ryuk’s side, and when he reappeared, he was already above the city skies, soaring down at high speed.
"Hopefully, you’re somewhere around here, Isha..."
Ryuk mused before sliding down the mountain wall himself.
The path was curved, so there was no need to walk.
He simply slid down, and soon he stood before the snowy barrier, where a figure soon slid down as well, landing on his butt beside him.
"Damn Void Barrier!"
Void cursed beneath his breath.
Though there was a barrier around the city, he had thought to teleport through it, only to be repelled by a Void Block and slammed headfirst into the barrier.
It was far heavier than it looked, causing him to slide off its surface.
Rubbing his painfully red nose, he glanced to the side, only to find Ryuk standing there.
Turning back, he saw the clear sliding marks Ryuk had left on the snow.
"Tsk. Cheater!"
Ryuk merely sneered at his pain, his hand reaching out to touch the barrier.
It was glassy, yet it did not bulge at all, almost metallic.
The gate to the snow city was only a few meters away, and guards stood nearby.
Ryuk waved at them, and three humanoid guards covered in scales walked forward toward him.
"Hello,"
He greeted.
"What do you want!"
One of the guards snapped back.
"We’ve come a really long way to visit an old friend who most likely resides here in Snow Fallio," Ryuk replied.
"Did your friend give you a Snow Pass? It’s the only way the barrier will open for you," another guard said as they watched Ryuk’s brows furrow, thinking:
There was always a need for passes around here.
It was the kind of place where, unless you were invited, you were not allowed in.
"Unfortunately, we do not have one."
"Yeah, that’s obvious, or you wouldn’t be stuck outside," the earlier guard said.
"Now shoo off."
"I do have something you may be interested in, though," Ryuk said.
They watched as he dipped his hand into his pocket, as though trying to dig something out.
The trio paused, observing him and wondering what it was, and in the next moment, he pulled it out.
It was a box.
A box seemingly made from a crystalline white gem, gleaming with constantly changing blue runes across its surface.
Suddenly, two of the guards felt a surge through their bodies, their blood seemingly quivering in the presence of that scale, and their eyes lit up.
"What... what is that!?"
One of them asked, and Ryuk’s expression turned solemn.
"Inside this box is a scale," he said.
"A scale?"
"Yes. A scale from one of the most powerful dragons in the universe. A Jade Dragon!"
He spoke grandly.
"And how did you obtain such a treasure? The Jade Dragons have been extinct for centuries now," a guard asked skeptically.
"This was a treasure I was blessed with as an inheritance. A gift of birth, you could say," Ryuk replied.
"And you’re willing to give that away for a pass into the city?"
"I’m not," Ryuk said calmly.
"I see two of you," he continued, pointing to two of the guards.
"You both have been stuck at the Peak of the Apocrypha Stage for quite a while now, haven’t you?"
"How did you!?"
...