The snowstorm had become violent.
What had begun as falling snow had transformed into a white storm that swallowed the mountains themselves. Wind roared through Dragon's Peak like a living creature, screaming through the trees and carving through the cliffside.
Visibility had become terrible.
Ten meters ahead?
Fifteen at most.
Everything beyond that was nothing but moving white mist.
Akari tightened her grip around the sealed Narukami.
The white scarf wrapped around the hilt fluttered wildly in the freezing wind.
Leila stood a few steps ahead with her fists raised.
Cynthia adjusted the Scope Lens attached over her eye.
Memory hugged Bubbles tightly.
No one spoke.
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
The mountain had suddenly become too quiet.
Even the Frost Elves had stopped firing arrows.
Even the wind itself seemed hesitant.
Then—
something moved.
Not a body.
Not a shape.
Just—
two lights.
Far within the storm.
Two glowing crimson eyes slowly appeared between the moving snow.
Everyone froze.
The eyes remained still.
Watching.
Waiting.
Memory tilted her head.
"...Eh?"
Akari narrowed her eyes.
Leila's expression immediately changed.
But Cynthia—
Cynthia's face completely lost color.
Her body stiffened.
Her hands started trembling.
The Scope Lens nearly slipped from her face.
"...No..."
Her voice shook.
"...No no no..."
Leila looked at her.
"Cynthia?"
Cynthia stared ahead.
Her eyes widened.
Then quietly—
almost like she had forgotten how to breathe—
she muttered one name.
"...Frostbite Leonas."
Silence.
Memory blinked.
"...Frost... what?"
Cynthia slowly stepped backward.
Her breathing became uneven.
"One of the most dangerous creatures in Dragon's Peak..."
Her voice trembled.
"It doesn't hunt for food."
"It doesn't hunt for territory."
"It hunts..."
"...to kill."
The words sent a chill through everyone.
Even Leila's confident expression disappeared.
The red eyes slowly moved.
One step.
Another.
Snow shifted beneath something enormous.
Then—
a growl echoed through the mountain.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR...
The sound felt less like a roar and more like pressure itself.
Like the mountain was warning them.
The storm suddenly split.
And they finally saw it.
A massive creature stepped out from the snow.
White fur.
Sharp black claws.
Crimson eyes.
Its body resembled a lion, but far larger and more monstrous.
Its muscles looked unnaturally dense beneath its fur.
Frost continuously formed beneath its feet.
And along its back—
jagged crystal-like ice spikes extended outward.
Memory's mouth slowly opened.
"...Big..."
Very big.
No—
enormous.
The creature stared at them.
No.
It stared at Akari.
Directly at Akari.
Akari felt her body tense.
Its eyes never moved away from her.
Leila immediately noticed.
"...Why is it looking at you?!"
Akari looked confused.
"...I don't know."
The Frostbite Leonas lowered itself.
Its muscles compressed.
Cynthia's eyes widened.
"GET DOWN—!!"
Too late.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The mountain exploded beneath its feet.
Snow erupted into the air.
Akari's eyes widened.
Fast.
Too fast.
She barely saw white fur before the creature appeared directly in front of her.
Its jaws opened.
Massive claws descended.
Akari couldn't react.
Her body froze.
Then—
something moved in front of her.
Leila.
BAAAAAAAAM!!
White energy exploded around both of her arms.
Unique Skill:
Vital Fury
Leila thrust both fists forward.
Then struck—
not the creature—
but the air itself.
A gigantic shockwave exploded outward.
The mountain shook.
The collision created a deafening sound wave.
BOOOOOOOOM!!
The Frostbite Leonas was blasted backward through the snowstorm.
Trees shattered.
Snow exploded upward.
But—
Leila's face twisted immediately.
"...Ghh—!!"
Blood dripped.
Then more blood.
Cracks spread across both of her arms.
Skin tore.
Her forearms had suffered massive damage from the impact.
Even with Vital Fury strengthening her body—
that collision had still injured her.
Memory stared.
"...LEILA?!"
Leila gritted her teeth.
"...I'm fine..."
She clearly wasn't.
Blood continuously dripped into the snow beneath her.
The Frostbite Leonas slowly stood again.
Its red eyes narrowed.
Then—
it roared.
ROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAARRR!!!
The snowstorm exploded.
Cynthia quickly raised her crossbow.
Golden energy gathered.
"Got you—!"
FWOOOM!!
The bolt shot forward—
—but passed through empty air.
Everyone froze.
The creature...
was gone.
"...Eh?"
Leila looked around.
Akari looked left.
Right.
Nothing.
Memory slowly turned.
"...W-where did it g—"
Then Cynthia's eyes widened.
Behind.
It was behind them.
Directly behind Memory and Cynthia.
The Frostbite Leonas had appeared without sound.
Without warning.
Without presence.
Its crimson eyes stared downward.
Cynthia's face went pale.
"...No—"
Everything happened too quickly.
A massive claw moved.
Memory turned around.
Akari's eyes widened.
"MEMORY!!"
Time seemed to stop.
Snow floated through the air.
Bubbles screamed.
Leila's breathing stopped.
Cynthia froze.
And Akari's body moved before her mind could think.
Because for one horrifying moment—
she thought—
she was about to lose her best friend.
Again.
Time stopped.
Snow drifted through the air in slow motion.
Akari's fingers had already tightened around Narukami beneath the wrapped white scarf.
Purple light had begun leaking through the tiny openings between the cloth.
Leila's wounded arms trembled.
Cynthia's eyes widened.
And Bubbles—
Bubbles screamed.
"PYUUUUUUUUU!!"
The Frostbite Leonas moved.
Its gigantic claw descended toward Memory.
Then—
CRAAASH!!
Snow exploded outward.
Memory disappeared beneath the impact.
The ground cracked.
Ice shattered.
The mountain itself trembled from the force.
For a single moment—
nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Leila stared.
Cynthia stared.
Akari's pupils shrank.
"...M..."
Her voice refused to come out.
"...Memory...?"
Silence.
The storm continued howling.
Snow slowly settled around the impact zone.
Then Cynthia looked downward.
And her entire face lost color.
"...No..."
Leila froze.
Akari's body stiffened.
Memory's body had been struck directly by the Frostbite Leonas.
The beast lowered itself slightly and growled.
Its crimson eyes remained filled with predatory instinct.
The monster turned slowly—
toward Cynthia.
The mountain wind screamed.
Cynthia couldn't move.
Fear locked her body in place.
Her hands trembled around the golden crossbow.
She couldn't even lift it.
The creature stepped forward.
One step.
Another.
Its claws dug into the snow.
Then—
it lunged.
BOOOOOOOOM!!
But suddenly—
something wrapped around its body.
The Frostbite Leonas froze.
Water.
Long streams of flowing water had suddenly wrapped around its legs, neck, torso, and claws.
The beast roared in surprise.
Its movement stopped entirely.
Cynthia blinked.
"...Eh?"
The water slowly began freezing around the creature.
Ice spread across its fur.
Its body became restricted.
Everyone turned around.
And there—
standing several meters away—
was Memory.
"...H-Huh?"
Memory stood there breathing heavily.
Her clothes fluttered in the snowstorm.
Bubbles bounced beside her.
Memory looked down at herself.
Then touched her own face.
Then touched her shoulders.
Then touched her stomach.
Then touched everything repeatedly.
"...I'm alive?"
Silence.
Cynthia's mouth slowly opened.
Leila stared.
Akari stared.
Memory looked at them.
"...Why are you all looking at me like that?"
Then—
Akari moved.
"MEMORY!!"
She immediately rushed over and grabbed both of Memory's shoulders.
"ARE YOU OKAY?!"
Memory blinked.
"...Eh?"
Akari looked everywhere.
Checking her arms.
Checking her face.
Checking if anything was injured.
"You're okay?!"
Memory looked down at herself.
"...I think?"
Then suddenly—
Memory slowly realized something.
"...Wait."
"...WAIT."
Her eyes widened.
She looked at her own hands.
Then remembered.
Maiden of Blue.
The passive skill she obtained through Bubbles.
The skill that allowed her body to become water.
Memory pointed at herself.
"...I DID THE WATER THING AGAIN?!"
Bubbles bounced proudly.
"Pyuuu!"
Memory immediately grabbed Bubbles.
"YOU SAVED ME AGAIN!!"
Bubbles happily bounced against her face.
Akari sighed
"Did she forgot she could turn her body to water"
Meanwhile—
the Frostbite Leonas roared furiously.
The water ropes surrounding its body began cracking.
Leila immediately snapped out of her shock.
"IT'S BREAKING FREE!"
Memory turned.
"...Ah."
"...Right."
"...Big scary lion monster."
The Frostbite Leonas shattered portions of the frozen water restraints.
Cracks spread everywhere.
Its strength was absurd.
Memory immediately panicked.
"AHHHHH IT'S MOVING AGAIN!"
Akari drew her blade slightly.
Purple light leaked out.
Leila stepped forward despite her injured arms.
Cynthia raised her golden crossbow.
But then—
Memory suddenly raised her hands.
"...W-Wait."
Everyone looked at her.
Memory swallowed nervously.
Then opened her status window.
"...I have something."
Akari blinked.
"...Something?"
Memory nodded.
Then immediately yelled:
[TAMER SKILL: TERRACOTTA COMMISSION]
Golden light exploded outward.
Magic circles appeared around Memory.
The snow beneath her feet trembled.
The air shook.
And suddenly—
BOOOOM!
BOOOOM!
BOOOOM!
BOOOOM!!
Four figures emerged from the ground.
Three armored Terracotta warriors holding long spears.
And one Terracotta archer carrying a massive bow.
But unlike ordinary Terracotta soldiers—
these were larger.
Their armor had Japanese designs.
And on their backs—
a tiny slime symbol had been engraved.
Memory proudly pointed at them.
"...GO MY BUBBLE ARMY!!"
Silence.
Leila stared.
Cynthia stared.
Akari stared.
Even the Frostbite Leonas looked confused.
Memory puffed out her chest.
"...Attack!"
The Terracotta warriors moved instantly.
The three spear soldiers charged forward.
THUD!
THUD!
THUD!
Their heavy footsteps shook the snow.
The Frostbite Leonas roared and swung its claws.
One Terracotta warrior blocked with its spear.
Another stabbed toward its side.
The third aimed directly at its legs.
The archer behind them immediately drew back its bow.
FWOOOSH!!
An arrow shot through the snowstorm.
It struck the Frostbite Leonas near its shoulder.
The beast roared angrily.
Leila stared blankly.
"...What..."
Another explosion echoed.
The Terracotta warriors continued attacking without fear.
No hesitation.
No panic.
No emotion.
Just pure obedience.
Leila slowly turned toward Memory.
"...You're..."
Memory blinked.
"...Hm?"
Leila pointed.
"...You're a Sage Tamer?"
Memory tilted her head.
"...I think?"
"...YOU THINK?!"
Leila looked like her brain had stopped functioning.
Because this—
this was the first time she had ever seen a Sage Tamer like this.
Not in videos.
Not in forums.
Not in rumors.
An actual Sage Tamer with a weird presence.
Standing directly in front of her.
Commanding summons.
Manipulating water.
Ignoring physical attacks.
And somehow surviving things that should have killed her.
Meanwhile Memory looked completely confused.
"...Did I do something weird?"
Akari quietly looked at her best friend.
Then smiled.
Very slightly.
"...No."
"...You're amazing."
Memory froze.
"...Eh?"
Her face slowly turned red.
"...A-Amazing?"
Then—
the Frostbite Leonas shattered a spear in half and roared.
Memory immediately screamed again.
"AHHHHH NEVERMIND IT'S STILL SCARY!!"
And the battle in the middle of Dragon's Peak continued.
With snow falling endlessly around them.