The dust settled slowly.
" You know me?" Elias straightened himself.
" Well enough." Levi smiled.
" Oh. I tend to forget lesser characters, you see." Elias scratched his head.
" Is that the case?" Levi chuckled.
" You won't remember me this time either. As they say, 'dead men know naught'." Levi's figure flashed.
" 'Fraid I'll have to disappoint-Cough!" A broken and worn sword stopped Levi's blade, as black Qi swirled around it.
" Thanks to you, I recovered a bit." Elias wiped his mouth.
" Uhm, healthy people don't cough up blood." Levi pointed out.
" You've just never met anyone as great as me," Elias said.
" Haha! They say that excessive arrogance is bad for the body. It's no wonder you're squirting blood." Levi's leg swept through the air.
Clang!
" This level of arrogance isn't nearly enough to cause me harm. Clang?" Elias glanced at Levi's leg.
" Why is your body so tough?" His brows furrowed.
" That's a secret. Let's just say it's the stuff of legends." Levi tightened his fist.
" Oaf!" Elias slammed into a tree.
"...The stuff of legends? I don't stand a chance." Elias slouched.
" Don't sell yourself short. I mean, you were running for 3 days straight right?" Levi shrugged.
' I'll just play with him for a bit.' He smiled.
" You have a point." Elias nodded.
" Well, if I can't win...I guess-" His knees shook as he leaned on the tree for support.
" Hm?" Levi's brow rose.
" I'll run." Not even his shadow remained as Elias escaped.
" Haha! I don't even hate him for that!" Levi threw his head back.
A short distance away.
" Huff!" Sweat slid down Elias' face.
A blurry figure appeared before him.
" You can't run from me." The back of Levi's foot sunk into his side.
Crack!
The prince rolled across the ground.
" Ack! Uggg!" He clutched his side with one arm while supporting his weight with the other.
" Damned if you do, damned if you don't..." He muttered.
" Hey, can you point me to an ice house? I think it's supposed to be here somewhere." Elias looked up.
" Never been there, sorry." Levi walked up.
" Figures. Then give regards to my elder sister for me." Elias said.
" I don't know your sister, though." Levi tilted his head.
" Heh heh! You can do it right now. I mean, don't you feel her coming?" Elias looked through the corner of his eye.
" Oh?" Levi Levi looked up.
Boom!!
An overpowering force blasted him, along with everything behind him away.
" How are you?" Anastasia's fan clicked shut.
" Nothing serious." Elias stood with a groan.
" Here," She tossed a pouch.
" Siii." Elias sucked in a breath as his brows furrowed.
" That was an excessive greeting. " A shadow appeared in the dust.
" Apologies. I do not take kindly to persons who attack my siblings." The fan was flicked open.
" It does not please me either when they still draw breath." She opened her eyes.
" I can understand. It pisses me off just thinking about how some people who pushed me around are still alive." Levi closed his eyes as he sighed.
" But really. Given how weak he is, I could have killed him hundreds of times by now." He dragged the tip of his sword through the dirt.
"...Are you saying that you spared his life?" Anastasia fanned lightly.
" No, I was just about to kill him. You interrupted me." Levi grinned.
" ..." She swept her fan as a large mass of wind shot out.
"..." Levi's leg swept through the air. The attack was redirected, plowing everything in its new path.
" Second whirlwind; Void cleaving saber." Turbulent winds gathered in the sky.
' How will I fare against a skill from someone this powerful.?' Levi's watched the creation of the giant one-handed saber.
" Stop." The frills on her shoulder were crumpled as Elias said.
"..." Anastasia's brow rose.
" I will deal with him on my own," He said.
" It's cute how you say things so confidently with buckling knees. You are injured, don't forget it." She looked through the corner of her eye while turning.
The saber dissipated.
" Don't nag." Elias scratched his head.
" Huh?" He found that Levi had vanished.
' That wind saber must have drawn a lot of attention. I thought I'd play around for a little, but I should take care of this quickly.' A blurry figure appeared before Anastasia.
" You!" Elias' sword flew, propelled by a black Qi vortex.
Levi's sword lowered diagonally as he swung the back of his fist, intercepting the attack from behind.
" Don't waste time, Elias. The young lady can't be kept waiting." Anastasia looked down.
" You're a slippery pair." Levi looked.
" Focus!" The back of Elias' foot swept through the air.
"...On what?" Levi's forearm caught the attack.
"..." Elias' face darkened as he hopped backward.
" Nine-ringed buddha; Slaughter prayer!" He clapped as a giant black illusionary buddha appeared behind him. With eyes closed, it clasped two hands. Two others were cupped as thumbs touched. The remaining two held out two triangular long swords.
"..." Levi shaded his eyes as he looked up.
" Ha!" Elias slashed barehandedly.
"!!" Levi tucked his arms together, squatting slightly as a giant black blade swept through the air.
His feet dug through the soil as he was pushed back.
" I thought I would get cut." Levi 'ha-ed' as a bead of sweat slid down his face.
" Are you joking!" Elias threw down a sword.
" Why are you so persistent? All I did was make you stumble a little!" He pointed.
" I thought you forgot such trivialities?" Levi straightened himself.
" Like anyone could forget a freak like you!" Elias' finger shook.
" Who's a freak!" Levi kicked a large stone with force.
" You! 100 merits!" Multiple longswords formed as they pointed at Levi.
"..." Qi overflowed from his body.
" Don't fight." A voice sounded.
"?!" The two looked up.
" Young lady?!" Anastasia hid her mouth as she whipped her head.
" Sera, It looks like even you fought." The girl glanced at the large patches in the forest.
" Sera? Sis, Who's this old lady?" Elias tilted his head.
" Ol-? Elias!" Sweat trickled down Anastasia's face.
" You..." Levi stared wide-eyed. He could still remember clearly, that day many years ago on Desolate mountain.
Standing on a plaque of ice, she vanished.
Beside Anastasia was a girl with curly white locks. She wore a multilayered white and light blue robe, contrasting with Anastasia's frilly white dress. The ornaments in her hair glistened in the sunlight.
" Hello. We finally meet again." She waved with a smile at Levi.
"..." A cool wave passed through his body.
" Oh my! Your hair..." Anastasia gasped.
" Sis-" Elias was cut off.
" This is the benevolence sect's young lady, Thana Wintherfrost. Don't be rude, Elias." Anastasia stressed.
" I got it. Nice to meet you." Elias nodded.
"..." Anastasia cupped her forehead.
" Likewise. Next time, try to resolve your conflict without violence, ok?" The girl smiled.
" He was the one who- Never mind. I will keep that in mind." He nodded.
" Good!" The girl clapped.
" Do you want to come with me?" She turned to Levi.
"...To where?" Levi asked.
" Young lady! You don't even know this person, what if..." Anastasia flicked open her fan.
" It's fine. To my house." The girl waved.
" Why would you want me to go there? We don't know each other." Levi's eyes narrowed as his heart pounded.
" Excellent point! Many times more likable than you, in fact." Anastasia fanned lightly.
"..." Levi's attention didn't shift.
" Then this would allow us to get to know each other." The girl landed before him.
" For the love of-Young lady, if this conversation was recited without context..." Anastasia cupped her face.
" You should know how your father would react if he knew what you were doing. Forget this and let us return, ok?" She said.
" My father doesn't have to find out, right?" The girl looked back.
" But-" Anastasia said.
" It's fine." The girl said.
" Haa, Fine. Excuse me. Come, Elias." A wind current wrapped around him.
" Finally leaving?" He asked.
" I wanted to introduce you, for your own good. But it seems your fortune, like your intelligence, has waned in recent times." Anastasia said.
" What's the point? I don't need people's help in dealing with my problems." Elias crossed his arms.
" You...sigh." They shot off.
On the ground.
" Are you coming?" The girl turned, her arm outstretched.
"...I can move on my own." Levi looked from her hand to her face.
" Is that so? Keep up then." She rose to the sky.
Levi became a blur as he followed from the ground.
...
Waves splashed as they cut through the earth.
Standing in a wide river was a giant block of blue ice.
"...A house?" Levi squinted.
" Come in." The girl said.
" How am I supposed to?" Levi pointed.
" Hehe." The girl walked towards the house.
" I won't fish you out when the river swallows you," Levi said.
" No need." A bridge of ice bridge grew with her every step.
" You don't have to worry about water washing over." She waved Levi over.
He walked over as water passed under, following her into the 'house'.
'...This girl has too much free time.' Levi looked back at the intricately crafted ice curtain.
" Would you like something to eat?" The girl asked.
" Don't bother. I don't like cold food." Levi said.
A rough, square table sat in the center of the room. To the side was a sink and a counter, along with a few pots and pans.
They clunked and tinged.
" The ice here doesn't emit any cold." Steam rose from the bowl of stew as it was placed down.
" Oh... You don't need to worry about just now. I stopped the elders from going over, so no one saw you." Her hair fell as she pulled out multiple crystalline pins. The teardrop crystals clacked as she removed her hair ornament.
" Elders? How did you stop them?" Levi watched as a chair formed behind him.
"...I explained that it was my attendant making noise in the forest, so they left it for me to handle." A rich flavor flooded her mouth.
" Just like that? Not likely." Levi muttered.
" You're not going to eat?" She looked up with full cheeks.
"...Why did you bring me here?" Levi asked.
"..." She chewed with a raised finger.
" Why do you 'want to know' me? Who are you?" Levi's brows drew together.
" My name is Thana, people say it's quite a memorable name." She lightly pounded her chest.
Light spilled into the dim room as the curtain was pulled across.
" You're leaving?" Thana got up.
Levi let the curtain go.
" I hope to see you again soon, Levi. Stay well." She waved.
The wind in the room danced as a horizontal crack grew on the walls.
"...Who are you?" Levi's sword hovered over her shoulder.
" My house! How could you! Wait, wait, wait. Wait." Thana lifted her arms.
" I don't like violence. Put away your sword, please." She pinched her nose bridge.
" How do you know my name?" Levi's brows furrowed as his eyes sharpened.
"...The sect master is my father, r-remember? Are you going to hurt me?" She peeked through one of her eyes.
"..." Levi stiffened.
" See? Just put it away." Thana said.
"..." The sword gradually lowered.
" Phew. Look what you did." She sighed at the cracked walls.
With a wave of her hand, they 'healed' visibly.
' If it's that easy then why the overreaction?' Levi's lip twitched.
" How did you know my name?" His grip on the sword tightened.
"...I found it out when you joined the sect." She glanced at him with furrowed brows.
" For what reason?" Levi asked.
"..." She looked away.
"..." Levi's knuckles cracked as his grip tightened.
" After we met in the cave, I was drawn to you...I thought we could become friends! So when I saw that you came here, I asked for your name, ok?!" She balled her fists as her eyes squeezed shut.
"..." Levi's jaw dropped.
" That's stalking! And we only met once! I admit that i feel weird every time we meet, but even I wouldn't go that far!!" His sword slid through the sheath as he pointed.
"...Is wanting to make friends weird at my age?" Thana gasped.
" You...You're not getting the point." Levi pinched his nose bridge.
" I'm leaving." Sweat slid down his face.
' Why am I so shaky?!' He looked down at his hand.
" Wait!" Thana reached out.
" Huh?" He turned his head.
" Are you going to come back?" She asked.
'...Well, I do need to keep an eye on her for a time.' His eyes narrowed.
" Yes." He said.
" Okay. Until then." Her smile shone as she waved.
" Hmm." Levi turned.
'...But why does my body react this way every time we meet?' Levi's figure blurred.
' It hasn't reacted like this since the tattoo was damaged. Why is the reaction to her that strong? Why does she alone still get a reaction...' The leaves of trees rustled as he flashed past.
' Is she just that strong? Or is it a powerful bloodline?' His eyes narrowed.
' I'll use this chance to find out.' He glanced to the side.