As the snow fell around the castle the people scattered all around in fear, confusion, anger, among many other mixed emotions that had everyone stirred to the brim. It was so cold that nobody could keep from shivering. A soft white fog rising up from the ground below their feet as the sounds of steel clashing with solid ice resounded in the air. Every time their swords clashed and scraped against each other shards of ice could be seen sent flying.
Ice covered Hide's arm from his blade all the way up to his shoulder. His darkened eyes holding only hope that his brother would make it out with Kosha. Whatever fate had in store with him he was ready to take it on if it meant protecting his own brother, even at the cost of his own life. He would throw it all away for the sake of his own family.
Tyson could see the determination the man held within himself and found it admirable. But he too had things he had to protect in Numen's Garden. He would not surrender his own life before seeing it all through to the bitter end.
"If only things were different.. It's not too late for you, Hide." Tyson muttered out as he clashed swords with Hide once again. If they had not been in the garden he felt a sense that him and Hide could have gotten along. At the very least if Hide had chosen to toss Zeref away and aid him in going after Numen instead he was sure the man could have been useful.
"Stop spewing nonsense. I do what I must for my own reasons. I do not have the luxury or time to day dream of something as impossible as destroying a god." Hide spat out his words as if he had no hint of belief that Tyson would he able to destroy Numen. He had no interest in putting his brothers life on something that was a mere fantasy in his eyes. There was no real proof that Tyson would come to be successful at his task. If he just tossed everything away it would have been like gambling with Nova's life.
"Tyson!" Chi called out from a distance as he ran up beside Tai, Sobek, and Fae who had been watching from the side while doing their best to protect the people from Hide's blizzard that had engulfed the Castle grounds. Fear was in Chi's eyes as he watched the scene from behind Tai. The man's hand calmly holding him back from rushing out into the fight.
"If he doesn't do something soon everyone will freeze to death!" Zeal shouted as he ran up behind them as well and stood next to Tai. Gazing at the fight, he knew that Tyson would never allow anyone to interrupt his battle. The man was one who always liked to fight on his own the most. Others interfering with his fight would only hinder him.
"Tell me something, Hide.. Serving Zeref is no different then to say you serve Numen himself. How well are you protecting your brother if you're not willing to stand up and take action? If you do nothing now you will only regret it in the future. To care about someone means to want what is best for them.. With what you're doing now.. you're still dragging him back here every year without so much as a fight for his freedom." Tyson paused for a moment as he felt tempted to glance over in Chi's direction though he refrained from doing so because he knew it was no time to sate his own selfish desires. "I'd never wish for a sibling to live in this hellish place every year."
"What do you know.." Hide's face darkened as a blast of cold wind enveloped around him like a raging tornado as his rage flared up at the words that were spoken to him. Giving everything he could for the sake of his brother he did not like his methods to be insulted.
Air sweeping around him in a motion so quick that the grass and snow could be seen blowing about the wind around him. Hide slowly walked towards Tyson with his ice sword in hand. Swinging it down as hard as he could it clashed against Tyson's steel blade once more before behind knocked away.
A solid kick from Tyson's leg sent Hide stumbling backwards as he saw Tyson shifting his weapon to swing the other end around in his direction. Shards of ice scattered as he blocked the weapon with his own.
Ice on the ground began to creep its way up Tyson's feet heading straight for his ankles as Hide tried to freeze him to the ground. The entire castle grounds had begun to blanket in frozen ice as nobody was spared from the impeding ice that tried to force them all into a cold, frozen, grave where they all stood.
The ice was not enough to halt Tyson where he stood. Shattering the ice before it had the chance to trap him he kept his feet moving so that Hide could not pin him down. Waves of ice rose and fell from the ground like waves in the ocean as he tried to trap Tyson. His teeth gritting tightly together.
"Let us end this now." Hide said as he rushed for Tyson with everything he had. Sword at the ready for a head on collision.
Tyson could feel the chill of the cold ocean-like wave of ice descending on him from behind as he ran straight for Hide.
As the wave landed over the top of Hide and Tyson they were enshrouded in a mountain of solid ice so thick that nobody could see what happened. The only thing in their sides was a quiet mound of solid ice. Silence was heavy as the thick cold winter wind that was blowing about the castle grounds.
Crack.. Crack..
The ice began to crack, crumble and melt away all around the castle grounds until it all turned to water and fell to the ground. Leaving only the solid ice mound that held Tyson and Hide beneath it. Unable to hear a thing going on inside the ice mound everyone began to sweat and tremble with freight.
"Tyson!" Chi shouted as loud as he could as he shoved his way past the others in order to rush over the mound of solid ice. "Tyson, can you hear me?!"
"Can anyone sense what's going on in there?" Zeal asked with a loud voice so that everyone around him could hear his question.
Nobody around could hear or sense a thing from the solid ice mound. They could only patiently wait until either one of them, or both of them, would emerge from within the solid ice mound. The ice mound stood so tall that it towered over each and every person that stood before it as if they were looking at a building sized snow globe. Unable to hear, unable to see, they all nervously tried to think of a solution.