Darkwood Forest, 11:00 in the morning. Early Spring.

Winter had passed as Kai had four months left in the one year lesson plan. His lessons had started mid-summer, It was now early spring, this area in the continent only snows after a decade. Nobody knows the exact reason that it chooses such a precise year, but every decade, without fail; it appears. The previous snow just happened to have been at Kai's birthday, though his parents had already chosen his name without care for the event.

Kai looked over to the direction of his clan.

"I'm gonna pass my birthday outside my clan for the first time, huh?"

"That reminds me, you were born on the eighth of March, right?"

"Nn."

"Then, we'll take a break on that day. I'll try and make a feast for you, you just go rest."

"Thanks."

"It's the least I could do for my contractor who's feeling lonely."

"...I won't even bother retorting to that anymore. I'm not lonely though."

But you did retort.

Reo was confused momentarily.

"There are still two days till the eighth so we'll continue the lessons until then."

"I expected as much."

==========

Kuroshi Clan Kai's Household, 11:05 in the morning. Early Spring.

Coincidentally, at almost the same time; there were people who were reminded of the event happening on the eighth.

"Two more days until Kai's birthday, huh?"

Juro suddenly said in the middle of nowhere.

"Emi is born on the seventh of January, Kai is born on the eighth of March. Their birthdates are really near each other, they are eight years apart though."

Akemi said while holding Emi.

"Kai is born on the eighth of March?"

Yoko asked for confirmation.

"Nn, although he never really tried to invite anyone. I'd always just come here during the eighth."

"Eighth of March, I see."

Yoko made a mental note of it and pumped her fist.

"Hoohh, are you gonna prepare a present, Yoko?"

Akemi teasingly asked Yoko.

"N-no, I just want to remember it."

Yoko averted her face and made an excuse.

"I've already given him gifts every year though."

Akane had a smug look while facing Yoko.

Yoko narrowed her eyes at Akane for an instant but immediately retracted them, she was sticking to the fact that she wasn't in love with Kai.

"You could do better to hide your affection at the very least..."

Akane didn't want to sugarcoat her words.

"I'm not in love with him."

Because of the previous event with Akemi, Akane and Yoko are always arguing about Kai; it is mostly one-sided though.

Yoko's words are like chants nowadays. Akane always tries to boast around Yoko and Yoko tries to hide her displeasure. You could say they're friends yet enemies- no, rivals.

"I can't believe he made a girl fall in love with him in the span of a day, it wasn't even a whole day; it only took a few hours."

Juro's monologue happened during the conversation to which Akemi responded.

"A woman's heart can never be understood."

"I agree."

Juro said while looking at Akemi to which Akemi just brushed it off with a smile.

==========

Darkwood Forest 11:00 in the morning. Early Spring.

A carriage was currently travelling through Darkwood Forest, the driver had a suit and the carriage had two silhouettes; one of a child and one of an adult.

"This will be part of your training, as we go through the forest; you walk outside and defeat the monsters that come near."

A voice that would freeze one's soul when heard was used on the child.

"Yes, father."

A girl stepped out of the carriage, she appeared to be seven or eight years old, but the look on her face far surpassed her age.

The girl walked alongside the carriage until an ape-like creature appeared.

"Scarlet Ant Primate."

The girl clicked her tongue and channeled her magic.

The temperature around the girl suddenly began to drop as cyan light began glowing from her body.

"[Icicles]."

Several crystals of ice appeared in front of the girl and shot out towards the Scarlet Ant Primate.

"Oo oo aa aa!"

{A/N: Monkey noise basically}

The Scarlet Ant Primate leaped towards the girl; dodging the small crystals of ice that was headed its way.

"[Ice Wall]."

The girl stomped her foot and a large wall of ice instantly grew.

"[Ice Blade]."

The girl opened her palm and ice molded a blade that fit her.

The girl then jumped above the wall, the Scarlet Ant Primate imitated her movements and tried to do the same.

"I got you."

Her [Ice Blade] slashed diagonally and hit the monkey straight from one side of the abdomen to the other.

"RRRAAAAAA!"

The Scarlet Ant Primate roared but before it could attack, the ice that had slashed its abdomen had spread and frozen the entire midsection of its body.

"Die."

The girl's cold voice resounded as she used the [Ice Wall] as footing to make a kick, the ice that connected the Scarlet Ant Primate's body was destroyed along with the monkey's midsection.

The monkey dropped down in two parts devoid of life.

There were no words of praise from the carriage as the girl went near once more.

"You took too long, the carriage had already moved for half a minute."

"I'm sorry, father."

Instead of praise, what the girl received was scorn.

No other words were said as the girl looked down and walked with the carriage.

"Scarlet Ant Primates have the word Ant in them because they travel in numbers, since you had found one; there should be others soon following. Once they arrive, you will separate from us and lure them into the forest. Take as long as you have to."

The clear instructions were given with a cold voice, the girl clenched her teeth but didn't let out any voices of complaint.

"I understand, father."

Soon after, many Scarlet Ant Primates appeared.

"Go."

A cold voice resounded, it wasn't loud but to the girl's ears, it was enough to drown out the noise the Scarlet Ant Primates were making.

"Yes, father."

The girl clenched her teeth and ran in another direction.

The man driving the carriage looked at the girl's fleeing figure and said two words.

"I'm sorry."

The man faced forward and drove the carriage once more.

==========

Darkwood Forest. Early Spring. Two days after the carriage.

"So my break started, huh?"

Kai woke up inside his cave and looked around. Reo was nowhere in sight, Kai knew that Reo had already began trying to create a feast for Kai.

Kai stood up and walked outside his cave, he stretched for awhile then began to run in a random direction.

It was about half an hour while Kai was jogging that he found some oddities.

Some of the trees that he passed by had scratch marks and some even fell down, the floor had dead ape-like creatures surrounding the area, and blood that was of a different color from the ape's looked like they dripped down in a path.

"Someone's been injured here."

Kai looked at the direction the blood was heading towards and ran.

He had used his max speed, judging from the blood's condition; it was still fresh. That means the person that was being chased by the primates couldn't have gotten far.

"Reo!"

Kai yelled but received no answer.

"So he isn't in range..."

Kai clenched his teeth and ran faster, the wind around him was beginning to gather from the speed he was going.

And finally, the path of blood stopped and there were bodies that numbered dozens.

Kai looked towards a corpse and inspected the body.

"It's cold. It shouldn't be this cold, it was just killed. Does that mean..."

Kai remembered the other element in his body that had been sealed. Does that mean there was an ice attribute user here?

Kai went deeper and deeper into the path of bodies and finally stumbled at a cave.

"A cave, huh?"

Kai removed the stone at the entrance and walked inside. Because of the darkness attribute, Kai had better visibility in darkness than most but it wasn't enough to be called night vision. Deeper inside the cave, Kai finally saw an orange light.

"A fire."

Kai walked towards the corner of the cave and saw a small fire with a small girl laying down beside it.

"...Who is that?"

Kai looked at the girl suspiciously but dropped it all when he saw the blood on her clothes.

"She's the one who took down all those beasts?"

Kai was surprised and began to walk towards the injured girl.

Kai held his hand towards the girl but before he could touch her, the girl stood up and a blade of ice was held near Kai's throat.

"Who are you?"

The girl's voice was ice cold as she asked Kai.

"Kai, Kuroshi Kai. I'm from a nearby clan here."

"Kuroshi..."

The girl muttered the name and had a faint glimmer of hope laced in the voice but she immediately retracted it.

The killing intent that the girl permeated was retracted and the blade of ice also shattered.

"My name is... Mio."

The girl had hesitation in giving her name to the boy in front of her.

"Nice to meet you, Mio. Looks like you know about my clan, how did you get chased by those beasts?"

"..."

Mio didn't respond and just wordlessly looked at Kai's face. Kai stepped back a bit to get a clear view of her face as well.

"You seem... familiar."

Mio was inwardly shocked because she as well had felt the same.

"Can... you help me get to your clan?"

"Huh? Well, I can. But unfortunately, my clan doesn't allow outsiders to enter; there are very strict qualifications."

"That's fine..."

"I'll bring you there in a few days then. For now, we'll have to wait for your wounds to heal."

"..."

Mio was about to talk but stopped, Kai had noticed but paid it no heed.

"I already checked the area outside the cave, there are no other beasts; let's go."

Kai held out his hand, Mio ignored him and walked behind him.

She's a bit grouchy.

Kai inwardly complained.

Mio never took her eyes off the back of Kai's figure, something about this boy was familiar. But she was sure that she had never met him before.

Kai also thought as well but didn't pursue it any further, it's not like he could just stare at this girl for an entire day trying to figure her out. Although the other party was already doing it.

"It's about an hour walk to get back to my area, can you walk properly?"

Mio nodded and walked but it was only for a few minutes before she collapsed, her legs were injured as well.

"I'll carry you."

Kai was about to go for a princess carry but was instantly glared at.

"...I can carry you on my back then."

Kai turned around and sat down, Mio didn't move for a few seconds as if hesitating but in the end, she had rode on his back.

"I don't think your injuries are light, I'll try and hurry."

Kai looked over his shoulder and once he saw her confirmation, he began to run.