It's been exactly three months since Ren accidentally transversed inside another world. Stuck in an ice covered land, where not even the slightest heat from the sun hit any land.
Ren met with one of the inhabitants of the new world. Wendy, a Herrscher that bears authority on the wind.
Three-months, within that time. Ren managed to regain his male body, his hair longer, and body a bit bigger. Ren helped with hunting, wood cutting, and all the stuff that Wendy couldn't do.
In the present time, Ren lay on the cold snow, still and unwavering. Not even the slightest shake from the cold, holding up his hunting rifle. His eyes watch for a prey to come out from its hiding.
With a small sigh of breath, his finger touched the trigger just as he was taught.
Let the pain and anger go. Let everything go. The strife, the chaos that dwells in his heart.
With the deer on sight, Ren pulled the trigger and hit the deer with precision.
It wasn't perfect but it was enough to paralyze the deer.
Ren got up, and hurried to the deer as he took out his knife. Touching the deer with remorse.
"Thank you, please rest in peace"
With that, Ren has a quick stab on the neck. Letting the blood out and the life of the deer disappear from its eyes.
After drying out the blood from the deer completely, he carried it back to the cabin in which he stayed in, with Wendy.
"Welcome home, Ren"
"Ah Wendy, I brought meat and some wood for the fire. Are you okay?"
"Yes, thank you for doing this as always"
Wendy smiled as she returned to the fireplace, throwing some new firewood. Letting the heat warm the cabin. While Ren places down the rifle, he went to the shed nearby to place the firewood he collected. Ever since Ren stepped foot in this world, he's been trying to adapt especially from the cold. Wendy who helped him through months, guided him as well as knowing him. Ren did the same, since they have each other they treated themselves like family.
It was tough for Ren, but nothing he couldn't handle. While Ren decided to place some firewood in the shed. He took the axe and chopped the big ones to fit them inside.
"Ren, dinner is ready"
Wendy called out, her warm sigh could be seen whenever she spoke. Ren quickly heads back inside, so that the cold doesn't enter the cabin.
"What's for dinner?"
"Stew"
"Amazing, you've always been a good cook. If it was back at home, the canteens aren't really that good. I mean it is but not as good as yours"
"Flattering me, won't get you anywhere"
Ren chuckled from her comment as they both sat down and ate their dinner. Of course, it was amazing and as always it was delicious.
Wendy was washing the dishes while Ren helped when all of a sudden, the front door was banging like crazy.
Ren looked at Wendy as he signaled to be quiet. He quickly went to the front door, rifle nearby as he opened the door slightly.
"Please help!..."
"Our comrade!.....he... he's injured!"
Ren's eyes looked at the outsiders and their injured friend. It could be a diversion or a trap trying to let their guard down.
But when Wendy touches his shoulders, her eyes tells him to stop being on guard.
Ren sighed and opened the door fully as he helped carry the wounded. Placing him by the sofa and by the fireplace. Meanwhile Wendy went ahead and took some first aid kit to bandage the wounds.
"What happened to you guys?"
One of them spoke, he looked like a hunter as he explained everything. They were out for food and firewood, but something suddenly attacked them. All they could see was lightning emitting from a shadow. It was too fast to be seen by a human being at the very least.
"Were you followed???"
"I...."
"We...we couldn't tell! We were just running and..."
The shock on Ren's face was seen right after their answer when he quickly took his coat and rifle. Wendy quickly understood from his actions as she quickly told the others to go to the basement.
Thankfully, the rest managed to get inside the basement when all of a sudden a vast strong wind blew the cabin, destroying it to pieces.
Ren quickly managed to get away from the sudden attack at the process of being buried by some broken wood planks from the cabin.
"Fuck!"
Ren got up and checked on the basement door and sighed in relief. He quickly hid as he looked out for possible enemies.
Where? Why? The most concerning question is, who attacked the cabin?
The commotion that had happened caused the snow to gather around like a blizzard.
Ren could barely see anything.
"Come out."
A shadowy figure moved closer to the destroyed cabin with a sword in hand. Without wasting any time, Ren quickly took the first shot but only for the bullet to be deflected.
Meaning the attacker was strong, but that shouldn't stop Ren from surviving no matter what. Once again, Ren moved in another direction and shot another bullet from the side.
But even that wasn't enough.
"Enough with these games, come out and show your faces"
Of course, that would not be a good plan to concede. Regardless, nothing will happen if Ren continues to attack from their blindspots because they are skilled enough to defend them.
But something unexpected happened. One of the people that came down to the basement with Wendy came out, hands up in the air.
"Please stop...already"
Idiot. The idiot must have felt guilty and came out thinking his proposition will be considered. Ren knows for a fact, this person is a hunter, there is no negotiation with a prey within her reach.
Thus, this person extended her blade and pointed the tip to the neck of the prey. He'll die, and the rest will be next.
Ren doesn't care about the rest as much, but Wendy is with them. Of course that's something to prioritize, besides. Wendy will get mad at Ren if he neglects a human being who needs help.
Ren sighed, thinking of a better plan but of course, he doesn't have one. So he went head on even with such a mild breeze. With his rifle he quickly aimed for the head. Shooting with proper precision.
Even if this hunter deflects it, Ren didn't stop and ran towards her and used the rifle as a melee weapon, attacking head on.
The shadowy figure was nothing but a frail girl, hair like the night and eyes like a demon or rather maybe something even more dangerous.
"Who...are you?"
Was her first question. Ren couldn't tell who she was because of the mask on her mouth. But something in his heart feels like a needle sticking in.
Was it his heart or someone else?
Regardless, Ren didn't reply and continued to attack from all angles, this hunter used every inch of her arms and speed to deflect them. As he thought, she was not a normal human being, perhaps a valkyrie.
"What are you after?"
"I should say the same to you, why protect them?"
"Because I'm at least still human at heart"
Pushing back this hunter, making a distance between them. The rifle was damaged, as much as he suspected for the weapon to be cause, it's most likely because of the user as well.
It's no mistaking that this hunter was a valkyrie but sent as an assassin, or rather maybe as a mercenary.
"Get back inside, you idiot. Don't waste the life that Wendy tried to save."
The man who was shivering from the cold and anxiety, couldn't even say anything back but ran towards the basement.
"Just you and me now, how about it? The first one to not be able to fight back, gets to leave?
The hunter didn't say anything and blitz her way to him, his eyes couldn't even follow. After managing to block her horizontal strike. She added a kick, hard enough for Ren to fly backwards.
It would be useless if Ren doesn't use his Herrscher powers but at the risk of overusing it, it's just dangerous for him.
"Fucking hell....that hurts..."
The hunter didn't stop, not even giving Ren a chance to get back up and defend himself. Holding the sword firmly, and attacking without holding back. Ren immediately saw the danger and rolled away.
Being tossed around, Ren managed to get back up and opened the void around him. As he wielded the void's powers and unleashed hundreds of spears from the darkness, his eyes changed.
Surprised from the sudden power up, the hunter stopped herself from getting towards Ren, dodging each spears that were aiming at her.
Thus the fight got even intense, a valkyrie and herrscher against each other. Ren felt his limit as the void closes again, the hunter held her blade close and starts to defend herself from another possible surprise.
His eyes averted from the battle, noticing that the basement door was open. Wendy and the others may have understood that things had become risky. Perhaps they managed to flee from such heavy battle.
"Can't keep this up or I'll get devoured by Sirin's honkai energy"
Once again, the hunter came at him without hesitation with blade in her hand, striking for his head. But with Ren's herrscher abilities, he could see her moves clearly than before. Reaching out in the void as he summoned another spear, blocking the fierce attack.
"Wha...?!!"
Ren quickly held her arm and threw her with such monsterous strength. Buying him enough time to retreat, while his eyes returning back to normal.
Feeling the adrenaline running out, the fatigue and pain returning back to his humanely body.
After managing himself some enough time, he slowly moved through the snowy storm, bleeding from heavy wounds.
At any moment, he'd faint but he can't as he needs to return to Wendy's side as much as possible.
But as fate let it, he collapsed on the white snow, his tired eyes closing as he fainted from the heavy battle and using too much of his honkai energy.
Even if it was already too late, as long as the others were safe, it didn't matter. Then, even a brief period of relaxation should be acceptable for him.
To be continued.