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Chapter 7 – Snow Woman

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Iguni comes and is about to discuss with them like she has promised, they are ambushed by black cloaked bunch. Who else, other than Gobi's man and mercenaries that work for him. They explain that Gobi hopes the audience with princess Yona and Four Dragon Warriors or they should use force. Yona refuses because she has bad feeling and the mercenaries shoot them with arrows. Hak and the Dragons ask Lady Iguni to take Yun and Yona to somewhere safe but Yun's thigh scratched by random flying arrow, he stumbles to the ground and Yona holds him to protect him. Hak and Four Dragon Warriors see them in horror when arrows flying to Yona and Yun. Yona and Yun close their eyes and tangle into each other's body, preparing themselves to get the hit but they are confused after that, why do they not get hit by that arrows? When they open their eyes, they're surprised as they see, not only Lady Iguni wraps her hands around them to protect them, three of them are protected by someone who come flying from the sky and landing in front of them to shielding them.

Yona stares in horror, she remembers of Neguro who using his body to protect Kou Ren like this woman does. Several arrows have stabbed and embedded into her entire body. Her long straight raven-hair reaches her knees and they see her cobalt blue eyes as she looks behind over her shoulder before smiles and asks them to not come closer.

"how harsh, to hit my vital like this", casually, she pulls all of arrows that firmly embedding in her entire body, and just like a miracle, part of her body where arrows have embedded into her entire body have no bleeding or even the scratch. She waves the dust off her plain white kimono after that "ordinary human will die instantly, you know?".

Like when Yona and her group reveal about Zeno's immortality in the battle on the border of Southern Kai Empire, the mercenaries freak out with sending more hit to her like arrows that land on her forehead, neck and heart or other who slashing their sword to her vital.

Similar like Zeno, she is recovered with different way, where her skin not reveal bloods and ripped skin, instead frozen ice that recover back into human skin "all of you really impatient, huh?".

"monster?!".

"who are you?".

"why did you not die?".

"why did you still can stand even if you get hit that many arrows?".

"why did you even not have a bleeding?".

For all of the question from the freaked out mercenaries, she only laughs.

"of course I am, haven't anyone told you that Snow Woman doesn't have bloods and tears?", she smirks before lifts her sleeve to cover her mouth and face, when she lowering her sleeve, her raven-hair turns into white and her cobalt blue eyes turn into a pair of golden eyes that a bit similar with Shina's, the different only her eyes haven't reptile pupil like snake. She opens her mouth and blows the blizzard that freezing all of that mercenaries before turning back to Yona and her group as her hair turns back into black and her eyes turns back into her sapphire "all of you, don't get injuries, right?".

Yona cries and jumps to hug her first, she's so afraid that this woman will die. Yun and Zeno follow Yona to join to hug this Snow Woman after that, with Shina and Kija in the latter.

She can read their minds and feelings, not afraid of her power, but afraid if she died, which it make her can't help but smile and laugh "oh my, all of you so adorable".

"can you stop making ice statues wherever you appear, my Snow Lady?".

That raven-haired woman smiles back to tall raven-haired man cloaked in black that appear near them "oh? that's your job to send them back to their place, right? my Grim Reaper?".

The Grim Reaper, not anyone else than Sakaki who scratches his head before stretching his hand to the front. Huge scythe appears from the thin air and he swinging that scythe to those frozen mercenaries. After that, a hole like portal that Yona, Yun and Hak passed through last night appears, the different is this hole appearing below those frozen mercenaries and wider than Kazama's portal last night.

Sakaki swings his scythe that disappear in the thin air, confirms to Snow Woman that he has sent those frozen mercenaries to somewhere. They will survive or not, let's just hope their luck.

Iguni lowers her fan and smiles as she approaching that woman "long time no see you and I am glad you look well, but what a flashy encounter, Lady Fong Mulan".

Mulan smiles back "I don't know you can be that careless, Iguni… using your own body to protect these kids?".

Iguni sighs "it's mother's natural to protect the children, besides you're the one who get hit that arrows and using your body, I believe it's my line".

Yona and the others squeal when they know this Snow Woman is Fong Mulan, Empress of Northern Kai Empire. No wonder she has the moniker as 'Snow Empress' or 'Snow Woman', she is truly Snow Woman.

Ignoring Iguni, Mulan smiles and leans her forehead into hers after caressing Yona's cheeks "how beautiful, princess Yona... You really resemble with your mother, of course I know who you are in first look. You have your mother's eyes, even if sometimes I'm still wonder, from where you have these cute curly red locks since Kashi has flowing straight raven-hair?".

Listening to her words about her mother, Yona is about to cry, but then she lowers her head and blushes for her compliment "thank you so much, Lady Fong Mulan… but, why are you helping us?".

"only helping my old friend's daughter, dear. I also have heard about you, Kashi's daughter and Ouryuu Zeno's master, but I never expected that you are this cute girl", Mulan kisses her forehead tenderly, mother's gesture which make Yona can't help but hug her tightly "oh?".

Yona shivers and mumbles "you're so cold".

Mulan laughs at that "of course, I'm Snow Woman after all, dear".

Yona lifts her head and smiles "but your heart and your touch feel so warm, soothing and soft like snow, yearning like a mother for me".

"you really have sparks of Kashi's soul", Mulan smiles sweetly and pats her head before she lifts her head up, eyes Hak who standing near Jae Ha "and I won't let anyone deceive you or use your beautiful heart".

Suddenly, an arrow flies, embedding firmly on Hak's back which earning Hak's scream, he drops his Tsu Quan Dao to the ground and he himself drops to his knees. Jae Ha startles and he supports Hak.

Yona startles and approaches him "HAK?!".

Mulan's plain white kimono with black obi changes into her usual battle attires, her military black coat with Snowflakes and Crescent Moon emblem on her armor's chest and her sword Murasaki rests on her hip. Her legging and black boots covers her legs with and white cloak covers her armor attire "thank you for the cooperation, Iguni".

Iguni nods her head "no problem, Lady Fong Mulan".

They are shocked, Lady Iguni and Lady Fong Mulan are their enemies or allies?

Their attention turn into someone who has shot Hak with her arrow from behind.

Her hair is red, but unlike Yona, her red color looks more deep, maroon like the blood and the red color of her hair only half because half of her hair is the purple, like the purple of the sky at the sunset. Her hair has a maroon color till her shoulder, half of it from her shoulder which turn become purplish till the end of her hair that reaches her thigh is pulled back into fish-tail long braid, make her looking more mature than her real age.

She's looking so piercing with her cold blue eyes. Such a unique blue eyes, despite the look on her stern blue eyes as cold as ice, no one doubting the beauty of her blue eyes which her eyes is the mixed color of the Azure Blue Sky or the ice with the Navy Blue of the Sky at night or the deepest sea.

Hak stares to behind where the one who has shot him standing "…Setsuna".

"WHAT?!".

"good job to bring the traitor here to us, Lady Iguni", Setsuna takes one of her arrows, puts it in her bow, ready to shoot "stay away from him, princess Yona".

A/N Yoan :

Uh oh, do they enemy or allies? Just check it out in the next chapter