The Preparations

The group pressed onward, their footsteps crunching on the forest floor as tension thickened the air. The towering Flugal's Tree loomed in the distance, its ancient presence casting long, dark shadows over the highway.

Out of nowhere, Suzune appeared leading a sleek, muscular Lizard Dragon. The creature hissed softly, its amber eyes gleaming with intelligence. These reptilian mounts were common in Lugnica, but when had Suzune acquired one? Nobody could say.

"Wait… when did you get that?" Ram asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

Suzune didn't respond, her stoic expression unchanging as she gestured toward Emilia. Without warning, she bent down, scooped Emilia up as though she weighed nothing, and slung her over the Lizard Dragon's back like a sack of potatoes.

"Wha—Suzune?!" Emilia's voice was a mix of indignation and panic as she flailed her arms.

Suzune turned to her, her eyes cold and unreadable. "Stay. On. The lizard," she ordered, her tone brooking no argument.

The Lizard Dragon let out a low growl, almost like it understood her. Suzune's gaze shifted to the creature, and she spoke with an authority that silenced even its instinctive defiance. "Keep her away until I say otherwise. No exceptions."

Emilia's protests fell on deaf ears as Puck emerged from her collar, his tiny form bristling with irritation. "Suzune, what do you think you're doing? You can't just treat her like cargo!"

Suzune didn't even glance at him. "Cargo doesn't talk. She'll be fine."

Puck floated closer, his fur puffed out in frustration. "You're impossible! Emilia's not some chess piece you can move around at will!"

Suzune finally turned her head, her gaze like ice. "And I'm doing this because I care. Harshly, maybe, but it's better than letting her be a target."

Behind them, Rosewall chuckled softly, his grin wide and playful. "Oooh, Suzune-chan. You're always so direct. It's quite charming, really." He clapped his hands together, as if he were watching a drama unfold.

Ram, who had been tying up the remains of their cart, approached with a huff. "Suzune-sama, you're as subtle as ever," she muttered, though there was a hint of respect in her tone.

Suzune ignored her, her attention fixed on the group. Rosewall stepped closer, his sing-song voice breaking the quiet. "Sooo, Suzune-chan. Care to share your plan? Surely you have one~."

"It's simple," Suzune replied curtly. She knelt down, drawing lines in the dirt to illustrate her strategy. "Emilia-tan will create an ice nail. A large one. It'll be planted in the ground, its sharp edge facing the sky."

Rosewall leaned in, his grin widening. "Ooooh, fascinating. And then?"

"When the Whale comes, you'll hit it with your magic, Ros-chi. Drive it down—right onto the nail."

"And after that?"

Suzune's lips curved into a barely-there smirk. "Then, it's my turn."

Her tone was flat, yet the weight of her words carried an almost chilling finality. Rosewall's grin faltered briefly before returning, though it was tinged with something resembling awe.

Puck crossed his tiny arms. "You're insane, you know that?"

Suzune didn't answer. Instead, she looked at Emilia, her expression softening by the barest fraction. "Emilia-tan. This is your chance. You want respect? You want to prove yourself? Then show everyone what you can do. Your ice will hold the key to winning this fight."

Emilia hesitated, her hands clutching the Lizard Dragon's reins. "I… I don't know if I can…"

Suzune's eyes narrowed. "You don't know unless you try. I'll handle the rest."

The group fell silent, the weight of her plan sinking in. Ram adjusted the straps on her pack, her usual aloofness replaced by a faint trace of worry. "And if it fails?"

Suzune looked at her, her face as impassive as ever. "It won't."

With that, she straightened and began walking toward the clearing ahead, the sound of her boots crunching against the gravel. The Lizard Dragon hissed softly, shifting its weight as it waited for its next command.

"Time to hunt," Suzune muttered under her breath, her fists clenched tightly.

The stage was set, and the White Whale would soon arrive.

The group stood in tense anticipation, the massive Flugal tree casting an ominous shadow over them. The air was thick with unease, the kind that made even the most seasoned of warriors fidget. Yet Suzune? She was as calm as a glacier.

To pass the time, she leaned against the tree, her finger tracing intricate patterns on the bark. It wasn't idle doodling, though. She carved into the wood with such precision it was almost surgical.

Ram glanced at her, brow furrowed. "What are you doing?"

Without looking up, Suzune replied flatly, "Drawing."

"Drawing?" Emilia echoed, craning her neck to get a look. "On that tree? With your finger?"

Suzune nodded, her finger moving with unnatural ease. The bark yielded like clay under her touch, though her hand remained unscathed. It was unnerving.

"What's that supposed to be?" Puck asked, floating closer to inspect the growing image.

"A girl," Suzune said, her voice devoid of emotion.

Ram squinted, stepping closer. "A girl? It's a bit… elaborate, don't you think?"

"It's called art, Ram." Suzune's tone was deadpan, but there was a flicker of something—pride, maybe—in her words.

Rosewall chuckled, tilting his head to examine the drawing. "A girl, you say? My, my, Suzune-chan, you have quite the talent. But whooo is this mysterious muse?"

Suzune paused for a moment, stepping back to admire her work. The girl etched into the Flugal tree was hauntingly detailed—sharp, elegant eyes, a sly smile, and an aura of regal mischief. It felt almost alive.

"She's called Furina," Suzune said, her voice colder than usual. "From something called Genshin Impact."

"Genshin… what?" Emilia blinked, clearly baffled.

Suzune didn't bother explaining. "Doesn't matter."

Puck frowned, hovering over the carving. "You did this with your finger? And there's not a single scratch on you?"

"Of course not," Suzune said simply, brushing imaginary dust off her hands.

"Monster," Ram muttered under her breath.

Suzune smirked faintly, as if taking it as a compliment. "You're not wrong."

The group fell into silence again, the unsettling drawing of Furina standing stark against the ancient tree. The tension in the air grew heavier.

Emilia fidgeted nervously, trying to focus on anything but the eerie detail in the carving. "Are we sure it's coming? The Whale, I mean?"

Suzune turned to her, her expression unreadable. "It's coming. Be ready."

The stillness was shattered as the skies began to shift, the first signs of impending chaos creeping in.

The eerie chime of Suzune's metia echoed through the oppressive silence. Its tune was haunting, low, and rhythmic, as though warning of an incoming apocalypse. Emilia shivered at the sound, while Puck's fur bristled with unease.

The once-bright sky dimmed, veiled by an unnatural shroud of mist. The air turned cold and heavy, like a prelude to something catastrophic. The Flugal tree loomed like a silent sentinel, its thick trunk seeming to absorb the ominous energy around them.

And then they saw it.

At first, it was a shadow in the mist—massive and otherworldly. As it drew nearer, the details came into terrifying focus.

The White Whale was a beast of nightmares. Its body was gargantuan, dwarfing any creature they had ever seen, floating effortlessly in the air. Its white, scarred flesh gleamed under the faint light breaking through the mist, marred with countless battle wounds, each one a testament to those who had failed to kill it. Its massive tail swung like a pendulum, slicing through the air with a sound that seemed to echo for miles.

But it was its face that struck fear into their hearts. The creature's sunken, glowing eyes radiated malice and intelligence, as if it knew exactly what it was doing. Rows of jagged teeth jutted from its gaping maw, capable of swallowing entire villages in a single bite. And when it roared, the sound was a symphony of despair, reverberating through the landscape like a funeral bell.

Emilia's breath hitched as she clung tightly to the reins of the lizard dragon. "It's... enormous..."

Ram's usually stoic face faltered, a bead of sweat trickling down her temple. Even she couldn't hide her fear. "It's worse than I imagined."

Puck floated protectively near Emilia, his glowing eyes narrowing. "This is bad news. That thing isn't just a monster—it's a disaster."

Rosewall, on the other hand, chuckled, though his laughter was tinged with nervous energy. "A-aaah, quite the beeeast, isn't it? But Suzune-chan, are you sure this is wise?"

Suzune ignored him. She stood at the edge of the clearing, rolling her shoulders, her expression as unreadable as ever. The enormity of the White Whale didn't faze her. If anything, it seemed to invigorate her. She bent down, stretching her legs, testing her flexibility as though she were preparing for a morning jog.

"Be ready," she said, her voice cold and clipped. "Ros-chi, on my mark."

Rosewall's grin returned, wider and more excited now. "Oh my, my, my. This is going to be fun."

The Whale roared again, the sound sending shivers through everyone but Suzune. The air felt heavier, oppressive, as though the beast's very presence demanded submission.

Suzune finished her warm-up, planting her feet firmly on the ground. Energy began to surge in her legs, the raw force of it palpable even from a distance.

She tilted her head, her stoic gaze fixed on the monstrous entity above. "Now."

In a heartbeat, she shot forward, a blur of motion as she launched herself into the sky like a missile, leaving a crater where she had been standing.

o—O—o

Author Note: Can Subaru really do it? How can she do it?

Drop your thoughts in the review section. Your words inspire me to write faster, better, longer and with more depth.

In the next chapter, we'll see.

Till next time!