Snow Business: The Showdown at Snowpike Resort

Chapter 5

Snow Business:

The Showdown at Snowpike Resort

Sometime early morning at the enemy fortress…

"Yawn, what is the meaning of this general?"

Commander Shellshock is eager to present his latest plan for the labyrinth. Fliers get passed across the room for Vilevelious to look over.

"What! A timeshare? For a ski resort?" The emperor questioned.

"The best plan yet! We are going to invest in this place, and I have a grand scale attack ready for action."

Questions and some doubt through Vilevelious mind.

"I don't quite get this. How is a timeshare going to benefit the labyrinth?"

Shellshock presents a large picture for them. A large poster drops down from the window panel showcasing a new base. Everyone within the room steps back, astonished for a brief second—large oversized weaponry with cannons to missiles all around. From heavy machinery, artillery, carriers, and gold-plated walls as well.

"This resort will be the grounds for a new base. I took the liberty of designing this all night myself. As you can see, it's Hip! New! And Cool!"

The emperor took a moment to fathom what he just heard.

"New…Hip… Cool? I don't like the sound of this so far, general." He nodded.

"This may sound crazy, but I've been scouting Mathias for quite some time." Shellshock further explained.

The general then turns on the viewing screen, projecting a live coverage of the resort. Plenty of young people are seen enjoying themselves. Events from snowboarding to snowball fights happening as kids are seen running around and making snowmen. Some couples ice skating while some cuddle by a fire with hot chocolate.

"As you can see, ever since we arrived, many have fled their daily lives to get away from the stress of monster attacks. All the young kids have been going to this place and what we need is a change of scenery. A fresh new batch for our labyrinth."

The emperor continued to ponder whether to approve or not.

"I don't know. This sounds rather expensive. Do we really need a new base? This sounds rather unnecessary."

"That's not all! Now turn to the next page."

He turns to the next page, revealing an ad for a Ski Competition. "The Grand Ski off 79. Starring four-year winner Brenda Turnpike."

"Never even heard of her."

"From further research, she's some star many dumb teens are charmed over. So a lot of guests are expected to attend and watch her perform in a matter of days."

"And you have a monster planned for this general?"

"That will be taken care of later. Instead, I have this in mind. Whoopers, come forth!"

Commander Shellshock calls the Whoopers to the stand. The enemy soldiers enter the room, all dressed in gear.

"Such ridiculous attire. What is the meaning of this general?"

"I took the liberty to enter our soldiers into this race, taking half the roster. Phase one will begin by sabotaging the competition."

"And phase two?" Vilevelious asked.

"Rest assured. I'll have a monster ready to gather energy. But, then, if all else fails, my fleet will blow everything sky high."

The emperor gives his approval for the plan.

"I might regret this…but very well, commence with the invasion."

"Onwards! To Snowpike!"

Meanwhile, back with Bamboo and the rest…

"We're closing for the day, and I have a special treat for you all."

"What is it?" Alistor asked.

Bamboo presents their tickets to the Snowpike Resort. Auroa and Maigashi rushed over to check it out.

"Hotel and reservation all prepaid. Sweet!" Maigashi jumped.

"My, how very generous of you. May I ask what the occasion is?" Auroa wondered.

Alistor lost interest quickly.

"Since you all been working hard for the past couple of weeks, I thought we take a nice trip to the mountains."

"Count me out." Alistor nodded. "I don't have time for fun and games. I need to continue training."

He immediately takes his leave as the door shuts. A disappointed look was on Bamboo, nodding in disbelief.

"Not to worry." Auroa assured, "We'll convince him one way or another."

A moment later, the two came barging into Alistor's room.

"Hey! We're packing up, so you better not bail on us." Maigashi said.

"What? No! I'm not going." He refused.

"Come on, Alistor, this may be a perfect opportunity for us to bond. The resort has quite a few wonders to look forward to." Auroa promised.

He turned away from the two.

"No! I'm not going, and that's final. But, I must stay to continue training to get stronger. And you can't change my mind."

Maigashi immediately became irritated.

"Well, too bad. You're going whether you like it or not."

The two immediately grabs him by force as he attempts to struggle.

"Hey! What are you doing? Let me go!"

The two begin dragging him out. Alistor attempts to pull out his blade to attack but gets knocked out cold by Bamboo with a frying pan at the door. They then load him into Bamboo's food truck as they begin taking off to the resort.

"Away we go!" Bamboo jumped.

In a matter of time, they were on the road with Bamboo driving. Alistor soon regains consciousness in the middle as he felt a snowflake touch his face.

"Ah, you're finally awake." Auroa smiled. "You've been out for quite some time."

"How long?" Alistor grunted.

"About three hours," Maigashi answered.

"Ugh…I hate you guys."

"Don't feel discouraged. This trip will be good for you." Bamboo assured. "Let all your worries fade away. I'm even going to promote my Grass Jelly down there anyway."

"What else is new…." Alistor sarcastically mumbled.

Bamboo then passes a flier over to him.

"Who's this Brenda Turnpike?"

"Yeah, I hear this Brenda girl is expected to be there." Bamboo noted. "An annual Ski competition will go down in a couple days. Just imagine! If she likes my Grass Jelly, my restaurant will be an instant hit."

Alistor then gives a shrug, losing all hope as they arrive at their destination in a matter of time. Bamboo parks on the side of the driveway as the food truck gets set up. Bamboo then hands over the room key to Maigashi.

"Well, you guys go ahead and check-in. I'm gonna sell some food for a while."

The rest quickly unloads the luggage, checking into the inn. After a few floors and stairways up, they arrive at the door. Maigashi inserts the key as the door clicks open. In a matter of seconds, the three were astonished for a brief moment. An entire suite was in front of their eyes.

"My goodness….how can we afford this?" Alistor dropped.

"Who cares?" Maigashi said. "I can see the snow gears right over there."

He quickly went to the changing room as Auroa helped himself in the kitchen. Alistor was the last to enter.

"Free coffee and tea. Lovely!"

Alistor turns the TV on at the end of the room. Some live coverage from the resort is shown on screen. A lady is seen interviewing some shady figures at the top of the mountains.

"And there you have it, folks! Some tense competition to expect this year for the annual ski off. So what are your secrets?"

The geared-up enemy Whoopers are seen headbanging, mumbling back nonsense.

"Such competitive spirit! And oh, who do we have here?"

A poorly disguised Commander Shellshock enters the interview. A sizeable oversized scarf only covers a part of his face; Alistor hesitated for a brief second.

"No, it couldn't be." He thought.

The interview continues on the TV.

"The very sponsor of this great team, of course. As you can see, we trained all year round. So they are more than ready for this."

Some recap footage of the disguised enemy soldiers pulls off some tricks from extreme jumps to backflips.

"Ah, such a breathtaking view." The lady recalled. "And you're one of our judges this year, correct?"

He grabs the mic out of her hand.

"Yeah! And nothing is gonna stop us from winning."

She grabs the mic back from Shellshock.

"I wouldn't be too sure yet. Let's not forget our dear Brenda will be here in a matter of days. Well, that's all the time we have today, folks. Best of luck to everyone!"

Alistor then turns the TV off as it went to commercial break. Maigashi comes out all geared up and ready.

"Well, let's head out. I'm gonna shred those slopes." He announced.

"A grand idea. I think I'll try some ice skating." Auroa nodded.

And so the party heads outside. The group immediately breaks off as Maigashi runs to the gondola lifts. Everyone across the resort is seen enjoying themselves, except for Alistor, who stood awkwardly in the corner. Auroa soon caught up to him.

"Why the long face?" Auroa asked.

He was seen shriveled up, freezing.

"I don't know…." He nodded.

"Come on, you can tell me. If you stay in the same spot all day, you'll catch some painful frostbite."

Alistor begins speaking.

"Ok! It's just… it's just this was not what I expected."

"What do you mean?" Auroa wondered.

He begins to elaborate.

"My master completely ditched me. He only taught me one move, believing I was in good hands, but I don't stand a close chance against the latest general. You guys were not supportive, and Bamboo hasn't taught me anything."

"Don't take everything for granted." Auroa nodded.

A breeze of wind quickly passed by.

"But I need to get stronger. This Ski trip won't teach me anything. I need more power to stand a chance." He objected.

"Sometimes, power isn't the key to every solution. Maybe that was what your master believes." Auroa brought up.

"What do you mean?"

Auroa then made him turn around to face the horizon of the resort.

"Why did you think Bamboo brought us here?" He asked.

"I don't know. Just to profit for his own gain, what else."

"Wrong!" Auroa nodded.

"Then what is it then? Tell me!" Alistor demanded.

"Retake a look. What do you see all around you? It's cold, right?"

"Isn't that pretty obvious? Tell me something I don't know."

"Think of it this way. You've only fought in a limited type of terrain thus far. To attain new levels, you need to work on sharpening your awareness."

Alistor became lost for a brief moment.

"Awareness? What do you mean?"

"Learn to adapt to different grounds in case of an attack wherever you are. The enemy likely has monsters suited for their every need, so diversifying yourself to a different environment is the next step."

He was speechless for a moment.

"I never thought of it this way. So maybe you're right after all."

Alistor then pulls out his blade for no reason.

"I'm gonna follow your words. Train like crazy and endure this cold." The ice immediately catches his eye. "And I'm going to start on that ice."

He makes a dash to the ice pond throwing Auroa off.

"Wait! You need skates first."

In a matter of time, Alistor was seen walking over the ice as Auroa watched. He then makes his way to the zone with a warning sign.

"No, wait! Don't go…."

Alistor then falls instantly for going over thin ice. Yelling for help as Auroa had to call a rescue team over. The day then comes to an end as the party is seen resting up at the hotel. Alistor is seen covered in layers with blankets while the rest roast marshmallows.

"So, a good day for you all?" Bamboo asked.

"Hell yeah!" Maigashi gave a thumbs up. "I completely dominated those slopes. I even got an invite to enter the ski off."

He shows off his ticket to the others.

"Well, congrats!" Auroa applauded.

"One day till the main event, and Brenda!" Bamboo clapped. "She'll be one tough cookie to break, so do you have any plans?"

"Don't know." Maigashi thought. "Not yet, to be honest."

"Hey! Maybe you all can train with him up those slopes tomorrow. So get ready the day before the competition." Bamboo announced.

"A splendid idea." Auroa agreed.

Everyone except Alistor cheered at the fire. The very next morning, the party all got geared up as they head to the gondola lifts.

"I don't know if I want to do this," Alistor whined.

"Don't be a baby. You only fell due to your lack of awareness. Now come on!" Maigashi argued.

He was hesitant to enter, but the two pushed him in. The lift takes motion, bringing them up in a matter of minutes. They take a look at the breathtaking view of the vast mountains. Exiting out as they encountered a strange crowd by the corner. Commander Shellshock passed by them.

"Those guys are so hyped up."

The three took a look at the disguised Whoopers mumbling nonsense.

"From what I hear, those guys are foreigners," Maigashi informed. "Heard they're pretty good."

"Yeah, I saw on the news."

As the three head off to start, Shellshock takes a glance back. He breaks away from the Whoopers, who continued nothing productive. The commander then removes his oversized scarf.

"They're actually here? This isn't good; I must proceed to the next phase."

The commander takes to the air, quietly leaving without anyone noticing. He makes his way down behind the inn. A bunch of kids is seen completing a snowman.

"Your snowman needs appropriation."

The kids quickly fled the scene screaming as chains burst out from his chest. The chains softly make their way to the Snowman possessing it. The Snowman's face ultimately falls off as lips begin to form around its body. It makes an artificial sound.

"Frost Lips! I have a job for you in tomorrow's race."

The scene cuts back to Alistor and the party racing down the steep hills. Auroa and Maigashi enjoying themselves as Alistor struggle to keep up. After a few quick jumps and tricks, the three made it back down in one piece. Alistor was barely able to catch a breath as the two dragged him back up for more.

"But I don't want to do it again."

"Come on!" Auroa pulled.

A few hours later, the party chows down back by Bamboo's food truck. A line of customers is seen waiting. The day soon comes to an end as night falls. The party is seen warming up by a hot tub. Maigashi takes one last look at the roster before tomorrow's race.

"A total of twenty-one competing."

Bamboo is seen daydreaming about Brenda on the other end.

The very next morning, Bamboo and the party are seen down below with the audience. Maigashi is seen with the other contestants ready and geared up. A limo approaches the scene below as the audience loudly cheers. The door opens, revealing Brenda Turnpike making her way to the stage.

"Oh, Brenda!" Bamboo waved.

She gives a kiss in the air to the crowd. The party immediately gets overwhelmed by the excited crowd.

"Are you people serious?" Alistor grumbled.

"Guess they all love her." Auroa shrugged.

She makes her way to the lifts as the audience cheered on. Brenda takes her place with the contestants above as Maigashi takes one last glance at the competition. Ten Whoopers are seen hyped and ready while the other contestants remain focused.

"Best of luck to you all." She kissed.

The bell immediately sets off as the contestants began dashing off downhill. Maigashi rips hard through the snow for a head start. A few Whoopers are seen performing backflips behind as Brenda kept calm. The other contestants are seen getting distracted by the remaining Whoopers.

"Not bad, but no one can beat me when it comes to these icy slopes."

"What...?"

Maigashi was suddenly caught off guard for a brief moment as Brenda approached behind. Within seconds she easily glides her way past him.

"Oh no, you don't!"

Pressing his shins against the boots, he applied further pressure to pick up some speed. Two Whoopers, meanwhile, trips over an unfortunate contestant off course. Then, skidding out of control as he plows into three others below.

"Not far into the start, four of our twenty-one are down and out." The judge states as the crowd cheers below. "Our dear Brenda still got it."

Shellshock is seen among the judges behind the tables. Then, under his scarf, he quietly makes a call to signal the Whoopers above.

"As you order, general."

A Whooper is seen giving a signal to another colleague as they both closely approached Maigashi and Brenda from behind. One of them raises their sticks.

"What are these guys up to?" Maigashi suspiciously watched as Brenda kept her cool.

Without hesitation, the two Whoopers begin striking at them. Swinging their ski poles around as they were caught by surprise.

"Hey! That's against the rules." Brenda yelled.

The Whoopers continue the assault as Maigashi dodged their oncoming swings while keeping the balance.

"I've had it."

In a matter of seconds, their poles clasped together with the enemy. Using the sticks to counter back, Maigashi quickly pushed the two Whoopers off as they came stumbling downhill. Brenda kept focus as she continued the lead. A third Whooper suddenly jumps in from above to strike Brenda, but she quickly ducked. The third Whooper suddenly lost control in the air as it slammed into an oncoming tree.

"Man, she's good," Maigashi muttered.

Back from the audience below…

"Fourteen contestants remain, and Brenda is still growing strong." The judge announced. "YOU GO, GIRL!!!"

Shellshock makes another call from behind.

"Ready the second line." The general whispered.

The Whoopers above signal the fleet below. A vast hidden bunker emerges from the mountain. Positioned in place as one Whooper makes the call.

"Air fleet ready to fire. Commencing!"

Within moments missiles began shooting from below. Massive explosive fire commenced as sheets of snow began falling above. Three more contestants lose the will to continue on as they panicked from the pressure of an avalanche.

"This isn't good."

Four Whoopers suddenly surround the two as they began locking the targets in place. Maigashi quickly anticipates their move as he didn't hesitate to channel some lighting to stun the soldiers. A missile fires away as Maigashi and Brenda make a big jump out of the blast range. The four Whoopers are blown out of commission.

"Now, only seven remain in this race. So we're getting close to the final stretch." The judge further updated. "Brenda fights on!"

The crowd below continues to cheer on as Alistor did his best to cover his ears from the screaming crowd. Auroa remained calm while Bamboo continued to go with the flow. Finally, Shellshock begins to lose patience with his team.

"What's taking them so long? They're getting too close?"

Back above…

"Oh, give me a break." Maigashi objected. "Is Brenda the only one they care about? I'm still hanging on here. Hello?"

The avalanche comes to a stop as the contestants reached the final stretch of the race. Then, finally, the last three Whoopers begin planning something.

"Too close for missiles. Switch to the guns."

The bunker below begins to shift as the fleet replaced all the missiles with firepower. A Whooper gives off a smug look, but the grounds start to shake.

"What was that?" A Whooper confusedly asked.

In a matter of seconds, the entire course begins shifting. Walls and pillars of ice begin bursting right out in front of them. The remaining three Whoopers crash into the ice as the other two contestants lost their grounds from the sudden shift. Maigashi and Brenda maneuvers their way through the oncoming obstacles.

"Is this supposed to be a new twist?" Brenda wondered.

"No! I don't think this is even part of the race." Maigashi stuttered.

A massive explosion is then heard from behind. An avalanche is seen covering the entire bunker below. The audience below continues to cheer on for Brenda.

"My goodness! We're getting close, folks! The final two left, and they're just a mile away to the finish line."

Commander Shellshock is seen crushing his radio. Banging on the table as the crowd remains too focused to notice.

"My entire fleet! Those Whoopers!"

Vilevelious suddenly contacts the general from the other side. Shellshock answers.

"Well, I'm tired of waiting? Where is the energy?"

"It's coming! Bring forth the labyrinth."

Brenda continues to give her all as the speed picks up downhill. Determined and focused to win.

"I feel the need…The need for some speed." She muttered.

Then suddenly, the two came to a stop as the sky grew dark. A wall of ice caged Brenda and Maigashi from all sides. The audience below is lost, gazing at the sight of the labyrinth appearing before their eyes. The maze overshadows the entire resort within moments as Alistor and the party break from the crowd.

"We must find them right away," Alistor suggested.

"Oh dear, Brenda is in danger." Bamboo worried.

The party quickly heads off to find them both as Shellshock removes the scarf from his neck. The crowd begins to panic as the commander took flight.

"Frost Lips! You're up!"

Meanwhile, the two remain trapped within the layers of ice.

"Where are we?" Brenda asked.

"Trapped, no doubt," Maigashi said. "I could get us out, but it will take a while to channel enough force through these walls."

"Then get to it!" She yelled. "I don't want to spend the rest of my trip stuck alone in this cold."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" He sarcastically pestered.

"Ok! Ok! I didn't mean it in that sort of way." She elaborated. "Just get us out!"

As Maigashi was ready to get to work, a sudden quake was felt. She jumps back, holding his arm as it emerged from the snow.

"Is that a snowman?" She questioned.

The figure turns around, revealing a blank face. Lips begin to form across its body as it makes a screeching sound.

"I don't think it looks friendly."

She kept her grip tight on Maigashi as the monster begins moving its way towards them. Its mouths all open up, releasing a cold chilling breeze. The lips suddenly burst out to attack as Maigashi pulled her away from the danger. He cuts them down with an electrical dagger.

"Stay close."

More lips begin to form across the monster. The monster starts spraying an icy breath as lips continue to assault them. Chunks of ice plows into them as the monster suddenly make a jump.

"Brenda!"

He pushed her out of harm's way before the monster landed. Maigashi gets sent flying a few feet back from the impact.

"That's it!"

He quickly channeled lightning from his body. Maigashi then makes an attempt to impale the monster at close range. Frost Lips easily avoids his attack as the lips shielded it from any harm. His arm became encased in solid ice.

"What?"

"Hahaha! Having fun with my latest monster?"

Commander Shellshock arrives at the scene. Maigashi takes a few steps back as Brenda tries to break the ice off.

"So…it was you all this long."

"Yeah! I'm running the show here. And once I take all the energy, this resort will be the grounds for my new base."

The two are displeased with what he said.

"You scoundrel!" Brenda cried.

Without hesitation, Maigashi shatters the ice from his arm as he readies his weapon at the general. Chains suddenly wrapped onto his waist.

"What the hell?"

"I see you want to play? Have at it!"

Commander Shellshock begins twirling him around the air. Finally, slamming him into the walls as Brenda took cover. He then released Maigashi from his grasp to shift his attention towards her.

"And as for you. Frost Lips, take care of her."

The monster begins approaching as she lies helplessly on the icy floor.

"Oh, Noooooo!"

In a matter of seconds, the party came crashing in. Auroa shatters the wall from the flick of his wind whip.

"The party's here. Splendid!" The general jumped. "Now, we can destroy you all."

Frost Lip ignores their sudden appearance as it reached for Brenda. Opening its cold frosty lips as she continued to cry.

"I'll protect you!"

Bamboo intercepts the monster as it released an icy breath. Then, shielding Brenda from any harm, he suddenly became frozen as Shellshock laughs away.

"HAHA! So much for your friend. My monster will put you on ice."

Shellshock begins getting away. Maigashi suddenly regains consciousness as Brenda took cover behind Bamboo's frozen body. Alistor and Auroa huddled up by Maigashi to start quickly planning.

"We'll handle the monster from here." Auroa agreed. "Take care of the general."

"No problem!" Maigashi said. "I have a score to settle anyway."

He heads off on the general's trail without hesitation while Alistor and Auroa face off against Frost Lips. The monster speechlessly stares at them.

"Are you sure he'll be fine?" Alistor questioned.

"He'll be fine. He can handle himself." Auroa assured. "All that matters now is the opponent in front of us."

Meanwhile, Maigashi quickly caught up to the general.

"Let's see how you handle this."

Maigashi fires a round of electrical arrows at the general. The lightning gets completely nullified upon impact.

"What? But how?"

"Is that your best?" The commander pestered. "My defense greatly surpasses any of the monsters you've faced."

"Then I'll just have to try something else."

Maigashi got back up, rushing to the commander as lightning begins to channel across his arm. Taking Shellshock by surprise as he got close.

"If this does not work! Surging Thunder!"

His attack impacts the general at point-blank range. A burst of smoke commenced as he jumps back to witness the fireworks. The general emerges completely unharmed.

"No way!"

Maigashi gets rammed by Shellshocks back shell. Slammed through an icy wall as the commander taunts once more.

"Ha! Give it up! Your power alone is not enough. Thanks to my natural tank armor, my high caliber skin armor, and my hip chest armor, I can't take damage."

"How much freaking armor do you even need?" Maigashi irritably asked.

"Enough!" The commander assured." Now let's see you dodge my Comet Shots."

The general begin firing shots down below. Lasers rain down across the snow as Maigashi was forced to duck and roll.

"This is not good…."

Meanwhile, back at the other battle…

"No, Alistor!"

Alistor makes the first strike at Frost Lips with his blade. Impaling through its soft snowy body as he stood fazed for a moment.

"Huh?"

One of the monster's lips made a smile. The snow from the monster's body attempts to pull Alistor in. Alistor struggles to pull his sword out. Auroa quickly shot a blast of wind from the crack of his whip in the nick of time. Alistor stumbled back rapidly. Frost Lip's head began to spin as copies of itself surround them. Vanishing and constantly reappearing as it obscured Alistor's mind.

"What is this thing?"

"It seems we're dealing with an Ice Apparition," Auroa informed as he kept calm and focused.

"An Ice Apparition?" Alistor nervously repeated.

"Yes, remember our talk about awareness and perception? But, unfortunately, power alone won't be enough to stop this monster."

Brenda still remained behind the frozen body of Bamboo watching.

"Then how will we beat this?" He asked.

"We'll have to use our wits. It's attempting to confuse us, but remember, only one of them is the real target."

The monster began firing its lips once more. Ice cold lips scatter through the air as Auroa shattered the oncoming ones with his whip. Then, the lips began targeting a bunch of bystanders outside. Kissing the victims as one by one became encased in solid ice for the labyrinth. A horrifying sight for Alistor to witness.

"They're frozen?" He gulped.

The crowd continues to panic as energy leaves in the air. The labyrinth above continues to overshadow the entire resort.

"We can't let those lips touch us. So stay by my side Alistor."

Shifting back to the battle with Maigashi and Shellshock. The commander continues to fire his lasers at him. Raining down continuously as he was forced to take cover behind a wall of ice.

"Come on! This is getting old." Maigashi shouted.

The commander stops his firing for a split second. Then, taking a dive down as he breaks through the ice, Maigashi was taking cover behind.

"You were saying?"

"Me and my big mouth. Ugh!"

Maigashi takes a few steps back, regaining his ground as the commander took the air once again. Then, he fires two rounds of lightning arrows at the general once more.

"Ha! Didn't you learn from before?" Shellshock laughed. "Your attacks can't penetrate my armor. You don't have enough power."

Maigashi remained quiet for a brief second as the general attempts to fire his energy shots once more.

"Huh? What! My Comet Shots!"

The general's weapons were damaged.

"I was never aiming for you." Maigashi snickered. "I knew I didn't have the power to break through you, but your weapons are another story. With all that heavy gear, you're pretty much a flying tank in midair."

"Curses!"

"And what goes up must come down."

The general removes a thick layer of armor. Disposing of his guns as he revealed his proper form. Then, armed with a twin claw and double-edged arm blades, he makes a dash at Maigashi.

"I'm not through yet!"

"So, you show your true form."

Maigashi takes a jump back to gain some distance, but the commander took him by surprise. His body gets wrapped by his chest chains.

"My reach and grappling ability have improved, and as you can see, I still got a few tricks to show."

The general begins tossing him back and forth across the mounds of snow. Twirling him like a yo-yo before he had to use his dagger to break free. Maigashi suddenly barfs at a corner as he took a moment to catch his breath.

"Cough! I think I'm going to be sick if this keeps up."

The general continues on the offense as Maigashi used his dagger to clash. Thus, the two begin the battle in close combat.

Returning back to the battle with Frostlips…

"Auroa, Come on! We're sitting ducks." Alistor complained.

Auroa continues to shatter the oncoming lips as the two kept close.

"Patience! You must keep your eye on the real enemy at hand."

One of the copies begins to make the first slight move as Auroa quickly caught a glimpse of it. Without hesitation, he used his whip at full force, striking the monster. The monster gets sent back, exploding out snow as the fake copies dispersed.

"How did you know?" Alistor wondered.

"Persistence and enough patience," Auroa replied. "Don't celebrate yet; our battle isn't over."

Frost Lips quickly reforms as the grounds begin to shift. Pillars of ice form, bursting out as ice-cold stalagmites scatter. The two promptly dispersed, avoiding the sharp ice.

The monster begins opening all its mouths as a blizzard quickly brew. Focusing all attention on Alistor as the cold air and snow mixed. He was barely able to hold his ground.

"What do we do? I can't hold on much longer." Alistor shouted.

"It's no good. The monster has the home-field advantage. If only we had a source of heat somewhere."

"Well, can't you cast any fire?" He sarcastically asked.

Auroa stumbled for one brief moment.

"If I did, I would have done that a long time ago." He slapped. "I can't channel fire, but for your sake, we must find one. But where…"

Auroa thinks intensely as the monster continues to harass Alistor. Icicles begin to rain down, poking at him.

"Auroa? Come on! Hurry up already!"

The monster then unleashed a giant snowball forcing him to make a run.

"Of course!" Auroa snapped.

Auroa turns around and quickly shatters the oncoming snowball with one flick of his whip.

"So you got something?" Alistor asked.

"There is a fire pit back at the inn. Outside, in fact. Where all the couples sit and enjoy their hot chocolate."

"But that's a mile away."

"It's all we got. Come on! Let's move!"

The two begin making their leave to the inn as the monster gives chase. More bystanders are seen caught in Frost Lips' path. Frozen and encased in ice as the labyrinth feeds.

"Such horror…"

Back with Maigashi, his clash comes close as he disarms the general, breaking his twin claws. Shellshock takes a hard hit to the chest.

"Gah! Lucky shot." The general grumbled.

An electrical surge cracks through the general's chest.

"It seems I found your weak spot." Maigashi pointed. "With that armor gone, you're pretty much through."

"Don't count me out yet."

Shellshock takes to the air once more, but Maigashi fires his arrows piercing through the general's body. Smoke and sparks commenced in the air.

"Heh...and you were saying?" Maigashi mocked.

The general was shrouded within layers of ice and rocks.

"Wait a minute. What?"

Shellshock emerged unharmed.

"My optical sensors attract matter, and it can condense into a shield." The general informed. "Not only does this excel my defense, but I can use it offensively. Have at it!"

Ice and rocks begin dispersing down at Maigashi. He takes further damage as he's forced on the defensive once again. Taking cover behind a wall of ice.

"Ha, haha! Nothing you can do to stop me now."

The general takes a dive down once more.

"Not this again." Maigashi jumped.

He emerged right out of cover to fire a shot at the general. Shellshock's sensors quickly react, pulling in whatever matter was around. Maigashi then jumps out, getting himself pulled close to the general. Then, channeling the power around his body, he readies his final attack.

"Wait, what?" Shellshock stumbled.

Maigashi got close, sending a charged punch in the general's face.

"Surging Thunder!"

The general gets sent crashing down on the ice, leaving a huge hole. Badly damaged, Shellshock emerged as Maigashi collapse over. Both are completely worn out with barely any energy to spare.

"Come on!" Maigashi panted. "Let's call it a day. You got nothing left. We both played our best hands."

The general pounded in rage.

"A tie? No! But how? You had less power."

"Power was never a factor," Maigashi stated as he took his stand. "True, you had the advantage, but I simply used my wits. Nothing special, really. Just some common sense and perception to weather this storm."

"Perception? NO! I can't accept this." The general objected.

"Oh, come on! I'm tired." Maigashi wailed.

"Failure is not an option."

The general then takes one final look at the labyrinth above.

"Vile, my lord….I did my best. That new base would have been nice, but I can still go with a bang."

Shellshock got right back up, taking charge.

"Huh? What are you up to now?"

"What I should have done first."

The general catches him off once again with his chest chains. Maigashi easily dodges the first as it backfires on the general, but the second chain is wrapped across his waist. Commander Shellshock begins taking flight.

"We're taking this fight in the air."

The two deploy high up in the air.

Meanwhile, returning back to the scene with Alistor and Auroa. The two made their way to the inn's entrance. Couples are seen dispersed from the chaos as Frost Lips continue to freeze countless victims. Alistor made his way to the fire as Auroa stalled the monster.

"Now!" Auroa signaled.

Alistor knocks over the pit as Auroa lures the monster to the flames. Casting a heavy gust of air, the fire quickly spreads while Frost Lips struggle. The two suddenly hear a sound jetting through the air.

"Hey! It's them." Alistor pointed.

They watch Maigashi and Shellshock zip through the air, battling. Frost Lips attempts to move out from the flames, but the two kept it at bay.

"If I go down, I'm taking you with me." Shellshock laughed.

The two continue to struggle in the air as Maigashi attempts to break free. But then, he suddenly catches a glimpse of Alistor and the rest down below.

"I must think of something fast." Maigashi thought.

The Jet pack quickly catches his eye as he pulled himself up Shellshock's back.

"Hey? What are you doing? Get off!"

"It's now or never."

Without hesitation, Maigashi takes a stab at the commander's Jet pack. Short-circuiting as Shellshock slowly lost control. The two began to descend down at high speed as he broke free from the chains.

"Now to the finish line."

Using the general's chain, he made his way to Alistor's position with the monster. General Shellshock attempts to shake him off but was too trapped by his own chains.

"And this is my stop."

"Whoah, Noooooo!!!"

Maigashi jumps right off as Alistor and Auroa moved out of the way. Commander Shellshock came crashing into the fire pit where Frost Lips was. A big double explosion commenced outside.

From the flames, two objects caught their eye. The glint from the fragment of a mirror and a red gem glowing. Maigashi goes to retrieve them.

"What is this?" Maigashi asked.

The second mirror piece and a red gem were obtained.

"That's the second shard of the mirror," Alistor said.

"And this red gem would happen to be Shellshocks essence, correct?"

The labyrinth above the resort immediately vanished as Frost Lips' power over the frozen victims wore off.

"And that's a wrap." Auroa sighed.

A while later, Bamboo was seen warming off with the rest by the fire. Brenda was by his side, flattered as he brags about his restaurant. But then, a disappointing feeling was in store for everyone as the committee made a sudden announcement.

"Due to certain circumstances. There will be no declared winner of this year's race. We hope you all had a good time, so enjoy the rest of your stay."

"What? You mean that didn't count." Maigashi objected. "I totally crossed that finish line."

"Yeah, on that general, of course." Alistor pestered. "You completely ditched your gear during that fight. You could have won if you still had it on?"

"Don't get smart with me."

Maigashi got him pinned down to a chokehold.

"Yow! Let me go!"

"If it wasn't for me, that general would have had your head already."

"Well, there's always next year." Auroa giggled.

The two stopped fighting.

"Sigh…I think one week is enough for this Snow Business." Maigashi cared less. "I'm retired for good. I'll just take this complimentary box of hot chocolate and call it a trip."

The scene ends with the party gazing into the bright moonlight.