Chapter 40: The Trial of Snow Sky-Dog: Confronting the Shadows

Snow Sky-Dog entered the "challenge room," venturing deep into its inner space strangely before him stretched a vast expanse seemingly endless! Ahead lay the majestic snow-capped mountain where he was born. He continued to walk until he came upon a familiar scene. He stopped, refusing to move further, and gazed at this familiar sight. How nostalgic! It was here that he was born. It was here that he became a creature half-god, half-youkai. Suddenly, something pierced his heart with pain. Before him, a scene unfolded that he had long tried to forget but could never erase from his memory! Kurogami Masayuki, Mizuchi Haruka, and all the other deities at the academy were unaware that this scene tormented his spirit in every dream, every nightfall. Kurogami Masayuki and Mizuchi Haruka only knew a Snow Sky-Dog strong and majestic persona shielded from the greatest fear that haunted him. A wounded snow wolf, bleeding profusely, ran towards a giant rock. A large tiger pursued it. The tiger approached the giant rock. It cornered the wounded snow wolf, leaving it no escape. Despite its severe injuries, the snow wolf bravely lunged at the large tiger. The tiger retaliated. Both wild beasts engaged in a fierce battle. After a frenzy of biting and tearing, the tiger, wounded in its right leg, retreated, leaving the snow wolf exhausted beside the giant rock. Sometime later, the snow wolf died, its soul merging into the giant rock, which transformed into a wolf-shaped stone.

"No! Could you not show me these images anymore? I've tried to forget these memories for so long!" Snow Sky-Dog exclaimed in fear. He clutched his head with both hands in panic, then fell to his knees on the snow-covered ground.

"But I don't want you to forget! I want you to remember these memories forever! I want to torment your psyche forever," a voice replied.

"Who's speaking? Who?" Snow Sky-Dog stood up and shouted.

"It's me! I am your greatest fear! If you want to pass the challenge in this room, you must defeat me, overcome me, rise above me, and even surpass me significantly in your mental race. You must defeat me!"

"No, I don't want that! Change the challenge, please!" Snow Sky-Dog pleaded desperately, now looking as pitiful as a beaten puppy. He was no longer the Snow Sky-Dog of his usual peak manly prowess!

"This is the challenge for you! There will be no change. Come on, Snow Sky-Dog, strong, confident, full of the allure of a gentleman!"

"I surrender, please spare me!" Snow Sky-Dog said in extreme fear.

"If that's the case, Mizuchi Haruka and Seraphina Frostwind will be ruthlessly trampled by the wretched Ryujin Tetsu. Ryujin Tetsu will torture those beautiful and beloved girls like a swarm of maggots destroying beautiful and fragrant flowers! What do you think about that, cowardly Snow Sky-Dog?"

"No! I don't want that! I don't want that! That won't happen, never!" Snow Sky-Dog clenched his fists, holding a bunch of white snow, which he crushed while showing determination.

"Then stand up and fight me! Be strong, Snow Sky-Dog!"

"No, please spare me! I can fight anyone, except you!"

"How cowardly you are, Snow Sky-Dog! Let me see what you said, the philosophy you hold dear: 'In life, as in the art of war if one does not control the rhythm, one is merely an amateur. A master must know when to attack and when to retreat.' So, Snow Sky-Dog, should you attack or retreat now?"

"Now I should attack you, but I can't!"

"Then you are nothing but a coward! You don't deserve the pure and sincere love of Mizuchi Haruka and Seraphina Frostwind! You don't deserve a good friend like Kurogami Masayuki! You don't deserve to be the direct disciple of your master! You don't even deserve to be born! Behind an extremely righteous and philosophical ideology is the disguise of the greatest fear of a coward like a lost puppy! Isn't that right, Snow Sky-Dog?"

"I... don't deserve to be born? Don't deserve to be the disciple of my master? Don't deserve to be friends with Kurogami Masayuki? My love for Mizuchi Haruka and Seraphina Frostwind, I don't deserve that love. Mizuchi Haruka! Seraphina Frostwind! Seraphina Frostwind! Seraphina Frostwind! Shut up, wretched one, you are a wretched one, that's enough!" Snow Sky-Dog roared loudly and angrily.

"So what will you do now, Snow Sky-Dog?"

"I will fight you, no matter who you are!" Snow Sky-Dog glared, fixing his eyes on his greatest fear - a tiger of immense size.

"Good! Very good!" The tiger roared and lunged to attack Snow Sky-Dog. Snow Sky-Dog transformed into his true form, a snow wolf, and lunged to bite the tiger.

The tiger, with its imposing power and terrifying strength, charged at Snow Sky-Dog with incredible speed. Snow Sky-Dog, without hesitation, transformed into a large snow wolf, with smooth fur and eyes shining like the moon. The two wild beasts clashed, battling fiercely between white and orange, between ice and blazing fire.

The sound of tearing and growling echoed over the snow-covered ground. Snow Sky-Dog and the tiger whirled in a fierce confrontation, each blow reflecting their determination and their desire for victory. With each bite, bursts of fresh red blood sprayed, painting the red-and-white picture of the life-and-death struggle between two ruthless natural forces.

Despite being severely injured, Snow Sky-Dog did not give up. He fought not only for his own life but also for the love and protection of those he cherished. His strength, from determination and courage, erupted like a blazing fire amid a snowstorm.

Finally, after a fierce and intense battle, Snow Sky-Dog emerged victorious. The tiger, the embodiment of his greatest fear, lay motionless on the snow, a horrifying picture of failure and defeat. Snow Sky-Dog, though still in pain from the wounds, embraced victory with joy and pride.

In triumph, he looked up at the sky, under the bright moonlight shining down on the snow-covered ground. A smile of happiness spread across the face of Snow Sky-Dog, for he had proven his courage and determination, overcoming the most daunting challenge in the challenge room.

"Well done! You truly deserve the magical power from the magic item named 'The Eternal Hammer,'" a man approached Snow Sky-Dog.

"Who are you?"

"I am the Dark Judge of Hell, the deity ruling the world in this room. Snow Sky-Dog, well done! Now, what reward do you want me to give you?"

"I want a second special power, a power that can harm and defeat Ryujin Tetsu!"

"What specific power is that? You make your request, and I will grant it, whatever it may be!"

"The power is fire! Fire is the force that counters the steel might of Ryujin Tetsu! Indeed, I desire my second unique magical power to be the element of 'fire'," Snow Sky-Dog declared.

"Very well! That's easy!" The Dark Judge of Hell snapped his fingers, and Snow Sky-Dog transformed into a deity with the following form: the left half of his body, from head to toe, was ice, while the right half, from head to toe, blazed with intense flames.

"Thank you, Dark Judge of Hell. Now I have a second form, no longer Snow Sky-Dog, but The Ice Fire Celestial Canine.

In the moment of triumph, The Ice Fire Celestial Canine felt a powerful resolve coursing through every part of his new form. White snow and blazing flames stood shoulder to shoulder, creating a majestic image of miraculous strength. The moonlight cast its glow through the layers of snow, accentuating the eerie beauty of the deity born from the challenges of the trial room.

Yet, amidst the longing for newfound power, within The Ice Fire Celestial Canine's heart lay an oath, a duty he could not forget. Ryujin Tetsu, the despicable one who would bring tragedy upon his beloveds, still lurked in the shadows.

With his newfound strength, The Ice Fire Celestial Canine vowed to become the ultimate protector for those he cherished, ready to face any challenge. Under the cold moonlight, he decided to leave the trial room, embracing a new journey filled with danger and adversity ahead.

The story of The Ice Fire Celestial Canine does not end here but marks just a new chapter in his journey, where he will confront many difficulties and perils to safeguard the world and his love."