Cold Interference: The Risk of Potential

Snow fell without end inside the barrier.

There was no sky above them, only a thick gray ceiling of clouds turning slowly, like the world had been sealed shut. The snow came down heavy and steady, covering the ground, the trees, and anything that stayed still for too long.

The forest felt wrong. Too quiet. Too still. The wind moved through the branches, but the sound faded almost as soon as it started.

Itaka stood in the clearing with her shoulders tense, staring at the ribbon tied around her wrist.It looked harmless. Just a thin red ribbon, tied neatly like a gift. But something about it felt off. Snow touched it and vanished instead of melting. The surface shimmered faintly, like it had a pulse.

Her fingers curled slightly.

The other end stretched across the clearing to Zhenyu.He had both hands wrapped around it, leaning back as he pulled. “This is ridiculous,” he muttered, digging his foot into the snow and yanking harder.

Nothing happened.

The ribbon didn’t move at all.Zhenyu let go and fell backward into the snow, letting out a frustrated groan before sitting up and brushing himself off.Itaka sighed. “You’re not even trying properly.”

“I am trying properly,” he shot back, clearly annoyed. “This thing just won’t move.”

He grabbed it again and pulled. Still nothing. Snow settled into his hair while he glared at the ribbon like it had personally offended him.

“You know,” he said after a moment, “this trip was supposed to be easy.”

Itaka crossed her arms. “You say that like we planned this.”

“I’m serious,” Zhenyu said, getting to his feet and stretching his back. “We go north, pass through the forest, and reach the Crime Flats by tonight. That was it.”

He gestured around them.“Instead we’re stuck in here, tied together like idiots.”Itaka studied him for a moment. “You fight like someone who’s been doing this for years.”

Zhenyu paused, then let out a quiet laugh. “That’s flattering.”

He held up four fingers. “But I’ve only been Tatsuchi’s Vice Captain for four months.”Itaka blinked. “Four?”“I know.”He glanced around at the silent forest, his expression tightening just a bit. “So if I look like I’m making things up as I go, it’s because I am. No one trained me for this kind of stuff.”That earned a small smile from her. “You don’t act new.”

Zhenyu shrugged. “Guess I fake it well.”

Itaka tilted her head slightly. “So why did you join the Guards?” Zhenyu looked at her, like he was actually considering answering.The wind shifted through the trees. Snow rolled across the clearing in a slow wave.Then a voice cut in from behind them.

"…Wow.”

A quiet laugh followed.Both of them turned.A figure stepped out from the trees as if the storm had pushed him forward.

Brass walked into the clearing with an easy, relaxed posture. His shirt was gone, leaving his chest bare to the cold, while a loose kimono hung from his shoulders and moved with the wind. Snow touched his skin and disappeared almost instantly.

He looked completely at ease, like the blizzard didn’t matter.

Brass glanced between them and smiled. “Well this is depressing.”

He raised his revolver lazily. “Did your friend run off while you two were busy talking?”Zhenyu slowly stood. Itaka’s eyes narrowed.Brass lifted both hands.The red ribbons around their wrists led straight to him, tied neatly around his own.When Itaka tried to pull away, the ribbon tightened immediately.Brass clicked his tongue. “Ah, ah, ah.” He wagged a finger at her like a disappointed teacher. “That’s rude.” Then he cracked his knuckles. A strange energy spread across his hands. Zhenyu noticed it immediately. “…That’s not your Zyn energy colour.” Normally Brass’s energy glowed a sharp glacial blue. This was something else entirely. The energy coating his hands was a pale black color, soft and fluid, like ink spreading through water. Brass looked down at it himself and raised an eyebrow.
“Huh.”
Then he grinned. “You know what Zyn energy is, right?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “It’s positive energy.” He tapped his chest. “Since It comes from the soul.” Then he raised two fingers. “But my boss figured out something interesting.” His grin widened. “If you multiply a positive by itself” The black energy thickened. “It hollowfies against the positive, and turns into something else.” He pointed at them. “A Negative Point.”
The wind pushed harder through the clearing. “A point only people endowed with Chaos can achieve.” 

The wind picked up.

Before either of them could react, Brass yanked the ribbon.

Itaka was pulled off her feet and dragged through the air straight toward him. She didn’t even have time to brace herself before his fist slammed into her jaw.

The crack echoed through the clearing.Her body twisted with the impact before she was thrown across the snow, tumbling hard before finally stopping. Zhenyu froze, eyes wide.

Brass’s arm bent at a wrong angle for a moment, the bone clearly broken beneath the skin. Then it shifted back into place, the black energy pulsing as something like stitching formed and disappeared just as quickly. 

He brushed snow off his shoulder like nothing had happened.Itaka pushed herself up, shaking. Blood filled her mouth, her jaw felt broken, and every breath hurt. Still, she kept her eyes on him.Brass didn’t seem impressed.He reached toward Zhenyu.The air changed. It pressed in from all sides, heavy and suffocating.Zhenyu tensed.Brass snapped his fingers.Zhenyu vanished.Gone, like the space around him had folded and swallowed him whole.Brass let out a quiet chuckle. “Shizukana Yobi.”

He tapped the air lightly. “I fold space. Turn three dimensions into two. Create rooms you can’t see or hear.”

The snow around them trembled faintly.“I can store movement, sound, even impact… and release it whenever I want.”He snapped his fingers again, and the ground seemed to shiver.Itaka forced herself upright, her body shaking from both pain and anger. “What did you do to Asumi?”Brass tilted his head, like he was thinking about how to answer.Then he laughed.

“Asumi?” he said, almost amused. “That sweet girl?” He shook his head slowly, smiling. “I killed her.”

Itaka froze. Her chest tightened. Her breath caught in her throat.

“No…”

Brass’s smile sharpened. “Tore her apart.”He glanced at the falling snow. “She had nice hair though.” He laughed again, louder this time. Something inside Itaka broke.Her hands trembled, and the ribbon around her wrist tightened slightly, like it was feeding off her fear.

The snow grew heavier.

Brass lifted his eyes and closed them, his voice lowering into a quiet prayer.The storm answered.The snowfall thickened instantly, the air growing heavy as shapes moved faintly within the fog.He raised his sword.

“Yuki-onna Requiem.”

The blizzard sharpened, cutting at the skin and choking the air. He swung. Steel rang out against something unseen. Brass paused and looked down.

Tatsuchi stood there.

Her outfit had changed into shrine maiden robes. One eye glowed red, the other purple. White feathers traced along her arm, and the kanji on her back burned faintly through the storm. Brass stepped back before he realized it. “…Is he here?” Tatsuchi didn’t answer.

She moved first. Her blade cut through the snow and collided with his, sparks flashing through the storm.Brass fired.

She twisted aside, the shot grazing past her as flames ignited along her blade.

She stepped in and struck.The blade passed straight through his chest.He broke apart into snow.Gone.

He reappeared behind her.

The world warped instantly. The ground twisted, space folding in on itself as everything flattened and shifted.Tatsuchi adjusted without hesitation, cutting, stepping, and turning as she tested the space around her.

Every move she made met resistance.

Every step was answered.Brass spoke calmly as he moved. “In a fight like this, you don’t think. You move.”He snapped his fingers, and space folded again.

Tatsuchi slid back, eyes sharp. “I can read you.” She cut through a section of folded space. It collapsed, but not the way she expected.

Brass smiled. “Not enough.”He snapped again, tightening the space around her.

She twisted free at the last second, her blade burning brighter.bHe watched closely now.  

She was changing. Her movements were cleaner, sharper, faster. The fight blurred into motion, snow and fire mixing as their blades clashed again and again. “Llama Desgarradora.”

Her blade flared. Brass vanished.

The barrier around them cracked, then shattered. The world snapped back into place.The air cleared. The snow settled.Zhenyu and Asumi lay nearby, unconscious and half-buried. Brass raised his hand again.

“Shikkoku no Ketsugan.”

Everything stopped. His arm froze mid-motion. His body locked in place. Tatsuchi stood there, breathing hard, faint markings lingering around her like invisible chains. She smirked. “You talk too much.”

Brass stared at her for a moment, then laughed, low and sharp.

“Not bad.” His expression hardened. “But I’m not losing here.”

His muscles tensed, then tore as he forced his arm free. Blood split and stretched unnaturally before snapping back into place. A new hand formed almost instantly.

He stepped forward. “That’s only how losers think.” Then he paused. Something felt off. Her energy had changed. He snapped his fingers.The force hit her like a wall.

She was thrown across the ground, leaving a trail of blood behind her. She pushed herself up, barely holding on. Her outfit faded, her hair falling loose, her body shaking. But she kept moving. Step by step. Brass watched her, then let out a slow breath. “Oh, you’re still coming?”

She tightened her grip on her sword.

“I can’t beat you… without getting closer.”Brass smiled. “Then come as close as you'd like, princess.”

A hooded girl appeared between them.

She moved without hesitation, grabbing a kunai and throwing another straight at Brass. He vanished and reappeared several feet back, snow bursting around him as he landed. His expression darkened.

“Mosa Saint,” he said, irritation clear in his voice. “What the hell did I tell you about interrupting me?”

Mosa didn’t even look at him. Her gaze stayed on Tatsuchi, then shifted back. She let out a quiet breath.

“It’s time to go.”