Dungeon of Niflheim

"We're here." Announced Khione in an annoyed grunt.

"Hmm." Frost innocently followed Khione into a large, open room covered from end to end in thick blocks of ice.

The design was simple, similar to the training room back in the Dungeon, a lot colder though. Frost found himself shivering, his breath freezing into a solid vapour with every exhale.

"Is it just me or have you gotten even angrier since we left the throne room." He asked curiously, thinking that after hitting her father twice and even threatening him she would have calmed down somewhat.

"It's just you!" Harshly replied Khione through a forced smile and gritted teeth. She would never admit that her anger stemmed from him being respectful with his gaze rather than perverted.

In response Frost shrugged his shoulders, even after all his experiences, women were still a mystery, especially one as naturally volatile as Khione.

Khione found his reaction quite infuriating, her hands naturally balling into tight fists. She wanted nothing more than to squash this annoyingly handsome weakling but knew that doing so would make her appear irrational and leave her open to punishment from her father.

"Stand over there." She ordered, pointing to the centre of the training room.

"It's quite spacious and… simple." Frost remarked comparing the place to his own training facilities.

"What got a problem with it being simple?" Khione quickly snapped.

"Not at all, in fact I prefer it that way. Less distractions to impede one's focus." Apart from the occasional ice dummy, weapon rack and weights of some kind the rest of the place was completely bare, at least on the surface level.

"….." Khione didn't reply but internally she appreciated his opinion. A training room didn't need to be flashy to be effective.

Once Frost was in position she walked to the opposing side and started examining him from head to toe, her gaze occasionally lingering on certain parts of his body.

"See something you like?" He teased knowing full well that her examination held no untoward intentions.

"In fact yeah, you're sturdier than I imagined. You'll make a fine punching bag." Her knuckles loudly cracked as she 'gently' tapped his abdomen.

"Urgh!" Frost let out a painful grunt, Khione's little 'tap' was akin to one of his half strength blows. Not something so easily endured.

"When you were born what was your strength?" The more she inspected Frost's body the more intrigued she became. His physique was almost perfect, strong, flexible and quite durable considering his mere B-rank strength.

"Peak of D, why?"

"You managed to reach mid B-rank from peak D in less than eighteen months?" Khione's brow instinctively rose upon hearing his answer. Such a speed more than qualified him being called a genius.

"Were you born with any innate skills and or preset knowledge?" Her elder sister Masana who was conceived as an adult already had adept mastery of two weapons, knowledge of 4th circle ice spells and a substantial amount of worldly knowledge making her ascension to A-rank relatively quick.

She was curious to know how much of a genius Frost truly was, to see if he really was comparable to herself, a prodigy who had achieved B-rank before her body finished puberty.

Frost thought back to where he began, the day he met his beautiful Fenrir lover. He was so naïve, innocent and lacking in confidence back then.

He remembered accidently groping Maya's chest and couldn't help but smile in a slightly lewd manner. An action which angered Khione who was patiently waiting for his answer.

"Well?" She asked impatiently, readying her fist for another 'tap'.

Frost was quickly brought out of his nostalgia, instinctively fearful towards that fist of hers.

"Apart from having some level of common knowledge and an innate connection to the ice element I started from scratch. No known spells, no skills and no idea how to wield a weapon hell I didn't even know what mana was until my Guardian explained it." He was akin to a blank book, filled with potential but otherwise empty.

"Nothing!" Khione struggled to believe him; such progress rivalled perhaps even surpassed her own. At his current rate Frost may reach A-rank within another year and the peak where she currently stood perhaps in another three. His rate of development was frightening, genius was no longer an apt description, prodigy or rather monster would be better.

"Yeah, I was pretty weak during the first few months of my life. I'd be dead for sure if it wasn't for my Guardian's lessons and devoted protection." Frost remembered the bandits that chased Leo and Luna into the Dungeon and the difficulty he had in dealing with such weaklings. Back then he had to rely on the aid of a polar bear, an average D-rank monster which was the strongest one he could summon just to survive the ordeal.

Khione took a step back and looked at Frost with a fresh outlook, one that was unbiased towards his current weakness.

"That's…impressive." She couldn't deny his capability after hearing of how he began.

"Is that compliment I hear from you Khione." Frost exaggeratedly shivered in response earning him a sudden punch to the gut.

"Ow." Frost buckled from the sudden blow quickly falling to his knees and coughing.

"You're still weak, and not a match for me, Frost." Though she spoke in such a manner, the fact that she used his name instead of weakling or pretty boy meant she held some level of respect for him. She recognised his potential.

"You said you had a Guardian?" Khione asked knowing a little about the position. One of her elder brothers was even offered a place but turned it down due to a lack of interest. When Dark started searching for volunteers she was too young, too weak and too lacking in worldly knowledge to be considered a viable candidate and thus held a small regret. Curious to know who helped raise someone like Frost to his current level in such a short time.

"….." Frost coughed a little more before standing back up, his eyes filled with accusation as he looked at Khione's face. A look she wantonly ignored.

"Yes my Guardian…." Images of Maya, his lover, his teacher, his protector and his friend filled his mind, he missed her touch, her smell and her presence by his side. "Though she's much more than my Guardian now." Frost smiled playfully. "Her name is Maya, a young Fenrir woman with S-rank strength. She taught me how to survive Nova, protected me, educated me about the world and has been by my side since the beginning. We experienced much together and now I can't imagine a life without her." Frost spoke from his heart, his tone filled with affection and longing.

For some reason Khione felt a little uncomfortable when she heard Frost speak of Maya with such love and affection. She shook her head and attributed her discomfort to the pain of being single. It was natural to feel annoyed when seeing another in blissful happiness when you had no one.

Yes that must be it.

"…Wait, did you say Maya?" Khione latched onto the name as a few vague memories surfaced within her mind.

"Yeah, Maya of the Fenrir tribe, do you know her?" Frost asked with obvious excitement, keen to interact with people who knew his lover personally. As the only 'friend' of hers that he'd met so far was Izuna, his brother Indra's Guardian.

"Not personally but I have heard tales of a Fenrir with the same name. The youngest in her family, a prodigy among her kind and well known to have a rather violent temperament hehehe." Khione held a great deal of respect for Maya, her situation being similar to her own.

"Aha yeah they're probably one in the same" Said Frost with an awkward smile, remembering his lover's more aggressive outbursts.

Even after interacting with him and the two children Maya was still prone to a short fuse, especially with strangers and those she considered potential enemies.

Recollecting these traits of hers Frost once again looked over Khione and found several similarities between the two women.

"So she became a Guardian." One of Khione's long time wishes was to interact with peers on her level, individuals like Maya and Izuna but unfortunately she was a tad too young and inexperienced. Her life being primarily restricted to the realm of Niflheim.

"…..Wait you're not telling me you're dating that Maya, the crazy Princess of wolves, a woman who has long entered the S-rank!" Shocked by what she just heard Khione firmly grabbed hold of Frost's shoulders, shaking him roughly as she demanded an answer.

"First off ow and second I don't see how that's any of your business Khione." Answered Frost as he tried to remove her large hand clamps from his shoulders. He failed however, Khione refused to budge and even increased her grip strength causing his upper lip to twitch from the pain.

"Alright, I'll tell you just soften your grip." Frost uttered under duress, his shoulders nearly breaking from the force.

'This Khione really is a brute.' He wanted to slap himself for ever finding her even remotely cute.

Unwilling to believe that a woman that she respected could ever lower herself to date the weakling before her Khione demanded an answer, needing to hear the truth from the horse's mouth before she'd be satisfied.

"Yes, Maya my former Guardian, a Fenrir who reached the S-rank is my girlfriend, my significant other, my partner, my lover and the future bearer of my children does that answer your question Khione?"