"This fog really is thick."
After walking around the Scarlet Devil Mansion grounds, Kars arrived near the Misty Lake. He looked at the thick white mist enveloping everything, severely limiting visibility.
Walking a short distance to the lakeshore, Kars noticed something peculiar on the ground: frogs frozen solid in blocks of ice. This strange sight sparked his curiosity.
"Ice blocks here in the middle of summer? Did someone make these?"
While Kars was still wondering, sounds emerged from the white fog—a cheerful, lively girl and a quiet, gentle girl exchanging words.
The voices grew clearer, and Kars could soon make out the figures approaching him: two young girls. One had blue hair and icy wings on her back; the other had greenish-blue braided hair and a pair of wings that immediately identified her as a fairy.
"Cirno-chan! Let's not do this! He looks really strong!"
"No problem! My power is definitely enough to make that guy tremble!"
Kars watched the two girls appear before him, recognizing them as fairies. He was puzzled as to why the girl named Cirno had come up to him.
"You're the one from that mansion that suddenly appeared next to the Misty Lake, right!" Cirno looked at Kars with a spirited, challenging expression. She had always been very curious about the manor, but the very sleepy gate guard had prevented her from getting close. Now, seeing Kars emerge from it, she immediately rushed over.
"Cirno-chan… he really looks like trouble. Let's just leave." The Great Fairy looked at Kars's muscular physique, which gave her a great sense of intimidation.
"I said it's no problem! You're the one who always hides! Now, let the great Cirno defeat you!"
"Defeat me? Why?" Kars was confused by the sudden challenge. He hadn't provoked her, had he? And why was this fairy so incredibly aggressive?
"Take this! Ice Sign 'Icicle Fall'!"
Cirno didn't wait for an answer, launching her attack immediately. Hearing her cue, Kars instinctively raised his hands to shield himself. A chilling gust of snow and wind swept past. All Kars felt was a refreshing coolness and the rapid cooling of his sun-warmed skin.
Other than that, Kars felt nothing.
It was clear that this fairy named Cirno, despite her aggression, completely lacked any corresponding strength.
"How was that? If you surrender now, the great Cirno might spare you."
And she seemed utterly oblivious to her own lack of impact. This fairy, however, was quite suitable as a cooling tool for his outdoor activities! With Cirno around, he wouldn't have to worry about the heat issues that came with prolonged sun exposure.
"I've decided! You shall be my personal fairy maid for my home!"
"Are you suggesting the great Cirno would lose to you!" This statement clearly angered Cirno, who took it as Kars saying she couldn't defeat him.
"Then how about this attack! Freeze Sign 'Perfect Freeze'!"
An even more intense cold blast erupted. But before Kars could feel anything, he saw the fairy girl who had been following Cirno—the Great Fairy—instantly encased in a block of ice.
This stunned not only Kars but also Cirno herself, who stared blankly at the Great Fairy frozen in the ice block, looking distressed.
It was evident that Cirno was not only weak but also prone to friendly fire. Perhaps teaming up with her meant getting frozen by your own teammate before the enemy could even land a blow.
Kars walked forward. Cirno, seeing him approach, immediately assumed a fighting stance.
"Are you going to attack now? Then come on! The great Cirno will take on any attack you throw at me!"
Ignoring her bravado, Kars simply reached out and tapped her forehead, making her clutch her head and squat down on the ground.
"Ow… that hurts! How can there be an attack that even the strongest me can't defend against!"
Kars reached the frozen Great Fairy, shattered the ice block, and freed her. She looked at Kars nervously for a moment. Once she was sure he wouldn't harm her, she mustered her courage and spoke.
"Um… could you please let Cirno-chan go? She doesn't mean any harm. She just really likes to fight, so she didn't mean to bother you. Please don't take her away." Despite her fear, the Great Fairy pleaded with Kars not to take Cirno.
From this, Kars could see the deep affection between the two. Even after being accidentally frozen, the Great Fairy was still worried about Cirno.
"Great Fairy, what are you saying! I haven't surrendered yet! I have to say, you're the most impressive opponent I've ever met! This must be what they call a worthy rival!" Cirno, recovering from the head-tap, first refuted the Great Fairy's statement, then focused her gaze intently on Kars, seemingly placing him on equal footing with herself.
"The strongest in Gensokyo approves of you! You can tell me your name, my rival! (｡ì _ í｡)"
Great Fairy: Please stop saying strange things, Cirno-chan! (QAQ)
"It must be hard taking care of her, isn't it?"
Looking at Cirno, who was so earnestly making these declarations, Kars felt that being her companion, caring for and looking after her, must be exhausting. After all, a fairy with such a boastful and battle-hungry personality was quite an anomaly; most fairies were just mischievous.
Kars felt that accompanying such a companion would be tiring.
However, the thoughtful Kars completely failed to realize how similar his own situation was to Cirno's—they were both strange anomalies within their respective species, and both caused others to worry about their peculiar behavior.
Perhaps this was why Cirno felt Kars was a "worthy rival;" the two might share an unspoken common ground.