Kusamonogatari

Volume 1 Chapter 7

Chapter 7:Traditions

We reached the military base of the snowy mountain range and switched our gear to bear the cold. It took me days to be convinced that Pekora left without a word. There is a blizzard going on the mountain. Calli briefed me before we started climbing it.

"From here onwards we travel by foot, we will not be travelling on the supply route but on the challenger path." [Calliope]

"But he's still a child! " [Miko]

"What's the challenger path?" [Edge]

"You see where that bendy supply route ends? From that spot, we go straight upwards and that will land us right at the vault. " [Miko]

It all sounded crazy, from that point onwards there was a steep incline of 100 degrees and I don't think I can scale it with my strength.

"Why can't we take the supply route? What's the reason?" [Edge]

"So you could be acknowledged" [Calliope]

"By who?" [Edge]

"It's tradition, I'll tell you along the way. Believe in yourself, if you make it through you can gain a lot from it." [Calliope]

I want to trust her, but the feat itself seems suicidal. I turned to Miko even though she might be in cahoots with Calli.

"I wouldn't say this normally, but you have me and also Calli, we should do fine. Besides there are resting spots for the climbers to rest." [Miko]

Miko seems convincing enough, it seems that there is no room for negotiations for me to avoid this.

"Okay, how many days will it take?" [Edge]

"Just 3, we set our camp on the base of the mountain and climb it when the weather gets better." [Calliope]

For 2 days we waited for the weather to get clear, I was anxious of the inevitable. I started to doubt my own decision.

"You can't sleep?" [Calliope]

Calli's remark snapped me off my train of thoughts.

"Yes." [Edge]

She stretched her hand into what I presumed to be her dimensional pocket. After some hesitation she pulled out a metallic object and handed it to me.

"I saw that you didn't win anything from the booths the other day. So I thought you would be more happy with this." [Calliope]

"Thank you." [Edge]

It was a kazoo, I don't know how to use it but I felt a little warmth from receiving it.I tried to blow into it but there was no sound coming out from it.

"Hum into it." [Calliope]

" *Kazoo noises* HMM?" [Edge]

I'm surprised but elated from playing this new toy. Calli seems to be pumped up and pulled out another kazoo to play with me. We shared a moment that night accompanied by sleep-talking of Miko.

The day has come, today we scale the mountain. Calli said to me no ropes, but Miko will be underneath me to make sure I'll be safe. I agreed to it after reviewing their plan, the plan is that Calli will go first and make footholds for us and me staying in the middle while Miko would safeguard me by going last.

"Stay focused, dry your palms whenever you can so that your grip wouldn't slip. We rest whenever you feel that you're reaching your limit." [Calliope]

"Okay, let's do this." [Edge]

"Let's go!" [Miko]

Calli made footholds for us by digging into the rock surface at an amazing speed. Along the way, we saw many small caves that were made for people to rest. The further we went up the number of those caves became lesser. The terrain changed from rocks to ice, we went up quite high and the air had started to become thinner. We took a break from every 3 hours and extended to every 1 hour. Due to the change in altitude and thin air, we had to wait for my body to readjust to the changes for 4 days before resume climbing.

Onwards, we see 5 caves per stop to 3 caves and at last, only 1 cave was left at the final stop. Calli went into the cave and enlarged it so that we could fit in. It was a sight to behold every time I saw Cali simply melting ice using her bare hands. We could fit into the remodeled cave just fine, we plan to rest as long as we can so that we can reach the final stretch in one go. 2 weeks had passed with our daily routine only consist of climbing, eating, and sleeping. I don't feel relieved at all knowing that this will be the last stop, I just want this to be over with. The blizzard was always present along with the strong wind that hits my face at full force, numbing my face from the cold. And the wind might blow me off the cliff so I had to put on some extra weights from Miko to weigh me down. I took a week for the body to adjust to the altitude and prepare myself to climb the last stretch in peak condition.

After climbing for 2 hours, we still can't see the top yet. I couldn't take it anymore so I had to take a break. 3 hours had passed, I can't feel my fingers anymore from the cold. Finally I could see the edge of the peak in front of me. My body was battered by the blizzard, fingers creaking from the cold, dizzy, and out of breath but the goal is finally in front of me. Calli and Miko was worried of my condition but I insisted to keep going. With my last ounce of strength, I pulled myself onto the peak. I took in deep breaths while lying on the ground feeling my strength seeping out of my body. I was tricked, it took us more than 3 weeks to climb up here instead of the promised 3 days.

"Take a break for an hour or two, we still have these stairs to climb." [Calliope]

I rolled my head towards Calli's voice to find a long staircase that leads to a huge oriental castle at the end of it. I swallowed the words I wanted to say and just passed out.

I woke up in a tent at night, my face was cleaned up along with my clothes.I think i tore the previous one by accident while climbing. Cali and Miko saw me waking up from my slumber.

"Are you ready to go?" [Calliope]

I am filled with rage from feeling deceived.... twice.

"Let's just get this over with. " [Edge]

We climbed the stairs slowly just to match my pace. I had to take a break every once in a while to catch my breath. Finally we arrived at the main door. Standing in front of it was a beastfolk with white hair, white ears, blue crystalline eyes and dressed in a white winter outfit.

"I am Shirakami Fubuki, one of the four beast kings of this country. You've all done well, for you have been granted entry into the vault. Now, please follow me to meet the Beast God that has been waiting for your arrival Reaper." [Fubuki]

She talks fast but we could hear her voice clear and loud in the blizzard.

"And you stink boy." [Fubuki]

We were brought into the Vault at last.

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