Lukas had seen Tanya’s frost powers before. Hell, he had been able to do nothing but sit it out in his astral form as Inanna— in his body— had duked it out with the blonde woman, who had been operating with skill, strength, power, and agility the likes of which his past self hadn’t been able to comprehend. The strength of the frost-user would manifest itself visually, the range around her transforming into something right out of the Arctic Circle, the hoarfrost and the mist as the very air itself was cooled so drastically that its very nature changed.

One would have thought that he’d be ready for it the next time around.

Boy, was he wrong!

The first thing he noticed upon opening the door was white earth. Jagged lines were all over the place, giving the appearance that the world was made of glass that had suddenly shattered. The lines didn’t stop at their usual limit, instead of racing away from the center where the blonde woman sat, spreading up and around the intersection itself in three dimensions. A wall of mist splashed into him and escaped out of the door, as the sudden change in pressure forced the mist to escape out of the clearly warded room. Now that he noticed it, the change was being kept at bay by terramantic wards, restraining the power within the clearly-crafted three-dimensional bubble.

It took him a moment to realize that Tanya was, in fact, not trying.

“Elena was right,” He murmured, “this is a glacier.”

Maybe it was the sound of his voice. Maybe it was the sudden opening of the door causing a momentary fracture in the wards. It didn’t matter, for Tanya looked up in his direction, her eyes slowly opening as she regarded his presence.

Lukas noticed that her eyes had lost every single speck of blue in them.

Now, they were completely white.

Like ice.

He felt Arah’s discomfort but ignored it.

“Outsider!”

Taya’s voice felt as loud inside his head as outside, infused with sheer, undeniable power. Lukas felt the urge to bow down in her presence, but he stayed still. Unmoving. Perhaps it was because he was used to power just as ancient and powerful as hers if not more. Sure, he did not have that power on his side anymore, but his defiance rang high.

He had not bowed before Inanna.

He would not bow to her.

The real question was— could he step into this arctic tundra without the frost freezing his bits off? He had nearly lost an arm back in the Crypt and wasn’t too excited about repeating that experience.

That one time was more than enough. Thank you very much.

“Back to Outsider, is it?” Lukas jested, “Guess hurling a lightning bolt qualifies as a legitimate reason for a breakup.”

Tanya met his eyes, and then something utterly unexpected.

She threw her head back and laughed.

It was a silvery sound, one that somehow shattered the stillness and closeness of the world she had created around her. Scorn rang in that laughter, and genuine amusement— the cold, alien amusement of a spider.

“No, Outsider,” She replied, the power in her voice now toned down, “your partner is still there. It’s me that has become… more.”

As if on cue, the frost around her exploded, changing from mere white lines to genuine sheers of ice. The freeze extended, stretching between each of the previous lines and thickening, coating everything in near inch thick sheets of frozen shelling. The ice erupted in spots, forming enormous stalagmites and stalactites, teeth like daggers of the element swelling and erupting with violent force. It only lasted for a handful of moments, but Lukas was invited to witness a scene straight out of an ice age in those seconds.

“That is… quite the show,” Lukas managed to get out, trying to suppress just how much shock he was feeling at the power of the frost-user. Arah’s power burned within him, keeping frostbite at bay. He had undoubtedly expected something noteworthy, but… this was just unreal.

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“Why thank you,” Tanya visibly preened at the compliment, looking absolutely unaffected by the drastic change in the environment. The bed beneath her had sunk beneath layers of frozen ice, and yet it didn’t even seem to register.

“Feel free to enter,” She replied, “my frost will not hurt you.”

Swallowing, Lukas took a step within, readying himself to pour flames downward at the slightest indication of hostility. He closed the door behind him, and took a second step, and then a third, and soon he was standing on the ice before her.

And then something moved behind him. It took him every bit of his willpower to not shoot flames, and instead, chose to turn around, and saw a chair had erupted out of the terrain itself.

That was when it hit him.

This ice age around him wasn’t an attack. Nor was it a side-effect of her power rolling off her. This was—

“Territory Creation.” He whispered, understanding the nature of the mystery being presented to him. Being an Anomaly, he was probably the best person to comprehend this power, but even his own ability fell short in describing this effect.

This wasn’t like the Crypt of Fiendish Worms, regrowing its walls and tunnels with Anomalous Energy. Neither was it the instant creation of monsters by that aqāru-version of himself.

But it was close. Very close.

Still, it wasn’t the time to let himself be stunned by it.

“Nice parlor trick,” He offered, “though I prefer wooden chairs myself. A little less… cold.” He took the chair, ignoring the utter lack of dampness within. Lukas took a careful look at his surroundings. Every inch of space was covered with hoarfrost, with the wards at the extreme periphery keeping it within. This was probably the most secure place in the entire Banksi mansion, as far as eavesdropping was concerned.

“Obviously you have something to talk about.”

Tanya met his eyes. “What gave that away?”

“You don’t seem like the chit-chat type.”

Tanya let out an extremely refined snort through her nose. “Your insouciance is amusing, Outsider. But yes, I brought you here to talk. Our previous conversation was interrupted by that earth-dwellers, and given the conditions, it seemed apt.”

“And Elena is playing hand-maiden,” Lukas concluded, “seems everything is in order.”

“I have my own accord with the changeling, but that does not concern you. I have a few questions for you, Outsider. Now that my power is rising, I want to… clear the air, so to say.”

Lukas cocked his head. “Sure, if you agree to answer a few of my own first.”

Tanya nodded.

“The last time we had a chat, you mentioned how a God was a Truth incarnate, but an Emperor materialized his own for as long as they were alive.” He crossed his arms, “Meynte was an Emperor, and the wielder of… well, you, who perished in the battle with Amaterasu herself. And yet, here you are.”

He cocked his head. “How?”

Tanya’s expression faltered. “I do not hear a question in that, Outsider.”

Lukas crossed his legs. “Do not take me for a fool. After Meynte’s demise, his Truth should have been assimilated into the World. And yet, here you are. Trying to bring him back. That’s not how Truths behave.”

Tanya tilted her head, studying him. “Oh? Do tell, how do Truths behave?”

Her words took him back to the time when he was still learning from Inanna. When he had first encountered the alien concept and had received an equally alien answer. He closed his eyes and repeated the answer the Goddess had imparted him.

“A Truth is a Rule. A function— one of many that acts upon the source code of the universe. Whenever a new Truth arises, it is like a new Rule being added to the World System. That which did not exist now does. It is what makes achieving them so difficult. One might as well open a door that doesn’t exist.”

He opened his eyes. “And when one does that, he gains this alien Rule added to himself and claims Emperor status. Even though he lives in the world, he follows a different Rule that supersedes all others. And after his demise, the Truth is assimilated into the World System, though the Authority on it is lost forever.”

Tanya eyed him.

“But in your own words, Meynte died, and hence, Everfrost should have become part of the World itself. And yet, it didn’t. Ice is just ice. Frost is just frost. Only when you— or Tanya, I suppose, uses it, does it portray those special attributes. Only in your hands does it consume lifeforce. It’s a no-brainer that only you can call this Rule your own. But why?”

“Why….” Tanya’s voice came out as a frantic whisper. “Why do I exist? Why am I myself? Why is it that despite being in Tanya, and in her ancestors, I only wish to bring back Meynte? Is that what you really want to know, Outsider?”

Lukas nodded.

“Very well, I will tell you, but that is a very significant question. Knowledge is power, and what you ask of me is power beyond imagination in the right hands. It is only fitting that you pay me back with power equally dangerous and devastating.”

“Which is?”

“The source of your power. What is it that makes you what you are? Not the divine Presence. It is powerful, but the Other thing. That which allows you to devour monsters. That which allows you to wield their powers and their instincts as if they are yours, to begin with. That which allows you to ignore the Rules of the World without being an Emperor yourself. What are you, Lukas Aguilar?”

Lukas chuckled. “The hard ones with the hard ones, is that how it is?”

Tanya nodded.

“Very well. You show me your secrets, and I’ll show you mine.”