Icicle Palace - Chapter 1

 Guardner's Struggle Between Life and Death

I compared the cards spread out on the table to the ones in my hand.

It was my opponent's turn now.

My only way to win is to defend myself against the incoming attacks and bet on the next draw.

"I attack with [Enraged Cavalry Captain] and [Eight Headed Serpent of Avalon]!"

My opponent played two cards. The game board installed in the card shop instantly read the holochips and created a miniature cavalry captain and eight headed serpent on the board. And then they launched a powerful attack on my vanguard Guardian.

"Woah, at this rate...!"

"Kazeyuki-shi's* life points are already at 5...! At this rate, isn't he gonna lose?!"

My friends watching over me let out panicked shouts.

"Trick card! Activate [Instant Blizzard]!"

I pulled out the card I saved for this moment and placed it on the board. A trump card that can nullify all of your opponent's attacks just once. A fierce snowstorm blew into the battlefield, causing hologram projections of the cavalry captain and serpent to back away in fear.

They loudly tsk'd and noisily shuffled their cards with a great amount of force.

"According to the tournament rules at this venue, shuffling your cards loudly is prohibited."

"Tch! It's just a habit!"

They slammed their cards on the table in frustration.

I see.

I came to this shop often since it was close by and I've had a few matches against them before. They've always been overbearing, to the point of it being a problem for the other players here. 

Card games are meant to connect people together.

It was really unfortunate to see players treat their cards so aggressively during a match.

But...that's exactly why I can't lose!

As a player who loved the world famous card game, Malice of the Guardians - [MotG] - as someone who believed wholeheartedly in the deck he built, and to never forget the promise he made with his friend...!

"It's my turn, draw!"

I...I believe in my cards!

At that moment when I saw the card that flew into my hands, I couldn't help but smile.

"I summon [Swarm of Icicle Worms]!"

I've been waiting for this card!

Countless ice pillars appeared on the board and rushed to attack the opposing team.

"[Swarm of Icicle Worms]'s effect! When my life points are below 10, I can eliminate all of my enemy's vanguard Guardians together! Go, Icicle Worms!"

The worms charged forward with their sharp bodies, freezing the three enemy vanguards. They turned into ice crystals before disappearing from the field. I immediately sent three ice mana cards from my hand to the graveyard.

"When [Swarm of Icicle Worms] retires three or more of the opposing Guardians at the same time, another effect is activated! By offering three ice mana, I can resummon [Defender of the Ice Fortress] from the graveyard to directly attack my opponent's rearguard!"

A beautiful swordsman clad in ice was summoned onto the field. They leapt into the enemy's formation and brandished their greatsword.

"Dammit...! Trick card, [Confining Quicksand]!"

They activated a guard, but--

"[Defender of the Ice Fortress]'s effect! During the turn they're revived from the graveyard, they're able to avoid all of their opponent's Tricks!"

The quicksand that was created by my opponent was instantly frozen and turned into beautiful snow, and my swordsman swept away all the remaining Guardians on their side.

The audience let out a loud cheer.

"It's here! This removal-counter is super strong against a fast aggro deck!"

"Kazeyuki-shi's really showing off his deck's strengths'!"

My friends' voices were encouraging me.

...but in any case, I already did everything I could.

I declared the end of my turn and waited for my opponent's next move. To be honest, I didn't have any cards in my hand that could guard against the next attack. If they were able to come back from this, I'd lose. I waited for them to draw, already prepared for the end result.

...but after drawing a card and adding it to their hand, they took a deep breath and placed their cards on the board.

"Surrender."

A surrender. That meant-

"The winner is Kazeyuki!"

The shop clerk was the judge watching over this match.

Immediately after, my friends who were always playing against each other and spending all of their time researching deck compositions came running to me while cheering.

"Well done, Kazeyuki-shi! You did it!"

"Even though the environment put you at a disadvantage, you still had faith in your mono-ice deck and stuck with it. This is a win that will go down in history for sure!"

"Congrats on your first tournament victory!"

While everyone was excitedly speaking to me, my opponent was silently preparing to leave.

I stood up and held my hand out to him.

"That was an intense battle. Let's meet again at the next tournament. For the pride of Guardner!"

They were silent for a little while...

In the end, they shook my hand and replied in a small voice, "For the pride of Guardner..."

When they let go of my hand, they left afterwards. My friends seemed to understand how I was feeling and nodded their heads deeply in agreement.

"Well, it was still an exciting battle!"

About ten minutes after the tournament ended and most of the spectators left--

 
I was still there with my three TCG friends at one of the tournament tables in the shop.

Even though it's a table used for tournaments, you can use it freely without the hologram board and card fight. You can also bring your own cards to compare decks with your friends here in a lively atmosphere.

This card shop is close to my parents' house and it's somewhere I've been going to for a long time. I got to know the three of them by playing against each other in card fights, and before we knew it, we just naturally became good friends. 

"Kazeyuki-shi! I would like to see the rare prize card again!"** Hasuda-shi spoke enthusiastically with excitement in his eyes. 

He always wore a stylish red bandana and is an expert at using different kinds of meta decks. He's very well informed about [MotG] and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he knows everything about the card game.

I showed him the prize card I won, [Dragon Knight Dancing on Ice]. It was the rarest card in the newly released card pack.

Suddenly, the other two shouted "Ohh~" and moved closer to take a better look at the card.

"Thank you all for your support. This card goes well with my [Dragon Sleeping Within Ice], so I really wanted it. Of course, I bought many packs of the new set and even did an opening ritual for the cards, but I still wasn't able to get this one to come..."

When I said that, everyone nodded deeply in agreement. Hasuda-shi spoke after, "I understand well. I was not able to pull the card either."

"However, with the addition of new ice cards in this new wave of packs may change the environment for the current ice meta."

"Kazeyuki-san, if you add this to your deck, you'll be able to go even further! Maybe you'll be able to win the regional tournament next!" Ooji-shi, the smallest out of all of us, clenched his fists as he spoke with excitement.

He plays a small-scale deck that mainly uses low cost Guardians, but he's skilled at using Trick Cards in order to make up for the deck's weaknesses.

"Hmm...but just getting one card isn't enough. Even though he might have to spend a lot of money, it would be better to get one or two more cards to stabilize his deck."

"What? Are you saying that Kazeyuki-shi must throw away his signature combo of using [Swarm of Icicle Worms] and [Defender of the Ice Fortress]?!"

Himeno-shi calmly gave his opinion while adjusting his glasses. At the shop, he's nicknamed "the rogue deck demon" and uses the deck he first fell in love with while continuing to improve it over time. 

Hasuda-shi responded to him on his own after that.

They were all really good, caring friends.

That being said...I didn't know their occupations or ages. They didn't even know that I'm the skater, Kamina Yukikaze. Although, sometimes I think that even if I did tell them my identity, they still wouldn't really know who I was.

It wasn't that I wanted to hide anything in particular, it's just that I went by Kazeyuki for the SNS account I made to learn more about the card game. When I come to this part of town, I put on a light disguise just like I do everywhere else.

It was a simple outfit - just a cap, a pair of glasses, and a mask - but because I wear this outfit all the time, the people at the card shop have started to call me "the masked ice tamer."

But...it's not a big deal.

After all, we're all the same Guardners who communicate with each other through our cards. 

"This time, I won because of you three. Hasuda-shi, you helped me gather information about their deck ahead of time. Ooji-shi and Himeno-shi, you two also helped me adjust my deck many times...thank you, I don't think I could've won without you all."

After I thanked them wholeheartedly, they all responded in different ways. "Oh- your words are making me feel embarrassed...!", "Hey, don't act like we're strangers, we're close aren't we?", "I'll help you with any deck adjustments you might need in the future too."

I was proud that I was able to win my first card shop tournament with the three of them watching over me. I might even be happier at this moment than when I first got onto the top three as a novice skater.

"But with this prize card, we're one step closer to making Kazeyuki-shi's goal of creating a permafrost deck come true!"

"Yeah. ...but, we still have a long way to reach that goal. What matters most is the ultimate final piece."

When I said that, their facial expressions turned serious.

"Indeed...that card is the most essential piece for an unparalleled permafrost deck."

"The 'Legacy 8.' I'd like to see them at least once before I die..." Ooji-shi let out a sigh after hearing Hasuda-shi's words. 

...that's right. We got along well because we had a shared dream.

In this card game that we love, there are eight original rare cards that were included in the packs that were initially released several decades ago.

They're collectively known as 'Legacy 8.'

Because of how rare they are, they're traded at high prices in the market and according to recent rumors, a first edition card could be worth tens of million yen each.

"I believe that the common point in all the rumors is that the cards may be in the hands of the world's greatest card collector, 'Mister Malice, the Guardian's Gatekeeper.'"

"Well even so, it's not like we know who Mister Malice is, right?"

"They could be a beautiful lady, an elderly wise man who's part robot, or..."

"There's also people saying that they're the creator of [MotG]."

"In any case, I really want it~ The [Hidden Imperial Command]..." Ooji-shi muttered softly with admiration in his voice.

Right, he also wants a card from 'Legacy 8.' That card has such a strong salvage effect that it got banned from being used in tournaments.

"I too hope that I will be able to obtain the [White Lupine] one day...if I am able to get ahold of the card, I vow to devote my life to the beautiful and pure lupine maiden." Hasuda-shi made this declaration with a serious look on his face.

"I feel the same way. I'm prepared to risk my life for my muse, the [Queen of Velfaex Palace]." Just like Hasuda-shi, Himeno-shi has very strong, passionate feelings about the card he wants.

"What Kazeyuki-san wants is..."

"Of course, it's [Icicle Palace]."

I saw it a long time ago in an artbook for [MotG].

It was a beautiful artwork depicting a wondrous ice castle-- that [Icicle Palace].

Compared to the other 'Legacy 8' cards, this one was relatively easier to get, and as long as they weren't the first edition cards, they were often seen on the market. However, to find a first edition card in mint condition was extremely difficult.

...I'd really like to get one someday.

I've been dreaming about that card ever since the day I became a Guardner in this game.

After all, the reason why I started playing [MotG] was because of [Icicle Palace]- a floating ice castle that can only exist in a dream.

*T/N: the honorific "-shi" is an older honorific that's an ancient honorific form that isn't really used anymore today other than being used to refer to people in third person in formal writing.
**T/N: Hasuda is speaking in relatively old Japanese so I will be trying to reflect that in the translations.

 
Translator's Comments: did i get transported into a tcg anime?
 

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Novel Chapters: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

Icicle Palace - Chapter 2

 The Ice Country's Prince

--That was one of my brightest childhood memories.

That memory was the start of everything, a core memory that's embedded itself deeply into my heart.

I remembered it was a long time ago that I was taken to a special rink set up in front of a brick warehouse, rather than the usual ice rink.

By then, my father already taught me how to skate, as if it were the most obvious thing to do.

Before I could call it 'fun' or 'enjoyable,' I felt like I needed to hurry and become even better, to be able to do even more difficult jumps or spins on the ice.

"Yukikaze, you'll definitely win a gold medal in the future. This is for your sake."

I grew up hearing those words all the time, and that became my 'normal.'

No matter where the location was, what I needed to do while skating was always the same.

When I was taken to the special rink at the brick warehouse, I felt nervous. I was sure that I would once again be faced with the reality that I wouldn't be able to skate as well as usual.

But my father said something different from what I expected.

"My brother asked me to take care of Kaede-kun for the day so he wouldn't be home alone. You go ahead and teach him how to skate."

As he said this, my father led my cousin, who was still very small and young, by the hand and brought him closer to me.

It was one thing if he was acting as a coach, but as an adult, my father isn't very good with small children. He would often leave them in my care and say he'll pick them up later before quickly leaving.

My cousin looked fluffy in his outfit: dressed warmly with a scarf, hat and wool gloves. I took his hand and decided to teach him how to skate.

Not only was it a weekday, but it was also cloudy and cold with snow forecasted in the afternoon, so the outdoor rink didn't have many people using it. So I was able to take my cousin's hand, who was skating for the first time, to skate around the ice rink without getting in anyone's way.

There were a variety of different songs playing in the rink. We skated while matching the rhythm of the songs, slowly during the soft songs and faster during the fast-paced songs. I made sure to hold both of my cousin's hands as I spun him around. 

Little Kaede was squealing in excitement just from skating a little. Even if he slipped and fell onto the rink, he was still smiling happily. But he got tired soon after and asked to get off the rink, saying "let me rest a little!"

As my cousin sat on the bench and took off his gloves that were wet from the melted ice, I offered my own to him.

"These gloves are fine! But Yuki-nii, I wanna see you skate! You're always skating, aren't you? I wanna watch you! Show me!"

He came to watch my skating practice a few times before, so he must've remembered me from that.

"...but my skating might be boring to watch."

It probably would be boring, because I'm such a bad skater that I can't even do all the single jumps.

In my skating class, I have a younger classmate who started after me, but they can already do all the jumps. But if it's me, I still can't do it. Even though I was raised by my father, who used to be a skater himself...

"What do you mean? It's not boring at all! I wanna see more! More than what I saw at your practice before!"

My cousin tilted his head as he looked at me with wide eyes. Right after he did, the music that was playing on the rink changed.

"Hey, Yuki-nii! Skate to this song!"

For some reason, I felt like I was being pushed forward by my cousin's innocent smile.

The song that was currently playing was [Tatar's Dance]. I knew it because an older classmate used this song in the junior competition.

"...I got it, I'll give it a try."

Jumps were prohibited in this special rink anyway. In that case, maybe I would be able to skate a little better? I wanted to make my cousin, who excitedly said he wanted to see my skating, happy, so I stood in the empty rink.

I made hand gestures that followed the music, tried to do twizzles that I haven't mastered yet, and took steps forward on the ice the best I could.

Ah, this wasn't good at all. My skills were inadequate. Watching me skate like this must've been boring for him after all.

But the moment I looked up to see his reaction, I was surprised.

He was looking at me with wide eyes and a bright smile on his face.

...Let's skate properly until the very end.

With that thought in mind, even if I wasn't good yet, I continued to skate until the music ended, finishing with an upright spin in front of my cousin. In order to prevent myself from drifting away on the ice, I desperately went as fast as I could.

I'm sure if my father saw this, he'd be shocked and angry. He'd probably say something like "don't skate a program so half-heartedly like this!"

But only in front of my cousin--
The moment I tried to show off and make a pose...

Kaede let out a loud cheer, hopped off the bench, and ran over to me. He took off his gloves and clapped his small hands that were numb from the cold together until they were bright red. His cheeks and the tip of his nose were flushed pink as he looked up at me with sparkling eyes.

"Yuki-nii, you're amazing! You're just like a prince from an ice country!"

For some reason, my heart felt warm when my cousin praised my more than inadequate skating.

I was just...genuinely very happy.

If I could make someone this happy-- I wonder if I could win a medal too?

That was how I felt.

"It was really pretty! Yuki-nii's ice skating is the coolest thing in the world!"

"...I'm glad you enjoyed it."

I took off my gloves as I stepped off the rink and cupped my cute little cousin's cheeks with my hands. His cheeks were cold compared to my hands, which were warmed from skating for a long time.

My heart was feeling pleasantly warm.

That night.

My cousin said he was going to stay the night at my house. After I put him to bed, I had a dream.

...it was a strange dream.

In my dream, I was skating on an endless lake of ice. There was an ice castle that glowed with the colors of the aurora floating above me. There was a song playing somewhere, I recognized it as [Tatar's Dance].

Until now, it might've seemed like just a normal dream.

But in that dream, my arms and legs were moving so smoothly and freely. That movement was something I felt in my body. Detailed steps, quick and perfect spins, and jumps that were high and seemingly endless...

...was this the me in the future?

Would I be able to skate like this someday?

This freedom, this happiness...

When I was young, that's what I was thinking about in my dream.

 

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Novel Chapters: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

Icicle Palace - Chapter 3

 The Ice Castle I Saw in My Dream

...I'm having that dream again.

Within that dream, I had a realization.

The frozen, icy lake water turned into a white blur beyond the horizon, stretching endlessly. That ice castle that was bathed in the aurora's glow. I danced gracefully and effortlessly across the ice underneath, as if skating was something I was naturally meant to do.

This version of me has longer limbs, and his body is bigger than the current me's.

This 'me' is able to do jumps that looked impossible to do, strong cutting edge steps, spins in intricate positions, and even hydroblading above the ice came to 'me' as easy as breathing.

The music playing in the background was still [Tatar's Dance]. It hasn't changed at all since I first had this dream a few years ago.

However, now I'm beginning to understand things I didn't when I was younger.

In my dream, I was skating as if I was praying to something, or as if I was dedicating my performance to someone. I was wholeheartedly trying to give my heart and body up for something- or for someone. Somehow, I just knew that it wasn't for the gold medal. It definitely wasn't for myself either.

So, what was I skating for?

And..who was I skating for?

If I knew the answer, would it bring me one step closer to becoming the person I dreamed of?

Those were my thoughts as I 'experienced' a skating style in my dream that was so beautiful that saying that it was an ideal didn't do it justice.

...JPN Flight 023 to Tokyo is currently delayed due to in-flight adjustments. Passengers who are traveling on this flight...

Around the time I entered fifth or sixth grade, I came to Hokkaido with my father to participate in the JPN Novice Tournament. The day after the tournament, the return flight was significantly delayed, leaving us with nothing to do at the airport.

In the novice competition, I placed second and won a silver medal. It was my first time ever standing on the podium, and my score was just a few points away from first placez

It wasn't a bad outcome by any means, and of course I was happy when I won the medal.

And yet...

"Haa..."

Before I realized it, I was already sighing.

...I wondered if I would've been happier if I had won gold instead of silver.

I had that feeling inside of me.

I did the best I could and made very few mistakes. I just messed up my axel. The center of the jump was good, but I almost fell on the landing. If I hadn't failed there, I think I would've been able to get gold.

...I thought I was finally stable in my axel jumps.

My dad was really happy when I was able to do the axel jump for the first time.

Even yesterday, he was happy that I was able to stand on the podium, but after we got back to the hotel he kept telling me, "You could've won gold."

In the end, it wouldn't have been perfect unless I won the gold medal...is probably what he wanted to say.

As that thought appeared in my head, I remembered the dream I had this morning. That dream I've been having ever since I was a child.

I saw myself as an adult, freely gliding across an icy lake.

If only I could skate like that... I've had that thought many times.

If I could skate like that, I'd definitely be able to win the gold medal.

But, there's something even more amazing about the skating in my dreams. Something that can't simply expressed with just a medal.

"Looks like our flight is going to be an hour late. Haa...what should we do until then?"

My father sighed as he looked at the information board inside the airport. He's usually very talkative when we're at the skating rink, but when we're back outside, he's mostly quiet. Even now, he's still quiet as he looks for something to do until our flight comes. 

If my uncle were here, he would drag me along with him while saying "Let's go eat something delicious!", but my father is the type of person who can't bring himself to say something like that even though they're related.

...although even if I said that, I wasn't that good at speaking either. 

"Dad."

For some reason, I just wanted to try asking him.

"...if you had an ideal you wanted to reach for skating, what should you skate for? And for whose sake should you skate for?"

In my dreams, I was an adult and my father was also an adult. That, combined with the fact that he used to be a skater, made me want to ask him. I thought that he might know the answer, or be closer to it than I was now.

But when I asked him, he just frowned and gave me a questioning look. 

"For what...? Of course, it's to win a gold medal at the Olympics. As for who it's for, it's for yourself, isn't it?"

His answer was something I've been told a countless amount of times since I was little. Up until now, I was able to accept that this was just how it was, but for some reason, it didn't feel right to me.

"Is that it? I'm sure there are other reasons. After all, not everyone is only thinking about the gold medal and themselves, right?"

"If you keep thinking about other things, then you won't be able to win the gold medal so easily."

...I guess that's right.

I don't think I can put it into words but, is there really only one path that skaters must follow?

"Is that your excuse for getting silver at the Novice competition? You're more than good enough to get gold next time."

I wasn't trying to make excuses, I just asked him something at the beginning. I asked if there was an ideal he wanted for skating and then...

"Dad, don't you have your own ideal skating style?"

"A program that can win gold. That's all."

At that moment, I felt like my father suddenly shut me out. I suddenly realized that there was a huge difference between my father's life and mine. That was how it felt. It was the first time in my life that I ever had that thought.

To be honest, I was confused.

I thought that my father's wishes were my own, and that my wishes were his.

But maybe that wasn't the case.

...skating was just something I naturally had to do.

To hone my skills, aim for a gold medal, and stand on the Olympic podium- all of those were obvious goals to pursue to me and I never questioned any of it. But...in my dream, I wasn't skating for a medal or for myself. If that's the case, the type of skating I was aiming for wasn't the one my father wanted.

The person my father wanted me to be isn't the person I want to be.

It was the first time I'd ever thought about that. It came as a shock to me- it felt like I'd been hit hard on the back of my head. For just a moment, my father felt like a complete stranger to me.

"Well...you know, you still did good even if you only got silver. I'll buy you a book as a reward, so go ahead and pick out one you'd like."

My father cleared his throat as he spoke and took me to the bookstore inside the airport. I was still somewhat overwhelmed by the idea that my sad and I had different ideals for skating, but I still tried to find something as I walked around the bookstore.

I couldn't think of anything I wanted in particular, so I went to the photography book section. My uncle and aunt were landscape photographers who traveled all over the world, so I thought I might find some of their books. 

But unfortunately, I couldn't find any.

As I walked around the corner to look for something else, I stopped to look at an artbook that caught my eye.

"Marisu...of...za...?"

The title was written in the English alphabet. Even though I'm currently taking English conversation classes to prepare for international competitions, I still can't read very well.

I was drawn to the pretty landscape paintings, so I opened the artbook. There were many pictures of dragons and knights, and then I realized it was an artbook for a card game while looking through it.

Ah, my classmates played this game at school. It was called [MotG]. I knew this card game because it was popular.

In this artbook, there were more pictures. Goblings attacking fiercely, eerie poisonous swamps, a mysterious elf's profile...every page was filled with impressive illustrations.

The moment I turned to the next page, I froze.

"...Ici...cle...pala...ce?"

I somehow managed to read the English letters written there.

The picture was of an endless frozen lake and an aurora colored ice castle floating above it. It matched perfectly with the scenery I saw in my dream that I had over and over again.

Why was the place in my dreams here?

I'd never told anyone about that place, not even my cutest, sweetest cousin in the world. I couldn't help but think that someone peeked into my dreams and drew this using it as a reference. 

There was a sound that shook my soul. I felt helplessly drawn in by the landscape. My heart was beating quickly in excitement as if I were in love.

This landscape...it wasn't just an illusion I created on my own, right? Does this place really exist somewhere? Or maybe, someone else saw this place in their own head?

"What's wrong? Did you want that book?"

Before I knew it, my father was already standing next to me. Apparently I had been looking at this picture of [Icicle Palace] for a while already.

I closed the book and nodded at my father.

"I want to get this book, dad."

This was [Malice of the Guardians]--

My first encounter with the card game I would fall in love with for the rest of my life.

 

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Novel Chapters: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

Icicle Palace - Chapter 4

A Confession

"Phew! Look at this, Yuki-nii! Isn't this gyoza wrapped up pretty nicely?"

My cousin Kaede, who came to stay at my house for the first time in a while, puffed out his chest in pride as he spoke.

Today the two of us were left at home alone.

His family went overseas and both of my parents went out of the house. Before we knew it, it became a tradition for us to make gyoza and shumai together on days like this.

"It's true, you've gotten better at it."

I was impressed by how neatly the gyoza were wrapped.

"Ehehe...I'm a high school student now after all. The first time we made them together, I made a mess and cried. But now I'm able to make pretty good gyoza, right?"

It was cute how my cousin always seemed to get excited over small things like this.

And in my heart, I secretly thanked God.

I thought my cousin would start traveling around the world with his parents once he got into high school, but Kaede decided to make Japan his base. One of the reasons he decided to stay was because he wanted to be close by for his sickly childhood friend. I thought that he really was a kind person. 

Although I've been participating in more international competitions, I'm still based in Japan, so I was really happy that I was able to spend more time with my cousin like this.

Just then, I unintentionally let out a sigh.

"What's wrong, Yuki-nii? It's rare to hear you sigh like this."

"Oh, did I sigh? I didn't even realize it."

My cousin tilted his head and continued to speak. "Now that I think about it, you used to sigh a lot back then, even after you won silver in the Novice competition."

"...that was around the time I found [MotG]. Before that I was definitely struggling back then." After saying that, I realized something was wrong. "No, the worries I've had from before still haven't been resolved at all."

My body has grown, but I still see that dream. Even now, I still couldn't keep up with the skating I experienced within my dreams. The question of for what purpose do I skate and for who do I skate is still unanswered.

"...I guess you could say that I have an 'ideal' skating style I want to reach. There's something I'd like to express someday, but while I'm not good enough skill wise, I also feel like I don't have enough understanding of the right mentality for it either. It makes me feel a little inadequate."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

When I muttered this, my cousin looked surprised. He turned his body to face me directly, as if showing that he wanted to listen properly to what I had to say.

"Just now that was, um..."

"Sorry, I shouldn't have said that so suddenly."

My cousin's gaze was as straightforward and earnest as it was when I showed him my clumsy program on the outdoor skating rink years ago. His eyes were telling me that no matter what I said, he would accept it all. The look in his eyes made me blurt out the story about my dream that I never told anyone about before. 

"...ever since I was little, I've always had the same dream."

Even though it was the truth, saying it outloud made me feel uneasy. 

The fact that I found myself skating freely through a mysterious landscape and that the scenery itself was an illustration for a real card game...it was obviously going to sound like a silly fantasy. 

But my cousin listened until the end without laughing at or doubting me.

"That really is a strange coincidence! But if that dream is your reason to improve, then it makes sense that you got so into that card game."

"...don't you think I'm just making this all up?"

"You wouldn't do something like that, Yuki-nii. Besides, I know it's strange but I believe that there are many coincidences like that in the world."

I wasn't sure why, but I felt relieved when my cousin affirmed my feelings.

I even felt like the dream that only existed in my head went from being an illusion to reality.

"...the ideal skating style...one of your goals is to skate just like in that dream, right?"

"That's right, but I don't know if it'll really happen."

"I think that's nice. Wanting to win a gold medal is a great goal to have, but if you're going to skating after you're done competing, I think it's good to have that kind of program that you'd want to dedicate the rest of your life to afterwards."

I was surprised to hear him say that so casually.

Dedicate my life to that program after getting the medal? I never thought about it like that.

Skate only to win the gold medal, and beyond that, skate only for myself.

Even though the ideals my father pushed onto me didn't feel right, I couldn't throw them away-- I continued to follow them because they made me who I am today. At the very least, it was a warning to myself that if I completely lost sight of winning a gold medal, I would never be able to get one.

Ever since I won silver at the Novice competition, I've been unsure of what my own goals should be, but I followed my father's advice up until now.

But in my heart, I felt like that wasn't the only right path to follow.

"...I see, I guess it's okay to have another goal."

For example, my goal of winning the gold medal can be for my father. But my goal of skating just like in my dreams should be dedicated to someone else. 

"Now that I think about it, my dad told me that when a lake overseas froze over, there was an ice show that combined figure skating with video programs. They used holograms to project different kinds of landscapes into the night sky. The aurora came down at the same time, it was really pretty."

"Is doing something like that possible?"

"Yeah! Yuki-nii, the card name was [Icicle Palace], right? When you get that card, let's make it appear as a hologram on that frozen lake and put on an ice show! It'll definitely be amazing!"

My cousin's voice was filled with excitement, it seemed like he was happy just by thinking about it.

For a moment I thought that if what he said came true, then all the feelings in my heart that I held would finally be fulfilled. Maybe my wish to skate like in my dreams could come true.

"If you can get your hands on that card and make a program that you're satisfied with...then I'll take you to that frozen lake!"

My cousin puffed his chest out and placed a fist over his heart while giving me a wide smile.

"I'll take you to the place of your dreams, so make sure to show me!"

He held out his pinky finger to make a promise with me and I couldn't help but smile at him.

"...yeah, it's a promise."

I always thought of him as a cute little brother, but before I knew it, I found myself relying on him more. It felt like he could easily resolve all my problems.

Why do I skate and for whom do I skate?

I felt like my feelings on that matter had been settled.

 

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Novel Chapters: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

Icicle Palace - Chapter 5

 The Ultimate Program

After I thoroughly did stretching exercises to work on my flexibility, I went to the edge of the rink to rehydrate and saw my phone light up.

When I checked my notifications, I saw that the group chat with my TCG friends was active.

[Did you guys see that article in Weekly Card Gamers?]

[Of course! "Mister Malice, the Guardian's Gatekeeper, Finally Releases Countless Rare Cards?!" If this is true, then it is a matter of great importance. It is a big chance for us as well.]

[Do you think they'll also release the 'Legacy 8'? Maybe Kazeyuki-san's target [Icicle Palace] will also appear?!]

I couldn't help but smile at their enthusiasm as they relayed information in the group chat.

I was happy that they still cared for me.

[Thank you for letting me know...if it's released, then I want to do everything I can to get it]

I went back to practicing for the new program I created this year. I skated each part of the program one by one. After I finished checking the technical elements, I played the music and continued to practice over and over again- until I would be satisfied. It was simple, steady, and sometimes even tedious work.

But I believed that the answer was somewhere along this path.

To become just like the me from that dream.

To be more fluid, to dance more, to move more naturally on ice than on land. In order to pursue that feeling, I practiced countless times.

No matter how many times I experienced the skating from my dreams, I still couldn't reach that level yet. My dream self is looking down at me from a higher place.

I want to get there faster.

Why was I born and what was the meaning of my existence now?

There is no correct answer for that, but sometimes I think...

My purpose in life is to skate what I think is the best program possible in that scenery, under that sky. And it was important for him to see it with his own eyes.

"Kaede..."

After softly saying his name, I took a step forward on the ice and jumped. I landed perfectly and in that moment, the image of [Icicle Palace] and my cousin's smiling face came to mind.

Technology and cards, when you put those two together...

"Take me...to the place of my dreams."

I whispered softly to the person who was precious to me, even though he wasn't even here right now.

As the music echoed across the ice, I closed my eyes and skated to my heart's content. Because after all this time, there was still something higher I could aim for.

That's right, something I wish for with all my heart.

 

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Novel Chapters: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5