The dust settled slowly, hanging in the air like a veil. The shattered remains of the Adogu smoked and steamed, its rune lines fading to ash.
For a long moment, no one spoke. Then Avery let out a shaky laugh.
"That was worth it!." Itekan said he returned to the safe zone.
Binturu slumped against a half-melted wall, sweat running down his brow. "Grade-B demonic beast… and you two just soloed it."
Itoyea leaned on his blade, his chest heaving. Despite his exhaustion, his eyes burned with exhilaration. "It wasn't enough. I need more speed. More power. If Kutote had not realized it was attached to a reanimation rune, we would have just wasted our energy trying to kill it, we'd be the one losing then."
Rose glared at him, though the relief in her voice betrayed her. "So you know how reckless that was! That could have gone very wrong!! You two could have killed yourselves twice over! Do you even realize how much SE I burned just to heal your leg?" She jabbed a finger at both of them. "If you two ever pull a stunt like that again, I'll knock you out myself."
Itekan only grinned, brushing soot from his purple hair. "Still… admit it, Rose. We looked good out there."
Rose groaned and turned away, muttering something about "reckless idiots" under her breath.
Kutote stepped forward, crouching over the beast's core, now a cracked shard of glowing crystal. He studied it in silence before speaking. "This wasn't just a random spawn. Someone—I'm guessing the Knight in the other room—placed this beast here. Its runes were… similar."
"That's not good," Binturu said flatly.
"Doesn't matter who put it here," Avery cut in, his grin returning. He pointed past the remains toward the chamber's corner. "Because the chest is still waiting for us."
At once, every eye shifted to the golden chest.
It gleamed as though untouched by the battle, its intricate carvings pulsing faintly with light. The key, once bound to the Adogu's horn, now lay among its ashes.
Itekan picked it up, feeling the weight of cold iron in his palm. He turned it over once before glancing at Itoyea. Both of them were still catching their breath, but the same fire lit their gazes.
"First Grade-B kill," Itoyea said quietly. "Not bad for trainees."
Itekan smirked. "And not the last."
They walked together toward the chest, the others trailing behind with a mixture of anticipation and unease. The battle had tested them in ways they hadn't expected, and the truth of their growth hung heavy in the air.
When Itekan slid the key into the lock, a sharp click echoed through the chamber. The chest shuddered, golden light spilling through its seams.
"Here we go," Avery whispered.
The lid creaked open, revealing—
***
The next chamber was a wide and open hall with several statues all over the hall. The statue all depicted a female knight weilding a bow and arrow drawn at different angles.
"What do you think this chamber holds?" Avery asked as they walked in.
"I don't know. I think the next knight was a master bowsman." Binturu said
"Wow. Aren't you a genius!" Kutote said sarcastically.
"Guys. Focus." Itoyea reproached them. As they approached the centre of the chamber a loud crackling noise was heard as the stone layer of the statues broke open revealing the flesh beneath.
To their surprise the female knight was still very alive. The moment the stone covering her had been broken enough she immediately rose her bow and fired.
They didn't see an arrow. Itekan dodged the arrow energy blast just in time to aviod having lost his entire head.
"That was rather rude!!" Itekan glared at the lady.
"I guess she's not asking questions like the old knight did." Kutote reasoned. After all the only way they'd be here is if they got past the old man. If he were in her place he'd immediately assume they were threats.
"Itekan go all out from the start!" Kutote said to Itekan who was already stepping out.
"Of course!"
"Why don't we test our new gear?" Avery said grinning. He and Binturu had on a pair or golden shoes with feathers at the end.
"Yeah, I might as well test out this—what is this even called?" Binturu said. The two moved, swiftly. Their speed having increased by nearly five times it's original.
The thing Binturu referred to gold orb that was jelly like to the touch when held with intent it transformed into a pair of gauntles with runes written on them. Kutote had no idea what those runes even did and since Avery and Binturu had gotten a twin item that improved their speed the rest had unanimously decided to give the orb to him as he was the one had wanted gauntlets.
Avery had on a pair of golden bangles. They also had runes ingraved on them. They served as a sort of external SS container. But that wasn't all, for someone like Avery whose technique was a multiplying effect the bangles' second ability was perfect for him.
"There's enough dummies here. To test everything we've gotten. Don't hold back guys" Itekan called out.
The next round of arrow energy was unleashed upon them. Everybody spilt up instantly moving towards their preferred target. Even Rose moved to attack one of the statues.
Itekan turned into his shadow form, he hadn't taken from the chest, nothing there was really compatible with his sort of attack but with his latest advancement into the Blue eyes form he didn't feel completely at a disadvantage.
"Calogaja!" Itekan chanted. His calogaja- Hundred shadow daggers technique wasn't a normal shadow tentacles because it—unlike the rest of his shadow techniques could be used with SE. However when used with shadow energy, which was its original energy, the effectiveness grew incredulously.
The shadow daggers shot towards the female knight archer who skillfully defected them all before they reached her immediate range. However even she couldn't catch everything—using this tech with shadow energy have it a sort of buff it normally wouldn't have. It was also able to moved through the shadows—essentially she missed one.
Itekan smirked as he waited the moment the dagger was about to hit her square in the face, he vanished, appearing right in front of her. He exchange places with the dagger with a mini-chajama brewwing in his palm.
Boom!!
The impact of the compressed fireball was enough to cause an implosion strong enough to leave a crater the size of a boulder in its wake.
As he expected the Knight's reaction speed was no joke. Just before the mini Chajama could impact she spun at ridiculous angles and sent three shot to defelect it.
Leaping backwards she immediately whipped out another set of arrows. Itekan smirked at this. It was showing to be an interesting fight.
On the other side of the chamber Binturu was rocking his new gauntlets. The Archermaster released arrows at speed he could barely match. As he punched away an arrow energy coming his way he realized that if he had coke here without these shoes he would never have been able to keep up with her attack speed.
Instead of feeling down by the sudden realization he felt relieved. There were still masters out there he could defeat. He dodged thq ite next set of arrows coming his way and decided it was time to end the fight. Sprinting forward he rose his hand and landed a solid hit on her face.
The archer fell back as she tried to reorganize herself but Binturu didn't give her space for that. Chaining in there more blows before she could even think.
However her status as one of the Archem Knights was not a coincidence. As Binturu drew in for the next attack she curved her bow and snapped it shut. It's sharp edge turned into a bladelike weapon which she used to stab him in the shoulder blade.
As he screamed in pain she stabbed him in the secidn shoulder blade. Effectively paralyzing his hands. Then she threw a round house kick to his face sending him crashing back.
At that moment all the statues that the others had been fighting stopped and gathered together. Their bodies gathering into one a female knight armoured to the teeth in gold and silver was formed.
Her face was smooth and without blemish and her beauty was beyond compare. Opening her eyes which carried so much sorrow it was tangible. Everyone fell still as they watched her weep drawn in by the captivating image before them.
"You have come as well to seek what is not yours. Ohh how the great has fallen. Absolam!! If I see thee I shall smite you, even in your sleep. My King– my beloved even now I cry tears of blood at my inadequacy. For this servant you have honored and placed to be your shield failed you. Even yet I shall remember you legacy and I pass it on." The archer mourned.
Despite the eaze at which killing she at this point might have been none of them could think to moved. They couldn't say anything.
Turning to them, she said, "This is the secret of that wretched night. Only two others have been told about this night. Even they have seized to exist on the mortal plane. As you listen may the secrets of my King— King George Mallona and his Archem Knights be passed on that they might not be forgotten by the annals of history."
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Spiritual Energy (SE)
Spiritual Sea (SS)
Spiritual Signature (SST)