Minimus said with surprise. "Someone else? Another swordsman like you?"
Asterios said as he continued to look at the armored figure. "That is a possibility."
Minimus said while confused. "A possibility? What do you mean?"
Asterios looked away from the armored figure and looked forward at the destroyed hallway in front of him. He said with his back facing Minimus. "We need to keep moving." Asterios began to walk through the hallway again.
Minimus looked at Asterios and thought. "How come he never answers my questions?"
Asterios continued to walk through the hallway and get further away from Minimus.
Minimus began to follow behind Asterios. He quickly stepped around armored figures and stepped over armored figures as he caught up to Asterios.
Both Asterios and Minimus continued to walk through the destroyed hallway. Asterios walked in front and Minimus walked behind him.
Minimus looked at various rooms again as he continued walking. He suddenly stopped walking as he looked into a room that was to his right.
Asterios stopped walking. He said with his back facing Minimus. "We need to keep moving."
Minimus put his left hand up and said. "Wait!"
Asterios looked over his right shoulder at Minimus and said. "What is the problem?"
Inside of the room there was a table in the center of the room. There were multiple projectile shooters strewn about on top of the table. There were also multiple projectile shooters hanging on the walls of the room.
Minimus continued to look into the room. He spotted a weapon that didn't match the rest. He spotted a black sword laying on the far end of the table. Minimus said as he stared at the sword. "I think that is my sword..."
Asterios said. "I see." He looked forward at the end of the hallway and then looked up at the ceiling as he said. "So, you really are a swordsman?"
Minimus said. "Of course I am!" He looked over at Asterios and said. "What else would I be?"
Asterios remained silent.
Minimus looked back at the black sword that was on the table in the room. He mumbled as he stared at the sword. "I'm going to get it."
Asterios said with his back facing Minimus. "Do what you wish."
Minimus walked into the room. The orb of light above his head continued to turn off and on.
Minimus walked through the room and felt the ground shake as he walked. The shaking soon stopped.
Minimus walked next to the table. He stared at the sword on the table and then stared at the projectile shooter in his left hand. He thought as he looked at the two weapons. "Should I switch?"
Minimus looked at the projectile shooter and thought. "This weapon is stronger, right? It can pierce through the armored soldiers." He looked at the sword and thought. "But, that is my sword... It can pierce through armor too, can't it? Asterios's sword can... so mine can too, right?"
Minimus looked at the projectile shooter again and thought. "But, this can shoot from a distance..." He looked at the sword and thought. "My sword can only be used when I'm close to somebody..." He remembered Mars disappearing when he tried to attack Mars and thought. "But, even that doesn't always work..."
He continued to stare at the sword and thought. "But, I'm a swordsman, right? I'm only supposed to use swords..." He looked at the projectile shooter.
Minimus heard someone say from outside the room. "Just choose both."
Minimus said. "What?" He looked behind him.
No one was standing behind Minimus. The room only had Minimus in it. The doorway to the room was also empty too.
Minimus thought. "Am I hearing things?" He called out. "Asterios, are you out there?"
No one responded to Minimus.
Minimus became suddenly alert and thought. "Did he ditch me?!" He looked at the door of the room and thought. "Is it too late to go after him?" He was about to move but then suddenly stopped himself and thought. "Wait! If I'm alone I'll need a weapon." He tossed the projectile shooter aside.
Mimimus grabbed the sword off the table. He was about to turn away from the table and then suddenly stopped himself. He looked at the black projectile shooter sitting on the table and thought. "I should grab this too."
With the sword in Minimus's left hand and the projectile shooter in Minimus's right hand he quickly began to rush out the room. As Minimus was rushing out of the room he noticed the weight of both weapons.
The sword felt super light in Minimus's left hand. Minimus thought as he felt the weight of his sword in his hand. "Was it always this light?"
Minimus soon arrived at the doorway of the room. He looked around the destroyed hallway for any sign of Asterios. He soon spotted Asterios to his right.
Asterios leaned against the wall that was closest to the room. His body faced toward the opposite wall.
Minimus looked at Asterios with surprise and said. "Wait, you're still here?!"
Asterios remained silent.
Minimus looked at Asterios's face and noticed his eyes were closed. Minimus thought as he looked at Asterios's face. "Is he asleep?" He said. "Asterios?"
Asterios said with his eyes closed as he continued to face the wall. "Are you ready?"
Minimus nodded.
Asterios opened his eyes and moved away from the wall. His eyes looked redder than when Minimus had seen them previously. He looked forward at the end of the hallway and said with his back facing Minimus. "We need to keep moving." He began walking and the ground began to shake beneath his feet.
Minimus followed behind Asterios.
Asterios and Minimus walked through the destroyed hallway until they soon arrived at an intersection. In front of them was the end of the destroyed hallway and a hole in the wall beyond it. To the left of them was another destroyed hallway. To the right of them was the end of the hallway that was to their left and beyond the end was another hole in the wall.
Asterios said with his back facing Minimus. "Which direction?"
Minimus looked back and forth between the three directions and said. "Uh... left!"
Asterios walked into the destroyed hallway to the right.
Minimus thought. "That is the opposite of what I said!" He sighed and followed behind Asterios.
Asterios and Minimus walked through the destroyed hallway to the right until they reached the hole in the wall.
Minimus saw a trail of blood in the sand through the hole in the wall. He saw multiple armored figures laying in the sand.
Asterios said with his back facing Minimus. "Put your weapons away."
Minimus nodded.
*****
Asterios and Minimus walked through the desert. Asterios walked in front and Minimus followed behind him.
Asterios suddenly stopped walking.
Minimus stopped walking. He looked at Asterios with a confused expression.
Asterios didn't continue moving. He stood still as he watched something intently.
Minimus walked over to Asterios's left side and stood side by side to Asterios. He looked at the scenery around him.
A circle of black armored figures and sand colored armored figures surrounded two women. All the armored figures were on the ground motionless.
The two women both wielded a blood covered sword. They both panted as sweat dripped down their faces. They both directly faced each other. One woman was on the left side of the circle while the other was on the right side. They both had multiple cuts on their bodies.
The women on the left had long black hair that went about halfway down her back. She wore silver looking armor that glinted from the sun. She wielded a katana in her left hand.
The women on the right had short black hair that didn't go past her neck. She wore black looking armor that glinted from the sun. She wielded a shortsword in her left hand.
Both of the two women had extremely similar facial features. They looked like the same person.