I walked outside the Temple and noticed Takame sitting alone holding her head. I walked over to her and heard her mumbling to herself. I walked past her and turned around to face her. She looked up and noticed me. She quickly stood up and noticed vines holding down and my Crest of Magology shining.
"Relax. I am not going to hurt you. I know you won't hurt me so just talk alright?" I said then sat beside her. "What's going on in that noggin of yours?"
"You really...don't want to know. You don't know to know what's happening in my head because I promise you it's not pretty." Takame looked down and hugged her knees.
I looked at Takame then gently pat her back. "You know, you're not the only ones fighting your personal demons. We are a team now and friends, you can talk to me about anything and I'm guaranteed to listen."
"But...I'm a liability who's weak mentally. I could snap at any moment and kill anyone." Takame said sadly and looked down.
"If you lose control, I'll be here to stop you. I won't leave you to suffer alone. You're one of us. I'll fight your demons with you or at the very least the familiar tormenting you." I said.
Takame looked up a bit then looked at me. "You know about her?"
We heard a ghoulish laugh and I looked ahead, seeing an octopus monster in front of us. Takame panicked and her heart began beating quickly.
"You figured it out, congratulations...That won't stop me from invading her mind, making her grow stronger. Making her powerful. Making her kill everyone that's important to her so she can learn how the world works!" The octopus monster laughed and a third eye opened on her forehead. One of her tentacles rushed at me and wrapped around my neck.
"Shiryo..!" Takame cried out.
I grabbed her tentacle and lightning crackled around my hand then I blasted the familiar with an electric shock and Takame screamed. The tentacle retracted and the light in the temple returned. I looked at Takame who's dress was in its Zodiac Monster form.
"Heh...I understand now. The familiar is your dress huh? It's become a part of you...so how about we do this.." I said then stood up.
Takame watched me and gulped. She was nervous about what I was going to do to her. "Sh-Shiryo..?"
The Crest of Magology shined on my hand then I held my hand out at her dress. "Banish." I said then the spirit of the familiar let out a bloodcurdling scream as her spirit was behind banished into my domain, trapped in a spirit cage.
Takame groaned and held her head then immediately felt relieved and her body went limp for a second before returning to normal. "My...body...feels so relaxed again."
I grunted as Banishing and Summoning Magic took life force to use as well. I coughed and panted. To seal away a being as powerful as her familiar, it took away a large chunk of my life force, but I used my energy reserves to gain back what life force I lost.
Takame looked at me and slowly stood up. "You... released a major burden from my shoulders...You...saved my life.." Takame said then hugged me.
I looked at her and smiled. She let go of me and I rubbed her hair. "Let go help Serafina find the second candle."
"Mmkay!~" Takame nodded.
"Esta! Since you tripped down there, is there a button you can press to help us finish this stupid puzzle?!" Freya yelled out to Esta.
Esta looked around and noticed a blue button. "Yeah! I'm gonna push it!"
Gideon waited by the chained door and closed his eyes, sighing. "This stupid fucking puzzle shit is so dumb. How did we get stuck with the most boring side of this Temple..?"
"Less complaining, more helping!" Freya said.
After Esta pressed the button, the chains on the door disappeared. Gideon looked at the chains then got off the wall. Esta managed to climb her way back up to the top floor with Freya and Gideon.
"Good job." Freya smiled and high fived Esta.
"See my clumsiness is helpful sometimes." Esta smiled.
The three walked into the room and noticed a blue ghost dancing and twirling in circles. The ghost looked at the three then laughed as she vanished into thin air.
"Come find me~" The ghost said in a singsong voice.
"We don't have time for this!" Gideon bellowed and was about to use some magic to blow up the area, but Freya stopped him.
"Listen.." Freya said and heard the blue ghost humming. "She's a fairly happy ghost so she can't contain it. Her humming will lead us to her..."
"Found her! Hi Ghost!" Esta said as she looked behind a bookshelf.
"Oh hello!~" The ghost giggled.
Esta smiled then gripped the ghost's neck. "Give us the damn candle you piece of ectoplasmic shit. We have a friend in danger and you're playing tricks...you are so fucking lucky I didn't bring a vacuum cleaner with me. I know you ghosts are scared of vaccums...so do us a favor and turn back into a goddamn candle." Esta said seriously.
"What the fuck..?" Gideon said as he heard Esta.
"Whoa...Bipolar Esta confirmed?" Freya said surprised.
"Okay! Okay!" The ghost panicked and turned into a candle in Esta's hand.
"Welp. We got the candle let's go." Gideon said.
"Yep!~" Esta smiled and looked at her friends.
Serafina clashed multiple times with a green ghost and swiftly dodged the next attack then stabbed the ghost ten times before blowing the ghost away with one final strike. The ghost groaned as she hit the wall. I walked into the room with Takame and Serafina looked back at us.
"You're late. I already handled the situation." Serafina said then grabbed the candle off the ground. "Next time deal with your shit before joining us on missions."
"C'mon." I said.
"We have an important figure to save, we don't have time to deal with some nobody. She's lucky I didn't shove my rapier up her ass." Serafina walked off.
Takame looked at her then at me. I shrugged and followed Serafina with Takame followed behind. The six of us met up at the starting room of the Temple.
"There...Three candles one to go and I guarantee you all the last candle is in the room with the statue blocking it off." Freya said.
I walked over to the statue and looked at it. It was a statue of an Elven knight but it seemed different from the other statues. I summoned my radar and it beeped like crazy at the statue. I looked at the statue and a ghostly laugh was heard. A yellow ghost flew out of the statue then flew into the room with the yellow chains then the chains broke off.
I walked towards the door and Gideon followed behind. "Everyone else stay behind. Once we get the candle, we are immediately going into the final section of the Temple and saving Rosenea. Get as much rest as you need."
"Okay." Esta said. "Good luck!"
"We won't need luck." Gideon said.
We walked into the room and the lights turned on an exposed a massive arena. We stopped walking and noticed the yellow ghost transform into a samurai. She summoned her sword and pointed it at us.
"Let's do this." I said.
"Hmph, just don't get in my way." Gideon said then smacked his fist against his palm.
I smirked and my eyes shined. We dashed towards the samurai and I unsheathed my sword then slashed at her. She blocked my attack then pushed me back. Gideon went for multiple Flash Strikes, but all of his attacks were parried then he was kicked away. Gideon grunted as he slid backwards on one knee then looked up. The samurai was above him and came down with a slash. Gideon swiftly dodged the attack then kicked her away. The ghost grunted and changed her form into a ball then bounced off the ground and turned back into a samurai then targeted me.
I looked at her and watched her fly down to me at full speed with a powerful slash. I blocked her attack then my sword cracked a bit. We clashed rapidly then I avoided her next swing then punched her stomach. She groaned as I sent her flying in the air. Gideon ran ahead and blasted a beam at the ground, propelling him in the air then kicked her back down with an axe kick. I let out a roar as I tapped into my Ragnarok State then flew up at her and grabbed her leg then flew down and slammed her down five times with the fifth slam laying her flat on her stomach.
Gideon bellowed as he flew back down with red and black aura surrounding his arms. "Black....Fissure!" He bellowed and struck her body with a powerful palm strike then a massive smoke cloud formed surrounded by slight black and red aura.
I watched and noticed Gideon appear slightly in front of me. We watched the smoke clear and the ghost slowly turned into a candle and we looked at each other then nodded. I walked ahead and picked up the candle then we headed out of the room and back to the starting room. The women looked at us then stood up. I placed the last candle in its place. The platform began rumbling and moved, exposing the staircase. We headed down the stairs and entered the final room of the Temple.
Candles began to light one by one as we got closer to our destination. I stopped seeing Titania on the ground then ran to her. I crouched down and she slowly opened her eyes.
"You're too late, Ragnarok." A male voice said and I looked up at the man.
"King Icas.." Serafina glared.
"Raicho, start the process. I will obtain that Crest no matter what." King Icas said then turned around to Raicho.
The one armed samurai who we encountered at the front of the Temple looked at King Icas then turned back to Rosenea who was hooked up to a machine that forces a person's crest from their body. She was about to push a button, but Esta shot an arrow at her to stop her.
"You dare stop us? The Queen has already tried and failed, you can't possibly beat us." King Icas said then looked at us.
I picked Titania up then warped her back to her castle, on her throne. I looked at King Icas then glared.
"There's that fire in your eyes...The fire of a Ragnarok. The same fire Shidao had when we faced off in the past. Killing your father was the the most rewarding thing I've ever done. Now I can kill off his son as well." King Icas smirked and summoned his greatsword.
"You're the man I saw that day...the man who killing my father.." I growled and my eyes shined.
"I didn't kill him, he killed himself to protect your pathetic sister and mother. I noticed the hate in your eyes while the other two looked so afraid. Heh...Hahaha! HAHAHA! The time has finally come!" King Icas laughed.
"I'm going to kill you and avenge my father.." I said then unsheathed my sword.
"I'd love to see you try!" King Icas kicked me through a wall and I groaned then rolled backwards. He dashed after me.
"Shiryo!" Esta said.
"We have to focus on Raicho right now! She's our main problem!" Serafina said then noticed Raicho turn around and look at them.
"Let's just get this over with so we can focus on our real plans." Raicho said then an arm made from her aura appeared in her empty sleeve. "Say your prayers now because I guarantee I won't be leaving you all alive."