After being accompanied with ungraspable situation by the sudden appearance of the girl behind them and her unexpected offer of friendship, Mika and Sougo found themselves grappling with a mix of confusion and wariness at her presence.
"What? First of all, where in Akrima's oblivion did you come from? How did you even sneak up behind us that fast?" Mika's initial reaction mirrored his readiness to confront intruders, only to find himself faced with the presence of a seemingly harmless young girl who had materialized out of nowhere.
As Luna shared fragments of her story, offering scant details about herself, Mika and Sougo couldn't help but feel a sense of unease at the gaps in her narrative. The unsettling realization that Luna couldn't recall where she lived or the whereabouts of her parents cast a shadow of doubt over her mysterious origins.
"(Why do I get the feeling that she's Lusina V.2.0)," Mika mused, drawing a parallel between Luna's enigmatic presence and that of a past acquaintance.
As Mika probed further, seeking more substantial information from the bewildered Luna, her recounting of waking up alone in the forest at daybreak painted a picture of confusion and disorientation. Despite the lack of clarity in her tale, Mika couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Luna than met the eye but her demeanor spoke of calmness and innocence, either it was to fool the eye or genuine.
"Fine, you can stay with us," Mika relented, extending an offer of shelter to the girl in need. While Mika's compassionate gesture welcomed Luna into their midst, Sougo remained vigilant, his gaze fixed on the newcomer with a hint of suspicion.
Noticing Luna's ragged clothes and thin body, Mika couldn't ignore the signs of hardship and need that were evident in her appearance. Despite the uncertainty surrounding Luna's true motives, Mika decided to show kindness and hospitality by allowing her to seek shelter with them while they unraveled the mysteries of her sudden arrival.
Luna's attire was worn and torn, and her gaunt figure indicated a lack of sustenance; she appeared to either be living in poverty or attempting to deceive them. Nevertheless, Mika allowed her to stay despite these circumstances.
The trio shared a meal and then retired for the night, with Sougo keeping watch in the living room, his katana resting beside him.
The next morning, they set out on their journey to the ancient tomb. Sougo insisted that Luna accompany them, as he was reluctant to trust her to look after the house.
"You're being overly cautious, y'know?" Mika remarked, casting a troubled gaze at Sougo.
"If you don't mind, Luna. We're not forcing you to do anything. You can stay until we return, okay?"
Luna responded with a smile, "No, I'm happy to be traveling with companions. I'll gladly help carry your bags,"
"If that's your decision, then..." Mika sighed wearily.
The trio proceeded together on their quest to uncover the hidden treasures.
After a grueling journey, they finally arrived at the entrance of the tomb.
The tomb was situated within a cavern, its entrance exuding a dark and damp atmosphere, with a staircase leading downward. The sound of an eerie echo reverberated throughout the chamber.
"The Macratera Tomb, renowned for its treasures, mysteries, and skeleton soldiers," Mika emphasized.
"Keep in mind, this place is infused with magic. The skull soldiers within are not animated by malevolent spirits, but rather enchanted. Once you step inside, you may feel a weight on your chest," Mika cautioned Luna and Sougo.
The cavern appeared foreboding, sending shivers down Mika's spine. However, his heart raced with anticipation.
Clack! Clack! Clack!
The sound grew louder as they ventured deeper into the tomb. Mika conjured a ball of lightning magic to illuminate their path. As Mika's magical light guided them, both Sougo and Luna remained close by his side.
"For a cavern, this place sure is noisy with clacking sounds everywhere. I think we're getting closer to the skeleton mobs."
Right after Mika gave his presumptions, the skeletons were visibly seen on the ground. A bunch of skulls and bones all scattered around across the whole dark room, seemingly they were dead a long time back. The skeletons appeared in different shape and variety, hinting it wasn't just only a humanoid creature who died here.
Upon moving deeper into the cave, the gang discovered an ancient structure with sconces and dresses, leading to the throne. Mika then unleashed bolts of lightning to light up the room.
As the light waves throughout the whole room, appeared a wall familiar to Mika.
While stroking the wall with engraved words attached, Mika recognized the language written, "Lookie here, ancient texts. From its alphabetic character, this is the father of the Jemuguarian language, Qixvōt. In other words, this cave has been in for 500 years."
Reading the text wasn't effortful for Mika, but for Sougo and Luna they looked like hieroglyphics. Mika spoke the words aloud, reading the entirety of the text with eyes shaped by concerns. "Tumestá Pomochií Maru. Ikmêl Beróberó shâqmal Ìvírō pōcinâ, Karuma, Azmta. Lagus aramati."
"The year of death. Blessings from the gods Ìvírō, Karuma, and Azmta. And... some kind of prayer which is spoken by the Hendzitch religion."
The words weren't really all intriguing for Mika, just information from the last ancestors who lived here. The issue Mika was having was that the gods who were mentioned weren't from the religion to begin with, what he was confused about, was how those unknown deities' names were engraved on these walls. Supposedly leading to the mysteries from his grandmother who left it on question.
"In Hendzitch religion, it has no gods but angels. These names are anonymously suspicious. Could it be, that I've mistaken the religion's history?" Mika's eyes fixated on the ground with one of his hand on his chin and his other to light up the room. "The Hendzitch must've had left some hidden messages that before them has gods, or is there anything beyond angels... Hmm... Funny. Well, religions can't all be true, I guess..."
After which he had spoken some unknown word of prayer that was written on those walls, the tomb began to abruptly shake.
Just around a few minutes, the shake had subsided. The three's awareness peaked and stayed guard for incoming monsters.
Emerging from the darkened corner like specters of malevolence, two ominous silhouettes lurched forward, their movements unsteady as they closed in on the unsuspecting visitors. Sensing Mika's discomfort morphing into a primal instinct for defense, he swiftly notched an arrow and let it fly, taking down the encroaching figures with deadly precision.
Yet, the shadows seemed to multiply, a horde of anonymous beings clawing their way towards the dim light, revealing their ghastly forms as they drew near. An eerie assembly of skeletal entities, animated by arcane magic, advanced with a haunting, zombie-like gait, encircling the entire area with ominous intent.
Undaunted by the overwhelming odds, Mika and Sougo stood firm, their resolve unshaken as they readied themselves for the impending clash. As the relentless tide of skeletal warriors closed in, the two comrades fought with unwavering courage, cutting them down with swift and lethal strikes until the lifeless bodies littered the ground. Yet, despite all efforts, the skeletal horde seemed endless, their ranks replenishing as quickly as they fell, testing the limits of Mika and Sougo's endurance.
After what felt like an eternity of relentless combat, their existence finally ceased. Just as a semblance of respite crept into their weary minds, another wave of foes emerged from the darkness, catching them off guard once more.
In the face of unending swarms of enemy that kept spawning all over, Mika and Sougo steeled themselves for the next onslaught, their fate intertwined with the ebb and flow of battle in this never-ending fight.
Came with a glaring aura around their next enemy, the queen of the skeletons.
A chilling voice, resonating with echoes of the past, emanated from the skeletal queen, her presence shrouded in a menacing aura. "Invaders, should you dare to pass over my existence, riches beyond your wildest dreams shall be your fortune," she intoned, her words laced with a dark promise.
Unfazed by the ominous warning, Mika squared his shoulders, determination etched upon his face. "I'll take my chances," he declared, no hint of fear in his voice as he readied his bow, crackling with the power of lightning magic.
With a swift motion, Mika unleashed an arrow imbued with lightning towards the queen, only to watch in disbelief as she effortlessly halted its advance with a mere gesture, a display of telekinetic power that rendered his ranged attacks useless against her formidable abilities.
"Telekinesis!?" Realizing the gravity of the situation, Mika adjusted his strategy, resorting to lightning-based slashes in an attempt to outmaneuver the queen's telekinetic defense.
As jagged rocks cascaded from above, manipulated by the queen's unseen hand, Mika, Sougo, and Luna sprang into action, evading the deadly barrage with agile movements and desperate maneuvers. Luna sought shelter, her hands shielding her head as she braced for the storm of projectiles, while Sougo leaped into action, his swift reflexes propelling him towards Luna to shield her from harm.
Just as they were about to hit Luna, Sougo's protective instinct drove him to intercept the the attacks away from Luna, making his sacrifice.
However...
...his efforts proved futile as the relentless attack from the pebbles and stalactites had targeted them both with such speed, impossible for someone like Sougo to cast a magic powerful enough to stop it in time of how fast they were.
The resounding impact echoed through the chamber, it was all for naught for they both had faced their very demise...