#78 Putolu Tombs 1
We were currently on our way to the tombs. I already informed Kurome not to fight at full strength unless it's truly needed to protect her life. If I were to compare her to that guy with four skulls, she is much stronger than him but then again, I used the element of surprise on him so he could have been stronger if he actually got a chance to fight back.
The teams looked like this...
Akame with Kurome
Najasho with Tsukushi
Green with Cornelia
and lastly...Me with...Poney.
I thought while looking at the sky with lifeless eyes.
Pretty balanced teams if I would say so, both Tsukushi and Green need some kind of protection since both of them are using long-ranged weapons, well, Green's Sidewinder is more like mid-range.
I asked a few questions about his Sidewinder and discovered that it's mostly just a whip that can move according to his will. Quite simple but could be also very deadly since whip is very hard to use and also hard to dodge unless one can see through its attack patterns. If he can alter the attack patterns however he wants, it's indeed a very dangerous weapon.
"Why such a look? Aren't you feeling well?" Poney asked me with her hands behind her head.
...Why is she even walking next to me? I mean, we still aren't close enough to the tombs so she can just go talk with her friends. Why is she with me?
I thought and was completely confused about why was Poney hanging out around me.
"I am alright, I just want to jump into the action already." I replied with a bored tone.
"Oho?! You too?! I am feeling restless too! Ha!" Her eyes suddenly shined as if she finally met her soul mate and started shouting while also practicing her kicks while we were walking.
...Why me?
"Poney...Why didn't you choose anyone from your group? Our teamwork won't be good at all if we encounter more and stronger enemies" I asked a question that was bugging me a bit.
"Oh...Well, everyone already had a partner. And don't you worry about our teamwork! We were in sync yesterday, weren't we?!" She answered with embarrassed expression while scratching her cheek with her finger before her expression turned bright once again.
Already had a partner? What about Akame? I guess she didn't want to get between those sisters which was quite logical from her but to think that she would do anything logical...Is the Sun rising from the west or what?
Plus what teamwork?! We were in sync?! We just defeated 4 much weaker opponents than us! I was probably with someone else yesterday because I can't really explain the things she is saying.
"I see..." I just muttered while doing my best to ignore her.
"Hm? Wait, you didn't answer me...We were in sync yesterday, right?" She asked me with pleading eyes.
Does she perhaps mean how I "covered" for her failure?
"..." I kept looking in front of me completely ignoring her presence so she just started pouting.
.
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When we arrived near the tombs...
"Alright, Once we enter the tombs, look out for any traps, and Cornelia...make as much noise as you can once we will be inside." Gozuki said while looking at Cornelia.
"Sure, daddy!" Cornelia answered with a cheerful smile.
I could offer to make some noise too with exploding a few things but I don't want to blow up the entire tombs, I have no idea how stable those levels underground are.
"Is everyone ready?" Gozuki nodded at Cornelia and asked everyone with a serious expression.
"Yes!" Girls shouted while we boys only nodded our heads with serious expressions.
"Then let's go!" Gozuki said and started running towards the entrance to the pyramid.
We quickly followed after him while keeping close to our own respective partner. When we entered the pyramid, there was nothing except for a few stone decorations and wide stairs leading underground. We just looked at each other and started running down by the stairs.
Weird, there weren't any guards near the entrance. Are they expecting us? Well, it's not such a surprise when their group that was supposed to hunt me and Poney down never returned. Not to mention that they most likely have some of our people as prisoners. I just wonder what they want to do with them since I can't think of any good reason.
We kept descending the stairs for a few minutes until we finally entered an enormous underground complex.
Shit...that's surely thrice as bigger than underground of my previous organization. No...maybe even more than thrice, this is really ridiculous how was this ever built.
I thought with a slightly surprised expression while looking around the enormous halls with a ceiling more than tens of meters above the floor.
"Let's go, by the map, we should just advance forward without taking any turns. Be careful of any sneak attacks, we haven't met any Gravekeepers yet." Gozuki looked in front of him and reminded us before he started running once again.
When we entered the middle hallway leading deeper into the tombs, I immediately noticed Poney stepping on one of the stone tiles that made a clicking sound.
"Traps incoming, everyone, please thank Poney" I warned everyone with half-open eyes and teasing tone.
"Huh?! But it wan't-!" She was interrupted when part of the ceiling with spikes suddenly started falling down on her. She quickly dodged to the side but by dodging she once again triggered another trap and like this she started triggering trap after trap.
"Haha, it's kinda fun" Poney laughed when she jumped over the large pitfall in the ground filled with spikes.
However not everyone thought like that since they were all glaring at Poney due to her triggering all traps and occasionally if she wasn't the one who triggered the trap, it was someone who had to dodge the trap triggered by her so practically everything was her fault.
After a while of running, we encountered even a few chameleon-like Gravekeepers who were waiting to attack our backs which was their success but also death. Everyone's instincts were honed to a very high level so such weak surprise attacks didn't work even once.
*Whoosh* Whenever it wasn't any solid large object flying at me or trap like the hole inside the ground, I just kept running straight without dodging any arrows or daggers since they were all burned by my passive [Child of Fire] before they could reach me.
"?! Hey! That's not fair! You are cheating!" Poney who was right next to me, trying her best to dodge everything with grace suddenly pointed at me while pouting when she saw me running straight into those bolts and arrows.
Gozuki doesn't even bother to remind them to be serious, huh? I guess it just became their daily routine to be so at ease during dangerous missions.
"Just keep dodging like a little kitten and I will just make sure to keep close to you, alright?" I replied with a small grin across my face.
"Hmph!" She snorted while turning her head to the side just to show off that she is upset.
We kept running for a while without any traps getting triggered which made me stop for a bit. Everyone also stopped when they noticed me just stop running out of nowhere.
"What is it, Akashi? We have no time to spare." Poney suddenly asked with a curious expression but Green, Gozuki, and Najasho used this chance and started looking around the walls and ceiling with suspicious glares.
"It's too quiet...There were no traps for some time and there were no side hallways where we could turn for some time too..." I muttered while looking in front of us into the darkness with narrowed eyes.
"Too quiet?" Poney tilted her head to the side with a puzzled expression.
"...If something big comes our way-" Green started saying something but was interrupted.
"-then we won't have any side to where we could turn to" Najasho completed his sentence with narrowed eyes.
Suddenly we felt the ground shaking a bit and somewhat distant loud and dull sound that was quickly nearing us.
?! Is this a fucking Indiana Jones or what?!
I thought when I finally connected the dots together.
"Run back and quickly find any other hallway you can turn to!" I shouted and took hold of Poney's hand.
"Oh? But, this isn't the right time for this." Poney suddenly said with a teasing tone while blushing a bit.
"I agree!" I said and started running back while dragging Poney behind me and she started fluttering in the air like some kind of cloth. Her expression immediately became stoic and her eyes became completely dull, without any life in them.
Everyone quickly followed after me even though they were at first confused. However, the first one to follow my instructions was still Kurome while dragging Akame behind her.
"Stop looking like someone who was just rejected shortie! Look behind us!" I shouted at Poney when I noticed her deadpan face and dull eyes.
When she heard my words, she reluctantly looked down since she was still fluttering in the air because I was running fast enough and didn't let her have any chance to regain footing.
"Huh?....Hah?!" At first, she was slightly confused but after taking a closed look she noticed a giant boulder in the form of a ball rolling towards us.
"Tch, soon enough, we will enter the area filled with traps again which most likely will split us up together with that boulder behind our backs, just keep close to your partner." Gozuki informed us while clicking his tongue.
Maybe I could stop that boulder with my strength or just slash it in half but I have no idea about the mechanism behind it or if something isn't inside it... There is simply too little information for me to act on my own. I want to split up with others anyway so I can take a few treasures for myself.
I thought while I started judging the "necessary-to-dodge" traps while ignoring traps that could be solved with [Child of Fire].
"Ahh, Akashi, be careful! I have no desire to become a hedgehog!" Poney shouted when she saw a bolt quickly coming her way just to be burned a few inches in front of her.
"Calm down, you are protected from such traps as long as you are near me." I informed her while looking at any good opportunity to split up. The boulder itself was slowly catching up to us but at this pace, we might be able to even get back at the start but no one wants that since we already wasted so long with those traps.
"*sigh* thank god...wait...Why didn't you use it earlier?!" She sighed in relief just to realize something and she immediately started shouting at me with an upset expression while swinging with her free arm all-around in a threatening manner.
"Because physical contact is required plus you looked funny while dodging everything." I replied with a straight face and her face once again became deadpan
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.
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After some time of running around, we finally entered differently hallway and after a few seconds, an enormous boulder rolled past by us when we previously stood and then a few more traps activated, sealing the entrance back to the previous hallway.
"...As we expected, these traps really split us up..." Poney muttered when she finally could feel the ground under her legs.
Expected? You didn't expect anything! Anyway, I would be able to get past this blockade after some time but I don't really want to meet up with everyone. Not to mention that they won't try to return too since we are in 2 people teams, we should be able to wander around without any worries.
"*sigh* Let's go ahead, we need to find another entrance to the lower levels." I sighed and said to Poney while walking away from the sealed entrance to the main hallway.