Chapter 71: Seventh Siren

The hallway was quiet, save for the faint sound of the wind brushing against the tall windows lining the walls. Xyenn and Yuuna stood side by side, their usual chaotic energy subdued as they faced Faera, Klem, Illyana, and Vektor. The four stood in a line, their expressions solemn. In Vektor's hands were two neatly folded sets of white cleric robes. 

"These are for you," Vektor said, stepping forward and holding them out. The robes were pristine, detailed with gold and silver embroidery that shimmered faintly under the torchlight. Each set came with matching gloves, greaves, and boots, all polished to perfection. 

Yuuna reached out first, her fingers brushing against the fabric as she took her set with a grin. "Fancy," she murmured, holding it up and inspecting the delicate patterns. 

Xyenn grabbed his set with less care, draping it over his arm as he raised an eyebrow. "So, what's the catch? Do these make us glow or something like you guys?" 

Vektor gave a faint smirk. "Not quite. But once you put them on, they'll change your appearance slightly. Enough to make you blend in with the clerics. No one will suspect a thing—if you don't do anything stupid." 

Yuuna gave Xyenn a pointed look. "Hear that? Don't do anything stupid." 

Xyenn rolled his eyes, "HUH?! THAT'S YOU! DON'T FORGET YOU BASICALLY POISONED ALL OF US!"

"It was funny!"

Illyana stepped forward gracefully, her hands cupped around something small. She reached for Xyenn and Yuuna's hands, gently pulling them forward. "Hold still," she said softly. 

Before either of them could ask why, Illyana pressed a small white shard into each of their palms. The shards were smooth and warm to the touch, but as they embedded themselves into their skin, a sharp sting followed, drawing blood. Xyenn and Yuuna didn't flinch, their faces impassive. 

"What is this?" Xyenn asked, turning his hand to inspect the shard now firmly embedded in his palm. 

"It's a light shard," Illyana explained, her tone calm but firm. "It will allow you to release very weak light magic. No one inside the Sanctuary will suspect you without it." She paused, her expression darkening. "But listen to me carefully—whatever you do, do not use your main magic skills until the final battle. The light magic is enough to get you in. Anything else will blow your cover." 

Xyenn nodded, flexing his hand. "Got it." 

Klem stepped forward, his voice low and serious. "And don't even think about dueling anyone or causing trouble. The Sirens of Sugred aren't a joke. If they figure out who you are, they'll be on your asses."

"Noted," Yuuna said, her usual grin gone as she gave Klem a small nod. 

Faera stepped forward, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. Her voice, usually sharp and confident, softened. "Thank you. Both of you. For coming here and giving us your aid. We can't let Sugred open the gates of Hell—not even for a second. Too much is at stake." 

Yuuna smiled but said nothing, letting Faera's words hang in the air. 

Vektor's voice cut through the tension. "Do you remember your objectives?" 

Yuuna stepped forward, her grin returning as she raised a hand dramatically. "Of course! First, we sneak into the Sanctuary and head to the library to find the music notes. Then we find King Samuel's statue and sing to it—because apparently, statues love music—and that'll release him. After that, we pickpocket Sugred himself—super easy, no pressure or anything—and use whatever we steal to reach the base of the Ohnupilath Tree. There, we find King Samuel's sword, light the brazier to signal you guys, and then…" She paused, her grin widening. "Big fight. Big win. We save the day." 

Xyenn didn't say anything. He already had noticed…Yuuna was trying to hide her true emotions, covering them with her usual chaotic gestures and movement.

Illyana nodded approvingly. "Good." She stepped closer to the two, her expression softening as she pulled them both into a gentle hug. "Please… be careful. The dragon god of light could appear there at any moment. If he does… run. Don't try to fight him. Just run." 

Faera, standing to the side, grinned faintly at the sight. 

'Free..'

As Illyana pulled back, Vektor reached for Faera's hand, taking it gently. Faera blinked in surprise, her cheeks tinting pink. 

Klem, always the opportunist, pointed at them dramatically. "OOOOOOOOOH!" 

Vektor scoffed, his face unamused. "M-Mind your business, lion!"

Klem grinned, leaning closer. "I mean, look at you two! Hand-holding and all! Awwww, finally coming to the dark side?!"

Faera groaned, pulling her hand back and crossing her arms. "Don't say it like that!" Her face was still red. 

Illyana, watching the exchange, covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. 

Xyenn made a disgusted face, "Grosssss….i don't even wanna think about it."

Yuuna added and pointed with a smile, "Romance between clerics?!"

Vektor turned to Yuuna and Xyenn, his voice regaining its composure. "Here." He handed them an amulet glowing faintly with light magic. "When you're ready, open the amulet. It will create a portal that'll take you to the tunnels beneath the Sanctuary. From there, you're on your own." 

Yuuna and Xyenn both nodded. 

As they turned to leave, the group behind them called out encouragement. 

"Good luck!" 

"We're counting on you!" 

"Don't mess this up!" 

The last voice was definitely Klem, and Xyenn shot him a glare over his shoulder. 

And Vektor told Xyenn, "This won't be a cake walk, but neither was the Delleren family situation. I know you'll succeed, kid. You two are our only hope right now."

Xyenn nodded, "We're in this shit together, don't just put this all on us. We're all gonna win."

Vektor grinned, "You're right."

Faera said to Xyenn, "I've seen you do great things, you're special. Please keep Yuuna under control."

Yuuna grabbed Faera by the collar, saying, "HUHH?! I can be a great actor, thank you very much!"

Xyenn agreed, "It's true, she can."

Illyana rubbed her hands together, and said, "Xyenn, Yuuna, please come back to me. And don't forget to DON'T act like yourselves."

Xyenn and Yuuna pouted at the same time, "Awww we have to be boring?"

"It's what it calls for. Acting like you do now, Sugred would see you as infected and tainted by the outside world and would go to such lengths to probably kill you. You could pose as newbie clerics, but you would be tested heavily. So avoid as much as you can."

The hallway faded as Xyenn and Yuuna entered their designated room. The door shut behind them, and for the first time in hours, they were alone. 

In the hallway, Klem said, "Ahhh. It's about time, isn't it? A big war is coming up."

Illyana sighed, "I worry for my Tyrants, but I guess that's normal isn't it? We've faced impossible odds, but..an elder dragon god will be involved…"

Faera said to Illyana, holding her hand, "They'll light brazier for us."

"There will be losses once the raid starts. And you all might—."

Klem said, "Listen here, woman. We know what we're getting ourselves into. We know the risks. People will die, clerics will die. But we will win."

Faera added, "We evolved into rebels against the Light itself, and had I not realized I became a rebel when I conjured up the plan to raid the sanctuary, I wouldn't have been so ignorant before."

Illyana smiled at Faera, "You are glowing, Faera. It's beautiful."

Faera smiled back, and told her:

"Thank you."

Back in the room, Xyenn sighed, tossing the robes onto a nearby chair before pulling off his shirt. The fabric hit the floor, revealing his torso. His body was a patchwork of scars, each one a story of battles fought and survived. But amidst the scars, his muscles had grown, more defined than before. He wasn't the same reckless fighter he'd been before this journey. 

'I look fucked up. But still alive. Some of these scars are when I used to be a slave for rich assholes, scars I'm not proud of. But these new scars, I'm proud of them.'

Yuuna watched him silently for a moment before stepping closer. She reached out, placing her hands on his chest. Her fingers brushed over the scars as she rested her head against him, her pink hair falling loosely around her face. 

"I'm scared," she admitted softly. Her voice was small, vulnerable, a stark contrast to her usual wild energy. 

Xyenn looked down at her, his expression softening. He placed a hand on her head gently, his fingers tangling in her hair. "Yuuna.."

Yuuna closed her eyes, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. "We've been through so much already. But this… this feels different. Like we're standing at the edge of something we can't come back from." 

Xyenn didn't reply immediately. Instead, he pulled her closer, his chin resting lightly on top of her head. "You've never felt like this before..?"

"When you fought Haldrek, when I saw the aftermath, I was scared. Mostly for you. Thought I was gonna lose you: When I saw the Lysfødt in Gabriel's Ladder. I just need to calm myself down now. We're literally going UNDERCOVER. We have to act boring, and work with the weak light magic these crystals can dish out. Aren't you nervous?"

"Hell yeah I am. There's no telling what we could run into. But I didn't come this far to chicken out, and neither did you."

"Yeahhhh yeah. You're right."

"BUT. I worry a lot, worrying about too much. With Lancelot being an elder dragon god and Sugred being somewhat of an elder draconic vessel ... .It's so much."

'And I can't stop thinking about Gridd. Him wanting to die in this upcoming battle, that's the main reason why he's in Jörvaldr. He's only told me and Gorran, though I feel honored, I can't just bring myself to not save him. I hope he doesn't try and die on purpose. Gridd feels like the father I never had, helping me from time to time, making armor for me when he barely knew me, and even watched and protected me and Yuuna's child. I just can't let him die!' Xyenn thought. 'And for Yuuna, I don't want to even imagine how she'll react if she saw Gridd die. I hate seeing Yuuna distraught, sad..anything. To me she's perfect in a way, though she's not without her flaws, like me. But I'm worse off than her. I know I'm supposed to respect Gridd's wish, but I just can't bring myself to watch him die. The fuck would I look like? Watching off to the side as he's getting impaled? Just to respect his wish? I won't be able to sleep for months. I have power, and I intend to use it. Sorry, Gridd. But I'm keeping you alive. Maybe you can find a new goal, maybe this will help you. You stoic dwarf.'

Yuuna smiled, replying to Xyenn's words before he went into deep thought, "But we did choose this, so we're trapped. STOP BEING NERVOUS!"

"THAT'S YOU!"

Seconds later, Xyenn and Yuuna exchanged a glance, their usual banter gone, replaced by a shared understanding of the weight of what lay ahead. Slowly, Xyenn grabbed the pristine cleric robes and began to change. 

He slipped his arms through the sleeves first, the fabric unnaturally soft, almost weightless, yet thick and reinforced like armor. The gold and silver embroidery shimmered faintly under the lantern's light, giving the impression that the robes were alive, pulsing with barely contained energy. The gloves slid on next, perfectly fitted to his hands, followed by the greaves and boots. Each piece seemed to mold itself to his body as if it had been crafted specifically for him. 

'Fits perfectly. Not heavy, not too light either. I can be fairly mobile in it. That's good.'

Yuuna, meanwhile, stood on the other side of the room, holding her own robes with a skeptical expression. "This better not make me look like one of those stiff clerics," she muttered, slipping the long flowing fabric over her shoulders. "It better not make me ugly either."

Xyenn agreed, "Me too."

"Darling."

"—Hm?"

THWACK!

Yuuna put Xyenn in a chokehold with her tail, saying, "I hope the outfit makes you look ugly! I don't want any of those cleric women trying to fall for you!"

Xyenn gasped, "I-! ACK! That's UNLIKELY! THEY'RE ALL LIKE, MIND CONTROLLED I BET!"

Yuuna let him go, smiling, "Oh right, I forgot. That's a relief. I forgot how serious they were."

The moment the robes were fully on, the magic within them flared to life. Xyenn gasped as a tingling sensation coursed through his body. His pale skin glowed faintly as his hands began to change color, the veins beneath his skin turning gold. His usual black-and-grey hair shimmered, the strands transforming into a pure white streaked with golden highlights. His right eye, once dark and shadowed, now glowed a brilliant gold, like a miniature sun. 

Yuuna was no different. Her long, jagged black hair turned a stark white, glowing faintly with golden runes that seemed to weave themselves into the strands. Her pink halo, once jagged and chaotic, began to flicker and fade, disappearing entirely as her eyes turned a radiant gold. She stared at her reflection in the nearby window, her lips parting slightly in surprise. 

"Wow," Yuuna muttered, running a hand through her hair. "I look… weird." 

"You're not the only one," Xyenn said, his voice quieter than usual. He flexed his hands, staring at the golden veins beneath the surface. "This is… different." 

Yuuna turned to him, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Haha! You look like you're about to join some holy choir." 

"And you look like you're about to lead it," Xyenn shot back, smirking slightly despite himself. 

"I hate that you still look kinda the same but with different colored hair and eyes. But you'll always be handsome nonetheless, even if you had a fucking frog head."

Xyenn chuckled, knowing Yuuna was trying to liven things up with her chaotic aura, hiding her nervousness and slight fear.

'I have to deliver the same energy! Or at least try.'

Xyenn walked up to Yuuna, grinning, rubbed her face, and said with a deep voice, "And you'll always look dashing, goddess Yuuna."

Yuuna squealed, dashing away, turning her head to Xyenn, slightly covering her lips with a flustered grin, "Oooh, starting to be a man huh?"

Xyenn was flustered as well, staggering back, thinking, 'That was purely an act! Did she actually like that?! I looked so weird!'

They shared a brief laugh, a small moment of levity before the weight of their mission returned. Xyenn stepped forward, pulling the amulet of light from his robes. The faint glow around it intensified as he activated the artifact, the air around them shimmering with energy. 

"Ready?" he asked, glancing at Yuuna. 

Yuuna nodded, but before he could move, she reached out and grabbed his hand, her fingers tightening around his. "Don't let go," she said, her voice firm. "Please."

Xyenn gave a small nod, squeezing her hand in return. "I won't." 

'This is it…'

Together, they leapt into the portal, disappearing into a burst of brilliant white light. 

The tunnel they entered was like nothing they had ever seen before. Endless streaks of radiant white and gold stretched in every direction, spiraling and weaving together like a living tapestry. Bright yellow runes floated in the air, glowing softly as they moved with the flow of the tunnel. The light wasn't harsh; it was warm and inviting, casting a soft glow on their faces as they soared through it. 

The sensation of moving through the tunnel was surreal—neither flying nor falling, but something in between. The air was heavy with magic, humming with a melodic rhythm that seemed to resonate with their very souls. 

Yuuna stretched her arms out, spinning slightly as they soared. "This… this is insane!" she exclaimed, her voice echoing faintly in the vast expanse of light. 

Xyenn, more focused, kept his eyes forward, scanning the endless streaks of gold and white. "It's beautiful," he admitted quietly, though his tone was edged with unease. 

The runes around them began to glow brighter, their movements quickening as they neared the end of the tunnel. Ahead of them, a massive double gate materialized, glowing with a soft white light. The gates were enormous, towering as high as the eye could see, with intricate carvings of angels and dragons etched into their surface. Golden runes pulsed along the edges, creating an otherworldly shimmer. 

Landing on the platform before the gate, Xyenn and Yuuna took a moment to steady themselves. Yuuna brushed off her robes, glancing up at the gate. "Okay, so… how do we get through this thing?" 

Xyenn approached the gate, running his hands over the glowing carvings. "There's no handle, no switch. Maybe it's some kind of magic lock?" 

"Well, the clerics could've at least told us how to open it," Yuuna grumbled, crossing her arms. 

Before Xyenn could respond, a sudden rush of wind blew through the tunnel, carrying with it an intense pressure that made the hairs on the back of their necks stand on end. 

"Something's coming," Xyenn said, his voice sharp. 

Out of nowhere, a flash of light darted toward them. Before Xyenn could react, a figure slammed into him, grabbing his face with a gauntleted hand and dragging him across the platform. 

"AGH!" Xyenn grunted as his head smashed into the ground with a sickening thud. He was dragged several feet before the figure stopped, pinning him to the ground. 

The being stood tall, bathed in radiant white light. She was clad in glowing fitted white armor, every plate etched with golden runes that pulsed with divine energy. Her helmet was uniquely shaped, resembling the head of a bird with long, flowing golden plumes trailing behind it. Massive white wings extended from her back, shimmering like polished glass, each feather inscribed with more glowing runes. 

Her voice was sharp and commanding, carrying an almost musical tone. "Defeat me, and cross. Those who take the Tunnels of Light surely must be powerful enough to challenge a Siren!" 

Xyenn's eyes widened as he gasped. "A… Siren?" 

Before the Siren could say more, Yuuna darted in, her fist glowing faintly with residual magic. "Get off of him!" she yelled, slamming her fist into the Siren's helmet. 

The Siren was flung backward, her wings spreading wide as she floated into the air. Yuuna landed beside Xyenn, helping him to his feet. 

The Siren hovered above them, her voice calm yet deadly. "If you cannot defeat me, you will die here. The Tunnels of Light are not for the weak." 

Xyenn wiped the blood from his mouth, his golden eye glaring up at her. "Guess we don't have a choice, then." 

Yuuna grinned, cracking her knuckles. "Fine by me. Let's see how tough you are, bird lady." 

The Siren said, "Bird lady? I am Rye, Seventh Siren of Sugred."

Standing side by side, Xyenn and Yuuna prepared themselves.

'The clerics couldn't warn us about this either?!'