The Stone Guardian's Room .2

Dante tightened his grip on his newly summoned spear, feeling the weight of his materialized phantom armor. "Four uses left today..."

He took a deep breath, steadying himself. "Let's execute."

SteelArm and Stiles readied themselves.

Dante moved first, he rushed towards the Stone Guardian and jumped into the air activating [Phantom Cleave].

His spear sliced through the air, and a ghostly projection of a scythe shot forward, striking the Guardian through his armor and went for the very soul of the Guardian. The attack barely left a mark physically, but the Guardian flinched, a faint shimmer running through its body as its resistances and defenses slightly weakened.

Dante didn't stop, he used [Phantom Cleave] multiple times in a row. The scythe-like projections tore at the Guardian's essence, stacking the effect. With each strike, its resistances and defenses chipped away.

"One more!" Dante yelled at the group as he activated [Phantom Cleave] again.

The fifth and final stack settled in. The Guardian's movements slowed, its perception of reality flickering—an illusion of pain seeping into its core.

"SteelArm! Stiles! Hit it with everything you've got before the shield activates!" Dante yelled out as he landed back onto the ground.

SteelArm roared as he lunged in, his fists glowing with raw force, while Stiles raised his weapon, ready to bring it crashing down with [Heavenly Descent.]

Stiles descended like a meteor, his twin blades gleaming as he brought them crashing down with [Heavenly Descent]. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the battlefield.

At the same moment, SteelArm slammed his fist into the ground, activating [Earth's Coffin]. The terrain shuddered as two massive stone hands erupted from below, grasping the Guardian in an unyielding grip, holding it firm.

Dante saw his opening.

A blur of motion—he dashed forward at blinding speed, activating [Phantom Suppression]. A spectral energy pulsed around him as the Guardian shuddered, its mana and stamina draining away. Slower. Weaker. Vulnerable.

Dante wasted no time. [Phantom Overdrive]. A surge of power coursed through him as he followed up with another [Phantom Cleave], ensuring the debuff remained locked in.

Stiles wasn't done. His twin blades glowed silver as he executed [Silver's Last Pride], slashing deep into the Guardian's armor. A shimmering afterimage lingered for a fleeting second—then detonated.

A small explosion happened, a piece of of the Guardian's armor ruptured, revealing a gap—an opening.

Dante's eyes sharpened. There!

In a single motion, he hurled his spear straight for the exposed core, activating [Phantom Cleave] mid-flight. The spectral energy surged forward, carving deeper into the wound. The Guardian shuddered, its defenses crumbling further.

Meanwhile, at Dragon Bone Headquarters…

A nurse burst into Halstein's office, her voice urgent.

"The girl Kiera brought in—she's awake."

Without waiting for a response, she turned and hurried back toward the infirmary.

Halstein exhaled, finishing the last of his paperwork with swift, precise motions. A few approvals, and a few denials. He stood, grabbing a bottle of water from his desk before making his way downstairs to the healing room as he called it.

As he entered, his sharp gaze landed on the only doctor in the headquarters.

"Any luck identifying her?" he asked.

The doctor sighed, rubbing his temples. "No, sir. Every test has failed. Completely."

Halstein frowned. "Explain."

"The first test—I tried running her blood through the database. But before I could even inject the sample, the vial shattered in my hands. Blood everywhere, test ruined."

Halstein took a slow sip of water. "Go on."

"The second method—facial recognition. I scanned her against every known database we have."

"And?"

The doctor hesitated. "...Negative."

Halstein's eyes narrowed. "Negative? What the hell does that mean?"

The doctor exhaled. "Our system—my skill—automatically scans global records. If there's even the smallest match, it shows positive. But her?" He shook his head.

"She doesn't exist. No records. No traces. Nothing."

Halstein's grip on the bottle tightened as he glanced toward the infirmary.

"Then whoever she is…" he muttered, his voice low and laced with intrigue,

"She's a ghost." The doctor replied before showing Halstein the reports on the computer. 

Halstein stepped into the infirmary after a few minutes, his sharp eyes locking onto the girl sitting upright on the bed. Despite everything, she looked strangely composed—calm, but distant. He pulled up a chair and sat down across from her.

"You awake enough to talk?" he asked, his tone gruff but not unkind.

The girl blinked at him before nodding slowly.

"Do you remember anything?"

She hesitated, her brows furrowing as if sifting through a fog in her mind. "…Barely," she admitted. "But my name… I remember my name. Aria Noctis."

Halstein studied her carefully, tapping a finger against his knee. "That's all?"

Aria nodded.

He exhaled through his nose, leaning back in the chair. "Well, I've seen a lot of strange things in the past seven years, but a girl surviving a damn explosion without a scratch, and that girl being a complete ghost... that's something I've never ran into."

She remained silent, watching him.

Halstein crossed his arms. "I'll be straight with you—I don't like loose ends. And right now, you? You're one hell of a mystery and possibly a loose end to this guild as we have no information on you but..."

Aria tilted her head slightly. "What are you getting at?"

"I'm offering you a spot in Dragon Bone."

She blinked, caught off guard. "...You want me to join your guild?"

Halstein smirked. "That's why I'm offering the spot to begin with."

Aria lowered her gaze, thinking it over. She had nothing—no identity beyond a name. She needed to start somewhere, and being part of a guild could give her resources, protection, and—most importantly, it could give her more answers on this world and possibly more answers about herself. 

After a long pause, she met his gaze and gave a single nod. "Alright. I'll join."

Halstein grinned, standing up. "Smart choice, kid." He reached into his pocket and tossed her a small, engraved emblem. "Welcome to Dragon Bone. The nurse will get you some guild clothes to fit you after she comes in here and takes your measurements."

Aria caught the emblem, her fingers curling around the metal and looked up to Halstein after looking at the metal. "Alright... Thank you." She said softly, her eyes an emerald green, her long dark purple hair swaying as the air blew around her from an air condition. 

Stiles landed with a heavy thud, the cracked stone beneath him giving way under the force of his descent. Dust kicked up around him as he steadied himself, gripping his blades tightly.

SteelArm glanced over, concern flickering in his eyes. "You good?"

Stiles exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulders. "Yeah… but even with all the debuffs Dante's stacking, that bastard still won't fall."

Their gazes shifted toward Dante, who was still relentlessly unleashing [Phantom Cleave], his spectral scythe projections tearing at the Guardian's essence over and over.

Stiles let out a sigh, shaking off the ache in his limbs. "No time to rest, then." Without hesitation, he activated [Silver's Last Pride] once more, his blades igniting with a radiant silver glow as he dashed back into the fray.

SteelArm stepped forward, slamming his palm to the ground. [Steel Road] activated, and the very terrain responded—ancient stone shifting, morphing into solid steel. A sleek metallic ramp began forming beneath Stiles, giving him a direct path to the towering Guardian without wasting energy on an unnecessary leap.

Not stopping there, SteelArm clenched his fist and ripped a chunk of steel from the ground, activating [Steel Spikes]. Instantly, razor-sharp spikes shot up from the metallic floor, piercing into the Guardian's weakened armor. The moment they lodged inside, the spikes expanded outward—rupturing its insides, tearing through the constructs' inner framework with brutal efficiency.

The battlefield had completely changed. What was once a dust-laden ruin of aged stone was now a battlefield of steel, destruction, and relentless combat. Traps that once lay hidden beneath the floor had been sealed away, their mechanisms entombed beneath SteelArm's newly forged terrain.

Taking full advantage, Stiles sprinted up the rising steel ramp, closing the distance in seconds. His glowing blades carved another strike into the Guardian, leaving behind a trailing silver afterimage.

With perfect timing, he activated [Heavenly Descent], crashing down directly onto the silver-marked wound. The moment his blades connected, the stored energy detonated, unleashing another explosive rupture in the Guardian's armor.

As the blast echoed through the steel-coated chamber, the Guardian staggered, its once-mighty form showing the first true signs of collapse. 

Stiles landed hard on the solid steel floor, his shirt completely burned away from the explosion. His chest rose and fell heavily, beads of sweat glistening against his skin as he caught his breath.

"Damn… that can't be good for my health," he muttered, letting out a breathless chuckle.

Nearby, Dante staggered back as [Phantom Overdrive] finally wore off. He braced himself, exhaling sharply as the weight of exhaustion crashed down on him. He retreated to where Stiles, and SteelArm were standing. 

"D-Damn… that skill takes way too much outta me," he admitted between breaths, his body still trembling from the intense drain.

Then, without warning, the Stone Guardian twitched. Its already sluggish movements became even slower as the glowing runes embedded in its body shattered one by one. Cracks ran deep through its form before it finally collapsed onto its back, its colossal weight sending a final shockwave through the steel-coated battlefield.

For a moment, the three warriors stood still, watching as the Guardian's body began to disintegrate into a swirling mix of crimson and black particles. 

A heavy silence filled the chamber for a few minutes. 

"Holy shit… it's actually over!" Stiles shouted, breaking into a grin.

SteelArm let out a deep exhale, cracking a rare smile. "We did it. Teamwork always pulls through."

Dante, despite himself, felt the corners of his lips twitch upward. "Damn it… I guess working with others isn't always so bad. If i had tried to solo this, I would 100% still be chipping away at the stone bitch for another couple hours." With a quiet smirk, he shook his head and sighed. "Let's get the hell out of here."

Seeing Dante's weakened state, Stiles and SteelArm each took an arm over their shoulders, supporting him as they made their way toward the exit. The heavy doors groaned open as they stepped out, leaving the battle-worn chamber behind.

An Hour Later

They trudged back toward the waiting group, pausing every so often to catch their breath. The moment they arrived, Kiera and the healers rushed over, their hands already glowing with restorative energy. In just moments, Dante and Stiles felt their lungs fill properly again, their strength returning as the fatigue melted away.

Dante stretched his fingers, flexing his hands as he let out a relieved sigh—only to immediately frown. "Where the hell is the gate?"

Stiles and SteelArm, still basking in the victory, blinked in confusion. They turned, scanning the area, but—

The gate wasn't appearing.

Kiera furrowed her brows. "What gate? Did y'all clear it?"

Dante clenched his jaw in frustration, rubbing his temples. "Damn it all to hell… we can't even go back to check on that hellhole until tomorrow." He exhaled sharply, his frustration mounting. "My skill, [Phantom Materialization], I used for my spear, and the phantom armor. It only has four uses left today. If we go back in now and I run out when we need it the most, we're most likely screwed."

Stiles opened his mouth, instinctively wanting to say he, SteelArm, and Kiera could go back without Dante. His pride urged him to speak—but he forced himself to swallow the words. The truth was, without Dante, they might not survive another battle.

SteelArm, sensing the hesitation, gave a firm nod. "I'm fine with waiting until tomorrow if it means better odds."

Kiera sighed but ultimately nodded in agreement.

The healers, still tense from the ordeal, remained silent. But the relief on their faces was evident. They wanted nothing more than to leave this cursed place hours ago.