Previously:
Aladdin, Alibaba, Morgiana, Hope, Faith, and Hakuryuu stood before Sinbad's desk in his office.
"I've gathered you here… to send you to capture a dungeon!" Sinbad said bluntly.
"!!!" they gasped.
"Capture a dungeon!??" Alibaba exclaimed.
"You are already powerful… and I've been searching for people who can help me conquer a dungeon. I want you to go!" Sinbad said.
"Capture a dungeon, huh..." Aladdin said.
"We haven't explored one since Amon!" Alibaba said.
"Where is this dungeon?" Hope and Faith asked.
"That dungeon is… on a small island further south of Sindria, recently, a secret palace appeared in the south sea without anyone's notice..." Sinbad replied. "It appeared two years ago. It's the 61st dungeon, Zagan."
Chapter 67: Zagan
It was a beautiful day. The blue sky was dotted with harmless clouds and a cool wind filled the sails of the Sindrian ship Morgiana was riding on.
"!" one of the Sindrian soldiers onboard thought he saw something. A large creature that looked like it was part seahorse rose up out of the water, looming threateningly over the ship. Morgiana and the soldiers were startled.
"It's a South Sea creature!!" the soldier shouted.
"It's attacking!!" another exclaimed.
"Leave it to me!" Pisti said, flying in on her giant bird. She blew on her whistle.
FWEEEEET!!
The creature froze. It's expression seemed to soften, and it became docile.
"There, there," Pisti said, petting it. "You're a good, obedient girl, aren't you? Now return to the sea!" The creature listened and waved goodbye as it swam away.
"…!?" Morgiana said, surprised.
"As expected..." one of the soldiers said.
"As long as we travel together with Pisti, we'll be safe," another said with a smile.
"Yahoo!" Aladdin called.
"!!" Morgiana said when he appeared alongside the ship, riding a dolphin.
"Higher, higher!" Aladdin told it.
"Let's see who's the one that can jump higher, Aladdin!" Alibaba said.
"Woohoo!" Faith cheered as she pulled ahead, while Hope laughed. The twins were also riding their own dolphins.
"We've been swimming with dolphins before, but not like this!" Hope said with a big smile.
"Do you want to try it, Morg!?" Pisti asked.
"But I've never swam in the sea before..." Morgiana said.
"It's alright. The dolphins are docile," Pisti said. "They're friendly, thanks to my whistle." She held up a whistle shaped like a feather or a small wing. "With my flute and my voice, I can match the wavelengths of their rukh and make the animals my friends. I'm not particularly good with sea animals, so I can't do it to the bigger ones… I get along best with birds!"
"…!" Morgiana was amazed.
After a while, Aladdin, Alibaba, Faith, and Hope finished riding the dolphins and came back aboard.
"Ahh, that was a good swim," Alibaba said.
"That was incredibly fun!" Aladdin said.
"You said it!" Faith agreed.
"Thank you, Pisti!" Hope said.
"Really? That's great! You're welcome," Pisti replied, smiling at them.
"Yeah, thanks!" Aladdin said, smiling. "Pis… ti?" Pisti's smile fell a little.
"Shouldn't you call me 'Miss' like you do with Yam?" Pisti asked.
"?" Aladdin said. There wasn't much height difference between them. " 'Miss', you say?"
"Yes, I'm the same age as the twins, a year older than Alibaba!"
"Ehh!?" Aladdin and Alibaba exclaimed, flinching in shock.
"Why do you think she was drinking alcohol at the party?" Hope said.
"Yeah, Hope wouldn't have overlooked a child drinking like that," Faith added. She always made Aladdin stick to juice.
"Ah, excuse me~ Did that surprise you?" Pisti asked mischievously, running her finger up Alibaba's chest. "Even though I look like this, I'm older than you. Plus… I have much more experience than you!" she added with a smirk.
"Everyone has more experience than Alibaba," Faith said, earning herself a sour look from him. Aladdin stared at Pisti. He reached out and patted and rubbed her chest.
"Miss…!?" Aladdin said, confused. There weren't any boobs there as far as he could tell.
"That's mean, Aladdin!" Pisti cried, covering her chest.
"I see you still haven't learned your lesson about touching women without permission..." Hope said, tugging on Aladdin's ear.
"Ah! That hurts a little, Hope!" Aladdin complained.
"Then learn your lesson already! No touching without permission!" she scolded him.
"Ahhh… I wonder why men like flabby girls… It's terrible! Morg!" Pisti said, feeling depressed. She was squatted down next to Morgiana, holding the younger girl's hand.
"? Uh… they do?" Morgiana asked.
"Yeah! Out to here!! Like this!!" Pisti said, miming humongous boobs that would give any woman shoulder pain just from looking at them.
"!?" Morgiana said.
"That would be physically impossible," Hope said as she and Faith joined them.
"Don't worry, there are guys out that like them small too," Faith said. "I, for one, like them in all sizes."
"Ahh… If only you were a guy..." Pisti sighed.
"Everyone, lunch is ready," Hakuryuu said, making them look in his direction. He was holding a large tray full of platters of delicious-looking food.
"Uwaah!!!" Aladdin and Faith cheered happily.
"Wow, you cooked that all by yourself!?" Alibaba said, amazed.
"Smells great!!" Hope said, inhaling the delicious scents wafting in her direction. "Thank you!"
"To make a guest… furthermore, a prince of a country cook…!" two of the attendants on the ship said, looking extremely apologetic.
"Ah. Don't worry," Hakuryuu told them. "I couldn't just sit back and do nothing since I was so indebted to you, so this is my thanks…"
"Wow, this is as good as it looks!" Faith said, already eating.
"We'd better help ourselves before my sister eats it all..." Hope said, smiling wryly.
"But seriously, where did you learn to cook like this?" Faith asked him.
"My sister taught me that I should provide for my own necessities as much as possible," Hakuryuu replied.
"Wow… your sister is strict towards her little brother," Pisti said.
"Yes, she is almost like a mother to me," he said, smiling gently. Faith glanced at Hope out the corner of her eyes.
"I see, and it's thanks to her that you've become such a reliable boy," Pisti said. "In the future, you will be a perfect husband."
"That's right… Hakuryuu is so reliable, even though he is so young," Alibaba said, speaking while eating.
"Your cooking is so good!" Aladdin said with his mouth full of food. "As good and Hope and Faith's!"
"That's good to hear," Hakuryuu said with a smile.
"You should learn a little from him… okay!?" Pisti told them.
"Don't talk with your mouths full," Hope chided them.
"Hope is like a mother, too," Aladdin said.
"..." Morgiana watched quietly while Hakuryuu interacted with everyone. "When I heard he was a prince from the empire… I imagined quite a different person," she said to the others while he was talking with pisti.
"Yeah, but… he's a prince with social standing, right?" Alibaba said. "Capturing a dungeon… even though it's something really dangerous, I wonder why he was so anxious to come with us..."
"Really? I thought he made it pretty clear..." Faith said.
««« Flashback «««
"This time… I want Aladdin, Alibaba, Hope, Faith, and Morgiana to try to conquer a dungeon!" Sinbad said.
"!" Hakuryuu said.
"The 61st dungeon, Zagan, is situated in the southern sea and it still hasn't been discovered by another country yet… but the people that have possession of a flying dungeon tool will probably find it soon. I want to avoid having it be conquered by the forces of 'that organization' as they'll get their hands on the Metal Vessel. That's why I absolutely want you to do this." He was glad to see their serious expressions. "I would come with you, but it's impossible."
"?" the twins said.
"Why?" Alibaba asked.
"If I or one of the Eight Generals try to go through the sacred gate of a dungeon… We'll just pass through and nothing will happen. We cannot enter the dungeon," Sinbad said.
"!? You cannot enter the dungeon!?" Alibaba asked. "I have never heard that before..."
"This is what happened after I formed my contract with the seventh Djinn. The seventh Djinn said to me 'I'm afraid that you have more than enough power'… and from that, I assumed… they cannot confer more power to a Metal Vessel user who has obtained too much of it, nor to any in their Household," Sinbad explained. "I don't know who decided to design the dungeons that way and for what purpose, but..."
"..." Aladdin, Alibaba, Hope, Faith, and Morgiana stared at him.
"I understand," Alibaba said.
"I've clearly said that you will be risking your life there, so will you accept?" Sinbad asked.
"Yes!" Alibaba said. "All of us have conquered a dungeon already… also, we are much stronger than before, so we'll be alright!"
"Yeah, piece of cake!" Faith said.
"I see..." Sinbad said, smiling. "But the dungeon changes shape according to the power of the one trying to conquer it. Be careful, alright?"
"…? It changes shape…?" Alibaba asked.
"In Ipos's dungeon, he blocked Ren Kouen and his Household from being able to use their Metal Vessels," Hope said, suddenly recalling it.
"Eh? Seriously?" Faith said.
"They can do that!?" Alibaba asked.
"Ipos could," Hope replied.
"Well, if that's the case, it just means we'll have to do everything the hard way again..." Faith said, sweat-dropping.
"Um… Let me participate in it as well," Hakuryuu said.
"Prince Hakuryuu!" one of his retainers gasped.
"… You were entrusted to me by the emperor himself. Do you think that I can so easily expose you to danger?"
"I will not be a bother to you! If, in the worst case, I lose my life, I will leave a testament in which I will take full responsibility for what happens, and then you can send it back to my country," Hakuryuu said seriously. "I was searching for a magi who would want to conquer a dungeon more than anything else."
"!" Aladdin said.
"But..." Sinbad said. "In the empire, there is already a magi called Judar, and I heard that he offers his services to every general of the empire, right? Is it because he doesn't see you as capable?"
"No..."
"So..."
"… I don't want… to rely on his power. No matter what."
"… I figured as much..." Sinbad said, nodding his head.
"…?" Ja'far said.
"… Very well… I will let you go with them!" Sinbad decided.
"!!" Hakuryuu gasped. "Thank you very much!!"
"Are you sure about this…?" Ja'far asked as Hakuryuu went to join the others. "To let a prince of the empire go capture a dungeon..."
"I don't mind," Sinbad replied. "He desires power. If we leave him alone, he will borrow Judar's power and, sooner or later, aim for a dungeon. Also, it's not like we're certain that he will be the capturer of that dungeon. There is Alibaba and Hope… or Morgiana, in the case she meets the Djinn before she activates her Household Vessel. Aladdin and Faith are magicians, so they won't be the ones, but at any rate… The one that chooses the master is the Djinn. We will leave everything to Zagan!!"
»»» End Flashback »»»
"He said he wanted to conquer the dungeon with us because there was someone he didn't want to rely on..." Faith said.
"Isn't it that other magi, Judar? Hakuryuu said he wanted to meet a magi he could capture a dungeon with…" Hope suggested.
"Ah, yeah. I wouldn't want to rely on him either," Faith said, wrinkling her nose a little. "He's a huge jerk."
"Alibaba!! Hope!! Faith!!" Aladdin said, getting their attention.
"!!" Alibaba said.
"We can see the island!!" Aladdin said, pointing at it.
"But I can't see the dungeon," Faith said, squinting.
"Yeah, you're right," Hope said.
"Is the 61st dungeon, Zagan, just beyond this reef?" Alibaba asked. "But a big ship like this won't do…"
"We'll need a smaller boat," Hope agreed.
"Ah, that's right!" Pisti said. "This island is not part of Sindria's territory! There are natives here, so don't do anything rude!"
"Natives?" Aladdin asked.
"I wonder what kind of people they are," Morgiana said.
"I can't wait to find out. I hope they're friendly," Hope said.
"Yes..." Alibaba agreed.
"Define 'rude'?" Faith asked.
'And… I wonder what Sinbad meant by that?' Alibaba thought.
««« Flashback «««
"Another thing, Alibaba!" Sinbad said. "When you arrive at the island, you should first stop by Sindria's outpost there. Someone that you know very well will be waiting for you."
»»» End Flashback »»»
A breeze blew through their hair, and their eyes widened a little as the harbor came into view. They all smiled.
"We've arrived!!"
The harbor was full of fishermen leaving to go out to sea or coming back to the shore with their catch. The appearance of the people and their boats and shelters reminded the twins of a cross between Native Americans and Pacific Islanders.
"Where's the outpost?" Alibaba asked. "He told us to go there first..."
"Wouldn't it be that building over there?" Faith asked, pointing at the one building with Sindrian architecture.
"That seems like a good guess," Hope agreed.
"Hey, you're late, Alibaba. We've been waiting for you..." someone said, drawing their attention.
"… What!?" Alibaba exclaimed when he saw who it was.
"Wait a minute… I know that face from somewhere..." Faith said.
"…?" Hakuryuu said. 'Who… are they…?' he wondered.
"You know them from Balbadd, remember?" Hope told her sister.
"Ah!" Faith gasped when it clicked, hitting her hand against her palm.
"Brother Sahbmad!! Brother… Ahbmad…!?" Alibaba exclaimed, the most shocked of all. They were dressed in the local textiles and even had their faces painted, but it was definitely them. Sahbmad smiled at them.
'…!?' Hakuryuu thought, surprised. 'They're brothers!? That means… they are… the previous king and deputy king of Balbadd that Sindria took into their care!? Why are they in a place like this…!?'
"Hehe, you were surprised, right?" Sahbmad said. "Long time no see, Alibaba… We were entrusted with guiding you! A-And, um… Sinbad has already told us of the situation with the Kou Empire's prince… please don't be concerned." Hakuryuu smiled politely and bowed to them.
"Ah, I really was surprised!" Alibaba said, patting his brother on the back.. "What's with that appearance?! What are you doing now?" Sahbmad smiled a little awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Sinbad didn't say anything to you, eh..." Sahbmad said. "We are working here on this island thanks to Sinbad's arrangements. As members of Sindria's archaeology investigation group..."
"Archaeology…?" Alibaba asked.
"That's right. This island… is the island of the Torran Nation," Sahbmad said.
"!!" Alibaba and Hope said.
"Torran…?" Faith and Morgiana asked.
"…!!" Hakuryuu gasped. "This is the island… of the Torran Nation!?"
"Why are y'all freaking out?" Faith asked.
"The Torran Nation is an enigmatic race that's scattered all throughout the world. Scholars are greatly fascinated by the Torran language that these people are able to use. The Torran language has a form totally different from the common language used around the world, and is engraved on slates throughout the world… And above all, it's the mysterious language engraved on the interior of the dungeons that appeared fifteen years ago," Hope explained. "In order to research it, every country created an investigation team and dispatched them to Torran villages."
"How do you know all this?" Faith asked.
"Kouen told me," Hope replied.
"Ohhh~?" Faith said with a Cheshire cat smile.
"It was an exchange of information! I'll tell you more about it later…" Hope whispered. She and Kouen had gotten on the topic of how strange it was that one world should have so many languages, while the other only had two.
'He told her…?' Hakuryuu thought, wondering what was going on between her and Kouen if they were able to talk to each other like that. He had been under the impression that she used to be his prisoner. 'She doesn't seem to bear him any malice either… Could it be they…!?'
"You know Ren Kouen!?" Sahbmad said, taken aback. Directly!?
"He held me captive for a while after I accidentally captured a dungeon with him," Hope replied. "Is that a problem...?"
"Oh, no! I was just surprised!" Sahbmad said honestly.
'But still… the Torran Nation… I've learned about them during my lessons, but this is the first time I've seen them in person…!' Hakuryuu thought.
"Mister, Mister!" two children called, stopping him. They started babbling on in a language he didn't recognize. The little girl was holding up a circlet made of pretty shells, while the little boy was holding a bowl of paint.
"….??" Hakuryuu said. "I don't understand what they're saying."
"Wow, are you giving that to us?!" Aladdin asked. "Thanks!"
"I am thankful for receiving this!" Hakuryuu said, squatting down so she could put the circlet on his head. They gave one to Aladdin too and painted stripes on their faces.
"Um… I don't think you should accept those..." Hope said, recognizing the body language of the children from years of being a tourist.
"Ah! That's not free! You have to pay!" Sahbmad said.
'I did something similar when I was in the slums...' Alibaba thought, sweat-dropping.
"Eh!?" Aladdin and Hakuryuu exclaimed, shocked. The little girl was holding her hand out expectantly.
"I will not give you money..." Hakuryuu told the boy.
"What should I do!?" Aladdin asked. "I can't give you anything!" he told the girl.
"Man, you two are such easy marks," Faith remarked. They were obviously panicking. The struggled ended when someone held out what looked like some kind of fruit to the little girl. It was Ahbmad.
"Ahbmad..." Alibaba said, surprised, as he watched his brother hand one to the boy too. Ahbmad said something in the same language the children were speaking, and the little girl hugged him before running off with the boy. Alibaba stared with wide eyes.
"What!?" Ahbmad said, turning to stare back at him.
"… Well… Ah, thanks..." Alibaba said a bit awkwardly.
"You don't have to thank me. I just don't want any problems with the islanders," Sahbmad said. "Because otherwise, they wouldn't let us proceed with our research on the Torran culture."
"… You're quite zealous about this research on the Torrans..." Alibaba remarked.
"..." Ahbmad looked back at him then looked forward again and re-adjusted his grip on his bag's shoulder strap. "That's right. This is the best thing I can do right now… That's what I have decided."
"… Ahbmad… He has changed somewhat..." Alibaba said.
"Yeah, I can't believe that's the same guy who almost sold his citizens into slavery..." Hope said.
"Exile clearly suits him," Faith said.
"..." Sahbmad smiled. "He has had the chance to contemplate about many things… This time, I want to talk about those things with you, Alibaba… and Aladdin."
"…?" Alibaba said.
"Anyway, let's go!"
"…..." Hakuryuu stared at the brothers. 'These people… aren't they disappointing as members of the royal family? They say that this 'is the best thing they can do' while their country is occupied!?'
"What's wrong, Hakuryuu?" Alibaba asked.
"No… It is nothing," he answered, smiling politely. Faith glanced at him out the corner of her eye.
"We're at the village chief's house!" Sahbmad announced. "We need his permission to go to the dungeon!"
They entered what looked like a teepee and greeted him. The Chief was a small, elderly man sitting on top of three cushions, leaning on a staff. They asked for his permission.
"No!" he answered bluntly.
"What?!" they all exclaimed. He said something in the Torran language, and Sahbmad translated.
"You cannot go into the dungeon. That's the mouth of the devil! It's dangerous!"
"It's alright. We've already conquered a dungeon!" Alibaba said. Sahbmad repeated this to the chief in the Torran language.
"..." The chief was silent for a moment, then spoke again, and Sahbmad translated.
"The other dungeons are different. The 61st dungeon, Zagan… devours those who want to capture it. The people that go near it get dragged inside!"
"!?" Alibaba gasped. "The dungeon drags the capturer inside by itself?! That's impossible..."
"I've seen plenty of impossible things," Faith said, recalling virtually everything that had happened to her since she and Hope came to this world, including their arrival.
"A lot of people from the village were devoured by Zagan and none of them have returned. Therefore, I've created a law decreeing that none may go there…!"
"But chieftain… this is a request from King Sinbad..." one of the men from the tribe reminded him in their native language.
"Indeed… King Sinbad… sent them..." the chief said, also speaking their native tongue.
"..." Alibaba and the rest of the group watched quietly as they waited for the Torran people to finish their discussion.
"Alright… I will give you my permission!" Sahbmad translated.
"!!" Alibaba, Aladdin, Morgiana, and the twins said. "That's great!"
"But if you must go, let these children guide you with their boats..." Sahbmad translated while the chief gestured to two strong young men and a young girl. "They are my grandchildren. They are experts when it comes to steering a boat near the reefs. They will obviously only be able to accompany you for a certain distance towards the dungeon..." The youngest grandchild, a girl who looked a little older than Aladdin, stared intensely at Hakuryuu.
'…? What…?' he thought, wondering why.
"That's more than enough!" Alibaba said, shaking the chief's hands.
"Thank you for your kindness," Hope added with a grateful smile that didn't need translating.
"Don't worry about it," Sahbmad translated for the chief. "You are the King Sinbad's guests..." They followed the chief out of the tent and onto the road, which was lined with shops and stands and bustling with people, natives and visitors alike, all looking to trade for various goods they could only find there.
"Look. It's thanks to King Sinbad that this island's market is so prosperous," Sahbmad continued to translate for the chief.
"Sinbad?" Alibaba asked.
"Look, it's because Sindria's outpost is over there. The traders from off the island come here to visit us because they can sail and trade peacefully…" The king grinned. "Also, King Sinbad welcomed us as equals. Since olden times, our people have been persecuted as an ancient clan, and were driven out of many lands." Alibaba, Aladdin, and the twins smiled in appreciation for Sinbad's unprejudiced kindness.
"I'm glad you were able to find a safe home," Hope said.
"Chieftain!" someone shouted in the Torran language. They looked over and saw a Torran man gesturing to three people in black cloaks. "The three merchants who just arrived have asked for the blessing."
"I see," the chief answered, also using the native language.
"?" Alibaba, Aladdin, Hakuryuu and the twins said, wondering what was going on. The first merchant was a pretty young lady. The second was a dismal-looking man with his long forelock hanging down in his face, and the third was tall and wearing a harlequin patterned mask and veil.
"We've come from the Reim Empire to buy the folk craft articles of the Torran people. Chief… please give us the Torran blessing and your permission!" the young lady said. The chief gave his consent.
"When the merchants enter the market, they are purified that way by the silver sands of this island..." Sahbmad explained while they watched them walk through the market as the people sprinkled a sparkling dust over them. All three merchants stared at Alibaba, Aladdin, Hope, and Faith as they passed. There was something off about the way the young lady smiled at them.
"… Well then. Your departure for Zagan will be tomorrow morning!" Sahbmad translated for the chief.
—∞—
The following day, they set out together in the canoe-like boats of the grandchildren. Aladdin and Morgiana sat in one, while Faith sat with Alibaba in another, and Hope sat with Hakuryuu in another. The third boat was being rowed by the young girl.
"Hey, there are gold, sparkling fish in the water!" Aladdin said to Alibaba and the twins, pointing at the water.
"Oh, you're right!" Hope said, seeing some right next to her boat.
"Are you serious?" Alibaba and Faith asked, each leaning over one side of the boat.
"Be mindful of the reefs, please," the chief's grandson warned them. He didn't what them to hit their faces on one.
"Look, Hakuryuu, they're really pretty," Hope said, trying to include him.
"I don't see any..." he said.
"Ah! They're already gone!" she said when she saw that he was right. She rubbed the back of her neck a little sheepishly. "Sorry about that."
"Why?" Hakuryuu asked. It wasn't her fault they swam away.
"I just think it's a shame you didn't get to see them," she replied.
"..." Hakuryuu stared at her. At the same time, he could feel the little Torran girl staring at him too.
"Um… can you understand the Torran language?" the girl asked him in her native language.
'Ah… you're the girl from yesterday...' he thought, recognizing her. "A little bit," Hakuryuu replied, switching to Torran too.
"I knew it… yesterday, you seemed more like the clever type, like the chief of your group. I have a favor to ask you..." she said.
'Chief, huh...' Hakuryuu thought. "I'm not their chief, but… what do you want to ask me?"
"Take me along with you to the dungeon, please!!" she pleaded with a tear in her eye. "I want to help my mother and father…!"
"…!?" Hakuryuu said.
"Is something wrong?" Hope asked, noting that the girl seemed upset.
"… Nothing for you to worry about," Hakuryuu replied.
"We've arrived!! This is the island where the Zagan dungeon is!" announced the grandson rowing Alibaba and Faith. The island the dungeon was on was covered in the same strange plants they saw growing on the Torran Nation's island. The chief's grandchildren carefully rowed up to the small beach on the island to let them disembark. The two grandsons didn't want to spend any more time there than they had to, so as soon as everyone was on the beach, they pushed off into the water again.
"Thank you for brining us here!" Alibaba, Aladdin, Faith, and Hope called after them, waving goodbye.
"How will we get back without a boat?" Aladdin asked.
"I told them I would light up a fire if we want them to come pick us up," Alibaba said.
"A signal fire, good thinking," Hope said.
"Yeah, but there's always a chance it won't be seen..." Faith said with a small frown.
"Don't worry," Morgiana said. "If it comes to that… I will carry the five of you and go across from one reef to another." They noticed she was wearing her anklets on her wrists with the chains wrapped round her arms to keep them out of the way.
"Ah, Morg, you put them on your arms!" Aladdin said.
"Yes," Morgiana said. "They still don't do anything in particular, but…"
Meanwhile, the chief's granddaughter waited to hear Hakuryuu's answer.
"I cannot do that. You would be a hindrance. You cannot come with us to the dungeon," Hakuryuu told her.
"But… I want to save my parents who were devoured by the dungeon. If they're dead, I would like to take revenge!" she said.
"..." Hakuryuu stared at the her. "I understand."
"!!" she said excitedly.
"I will do that in your place," Hakuryuu said.
"!?" she gasped.
"I will find your parents for sure! If they are already dead, I will destroy everything that nests in the dungeon. That will serve as revenge, right?" he said. He placed his hands on her shoulders. "So hurry back to the village and wait for my return, alright?"
"…" she stared up at him, obviously disappointed. But did she have any other choice? She got in her boat and started rowing away, looking back at him.
—∞—
It felt like they had been trekking through the jungle for ages. Morgiana, even though she carried the heaviest load, was the only one not breaking a sweat.
"Ugh. I'm 'glistening'," Faith remarked, wishing for some air conditioning.
"Glistening?" Aladdin asked, full-on sweating.
"Our grandmothers say 'Southern girls don't sweat, they glisten'…" Faith quoted with an air of superiority before dropping into a jaded expression. "It's a load of bull—"
"Have we arrived at Zagan yet..?" Alibaba asked from the front of the group, dripping with sweat.
"I see it! It's there, right?" Aladdin said, pointing at what appeared to be some kind of building, high up, miles away.
"Fan-freaking-tastic!" Faith said sarcastically. Why couldn't this thing be as easy to get to as Amon?
"Good thing we have camping supplies…" Hope said. There was no way they were making it up there in one day. Not without killing themselves.
"!" Morgiana said. "…?"
"What's wrong, Morgiana?" Alibaba asked.
"Something was shining just now…?" she said, staring up at the dungeon. Suddenly, shining ropes of light came shooting out at them.
"!?" Hakyruu said.
"W-What!?" Alibaba said.
"Are we about to be 'eaten'!?" Hope asked. One of the ropes wrapped around Aladdin. His eyes widened as he was yanked from the ground.
"Aladdin!?" Alibaba and the twins cried. But they had no time to worry about him, because they were already being yanked away themselves.
"Ugh!" Morgiana tried and failed to break free.
"What is this!?" Hakuryuu asked.
"They came out of the dungeon!!" Hope exclaimed.
"We're really being eaten!!?" Faith yelled.
"…!!!" Alibaba exclaimed. 'My body is being pulled...' he thought, gritting his teeth. He looked over his shoulder and saw that they were heading for a shining gateway. Hope looked too, eyes wide. "It's the dungeon's sacred gate!!!" They passed through and she felt the familiar pulling sensation and found herself floating over what appeared to be the same world she saw in the last dungeon. Apart from the pillars of light shooting up from the planet's surface everything looked dark and lifeless.
"As I suspected, I'm traveling through another vortex!" she thought aloud,
"Yes, your suspicions are correct," a familiar voice said, making her look around. She turned and found that she was standing in a circle of light within the vortex, and Ipos was sitting across from her.
"Ipos!" she said, surprised.
"What are your intentions?" Ipos asked. "Entering this dungeon..."
"To support my friends and help pay Sinbad back for his hospitality," Hope replied.
"So you don't intend to take another Djinn?" Ipos asked, watching her closely.
"No. I can barely handle you," she pointed out.
"It's not that you can barely handle me, it's that I can barely handle you," Ipos corrected her.
"!" Hope was surprised again. "What do you mean by that?"
"Your magoi exceeds that of a normal human on its own, but the problem is the extra rukh you absorb."
"Extra rukh?"
"You aren't like most humans in this world. You can absorb magoi from rukh outside your own body."
"But… I thought only magis could do that! And if I'm so powerful, how come I can't Djinn Equip properly?" she asked, deeply confused.
"You're thinking of people from this world. I don't know about the rules governing your world, but this is what's happening… you're unconsciously absorbing rukh from outside sources. And it seems you can absorb both black and white rukh. That's how you were infected so quickly by the black rukh in Balbadd. It's also the real cause of your illness. Your body doesn't know how to handle the extra energy. Fluctuations in magoi like these that are improperly dealt with can cause extreme conditions to develop and inflict severe damage over time. It also seems your twin can absorb magoi directly from you. You should let her. It will help you. I think that relationship was meant to be symbiotic. You can absorb extra energy, and she can expel it as magic. The two of you together could equal one magi… in theory.
"But won't the fluctuations hurt her too?" Hope asked, frowning and furrowing her brow.
"No, because it won't build up in her."
"Is that how you've been keeping my illness in check? Were you blocking the extra magoi from coming in?"
"Something like that," he answered enigmatically. "But you need to learn how to manipulate your own magoi better to gain control over the extra energy you absorb. Until you do, you won't be able to perform a proper Djinn Equip without suffering serious consequences. And as you've guessed, I'll only cooperate with your attempts to Equip if you're in a danger that's beyond your other abilities."
"If I learn to manipulate my magoi better… will that improve my illness?" Hope asked, crossing her fingers.
"It should, but I can't say to what extent," Ipos replied. Hope clenched her fists.
"I see… Thank you for telling me all of this!" she said, finding new determination to battle her illness herself.
Alibaba also found himself floating in a vortex over the planet covered in beams of light. 'The red swirl! I'm here again!' he thought. 'It's been a while since that one time, but… I will complete a dungeon conquest this time as well!!' He looked at his sword with determination.
"I don't feel like doing it..." a familiar voice said. Alibaba froze and whipped his head around he could see someone sitting on the other side of the circle he was standing on inside the light. "I don't feel like doing it… because of my master… I don't feel like doing it..."
"Who… Who is there…?" Alibaba asked. The person turned to face him. "Eh…!? W-Why…!? A-Amon!?" he exclaimed, pointing at the Djinn in disbelief.
An awkward silence formed as they sat, kneeling to face each other.
"Alibaba… what are your intentions…?" Amon asked. "You already have a djinn… and you want to have an affair with another djinn…?"
"..." Alibaba didn't know what to say to that.
"I don't feel like doing it..." Amon complained, laying down. "Aren't you saying that you're dissatisfied with me…?"
'Amon at the beginning, you gave me the image of a super powerful Djinn, but… was he always such a jealous and whiny, old man…?' Alibaba thought, sweat-dropping. 'He's even sulking now...'
"Did you say something…?" Amon asked, looking at him.
"No, nothing!" Alibaba answered, flinching a little guiltily.
"Are you alright with this!? Alibaba… there is no need to have two or three vessels in the first place, do you know that!?" Amon said. "Honestly… First and foremost, you don't have the ability!"
"Eh!?" Alibaba said.
"We are able to understand it the moment we look at you. The necessary ability to use a Djinn… in other words, the quantity of magoi a human has in their body! You have a quantity exceeding that of a normal human… but you are not a special human capable of using a great number of Djinns!" Amon told him.
"!" Alibaba gasped. "..." He hung his head.
"But you carry unusual potential and show promise," Amon said.
"… Eh…?" Alibaba said.
"You have often risked your life for the sake of others. During those times, the stagnating rukh would begin to flow in an auspicious way," Amon said. "Your humble servant, Amon, decided to devote his powers to such a master. Complete the Djinn Equip, Alibaba! Zagan is an awful ruffian, but… I'm sure that we will be able to win if we are in sync!!"
'Amon! Thank you…!!' Alibaba thought earnestly, running into Amon's embrace. Then, he found himself alone and lying on his back. 'I feel strangely calm… so reassuring… It's like I've become bigger… could it be that this is the feeling of 'becoming one with Amon'…!? It's like… yeah, it's just like… It's like… the strong hands of a magnificent hero are holding me...' Well, he wasn't entirely wrong. When he opened his eyes, he saw that Morgiana was holding him princess-style. "..." Alibaba said, sweat-dropping.
"Ah… you've regained consciousness, Alibaba," Morgiana observed.
"Ah… yes..." Alibaba said. 'I was wrong…' he thought, feeling a little embarrassed. "What is this place?"
"We are right below the starting point," Morgiana said, letting go of his legs to point up at the glowing eight-pointed seal in the ceiling.
"I'm glad that Morg was the first to get here!" Aladdin said. They were all sitting on a small piece of land jutting up out of the darkness like a pillar with its top cut off.
"For real," Faith agreed as Alibaba looked over the edge. "I probably would have fallen off if she hadn't caught me."
"Yeah, she really saved us!" Hope agreed.
"Okay, let's go down," Morgiana said, gathering all five of them in her arms.
"L-Lady Morgiana!" Hakuryuu said, blushing. "Don't overdo yourself, please. We must be heavy… for the arms of a woman, right!? If we have to go down, I will carry you!!"
"You're not heavy," Morgiana replied.
"Hakuryuu, just be quiet and do as she says!" Alibaba advised him. "Or she will punch you in the stomach!"
"I know you mean well, but..." Hope said.
"Do you have any idea how insulting that is to someone as strong as her?" Faith finished.
"Eh!?" Hakuryuu said, confused. What did he say wrong?
"Okay, let's go," Morgiana said, leaping down into the darkness without hesitation.
"Gyaaaaah!!" they all shouted, even though they had been expecting it, clinging to her and each other for dear life. The darkness gave way to light, and as Morgiana landed, they realized they were surrounded by flowers. They seemed to find themselves in a sunny little fairytale land full of lovely flowers and plants that was surrounded by walls full of doors. They stared at their surroundings with wonder.
"This… This is the Zagan dungeon!?" Alibaba said, excited.
"Incredible~ It's so beautiful!" Aladdin exclaimed.
"I had only heard frightening rumors about it, but... it is so beautiful!!" Alibaba agreed.
"It's full of mysterious flowers!! Ah, look, Alibaba! Hope! Faith! There are also several doors of different shapes!!" Aladdin said.
"That's the way dungeons are after ~!!!" Alibaba said.
"Where should we begin!?"
"..." Morgiana smiled as she watched how excited the boys were.
"Hold up!" Faith said. "Don't you think this all seems too good to be true? This could be like the fiftieth Hunger Games." The fact that this dungeon 'ate' people and was supposed to be 'different' from the others had her a little on edge. She was sure Hope was unnerved too, but then Hope was always on edge because she worried about everything.
"The what?" Aladdin asked.
"She's saying it could be more dangerous than it seems. She's right. It's okay to enjoy it, but don't let your guards down, okay?" Hope said.
"I think you're worrying too much!" Alibaba said.
"Says the guy who thought some monster ant eggs in Amon's dungeon were treasure simply because they looked pretty," Faith quipped.
"…" Alibaba sweat-dropped. He had no comeback for that. Something dropped down from above.
"Huh?" Alibaba, Aladdin, and the twins said. They looked and saw that it was a small animal.
"Ah… It's a turtle," Alibaba said. "So there are turtles in dungeons, too!"
"It's so small and cute~!" Aladdin said. They laughed as they watched it totter over to them.
"I guess it is cute..." the twins agreed, smiling wryly.
"You… look super delicious," the turtle told them, drooling a little as it revealed sharp teeth. Faith and Hope's eyes widened a little. Another turtled dropped down.
"You look delicious. You look so delicious," it said.
"The… The turtle..." Alibaba said nervously.
"Spoke!?" Aladdin finished as a third dropped down.
"Uwaaa!!" Hakuryuu cried when one bit his finger. "Wha… What's with this thing!? Don't eat me!!"
'How did that happen…?' Faith and Hope wondered, sweat-dropping.
"Calm down, Hakuryuu!" Aladdin said. "Looks like they are really just normal turtles! Although it talks..." He had one clinging to his finger too. "It doesn't hurt either..."
"You are delicious," the turtle said stubbornly, flailing its legs.
"You shouldn't go out of your way to test stuff like that," Faith told him. What if it had turned out it had some kind of venom?
"Ah, that's right. See, Drakon can speak too," Aladdin added.
"He was a person from the beginning!" Alibaba and Hope said, sweat-dropping.
"Well… it should be normal for there to be talking creatures in a dungeon," Alibaba said.
"Now that you've mentioned it… the ants in the seventh dungeon could speak too..." Morgiana said. "Although they just mimicked Qishan's lord..."
"Really? They didn't talk in Ipos..." Hope said, holding her chin. "Although, I got the impression we were the first to enter it… It was pretty isolated and well hidden..."
"This turtle too, I wonder if had just remembered the words of people who were sucked in?" Aladdin said, setting it down on the ground.
"!" Hakuryuu said. He suddenly remembered the Torran girl's desperate request to save her parents. He slapped his face lightly to get himself to focus. 'Being alarmed about something of this nature… I still have to save the villagers and conquer this dungeon. I've got to get a grip…!'
"Alright! We'll advance calmly..." Alibaba said with determination. "No matter what comes our way from now on!"
"Yeah!" Aladdin cheered. They opened the first door.
"What are you?" asked the odd creature inside, which appeared to be a mutant mouse with a stub for a tail and a trunk for a mouth. Two of them were kissing further inside the room. They opened the next door.
"You look pretty delicious," said a pig-like creature with sideburns, butterfly wings, and an elephant trunk coming out of its stomach, which another one was using to suck nectar from a flower in the background.
"You look delicious! I'll swallow you whole!!" said a very aggressive sunflower with crazy eyes and a mouth full of sharp teeth.
"Ahhh! What are these things!?" Alibaba exclaimed as they all attacked, starting to panic. The mousey things had tentacles coming out of their mouths that they wrapped around Alibaba's sword and Morgiana's legs. One of them was sucking on Aladdin's turban like it was trying to get at his brains. The Sunflower also had tentacles coming out of its mouth, which it used to grabbed Hakuryuu's spear. The pig-butterflies went after the twins with axes. Hope threw one of her sticks and nailed one of the pig-butterflies in the face. It dropped it's axe, and she grabbed it. She used the axe to scare away the thing attacking Aladdin. Faith put up her borg when the remaining pig-butterfly tried to axe her, and the axe hit her borg and with so hard that the strong vibrations from when it made impact made him let go. Faith's borg was completely unscathed.
"Aladdin! Use your borg!" Faith reminded him as Morgiana broke free from the creature trying to capture her.
'I've never seen them before, even in the army of dungeon monsters in Kou!!' Hakuryuu thought nervously while he struggled with the sunflower. 'Weird monsters that I don't get at all just keep appearing!!' "Isn't it better if we don't open any more doors!?" he asked the others.
"No… If we want to capture this dungeon, we must figure out the location of the Djinn's treasure room and head there first," Alibaba replied calmly. "We've got to find the path to advance from within here!"
"I agree that we should keep trying, but… don't you think the doors might be too obvious?" Hope asked.
"Yeah, they might be a trap to distract us from finding the real path!" Faith agreed.
"They don't have any markings like the seventh dungeon either..." Aladdin said, referring to the doors.
"Anyway, let's just try opening all the doors first!" Alibaba said.
"…!" Hakuryuu said. "These people are calm… I'll have to do my best in battle too…!" he raised his spear, preparing to strike down the sunflower.
"Ah—wait!" Aladdin told him. Hakuryuu froze, and looking again, he saw that there were two smaller sunflowers hiding behind the one he was fighting. "It looks like it only wants to protect its child."
"…!?" Hakuryuu said.
"Ah, hey, take a look, Aladdin! Hope and Faith!" Alibaba said. "On a closer look, it's just their homes beyond these doors."
"You're right," Aladdin said as they looked through the doors again. The rooms inside looked like bedrooms or living rooms.
"Could it be that everyone was just angry because their house's door was opened suddenly?" Aladdin said.
"If someone busted down my door without warning, I'd fight back too," Faith said.
"There must be someway to let them know we don't mean any harm..." Hope said.
"…" Hakuryuu stared at them and the dungeon creatures's homes.
"Everyone, over here," Morgiana said, pointing to a hole in the undergrowth that some of the mouse things were walking through, all lined up and carrying tools like axes and shovels.
"Hi-ho! Hi-ho!" they sang. Hope could tell from the grin on her sister's face that she was struggling hard not to add 'It's off to work we go!'. Hope was too, if she was honest. Apart from everything attacking them, this could be something out of Disney. They all followed the little creatures, crawling through the hole and coming out on the other side of the tunnel under a gap in the roots of a tree.
"Whoa..." Aladdin said when they found themselves in a forest with streams of glittering light penetrating the treetops, illuminating the charming scene of the creatures working together to harvest shining balls from the tops of mushrooms and cutting them down with their axes. "Everyone is either cutting trees… or gathering food." the mouse creatures and the pig-butterflies and the sunflowers, they were all there, singing while they worked. "I wonder if its for their families."
"I think you're right," Hope said with a small smile. One of the sunflowers tripped, and another hurried to help it, hissing at Hakuryuu to make sure he wouldn't attack while it was down.
"..." Hakuryuu stared at them.
"Somehow, this feels like..." Aladdin said.
"Yeah..." Alibaba agreed. "It may be that in a dugeon, but they have a communal system of livelihood… that may not be that different compared to our own… This isn't a weird place at all! As long as we advance calmly while keeping to the rules of this dungeon… we'll have nothing to fear!" They followed behind the marching sunflowers, letting them lead the way onward.
"Hi-ho! Hi-ho!" the flowers sang as they walked. They all stopped when they came to an opening in the wall. Standing in it was what looked like a humongous white stuffed bear.
"Spare me some honey?" it asked. They all froze, staring up at it with wide eyes.
"… Ca… Calm down… looking closely, there is nothing to fear from this guy..." Alibaba said nervously as they all took a step back.
"Unless it steps on us..." Faith added, a bead of sweat sliding down her face. The thing was huge! They didn't see it, but on the level above, there was the silhouette of someone watching them.
"Ahhh~"
"?!" Morgiana said. "I heard something… coming from above…?"
"I didn't hear anything," Aladdin said.
"Morgiana's ears are better than ours," Hope said, looking up and around. She didn't see anyone, but if Morgiana heard them, they must be there somewhere.
"Spare me some honey," the bear said, trembling. "Spare me some honey."
"Sor… Sorry. We don't have any on us," Aladdin told it, raising a hand to get its attention. The bear raised its arm too. It slammed its paw down on the sunflowers, crushing all of them in a single blow.
"!!?" Alibaba, Aladdin, and the twins gasped in alarm. It was horrible.
"Give me hooooneeeyyyy!!" the bear roared, bearing a mouth full of sharp teeth at them.
"!!!" Morgiana gasped, furrowing her brow.
"This guy…!?" Alibaba said, gritting his teeth. Why was he killing his fellow creatures!? The bear charged at them. They all immediately moved to get out of the way, except for Hakuryuu.
"Move it!!!" Faith shouted at him.
"Run away, Hakuryuu!!!" Alibaba yelled.
"What's wrong, Hakuryuu!?" Hope asked, eyes wide with concern when he didn't move.
"..." Hakuryuu stood there in the bear's path, trembling. If he could move, he would've done it already! The bear pulled it's paw back, preparing to strike again.
SLAM!
At the last second, Morgiana managed to put herself between him and the bear's paw, and she caught it.
"Haaaaaaa!!!" Morgiana said, clenching her fist as she swung it to deliver a powerful punch to its arm, followed by a barrage of kicks to its legs. "Alibaba!" Alibaba had already run to the higher ground and launched himself into the air. He Djinn Equipped.
"Amon's sword!!!" he shouted, striking with two attacks in quick succession, slicing open its arm and chest.
"Honeyy~!!" the bear screamed. "!!" It was startled to see someone flying over it.
"I told you we don't have any!" Aladdin said, raising his staff while he stood on his flying turban. "Har-Har Infigar!" he hit the bear with a large beam of fire, making it screech in pain.
"Hot—Hot—!!" the bear cried, running away as fast as its legs could carry it.
"That helped a lot~!" Alibaba told Aladdin.
"Yeah, we didn't even get to do anything," Faith said, referring to herself and Hope.
"We weren't needed at all," Hope said wryly.
"….!!" Hakuryuu said, staring at the others in astonishment.