SailorStar9: With Chapter 31 uploaded, I present Chapter 32 of this fic. For everyone who put this fic on your favorited and followed lists and/or story alerts, thank you, but remember everyone, a lot of authors (myself included) sustain on readers' reviews.
Disclaimers: I only own the plot.
Chapter 32: In Search of Secret Treasures
In Mia's mansion...
"Guys, look at that." Yuli pointed to the streak of light in the distance.
"That's the light from the 'Rage of Inferno'." Mia realized. "Is it from the Dynasty?"
Meanwhile, in the Dynasty...
Badamon had gathered his Nether Spirits and were building up a tall sacrificial tower.
Ryo, Rowen and Whiteblaze had taken refuge in a cave.
"You all right, Ryo?" Rowen peered open his eyes.
"Yeah." Ryo replied. "But that sure was a surprise that the armors of the three Warlords would create that much power."
"Ryo, when you absorbed the powers of the three Warlords, did you feel any different?" Rowen inquired.
"Not really." Ryo answered.
"Even compared to when you took our power?" Rowen wanted to make certain of his suspicions.
"Yeah, nothing in particular." Ryo admitted.
"Then, that confirms what the Ancient told us in the past." Rowen concluded. "I saw it: on the bodies of the Warlords that were protecting you; the same type of written characters as ours."
In Talpa's throne room...
"Kayura, do not despair over letting Wildfire and Strata get away." Talpa assured. "There was value in the fact that the Inferno Armor was activated. That unimaginable power, I was able to confirm that it was able to penetrate and affect the human world. That is why I want it, whatever the cost. And all that I planned is about to come together. Kayura, you must be getting tired. You ought to take a short rest." he sent Kayura off.
In Mia's mansion, the next day...
Mia was busy working at her computer.
"As I recall, those towers were incomplete when I was in the Dynasty." Anubis remembered, the news report came in.
"The nine towers around the castle look familiar to the ones we saw while looking for the Swords of Fervor." Mia admitted, inserting another disc into the hard drive.
"Stop it there, Mia." Anubis spotted something on the screen and Mia brought up the enlarged image of the nine-pointed star in the database. "This is... the mark that symbolizes the completion of the Dynasty."
"Then, we don't have much time." Ami stated.
"The power of the Dynasty," Mia recited off the document. "There's only one way to destroy it completely. Only that which is held by the Shining Emperor, the Jewel of Life/"
"The Jewel of Life?" Anubis echoed. "The Shining Emperor?"
"I wonder what that is." Mia mused. "I've never heard of it before."
"The Jewel of Life..." Ami frowned. "Where have I heard it before... that's it!" her eyes widened in realization. "The comma-shaped jewel was a gift from the Spirit of Hope, Elpis and blessed by not only the divine Cosmo of my past incarnations, and also the prayers from the humans who stood against Talpa."
"So, we can defeat Talpa if we have this jewel?" Yuli blinked. "But where is it?"
"I'll try to find out." Mia nodded. "That's strange." she frowned, when the screen started fizzling. "I wonder what's happening."
"Anubis?" Ami blinked as Ancient's successor headed out to the balcony.
Opening the windows, Anubis was instantly met by a Dynasty soldier who was spying on them and the former Warlord sprung into action, taking out the soldier with the Ancient's staff.
"Lord Badamon!" the second soldier reported. "Anubis has learnt of something called the Jewel of Life."
In the Dynasty...
"They have learned something that they never should have learned." Badamon frowned. "Kill them!"
In Mia's mansion...
"You won't get away!" Anubis chased after the two fleeing Dynasty soldiers into the forest. Using the Ancient's staff, he quickly took out the pair of Dynasty soldiers.
"We already know what you're up to." the dying soldier groaned before the spirit in the armor dispelled.
The third Dynasty soldier had snuck into Mia's office, only to be fended off by Ami wielding the Nike Staff. A stab from the staff that represented the Goddess of Victory to the soldier's chest dissipated the spirit within.
"Mia, finish your search." Ami instructed.
In the Dynasty...
"Sekhmet had 'Piety' on him," Rowen recounted. "Cale had 'Obedience', and Dais had 'Serenity'."
"I get it." Ryo mused. "That could be the three Warlords' true identities."
"I'm beginning to see Talpa's intentions." Rowen nodded. "Ryo, Sage and the others are going to be manipulated by Talpa's power."
"We've got to do something." Ryo growled.
In Mia's mansion...
"Guys, take a look." Mia pulled out a digital map. "It's where the Jewel of Life is. I've managed to narrow it down."
"It looks like the shield the guys once used." Yuli noted.
"Where is it?" Anubis inquired.
"I still can't figure that out." Mia sighed.
"It's helpful to know that it's a lake, though" Anubis supplied.
In the Dynasty...
"All that remains is the human sacrifice and the temple of the Inferno Armor will be complete." Badamon looked at the sacrificial tower. "But to think that Anubis has discovered the key of the Jewel of Life."
"Lord Badamon, what is this Jewel of Life?" Kashura inquired.
"I will only tell you, Kashura." Badamon relented. "The necklace that includes the Jewel of Life is the greatest threat to the Dynasty."
"Why does the Dynasty fear this more than anything?" Kashura pressed.
"It was a gift from the Goddess Elpis several thousand years ago, when Athena first took on human form." Badamon replied. "It said that the previous incarnations of Athena had imbued her divine power within the Jewel, along with human prayers of a hundred million days, aimed at destroying the Dynasty. It is the one object that our Master Talpa fears greatly."
"Lord Badamon." Kashura started. "I take it my mission is to destroy this Jewel of Life?"
"I'm counting on you, Kashura." Badamon sent the assassin off.
In Mia's mansion...
"There it is again." Yuli spotted the similar character appear on the computer screen. "What is that writing?"
"This is what it said when I checked earlier." Mia explained. "'The Shining Emperor wears an armor instilled with the proper virtues and brings light to the world.' In other words, the Inferno Armor. If we had time, I'd like to look into the Inferno Armor, but we have to hurry."
"It draws on the proper virtues of people." Anubis echoed. "It must be about Wildfire's white armor." he guessed.
"That's right." Mia breathed. "An armor that contains the virtues of virtue, justice, wisdom, trust and life. These could be the key words."
"That's a tomb." Anubis instantly recognized the image on the digital map. "In Yamato?"
"In Mitama Lake in Yamato." Mia confirmed.
"That's around the area where the Ancient's Clan was once situated." Ami gaped.
At the Mitama Lake...
Anubis used the Ancient's staff to split the lake waters apart to reveal the hidden tomb within. "The Ancient guided us here." he stood in front of the tomb entrance and placed the staff on the stone lock which opened the tomb. Leading the way down the long flight of steps, the group's footsteps lit up the darkened tomb.
"Looks like an ancient hiding place." Mia was in awe at the collection of ancient weapons and armors.
"Those are ancient armors." Anubis supplied, leading the way to the main chamber. "This could be a tomb for ancient warriors."
"That's the picture of the legendary Inferno Armor." Mia gaped at the large illustration of the Inferno Armors surrounded by all nine armors.
"And next to it must be the armors of the guys and the four Warlords." Yuli added.
"That must be the Jewel of Life." Mia hurried over to the offering box that held the Jewel of Life.
"Now, we can save the guys from the Dynasty, right?" Yuli picked up the necklace.
"The one who bears the Jewel of Life," a voice droned from the Jewel of Life. The monk who was guided by the staff belonging to the Ancient. Take the Inferno Armor and the Jewel of Life and free this world from evil. I praise thee for your courage and harmony."
The rings on the staff started clanging, alerting Anubis of unwanted intruders. "How dare they follow us?" the former Warlord growled.
With Anubis distracted by the Dynasty soldiers, Kashura faced off against Ami, who blocked out the assassin's twin blades with the Nike Staff. Parrying off Kashura, she fired an energy bolt at the assassin, taking him out.
The awoken armored warriors guarding the tomb entered the fray and fought off the invaders.
With the fight over, the armored fighters knelt before the revealed Athena.
"The reincarnation of our beloved Goddess Athena-sama," the voice from the Jewel of Life sounded. "Free our souls once and for all.: we, who have protected the Jewel of Life for eons. The object you seek, Athena-sama, the Great Sealing Amphora, is in the side chamber."
Ami shone the light from the Nike Staff on the armored warriors and freeing them from their obligations.
"I thank you, Athena-sama." the voice echoed.
SailorStar9: This chapter is officially over. Read and review.
