38- The Decisive Battle- The Maiden Shrine Part 1

"I can feel the Key's location."

Corona hurried to inform her two comrades once she'd figured that out.

"That's great," said Hunter.

"Just follow me," Corona replied.

They thought they were making good time as they rushed through the corridors of the large castle, but then a group of Insectors jumped out from a bend. And these Insectors immediately took the offensive.

"Get out of our way!" Hunter yelled, trying to push them away. Corona was also doing the same, using her bow as a blunt object to hit them with rather than firing arrows, because she didn't really have the space to aim.

"Hunter, let Brutus and I hold them back!" Magma declared. "You two have to go on ahead. I promise I'll catch up to you."

"Are you sure?" asked Hunter.

"Positive," answered Magma.

"Okay, then," Hunter said. "Good luck."

"This is a tough one!" Igneous was trying his hardest just to defend himself from the enormous Machine-sector. Actually fighting back was another story.

"I agree," said Lumen. "Oh, how I wish I could just be taking a nice nap now. Are you sure you can't handle this one alone, Igneous?"

"Be serious!" Igneous yelled. When he turned away to speak to the prince, the machine's enormous fist was launching down towards his head. However, a thread released from Ebony stopped it in its tracks.

"Be more careful," Lumen spoke.

"Thank you," Igneous said.

"Almost there!" Corona called. They fortunately hadn't run into any more mobs of Insectors on the way. But both Riders froze when they saw something up ahead. It was an unusual-looking glowing door. And in front of it was Aqune and Buguese.

"No!" Corona shouted. "They beat us to it!"

Aqune was concentrating her powers on the door. Behind it was the Key, so she had to open it, no matter the pain. Buguese looked to her, seeing that she was still struggling with it. He had to make sure she got in before the Spider Riders could stop her.

"We will take the Key!" Buguese announced. Unleashing the blade of his weapon, he used it to fire blasts at the Spider Riders up ahead.

In retaliation, Corona was quick to fire an arrow in Buguese's direction. However, the Insector knocked it away with his sword.

"Aqune, hurry!" he called.

Determined, Aqune pushed at the door with all her might. And then in an instant, it dissolved.

"Good," Buguese said.

Aqune went inside, as Buguese followed. Hunter and Corona ran in after them.

The Key was in a small, round encasement on the far side of the room, that looked like glass from a distance, but was actually just another much weaker barrier. Aqune was the first to reach it. She stretched her hand out, and it easily fazed through the barrier.

"Wait, stop!" yelled Hunter. "If you take that, the castle will fall!"

"Take it anyway," Buguese ordered, deciding that didn't make any difference to him. He could escape easily if necessary.

Aqune's hand clutched the Key. But then, something shot her away from the barrier.

"Aqune!" Buguese yelled, concerned.

Aqune was fine though, and got to her feet.

Then, in the center of the room, a small figure materialized.

"Hero Brade!" Hunter called.

"I hope I'm not too late," he said.

"That was nothing!" Magma cheered, as the last of the Insectors he was dealing with fell to the ground. "Amazing job, Brutus."

"Any time," Brutus replied.

"Now we have to catch up to Hunter," said Magma.

"Not yet!" Another figure walked up the hall.

Both Flame and Ebony were using their webs to slow the Machine-sector down. After Ebony's earlier move to protect Igneous, the two Riders realized that the machine had a weakness.

"Alright, I think it's time we finish this," Igneous declared.

"No arguments here," Lumen answered.

"Flamethrower!" Igneous shot out a flaming blast from his sword.

"Blessed Darts!" Lumen followed with a blast of light. The two attacks collided with the immobilized monster. And that was the last of it.

"We did it!" Igneous exclaimed.

"Great, now I can finally have my nap," said Lumen.

"No, we should keep looking for more Insectors to fight," Igneous instructed. "And then catch up to Hunter and the rest."

"Oh alright," sighed Lumen.

"Brade, I thought you weren't going to help us," Hunter said.

"Well, I thought just this once wouldn't hurt," he said. "Besides, the door to this chamber should have never been opened. You got yourselves into a handful of trouble already."

"I guess so," Hunter replied, laughing nervously.

While they were talking, Aqune had made her way back towards the Key.

"You're not going to have it!" Hunter declared. "I'll use the powers of the two Keys I have to protect the third one."

Corona was glad to see Hunter willing to fight this time. She fired an arrow near Aqune as a warning shot, hoping to get her attention away from the Key.

Meanwhile, Hunter transformed as he planned with the two Keys.

"Hunter Steele!" Buguese shouted. "You won't get in our way no matter how many Oracle Keys you control!"

He charged at Hunter, but Hunter easily blocked his attack.

"What?!" Buguese was shocked. "That's not possible!"

"It is!" Hunter argued. "And I never give up! That makes anything possible!"

While Hunter faced off with Buguese, Corona was up against Aqune.

"Arrow of Light!"

Aqune dodged the blow, by leaping into the sky. She came flying down, kicking Corona to the ground on her way. Then she tried to run back for the Key.

"Don't think I'll go down that easily!" Corona yelled, not really hurt.

Although Buguese was taken aback at first by Hunter's two-key powerup, he was not the Big Four top for nothing. He was certainly holding his ground.

"Sorry your plan didn't work out the way you wanted it, Buguese," Hunter mocked, as he pushed the Insector back.

"You're persistent indeed," Buguese replied. "But eventually you'll fall. And the Key is so close I can almost taste it."

Buguese focused his energy, and was able to start pushing Hunter back now.

The action came to a small pause though, when another figure appeared in the chamber. It was Stags. And not just Stags. The purple Insector kicked into the room the battered body of Magma.

"Magma!" yelled Hunter. Though, he wondered why Magma was taking so long to catch up to him. "What did you do to him?!"

"He simply fell in a fair duel with me," answered Stags.

Corona was also worried. She felt that Magma was still alive, but seeing her friend injured like this was a shock. Stags was too powerful.

"Hunter Steele, you are next," Stags announced.

Hunter wasn't sure what to do. Of course he had to deal with Stags, but he still had Buguese to worry about. 'Never give up' attitude aside, he sincerely doubted he could take both Buguese and Stags together.

"Come, face me."

"Alright!" Hunter decided. He had to do something. He couldn't just run from the fight. Besides, he realized, he always had Shadow on his side. He wasn't fighting alone.

"Are you ready?" asked Shadow. He too was prepared to fight.

"Of course I'm ready," said Hunter.

"Are we too late?!" Lumen and Igneous both ran into the room as well.

"No! Your timing is perfect!" Hunter exclaimed.

Buguese scowled in frustration. More annoying Spider Riders? Well, fine. He could deal with these two. They looked to be a bit tired out already. The Insector moved up to the two of them, preparing to strike.

Hero Brade, who was simply watching, was troubled.

"Spider Riders. This will be a true challenge for you. Can you persevere?"