Hello everyone, I am Rokettoman.
This is the second chapter of Gear's Odyssey.
I hope all of you readers will like it.
To King0fP0wers: Thank you for your review ^-^. The reason I don't use Mecha Kurama is because I don't really like the design, but a variant of Kurama will appear in the next chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and other media properties.
Chapter 2: The Digging Site.
"Get in!"
"Hey, where is my backpack?"
"We already destroy that bag, you don't need that thing anymore."
"What the hell!? I saved my pocket money for a year to buy that bag! The pocket money that my guardian gave me wasn't that much, you know!?"
'I don't care! Just get in!"
The grumbling Menma who's now handcuffed with rope is entering a vehicle that resembles a small truck. Two soldiers were assigned to escort Menma to the Land of Luft.
"So this world has a four-wheel vehicle too, huh."
"We call this Aura Wagon, only the one with Aura over 1000 that can ride this wagon," Said one of the soldiers. "People with low Aura usually use horse, carriage or just walking."
"Menma looked at the Summoning Center for the last time as the Wagon began to leave the place.
"Kotone, Asuna, Shizune-Sensei; I hope nothing bad happens to you and that you are placed in a better environment than me." Then he remembers Kotone's confession. "Kotone, I promise I will fight hard and come back to you. Please wait for me."
-0-
On a tedious and long journey, Menma who can't do anything chooses to lay down on the tailgate. As he could see the soldier driving from the small window that separates the driver's seat and tailgate, Menma decides to ask some questions for his boredom breaker.
"Hey, can I ask something?"
The soldiers are not answering but Menma continues his question.
"Are there any kind of monsters in this world? Like, dragon or something?"
After several minutes of silence, one of the soldiers answered.
"Yes, this world has various monsters in it. The monsters are divided into two categories."
"Two categories?"
"Two categories. First is the normal monster, the monsters that can be defeated by people who have expertise in self-defense such as knights or soldiers."
"When it comes to fighting, I'm the best. I am the strongest student in my territory." Menma boasted himself, "I think I can beat more than ten monsters."
"Heh, I think your mouth is bigger than your aura."
"What did you say!?" Menma stands up and kicks the small window. "How about you release this rope right now and I will show you that I can break your funny helmet easily!"
"We're not going to release you!" Even though they're a little bit intimidated by Menma's snarling, the soldier still has more authority than Menma. "And you better shut up if you want to hear my next explanation!"
Menma grumbles as he reluctantly chooses to follow what the soldiers say.
"Good. Now the second category is Gear-class Monsters. The monsters with a humongous size that can only be defeated by Gear."
"Low aura people like you don't stand a chance with Gear-class monsters. You better run away and say your prayers."
"I know that," Menma is still aware that his aura is very small. "Another question. Are there any Earthlings that manage to go back to Earth?"
"No, never. Not even Ignis ancient script and world history mention that there is an Earthling that manages to return to their world."
"The ancient script only describes how to summon people from another world and it never mentions how to send back the people we summon."
Menma smiles in confidence, "If that's the case then I will be the first Earthling who will successfully find the way to come back to Earth. No matter what the obstacle is, I'll never give up. I will find a way to bring me and my friends back to Earth!"
"Heh, another big talk."
"In your dream kid."
"Hah! I'll prove that this isn't just wishful thinking!" Menma points his finger. "You better remember this moment when the day you hear the news about my successful return to Earth is coming!"
"Yeah, yeah, shut up you low aura trash," One of the soldiers closes the small window.
"Hey!"
All of Menma's rants and curses are ignored by them.
Unbeknownst to angry Menma, one of the soldiers is whispering to his partner. "Hey, remember when he intimidates the double innovator at the measurement room?" He said reffering to Menma.
"Oh that sudden heavy pressure huh...," Said the other soldier as he remember the uneasy sensation from back then. Then he remembers something. "I suddenly remember that the needle when he got measured, it looked like it made a full circle right?"
"...Do you think he might have Aura value over 100K?"
"You mean he's a NEWTYPE?"
"..."
"..."
"PFFFT, HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"That's a good joke! There is no way that can be true, and Newtype is just a myth that is not even mentioned in Ancient Scripts."
"Haah, I guess you're right. I've never heard someone with an Aura value more than 100,000."
"Yeah, to live with only two Aura values, I really pity this fool."
-0-
"Halt! Show your identification."
After 6 hours of journey, the wagon finally arrives at the Land of Luft's border. One of the border guards stops the wagon.
"We still do this? You know me already."
"Sorry, the land's rules. The people who enter the Land of Luft are obliged to show their identification, even if he's the guard's friend or family."
"Alright, alright," The two soldiers got off the wagon.
"We're the soldier that are assigned to The Summoning Center. We brought a new laborer for the digging site."
"Oh, you mean the Earthling with just two Aura values. Can I check?"
"Sure."
The border guard opens the tailgate and saw Menma who was sleeping.
"Should I wake him up?" asks the soldier.
"No, let him sleep. This will be the last time he would be able to sleep soundly." The guards answered. "How's your son?"
"He's doing okay. Tomorrow one of the triple Innovator will arrive at his workplace."
"I hear that there are two Coordinators among the Earthlings?"
"Yes it is," said one of the soldiers. "And I think Land of Melromarc will buy two of them."
"Bloody ravenous bastards, even though they already have an army with the strongest Gears in Ignas, they are still greedy and want to add more strength."
"I know right."
"Okay...nothing suspicious and weird. You can continue."
"Thank you."
The wagon continues the journey after the vehicle check is over. After several minutes, the wagon arrived at the Luft's digging site.
"Hey, low aura boy! Wake up!"
"Hah!? Huh? We arrive?"
Menma walks out of the wagon and looked around him. The scenery around him is just a barren gray-colored area consisting of cliffs, dust, and rocks. There are also several Gears that are likely used only for digging.
"This way," one of the soldier drag Menma by pulling his uniform while the other one follows from behind. "Hey!" but Menma kicks him in the gut.
"Pull my shirt again and I'm gonna rip- GAH!" Menma tries to revolt but the soldier behind him hit Menma's head with the hilt of his sword. "Y-You bastard!" Menma groaned in pain as blood poured out from his head.
"Not fainted after getting a hard hit on the head, you're really something," The soldiers take the injured Menma to a white tent near one of the cliffs.
Waiting for them is a fat middle-aged man who's likely the foreman of the digging site. "What happens to his head?" He asks.
"We give him a little bit of attitude adjustment," Answer one of the soldiers.
The foreman shook his head. "Take him inside. I will send one or two slaves to take care of him later."
"Alright boy, this is your new home," The soldiers throw Menma into the tent.
"AKKH!"
"You will live and work here for the rest of your life."
"W-wait, you..." Menma began to lose consciousness due to the loss of blood, but he still trying to stand up. "Wait... Kotone..."
Then Menma fell to the ground. The last thing he saw and hear before he fainted is the feet and the laughter of the soldiers.
"Enjoy your stay, low aura trash."
-0-
"..."
"..."
"...Where...?"
Menma slowly opens his eyes. The first thing he saw is an unfamiliar wooden roof, then he found himself laying on hay covered floor and his body is covered with thin dirty fabric.
"Ouch!"
As Menma slowly tried to get up, he felt a stingy pain in the back of his head.
"Hmm? Isn't this..."
Menma felt the fabric of a roller bandage on his head.
"Oh, you're awake."
Menma turns his sight beside him and he found a human-size lizard looking straight to his eyes, sitting on a haystack. There is also a thing that resembles a dog's collar around his neck.
"G-Godzilla!" Menma was shocked that he almost fell.
"Hey, hey, calm down," The giant lizard said. "You never saw a Lizardman before?"
"Lizardman?" Then Menma remembers that he's in another world. "I- I'm sorry for my impudence. I never saw a Lizardman before in my life."
"For never saw other race than human, either you live on a cave for your entire life or you're an Earthling." Then the Lizardman reaches out his hand. "My name is Aeon Calcos."
"Namikaze Menma, and I'm from Earth. Just call me Menma," Menma shakes Aeon's hand. It feels weird and unreal for Menma to face and shake hands with creatures that can only be found in fictional stories back in his world. "W-wow..."
"I thought all Earthlings that summoned in Ignas will have a prosperous life. How did you end up here?"
"...Because my Aura value is just two."
"O, ouh. I'm sorry," Aeon scratches the back of his head.
"Don't worry, and thanks for taking care of me," Menma said as he points the bandage on his head.
"No, that's not me who does that. I just come here to check your condition." Said Aeon as he looked at the giant haystack behind him. "Girls, he's awake."
"Girls?"
Menma hears a crackling sound from behind the haystack. After a few seconds, two females came from behind the haystack and walk nervously.
The first one is a little girl who is probably ten years old with long brown hair and reddish eyes. She has fluffy tanuki ears and a bushy tail, dressed in rags with an unkempt appearance.
The second one is a girl who's probably the same age as Menma with light-brown colored long straight hair to her waist that covered her ears. She also dressed in rags just like the little girl.
Just like Aeon, those two girls also have collars on their necks.
Menma is stunned by the little girl's tanuki ears and tail. "Are those real?" What he said in his mind. His hands moved on their own as if they wanted to grip something. "I really want to touch it..."
But the intense stare and weird behavior from Menma make the little girl uncomfortable and scared as she hides behind the teenage girl.
"Hey, don't be afraid. I don't think he will bite," Aeon said while chuckling. Then he turns his sight towards Menma. "They are the ones who take care of your wound. The little one is Raphtalia and the second one is Myucel Foaran."
The tanuki girl Raphtalia is still hiding behind Myucel who bows her head towards Menma albeit with still an uncomfortable expression.
"Err... Aeon-san, is she..."
"Yes, Raphtalia is a demi-human from the raccoon tribe while Myucel-"
But before Aeon reveals Myucel's race, she suddenly taps Aeon's shoulder. Aeon looked at Myucel who shook her head with a terrified expression.
"...Is just a normal human..."
Menma knows she and Aeon hides something, but he chooses to not mind it.
"Wait," Then Menma realizes something. "This place employs small children too!?"
Aeon, Raphtalia, and Myucel's expressions become somber. "Well, for Raphtalia and Myucel's case, the foreman bought them from slave traders. I don't know where they came from before they ended in slave traders, though."
"Slaves, so this world has a slave system huh..." Menma thought. When he looked behind Myucel and Raphtalia, there are also other slave laborers not far from him. Many of them are Demi-Humans and just like Aeon, they also wear black collars on their neck.
"In my case, I'm what you call a Prisoner of War (POW)," Aeon continues, "Long ago, I was the leader of the Lizardman tribe in a small and peaceful village located deep in the forest near the border of the Land of Luft. We live happily without bothering any other race or village, we raise livestock and farm without help from the Land of Luft, every day is a happy day for me, my family, and my tribe."
Aeon takes a long breath for a moment as he remembers his late wife and children.
"But suddenly, the military of Luft attacked my village with their giant Gears. Our weapons and military capabilities are severely lacking, as a result, our village is destroyed almost instantly. Many of my people, including my wife and children, were killed. And those who managed to survive like me were made prisoners of war or enslaved."
When she heard the word 'Gears', Raphtalia's eyes widened and her body is trembling. Expression of fear shows on her face as once again she hides behind Myucel.
Aeon took a long sigh once again
"When I ask one of the Luft's soldiers why they are doing this, do you know what they say? It's just because they don't want filthy savages creatures living near their land. They don't want us to be their neighbor. Even though we never do anything to their people."
Menma can't say anything. The mix of anger, frustration, and sadness is what he feels right now. Menma has his own condition too. He raised in an orphanage without knowing who's his parents is. But he never felt alone or sad because still has his caretaker, the orphanage kids, and several friends like Kotone and Asuna who care for and love him.
Menma still manages to live like normal boys of his age even though he sometimes gets into fights with thugs and bad boys; and also got problems with many people because of his obsession to become number one.
Menma sometimes read the newspaper or watches the news on the television about the war that happens in other countries, and he is always grateful that he doesn't live in their environment. An environment where the people were always afraid of being dropped by missiles from the skies or suddenly attacked in the middle of the night.
And right now, he's in a world where war could happen every time in every place. In a world where racism and oppression are things that are considered normal, and slave system to human trafficking are their natural culture.
"Hahaha, I don't know why I tell the story of my life to a person I just met," Aeon smiles as he shakes his head. "Maybe because you look familiar. Your face reminds me of someone I met many years ago."
"I...-, I'm sorry..." That's the only word that came from Menma's mouth. His face is lowered.
"Nah, don't be. It's not your fault," Aeon said as he taps Menma's shoulder. "Now get some rest."
Menma nodded silently as he lays himself, but suddenly-
*GRRMBL*
His stomach is rumbling. He remembers that he doesn't eat any food after the measurement. "Ahahaha, sorry," Menma scratches the back of his head.
"Unfortunately the dinner time for laborers is already over. And the foreman won't give us any snacks either," Aeon says.
"Uggh, is that so..." Menma looked down languidly.
"Errr, I...," Suddenly Raphtalia takes a piece of small dry bread from her pocket, "I..., I save this for you. I-If you want to take it..."
"Really, for me?" Raphtalia answers with a nod. "Thank you very much."
Even though she's trembling, Rapthalia manages to muster up her courage to put the small piece of bread in Menma's hand. "Y-You're welcome." Then she hides behind Myucel once again.
"Look, he's not scary right?" Said Aeon as he leaned toward Raphtalia.
"Mmm," Raphtalia shook her head with a small smile.
The fact that she's more scared of him than a giant lizard is hurting Menma's heart a little bit.
-0-
"Get up!"
This is just Menma's second day in another world, and the first thing he saw after wakes up is the ugly face of the foreman.
"Can I get another five minutes? I can't sleep well last night."
"I said get up!" The foreman kicks Menma's gut.
"HEY!" The angered Menma rise and punch the foreman's face.
"AGGHHH!" Menma's punch makes the foreman fall to the floor. As he rubs the blood from his mouth, he angrily glares at Menma. "You bastard! Guards!"
Two armored guards suddenly appeared. The sound of their steps wakes the other laborers including Aeon, Myucel, and Raphtalia.
The two guards quickly grab Menma, "Let go off- Gukkh!" One of the guards hit Menma's stomach with the sword hilt. The foreman also punches Menma's face several times and then spits on Menma's cheeks.
Myucel and Raphtalia close their eyes and hug each other. What they do to Menma is too uncomfortable for them to see.
Not satisfied, the foreman grab Menma's hair with his right hand. On his left hand is the same collar that Aeon and the other wear on their neck. "Know your place, you fucking lowlife!" The foreman forcefully put the collar around Menma's neck.
"Wha- what is this- AAAAHHHH!" The electricity suddenly came out of the collar and shocked Menma's body. After several minutes of pain, the electricity finally stopped.
"Electrifying, isn't it?" With a wide smirk, the foreman kicks Menma once again. "This slave collar will shock you if you defy my command or do something rude to me."
Menma tries to tear the collar but-
"Don't do it!" Both Aeon and Myucel shout to prevent him.
"If you tore that, the bomb inside of the collar will be activated and blow your head!" Myucel continues.
"And I'm the only one who can turn that off!" the foreman added. "Just like other slaves here, your life is in my hand. My order is absolute, and if you dare defy it-"
"AKKKHHH!" Menma's body is electrocuted again for more than five minutes.
"You got it?"
Menma is not answering, his body is still convulsing in pain.
"Good. To the laborers other than this low life, get your breakfast ASAP! And don't give this piece of crap any share of your breakfast!"
The slaves follow the foreman and his two guards out of the slaves' room. But Aeon, Myucel, and Raphtalia are checking Menma's condition first.
"Myucel, take my pocket water!" Aeon said as Myucel quickly took a small supply of drinking water kept by Aeon. She gives it to Aeon who quickly pours it into Menma's mouth. "Here, here, drink it slowly."
Menma manages to drink the water even though he still felt incredible pain all over his body. Menma breathed heavily and his consciousness began to dim.
"Menma, I'm sorry I can't do anything," Aeon said as he rest Menma on the soft straw. "Rest here, I will give you a piece of my bread later."
Myucel and Raphtalia were not saying anything, but still shows their concern for Menma as they cover him with a cloth.
The pain is too much for Menma. His consciousness is slowly faded away as Aeon and the other leave Menma alone.
-0-
"Hey, you hear me right?"
"I'm right here, down below the place where you sleep right now."
"Find me, and I will give you the power that you never imagine before!"
"The power that even rivals Gods and kills the Devils."
"Find me, and show those pricks what true fear is!"
"AWAKE AND FIND ME, NAMIKAZE MENMA!"
-0-
"GAH!"
"KYAAH!"
Menma suddenly wakes up. His body is full of sweat.
"Wha-what is that..., a dream?"
Then he looked beside him and saw the surprised Raphtalia, who's then run away and hides behind the haystack.
"Ah, you're..., Raphtalia right?"
Raphtalia peeked from behind the haystack and nodded shyly.
Then Menma looked at the plate with several pieces of bread. "Is this for me?"
Raphtalia nodded again, "I..., It's also from Aeon-san and Myucel nee-san."
Menma shows his fox-like smile and grabs the bread, "Thank you very much Raphtalia, you're really a lifesaver," Menma immediately eats the dry bread.
Raphtalia nodded meekly, but before she could say anything the door suddenly opened roughly.
"Hoo, you're awake," The foreman said. "Now get your lazy ass up and work! And don't try to do anything funny or I will blow your head off!"
Menma grit his teeth in anger, right now he really wants to strangle the foreman's neck. But he needs to stay alive if he wants to reunites again with Kotone and the others, so there is no other way than obey the foreman.
Then the foreman looked at Menma's plate then he looked at Raphtalia who was still hiding. "I see..., you gave him your breakfast hmm..."
The vicious smirk from the foreman and the horsewhip in his hand scares the poor little Raphtalia as she cowers herself.
"Even though I said don't give him any food, hmm...," The foreman spins his horsewhip. "What kind of punishment I will give you today hmm..."
"I-I'm sorry..." Tears fall from Raphtalia's eyes as she cowers in fear. "Please, please don't hit me again..." The foreman's smirk is getting wider when he saw Raphatlia's expression. But before he manages to whip Raphtalia, Menma gets up and immediately blocks his way.
"Stop it!"
"Hmm?" The foreman raises his eyebrow.
"I said stop it. he's just a child!"
"Hey, hey, hey, hey! Bad children need to be punished. You know the rules right?" The foreman shows his foul teeth.
"Then let me be the one who takes her punishment," Raphtalia is stunned at what Menma said.
"Ohohoh, look, a gentleman. I like that," The foreman shows his creepy smirk. "Alright, I change my mind. You're lucky raccoon brat, you need to thank this noble big brother."
"No, don't!" Raphtalia pulls Menma's shirt.
"It's alright, consider this as my gratitude for giving me your breakfast," Menma tries to reassure Rahptalia.
"But I-"
"Raph, it's alright," Menma pat Raphtalia's head. "Go outside and wait for me. I'll be there soon."
Holding her tears, Raphtalia nodded then she ran outside.
"Alright then, take off your clothes!"
Menma take off his shirt while gritting his teeth he said "Do you worse!"
*TASHH!*
the loud sound of a whip can be heard outside the laborers' room.
-0-
"Shit, it still hurts."
Menma with Aeon and several slave laborers are inside one of the small caves in the digging site. While the female slaves like Raphtalia and Myucel were assigned to cook, make drinks for the foreman, the guards, and guests, draw well water, washcloths, and sweep the floor. Several female slaves were also assigned to satisfy the desires of the foreman, the guards, or the guests.
Due to the wounds on his back, chest, and stomach, as he receives 100 lashes from the foreman, Menma can't wear his shirt.
"Wow, you take it like a man, not many people can manage to stand after receiving a hundred lashes," Aeon said while digging beside Menma. "You're really something, just on the second day you get beaten, electrocuted, then whipped. And you still manage to stand and work."
"This is nothing, I've been through worse than this," He's not lying. Menma's obsession to 'become number one on doing something no one else does' sometimes leads to accidents. "Why do they need laborers like us while Gear can dig faster and more efficiently?"
"Because Gear is too big for this small cave, it could destroy the crystals and the ores," Aeon found an iron ore. "Gears digs the new mining site, and us laborers assigned to enter into a narrow excavated site and search for the minerals, bones, archaeological finds, or sometimes an ancient Gears if we're lucky.
Aeon shows the iron ore to Menma, "So this is..."
"Iron ore," Aeon put the iron ore on the pouch he brought. "Ores and crystals are highly valuable. Some of them are used to create, restore, fix, or strengthen the Gears and its weapons."
"Wait, create Gears?" Menma raises his eyebrow. "So not all of the Gears are from an ancient civilization?"
"The demands for Gears are higher but the resources are still low. Finding a new digging site is proved to be more difficult than everyone thinks," Aeon said. "Luckily the researchers from the various nation of Ignas manages to find ancient scripts which contain the procedures for the creation of Gears."
"I see..."
"But someone I know said that the Ancient Gears are stronger than cheap imitation new Gears that the researchers built. I don't know about that though, I never saw them fight each other."
"Hey, keep working!"
"Crap!" The sound of the foreman makes Menma and Aeon back to digging the minerals.
-0-
"Akh! I still can't wear my shirt!"
It's almost midnight and all of the laborers are sleeping. But Menma was unable to lay his body because of the wounds.
"I hope the pain will lessen tomorrow," Menma said as he tries to sleep while sitting cross-legged.
"Me.., Menma-san..." Menma turns his sight to the source of the little sound and he found Raphtalia standing near him. There is also Myucel a little bit far behind Raphtalia, watching her interaction with Menma.
"Oh, Raph. How's going?" Menma shows his fox-like smile.
Raphtalia shyly approaches Menma, "Your wound..."
"Oh this, it's nothing- Ow!" Menma felt a stingy pain sensation when he tries to wave his hand.
"I- It's still hurt isn't it?" Raphtalia quickly takes something from her clothes, "Let me take care of you."
The thing that Raphtalia brings along is an ointment for relieving the wounds. She opens the ointment and carefully rubs the ointment on Menma's wounds.
"Ugh, it's cold," Menma said while grimacing, "Where you get that?"
"...I stole it from the slave traders and always keep it away from the foreman," Raphtalia said, "I always used it for Aeon-san, Myucel nee-san, and the others too. Sometimes I used it for myself."
"I see...," The fact that Raphtalia mentions her and Myucel's name, the foreman must be doing something to them before. Imagining the foreman punching Myucel and Raphtalia while showing his disgusting grin makes Menma's blood boils.
"Menma-san, something wrong?" Raphtalia asks in worry. "Am I rubbing the ointment too hard?"
"Eh, ah, Nah. It's nothing." Raphtalia had finished rubbing all Menma's wounds with the ointment. His pains are lessened a bit and he manages to lay his body "Ah, that's more like it. Thank you, Raph."
"Mmm, it's nothing. And..., I'm sorry!" Raphtalia bows her head. "You got hurt instead of me because of my mistake. I'm really really sorry!"
"Hey, hey, raise your head. it's not your fault," Menma said as he pats Raphtalia's head. "It's alright. I'm protecting you because that's the right thing to do."
"The right thing to do?"
"Yes, and I don't regret it at all," Menma continues to ruffle Raphtalia's soft hair.
"B-but I'm a demi-human."
"And?"
"You're not..., disgusted?"
"Why should I be disgusted with an adorable kid like you?" Menma said with a soft smile.
Raphtalia widened her eyes. This is the first time a human called her adorable. Every human she ever encounters always despises her because she is a demi-human. "A-Adorable? Me?"
"Yes, the cutest thing I saw for a while, here here!" Menma tickles Raphtalia's body.
"Ahahaha, stop-stop!" Menma stops the tickling several minutes after Raphtalia's plead. She finally realized that Menma is not a bad guy like other humans she met before. All of her worries and fear are faded away when Raphtalia suddenly hugs Menma's hand.
"Raph?"
"You're the first human that calls me adorable. Thank you, Menma nii-chan."
"Menma nii-chan?"
"You.., don't like it?"
"Nah, I don't mind it. Please stop staring at me with your puppy eyes. It makes me want to pinch your chubby cheek."
"Okay, Menma nii-chan!" Raphtalia continues to hug Menma's hand.
Then what Raphtalia said about 'he's the first human that calls her adorable' makes Menma wonder, "So Myucel is a demi-human too, just like Raphtalia and Aeon-san," Menma looked at Myucel who looks relieved and happy at Raphtalia. Realizing that Menma is staring at her, she quickly hides away. "Maybe there is a reason why she hides her real identity."
-0-
The next morning, Menma and Aeon continue their daily mining like yesterday. But suddenly-
"Foreman! Worker Gear-1 found a new cave!"
All of the curious laborers stop their work and follow the foreman to the location of the new cave.
Rather than a cave, it looked more like a small hole in the cliff that likely can only be entered by small children.
"I think you can enter the cave if you crawl," Said the laborers who found the new cave.
"But I don't want to! It's your job! Go crawl there!"
"B-but boss, my body is too huge. And I'm also afraid that there might be something scary in there."
"Useless fucking piece of shit!" the foreman kicks the laborer's stomach. Then he looked at Raphtalia who's just arrived. "Hey you, raccoon brat!"
Raphtalia pointed at herself, "Me?"
"Yes you, come here!"
With a feeling of hesitation, Raphtalia approaches the Foreman.
"Enter that cave and make sure there is nothing dangerous inside it."
"Wait! Hold on!" Menma immediately approaches the foreman. Followed by Aeon and Myucel.
"What is it, red hair?"
"You can't do that, she's just a child!"
"And that's why I told her to get inside that cave," The foreman replies. "Our digging site doesn't really need a fragile child like her. If there is nothing dangerous in it, it means the Goddess of Luck is still smiling at her. But if the opposite happens, we still don't suffer any meaningful loss at all."
"You bitch!" As Menma raises his fist to punch the foreman, he suddenly points his finger toward Raphtalia.
"You punch me, and I will electrocute her until she's dead. And if she refuses my order, I will blow your head instead."
His statement angered both Menma and Aeon. "Bastard!" Menma grips his hand in frustation.
"No..., No!" Raphtalia cries a she hugs Myucel. She doesn't want to enter that small cave, but she also doesn't want to get Menma killed either.
"Then let me do it instead of her," Menma raises his hand again.
"What did you just say?"
"You hear me, let me replace her."
Hearing what Menma said, Raphtalia quickly ran and hug him, "No! Don't!"
The foreman shows his creepy smirk. "Hoo..., why I should do that?"
"Because I only have two Aura values, so that makes me the most useless person in this mining site right?"
"Oh yeah, I kinda forget about that. Alright, you're going to replace her."
"No! Please don't! Menma nii-chan!" Raphtalia cries as she pulls Menma's shirt.
"Raph, calm down," Menma pat Raphtalia's hair. "I promise I'll be back. Wait for me okay?"
"No! Menma nii-chan!" Raphtalia still trying to pull Menma's shirt but Myucel quickly takes her away from him. 'Menma nii-chan!"
"Menma," Aeon taps Menma's shoulder. "Please be careful."
"Don't worry, where I came from people always call me 'Menma the Immortal'," Menma said with a confident smile.
"Alright then immortal, get in there, or I will change my mind!" The foreman shouts.
Menma walks to the new cave entrance, then he turns away toward Rapthalia, Aeon, and Myucel. "I'll be back!" He said in gratuitous English with thumbs up. After that, he crawls and entered the cave.
"I hope nothing bad happened," Myucel said softly.
-0-
"Ugh, it's too narrow."
This cave is a nightmare for people with claustrophobia because the farther Menma explores the narrower the cave gap becomes.
"Does this cave have no end? Am I going to end up like the character from The Enigma of Amigara Fault?"
Menma began to show fear and worry about his survival, fortunately before that feeling developed, he found a way out.
"Aha! Finally!" Menma crawls faster to the way out and he found the part of the cave that was a hundred times wider than the entrance. "Whoa..."
As Menma looked around him, his sight suddenly focused on the giant Golem sitting on the stone that resembles a throne for a king.
"W-what is this?" Menma is stunned by the thing that looked like a majestic giant. "Is this..., Ancient Gear?"
But unbeknownst to Menma, the giant's eyes are shining in bright red like blood.
"YOU FOUND ME."
To Be Continued.
Aeon Calcos is based on the same character from the Soul Calibur series.
Raphtalia is from The Rising of Shield Hero
Myucel Flolan is from Outbreak Company.
I still can't decide what Menma's gear looks like. The choices are between Z from MazinSaga, Black Getter from Getter Robo Armageddon, Dryon 3 from Gundam Build Fighters Battlelogue, Muteki Shogun from Kakuranger, God Ginrai Ex Gokin, Star Saber Flame Toys, and MoShow Shingen Takeda.
Should I hold polling?
I will change the rating to M later.
Don't forget to review and consider to give a critique. Thank you for reading.