Chapter Fifty Five:

While the Peerage could admit that the door to the Chamber of Secrets proper was a rather impressive and important looking door, they suspected that one would normally require a particularly special ability to open it. An ability that no member of the group was in possession of. Meaning they were gonna have to use Open-the-Door Plan F. And F stood for 'Fire-in-the-Hole!'. In other words, making use of explosives, namely Mare's dried Blast-Pepper filled coconuts. With six coconuts planted on the wall around the door but still near it and with a few rather dry vines connecting the coconuts to ensure at least near-simultaneous detonation, the Peerage made sure to keep their distance and take cover behind a pile of rocks.

"Ready everyone?" Asked Mare as he held the vines in his hands, earning nods from the others. "Good, Shalltear?"

"Yes?"

"Care to do the honors?"

"Gladly. Cover your ears everyone, this will probably get loud! Fire in the hole-in-one! Incendio!" With a small flame shooting off from the tip of the Bloody Valkyrie's finger and igniting the dry vines, the flame traveled down the vines rather quickly and just as quickly reached the coconuts… only for nothing to happen. "Did you do something wrong, Mare?"

"No."

"Then why didn't that cause your coconuts to go kaboom?"

"I dunno."

*KA-BOOM!*

"Nevermind. There it is."

"That was a lot louder than I thought it would be."

"Come on guys! Let's check the results!" Exclaimed Aura very excitedly, exiting the cover just as excitedly.

"Isn't it supposed to be the boys who love their big explosions?" Asked Hermione sarcastically.

"Hermione…"

"Yes, Luna?"

"Don't be sexist."

"Sorry. Forgot that most of our arsenals make things go boom."

"Indeed. Especially mine. Considering that two thirds of my arsenal are bomber planes."

"Come on you two! We don't have all day, you know!"

"We know, Aura. We're coming." As the two Demon-Ships exited the cover behind the rocks themselves, they got to see the results of Mare's plant-based explosives.

"Impressive stuff, Mare."

"Thanks. But if you thought those were impressive, you'd love the more powerful ones I could make back in Alfheim."

"More powerful? These explosives were comparable to a bundle of four sticks of dynamite, each. And you're telling me you've made more powerful stuff back in Alfheim?"

"Could have, chose not to. Would have brought too much attention from the Royal Guard."

"Fair enough. But seriously, impressive stuff."

"Thanks. But I think that's enough. We got a giant snake's butt to kick and secure the territory."

"Don't forget getting your sister a new Familiar in the process as well."

"That too." Remarked Mare as the Peerage entered the Chamber of Secrets proper.