Chapter 55: The Final Room

"I'm sure I felt Klaus's and Letoile's Ki just past here!" Lucas ran ahead and through the depths of the Temple of Valchronos. He wasn't moving too well due to the injuries he had sustained earlier, but after a rest he had healed up just enough.

Yuno was right beside him, gliding with his Wind Magic, while Dike was behind the two. The Druid was the one that had the most injuries from the earlier battle and since no one in this group knew Recovery Magic, it was going to be difficult to carry on.

"Yeah, I think you're right, Lucas. The mana I felt when you zoned in on their Ki was quite something. There were three mana signatures and one of them was huge", Yuno said as he flew.

"It was a magic that I had never sensed before. From when you humans first arrived, I analysed all your magic types and attributes, but the one just a few moments ago was completely different", Dyke explained.

Druids have the ability to sense the innate magic of anyone, being that they know about the attribute. A magical attribute that is foreign to them would be impossible to recognise.

"I did feel a third Ki and it was filled with hatred, not to mention that it was quite familiar. I'm not that good at Ki detection though, but I'm sure I've met them before. If that's the case and Klaus and Letoile were up against them, it can only be someone from the Eye of the Midnight Sun! I don't want to believe it, but that is the only logical solution!" Lucas thought to himself, sweat-dropping. He was anxious and worried about what may have happened to his squadmates.

Eventually, the three stopped as they neared a dead-end. There was no further way to go in this particular hallway and the mages were seemingly stuck.

"This is weird. This is our first dead-end, but I'm positive Klaus and Letoile are beyond this wall", Lucas said as he pondered on what to do next.

Dike stepped up and examined the rocky wall. It was quite thin and there was a draft coming through the cracks, giving the area a slight whistle.

"So, we just break through. No one uses the temple anyway and, besides, it is not like we are any strangers to destroying parts of the temple". Dike stepped backwards and took a deep breath.

"H-hang on! Isn't that like... blasphemous?" Lucas protested.

Yuno and Dike looked at the Dual mage as if he was saying something crazy.

"I'm sure Valchronos will understand", Dike replied, shaking his head.

Yuno sighed. "It's not like we haven't been destroying the walls, ceilings, and pretty much everything when we had that battle earlier".

Lucas was silent. "Good point".

The Nature-Force mage's grimoire opened and started floating next to him. He held out his right hand with an open palm. "Nature-Force Creation Magic: Sword of the Elements – Earth!" A blade with a light-brown colour started to form and he slashed at the wall in front five times.

Only a bit of the wall gave way with the first slash and that was because Dike's body was still quite weak from the fight beforehand. Then, after the next four slashes, boulders shot out from the point of the sword, completely demolishing the wall, revealing what was on the other side.

The three stepped through and saw two of the Golden Dawn on the floor. It was Klaus and Letoile just as Lucas's Ki had led them to believe.

"Guys!" Lucas rushed towards them and Yuno followed.

They knelt down and saw the amount of wounds they had on their bodies. The two were clearly worried since Klaus and Letoile were proven members of the Golden Dawn and seeing them in this state was something they thought they'd never see.

"They must have been in a one-way fight or something. They have similar injuries all over". Yuno stopped the bleeding on Letoile's forehead with a bit of wind, whilst Lucas looked at Klaus.

Though, just as they were doing this, the wall on the opposite side of where they came from was destroyed as well. A beam of green light peered through and the shadows of two people stepped through.

"Huh, who's that?" Lucas turned around. He focused on the two and then realised it wasn't any stranger. It happened quickly and he was preoccupied so he wasn't focusing on anyone's Ki at the time.

The dust and debris settled and the black silhouettes turned out to be Mimosa and Sallyanne. They also rushed over and met with the group.

"W-what happened over here?" Mimosa looked around, panicked. She saw the two imprints of their bodies on the floor next to them and gasped.

"We sensed a strong mana signature here when we were walking through the temple. We also heard a fight happening and this is where we ended up". Sallyanne knelt down and checked the two Golden Dawn's unconscious bodies. "At least they're not in any real danger but I doubt they'll be able to fight for a few days in a state like this".

"It was the same for us. We don't know exactly what happened but it must have been an enemy", Yuno explained.

Whilst the group were talking with each other, Mimosa had started on her Recovery Magic. Her grimoire flickered over to the right page and a bright-green light formed around the injured duo on the floor.

"Plant Recovery Magic: Dream-Healing Flower Basket!" Mimosa's magic spread out on the ground and encircled both Klaus and Letoile.

Lucas and Yuno noticed a slight change in her magic power but they didn't say anything about it aloud but had thought about it.

"Her Magic… that spell could only house one person at a time but now it's for multiple people?" Yuno analysed.

Lucas wore a little smile to his face. "She's gotten stronger".

"So, did anything happen with you guys when we all separated at the start?" Mimosa asked, wondering if they went through something similar to what she had done.

Yuno sighed. "Yeah, we went up against some enemies. They were strong and battled well".

"They weren't actual people but made out of stone which was different. It was like they were there to protect the Temple and whatever was beyond them", Lucas added.

"It was kind of the same with us but we went up against two of our own soldiers. They were taken over by some sort of fungal infection. Maybe something to do with the Magic Stone?" Sallyanne explained.

Lucas looked around but didn't see these two Druid soldiers that they were on about. "Did you…?"

Sallyanne waved. "No, we didn't kill them. To be fair, if it wasn't for Mimosa, we would probably be dead. She's quite strong, you know!" The Druid smiled.

Mimosa added to the conversation to stop the Druid embarrassing her. "Y-yeah… well, we saved the two soldiers and when they woke up, we escorted them back the way we came from. They will be safe now", the royal put her thumbs up.

"Were you guys injured?" Mimosa asked, worried.

Lucas was about to reply but Yuno cut in front of him. "A bit yeah, but it's nothing too serious. The most that happened was that Lucas fainted... along with Dike", he peered towards the Nature-Force mage but instead of an angered response, something else happened.

All of a sudden, Dike stumbled down but managed to catch himself on Sallyanne's shoulder. It seemed like he was listening but then the next moment he wasn't looking good. In his case, it seemed like the battle he had was still effecting him.

"Woah, Dike, are you alright? I don't think I've ever seen you like this", Sallyanne worried. She tried to prop up the Chief's Advisor but was finding it difficult.

"I am fine… it is just the last battle made me use more of my magic that I would have liked to…", he coughed. "However, instead of worrying about me, we need to figure out what happened with these two", he pointed at the elder Golden Dawns.

"The Eye of the Midnight Sun…", Lucas muttered under his breath, though it was still clear enough for the others to listen in.

Obviously, his other squadmates knew about the group and questioned him. Yuno walked up to him and asked:

"They're here, aren't they?" The Wind Mage deduced. "I don't think these two would have been in this state otherwise".

Lucas nodded and confirmed the answer. "It's most likely one of the Third Eye. I momentarily felt a third Ki and it was the same as one of them from the Nean incident", he gulped. He looked at the recovering mages again and then noticed something. "Hang on…".

Lucas walked over to Klaus and knelt down. The way the Steel mage was laying was in a straight position with his right arm outstretched in front. He had his index finger pointing towards a single direction as if it was the direction that they should go in.

The Dual mage looked over and saw where they were pointing but it looked like it had been covered by fallen debris.

"That looks… passable", Sallyanne noticed.

"Yes, it is similar to how we got here. The entry or exit points were blocked but this one looks like it was hurriedly done", Dike added.

"That's the way we have to go then. I… don't want to leave these two here but we really need to get going. If there is a Magic Stone down there then the Third Eye cannot get it!" Lucas said in a commanding manner.

Mimosa looked up to him and it seemed like Lucas had changed ever so slightly. "Lucas, you're…", she thought but all she did was end up smiling. "Lucas and Yuno. You should go after who or whatever did this to these two. I'll stay here and work on their recovery".

"I'll stay too. We don't know what to expect here so protecting Mimosa and these two is something I can do". The other Plant Magic user pumped her fist.

The rookie Golden Dawn mages nodded and started moving towards the direction. Though, Yuno turned around just before and spoke to Dike.

"You should probably stay here and heal up with Mimosa's magic", he said plainly.

Dike was silent but then a little vein popped out on the side of his head. It was as if he felt like he was being insulted somehow.

"Worry about yourself. I know you helped me earlier, but I still have a duty to do for the Chief. I am not going to be held back for something like an injury". The Chief's Advisor rolled his hands into fists.

Sallyanne tilted her head and wore a questioning expression. "This is not like him. He's quite level-headed and would take an injury seriously. What happened with him?"

"I didn't expect that from Yuno", Lucas thought as he watched the interaction.

At this point, Bell had also popped out from the grimoire and wore a surprised expression. "Perhaps it's just Yuno showing that he cares… In his own, weird way", she smiled.

Yuno shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "Fine. I can't stop you but you better not hold us back".

"I would worry about your friend there instead of me. He was also injured and could also hold you back", Dike pointed at Lucas.

"H-hey! You don't have to single me out either!" Lucas dropped his shoulders.

Though this only lasted for a second as the group really had to make a move. The three ran ahead and waved to Mimosa and Sallyanne. They smashed through the fallen debris and revealed a passageway that they followed.

"So… that was two other members of your squad, then?" Sallyanne questioned the royal.

"Yeah, that was Lucas and Yuno", she smiled.

The Druid sat down next to her partner Plant mage. "Lucas, hm? Do you like him?" The Druid asked.

This question startled Mimosa and she started coughing from the nerves and the abruptness of what was asked.

"H-huh?! Why would you bring that up right now?" Mimosa protested.

"Oh, no reason. It's not like I saw you smile in a really cute way when he spoke about that enemy group", Sallyanne chuckled.

Mimosa turned her head in defiance, though she never actually protested against what Sallyanne had suggested. "Um, s-so what about Dike?! He seems a bit headstrong and all. What do you think about him?"

"What are you saying? He acts way too strict at times and it makes him seem so old, even though he really isn't, not to mention being uptight as well". Sallyanne stood up and stuck her tongue out as if she was gagging.

The two smiled as they focused on helping the other Golden Dawns to recover.


"We have arrived", Cathbad said to the others.

"Finally, an exit!" Valmoira shouted to the rest of the group.

The large group entered another large room. This one was different to the others as there wasn't anything like a trial or obstacles blocking their way. Instead, this room had decorations and other such additions to it.

"Ah, there's light in this room too!" David exclaimed. He looked towards the ceiling and, despite this room being in the depths of the temple, there were large cracks in the roof which let a lot of light pass through.

The room itself looked like it was important for whatever it was used for back when the Temple of Valchronos was used and visited. To the sides, there were white, cracked stone pillars used as a foundation to help keep the ceiling up. They had become broken and dirty through time but the overall structure was still there.

The floor also had cracked, mosaic tiles which created a large shape. However, due to how long it had been and because of the temple falling apart, the exact shape and what it depicted had been lost.

There were also areas on the ceiling where it looked like it would have held chandeliers or other ceiling ornaments. This pattern was translated to a lot of the walls too which seemed like they held torches as well.

"There's no Eye of the Midnight Sun here. I guess that's good but how did those two from earlier even show up like that?" Hamon asked.

"We should just quickly look around here and move on", David responded.

The most important part of the room was the back, as well as the middle of the room. The back of the room had a large chair that looked fit for royalty, or at least had been during its time.

"It… it looked like it was a royal red colour when it was fully built", Hamon noticed from where they stood. The fact that the chair itself was still far away from where the group were, showed how big it was.

"But do you see what's next to it? There's another chair… or at least what's left of it. It's been destroyed with only the base of it left", David pointed out.

It looked like there were two chairs at one time but the other was destroyed. The group thought this was odd since one was fine but the other wasn't so it could not have been due to the time passing.

"Yeah, that's interesting and all, but we're here for the Magic Stone. Look in the middle", Alecdora diverted the group's attention towards the middle of the room.

There was a singular pedestal in the middle of the room. It was small but the gold and silver colouring on it showed how important it was. It was on a slightly lower level compared to the rest of the room's floor and had four staircases going down to it from the upper level. It had its own level and when the group walked towards it, they saw just what the lower level was hiding.

"It's the Magic Stone, on top of the pedestal, but…", William said with a slight pause.

The Magic Stone was green and with an overwhelming shine to it. However, right underneath it was what the Druids had been searching for since they entered the temple.

"No…", Valmoira said as she fell to her knees. She couldn't speak anymore due to the sight she was experiencing with her eyes.

Cathbad walked up and went down the stairs at once. He knelt down and shook his head, sighing at what he was seeing.

The soldiers that the Druids wanted help from the Golden Dawn to find were in a pile right beside the pedestal. There were 10 in total and they all had terrible injuries on their bodies. All of them had burn marks on their skin and the lower floor around them had become black from the scorch marks that were there.

"W-who would do such a thing?" David shouted. He was visibly shaken with what he was seeing.

William was silent but he was also shocked. His purple eyes were open wide and he was clenching his fists. "Surely not…? This wasn't part of…".

"It looks like they were all reaching for the Magic Stone", Hamon examined. He saw that the soldiers were reaching for the object. "Perhaps the stone is what did this to them".

Whilst the others spoke about what to do with the Magic Stone and how to retrieve it properly, Cathbad and Valmoira took the bodies of the Druid soldiers to the back of the room, resting them against the wall.

"C-Captain, what should we do about this? We need the Magic Stone but if it has the ability to kill, then…", Hamon asked.

The Captain took a step towards the pedestal and looked closely at it. "Let's think about this from the start. Since we came into the temple, the trials and obstacles we faced have involved the use of fire, be it through magic or its effects. From Cathbad, we know there's an intruder who sabotaged these areas and with what's happened here… we can see that fire was involved here too", he explained.

"You're right", Alecdora agreed. "The fire incidents can't be part of the temple since the Purple Hydrostat was altered by the power of a black flame. Same with the pool of lava we came across… it was just different".

William nodded. "Yes. Those things were unnatural but here we can see that the pedestal is meant to be here due to its placement. Pedestals are used to display or showcase things which, in this case, could be the Magic Stone".

David and Hamon nodded. They agreed with what was being said but were still not sure about what to do.

"The Druids were killed by the intruder, not the Magic Stone", the Captain of the Golden Dawn deduced. He reached for the magical object and retrieved it without a second more of deliberating.

The Golden Dawn all held their breath since they were worried, but nothing happened. The Captain's decision was the correct one.

"I didn't doubt myself but it was still hard to do", the Captain thought to himself. He took a step back and showed the stone to the others.

"I'm glad that nothing happened to you, Captain", Hamon sighed a breath of relief.

"Of course, nothing would happen to Master Vangeance!" Alecdora added, feeling proud for some reason.

As the group of four were speaking, Cathbad had walked up to the group and stared at the green Magic Stone. Just like before, they didn't notice his presence until one of them felt his heavy breath on the back of their necks.

William was the first to react and turned around. "Cathbad, you're here. We retrieved the Magic Stone but realised that this thing wasn't the reason for what happened to your soldiers. I'm ever so so-!"

The masked mage's sentence wasn't able to finish since Cathbad grabbed him by the robe and lifted him in the air with his right hand.

"This is all to do with that blasted Magic Stone! My soldiers are dead because of it and you think you are getting out of this place with it?!" He roared. His dark-red eyes seemed to flare up from his anger.

Valmoira walked up beside him and tried to get him to calm down. "C-Chief! We should not jump to conclusions like this…!"

Cathbad turned his head to the side and his eyes pierced into hers. "I was happy that you seemed more confident, but now it just looks like delusion. Did the humans really change you that much?"

The Woodland mage was gobsmacked. She didn't know what to say and couldn't do anything to defy her chief.

"Hey, unhand the Captain!" Alecdora protested.

David and Hamon also joined in since they felt it was unfair that they were being targeted like this.

"Listen, whatever happened to your soldiers is something we cannot undo. But we can find out what happened if you work with us", William tried to negotiate calmly.

The Disaster mage wasn't going to listen. He shook William even more, signifying his frustrations but this action was hurting the mage.

"You are in no position to negotiate!" Cathbad shouted.

"Sand Binding Magic: Sandbox!" Alecdora shouted. Quickly, sand started to swirl around Cathbad to trap him inside a box that was being made.

The other Golden Dawns weren't going to protest this time since if Alecdora hadn't done something, they were going to.

The magic had no effect on Cathbad but it did cause him to momentarily lose his grasp on William's robe. Sand had gotten into his big eyes which made him flinch.

It looked like there was a battle brewing but as it was about to escalate even further, a lone voice called out to them from one of the exits to the room.

The voice was loud and of a girl which the Golden Dawn knew very well. She came running through in a hurry and a panic and the others were glad to see her.

"It's Letoile!" Everyone but William shouted.

She ran to the rest and panted. "G-guys, we have a problem!"

"What's wrong?" Hamon asked.

"Hang on a minute, where are Mimosa and the others?" David noticed there were a few missing people.

"We... got separated but Klaus was with me! He's in trouble since he was knocked out by some enemy and he cannot move at all! He sent for me to find you lot and he really needs the help!" Letoile explained. She was in such a hurry that sweat was falling from her face.

William was silent and his demeanour was like how he was before when the two Eye of the Midnight Sun members had appeared. The other three were in agreement and started to move towards where Letoile had come from. They apologised to Cathbad and Valmoira once again and moved on.

The Druids were silent but their faces were the same as each other. They were the looks of someone who was confused and wondering about something. However, this whole interaction was happening so quickly they couldn't exactly react or act upon their suspicions.

"Captain, did you find the Magic Stone?" The Compass mage asked as they all moved.

"Yes", William replied, not saying anything else.

"We'll need your full focus when we help Klaus so why don't you let me hold it?" She asked, slowly.

William, without a second of a thought, threw the Magic Stone in the air and towards the light-green haired mage.

It looked like time had slowed down as Letoile was about to catch the stone. A little smile started to etch across her face.

"Thanks a lot, William. I know you didn't want this but Licht did, so… as I catch this, I'll just use Spatial Magic to get out of here without any problem", Letoile, or rather, Rhya, thought.

The Magic Stone was about to land in Letoile's hand but instead of it doing so, it landed somewhere else. Alecdora had jumped and caught the green stone before it got to the Compass mage.

"I'll be taking that", he said.

"W-why did you do that? Give it", Letoile swiped at the Sand mage.

David tilted his head. "Letoile, what are you doing?"

"Yeah, act your age. I just think it will be better protected with me. You couldn't even protect Klaus so what hope is there of you protecting something as important as this?" The Sand mage chuckled. He put the stone in his pocket and started to walk towards the exit to where Klaus was.

"Hang on a minute. I asked for the stone so I'll be the one to take it". Letoile stepped towards Alecdora and pulled him back so he would face her.

"What the?" Alecdora thought in disgust. "How dare you touch me like that".

David was also questioning this. "Letoile, what on earth are you doing? Who cares who has the Magic Stone?"

"We're working together anyway, besides, this isn't like you", Hamon added.

Letoile started to smile but it wasn't a friendly one but one that suggested she was trying really hard to not get angrier than she was right now. "Give it to me", she ordered.

"No".

"Yes".

"No".

Letoile sighed. Her wishes were going nowhere with being peaceful about this so she tried another method. Slowly, a small, black portal formed around her right hand. She reached through and another portal formed at Alecdora's pocket. She was trying to do this without alerting the others and without causing a bigger commotion than it already was.

"Almost there…", the mage said.

Though, as this was happening, Cathbad and Valmoira were still looking at what was happening. The Druids immediately noticed the small Spatial Magic portal and alerted the humans.

"Your pocket, human!" Cathbad shouted, reaching out. This shout was enough to get the Golden Dawn to be on their guard and Alecdora was no exception.

He felt his pocket and took a step to the side, clearly seeing the portal floating in the air where he was standing just a second ago.

"Spatial Magic? And it's coming from…", he followed and saw that Letoile was the culprit. "…You?!"

"That isn't Letoile", Hamon stated. He moved towards the Sand mage and put his hands up as if he was trying to stop her getting closer to Alecdora.

This time, the weird-acting Letoile was very annoyed. She took a deep sigh and was about to do something that she couldn't walk away from. Her grimoire floated next to her and she commanded a spell.

"Copy Compass Magic: Useless North". A singular, sharp needle formed and shot quickly at Alecdora. It was even faster and seemed stronger than the usual version of her spell.

"What the-?!" Hamon shouted. He stepped forwards and formed a glass wall in front of the Sand mage, protecting him. "Spatial Magic and Compass Magic?!"

Silence.

That was all there was when Hamon asked the question. It felt like an eternity before she answered and when she did, there was a drastic change in the air around her.

"... I guess the jig's up...".

Her body started glowing brightly in a white light. As it subsided, Letoile was no more but another person stood in her place.

"You…! You're one of them!" Alecdora shouted, taking a step back.

A deep voice replaced the Compass mage's voice. He spoke slowly but that was because he had just finished yawning. He then introduced himself.

"Yo, I'm Rhya from the Eye of the Midnight Sun's Third Eye", he smiled.

"So, Letoile…?" Hamon asked.

"Yeah, the little lady is with the annoying guy with glasses. I defeated them pretty easily and thought I'd trick you lot. I didn't realise how annoying this guy with the green hair would be". He said as he pointed towards the Sand Magic user.

All of a sudden, another person appeared next to Rhya and it was none other than Cathbad. He reeled his right arm backwards and quickly punched the Copy mage right in the face, sending him backwards and crashing into the other chair at the back of the room.

Everyone's eyes widened with surprise. One reason was because they weren't expecting Cathbad to act so quickly, and the other was that Rhya had no chance of reacting due to the speed of the strike.

Rhya crashed and the other chair broke apart. He slowly got up but he had a few wounds already with one being where Cathbad hit him.

"Ah, shit. I really wasn't expecting to fight you guys either…", he said with annoyance. The enemy wiped the blood, dirt, and dust away from his face and clothes and stood up properly. "Maybe I should have come with reinforcements, but I can deal with you".

Cathbad rushed forwards and confronted Rhya, again.

"So, it was you that invaded our home and messed around in the temple, killing my soldiers!" He roared. He flexed his fists and tried to intimidate the Copy mage.

Though, Rhya was a bit confused. "Invaded? I guess you can say that but I came in after you. I never messed around or killed anyone here though. I'm on strict orders to not kill anyone so I have no idea what you're waffling about".

"Don't lie. Look at those bodies at the back of the room… all burnt to a crisp because of you. You want the Magic Stone too, right, and those 10 soldiers got in your way?" The Druid Chief tried to piece things together but Rhya wasn't having any of this.

"No, no, no. Shup up you blabbering weirdo. I'm not here to do any of that extra stuff. The Druids pose no threat to me and they're not even worth my time. I did not kill them", he protested.

"It wasn't him? Then who else is here?" William thought, his face growing pale and he felt something wrong. For a second, he thought he sensed a faint presence around from someone who shouldn't be there, but upon looking around, he found no one.

"You say it was not you, fine. You can answer all the questions we have when you are rotting in the cell back at town!" The huge mage exclaimed. He flexed his muscles and his grimoire floated up right next to him.

Suddenly, Valmoira came into frame and stood next to her Chief. She stretched her arms and she wore a smile as if she was going to enjoy what was going to happen. "Chief, allow me to join you!"

Rhya was shocked and he had a poker face on. "Ah, come on…", he yawned. "I wasn't expecting anything like this but I can beat them. Considering the fact that they've been tainted, it should be easy".

He walked away from the debris of the chair that he landed from and healed his injuries with his Copy Light Magic.

"We can help you guys!" David shouted from behind the battle-ready Druids.

"Yeah! I'll teach that guy what it means to anger me!" Alecdora added.

Cathbad tilted his head and his blazing, red eyes looked like they were giving off their own separate glow. "This is our fight, you humans have done enough", he said with a glare.

The Druids grimoires started glowing as they were choosing their spells, whilst Rhya wasn't moving at all. The battle was going to start either way and both sides had a reason to win.


NOTES:

Things are heating up! I hope you enjoy the direction this is going and the climax of this arc is upon us!