"Just don't worry about getting caught. If anything, I should be the worried one. My armor sticks out like a sore thumb unlike your outfit."
Ryusei and Reimu were in their armor and shrine maiden outfit respectively. While Reimu was fussing over getting caught, Ryusei had been reassuring her that no one knows about them. After a few minutes of arguing though, Reimu had stopped complaining and was now checking the map Ryusei had picked up at the entrance to the temple.
"So where should we start first?"
"Well the book said that the amulet is located underground and protected by many traps," answered Ryusei.
"So are we looking for a tunnel or do we need to dig?" asked Reimu
Ryusei began checking the walls for a secret button or lever.
"We're looking for a trigger of some sort," replied Ryusei. "Keep an eye out for security or other guests."
Reimu shrugged and kept an eye on the entrance while her samurai partner carefully scanned and checked the walls and decorations.
"Hey Ryusei," addressed Reimu.
"Tourists or security?" asked the samurai.
"No. I just wanted to know, what's that up there?"
Ryusei looked up at where Reimu was pointing and saw 10 large circles that aligned to form a small target at the center.
"A target. Of course," replied Ryusei.
He quickly drew out a rifle from his bag and loaded it with a stack of ninja stars.
"What's that?" asked Reimu.
"A shuriken launcher," answered Ryusei. "It's a recoilless gun that fires heated shurikens instead of bullets. It's got a max capacity of 4-5 ninja stars and I only need one hand to carry it."
He aimed it at the target but lowered it before he pulled the trigger.
"It's too far and the bullseye won't register something as small as a bullet. I'm gonna have to use a bow."
He replaced the gun with an ancient looking bow and large arrow from his bag and aimed it upwards. Reimu held her breath as he pulled back the string and carefully positioned the arrow at the bullseye.
Taking a deep breath, Ryusei squinted at the target before letting the projectile fly. The arrow whizzed through the air and passed through all 10 circles before striking dead center. Bullseye.
"Now what?" asked Reimu.
Ryusei put his bow back in the bag and stepped away from the center.
"We wait and pray that it wasn't a trap."
Immediately after he said that, the floor opened up to reveal a ladder and passage that led to the bottom.
"Well, we're in."
Just as he was about to go down, Reimu stopped him and floated a few inches above the ground before descending.
"I'll go first."
Ryusei watched as she narrowly avoided hidden wires and strings as she made her way down before tugging on the ladder which immediately broke with one pull.
"Nice trap," commented Ryusei. He picked up a piece of the ladder and tied his own rope to a nearby pillar which he then used to descend down the hole. As he went down, he drew his sword and swiftly cut the wires and string that Reimu had avoided by using her ability to fly and float off the ground.
Once he had reached the ground, he saw Reimu staring at a large wall that blocked the next room.
"I've got a few bombs. Mind if I use one?" asked Reimu.
Ryusei shook his head. "Don't. You'll collapse the whole place."
He then tested the wall by tapping his sword on it several times before backing away from it and picking up a rock and fasting it to the end of a large stick.
"Stand back," warned Ryusei.
He slammed the makeshift hammer into the wall and to Reimu's surprise, the barrier collapsed as if it were made of cardboard boxes.
"There it is."
Ryusei pointed at a shimmering gold necklace that had not one but thirteen round emeralds forged into the gold centerpiece floating in the air. Reimu was about to make her way to the amulet but was stopped by Ryusei.
"Wait. The floors," stopped the samurai. "Those tiles are pressure plates."
Reimu quickly understood and used her floating ability to reach the necklace while Ryusei carefully navigated his way around the plates. Once they reached the necklace, Reimu stuck her hand out to grab the amulet but Ryusei held her back and instead, stuck out his sword and slid the necklace down the blade.
"We've got it!" exclaimed Reimu excitedly.
Ryusei smiled and checked the amulet but just before he could pocket it, he heard the shuffling of steps and saw several ropes being thrown into the room.
"Well done, you two. But it seems your little treasure hunt is over."
The samurai and shrine maiden looked up to see Belloq looking at them from a hole in the ceiling. Somehow, he had managed to find the secret room and the amulet's location despite not having the right notes or information.
He wasn't dressed like the other archaeologists they'd seen, no dusty khakis or worn fedora for him. Instead, he sported a tailored, charcoal suit that seemed out of place in the ancient chamber. Two hulking thugs flanked him, their faces emotionless.
Reimu's smile vanished, replaced by a look of terror. Ryusei gripped the amulet tightly, his mind racing for an escape plan. However, they were vastly outnumbered and outmaneuvered.
Belloq sauntered into the chamber, his movements calculated and predatory. He stopped a few paces away from them, his voice losing its earlier playful facade. It was now a smooth, practiced tone that sent shivers down Ryusei's spine.
"Hand it over," Belloq demanded, his words clipped and devoid of warmth.
Ryusei, sensing the shift in tone, knew they had no choice. With a heavy heart, he tossed the amulet to Belloq. It landed in the villain's hand with a dull thud.
Belloq caught it effortlessly, his eyes gleaming with avarice. A moment of silence passed, then a slow, predatory smile spread across his face.
"And once again Ryusei. What was once yours is now mine. Such a shame you had to drag a beautiful woman into this mess."
He pocketed the necklace and gave them a mocking wave.
"Ta-ta."
As Belloq and his men ascended up the ropes, the holes were all sealed and the entrance to the tunnel shut itself.
"Great. We're stuck down here now," pouted Reimu. "We had it in our hands and he took it from us! This isn't fair! We do all the hard work and this is what happens?"
Ryusei gave her a small smile and made his way to the sealed exit.
"Ryusei! How can you be so calm about this! An item that is worth 10,000 pieces of gold just vanished from our hands!"
To her shock, the samurai burst out laughing before checking the slab blocking their exit.
"Reimu. I'm surprised you didn't realize it sooner. That amulet was a fake and so are the traps and temple itself. This is just a replica!"
Reimu gave him a puzzled look while he threw her the broken ladder piece he had picked up earlier.
"Made in America, 1920," read Reimu. "Wait so the amulet was a fake?"
Ryusei kicked a wall and opened the entrance before nodding.
"Yep. It was. The moment I got it, I checked the back of the item and the words 'Made in China' were carved on the back in tiny letters."
"So that's why you didn't seem worried at all. But what about the traps?"
"Fake. They're nonfunctional replicas. I have to admit, they even fooled me," replied Ryusei. To prove his point, he stepped on a pressure plate and a loud click echoed through the room. Moments later, a suction cup arrow flew out and narrowly missed Ryusei's foot.
"And those strings up there, they would've fired at least one arrow right after I cut them. Instead, nothing came out," revealed the samurai.
"So you took me out here to get a fake? Was that-"
"Yes it was," interrupted Ryusei. "I knew Belloq was going to come after us once we got the amulet so I planned on making a fake one to give to him. However, once I realized that this was a fake temple, I decided to play along and give this one to him. I wonder how long it will take for him to realize that he's holding a fake. Last time I did this, he didn't realize it until I turned up with the real thing at the guild."
Reimu laughed and joined Ryusei in returning to the surface.
"On the other hand, half of what Belloq said is true," commented Ryusei.
"What?" asked the shrine maiden.
"That amulet was mine and you are beautiful," replied the samurai.
Reimu playfully jabbed him before pulling him out of the hole they entered.
"So where's the real one at?" asked Reimu.
"Pretty obvious. It's on that island you were talking about," answered Ryusei. "One of the inscriptions on the fake temple was actually a map that marked the real location of the amulet and it just so happened to be on that island. I'm still puzzled about how you were able to guess it."
Reimu smiled and pointed her gohei at a nearby shrine.
"That's just one of my many abilities as a shrine maiden."
"Well, in any case," started Ryusei. He took off his helmet and pulled out a list of names. "I have no real way to get us to that island. There aren't any commercial flights or boat trips there and I don't have any contacts that own a ship anyways."
"Can't we just fly there?" asked Reimu.
"We're trying to blend in. The two of us taking off from the ground without a jet or plane of some sort will certainly attract attention," answered Ryusei. "Besides, we don't want Belloq to find out that we survived right?"
"Ah you have a point," agreed Reimu. She slumped down on a nearby bench while Ryusei looked through his list again.
"Hey, why don't we ask Mordecai?" suggested Reimu. "He's an adventurer like us right? So shouldn't he have a giant bird or something we can all ride on?"
Upon hearing this Ryusei put away his list and smiled.
"For your information, that's a plane and you're right. He may not have a plane, but he does have a helicopter which is still fast enough to take us to those islands," replied Ryusei. "He's given up on getting the amulet but maybe he'll let us borrow some more equipment if we let him have a slice of the bounty."
The samurai pulled out a black earpiece and dialed Mordecai's number while Reimu admired the scenery. After a few seconds, Ryusei hung up with a smile and joined Reimu with the sightseeing.
"So what did he say?"
"He said he'll take us there and back free of charge," answered Ryusei. "I had an extra favor left on him so I'd figure I'd use it while I can. He knows Belloq is involved and wants to keep the amulet as far as he can from him."
"Did he say why?" asked Reimu.
"He said he'll tell us when he gets us. He said he won't be ready for another day or two though so we're gonna have to extend our stay at the hotel," informed Ryusei. "On the other hand, what do you want to eat?"