This is the 9th chapter. I don't own the series of Helluva Boss or the game of Tomb Raider.
Master of Luis: Hmm, when you put it that way, possible. But let's face it, Adam is beyond reason because of his narrow mind and shortsightedness. Also, if anyone knew about Yomi, it'll be the royals and the Seven Deadly Sins.
The Oni
As Antauri was few yards ahead of the smoke signal while Millie is still holding on his back, a female scream drew their attention away from their destination and knew the startled cry of fear.
"Lara." Antauri and Millie said with worry.
Following her scream, he scaled down the cliff they had been approaching in time to see her fall from a makeshift climbing rope, the violent winds pulling the opposite post free from the ground.
"Lara!" Antauri and Millie yelled, running over and looking down where she'd fallen.
However, they were relieved to see she hadn't fallen far before digging her axe into the cliff to stop the fall and then climb back up. When she's close enough, he held out his hand to her. She grabbed hold and he pulled her up the rest of the way.
"You alright?" Antauri asks.
"Yes. Bit of an adrenaline rush there, but I'm not hurt." Lara replied.
"Good." Millie said with a smile, glancing at the smoke signal. "There's the signal. We should get a move on."
Lara nodded and they began climbing the cliff, then overhearing the guards as they stop themselves.
"Come, we gotta get back."
"Shut up and let me finish."
The white hellhound understands why the guard is trying to finish, mainly because he's taking a piss which it didn't take long for him to finish.
"Alright, let's go."
"So what's the first thing you're gonna do if you ever get off this rock?"
"Eat a good meal."
"Goddamn...yes. What's it gonna be?"
"A burger. Some greasy fries. And a cold beer."
"Aw that...that sounds so good."
"What about you?"
"I just want to sleep in a bed. In a room with fucking air conditioning."
"I hear that, brother."
"I can't think about the outside world. We're never getting out of here."
"It's the only thing that keeps me going."
After the three sneaks behind them inside of the cavern, both Lara and Antauri made a quick work by shooting them in the head. Then, they looted from the dead bodies, and they pressed on after Lara fires her rope arrow and attach it to the post, climbing to the cliff. However, they noticed a tomb nearby that has a white carving as they entered inside, and Lara lights the torch to lead the way. After a good long minute of getting out of the cave, the violent wind blowing was heard and noticed a Hall of Ascension as they take a look while try not to get blown away.
"Oh...this was once part of Yamatai." Lara said out loud which it's enough to hear him as they went inside, noticing a wind blowing the wooden blinds and the platform next to the wooden floor. "Need to get up there somehow."
Antauri then use the axe by sticking it to the wheel, pushes it and closing the wooden blinds. He then tosses the axe to Millie, who grabs it and sticks it to the wheel as she then starts cranking it, causing the pulley to go up a little bit.
"Okay, head to that platform. You'll have to go the rest of the way." Millie told her, then tosses a phone to Lara. "Take a picture while you're there, just to remember and a souvenir."
Lara nods as she gets on the platform, and the wind blows violently out of the blinds, pushing the platform right at the wall as she scrambled and grabs hold of the wood, shimmying her way to the wooden balcony. She then enters inside which got her amazed.
"Beautiful. Was this part of a larger complex of ruins?" Lara questions herself and then making her way to the tomb as opens the chest which got her slightly gasp in awe.
Once they're done with the tomb, they decided to take a short break by making camp. Lara and Antauri starts salvaging some of their firearms by upgrading the submachine gun with taped double magazine, upgrading pistols with extended magazine and rapid-fire mod. They then glance each other with awkward silent, looks away which Millie took notice after what happened. Antauri decided to break the ice.
"Look, Lara...I..."
"It's okay, Antauri. I understand." Lara cuts him off, knows what he's trying to tell her. "I know not many methods can be explained, but it's just all I ever want is to find answers in Yamatai. But after everything, things have taken an unfortunate turnaround. Guess I still have a lot to learn."
"Lara, you're a Croft. You just have to trust your instincts." Antauri told her, sighed. "Some bodyguard I turned out to be."
"Antauri, sweetie. You did the best you can, and we understand why you snapped after everything going on in Yamatai." Millie assures him. "Even Roth understands why you went separate ways with Lara. While he's not too happy about it, but he understood why."
"I guess." Antauri replied.
"But Roth's right about you two, you and Lara are just stubborn as mules ever since me, Blitz, and Mox came here to help." Millie adds with a frown, which made Lara and Antauri chuckled a bit.
"Well, we both got that from father." Lara admits with a small smile. "He's just as stubborn as we are."
Millie giggled a bit, seeing that Lara made a valid point.
They then left the camp, and back into the cave with Lara leading the way with her torch ready which were able to get out since it's been a few minutes. Lara climbs down the bridge, letting go and splashes into the water while Antauri and Millie followed behind her. They then noticed an artifact, noticing some US Marine dog tags.
"American soldiers would never have left these behind." Lara said. "I don't think any of them made it out of here alive."
"No, neither of them did." Antauri agrees.
Decided to take it, they noticed a three-way path to which direction that'll lead to the smoke flare. Lara, Antauri, and Millie takes left as they balance themselves, walking on the log and then climbing up a cliff up to the top with their axes. Lara fires her rope arrow and attaches it to the post as she and the two zipline to the ledge. Antauri took notice of a journal as he opens it and read it.
The journal he was reading was about Hoshi, a daughter of Hiiro and Kokoro and a sun priestess which Himiko has chosen her. Her family were proud since it's one of the great honors will raise her family to the heights of Yamatai Society and someday, the Sun Queen may even choose her to take her place. However, Hoshi felt something uneasy about this, but she even feared of the Sun Queen.
'Something tells me Hoshi didn't realize the Sun Queen's true intention. But what?' Antuauri mentally questions, but Millie knows what it is.
Lara fires another rope arrow and attaches it to the post, then they zipline to another cliff as they scrambling up the wall, climbing up the top. Antauri then reads another journal about the Chinese Ambassador about to leave Yamatai after witnessing since he couldn't explain the power of the Sun Queen and nothing on this island is earthly plane. The Chinese Ambassador suspects Himiko knew his intention the moment he she set foot on the island. She manipulated him, toyed with him to see what information he would seek, but she always knew. It puts him in a dilemma that either if he leaves the island and warn the Emperor about the Sun Queen or if she wishes to gain access to her seas, the Chinese will have to pay tribute and never cross with her which would leave them to ruin.
'Shit! Himiko is pulling his strings the entire time and the Chinese Ambassador knows before it's too late.' Antauri mentally thought in dread and horror.
"Hey, Millie! Where the fuck are you? We're here where Captain dipshit is at!" Blitzo shouts through the radio.
"We're still on our way, Blitz. Though, Lara found a tomb somewhere in a cave and we're about to head that direction." Millie informed him.
"Yeah, great. Now, hurry up! We got news for you and you're not gonna like it when you get there!" Blitzo told her impatiently, ending transmission.
And with that, Lara fires another rope arrow while attaching it to the post, then she, Antauri, and Millie climbs up to the cliff. However, the violent winds are making it hard for them when the post is about to break apart.
"Shit." Lara, Antauri, and Millie muttered, then starts climbing faster to get to the cliff where both Blitzo and Moxxie are waiting.
Then, the wind blows even more violently, and it causes the post to break free, causing them to fall. Lara and Antauri quickly dig their axes into the cliff while he grab Millie by the tail. He then pulls her on his back, which she grabs him tightly as they then climb back up. When Lara's close enough, both Blitzo and Moxxie pulls her up the rest of the way while Antauri follows.
"You three alright?" Moxxie asks with worry.
"Yeah, we're alright sweetie." Millie answered, kissed her husband.
"But a bit of adrenaline rush here and there." Antauri said with a heavy pant when they noticed the signal flares.
"Captain Jessop?!" Lara called him.
"Where could he have gone so quickly?" Antauri asks.
"Yeah, that's what we were thinking and that's why we're to tell you he ain't here when we got there." Blitzo told him but widens his eyes. "You don't think..."
"If it's one of Solarii or Mathias, then we need to get moving." Antauri said with a guess as they pressed on through beyond the small gate.
"Oh, fuck me." Blitzo said with a frown, follows them.
But soon as they reach the bottom of the slope, Alex radioed in.
"Hey, Lara. Roth told us about the plane. Don't worry, there's got to be another way off this rock, right?"
"I hope so." Lara replied. "Any sign of Sam?"
"We've tracked her to some old Japanese palace."
'I wonder if it's the same place Reyes mentioned to Roth earlier?' Antauri mentally questions while the three imps are wondering the same thing, then focused back on the conversation.
"I don't like the sound of that." Lara commented which Antauri and the three imps didn't either.
"Hey, don't worry, she's probably just...sightseeing."
Antauri rolled his eyes behind Lara since this wasn't a place to be sightseeing. Though, he and the three imps understood Alex was trying to ease her worries, but Lara saw right through it,
"You're a terrible liar, Alex." Antauri snickered, biting back full-on laughter while three of the imps joins in, laughing.
"You have to be careful in there. Good luck." Lara added before ending transmission.
Entering the tunnel, they decided to take a break by setting up another base camp. While Moxxie and Millie are happy to see each other again, kissing which made Antauri chuckled since neither of them had changed and Lara just giggled a little. Blitzo, however, rolled his eyes in annoyance at this wholesome thing.
"So, you two made up or something?" Blitzo asks, turning to Antauri and Lara.
"Yes, and I'm starting to understand why those methods cannot be explained." Lara replied. "Even though, Roth isn't too pleased about this after we've gone separate ways."
Moxxie then turns to Antauri, disappointed at his actions and about to lecture him when Millie grabs his shoulder. He turned his head and Mille shook her head, telling him to 'let it go' which he understood. Blitzo couldn't blame the white hellhound after what happen here on his island, with so many psychopaths around here and Mathias pulling the strings, things have turned into shit in many ways after witnessing the storm striking the plane.
"Even though, I need to get to Jessop after he fired the smoke signal." Lara continued. "But it's just that, Roth tried to stop me and lecture me about the sacrifice."
"But Lara, he's not wrong about it. We all need to learn that we can save everyone, even by the loss of our friends." Antauri points out which causes Lara to turn to him. "Trust me, I've learned the hard way during my time in Hell."
Lara then remembered about him mentioning a former sinner named Sir Pentious made a sacrifice by trying to take down Adam with a single shot, but he killed the demon with only one shot of his holy beam. The white hellhound even made a sacrifice by leaving Hell and live in a human world with her while starting a new life. Blitzo, Millie, and Moxxie knows that it's hard for him leave everything in Hell behind since he had a good life with them while considered them and Loona as part of his family after taking him in and raise him.
"Even so, I still can't leave him there." Lara said, determined yet stubborn.
Antauri just sigh, knew that she won't be leaving anyone behind and apparently, with their group still looking for Sam, Himiko preventing them from leaving, and with Mathias and Solarii are still lurking around on the island, things have gotten very complicated. They then continued on through with Lara guiding them with the torch before stumbled upon the ruin.
"These ruins pre-date the Kofun Period." Lara said with a breath of awe as they then head to the pilgrimage, presumably in coordination with the ruins they had just left behind them. "A pilgrimage..."
Then, they noticed a statue of a certain Sun Queen.
"A queen...Himiko?" Lara guesses.
"It's possible." Antauri replied. "But we should focus on looking for Jessop."
However, Blitzo has other plans by unzipping his pants and piss right at the statue which both Lara and Antauri given him a disapproval look while Moxxie just glares as him being disrespectful to the artifact.
"How'd you like that, bitch?" Blitzo asks with a smirk, flips the Sun Queen off.
They then found themselves before a large, old Japanese castle-like structure.
"Incredible." Lara said with a gasp.
It got Antauri and three imps, however, noticed the figure on the steps.
"Captain Jessop?" Antauri called the figure when Lara noticed him.
Halfway across the bridge, they quickly noticed something was very wrong. The pilot named Jessop gurgled inhumanely, reaching for them.
"Oh my God." Lara gasped as Antauri's hand went to his gun, just in case while three imps thought the same thing.
Suddenly, several fuel canisters came flying down and landed in between them and the pilot, bursting open and spilling the contents on impact. Antauri and three imps the noticed a Solarii with a bow and flaming arrows. Realizing the situation, he seized Lara's arm and quickly backtracked as the man loosen the arrow, lighting the fuel and blowing up the bridge. The force of the explosion sent the five flying. When they got their bearings, they looked up at the large building. There, standing in the doorway, was none other than Father Mathias.
"For a couple of children, you five have caused me a great deal of trouble." Mathias said. "But you're just as naive and predictable! Kill them!"
Quickly looking over their shoulders, they realized more Solarii had surrounded them from behind.
"Oh, shit/ fuck me!" Antauri and Blitzo cursed as they scrambled to their feet.
Lara remained frozen on the ground. They went for their weapons, but the Solarii were quicker. In seconds, they were unconscious.
"The Oni, they're here!"
"The guardians are here!"
Those words were the first thing they heard upon drifting awake, accompanied by deep growling. 'Guardians' were the only conscious thought they could process. Something was spoken in Japanese, along with another cry of...
"Need help here!"
"Come on, get up! Pull! Pull!"
Screams of fear and pain reverberated in their heads as they tried to regain consciousness, but the white hellhounds concussion was preventing his thought process from putting two and two together. A Solarii fell inches from him and was stabbed, follow by more Japanese. Then, everything went black again.
When he and three imps awoke, they were tied up and hanging from the ceiling.
"Really?" Antauri grumbled. "Least I'm not upside down."
"Antauri?" Millie called him. "Is that you, sweetie?"
"Yeah." Antauri answered. "Besides hanging from the ceiling again."
"Ugh, shit...my head is killing me...Felt like I got drunk and fucked that feathered ass at the same time." Blitzo groaned, shaking it off. "Where the fuck are we anyway?"
"Please, refrain sir! Damn you and your sexual needs!" Moxxie grunts. "And if I have to guess, were inside of prison..."
"Oh fuck you, Mox!" Blitzo retorted.
Antauri rolled his eyes in annoyance, glancing up and saw the metal he was tied to looked like it would cut the bindings for him. Swinging to gain momentum, he wrapped his legs around the beam and pulled his arms downwards as hard as he could. The binds snapped and he plummeted to the floor, jarring his aching head in the process. It got Millie worried as he groaned, curling into a fetal position for a moment and holding his head before staggering to his feet.
"Antauri, are you right?" Millie shouts as she frees herself, lands next to the hellhound.
"Could have been better if I hadn't got this damn headache." Antauri grunts as Blitzo and Moxxie lands to the ground after freeing himself.
"Holy shit...this is like Hell...but worse..." Blitzo said with his widen eyes in dread, looking at the dead corpses. "Christ on a stick."
A snarl snapped their attention to a blocked door with a huge, lurking figure was stalking by. They made their way across the chamber to a gaping hole in the nearby wall. They barely got inside before one of these things entered. They pressed against the wall as it walked past. Pausing to examine the hole, it continued on, apparently not seeing Antauri or the three imps inside. They continued down the tunnel and slid down a slope that landed them somewhat back outside. As they stood, they realized the winds were much stronger now. Shielding their faces with their arms, they pressed onward up some stairs further into the storm. Bodies of a deceased soldiers from WW2 were lined in the walls, pinned like paintings or trophies. They then came across the blockade. Thinking of how they could get through, but Antauri noticed the body on the ground next to him had a trench shotgun.
"Hope this still works." Antauri commented as he gingerly took the shotgun from the dead body's hands.
Decided to do a demonstration in order to see if it still functions, he shot and unblocked the path which it works, but then heard voices.
"Over here! They're here somewhere, I heard something below."
"Damn right you did." Antauri, Blitzo, Millie, and Moxxie growled lowly in unison.
"The Guardians will kill them...Let's get the fuck out of here before they find us!"
"They're looking for us." Moxxie said.
"Yeah, no shit, sherlock!" Blitzo remarked with his narrowed eyes.
"And again, with the Guardians? Who are the Guardians?" Antauri asks.
"I don't know, but we need to find Lara and get the hell out of here." Millie suggested as they jumped over the wooden platform and heading to the different room by climbing over the wall. However, they became aware they're not alone.
"I hate tombs." The familiar voice said from not too far away.
"Lara?" Antauri called. "Is that you?"
Lara then came around a corner into a view.
"Antauri! You're alright!" Lara cried in relief, walking over to embrace him as the white hellhound did the same. She then glancing over to the three imps. "Blitz! Moxxie! Millie!"
She then walks over to embrace them, which both Moxxie and Millie returned while Blitzo felt uncomfortable.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, enough of this lovey-dovey shit!" Blitzo said in annoyance as they break the hug.
"For the most part." Millie said. "Are you hurt at all?"
"Irritated some old injuries during my escaped, but nothing new." Lara replied.
"Good." Millie said.
Lara then spotted three large statues behind them. Taking notice of her changed expression, they turned and saw it too.
"A Sun Queen and her Stormguard." Lara commented as she, Antauri and three imps approached it.
She then observed the carvings on the large stone tomb.
"Himiko! The first Sun Queen! This is Yamatai!" Lara said with a gasp.
They then pushed the tombs lid open, revealing Himiko's remains.
"And you're really here." Lara said, but the smell of death hit them and they coughed for a moment.
"And...really, really dead." Antauri gasping through gagging.
"Ugh, that bitch reeks like she crawled out and died!" Blitzo grunts.
"This is incredible!" Lara said, looking around the paintings in the tomb.
Antauri lit the torch and walked over to one depicting a woman on fire.
"This looks like some kind of fire ritual." Antauri commented. "No, more like a sacrificial ritual."
"Horrible." Lara said as Antauri and three imps nodded an agreement. "But why were the women burnt like that?"
"Who knows? Given the time period Himiko was said to reign, many practices took place that society has since deemed evil." Antauri replied.
"More like a fucked-up society." Blitzo stated as they then turned to the painting next to it.
"A journey, a pilgrimage to...is that this monastery?" Lara wondered.
Antauri wandered to another painting just a few feet away while Millie and Moxxie followed him.
"Something you find?" Moxxie questioned.
"Yeah. Pouring...water? But why?" Antauri asks, turned to the other one. "And there you are, Himiko."
"The same bitch who got us into this mess in the first place." Blitzo muttered, then something clicked.
"Wait a minute." Antauri said as he turned to Lara, who joined them at these two paintings. "It's not pouring water. It's transferring something, possibly power."
"This is an ascension ritual!" Lara said in realization. "It's how you chose your successor!"
"Could this be what they meant when they mentioned the ritual?" Millie asks, raising her eyebrow. "Something doesn't add up."
"Like why do they want Sam?" Lara asks, but Antauri widen his eyes in realization.
"Oh shit! Didn't she say Himiko was her ancestor?" Antauri asks, causing Lara to widen her eyes in dread.
"They intend to put her through the ritual!" Lara exclaimed.
"Those dipshits want to put that old bitch back into power in this shit hole. Maybe if they believe that bullshit, they can escape this island." Blitzo theorized.
"We have to stop them!?" Lara cried.
"We will, Lara. But first, we need to tell Roth and tell him about this." Antauri reasoned and Lara nodded in respond, but he questioned himself like what have they gotten themselves into.
That's it for this chapter.
Here are the ancient scrolls about the Chinese Ambassador and the sun priestess, Hoshi.
Hoshi: Answering The Call
Today I am Hoshi, daughter of Hiiro and Kokoro. Tomorrow, I will be Hoshi, the daughter of the sun. The Queen has spoken, and I was given the robes. Every girl in every village dreams of this honor. Mother cannot stop crying and father is beaming with pride. I have never seen him smile so much. The greatest of honors will raise my family to the heights of Yamatai society. We will want for nothing. And someday the Sun Queen may even choose me to take her place. And yet...I cannot deny my feelings. At first, I dismissed them as simple nerves, but the unease has grown within me. I could never refuse the call, to do so would invite ruin to my family. But I am frightened of my Queen.
Ambassador: Dark Tidings
It is time for me to leave this accursed island. I have seen enough of Yamatai. I cannot explain the power the Sun Queen wields, but it is not of this earthly plane. As I suspected, she knew my intent the moment I set foot on this island. She has manipulated me, toyed with me to see what information I would seek, but she always knew. If I am allowed to leave this place alive, I must warn my lord, warn him that we should avoid Yamatai at all costs. If we wish access to her seas, we should pay tributes she requires, but we should never cross the Sun Queen. To do so would lead to our ruin. Of the other things I have seen...those dark horrors, I can never speak again.