Chapter 59

I lay down on my back and closed my eyes. After a little while, I peeked over at Theresia and saw she’d curled up into a ball, her chest rising and falling slowly in her sleep. Part III: Call to Arms Morning dawned on our third day in District Five. I was in the living room getting ready when Maria from the Forest Diner and her assistant came in to prepare breakfast. The two brought sandwiches along with some finger food we could all share, and also warmed up some consommé for us in the kitchen; personally, I thought it held its own even when compared to the delicious Chinese herb-infused soup served at the Refreshing Heaven Restaurant. “Thank you so much for all of this, Maria. I didn’t expect you to cook for us here, too…” “It’s vital to have something warm to fill your stomach with in the morning, after all.” “These are the fruits we picked up in the Islet of Illusion,” Madoka announced shyly, showing Maria the box where we kept them. After counting and checking the contents, Maria handed me a signed memo and said, “As you’ll see on your receipt, I’m collecting one Herculean Walnut, two Apples of Wit, and one Nimble Grape.” “Perfect, thank you.” “I plan to prepare them during the day, then deliver the finished products this evening. Until then, if you’ll excuse us.” With that, Maria bowed and left for work. Though Madoka had seemed quite nervous during the interaction, she perked up, suddenly remembering something, and pulled her license out of her bag. “Arihito, I’ve gotten a few new skills…” “Oh right. You leveled up, didn’t you?” “Yes, I did. Would you mind maybe looking at them with me, please?” ♦New Available Skills – MADOKA♦ Level 2 Skills Custom Carrier: Increases cart speed when hitched to a horse or other such draft animals. Alternatively, imbues cart with special attack Oxen Blast when loaded with a designated weapon. (Prerequisite: Cart Proficiency 1) Safe Ride: Makes it more difficult for enemies to hit allies riding on user’s cart. Cart absorbs attacks aimed at its passengers. Effect gradually diminishes against repeated attacks from the same enemy. (Prerequisite: Cart Proficiency 1) Appraise 2: Appraises unidentified tools. Slightly reduces chance of inaccurate assessment. (Prerequisite: Appraise 1) Negotiate Price 2: Enables user to buy or sell items at an appropriate price that falls within the other party’s desired conditions. (Prerequisite: Negotiate Price 1) Level 1 Skills Cart Proficiency 1: Increases speed when traveling with a cart. Remaining Skill Points: 5 “I think maybe it might be a good idea to take Appraise 2. N-Negotiate Price 2 sounds like it could maybe be useful if we have to make a big purchase…b-but I’ll only really know for sure if I try it out, so…,” she timidly squeaked, stumbling a bit over her words. “I understand. No need to be nervous. You’re probably right—but I wonder how much of a difference Negotiate Price 1 makes.” “Based on our past purchases, we’ve saved this much,” she said, showing me some figures. Without exception, the items we purchased through Madoka cost about 10 percent less, and those she sold for us went for a 10 percent greater price. All in all, we came up about two thousand gold in the black. “I’d definitely go for that if we had a few more skill points to work with…,” I told her. “Honestly, though, I’m surprised at how many skills Merchants have related to handling carts.” “T-true… Do you think maybe, if I got a few of them, I could one day possibly help fight…?” “As long as we can make sure you’d be safe, I think you could certainly step up in key moments. That said, we’ll handle most of the fighting.” “O-once our cart is finished…y-you’re going to load the weapon on it, right? I think it might maybe be a good idea to have Custom Carrier and Safe Ride when we do.” Clearly, Madoka had already made up her mind to help us tackle the Simian Lord, carrying in her cart the Queen’s Tail, our special weapon. “I think we should start with Cart Proficiency 1 and Custom Carrier. Those are both pretty impactful choices.” “Y-yes, but…when I first read these skills, it felt like anybody who comes to the Labyrinth Country can someday get powers that let them battle together with their party members…I—I mean the cart skills, n-not me per se…” “That’s true. Just because you’re a Merchant doesn’t necessarily mean you have to specialize in skills that have nothing to do with battle.” “D-do…do you really…think so…? Y-you don’t think…I’d just hold everyone back if I fought with you?” she stammered nervously. “No, I don’t. We’d just have to focus on keeping you out of the line of fire. As long as we can make sure to put the right safeguards in place ahead of time, I have no doubt there’ll be plenty of opportunities where we could use your help, Madoka.” Our brave Merchant had very few skills to prepare her for the battlefield, and physically she was about as strong as you’d expect a young girl her age to be; even so, with the right armor and in the right circumstances, she could provide decisive power. And if that didn’t seem doable, the cart itself opened up so many possibilities. “…I promise I won’t be a scaredy cat. I want to be able to fight…!” “That means a lot, Madoka.” In the end, she acquired three skills: Appraise 2, Cart Proficiency 1, and Custom Carrier. We also decided she’d pick up Safe Ride as well at some point to reduce the danger our friends faced aboard her cart. “Our cart should be ready tomorrow, so I was thinking of opening the treasure chests today,” I told her. “All right, I’ll let Falma know,” she said, then went to report to the Chest Cracker in her separate accommodation. “…Can I go with you today?” Melissa asked quietly. She’d spent the night with her parents, but once morning came, her mother had returned to her party and Rikerton got to work dissecting the Cursed Water Serpent Worshipper. “Yeah, I was hoping you could tag along to let Cion rest up. Are you all set?” “Whenever you are. I already sharpened my tools,” she informed me, licking her lips as she did. She had very clearly perked up after the visit with her mother. Knowing we could be dragged into a battle with another Hidden God part the moment we opened either of the black treasure chests, I held a meeting with my party before breakfast to discuss the risks. “I’m ready to go, Atobe.” “Oh man, I always get major tingles before we open a treasure chest. Even though it almost always means we’re in for a world of hurt.” “We never do know what’s going to happen, Misaki, so we have to be ready for anything…,” Suzuna reminded her friend. Once we had all our ducks in a row, we set out for the day. Theresia came along, too; though she’d looked a little off the previous night, she’d had a hearty appetite for breakfast and now seemed like her usual self. “I’m counting on you again, partner,” I told her. “Let’s get going.” Theresia nodded, then pitter-pattered over to my side. “……” Once she got close, Theresia caught hold of my sleeve. If the others noticed, they tactfully pretended not to. Matching my pace to Theresia’s, I headed for the housing complex lobby. We met up there with Falma, then used the nearby teleportation shed to move to a special room for chest cracking. This one was just as strange as the previous chest cracking rooms; the dedicated area had a lofty ceiling so high, we couldn’t even see where it ended. And while the dim lighting made it hard to see much, we could tell the walls were pretty far away. As always, entering this vast area that held nothing but a single door felt extremely surreal. “Would you like to begin with a red or a black treasure chest?” Falma inquired. “Right—would you please open the red one first?” “As you wish. Now then, I’m going to check for any traps. Please step back.” ♦Current Status♦ > FALMA activated ASSESS 3 > Assessed RED BOX for traps Success Trap: Teleportation Seal Trap Level 3 > FALMA activated SLEIGHT OF HAND 4: Successfully diffused traps on RED BOX “Ngh,” she lightly moaned. “I’ve disabled the trap, which produced a Warp Lock Trap Cube. Would you care to keep it?” “Those are the ones that stop you from using a Return Scroll, right?” Elitia noted. “It’s very dangerous and sometimes gets entire parties killed, so I don’t exactly love the idea of it, but…” “True. But it’s not that bulky so I guess I’ll hold on to it.” ♦Chest Opened♦ Red Box: Acquired from CURSED WATER SERPENT WORSHIPPER > Water serpent scales x3 > ?Silver-colored choker > ?Thin, translucent scrap of cloth > Gold coins x320 > Silver coins x188 > Copper coins x52 > White olden kingdom coins x12 After putting the Trap Cube away, I started inspecting the red chest’s contents. I found a few items of equipment mixed in among several hundred gold, silver, and copper pieces, plus an ancient currency I’d never seen before. “These white coins are from the ancient kingdom,” Falma explained. “While you can’t use them as currency, you can sell them at the antique market for quite a sum. At the moment, I believe one white coin goes for about fifty gold coins.” “Sounds like some primo moolah! Sayyy, Arihitooo, mind if I hold on to those?” “Well, I guess old coins are up a Gambler’s alley. Sure, you can take a few.” “Awww yeaaah! I got the Arihito stamp of approval! Wait, Suzu, isn’t cold hard cash a big deal for Shrine Maidens, too?” “Do you mean for offerings? True, they’re an important way to show the gods our thanks. I wonder if Ariadne would appreciate it if we presented some of these coins to her?” “All alms offered in my name, monetary or otherwise, hold great value,” I heard Ariadne tell me. So basically, anything we proffered to her in the Reliquary could help raise our devotion levels. “Arihito, w-would you mind if I tried appraising the items we found?” Madoka asked shyly, but with excitement. “Of course not. Go right ahead.” “So you acquired Appraise 2, Madoka…? My, how wonderful,” said Falma. “Y-yes. Thank you so much for letting us purchase those appraisal scrolls from you all this time…!” “Think nothing of it. I should be thanking you.” After thanking Falma, Madoka carefully walked up to the two unidentified items buried amid the piles of coins, making sure to keep her distance when she activated the skill. We never knew what curses or other surprises these mystery items might transfer with a single touch. First up, the silver-colored choker. A red jewel, smaller than a magic stone, adorned the necklace, clearly some type of accessory. ♦Brísingamen♦ > Protection Type: Demi-humans > Reduces damage inflicted by humanoid monsters. > Increases agility. > When wearer is hit with a fire-attribute attack, necklace can activate Fire and Heat Protection with a low chance of a success. Necklace will be damaged after activation and require repair before it can be used again. > Can be worn only by women of sword-wielding vocations. “Wow…,” I marveled. “This will come in handy when we go up against the Simian Lord.” Given the occupational requirements, this item was basically tailor-made for Elitia. The only downside was not knowing for certain if the Fire and Heat Protection would activate, but its other qualities alone made it worth wearing. “This cloth… I doubt we can use it as is, but I wonder what it’s made of. It’s so beautiful…,” Igarashi murmured, referring to the other unidentified item, an airy, light piece of fabric. We obviously had to wait for the appraisal to touch it, but I could understand why Igarashi was so drawn to it. ♦Heavenly Maiden’s Raiment♦ > Consumes magic to reduce damage from enemy attacks. > Reduces magic consumed for skill activation. > Carries All-Attribute Relief 1. > Greatly increases evasion capabilities. > Enables user to activate Heavenly Wing. > Limits other equipment that can be used simultaneously. > Can only be equipped by those who meet the requirements. > Currently damaged. Effects cannot be used. “A raiment… So it’s a kind of gown, huh? Looks like we’ll have to repair it before anyone can use it,” I noted. “Oooh, Arihito, you should see the super-intent look on your face… Speaking of which, check out how see-through this thing is! Why didn’t you tell us this is what you’re into? We could’ve gah—” Igarashi forcefully cut in. “Don’t tease him, Misaki. Do you think Heavenly Wing lets you fly…?” “We can always call on the Harpies if we need to fly, but I imagine we’d find lots of use for it if it gave one of you ladies the capability to do so on your own.” Once assured it was safe to touch, Misaki put her hand up against it to see exactly how sheer it was. It wasn’t exactly transparent but came very, very close. Whoever wore it after we got it repaired would need quite a lot of courage. The water serpent scales look useful for modifying equipment. I’ll have to ask Ceres about them later. And now, for the main event—the Black Boxes. We decided to start with the chest The Calamity had dropped. As Falma raised her hand over the Black Box, a different, cubical Dimensional Barrier Lock rose into the air and began to expand. “This bad boy…it’s playing very hard to get… But it is leading me…” As Falma threaded her magic through the maze, unlocking stage after stage of the barrier, it suddenly exploded with light. The next second, the maze took on a shape we’d never seen before, like a scrambling Rubik’s Cube. “…Something’s wrong…!” Falma choked out. “It’s moving… Atobe…!” The Dimensional Barrier Lock entirely transformed before our very eyes, as if someone was reshaping it. “Trap teleportation activating. It is pulling you not into the Trap Cube but into a lost labyrinth,” Ariadne warned. …! So it’s a Hidden God part…?! “Oh, no you don’t…! I won’t let…anything take…Mr. Atobe and his friends… Not like this…!” Falma desperately tried to keep up with the shifting maze, but her magic got no closer to the exit and instead slowly but surely got driven into a corner. “This is a sign we are qualified to acquire a new armament. The next part is calling for us,” Murakumo whispered. “…Falma, we’ll be okay! I promise we’ll come back—don’t worry…!” I yelled. “Mr. Atobeeee……!” she cried as the maze crafted a dead end, cornering her magic in a cul-de-sac. “……!” Someone ran over to me—Theresia, who’d stood a short distance away. The moment I caught her in my arms, my vision turned white. I could hear my friends’ voices—but I knew we’d be okay. We’d overcome every single obstacle in our path, no matter how unexpected. “It draws near… Another Hidden God part. My devotees…I must put you through this trial…,” Ariadne told us, her voice somehow mournful. It’s all right. We’ll make it…I promise…! I reassured her. The Black Box itself was not behind this; another armament slumbering within had chosen to summon us. Memories of our battles against Murakumo and Alphecca flashed in my mind’s eye. This armament could prove significantly stronger. But if we acquired it, it would be a huge step forward for our party, and for Ariadne as well. My consciousness battered by the violent shock of transportation, I prayed with all my heart that when my vision returned, I’d see my friends safe and together we would defeat this trial. Part IV: The Ravine A gentle breeze caressed my cheeks. When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a deep ravine bordered on both sides by towering precipices. I craned my neck to see the tops of the cliffs but found they jutted seemingly forever, carving out a slice of the sky. A thin layer of sand covered the ground at my feet, speckled with what appeared to be white, glittering crystals. The place reminded me somehow of the Beach of the Setting Sun, but my license listed it as an “unregistered location with no information to display.” “…Are you all okay?” I asked the group. I had Theresia at my side and could see Elitia, Igarashi, Suzuna, Misaki, and a little farther away, Seraphina and Melissa. “Looks like only the eight of us in the active party got sent here…,” Elitia noted. “Arihito, I heard Ariadne say something,” Suzuna told us. “Do you think that might have something to do with why we were transported here?” “Yeah, there’s almost definitely an armament in this dimension. Last time we ran into one while exploring the Trap Cube, but apparently this one brought us to it…” “You mean…because we now have Murakumo and Alphecca working with us?” Elitia asked. “Correct. However, while I am a Stellar Sword…a weapon fit for a Mechanical God, I believe what lurks here is such a deity’s frame,” Murakumo explained. Given that everyone in the party seemed to hear her, I asked my next question aloud, directing it to where she hung on my back. “Ariadne already has a body, though. Is that different from her frame?” “All Hidden Gods possess a primary corporeal form with which to engage with the outside world. In addition, they can don an external frame which allows them to participate in battle. It is, in essence, a suit of armor.” “I see… So it works differently from how we’ve been borrowing Ariadne’s power, right?” “Indeed. Though dependent on devotion levels and with the exception of the fleeting period during which they can manifest, Hidden Gods possess unparalleled battle prowess. As such, permission to call on their mighty force can be granted only when engaging another Hidden God or an incredibly powerful opponent.” If we ever faced off against another party blessed with the protection of their own Hidden God, we would be forced to fight—or so we’d learned at the beginning of this journey. Apparently, those very Hidden Gods could also take part in the ensuing confrontation. But if this newest armament would let us call on Ariadne directly during a battle with a powerful monster, it would be almost unbelievably invaluable. “…Mr. Arihito, do you perhaps have something close to your heart?” Seraphina asked with concern. “…Oh, this…!” The Merak Crystal I’d put in my suit pocket glowed faintly. After blinking a few times, the light expired. “The sacred operational crystal is reacting. This must have played a part in getting us summoned here.” “…I sense traces of lingering souls,” Suzuna noted quietly. “Many Seekers must have similarly been called here, and then they…” Lost their lives. The trials that Seekers benefiting from the protection of Hidden Gods must endure to assemble their parts were devastatingly intense, cutting short the lives of even the most promising Seekers. Looking more closely at the sparkling rocks scattered about, I saw they appeared to be shattered crystal fragments—and then: “A-Arihitooo, wh-what are those…?” A little up ahead stood a horde of column-like figures, each about as tall as a person. “…No…they couldn’t be…,” Seraphina whispered with dread as she approached, though she kept pressing on. Then, a few paces away from the columns, she froze. “…These are statues of Seekers. What devilry could leave them like this…?” Over a hundred of these statues of human men and women, Seekers of all professions, dotted the area at random. “Behold, the Seekers who appeared before me, each blessed by divine protection and culled through the trials of their faith.” A voice rang out. Winding our way through the foreboding statues, we came upon a large, round, stone slab laid out on the ground. In the very center of the circle, we saw a pedestal—and on that, a person-size suit of armor. It had no arms, helmet, or legs, only enough to protect the torso and hips, and seemed to be forged from black stone similar to what we’d seen in Ariadne’s Reliquary. Blue lines raced across its plating—lines that began to glow as if detecting our approach. “Arihito, the sky…!” Elitia cried. Light shone down upon the armor, which then started to levitate. That very same instant, a brilliant beam shot up toward the sky as if to pierce the heavens. The curtain of nightfall began to cloak the area, spreading out from the suit of armor as its epicenter. No sooner had we spotted stars scattered throughout the night sky than a flash of blue lightning raced through the armor. It announced its own reanimation. Stellar Armor awakens; Self-Defense Mode activated. ♦Monster Encountered♦ ?INTELLIGENT ARMOR Level 12 In Combat Dropped Loot: ??? “Wh-what the what…?! It’s floating! Is it gonna come for us…?!” Misaki yelped. I could only assume the electricity surging through the armor teemed with magic. Even so, we had no other choice but to attack first with a close-up strike. But directly touching this enemy would put us at enormous risk of counterattack—in which case… “Igarashi, Suzuna, Misaki, I’ll support you!” “““Okay!””” “Cooperation Support… Long-Range Attacks!” ♦Current Status♦ > ARIHITO activated ATTACK SUPPORT 2 Support Type: FORCE SHOT: STUN > ARIHITO activated FORCE SHOT: STUN I unleashed the first shot to get our combination rolling, thinking it would be a low-risk option to start with. And yet the very moment I sent the bullet flying, I came to a horrible realization. —Stars twinkle at the edges of eternity, their light shining like phantom souls.— ♦Current Status♦ > ?INTELLIGENT ARMOR activated MORTAL ENEMY Immediately countered incoming attacks > ?INTELLIGENT ARMOR activated STAR-STUDDED ASTRAL PROJECTION RING Added CELESTIAL MAP area effect > ?INTELLIGENT ARMOR activated STAR GAZER Teleported to separate point within CELESTIAL MAP > ARIHITO’s FORCE SHOT: STUN lost its target It not only dodged the bullet, but countered…and disappeared…! Before I could fully process what looked like a constellation diagram that dotted the floor, before I could even blink, the armor teleported without any warning. “Huh? Ah—!” “Misaki!” The armor disappeared noiselessly; two blinks later, it materialized within point-blank range of Misaki, then shot what looked like a whip made of pure light out from one of its empty arm sockets. “……!” ♦Current Status♦ > ARIHITO activated DEFENSE SUPPORT 1 Target: THERESIA, MISAKI > ?INTELLIGENT ARMOR activated BEAM WHIP Target: MISAKI > THERESIA activated ACCEL DASH > BEAM WHIP hit THERESIA and MISAKI Reduced damage to MISAKI “Eeyaah…!” Misaki screamed. “T-Theresia…!” “……! …Ah…!!” Theresia softly cried out in anguish. She’d jumped in front of Misaki to protect her from the blow and took the brunt of the electric whip’s lashing. My Defense Support 1 couldn’t eliminate all the inflicted damage. I had to find another way to completely protect my party members. If that whip of light was the armor’s go-to attack, any more intense offensives could kill us on impact. How can I shield everyone…? If that whip hits any of our half-back members, they won’t stand a chance…! “Haaaah!!” ♦Current Status♦ > SERAPHINA acquired GUARDIAN STANCE Immediately activated > SERAPHINA activated PROVOKE and AURA SHIELD > SERAPHINA activated SHIELD SLAM Target: ?INTELLIGENT ARMOR > ?INTELLIGENT ARMOR activated STAR GAZER Teleported to separate point within CELESTIAL MAP Her shield raised, Seraphina rushed to ram her body into the armor, but the intelligent armament teleported out of range once more and reappeared behind her. However— “I’m not done yet!” I should be close enough for my support to reach her—please, give her even just a little more protection! ♦Current Status♦ > ARIHITO activated DEFENSE SUPPORT 1 Target: SERAPHINA > ?INTELLIGENT ARMOR activated BEAM WHIP Target: SERAPHINA > SERAPHINA activated SHIELD PARRY Nullified BEAM WHIP Accumulated DEFENSIVE BARRIER AURA “Seraphina, there’s another one!!” “…Haaah!!” ♦Current Status♦ > ?INTELLIGENT ARMOR activated BEAM WHIP Target: SERAPHINA > SERAPHINA activated SHIELD PARRY Reduced damage from BEAM WHIP Accumulated DEFENSIVE BARRIER AURA > SERAPHINA’s GUARDIAN’S MAIL +4 was damaged “Krrhh…!” Electric whips acting as the armor’s hands now protruded from both its right and its left arm sockets, staggering their attacks and making it extremely difficult to block both. Seraphina acquired then activated Guardian Stance, deflecting the enemy’s lashes and building up her Defensive Barrier Aura. That safeguard could protect one of our more lightly armored members or help Seraphina thwart a particularly vicious attack on herself—but I had other things to focus on first. “Igarashi, Melissa, Elitia!” “We’ll get you this time…!” ♦Current Status♦ > ARIHITO activated COOPERATION SUPPORT 1 and ATTACK SUPPORT 1 > KYOUKA activated THUNDERBOLT Target: ?INTELLIGENT ARMOR Electrocution reduced 13 support damage Combined attack stage 1 > MELISSA activated CAT STEP MELISSA’s evasion rate increased > MELISSA activated LOP OFF > ?INTELLIGENT ARMOR activated STAR GAZER Teleported to separate point within CELESTIAL MAP “……Grh!” Melissa’s enormous blade sliced through nothing but air, kicking up a dust storm when it crashed into the ground—but the armor was nowhere to be found, its next appearance delayed for a split second. “It’s waiting us out so we can’t finish a combination…! But we just have to keep going for it…!” Elitia yelled. “Arihito, give me your original support!” “Elitia, wait!” “……!” —Unleashing the power dwelling within, my armor secures a moment of freedom.— “Ms. Theresia!” ♦Current Status♦ > ARIHITO activated DEFENSE SUPPORT 1 Target: ELITIA, SERAPHINA, THERESIA > ?INTELLIGENT ARMOR activated FLASH PURGE Target: ELITIA, SERAPHINA, THERESIA > ELITIA activated COMET RAID Added SWORD BARRIER Evaded FLASH PURGE > SERAPHINA applied DEFENSIVE BARRIER AURA to THERESIA > FLASH PURGE hit THERESIA DEFENSIVE BARRIER AURA reduced damage > SERAPHINA activated DEFENSE FORCE Reduced FLASH PURGE damage “Rgh…!” “……!!” “…Ms. Theresia, are you all right…?!” Several different components combined to form one suit of armor. Dispersing those pieces of its own accord, the intelligent armament then shot them out at bullet speed. “Theresia, fall back! Or just step outside the Celestial Map! If it hits you again, you’ll…!” “……!” My license showed Theresia had lost more than half her vitality, not because of the curse but because of the staggering difference in level between her and the intelligent armor, and its devastating attacks. Once again, the suit of armor’s components gathered together, rebuilding themselves into one unit. At this rate, it would just keep teleporting away before we could ever land a significant blow, then bombard us with annihilating force—and we couldn’t let that stand. “……” Theresia… Are you telling me you can still keep going…? I felt Theresia’s strong will come through the pointed look she sent my way. Though she’d never said a word, I’d always convinced myself I could interpret what those gazes meant. …No, there’s no convincing her…I can understand her. I always have—ever since the start…! As long as the suit of armor stayed within the bounds of the celestial map–like diagram it had spread out over the ground, it would keep activating Star Gazer to instantly teleport away from all our lethal offensives. While Igarashi’s Thunderbolt did meet its mark, it inflicted only a fraction of its original force; and even though my support damage had also hit the armor, I had little hope it could chip away enough at the armor to defeat it. How could we land an attack? There was only one possible solution. It had a limited chance of success, though, and we’d need to rely on a severely injured Theresia to pull it off. Even so, we had to try. But before I could yell my plan to my friends, my heart wailed in distress. —Those who cannot read the stars shall inevitably sink into a sea of chaos.— ♦Current Status♦ > ?INTELLIGENT ARMOR activated AT RANDOM > ?INTELLIGENT ARMOR activated STAR GAZER Due to effects of AT RANDOM, probability of activation uncertain We were making undeniable progress—or so I’d thought. Focusing on nothing but defeating the Simian Lord and our future after that, I’d started to see every step in between as goal posts we simply needed to pass. But that kind of carelessness wouldn’t fly before a Black Box or the Intelligent Armor. I could hear all my friends screaming, crying out for me. The reason—out of nowhere, close to ten perfectly identical apparitions of the armor had materialized before our eyes. Left and right, as quick as a striking serpent, they whipped their sinuous, lashing arms at my party members, who even so, managed to block and dodge the attacks. “My dear devotee. Having overcome many trials, you have earned the right to reach out in supplication,” Ariadne said, slowly restarting the gears in my mind that had almost slowed to a halt. “Press on; fear naught. Your chariot rides to you.” Yeah… you’re exactly right. We just have to keep living and pressing on—that’s all…! ♦Current Status♦ > ARIHITO requested temporary support from ARIADNE > ARIADNE summoned ALPHECCA “We are Alphecca…the incarnation of Arianrhod.” Suddenly, the speeding Silver Chariot appeared out of thin air, racing not toward the intelligent armor but to accomplish a feat no other mechanism could ever predict. “Though ye be our Hidden God’s divine frame…we shall not let thee lay a hand on our Master…!” ♦Current Status♦ > ALPHECCA activated BANISHING BURST Speed increased and broke through limit Added FLOATING SPECTER > ALPHECCA activated OUT OF BODY 0 damage to party members > ALPHECCA activated CRESCENT DRIFT Hit 7 ?INTELLIGENT ARMOR apparitions Hit ?INTELLIGENT ARMOR Apparitions dispelled “Whoooooaaa…! Sh-she just literally slipped straight through me…!” Misaki shrieked. Only Alphecca with her precise power to switch between material and incorporeal forms could have executed this powerful attack. Even in her apparitional state, she inflicted magic-powered damage on the suit of armor. The armor’s At Random skill teleported it, as the name implied, to random spots. My guess was we’d never distinguish between the armor and an apparition until we landed a strike on the real thing. In other words, if we couldn’t remove the extra apparitions, we’d only ever know the real enemy’s location after a blow hit it. “Master, we await your orders. A suit of armor serves no purpose without a form to protect.” “We must tell this wayward armament who it is meant to serve, what great power our Master and his companions wield.” I heard Alphecca and Murakumo speak to me, undaunted by the suit of armor’s menacing strength. If anything, the awesome sight only fanned the flames of their desire to battle. “I know you’ll be locked in your corporeal form, but please get us all on your chariot. We may pile on way over capacity, but we can’t let that stop us…!” “Arihito, I can tell them apart! Keep your eyes fixed on me!” Elitia’s voice rang out. If she said she could do it, I had to believe her. Had she figured out some sort of rule dictating where the armor would next appear, or could she somehow sense it? Our chariot dashed around as I weighed the possibilities, reaching over the sides to pull my friends aboard. Seraphina, the last to join us, took a seat in front, her shield at the ready. If Alphecca could keep this speed up, we wouldn’t feel the full bite behind any attacks that did hit us. After activating Recovery Support 2, I drank a potion to try to help Theresia, Seraphina, and Misaki sitting in front of me regain vitality. The move managed to somewhat relieve their wounds, but the gashes on Theresia ran too deep to completely heal. Nevertheless, she was out of the woods.