The journey into the jungle was tedious; the dense vegetation made visibility almost nonexistent, and the deeper they went, the more dangerous it seemed to get. Diana looked at Kath, who had a finger on his lips.
The universal sign of silence.
The heavy footsteps echoed. The Hollows stepped past them, their marching a series of concussive sounds.
With halted breaths, they waited with backs against the hard bark of the trees, her fingers digging tightly against the wooden grip of her axe.
This Test was starting to get out of hand. She had known that time flowed differently in Dungeons, but wasn't this a bit annoying?
Ria was leaning against a tree, her bright, shining blue eyes reminiscent of the sky. Her posture, relaxed, and a distinct lack of tension on her ever-smiling face.
With a signal from Kath, they continued to walk deeper into the jungle, Diana's eyes glued to the back of Ria's head. Her stride was as confident as ever. She turned around and met her glance, flashing her a small smile.
This damned cheeky brat, had no sense of danger.
Diana growled, her lips pressed tightly together.
Regardless, it wasn't like the princess couldn't back it up. Her eyes turned towards the Saintess, her guard leading her forward. Then Diana looked around, her eyes marveling at the Jungle's ecosystem, the colorful bugs, and the flora that seemed to flourish in this wonderfully designed ecosystem.
Damned midterms, making everything so pretty, while having equally difficult sections.
She mentally praised the Dungeon master for his level design. Her eyes trailed upwards, the birds as diverse as the number of wines in the world. The rich aroma of the plants made her nose quiver in delight. The scent of what she could only imagine spring was made her mouth twitch.
If they weren't in a test, she would be enjoying this place a bit more. No, if she hadn't promised the princess first place, she would have stayed behind and explored, after all, in the mock dungeon, death wasn't the end.
They got deeper into the jungle, and every time they progressed, the more the environment changed, the green got more vibrant, the trees denser, the life she witnessed more unique. Her eyes even locked onto a predator who scurried away at a hint of intent.
The only issue would be the wandering patrols of the Hollows, which happened more often than not. Each one made their guide Kath frown, his forehead creased with wrinkles, and his amber eyes sinking into despair.
His steps were hurried as if he were running away from something or to something. The fear in his eyes got bigger and bigger with each hollow they encountered.
"Halt." He raised his fist, stopping before a rock carved with illegible letters. His voice was low, barely above a whisper.
"This land belongs to the Hahuis. Stick close, Apostles, they don't take kindly to foreigners." His eyes scanned Diana before he turned. No further words were exchanged, as he nodded solemnly and continued to walk in silence, with a sudden edge in his step.
Her mind drifted to the horror she had witnessed earlier. She shook her head with closed eyes, dispelling the thought. Instead, the words she thought she heard echoed in her mind.
'Bahamut,' She inwardly muttered. Why had his words appeared in her head? It wasn't because of stress.
Well, she could only hope it wasn't.
The words he had spoken were confusing.
'This isn't a? This isn't a what?'
What could that even mean?
Diana stroked her chin as she followed the leader, her mind drifting aimlessly.
Someone yanked her collar, her breath left her mouth, and she yelped slightly, the action scaring her out of her thoughts.
A plant from the ground snapped up, swallowing the air where she would have been. A sword enveloped in light stabbed into the plant, killing it.
Her head turned, looking at the paladin, and Diana bowed her head in thanks.
The paladin nodded and continued to walk.
Perhaps noticing the disturbance, Kath looked back. His gaze disapproving, "Careful, everything here wants you dead."
Diana didn't respond.
It wasn't that she was feeling ungrateful; her instincts would have saved her.
They continued to walk, and despite the warnings Kath gave, they hadn't encountered a single Hahui.
"How strange," Kath muttered, his knees buckling as he bent down, looking at faint footprints on the ground.
"They would have spotted us by now." His amber eyes now looked sunken, and he broke into a sprint.
They had no choice but to follow him, and what they saw was something straight out of a horror book.
Past the trees, in a place surrounded by the jungle, was a city that looked like a ruin.
Kath kneeled at the edge of a fallen city. The buildings made of stone and clay lay in ruins. Strangely enough, not a single body was in sight.
"No..." He choked out. "The Hahui... they can't be gone." He refused to believe it. The city of broken stone shattered his confidence. His trembling hands and his constant voice cracks reinforced her notion.
A frown made its way on her face. She stepped forward tentatively, and the city was in shambles, as if a natural disaster had made its way here. There were scuff marks, as if a great battle had happened. There were green puddles of blood everywhere, but it wasn't dry, as if it hadn't happened too long ago.
She ran her fingers over the scars of the battle. A metal sword, she surmised. The marks were similar to the ones she had seen on training dummies. The only creature she had known to use a metal sword was the hollows.
What a horrible sight, that damned twisted dungeon creator.
The only thought in her head that made her feel better was that none of this was real.
She looked at Kath, who looked at the city in despair, the others behind him looked shocked, and Migile, the one Leah had saved earlier, was frowning worse than when he had his hand severed off.
"No time to rest," Diana Interjected and pointed at the marks of battle. "They were here recently, if they had the power to do this." She stopped speaking, leaving the rest unsaid.
"You are right, stranger." His words weren't firm, and his voice was shaky. But he stood up. "They were strong..."
"For them to perish like this." Kath held his cheek, his other hand clenched tightly. "I won't let those bastards get away with this."
They rushed out of the jungle; they went deeper into the rainforest.
From the point they made it out of the fallen city, the journey was uncomfortable, a devastating silence prevailed, and the tension in the air was so thick one could practically taste it.
Diana simply pushed forward, hoping that the test didn't have something to do with saving a city.
Finally, they made it to the edge of the rainforest.
Her hands awkwardly parted the trees, and what greeted her eyes wasn't a city of stone or marble, not even clay or brick, but a once-beautiful city engulfed in flames. The blue flame that roared as if it wanted to engulf everything eagerly devoured the city. On its outskirts, warriors clad in armor that resembled a jaguar, an eagle, and a bunch of other animals were fighting with the hollows.
Without a moment of hesitation, Kath and his group sprang forward, joining the fight.
Diana and her party also joined the fight. The princess leaped, her sword in her hand, as she dispatched several Hollows, her movements fluid, as she went through each opponent, in a single strike.
The Paladin lunged forward, her hand gripping her sacred sword, and the other the shield, she ran through the Hollows, severing their skulls while protecting the Saintess.
Leah clasped her hands together, her halo growing brighter with each word, her light reaching the warriors, covering them in light.
"The gods are with us, Kath shouted, his spear dipped in the sand surrounding the city. What probably looked proper before but was now displaced. The warriors cheered with new strength.
Diana wasn't idle; she charged at the incoming horde, her axe in hand, surrounded by her icy aura. Confident it could break through the Hollow's armor without the sand.
She cleaved one in half and moved on to the next. She whistled. Her phoenix hovered over her head and dived down, burning the hollows.
Her axe clanged against one's sword. The reverberation made them both stumble. Diana seized the moment, stepping forward to strike with the axe's pommel, knocking it backward before taking its head.
There were tougher hollows, ones bigger and more complete than the other. She moved onto one, her axe met its sword in the air. The sparks heated the air. The hollow moved closer, its glowing orbs staring into her eyes.
It flourished beautifully, and Diana dodged the sword, her axe, hitting its leg. The creature scoffed and closed the distance, brushing it off.
"Where have you come from?"
Its voice was eerie and unsettling, but it was more surprising that it could speak rather than the sound of its voice, which was like someone speaking in an empty corridor.
Diana was in no mood to talk to the creature, her axe glowed blue, the edge freezing.
"No matter, you will tell me in time." It attacked Diana, and she held her ground, matching each of its blows with the axe. Ignis dived down and burnt its back. She took advantage and swiped its head.
Poor bastard didn't know she was a summoner.
She looked around, and the tide of the battle was changing in their favor.
A sudden chill entered the air, and it wasn't from her axe.
Her blood ran cold, and she started to tingle.
Diana inhaled a long breath. There was a dreadful feeling in her head. The thought that something wasn't right. A similar feeling to when the monster breached the beach.
Why was this happening?
She tried to muster her courage and stop shaking.
Yet the sinking sensation in her veins, the blood that ran cold, and the heated breath hadn't vanished, and an uncomfortable feeling rose. Her stomach twisted and turned, her eyes felt heavy, and her breath was restless.
Thunder roared in the sky, nature once again angry. As if the heavens frowned on this invasion.
But Diana could hardly care, rather she could hardly notice, as a giant creature stepped out of a rift. The hulking green creature, with lumps of hair tattered around its body, its face grotesque, the mere sight of it was enough to induce vomiting. Yet it was more tolerable than the one she faced on the beach.
The blood left her face, and a whisper arrived in her head.
The thunder that roared summoned a storm, and the sky began to darken, the sun hiding away behind dark clouds, rain pouring, pelting the ground as if angry.
[Diana.]
His voice, like salvation, whispered in her ears.
Yes, it was Bahamut.
[Summon me]
His words were simple, but it was all she needed, for in a second, she gathered her mana and whispered his name. Bahamut, the god of the sky.