White filled my eyes. The words ‘blank slate’ have never seemed so appropriate. It was as if the entire surface of the world had been carved out. Instead of the fields of green I’ve seen thus far throughout the expedition, soulless ash covered the land everywhere I looked. I thought I had gotten used to seeing white surrounding me, but this felt completely different.

“This is bleak…”

“I knew it had to be a helluva place from the images from the atlas, but seeing it in person is something else.”

To think that ordinary people like me and Velma once lived here. Broken concrete. Rusted scaffolding. Steel girders that scattered the environment. Grass seeping through the many cracks. Nature, civilization, even the flora and fauna have been destroyed. Pruned away.

“He’s already been here.” Velma said, inspecting the surroundings, “Seemed like he caused quite the ruckus ‘cause there’s a path of destruction leading where the mountain is.”

She was right. It was like a path had been carved out that led into the horizon using scattered fragments of scrap metal and dirt. Another example of his lack of regard.

“Looks like he took that old geezer’s advice and went directly to the location of the tomb. That really means we don’t have a whole lot of time to dilly-dally.” With an adjustment of her burlap sack, she ushered me to follow. “Let’s go.”

Despite how warm it was, walking through this path of emptiness felt chilling to say the least. Remains of buildings seemed to have been bleached—that would be why we couldn’t see them at a distance. I couldn’t imagine the thought that people cross this sandy path regularly once before. Which reminded me...

“Miss, remember when you told me a story about that King and that Queen? Something about her delivering a trove of treasure to him?”

“Oh, yeah. I did mention that.”

“I remember you said we were going to take the same path that Queen took. Is that true? Are we really on the exact path?”

“Definitely. ‘Course that’s only half of the story.”

“There’s more?”

“Obviously why would anyone as important as a Queen pay a visit without some goal in mind? It’s not like they were gonna hang out or something.”

With this amount of walking, I would hope not. “Alright Miss, storytime.”

“Eh… Well since we got a lot of time to kill, why not. Let’s see… their names. Solomon, the king of Sozuraka, and while we don’t know the name of the Queen, she was the ruler of Sheba.” Velma gestured to the white sands in front of us. “The Queen went on a journey across this exact desert just to get a glimpse of his wisdom, or so they say. She was drawn to him due to his reputation he had built up over the years as King of Sozuraka.

As such, the Queen of Sheba gathered up hundreds of camels along with thousands of attendants to form a procession. Each of her camels were supplied with incredible treasures worth human lives, all for the sake of a chance meeting with King Solomon. And she brought all of that on this supposed exact path we’re crossing.

The Queen’s goal was to test the King’s knowledge by asking him certain riddles and judge him by the answers he provides. Though, pretty sure these were more in the line of philosophical questions. Either way, it’s not known what number of riddles she had asked him, but it’s said he managed to correctly answer every single one. Crazy, honestly.”

This was far too coincidental. First of all, sounds adventurous. Second, all that talk about riddles reminded me of how the old man had given one to that Takeshi man. How did that riddle go again? If I try to recall correctly…

One who breaks the binds that serves the ruler. A beast wears a crown of bone. To ask its name shall be seen as truly worthy.

...Yeah, I still didn’t understand what that meant. But why did it feel like the verse is heavily to that story? “What happened next?”

“She was impressed obviously. As for what became of the nations and the two afterwards no one knows. All we know is that it was just some scripture written in some stone tablet.”

“I didn’t think you were the type to learn about this stuff, Miss.”

“What can I say? I’m well traveled. The life of a wandering ol’ farer.” She closed her eyes and garnered a smile for a brief moment. “Anyways, it’s very likely the riddle that old geezer from the inn spouted is one from Queen Sheba’s. Whatever the case may be, it’s at least ‘solvable’ in a sense.”

‘Solvable’, huh? From there on, my mind raced trying to occupy myself with the riddle. It was the only thing I could do to distract myself from the atmosphere that was sapping me whole. And, well, that only lasted for so long.

Spending those hours trekking in the white wasteland felt taxing on my mind—the lack of any color or life couldn’t have been more fatiguing. I thought I was going to lose my mind had Velma not kept me company throughout the whole time. Hearing her whimsical tales as we dragged our feet against the white sand was what kept my thoughts in check.

The breaks in between where we ate our leftovers was a reminder of the lack of wildlife. Hunting all the way back in Scandia made sense now that it was clear there was nothing but me and Velma. Even she managed to anticipate this? Was it her traveler instinct or did she visit this region once before? If so, does the requirement of being well traveled mean losing your sanity? Because there was no way I would return to Sozuraka ever again.

That was when I stopped in my tracks. Wait, I really am going crazy. After a couple cycles of trekking and breaks, I spotted a figure in the distance. Something distinctly mechanical—far too strange to be lying around here.

“What… is that thing?”

It was humanoid-shaped, but that was the only feature that resembled a human. Its whole body showed no signs of living flesh—instead made up of mechanical components. Every movement of its limbs appeared sharp and stiff. To add to the unsettling chills I was getting, there wasn’t just that one alone. There were dozens of them, all sprawled around the white sand.

“Wha... Why are their automata here?!” Velma shouted.

So I wasn’t going crazy. But these are automata? What creepy machines. Who in their right minds would create such things?

“The hell are these things doing here? And is that a whole freakin’ mob of them?”

I stepped a bit closer to Velma for fear of my sanity. “Is there any way we can avoid them? I really don’t want to get too close to those things.”

“It’s a good thing they’re spread apart. We can probably weave through ‘em without too much of an issue—Oh crap.”

One’s head creaked and turned to gaze at us. As soon as it did, it began to move its legs and crept towards us. Because it just had to. After it reached arms length to us, I hid behind Velma, peeking my head from her side. The automaton just remained standing without moving.

“Huh, wow. These are well made now that I’m seeing them up close.” she commented, leaning her face and scanning the automata from head to toe. A little too close, perhaps.

“Miss, be careful…!”

“Relax Junior, it’s not like they’re gonna attack me, right? I should be fine—”

That was when the automata raised its mechanical arm into the air, drawing it backwards. Velma...! The instant as it brought down its arm, I froze the machine over head to toe and rendered it immobile.

“Woah, woah, they’re trying to throw punches at us!”

“That’s why I told you to be careful!”

“Just when I thought I could’ve brought one of these things home.” Velma sighed and unsheathed her blade. “Hostiles confirmed, let’s get ‘em Junior. Send ‘em back to the scrap heap where they came from!”

“O-Okay!” I have no choice.

We picked up our pace. Dozens of machines locked their eyes on us the moment as soon as we set one foot into their range. Their arms were definitely made to immobilize those struck by them, but they were useless against our long range measures. Velma hacked and slashed at them with her long reach blade while I encapsulated them with a burst of ice. Sharps of metal and ice scattered throughout the field. Wherever these machines came from, they didn’t so much as bat an eye to the relentless slaughtering of their comrades. As such, we left an even greater trail of scrap metal and frozen works of art behind us.

・

“We’ve arrived. And no more enemy groups in the immediate vicinity. We’ve managed to distance ourselves from danger. You okay, Junior?”

Good... I was all but tired seeing these creepy machinery. Until now, we had fought these things for several minutes—the longest I’ve ever continuously created ice for. “I’m doing fine, though I’ve never used my Aoi this much before…” I said between breaths.

“Don’t overdo it. Heard that overusing your Aoi can make you lightheaded and pass out if you're not careful.”

It did seem like I felt a bit of a sensation in my head, but not much to inhibit me, though there was another sensation that might distract me. Luckily, it looked like I didn’t need to worry about it either way as we already found the landmark we were aiming for: the mountain of Sozuraka. The mountain dominated the horizon and like everywhere else in Sozuraka, it was bleached white from base to summit. There was a visible opening from our viewpoint and… oh, another one.

“Miss, I can see the shadows of an automaton near the base of the mountain. It’s right at the center of the opening as if inspecting it, so the ruin we’re looking for must be right in front of us, but…”

“That smell… It reeks of coffee. What the heck?”

Coffee. That’s what that smell was called? Well, I couldn’t have known, but either way, it felt just as sharp as the smell of salt from back then. What’s with this exploration and having me plug up my nose?

“Forget the coffee, though. We can take out that one last automaton and make a beeline into the tomb—”

“—Wait, I think I see something.” I squinted my eyes. The automaton’s silhouette differed from all the others, having fabric that flowed against the wind. “Is there some cloth attached to it?”

“Now that you mentioned it, that thing seems to have some clothes on. Man, you really must have some hawk-eye vision, Junior. I couldn’t have made heads or tails otherwise.” She squinted her eyes. “What happened to that little girl that night?”

“But that means, there’s no way to enter the thing without getting past him.” Velma did not answer, but clenched the hilt of her blade as she took a step forward. “...Miss?”

It’s like she didn’t hear me, only making her way to the silhouette. I joined her side, almost panicking in my mind by the sheer lack of time to mentally prepare myself. The air grew colder around me in anticipation. Even just the man’s back growing larger and his discernable mutters made me second guess my decision of continuing. As we crept closer and closer to him, the thoughts he was mumbling to himself became more audible.

“Aghhh. My research… All of that progress, lost. Why did that have to happen like that?'' The man scratched at his head repeatedly, “Just when I had a lead to these damn abilities, the answer I got raised twenty different other questions! Gaaaaahhh!”

Huh? What a change in mannerism. Maybe this wasn’t the guy we were looking for. He definitely didn’t speak like some person who ravaged a whole inn just for information. However, Velma didn’t seem to come to the same conclusion.

Her stare at that moment matched that of the time we left after the attack. Her look practically strangled him as she began her approach towards the unknowing man. As she raised her blade to the back of his head, I gulped knowing that this won’t end well.

“—It’s time we settle things.”

“—Eek! I surrender!”

The man’s sudden jolt and his arms that shot into the air just before Velma could pierce his head. “...Eh?”

His right hand held a mug with vapor emanating out of it. Surely this wasn’t the time for a warm beverage. “Wait, Miss. I don’t think he’s our enemy.”

It was another young man who wore a white lab coat, something that our enemy probably wouldn’t wear. As he turned around to face us, he had a look of despair. His round-rimmed glasses covered his eyes that reeked lack of sleep. Plus, he had a little robot companion hovering in midair. Wait, a hovering robot?

“Umm. What’s with the—”

“—Oh, you’re not him, huh.” Velma said, retracting her blade back into its sheath. “Almost killed you there.”

“It’s one surprise after another. I could have you thrown in prison for attempted murder.” The man scanned the two of us with a ticked off expression. “And speaking of which, who are you people?”

[https://i.imgur.com/Gcq6iTA.png]

“I could ask the same thing.”

I could ask about the robot.

He sighed. “Asimov, a physics graduate student over by Fallway University.”

Velma paused for a second before introducing us. “Velma and this is Ju—er, Nagi. What are you anyways, an archeologist? Aren’t you supposed to be in a lab somewhere with that coat of yours?”

“I’d gladly be in one right now, but it’s not my fault that curiosity gets the better of me. But of course, that led my business to be interrupted and the majority of my possessions destroyed. It took good work to build these things...”

“Oh, so that army of automata was your doing.”

He took a sip from his mug. “Oh yes. That was all me.”

“...”

“...”

“Now that it occurred to me, since you two are present here, then you must have forced through them as well.”

The vein that popped out of Velma’s forehead must’ve meant that she was holding onto her anger as best she could. "...Say, what exactly were you doing here that would require a damn army to stand guard for you?”

“For sightseeing of course.”

“Ha...?”

“Yeah sightseeing. You don’t get to see stuff like this that easily. It’s about time my vacation had me getting out of the lab anyways. They say vitamin D works wonders on your cognitive abilities so it's best for me to get some fresh air.”

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

“...”

“...”

The next second, Velma had Asimov in a stranglehold, with him already tapping out. “Ok, Ok! I give! I give!” Just before his face could turn blue, she released her arm from his neck and let him gasp for air. He despaired about the small amount of coffee that was spilt for a second before clearing his throat.

“*Ahem* I came to this mountain in search of knowledge. Deep within the base of which is a tomb, about half a mile underground. The path twists and folds over itself, much like a labyrinth. I was just about to prepare my automata to explore the interior of this landmark as something valuable is holed up inside it. What lies within that labyrinth might offer some help with my working theory.”

“A theory you say?”

Asimov opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out for a brief moment. He adjusted himself and asked, “...You two are familiar with ‘Aoi’, right?”

Velma nodded and I followed. It seemed odd for him to ask such a question but a couple of nights ago, I didn’t know the name of which until Velma told me.

“This theory pertains to what these 'Aoi' even are in the first place. Where did they originate, what is the purpose of them, how do they function without energy consumption and without abiding by the laws of physics, and especially whatever caused these things to manifest within human beings. We do not have the answers to these questions, but the notion of finding them can very well propel Humanity to greater heights. Right now it’s a collaborative effort using work of researchers all around the continent to uncover the bottom of these abilities.”

Oh? Did people not know everything there was about these things? I would’ve assumed so, by Velma’s explanations on that night making it seem like we did.

“And there’s this thing. There seemed to be certain pieces of objects that affect the behavior of these ‘Aoi’. At least, that’s what an acquaintance of mine had theorized during a visit to a conference. There’s reason to believe there’s some kind of link between ‘Aoi’ and these objects. If I can get my hands on one of these things, then maybe I’d have a chance to see the truth, some light in the tunnel. And one such object rests within this very mountain. I’m certain that man wanted a piece of that pie as well.”

He turned to the tomb’s entrance, “But good grief. That man managed to rip through my automata like they were playthings. Without even the use of an Aoi. Certainly, there could have been no better word to describe that as a man who wants to get work done.”

After hearing what he had to say, Velma grabbed Asimov’s collar. “Alright, c’mon scientist. Let’s go.”

“Errr. Wait. Huh…?” He seemed to take a second to process what had happened. “Oi, wait! I’m not going in there—!”

“—Oh, yes you definitely are. After all that shit you had us go through, you’re not just gonna sit back and relax.”

Her grip on his collar was relentless. The soles of his shoes dragged against the white sand of the ground leaving no grip for him.

“I cannot allow myself to be put in danger! Oi, Nagi! Do something!”

Unfortunately I only met his frightened gaze with silence and a muffled giggle.

“We share a common objective and enemy so it’s only natural we’d team up. Strength in numbers right?” Velma added.

“Aaaiiyyyyeee! Somebody help meeeeeeee!!!”

The coffee mug in his hands was transferred over to the robot which grabbed the beverage by its mechanical arms. It was a pitiful sight seeing someone being dragged against their will so easily. But she’s right. We do need all the help we can get to navigate this place. Even if that help may be useless. The fading scream inside the tomb lessened and lessened until it completely dwindled. With the cry of a scientist, we finally took the plunge into the tomb.

・・・・・

The whirring from Asimov’s little robot echoed within the tunnel as it casted a light into the depths. Reflections of light from the many jewels scattered across the walls, painting the cave in a wave of color.

“Woah…”

“Some labyrinth this is.”

The space wasn’t as cramped as I thought it was going to be. In fact, it was made as if many would pass by here. It was more of a large hallway that had succumbed to the forces of nature. Pillars were engraved with impressive but uncanny pictures, and a shallow waterway ran by our feet, covering the floor. A complete shift in tone from the once spacious landscape.

“I’m aware it’s most effective for the researcher to be at the sight, but this is pushing the limits of what I’m comfortable with. Still, the layout of this place is rather complicated. It’s more of a maze than a regular tomb.”

“Guess Solomon really wanted to protect those treasures that Queen offered him.”

“King Solomon, hm. I do recall hearing about that story years ago. A shame, that was all before the Great Eruption.” Asimov placed a hand on the back of his neck, “At this point, we’re all tomb raiding for different motives. Can’t believe I’d encounter folks aiming for the same thing I am. I mean, who's to say that guardian of yours won’t stab me in the back with that blade right at the end?”

I looked over my shoulder, “Miss, please don’t. I see that glare in your eye.”

“Oi, I wasn’t planning to. I’m just watching out in case of an ambush.” A bonk on my head. “Lest I forget why we’re inside this thing in the first place.”

I retreated into my scarf afterwards, but that made Asimov raise an eyebrow.

“...Say, you two encountered that man once before, correct? Does he possess an ability?”

Velma nodded. “The bastard can erase memories. The specifics I’m not sure about, but he’s able to use it upon multiple targets simultaneously.” She proceeded to explain what went down at the inn, of his actions against the public and the old man’s riddle.

“His swordsmanship is already a force to be reckoned with…” Asimov scratched at his head, “But on that information alone, I can already make significant advancements in my research.”

“Why’s that?”

“Think about it. Why didn’t you two succumb to the same fate as the rest of those people?”

“...Yeah, that’s the thing that’s bothering me.”

It also bothered me. Why didn’t we? If he had used his memory erasing ability to cover his tracks, then it would have been better for him to include mine and Velma’s. Did he choose not to or... Was he unable to—?

“It has a range.” That had to be the only explanation. After his attempt of killing me, Velma and I stood on top of that overhang instead of where everyone else was down in the parlor. That was when he left the inn.

Asimov returned my gaze. “Correct.”

“Well ‘course. But there’s also the possibility that he just didn’t bother with us.” Velma suggested.

“Eh, I figured it would help us to know just what sort of opponent we’re up against. But for a cold, calculated enemy, every information counts. Either way, while we do have a better chance of victory now that there are three of us, it’s still only a chance. If we were to blitz in, we would surely be torn apart. Has anyone come up with a plan that doesn’t include attacking head-on?”

“If I did, I probably wouldn’t have dragged you in here.”

“Urgh. I assumed you formulated one beforehand, dragging people like that means one has something in mind, Velma.”

“Don’t worry. I just need a distraction.”

“A distraction. You mean me?”

“With that, I can just wipe him off the face of the earth. So much so that not even a single drop of blood could even have the chance to hit the ground.”

Oddly reassuring coming from her. Though, Asimov didn’t seem to take it the same way, groaning and tugging at his collar. But a second later, his groaning instantly turned into a scowl as he brought his hand out.

“—Wait. Stop.”

The little robot’s light scanned the area soon after Asimov’s sudden command. Across from us were two identical archways splitting off the tunnel. The waterway flowed into each equally and even the damage from mother nature spread among the material uniformly. Where they led, I couldn’t see.

“A divergent path, hm.” Asimov walked up and peered closer at the entry ways. “No footprints because of the water stream, no difference in the quality of the materials used, not even a clue of which one’s the correct path. This won’t end too well if we all lost track of where we came from.”

While he perused the archways with avid interest, Velma did the same, a second later making her way to the one on the left, “Alright, let’s see here… My instincts say left.”

“I’ve had fellow students paired with me in labs and had no clue what they were doing. Safe to say I almost failed those assignments.”

“I know what I’m doing. Still left.”

“Instinct is unscientific.”

“It’s left.”

The two bickered back and forth ad nauseam until I grew tired of their squabble. Guess I’ll have to do it. Beneath my boots, ice formed against the water’s surface. I stepped forward, the ice spread outwards and casted a trail behind me, making the path I took discernable. As they noticed this, Velma and Asimov both finally let their vocal chords rest.

“...As expected of my disciple.”

“Well that’s one way we’re able to retrace our steps.” Asimov sighed. “There’s no issue going left then. But ice, huh? All the iced coffee I could make with an Aoi like that...”

Finally, something useful I could do. I could breathe easily knowing that I was at least a little help in this excursion. Though, that confidence lasted for only a few short seconds as a crack went off beneath my feet after another step. I looked down. Remains entered my field of vision. Skulls, rib cages, pelvises, forearms. There were… human bones spread around here among the stream.

“—Eek!” Before I knew it, I was back behind Velma.

“If there are this many human remains here, then… No, I shouldn’t speak based on assumptions. We’ll know for certain when we reach the center.”

“What’s that supposed to mean, scientist? What, if that bastard got lost in this labyrinth?” Velma said, trying to pry me off her.

“Well, that. But something else. Just some hypothesis I made up. For now though, we’re going to have to trek through these piles of bones whether we want to or not. I apologize Nagi, but you must lead the charge. I don’t want my own boots from getting any more soaked.”

Ah, maybe I shouldn’t have used my Aoi after all...

・

Eventually even the bones lost its effect on me in place of sheer impatience. We went through cycles of trial and error, testing out different passageways, encountering deadends, backtracking, and not attempting to tear our hair off. This went on for more than 20 minutes, until we finally saw a light through the tunnel after countless relentless searching.

“This is it, the chamber. Many answers await us ahead.”

The first thing I noticed was the difference in color. Compared to the dark grays of the corridors, a wave of blues washed over us as we stepped in the chamber. We stood in a circular room illuminated by nothing but the sky above us, dust dancing and flickering. Its walls appeared to be made out of refined material I wasn’t familiar with. At the center of it all was a massive pillar that almost touched the ceiling. Wait... the sky?

“The ceiling, Miss. Look at the ceiling.”

Whistling as she did so. “Looks like that’s where the mountain blew its top off.”

It could only be described as a gaping hole above us. Wow… Surreal. Seeing clouds drifting in the blue sky while standing in a man-made chamber did a number on my perception.

“This is the heart of King Solomon’s tomb. Obelisks such as that serve as the foundation of people’s faith. If anything, I would have anticipated there to be mounds of gold treasure hanging around here, but a simple monument is more than enough to pique my interest.”

“Right, why does this place seem so… advanced, scientist?” Velma asked, “For a catalyst of a historical story, why does it feel like we stepped into the modern world? You had something to say, didn’t you?”

“Hm… let’s just say it all reveals itself from the obelisk.”

The monument itself contained engravings similar to the pillars from before on its stone surface. I for the life of me didn’t know what these meant. Despite him placing importance to the obelisk, Asimov only gazed at it as cluelessly as I was. And it wasn’t like Velma was having any luck either, scratching her head at the symbols and giving nasty looks at the scientist for being useless. Seemed like she wasn’t fluent in the language of these things even with her experience of traveling. Without a doubt, Velma and Asimov were at a loss of how to find the treasure.

We’re going to get nowhere if we just keep on twiddling our thumbs. But what could we do? The room was empty except for us and this stone pillar. The only thing we have left is the… riddle.

One who breaks the binds that serves the ruler. A beast wears a crown of bone. To ask its name shall be seen as truly worthy.

“Wait, could it…?”

A beast. Bones. Crown. Ruler? King…? —It clicked. This might be a stretch but one such beast appears in the story of the Sword.

The story of the Kusa no Tsurugi is a hero slaying evil tale. The evil is certainly scary. An eight headed serpent demon that resides in a far off cave away from civilization—each head the size of trees, and the main body comparable to many buildings put together. It’s said that its eyes were red like cherries and its head-sized scales sharp enough to cut falling leaves. Every year at the end of winter, it terrorized the inhabitants of villages, selecting one under the age of 25 as a sacrifice for reasons unknown. If they so choose not to, the monster would wipe their whole village off the face of the world.

That was when a legendary hero came across one village and encountered a grieving couple. He was confused of course, so when he asked why they were weeping, the couple responded that they used to have eight daughters. They explained what they knew about the serpent demon, and that it had already consumed seven of their daughters, now time to sacrifice their eighth and final.

What's more, the couple couldn’t remember the names of those past seven daughters with each and every sacrifice. Their memories of them were kept yet their names erased. The couple didn’t want to forget their last remaining child’s name, so they pleaded with the hero to defeat the beast.

As a response, the hero eased them and vowed to slay the beast himself. He devised a plan to defeat it, by intoxicating each of the eight heads with alcohol and letting it slumber in its cave. With that, he sneaked in and easily beheaded every single one without it putting up much of a fight.

As the hero cut the monster into pieces, he uncovered a great sword that had rested itself within the serpent. He dubbed it the Kusa no Tsurugi. And after sharing the news, the villages celebrated his accomplishment with a feast and finally enjoyed an era of peace.

Of course, that was all fine and dandy, but how was that going to help us? Is there anything that we can do? Breaking binds, a crown of bone, asking a name…

Is the beast the mountain itself...?

I raised my right hand near my face, palm facing upwards. I then blew against it. Icy winds surged outwards from my palm spreading onto the obelisk’s surface, frost materializing.

“Oh? Whatcha doing there, Junior?”

“Oi, stop! Don’t go destroying the pillar—!”

A sharp sound blared out. The monument cracked all throughout its body, the damage spiraling up until it reached the peak. Some remnants that chipped off scratched my arms and face.

“—Oi!!!”

I closed my eyes. “A legend that’s real...”

To ask its name shall be seen as truly worthy.

“Niebieski… O heavenly Dragon, O merciful being… Please, I beg of you. Even if I am punished for breaking the code of the town, please let me stay with everyone else after I die…”

I cleared my throat and steeled myself—

“What is your name?”

Silenced followed. Then there came a light. Followed by the deafening sounds of the pillar that had been split apart. The whole tomb shook without bound, causing me to slip off my feet.

“—Tch!”

The crumbling of the tower was all that I heard before the rush of wind caught my ears as I was tackled by Velma. A thunderous crash emerged a moment after we struck the floor. I’m still alive… I swallowed but found my throat to be dry. The surface was cold, smooth, and uncomfortably hard, but I didn’t have the energy to get up right away. Only after the dust had cleared did I force myself up.

“You alright, Junior?” Velma lended a hand.

“Somehow…” Taking it, I adjusted my disheveled hair and patted down my clothes of dust.

“You guys okay?!” Asimov made his way over to us, his own hair and coat disheveled. “Good grief… Didn’t think a simple inquiry would be enough to inflict that much damage on a physical object.”

“Never thought taking the riddle literally worked. Usually this stuff is far beyond cryptic. Nice going Junior, even if it meant almost killing us.”

“You earned it, look for yourselves. Even the laws of physics have no say in it.” Asimov gestured to the center of the tomb.

A steady blue glow emanated from where the obelisk once stood. The glow was just strong enough to reveal the shape of a certain object. There it was: a sword rested itself in the cracks of the once towering pillar. Breath held, the three of us making our way to the light.

Kusa no Tsurugi. A silvery blue made up its blade, its hilt more of a circular hollow spot with a single gemstone in the middle. The sword edge appeared sharp enough to graze my skin even just glancing at it. A work of art if I ever saw one. So this was what exploring felt like… to uncover treasures just as awe-inspiring as this.

I looked up at Velma and she returned the gaze with a smile. “Go on, take it. This is the moment you earned, Junior.”

“I would say to exercise restraint, but it's not like we have a lot of time to carefully extract it.”

Just a week ago I would have never thought that I would be standing in a tomb with two adults I’ve met recently encouraged to wield an ancient treasure. Life can change.

I took a deep breath, sighed out for a long while, and reached out my hand and held the hilt. Raising the weapon, what came first was the high density of the weight that caught me off guard. But second, an icy-like feeling went through the palm of my hand, through the wrist, the arm, the shoulder, and the back.

What was that just now?

“—With that, our exploration is complete.” Velma’s sudden statement interrupted my thought.

“Complete?”

“Well, almost. Trek done and treasure acquired. Half the conditions met for a successful exploration. The other half is bringing the taking home, but that doesn’t seem to be the case here.” She turned to Asimov. “I don’t suppose you're gonna allow us to take home this sword, scientist?”

“...Saving me the trouble of letting you two know. Analyses need to be conducted after all. I mean, mass can’t just emit electromagnetic radiation without energy expenditure.”

Oh well, all I wanted out of this was to experience at least a bit of the world, and that I did. “Okay, fine.” Fully content with his wishes, I gave one final look at the sword before offering it to Asimov.

“—What a hopelessly foolish king, Solomon. You would go that far to avoid war?”

—It was a familiar voice that emerged out of nowhere. What followed after all happened at an instant. The creaking and clanging of Asimov’s hovering robot transforming, the glistening light of Velma’s blade, the red glare of our enemy’s, and the sudden mysterious pull against my body.