Aurianna giggled softly. The book materialized in her hands from her inventory .

"Kiana, come," Aurianna beckoned, and Kiana eagerly joined her, peeking over Aurianna's shoulder as she flipped through the pages with an unseen speed that left Kiana bewildered.

‘Is she even reading at this point? I can barely catch a glimpse of the pages!’ Kiana thought, stealing a glance at Aurianna.

"I've found it! The Sea King Fiona!" Aurianna declared triumphantly, halting at a page displaying a grotesque sea monster that matched the description they had been given.

"It's...ugly," Kiana blurted out, earning a silent agreement from Aurianna, who also had to look at the image.

"Well, with that description, what did we expect?" Aurianna said with a light smile.

"Then let's get to moving these pillars!" Kiana said enthusiastically.

"Why are you holding my waist?!" Kiana gasped as she felt Aurianna's grip on her dress tighten.

"We need to see the pillars from above," Aurianna replied casually, pulling Kiana up.

"Oh, right, my bad," Kiana muttered nervously.

"Oh, so this is what they look like from above. It's such a mess!" Kiana huffed as she looked at the pillars, all misarranged like a Rubik's cube.

"Indeed. And we must arrange them to look like the monster in the book," Aurianna said with her arms crossed as she swam around the room, inspecting every single pillar. "Well, this should be easy," she blurted out with a proud smirk, swimming to one pillar, shifting it, then swimming to another and turning it in another position. However, once Aurianna adjusted five pillars, they all immediately shifted back to their original positions, surprising both Aurianna and Kiana.

"Why did they shift back to their normal position?!" Kiana gasped.

"I think when shifting these things, they must be arranged in a certain order. If not, they'll reverse to the start," Aurianna concluded as she observed the pillars.

"And they gave us two damn hours to move all these pillars?! It's not possible, there's a thousand of them!" Kiana yelled with frustration.

"Well, they did say it would be hard since there's only two of us," Aurianna said, understanding Kiana's frustration.

"True..." Kiana said with teary eyes.

"Then let's get started, because dying in the first trial would be rather pathetic!" Aurianna declared.

________

"Thirty minutes have passed, and we're still nowhere closer!" Kiana cried, slamming her hand on the water ball.

"I now have an understanding of how the pillars are supposed to move," Aurianna stated with a grin.

“Listen closely because this Ruin wants us to work together. First, move pillar number 234 and I'll move 455..." Aurianna ordered, reciting a sequence of numbers they were to follow to arrange all the pillars correctly.

"You expect me to remember all that?!" Kiana yelled in frustration.

"For a mermaid, you're quite pathetic," Aurianna remarked with a displeased expression.

"Don't blame me!!" Kiana cried out defensively.

"Fine, I'll tell you the numbers every time we have to move a new pillar, and we must move them exactly at the same time in less than 30 seconds!" Aurianna instructed, and Kiana nodded in agreement. Aurianna then called out the numbers, and Kiana obeyed immediately, using all her strength to turn the massive pillars.

Aurianna, with her raw strength, easily shifted the pillars.

After one grueling hour and a few minutes, Aurianna and Kiana managed to turn all the pillars to form the image of the sea monster. A door suddenly appeared at the other side of the room, and Aurianna and Kiana beamed happily before swimming out into a room that resembled a peaceful forest.

It was filled with all sorts of underwater fruits, and the water was extremely clean and fresh.

"Holy water?" Aurianna mumbled, familiar with the tingling sensation on her body.

"So, this is the resting area," Aurianna remarked as she looked around the place and settled on the floor filled with soft sea grass.

"Should we go to the next trial?" After a few hours Aurianna suddenly asked, catching Kiana off guard with her serious tone.

"Ehhh, don't you want to rest?!" Kiana whined, chewing on some fruit.

"Not really, I've experienced worse," Aurianna replied as she stretched her body.

"But I'm so tired!!!" Kiana complained, hugging the ground.

"Get up!" Aurianna commanded, smacking Kiana on the head. Kiana yelped, rubbing her aching head with teary eyes.

"Ahhh, you're such a bully!!" Kiana cried, glaring at Aurianna, who paid no mind.

"Let's go, we can't rest! I don't want to stay another year under the sea," Aurianna huffed as she swam forward towards a dark door, and Kiana followed behind. They both looked up at the door, which stated "Trial 2."

Aurianna touched the door, and it automatically opened for them, signaling them to enter. Once inside, the door closed behind them, disappearing.

[Welcome to the second trial of the Fallen Hero Kingsnaver!] A sudden notification appeared for Aurianna, making her extremely wary. She glanced around the new room, noticing how large it was. It felt too large to be a normal trial, and suddenly, she felt a deadly aura rushing toward them.

"KIANA!!" Aurianna yelled in a panicked tone as she rushed to Kiana, standing before her and blocking an incoming sword attack with her sabers.

"How many blasted beings would enter here? For five days straight, I have been fighting non-stop. It's starting to get annoying!" Aurianna heard the voice of a man, causing her to look up to see a human in vibrant armor, holding his sword against her sabers.

‘This man, he gives the aura of a hero!’ Aurianna noticed the sickening aura too well.

She looked up to get a clear look at him. He was a young man with dark blue hair and fierce dark green eyes. His skin was fair, and he was taller than her.

Hero beings from another world called Earth. They are a cheat to this world, breaking all the rules that bind Imanity. They can grow their strength in a short amount of time, gain skills none have ever seen before, and can automatically gain fighting skills without the need to train, unlike the people of this world. They are abnormalities.

"Hey, how is it that others are able to enter here but I can't leave? Is there some secret to escaping?" He suddenly asked and distanced himself from Aurianna, his voice rough.

"What is with that disgusted expression?" He asked with a crazed smile. "Back in my world, no woman would dare to give me such a stare. My father would have their entire lives ruined," he snickered as he inspected Aurianna and Kiana.

“Aurianna, thank you for saving me,” Kiana said gratefully.

“I had to save you. If not, how would I complete the Ruin?” Aurianna casually said, causing Kiana to look at her with a blank expression.

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

‘I regret thanking this mean human!!!’

“A beauty and an ugly fish,” he blubbered.

"Who's ugly?!" Kiana retorted.

‘Aurianna, calm down,’ Eva warned as she noticed Aurianna's breathing rile up.

"What do you mean you've been stuck here for five days?" Aurianna suddenly asked, not understanding what was going on.

"I have been here for five days, I counted," Kingsnaver stated as he too was getting confused.

“Are you sure? Because the world war ended 100,000 years ago,” Kiana nervously blurted out, “And no hero has been heard of ever since.”

“Huh?!” Kingsnaver gasped with a shocked expression and knelt on the ground.

“She's telling the truth,” Aurianna added with a nod.

“100,000 years? That's impossible!!! I have clearly been counting. My system is clearly showing me 5 days!!” He blurted out with trembling lips.

‘Those two angels from Kiana's memories are probably messing with his sense of time. But why is he a hero being kept alive? I thought they were all exterminated. Yet some still remain,’ Aurianna thought with a deep frown as her gaze remained fixed on him.

"Kiana, is he the target?" Aurianna's voice appeared in Kiana's head, momentarily startling her before she composed herself.

"Yes, we're supposed to kill him to move to the next trial," Kiana replied, her gaze nervously fixed on Kingsnaver.

"Damn the fucking Sacred of Time and Water! When I get out of here, they'll regret this, I'll make them beg me for mercy!!" Kingsnaver spat, his voice laced with bitterness. "And that god! I was promised everything, freedom to do whatever I fucking wanted, yet here I am, trapped for a hundred thousand years. They've messed with my sense of time," the realization dawned on him.

"Answer a question before I kill both of you," he declared suddenly, straightening up and fixing his gaze on Aurianna and Kiana, his disheveled hair adding to his menacing aura.

"Where am I?" he demanded.

"You're in a Ruin, and we're participants," Aurianna responded calmly.

"So, you're the 1,469th group I've encountered. Interesting," he remarked, his hand stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"Thy blazing sword," Kingsnaver muttered as he raised his sword, its fiery glow casting a shadow behind him.

"Kiana, get behind me!" Aurianna warned, sensing an extremely dangerous aura coming from him.

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Kiana exclaimed, quickly taking refuge behind Aurianna.

"His sword attack gives the same aura of that lady back at that slave area," Aurianna thought, her eyes narrowing as she prepared to counter his attack.

"Set ablaze everything, Burning Harmony!" Kingsnaver unleashed his skill, slashing his sword towards the two girls.

"White hole!" Aurianna snapped her fingers, summoning a small white hole in her hand just in time to intercept the flames.

The drain on her mana was substantial as the white hole absorbed Kingsnaver's attack before redirecting it back at him, catching him off guard.

The white hole covered Kiana and Aurianna like a shield and absorbed Kingsnaver's attack. Once it was fully absorbed the white hole around them spinned fast before blasting it back at him. Catching him off guard and leaving him surprised.

"My attack was absorbed and reflected?" he muttered, with a look of surprise as his shield absorbed the redirected attack easily.

"You both remind me of a merman I encountered hours ago, though from what you've said, it must have been years," he chuckled sinisterly, his eyes glinting with malice. "And now that I think about it, he bore a striking resemblance to that mermaid over there."

"Wait, what?" Kiana gasped, realization dawning on her.

"My brother," she thought, her lips pressing into a thin line as she clenched her fists, glaring at him with fury.

"I killed him, though. His struggle to save his people was so amusing!" Kingsnaver chuckled sadistically.

"I'll kill you!" Kiana screamed, her anger boiling over as she remembered moments of her brother.

“Kiana remembered your big brother is your number fan in the entire world!!” He said with a goofy pose.

“Stop being silly, brother!” Kiana pouted, nudging him on the shoulder.

“You can be a superstar with that voice!! So you practice alright? And I'll kill that Sea King, so no one would ever need to be sacrificed!” Her brother declared with a cheeky smile whiles he flexed her muscles.

“Then I'll sing for you when you come back brother!”

"Oh, that emotion. Why was he your brother? He was pathetic. And his flesh tasted weird too," Kingsnaver taunted, his words dripping with malice as he opened his mouth mockingly.

“Oh, did I hit a nerve? Boo-hoo,” she retorted, mimicking tears with her hands.

"Don't let him get to you, Kiana. Yes, your brother may be dead, but he's trying to provoke you. There's likely a detail in this trial he wants us to overlook. While I handle him, search for more clues," Aurianna instructed, her voice steady despite her hand trembling a bit.

"I've read that to clear this trial, we must both kill him at the same time," Kiana relayed to Aurianna.

"And do you think I shall allow you two to do that?" Kingsnaver interjected, his voice carrying across the room despite their distance. "Once I'm done with both of you, I'm leaving here!"

With a rush of speed, Kingsnaver lunged at Aurianna again, his sword slashing towards her with lethal intent. Aurianna deflected the blow with her saber, his strength was greater than hers, thus overpowering her, but luckily Aurianna made up for that with her skill, being able to hold him back to some extent and parry most of his blows.

Delivering a swift kick to her gut, Kingsnaver sent Aurianna flying, crashing into the wall with a sickening thud. As she fell, the broken wall repaired itself strangely.

‘Shit, shit, his skills may be sloppy, but his strength is crazy,’ Aurianna thought, struggling to her feet amidst a flurry of bloodied coughs. Her wounds healed rapidly, she had a strange feeling about him.

Turning his attention to Kiana he dashed towards her, but Kingsnaver was momentarily stunned by her powerful voice attack, making him unable to move.

‘She's more special than she appears. A High Mermaid capable of causing a Primordial Human-type creature to fall asleep with her voice isn't ordinary. I definitely made a good decision,’ Aurianna mused, a smirk playing on her lips.

Seizing the opportunity, Aurianna unleashed a barrage of ten skills at once, enveloping Kingsnaver in a massive explosion. Kiana remained shielded by Aurianna's barrier.

‘This guy is tougher than I thought,’ Aurianna grumbled, watching as Kingsnaver walk out of the flames, his armor slightly damaged but otherwise he was unscathed.

Laughing maniacally, Kingsnaver brandished his sword, his eyes locked on Aurianna.

"You're getting on my nerves. Just die already!" he bellowed, conjuring a multitude of magic swords aimed at Aurianna and Kiana, filling the room.

Aurianna teleported in front of Kiana, drawing in a deep breath as she summoned her full arsenal of skills once more. Their powers clashed as Aurianna propelled herself towards Kingsnaver.

‘I must help her. I can't afford to be useless, or we'll both perish! And I want revenge for my brother!’ Kiana thought, her teeth sinking into her lip in determination.

"Hey, young girl, you have a very powerful voice. You must use it well," Kiana recalled the words of an old storyteller she had encountered at a festival centuries ago. Initially confused by his advice, she understood its meaning when chosen to sing the Leviathan to sleep.

"Stop moving!" Kiana commanded. The sound waves pierced Kingsnaver's ears, momentarily deafening him and stopping his movements.

Aurianna descended upon him with a spinning kick, only to be thwarted by a shield protecting his body. Gritting her teeth in frustration, she spinned mid-air, attempting another attack. However, Kingsnaver swiftly grabbed her leg, delivering a punishing blow to her face, sending her crashing to the ground and shattering her face.

Frantically reading the data on her screen, Kiana heard a sharp crack and turned around.

"Aurianna!" she cried out, panic lacing her voice as dread washed over her, fearing the worst.

To her astonishment, Aurianna's body moved, despite her missing head, causing Kiana to stare in disbelief. Aurianna's foot transformed into a sharp, black form, piercing Kingsnaver's cheek and into his head.

As Kingsnaver turned towards her, Aurianna watched in dismay as he pulled out her foot and hurled her aside, though she managed to regain her balance.

‘Just like Kent, he can heal, even though he's human,’ Aurianna thought grimly. ‘My strength and magic won't be enough to kill him,’ she concluded, dissatisfied.

Kingsnaver charged at her once more, and they exchanged several blows, Aurianna's skills aiding her in combating his strong yet sloppy fighting style.

‘I'll sacrifice one leg for Queen, and another for King, and an eye for Pectus,’ Aurianna decided swiftly, immediately severing those body parts and replacing them with crystalline versions.

"Queen, King, Pectus, I summon you!" she roared, three portals materializing behind her as her towering knights emerged, each over 100 feet tall.

"What in the world are those things?" Kingsnaver muttered, his excitement palpable as he dashed towards them. Queen and Pectus retaliated, launching their attacks at him.

‘Queen, King, Pectus, can you combine your powers? I want to finish him off in one attack. Every time I fight this man, I'm losing stamina, and he doesn't seem to get tired,’ Aurianna communicated telepathically as they battled Kingsnaver, with King standing by her side.

"We can do that, master, but afterward, you'll lose consciousness for a few days," King warned, his gaze fixed on her.

"That's alright. Eva can teleport me to the training grounds," Aurianna replied with a crazed smile.

She then glanced up to see Kingsnaver not fighting with Queen and Pectus accusing her too lol around for him frantically. Suddenly, she felt a chill on her neck.

"I said don't move!" Kiana yelled, causing Kingsnaver to freeze mid-air and plummet to the ground, still unable to move.

"This skill again!" Kingsnaver roared, his eyes turning red with fury as his skin flushed red.

"I'll kill that mermaid first!" he threatened.

"Aurianna, he has a weakness! I've finally figured out the riddle!" Kiana's voice echoed in her mind.

"There was a riddle?" Aurianna gasped, surprised, before darting to Kiana's side while King, Queen, and Pectus kept watch over Kingsnaver.

"Yes!"

"They're conspiring. I don't like it," Kingsnaver thought coldly.

"I am fragile, you are fragile. With one strike, the one you most rely on shall be your downfall. My weakness is my sharpest. It's his sword. When a hero is summoned, they always have a special weapon. Destroy the weapon, kill the hero!" Kiana exclaimed excitedly.

"Hehehe, then you guys know what to do!" Aurianna yelled, holding on to Kiana tightly.

"Yes, master!" Queen, King, and Pectus responded, fusing into King and shrinking to a humanoid size.

King raised his sword high, and the room blazed with a bright white light directed at Kingsnaver.

"Calamity!" King bellowed, bringing his sword down as Kingsnaver gasped, quickly freeing himself. Brandishing his own sword, glowing brightly, he clashed with King's attack, but he couldn't withstand the overwhelming attack coming at him.