The clattering of keys is quick, followed by the unique sound produced by the Enter key. A lengthy string of asterisks on the monitor fades into a loading screen. Various messages go by, confirming that the connection was successful and that the user credentials were all in order. Miniscule light particles within a visor arrange themselves into the perfect image of a mountainous region. The user's head covers the space of these lights, leaving none to fill the darkness of an unlit room. His digits curl about a controller, starting the short repetitive sonances of buttons.

A tall Heavy Blade materializes within The World, awakening to a new surrounding. His black boots with short brown marks kick up small clouds of dust that tumble away with the wind. His stomach produces a complaint in the form of a soft grumble, displeased with his current choice of setting. He finds himself annoyed at his own senses, so easily fooled by the imitation world around him. Having entered the Theta server for the first time, he suffers from an unexpected reaction to the area. This server is unlike the town of Mac Anu, which resembles one of his real local towns but has smaller paths to walk through and water forming considerable segments of it. Instead, the area is less paved and more natural. It hosts the usual variety of shops and services that would be expected in a server. There is a principal road of grey bricks that goes along the swirling path of a great peak. The road is surrounded by lush grass throughout the way and never leaves its singular path. Some of the shops are disconnected from the path and standing on their own patches of land. These are linked to the mountain by wooden bridges of simple construction. The areas underneath the land that players can walk on is concealed by clouds, showing how high up this location must be and how far down the floor might be. How does this place manage to play with Kiwi's head? Even with the firm knowledge that this is just a game, he has a powerful fear of heights. He remembers freaking out while playing old games such as "The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker" and feeling the fear of falling off a cliff burning inside. The World taps into his fear with unnerving realism.

His brown eyes, similar to the color of dark chocolate, turn away from a passing cloud that seems to be prodding his altitude issues. He takes his hands to the collar of his blue jean jacket, tugging the familiar material to straiten any folds. His pants are made out of the same material, running down to the top of his boots. He then pushes his black hair back as part of a tendency he doesn't seem to notice. Even with the fears caused by heights, he enjoys the comforting view provided by Dun Loireag. Also, he isn't standing there simply for the view or exposing himself to fear. He is waiting for Tsurugi, his powerful Long Arm friend. Their destination is not merely a random one, but that of a rumor that has surfaced in the BBS. The word is that a certain lighting-fast fox-like creature resides in the depths of a dungeon. This monster may be a product of his last quest, where a copy of him was went through several changes. At the very least this will grant him a chance to meet Tsurugi again.

It's been quite some time since Tsurugi has been on an adventure, let alone with a good friend. Ever since his first arrival into the world, he had kept himself from communication from almost all other players. But he had managed to make friends with one, and good friends at that. Tsurugi met a kind young man by the name of "Kiwi." The Heavy Blade user was quite the naive newbie back in the day but for some reason Tsurugi, opposite with his staff-pole weapon became friends. And now after long hardships and leveling together and fighting each other they would finally get the chance to fight along side each other. The surroundings of Mac Anu were quiet and still as the bright glowing pixelated stars flickered against the polymorphic world, Tsurugi's vision had been looking up on his arrival thus those magnificent site would be the first he saw when logging in for a change in a long time. Though this visit would be differant, it seemed Tsurugi stared at the stars for a reason, as if he was saying good-bye. But not a good-bye but an "I'll see you" type of thing. This was probably one of the last times Tsurugi would be seen or questing in the Delta Server, and it would probably be awhile before he returned to the lovely root town he was so used to. Tsurugi closed his eyes for a brief second and before he could open them he was vanished, those three golden halos swooped him up as if taking him to heaven themselves.

A slight ring could be heard to any of the near-by patrons surrounding the new warp point that took greater level players to their new home. As Tsurugi opened his eyes this time he was not only greeted with the stars being bright and more exuberant, but with the fluffy white clouds as if in heaven himself the city had been raised above all. Tsurugi let out a final breath adjusting to the altitude and to the new found height just before he caught eye of a familar friend. Tsurugi tapped the bottom end of his spear onto the ground creating a echoing crack sound to get his friends attention. He had finally arrived.

An echoing crack sonance makes its way into Kiwi's ear, pounding his eardrum with a beat of memories. He remembers a sound such as this one having reached him on several occasions. During one-a battle and during two-a quest. It can be deduced from the specific size and shape of the sound that it is coming from the bottom of a pole weapon. Its intent is either casual or attention summoning. Yet why use a handful of seconds on analysis and instincts when all that is required of him is the turn of his head? Indeed, even with all this breakdown of information the product manages to leave the glass of his curiosity half-empty. Only actually turning would fill the glass and so he shifts his feet to do so. In the peculiar manner in which he turns, the ankle of his left foot rises a bit and his right foot rises an inch above the ground. He pivots upon his left foot and plants the right down in swift succession. Even as he did this, his eye had already darted to the edge of its confines and focused on the individual form that commanded the sound he heard. Within the frame of his focus is the unmistakable face of Tsurugi, the Long Arm not to be confused with any other. He wields a great power, though his significance lies in that of being a good friend rather than being a powerful player. No amount of will could stop the smile forming along Kiwi's lips. He extends his hand towards Tsurugi, hoping to greet him.

"Long time no see? I'm glad you've made it. I need your help with something at Corroded Sweltering Furnace. We can go in directly if you'd prefer and I can explain as we cross the field. Oh! And I tried to get you a gift since it seems you prefer fiery equipment. I tried to earn a Fire Dance Hat that you could have used once we gain levels from this task but instead gained a Fire Helm," he explains. The smile does not face from his expression.

"We can remedy that, though," he says.

Tsurugi chuckling lightly turned his body fully to face the direction of his old pal. With a quick upper movement he lifted his arm and then his leg walking over to his long time friend. His staff making that familar noise as the bottom hit the hard cobblestone or so it seemed between each and every one of his few steps. As Tsurugi got within conversation distance he nodded his head a few times to his couple comments.

"So you got me a present? I wish I would of known this was a gift giving affair cause I would of gotten you something as well."

Tsurugi shook his head in disbelief cause he knew he should of known Kiwi alot better to know after such a long reunion that he would of found something that would of interested him to give.

"Yeah a fire helm would be a nice collection or start cause I really wanted that fire dance hat. But I'm going all flames...I got my spear" He says lifting up his beserker as it flickers a bright flame.

"I just recieved Fire Bracer from the wonderful trader Rayo....though I'm still looking for Fire Lizards, Fire Dance Hat, and Smiths gloves..."

Tsurugi just stood there in silence raking through his head thinking if he really had anything that he could give to Kiwi just as a token for thinking of him after such a long time of not questing together.

"I'll hold onto the helm for a bit since it's over your armor limit. It's a heavy helm so you wouldn't be allow to use it. I'm sure I can earn you the hat you want though," Kiwi says. His words resound with a sense of confident assurance in this idea.

He walks past the Long Arm, his smile broad, and faces the Chaos Gate. No items in his inventory could reproduce the tapping sound that Tsurugi produces with his spear. Not without making him feel awkward, as a katana is not to be used for this purpose and much less would his Moumokuteki. He faces the reflective pool of blue at the center of the gate ring. Although a seasoned veteran of the game might conclude that this observation is irrelevant, Kiwi stops to view the gate of this server. It is his first time here and so he assumes the portal might have a different symbol or characteristic that sets it apart from its brethren. A golden ring with a thin layer of blue fluid within that is transparent, like a sliver of blueberry Jell-O. It has in fact not changed in the least. His arm extends in the direction of the structure and its palm becomes parallel to the pool.

Along the side of these moments, Kiwi misses one particular change that ocurred. His fear of the server's environment wore away at the arrival of his friend. He shows no particular worry or discomfort in his actions. No particular hastle or haste within them. He therefore neither has fear or hides it, but rid himself of it through the influence of having a friend nearby. That and the prospect of eventually having a gift ready.

"Corroded Sweltering Furnace," he announces to the gate.

His command summons the forces that run The World for a task of little effort. A trio of golden rings descends over his body, spinning counter-clockwise with a mysterious aura. They execute their job in a monotonous manner, acting the same exact way as when he first used the gate. Actually, the gate was used for him by a stronger player since he didn't know how to properly conduct its power. The rings dissolve his body into air in the way only a magnificient magician could really reproduce. It begins at his abyss black hair and continues through his smile, right down to the laces of his boots and the dust attached to the bottom of the boots. He crosses the darkness between fields instantaneously with the aid of the rings and arrives at the destination he dictated. The same three rings rise from the floor of the destination, spinning in a motion opposite to that of their previous appearance. The symbols of long-forgotten meaning play their fixed role, reconstructing his body in a seemless inversion of the previous act of magic. His body appears within the field, beginning from the dust attached to the bottom of the boots, right up to the laces of his boots, continuing through his smile, and ending with the highest strand of hair on his head. His eyelids rise with the passing of the rings, becoming aware of the location the he has been sent to. Their task complete, the three rings fade in the silence with no remains.

Kiwi's eyes focus upon the new environment that the players have been sent into. He thinks of this for a moment, noting that he must check to make sure Tsurugi was brought into the field as well. His eyes are more occupied with identifying the surroundings than scanning for such a detail. The field is aptly built according to its name. For as far as he can see, he finds an extensive plain of shifting air. The air snakes back and forth like a rope shaken while tied at its other end. It rises and falls, twists and bends, making it impossible to make out anything in the distance other than the most prominent colors. The ground is made out of crackling embers and littered with ash, giving the feeling that a volcano tore this place into its present form. Beneath this layer are plates of rock with miles and miles of cracks running between them. Each one would probably tilt under a step from a player, as does the one which Kiwi stands on. Some burn with bright flames and appear at the edge of melting into a deadly puddle while others remain absolutely black and retatively cool. Upon closer examination, even those would cause burns after a few seconds of bare contact. Only his footwear provides the protect he needs. The sky is coated with thick clouds of volcanic ash and toxic gases that devour all light that meets them. As such, the only sources of light are the particles of burning matter around them. Grey flakes drop from the heavens like snow on a mountain, bringing a slow asphixiating death to anything that should remain out in this environment for too long.

The familiar glow of a golden sphere unfolds over Kiwi, followed closely by a blinding flash. A pair of figures shifts behind him with the disturbance of a Magic Portal. It seems the arrival of new players triggered its anger. What does not fit the portrait of this scene is the kinds of creatures moving around. Kiwi and, hopefully, Tsurugi are in the sight of two towering Mantis monsters with a taste for human flesh. These are powered by the element of water, as opposed to the blazing environment they inhabit.

Tsurugi uttering the same words almost immediately as those golden halos swept Kiwi away was soon swept off himself. His eyes had closed just before the rings deteriated his body and sent his information to the level they were going to. Tsurugi also liked to keep his eyes closed cause he liked the surprise of finding new places and new surroundings. As the the glow from the rings shone upon the outside of his eyelids he felt an almost welcoming atmosphere, it felt as if it was normal to him. Just upon entering he heard something he did not expect to hear so early on their arrival, the sound of a monster portal teleporting creatures to defend it's location echoed through his ears. Just as he quickly closed his eyes he immediately opened them to find two large Mantis creatures before him. Tsurugi gave a quick step back as his staff clicked dragging on the ground, he turned his head to make sure Kiwi had made it. Finding his friend a couple of panels away from him it was now he noticed that the ground was all cracked and the red outline inbetween the cracks were giving off extrodinary heat. This was nothing for Tsurugi however, it seemed his body was giving off more heat as the air thickened around him and trailed his body with small vapors.

"You ready Kiwi...our first battle, and these monsters aren't pushovers!" Tsurugi shouted to his friend over the screeching of the beasts.

Tsurugi gripped his spear with both hands noting from information on the creatures that their attributes were opposite of Tsurugi's flame and instead water. Though this didn't matter much to his Tsurugi seeing as his fire rating exceeded double over most other normal attributes of any other creature of player. Although these monsters exceeded Tsurugi in level he did not care, as he took a few steps closer even the immense heat given off his body caused the Mantis' to squirm and shreak stepping back just before getting ready to strike. Tsurugi motioned his hand to Kiwi to start coming towards him and he slowly bent his knees keeping his staff tucked into his pat as he cupped his hands together hoping Kiwi would understand about the lift he wanted to give him.

Kiwi feels the sudden urge to wipe his forehead against the sleeve of his jacket, sensing a wave of heat igniting nearby. He turns to face the foes that have approached the two players, nothing how they cringe due to something in the air. Each of Tsurugi's burning steps causes their reptile expressions of disgust to contort further, eye's glued to the Long Arm. A grin slowly slips along Kiwi's lips, realizing what has come upon everyone is the heat radiating from the Long Arm's powerful spear. Moreover, the peculiar act of cupping hands together gives him a flash of inspiration. He assumes that his friend intends to launch him for an attack and positions his hands in front.

"Ap Do," he shouts.

Kiwi breaks into a dash, tearing a gash into the ground that allows glowing orange to fill the spot where he stood. His SP count takes a slight intentional dip in order to cast his acceleration spell. Conforming with the rules of their team game, he directs the spell towards Tsurugi instead of himself to allow the spearman greater mobility. The surge of adrenaline and belligerence chemistry should prove helpful against these powerful lizards. His boot rapidly nears his comrade, carefully timed to land into the waiting hands. The contact between the hands and the sole lasts a tick on the watch, propelling him abruptly into the air with enough force to reach a bit above the head level of a monster. The moments seem to go by tediously, slowly, giving him a chance to get a good look at the enemy while he gains a bearing of his aerial state.

A pair of blue pupils watches his progress through the air. These are held in place by the triangular skull of a blue manties, its pincer jaws shutting and opening widely as if to catch him in a bite. Its neck is a cylindrical shaft of sky blue, linked to a round body. The segmented exoskeletal body supports the weight of two arms that end in metallic scythes. The metal is tinted in the same blue as the skin. The body also supports three pairs of legs like those of a spider, joined with knees of roughly armored skin. The whole beast is coated in scale like a leathery scales that appear as if they could withstand a blow from a baseball bat with elastic countering.

His mind pulled away from the water creature, Kiwi sets his hands onto his right shoulder. The threads of his muscles draw the Moumokuteki from its scabbard, exposing the shadowy weapon to the air of ash. His body curls with the blade pointing out as the precesion to a deadly strike.

"Ani Smash," he shouts.

Tsurugi lips curl into a subtle grin as he launches his friend into the air, slowly as he springs him upwards he notices the blueish glow surrounding under his feet. The archaic symbol igniting a surge of power up through Tsurugi's body. Tsurugi feels the affects of Kiwi's spell and almost within an instant Tsurugi flips backwards in a spiral sort of sway just before the second mantis dropped it's schythes into the ground where Tsurugi had stood. Tsurugi now had the speed and with that combination added to his strength these monsters needed something to worry about. Tsurugi looking at the creature with it's schythed hands stuck in the ground, twirled his spear slowly as an orangish glow began to trail from the bottom of his staff. Tsurugi made small little symbols and slowly forced the spear out towards Kiwi's general direction. The small amount of sp lowered itself from Tsurugi's stats as he casted his spell, but just as Kiwi did the spell did not circle his own body but instead surrounded his friends.

"Ap Corv" Tsurugi called out loud enough for Kiwi to hear so he knew what he was doing.

Tsurugi had launched his friend to get the perfect oppurtunity for the perfect strike. Kiwi had taken advantage and was about to land a serious blow to the creature. Tsurugi figured if he was going to pull it off then he was going to hit hard. Tsurugi watched as the Ap Corv took it's effect surrounding Kiwi's body making his strength increase dramatically. Just as Kiwi was summoning all his strength for his blow Tsurugi's attention was drawn to the side by the loud screeching. Tsurugi grinned turning his head slowly as his whole body followed to face the large creature.

"So you finally got free?..." Tsurugi whispered under his breath.

"That's good..now we can begin.." Tsurugi said as he bent his knees slowly getting ready for a launch.

Tsurugi tilted his head as his wrist went lip and his spear seemed to drop from the opposite side. Just as it scraped against the ground Tsurugi pushed off hard dashing at the creature, a large explosion of dirt kicking up behind him. As he darted directly at the creature his spear tip drug in the ground, the flames almost seeming to melt a path for it to drag instead of tear through the ground. Tsurugi caught to the monster fast and just before he was about to collide with it he dropped on his back lifting his spear from the ground behind him and holding it horizontally infront of him. He slid underneath the large creature leaving a small dust cloud behind him, just before he exited from under the creature behind due to the fact his spear was turned sideways the spear caught the back two legs of the creature. Feeling the friction from the legs Tsurugi strained and as he let out a small groan he used all his strength to pull himself up into the half spring flip almost causing the back legs to come out from under the creature.

"Not bad.." Tsurugi said as he landed softly on his feet.

Tsurugi watched the creature gave a quick kick to regain its composure. Just before it turned Tsurugi flipped his spear high into the air, as it spun violently and dropped downwards Tsurugi cupped his hands together and concentrated on a focus point. Silence swept over the loud battle field and then a loud slice was heard, the spear tip pierced directly into the ground infront of Tsurugi, and just before the creature could attack Tsurugi let out a few words.

"Now you'll feel a true inferno....BiVak Rom!" Tsurugi shouted as cracks from his spears piercing glew a blazing red.

Tsurugi watched as the red glew brighter and brighter and the ground gave a slow shake, immediately in a loud explosion Tsurugi's spear erupted from the ground. Holding out his hand he snatched the spear and gave a little halfspin to it as he pointed at the creature. Just as the glowing red left his spear a small flame appeared from above the creatures head. The creature's eyes seemed to have followed the flame as it slowly descended to the ground like a rain drop. As soon as it touched the ground the flame spread immediately circling the creature in a violent inferno tornadoe. Screeches and shreiks could be heard from the inside of the huge flame funnel as the damage was being dealth. Tsurugi just stood there and watched, the blaze reflecting off his already crimson orbs.

Kiwi feels a cloud of cryptic symbols surrounding his body, noting how each glows with a red aura of power. His body feels lighter, as does the hefty blade within his grip. He can only conclude that Tsurugi reciprocated his favor of casting Ap Do. This should make quick work of the Mantis enemy. His body shifts in a full turn in the air, curled about itself with only his weapon protruding. He watches as the scene before his eyes is spun by the force of his attack, bringing his gaze to the ground then the background then the sky then the enemy. To this he unfolds his figure and holds the blade outwards, aiming his landing at the creature. This is made far easier because the foolish roach follows him with its jaws ready to shut. Escaping from the weapon, an aura of thickened shadow glows around his body, flowing like a gel across the curves of the material of his jacket. The four-foot long blade rapidly nears the insect which, albeit too late, realizes the error of trying to catch him in the fall. If the Moumokuteki were a normal blade it would most likely reflect the image of the insects eyes twitching with each passing moment. Yet its obsidian black surface absorbs all shines instead of reflecting even the brightest of lights. The shadows that flow within seem to draw delight from the monster's panicked expression. In a final desperate attempt at defense the Mantis covers its head with the scythes that form its arms.

The black death strikes the large blades, causing them to buckle and shiver under the weight of the strike. The resistance lasts only a mere instant, after which the blades shatter like pitiful glass struck by a wrecking ball. Kiwi's force continues downwards with little delay, apparently completely missing the head of the insect. His blade runs with a stream of sparks across the creature's neck, finally reaching the point where its body begins. The racing edge slices off one of the two broken scythe limbs at its link with the body, the air filling with particles of ash blown about by his harsh landing and bloody scales that flutter down from the monster's neck. Kiwi allows his boots to rapidly send him aside from where he stands, the eerie sound of a broken scythe homing in through the cloud of ash. His brown pupils tilt upwards to note how his strike had not missed after all. Instead, the blade went so immaculately through the cranium that its side is cleaved without much mess. He feels his stomach turn as the virtual insect sounds its jaws towards him, the side of its face missing in a way that allows clear view of its brain and eyeball rotating within the socket. The way the optical nerve flows into its brain and the muscles of its jaw snake whenever its bites are simply disgusting.

The shifting of his feet is followed by a measured spin, pushing a large amount of momentum behind the mass of his weapon. As a scaled leg comes into view from the corner of Kiwi's eye he turns the force of the weapon around, directing it to rotate at his side rather than horizontally. The vertical pull strains his wrists but packs a powerful punch. This much is easy to tell from the shriek that comes from the monster just moments after its leg is severed from the rest of its body at the root. The wound pulsates with sharp pains and spews a trail of fluid that fills the animal's innards. His arms pull up as if preparing a bat for a swing against the a ball, the tip of his sword floating between his and the creature. His shoulder makes an abrupt thrust in the direction of the target, driving his weapon straight into the bleeding stump left from the previous hit. Both arms press forward to push the metal as far as it can reach until the words "Critical Hit" appear in his view. The beast sends out a weakened cry like that of a real animal near the end of its existence. The Mantis wobbles its scarred face around until the world loses all coherence. A cloud of dust erupts with the limp collapse of the grey corpse.

As the flames seem to die down the cries from the beast had ceased. Tsurugi had figured the creature wouldn't be deceased and would be waiting for it's opening to lunge out of the clouds of smoke and attack him. Tsurugi lifting his spear infront of his body in a full frontal defense position. As the smoke settled the figure of the large mantis stood in what seemed to be an attack stance, but as a small gust of wind blew the remaining smoke away he noticed the mantis was silent and a dull gray color. Tsurugi had know idea his fire specs. were that high, but it was the first time he had used that spell on a monster instead of an opponent. Tsurugi turned slowly to face Kiwi noticing he had finished off with his work, a small gust of wind blew causing the gray matter that once was a monster to scatter into nothing but pixelated air.

"That was fun..." Tsurugi said quietly.

Tsurugi tapped the bottom of his spear onto the ground a few times before pushing off of it using it once again as a walking cane. Tsurugi stepped over infront of Kiwi and nodded his head as those crimson orbs of his shifted off to the other side of the field.

"So where to now?" Tsurugi asked Kiwi questioningly.

Kiwi watches in amazement as Tsurugi's creature crumbles thrrough the towering smoke. The spearman requires a large amount of fire points for his spear to make such quick work of a Mantis. It took Kiwi a few blows past his strongest attack to bring an end to the monster. Such must the advantage of being of the opposite element of the opponent. It eliminates the relevance of small level differences through the great push of opposing forces. The Moumokuteki stands from the ground upon its tip, gripped loosely by Kiwi's left hand upon the hilt as he gazes off into the distance. His right arm is lifted laxly towards his forehead. He feels the way the cloth of his jacket sleeve presses into his forehead, dragging roughly across to remove the sweat that has accumulated from combat. A chuckle of amusement comes with his smile at the first words heard from Tsurugi since the battle ended.

He brings up a display upon his visor to analyze their next course of action. Determining where to go next by sight is difficult because of all the embers, fires, and portals both cloaked and magnified by the heat waves that ripple the field. It is almost like being trapped within a giant kaleidoscope of warped perception. His body gives a quick shift to rid him of the ashes that have so far managed to build up on his body. No doubt that the only organism in this field must be resilient to ash in some manner. Otherwise it would die from the ashes in the same way a smoker dies from tar in cigaretts. The air has a choking scent of smog that is difficult to escape. The time for though passed, Kiwi deactivates the map display for the field and readies himself to move on. His hands meet at the hilt of his sword, swinging the wait precariously over his right shoulder. He blindly guides the tip of the blade into the sheath upon his back, allowing it to slide in thanks to gravity once it is mostly locked into place. A soft clank of metal marks the end of the weapon's descention. Kiwi delves into the menus that control his equipment with the intention of switching his weapon type. The Moumokuteki is replaced by the Pain Giver, though the weapon remains well stored so that the change in appearance goes unseen for now. His left hand rises and points out into the blazing waves of air with specks of volcanic ash.

"The map says there is a Spring of Myst that way. We need to go by there first before we can continue into the dungeon. Be on your guard for monsters since the air is so volatile here and hides portals," Kiwi says.

He begins to walk with a calm pace in a line, following the path he estimates to be correct because of the directions deduced from the map. The walk is mostly silent and isolated for them. Only the sounds of Tsurugi's spear striking the ground and Kiwi's boots can be readily heard. They are surrounded by wavering atmosphere that swirls and shifts to create optical illusions. It becomes hard to see objects at a distance because of the blinding field of heat. The ashes don't appear to help much either. Each steps bring them closer to their momentary stop. Kiwi can even feel the grin forming along his face as a blue figure slowly enters his view. His thoughts, clear and crystaline, are slowly shattered by the notion that their steps are becoming more resounding and heavier. The blue in his view is quickly become larger than it should be and faster than what is normal. He makes an abrupt stop, hand reaching out to the side to alert his partner to an anomally in the field. The blue figure rapidly becomes another two pairs of blueish scythes rushing in from the blaze. Two loose Mantises.

Tsurugi lifts his head lazily as he notices the motion his partner had given him. Tsurugi's crimsons eyes suddenly flicker with the odd blueish color as he reckonized the charging creatures that headed towards them. Tsurugi shook his head a little annoyed that once again they were detained from what really mattered, not to mention by the same exact monsters. Tsurugi slanted his right arm extending his elbow as the blade from the tip of his spear covered his face only reflecting the two charging monsters, he then nodded to Kiwi letting him know he was ready. Tsurugi waited for the monsters to choose which one of them they wanted to attack. Tsurugi twisted the pole in his hands turning the blade sideways allowing him just in time to catch site of the large Mantis' claw swinging down, followed by the other in a criss cross pattern. Tsurugi as quickly as he could made haste and his body turned sideways just catching end of the large bladed scythe as it came down causing sparks as it drug quickly along the tip of his blade on his spear. Quickly recalling the second scythe that was coming he dropped backwards in a slow roll. The monsters large arm striking the ground where Tsurugi had stood, the ground shook as Tsurugi rolled back away from the creature. As his body doubled over he came to his feet as he tilted his head at the creature waiting for the next attack.

"Good luck Kiwi!"...Tsurugi shouted to his partner.

Tsurugi looked up just as the mantis scurried infront of him. The mantis swinging it's large scythed arm down once more for a full frontal blow once more. Tsurugi held up his spear in a slanted position. Sparks flew, and Tsurugi almost fell to his knees as the large Mantis' arm fell upon his spears shaft, but since he slanted the pole arm the scythe slid down rapidly to the side causing the whole mantis' body to tilt to the side from the force of the blow and the re-direction Tsurugi caused. Tsurugi's calves already strained and his legs slightly bent pushed up along the scythe dragging up foward in a jump attack. Breaking the shafts grip from the bladed scythe Tsurugi turned his body whipping the bladed tip of his spear across hard the top half of the creatures body causing a large gash to expose in the mantis' rough skin.

The satisfaction of having his partner wish him luck, Kiwi raises an eyebrow towards Tsurugi and shows the subtle curve in his lips of a hinting smile. His hands reach over his right shoulder, drawing on the weight of his twisted Pain Giver, until the massive metal is fully liberated from its sheath.

"Vak Drive," he shouts. His boots pound the brittle rocks beneath him, leaving a trail of cracks in frail spots that glow from the fire that seeps into them. The crossbar of his armament rests heavily to his shoulder as he charges the Mantis before him in a haste. In turn, his insect enemy gives off a threatening shriek, its head and body drawn in reverse from the backswing of its scythes. His edge bursts into flames only instants after summoning an enchantment. The creature leans forward, throwing down one scythe to block him from coming any closer. The sonance of metal shearing the air darts at him from the right. He makes a hard swing to the side as the weight of his blade descends at the lightning-fast scythe. Several sparks flare as if from a fire cracker and pass just a breath towards the side of his cheek. The insect finds its blade diverted into the air. It hollers from the burning sensation of air particles touching the stump of its forearm. That is, the arm that used to be a scythe until he severed it with a rapid strike following the initial parry.

The insect is not to be easily denied its source of sustenance despite being wounded and one blade short. Its triangular cranium and rounded eyes focus upon Kiwi for a moment. Then the triangle descends heavily in an attempt to pound him to the hot earth. It continues to dig through the ground in the kind of ramming tactic a mad bull would employ. The dirt is plowed into a shallow fissure while its crazed body races a few yards ahead without stopping. Yet it should realize that it obtained nothing but a mouthful of dust from its charge. Kiwi drives a hint deep into the side of its body as he feeds the point of his blade into its plated abdomen. The metal manages to tear two of its exoskeletal segments apart. He quickly exploits its exposed weak innards with a harsh twist of his weapon with both hands spinning the hilt hard.

A bundle of internal organs at the sharp grasp of the Pain Giver, Kiwi clings to the weapon amidst an abrupt thrashing from the Mantis. Though somewhat disgusted, he slips his hand into the creature to hold onto it more firmly through its skeletal plating. It causes itself further anguish within the dust cloud that kicks up around its body. Slowly coming closer to death, it arrives at just the right point at which it is ripe for cooking. He again sets his weapon aflame in a burst of magic that consumes a fraction of his skill points. The Mantis puts its instincts to aim at him. Its remaining scythe swings dangerously close to him even though its internals are pooling together in a molten insect soup. Finally, the bugger comes to a flailing stop as the momentum of one of its backswings drags the rest of its body back and down in death. Kiwi slides off the enemy partially victorious, wincing and holding his breath.

Tsurugi continued to follow suit in taking out the mantis trash. His spear spun swift between his fingers as he raced past the side of the mantis and swung sharp at its leg. Tsurugi's body froze to a sudden stop then and pivoted on the same spot to face straight at the creatures side. He took his spear in both hands with a dive against the monster just at the spot under which its leg sproughts from the body. He jabbed it cold under the leg causing it to shriek in agony from the mutilating metal. Mercilesly pushing ahead he drove the speartip into its body just enough to cripple that leg through muscular tears and snaps. He let out a small groan drawing the shaft back to move about before the insect could even retaliate. The mantis swung both scythes at his backing body to which he responded with a fast crouch with his pole for the support of his weight. He sprung into the air as quickly as he went down and brought the weapon down to hitch a ride on the blades of the mantis. Tsurugi anchored himself to the monster with the tip of his pole to maintain his position against the violent push of mantis' limbs coming to a halt. Tsurugi darted clear ahead up the arm with the bug gazing straight at him. No doubt its slow brain was still trying to realize he was about to pummel it into a poor excuse for gum. His blade caught up along the rest of his body and Tsurugi let the mantis personally feel the texture of his weapon with what little neurons it had to spare. He gave a bit of a grunt at the force of his arms crunching through its outer shell and delivering the cool metal deep through its forehead. He held on to the spear as he gave the monster a short look in silence while awaiting its expectedly poor reaction.

"Another one to see... Vak Doom!" Tsurugi shouted as his bar grew infernal red.

The pole suddenly felt as if there was little resisting its motions in the insect. Tsurugi held on carefully and tilted it so that it would slant inwards through the mantis head. It became an increasingly unrealiable roost for his weight because the vibrant heat seared the monster down as would a knife through butter. His mass indeed began to drag the the weapon down through its flesh as it simply offered no resistance sliding apart with almost exquisite precision. Finally the shaft cut out the side of the mantis' head so that Tsurugi dropped to the ground safely on his feet. Tsurugi made an immediate hop back some feet so retreat from the spot where a newly beheaded bug collapses flat in a lack of life. The fresh wound spilled no bodily fluids along the ground as pronounced grey swept across its still flesh. The hole dripped remnants of a primitive brain but was otherwise cauterized like a rancid faucet welded shut. Tsurugi felt no remorse towards the gruesome ending that the mantis suffered. In fact it was only one of the new techniques he would enjoy experimenting with now that he has an environment in which to test his new toy. The pole spins rapidly in his hand so send any mantis remains into the air and cleanses itself through the purity of heat. Task complete he turned in the direction of Kiwi to verify the state of his partner.

"Ugh... Medic," says Kiwi with a hand pressed into his side. The dying monster did get fortunate to an extent. It scratched him across the back once to leave a searing red line through his clothes. It also struck him straight into the side without missing or the blade slipping off to the side. A debilitating wretched wound pulses crimson at his side and leaves him unable to move for the most part. His interesting session of vaporizing the Mantis from the inside is paying out in more than the usual experience points.

Remaining there in a hurtful curl will not improve his situation or get him through the field. Kiwi hence settles his restless palm above the warm tear through the left of his jacket. He mutters the words to a healing spell twice against his poor condition. A tender white glow emerges from his palm to shine upon the spots where his jacket has ripped and turned from denim thread to red wash. The enchantment ever so sympathetically mends the hurts beneath his clothing. The light works its way outwards from the red and to the threads of his clothing. There it continues to work its wonders upon sewing back his attire to its original state. It still maintains some crimson markings that have sunk into the fabric but otherwise grants him a complete healing.

The pains have subsided to his sincerest relief. Kiwi gives his ribs careful pokes and rubs to be certain that he has properly cured. Another healing spell would be but a simple matter to cast. His hands pat off against his garbing few times to dust off what ashes formed a layer on him. Returning to his feet, the Heavy Blade takes his Pain Giver firm in hand as he watches the rippling currents before him. Tsurugi's distorted figure appear to progress at a calm pace towards him. So the battle iss done for his partner too. A short kick against the fallen Mantis is sufficient to get him back in the progressive mood.

"Yo! I'm done over here... I guess we can get back on our way," he says out loudly. The heated air obligates him to squint in trying to see his friend. Through ripple and heat wave he also visualizes a growing form at the background of everything. The fiery mountain range that runs behind his friend is broken by an increasingly large figure. Then Tsurugi seem to dash in his direction and away from the incoming mystery at his rear. Kiwi raises an intrigued eyebrow at this. His instincts urge him to raise his weapon and to wait defensively despite having his friend coming near him.

"Tsurugi doesn't run away from a battle unless it wouldn't make sense to stay. Is he running away or running at me? Something doesn't add up," he thinks.

Tsurugi has no way of telling Kiwi in time. The Mantis looming at his back was about to catch him with its scythes. Another was following Tsurugi too. He couldn't stop to deal with it at the risk of his friend being sliced. An interesting dilemma the two have somehow fallen into. Tsurugi maintains his hastened pace so that he can hopefully outrun his hunter while tackling Kiwi's stalker. His crimson gaze was locked upon the monster marching at the back of his friend. He held the Berserker fast in his right grasp as he opened his left palm before his path. Through the waving gas and ash dust he could make out the perplexed appearance of his friend. Tsurugi was even unsure if the other had perceived the enemy coming up to the fray behind him. It didn't matter if he did if he was killed from the rear while noticing though. Tsurugi then consumed some of his magic gauge as a thickened flame flared up within the left palm. Kiwi would be wise enough to know something was out of the ordinary with that signal and would hopefully move into action.

"Move aside! BiVak Rom!" shouted Tsurugi with the torching magic gaining strength.

The spearman aimed the spell at the Mantis behind Kiwi. The light grew intensely hot between his fingers but was still not near its needed strength. Just a few more moments were necessary. He kicked up waves of dust at each digging step he rushed ahead. Finally the inferno grew potent enough to bake the insect into submission. Tsurugi launched it forward with a blazing flash that was like a thick flare shot through the air. It was arched in a manner that would pass just over Kiwi and strike the unsuspecting insect gazing at his back. Hopefully it would also be stunned. Its claws were already drawn back ready for a slicing. The ground gained a slow shaking from the flaming crest that burst up behind his partner. Tsurugi spun his spear so that as soon as the flare landed it ignited. Tsurugi was almost stuffing the Mantis in a convection oven of sorts through his spell. The wind blew hard quickly charring the bug down to something much less threatening than its former self.

Still the spearman had his work unfinished. He rushed past his partner who at that moment was probably realizing the two were exchanging opponents out of convenience. Tsurugi could trust Kiwi for that kind of sudden teamwork without words or more than signaling glances. His muscles tightened from the abrupt turn of his spear that deflects the Mantis' scythe aside. He felt the searing sparks from metal screeching metal carefully caressing his cheek during the pass. The pole then slid into his other grasp and his feet hit a sudden stop. Tsurugi drove the bar into the Mantis without relent giving it twists and thrusts to further the agony. The scorched creature was already shrieking in crispy agony. The finalizing strike came from the very tip of his sweet spear. Tsurugi drew back on it with his weight leaving an open hole in the Mantis. He waited for the upcoming scythe that neared his left with a quiet humph. Tsurugi wasn't about to be caught off guard in the middle of the conflict. A shift of his feet sidestepped the strike with relative calm ease. Bending his knees he gave a short jump to land on the scythe. He established eye contact with the Mantis for just instants to see what the insect would do. The Berserker went through its head for a courteous lobotomy before it could even react. Its numbing exoskeleton slowly lowered him to the ground as it collapsed feebly.

Kiwi begins to see what exactly drove Tsurugi to rush at him as spearman goes to work on tearing down another Mantis. He too sees a target of his own in the form of the silhoutte that has been following Tsurugi. Another Mantis that seems to have been trying to pin them in between itself and the one behind him. Watching Tsurugi perform at his best to crush the Mantis also inspires him to demolish the new one swiftly. He holds the Pain Giver firm to his side with both arms erect and hands locked upon its hilt. A terse moment takes place while he waits for the correct instant to take on the blueish insect. The trick is to let the Mantis execute the first move with its heavy scythes rather than to allow it the chance to defend itself as a response to a first attack or to pummel him through a downswing. His chocolate pupils track the very motions of the scythes on their way towards him in expectance of when they might draw back for a swing.

It catches him almost completely off guard. The way the Mantis throws its body weight forward as if to slide on its stomach. Then the weight of its rear seems to become overturned and rotates the rest of its body. It curls in the process of this strange dive for the dirt so that it adopts a giant wheel shape. His feet tell him to run and immediately begin to almost rush off to the side on their own. However, Kiwi also locks himself roughly into place in what some could consider idiotic hesitation. Tsurugi is battling behind him with another insect. His awareness of this causes him to hesitate out of the risk the Mantis might flatten his partner. Time is too short to yell out a warning that the other might understand quickly enough and escape. Kiwi shoots through his list of spells in a late effort to derail the Mantis.

Vak Drive would fail at the task because the Mantis would maintain its momentum despite being burned or stabbed with a flaming steel. All other things in his current arsenal seem to be forged from the depths of an icy pool and therefore provide water spells. The kind of attack he needs must divert the Mantis or destroy it in one crippling blow. He draws a sharp deep breath the second a working idea hits him with the insect just a few feet from him. A deep brown glow takes over his steel as several energy pearls come out of nowhere to seep fast into it. His body crouches lightly while facing the approaching monster without hesitation. The tightening of his muscles at his feet signals the sudden transfer of energy to them that tosses him through the air in a short jump to about the height of the Mantis roll. Kiwi retains a hard grip on his sword even as he performs a quick somersault in the air. An aura similar to that of thick amazon mud brown trails his body upon an unavoidable descent from his roll. The turning of the world in his view is performed just in the right way so that his feet land with a harsh push against the rampaging Mantis. However, the push is insufficient to more than slow the creature's progress. Its movement also catches his feet with an effect reminiscient of being sucked into a paper shredder or under a steamroller.

"Gan Smash," shouts Kiwi. He urgently slants his blade down the side of him with the tip pointed slightly away from the Mantis and against the ground. It grinds the earth roughly as his body is thrust forward from the push of the Mantis while simultaneously being sucked down. He lets one of his boots be pushed down at the Mantis's surface without contest while placing the other a little further up the front of its rolling curve. Using the monster as footing, he kicks off from there and performs a sort of handstand on top of the Pain Giver. The ground where the Pain Giver scratched, now underneath the Mantis, appears to absorb the energy of his fall and from the metal. The ashen earth roars out in a burst of hazardous stones as crushing and intricate as a bouquet of red roses. The rushing ground reaches up several feet and shows a rich dark brown not burnt as the top soil layer of the rest of the field. Kiwi's thrusted body hence tumbles over the rising rock thorns and smacks the ground with a trailing cloud of ashes. The beast is meanwhile treated as would be a careless hand slapped across a fistful of roses. The rocks bring it to the hardest of ceases that can only resemble a butcher's pincushion. Finely seasoned with a layer of grey coloring.

Tsurugi turned his head to the noticeable commotion coming from around behind him. He watched Kiwi tumbling through the blackened ground on his own apparently. His body followed the shift of his head quick in case he needed to move in and help his friend. Yet something else was of more priority. Tsurugi ground his teeth together and shifted his weight back. His left foot dug down as it curved upon its heel. Tsurugi held out his left palm again in the direction of a torn Mantis that seemed to drag itself towards him. A surprising sight indeed for him.

"Burn... Vak Kruz!" Tsurugi said with a ball of fire focusing within his palm.

The fire grew bright for an instant as it was ready to be thrown. It shot out of his hand straight ahead into the enemy still rising from the sharpened soil. The impact was a concussive shock that knocked the monster on the head with enough damage to finish it off. The mantis crumbled as its dying breath left it still on the ground amid the blast of spikes still protuding from the earth. Tsurugi turned again to gaze in the direction that Kiwi was least seen rolling across the ground. The Heavy Blade should be okay if all that happened was that he was tossed aside from battle or the like. He began to approach the general direction of his friend through the heated air when the motions of something caught his attention. His crimson pupils adjusted to view the form as best as he could. Blue reptiles were at this point difficult to mistake for anything else though. Tsurugi watched another Mantis on its way towards their area as if all the monsters on the map could somehow sniff out their location more easily than normal. It was at least a good way for him to practice his skills and train to attain a higher level.

Tsurugi brought his left hand into the right as he kept his spear close to him between his body and the inside of his right elbow. He could hear the crisp crackling of his knuckles. First from the left hand in the right and then from the right hand in the left. Tilting his head to the side a little firmly lead his neck to pop too while a subtle smile made its way through his lips. Tsurugi was quite prepared to handle another Mantis while his friend recovered his composure. Tsurugi tilted his mass ahead as he broke into a sudden run in the direction of the next insect. Its scythes glimmered a bit from occasional fires in the area reflected off their metal. The Mantis seemed to hesitate upon his approach from the hot aura surrounding his body.

"Vak Kruz!" Tsurugi said.

Another flame orb began to grow strong in his left hand as he gripped his spear in the right. He aimed the fire at the Mantis' head to knock it back temporarily as he came close. The shock from the blow worked well pushing it back a little in the process. It flailed its scythes about erratically searching for a target upon which to inflict mortal wounds. Tsurugi was nowhere near the destination of all its random attempts though. The spearman came around to the monster's legs quickly climbing its armor to gain access to its back. It was a bit challenging to to do so with the monster bucking in resistance to him. Tsurugi soon found his way to the top and held fast to Mantis. The Mantis had only moments before the Berserker drove its way through its back. Unfortunately it still required an additional two or three blows to bring it down for sure.

It would be hard to conceive for most players how a sort of dark black cloth coughing on the floor is actually Kiwi. That is what a rough roll through the ground of a volcanic field does to a player. He is slow to sit up on the dirt and to check himself for any injuries. Dusting himself clean is probably going to be difficult at this point. Clapping his hands together about half a minute at least removes the dust focused on his gauntlets. Not that the action changes their color anyways because they were black to begin with. The Heavy Blade rises to his feet from his own self-plowed ditch in the ground. A soft black veil surrounds him as burnt earth clumps drop off his jacket with resulting dust puffs.

The player shakes his head in quiet annoyance. At least the tactic undertaken to get him there probably saved Tsurugi some trouble. Thinking about it reminds him of his partner. Kiwi paces around briefly as he clears his mind. A howling kind of screech brings his gaze to a turn in the right direction. The area where Tsurugi is trying to remain on top of a Mantis's back while killing it. He swipes a gauntlet carefully across his face to drop off the grim dust. Kneeling quickly, he feels his way across the floor for a particular hard surface. His fingers clank against something in the soil. He pulls the cold object out so as to recover the Pain Giver from the ground.

His next turn is towards the remaining Mantis. The degree to which having all of the monsters running around manages to irritate him enough as to be apparent in his heavy running towards the Mantis. He approaches it from the front in a rather obvious manner. It sure is not blind despite having Tsurugi on its back. He continues right up to it though seeing it wind its claws back in preparation for a blow. The first comes down just to his side thanks to a sidestep of it. A second sharp whistling through the air stops abruptly because the creature cannot reach one scythe over the farthest range of the other. A devious idea to use the scythe as a shield of sorts. His sword comes ablaze with an incredible burst of heat that clearly grabs the Mantis's attention. Kiwi lifts the enflamed Pain Giver above his head with a sharp pivot of his feet to face the scythe.

"Vak Drive," shouts Kiwi. A devastating downward swing of the sword ensues. The Mantis winds back in pain from the burning slice carving straight through its arm. He also outstretches his arms and gives a hard turn away from the monster. The blade eventually comes back around as the turn completes itself. Its massive momentum pounds the Mantis in a manner that would resemble a fist to the ribs. The damage is aggravated through the tearing sound that the metal produces as it surgically slices the insect. The blade turns down against the ground when his right hand releases the hilt and leaves it only in his left. Kiwi rams the creature with his right arm bent to his side to cover for recovering from the spin attack. The furious Mantis holds its remnant claw high in fiery glow.

The menace does not last enough to deliver on its threat. Repeated strikes from his partner drain away the few bits of life the Mantis retained after Kiwi's attack. He watches it collapse into a mangled pile without as much as a twitch. Tsurugi appears to come off its back with no scratches or injuries. The Long Arm is perhaps the most skilled that Kiwi knows in the game. There is no doubt in his mind about the matter.

"Thanks for the help. It's almost as if this place is infested with those insects. And it doesn't even make sense because they don't match the field element," says Kiwi.

"I guess we should move on before any more of them show up. First to the spring and then to the dungeon," he continues. His safe grasp takes the Pain Giver up for a quick spin. The difficult maneuver puts a bit of stress on his wrists as he allows the blade to finish with its tip pointing down. The metal fits its way into the large sheath upon his back, sliding with a distinct metallic hiss, then a soft clank as the crossbar hits the sheath. The Heavy Blade again exhibits the field map in his search for the Myst Spring. The different battles they went through while on their way set them off their original course and a distance off their intended path. Analyzing the map also permits him a moment of entertaining himself by rubbing his fingers into the silky Cartesian paper. A minute later the pair is on its way towards the spring. Kiwi gives Tsurugi just a simple nod to signify the two are back on their way to the special pool.

The earth is quite consumed throughout the field. Every step he takes feel as if he walks on hot sand. The black nature of its sticks onto anything it comes across. That includes the bottom of his boots and his clothing over several occasions of falling. The area does not seem as if it could host living organisms such as the water monsters they met. It appears more suited for earth-dwelling critters and machines seeking blood. Or for the occasional fire beast and undead armor set. The walk carries on at a quick pace through the field until Kiwi reaches the Myst Spring. Then again its appearance would tell another tale than its name. The water is unlike the normal crystaline pure pools that are capable of upgrading or downgrading equipment at will. The pool is dark and thick as a quicksand trap. Volcanic dust has settled into it to create a hot muddy hole that leaves him wary. Perhaps it will raise the chances that his item is downgraded to something softer. A sense of reluctance fills him as he gazes into the murky depths. The surface even pops from bubbles bursting with volative gas. Kiwi holds out the Fire Helm upon his palm.

"So lets see... just give me a Fire Dance Hat will you," says Kiwi to the spring as the Fire Helm breaks through the surface.

Tsurugi sensed the Mantis bucking under his feet as his friend embedded his flaming sword into its body. He clung to his pole for support. Shifting his weight let him skillfully balance against the motions of his opponent. The resistance decreased in a matter of moments. Tsurugi saw the scythe climbing to a point from which it could strike his partner down. It was time to make his move before anything could happen. He wound the Berserker back through his grasp. Then his weight leaned forward steeply drive the spear down against the monster. It trespassed on its shell recoiling almost as if bouncing off it first. He actually took it back to stab the monster again and again. It was critical that he inflict harm fast. Several quickened strikes depleted its health to the point of collapse. Tsurugi watched the Mantis' upper body sway side to side as it prepared to collapse to a shallow grave. Tsurugi braced himself hastily for the occasion simply riding the Mantis down and giving a slight hop before its landing. That dispersed the shock that he might otherwise receive.

Tsurugi walked a little just to leap off the Mantis. His friend took to explaining how their movements would be carried out. The spearman gave a quiet nod to confirm he understood everything. Their map was rather simple for him to figure out. He waited for Kiwi to finish digesting the distances and details. Once the Heavy Blader was ready he tagged along in nimble enough step to neither run too quickly nor progress too effortlessly. The earth was a little rough on his tread. The land felt hospitable in its element but the terrain wasn't the best for getting somewhere. Rational that Tsurugi enjoyed being in a place that embodied the extremes of his specialized element. A volcanic land and his burning fire. The two players soon found themselves standing near the Myst Spring that would produce a new item for Tsurugi.

Off the corner of his gaze he perceived a presence that needed to be addressed. Tsurugi turned his head towards it while Kiwi busied himself with the process of morphing equipment. Tsurugi directed his gait to a Mantis that was presently observing their actions. He decided he would play with the monster for a moment while his partner finished working with items.

"Man... I'll be lighting some fireworks over there. Vak Doom!" Tsurugi said as he waved his hand and began to run.

Tsurugi gripped the Berserker well in his right hand while holding out his left palm. The spear grew increasingly hot under his fingers which was to be expected. He neared the Mantis swiftly during the moments in which it reeled back in panic. The rising temperature from his spear made it incredibly uncomfortable as he came closer. Tsurugi used that chance to race up against its front with his spear spewing sparks from its tip. The metal came into a light graze against the Mantis' very shell. As a spark to a puddle of gasoline the spear erupted in a blazing glow that melted a line straight across the Mantis. Tsurugi felt his face lit with fire reflecting off his crimson pupils as he spun the staff. The pole flared as it came with an inch of the monster with an incredible flame that resembled a blow torch. Just wielding the flame about a few turns left deep wounds in the Mantis nearly severing its torso from the rest of it.

The ground trembled beneath the fall of the Mantis. It was still alive though. Its wounds were just enough to disable its body perhaps temporarily. The time had come to finish it off. It could sense its dire situation merely shrieking threateningly at the combustion artist. Its scythes even made feeble strikes forward to which Tsurugi responded with a shift forward. He went to the place where it couldn't slash him safely. His boot restrained its head with a slow pressing down the back of its neck. He wrung the Berserker in his grasp for an instant before a sharp crack resonated through the field.

Silence is all that the spring responds with. Kiwi raises an eyebrow in its direction as if questioning whether it works or not. The waters remain as still as they appear dead. Various threads of water then shoot upwards from the pool. The streams individually intertwine in a peculiar web that forms a large water droplet. The droplet then gains a pair of eyes as its surface sodifies to a less transparent coloring from its red gelatinous tone. The drop begins to speak out to him with an awkward French accent as it asks him if he dropped a Golden Axe or a Silver Axe. He is already experienced enough to know that answering either of those would just have the spring spitting out an odd rare axe at him. One of the lowest level and strange stats. The type of rare item that no one actually wants to have. Except for the strange collectors of course.

A few words is all it takes to navigate the question that the spring set forth. He specifies that he neither wants a Golden Axe nor a Silver Axe for himself. That is the true answer to the question. A response that causes the scarlet gelatin to grow bright for some instants. The dark water bubbles more rapidly for some moments and a quick silhoutte blasts through the surface. The giant speaking drop fades away as this takes place. Into his hand falls an item enclosed in a soft pouch that defies being opened on the instant. He must carry it out of the field before it will reveal its true nature. Hopefully the item will be the Fire Dance Hat he asked for when speaking to the waters first. Yet an improved item would also be favorable because he can trade it off for the same object he desires.

Another gift in the pocket either way. Kiwi stores away the pouch before any harm can come to it from the prowling monsters in the vicinity. Listening carefully allows him to catch the somewhat distant fall of another Mantis on its face. Apparently it took him a little more than usual to get this item synthesized in the spring. Tsurugi must be done with his encounter with the lone Mantis. He takes a dozen or so steps towards the Long Arm as the player performs his victory stab upon the fallen insect. His arm reaches into the air for a wave to call attention over.

"Tsurugi! We'll just keep moving directly for the dungeon. That might help us avoid anymore freelance monsters," shouts Kiwi across the field. Of course the sound is bound to attract more attention to them if the insects become aware of it. Yet he suspects that such a problem is unstoppable to begin with. His boots begin to pound their way towards the red arrow on the map. The single marking that indicates where the dungeon entrance is and where the real fun starts.

Off in the distance are several of the same insects they have met so far. It is strangely rare for there to be an actual undisturbed portal in the region. The Mantises dot the field in no particular distribution other than close pairs. It would be hard to suspect that the insects employ the most creative of devices to detect any events occuring throughout the field. The creatures dig their scythes into the ground and keep their antennae up against their scythes. The blades act as seismograph probes so that the creatures can all sense the vibrations traveling through the ground. Each Mantis that dies and hits the ground can be triangulated down to a point on the map.

The ground once again felt the weight of their repetitive steps marching ahead at a fast pace. The destination was the dungeon on this instance. Tsurugi wasn't one to assume that the would be no monsters on the way. Their short history on the field was proven to be prone to sudden conflicts. It would be out of place if they didn't find monsters on the way.

As expected. Tsurugi slowed his running at the sight of a Mantis coming towards them just off to the side of their path. Another opportunity to grow stronger. Tsurugi decides to intercept the insect while he still has the blessing of his improved speed. It was also smarter to get it out of the way now than to wait for it to become a problem. The Long Arm gave some short thought to his approach agains the monster. His first steps were calm to both deceive it and give his friend time to join the fray. Tsurugi thought this a good chance to experiment with how the monsters would react to things.

The Long Arm stood still as a rock in front of the Mantis. The monster shifted in retreat for a little as it perceived it was about to be met with heat shock. At a lack of anything actually happening the monster stared at him for what seemed the longest of times. Its beed eyes reflected his appearance in a distorted fashion that showed the ends of his body compressed and the middle of his body elongated. He went so far as to close his eyes. Probably a move that confused the Mantis for moments as its confidence rose to a level that would allow it to launch an attack. That was its gravest mistake of course.

The Mantis prepared to off its cleaving prowess as its arms wound back for a double slashes. Tsurugi remained still despite the potential for his experiment to appear being an attempted suicide. The metals came down cutting the air into strange shapes that the player could sense. Finally he leapt at the last instant and kicked just before his knee pushed him up to throw himself into a horizontal spin. His spear swung with its blade forming a killer radius. The Mantis leaned forward as it sliced and the Berserker injured its face in three separate contact points. Tsurugi descended on to one of the monster's scythes with his shoes balancing him carefully upon the blunt side. His body suddenly rushed ahead while the monster was distracted leaping its way up to its shoulder area where he could better pound the beast. This was proving to be very educational.

Tsurugi slid down the back of the creature while it was still dazed from the multitude of motions ongoing before it. He wrapped his left arm abruptly around its neck to serve as a hanging point from which to carry out more attacks. Of course the monster was quick to resist being tamed so shamelessly but its resistance was poor at best. Its scythes couldn't reach to its back so the rear was a wise spot to attack from. Tsurugi began to perform crude unadultered surgery. His speartip cracked its neck shell continuously over several spots and followed those with a gruesome spike through the weakened plating. His arms were becoming tired though so he landed on top of the rear segment with some visceral remains upon his weapon.

The Mantis wasn't even down on the ground and another was already there to take its place. It was as if the field was in endless supply of those demons. He could tell the one he stood on was a goner. Its fluids were pumping out through the orifice cut into its neck and its health was abysmal. Tsurugi chose to use his dying foe as a step in attacking the one coming close to him. His ankles prepared for a jump that would place him somewhere near the new one at head level. The move would also distract it and provide cover for Kiwi to join the battle.

Another creature for him to get in their way. Kiwi decides to take this one on in a haste. Doing so might defeat it before any others can consider rushing into the scene. The dungeon is close enough that the pair can probably use it as a hiding place. He breaks on his progress towards the dungeon and instead turns to the scene of Tsurugi fighting a Mantis. Not to mention the other one fallen upon the ground. His hands rise above his shoulder again to a firm grasp on the Pain Giver. Once more the twisted metal that composes his armament is free from its scabbard. It goes into rapid use as he comes within a few feet of the distracted monster. Tsurugi has worn its strength down for the most part. A sudden tightening of his muscles places the Pain Giver into a brutal swing leveled with monster's legs. He wields the weight with a precision that tears a gash through a leg. It continues through without much lessening in its power. The blade cracks a second gash through the monster between its legs. The strike exits as it chops across the second leg in the pair of that side.

The Mantis strains its body to maintain a feeble stand upon its wounded limbs. Kiwi continues to supply his blade with momentum through another swing. The first horizontal run pushes it enough to make its mass dangerous. The metal flows over his head as he brings the hilt up high. Allowing it to drop with a force that fissures the air, he further rips the previous wound he left on the monster through a vertical line. Gravity and momentum cooperate to drag the jagged Pain Giver out of the Mantis's innards without much contest from its mangled shelling. The Heavy Blade quickly takes his steps away from the monster as it increasingly leans over towards him. Its legs finally shatter under the pressure of its body and a dust cloud picks up from the shallow crater it carves.

"Gah! Lets race for the dungeon while we still can," shouts Kiwi. His waving hand blows away the burnt haze to ease the attempt at calling Tsurugi into motion. An instinct reaches out to him from his depths. That each Mantis they kill summons another to take its place. Eventually they will tire from repeated assaults and only faster if more insects show up simultaneously. Of course he has no solid proof of the concept with him. Yet the circumstances are strange enough to warrant such a suspicion and concern. Boots immediately set off on a rush leading straight to the dungeon. Both Tsurugi and Kiwi have since lost the boosting spells that they casted upon each other at the beginning of this trek. Kiwi carefully orchestrates his running ahead while also switching on his Time Headband. It seems reasonable to consume some of his magic in casting speed spells on them.

The distant pyrotechnic portrait grows scattered and dim. Dull pounding becomes more readily audible.

"Almost there..." Tsurugi said as he checked how close they were to the dungeon.

Tsurugi drew a deep breath as he dashed ahead following his partner. The two left behind an interesting scene of corpses that were unfortunate enough to have met their weapons. One that was bleed through the neck and another that was gutted from the side. Not the most pleasent event for other insects of the same kind to come upon. His speed spell was out at this point too. The good thing about working with Kiwi was that he would watch for that sort of problem. Tsurugi could be sure a remedy was on its way as they raced to the dungeon.

A remedy wasn't the only thing that was on its way. He spotted a trembling sound beating closer and closer to them as they moved. His quick eyes darted back and forth in anticipation of the sound sources. Tsurugi could almost be sure of what was the source. A strangely distributed body rushing near his direction with more than a pair of legs. The high pitched clattering of fangs meeting in an awkward mouth. Enough sounds for not one but two such hunters. Identifying them was easier through their noisy traits than from vision alone. The field's waving heat disrupted their appearances because volatile air and particles blocked or curved their light. Tsurugi held his left hand ready in case it had to go into action suddenly.

Considering the problem raised some intriguing solutions. Players were unable to see the enemies in this field until they came close enough to become an actual threat. The hot air was the source of the problem. He could get his partner to cool the air with water spells and lessen the blur surrounding them. Heating the air around them could in turn conceal them if things got out of hand somewhere. The magma lights across the horizon were also intense enough as to make it obvious if something large was blocking them out near them. Tsurugi could sense such a situation taking place around him. A slow grin spread across his lips as his head shifted to check the distant fires that formed the field background. His interest was focused on the very lack of those fires because of insects getting in their way and their silhouttes being blurred out.

"...Hey there... BiVak Rom..." Tsurugi said in his grin.

He tightened his fingers into a fist from which a light glow emerged. Tsurugi pointed one of his fingers off towards a conspicuous shadow from to which he could almost narrow down the rumbling source. A red glow grew brighter and brighter and the earth shook for an instant. Immediately a loud explosion cracked the ground in the direction he pointed and a violent gale arose through the area. A scorching tornado formed around the explosion. Swirling flames made a barbecue out of two Mantises that were following the players as they ran ahead. Still the shrieking and cries subsided after a moment and the crisped creatures were still standing. Their bodies glowed in different charred spots that made their existence obvious. Tsurugi snapped his fingers as he uttered the words to his enchantment again and a gentle flicker lit above his digits. A second blazing funnel engulfed the area from which the screeches had come. He continued onward instead of waiting for the results as they were rather obvious. The level difference between him and a Mantis couldn't protect it from his most powerful flame strike, especially when it was much more vulnerable to magical attacks than their physical counterparts. The Mantis' fried scent would send out a warning message to any others that attempted chasing after the party.

Too many creatures for the pair to handle on their own. Even their skill level cannot compete against several of those monsters at the same time. Their levels and defensive capabilities exceed the damage that the players could deal effectively. Yet something tells Kiwi is might be best to begin preparations for a rough meeting anyways. His rapid pace grows slower as he directs a glance towards Tsurugi. White glow focuses upon his hands with the appearance of ghastly clocks underneath the two of them. His magic decreases about a fourth to sustain the needs of casting Ap Do twice on them. A plan forms in his mind that might secure their otherwise risky journey to the end of the field. His steps slow more despite having just casted a speed spell. It's time to switch armors around for the sake of survival.

It all starts with Kiwi breaking the running. His boots drag across the ground with a swift trail of fine dust. He retains the Time Headband because the Steel Cap just provided a redundant healing spell and a slight boosts in elements. The headband, on the other hand, grants a large boost in his ability to evade attacks. That alone might help him prevent another gutting scythe incident. He tosses a bracer over to his partner with a short delay in the action so that he can react to the pass. His body also pauses its motions for an instant. The momentary stop occurs because Kiwi changes his Winter Coat to a set of sturdy Hiking Gear he keeps stored aside. The elemental switch is apparent as the ocean marks on his jacket morph to more chocolate tones.

"I'm switching my items around to raise my fire element and just gain more useful spells that we can use to keep them at bay. I think you said you traded with Rayo for a Fire Bracer but that you can't use it at the moment. Put on the Fossil Bracer I've given you just because it's more useful to you. Pass me the Fire Bracer and we'll have enough fire to fend off additional monsters," explains Kiwi as his fingertips dismantle the black gauntlets on his hands. Tsurugi seems to recognize the logic in his plan and he soon fits the Fire Bracer on to his arm. A nod follows his thorough equipping to convey that they should move on swiftly while the opportunity is available.

The Long Arm and the Heavy Blade rush a way through the field, still on their way to the same place. The dungeon as they were before. But this effort is not for them alone this time around. The monsters that have thus far listened passively to the vibrations of the region are aroused enough by their running and previous kills to stampede after them. The trampling roar of their charge that first began distant is now loud and clear. How close a Mantis might actually be is only apparent enough when Kiwi looks behind them. A pair of the monsters is just at the rear but too slow to be able to keep up. The insects seem as if they might end up losing track of him. The dungeon is also increasingly near because of running.

Mantises are very sore losers. Past encounters should hold that out as dire truth. The chasing pair behind the two players still has one more tactic to use. Vibrant red crests forms underneath both of the monsters. The crests follow them on their chase and unleash several crimson orbs that penetrate into the insects' bodies. Kiwi winces at the notion of them gaining strength as their various limbs become tougher than before. Ap Corv is standard in the Mantis arsenal. An engraved memory he holds flashes before him at the sight of the twin monsters diving forward against the ground. Their weights pivot in just the right manner so that their backs end up hitting the earth and their bodies compact to wheel forms.

All distractions are thrown out the window on that instant. His full concentration is devoted to the desperate act of rushing into the dungeon. The building is no longer a distant illusion or conception. He witnesses the ash stone turrets of a small castle, not meant to be traversed as a fort but to adorn the dusted stairs descending into the earth. He places notable strain on his boots as he carves holes in the ground each time his takes a rapid step and kicks up volcanic residue. He can hear the pounding of his heart and the effort in each breath. Along the background is also the rumbling machinery of the insects catching up to him and Tsurugi. Then he feels the change in the environment. The way the surroundings tighten and solididy as he races past the threshold. Shards of castle foundation and dust particles hit the air in waves from the insects cleaving their way into the building just inches from his boots.

Kiwi does not wait for the the usual exchange of inquiring glance and cool nod before moving on. He tears his way down the stairs despite the challenge of maintaining his footing against the layer of fine volcanic dust that has coated everything. Once he hits the turf at the end of the stairs and feels mostly safe, his pace grinds to a near halt as he pants for breath. He spends a short moment stabilizing his vital signs before the trek can go forth. The tunnel into the dungeon itself, past the rough walls of the stairs, holds air that could suffocate a person waiting there for too long. The inhalations in this tunnel have a phantom of danger in them, the visitors unknowingly exposing themselves to poisonous grains that pierce them at every breath and cling to their lungs. Studying his surroundings, Kiwi is aware that the torches in the tunnel are not lit. Still, he gives it only a spark of attention instead of persuing the reason.

He tries not to allow the pace of his steps to slow from thought. His body may still be panting from escaping the last Mantis, but the next one is already down the tunnel.

Tsurugi enjoyed the more leisurely pace the two players could now have as they traversed the dusted tunnel into the dungeon. He too had to calm down his hastened heart from escaping the rolling monsters. At least the place was too narrow and for the most part blocked off from their access. There would be no more bug bowling for the time being. He dragged his fingers along the wall picking up dust and leaving markings with the motions of his fingertips. Something stuck out in his mind at the moment. His heart beat and breathing should have slowed to a more reasonable rate some time ago. Tsurugi instead continued to have trouble catching sufficient breath each time he inhaled. His free hand swung out at the air and grasped as if trying to catch an elusive object. He rubbed his fingers into palm even as his partner probably watched him in confusion towards the matter. He could feel his skin scratch against an abbrasive substance that filled the air. The scratching became slow and small stings as if from needles or sand paper. He tossed the dust forward somewhat uncomfortable at the findings.

"Hmph... Kiwi we have to move forward faster... this place is poisonous..." Tsurugi said quietly glacing over his palm.

There was a gentle burn on his palm. Not physically but in pain sensation and without the warmth fire would provide. Tsurugi almost launched himself forward into a run when his gaze caught a menacing vision ahead of them. He should have known it would happen in the dungeon too. More monsters just waiting to dig their scythes into the players at the opposite end of the tunnel. The narrow formation of its walls meant that one monster at a time would be attacking in a line. However there could still be a scythe reaching through the small side gap that any Mantis could afford. For the same reason it would be hard for them to get past the monsters without actually killing them. Tsurugi tightened the right-handed grasp upon his Berserker as his gaze met with the distorted reflection that the monster saw of them. All of a sudden his body gave a sort of contortion within that left him using the Berserker as a temporary cane. He could feel his life points beginning to decrease with each breath he took. Just like a poison spell inflicting him. No doubt the atmosphere within the tunnel was the cause of his illness. Bad timing was common practice in The World.

Tsurugi pointed his spear directly at the Mantis ahead of them. It was about to suffer unrestrained temperatures that would make a thermometer explode several times over. The might of his fire power was focused dead on its chittering head in the case he could blast it back with a spell.

"BiVak Rom!" Tsurugi shouted.

The tip of his spear grew intensely and he continues to direct it towards the Mantis. That was a good strategy carried out in the worst of locations. Strong winds formed a visible particle circle around the Mantis as they swept it into a tornado as others had been as well. Tsurugi snapped his left fingers producing a weak spark from his hand that signaled the ignition of the currents. The tornado erupted in its complete fury engulfing the Mantis and its fellow behind in the line within a torturing over that sucked them towards on spot. What was mistaken about it all was the effects that attack had on the surroundings. The remaining air in the tunnel became thinner because the flames consumed a large amount of the breathable atmosphere. Particles in the area also accumulated around the monsters so that the instant the tornado ended they began to flood outwards again. Tsurugi saw his health decreasing more rapidly as the combined effects in the environment took their toll on his vitality. Coughing he began to back away a little to observe the situation more thoughtfully. The monsters were at least wounded as a result of the attack. It also probably hit his friend harder because his slower class made him exert his body more just to run before.

Tsurugi stepped up for a second attack on the monsters. It was easier to leave the healing to his partner and wiser for him to take on offensive purposes. The Mantises were weak to fire spells and less to physical fire skills. The situation forbid the use of fire spells though. Casting another spell in greater order than Vak Kruz would probably drain their life too fast compared to their healing rate. He would have to go head on against the insect. His boots were one step ahead of his thoughts as he rushed ahead unexpectedly before he was even sure that attacking was the ideal move. It was a dash that caught the Mantis with its guard down for that instant alone. He took advantage of the moment and swung the spear in a horizontal arch that sliced into its torso. Tsurugi withdrew the weapon just in time to shift his weight out of the path of a retaliating scythe. The next spin involved both of his hands turning the Berserker overhead to increase its momentum. It shot out with ruthless force tearing a gash through the scythe arm closest to Tsurugi. The creature shrieked as its limb came loose from attempting to pull it out of the ground. He wasted no time as he spun the weapon up preceding a slash the Mantis wanted to perform. Tearing across its vulnerable joint the staff mangled the arm into something much less useful and incapable of attacking him. It was easier to damage the Mantis in part because of how crisped its shell was as a result of the spell before.

His energy was still draining dangerously from remaining active. Tsurugi pushed on just a little longer in the hopes of ridding the tunnel of enemies. Instead of killing the weakened one before him the player hurried past the side of it. There was another one waiting behind it that was burnt in the same spell as the first. He would continue to move so that he ran to the back of the second one. It was a good place to be at because of a flaw in Mantis design. That the creature found it hard to shift itself in reverse from any spot it stood. It would have to turn around to be able to move backwards. The other insect in the tunnel blocked its way and the narrow nature of the area prevented it from turning in place. The sound of quick footsteps echoed through the tunnel as Tsurugi ran straight at the beast.

He leapt across the air, his body tightly packed until he landed upon a rough surface. Transferring his mass along the spear drove it hard into the Mantis where he ended up. Flames of harsh effort flickered in his pupils and his digits curled hard around his spear. The Berserker recoiled into his grasp and punctured the Mantis a second time. A third time afterwards. The creature was rather helpless in its stand as he stabbed without relent throughout its back in a way most reserved for pin cushions. Numbing sensation consumed its body with the quick progress of grey along its shell. Tsurugi used the falling torso as a bridge to cross over to the back of the first Mantis. It was bound to know what fate awaited it from the very mass of its relative bearing down upon it. He lifted his left palm just enough for it point straight at the monster's head. Muttering a spell summoned a spark that grew more vibrant. The Mantis rocked uncomfortably in its unique effort to knock him off its back.

A persistent cough developed within him before Tsurugi even mentioned the poison tunnel problem. Kiwi is in bad shape from having entered the dungeon fatigued. The exertion of outrunning the enemy leaves him vulnerable. More prone to damage from the poison than Tsurugi and therefore unable to battle without putting himself at further risk. He leans upon the Pain Giver in much the same way a tattered soldier would against a rifle. Just watching Tsurugi summoning a tornado also brings him thoughts of how dangerous it might be before the results are clear. Too late to change the course of things. His life points drain into unsafe levels and confine him temporarily to the side of his blade with an inability to put his strength to use. The vacuum that first drives the tornado almost knocks him off his feet.

His stand remains firm despite the problems plaguing him and draining health. The player resounds troubled breaths, considering when the best moment would be for healing himself. He notices Tsurugi dashing off to deal witht he monsters without using magic. At least he hopes the spearman refrains from additional cyclones. Kiwi outstretches his arm towards his friend as his eyes struggle to follow his rapid movements. Minimum effort goes into calling a spell a few times so that a white glow engulfs him. Concordant Repth spells bathe him in a gentle light that steadies the wear of his health. In fact, the spells manage to reverse some of the damage until his stamina falls back within reasonable levels. Meanwhile the monsters collapse as fried grey forms one after the other. A fireball slams the Mantis in front of him and knocks it forward with a severe flattening against the ground. Tsurugi emerges from the double corpses in a similar state of emergency to that which Kiwi experienced.

White glow begins to surround Tsurugi after a short summoning. Kiwi has the most magic because of his highest level and was not involved in attacking. Honor more than obligation obliges him to return the favor and heal his friend. The first healing is more of a shallow mending than a true solution to the issue. The players remain in the poisonous atmosphere and therefore hold off remedies that would just be devoured. He gestures that the two should avoid more trouble and just leave the tunnel while the poison allows them to move. The cavern walls that constrasted the what would be expected of a royal castle give way to a more comforting environment. Crumbling walls become fortified brick and the roof stops at the opening to another chamber. The roof of that chamber presents a much more grandiose dome form with the backing of quadruple half-arches. Proper lighting is present in the form of shimmering orbs encrusted on the walls. Poisonous air does not reach this part of the dungeon.

"...Another reason why this field doesn't add up against the data we get about it. There shouldn't be this kind of water monster in the dungeon. Water monsters should be non-existant actually. So what the hell is going on," Kiwi complains. He gives Tsurugi a kind of warning glance concerning the level of a creature before them. Their current chamber appear to be built out of a mosaic of dusted bricks in puzzle chunks. Some segments are lower than others so that the room lacks a major stable surface. All sections have a slant in an apparently random direction. The floor gives the impression of being the deepest depth of the castle innars. No other openings lead out of the chamber but the wide entrance. A thorough look at the dungeon map confirms his observations. There are no exits besides the entrace itself. There also appears to be a treasure chest within the chamber itself but not physically visible to them. His body is carried forward through a few careful paces that he performs while still staring at the map. Just as predicted, the map shows him moving through as a small dot and coming closer to the chest. Comparing the scale of the map to the true room in his sight brings his gaze slowly along the room to the point where the treasure chest should be: the Red Scissors.

Before the pair of toughened players is an obstacle yet. An irritable creature that clatters about its cage room with no initial care for the players that have come around. It retains a deceivingly disinterested demeanor to disguise its desire to gouge and devour them whole. A heavy form of a crab that stands at a considerable height of at least a dozen feet. Its whole body appears protected under a layer of crusted shelling. Its main body is also covered under a cone spiral shell that appears several inches thick. A probable evolution or just senior version of the small crabs Kiwi slayed with ease as a novice player. The first ones were weak to being struck over the head with the weight of his sword or being flipped over and struck from beneath. This one could take some time to crack through at any rate. The flourescent carapace is composed of different patches of colors that almost scream out danger or a warning of venomous capabilities it has yet to reveal. The same way butterflies with bright colors serve to warn that they are poisonous to their predators and therefore stave off any that might otherwise consume them. Though not that the spikes growing out of the exterior sides of its pincers do not already convey enough threat through their sharpness.

"That's going to be a tough shell to crack. I'm not even sure if it's vulnerable to our assaults. It gives me the impression of being rather slow though. We can run around to the back of it and try to remove its arms. They seem thin enough that they could snap off from the weight of their pincers if enough damage is done. Just give enough time for your magic to replenish before charging," explains Kiwi.

Tsurugi waited as his gauge inched towards the maximum and even a little longer than that. He wanted to be sure his partner was also ready with a full magic meter. The uneven floor meant he first planned the path through which he would dash his way to the enemy. Sevaral dots connected in his mind to produce the perfect attack route. In addition Tsurugi twirled his spear for a moment within his right grasp. He stopped the spear to speak out a few words that were slightly muffled under the spear's metallic smack to the ground. The left hand was held forward with its palm upwards to provide a place upon which a crimson sphere took residence. Power streams intertwined within the orb while it grew strong for a moment. The ball then burst into flames with a sort of temporary flare with a sharp pronounced peak. Completing that spell granted the two players a boost in their fire abilities without compromising on their water defense: Ap Vaks. Then an orange glow began to encircle the bottom of his staff. Miniature symbols enclosed his spear for a moment as the strength of his muscles dramatically increased. Time for a fine serving of steamed crab.

The air before his left palm grew violent as it destabilized from heat gathering beneath it. A flame burst to existence in his hand focusing a fraction of his skill points to birth an increasingly greater heat. Once it was sufficiently scolding he fired the spell in an arch that ended over the Red Scissors. The monster backed away from the shot but was still struck close enough to the face as to be blinded for an instant. That was when the handle stopped turning passively and the jack popped out of the box. Tsurugi drove his boots forward at an impressive speed stopping just short of the points he planned to shift course at to compose an eratic navigation of the chamber. He witnessed the monster raising its titanic pincer in a blind rage just to flail at his general direction. Tsurugi took the chance to throw his body down into a slide that placed him just past the smashing pincer. He had trouble standing up as the floor trembled and the pincer cracked through floor tiles. The crash also seemed to alter the shift of each floor piece in the room as if all of them balanced upon their own needles and heeded at random. Even the floor under his boots was shifting itself to another orientation. Tsurugi responded fast as he darted towards the monster. Quick skips and smart landings balanced his weight to keep him from slipping just next to such a multicolored beast. The Berserker dug into the ground just well enough to provide a stable place from which Tsurugi vaulted over the crab's thin arm.

"I think you missed... Vak Doom!" Tsurugi said with a chuckle.

Tsurugi gripped the Berserker within both hands as he vaulted over the crab. The metal grew intense in its heat while his magic was consumed a little. His boots touched the grouned and fulfilled a brisk pivot upon their tips. The Long Arm faced the back of the Red Scissors with delight. The monster attempted to rotate and face its opponents. A futile effort as Tsurugi followed it fast and brought the Berserker to a spin. The tip discharged a burst of sparks and burst into flames with the very end blazing pure white. Drilling into the neon carapace took place with the pole melting through and the work of his two arms shoving behind. A flame erected at the front of the spear much like a blow torch and seared a hole deeper still into the monster. He wound the pole in his grasp to leave more extensive damage and to screw the weapon into the injury. His boosted power and fire proficiency eased the matter.

The Red Scissors was not done for. Even with such a violent assault on its arm the monster could still retain control of it. Tsurugi noticed his spear becoming cool again as the magic he consumed was exhausted. He was quick to uncoil the staff from the spaghetti of molten muscles that formed around it. Pulling hard enough tore the Berserker out and left behind a clump of entangled strings that he gave no mind. Tsurugi sprinted over to the back of the crab as it descended into a rampage. The monster withstood the blows being pounded against it despite their strategies and improved power. Level differences could be to blame for their problems. The Red Scissors was the least of pushovers so far.

An abrupt force swept across the room as the monster turned itself in a half circle. Its claws plowed through tile floor as a bullet would carve through cardboard. Tsurugi found himself caught in the blow and grounded in a matter of seconds. A large part of his life was clipped off in the process. It was more surprising that the monster moved in that manner than that it caused that much pain to him. his figure adopted a flourescent red aura that faded on and off. It was one of those incidents that was impossible to prevent due to sheer magnitude. The level gap between him and the monster was obvious in the way it stopped short of killing him on the spot. The Long Arm was definately not in a mood for smiles and grins. The grim situation warranted a final assault against the monster. Even if it got him demolished at the same time.

The Berserker flared once more as his cold gaze focused upon the face of his enemy. The rotation the crab performed at least proved partially convenient to him in the sense that the monster exposed its face. Its face stuck out from under its carapace and was maybe the single spot without tough armor. Tsurugi wasted no time as he charged the Red Scissors for a full frontal attack. He jumped prior to coming close to it so that his fall would drive even more force following the stab. All the emotions he held towards the enemy formed their focal point at the speartip as strong flames engulfed it. He aimed straight for either its eyes or the mouth because of how close the structures came to each other. Perhaps if he survived the first stab he could spin the weapon and blind it across both eyes simultaneously.

A group of three players made its way through the Chaos Gate as most parties do for a dungeon run. The group had some proficiency in combat, by no means unexperienced, though somewhat under professional. Just a band of friends searching for good equipment. That party supposedly ran into a Red Scissors. The story goes that the three battled the monster for a while but were overwhelmed. Despite being a simple account of an occurance that was a disconnected incident the tale stayed around. Monsters earn reputations on the basis of being able to murder a party on their own.

Boots trampling and a goliath moving its weight along the chamber. The huff and puff of a pair dashing their way across a said chamber. The creaking of the ground as each individual block shifts alignment and the crushing smash of a giant pincer. A firm and rapid heart beat pounding away. Those are the sonances colliding with each other on their through Kiwi's sense of hearing. All the while the sounds flirt with a sensation of being bounced off thick glass. A type of effect that takes place when a person is so concentrated on thoughts and coordinating actions that sensory perception loses priority. The Red Scissors waves a crushing pincer in his direction at the same time as it also sends a blow towards Tsurugi. The Heavy Blade does not have the same agile luxury of a Long Arm on such short notice. He does however have a strong sword with which to protect himself.

He holds his arms crossed in front of his chest and parallel to each other. The Pain Giver comes loose of any sort of grasp he might have had on it, momentarily standing alone in front of him. The broad side of the sword is shoved against his arms. In turn, the force coming from the monster pushing him back counter to the gripping boots clinging to the ground. Kiwi pushes back in retaliation while his sword is still a proper surface that he can lean on. Doing so causes no damage to the monster but spares him of any harm as well. The strategy also attracts the monster's attention for a few seconds. Just enough time for Tsurugi to inflict the first sizzling skill upon its arm. The crab remains fixed on him even though being injured and raises the impressive weight of its pincer. A large shadow surrounds Kiwi during the brief instant of thought he can indulge in. The ensuing drop hits with such force that fragments of the jigsaw floor become projectiles.

All the sounds fade. Everything turns dark for a moment. Then he wades through the shadows that appear to envelop on that brief breath. A hand emerges from a pile of rubble left after the Red Scissors performs its half spin. Most of the room feels crab wrath from that brute motion. Kiwi escapes it all through luck or a burst of instinct. Either way, he crawls his way out of the gap between two tilted floor segments. An improvised trench that saves him from being dropped to critical damage. He darts up to his feet at the thought that the monster must not be facing. The unexpected element in the mix is that Tsurugi is almost dead and the monster remains vivid. His brown pupils follow the spearman on a last desperate assault on the enemy. Opportunity unfolds before his eyes. Kiwi immediately holds out his blade towards the Red Scissors while its distraction still stands. The blade begins to shine from a white aura that drains part of his magic meter. Attacking physically at this moment would be a waste of time because of how armored the monster is. Pale light hovers in the form of an orb, trespassing into the opponent, its shell growing more brittle with the spread of the glow across its body.

"Gan Smash," shouts Kiwi. Lowering the opposing defense is better than beating on a steel shell. He urgently races straight into the back of the monster while Tsurugi holds a collision course with the front. Both hands grasping the Pain Giver, he leaps through the air with an altitude reminiscient of acrobats in the circus. Yet what he intends is nothing short of a performance itself. The weight of his body completes a full turn just as gravity takes hold of him. An anchor unescapable. The player descends upon the Red Scissors with a devastating amount of force and the edge of his weapon ahead in the fall. Its metal cleaves the unsuspecting crab open for at least three feet deep through its shell and into the softness within. Remnant kinetic energy flows through the creature and into the ground, where it must leave in some direction. It manifests itself in the form of an explosion erecting countless stone spikes. Being a slow creature and quite heavy, the crab is quickly impaled with a death prowess unseen in most other enemies. The bulkier the monster the more damage his falling attacks can cause from the ground recoil.

The Red Scissors begins to disappear as The World destines its fallen creature to leave. The usual grey progression and desintegration of corpse after a short time. An exhausted Long Arm comes around from the front of the creature. He meets up with an equally tired Heavy Blade that just happens to come around from the back. An irresistable urge overcomes the Heavy Blade at the sight of their victory. He dashes over to his partner and swings his free hand in for a resounding high five. That battle was probably the most difficult monster either of them have faced in a while. Collaboration earned them the victory.

The fruits of their conquest soon become obvious in the form of alterations to their current chamber. The puzzle ground fades away and is instead replaced with glass floating above an expansive pool for which no end could be found. The walls disappear as well and in their place exist glass walls. Transparent materials allow an astonishing view of a scene extended out towards all directions that resembles an ocean. The roof is replaced with a matching scene of a white sky. The only aspects that remains to suggest there are walls to the chamber are pairs of stained glass windows on boths sides and a dark opening. The dark opening leads somewhere into the unknown as an exit to what was a dead end room. A golden treasure chest also materializes a little past the center of the chamber, on the spot where the map indicated there would be a chest. It was as if the room was the Gott Statue place. Except there were still more ways to explore further into the field. The players deliberated on the subject for a moment before settling on opening that chest as an exit. Monsters more powerful than the Red Scissors could be waiting down the road.

It should be noted that Kiwi did not forget to write down the keywords to the field. He still owes it a second visit once his level is higher.

Extra Note: The Myst Spring was activated at one point. I dropped a Fire Helm in the hopes of downgrading it.

Kamikazekiwi3 +2lvs. +Air Bracer +Flare Guard +2 Mage's Souls +Knight's Blood
Tsurugi +2lvs. +Fireman's Coat +Snow Panther +2 Mage's Souls

Kiwi's Fire Helm---->Firedance Hat