Chapter 36: Chapter 35: Tomb of Ambrosia (1)

Within a dome-like structure, flashes of light pierced through the darkness and streaked along the walls. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason for the patterns they followed, but somehow the pulses of energy always ended up joining together at the dome’s center.

Leaning his weight against a metallic railing, a man traced his thumb along his defined jawline as he stared at the bright and radiant ball of energy swirling before him. Behind him were two folded wings with blackened feathers and white speckles. Hidden within the darkness, they were like two tapestries presenting the moonless night sky.

“Are you sure this is a good idea, Azrael?”

A sultry voice called out from beside him, revealing a slim woman whose hips swayed with every step. She wore crimson gloves that extended past her elbows, while the rest of her similarly colored outfit hid just enough to feed the man’s active imagination. Just like Azrael, she donned a pair of wings, but in contrast they dripped with a deadly, blood-like hue.

“Erza, my love. Of course it’s a good idea. With enough trial and error, we were finally able to construct the eternal mana pool. As long as Millennium Dragon has members, this pool of energy will always continue to grow.”

Erza sashayed closer to her lover, leaning her head upon his shoulder. Her scarlet clothes cut a striking image against his black coat. She stared into Azrael’s eyes with worry.

“But what about the tower? Won’t it try to abolish the eternal mana pool if it grows too big?”

“Hush, my dear.”

He kissed her lips and brought her close into his embrace.

“That was the other surprise I wanted to show you. I was able to successfully conceal this dimension away from prying eyes. This place can no longer be considered as a part of the tower.”

Erza smiled, snuggling deeper into his broad chest.

“You’re always full of surprises. Does this mean you can create more of these dimensions?”

“Hmm, if I have a reason to… I suppose I could. However, making this one has set me back some hundred years. It’ll be some time before I can recover. With that in mind, I should only create these dimensions sparingly.”

Erza scoffed and lightly crawled her fingers behind Azrael’s neck.

“Knowing you, there’ll be 50 new dimensions created in the next thousand years.”

Azrael grinned before forcefully bringing their lips together.

“You know me too well, my love.”

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The winds shifted in a distant land, carrying the howls and roars of a million demons. Thunder boomed and lightning painted the blood red skies with flashes of blue and yellow.

In the midst of the horde of demons, a woman fought furiously. Each strike brought forth a wave of destruction, sending bodies flying into the distance. The clouds in the sky reached down in spiraling columns of fire, creating blazing tornados that streaked across the war-torn landscape.

“ERZA!”

The rampaging woman heard her name called in the far distance.

“Azrael!”

Her crimson wings were irreparably damaged, one of which was corroded and frayed, while the other was missing its lower half. Without giving her any time to rest, the onslaught of demons continued to throw body after body in her direction.

Azrael seethed as he streaked through the air. The space around him warped and shattered as he increased his speed in fierce determination.

“Stay back you damned beasts!”

His voice boomed across the land, causing many of the surrounding demons to faint on the spot.

“Azrael run away! This is a trap!”

Erza cried out as she continued to defend against the relentless attack.

“Stay right there! I’m coming!”

Just as Azrael called out, the clouds parted in the far distance. Like a monolithic and primordial being, a massive skeleton stepped into view. Even the tallest of mountains wouldn’t have reached the skeleton’s ankle.

“Don’t you dare…”

Azrael cursed silently as he craned his head upward, catching sight of the infernal eyes embedded within the skeleton’s massive skull.

Azrael, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have run off alone.

Erza’s voice filtered through his mind, and at the same time the skeleton’s foot came crashing down above her.

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“NO!”

Sans woke up in a cold sweat. He gulped down deep breaths as he took in his surroundings.

“Huh…?”

“What’s wrong? You called?”

Elsie sat cross-legged before him. Her dazzling eyes were just as bright and curious as always.

“I didn’t?”

“Oh. I thought I heard you calling someone’s name in the night. I could only assume you would be calling my name… right?”

For some reason Sans felt like there was only one correct response to her question.

“Right… what are you doing here? I thought we agreed on getting separate rooms.”

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“We did?”

Sans let out a sigh.

“Yes, that’s why we paid for two rooms. One for you, and one for me.”

“Oh… I thought we got two rooms just for fun.”

“W-Well… go back to sleep.”

Sans tried pulling the blanket back over his head, but Elsie quickly snatched it away.

“You can’t go back to sleep!”

“Ugh, why?”

“Because it’s already morning! We’re leaving for the tomb trials tomorrow so we have to prepare.”

Sans rubbed his bloodshot eyes with his two knuckles. He could already tell that today was going to be a long one.

“Alright, alright, I’m awake. By the way, I have a question for you.”

Elsie hopped off the bed and turned with a flourish. Her eyebrow rose with curiosity.

“Hmm? What kind of question? Ask and I might answer!”

“Do you know who Azrael is?”

“Azrael? Why do you want to know?”

She batted her eyelashes and smiled.

“I’ve just heard the name a lot. There’s no other particular reason.”

“Hmm, maybe I will tell you, but what will I get in return?”

Sans gave her a deadpan stare.

“What… would you want?”

Why do I feel like I’m making a deal with evil incarnate.

“Oh, nothing much. Just your attention and care for the day.”

“My… attention and care?”

“Mhm.”

Sans gazed at her awkwardly.

“That’s it? Okay, deal.”

“Deal?”

Elsie giggled as she confirmed Sans’ response, giving him a foreboding sensation.

“Yes, deal. Now tell me about Azrael.”

“Azrael, also known as The Calamity of Death, is one of the founders of Millennium Dragon, along with Erza, The Blood Witch. Together, they ruled for thousands of years with unparalleled wisdom and strength.”

Sans sat in silence as he processed her words.

Azrael, The Calamity of Death? Why do I have the founder’s millennium token? And what about that dream I had?

“How did Azrael and Erza die?”

He nervously asked his local historian. If she answered the way he suspected, then it could only confirm his strange suspicion about his dream.

Did the events in my dream really happen? Did that skeleton really kill Erza?

“Hmm? Who said that they died?”

“They didn’t die? But wouldn’t that make them tens of thousands of years old?”

Sans asked in confusion. How could anyone possibly live that long?

“Perhaps millions of years old! Who knows, maybe they still walk among us in a different form.”

Elsie shrugged before pulling on Sans’ hand.

“I answered your questions, now let’s go! Let’s go!”

“Wha- go where?!”

Sans staggered out of bed in a fluster.

Where does all of her energy come from?!

“Shopping! We have to go shopping! I want a helmet! Oh, and I want a cool cape! Also you need a suit! And I need a bag!”

“Shopping…”

Sans mumbled under his breath as his foreboding feeling escalated in severity.

“Come on! Also you have to carry me on your back.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I said so. If you don’t then it means you’re not giving me care.”

Elsie wagged her finger at him with pouted lips. It was hard to argue with a picturesque beauty, not to mention that she really did answer his questions.

“Ugh, fine.”

He groaned and tossed his hands in the air. With an excited leap, Elsie clambered onto Sans’ back.

“Hold still!”

She wrapped her arms around his neck, while her legs fastened themselves securely around his waist. Her grey cloak drooped to either side, concealing Sans within.

“Now, onward horsey!”

Elsie lightly kicked Sans on the side of his stomach. He let out a sigh, only now realizing the troubles he inadvertently signed up for.

“Okay, okay, I’m going.”

He navigated his way outside the inn where they stayed. The moment he exited, he held a hand up to block out the sun’s blinding light.

“Horsey go that way!”

Elsie pointed toward a distant building. On the way there, Sans held back tears of embarrassment as Elsie continued to kip and cheer.

“Regald’s Armorsmith…”

Sans read the sign out loud and shortly after, Elsie freed him from her clutches.

“What are we here for?”

He followed his master into the shop where the smell of smoke and oils greeted his nose. Lines of carefully crafted protection gear decorated the walls.

Elsie paid Sans no heed, immediately hunting down the burly man in the back of the shop.

“Sir! Make me a helmet! A full one!”

“Whoa there lass. A full helmet? Why would you want to hide that pretty face of yours?”

Elsie stamped her feet and waved toward Sans, beckoning him over.

“Horsey, explain to the kind sir that I want a full helmet.”

Sans and the shopkeeper stared at each other in confusion. For some unknown reason, Sans could sense a hint of pity within the shopkeeper’s gaze. It was as if the middle-aged man understood everything in that single moment and didn’t require any explanation at all.

“Don’t worry lad, you’ll live to see another day. I promise.”

He placed a firm hand on Sans’ shoulder and gave him a deep look.

What the hell?

Sans only stared back, both stupefied and dazed.

“I think she wants a helmet… also she wants a cape.”

For some reason, after managing to conjure a sentence, he felt like he had just lost a piece of his humanity.

“That’s right! A cape too!”

“Well lass, I can’t custom make anything for you on such short notice, but you’re welcome to take a look around. I also have some wares in the back room-“

Before he could finish speaking, Elsie dragged Sans by the hand and pushed through the saloon style doors at the back.

“Find me a helmet! Oh, like this one.”

Elsie immediately dove through a pile of metal and cloth, procuring a full black helm with red feathers protruding out the back.

“I suppose you’ll also be wanting this then.”

Sans gestured toward a black and red cape that hung by the doorway. Elsie immediately fit the helmet over her head before ambling over to the cape.

It’s strange, but she actually looks somewhat fierce with that helmet on.

Her grey cloak concealed much of her body, making it impossible to determine the beauty beneath the coal-black helmet. If she were given a sword, Elsie might have appeared like a season warrior—at least she would have if it weren’t for one glaring detail.

“You’re too short.”

Sans remarked in a dull expression.

“Hmm?”

Elsie whirled around, simultaneous flinging the cape over her shoulders. The cape’s base color was solid black, while plumes of red fire were etched into it.

“Look.”

Sans stood beside her, holding his hand out toward the top of her head.

“Even if you wore heels, you wouldn’t be taller than me. It really detracts from the intimidating look you’re going for.”

Elsie shook her head before letting out an echoey laugh.

“Intimidating? I don’t need this stuff to be scary!”

Somehow, Sans couldn’t help but remember the duel he once had with her.

“Right… then what’s with all of this?”

Elsie twirled around in a circle, which ended with her standing in a power stance. Her chest was puffed high, while her hands were placed by her hips.

“Because I look cool.”

It was such a simple reason, and yet, not matter how ridiculous it sounded… Sans couldn’t argue with it.

“Did you young ones find what you’re lookin’ for?”

The shopkeeper hobbled into the back room when he caught sight of Elsie’s new getup.

“Wow, very impressive.”

He pursed his lips and gave Sans a thumbs up.

What is that supposed to mean?!

Sans merely stared back in confusion.

“Sir, how much for the helmet and the cape?”

Elsie asked the man in a straightforward manner.

“Erm, the helmet is about five mid-grade spirit shards. The cape would be seven mid-grade spirit shards…”

The armor smith’s voice lingered, unsure if he had just scared away his new customer. After all, it wasn’t every day that travelers carried anything more than a few handfuls of low-grade spirit shards. In fact, most had to save up for several months in order to purchase a single one of his creations.

“Got it! Here you go!”

Elsie tossed him a single high-rank spirit shard before skipping out of the store.

“Come on horsey! You have to take me to the next store!”

Sans glanced at the shopkeeper’s dumbstruck expression before making a wry smile. Just as he was about to walk away, the man called out to him.

“Young lad, I understand everything now. You must endure.”

“I’m almost certain there’s a misunderstanding…”

Sans walked away in blatant confusion once more.

Why does he speak to me with such pity!

With his millionth sigh of the day, he finally caught up to Elsie who was impatiently tapping her foot on the ground.

“Where are we going next?”

For the remainder of the day, Sans was dragged around from shop to shop. It was only after entering the tenth shop that he realized he had truly made a one-sided deal.