Chaos Legion 2

Chapter 4: The Ruins and the Sealed Secret

The ruined city loomed before them, a once-great metropolis now reduced to rubble. Though the buildings were shattered and the streets littered with debris, the city was not desolate. The air was thick with the presence of lingering danger.

As they made their way through the destruction, the ground trembled beneath their feet, and the unmistakable sound of skittering legs filled the air.

"Aracnids," Sieg muttered, rolling his eyes. "Why am I not surprised?"

Monstrous arachnid creatures emerged from the shadows, their eyes gleaming with malice. Arcia wasted no time, drawing her weapons as Sieg summoned the power of Arrogance once again. His legion formed a shield, holding back the arachnids as Arcia picked off the creatures with pinpoint precision. The battle was fierce, but the arachnids were soon vanquished, their bodies lying motionless on the ground.

They pressed on deeper into the city’s ruins, moving toward the inner complex. But as they entered, they were met with another threat: a battalion of fiends armed with massive cannons.

Arcia instinctively kept her distance, her eyes scanning for an opportunity. Sieg, on the other hand, relied on his relic, summoning Arrogance to shield him as he advanced toward the cannons.

"Arcia, take those cannons out!" Sieg commanded.

Without hesitation, Arcia activated her special Gunmage ability. Silver magic bullets whizzed through the air, each shot infused with both arcane and electric magic. She fired in rapid succession, and the cannons were taken down one by one, sparks flying as the massive weapons crumbled to the ground.

As the last cannon fell, a monstrous roar echoed through the complex. A massive beast appeared, a towering Guardian covered in thick, armored plating. It charged toward them with terrifying speed.

Arcia opened fire, her bullets tearing into the beast, but it barely flinched. Meanwhile, Sieg adjusted his relic, cycling through his legions. Thanatos was still not ready, so he summoned Blasphemy, the Legion of Destruction.

He kicked a cluster of bomb spheres toward the beast, triggering an initial blast that sent the Guardian staggering back. The explosion was only the beginning. Sieg allowed the bombs to continue their work, then moved in close to finish the monster off with a swift combination attack, his sword cutting through the Guardian’s armor.

As the beast collapsed, the echoes of battle faded, leaving only the sound of their heavy breaths.

"Now, where's that scroll?" Arcia asked, scanning the area.

Sieg, already on the move, muttered, "Keep searching."

But Arcia’s eyes narrowed. "I don’t see any scroll here."

Sieg didn’t answer immediately, continuing his search with steady determination. Finally, his eyes fell upon a small pedestal, where a dusty, ancient tome lay.

He picked it up, holding it carefully. "Found it."

With the scroll in hand, they made their way back toward the library. As they traveled, the silence between them grew, until Arcia couldn’t hold her curiosity any longer.

"Aren't you even curious to see what's inside?" she asked, glancing at him with a mischievous smile.

Sieg didn’t even look up from his path. "A simple 'fi' no."

Arcia pressed, her voice playful yet insistent, "Not even a little bit?"

Sieg didn’t waver. "No."

Arcia pouted, then smirked. "Come on, just a sneaky peaky?"

Sieg’s voice was firm, his gaze still forward. "No. Besides, it has a sealed metal band around it. We don’t have the key for it."

Arcia sighed in frustration. "Then let’s just get there quickly."

And so, they continued their journey, the weight of the scroll in Sieg’s hands and Arcia’s curiosity bubbling beneath the surface, but for now, unanswered.