"Stop her!" Klick ordered the two stunned soldiers without hesitation, while he himself scrambled back towards the pyramid wall, pressing Ranke's severed arm against the handprint recess.
The towering soldiers hefted their massive hammers and charged towards Sakura. She felt no sympathy for these mindless puppets, designed only to obey. Extending the index and middle fingers of both hands, she generated meter-long Storm Release lasers, surging chakra into them until the air around the beams shimmered and distorted with intense heat.
As the soldiers closed in, Sakura leaped gracefully into the air, executing a fluid 360-degree spin. Her laser-tipped fingers sliced cleanly through the soldiers' necks. Their massive heads, along with the hammers they wielded, tumbled to the cavern floor.
The huge, headless bodies collapsed with a crash. Sakura noted with morbid curiosity that no blood flowed from the severed necks, only a flat, strangely smooth, flesh-colored surface, almost like cut dough. Seeing they didn't rise again, she dismissed them. But in that brief moment, Klick had succeeded. The stone door slid shut just as he disappeared inside.
Without a second thought, Sakura slammed a chakra-enhanced fist into the sealed entrance. BANG! A dull, heavy thud echoed through the cavern, but the door remained utterly unscratched.
Shaking her slightly aching right hand, Sakura stared at the door in frustration. "What in the world is this thing made of? It's indestructible."
"It has nothing to do with the material," Kheshik's voice called out.
Sakura turned. Kheshik was kneeling beside Ranke, examining her injury. "This entire ruin is sealed by the power of the Naelkui royal bloodline," he explained. "Unless you possess the proper keys, it cannot be opened from the outside."
"A seal? You mean like a sealing jutsu?" Sakura asked.
"Mm, in shinobi terms, yes, you could call it Fuinjutsu," Kheshik confirmed. He looked up at Sakura, his expression pleading. "Can you... can you reattach her arm?"
"I can try," Sakura nodded. She retrieved Ranke's severed arm from where Klick had dropped it near the wall. The Book of Gelel was gone, taken inside by Klick.
Carefully aligning the severed limb with Ranke's elbow, Sakura began applying the Mystic Palm Technique. Whether the limb would truly survive and regain function depended on fate now. It wasn't a lack of skill on Sakura's part; reattaching severed limbs properly required sophisticated medical equipment for microsurgery, vessel anastomosis, and nerve repair. Chakra healing, miraculous as it was, couldn't fully replace sutures and surgical precision, especially in these primitive conditions. The best Sakura could do was meticulously reconnect the major blood vessels using her chakra control.
"What's in there?" she asked Kheshik while working.
"Only raw, unrefined Gelel ore," Kheshik replied, then added significantly, "Truthfully, now that he's inside, it will be extremely difficult for him to ever come out."
"Why?" Sakura asked, surprised.
"Because opening the seal requires both the Book of Gelel and the Royal Bloodline," Kheshik explained. "The same is true for opening it from the inside."
"Is that so," Sakura murmured. "But if your family has neither the Book nor the royal bloodline, why did Naelkui entrust knowledge of this place to you?"
"We used to have the Book," Kheshik said wistfully. "Our clan served as stewards to the royal family for generations. My grandfather told me the Book of Gelel was lost during the great escape centuries ago. As for the royal bloodline..." He paused. "Do you remember that ferret?"
"I remember. What about it?" Sakura nodded.
"That ferret is Naelkui," Kheshik revealed, uttering the name with reverence. "It has lived for over a thousand years. The founder of the Naelkui Empire supposedly learned how to harness the Power of Gelel by observing it. Therefore, the ferret itself can serve as a backup key to open these ruins. It was only a contingency, of course. After the Book was lost, the known royal bloodline vanished as well."
"Lived for over a thousand years? That ferret?" Sakura was stunned yet again. In her knowledge, only the great Sages of the Three Holy Lands possessed such longevity. She never would have guessed that small creature shared such ancient origins. But if it's that old, why can't it talk...? This world, Sakura realized, held far more secrets than just the ways of shinobi.
"Of course, much of that is legend," Kheshik admitted with a wry smile. "After all, the Naelkui Empire itself only existed for roughly a century. Once the Book of Gelel was lost, any thoughts of restoring the empire died out among the survivors. By my generation, aside from a few elders like myself, hardly anyone knew this history. We intended to take the secret to our graves... but somehow, they still found us."
"What's your plan now?" Sakura asked. "Regarding this place, I mean. We can't get in, he can't get out. Just leave him trapped in there?" With Ranke potentially providing passage home, Klick's fate seemed less critical, especially since Sakura couldn't open the door herself. And while the Power of Gelel was fascinating, getting home was the priority.
Kheshik glanced at the sealed stone door. "Let it be. The chamber within is filled with raw Gelel ore. Direct contact is lethal to anyone but royalty, who possess an immunity. He won't last long in there." He shook his head, a deep weariness settling over him. "Perhaps it was the lust to process that ore, forcing commoners into deadly labor, that ultimately destroyed the Naelkui Empire... and the Theocratic Nation after them. Heh..."
Since Kheshik seemed resigned to leaving Klick to his fate, Sakura didn't press the issue and focused entirely on healing Ranke.
Under Sakura's continued treatment, some color returned to Ranke's deathly pale face. Sakura retrieved a soldier pill and gently placed it in Ranke's mouth.
Ranke's eyes remained vacant for a moment longer. Sakura gently shook her shoulder. Finally, Ranke's unfocused gaze seemed to gain some clarity. Then, as the reality of her situation crashed down, tears began streaming silently from her eyes, quickly turning into heart-wrenching sobs.
Sakura understood. The complete collapse of one's lifelong beliefs, the betrayal by a trusted leader – it was a devastating blow. Ranke's reaction was understandable; others might have broken down completely, perhaps even lost their sanity.
"Uh, hey, don't cry," Sakura said awkwardly as Ranke leaned against her shoulder, soaking her vest. Seriously, I'm not a guy, why cling so tightly?
After a long while, Ranke's sobs subsided. She pushed herself upright, her expression hardening as she scanned the cavern: Temshi lying dead with a hole in his chest, the two headless soldiers collapsed nearby.
"Where is Klick?" Ranke asked, her voice chillingly cold.
Guess she didn't hear a word Kheshik and I said. Sakura figured Ranke had been too lost in grief to register anything else. Resigned, Sakura quickly explained the situation again – Klick trapped inside, the seal unbreakable without both keys.
"So," Sakura concluded, "you can get us back to the Shinobi Continent, right?"
Ranke frowned, processing this. "Yes. I can command the fortress. My authority is second only to Klick's."
"That's great! Let's go!" Sakura said with relief.
"No!" Ranke declared, her gaze fixed on the imposing pyramid structure. "I must kill him with my own hands!"
Sakura's expression cooled instantly. "I sympathize with what you've been through," she said, her voice dangerously low, "but I hope you understand the reality of our current situation!"
Ranke met Sakura's icy stare, then suddenly smiled – a sharp, calculating look. "Oh, I understand perfectly. But I hope you understand the situation as well. Aside from myself, everyone with command authority over the fortress is now... unavailable. If you plan to use force to coerce the crew... well, you can certainly try."
Perhaps that calculating nature is just part of who she is, Sakura mused. Even after such trauma, faced with an adversary, Ranke could still regain her composure and negotiate from a perceived position of strength.
"If I recall correctly, there were two others on the fortress besides Klick, Temshi, and yourself who served as his inner circle," Sakura countered, remembering Karin sensing five distinct Gelel stone users.
Ranke faltered for a split second, then recovered smoothly with a laugh. "My, you even noticed that? Impressive sensing. But unfortunately for you... only Klick, myself, and Temshi possessed the command authority for the fortress."
For a fleeting moment, Sakura considered simply knocking Ranke out. This woman was infuriatingly mercurial. Sakura had saved her life, effectively avenged her by ensuring Klick's demise, yet Ranke still prioritized her personal vendetta.
Suppressing her anger, Sakura stated flatly, "He can't get out. He took the Book of Gelel inside with him. Opening the legacy requires both your bloodline and the Book!"
"What?!" Ranke stared at Sakura, the fight draining out of her as the implication hit. Utterly dejected washed over her face.
"Under the current circumstances," Sakura pressed patiently, "there is absolutely no way to open that door right now. Do you understand?"
"I... understand," Ranke finally whispered, her shoulders slumping. The knowledge that her sworn enemy was just meters away, yet utterly beyond her reach, was clearly agonizing.
"If we return to the Shinobi Continent," Sakura offered thoughtfully, "there might still be a way. Kheshik said the ruin is sealed with Fuinjutsu. We have many experts who specialize in breaking seals back home." Seeing a flicker of hope return to Ranke's eyes, Sakura quickly added, "But even if we could open it eventually, he'd likely be dead by then anyway. That chamber is filled with raw Gelel ore, and he has no food or water. If the Gelel contamination doesn't kill him first, starvation or dehydration will."
"So, from where we stand now," Sakura concluded firmly, deciding she would knock Ranke out if she remained stubborn, "it seems your only viable option is to take us back to the shinobi world, and then figure out how to deal with this place. Correct?"
"Alright," Ranke conceded at last.
"Good. Let's go then," Sakura said. "Are you sure you can command the fortress without Klick? Won't the others question his absence? And Temshi's death?"
Ranke shook her head. "The ones who actually operate the fortress's systems are the mindless soldiers. So, tell me," she asked with a hint of dark irony, "do you think you can threaten them?"
Sakura paused, understanding dawning. No wonder Ranke had seemed so confident moments ago. Threats were meaningless to those soldiers. Convenient, Sakura thought, the grotesque image of their creation flashing unwillingly through her mind again.
As they prepared to leave, Sakura's eyes fell on Temshi's corpse. "Wait a second." Ranke and Kheshik looked at her curiously.
Sakura knelt beside the body, rolled it over, and tore open the armor plating on his chest. Just as Karin had sensed, a green, oval stone was fixed there in a metallic apparatus. As Sakura reached for it, Ranke cried out, "Wait! Don't touch—!"
Too late. Sakura had already plucked the stone from its setting.
Instantly, her emotions vanished, replaced by that cold, detached clarity. Before the sensation could fully take hold, however, Sakura focused her will, guiding the influx of Gelel energy directly into her Yin Seal.
"—it?" Ranke finished lamely, staring at Sakura with wide, incredulous eyes. "You're... alright?" Ranke hadn't known about Sakura's previous contamination or her ability to manage the side effects.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?" Sakura looked back, genuinely puzzled by Ranke's overwrought reaction.
"You... you..." Kheshik stammered, equally shocked. "Are you... are you also of Naelkui royal blood?!"
Understanding dawned on Sakura as she looked at the green stone pulsing faintly in her hand. She offered a small smile. "The Power of Gelel is just another form of unknown energy. I simply used a... secret technique to suppress its side effects."
"Actually, Ranke," Sakura added, holding the stone out to her. "Klick said you're Naelkui royalty. That means you should be able to handle this directly. Why don't you try?"
Ranke instinctively recoiled from the stone. "Anyone who touches the Stone of Gelel directly will die from the side effects! That's what I was taught since the day Klick took me in!"
"He was deceiving you!" Kheshik interjected urgently. "For others, the Stone is poison, yes! But the royal bloodline can handle the Power of Gelel directly! He told you otherwise to better control you!"
"Ah..." Kheshik sighed, looking back towards the sealed pyramid entrance one last time. "It's all in the past now. There is no Naelkui Empire anymore. The Stone of Gelel was the beginning of all this suffering... Let it, and everything associated with it, remain buried here..."