"I've already told you, but I never imagined adventure could be so different from what I thought."
"It seems like we have already had this discussion."
Yuki and I were traveling on a motorboat along the Seine River. While I was driving the boat, she was happily sunbathing with a Coke in hand.
"It's great, isn't it? If we were adventuring in, let's say, the Amazon rainforest, we would have to deal with mosquitoes and humidity like you wouldn't believe."
"True." she replied.
"Well, continue sunbathing without any worries. Meanwhile, I'll search for the cavern we're going to explore."
"Perfect! So, my dear brother, what world is this?"
"Mmh, let's see... This is from a non-Japanese anime called Huntik. In this world, there's another dimension known as the Spirit World, or Huntik, which is inhabited by special monsters called Titans. A long time ago, a portal was formed between the human world and Huntik, allowing these Titans to come here. A lot happens, but you just need to know that those Titans are now sealed in amulets. In the place we are going, there's one of them."
"...Good lord, this does sound like an anime when you think about it. I'm sure there's a cliché where this knowledge is kept secret, and only a few people are aware."
"Yes, exactly. But please remember that while the 'story' of this world portrays it as pure fiction, the people we interact with are all real. Just because we are anime characters doesn't mean we aren't real."
"Huh, wise words, Onii-chan—wait, what do you mean by 'we'?!"
"Oh, there's the cavern. It was easier to find than I thought."
"Oh, nonono, don't leave me hanging like that!"
"Now I have to anchor the boat so it won't be carried away by the currents."
I ignored Yuki's pleas for attention and continued to prepare for our first exploration. She would get her answer, just not right now.
---
"You prepared for everything, huh?"
"Yeah, after all, prep time is important for wizards."
After securing the boat, we entered the cave and encountered our first hurdle: walking through a flooded tunnel. Nothing truly dangerous, but it was energy-consuming and time-consuming. Additionally, I was ready to start a fire for warmth since I knew hypothermia was a possibility.
"Will we have to walk more? I'm not sure about you, but I'm starting to feel tired."
Just as she finished speaking, the narrow corridor opened up to a larger room. The ceiling seemed to be about fifty meters high, but I knew that in spaces like this, our sense of distance and scale can easily be distorted. Right in front of us stood a giant statue that my [Danger Sense] was warning me about.
"Is that a Gargoyle?"
"Yes, it is. Now move slowly towards that patch of dry land. We'll take a break to replenish our energy and warm ourselves."
Once we exited the water, the first thing I did was take out some wood I had prepared earlier and some alcohol to start a fire. Thankfully, there weren't any airborne gases that could cause an explosion when heated. While the fire was blazing and I set up two chairs, Yuki returned after stripping off her wet clothes, wearing only a cover to dry herself.
I wasn't new to the sight of a woman's bare skin, but having my sister in that situation felt a bit strange. True to her gremlin nature, Yuki began teasing me about it. Ignoring her antics, I moved away and did the same, ending up with just a cover for myself. Even Yuki, who was shameless by nature, started to feel a bit uncomfortable, and since I prided myself on being a good and gentle brother, I let it slide.
We had some snacks, during which Yuki playfully insisted that she could eat more than usual, as her diet at home was strictly followed. After some light conversation, we changed into dry clothes. Yuki expressed surprise that I didn't bring a swimsuit for the occasion...
My response was that I didn't know her sizes, so I hadn't packed anything of the sort. In truth, I had a few swimsuits but didn't want her wearing anything that could get dirty in a silly way.
Half an hour later, we were ready to continue our exploration.
"Okay, before we proceed, there's something we need to discuss."
"Do you mean the Gargoyle?"
The statue remained still, like a guardian waiting to strike.
"Yes. I'm sure, with your extensive knowledge of anime, you realize that this isn't just a simple statue."
"I knew it. Does it petrify anyone who looks at it?"
"You're confusing the Gargoyle with the Basilisk. Anyway, this statue is a magical trap that shoots water jets. It doesn't fire continuously and has a slow rate of fire."
"Do you know all of this because you saw it in the anime?"
"Oh, no. I don't remember anything specific about the anime; I just used my skills as a [Cryptologist] to decrypt its secrets."
"A cryptologist?"
"Yeah. Marauder Pathway, Sequence 7 Cryptologist."
She looked at me incredulously.
"...We need to discuss this later. For now, let's just keep going."
"Yes. Anyway, as I was saying, the Gargoyle is a magical trap designed to stop us and potentially kill us. I don't know its exact recharge rate, but there's another statue with a hole in the ceiling from which the water jets come. The plan is simple: we will navigate between the land platforms and get as close as possible, since it shouldn't be able to aim accurately if we are very near. I'll go first, and you'll follow me from behind. My body is stronger than yours, and I can take a hit or two if I activate my [Mana Shield]."
The plan was straightforward but flawed for a good reason. Huntik is a world where, despite the presence of spells and Titans, humans still have the same physical limits as they did in my past life. Some spells can enhance speed or power, but they are still just people with inherent limits. Drinking the Marauder Potion would bring me to the peak of human physical potential.
The right course of action would have been for me to advance while Yuki took cover. I would then move ahead and, if possible, destroy the statue. However, Yuki came here for an adventure; she wanted one, and she would get it. My job was to ensure she returned safe and sound.
With our course of action decided, we sprinted toward the nearby land platform. I immediately noticed that Yuki was slower than me. Upon reaching our destination, I saw the Gargoyle's head start to turn in our direction and noted its reaction time. Using my [Cold Reading] and my observational abilities from the Pathway, I sprinted the moment before it fired its water jet.
Making sure Yuki was following, I took her hand and guided her to the next platform. This cycle continued six times until we were close enough that the Gargoyle could shoot before we anticipated it.
When it was ready to fire again, I turned to Yuki and shouted, "Continue!"
My clever sister quickly shook off her initial surprise and followed my instructions without hesitation. As the water jet was released, I stepped in front of her and activated my shield.
"[Mana Shield]"
A translucent light blue disk appeared in front of me, momentarily blocking the water. That was just enough to buy us time to keep moving, and we had to do this two more times until we finally arrived at the feet of the statue.
Yuki was completely out of breath and sweating profusely. It wasn't the physical exercise that was so taxing; it was the danger looming over us with every step.
"Damn... that was... harder than I thought..." she said, but despite her exhaustion, the biggest smile I had ever seen was on her face. It does seem like my sister is an adrenaline junkie, just like me.
I smiled, ready to congratulate her, but then something felt off. It wasn't my [Danger Sense]; it was something else, and I knew better than to ignore my instincts.
Just as I swept Yuki into a princess carry and moved us out of danger, I remembered this sensation as my [Spiritual Intuition] warning me of something. As we shifted positions, a rain of water fell upon us. It seemed that while the statue couldn't attack us directly, it had decided to drench us with a shower of water.
"Oh... thank you. I know it's a magical trap, but that was a petty move," I remarked.
Behind the statue, a stairway leading upward caught our attention, and we followed it. Just as we were passing the gargoyle's head, Yuki stopped to leave a mark for the future. Using a knife I had in my inventory, she carved the words "Yuki and Masachika were here" into the stone.
"I always wanted to do this," she said with a grin.
We continued walking until we arrived at a hall adorned with more gargoyle statues, and thankfully, there were no traps in sight. My Marauder's treasure intuition suddenly alerted me to one particular gargoyle, the one wearing an amulet.
Not wanting to take any chances, I gestured to Yuki. "Why don't you take it?"
"Can I? I didn't do much here. If this is the treasure we came for, it should be yours," she replied.
"We did come for this, yes, but it's not like there's only one Titan in the world. Consider it my gift to you... and I'll go after the more powerful ones later."
"What an evil plan... still, thank you," she said with a smile.
Yuki approached the gargoyle and picked up the amulet. The moment she touched it, her composure faded, and she sensed a presence.
"Well, how does it feel?" I asked.
"...I don't know... but I'm sure there's someone inside," she replied, puzzled.
"Why not try to summon it? We have all the time in the world, and don't tell me you aren't curious."
"Yes, you're right. Here goes nothing..."
Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, concentrating fully on the task. After a minute, she opened her eyes, now sparkling with light.
"Come, Gar-Ghoul!" she shouted.
The amulet began to shine, and from it, a light emerged, coalescing into a monster: Gar-Ghoul, our first Titan.