After what happened, Shiko and Asuka decided to walk around the city after Shiko gave Asuka the experience bag, then they arrived at a foutain in a less densely poblated zone.
-Shiko: We have an item bag, Hp indicators, a map and an objective in mind…although I'm not sure where to go.
-Asuka: I think I remember that they said there were nine of them… maybe in our map the locations are marked.
-Shiko: You are right, the place We spawned was some sort of temple… I guess it's the same for the rest.
Shiko opened the map, and this time, not only the city was marked, but all the continent's view also was there known as "Lowerworld" with an arrow that pinpoints the city, after that shiko noticed nine doors across all the continent - These doors, must pinpoint the locations of the temples of the other cities – Asuka said with certainty.
-Shiko: We are in the east city… there's something odd, although We are the opposite side of the continent, there are a lot of nearby guardians.
-Asuka: I wanna go to the beach! I'd love to see how the beach is
-Shiko: You never went before?
-Asuka: I never had a chance…
In between their chatting, a teleportation flash appeared next to them, from the light emerged a heavily wounded guy with similar clothes to shiko, a shirt with matching pants, a belt that hold two weapons behind him. Shiko, astonished by this. He came closer to mysterious person, at a closer look, this person raised his head. They stared face to face, both surprised, provoking the stranger to exclaim with little strength he had - Hehe. Hello brother - and shiko replied:
-Shiko: You are unmistakable, you must be Mirei for sure!
-Asuka: This guy is almost identical to you, and he called you "brother". Is he your brother?
-Shiko: Yes, he is heavily wounded, quick give me a potion we bought.
After Asuka handed him the potion to who turned out to be Shiko's brother, then when he healed, He said:
- Mirei: Sigh! I really needed it.
-Shiko: It's been a while since I saw you! What are you doing here?
-Mirei: It's complicated to explain, but if you are here, it must be that the same happened to you… My computer went crazy and absorbed me, I appeared in strange room, a weird guy told me I had to choose a symbol that defined my ability, I chose to be a hunter and then found a strange monster shaped like an armor that explained odd things… In summary, He asked me to defeat him although in plain duel He lost his mind completely, He transformed in a hybrid of this self and a human and became way more powerful… I was defeated... but before finishing me off, He vanished in a flash, the came another flash behind me and when I approached it… I appeared here. Changing topic… is she your girlfriend?
-Shiko: Of course not! We just happened to have the same goal.
-Mirei: So, you may already know about the 10 guardians… where do you plan to head off?
Shiko, while thinking, glanced at Asuka and said – Let's go to the beach dungeon – He smiled.
-Mirei: I remember that the talking armor said that the guardians represented different races… and the guardian represented the race that was around him.
-Asuka: Okay, we must go and find out what kind of guardian is found there. Is there a way to there without walking?
-Mirei: Looks like, we have the kind of power to warp, you know, those strange flashes.
-Shiko: Usually We could only use it if we knew the area…
-Asuka: Shiko, look! The map has marks to where we can go.
-Shiko: This is really convenient just like the manga I read… but okay, we must go.
They used the flash that warped them, the triplet managed to quick travel to the beach known as "Escorpio Beach".
-Shiko: Now that we are here… this place is desolate, there's only sand and sea… everything is so quiet. What do you think Asuka?
-Asuka: Even tho there's nothing, is as expected, the waves are gone when they crash to the sand, the hugeness of the sea expands into the distance and that beautiful horizon between sea and sky.
Asuka glanced at Shiko with a smile and said – Thank you for satisfying this lil' whim - she draws near the coast and contemplated the sea.
-Mirei: Bewar…this is strange, unlike we expected, this world ain't normal due a threat…this bleakness is even scarier.
Meanwhile the trio were distracted by different things, near Shiko's feet, a skeleton Monster in shape of a Scorpion, a surprised Shiko Dodge by reflex, that sudden attack could have heavily hurt him.
After that, he didn't hesitate to unsheathe his sword to cut in half that Monster, killing it in a single blow.
-Asuka: What was that!? A scorpion skeleton?
-Mirei: Alright, we know what to expect from the guardian.
Without any time to talk, a hoard of this skeleton Scorpions, of different sizes, some small, some a meter tall. Surrounding them, two of them jumped over Shiko and attacked with their claws causing him to block with his sword, that left him unable to defend other attacks. Asuka seeing that Shiko was about to be attacked by three "Scorpions", used another skill that her mage Powers granted her. -Light beam! - shouted while casting a shining magic power from her palms, that being effective at killing the monsters, meanwhile Shiko, defeated with mere strength his captors, cutting them in half.
Meanwhile Mirei with his spear managed to defeat five more monsters. Aflutterd he exclaimed -There are about 25 with counting the slain ones- making them feel cornered.
Shiko Shouted while he slashed more – They don't stop, at this rate we will be their dinner! - Asuka felt obligated to make use of another skill – I need them to be gathered in a single place to eradicate them once and for all - exclaimed without more alternatives.
-Mirei: Shiko, gather them using your sword to make them clog, I'll run into these ones to make'em follow me, once you have them trapped, you can use the item in my clothes that should leave them unable to move, making them stay in a single place to let Asuka use her attack.
-Shiko: Good, I will use my kendo skills!
Shiko turned around with his sword to lift some sand and attract the monsters, making half of the surrounding pack drew closer to him and opening a window to Asuka to leave the circle and charge up a lightning. Meanwhile Mirei, with his spear quickly made the Scorpions follow him while traced a path in the sand, finally making them be near Shiko – Now, run! – She shouted Shiko, he heeds immediately. Mirei use the item that freed a rope that trapped all Scorpions.
- Leave the range of the spell and search for a wall! - Asuka shouted while she was about to cast her spell. The Young Warriors. Without doubting went and searched for a rock that was far away to be safe.
-Asuka: This attack has warning that could harm me as well, but that's a sacrifice that I must accept.
-Mirei: We made what we could, now we must trust her.
-Shiko: This idea seems like a bad one.
Once Asuka finished, she casted a big lightning from her hands, causing a big flash in the beach and destroying everything that was near them, including the group of skeleton Scorpions that were captured. Meanwhile Asuka casted her lightning, the potency of the attack hurt her progressively – Shit, I must keep going! – she said with determination, once the attack finished, a huge explosion occurred in the beach and left a massive hole in the sand where she fell.
-Asuka: I did it…
Shiko seeing the girl hurt, ran to catch her before she fell.
-Shiko: Asuka! Are you okay? Answer me!
-Mirei: Give her another potion fast!
-Asuka: Don't worry… it's not so painful, only a slick of blood…
Shiko as fast he could. Took out the potion they had and gave it to her, Asuka with hesitation drank the potion to heal immediately.
- I don't have another option - said Asuka in a serious tone and after she… took off her clothes only keeping her underwear.
-Mirei: Did she just undressed?
-Asuka: What? Have you never seen a woman in their underwear? All my clothes are damaged… I don't know what I'm going to do with it… aside, we are at the beach.
-Shiko: Don't feel ashamed, let's go somewhere safe… the reason the beach isn't popular is due the excess of things like this and surely happened because the black magic that is spreading across all the continent, that's surely why it is affecting their leader, that's why they are more aggressive.
-Mirei: Alright… Let's go to a safer place for you two… I wanna trust that both can manage this guardian situation.
-Shiko: What? Are you leaving?
-Mirei: I want to explore this place, seems there's a town and temple here, it's better to be fast, although it's getting dark, better sleep and continue tomorrow, I will go traveling.
Shiko accepted Mirei's opinion and let him go after finding a safer place outside the arena.
-Asuka: Aren't you worried?
-Shko: Yes, but I trust in him and his plan.
-Asuka: hmm…
Asuka drew near Shiko a gave him a Kiss in the cheek.
-Asuka: Thank you for catching my fall and rescuing me.
Shiko blushed and he tried faking seriousness, but he couldn't keep up and smiled, then said – Y-you're welcome- and turned around. After this, Shiko went back to the beach and search for items that dropped from the skeleton Scorpions, and his searching he found a girl… She was tall with green hair, her hair covered one of her eyes and she was wearing a basic armor and slim sword, by chance the girl turned around and they saw each other's face… they were astonished – She… after all those years, she must be Lyn! - And ran into her to see her closely.
To be continued…