Daybreak

Chapter 31: Wilting Flower

| Great Desert |

"So this is the castle, it's even darker up close." Matsuri noted, standing in front of the black building, it was rather small from the outside, although it was very large, as most of it was underground.

"Let's go in!" Kuma bursted open the door.

"Don't be so reckless!" Matsuri called after him. "You're gonna get us killed!"

"No ones even here!" Kuma complained.

"Why would they leave Thanatos' seal unguarded?" Matsuri questioned.

"I don't know, but let's hurry to the basement quickly!" Kuma grabbed her hand and ran.

"I hope there isn't a trap." Matsuri sighed, afraid of something bad happening because of Kuma's reckless actions.

They arrived underground, and instantly found the seal, as it was extremely large and had a bright orange glow. "There it is!"

"That was easy." Matsuri smiled, although she still looked for some kind of guard. "I don't understand why no one is here!"

Kuma tried thinking of an answer, but couldn't come up with one. "Maybe they all just went to fight our friends."

"That would be a dumb strategy honestly." Matsuri raised an eyebrow and sighed.

Kuma looked around as Matsuri thought. He accidentally tripped on a chair. "Ouch."

"Kuma! Are you okay?"

"I'm fi-" Kuma gazed over at a book taped underneath the chair he tripped on. He grabbed it and began to read.

"What's that?"

"A book, it talks about the seal. When the seal is active, it will begin to glow a orange color."

"Oh no." Matsuri responded to Kuma reading the text aloud.

"Once active, it must receive power and energy. It can absorb Nin from fierce battling or the leftover Nin when a person perishes. Once it collects enough, it will revive the God Of Death, Thanatos."

Matsuri gulped and shook in fear. "That's means we all came...just to be pawns and sacrifices for this ritual!"

Kuma read more. "Once Thanatos appears, it has the power to destroy life energy. It is said to be able to be controlled by immense powers, or relic weapons. In the list of examples, Sacred Weapons is one of the relics able to control Thanatos!"

"So that's what she wants!" Matsuri banged her fist on the table. "We can't let her have it!"

"That's right!" Kuma shouted.

"Although I still don't get why this was all unguarded."

"Oh!" Kuma jumped. "It says here that when Thanatos arrives, it casts death upon all nearby creatures."

"So we...are standing near a circle of death." Matsuri began shaking once more.

"Matsuri! We can't be scared! Let's face this together!" Kuma snapped her out of it.

"Y-You're right! I can't be afraid! I'll put my life on the line here! We can't let this world end!"

"Let's start then!" Kuma smiled.

"Sealing away the deity, step 1!"

~ Meanwhile ~

Hikari and Yosei stood against Selena, a red haired Sacred Weapon with a revealing outfit.

"Fine I'll cover it up for the purpose of battle." She moved her clothes around. "Better?"

"Yes." Yosei replied. "You seem to be the type to want to please others." She analyzed, her pink hair flowing in the wind that carried the smell of iron.