Finally, I can Retire, Or so I Thought

After resting up, they resumed their journey, taking the left fork of the mining cavern. They walked on and on without stopping until the cavern walls around them began to shift. The raw rock face studded with glowing magic crystals gave way to structured block walls built from massive stone bricks, supported by pillars embedded deep within the earth. Magical torches glowing with blue flames lined the walls, looking more like ancient magic lamps that had been burning for who knows how long.

"Looks like we’ve entered the ruins," Cleo noted, taking in her surroundings.

"Yeah... turns out they merge right into the mine," Sheila added, walking up front with Gina perched on her shoulder as she looked around.

"Hmm... these ruins look completely untouched and pristine. Those torches are ancient artifacts from the mythical era," Cleo said.

"Yeah, you’re right. You don’t see artifacts that look like these magic lamps anywhere in the world nowadays," Aria added, inspecting one of the lamps to see how it worked.

Mei glanced over at Luna, who seemed to recognize the lamp-like torches mounted on the wall. Slid over closer to Luna, she asked, "Do you recognize those lamps?"

"Hmm... how’d you know?" Luna asked, turning to Mei.

"I recognize them too... these lamps... they’re just like the ones in Dion’s secret room on the hill behind the mansion," Mei answered.

Luna stopped dead in her tracks and turned to look at Mei. Mei stopped as well, taking a half-step back toward her.

"You’ve been inside there?" Luna asked, stunned.

"Um... back then... Dion brought me inside. He went to visit his parents’ grave late at night, and after that, we walked around that crater that looks like a ravine with Gina," Mei answered.

"Waaah... why are you only telling me this now?" Luna asked.

"Because you didn’t ask, and I knew you recognized the lamps here because they look identical," Mei replied.

"Whatever... good thing you know... oh right... where’s Dion?" Luna asked.

The two exchanged a look, then slowly turned their heads around. Far behind them, Dion was trudging along, breath coming in ragged gasps, his posture slumping and his face pale as paper. Luna and Mei hurried back toward him.

"Are you alright?" Luna asked.

"I’m... fine... just running out... of oxygen," Dion wheezed.

"Huh... oxygen?" Mei asked, thoroughly confused.

"Don’t worry about it... come on... keep moving," Dion replied, waving a hand dismissively before resting his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

"Uh... you’re sweating like crazy... here," Luna said, using her long sleeve to gently wipe the sweat from Dion’s forehead.

"Come on... let me support you," Mei offered, taking Dion’s arm and slinging it over her shoulder.

"Heh... thanks, Mei. Sorry for being a pain," Dion said.

"What’s wrong with you?" Cleo asked as she approached.

Dion raised his head to see Cleo, Aria, and Sheila standing in front of him. "Kyuu?" Gina floated down from Sheila’s shoulder, hovering right in front of Dion’s face and pressing her tiny paws against his cheek.

"I’m fine... just totally exhausted, hahaha," Dion said with a weak laugh.

"Same old story. He’s always like this whenever we explore ruins or dungeons," Luna added, dabbing away more of his sweat.

"Ooh... I see. First time I’m hearing about this... then again, we’ve never gone dungeon-crawling together," Sheila remarked.

"Here... let me support you instead. Out of the way, dumb blonde," Aria said, shoving Luna’s hand aside and giving her a gentle nudge.

"Hey... don’t go pushing people around, airhead princess," Luna shot back, shoving Aria right back.

"Alright... alright... don’t fight," Dion pleaded.

They resumed their walk, with Mei and Aria supporting Dion on either side while Luna kept wiping his sweat up front, and Gina perched right on the back of his head. The corridor ahead felt endless, stretching on indefinitely until they eventually hit a four-way intersection. Cleo picked up on something and halted instantly.

"What’s wrong?" Sheila asked.

"These aren’t just regular ruins... it’s a labyrinth," Cleo warned, her grip tightening on her staff.

"In other words, we could get lost and trapped in here forever, is that what you’re saying?" Sheila asked.

"Exactly. We have to be careful. Labyrinths like this are usually packed with traps," Cleo answered.

"And undead enemies," Luna chimed in.

Cleo and Sheila turned back. Cleo’s expression dropped, and she took a sharp step back, clutching her staff with both hands as she retreated toward Dion. Meanwhile, Dion unslung his arms from Aria and Mei’s shoulders, stepping alongside Sheila with Gina perched on his head. He looked down the right corridor, then the left, and finally straight ahead.

"Hmm... interesting," Dion muttered casually, deep in thought.

"What are you thinking about?" Sheila asked from beside him.

"Nothing, this place just looks like a video game I used to play," Dion answered.

"Huh... a game?" Sheila asked.

"Don’t worry about it," Dion said, waving his hand.

He casually stepped out into the middle of the four-way intersection, then turned back to face the girls, who hadn’t moved an inch.

"Come on, what are you all standing around for?" Dion urged casually.

"Kyuuu," Gina added.

"Which way are we even going?" Luna asked, stepping forward toward Dion.

The group stepped out toward Dion, but suddenly Mei reached out to yank Cleo back. Click. The tip of Cleo’s staff had already pressed down on a loose floor tile.

"Ah... too late," Mei sighed.

"Huh... what happened?" Cleo asked.

"You just triggered a trap," Mei answered.

"What? A trap?" Aria gasped.

Blam!

The heavy thud of multiple stone doors slamming open echoed through the halls, followed by a chorus of deep, resonant groans ringing across the entire labyrinth: "Groooo." They instantly fell back-to-back, forming a defensive circle to cover every direction.

"W-what’s going on?!" Aria panicked.

"Look!"

Sheila pointed straight ahead. A horde of clattering armored skeletons was marching toward them, metallic clinks echoing off the walls. Mei looked to her right and spotted dozens of ghoul-like creatures lumbering toward them, while Aria looked left to see headless, flaming suits of armor striding down the corridor.

"Bad news... C-rank Skeleton Warriors, C-rank Crypt Ghouls, and B-rank Armored Souls heading our way," Mei warned.

"We’re surrounded. Get ready, everyone!" Sheila yelled, drawing her axe.

"Ugh... why did I have to step on a trap?!" Cleo groaned, raising her weapon.

"Drop the regrets, we need to figure out how to get out of here! What’s the plan, Dion?" Aria called out.

"Still working on it," Dion replied, hugging Gina tight.

"Leave this to me, but I need time. Cover me until I’m ready!" Luna shouted.

Everyone turned to look at Luna, who held her staff centered with her eyes closed. A brilliant, blinding white-and-yellow aura wrapped around her body. Cleo, Sheila, Mei, and Aria dropped into combat stances, while Gina hovered nearby, taking a combat stance of her own that looked far more adorable than fierce. Dion kept a close eye on Luna while bringing up his Recall interface, ready to swap personas the moment things went south.

Clang!

"Groooo!"

Sheila swung her axe horizontally, smashing through the front line of skeletons, but the shattered bones immediately pieced themselves back together and stood back up. It was the same story for Mei, whose thrusts and slashes dropped the ghouls, only for them to get right back up seconds later. Cleo blasted streams of elemental magic in three directions, while Aria smashed the glowing suits of armor into pieces with her massive sledgehammer, only to watch them reassemble instantly.

"Hey... Luna, hurry it up!" Aria shouted, swinging her hammer continuously.

"Don’t interrupt her!" Cleo warned.

"Ugh... how much longer do we have to hold out?!" Aria yelled.

"Be patient... keep attacking, don’t stop!" Sheila shouted, swinging her axe in broad arcs.

"Right! Hold the line and don’t budge!" Mei added.

"Kyuuuuu!"

Gina spat a burst of flame that blasted a skeleton apart, but as the bones reassembled, the skeleton swung its sword back at her. She ducked out of the way, puffing out a tired, "Kyuuu..."

"Luna... how’s it going... looks like I need to step in," Dion said.

Before Dion could activate a persona, Luna raised her staff, which burst into a blinding radiance.

"Holy Purification!"

A massive dome of pure white-and-yellow light erupted from Luna’s staff, expanding rapidly for several meters to envelop the entire horde surrounding them. The skeletons, ghouls, and flaming armors instantly disintegrated into luminous dust, vanishing into thin air as the light swept over them. An eerie silence fell over the corridor, punctuated only by the heavy clang... clang... clang of empty armor and weapons collapsing onto the stone floor. Dion, Aria, Cleo, Sheila, Mei, and Gina all let out a collective sigh of relief.

"All taken care of! I really am the ultimate counter to undead, hehe," Luna cheered proudly.

"Yeah... you’re amazing at handling stuff like this," Dion praised.

"Thanks, Luna. If you hadn’t pulled that off, I definitely would’ve fainted again," Cleo added.

"Huh... I’ll give credit where it’s due this time, dumb blonde," Aria admitted.

"Thank you, airhead princess," Luna shot back with a smirk.

"Nice. Let’s keep moving," Sheila urged.

"Which way? Want me to scout ahead first?" Mei asked.

"No need, let’s just go straight," Dion said.

He took a step forward. Click. Dion froze and looked down at his foot. His eyes widened as he saw his boot sank straight into the stone floor. He slowly turned to look at Mei.

"Mei... is this a trap?" Dion asked nervously.

"Oh boy... you stepped on the exact same tile Cleo did earlier... yeah, that’s a trap," Mei said, exhausted.

Click!

Without warning, the floor beneath their feet vanished entirely. "Whoaaaaah! We’re falling!" they screamed in unison as they plummeted into the dark pit. Gina hovered in place for a split second before diving into the opening, speeding down the hole after them.

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