"N>45+3/-... ! 43 f1/>3."

I suddenly awaken. It feels like I was dreaming of something. But not a good dream? I have a cold sweat for sure, and an ominous shiver. It's unusual for me to not remember anything of a dream like this... but perhaps I didn't want to, this time?

I squint against the bright blue light. I feel as blind as a new-born kitten.

I still feel rather tired, and almost like a whole load of my nerves is firing off strangely.

Right.

I suffered from some serious agony because I went into some kind of crazy overcharge mode with my spirit.

Seria slapped me for it, and I got the impression that I shouldn't have done it when I did it. My spirit could have died, and I guess, now that it (they?) are part of me, it would be like losing an important organ, a kidney or my lungs or something.

I apologise inwardly to myself. I wonder if it can be heard?

I think it may well be. I mean, Rishya speaks to Michael. So perhaps, insane as it seems, I should follow her example. I've always had a bit of a problem with talking to myself inadvertently, so very little will change, eh...

I finally start to regain my sight and feeling. My ears pop.

It's painful when most of your senses all start working at once.

An iron taste of blood.

A strange thrumming noise in background with girls talking.

A musty smell of mildew offset with a feminine fragrance.

A soft feeling on the back of my head. Thighs!

Yes, Kali is looking down at me.

"Aniki!" She shouts. "Can you hearing!?"

Like a radio tuning in, her voice screeches briefly as my ears pop again.

"Ow! Yes... ugh... so loud, Kali..."

I clutch my head at the sudden amplified noise.

She grins at me, and suddenly all the others rush around my vision and crowd me.

Seria has tears in her eyes and grabs on to me. That's pretty weird. And ow! She is squeezing my shoulders and shaking me.

"Idiot boy! Gods damn it! I thought you had gone deaf, blind and dumb! Wake up faster, you imbecile!"

The others laugh nervously as I reluctantly pull myself up.

"Ugh... It feels like I was run over by a bus." I moan, stretching my sore everything.

I'm surprised to see that I'm a totally different place. The girls are all accounted for and unharmed though. And surprisingly, those S-rank mercenaries are here. Well... they're missing the slender blonde beauty. She must be off somewhere.

I hug the crowd and hand out assuring head pats, calming the girls down.

I then see something that scares me for some reason.

This... monolith here, that is providing the blue light.

Why does this scare me?

I don't know, but it made me jump, for sure.

"So even you can feel it, huh?" Aria says, wandering up closer to me.

"I... don't know why... but it feels very wrong."

"All of us with spirits feel the same way, Elijah-sama." Rishya puts her hand on Aria's shoulder and smiles sweetly at me.

"Um... I don't get it, but I think this thing made the Skull Beast?" Kiku says from behind.

"Mmmm, I am starting to believe the idea that it does not make things. But it surely draws them from somewhere." Seria snivels and pulls herself together as she goes up and places a hand on it, shivering.

"We have tried a few means to damage it, but it seems rather impregnable, yes?" Kaede adds.

"These monuments were very common back during the empire. Most places had one, and I believe they are supposed to enshrine Earth and Metal spirits, leading to exceptional durability." That knight, Fortinbras, explains.

"Yet, we certainly feel an urge to destroy it. It is evil. I don't know why..." Aria puts a hand to her eyes.

I look more properly at it. It gives me a shiver trying to focus on it, as if my body is rebuking me. No, my spirit is rebuking me. I realise that now.

It has a several bouquets worth of those strange flowers growing at its base and from a few of its cracks as well. Despite the unpleasant feeling, it is surprisingly beautiful in its own way, black stone with glowing blue text and floral framing. Imposing. Ominous. Yet... gorgeous.

It gives me constant shivers.

Right... this is the feeling of waves of magic power. It was like this when I grasped Michael that one time.

So, it is… emitting power.

"Must construct additional pylons!" I mutter, having a snicker to myself.

The girls give me an odd look.

Well, I guess it’s as good a time as ever to try out my personal demolish button. I too think it's not right, for sure.

"Rishya, do you have the big explosive?" I ask.

She looks startled for a second, then does an 'oh!', clapping her hands.

She pulls out the HDX tube with the copper wire attached from her bag.

"Yes, that." I say, smiling as I take it off her hands. She blushes and squirms as our hands touch for a moment.

"We should try this bomb." I exclaim. The girls and the mercenaries all go wide eyed.

I walk up to it. There is a wonderful fissure in the base that will work perfectly. I wrench out the flower growing there, and wedge the HDX inside, detonator outwards.

I unwind the coil as I move away.

"Everyone, get the hell away from this. It will explode." I state, matter of factly.

The mercenaries especially look confused, having not seen my vials in action, but the girls nod without complaint and move away, so they follow.

The wire makes it all the way to one off the offshoot archways, by a nice cornered corridor leading out the large chamber, fortunately. A perfect place to batter down the hatches.

What will happen? Will it be destroyed? Let’s hope so.

Making sure everyone is behind cover, I think of electricity, and of it zapping down the wire.

Detonation occurs.

KRAAAKOOOOMMMM!!

Woah.

Even though I knew what was coming, I don't think I could have anticipated the light. And the noise. The tremors. The dust. The heat. And the ramming pressure change that rips the air from your lungs.

The fireball causes all of us to drop to the deck as its flames lick desperately close to the archway we are all clustered behind.

Incredible.

A certain chuuni sorceress would crying in glee right now.

That. That, my friends, was an explosion!