Chase stood alongside the edge of the narrow hall, awaiting the scouting group to return with news of the location they dared to travel next.
Oddly enough, even though Chase had suspected that the spirits of the group had raised, very few had chosen to speak since leaving the last room.
The only ones who cared enough to converse, had been Leo and Neveah, who had only discussed with each other and would occasionally speak to Chase about what it is he thought they would find in the final chamber.
However, Chase himself had grown dreadful, fearing what would come within the next few chambers, considering the fact that they were nearing the end of the labyrinth that was Olympia, he knew that it was no good-whatever was awaiting them at the bottom.
Hans had known that as well, as he stood next to Chase, clearly worried himself of the massive power source radiating from deep under their own feet.
"I don't like this..." He eventually said, looking up at Chase who had also found his gaze meeting the floor.
"Not one bit..." He continued, pressing his gauntlets together and cracking each and every single one of his knuckles with a loud domino of snapping noises.
Chase frowned, feeling the strain of his corruption grow the deeper they went into the ruins.
"Neither do I..." He eventually responded, glancing back at Reinhart, Kaylynn, Leo, Neveah, Gemini, Michael, Equan, and Griffin- who had all chosen to stay behind while Luke and Gabriel had ventured into the next room in order to scout out what was ahead.
Gemini wore a mindless expression on his face, showing no sense of thought, and the more that Chase glanced at his voided eyes, the more that worry began to creep up within him.
"How come you came here...?" Hans eventually asked with a whisper, clearly having been wanting to ask the question for a while.
Chase had no reason to lie after everything he and the brute had been through.
"Luna... The lesser goddess of the moon... She told me too seek out the ruins, only after I had mentioned something about a dream... We got into an argument about it, and then..." He glanced down at the shackle around his wrist... Engraved with several advanced runes that had taken months to carve...
Hans raised an eyebrow, noticing the esteemed runic craftsmanship.
"You made that?" He asked, almost unbelieving of Chase's story.
"No... I stole it, from a dream if that makes sense..." He followed up with a shrug, not even bothering convincing Hans that this was in fact the truth.
Hans nodded; however, showing no signs of distrust.
"You believe me?" Chase asked in bewilderment.
"No reason to not... Although... It is hard to believe that you have become a champion of a lesser god... Doesn't sit right with me..." Hans scowled at the shackle from behind the eye-holes of his panda-shaped helmet.
"What about it?" Chase asked, noticing the worry behind Hans' tone.
"If you have indeed been chosen as a champion... Then our worst nightmare has become reality... Which means that the gods have risen against each other... She may not have told you, but the reason champions no longer existed, was because the last the time... It had almost caused an entire war among the lesser pantheons... Then that obviously means much larger threats had to intervene..." Hans talked with a melancholy voice bringing along a deathly amount of dread with each word that he spoke.
"So that means there are more...?" Chase asked, already fearing the truth of the question.
Hans nodded slowly, looking up at the ceiling.
"Why did you come?" Chase asked after a scarce amount of silence.
"Skylar... He brought us in hopes of rescuing you guys... Which made no sense."
Chase turned, looking at his comrades as his mouth slowly opened, and his eyes widened. A terrible chill running down his back as he felt the very same dreadful pair of eyes gazing at him from afar as when he had entered the ruins...
"Hans..." Chase said in a panic, staring at Gemini in horror.
"I feel it..." He replied, looking in the same direction as Gemini made no moves or expression that indicated a reaction of both Chase and Hans staring directly at him.
"Yo guys! We got a problem!" Gabriel yelled, as him and Luke appeared in the distance holding a torch as they sprinted with fear in their own eyes.
Then a rumble began to fill the narrow hall, causing Reinhart to step in front of the two of them, instantly putting confusion into the heart of the moment for both Chase and Panda.
Gabriel dashed behind Reinhart, unstrapping his trident and immediately preparing for a fight.
Luke was panting, quickly leaning against the wall and catching his breath next to Chase.
"What is it?!" Chase yelled, his eyes scanning the shadowy hall that stretched for only the scout team knew how far.
"Lots- Lots- Lots of them!" Luke blurted out between breaths, grabbing his crossbows from the side of his backpack and loading them with his mouth.
Chase lifted his sword, pointing its edge towards the shadowy hall, and that is when he seen it.
Countless monsters and beasts clouded together like a mesh of limbs and faces, snowballing straight through the hall at frightening speeds, climbing over each other and killing each other as an unknown number of them hurled themselves straight towards Unity.
Reinhart; however, put an arm in front of Chase before he could step forward, halting Hans in his movements as well.
Behind him Equan was steadily aiming his already drawn bow at the horde of monsters approaching faster than they could prepare for.
"Say the word!" Equan yelled with a panic voice.
"WAIT!" Reinhart yelled, steadying his grip upon his Greatsword with a determined expression on his face.
"SAY WHEN!" Equan yelled again, this time less of a question and more of a warning.
"NO! I SAID WAIT!" Reinhart screamed back...
Then something so strange and indescribable had begun to take place.
Golden light had begun to rise in the air like fireflies, and the feeling of warmth filled the hallway.
Reinhart's eyes had begun to glow gold and his chest had started to...
'Impossible...' Chase thought... Fearing the truth of his own sight.
Reinhart lifted his sword, now entangled with golden light.
"Let the light of the lord guide me..." Reinhart muttered under his breath, staring with deadly determination at the distant horde getting closer and closer.
"Find hope within me... Feel the grasp of my radiance... Let the moths fly towards the fire... Engrave yourself with thy holy desire..." He continued to chant, everyone stunned and confused at the spell that Reinhart had somehow been able to cast upon himself... Which any other person would not have gained suspicion from...
However, Reinhart had no catalyst... So this spell had no way of being casted by Reinhart... Period...
The horde grew closer, and time slowed as arms began to flail out them, only a couple of meters away from Reinhart's face, Equan's finger naturally began to release from his string, but his eyes wore a different story...
Complete disbelief.
"For I am Reinhart... False Heir of Vallmora... The last golden ember of Orion..."
A flash of radiance exploded through the cave with screams and cries of the monsters echoing throughout the hall...
Chase instantly swung his sword forward, only meeting air as he realized that he could not have timed his attack any better...
Reinhart stood in front of him, a wall of light standing between his sturdy body donned in steel armor... and an entire army of monsters pressing against the other side of the barrier.
"Watch... And behold... The sight of a true vanguard..." Reinhart muttered, slashing his sword through the barrier, as a horizontal flash of light decimated every single speck of matter that met its match...