"Yes. By all accounts we need to stick together. This forest has a very strong way of transforming around whoever is going through it. One wrong move and we'll all be lost indefinitely."
"Roger that! Let's keep going away from where we came from. We can find new stuff that way, maybe."
"Yes but let's be careful please!"
The others started to follow Matsumi through the forest, moving away from their spawn point.
Matsumi looked around, he felt strangely comfortable, the quiet was a little new to him.
"This place is super old then, wonder how it got stuck in here."
"The Akuma couldn't make it through the forest, even through their highest ranks. They ended up using hundreds of witches and shinobi of all kind to cast a spell that would seal this space within the tower, which was also a trade in of itself."
"A trade for what?"
"A partnership with the towers family and the Sins. With our leader sick and gone with no trace of being found they decided to seal the Sāmatu's sacred land. After that the genocide began. We were crushed in a matter of six months, and before the seventh and final month I went to the blood moon as we know…"
"Shouldn't there be more Akuma in the tower then? Since the people who made it are partners with them."
"It is possible in the upper floors that they're still alive and they're doing things that we're unaware of. We won't know until we get there, but it's possible we'll have to battle more in the future."
"You want me to deal with 'em? I can give 'em a thing or two just like with Kogane!"
Matsumi motioned a punch in the air, a smile still on his face. In truth, Matsumi wasn't very hurt about what happened to his ancestors. He never knew them, and it's not like they wanted to be known anyway.
They died, everyone dies, it's just how it is.
But, he thought that Eraba probably felt differently.
"We'll see. I need information on them. If they have something that could take us closer to my family thats what we'll take."
Kogane sighed at Matsumi's remarks.
"It's not like you saw my actual Tokubetsu anyways. You wouldn't be able to beat me in my own body and mind..and you wouldn't be able to handle anyone in the higher ranks of the Akuma."
"You have a Tokubetsu? You have to show me! Let me see it!"
"Eh. It's not something I should just pull out…but when the time comes i'll definitely show you. Then you'll have to shut up.."
"Aw, man! You guys are so lucky that you have your own magic abilities!"
"Well you do now as well Matsumi. I think climbing the tower was a good idea."
"You mean the flash step? But that doesn't count! Anybody can learn that."
"You have the necklace and trops. Those count as magic. Im quite sure your teacher and teammates will be proud when you come back."
"I guess you're right…but I want a Tokubetsu too! Then I'll show all of you guys too! It would be fun, wouldn't it?!"
"Theres no doubt that you have one. It's all about you learning and mastering it. I know a lady that can help after we leave this tower."
"Awesome! There's so much I have to do after we get outta here! I can't wait! Now, where's that tomb?"
"No clue. We'll just have to keep moving until we get some kind of clue."
And so, he did as he was told. Searching and searching, walking and walking, while making stupid conversation with all of them.
Eraba was enjoying the conversations with the group, she never got a chance to really bond with others due to her occupations when younger. She smiled and laughed, questioning how Matsumi could have such an enigmatic mind despite being so simple.
The inner machinations of his psyche were fascinating to her, and she had felt at ease with him being the choice she made for pursuing her mission.
It had been a while of walking now, people were bound to get bored. So, to slow the boredom as much as he could, Matsumi summoned three small balls as he started to juggle them as he spoke. Everytime someone would ask, he'd summon another.
One of the balls were slammed out of his hand. Not by anyone else, but clearly by a projectile.
Eraba stopped walking and immediately started to use some incantations, a bubble of mana surrounding the three as the projectiles stopped for a clear second.
"Well would you look at that.."
"Wha- Hey! What was that?"
Bullets started to clash with the mana barrier, clearly they had been assaulted and whoever was shooting had access to a high range assault rifle, that and the fact that on the tips of the bullets there was mana steaming off, melting into the barrier as it slowly fell apart before Eraba had to rebuild it once more.
"We've been Ambushed!"
"I thought it was hard for people to find us!"
"She did mention that the Sins might have already got through this place. It's possible that this is the Sins enforcements."
"Where are they? I can't see them!"
"They're camaflouged in the trees! I can't see them either! You guys need to go while I hold the front! Find out where they're hiding and what those weapons are!"
"Ok! I'll go out through the back."
Matsumi stepped behind Eraba, dashing outside her barrier while moving closer to the location where he thought the attacks came from.
Bullets flew, crashing into the ground near Matsumi as the chaos continued to flourish greatly, Matsumi couldn't even walk forward realistically without getting clipped by a bullet.
He opted to use the same strategy he had used back in the first floor, just trying to stay as ahead of the bullets with the flash step. He readied his hand for something.
Soldiers popped out of the trees and aimed directly at Matsumi firing off Mana-Infused bullets, the guns they held had blue incantations running through them as they powered up more, the bullets flying faster with much more precision and power.
Matsumi pulled his arm back as two bullets chipped his shoulder. Regardless, a football formed in his hand, yellow colored energy around it. His aim was off now, throwing it through the air with enhanced speed but still barely missing one of the shooters.
It definitely looked dangerous.
"Soldiers! Kill that boy!"
The bullets that were scattering started to drag and aim for Matsumi now, the fear in the football he had thrown out was great, and very dangerous as they knew well. They continued to fire at him relentlessly, trying to rip him apart before he could throw another one.