The entrance was blocked by a pile of rocks that has fallen during the earthquake that happened just now. No one got hurt on our side, thankfully. But most importantly, Rulend and the others were trapped inside the ruin.

“We need to save them, Hosuke.”

Rider stated the obvious as he tries to dig up all of the piles of rock that was blocking the entrance. It didn’t take long until I realized that we were being watched. Kaym was the first to noticed it.

“Guys…we’re not alone.”

Then I asked him, “Is it Escher’s men, Kaym?”

“No, Hosuke. It’s not Imps, Eyeballs or even a Cyclops. It’s something else.”

“How can you tell?”

“My arm…Demi told me.”

“Anything else from him?”

“It’s…”

As Kaym was about to tell us, a huge spear was approaching toward Kaym from behind. I hugged him and took him down to the floor. Kaym was a bit surprised at first but he seems to understand what just happened. The spear was struck on the floor right next to both of us. Everyone looked at the direction the spear was thrown and saw several dozens of winged monsters floating.

“Gargoyles! Take cover everyone!”

Kaym issued a command for everyone to take cover. We ran and hide behind the balcony cover just in time before chunks of spear started to be thrown at us.

“How many spears do they have?!”

Shouted Rose as the barrage of spears continued to be thrown across the ruins. Serena then remembered something about the Gargoyles. She then begins to explain the situation as loud as her voice could. But she doesn’t really have to do that to be honest. She could just use her music abilities to talk to us directly. I guess she forgot about that.

“I remember one of my studies with White. Like all monster in the world, these gargoyles also has Infinitum energy. They use the energy to create these magical spears. One gargoyle can create about a hundred of spears in a single day. All alone, this ability are worthless. But when they flock together in a large group, they are devastating. The only way we can stop them right now is to either wait or take them out one by one.”

“Waiting is not an option, I think?”

Rider figured the only possible way. He’s right. We can’t wait and stay here until they run out of spears. Time is off the essence. We have to find the Runix Cube.

“There’s only one way we’re doing this…Rose, are you ready?” I looked at Rose and ask her that.

Rose looked at me and happily smiled.

“I;m ready, co-captain!”

“Co-captain? Where did that come from?”

That startled me a bit. It was probably the first time I took on an important role. I don’t really know Rose very well but she seemed to be very fine with all of us. Are girls always like this? Then again, that’s probably not the case. She’s something special…Wait, what the heck am I talking about. Get your head in the game, Hosuke.

Rose shakes her head and told me, “Co-captain? Isn’t that what our Captain appointed to you just now?”

“Oh uh…you’re right…”

Rose’s smile was as bright as a button. She’s something alright.

“Anyway…one more question, Rose. Can you fight?”

“Fight? Of course I can! Watch me!”

Rose stood tall and revealed herself to the gargoyles. I was a bit frightened at first but then I saw that her happy face had suddenly turned into a more serious face. Looks like she’s ready for some action.

Rose moved her right arm to her front and her left arm to her back while she slowly bends her knees to a certain level. She opened both of her hands and stopped right before it turned into a high-five. From here, it looks like she was acting a little bit like an animal opening its claws. Was her ability was what I think it was?

And to my surprise, claw begins to appear from her hand. All of her body started to grow some fur. A tail begun to grow out of her back and an animal-like ear begins to grow out of her head. She looked exactly like an animal. But she’s not just a normal animal we see everyday. It was then I realize what was Rose Lindow ability was.

She opened her eyes only to reveal that her eyes have the eyes of a feline. She jumped and dodged all of the spears. She then jumped from spear to spear and latches onto one of the gargoyles and tear apart the gargoyles wings from its body. She then proceed to rip apart another gargoyle wings. Another one, another one, and another one. She continues to rip off the gargoyles wings until she finally jumps back to our side. She just killed a dozen of gargoyles in a matter of minutes.

Apparently, not only she was known as the girl who loves animals, she was also known in school as The Beastmaster. That was Rose Lindow, The Beastmaster. With the ability called, Beast Arts. She can transform herself into an animal. Having the same ability as the animal she transformed with the physique of a human being, which allows her to maximize her flexibility in combat. She can even manipulate other beasts and animal to her bidding. But she doesn’t always do that because she believes that even animals and beasts deserve to have freewill.

“You…can change?”

I was surprised. She took out one dozen of the gargoyles and she haven’t broke a sweat yet. But then again, there’s no way I can see her sweat with all the fur around her body.

“I think we should move now, Hosuke!”

Rider ordered us to make a move seeing that we now have a window of opportunity thanks to Rose. We ran for the stairs and went on to the next floor only to found ourselves getting caught in an ambush set by the gargoyles that was lying in wait for us.

Rider then said, “Darn it, we’re surrounded. Looks like it can only mean one thing.”

Kaym wilfully responded, “And what is that, Rider?”

“Really, Kaym? It’s not that hard. We fight them back, of course!”

“Oh, I see.”

“And Rose…you’re not the only one who can transform…”

Rider raised his sword and and opened his dimensional bag to reveal a new set of armor. The armor was glittering in gold along with a lion head on its chest. Rider’s sword hilt was all gold with the tip of it being the head of a lion.

“I call this armor…The Lion Tamer!”

“You look smashing, Rider!” Serena was in awe of Rider's golden splendour.

“Thanks, Serena. This cost me a lot of time, you know?”

Rider swings his sword towards the approaching gargoyles and sliced them in half. Three gargoyles jumped toward him. Rider cut them through with a single slash, leaving them crumbled into pieces.

Kaym then laughed a bit and said, “Huh. Is that all you got, Rider? I’ll show you something even better than that.”

Kaym took his position and began to charge up all of his energy. Aura started to flow around him. His aura turned from orange to red and from red to…blue?

“Yes. I’m getting stronger now, Rider.”

“Yeah right. Only a partial of your aura is turning blue. Not all of it.”

“It’s enough for now. Because I’ll show you my inner demons.”

An aura of demon claws and demon tail started to take form around Kaym physical body. Two strands of his hair started to grow up higher trying to copy a demon-like horn. Aura’s of a demon wings were also present. Kaym didn’t fully transform into a demon like he used to. He is now able to control his demon. Taking on the form of an aura around him. It’s like Kaym was wearing a transparent suit of a demon.

Kaym closes his eyes and then opened it to unleash a devastating laser beam that appeared from his eyes. A single empty line was created in the mess of the hordes of gargoyles. Kaym then creates a deathly energy ball in his hands and threw it to the gargoyles. Leaving nothing behind including the dust. He then posed menacingly.

“What a showoff.” Serena rolled her eyes.

I asked her why, “Is something wrong about him, Serena?”

“It’s nothing Hosuke. If that’s what you call a transformation. Then even I can do that!”

“Wait what. Are you serious? You’re leaving me behind, now?”

Rose was seen laughing from my misfortune of being left behind. I guess it was funny. To them at least. But her laugh was to pure, I can’t hate it.

“DJ Seraph is in the house, y’all!” Serena begins her 'transformation'.

Sound waves started to circle around Serena and moved accordingly to the beats. That’s not really a transformation, honestly. She just puts on her headphone and changed her glasses with a goggle instead. Oh, whatever. She kind of 'transformed' into her DJ persona.

Everyone charged in against the gargoyles and fought valiantly. Things were getting more interesting when we heard a loud growl coming from the top of The Stone Ruins. It looks like another gargoyle. But not just any other gargoyle. It’s huge as heck. That’s probably their leader.

“Brighten up, co-captain. We can do this!” Rose tried to cheer me up.

She’s right. Nothing can stop us, not even a Giant Gargoyle.

I prepared myself and told everyone, “Let’s do this.”

TO BE CONTINUED