Stampede In A Dungeon

***Date Finished***:

***Setting***:

***Characters Involved***:
		- Coco Gildamesh
		- Ravel Clover X
		- Alessandro Fabbri
		- Dean Bestia
		- Helen Elpida
		- Serena Biblos
	+ Blue Rose:
		- Natsumi Ren
		- Tlachinolli Xiuhcoatl
		- Olympia Galanis
		- Shinzui
		- Benita Paradiso

***Synopsis***:

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## Dungeon Raid

"*How did it come to this?*"

The trio was at the hall after a false information from Bacchus, with Helen ending up playing chess with Coco of all people, much to Dean's and Serena's surprise as they never thought that Coco would be capable of playing such game, let alone being patient enough to do so "she sure is full of surprises" whispered Serena to a nodding Dean and as they were playing, Helen then smiled as she moved her queen and ended up taking many of Coco's pawns, with her tearing up and seeming ready to smash the table much to everyone's horror but she could do it.

Sitting on the couch, away from everyone else, was Ravel trying to avoid the trash that littered the room while trying to read a book.

Everyone else was scattered throughout the room, off doing their own activities until Korag came walking down the hall and entered the room with a bottle of booze in his hand. "Alright, everyone looking alive. I've a got an announcement to make." He said the moment he walked in, causing everyone in the room to gather around. "So, I got a mission for you guys, but this time's different. This isn't some ordinary mission given by HQ or allies of the squad. This mission was given to us by the Wizard King himself. Apparently, a new dungeon has appeared and he wants us to investigate it, except this one's in dicey location. Popped up right near the boarder of our enemy nation, the Heart Kingdom. The Wizard King wants this done quick before those love bugs get any of the good stuff." He said before taking a chug from his bottle and the trio gulped from the pressure.

"A dungeon? Ruins filled with treasures, ancient objects and magic? T-That's exciting!" said Dean that had excitement and even greater anxiety due to the magnitude and importance of the mission "To be honest, I believe it's not something we could do alone." he said, with Helen and Serena nodding in agreement while concerned.

"That's why you're not going alone." Korag stated. "I've decided to put all you newbies to the test. All five of you are going." He said looking at the trio, Ale and Ravel, with the latter having a shocked and disgusted face upon hearing it.

Dean then got excited upon hearing Korag's words "A mission with Alessandro? Hell yeah!" he shouted excited and then stopped realized "Oh right, will we have a supervisor again?" he asked curious, hoping to have Juno this time.

Ale was tying his regular Katana to his side while deep in thought "*Big bro said he was leaving to do some training, but this dungeon would've been perfect for that.*" he complained to himself before looking at the rest. "I'm sure this dungeon run will be interesting. I hear people find plenty of unique things on them such as rare treasure or even grow their magic power and potential! So, count me in!" He exclaimed excitedly!

"Growing one's magic? Incredible" said Serena excited.

"Ugh, do I really have to go on a mission with commoners?" Ravel wondered with a disgusted look "Obviously, whatever is inside that dungeon is befitting of a princess such as myself." she tossed her hair our, flaunting her ego. "So, I think I should get everything of value that's found there." she placed her hands on her hips, continuing to flaunt herself.

"This will test your team work in a real life or death mission. Sure, the flower picking had some interruptions, but that was unaccounted. In this one, you're fully aware of the consequences you're going into. Also, it will give you five a chance to get along. Now, of course, I'm not going to send you into battle with an enemy nation by yourselves." He spun his bottle for drinking it. "Gahhh" he put it back and looked at it "You'll all be killed on the spot if you did." He mumbled to himself loud enough for them to hear. "So, like last time, another senior member will be tagging along with you. Now, lets see." He scanned the room to see who would go.

"Ooo, ooo, pick me daddy! I'll go! It'll be my first mission with my new friends. Also, I'd love to beat those heart eyes to a bloody pulp." said Coco in excitement and cheers, jumping up and down to get her father's attention.

"Hmm, alright then. I'm counting on you to keep out for them." he said to her.

"Yippy!" She jumped up and landed behind Helen and Serena, wrapping her arms around them and pulling them in tightly. "We're gonna have so much fun!" She shouted excitedly.

"*Kill us.*" where the thoughts of the terrified girls while the boys froze upon hearing that Coco would be their supervisor "U-Um, Captain? My foot suddenly doesn't seem well." said Dean while smiling nervously, with him trying to leave from the room in vain as Serena was pulling him.

"Miss Coco, huh? Awesome!" Ale said out loud as he obviously didn't share the feelings of unease that the other three were feeling. He then slammed his fist into his open palm and smiled "Let's make sure to kick some Heart Kingdom behind! I call dibs if we find any swords!!!" he claimed excited.

The trio looked at him in pity due to him being unaware of the danger according to them, but they then took a deep breath "Well, we have to focus on the mission, don't we?" said Helen "For the record, any non-sword weapon and equipment there, magical or not, is mine!" she exclaimed passionately as she put her hands on her sides in pride.

"The same goes for me about books, scrolls and the like!" claimed a fired up Serena while Dean also got fired up.

"I think a gauntlet or something would be good" he said, with Ravel looking at all of them with disgust and contempt as they did their claims.

"Hey! Weren't you listen to me? I get all the valuables you commoners!"

Coco grabbed Dean's collar shirt while he tried to scurry away and wrapped her free arm around Serena and Helen's neck, tugging them in tight "Alright, troopers, follow your private to the exit, grab your brooms and lets' march to the dungeon post haste!" She shouted excitedly, trying to sound like a military leader.

"Umm, Miss Coco." Alana interrupted, catching her attention. "If you're trying to talk like a military, then I believe the word to call yourself is general, not private." she corrected, much to Coco's embarrassment. "Also, I'll be more then happy to get you closer with my magic." she offered while holding up her grimoire.

"Nooooooo!" She shouted holding her arms in an X gesture. "I'm leading this mission and I want to do this without any help from any of you. That includes getting there and back." She demanded.

"If you insist." Alana said putting her grimoire back down.

"Now onward troops! TO THE DUNGEON!" She shouted marching towards the exit with Dean being dragged by the collar and the girls strangled by her other arm with the other two walking behind her.

twenty minutes passed

The six of them were flying with their brooms at full speed "Can't wait to see what a dungeon is like!" said Dean who was excited along with Serena and Helen.

"So, Commander Coco, how long do we have until we reach the dungeon?" asked Serena curious "Shouldn't we have taken Miss Alana's portal transportation to preserve mana and stamina?" she asked again in a little bit of a complaining tone.

Coco, who was standing on her broom as if it was a skateboard, looked back and crossed both her arms in an X gesture. "Nooooo!" she whined "It's no fun if we get someone's help. It's way more fun to do the whole adventure at its fullest!" she complained frantically, waving her arms around.

Ale was seen laying on his back while riding his broomstick, looking at the passing clouds as the team continued onward. "*I wonder what we'll find there. I hope something cool, so I can talk to big bro about it!*" He thought to himself with a gleeful smile on his face.

A lot of time passed, with the time being now noon and as they were flying, they reached a mountain area and then "hey, could it be?" wondered Serena as she saw a big rocky entrance on the mountain's base that was emitting faint mana, with Dean smiling in anticipation.

Coco took a stance onto her broom and emitted more power into it, causing her to fly fast through the air, leaving them behind. "Weeeeeeee!" She cheered in enjoyment as she zoomed through the air. "Try to keep up noobs." She cried out to them, her voice almost an echo to them by now. She performed spinning tricks and stunts on her broom as she was flying to show off her enjoyment.

Ale gently tapped on his broomstick with the bottom of his heel causing it to suddenly pick up speed! Despite him looking as though he wasn't paying attention, he heard Coco's challenge.

"If that's how you want it people, let's go!" shouted Dean who couldn't take it anymore and rushed while descending, much to the concern of the girls. "W-Wait Dean!" shouted Serena concerned as she quickly followed him along with Helen.

And so all the mages quickly traveled through the sky, all prepared for their first dungeon raid. Coco acting as their senior and leader as the only one with practical experience in the matter. Unaware, great forces are gathering in the same location.

Meanwhile, within the dungeon, an explosion occurred followed by immediate darkness once it subsided, annihilating several traps that were activated simultaneously. "Is this seriously the best traps this dungeon has at preventing outsiders? Heh, you'd have be pathetic enough to fall for ridiculous traps like that." A voice spoke in the darkness.

"It doesn't matter how weak these traps were, we wouldn't have to waste time dealing with them if you didn't set them off." Another voice spoke.

"That's enough, lets stay focus." another voice commanded. "Now then, let the operation begin. Find the treasure room, and cast judgment to any Clover sinners you find" The voice said.

"Yes madam." a large number of voices said with their silhouettes looking towards the open path, shrouded by the darkness with glowing red eyes.

Coco dived down to the surface at incredible speed and managed to stop her broom in mid air before hitting the ground. "Wooo! That was fun." She leaped off the broom and gazed forward while waiting for the others to catch up. "WHOA!" She said, breathless of what's before her eyes.

With everyone else landing, they were now all outside the dungeon, with the rocky entrance being much bigger than they anticipated and Dean and the girls especially, were amazed "So, this is a dungeon. From outside, it doesn't look much, but I feel the already strong current of mana coming from it and I have to say, the mana inside the dungeon must be tremendous."  commented Dean who now became fired up "So, Commander, shall we go?" he asked Coco eager.

Ravel came down after them and looked at the entrance with widened eyes "Amazing, you can feel the mana slipping through the entrance. If that's how much is coming through, I can't image how it will be inside." she said to herself out loud. "by the way, how are we going to get in?" She asked coco curiously.

Coco stood standing in front of the group staring at the entrance with a confident grin. "Hmm." She took a minute thinking with her hands on her hips. "Why dont we just destroy it?" She turns to them with a proud smile.

"Um...Commander?" said Helen while slowly raising her hand "We don't know anything about the dungeon, so doing something so...extreme will either make it collapse or trigger something bad, so, why don't we try to simply push the gates?" she ended up suggesting, with her being shocked by Coco's destructive plan.

"Hahaha oh Helen. Your not going to get very far by being cautious." She turn back to face the entrance of the dungeon. She suddenly then grabbed everyone by the collar and charged towards the entrance. "Sometimes you just have to charge head first and figure it out later!" She shouted as she leaped towards the stone wall head first.

"NONONONONO!!!" shouted Dean and the girls from Coco's recklessness, expecting the worst to happen at any moment.

"ARE YOU INSANE!!??" Ravel shouted along with them.

Once her head touched the stone wall, a vibration swept across the wall causing it to break it apart and fly past the rubble with swift ease as she dropped the gang once inside. immediately upon entering a Trap Magic activated causing the walls around them to slam into each other with them in-between. However, before it could crush them another vibration wave swept across the walls. "**Quake Magic: Shattering Wave**" She cried out, causing the walls themselves to vibrate immensely causing it to break apart just like the wall. "Hahahahaha! That was so much fun! I wonder what other kind of traps are in here. Common lets go see!" She said as she stormed off into the dungeon. "Wahooo!"

"Please, be careful next time, Commander!" said Serena smiling while sweat dropping "You might destroy something important for no reason!" she shouted with a little anxiety due to Coco's knack for destroying things.

"Grrr. How dare you roughhouse me! I am royalty and your princess! Handle with respect you beast!" Ravel shouted at Coco.

They all went inside, with the path inside leading downwards, with Dean struggling to look around due to the bare amount of light "Um, Ravel, wouldn't it be better if you generated some light? At this rate, we might activate a trap if we don't watch where we are standi-" he tried to ask, only for Helen to touch his left shoulder.

"Excellent idea, Dean, so, Bright Sword!" said Helen as she brought out her gold broadsword which was shining, filling the path with light, with him smiling while Serena then grabbed his attention by touching his right shoulder while smiling. The light revealed walls filled with wall paintings that were either faded or destroyed by the cracks filling many parts of the walls along with greatly expanded moss.

"Fufufu, don't worry about traps Dean. Me and my drones will check if there is something hidden." she reassured him while she created two drones that flew in the distance and her eyes began glowing, with her smiling "No hidden traps for the time being, how curious." she commented while being surprised a little bit as she expected one or two traps ahead.

Ale followed along with the rest, his eyes locked ahead before suddenly they widened. "Not all traps are magic based," the young mage pointed out before pulling out a knife and tossing it ahead, cutting a threat that caused spike protrusions to shoot up from the floor beneath it.

"Don't forget these traps are set up to keep people like us out. While magic traps are way more common, these ancient civilizations aren't so stupid they'd make it that easy for us." He paused before slicing through the spikes with his sword shrouded in his own magic power.

"Master said when you feel like you know everything, you know nothing. That it's not best to assume but to always be cautious no matter how certain you are." The young blue haired Ale said. While his words were condensing by nature, in reality he meant it in a way to pass on wisdom he himself has benefited from.

"Trap shmap. Who cares. I say bring it on! Hahaha! This is so much fun!" Coco cried out waving her hands in the air stary eyes.

Ale couldn't help but let out a sigh after hearing Coco's boast. "*Maybe if we were all as strong as those gifted, like you and your father.*" ale thought to himself. While he was humble he knew too well that he could never have such a mindset. He lacks the innate strength to be so proud and confident in abilities.

"You are right, Ale." said Dean smiling and putting his hand on his shoulder "We can conquer this dungeon only if we are focused, alerted to our surroundings but most of all, one as a squad." he said to Ale. "*We can never be truly prepared for everything.*" he thought and then, Dean got covered by a blue magic aura and his eyes narrowed "Call me crazy, but right now, I'm picking some faint smells in the air!" he said surprised while smelling the air with closed eyes.

"What? How? Isn't this the only entrance?" wondered Helen also surprised.

"Yea right, as a if a vermin as disgusting as you can have keen senses as good as that." Ravel said, tossing her hair back.

"Oh, there's someone here. I can sense it." Coco said with a confident grin, staring straight ahead unflinching. "I can sense them that way. Let's go greet them, shall we?" she said excitedly and dashed forward yet again.

"I can't believe this girl!" complained Draco as he went after her, with the others following suit.

After a while of traversing through the dark hallway, the mages finally entered into a spacious, lit up area, one that had moss on the walls, a fountain of water flowing upwards and many rocky platforms existing around the place "This is a dungeon?!" he wondered in a mix of awe and shock "There is so much mana here that space is warped!" he commented and then Serena took a step.

"Indeed, however..." she said with glowing eyes and then used mana bullets at various spots, activating many normal and magic traps "...no trap can escape me anymore!" she claimed smiling.

"That doesnt mean we should be careless, i'm sure the ancient people thought about sensory magics when setting up these traps and worked around it some how." Ravel interupt.

"Not just that, but maybe you shouldn't think with your muscles." Alessandro chimed in as he placed his hand on a nearby wall. "your magic, like your dad's, is one of destruction. Maybe attacking walls and columns that hold the structural integrity of the ancient dungeon isn't the smartest thing to do." He sighed as he looked forward, "hm? Is it weird that I feel like we're not alone around here? Meh I could be imagining things."

"Hahaha! Sorry guys, Ravel's right, dungeons are no joke, theres probably more hidden trap magics in here then regular trap magics." Coco said and turned into the direction where she was sensing the mana and continued head forward. "One wrong and step and you can stumble right into a hidden..." She says as she took one step forward and immedeately the stone tile she stepped was pushed down by her weight, causing the tiles around it to collapsed into a large pitfall. "TRAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! AGH! ouch." She hit the floor hard.

Ravel walked up to the pit she fell in and looked down in it. "Whoa this trap was man made, no magic at all." She said slightly impressed.

"Ugh ow, and i landed on his weird face tablet thing! that hurt!" Coco whined before jumping back up, with everyones eyes adverted away the eyes of the stone face tablet began to glow.

"This is bad..." muttered Dean as he suddenly saw the floor tiles in front of them turning into lava and then, numerous lava serpents emerged, hissing at the group.

"It *was*  a magic trap after all!" said Helen as she then brought out her golden broadsword and unleashed arcs of light with which she sliced a handful of serpents, only for them to regenerate.

"Commander Coco, please do something!" pleaded Serena as she was firing magic bullets at them, only for the serpents to be restored each time.

Alessandro pulled out a katana from his grimoire and took an iao dtance. "**Sword Creation Magic: Fortress of the Five Wise King!**" four large walls erected around the majority of the rookies as a transparent wall made of light blue aura as four statues appeared at each corner with a fifth standing on the roof above.

Ale grit his teeth as he remained motionless. "Unfortunately I can't move from this stance or else the spell will be released. But those snakes won't make it in here."

"Hey! Did i say i you could build around me? insolent commoner!" Ravel said to Ale. She then points her finger at them in a gun gester and charges a ball of light from the tip of her finger and fired off three shots at them, but gets easily absorbs into their bodies. "Ugrr. Hey! What are you waiting for!? Stop hiding and go fight them already! Your princess commands it!" Ravel shouted at the others.

The lava serpents lashed out at the mages around them, smashing themselves into ales magic defense and spew out lava from their mouths. Coco leaped around to dodge the attacks. “Dang, this is a real mess.” Coco said scratching her head. “What should I do?”

Ale looked over, analyzing the room. "If there's a way to trigger a trap there may be a way to disengage it. Or maybe.. damn it." He tried to think of a way to get around this. "maybe we can bury them with rubble it throw them in a hole or something.

Dean's eyes then widened "Hey, didn't the serpents appear when Miss Coco fell down that hole?Maybe there is something that will make them disappear if destroyed." he thought and then looked at Coco "Miss Coco, I know we told you to not destroy things without thinking first, but this is an emergency, so dive into that hole and destroy whatever exists there, please." he pleaded.

Coco who wasnt paying attention to Dean as she was having too much fun facing off against the serpents as she dodged their attacks by jumping off walls and collums of stone floating off the floor using the magic distortion to her advantage, while launching shock waves at their faces that pulverizes thier face apart as every shock waves were powerful enough to blow past the rookies who were protected by Ale's defensive spell, only for the serpents to reform their face and lash out back at her.

The group of rookies stood there watching as they struggle to keep themselves in standing in place while standing behind Ale's defensive spell as the shock waves from her attacks spread past them. "Uggrrrr. This is insane. We cant even get to close to her!" Ravel shouted amongst the chaos.

"If this keeps going on, we will be forced to abandon the mission because we won't have any mana left." commented a troubled Serena who then had an idea "This seems like the only way." she said and then, she went out of Ale's defensive spell "Please, Miss Coco, just listen to someone for once!" she shouted while throwing a rock at Coco's head.

The rock hit Coco in the head causing her to lose her focus as she stumbled and fell to the ground flat on her face, barely missing an attack. She quickly stood back and looked over at Serena while holding her hands over the spot on her head the rock hit with a bloody nose running down her face. "OWWW! WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?" She shouted at her in frustration. "I'M TRYING TO BE TOTALLY AWESOME WHILE HAVING A REALLY FUN FIGHT HERE!" She shouted some more waving her arms around.

Serena was then consumed by frustration "WE ARE TRYING TO TELL YOU THAT THE SERPENTS ARE IMMORTAL! THERE MUST BE A TRAP INSIDE THE HOLE YOU FELL! JUST DIVE THERE AND DESTROY IT! Seriously, you might be our senior, BUT YOU BEHAVE LIKE A CHILD!" she shouted in anger,shocking Dean and Helen who took a step back,not knowing what will happen.

Coco looked down at the hole. "hu?" Without giving her time the serpents lashed out at her again as she leaped away to dodge as it lashed out more causing her to jump back some more. One of the serpent heads turned towards Serena who was still out of the defensive spell and lashed out at her, however before it could reach her the face was struck by another shock wave from Coco, blasting it apart. Althought its face reformed it turned its attention back at Coco. She landed on the side of the wall as the seperents started spewing out lava from its mouth and she ran across it to evade while keeping her eye on them. "*Smashing their heads wont get me anywhere, it'll just reform itself, and i can't get close or the heat will fry me."* She thought in her head while running. She glances down as watching the lava on the floor spread. "*And the lava will soon engulf the floor*. *Long hair is right*, *if i take too long ill lose of leverage on the ground, not mention the heat will get to me and ill start showing signs of fatigue*." She carefully thought out. "*But she didnt have to be so mean about it!*" She whined in her head some more.

Once she reached an end point she leaped off the wall, clapped her hands together and slammed them down onto the ground causing a surge of Quake Magic through the ground creating a large crack in the ground that swallowed up most of the lava in her way as she dashed forward closer to the serpents. As the serpents roared at her they prepared for another attack they were suddenly stopped when coloms of floating rocks crashed into them, stopping their attempt to attack. "*Before long hair so rudely interupted my fight, i made a trap of my own*. *I infused some of my magic into the floaty rocky things i jumped onto so that the vibrations would send them flying into their faces and kaboom*! *Instant opening*!" She said cheerfully in her head as the rocks caused the serpents to fall over away from the hole creating an opening. Coco leaped over the remaining lava on the floor and over the hole. "Now i just need to..." She quickly noticed the rocks flying through the lava serpents causing them to reform around it and prepare to attack again. "uh oh." Without hesitating to change up her tactic she winded up her arm back. The serpents lashed out their attacks with Coco in mid air in center of all three.

Before they could collide Coco thrusted her fist downwards coated with her magic pulling her down with it making her dive into the whole to evade the attack and smash landing onto the stone tablet as it surged with Quake Magic making it crack. However the power of the impact continued as a pulse of energy spread through the ground surrounding her as the entire room began to shakes and breaks apart, similar to an earthquake. "**Quake Magic: Tremoring Earth**!" The entire floor broke apart as the lava and the serpents was blown away by the impact. "I DID IT!" Coco raised her arms up and cheered for excitment. However the floor didnt stop as it continued to crack and break even under the rookies causing them to lose their balance including Ale causing his spell to deactivate. The quake of the ground activated multiple other hidden traps at once as vines \_\_\_\_ all lashed out and grabbed the rookies at once. It was pure chaos with all kinds of magics activating within a single room.

"COCO! WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU DOING? STOP ALL THIS." Ravel shouted while being swung around violently by the magic vines.

"Ahhhh! Uhhh Ahh. THIS IS CRAZY! WHATS GOING ON!?!?" Coco shouted in confusion as she dodged different kinds of magics left and right. She then looked over towards the rookies "Just hang on!" She called out to them and leaped over to go save them. Before she was able to reach them another trap activated causing dark fog to spew out from the magic circle and envolved Coco right as she was leaping over it.

"Ugggrrr. Oh no! Coco!" Ravel shouted in worry as she was struggling to get free.

The dark fog then got brushed away from the magic going wild before it could spread and once it fully disipated, Coco was no where to be found within it.

"COCO!" Ravel shouted.

"MISS COCO!" roared Dean who fell on his knees.

"No...it's my fault...my fault that this happened..." muttered Serena while shaking from shock, ending up in tears.

"Seriously?!" Ale said outloud as he took I'm the madness, being bound by vines. "*Focus... Focus...*" as Ale allowed his emotions to calm down, his grimoire flew to him and flipped through it's pages. "**Dragon Magic: Dragon Claws**" he declared his spell as his arms were converted to resemble that of dragon claws. Then he ripped through his binds. "everyone! Focus on yourself before others! Dean! Serena! Center yourselves before things get too insane."

Dean's and Serena's eyes widened and they wiped their tears "You are right." replied Dean as he activated his Tiger Claw spell, with him slicing apart vines that erupted around them in one hit.

"Yes, we must have a clear head and try to move on from this predicament." said Serena while unleashing a magic bullet in the form of a beam with which she destroyed many more, with her breathing a little faster.

Alessandro landed on the floor before a magic circle appeared under him! "D-damn!" He braces himself as he crossed his dragon claw arms, take the brunt of an explosion head, sending him flying into their! As he slammed into ceiling another circle appeared above him, "*These ancients figured that explosion would send their target flying, so they prepared a second one above.*" he thought before taking a second explosion to his back knocking the air out of his lungs! "You've got to be kidding me." He said, forcing himself to his feet. "We should leave this chamber!"

Ravel struggled to shake off the magic vines as they continued to ensnare around her limbs and waist as well as her grimoire, keeping it closed and slowly pulling it away. Ravel tried to reach for it, only to be haulted to the vines. "*If only I could just reach my grimoire*! *But, am I even going to be strong enough to break free even with it*?" she thought as flashes of shadowy figures appeared before her eyes with glowing white, ridiculing eyes and laughing echoing through her mind. "*No*. *I can't do this*." She thought afterwards, admiting defeat.

"EAGH!" Dean suddenly tore apart the vines holding Ravel to her visible shock "We have to leave, Ravel!" he said, with her being a statue and then,a number of flying saws clad in electricity came from the chamber's corners "Really now?" he wondered annoyed as he cladded his hands on mana and caught one, sending it on another one and both fell down while stopping their rotation.

"What the hell is wrong with this chamber?" wondered an also annoyed Serena as she shot down two more of them and as she was doing it, the chamber began crumbling steadily.

"We have to leave everyone!" shouted Dean loudly, with Helen and Serena becoming alerted and running away.

```
Dean saw the crumbling chamber "Sorry for that." he said, grabbing Ravel by the waist and putting her on his left shoulder while using Leg Strength Boost to run away with the girls, with them managing to leave the chamber in the nick of time as the exit they took crumbled down just as they entered it.

```

"Phew, that was close." said Helen while swiping off her sweat while watching the rubble.

"Yeah, dungeons surely are unpredictable." said Dean.

Once brought to safety, Ravel snapped out of her depression and looked around, realizing the situation she was currently in, being held by Dean on his shoulders. Once she found out, her face grew bright red. "Awhhh. AHHHHHHHH! HAH!" She screached at the top of her lungs and slapped Dean in the face so hard it left a stinging red hand print on his cheek. "Ughhh you disgusting pig! How many times do I have to tell you not to put your grubby hands over me? Hmph." She turned away in frustration and continued walking.

"If I've left you on your own, you would be dead!" shouted Dean angry while holding his cheek "Maybe some good rubble on the head could fix that bitch attitude of yours!" he shouted while growling, with the girls smiling nervously while trying to restrain and calm him down.

After some minutes

Ravel was walking a little bit ahead of the others while a grumpy Dean was between Serena and Helen "So far, there haven't be any more traps." commented a thoughtful Serena.

"Maybe they placed most of them at that room so no one could advance." thought Helen in reply, with none giving any further thought.

"Curious, the mana around here...feels strange...like there is someone here." said a confused Serena and then,Dean went some feet ahead of the girls and used Mana Skin, with his eyes then widening.

"Guys...I smell people...and there is no Miss Coco among them." said Dean who then got serious and alerted.

Meanwhile Coco opened her eyes and looked around, as she found herself in a pitch black dark room. "Hmm. doesnt really look like the others are around here" She said to herself. "Huu man. WHERE THE HECK HAVE I ENDED UP ANYWAYS!" She raised her arms up as she shouted in an empty room, her voice echoing along the walls.

## Traps, Traps and More Traps

Alessandro had to brace himself as he felt the air in the area was a little "off", so he slowly began to draw his sword from it's scabbard, looking forward. "Anyone hurt from the traps, make your way to the back of the group. Serena, send one of your drones up ahead to scout what's up ahead."

"On it." she replied as she creates two drones that flew further ahead.Five minutes passed, with Serena's drones moving slowly still "Well,on one hand, I see that there aren't any more traps, but I don't see traces of anyone having passed.Is it possible for dungeons to mess with one's senses even with lesser concetrations of mana in an area?" she wondered, with Dean being in doubt.

"*No, I* definitely *smelled multiple people.Could they be hiding their scent and presense with something?*" he wondered troubled.

"Hm? Uh oh." Alessandro paused as he saw he misstepped. Then a shiver went down his back as he turned his head. His misstep caused many magical circles appear behind and in front of them, all through the hallway. "craaaaaaap! Ruuuuuun!" Ale yelled at her took off running! One by one the circles caused the massive explosions! Each one getting closer and closer to them!

"Ahhhhhhh! Damn it Ale! Look what you did!" Ravel shouted as she and the others ran for their lives.

"I thought you didn't detect any more traps!" said Helen to Serena in complaint while running.

"The way they activated suggests that they were covered with some sort of advanced cloaking magic." replied Serena in protest and as they were running,she heard a chain of explosions from afar, only for her to start seeing them coming seconds later "Oh, no!A pincer trap?!" she wondered shocked.

"If we don't do something, we are finished!" said Dean who saw seconds later that there was an entrance on the ceiling just a little while ahead "*Could it be?*Ale! Grab Ravel and jump!If I'm right, then we will be reach another hallway via this entrance!" shouted Dean alerted as the two fronts of explosions were closing in.

Ale would quickly summon his grimoire and as it flipped through pages he began to mold his magic power into a spell in his back. ""**Dragon Magic**!: **Black Wings**!" Ale then reached out and grabbed Ravel from the hips and pulled her close as his black dragon wings spawned from his book and the two took off flying upward!

"**Beast Magic**:**Gazelle Gallop**!" shouted Dean whose spell allowed him to swiftly grab Serena and Helen and run on the wall, only for him to then gather a little more strength to his feet and jumped to the entrance.Upon entering it before the wall collapsed from the collision of the explosion waves, he landed with force,with the stone floor cracking a little on the point of impact and then released the girls and his spell "Are you ok guys?" he asked concerned.

"Yes" replied the girls stoically.

With Ale and Ravel safe from the taps yet again she had a instant realization oh her current situation of how she was being caried by Ale her face blushed bright red. "AHHHHHH! Hey you commoner pervert! Get your hands off me! Lemme go, lemme go lemme goooo!" She shouted struggling to get him to let go while ale was stuggling not to drop her until she slipped through his hands "Ahhhhhh!" She screamed as she fell to the floor flat on her face.

"Well that serves ya right." Alessandro would descended down and plants his feet just infront of Ravel's head. "Anyway, is everyone okay?"

"Pretty much." replied Dean while looking at the girls that nodded.

Ravel remained on the ground as cross veins popped from the back of her head as she started to grow more and more frustrated, almost sounding like she was growling. "Grmmmmm!! THATS IT!" She shouted as she stood back up finally reaching her breaking point, her voice echoing throughout the empty room. "Ive had enough of this stupid squad and you idiot commoners. Not a single one of you have even the slightest clue what the word caution means, you blindly stampede your way through a dangerous dungeon without any concern of the traps that your stumbling into!" She shouts out loud, venting out her frustrations. "Even our so called fearless leader ditched us to go save herself cause of the sheer incompitence you all seem to possess."

"Hey, first of all, Miss Coco was teleported somewhere from a trap, and you must know pretty well until now that she is fearless." said Dean annoyed in complaint "Also, so far, you barely did anything! If it wasn't for me and Ale, you would have died as a statue from your drifting mind! If that isn't incompetence, then I don't know what is." he said in a cold, low tone while looking her in the eyes with visible anger in his own look.

"This isn't the time for you guys to be arguing like children! In case you both forgot, we are in the middle of a dungeon raid! Seriously, royalty, shut up. If you're not gonna work well with others in this squad, then shut your pie hole and leave the squad when we come back. Dean, pick and choose your battles, this is not the time or place to be arguing. We need to find Coco and find the treasure room." Alessandro placed his foot down, sick of Ravel's constant tantrums and Dean's inability to control his feelings. In a life or death situation, they were acting out and being more of a hindrance.

"I wouldnt be in danger if you clowns wouldnt trip over your own feet and set up a trap with every step you take. You commoners deserve the Black Bulls, your the worst of the worst. This is unfitting for a royal princess such as..." Ravel argued back but was cut off by a magic blast landing between the group.

"Hold it right there!" An unfamiliar voice spoke as a large group of unknown mages come pouring out of connecting hallways, many running while others flew in on brooms and magic carpets. They quickly surrounded the newbies, aiming their magics at them ready to fire Magic Bullet's.

"Ha, that was too easy, their yelling lead us right to them." One of the soldiers said with followed by a cocky laugh.

"Clover Mages are so dumb." another soldiered followed

"And hey, look at their robes, their with the Black Bulls. That means their not just ordinary simpleminded magic knights, their the worst kind." Another one pointed out.

"Heh they must be struggling for members if their sending pathetic brats like you on this mission unsupervised." Another said. They all glared at the rookies with proud confident grins on their faces.

"Who in the world are you?" asked Dean who took a stance while Helen looked at their robes.

"It can't be!They are mages from the Heart Kingdom!" she exclaimed surprised while bringing her halberd out of her grimoire.

"From Heart?What are they doing here?" wondered Serena while shooting two of them before they could fire, with Dean suddenly destroying three magic bullets with his Tiger Claw.

"I don't know, but..." he said as he clad his feet on mana with Leg Strengh Boost "...They will get pain!" he said as he jumped high and sliced one of them, with him fainting and Dean jumped fast from the broom before it fell, slicing two other mages who also fell down.

Alessandro raised his grimoire and began to flip through it's pages, "Seriously? What an idiot!" He said angrily as he looked over at the one with the mages on the floor.

"**Curse Water Magic: Sacrificial Wave**" the mage said as a rune array appeared over his body and a monstrous amount of water that filled the entire hallway quickly turned into a vortex that was fired at all the clover mages!

"Damn it!" Alessandro responsed as he slammed his hand on the floor! A large dome appeared around the clover mages! On the face of the dome large dragon faces appeared on it. As the vortex of water slammed into the dome! "C-crap!" Alessandro struggled as he forcibly poured more of his magic power into the walls of the dome. "Dean! Are you a magic knight or a spotlight craving child?" Alessandro then felt the vortex's power increase even more as the walls of his spell began to crack.

"I'll take a few steps forward." Alessandro relayed as he forced his feet to walk forward with he dome following. "I'll get closer, but I'll need you to knock them out and then use restraining magic! Don't just rush in."

"Is it my imagination or he became high and mighty?" mummbled Dean under his teeth "Ale, hold on a little more, I'll *really* finish them off!" he said as he activated his Gorilla Punch spell and jumped with Leg Strength Boost at two mages that were still flying, with him sending them crashing on the wall unconcious and spatting some blood. The mages that fell down before by him tried to move and unleash Magic Bullets, only for a slash of electricity to shock then unconcious.

Dean turned around and smiled at Helen "Anytime!" she said and Dean got an idea "Helen, you are the key to end this, jump on my hand!" said Dean serious, with her getting confused for a moment and then she steeled herself, with her jumping at him.

"Hereeee goessss!" he shouted as he threw her on the ceiling above Ale and she dove then straight into the mage causing the watery vortex, with her bringing down her halberd.

"Ugh!" Helen found some resistance from the pouring water "Just..stop...flooding!" she shouted as she pierced through the flooding source and unleashed her halberd's electric wave, with the mage being greatly shocked and an explosion occuring that stopped the water and made him fly a little further with a smoking body.

"I knew it!" said a happy Dean.

"Thank god it's over." Alessandro said outloud as he recalled his defensive spell and felt the exhaustion consume his body. "Maybe if you had waited, you would've heard me wanting to warn you. In case you forgot, our Vice Captain is from the Heart Kingdom, we had some Intel. Intel such as their curses they have bound to themselves that don't activate until certain conditions are met." He then paused and sat on the floor. "The curses are incredibly strong according to Kai due to the many and specific restrictions on them. Try not to just jump straight into battle." Alessandro then felt a heavy weight fall on his shoulders.

"You could've told that the moment they appeared, you know." commented Serena calm but a little offended.

"Yeah, because after all, you are the one spending many hours of the day with Mister Kai, not us, so tell us such things the moment they happen even if it's in the middle of combat." added Helen with the same tone.

"How can I get my point across when you jump straight into combat already triggering those events? By that time it's too late." Alessandro then picked himself up as he caught his second wind. "Next time, try thinking before acting. Not everything needs to be handled with combat, and not every situation calls for jumping the gun." Ale said as he cracked his neck. "Anyway, let's pick ourselves up and keep moving."

"You are all to blame. What was that idiot of a captain thinking, sending a bunch you kids incapable of doing anything on their own to work with someone like me. Thats it, im sick of this stupid squad, i quit. Im going to join a Magic Knight squad worth to fight along side me." Ravel said, annoyed by the constant arguing. Once she said that she noticed a small, single rune in front of her drifting down catching her attention, leaving her puzzled of what it was. When she suddenly realized. "huuuhhh...Look out!" She gasped before shouting to warn the others

Just then the small, single rune she saw caused a ball of wind to whirl around and expand to large size before exploding apart causing powerful currents of wind to launch the rookies away "AHHHHHHHHH! They all screamed as they crashed to the floor. Then a current of wind started form from the spot where they flew away from. "My my, trouble in paradise little infants?" A voice spoke from the wind currents before it desipates, revealing a woman with long braided blue hair. "Dont discourage, it is the will of mother nature that you have found your way to me." She said looking at the fallen rookies on the ground.

"Hu...w...what? It cant be. Its y...you?" Ravel managed to say, rendered speechless in total shock.

Alessandro's eyes widened and cold sweat began to fall from all over his face, his heart began to beat at an incredible rate as it pounded against his chest. "This magic power..." he fights the urge of throwing from feat as he feels countless needles through his back. "It feels like Kai's... She's.... she's..."

"She's as strong as a Captain...maybe more..." said Serena shocked while trembling.Dean was sweating while his insticts were screaming to flee, but deep inside, something was helping him get himself together.

"The logical thing would be to leave...but I doubt the Miss here would leave us alone so easily, right?" he wondered with a nervous smile on his face while looking at her.

"She won't," Alessandro mentions as he forces himself to regain his composure. "You've got to be kidding..." Alessandro looked down at his pocket and feels the small stone in his pocket. "*He said to break this if I needed help... Sh-should i...?*" he thought to himself as Alessandro looked at the Spirit Guardian.