From Human to Skeleton: Revived with Infinite System Crystals

Sanguina's eyes twinkled with a hint of mischief. "Well, if you weren't so slow defensively, you wouldn't have let an old lady knock you out... Come on, even Nana was able to block the blow."

Todd nodded, his face flushing with embarrassment. "Yeah, you're right. I'm not sure what I was doing. I think I was just shocked to see her weapon being a kettle. This world is built on people's weapons being any type of item, and I still find myself surprised sometimes."

Sanguina didn't respond immediately, her silence filled with purpose as they began to slow down. "Well, hold on tight," she finally said, her tone serious.

"Why do I need to hold on tighter than I already—" Todd's voice was cut off abruptly as Sanguina dropped from the sky, plummeting towards the ground. The wind howled past them, and Todd's stomach flipped as they descended rapidly.

They crashed into the ground with a thunderous impact, creating a ten-by-ten-foot crater in an open field. The earth shook beneath them, and dust and debris flew into the air. As the dust settled, Todd lifted his head and saw a massive coliseum looming in front of them, its towering walls casting long shadows over the landscape.

The coliseum's stone arches and intricate carvings stood as a testament to ancient craftsmanship. The smell of earth and stone filled the air, mingling with the faint scent of something metallic. Todd could hear distant echoes of voices and the clanking of weapons

Todd, still on his back and looking upside down, watched in shock as Nana came crashing down seconds later. She smacked into him, sending him flying towards the coliseum. He hit an invisible wall with a loud "ding" before bouncing off and landing back on the ground with a thud.

Nana rubbed her butt as she slowly got back to her feet. "Sorry, Todd, I forgot to focus on landing. Thanks for breaking my fall, though. I probably would have broken my leg or something."

Todd groaned as he pushed himself up. "Well, don't mention it... glad I could be of some help since I wasn't much use before."

He stood up fully, his body aching from the impact. "What the hell did I just hit?" he muttered, turning to face the coliseum. He placed his hand on the barrier, feeling a pulsing energy source blocking his way.

The barrier hummed under his touch, a faint blue light shimmering across its surface. Todd could feel a slight vibration through his fingertips, as if the energy was alive and responding to his presence. The air around the barrier felt charged, making the hairs on his arms stand on end. He pressed a little harder, sensing the resistance of the invisible wall.

Nana stepped up beside him, her expression curious. "Looks like some kind of force field. Pretty strong, too."

Sanguina joined them, her eyes narrowing as she examined the barrier. "This must be a protective enchantment. Erebos wouldn't want just anyone walking in."

Todd nodded, his mind racing with possibilities. "So, how do we get through it?"

Sanguina smirked, her confidence unwavering. "Leave that to me." She placed her hand next to Todd's on the barrier, her fingers glowing with a faint red energy. The barrier flickered in response, and the hum grew louder, resonating with her power.

Suddenly, Sanguina's eyes jolted open. She yanked Todd by the collar and threw him back just as black spikes shot from the barrier, slicing Todd's cheek open and narrowly missing him. One of the spikes impaled Sanguina in the stomach. She broke it off, holding the wound as it slowly began to regenerate.

"Damn it," she muttered. "This might take a bit longer than I was hoping for..."

Nana rushed over, her face filled with concern. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Sanguina replied, wincing slightly as her wound healed. "Erebos was always a barrier specialist, but even this is insane. I can only imagine he's mixed it with something else and is being supplied with more power than he should be allowed to carry."

Todd nodded, wiping the blood from his cheek. "Okay, but how do we get in? Elithiria is likely in danger. Should we call the Demon King or something? He could probably shatter this barrier into pieces, right? Or your father, the Vampire King?

Is that what he calls himself?" Todd asked, half-jokingly.

Sanguina shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips despite the situation. "Calling for help isn't an option right now. We need to handle this ourselves."

The air around them buzzed with tension. Todd could still feel the faint vibration from the barrier, now tinged with a sinister energy. The spikes that had shot out were retracting, leaving behind small, dark marks on the ground where they had pierced through.

Nana looked between Sanguina and Todd, worry etched on her face. "So, what's the plan?"

Sanguina took a deep breath, her eyes narrowing with determination. "We need to find a weak point in the barrier. Erebos may have overpowered it, but no barrier is perfect."

Todd glanced at the coliseum, its massive structure looming ominously. "Do you think there's a way to disrupt the power source? Maybe if we can cut off the supply, the barrier will weaken."

Sanguina nodded thoughtfully. "It's possible. Erebos likes to anchor his barriers to something solid. We need to find that anchor."

"Do we really have time for all of that, though?" Todd asked, worry etched on his face.

Before anyone could respond, a crow flew in, spinning through the air before landing and transforming back into General Mattison. His armor gleamed under the fading sunlight, completely intact.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Nana looked on in disbelief. "How do you keep your armor on when you transform back? Shouldn't that, like, go away or something?"

General Mattison raised an eyebrow. "Uh, where would it go?"

Nana ran her hand through her hair in exasperation. "Well, I don't know, but it shouldn't just materialize back!"

"I don't know," General Mattison replied with a shrug. "I just transform back to what I wear. It's always been like that. But regardless, what is going on here?" Discover hidden stories at empire

Before anyone could answer, a bright light shined high above the clouds. It grew more intense, casting a blinding radiance across the field. The light then came crashing down on the barrier, causing a massive gust of wind that nearly knocked them off their feet. The ground trembled, and the air crackled with energy.

Sanguina shielded her eyes from the brilliant light. "What in the world...?"

The light struck the barrier with a deafening roar, sending shockwaves through the air. The barrier shimmered and crackled, the energy visibly straining against the impact. The force of the light created a dazzling display of colors, swirling around like a celestial storm.

Todd stumbled back, his heart racing. "What was that?!"