Matilda: Aah, ouch, it hurts!
Matilda: How ... how come there are so many of them!
Like overgrown grass, more and more statues are coming out of the walls, no matter how many Matilda destroys.
Matilda lies against the sharp gravel on the ground. She covers her waist and gasps in pain.
Matilda: Not good, not good. Think, Matilda.
Blood is running out from between her fingers unstoppably, taking away her vitality like a water pump does.
The statue in front of her raises the umbrella in its hand.
Matilda: No, don't ...!
Her hands drenched in blood, she can no longer hold the orb.
Kaalaa Baunaa: Get on your feet!
Matilda: Hmm?
The moment she hears the strange voice, Matilda regains strength in her limbs.
Matilda: Aah!
She can't help but bounce up like a puppet controlled by some invisible threads.
Kaalaa Baunaa: Well done, little diviner.
Kaalaa Baunaa: &
Matilda: My legs, they heal themselves. Where are the wounds?
Kaalaa Baunaa: Close your eyes. Don't look at anything.
Kaalaa Baunaa: The illusions would destroy your will.
Matilda: Wait. That, that was ...
Kaalaa Baunaa: %
Matilda: pants
Silence and cold fall again, as if nothing has happened.
Matilda looks down at her legs, slapping them to check if she's dreaming.
Kaalaa Baunaa: ...
However, they are smooth, nimble, and healthy. There are no signs of injury on her skin other than the light red marks from the slaps.
Matilda: How come ...? Is it some kind of hallucinating arcane skill?
Matilda: You are the lady from the train station.
She looks at the lady in confusion.
Kaalaa Baunaa: Looks like part of our destinies are now tied together, kid.
Kaalaa Baunaa responds to her with a reassuring smile.
Kaalaa Baunaa: What are you doing here? I don't think this place is open to tourists.
Matilda: I ...
Kaalaa Baunaa: ...!
Something is churning imperceptibly in the dark.
Matilda: They are coming again!
Matilda: Is it another illusion?
Hands, hands, and more hands. The familiar dark-yellow statues are like newly hatched creatures, slimy and ugly. They are trying hard to break the shell of darkness.
Kaalaa Baunaa: No, they are not.
Kaalaa Baunaa: Please, stay behind me.
Kaalaa Baunaa sounds a bit confused.
Kaalaa Baunaa: They look ... real?
Matilda: Careful! Watch out! They are coming again! Move!
COMBAT
Kaalaa Baunaa: coughs Are you alright?
Hiding behind the rock, Kaalaa Baunaa carefully brushes away Matilda's milky blonde hair to find a wound.
Kaalaa Baunaa: Not illusions this time.
Kaalaa Baunaa: Too bad. Dn it! How did Kumar do this!
Matilda: Aarh! The pain ... What is happening now? I was only here for ...
Kaalaa Baunaa: Sorry, but it's not the time for explaining.
Kaalaa Baunaa: We are at the exit soon. Remember, leave this village as soon as possible after you're out. Do not ...
Kaalaa Baunaa: ...!
Before she finishes the words, Kaalaa Baunaa seems to have sensed danger and immediately rolls to the side while covering Matilda's head.
Huge rocks fall to the ground. The rock they hid behind is now a pile of powder.
Kaalaa Baunaa: ...
The cave shakes under the strikes of the statues.
Matilda: Um.
???: Hey!
They hear a strange voice.
???: Watch your head!
Kaalaa Baunaa seems quite nervous; her arms are holding Matilda even more tightly.
A familiar figure leaps onto the statue's shoulder and raises his fist.
???: Hah!
The left half of the statue's face flies across the cave.
???: Huh, harder than I thought! Dad hadn't told me those statues could move.
???: Again!
The giant statue breaks into pieces under his fist and falls to the ground.
???: Whoa! That's dangerous!
???: Sorry. Though you have a very impressive appearance as a statue, your attitude and manner are problematic.
???: Hah!
Matilda: Waah!!
Kaalaa Baunaa: ...
Kaalaa Baunaa grips Matilda's sleeve gently, pulling her one step to the side.
The next moment, the falling rocks graze their hair and smash into the ground.
Matilda: Ugh!
The cave goes quiet again.
The debris of the statue piles up in front of them.
???: Hah-ah!
A huge rock is cast aside. The man emerges from the ruins, patting the dust off his broad shoulders.
???: Phew! I almost got killed.
???: Hey, you guys alright? These things are freaky!
As he speaks, he waddles down from the huge pile of rocks and walks toward Matilda.
???: So, do you know where they came from? My head almost got smashed when I reached the entrance.
He walks at a slow pace, but he keeps his tongue busy.
???: Hmm, it's been 11 or maybe 12 years since I left this place. I'm welcomed by these things as soon as I'm back. What a surprise, huh?
Matilda: ...?
Kaalaa Baunaa: ...
Matilda: Is he talking to us?
The man walks over to Matilda. His eyebrows are drawn together in bewilderment.
???: Mmm. Wait.
But quickly, his face brightens up.
???: Aren't you the little one from the train station? I helped get your stuff back, remember me?
The man quickly wipes his face, hoping that Matilda can see him more clearly.
Matilda: Huh? Oh!
The tall figure takes her back to the train station.
Matilda: It's you, the man bitten by the thief!
???: Yeah, that's me. That was one merciless bite.
He cracks a smile.
???: Ha! What a happy coincidence! Well, maybe this is not the best place for a reunion, but the occasion is not for us to decide.
Shamane: Oh, I should introduce myself this time. The name is Shamane. Sorry, I wasn't much of a helping hand earlier and let that kid get away. But this time, I have made it up to you, eh? Eh?
Matilda: Oh, emm.
Matilda casts a hesitant glance at the ruins.
Matilda: You have made it up, I guess?
Kaalaa Baunaa: Sorry to interrupt you.
Kaalaa Baunaa raises a hand and interrupts them.
Kaalaa Baunaa: But I think this place is safe only for now. It'd be a wise choice to leave as soon as possible.
She speaks a bit faster.
Kaalaa Baunaa: And I mean more than this cave. Actually, are you tourists? I'm hoping you can leave this village in a couple of days.
Matilda: Hmm?
Kaalaa Baunaa: I know this sounds weird, but you need to trust me.
She reaches inside the pocket of her coat and tries to take out a stack of files.
Kaalaa Baunaa: Huh? Dn, where's my ID? Ah!
Her finger slips, and the files litter the floor.
Shamane: Whoa, whoa, whoa. Easy, lady. Take your time. We're listening.
Shamane hunkers next to her, helping her pick up the files.
Shamane: Oh, here's your ID! Ms. Kaalaa Baunaa? Hold it.
Kaalaa Baunaa: Ah, thank you.
Kaalaa Baunaa reaches for the card, but he doesn't loosen his hand.
Kaalaa Baunaa: ...?
Shamane points at her waist with a shocked look on his face.
She follows his gaze and looks down. A pair of tortoiseshell spectacles hangs on her belt, one temple broken.
Shamane: This is ... No, I can't be wrong.
Shamane: How come you have Kumar's stuff on your belt?
Kaalaa Baunaa: ...!
Without conscious thought, she tightens her grasp on her ID.
Kaalaa Baunaa: You ... You know Kumar?
Matilda: Hmm? Kumar? Who's that?
Matilda returns to their side with the files she found nearby.
Matilda: And what's with the shock? I thought we need to leave now.
She mumbles in confusion and picks up the last piece of paper on the ground.
Matilda: Okay, that's the last one! Let me see, Page 1, Page 2 ...
As she speaks, the files are flattened, moved around, and rearranged.
Matilda: Page 5, hmm?
She stops at a page with familiar content.
Matilda: What?
It is a data analysis chart. Some notes, hastily written in graceful handwriting, are left next to it. Some words are even highlighted with question marks.
Matilda: These papers are on celestial energy and exactly the one I want to practice on!
Matilda: That's right. The analysis on the arcane energy is very similar to that in the materials I found.
Matilda: But not completely. This one looks ...
The black curves in the chart make her stomach sink.
Her gaze slides down the page and fixes on a word with a question mark next to it.
Matilda: Ah! Manus Vindictae?
Matilda: What?!