After the brief commotion settled.
Yuu finally managed to calm the furious Asuna. He packed up the tent, stood with her in front of the stone-filled mine, and began explaining the mission:
"First, we assume the coordinates from the Beloved Ring are correct, or we'd have no idea where to start."
"Then, if the coordinates are right, the entrance is definitely here—we just haven't found it or triggered it yet."
Placing a finger on her fair chin, Asuna thought for a moment and quickly grasped the point: "The entrance is hidden, underground? Or inside these rocks?"
"Close. The rest is finding the key to open that big door."
Yuu scanned the surroundings, suddenly walking to a pile of rocks ahead, raising the oil lamp, and examining it briefly.
Then he waved at Asuna: "Found it."
"That fast? It hasn't even been ten seconds…"
With a shocked expression, Asuna obediently approached, crouching beside him while hugging her knees.
Whether it was the scent of her hair or her body, it carried a sweet, fruity fragrance like honey or candy.
"Eh? This…" Blinking under the lamplight, Asuna reached out her delicate, fair hand, picking up a stone from the pile, her thumb brushing the pattern on it.
"A heart-shaped ring…?"
"Exactly, and there's one on the back too."
Letting Asuna hold the stone steady, Yuu raised his left hand, aligning the ring on his ring finger with it.
It fit perfectly with the stone's pattern.
Asuna suddenly understood. Holding the stone with her right hand, she positioned the ring on her left ring finger opposite his, pressing it into the pattern.
*BUZZ!*
A bright, crystalline light burst forth.
Asuna instinctively let go to shield her eyes, but she realized the stone, unsupported, still floated in the air, and the crystal light slowly formed a gate.
Yuu stood beside her, squinting slightly at the sight: "So that's how to open the door… Simpler than I expected."
"Did you get a guide from my brother?" Asuna turned, asking with an unhappy expression.
From explaining the mission to opening the entrance, Yuu took barely a minute—it was like he'd read a script beforehand, with no surprises at all.
Lately, he seemed to be contacting her brother often, maybe to ask for a mission guide? It was the most efficient way and would save Grandma Martha the fastest.
But for some reason, Asuna felt deeply annoyed by this approach and wanted to complain…
It was like their date was suddenly interrupted by a third party—and that third party was her own brother?!
At that thought, her gaze toward Yuu slowly turned dangerous.
"Just pro gamer instincts." Unaware of the dark thoughts swirling in Asuna's mind, Yuu pursed his lips, saying casually, "Needing a guide for a game? How bad would I be? Besides, even you could probably find the key in under five minutes—it's no big deal."
"What's that 'even you' nonsense…" Asuna glared at him irritably, then turned away, snorting with disdain. "So full of yourself. We get it, you're a gaming pro, happy now? How many times do you need to rub it in, so annoying."
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, host received reward: 2333 Yen]
[Congratulations, host received reward: Judo (Advanced Level) One-Time Use]
Rubbing his chin, Yuu realized something.
"Is this what they call tsundere?"
"What?"
"Nothing." He looked up at the fully formed crystal gate, ignoring its tacky heart shape, and prepared to step inside.
At that moment, his entire body shuddered as if shocked by electricity, a sense of danger creeping into his mind.
"Careful!"
With a shout, Yuu stomped the ground, retreating swiftly.
He tried to grab Asuna, but realized her reflexes were almost as fast as his. They both retreated several meters in opposite directions simultaneously.
*BOOM!*
A loud, heavy sound echoed as a sturdy figure slowly rose where Yuu had stood, the ground of the abandoned mine cracking slightly beneath its feet.
"That's…"
Her brown hair fluttered in the air, her rapier drawn at the same time.
Asuna assumed a sword skill stance, glaring sharply at the humanoid statue that leaped from the crystal gate, causing a small quake.
"Is that the guardian boss you mentioned, the one we have to defeat to proceed?"
"Looks like it. It's got a health bar above its head, and its level matches ours."
Drawing his one-handed sword, Yuu also observed the crystal statue standing on the ground, kicking up countless dust and rock fragments, gathering intel before the fight.
But the more he looked, the stranger his expression became.
"This…"
In the end, he couldn't help grimacing, as if he wanted to complain but couldn't get the words out.
Though the crystal was nearly transparent, its form was clear under the moonlight—its hands and feet detailed and realistic like a human's.
About one meter ninety centimeters tall, it had the muscular build of a man, wearing a flashy tight suit, with a heart-shaped ornament on its forehead…
No, not just the forehead—heart-shaped crystal pieces were also on its waist and knees. It stood before the crystal gate but didn't rush to attack them.
Instead, it placed its hands on its hips, thrusting them forward slightly, striking an arrogant pose.
…Damn it, isn't this DIO?!
Yuu couldn't help covering his forehead and sighing.
"…Asuna, has your RECT gotten copyright permission from Araki-sensei?"
"Huh? Copyright for what?"
Asuna, ready to charge, turned with a confused look at his words.
At that moment, the crystal statue moved.
Without warning, it moved faster than someone tumbling down stairs, generating suffocating air pressure, crossing the short distance, and striking at Asuna, who had her back to it.
While Asuna was still looking at Yuu in confusion, as if wanting to ask what he meant.
A blue effect light suddenly flashed.
"Duck!"
One-handed sword skill, straight attack, Sonic Leap!
Seeing the sword light rushing toward her, Asuna reflexively ducked and rolled aside to widen the distance.
*PANG!*
A loud clash accompanied by a fierce gust messed up her long brown hair. Almost instantly understanding what happened, her lithe body didn't pause, quickly adjusting to an offensive stance.
The next second, her firm, slender legs stomped the ground, tightening her grip on the rapier with one hand.
"Switch!"
With a clear shout, a bright silver meteor flashed, shooting past Yuu, who stood frozen after using his sword skill.
Rapier sword skill, straight attack, Meteor!
*TRING!*
"Ha!"
Amid flying crystal shards, both exerted force simultaneously, pushing back the heavy crystal statue's body and gaining distance.
Asuna panted slightly, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, her rapier still at her side, not daring to let her guard down.
"Phew, thank goodness, I almost got hit… It's your fault for asking weird questions!"
"I didn't expect your awareness to be that bad."
Yuu replied casually, ignoring her sharp glare, as if she was debating whether to hit the boss or him first. His gaze swept over the statue's health bar and body.
Despite each landing a sword skill, the five excessive green health bars didn't budge. The hit areas also quickly regenerated, and the statue even nonchalantly poked a hole in its head with its finger.
Not a boss you could brute-force—its weakness had to be found.
Half through observation, half through expert-level pro gamer instincts, Yuu reached this conclusion and quickly devised a fitting strategy.
After sharing his idea with Asuna, she nodded, took a deep breath, her gaze sharpening like a blade, staring seriously at the boss ahead.
"Alright, I'll listen to you… Tell me what to do, and I'll do it."
"Oh, really?"
"Really… Wait, you're not thinking of something weird, are you?"
"Nope, just want you to charge in as cannon fodder to test it."
"…"
Faced with such honesty, Asuna was speechless.
(I'd rather you think of weird things, you know…)
Shaking her head vigorously, puffing her cheeks and snorting in dissatisfaction, Asuna tensed her fair, slender legs, stomped the ground, and swiftly, agilely shot toward the DIO crystal statue.
Her expression was angry and terrifying.
"Die!"