Calm down, calm down. It's not the end of the world.
If it were Ran, he would be more calculative and cautious. I have to inherit his keen sense as well. What would he do in this situation?
I closed my eyes to cool my head. After thinking rationally for a bit, I got an idea.
"Why don't I use Mana Zone? Maybe I can find a clue."
And so I did. But I still couldn't find an answer. There were no traces of any other possibility.
"Is this it? Am I going to die here?"
Negative emotions began clouding my mind. What would you do in this situation, Ran?
No, no, keep calm. The walls didn't react when I said they died in a clash. That definitely proves they likely died from fighting each other.
"That sword."
I stared at the blood-red sword glowing behind the pillar. There was something sinister about it.
I extended my hand to touch it, but the moment my finger made contact, the flesh at the tip instantly melted away.
"Ouch!"
It couldn't be touched. When I took a quick glance at the wound, I was surprised. Just from a brief touch, the afflicted area had rotted. I could find no memory of such magic in Ran's memories.
At best, the magic that most closely relates to this phenomenon is rot magic. But that is usually quite weak, and a sword can never inherently possess magic.
Weapons are only tools for mana execution; they are not magic themselves.
Then is it safe to assume this sword is related to abyssal energy—the unknown phenomenon that has been silently corrupting this world?
It seems this was never revealed to the outside simply because no one who entered this place ever got out alive. This also proves that the founder of the Auditores had some connection to the abyss.
"Abyssal energy. An abyssal sword. Two skeletons. One whose sword is left at the entrance."
I had a theory, but I couldn't blindly declare it without putting the pieces together.
Right. I remembered it being mentioned that the sister was arrogant and power-hungry, while the brother was softer.
Poor bastard just wanted to fetch the sword for his sister because she wanted to rule the family.
After thinking deeply for who knows how long, I finally connected the dots. If I was correct, it all just required a slight adjustment. I turned to the pillar and spoke out loud.
"The two grandchildren of the founder of the Auditores had a massive clash in this chamber. The sister was likely power-hungry and rushed to get the sword as soon as they entered."
Since this third trial was formed after they died, it likely meant there was no third trial when they first entered the chamber.
"The brother probably tried to stop her, sensing the unknown aura and negative energy the sword was giving off. But his sister was blinded by a thirst for power and drew the blade anyway. Her arrogant nature only accelerated her descent into madness upon taking it. Left with no choice, brother fought to the death.
The brother likely won the fight, as the scar on the sister's ribcage is far more fatal than the brother's. He won, but was mortally wounded. He might have grabbed the sword in a desperate hope for survival, but the sword rejected him simply because he lacked the necessary criteria: hunger for power."
I took a breath, letting the logic settle.
"The sword returned to its place, and he soon died from blood loss or from being trapped here. Furthermore, having perfectly intact skeletons with such explicit wound marks would be impossible unless their time had been stopped. Basically, everything related to them—their tattered clothes, their rusting swords—stopped aging the moment their corpses completely decomposed and they were turned into the focus of this third trial. That allowed just enough time for the clothes to degrade and the sword to rust. This is the most reasonable conclusion I can offer."
There was silence for a long time. I glanced at the pillar, waiting for the result. It would be a lie if I said I wasn't anxious. Just then—
Thou hast fulfilled the trial; now mayest thou take that which thou seekest.
The inscription had changed, declaring that I had completed the trial.
Dopamine rushed through my entire nervous system. I fell to my knees, intensely relieved that I wasn't going to be crushed to death.
I cautiously stepped closer and touched the blade. It didn't wound me this time. That was a positive sign, but I didn't want to get consumed by the darkness like the swordswoman had.
I was one thing I was afraid of.
I pulled the sword from its resting place and gripped it tightly in my right hand.
Intense pain rushed through my body the second I did. It was so unexplainably agonizing that my vision started turning black.
But I must endure it. Endure it. If I fail this time, I'll have to do it all over again. Besides, I need power more than anything else.
No matter what, I kept my grip on the sword. My instincts screamed that I would be rejected if I let it fall. My hand was going numb. The blood vessels in my arm grew so hot I could literally feel them boiling inside.
"You piece of shit. I won't let you go."
Soon, everything went dark. I was back in that same black abyss, floating indefinitely.
Did I just die? I don't see that floating text anymore. Wait, how come I have a body?
I flexed my hands, legs, and torso. It was definitely Ran's body. And if that weird text wasn't here, it meant I probably wasn't dead yet. Soon, a few human-like silhouettes appeared before me.
Before I could react, they started rushing at me. Invading my soul, they began tearing my flesh apart.
"Aughhh!!"
Is this where she failed? Is this what drove her mad from the abyssal energy?
No, I can't stand this. I don't want to get consumed. I don't want to loop again.
Suddenly, a sword materialized in my hand. Without even taking a glance or wasting a second, I started slashing at the entities in a frenzy. I kicked one off my leg and stabbed the blade straight through its head.
I don't know how many barrages of those entities kept rushing at me, but I just blindly slashed them until nothing was left. Then, suddenly, I was pulled back into the real world.
The transition was so abrupt I would have considered the entire experience a dream.
A bright light manifested before me, slowly taking the shape of a tall man.
"Are you... Sir Louis Auditore?"