When Raiden and his squad stood before the gate of Akhenaten's temple, he felt an immense magical pressure that made his breath catch.
Raiden: What kind of magical pressure is this? We can barely stand within its sphere, and these strange drawings... I can't believe this is...
The gate wasn't just an entrance; it was a terrifying work of art:
Exterior Design: The gate is a massive vertical slit that extends from the base of the pyramid to its midpoint, carved with the tarnish-proof gold of Atlantis.
Mythological Inscriptions: In the center appears the thunder dragon Ra.
Deputy Ashley Sotani: Commander, I've read in books about the lost history of several civilizations, and it seems this temple is part of them.
Taiju Tokabe asked: Who is this in the inscription? There's a misleading image.
Ashley: That image (astonished) is of a goddess who is said to have loved a mortal long ago, but he was killed by the legendary king of the gods.
Lara Komai: That's amazing! A goddess who loved a mortal? Please continue. Ashley: It's also said that she possesses the destructive power of one of the ancient mythical dragons. Yes (she makes a Ra-like gesture with her hand) the golden winged dragon Ra the Destroyer. And also, the Antica Desert: Known as the "Sea of Whispering Sands," it's a vast expanse of golden dunes that conceals beneath them the remains of the golden civilization of Atlantis. Its sands are said not merely crumbling rocks, but the ashes of ancient wars in which giants fell. The air there is saturated with an ancient magic that makes time seem to stand still, and whoever ventures into its depths without magical protection may see a mirage that leads them to their doom in the "Valley of the Dead."
Taiju Tokabe: This is truly exciting. It looks like we're in for an incredible adventure.
Raiden: Comrades, we are in the terrifying desert and the grandeur of a bygone civilization. Once we enter, we won't go too far. We'll wait for both leaders, Hanamiya and Rendu.
The members responded with a "Yes" and opened the gate. The pyramid's entrance was vast and imposing, leaving everyone astonished.
Raiden: Let's... (He didn't finish.)
Raiden didn't finish his sentence, for tremendous screams erupted from within the pyramid, shaking the sand beneath their feet. A hot wind, carrying the stench of decay and burnt metal, blew from the purple fissure that served as the temple's gateway. Emissions of dark purple energy danced around the gate's edges, like unseen hands attempting to tear apart reality itself.
Taiju Tokabe (a user of air magic, raising his hand to shield his eyes from the rising dust): "Commander! These aren't the screams of ordinary monsters. They carry ancient rage!" Yuri Kamda (reading his cue, raising his two stone hammers, which gleamed with a faint light): "I can feel it. The pyramid itself is hurting... or perhaps screaming."
Ashley: It seems the mayor was right. The pyramid has indeed changed, Commander.
Raiden: What's going on here?
Suddenly, the sand in front of the gate split open, not just cracking, but as if the earth itself had opened to vomit up a nightmare. From beneath the sand, with astonishing speed, sprang a gigantic worm with a pale gray body, completely covered in scales resembling eroded stone coffins. Its eyes were lifeless, but its round mouth was studded with sharp, black crystal teeth that absorbed all the light around it.
Ashley Sotani (Deputy, shouting a warning): "It's the Soul-Eater 'Amt-Sir'! Beware, its teeth don't just tear flesh, they drain magical energy!"
Raiden: Prepare for battle. Yuri brought his right hammer, glowing with the magic of the earth, crashing down on Amt-seer's pointed skull with a thunderous blow. It wasn't just a blow; it was the shattering force of ancient idols. The giant worm's body shook violently, and some of its stone-like scales cracked. Yuri followed with another blow from his left hammer, aiming for the beast's open mouth. This time, his intention wasn't to kill, but to smash it.
Earth sparks and thick dust flew with each strike. Amt-seer took a step back, squeaking strangely, as if she hadn't expected such resistance. She seemed to feel pain, a rare occurrence for the otherwise impervious creatures of the desert.
Hakuba Node (a water magic user, smiling at Yuri's bravery): "Well done, Yuri! You've proven that his father bequeathed him not only magic, but the spirit of a warrior too!"
Raiden glanced at Yuri, then at the glowing purple gate, a faint smile playing on his lips. The mission had just begun, and this was merely a simple test. But a monster of this power could only have appeared as a "guardian" of something far greater.
As the dust from Yuri Kamda's blows filled the air, and the monster "Amt-Sir" wobbled under the weight of his hammers, suddenly... there was an absolute silence. The sand stopped rustling, and the hot wind vanished, replaced by a sudden chill that made the team's breath come out like steam.
Raiden (holding his hammer, the Kangaroo Spirit (Thian) speaking cautiously): "Stop! Something's wrong... the magic pressure is changing!" From behind the purple fissure of the temple emerged another monster, but the aura emanating from it made even Amet-Ser tremble with fear.
Raiden: What the hell was that? (A stunned look).
Ashley: This is unbelievable!
... (After Yuri brought his hammer down on Amet-Ser and the monster recoiled)...
No sooner had Amet-Ser retreated than a violent tremor erupted, not just a shaking, but as if the temple itself were roaring. The purple pyramid gate split open wider, releasing a vortex of dark energy that mingled with the sand to form a colossal, terrifying entity, beyond the squad's wildest imagination.
It was a monster that combined two pharaonic nightmares: its head was that of a majestic black wolf like Anubis, but its body extended like a colossal serpent like Apophis, covered in dark scales bearing runes that glowed purple. He gripped a colossal stone hammer in his right hand and a heavy, coffin-shaped shield in his left. His eyes burned red, like infernal embers, and the moment he appeared, the temperature plummeted. He absorbed the light around them, leaving the squad in near-darkness, illuminated only by the purple glow of the gateway.
Raiden (his eyes widening in shock, but his voice firm): "What the hell?! 'Anubis-Apophis'... These are legendary monsters! The squad, the defensive combat formation! This is not a test!"
The colossal beast charged forward with heavy, earth-shaking steps, raising its giant hammer, which created a massive blast wave.
Yuri Kamda (shouting defiantly, his hammers ablaze with earth magic): "I won't let him touch you! Crush the Earth Anubis!"
Yuri charged first, using his hammers to slam the ground, creating a massive crack in the sand toward the monster. But the monster was unfazed. It smashed through the crack with its hammer and swung it toward Yuri.
Before the blow could land, a golden sand aura emanated from Raiden Mukanni, and his legendary spirit, Thain the Kangaroo, materialized in astonishing proportions, taking the blow instead of Yuri. The monster's hammer slammed into Thain's muscular body with a crushing explosion, but the kangaroo withstood the onslaught.
Raiden (leaping gracefully, taking advantage of Thain's protection): "Well done, Thain! Sand Magic: Andon's Typhoon!"
Raiden raised his hands, and sand swirled around him, forming a violent vortex that battered the serpentine beast's body, stirring up a thick cloud of dust that momentarily obscured it from view.
Ashley Sotani (raising her hands, her eyes glowing with a faint light): "I'll expose its weaknesses! Spirit Magic: Seeing the Foresight!"
Ashley's aura emanated, piercing the cloud of dust and revealing a faint purple glow emanating from an area on the beast's chest.
Hakuba Nodi (raising his hands, a wave of water swirling around his arms): "I've found the target! Water Magic: The Sea Fairy Cannon!"
A powerful water cannon shot from Hakuba's hand, piercing the dust and striking directly at the weakness Ashley had identified, delivering a violent shock to the beast.
Rayon Nessi (raising her hands to the sky, the sun reflected in her eyes): "It's my turn! Sun Magic: The Apophis Burner!" A small, glowing ball of fire gathered in Rayon's hands, unleashing a beam of sacred sun fire that slammed into the monster, leaving a distinct burn on its dark scales.
The giant beast staggered back, squeaking strangely, as if the coordinated attacks had truly wounded it. But it didn't fall. Instead, it roared furiously, raising its hammer to strike the ground with even greater force, directing a shockwave of dark energy toward the squad.
Taiju Tokabe (advancing, his hands glowing with air magic): "You won't reach them! Air Magic: Hurricane Shield!"
Taiju created a swirling shield of raging winds, which deflected and weakened the shockwave, but the force of the blow was immense, sending it back several steps.
Lara Komai (scattering seeds on the ground, from which sprout spiky orange roses): "I'll restrain it! Rose Magic: Wild Ivy Restraints!" The thorny roses shot swiftly toward the monster's legs, attempting to restrain its serpentine movements, but the colossal beast unleashed a purple energy from its body, scorching the roses before they could fully grasp it.
Raiden (punching the ground, sand gathering around him like a shield): "His strength is immense! We can't hold out like this for long! We must concentrate our attacks on one point!"
The monster gathered its strength, its eyes blazing terrifyingly, as if preparing to unleash a final, devastating assault. It wasn't just a monster; it was an ancient war machine, designed to annihilate any intruder who dared enter the temple.
At that moment, Hana Sato was preparing to enter the temple.