Cursed Paradise (1)

We made it to the graveyard and I looked around for Cuara. I walked ahead and heard a scream. Athena and the others heard it too and looked around. We heard another scream and ran in the direction in which it came from.

Cuara was running away from the zombies and skeletons. She cried out and bumped into me then fell down. I stumbled backwards and grunted. Cuara looked up at me then quickly got up and hid behind me, holding onto me.

I snapped my fingers and Sol was summoned at my side. She rushed forward and slashed, releasing a cutting wave of light that hit the monsters headed our way. She slashed quickly in the air, unleashing a flurry of cutting waves at the monsters until all of them were defeated.

Cuara looked a bit surprised seeing Sol at my side. "The First Oracle..? She was turned into a unit..?"

I looked back at Cuara. "Are you okay?"

She nodded at me and slowly let go of me.

[Cuara's Bond Percentage rose to 6%]

I looked at Sol and she turned around to look at me. I scanned her as she looked different from when we fought her.

Name: Sol

Rarity: Five Stars

Element: Light

Weakness: Dark

Resist: Light

Type: Mixed (Breaker + Tank)

Level: 25

HP: 5,902/5,902

MP: 623/623

Burst Gauge: 20%

ATK: 263

DEF: 263

MATK: 122

MDEF: 263

AGI: 247

LUK: 360

Skills: Oracle Flux, First Cross, Oracle Counter, Dancing Rush

Burst Skill: Sol Driver

Leader Skill: Oracle's Might [Boosts parameters by 25%, Oracle Skills are boosted by 50%]

Equipped Spheres:

Slot 1: None

Slot 2: None

"I wasn't aware she had a five star form. When we battles against her she started as a Six Star then evolved into an Eight Star, skipping the Seven Star evolution." I said.

"I see..." Cuara said then shook her head. "You all need to be careful here. The monsters here aren't right. They aren't your typical enemies. These monsters have become more sentient than ever..! This place is deserving of the name of Haunted Cemetery. I'm too scared to warp away...Hold me."

Cuara held onto me and I held her waist. I had a bead of sweat rolling down my cheek.

"You're more scared than I thought you were. That's insane." I said then let her go. "Are you sure the monsters were the only thing you saw?" I asked.

Cuara let go of me. "W-Well there was...Zombie Units of the Starter Units and I saw the Masked Figure...he was wandering around the dungeon, setting traps..! It was too scary I had to flee, but he heard me and sent those monsters after me!"

"The masked figure...Alright squad let's push forward. Maybe this is our chance to get some definite answers." I said.

Athena nodded. "And maybe we could stop him as early as now!"

Our units nodded and Cuara seemed a bit more assured. We marched forward then I heard a giggle and a black mist surrounded the area. I grunted and coughed as the mist choked the air. I swiped my hand to get the mist away, but it wasn't going away. Suddenly the mist disappeared and all of my friends except Athena disappeared. We looked surprised and Athena began to feel a little panicked.

[Yuki, Ophelia, Shelly, Sol, and Hikari has been removed from the party.]

"Sh-Shin..? What's going on?" Athena asked and looked around. "Hikari!"

"I don't know.." I replied and looked around as well. "Hey Yuki! Shelly! Ophelia where are you?! Sol!"

"Welcome to my Field Effect.." A voice said and giggled. We looked around then a unit appeared from the fog. I looked at the unit and noticed a woman wearing a black cloak with the hood over her head. "If you wish to see your friends again, play my game. If you win, you can leave this area without a scratch...if not...your souls belong to me!"

The woman laughed evilly then six portals appeared behind her, showing each of our units being tortured. I looked at Yuki's and Hikari's portal and my eyes widened.

"Master!" Yuki screamed in terror as a skeleton ripped off her clothes.

"Mistress! Sa- No! No! Stop it!" Hikari cried out and tried to kick the zombies away as they ripped off her clothes.

"Your units are living their worst nightmares, but I showed favoritism toward Yuki and Hikari. I can tell how much they love my gift for them." The woman laughed.

"You monster.." I scowled and growled. "Let them go...NOW!"

The woman looked at me and sensed evil aura within me. She smirked and closed the portals. "A man of Virtues...holding such malefic aura within himself. I can sense your malicious intent to harm me, but you can't because you're playing by my rules now! In this Field Effect, you can't use your skills, Burst Skills, Leader Skills, Extra Skills, nor Weapon Skills! This field effect is called...Cursed Paradise!"

"Shin..." Athena touched my arm. I looked at her and she gave me a reassuring smile. "We'll save them...don't worry.."

I closed my eyes and calmed down then exhaled. I looked back at the woman and she looked at us.

"Are you ready to play..?" The woman asked.

"We'll play your stupid game...and once we are able to use your skills again. I'll kill you personally. I'll make you pay dearly.." I said in a dark tone and my eyes shined.

The woman laughed and warped away. "I like your attitude...Let's begin! Trial 1!" She started then ten giant flowers emerged from the ground anf I noticed they all lit up.

"What is this bullshit..?" I asked and looked at the flowers.

"You must light up all the flowers in order. Get one wrong and I take away 15% of your HP!" The woman giggled. "Memory is key..~"

Athena and I looked at the flowers and noticed the fifth flower light up then the eighth and finally the first. The hardest part about this trial is that the flowers only lit up for a split second meaning you'd have to catch it the moment it happens. Athena ran forward and touched the fifth flower and the eighth, and I ran over to the first flower and touched it.

"Wow, you actually have good memory..~ Now let's turn up the difficulty this time..." The woman said.

We looked at the flowers and the only two flowers I managed to catch was the second and third flower. I looked at Athena, hoping she caught the other flowers.

She looked at me nervously. "I-I didn't catch any of them...they went by too quickly.."

I looked at the flowers and walked forward. Athena looked at me nervously. I walked to the ones that I knew. I touched the second and third flower. I exhaled and ran to the sixth flower and it shocked me, draining 15% of my HP.

Shin's HP: 8,823/10,380

I grunted and let go of the flower. I held my wrist and looked at the flowers.

"Whoops!~ That wasn't the correct one." The woman laughed.

I growled and ran to the ninth flower and touched it. I groaned as it shocked me and took another 15% HP from me. I panted and lowered my head. My hair covered my eyes and I clenched my teeth as steam came from my hand.

Shin's HP: 7,266/10,380

Athena watched me go from flower to flower until I finally got it.

Shin's HP: 1,038/10,380

"By the grace of Bravulla, you managed to solve it. One more wrong answer and you would've perished an unforgiving death." The woman laughed and the flowers disappeared. "Trial 2! We are going to see how good you are at dancing."

"Dancing..?!" Athena asked as she helped me stay standing. She gave me a Mega Potion and recovered most of my HP.

The woman summoned turrents on the battlefield and laughed. "Dance for me puppets! Survive for five minutes!"

The turrents began to shoot out lasers of darkness at us.

I summoned my sword and shield. "Get behind me!"

Athena hid behind me and held onto me. I grunted as the lasers hit my shield, doing chip damage to me. I noticed the lasers began to curve around me and aimed at Athena.

"You dance too! Everyone dances!" The woman laughed.

Athena got hit and groaned then she began to dodge the lasers as best she could.

"Come on Shin! Dance! Don't you want Yuki and the others safe?! Dance for me puppets!" The woman laughed and sensed my evil aura growing stronger.

I began to show Weakness. "Stop it..." I panted.

"Willpower is an easy thing to break isn't it..?" The woman smirked and looked at me. "What a hero without his or her willpower? A hero without the will to fight is nothing but a sad sack of flesh..."

The lasers began hitting my body all over and I grunted with each one. I panted and fell to one knee. My mind began to fall into the Darkness. "Let them go..!" I yelled and my dark aura began to grow out of control.

"Shin!" Athena yelled and ran to me. "Look out Shin!"

I looked up and my eyes widened. This woman was going to take my Life.

"Shin!" Athena yelled and reached her hand out to me. A vine grew from under the ground and wrapped around her leg, making her fall.

"Bye bye..~" The woman smirked and watched the laser go straight through my head.

"Shin!" Athena screamed.