Chapter 14: Trampler
"I don't see the problem in looking in them though…"
Stelle deflated like a small animal after getting separated from her destined treasure while March had a slightly tired look on her face.
"What were you asking again? I didn't hear you."
"I just need the encryption key you got from Asta…"
Dan Heng decided not to think too much about what just happened and waited for March to give them the encryption key so that Arlan could activate the elevator once again.
March began to search her pockets and after fumbling for quite a while, she handed the key card to Arlan.
"Thanks, I'll activate the elevator system now. But I'm only going to do the one at the top floor since I don't want any of the roaming minions to have any chance of reaching the Master Control Room. Sorry."
Arlan gave an apologetic look as he revealed his decision would mean for them to travel a bit more.
"Don't worry you wish to avoid putting those people at risk so I understand."
"You're just doing your job so no need to apologize!"
Yuuto waved his hand to sign that he didn't mind while March gave some words to express she felt the same.
Arlan scratched the back of his head as he felt strange with their encouragement before proceeding to unlock the system with the card he was given.
Yuuto watched as a few screens began to pop up and Arlan skillfully navigated through each window trying to set the point of activation towards the top floor of the Storage Zone.
As he watched Arlan's actions he noticed that the encryption key was placed to the side as its use was now over.
Yuuto contemplated for a while before he briefly brushed his fingers on the surface of the card.
'It could be helpful in the future.'
His eyes faded from a faint white color to his usual green ones as he used [Archive] on the encryption key.
"Alright, that should do it."
Seeing that a green symbol appeared on the holographic screen, Arlan stood up and notified everyone that they should start to leave now.
"Let's a go!!"
March excitedly led the way as they gathered together to leave the control room and made their way towards the elevator.
Arlan and Stelle formed the front of the group, while March and Yuuto in the middle and Dan Heng in the rear providing support in case of enemies from the back.
Creating a formation as they encounter minions from the Antimatter Legion.
"I just realized but this would be the first time we would fight together as part of the Astral Express Crew~"
"That's true. Are you going to show all the moves you've been bragging about so far?"
"Meh, we'll see if these guys can handle my normal moves first."
Yuuto laughed a bit as he saw March raise her chin upwards, bragging while he continued to look at his surroundings.
They continued to climb some stairs and enter a multitude of rooms with no sight of any minions that Yuuto thought that the Antimatter Legion disappeared from the station.
However this thought was quickly broken when distortions began to appear in the air and various Voidrangers showed up ready to decimate anything in their sights.
–VOOOM
"It looks like a Distorter finally appeared."
Noticing that a Voidranger with multiple shards of metal circulating around it, Yuuto quickly began to spread out his mist while the others got into position to attack.
Stelle and Arlan were the first to engage as they kicked the hard floor and quickly shortened the gap between them.
Blue sparks bursted from Stelle and she proceeded to smash apart the enemies in her way.
Breaking apart with each of her swings.
'She's strong..'
Arlan thought as he watched her smash apart each Voidranger quickly without much difficulty.
Not wanting to drag them down, Arlan started to move himself and tried his best to defeat as many enemies as he could.
–VOOOM
The Distorter that was stalling at the back began to shift the shards that floated around itself before forming a point where energy began to gather.
However before it could fire its attack, iridescent colored mist began to group around its feet and sudden movement began to appear within it.
Sharp spikes quickly erupted from the cold mist which impaled the Distorter, causing multiple spikes to appear through its metal-like body.
This impaling action continued to happen once again before the Distorter vanished into a dark ball of energy.
"Yikes, that was pretty brutal."
Stelle whistled as she bashed the last Voidranger near her and watched how Yuuto continued to impale a few more enemies before he stopped.
"Don't act like you didn't smash that pitiful Voidranger earlier just so you can get something shiny you saw inside it."
"Eh I don't know what you mean."
"Yeah, yeah."
Yuuto scoffed when he saw Stelle tilting her head innocently as if he was saying a false claim.
Yuuto reeled in the cold mist as he thought about how he was able to control it just fine but he needed more time to learn how to adapt its uses other than the white sword he uses.
As he realized his mist was pretty versatile with its uses.
"What do you think happened during the time they were traveling to our location..?"
"Probably best not to think about it."
Dan Heng quickly replied when he heard March's unsure question after hearing their unsettling conversation between the two and proceeded to travel towards the elevator.
The group continued to encounter more minions from the Antimatter Legion but they quickly dealt with them as they fought furiously with each enemy that came their way.
"Aww, was that all? There weren't as many monsters as I had expected."
"That's a flag March."
Yuuto mumbled when he heard March's words as they arrived at the second floor where a lone bridge was all that's left from making their way towards the elevator.
However rather than feeling relaxed Yuuto was on high alert as he continuously looked around waiting for a specific enemy.
"Hey, get ready there might be a strong enemy roaming.."
Yuuto spoke to Dan Heng who was walking beside him as he prepared for a potential attack coming his way.
Dan Heng raised his spear as he noticed the attention Yuuto was giving to his surroundings and walked with him towards the front.
The rest noticed the atmosphere the two gave off and brandished their weapons as they also looked around.
-CLOOP CLOOP
And as if it was waiting for them to arrive, a large humanoid centaur-like creature flew from below the bridge and swung its large hoove-like legs towards Yuuto and Dan Heng who were at the front.
Yuuto used his mist to create a shield while Dan Heng swung his spear to block the attack that came from the creature.
The force of the attack blew the two away but they were able to regain their footing as the two blocked the attack where they were able to minimize the damage.
The creature or more accurately the Trampler landed gracefully as it summoned its large bow and got into a battle stance right in front of them.
"This one is stronger.."
March said seriously as she readied her bow but her eyes worriedly glanced at the two guys who blocked the attack from earlier.
"We're fine, just focus on how we can beat that thing in front of us."
Regaining their positions, Yuuto and Dan Heng got ready as one released a sharp mist while the other shifted the spear in his hands.
"I'll provide backup so go ahead and attack!"
March yelled out as she pulled the string on her bow and her [Six-Phased Ice] began to manifest and it began to give out a light pink glow.
Without stalling a moment Stelle charged as she used her bat to create a large and powerful smash against the agile legs of the Trampler.
"Stelle! Quickly move back!"
Not missing a beat at Yuuto's words, Stelle backstepped and watched as multiple spikes appeared where she attacked.
It repeatedly punctured the body of the Trampler before it moved back and avoided the spikes from dealing any further damage.
But as it moved back a figure enveloped with a faint black wind appeared and pushed his spear forward three times before swinging the spear in a sweeping motion.
Creating a wound on its backside.
–GAHHH
"Nice work."
"You too."
Yuuto greeted Dan Heng who came back after his attack as he saw the Trampler scream after it received damage from Stelle, Yuuto and Dan Heng.
The Trampler slammed its hooves onto the ground before it pulled the large bow in its hands where a large arrow began to power itself up.
Its body ridden with punctures on its underside and large wounds at its back shook with anger as it tried to charge its most powerful attack.
"Let's use this chance to stun it and deal some major damage."
As everyone noticed the chance after hearing Yuuto's words, they were quick to act as March took the first lead.
"Take this!"
With her concentrated arrow, she released the bow strong and the arrow flew high up to the sky. As it reached the sky, the arrow suddenly split apart and multiple copies of the same arrow rained down on the Trampler.
Freezing the Trampler in place.
Right after March's barrage ended Stelle jumped up and appeared right below its head where she swung her bat upwards, briefly stunning the Trampler.
"You two did amazing ."
"I know I am!"
"What Stelle said!"
Yuuto laughed as he used the window Stelle and March created and forcefully integrated all of the mist into one point where one large spike formed right under the Trampler.
At the same time, Dan Heng's breath turned calm as black and white wind began to form around him and a yin yang symbol appeared on his spear.
The large spike moved upwards while a fast spear moved swiftly on the Trampler's body that froze in place.
–GAHH
The Trampler began to scream in pain as two attacks dealt fatal damage to it and its voice began to gradually weaken.
However it's body began to shake as if it wanted to let out one last move seeing it's currency state.
-GAA–
"Hell no. Like I'll let you do a last ditch summon."
Yuuto let out a heavy breath as he encased the Trampler's head with a hefty layer of ice making it incapable from making any further sounds.
He looked around to see if it's cries attracted any more enemies but after a couple of seconds nothing appeared so he figured that it was safe.
"Hey, do you think that there's any–"
"Let me guess any shiny things inside that monster..?
"Wow you know me so well now. Are you somehow reading my mind?"
"...."
Not understanding her fixation with shiny objects, Yuuto just ignored Stelle's suspicious stares thinking that he was able to hear her thoughts.
–WRIMM
As the group began to collect themselves, they suddenly tensed up when they heard an object floating in the air and how it quickly approached them.
"At! That's Himeko's drone!"
March's expression relaxed greatly when she saw the object and placed her arms onto the drone.
"Let's go before any more Voidrangers arrive due to the noise we made."
Dan Heng quickly said as he operated the console for the elevator and opened the door towards the Master Control Room.
"Hai! Hai!"
The group made their way into the elevator and the doors closed giving a sign where everyone finally relaxed.
'The Nameless are amazing…I didn't even get a chance to do anything…'
Arlan who was in the back sighed as he thought about his role in the fight and thought that he would work extra hard later to make up for his lack of contribution.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone