The Unholy (Arifureta X OC)

Ankaji's Oasis

Kane POV

We drive through an opening and are presented with a beautiful oasis.

Cattleya: "Place sure is breathtaking."

Yue: "No kidding. It's like its own little world."

Going further down the road we arrive at a palace.

Man: "Bize, you brought help."

Bize: "I have father."

We fill him in.

Man: "I see. You've all come to save my nation and its people from ruin?"

Hajime: "Seems that way."

Shea and Kaori head inside a building. Meanwhile the rest of us head to an open field. There Yue uses a black sphere to make a giant hole. A giant block of black material then sinks into the hole. Smoothing the material into gravel Yue finally fills it up with water creating a fresh water source.

Hajime: "That should quench your thirst."

Next we head to the oasis.

Yue: "What's wrong?"

Hajime: "My demon eye's detecting something under the surface."

He looks at the duke.

Hajime: "How far's the research team gotten with locating the source of the poison?"

Duke: "They've analyzed the water of the oasis and the rivers that flow out of it. They've also studied the groundwater veins. But they haven't explored the bottom of the oasis itself."

Hajime: "You guys wouldn't happen to be hiding any creepy artifacts in there would you?"

Duke: "We use artifacts for security and management purposes, but they're kept outside the oasis."

Hajime: "Then I wonder what I'm detecting."

Kane: "I'll go investigate."

I swan dive into the oasis. Swimming towards the bottom I find nothing. Confused I begin swimming back to the surface. However something wraps around my ankle and yanks me back into the depths. Turning I'm presented with a purple gelatinous monster.

I narrow my eyes then send out a beam of fire. The monster screeches in pain. It then swings me around before launching me at the feet of the others.

Hajime: "What'd you find?"

I point as the monster breaches the surface. It roars when Hajime shuts it up with a bullet. It hits a strange object within killing the monster.

Kane: "That was incredibly easy."

Duke: "I wonder how that kind of monster got into the oasis in the first place."

Cattleya: "If I were to make an educated guess. I'd say it had to be the work of demons."

Duke: "We've done some research but we've never heard of demons controlling monsters."

Cattleya: "One thing you should never do is underestimate a demon."

Duke: "Agreed. Well we thank you for your service. You're the savior to our country."

We head back to where we left Shea and Kaori.

Duke: "People of Ankaji. The source of the oasis' pollution has been removed. It'll take some time but our oasis will soon be restored."

They cheer.

Duke: "In addition we have a clean supply of water. It's enough to last until a cure arrives. On that note, these adventurers have accepted our request. They'll travel to the Grand Gruen Volcano to mine the stillstone needed to heal us."

They cheer once more. Later that day we stand outside the palace.

Kaori: "I'll stay and look after patients but my prayers will be with you. Just find the stillstone and hurry back alright?"

Hajime: "Sure. We'll be back soon."

Myu: "How come I have to stay behind?"

I kneel to her level.

Kane: "We're heading into a volcano and it'll be too dangerous. So just wait for me to come back okay?"

Myu: "Okay."

Kane: "Take good care of her."

I lean into Kaori's ear.

Kane: "Should anything happen to her I'll burn your soul outta your body, got it?"

Sweat forms.

Kaori: "I promise no harm will come to her."

With that we take our leave heading to the volcano. After dealing with some more sandworms and a sand tornado we finally reach the volcano.