Now that the danger of Desert Sharks had been dealt with, the group carried on with their journey to the Gourmet Pyramid. At first, it was the scouring rays of the sun they had to worry about. It was almost unbearable for them if it wasn't for the camels. Sarafina was fairing better than them but she was more worried about Kururu. Being an ice-based creature, this level of heat was no less than torturous for her. Sarafina made sure that her kitten was covered by layers of cloth so Kururu may freeze herself to keep herself refreshed. But it wasn't just the blazing heat. The group had to venture through sandstorms and whirlwind. It wasn't the same than going up the Sky Plant but it was a close second.
Eventually, they made it through all that and when nightfall came, they decided it would be best to set up camp and continue on till morning. After snagging a nearby beast they had food to fill the hunter and ex-convict bottomless stomachs. It was quiet for the most part and Sarafina was grateful for that. Still... Her hand trailed across the smooth sand. She lifted a small portion of it, allowing it to flow freely between her fingers. As fun as this mission was, this sand wasn't making things easy for her. Soon, after everyone ate, the group headed inside the tent to get some sleep. Except for her.
Sarafina stood by the campfire and closed her eye. She swept her feet across the sand and moved her arms. Letting out a small portion of her powers to create a sound wave at the surrounding area. But, as expected, she found nothing. She let out a dejected sigh at that. She brushed a stay lock of hair from her face and opened her eye.
'You have something you wish to say, Toriko?'
Sarafina turned her head to face a surprised blue-haired hunter who was standing in the entryway of the tent. Sarafina smiled and shook her head. She brought a finger to her lips. 'Careful. Zebra has Hell Ears remember? It's easier to speak this way without getting him involved.' She tells him as she communicates with him through telepathy. Toriko blinked in surprised before letting out a chuckle in his mind as he walked over to her.
'Is that part of your abilities?' He asked.
'Yes, of course, I'm a bit out of practice since I never saw much use for it. Now then, what do you want to say?' Sarafina asked, turning her gaze away from him.
Toriko sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. 'Are you still mad at me..? Look, I don't know what I did this time but...'
'It's alright. After doing some thinking, it was foolish of me to be upset and it wasn't entirely your fault. But still... to hear you swoon over another woman the way you did with Warden Love like that...I guess...I felt a little jealous.' Sarafina said.
'Wha-?! Ah, y-yeah, I guess I can see why you would be upset.' Toriko said. Aw geez, no wonder she looked like she was ready to rip his head off. He had told Sarafina that he had loved her and how he was going to stay by her side. And then to have to hear him go gaga over an "attractive" woman so easily, that would leave her with insecurities. Especially since...well. Toriko went to her side and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her close. She wasn't pulling away, so that's a good sign. 'I'm sorry.'
'I know you are. But I forgive you. I'm sorry you have to deal with me.'
'You're still the one I want. And I wouldn't trade you for anything else.'
Sarafina reached up and held his arms. Spreading a small smile as she leaned against him. 'Thank you...' They stood there for a moment of silence. Holding each other close and savouring each other's warmth. Soon they pulled away and began to walk back to the tent when Sarafina suddenly felt a small rush of fatigue and almost fell to the ground if Toriko hadn't caught her in time. 'Sarafina!'
'I'm okay...my body's a little exhausted right now, but I'll be fine. I just-.'
'You're getting hungry, aren't you?' Toriko asked. Knowing exactly what she needed to eat. Sarafina's eye widened and shook her head. 'No, no. I'm alright, really. I just need some sleep.' She tells him as she tries to stand up and go back to the tent but Toriko's grip on her arm tighten. Sarafina turned back to him and the look his eyes told her that he was never going to let her go until she gave in. Sarafina sighed and turned to him. 'Yes.' She admitted. 'I'm...hungry.'
'You know that I'm more than willing to let you feed from me, right?' Toriko asked, his hand moving down to hold her hand.
'Yes, you made sure I understood that perfectly.' Sarafina said with a small smile.
'So...how...do you eat souls?' Toriko asked.
'The first time around, I don't exactly remember. My demon had to force-feed it to me whilst I was still comatose. So there are only two ways I know about. One is where I had to bite into my desired target and absorb their soul. The second...well... let's say that the first option is a little less painful.' She told him. She picked his hand and raised to cup her cheek. Toriko used his thumb to caress her cheek as she kissed his palm. 'I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry...' She said. Tears were beginning to form in her eyes. Toriko wiped her tears away and brought her close once more. 'Don't be. It's okay.'
Sarafina sadly nodded and squeezed his hand. She kissed his palm once more and trailed her lips down to his wrist. Toriko watched in slight fascination as her pale blue eye began to emit a silvery-blue glow. Sarafina opened her mouth and two sharp fangs started to grow. She gave a soft kiss to Toriko's wrist before she bit down hard, digging into his flesh. Toriko winced a bit as he powered through the pain. Oddly enough, he didn't feel his blood being drained but he did feel something being extracted from him. He saw Sarafina swallowing something down her throat a few times before she released him. She took in a few deep breath and her fangs disappeared, her eyes returning to their normal colour.
'You okay?' Toriko asked as he patted her back.
'Yes. I'm okay now. And I mean it this time.' Sarafina said with a small smile. Toriko gave a sigh in relief and smiled at her. 'Good.' He said. They laced their fingers together, leaned in and gave each other a gentle kiss.
*The next morning*
Once the morning sun came, they gang packed up their supplies and continued on with their journey.
"I can see it!! That's the red of maze of the sand! The Desert Labyrinth!" Toriko called out to the group.
The Red Sand Maze "Desert Labyrinth", also known as the Gourmet Hunter Graveyard. It's the most dangerous of the many deserts of Sand Garden. With the sand being mixed with iron (that is oxidized by the sun) and the blood of animals, it possesses an ominous red colour. The heat there is much more higher than a normal desert, reaching 90°C but perceived as over 100°C.
"It really is a red desert!" Komatsu cried out.
"The iron in the sand, oxidized by the sun, appears red." Toriko said.
"That's not all." Zebra said. "Blood from the beasts is also mixed into the sand. Looks like the main event begins here. It's time for our fun survival game to start."
'A game of survival, huh?' Sarafina thought. "Let's hope that we all get through this without much trouble. Even so, be on your guard Sarafina." Fyreia tells her. Sarafina gave a subtle nod in agreement towards her demon. Kururu climbed up to her shoulder and once she laid eyes of the Desert Labyrinth, she narrowed her eyes and began to growly softly. Her fur began to rise up as she was getting a bad feeling from the place. Sarafina petted her back. Yeah, she can sense it too. If only she could see.
Kururu quickly covered herself within the cloths as they began to move towards the labyrinth. The very moment they step foot in the Red Sand, the group was instantly hit the extreme heat. It was far worse than any normal desert imaginable. It was far different than the desert they began in. Sarafina, due to her past experience in the Gourmet Wolrd, remained unaffected by the intense temperatures. Since she couldn't see, she relied solely on her hearing to detect any anomalies. Zebra, of course, did the same. Sarafina's body tensed up and Zebra's ear twitched when they heard something.
As the heat began to wear away at him, Toriko's eyes widened when he was instantly reminded of the Gourmet World. That hellish heat, the agonising desire for water. The feeling that almost drove him mad! Toriko had tasted this heat in the Gourmet World. This is bad...
"Komatsu! Hydrate yourself!!" Toriko shouted as he turns around to warn Komatsu about staying hydrated but he cut himself short when he saw that Komatsu has gone. Vanished without a trace. Toriko's eyes winded in absolute shock as fear began to overtake him. "KO-?! KOMATSU?!?!" He yelled out. He yelled in the hopes of his partner would respond. But he never did. Before Toriko could jump off and search for his partner, the ground beneath them began to shake violently. As if a massive earthquake was erupting. However, that was not the case.
Quicksand spots appeared, and at a rapid pace at that. It appeared to be overtaking the entire area. To make matters worse, the camels let out a weak wail and had collapsed to the ground, the two hunters and ex-convict jumping off before the hit the ground.
"The heat downed the camel!" Toriko yelled.
"Toriko!" Sarafina called out.
"Toriko, it's quicksand! A ton of it!" Zebra said. They were nearly taken off balance when one massive quicksand formed right beneath their feet and began to pull them down. Luckily, the three quickly jumped out of it to safety before they could get absorbed.
"Toriko, what happened to Komatsu? I can't sense him at all!" Sarafina said.
"I don't know! Where the hell did he go?!" Toriko questioned as he searched around, trying to find anything that would lead to Komatsu's whereabouts. However, Zebra's attention seemed to be focused on something else. "I see. So this is the Desert Labyrinth." Zebra said. The two hunters turned and were greeted by an insane structure. Pathways, full of twist and turns that go to seemingly nowhere. A structure made up of sand and plants, stairways upon stairways. What was this place?
"Wh...what is all this?!" Toriko asked.
"A mirage. The moment we entered this desert the mirage took the kid somewhere." Zebra explained.
"That does explain a few things." Sarafina said.
"Can you guys him, Zebra? Sarafina?" Toriko asked.
"I could try." The blind woman said.
Zebra let out a small chuckle. "No problem. But this move grates on my nerves while I'm doing it, Toriko." He says as something began to move through the sand. Sarafina raised her defences when she sensed a blood-thirsty aura. Rising from the red sand, large grotesque monsters roared and shrieked. Staring down at the foolish insects that dared to enter their territory. "I'm leaving this those guys to you." Zebra said.
Toriko held back a laugh as a smirk spread across his face. "Okay. So it's finally my turn, eh?" After Sarafina warned Toriko to be careful, the blue-haired hunter stepped up to the plate and began to do battle with the beasts. Sarafina kneeled to the sand and pressed her fingers against it. She closed her eye and began to channel her powers while Zebra remained where he stood.
Mirage. An illusion brought by the differences of temperature in the atmosphere and the refraction of light. Because of the overwhelming differences in temperature in the atmosphere of the Desert Labyrinth and the many impurities in the air, the has created a labyrinth mirage. 'I don't like this... Even if it's mother nature... No one lies to me and gets away with it!!' Zebra thought to himself as he began to charge up his technique. His power, as great as it was, began. to swirl around as he opened his mouth to launch it.
"Echolocation: Echo Map!" Zebra shouted as he unleashed his power. Echolocation. Also known as echo positioning, this technique sends out sounds and supersonic waves to determine the condition of one's surroundings through the echoes. It is possible for Zebra to use this and determine the size and details of objects at a max of 70km away from him. Of course, like a fish-finder, it can also be used in the ground and in water. However, this requires a high level of concentration. When the map is to spread close to 70km, Zebra is unable to use any other skills.
Sarafina now placed both hands on the sand as she used her powers to search for Komatsu. Hoping to at least hear one beat of his heart. She began to get increasingly worried when she couldn't. No heartbeat. No twinge of his aura. Nothing. If he was sucked in by a quicksand, then just how far did he fell. Zebra was thinking the same. 'Impossible. I can't find him. How far away did that kid go?!' Zebra thought in surprised. As it turned out, Komatsu was really far inside the sand, drifting at a crazy speed.
"URYAAAAH!! Five-Fold Spiked Punch!!" Toriko yelled as he dodged an incoming attack by the last of the beasts and jumped high. Socking the beast in the face and after taking the hit, it collapsed to the sand. Toriko jumped back to his teammates and turned to them. "How's it going, you guys? Did you find Komatsu?" He asked.
"Just barely on my end." Sarafina replied.
"He's really far away." Zebra said.
"Far?! Where is he?" Toriko asked.
"In the sand...he was probably sucked up by quicksand." Zebra tells him. Toriko blinked in surprised and a moment of relief washed through him. "In...the sand? Is he alive? Komatsu!" Toriko questioned. Sarafina stood back up and Zebra went over to the creature Toriko had just knocked out. Then he struck through the beast with nothing but his hand, taking the blood and gulping it down like it was fresh water. "Hooooo... For...now..." He said. Toriko blinked in surprise again when he heard Zebra's voice.
'His voice is fragmented. He's using his ability to its maximum.' Toriko thought. He must have spread his map to its limits. Which is the distance he tossed the Roar Bullet to the gate to the underworld from Honey Prison. His current map limit is approximately 70km. 'Impossible... Just how far away...was Komatsu carried?'
Sarafina gazed at Zebra and let out a small sigh. "What else can you pick up, Zebra?" She asked the dark red haired behemoth.
"This isn't good. He's getting farther and farther away. The beasts in the sand are chasing him too." Zebra said, shocking Toriko. "Are you serious?! Can't you do anything about this, Zebra?! C'mon, can't you like, use sounds to save him or something?!" Toriko shouted at the ex-convict. Sarafina stepped in between them and pushed Toriko back a bit. "Toriko, calm down."
"Just shut up for a minute." Zebra tells him. "I can shoot out Roar Bullets from here and threaten the beasts, but the kid will still be carried away at a rapid rate...and soon he'll be out of my map's range. Then I'll have no way to locate him."
"Let's chase him, Zebra! Komatsu is always prepared for death, but... he's my partner! I want to save him no matter what!" Toriko said with determination. From the very moment they met, Komatsu was always to stay by the hunter's side and discover new ingredients and travel the world, but this was different. This time the two were partners and these were unfamiliar territories. Sarafina placed a hand and his arm to try and treasure him while Zebra let out a chuckle.
"Fufu... your partner. Has he really adapted properly to you?" He asked.
"Huh?" Toriko went.
"Well, whatever... Fufu...we can chase him, but the quicksand has the sand jumbled. Let's go through the desert. Through the desert labyrinth...follow me closely, Toriko. Try not to get lost along the way, woman." Zebra said as he began to walk on ahead. Sarafina let out small 'hmph' and crossed her arms. "Not likely." She said as she and Toriko began to follow the behemoth towards the labyrinth. They climbed up and down several sets of stairs. Going through twists and turns. It seemed endless. Like each path they take, the labyrinth appeared to grow in length and develop more pathways to talk. Sarafina wanted to use her abilities to find the exit out but figured she first put her full trust in Zebra. To see if he was truly worthy than what others said about him.
Fortunately, the three made it through and were back on the ground. However, while they were out of the labyrinth, Sarafina got the instinct impression that they weren't safe just yet. She gazed down at the ground beneath her bare feet but she could not see anything past the sand. But thankfully Zebra confirmed her suspicions. "Be careful here. It looks like a flat area because of the mirage, but it's actually not. Stay behind me." He said. With his map, he was able to view the path they were walking in was in a zig-zag pattern. And it goes a long way.
Time passed and the heat was becoming more unbearable. It was beginning to wear down Toriko and Sarafina was reaching her limit as well, and without those camels, there was no way for them to get any water. Zebra turned his head to face his travelling companions. "What's wrong, Toriko? Getting tired?"
"Heh! That's a good one! You're the one who seems to have slowed down his pace, Zebra." Toriko shot back with a smirk.
"The hell I have. I'm just matching up with yours, dumbass." Zebra said.
"There's no need to for that, friend."
"Guess I'll dash, then."
"Go right ahead."
"Nice to know you children two can still get along." Sarafina said with a teasing tone.
"Hey!"
"You wanna repeat that, woman?!"
Sarafina giggled as she shook her head, which brought a smile to Toriko's face as he turned back to his old friend. Damn it, he's competitive as always. Whenever Toriko's with Zebra, it makes him remember my time in training. Ever since long ago, Zebra was so stubborn he would never shown any sign of weakness. '...Still though... This heat and dryness is seriously dangerous... It's going to suck all the world out of my body.' Toriko thought to himself. He looked over and blinked in confusion when he spotted an oddly planted flower. But then he raised his guard when he saw that it began to move and quickly sped through the sand towards them.
"This is it. A Sand Flower Fish!" He shouted. The three stood their ground when the beast burst through the sand. It is a large sandfish resembling an anglerfish with a large, pink, rose-like flower on its head. It is quite large in size and heavy as well, with a body length of around 13 meters and a weight of at least 14 tons. Its skin is mostly a blue colour and it has a light blue underbelly. It has small sharp teeth, small beady eyes, a large pointed dorsal fin, and smaller fins on its side.
"Toriko! You'd better nab that!" Zebra said.
"Of course!" Toriko said. It didn't take long at all. One strike from his Fork and the fish went down as quickly as it launched to attack them. Sarafina handled the rest as she pulled out her sword and with a flick of her wrist turned into a whip of blades. She raised her weapon and slashed at the beast, cutting it up into three pieces. Once that was complete, they quickly got to work and began devouring parts of its meat straight from the bone. But they needed more than just the meat. They also drank its blood. Its blood is also consumable and can be used to rehydrate one's self from the intense heat of the sun. And considering that they were on a long journey, Toriko, Sarafina and Zebra definitely needed it.
At this point the Desert Labyrinth's temperature was 90 C. And with the heated, burning flame reflected light, their body temperatures were easily over 100. Toriko sent all the water he absorbs to all the blood in his body. Normally, when blood has too much water in it, the red blood cells explode and cause anaemia. Toriko's Gourmet Cells had already selected strong red blood cells, though, and succeeded in producing a great amount of water. Also, by increasing his own body temperature to over 40 degrees, he was able to lessen the differences with the outside temperature and kept some water from expelling from his body.
'I need to deal with this environment...' Toriko thought to himself. He glanced over to Sarafina with worry-filled eyes. She seemed to be keeping it all together as best she could. She had been through the Gourmet World before so she was already adapted to this level of heat, but still, that didn't ease his concerns. Adaptability to different environments or not, none of it changed the fact that her body was extremely weak. He could only hope they can get out of this heat soon. For now, he just has to keep a close eye on her.
After eating their fill of the Sand Flower Fish, the group continued on their journey to locate the pyramid and find Komatsu. They kept on going through the desert, climbing dune after another. "You alright, Zebra?" Toriko asked.
"About what?"
"Are you coping with this environment?"
Zebra sputtered a laugh. "Coping? Gimme a break." He said. "I don't cope. The question is, can this weather cope with me..?!"
Toriko chuckled a bit. "I see..." He said. 'Seems like he was able to.'
"I'm not surprised by that response. For all we know, Zebra must've gone out of Honey Prison during Magma Season for walks." Sarafina commented.
"Ya damn right I did!" Zebra called out.
"You broke out of prison for something like that?!" Toriko questioned. But he shook his head and smiled. Of course he did. "But... If Komatsu is still alive now then he may have actually been lucky. It may have been difficult for him to stand this heat."
"That 'luck' may be the real thing." Zebra said.
"Hm?"
"That kid...seemed like he had been heading there since the get-go. Maybe he possesses a talent for finding ingredients." Zebra said. A talent for finding ingredients, eh? The Blind Bandit recalled that comment once before. Though Komatsu is an exceptional chef, he's still a normal man. However, during times in their quests, that always seems to shine through. And it's happening now since Sarafina could finally see something.
"What?" Toriko asked.
"By chasing him, we found it." Zebra said as he stood on top of a large sand dune. Toriko's eyes widen and he and Sarafina quickly ran up the dune. Toriko let out a yell as his eyes grew wider as he gazes at the structure before them. They found it. They had finally reached the Gourmet Pyramid. The Pyramid were cola sleep. The group slid down the sand and began to approach the Pyramid. Toriko was still at awe by the sight of it. Sarafina approached the pyramid and places her hand on it. "A...amazing... This is... THE GOURMET PYRAMID?!" He shouted out. "It's so huge... It's gotta be at least 500 meters tall."
"Perhaps. But you'd be wrong anyway, dearest Toriko. It's nowhere that height." Sarafina said as she moves her hand along the structure. "Heh, she's right. It's even more... This is just a part of a pyramid. What you see here is just the tip of the iceberg." Zebra said.
Toriko's eyes widened in shock. "The tip of the iceberg..?!"
Zebra eyed the humongous pyramid in front of them and used his map to see the rest of the structure to see what Sarafina was seeing. '...No... Is this thing actually a pyramid?! What's with... this shape?' Zebra thought to himself. The further he looked, the bigger his eyes became. 'What the hell is this...?!' While what laid before them was a pyramid, it was actually just the tip of a giant. castle underneath the sand. Zebra calls Komatsu who's deep down in the pyramid unconscious. Komatsu finally wakes up and remembers how he ended up there by drifting into quicksand. Right away, he encounters a huge medusa-like beast, but Zebra saved him by sending his Roar Bullet to his location, scaring the beast away. With his Roar Bullet, he tells Komtsu about their whereabouts and tells him to live, and think of what food to prepare after their adventure is over.
"I see. So that means is already inside the pyramid?" Toriko asked as he and the others climbed up to one of the entrances in the pyramid.
"He is and alive to boot. Guess luck really does favour the brave." Sarafina said.
"Let's hurry, Toriko. The inside is fuckin' huge. It's full of mysterious squirming shadows. The Roar Bullet I fire... In the worst-case scenario, if he encounters some fearless beasts...I'm not going to be able to protect that kid's life." Zebra said.
"In that case, we have to find him and fast. The sooner we find Komatsu, the sooner we'll locate the cola and getting ourselves out of here." Sarafina said.
Toriko raised a brow at his old friend and cracked a smile. "What's wrong, Zebra? This is more teamwork than I ever see out of you." He said. He only meant it as a joke and expected Zebra to snap back at him. However, he didn't. Instead, the dark red-haired behemoth gave an unnerving grin and simply replied, "Fufu, well...that kid is... the reward this time. If he were to die...it'd be troublesome..." That made the blue-haired hunter stop in his tracks. "Hmm? Reward?" He questioned.
"Oh, it's nothing. Let's get going, Tori...ko." Zebra says as he walks through the blackened entrance. Leaving Toriko speechless. "Hey, Fina, what do you think Zebra meant by-." "Let's just keep moving, Toriko." Sarafina said, cutting him off and walking into the pyramid tip. Not even looking up to glance at him, leaving Toriko even more confused. Despite many questions rising in his head, Toriko put that aside for now and followed his comrades inside. He was taken back when he sees that in inside the pyramid tip was also a gigantic a maze with thousands of stairways.
"What the... the inside's a labyrinth?! I can understand Sarafina, but you can find a route with your Echo Map, Zebra?!" Toriko asked.
"The people that managed to make it to this point made a mistake from the very start. First of all, this isn't the entrance to the pyramid. This is the very peak. In other words, this pyramid that's buried sand's real location is over there." Zebra says as he motions towards a staircase that leads downward. "So that would be Komatsu's right below us." Sarafina said.
"The...right...way...is...down... ......" As Zebra was making towards the staircase, he began to slowly trail off. Making Sarafina and Toriko look at him in concern. "Zebra?" Toriko called out.
'Shit... I spent the whole spreading my Echo Map...and I lost track of his voice... How far is he taking it?' Zebra thought to himself. Because he had his Map on all the time, Zebra's voice was fading, so he had to stop talking to preserve it. Nevertheless, Toriko, Sarafina and Zebra kept progressing downwards towards Komatsu.
"This pyramid opens up downwards. I've never heard of that before." Toriko said.
"Indeed. But the beast that's in front of us isn't much to scoff that either." Sarafina said as she and Zebra stopped walking. "Hmm?" Toriko went. Amidst their walk, raising from up the stairs was a hideous beast. A giant beast that appeared to be around 22 meters in height, and weighing up to 18 tons. It is a rotund bipedal creature with a single large eyeball and mouth with multiple fanged mandibles and has numerous one-eyed cobras growing from the top of its head. A Gorgops. It opens its mouth to reveal its massive jaw and razor-sharp teeth as it launched itself to attack but it was stopped short when something even larger had come and bit into it.
It was Zebra's Appetite Demon. An ancient Appetite Demon known as the Voice Demon. It is a humanoid bat-like creature with black, heavily scarred skin. Its small, dome-like head sits on top of a heavily muscled body and is dominated by a wide, toothy maw.
But it wasn't alone. A massive clawed hand appeared and grabbed hold of its head. Toriko's demon, the Ogre Hannya appeared beside it as well. But the Gorgops truly shook in terror when teal hair appeared and wrapped itself tightly around the beats body. So tight, it was close to crushing it into pieces. Sarafina's demon, the Yūrei Fyreia joined in on intimidating it. Three demons took hold of the beasts and as it lets out a scream of terror, all three beat it to death in a bloody heap. They were quick to devour it, eating its flesh and consuming its blood before descending down the steps.