Kisho stood in the central stone hall, quietly lost in thought.
Suddenly, his eyes slowly closed, and his breathing grew lighter.
"What—"
Just as Sion was about to say something, he saw Amos, who stood beside Kisho, raise a hand in a gesture signaling him to be quiet.
Sion let out a soft chuckle but did not continue.
A few minutes later, Kisho opened his eyes and looked at Sion.
"I need to check every side chamber first."
"Oh?"
Sion's eyes widened slightly.
"You've found something?"
That would be an unexpected delight.
Kisho frowned. After a moment, he said, "I'm not certain yet—let's take a look first."
"Suit yourself."
Sion spoke, then added with a slight frown, "But don't damage anything in the ruins."
"Amos, come."
Kisho nodded and beckoned to Amos.
The two entered the first side chamber directly north of the stone hall.
Out of Sion's sight, Kisho raised his hand. A [Chapter of the Stars] appeared in his palm, which he handed to Amos.
Amos took it, glanced at it, and said, "This one's different from the one you gave me last time."
"The previous one was called [Chapter of the Four Seasons]. It enhanced physical abilities and aura capacity."
Kisho conjured another and held it in his own hand before continuing,
"This one is [Chapter of the Stars]. Once you channel aura into it, you can communicate with me. I can also teleport to your location at any time."
Amos' pupils shrank.
"Teleport?"
Kisho nodded.
Resting his chin on his hand, he pondered for a moment.
"After entering the outer stone hall, the syllables I heard became very strange—similar to what I heard outside, yet not quite the same."
Amos frowned.
"Similar yet not the same? What kind of comparison is that?"
Kisho scratched his head, thinking about how to explain it. Then he said,
"It's like taking a perfectly composed piece of music and breaking it apart, rearranging it completely. The components are the same, but the result sounds entirely different."
Amos said, "So by your meaning, the music you heard inside the stone hall was complete?"
"I suspect there's indeed something inside the hall deliberately scrambling the melody like this. Otherwise, anyone who entered here would be done for."
Kisho's expression turned serious.
"After all, this is the Sonata of Darkness."
"The problem is why only you can hear it," Amos said. "Is there something different about you compared to us?"
Kisho smiled and raised his hand. The Fantasizing Musician appeared in his grasp.
Amos lifted an eyebrow.
"Your Nen ability can also materialize as a book—wait, what type are you exactly?"
"I'm not sure myself… Just think of me as an Enhancer who messed up his skill tree."
Amos: "…"
As he spoke, Kisho flipped the book in his hand to the section following the Chapter of Darkness.
Just as he expected, after Piano Solo, the words Harp Solo were written clearly.
However, the sheet music that followed still consisted of only a few faint syllables per line, as if shrouded in a thin layer of mist over the page, impossible to see clearly.
"It might be because of this Nen book of mine."
Kisho closed the book.
"Let's check every side chamber first."
Amos nodded.
However, to their surprise, after inspecting all the side chambers, they discovered that in all seven chambers, the runes carved into the walls were completely identical—even their positions were exactly the same.
The two stood in the seventh side chamber.
Kisho looked at Amos.
"Hey, Chief Amos. With your painter's sharp eye, are you absolutely sure there's not even the slightest—tiny—difference between these runes?"
Amos replied, "There truly isn't. If there's any difference at all, it's only in the subtle weathering marks caused by the passage of time."
Kisho fell silent, deep in thought.
...
After leaving the final side chamber and returning to the central stone hall, Kisho and Amos met Sion's teasing gaze.
"Find anything?"
Kisho shook his head, his expression dark.
Sion shrugged.
"Don't look so disappointed. This was expected. My friend is a true authority in archaeology—if even he found nothing, it's normal for you two kids to come up empty-handed."
Sion turned and began walking back the way they came.
"Since there's nothing, let's head back. You two still have to continue the exam—even if it's just a formality for you, you still have to go through it."
Yet Kisho remained standing in the stone hall with a grave expression until Amos gently patted his shoulder.
"Let's go. We can come back and study this place slowly after the exam."
...
Inside the winding passageway, the three walked slowly back, one in front and two behind.
Perhaps because they had found nothing, even the atmosphere felt subdued.
But in Kisho's heart, that sense of something being off remained clear.
In his mind, the sound of the harp continued to appear and vanish without warning.
"Thrum—"
With that single note, Kisho's eyes suddenly widened. He looked at Amos beside him, then at Sion walking ahead.
Amos immediately noticed the change in him.
"What's wrong?"
Sion, at the front, also turned to look at him.
"Did my movements just now seem different in any way?"
Kisho stared at Amos.
"I mean, did I suddenly speed up or slow down?"
Amos thought for a moment.
"I don't think so."
"But we were walking very close. If you were affected, I should have been influenced in sync with you. If that were the case, I wouldn't have noticed anything either."
"I'm going back. I want to walk this passage again."
Kisho fell silent for a moment, then spoke firmly.
"Alright."
Amos nodded without asking for a reason.
"Then we'll go back."
Sion, who had been maintaining his En and sensed the two children suddenly turning around, stopped and looked back.
"Hey, what are you two doing?"
"Oh, Kisho wants to walk through this passage again," Amos replied casually. "Maybe he found something."
After saying that, the two ignored Sion completely, entered a state of Zetsu, and stepped back into the vines behind them.
Watching them, Sion sighed.
"Kids these days sure have personality."
Then he followed as well.
...
The three returned to the stone hall once more.
"Why are you following us again?" Amos turned and said in a tone of disdain when he saw Sion.
Sion raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? Dislike me, huh? Believe it or not, I can cancel your exam qualifications right now."
Kisho: "…"
The first time he saw this man, he thought he was some tall, aloof master. Who would've thought…
Kisho cleared his throat and looked seriously at Amos, raising the [Chapter of the Stars] in his hand.
"Amos, you stay with Mr. Sion in a moment."
Amos understood and nodded slightly, walking to Sion's side.
"Five meters of distance. If I'm affected, that should be enough for you to see clearly."
Kisho spoke slowly.
"This time, I'll walk in front. Observation is up to you."
Amos nodded.
Sion, standing beside him, smiled faintly.
"Alright."
With their roles clearly divided, the three set off once again from the entrance of the stone hall.