Location: Echohold-09 - (Outer Area)

  Time of Day: Afternoon

  Step... step... The party walked along the dry ground in silence for a few minutes before finally coming to a stop. The soft crunch of dirt faded as they slowed their steps. Just ahead, a large fallen tree lay across the forest floor, its stump wide enough to serve as a resting spot.

  Hikari was the first to sit down on it, letting out a soft breath as she settled in. Slayer plopped down beside her, letting out a yawn. One by one, the rest of the group gathered around, quietly collecting their thoughts. Whooo... A gentle breeze passed through them.

  Slayer leaned back slightly, stretching. "Maann... this feels great. The sun's set at the perfect angle, and the wind's just refreshing enough to feel it through my armor."

  Lumina crossed her arms. "Since when do you talk about the weather with such passion?"

  Slayer paused. "Uhh... since a second ago?"

  Lumina just shook her head.

  Hikari gave a gentle smile at the scene.

  Captain cleared his throat. "So what's the plan from here on out? Do we just keep walking endlessly and hope we run into the institution's wall?" He turned toward Hikari. "Or did you already have some kind of plan in mind?"

  Hikari rubbed the back of her head, giving a sheepish half smile. "Ahaha~ yeah... no clue. My brain's kinda fried to think of that right now actually."

  Captain stared at her flatly. "Seriously now."

  Lumina turned to Hikari. "C'mon, Hikari. Don't keep us in suspense here. Don't you have any lead way on how we can get there?"

  "Fine, fine." Hikari sighed. She placed a hand on her chin. "Hmmm... how to reach the Hollows of Echo Institution..." Reaching into her coat pocket, she pulled out both Artifacts. CLINK! They clattered lightly as they touched. Her gaze lowered to the obsidian surfaces, the Black Star and White Star engraved at their centers. Her thoughts began to turn inward.

  ("We now have two Artifacts in our possession and a new designated location to reach. The problem is figuring out how to get there. Well, based on what we've discovered so far... the Black Star Artifact lets us open portals to certain places. But we have to clearly think of the destination before activating it, or it'll send us somewhere else entirely. And of course... the chant is required to open up the portal.")

  Her eyes shifted to the White Star. ("And this one... we never got an official name for it, but since it mirrors the Black Star, we'll call it the White Star Artifact for now. From what Dr. Naru mentioned, It can open up portals to the nearest universe, which would be Lumina's world.") She then sighed. ("I'm also hoping it doesn't require a chant either to open the portal.")

  She narrowed her eyes slightly. ("But how exactly do we use them to open a portal to a place we've never even been to before? ") A small exhale escaped her. ("Guess it's going to be trial and error time from here.")

  Hikari rose from the tree stump. "Okay... I think I know what we have to do."

  Slayer leaned forward slightly. "Oh great! Please enlighten us on what you were able to come up with."

  "Well," Hikari began, "I only know what we've already discovered. So I was thinking that we should try using both Artifacts and see if they can get us to the Institution simply by focusing on its name first."

  Captain looked at Hikari. "And what if that doesn't work?"

  Hikari shrugged lightly. "Then we'll just have to think of another way to get there instead."

  Lumina gave a small nod. "In that case, it wouldn't hurt to test whether the Artifacts do have the power to take us to whichever place we desire."

  "Right." Hikari looked down at her hand. She picked up the White Star Artifact and slipped the other back into her coat pocket. "Let's try it with the White Star Artifact first."

  Captain raised an eyebrow. "Is that the name you gave it?"

  Hikari gave a small, unapologetic smile. "Yeah. It looks similar to the Black Star Artifact, so I figured it fits. It has to be called something, right?"

  Slayer gave a thumbs-up. "Works for me."

  "Hm." Lumina nodded once. "Makes sense."

  Hikari stepped forward slightly, creating a bit of space between herself and the others. "Here I go. Let's begin." She raised the White Star Artifact in front of her and focused on the destination in her mind. "The Hollows of Echo Institution..." She lifted her voice. "Now! Open a portal to The Hollows of Echo Institution!"

  A few seconds passed... Nothing.

  She blinked. "...Pretty please?"

  Still nothing. Hikari lowered the Artifact slightly and scratched her head with a finger. "Hmm. Didn't work."

  Captain folded his arms. "Hmph. Guess that confirms it then. That it can't open portals to unknown destinations just by knowing the name." His gaze shifted slightly. "Maybe the only portal it can really open is the one leading to Lumina and Slayer's world."

  "Guess so... Well, no problem," Hikari replied. "We still have the Black Star Artifact to try." She slipped the White Star back into her coat pocket and pulled out the Black Star. "Okay... let's try this one next. Wish me luck everyone." Holding it up, she concentrated on the same destination. "Now for the chant... Up above the world so high..." She raised her voice dramatically. "OPEN A PORTAL UP, UP IN THE SKY!"

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  A few seconds of silenced passed.

  She slowly lowered the Artifact. "...Yeah. This was is no good either."

  Lumina crossed her arms. "So even just knowing the place's name isn't enough to open a portal to it."

  Hikari nodded slowly. "I think it's safe to assume we need to have physically been to a location before we can open a portal there." She looked down at the Artifact in her hand. "Although, I'm still not sure why we were transported somewhere we'd never been when we first returned to this world... or what specific requirements triggered that." She exhaled lightly. "But it's probably best not to activate it without a destination clearly in mind. We should avoid unnecessary conflicts."

  Slayer shrugged. "Yeah, don't wanna end up in the middle of the ocean or something."

  Lumina gave a small nod. "Agreed."

  THUMP! The Black Star Artifact gave a faint pulse. A soft, calm voice followed. "U-Um... A-Are you trying to open a portal to somewhere specific, Hikari?"

  Hikari glanced down at it. "Oh, Akari. Yes, actually. We're trying to reach the Institution. Why do you ask?"

  Slayer leaned forward slightly. "Don't tell me you can take us there, Akari."

  Akari hesitated. "Not exactly. But... I was thinking maybe we could try combining the power of both Artifacts together?" Her voice steadied a little. "Maybe that could somehow completely create a new power that would let us do so."

  Hikari scratched her cheek with a finger. "Woah uhm... that thought actually never crossed my mind before." She let out a small laugh. "That's actually a pretty good idea, Akari. What made you think of that?"

  Akari's voice wavered slightly. "W-Well... I was just thinking since both Artifacts have similar properties and have a similar design, I-I just thought maybe combining their powers could create something new." She paused. "And... I don't know what it is, but something tells me it will work." Her tone softened. "It's like the White Star Artifact is resonating with me... and somehow giving me the idea." A soft sigh echoed from within the Artifact. "You'll just have to figure out how to combine them."

  Hikari nodded thoughtfully. "I see... Don't worry, Akari. I will. I usually always do." She gave a small smile toward the Artifact. "Thanks for helping out."

  "Of course." Akari simply replied.

  Captain folded his arms. "Cool. So now that we have an idea of what to try next... how do you plan to execute it, Hikari?"

  She looked thoughtfully at the Artifact in her hand. "Hmmm... I might have an idea on how to combine them, but not physically."

  Slayer tilted his helmet. "You're saying we can't just smash them together and magically create a new Artifact?"

  Hikari shook her head. "No, not like that. If that were the case, it probably would've already happened while they were in my pocket."

  Slayer chuckled lightly. "Guess that's a fair point."

  "Instead," Hikari continued, "I'll try using Aura Tech Link to channel their energies together. If I can synchronize them..." She took a slow breath. "Maybe we can unlock a new ability, one that will help us get to the institution with ease."

  Lumina placed a hand on her hip. "Seems like you've thought this through pretty quickly. Well done, Hikari."

  Hikari placed both hands on her hips, lifting her chin slightly. "Thank you very much. Please, praise me more."

  Lumina just rolled her eyes.

  Hikari glanced down at the Black Star Artifact. "Now let's just hope it works."

  Captain gave a short nod. "Go ahead and give it a try."

  Hikari nodded once. She pulled the White Star Artifact from her coat pocket and placed it beside the Black Star on the dry ground. She stepped back. "Now to give this a try."

  Hikari activated her Emanation. Then a pink aura flowed around her body. She extended one arm toward the Artifacts resting on the ground, steadying it with her other hand. "Aura Tech Link... Activate!" Her eyes flared pink. A thin beam of energy shot from her palm, It split midair and connected to both Artifacts at once.

  The Black Star and White Star began to glow, pink aura flowing around their obsidian surfaces.

  Hikari exhaled slowly, lowering her hand. "Okay got it... looks like they're linked now."

  Slayer tilted his helmet. "That was quick. So now we just try the whole thinking thing again, right?"

  Hikari nodded. "Right. Since they're basically functioning as one through my Tech Link, we should be able to attempt opening a portal simply by focusing on the location's name."

  Captain held his rifle close. "Good. Let's hope this one works."

  "I hope so too." Hikari lowered her gaze to the Artifacts. Her thoughts steadied.

  ("Time to try again... But I won't do the chant this time. At least not on the first attempt. If they're truly linked, maybe the rules have changed. New power. New rules. Right?") "Now to test it..." She drew in a breath and extended an arm out. "Open a portal... to the Hollows of Echo Institution!"

  Both obsidian Artifacts reacted in an instant. The Black Star flared with a deep dark glow and The White Star answered with a radiant white light. Their stars lit up in unison. BWWOOMMMMM! The ground trembled. Then it began-

  A red shimmer ignited in the air before them. It twisted inward, forming a spiraling vortex. What began as a faint flicker of light quickly expanded, the swirl growing wider and taller with each passing second. Wind burst outward from its center, scattering dust into the air and tugging at their clothes. VRRRRNNNN! The vortex stabilized and the trembling finally ceased. A red portal now stood before them, tall and wide enough for a person to step through.

  Slayer's visor snapped toward the portal. "No wayyy... it actually worked!" He clenched both his fists. "You got the Artifacts to open up a portal! Nice going, Hikari!"

  Hikari chuckled lightly. "Thanks, tin can. Looks like Akari was right then. She said she felt it was going to work... and well, surprisingly it did."

  THUMP! The Black Star Artifact on the ground gave a soft pulse, Akari's voice followed. "Yes... Looks like by linking both Artifacts made them act as one. They shared properties with each other and created a power beyond their individual limits. Well done."

  Hikari tapped her chin. "Hmm... Didn't think that was even possible. But seeing it now..." She looked at the swirling red portal. "...makes me truly believe that linking them through Aura Tech Link can create something even much bigger. Although, that outcome probably happened because the Artifacts are so similar."

  Captain folded his arms. "Hmph. Sounds likely enough."

  Lumina studied the portal carefully. "So... this should take us straight to the Institution then?"

  Hikari nodded slowly. "I sure hope so. If not, it might send us somewhere else entirely since this is the first time using it's combined power."

  Akari’s voice came softly from the Artifact. “I-it should be safe to enter. The portal’s energy feels stable enough to pass through without being harmed.”

  "Good to hear." Captain tightened his grip on his rifle. “But even so, we should stay cautious when crossing. For all we know, there could be Echos waiting on the other side.”

  Slayer shrugged. "Yeah. Or maybe even a goddess waiting to greet us with a great feast."

  Captain shot him a look. "Tch. Jeah, right."

  Hikari stepped forward slightly, eyes steady on the crimson vortex. "Well... whatever's on the other side, I just hope it's the Institution. We need to meet Solareth and finally get some answers from him."

  Lumina stepped forward slightly, her voice steady. "Well then, everyone. Get ready. If we get separated on the other side of this portal..." Her gaze sharpened. "Use your Aura Link Rings to communicate immediately."

  One by one, the team glanced down at the rings on their fingers.

  Hikari lifted her hand. "Right. We'll use them if necessary." She stepped closer to the portal and picked up both Artifacts, their glow now gone. The red light reflected faintly in her eyes. She glanced at the Black Star. "Ready, Akari?"

  THUMP! A soft pulse answered. "Hm-hm. I'll be right beside you."

  "Right." Hikari gave a small nod, she then slipped both Artifacts into her coat pocket, and turned back to the others. "Okay everyone... let's go."

  They agreed. Then one by one, they stepped into the crimson vortex. FWOOMM! FWOOMM! FWOOMM! FWOOMM! The portal swirled violently for a brief moment… then began collapsing inward. The red light faded until it finally vanished into thin air, leaving faint crimson shimmers drifting through the air. Echohold-09 was now left behind them, and their next destination awaited on the other side of the portal.