Chapter 266 - The Underground Path and Door

"I also like seeing Ariel happy!" Shouted Lydia who had been standing next to Serena 

Everyone's attention then turned to Lydia, causing her to feel embarrassed. 

"Ah... W-What did I do... I haven't even been here for long..." Lydia muttered to herself before trying to hide her face 

John then burst out laughing as he said. 

"Pff- Sorry L-Lydia, Y-You too." 

John struggled to hold back his laugh despite knowing how rude it was. He tried stopping himself, but he couldn't. It was as if all his stress was slowly leaving through the laugh. It was the most relieving one. 

"Oi, John, that's rude." Said Serena as she stared daggers at him. 

Lydia was bright red from embarrassment due to John's reaction and John felt bad for it. 

"Sorry..." He muttered as he hung his head 

Ariel couldn't help but smile along with Serena after seeing John acting imm.a.t.u.r.e, for them, it suited him. 

"Thanks, everyone... And John... I'm also sorry for the way I acted... I was being unreasonable..." Said Ariel as she bowed. 

Hearing this, John turned to Ariel, before forming a serious expression on his face. Not even a second after he did, he quickly bowed as well as he said. 

"You weren't unreasonable at all, it was all my fault to begin with so, I'm sorry! And I'm the one that should be sorry!" Said John 

"No, it was me, I was being childish, saying that I wouldn't talk to you." 

"And I was being even more childish by ignoring you." 

The two then simultaneously raised their heads and intently stared at each other in the eyes. 

A relieved smile was formed on both of their faces as they looked at each other. 

"So... Are we back to normal?" John asked 

"Of course, and more!" Said Ariel with a smile before turning her head 

John could see her blushing again and wondered if there was something else for her to be embarassed about. It was only then that he remembered. 

[Ah, that's right. I need to ask her about what was bothering her.] 

But before he could, the words calmly came out of Master Sylvia's mouth. 

"We're here" 

As they looked ahead of the platform, they found themselves staring at never ending darkness which extended throughout the halls. 

No one spoke a word, but the nervousness in the air could be felt by all of them. Master Sylvia took a step forward onto the hallway and said 

"Let's go." 

John was the first to follow behind after nodding. The rest followed after. Once they all took the first step onto the hallway. John noticed something strange about the ground beneath them. 

It was light and looked like it could turn with enough pressure. John then moved the light spell forward, it was only then that he could see part the hallway in front of them as it was illuminated. 

John's eyes widened as soon as he did. 

They were on a platform, and as everyone else noticed. They moved in closer so that no one would fall off. No one knew what to expect if they fell down the platform, all they could do was be careful. 

But before John could do anything. On it's own, the platform beneath him detached itself from something before propelling itself forward on it's own. 

Everyone except from master Sylvia was surprised and would have sprung off the platform if john hadn't created a thin wall of air on the edges of the platform. 

"W-What!?" Asked Serena as she looked around hastily 

"T-The ground is moving...!" Said Ariel as she pointed beneath them. 

Hearing this, they all brought up their guard, while Lydia looked over at the two kids floating over her shoulders. 

"Are we on a monster?!" Lydia asked 

The air was tensed as everyone except for Master Sylvia and John began wondering what to do. It was then that Serena noticed the air wall John had created before turning to him. 

She noticed him covering his mouth with his hand as his body trembled. She could tell just by looking that he was holding back a laugh. 

"...Oi..." 

The two other girls then turned to John as they noticed Serena lower her guard. 

Everyone was staring at John who was on the verge of letting it out. 

"Pfft-" 

"John, what's going on?" Ariel asked as she gave him a stare 

"Pff- Hahaha- Y-You should've seen the look on your-" 

John then stopped as he noticed that he was the only one laughing. 

"Ha... Sorry, Sorry. It's not a monster, just a moving platform." Said John as he wiped the tears from laughing away from his eyes 

"O-Oh..." Muttered Ariel as she let out a relieved sigh 

Lydia also let out a relieved sign before wondering what sort of place they were at. 

Meanwhile, Serena put her palm on her face in disbelief as she failed to notice something so obvious. 

"And if you knew, why didn't you just tell us?" Serena asked as she looked over at John. 

"Revenge is sweet." Replied with a smug smile 

Seeing Serena's annoyed face was definitely worth it for John, especially after what they had pulled on him for stealing their kill. 

[Well I guess, I was still in the wrong... Wait, doesn't that make me the bad guy here?] John wondered 

Serena who understood what John meant by what he said, hung her head for a moment before smiling back at him. 

"I guess we're going to war." She said with the most innocent looking smile 

[W-War?] John wondered 

"Wai-" 

Before John could say anything else, he was interrupted by the sound of a creak which came from the platform stopping. 

Hearing this, everyone's attention turned to what laid to the large door ahead of them. Despite it being dark, everywhere around, the door could be seen and still stood out, as if it was both part of the darkness and away from it.