Floor 1,931—-
Atsushi, Nonoka, and Yuzuha watched the mysterious girl land on the spikes, seemingly ignorant of the blood gushing from her feet.
"More humans to play! wOnDerFuL!"
〈Error. Error. Nymph Detected.〉
"A nymph?" Nonoka scoffed. "Hell is that?"
"Deceivers of fools," Atsushi replied. "We need to leave at once."
〈Choose Your Path.〉
"Crap," Atsushi remarked. "It's too late."
〈Path A: Play. The. Game.〉
〈Path B: Run.〉
"I don't like this…" Yuzuha worried. "Maybe we should do Path B?"
"What even are paths?" Nonoka questioned. "All this mess just seems extra if you ask me."
"We're bound to them," Atsushi explained. "We only have two options from here."
The nymph slowly crept over to them as a timer began.
〈Time Remaining: 0:30〉
"Let us pLaY."
Atsushi noticed the door behind her. "Hmm. It could be a trap, or it could be the key to advancing further. Either way, doesn't matter. With the others surely completing their quests by now, we've got ground to make up."
Atsushi turned to the UI. "We'll play."
"Wait, are you sure?" Yuzuha worried.
"Yes. Fear is a luxury hunters don't have."
〈Confirmed. Begin the *Game.*〉
The nymph stopped in front of them, her eyes hungry and her smile full of blood. "Wise choice. We're going to play a beloved game. It's called Hide. And seek."
"Hide and Seek?" Atsushi questioned.
She turned around, covering her eyes. "10. 9. 8…"
Nonoka tugged on Atsushi's arm. "Atsushi. I think we need to go."
"7. 6. 5…"
"Definitely!" Yuzuha agreed. "Last one out is Nymph Food!"
Three doors around them opened, all but the final door.
"Split up!" Atsushi ordered.
They all went in different directions just as the nymph finished counting. "4. 3. 2…1!"
Her voice suddenly grew deeper. "Time to hunt."
〈Boss: Dokuhime. Level: 60,000. Domain Effect: ???〉
In the blink of an eye, she disappeared through one of the tunnels.
Meanwhile—-
Marin walked through the halls of the Kaitansha HQ, where she noticed a trail of blood leading into one of the rooms.
"Hmm?"
Lifting an eyebrow, she followed the trail, which led to the archive. As soon as she threw open the door, she found an agent lying between the shelves, which were all but broken.
"Miss…Ayase…" the man groaned.
"What happened?" she asked, tending to his side.
"That…kid…he took Junpei and others…he isn't human…he and…whatever friend he was summoning…"
The man gripped her arm as her face turned grave. "What? What did he take?"
"The…Nyugawa files…"
Marin's eyes widened. "Oh no."
She quickly helped the man up. "Come. We'll get you help. I need you to tell me everything you saw, ASAP."
She hurried the man out of the room, just as a trickle of shadow crept away from a corner.
Floor 1,931—-
Nonoka walked through the temple hallways, tracing her finger along the walls.
"How old is this place…?" she wondered. "Weathered as hell."
A skull rolled toward her feet, and she stepped back. "Yuck. Wouldn't wanna be him."
She continued down the hallway, when she suddenly heard an eerie groan behind her.
"What the—-?"
She whirled around, but there was nothing there. A UI popped up.
〈Rule: Get to the *Waypoint* without being caught. Distance: 300m〉
"Waypoint?"
A glowing blue marker appeared at the end of the hall, as the mysterious groaning got louder and louder.
"Not gonna argue with that," she thought. "Time to dip!"
She placed a hand to her neck.
"…Jugen-Sōunsha: Noroi no Sukiru Kyōka!"
〈Buff Applied. 200% Buff to Current Party Member.〉
She stretched and got into a running start. "Boost!"
With a quick burst of speed, she took off, blazing past the walls and reaching the waypoint.
"Phew," she thought. "Easy work."
"fOuNd yOu!"
"Gah!"
Nonoka jumped back as Dokuhime slowly stalked towards her, a bloody grin on her face. "hELLo tHere!"
〈Warning! Warning! Enemy in *range.*〉
"Yeah, I kinda got that!" she replied.
Dokuhime lunged at Nonoka, but she rolled underneath and sprinted away. "You're fast!"
〈*New* Waypoint: 660m〉
"Great," Nonoka groaned. "Switching the wheels on me mid crisis."
The nymph was behind her again in an instant, banging into walls. "Not FaSt eNougH!"
"This bitch can't take a hint, can she?" Nonoka thought. "I'm out!"
〈Waypoint: 300m〉
Dokuhime lunged and grabbed at Nonoka's leg, pulling her back. "Let…go…!"
"cOmE! jOiN yOur FRIENDS!"
"Dunno what you're talking about, but those people you killed are NOT my friends, and neither are YOU."
Dokuhime screeched and threw Nonoka into a wall, causing the girl to crack her back and jump up.
"Okay. You want a fight, let's fight!"
But when she looked around, there was no trace of her. "Uh…odd."
〈Escape. Waypoint: 300m〉
〈join…〉
〈or…〉
〈perish!〉
"Creepy," Nonoka remarked. "Time to go!"
With a burst of speed, she was gone.
On the other side——
Atsushi walked into an altar room, where statues of six different entities were erected around a glowing altar in the center.
"What madness is this?" Atsushi questioned. "Dungeon folk pray to gods?"
He slammed his fist on the altar. "After all they've done?"
A flash of memories ran through his head, including that of a raging fire. "Nonoka…you had better be safe."
〈Oh…what is this?〉
〈It looks like a hunter, brother.〉
〈He's pretty fit. Great shape. Fine physique. Not too old. His flesh will be very tasty.〉
Atsushi paused. "Who's there? Reveal yourselves!"
Two doors opened in the altar room, and Atsushi could hear the footsteps of two massive creatures.
"Brother…let us…"
They emerged from the shadows, with appearances straight out of a horror movie.
"…rip him to pieces!"
They were two tree-like entities, with multiple glowing orange eyes and bark-like arms and legs. They had leaves for hair, and their wooden smiles were directed straight at Atsushi.
〈Enemy: Aruku Ki no Kyōdai—-Shirakaba & Kashi〉
"Just my luck," Atsushi muttered.
They both raised their arms, walking toward Atsushi. "Begone!"
He turned his arm into stone and punched Shirakaba in the face, but it didn't even stun him.
"Delicious."
〈Enemy Effect: The Aruku Ki no Kyōdai are *Invulnerable* to all *Jugen* Attacks. When out of their range, *Wooden Sight* triggers, rendering them blind to the *Party's* location.〉
"So, I must flee far enough to lose their interest?" Atsushi mused. "What a foolish rule!"
Kashi swung at Atsushi, who attempted to block with his fist, but it shattered, revealing his normal arm beneath.
"But…not a bad one!"
He leapt away from another attack and dashed into one of the altar corridors.
"Where did he go, brother?" Kashi asked.
"That way," Shirakaba pointed. "Into the halls."
"The halls…then let us pursue."
As one, they rushed into the halls behind Atsushi, their speed allowing them to catch up.
"Fast trees!" Atsushi noticed. "I see why this temple is a Level 3 Commission!"
〈Choose Your Path〉
Three hallways, blocked off by rubble, were up ahead. Atsushi stopped to pause and analyze.
〈Path A: Left.〉
〈Path B: Center.〉
〈Path C: Right.〉
"I've had my fair share of dungeon experiences," Atsushi recalled. "The center is always a trap, and the right usually never leads to anywhere sufficient! I demand the left!"
〈Confirmed.〉
Just as the brothers caught up, the left path exploded, allowing Atsushi to run inside.
"Which way now, brother?" Kashi asked.
"The left…" his brother answered. "He's a slimy one."
Inside the left tunnel, Atsushi noticed a tripwire, a spike pit with a rope above, and two pairs of dragon heads spitting flames periodically.
"What would a temple be without its traps?"
He stretched for a moment, right before jumping over the wire, swinging across the spike pit, and sliding under the dragon heads.
"An easy task. But can those trees accomplish it?"
Sure enough, the two brothers stopped, pausing at the wire. Atsushi took the opportunity to put more distance between himself and the two.
"He's getting away…brother…"
"No…sister will handle it…she'll bring flesh for us…"
Atsushi arrived inside a large treasure room, and he noticed someone looting the golden coins on the ground.
"Elf?"
Yuzuha yelped. "Hey! Don't sneak up on people like that!"
"You're not a person, and what are you doing?"
She got up, putting her hands on her hips. "I'm busy getting my money's worth, obviously! Look at all these items! They're worth a fortune!"
She pointed around to the weapons, coins, armor, and artifacts scattered around.
"Hmm," Atsushi remarked. "They do indeed look valuable. But none as much as the Hibako Misutikku."
"What's that?" Yuzuha asked. "Some temple chest?"
"Nothing of the sort," Atsushi corrected. "It is a mystic box, filled with powerful loot that can vastly boost one's strength. This year's box is of the highest tier, which will finally allow me and my division to catch up to that old fool, Omariro Nyugawa!"
"Who's that again?" Yuzuha wondered.
"Old history," Atsushi replied. "And I'll show him just how old he is."
Yuzuha picked up a few sigils. "Hey! I didn't know these were in here!"
Atsushi grabbed one. "Let me see."
He scanned it.
〈Sigil Ability: Increase. Increases maximum effects of buffs by 500%.〉
"Ah. Perfect!"
"Should we save it for the rest of the temple?" Yuzuha asked.
"Not at all. I've got a better usage for it. Just you wait, elf. You'll see soon."
Yuzuha filled the rest of her bag. "Very…enthusiastic."
Nonoka ran into the treasure room, breathing hard.
"Nonoka!" Atsushi recognized. "What happened?"
"Nymph…" she replied. "Behind. Me."
Nonoka paused. "Wait, have you two been looting treasure this entire time I was RUNNING for my life?"
〈hEHehE…〉
Atsushi coughed. "No time for that now! Get ready."
The lights in the room dimmed.
〈Time for a different game! It's called…TAG〉
The room began to shake.
〈Rule: Don't Get *Touched.*〉
"You see the rule!" Atsushi called out. "Don't let even a single finger graze you!"
"I can't see a thing!" Yuzuha admitted. "Please don't grab me!"
"I can feel her coming," Nonoka warned. "Atsushi, look out!"
A growl could be heard, and Atsushi narrowly ducked as a pair of claws scratched the wall behind him. "Good, Nonoka! Use your skill and try to pinpoint her location!"
"On it."
She held out her hand.
"Jugen-Sōunsha: Tsuiseki Kyōka Jōshō!"
〈Tracking Buff: *Activated.〉
A faint glimpse of red zoomed in the air, and Nonoka caught it. "She's on the ceiling! Watch out, Yuzuha!"
Yuzuha tripped and fell over as another pair of claws lunged down, nearly scratching her. "Please warn me QUICKER!"
Nonoka squinted as two more shapes appeared. "Hey…Atsushi? Why are there two more creeps in this room?"
"The trees," Atsushi realized. "They got through the traps!"
〈Sister saved us…〉
〈Sister kind…〉
"I wouldn't say kind," Nonoka replied.
"More like crazy!" Yuzuha added.
"Wait, back up. What do you mean, trees—-?"
Nonoka ducked as a flash of red reached over her head, and she could catch the outline of a tree bark.
"Exactly that," Atsushi affirmed. "Living trees."
"Then how do we win?" Yuzuha asked. "They don't have a timer telling us how long we're supposed to last!"
"Maybe we don't need to outlast them…" Nonoka mused. "The rules apply to them, right?"
Atsushi nodded. "Those trees couldn't cross the gap when I did. Ah! Get them to touch each other!"
Nonoka slid out of the way as another branch reached for her. "How?"
"Lure them. Gather in one spot. Backs toward each other!"
Yuzuha and Nonoka shared a look before doing as they were told, and Atsushi backed up toward them as well.
"Get them all to touch at once," Atsushi ordered. "I've noticed they go for different targets each time, so use the sound of their approach to dive out of the way."
"That means the crazy nymph is coming for me now," Nonoka sighed. "I hope you're right, *sir.*"
"Just follow my lead! Nonoka, you move last!"
The footsteps of the treats could be heard coming from either side.
"Wait…"
They got closer.
"Wait…!"
And after a few more steps, Nonoka noticed two barks moving in at the same time. "Atsushi, they're coming!"
"Now, elf! Jump out the way!"
The two leapt away from the trees as they collided, leaving Nonoka in the center. "Uh, what about me—-?"
A flash of red popped in her vision, lunging for her neck. "Whoa!"
"Move, Nonoka! Move!"
"Right! Boost!"
With a burst of speed, she kicked off backward, falling out of the way as Dokuhime slammed into her brothers.
"No, no, NO!"
The lights suddenly turned on as the three began to shake.
〈*3* Targets Touched. Eliminated.〉
And with a flash of white, they all disappeared.
〈Boss Defeated. Allowing Passage to Next Room.〉
Behind them, a door opened, with an array of torches leading down deeper into the temple.
"Huh," Atsushi noticed. "That must be where the item you were looking for is."
"Definitely!" Yuzuha agreed. "Come on, team!"
She rushed down, and Atsushi followed. Nonoka looked back one time, before doing the same. Little did she know…
…a small shadow portal, hidden in the dark, was watching.
——