〈Entry Detected—-Floor Level: *5,000.*〉
Rika, Rei, Gakuto, and Mizuki landed on an obsidian floor in an exam hall, with torches lining the walls around them.
〈Rule: Complete the *Trial.*〉
〈Time Remaining: 30:00〉
"Trial?" Gakuto questioned. "Hell are we?"
"This looks like a grand hall," Mizuki noted. "But colors and materials are vastly different from average."
Rika helped Rei up. "Rei, are you okay?"
"I'm okay…sorry about getting us dragged down here…"
"No it's fine! Don't worry about it! Whatever penalty they're pushing on us, it won't matter!"
Rei gave her a smile as a plume of flame erupted from the floor, forcing them to jump back.
"We should move!" Gakuto ordered. "Onward, group!"
They ran down the hall as fire shot out from the walls, before finally stopping when they saw a large demon statue before them.
"Sheesh," Gakuto remarked. "That guy's creepy!"
"Come again?"
Surprisingly, the statue began to move, shifting into a smaller-sized demon with four wings.
"Ahh. Humans," the demon noticed. "I haven't seen humans here in who knows how long."
"Are you…a good demon?" Rika asked.
"Depends on your definition of good. I am fair. That does not mean kind. Especially now that you've found yourself on my floor."
Rika shuddered.
The demon noticed footsteps in the distance, and once he turned his head, he saw the cat from before scurrying up.
"Phew," the cat sighed. "You are all TERRIBLE companions!"
Gakuto pointed at the cat. "Hey, that isn't fair! These ladies didn't set off the trap! That was you!"
"Now, let's not play the blame game."
"Typhon?" the demon recognized.
"Asmodeus?" the cat replied.
"Aww," Rei gushed. "They're having a reunion!"
Asmodeus flew closer to the cat. "This dungeon is your domain, and yet you're wandering here? As a feline?"
Typhon scratched his fur. "I don't wish to talk about it."
"Apparently The Huntress turned him into a cat," Rika explained.
Asmodeus chuckled. "That human the Mujinsha warn us of? She did this to you?"
"That lady is NOT human," Typhon corrected. "If you only saw the chaos she caused on my floor…"
"And how did she turn you into a cat?"
"Beastly magic. I don't know what it is, but it's no Jugen. It may not be a stretch to assume she might be one of us—-a creature of the Endless."
"Impossible," Asmodeus shot down. "We would know."
"It doesn't matter now," Typhon sighed. "The quicker you help these humans and I reach the bottom, the quicker we can be rid of this feral inhuman beast."
Asmodeus flew into the air. "Then come, and endure the Trials of Fire."
With a wave of his wings, fire erupted from all the walls, and the door behind Asmodeus opened, showing an underworld-like area.
"This will be hell."
The demon flew in, leaving the group to follow. Mizuki looked at the barren fields and rocky ceiling. "What an odd terrain."
"You'd best be careful," Typhon warned. "The trials this man commands aren't your typical swordplay. I should know, I ruled this dungeon once."
"But, they won't be like…impossible, no?" Rika worried.
"Heh. Just shy of it. If you hadn't failed on that floor above, we wouldn't even be in this situation."
"I wasn't going to leave my friend!"
"Well congratulations, now all of your friends get to participate in the trials."
The group paused, shocked.
"Wait…" Gakuto interrupted. "You're saying it's not just us?"
"Nope," Typhon confirmed. "When I was told to expect Omariro Nyugawa and The Huntress, this dungeon was designed as a trap for both of them, and any allies they may bring. The Endless created these trials from the lands of the Greeks, the Norse, and the Egyptians."
"So, you're saying—-?"
"That from here on out, you've doomed your entire group."
They all shared a look as they reached an obsidian gate, where Asmodeus was waiting. "The first trial begins here. It is fairly simple."
〈Rule: Tame the *Pet.*〉
"Pet?" Rika asked. "What pet?"
"My guard dog," Asmodeus answered. "Make haste—-he's been very grouchy. Clock starts now."
〈Time Remaining: 29:58〉
Asmodeus flew away, leaving the group alone. Gakuto shrugged. "I had to handle three giant forces of nature, I think calming a dog down will be easy."
"That's what you think…" Typhon muttered.
A path lit up with flames, directing them to a large obsidian castle. They followed it, with groans and screams echoing in the distance.
"I don't like this…" Rei worried.
"Me either," Rika agreed.
"Oh, grow up," Typhon scoffed. "This place is where any non-Endless in the dungeon go when they die. Don't wanna be stuck here? Don't die!"
Typhon stopped at the gate to the castle. "We're here. Humans first."
Gakuto stepped forward, knocking on the door. "Hello? We're here to pay a visit! Gakuto Miyama, at your service!"
The cat facepalmed himself.
A rumble echoed behind the door, before it thrust itself open. "Huh. That actually worked."
A dark corridor led them further in, with Rika and Rei both picking up the pace as eerie growling could be heard in the distance.
"That doesn't sound like a dog," Gakuto thought. "And I know dogs."
They finally arrived at a padlocked door with a lever next to it. Typhon pointed to it. "That should be the way in."
After a moment of hesitation, Gakuto pulled the lever.
〈Chamber: Unlocked.〉
The padlocks retracted, causing the door to rise and open, leading into a large circular room with three giant metal doors surrounding it.
The girls all stepped into the room, but Gakuto stopped them.
"Nobody…make…noise."
In the center was a large three-headed dog with black and red eyes, tearing into a bone lying on the ground.
"It's him," Typhon realized. "Cerberus."
The dog crunched the bone, and Typhon quickly hid behind Rika. "Don't let him get me!"
Cerberus slowly lifted his head, noticing the intruders. Rei gave him a wave. "Hi there! Are you a good dog?"
The dog spat out the bone, slowly getting up as Rei approached it.
"Rei?" Rika questioned. "What are you doing…?"
"Going to befriend it! That's the rule, right?"
"Yeah, but you should be careful!"
"I will!"
Rei extended her hand, patting one of Cerberus's heads. "Who's a good boy? You are! Yes, you are!"
Cerberus sniffed her for a moment, a low rumble in his throat. Then, suddenly, he growled.
"RAHHH!"
"Watch out!"
The dog took a bite at her as Gakuto pulled her out of the way, the teeth narrowly missing them.
"Great," Rika groaned. "Now a bad situation just got worse!"
"He's a bit cranky," Typhon explained.
"You think?"
Cerberus turned his head toward Mizuki, Rika, and Typhon, growling ferociously.
"The situation is unfavorable," Mizuki announced. "We need to keep moving."
He charged at them, and Mizuki quickly placed a hand on both of them. "Jugen-Sōunsha: Cursed Transmission!"
In the blink of an eye, they emerged behind Cerberus as he charged. Mizuki set Rika and Typhon down. "Ideally, you two should stand back."
"Yep, got it!" Rika agreed.
Gakuto nodded to Mizuki. "Do your thing!"
Cerberus lunged at her repeatedly, but, almost reflexively, her body dashed past every attack until she stopped to catch her breath.
"Need assistance…" she huffed.
"On it!" Gakuto called out. "Jugen-Tōshi: Shakunetsu Shissō!"
Gakuto formed his helmet and began rolling in a ball at blazing speeds, slamming into the dog and crashing into the wall.
BOOM.
With a flick of his head, Cerberus flung Gakuto off and sized up Mizuki before opening one of its mouths.
"Not good…"
He fired a powerful fire blast at her, causing her power to activate. Mizuki reappeared a few feet back as Cerberus tried to crush her with a paw, but she evaded and kicked him in the face.
"Grrr…"
He opened his mouth again, but Mizuki sidestepped as Gakuto came charging in, slamming into the dog as they both began pushing each other.
"Calm yourself, bud!" Gakuto demanded.
Cerberus smacked him off with his tail, before turning his attention to Rei and Rika, who were watching from the side.
"Uh-oh," Rika realized.
As the dog came toward them, Rei blasted it away with a moon beam.
"Jugen-Mahōshi: Tsuki no Megenka!"
The beam met a blast of fire from Cerberus, causing the beam to turn red and shoot out crimson-colored plasma.
〈Reaction Triggered: Crimson Flame.〉
The plasma knocked both of them back, and as Rika caught Rei, Typhon jumped onto her shoulder.
"Hey! What are you doing?"
"The doors! You have to open the doors to tame the beast!"
"How do we do that?"
"Door of Hunger, Door of Rage, Door of Silence! Complete the challenges and you'll open them one by one!"
"That's still not an explanation!"
Cerberus charged headfirst at them, but Gakuto bumped him off track with his noggin.
"Take your time! We'll keep him at bay!"
"Thank you!" Rika shouted back. "Now, explain yourself, cat! How do we open the doors?"
"Press the button on each one and complete the task it gives you! Once you do, it'll give you one of three items needed to calm the dog down!"
Rika walked up to one of the doors, noticing an obsidian button. "This?"
"Yes! Press it!"
Rika slammed her hand into the button.
〈Challenge Activated: Door of Rage.〉
Meanwhile, Floor 10,000—-
Rookies ran as thundering footsteps echoed throughout the jungle, and Kohaku's feral laugh could be heard.
"Come out, children! Come and play!"
One rookie tripped on a rock, and a serpent's tail wrapped around his body. "No, no, please—-!"
He was dragged into the bushes. Nearby, more hunters surrounded a group of two rookies, one boy and one girl, howling with laughter.
"Fight, fight, fight!"
The boy nervously formed a ball of sand, turning it into a spike and firing it at the girl, who ducked.
"Ahahaha!"
They watched as she held out her hand, forming a bubble over the boy's head, as he clawed at his neck.
"N—no, stop—-!"
"I'm sorry…"
Soon after, he ran out of air and collapsed, lifeless as the hunters clapped.
"Take her to the Huntress," one hunter ordered.
As the girl was escorted away, Han and Shino popped out of the bushes.
"What was that?" Han asked.
"If they don't kill us, they make us kill each other," Shino said, a sad expression on her face.
"How did it come to this?" Han wondered.
"Can't focus on that now," Shino assured him. "That Huntress woman, any ideas on how to beat her?"
"Beating her is probably out of the question," Han admitted. "But with my cube and whatever you've got, we can trap her."
"Lay it on me," she replied.
"You use Metsusha, right?"
"Yep."
"How many skills do you have?"
"Just one. Not the natural talent like my brother."
"That'll work. If you can erase her limbs, I should be able to restrain her. That way, even if she can regenerate, she'll be stuck in our cage."
"Good idea! Now we just need to get the jump on—-!"
"Who? Me?"
Both kids jumped back as Kohaku stood there, no longer human. Han immediately crawled back, noticing her appearance.
"What the HELL?"
She had the body of a lioness, the face of a tiger, and the tail of a serpent. "Come again? What was your plan?"
"Now, Shino! Hurry!"
"Jugen-Metsusha: Yubisaki Mekken!"
A vector lashed out, causing Kohaku's right arm to disappear. As she looked at it, Shino prepared another shot.
"Jugen-Metsusha—-"
Kohaku knocked her into a tree with her tail.
"Shino—-!"
Kohaku's arm regrew, and she backhanded Han across a section of bushes, her powerful feet landing behind him.
"Pathetic."
With one stomp of her foot, Han's arm broke.
"Argh, damn you—-!"
Han formed his watch on the other arm. "Jugen-Kōbisha: Tekubi Sōchaku Kyūbu—-Electric Gate!"
A large supercharged gate formed, slamming onto Kohaku and delivering a powerful shock to her body.
Han took the opportunity to gain some distance as he watched her rip the gate in two.
"How the hell—-?"
Without hesitation, she rushed and grabbed him by the head, bringing him close to her face.
"Such a failure, Han. I've studied all about you, your past, your motivation. You could be so much more…just let the beast out…"
"No!" Han shouted. "I'll never betray my master!"
Kohaku chuckled. "He won't be your master soon. I WILL."
And then immediately after, she smashed his head into the ground, causing him to black out.
——