The floor opened into a circular arena carved entirely from black stone.
No cover.No tricks.No mercy.Runes flared across the ground, and three gates slammed open at once.Monsters poured out.Not one type.Not one size.
A stampede of horned brutes charged from the left.Floating blade wraiths formed above.Something massive crawled out of the center gate, dragging chains thick enough to crush buildings.Tatsu's stomach dropped.
"…Okay. This is not a solo floor."Leonhart inhaled sharply, flames flickering along his arms."Finally."
Fridge Sama did not move."Positions," Fridge Sama said calmly.Leonhart blinked. "Excuse me."
"You," Fridge Sama continued, pointing at Leonhart, "burn the air. Do not overheat the ground."
Leonhart bristled. "I do not take orders."
Tatsu raised his hand."He means stop setting everything on fire like a toddler with matches."
Leonhart glared."…Fine."
Fridge Sama turned to Tatsu."You stay behind me."
Tatsu opened his mouth.Then closed it.
"…Okay."The first wave hit.
Horned brutes slammed forward, hooves cracking stone.
Leonhart stepped out instinctively, fire surging.
"MOVE," he shouted.
A wall of flame erupted outward, clean and controlled this time. The front line of monsters disintegrated instantly.
Tatsu stared.
"…That was actually clean."
Leonhart smirked."Obviously."
A blade wraith slipped through the flames, slicing toward Leonhart's blind spot.
Tatsu reacted without thinking."LEFT," he yelled.
Leonhart twisted just in time, the blade grazing past his shoulder.
Fridge Sama stepped forward.
The temperature dropped.
Every blade wraith froze midair, then shattered like glass.
Leonhart's smirk faded.
"…You could have done that earlier."
"Yes," Fridge Sama replied.
"Then why"
"Combo," Fridge Sama said.
The ground shook.
The chained monstrosity roared and charged, chains whipping outward like living snakes.
Tatsu's brain screamed.
"Okay," he said fast. "Big one is slow. Ankles first. Leonhart, heat the chains. Fridge Sama, freeze the joints."
Leonhart hesitated.
Then moved.
Flames wrapped around the chains, heating them until they glowed red.
Fridge Sama stepped in, cold slamming into the heated metal.
The chains snapped violently, shattering into fragments that embedded into the walls.
The monster staggered.
Tatsu felt his pulse spike."Now," he yelled.
Leonhart launched a focused Incinerate straight into the monster's chest.
It howled.
Fridge Sama followed instantly, slamming his palm into the ground.
Ice erupted upward through the monster's legs, locking it in place.
The monster tried to roar again.
Fridge Sama raised one finger.
"Quiet."The air froze.
The monster's roar died in its throat.
Leonhart finished it with a final blast, the heat and cold colliding violently.
The creature exploded into shards of ice and ash.
Silence fell.Tatsu blinked.
"…Did we just do that."
Leonhart exhaled hard, chest rising and falling."Yes."Fridge Sama nodded once."Adequate."More gates opened.
Smaller monsters rushed in, fast and erratic.Leonhart looked to Tatsu."What now."
Tatsu froze.Then realized something terrifying.
"…They are reacting to us."
Fridge Sama moved instantly.
He shifted positions, herding the monsters inward.
Leonhart adjusted without being told, burning pathways instead of targets.Tatsu shouted directions.
"Right side opening. No, other right. Stop roasting the floor. Yes, that. That works."
Leonhart snarled."Stop yelling."
"You are alive," Tatsu replied. "You are welcome."
The last monster fell.
Text flared in the air.
Floor Cleared
Tatsu collapsed backward, laughing breathlessly.
"That worked. That actually worked."
Leonhart stood there, staring at the battlefield.
"…We fought better together."
Tatsu smiled."Say it louder."
Leonhart scowled."…We fought better together."
Fridge Sama turned away toward the next door.
"Do not get used to it," he said.
Tatsu pushed himself up."Too late. I am already emotionally attached."Leonhart groaned."I regret everything."
They stepped forward as one.Three fighters.One terrible rhythm.And somehow, it worked.