All that was needed for one attack,
BOOMMM!!!
Trrrrrrrr!!
“Arrh!” Aqualina groaned as her body slammed into the wall before crashing onto the ground. She coughed violently, clutching her stomach in agony…her thin sword which was supposed to pierce was broken by sheer force.
‘Thu’—spitting out a small trail of blood from her lips, she shot a furious glare at the hulking, bodybuilder-like figure cloaked in a hood. The brute simply clenched its massive fist, completely unfazed, as if her attack had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
“You are weak…” the figure stated in a deep, dismissive tone before flexing its muscles. Without hesitation, it caught Celestia as she attempted to snap its neck and, with brutal force, slammed her into the ground like a ragdoll.
“I cannot believe you’re still trying to break my neck,” it scoffed, finally acknowledging her presence after what seemed like an eternity, “… after all your failed attempts” Then, as if already bored of her, it shifted its focus toward the terrified test subject cowering in the corner.
“Hey,” it growled, voice dripping with menace. “Make sure you stay in your damn place unless you want to be the next one getting crushed under my boot.”
The person flinched violently, trembling as they curled into themselves like a frightened animal. With a panicked nod, they obeyed like a well-trained dog, too terrified to even breathe loudly.
The figure grinned, clearly enjoying their fear, before turning its attention back to the maid. It raised its colossal fist, ready to strike her down when—
“Gone?”
Its eyes widened in momentary shock. The maid it had been holding in its death grip had vanished into thin air.
Snapping its gaze upward, it spotted her supporting Aqualina, helping her get back on her feet.
“Shit! That bastard broke my ribs…” Aqualina muttered through gritted teeth, her expression twisted in pain. She clutched her side, wincing with every breath. It was clear from her laboured movements that she was seriously injured.
Celestia’s frown deepened as she glanced warily at the monstrous figure. She had already known this thing was powerful, but… ‘She’s almost Level 85 with a Rainbow Arcane Card, and yet… that thing still managed to break her ribs like it was nothing… That means…’
“It must be—” she began, only for Aqualina to finish her sentence with a bitter, pained grimace.
“It has power similar to the chosen ones… just like those damn children,” she growled, frustration evident in her tone as she forced herself to stand despite the pain.
“Tsk, tsk…” The figure clicked its tongue, shaking its head in disappointment, “You figured it out already? How boring…” It exhaled dramatically as if truly let down by their realization. “I was hoping you’d at least struggle a little longer before catching on.”
Then, without warning, it took a step forward, clapping its massive hands together with a wicked grin. “Well… I guess that means I have no choice but to end you all right here.”
With a single stomp, the ground beneath them trembled violently, almost shattering on impact. The sheer force sent cracks rippling through the floor, destroying everything in its wake.
Before Aqualina could even react, Celestia moved in front of her, her instincts taking over as she braced for impact.
BOOOMMMMMM!!
A devastating, gut-wrenching punch shot upward—
“PUFF!!”
Celestia’s eyes widened in sheer agony as the full force of the blow crushed into her abdomen. She coughed up a thick spurt of blood, her insides feeling as if they had been turned into pulp. But the nightmare wasn’t over. The impact was so immense that she was hurled skyward, her body crashing through the ceiling with explosive force—dragging Aqualina along with her since she was just behind her!!
TRRRRR-TRRR-TRR-TR…
They smashed through one floor after another, the ceilings collapsing like brittle paper.
Thud!
Finally, they landed on a higher floor with a brutal crash. Celestia coughed furiously, more blood dripping down her lips, while Aqualina clutched her back, grimacing in agony.
“A-Are you alright?” Aqualina rasped, her voice barely above a whisper.
Celestia didn’t have the strength to respond. She could only nod weakly as her trembling fingers brushed over her stomach. Her entire midsection felt… squishy. As if everything inside had been completely crushed. It was a miracle that the punch hadn’t torn a hole straight through her body—only because she had managed to wedge two knives between her and that monster’s fist at the last second.
“W-We need to get out of here… now,” Aqualina muttered through clenched teeth, struggling to steady herself.
Celestia wanted to yell, ‘That’s what I’ve been saying this whole damn time!’ but she barely had enough energy to breathe, let alone argue.
Aqualina turned toward the massive hole they had created and peered down at the lower floors. They had been blasted through at least ten… maybe fifteen levels.
“…Where is he?” Aqualina frowned, scanning the wreckage below. The monstrous figure was nowhere to be seen.
“P-Princess… Please!” Celestia finally managed to force the words out, her voice strained and weak.
Aqualina didn’t hesitate. She quickly grabbed Celestia, supporting her weight as they stumbled toward the stairs and they immediately moved to the top!
Yet, as they climbed higher, an unsettling feeling set in.
The figure… was gone.
It hadn’t pursued them.
It hadn’t attacked.
The entire building had fallen into an eerie silence.
Neither of them dared to question it.
They just kept moving.
Whatever was happening… neither of them had the strength to care right now.
“Did you take the children out?” Aqualina asked urgently as they reached the final floor before the terrace.. Her sharp gaze darted toward the now-open cages.
Celestia, still clutching her stomach, gave a weak nod, her breath ragged. “I-I told those people to move the children… I made sure they left safely.”
Aqualina exhaled deeply, But almost immediately, guilt began to creep in, darkening her expression. She hesitated before speaking, her voice cracking with regret. “I… I’m so sorry. This is all my fault… If I hadn’t—If I had just b—”
“P-Please, Princess…” Celestia interrupted, her voice strained but gentle. She forced a weak, painful smile. “You did… what you thought was right… You couldn’t have known…”
But her words did nothing to lessen the guilt that gnawed at Aqualina’s conscience. Gritting her teeth, she pushed forward, shaking off the emotions weighing her down.
However, the moment they stepped onto the terrace, their entire bodies went rigid.
“…”
There it was!
That monstrous figure stood right in front of the wallpaper door—their only exit… And beyond it… the remaining children and test-subject adults huddled in a corner, trembling violently, too petrified to even breathe too loudly.
“Took you long enough,” the figure sneered, its voice laced with amusement as it slowly turned its gaze toward them. “Almost all the test subjects and children managed to escape through that door… but these few—” It tilted its head slightly toward the shivering group, smirking darkly.
Its amusement didn’t last long.
A shadow passed over its grotesque face as its expression twisted into something much worse. Its massive body trembled with barely restrained rage, and then—
“I can’t believe all our hard-earned work was nearly ruined…” Its voice quivered—not with anger, but with something far more unsettling. Fear. “Master is going to be very, very angry…”
Its enormous frame convulsed violently, sending shockwaves through the entire tower. The very floor beneath them rumbled under the sheer force of its trembling.
Then, in an instant, its glowing eyes snapped toward Celestia and Aqualina, pure malice radiating from its gaze.
“And it’s all because of you two.”
Aqualina and Celestia exchanged a tense glance.
They both knew it.
If that figure destroyed the wallpaper door… No one would be leaving this place alive.
Aqualina swallowed hard and closed her ears for a brief moment, steadying herself.
Celestia clenched her jaw, pressing a trembling hand to her stomach as excruciating pain twisted through her battered body. Every breath felt like fire burning through her lungs, but she ignored it.
Instead, she inhaled sharply, straightened her posture, and then—
“La~La~LaaaL~Laaaaaa~”
She suddenly started to sing.
The hooded figure’s brows furrowed in confusion. ‘Why is she singing… now?’
But then… something strange began to happen.
Its enormous body wavered.
Its steps faltered.
The eerie glow of its eyes flickered as if it were struggling to focus. A heavy sluggishness overtook its limbs, its movements becoming slow and uncoordinated.
It felt like… like a mother’s lullaby.
A warmth so foreign and unnatural washed over it, lulling it into drowsiness.
“H-Huh…? Wh-What… is this…?” the figure mumbled, its voice thick and unfocused. It swayed forward, its balance failing, as if it had suddenly lost control of its own body. It tried to lift an arm, to strike, but its movements were disoriented and unsteady, like a drunken giant flailing in the dark.
Aqualina didn’t hesitate. She sprang into action, rushing toward the frozen test subjects and children, shaking them out of their dazed state before silently pointing them to enter the door silently!
The group nodded in understanding, hands covering their ears as they carefully but swiftly moved toward the wallpaper door.
But even in its sluggish, dreamlike state, the hooded figure was still moving—still advancing toward Celestia.
Just as Aqualina reached the door, her fingers brushing against the knob—
Click.
The distinct sound of the doorknob turning echoed like a death sentence.
Everyone froze.
Their breath hitched in their throats.
Slowly, as if trapped in a nightmare, they turned their heads.
The hooded figure had stopped staggering…. only staring at the group with eerie silence!
“Shit! EVERYONE GO!” Aqualina shouted, her voice sharp with urgency and desperation.
Without hesitation, she summoned her thin blue swords. Dozens, then hundreds, then thousands of gleaming, ethereal blades materialized around her, moving like an unstoppable Tsunami.
“You want to know what it feels like to be stabbed by a thousand swords?” Aqualina hissed, her grip tightening.
With a sharp flick of her wrist—
CHUUUKKKK!!
The swords struck, impaling the figure from every direction!
Yet—
“Hah… What’s this? An ant bite?”
The deep, mocking voice sent a violent chill racing down Aqualina’s spine.
The figure stood there.
Completely. Unscathed!!
Not a single sword had pierced its flesh.
Instead… every last one of them had shattered before even making contact.
“What the…” Aqualina whispered in shock, Before she could react—
The figure was already in front of her.
A massive, merciless hand shot out and wrapped around her face, engulfing her head like she was nothing more than a fragile ball.
Her vision blurred.
She barely registered the suffocating pressure before—
PRRPUFFFFFF!!!!
“PRINCESSSSSS!!”