Drenched in a mix of dirt and sweat, Kazami quickly took a few deep breaths before continuing to follow Ukiyo, who was leading the way.
'She seems to know the layout of this place; I guess all I can do now is place my hope in her. Hopefully it doesn't come back to bite me for trusting someone like her.' Kazami was unsure about her story.
'It seems odd for her to also be trapped in this game, something about her presence feels like she's free.' He rubbed his head violently to gather his thoughts, shaking off all the dirt in his hair.
'What am I even thinking?'
'There are more important matters at hand.'
'No point in speculating about her; we got a crazy metal man after us still and we need to somehow find a way out asap.'
He gasped before turning his head towards Tang-Ji, who was still in a shamble both physically and mentally.
'I wish I was stronger—strong enough to take all her fears away.'
Losing their pursuer would be an easy task. It seemed that they were in an intricate system of caverns connected by innumerable tunnels and shafts.
These caverns were remarkable; the walls curved upwards to form roofs as high as a cathedral, and the distance between the walls was often so great that at the centre of the cave, Tang-Ji could imagine herself trudging along a sandy beach on a windless and starless night.
Her injuries tempted her to succumb and close her eyes so she could rest her battered body. But if she did, she feared she would never wake again.
Amidst the beauty of the caverns, it felt to Tang-Ji that something was lurking in the shadows, causing her to feel a palpable sense of uneasiness. Her fear spread throughout her body, causing her to start scanning the rigid walls of the cave for any signs of the enemy.
Instead, she noticed five distinct silhouettes lining the walls of the cave. There was a silhouette that resembled her friends. One for Kazami, which had unique angular lines with broad shoulders; Emiko's and Ukiyo's, on the other hand, had softer, more delicate qualities.
'There I am…' she waved her mangled hand at the fourth silhouette, casting a shadow of her disfigured limb on the wall.
At this point, the pain was so great she had almost felt completely numbed to it, 'and the last silhouette belongs to…' Tang-Ji's thoughts halted altogether, and her body trembled.
'There's only four of us here…' She thought numbly. She started looking around her and began a headcount to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.
However, there were still only four people. 'Who does the other silhouette belong to?'
A shiver ran down her spine before she cast her gaze upon the wall beside her, where she saw it—her own shadow above her own, elongated and distorted by flickers of light.
Its features were similar to those of a woman; however, rather than having soft and delicate features, the shadow bore a sinister, inhuman back arch.
With a hairy hand, it was gnarled and twisted, reminiscent of the grotesque, claw-like appendage. Her eyes flicked back to her own shadow, where she noticed something that wasn't there before.
Strings as thin as spider silk snaked out from the disfigured shadow's limbs like tendrils of darkness.
Just then, she felt something tugging at her heartstrings, like she was a puppet being controlled by an invisible puppeteer, making her dance mindlessly on the monkey's paw.
'This feels oddly familiar,' she thought; she knew she had encountered something like this before, but her mind now was unable to tell the difference between virtual and reality.
Her eyelids became heavy, and her mind was going numb. "Kazami…" she cried weakly. "Wait… for me."
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Tunnels entered and left the caves at all angles and levels. They would run into a cave at any point between the roof and floor and wind out onto dizzy ledges, which in turn dwindled to nothing at all.
The square-mouthed shafts were a continual hazard, it was no place for panic, every corner, every bend, and every opening had to be approached with the greatest caution for fear of an unwanted meeting and an untimely demise.
The darkness itself was the worst of all; the puny light coming from Kazami's torch only accentuated their insignificance, and the feeling of being exposed to unseen eyes grew ever stronger.
Somewhere within this labyrinth, someone was hunting them down, and Tang-Ji was never more aware of this than when she broke cover beneath a soaring dome of rock and treaded through the nightmare sand.
Eventually, the sound of metal on rock disappeared, leaving only the soft echo of three racing heartbeats, a fourth weak, and buried beneath the echoes of its peers.
"It seems that we are safe for the time being," Ukiyo muttered through a rough breath. "Still, we cannot afford to drop our guard."
Ukiyo stopped walking and nodded to Emiko to set Tang-Ji down. She cradled Tang-Ji as she gently propped her up against the wall. Tang-Ji laid still and let out a soft, exasperated sigh.
Her limbs were bent out of place, and her clothing had several rips where she had been cut and shot. Ukiyo kneeled in front of Tang-Ji and placed her hands just above her chest.
A faint green glow began to shine as the air hummed softly. "Mending technique, deployment level 2, Harmony." The green light began to grow brighter in Ukiyo's hands. Gently, Ukiyo pushed the light into Tang-Ji's chest, causing her to exhale sharply.
Tang-Ji's open wounds began to close up and heal, the bloodstains on her clothing evaporating into rainbow crystals. Ukiyo softly bent Tang-Ji's broken limbs back into their rightful place, restoring her body to its pristine, original form. Despite this, she stayed silent, her eyes blank and glassy.
"Tang-Ji?" Kazami asked softly. Tang-Ji's lifeless eyes slowly looked up to meet his and went wide with fear.
In an instant, Tang-Ji pounced on Kazami, knocking him over. Tang-Ji wrapped her arms around him tightly. Her breathing was ragged and unstable, and she was shivering.
After a moment had passed, Kazami put his arms around her as well. "You're alright now, Tang-Ji. You're safe now." Tang-Ji closed her eyes and tried to steady her breathing.
Emiko, who was standing nearby, looked on in disgust. "Can you guys, like, stop? Like, get a room, Jeez. Look, even though you're healed and everything, we've still gotta find a way out of here."
"You aren't wrong, Azuki-san," he replied. "But something's still wrong with Tang-Ji. She's scared."
Emiko sighed. "She'll get over it," she said nonchalantly, peeling Tang-Ji off of Kazami's chest. "Here, you take her, Ukiyo."
Ukiyo, catching Tang-Ji, reached for her hand and began to lead the group towards the cave's exit. Kazami made a worried expression but followed Ukiyo nonetheless.
As the group walked through the cave, Kazami became more and more aware of Emiko's presence at his side. She walked close to him, perhaps a bit too close for comfort, as by this point his left shoulder was already brushing up against the wall.
"You know, Kazami… I never noticed how big and strong you are," Emiko said cheerfully, looking him up and down. "I'm sure with you here, we'll get to delve 2 in no time!"
Kazami gave her a silent side-eye.
"This place is sooooo scary! You'll protect me, right, Kazami?" she said through pleading eyes.
Kazami made a neutral expression. "I'll try my best," he said bluntly, trying to avoid meeting her gaze.
"What! But you've gotta protect me! If you die, I'll be defenceless!" she cried, clinging onto Kazami's arm. Kazami could feel her gently pressing herself into his arm but pushed down his impure thought.
"I'm just being realistic. We can't deny the possibility of death in a place like this." Kazami looked ahead at Tang-Ji with worried eyes. "Also, you're not defenceless. I know that for a fact. I'm sure you'll survive without clinging to me."
Tang-Ji, who had been routinely glancing back at Kazami, noticed how Emiko was acting strangely towards him as she subtly pressed her curves into Kazami.
To her knowledge, Emiko didn't even like Kazami, yet she acted as if they had been this intimate for ages. For reasons unbeknownst to her, Tang-Ji felt a strange feeling in her chest. She could not place what it was, but it was strong.
Foolish girl... I know exactly what you want.
Emiko noticed how Kazami looked at Tang-Ji with concern and care, despite her not even doing anything. She was confused and frustrated.
Why did Tang-Ji, who put in no effort, get Kazami's help and attention when she was the one actively pining for his help and protection? It ate her up inside. She was the one who needed him to help her, Tang-Ji would be fine with just Ukiyo.
In an instant, she pushed herself off of Kazami, shoving him into the wall. "Ugh, you've been no help at all," she said with a clear tinge of frustration.
"I'll get to delve 2, without you and your useless help! I'm strong, so I don't need you anyway. You can stay here with Tang-Ji and make this place your love nest!" Emiko's face was a mixture of frustration and mockery as she pointed accusingly at everyone.
Kazami furrowed his brow.
"What the hell are you talking about?! Why are you in such a rush to get to Delve 2 anyway?! We just got away from a whoever that freak was, and you wanna charge ahead to the next one without a plan?!"
"Uhhh... I have to... hurry and get there..." Emiko was bitting on her words, stretched and strained, like a snake unhinging its jaw to swallow prey far too large. Her voice wavered, brittle under the weight of her conviction.
"Because... cause I just do, alright? You don't need to know." She stomped the ground, sending tiny rocks scattering, the motion sharp and futile—like the twitch of a tail, masking the struggle of something beneath.
"I have a plan! But I wouldn't expect a stupid, horny ape like you to understand it," she yelled. "All you men are only good at thinking about sex! You've got no idea about anything else!"
Kazami froze, blinking at the sudden shift in conversation.
"Wha-? Are you being serious right now? I'll have you know, sex is not at the forefront of my mind at all times!" He threw his hands up in disbelief.
"And secondly, you shouldn't generalise about people you don't know. It's unfair for the other person." He shook his head, clearly thrown off.
"Ugh!" Emiko groaned.
"Just shut up! I am NOT going to have you act all high and mighty and try and lecture ME!" Emiko pushed past Ukiyo and Tang-Ji, who stood in silence, watching the chaos unfold. "You can take your lecture and shove it, Kazami! I'm going to Delve 2 myself!"
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Emiko began to storm away from the group, her heart burning with wounded pride, muttering something insulting under her breath.
"Dammit, I can't believe I'm stuck here with these people." She mumbled angrily.
Kazami was confused, but also angry. "What's her problem?" He grumbled.
Splitting up in an unfamiliar environment that had danger lurking around every corner was a stupid idea, one he could never see himself entertaining. Yet Emiko had run off on her own anyway.
He shook his head and tried his best to focus on the present. He still had a mentally broken Tang-Ji and Ukiyo to take care of, as their party was now down one fighter. Kazami couldn't risk letting his guard down now, not when they were so close to the end of the labyrinth.
A cold chill ran down his spine as he continued walking. "Something's here..." Kazami whispered as he slowly came to a stop.
Ahead of the party, just off the path, stood—no, grew—a thin, withered tree. Its pale yellow trunk was only a foot and a half thick and six feet tall, far smaller than the behemoth specimens he'd seen in the forest. However, this tree had shiny crystals adorning its trunk.
"Detecting a sudden high frequency in danger level." Ukiyo announced almost robotically.
Suddenly, a high-pitched scream rang out from the tree. The voice was a girl's. It was a familiar tone of voice.
Quickly rushing to the scene ahead, Kazami suddenly stopped in his track in bewilderment.
A tree seemed to have wrapped its branches around her waist, as if it had grown itself around her figure. It would have been impossible to manipulate the branches in such a way unless the tree itself was alive.
"Azuki-san?!" Kazami called out, making the connection. He summoned his sword and began making his way towards the tree.
However, a single pale light shone from a small knothole in its trunk, causing its branches to stretch out to its sides, waving around like slender claws.
The dried-out tree and Kazami stared at each other for a moment, and eventually, it freed itself from the ground and stepped forward, using its thick, sturdy roots as legs.
With its legs now freed, the tree began making its way towards Kazami. Its wobbling steps soon turned into a full-speed dash. A second knothole opened beneath the other one, and the tree warbled a howl.
A large red icon appeared above the monster's health bar along with its name,
Emiko flailed her arms around, trying her best to break from its grip. "Fuck, both my arms are tied, I can't summon my Leere."
"Tch," Ukiyo clicked her tongue.
"I apologise for the inconvenience. It seems that the Rooted Ghoul has a cloaking ability that makes it invisible to search skills when rooted. It must have used that to avoid my detection."
Kazami cracked his neck.
"Doesn't matter now. It's got low health and a weakness to fire." He switched his sword's form to a slimmer steel sword in an instant. "I can handle it."
The sword's blade was reminiscent of a box cutter in that it had a straight edge and multiple grooves at designated intervals along its surface. It seemed that each interval was a small, rhombus-shaped blade that interlocked with each other to make up the blade's form.
The Rooted Ghoul let out a ghostly howl as it approached. Kazami stared it down and prepared to unleash his skill. "Scattered! Deployment level 4, Rush technique," the space between the grooves began to glow a faint red. "Explosive Flurry of Blades."
Without warning, the blades shot out tiny steel plates at the monster one by one, each embedding itself within the tree's trunk. With a flick of his wrist, the pieces detonated, sending pieces of scorched wood flying across the walls of the open cavern.
The blades that had been shot off quickly returned to their position at the sword's hilt, reforming its lightweight shape.
Emiko sat at the centre of the blast, coughing, as the smoke began to clear. Kazami sighed and began to make his way over to her. Emiko, who noticed him approaching, put on her best pout and turned her gaze to the wall beside her.
"Come on, we should get going," Kazami suggested, extending his hand to Emiko. Emiko looked at his outstretched hand for a moment but quickly flicked back to the wall.
"I don't need your help or your pity," she replied. "After all that big talk and me running off, you probably think I'm a loser now, huh?" Emiko crossed her arms and continued to face the wall.
Kazami scratched his head and sighed again, but this time he closed both his eyes with exhaustion. "I don't care right now if I'm being honest. I'm sure you've got your reasons for what you're doing." Emiko looked down, somehow gloomy but resolute at the same time.
"But it's better if we do it as a group. Just so we don't end up in more situations like this." He nodded towards a large chip of wood that was blown off the monster. "I've got your back if you've got mine. "And whatever your true intentions are towards us, I still consider you a friend."
Emiko seemed apprehensive and appeared to ponder Kazami's proposal for a moment.
'What a load of crap!He thinks we're friends? Yeah, right, all men are the same simple minded incompetents that can be swayed by a woman's sexual appeal. Whatever, I guess the more help I can get, the better... They'll be a useful bunch.' Emiko creased her brow.
'But this is humiliating... Going back to them after running off and having to be saved. Pathetic…'
Emiko seemed to have found her answer, and reached for Kazami's hand, pulling herself up off the ground. "Fine," she muttered, still avoiding meeting Kazami's eyes.
'Anything for the recognition as an Aizuki... even if I have to continue to walk this lonely road of betrayal for the rest of my life. If only my wish from back then could come true, perhaps everything could've been avoided.' Emiko thought before grabbing onto her slightly injured shoulders.
"Huh? What is that?" Tang-Ji murmured.
With Emiko's back facing the rigid walls for a split second, Tang-Ji had hallucinated and saw something terrifying. A shadow of a large spider was behind Emiko. It was fleeting, gone in the blink of an eye, as if the darkness laid baits upon her eyes to twist their remaining perception of reality.
'I must be slowly going crazy…' She wrapped her arms around her shoulders before casting pleas of salvation at Kazami.
However, she had second thoughts. 'No, I musn't make him worried anymore; after all, out of everyone here, I am the useless one.' She averted her gaze instantly from him to not make her fear apparent.
'I wish I was more reliable… to have the resolve to do something...'
Emiko began to dust herself off as Kazami headed over to Ukiyo, who had been standing on the opposite side of the blast zone.
"My detection skill shows that there is a large cavern up ahead," she said, pointing in the direction of a large opening. "After consecutive battles, you must be tired, correct?"
Kazami nodded.
"We can set up camp and go over what we know so far as well, just so that we're all on the same page." He looked over at Tang-Ji. "I know you've been through a lot while we were gone."
"You better be sure this time that there are no more enemies." She grunted. "Let's make it quick, okay," Emiko added. "I don't want to waste any more time than I have to."
"Yeah," Kazami replied. "If we make it to the exit, maybe we can regroup with the others too."