Eduan let out a hollow laugh at my words.
"Haha. So you're planning to fleece the Ten Family Heads' data? That's bold."
Put that way, it does sting a little—but there's no helping it.
We have to win, no matter what. That ans using every thod available.
"Give and take. I get their help, and they get to stay on the Hidden Floor."
One of the reasons we originally planned to visit all the Family Heads' stages was for Eduan to persuade them not to disappear. In that sense, things turning out this way isn't necessarily bad.
After all, we're still persuading them.
"But, my son," Hon said, "most of our companions are already tired of this place and intend to disappear on their own. How do you plan to persuade all of them? Going around one by one like before won't be very efficient."
That was the real remaining problem.
Fortunately, I had a rough plan for that too.
"We split the work. The Arie and Ari families are practically sibling clans—Father, you handle Lord Ari Han."
Hon nodded.
Then Eduan.
"Lord Eduan, please take Lady Yeon Hana and the Lo Po Bia Family Head. It looked like they were gathered at the Garden of Beautiful Flas earlier. While you're there, I'd appreciate it if you could bring my companions too—Zahard's data might interfere otherwise."
"Alright. Got it. Then what about you?"
"I'll take Lady Blossom and Lord Gustang."
At those nas, Eduan clicked his tongue.
"Those two are insanely self-centered. You're in for a rough ti."
Not exactly sothing he should be saying—but I smiled and told him not to worry.
I chose those two because I actually had a plan.
But first—
"I'll head to Lighthouse Island and pick up my companions. Then I'll get moving."
"Alright. We'll move soon too."
Luf worried the most.
Tperie had supposedly left long ago, yet Luf was still on Lighthouse Island—and in Zahard's screen, he'd been crouched alone in a dark space.
Sothing was clearly wrong.
I quickly pulled up the stage list and selected Lighthouse Island.
Light burst forth, and I was transferred imdiately.
....
Lighthouse Island
Luf was still crouched in the darkness.
The tears had long since run dry, but sitting alone in this bleak, hopeless place only made him feel more miserable. He wanted to sink to rock bottom—to feel just how far he'd fallen.
So he remained there, collapsed on the floor of an empty, pitch-black room.
How much ti had passed?
Hoaquin hyung would be worried.
…Or maybe not. I did reply that I was fine.
"Haha…"
Humans are strange.
When they need help the most, they don't ask for it.
Even knowing they'll eventually break if they keep enduring alone, they rarely reach out.
Is it pride?
Not wanting pity?
Or confidence that they can handle it themselves?
Yeah. I can handle it myself—
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
Footsteps—soone running toward him.
They were getting closer, but Luf's exhausted mind couldn't bring itself to care.
I can handle it myself—
BANG!
"Luf!"
A white-haired boy burst through the door, shattering the darkness.
Only then did a familiar face enter Luf's vision.
No matter how dried-out his mind was, he wasn't far gone enough to deny what he was seeing.
"…Hoaquin hyung?"
The person he missed.
Seeing him really standing there made Luf's chest tighten—but he quickly tried to pull himself together.
I don't want him to see like this.
Forcing himself, Luf managed a smile close to his usual one and stood up in the now brightly lit room.
I told him I was fine—so why did he co?
Did he notice sothing after all?
Luf smiled like always and spoke like always.
"Hyung, what brings you he—"
Whoosh.
Before he could finish, Hoaquin rushed over and pulled him into a tight hug.
For a mont, Luf said nothing.
He couldn't.
The instant he felt that warmth, everything else vanished.
"…H-hyung?"
"I was worried! Sorry I'm late. Did sothing happen?"
Luf felt his expression slowly crumble.
This isn't good.
I need to act normal—
Normal… how did I act normal again?
He couldn't rember.
How he used to smile.
How he spoke.
How he carried himself with ease.
He'd been trapped in sadness for too long.
He couldn't rember what he was like when he wasn't hurting.
His expression collapsed faster.
Hoaquin was still holding him—warmly, firmly.
"Luf."
"…Yes?"
"You don't have to pretend."
"…."
At those words, Luf completely broke.
Not the smiling face he always wore—but the one he'd been wearing here on Lighthouse Island.
Hyung shouldn't even be able to see my face… so how does he know?
A single drop of water soaked into Hoaquin's white clothes.
Then another.
Hoaquin didn't care.
"…I don't know what happened, or what you've been through. So this is all I can do."
Luf's throat tightened; no words would co out.
No—that's enough.
This warmth alone is enough—
But he still couldn't speak.
Had he gone too long without talking?
What if hyung misunderstands and thinks I don't want this—
No.
Hoaquin only held him tighter.
After a long silence, words finally spilled out—but still not the ones he wanted to say.
"…Hyung."
"Yeah."
"I just… I w—"
His voice kept breaking.
Even so, surely this hyung understood.
Luf gave up trying to explain and let himself sink into the embrace.
Warm.
A feeling he hadn't felt in a long ti.
When was the last ti?
When his mother held him as a child?
No.
When she praised him after he beat his rivals?
No.
Then—
Ah.
When he was roasting skewers in the cave on the Floor of Tests, with Hwarang hyung and Hoaquin hyung.
That was the first ti.
And after that…
Luf's eyes widened slightly as he looked at Hoaquin.
Then he laughed softly.
He finally realized it.
Every ti he'd felt this warmth—during their travels, climbing the Tower, living with his teammates—
This person had always been there.
Why hadn't he noticed?
Without saying a word, Luf leaned into the hug again.
Until Hoaquin let go.
Or until Luf rembered how to smile happily again.
....
Elsewhere
It felt like she'd been forced into sleep.
With an unpleasant sensation lingering, Maschenny opened her eyes.
They'd definitely been transported sowhere together by her father.
So where was this?
An unfamiliar, strange space.
Hidden Stages were plentiful, so seeing a new one wasn't odd—but sothing felt wrong.
"…What is this?"
Iron bars separated her from the outside.
A cage—for a Zahard Princess?
Who dared pull sothing like this?
She tried to bend the bars with brute force.
They didn't budge.
Then shinsu.
CRACKLE—!
Lightning gathered in her fist as she slamd it into the bars.
Nothing happened.
The bars were completely unhard—as if they'd never been attacked.
Physical force was useless.
Then another way—
"I see you're awake."
"…?"
A golden sphere floated beyond the bars and spoke.
"Did you bring here?"
"Strictly speaking, it was Lord Zahard. He intercepted your transfer midway."
"…!"
An unexpected na.
Why would he—
Before she could process it, the golden sphere continued.
It explained everything that happened while she was unconscious—Zahard's wager, Hoaquin's proposal, the tiline.
"So you are a hostage. Unless the Regular nad Hoaquin defeats Data Zahard in the wager, you will remain here. No matter how much you struggle, escape is impossible. It would be wise to remain calm."
This stage was created using Data Zahard's authority.
And if you die here—you die for real.
At those words, Maschenny dispelled the lightning spear she'd aid at her own neck.
The golden sphere vanished.
The mont it did, Maschenny slamd her fist into the bars.
"Damn it."
Being trapped like this didn't suit her at all.
She needed to find sothing—anything—she could do.
But…
There was nothing.
Escape was impossible.
She lashed out, firing lightning in all directions—but as the sphere said, the stage suffered no damage.
Eventually, exhausted, she slumped to the floor.
"…Haa."
At this rate, I'm just a burden to Hoaquin.
....
anwhile, a white-haired boy was summoned sowhere else in a flash of light.
The mont he arrived, he spread his shinsu wide, scanning the surroundings.
"Hm. Miss again. Then—again."
Slash.
After confirming it wasn't the location he wanted, the boy imdiately slit his own throat.
Again.
And again.
Until he was summoned to her stage—
Endlessly.
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