Sowhere in the Middle Area of the 89th Floor — Maschenny's Villa
The owner of the villa was absent, but two young n were staying there with Maschenny's permission.
Plus one uninvited guest.
A blond, odd-eyed young man carried a teapot and cups he had brewed himself and approached the round table where two boys were deep in conversation.
"Hyung, Hwarang. Want so tea?"
"Anyway, so—ah. Thanks, Luf."
Luf smiled gently at Hwarang's reply.
The childish boy he had been 120 years ago was long gone. Now fully grown into a man in his twenties, his refined looks were enough to captivate even the daughters of the Ten Great Families. In fact, he'd received marriage proposals from them more than once while climbing the Tower.
If Hoaquin were here, he'd probably be yelling about starting an idol agency right now.
Hwarang's pink eyes glead as he looked at Luf—and the uninvited guest. Though he himself had grown a great deal over the past 120 years, Luf's growth stood out the most among the four of them.
Hoaquin or Maschenny would be surprised if they saw him now.
As Hwarang sipped the tea Luf had made and drifted into thought, the conversation paused—sothing the uninvited guest clearly couldn't tolerate.
"So? What happened next?"
A boy with deep blue hair and eyes—clearly a mber of the Khun family—leaned uncomfortably close to Hwarang, eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Hwarang let out a dry laugh at the childlike impatience.
This boy, who had more or less moved into Maschenny's villa without permission, had been annoying at first—but sohow they'd beco friends.
Though the highest floor he'd reached was above Hwarang and Luf's, he often ca back down just to hang out.
"A-Asensio, you're way too close. It's uncomfortable. Back up a little."
"Oh—sorry. So what did Noona do after that?"
Khun Marco Asensio.
Strong, handso, and kind—if he had one flaw, it was his excessive obsession with Maschenny.
Ninety-eight percent of conversations with him revolved around her.
Hwarang was exhausted by it, but unfortunately, Asensio wasn't.
Unable to withstand his relentless prompting, Hwarang finally continued.
"She subdued the arrogant Zahard Princess in an instant… then crushed her under her heel. Pinned her limbs down with lightning spears so she couldn't move."
Asensio's eyes shone even brighter.
"Oooh! And then?!"
Hwarang tapped his forehead, searching his mory.
"…Luf, what did Maschenny say back then? When that Princess mouthed off."
Luf, who had been washing dishes, paused, thought for a mont, then clapped his hands.
"She said, 'Next ti, I'll drive a spear through your heart.' I rember clearly. Maschenny-noona gets really scary when Hoaquin-hyung isn't around."
Bang!
"Ah—! That startled !"
Hwarang clutched his chest as Asensio slamd both fists onto the table.
He'd controlled his strength, thankfully—the table didn't break.
Asensio trembled, head tilted back.
"As expected of Noona! Soone like could never even dare approach her…!"
Sotis, Hwarang thought this kid was more fanatical than FUG.
"Y-yeah. Asensio. Maschenny is incredible."
"Exactly! You traveled with her—you understand! Noona is truly admirable! Her beauty, her brilliant mind, her overwhelming power befitting a Zahard Princess—"
…(omitted)…
Ugh. I shouldn't have encouraged him.
Realizing this would go on until dawn, Hwarang hurriedly clamped a hand over Asensio's mouth.
"Alright, alright! But isn't it about ti you went back up?"
"Mmph—! …Ah, right. Guess it's about ti."
Hwarang's face brightened.
Please let sleep…
"It's late. You have your own schedule, don't you?"
"True. I should be heading back. Noona should be reaching my floor soon anyway."
As Asensio prepared to leave, Hwarang and Luf saw him off with smiles.
"Until next ti, Hwarang. Lyf. I had a great ti. I hope you'll tell more stories about Noona next ti."
…Maybe I'll pretend I forgot everything.
Hwarang sighed deeply but waved back.
"By the way, Asensio—what floor did you say you were on now?"
Asensio turned back just before boarding his floating ship.
"96th Floor. Hurry up and catch up."
....
Three Weeks Later — 96th Floor
The gate connecting the 95th and 96th Floors opened, and a single floating ship entered.
"…So this is the 96th Floor."
I stared out the window.
This was the floor where those who desecrated Anna's body were waiting.
At first, I suspected it might be fake.
But after countless confirmations, I understood.
It was real.
So Anna… and my friends… really did die back then.
I had to accept the reality I'd been refusing.
At least…
At least her body still remained.
I pressed a hand to the window, burning with hatred toward those whose location I still didn't know.
A ssage from weeks ago echoed in my mind:
> Haha, hurry up. If you're late, your precious little sister's corpse might rot.
The mont I read that, I swore it.
No matter what— I would kill them.
Simply killing them wouldn't be enough.
I'd make it hurt.
Kiiing—
"…Ugh!"
That inexplicable pain struck again.
It had been tolerable at first, but each ti it returned, it grew worse.
As I collapsed, clutching my chest, Maschenny hurriedly laid down on the bed.
"Hoaquin, are you okay?"
"…Honestly? Not really—ugh…"
The pain felt like my heart was being torn apart—horrifying beyond anything I'd ever experienced.
After several minutes, it slowly faded.
"What's wrong with …?"
"Haa… haa…"
Maschenny stared at intently.
"Again… your heart?"
"…Yeah."
I didn't know the cause, but I was starting to understand the trigger.
Every ti my emotions surged, the pain followed.
But even knowing that—
How was I supposed to control my emotions when this involved my sister?
As I circulated shinsu around my heart to calm the pain, Maschenny looked increasingly uneasy.
"Hoaquin… I have a bad feeling. Maybe you should deal with that heart pain first—"
"That's impossible. I don't even know why it happens. And who knows how long it'll last? And while we wait, do you really think they'll leave Ana alone?"
Maschenny fell silent.
"…Sorry," I added. "But this level of pain won't stop . It hurts like hell—but I won't die."
She sighed quietly.
"That's exactly why it worries ."
"…Sorry. But don't make that face. It doesn't suit you."
Her brows furrowed.
"I'm worried, and this is how you respond?"
"Haha. The Maschenny I know looks better when she's relaxed. That suits you more."
"…What are you talking about."
She looked away, avoiding my gaze.
Cold and bold—but strangely vulnerable in monts like this.
Cute.
"Alright—"
The pain was completely gone now.
I stood and looked out the window again.
"So. Where are they?"
"They're on the move. At this speed, they'll arrive tomorrow. That's the date Leta ntioned too."
Realizing how close it was strangely cald .
No—
Deep down, sothing was burning quietly.
Fiercer than ever.
I'd protect Maschenny.
I'd retrieve Anna's body.
And those three—
I'd tear them apart.
.....
24 Hours Later
"How are the test results?"
"Oh—Princess. You've arrived."
At Yeon Yuhwa Zahard's question, a workshop researcher bowed respectfully.
Once she allowed him to raise his head, he turned back toward the subject of his research—
And the examination continued.
She looked down at the pale girl, who appeared to be sleeping peacefully.
By any reckoning, the body should have been at least 120 years old—yet there was no decay, no sign of dissolution. Intrigued by this anomaly, a workshop researcher under her command had requested permission to conduct examinations. In exchange for granting that request, she had borrowed several pieces of equipnt she needed for the current operation.
Useful in more ways than one, Yeon Yuhwa Zahard thought as she studied the girl.
The girl's face was serene, as if lost in a gentle dream. Her skin was naturally pale—an Arie family trait—but there was still a faint flush to it. If the examinations hadn't confird the complete absence of vital signs, no one would have believed she was dead.
"To give you my conclusion," the researcher said carefully, "from a scientific standpoint, the girl is certainly deceased. However… if we approach the matter from another angle… there is room to argue that she is still alive."
The answer resolved nothing.
Yuhwa frowned slightly.
Sensing her displeasure, the workshop researcher panicked and bowed repeatedly.
"I-I'm sorry! This is an unprecedented case, and there are far too many unknown variables—"
He raised his head hesitantly.
"If you would allow it, I would like to conduct several experints using that—"
"Absolutely not."
Yuhwa rejected the idea imdiately.
Workshop experints were, by definition, dissections or human experintation. She would not waste such a valuable piece of bait on sothing like that—not when it was still useful.
"No. It still has a role to play."
Though her refusal was firm, the researcher, true to his nature, struggled to suppress his curiosity. Still, given who stood before him, he had no choice but to retreat.
"…Understood. As promised, we will lend you the equipnt. Though it is still classified as non-exportable…"
Even at the end, he tried to leave himself an opening.
Yuhwa sighed inwardly.
Maintaining good relations with the Workshop won't hurt in the long run.
"If the Workshop continues to support ," she said coolly, "I may hand it over later."
After all, once the bait had served its purpose, it wouldn't matter what happened to it—dissection, experints, anything.
"Th-thank you! The Workshop will not forget your contribution, Princess."
The researcher withdrew, and Yuhwa cast one final glance at the white-haired girl before turning away without hesitation.
She didn't forget to relocate the bait.
"Move the corpse to Floating Fortress No. 2."
"Yes, ma'am."
It had been discovered purely by chance during an investigation into the 99th Floor incident—an compressed space, a naturally occurring phenonon of absurd rarity. Never in her dreams had she imagined finding a girl inside such a place, much less landing such a prize with her.
Unless the Administrator himself had arranged it, this could only be described as divine luck.
As she walked through the fortress corridors, her pocket rang.
Beep—
— Yuhwa unni, the equipnt from the Workshop has been fully installed. It's charging now.
"Good work, Lainess. Proceed as instructed."
— You know I'm absolutely loyal to you, right?
"Of course."
She knew all too well.
Beep—
"Leta, are preparations complete?"
— My family's Rankers handled it thoroughly. Just imagining Maschenny's face when she realizes what's waiting for her makes giddy.
"Hehe… it won't be long now."
Everything was proceeding smoothly.
The equipnt was perfect.
The manpower was perfect.
More than a dozen Rankers were positioned throughout the floating fortress awaiting their arrival.
Investigations confird that no Khun family Rankers had directly assisted Maschenny recently.
Which ant—
She was effectively alone.
Even if Maschenny tried to call them now, would they arrive in ti? Unlikely. The Khun family's sphere of activity was far removed from this floor.
Entering the observation lounge, Yuhwa gazed out at the stage they had prepared.
96th Floor — Arena Floor.
The Administrator here was notoriously aggressive and violent, with little interest in protecting Regulars. Rumor had it he'd received multiple warnings from Headon because of that.
Which was precisely why this floor had been chosen.
With a thin, vicious smile, Yuhwa waited for the fish to swim in of their own accord.
Several hours later, the long-awaited report arrived.
— Princess, Maschenny Zahard and the Arie Regular have arrived.
Finally.
"Good. Keep the royal execution units on standby. Who knows when our troubleso little sister might violate the Princess Code."
— For the glory of the royal family.
Killing Maschenny—who was said to enjoy Khun Eduan's favor—was regrettable, but this was rely a factional conflict between Princesses.
There would be no real consequences.
Once Maschenny was gone and the majority of Regular Princesses were under her heel, even Illarde and the Family Heads would—
"…Ah. Expression control."
She corrected the fanatic distortion creeping onto her face and turned to the screen.
Maschenny and Hoaquin had disembarked from their ship and were stepping into the floating fortress—by their own choice.
She connected the microphone.
Watching the two of them turn toward the observer, reacting to her voice, filled her with a strange thrill.
"Welco to the stage, Maschenny. And Hoaquin. Don't make that frightening face—we've preserved the corpse quite carefully."
Maschenny responded coldly through the channel.
— You dragged us into this filthy place. What exactly are you planning?
"Hehe. The rules are simple. This massive floating fortress has been specially modified into a labyrinth. Overco the trials and reach the deepest point, and Leta, Lainess, and I will be waiting."
She smiled.
"Think of it as a hero's trial to rescue a beloved sister."
— You never did say it would be only the three of you against the two of us, Yuhwa Zahard.
Maschenny's venomous sarcasm was as irritating as ever—but today, it only delighted her.
She walked in knowing it was a trap.
What a rare sight.
"You already figured it out, didn't you? Then go on—struggle as hard as you can to survive."
Drunk on the overwhelming sense of victory, Yuhwa continued.
"The ga begins the mont you open the door ahead. Oh—and the maze is a Workshop special. It can't be destroyed."
She chuckled softly.
"But if you try… your sister will be dropped into dissolving fluid. Let's play by the rules, hmm?"
The observer shattered imdiately after—but she didn't care.
Observers and lighthouses were deployed in excess.
Still… they didn't bring any Rankers?
The entire plan had been built around Ranker-versus-Ranker combat.
Had all this preparation been unnecessary?
"Well. That only makes it better for ."
Yuhwa's smile stretched unnaturally wide as she watched them enter the maze.
"Now then—let the ga begin."
The most beautiful shoe in the display case… would be hers.
.....
Teeth ground together.
Anxiety gnawed at him.
"Damn it… at this rate, there's no telling how far they'll push their demands using Anna."
Maschenny spoke calmly.
"96th Floor is the Arena Floor. If they violate the rules, the Administrator won't ignore it. They can't pull hostage theatrics here."
"Still. They'll try to cheat. We can't let our guard—"
She stopped mid-sentence.
For the first ti since entering the maze, enemies appeared.
"All Rankers? That's ridiculous."
Each one bore the markings of the Yeon family.
Flas ignited in their hands as they advanced.
— What? You didn't bring a single Ranker? Seriously? Then all our preparation was pointless… though a miserable, hollow death isn't so bad either.
Leta Zahard's mocking laughter echoed through the fortress speakers.
He answered simply.
"We didn't bring Rankers."
— What? Hahahahahaha! Are you insane?! Did you really think we'd fight Regulars only?! You're a codian!
Her laughter rang out endlessly.
— Fine. Then die. Oh, Rankers? Break Maschenny's limbs and bring her to . I'll play with her before killing her.
Flas began to surge—
Or rather, they were about to.
Then—
Blood erupted.
— …Huh?
Thud. Roll.
Sothing hit the floor.
— …Huh? Huh? Huh?
"Why didn't we bring Rankers?"
— …Wait—this—what…?
"Because we didn't need them."
Headless bodies collapsed lifelessly.
Pathetic—unworthy of the Ten Great Families' na.
— We… planned… for Ranker combat…
Ignoring Leta's denial, he spoke calmly.
"I'll kill the three of you as painfully as possible."
"Try resisting."
He didn't bother wiping the blood from Baekya.
The next ti he cleaned this blade—
It would be when it was entirely soaked in red.
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