Sowhere on the 96th Floor — A Hypersonic Floating Ship in Flight
"Find her no matter what! I have to attend to my lady properly before she leaves for the 97th Floor!"
Khun Marco Asensio barked orders, his blue eyes blazing as he pressured the crewmate—written as colleague, read as servant—who was piloting the ship.
"There was information that Lady Maschenny entered the 96th Floor just yesterday! And you still haven't found her?! What are you even doing?!"
"I—I'm sorry, Lord Asensio…"
The servant felt like his insides were about to explode.
Do you have any idea how big the 96th Floor is?
About forty-two million square kiloters!
Knowing she entered the Tower yesterday doesn't an you can find her today!
But of course, he couldn't say any of that out loud. All he could do was grit his teeth and continue steering the hypersonic floating ship back and forth.
"If there's no report of her securing lodging or a villa," Asensio continued, "then there's a high chance she's wandering sowhere aimlessly!"
You don't say.
Suppressing his irritation, the servant activated the Lighthouse and searched desperately, eyes practically burning. The sooner he found her, the sooner he could clock out.
"This won't do. We're switching to the Infinite Warp Operation! Keep pressing the warp button!"
"…Y-Yes?! If we do that, it'll put serious strain on this ship! We haven't even finished paying it off yet—"
At that, Asensio popped the bubble gum he'd been chewing, staring at him as if he'd said sothing absurd.
"We're rich. Why did you even buy it on installnts?"
"Even if we're rich, this thing is insanely expensive! And I've told you again and again—no matter how much you have, money is never—mmph!"
Unfortunately, the servant's earnest advice was cut off when Asensio clamped a hand over his mouth.
To Asensio—who was determined to see the face of his revered lady no matter what—it was nothing but noise.
"Man, you talk too much! Just do it! If I miss my chance to attend to Lady Maschenny, are you going to take responsibility?! We can just borrow money from Hwarang later!"
Didn't you get kicked out last ti you asked him for money…?
The servant felt like he could write an entire thesis refuting this logic, but in the end, he could only raise the white flag.
Why are you chasing her like this when you're not even in the sa faction? I really don't get it…
"Yes, yes. Understood. I'll warp around tirelessly as ordered! Just don't complain about motion sickness later!"
"Lady Maschenny! I am coming to pay my respects!"
"Haaah…"
One man was fired up with enthusiasm.
Another let out a deep sigh.
Thus continued the endless, hopeless expedition to find Maschenny.
....
Inside the Labyrinth
"Graaah—!"
A Ranker who was still alive let out a desperate scream as he reached forward—only for raging flas to surge toward from behind him.
To break through flas threatening to incinerate , all I needed was a single Shinsu blade.
A sword ford before , shot forward, cleanly piercing through the fire and straight through the enemy's heart.
"Ghk…!"
"How can a re Regular do this to—!"
The next Ranker's protest was cut off as I severed his neck.
"If you had ti to complain, you should've built another room," I muttered.
When I glanced back, there were no living Rankers left.
Ti to move on.
I scattered Shinsu waves outward, probing the maze. Detection interference was active—clearly a trick had been set—but I could still roughly tell which direction to go.
"That way, I think. Maschenny, stay close to . Just in case."
At my words, Maschenny stepped closer.
I felt bad saying this, but in the current battles, there was nothing she could do.
She knew it too.
With a brown bag slung over one shoulder, she followed quietly at my side. Every ti I cut down another Ranker, the scent of blood filled the air, and it looked like she was struggling to suppress her rising battle instincts.
Well—anyway.
"Kiiiii—!"
The mont we rounded a corner of the maze, a magnificent stag with massive horns charged straight at us.
And my blade split it cleanly in two.
Just as easily as all the Rankers before it.
Another Ranker erged, using the stag as his familiar and unleashing a barrage of bangs—but like the others, he fared no differently.
His body was torn apart, blood spilling freely.
"That way! Stop them no matter what! For the Princess!"
Hooooom—
More Rankers flooded in, dozens of bangs forming throughout the maze.
The bangs boasted density and power far beyond those of ordinary Regulars, threatening to rain down at any mont—but I felt nothing.
Back on the Test Floors, Rankers looked so overwhelming.
And yet now…
They were utterly trivial.
Low-ranking Ten Family Rankers.
Hired rcenary Rankers.
Even in swarms, they were laughable.
I released Shinsu like a warning and stepped forward.
"…!"
The Rankers tensed to their limits, gulping every ti I took another step.
Despite being outnumbered, the absolute advantage lay with .
Slowly, I raised my arm and pointed Baekya toward them.
The white blade, drenched in red, blood dripping steadily.
I could clearly see their pupils trembling as they faced it.
"You knew what you were getting into when you joined this farce, didn't you?"
No one answered.
They only denied reality, desperately searching for an escape route.
"…K-Kill—!"
Slash—
With a single swing, one Ranker's chest was carved open deeply, as if sliced apart.
That was the beginning.
What followed was nothing more than indiscriminate slaughter.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
I was stronger.
They were weaker.
That was all there was to it.
That was the Tower's damned morality.
If that's how it works—
Then I'll adapt.
I'll cut down as many as it takes.
The target was Floating Fortress No. 2.
Hoaquin was currently in Floating Fortress No. 1, so there was still considerable distance between them—but at this rate, it was only a matter of ti before he reached her.
Leta sharply turned toward the Lo Po Bia Rankers standing beside her.
"Can you idiots stop that thing?"
"..."
Their eyes darted back and forth, but not a single one of them answered. They stood rigid, silent.
The last shred of expectation Leta had left shattered instantly.
"You useless pieces of trash! How the hell did you even earn the title of Ranker?!"
"Kiii—"
As Leta's rage deepened, the stag beside her reacted to her violent emotions, gently licking her face as if trying to calm her down.
"Haa… calm down. Calm down…"
She took a deep breath.
"Pocket. Connect to Yeon Yuhwa Zahard."
Beep—
"Unni, what are you planning to do? You just dumped this annoying corpse on and think that's it?!"
Leta demanded urgently, but Yuhwa's voice on the other end was unbelievably calm.
— Why are you panicking so much? Nothing has changed. We proceed according to plan.
— The plan is still perfect… though we'll need a slight adjustnt.
"What? Nothing's changed?! Are you serious?! You've seen what's happening! Our Rankers aren't even buying ti—they're being slaughtered! Rankers, damn it!"
— Heehee… think a little deeper.
— This is actually more advantageous for us.
Leta's eyes widened slightly.
— No Rankers followed those two.
— It's just Hoaquin, alone.
"…!"
Only monts ago, she had been too shaken by the absurd sight of a Regular massacring Rankers to process anything clearly. Everything Yuhwa said sounded like nonsense.
But now that she'd cald down—even a little—she could see it.
"…She's right."
He's alone anyway.
Whether many Rankers ca, or one man who slaughtered many Rankers ca alone—it didn't change much.
If anything, dragging Khun Rankers into this would have made things far more troubleso.
Yes, the situation was abnormal. Completely insane, even.
But this plan had been designed from the start for a Ranker-vs-Ranker war.
All they had to do was change the target—from Khun Rankers to Hoaquin.
— Just stick to the original plan.
— Minor revisions are already accounted for.
— Didn't you say it yourself?
— That he looked like a man worth "taming."
— This is your chance.
Yuhwa's honeyed voice finally convinced Leta.
Yes. The real ga hadn't even begun yet.
They hadn't shown even half of their hand.
The cursed items were still unused.
"…Hahaha… HAHAHAHAHA!"
Leta burst into laughter.
"When you think about it, you're absolutely right! They only just cleared the maze! Unni's right—the plan is going perfectly!"
She straightened, confidence fully restored.
"I'll prepare to activate the Fish Tank."
Yuhwa smiled faintly.
— That's my girl.
— Unlike Lainess, you actually understand.
— Nothing important has changed.
— Maschenny will still be crushed—utterly.
The revised plan had already been sent to Leta's pocket.
She glanced at it.
And her lips twisted upward into a grotesque smile.
"Hehehehehe… I love it. I love it even more because it's insane."
On the Lighthouse screen, Maschenny and Hoaquin could be seen sprinting toward a massive door, stepping over the bodies of the Rankers they had slaughtered.
Earlier, she would have been panicking.
Now, her smile didn't fade.
"…Alright. Let's see if I can ta this mad dog."
She turned away.
"Excuse first, Unni. I won't hold back on the cursed items."
— Good. We can't leave evidence anyway.
Beep—
The connection ended.
Yeon Yuhwa Zahard continued watching.
Aside from Hoaquin's power far exceeding expectations, the plan itself was still intact.
All they had to do was apply the contingency prepared for Khun Rankers—to him instead.
With a few adjustnts.
"…Hmm."
Her eyes narrowed.
The maze was a slaughterhouse.
The bodies of Ten Family Rankers lay strewn about in pitiful states.
But more than that—
Her attention lingered on Maschenny.
The brown bag slung over her shoulder.
Did she always carry that?
Or is it sothing new?
What was its purpose?
Don't tell —
At that mont, Lainess Zahard's urgent voice rang through her pocket.
— Unni! You're watching the Lighthouse, right?! They're about to enter this area! What do we do?!
"I'm coming. Just do exactly as you're told, Lainess."
— …Yes.
There was no need to explain anything to Liness.
Dolls only needed to obey.
And her usefulness was already declining.
Yuhwa still believed—without a shred of doubt—that victory belonged to her.
....
Inside the Arena
"That door, I think."
"Yeah."
We had finally exited the maze, arriving at a massive, straight corridor.
At the end stood a gigantic door.
If what they said was true, the three of them were waiting behind it.
Along with who knew how many Rankers.
I stepped forward.
Maschenny called out from behind .
"Hoaquin. Yeon Yuhwa has ties to the Royal Execution Unit. They'll be behind that door too."
"Doesn't matter," I replied calmly.
"We didn't co here unprepared."
I turned back and waited for her.
She clicked her tongue lightly, then followed—corners of her lips lifting just a bit.
"That's true."
I took a breath and walked with her toward the door.
My heart pain hadn't returned yet.
Even if it did later, I wouldn't stop.
No matter how much it hurt—I'd endure.
As we reached the door—
"…?"
Wooooong—
Damn it. Too late.
"…! Maschenny!"
"…Ugh—why did you suddenly push—?!"
At the very last mont, I shoved her out of the blast radius.
And then—
The door exploded.
A high-output main cannon fired straight at .
Inside a floating fortress?
They installed this level of firepower?!
"KWAAAAA—!"
The beam swallowed whole.
Through the blinding light, I saw Yuhwa smiling in the distance.
"Oh my… you really took it all by yourself? How gentlemanly. Detach Floating Fortress No. 2 and warp it away."
So this was the plan from the start—forcing Maschenny to dodge…!
Before I could even react—
Another beam struck .
This one carried no destructive force.
Harmless.
Yet the sense of dread it inspired was overwhelming.
What is this—?!
Sparks danced along the beam connected to my body.
Then—
A blinding white flash.
Whatever trick this was, I wasn't about to just take it.
—Judgnt Sword
At the instant before the flash consud , I gathered every last ounce of Shinsu I could control and launched a Shinsu blade toward the cannon.
The attack landed.
An explosion shook the entire fortress.
I didn't see it—I was already engulfed in light.
"Hoaquin!"
Maschenny's voice echoed.
And then—
The world changed.
A completely unfamiliar space unfolded before my eyes.
"…Ugh—Maschenny!"
Before I could even take in my surroundings, a broadcast suddenly rang out.
That damned voice belonged to Lo Po Bia Leta Zahard.
— Welco to Floating Fortress No. 2~!
Shut up.
I didn't have ti to play gas with the likes of you. I had to get back to Maschenny—now.
Anxiety swelled in my chest as I turned to leave, heading back toward Floating Fortress No. 1.
But then—
Leta's words froze in place.
— Ah, wait, wait, wait. Where do you think you're going?
— Your sister Anna's corpse is here, you know?
— Just go through that door and—bam. Straight to her.
"…!"
No.
Even so—she cos first.
I swore I would protect her.
Maschenny—I will not let her be hurt. Never.
The exit from Floating Fortress No. 2 was sealed tight. I was just about to destroy it when Maschenny's voice ca through my pocket.
— Hoaquin, I'm fine. Save Anna first!
"What? What about you? What are you going to do?!"
— Hoaquin. You know I'll be fine.
— The reason we joined this trap in the first place was to get Anna back.
— Don't forget our objective.
"..."
Her voice was colder than usual.
She ant it.
If that was the case… then all I could do was trust her.
Still—
I bit my lip until it bled before forcing out a reply.
"…Alright. I'll save Anna first, then co straight to you. Don't get hurt. Ever."
I was uneasy. Terrified.
I'd foolishly believed that as long as I stayed beside her, she'd be safe.
And while being forcibly teleported here, I realized sothing else—
The two floating fortresses had warped separately, distancing themselves from one another.
Maschenny was already far away.
— What? You don't need to go back to Maschenny anymore?
— Well, the warp separated us so far you couldn't even reach her if you tried. Hahaha!
"..."
That's why I had to finish this fast.
Maschenny—I can't lose her. Ever.
Without another word, I headed toward the deepest part of Floating Fortress No. 2.
Talking was over.
Action ca first.
....
"…What kind of trick did you pull?"
Maschenny's icy blue eyes locked onto her.
Despite the chill that crawled up her spine, Yeon Yuhwa felt exhilaration.
She had landed a hit.
"It's a long-range teleportation device borrowed from the Workshop. It was connected to Floating Fortress No. 2—which just warped far away."
One of the devices she'd borrowed from the Workshop in exchange for letting them experint on the Arie girl.
A prototype—not even on the market yet—scheduled for sale to the Zahard Army.
Even Maschenny hadn't seen it coming.
Yuhwa smiled thinly.
"So now, Hoaquin has been forcibly sent to Floating Fortress No. 2, completely separated from this place.
And here—there are still plenty of Rankers left."
She licked her lips like a venomous snake.
"Poor Maschenny. You're all alone now.
Unfortunately, you can't defeat even a single Ranker here."
Floating Fortress No. 2 had its own counterasures prepared for Hoaquin.
Even if they failed, they would at least buy ti.
During that ti, she would use Rankers to subdue Maschenny, take her hostage—
And then deal with Hoaquin once he was defenseless.
"That poor Arie Regular… he seems quite attached to you. Too bad—you don't care about him at all, do you?"
Maschenny only stared back coldly, silent.
"…."
Of course. Maschenny must have been using him.
Otherwise, why would a cold-blooded princess travel with soone like him?
A Regular stronger than Rankers—perfectly convenient.
"Not that it matters anymore. Anyway, enough chatter."
Yuhwa raised a long finger, pointing at Maschenny.
Rankers slowly began to close in.
They were cautious—after all, she was still a Zahard Princess of the Khun Family.
That didn't change the outco.
"Once Hoaquin is dealt with, I'll snap your neck myself. Heehee."
I've won.
I've won.
Her body trembled with triumph, but Yuhwa hid it as she turned to leave the room.
All that remained was to contact Leta—
....
"Is that what it looked like to you?"
"…What?"
Maschenny's calm, almost casual question made Yuhwa freeze mid-step.
Maschenny looked up at her with that sa infuriating smirk.
"Yuhwa, you really don't have a good eye for people.
We get along quite well."
"What are you talking ab—"
Before Yuhwa could finish, Maschenny slipped the brown bag from her shoulder and held it in one hand.
Her expression was absurdly relaxed—for soone surrounded by Rankers.
That sa mocking smile.
What…?
Is there a hidden card?
Did I miss sothing—?
Don't tell —
"Stop her—!"
Yuhwa scread.
But the Rankers moved too slowly.
Maschenny was faster.
"Manbarondena. Open."
⚡ Pajijijijik—! ⚡
Wild blue lightning erupted outward.
The mont the brown bag—Manbarondena—opened, countless streams of electricity poured out.
Thousands of lightning bolts surged toward the charging Rankers.
"Ghk—!"
Blue heat and light engulfed Yuhwa and Lainess's vision.
When they could finally see again—
An unbelievable sight awaited them.
⚡ Crackle—! ⚡
At the center of fallen and barely standing Rankers—
Figures with blue hair and blue eyes stood.
Blue lightning roared from their bodies as they surrounded Maschenny like royal guards.
"What…? What is this?!"
Yuhwa scread.
"Why—why are Khun Family Rankers here?!"
Maschenny answered simply.
"Manbarondena. I grabbed it from the treasury.
It's a bag that compresses living beings and stores them inside."
"D-Don't be ridiculous!"
Victory had been right there.
All of this—because of a bag?!
No.
That couldn't be.
"How did Khun Rankers get here so fast?!"
Yuhwa shrieked, veins bulging.
Maschenny covered her ears mockingly.
"Yuhwa, whose floor do you think this is?"
"…A-Arie…"
The confident Yuhwa from monts ago was gone.
Only a trembling loser remained.
Maschenny laughed openly.
"Floors 90 to 100—every single one belongs to the Arie Family. And our Hoaquin? He's got quite the network."
"When multiple Floor Rulers cooperate, sending people ahead instantly is easy."
In truth, the Khun Rankers had reached Floor 96 in under two hours.
"The mont you decided to fight us here—no.
The mont you dared challenge both of us—your defeat was sealed."
Crushed by Maschenny's presence, Yuhwa staggered backward.
"Well. Enough chatter."
Sparks danced in Maschenny's blue eyes.
"Clean up the Rankers. Yuhwa and Lainess are mine—don't touch them."
"Yes, Princess."
The Khun Rankers bowed in unison.
Then lightning surged as they charged the remaining Rankers.
"St-Stop them! Stop them sohow!"
But Yeon Rankers stood no chance against Khun lightning.
"Yuhwa. Did you really think the Yeon Family could match the Khun Family?"
Yuhwa collapsed to the floor.
Maschenny watched with visible delight.
"Ahh… ahhh…"
Yuhwa was completely broken.
Maschenny glanced around, then pointed.
"Well, Yuhwa's mind seems gone, so next—you.
Liness Jahad."
"H-Hii—!"
Lainess stumbled backward in terror.
Maschenny advanced twice for every step she retreated.
⚡ Pajijijik—! ⚡
A long blue lightning spear ford in Maschenny's hand.
"I rember telling you."
"M-Maschenny… w-wait—"
"If you bark again without knowing your place,
I'd drive a lightning spear through your heart."
She needed to finish this quickly and get back to Hoaquin.
He'd be anxious without her.
"I'll do Hoaquin's share too. Go ahead—struggle, Lainess."
"A-AAAHHH!!"
Lainess unleashed flas in desperation—
But a princess from a lesser lineage was no match for Khun Maschenny Zahard.
Her flas were cleaved apart.
Maschenny hurled the spear.
⚡ Pajijik—! ⚡
"Aaaagh! It hurts! It hurts!!"
Lainess was pinned to the wall, shoulder impaled.
Her screams ant nothing to Maschenny.
She smiled, cruel and delighted.
"It's only just begun. You're complaining already?"
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