The eighth floor was silent.
Only their footsteps echoed back and forth.
"Weird. Where's the devil?" Denji-ko tilted her head, puzzled. She'd been all set to take first blood and claim the top merit.
But to her surprise, this floor was as quiet as the few below.
"Something's off. Once we got up here, I could sense the ninjas I'd lost." Su Tang had his eyes closed, searching carefully. Suddenly they snapped open, shock filling his pupils. "Behind us?!"
The air went still.
Kobeni had still been mourning the lost phone; now, shocked, her legs trembled and directly gave out, leaving her half-seated on the floor.
"How? Didn't they come up first? How are they behind us?" Arai forced himself to look less terrified and chattered through his teeth: "S-senpai, did you make a mistake?"
Su Tang's eyes showed doubt too. He slowly shook his head. "No mistake. They're coming."
Kobeni, shivering, turned to look into the pitch black behind them.
Weird ripples were everywhere.
"Eee… yaa!!"
One hand over her mouth, her other hand pointed at the Shadow Ninjas walking out of the darkness like machines, one after another.
They passed through the gaps among the group as if the people didn't exist, woodenly moving forward.
Su Tang's expression turned grave.
"Are they malfunctioning?" Aki came to his side and asked at his look.
"No…" Su Tang's gaze followed that batch of ninjas until they disappeared into the dark ahead, and he shook his head. "If this is how they're acting, there's no problem. They only act mechanically and execute orders. But…"
"My order was to patrol the eighth floor for anomalies. Until they find one, they'll circle again and again."
At that, everyone except Power and Denji-ko understood.
"Sen… senpai, you mean… we came after them, and we didn't see them doubling back on this end of the corridor, but they still showed up behind us…?" Arai's panic rose.
"Mm. And…" Su Tang paused. "They're back again."
Same darkness, same spot. The same batch of Shadow Ninjas passed them again, same pace, same blankness, ignoring the group.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
"Eee… yaa…" Kobeni sat half on the floor, leaning against the wall, trembling nonstop. Each pass deepened her fear.
With a few guesses in mind, Su Tang extended his hand; a long whip of flame appeared.
Thin and stretching.
Ten meters, twenty, thirty…
The darkness ahead lit up—and then the darkness behind also lit up!
The fireline extended from behind and closed into a loop in his hand!
"Everyone…" Su Tang was silent for two seconds, voice a little dry. "If I'm not wrong… we're trapped on the eighth floor."
————————————
Tick, tick.
The second hand on the wall clock kept circling between this second and the next.
Su Tang sat on a bed in a guest room, watching the others file in.
"Not good." Aki spoke first. "I circled the entire eighth floor ten times. Whether up or down, turning a corner always puts me back on eight."
"No sign of the devil either. Empty everywhere." Denji-ko propped her chin.
"Food-wise, we only found some bread and snacks left by fleeing guests. Each room does have a big jug of drinking water." Arai reported. "Also… there are two love-themed rooms… with some candy and such."
"Mm." Su Tang nodded, frowning. "One more bad sign: every clock on eight is stopped at 08:07:32. Which means…"
"We're trapped here not only in space, but also in time—frozen at the instant we set foot on the eighth floor."
Wrapped in a quilt on the bed, Kobeni trembled. "S-senpai… does that mean… no rescue?"
"…" Su Tang didn't answer. His silence was the answer.
"Mmff! Mmm! Mmmm!" Power was still brimming with energy, muffled shouting.
Su Tang glanced over, flicked a finger, and a tiny flame fell on the cloth binding her hands, burning a small hole.
Rrrip.
With a tug, the cloth tore around the scorched spot.
The moment her hands were free, she tore away the strip over her mouth and puffed her cheeks. "Damn human! How dare you force Yours Truly to—"
Ignoring Power's heartfelt greeting, Aki fell silent a beat, opened the door, and said, "I'll look again."
"Ahaha, if we can't get out, then we can't. We can sleep, right? No matter how long we sleep, only a second goes by." Denji-ko yawned.
"Food's limited." Arai looked at the snacks in his pack, pessimistic. "Even rationed, they won't last all of us two days."
"Aki, don't." Su Tang shook his head. "I've got the ninjas patrolling nonstop. Save your strength."
Aki paused mid-door—but still went out.
"Over, it's over… I didn't even confess yet…" Arai broke down too, sitting blankly on the other bed, head in hands, crying under his breath.
Power rolled and yelled on the floor; Denji-ko had already pulled a pillow over her head and gone to sleep.
Su Tang looked at them, sighed softly, and went out as well.
"Smoke?" Aki leaned against the outer wall, unsurprised Su Tang followed.
Seeing only one cigarette left in Aki's pack, Su Tang shook his head.
Aki smiled.
"Feels like the first time we met, doesn't it?"
"Doesn't." Su Tang snapped his fingers and smiled. "Back then you lit your own cigarette. This time I'm lending you a light."
A spark bloomed at the tip.
Aki, reaching for his lighter, froze—then gave a wry smile.
Smoke in his lungs, his voice came through the haze. "Su Tang. If you make it out, could you tell Himeno for—"
"Nope."
Su Tang cut him off and, imitating Angel Devil, shook his head. "Sorry. I can't do that."
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