Floor 10,000—-
Kōichi, Kaoru, and Mizuki continued to fend off Kagetō and the other hunters. Beasts tore through the bushes, but Kōichi used his webbed nets to force them back.
"Gotta end this fast," Kōichi told the girls. "I don't feel like doing this all day."
"Agreed!" Kaoru nodded.
She leapt over two hunters and touched her hands to their faces, immediately causing them to collapse. Mizuki effortlessly handled a group of hunters that swarmed her, before refocusing her attention on Kagetō.
"It is now your turn."
Faster than the eye could see, Mizuki repeatedly pummeled Kagetō until his back hit a tree. Without hesitation, he blew into a whistle, and serpents emerged from the bushes, snapping at Mizuki.
"This jungle will be your graves," Kagetō declared. "And a new era shall be born from it!"
After disposing of the other hunters, Kōichi and Kaoru watched as the snakes got larger and larger, with mouths big enough to swallow a man whole.
"Go, serpents! Feast on their flesh—-!"
An ice eagle swooped in, slamming into the snakes and freezing them solid. Kagetō stared in surprise before a barrage of ice legs met him head-on, slamming him into a branch and knocking him out.
The other Kaidanchō noticed Yuka standing nearby, holding a slime blob in her hand.
"Is everyone okay?" Yuka asked?.
"Natori," Kōichu grumbled. "Come to steal the shine?"
"Hardly," she scoffed. "I just happened to encounter you all while searching for Omariro."
Atsushi and Gakuto cut through the trees.
"Ah," Gakuto grinned. "Good to see ya, Yuka!"
"Likewise," she replied.
"What is in your hand?" Atsushi asked.
"Omariro's new pet," Yuka remarked. "A talking slime."
Emeru formed hands from her blob. "I am NOT a pet! Put me back with the old man, you rude hag!"
"Quiet, slime."
Atsushi surveyed the area, noticing the bodies of rookies all around. "Such death and destruction…I apologize for those who lost their lives to this madness."
"I haven't seen my rookie yet," Yuka commented. "She could possibly still be alive."
Atsushi looked around. "Perhaps the same could be said for mine. I must retrieve both him and my daughter."
"Yeah, yeah," Kōichu interrupted. "Fortune shines upon you both. Let's hurry up and stop this witch before she kills any more kids."
"Agreed!" Gakuto declared.
They raced towards the mansion.
Mansion——
Omariro and Kohaku tore through room after room, with Kohaku relentlessly attacking Omariro as the latter continued to dodge them all.
"What are you doing?" Kohaku hissed. "Attack me!"
Her claw reached out for him, but he stopped it with one hand, slamming her into the ground before tossing her into a wall.
"Ahh…" she noted, cracking her back. "Better!"
More animals emerged from her body: three large chimera beasts, all staring at Omariro like a pack of meat. Kohaku jumped on top of the biggest one.
"Attack, my children! Attack!"
The first one tried to wrap Omariro with its tail, but Omariro erased the beast with a single clap. The second picked him up with its claws, but Omariro pushed them open with his arms, delivering a powerful push to its chest, sending it flying.
"Such strength," Kohaku complimented. "Now use it on me! Prove that you're worthy of me!"
"Hmph."
The beast she was riding charged at Omariro, but he grabbed it by the tail and spun it around like a top, flinging it aside as Kohaku jumped off.
She slammed the ground, causing it to shake. Omariro leapt back as snakes erupted from her hair, shooting venom at him.
"Jugen-Sōunsha: Zennō Hanten!"
A glowing golden ring surrounded his body, and when the venom struck, a golden light redirected it back at Kohaku with twice the speed.
"What—-?"
She narrowly avoided it as the venom melted the floor behind her. "You've got more up your sleeve! Show me! I want to see what my King can do!"
"No king," he replied. "None for you."
More animals burst forth, but the ring glowed one time, sending them all sliding back. Kohaku leapt from above, and Omariro dropped the ring and formed his bow, firing a wave of arrows.
Kohaku evaded them, landing a few feet away. "Tsk. I tire of your passiveness. Don't you get it? After all this?"
"Woman speak proper."
She put a hand on her hip, pacing around Omariro. "There's a reason I chose you once I saw you fighting in that tournament. I've killed hundreds, maybe even thousands of strong warriors. Kaidanchō, Endless beings. Even those in between."
Her eyes began to glow. "Because I don't want strong. I don't truly want someone equal to me. I want someone STRONGER. Tougher! Someone who can make me bend the knee! Don't you understand how hard it is to run a whole organization where you're the apex? Where you're the only threat to the enemy?"
She pointed to Omariro. "But you. You're something else. You can make me submit. You can rule over the Furōa Kariudo-dan. And I can be the perfect Queen, ruling by your side."
Her body glowed even brighter. "But I'm not giving you anything. If you want the privilege, you must take it! No holding back! After all, you want your student, no?"
As she prepared to attack, an explosion burst through the wall.
BOOM.
Han, fully armored, burst through the wall, dragging the other rookies into the room with his wires.
"Huntress…" he murmured.
"Ah! Speak of the devil! It seems your darkness has grown even stronger! Good, my child. Good!"
Zaria noticed Omariro. "I'm…sorry, sir…we tried…"
Omariro stared at Han, pausing for just a moment. "Han."
Kohaku extended a hand. "Now then, Han. May I borrow your power? Your master is being a bit…difficult at the moment. Let's rev things up, no?"
"Yes…Huntress…I serve…as your Herald…"
"Then come, Han. Come."
She took Han's arm, and both of their bodies began to glow. "Jugen-Henshōsha: Kyūkyoku Jū Yūgō!"
Omariro and the rookies watched as Kohaku and Han's bodies both shifted into glowing green and purple light respectively, and they began to merge.
"Boy, no!" Omariro called out.
What formed after was a large dinosaur, with six arms, sharp claws, a tail, and teeth, and dark wings, a dark helmet, and a large dart gun.
When the dragon spoke, Kohaku's voice came out, now more demonic than before. "Now, you have no choice! There is no middle ground! You will fight like your life depends on it, or you and all your students will DIE!"
The dinosaur rushed forward, smacking Omariro out of the base.
"Sir!" the students called out.
Omariro landed atop a tree outside, but Kohaku's dinosaur form crushed it effortlessly, reaching out in an attempt to grab him.
"Jugen-Tōshi: Mugengan no Ōgonjin!"
Omariro formed a circular blade as he and the dinosaur ran through the forest, attacking each other faster than the eye could see.
Kohaku opened her mouth, shooting purple venom at Omariro, but he countered by spinning his blade rapidly, sending the venom in every direction.
Behind them, the kids, with Sōshin driving, rode a large tree trunk behind the two forces.
"Wait, so," Shino questioned. "You can turn anything into a vehicle?"
Sōshin nodded. "Yep!"
"Man. I'm jealous!"
He pointed to Omariro. "Friend Omariro is in trouble!"
"She…she absorbed Han," Rika commented. "Is…he even still in there?"
"Can't say for sure," Nonoka admitted. "With the Abyss and this psycho's influence, it's probably a long shot at this point."
"We have to try," Zaria insisted. "That's our friend."
"Yeah!" Rei agreed. "No giving up!"
Omariro threw the blade into Kohaku's helmet, sending her stumbling back as he caught it and used it to trip her.
She got up, ripping a tree out of the ground with her mouth and launching it at Omariro, who split it in two with one hand.
"Woman has done enough," Omariro declared. "Boy will be back. Or woman will be sorry."
"Oh? Fighting talk. Don't say it, do it!"
She tried to slash him, but Omariro jumped up and grabbed her by the face, slamming her into the ground. She lifted her dart gun, pointing it at Omariro, but he quickly moved out of the way.
As more darts were fired, a katana slashed through the gun, causing it to clatter to the ground. Omariro and Kohaku looked toward the source, where they found Zaria, breathing hard.
"Girl," Omariro noted
"Hah," Kohaku laughed. "You believe you can last in this fight, girl?"
"I don't know," she replied. "But you just stole my friend and you're threatening my master, so you're gonna answer to me!"
"How bold."
The other rookies regrouped next to her, and as Kohaku fired venom at her, Omariro formed his ring, reversing the attack.
"Children prove worth," Omariro stated. "Three girls will attack. Other girls and boy will cover."
He pointed to Zaria, Shino, and Rei. "Left."
Then he turned toward Nonoka, Sōshin, and Rika. "Right."
He pointed his blade at Kohaku's helmet. "Boy must be saved. Woman cannot win."
"Yes, sir!" they all said in unison.
Before anyone could react. Kohaku fired a powerful venom blast at Omariro, sending him crashing into the ground.
"Master!" Zaria called out.
A golden glow began to rise.
"Jugen-Kaiseisha: Wakasa no Noroi!"
BOOM.
Omariro floated above the ground, now young once more. All of the students and even Kohaku watched in awe.
"Sir…" Rika gasped. "I didn't know you could just…do that at will!"
"Youth is not free," Omariro said. "Cost is evident."
Kohaku's eyes lit up. "Yes…YES! Now it's time to see what you can really do! Fight me, Nyugawa! FIGHT ME!"
"Now, prove worth!"
As Kohaku charged, Omariro met her head-on with the palm of his hand, while the kids flanked from either side.
She began slashing at Omariro, who counted with one hand. Sōshin tossed Zaria at Kohaku, who cut down her back. Shino fired vectors from her fingers, removing chunks of her armor, while Rei blasted Kohaku's legs.
"It's not enough!" Zaria exclaimed.
Rika and Nonoka both stood back
"I've still got one more charge on my sigil!" Rika realized. "Maybe I can use it!"
"Hold on," Nonona said. "Let me buff you all first! Jugen-Sōunsha: Noroi no Sukiru Kyōka!"
〈200% Buff to *All* Party Members.〉
She slid forward. "Now, time to knock this bitch off her feet!"
〈Ability: Ready.〉
"Eagle's Reckoning!"
A large gust of wind surged from her armor, causing Kohaku to stumble back as Zaria delivered a powerful kick to her side.
"Haha! Weaklings!"
Kohaku stomped the ground, delivering a powerful shockwave that sent them flying back. Zaria stabbed her blade into the ground and grabbed Sōshin.
"Sōshin, can you give me another boost?"
"You got it, Friend Zaria!"
Sōshin spun Zaria around gas and sent her right at Kohaku, and she delivered a powerful slash that briefly stunned her. "Rika! Make your move!"
Rika quickly hurried forward and crushed the sigil, and Abyss energy began to drain out from Kohaku's body bit by bit. Kohaku shot venom at Rika, but Rei covered her with a shield and Shino erased her eyes as Rika got away, before they regenerated.
"Parlor tricks," Kohaku scoffed. "Yet they will not be enough!"
She began to spin around in a top, forcing all the kids to get out of the way. Once she reached Omariro, the two began a high-speed assault on one another, their blows powerful enough to shake the entire floor.
〈Rule: The Predator Cannot Be Defeated.〉
"What will it be?" Kohaku demanded. "Will you become the Predator, or will you falter?"
A roar erupted from her mouth as Omariro floated into the air.
"I told you. Boy comes with me."
Omariro's body began to glow, and a powerful golden aura emerged as a trinity ring formed behind him. "It's time for Han to prove worth."
Kohaku watched with shock as the light blinded her.
"Jugen-Mahōshi: Seikō Bakuha!"
Three powerful blasts of light struck Kohaku, causing a powerful golden explosion. And in the midst of it, a voice could be heard.
〈Han…Han…come back…〉
And it all went dark.
——