Iris and Artium arrived at a vast hall, where bones and rusted equipment piled up against the walls. Along the path, multiple moulded pillars supported the low ceiling, holding lines of hanging chains. They occasionally vibrated as strong gales swept through them. In the middle, four figures locked themselves in an intense fight.
Every time their strike met, cracked bricks and metal fragments flew everywhere. The magnitude of power displayed by the unknown Monster Girl and the Floor Guardian overwhelmed the fiery maiden clone and Serinda, forcing the two to cooperate unconditionally. Though they could relieve the pressure on the Monster Girl, they couldn't turn over the peril.
Iris stopped at the edge of the battlefield, feeling the dangerous air on her membrane. She turned to Artium and nodded, smiling. She should conserve her vitality lest her soul grew fatigued, further crippling her clones. She had enough energy to protect herself and needed not Artium with her.
"Artium, help them," she said. "That Monster Girl, we implicate her with our presence. With your power, the Floor Guardian won't be able to harm us severely."
Artium softly squeezed Iris's hand before letting go, nodding. She placed her fingers on Iris's chest, cast a simple defensive spell on her, then smiled and rushed into the battlefield. Her pale, milky skin turned illusionary as her movement faded and solidified, flickering in and out of existence. Pink hazes manifested after her steps, forming an area of mysticism, where darkness and light coexisted, illuminating yet dimming the environment.
The battlefield came to a halt when a sweet, invisible fragrance flooded the hall, boosting the Monster Girls' senses and numbing the Floor Guardian's. Artium grouped up with Serinda and the fiery maiden clone; the trio formed a strong team, where the clone stood in front, Serinda in the middle, and Artium at the back.
The lone Monster Girl, a Dark Elemental cloaked in a thin black veil that exposed her glassy purple skin, glanced at the trio, her eyes gleaming in hesitation. Her silhouette continuously blended into the darkness, revealing only her upper body. Despite her lacklustre spells, the daggers of blackness in her hands could easily cut through all resistance, slicing the chains and walls into a deep scar.
Though she didn't admit it, the newly arrived Monster Girls had taken up much pressure. If not for them, she wouldn't have such an easy time attacking and retreating. They had done a great job clearing the area and obstructing the minions from interfering with the Floor Guardian.
Thinking about the Floor Guardian, the Dark Elemental, Kurion, frowned. The Floor Guardian, Lord of the Suffocating Chains, was a counter to her ability. He could manipulate the hall and the chains around him, effortlessly negating her assassination attempt, her forte.
She lightly tossed her pair of daggers towards Lord of the Suffocating Chains and retreated into the darkness. Her body merged into nothingness before manifesting beside the fiery maiden clone, who shivered before suppressing her surprise, looking at Kurion. The two maintained eye contact for a moment, then turned their attention to the Floor Guardian.
The two flying daggers manifested and disintegrated inside the darkness, erratically moving towards Lord of Suffocating Chains. They slashed across the obstructing chains and cut down the traps which sprung into existence from the power of the Floor Guardian. Though he could destroy the daggers, he had to focus on Artium and Serinda. Their exotic ability ranked them higher than Kurion despite her greater power.
"Who are you?" Kurion said while her gaze concentrated on both Lord of the Suffocating Chains and the fiery maiden clone. She hadn't completely trusted them yet. "How did you enter the floor in the middle of a test? Have the rules of the Legacy Ground changed? Tell me everything, or I'll have to express my distrust in your mysterious appearance."
With Artium and Serinda watching the battle closely, the fiery maiden clone relaxed. She knocked her flaming spears against the ground, her eyes blazing in orange flares. Though she remained in her human appearance, her Fire Fairy's nature was evidence.
Many Transformation Phase Monster Girls liked to hide their appearances and walked in their human forms; only their lovers and trusted ones could see their beauties. Kurion didn't find anything strange about the clone's appearance, except that she had a fierce air around her, despite her refined demeanour.
"You can call me Flamira, a Fire Fairy. The two behind me are Serinda, a Snake Girl, and Artium, a Flower Girl," the clone, Flamira, said. "My main talent is fire, Serinda’s shadow, and Artium’s illusion. We're here to help you; the Legacy Ground is crumbling."
"How did you know that? Are you one of the Monster Girls sent by the First Hall? I don't remember your scent." Kurion closed her eyes and leant forwards. "You aren't someone from my Layer, or maybe you're a new Transformation Phase Monster Girl."
"You're a Ruler of a Floor?" Flamira perked up and observed Kurion closely. "I'm indeed a new Transformation Phase Monster Girl. Those two are too. As you can guess, we aren't under the First Hall, but I'm afraid I can't tell you how I know about the collapse."
Kurion nodded. Her abyss-like eyes swept across Flamira's delicate skin clothed under her red fit armour. Despite the protection, the dark gaze penetrated through the garments and peered into everything; even the curtain of darkness was useless against her, a Dark Elemental.
Flamira felt uncomfortable, like a meek waitress forced to wear short skirts and thin clothes as the uniform. She, too, stared at Kurion, eyeing her strange, magical purple skin, which rippled like waves of water, like dark mists. The translucent veil which cloaked her body exposed more skin than it concealed, invoking strange feelings in Flamira's eyes.
Kurion understood that Flamira was a shy type and stopped staring. She drew her hands forwards, and grasped Flamira's hands, firmly holding them, like vowing, pledging their friendship through a simple, yet solemn, gesture.
"I am Kurion, the Ruler of the Luminous Stars Layer, a Peak Transformation Phase Dark Elemental," Kurion said, glancing at Iris, who was hiding far from the battlefield. "I can see that you have your own difficulty, yet you still come to aid me. This favour, I will remember it. Whenever you come to my Layer, write me a letter; I'll personally welcome you."
"It's too early to be thinking about favours and rewards, Miss Kurion." Flamira held her flaming spears and shifted her posture, assuming her combat stance. "I'll have to rely on you, Miss Kurion. My sisters have gone through a lot before coming here. We had just broken through and haven’t stabilised our growth yet."
"For those who had just broken through, your powers are commendable but indeed not enough to end the battle cleanly." Kurion licked her lips, her dark eyes turning sinister. "Fortunately, I'm here. All I need is a distraction, a moment of hesitation. Darkness is my friend, and it has never failed me."
"We'll place our trust in you, Miss Kurion." Flamira glanced at Artium and Serinda behind her. They nodded at her, smiling with their teeth exposed. She giggled, her heart warmed by their trust. "My sisters and I can give you three opportunities. It would be difficult if you need more, though not impossible."
Flamira took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and reopened them soon later. Her irises glowed in flame as her silhouette turned red, blazing with intense heat which distorted the surrounding. The darkness retreated from her reach as bright flames cloaked her armour and spears. She didn't need to give any hint to Serinda and Artium, for the three knew what each other was thinking.
"The first chance is coming, Miss Kurion. Please be prepared."
Kurion raised her hands and grasped at the darkness. Two glowing daggers manifested in her palms as she closed them. Their blades shimmered as her black Corruption Power permeated their material, vibrating as if the slightest movement could cut through space itself.
"Flamira, you don't need to call me Miss Kurion; Just Kurion is enough." Kurion backstepped, merging with the darkness. "You can rest assured; I only need one opportunity, one instant. Only an instant is enough to end this."
Flamira dashed towards Lord of the Suffocating Chains and thrust her flaming spears forwards. The fire around the spears spiralled into a vortex of heat, which branched into multiple smaller spirals, clashing against the pillars and chains. The impact shattered the bricks and metal scraps while the residue heat melted the debris into molten rocks.
Lord of the Suffocating Chains sensed the threat of the spears and pulled his skeleton fists towards his chest. The floating chains around him retreated and bound his body, forming complex yet flexible armour. His pale, ghostly bones made crackling noises as the metallic plates coiled around him.
He swept his spiked arms outwards. The chains around his body spread and clashed onto everything, destroying the environment as well as the hidden daggers. Their destruction didn't care about allies or foes, hitting the skeletons and the spectral mages around Lord of the Suffocating Chains.
Heading straight towards the centre of the chain storm, Flamira accelerated her speed and stabbed her spears at the oncoming chains, knocking them away from her, destroying a few in the process. As the chains jolted back up and rushed towards her, she struck her left spear groundwards and pushed herself up, floating in the air, evading the attacks.
She let go of her left spear and flung herself towards Lord of the Suffocating Chains, raising her right spear, swinging it forwards. The flaming vortex burst out of her right spear, twisting around her flaming body, fending off the chasing chains. Below her, the metallic traps quivered and shot out sharp needles, but they turned into vapoured before they could reach her.
Getting close, Flamira tensed her right arm and pushed all her strength into the spear. Lord of the Suffocating Chains raised his arms to protect his head, creating layers of metallic plates in front of him. The spear and the flame merged into a ray of burning red light. It penetrated through the layers of metals and shattered the pair of bone arms, piercing the fragile skull, splitting it open.
Lord of the Suffocating Chains froze before laughing in a screeching, creepy tone as the fragments of his skull and arms reversed and healed themselves. He swiftly caught Flamira's spear and yanked her towards him, shooting out the chains towards her abdomen. These dark chains glowed in black light as a thin veil of magic resisted the heat from her red armour.
Flamira struggled, her expression revealing panic. She condensed another spear on her left hand and stabbed forwards, but a chain flung the spear away before she could build its momentum. Countless chains emerged from Lord of the Suffocating Chains and bound Flamira mid-air as they tightened their restraints, cracking her armour and flesh and bones.
Flamira turned pale as she bit her lips, trying her hardest not to make any sound. The chains fastened further until she couldn't breathe, until her strength left her body, and until her mind turned strange.
Her face turning red, she opened her mouth and moaned, trembling in shame. She couldn't hold her voice and expressions anymore. The armour on her body had broken into countless fragments, revealing her delicate, pinkish body, concealed under a thin cloth. With the chains restricting her movement, her pose gave the atmosphere a strange, inviting air.
Lord of the Suffocating Chains halted his action and stared at Flamira. She wore a shy smile, but underneath it was a devilish smirk that shone with her fierce eyes. He understood at once that he was in danger and retreated, but his path had vanished, for pink mist had quietly crept around him.
