Riri held her staff close as the ominous door opened. They could only see a black wall once it opened fully. A strange dark aura leaked out. âI have a terrible feeling about this. Can we please go?â Riri asked.
But no one shared her sentiment. âI will make sure itâs safe,â Lionâs Heart leader said and traversed the black fog.
He came back relatively quickly before Riri could worry any more.
âItâs safe,â he said with a grin. âThe first floor is a cave, as youâd expect.â
Without much ado, the lion went back through the fog. This time he was followed by his team. âThe Wallâ entered next.
âHey, wait for us!â Jugon called out and ran to the entrance. The other two boys followed him.
King Tallow sighed. âIt looks like we have no choice anyway.â
âGetting second thoughts?â Marcy asked. âYour arm is shaking.â
âHardly. More like anticipation.â
Hela sighed. âThey are already forgetting the formation.â She paused and looked at Wood and Tank. âI guess itâs party rules on this one. Well, it should be fine since itâs just the first floor.â
Their party entered, followed by the King.
The only ones left were the remaining girls of the heroesâ party, Marcy, and the ace, Eerie.
âWe should follow them in,â Marcy said. âI guess for now the five of us will be a party.â
The group nodded to her words and walked forwards. Riri stared at the wall of black, almost rooting her in place. When she thought she wouldnât be able to move forward, Sumire grabbed her hand. âIt will be alright, I promise.â
Riri nodded before they reached the barrier. Pushing through the black haze was an odd sensation, sheâd never felt before. It was sort of like penetrating a thick bubble with her body.
True to the lionâs words, the other side was a cave. Stalactites jutted out from the ceiling, and drops of water poured down slowly. There were no monsters to greet them.
âWhere is everyone?â Sumire asked.
Riri gasped. Everyone that had entered before them was nowhere to be seen. Sumireâs words echoed along the cave, and no one called back to them. Riri turned around to gaze at the entrance, but there was none.
âEveryone, the entrance is gone!â
âThatâs impossible,â Marcy said. She walked back to where the entrance used to be and touched the wall. However, her hand didnât push through. âHow come he was able to leave?â
âYou girls canât see that door there?â Eerie asked. âI suppose this is something like a barrier. I think my trick from before will work.â
âEerie, what are you going to do?â Marcy asked.
Instead of answering, the witch walked to the wall. âOpen Sesame.â
A wave of magic power emanated from Eerieâs voice, almost forcing Riri to the ground from the reverberation. The cave shook, and some of the stalactites fell and shattered. The wall was blown away to reveal the forest they came from, and beyond that, the carriages were ripped apart and flew away. The trees nearby toppled over.
Everyone looked to Miss Witchhat who grinned from ear to ear. âSee! I told you it would worffffâ
Marcy had already started to pull on her cheeks before the witch finished. âTell someone next time you are going to do something like that! Look at what you did to the carriages!â
âI was just trying to help, Iâm sorry!â
âWhatever,â Marcy said, looking at the rest of us. âAre you all fine?â
âWe are good. In fact, I feel safer now,â Riri said.
Marcy sighed. âShall we continue? I think the dungeon separated us. I have never heard of this happening before.â
âIt doesnât matter what happens, witch will win,â Sine said and hugged Eerie.
âI hate that I canât argue with that,â Sumire said.
âYou two are great flatterers!â
âItâs not flattery!â
The group continued on down a slope. After a while the floor started changing. The walls became less jagged, eventually looking like regular castle walls. The brown stone walls matched the floor. Light was provided by the candles on the sides as they entered a hallway.
Riri started to open her mouth, but a groaning sound echoed from further in. Ahead of them a zombie entered from a side passage. The first thing she noticed was the stench. It smelled of rotting meat and had scales along its body, along with a thick tail. But that wasnât the oddest thing.
âA candle?â Sumire asked.
The head of the scaled zombie was a white candle with a small flame.
More groans echoed from where the hallway that zombie came from, and before long more began to round the corner. All of them had been like the first with candle heads.
âI could take care of this now that I am a B-rank adventurer,â Eerie said with a smug grin.
âPlease, donât do anything unless I say so!â Marcy chopped the witch on the head.
Sumire raised her staff and pointed it at the zombies. âI will take care of them.â A red magic circle spread out from the tip and a bright flame formed. âFireball!â
The blazing fireballâhalf the size of the hallwayâlurched forward. Right before it reached the leading zombie, it lowered itâs head. To Ririâs disbelief, the fireball was sucked in by the candle. The flame on the undeadâs head went from red to blue, and the zombieâs eyeâs changed the same. The once red-glowing orbs now lit up the hall with blue light.
âI thought zombies were weak to fire!â Sumire complained.
âThere, there,â Eerie said and pat her head. âI can take care ofââ
Marcy delivered another chop. âYou will do no such thing!â
Riri panicked and pointed at the leader zombie. With the blue flame it sprinted down the hall and leapt towards Marcy.
âLook out!â
Marcyâs fist collided with the chest of the once living lizardmen. It splattered all along the hallway, guts spraying everywhere.
âDonât interrupt me,â Marcy said. She grabbed another zombie right on the flaming head and squeezed. The candlewax burst and splattered on her face. Riri barely noticed Marcyâs eyes turn into slits as the woman turned her head to face the zombies. âThis is why you guys piss me off.â
As another zombie reached her, more guts splattered.
âSo, is that small glutton getting cocky now that I am gone?â Marcy said as another head splattered. âAnd I thought I would be able to live in peace now!â She screamed like a demon and swung her arm. The appendage collided with three more zombies sending them crashing through the wall. Marcyâs body became a blur while she pushed through the horde.
Riri wanted to vomit with all of the entrails covering the place. Her only saving grace was the candle wax melting the bodies into the floor.
As soon as Marcyâs rampage started, it was over. The entire hallway was cleared before Riri could even think of casting a buff.