???—-
"We've nabbed three of 'em, Boss. I think they're here for the tribesfolk."
"Solid catch. Take them to the holding area."
Zaria blinked a few times, but everything was dark.
"Uh, yo? Hello? People? Who cut the lights?"
"Ow, Zaria, you're screaming in my ear…" Han groaned.
"Oh. IS THIS BETTER?"
"Ow! Stop it, woman!"
"Guys!" Rika interrupted. "I'm scared, and you are NOT helping!"
A chain tugged, causing all three of them to fall over. "Cut the chatter. Dirty humans."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Rika paused. "I know you didn't just call me dirty!"
"Get 'em, girl!" Zaria cheered.
"Women, please," Han begged. "He's already got us on the ground—-!"
With another tug, the three were dragged away into the unknown.
"Ow! Ow! Ow! My bad rib!"
"Where are you taking us?" Rika asked. "What do you want?"
"It ain't obvious?" the voice replied. "You're Kaitansha. We're gonna sell you down here for a fortune. It'll be great."
A door opened, and they were pulled through it.
Meanwhile—-
"Mr. Omariro, what's this?"
"Stick."
"How about this?"
"Rock."
"Ooh, this?"
Omariro stopped. "Crab."
SNAP.
"Ow! It attacked me! Amazing!"
Omariro and Rei followed the hunters' tire tracks as the sun shifted to a night sky.
"Time not long," Omariro noted. "Must be different here."
Rei tossed the crab up and down. "Are the others gonna be okay?"
"Kids fine. Strong. Will be saved."
〈Waypoint: 950m〉
They continued on the path, and as they walked, Omariro briefly paused, glancing behind him at a nearby sand dune. After grunting, he continued along, and a pair of binoculars peeked through the dune.
"That old man's trouble. I'd better call this in."
And just like that, they were gone.
Omariro and Rei kept walking until Rei yawned and collapsed, curling up in the sand. Omariro paused.
"Girl tired."
"Mhm…" she replied. "I haven't slept in ages…I think I need a nap."
Omariro turned around, bending down. "Girl sleep. I carry girl."
Rei stretched her arms, yawning like a cat. "Thank you…Mr. Omariro…"
Omariro picked her up and slung her over his shoulder, continuing to follow the path. The waypoint in the distance got closer and closer, until soon they could see its origin.
〈Waypoint: 100m〉
"Hmm," Omariro grunted. "Unexpected."
In front of them was a large array of pyramid-shaped houses surrounded by a wooden gate, with towers stationed all around. A river flowed through the streets, and large scorpions were guarding the entrance.
〈Goal: Infiltrate the Sakyū Hoku Base.〉
Rei lifted her head. "Wow…this place is pretty…look at all the gold and jade colors! It reminds me of home!"
"Built from thieving," Omariro noted. "Tribe are smugglers."
Rei gracefully slid off his back. "Okay! Do we walk in and say hello?"
Omariro held up a hand. "No. Kids in danger. Move smart."
He grabbed her arm. "Jugen-Sōunsha: Cursed Movement!"
In an instant, Omariro and Rei appeared alongside the wooden gate, only a few feet away from the entrance. The scorpions guarding didn't even flinch.
"Awesome!" Rei cheered. "Do that again!"
Omariro quickly covered her mouth and took her into the air as the nearest scorpions looked back. As soon as the coast was clear, they landed softly on the ground.
"Quiet," Omariro ordered. "Noise draw attention."
"Will do!" she whispered, giving a thumbs up. "Stealth Mode, activated!"
In a flash, they zipped through the entrance, where they found a bunch of bandits moving packages by horse carriage. Omariro quickly ducked behind a house, and Rei did the same.
"What are they moving?" Rei asked.
Omariro narrowed his eyes. "People."
Rei covered her mouth. "No way! Really?"
As if on cue, a loud bang could be heard on one of the boxes, and a bandit slammed his fist on it. "Shut up, bitch!"
"Let me out!" a voice cried.
"Keep it down, or I'll give you a reason to scream!"
The voice whimpered and died down, and the carriage dragged on.
"Kids suffer same fate," Omariro realized. "Must hurry."
Once the next carriage came by, Omariro and Rei discreetly hopped onto it, and it brought them down the road and into the pyramid in the center of the tribe.
"Drop this package off. The chick inside is a real handful."
A pair of hands grabbed the cargo and began walking with it, as whimpers could be heard inside.
"Please…let me go…"
The box went down a set of hallways before finally arriving inside of a storage area. One of the bandits banged his fist on the side. "Wonder who's gonna take interest in you. Be a good girl while we look."
They left, leaving the box among the others. Once the coast was clear, Omariro and Rei hopped down.
"All these boxes," Rei noticed. "Do they all have people inside?"
"Yes," Omariro confirmed. "People used as goods."
Rei touched the box. "Heavy! What should we do?"
"Save people. Before sale."
Meanwhile—-
Zaria, Han, and Rika were tossed into a pit, which was closed off by steel bars. The moment the bandits left, Zaria began shouting.
"Aye! Hey! Yo! Hello! Open the damn cage, goofballs!"
Rika put a hand on Zaria's shoulder. "Sis, they're gone."
Zaria sighed. "Okay, what's Plan B?"
Rika shrugged. Han, meanwhile, formed his cube and began scanning.
[*0* Solutions Found.]
"I'm a no go," Han groaned. "There's gotta be some way we can reach those bars…"
"And then what?" Rika scoffed. "Phase through them?"
"No, obviously," Han jeered. "If we get Zaria up there, it's highly likely she can kick through the steel."
Rika folded her arms. "And how do we get her up there? This pit's at LEAST 15 feet deep."
"Two ways. A: We can give her a boost. Or, B: I fire a zip line up there, and she gets to climbing."
"I vote B," Zaria suggested.
"Fine, then. Though it would be funny seeing Rika try to boost you up."
Rika punched his arm. "Ow!"
Zaria tapped her foot. "Hello? Any day now."
"Right…"
Han's cube fired a wire through the bars, attaching to the ceiling above. Zaria gripped it with a shaky pair of hands. "Wish me luck."
"Luck won't help you," Han pointed out. "Balance will."
Zaria rolled her eyes and slowly began scaling the wall, taking one step after another. The wire shook and groaned, but it held firm.
"Almost there," Rika whispered.
Zaria reached the bars, and with one deep breath, she kicked them hard.
BOOM.
They bent and curled.
"One more kick should do it!" Han called out.
Zaria pulled her leg back and drove it into the bars one more time, and this time they gave way.
"Busted!" she bragged. "Alright, peeps! Let's ditch this place!"
〈Alert. Alert. Hostages Escaping.〉
"The hell? Why's every place gotta have an alarm system?"
"Forget the alarm, we gotta move!" Rika exclaimed.
Han and Rika began scaling the wall after Zaria, just as bandits arrived at the scene.
"Hey! What the hell are you kids doing?"
"Escaping, duh!"
Zaria kicked the nearest one in the chest, sending him crashing into the wall. With the guards distracted, the party crawled out of the pit.
"Exit should be nearby!"
Dashing through the halls, they turned corner after corner as bandits chased them down. With a door at the end of the hall, they threw it open and shut it behind them, clicking the lock.
"Phew," Rika said, relieved. "I think we're safe!"
BANG. BANG.
"Open this door, NOW!"
"Make us!" Zaria shot back.
Han tapped Rika and Zaria on the shoulders. "Uh, girls…?"
They turned around, and what greeted them was a horrifying sight.
"I think I'm gonna be sick…"
There were bloody bodies littered all over the floor, mangled and ripped apart. One body had even been plastered against the wall.
"Whoa," Zaria gasped. "It's a massacre."
"What DID this?" Rika asked.
"Something we don't want the answer to," Han replied. "Open the door, we need to dip while we can."
Rika tugged on the door, but it wouldn't budge. "It's locked! WHY would it be locked?"
HISSSSSS…
Han gulped. "I think that's why…"
Zaria waved him off. "Meh, keep your head straight. I'm sure that's just a snake or something. Those always lurk around when you don't need 'em."
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
Before they could react, a leg lurched out and whacked Zaria in the face, sending her flying into Han. What followed it was a massive black spider, which was covered in blood.
〈Rule: Defeat Shakunetsu Sabaku no Fukushū Gumo. Level: 2,700.〉
"AHHHH!"
Zaria and Rika held onto Han, screaming.
"Han, do something!" Zaria begged.
"Me? What the hell? You're the front line!"
"It's a spider! A SPIDER! Anything but a spider! Shit, shit! Hit it!"
Gumo fired a web from its mouth, trapping the kids together. Its voice rang out, as raspy and hungry as its appearance.
"Peek…a…boo…"
It suddenly turned invisible, causing Zaria and Rika to freak out as the webs melted.
"Where did it go, where did it go?" Rika screamed.
〈Domain Effect: Every *10s* Gumo can trigger *Arachnid Apparition,* allowing it to briefly turn invisible.〉
Han pulled out his cube, scanning the area. "It's not here!"
"What do you mean it's not here? We just saw it—-!"
A leg swung out and smacked Han in the face, flipping him.
"Han!"
Bodies strung up by webs hung from the ceiling, as the spider's voice rang out again. "I…see…you…!"
A web landed near Zaria's feet, and she jumped into Rika's arms. "Gah!"
"Why are you the one in my arms?" Rika questioned.
"Don't ask questions!"
The spider appeared and slammed down right in front of them, causing both to trip over. Han got to his feet.
"Why are you both sitting there? We can take this thing!"
They both turned to him and shook their heads. Han used a wire to pull them to safety as Gumo tried to take a bite at them.
"What's WRONG with you two?" Han demanded. "We're at war, not a game! If we fail, we fail Mr. Nyugawa and our entire Division!"
"I know, I know!" Zaria said. "It's just…I don't like spiders! I hate them!"
"And I'm terrified of all bugs," Rika admitted. "They're so gross!"
Gumo fired another web at them, and Han's cube interrupted it with a net. "Fine. Would attacking from a distance put your feeble minds at ease?"
"Uh…" Zaria mumbled.
"I…guess?" Rika remarked.
"Good! Zaria, do that trick again! Kick your spear at it!"
Zaria steadied herself and tossed her spear into the air, before delivering a powerful back kick that sent the spear zipping through the air and making contact with Gumo's face.
〈Boss HP: 100% → 66%〉
"Nice!" Han cheered. "Now kick it a few more times!"
The spear flew back into Zaria's hands, who immediately dropped it. "Ew! It's got spider-germs on it!"
"Girl, pick up the spear!"
Zaria stomped on the base, and once it flew up, she kicked it at Gumo again, who dodged, but the spear ricocheted off the walls and stabbed it in the back.
〈Boss HP: 66% → 33%〉
"Pain…" it moaned. "Must conserve…"
It disappeared again, and Zaria formed another spear. "Where is it? Where? WHERE?"
"I can still hear it," Han noted. "It's close."
"How close we talking…?"
Han's ears perked up, just as a web fired and pinned him and Rika to the wall. "Up! It's stuck to the ceiling!"
Zaria immediately looked up. "I don't see it!"
"Take a few steps to the left!"
"And do what?"
"Throw your spear! As hard as you can!"
Another web fired from the air, attaching itself to Zaria's foot. "Ew, ew, ew!"
"Throw it, Zaria!"
"—-Fine!"
Zaria spun her spear around, and she flung it into the ceiling with all her might.
SQUISH.
Gumo reappeared, the spear having impaled its head.
〈Boss HP: 33% → 0%〉
"Nice, Zaria!" Rika beamed. "You slayed that spider!"
The webs disintegrated, just as Gumo shook and exploded into a batch of gooey fluid, which splattered onto Zaria.
"Oh," Rika realized. "Yuck."
Han pulled out his phone and snapped a picture. "Ahh, that's totally going on every social I've got."
Zaria gave him an unimpressed look. "You know what? I think my spear has one more name on it."
"No it doesn't! Bye-bye!"
Han quickly hurried out the door as Zaria chased him. Rika watched on for a moment.
"…Glad it wasn't me."
Meanwhile…
Omariro and Rei examined the boxes lined up inside the storage room.
"Where should we start?" Rei wondered. "There's so many!"
"Back," Omariro ordered.
Rei took a few steps back as Omariro clapped his hands.
"Jugen-Metsusha: Obliterate."
The boxes all disappeared, revealing the emaciated dwarves and animals inside. As they slowly got up, Omariro pointed to the exit.
"Free. You all free now," he announced.
A woman and a man slowly crawled over to him, and he helped them up.
"Thank you, stranger…" the woman said. "Our daughter must be very worried."
"Could you escort us out of here?" the man asked. "We can barely move on our own."
"Daughter sent us to help," Omariro explained. "We help."
"Sunako?"
"Yes."
"Then…you two must be Kaitansha!"
Omariro nodded.
The couple turned to the other. "Did you hear that, everyone? The Kaitansha have come to help! We're saved!"
"Not quite."
A large masked man stepped inside the storage room, holding a massive club in his hand.
"A new friend!" Rei giggled.
The prisoners all backed away as the man stepped forth.
"I was warned a certain Kaidanchō might end up on my floor. Little did I know it would be Omariro Nyugawa—-the Legend himself."
Omariro narrowed his eyes. "Strange man. Who you?"
"Me?"
He chuckled, as an army of bandits swarmed inside.
"I'm the guy that's here to collect the bounty on your head."
——