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The Spider let out a final, mechanical hiss before collapsing into a pile of golden, blood-coated debris.
They stepped inside, and immediately the air inside was colder than the air outside. It carried an unnecessary dampness that stuck to the skin. The walls were not walls in the traditional sense - more like the inside of an eldritch beast, pulsing faintly with some unidentifiable life force. The black stone of the exterior gave way to strange materials: warped glass, slick, fleshy surfaces marred by pulsating veins, and patches of jagged, rusted metal.
The corridor stretched on before them, impossibly long. Doors of different sizes and shapes dotted the walls, each unique but uniformly menacing. Some appeared carved from bone, others were massive slabs of solid metal inscribed with runes that pulsed faintly like a heartbeat.
Whispers filled the air, not words, but sensations.
Yoko stepped in, unsheathing the Yokai Killer, it glew so brightly it almost illuminated the entire hall. She sighed. ”,.. Your power boost should last a few hours.” Yoko began, ”Let’s be quick! Mysterious voice!”
…?...?... You…?... need to…?...?...?... down….?...?...?...the King.
"Go down… stairs? All the way down the corridor? Be more specific, mysterious voice!" Ella shouted into the void. She looked around with a frown, cautiously taking a few steps further into the unending corridor. They could try all of the doors, but that would be stupid. It would take them hours and then their power boost would run out…
"Don’t shout," Saskia intoned. "Maybe we should stab the wall. It feels alive."
”Alright, here goes nothing,” Yoko says as she slowly slid the Yokai Killer into the wall; even from Ella’s perspective, it looked like a horrible idea. The Yokai Killer shined as it pierced the wall. For a moment, the hall went eerily silent. Even the incessant whispers stopped…
Then came the scream.
”... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! WHAT THE FUCK!?”
Yoko pulled back. The scream did not sound like a monster or an eldritch horror. More like a random person they just stabbed.
”Hahahahaha, the fuck?!” Lisa laughed.
“Who the fuck stabbed me?!” The voice on the other end of the wall shouted. “You ASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHOOOOOOOOOOOLES!]”
Saskia reactively covered themselves in blood armour, but didn't say anything, narrowing their eyes.
"BY SAILOR MOON- I'm so sorry wall person!" Ella shouted. Sure, she was absolutely freaked out! The wall was talking! That was super weird - but at least it didn't seem to be hurting them? Yoko had stabbed it and it just screamed at them… which made it friendlier than most of the things they met here! "We didn't realise that would hurt you! Are you alright? I'm so sorry-"
Ella reached out to pat the wall, but Saskia grabbed her hand before she could. They just stared at her for a moment. Like she was crazy. But if the wall could talk it was basically a person! And talking was one of her strong points!
"... wall person, do you know how we get to the King?"
“… Just go down the hall and climb the stairs!” The (stabbed) wall person said. “There’s traps! But step on all of them, you assholes!”
"Thank you! Is there anything we can do for you? Since you've been so helpful, it must be horrible being… a wall…" Ella said, bottom lip trembling a little.
“I’m. On. The. Other. Side!” The bastard shouted.
Saskia rolled their eyes again. "Come on, let's just go."
Lisa and Yoko just shrugged and walked down the hall, however, Lisa couldn’t hold in her laughter. ”Yoko, you just stabbed a guy. Some guy in a weird ass castle wall, but- shit.” She laughed harder.
Yoko rolled her eyes, muttering something as she adjusted her grip on the Yokai Killer. Its brightness cast a thick shadow.
”... It smells like unwashed bootyhole in here,” Lisa mumbled.
”Focus, Turner,” Yoko rolled her eyes, glancing down at the Yokai Killer. ”Because I feel this place might be more than just a castle.”
"No shit, the wall talks," Saskia intoned.
The hallway seemed to stretch forever, but a jagged staircase, a spiral of rusted metal and cracked stone soon emerged. The stairs spiraled both upward into the shadows and downward into an abyss.
”Let’s go murder the King already,” Lisa giggled, before her face went flat. ”... That’s what we were here for, right? Riiiiiiiiight?”
Yoko facepalmed.
”No, Turner,” Yoko said with the hand still pressed against her face, ”We want the Wayfinders so we can just leave.”
She released her hand.
”We shouldn’t concern ourselves with every petty tyrant and warlord, anyhow,” Yoko shrugged.
"But we should rid the world of as much evil as we can! That is our duty as magical girls!" Ella declared, narrowing her eyes at the staircase. She… wasn’t sure which way was right. Down to a safe dungeon? Up to an evil throne room overlooking the kingdom?
"I agree with Yoko, for once. We get what we need." Saskia pointed down. "It has to be down. That’s where I’d hide my artifacts."
”We’re in the Pit, Disciple,” Yoko sighed. ”No matter how many of these monsters we kill, another will just replace them, but… let’s just start moving.”
Lisa didn’t have anything to say as she silently descended the stairs; the air got colder as they descended. It got thicker, not with tension, but literally thicker. If it weren’t for the light provided by the Yokai Killer, it would be complete and utter darkness. Though Yoko paused for a moment, her eyes darting around in the silent halls of the castle. Only to shake her head and keep going. The staircase spiraled downwards. Lisa’s foot hit the bottom staircase first, but something wasn’t right. There was a click. Then they heard a groan; the Yokai Killer's brightness did not change.
In the darkness ahead, footsteps and a dragging sound could be heard, coinciding with the groans. Yoko got into a defensive position as Lisa summoned spiders. Saskia created a sharp blood tendril on their back. It stepped out of the darkness. Its hulking, mutated frame was a chaotic fusion of muscle, writhing appendages, and snapping jaws. Its right arm was a long, mutated appendage with a gaping jaw and growths. The creature looked at them, a pained and afraid expression on its face.
For a moment, Ella felt sympathy, seeing the fear on its face—but she knew she couldn't… It was so clearly not human that it didn't last long. It was better to put it out of its misery.
She created a massive fireball in her hand and threw it directly at the creature. It hit it, and it loudly yelled in pain and turned its body away from the group. It loudly gasped and groaned in fear as it quickly backpedaled away - the fire that consumed it burned away its underwear, revealing its genitals (relatively normal except for the freakish, pulsating grown on the side of the shaft). It retaliated by swinging its massive arm at the group.
However, before it could fully begin its swing, Yoko disappeared into a burst of speed, appearing on the other side and the tendril-like arm, holding a pose with one hand on the hilt of the Yokai Killer and the other on the sheath. A slash appeared seconds later, and the arm flew off and landed nowhere near the group.
Ella covered her mouth, dampening the scream- she didn’t want Yoko to get mad at her again about how it was just a dick. But it never really was! It had something growing on- Just don’t think about it, Ella! She jumped forward, incredibly strong glowing leg swinging up to kick it in the stomach.
At the same time Saskia’s blood tendril shot forward, aiming to pierce through its eye. Lisa raised her hands and swept them downwards and the spiders came at the monster and bit his lower body and schlong. It fell backwards, and Yoko quickly ran over and began bringing the Yokai Killer on it over and over again.
"Surely it’s dead already?" Ella asked as she hopped back a few steps.
"Can’t be too safe," Saskia intoned, blood tendril stabbing the creature in multiple places to ensure it was dead, just like Yoko stabbing it over and over.
It was dead.
It had a wife and kids who loved it dearly.
”… Well that was weird,” Lisa shrugged as her spiders returned back to her, scuttling over the dead guy.
Using her sleeve, Yoko wiped the Yokai Killer clean. ”Don’t worry about it.” Her eyes scanned the darkness ahead as the Yokai Killer was still shining. ”Keep your eyes peeled, there might be more ahead.”
The group pressed on, quick and quiet as they went deeper into the depths of the castle. Eventually they entered a massive, dimly lit by an eerie red glow. At the center of the room was a massive, pulsating heart, its veins sprawling out across the stone floor like roots digging into the earth. It throbbed steadily, each beat resonating through the chamber. In the wall behind it was an ornate vault door, covered in glowing runes and sigils that pulsed in rhythm with the grotesque heart.
Lisa narrowed her eyes and stepped forward, before suddenly halting and pivoting on her front foot back towards the group. A nervous smile etched across her face, ”… Is it just me or is it zero resistance in here compared to outside?”
”I was thinking the same thing, Turner,” Yoko said in a hushed tone, ”Let’s just grab the Wayfinders and go.”
"Probably because we killed the Autoknight mech!" Ella said with feigned confidence. As much as she wanted to be completely positive about it… nothing came easy in the Pit. She had to stay alert to keep her friends safe. "But how do we get through that door? With all those runes… it’ll definitely do something if we touch it!"
Saskia was silent, watching the large heart with what seemed to be… excitement? It was difficult to tell with them.
…?…?…?…?…-search the…?…?…?…?…?…minutes.
The mysterious voice says, not that it was invaluable at the moment due to how much it cut out. Yoko raised her finger.
”We should figure out a way through the runes as quickly as possible, but also let’s not go, as Wilson would say, ‘Titties first’ into-”
”Ella, just kick the door,” Lisa said.
Ella looked at Lisa, then she looked at Yoko. On one hand, Yoko was her friend and her Sensei! On the other Lisa was also her friend and every time she’d told her to kick down a door, it had worked! But…
Her gaze turned towards Saskia.
"Why’re you looking at me?" Saskia intoned, eyes still on the massive, incredibly gross heart.
"I don’t know what to- Oh!" Ella had a brilliant idea. One that didn’t involve her possibly losing a leg to a magical door. She pulled one of the dildos with Kanji on it out of her bag and threw it at the door.
It hit the door and bounced off, the runes flickering for a moment was the only reaction from the door. The room was silent save for the background of the heart beating, and everyone looked at the dildo.
”… Was that the one with the fucking ghost in it?”
"Of course not!"
Yoko facepalmed.
However, Ella heard a low, eldritch, groan.
Ella screamed- thank Sailor Moon she hadn’t kicked it! "I’m sorry door I shouldn’t have thrown a dildo at you!"
”… Who are you talking to?” Lisa raised an eyebrow.
"Did you not hear that groan?" Ella asked, turning to look at Lisa with a confused expression.
Lisa shook her head.
”Perhaps she just heard the Apparition,” Yoko shrugged, as her eyes scanned the heart, then the runes, then the heart again. ”… They are obviously connected, possibly we could destroy the heart to disable the protective runes… but that’s a risk.”
Yoko rubbed her chin.
”… I’ll do it, you three take cover.”
"But I think it’ll hurt you," Ella tried to protest.
"She has the best chance of not getting hurt," Saskia intoned, grabbing Ella by the arm and tugging her away from the door. Of course, Saskia couldn’t actually drag Ella anywhere by physical force but… Ella went with her.
Large wings covered in strong bone scales shoved out of Saskia’s back. They wrapped around Ella and Lisa- seeing as there wasn’t much actual cover in the room.
”Don’t worry Disciple, I’ll be fine,”
Yoko stepped forward, her grip tight on the Yokai Killer. She took a deep breath before vanishing into a blur of motion, she appeared on the other side of the heart in an instant and moments later the heart was cut in half and blood gushed in all directions.
There was a loud screech as the entire castle began to rumble. The veins across the floor pulsed, and the walls and floors shifted unnaturally. The floor beneath them rippled like liquid and formed twisted faces that screamed.
The runes faded.
Ella let out a shocked cry, jumping away from the twisted faces in the floor - even though they were everywhere. It was awful! "We-we hurt it!"
"So?" Saskia rolled their eyes. "I would’ve liked to learn more about it first…"
Ella hung her head, but she supposed Saskia was right… did it matter? The twisted faces weren’t real people. Hopefully. Nor was the voice in the wall. So she moved forward, approaching the door and trying to open it. The veins on the door quivered in protest but ultimately gave way and let the door open. With an audible creak, the doors lurched forward…
Inside there were no shelves or glass cases, but the walls and floors were alive. Red, organic and pulsating, lined with glowing Membranous sacs. Each sac floated off the ground, tethered by dark veins.
In the center of the room was a swirling pool of liquid, its surface shifting constantly between reflective silver and a deep, bottomless black. Objects - artifacts, presumably - floated in the liquid, slowly rising and sinking like fish in a tank. Some were recognizable as weapons, jewelry, or trinkets, while others were abstract, incomprehensible shapes.
Yoko stayed at the entrance, ”… Don’t touch anything until we know what it does.” She stared at the pool, ”Look for a medallion with orange gems.”
There was a pause.
”… Why does that one look like a dick?” Lisa asked.
"Magical severed dick?" Saskia suggested, glancing at it for only a moment before continuing looking.
"Gross- it's probably just a dildo!" Ella said.
”Turner! Come here!” Yoko gestured for Lisa to come close, and she silently ran over as the two walked over to the edge of the pool of… liquid. Yoko glanced over her shoulder at Saskia and Ella and said, ”... You two, keep watch. We’re….”
Yoko sighed.
”... Going have to do this the hard way.”
"You're not going in are you?" Ella asked, with a slight shudder at the thought. Would they get out? Could she let them do it? Surely they were so short that even if it was a shallow pool they could probably drown in it!
”Hold on, lemme see something,” Lisa said as she stuck her hand into the pool. Moments later she pulled it out and her hand was completely gone. ”,.. Yeah that’s not going to work. Ella!” She presented her stump for healing.
"Why would you do that Lisa?! I could've done it!" Ella shouted, bright healing light coming from her arm and hitting the stump. It didn't take long for Lisa's hand to start reforming.
"So we need to find a way to turn it off," Saskia intoned, looking around the room. They pointed to one of the membranous sacs. "Maybe one of those."
"... You just want to take it apart and see what's inside, don't you?!"
Saskia shrugged.
While this was going on, the gears in Lisa’s head were audibly turning. She raised a finger, ”Yoko! Give Ella your bo staff!”
”What are you-”
”Just do it!”
Yoko dug into her hip pouch and pulled out the bo staff and threw it to Ella. Ella caught it, looking at Lisa questioningly.
"What do you want me to do with this?!"
””Stick it out over the pool!
Ella had no idea what Lisa planned to do with this but… it was worth a shot! What could go wrong? So long as they weren’t losing anymore limbs. So she did what Lisa said and shoved it in the pool.
A web appeared and connected the bo staff with one of the artifacts. ”Now pull!”
"Oh!" Ella’s eyes brightened, like a lightbulb had gone off. She widened her stance, arms tensing as she pulled back with the Bo staff. Launching through the air, and landing at her feet was the artifact that Lisa said “looked like a dick”.
”… Turner! You’re a genius!” Yoko said.
Lisa stammered out some words, rubbing the back of her neck. Looking like she was blushing.
”Get all of them!” Yoko commanded, ”Or as many as you can.”
”… All of them?” Lisa tilted her head.
”There definitely has to be something useful among these artifacts,” Yoko began, ”We might not even need to go to the Forge…”
Lisa saluted, before the voice returned.
…?…?…?…?…heart…?…?…?…?..?
”… Huh?” Lisa asked.
…?…?…?…?…outside….?…?…?…?…?…regenerated.
”Not tracking,” Lisa shrugged.
"No idea!" Ella shrugged, preparing to fish out more artifacts.
Saskia rolled their eyes, though there was a hint of excitement in them. "The heart outside regenerated… so Yoko should just go cut it in half again. Ooo, maybe I can take a proper look inside it this time."
Yoko slowly withdrew the Yokai Killer, grinning, ”I bet you’d like that, Otten,” She then turned towards Lisa and Ella. ”We will handle this threat… continue fishing for Artifacts.”
Lisa nodded, and the walls began to shudder violently before Yoko could speak again. Cracks formed in the ceiling, oozing a sickly black liquid that dripped to the floor. Then, the first hand came through the door, resting on the edges. It was enormous and grotesque, made entirely of exposed sinew and glistening with viscous fluids. The fingers were unnaturally long and ended in jagged, splintered bone that looked like crude claws. A second hand came through, then a third, then a fourth, and so on… The hands reached inside, grasping blindly. Yoko's grip tightened on the Yokai Killer, her stance widening.
She turned her head towards Saskia.
Then nodded.
Saskia's lips pulled up into a slight smile, blood covering their body and elongating into a tendril out of their back. They nodded back.
Then they looked back at the door, ready to tear apart whatever was trying to get through.
