A lone figure moved swiftly through the dark hallways. Lady Nishia, her blade drawn, walked with eyes sharp and breath steady.
> "I need to quickly find Lumiel," she muttered. "A-and the others, of course. Not just Lumiel."
Reaching the base of a winding staircase, she hesitated.
> "If I'm right, this should be the third floor."
She stepped forward, but the moment her foot touched the first step, the concrete softened like quicksand, beginning to swallow her leg.
> "What the hell is with this stair?!"
With swift slices, she cut herself free and sprang backward, blade at the ready. The staircase shimmered and then faded, transforming into a solid wall. A distorted chuckle echoed down the hall.
"So it was an illusion to lure us in, huh," she growled.
From the shadows, a tall, thin figure emerged—a grotesque clown with long limbs and a porcelain mask. It cackled, then dissolved into the air like mist.
> "You're hiding again... How merciful."
Suddenly, the entire hallway began to stretch unnaturally wide. Concrete pillars erupted from the walls, floor, and ceiling, aiming to crush her between them.
> "Trying to crush me now? Let's see you try."
Nishia whirled into motion, slashing apart the pillars with precise, powerful strikes. Yet more kept rising.
> "Is this thing endless?! I've already destroyed hundreds!"
A sudden blow struck her from behind, launching her across the corridor. She gritted her teeth, steadying herself mid-fall.
"Damn it... I should've been more careful."
Laughter echoed once more. The environment twisted—classroom objects floated toward her with malicious intent: scissors, pens, and even desks lunged like predators.
> "This is nightmare fuel!"
Lady Nishia grunted, deflecting objects one by one. She grabbed what she could—a cutter, a broken chair leg—using the enemy's weapons against itself. Still, the attacks intensified.
> "I just need to hold out... until I learn where this sick clown is hiding."
She flung a pen into the air, and a sudden screech came from the ceiling.
> "What was that?! Did I hit it?"
No sight of the monster—but she knew now: it was close.
> "You're nearby... Let's end this."
Closing her eyes, she brought her sword to her chest.
"Sword Prodigy: Echo Form."
With her sight dulled, her hearing sharpened tenfold. A faint buzzing—a laugh hidden within the wings of a fly—reached her ears.
> "A fly? Tch... totally fits you."
With a single leap, she thrust her blade upward.
"Found you. Die, you stinky bastard!"
A sickening screech, and the monster vanished into black ash. The hallway returned to normal.
> "That bastard really had me cornered... I need to keep moving."
Twenty minutes passed. At last, she found a real staircase. She dashed up, heart pounding.
Turning a corner, her eyes caught a glint of metal: a turret outside a nearby classroom.
> "A turret? Then... it must be him."
A shot fired—but not at her. It hit a monster creeping behind her.
Inside the classroom, Claud stared at a screen.
[Turret Camera Detected a Student. Identity: Lady Nishia. Approaching.]
He smiled.
> "Well, well. It just got more interesting."
Lady Nishia opened the classroom door.
"Welcome, oh majesty, to my humble palace," Claud said dramatically.
"What the hell are you doing, Claud?" she said, unamused.
"Still no appreciation for my genius jokes. Anyway, relax—this room's turret jams sound. No monsters can hear us in here. So? Met anyone else?"
"No. Just monsters. Been slicing through them nonstop."
"Aww... The princess has lost her prince and now she came looking for him? How sweet."
Her face turned red.
"YOU PUNK!" She launched at him, grabbing his collar. "YOU REALLY WANNA GET BEAT UP, HUH?!"
"Hey, hey! I was just joking!" Claud raised his hands in surrender. "I'll help you find your prince charming. Pinky promise."
"I'LL KILL YOU!" she shouted, chasing him around the room.
Claud laughed as he ducked under tables.
> "It really did get more interesting."
"COME BACK HERE, YOU BASTARD!"
The classroom echoed with the sounds of laughter, footsteps, and the brewing warmth of camaraderie even in a world built to break them.