Floor 10,000—
Han and Shino sized up Kohaku, who had returned to normal. Han glared at her, clutching his arm.
"What the hell are you, really?"
Kohaku put a hand on her hip, smiling from ear to ear. "Me? Just a Huntress, that's all. A human, just like you."
"You're lying, no human can do what you just did! You didn't even use Jugen!"
Kohaku waved her hand. "Jugen? Such a primitive art."
Shino put a hand on Han's shoulder. "Is talking with the psycho tiger woman really necessary?"
"It's best to find out what she is," Han told her. "And why she's so obsessed."
He turned his attention back to Kohaku. "So, what ARE you? Some dungeon creature? Because your hunters worship you like you're some all-knowing god, when you're just a sick pile of fur!"
Kohaku's claws extended. "Come again?"
"You heard me!"
"If it really interests you, boy. I'm half-human."
"Half? What do you mean?"
"My father was a normal human. Feeble, weak. Unworthy of having me as his child. So I killed him after he tried to get rid of me."
"And your mother…?"
Kohaku put a finger to her lips. "Thats a secret. But if you've ever heard of the Jōi, then you have your answer."
"The Jōi? Who are the Jōi?"
She appeared before Han in the blink of an eye, leaning directly in front of his face. "Beings of great power, second to only the Endless. Even the Mujinsha cannot match it, but those pests are a pain for even someone such as me."
"Wait," Shino interrupted. "So you're like a half-human, half-dungeon monster?"
"If that's how you call it. Now, with the absence of my mother, my goal is to take over all the dungeons and surpass her legacy. That is the greatest honor I can bestow on her."
"By murdering people and trying to force my master to marry you?" Han questioned.
Kohaku nodded. "The weak deserve to be culled. While the strong earn their keep. Your fellow rookies are weak. Your Master is strong, so thus, he is worthy of me."
"He'll never marry you, you sick bastard—-!"
She reached out and grabbed him by his neck. "Enough about him. He will be mine. Let's focus on you, Han Jisoo. You will become mine. I will be a mother to you. And if you're good, I'll let you keep this girl as a comrade."
"Me?" Shino gasped. "Never!"
"Quiet, girl."
"Let…me…go…!" Han demanded.
"I have a better idea," Kohaku grinned. "Let's see how long you two last."
Without warning, she tossed Han through a wall.
BOOM.
"Han!" Shino called out.
She wasted no time sending Shino flying through it as well. As the two got up, Kohaku kicked through the wall, shifting into her tigeress form.
"Shit…" Han realized. "Here it comes."
Kohaku sized them up, hands extended. "Take it in! I claimed this abode from its former master. It will be your new home—-or your grave!"
Han looked around, noticing they were inside a grand chamber, with statues and trophies along the walls.
"Shino," he whispered. "This is the chance."
"Got it!"
Kohaku slashed the air, and the slashes traveled toward the two, forcing them to jump out of the way.
"Slow," Kohaku remarked.
In the blink of an eye, she appeared above Han, kicking him into the ground with a powerful stomp.
"Get off him!" Shino ordered.
She aimed her fingers at Kohaku. "Jugen-Metsusha: Yubisaki Mekken!"
A vector fired at Kohaku, but she blocked it with her forearm, causing it to disappear. As Shino prepared to fire again, Kohaku dropped Han and zipped behind her, lifting her with her other arm.
"Shino Samyaku," Kohaku noted. "The Ice Kaidanchō has not taught you a thing."
Kohaku sent her flying into one of the trophies, before snatching a wire fired by Han's cube, spinning him around like a top, and throwing him across the room.
Her body grew larger, revealing her serpentine tail and lion features. With a stomp of her foot, the entire room shook, forcing Han and Shino to dodge flying rubble.
"Jugen-Kōbisha: Tekubi Sōchaku Kyūbu—-Chains!"
A barrage of chains fired at Kohaku, who slashed them all into pieces before rushing Han.
"Electric Gate!"
A gate formed in between them, briefly stopping Kohaku in her tracks. Han immediately looked at a pillar and aimed his watches at it, firing two wires.
"Cheonjang Nakha!"
He pulled the pillar down on Kohaku, who held it up with one arm while her other reformed.
"Are you KIDDING me?"
"Tricks won't save you!" Kohaku bellowed. "I want POWER!"
She spun in a rapid circle, shredding both the gate and the pillar to pieces with her tail. "Fight me, child! Fight!"
Han aimed his left wrist at her and rapidly fired darts at her, which she effortlessly blocked with her tail. Taking advantage of her distraction, he used his other watch to release a smoke bomb.
"Where are you, child?"
Her ear perked up, and she immediately slashed the area behind her, clearing the smoke and revealing both Han and Shino on the ground, with their shoulders sliced.
"Primitive."
Shino fired more vectors at Kohaku, who dodged them all with ease. As Kohaku prepared to attack again, Han used his wires to pull Shino and himself back.
"Okay, all our attacks aren't working!" Shino exclaimed. "We need to pivot!"
"Give me a moment to think!" Han replied. "What would Master Nyugawa do at a time like this?"
As they continued retreating, Kohaku opened her mouth, releasing a powerful roar that caused both of them to fall to the ground and cover their ears.
"Han!" Shino pointed. "Watch out—-!"
Kohaku's claws got longer, and Han quickly formed a cage around himself to deflect her attacks, but she sliced through it like paper.
"I thought you were better than this, Han. Maybe I was wrong."
As she prepared to slash him again, Han reflexively used his right arm to block, which stopped Kohaku's attack, surprising all three of them.
"How…?" Han wondered.
〈Han. Han. Han. Always forcing me to save you. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.〉
"You again? No, shut up!"
With a barrage of slashes, both Shino and Han went crashing into the pillars.
〈Han…I can't let you die. Not just yet.〉
???——
Han's eyes opened, and he found himself in a barren realm, and he noticed the Nurse sitting atop a shadowy mound of bodies.
"No, no, no!" Han refused. "Get me outta here, right now!"
The Nurse stood up and walked gracefully down toward Han. "Quiet, vessel. After all I've done for you, you still resist me."
Han tried to swing at her, but she easily caught his arm. "Enough. I'm going to save your life. As my Master once told me, 'Men don't listen to the weak.'"
"Master? What?"
The Nurse touched Han's forehead. "Jugen-Daraku: Gyaku Kassei."
"Hey, stop, what are you…?"
〈You're mine, Han. Don't worry. Due to my love for your Master, I'll keep you alive, for now.〉
And then, Han blacked out.
Floor 10,000—-
Kohaku approached the wall where the rookies fell, growing even larger and more muscular in size, her voice now coming out as a cunning growl. "Children…come out!"
She waited, but there was no response. "I see."
As she prepared to slash again, a wire erupted from the dust, yanking her arm down hard enough to dislocate it.
"Oh?"
From out of the dust stepped Han, whose entire body was now covered in the same black substance, which began to spread to his face.
"Ahh," Kohaku grinned. "Wonderful."
Han punched her in the face, drawing blood. Kohaku rubbed it with her finger, admiring it.
"Very good."
Her eyes began to glow, causing Han to get into a defensive stance. Shino got up, noticing Han's new appearance. "Han?"
"Stay back, Shino!"
He backed away as Kohaku clenched her fist. "Jugen-Henshōsha…"
Han's eyes widened. "You liar! You can use Jugen?"
"I never said I couldn't," she chuckled. "Let's see how you do when I show you a taste of this primitive power you cling to so heavily."
A bright light emerged from her, forcing Han back.
"Jugen-Henshōsha: Karyūdō no Wazawai!"
The wings of a phoenix began to form on her back, mixed with the body of a wolf, the head of a lioness, and the tail of a leviathan. When she spoke, it felt like three people speaking at the same time.
"You say you want to stop me from reaching your master," she declared. "Then stop me."
With even greater speed, she rushed at Han, her wings emitting powerful fire. Han rolled out of the way, raising his arms to block her claws.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The force caused the room to jump repeatedly, and Kohaku used her tail to push Han back, but he latched on and headbutted her, briefly stunning her.
"Hehehe!"
Han tried to punch her in the face, but she stopped his fist in her jaws, tossing him like a rag doll.
"She's so strong!" Shino worried. "We need backup, or we're dead! Han, get away from her!"
In the center of the room, Han and Kohaku began clashing faster than the eye can see, with Han's face becoming more and more coated by the dark liquid.
"Yes, yes, yes! You want revenge? Then GET IT!"
She bashed Han hard enough to send him flying into a pillar, but as the liquid covered the right side of his face, he formed a wire and snatched the pillar off the floor, sending it flying at Kohaku.
BOOM.
With a bat of her arm, she broke it into pieces, before using her wings to fly into the air and launch flames at Han, who formed an electric gate to defend himself.
"You're a disturbed, lonely woman!" Han shouted. "You stay away from everyone I care about, or I'll kill you!"
Kohaku ripped another pillar off the ground, sending it flying at Han. "Haha! Then do it!"
"Jugen-Kōbisha: Tekubi Sōchaku Kyūbu—-Darts!"
Both of his watches fired large darts at Kohaku, piercing through her body, which immediately healed. She walked forward as Han ran up and delivered an uppercut to her chin, which she shrugged off.
"Now's my chance!" Shino realized. "Jugen-Metsusha: Yubisaki Mekken!"
A large vector barreled towards Kohaku, who flew above it before responding by extending her tail and striking Shino hard enough to knock her clean out.
"What a disappointment, girl," Kohaku sighed. "Such a deadly skill, but there's no killer in you."
"Shino! You psychotic piece of shit!"
Han tackled her to the ground, but she kicked him into the ceiling as the liquid fully covered his face, forming a distorted mouth and glowing gray eyes.
"Ahh, there it is," Kohaku admired, as Han dropped down. "The demon."
Han's watches turned into gauntlets, and spiked chains fired from them, wrapping around Kohaku before swinging her into the wall.
"Die!"
To Han's shock, she remained unscathed, casually freeing herself from the bindings. Han quickly followed up with more smoke bombs, before wrapping his wire and pulling hard enough to sever her arm.
Kohaku emerged from the smoke, regenerating her lost limb. Han threw a right hook, but she caught it.
"Perfect," Kohaku stated. "You will be mine. You shall become my pet, my new warrior, my child. The perfect family, one destined for a hunter like me!"
"SHUT…UP…!"
Han broke free, trying to attack again, but with a strike of her tail, Kohaku knocked him out as well.
"You've done well, my child…" she chuckled.
"…you've done well."
Meanwhile—-
Asmodeus led Rika's group deeper through the underworld. "Your other companions have completed their trials; thus, we shall resume."
"What is the next trial?" Rika asked.
"You will face a test of strength itself. How desperate would you be to escape death?"
"Pretty desperate," Rika admitted.
"Don't tell me we've gotta flee Hell or something," Gakuto groaned.
"No, no. This IS Hell. But your trial will involve facing one who's been here longer than you, who's been driven to insanity by the amount of time spent here."
"Who?" Rei wondered.
They stopped in the middle of the fields, and Typhon's eyes widened. "No…it can't be."
In the center tending to the fields was a tall man with muscles from head to toe, using a scythe to cut weeds from the grass. As soon as he saw them, he dropped it.
"Hercules," Asmodeus informed them. "The God of Strength."
〈Rule: Outclass *Strength* Itself.〉
——