-3rd POV-
The Phantoms let out a screech before melting into black ink.
"Did the Phantoms just turn into some kind of...black ink?!" Epel said, shocked.
"It's blot." Vil said, looking at it, "Take care not to touch it. It could contaminate you."
"Quel dommage! Look at the floor where the blot spilled. It's losing its color, and becoming withered and cracked." Rook said, eyes widen.
The four of them looked and saw the ink turn gray, before it looking withered and cracked. Then it disappeared.
"And Idia-senpai and Ortho are trying to let these things loose on the world?" (Y/n) said, looking at them.
"If they succeed, the world will spiral into pure chaos. We must stop them. Even if it means crushing their hopes and dreams in the process." The Pomefiore housewarden said.
"...I suppose so." The hunter said, "Those Phantoms were small, but it's clear many more are waking up. We must get to the bottom level before..." He took note of something, "Hm? It would appear we've reached a dead end."
"You're right. There's a big door at the end of the stairs." The lilac haired male said.
Vil pulled out the map, "According to the map, that door leads to a Phantom containment facility."
The dual haired girl sighed, "I hope they haven't thawed yet..." She said.
Epel smiled at her, grabbing her hand, "Don't you worry! No matter what they throw at us, I'll capture 'em with my signature spell!" He then realized what he did, which made his eyes widen, blush and instantly let go of the girl's hand, "S-Sorry..." He muttered.
The blond male smirked, "My, don't you sound dependable. Well then, shall we head in?" He said, before opening the door.
They all walked in and looked around, seeing some of the metal boxes that held the Phantoms in disarray.
"Well, here we are...the Phantom containment facility."
"Do all of those big metal cubes have Phantoms in them?" Epel said, looking at them.
"They sure do! Pretty neat, huh? The room's packed with Phantoms from all over the world. It's like monster city in here!" A familiar voice said.
Then the door behind the four closed and locked, shocking them.
Epel ran up to it, "The door just shut!" He tried to get it open, "Rrgh...It won't open!"
"We're locked in. I assume this is your doing, Ortho?" Vil said, looking at the hologram of the boy.
"Got it in one! So, how's the dungeoneering going? Having fun? Either way, it's time for your second trial. You have to pass through this containment facility to get down to the next level. But in order to open the door, you'll need the right ID card. And before you even think about it..." He pointed at the card in the male's hand, "That ID card you got from our staff? I've already deregistered it. Using cheat codes your first time through would spoil half the fun, don't you think?"
"How very solicitous of you. I'm touched."
"Which brings me to your mission for this stage—a treasure hunt!" He smiled.
"Is that so?" Rook said.
"The rules are simple. One of the Phantoms in these cages has the ID card that will get you out of here. So just find the Phantom and get the card!"
"You can't be serious. With all these cages, it'll be like looking for a needle in a haystack!" The lilac haired male exclaimed.
He giggled, "I knew you'd say that. Since this is a beginner level, I'll give you a hint. Memorize the following cages." He then pointed at three different ones, "That one there, there, and...there! The ID card is in one of those three. Best of luck, everyone!" He said, before disappearing.
Vil tried the card, which didn't work, "...Well, Ortho wasn't kidding—our ID card brings up an error message when I try to use it."
They they could hear noises and pounding from some of the cages.
"Grrr..."
(Y/n) blinked a bit, looking at the cages, "Is that sound coming from one of the cages?" She said.
"Oh dear. The Phantoms have started to wake up." The hunter said.
"This may very well be a trap, but let's start with the cages Ortho pointed out." The Pomefiore housewarden said.
"I suppose we don't have any better options." He said, eyes narrowing.
-----
The Phantom let out a screech, before it melted into black liquid.
Jamil's eyes widen, "The Phantoms turned into black liquid...It's blot." He said, as Leona walked up to it, "Leona-senpai! Don't get to close! It could contaminate you!" He walked up with Shoto following.
"Tch. I don't need you lecturin' me." The lion male said, "Ugh, it turns my stomach. Just lookin' at that stuff makes my hair stand on end."
"It spread out like ink, contaminating all it touched, then dried up and faded away." He put a hand under his chin, "...We might've been no different if we'd stayed overblotted."
The male was silent for a minute, "Every mage gets blot contamination. Especially the reckless and powerful ones. "I'll go in alone and check it out"? Sounds like someone's real sure of themselves." He glared at the male.
"I took the most appropriate course of action. Emergency situations call for extra caution." He looked at the twin male.
The dual haired male nodded and took out the map, to which the other two look over his shoulders.
"According to the map, there's a Phantom containment area just through that door. The creatures we ran into might've come from there. We don't know how many Phantoms we'll encounter or how strong they'll be." He looked at Leona, "I would appreciate it if you'd avoid doing anything to endanger yourself—or more to the point, the three of us."
"Wow...You must be really shakin' in your boots, herbivore." The male sighed.
"What?! I am not! I'm trying to compensate for your recklessness!"
"Oh yeah? Fine, suit yourself." He said, before walking ahead.
"I will, thank you very much."
Shoto could only sigh, 'Why did I get stuck with these people...I should've just went with Riddle-senpai...Or just gone on my own ahead...' He thought, before the two walked.
They then entered the containment facility.
"Well, we got a buncha reinforced cubes here. I'm guessing those are the cages." Leona said, looking around.
"They're stacked floor to ceiling. Is there a Phantom in every single one?" The black haired male questioned.
"Bingo!" A voice said, before the two looked at Shoto, who shook his head.
"Don't look at me, I didn't say anything." He said, shaking his hands and head.
"Each one's like a jack-in-the-box. You never know what kind of Phantom will pop out! Isn't that exciting? Just like opening a birthday present!"
Leona smirked, realizing the voice, "Hey, Ortho. How's about you show yourself? We're all lonely without you."
The said boy's hologram appeared in front of them, "Whoopsie! Where are my manners? Hello there!" He smiled, waving, "Leona Kingscholar-san, Jamil Viper-san, Shoto Todoroki-san, it's nice to see you're doing well!"
"Why, thank you." Jamil said.
"Remember when you said it's not hard to predict how a robot thinks? Well, that was very eye-opening for me. You make a good point. If I'm giving you games to play, they should be really fun. I figured if unpredictability was a uniquely human trait, then I would just have to go beyond it!" He then pointed to a cage, "Check the top of the cage to your right."
"Okay..." Shoto said, before seeing something "A slip of paper?"
Leona peeked over, "D-O-U-R...Dour? What's this, a description of your family?"
Ortho made an incorrect buzzer noise, "Wrong! That's the password required to advance past this point."
"Wait, password? We've been using an ID card to get through all the doors. Are you saying it doesn't work anymore?" Jamil said.
"You guessed it! I've deregistered your card. It's useless now. You'll need the correct password to open the exit door and proceed to the next stage. Shoto Todoroki is currently holding half of the password. The other half is inside one of these cages! Here's your next trial: get the right password, open the door, and move on! Best of luck, gentlemen!" He then disappeared.
"Tch. Can't punch a projection." The lion male said, scowling.
"He said it was inside the cage. I take it that means we'll have to open one." The black haired male said, before they heard a loud roaring from one of the cages.
"Ooh, watch out. That jack-in-the-box is feisty."
"The Phantoms in these cages are waking up. The longer we take, the more we'll be at a disadvantage."
"Yeah. I don't trust the squirt one bit, but the door we came through ain't opening, and neither is the exit. It's gonna be a huge pain, but opening that cage is our only option."
-----
"Shaaagh!" The Phantom screeched, before melting into a pile of ink.
Riddle's eyes widen, "The Phantom dissolved into a black liquid...Ugh, the smell is nauseating. Let's get away from here." He said, and walked.
"Okay, what was that about?" Azul said.
He turned to look at him, "What do you mean?"
"You told me to stay back. Granted, you've been housewarden a year longer than me. But we're both sophomores in the role. I hardly need your protection."
"I know you can fight. But I can't risk you getting injured right now."
He scoffed, "Injured? Please, don't patronize me. I can take a few hits."
The red haired male sighed, "I'm not patronizing you...Weren't you the one who said I was better in both the classroom and the field? It only makes sense for the stronger of us to take point."
"Oh, is that so? Fine. Then I'll just kick up my feet and relax in the back."
He sighed again, "You don't have to be so snide about it. We won't get through this if we don't work together. We can't afford to just do our own thing."
"Which of us is doing our own thing again, you blockhead..." The gray haired male muttered.
"Hm? There's a massive door up ahead. According to the map..." Riddle looked at the door, "Ah, that must lead to one of the Phantom containment facilities."
"Considering that we've already encountered one, we should expect more awakened Phantoms inside."
"Stay sharp and follow my lead. Is that clear?" He narrowed his eyes at him.
"Yes, yes...Crystal clear." Azul said, following after him.
The two entered through the door.
"So this is a Phantom containment facility...It's even colder in here than it is outside." The red haired male said, seeing his breath in front of him whenever he talked or took a breath.
"I suppose these cubes are the cages?" The Octavinelle male said, "Even just a handful of Phantoms are trouble, and look at the sheer number of them in here..."
"We cannot allow the Phantoms to escape into the wider world. We must put a stop to their plan, whatever it takes."
"And so our adventurers faced the road ahead with a renewed sense of determination!" A voice said, startling them. Ortho then appeared in front of them, "Hiya, Riddle Rosehearts-san! And Azul Ashengrotto-san! Are you enjoying your authentic dungeon experience?"
"Hmph. Not particularly. I tend to prefer my challenges be taxing in some way."
He let out a small laugh, "Bold words! I totally get you, though. Games need to be challenging, or else they're not rewarding...Which is why I've taken the liberty of deregistering that ID card you have."
The two housewardens eyes widen.
"What? You mean the card the staff gave us won't work now?" Azul said.
"Searching for the right key to open a locked door is an essential part of the experience. It would spoil half the fun if you had a master key from the start. So I've got a new ID card for you, and it's with one of the Phantoms that's already awake in its cage. Find the key and enjoy the sense of accomplishment you get from progressing!"
Riddle frowned, "This is ludicrous! We're not video game characters!"
He ignored his words and laughed, "Best of luck, gentlemen!" He said, before disappearing.
"Yeeaargh...How dare he! I would've had his head twice over if he weren't a hologram." He exclaimed, angered.
A loud pointing could be heard, before a growl was also heard.
"...Riddle-senpai, I'm afraid this is a speedrun whether we like it or not." The gray haired male said.
"Rgh...You're right. The longer we take, the more Phantoms will thaw out." The red haired male said.
He nodded, "Let's get a move on."
"You don't have to tell me twice!"
-----
The four stood in front of a cage.
"Here we are. The moment of truth. I'll open the cage." Vil said.
"Epel, (Y/n), get behind me." Rook said, looking at the two.
"But I don't need you to protect me!" Epel said, as the girl nodded and did as the blond male said.
"Heh...Epel, allow me to share a bit of wisdom with you. Hiding behind someone doesn't mean you need protection, or that you're avoiding a fight." He smirked, "It enables you to conceal yourself and catch your enemy by surprise. You can also pick off the ones the front lines haven't finished off yet. Such tactic can only be done if someone takes the rear position."
"True strength isn't always about rushing in first, little apple." The Pomefiore housewarden said.
"Rgh...All right, I get it. I'll bring up the rear, then!" The lilac haired male said, going back.
"Wonderful. Here goes!" He said, before breaking the cage open with magic and the Phantom jumped at them with a yell.
-----
The Phantom grunted, before melting, dropping something.
"Ah! I heard something fall." Rook said.
"It's the ID card! So this Phantom had it after all." Vil said, walking over and grabbing it.
"Which means Ortho wasn't lying when he said it was in one of those cages." Epel said.
"Tres bien! Then we shall move forward with trust lighting our path!" The hunter said.
"Hmph. There's no way those two would give us a hint simply out of the goodness of their hearts. They're just killing time, moving us around like pawns on their chessboard." The Pomefiore housewarden said, before frowning, "...Hm, actually, they're not killing time. It's more like..."
Another growl could be hear.
"I suppose we've no time to stand around speculating." He said, eyes widen, before heading to the door.
"Indeed. Let us quit this place posthaste!" Rook said, following.
'This probably would've been easier if I just made a slide of ice to the bottom...' (Y/n) thought, sighing softly.
"Something the matter, (Y/n)?" Epel said, looking at the girl, as they walked.
"No. Just thinking." She said.
He stared at her for a second, before averting his eyes, blushing softly, "You could always tell me if something is bothering you." He said, looking at her again and smiling.
She nodded, "Of course, Epel." She said, smiling softly.
The male turned red and looked away.
Vil let out a breath, "Whew...At least we got through that unscathed."
"All the Phantoms that had awakened were rather small." Rook said.
The lilac haired male smiled, "Yeah. Even I could've taken them with one hand tied behind my back...Maybe."
"Don't get cocky now. We were told the Phantoms could grow more formidable the further down we go. We need to stay sharp. I will say we gained one insight from this. The brothers may have control of the island...But even they're not capable of unfreezing all the Phantoms at once."
The three eyes widen.
"That's very true...If they could, then they would've already won." Rook said.
The Pomefiore housewarden nodded, "Exactly. Think back to earlier, when the reaserchers brough the Phantoms out for testing. Judging by what the announcement said...I don't think they use any specific equipment to unfreeze the Phantoms in the containment facilities."
"Testing of Subjects ROS-859A and SUS-3320B will commence at 1300. Currently thawing Phantom subjects' cages. The facility will go into full lockdown for the duration of the test to ensure the safety of all personnel. All personnel, please return to your stations immediately."
"Think of Tartarus like a giant freezer. You wouldn't put a microwave inside a freezer, would you?"
"Oh, I get it. So basically, they've just unplugged the freezer and are waiting for stuff to thaw out?" Epel said.
"Yes. Which means they couldn't act right now even if they wanted to. I'm starting to suspect all these games and chats are just a smokescreen. They're trying to distract us from the fact that they're stalling for time."
"So in essence, they're not actually making a game out of this." The hunter said.
"That's my take." He chuckled, "I must say, though. Ortho's been putting on quite the villainous performance. It seems to me he could drop all this nonsense about resetting the world and start an acting career. There aren't many child actors who can play convincing villains."
"What would you think of inviting him to join the Film Research Club when we get back to school, Vil?"
"I think you might be onto something there. Now then, let's hurry on." He said, before picking up the pace.
-----
They pretty much breezed through my second trial. I know I designed it for first-time players, but maybe I made the difficulty too easy.
"No worries. The Titans will wake up soon." Idia said.
But they're in sector 12, which is the most heavily frozen. Wouldn't that be a little fast?
"These are the original Phantoms we're talking about. They're in a league of their own. I'm making good progress on unsealing the Underworld gate, too. It's easy to get into the Underworld, but once you're in, there's no getting out. It's a one-way door that's sealed tighter than a tomb...and I'm gonna pry it open from the inside."
Once someone enters the gate to the Underworld, they never set foot on the surface world again...That's the way of things. Everyone's gonna be so surprised when I make my return. I can't wait to see that...Heh heh...Heh heh heh...
-----
"...Hm? Something's coming up the stairs." Rook said, seeing something.
"It looks small. You thing that's Grim?" Epel raised his hand, "Hey, Gr—mph!" He was cut off by the blond male putting his hand over his mouth.
"Epel, no! That isn't Grim. It's about 10 centimeters shorter than he is!" He said, as they all saw that it was more loose Phantoms.
"Well, it's coming this way now! Ready yourselves!" Vil said.
------
"Stand back. I'm opening another cage!" Jamil said.
"You're embarrassing yourself with this whole song and dance. Enough with the pseudo-altruism. Just get it over with." Leona said, before breaking the cage, letting the Phantom jump out at them with a screech.
-----
They destroyed the Phantom, which turned into a pool of blot.
"There. That takes care of the Phantom." The Scarabia male said.
"Is there a note?" The lion male questioned.
Shoto walked up and took the paper, "There is."
"What's it say?"
"It's..." He was cut off.
"...You know what, let me just try it first." Jamil said, grabbing the paper and running to the door, pressing the code, which opened the door, "It opened! Looks like that was it."
"I thought the squirt might've been lyin' about the whole thing, but I guess not." Leona said, walking up with the other male, "So, what was the password?"
"You're better off not knowing. It's put me in a rather foul mood."
He furrowed his brows, "Just spit it out."
The male huffed, "The note said, "best!""
"Best? So if you put that together with the other half..."do ur best!" Are you kidding me?!" His tail twitched in irritation, "Those guys are just messin' with us!"
"See? Now you're angry. That's why I didn't want to tell you." He sighed, crossing his arms.
The three soon walked out.
"Here's another set of stairs. It's likely that more Phantoms escaped and are lurking around. And there's nothing stopping Ortho from attacking us either. We need to stay on our toes."
"The Phantoms are one thing, but I doubt we need to worry about radish sprout or the robot for a while. Sure, they're obsessed with games...But there's a limit to what they can do since they're physically on the bottom level. I'm betting the most they can do to us right now is agitate the Phantoms. Still, their whole approach feels kinda...indirect. Hmm." The lion male said.
"I see what you mean. There's something I've noticed about Ortho...You remember when we were playing video games earlier, and everyone was making fun of you for pawing at the screen?"
He narrowed his eyes at him, "You tryin' to get sanded?"
"Hey, I didn't sat any of that. I'm referring to the event in general. Anyway, when Vil-senpai and Idia-senpai were having a field day at your expense..."
Leona only glared at him.
"I didn't sense any spite from Ortho at all."
"Why would you? Robots don't have emotions. They just follow their programming and pull statements from their databanks. There's no good or bad intent there. They're just robots."
"Yes, but on the other hand...Ortho seemed angry when you mocked him for being a robot. That little surprise with the cages felt like he was getting back at you. He said and did things that were clearly spiteful. It was like how a real human would act."
"A human, huh...I'd sooner believe Idia coded in some stuff designed to get on people's nerves."
Soon, they heard a screech, startling the two, but Shoto instantly shot out fire to the Phantom that threw magic at them, instantly blocking it.
"Ah! Leona-senpai, watch out!" Jamil exclaimed, getting in front of the said male, who's eyes widen, "Rgh...That Phantom climbed up from under us!"
"Shiny! Shinyshiny!" The Phantom said.
"Time to wipe them out!"