Chapter 58

"...And that's how I used my signature spell to follow you from Sage's Island," Rook said to the group. Vil had already explained how Ortho decided to release the Phantoms in Tartarus to recreate the world so that he and Idia could be free of having to run Styx. I found the whole idea quite insane. "Once we made it in, I was able to track you down thanks to Vil carrying my 'special' serum. I didn't enclose a note lest it draw suspicion. That was a rather discerning guess on your part, Vil."

"I normally never use enchanted skincare products," Vil explained. "It wasn't hard to put two and two together. It's nice to see my 'good luck serum' working it's magic so soon."

"Do any of you know where Grim is?" I asked the only remaining question on my mind.

"Grim?" said Riddle. "He was brought here as well?"

"Yessir," said Epel. "We saw them carting him off after they captured Vil and Jamil. We thought he'd be here with the rest of you."

"Well, I didn't see Grim during any of our examinations, or at any other point since we've been here," Azul said.

"...Wait a minute," said Leona. "There was that subject who blew off their door and escaped before we did. Was that the furball?"

Riddle scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous! Grim's even more unskilled with magic than Ace and Deuce. There's no way he'd be able to destroy a door made with anti-magic material. Even we had trouble with them."

My eyebrows furrowed in worry. "I wonder what's happened to him." I thought about that night he had attacked me. He had certainly seemed strong then. Was it possible that whatever happened to him increased his magical power?

Vil turned to a Styx technician. "Tell me something - who was in the room at the end of the hall where we were staying?"

"That was Subject F, the direbeast brought in from Night Raven College," said the technician.

"...So it WAS the furball," Leona muttered.

"But his test results for magic performance were all subpar compared to an average mage. As Subject A pointed out, we had no indications he had the kind of power it would take to destroy that door. None at all."

"Hold on," said another technician. "What about that one note in Subject F's file? Here, I found it. We were unable to get an accurate reading on his blot accumulation levels no matter how many tests we ran."

"What does that mean?" said Epel.

"We couldn't find any other instance of this in Styx's entire database. We performed a thorough examination, but still couldn't identify the cause. Our analysis team found layers of ancient sorcery cast on him. They couldn't figure out the effects of it... But they concluded it was likely some sort of curse - or perhaps a blessing - that triggers when certain criteria are met. The direbeast was in stable condition. We were going to keep him under observation and run further analysis..."

"A curse...?" I murmured.

"Blessings and curses are essentially the same thing," Vil said. "People just categorize them differently based on their effect. My signature spell can produce positive effects as well, depending on the terms I set. Basically, a practitioner's emotional state can dictate whether a spell is positive or negative. I have no clue why Grim would have such a thing cast on him, though..."

"Oh!" said a third technician. "Tartarus's internal sensors have logged Subject F's collar! There's been free access in and out of Tartarus ever since its security went offline. According to this log, Subject F went through the Tartarus gate immediately after the emergency started."

"But why'd he go there?" a fourth technician asked.

"Ortho described it to us," Epel said. "Tartarus is a really dangerous place, right?"

"Absolutely. It's a containment facility that holds over 10,000 Phantoms," said the first technician. "And all its freezing systems have been shut down. The Phantoms could awaken at any moment."

I gasped. "Oh, no..."

"At least we know where Grim is," Vil said. "It's actually better that he's in Tartarus. We'll pick him up on our way down to the Underworld."

"That's absurd!" said a technician. "It's much too dangerous!"

"That's where Idia and Ortho are, right? If we want to stop their reset plan, our only option is to go down there. Regardless of the danger."

Azul sighed. "It does sound like the only way, but even so..."

"You say it like it's no big deal," Jamil said.

"Now hold on," said the technician. "You're students! None of you have your mage license yet! We can't let amateurs handle an emergency like this. We need the pros - the Arcane Response Unit. I say we wait for help to arrive from the outside!"

"...So how long 'til all the Phantoms in Tartarus thaw out?" Leona asked.

"Um... About six hours," said another technician.

"And how likely is it that you'll restore communication and get help in that time frame?" The technicians looked away from Leona. "You've got barely any hope of rescue, and most of the people here are helpless researchers. Ortho's taken over all your fallbacks - your Charon power armors and technomantic devices. They're totally useless. And your response is to just cower together and hope for a miracle? Don't make me laugh."

"It's true that we're not licensed mages yet," Riddle said. "But we've all been trained by our school as first responders in the event of an emergency."

"And then there's the fact that we're all here because we've overblotted," Jamil said.

"What was the criteria for overblotting again?" Azul said. "'You have to be a capable mage with a pretty big magic pool for it to happen at all.' Did I get that right? I believe that proves we're not your average mages. Wouldn't you all agree?"

"Well, ah, I suppose..." said the technician.

"I came here because I wanted to make sure I did all that I could," Rook said. "And there is still much we can do to prevent the worst-case scenario."

"I'm ready to go down there too!" Epel said.

"Then I say we strike while the iron's hot," Vil said. "Let us be off - to Tartarus!" I nodded.

"Whoa, wait, just hold on!" said the technician.

"Do you need something else?"

"At least take these with you." The technician handed Vil some items.

"What have we here? ID cards, a map of HQ, some transceivers... and three keychains? Vil looked at him in confusion.

"You can't use the building's internal comm system right now. But analog wireless transceivers don't require an internet connection or signal repeater. You should be able to communicate with them as long as there's not much obstructing the signal. Those 'keychains' are actually activation keys for our last resort: high-powered anti-Phantom weaponry."

Vil lifted his eyebrows. "Come again?"

"Tartarus is an enormous underground containment facility comprised of three towers. The more dangerous Phantoms are kept in the lower sectors, closer to the bottom. And the most dangerous ones are the three Titans in sector 12, on the lowest level. Those are the original Phantoms, the ones said to have been sealed here since the Age of Gods. There's a hangar in sector six in each tower. And each hangar holds one Thunder Spear. Those are the weapons the Jupiter family forebear supposedly used to seal the Titans.

"Those activation keys will allow you to take the spears out of the hangars. Tower 1 holds the Phantom of Stone 0 the Earth Titan. Tower 2 holds the Phantom of Ice - the Crystal Titan. And Tower 3 holds the Phantom of Flame - the Magma Titan. No mage could take on a Titan without a special weapon, no matter how exceptional they were. Insert the activation key, and the navi system will tell you how to use them. We've no choice but to entrust them to you. I'm so sorry we're not able to do more."

"You hardly need to feel responsible," Vil said. "We're choosing to venture into Tartarus. After all, it seems I was the one who incited Ortho's actions. We'll gratefully accept the Thunder Spears."

"The spears can fire extremely powerful blasts of magic lightning... But they require time to recharge after each use. Now that the island is on emergency power... You won't find many places to charge their technomantic energy in Tartarus. Just remember, you have to charge them again after you use them. We'll do everything we can to support you. And please, be safe." With that, the technicians left us alone while we gathered together.

Vil turned to face everyone. "Now then... According to the staff, Tartarus has three towers. I think we should split into three teams. We must save what little time we have to mitigate the risk of a complete loss."

"We'll have to go through all three anyway, or else we might miss Grim," Epel said.

Vil nodded. "Very true. As for the teams... Since we're both juniors and housewardens, I believe it would be best for Leona and I to lead separate teams. I'll take Tower 1. Leona can take Tower 2. That leaves Tower 3..."

"I'll lead the third team," Riddle said. "I've been housewarden the second-longest, after Leona."

"Very well. I trust you have no objections, Azul?"

"None at all," said Azul. "Riddle has far better grades than me in both the classroom and in the field."

"Epel, Ona, Floyd, and I shall go with Vil. Battles are all about teamwork, and it's easier to support someone you've spent more time with. It'll be easier for us to safeguard Ona as well."

Azul turned to his dormmate. "Are you alright with that, Floyd?"

Floyd grinned at him. "I'm good. I've got to protect Little Shrimpy. And Betta is alright."

Azul sighed. "Just make sure you listen to him."

"Sure thing."

Azul turned to me. "Ona?"

"He'll be fine," I said. "He's been great so far."

"But will you be fine."

I shrugged. "I'm just worried about Grim..."

"That leaves Azul and Jamil," Vil said.

"We just learned about our magical properties and performance in detail from those exams," Azul said. "So, I think Jamil and I should team up with the leaders whose magic is most compatible with ours."

Leona crossed his arms. "Hmph. Snakes and octopuses are both schemers that use others as a shield when push comes to shove. I don't care who comes with me. Just pick someone."

"Then I'll join Riddle in Tower 3."

I looked at Azul with a small frown, immediately seeing a problem. "Are you sure you want to do that?"

"Of course. Leona's desiccating signature spell would be a poor fit with a merman."

"Well, sure, but Riddle is, uh..."

"I'm what, Ona?" Riddle said with a hard look.

I hesitated. "You're just very different people. That's all."

"I am sure we will be fine."

"If you say so..."

"All right, then I'm with Leona..." Jamil said, looking at him. "I look forward to working with you."

I turned to Leona. "You sure you're alright with this?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" said Leona. "I told you, it makes no difference."

"If you ask me, there's a world of a difference between those two," I said. I glanced at Jamil but then quickly looked away. I felt a pit in my stomach upon remembering our latest encounter.

"I didn't ask you."

"Fine. I guess we're all set." I just hoped this would not be a disaster.

"Then let's get rolling. Just keep this in mind... The first person to reach the Underworld gate gets to beat up Radish Sprout without anyone there to stop 'em. How's that for motivation? 'Just sit tight and you can go to school in the morning,' my foot. I don't appreciate gettin' dragged into this mess. Grr..."

"The prospect of getting to smack Idia is a rather inspired incentive, Leona," Vil said with a smirk.

"This isn't a drill, people," said Riddle. "We need to stay sharp at all times."

"I know!" Rook said excitedly. "Why don't we all huddle up before going our separate ways?"

Leona blinked. "What?"

"What possible purpose could-" Riddle started to say before Rook grabbed him and Leona to pull him into the circle that was quickly forming. "-ack! Stop tugging on me, Rook!"

"Come, come!" said Rook. "Everyone, join shoulder to shoulder with your neighbor!"

"Woohoo, a pre-game huddle!" Epel said happily. "That's what I'm talkin' about!"

"I'm pretty sure not even our school's sports teams do any kind of huddle before games..." Jamil said sounding irritated.

"I'm not really into the whole jock thing, you know," Azul said with a sigh.

"Tch. Why do I have to do this...?" Leona grumbled.

"Heh. Why not?" said Vil. "It's not often one battles for the fate of the entire world." Surprisingly, everyone gathered together.

"Okay, we're huddled," said Jamil.

"Now what?" said Azul.

"I'm not well-versed in the rules of a team huddle..." said Riddle. "But I believe that generally, someone calls out an order, and the group disperses."

"Look, can we just get this over with?" said Leona. "I could cut the awkwardness with a knife..."

"Ona, would you do the honors of giving us a rallying cry?" Rook asked.

I nodded. "Sure."

"Good idea," said Vil. "Otherwise, this group is going to start bickering about who says what."

"Make sure to put some spirit into it," Epel said excitedly.

I thought about it for a moment. Then I shouted, "NIGHT RAVEN, NIGHT RAVEN, GO GO GO!"

"YEEEAAAH!" everyone else cheered.

Soon, we were all headed off in different directions. Floyd fell in step beside me as Vil led our group. My mood sobered once we were alone. Epel seemed to notice and looked at me with worry. "Are you nervous, Ona?"

"No, I'm just down about something that happened earlier," I said.

"You're disappointed Jamil said he does not want you to be his friend?" Vil said without looking back.

The question surprised me. "You heard that?"

"Everyone heard it, I'm afraid," said Rook. "You were quite vocal."

I winced. "Oh. Sorry."

"Don't worry about Sea Snake, Little Shrimpy," Floyd said. "You're better off without him. You don't need everyone to like you."

I sighed. "It's not that easy. It's not that I need everyone to like me. It's just that he..." I trailed off and looked away. The only person who understood my connection to the overblotters was Jade. I felt an ache that made me wish he was there with me.

When I looked back at Floyd, his expression had softened considerably. "This is about what Jade was talking about earlier, isn't it? About what you've been trying to do with those guys?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Jamil is the only one who has outright rejected my help. I can't give up."

Floyd placed a hand on my shoulder as we walked. "I won't pretend to understand what all this is about, but if Jade believes in you, then I support you 100 percent."

I smiled slightly. "Thanks, but I think Jade may have been wrong this time. He let me interact with Jamil because he knew he wouldn't directly hurt me. That doesn't mean he's right that I can get through to him."

"Nah, Jade is rarely wrong. And I know for a fact that he's not wrong about you. If he believes in you, he must have a very good reason. So, you should believe in yourself too." Floyd gave me an encouraging smile and gently squeezed my arm.

I couldn't help but smile back at him. "That does make me feel better. Thanks, Floyd."

He flashed me a huge grin. "Anytime, Ona!"

"I'm glad you're feeling better," Epel said. "I believe in you too."

I smiled at him. "Thanks." I did not know what I would do about Jamil, but I would think of something. If I had the support of my friends, I felt like I could accomplish anything. Finally, we reached the first tower.

"So, this is Tartarus..." Vil murmured. "The Phantom containment facility. It's so vast and deep, it's rather overwhelming."

"I'm feelin' a cold updraft," Epel said. "Winter back in Harveston is mighty frigid, but this ain't quite the same."

"Yeah, this ain't just cold," said Floyd. "This is creepy."

"Agreed," said Rook. "This chill is spine-tingling. It elicits an instinctive shiver. Perhaps it's not a mere updraft but the chill of a fear we all must face - that of our own mortality."

"Well, this is certainly a place where the living have no business lingering," said Vil.

"And Grim's here all alone?" I said as I looked around with worry. We continued walking, eventually finding ourselves near some emergency stairs.

"According to our map, there should be an elevator nearby that will take us into Tartarus... Ah, there's the door." Vil tried to open the door, but it did not work. "Of course it won't budge."

"They did say Ortho had control of all the electronics in this place," Epel said. "Maybe he's shut down the elevator to keep us from interfering with his plan?" Suddenly, the door opened on its own. We exchanged startled glances.

"The elevator door opened," Rook said grimly. "You know, this is..."

"...Almost certainly a trap, yes," Vil finished. "A prankster android and an elevator are a diabolical match. But it is our only way forward. Let's just hope he doesn't shake the elevator up and down."

"Stay close to me," Floyd whispered as we followed the others into the elevator.

"Hey, guys!" said a hologram of Ortho. "Welcome to Tower 1 of Tartarus, the cursed containment facility!"

"And there's our prankster now," said Vil.

"I can't believe I get to see a real-life version of Night Raven Quest. And it's got new characters and classes we never expected!"

"Wait, what's Night Raven Quest?" Epel said in confusion.

"This is your party's first checkpoint on your grand quest to reach the Underworld. If you want to take us on, you'll have to prove you're more than a match for this challenge." A game popped up on a screen in the elevator.

"Is this Star Rogue?" said Vil. "The game you had me play during the lockdown?"

"I'll let you into Tartarus if you beat it. Now... 'Shoot for glory among the stars and soar like a comet!'"

Vil proceeded to play the game with the rest of us giving him advice. It did not end very well. "Non!" Rook exclaimed. "We've gotten a game over..."

Vil shot the hologram Ortho an angry look. "Now, hold on! That was a much higher difficulty than when I played earlier!"

"Ahahahahahaha!" Ortho laughed. "Wow, you can't even beat that level? What a casual! Sorry to gatekeep, but I don't let scrubs into Tartarus."

Vil narrowed his eyes at him. "Rgh... The way you're trolling me... The resemblance to Idia is uncanny."

Ortho brightened. "Really? It's close? Wow, gosh! I take after my brother! Heh heh heh. Hmm, all right. I guess it'd be boring if we just ended things here. I'll give you one chance to redeem yourselves. Dropping the difficulty to beginner... There. Are you ready? Go ahead and start the game!"

We returned to the game with Vil in charge of the controls. This time, winning came much easier. "Yeah!" Epel said excitedly. "We got it this time!"

Ortho peered at the screen. "Hmm. I guess that's a passable score for a beginner. Okay, this MIGHT be entertaining. You may enter Tartarus. If Vil Schoenheit it the tank... I wonder what classes would suit Rook Hunt and Epel Felmier. Oh, and Ona too. I can't wait to see how your party shakes out as you navigate the dungeon. You're about to enter a high-level dungeon swarming with real monsters. I'll be waiting for you at the next stage. Heh heh heh!" The hologram disappeared.

"Hmph. Those brothers are a pair of clowns," Vil muttered. "Just you wait, Ortho. Enjoy acting like a final boss while you can." The elevator started moving.

Epel looked at the glass elevator walls. "So, this is what Tartarus is like on the inside..." Suddenly, we stopped moving. "The elevator's stopped running. Looks like we'll have to take stairs from here." We all headed out and started for the stairs.

"According to the staff in the control room..." Vil said as we walked. "The Phantoms on the upper levels have already thawed, so it's likely they're up and about. We may run into them at any time. Beware of your surroundings. We haven't had much chance to speak since reuniting, and now we're navigating an enemy stronghold... But while we've got this downtime, I'd like to take a moment to say something to you all."

Rook looked at him curiously. "What is it, Roi du Poison?"

Vil's expression hardened. "First - you, Rook. You're my vice housewarden, yet you abandoned Pomefioere. I know you don't usually act like a proper vice housewarden... But after Styx's attack, the campus was surely in chaos. And yet here you are, gallivanting around by yourself? As housewarden, I cannot overlook this."

Rook looked away. "Now just hold on, Vil!" Epel said hotly. "Rook came to get you, despite knowing all the danger-"

Vil narrowed his eyes at him. "Zip it. My abduction and Rook's dereliction of duty are two entirely separate matters. The other vice housewardens aren't here because they're all doing their jobs, running their dorms. You don't see Jade here, do you?"

"Nope," Floyd said. "He's responsible."

"Precisely."

A thoughtful look crossed his face. "Although... If I wasn't around, I bet he would be here to look after Ona instead." I felt happy about this even if Vil looked less than thrilled.

"In any case, I'm ashamed of my poor judgment in nominating a vice housewarden so irresponsible he'd abandon his dorm at the drop of a hat."

"Hey... That ain't no way to talk to him!" Epel said indignantly.

"It's fine, Epel," Rook said softly. "Vil's ire is entirely justified. I was prepared to be dismissed as vice housewarden the moment I left campus."

"But that ain't fair...!"

"Now, Floyd, I know you're here for Ona, and I should let your housewarden deal with you," said Vil.

Floyd snickered. "Yeah, that's going to happen."

"Next - Epel and Ona. Do you have ANY idea how reckless it was to come here? You're inept children playing at being heroes. That doesn't help anyone. Quite frankly, you're nuisances."

I winced. "I couldn't just sit around and do nothing, okay?"

"Hey, don't talk to her like that!" Floyd said with rising anger. I placed a hand on his arm and squeezed it to calm him down.

Vil did not look intimidated in the least. "Don't get me started on you. If you wanted to protect her so badly, you should have forced her to stay at school."

"I would never force Ona to do anything."

Vil shook his head. "...What fools you are." He huffed. Then his face lightened considerably. "Well, that takes care of everything I had to say as Pomefiore's housewarden. Now for what I want to say as plain old Vil Schoenheit."

Rook's eyes widened. "Pardon?"

"Here's the truth... When Idia told me you all had come here, I was beside myself with joy. I've been holding it in ever since we met up with each other. May I give you all a hug and a kiss?"

Epel and Rook exchanged shock glances. "Wh... What?!"

I stood there in surprise as Vil hugged and kissed everyone, including Floyd and me. I accepted, of course, and Floyd appeared delighted. "Where did this come from?!" I said.

Vil smiled. "Come, now. You act like things like this are completely beyond my understanding. Can't I show my gratitude? My hunter. My poison apple. Floyd. And you, Ona... Thank you for coming after me. I'll make certain you're all returned to school safely."

Rook dipped his head. "And we'll do the same for you, our queen."

"Heh heh! I ain't gonna lose this time!" Vil said confidently. I nodded. "Oh, guess what, Vil! I learned my signature spell on the way here!"

"What?!" Vil said in surprise.

"He did indeed," Rook said proudly. "You saw it yourself, I presume. Surely you didn't miss the Charons encased in lovely glass cages."

"Wait... That was Epel's signature spell?"

Epel beamed at Vil. "Yessir! Crimson Slumber traps a target in a barrier and immobilizes them. I haven't perfected it just yet, though. My success rate's like maybe 30, 40 percent..."

"He saved my life with it," I said.

"It was sweet!" Floyd exclaimed, slapping Epel on the back. "Very heroic!" Epel was a bit startled but smiled slightly at him.

"The Charons had us surrounded and we were quite at our wits' end," Rook said. "That's when Epel's signature spell awakened within him. Never have I been so disappointed that my eyes lack the ability to record. Would that I could have captured the moment to share with you, Vil!"

Vil smiled. "Heh... It is a pity I wasn't there to see it. But something tells me I'll get to witness Epel in action all too soon." His smile fell.

Rook sobered. "Ah... Yes, you're quite right."

"What is it, guys?" Epel said anxiously. "You're both frowning."

"We've got trouble," Floyd said in a low voice.

"Ready yourself, Epel," Vil said. "Something's coming from below!"

I tensed as I watched phantoms fly up onto our level. I backed up against the wall and watched my friends fight. Fortunately, with all of them working together, they were able to defeat the horde oh phantoms, causing them to dissolve into the floor.

"Did the Phantoms just turn into some kind of... black ink?!" Epel said in surprise.

"It's blot," said Vil. "Take care not to touch it. It could contaminate you."

"Quel dommage!" said Rook. "Look at the floor where the blot spilled. It's losing its color and becoming withered and cracked."

"And... Idia and Ortho are trying to let these things loose on the world?" Epel said as we resumed walking."

"They're mad," Floyd growled.

"If they succeed, the world will spiral into pure chaos," Vil said. "We must stop them. Even if it means crushing their hopes and dreams in the process."

Rook nodded. "...I suppose so. Those Phantoms were small, but it's clear many more are waking up. We must get to the bottom level before..." We all stopped. "Hm? It would appear we've reached a dead end."

"You're right," said Epel. "There's a big door at the end of the stairs."

"According to the map, that door leads to a Phantom containment facility," Vil said.

"I hope they haven't thawed yet..." I murmured.

Epel gave me a confident look. "Don't you worry! No matter what they throw at us, I'll capture 'em with my signature spell!"

"My, don't you sound dependable," said Vil. "Well them, shall we head in?"

"Lead the way, Betta," said Floyd. We entered the room and found a bunch of metal cubes scattered all over.

"Well, here we are... the Phantom containment facility."

"Do all of those big metal cubes have Phantoms in them?" said Epel.

"Sure they do!" said Ortho's voice. "Pretty neat, huh? The room's packed with Phantoms from all over the world. It's like monster city in here!" Suddenly, the door slammed shut. Epel immediately tried to open it.

"The door just shut! Rrgh... It won't open!"

"We're locked in," Vil said. He looked around the room with narrowed eyes. "I assume this is your doing, Ortho?"

A hologram of Ortho appeared before us. "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, 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!"

Rook appeared intrigued by this. "Is that so?"

"The rules are simple. One of the Phantoms in these cages has the ID card that will get you our of here. So, just find the Phantom and get the card!"

Epel looked around in dismay. "You can't be serious. With all these cages, it'll be like looking for a needle in a haystack!"

"Heh heh heh, I knew you'd say that. Since this is a beginner level, I'll give you a hint. Memorize the following cages. That one there, there, and... there! The ID card is in one of those three. Best of luck, everyone!" The hologram Ortho vanished.

Vil swiped his ID card on the door, but nothing happened. "...Well, Ortho wasn't kidding - our ID card brings up an error message when I try to use it."

I froze when I heard a growling noise. "Is that sound coming from one of the cages?"

"Oh dear," said Rook. "The Phantoms have started to wake up."

"This may very well be a trap, but let's start with the cages Ortho pointed out," Vil said.

"I suppose we don't have any better options," Rook said.

"Don't worry, Little Shrimpy," Floyd said as he moved to stand in front of me. "I'll protect you."

"I know, Floyd," I said with a slight smile. "I know." I took a deep breath and waited for the action to begin.