“...Did he just?” Helene asked the question more to herself than to others.

  “G-go!” Izabella invoked an Arte for containment. Tanael was already fighting.

  ...With fire? What? Soul, water, and lightning, now he has fire? Unbelievable! Next time he sneezes, will he gain a wind affinity!?

  All the group charged in and it was a chaotic fight like a brawl in a tavern.

  ***

  “You better have a nice excuse,” Restil had a murderous look. “Otherwise, your life is forfeit.”

  The battle was over shortly. The guards were all defeated without letting them alarm others. Still, some got wounded and Restil blamed it all on Tanael.

  The way Izabella saw it, Tanael fought extremely well. It was hard to say that the wounded would not get wounded using her original strategy. But because Tanael just charged in, it was easier to place the blame on him. She could see quite a few who shared Restil’s opinion. Helene and Alan reserved judgment, intending to back her stance.

  “My bad. That Arte has a mind of his own sometimes,” Tanael’s face was hidden behind a mask so they could not see his expression but he didn't sound regretful in the least.

  That invited Restil’s anger but Tanael spoke before he could channel his wrath.

  “As a recompense, I will serve as a distraction. Your path down to the second floor will be clear.”

  While he was talking, he also threw healing potions at the wounded like cheap candies. One drank it and demonstrated the potion’s high potency.

  “...Fine. You have one job and one chance.” Restil backed away.

  The group continued their journey. Izabella didn't buy Tanael’s excuse. What was his aim? Then again, he had weird tendencies back in the Book World too.

  Either way, he would eventually separate from the group, taking independent action for his own purposes that he didn't see fit to share. Perhaps this was simply an excuse for that end?

  “Don't look at me like that. I’m blushing,” Tanael chuckled. “You finally fell for me?”

  “You wish,” Iz scoffed. “Fire, eh?”

  “Hohohoh. I’m a man of many talents.”

  “So it would seem.” She hid her eyes with the wide rim of her witch hat as she looked to the front.

  After windowless stone corridors and turns, they were finally able to see why this floor was called the Boiling Baptism.

  There was a pipe, transparent so he could see that it was full of water, big enough for several adult humans to pass through. There were people in the pipe, carried from one place to the next. Several pipes converged on a pool. Since the pool was letting out a good amount of steam the water was naturally very hot. The people in the pool were gasping for breath and shouting in pain. Most of them, anyway. Tanael saw that the guards were monitoring the process. Some people managed to climb out of the pool by themselves, while the guards put them into groups before herding them somewhere else. Those who were too weak and were about to be cooked to death, had a guard pulling them out using hooks.

  “So it's basically a water torture chamber, right?” He asked.

  “The new arrivals will go through each floor depending on their crimes. Those that entered here have committed pretty serious offenses, according to the Estellian Church’s law, anyway. The greater the crime, the deeper the floor you’ll be placed on and the more torture you’ll taste. They don't call it torture. They call it cleansing their sins and souls.”

  “Heh. Yeah, right,” Tanael scoffed and grinned. He didn't buy that description one bit. “I can show them true soul cleansing, alright.”

  The men and women down there were wearing the same prisoner clothes. The place was big so he doubted this boiling water slide pool was the only ‘attraction’ on this floor. There were surely others but Tanael had more important things to do than searching for them.

  If this were a video game, he was the type to visit every path in the dungeon to fill in the blank map, opening treasure boxes and getting collectibles in the process. If he met enemies, they would become exp and a source of money. Alas, the SOP wouldn't fly in the real world. Those were all distractions that he couldn't afford.

  I’ve got to save Ace. Wait for me, brother. I’m coming.

  He thought, being on the first floor and all, the prisoners here would only consist of Level 1 Pathseekers, except for the new arrivals that were only passing through before they were sent deeper. He couldn't be more wrong. The cells were mostly filled with Level 3s. Level 2s and there were even a few Level 4s, but they were much rarer.

  Makes sense, I guess. Level 1s are probably too weak to do anything major. Also, they can't just bring every small-time criminal here.

  As the group continued on foot, they started to pass the cells. They drew quite the attention.

  “Psst! What are you guys doing? Can you get our cell key?”

  “Piss off!” Restil said.

  “I can call the guard here. Unless~”

  The guy died, a stake of blood on his forehead. Tanael shook his head. He must be the greatest idiot in the world.

  The prisoners were cuffed. The cuffs were power-dampeners magic items, making them unable to use Arte. They were more or less ordinary people.

  By the way, because of all the boiling water on this floor, the temperature was like a sauna. Not the feel-good kind. For these people caged up in their little cells, it must be torture getting steamed every day.

  “There! Intruders!”

  Their group was found out by the guards. A sharp whistle was blown. The guards were a group of ten but more would come.

  Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

  “Damn it. Found out already!”

  “Guess they increased the patrols, thanks to what is happening outside.”

  An incredible presence made itself known. One guy was coming towards them at high speed after hearing the whistle. He was wearing a nicer uniform than regular guards and was much stronger.

  “That's the Guard Chief of the first floor, Clifford!”

  Guess he’s like Sadi and Saldeath of Impel Down. One of their big shots. Righto. A bit of shitty luck if I think about it. The floor’s so big and there are six other infiltrators, but we are the ones that this guy zeroed in?

  “Newbie-” Restil was about to command Tanael to the wolves but Tanael was faster.

  “Go! Leave this to me and go forth. I’ll hold them off!”

  Tanael stopped running and turned around. He stood his ground in defiance. He also said one of the lines that he wanted to say at least once in his life. His Horizon approved and went up.

  Or so it should be. Being Viers’ clone, Arsène didn't possess the Horizon multiplier. When he merged back with Viers, his life experiences would contribute to Horizon anyway, so what he did now wouldn't be wasted.

  He lost one of his most important cheat abilities but the clone himself wasn't worried. He had proven again and again his capability without Horizon in his arsenal.

  “Got it. Good luck.”

  Izabella didn't even bat an eye and kept running. Tanael tsked. She should have shown concern, which he would then reply with even more heroic lines from the movies. Apparently, Izabella trusted Tanael’s strength too much to worry about him.

  “Stop!”

  Clifford launched an Arte, a white ball. Tanael’s sharp eyes saw that it was a ball of steam. A steam bomb, more accurately.

  Faiya. Let’s get fired up!

  Yaaa!

  The elemental inside him answered the call of his soul and lent him his fire. Unlike his cloud brother, the fire elemental had much less of a turn. Now he had a chance to let loose, Faiya would give it his all.

  Tanael grandiosely punched the ground and a wall of fire blocked the steam bomb before it reached him or the others behind him.

  Clifford stopped before Tanael and frowned. He deduced how formidable the masked man before him was from the exchange just now. He was using a Level 3 power to block his Level 4 Arte. That was possible because the flame was extraordinary.

  Clifford suspected he had some kind of pact with a fire dragon or some kind of equally powerful fire attuned beings.

  “Cultist, as First Floor Chief Guard of the Tower of Remorse, I welcome you. The entry fee is free. However, leaving isn't an option. Do enjoy your eternal stay.”

  Clifford’s aura landed wholly on Tanael, trying to crush him under the weight of his existence. Tanael crossed his arms and straightened his back.

  “There are five Guard Chiefs, one for every floor. I ask you, Mister Clifford, one of the five Heavenly Prison Kings, are you the weakest of the five?”

  The guards had to catch up to their chief and line up beside him. Almost fifty people now. The prisoners nearby were watching intently. Needless to say, they rarely get any entertainment down here.

  “You lowlife! You dare to mock the Chief Guard!?” The guard was pointing his subduing baton at Tanael. It functioned like a stun gun for prison riots and such.

  “Yes or no doesn't matter. Your new home awaits you, lawbreaker. Imaginary-”

  Fire rose up around Tanael, coalescing into an eye of fire above him. That blazing eye was like a gateway to an unknown world. The awe and shock of the profound manifestation stunned everyone. Clifford felt the eye of fire was penetrating his very soul.

  And he was correct.

  The prison guards screamed. Their bodies were on fire. The truth was much more serious: their souls were burning too. Even Clifford was no exception to this.

  This was Tanael and Faiya’s joint Arte, combining soul and fire affinities.

  Arte - Dark Lord’s Burning Gaze.

  The guards were all writhing on the ground. Some jumped into the boiling water below, trying to douse the fire. It was in vain. Clifford was the only one in slightly better shape. He had some soul method for defense but Tanael’s soul arte was no lowly gypsy voodoo.

  This Arte was inspired by Sauron, the Dark Lord from one of the best works of fiction of all time. Without sufficient power behind it to do the Arte justice, Tanael wouldn't clear the Arte fit for use.

  The effort and resources his original body allocated to make this Arte were equal to a Level 5 Arte.

  But it was all worth it.

  This was not solely a soul-based attack. The temperature around Tanael rose sharply with the Eye’s manifestation. The range of this Arte was extensive. All that fell under the purview of the Eye could be a target of the soul immolation. Some prisoners got a taste of it when the Arte activated but he spared them the next second.

  It was one second too long for them.

  With his soul under assault, like being under a looking glass with a thousand suns above the sky, Clifford was in no way able to open his Domain. He focused all of his resources on defending his soul else it would melt! The fact that he could still attempt to do so at all was proof of his skill as a higher-tier Level 4.

  A single beam of light landed upon him. Clifford felt he was no longer in control of his body. He was like a stone, a burning stone that was melting.

  Tanael walked forward, as if coming from the burning eye’s vertical black pupil. The Eye slowly got smaller until it disappeared.

  In his hand, there was a brown wand. A wand made from one of the most precious branches of Dia the dryad’s body, made and enchanted by a master craftsman.

  Clifford was hit by a Petrificus Totalus from this wand.

  An Arte with a similar effect, more accurately. But if it looked like chicken and tasted like chicken, then it was chicken.

  Tanael looked down on the immobile Clifford. He had the Chief Guard’s life in the palm of his hand now.

  “Kill! Kill! Kill!” The prisoners were getting rowdy but Tanael ignored them.

  Tanael whispered something to him in a way that only Clifford could hear. His eyes widened from shock.

  “So they were really brought here,” Tanael smiled. “I wonder how many of them are down there?”

  Clifford’s eyeballs showed sharp resistance.

  “Well, you don't need to tell me. After a while, your body will be able to move again. There are other cult intruders here. Kindly do your best to hinder them, whatever their goal is. I don't want to make it too easy for them. Bye.”

  Seeing that Tanael was leaving the guards and their leader alive, the prisoners booed, but some pleaded for his help. Tanael didn't mean to kill the guards but the weaker ones straight up died from the eye of fire’s gaze. Their souls became ashes.

  Oh well. If they were that weak, they wouldn't be much of a cannon fodder against the other infiltrators anyway.

  “Prisoners! Things will get more interesting here. Who knows, maybe there will be no more Tower of Remorse after today. Make your peace with death and pray to whatever faith you believe in. You might survive, you might not. Either way, a big change is coming. Welcome it, because it is inevitable.”

  The prisoner's reactions were mixed.

  “Oh, so you won't get bored in the meantime, I’ll leave a gift for you.”

  Tanael conjured a magical projection floating above the big boiling pool.

  It was a projection image of a girl with green hair, but her form was not quite human. There was also music, loudly spreading to the whole floor. With the music, the girl danced.

  This was Hatsune Miku’s first debut in this world, courtesy of Tanael.

  The song was titled Sweet Devil.

  Tanael didn't care if the prisoners didn't understand the language or why the virtual idol looked like that. He simply did what his heart wished.

  Drowned by the upbeat music, Tanael’s boots clacked against the stone floor. By the second step, the sound diminished but that was not all: his body became half-transparent as well, much to the surprise of the few prisoners who were watching; most eyes were glued to Miku. On the third step, the sound and form halved again, becoming harder to see.

  By the fifth step, Tanael disappeared completely.

  The virtual idol continued beautifully singing the song of a new age, a taste of what was to come.