On both sides, ordinary prisoners confined within reinforced concrete still had the strength to wail. The deeper they went, however, the fainter the cries became.
The cold rock walls swallowed all sound and light. Dripping water from somewhere unknown and the scrape of steel grew increasingly distinct.
"So this is the world's number one prison, [Deep Blue Vortex]? Looks no different from an ordinary prison."
Seeing that Vill-V was still in the mood to joke, Captain Sonako, who was escorting her, let out a cold snort.
"We're not there yet. You'll soon understand why it's called [Deep Blue Vortex]."
After a while, they reached the edge of a pool inside the tunnel, about the size of a classroom.
Captain Sonako swiped his identification card across a nearby device.
The surface of the pool churned, forming a vortex.
The vortex resembled a ravenous beast, devouring everything that approached it.
Its force was immense, like a massive black hole. Even the air seemed to be dragged inward. Those nearby could clearly feel the tremendous pull, as though it sought to swallow their very souls.
This vortex was not artificially created.
It was a natural deep-sea undercurrent.
That was how [Deep Blue Vortex] got its name—any unfortunate soul who fell into it would be dragged deeper and deeper, with no possibility of escape.
And yet, within that raging whirlpool, a lift cabin slowly rose against the current.
It was astonishing to behold, a testament to the power of modern technology.
One of Sonako's subordinates proudly pointed at the vortex and boasted,
"See that? With the [Deep Blue Lock] in place, no one can escape from a prison ten kilometers beneath the sea."
Vill-V held the opposite opinion.
"The vortex is impressive. But you actually installed an elevator. How's that any different from hanging a ladder outside a tall prison wall? You're basically providing a convenient escape route."
The subordinate flushed red.
"Without the lift, how would we get prisoners down there? We can't just toss them straight into the vortex!"
The escort team entered the lift as it plunged into the roaring current.
The cabin descended into a bottomless abyss, swaying and creaking for a long time along the guidance of the undercurrent before finally reaching its destination.
Vill-V felt a twinge of regret.
The cabin was not transparent.
If it were her design, she would absolutely have made it fully glass.
That way, one could enjoy the undersea scenery along the way. How romantic.
If the designer heard that, they would surely complain, "A transparent cabin? That'd just give prisoners a chance to study how to escape."
The corridor on the second level of the prison was constructed from heavy, specially engineered alloy steel.
Rare earth elements had been fused into the metal. Even the most advanced mechanical drills would require considerable effort to bore through it.
Yet in Vill-V's mouth, it became:
"Using steel at the bottom of the ocean? Aren't you worried about corrosion? Hydrochloric acid, for instance. Not to mention plankton and all sorts of fish with bizarre mucus. Even with external anti-seepage treatment, it won't hold forever. If it were me, I'd prefer soulium."
The lifeforms of this civilization were different from those on Earth in her previous life.
Creatures in this world were far more corrosive.
Whether that was due to the Honkai or something else was unclear.
And the closer to Honkai energy, the stronger that corrosiveness became.
"Then again, this prison is an antique from ten years ago. Soulium didn't exist back then."
Level after level, mechanisms unlocked by identification card one after another.
And each time, Vill-V could not resist commenting.
"You've built so many mechanisms. Why add passwords and ID cards on top of that? Computer-controlled too. Are you just waiting for someone to steal an identity?"
"Shut up! Stop trying to bait me!"
Captain Sonako shoved her viciously, making Vill-V stumble.
"Your magic tricks might fool stupid businessmen, but they're useless with me.
"A fraud will always just be a fraud. A filthy rat unworthy of the stage.
"If you've got the guts, escape from this so-called 'worthless' prison of yours!"
Sonako's shouting echoed loudly.
Vill-V covered her ears.
"It seems this audience member is rather irritable. Completely uninterested in escape magic... Don't worry. My escape act will be unforgettable for the rest of your life."
The reason she had explained so many third-rate prison break methods earlier was merely to help the guards strengthen their vigilance and patch obvious loopholes.
If the escape turned out too easy, the performance would lack tension.
And that would be boring.
For audience members unwilling to hear the magician explain the principles behind her tricks, she naturally had no interest in elaborating further.
After all, only third-rate magicians relied on such crude methods to escape.
As the creator of all escape magic, how she intended to break out would not be revealed in the slightest.
Exposing the secret was a magician's greatest taboo.
Maintaining mystery was essential.
It seemed the impatient actors were unwilling to follow the magician's script.
Hmm.
Should she flood the prison with seawater to make the escape more thrilling?
They descended yet another level.
By standard engineering design, this ought to be the lowest floor.
And it was clearly different from the others.
Most notably, nearly everything here was constructed from cutting-edge nano-metal—soulium.
Though far inferior to the soulium of later eras, its extraordinary properties were already evident.
Violent impacts resounded from within, without pause.
"You're keeping the Hulk down here?"
Vill-V could roughly guess what was imprisoned at the very bottom, but she asked anyway.
Several of Sonako's subordinates also showed confusion.
Weren't they supposed to detain Vill-V on the prisoner levels?
This lowest floor was clearly not meant for humans.
"Captain... this doesn't seem right."
"This is a classified mission. Take her inside."
Sonako's tone was cold.
Though puzzled, the three subordinates had no choice but to obey.
Not every MOTH soldier had witnessed a true Honkai Beast.
The rifles slung across their backs gave them a sense of security.
They had no idea how terrifying the monster ahead truly was.
Rumble.
Layer upon layer of soulium gates rose and fell.
At last, the final gate opened.
The three soldiers pressed their rifles against Vill-V's back and advanced, eyes fixed on the profound darkness ahead.
Suddenly, the gate behind them—meant to remain open—slammed shut with a heavy crash.
Only then did they understand.
They had been discarded.
Captain Sonako had intended to abandon them from the start.
From the darkness, a violet-white figure crawled forward.
Its mountain-like body crushed the air with suffocating pressure.
The three soldiers roared and opened fire.
Bullets that had always proven effective shattered uselessly against the Honkai Beast's hide.
Countless sparks burst like distant fireworks.
The soldiers' minds collapsed entirely.
Their eyes filled with desperate survival instinct.
Yet Vill-V had already removed every shackle from her body.
Raising her arms high, she cried out:
"Listen! The audience we've long awaited can't hold back any longer! And now—please enjoy Vill-V's passionate undersea escape magic!"
...
In the corridor outside the prison complex, Sonako muttered to himself.
"Prisoner Vill-V escaped during transport. Three MOTH soldiers pursued her into Level X by mistake. None survived. I'll write the report along those lines."
"I, Sonako, deeply regret causing MOTH to lose a talent with potential as a reserve researcher."
"Well, she was only a life-sentenced criminal anyway. Dr. Edison won't mind. At most I'll lose some bonus pay. As for the three guards... I'll probably be suspended for three months."
"Yes, yes. Three months' suspension... how tragic indeed~"
A girl's voice sounded beside his ear.
"As consolation, the great magician Vill-V has prepared a surprise for you~"
Sonako's heart jolted violently.
He spun around.
The three soldiers who had supposedly perished stood there, eyes wide, glaring at him.
His face drained of color.
"W-what... Honkai wraiths?! Don't come any closer!"
Rumors about the Honkai circulated widely within MOTH.
Honkai wraiths were among them.
It was said that those slain by the Honkai, if filled with overwhelming resentment, would become ghosts to seek revenge.
Sonako drew his pistol and fired wildly at his own subordinates.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
The sharp clicks of the hammer echoed through the silent corridor.
No blood splattered.
Instead, three brilliant red blossoms bloomed from the muzzle.
"It seems this captain is overjoyed that his subordinates survived against all odds," Vill-V's voice rang out lightly.
"Are those flowers meant to welcome their triumphant return? But surely that's not enough to reflect your happiness."
Vill-V deftly seized Sonako's pistol.
Grasping the barrel, she twisted.
With a pop, the cold black firearm transformed into a vibrant bouquet.
She stuffed it back into Sonako's arms, his mind utterly blank.
"Here. That's more like it. Go on—they miss you dearly. Give them a loving embrace~"
Sonako stood frozen, unable to comprehend the situation.
How had they escaped the Honkai Beast?
He had sealed the gates.
Even if they hadn't opened them, he had programmed automatic closure. The containment gate for the beast should have been impossible to reopen.
And the prison was riddled with infrared detection and biometric systems.
Why had no alarms triggered when she escaped?
Of course, even if he racked his brain raw, he could never decipher what lay within the black box of the magician Vill-V.
The three MOTH soldiers stepped forward.
With iron fists of love, they subdued Sonako.
"Captain, prepare to face MOTH's judgment."
They turned to ask Vill-V what to do next.
But she had already vanished.
"I'll be keeping his ID card," her voice echoed faintly.
"But the performance isn't over yet. And now—welcome to Vill-V's one-woman show~"