"Unhand him, demon!" Ayase shouted, her katana resting a millimeter from Shion's neck. "Kurosawa-dono is a saint of the martial path! Do not project your filthy demonic desires onto his pure soul!"
"Pure?!" Shion shrieked, pointing an accusing, manicured finger at Yuto's face. "Look at him! He's sweating because you're standing too close to him and he refuses to claim the 'Proximity Milestone' points! He is literally agonizing over it right now!"
Ayase blushed deeply, stepping back and lowering her sword. "Kurosawa-dono... is this true? My presence tests your vows of purity?"
"Your presence is a vital part of our vanguard, Ayase," Yuto said in a calm, flat voice, completely ignoring Shion's accusations. He swiped away the new [Resonance Multiplier] that popped up, tossing it into the Vault.
[Loot Vaulted. Current Stack: 1 Mythic Chest, 6 Fragments, 1 Milestone.] [Vault Pressure: 4%.]
A tiny, familiar ache pulsed in the back of his skull. The itch was back. The glorious, painful climb was starting all over again.
"I hate it here," Shion sobbed dramatically, collapsing onto the marble floor and hugging her knees. "I am a Mythic-Tier demon of lust and chaos. I could conquer empires. And I'm stuck with a teenager who treats his soul like a high-yield savings account."
"Get up, succubus," Kurenai grunted, walking over and easily hoisting the crying demon over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "If Alpha summoned you, you're part of the pack now. Stop whining. We have floors to clear."
Yuto walked past the shattered throne and toward the massive, glowing crystal elevator at the back of the penthouse. This was the gateway to the Middle Tower.
He stepped inside, followed by Ayase, Kurenai carrying a weeping Shion, and the lingering scent of ozone. Yuto pressed the glowing button for Floor 14.
The elevator shot upward at breakneck speed. The grimy, neon-lit cyberpunk ruins of the first thirteen floors faded away, replaced by a blinding, pristine blue light.
When the crystal doors slid open, the air was entirely different. It smelled of sea salt, expensive perfume, and ancient magic.
Before them lay Floor 14: The Blood of Venice.
It was a breathtaking sight. Massive, Renaissance-style marble palaces were sinking into a crystal-clear, glowing blue ocean. Gondolas made of polished mahogany and enchanted gold drifted through the flooded streets, ferrying Hunters dressed in high-society masquerade masks.
But beneath the glittering surface of the water, massive, dark shadows moved—Leviathans waiting to tear the careless apart.
"Wow," Kurenai whistled, dropping Shion onto the marble docks. "Place looks expensive."
"It's a trap," Shion muttered, dusting off her leotard and looking at the nobles on the balconies with pure demonic disgust. "This floor is ruled by the Mer-Tribes. It's all politics, backstabbing, and poisoned wine. Physical strength means nothing here if you don't have the social standing to back it up."
Ayase gripped her sword, her eyes narrowing at the decadence. "Then we shall cut through their politics."
Yuto didn't say anything. He was looking at a massive, holographic billboard floating above the flooded Colosseum in the distance.
[Floor 14 Entry Tax: 50,000 Tower Credits or 10 Code Fragments.]
"Fifty thousand?!" Kurenai yelled. "We spent everything we had buying rations from Old Man Jin!"
Shion smirked maliciously. "Well, looks like the great hoarder is going to have to crack open his little piggy bank just to get through the front gate. Go on, Master. Click the button. Claim some stats so we can sell them. Feed me."
Yuto stared at the toll gate. He stared at his Vault, currently sitting at a measly 4% pressure.
He looked at Shion, his face deadpan. "We aren't paying."
"What? You can't just fight the toll guards!" Shion gasped. "They're backed by the Senatorial Guard! They'll throw us in the flooded arena!"
"I know," Yuto smiled, stepping out of the elevator and deliberately walking toward the heavily armed, trident-wielding Mer-Guards stationed at the gate. "The arena winners get a massive chest of unspent Coliseum points, don't they?"
Shion stared at his back as he deliberately went to get arrested just to avoid spending ten Code Fragments.
"He's insane," Shion whispered in horror. "He's actually insane."