"Look, a checkpoint!" Mimi points ahead to a large granite platform levitating above the ground. The lanterns stop in front of it as it radiates a blue light starting from the top and ending at its pointed bottom.

In front of the levitating surface is a large black wall with a liquid covering its front. Creatures lay moving on the wall as well as some flying near the peak of it.

We run up the stairs and all stand in the middle of the platform.

Yuumi kicks the surface with her boot. "So what… Do we wait for something to ha—PPEN"

We're all suddenly thrown into the air towards the large wall without warning.

"We're coming in pretty fast!" Yuumi points out as we get a closer look at the wall.

A dark runny liquid is traveling down as one-eyed creatures hold their hands out as if they're welcoming our arrival. Large spikes are also laid around the wall.

"We should use those spikes to travel up!" I point towards the wall as we grow near it inch by inch.

My eyes emit a light glow as I clench my right hand and hold it in the air.

"HELENA!"

My body is covered in light and suddenly disperses as my armor is shown from the glitters left on my radiating steel. My right hand clenches my claymore, I flip it to face the impending wall.

"A Holy Kni—IGHT!" Mimi surprised by my transformation gets cut off as I grab her by the waist and hold her small frame in my arm.

"Give me strength!" Yuumi follows suit as light appears around her body. She lands onto the wall and digs her armored sharp claws into the structure.

I slam my sword into the wall holding onto it with one hand and Mimi in the other. I throw her mid-air and land her stomach on my palm.

"You go on..."

I tilt back and then hurl her with all my strength.

"… AHEAD!"

She's thrown high into the air and lands several spikes up from our position. She starts darting on all fours from spike to spike.

"Me next!" Yuumi pleads while clawing her way up the gooey surface.

I sway myself from left to right and pivot my feet onto my claymore. It's deep enough into the wall that I balance on it with no issue.

"Looks like you already have your way covered!" I reel my hand towards my torso and slam my fist in with enough force for it to be submerged. I pick myself up, take my sword out the wall, and crash it into the wall, lifting myself upwards. I continue to do this while looking up.

Saori's team can be seen ahead of us jumping from spike to spike keeping a hurried pace. However, Mimi catches up to them jumps over them leaving the team in shock.

"WOOO! LET'S GO MIMI!" Yuumi chants as she increases her climbing speed.

Saori retrieves the katana from her scabbard and throws it at the prancing cat-girl. Mimi looks back to the incoming blade mid-air and kicks it away from her vicinity. The sword flips and falls past Saori as she jumps from her spike and holds out her hand attempting to grab the blade.

IS SHE CRAZY?!

Yuumi and I finally find large enough spikes to climb onto and grab hold.

Saori grabs the handle of her blade and throws it back at the wall whilst falling. The blade lands near Natsumi as she catches it mid-air and throws it near the top of the wall. It lands in a spike and Saori appears almost instantly holding onto the handle of the blade.

'And you plan to kick HER ass?'

Saori throws herself upwards as the blade detaches from the spike.

I look towards Yuumi who perches from a spike staring in awe.

'Good fucking luck.'

A monster covered in dark, slimy liquid advances to my spike. It grabs onto my foot and starts moving up my armored leg.

"EW! NO! EW!" I start flailing my leg back and forth and kick it off as it falls towards the ground.

"Ha!" Yuumi points at me grinning as another dark-gooey monster falls onto her head.

"GAAAH" She screams as she grabs the creature from her locks and crushes it within her claws.

Slime starts to drizzle down from her hair onto her face.

"Ha!" I retort jumping from another spike.

Mimi leaps from a spike and lands atop the wall. Saori follows behind and throws herself onto the wall. She offers a hand to Natsumi and pulls her up.

"Double-time Momoko!" Yuumi starts jumping from spike to spike without rest.

"Right!" I dig my heels and hands into the wall's surface and start to lunge myself from one spike to another with great speed.

We reach the top of the wall and another portal is shown. This one is red with light being released from the middle of it.

"Come on!" Mimi rushes towards the portal.

We follow after her and a flashing light is shown as we travel into the doorway.

The light stops and we're faced with a dirt path with trees surrounding us. We start running along the road and an intersection with two signs comes into view. We stop running and read a sign pointing to the left reading, 'Hard' and the right reading, 'Very Hard.'

I put my hands on my hips. "Well, this is a no-brainer. It's obvious—"

"VERY HARD!" Yuumi exclaims while running to the rightmost path.

"Eh?" Mimi looks at me in dismay

"YOU IDIOT!" I run after her while shouting.

"'VERY HARD' IS HARDER THAN 'HARD'! WHAT'RE YOU DUMB!?"

Yuumi braces forward to the opaque portal that appears in front of us.

"That's what they want you to think!" Yuumi yells to us from the front. "It's reverse psychology!"

She jumps into it unknowing of the possible dangers ahead.

"Who invited her to our team again?" I look over to Mimi who gives a nervous laugh.

We both follow after her as the distant light causes our sight to be hazed.

. . .