40 (ch40) exit

As the Rin steped into what she could have described as a cavern, her senses were overwhelmed by the vastness of the space. The ceiling soared high above, disappearing into darkness, like a distant sky. The walls stretch out in all directions, their contours lost in the distance. The ground beneath her feet seemed to extend endlessly, like a sprawling plain. Every step echoes, reverberating against the colossal walls, emphasising the sheer scale of the cavern. She felt tiny, insignificant, like an ant in a world of giants, awestruck by the immensity of the underground expanse before them.

In the center, she couldn't bring herself to glance at what lay there. On either side, towering metal chains gripped each limb of the creature, each chain dwarfing her own size by several folds. Holding her breath, she took in the daunting sight before her.

As soon as she stepped into the vast cavern, it felt like all eyes were on her. Torches lined the walls, casting eerie shadows across the cavern's expanse, and in the midst of it all, the gaze of something—something she couldn't quite define—was fixed squarely on her.

In the eerie darkness above, a colossal pair of slanted, crimson eyes pierce through the shadows, fixating on her every move with an intense, unsettling gaze.

Her eyes widened in terror, pupils dilating with fear. The sheer magnitude of its menacing presence sent shivers down her spine, and every hair on her body stood on end. Its towering form loomed ominously, exuding a dark aura that seemed to suffocate the very air around it. Her breath caught in her throat as she struggled to comprehend the sheer malevolence emanating from the beast before her.

The bottom half of the beast that was showered in torch light

The fur possessed a deep, rugged darkness, resembling anything but conventional fur; it appeared more like a tumultuous manifestation of sinister energy, swirling in hues of black and red.

The colours swirled around in a mesmerizing dance, never settling on one hue. The beast's arms hung by its side, mirroring the shifting shades around it. Each gentle sway of its massive limbs stirred up a gust of wind, while heavy chains restrained its movements, preventing it from flailing too wildly.

'who did this?'

In the shadows, several tails of matching hues thrashed about wildly, each seeming to possess a will of its own. As the creature stirred, she braced herself, not particularly thrilled about the prospect of seeing it in its entirety. Gradually, its head emerged from the darkness overhead, revealing itself to her gaze.

With every warm exhale, she felt herself tensing up, confronted by the sight of rows upon rows of razor-sharp teeth. The sheer size of the beast drowned out the sound of her own breath. Its visage resembled that of a fox, complete with a pointed snout and elongated ears, adding to the intensity of the moment.

'i have another stupid idea'

She paused, inhaling deeply as she shut her eyes, preparing herself.

'another week of vomiting blood i guess'

The monstrous creature parted its jaws, poised to consume her entirely. With a swift motion, she opened her eyes, revealing a piercing shade of red.

"Kotoamatsukami"

Instantaneously, the beast halted its menacing advance, frozen in its tracks as if responding to a predetermined command, much like a mechanical entity following programmed instructions.

She couldn't believe her eyes as it flinched and darted with astonishing speed. Something of its size moving so swiftly seemed almost surreal. Then, its right arm surged forward, causing the chain restraining it to whip up clouds of dust and rubble as it instantly stretched taut. The deafening noise reverberated through the air, leaving her stunned by the sheer power of the spectacle.

"I have a giant monster, ha beat that nephis"

After a few more shifts and turns, the massive chain finally gave way, its metal links flung aside with such force that it reverberated throughout the entire cavern, shaking it to its core.

Following that, the creature turned its attention back to her. The entire cavern resonated with such intense vibrations that she struggled to maintain her balance. Oddly, it wasn't the monster responsible for this cacophony; rather, it felt as though the very cavern vehemently opposed the release of this formidable creature.

Yet another chain shattered with a resounding crack, echoing through the cavern with a sense of fury, as if the very walls themselves were quivering with rage.

she had a bad feeling about this and looked back at the monster that was about to break the final two chains

"WAIT DON'T!!"

SNAP

SNAP

The moment the chains shattered, the cavern resonated with the powerful echoes of thunderous bangs and rumbles, catching her completely off guard. As the cacophony continued, it became increasingly evident that the cavern had reached its limit, a revelation she had never anticipated.

Four massive obsidian pillars, each as dark and sharp as midnight, surged forth from opposite sides of the cavern. With breathtaking velocity, impaling the monstrous creature from flank to flank. The beast was caught completely off guard, unable to halt the deadly onslaught. A cacophony of agony echoed through the air, its piercing shrieks so intense that she instinctively clutched her ears, yet even that failed to drown out the horrendous sound.

"NO!!!"

The creature's expression morphed into one of pure shock, its wide eyes reflecting its disbelief. But before she could gather her thoughts to speak, the cavern began to quake violently. Chunks of the ceiling started to plummet down, and in that terrifying moment, a massive boulder loomed dangerously overhead, seemingly eager to claim her as its victim.

As she braced for impact, she realized she couldn't possibly avoid it, no matter how hard she tried. But in that split second of terror, something unexpected happened. Instead of feeling the crushing weight of the boulder, there was only silence. Slowly, she dared to peek through her eyelids, only to find herself staring up at the sky. And there, looming above her, was the majestic form of the fox-like creature, its powerful body holding the boulder at bay, saving her from certain doom.

The creature's gaze conveyed a distinct intelligence, signalling both to itself and to the observer that its fate was sealed. With a mutual understanding between them, it glanced towards the exit and subtly motioned, as if urging her to depart while there was still time.

Without a chance to dispute, a colossal obsidian column impaled the creature's chest. A groan of agony escaped the monster as it turned its attention towards her. Its massive head inclined, and it gently pressed its forehead against hers. In that intimate moment, they both closed their eyes, and she could hear the spell

[You have received a memory, Mask of the Nine Tails]

[Memory Rank: unknown]

[Memory type: unknown]

[Memory description:

"Thank you, kind human, for releasing me. Even in death, freedom is preferable. I leave you with a part of me."

A millennia ago, an anonymous god hero had imprisoned the monster, sustained by a cult to ensure its survival. Yet, it yearned for freedom, to wander the dream realm unshackled. Then, the heiress of a long-forgotten clan set it free.]

'i should be happy about the memory but the fox was starting to rub of on me'

She opened her eyes, but the giant monster had vanished. In its absence stood a blood-stained pillar that, with its support gone, began to tilt menacingly toward her.

'oh'

She ran

Towards the exit

Not looking behind her

The booming thunder of the rocks and the pillar made her steps falter, but she pushed through, hastily summoning the mask. Without even glancing at its impressive design, she slipped it over her face. Surprisingly, it lacked hooks, yet as it settled snugly against her skin, she felt its grip without any struggle.

Wearing the mask didn't bring about any noticeable shift in her perception, but in the current chaos, her top priority became navigating through the mess. With a sense of urgency, she made it to the corridor, swiftly manoeuvring through the corridor that now resembled the aftermath of a earthquake

She managed to navigate to the next section she'd been in before – the cage facility. Behind her, the rock had collapsed, creating a chaotic mess with debris strewn about. The constant tremors tossed cages around like an upset child wreaking havoc.

As she moved closer, her gaze lifted towards the towering structures of cages, which swayed and adjusted subtly, barely maintaining their form.

She navigated through the maze of metal cages with a mix of caution and urgency, her heart pounding as she heard the ominous creaking of one of the cages giving way under the strain of those piled atop it.

The rumbling of the earthquake only added to the chaos. Suddenly, several tons of cages were hurtling toward her, and in that terrifying moment, she realized she might not make it out alive. Panic surged through her as she braced herself for the impact, a flood of emotions washing over her. She couldn't bear the thought of leaving Sunny behind, knowing he would never forgive her. She closed her eyes shut'

BOOM

'wow death is pretty painless…..hold on, my head still hurts'

As she blinked her eyes open, disbelief washed over her. The cages that had crashed down upon her were now mere remnants of cleanly sliced metal. And then, her gaze shifted, fixing on something she couldn't comprehend at first: emerging from her lower back, right where her tailbone should have been…

'Well there's a tail there'

She noticed a solitary tail, reminiscent of her dear departed friend's, yet it seemed fluffier than his ever was. As her mind settled, the tail gently faded away.

'experiment later, survive first'

She dashed forward, sliding gracefully beneath a plummeting cage, seamlessly leaping from one cage to the next with nimble agility. Her movements were fluid and swift as she navigated the perilous obstacle course of cages.

As she sprinted towards the stairwell's exit, the ceiling behind her began its descent, mere millimetres away. The relentless collapse devoured the space with every step she took, creating a tense race against the impending destruction as she ascended the stairs.

'come on'

As she glanced up, she noticed the light just above the exit, tantalizingly close, yet the ceiling surrounding it was beginning to crumble. Panic surged within her; she had to get out, had to leap to safety. With resolve, she plunged through the exit, hurtling towards the ground as debris cascaded around her.

She made it

As she raised her gaze, she found Harvey and Luna peering down at her with curious eyes.

Luna spoke first:

"Cool mask"

She chuckled and they helped her up

"Thanks"

She glanced around at the others, noticing how their grateful gazes were now directed towards her.

Rin smiled and looked at her two companions

"Take them back to Nephis and ger camp, i have a idiot to talk to"

Approaching the woman with vibrant purple hair who had questioned her motives for helping, Rin gently placed a hand on her shoulder before speaking.

"Because we are all humans here"

She caught sight of the church in the distance, prompting her to set out on a journey toward it.

'I want to flaunt this mask to him, make him jealous. But, oh, he must never see the tail—his teasing would never end.'

'i can already hear him calling me a furry'