The Hell That Arrived

[Quite a long one here. Over 3600 words. Enjoy nevertheless since it is the end of volume 2.

-Author <3]

Waking up from her self induced light nap, Mitsuna checked her skills and stats.

"Yep. Still there."

Standing up, she thought.

'The System did say that my body underwent a change. I'll check after I get brother out of here.'

Cleaning her clothes with a bit of magic, she was pleased by how easy it was and left the storage area in silence.

Not seeing anyone around, she just started walking.

'If I used Space magic I would definitely miss a spot or two. I can't see through walls when in them so the best plan is to just... wander.'

And as she aimlessly wandered around, she came across quite a few cells. Most of them contained coffins or test tubes with creatures in them.

A few cells resonated with her blood but she ignored it since it was quite weak.

'That's not brother, that's not him. Nope. Still no.'

After a few minutes, she reached the end of the corridor.

As she finished looking through cell after cell, she turned the corner to see a few tens more.

Taking a step, she stopped and looked to her right.

'Oh.'

Seeing her brother stuck in a test tube with tens of tiny wires coming out of him, she was furious.

She tried to calm herself, thinking to herself that at least he was alive. At least...

Quickly heading inside, she found a tablet on the side of the test tube that was connected to it by wires.

'A pulse. Anything.'

Reading the information, she started gripping the tablet harder yet harder until it finally shattered.

'They did not... they defiled the corpse of my brother? No... they can't be inhumane enough to do that.'

She let go and let the tablet hang on by the wires, swinging slowly from side to side.

Braking the glass out of desperation, Mitsuna pulled Jameson out of there and the best she could do was CPR since she felt no breathing.

Doing chest compressions and delivering rescue breaths was all she could think of. After delivering a few breaths she gave up as she held his face.

Mitsuna let go of him and wiped her tears.

"Bastards."

On the broken tablet the same text was flickering.

(Deceased: 1 Week.)

'Holding on to hope was pointless. The moment we got captured fate started f*cking us... Those c*nts are dead.'

Wiping her mouth, all Mitsuna could do now was give her brother a funeral her emotions and thoughts were all over the place.

'There is no way to revive people from death. My blood right now isn't powerful enough and his soul is most likely already gone.'

"..."

"Bye-bye. Brother."

Lighting the entire room on fire, she watched as his body turned to ashes with everything in the room slowly melting.

The fire had no effect on her own body, her tears however evaporated the moment they fell on her cheeks. Sprinklers went off and automatic water element spells were launched yet they could do nothing in front of this flame.

Placing his ashes into her Item Box, Mitsuna grit her teeth.

Kicking the wall out of frustration, a small quake happened. All due to a kick with no mana whatsoever.

'I've gotten stronger but so what. No matter how strong I am people still seem to just... leave.'

Trying to get over it, Mitsuna remembered her own and her teacher's words.

Letting out a long sigh, she sat down while thinking.

'I'll be fine. I'll be okay. At least their memory lives on.'

Looking at the shattered and continuously melting test tube, Mitsuna wondered.

'Could I have maybe saved him? Gotten here earlier. Used time magic?'

Deep in her mind, she had accepted it. She was already questioning herself after the 3rd day in this hell.

'No. Time magic would only fix his injuries. I don't have a soul element, I doubt the moon element could do much either under all this dirt and gravel. Even if I could revive him I would probably only make an ugly chimaera copy.'

Letting out another deep sigh, she spoke to herself.

"I just... need a minute."

...

Standing up, Mitsuna stretched her body before dispelling the fire.

Embracing the water element spells that just felt like a harsh shower, Mitsuna cancelled them with [Reverse].

Shaking her head, she noticed how her clothes also burnt to ashes.

'Rather short-lived. I couldn't even examine them properly.'

Creating a set of black sneakers, stockings, short jeans and a white tank top and hoodie that had red demon horns on the hood, Mitsuna dried herself with wind element magic and put the clothes on. The colour of the underwear you don't need to know, so I'll leave it out..... Casual Violet.

Using the space element to phase outside, Mitsuna landed in a dense forest filled with small animals and bugs.

'So this is where it is.'

Using the full extent of [Spacial Awareness], Mitsuna noted that the lab had an area of nearly 3.5 km.

Letting out a sigh when she noticed all the possible exit points, she activated a certain skill.

'You put me through hell. You won't escape yours.'

'[Dark Ice Seal]'

Mitsuna closed her eyes as the skill activated. Ice burst forth as it covered a large chunk of land. A butterfly that happened to be flying overhead was frozen stiff as it fell to the ground and shattered.

Pouring in more mana than necessary, she expanded its range to 4 km just in case, blocking all possible exits with deadly chains.

Opening her eyes after the skill finished, she found that not a single living thing surrounded this place any longer. The most she could feel was a pack of wolves 2 km out in a cave.

Teleporting back inside, she cast her eyes on the burnt and melted room she was in a few moments ago before gritting her teeth.

'It's fine. He's in a better place. Well, he definitely isn't going to hell at least.'

After trying to lighten her own mood, Mitsuna used her [Spacial Awareness] Skill again.

'Some guards are trying to get through the chains from the South.'

Leaving in that direction without hurrying, she calmly entered the hallway that led to the Southern Exit.

...

"Commander, they just won't budge!"

One of my squad members who was chipping at the chains complained.

"Keep trying. We need to secure an escape route for the scientists. Not just my paycheck is on the line here."

'How did it get to this?' I pondered.

'Just yesterday I was showing off a picture of my newborn boy to those dingy science nerds and now I'm stuck here with my squad unable to leave with a 'Magic-using Assassin' on the loose.'

"Your paycheck?"

'Great. Now I'm hearing things.'

"C-Commander..? Who's child is that?"

Turning around, I saw a girl no older than 15. I couldn't see her appearance well with the fog from the ice but her voice alone sounded out her beauty.

"Child? If I add everything up I'm actually about 18 you know."

They spoke.

Before I could get a word in she continued, I would have cut in but her voice was too enchanting.

"Anyway, I don't think you have to worry about your paychecks. Your lives are facing a bigger threat anyway."

'What does sh-'

Blood splurt on my face from the side.

Looking back I could see the chains had moved. Piercing the bodies of my squad members.

Most of them were survived since they dodged any fatal wounds but everyone still got pierced.

My back was drenched. By blood or by sweat? I did not know.

'What the hell.'

"C-Commander. Run."

Before anyone of us could react, just after good old Johnson spoke, his leg was pierced by a black spike and was engulfed in flame.

The same fate followed my other companions as they were all pierced and screams erupted for what felt like an entire minute before they all fell unconscious, presumably dead. It was only for a moment of course but the screams kept reverberating in my mind.

"Spell element fusion still works. Great. Anyway, lone survivor guy."

Hearing the same melodic voice from behind, I froze.

I couldn't think or speak. I felt a primal fear.

"If you want to escape before actual hell breaks loose, get me to the scientists. I know they haven't left yet."

Without a word, I stood up in fear for my life and started walking towards the place where the scientists were being kept.

Ignoring the routine call of the radio on the floor where I fell, I kept walking while trying to grieve.

Walking past the girl, I could only admire her looks.

'Why would someone like her...'

Seeing her peculiar gaze towards the group of presumably dead men, I realized.

'I guess we all grieve in different ways. Her way is just rather extreme.'

I silently kept walking neither I nor the girl uttered a word.

...

The commander type guy led Mitsuna onwards.

'So breaking their radios and giving them slight burns was all I needed to do. Great, I didn't really want to kill unrelated people.'

Arriving at a large black metal door, Mitsuna spoke to the man after a good while of silence.

"You can go. The Northernmost exit will be released soon. All you need to worry about is the cold."

As the man left with an unexpected bow towards the Southern exit, Mitsuna was surprised.

'Guess he noticed.'

Kicking the door, she noticed how a small device lit up.

Guessing it to be a camera, she spoke.

"Let me in and experience a faster death."

The device turned off as a few weak defence spells were created.

"Idiots."

Infusing mana into her leg, she kicked the door again.

The dent that she made with the first was widened as all the defensive barriers broke.

Kicking again the dent produced a hole.

Looking inside, Mitsuna spoke.

"Hello~ Welcome to Hell. Your visit will be until the end of your life."

Flicking her finger a fire spell was created.

Three fire wisps that were coloured green and grey were produced by the spell.

The wisps were picked up by wind and started travelling towards the scientists.

As one overly prideful man closed in on a wisp he stated.

"Hah! Only a Tier 2 spell? I'm Tier 4, almost 5 soon. Your spells won't do a thing."

As he smacked the flame with his hands, it got stuck and refused to go out.

His hand slowly started to burn and his blood boil.

He screamed in agony.

"One down."

Mitsuna spoke with a playful smile as she explained.

"If anyone touches this fire they will slowly burn to ash. When they touch a wisp, all others nearby will immediately launch towards them so their suffering is enhanced. The last 10 to survive I will let go."

The scientists quickly started talking amongst themselves.

"I'm the smartest one here, I should definitely survive."

"And the guy who just died was the strongest what's your point?"

With another scream as a man was caught, the group shut up and focused on surviving.

They dodged and rolled out of the way, ran as fast as they could.

"They seem to follow large groups of people. We can kite them if we get them to one place and run together. The girl behind the door can't have infinite mana!"

"Idiot! Who says it's a continuous spell? We already tried water against it a minute ago as well so all we can do is dodge for now."

Another argument broke out.

"Screw it, let's just do that kite idea. The slowest die, the fastest survive."

"Survival of the fittest, sure."

Without much room to argue against the idea, the entire group started to run in circles.

After 10 minutes only one had tripped and fallen to their doom.

As they kept running, one of the scientists at the back of the group tripped a colleague in fear that he was next.

The tripped individual died a horrible death.

As they completed another circle, suddenly 6 people at the front combusted.

As the group backed off and glanced at the door, they could see Mitsuna smirking.

"I never said I won't use the spell again."

As chaos broke loose, screams were heard and people slowly burned to death with only ashes remaining.

Every time someone died, the death looked more and more painful and horrific to the survivors.

As one scientist was observing the fire, he figured it out.

"The larger the group the faster the fire travels towards it! Everyone get it to the centre of the room and split up into 2 equal groups!"

Following the instructions, they were surprised to see it work as the fire just floated there in the air, unmoving.

A total of 12 survivors.

"Mmm nope. That's 2 too many."

Mitsuna spoke.

"I said 10. No more, no less. Kill two within the next minute or ill send a few hundred more flame wisps inside there."

As the scientists started to panic, one of them from group 1 pushed another into the fire.

As he slowly burned, the one who pushed him yelled.

"Come on! Fast! Get rid of one from your group, the fire will start moving in your direction soon!"

Ignoring the looks of disdain from his group members, the other group soon voted someone out.

The voted one did not want to die and pleaded. But he was ignored.

As he sat on his knees, he was kicked in the face, cast into the fire.

12 survivors, two of them were just suffering less than the other 10.

"Great that's 10. You took over a minute but I'll allow it."

"You promised to let us go!"

A man yelled in desperation.

"Correct. Let you go out of this room that is."

The door suddenly broke as Mitsuna punched it with all her strength.

"Let's start game 2."

An uproar immediately followed.

"Oi. Shut it."

A pressure forced the survivors to the ground as the flame was put out by Mitsuna's presence alone.

"Whoever told you that any of you would survive? You are all here to die and suffer for my amusement. Do not get me wrong, I am absolutely not going to let any of you c*nts survive."

As the pressure dissipated, the scientists looked up only to see Mitsuna smirking with her eyes half-closed.

"Okay~?"

Hearing no response, Mitsuna clapped her hands.

"Great~ Game 2 is sure to get you moving~!"

Creating a blue, red, cyan and dark green magic circle, she placed it where she stood.

"You work here so you should know the layout of this place. Starting from here you must avoid the water that will continuously move outwards. It will stop the moment where it has killed 6 people. You really don't want to touch it. Compared to the fire, it makes it look like a calm outing. Ready? Go."

Mitsuna activated the circle. And as it spun, water started to form.

The scientists ran for their lives, literally. They stayed in one large group which was rather stupid and they soon after split up.

Two groups of 3, one group of 2 and two solo.

After nearly 20 minutes, the first group managed to find their way to an exit, the Western one but was blocked in.

The three-person group tried to break out but could not. As they turned around, they noticed something on the floor. A clear liquid, water.

As they found no way around, one made a run for it through the water as he screamed in pain, going insane in a moment as he saw the way they came.

The water had made precise turns through the corridors.

As he screamed the only coherent thing that could be made out is that the flow of water follows your footsteps.

The man who ran through the water had his feet frozen as small streams of water ran up his body.

Anywhere they touched, it started to rot and as the small water streams completely covered his rotting body, the water started to boil and drown him. Excruciatingly slowly.

The witnesses were horrified, truly ut was much worse compared to being burned.

The two surviving members, a man and a woman were left as the water slowly made its way towards them.

The woman backed off as the man started spouting curses. Regret filled his eyes. His eyes were soon however filled with surprise as the woman pushed him into the water and used his body as a stepping stone to jump around the corner.

The man screamed and yelled. He too slowly died, the woman did not stay to see how.

As the woman escaped, for now, she found the 2 person group and explained the rule of the water following their footsteps.

Joining the group, she found out that the other 3 man group was wiped out near an exit. At least that was where the 2 person group found them.

Continuing through the winding corridors, they later stumbled upon a solo man in a cell, locked to the ceiling by magic.

The group did the same, the original 2 man group stayed in the corridor while the woman entered the cell and talked to the man.

Finding out no new information, she was only surprised to learn that the man scored highest out of any other scientist there. He was also the one who found out the secret to the fire game.

A few minutes later, the two people from the corridor fell to their feet, taking a pen from their pockets they threw them just to be sure that the ceiling was safe.

As they did, they notices how the water stopped and started climbing up for a moment. It did not last long since the pen was only airborne momentarily but it was more than enough for them as they started running.

The woman and man in the room did not understand their urgency until the water entered their room.

Thinking that they were safe, they paid it little mind until the woman saw it growing closer.

Instantly panicking in silence, the woman calmed down after remembering that the 2 man group had found 3 dead. With two on her side, only 1 more person needs to die until the next game, if that even exists.

The woman grabbed onto the man, acting afraid.

As she used a bit of seduction, she looked at his face with puppy-dog eyes and then pulled him towards the water with all her strength.

As she did the man noticed what she was trying and pulled her down with him.

The woman fell onto the man and a splash rang out.

The woman quickly tried to jump back up but the man held onto her leg tight.

As the man died, the woman's leg was half frozen and starting to rot.

Not finding any other way, she cut it off and tried to block the blood with a bit of her own ice magic.

As she tried to deal with the pain and calm down, the water disappeared and she was teleported back to the room where the first game happened.

Mitsuna was waiting there.

"Great game. Well played."

She clapped.

"Can we... leave now?"

"Didn't I say so before? You will all die here. The survivors will just have worse deaths than the losers."

"W-why?"

"To get your luck or rather pride in check. You should understand. You will all go to hell. I will make sure of that."

As the remaining group of 4 turned back, they found a thick earth wall blocking their way. They were stuck there with their biggest fear in one room.

It was lit by monitors and the silence was deafening.

"There won't be a game 3. Watching all you betray and kill each other while experiencing rather gruesome deaths was interesting but it didn't scratch that itch. So instead."

The group was locked in place by chains.

"I do the very same experiments on you that you did to me."

"W-Why are you doing this?! Isn't this too far?!"

The only surviving woman yelled.

"Too far? You. You idiot. You messed with the wrong person. Killing my brother held no purpose. Torturing me held no purpose. Killing all of you does. And the purpose is simple, revenge."

And with that, Mitsuna enjoyed a good 12 hours of torture. Not her own of course.

Leaving the facility in the early morning with dried blood covering her face and clothes, she had a smile on her face as she took a deep breath of fresh air.

"They have 27 more facilities. Looks like I'll be pretty busy before I start hunting Natash."

Looking back at the lab, she created a brown magic circle. An earthquake happened and the place was destroyed.

"I can thank you for one thing. You had some useful information, although sh*t people researching it."

Climbing to the top of a nearby hill, Mitsuna dug a grave.

Placing her brother's ashes inside, she created a beautiful tombstone.

Loving Brother.

Cherished Family Member.

Jameson Ashen.

"I got the revenge I wished for. Now only 1 individual remains after the other laboratories. I hope you watch over our parents, brother."

She created three more empty tombstones, planning to return here later with what's left of her parents and her teacher.

Placing the best protection type spell she had around the space, she took a look at the gathering of people closest to her before leaving.

"I'll be back. I'll tell you some stories when I return."

With a light yet sad smile, Mitsuna left the place.