"Where are you taking us?!" Niku shouted, trying to get answeres.
"Just shut up already, jeez you're annoying." A soldier said, with a sigh.
"Answer me!" Niku shouted, confused about why they're all being kidnapped.
"Are you sure we can't kill them? Not even just one?" The soldier asked another soldier.
"Yes, we cannot kill them." The soldier responded.
"Damn..." The other soldier said, in disappointment.
"Niku, they won't tell us, just be quiet and wait." Kure said, trying to get Niku to understand that they won't talk.
"No! I'm not gonna just sit here and do nothing! Daddy's dying!" Niku shouted.
"I know! We're all angry! ...But there's nothing we can do..." Kure said, looking at the ground. "I mean... look at Kumo, she's so devastated, she looks completely dead inside." Kure said, feeling bad for everyone. "These damned hand cuffs, they seem to remove our abilities... If only we could use our powers, then we could save Daddy, but we can't, there's nothing we can do but accept it and worry about it later." Kure said, looking strongly at Niku.
"...You're right, I shouldn't have lost my cool. But jeez... this really sucks..." Niku said, looking sad.
"I can still use my water powers... But there's no way I could fight them all alone." Leia said, knowing it'd be pointless.
"Yeah, you're right, you aren't really that strong." Kure said, stating the obvious.
"Utsu... we'll be okay... we still have each other." Niku said, trying to get Utsu to calm down, though Utsu showed no sign of fear or being uncomfortable. Utsu sat quietly, giving no response. "Daddy... will come back to us... I know he will!" Niku said, trying to give some hope.
"He's... dead, Niku." Kumo said, sounding awful.
"Huh?" Niku said, not understanding how Kumo would know.
"I saw it... grab him... and drag him down..." Kumo said, slowly.
Niku looked at Kumo with worry. "But... I can still feel that him and I are connected! Can't you feel it too?!" Niku shouted, in disbelief.
"Hades likely hasn't gotten to Daddy's soul yet, after all, billions of people had just died..." Leia said, staring at her own hand cuffs.
Niku's eyes widened. "So you're just gonna lose hope?!" Niku shouted, becoming annoyed. "If Daddy's taught us all one thing, it's that he'll protect us no matter what!" Niku shouted, as tears began to appear in her eyes. "He'll come back for us! He wouldn't abandon us!" Niku shouted, more, trying to hold her tears back.
"Niku... I think you're right." Muma said, slightly smiling.
"I can kinda feel his emotions... He seems worried... but determined." Muma said, as she looked up at everyone, beginning to bring on a hopeful smile. "He'll be back! I-I just know he will..." Muma said, trying her best to stay positive.
"Well, I'll be..." Niku said, closing her eyes and smiling slightly. "You've grown a lot, haven't you, Muma?" Niku said, finally finding Muma tolerable.
"I'd rather not talk about the details..." Muma said, looking away from everyone. "But, before I found Daddy, nobody really cared for me, I was just used as a... toy..." Muma said, seeming sad.
"But, you're a Succubus, right? Don't you like that?" Kure asked, feeling confused.
"Well... maybe a normal Succubus would... but I'm also a female pepper. I don't want to just be used..." Muma said, trying to put how she feels into words.
"Well, fair enough." Kure replied, leaning her head back against the wall.
Suddenly, the room began to shake a little, and a couple loud clanking noises could be heard. "What's going on?" Leia asked, confused about the movement and noise.
"Relax, we're just landing." A soldier said, standing up.
"Landing? Where?" Niku said, sounding hostile.
The soldier grabbed Niku's hair and pulled her up. "You better watch your tone, little girl!" The soldier said, with a sadistic smile. Niku intensely stared at the soldier, keeping her mouth shut and biting her tongue. "That's what I thought!" The soldier said, as he threw Niku back into her seat.
"To answer your question..." Another soldier said, as the previous one left the room. "We've been flying for about two days now, so we should be at The Arena." The soldier continued.
"What's that?" Kure said, never having heard of the place.
"You don't know?" The soldier asked, almost feeling bad for her ignorance. "It's a place where people with powers are held, usually people with strong powers. These people are then put up against each other in a battle to the death." The soldier continued, as he explained the gist to Kure.
"We... might have to kill each other...?" Niku said, looking at everyone.
"No, you guys are on a team or something. I don't really get it, but they said to keep the eleven of you together, and you are not to battle each other." The soldier explained, as he messed with his belt.
"Oh, thank God..." Muma said, with a sigh of relief.
"Alright, get up. It's time to see your new home." A soldier said, as he aggressively opened the door. The girls all quietly stood up, Niku lead them as they followed the soldier. "This is where the Swarn, our ships come in and dock." The soldier said, explaining the room to the girls since he's bored.
"Ships? I thought they were, like, jets?" Niku said, unintentionally sounding rude.
"No, they're space ships. Though you're right, they do resemble jets." The soldier responded, as they continued walking, making their way to a door.
"What if... one of our abilities aren't made for fighting?" Mae said, sounding worried.
The soldier stopped, turned around, and walked over to Mae, he crouched to become eye level with her, but he was still much taller. "Would you happen to be one of the weak ones?" The soldier said, as Mae looked up at him. Mae nodded up and down, confirming she was weak. The soldier grabbed her chin, and tilted her head up more. "Then you'll just have to fight with your fists, or do your very best to beg for your life." The soldier said, as his other hand rubbed Mae's throat. "Anyway." The soldier said, continuing to the front of everyone. "This is the cafeteria, where you'll eat whatever they serve." The soldier said, trying not to gag.
"D-Do they... h-have any... sweets?" Utsu asked, forgetting where she is.
The soldier stopped again, and he glanced at Utsu, then closed his eyes and sat on the floor. "Are you scared?" The soldier asked, sitting on the floor, infront of Utsu.
"Sh-She has a problem where-!" Niku shouted, getting cut off by the soldier grabbing her hair.
"One, do not shout at me! Two, I did not ask you, did I?!" The soldier shouted, as spit went into Niku's face. The soldier shoved Niku aside. "I'll ask again. Are you scared?" The soldier said, sounding calm.
"Y-Yes... I am..." Utsu responded, though she didn't want to.
"How come?" The soldier continued, sounding calm and welcoming.
"I-I... miss Daddy... h-he was r-really nice... a-and protected m-me from bad things..." Utsu said, as she fidgeted with her fingers.
"Oh, come here." The soldier said, sounding pitiful towards Utsu, as he held his arms out, inviting her to a hug. Utsu felt like it was an order, and accepted the invitation. "...STAB!!!" The soldier shouted, as he poked Utsu's back. Utsu gasped a little as she jumped. "NEVER trust ANYONE!" The soldier yelled, in Utsu's ear.
Utsu stood there and shook, her eyes were wide in surprise. 'D-Don't cry... D-Don't cry... Don't c-cry. Don't cry... D-Don't... c-cry...' Utsu thought, as tears appeared in her eyes, trying not to let them fall. Niku rushed over and pulled Utsu away from the soldier, Utsu clung tightly to Niku's hand. Niku could feel Utsu shake and shiver.
"Let that be a lesson to all of you worthless girls." The soldier said, as he stood up.
'This place... Utsu won't survive here, she does everything she's told to do, if she's messed with... she'll be so confused and frightened, she won't understand... I have to keep her safe!' Niku thought, as they all followed the soldier.
"And, this is the prisoner's domain, or as we like to call it, Hell!" The soldier shouted, as he walked up to a cell close by. "Get in, all of you." The soldier said, as he opened the cell door. The girls all entered the cell, one by one, and once they all entered, the soldier closed and locked it. "Your first fight is tomorrow, who will be fighting is unknown, but one of you will be up against a guy named Gladiator, he's no joke apparently." The soldier said, as he walked away.
"I hope you girls are settled in just fine." Another soldier said, as he walked up to the cell. "We don't wanna hear any of your winin' bullshit, so we won't be able to hear you at all." The soldier said, as he pulled out a remote and pressed one of the buttons, and an X appeared over the cell bars.
"What are you, like, talking about?" Niku said, not understanding the soldier.
"I can't hear you." The soldier said, as he walked away.
"He muted us?" Niku said, making an annoyed face.
"There's only four beds. Some of us will have to sleep on the floor." Peki said, as she looked around the cell.
"Ugh, that's just great." Niku said, rolling her eyes. Niku looked at Utsu, who still seemed to be freaking out. Niku sat infront her. "Utsu, do you wanna cry?" Niku asked, looking at Utsu.
"Y-Y-Yes." Utsu said, mumbling at first.
Niku hugged Utsu. "Then cry. They can't hear you, you'll be fine." Niku said, trying to help Utsu get her emotions out and calm down.
"Y-You... promise?" Utsu asked, beginning to hug Niku back.
"I promise." Niku said, softly. Utsu started to ball, she screamed and shouted, and hit Niku a little without realizing. They sat together for over twenty minutes, no one said a word or moved as they watched Utsu cry, some of the others started to cry as well.
Hours later, they all fell asleep together, on the cold, stone floor. They covered with two of the itchy blankets from the wooden beds. Kumo wasn't asleep yet, she couldn't as she didn't feel tired enough, but she was exhausted. She begun to realize that what Muma said was true, that pepper's feelings were changing, and he felt determined. Kumo realized that he's not gone and he'll be back. Kumo also realized that she doesn't have to wait alone, she has everyone here with her, and they'll all wait right beside her, thinking about that made Kumo smile just a little. Kumo then closed her eyes and fell asleep with everyone.