Chapter 149: Prana-Chan

"...Prana-chan, what a curious way to fly." Nio speaks while Prana literally flies in a sitting position, as if there were something beneath her, and even with this strange way of flying, she is just as fast as Nioh.

"Thank you! I trained quite a lot, it was funny doing this back then!! It’s gravity magic." Prana says with an amused smile as they pass over a massive ravine that is still on fire, the ravine the spirit mentioned to Nioh.

"It looks like we’re close to the exit. Prana-chan, you’re coming with us to the fifth floor, right? What’s your goal?" Nio asks while Nioh remains silent, watching the two of them talk.

"Ohh... I plan to reach the sixth floor and stop there! That’s where my family should be. We all promised we’d find each other on the sixth floor of Hell! They don’t hate me even though I killed them, that’s just how our family is. They would have tried to kill each other too, myself included."

"I just feel sad that I didn’t continue our bloodline. I failed them. I think Mom will be angry with me because I didn’t leave behind any children to carry on our history and traditions."

"Hmmm... Prana-chan, could you keep talking about the player you saw?" Nio is more interested in the chance of finding an ally.

"Oh!! She was a strange girl. I don’t remember very well since it was so long ago, but like I said, we teamed up on the third floor about 76 years ago! By the way, I’ve been on the fourth floor for 39 years already, not counting the years I spent on the other floors. It’s hard to find the exit when you have no idea which direction it’s in!"

"Anyway, she was pretty powerful. She had some strange abilities and said all kinds of funny things! She said she was from another world, that falling into Hell was a mistake, and she also said she needed to come back to life, but she wasn’t as strong as me."

"She’ll probably fail, or she’s already failed. Getting out of Hell alone while only being level 80 is impossible. She was just lucky to have a useful ability on the third floor! Just like you two were lucky enough to find me on this floor!!"

"She had apparently been in Hell longer than me. The foolishness of mortals is lamentable. Getting out of Hell isn’t that quick! Actually, Nio, you’re impressive! Most people take years to move from one floor to another."

"I’m not saying it’s impossible! Powerful gods can climb 20 floors a day if they want to, without any trouble, but for beings like us, who are so weak, climbing even a single floor is a matter of luck. A lot of luck." Prana speaks in a more serious tone about how it really is something based on "luck."

"Hahaha, yeah, we’ve had some luck! Our wife helped too...the first and second floors were heavily influenced by her, while on the third floor it was just the two of us." Nio says with a smile.

"Wife? Who’s your wife?" Prana asks curiously, since Nio hasn’t mentioned her concretely until now.

"Ah, her name is Typhon."

"Curious name, but I’d heard you mention it before. I wanted to know if she was someone I knew...hahaha, it’s kind of funny, Typhon. It reminds me of someone. It’s an unusual name. Where I’m from, no one would ever give that name to a child. It would be an insult."

"Oh, really? Why?"

"It’s a cultural thing. Your wife is really unlucky to have that name. Her parents must have hated her." Nio gives a little smile because Typhon doesn’t have parents. She is a conceptual being.

"Eh, I think tha—" Before Nio can say anything else, Nioh moves toward her and covers her mouth. Prana, without noticing the movement, ends up continuing ahead, talking to herself.

"What are you doing, Nioh?"

"Shh, don’t say it. I just realized it. This girl will torture us if she finds out which Typhon we’re talking about. The followers of the goddess of the void absolutely despise Typhon. Remember when I told you the two of them had already fought?"

"The girl seems stupid. She didn’t notice that our wife, Typhon, is the Typhon she must deeply hate. Shut up, Nio. If you keep talking, we’ll have problems!! This girl is stronger than us." Nioh gets nervous, realizing this only now.

"Oh...but—"

"What are you two doing just standing there? Come on, let’s go!! We have to get to the fifth floor!!" Prana comes back with a sweet smile on her face, speaking to the two who were left behind.

"...Sorry, Prana-chan, I didn’t mean to. It’s just that Nioh is my wife too, so I was showing her some affection." Nio says, giving Nioh a little kiss on the cheek.

"O-Oh hahaha, sorry for interrupting." Prana blushes and looks away, giving them some space.

"What are we going to do, Nio? Don’t—"

"We’re going to abandon her."

"...Huh?"

"We’re leaving this woman here. Even if we have to throw her to the plants to become their food, I’m not walking around with a ticking time bomb next to me." Nio immediately changes her positive attitude, her tone cold and cruel.

"..." Nioh feels uncomfortable realizing just how disgusting Nio can be. The girl she had been treating kindly and speaking to in a cheerful tone is the same girl who just told her they should abandon Prana and even destroy her chances of leaving the fourth floor by giving her to the plants.

"...You’re a disgusting person, Nio...you’re going to betray the girl you were being so friendly with just a moment ago?"

"Friendly? This is Hell. Fuck everyone we meet here. I was being friendly because she was nice and gave me information I liked, but if this bitch is an enemy, then I’ll crush her before she even gets the chance to realize it. I don’t care if that’s betrayal." Nio’s paranoia influences her decision. Prana hasn’t done absolutely anything, but just the "if" is enough for her to decide to act.

"You said it yourself. She’ll torture us if she finds out which Typhon I was talking about. I’m not staying near someone like that..." Nio is now much more sensitive about staying close to someone she knows could attack her at any second.

Although this isn’t simply cruelty, but rather a defensive response to the betrayal she suffered while alive. She knew the apostles were dangerous, but she did nothing about them and ended up dead, so now she simply prefers to destroy the problem long before the problem can come back and bite her.

"...Fine, Nio. Let’s do it your way, but I’m not getting involved in this." Nioh simply backs off and leaves the problem to Nio.

"...For now, let’s continue with her. Once we’re at the portal or near it, we’ll figure out a way to get rid of her. Besides, she herself said she deserves to be in Hell. There’s no reason for me to feel sorry for her." Nio puts the best smile she can on her face and flies toward Prana, who is standing quite a distance away from the two of them.

"Prana-chan, we can keep going. Nioh got too embarrassed to continue."

"Hehehe, you two are so lewd for doing that here! Well then, let’s get going, huh?! Let’s find the exit!" Unaware of what is going through Nio’s mind, Prana starts flying again, following the path toward the exit of this floor.

"..." Nioh, following the two of them from behind, can only feel bothered by how fake and deceitful Nio is.

’Makes me wonder...does Nio really plan to leave Hell with me...or will she abandon me as soon as I’m no longer useful...?’ Nio’s attitude affects Nioh negatively without Nio realizing it, increasing her distrust, which is bad for the two of them since their relationship still isn’t strong enough to withstand Typhon breaking it apart with her words.