Upstairs; And Into Danger...

"We should check what is up the stairs." I state, heading that direction.

"What, how do you know there isn't something dangerous there?" Jane-chan asks and I smile thinly.

"I don't, thus why we are checking..."

The next floor up is a large open area, larger than the one we have just come from, ringed around it's edges with two dozen tiny shops, or what is left of them anyway. There also is another set of stairs down into a darkened region on the floor bellow which is labeled "The Recreation Commons" and a second set of those empty or closed up shafts which head up and down through the tower. The whole space is airy and inviting, save for one thing...

Standing at the center of the space in among a collection of damaged but carefully arranged tables is a group of four statuesque beauties with skin the color of purest snow save where it is lined by glowing blue tattoos. However though they are beautiful it is the same kind of beauty as my Katana, cold, sharp, deadly. Their ice blue eyes, as they turn to look at us with mechanically precise economy of motion, seem to shout, without a word being uttered: [Intruder! Stay Where You Are; Do Not Make Any Sudden Movements; Above All, Do NOT Reach For Your Weapons...]

"Buraddi jigoku ā..." I breathe.

"Got that right," Jane-chan replies quietly.

I can only hope she doesn't actually know what I just said and instead my tone alone told her I was swearing...