You Call This a Trial? Part Eight

Braving the cold, Aoko and the others turned back and took the path on the right.

At the end of the path stood a door leading to the next floor.

It proved the words written at the start of the two paths true: one led to suffering, the other straight to the next floor. The three of them really had chosen to suffer.

When they entered the fifty-first floor, they found another child less than 1.4 meters tall standing there. Were all the monsters here malnourished?

Aoko had no time to dwell on that, though. She was shivering from the cold.

"Welcome, honored guests. Floors fifty-one through sixty are under Enma-tei's care. There will be no fighting here. All our guests need to do is enjoy themselves."

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Benienma, Enma-tei's hostess. You three may warm yourselves in the hot spring first. Dinner will begin shortly."

The childlike monster seemed to notice their plight and promptly led them to the hot spring, even thoughtfully providing bathrobes.

She also took their discarded clothes to be washed. Service that considerate deserved a five-star review.

Even after sinking into the warm water, Aoko and the others could hardly believe it.

Aoko said, "Is this an intermission, or a bonus round?"

Alice said, "Who knows? I can't figure out what the master of this place wants either. It feels less like a trial and more like a game. I can't shake the feeling someone's pulling the strings behind the scenes!"

The three fell silent. For now, they might as well enjoy the hot spring.

"True, this doesn't seem like Osakabehime's doing, but the instructions did come from her. Nobody objected, so we all pitched in."

A voice suddenly spoke beside them, and a familiar face appeared.

A childlike Ibuki-Douji