Challenge Two appeared thirty minutes later.
Team 3 stood in a new arena—this one circular, with platforms at different heights and a massive throne in the center. The throne sat on the highest platform, gleaming gold under artificial lights.
"THE CROWN GAME!" the administrator's voice boomed. "A classic Tower test, modified for team play."
Yamamoto studied the setup. Nine teams remained. Each one gathered on their own starting platform around the circle.
"Rules are simple," the administrator continued. "One team sits on the throne. Every other team tries to knock them off. If you hold the throne for fifteen minutes, your team passes. If you get knocked off, you're eliminated from the Tower. Permanently."
"Brutal," Laure muttered.
"It's the Tower," Ran said. "Brutal is the baseline."
"Teams may form temporary alliances," the administrator added. "But only one team can win. Choose your strategies carefully."
A countdown appeared. Three minutes before the game started.
Yamamoto looked at his team. "Options?"
"We could wait," Novick suggested. "Let other teams tire themselves out fighting, then take the throne when they're weak."
"Or we take it immediately," Ran countered. "Dominate from the start, defend for fifteen minutes."
"Both risky," Laure said. "Waiting means watching other teams coordinate against us. Taking it early paints a target on our backs."
"We're already targets," Yamamoto said. He looked at the other teams. Several were staring at him, whispering. "They know who I am. They'll come after us regardless."
"So what do we do?" Ship asked.
Yamamoto considered the arena's layout. Nine platforms, different heights, various angles of approach. The throne was exposed—anyone sitting there would be vulnerable from multiple directions.
"We take the throne," he said. "But not to hold it."
"What?" Ran looked confused.
"It's bait. We take the throne, they all come at us at once. We don't defend—we counterattack. Eliminate teams fast, reduce the numbers, then hold against whoever's left."
"That's insane," Laure said.
"But tactical," Novick added. "If we can handle the initial rush."
"Can we?" Ran asked Yamamoto.
"Yes."
The countdown hit zero.
"BEGIN!"
Yamamoto's team moved first. Ran led the charge, jumping from platform to platform with enhanced speed. Yamamoto followed, Staff in hand. The others came behind, spreading out to cover different angles.
They reached the throne in fifteen seconds.
Yamamoto sat down.
"That was fast," a voice called out. Team 5 stood on a nearby platform—five tough-looking Regulars with heavy weapons. "You trying to end this quick?"
"Yes," Yamamoto said.
"Bad idea." Team 5 charged.
So did Team 1. And Team 7. And Team 4.
Four teams, twenty Regulars, all rushing the throne at once.
"Here we go," Ran said, settling into a combat stance.
The first wave hit.
Team 5's leader came straight at Yamamoto, swinging a massive sword enhanced with Shinsu. Yamamoto's staff intercepted it, deflected it to the side, and the return strike caught the man in the ribs. He went down gasping.
Ran engaged three Regulars at once, her fists moving in blurs. She wasn't as strong as Yamamoto, but she was fast and skilled. Two went down quick. The third lasted longer, forcing Ran to actually work for it.
Novick's spear flew from the rear platform, striking targets with precision. Each throw forced enemies to dodge, disrupted their coordination.
Ship stayed hidden, but Yamamoto could see him moving between shadows, tripping enemies, sabotaging their approaches.
Laure coordinated from above. "Team 7 coming from your left! Three targets, Wave Controllers!"
Yamamoto spun, staff extended. The Wave Controllers were preparing some kind of combined attack—three Baangs of compressed Shinsu aimed directly at the throne.
He didn't dodge.
His spiritual pressure flared. Even suppressed by the field, it was enough. The Baangs hit his aura and dispersed, broken apart before they could reach him.
"What the—" one of the Wave Controllers started.
Yamamoto's staff hit him in the chest. Then the second. Then the third. All down in four seconds.
"Fifteen attackers down!" Laure called. "Five left standing!"
The remaining enemies hesitated. They'd just watched Yamamoto and his team dismantle twenty fighters in under a minute.
"Screw this," one of them said. "I'm out."
Team 4 retreated. So did the survivors from Team 5.
But Team 1 didn't move. Their leader—a tall woman with white hair—stepped forward.
"Ha Yuri was right about you," she said. "You're something else."
"You know Yuri?" Yamamoto asked.
"Everyone knows Yuri. And everyone's heard about her pet Irregular." The woman smiled. "I'm Khun Aguero Agnes. Different branch than Ran, but same family. And I think we can make a deal."
"What kind of deal?" Ran asked suspiciously.
"You want to hold that throne for fifteen minutes?" Aguero gestured at the remaining teams. "There are still four other teams out there. They're going to coordinate, come at you together. But if my team helps you defend, we split the win."
"There's no splitting wins," Laure said. "Only one team can hold the throne."
"True. But the Tower's real test isn't sitting on a chair—it's proving you can climb. If we work together, both teams pass. They'll accept it." Aguero's expression was calculating. "Plus, you get an ally for future floors. Khun family connections have value."
Yamamoto studied the man. Smart, tactical, thinking three steps ahead. The kind of person who'd be useful or dangerous depending on which side he was on.
"Deal," Yamamoto said. "Defend together. We'll figure out the rest after."
Aguero nodded. "Smart choice."
Team 1 and Team 3 repositioned, forming a defensive perimeter around the throne. The remaining four teams watched from their platforms.
"They're talking," Laure reported. "Planning something."
"Let them plan," Yamamoto said. "Ran, can you handle their Fishermen?"
"Yeah."
"Novick, take out their ranged fighters first."
"Got it."
"Ship, stay hidden. Sabotage and scout."
"Understood."
"Aguero, what can your team do?"
"Soo-Oh is a Light Bearer, better than yours—" Laure made an offended noise "—and we have two Fishermen and a Scout. We'll cover the eastern approach."
The attack came five minutes later.
All four remaining teams at once. Coordinated, using actual tactics. Wave Controllers created barriers and suppressing fields. Fishermen charged from multiple angles. Scouts tried to infiltrate.
It was a real assault.
And it failed.
Yamamoto's team and Aguero's team worked together with surprising efficiency. The defensive perimeter held. Every breach got sealed by either Ran's fists or Yamamoto's staff. Novick's spears kept the ranged fighters honest. The Light Bearers coordinated information between defenders.
"Ten minutes!" Laure shouted.
The attackers pulled back, regrouping. They were getting desperate now.
"One more push!" someone yelled from the enemy teams. "All in!"
They came again. This time with everything—techniques Yamamoto hadn't seen before, desperate combinations of Shinsu and physical attacks. One team even used some kind of suicide charge, sending their Fisherman enhanced with temporary power boosts.
Yamamoto stood up from the throne.
"Hold the seat," he told Ran.
"Where are you going?"
"To end this."
He jumped off the platform, landing in the middle of the attackers. His staff spun, hitting targets faster than they could react. Not killing blows—this was a test, not an execution—but hard enough to eliminate them from the fight.
The suicide-charge Fisherman came at him. Enhanced speed, triple Shinsu reinforcement, desperate power.
Yamamoto caught the punch.
His hand closed around the Fisherman's fist, stopping all that momentum dead. The Fisherman's eyes went wide.
"Too much power, too fast," Yamamoto said. "Your body can't handle it. You'll tear yourself apart."
He pushed. Not hard—just enough. The Fisherman flew backward, his temporary enhancement shattering. He hit the ground unconscious.
The remaining attackers looked at Yamamoto, then at each other.
"We're done," one of them said. They started retreating.
"FIFTEEN MINUTES!" The administrator's voice echoed. "Team 3 and Team 1 have held the throne! Both teams pass!"
Relief washed through both teams. Aguero walked over, extending a hand.
"Good doing business with you."
Yamamoto shook it. "You're tactical. I respect that."
"And you're terrifying. I respect that." Aguero glanced at his own team. "We should climb together sometime. Khun family could use someone like you."
"I'm not interested in family politics."
"That's fine. The offer stands anyway." Aguero headed for the exit portal. "See you on the upper floors, Yamamoto."
His team left.
Team 3 regrouped around the throne.
"We did it," Ship said, sounding amazed. "We actually won."
"Of course we won," Ran said. "We had him." She pointed at Yamamoto. "That's basically cheating."
"I was suppressed," Yamamoto said.
"You eliminated eight people while suppressed in under a minute. That's still cheating."
Yamamoto didn't argue. She wasn't wrong.
The administrator's screen appeared again. "Challenge Two is complete. All passing teams will now advance to Floor 10. Congratulations. And good luck—you'll need it on the next floor."
"Why?" Laure asked. "What's on Floor 10?"
The screen didn't answer. It just faded away.
"That's not ominous at all," Novick said.
A portal opened—larger than before, glowing with intense light.
"Floor 10," Ran said. "The real tests are supposed to start there."
"How do you know?" Ship asked.
"Because my family talks about it. The first nine floors are filtering. Floor 10 is where the Tower actually tests you."
Yamamoto looked at his team. They'd worked well together for two challenges now. Fought together, trusted his tactical decisions, proven they could handle themselves.
"Are you all continuing?" he asked.
They looked at each other. Then Ran spoke for all of them.
"Hell yeah we are. You're the best team leader we've ever had. Plus—" she grinned "—I want to see how far you can actually go."
"Same," Laure said.
"I'm in," Novick added.
"Me too," Ship said quietly.
Yamamoto nodded. "Then we climb together."
They stepped through the portal as a team.
---
Yuri was waiting on the other side. Her team had passed too—unsurprisingly.
"Heard you made friends," she said as Team 3 emerged.
"Allies," Yamamoto corrected. "There's a difference."
"Is there?" Yuri looked amused. "You're leading them, they're following you. That's more than allies."
Yamamoto didn't respond. But she was right. Somewhere between Challenge One and Challenge Two, these four strangers had become his responsibility. His subordinates.
It felt familiar. Felt right.
"Floor 10," Yuri said, getting serious. "This is where things change. The tests get harder. The politics get messier. And the attention on you will increase."
"Good," Yamamoto said.
"You keep saying that. You realize people are going to try to kill you, right?"
"They can try."
Yuri laughed. "I forgot. You're the guy who fought a Top 100 Ranker and won. What's a few assassination attempts?"
They walked toward the Floor 10 testing area. Team 3 followed, with other passing teams spreading out across the arrival zone.
The floor looked different from the others. More official, more organized. Actual Tower guards stood at attention. Administrators wore formal robes. Everything had a weight to it.
"Welcome to Floor 10," a new voice said.
A man stood before them—older, dignified, wearing robes that marked him as high-ranking Tower personnel. His eyes studied Yamamoto with open interest.
"I'm Floor Director Yeon. I've been informed about your... exceptional performance on the lower floors." He smiled slightly. "We've prepared a special test for you. For all of you."
"What kind of test?" Yamamoto asked.
"One that will determine if you're truly worthy of climbing further. Or if you're just another Irregular who needs to be stopped."
The air around them changed. Shinsu pressure increased. Guards moved into position.
Yamamoto's hand tightened on his staff.
"Challenge accepted," he said.
Floor 10 was about to show him what the Tower really thought of him.
And he was ready.