"Hola!" she said cheerfully.
Anthony blinked several times.
"…Yeah. I'm hallucinating," he muttered, rubbing his eyes. "This planet is driving everyone insane."
"You're right," Cosmic replied calmly. "Hallucinations don't affect us."
Without another word, the two turned and began walking in the opposite direction.
The woman tilted her head slightly.
"Hm?" she said, confused. "You aren't hallucinating."
They stopped.
Slowly.
Anthony swallowed. "These hallucinations are getting realistic… they can talk now?"
"Eh?" she pouted. "I'm not a hallucination!"
She stepped forward and gently placed her hand on Anthony's shoulder.
"See? I can touch you."
Anthony stiffened.
Cosmic's eyes narrowed.
The warmth of her hand was real. The pressure was real.
She wasn't fake.
They both screamed and stumbled backward.
"What is a naked woman doing on this planet?!" Anthony shouted.
The woman smiled brightly, completely unfazed.
"I'm the owner of this planet," she said sweetly. "I created everything here."
Cosmic and Anthony stared at her.
Then they burst out laughing.
"You're funny," Anthony said, wiping a tear from his eye.
Her smile slowly faded.
"I'm not joking."
The air shifted.
Without warning, a creature appeared beside her — it had the muscular body and legs of a tiger, but the head of a dragon. Its scales shimmered unnaturally.
Anthony took a step back.
The woman simply looked at it.
The creature instantly began to melt — its body turning into a liquid gold-like substance before dripping into nothingness.
Silence.
"See?" she said softly.
Anthony's smile disappeared.
"…Ma'am," he said carefully, "can you help us escape this planet?"
"Escape…?"
Her expression changed.
Her eyes trembled.
Tears began forming instantly.
"Do you… really want to leave?" she asked in a fragile voice.
Anthony instinctively moved closer, trying to calm her—
But Cosmic stepped forward and aimed his sword directly at her throat.
"You're testing my patience," Cosmic said coldly. "If you're the owner of this planet, then you created those creatures. You've been controlling them to attack us, haven't you?"
She blinked.
Then smiled.
"Correct! One point for you," she said cheerfully. "You're smarter than you look."
Cosmic's grip tightened around his sword.
"Why?" he demanded. "Why attack our group?"
She shrugged slightly.
"Because… it was fun?"
She said it the same way someone might comment on the weather.
Anthony felt a chill run down his spine.
Cosmic's killing intent began to rise.
The ground beneath them subtly grew heavier.
"Wait!" she suddenly exclaimed, stepping closer.
Before Cosmic could react, she gently pressed a finger against his lips.
"I won't attack you with my creatures anymore," she said softly. "I promise. I even have fresh, drinkable water for you."
She looked up at him with wide, pleading eyes.
"So… don't kill me."
The innocence in her expression felt wrong.
Artificial.
Anthony quickly grabbed Cosmic's arm. "Calm down. We need water."
Cosmic hesitated… then slowly lowered his sword.
Moments later, she provided them with clear, fresh water — cool and pure, unlike the boiling red liquid surrounding the area.
As Anthony opened his mouth to ask another question—
She vanished.
No sound.
No flash.
Just gone.
When they returned to the cave, they explained everything to the group.
Rose took a large bite of cooked meat, chewing slowly.
"What the hell is this planet?" she muttered. "The longer we stay here, the weirder it gets."
Anthony, still slightly dazed, stared at nothing.
"She looked… perfect," he said quietly. "Her face was completely symmetrical. Her eyes had this glow. Her body was…"
He trailed off.
"We didn't need that last part," Rose interrupted dryly.
Ren, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke.
"Well," he said with a small smile he couldn't quite suppress, "it's time."
The cave suddenly felt heavier.
"It's time to decide who we sacrifice.